Wednesday Stamper - Doors

This week's theme over on Wednesday Stamper is 'Doors'. My piece is 'Follow your Heart'. The background is made with twinkling H2Os, Stampendous marble stamp, Anna Griffin scroll stamp and Crafty Individual Love text and woman image. The door is from a photograph of a Cathedral door I took in Barcelona and a heart drawn on it which is edged with gold pen and die cuts. TFL.

Isa's Challenge

I have been searching for a book recommended on the UK STampers Forum by Isabelle Norris and happened to come across her Blog. Isa is running a weekly alphabet challenge and I thought I might challenge myself and try this one. I'm trying to broaden my use of colours you see and this week's challenge is B for Blue. Have a look at her blog for some lovely inspiration. This is my contribution and I'm hoping its Blue enough. The peakcock is a beautiful stamp from Tanda Stamps and coloured with Big and Juicy. This is then layered onto a background made with oil pastels blended and covered with Weathered Wood distress inks(and a babywipe). I have used a clear peacock stamp and coloured it with a watercolour brush and distress inks also, and added a Hero Arts saying stamp. This is layered again onto a background coloured with Twinkling H2Os.TFL

Scrapwest Challenge - Here Comes Summer

Another week's challenge - this time it's Here Comes Summer. I did a canvas for this one, smeared gesso fairly thickly and painted with acrylic paints and then some color box inks. Added an image of a butterfly and some papers. The sunflowers were stamped, coloured and covered with Diamond Glaze which makes them look fairly shiny in the picture. I then added some dragonfly brads. It didn't turn out as I had pictured in my mind but they never do :=)

Wednesday Stamper - Games

I found this a challenge even though I have stamps that would suit, creating the right background was difficult for me tonight. I have used Marvey Metallic markers and water for the foreground and crumpled paper and distress inks for the background. Paper Artsy stamps, collage paper adn ribbons finish it off. TFL

I dream of Love

This is another card using copper leaf foil on a laminate sheet. I have used the Judikins stamp and Rhona Farrer swirls embossed with copper powder. I added some copper tape, copper wire heart and swirl to decorate. The colours dont show up as true as they are in real life here.

Copper Leaf Foil

Many thanks to Mary for my little bag of goodies last week which included some copper leaf. If you havn't used this before - a word of warning - it is very static and you definitely need to ensure your image is dry before using the foil. (Mine was still a bit wet and the foil stuck to the image - hopefully you wont notice too much). I enjoyed using this and have another card almost done - will post soon. This is an unmounted stamp so I cant remember where I got it - I do like it though and its stamped onto a laminate sheet, copper foil added from behind and buffed, then I layered onto various papers with some eyelets added. TFL.

Scrapwest Challenge - Filigree/Swirls

I finally got my piece together and this is it. I have used Basic Grey as the main background stamped with Stampers Anonymous, Hero Arts swirls and Stampington Venetial Flourish. The foreground is alcohol inks and another stampington heart and hero arts Precious. The front image of 'Lorraine' (isn't she beautiful) is courtesy of Linda and another Stampers Anonymous stamp. These are definitely my favourite colours to work with.

Can you tell I like image transfers. I have used my vintage book again, dyed with instant coffee and distress inks. I then added my image transfer but she seems to have lost her mouth in the process - hence the word 'lost'. The butterfly is just stuck with uhu stick and various stamps added. I was going to used this for this week's Scrapwest Challenge but my mojo is on a bumpy journey at present and I decided to travel on another while to see where she would take me :)

Wednesday Stamper - Fleur De Lys

Well, today I am feeling brave as this is the first time I am trying the Wednesday Stamper Challenge. I look forward to each Wednesday and being inspired by the wonderful work produced for these challenges and I have always wanted to try it. This week's challenge is 'Fleur de Lys' and here is my effort. The main image is watercolour paper coloured with various drawing inks (found in an old box almost dried up). My gold pilot pen leaked on the paper which shows the gold effect through it. I used the Hero Arts French script stamp, the Stampington Fleur stamp and another which I dont know who produced. I did an image transfer of the lovely little girl and I'm glad she shows up, I didn't think it would work.
Hope its up to the standard now =0)

New Blog Links

I have added some new blog links to my site and I urge you to check them out. There is some beautiful inspiration on them and thank you to those who have added me to your sites too.

Basic Grey Birthday Card

I love these Basic Grey papers almost as much as I love this inkadinkadoo stamp - it is one of my most used stamps, especially for 21st birthdays. I used black detail embossing powder, pleated pink angel hair behind the dress and added a little gem and a hanger and layered to the BG papers with some buttons and ribbons added. A quick and simple card.

UK Stampers Challenge

On the UK Stampers Forum there is a challenge to 'define your space' by making something for your craft room or space. I made this little door plate from 2 pieces of circular chip board and an ice lolly stick. My favourite saying stamp is on it Life is short - do what you love. I would like to have used more stamps on it but the papers didn't really need them.

Scrapwest Challenge - Bling

This week the challenge was 'Bling' I struggled for a while thinking of diamonds,bling bling chains and pink but eventually came up with this which is ok. I made the background paper with marvey metallic inks which were brayered and added some gold webbing spray. I added stickles to the image to give the 'bling' effect and some sparkly wrapping paper and buttons. (you need to click on the image to see it more clearly)

For DymphieM - the circle is a bangle covered in stickles and glued to the image.

Talk Crafts Swaps

Yesterday was such lovely day for me. The postie arrived with 2 swaps and both are beautiful. I received the lovely jewellery swap from Glynis - had to take it off to photo it and its beautiful. I also received this lovely canvas, an image transfer from Adrienne and its fabulous. Cant believe the left side is all an image transfer. These are so much nicer in real life and I'm delighted with them.

Where do you belong??

You Belong in 1998

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

leftovers

I have still lots of these bits of alcohol inked papers from Crafteire, they come in so useful for quick cards. I've used this as a male birthday card, simple and handy!!

Painting

I went to visit my brother over the weekend and was delighted to see this painting on his wall which I painted over 2 years ago for him as an xmas pressie. I still love looking at it.

Crafteire ATC SWap

To all of you very kind ladies who gave me ATCs at Crafteire - I finally have mine complete. I will give them to you at the next crop :), I'll post to those who wont be there.

Scrapwest Challenge - Happy Day Memories

Yes, I am very late but sometimes everyday life interferes with my playtime. I had a lovely weekend shopping for wedding dresses with my sister so it kinda took priority over any crafty work. This week's challenge was Happy Day Memories. The background is a page from an old book I received from Sabrina which I dry brushed with gesso, tore the edges and added some stamps and embellies. The lovely little angel on the flower is my gorgeous daughter on the day of her Christening, the way she lay on her blanket always reminds me of a little angel. It is one of my most treasured memories of her as a baby.

Talk Crafts Image Transfer Challenge

Havn't been here in a while as I have had a hectic week or two. Last weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday at a lovely crafty retreat at Magpie Crafts in Coleraine. It was a lovely weekend with lots of lovely like minded people all there for the craic. I made some mini books, ATCs, Art Girlz and sampled (and purchased) the newly launched Vivienne Hancox stamps which are beautiful. While I was there I finished off this swap for JP on the Talk Crafts Challenge. Unfortunately, it hasn't arrived with her yet but fingers crossed. I love this image of the little girl.

I am adding my replacement card in the event that this doesn't arrive in the post tomorrow - very similar but different image.