Sunday Stampers - Waterloo Sunset

Today Hels has chosen the song Waterloo Sunset for her Sunday Stampers theme and inspires us to use sunset as a theme - either the colours or a sunset itself.  I was totally intending to use some of my under-used Stampscapes stamps and stamp a sunset, but instead this happened!

Coloured the tag with wild honey and fired brick distress stains, stamped the single daisy (Impression Obsession) - clean rubber, not used since I bought it at the Newbury show earlier this month!!  and then sat and looked at it for hours, thinking...... 
Die cut some flowers (Paperartsy dies) from watercolour paper I'd used distress inks on, and pinched the petals together, forming a 3 layer flower. The baby die has a Wendy stamp stamped in the centre.  The words are also Paperartsy. 

Thanks for looking - and welcome to my new followers! Hope you like it, cos I'm still not sure....

Back to Black - Sunday Stampers

This week, Hels was inspired for her Sunday Stampers challenge by the sad death of AmyWinehouse, with the song title Back to Black, so we are to use black this time.  Such a tragic waste, of a young life - so sad when people get addicted to drink and drugs.

Anyhow, it's taken me a while to get round to the challenge but this is what I've come up with.

I covered a large chip jigsaw piece with some of the music paper from the 7Gypsies "Paddington" pad, and swiped Black Soot DI round the edges and stamped the Tim sentiment using the Vermillion archival ink - it seems kind of an apt thought for Amy - and a grungeboard A painted with silver dabber paint and accented with Vermillion ink.  The eye is one of Wendy's - probably should have been black eyeshadow given Amy's bold eye makeup!  RIP Amy Winehouse.

Rockin' Mondays

This week, Linda's Grungy Monday challenge is to use Rock Candy - crackle paint or stickles or both.  check out Lord Tim's video here

I took the large art part flower and used wild honey distress stain (perhaps I should have used something to cover the art part first!) and stamped Wendy's spotty background across it in Vermillion archival ink.

I used rock candy crackle over the grungepaper flower (coloured with wild honey again) and have rubbed dusty concord over the crackles.
Added a circle cut from the Kraft stack, covered with stickles that doesn't show up in the photo very well!


Now you may not believe me, but that is the regular, clear, rock candy distress stickles around the petals - it's just when it's dried it has picked up the colour of the wild honey underneath... honest!  I left it overnight so didn't see it until today, otherwise I'd probably have wiped it off. 
 Just got to find "something" to stick the flower in now so I can display it somewhere.......

And, because Simon Says challenge this week is "anything goes" this is entered for that too.

(Now, I am going to hit the publish button at work, so I hope my work pc will then let me link the pictures to the challenges (it doesn't always) otherwise I will have to remember when I get home....)

Dragons-Dream TIO 89 - Pressing Matters

Hello, and welcome to another Dragons Dream.  Thank you for all your entries last week - it is such fun seeing what you all dream up each time.  
So, it's my choice of theme again this week and in case the challenge title is too cryptic, I want you to emboss this week. (Pressing, get it?!) You can use any kind of embossing you want - heat, dry, with metal, texture fades, you name it!

 I can't stop using this Papillon background! This time I used broken china distress stain on the tag, and white embossed the stamp.  I die cut some butterflies (Tim Holtz) - two in metal, two on black Clearly for Art.  I coloured them with alcohol inks (silver, sailboat blue and purple twighlight) The metal butterflies,I added some patterns with a Ten Second Studio wheel before adding the colour.

Hope you'll come and see what my teamies have come up with this week - and why not join in.  Just remember the theme - and to use at least one proper stamp. Have fun!

WOYWW - well this time I shopped

Two weeks without any new stash was WAY too  long for my willpower, so this week I have two lots of new things to show you!!  Oh, sorry, welcome to my desk (it's still on the floor, Julia - the previous shot you commented on was just from a VERY low angle...... ) So, it's Wednesday again (well it will be when this gets published!) and it's time for globe-trotting round the desks of the universe thanks to JULIA.

First, I got some new Tim'n'Wendy stamps (well, they were on special offer at the time, thanks to Dyan  at AFTH - and they'd have come super-duper quick if I hadn't typed the wrong postcode in the order..... oops!) but HOW beautifully they were wrapped - look - and yes, I have kept the heart (of course!) to re-use somewhere down the line....

 And then I kept seeing the new Dina Wakley stamps that I "had" to have some - I got them here but they are all over the place oh my they are just gorgeous.









I had a play on Monday - oh, yum!! I haven't finished this yet, but I had to get the ink open - Wendy has been raving about how fab the Vermillion ink looks over Wild Honey distress (stain here) ink - I think she's right!

So what have you been up to? Got any new 'toys' or re-organised your stash?  Do show us all, we're a nosy lot.... See you soon!

Everything Wendy Vecchi - yahoo challenge

It has been a few weeks since I found time to enter this fab challenge hosted by Lori for our Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group and this week she has set us a theme of "use a bird" based on Wendy's 2nd book, page 38 - but you don't need the book to play!  You must use at least one Studio 490 stamp and the challenge theme.

So, I took a piece of Maya Road chip, wild honey distress stain and ink, some Heirloom Gold perfect pearl spray and a whole heap of Wendy stamps. (The flower is new, it's just come to live with me....I told you on WOYWW there was some stash on it's way.. )

I covered the bird with some patterned paper (by memorybox) and made an extra wing (two actually, after I forgot the bird was reversed cos of covering it with the paper....)   I was going to use a piece of ball chain (the bits that come with the chip pieces) but I couldn't get it to fasten, so used a hitch fastener to hold the philosophy tag in place instead.

Sorry about the photo, it's dark so I couldn't turn the flash off and it's gone a bit glary!

Simon Says - Grungy Monday on a Thursday

Once again I have been able to combine my two favourite Monday challenges - Grungy Monday's host Linda wants us to get playing with Grungeboard and/or paper which is one of my most favest Tim products ever - and the other lovely Linda hosting Simon Says - show us embossing. So.....

I started with a tag - spritzed it with water to make the Lettuce colourwash spread easier - cover the tag and dried it.  Using Snowcap white adirondack (I LOVE that ink!) I white embossed the Papillon background. That's for the Simon Says bit.

I die cut the dress form in grungepaper - that's the Grungy Monday bit - and used Fresco paints from Paperartsy (Toad Hall to base, then the fab crackle glaze and Snowflake on top to create the crackle) to paint it.  When that was dry I tied some sparkly green fibre round the waist and fixed it to the tag, coloured the cotton reel and button (don't tell Wendy but I didn't thread the button... apparently she hates that!) 

Then I took my (new - just came today!) Haberdashery stamp set and stamped the two cotton thread labels on grungepaper, coloured it with distress inks and embossed them in a texture fade sanded them to highlight the embossed pattern , fixing them to the tag with a couple of fasteners. Added a Wendy text on a scrap of watercolour paper and a piece of Tim's trimming (LOVE that stuff!)

Don't forget to check out both challenges, Simon Says has a $50 prize up for grabs too... that would be nice!!  Thanks for looking.

Dragons-Dream TIO - Look to the Skies on my desk

Happy Wednesday again everyone - thanks to everyone who dropped round last week.  Once again I have - no new things to show you!!! Must be a miracle, two weeks on the trot (although there is some stash on the way to me.....)

Once again I combine my What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (hosted by our lovely Desk Matron Julia) with my Dragon's Dream tag. 

This week, we are challenging you to "look to the skies" and I very nearly didn't make it - inspiration deserted me - until, sitting in bed with my early morning cup of tea on Tuesday before getting up for work(and I mean early, it was 5.30) it came to me.

I suddenly remembered I had this texture mat - remember them - by Carolines - don't think they're around any more - and  was away.
The tag on the left on my craft mat, is what I came up with and rejected, Monday night...

This is the resulting - very very quick! - tag...
Inked the texture mat with some blue distress inks and stamped a piece of paper, cut it out to a tag shape, stamped the B-lines "Paris" hot air balloon and part of a Penny Black Eiffel Tower stamp to fall off the bottom of the tag.

Some little self-inking text stamps and a piece of ribbon.
10 minutes, finished!!
Phew....

So, I hope you will find this week's theme easier than I did and come join us.  Failing that, head over to Julia's and lets go desk hopping again!!
See you soon.

Sunday Stampers - build me up buttercup

Today, Hels has asked us to make a flower embellishment for her challenge at Sunday Stampers so I took my tattered florals die and an old top that - never having worn it, woops! - I discarded months ago and picked up this morning, crumpled, off the floor to use. And no, I did NOT iron it first!!

I started by colouring the tag with distress stains in antique linen, forest moss and wild honey, spritzing with water and an own mix of perfect pearls of tea dye and gold, and some kiwi perfect pearls shimmer too. 

I made up two flowers with the layers of fabric and added a couple of buttons from my stash that match the patterns in the fabric.

When the tag was dry I stamped the flourish (one of Wendy's) in forest moss distress ink and Tim's sentiment before fixing the flowers and some idea-ology.

Have a great Sunday - I am going to spend all afternoon watching the golf from the comfort of my armchair - definately better than being in the wet and very windy conditions it looks like Kent is giving the players today. Just time to go and cook a mushroom omelette for lunch first.

Grungy Monday 15 & Simon Says

This week, Linda 's Grungy Monday challenge is based on ths fab Tim technique which gives you a lovely soft sort of suede-y feel to your tag; and Simon Says show some sewing. 

Now, I am NOT one of life's natural seamstresses (as you will see from the wonky lines) and after the first butterfly I gave up with the Tim ruler trying to get them in straight lines, and just pricked some holes. It's rustic, ok!

The tag is coloured with wild honey and vintage photo (I think - I did it on Monday - if not it's walnut stain!) .

Stamped 'learn to pause' and cut it into strips and fixed it with my tiny attacher to the tag.  The butterflies are from Tim's Papillon set, cut individually so they didn't completely hide the technique on the base!  Did some multi-ink colouring as per tim's instructions (link above)

Topped and tailed the card base with tissue tape to fill some of the blank space.


Don't forget to check out both blogs to find some fabulous examples - and probably some amazing sewing... lol.

What's on my WW? my Tag it On - tag

Another Wednesday - and today I am combining both my posts - Tag it On and What's on my Workdesk Wednesday.  I know I shouldn't but I'm going to!  So for more fab desks round the world, pop to Julia's for a great big hop round the world.  but before you go, you want to see MY desk!  No new stuff this week - shock!!

A couple of bits of WIP for Grungy Monday - stalled in the making! A spare grungepaper Eiffel Tower that I will do something with soon... and my Tag it On Tag - and in the background is the pot I made last week, now holding pens and stuff!
So, this week at  Dragons-Dream Tag it On -  our Dragon herself has chosen the theme - Tim Holtz style. Well, where to start, so many things to choose from!  That was my only problem this week, I admit last week's did challenge me a bit!

I embossed my tag with a texture fade after inking the folder with dusty concord, so the ink sinks into the embossed image.  I always get these round the wrong way, I intend to have the embossed not the debossed side as my main side but actually I like it better this side!

I die cut Umbrella Man from grunge paper and coloured him in dusty concord - should have used the distress stain, don't ask me why I didn't... forgot!  Stamped the text on some watercolour paper and cut it out, added some idea-ology and fixed it to the tag.

Finished the tag with the little birds from the QVC special stamps.
Hope you enjoy this week's theme and come dream with the team - when you get back from your Workdesk hopping, find time to check them out - and please join in!

Simon Says show a Flourish

This week's challenge at Simon Says is "show a flourish".  I have a few flourish-y style stamps but used two gorgeous Paperartsy ones.

I decided to use the wooden pot I bought on Saturday at Newbury, which I had painted with Paperartsy Fresco paints & crackle - the two ends are Baltic blue under Snowflake and the bigger sides - or the front and back - are rusty rose under snowflake.

The first flourish on both ends.

the back, with the second flourish.

 on the front I stamped a flower by Wendy and painted the matching small art part with fired brick distress stain and stamped the smaller matching stamp on the art part.
Too much crackle for a flourish as well!














For the back, stamped 3 grungepaper/board flowers painted with the rusty rose fresco paint, and stamped Tim's papillon background on them.

TIO - The Age of Chivalry

Welcome to another week at TIO and thank you for your entries last time round.

This week, we are dreaming back in bygone days - the Age of Chivalry as chosen by Janet

I knew as soon as I saw the theme I would use my Paperartsy Crown and Castle stamps - only thing missing is a knight in shining armour!

I used antique linen distress ink on the tag, only the blending tool I use is for yellowy colours too, so it's probably a bit of a mixture; and some peeled paint at the entrance to the castle and walnut stain to the edges.  Stamped and cut the key on grungepaper  and a scrap of tag for the sentiment, all from Paperartsy. Hope you come and join us at DragonsDream TIO again.

WOYWW? bet you can't guess

Welcome to another Wednesday snoop round the world's craft spaces.  Check Julia's for all the details.

If you were here last week (thank you!) you will have known I was going to Newbury Artstamps on Saturday - and - um - I shopped - then shopped some more...

 here's a little reminder.  If you look carefully you can see a wooden pot that as soon as I saw it, I thought "Fresco paint"....

 and another pile!

and here it is, part prepared.... May have to take some more pics as you can't really see too well.... I painted the larger sides in Dusty Rose and the ends in Baltic Blue, before applying the magic crackle and Snowflake all over.... You may guess my next step from the art parts packet sitting on the craft mat - but that will be for another day!  Need to find a home for those new stamps too...

Anyhow, that's me for this week - have a great day snooping - I am off to do some too now!

Grungy Monday 14 - Perfect Dabbing?

This week - can you believe it's already the 14th challenge?! For Grungy Monday today, Linda has sent us back to Tim's March 2008 Technique challenge to use perfect pearl mixes and paint dabber resist. Gorgeous technique - though I did have some problems today - my first effort ended up a bit yucky - wrong choice of colours I think - so that's on the junk pile (i.e I'll keep it just in case...) and No, you're not seeing it!

So this is version 2. Completely different stamp and perfect pearl mixes.

 I decided to work on an A4 piece of card - though it's a bit too thin andyou can see it's buckled a bit - needs flattening under a heavy book now! I took the flower/leaves stamp from Tim's Fairytake Frenzy set and white dabber - which is one of the few that kind of dab as they are meant to!

My perfect pearl/reinker mixes are broken china with pearl, tea dye with gold and an unlabelled one that looks like mustard seed from the colour, but I don't know what the perfect pearl is - possibly also pearl.

I couldn't resist using Tim's small butterfly from Urban Chic, again, and the sentiment is Wendy's from Seriously Art.

Now it's properly dried, the resist seems to pop more than it did to start with, so maybe I just need to be patient...

Linda's Guest Designers this week have surpassed themselves, go check out the gorgeous art, and if you're a member, link up at the All Things Tim yahoo group (I always forget!)

Ok, off to find some flourishes for Simon Says now!

Sunday Stamper - its in the wording

Hels' has set us another great challenge today - Its In theWording - so similar to last week but with more words required!!  check out the other entries at the Sunday Stamper

I made a tag today with one of my new stamps from yesterday's haul, the Eiffel Tower which has words all over it.

I covered the tag with some Craftwork Cards paper which has Paris all over it, and stamped the Eiffel Tower, and a Tim sentiment and used one of the little wooden hearts I bought yesterday, inked Victorian Velvet distress ink.

Newbury - fab day out

I love going to the Artstamps show at Newbury, it is always beautiful weather and today was no exception!

Despite a nightmare journey on the tube between London Victoria and Paddington, (took an hour instead of 20 minutes due to a combination of engineering works and somebody sadly (inconveniently!!) on the line causing long delays and diversions) I got to Newbury to join a queue of eager craft-shoppers!

Once inside I started to splash the cash - well, I had a lot of making up to do for missing the Craft Barn event a few weeks ago!

I stocked up on idea-ology bits that I'm running low on, bought some great stamps - some were bargains (the Eiffel Tower and Tim's frame which were both half price) God some more Fresco paints and all kind sof bits and bobs.  I also managed to get the fab Jumbo Peony that Donna Downey loves and uses on her art. Sadly the Dahlia that was also on my list wasn't there.... boo!

You may think that given the size of my stash haul, it was a good show - well it was, but not as good as in previous years - lots of companies that used to always be there were missing this year.  I hope it is only a blip and not a sign of things to come, as Newbury as always been one of my favourite events of the year.

I met up with some (non-blogging) friends for lunch in the sunshine outside, where we all agreed it wasn't as good as usual, even though we were enjoying it; and then it was back for a quick second run-round before catching the train home - the journey home being much more uneventful and straightforward, fortunately.

Now I have recovered and eaten, I hope to play a little - maybe not tonight, but tomorrow for sure!  I think I will start with the wooden pot (second picture) - it is calling out for Fresco paints! See you all soon...