WICKED WEDNESDAY ATCs #50 - CIRCUS FUN

I have been very short of time this week so my entry is a bit (a lot actually) cheeky. Not wanting to miss out on a Wicked Wednesday challenge, I finally made this:

The images were a freebie I found some time ago and have been sitting in my image file just waiting for this week's challenge. I couldn't pick just one so used all 8 by making this little concertina fold, double-sided ATC.  I hope these cheery little clowns bring a smile.
I have been 'beavering' away at my Grande project and apart from waiting for some special glue to arrive, I am well on with it. Sticking awkward shapes of metal in equally awkward places on glass and plastic have proved too much for my Cosmic Shimmer, Multi Matt Medium and Glossy Accents, so let's see what this other glue will do - if it ever gets here.
Today's tease then:

Hmmh!

WICKED WEWDNESDAY ATC CHALLENGE #30 - SPRING FEVER

Over at the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog Spring has Sprung, I mean, Spring is in the Air, Spring is springing about all over - actually it's, Spring Fever......Can you tell that Spring is my most favourite time of the year.
I love the spring flowers, the lengthening days, lambs, the glorious flush of green when the trees break bud, the smell of first cut grass, seeds sprouting into life, hazy sunshine and the scratches in the sky made by planes, and of course, the end of winter.
I so enjoyed making this ATC it was fun, hope it makes you smile too:

Even Spring is springing about!!!!!!!!
I coloured grungeboard letters with acrylic dabber and stuck them together with multi matt medium. I then mounted the whole thing onto 2 springs which act as a base only, then I stuck the little lambs and some tiny flowers in place.
Have a go at making a fun Spring ATC, you will get a smile too. x

WICKED WEDNESDAY ATC - #29 - YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

We could certainly do with some sunshine in the UK today. Storms have caused havoc in the south and are now venturing north to me. At least the lovely cards that the Wicked Wednesday ATC DT have made bring a smile and warmth to your soul.
I decided to heat up my melt pot and make a face for my sun. Here it is:

I used alcohol inks for the base card giving the effect of a lovely blue sky. The rays are stamped in saffron Archival ink. I coloured the ruff with mustard seed distress stain and stuck everything down with multi matt medium including the defintion which I cut from an old dictionary.
Right then, next task........

WICKED WEDNESDAY ATCS CHALLENGE #14 - OCEAN/AQUATIC

All the deets for this super challenge are HERE.
I enjoyed this one - but then I enjoy all the challenges I have a go at - and got to use my precious Brixham shells again. Any excuse to use those because when they are all gone I will be able to make the excuse to go to Devon again for more!!!

The base is mount board covered in Terra - Sahara - which gives a sandy effect when dry smeared with a bit of broken china distress stain. I used the top of the branches from an Andy Skinner tree stamp to stamp sea weed in forest moss DI which I then clear embossed. The rest of the scene is made up of sea moss, Martha Stewart punched branches, shells, a sea horse charm, a fish button, some sparkly sticky gems and a brass anchor embossed with aged mahogony distress embossing powder. The whole effect was glued together with multi matt medium.
Thanks to Wicked Wednesday ATCs for picking me as one of their top 3 again last week. It's such fun to have a go.

A CUTE CARD

Not very often I make a 'cute' card but this one happened because I toyed with the idea of applying for another DT. Third time lucky I thought. Anyway, I haven't really got round to doing it and for me, that isn't the way forward. I thought if I can't get on and DO IT, I have no right to be thinking about it. Something so important needs commitment and I don't seem to have that inclination this week.
I had a rummage through my pretty paper drawer, found a lovely little digi image, pulled out the DIs that matched, picked out some coloured brads and found some tiny Prima flowers. This was the result:

The deep edge Martha Stewart punch matched the gorgeous embossed red paper to a 'T'.

I used a water brush and DIs to colour the image so the little girl's skin is quite patchy really. However, as she has been in the garden all day picking flowers in the sunshine, I thought she looked a little tanned!!!

She is printed onto thin card so I could cut her out and mount her onto the card with 3D foam.
The little flower brads match perfectly too. I cut off the prongs and stuck them down with Multi Matt Medium.

Finally, I stuck the Prima flowers to the bottom of the card, leaving the stems long apart from those at the edge.

It all worked out really well. I think the moral of making this card was to stick to the same pallet for all the items. Maybe cute isn't that bad after all.

ATC CHALLENGES BLOG #2

The second challenge over at the Atc Challenges Blog is entitled - Beach or Seaside, and you must include some height eg, decoupage etc..
I've had a go using some of my precious Brixham shells.

I used a couple of image downloads this time. The sea has been painted over with a mix of multi matt medium thinned with perfect pearl mist. I spread some glossy accents and black diamond stickles over the lower rocks and stuck the shells into it. A sprinkle of coarse gold glitter added extra sparkle.

The plane is a brass charm coloured with souffle Sakura pens and the little sign is a bit of fun.

I'll just pop over to their blog now and enter it.
Do have a look if you get chance as there is a little prize on offer.

SPRING INTO ACTION

When we were preparing our configuration box at Tim's workshop, he asked us to remove 3 of the inside boxes. This was to create a large compartment in the middle. We could keep the ones we took out for further projects. I decided to use one of them to make an entry for the Artistic Stamper Design Team Challenge this month which is SPRING.

Before I stuck the papers down I stamped the inside one with peeled paint DI and Tim's Spring Sprung flourish stamp and the outside paper with the Artistic Stamper's stamp, mini chicken wire using bundled sage DI. All the edges are covered with tissue tape.
I then began to stick mini Prima flowers in various parts both inside and outside.

I used  multi matt medium for this as it's quick and efficient. The little chicken is wearing an Easter bonnet stuck using some very sticky double-sided tape, but again, she is stuck with matt medium.
I struggled a bit with the little rabbit peg and bunch of flowers and in the end I used double-sided tape for that too.

The flowers on the top of the box, plus the 'spring' wires, are glued on with silicone. This gave a bit of height as well as something in which to stick the wire.

Finally, I worked out where to place the silver beads (taken from a really cheapo necklace I found in a really cheapo shop) and glued those with matt medium.

What a fun little project.

MY BELATED BIRTHDAY/CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

I received money for both my birthday and Christmas so that I could treat myself to some Tim goodies. Here is what I got.

You can see 3 sets of Tim's new stamps. I especially like the back-to-front words stamps which can be used together with his embossing folders. I had run out of sprocket gears and only have a few swivel clasps left so they were replacements. Multi Matt Medium is so good I have used rather a lot of that too so thought I had better get another just incase. As I haven't had the chance to do any crafting since we came home, I haven't used the scrubbie, but am sure I shall sometime this week.
I also bought a new bottle of blending solution and Tim's 'hanging sign' die from the Art Shop in Darlington and I got 2 more packs of grungepaper yesterday from Inspirations.
Oh! look what the postie has just delivered.

Yippee! All I need now are the Distress Stains I've ordered from Simon Says Stamp.
Thank you for my presents. I love them all.

TIM'S 12 TAGS OF CHRISTMAS 2010 - #11

I wonder how many of us thought to make foam stamps from Tim's Alterations dies. I certainly didn't. It makes spending all that money on them worth while twice over.
This tag wasn't hard, just a bit fiddly, mainly for me because I don't have any ornate plates so had to make something up from the charms I had.

First of all though, I made the snowflake foam stamp. I have several sheets of funky foam, bought years and years ago when I first started crafting. I've almost given it away umpteen times. How glad am I now that I didn't. I really liked the way Tim used this stamp and I reckon it's a technique I shall use many times more.

Again, luckily I have the pine tree die so the tag was easy. I followed all Tim's instructions and tried really hard to cut the snowy tree at the same parts too. Not difficult but a bit tricky to see some of the edges through the home made glittery flower soft.
I stuck the 2 metal corners onto the 2 titchy square frames using multi matt medium. Normally I would have used glossy accents, but after Tim saying that he always uses the medium for metal, I did the same. It's really stuck so that's another fab tip.

Another enjoyable crafting session.

Just off to link this to both Artyjen and  the Artistic Stamper blogs.