Gothic Cupcakes

Hello Nomad friends.  I was playing with this card at the weekend but felt it still needed something.  Seems it needed a sentiment!  Tah dah........

I used rays patterned paper and stencilled with a zig zag mask and Tando Music stencil and Black Soot distress.  I cut the panel with Stamplorations Crazy Double Stitch Rectangle die.  I added The Greeting Farm Cupcake Anya, looking a little gothic today Anya, and stamped the thank you from Stamplorations For the Birds stamp set.  

Thanks for dropping by.  More stencil action here tomorrow.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamplorations November Stencil Challenge
Stempelgarten Challenge 110 - Lieblingsstempel
Cut It Up Challenge 238 - Thanks or Thanksgiving

Grandfathers Tailcoat

Hello Nomad friends.  There's a fun challenge at Art Piaskownica and the badge is awesome.  Here's my tail coat project.

I started with a Tando Creative Arabian Style greyboard arch.  It comes with a frame.  

My plan was to use shades of brown so I sprinkled brown Brusho powder on the naked greyboard and spritzed with water.  Wait for it to dry a bit and repeat until ascetically appealing.  Love the variation of the colour crystals in the Brusho powders.  While the frame was still damp I embossed it with a Do-craft cogs embossing folder.  These greyboard elements are quite thick.  I took one plate out of my bigshot, and I recommend using an old warped flexible plate, cos I did manage to crack my last kinda tidy plate.  Ah well.......

I stamped Kort og Godt tail coat and bowler hat with Potting Soil archival ink on a piece of weetabix box, and also stamped some cogs from another set on the coat.  I added a copper bottle cap with a paperartsy stamped face and glossy accents, then the hat with a Korthobby.no metal charm.  Lots more Korthobby copper metal charms and some fancy fluffy brown wool.  I added a heavy card base behind, but I'm thinking it might make a cool picture or hangy dingsen??

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Art Piaskownica Cards - Gorset Babci Frak Dziadka
Scrap the Rainbow - Farge Metall
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Let's Be On Time

If History Repeats Itself I Want a Pterodactyl

Hello.  Welcome.  Love this little Pterodactyl from Stamplorations.  

I used Tando Distorted Harlequin stencil and sponged white dye ink onto black card.  There was quite a lot of ink on the stencil so I transferred it to another black card, and that's the one I used here.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment from Stamplorations Baa Baa set with white powder.  I stamped the Pterodactyl from the Dino Things set with black archival, coloured with Promarkers and distress ink Peacock Feathers for his body.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamplorations CAS Challenge October
Stamplorations October Mixed Media Challenge
Winnie & Walter WCMD - CAS
Addicted to CAS Challenge 146 - Diamond
Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge

Working With Scraps

Hello.  Welcome.  Last night I grabbed some pre-stamped pre-cut stuff and sorted out what was ready to use and what needed colouring or clipping.  Then tonight I decided to put some of these items together and made this

Gorjuss Girl The White Rabbit was in the scraps, as were the little pink flowers, which are Cheery Lynn BAF#3 embellishments, and the background.  I made that with brushos and some stamped and embossed Paperartsy flowers.  Then I didn't like it.  But framed with Cheery Lynn Emperor Swan border and with Gorjuss girl standing in front it looks pretty good.  

The bunnies are from Tando Mini Rabbits set.  I left them naked.  A pink rhinestone finishes each flower.  

I added a blue card layer that I smudged with Stormy Sky distress ink and mounted on a raspberry base.  

Off to see what other gems are lurking in the scraps box.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Tando Creative March Challenge - Anything Goes
The Craft Barn Two Weekly Challenge - Rabbits and Ovals 
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 225 - Anything Goes 
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Flora and Fluffy Tails 
7 Kids Challenge 148 - Anything Goes 

Q is For Queen

Hello.  Welcome.  It's been a while since I played at PaperArtsy where the current challenge is hearts.  So I was lurking around and spotted a lovely post by Debs where she stamped a heart background.  I decided to combine with the Craft Barn's Dictionary challenge and alter one of my giant playing cards.  

I stuck a piece of lined paper onto my playing card and stamped the collage heart from Paperartsy HP1105.  I added a piece of ripped book paper.  Norwegian.  Could be an exciting story!   

I stamped the queenly looking lady from Paperartsy LPC007, coloured some grunge paste black and applied it through Tando's distorted harlequin mask. 

I hadn't realised how big the definition of queen is in the dictionary!  So I added the definition at a bit of an angle and then offset my fussy cut queen down and to the right of the stamped image.  Actually I quite like that!  It a bit like a very detailed shadow.  A pictorial echo?

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Paperartsy Topic 2 - Hearts
The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Q

Welcome To Batsville

Hello.  Welcome.  I have been pretty good with joining in the fun over at The Craft Barn this year.  As well as the monthly calendar challenge they are having fun weekly challenges as well.  This week it was House.  Uhhh, yeah.  And then, eureka moment.  Whilst digging through the stencils and masks earlier I came across Tando's Haunted House.  Bwahahahahahhaahahahaahahahha

I sponged Ripe Persimmon, Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves for the moon.  I know, it looks more like a blood orange!!  The inked in the house and added some white details.  The bat is from Unity Stamp Co. Kooky, Spooky and Batty set.  

Joining the fun at
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - House
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - A is for......  Abode
One Crazy Stamper April Challenge - Anything Goes 
Scribble and Scrap Challenge 42 - Anything Goes 
Unity Stamp Co. Friends With Flair  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

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

A Drink With An Umbrella In It

Hello.  Welcome.  I've been thinking about the Stampoutique challenge, an orange and pink background.  Not really my go to colours but sure to have a wow factor, if I get it right. 

I started with a piece of hot pink card and brayered with PaperArtsy FF Butternut and Rose and then some orange acrylic.  Not so impressed with that.  

Tando Flower Mask and DI Picked Raspberry

 

I used the script stamp from PaperArtsy LPC003 set and Picked Raspberry.  It was a bit strong so I wiped some away.  It's quite subtle now but I liked it

I stamped a Prima Doll and paper pieced her dress using some MME paper.  Her hair and shoes are coloured with Promarkers.  I added three hot pink enamel dots and added my panel to a matt black card.  

Joining the fun at

Stampotique Designers Challenge 146 - Pink and Orange Background 

STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge 11 

Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge 102 - Anything Goes 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Spring Flowers 

7 Kids Challenge 99 - Anything Goes with Flowers 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs

Lucky Cupcakes

Hello.  Welcome.  A happy St Patrick's Day to you all.  Well, you have to get with the mood don't you?  It seems it's lucky and green all over the place so I thought I'd offer up something along those lines as well.  

I have used Double Cupcake Anya from The Greetings Farm.  Coloured with Promarkers and sitting on a lucky horseshoe cut from green mirror card using a Go Create die.  I've used twine to suspend the horseshoe from the Tando Creative chipboard border which I coloured with Emerald Fantasy Prisme paint.  This chipboard is from Work of Parts Come Fly With Me kit.  She was hanging just from the twine but I realised that wouldn't work so I have used foam pads behind.  I've used a piece of brown wallpaper to back my panel.  Lovely texture.....

I have altered her a bit to make her cupcakes more lucky.  I think that was a strawberry on top but it looked enough like a heart that I stamped it lots, cut them out and made lucky four leaf clovers.  The butterfly was coloured with green Wink of Stella and then I added glossy accents.  It really brings out the sparkle.  The sentiment is a Crafty Individuals Stamp, distressed and coloured with DI Mowed Lawn and then mounted on a ribbon.  

 

Just a close up on the chipboard so you can see the detail and also the lovely effect of the Fantasy Prisme paint.  Like cracked enamel.  

My lucky lady is joining the fun at

The Greeting Farm FFF - Twine and Ribbon 

Tando Creative March Challenge - Brown, Green, Yellow 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Lucky
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge 94 - Shades of Green
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Mother's Day or Special Girl

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are all having a lucky day.  Hugs

Wing A Ding A Penguin

Hello.  Welcome.  Lots of endings today.  End of the week, hurrah the weekend!  End of February!!  Who stole that month?  Roll on March, roll on Spring.  Lots of challenges coming to an end.  Still a few hours to sneak in a little love.....

I took a Tando Creative Arabian style arch, covered it in texture paste and then added a gazillion layers of paint.  OK, maybe not a gazillion but lots.  I was going to take pictures but camera didn't like it, and err.. maybe I did forget now and again in my painty frenzy.  Anyway they were mostly fuzzy and who wants to look at fuzzy pictures without a glass of wine in hand??  Then I backed it with one of Crafty Individuals background papers from Travels in Italy. All papers used on this project are from various Crafty Individuals Background Papers Books. 

I added an ornate gate from Tando Creative painted with black, then gold acrylic.  My Crafty Individual Penguins were stamped and embossed.  I was going to add some colours but the Crafty Individuals paper was so pretty.  The flowers are all Cheery Lynn dies, Cuties 2, BAF #3 and the flourishes from Celtic Fire Oval Frame die.  All the pearls are from Storyteller.  

My passionate Penguin pair (say that three times fast!) are joining the fun at
Crafty Individuals Challenge - A Fine Romance
Tando Creative Challenges - Passion
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 121 - Flowers using Dies 
Storyteller Utfordring 10 - Bruk Dies Eller Diecuts 
7 Kids Challenge 94 - Anything Goes 

Thanks for your visit.  Have a great weekend.  Off to put my feet up and relax after a busy day.  Back soon. Hugs

Learn Something New Every Day

Good evening followers and friends.  A special hi to my most newest followers.  Our little band grows.  Thanks for all your support. 

I really believe that we should all try and do something new or learn something new every day.  It is so easy to fall into the same routine and not take the time to see things from a different angle or just try something new.  So I thought I would share with you a few of things I learnt today. 

Make your own mask from one of those dies you have.  It's fun and easy but make sure if you are going to use it with a 'wet' medium, and lets face it most of them are, then maybe you should consider something a bit more hardwearing than card.   

When spreading texture paste on your mask, a piece of card is not the best applicator due to the wet medium theory discussed above.  If like me you are very loyal I would suggest one of the store loyalty cards that are taking up too much space in the wallet/purse/pocket book.  Not your current credit card though cos you may need to be buying some more crafty goodies soon and the texture paste plays up the card reader something rotten. 

Smile when it goes right.  Smile when it goes wrong.  You might get wrinkles but they will be happy ones and whatever the outcome a smile restores the soul. 

OK, that's my little bit of wisdom for the evening, on to the craft.  I have been spending quite a lot of time over at PaperArtsy.  They have their birthday thing going on and a new post every evening this month and this week Carol Quance is back with some fun projects.  She has given some insight into the design process.  I usually don't know exactly where it's going until I get there, they say it's the journey not the destination, so it was quite nice to go through the steps of the design with Carol.  As she suggested I started with a stamped image.....

This is from PaperArtsy Bricks and Mortar SIBM4.  I coloured it with Butternut and Galaxy Markers. 

Then I assembled some more bits.  I am using the Tando Creative Home Sweet Home Plaque.  I decided to use Leandra's texture paste/stamp technique for the texture.  I made a mask with circles using a spellbinders die, added texture paste and stamped with small stamps from PaperArtsy LPC022, LPC001 and SM12
I wanted my plaque to be bright so picked reds/orange/yellow as my colours.  

Unfortunately I didn't have fresco paints in the right colours.  These I used didn't sand well over the texture areas so I cheated a bit and daubed on some white paint.  

The house is painted with PaperArtsy fresco paint Pansy then stamped with Hampton Arts I Love Thee stamp.  This was the biggest text stamp I had and I thought the lovey quotes were quite apt for my home sweet home plaque.  The roof bit has been painted, stamped, no don't like that, painted, doodled on, no don't like that, painted again in white.  I tried the Magic Roundabout mask from Crafty Individuals with more Pansy paint.  Me likey.  Then I decided to add iridescent glitter glue for a fab finish.  I use this quite a lot and never really know how it's going to turn out.  It looks different on different colours.  That is white and Pansy under there, honest guv'nor.  I used the same glitter glue on the polka dots on the house image and a birdie from Stampotiques Birdie Up has appeared at the window.  He's in the Limelight! 

The letters also got the I Love Thee stamp treatment with added glitter glue.  Love the texture made by stamping into the texture paste.  

This little project is joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Tando Creative Challenges - Feel the Heat
Stampotique Designers Challenge 112 - Polka Dots 
Crafty Individuals

Hope you are having a great week.  Thanks for dropping by and staying with me through this long waffley post.  

Happy 10th Birthday PaperArtsy

Good morning everyone.  So glad you decided to spend a little time with me.  I am a relative new comer to PaperArtsy, having only discovered them last year, but I love everything they do.  If you haven't discovered them you need to go here.  They are posting fun and inspirational projects on their blog every day this month as part of their 10 year birthday celebrations so check it out.  This week Sue Carrington has been wowing us with her fab projects and I have made a simple little arch inspired by her box frame post. 

I have used Tando Creative's Arabian Style Arch.  I really liked Sue's idea of an old wall.  I added some texture paste and then used Fresco Inky Pool and That Special Touch Bamboo mask for a brickish effect.  Then I painted Fresco Limelight over everything.  I went over the texture paste again with the Limelight to give a stronger colour and added some red highlights using Brilliance Rocket Red Gold.  Then I stamped using PaperArtsy Squiggly Ink SM12.  All these stamps are in this credit card sized set!  Glorious.

I painted the frame black and then stamped with the bubble stamp using the Limelight again.  I'm going to fix a hanger so this can go on the wall.

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great Sunday and don't forget to check out the PaperArtsy blog.  Lots of good things and excitement over there this month. 

The Ghost of Birdie Up

Hi followers and friends.  Just a quick post on this lovely Saturday evening.  I have been working on a little something for the Cheery Lynn Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.  Not much to start with there but luckily I had a delivery of some of their new dies a couple of days ago and it also fitted nicely with the Stampoutique Challenge of purple, orange and yellow.  So I got to thinking of Halloween, a favourite of mine, and since it was the brand new Spider Web Mesh Border that had landed in the mail box I thought yeah, why not, lets pimp a pumpkin.

I started with the large pumpkin carriage from Tando Creative

Here's my pimped up, or maybe that should be Blinged up version.  I painted the pumpkin orange and then used glitter glue all over and stuck on my Cheery Lynn Spider Web Mesh Border which I cut from purple glitter paper.  The top is green glitter paper, the wheels black glitter paper with a gold mirror center cut with Cheery Lynn's Dreamcatcher #2.  Goes nicely with the whole fairy tale look.  The spring is also gold mirror card.  Bling.

Inside the coach, well, I told them it was a masked ball so they all decided to come as ghosts.  Their masks leave a little to be desired but they are keen and eager to PARTY.  It's three birdies from Stampoutique's Birdie Up stamp.  The effect behind is PaperArtsy Limelight fresco paint on gold embossed rays.  Isn't that spider web fanatstic!

These guys are joining the party at
Cheery Lynn Designs - Anything Goes
Stampotique Designers Challenge 111 - Purple, Orange, Yellow

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great weekend everyone.  

This is Not a Tag

Hi Nomad followers and friends.  Hurrah, it's Friday.  Again.  Already.  And the last day of May.  Where does the time go.  Well it's a lovely here again today.  Warm but not too hot.  Well, not too hot for me but the rabbits are all lying around trying to be cool.  It's great fun in the evening when it cools off and then it's like wacky races in the rabbit garden.   It was lovely to sit outside and tangle the frame of this project I was working on for the blue, white, purple challenge over at Tando Creative Challenge Blog.  What a great colour combination and the DT have come up with some amazing inspiration.  

I have used three of the Tando Creative Karen Frames Gothic Arch which I painted with blue acrylic.  The images are PaperArtsy LPC001 stamped in DI Dusty Concord.  The background is DI Chipped Sapphire and the Tando Creative Distorted Harlequin mask onto white card.

I added some of the beaded ribbon trim from the haberdashery.  I had to go and buy some more of this before I left the UK because I liked it so much.  Then I finished with a dark blue frame with I tangled using a blue American Crafts Galaxy Marker.  I haven't done any tangles for a while and it was lovely sitting outside working with this pattern.  Very relaxing.

Joining in the fun at
Tando Creative Challenges - Purple, Blue and White
Simon Says Stamps - Anything Goes

Have a great day everyone and thanks for dropping by.

Awake Sweet Spring

Good evening blogland.  Hope everyone had a great weekend.  It's holding sunny and cold here.  I really think Spring has taken a wrong turn.  Lots of challenges are looking for a spring theme and I had this beautiful stamp from Sweet Pea Stamps that made me think that's how Spring would look asleep and maybe the butterflies are trying to wake her. 

I started with Tando Creative Arabian Styled Arch Frame.  I just wanted to use one of the arch pieces and cut a card to match the shape.  I painted the arch with white acrylic and then added some Distress Ink Dusty Concord to it and the card.  Then I embossed the card with Sizzix Thickets embossing folder and highlighted the raised image with Brilliance Rocket Red Gold and Galaxy Gold. 

This photo was taken at a slightly different angle and shows the shimmer really well.  

I stamped the image, Rachel Anderson's Sunset stamp, on white card and then added some Dusty Concord, spritzed with water and blotted it with a paper towel.  This gave a lovely aged mottled effect.  I fussy cut the image.  I stamped on the arch with a flower stamp from Crafty Individuals CI-293 Floral Circle set and Dusty Concord.  I backed the arch with a piece of lace and added some paper roses and a fabric flower with pearls.  I added some butterflies die cut from card I made using alcohol inks.  I used the smallest die from Cheery Lynn's Mini Dimensional Butterflies. 

Here's a close up of the sleepy Spring and the butterflies.  I hope they wake her soon!  

Entering this for the following challenges
Tando Creative Challenges - Flowers 
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge - Think Spring
Kortgleder Marsutfordring - Var
It's All About The Vintage - Think of Spring with Lace
Simon Says Stamps - Easter/Spring

I'd like to thank Holley for sending me this lovely stamp after her month of celebration in February.   

Hope you all have a wonderful week.  Thanks for dropping by.  Take care and I hope Spring is with us all soon.