It's all about Birthdays at PanPastel UK

Got a birthday project in mind for this week? Then head on over to PanPastel UK challenge blog and join in the celebrations with us.

I have more of the mini blueprint stamps by Tom Holtz (I really can't help myself LOL), they are from set 4, I am just loving these at the moment and so this is my make - a birthday card. 

All the elements of a great birthday, 

the cake, 

the pressie, 

the party hat 

and the birthday balloon

Have a great birthday if you are celebrating yours this week. 

Some quick notes - for the images I stamped onto pearlised paper and used the Graph'it markers, they really blend beautifully. On the text paper mount I used PanPastels and another stamp from Mr. Tim off of the Ultimate Grunge set. I also got the sewing machine out and had great fun with the stitch dial LOL.

I hope your weekend is going well and that you have some creative time for you.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

hugs {brenda} x0x

For my friend in red, black and brown

I am combining two DT pieces today as this been a huge project  and it still isn't totally complete yet.

My dear friend and our esteemed leader at FSC, Shirley, came to visit at Christmas and she brought this amazing album to show me. It is GORGEOUS and I just had to have a go. 

Hope you've got a cuppa in your hand as this post has lots of photos.

So here is my version. I haven't finished it completely as it has taken many hours to get this far. I have used the colour combination of the challenge for this fortnight, red, brown and black.

The book is made of thick grey board covered in papers and then I dry brushed different colour acrylic paints over it before stamping flowers, flourishes and text over. I used my new Inktense pencils to colour in the flourishes. I frantaged the outside of it too.

I added these gorgeous Crafty Individuals stamps to the pages as this album will be going to a friend for her to add her watercolour paintings. Each page of the album is actually a pocket, so there are 8 for her to use in total.

I stamped some of the CI stamps directly onto the pages themselves and watercoloured them using Distress Markers.

The pocket pages are held in place by tying ribbons through them and the spine of the album.

We thought this could be a very versatile colour combination for a project and as long as it has some real stamping on it, then we hope you will share yours with us at FSC.

If your project is for a friend and you use at least one Crafty Individuals product then we would love to see it entered for the challenge 'For a Friend' at Jean's challenge blog. 

There are some lovely new stamps that have just come out and you may want to have a look at HERE.

Have a wonderful Sunday. I am off for day 4 with Andy Skinner on his techniques workshop at The Stamp Attic. Just loving playing with different materials in different ways.

Take care.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Guest Designer Spot at Sugar Creek Hollow

It's fabulous to have been asked to do a guest DT contribution for Sugar Creek Hollow this week. In fact I was asked before Christmas but it was when Becca was in hospital and I just couldn't spare the time then, but my thanks to Cec and the girls for having me join them now. It really is an honour.

The theme this week is Vintage Hats, Shoes and Purses and you can choose to feature just one all all three of these items.

 As I am definitely into the Graphic 45 papers at the moment, I chose hats for my focal point and made a chipboard tag, die-cut from the Tim Holtz tag and bookplates die.

All the papers and elements are from G45 papers except the little Prima flowers. The sentiment is computer generated.

The central lady in her gorgeous hat comes out of the little pocket and can be written on the back to send someone a message or a birthday/congratulatory wish. 

I covered the back of the tag too with the G45 paper, keeping it simple but finishing the tag off nicely.

So if you're up for making something in the hat, shoes or handbag line than pop over to the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge blog and look at all the other fabulous inspiration there is for you to see.

Thanks again for having me girls.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Three tags for Stitches

I was asked by Jane at The Art of Craft if I would do some samples for the 'Crafts Too' stand at Stitches last weekend. I was very happy to do so, but I ended up with some Marianne dies - and those of you who know me can imagine what I thought. But not to be defeated I set about making these three tags with the new bird die. Cute aren't they? LOL.

I wanted to include texture, colour and metal to make them a bit more 'me'. So these were the result.

Distress inks, masking, tape, stamp and key and the good old mini stapler. Yep, I could live with that, in fact I really quite liked it.

More distress inks, Tim Holtz riveted metal technique, alcohol inks, cogs and gears and a steampunk hat. Yep, pleased with the makeover of this one too.

More distress inks (of course), more tape, a ribbed bird and some flowers and a gold crown. Quite shabby chic I thought!!

So although I would never have chosen this die for myself I had great fun working with it and it really did challenge me to think outside of my comfort zone which has to be good once in a while don't you think?

I have used numerous bits of metal on the tags so I am entering these into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this week which is 'Metal-ology'.

Also Sugar Creek Hollow also has a Metal Mania challenge.

(I was very lucky to be the winner of the last challenge with my bird canvas.)

Bloggers Challenge is to use die-cuts.

Alphabet challenge is Anything with wings.

Stampotique want to see a bit of Text on your project.

What have you done lately that is different from what you would normally choose to do? 

Answers on a postcard ...................

Thanks for visiting, I hope you will say a quick hello so that I know you stopped by.

hugs {brenda} x0x

By the way - I know so many people are like me when it comes to blogging, I want to get round and see my friends and all your inspiration as often as I can, but long comments take alot of time to make. I will still be popping by as regularly as possible but in future I hope you don't mind if I leave a very short hello or comment as sometimes I can spend four hours or more on my visits. I hope you too will do the same with me. Thanks.

Tim's 12 Tags of 2013 - February

What an incredible two days I had at the Stitches trade show, so many people I knew and could chat to, which really surprised me. One of the highlights was meeting Buttons {aka Jenny}. See photo below.

But first I am buzzing after my win for the January 2013 Tag and have ordered some distress paints for my prize - can't wait to have a play with them.

This months tag gave me problems and this is the second try at it. The first I tried to re-create the Queen of Hearts and enlarge it from the mini one I own, but I didn't perfect that. I did learn how to print on tissue paper though. Tim's tag can be found HERE.

I so love the dramatic red and black combination Tim has used and wanted to use it so it had to be plan 'B' - use one of the sewing stamps (it's the only large blueprint set I own apart from the Christmas ones lol). 

Nor do I have the seasonal coredinations, so back to the drawing board, but the bingo texture fade came out top and hey presto adding my own computer generated words helped as well.

So another step nearer my 2013 goal of learning new techniques.

Some photos from the weekend.

A new stamp range at Paperartsy with designs from Lin Brown - yay these are just gorgeous Lin.

Some new minis coming out.

Kerry demonstrating PanPastels.

Jill Tuck from The Stamp Man demonstrating her frantage techniques.

Andy Skinner demoing and talking to potential customers on the Decoart stand.

Some of my samples on the Crafts Too stand (I also had some PanPastels pieces on the Premium Art Brands stand).

Which ones do you think were mine? A clue - there are 6 of them.

And even bigger clue - these three were mine, and I was asked to use Marianne dies - so not me lol.

And here is Jenny/Buttons and myself. Thanks for having your photo taken Jenny. If you haven't seen her blog, she creates the most amazing art and can be found at Pushing the right Buttons.

I wish I had taken more photos to show but I spent far too much time chatting. (Who me????)

I hope you have had a fabulous day. I did another workshop this morning so it's been a busy few days for me. Back to creating and blogging tomorrow.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Two Colours at PanPastels

I am off to Birmingham today to go to the Craft, Hobby and Stitch Trade Show. I shall be popping in to see Berni and Kerry on the Premium Art Brands stand, Berni is our PanPastels sponsor. I shall go and see Jean and Malcolm from Crafty Individuals, Jane and her husband on the Crafts Too stand and I will go and find Andy Skinner who has some new masks coming out.

So onto my design team piece for our PanPastel challenge.

Blues and greens are the two main colours I have chosen to use this week, with just a touch of vintage photo distress ink to frame my focal image.

The background was blended with various greens and blues to create a very smooth effect. 

 I used the Tim Holtz Cattails embossing folder with pans blended and painted over the top. 

The main image was stamped and black embossed on white card and then I water-coloured with the green and blue PanPastels, giving a watery wash around it. 

I used the same same dragonfly again on the background, stamping with Pesto Adirondack ink.

I am really pleased with the effects created on this piece and just love the contrast of the pesto on the brighter bluey greens.

Please pop over to the PP challenge blog to see more inspiration from my DT sisters and hopefully you will be inspired to join us this wee. You never know you might be the lucky winner of a PP starter set from 'Your Creativity Store'.

Have a great day, thanks for visiting and all the support you give me.

hugs {brenda} x0x