It's Zutter Time!

Here's another competition entry. I have entered this in the Graphicus monthly website competition, as it is made with only Elusive Images stamps. I have coloured the background and stamped the images entirely in Distress Inks, I love the watercolour effect they give! Check out the Zutter Diaries for full details of how I created these book covers.

Competition Time!

I have said to myself, so many times, that I would enter one of these competitions in a magazine, and have even started projects that I am hoping to enter into said competitions, yet I've never actually managed to get the entries done in time. This time is different. Yep, I ran out of time, yep, I found it really difficult, but finally, after all these years, I managed to submit something that I am proud of. I don't care if I win, but I do hope the magazine publishes the Carousel I made, because my photo's don't do it justice. Seriously.
I Decided to make the Carousel, a slightly different Card, and a framed picture. This is the first part of the Carousel. Scroll down to see the progress of the carousel and the final products I submitted.

The other pieces. I like these, and I really think they work well together.

The top before the puzzle pieces were added.

Now you can see how the inside pieces look all together. Pretty or what?

A bit dark, but here are all the bits put together. I got really excited at this point I can say!

The card. I used the Zutter to make the holes, then threaded ribbon through. Even the inside was stamped!

Competition Time.

Finished entries. The Carousel looks so much better in real life, I almost didn't want to send it away! The hanging pieces are UTEE, stamped into with stazon. I then used dimentional glaze over the top of the UTEE, alcohol inked the back and stuck them to aluminium craft foil so the light bounced back through them. The amonite looked particularly cool. You can see better by clicking on the pictures!

Wedding!

It was my friend Karen's wedding a few weeks ago, and this is the card I made for her. It's a bit dark, because it's a photo, my scanner was out of action at the time!

Birthday girl..

Well, now I come to look at it, it looks a bit wonky! Oh well, too late now. This is a birthday card I made for my Aunt. The stamp is one I made with the Imagepac system, still the only half decent one I have managed! I'm going to have another play with making stamps soon, let's see if I can get it a bit better this time!

Thank you!

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to those of you who have commented on my clock, and to say I have looked at all of your blogs and think you are all so talented! It's nice when new people say nice things about your work!
Ros, thanks for reminding me of the name of the stamp set!
Clare, I think Maplins sell clock mechanisms, will let you know!
Jo, the sage and orange inks I used were Versacolour.
I'm off to do a bit more crafting, back later! xx

Graphicus Challenge

Thank you Glenda at Graphicus! Glenda set a challenge to make a project using stampboard, something I have in my stash but haven't really played with, so this was the perfect opportunity. I started by colouring the boards with green and orange Kaleidocolor, then overstamped each one with a stamp that I think was part of a butterfly unmounted stamp sheet ( It's definitely an Elusive Images stamp anyway!). I stamped first in a sage green, then an orange and lightly sanded it back each time to give an aged look. I then used distress inks for the final stamping and edging, sanded back again. Then the four panels are mounted onto brown card stamped in sage with the same image. Although I have used fake hands for now, there is a hole punched through the middle and a recess in the back to take a real clock mechanism! I am quite pleased with the result, the scan doesn't really do it justice! I hope you like it!

The Witching Hour

This week's challenge on TMTA is " Witches." I can't remember where this stamp is from, I think it was Katie's Corner. Anyway, I always thought she was a bit Witchy, so this is my entry!

Floral with Zutter!

This week's challenge on 4x4 Friday is "Floral". I finally got myself a Zutter, so this is the cover of my first ever book. Hope you like it! The stamps are Paper Artsy, sponged Kaleidocolor and a little bit of glitter!

Insects!

This weeks challenge on Wednesday Stamper is insects. I love this image, but haven't really found a way to use it. I am happy with the simplicity of the ATC! This beautiful stamp is from Tanda Stamps.

Poetry, for a change!

As this site is a showcase for my creative endeavors, I thought I would share some poems I have written, from time to time. So, here is the first:

How?

How shall I tell you that I love,
With leaping heart and dancing eyes?
How many ways to say "I love you"?
Or can you read it in my face,
Which like a book wide open lies
And tells the World the simple truth?
They all see it, but do you?

How can I be so happy now,
When all I felt before was pain,
How can this happiness prevail?
Unless you're here for ever more,
To hold me in your gentle arms
And soothe away all that I fear.
I can feel it, but can you?

Why can't I tell you that I love,
Does something hold me back inside?
Why can't I simply say "I love you"?
Am I so afraid of hurting
One so precious, one so caring,
Since I hurt someone before?
I know I couldn't, but do you?

How can I make you understand,
How hard it is to start again?
How can you see my side of things?
Or have you felt the same pain too,
Which makes you hesitate and fall
And be afraid to give your love?

But I can break these chains which bind me,
For they are weakened by your love.
They can't hold back true emotion,
And I can say now;

"I Love You"

I See Through You!

This week on TMTA the theme is Transparencies. So here is my Graphicus dragon, on alcohol-inked acetate. Hope you like it!

Dodgy Comments.

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Thank you for visiting!

Charity Giveaway

In an unashamed attempt to advertise my website I have made this as a prize for a charity quiz night. It is now mounted in a box frame, but that was difficult to scan! I haven't used bleach for ages, here it highlights the breaking waves. I hope it goes down a storm! Oh, and do you remember doing chromatography at school? You know, put a drop of ink onto blotting paper, add a drop of water, then watch the colours spread? Well, it turns out that distress inks on handmade paper have the same effect. The colours on the background paper are actually Walnut Stain & Tattered Rose. Neat, huh?!!

Fun with Alcohol!

Alcohol inks, that is! I don't use peel-offs very often, but I like this one. The background is alcohol ink on acetate, and this is Gareth's Dad's birthday card. Hopefully it will get to him soon, snail mail is really going at a snail's pace with this!

Aaaahh, Birthdays!

Yup, plenty of birthdays so far this year, Gareth has such a large family! They certainly keep me busy. Here are 3 recent ones, I hope they all liked them!

Second chance!

Well, I get to show this off after all! This weeks theme at Gothic Arches is Asia, though I originally did this for their History theme, I missed the deadline! The terracotta army stamp is from Paper Artsy. The background is alcohol inks on handmade paper, and all other stamps are Paper Artsy too. Dymo labels painted with gold ink finish it off nicely!

Doesn't time Fly!

Well, it has been a while again, but I have been finding some craft time! I'm afraid the green card didn't scan too well, but these are a couple of Mother's Day cards I made using alcohol inks on acetate. I particularly like the Daisy one, which is a Graphicus stamp.

You gotta pick a pocket or two.....

This weeks challenge on Arty Girlz is Pockets. I immediately thought of pocket watch, so here's my entry, which is an ATC.

Geometry ATC

This week's challenge at TMTA is Geometry. I must admit I struggled a little, but this is my ATC. You can't really see it now, but there is actually a "tree" in the background!

Button Dollz!

The challenge on this weeks Wednesday Stamper is Button Dolls. I have never done one before and it was great fun! I took the opportunity to use my Russian Doll stamp, painted her face, then added the buttons which I alcohol inked. The wings are a Graphicus stamp on an alcohol ink background. I added a couple of gems, a loop and some sparkly fabric and there she was! Thanks for the challenge.

Music, Sweet Music..

This weeks Gothic Arch challenge was Music & Lyrics. Well, for my second ever arch I chose Kate Bush's "Babushka" as my theme. The reason? This is the first relatively successful stamp I have created myself, and I have been itching for a chance to show it off! I had a stamp making kit for Christmas from my wonderful Fiance, and have been struggling to produce a good impression from one of my own drawings, but this one almost worked perfectly.
The image is stamped onto vellum that was alcohol inked, then layered onto gold miri (which looks black in the scan!). The background is dye inks on semi gloss paper, stamped with Graphicus & Paper Artsy.