SIMPLY DOES IT...

It's week #168 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and time for a new challenge.  This week it's all about simple.  We want to see your cards with very few embellishments on them.  Two sponsors are joining us this week so there will be two winners.  J & C CREATIONS are offering a £10 voucher and  HOBBYBOOK are offering 5 digi images of the winners choice.

For my card I used an Embossalicious embossing folder and the flower was made using the separate pieces from an Elusive Images plate. I've had these stamps for about 4 years now and only used them twice!!! It's coloured of course with my Promarkers and I also coloured the piece of card used as the mat.  Not a lot else to say really, lol.

Entering into:
LADY ANNE'S/VICKIE #4 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #140 - Anything goes.
LOVE TO CREATE #65 - Flowers.
CARD MANIA #20 # Flowers.
USE YOUR STUFF #84 - Focus on flowers.
TOTALLY PAPERCRAFTS #166 - CAS.

I've also done another layout of my grandson, although to be honest, I'm not too keen on this one.  It's not the fact that he's crying  (who likes to see a child crying?) but I just couldn't seem to get the layout to work.  Papers are Echo Park 'Splash'.

IT'S HARD WORK...

My gorgeous grandson, Aidan.  He looks like he's really concentrating here, opening his cupcake, lol. 

Papers are from Simple Stories.  The alpha title is a fabric Thickers and the other text is printed on Safmat and then adhered to the page.  The phrase tag is from a Kaisercrafts 'In the Attic' bag of cuts.  This is one of the simplest layouts I've done.  I used to hate white space, always having to fill it and I never, ever used cardstock as a background, always a patterned paper.  Now, I've completely changed my mind and I love this style.  I think I'll be doing more.

Entering into:
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #102 - Anything goes.
OUR CREATIVE CORNER #1 -  Anything goes.
CRAFTY CATZ #182 - Anything goes.
DELICIOUS DOODLES #35 - Anything BUT a card.
TOTALLY PAPERCRAFTS #166 - Clean and simple.

HERE'S JOHNNY!!!

Over at the Haunted Design House there's a Stephen King challenge and your project has to have something to do with him.  I thought I'd have a go and join in, so I made a tag with the theme of the film 'The Shining'.

I googled Stephen King and found a couple of images that I thought could be perfect.  One was a PC wallpaper of a man holding an axe and the other a cartoon sketch of the man himself (I hope it's ok to use them).  Both were manipulated in photoshop as they weren't quite what I wanted.  I stuck the man with axe onto a manilla tag  and inked it all over using brushed corduroy and fired brick distress ink pads, then edged it with walnut stain and black soot. I stamped the background corners using a Kaisercraft stamp and the cracks using an Andy Skinner stamp.  The blood was also an Andy Skinner stamp which is from his steampunk set, and I think it's actually an oil spill.

I went to the internet again and found a picture of the Olsen twins and then heavily manipulated it in Photoshop, printed it onto acetate and adhered it with glossy accents.  The text was computer generated using the font 'Chiller' and then printed onto Safmat and stuck on. I finished the tag off with some antique brads and the key.

Entering into:
HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE (Macabre Monday)  #166 - Stephen King.
SPLENDIFEROUS CREATIONS ~ BLOGGER - Tags.
LEFT OF CENTER #5 - LOC Theme.

THANK YOU

It's week #167 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and the theme for this week's challenge is Thank You. Our sponsor is POLKADOODLES and the prize is a fabulous  'Fredericka' CD with digi images and all sorts of lovely stuff on it.  It's worth £11.99, so a great prize to be had.

For my card I used one of the 'newish' retro images from Make It Crafty, 'Melody' and she came with her cushion too.  My trellis was cut on the cameo.  The sentiment stamp is from a stamp plate by Sheena Douglass - A little bit sketchy 'Only Words ~ Through the Rain'. Papers are MME, So Sophie and Ooh La La and then I used a Cheery Lynn flower die.  Fringe from my stash. I stamped the cushion with one of my mini Prima stamps in teal Stazon before colouring with my PM's and then stamped over it a 2nd time.

Now, did you know that birds like bananas?  Neither did I until just now.  If I have some that are going a bit off, then I like to bury them around my roses (lots of potassium).  Anyway, yesterday I noticed quite a few birds pecking at my border.  I had no idea what they were pecking at but I knew there wasn't many worms around.  So this morning, I popped out to check for bugs and noticed half a dozen  black banana skins laying on the top.  Hmmm...cats or birds?  Well, I've just sat and watched a thrush merrily pecking away at one of them.  Best I bury the nanas a bit deeper next time, lol.

Entering into:
AS YOU LIKE IT #1 - Fave die cut/punch (I love anything cut on my cameo and this flower die is my fave of all my flower dies).
DELIGHTFUL CHALLENGES - Stash it.
PAPERCRAFTING JOURNEY - Anything goes.
DIVA'S BY DESIGN - Anything goes.
PENNY'S PAPER CRAFTY #126 - Die cuts/punches. WINNER
WHIMSY INSPIRES #59 - Anything goes.

TIM HOLTZ TAGS - MAY 2013

Thank you for all your good wishes for my poorly tummy, but with something else joining it, I went to the doc's at 3.30 and was in hospital by 5.00!!!!  Anyway, tests and stuff done, but they still don't have a clue, but I am home and I am feeling much better than I was.  In fact, I was feeling well enough to play with my inks this aft, so I made my tag for May.  As always, you'll have to go to  MR HOLTZ' BLOG to see what techniques were used.

I have to say, I rather like this one.  I followed Tim's instructions for nearly all of it this time as I had most of the stuff.  But, I didn't have any enamel tags and so I improvised with a Cash Key and I also didn't want the metal greeting so I used a Tando Creative shape instead.  I wasn't sure about the bashed brads either and don't have his hammer, but I thought I'd bash them anyway and see.  I used a small burr tool from my Dremel and hit it with my own hammer.  It worked a treat, and yes, I've changed my mind lol.  I like bashed brads ha, ha.

Entering into:
TIM HOLTZ - Tags of 2013 - May.

BUTTON IT!

Wednesday again, so time for another I ♥ PROMARKERS challenge.  It's week #167 and we want to see buttons on your projects.  Our sponsor is the fantastic JUST INKLINED.  I do love their digis.  I chose to use 'It's A Mans World' - I think it's great, lol.  My papers are from Authentique.  I used an EK Success punch for the little brown border and stamped the sentiment.

I was planning on actually making a long post this week (for a change), but I've had a bad tummy since 6.00 this morning, so am really feeling like garbage at the moment.  This means that I daren't eat my yummy stash of Thornton's Chocolates, which is really upsetting me lol.  On the plus side though, I've booked my flights to  go and see my DD and my gorgeous Grandchildren in Cyprus in August.  The bad side of that is I've got to wait 3 months and it will be so hot, it'll probably kill me, lol.  Heat/sun and I are not good bedfellows!  I also got a few bits of new stash today but just can't find the energy to play.  Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Entering into:
PASSION FOR PROMARKERS #196 - Dies/punches.
TAMMY'S SCRAPIN' CORNER #60 - Layers.
THE SISTERHOOD OF CRAFTERS - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #138  - Anything goes.
BEARLY MINE #84 - Anything goes.
CELEBRATE THE OCCASION #110 - Anything goes.
LEJ DESIGNS #51 - Anything goes.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #118 - Anything goes.

THE HUNTER QUEEN.

I recently took part in an 'inspiration swap' whereby you sent somebody something that was to inspire them to make something with it.  It could be anything from a die cut to a strip of ribbon or paper.  Or, as I was sent by my buddy Alison, some spanners and a hex key!!!!  Hmmmm, I thought, what am I going to do with spanners???  Well, 4 days ago, I finally came up with something.  This is The Hunter Queen and she stands 16 inches tall.

Everything was painted using acrylic paints and I used some techniques that I've learnt from my ANDY SKINNER workshops - the rusting from TimeWorn and her body and skirt panels from Book of Ruination.

 Her spear is a barbecue skewer with a bit of string tied round.  The spanners were rusted with acrylic paint and some texture medium.  I cut the vine using a Cheery Lynn die on the fantastic Grunge Paper.  Tim Holtz tissue stuff is what I covered the bottom of the dummy and the stand with. Her body strap and buckle were also made with Grunge Paper but her shoulder pads and skirt panels were made with ordinary card stock.  The crown is also Grunge Paper, painted and then rubbed with Treasure Gold waxing paste and finished with a few little gems.

Entering into:
CRAFT MY LIFE #5 - Anything but a card.
HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE #165 - Skeletal remains. WINNER
ALLSORTS #204 - Anything but a card.
CREATIVE INSPIRATIONS PAINT - Anything goes.
THAT CRAFT PLACE - Altered item. (dress form)
CDAC  (June 30th) - Anything goes.

JUST PEACHY!

 I recently made this for a crafty buddy of mine.  I did a file folder class at a retreat and forgot to take the prize with me, so I asked Cath if she'd like some stash or something made by me.  She likes 'pretty' so I used the pink and peach shades.  The little bag holds  the post it notes, bookmark, pen and a couple of blank cards I made too.  I have no clue who the papers are by as I just went to the craft shop, chose them and used them without taking any notice of manufacturer.

 

Entering into:
CRAFT MY LIFE #5 - Anything but a card.
CRAFTY CREATIONS #219 - Pink and 1.
CRAFTY RIBBONS #44 - Anything goes with a ribbon.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW.......(sing everybody, you know the song, la la la).

First I'd like to say hi and welcome to my newest followers, Anne and Sarah.  It's lovely to have you.

It's week #165 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this weeks theme is ' A Square Card  With Something Round On It'. Our sponsor is the lovely PINK GEM DESIGNS.  All the design team used images by PGD and I chose to use 'Rainbow Chloe'.  Now, on many occasions, myself and other teamies have made a card but actually forgotten that we have a theme to follow, lol. Duh!!!  This week, it was my turn to forget.  But..I figured that although this is an easel fold, it's actually a square card and for the something round, I stuck the buttons on.  They were an afterthought, but hey ho!  They work, ha ha.

When I got Rainbow Chloe I knew exactly what I wanted to do with her.  A couple of years ago, I'd bought the rainbow/clouds shape from The Cutting Cafe and have never used it.  It's actually a card template, but I resized just the one half in Photoshop to fit my card. I also cut extra clouds and stuck the top layer on with 3D foam. The rainbow paper is from a years old K & Co pad which I found completely by accident  when I was looking for a paper for something else, and I thought it was perfect for this.  The top 2 little clouds and the butterfly are Memory Box dies and the sentiment ticket was from the now gone, Crafty Pad.

Entering into:
ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #42 - Make your Mark.
CRAFTING BY DESIGNS - Anything goes.
PENNY'S PAPER CRAFTY #124 - Anything goes.
SISTERHOOD OF CRAFTERS - Free for all.
BEARLY MINE #83 - Digi Days.
MAKE IT MONDAY #137 - Anything goes.

TIM HOLTZ TAGS - APRIL 2013

This is my take on Tim Holtz's tag for April.  As always, you'll have to go to HIS BLOG to see the techniques used.  I had to improvise a few things again.  I had no distress paints so I used ordinary acrylic paint and bottled metallic ink.  It worked OK I think.

I also had none of the transparent film he used, so I used ordinary heat resistant acetate which enabled me to shape the dragonfly wings a little.

Entering into:
Tim Holtz Tags of 2013 - April.

A WEDDING

I've recently spent two months scrapping a wedding album for my daughter Nicola and hubby Jonny so I thought I'd show you a few of my fave pages.  Originally, I was going to stick with neutral shades, but I knew the minute I started, that I had to use some colour and non-wedding papers instead and I think I made the right decision as Nic and Jonny love it.

This is my absolute fave page.  I don't know why, but I LOVE this (even if I'm blowing my own, lol).  I cut the title and the top left flower on my Cameo.  Cheery Lynn heart die and Marianne bird.

Anyway, that's it for now.  Maybe I'll show you some more next week.

Entering into:
613 AVENUE CREATE #16 - Anything goes.
CHALLENGES4EVERYBODY #18 - Anything goes.
CORROSIVE CHALLENGE #172 - Life's special occasions.

PRETTY PASTELS

Just a quickie post from me this week.  It's week #164 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and the theme is pastels.  Our sponsor this week is THE PAPER SHELTER and the prize for our winner is a $10 voucher.

I wasn't sure about the black music notes on this, but my teamies liked them, so I left them. The notes were cut on my Cameo along with the paper bow.  I used 2 Spellbinders dies and a Cheery Lynn.  My papers are Basic Grey 'Lily Kate'.

A BIT OF EMBOSSING..

I'm debating whether to tell you what I was presented with when I got up this morning????  Suffice to say that my dog wasn't well in the night.  Right through the bungalow from one room to the next from both ends.  YUK!  Bet that's made your day hasn't it? Ha, ha.  Can the day get better?  Hmmm, I shall see.  I am off on a craft retreat this weekend, so today I should start getting all my stuff ready.

Anyway, it's week #163 over at I ♥   PROMARKERS and this week's theme is embossing.  Heat or dry, it's entirely up to you.  We have two great sponsors. J & C CREATIONS and INKY IMPRESSIONS and the DT all used Inky Impressions images.  I used two, 'cause I couldn't decide which one to use. Umbrella Lili and Angelica Crafting.  For both cards, my embossing was done on the card itself.

The papers used on Lili were Echo Park 'For The Record' and on Angelica MME 'Fine and Dandy Girl'. On Angelica, I also used a Martha Stewart border punch, a Spellbinders corner die and a Cheery Lynn greeting die. The shading around the image was done with a pan's pastel.  Lili's raindrops were done with liquid pearls.

Entering LILI into:
CRAFTY RIBBONS #42 - Anything goes with ribbon.
CRAFT YOUR PASSION #157 - Water, water everywhere.
PAPER MAKEUP #83 - Water.
PAPER GIRLS #29 - April showers.
SQUIRREL AND FOX #41 - Inspired by song/movie (Raindrops keep falling on my head).
OPUS GLUEI #154 - Colour challenge (all bright or all pastel).
CATCH THE BUG April - Anything goes.
OSAAT #158 - Anything goes.
WAGS N WHISKERS #101 - April showers.
DRUNKEN STAMPERS #122 - Singing in the rain.

Entering Angelica into:
OPUS GLUEI #154 - Colour challenge (all bright or all pastel).
CATCH THE BUG April - Anything goes.
OSAAT #158 - Anything goes.
MY GRAFICO #148 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #135 - Anything goes.
BEARLY MINE #81 - Anything goes.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVE COLOUR?

This week over at I ♥ PROMARKERS, is #162 and the theme is What's Your Favourite Colour?  I'm not sure I've really got a fave, but I do like neutral tones, so that's what I've gone with.  Our sponsor is the fabulous LILI OF THE VALLEY and the prize is a £10 spend for the winner.

I used papers from the gorgeous 'Country Boutique' pad by Fancy Pants.  I cut the large frame from one of the sheets of ready printed papers. The border was made with an EK Success punch and the flower was punched from some matching papers.  Obviously, it was coloured with my Promarkers and the shading around the image was done with a Pan Pastel.  A few pearls finished it off.  Pretty simple really.

Entering into:
LITTLE MISS MUFFET - Anything goes.
DIGI STAMPS 4 JOY #64 - Anything goes.

ROCK YOUR BOOK.

With his Book of Ruination workshop, Andy gave us a bonus class - Rock your Book.  This is my first effort.  All the rusty bits stuck in the rock.  My craft room is fast being taken over by modelling paste, texture paints, plaster, bitumen and all sorts of other stuff.  Oh, and a few skeletons in the mix too.

RUINATION...

I am totally enjoying my 5th online workshop with Andy Skinner.  This one is called 'The Book of Ruination' and we've learnt yet more techniques to use in our altered art.  If you're in to this kind of stuff, you really should sign up for one of his workshops.

These are my first 2 projects.  The skelly had a bit of a rough time.  His suffered purple poison and the knife is still sticking out of his chest too!!!!  I think I rushed the inside of the book a bit, so might add something else or do it again.

This is already hanging on my wall.  I used one of those cheap MDF plaques you can get and used the same techniques as the book.  This one however, is finished better as the 'holes' are more prominent, as they should be.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!!!

Yeah right!  I don't think so, lol.  Aren't you all fed up of freezing, 'cause I know I am.
This week it's #161 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and our theme is Spring. Our sponsors this week  are the fabulous MARIANNE DESIGN and we welcome a new sponsor VISIBLE IMAGE. Both sponsors are offering 2 stamps to our two winners.

I wanted to try something different this week as I really didn't want to colour an image, so I thought I'd colour my die cuts instead.  I like the concept, but perhaps not the execution lol.  Dies are by Marianne and the corner stamp is by Dylusions.

TIM HOLTZ TAGS - MARCH

Here's my take on Tim's tag for March.  I thought I had a good stash of T.H. stuff, but I had hardly anything that he used for this, so had to improvise.

First off, I've got no movers and shapers, so I used a Photoshop shape for my bunny, saved it as a jpeg and then imported and cut it on my Cameo.  Then I used a nestie to cut the outer frame. My substitute for his tinsel bunny was flock, but then I decided to use micro beads instead.  I hand cut the grass from a sheet of paper that was actually a T.H. pad and as I had no metal flowers at all, I used a stick pin and some pearl sprays, but I coloured the pearls a bit with a Promarker.   I made the greeting banner myself too, just eyeballing the size and shape and then I used a rub-on word.
To be honest, I'm not that keen on this one, but as I promised myself I would do one each month, here it is.
Entering into:
Tim Holtz Tags of 2013 - March.

DistRESS IT UP!

Inspired by a vid I saw on YouTube, I've been stamping, inking and thoroughly enjoying myself.  I used stamps from LaBlanche, Elusive Images and Andy Skinner. The stencils are by Dylusions and the whole lot was coloured using my distress ink pads, the details being done with T.H. nibs.  Not much else to say really, lol, but it's been a massive change to do something bright and colourful without a Promarker in sight.  It's already stuck up on my wall.  I've also nearly finished my 1st and 2nd projects from my Book of Ruination workshop and with any luck will get my T.H. March tag done this weekend too.

And yeah, I know it's not Steampunk...but I wanted to use that stamp ~ so I did, ha ha.

Entering into:
MY GRAFICO #147 - Anything goes.
HOTSHOT CRAFTS #15 - Anything but a card.