It's Summer at Crafty Individuals

Well I'm glad it is somewhere then LOL, as it's remarkable damp and dreary here today. We can't still be in drought can we? Still at least no one is worrying about the hosepipe ban then!

My idea for this was A Mid Summer Nights Dream, so I think it fits the current Crafty Individuals Challenge. When I was child I used to love making rosewater, you know gathering loads of fragrant petals and soaking them in water. It invariably went stagnant rather quickly though LOL, but rose perfume always reminds of a perfect balmy Summers evening.

I used one of the studio 490 artful shrines and inked and masked with various versamagic chalk inks. Then I used one of the lovely CI shabby tags and stamped a couple of butterflies. The central image is one of my favourite crafty individual stamps and is coloured with watercolours and prisma pencils, then stitched onto the shabby tag. The fairy is inked and suspended from the flower. I got this idea from Sam Reads (Me And My Stamps) lovely canvas here. The butterflies are also inked with versamagic and I added some diamantes here and there.

I'm also entering this for

Simon Say Stamp & Show ~ Your favourite word
Divas By Design ~ Anything but a Card
Praire Fairy ~ Anything with Flowers


Thank you for all your kind comments regarding my ankle. I was never blessed with neatly turned ankles at the best of times, but its looking remarkably fat and ugly ATM. It's badly sprained with torn ligaments so I'm hopping about on crutches, (more shuffling really) even more reason than normal not to to do housework then!! Unfortunately not getting out and about with my Sister much and she has just gone down with an ear infection, talk about healthy us two!!

Happy Crafting XX

Rosie Loved Paris ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

At FSC we are asking you to show either heat or dry embossing in your work for this fortnights challenge. As we are a stamping challenge we do ask to see some form of stamping in your project and definitely no digis please, so do head over to Fashionable Stamping Challenges to see oodles of gorgeous projects from the other Stampettes to inspire. Our generous sponsor Marina is offering the winning entry a fab prize from Cottage crafts

I chose to do dry embossing, well actually it was wet embossing really. I used the soggy loo roll method (technical term LOL!!) for making some background papers. 

Take about four sheets of toilet tissue, fold and place in inked embossing folders, spritz with water until soggy, then run through an embossing/die cutting machine and leave to dry. Then you can ink or spray with various inks, to achieve your desired effects. I used versamagic chalk inks and pan pastels on mine. As they looked rather like fabric squares I decided to dig out my sewing machine and stitch them together to make my background paper.

The main image is a combination of two stamps from the stampsmith, Rosie ( one which my sister bought over from the States) and stampendous cling, Paris stamp. It is stamped onto my favourite stamping card elegance satin from Joanna sheen and coloured with prisma pencils. The colouring doesn't really show up, as I still struggle trying to get the exact colours with my camera. As the background is quite busy I decide just to add a sentiment and some organza rose trim to finish and a little more stitching.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday and big apologises for not visiting your blogs much this week and thank you to everyone who has visited and left such kind and appreciated comments. 

Feeling a tad sorry for myself as I tripped yesterday whilst out shopping and sprained my ankle. We were supposed to be going out to a National Trust property as its their free weekend but will have to stay home and whinge instead LOL.

Happy Crafting XX.

I am entering this for the following challenges

The Stampsmith ~ The colors of Spring

The Stampman ~ Shabby Chic or Distressed

The Craftroom ~ Ink It
Crafts and me ~ Vintage
Sunday Stampers ~ Summer in the City
Pan Pastels UK Challenge ~ Add a flower

Vintage Portrait Tag For Happy daze

I don't often make tags but these lovely new blockhead stamps from Happy Daze seemed perfect for this. They are gorgeous quality, and lovely thick rubber. I used the vintage portrait set for my tag. I dabbed distress inks in pine cone, barn door and  picket fence onto my craft mat and sprayed with water, (I think the technical term now used is smooshed) the tag across the ink. Then I randomly stamped one of the stamps from the set in archival ink on the tag. I used an old book page and tore to fit and then stitched it onto the tag. I stamped and cut out the vintage portrait and coloured with distress inks and sewed onto my tag. Adding some flowers, jewels and ribbon from my stash to finish.

A quick reminder about the current Happy Daze Challenge which  you still have plenty of time to enter. It is "April Showers" So have fun using your favourite water 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

I'd like to enter this for My Mojo Monthly ~ Tagology

Victorian Matchbox designed for That's Crafty

When I saw these Lost Coast designs doll stamps I knew they would be ideal for an altered matchbox. I have never made one before and have seen quite a few on other blogs so was inspired to have a go. I imagined a Victorian child playing with this.

I started by painted the whole box with black gesso. Then I stamped the doll stamps on white stamping card and coloured with distress inks and watercolours. I place the matchbox onto the stamped card and drew around it then cut out and glued in place with matte medium. I sanded the edges down, then buffed the edges with distress ink in black soot. I also lined the inside of the box. I added a Tim Holtz hitch fastener to the draw, then I stamped and cut out two of the dolls and placed inside the draw with some lace.

I'm entering this for 

Simon Says Stamp & Show ~ Anything Goes

Happy Crafting xx

A Touch of Vermeer

I've been a neglectful blogger this week. We are still decorating our front room so I haven't had much time for crafting, and I'm a bit behind in visiting all your lovely blogs too, so I apologise for that and will be blog hopping tonight hopefully.

I've been after this stamp for a while it is by Chapel Road Art stamps and I've finally managed to get one. But I'm not totally happy with how it is stamping. I've tried brayering on the ink and have gone back to just stamping direct from the pad. I've lightly sanded it and it is a bit better than before. The background paper is from K & Co and has been stamped on and painted, as I just can't seem to help myself from stamping/painting on paper even if it is patterned LOL! 

The banner is made on the computer then machine stitched and some ribbons and pearls added.

The box is one of my usual, painted with gesso then painted with fresco finish paint (in vintage lace) but I find the cheaper matt emulsion in cream just as good and I prefer the colour and its cheaper. It went a bit of an odd colour so I buffed on some distress ink but it made it look a bit dirty, so not very happy with the finished box. So may sand it down and do it again (if I can be bovvered LOL!!) 

Not had a very productive or satisfying crafting week really. Hopefully next week will be better. My sister is over from the States for a couple of weeks so it will be lovely to see her and also she is bringing me some lovely Stampsmith stamps too.

I'm entering this for the following challenges

Moving Along with the times ~ Shabby Chic or Vintage

Sweet Stampin ~ Girly but no pink

Colour Create Challenge ~ Yellow Blue & White

Hope you have all had a great weekend & Happy Crafting xx

Best Of British ~ Designed for Happy Daze

I have to own up that I've never made an ATC before as I've always found the diminutive size rather daunting, but these chunky wooden ATC's are perfect for me as they have plenty of surfaces for decorating. 

I sanded down and rounded the edges. Then coated with black gesso, once dry randomly painting red and blue acrylic paint on the block, then a final coating of a thin layer of white gesso. I sanded lightly to show some of the paint beneath. Then using black archival ink I stamped Artistic Outpost Loverley London plate, ooops and stamped one of them upside too LOL! I buffed over Barn door and chipped sapphire Distress Inks to highlight the paint showing through. I rubbed Inka gold along the edges and buffed to a shine

I bent & cut four of the these filigree corners (an idea from one of Gingers gorgeous creations) and glued in place with glossy accents. I screwed in a small draw knob from my stash to complete.

A quick reminder about the current Happy Daze Challenge which  you still have plenty of time to enter. It is "April Showers" So have fun using your favourite water 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

Ship Ahoy ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hope you are all enjoying your Easter Break and and indulging in some well deserved chocolates, crafting is hungry work don't you think!

Down at Fashionable Stamping HQ the theme is Nautical. We would love to see you nautical creations. It can be any sort of project that follows the theme be it ships, lighthouses or a beach/seaside scene. All we ask is that you include some stamping on your project and definitely no digis please. Our lovely sponsor is Marina at Cottages crafts. So please head over to the FSC blog for some nautical inspiration from the other Stampetes.

For my project I used a wooden sketching box that I bought from Lidl a while ago. I had in my mind the idea of an old ships box. Containing a few nautical items, a small compass, some string, and a few ships papers. Maybe belonging to a Naval Officer on a long sea faring voyage. The watch a memento of his late wife.

 The watch is about the only antique item that I own. It was my Great Grandmothers and the date engraved on it is 1897. It still works and it is much treasured.

The whole box was painted in black gesso, then brown and blue matt emulsion and sanded down to show some of the paint. The stamps used are Crafty Individuals, La Blanche, and Curious By Design. The ship is painted with Inktense pencils and the box buffed with distress inks and Antique gold patina rubbed along the edges.

I am entering this for the following Challenges

Anything goes ~ At Anything Goes Challenge

Craft Us Crazy ~ Altered Item/Anything But A Card

 Crafty Friends Challenges ~ Vintage

Divas By Design ~ Anything Goes

Lets Ink It Up ~ Distressing

Have a lovely Easter Sunday and please head over to the FSC blog and join our Nautical challenge.

Thanks for all your lovely comments & Happy Crafting xx

Lynne Perrella Funky case designed for That's Crafty

You know what's it's like. You make something and then you're not quite sure about it. It's the colours I chose for this, I think it would have been better in reds and yellows but I didn't have any red fresco paint and once it was painted no turning back LOL!!

 As I'm finally using my camera now, you should be able to click on the pics and enlarge them.

Does anyone know where I can buy any more of these white canvas pencil cases from? This was from my local garden centre and they no longer stock them and I can't seem to find anything similar.

If you would like to know more about how I made this please head over to the That's Crafty blog

I'm entering this in

Simons Says Challenge ~ Use your favourite tool 

(It's got to be stencils ATM LOL!)

Happy Crafting & Thanks for all your lovely comments, it's much appreciated & really good to hear what you think xx

Sneak Peak of Klimt ~ Craftstamper

Hiya I know we needed some rain, but I hope it clears soon as I dislike dreary dark weather, not good for crafting LOL. This is a sneak peak of the current article in craft stamper, which I used Cherry pie Klimt stamps.

Have a lovely day and I hope the weather is not too bad for my blogging friends up North.

Happy Crafting xx

April Showers ~ Designed for Happy Daze

Hiya hope you have all had a good start to the week. 

It's a new month and so that means a new Happy Daze challenge. The theme is April Showers show us your favourite water technique.   I have to admit I’m not really one for techniques, so you can keep it simple like me. Or you can really let your imagination go wild and show us your different skills and methods.

The challenge is opened to anyone all we ask is that you use one item that is available in the Happy Daze shop.  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

For this steampunk canvas  I  used a variety of  stencils to build up layers and washes of paint to create the background,  and I used water colour paints on my stamped image.

I used an old book page and gave it a light wash of gesso then I used the Lost Coast Designs Balloon Guys stamp as my focal image. I coloured with a combination of watercolour paints and distress inks and rubbed on Inka gold around the edges.

The two embossed panels are made using ten seconds studio metal in slate, humungo tape, card, this was run through my big shot using an embossing folder. I distressed the panels with sandpaper and sponged on different acrylic paints in black, red and orange until I achieved the desired effect and then rubbed on Inka gold.

I used black stazon to stamp an image onto an optical lense then applied gilding flakes to the back. I used a metal corner, a Tim Holtz hitch fastener , sprocket gears, game spinners and time pieces to finish my canvas.

Have a great evening, looking forward to season 2 of Game of Thrones even without Sean Bean. xx