Saturday, January 31, 2009

Have you joined in yet?

Over on the Objet D'art Challenge there is another week to go, and this production of The Creative Theatre is BOOKS! I found a great Children's Board book in a charity shop, and completely took it apart and remade it into a journal, which hopefully I will fill in the coming weeks ( more like months!!) LOL! If you want to see the whole book, please hop over to the Objet D'Art Challenge and have a wander through the pages.





I would love to see what you create , so please do grab a book, and have a go!

Friday, January 30, 2009

ABC....

I made this piece for Lots to Do challenge when really I should have been working on new stamp designs! The challenge was to make a piece including a frame in the artwork. I used an Ikea wooden Frame, and white crackled painted it, then wiped over it with black Adirondack ink. I used White and Black Dabber on the Grungeboard Alphas , then sanded off the black ones and inked the white ones. It wouldn't quite fit in through the back, I guess I should have measured it first before I out the letters on (doh!), so I put it on the front, and I think it works really well! The paper behind is from one of my favourites-Black Market-Ebony & Alabaster.
Black and white seems to be my favourite colour scheme at the moment along with blue, LOL!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Little Blue ATC

I made this ATC in blue which is my favourite colour this week :), and realised I could enter it into Think Monday-Think ATC. I used the new Silver metallic film  that is in the shop now, as you can stamp and print on it, and I was just experimenting with it! It is really hard to photograph silver paper as it refects all the light, so apologies for the absolutely disgusting photo! it is fab in the flesh! Thank you Hels for cleaning it up for me :)
I used one of the Gibson Girls, and also the gorgeous HUGE Tim Holtz mask -Flourish behind it. I did use a black dabber as the background, and of course used a blue distress ink to stamp and colour in the background.
I have been reading blogs all over the place this week, as I didn't make it to CHA in Anaheim *sad*, looking to see what is new, and WOW is there some fab new stuff coming.... I am planning on certainly adding some of it to the shop, so watch this space! If you would like to join in the fun, and get updates and offers just for subscribers, please sign up for the newsletter( link on the side).
Happy Creating as always

Sunday, January 25, 2009

40th Birthday Card

Today is a friend's 40th birthday! and I made a card! Well me being me, it is a card with a difference! She didn't want any presents, so I incorporated the pressie into the card. Often I will go out of the house to wander down our small town to get inspiration, and think! So, I had a wander and went to a couple of shops to try to find inspiration. I visited one of my favourite shops Heselden Hats , where Teresa, the owner sells hats amongst fabulous finds! I often come away with a carrier bag full of great stuff. Yesterday was no exception. A FREE bag of little handmade envelopes, some handmade paper envelopes, and a bag full of broken jewellery bits! All for £1.50! Heaven!
So did I get inspiration...? no, but I did get an idea, and I made a Black and White card using Grungeboard Numerals, Thickers letters and a piece of Stampbord!
I used black and white Papers for the background ( don't ask me who as I have no idea!) , and I used Snow Cap dabber on the Grungeboard, and then swiped Archival Black ink over them, and the thickers letters too! For the stampbord, I ultra-thicked it in white , and then using black stazon, inked the girls into it while the Utee was still hot. You get the faces in relief. One of my favourite techniques. I actually added a brooch back to the Stampbord, and attached the brooch through 2 large holes onto the front of the card.
Voila!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Take a leaf out of my....

book! Tonight's Objet D'art Challenge is using a book, any book. All you have to do is make it your own. Pop over to the blog, and take a look at what Crissi, our guest designer of the week has done.
Here is a sneak preview.
Sadly no-one at the time of writing this has guessed correctly, so I shall move the blog candy over to tomorrow's blog and give you something new to win!
Happy Creating

Friday, January 23, 2009

In The Blue

In case you wondered, the title is not how I feel, but is actually the name of this little ATC

Blue is been one of my favourite colours, and I always have a blue ink pad of some description on my desk. I inked the chintz background in True Blue Archival, and then inked the Gibson Girl in Cobalt Archival, and with the true blue pad, inked the paper she is on too! The Prima Flowers are turquoise and blue, and I inked them as well! Blue distress stickles glued the little gems on too!

Just a reminder that Objet D'art has a new Production tomorrow, so get out your mojo's to take part :). If you can guess what the object is before tomorrow, I will give Blog Candy to the person or persons who guess correct. I will give you the answer after 7pm tomorrow.

Happy Thinking!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Mini Canvas

Sitting enjoying the sun streaming through the window, I sat and comtemplated what I should indulge in making today. Someone asked where I get my inspiration from, and I have to say it usually from the components I have around me.
 I always have by my side, a black Stazon inkpad, a black Archival, and then whatever flavour of the month inkpads! This month it is Archival True Blue and Cobalt. There is always a bottle of Glossy Accents, and at the moment I have my metallic dabbers. I am addicted to these and use them whenever I can. So a piece of stampbord, and a small mini canvas got the gold metallic dabber treatment, and were left to dry. I dab them on thickly to get some texrture.
I then inked directly on top of the gold dabber on the stampbord with the true blue archival inkpad. It seemed to turn green.I then stamped on top in black Stazon with my favourite texture mat -chintz.
It did need a little lifting, so inked the same part of the stamp onto a piece of Ten Seconds Stusdio Appletini metal, and cut out the flower. I layered all the elements onto the mini canvas, and gently bent the flower to look flowery!
The picture does not do it justice at all, as you cannot see the background :(

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Birthday Card

I am sitting here listening to and watching President Obama's inaugural speech and blogging at the same time! Isn't that just the most amazing thing, that I could not have imagined doing several years ago. The internet has changed almost all of our lives.
 I have made a very quick card from a wonderful box of goodies sent to me from Canada. All the elements of this card are from that box! This is a card for my niece's 18th Birthday, and I can show it as I know she doesn't read this blog! I just layered the paper, and used the metal words (already made) and just dabbed gold dabber over them. Then I just added the butterfly and little flowers.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Key to Life!

On Lots To Do blog challenge, this week you have to use a key. I was still working on last week's project which was using newspaper. I am always behind with everything! Most of the artwork I do for the blog is self indulgence, and as I like to incorporate new *stuff* or ideas, often they are rushed pieces. Time to create for me is always late afternoon, after I have stopped work...cannot wait for the evenings to get lighter. Don't you just hate artificial light?
For this piece I scanned in a facsimile newspaper from 1869, and then printed it on paper for the background, and on Claudine Hellmuth's sticky back canvas. I distress inked the tag, and stamped the watch faces in Black stazon on the canvas, and distressed those in old paper and frayed burlap. I put one of the watches onto some TSS metal, and gently bent it. I then added the words, and highlighted them in Opaque white pen. Finally I added the Idea-ology key and lock and a little bit of chain.
I know I haven't given any instructions on the tin yet, but promise to do them tomorrow., with some step by steps too!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Full of Beanz!

I am a little late tonight with this blog post, but have been out all day craft shopping, and came home lots of new ribbons , paper and more bits! I did spend last night creating a pencil/pen holder using Ten Seconds Studio metal, and grungeboard letters, and of course the infamous Beanz tin! This is for the challenge over on the Objet D'art too.
As it is late and the keys on the keyboard seem to have a mind of their own, I will update the post tomorrow with details of how I made it, but for the meanwhile here are some pics....

I had great fun making this, even though I now have plasters on most of my fingers! I will give you instructions on how to make it tomorrow.
Happy Creating

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Family

This week, the 1911 census was put online, and almost immediately the OH was there looking up his relatives! I also went on and found some of mine. It is amazing to see what your great grandfather or great grandmother's handwriting was like. Mine have family resemblances, or at least that is what I thought! I am sure my mother will disagree!!LOL.
It set me thinking about family, and how I could incorporate a picture I have of my great grandparents into a piece. This week I also got some Ten Seconds studio metal to play with ( coming soon in the shop), and some of Claudine Hellmuth's sticky back canvas( also coming to the shop in the future!).
Somewhere long ago I made stamps of a photo of my great grandparents, so I thought let's make a small piece that incorporates all the above elements. However nothing I make ever goes to plan. I wanted to alter a frame and printed out the photo on to the sticky back canvas. Then I covered the frame in appletini Ten Seconds studio metal, and put mini Grungeboard elements underneath, and shaped the pieces. I also wanted to add the word family, but couldn't find the right size stamps or stickers or even grungeboard, so have left the frame plain.... definitely needs more work on it!
Then I thought I will print out the canvas with a bigger picture, and fray the edges, and distress ink the picture! Err mmmm too much red ink, and a big splodge on Great Grandpa's face! I was very pleased with the grungeboard letters which I glued on backwards to the metal, and using tools I have from my jewellery days shaped it. I left the letters behind the metal. I then added a Tim Holtz idea-ology Hitch fastener, and pin and muse token. However the tin opens the wrong way!
 
There are just days when things go wrong and nothing looks right!.......I have entered it into Hel's Sunday Stamper Challenge, as it is green and a tin! 

Monday, January 12, 2009

Domino Jewellery

My first love has always been and always will be making jewellery. Often when I see an opportunity to make something I can wear or give to someone to wear, I will  turn it into a brooch or a pair of earrings.
Here are a couple of pieces that I made ages ago, and dug out of their hiding places to show you.
The first one is a regular plastic domino that has been coloured and edged with alcohol inks, and then stamped on top with black Stazon using the little girl from the Garden Plate. I then put a brooch back on it.
The second piece is made similarly, but using a domino piece of Stampbord. It has the daisy from Botanical Plate 1 stamped on to it. I edged this piece with white paint dabber. Again this has a brooch back on it.
These are not complicated pieces to make, in fact so simple, they take a matter of minutes, so are a great idea for a birthday or just a gift!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

A little warmth for you!

It is freezing here in Kent, the temperature does not seem to have lifted all day, and there is a big roaring fire in our living room, just waiting for me to warm my toes! However before I go, I have to just tell you about the new Challenge on the Objet D'art Blog Challenge. Oddly enough I made the artwork without realising it was going to be so cold today, and came up with a bizarre idea of converting a tin into a mini fridge. How I created it is on the challenge blog.
If you would like to take part, take a tin, any tin, round, square, long, short, with beans, or without beans and make it your own! So while it is so cold outside, get out your stash and your mojo, and create!
Keep warm.....

Friday, January 09, 2009

Black & Gold

I seem to be taking part in challenges unexpectedly this week, so here is another one I am taking part in. This the Sunday Stampers and the theme this week is Black and Gold.
I wanted to make an very quick ATC using a little butterfly I had covered in Duo glue, and then brushed on pearlescent powders to. I also wanted to use the gold crackle paint, which I had prepared earlier this week. (Sounds like Blue Peter!). So I stamped the words on the crackle, and then masked them and stamped over it with the Chintz Texture mat (one of my favourites. I had to stamp it twice as Archival ink didn't work, so used Stazon. Then I stuck the butterfly on. On reflection I probably should have made the crackle paint a little thicker, but I am always learning, that's what I love.
Sunday Stampers changes every week, so have a go, and say hi to Hels for me.
Tomorrow there is a new Theatre Production over at Objet D'Art, so hope to see you in the theatre at 7pm!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Birthday Blog Winner & ATC

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday, and the comments on what I should do were inspiring. I actually went out for lunch and dinner ( the waistline needs a nudge now), and received loads of hand made cards, flowers and even balloons!. Best of all my DD surprised me by coming home from University, and both her and her brother took us all out for dinner at one of my favourite Thai restaurants. It was a birthday to remember.

I liked all the comments, but I have to say LOTTIES inspired me most! I imagined it to be in New York, my most favourite city! So Congratulations, the candy is all yours. Please email me your address.

I spent some of this afternoon creating an ATC , which has a new technique on it. Have to say not sure if it is new, I still have to google it....


I crackled the card with picket fence distress paint, and then wiped over it with faded jeans distress ink. I did spray a little water on to it to create a more subtle effect. I then used one of the birds from the Nature grungeboard, and distressed him too, using a little peeked paint as well. I stamped the background with one of the music stamps, and then stamped the bird words on top.

I used a tiny bit of Faded Jeans Distress Stickles for the birds eye. I did try squeezing the stickles onto the wing, but it was messy and looked awful, so I squeezed a bit of the stickles out onto a non stick sheet, and picked it up with a soft flat brush, and edged the bird's wing, and the ATC with the stickles. You get a glittery effect which is subtle.
Everything I used is available from The Artistic Stamper Shop, and there is a 10% Offer at the moment.
See you tomorrow

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Birthday Treat

for you! Today is my birthday, and I am not going to reveal my age, just let's say I have had several significant birthdays, and this is not one of them! However, as it is my birthday, I am giving away blog candy to the person who gives me the best comment on how I should spend my day!  Suffice it to say I am actually working today, but being taken out for lunch by my DH. Then back to work :(
So to win this
leave a comment. I will pick the winner tomorrow evening, which gives you loads of time to think of an answer, and tell your friends too!
Happy Birthday to everyone else I know who has a Birthday today. We are the best!!!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Time ATC

I don't often take part in challenges, but this one appealed, and it gave me a chance to use the new distress stickles, and my favourite stamps! The challenge is over on Lots to Do blog.
I made an ATC, and used Basic Grey Recess paper as the background. I distress inked the paper, and stamped the watch faces in vintage photo very lightly. I used large glass watch faces and glued one on with my favourite Glossy Accents, and the other I put on with Vintage photo Distress stickles. I then put a watch face with a hand on in one corner and a couple of cogs in the other. I liked the idea that the ATC was three dimensional. The distress stickles are interesting as they come out of the bottle much faster than the normal stickles, and have bigger flakes in them. Will have to experiment with them. Everything I have used is available from our shop.


In answer to the comments, age and time is a wonderful thing! Picture is now loaded!! Doh!Tomorrow I will be giving away blog candy to celebrate a very special day!
Happy Stamping!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Journey into 2009!

I am not one for making resolutions,as they are so easy to break, more that I will try new things, and keep my sanity intact!
I plan to keep my crafty stuff in order. Not an easy task, as I have "stuff" everywhere in piles, and in unmarked boxes and drawers, and in at least 2 rooms! I have been crafting ever since I can remember, from patchwork to jewellery to collecting beads ( I have several boxes of antique beads) to making candles! Now I stamp, and have drawers full of stamps from when I first started 16 plus years ago. If you ever need anything I am absolutely sure that I have it...somewhere!
One of the main things that I plan to do this year is try to blog almost everyday, hopefully with a piece of artwork or a free download (if I can work that out), and also to do a couple of technique videos too. At The Artistic Stamper we have some fab new ideas for you coming in the Spring, with, of course, new stamps, and all the new products that should be available throughout the year.
Over at the Objet D'art Challenge  we have a tag challenge at the moment, and with this in mind, I made a tag today. I used our large white chipboard tag, distress inks, a Tim Holtz stamp, and some of his fabulous trinkets to decorate.The background was distressed in blue and yellows, and then I stamped the words. Using a mask over them I stamped the backgorund using the harlequin texture mat. I cut out some words from a newspaper and glued them onto a fragment charm with Claudine Hellmuth's new Studio Multi-Medium. The numbers were distress crackle painted, but sadly did not crackle....no idea why, could be that the numbers are metal....all answers on a postcard please.
I guess this tag represents what I must do in 2009, and poignantly the little trinket pin has the word "stuff"" on it, I liked that idea!
Please do take a look at the Objet D'art challenge, so easy to do, and there is a piece of blog candy to be won too.
Finally for those of you who like to shop in the comfort of your own home, we have a 10% discount off at the shop until Friday this week.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Advent Candy Winner!!!

The day has been spent just relaxing after last night. I do hope you had a good New Year's Eve. Mine was spent with friends listening to a band at a local watering hole! *hic* Mai tai's have a habit of making me sleepy the next day!
I have consulted with my oracle the great and wonderous Random.org, and his prediction for the New Year was that no 26
has won the Christmas Day blog candy! Congratulations, and please email me your address so I can send you your candy!
I have to say a huge big thank you to absolutely everyone who joined in, commenting and making me enjoy the run up to Christmas and beyond.... I have lots of new ideas for 2009, so watch this space.....
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hugs