Gold, lots of Gold... and then some, with bells on!

A better piccie - the other one is too dark

I'd never made anything using a great deal of gold. Well, I have  now. Tonight I used the lid of my embossing powder, pushed it in the stamp pad and embossed circles on the tag - it was really good fun! I used several different shades of gold embossing powders. The little hearts at the bottom used a variety of effects learnt during the 12 Tags of Christmas and were cut out freehand. I had so much fun making this!

I am entering this card into the 'Gold' challenge at Sunday Stamper - after the goldrushand also the blogger challenge 'Wings and Things:http://www.lisasomerville.com/2012/01/wingsandthings-bloggers-challenge.html
and the Fashionable Stamp Challenge at http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/?p=2104
and the Anything Goes challenge at anything goes http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-58-anything-goes-at-anything.html

Red Letter Day

An Interesting life!

This is the first time I have created a larger project using some of the techniques that I learnt during the 12 Tags of Christmas and I was really pleased with the results though the photo's have not picked up all of the details too well. I used the triple embossing techniques from Day 8 as well as the water splatting technique.

Creating the background -Tempus Fugit!

I cut a tag from a 12x12 sheet and then, stamped and embossed Tim Holtz clocks. onto the paper and stamped 'Tempus Fugit (time flies) too.

My Favourite Hampton Arts Stamp circa 2001

I stamped my wistful lady using Rich Cocoa Momento Ink. and painted  the lips and eyes with Worn Lipstick and Broken China Distress Ink, which were then covered in clear embossing powder and heat set. I covered the whole image in Clear Distress Embossing Ink and  embossing powder and embossed a second time. I repeated this process again,  this time,,, tapping hard to remove the the excess powder into a bin prior to embossing. I used a blending tool  and Vintage Photo distress ink and worked it  in a circular motion (quite hard) over the whole image. The Distress ink seeps into any gaps - Neat  huh? Here is a link to HRH T!m's instructions for this great technique...  12 tags of Christmas  The eyes and lips are more raised than the background image, which looks really cool.

and I shall call him... Bert!

I stamped the Tim Holtz gentleman  (who I shall call Bert) and then triple embossed him as well, this time making lots of cracks in the glaze by gently bending it - great fun! - this could be the new bubble wrap for me! I dropped a few dots of  the  distress inks I had out onto this image between the embossing stages. I repeated the process on the Hot Air Balloon  and also embossed the Portabello Road Postcards and The Tim Holtz Eiffel Tower image.

Red Letter Day - or Letters Wrapped in Blue?
I spent a while arranging the elements until they told the tale of the lady in a way that I think she would have liked! I am entering this into several challenges: including Grungy Monday Challenge 32 and the Red Letter Challenge at Simon Says Stamp and show http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2012/01/simon-says-stamp-and-show-red-letter.htmland Sunday Stampers and http://theartisticstamper.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-bonanza-card-candy.html

I'm feeling like Bambi in Blogland!

Something old - Something new

Note added 10th January 2012, a few people have been asking me about this stamp, it is a striking image isn't it?
It is a Hampton Art Stamp called Large Face Frame. It's number is 2234. It is quite old, it says 2001 on the stamp. I remember there was a smaller face too! I hope this helps :)

   I've been bouncing about like ' Bambi in Blogland!' - or, having just been out and about and seeing  the grumpy faces on many of the shoppers on Western Road, possibly  'a Tigger in a sea of Eyeore's!'...Why?...
 
 Well, 2 good people whose blogs I visit daily, won, in Sir Tim of Holtz's amazing 12 Tags of Christmas awards - they are both great bloggers whose generous comments have encouraged my own fledgling blog  -  and I was so happy and proud for them. Do drop by and give Sue and Anita  a wave!

http://theartfulmaven.blogspot.com/                             http://sue-thislife.blogspot.com/

   In the midst of all that excitement (happy emails wending their way back and forth across the pond) I checked updated posts from the blogs I follow and comments on my own site and found to my joy and amazement  the winner of a very gorgeous item  - a vintage crafting CD on a beautiful vintage blog was... ME! Huge excited, happy thank you to Julie.  (Oooh, the very word 'vintage' sends a thrill up my spine) this is the loveliest site (and there is a very cool sister site too) so, when you get back from Sue and Anita's, why not drop by?

http://avintagechic.blogspot.com/

  I made the  card at the top of this post to give to a neighbour who moved over the New Year. I managed to use up old stash (card, Papermania elements, stamp) and a new, New Years Stamp I got free in a magazine - so I am entering this card into the:- Simon Says Stamp and Show ... Something Old ... Something New  Challenge. http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ and the  http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/?cat=12

I then used up more old and new scraps (another free stamp, this one from my beloved Craft Stamper magazine)  some  brads I found in a remainder bin pre Christmas and a Sizzix page die to make this  book. After crafting in all the bright colours over Christmas, it was good to use a starker colour scheme.