True North designed for That's Crafty

If you'd like to see more please do pop over to That's Craftys new blog here.

Thanks for looking & Happy Crafting. xx

Art Journaling Designed for Happy Daze

I decided to have ago at making an art journal (not really a journaling sort of person, never kept a diary before so will see how  I get on with it) using some recycled packaging to make the cover. I started with some plain white card and applied some distress stains in pine needles and dusky concord. Then diluted some distress re-inker in dusty concord and added some mica powder then sprayed on the the card. I lightened the page by adding a wash of watered down gesso. Then used bleach on one of my rubber script stamps and stamped it randomly accross the page & overstamped in black archival ink.
I used paper bag studios Be Happy cling stamp  and used distress inks to colour. This stamp so reminds me of photos of myself when I was younger. I sadly sported exactly the same haircut with the short wonky fringe, had my Mum to thank for that, she always cut my sisters and my hair really short LOL!  I remember one particularly bad haircut she gave me she decided to put some rollers in to try and make the best of a bad job, yikes it was dreadful, I think she scarred for me for life, but I did manage to let her keep me off school for a few days as compensation. Anyway I then stamped artistic outpost whimsical melange. I added some words ( tongue in cheek) I printed on the computer and used matte medium to glue the page to thick grey cardboard.

It does look rather dark for a journal they are usually bright affairs, but I blame successions of bad haircuts for that, told you I'd been scarred by the experience!!!!

The back of the journal was created in the same way and the stamp used is Paperbag studios windsong . I cut up my own paper to put in the journal a mixture of watercolour paper and thick card as I find a lot of the ready made books have quite thin paper.

 A quick reminder about the current Happy Daze Challenge which  you still have time to enter. It is Love, a Technique you love to use. It could be new or a your favourite tried and tested technique.  One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win a  £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

• You can enter by blogging you address to the linky widget here, 
• emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net
• uploading your photo to their facebook page

Thanks for looking & Happy Crafting xx

Something For A Child ~ FSC

Something for a child is the latest Fashionable Stamping Challenge. This certainly was a challenge for me, as you've probably noticed I rarely if ever make anything suitable for children. 

Do check out the other Fashionettes truly gorgeous projects, for lots of inspiration. Remember it is a stamping challenge so we do need to see some stamping included on your project. Our lovely sponsor is Marina from Cottage Crafts and the winning entry can choose anything from her shop up to the value of €7. So please come and join the challenge.

I rummaged through my ever increasing stamp supplies (which is causing me more problems as I seem to spend more & more time dithering about which to use LOL!!) and decided on this one from paperbag studios. I decided on primary colours and used some papermania papers for backing. I stamped on watercolour paper and used my water colour paints to colour her in. The flower is a Wendy Vecchi art parts one that I had a go sort of zentangling on. I don't know if there is a certain way to do it, but I just did it ad hoc!

Hope you are having a great weekend and enjoying the lovely mild weather. XX

A Touch of Lace....

And a lot of pink again! This is a card I made for my Mum. The main stamped image is a wooden rubber stampede stamp which I picked up from ebay, love scouring ebay for unusual stamps. The background paper is by prima and the torn paper is one I made used a hero arts newsprint stamp and the rose is an Iron Orchid designs stamp. I used water colours and distress inks to colour these. The square lace is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Hope your enjoying the lovely weather, it's gorgeous today.

Thank you to everyone who has left such kind & lovely comments and Hiya to all my new followers. I do try to visit your blogs and leave comments, but I seem to be on a go slow ATM, nothing unusual there though, never seems to be enough hours in the day for me LOL.

Have a great weekend, hopefully we will get a bit more Spring weather.

Happy Crafting XX

Follow your Dreams Designed for That's Crafty

I’m delighted to share my first craft project as a member of the That’s Crafty Design Team. I love stamping and That’s Crafty has the most amazing selection of stamps so it was very difficult to choose which ones to use.

I decided on making a small travel themed canvas and used some B line and Paperartsy stamps.  Firstly I stamped B line postcard collage on tissue paper and adhered it to the canvas using Claudine Hellmuth matt medium . I painted over a light wash of Fresco finish in ice blue & stencilled in a darker shade of blue. I painted some thin card in the same fresco finish paint and stamped paperartsy hot pick 1106 & urban snap shots structures plate 1 in archival ink and cut and glued onto my canvas. I added a quote and used whimsyStamps Sentiments Collection - Treasured Moments Tickets Sentiments & die. Finally I added a Wendy Vecchi flower and a touch of Inka gold.

Entering this Simon says show & stamp London, Paris or New York

Have a lovely day & happy crafting! xx

Secret Garden ~ Crafty Individuals Challenge

Gone is the pink, but it's been replaced by fairies, but they are Crafty Individual fairies, which are elegant and stylish of course. The current Crafty Individual Challenge is Spring, so after much pondering (I'm so indecisive LOL!!) I decided to use one of these little arches and these fairy stamps to create a secret spring garden.

I painted with my trusty matte emulsion and stamped with archival ink. Inktense pencils for the fairies and distress inks and versamagic ink to tint the arch. The metal flowers and wooden butterflies are sponged with acrylic paint and the ferns with versamagic. A sprinkling of glamour dust for the wings, I really wanted the sentiment to say Secret Garden, but of course I couldn't find any such stamp so I contented myself with calling  this post it, instead.

Off now to make some sort of attempt at tidying my work space. 

Have a Great Valentines Day XX

Monochrome with one other colour ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

With Valentines Day fast approaching and still in pink mode I decided on a Black, white and pink trinket box for the new Fashionable Stamping Challenge, which is Monochrome with one other colour. The Stampettes have of course come up with some gorgeous designs so head over to FSC for some stunning inspiration. Remember it's a stamping challenge so we do need to see stamping of some kind on your project. Our generous sponsor is Marina from Cottage Crafts

I bought a few of these rather dinky wooden boxes in various shapes as you know I love my boxes LOL! I really like this heart shape box. The wood was a bit pitted so I used some wood filler and then sanded it down. I've run out of gesso so just gave it a few coats of matt emulsion, and it didn't make any difference, so won't bother with the gesso on boxes in future. I used one of the new Crafty Individuals stamps CI- 342 and stamped in archival ink and used various shades of pink to colour the design. Then buffed on some distress ink to colour the box. As the design is quite detailed I decided just to add a strip of ribbon around the lid. .I painted the inside in a lighter shade. Brrrr it was freezing taking the picture outside but at least it captured the shades of pink.

Promise no more pink in my next post!

I am entering this in the following challenges

Simon Says Love is in the Air

Creative Inspirations Lots Of Love

My Mums Craft Shop It Must Be Love

Divas By Design Love is in the Air

Everybody Art Love

C.R.A.F.T challenge Valentines Day

Happy Crafting & Happy Valentines Day if I don't get to post before then. XX

A Touch of Pink!

Well rather more than a touch LOL. I got some new stamps from Crafty Individuals so had a play and used rather a lot of pink. I coloured the tag with prismacolour pencils and distress inks. The papers are kaisercraft Sweet nothings and 7 gypsies.

I also used another new stamp for this tag, well new to me that is. It is from judikins and she is rather beautiful I think! I will try and take some better photos tomorrow as the light was not good when I took these.

I'm afraid my next project is also very pink so apologises in advance to my blogger friends, I promise to have a pink free week next week LOL.

Keep warm and have a Happy Crafting Weekend. XX

This is Love!

The current Happydaze challenge is Love - A technique you love to use so I thought I would make my better half a Valentine card, using one of my favourite techniques which is stamping in bleach.

I started with  My Minds Eye Union Square, Beautiful Day paper, then I used some white card and covered it with barn door distress ink, rubbing the pad straight on the paper as I find it takes ages buffing with a foam pad on a large area. Then I folded a sheet of kitchen roll into a square and put it on a plate with a small amount of bleach to act as a stamp pad. I stamped a script stamp randomly across the paper, which removes the distress ink and creates a contrasting effect. I used the heat tool to dry, then I buffed some more distress ink to tone it down  a touch as it was a little to bright. I stamped Lost Coast Designs Cupid stamp in archival ink on top and die cut, Then buffed a some black soot DI around the edges and finished with a gold pen. I used Catslife press this is love stamp for the sentiment.

So please join in the Happy Daze challenge and show us the technique you love to use. One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win a  £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

• You can enter by blogging you address to the linky widget here, 
• emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net
• uploading your photo to their facebook page

Thinking of You!

Just a quick card to show today for someone who is having a tough time ATM. I used pan pastels to colour the the stamp and added it to the background paper. I used the soggy loo roll method for the paper at the back of the central die cut LOL and tinted with versamagic inks.

(edit) a few of you asked what the soggy loo roll technique is and I've been googling trying to find a link to show you and of course I can't find one now, so I will try and explain.

Using about four sheets of folded loo roll, wet until soggy and place in an embossing folding (wrap some kitchen towel around your sandwich to absorb the excess water) and run through your die cutting machine, (obviously not an electronic one) and you get a chunky piece of handmade paper. Leave to dry and then spritz and ink to your hearts content!

Don't know if anyone elses Dog is as obsessed with carrots as mine. He has a carrot everyday and pesters like mad if we forget. He is back to his old pesty self and was determined to eat the snowmans nose, even though he is a real wuss when it comes to snow as he doesn't like getting his paws wet.

Hope you are all warm and toasty on this snowy Sunday!

Happy Crafting. xx