Joy to the World

I have been waiting with my 'Joy to the World' stamp all summer, hoping that it would suit Isa's J challenge. And it did!!

The challenge also asked for the use of yellow, and to be on a Christmas theme. I have made it in ATC format.

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Stamps : Elusive Images Christmas set; Stampington Antique Music and Butterfly Girl set; Time to Stamp ATC set1

Inks : DI Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade; Fluid Chalk Blue Iris; VersaMagic Spring Pansy and Aegean Blue

Extras : Queen&Co brads

As the deer...

This is a thank you card for my friend Sally (mentioned in the entry below), on the theme of water for Salt Faith.

I spent a long time on the background, only for it to get ruined as I put it through the printer. So I salvaged what I could, and printed on tracing paper instead. For the background I glued scrumpled tissue paper onto card, and then coloured it. Too bad you can't see the ripple effect this gives! The deer image is from the internet.

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Inks : Adirondack dabbers in Pool, Stream, Juniper, Lettuce and Cloudy Blue; Adirondack ink pad Stonewashed

Extras : Mod Podge; white tissue paper; card; tracing paper

Deck of Me, week 18

Nature is the next theme. I brayered the ink on.

The text reads : How can I shortlist from nature, when it is so diverse? Well, I love flowers: their colours, shapes and smells. I also find sunsets particularly attractive - God's creativity on display for maybe a couple of minutes, always different.

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Stamps : AudDesign; Elusive Images Parfum et Fleurs

Inks : Kaleidacolor bouquet; Adirondack eggplant

Deck of Me, week 17

I shall post the next 2 weeks up now, as I have got a little behind (oh, how I wish that were true!!).

This week's prompt was about my bedroom.

The text reads : My bedroom is a place where : the children come when they're poorly, we open presents on special occasions, intimate conversations are held, and the door is always open. Psalm 4.8.

The artwork represents part of my bedroom curtains which is based on a grid. The stripes and flowers are 2 examples of the patterns in the squares.

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Stamps : Stampers Anonymous swirl; HA flowers; AudDesign

Inks : Fluid Chalk warm violet; computer generated text; Archival black. Adirondack dabber lemonade

Deck of Me, week 16

This week's prompt encourages us to get someone else to contribute.

The text reads : Sally is a close friend, brilliant artist, and my prayer partner. She made this at a background workshop given by Ruth Issett, and very kindly agreed to give me a piece.

Strange to say that the workshop was for members of the Embroiderer's Guild, with a view to converting the work into thread and fabric. I will get her to show me these techniques - useful for ATCs!

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Sally used white acrylic, procion and dylon dyes, brown paper, and gloss varnish.

Stamps : AudDesign

Blues

This is for the Wednesday Stamper challenge on the theme of Blue. I've added an 's' on the end as this is for a friend who's just had a big birthday, but kept it quiet. He used to be a professional drummer, but is now working in landscaping.

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Stamps : Stampington Fresh Flower Elements; Paper Artsy Letters 5; Time to Stamps ATC set 1

Inks : VersaColor Lapis Lazuli and Narcissus; Adirondack Butterscotch; Versamark

Extras : SGme clear EP; PM domed letter stickers; BB blue card

Take a letter, Ms Jones

The DCM challenge today was to include lots of different uses of one letter.

These are mine : Eggplant ink and card, Eggnog paper, Enjoy the journey stamp, Embossing powder, Embroidery floss, Eyelets, and Embellishments. I had SUCH fun!

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Stamps : Stampers Anonymous Enjoy the journey

Inks : Adirondack Eggplant and Lettuce; Archival black

Extras : SGme clear EP; BG Eggnog PP; Oliver Twists thread; MM eyelets; Brads; DCWV eggplant card

Felicita

This ATC fulfils the metal requirement from the TMTA theme for this week.

Felicita means happiness.

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Stamps : NonSequitur Greco-Roman collage set; Elusive Images Scripts and Timepieces

Inks : H2Os in Olive Vine, Copper Penny, Gold Dust and Sunburst; Marvy pen Jungle Green; Versamark; Fluid Chalk Olive Pastel; Brilliance Mineral

Extras : HOTP Spiral clip; Micro detail copper EP; waterbrush

Off to school

I thought I would contribute to the new challenge site , based on Gothic arches. This is my first attempt at one, approached with trepidation, but enthusiasm.

The theme was school, so I went a bit Victorian and used images of an abacus and a satchel, as well as the predictable letters (probably not Victorian!!) The lace went a bit awry when I stitched, but actually I quite like that. The image was from Nancy Dooren's blog.

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Stamps : R&L Travel France set; Paper Artsy Frames 4; Crafty Individuals 72 and 147

Inks : VersaColor Bamboo; Marvy pens light brown, dull blue and aubergine; Fluid Chalk charcoal

Extras : lace; PP from BG sublime pad; white thread

Deck of Me, week 15

The prompt for this week was your parents...

The text reads : My parents have set me a good example of commitment to faith, and to each other. Wherever they have lived in the world they have found a spiritual home and supportive friends.

Thank you to those who expressed concern about my Mum - her knee op was successful, and she is recovering well, but she will need the other knee replaced as well, later in the year.

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Stamps : AudDesign

Inks : DI faded jeans; Archival black; VersaColor baby blue

Extras : RubOns by Doodlebug; PP by HOTP Icy Rainbow and Vanessa Arbuthnot

Circlet of flowers

This is an ATC for Technique Thursday using circles as a theme.

I watercoloured the background, and then clear embossed the circle background. After sponging I then ironed off the EP, and stamped on top. ---

Stamps : Invoke Arts background; Tim Holtz swirls

Inks : DI antique linen, frayed burlap and mustard seed; versamark

Extras : MM eyelets; beige ribbon; Image from Vintage photos and ephemera; SGme clear EP

Pushing your buttons

The DCM challenge is on buttons. Well, I have thousands of the things, but none of them matched the colours on these papers. So I resorted to the dyed pelmet vilene scraps again. My son Peter once punched lots of circles in a moment of boredom and kept them in a box with his buttons. I love being able to use them, as the magpie in me likes to horde, just in case...

The colours have darkened in the scan :-(

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Stamps : HA Happy Birthday Message

Inks : DI Worn Lipstick; VersaColor Split Pea; black pen

Extras : pelmet vilene punched circles; DCWV green card; PP byFancy Pants

Stitches

The Wednesday Stamper theme is stitches, so I got my long neglected sewing machine out and gave it a treat. This is for a friend's daughter's 18th birthday tomorow.

I used the watercolour technique on a craft mat for the Pierrot background, and sponged the colours on for the blue borders and the larger background.

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Stamps : Paper Artsy Pierrot Mini, Man of numbers plate 2, and Letters plate 5

Inks : DI Broken China, Old Paper and Milled Lavender; VersaColor Lagoon Blue

Extras : Prima flowers; blue brad; blue thread

Dream

This card uses a sketch from Kimmie's blog.

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Stamps : NonSequitur Greco-Roman Collage set; Crafty Individuals 21

Inks : Watercolour pencils in brown and purple; VersaMagic Aloe Vera; Marvy black pen; Archival black

Extras : PP by Imaginisce; purple paper; sheer ribbon; waterbrush

Dash it!

The DCM midweek challenge is to use stripes and dots. I've made a straightforward card for my BIL, who doesn't like fuss, or anything fancy. So I stuck to very masculine papers with only a few embellishments (the brads are holding down the vellum).

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Stamps : HA friendly greetings

Inks : Archival black

Extras : Vellum, paper and tag by SEI; ribbon, eyelet and brad by MM; pearlescent geen paper

The Magic Flute

TMTA's challenge for this week is based on the theme of music - how cool is that!! So I have used a postage stamp I've saved from a letter I received about 5 years ago, waiting for an appropriate moment; and this is it.

Mozart's Magic Flute opera is one of the first operas I went to see - one of my favourites. Papageno really amuses me.


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Stamps : PA Man of Numbers plate 2; Non Sequitur Greco-Roman collage set; Stampington Mozart

Inks : Adirondack red pepper, sailboat blue, and sunshine yellow; birdcage printed from internet

Extras : PP by Fancy Pants; postage stamp

Life to the full

I've incorporated 2 challenges on this card : 'red' for Technique Thursday, and 'Life to the full' for Salt. I wondered whether the white on cream would show up on the scan, but you can see it well enough. I sponged the magnolia on the background white card to soften the contrast.

This is for church friends who are moving away. We are sad to see them go, but know that they will use their gifts to encourage new Christians wherever they are. They have run 2 Alpha courses here.

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Stamps : AudDesign swirl

Inks : Versamark; computer generated text; H2Os in garnet and pink anthurium; VersaMagic Magnolia Bud

Extras : prima flowers; pink brads; cream and red paper; white EP

Frilly bits

Hello, I'm back! Had a lovely couple of weeks - in Stockholm (with just Steve) and Somerset as a whole family. It took me quite a while to sort through all your comments - thank you so much.

This is a quickie, entered for the DCM challenge with the above title, made for some friends who gave us lunch and tea today - just as well as we arrived back late last night, and there's no food in the house! They love sunflowers. I hope the punched edge counts as a frill!

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Stamps : Denami sunflower; HA dainty thank you

Inks : H2Os in Sunburst, Sage, Gold Dust and Sea Green; Archival black; black pen; white gel pen

Extras : corner and scallop edge punches; PP unknown; green card

Bon Voyage

My last post for a while as I'm off on my hols. Hope you all have a good break, wherever you go.

This is an ATC using a background by Hermine - they are gorgeous colours! I continued the circle theme with the domed sticker, and the sequins.

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Stamps : R&L travel France set

Inks : Archival black; VersaColor lagoon blue

Extras : domed circle sticker; HA sequins; diamond glaze

Wilfred's journey

I have made this to wish Rein a happy blog birthday!

I have used her photo of Waldemar, and hope she doesn't mind that I've changed his name to Wilfred.

Here's his story:

Wilfred loved steam trains. He would cycle to Euston station from Cricklewood every weekend to watch the departure of the locos named after the royal family . He was presented with a return ticket to Glasgow upon his retirement; his dream gift.

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Stamps : Bicycle unknown; HA window Screen Background, Travel Post Ship, and Timeless Icons

Inks : DI fired brick, frayed burlap, and broken china; Ink It Up true red; Archical black; Marvy pen black; VersaColor lagoon blue

Extras : replica of cigarette card; red and blue brads

Cherished girls

Here's my contribution for the TMTA challenge on the theme of tags. Thanks ladies - I really enjoyed this one.

I stamped the main image on tissue paper and glued it on to the H2O background. I like the way the colours below it are muted.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 147, 84 and 21; HA Old French Writing; Invoke Arts Harlequin

Inks : H2Os in African Jade, Cranberry and Blue Zircon; VersaMagic Turquoise Gem and Perfect Plumeria; Marvy pen black; Archival black

Extras : Haza tissue paper; tag from Rein; waxy flax plum; vellum glue

Deck of Me, week 14

The next prompt in the series is birds....

The text reads:

After Steve and I started going out together, his brother Jonathan referred to us as love birds. I feel more for Steve now than I did even then. Despite hard and challenging times God has been with us, blessing us.

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Stamps : AudDesign

Inks : various H2Os; VersaColor Lagoon Blue; black pen

Praise!

There is a wonderful new blog called salt, designed for those who want to express their faith through their art work. The 1st theme is praise.

This is my contribution. The words are taken from the hymn : Praise my soul the king of heaven, by H. F. Lyte.

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Stamps : PSX angel

Inks : computer generated text; VersaColor lapis lazuli, bisque, topaz, cocoa, and paprika.

Extras : blender pen; SG-me Chiaro Flo EP; MM sheer ribbon; Basic Grey Twinkle PP; blue brads

Veni Vidi Vici

This has been made from the blog candy I received from Sheila aka manicstamper. (You will see a much better version of this on her blog.) Thanks once again, Sheila. My nephew will appreciate this theme for his birthday.

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Stamps : Elusive Images

Inks : Adirondack red pepper, latte and sunshine yellow; Archival black

Extras : threads from my box; chipboard tag; white tissue paper; mod podge

It's about time

The DCM challenge this week is on the theme of time. I had a little smile to myself when I noticed that the clock says 9, and so does the saying! Quite coincidental, but I still enjoy things like that.

As a child I was frequently told another saying : "Blue and green should never be seen", but I think these 2 colours together is one of my favourite combinations.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp Vintage Sewing set; Elusive Images Scripts and Timepieces; HA Old French Writing

Inks : VersaMagic Sea Breeze, Aloe Vera and Night Sky

Extras : buttons from my collection; threads by Oliver Twists; tag from Elusive Images; DCWV blue card

Thanks...

Next week the curate (who has just finished his placement at my church :-( ) and his wife are taking the youth group to New Wine, a Christian camping holiday in Somerset. This is a card to say thank you, which my children can give them at the end of the week. In fact, they need more than a card - perhaps I should have made a medal!!

Although this has flowers on it, I tried to make it fairly masculine in mood. I took colours from the paper to make the flower background.

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Stamps : HA A real flower drooping; Stampington recommendation; DoCrafts thanks

Inks : VersaColor raspberry, narcissus and topaz; Fluid Chalk tangerine and charcoal; ColorBox chianti

Extras : papers from the Dovecraft Abstract Prints pack; Dovecraft brad; waxy flax cherry

Hi wired

This is a card using wire, as suggested by Technique Thursday.
I looped it on a wire artist block and secured it with brads, as I have an enormous capacity to get glue everywhere!
I have based this on a design from a challenge by Kimmie at Kraftin' Kimmie's Korner


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Stamps : HA Big Bloom Vase

Inks : Watercolour pencils by Derwent - orange chrome, may green, magenta, flesh pink - and Caran D'Ache - ?purple; black pen

Extras : PPby Fancy Pants Designs; BB green card; DCWV pink card; white wire; waterbrush; white and green brads; PM metal rimmed tag; R&L RubOns; green ribbon

Deck of Me, week 13

The prompt for this week was : On your mind....

The text reads : Music plays constantly through my mind like a distant record player - music I know or have heard, or self composed in dreams. Much of it is Scripture inspired, reminding me to acknowledge God.

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Stamps : Hampton Arts Imagine; AudDesign

Inks : Marvy pens Steel blue and dull blue; computer generated phonograph

Extras : PP by HOTP Icy Rainbow; Heart RubOns by Doodlebug

Sorry...

The DCM Midweek challenge uses the theme of sorry. My Mum has gone for a knee replacement operation today, so this is for her. These are colours that she wears.


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Inks : VersaColor raspberry; computer generated text

Extras : PP by Deja Vue; pink and white paper; prima flowers; blue brads; sheer ribbon; pink eyelet