What Do You Sea?

Hello.  Welcome.  I have been working on a project for Crafty Individuals where this month the theme is Autumn Fashion.  Yep, another month over and I am posting on the deadline again.  I have been working with elements all month stamping, cutting, shuffling them around.  But it wouldn't come together.  So it would vanish under the stash on my desk only to resurface, get rearranged and submerge again into the chaos of paper and card.  Then I realised the problem was two seemingly disparate subjects that I was intent on using.  I mean, really, why not combine ladies underwear with giant turtles????..........

Then yesterday, with time against me, visitors in the house and day trips planned, the ideas all seemed to come together.  I'm hoping to explain a bit about why this has become a meaningful piece to me but I would also like to hear your thoughts.  Maybe it will mean something to you as well.  Or not.  What do you see??

I started making a background page using Crafty Individuals (CI) French Corsets and Oriental Fans stamps relating to ladies fashion.  Hats, bags, parasols, corsets, fans.  I coloured with Distress Inks and Stains in Fired Brick, Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Worn Lipstick, Dried Marigold.  Autumn Colours.  So there's fashion and autumn.   I mounted on a Tando Creative chipboard frame and backed with a sheet from one of the CI background paper books.  

And here's the turtle.  I stamped CI A Bright Future onto various CI background papers because I couldn't decide which colour I liked the best.  Then I ended up layering all three together and also onto a piece of black paper to give dimension.  Isn't she gorgeous!  The sentiment is the same stamp set on CI papers cut with a tag die

Some more Tando chippies coloured with Distress Stains.  The letters are a cuttlebug alphabet

Another CI stamp, Seagull Adventure and some fish cut from one of the seaside background papers

Here it is partly assembled with some more of the cuttlebug alphabet letters.  

The finished project.  

• The save the whales isn't just for whales.  It's for everything and everybody but I couldn't think of a better phrase to engender the feeling of all-ness.  Also save the whales mentality is something I still consider fashionable.  
• Live, laugh, love.  I was going to stamp laugh on the seagull but he has taken on a more serious persona.  Live, let people live and respect how they live.  And the whales and the turtles.  Love.  When you love there is no room for petty emotions and deeds.  
• The seagull.  Is he a witness.  Or just a spectator.    Letting things pass by with no thought, deed or comment.   Or maybe he's more sinister.  Just waiting for his chance to grab whatever he wants.  
• Turtles are so majestic.  Nature, freedom, hope.  And we must believe in a bright future.   

 

Sorry, I'm getting all philosophical and heavy.  And it's not even midnight.  Maybe it's just a turtle swimming through a load of ladies underwear.  May she swim a long time.  

Joining the fun at

Crafty Individuals - Autumn Fashion

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Tando Creative Challenges August Challenge - Lovely Layers

7 Kids Challenge 107 - Anything Goes

Dream It Up - August as an Adjective 

Thanks for your visit.  Big hugs

Love Your Dog

Hello.  Welcome.  Sometimes the thing about living in an adopted country is that normal things are extraordinary.  Many Norwegians have weekend homes they call cabins and tonight our friend offered to pick us up so we could visit them.  So he nipped across the fjord in his speed boat, picked us up from the quay and we bounced across the waves to have lovely food overlooking the fjord.  I found some cushions the other day with the words 'Norway, a little piece of heaven'.  Sigh!  So true.  Hee hee

It's almost midnight but I wanted to join Friends with Flair over at the Unity blog, so I inked a couple of recent additions to the stash and made this card

I stamped Unity Stamp Co. First Love, masked, then stamped Unity Stamp Co. Stitched Daffodils, both in black archival.  I layered on red and then mounted on white card.  That's it.  LOL  Keeping it simple. 

Joining the fun at
The Unity Stamp Co. Friends With Flair
Stampinback Challenge - Kinderkaart 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 


Hope you have had a great day.  It's certainly been fun here.  Big hugs. 

Which Witch is This Witch

Hello.  Welcome.   I'm in Witch mode again tonight using the cute little witch from The Greeting Farm Spooktacular rubber stamp set.  

I've used YNS sketch.  My base card is silver.  For the border I used an embossing pen and black embossing powder.  On the RHS I used a paper mask but the other edges I just went for it.  I quite like the effect.  The frame is cut using Crafts Too Frames dies in black and purple glitter card.  Looks great in the real but I always forget, right until I pick up the camera, that all that glitter does make the photography a little challenging.  Ah well.  I coloured the witch with Promarkers.  I diecut Cheery Lynn Spider Web Mesh Border and Southern Charm Valance from black glitter card.  I used part of the valance die cut and weaved a piece of purple paper stamped with Unity Stamps sentiment 'Best Witches'.  

Joining the fun at
The Greeting Farm FFF - Anything Goes
YNS Challenge - Sketch
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 148 - Frame It 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Witch Kraft 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for your visit.  Hugs

Making Sunshine

Hello.  Welcome.  It's been a cold, wet, grey day.  What happened to the summer??  They say we may get some sun tomorrow but I couldn't wait.  I decided to make a bright happy card and also have a play with some new crafty items that I go a couple of days ago.  Now, by new, I mean new to me.  I finally bought some distress stains and I also splashed out to try a Prima doll with matching dies.  

I decided to try the splat technique with the stains.  I used Fired Brick and Mustard Seed.  Splat!   Splat!  Splat!  What fun!  This is Prima doll Zoe.  I stamped her and used the matching dies to cut her and her clothes out.  I hit the scrap box for her clothes.  Her top is a piece of DCWV paper and the skirt and shoes is a scrap I had coloured with DI inks.  Definitely quicker using the dies than fussy cutting but my die placement wasn't perfect.  I am sure that will get better with practice.  

I mounted my panel on a texture white card which I coloured with DI Barn Door.  I stamped the flower stamp from Prima For You stamp set and the greeting from the Prima Sunshine set. 

Joining the fun at
Our Creative Corner - Summertime
Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop
7 Kids Challenge 106 - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Summer Colours 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs

Witch Head

Hello.  Welcome.  A special big hello to Gaylynn and Angie who have taken the plunge and joined my happy little following.  So glad to have you along.  Big hugs to all my followers and everyone who takes the time to leave a comment.  I really do appreciate your support.  

I popped over to Simon Says Stamp this morning to check on the new monday theme and oh gosh, it's Witch Kraft.  Count me in.  I love Halloween.  The colours are so delicious, and so are the pumpkins LOL.  Mine is growing nicely.  Hoping for a giant one to be star of the harvest party.  Anyway, my brain cell threw out a number of ideas.  Here's one

I cut my kraft ATC using Sizzix ATC and corners die and embossed with Sizzix Notebook embossing folder.  I added a touch of VersaMagic Tea Leaves and Hint of Pesto around the edge.  The letters are cut from Prima Harlequin patterned paper.  I stamped and fussy cut Stampers Anonymous Retro Halloween Witch and coloured with Promarkers and Wink of Stella.  A holographic confetti star and she's all ready for a new school year.  

Bwahahahahahaha

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 120 - Back to School
Papertake Weekly - To Die For
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Back to School 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope the week is off to a great start.  Hugs

Fun With Faces

Hello.  Welcome.  There's a new face over at PaperArtsy.   Here's my version

I sketched my girl, grabbed a black pen and inked in the lines.  I would suggest if you do this that the black pen you grab is water fast.  Of course, mine wasn't LOL.  Why make it easy????

I coloured.  Skin a mix of FF Rose and white.  Hair a mix of FF Butternut and burnt sienna.  Face highlights a mix of FF Rose and burnt sienna

Then I forgot to take more photo's cos I was having too much fun.  I decided to go red and black.  Her jumper is red acrylic stamped with a couple of stamps from MME Indie Chic Ginger - Pictures set.  The background is Fired Brick Distress Stain stamped with two free stamps from Quick Cards magazine.  I stamped the flourish with Brilliance archival Rocket Red Gold and the butterfly with black archival

I inked the edges with black archival and mounted on Bazzill Blackberry Swirl.

I've done three of the four faces Clare shared.  If you would like to check out my previous masterpieces the tag on the left is here, the card on the right is here

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge 117 - Wings 

Thanks for your visit.  Enjoy your Sunday.  Hugs

Bathing Beauties

Hello.  Welcome.  Sometimes, despite previous experience to the contrary, I decide to have a go at a style I am not really comfortable with.  For me Vintage is one of those styles.   I see such lovely vintage projects but just can't get it.  Tonight I decided to try again.

I used Cheery Lynn Celtic Fire Oval Frame doily die and a picture of a couple of bathing beauties.  I used DI Vintage Photo on the diecut, backed it with a piece of kraft and added some lace around the edge.  I used Cheery Lynn Dandelions and Tea Rose Small to make the flowers and added a lace hanger and a metal charm from Korthobby.  I added some clear rhinestones to the charm.  It reminds me of vintage jewellery.  

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 146 - Doilies 
Korthobby - Vintage
Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - To Die For 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Hugs

After The Cupcake Is Over

Hello.  Welcome.  A special hi to kb9upk who recently joined my little following.  So lovely to have you along.  In case anyone is wondering about the chocolate and courgette muffins all I can say is

YUM!!

I have recently become enamored by Unity Stamps and all the fun things they do.  I had some new stamps arrive and one of them was 'My Panda Balloon'.  So cute.  The first thing that struck me was that the balloon resembled a baby panda and so a baby card was born.  So to speak.....

I've used STAMPlorations sketch for my LO and the colours were inspired by this months Unity Challenge colour inspiration.  I used a dark green base card.  Added a layered of green marbled card which I covered in orange splatters and some black archival smudges.  The ivy paper is from a Sizzlits pad, a piece of orange card and a piece of Making Memories Spook Alley patterned paper.  The 'baby' is Sizzix Baby Clothes Line decorative strip die and the leafy flourishes are part of Crafty Individuals Victoria Corner die.  I stamped the photo frame from SMAK Sept 2012 kit on the bottom of the Spook Alley paper to ground the panda.  I stamped Unity 'My Panda Balloon' and cut out both pandas.  Then I layered the baby on the big panda, covered with Wink of Stella clear and glossy accents.  

So cute or what??

Joining the fun at
The Unity Stamp Company - Friends with Flair
The Unity Stamp Company Challenge 19 - Colour
STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge 18
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Papertake Weekly - To Die For 
Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop 

Thanks for your visit.  Your thoughts are appreciated.  Hugs

Book Friends

Hello.  Welcome.  Well, it seems the sun I ordered has been seriously misplaced so maybe a little craft is the order of the day.  Oh goody :-)  There was a little sun early this morning and I checked around the veg patches and found these

A very nice selection of summer squash.  OK, so that one at the back is a little bit big!!  LOL  What to do, what to do

Chocolate and courgette muffin with cream cheese butter cream.  Yummy. 

Whilst waiting to sample the results I thought I'd make an ATC for the Wicked Wednesday challenge.  This week it's back to school.  That always makes me think books so........

I cut my ATC using Sizzix ATC and Corners die, coloured with DI Scattered Straw, Chipped Sapphire and Broken China and spritzed.  I stamped the book stamp from PaperArtsy, masked and stamped the pile of books from Katzelkraft.  It did have ex libris at the top but I masked that out.  Edged with black archival.  The pile of books look clearer in the real but for some reason the camera wanted to make that darker splodge really dark so I have had to play a bit with it.  The colours are a bit more intense on the ATC

Joining the fun at
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge #120 - Back to School
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Back to School
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - To Die For 

Thanks for your visit.  Off to have a cup of tea and a muffin.  Hugs

Back to School With Darcy

Hello.  Welcome.  Not much crafting the last few days.  It seemed life just got in the way.  Then when I needed to make a card my mojo appeared to have taken a holiday.  It was flowing so freely a few days ago!  I checked back and saw I had posted every day for 9 days!  Sometimes twice a day!!  No wonder the mojo was on holiday.  Probably worn out!!!   I would like to thank everyone who visited and those who commented.  Especially those who commented on all of my recent posts.  I hadn't realised I had been so prolific.  I really appreciate all your visits and comments.  Thanks and hugs all round.   

To get my mojo started I decided to have a look at Darcy's journal post for this month.  The deadline is looming and I remember when she posted I thought there were some really fun elements.  Little did I know how fun.  Here's my take.  

My journal pages are dark cream so I started by giving it a wash of white acrylic mixed with a touch of blue.  For the whole of this project I have only used acrylic paint in white, black, a pale blue called Sky and Burnt Umber and a little Black Archival.   I mixed white and sky and spritzed.  Added some more sky and spritzed.  Added some black and spritzed.  Added some more black and spritzed.  Then added more black and spritzed. 

While waiting for paint to dry I embossed a metal sheet.  These are coloured on the front but silver on the back.  I worked on the backside.  I embosssed with Sizzix Bingo, Notebook and Patchwork folders.  Then I coloured with sky, burnt umber and black.  I rubbed the paint off the raised areas while it was still damp to expose some of the silver metal

I added stamping to my page using LOTV Romantic Bits Background stamps.  I wanted some lines as well so I added black archival to the back of my embossed metal on the Notebook section.  It gave these pleasing lines.  

I traced round my hand and cut a mask

 

I cut my embossed metal into strips

 

 Then I forgot to take photo so we hop to here.  I added the metal strips around the outside of the page.  I dry brushed Sky into my hand mask.  The underlying stamping is still vaguely visable.  I added dots in burnt umber and doodled an outline.  I die cut circles using a Spellbinder die.  I painted half sky and half burnt umber and sky.  I have stamped using STAMPlorations Subway Art Builders Create set.  I stamped half of each stamp on a circle so two circles give the whole sentiment.  

Paint Outside the Lines and Create Without Fear

The World is Your Canvas and Dare to be Creative

One of a Very Special Kind.  This a PaperArtsy stamp.  Love the embossed word Bingo.  

Are you still with me??  I loved the embossed metal.  I loved making the hand mask.  I think all these sentiments are ones we should all keep in mind.  There seems to be a lot of focus on back to school at the moment.  I've learnt a lot here.  Check Darcy's post and give some of these fun techniques a go.  

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy Month 7 Journalling with Darcy 
Add a Little Dazzle Dazzling Diva Challenge 39 
STAMPlorations August Challenge - Stamps and Diecuts 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Back to School 
Eclectic Paperie August ePlay Challenge - Embossing 
Papertake Weekly - To Die For 

Thank you so much for your visit and for reading this long post.  Hugs

The day after the night before Hi.  I've been looking at this on and off and it just seemed to need a little something and since I seem unable to move to anything else I got out the black pen and doodled a little

 

I've just gone round all the dots with black pen.  Now it looks like I have a serious case of age spots but it makes it seem a bit more solid.   Happy now.  Hugs.  Ooh, and the brain cell is already moving on to other things...................

Lucky Sweet

Hello.  Welcome.  It always happens doesn't it?  It's a very unsettled day with heavy showers.  The perfect day to have a quiet afternoon being crafty cos surely no one will be visiting today.  Yeah, right!!  So I have claimed a pressing engagement with some venison and vegetables and retreated to the warmth of the kitchen.  The venison is bubbling so I'm stealing a few minutes to get this post in/out.  

Over at Wicked Wednesday they want Something Sweet so I thought cupcakes.  And when I was oer at YNS yesterday I noticed the picture inspiration was white and purpe cupcakes.  Sounds like a couple of themes made for each other.  I cut my ATC base using Sizzix ATC and corners die, stamped with the cupcake wrapper stamp from Joanna Sheen Bearytastic Day and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then I used DI Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves, spritzed and wiped.  

 
Over at PaperArtsy Sarah used a horseshoe and flowers.  Like that idea.  I cut Go-Kreate horseshoe from a purple metal sheet and added some ric-rac tinted with DI ink

The girl is a Nellie Snellen stamp from the Lente set, that'll be Spring.  I coloured her with Promarkers.  I borrowed the cupcake from The Greeting Farm Double Cupcake Anya.  I figured she had two and wouldn't mind sharing LOL.  The flowers are JM34 coloured with FF Pansy and Limelight with white gelly roll highlights.  

Joining the fun at
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge #149 - Something Sweet
PaperArtsy
YNS Challenge 15 - Photo Inspiration 

Thanks for dropping by.  I enjoying reading and re-reading all your lovely comments, so keep em coming LOL  Hope the sun is shining on you.  Hugs

All Of It Good

Hello.  Welcome.  I remember as a child I could so get into a book that the world around me just faded away.  Coming back was like waking up, with sounds and people suddenly becoming loud and vivid.  Feel a bit like that right now.  Just finished this and I love it.  It is so inktense.  Not perfect.  Nothing anyone would notice unless I point out the flaws.  Which I probably will LOL.  Or maybe if you are a perfectionist.  Because despite the fact that things aren't quite square, I still love it.

This started off inspired by Helen's post over at PaperArtsy.  Once I had completed the center piece I wanted it to be something so I've used the sketch from YNS to make a card.  Have I mentioned that I love this??  Want to see???...........

 
Helen used Stampbord and scratched her details.  I didn't have any of that so I hoped a white gelly roll pen would be up to the job.  I stamped the girl from PaperArtsy LPC022 and then made a border using one of the small stamps from LPC030.  Then I coloured with DI Dried Marigold, Salty Ocean and Picked Raspberry.  I added white highlights with the gelly roll pen.  Then I mounted it on a piece of black card.  

 

I wanted to make a frame so I have used part of the pen stamp from LPC030 to stamp the edges and the shell stamp from LPC001 for the corners.  I coloured as with the above image.  You may notice that the frame isn't exactly square!  I noticed that too!!  And despite that, because I love it and all our children have small imperfections which make them unique, but no less loved, I decided it didn't matter!!  How liberating.  Then I did this

   

As previously noted the stamped frame isn't quite straight.  I measured down and across and they were equal, but it still looked squiffy.  So I checked the diagonals.  Ah!!  Obviously a right angle or two has gone a little bit adrift.  To solve this problem, and don't tell anyone I did this, I cut my card level with the sides of my layers.  So now my card is a bit squiffy, but it's one of those optical illusions that fool the eye into thinking it isn't.  OK, maybe not totally, but it's close.  The sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp embossed with white embossing powder.  

My black card has a white core, a feature I usually try to hide with a black marker, but tonight we shall embrace our imperfections and distress, distress, distress.  The raggy edges also help disguise the slight squiff.  Just trying to decide if I need a sign of life doodle border.   Decisions decisions.........

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
YNS Challenge #15 - Sketch
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Scratched Up 
A Blog Named Hero Challenge #50 - Ombre  I thought I had the idea from the DT's lovely examples but decided to check the definition.  Just to be sure.  OK, so it's 'a trick-taking card game for three people using a pack of forty cards, popular in Europe in the 17th–18th centuries' uhhhhhhh...  I'm not sure that's what was meant, although it sounds like fun!  So I'm going with fading colour and hope that the fact that it's fading every which way to sunrise and back again is OK.  I'm sure someone will let me know if it's not, but if you have seen my hair I can assure you that fade doesn't always happen as a single colour.  You wouldn't believe the number of people who ask if I've had hi/lo-lights!!  The effects of a healthy outdoor life whilst wearing a cap!  Hugs

Thanks so much for your visit.  I appreciate the time you take to visit.  Especially when it's a load of old waffle like it is tonight.   Ah, Midnight, the sound of cats snoring, frost on the face of the moon and everything is jolly and bright.  Bwahahahahahaha.  More hugs cos you deserve them :-)

More Fun Than Friday Night Bingo

Hello.  Welcome.  As promised, here I am with a shaker card.  I am still trying to decide if I like these or not.  There's the fiddle factor, which I am not a big fan of.  But then there's the fun element.  Having that little window with the sprinkles that jiggle.  You just got to give it a shake.  

I used the camera stamp from Unity Stamps September 2012 SMAK kit.  I stamped and embossed onto MME patterned paper.  This was one that had a lot of borders so I was able to get the different sections of the camera with different patterns without paper piecing.   I cut out the camera lens and backed it with acetate.  I've used foam behind and then backed it with the reverse side of the MME paper.  I stamped capture the moments from the SMAK kit.   I added some lace along the front of the camera, a heart and a holographic star to the flash.   So now I have a nice fun camera shaped shaker element to add to a journal or scrapbook page. 

Joining the fun at
The Unity Stamp Company - Friends With Flair

Thanks for your visit.  Hugs

Knock, Knock. Who's There?

Hello.  Welcome.  I have been all overcome by the desire to create outside my box.  Maybe outside a lot of boxes!!  This was one of those flash of inspiration moments inspired by Elizabeth Borer's post at PaperArtsy last night.  I may have to explain a bit, if I can! because a look at Elizabeth's project and a look at mine reveal very little, or may I even venture, nothing in common.  But I looked at the post and saw this.  Which in itself is a bit of a new thing.  Seeing before it becomes a reality that is....

 

So this is what I ended up with.  Liz used new stamps.  I had a new set of Lynne Perrella stamps just crying out to see some ink.  Liz hung some little round panels.  Mine are squarish, but that's where the idea was born.  And the rest is just art.  Maybe??

I started stamping the large stamp from LPC030 with Memento Tuxedo Black because I wanted a slightly softer black than you get with archival.  I coloured with DI Picked Raspberry, Dried Marigold and Worn Lipstick.  Then I spritzed til it was good and wet and ran it through the Bigshot using Sizzix Diamond Plate embossing folder.  When dry I highlighted with ColorBox Chalk Peach Pastel.  I like the distressed effect the chalk ink gives.

 

I stamped the remaining four stamps from LPC030, coloured parts with the same DI inks as above, covered them with Wink of Stella clear and glossy accents.  I added a little piece of folded pink polka dot ribbon from Crafty Ribbons to each of the postage stamp images.   The sentiment popped into my head because of all the eyes in this set.  I tore a piece of white cotton, stamped using some real metal printers letters and tinted with DI Worn Lipstick.  Then I threaded it through the stamped pen image.  

I felt it needed a bit more so added a load of half pearls from Storyteller and a shaped paperclip from IKEA.  

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Country View Crafts Challenge - Word Play
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Scratched Up  
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
Storyteller Norge Utfordring 21 - Bling/Perler

Thanks for your visit.  I feel quite exhausted with all this mojo whizzing around.  Hoping to be back later with a shaker card.  Now doesn't that sound like more fun than Friday night Bingo.  Maybe I'll use that as the post title.  Now I am getting ahead of myself.  Hugs

A Little Fairy Dust

Hello.  Welcome.  Over at CASology they want to see magic.  So I had a rummage through the stamps I haven't used for a while and found this cute little fairy from Stamping Bella.   I decided to make my CAS card using the STAMPlorations sketch.  

I embossed a panel with Sizzix Cirque embossing folder.  I stamped the fairy onto a white panel and offset it against a black and another white panel.  The believe is a Crafty Secrets stamp.  I rounded three corners and mounted it on a black card.  

Joining the fun at
CASology 108 - Magic
STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge 17
Thanks for your visit.  Hugs