Adventure Awaits

 Good morning and a very happy Thursday!  Today I'm back at Country View Crafts with my second project for our Monochromatic challenge.

This time I've made a card for my brother-in-law as he and my sister have a beloved camper van.

I started with a Brusho background in shades of blue, and added some stenciling with the AALL & Create world map and circle stencils. I then stamped the wonderful AALL camper stamp. I loved how it looked but didn't feel that the image stood out enough.

So I stamped it again on some thick vellum. I tore round the edges and embossed it in some ancient Moon Glow Two Tone embossing powder. Honestly I must have had this at least 15 years but it only comes out on special occasions lol. I also coloured some bits underneath with blue and white pencils to highlight them.

I wanted to highlight the turtle and van windows further so I added some Glossy Accents. Maybe not the best of ideas 'cos it really made the vellum warp (OK I did put rather a lot on) I attached this over the original card with brads through the wheels and it actually looks quite nice now - the warping seems to give it a bit of movement so we'll pretend that that was part of the plan!

Before I added the vellum I put back the two stencils and put through some Izink Ice just to make the design stand out a little more.

This is what I've used.

Distress Ink

Distress Oxides

AALL & Create Stamps

AALL & Create Stencils

Izink

I hope you have a lovely day whatever you are doing, take care, and thanks so much for looking x

Get Your Happy On!

 Good morning and a very happy Wednesday! We've been enjoying some lovely Spring weather here in the UK, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and there is a steady hum of not bees, but power tools! It seems like everyone around us is cleaning their drive with a jet wash!

#Edit - I wrote this on Sunday - since then we've had continuous fog, that'll teach me to brag about the UK weather!!!

Anyhoo, today I'm over at the Ink Art Designs Stamping Playground with my trio of Rolodex cards. I'm really enjoying these at the moment. I don't have a big family, so don't need endless cards, so I just used to make 'stuff' Then, at the end of the year, I would have to throw all this 'stuff' away 'cos I was drowning in it! These cards are big enough to be interesting, yet you can store hundreds in a teeny tiny space. Winner winner chicken dinner!

Can you see the shadow on the doe (a deer, a female deer)? I actually took this photograph outside!!! I think it's the first time this year we've had enough sunshine - I live in the North of England, it's a real thing!

#there I go again about the weather - you can't even see outside now 'cos of the FOG!!!

I really went back to basics for these, the old Distress Inks and blending tool!

Then I added some stamping with my Katzelkraft stamps and Distress Oxides.

The images have been coloured with watered down distress markers and the odd dash of Glossy Accents.

This rabbit was why I had to have this set, isn't he handsome!

I love this deer, but oh my word, cutting out those antlers! These have been triple embossed so they are nice and sturdy. Nobody wants a floppy antler!

These are my stamps, the sentiments are great fun! Dot has a huge range here in the store, the only problem is, I want them all!

So, it's time for you now to join in with us. Just use any stamps from ranges that Dot sells and you could win the stamp of your choice from the store.

Thanks so much for looking, take care, and have a great week x

Beauty In Simplicity

Good afternoon and happy Tuesday. I'm over on the Lost Coast Designs Portal To Creativity with my second C&S card.

This is my new favourite Carmen's Veranda stamp Birds Collage Background, that's been inked with Distress inks.

There's still time for you to join in with the challenge, but be quick, but hey it's only C&S, what could be easier.... - well, just about anything!!

Have a great week, and thanks very much for looking x

With Apologies To Father Ted....

It's Carol's turn to choose the theme in this weeks Stampotique Designers Challenge, and she's chosen one of my favourites - backgrounds.
"It's my turn to set the theme this week for the Stampotique Designer's Challenge. I love to use my rubber stamps for my backgrounds, so this week you are challenged to use your stamps for your backgrounds, as well as your main focal image.

What I love about using your stamps in this way is that you can get a truly original background as even you will never be able to get the same one again."

Ever since I saw Kira's Owl Tree it reminded me of the Father Ted sketch where Dougal is confused with small or far away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N-4zrk390 I can watch this a thousand times and still laugh.
I wanted to do my background on black and use some bleach but I think I must have the wrong card 'cos I used thick bleach, thin bleach, strong bleach, weak bleach and very smelly bleach but my black stayed black! If anyone knows a good black card for bleaching please let me know.
Sooo Plan B... white card, lots of distress ink for the base, stamped and embossed with Vintage Script then overstamped with water for the ghosting effect.
Then a mixture of stamps stamped in H2o's and perfect pearls. This is very twinkly IRL.

It was a shame to cover these gorgeous new stamps up!
I've used Heart Vine
Flying Heart
Grass
Vintage Script
Owl With Wings
Wee Owl
Owl Tree
Tree
Great Moon
All of these are available from Stampotique Originals.

The owls have distress ink backgrounds too. Great Moon has been stamped on text paper, and the stars behind Owl With Wings have been stamped with the star stamp on the bottom of the moon.
The tree has been coloured with capuchino perfect pearl mist , and Wee Owl has been made into a brad.
Owl Tree has been stamped and embossed, and their eyed dabbed in with a white gel pen.

I really enjoyed this challenge, so thank you very much Carol.
So now it's your turn to make your own stamped background and join us using the link. Don't forget you can still join in the Whatever the Weather and Scrap It challenges too.
Thanks very much for looking.

A Distressing Tim Holtz Christmas

Oooh I really struggled with this one - the first 2 attempts went in the bin (on the floor and stamped on actually). I know that Tim is meant to be grungy but it's Christmas - and that means happy and sparkly, so here's what I've ended up with.
I made this card for the Stampman Tim Holtz Christmas, and the Simon Says Stamp and Show Distress Ink challenges.
The background is just a hugh foam snowflake stamp stamped and white embossed, then inked over with shades of blue distress inks.
I've embossed the trees texture fades onto velum then cut out. The 25 is also part of a texture fade. I've stamped the snowman with my new favourite, Chipped Saphire this is just sooooo nice. I waited till it was nearly dry then added a bit of sparkly embossing powder that only caught in patches. There's more torn vellum behind.
The chandelier drops are from Craft Obsessions and they are lovely!
Thanks very much for looking x

It's All Change - Well Simon Said To Alter It!!

 I have always loved looking at altered art on other peoples blogs, but it's something I've never had a go at myself, so when I saw in advance that The Stampman were going to have a Altered challenge I thought it was the perfect time to have a go!
So my weapon of choice was this,

it's a cutlery tray from a discount store. Why I couldn't have started with a wooden spoon I don't know :o)

I sanded and painted with black acrylic paint, then sprayed inside and out with purples and orange glimmer mists. It's the first time I've persevered with the glimmer mists and I'm now a convert!
Now came the small task of filling it - again why not a wooden spoon!!.
So I made some atc's, microscope slides, and then my new Alteration dies landed with a thud on my mat, so these were used immediately :o) on Coredinations card, and sanded.
The inks are a mixture of distress and dye, and a wee bit of embossing has gone on as well.
It's by far the most adventurous thing I've ever made. I'm officially the slowest crafter in the world, and this has taken me days  weeks, but I've really enjoyed watching it come together. Though as my DH says 'What are you going to do with it??'  Men!!
The stamps are by Artistic Outpost and Cherry Pie.
The images are by Itkupilli and Moonlight Journey
I'm entering this for Stampman's Altered challenge
Lot's to Do - Alter it
Sunday Stampers - Paint it Black
Simon Says Stamp and Show Sanded/Distress.
Theme Thursday - Dark Gothic/Halloween
Thanks very much for looking - I'm going to tidy up the conservatory now 'cos it looks like we've been burgled (again!!)

Enter At Your Own Risk CoC Week 6

The lovely Linda has chosen page 66 this week which is Multi Medium Collage. Now this challenge blog is costing me a fortune, every week I have a nosey around everyones blogs, and they've full of gorgeous inkpads and bits and bobs,  - well what's a girl to do other than spend,spend, spend lol.
This weeks purchase was a Chipped Saphire distress inkpad which is totally yummy.
My tag (yes I know another tag, but I want to make 'em all on a tag) has a swooshy blue background, then comes the mystery bit.....   then the embelishments..the end! :o)
The people in my house of fun are by Paper Artsy, the chipboard house is from Crafty Individuals, and the cat is by me.. well, not just me, I used an icing mould and UTEE.  I tried to use my melt pot but this didn't work so I had to keep sprinkling and heating with my heat gun. 10% melted and 90% flew over the conservatory lol.
Another excellent challenge and I can't wait to see what next weeks is x

Lots To Do Challenge - Art

This is my entry for this weeks Lots To Do Challenge, which this week is Art.
I've tried to keep my ATC as simple as possible. It's been stamped and coloured with distress inks. I've stamped parts onto sticky backed canvas, and stuck over the top.
The butterfly has a coating of glossy accents, and job done.
Thanks very much for looking. xx

Art Creations Friday Challenge 12

Another lovely image this week to play with. The Tim Holtz stamps are Stayzon'd to glossy card, and I have coloured in with distress inks and water. The quote is one of my favourite Rubadubadoo stamps stamped onto velum. I had to ask my son to 'flip' the image as I wanted her sitting under the tree and this was beyond my computer skills lol.
I am really enjoying these challenges as this is not the sort of thing I usually do.
Thanks very much for looking. xx
http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/2009/02/12th-challenge.html

Does My Bum Look Big In This?? - Art Creations Friday

I know she's all pretty and vintagey, but as
soon as I saw her that's the first thought that went through my head lol. The background has been coloured with distress inks, and the sentiment is a acetate overlay.
Thanks for looking xx

http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/2009/01/11th-challenge.html