Divas By Design Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone - I hope you have had a great Easter weekend and we have another long weekend to come - can't be bad.

I thought I would let you know there is a new challenge blog starting on May 4th, with fortnightly challenges and oh boy this is soooo exciting. I was asked by Rebekah and Jo weeks ago to be part of the team and of course I said yes. We now have 14 members with some amazing talent so there will be some incredible inspiration for you to look at.

I hope you will come and join us as it is such a free and easy challenge blog and  we invite everyone to join in, whatever style you prefer. You may use any type of stamp or digi stamp you like or no stamp at all! You may enter any type of project (card, layout, ATC etc) as long as you follow the challenge theme. What more could you ask for?

Looking forward to seeing you there .

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Memories Book

HI All. This is scheduled as I am looking after the girls today while their Mum and Dad get on with some decorating. As the weather is so nice I am sure we will be having fun in the garden and round the park.

I showed you the cover of my next memories book this morning and for this second post for me today I would like to show you one of the pages for it.

This has been inspired by the challenge at Linda's Studio 3 blog for the Grungy Monday challenge. Being away has prevented me from entering it for the past couple of weeks but I am here and fully ready to be learning from the master himself again. The challenge this week is to use texture fades and distress. I have used this technique before on a Christmas tag, but it's fabulous to apply it in a diffrent context.

Check for the link to Tim's video to find out how to do this technique.

Would you believe I used 6 different DIs on this?

Here is the piece, now used as a pocket with a tag behind it.

This is the tag - made with an image from the Graphic 45 Le Romantique paper pad. The background is covered in DIs, spritzed with water, heat dried and stamped over.

This shows the finished page and the lace and ribbon provides a place for tags and photo mounts to be inserted.

Supplies used -
TH texture fade - retro circles
DIs - worn lipstick, barn door, dried marigold, tumpled glass, weathred wood, walnut stain
TH rubber stamp - dotted plume
Graphic 45 - le romantique papers
lace, ribbon, pearl gems

This page was also inspired by these challenges -
Sunday Stampers - All you need is love
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A Lord Tim of Holtz technique
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Emboss it
Pile It On - Smells like rubber
Drunken Stamper - Technology Sucks

Don't forget to visit these fabulous challenges and to go see Tim's blog too.

Enjoy.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

The Stamp Man Challenge # 18 - Resist technique

Hi All    -    Happy Good Friday   -   Have you had your hot cross buns today?

It's another beautiful sunny day here in Surrey with wall to wall sunshine. What a fabulous week it has been for getting in the garden and I have done so much, it is looking very tidy and ready for summer. I even have done most of my pots with summer bedding - just waiting to get some geraniums and to do my hanging baskets and I will be done.

On to the main business of the post. Welcome to the Friday Stamp Man challenge where the lovely Lisa O is challenging us to produce a card or project that includes the resist technique. As always the challenge is sponsored by Jill at The Stamp Man and the winner will receive a £10.00 voucher to spend at the shop. There are lots of new products on-line so do go and have a look.

Now as you know I had a play last weekend and enjoyed the experience but was not inspired by what I had created, but, with my next memories book now well and truly on the make I am much happier. However I cannot show you the totally finished cover today as 'the cat will be let out of the bag' so to speak but here is the cover of the project so far
.

Supplies
Wooden book
Household paints - coral flair, duck-egg blue, lost lake, sophistication, white
Claudine Hellmuth - tacky back canvas, gesso, multi-medium matte
DIs - dried marigold, worn lipstick, barn door, weathered wood, tumbled glass
Clear embossing ink and powder
TH stamps - shabby french, tattered elements
Graphics 45 Le Romantique paper pad.
Ideaology - ornate book plate, fragment charm, grungeboard letters - alphabet soup
Cosmic twinkles - red fire
Items for embellishing from my stash

 These photos show you the 'recipe' I have followed -

The wooden book bought from the Fanborough Show earlier in the year

This shows the boards which have been primed and painted. I used multi medium to stamp onto the sticky back canvas and then washed over with watered down household paint. This was stuck over both front and back boards and spine to allow the boards to open.

See Claudine Hellmuth's tutorial - HERE

I also primed and painted the inside pages.

I used the embossing resist technique on the front cover board.

See Tim Holtz tutorial - HERE

The book is coming together.

I then started to embellish it.

I used lace, inked muslin, flowers, a fragment charm and die cut leaves, hearts and butterfly.

Painted and glittered TH grungeboard letters and coral lace have finished it off so far.

Challenges that inspired me this week are -
Sunday Stampers - All you need is love
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A Lord Tim of Holtz technique
Simon Says Challenge - Emboss it
Pile It On - Smells like rubber

So I hope we will see you at The Stamp Man Challenge for this next fortnight.

Have a great Easter weekend.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 95 - Recycle

Happy Thursday everyone

Today we have another challenge at MAWTT and the fabulous Lisa has chosen the theme of recycling as tomorrow the 22nd is Earth day and this fits very nicely. Also I would like to wish Lisa a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today - the theme is recycling and she describes herself as a recycled teenager lol. Have a great day Lisa and thanks for a fab theme.

We are sponsored by Ladybug Crafts Ink  and I had a Christmas image to use this week.

Supplies
My Mind's Eye Christmas paper
Ladybugs Craft Ink Image - Carolling Magnum
Stamp - Stampendous music score
Recycled - cardboard, string, text paper, brad  and charm
DInks - pine needles, walnut stain
DStains - forest moss, antique linen, walnut stain, fired brick, vintage photo, wild honey,
Crystal Stickles
Kraft card

Do go over and see the fabulous inspiration from the DT and we have four new ladies who are joining us, so a big welcome to Debs, Kitty, Sylvia-Anne and Val. Have fun girls.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with
Papercraft Star - Earth Day and recycle
Truly Scrumptious - Vintage
Scrap Creations - Digital Images
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Anything Goes
Try It On Tuesday - Upcycling
Cupcake Craft - Lots of layers

A windy day

Hello fellow bloggers

I thought I would share a card I made last year as I am so busy with DT projects that will be coming up later in the week and haven't had a chance to make anything else. This is a shabby style card made down in Swanage on the last holiday I had with my Mum - in fact I have a few that she took a great interest in, watching what I was doing and talking about the design and materials I was using.

This was made with offcuts of DPs, a downloaded vintage image and hand made flowers. The photo speaks for itself really.

I hope you have been enjoying this gorgeous weather. I went out to meet a friend this morning at 10.30 for coffee and we sat and chatted and chatted until we realised it was 1.30 and were feeling hungry, so we stayed for lunch and I didn't get home till gone 3. It was then a couple of hours in the garden putting in the bedding plants I bought at the weekend. What a fabulous day.

Enjoy the rest of the evening.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

LIIU DT call and Featured Stampers

Hi All

Just a quickie to let you know that Let's Ink It Up have a DT call out at the moment. If you love your rubber/clear stamps then enter the current challenge and put DT beside your name. The themes for the challenges are very open and varied and there are no specific products that have to be used by the DT members. Go take a look and see what you think.
I also know there are a number of you blogging friends who use 'real' stamps who would be great as a featured stamper - click the the link here to see the current lady. This would be a fabulous opportunity if you are looking to increase traffic to your blog.
I hope you have had a good weekend. I got to do some gardening today and had intended to only do an hour or so, but came in 4 hours later. I know I am going to suffer tomorrow as I can feel the aches already. But the patio is already with pots cleared and in place to take the summer bedding. Can't wait.
Take care, enjoy your week ahead.
luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Resist practice piece

Welcome to a beautiful, bright and sunny morning here in Surrey, oh what a promise of a warm Spring and Summer to come      -         well we can dream can't we?

I haven't made a card or project for today but I have had a practice for my Stamp Man project for Friday coming. I found this tutorial - http://wn.com/Acetate_and_alcohol_inks which is a resist technique using glossy card DIs and AIs.















I love the colours and the materials I used but the TH birdcage stamp didn't lend itself well to this technique. I will keep it in my 'Inspiration Journal' though as a reminder for a future project. What I did learn is, that next time I try it, I will use black or coloured distressing powder to make the image stand out more.




When I returned from Cyprus I received these fabulous ATCs from The Stamp man ATC swap. My thanks to Torreke, Carol (no blog available) and Anita. I just love them and can see how collecting ATCs from other people can also serve as a source of inspiration for future projects. Yay.

Torreke

Carol

Anita

Have a great Sunday, I am going off to potter in the garden and later I will come and visit some of you. If I haven't got to you yet since I have been home, then many apologies but I will soon.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Hello Everyone

Hi to you blogging buddies out there.

Just to let my friends know I am back and raring to get creating and making again and to catch up on all the news and gossip.

Welcome to my new followers, I seem to have increased the number by about 8, some of you I know through other DTs but unfortunately the settings on some of your blogs don't let me see if you have a blog too and if this is the case I have sent you a message of welcome through Blogger.

I have had the most fabulous week in Cyprus and the wedding I went to was just amazing. It was a fabulously warm day, the skies were blue and the afternoon drinks and canapes were at the hotel in a small amphitheatre beside the sea.  We were on a balcony overlooking the sea and small bay for the meal and evening disco. Everything was just perfect.

Ken and I took a camera each, but these are just a taste from one of them. The last one shows my friend Margaret (mother of the groom) and I at the end of the evening. I think I must have been more tired than her.

I hope that all of you have had a good week.

Take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 94 - Chocolate

Hi Everyone

Today our fabulous Laurie is hosting the challenge at MAWTT and she has chosen the theme of Chocolate so I couldn't resist making a VINTAGE CHOCOLATE BAR. Well I have the photos to prove it isn't that old really and the choc is still good to be eaten - of course.

 The above photo became this...........

......... and this became ........... (scroll down to see)

We were given images from Stitchy Bear Stamps and I chose this ornate egg to work with. I coloured it up in Photoshop Elements then used it to make my own backing paper (the spotty design I layered it on is from Far Far Away). I edged it with DI and misted it with 2 different glimmer mists to get a more distressed look. I made my own round sentiment (which was a freebie last week) and printed off a larger coloured egg to embellish the top.


So here's my real chocolate contribution to the challenge this week. Great one Laurie, thanks for the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Freebie Great Day sentiment

Hi All

How did you get on with the other sentiment? If it worked for you, you might like this one too. Again I am giving it to you in both a jpeg and png file format. I have used an old typewriter font so that you can get more of a vintage effect.

Have fun.

png file

jpeg file

I like to layer the png file over a digital paper to get different effects. This one has been overlayed onto a freebie paper from Far Far Hill.

This second one uses a freebie digital paper from Shabby Miss Jenn.

Enjoy.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox