HELLO/HI

I decided to have a go at a stepper card to showcase the Secretary Pool plate from Artistic Outpost.

I also wanted to try a different colour palette which was determined by some old BasicGrey papers I had in my collection and I'm loving the pale lemon and grey colour combination.

I used the alphabet background stamp from the set to stamp HELLO which I then cut out and added to the edge of the card.  I also added the alphabet background in its entirety to the back section along with the pencil images which were stamped with Archival Ink onto the lemon card stock.

I then added the typewriter, telephone and background stamp to the front of my card along with a couple of coordinated paperclips and words from the Chitchat stickers.

To complete I added the stamped pencil images randomly around my card before adhering all my pieces to complete the design.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Tracy x x

Life Is Art

This month's DT stamp set is the fabulous ART SAYINGS A5 plate by Sam Poole from Creative Expressions, a fabulous set with so many useful sentiments.

I decided to create a huge industrial steampunk tag using images from Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Steampunk Art stamp set.

My background is decorated with metal foil tape using Tim's Riveted Patchwork technique from the Compendium of Curiosities Volume ll, giving a wonderful industrial feel to my tag. Inspire and Create is from the wonderful Art Sayings stamp set perfect for this piece along with the other arty sentiments I have used from the set.  I have also added a light bulb for added dimension and interest.

My images have been stamped with black Archival Ink and coloured with vintage photo Distress Ink. Another couple of sentiments from the Art Sayings set along with a few gears cut using the mini gears die adding a game spinner for further interest.

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, much appreciated. Tracy x x

One For The Guys

ONE FOR THE GUYS for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge, a real treat for me as it allowed me to go back to my grungy roots and earthy tones, back to my comfort zone.

A new purchase in the form of Tim's BIRDMAN inspired my quirky decorated canvas panel. A real masculine treat decorated with masking tape and more stamped images from the Scratched Raven Bird, Kaiser Bird Cage, Kaiser Graffiti and Kaiser Numbers.

Before any decoration I covered my canvas in torn pieces of masking tape in a random fashion and spritzed with lettuce Color Wash. I love how there are lighter and darker patches and the edges of the masking tape are darker, adding so much interest to the background.

I pulled apart a metal tin and coloured the outside edges with lettuce Alcohol Ink to blend with my background. I then cut a piece of card to fit my tin and stamped the Scratched Raven Bird (which I love and will be perfect for my Halloween creations) with black Archival Ink, adding the Kaiser Numbers to the outside edges. The decorated piece was then coloured with Distress Ink peeled paint. I punched two holes to the left hand side of the card and added some rusty wire to add to that grungy feel. "SOAR" is part of a sentiment from the Artistic Outpost Quote and Quotables plate.

I stamped the Scratched Raven Bird once again directly to the board with Archival Ink and added white highlights with a gel pen. I also added the complete sentiment from the Quote and Quotables plate along with some mini gears sprockets for added dimension.

I stamped the fabulous Kaiser Bird Cage (this is going to be a favourite of mine!) onto white card with Archival Ink and coloured with Distress Ink peeled paint adding a bird from the Adornments metal charms, coloured with ginger Alcohol Ink, tied with some natural twine. For further interest I also added a large wing from the Regal Adornments again coloured with Alcohol Ink.

The other half of my tin has been added to the bottom corner of my canvas panel, decorated with the wonderful Birdman, again adding the Kaiser Numbers to the outside edge and colouring with Distress Ink peeled paint.  I then spritzed with water to add a little more interest to the background.  The edges have been sponged with walnut stain Distress Ink. More rusty wire has been added down the centre of the panel. The Kaiser Graffiti has been stamped randomly on the background of my panel adding white highlights with a gel pen.

I drilled a hole through my tin and added a Clock Key to the top of the Birdman image. You can also see from this angle the great texture and variation of colour the masking tape gives.

To add further to the masculine feel I added a Faucet Knob to the top corner.

For more great ideas please pop over to the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog and take a look at my fellow team members they have created some inspirational projects. Remember there is also the chance to win a $50 prize from Simon Says Stamp.  I always look forward to seeing your creations each week.

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, much appreciated.  Enjoy your week. Tracy x x  

FLY

Time for my take on Day 9 of the Creative Chemistry course and this week I am showcasing the Perfect Distress Mist Technique. All products are available from The Stamp Attic.

This is my background before I added any images/embellishments.  I have used Reinkers and Perfect Pearls to create the background along with a little Distress Ink.

Of course in true Tracy style I could not leave my tag blank so I proceeded to decorate beginning with a little embossing in the background using the Honeycomb Texture Fade, adding a little walnut stain Distress Ink over the raised areas.

I added the bird and branch cut using the Bird Branch die and colouring with Distress Inks adding a little crown for dimension from the Adornments Charms.

For added interest I cut two hearts using the Mini Hearts set, again colouring in the same way as with the background of my tag and embossing with the Honeycomb Texture Fade. I added FLY to Memo Pins for further interest. I also cut two strips using the Vintage Lace strip die coloured with broken china Distress Ink.

I also added the same trim to the top of my tag along with a Gem Clip which I coloured with Alcohol Ink to tone with my background. To complete I added some Trimmings Lavish again coloured in the same way as my tag.

Thanks for stopping by, Tracy x x

A Touch Of Colour

Just a quick post from me today as I am working hard in the garden but I wanted to pop by with my weekly post for 100 Proof Press using the Long Tower Row stamp, along with a little colour inspiration from The Play Date Cafe.

I decided on black and white with just touches of colour from The Play Date Cafe colour inspiration.

I stamped the Long Tower Row 8 times and cut down a little from each side to create a 3dimensional tier effect to my buildings, very time consuming but well worth the effort as the dimension is fabulous.

From this angle you can see all my layers perfectly.  I then punched three squares from white card and added part of the images to each square and added to the bottom of my card.

Inspire, Imagine and Create are from Tim's Chitchat stickers.  To add a little more interest I coloured a few of my buildings with Distress Markers to match the colour story from The Play Date Cafe.

I would also like to enter my piece into the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Time for me to head back into the garden, so many jobs to do and not enough time to do them in lol!  Tracy x x

Happy Bird Day

I've been using the Umount Birds A5 Stamp Plate to create my two cards this week for Creative Expressions.

My background was created using Distress Inks weathered wood, broken china and chipped sapphire. I then cut a circular aperture from paper and used a water brush to remove the colour.

I used the small leaf to create my vines and added the two bird houses and bird on a branch using a water brush to remove some of the ink to give white highlights. To complete I added Happy Bird Day to the bottom of my card.

Whilst my inks were out I decided to create a second card, this time masking my card to just leave a strip in the centre which I then sponged with Distress Inks and spritzed with water. I then stamped my birds with black Archival Ink and added the vine to one side.

I cut two hearts from white card using the mini hearts set, sponged with Distress Ink and spritzed with water to coordinate with my background. I also added a button which also has bird images printed on along with some natural twine. For added dimension I also added wings from Tim's Adornments Charms along with BIRD using some small wooden letters.

Thanks for stopping by, Tracy x x

POPPY

For my Artistic Outpost creation this week I have used the Flower Market Plate along with the Secretary Pool plate to create the POPPY text at the top of my card.

My background has been sponged with Distress Ink and the edges distressed a little with a paper distresser, with a little walnut stain ink added to the edges.

I love the poppy from the Flower Market plate and I thought they were perfect for this time of year as the poppies in my garden are just about to bloom.  I coloured my images with Distress Ink fired brick and peeled paint and added a little dimension to the flowers.

For a little more interest I added a bird brass charm.  This card would be perfect for a SPRING birthday.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Tracy x x

Summer Holiday

Welcome to Monday morning and another weekly challenge with Simon Says Stamp and Show with a theme of SUMMER HOLIDAY.  What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a SUMMER HOLIDAY?

The SUMMER HOLIDAY theme inspired me to use the Huck Finn plate from Artistic Outpost as it reminds me of summer holidays by the seaside and exploring the the rock pools with my children. Lots of blending with Distress Ink broken china, faded jeans and brushed corduroy create the scenes on both my cards.

My first card  is 5" x 6". I stamped my boat with black Archival Ink first and then using scrap paper I masked off each area and sponged with Distress Inks.

Once I added all my colours I spritzed with water to add a little more interest to the background.  The two boys were stamped onto white card, coloured with Distress Markers, cut out and added to the card. The words in the Huck Finn set are perfect for my scene, they seem to say everything about a SUMMER HOLIDAY with my children.  I stamped each word onto white card, coloured with broken china and brushed corduroy ink, cut out and added to my card.

To add a little interest I added some natural ribbon, two gears cut from white card using the Mini Gears Set, coloured with brushed corduroy ink along with some natural cord. Of course no summer beach scene would be complete without a bottle, here I used a Corked Vial from Tim's Idea-ology range adding 'MESSAGES' printed on my computer and coloured with broken china ink and adhering with Glossy Accents. I also added a heart wooden button to represent LOVE, as we love our SUMMER HOLIDAYS.

I decided to make a second card, varying the scene slightly and using the fabulous fishing boy image with his dog, I could not resist, especially as we too have a dog and we will be taking her along with us this year for our holiday.

This time around I added SUMMER to the top of my card cut from white card using the Chip Block Alphabet die, colouring with brushed corduroy ink.

For added interest on my second card I cut a piece of washer from white card using the Washer Border again coloured with brushed corduroy ink.  I have also added a mini gear along with an Idea-ology Mini Gear Sprocket.  Both cards have had some of the edges torn to add to the aged, worn feel.

For more great ideas please pop over to the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog and take a look at my fellow team members they have created some inspirational projects. Remember there is also the chance to win a $50 prize from Simon Says Stamp.  I always look forward to seeing your creations each week.

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, much appreciated.  Enjoy your week. Tracy x x  

Enjoy The Journey

Time for my interpretation of Day 8 of Creative Chemistry and this time around I am focusing on the Paint Dabber Resist Technique and the Shattered Stains Technique.

As is the norm for me I have created my own tag using the techniques from the class.  My focal images are the handsome gentlemen from Tim's Steampunk set.  I have cut three squares 1.5" square and stamped the handsome gentlemen onto each and coloured with Distress Inks and spritzed with water.

You can see the Dabber Resist in the background, I used one of the backgrounds from the Mixed Media set stamped with snow cap Paint Dabber onto Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas and coloured with Distress Stains broken china, faded jeans, peeled paint and vintage photo.  I have then added a Word Band secured with twine and stapled into place for added dimension and interest.

Twine has also been stapled into place at the bottom of my tag along with gears cut using the Mini Gears Set. All the gears have had the Shattered Stains technique applied using Distress Clear Rock Candy and coloured with Distress Stains, this adds fabulous texture to a creation and the colours are fantastic combined with the Rock Candy.

To add to the steampunk feel I have added one of the fabulous Clock Keys giving more dimension and further interest to my tag.  It always surprises me how much creativity you can fit into one tag!

Embellishments also include a Game Spinner and Mini Sprocket Gear to each of the die cut gears. All the edges have been distressed with the Paper Distresser and the decorated piece have been added to a tag cut from white card using the Tag and Bookplate die and coloured with Distress Ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Tracy x x

Circle Of Life

I've taken my colour inspiration from The Play Date Cafe this week for my creation for 100 Proof Press using the Medium Many Line Circle and the Generic Bird Diagram.

I stamped my background with the Medium Many Line Circle using black Archival onto a white tag and highlighted a few of the lines with a wild honey Distress Marker and then embossed my background using the debossed side of the folder.

I stamped the Generic Bird onto white card stock cut out and added a little dimension to his wing again coloured with wild honey Distress Marker.

I've added three black and white polka dot buttons threaded with coordinated thread along with the text CIRCLE OF LIFE which I thought was perfect used against the circles in my background. I've also added a large black and white bow to the top of the tag.

I've added a couple of trims using the vintage lace die machine sewn into place, adding a little more interest to my tag.

 

This is our colour splash inspiration from The Play Date Cafe.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Tracy x x