I love this photo of the boys and this was them together on their Birthday giving each other a thankyou hug after they had exchanged gifts.

... which brings me to TioT's challenge for the next fortnight ... Celebrations!

So this was my interpretation of the subject and it shows just how wide the category is.  I don't know about you, but personally, I like to have a fairly free rein to do my own thing so don't feel limited!

I started my page by masking the stars which were on the paper (I used to pull-off tops from new paint pots as my masks) and them stamping the crackle and text.  I spritzed the paper to fade from blue in the top left corner to gold in the bottom right corner.  You can't really see all this detail in the image so you'll have to trust me on this one!!

I mixed some moulding paste and made gave the stars some dimension using a handcut stencil from tracing paper.  I then used the edge of a Wendy Vicchi stamp as a template for my scallopped painted corder.

The photo was blended in with acrlic paints and overstamped with text before adding some of those lovely rub-ons from Sir Tim.  The tag started life on a gardmen but a bit of paint and some rub ons converted it to match my scheme.  

This layout was fun to put together and cost next to nothing (which is always a benefit!)

Hope you all feel like celebrating with us in this challenge and look forward to seeing all your lovely creations.

xx

New Mask

Let me start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year!! I hope your weather is being kind or at least not as disastrous as it is for some poor souls.  Here on the South Coast of the UK we are being heavily lashed with floods, fallen trees and high winds.  Our beach has been moved by the wind and seas up onto the promenade and the sand is now so high that the wheelie bins have disappeared (so that must be over 4' high!!)

So onto our first challenge of 2014 for TioT which is very apt - 'In with the New'.   What this challenge is all about is showing something new - a technique, a new stash item or something Santa left if your stocking.  It's entirely up to you - how fun this that?!!  Just be sure to tell us what your new item is in your blog entry.

So what's new in my layout?  

I created this page using a masking technique.  I had the idea from this wallpaper which we recently used in a show home and I decided to recreate it on my page using a very low tack masking tape.  I used frog tape (available at Homebase and similar).  It's quite expensive compared to masking tape but I always find that masking tape damages the paper whereas Frog doesn't.




I started by creating my wood mask. 

The I painted the sections in with acrylic paints.   You need paints that dry matte for the best effect and these include many of the inexpensive brands (mine are Docraft Artiste paints).  Be sue to get a dark outline at the edge of each plank so that they are clearly separated once the tape is removed.

Once you have completed the whole sheet, remove the tape and put it back over the painted planks and do the same again for these areas.

Remove all the tape and voila! you have your scrapwood background paper.

I look forward to seeing your 'New' creations.  There is plenty of inspiration for this challenge from my other DT friends, so why not pop over to Try it on Tuesday Blog and see if you fancy joining in the fun?!

Take Care and Keep Safe.

X

JOFY Fun

Last weekend, I spent the day at the Stamp Attic with Jo Firth-Young playing with her lovely JOFY Stamps.  It was a great day with lovely people and the time went too fast (as usual).

So, of course, I had to add to the one set I already had and decided that these birds were just TOO cute to leave behind!

It was the triplets 14th birthday yesterday and so I decided it would be a JOFY birthday. 

These are the two cards I made for the boys. This was a late night operation having completely run out of time.  Basically, I didn't start on the cards until the evening after the wrapping up, cake making, balloon buying (not to mention the football run, collection from friends and late supper) had all been finalised.  Phew!!  

Bit of a mistake really but we all do it don't we?  Too many things to do and too little time available.  So everyone had gone to bed and I finally got done at 1.30am!  But it's all worth it when you see their faces and I know they still appreciate me making cards and cakes for them.  

For Seb, I painted out a panel and then added some text in walnut stain.

I stamped and cut out all the elements and painted them with distress inks.  The way DI's work with water is so cool as each colour just sits so well next to each other to give really lovely shades.  I love how the little birdhouse just looks came together with such soft colours (made me feel like a pro!!) (dream on ...)

So, once out of my dream world I mounted them using 3D silicone glue.  Love that stuff as its kind of like icing a cake!!

No time to sit back and admire ... 2 more cards to make ...

For Quin, I decided to make a gate fold card with the branches coming from either side.

I stamped and cut out more birds, leaves and branches (eyes were getting a bit tired by this time!) and painted them with DI's.  

I sat them all on their perches and silicone gel ... job done ... actually no, 3rd card needed!

No, I'm not posting Tavi's card today.  I decided to double up her card with my DT entry for TioT this weekend which goes live on Tuesday.  Knowing this weekends was going to be busy with family time, for once I planned ahead and killed 2 birds with one stone.  So if you want to see more JOFY, pop back on Tuesday and all will be revealed!! 

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

x

My birthday team at the beach yesterday morning after walking the puppy!

Flowers

This fortnight we are concentrating on handmade flowers at TioT and the challenge is Make Your Own Flowers.

I love experimenting and I decided I wanted to make some loose blooms.  I used tissue paper and fine net to create these which remind me of those lovely dark fuschia blooms I had all summer in my tubs. If you crouch down and look up into the bloom, this is almost what you see!

I wanted to use the Fairy Rhymes stack by Prima as it's so lovely and I tasked myself to create a layout using the many elements that come in the stack 'kit'.  This is not something I normally do as I like to start with a blank canvas and create everything myself, so this was also something to add to my challenge.

I think this is why I love this crafting journey.

I hope you will feel inspired to join in with this challenge - why not try to do something outside your comfort zone?  Either way, I look forward to seeing all your lovely blooms ...

Have a great week

x

Create a Scene (Well Why Not?!!)

Tuesdays seem to come around quicker and quicker these days and here we are again for the launch of a new challenge at TioT and this time it's to Create a Scene.  

Having just returned from our family holiday on Friday, the weekend was rather busy with unpacking and washing and turning my tribe around to go back off for another 10 days camping on Monday - phew!!

So my house is silent now - with all 4 children away its just me and my new baby Reeva ... Oh and my husband once he's back from work!!

Go on then ... here's a little pic of her sat of my lap this morning 

She weighs only 1.6kg and is a true tea-cup dog!!

Anyway, back to the challenge!!

I created some Mail Art for a magazine submission earlier in the year and as this one had not been published or shown on my blog, so I rather cheekily used it for my DT piece! Well, it was either that or I would have to pass on the challenge ... so it was a no-brainer really!!

I used masks and inks to create my background with some liberal splodges of purple acrylic ink.  I then stamped the cows, churns, clouds and sun and positioned them around the envelope and Voila! my scene was created.

Hope you feel inspired to pop over to TioT to look at the DT entries for more inspiration and also check out the new rules which now don't limit the number of challenges you can enter in addition to ours.

Take care and have a great week.  I hope to see your scenes appearing in the challenge!

x

Always Have a Shell in Your Pocket ...

What a fantastic challenge we are hosting this fortnight at Tiot!!   The topic is 'Collage With a Twist' (which must include some script).  Really couldn't include more options so this is probably one of my favourite DT creations because it was so easy ... in fact the hardest thing was choosing which of my ideas to follow!!

I decided to make a little tile on corrugated card about the seaside.  I live about 2 minutes walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK and have always been MAD about shells and anything seaside.  This will be going up in the kitchen next to the hook with our beach hut key - perfect!

I used pale blue acrylic paint as a base on my corrugated card and then added a layer of Crackleglaze by Applicraft which is my new favourite product of the moment.  You paint it over dry base coat and once its dry, quickly add the top coat (in one direction only and with minimal brushing) and the cracks just appear like magic.

I stamped my postage mark down one side and added the netting which I painted with white acrylic paint.  All the elements are by Crafty Individuals and I stamped them with Staz-on and then tinted them with chalks.

I added glass bead gel around the feet of my lovely bathing beauty and some strips of vintage dictionary defintions plus few shells and my little montage was complete.

I hope you feel inspired to join in the collage fun with us.  Check out my other DT gals as they have also created some beautiful pieces.

Enjoy!

x

Moments Are Special

This fortnight, the challenge at Try it on Tuesday is to 'Show Us Your Metal'.  Another great subject as it's so open to interpretation and most of us have something metal in our stash.

My DT piece is a little different from the image on the site as I to confess that I have tweeked it a bit (not sure that's really allowed but needs must!!).  

I had the basic idea of what I wanted to do (which frankly is a rarity for me!!).  I made time last Friday to get myself organised so that I could attend my local crop run by David and Brenda of Craft Obsessions.  I had such a nice day with some really lovely ladies so I hope to try and become a regular attendee (it's my pesky kids & all their sports that get in my way LOL!!).

So, I got my photo blended into the paper and was very happy with how it all came together until I photographed it!!  Aaagh!! Due to the way cameras flatten your work and lose the dimension, coupled with the colours, my piece suddenly looked like Halloween had come early ...  not what I wanted at all.

Too late to change the upload but I decided the best option was to add some softer elements ie flowers to hopefully break the spell.  It definitely looks less halloweeny and I am happy with it as it doesn't have that look in real life.

I used a background paper from the Tim Holtz Lost & Found range and a main paper by 7 Dots Studio.  I dyed my lace using Dylusions sprays and arranged it to peep out around the edges and between the torn areas.  I used distress inks and paints on all the curled areas to highlight them.  The doorways were stamped with a Lost Coast stamp which I tried to line up a little with the background of my photo.  A few drizzles and drips of acrylic ink to add some interest and a bit of lace stamped in the corners finished stage one of my page.  


For stage two, I used light molding paste to blend my photo into the background with either smooth finish or with a brickwork mask.  Once dry, I dry-brushed acrylic paint over the areas until they blended in.

I created my bookplate from grey card which I painted with acrylic paints and rubbed in gilding wax to make it look like a patina.

I painted the lovely railings with acrylic ink and arranged the other elements around the page.

My metal elements are the key (tinted with black and blue alcohol inks), the clock face (caramel and lemonade alcohol inks used on this), a small cog from a pocket watch, the letter charms and the brads on the faux metal bookplate.

Pop over to have a look at some of the other metal projects the TioT Team have come up with and get inspired to delve some metal out from your stash and join in the fun!

Hope to see your take on this challenge.

Have a great week ...

X

Being good is just not fun ...

This is my DT piece for our current challenge at Try it On Tuesday which is Angels & Demons. 

We are very kindly being sponsored by Dilly Beans Stamps and this gorgeous images is one from their huge selection.  They have so many images to choose from it was a hard choice for me to make my selection!

I created this page in my art journal and I decided to start with a painty background using my fingers to add the colours (love doing that bit!)  Once it was dry, I used a flower stencil over the opposite corners and added some harlequin stamping and the lovely blooms.  I coloured the blooms with a gelly roller and my favourite white sharpie for the centres.

My gorgeous girl was coloured with DI's and watercolour pencils with some little pearl dots added to the hem of her tutu.  Couldn't resist adding the glitter - I am a bit of a glitter fiend - but she really did deserve it as she is an angel!!

The journalling was done on my computer and the additional of the stamped bunting and some braid (glittery again I know!) finished my project.

Hope you feel inspired to play along - the challenge lasts another week and there's nothing like being a devil or an angel to keep you amused!!  Check out the other DT gals take on this topic as they are great!  

Take care and have a great week ...

x

One for the Men

So it's Tuesday again and that can only mean one thing ...  It's time for a new Try it on Tuesday Challenge!!  This week we are focusing on creating for the men in our lives - and that doesn't have to be for Father's Day, it can be for any occasion. 

We are very kindly sponsored by Dilly Bean of sillydillybeans.blogspot.co.uk who have provided us with some great digi stamps.  If you would like to be in with a chance to win some digi stamps from them, just get creating and make sure you link back to us in your blog entry and only enter your piece into a maximum of 5 challenges (including ours).

This great robot caught my eye so I transposed him onto Ranger metal tape in three sizes and used a metal tool to create the rivets down his centre.  My tag was coloured with broken china, tumbled glass and dusty concord distress stains over which I then added picket fence and brushed pewter. 


 

The whole tag is embossed with cogs (didn't really show in this photo) and then I also added some more cog imagery using masks and DI.  I added a few random splatters of arcylic ink in prussion blue and some circles stamped with pewter distress stain.


 

I wanted some more metal elements and found these silver metal rings in my stash which I remember buying in a bead shop at The Custard Factory in Birmingham.  Perfect.  I also found a great bead to go around the eyelet which I also got from the same shop (can recommend their selection if you are ever in the Birmingham area!)


 




The ribbon is dyed with stormy sky and pewter distress stain and I couldn't resist some springs coiled from silver floristy wire to finish it off!!






Hope you are feeling inspired to join in this fortnight.  Pop by the other DT girls' creations as they are fab!!

X

Butterfly Card

This fortnight's challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Feminine & Fancy.   

I  spent quite a lot of time thinking about this one and how I would interpret it but now that Spring appears to have finally arrived, my thoughts are definitely with outdoors and spring flowers so I decided this would be my take.

Talking of Spring ... slightly irrelevant to the post ... but has anyone noticed how blue the sky is this year.  It is amazing - just SO blue it's almost violet.  

Anyway, back to my project!  

 

I used a sheet of Rue 88 by Prima for my background, over which I stamped and white embossed text from the Papillon stamp set. 

I cut my banner and used a scallop punch for the edge before stamping it with some vines.  The central area was stamped with the lovely dog roses and cut out.

 

 

 

I tinted the background with a diluted lemon gelato to soften the paper tone.

All the stamped images with watercolour pencils which are one of my current favourite things!  I have had them for ever in my draw and hadn't realised just how great they are to use and how they give such a soft but controlled effect.  I finished off with some diamond glaze on two of the blooms.  All these stamps were by Prima's Build-a-Frame set.

The butterflies (Unity)  & bee (Stampotique) were also coloured with watercolour pencils.  I attached them with 3D silicone glue for some dimension.

Hope you are feeling inspired to join in with the fun now that we are getting our daily dose Vitamin D from that lovely sunshine!!

I am also entering this into the Faber-Castell Mou Challenge  as they want something inspired by gardens and the Anything Goes challenge at Our Creative Corner. 

xx

Petite Chaises

OK ... so I definitely get the prize for Airhead of the Week!!  Despite being ill last week, I had (rather unusually for me) got one of the DT projects ready and finished well ahead of time.  

For those of you who are regular visitors, you will know that I had ALL DAY yesterday to focus on crafting.  Well, despite this, I managed to entirely forget to upload these little lovelies onto the TioT website.  I even made a note to get this page organised and STILL my pea-like brain didn't register that they weren't uploaded.  That is until midnight!!  I jumped out of bed having had one of those awful OMG moments and uploaded it.  But alas, too late!  So I definitely win the Airhead's Crown!

So, the theme this week at Tiot is Recycle It.   What a great challenge ... I'm sure we all have lots of things which we can re-use in our projects.  Certainly I have a box of tags on pins and chains from clothing, gorgeous packaging with punched designs from Prima blister packs and ribbons and feathers from boxes of chocolates.  I even have an outer wrapper which came on our newspaper which is made of vellum or similar which I thought would come in useful.  So, crack open your box of 'kept' items which you thought would come in useful one day and make that day TODAY!!

My project is a recycle of Champagne tops.  I know what you're thinking ... and Yes, it was a tough job drinking all that fizzy but I take my creative responsibilities VERY seriously!!!  

I re-worked my tops to make little chairs with backs and sanded some of the black coating on the wire back to the bare metal.  I then used alcohol inks to tint them lightly.  I used a coat of shellac and some god leaf to embellish the seats.

The cushions were cut from cotton and sewn on my new machines (which is a dream to use unlike it's predecessor!).  I filled them with a little soft toy stuffing to plump them up and hand sewed the final seam.  I then stamped them with miniature images on both sides using Stazon.


Ooh ... and before I forget (don't let me get started on that again!!) all eligible entries to our challenge are entered into the prize draw to win £10 store voucher for Crafty-Emblies who are our kind sponsors!  

Please read the rules so your gorgeous creations are not disqualified! 



I hope this project tempts you to up-cycle some of your stash or if all else fails, drink loads of champagne and make some cute chairs!!!

I'm entering my little chairs into the Craft Room Challenge - In the garden Anything But a Card as these do remind me of the little cafe chairs we all love to perch on with a cuppa in the summer!  

x

 

Easter Bonnet

Can you believe Easter is almost upon us?  The start of this year seems to have gone by so fast.  However, as I sit looking out this morning, the snow is falling and the ground is white so the prospect of spring flowers and hill top walks seem a million miles away.  That's British weather for you!!!

So, looking forward to Easter, the TioT challenge this fortnight is Easter Hats and Bonnets.  As a non-cardmaker and with my kids too old to dress up in suitable outfits for a scrap page, I was mulling over how I could meet this challenge.  My stash has a lack of anything I could remotely link to this subject so I was facing a dilemma.  

But, luckily for me, I have a very artistic hairdresser and we usually chat about out arty endeavours during my regular appointments.  At the end of last week, I was telling him about my quandry and he planted the idea of a car bonnet.  That was the inspiration I needed and as soon as I got home, I set to work on coming up with how I would interpret this idea.

I covered a large tag with black cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot to emboss it with swirls and birds.  I downloaded my image online and then used glitter Gelly Roll pens and Distress Markers to create my Easter design on the bonnet. 

I added some tissue tape and some chicken wire (Dusty Attic) and wound wired natural florists raffia at one end.

The photo was mounted onto white cardstock which I added pink sparkly doodle around the edge before fixing down using two black photo corners (and glue).

I wrote the title onto masking tape, coloured the letters with the Gelly Roll pens and then plattered them with indian ink.

The bird was from a florists wholesalers.

I hope you enjoy my take on this subject and look forward to seeing all the great work everyone comes up with for each challenge.

I have also entered this tag into Challenge 51 - Easter Bonnet over at Out of a Hat Creations.  I hadn't found this blog before but it looks like a lot of fun so I'm diving in!!

Enjoy your crafting ...

xx

Dandelion Clock

Time Flies.

Well, it couldn't be a more apt challenge this week at TioT!!  

Having just gone back to work after being a full-time Mum for a very long time, I'm running to catch up and time is definitely flying for me!  No time for commenting and visiting everyone's blogs (BIG apologies!) and a lot less time for the gym (oh dear!).

But, I love this new challenge so I guess I just need to speed up (LOL!)

So, back to the ART!  I love this challenge as there are so many ways to interpret it from clocks and wings to dandelions and growing families.  Whichever way it speaks to you, grab your stamps and inks and join in the fun ...  We love to see all the beautiful work you create.

This piece is part of a new journal I started to create on Sunday at an art journalling workshop.  I had a whole day to play with paints, tools and inks which should be heaven but I have to confess ... I was completely out of my comfort zone!   Having no idea where I am heading with the subject of my page and just creating backgrounds feels too random for my brain and stresses me out!  So, asI really want to embrace this way of creating I have set myself the challenge of continuing this journey and finishing the journal.  I think I will learn a lot on the way so wish me luck!!!

This page started off with adding a couple of tags and then painting it all with gesso into which I stamped some flowers and alphabets.  I then added a coat of Lumiere paint in Halo Pink Gold.  Some vintage papers and stamping came next before adding some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam in Golden Goddess and Lipstick Pink. I highlighted around the tags with a black oil pastel which I blended with my finger.

I added the stamped images using Black StazOn.  The journalling was printed onto masking tape which had been painted with gesso.  I used Adirondack colour wash to colour them and some white acrylic ink which was largely removed with kitchen paper.

The cogs and clock face are vintage bits from old pocket watches.

I keep looking at my page ... I think I'm happy with it but it's away from my usual style so I'll see what everyone else makes (feedback welcome!)

Wherever you are, hope you are inspired to find time to stop the clock and enter in with the fun!

xx
 

Love

Love is in the air ...  With Valentines fast approaching are you feeling the lurve?!!

Our new fortnightly challenge starts today at Try it on Tuesday  ... and we are all about Celebrating Valentines Day (include a heart).  Dust down your cupid stamps, your bows, arrows and hearts and see what loving you can create!!

I really enjoyed making my DT entry for this challenge.  I managed to snatch 2 hours on Sunday afternoon to get creative having had a back to back weekend schedule of football and rugby.  Normally this would result in me only getting my act together at the point my slot was over but not this week!  With the excitement of going to see Ronan Keating that evening (great concert and nice eye candy!) I cracked on and achieved my goal!!

I embossed the stamps for the background in white before using distress inks in a combination of pink, purple and turquoise shades.  A quick spritz & flick with water and a little gathered twigs around the edge completed it.  I cut the flourishes from grungeboard and painted them with Byzantia paint.  The heart is also grungeboard which I embossed with script before inking with pink & purple distress.  I then added Silver Fox embossing powder which is quite coarse so gives a lovely texture.

The crown is hand cut from a vintage book and I stamped 'Love' using old printers letters painted with acrylic paint.  The material strips were stamped using archival and spritzed with Shimmerz Sea Foam.  I crinkled the muslin up and dried it with a heatgun.  I didn't expect it to retain the crinkles but the spray ink has given it a bit of body and it's actually quite solid which was great!

I used a domino covered with part of an old playing card and UTEE'd for my other embellishment and stamped a little butterfly to my gorgeous girl.

Hope you feel like getting into the love game and want to have a play along with us!  x

Don't forget our great sponsor for this challenge 

who are offering a £10 store voucher!

I'm also entering this into Fashionable Stamping Challenge 40 - Show Some Love.

Canvas Houses

Wow - the sun is shining today and we have blue sky and puffy clouds!  Seems to have been grey for so long that whilst it's still cold, it's a gorgeous sight and lifts my spirits.  Everything seems so much better when the sun shines!

This fortnight at Try it on Tuesday the challenge is for your project to include stitching - real or faux.  I love adding stitching to my projects although my sewing machine does not feel the same so we have a rather tricky relationship!!  Fortunately for my machine, this project was a hand sewing one so it could stay sulking in the corner ...

We are very lucky to be sponsored by Crafty-Emblies who are offering a £10 store voucher to the winner! 

 

I made these canvas houses for a good friend of mine who wanted to use them to promote the kits she was selling.  The canvas came pre-cut and I also had the string, beads and some stuffing supplied.  

I started by sketching out the design for each house in pencil before using acrylic paints to create each one.  They are painted on both sides but I forgot to photograph the backs before parting with them so I can only show the fronts which is a shame as the pink house has a flowering creeper growing all over it but you'll just have to imagine it!  

Once dry, I half stitched them up before stuffing them using the filling supplied plus some additional soft toy filling.

I painted the beads to match each house and plaited some of the string before threading the beads.  The strings were then glued into the houses to ensure they stay put and the bottom sewn up.

They are a really fun project so long as you remember to punch the holes with a bradle rather than try to get the needle to do the work.  My thumb was testament to my mistake on the first one where I hadn't realised this was the way to go!!

Hope you get some sunshine in your day too ... xx

Quarr Abbey

This is my first post as be DT member of the Try it on Tuesday blog - which is very exciting!  I have joined a fabulous group of talented ladies so be sure to go and take a look at some of the gorgeous creations they have made for this challenge. 

This fortnight is "Let's get Inky'!  What a great initial challenge for me as I always struggle not to get inky!!  The other bonus is that if you are not a Christmas crafter (and I am not!) this challenge is still right up your street.

We are sponsored this month by Delidious Doodles who are offering 4 digi stamps from their store - so don't miss you chance to be a winner!

I'm really excited to post this layout as I have been working hard on my techniques and style but am only just able to start posting my new creations ... so watch this space!!  One of things I really wanted to achieve was a more seamless end result and so I've been getting through a fair bit of molding paste and acrylic paint lately and taken over the house whilst they all dry out!

This photo is of the ruins of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight which actually now forms part of a farmhouse garden.  There are great views over the ruined walls towards the mainland.

I used molding paste with a stencil to create the bricks and more paste and inks to blend out my photo.  I decided to be quite bold with my colour scheme by adding the pink but I really like the end result.  

I used acrylics and shimmerz inks for my background and added flourishes with a Lost Coast stamp.  The bird and branch is by Maya Road and the flowers and butterflies are Prima.

The sheep stamp is part of an Artemia farmyard set (that I had no use for but fell in love with!) from a little craft shop in Cornwall.

Hope you are all having a great week ... x