lavinia stamps challenge #9: add some ribbon

I'm really pleased that you can see the sparkle on this tag :)  It's starburst stains sprayed over a gelli print made using paint.

This month's Lavinia Stamps challenge is to 'add some ribbon'.  I added mine to my tag but as my sewing machine is still at the shop after being serviced I used my embellisher to give a textured effect to the ribbons and lace.

I used fine white detail embossing powder on the main images, and used some Stampendous chunky white embossing powder to add some background texture ... love that stuff!!!

The StampMan Challenge # 15 Oriental

I love to challenge myself, and this theme did just that!  I rarely work to an 'oriental' theme, despite owning a few suitable stamps, but just LoVe the way this card turned out.

I made some red and gold paper using starburst stains and some plain copier paper then made a little folded pocket for the front of the card.  I wanted to include some origami in my piece.  The tiny book inside doesn't contain a message yet, that will be added when I send the card as this could be for a birthday, get well or just to say hello!  My good friend Sue (who swanned off to CHA this week ;)  gave me the japanese text a while back so thanks Sue :)  And enjoy CHA; I'm looking forward to your blog posts :)

Head on over to The StampMan Challenge blog to see more ideas for this theme, and to join us with this challenge :)  Happy Crafting!

PDCC63 I suffer from Attention Deficit Oooooh Shiny!

"In England's* green and pleasant land" [Blake 1804] coming across waterfalls or tiny streams is one of my very favourite things whilst out walking.  I love the movement of the water as it falls, the fresh greenery surrounding it, and best of all, the wonderful sound it makes. 

This photograph brought all this to mind for me, and also suggested the unusual colour combination of gold and silver, which I NeVeR put together. 

But I have to say, I just LoVe how it turned out on my journal page!  In fact, when I'd finished it, it evoked an almost audible "ooooooooooo".

I will explain.  You may have noticed that when you are with friends and admire another's work or see something gorgeous in a shop (especially if you are in a stamp shop when the owner opens a recently arrived box of goodies) you will all, simultaneously, say "oooooooooooooo" in wonderment.  This always, always, always makes me think of the aliens in toy story...

Not that I am in any way suggesting we are all aliens lol!

I decided to do a journal page for this week's challenge as I've never used metallics on a journal page, and I'm not sure it would ever have occurred to me to use embossing powder on my pages!  I'd already decided I'd tackle the silver/gold combo by using silver and white in the background and adding a 'something' in green and gold.  I like green and gold.  I like silver and white.  I do not usually like silver and gold together.

I do now though!!!  I had great fun playing with my metallics Mica Watercolour Palette and my embossing powders.  I also incorporated some paper I'd made at The StampMan using Starburst Stains.  In fact, I'm dedicating this to my crafty, StampMan DT colleague Vixykins as she invited me to be part of the facebook group 

I suffer from A.D.O.S - Attention Deficit Oooooh Shiny

There are lots more shiny projects to be inspired by over at The Play Date Cafe, so don't forget to check out what our other designers made :)

decorate a tag with The Stampman Challenge#12

I'm still in Christmas mode at my making table, I don't give up on snowflakes that easily, and I'm a bit of a last minuter so still have cards and gifts to make before the big day :)  Of Tim's tags my favourite was day 9; I just loved that colour combo so decided to use something similar for mine.

[apologies for the shadows, the sun was out when I took these!]

I stamped this gorgeous Big Snowflake from Hero Arts [on offer now over at The Stampman!] with white acrylic paint, then used Starburst Stains and my Mica Paint palette to add a shimmery, watercolour background.

Moonglow embossing powder around the edge of the tag adds some more dimension.  I used the same powder to stamp and emboss the snowflake on some dark brown card followed by lots of fussy cutting!  That's only one snowflake on there so not too much cutting out.

Check out the rest of The StampMan DT tags

HERE

and don't forget to make and add yours :)

I just wanted to say THaNK You to my new followers - there's something so nice about crossing the 200 boundary of followers - I truly, truly appreciate it!

On a different note entirely - anyone had side effects from a Ventolin inhaler?  I've had the flu this week (swine or not we neither know or care, it was just nasty!) and I've been left with an annoying cough.  The doctor gave me an inhaler yesterday which worked wonders, but then I couldn't get to sleep and have been jittery ever since.  Aaaaagh, I just need to be well to get on with stuff!!!

Sorry, thanks for listening ;)

EDIT:  It's snowing :) :) :)

the stampman challenges you to...

make something Christmassy

with just

three colours

I'm in my colour comfort zone at the minute of blues and greens, and added a versamark 'vanilla' to my colour choice.  That last colour (neutral technically but hey!!) was a bit serendipitous, it was the easiest pad to get to and I just love how effective it is on the white card :)

I just LoVe that 'Fabulous Flourish' by Hero Arts, it's so, so versatile, and an exquisite image! 

I cut out my star using my friend's Sizzix die, but a punch or similar die would work just as well.  I distress inked it, and layered it over my moonglow paper made HERE.  Making batches of paper with Starburst Stains keeps the messy task separate from the card making and makes for a very clean card making process :)  There is a smidgeon of sequin waste (punchenella) sewn behind the star, along with a snippet of organza ribbon.

We're on Challenge #11 this week over at The StampMan.  Head over to the challenge site for some gorgeous inspiration from the design team, which includes

Michelle

Debbie

Jill

Frankie

Janet

Brenda

Lisa

Sue

Kay

Vix

then link up your own project so we can come and take a look at your work!!!  Have fun :)

glowing like the moon at The StampMan

Or maybe that post title should be 'shining like a star' as my hands were certainly very shiny after playing with Starburst Stains at The StampMan today lol!  I've had a set of these for a while now so when I got the opportunity to spend the day with one of the Queens of stardust (well, at least two really!)  I jumped at the chance.

 The transformation of the powder (left) to ink (right) can be quite dramatic.

[Of course the most dramatic colour is the one I did before taking photos!!!]  These inks come in powder form then you top them up with hot tap water, stir and leave to stand.

Then you watch the lovely Vix paint one colour of ink onto a sheet of paper [action shot there of Vix shaking the jar of blue as the mica settles at the bottom after a while]...

... add drops of a couple of other colours, before folding the paper in half and scrunching it into a ball...

...which transforms it into this FaBuLouS piece of paper :)  SHiNY :)

You can make a paler piece by putting clean water onto the paper first instead of a colour stain.  I had a wonderful play with this technique and ended up with very blue hands, which Jill took photos of so I'm keeping an eye on her blog lol.

I then had a play in my journal, spraying one of the stains then stamping with paint dabbers before adding punched snowflakes and one of the images from the Butterfly Beauties plate.

Turning this butterfly beauty into a winter one was inspired by a card Vix had made [ok, ok, I nicked the idea off her, but with permission :)]  When I find my small snowflake punch I'm going to add more snowflakes to her hair!!  

The StampMan shop is always crammed with beautiful samples, so I took these photos with Julie in mind, as she'd have loved to have come and played!  Apologies to the other lovely ladies who were demoing, I didn't take any pics as I was distracted by my new inks, but you can find Michelle here and Jill B here.

funky flowers on an icy morning

I love frosty mornings.  And it was so nice to have our first proper frost on the today, it makes it feel like Christmas really is just around the corner!

Over on The Stampman blog, Jill is giving away some Christmas blog candy, and as a winner you can pick one of these fabulous stamp sets by Kay Carley:

Daisies are one of my favourite flowers in crafting so I got out my sewing maching last week, along with my cuttlebug, and had a great time making these cards using the funky flowers stamp set...

I stamped a LOT of flowers out on a piece of white card and then sat, cutting them out, whilst in the cafe whilst George climbed at the climbing centre.  That meant I could play about with layering them, and making a background piece.

 

The turquoise piece hiding away there is some starburst stain paper Jill gave me at the Port Sunlight show.  I love detail white embossing powder and got it out to make the next background...

The word is from the fancy flourishes sheet.

All my cards used to lean towards being very plain with central images and it wasn't until I made this one that I realised it's been ages since I made cards like that!  Don't you just love the swiss dots EF?!!