New stamps and BLOG CANDY!

Tonight over on Objet D'art Challenge there is a new challenge involving a photo! This time my daughter aged 11 is the star! I found this photo lurking in a drawer and have not really altered it, but added to it. You can do the same , and be in the running for blog candy too!
I am giving away a set here on this blog AND on Objet D'art too!

All you have to do is add a link to this blog,post a comment and enter the Challenge blog too for a chance to win there as well! Not sure if this makes sense, but I am sure you will work it out.

Here is the candy

These are just released new stamps from The Artistic Stamper, and I shall be doing loads more with them over the next week. Winner will drawn March 14th.

Good luck!

Double stamping Alcohol Ink Technique

For those of you who like the alcohol ink technique , here it is in more detail.

Take an ATC size ( 2.5 x 3.5 inch ) piece of Glossy Card, and using three colours on your alcohol ink tool, add a little bit of blender to lighten the colours. I used Stream Wild Plum and Eggplant Ink onto the card,

and then using Archival Black ink, (this is the best ink to use)stamp your words or music directly over the ink. Then taking one of the nudes , or a stamp with a large area which remains un-inked , stamp directly over the words and background. Double inking technique accomplished! So easy and so effective.This is another one using the same technique.

Happy Inking!

Life takes over....

and suddenly it is over a week since I blogged! Life took over last week, and I was involved in a car accident, and had a show to prepare, amongst family concerns too, so I haven't found time until now to blog. I am fine from the accident, was a little shaken, and more concerned for Hels than myself, but we are safe, and the car is mendable, so here I am!

I have lots to tell, there are new stamps (have to put them on the website) and all the new Ranger alcohol inks are ordered, hopefully here end of March! along with the new Grungepaper, and new idea-ology bits too!

I did a workshop with Tim Holtz at Stitches, and one with Suze Weinberg, and will show you the pieces I made in a few days. I even got to play with the new alcohol inks, which are divine, and I know you will want them as soon as you see them!

In the meantime, here are two more of the ATC's I made with alcohol inks.

I will post the last one tomorrow :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is the day of lovers all over the world, and I have a WINNER for the blog candy!

MISS LESLIEANNE

Please email me your snail mail address, so I can send you all the goodies.

I am off today to visit a friend , and then go and visit "Stitches" , the trade show for the craft world here in the UK, so hoping to find some new goodies to buy for the shop...

I am sorry I haven't been around much this week, but have been so busy preparing from Farnborough Make it show next weekend, and generally doing other stuff, that needed to be done! ( more of this in a later post) If you are thinking of coming to Farnborough, stop by and see us at the booth (The Stamp Connection) or book to do a workshop.

Here is a little ATC for you that I came across hiding in a drawer a while ago. It is in a series of 4 that I have done, and I will blog the others on my return.

The technique is simple. Alcohol ink the background. Stamp one of my nudes, and then stamp over with a Calligraphic mat. Voila!

Enjoy your weekend

Valentine's Day blog Candy

I have had to revise my post for the Valentine's give-away, as I am a dork and cannot read instructions! So for all of you who commented , I have kept this post as the Valentine's give-away, and have created a brand new post for One World One Heart .
This is the Valentine's giveaway , which has Tim Holtz ruler book, Stitchels stamps, blooms, printed twill, a silver heart ( what else would you expect for Valentine's Day?) and some of our great thick chipboard in black and white!All you need to do is comment, and link the give-away on your blog. Be in it to win it.

One World One Heart- The Winner

Today is the day when we all choose a winner for One World One Heart... a wonderful world wide giveaway started by Lisa. Congratulations Lisa, on the most amazing blog roll I have ever seen! Thank you for your generosity in time and help.
I guess I should tell you who jumped on the gypsy caravan here in the UK, and won!
So drum roll for.....

DAWN

who was chosen by the random integer. I have emailed you, so please let me have your details., so I can send you your canvas.

Don't forget to go and look at all the wonderful blogs on the gypsy caravan trail too, if you haven't already and roll on next year! Thank you Lisa.

One World One Heart

I have now closed the comments on this post, and shall announce the winner later today!
and the winner is

DAWN
One World One Heart was started by Lisa Swifka to make new friends from blogging all around the world. It is a fabulous concept, and you get to meet new people , visit blogs, win goodies, and see the world of creative art of every kind! I am giving away a teeny weeny canvas , and may even include another one :).

Please click on the globe to travel the world and even get a chance to win something! A fabulous concept, and thank you Lisa for starting it. Long may it live!
All you have to do is comment, and don't forget to visit all the other blogs too. I shall choose a winner when the One World One Heart finishes on February 12th.
Happy Blogging

Potting Shed Productions

Over on the Objet D'art Challenge, Hels has taken a flower pot , and made it her own! The challenge involves you getting a flower pot and making it your own.... anyway you like. I have mine all ready to transform, so what are you waiting for- grab your mojo's and go and create.

Just post on the Objet D'art challenge when you are ready!

A little bit of fun!

Blog hopping this morning, I came across this great fun site Taaz which is a virtual makeover site.There are a few around, but this one is just so much fun and very easy to use. No doubt when I get time I shall be doing more.....

Here is me when I was younger*LOL*

Love to see what you manage to do...

Red & White

Over on Arty Girlz blog challenge the theme this week is Red and White, so I made a card in what else! red and white!

I embossed the glossy card in my Big Shot, and used the Harlequin Texture mat for the top half in Distress ink. Then I covered the Mixed Minis Grungeboard alphabet in distress inks, and some of them I white crackled. I have found that the crackle paint gets lumpy and hard to use the nearer the bottom of the bottle it goes, so am going to try spritzing into the bottle to see if that makes a difference. Will let you know. The little heart has Worn lipstick distress stickles on it, and the wings are crackled.

Girls, thank you for the challenge, I am beginning to like blog challenges as they stretch my creativity!

More Black & White

This time I made an ATC for a friend, and also for the Arty Girlz Challenge which was to make an ATC. I think I have just scrapped in my the skin of my teeth :).
It was very simple, and just used my faithful papers from Black Market, and of course grungeboard. I covered the grungeboard in Snow White Dabber, and then stroked Black Adirondack ink over it. So easy, and so effective.

Don't forget the One World , One Heart giveaway at the top of the oage, and of course the Valentine's giveaway too, so please do leave a comment and be in it to win it :)

Happy Inking

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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 :(

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.

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!