GIngersnap GC53 Chestnut Theme-Read

Over on GIngersnap Creations, the Chestnut theme is Read!  You can interprete this anyway you like, using a well loved book as a starting point or text or anything you like!  I , in my normal jump straight in , don't worry about it, used some pages from an old book, which I bought especially to tear up! Many years ago I took a class at CHA on altering books, (and I am an avid lover of reading and books), and up to that point, desecrating them was an enigma to me! Tear up a book, turn over the corners, write in it! NEVER! But the class taught me to do just that, and although initially it was hard to tear out pages, and paint them and write all over them, I now can, and have done, and will continue to do so. In fact I have 2 altered books on the go, and love creating new works out of old discarded , unwanted pages.
My project for the theme was to grab some pages and glue them with Studio Multi medium direct to the wooden bird. I then used mica sprays, and gently sprayed  all over the text. Allow it to dry. The number 35 for the eye, just fitted perfectly. I did gently stamp over it with the open Sequin stamp.  I then used one of the wings from Mr Holtz's Fanciful Flight die to add to his tail. , and I had embossed some Ten Seconds Studio metal and made a sandwich with it sticking humungo tape to card and then the metal to the card, and running it through the big shot within an embossing folder. I cut them out , turning the metal upside down on the second cut to get a mirror image ( if you see what I mean). I added a little strip of embossed metal to the bottom of the bird. I also cut up a few pages and made a mini book to hang at the bottom of the bird. I did spray and add black paint to the metal to give it a bit of depth.

 So grab an old book from the charity shop, and just pull out one or two pages, and decorate them and enter Gingersnap Chestnut theme! Go on, I dare you!! lol

Tweet, tweet....

or should that be sweet, sweet?, as I have candy on offer. I have spent a very enjoyable morning, while the rain has come down outside,indulging in making a little wooden hanging bird with distress inks, rock candy crackle paint, dotty stamps, and the crown! The wings are from Mr Holtz's Flourishes die set, and coloured with Rusty Hinge and Barn Door. The crown is painted with Viva Decor Precious Metal in red.

 I am a great lover of those penny sweets that you get in sweet shops, (you know the kind, pink shrimps, blackjacks, flying saucers) and I often buy 50p bags and munch my way through them before I am even home! But the candy on this page is of the crafting kind, and a must for anyone who loves competitions. All you have to do is comment, and add the candy to your sweet shop to be in it twice. I am giving away a Tim Holtz die, and a new wooden bird that we have in the shop, along with the darling little crown to add to your bird.

I shall pick the winner on Monday 10th May.
Hoping you are having a great Bank Holiday weekend despite the rain!
Hugs

The times, they are a'changing!

Here at Artistic Towers, we felt it was time for a change on how we work with our designers, and from today, we are saying goodbye to our current  illustrious Creative Team  with grateful thanks to everybody on their fantastic hard work and gorgeous artwork over the last months. We wish them well in all their new adventures, and we know that they will always be creating gorgeous artwork for you to be inspired. This is a very public thanks to everyone who has worked tirelessly producing artwork for our displays boards and for their blogs. I love all the different takes on using some of The Artistic Stamper stamps. All the links for the blogs are on the Creative Team page on the website, and in the Galleries. please take a look and get some fantastic ideas on how to use our stamps. 
From the end of May we will be re-launching the Design Team in a completely different format, which we hope will encourage you to be more creative with our products and stamps. I couldn't choose any single piece of artwork to show you, so I have included a piece from everyone, and hope they give you inspiration for the weekend.

Watch out for tomorrow when I will have some super blog candy to give away!
Have a Creative day!
Hugs and heartfelt thanks

It's a Mess!

Today is Wednesday, and time for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday hosted by the illustrious Mrs Dunnit. As you can see I have hardly been busy , as there are unopened inkpads, ( slightly obscured by the light) but these are the new metallic Stazon's, some Tim Holtz's flowers in the process of being worked on, and a lot of push me pull me, pile it high stuff!!!!I have added another layer to my spin it and see distress ink holder, which seems to be the only thing I have done all week!

ooh, just loaded the picture, and blogger have changed the load up page.. so now you can see what pictures you have on the blog... is this useful, I wonder?I am hoping to get time to nose around everyone else's desks...if I get time.. seems like I might need several hours!
Hugs to everyone from a very barren, not much going on desk!
 

100 today!

Not me, not any of my family, but the Sunday Stamper over on Hel's blog, and all this week, you can take part and also get the chance to win candy! I cannot win any (sad face, as I am giving it away! ) but I have entered, so here is my piece. I cut out the new Tattered Florals Sizzix dies onto grungepaper, and distress inked them with Barn Door, and some black, and then rubbed a copper dabber on to them. The stamping is the dots and the open sequins stamps from The Artistic Stamper, and the button is from The Girl's Paperie, which I also gently swiped with copper dabber. The leaves are from the Regal Crest die, and cut out of Tim's new Idea-ology papers, which are lush!

So go on, enter your piece, it is a free week, which means you can create anything, and be in with a chance to win!
Happy Creating!

I have been busy...

Seems like an age since I posted on here, but this week has been so busy, that I haven't had time to even sit down and create or even find time to post! I do hope you didn't get caught up in the ash cloud. My son had to postpone his trip to New York and Central America, and became a VAV! Volcanic Ash Victim!
These are some of the tags that we created in my Distress ink workshop at Pickleberry, and we had a great time on both occasions! Love teaching my ladies :) Come on gentlemen, come and join our classes!

This is a selection of what I taught, and the front one is the splatter technique where you distress ink your tag and then taking globules (doesn't that conjure up lovely images? ) of water and literally throw them at the ink! Dry with a heat gun to keep the pools of water. The stamp used is from the popular Botanical Plate 1. Don't ask what colour distress inks I used, but probably Cracked Grass and Bundled Page!

 Over on Dan's blog, he has said what we all are thinking , and changed the words of the inks! My DH always changes them, and last night while updating the alcohol ink stock, he went for a walk in the Lake Mist, fell over a pebble, and landed in a pool! lol
Have a greatly Creative Day!
Hugs

Birthday Wish

It is not often I make a birthday card, but it was a friend's birthday yesterday, and I whipped up this little something for her!
I already had the uteed frame, made with the sequin stamp, by just pouring melted utee onto the stamp which was underneath the frame, and I used one of Tim's new papers for the background layer. Add a couple of foliage pieces, and mini paperclip, and an adage ticket, and voila!

Have a Creative day!

Take a little Time!

Over on Gingersnap Creations, I have done a tutorial that involves utee, and a wooden frame, some mica sprays, and a bit of imagination! You can also get the chance to see some wonderful artwork by some talented artists, and if you comment you will get a chance to win the frame too!

I do hope that you like the tutorial, and I am off today to teach a distress ink workshop, so have to go get dolled up! ( that means a pair of jeans, and my trusty apron, oh and a top of course, just in case you wondered..lol)
Have a Creative day!

Shimmering Stars

The week has flown by, and I am still catching up! I have been adding lots of new stuff to the shop, and generally trying to recover from Ally Pally. I hurt my back while lifting something, so progress has been slow this week, but the painkillers help! lol I just thought I would pop in and say hello to everyone, and show you another tag or two. The one without the uteed star was made by laying down Studio paints and then drying , and spritzing with craftynotions mica sprays on top. The star was made using craftynotions new Jewel Enamels which are fabulous, and pouring onto a non stick carft sheet and then pushing a star cookie cutter into it while it is still molten. Allow it to cool bfore removing. Unfortunately you cannot even see the shimmer in the scans :(

 I will have all these in the shop next week. In the meantime, Vintaj Charms , and Amate studio rings and pendants have pitched up in the studio, and are now available on line! Just wondering how I can use all these new products in one hit! lol
Have a very creative day!

What's on my workdesk Wednesday

I have been absent from my blog since Friday.. how awful is that? almost a week! Just shameful, but I do have an excuse. We have been busy making new stamps, doing Ally Pally Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show, and updating the website with new product which will be finished later today). Today is WOYWW instigated by Julia.  So here is my desk how I left it on Monday after emptying my toolbox from the weeeknd. Actually not much has changed... still the push back pile it high, leave it where it is method! I really must tidy up. The tags are ones I did at the weekend, and also shown is one I did that I have scanned in.

Off to finish sorting out my new orders just in from Vintaj and Amate, and get them on the website :)
Have a great day!
 

Tick tock..

The countdown is on to Ally Pally , the Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show, and here is a little taster of what I will be demoing.... I do have some new stamps launching there, and these will be on the website on Monday..

 Pop by and see hello if you are coming.. Off now to pack van, and drive to set up the shop..
Hugs

It's that day again!

It's Wednesday again, and I am worried because, Monday and Tuesday have disappeared, and we have Ally Pally on Friday (set up day), and am I ready? Yes almost! phew! We are finishing off stamps, prticing those last minute goodies that have appeared, Tim's dies, Idea-ology, Papier mache, new mica sprays and everything that a stamper could possibly want! If I haven't got it , let me know. The stand will be crammed to the gills! We even have a new set of stamps which hopefully will be ready for Saturday! eeek! I really must get more organised! However today is WOYWW, and Julia has all the details on her blog. Pop over and join in.
Here is my desk today! Lots of rubber waiting to be packed! It is actually like this, as I took the picture, about 7.30am this morning...

Off to price, pack, box! Don't forget to join in!

Hugs

Let's do Lace!

Today here in the UK it is a Bank Holiday Monday, where all the Sunday drivers go out in search of lunch, clogging up the roads, and people spend time with their families, and muggins here works! I shall be taking my Bank Holiday Monday on a Tuesday sometime soon, and go out in search of lunch and retail therapy! Ikea and Costco, I hear you calling! lol
Over on Hel's blog, the Sunday Stampers theme is Lace, a song I know and as soon as I saw the title I started singing it... how bad is that? Agadoo, doo, doo.. Anyways, I digress and we have such gorgeous lace stamps that I love using, that I altered a small window book, and added a utee moulded head, covered in Perfect Pearls to a Idea-ology Frame, that I added Precious Metal colour to, and attached it to the window of the book with long brads. I sprayed the book in all shades of Mica paint, some of which will be available at Ally Pally and in the shop after that. Where does the lace come into it , you ask? I stamped the Large Lace background on the cover in Cobalt blue Archival Ink, and I love the way this stamp just gives you an impression. The inside has the edging lace just stamped on the inside.

Hoping you are enjoying your day and watch out for Sunday drivers!
Hugs

Easter pleasures, and a winner!

I do hope you are having a great Easter, and enjoying the 4 day holiday , the sun (in your dreams), your CHOCOLATE (yum) Easter Eggs, the family, and just the general laziness of it all! Good!, because here at Artistic Towers, the other half has decided to remodel part of the kitchen, while I am juggling finishing off all the preparation for the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show next weekend, which means, pricing all the new goodies, dies, papers, altered art stuff, and moulding stamps, making samples, and working out what techniques to show you.. in fact it is possible to move this weekend further into the month? In fact make it next month, when the sun is shining and it isn't raining, and I can veg out!
However much as I might moan, I did have a brilliant day yesterday, as I went up to London on the high speed train, which is fast and means I can read my book, without disturbance ( don't you love that?). I had lunch with my gorgeous daughter and her friend near Tower Bridge, walked along the Thames, took in a bit of retail therapy in Covent Garden, and saw a show! She took me to see Avenue Q at Wyndham's Theatre which is just the most amazing place with gorgeous interior. I was thoroughly spoilt!

After all this spoiling, I am back to work today:( , but before I go here is the winner of the blog candy for this week, and the last of the March Madness! So please step up to the podium.........................ROSIE! Congratulations, and please email me your snail mail address.
Have a great Easter Sunday, see you tomorrow..
Hugs

One Tag, two tags, three tags more!!!

I love this weekend, as it has 2 Bank holidays, and Friday seems like Saturday and Monday seems like Sunday, and by the time Tuesday comes along, I am confused, and wishing it was Friday again!!
Last week while I was teaching the workshop at Pickleberry Crafts, we got the opportunity to use Tim's new On the Edge dies, and I cut several tags with the dies. I positioned them so the dies cut the short end, and then cut off the tops, so I could bind it together. They have sat on my desk for a few days, and finally I got round to doing something with them. I distress inked all of them, back and front, and got very inky doing it too! All the tags are stamped with Mr Holtz's stamps, and I used the flourishes on each side inking with separate distress ink colours on each tag and each side. Not sure if this makes sense, as my brain seems to be fried today!

Then I took some of his words and sayings and stamped those too, on the front of each tag. A couple of the new Idea-ology embellishments, and some ribbon, finished it off. The little embellie at the bottom is a Vintaj piece due in this week (she says hopefully :)

The pictures are taken with Mal's new phone which takes great pictures... can see me "borrowing " it just to take photos of my artwork! lol
I hope you are having a relaxing Easter, and as a gift to everyone we have FREE SHIPPING worldwide on the website this weekend, all weekend!!!
Happy Creating!
 

Happy April!

Today is the 1st of April, (where does the time fly?) , and I was thinking that I could tell you all that I had won the lottery, was giving up stamping, and was going to live in a wonderful hot country where the suns shines all day long, and the beach is on my doorstep. But this post is after 1pm, and so misses the deadline of midday when all April Fool's should traditionally be done, so instead I will let you into some great news. Over on Gingersnaps, there is a new DT team, and I am so proud and honoured to be asked to be a contributing artist, along with other great paper artists. The theme this month is copper, ginger or rust, and I created a 3Dish type of piece using the new Maya Road Dress Form, and Ten Seconds studio metal and moulds.
I covered the dress form in Terra Sahara, and stamped into it with the lace stamp . You need to wet the stamp before using. Allow it to dry thoroughly. I then sprayed it with copper mica spray, and let it dry.

Making the metal roses was fiddly, and involved lots of glue, and rust alcohol ink. I made them using the 6 petal technique with copper metal and the Flower Power middle size stamp , and just loved how they turned out. The other flowers are made with the Ten Seconds Studio Kabuka Mould 10 and barn red metal which I ran through the big shot, and then made a sandwich of Humungo Tape and thick card. I cut them out and added rust and ginger and copper alcohol inks to them.

Thank you so much to Ali and Shar for inviting me to Gingersnaps...I am looking forward to making ART!
Don't forget to pop over and meet the new Design Team, and have a very Creative April 1st!