WICKED WEDNESDAY ATC #26 - WOODLAND NYMPHS & FOREST FAIRIES

Thank you Jenn and team from Wicked Wednesday ATCs for picking me in your top 3 last week.  Such an honour.
I have looked forward to this week's challenge so much (to see a list of upcoming themes, pop over to WW blog for details). I wanted to do something different this time so I've made a 3D card. It was such fun:

The fairies/nymphs are made from shrink plastic -

I used a hot glue gun for an immediate result -

The mushrooms were stamped on card and coloured with Distress Markers -

The 'trees' were cut from Alterations strip dies and a Martha Stewart punch -

The forest floor is sea moss, the flowers are Prima and there is some stickles and glitter mixed in too -

This will have to go on my little craft shelf now as there is no way it will fit in an ATC pocket, LOL.

SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE...........

the start of the new ATC Challenge blog - ATCs WITH ATTITUDE.
Why am I so happy? because they have chosen me to join their Design Team along with several other like-minded ATC enthusiasts. To say I am thrilled is an understatement because I have never claimed to be anything other than a complete amateur crafter. Must admit though, I am getting a bit better at some techniques!!
Today's launch has been a bit rushed for the girls, Abbie, Caro and Leah, so we didn't receive our images with which to create our first card until a couple of days ago. However, pop over to the blog for a peep at the ones the team have produced because they are fabulous. I completed mine at 1.45am yesterday!!
Stickles, distress inks and liquid applique gave mine sparkle and depth. Such fun images to work with.
So come along and join in for the chance to win some images from this fortnights sponsor MELJENS DESIGNS. Make an atc with the theme  
FLOWERS
and add your link to Mr Linky over on the ATCs WITH ATTITUDE blog.

ATC CHALLENGES #14 - MERMAIDS

The new challenge over at the ATC Challenges blog is either anything goes or specifically - Mermaids.
I decided to have a go at this one and chose the challenge version.
The photo could be better, but the light today has been awful to craft by let alone take photos. Hope you can see my effort though:

I decided to use a free download and add embellishments. The 'shell' is a metal piece which I painted with lemonade dabber and then embossed with scattered straw distress embossing powder. It was to resemble being covered with sand. I then used my precious Brixham shells, some pearls, stickles and punched autumn branches for bits of seaweed. I then misted the whole card with perfect pearls to make it glisten.

WHAT'S ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY

I bet most of you cannot believe that yet another week has gone by. Surely that just goes to show that some one has shortened the days. Any one going to own up then?? It wasn't me, I promise, I'm a victim too.
I have been really busy planning bookmarks for Heather's swap, actually making them and of course, getting as much of the glorious sunshine we had here in the north west, Saturday to Monday. I've finished the bookmarks and posted them but can't show you what I made until next month as the swap runs until 31 July.
So, my little space looks like this today:

I finally found the 9 new Stickles colours, there's a Marianne design die for 'twisted' flowers, the funny looking rubber ring is what was left after I put together some alphabet stamps, my crop-o-dile is out of it's box, there's my Liz Earle note book and a rather scary looking orangutan face from one of 'T's' birthday cards.

Aren't those Stickles just yummy?
I am sort of up to date at the moment with cards etc and ready for nursing the invalid when the 19th comes around. I hope therefore, to have a bit of time this week to pop around to yours, courtesy of our wonderful leader Julia, for a good 'ol nosey at your work space. I hope you are ready and waiting.

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.

2.75" x 2.75"

That's how big this canvas is:

It isn't going on the tag, that is there to show you how it turned out after mopping up the spare ink from the other day. The canvas is the first one I've used which is so small - and I've got a couple even smaller!


I painted it all over with trad. tan Studio paint then used dusty concord distress stain all over including the edges. How quick a job these stains make, just brilliant.

I then used a lolly stick to 'splodge' some Indian coloured Terra over parts to give some depth and interest. I dried it sparingly with a heat gun before rubbing purple and gold metallic rubbing wax over it. I then gave it all a good spray with heirloom gold perfect pearls. Had to let that dry in the sun as I wanted to keep the droplets.

The flower is one of the ones I made when we went away the other week. Matches perfectly. I mounted it onto the small cog which I cut from grungepaper and coloured with the dusty concord again. The leaves are cut from paper using an MS punch.

Just look at the lovely sparkle from the perfect pearls spray.


To finish off, I added some seed beads and a bit of purple stickles.

What a fun little project. I've decided to use it as a centre piece for a large card. I placed it onto a fancy piece of paper I had previously punched using an MS round the edge punch, and placed the whole thing into the middle of an 8"x8" card. It looked super. Having said that, the card was white and it needs a cream one. So that's what I shall do.
Thanks for looking.

PERFECT BEE

Oh dear, I think my ideas for headings are getting out of control. Anyway, today I decided to have a go at a couple of challenges.
The first is the Stampotique Designers Challenge - Animals, insects or birds.
The second is the Sunday Stampers - Nature.
This is my little ATC, made for both.

The background is created with perfect pearls, 2 layers of UTEE and stamped with the Stampotique Bee which I have highlighted with perfect pearls and stickles.
I enjoyed making this and it was so quick and easy.

SIZE MATTERS!

Size really does matter. It's my first time at this too. Never experienced this before. The best bit was, I enjoyed it and it was quick!
Ok, I can hear some giggles out there. All of the above is true. I've made my very first INCHIE.

The Tim workshop forum have decided that we should all make an inchie and put them in a mini album as a big thank you to him for the fabulous time we will have.

I was quite daunted at the thought of making something so 'fiddly'. I find it difficult at times to hold tiny bits in my fingers, that's why I use tweezers so much, but I managed it.

The base is grungeboard covered in a piece of Tim's vintage shabby stack. I distressed all round with aged mahogony and edged it with walnut stain. The little butterfly is from some I already had in pre-cut grunge, which I painted with cranberry and gold paint dabbers. I used fired brick distress powder on the game spinner and red stickles on the brad. The swirl is from Tim's corner stamp from his clear set 'the journey' and the beads are bedazzles. The little piece of grosgrain is from a length I bought from Finishing Touches in Totnes some time ago.

All in all, for a first attempt that is, I am satisfied with the result.
Someone said they were adictive. Hmm! we'll see.

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - SNOW

Pop over to the SCD blog for details of this week's challenge - Snow.
I missed the last couple of challenges but had this one in mind to do anyway, so it fits perfectly.

This is the last of the large cards that Sonia kindly gave me and I've loved using them.
The base is brown corrugated card generously smeared with gesso, fine glitter, white flower soft and some gorgeous Martha Stewart stars glitter. It took ages to dry though. The red card is simply torn and stamped with Tim's snowflake and snowman stamps in Brilliance moonlight white. The letters are coloured with gold dabber and are grungeboard in different fonts.
The gorgeous Tim pine tree was die cut and coloured with forest moss DI. I dried this with a heat gun before adding some gesso for snow. However, this morning was a shock because the snow had turned green! I started again and added some flower soft but that turned green too! As a last resort I lavishly applied frosted lace stickles. It's not quite dry yet but still looks green to me.
The picket fence is Tim's on the edge die as I adore this one. I cut it from grunge paper - as the tree - coloured it with brushed corduroy DI and gave it the gesso, flower soft and glitter treatment. This has stayed white!
An embellishment and aged mahogony DI round the edge finished it off.

CRIMBO CARDS

I made a couple  more cards, last night actually, after I wrote my woyww post for today, that's why they weren't on it..

This image has been on my image folder since last year but I've never used it 'til now. It's a simple card because of that but nothing is simple about the gorgeous Snow Flurries on the edge die from the master himself. It cuts really well for something so complicated.
The little girl has a blue skirt so I have used a piece of matching card on the edge of the inside to show off the snowflakes which in turn are covered in ice stickles. I added a bit of distress stickles to the image after matting and layering it to the main card. The large snowflake is from a Xmas card from last year!

This card has turned out better than I could have wished. It's 6"x6". The matt is 5.5"sq. Again I have used a vintage image from my stock but I distressed the matt using colours that matched the image and in the same situation. After that I stamped Tim's fir stamp in forest moss to one side and his scroll in aged mahogony to the other. The sentiment is one I use often, simply gold embossed. I used wax to stick the image to the card and give some interest. It's a technique I now absolutely love. Once cool, I added some distress stickles to Santa's coat, roughed the edges, darkened them with walnut stain, added a metal star and........... well no, it's actually not been stuck down yet.
To be perfectly honest, 'peg leg' and I (mainly him) are so 'down' that his knee operation was cancelled at the last minute, that neither of us have even got dressed today. I know that's awful, but we have both spent the day on our computers instead of doing anything else. Never, ever done that before.
This hospital lark is just that -a lark.

SCD NOVEMBER CHALLENGE WEEK 1 - HOUSES

Pop over to the Something Completely Different challenge blog for details of this weeks challenge.
The theme is houses.
A good chance to use my new Tim Holtz on the edge townscape die. I tried it with mount board but it didn't cut through properly. The die is quite intricate, just like the scrollwork one, and that doesn't really like mount board either - but I make it have it!!!

In the end I cut the houses out of grunge paper.
This photo shows the sparkle in the stickles.

This one shows the reflection of light in the windows of the houses.
I used paint dabbers to colour each house and gesso for snow on the rooves and the 'ground' plus some glitter. I already had some off cuts of mirri card that I had previously coloured with Stazon, so used little pieces to stick behind the houses. The light shines on them and makes it look like lights are on in each one.
The base card is distressed over a clear embossed Santa which I ironed to get rid of the embossing. The stars are embossed with sparkly white powder and the 'ho, ho, ho' is simply stamped with Brilliance white.
It didn't turn out as effectively as I wanted, but in real life, it's not too bad.

BRRRR!

Winter is definitely in the air, more so next week aparently. I am trying to make a few Christmas cards, the special ones at least. The image on this one is really chilly, to match the temperature.

I coloured this a while ago so only had to add bit of bling ie. stickles to her fur trim.
The base card is HUGE. It's 7.5" square and is from a pack that Sonia kindly gave me last Tuesday. Thanks again Sonia. I covered the front with a piece of Tim's Vintage Shabby paper, a piece of gorgeous lilac paper which is silver embossed. I've not been able to cut into this paper because it's so gorgeous, but hey! the time has come.
I matted the image onto another piece of Tim's paper, roughed the edges and stuck that to the card. All the paper was distressed around the edges with dusty concord and the image was edged with silver stickles, bits of silver peel off to make corners and some square sticky gems. I made the snowflake ribbon with a Martha Stewart punch and the white branch is from Tim's regal crest die. Everything else is from my stash.
I enjoyed this one, but reckon it may have to have a box if it gets posted.
I've started another card but want  to enter it into a challenge so I must get on with it as I have to make 2 birthday cards and one of those is needed for next Tuesday!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

There are some truly fabulous Halloween pieces out there in craft land this year. One in particular has been made by Hels Sheridan. Pop over and have a peek if you get the chance. I haven't really had a play this year apart from a couple of ATCs and an altered frame, but I have received Tim's new stamps, a die and embossing folder which will come in very handy next time around.

I seem to be on a roll with Xmas just now and have completed 2 cards! Wow! That's good for me. Actually it's not 'cos I am so behind with other cards, like birthday, which really isn't good. Here's a quick look at what I've done so far.

Both designs are from the new Magnolia magazine, but as you can see, I've adapted them 'cos I don't have the Magnolia stamps. I'm particularly pleased with the second card. It's really quite lovely ....ooh! self praise.
I'm packing my best stash today as we are going down the road to Southport for a few days in the motorhome. My friend, Sonia, is coming on Tuesday for a day of crafting and I hope to be able to show her some Ranger techniques as taught to me by Lindsay when I've watched her demos and attended her workshops. Sonia is fast becoming a DI addict and wants to move on a bit, so she will be able to play with all the stamps and alcohol inks plus lots of other goodies such as dabbers, perfect pearls, stickles, fragments and dies. Her attention to detail is excellent so I reckon she will end up showing me.
I will take photos, or better still, I'll get 'peg leg' to take a few, and blog them as we go along.

YELLOW & GREEN at SCD

Another week, another colour combo over at SCD. This Friday's choice is yellow and green.
Some of you may remember how I tried and tried to purchase a back issue of Craft Stamper magazine just to get the free stamp. In the end they actually sent me the stamp but the magazine was no longer available. Well this little ATC is made with that very stamp.

I made some green miri card by dragging a green Stazon pad over some silver miri then once dry, I stamped the image using pearlescence lime Brilliance. I cannot take credit for the wonderful spun background though, as it was a little pressie from Heather as part of one of her monthly swaps.
I used some 3D foam pads to mount the image on top of some yellow fibres and finished it off with some green bugle beads, yellow and green gems and a memo pin - which looks like a wand from a bottle of childs bubbles - a few drops of green stickles on the image and yellow stickles on the spun art.

I know I made this a while ago, but I've never entered it in any challenges so I hope it's acceptable.

GHOSTLY ATC

I don't really know why I love making Halloween ATCs. I think it's the colours - or lack of colour - and the intriguing images and effects.

Of course it's really an American thing that is catching on here as everything else from over there does (not complaining about the craft side of that though - quite the opposite) so they do it better. I've just seen an amazing ornament made using a combination of Tim's GB, stamps and embellishments. Quite delish..

My little card, on the other hand, is simple but effective - just like me LOL!!!!

I used mount board for the base and gave it a covering of gesso before distressing over it with black soot and dried marigold inks. I then sprayed the skull stamp with water and stamped the background. this gave an eery looking image which I dried quickly with a heat gun. After masking that I stamped the cobwebs using black archival, removed the mask and over stamped with Tim's barbed wire stamp, again using black archival. The little ghost word is from a mini collage of words by Studio G - I think I got this off Ebay last year. I then stuck a couple of 'spiders' - ok, I know they are really ants - which are luminous to the webs and added a bit of orange peel stickles.

The photo doesn't really do it justice because, although a simple card, it's quite effective.

I'm starting to get my things together for Lindsay's workshops on Saturday. They are going to be a hoot. Meeting up with 'the girls' (Gez, She and Sioux) and the 'sister act' (Lindsay and Heather) is a recipe for fun, fun, fun, Oh! and a lot of great crafting techniques. Check out everyone's blog from the links in my right hand side bar.

Hopefully I shall get the chance to take photos of what we make and what we get up to. See ya.

SCD - OF THE SEA

I have had a good time this month joining in with the SCD challenges.
All have had the basic theme - Torso - with a twist to it each week. This weeks is the last and is 'of the sea'.
I thought this may be easy until I started. Not one single stamp with anything like a sea theme in my drawers.
However, not to be beaten, I came up with this.

Again, my camera is not responding to close ups, sorry.

The wording at the top is covered in glossy accents ans a few beadazzles so is not easily made out but is a torn piece of dictionary definition re. ocean, a large section of sea.

The 'sea angel mermaid' is stamped with teal Stazon onto card and then cut out. (and you thought she was just a fairy didn't you?) The whole of the base mountboard is coloured with various alcohol inks which I tapped on. I then went to town with sticking my gorgeous Brixham mini shells, moss, seed beads, beadazzles and stickles to the base. The little 'mermaid' is sitting amongst them trying to have a rest!!

I had my jiffy bag ready to send off my swaps after having completed this one, but will have to look for a box now 'cos this won't fit. Thank you SCD for this months fun. I wonder what September will bring.

UTEE d FLOWERS

I tried really hard yesterday to make some little flowers and cover them with UTEE.

First thing to happen when I had finished them, was a great big aeroplane landed on the table.

Fortunately, the little flowers hopped onto the wing so were quite safe.

I managed to assemble the petals after colouring them with DI, but when it came to dipping them in the UTEE, the trouble began again. The tweezers clogged up and stuck hard to the petals and I had to prise them off using my metal tweezers - which promptly stuck - so I prised those off with a pokey tool. I then had flowers with 2 pairs of tweezers and a pokey tool stuck to them!!

Trying to cover a bead with UTEE and placing that in the centre was the last straw.

 If you look closely you will see around 1/2 gallon of UTEE on the large flower, several bubbles and 1/4 gallon of UTEE on each of the little ones. I also tried covering the bits where the tools had stuck and not the UTEE with stickles, so there's around 1/2 bottle of that on them aswell.

I think I will give this technique a miss for a while, or at least until I've forgotten  that I ever tried it.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE............

You know how sometimes you get an idea for a card, or something similar, and just have to make it even though it's seasonal and not that time of year? Well, I just had to make this Halloween tag yesterday.

I was looking through my Tim stamps and found the saying and that just set me off. Can you imagine a skeleton wanting to be a ballet dancer. I think his little tutu is lovely!!

I've just been onto the Something Completely Different challenge blog and found that my tag satisfies todays challenge - ORANGE, BLUE and BROWN, so I am entering it.

I really had fun with this one. I scrunched up the tag, then added walnut stain ink before spritzing it with water. I have a new/old iron, if that makes sense, which I then used to iron the tag dry. The rest is obvious I think.

I then just had to have a go with my new cover stamp kindly sent to me from Traplet. So this is what I made. I think it needs a word or something yet and backing onto mountboard, but it's nearly done. Another ATC inspired by the amazing Heather

.
I used a 'spun' background that was a freebie from Heather on one of her ATC swaps. I stamped the face image on acetate using lime brilliance ink then I matted it onto green miri card which I had coloured myself using stazon ink. All I did then was to add fibres, glitter, bugle beads and some sticky gems all over. I love the colours on this.

Just wondered if you may like to see my sunflowers. The tallest are over 13'!!!!!! The bees are loving them and I hope they go to seed for the birds through the winter.

I would just also like to thank all my followers for taking the time to look at my blog. There are 33 of you now. I feel very honoured. Infact, I am going to put all your names into a box and get 'peg leg' to pick a couple out for some blog candy giveaway.
He's just busy installing a new bi-fold door on the front room, so I'll get him to do it later today.
Watch this space then. xx

BABY WIPE BUTTERFLY

One of the amazing techniques I learnt from Lindsay last week, was making a multi coloured background 'paper' using baby wipes.
You simply run a Big and Juicy multi coloured ink pad onto your craft sheet and then lay a baby wipe onto it to pick up the ink - a plastic glove is a must for this.
The end result is quite lovely and being a bit textured, adds to the appeal.
I used my piece to make a Tim butterfly to go on  a birthday card for a friend's little girl. (don't tell Emily if you are reading this Sharon).

I used bundled sage and shabby shutters distress ink to shade the card before stamping a swirl with shabby shutters ink. I then cut out the butterfly by putting 2 layers of black card through my Big Shot. I stuck the baby wipe onto the plain pieces of the butterfly and then overlaid the cut out layers. I then stuck each bit to the card using both extra sticky double-sided tape and 2 sizes of black 3D foam. I put a small purple brad through a green plastic flower then a purple Prima flower after which I wrapped the end of some purple wire round the stem of the brad which I had threaded through some seed beads and 2 metal charms.
I finished off with some gorgeous stickles on the butterfly body and a few sticky gems on the bottom of the card.
The butterfly die is really beautiful and cuts so cleanly and easily. I can see me using this a lot.

TWEET TWEET

Check out these challenge blogs:
Hidden Treasures - http://hiddentreasureschallenge.blogspot.com

Sunday Stampers - http://pinkleart.blogspot.com

both are Sunday challenges. Hidden Treasures #1 is pink and brown, whilst
Sunday Stampers #104 is tear something.
This little card satisfies both. I used distress inks for the background in the colours, victorian velvet, spun sugar, antique linen and brushed corduroy. A few splashes of water gave the mottled effect. The torn paper is from my stash and I edged it with victorian velvet ink. The cheeky little bird was a new aquisition and is a set of stamps by Lindsay Mason. I tried her technique of stamping on acetate, covering part of the image, this time the bird's body, with glossy accents, adding a few drops of alcohol ink - I used 3 pinks and a bit of brown - before adding some glitter and scrunched up tissue paper. Once dry I cut out the body and added it to another which I had stamped onto card. I roughed the edges and distressed them with brushed corduroy. The little words are simply stamped onto a bit of card and again distressed with the pink and brown. Instead of using sticky gems in the corners, I added 3 drops of stickles, one set in pink and the other in cinnamon.
A simple little card but quite effective.