Take Flight

Edit:- I am also entering this piece for The Stampotique Designers challenge this week which is been hosted by Willy Anderson who has chosen the theme Wings, Wings, Wings.

I enjoyed the Compendium Of Curiosities challenge so much this week (week 9), I have made a second piece.  The Distress Crackle technique is great fun, turn to page 42 of the book.  All the details for this challenge are over at Linda's place, Studio L3.  I would also like to enter this piece into the VERY FIRST Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge.  A new exciting challenge with the first theme being Things With Wings.

I don't work in pink very often but I had a tattered rose Distress Crackle Paint and that's where my piece began.  I have used a Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard piece which I have covered with some K & Co papers and stamped on each corner with the Plume stamp.  I have added the birdcage which has been die cut from Grungepaper and the crackle paint added.  The cage has been backed onto a darker shade of paper so that it stands out and pearls added for a little bling.  The bird has also had the Distress Crackle technique added.  His little wing has been coloured with DI ink victorian velvet and stamped with the Plume in StazOn timber brown.

I have also cut a cage and bird from shrink plastic to make a small embellishment in the corner, the shrink piece was coloured with VersaMagic ink tea leaves and malted mauve.  A tattered floral, philosophy tag, and Flight.... complete this side of the birdcage.

On the reverse I have die cut the bird cage from a page in a hymn book, coloured with DI victorian velvet and peeled paint, backed onto a darker piece of paper and then hand stitched.  The bird has had the same treatment.  I have added a tattered floral, take flight, pearls and a Martha Stewart punched butterfly to complete.

Tracy x

Details:

Stamps - Stampington & Company S7362 Plume, PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1005EZ

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

Card Stock - K & Co. Papers

Other - Caged Bird Die, Tattered Florals Die (Tim Holtz), Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Shrink Plastic, Threads, Maya Road Birdcage Chipboard, Distress Crackle Paint Tattered Rose, Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Philosophy Tag.

Compendium Of Curiosities - Week 9

Its week 9 of the Compendium Of Curiosities challenge and Linda has set us the challenge of using the technique, Distress Crackle.  Turn to page 42 of the book for all the details re the technique.  Pop over to Linda's place, Studio L3 for all the details re the challenge and some fantastic prizes.

This week I decided to make an easel card.  I have used Bazzil card as the base and Snowman by Imagination Crafts as my main image.  The Distress Crackle technique has been applied to the heart.

I have used faded jeans crackle paint and applied silver paint dabber to the edges.

The card measures 10" x 5" and scored at 2.5" and 5" to form the easel.  I have painted the background with Gesso and then stamped the snowman on top of the Gesso.  The Distress Crackle technique has also been applied to the snowman's hat.

Details:

Stamps - Imagination Crafts

Ink - DI inks broken China, StazOn Ultramarine.

Card Stock - Blue Bazzil, Dovecraft Winter Wonderland Pack

Other - Gesso, Distress Crackle Paint Faded Jeans, Sizzix Snowflake, Thread, Snowflake Brad, Lace, Dymo Machine

Have a good evening, Tracy x

The Play Date Cafe Challenge

This is our photo inspiration for the challenge over at The Play Date Cafe this week.  My broadband has been down for 3 days, so it's nice to be back this morning.  Can't believe how much I rely on the computer until it is down for a few days.  Anyway this week I have made a card with these wonderful colours.

I have made a heart from tissue and a rubber stamp.

I have added hand stitching to the side to give a little more detail.  The ingredients for this card are:-
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Just Word Art SCS033, Stampington & Company Scroll Heart Large.
Products: Adirondack Dye Inks, Red Pepper, Butterscotch., Papermania Sunshine Paper Pack, Buttons, Tissue, PVA, Threads, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and text from a Hymn Book.

I'm off to pop over to The Play Date Cafe to check out some great artwork, why not join me.  Have a great Monday everyone.  Tracy x

The Stampman Challenge - Take Two Colours

Morning all, thought I would have a go at the challenge over at The Stampman Challenge Blog, which this time is to use two colours in your artwork.  So this week................

......I have made a quick Christmas card using the colours blue and white.    I have used the Winter Birds by Inkadinkado which I have simply stamped onto an area of Gesso painted directly onto a blue card.  I have added ribbon and snowflakes to complete.

Thought I would make a second card for my collection this time using red, the difference a colour change makes.  Pop over to The Stampman Challenge Blog to see some great artwork and to find all the details re the challenge.  See you over there, Tracy x

WOYWW 4th August

Morning everyone, it's another WOYWW, wow time flies when your having fun, or so they say.  If you are reading this and don't have a clue, pop over to our chief, Julia (who at the moment seems to have a hanker for notebooks) at the Stamping Ground and check out all the details.  If you are reading this Julia I have a hanker for all things HEARTS, be it jewellery, boxes, trinkets, stamps, clothes, so you are not alone and there is no medication for us either LOL.  Oh I love storage too, but then again there are many things I hanker for but HEARTS, STORAGE, and all things GARDEN related are the things I hanker for the most.  Anyway I digress, you are here to see my desk not listen to my waffle so here goes.....

.....neat freak is still here, and as always I have tidied after all of my craft sessions, sorry I just can't help myself and it's the only way I can work and I like to work in an organised manner.  Don't get me wrong I do make a little mess but I tidy as I go along, sorry!  Today we have a copy of the Making Cards magazine on my craft desk, which arrived yesterday as I have some artwork in there, and after all this time I'm still chuffed when any of my work is published.  At the top of my desk I have a challenge card which some of you will have already seen and there are a couple of stamps left out to remind me to use them for my next piece of art.  Then to the right we have a few scraps from a previous piece of work which I can't bear to throw away and will use on another piece soon hopefully.

To the right I have a basket which is now full of new goodies that I have not used yet.  I don't like to put my new stash away until I have used it at least once, just makes me feel better.  Problem is the pile is getting higher by the week, perhaps I need to work a bit harder and produce more cards LOL.

Further to the right are my Tim Holtz Alterations dies, my printer which has paperwork on the top which requires some action but I would rather make a card, you know how it is.

Back to the left are my paper cupboards, all that paper and I never have the colour I want, how ridiculous is that and I still need more space for more papers but my room can't take anymore cupboards, I need a bigger room LOL.

On top of my paper cupboard is a whole load of more stash.  A carousel for all my embellishments which I forget to use every time I make something.  However, I am now trying to be more organised, yes more I hear you say, well yes, and now I have purchased a notebook (note Julia a notebook LOL)  to write down all my actions, which seem to be getting longer by the day.  The idea being that I will not forget anything and in there is an on-going action to use those damn embellishments stashed on that carousel.  We will just have to see if it works but at least I'm trying.

My plant of the week this week is a BEGONIA from my garden, I don't usually like begonia's but this is the only one exception.  There is only one plant in that basket and I'm so pleased with the results.  My other good news this week is that I have been asked by Hels and Jennie to be a Guest Designer on their new Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog, I am so excited, one for the challenge and two to use some great new stamps.  You should pop over there and take a look at some fantastic artwork and great giveaways.  Well that's all from me folks this week so the only thing left to say is a big THANK YOU for all your lovely comments and to wish you all a happy Wednesday, Tracy x

Grunge Curiosities - Challenge 8

Its time for another Compendium Of Curiosities Challenge with Linda at Studio L3 and this week our challenge is "Inking Grunge", details for all the techniques of which are in the book, page 39. 

My first piece of inked grunge is a Tattered Floral cut from Grungepaper with the inked grunge technique applied.

I decided to make a tag card for the challenge this week.  I simply drew around one of Tim's tags to make my folded card. 

My second piece of inked grunge is the Heart Wings. I cannot give details re the technique but I can give you the details of the products I have used.
Inks:  DI inks - Tea Dye, Tumbled Glass, Victorian Velved.  StazOn - Black, Timber Brown.
Stamps:  Hero Arts Old French Writing H2365, Paperbag Studios Stitched & Tied Sheet, Stampington Plume S7362, Penny Black Moments 2668H, Stampers Anonymous Just Word Art (Wendy Vecchi).

The papers I have used are BasicGrey.

This is the inside of the tag card, I have added stamping, tattered florals, butterfly (Martha Stewart Punch) and some hand stitching.

I have placed the card flat so that you can see more detail.  I love the flowers on the left which were created from the Stitched and Tied sheet.

A matching box completes my contribution this week.  I do enjoy this Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, as it means you revisit the book every week and revisit some great techniques, THANKS Linda.  There are as always some fantastic prizes on offer so why not join me and pop over to Studio L3 to check out some great artwork.  Have a good evening everyone, Tracy x

Stampotique Designers Challenge/Sunday Stamper Challenge

Edit:  I am also entering this piece for The Sunday Stampers Challenge which is SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW.  I have used a flower which is something old (found in some packaging from something I ordered on-line a while ago) and something new is one of the stamps and the paper which was a NEW purchase for me.  There is some fantastic candy on offer too along with this challenge so why not join in the fun.  The excitement does not stop there, as The Artistic Stamper now have a Creative Team Blog where you can join in this challenge and have more chances to win candy, pop over to the CTB where Jennie and the team have more details.

The Stampotique Designers Challenge this week is a sketch.....

.....I had an hour to myself today so thought I would get my craft goodies out rather then the ironing board LOL.

I really wanted to use these mushroom images from Stampotique by Jo Capper-Sandon which I absolutely love, anything nature themed really appeals to me, probably because I love my garden so much.

The mushrooms are stamped with StazOn timber brown ink onto Bazzill card and then again onto text from a gardening book. I love the fact that part of the text I picked up from the book says umbrella-shaped, very apt for this image I feel.  I have used a Martha Stewart punch for my scalloped edge and added a flower that came with some packaging from a product I ordered on-line.  I spritzed the flower with Altered Originals lime ink spray and added a sentiment, again from Stampotique, Jo Capper-Sandon range.  Have a good weekend everyone, Tracy x