WOYWW 681

 Here we are again, Wednesday- WOYWW day. 

I had a slightly  more productive week - 2 things instead of 1...  First up a birthday card for my cousin Bridget who's birthday is Saturday, the day before mine.  No chance she'll see this so I am safe to share it here now

I used distress oxides in Villainous Potion and Peacock Feathers (I'd just ordered the new colour that was announced on Saturday and thought it about time I actually used some Distress again!!)

stamps are by Dina Wakley and Paperartsy (Seth Apter)

Hopefully, if the new colour arrives in time I'll be able to play with it before next week

then, because I liked the combination of the two colours I used them again 

I did add a little pink (Kitsch flamingo)  as well

I'm going to add some more layers to this before I use it, some script stamping at least and looking at the photo, possibly more depth of colour (although it's lighter in the photo than real life so maybe not)

the reason I used these 2 colours?  they were on the top of the pile of my distress oxides... what better reason!!  

I almost stayed dry at Kew on Saturday - just a few spots of rain - not enough to get me wet really which was as well, not having taken a cardigan or anything.  It wasn't unbearably hot either which was good! 

there was lots of yellow, especially in the rock garden

the eryngium (sea holly) is always a summer favourite

I was still in love with the poppies and found some more elsewhere

this weekend, I am having  cake and coffee for my birthday with at least one of the regulars (more if they are around)  I'll be spending my birthday itself at home

the forecast though IS for showers this weekend which will be a shame.

In case you missed it Julia has details of the crop in October  on her blog  - can't wait!  

Till next week, happy WOYWW  and I'll be round to catch your desk soon. 

Craft Barn Q&L 24 - Heart/Risk

I look forward to the alternative Sundays when a new Craft Barn challenge is announced.  I look forward to finding a great quote quickly wherever possible, that I know I will be able to illustrate in my journal...

I don't so much look forward to fighting with the computer to keep the internet connection alive but that's my fault for (still) not ringing my provider to moan about it!

However, I have my quote, "words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart" - a Shakespeare quote again today; I have my journal page!

 I have kept it really simple today. I used part of a Stencil Girl stencil, and Iced Spruce distress ink to outline the heart in the middle of my page.  I also used  Iced Spruce to stamp a Paperartsy script stamp (my favourite, MN61) inside the heart to continue the theme of the quote

After removing the stencil, I then used the Art is stencil by Crafters Workshop (I think this has to be my favourite ever stencil) and randomly applied Evergreen Bough through parts of the stencil, around the heart.







I wrote the quote, with a black Sharpie marker, as shown, taking the actual words of my quote, as a guide

so, as I say , a really simple, quick entry today.  Am linking to the Q&L challenge here 

Dragons Dream - TIO - O and Rust

Welcome to another challenge from the Dragons-Dream Team.
The delightful Julie Ann has set this fortnight's theme - the letter is O and the theme rust - either rusty colours, rusting powder, rusty old items... as long as you use one real stamp and a tag, the rest is up to you.

I settled for rusty colours, as (as always!) I've left this to the last minute and don't have time to try out my rusting powder and couldn't find anything truly rusty "hanging about"

 I covered the tag with Rusty Hinge distress ink and then spritzed it with water, to allow the colour to wick before drying it.  I added the diamonds (Kaisercraft stamp) in Vintage Photo and the edges were coloured with both inks.

 added some more Rusty Hinge, then stamped the script (from one of Sara Naumann's new Paperartsy sets) in black archival, without mounting it on a block

Added a piece of rope ribbon (it's actually silver but I tried to colour it (badly) with a reinker/copper perfect pearl mix) which didn't really work)

 and stamped the owls - Paperartsy - on tissue, painting from behind with translucent Frescos in Brown Shed, Autumn Fire and a hint of Yellow Submarine which I added to the front too.
Tore the owls out as close as I could, painted the reverse with Chalk Fresco

and once they were glued to the tag, I went over the tissue edges first with Wild Honey distress pen, then a light covering of Rusty Hinge ink with the blending tool.

The final touch was a metal zipper pull and a piece of ribbon.

Hope you'll come along and join the Dragons again, we'd love to see you join in - and we don't really breathe fire!

Drift Flowers Journal page

Been re-discovering the joys of my journal again lately, this page actually started out in my Craft Barn Q&L journal but I couldn't make it work for the quote, so I carefully cut it from that journal to use in my larger A4 Seawhite journal that I'm currently using.

I cut a Paperartsy post card into different sized strips and glued it to the journal page with multi medium.

I had a little paint left in my spray bottle (Beach Hut and Snowflake) which I spritzed over the journal page, and dried. I gesso'd over the page too, using watered down gesso, to blend the postcard strips into the background more.

Stamped the Drift Flowers (by Memory Box) using Cornflower Blue archival, randomly to fill the page.

Added splatters of gesso flicking it from a paintbrush and dried that

 Then using a Stickles lid and black gesso, stamped some circles over the page.  Took one of my 2 Gelatos (I won them in a giveaway and have never used them) and blended it round the edges of the page, then used Black Soot distress ink around the border, because I wanted to define where this page ended, and the background journal started.

Spritzed the background journal with the last of my spray paint mix, and brayered it to blend out, then used the Paperartsy mini splatter and Salty Ocean distress ink, round the edges.

Stuck the loose page onto the background page.

Am liking the black gesso, (a little of which goes a long way, I had enough left on my craft mat to completely cover a size 8 tag for use later)

It doesn't have to be flowers....

When I was splurging on stash recently, I bought the Tim Holtz Petal Drop die... wasn't really sure what I was going to do with it, to be honest.... but after die-cutting a whole heap of them in different coloured papers from my rather large pile of cardstock, I sat and had a play....

As usual I had some dibs and dabs of leftover paint on a journal spread... dusty teal. tinned peas mainly, leftover from the Green Man canvas t'other day.

 I added some grunge paste, stencilled through the "art is" stencil.  I wanted to highlight this with some colour, as it wasn't showing up sufficiently.  I wanted a contrast, and eventually settled for Tango Fresco, but it didn't look quite right so added Hyde Park with a dry brush.  Carried the Tango idea through again with a dry brush, randomly over the spread. Also added a little Antarctic,just to lighten it a tad.

 The petal points were decorated together,  I stencilled Dusty Teal through Lin's fabulous stencil (I think this is my favourite!!) and then added some Black Soot DI with the mini Sketch Grid stencil by Rebekah Meier for Crafters Workshop and then edged the petal drops with Black Soot. I had one that had a flat bottom where it was slightly short cut but perfect for putting against the edge of the journal, cut in two so I could glue it in place.

 the text is a Donna Downey stamp, used a bit of the same cardstock as for the die, and edged in black again.

All in all, this page makes me happy!!

Craft Barn - Q&L 4 - Age

A new challenge was set today in the Quotes and Lyrics Craft Barn series. Age, or Marriage.

I chose age, and a quote by Mark Twain - "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter"

 I started by spray mounting two pages together as the paper is so thin. This caused some wrinkles.. which go with the theme I guess!

I coloured the page with Wild Honey distress ink - the colour is much more even looking in real life, I promise!   I used the Jo FirthYoung stencil round the edges,and London Bus Fresco paint, adding some highlights with Blood Orange and Claret, and then some Chalk (new colour)

 the criss cross is also a new stencil (Crafters Workshop) - Walnut Stain distress ink.  The flowers are a Memory Box die, coloured with Pan Pastels, adding some of the green around the criss cross patterns too.

I used an alphabet stamp to spell out age, distressing the edges, and hand wrote the rest of the quote.

I really do promise the colour is better blended that it seems!  Linking to the Craft Barn Q&L challenge

WOYWW? 240- craft club time!

Hello and welcome to another What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday? (except my workdesk is actually the table at the church hall where craft club is held once a month!  This month we were stamping so I was in my element, and had a couple of birthday cards to make (one of which I did, but can't fully blog because the recipient reads my blog!)

 this is my space on the table - ten minutes in! Spreading out and making a mess as usual...

 Sneak of the card I can't show in full!

When I got home and unpacked, I also opened the post - some of the new Tim Holtz leaves, die cut by my friend Sam, because my one is stuck in the post - what a great mate!!

I did managed a second card at craft club too, it's not finished yet, but I quite like it so far (except for the torn bit where I didn't de-stick the masking tape and it pulled the card with it) Embellishments are called for now!

Thanks as always to fellow desker, BJ for the lift home because, just for a change, it was raining at going home time!!

Next month we're doing messy play - sprays and journal type work, so will be making a special effort to go again!

Hope you have a great day/week and I'll catch as many of you as I can.

Dragons Dream - TIO - T and stencils

Hello and happy New Year to you all - good to have you on board with the DragonsDream team - our next theme is chosen by me, and I want you to use the letter T and to incorporate stencil(s) in your tag. .not forgetting one real stamp!

I was given a fabulous large tree stamp (Donna Downey for Prima) for Christmas that was just begging to be used! I forgot to take any pictures during the making of the tag, oops!

 I started by painting the tag with blue Fresco paint, I used Ice Blue. I stencilled Grunge Paste through the Art Is stencil, randomly and sponged some Beach Hut Fresco over the dried GP, and wiped some of the paint off, before sanding the GP back.

I painted the tree using Frescos and stamped it onto the tag, but it didn't come out very well, so overstamped using Gathered Twigs and Mowed Lawn distress inks which showed up a little more.







I used a second stencil, which is from the Crafters Workshop "well rounded" stencil, (it has several shapes on it ) in Chipped Sapphire



I outlined the leaves and trunk with my white Sharpie marker and added some green ribbons, and some little die cut birds (memory box) to the branches.




The text is one of Tims, stamped and cut from a scrap of white card and edged with Chipped Sapphire distress ink and 3d foam pads to add it to the tag.

I look forward to seeing your tags.

DragonsDream - TIO - A book, green, paint, stencils/masks

This fortnight, my wonderful friend Gabrielle is setting the receipe/theme for the DragonsDream TIO challenge - and she wants us to have a book of our choice, green, paint and stencils for our tag.  Don't forget you must use one real non digi stamp on the tag....

Confession time!  I had an inspiration the morning I was making this tag, and was done in record time... till I realised I hadn't used paint or stencils... back to the drawing board!!

My book is "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, one of my favourites growing up as a child, a series of books telling the adventures of a family growing up on the Prairie in the Midwest  USA in the late 19th century. My tag captures their little house in the big woods (the first in the series) mixed with the prairie and their fears of harvest ruined by the birds in the fields....

I started with the stencil of the birds - my new Stencil Girls stencil, and used cut and dry foam to apply Mudsplat Fresco paint.

Then it was on to Stampscapes stamps, and distress inks for the winding path to the cabin, (which is archival ink) and the cloudy sky.

The girls on the path, are of course, Laura and Mary, the older sister.

Hope you enjoy this one, and come join in the fun at DragonsDream. We know you're busy getting ready for Christmas but would love to see you dream along with us... Me, I want to go re-read the books now!


(edit - sorry, got the scheduling wrong, it was ready, honest!)

Crafty Boots - Remembrance

Hello, welcome back to another challenge from Crafty Boots - it was my own choice of theme for this fortnight, and coming a day after Remembrance Sunday, and on Armistice Day itself, I couldn't have anything else.... you can make whatever you choose, but it must be in Remembrance of something or someone.

I decided on a card, and a Stamp in the Hand poppies stamp, which I coloured with Festive Berries and Mowed Lawn distress inks, and Black Soot for the centres.

I typed part a line of the poem The Fallen that is always read at Remembrance services on a piece of thin card and 3d mounted it to the card, adding my poppy too.

DragonsDream- TIO - with a twist

Hello and welcome back for a new round of challenges from the Dragons... we're still sticking with recipes, but each one will have a twist this time, just to make it harder for you (and us, ha ha!) Thanks to everyone who entered last time!

This time, Elizabeth wants us to include a GAME of your choice on your tag, and the recipe, is Vintage, Buttons and Lace.... good luck..

I don't mind telling you, it took me ages to work out how to include a game on my own tag, Then I remembered some of Tim's Lost and Found paper stack languishing in my paper supply... and the game was discovered - Hide and Seek...Here's my tag.

 I used Distress Inks for my vintage element - Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, and Vintage Photo - spritzing some water on the tag before drying it off.

I blended some Vintage Photo and Black Soot round the edges of the tag, and my doors...

Sewed the buttons onto the doors, and the stamps which were from a Paperartsy Ink and the Dog plate (Gentlemen 4) stamped in Black Soot.

Cut two of the little vintage photos from the Lost and Found paper stack and stuck them to the tag, then fixed the doors over them, to hide behind.

I spritzed a piece of lace with some perfect pearls/copper reinker mix to finish the recipe.

Hope you like our new twist on the recipes, and come over to DragonsDream Tag It On to see my other teamie's makes, and join in!

A is for....

... Apple.... Crafty Boots are sending you back to school and your ABC.... My teamie Helen A wants you to use applies in your challenge this time please.

I've made a folded tag this fortnight.

I've used the Dylusions Jumble alphabet stencil and Distress Ink (bundled sage) for the background, and my new Bombay Inks for the writing

The apple stamp is by A Stamp in the Hand, and again I've used Distress inks, blending them after stamping with a damp paintbrush.   The fountain pen stamp is by Just for Fun.

Thanks for looking, and make sure you check out the rest of the DT offerings - there are some real cuties!

Crafty Boots - Animals

Time for another Crafty Boots challenge - Bev has chosen the theme of animals.

I decided to use an old favourite stamp (and quite a hunt for it there was too, as I forgot which drawer of stamps it was in!)

Anyhow, I also decided to revisit an old technique that I've not done for a long time either, a shadow box card. This about the only time I measure anything when I'm cardmaking!

 I used distress inks on the background and stamped the giraffe couple (aren't they sweet!) - the stamp is by Stampendous in sepia archival ink onto the background.

the fern fronds are also by Stampendous.

Stamped the giraffes again on white card and cut out to mount onto the front of the frame.

Crafty Boots Challenge - Music

Welcome back to a new challenge for Crafty Boots - the theme of Music is chosen by my teamie Sara.

However, I have failed somewhat because when I went to upload my entry on the DT site, I re-read Sara's original instructions.. which read "include your favourite song, group, musical event or musical instrument on a tag or scrap book page" Oh dear....because I made a card... Hope I'm forgiven and you do better at reading than me!!   Perhaps I should have just pretended this was a scrapbook page!  (I have checked with Sara and she's fine with this - so now you have another option to go for along the music theme!)

I stuck Tim Holtz tissue tape to a piece of white card, using Matte Accents glue, and tore the edges, then added Mowed Lawn and Vintage Photo distress ink to colour it.  The composers stamp is an old old stam I've had for years, stamped on white card and lightly inked with Vintage Photo. I mounted this with 3d foam pads.   The piano keyboard is a piece of ribbon I bought specially at the Newbury artstamps show on Saturday (nothing like last minute crafting is there!) and is fixed with double sided tape.  The violin is another stamp I've had ages.

You have two weeks to enter this challenge, as usual.

Dragons Dream- Tag It On

Welcome back to another Dragons Dream Tag It On challenge - Elizabeth would like you to incorporate on your tag, the theme Coastal, Mica and  a Flourish. Mica comes in many forms, from the flakes, to mica powders and sprays. Don't forget to use one real stamp on your tag.

I took a square tag and stamps by Art Impressions.

I used scattered straw and tumbled glass distress for the sand and sky, and salty ocean for the sea.  Stamped the lighthouse/clifftop scene and the gulls on rocks and coloured them with distress markers.

I found my pack of long neglected mica flakes and separated a thin layer on which I stamped the single gull.  Added some seashells to the bottom corner of the tag and some fibres...

At this stage I was writing up the instructions and realised I had missed the flourish element... hmmm

So I cheated. I took a Stampscapes cloud image and using Snowflake Fresco paint, stamped part of it in the sky. Then I took a flourish stencil and using Grunge Paste added part of a flourish in an attempt to emphasise the clouds... doesn't really work does it....!!   I tried to sand it off but just wrecked the tag... good job I'd already got this photo... Sorry, Elizabeth, I am sure our contestants will do much better!!

Remember this?

Remember this mop up page (it was only Friday....) ?

continued by adding the butterflies (Tim Holtz Papillon set) in aquamarine archival, the text background in black and the single butterfly from Paperartsy from HP1203 in saffron and the buttefly from HP1204 in cobalt.

Knocked the page back with a very light swipe of Snowflake Fresco paint applied with a dry brush, to push it back into the background.

Stamped the butterfly again randomly, in black, and coloured it with the orange crayon from the portfolio pastels, blending it with my finger and heat setting it.

Took a piece of crackly tissue paper and stamped the Paperartsy mini stamp in black, and blending some paint (a drop of mermaid and snowflake) with my finger, on the reverse.  Glued it to the page with Satin Glaze by Paperartsy.

Edged the journal page with Walnut Stain distress ink., lightly.

Tags

Here are a couple of tags I made whilst I was away at my Mum's recently - I had to take a limited amount of supplies as I don't have a car and could only take what I could carry! I took some of my new favourite stamps from Wendy Vecchi and the legend that is Tim Holtz, that I get from The Stamp Attic, and a B-Line designs set I bought from Lin at LB Crafts using the Craft Stamper offer in the September issue.

I used distress inks which I adore and the butterfly is painted with copper paint from a dabber.

I still can't tie bows even after all these years!!