Kitted up

I was thrilled to be picked to receive a Tag You're It kit for the challenge starting 1st August. Most of the items used are from the kit with just a few added items, listed below. The challenge was to use the colours teal, lime and black. ---

Stamps : Paper Artsy Schooldays 1

Inks : Archival Black; VersaMagic Key Lime; VersaColor Lapis Lazuli

Extras : RAK PP

Believe in fairies

As the title suggests the theme is fairies for the Tag You're It challenge this week. I was very restrained on the stamping today, wanting to use up some freebie papers.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp ATC set 1; Crafty Individuals 21

Inks : VersaMagic Spring Pansy; Adirondack Wild Plum

Extras : PP by Scrapworks; Image from chicks57; Lacey Paper; Shipping Tag; PM brads and eyelet; Fibres; Sheer Ribbon; Tracing Paper

Lucy Locket

The theme for the In my Pocket challenge this week is ribbon. I immediately thought of this nursery rhyme, and dug out my Children's Treasury that I was given as a little girl. The book is in tatters now, having travelled across the world, but I still look at the Kate Greenaway illustrations with fondness.

The ribbon forms the frame around the text. The flowers match the paper colours better in real life.

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Inks : DI Aged Mahogany and Peeled Paint

Extras : PP by K&Co Brookfield; Photo Anchor; cream and pink brads; Beige Velvet Ribbon from Oxfam; Prima Flowers; Computer generated text; Artwork by Kate Greenaway

Good Tidings

There is a challenge on Artylicious blog to create a Christmas card or atc using Elusive Images stamps (with prizes). Here is my contribution.

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Stamps : Elusive Images We Three Kings and Delightful Damask

Inks : Adirondack Inks and Colorwash Sprays in Wild Plum and Stream; Versamark; DI Frayed Burlap

Extras : Perfect Pearls Gold and Pearl; Image from chicks57; Flower Brad; Sheer Ribbon; Detail Silver EP; BB purple card

Poppy

The Lots to do challenge is silhouettes. All the examples on the blog use people, so I hope silhouettes of plants are OK. I also used the July week 2 sketch from 2Peas.

I diluted the sprays and they still came out this vivid - boy, they are really bright colours!! I know that the title should say poppies, but I've run out of 'e's!

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Stamps : Stampington Fresh Flowers Elements

Inks : Adirondack inks and colorwash sprays in Stream and Wild Plum

Extras : Perfect Pearls in Gold and Pearl; Pearlescent Grey and Black paper; MM RubOns and Ribbon; Sequin Waste

You light up my life

Transfers is the technique required for the Saturday Workout challenge. I recently watched a youtube video by Claudine Hellmuth showing how to transfer images onto a tag. Sorry, I don't know the link offhand. This is the method:

1) Use a brush to paint dabbers liberally onto the tag and press the printed image onto the wet paint, face down. Leave to dry completely, about 20 mins.
2) Mist the image with water and very gently rub all the paper off with your fingers.

I really liked the ghostly, night-time appearance of the image, and it was quite by chance that I had used dark coloured paint. Then I stamped the flourishes with versamark and dry brushed on some perfect pearls. To fix them I pushed the boat out, and at vast expense used .....hairspray! The funny thing was that I had added the fibres before spraying, and pushed them up out of the way. The hairspray fixed them upright - talk about a bad hair day! lol. ---

Stamps : Crafty Individuals 173; Paper Artsy Arched Apertures 2

Inks : Adirondack Dabbers Cloudy Blue, Purple Twilight and Eggplant; Archival Black; Adirondack Eggplant; Versamark; Brilliance Moonlight White

Extras : Image from The Lady's Closet; Hairspray; Shipping Tag; Fibres; Perfect Pearls 'Pearl'

E for Explore

The Tag You're It challenge is to use the colours red, brown and cream. I decided that this tag would be mounted up to make a birthday card for my niece. The flowers blend better irl, but at least you can see the glimmer.

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Stamps : Elusive Images Elephant set; Paper Artsy Travel 2; SU Explore

Inks : Glimmer Mists Walnut Gold and Candy Apple Red; DI Vintage Photo and Aged Mahogany; Archival Black; Adirondack Dabbers Snow Cap and Lemonade

Extras : Prima Flowers; Cream and Letter Brads; Sheer Ribbons; Chipboard

Song Bird

The In My Pocket challenge this week is to include birds. One of my favourites! No embellishments on this pocket; just a slit around the egg for the base of the birdhouse to slip into. The border card matches beautifully in real life, and it's also very glimmery.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp Birds of a Feather; Paper Artsy Nature 3

Inks : StazOn Olive Green and Saddle Brown; DI Broken China and Faded Jeans; Adirondack Lettuce and Aqua; DI refill Broken China; Marvy pen Mocha

Extras : Perfect Pearls Pearl; BB Brown card

Studded Door

Arty Girlz have a sketch challenge this week. Here is my interpretation of it using DarkRoom Door stamps that I won during the World Stamping week at 2peas. I am sending it to Rachel Grieg to say thank you. To my eye it looks skew-whiff, but I placed each section with the help of a ruler!

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Stamps : DarkRoom Door

Inks : DI Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Antique Linen; Archival Black; DI refill Tea Dye; Adirondack Rust

Extras : PP by Junkitz; PM Domed Stickers; Perfect Pearls Gold and Pearl

Journey to Paris

I am really enjoying my Bind-It-All, and made another book. This follows the tutorial on a 1 page pocket booklet from Inspirational blog (see link on right).

The Created ByHand challenge is pastel colours, and the Lots to Do challenge is travel. I based this on Paris. You can see all the tags below - they each have an embellishment which is hidden whilst in the pocket.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 121, 116, 22 and 101; Paper Artsy Petals 6 and Pierrot 1; R&L Travel France set; RSTapestry Love set; HA Fantastic Flourishes, Window Screen Background and Polka Dot Ribbon; Stamps Away Bicycle; Elusive Images Fleurs et Parfums de Paris and Scripts and Timepieces; Hampton Arts Imagine; Lakeland Ltd Ornate set; Tim Holtz Paris set

Inks : VersaColor Old Rose; Adirondack Dabber Cloudy Blue; VersaMagic Magnolia Bud; Adirondack Peach Bellini, Denim, Stonewashed and Sail Boat Blue; DI Scattered Straw, Tattered Rose and Aged Mahogany; InkEssentials White Gel pen

Extras : Bind it all; Cuttlebug tags; Celebrate Ribbons; Blue Brad; PM Button, Paper and Domed Stickers; Waxy Flax Bubblegum and Ocean Blue; Dovecraft Crystal Effect Letter Stickers; MM Metal embellishments; Sticky Fixers; Paper cellar Pearl circle; Leaf punch; Prima Flower

Wedding book

This afternoon I sat and made this book for a close violinist friend as an extra wedding present. I was so pleased when I saw that the 4x4 Friday challenge on Dymo Labels was met within this book. I just hope she doesn't see it before the wedding - C look away now!!

Here are the front and back covers. I used a gorgeous paper by PaperMania which divides itself nicely into 4x4 panels, and has the Wedding March music printed on the back.





The other pictures are of the inside pages - I have left blanks for her to add momentos or photos of the day. The dymo label is glossy card dabbed with alcohol ink. It says music.


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Stamps : HA Treasure the Moments; SU clear Heart set; Paper Artsy At Home 3; Stampington Butterfly Girl and Medium Violin; Crafty Individuals 21; AudDesign 2B; Technique Tuesday Loves Me, Loves Me Not; RSTapestry Love set

Inks : DI Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint; VersaMagic Hint of Pesto; Marvy Pens; Alcohol Inks Lettuce and Pesto; VersaColor Old Rose and Brown; Versamark

Extras : PM paper; Prima Flowers; Dovecraft dotty brad; Ribbons from various sources; Bind it all; Cuttlebug; SU PP; Green and Pink brads; Perfect Pearls Gold and Pearl; Paper Cellar Pearl Circle; Skeleton Leaves; Vellum; Glossy Card; Detail White EP; Junio Dymo Labeller

Coining it in

The In My Pocket challenge for this week is to use coins.

I wanted to achieve 2 things with this pocket - marble colours, and the idea of a gift coin booklet. These often use replicas of medieval or Roman coins, with a little bit of history. I tried to find an image of this coin on the internet so that I could document it, without success, so I used Roman text instead. I coated the coin with Glossy Accents, but it's hard to see that here.

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Stamps : Non Sequitur Greco-Roman Collage set

Inks : DI Old Paper, Weathered Wood, Frayed Burlap and Black Soot; Marvy Pen Silver Grey; Fluid Chalk Charcoal

Extras : CWC Pearlescent Grey Paper; PM Photo Anchor; Grey and Silver Brads; Glossy Accents; Perfect Pearls Gold and Pearl; Corner Punch; Sticky Fixers

A good thing

The Created ByHand challenge is to use only the colours black, white and grey.

I wanted to thank my friend who lent me her cuttlebug, so this card is for Helen. I embossed 5 different patterns, and ripped them into pieces, taking one piece from each pattern to make a collage. After glueing them onto paper I coated them with gesso, and then Lumiere paint. Just at the top you might be able to make out part of the word danke. This card is completely shimmery - I think the scanner has picked that up for once!

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Stamps : SU Time Well Spent set

Inks : Lumiere Pearl White; Radiant Pearls Abalone Grey; Versamark; DI Black Soot; H2Os Siam White

Extras : Cuttlebug; Detail Silver EP; SGme Clear EP; CWC Pearlescent papers; Silver Brads; Gesso