Memories

The Tag You're it challenge this week is to make a round tag. Here's my contribution.

---

Stamps : Crafty Individuals 121 and 116; HA Treasure the moments; RSTapestry Leaves set

Inks : Adirondack dabber Juniper; StazOn Black; DI Faded Jeans and Antique Linen; Adirondack Latte and Aqua

Extras : Waxy Flax Blueberry; MM eyelet

Roman Facade

The Friday 4x4 challenge is on architecture.

---

Stamps : Non Sequitur Greco-Roman Collage; Paper Artsy Travel 4

Inks : Adirondack Dabber Cloudy Blue; StazOn Black; DI Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Weathered Wood and Antique Linen

Extras : DCWV card; MM brad eyelet

Blogaversary, winner, and Hero Arts cards

Firstly, the winner of my celebration on 20k hits is:

!! WILLY !!

Congratulations to you, and your package is on its way. Thanks to everybody for their comments.

Secondly, I want to celebrate again - this time a whole year of blogging! I have a stack of 6x6 papers to give away. They are from lots of different companies - see some of them on the picture to the right. Please leave a comment on this entry and a contactable address, by Tuesday 3rd June 10.00pm British time.

These 2 cards are entries for Hero Arts challenges on flowers, and circles.

---

Stamps : HA Small Concentric Circles, Scalloped Hello, Clear Fanciful Flourishes and Wild flower set; Tim Holtz Enjoy the Journey; Invoke Arts Nibs and Pens; Elusive Images ATC set

Inks : Adirondack Wild Plum, Red Pepper and Sunshine Yellow; Versamark; H2Os in Snapdragon, Cranberry. Passion, Pink Arthurium, Garnet and Icy Iris; DI DustyConcord; Archival Black

Extras : Prima Flower; BB card; PM buttons; Clear EP; Gesso; Waxy Flax Plum and Watermelon; Yellow brads; sheer ribbon

Give me your answer, do...

The Theme Thursday challenge is women and ATCs. This was achieved quite quickly for me - especially after I found the image. Sometimes I seem to agonise for ages about the layout or the colours.

---

Stamps : Stampington Fresh Flowers Elements; Invoke Arts Pens and Nibs

Inks : VersaColor Narcissus; Versamark; Adirondack Butterscotch; Watercolour pencils; Archival Black

Extras : image from flickr; Dymo tape; Clear EP

Dream and imagine

I thought I would contribute to the Arty Girlz challenge on 'wings'. In the scan the wings have been flattened, but irl they are more 3D. I alcohol inked the metalware as the silver just wasn't happening for me.

---

Stamps : BLine Tic Toc; Paper Artsy One Penny 2; HA Brushstrokes Letters; Dragonfly unknown; Time to Stamp Addison; Tim Holtz Flourish

Inks : DI Pine Needles, Shabby Shutters, Broken China and Scattered Straw; AI Stream and Lettuce

Extras : Gesso; PM Silver brads and tags; Sheer Ribbon

Strength in numbers

The Created byHand challenge is to make a tag. My daughter Catherine has been receiving extra maths tuition all year from a girl at my school who has been offered a place to study maths at Cambridge in September. I will make this up into a card for her to say thankyou, and good luck.
---
Stamps : Paper Artsy Mini 23 and At Home 3; Invoke Arts backgrounds

Inks : Adirondack dabbers Lemonade and Shell Pink; DI Dusty Concord, Antique Linen and Weathered Wood

Extras : Skeleton Leaf; Magic Mesh; Elusive Images tag; wired tags - free gift from a magazine; fibres from my collection

The scribe

The Saturday's Workout challenge is called 'can you resist?' Well, no... I couldn't... the challenge that is! I used the batik method for the main background - clear embossing, and then ironing off the powder when coloured. I can't quite have got it all off as the nib didn't stamp down evenly, but I like the effect - it resisted again!!

---
Stamps : Invoke Arts Pens and Nibs set; Paper Artsy Letters 5

Inks : Versamark; Adirondack Lettuce and Eggplant; Alcohol inks Eggplant

Extras : SGme Clear EP; Yellow Ribbon; washer

Trust and friendship

The Lots to do challenge is called 'Man's best friend'. I further challenged myself by working mainly with shades of brown, but the pink crept in! Lots of homemade glimmer mist and watercolour distressing on this.

---

Stamps : Sugarlump Studios Heartfelt set; Elusive Images ATC set; RSTapestry clear Flourishes set

Inks : DI Walnut Stain, Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Scattered Straw, Aged mahogany and Worn Lipstick; Marvy pen Mocha; DI refill Tea Dye; Ecoline pink

Extras : MM copper eyelets; pink sheer ribbon; Perfect Pearls Gold; image from chicks57

Le Parisien

The Skinny Saturday challenge is called 'Le Parisien'. I was going to resist using the Eiffel Tower, but it just had to be there! It refused to be omitted!

---

Stamps : Elusive Images Scripts and Timepieces; Paper Artsy Man of Numbers 2; R&L Travel France set; Invoke Arts Shrines and Frames set; Swirl from Time to Stamp Birds of a Feather set

Inks : Glimmer Mists Walnut Gold and Olive Green; StazOn Olive Green; Adirondack Lettuce; DI Faded Jeans and Old Paper; White gel pen; Versamark

Extras : SGme Clear EP; Waxy Flax Blueberry

Jade

The 4x4 Friday theme is my favourite colour. I absolutely love greeny blues - turquoises, teals, jades etc. These are colours that I wear as they are in my eyes. The colours here are a brighter version.

I was clearing out a cupboard the other day and found a spin and splash that belonged to my children when they were little. I've had great fun, as you can see, and had better be careful or they might claim it back!

---

Stamps : Stampers Anonymous Mosaic; Tanda Stamps Flourish set

Inks : AI Stream, Lettuce and Stonewashed; Archival Black; Versamark; Adirondack Stream and Lettuce

Extras : Dovecraft Corner punch; Letters by HOTP (I think!); image from chicks57; Detail Gold EP; jade watercolour paper; glossy card

Home is where the heart is

This is the title of the 'Tag you're it' challenge. I wanted to make a Tim Holtz inspired tag, with my own slant. Not having any grungeboard, I crackle-distressed some card, and made my own wire embellishments. I couldn't find my Germanscrap wings, so stamped on some gold paper. I coated the brads with the crackle paint too.

---

Stamps : Judikins buildings; Invoke Arts Shrines and Frames set

Inks : DI Scattered Straw, Aged Mahogany and Walnut Stain; Archival Black; Ranger Crackle paint Aged Mahogany; Glimmer Mist Walnut Gold

Extras : Brads; Dymo label maker; Elusive Images tag; gold paper; gold wire; Wire shaper and winder; Pop dots; gold and burgundy ribbon

Celebration

Today I'm celebrating 20,000 visits to my blog!!!! How amazing is that. Please leave a comment here, and I will draw a name to receive this pretty pad of Crafty Individuals papers, and a few other surprises, on Thursday 29th May, at 10.00pm British time. Please leave some way of contacting you.

Postcard from America

The Theme Thursday challenge is on the subject of transport.

---

Stamps : Tim Holtz Enjoy the Journey; Crafty Individuals 161; R&L Travel France set

Inks : DI Frayed Burlap, Old Paper and Faded Jeans; Archival Black

Extras : PM Domed Stickers; MM ribbon; Chipboard Buckle; BB blue card

His and hers

The Created ByHand challenge is to make art pins this week. (Go via the link on the right for instructions). The size of these pins is 1.5" square; not much bigger than an inchie, but easier to work with. The surface of each is triple embossed.

---
Stamps : Paper Artsy Mini 23, Man of Numbers 2, and At Home 3; HA Fancy Hats; Crafty Individuals 77; Elusive Images ATC set

Inks : Adirondack Sailboat Blue, Stream, Peach Bellini, Cranberry and Red Pepper; Archival Black; Versamark

Extras : Clear EP

Gathering together

I made this card for the Hero Arts challenge on stamped backgrounds which can be found on Flickr.

---

Stamps : Just Johanna Birds; Hero Arts Old French Writing and Fanciful Flourishes; Time to Stamp Birds of a Feather

Inks : DI Aged Mahogany and Scattered Straw; Archival Black; Castaway

Extras : EK leaf punch; Prima Flowers; brads

Rise and greet the day

Another new challenge site for me - they seem to be springing up at an amazing rate!


The Lots to do challenge is to use Crafty Individuals products. Here I used one of their butterfly pictures from their printed images pad, and tried to recreate the background on a larger scale.
I then stamped with the corner part of a flourish stamp.

---

Stamps : Crafty Individuals 173

Inks : Alcohol Inks Wild Plum, Cranberry, Eggplant, Denim and Stonewashed; StazOn Black

Extras : Crafty Individuals Butterflies and Flowers pad; white paper; BB blue card

No place like home

The above is the title of the Skinny Saturday challenge - sized 3" x 5". A lovely size to work with!

I sponged the inks on and then spritzed lightly with a homemade glimmer mist.

---

Stamps : RSTapestry Clear Leaves set; Time to Stamp Birds of a Feather; Tim Holtz Staples

Inks : Adirondack Willow and Lettuce; Distress inks Scattered Straw and Black Soot; StazOn Olive Green and Saddle Brown; DI Refill ink Mustard Seed

Extras : Perfect Pearls Gold; R&L RubOns

Fly away home

The Saturday Workout challenge is to use chalks on your work. I stamped my foliage image with versamark, and chalked softly over the top.

---

Stamps : Tim Holtz Nature's Moments; Time to Stamp Birds of a Feather

Inks : Versamark; DI Faded Jeans, Frayed Burlap and Broken China; Chalk set

Extras : MM ribbon; Bue Brad; Prima Flower; BB Blue card

Love of my life

This tag is for the Tag you're it challenge on the theme of pretty and feminine. I chose soft colours for this, and a stamp that sings of love. I've had the ribbon for ages, and not used it because I thought it was gaudy. But I think it sits just right here. What you can't see is the glimmer of the homemade spray.

---

Stamps : Paper Artsy mini 11; RSTapestry clear love set

Inks : DI Milled Lavender, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick and Dusty Concord; Archival Black; DI refill Milled Lavender

Extras : Maya Road Gem Flower; purple brads; HOTP Ribbon; Perfect Pearls Bronze

Snippetz

Jacqueline has issued a mini challenge on her blog to use stamping on pieced paper. I have stamped the fleur de lis and butterfly on Junkitz Snippetz paper, and also used an experimental piece of alcohol inked background.

---

Stamps : Stampington Butterfly Girl set

Inks : Alcohol Inks Cranberry, Butterscotch, Terracotta and Gold Mixative; StazOn Black; Adirondack Cranberry ink

Extras : PP by Junkitz and Scrapperdashery

Dapper Men

One of the lovely things about joining in with challenges is discovering new techniques, or thinking out of the box. The Saturday Workout theme for this week is faux linen. I Lightly sanded a piece of glossy card, then brayered over it, and then sanded again to make the linen effect.

Then I stamped on the waste paper from cleaning the brayer. This has a streaky look, and paler shades of the same colours. This is 4x4 in size.

---

Stamps : Paper Artsy Mini 3

Inks : Adirondack Rueberry, Cranberry and Eggplant

Extras : Sandpaper; Brayer; Prima Flowers; Brads; EK leaf punch; Sheer ribbon; Purple card

Key to friendship

The Tag you're it challenge this week asks us to use predominantly black and gold. Here is my contribution. This was liberally sprayed with a homemade glimmer mist.
---
Stamps : all from the Sugar Lump Studios Heartfelt set

Inks : DI Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold and Mustard Seed; StazOn Black; DI refill Antique Linen; Versamark pen

Extras : Gold Brad; Prima flower; Detail Gold EP; gold ribbon; Perfect Pearls gold

Ticket collage

The 4x4 Friday challenge is on tickets - just right for this gorgeous stamp. The colours aren't quite so bright as this!

---

Stamps : Crafty Individuals 006, and 147

Inks : Ecoline Bluish Green, Forest Green, Chartreuse and Burnt Sienna; StazOn Ultramarine and Saddle Brown

A beautiful love

I've found a new challenge site I thought it would be fun to contribute to. It's called Saturday Workout, and is based on techniques. This week's is alcohol inks.

For those of you who read Craft Stamper magazine, this layout is based on a card in the Feb 2008 issue, with a few alterations. ---

Stamps : Technique Tuesday She Loves Me Small; Crafty Individuals 101

Inks : Alcohol Inks Wild Plum and Butterscotch; Adirondack inkpads Butterscotch, Wild Plum and Peach Bellini; StazOn Black

Extras : Ribbon; Dovecraft brad; BB card

Thinking of you at this time

The Tag You're It challenge this week is 'moo' related - this I will mount and send as a sympathy card. I'm not sure why this has blurred in the scanning, but I quite like the effect!

---

Stamps : Elusive Images Butterflies, Delightful Damask, and Scripts and Timepieces

Inks : VersaColor Pacific, Lapis Lazuli, Ash Rose, and Cyan

Extras : Elusive Images tag; SGme Clear EP; Prima Flowers; PM Brad coloured and embossed; fibres from my collection

Doh, ray, me

At last, a card!! And at last an opportunity to get to the computer - a rare event at the moment as it's in constant use for last minute coursework, homework, and revision, as public exams are looming up for both my girls.

This is for the Theme Thursday challenge on toys.

---

Stamps : Joanna Sheen Babies

Inks : Archival Black; Watercolour pencils

Extras : PP by Karen Foster; DCWV pink card; PM large brad; American Crafts ribbon