Travel : The Stampman Challenge

 This clutch bag was originally going to be my challenge piece for Happydaze, but the lovely Julie Dandy by pure coincidence blogged the very same clutch which she had beautifully altered last week, so I thought this would fit the current Stampman Challenge which is travel instead!

 This had a couple of coats of gesso then I used a variety of lost Coast Designs labels stamps and curious by design Paris stamps. I used water colours for the images then I sealed the bag with ranger glue n seal. I completed the bag stamping and distress the pink paislee mistables trim, added a bow and sparkle to finish.

Happy Crafting XX

Sirens, Mermaids & the deep blue sea

The current challenge on Alter It Monthly is Sirens, Mermaids & the deep blue sea. I used one of those fabby, cheap mirrors from Ikea.

I really should have been doing my packing, but crafting is a lot more fun. I gessoed the mirror as usual, and painted it. The stamps used are Littlebigtree, enchanted sea. I got seriously messy with this, using cosmic shimmer mists, Inca gold and some embossing powder and of course my krylon pen!

Bit awkward to photograph as I was trying to avoid my unattractive reflection in the mirror, just about managed it. LOL!!

Back to the packing now!

Happy crafting & lovely to receive all your comments XX

Naughty can be Nice designed for Happy Daze

Not sure what these two lovely ladies have been up to. I'll leave that up to your imagination!
I used a wood jewellery box which I painted in white matt emulsion then I used Lost Coast Designs Naughty can be Nice stamped in archival ink. I used victorian velvet & dusky concord distress inks to rub over the box. The image was coloured in with water colours, but you could easily use distress inks. I finished the box using a a button and trim from my stash & a chain tassel.

I've decided I'm not much of a card maker at the moment, but I did manage to make one at the weekend under duress. LOL! I think I need some more practice!

The image is crafty individuals CI- 320 which I stamped onto cotton !

Thanks for all your lovely comments, I love visiting all your fabulous blogs.

Happy CraftingXX

Crafty Individuals ~ Bright & Beautiful

The current crafty Individuals challenge is Bright & Beautiful and I'm a little late with my entry this month.Thankfully the weather is bright and beautiful today as all it did yesterday was rain continuously. I've used some more distress inks I don't usually reach for, mustard seed, barn door & peeled paint. I think it would have been a lot easier using distress stains but as I don't have any I used my inks. Not really sure what the difference is to be honest. I  used one of the wooden shrines as I love these. I decided just to use inks and stamps on this shrine and resisted the urge to add any extras.

I used gesso on the shrine then some cream matt emulsion. I stamped the images with archival ink & the two CI stamps used are CI- 209 & CI- 277. Then the distress inks to create the background & the colour the back of the shrine. I used water colours to paint the children. I varnished the shrine to protect the inks & water colours & finished by using my gold krylon pen round the edges.

After what I said on the last post I'm entering this in for a couple of other challenges at the Stampman & Gingersnap Creations  LOL! 

I was fiddling with my blog template yesterday as I wanted to be able to add the extra large photos, and now I wish I hadn't as I think I moved the margins, oh dear it will teach me not to do it again!

Not a lot of time for crafting next week as I'll be busy packing for our holiday to Normandy so I'm hoping the weather improves as they're weather is similar to ours. Still the wine is a lot cheaper.

Thank you for looking & happy crafting  XX

Fairies or Angels

I don't seem to enter many challenges & never organised enough to make a project that fits more than one challenge, so I spotted this one on Make My Monday and decided to have ago. Not so sure about the colours I used , but these distress inks just sit in my draw and are rarely used unlike my trusty victorian velvet and brushed corduroy!

I gessoed an oblong canvas then painted it with some turquoise watercolour paint mixed with some gesso as I didn't have any turquoise acrylic, then I sprayed it with a couple of cosmic shimmer mists and stamped with a mesh background stamp. some lovely inca gold and sprayed with varnish. The crafty Individual stamps were stamped onto eco board  then painted with distress inks and watercolours and triple embossed with UTEE, so they look like little glazed tiles, which you can't really see in the photos.

The butterflies and flowers are from one of the crafty Individual books and the butterflies were coated in glossy accents.

Just wanted to add this other photo as I was having a play on my iphone and I liked the border effect. LOL!

I have also entered this into the Dream Valley Challenge which is distressing, not too distressing I hope :-D

Happy Crafty & thanks again for all your generous comments. X

Ophelia's Pennant

I was asked to be the guest designer for August by Polly from Our Vintage Affair and the theme for their current challenge is triangle. It could be a triangular card, or a pyramid box anything which has the shape of a triangle.Up for grabs is a £20 voucher to spend in The Craft Barn.

I decided to make a pennant out of cardboard which I covered in prima bottanical paper on both sides. I edged the pennant with german scrap which I'd gessoed and then highlighted in Inka gold and a little distress ink. I made the larger scrunchy flower using the Tim Holtz tattered floral die and inked and spritzed and gessoed the poor flower till it was thoroughly shabby, and used a selection of roses from Wild orchid crafts.

The stamped image is Ophelia from The Stampsmith & the dies used are cheery lynn french pastry & spellbinders ribbon banners!

Off to make some Plum jam now! Happy crafting! X

Bathing Belles designed for Happy Daze

The current Happy Daze Challenge is  'Oh I do like to be beside the seaside' For my challenge piece I used a wooden curio house. I painted the house in matt emulsion paint and used a variety of stamps including Lost coast designs swimsuit girl and Scrolls work Julie & Sarah. The images were coloured in with promarkers and distress inks and highlighted with glossy accents. Other stamps used are Crafty Individuals CI-278 & CI- 284 and Oxford Impressions By the sea.

There is a £15 voucher and free P&P up for grabs for the current challenge.

You can enter by blogging your entry here , emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net or uploading your photo to their facebook page.

Thanks for looking & Happy crafting XX

A little bit of Klimt!

Back in the land of the blogging! Not a lot of time for crafting at the moment unfortunately, but I have managed to make another little box. I have been lusting after some Cherry Pie Klimt stamps but I haven't managed to get them yet so the next best thing was some rather nice tissues I spotted whilst in the shop at the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge. It would be great if they did a mixed pack of printed tissues as you only need one or two of the same design so I will now have to make lots of Klimt style projects.

I was inspired to have a go at tissue decoupage after seeing Helen Chilton's article in a recent copy of Craftstamper. I painted the box with some matt emulsion then tore out the images and pasted them on with some PVA glue. I randomly stamped with a harlequin stamp and a swirl stamp. A touch of varnish and some inca gold, and my favourite krylon pen to finish.

I recently bought a lovely stamp from Magenta ' Papillon Post' and decided to use it on a anniversary card for my sister!

The other stamps I used on this card are the Tim Holtz Papillon set.

Short and sweet today folks!

Happy Crafting & a big thank you for all your lovely comments! XX