Cufflinks and brownie points

I don't normally do two posts in one day but I've had several things to upload this week but no access to my photos'.  I've come to SW's to abuse his computer.  I think I'll leave the other post 'til tomorrow.  Finally got into this blogging malarky and I can't get my photos!  Ah well, I'll get sorted one day (possibly!)

Anyhow's I've finally found a way of being forgiven for my crafty obsession by making something useful for SW.  Now not only does he think I'm thoughtful and clever but he also has a place for his cufflinks.  Best still I have more room to buy other lovely things to alter.  Clever, clever me!

This was actually a paper mache book, but I've turned it on its side to make a box instead (actually I found a stamp that I wanted to use which wouldn't fit the right way up so a box it became). 

The box is painted with a mixture of Claudine Hellmuth's acrylic paint and another brand in a silvery black, which created this gorgeous green/ blue colour. I may start to get organised one day and actually write down the brands and colours I use - bare with me though, it might be a while!  An atlas stamp was used for the middle of the box, masked and surrounded by a handwriting stamp.  I finished the box with some of Tim Holtz's alteration dies used as a flourish and a handmade heart.  There's a bit of glimmer mist on there too - couldn't resist!

Hope you like
x

Time for tea

So while my well trained bf is making me a cuppa I thought I would upload my Sunday Stamper entry.  The theme over at Ink on my fingers this week is time so out came my Paper Artsy stamps.  I used a frame from Hobbycraft as a basis, covered it with Gesso and then used mushroom and a mixture of acrylics to get a darkish green blue to highlight it. 

The background is grunge paper inked with Tim Holtz Distress Inks (tumbled glass, weathered wood and forest moss) and stamped with a fob watch in brushed cordoury.  I then took an arch and covered it with ferro before using the same stamp to create some texture alongside a script stamp.  I wanted a really deep impression so I used quite thick ferro basis and applied a fair bit of pressure.  Once dry the ferro was covered with Rangers pearl acrylic dabber and then dabbed with the same blueish green paint to give a really good contrast.

I then created a metal emobssed clock face to sit on top of the arch and decided it didn't work.  A bit of rummaging later I found a painted domino which I hadn't used from a while back, so I highlighted the pattern in brushed corduroy distress ink and attached some spinners to give a clock impression.  To pull everything together I used a combination of flowers to finish the project.

Thanks Hels for another great challenge.

Hope you all like it

x

Playing around with bits and pieces

Wey hey, not only have I been playing with my new distress inks but I've managed to do two challenges in one day.  Haven't had this much crafty time to myself for ages.  The weather's great so the cats are off a-playin and the bf has been tucked away in front of the tv (Grand Prix widow season has started) and I've been a-messin around with bits and pieces for the Sunday Stampers challenge this week.

Firstly I swished around with some inks (my new favs are tumbled glass and pumice stone, btw, not that I used any pumice stone here).  I've become a non pink/purple girl and seemed to be drawn to my out of comfort zone colour - blue.  Anyhows, after that I became all T!m-ish.  Out came the masks, on went some more blue distress inks (I think pretty much a bit of each of the new blues and a bit of weathered wood cos I felt disloyal to the old colours).  Then I remembered that I had played with the new Alteration Dies, so they got covered with Silver Dabber (not the dies, the die cuts).

Sorry it's a bit wonky, it would sit straight on the scanner cos of the bits and pieces on it.

After all that playing I had a lovely background, but no focus - time for a tidy up (by this time I'm playing in a space the size of a A5 card).  Whilst tidying I remembered the negatives die I had, bit of stamping and a few pieces of hardware later and Bob's your uncle (well he might be, personally I don't have an uncle Bob).

Quite pleased with this challenge entry as I've managed to use 4 stamps that I've never used that have been sitting in my stash for well over a year, probably nearer 5 years in some cases!

Hope you like it
x

All my Easter's have come at once

Christmas didn't fit and I quite like Easter eggs.  Mmm have you seen all those shiny boxes with there foiled goodies. 

Anyway I digress Mr Postman is my new bestest friend (not that I've ever done anything but grunt at him on Saturday morning trying not to let him see I'm still in my bed clothes and can't even open my eyes) .... right concentrate .... he, lovely Mr Postman, bought me Mr T!m's alteration dies to play with AND my preorder of distress inks.  Yes. I know you have probably had yours for like eons and yes, I will be more patient in future and not order from the first company to put up pre order as I'm sure they were the last company to receive there order and yes I have probably admired your art whilst growling.  But I no longer care cos I've got them so there!

To celebrate I went out a bought a truckload of Easter eggs, not really I did something much more fun ....  I've created by first challenge entry for Stampotique Designers Challenge   - spring has sprung.   I've had to scan it as I'm still minus a camera, but hopefully it does the card justice.

I love this time of year.  The sun is out the snow drops are springing up and the weather is warming (sort of) All in all I gain an extra spring in my step, in fact I tend to get a bit hyper after all the dark winter nights, but that's all part of the fun.

Hope you like the card

x