PDCC#41 - brick red, yellow ochre, off white!

I love the photo Julie chose for this week's colour challenge from The Play Date Cafe,  but I did exclaim 'yikes Julie!' when I saw the colours she picked out.

If colours are a bit daunting, it's always worth remembering that you can put two of the colours together, then just add the third as an accent.  This is how I was reassuring myself when the Graphic 45 Communique tags caught my eye!

I don't buy many papers, but these really called to me as I loved the vintage typewriter images.  If anyone knows a good set of stamps with typewriters on I'd love to know (the Cavalinni one is a bit small).

My old text papers are naturally off white, and I had the yellow ochre paint out for another project, and there was the brick red on the papers :)  One of those cards that came together very quickly :)

This is a scheduled post as I'm away on my holidays so please forgive me for not visiting you back when you leave a comment.  I'll catch up when I'm home so I'd still love to hear from you :)  Don't forget to visit the rest of the DTs blogs and see what exciting things they've done with these colours.

Julie Ranae

Suzanne Czosek

Stephanie Kraft
Savannah O'Gwynn
Lisa Somerville
Ruby 2 Shoes

USAQ DT project #4 - playing with Mica flakes

This idea has been hanging around in my head for some time, and the magnificent tin of mica flakes that I received from Susan Pickering-Rothamel and USArtQuest was the catalyst to getting it made.

The Mica Flakes kit contains: "16 Colours of Mica Flake in 3 gram jars. Colours include: Gold Flake Medium & Large, Silver Medium & Large, Mother of Pearl, Essence of Pearl, Copper, Graphite, Antique Bronze, Sparkling Champagne, Amethyst, Cinnabar, Lapis, Turquoise, Gold Dust, and Apricot. Plus, 1 - 1oz Perfect Paper Adhesive - Gloss, 2 Little Dippers, 1 Detail Paint Brush, Complete Directions and a cool reusable tin."

 I started with a mica tile and cut it to fit inside my 

pocket watch casing.  When you have little snippets of

mica tile left, you can crumble it to make additional flakes :)

I put the mica tile through the cuttlebug using the new 

cogs folder.

Despite the photograph, this was a black StazOn pad

that I rubbed over the top of the mica tile.

Using some of the images I cut out on the train :) [see

my WOWW post here], I created a collage on the mica

tile, attaching the images with PPAGloss.

I then added some tiny watch parts and graphite mica

flakes around the edge of the mica tile.

I placed the tile inside the pocket watch, turned it over,

and after adding some more collage, and watch bits, filled

it with very thick clear embossing powder.

Then added some larger mica flakes around the outer edge.

Don't forget to head on over to the rest of the DT members' blogs, and the USAQ blog to see what other yumminess has been produced with this Mica Flakes kit :)

Suzi Blu

Lea Cioci

Jessica Griffin

Jan Henning

Terri Sproul

Connie Vogt

USArtQuest blog

USArtQuest products are distributed in the UK by Woodware and can quickly be ordered via your local craft store; or ask Jill at The StampMan, Paddy at Paddy's Stamping Place, Wendy at The Stamp Attic, Glenda at Graphicus or Carol at The Cubby Hole to get hold of some for you :)

off on my hols

I'm away on my holidays from 2nd - 16th August 2010 but have scheduled my DT posts.  Please forgive me though for not coming to visit you on your blogs.

journal workshop

I've had a wonderful day today.  I taught my steampunk journal at Paddy's and thoroughly enjoyed myself :)  

And got to meet a blogfriend IRL!  Sarah A and I met over at The Play Date Cafe and it turns out that she doesn't live that far away, and was able to make it to the workshop today :)

As usual I was pretty rubbish at remembering to take photos.  We had a fabulous time with walnut ink, various autumn colour inks by Sticky Fingers, and Distress Inks.  Everyone had to restrain themselves from cuttlebugging too many of their pages!   The ruler and the cogs were particular favourites.

We had a very special treat at lunchtime.  Sue and Cynthia, like the good students they are, have been off journalling.  They've taken Dina Wakley's online graffiti class, and combined it with some ideas from my journalling classes and come up with some regular prompts to use on their pages.  

I love Cynthia's money tree!  And should have got a photo of Sue's word collage on a hand shape.  I'm off on my hols on Monday - two weeks camping on the Isle of Wight.  I'm scheduling some posts but please forgive me for not visiting your blogs for a while.

it's colour splash time again at the Play Date Cafe #40

And this time our additional splash of colour is GREEN!  We've not ventured around to this side of the colour wheel in colour splash before, and when I went hunting for an inspirational photo, I fell in love with this image!

How gorgeous is that fabric?  So your challenge this week is to make a black and white piece (be it a card, ATC, canvas, journal page, scrapbook layout....) with just a splash of green.

We're sponsored this week by Memory Box who make some stunning stamps.  Every member of the design team were thrilled to receive two butterfly images.

I layered papers, and stitched around them, adding detail to the word 'inspire' by stamping it in green.  I used the small butterfly image inside, which co-ordinated beautifully with the flock paper I found in my stash.

The 'Inspire butterfly collage' has incredibly tiny text in the background (I LoVe text!) so I tore a rectangle to layer under the small butterfly inside the card.

Have fun with this week's challenge, and don't forget to check out all the wonderful inspiration, and this week's prize, over on the Play Date Cafe blog :)

EDIT: This week's prize is the two stamps I've used here.  They don't appear to be available in the UK so head on over to the caff to have a go at winning them :)

WOYWW

I'm on my way to London today, very early, for a meeting so I've stamped up some images to sit and cut out on the train :)  I'm in love with theses cogs and gears from Jennie's time series.  You'll find them over on the Artistic Stamper.

I'll also be playing with my new smartphone - hee, hee, hee :)

the world of steampunk

According to Wikipedia, "Steampunk is

a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era Britain — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. "

I love the feel of books in my hand, and would love the look of notebooks containing spidery handwriting.  I love butterflies, and ferns, cogs and gears and shiny things.  

So the story behind my steampunk journal is based on the idea that I'm on an expedition on an unknown island, deep in the heart of the Victorian era. [of course I'm also stunning looking, fearless, and don't need to wear contacts lol, but that's by the by]

I come across some butterflies that appear to have been modified to contain steam engine like workings.   But how can that be?  This is an island untouched by humans.

Of course, this story reflects my love of butterflies, but your steampunk journal might delve under the sea, or focus on a journey in a hot air balloon.  If you'd like to join me in creating this journal from paper and an old book, in colouring pages and adding tabs, pockets, and tags in addition to the other main images, I'll be teaching at 

Paddy's Stamping Place

Prestwich, Manchester

Friday 30th and Saturday 31st July 2010

0161 798 5115

Oh WOW!  The postman interrupted this post by bringing me all this yumminess!

How perfect is this parcel, which I've yet to confirm is from the wonderful Wendy at The Stamp Attic, but I spied OX12 on the parcel, and it looks like her handwriting.  Methinks she knows me too well.  But how about this for perfect timing - I didn't want modern paperclips in my steampunk journal but hair pins - they're perfect!!

And look at all this steampunk yumminess :)  Won on ebay on Sunday, arrived this morning :) 

EDIT: just remembered my blog giveaway, and using random generator picked out
 

Elaine, of 'Waves of Creativity', is the winner of the little house, a mica tile, and some little bits n bobs.  Contact me with your address Elaine and I'll get your prize out to you :)