Sassy Serena & The Fairy

Hiya, I hope you have all had a good week. I went to Cambridge with one of my oldest friends yesterday, we were treated to an impromptu fashion show as we arrived into the grand arcade which was really unexpected but great fun and we finished our trip out with a lovely meal in the Cafe Rouge and a very nice French waiter LOL!!

A couple of contrasting cards today, the first is using one of my favourite Stampsmith stamps called Serena, I'm hoping to add to my collection of these gorgeous stamps as my sister is coming over from the States in a couple of weeks so I have persuaded her to bring a set of stamps over for me. 

The stamps used on this card as well as Serena are Hero Arts newspaper print background and Tim Holtz papillon.

The fairy stamp is from the zodiac range by Linda Ravenscroft. I used watercolours and distress inks to paint her.

I can't access my craft desk today or probably for the next few days as we are having new flooring laid downstairs so there are boxes and piles of books everywhere. I am very untidy but even I'm struggling with the mess!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend & Happy Crafting xx

I am entering these for the following challenges

Samuel Taylor crafts ~ Butterflies

Rainbow Lady's challenge ~ Butterflies

Frilly & Funkie ~ Your Favourite Vintage

Lollipop crafts ~ Anything Goes

Stampin with the Dragon ~ Things with Wings

A little bit of Alice designed for That's Crafty

My second post of the day. Hope you're all enjoying the gorgeous weather. I'm off out now to enjoy it. It's so great having the lighter evenings isn't it!

If you'd like to know a little more about this project please pop over to That's Blogging Crafty for more details.

Have a lovely day & Happy Crafting xx

Songbird designed for Happydaze

Inspired by Sam's altered altoid tins, I thought I would make my husband an altered tin. He plays the mandolin and is always misplacing his plectrums LOL, this little tin is the ideal size to store them in. I bought two of these tiny mint tins from Aldi for just over a £1.

I started by giving the tin a coat of gesso. Then two coats of cream matt emulsion.  I then stamped the cute little birds from Prima Songbird and the text stamp from Artist outpost Bluebird plate, in archival ink on the sides and the bottom of the tin. I painted the stamped images with distress inks in Barn door, Dusty concord, spiced marmalade and broken china. Then I buffed more broken china all around the edges.

I used a gold leafing pen around the top edge of the tin and finished with a coat of varnish.

A quick reminder about the current Happy Daze Challenge which  you still have time to enter. It is "March to your own tune" So anything with a musical theme.  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

Spring Is In The Air ~ FSC ~

Hope you're all enjoying the glorious weather we're having, at the moment, it certainly feels like spring is well and truly here and at Fashionable Stamping Challenges we're looking for your fabulous Spring creations. The Stampettes have designed some Spring Show Stoppers for your inspiration so please do head over to FSC to have a look. Our lovely sponsor Marina will be offering the winning entry a prize from Cottages Crafts.

I decided on a Spring collage using one of the MDF plaques available from Joanna Sheen. It was painted with matt emulsion. The grunge paper flowers, die cut letters and the MDF bird house were given the weathered wood treatment using fresco finish paints & crackle medium.

The rabbits, bird nest and script stamps used are all by La blanche and are stamped with archival ink and painted with Inktense pencils. I really enjoy using La Blanche stamps they give such a detailed impression.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and please do head over to FSC and join our challenge.

I'm also entering this for the following challenges

Pan Pastels UK ~ Bright colours
Lets Ink it up ~ Show us your flowers
Our Craft Lounge ~ Spring Things

Have a Great Sunday & Happy Crafting xx

~ Some more Shabby Vintage ~

I know not another one, it will be my last for a while as I have some more 3 dimensional projects I'm doing ATM.

Now I've uploaded the photo I've noticed that it looks like the bird is balancing the heart on his tail. Well what can I say he is is a very clever bird & it's too late to change it as it is well and truly glued down now LOL!

I made my own background paper for this one using some of my favourite labels, script and post mark stamps. I stamped them using coffee archival ink and toned it down with picket fence stain. I used distress inks in old paper and victorian velvet to tint the paper. The frame, hinge, flower and heart are also made using this paper. The bird is painted using fresco finish paints.

I'm entering this for the following challenges

Simon Say Stamp and show us your Handmade backgrounds
One stop craft challenge ~  handmade flowers
Sugarcreek Hollow ~ layers 

Have a lovely crafty weekend,  hopefully it will be a sunny one XX

Mother's Day

Hope you are all enjoying Mother's Day. This is the card I made for my Mother. The main stamped image is from La Blanche and is stamped onto a crackled background using fresco finish paints and then painted with water colours. Still in vintage shabby mode LOL!

Freezing here today, I've reverted back to my sheepskin boots again!

Have a great evening. Will be watching Upstairs Downstairs tonight, not a patch on Downton though.


I'm entering this in the following challenges

My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Mum's the word
Glitter Geeks ~ Mother's Day
Papertake Weekly ~ For the girls or Mum
Creative Inspirations ~ Something for Mum
Sugar Creek Hollow ~ Layers


Thanks for looking & Happy Crafting xx

Soul of the Rose

I don't own many Oxford Impressions stamp but I did buy The Soul of the Rose set from my first visit to LB Crafts early last year, unfortunately LB Crafts has now closed its doors, which is a shame as I'd only just discovered it and used to enjoy visiting Olney. But I can console myself by using this set of stamps which has lots of gorgeous Pre Raphaelite images. I used my favourite stamp which is of a painting by J. W. Waterhouse and I gave her the full shabby treatment.

I stamped onto glossy paper with archival ink and used my zig photo markers to tint the image. The background paper is from Kaisercraft sweet nothings range. The rose is stamped onto an old book page and I distressed a mica tile.

I am entering this in the following challenges

Craft room Challenge ~ Vintage
Simon Says Stamp & show ~ Anything goes
The Stampman ~ Vintage
Pan pastel challenge ~ Girly/Mother's Day

The sun has finally made an appearance so I'm off out now, we have had fog all this week.

Have a great day & happy crafting xx