March - 12 Tags of 2012 - nearly missed it!

Ooh! I just realised I hadn't posted this! Here is my entry for March, 12 Tags of 2012. I had such fun making it. I didn't have the red tape or the butterflies, but another brand worked and I was able to emboss onto it just fine and I used my beloved dress form die. Tim Holtz really does have the best ideas! The jumbo tag was cut from Graphic 45 Steampunk Débutante paper.

I cut a real label from a pair of jeans (waste not want not!) that were waiting to go to the charity shop to make the base of the trolley and added 2 wheels made from Tim Holtz Cotton Reels stamped onto Coredinations card. I cut up a label to make the push/pull handle. When I was little I had one of these... It had a dog on it... makes me smile to think of it

Here is the link to look at all the amazing tags:March - 12 Tags of 2012

Stampotique Spring, Spring Card!

I love, love, love Stampotique Stamps! Alas, due t'credit crunch the only one I own is a gorgeous little star, but, muchly inspired by a post on Jo Capper-Sandons blog (who also designed the cool star that came free with my beloved Craft Stamper Magazine) I was determined to join in with the Spring is Sprung Designer Challenge armed with my one stamp.

I kept this card  simple (quite easy when you've only got one stamp!) but  tried to create a quirky effect in keeping with Stampotique's distinctive  aesthetic.

I used the stamp as a mask and created a background with a mix of Green and Gold Perfect Pearls and Vintage Photo Distress Reinker shaken (not stirred!) and sprayed with a Mini Mister. To create my flower, I stamped the image several times on scraps of Graphic 45 teeny weeny clocks paper left over from my entry for the Gingersnaps Challenge, then covered them  with Glossy Accents. I let it dry partly and then 'chased' away some of the Glossy Accents by spraying really hard with the Mini Mister mix.

I took the  Spring out of an old biro to make the stem. Liked that... Lots!

The photo shows the  tiny little clocks on it

I  fastened the layers together with a Tim Holtz brad and finished it off with a word tag for a pot. I thought 'simplify' made a good sentiment for Springtime.

I've decided that the card looks a bit like Spring on another planet, but that's just fine with me, quite Stampotique really!

I am entering this for the Stampotique Designers Challenge - Spring is Sprung

Springtime Tag

It is very lovely weather down in Southern England... so here is a Springtime Tag... I think it has a slightly surreal vintage feel to it. I chose to use lots of coppery, gingery colours and to try things in different ways, especially my cotton reel flowers. The tag is made from the back of my Graphic 45 pad (Olde Curiosity Shoppe Collection) The Green paper is also Graphic 45. The other backing paper I made by spritzing Distress Reinker and Perfect Pearls in a Mini Mister and stamping and embossing my gorgeous Rogue Redhead Design Script Stamp in copper

I stamped and embossed a large Basic Grey clump of flowers and added some trimmed down  stamped and embossed Tim Holtz cotton reels to create my big flowers . The butterflies were cut from a Graphic 45 pad. I added a little Spiced Marmalade Distress Stickles. The Tim Holtz dress form was stamped and embossed in copper. 

And now my little bits of good news, I was so proud to be selected as the winner of the Bingo Challenge at Our Creative Corner - this has given me a much needed boost after battling this awful bout of bronchitis for so long and I am delighted to have proudly added my blinkie to my side bar.

Also, I was featured on the lovely Rogue Redhead Designs blog on March 14th  - in their Rogues on the Run design feature. Alas, I am tardy in saying Thank You so much to Sharon - Thank you. With a little help from my friends (you know who you are) I have also managed to put that blinkie proudly on my side bar too. So, in my head (my ribs still ache) I am most certainly doing the Happy Dance, even if I am not yet able to Futterwacken with the best of them! The Mad Hatters dance from Alice in Wonderland in case you are wondering LOL

I am entering this in the Copper, Ginger or Rust Challenge @ GingersnapCreations and would really like to wish them luck in their new  ventures

I am also entering this into Simon Says Stamp and Show a Tag

This week also heralds the start of a new challenge blog and I would like to wish Frilly and Funkie the very best of luck. the DT projects are glorious and I am looking forward to joining in regularly, I think I lean towards being a 'funkie' but hope to get my frills out too!!Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog - favourite vintage style

Lastly, I am entering this into the Spring Challenge at: Fashionable Stamping Challenges A site I love to visit and with an extremely inspiring selection of DT projects

My 14 Year Old Daughters Art - Created Entirely by Hand!

My daughter created this collage by hand, piece by piece by piece - it's A3 sized and she used an old photo as inspiration.... patience runs in our family! Her attention to detail is amazing, for example, each part of the hair is torn from 'hair' pictures in  magazines. I love it!

Me aged 4, by Me aged 14

Spring - Vintage Tim Holtz Bunny Tag/Card

Just a cute little vintage tag made out of bits and pieces and to be used as a Easter Card

Stamped and embossed  ATC background -  Alas though,  most of it got covered up by the cute little Tim Holtz bunny! The bunny was highlighted using Glossy Accents and Rock Candy Stickles.

The background tag was left over from the 12 days of Christmas - ghost stamped, embossed and crackled

I messed around with different backgrounds, unfortunately, this one makes my last addition, the tassel fringe look as long as the tag itself - which tisn't!

I am entering this into the Tag Challenge at Simon Says Stamp and show
and the Spring challenge at  Fashionable Stamping Challenges
and the Easter challenge at Bloggers Challenge

Not All Who Wander Are Lost! Imaginary Travel Break

Yesterday I got a parcel in the post. In it was this awesome tag made by my friend Anita,  she sent me a stunning Graphic 45 pad - which made me so so happy. Check out her amazing work here: Anita

I loved this and was inspired by the beautiful colours in it and also by another friend Sue who makes the fabbiest journal pages to make this funky girlie.... you can check her gorgeous work out here:  Sue

I used  Dyan Reaveley stamps for the very first time, they are were so fun to play with! I used some felted wool to make the hair. I coloured everything in using Sakura and Copic Glitter pens. It is Soooh glittery in real life... I got a close up of Petunia's glasses to show you

Glittery huh?

Love that hair! Really happy with the way it turned out. Apart from the fact my hair was dark red and wild, This could pretty much have been me in the 80's!

I put them all together as a kind of journal page - check out that background - It was from the Brighton  Festival brochure in 2009 and used carved rulers - how very cool!

Then, I saw the latest challenge on Our Creative Corner -  Spring Break - Travel So, as I haven't been well, and am not actually travelling anywhere, I allowed myself the liberty of creating an imaginary break by creating a collage of images from 2 of my favourite places... London and New York.

Petunia got out her best Flying Piggy Handbag for the trip as she was so excited (Graphic 45 you outdid yourselves xx) I liked the contrast between her vibrant colours and the Black and White background

I am also entering this for the Travel Challenge at the Artistic Stamper

and Bling, Glitter and Sparkle at  craft-roomchallenge

Note: this is probably the brightest thing I've ever made! - normally I stick to muted (or dare I say - murky) colours and vintage - what next? Journalling? Brights? Good Grief! 

Be Lucky!

A greetings card inspired by Anita Houston's challenge over at Our Creative Corner, created using a stamped and embossed Tim Holtz Bingo card, a Stampers Anonymous Butterfly and beautiful Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper. I stained the pen nib with Lettuce alcohol ink.

I am entering this for the following challenges:
Our Creative Corner: Luck of the Irish
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
Scrappers Delight Papercraft Challenge, Luck of the Irish
Daring cardmakers Challenge, luck and green

Apologies - I do not know which company made this paper - I got it in a mixed batch from Ebay

Stamped and embossed butterfly, nib coloured with lettuce alcohol  ink

Mothers Day - First post for a month! Poorly!

Happy Mothers Day everyone! It has been a long time since I posted anything, my Mojo has been well and truly lacking due to the fact that what started as a bad cold and cough has mutated into a truly awful bout of bronchitis and I am still a very poorly bunny. I've been a lousy blogger - sorry for my lack of comments lately. but I've hurt my ribs badly on the left hand side and I am left handed so not crafting or going online much Today, I wanted to post the amazing Mothers Day card my gorgeous daughter created for me. It's a gorgeous collage of things she sees as representing me - from my star sign Aries to my favourite make of posh paint! It's all in there, the buttons represent my love of craft, the cakes, my love of cooking, my favourite band, a little Degas to show my love of art, the Nando's logo, even my favourite brands of make up and perfume. It took her several evenings hidden away from me with a large pile of Vogue magazines to find all the right images and to create this gem.

I felt so lucky when she gave me this - there was also a fantastic poem inside written just for me - lovely!