Textures and More Stamps to Giveaway

I was challenged on Facebook to do the Artchain - 5 days of art. So here is Day 5 - a new card showcasing Oak House Studio's new Triple Colour Pigment Ink Pads and the Sunshine sentiment & Texture set of stamps.  They're going to be featured in the next Craft Stamper magazine (along with the Double Daisy) and as I seem to have 2 sets, then I'm putting one set in the GIVEAWAY.

I've used the Triple Sunshine Yellows and Triple Fruity Reds ink pads with a square palette stamp and just inked, kissed and stamped with the Texture stamps.  I can assure you it's an addictive technique.   I've just matted it all on maroon card and added the sentiment to finish.

For the rest of my pieces, I've gone back through my archives starting with some scrapbooking - a very early double page from 2004.  I'd do it differently now but it still reminds me of how windy it was.  You could barely walk along the prom and our voices just disappeared into the air.  I really need to start scrapbooking again and not leave all my photos hiding in my computer!!

Next are a couple of  baubles made at a workshop about 8years ago and I still love them now.  They were so easy to make - clear baubles, add some polished pigments, shake, add another colour, shake ...... the colours are wonderful and I need to do this again too!!

 

I made this canvas in February 2010 for Oak House Studio's stand at Stitches (the Trade Show) - the theme was red and black and I used a selection of the Oriental and Dragon stamps.  It was fun to do, much admired and Suze Miller Weinberg even took a photo and blogged about it.

  

 And finally my last project made for Oak House Studio's ONE STAMP weekend using the Decorative Diamond stamp and Ice Resin.  It came out much better than I expected so I sent a photo to Craft Stamper magazine - they loved it, asked me to write up the project and amazingly it was published in the September 2013 issue.

 

I love how varied my projects are and it's made me realise how stuck in a rut I am.  So that's my 2015 challenge to have a go at different things more.  Hope you like my projects and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win some stamps!!

 

 

 

 

Made with Love

Here's a quick card made for the Less is More Challenge week 208 where this time there is a SKETCH to follow.

Having had a bit of a clear out of my bit boxes this week I came across this heart so thought I'd use it on this piece.  It's made from red Fimo, stamped with Oak House Studio's Mack Rose stamp in Jet Black Archival and cut out with a heart shaped cutter.    The background is Kaisercraft's Lace stamp in Vermillion Archival and the Made with Love is from a set of Hero Arts stamps of that name.

Thanks for popping by and please leave a comment - I have a GIVEAWAY of the stamps I used last week to celebrate my 5 years of blogging.   And I have come across another duplicate set so more on that next week!!

Journal52 - Conversations

New Year, new me...clean craft space etc etc.  I decided to clear out my Bit Box and to be honest I have no idea why I've kept some of the tiddy little bits.....when am I ever going to use them?  This photo shows the pile that's destined for the bin.   That yellow bit is 3" by 1/8" - I have no idea why I thought it would be useful!!

 

In doing this I found a few nice bits so used those for my Journal52 page.  It's a Facebook group with a prompt every week.  I did every one last year and thought I'd do it again - it's a way of testing out ideas, using stuff up etc.  This week the prompt was Conversation Starters.

So I've cleared one box, the problem is I have another Bit Box to clear.  I'm very jealous of those people who can store offcuts by colour etc rather than just a jumble in a box.  I now need to find some Twinchie and Inchie challenges to use some more up.

Thanks for looking!!

Craft Barn Challenge - January

The new year long Calendar Challenge has just started at The Craft Barn and guess what for January   the theme is to use AQUA and SNOWFLAKES.   As ever the hardest part at the beginning of a challenge is to decide what format to use - I've decided to decorate 14cm squares which can be added to an A5 size flip calendar.
 

 

So to begin I've stamped the Snowflakes from Tim Holtz's Reindeeer Flight set and embossed with Sparkle EP.  I ripped some paper to create a hill and then sprayed French Mint Ink in a Bottle over the snowflakes. For the bottom half, I stippled some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink in places and then stamped the Pine Trees from the same Tim Holtz set with Pine Needles Distress.   The calendar is just printed off the computer.

As well as the Calendar Challenge The Craft Barn are doing weekly challenges too so why not pop over and have a look - there are prizes to be won.

Speaking of prizes, I'm having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate 5 years of blogging.  All the details are HERE so any comments on any of my posts till February 16th will go in the pot for a chance to win.  I'm still tidying my Oak House Studio stamp box so there may well be more stamps added to the prize!!

Many thanks for visiting my blog.

Friends like a Fruitcake?

They said on the radio this morning that it's Blue Monday (Christmas has gone, not pay day yet) so I thought why not make a blue card to cheer you all up and have a GIVEAWAY too!! 

The card is my entry for the Less is More Challenge week 207 where the theme is FRIENDS. I've used some new stamps from Oak House Studio - the Square Grid inked with the new Triple Sky Blues Pigment ink pad which works great on linen card.   I love the blues in this ink pad but a word of warning - do remember which way round your stamp is!!  The Friends like Fruitcake stamp is inked with just the darker blue of the three.  I hope it makes you smile!!  I've also linked up to the Uniko Challenge where the theme is Love and Friendship and Inspirational Challenges where the theme is Ombre.

Whilst I was rummaging in my stamp box I realised I had 2 sets of these stamps and as it is 5 years since I started this blog, I thought I'd have a GIVEAWAY as a thank you for visiting my blog.

So please leave a comment on this post and/or any of my future posts for a chance to win.    I'll leave the Giveaway open for a month so your last chance to enter will be February 16th.  

Good Luck.

Vintage Journey - IKB

As I have a little time at the moment I thought I'd make a card for  the Vintage Journey Challenge where the theme is to use a Portrait.  I couldn't think of a personal one to use so went with this famous portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 

He's a hero in our house as my husband is a Railway Engineer and both my daughters were given Brunel awards at school for doing well in Maths and Physics.  One year an actor came into school to do the assembly and sang a song about IKB hence the title!!

The challenge is based on Tim Holtz style so I've done a swooshy mix of Pine Needles, Iced Spruce, Broken China and Salty Ocean for the background and mopped up the excess with the seam binding.   The stamps are from Tim's Steampunk set plus the Checker Plate from Kaisercraft to carry on the metallic theme.  The frame and gears were painted with black acrylic and Silver Dabber and to finish I've just added the Discoveries Word Band.

Not very good daylight this morning to take a photo but I hope you like what you see.  Thanks for popping by and for leaving a comment - they are always very much appreciated.

Tim's Tag - January 2015

I'm having trouble getting started this year but thought I'd have a go at Tim Holtz's first tag for 2015.  The tag and all the instructions can be found HERE - as ever I have very few of the products he used so I've improvised.

I do have some tissue wrap but it's obviously in a safe place as I can't find it.....so I've used some script vellum for the base and coloured it with Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Stains, mixed with Picket Fence Paint and sprayed with Walnut Tree re-inker.

I've added the Chit Chat stickers and covered with Glue and Seal. 

The numbers are Vinyl Thickers covered with Gold Dabber and with some Gold Stickles added to the 5.

I've added some Snowcap Dabber and more Gold Stickles to the background and finished with dyed seam binding and a bell off a Lindt Reindeer that was on my table......so I'm ringing in the New Year!!




I'm not sure I like the end result but I do enjoy the challenge of finding an alternative if I haven't got what Tim used.  Having rummaged around in my boxes I've decided I really don't NEED any more stash but then I've seen some of the CHA peaks.....oh dear....

Anyway thanks for popping by and please leave a comment - they are very much appreciated!!

Happy New Year

Well I hope you've all had a good Christmas and got lots of new crafting goodies to play with - I did although I've not had time to play with them yet.  But it's time to celebrate so I got out my Firework stamps, some inks and sparkly powder.

Wherever you are I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and lots of creativity in 2015!!

Elaine xx