Sparkling Dragonfly

The Saturday Workshop challenge this week is 'sparkling'. The entire card is lightly sprayed with homemade glimmer mist, and I added crystal gems.
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Stamps: Paper Artsy mini; Time to Stamp ATC set 1

Inks: Ecoline Light green, Magenta and Red Violet; DI Black Soot; Adirondack Cranberry and Wild Plum; VersaFine Onyx Black; Inkessentials White Gel Pen; VersaMagic Key Lime

Extras: Paper Cellar Crystal gems; Swirls template; Sequin Waste; perfect pearls 'Pearl'

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day

The Saturday Workout challenge is to use spin and splash. My face lit up when I saw this, as I really enjoy this technique. Once again I played with this in Adobe photoshop.

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Inks: Alcohol Inks Lettuce, Espresso and pearl Mixative

Extras: Glossy card; Image from Art creations; Flourishes from Finsternis-stock at www.deviantart.com

Fairyland Park

The Saturday Workout is collage. I love collage stamps - they're so versatile, and you can feature small (or large) parts of them individually, or use them complete as I've done here.

I've used the free stamp from this month's Craft Stamper magazine on the background. To make the fairy wand I covered a cocktail stick with versamark and used one layer of white EP, and one layer of Fairydust EP. The butterfly was a free gift from a craft magazine many years ago. Lots of sparkly detail that you probably can't see!

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Stamps: Free stamp from Craft Stamper by Crafty Individuals; Darkroom Door Little Dreams

Inks: Adirondack Stream and Wild Plum; Versamark; VersaFine Onyx Black

Extras: 'Pearl' Perfect Pearls; Detail Opaque White, and Fairydust EP; Cocktail Stick; Butterfly embellishment; DCWV Blue card; Net bow

Beaded Feather

I really enjoyed making beads for the Saturday Workout challenge, although feel they would look better on a hanging or canvas than a card. Something to try another day. Also, looking at the card as a photo, the bird stamp would have been better in a darker colour. If you click on the photo you get a close up.

I made the beads by coiling long triangular coloured strips of paper around a cocktail stick. and then winding metallic thread around that. After covering with versamark, I dipped the bead into Amazing Glaze for a couple of layers.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 161 and 183

Inks: DI Scattered Straw, Broken China, Pine Needles, Antique Linen and Faded Jeans; VersaColor Lagoon Blue and Pacific; Versamark; Fluid Chalk Yellow Ochre

Extras: Feather; Madeira Metallic Green and Blue threads; Blue wire; Judikins Amazing Glaze; Cocktail Stick; Beads

Sophistication

The Saturday Workout technique for this week is Fossil Stone. The link to details of this technique is on the SaWo site. In real life the background on this atc is more green, and has a stippled effect.
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Stamps: Time to Stamp Leo's Plate; Tim Holtz I See Paris

Inks: VersaFine Onyx Black; Adirondack Willow, Oregano and Mountain Rose

Extras: Hairspray; PM Clear Domed Sticker; 2 Flower punches

Inkurable orange

This is a card I made for the Inkurable Stampers 1st birthday challenge to use their signature colours of orange, black and white. As I made a crazy patchwork background I'll also submit this for the Saturday Workout blog. After glueing the scrap pieces, I toned them down with gesso.

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Stamps: Paper Artsy Wings 2 and Backgrounds 2; Stampington Latin Parchment

Inks: DI Fired Brick, Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade; VersaFine Onyx Black; DI Refill Tea Dye; Versamark Pen

Extras: Gesso; Perfect Pearls Bronze; Precoloured scraps; PP by Provocraft and Scenic Route; Photo Anchors and brads; Paper Cellar Lace Tape; Gold EP

Chamois Leather

The Saturday Workout challenge is to make Faux leather with Masking Tape.

In the suggested method for this technique you cover paper with small strips of masking tape, colour the tape and then cover with clear embossing powder. I omitted the embossing powder as I felt the effect had been achieved with the shiny acrylic, and looked like chamois leather. The two 'art' words are quite clear irl. I dyed the ribbon to match.

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Stamps: Simple Expressions People 2; Time to Stamp Leo's Plate; Crafty Individuals 21

Inks: Kaleidacolor Bouquet; StazOn Midnight Blue; Adirondack Acrylic Butterscotch

Extras: Masking Tape; Prima Flowers; Purple Brad; White ribbon; Gesso

Dreamy Lady

The Saturday Workout challenge is to alter a CD. Very enjoyable!

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Stamps: DarkRoom Door Little Dreams

Inks: DI Antique Linen and Brushed Corderoy; Adirondack Willow, Juniper and Meadow; StazOn Saddle Brown

Extras CD; Prima Flower; Brad; Sequin Waste

Brocade Texture

The Saturday Workout this week is to use shrink foil. I only had the ordinary sort of SP, so I used the brocade texture technique to create the same effect.

I painted Lumiere paints onto the SP, allowed it to dry and than shrank as normal. The paints bubble up nicely. Unfortunately the scanner didn't like the beads so the image is slightly out of focus. Try clicking it for a close-up.

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Stamps: ISC ATC Elements 2

Inks: Lumiere paints Pearl White, Pearl Violet, Pearl Blue and Metallic Bronze; DI Dusty Concord, Milled Lavender and Faded Jeans; Brilliance Cosmic Copper

Extras: Purple mulberry paper; Copper and Maroon card; Purple wire; Beads; Shrink Plastic

Promenade

The Saturday Workout technique for this week is distressed gesso backgrounds. I love working with gesso, so really enjoyed making this card. I used 2 pages from a vintage book about London Promenade concerts, both of which I gessoed and inked twice over. I continued the distressed look along the borders too.

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Stamps: PaperBag Studios Dress Up; DarkRoom Door Little Dreams

Inks: DI Aged Mahogany, Worn Lipstick, Tattered Rose and Old Paper; Versafine Onyx Black

Extras: Vintage paper; Gesso; PM Pearl Brad; 2 different sized Flower Punches

Timeless

The Saturday Workout challenge is to use the soot technique. I wonder how many people set their smoke alarms off doing this! I didn't, but regret doing it in my bedroom as there's now a burning smell in there. I hope DH doesn't notice!!

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Stamps: Paper Artsy Nature 3 and Man of Numbers 2; Time to Stamp Leo's Plate

Inks: Adirondack Latte, Stream and Slate

Extras: Glossy card; Candle; Hairspray; Gesso; Dymo Labeller; MM Ribbon; Black Paper

True love

I decided to case a Tim Holtz style tag for the Saturday Workout theme on metal, using crackle paint and alcohol inks on grungeboard, and the latter on a washer.

The shininess of the metal effects are dulled by the scanner :-(---
Stamps: Tim Holtz Bank of True Love

Inks: Adirondack Stonewashed and Wild Plum; DI Dusty Concord; Alcohol Inks Wild Plum and Eggplant; Crackle Paint Brushed Pewter; Archival Black

Extras: Fibres; Grungeboard Minis; Washer; Waxy Flax Plum

Gears

Perhaps for this Tim Holtz inspired tag I should have spelt the word 'gearz' but felt that the intended recipient wouldn't understand 'Tim' jargon so spelt it correctly! This is my contribution for the Saturday Workshop challenge on sprays - on which I've used homemade glimmer mists.

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Stamps: ISC All About Me

Inks: DI Broken China, Tea Dye and Walnut Stain; Crackle Paint Broken China; Alcohol Inks Espresso and Gold Mixative; DI Refill Broken China

Extras: Perfect Pearls Gold and Bronze; Washer; Photo Anchor; Blue Brad; Tim Holtz Gears Mask, Grungeboard Mini Letters and Sprocket Gear; Fimo Buttons from SammieJay; Sheer Ribbon

Lady's Closet ATCs

I have made 2 very different atcs today using images from The Lady's Closet.

The first one is for Black Friday celebrations at Vintage Veranda. The challenge was to put an inchie on an atc on a card. The vintage Paper is from an old music book about Bach's St. Matthew's Passion that was in the bin at school. Of course, I had to rescue it and distress it!
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Stamps: Time to Stamp ATC set; Elusive Images ATC set

Inks: DI Dusty Concord, Antique Linen and Old paper; Versamark

Extras: Detail Silver EP; PP by Imaginisce; Image
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The 2nd atc is for the Saturday Workout theme of Mosaics.

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Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Mosaic; Stampington Recommendation

Inks: Fluid Chalk Maroon; Adirondack Lemonade and Meadow; Versafine Onyx Black

Extras: Image

Clowning Around

The Saturday Workout theme for this week is split negative. I know this is traditionally done in 2 halves - horizontal or vertical - but this stamp didn't lend itself to that, so I did inside and outside. I also had a particular person in mind for this card, which is why I wanted to use the stamp. In real life this is more red than pink.

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Stamps: Paper Artsy Pierrot 1

Inks: Archival Black; Versamark; Adirondack Cranberry, Red Pepper, Rust and Butterscotch

Extras: PM large eyelet; Glossy card; Black Paper; MM ribbon

Soaring wings

The Saturday Workout challenge this week is thread impressions. We had to wrap threads around the background paper and cover with ink and/or glimmer mists. Then remove the threads. The thread I used left a feathery impression which suggested the theme for the card.

I realised that the Simply Skinnies theme this week is air travel, so I've combined the two. The same thread was used as an embellishment, and you can see it was the basis of my colour scheme.
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Stamps: Time to Stamp For the Birds; Paper Artsy Wings 2

Inks: DI Fired Brick and Tea Dye; DI Refill Tea Dye; Adirondack Slate

Extras: Knitting Fibre; Perfect Pearls Gold

Angelic Praise

I am so disappointed with the photo of this card. No matter what I did with the camera I couldn't get the colours close enough to the original card. I couldn't scan it as the bottle top might have scratched the surface of the scanner. Never mind! Click to enlarge for more detail.

The Saturday Workout challenge is antique paper, and I have based it on a Christmas theme with the addition of a bottle cap and beads (which I placed in the bottle cap) for Inkurable Stampers.

The music/words paper is from a really old music book that was in the bin at school, so I 'rescued' it! I then aged it more with distressing inks, spritzed on a craft mat.---

Stamps: Stampington Angelic Host and Latin Parchment

Inks: DI Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Old Paper and Antique Linen; Archival Black; Watercolour pencils

Extras: Diamond Glaze; Vintage paper; Bottle top; BB purple card; pale yellow beads

Simplicity

I went everywhere today to get waxed paper for the Saturday Workout challenge. In the end I managed to find little discs in a jam pot pack. I then cut squares out. I would really like to try this technique again.

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Stamps: Time to Stamp Leo's Plate; HA Fantastic Flourishes

Inks: Adirondack Wildflower, Bottle, Meadow and Stonewashed; Versamark

Extras: Prima flowers; PM Buttons

Bandana Technique

This is the theme from Saturday Workout. As I'm not always confortable with doodling this really was a challenge. I decided to use inks and stamps that have lain too long unused.

Steve and I have been away for the weekend to Derbyshire. We had hoped to walk up Dovedale, but it was completely flooded after a storm. We did manage to visit Chatsworth House, though. For those of you who live locally, lucky you with all that amazing scenery!

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Stamps: Tanda Stamps Flourish set; HA Heartfelt Messages

Inks: Kaleidacolor Caribbean Sea; Archival Black; Inkessentials White gel pen

Extras: Rick Rack; White Brad; Glossy Card; Brayer

Art dream

This is a change from my usual splash of colour, but I thought the muted tones suited the style of the card, which is meant to look aged.

The Saturday Workout challenge is to use a cracked glass technique. I looked everywhere in town this morning for some Johnson's floor polish as suggested on the Technique Zone, without success. So I dug some Amazing Glaze out of its long hiding place, and built up 3 layers of embossing before cracking it.

The metal embellishments were originally pewter, and therefore a bit bright, so I dulled them with copper Metallic RubOns.---
Stamps: Time to Stamp Leo's Plate

Inks: DI Old Paper, Dried Marigold and Frayed Burlap; StazOn Black; Versamark

Extras: Judikins Amazing Glaze; Copper Metallic RubOn; MM Brad and Buckle; Cream Ribbon