Crooked Houses

Edit: I am also entering this for the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog Challenge which is SING A RAINBOW.  I thought my rainbow houses would make an alternative theme for the challenge.  I will also try to make another entry soon as we have a whole month to create some art. 

I have had a fab play day today at Sue's house and our inspiration for our play day came from here. It was great just relaxing, crafting and chatting in good company.

We decided that as it was a play day we would work in our journals and we started with a plain black background.  I love how the houses just pop from the plain background.  I cut the houses from white card that I decorated with distress inks.  Onced I had decorated some card it was simply a case of cutting out the house shapes and assembling.

I drew white lines and dots around the houses and black lines on the inside, this really made them pop from the page.

Sue printed off a great nursery rhyme that would go with these images..... There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile, he found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile. He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse. And they all lived together in a little crooked house.  I love it.  Look out for Sue's page coming soon.

Thanks Sue for a great fun crafting day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Have a good evening everyone, Tracy x

Inspire Your Darker Side

The Stampotique Designers Challenge this time around is "Not So Sweet 16" for all those who are not glittery, or pretty pretty or cute etc..  So today I got in touch with my darker side....well I tried to put it that way.

I used Eric and Linda's New Bag (both available from The Stamp Attic) to start the creation of my journal page.  I am very new to journaling so still find it a little difficult to fill the two pages.  I started with adding some Terra through a Crafter's Workshop template to give me some texture to my page, and I will definitely be using this again it's fantastic.   The pages are coloured with acrylic paint which has been swooshed (is that a word,  oh well it is now) around with a baby wipe.  I have used sequin waste and Gesso to add some highlights along with 16 around my page to meet the criteria for the theme.

On the right hand side I have added a skull which was a postcard from the RHS tatton show, yes there was a crystal skull garden there too LOL.

My double page spread in all its glory.  It was a little difficult getting in touch with my darker side today, however, my 9 year old daughter has just popped into my craft room and given her approval, she said "the skull is COOL mum", well what more could I want LOL.  Have a good Friday all,  Tracy xx

Play Date Cafe Challenge

Over at The Play Date Cafe this week we are challenged to use a very strange colour combination, well strange in my eyes but that is part of the challenge.  The navy blue and mustard are not a problem but HOT PINK, one colour I would never have put together with blue and mustard.  Had to think about this for a while as the hot pink was really causing me some problems LOL.

I decided to use my new set of stamps from Paperbag Studios, Doodles & Daters sheet, I love these stamps and such a variety on one sheet.

I started by stamping the houses onto mustard Bazzil card and then cutting out each image.  I adhered the houses to a navy blue card and then added some hot pink highlights with the doors, windows etc.  However, I thought it needed something else just to make it a little more funky so I got out my solder and soldered the roof on the centre house to just add that little extra bit of detail.  I stamped the flower onto hot pink and navy card and layerd up adding a navy blue button to the centre.

I think this would make a great new home card and considering I did not like the colour combination I am quite pleased with the end result.  Will I use hot pink with mustard and navy blue again....... I think not LOL.  Have a good day everyone.  Tracy x

WOYWW 25th August

Morning all, it's Wednesday, its WOYWW, time to nose around desks all over the world, the brainchild of our master Julia over at the Stamping Ground.  Click on the link and you will be automatically transported to Julia's place where you can find all the details and lots of wonderful desks.  I've decided there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I need and Wednesday's are definitely coming around too quickly.

A view of my desk today shows my art journal which I was decorating on Saturday night along with some challenge pieces and some new purchases.  My journal has remained on my desk as there are still a few bits I would like to add to my pages.

A close up shot of said journal pages, my theme being Steampunk.  Toward the left of the journal I have been playing with some flowers which I will hopefully use on a card at a later date.  I also have some die cut bird cages from a previous challenge which I'm hoping I will use on another project, seems a shame to throw them away.

Towards the left of my desk I have a steampunk book I made on a workshop on Saturday and that too also needs some work to the pages on the inside, another project for a later date.  This is why I need more hours in the day so that I can fit all the crafting in I need to do.  You will also see an ATC I won on the next shelf, a lovely gift from Hels Sheridan, I have never won anything before and so it has pride of place on my shelf.  Think that's everything on my desk this week but I thought I would brighten your day and show you a couple of plants in my garden that are looking particularly good this week.  My plants of the week are a Rudbeckia and a Lobelia.

Have a lovely Wednesday everyone, happy WOYWW and thank you for your kind comments.  Tracy x

Bird Song

I have quite a lot on this week so I am entering this piece of art for three challenges, hope that's ok. The first challenge is with Linda at Studio L3 where we are challenged to use the Blended Batik technique, page 36 of the book.  As always there are some fantastic prizes on offer and some great artwork on show and it is always a joy to join in with this challenge not only to revisit great techniques but to speak to Linda who is always so positive and enthusiastic, thanks Linda.  The second challenge is with the very talkative and humourous Hels for the Sunday Stamper challenge which this week is FLOWERS and the third challenge is for Simon Says Stamp and Show and the talented team this week have challenged us to make something inspired by Tim Holtz.

I have applied the Blended Batik technique to this flower, using 8 layers for the flower.  I have used DI inks broken china and vintage photo.  The music stamp is an old Anna Griffin stamp.  For the technique, please turn to page 36 of the book.

I have added the flower to a Maya Road birdcage which I have decorated with the Tim Holtz Lost And Found paper stash and to add to the grungy feel I have sanded the edges of both sides of the birdcage.  I have added the cage and birds using Tim's Caged Bird die, again from the Lost And Found papers.  I have added SONG BIRD FLY from the PaperArtsy Hotpicks HP1005EZ, adhesive stones and an adage ticket to complete this side.

This is the other side of my birdcage, again with a die cut flower using Tim's Tattered Florals die, I have used an old hymn book and Lost And Found papers, I thought the hymn book was quite apt with the background decorated with music paper.  I clear embossed the bird (from PaperArtsy Hotpicks) and used Tim's Blended Batik techniqe and the bird in the middle is from the paper I used therefore it is the reverse of my original image. I have added a crown to one of the birds using Jo Capper-Sandon's crown stamp, BIRD SONG, and stencil from the Tattered Florals I cut earlier and a co-ordinated button to the top of the cage.

With the leftovers I created a matching tag, with the only addition being the heart which I embossed using a Cuttlebug folder.  Have a good evening, Tracy x

Steampunk Paper Doll

On my previous post I made a paper doll using the colours from The Play Date Cafe Challenge and I mentioned that I would be making a more grungy paper doll next time well........ here it is.............

I decided I would do a double page spread in my journal as I have not done any journaling for quite a while, plus I have just purchased some yummy Graphic 45 papers, Steampunk Debutante Collection, from The Cubby Hole in Crewe, so I thought I would use some of them in my pages.  As mentioned before my paper doll is from an old PSX template and she has been covered in the Graphic 45 papers.  Her wings have been embossed using a Cuttlebug folder and sponged with DI inks vintage photo and rusty hinge.

A little close up so you can see the detail on the wings.  I have also added a rusty chain from some purchases I made on a day out yesterday from our local antiques emporium, well actually I went with my friend and we purchased an old Mecano set and split the parts between us, beginning to wonder whether we are taking this art thing a bit too far LOL!

The opposite page is again decorated with the Graphic 45 papers, just look at the detail on that paper, fantastic.  I have spritzed both pages with a little Memories Mist Amaretto, added some cogs from Tim Holtz Gadget Gears die and rubbed a little traditional tan paint over them.  Again I have added a few metal washers and some Mecano metal bits to add to the grungy feel of the pages.  I have also coloured some small pieces of torn doily which have been coloured with DI inks.

I finally added a little text from the computer re Steampunk and that completes my grungy take on the paper doll I made in the previous post.  Even if I say so myself, I am quite pleased with these pages and that is quite rare for me.  I'm hoping to get a little more sleep tonight and try not to craft at 3am in the morning.  See you all on Sunday,  Tracy xx

Just Because..........

................... I could not sleep last night, lay in bed for an hour tossing and turning until in the end I could not take it anymore, I had been so tired all day too then when I decide to go to bed, PING I'm wide awake, why does that always happen.  Nothing more I could do so I decided to come into my craft room and have a quick play with some goodies.

I decided to make a little something for a few challenges,  My images has been stamped with DI ink broken china, a couple of washers added to the body and some Distress Stickles to the wings, but that does not show up too well on the picture.

I have cut my doll from Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby paper stack and Bazzil card, added a little stamping to the body and again added washers and Stickles have been added to the edges of the wings.  The paper doll is from an old PSX template.   I am going to have another go at this doll tomorrow and make it really grungy.  With the addition of flowers and FLY that completes my piece of art in the middle of the night LOL.

I am going to enter this for the following challenges:-
Distress Stickles - Linda at Studio L3
Wings, Wings, Wings, - Stampotique Designers Challenge
Play Date Cafe Challenge for the colour template below.

Have a great day everyone, I am off to get ready to go to a workshop, cross fingers I don't fall asleep LOL, Tracy x x 

Sew Easy

Lovely refreshing colours are the challenge this week over at The Play Date Cafe with host Julie Ranae.  Must admit I like the flag idea on the stick, great idea for a card, that just came to me as I was typing LOL.  I have created two pieces this week, one card and a tag, one reason being so that I can add the tag to the Tag Tuesday challenge which this week is to make a tag from any other material besides paper.

 

I have used leftovers for my card this week from a few cards I was making a couple of days ago.   I have embossed one piece of pale green card with a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.  The aperture of the flower was a piece of card left from some punched Tattered Florals earlier in the week.  The SEW is stamped on pale blue card using an old PSX alphabet set and punched out with a small circle punch.

On the other side of the card I have used a Martha Stewart punch to add scollops and a bodice from the Collections Elements range, I actually traced around the shape onto Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby paper pack.  The fabric at the back is a small off cut I had left from a previous project some time ago.

I have stamped the bodice with a delicate plume image from Stampington using DI ink shabby shutters added a small flower from the Tattered Florals die, again left over from a previous project and some buttons.

 

The tag is two pieces of fabric hand stitched together for stability (but I will probably add to a card at a later date).   Again everything on this tag is leftovers from previous projects.  Have a good evening, Tracy x  

Details:

Stamps - Stampington & Co. S7362 Plume, Wendy Vecchi Just Word Art, PSX Alphabet Set

Ink - DI inks shabby shutters and tumbled glass

Card Stock - Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Paper Stack, Bazzil, White Card

Other - Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die, Text From an Old Book, Buttons, Cotton, Fabric Remnants, Martha Stewart Punch, Small Circle Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Collections Range (Bodice)

Artful Florals

This week over at Simon Says Stamp and Show your challenge is to draw inspiration from Wendy Vecchi's style. 

I have used Wendy Vecchi Be Inspired...Make Art and It's More Flower Art.  For my background I have cut out text from a gardening magazine and covered a 5" x 5" square with text, which I have then painted with a thin layer of Gesso and sprayed with Terra Cotta Adirondack Color Wash and Amaretto Memories Mist, and wiped away any excess with a baby wipe.

I coloured a piece of Grungepaper with DI inks rusty hinge and fired brick and stamped the flowers with StazOn black.  Cut out each flower, bent to shape and added Tim's Idea-Ology to one centre and a brad to the second.  Before adding the finished piece to a card I hand stitched one side with copper metallic thread.  To complete, I added an Adage Ticket.  Enjoy your Wednesday, Tracy x

Time For Another WOYWW

......If you don't know what I am talking about pop over to Julia's place the Stamping Ground and take a look, its great fun nosing around everyone's desk.

Its probably getting a little boring for you all in WOYWW as my desk is always tidy as I am a bit of a neat freak, just can't help it.  Drives me mad if I can't see my working area, I need to clear everything away before my next project.  This morning my desk has a few part finished projects, a magazine and a wish list for my next purchases LOL.  The card at the front will be posted above WOYWW for Simon Says Stamp challenge, just needs a sentiment and it will be finished.

Towards the right of my desk is my basket full of finished projects which I am hoping to sort this week.  The project on the top was for the Oh Alice challenge.  Well its time to pop over to Julia's and check out some desks, think I will make a brew first and get myself comfortable.  Happy WOYWW everyone, Tracy x

Curiously Distressed

It's week 10 of the Compendium Of Curiosities challenge with Linda over at Studio L3, which this week is being sponsered by Simon Says Stamp.  I love this challenge as it encourages me to use all my products that would otherwise be left in the cupboard and it also encourages you to revisit techniques and enjoy the products once again.

This week we are challenged to use Distress Stickles in our artwork (page 46 of the book), I had to think about this for a while as I wanted the Distress Stickles to stand out within my artwork, so I decided to use an arch from the Collections Elements range and use a nativity scene for the stamping (this is an old Stampendous stamp).  The image was inked with DI ink broken china with highlights of StazOn ultramarine.  Once the ink was dry I applied broken china Distress Stickles all over the image. 

I used a wooden letter 'P' for Peace so that the theme flowed through the card and coloured the letter with DI ink broken china and once dry I added Distress Stickles Clear Rock Candy.   My folded card is created from the Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby paper stack which co-ordinated so well with the colours I had used on the arch.

I stamped the snowflake (Personal Impressions stamp) onto blue Bazzil card and cut out, which took me an absolute age, why do we do these things?  However, I do like the delicate feel of this snowflake once it is cut out.  I then applied a thin layer of Stickles to the top of the snowflake and added to my card.  I punched 3 squares from Bazzil card using a medium square punch, placed my stamp uppermost onto a flat surface and pressed each square onto a different section of the stamp.  To complete, I added the sentiment "A Season of Miracles" and silver pearls using a Viva pen.  Have a great Tuesday, I'm off to have a nose at everyone's artwork over at Studio L3, Tracy x

Flower Seeds

Time for another stamping challenge over at Hels' blog.  This week the challenge is to use Jars/Bottles OR Booze.  Had to think about this for a while as I do not have a jar or bottle stamp but I did eventually find a tiny little bottle/jar in my stash, after much searching I may add.

Those are real seeds I have added to my bottle too.  Good job I'm a keen gardener and have lots of seeds lying around.  I printed the 'Seeds' text on the printer and then simply glued to the bottle.  I stamped the Plume onto the decorative card with Victorian Velvet DI ink.

I made stems using Grungepaper and coloured with peeled paint DI ink.  Stamped the circles from the Stitched & Tied Sheet onto some K & Co decorative paper and added to the stems.  The centres of the flowers are from the same sheet and stamped onto the same card all with StazOn timber brown ink.  The pot is stamped onto decorative card and bent slightly to give some shape and I have added a bow and my seeds bottle.  To complete, I have added a sentiment and some small pearls.  Enjoy your Monday, Tracy x

Details:

Stamps - Paperbag Studios Stitched & Tied Sheet, Stampington & Co. S7362 Plume, Hero Arts Moments, Outlines Dotted Vase C-376.

Ink - StazOn Timber Brown, DI Inks Victorian Velvet, Peeled Paint

Card Stock - K & Co

Other - Dymo Machine, Small Bottle, Viva Pearl Pen

Wings, Wings, Wings

The Stampotique Designers Challenge this week is hosted by Willy Anderson and the theme is Wings, Wings, Wings.  I have spent the day in the garden and thought I would now relax and make a second card for this wonderful theme.

I have used Stampotique Moon Girl and Tim Holtz Heart Wings for my second offering.  I have die cut the heart from mountboard and then used this as a stencil, sponging colour through and around the heart onto white card to give me my background piece.

I then kept the heart that I used as a stencil and covered with clear UTEE.  I used DI inks victorian velvet and broken china for the sponging, the heart and the wings.  The wings were sponged with broken china and again a layer of clear UTEE.  Moon Girl has been stamped onto white card with StazOn timber brown ink, cut out and placed on top of the heart.

I have added 'wings' text using a Dymo machine along with Believe and a flower created from the Tattered Florals Die.  Time for a brew now and some blog hopping, enjoy your evening, Tracy x

The Play Date Cafe Challenge

Lovely earth tones are the order of the day over at The Play Date Cafe this week, where Sarah is challenging us to use dark brown, green and beige.  I love this combination and what a fun inspirational photo to inspire us.

I decided to make a new home card this week using the Stampotique stamp Row of Houses.  I love the simplicity of this design which makes it ideal to use with decorative papers.  I have stamped the houses onto beige card, cut out and matt onto brown and beige card.

One of the houses has been stamped onto metal and coloured with StazOn inks Olive Green and Timber Brown and I have highlighted two of the doors in green and brown card.

The flower is from the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die, cut from an old hymn book and beige card.  I have sponged the edges of the paper with green ink.  With the addition of a button and new home sentiment using a Dymo machine that completes my card.  Have a good evening, Tracy x

Details:

Stamps - Stampotique Row Of Houses

Ink - StazOn Olive Green, Timber Brown, Kaleidacolor Fresh Greens

Card Stock - Jillibean & Fancy Pants Designs

Other - Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die, Dymo Machine, Button, Hymn Book Text, Metal.

Oh Alice

I have been following Lynne Phelps' blog for a while now and I am always inspired by her work and attention to detail.  Lynne is on the DT for the Oh Alice Blog so I thought I would give it a go and try something a little different.  The challenge this week is White Wonderland, to produce a piece of art that is all white apart from the main image panel.

I recently purchased some Graphic 45 papers from The Stamp Attic and have used a sheet of those for the central panel.  I have stamped the Alice image in StazOn timber brown onto white card stock and added a little skirt embellished with tiny hearts.  I have added a sentiment and embellishments to complete the central panel.  I have cut out small white hearts and embossed them in a Cuttlebug folder and framed the main image with them, added a few punched flowers and a little bling to complete my entry.  It was great fun using some different images, thanks Lynne for the inspiration.  Tracy x

 Pop over to the Oh Alice blog and check out some wonderful entries and great inspirational ideas.

WOYWW/Sunday Stamper/Tag Tuesday

Morning everyone, I'm a little late this morning as I have been having problems with my broadband which keeps going down for hours at a time so I could not post this morning.  But we are back again now, but for how long no one knows.  It is time for WOYWW again, the brainchild of our esteemed master Julia over at the Stamping Ground.  Why not pop over and join in the fun.

I took this picture at 2am last night hoping that the broadband would be back up but no, not until 10.20am this morning.  I will make this a short post just in case LOL.  Not much on my desk this morning apart from a couple of challenge pieces one of which, the tag has not been posted yet but I will post that below.  The birdcage is also a challenge piece and other than that I just have a few bits from other projects I have been making.

The tag is for The Sunday Stamper Challenge over at Hels' place where the theme this week is MUSIC.  I have sponged a tag with DI inks wild honey, antique linen and rusty hinge.  Stamped Beethoven with StazOn timber brown ink, added a few embellishments including a crown so that I can also enter this for the Tag Tuesday challenge too.  Have to make the most of things whilst I have broadband LOL.  Happy WOYWW everyone and thanks for your kind comments.  Tracy x