Well, I have been so busy with work, or so tired by the time I get home from work, that I simply haven't had the time to craft! So having shirked all other responsibilities today ( and believe me, there are plenty that need addressing!) I decided to have a play with Stampbord for the first time. And I love it! I have used a Graphicus stamp, chalked the main image, then used sponged Kaleidocolor on the 2"x 2"Stampbord piece, stamped the image again in Staz-on, then scratched a few highlights. I will submit this to Wednesday Stamper, as the theme is "Words" this week. Hope you like it!

Sunrise.

Tibs asked me to create a sunrise card for Georgia, so I used the happy accident background I made and posted earlier on in the month. I think it looks very sunriseish!

Bye bye Iga!

Well, my Deputy leaves to go to Oxford uni this week, so here is the card I made for her. I hope she has a great time and I will miss her!

Framed!

Very tired & need to get up early tomorrow, so I will elaborate on the "how's" soon, but this is this weeks TMTA submission! x

4 x 4 Friday

This is my first time entering 4x4 Friday's challenge. Anything goes, as long as you stick to the theme & the 4" x 4" size rule. I really enjoyed working at this size, and I can see some of these pieces ending up on greetings cards! I have some old clock pieces I have been itching to use, so the Time challenge was ideal. I have also been having so much fun with Handmade papers that I used them as the main part of the piece. Should go down werll with Wednesday Stampers too!
Script stamp Graphicus, wathes CD's & free with Simply Stamping Magazine

Handmade mark 2

Well, I was going to try and sneak in a last minute entry over at Gothic Arches, but alas, I just didn't quite make it in time. This is my first arch attempt too! The background is mulberry paper splashed with alcohol inks, sprinkled with embossing powder and then stamped with a stamp set I got from a Pound store! The moon stamp is non sequitur, embossed in white on matt silver paper. I am submitting to Wednesday Stamper too, as I have used the mulberry paper. I'm quite happy with this first arch, but I'm especially pleased with how the moon turned out!

OK, I'm going to let you into a little secret. DON'T CLEAN YOUR BRAYER!! Well, not forever, but I get most of my backgrounds like this...
I use my brayer & Kaleidocolor ink pads a lot, and whenever I do, before I clean my brayer, I roll it over a piece of scrap card. Then I lightly pull a baby wipe down the length of the brayera couple of times, and roll it over another piece of scrap card. This results in some really beautiful effects, as shown here. Lovely background papers, for free! Try it and see. E-mail or post a comment if you have any questions. x

Man Oh Man!

This week's challenge on Think Monday Think ATC is Men. Strictly speaking, this is a boy, but I really like these Paper Artsy stamps, so this is my submission! You can't really see it on the scan, but the hat and coins are raised, decoupage style. The background is left over from cleaning my brayer....more to follow on that soon! Anyhoo, hope you like it! x

Handmade..

This weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge is to use Mulberry or Handmade paper, and was set by me! I am guilty of buying these beautiful papers and then not using them, and I admit to finding it a challenge! The handmade paper is torn and brushed with gold drawing ink. The stamps are Graphicus, the Three Kings inked with Kaleidocolor using a brayer. I embossed around the image with an embossing pen and gold powder. I am also pleased to have started my Christmas cards as I have calculated that it will take me a full working week to make them all!

Golden

Here is a Golden Anniversary card requested by our friend Suze. The stamps are from Katy's corner and, of course, Non Sequitur. She wanted something a bit different, but still with a traditional twist. So I kept the colours traditional, but went with a slightly oriental theme.

Artist Trading Cards UK

For those of you on Facebook, I have set up a group with a mind to host an ATC swap for the UK & Europe (mainly!). We hope to have a swap a month, and I will post the first challenge once we have around 20 members. If you would like to join, go here. Or you can hit the ATCUK link above right.

Music 2

Here is another Music ATC for TMTA!

So, I did what I said, and I actually like the ATC better now! This is a birthday card for Meg, who's birthday it is tomorrow. Happy Birthday to you!!! xxx

Music Challenge

This weeks TMTA challenge is music, so here's my first attempt. I sponged some colour onto an old dictionary page, stamped a couple of notes onto that, then added the other bits onto a brayered background card. The vellum was stuck on with diamond glaze, then scraped over with scrap card to give a paintbrush effect. Looks better IRL! Had fun with the copper wire, it really didn't want to be a treble clef!! My friend Meg has a birthday tomorrow, she's a bit musical, so I might use this as a topper for her card. Hope she, and you, like!

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Well, I actually have an extra day off today! Which is just as well, because I really needed to get this card finished. My old Regional Manager is leaving the company, and I volunteered to make a card for his old region to all sign! It's an accordion book really, with far too many pages to show here, but this gives an idea of the general feel. I have to say, I'm much happier with the inside than the outside, but it will be the things people write that will be important, so that's OK by me. I used so many different stamps I couldn't possibly list them here, but if you like the colour inside, I used Versa Magic Jumbo Java. Now it's time to make the box for it, and maybe sneak in a bit of ATC making before the other half comes home and wrenches the computer from my grasp!

Another Stitch in Time..

So I gave it another go, and came up with this ATC for Wednesday Stamper's Stitch challenge. Faux stitching has been used, but I think it looks effective. Most of the stamps are See D's, colour is sponged kaleidocolor. I feel happier with this effort!

Wednesday stitch-up.

I just can't seem to get on with this weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge Stitches. The inspiration just won't come. However, it did remind me of a saying " a stitch in time saves nine", so I twisted it slightly to fit with the big wooden numbers I have in my stash, and made this ATC. The clock stamp is See D's. Then I couldn't find a good way to put the writing on, got impatient & just used a regular pen. I will change that at some point!Actually, I suppose this works for TMTA too!

It's definitely not monday!

Here is my entry for this weeks Think Monday Think ATC challenge, which was numbers. After giving it some serious thought, I remembered those painting by numbers things I had as a kid! It didn't quite turn out as I planned, although I'm not 100% sure what I had planned! The number stamp is Paper Artsy, which I brayered with Kaleidocolor. The bird stamp was from Katy's Corner. I think trimming the corners has added movement to the whole card.

Feet?

Well, a bit of fun this, as I was too late to enter Parucircle's challenge of "Feet" I wanted to do something a bit different, and I know the photo isnt great, but hopefully you will get the point of it! I'm going to post to Wednesday Stamper too, hope it gives you all a bit of a giggle!

Well, I finished this ATC off today, I know the image is a little crooked, but I still like the end result. I started with a hand watercoloured background, then stamped the Paper Artsy image over the top. I think I got the stamp in just the right position!Highlighted with a bit of embossing, and Bob's your Uncle! Thought I would submit this to Wednesday Stamper's open theme for this week. Enjoy!

More Birthdays..

You may have guessed by now that Thursday is my day off work! So I have been a busy bee again. I'm trying to get ahead of myself so that I can make a start on Christmas cards. Well, one can try to be organized.....!
The first card is for my Aunt, for next month, the second commissioned by my new Deputy Manager for her Landlady. Hope they both enjoy!

Another Birthday!

This time our good friend Tibs is on the receiving end of a Vicki classic, yep it's those pesky Non Sequitur cranes again. I brayered the stamp with kaleidacolor and really liked the look of it. The background card is sponged with the same pad. I'm sure he will like it.

Think Monday - Think ATC!

Here is my first entry to TMTA.
The theme this week was to create an ATC featuring a tag, but I decided to make mine from a tag! The tag was the right width, so I simply folded over the top and used the string as a fastener. I sponged with Kaleidacolor and swooshed distress ink over, then stamped and embossed with Paper Artsy stamps. I'm quite pleased with the end result!

Happy Birthday Claudio!

Yes, another post! I have been a busy little bee today... It,s our friend Claudio's 21st birthday today, so here is the card I made for him. I just love this stamp! It's a shame you can't see from the scan, but the shell is actually knobbly, achieved with the judicious placement of some 3D glaze. The 21 is thin wire on the back of a bubble sticker then attached to the same copper coloured card as is on the side of the card. One more thing I hope someone likes! Again I am entering this for Wednesday Stamper's open theme, I really have a lot of missed weeks to make up for. xxx

For a Friend..

Here's an ATC I made for a friend who liked one I did a while ago. I promised him I would make one just for him and send it. So this is Andy's Asian ATC. I hope he likes it! As it's an open theme for Wednesday Stamper, I figured I would enter this there too. I hope you all like it!! The stamps are all Non Sequitur and Paper Artsy

Congratulations!

Well, my Deputy manager is leaving today, she has a great new job! So here is the card I made for her using the free stamp that came with Craft Stamper magazine. hope she likes it!

Long time no post!

Yes, it has been a long time since I posted, isn't it crazy how the day to day rubbish piles so high it just gets in the way of everything else?! Any way, this weeks challenge on Wednesday Stamper is open, so I get to submit an old favourite. I created this ATC as part of my personal challenge to use the stamps I have before buying any more, all stamps used are Non Sequitur

Egyptian?

This weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge was Egypt. Hmmm, tricky as I have no Egyptian stmps! took me a while to think of something, but what I kept coming back to was gold, and treasure. S I made this faux necklace from thin metal sheet, coloured with alcohol inks and embossing. Think it looks kinda Egyptian......?!

Framed!

This weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge was "Frame". I love it! So open to interpretation. Anyway, this is what I came up with. It also works out nicely, as this stamp was chosen for my self imposed challenge by Gareth.
Hand made background, stamp: Tanda Stamps.

Same self challenge, different stamp!

Hi again, here's one of the next installment of my self imposed challenge with the stamp, yet again, chosen by Gareth. Tricky one, this, as it is a negative stamp, and the natural reaction is to stamp in black. So, I experimented ( and had a lot of fun at the same time!) with my kaleidacolor ink pads. I like the result, but it was difficult to choose from the million I did! I think this would make a good card for a male relation, what do you think? Stamps from Non Sequitur.

Gareths ATC

Just thought i would put this on what you think guys.
I am Veebee's other half and from time to time i turn my hand at a bit of crafting.
Vic really likes this one I hope you lot do too!! :-)))

If at first you don't succeed.....(!)

Well, I kept on with this stamp challenge, and did a painting style picture(not sure what I'll use it for yet!) & a kind of willow pattern plate styley thing. The painting is pretty much the first time I tried masking an image, that woman was tricky to mask, I can tell you!! I don't mind posting the plate, even though it didn't quite turn out as planned, because I will give it another go and you can see the difference. It just proves that if at first you don't succeed.......!

More challenging...

Back to my self imposed challenge, this time with a stamp chosen by Gareth. I have to admit, I find it much harder to be inspired when the challenge is set by someone else! Again this is a Non Sequitur stamp, with a home-made background. Although I stuck the writing part on upside down(!) , I like the feel of this general card.

First Timer!

I'm not sure I know exactly what "Grunge style" is, but here is an ATC i have done for this weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge. I hope it's the sort of thing they are after! I started this ATC a while ago, but lost inspiration halfway through. I'm glad I finally finished & am reasonably happy with it. The stamps are mainly Paperartsy.

challenge!

How many stamps do you admit to owning? I have been on a bit of a stamp buying frenzy lately, so I have vowed not to buy any more, for the rest of the year. (!) To that end, I have set myself a challenge - choose a stamp & do 3 different things with it, then choose another one and do the same, and so on. Actually, the challenge is getting harder, as Gareth has decided to choose the stamps for me! The first stamp I chose was a Non Sequitur willow, and these are my 3 things.The first is an ATC, then a shrink plastic pendant and the bottom one is a general card. Let me know what you think!

Well, after about 18 months of stamping I finally decided to sort myself out a Blog, so I can share my crafty stuff with whoever wants to look! I guess I'll start with a proud moment- my first web-published work.I submitted this spring folder to Graphicus, as I had used their Artylicious CD for the papers & used their stamps, hoping it might maker it into their gallery. Imagine how chuffed I was to be their website winner of the month for that month! You can see the whole thing on their site, in the winners gallery, spring gallery and Artilicious gallery. (If you want to that is!)