CASEing

Stampotique's current challenge  (#48) is to CASE one of the DT members, and my DT member of choice is the fabulous Kate Crane.     I got to play with a couple of new stamps for this project (courtesy of Stampotique Original's blog hop last year, thank you Carol)
I used THIS image stamped onto wc paper and coloured with wc pencils, and THIS great sentiment, both stuck using some foam tape for added dimention, plus some bubble wrap, a toilet roll tube (for the big circles), a fairly big brush, plus lots of acrylic paints, and some machine sewing around the edges.    I also added some painted old book pages for the top and bottom edges.    The heart was drawn onto wc paper and coloured in with wc pencils...isn't Hug Monster a cutie!!!

Thanks for visiting, and if you get a chance, there's still a few days to take part in this challenge, for all the details visit the blog HERE : )

A Non-Traditional Christmas Card

That's the theme for this fortnight over at Stampotique's challenge blog, and here is the card I made, using one of my latests acquisitions, Mela (isn't she cute?)
I've used DCWV metallic cs in a lavender colour, stamping Mela onto a piece of white wc card, colouring her with a purple wc pencil (and a brown one for her shoes) and adding DM to the heart on her dress, and to her shoes.      I then distressed the edges, adding some pink ink and punching a corner out.   That was then layered over a darker purple cs, and as a finishing touch, I added some silver ribbon and a printed sentiment (from Darkroom Door)

Zutter Books and Stampbord

A while ago I entered the fabulous Stampbord competition, and I chose to use a couple of Zutter Cover-Alls (bamboo spine) books, which at 3"x4" are the perfect size to use with the ATC-sized Stampbord pieces.      We could not share our entries in our blogs at the time, so I'm sharing mine now...I had two entries, this first one made it through to the finals:

I started by covering the book with torn pieces of masking tape, then I gave the whole book a coat of acrylic paint (viridian) and the edges were painted with burnt umber  and bronze.    I then got one of those fun ATC-sized Stampbord pieces, and using some StaZon inks (mustard, rusty brown, blazing red) covered the entire piece, I then used various stamps from these Darkroom Door sets (Steampunk, Gothic Arches, Prague Vol 2 ) using StaZon ink (jet black) & then I scratched out some highlights using one of the Stampbord scratch knives.       I covered the whole Stampbord piece with a coat of DM to give it that nice shiny finish, and I made the insert using plain copy paper, cut to size and hand-sewn together.

For my second entry I used basically the same products, giving the cover a coat of viridian acrylic paint, and the background on the ATC-sized Stampbord piece was created by using watercolour paint and a sprinkling of salt, I then used this image from Stampotique Originals, as well as images from these Darkroom Door sets (Love Birds, Mail Art)     The motif in the top corner was drawn in using a Zig pen (0.5) and all the highlights were scratched using a Stampbord scratching tool, this entry didn't make it into the top 6, but I'm very happy with how both entries turned out just the same : )

And if you're wondering why I didn't cover this one with a coat of DM, it's because I really like the matte finish : )        Thank you for visiting me, and a big thank you to those of you who voted for my entry into the competition.   You can still see all the beautiful entries HERE.

And talking about competitions, don't forget to enter this month's Craft Queen challenge, just use some stamping, and some pink ribbon and email a photo of your project (which can be anything at all)    For all the details, go HERE and good luck : )

Poison Bottle

I hope you are all having a fun and lazy Sunday, I am...
I wanted to enter the Stampotique Designer's Challenge, so I had a look at their theme and it happens to be poison bottle, so I had a quick look around for a suitable bottle and made this:

The bottle is made of glass, and in it's previous life contained mineral water, I just gave it a coat of matte medium, stuck some fusible webbing onto it, adding some Stickls to the mouth of the bottle, and then went to work on my sign.
I used Miss Snottie, stamping her 3 times and cutting out the image (paper-tole style) using foam tape between layers and adding colour with some wc pencils.    Did you notice the "stuff" she's throwing up?  yes, more Stickls, that's what it is, not a beard LOL.     I drew the bones onto thick card and added some puff paint (first time I've used it!) you paint it on, heat it with your heat gun and it magically puffs up...
And the "Rhubarb Leaves" sign?   I have a very vivid memory of being in high school (in home-eco class) and our teacher telling us that rhubarb leaves were very poisonous BUT the stalks were OK to cook and eat...I just thought, why would anyone one want to cook with it???
There's a couple of days left if you'd like to take part in this great challenge, so why not give it a go?
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and as always, thank you for your visit, I hope I have inspired you to use your supplies and have some messy fun : )

A Colour Challenge

Here is my entry for the current Inkurable Stampers challenge, it's a colour challenge, and although I love colour, I don't do too well with restrictions, so it's taken me a while to get this ATC finished, but finished IT IS  : )
I forgot to take a photo of the background before I added all the stamped images, but I'm sure I'll be using this weaving technique again, it is a bit time-consuming, but it's fun & I think it looks great (I've had the idea stashed away on my "to do" list since I saw a demo of ribbon weaving at the last craft show I attended sometime ago)
I started by painting a couple of book pages with orange wc and purple acrylic paint, and after they were dry I cut them into 1/2" strips and did the weaving thing.     I then stuck the woven strips to an ATC-sized card and trimmed the overhanging bits.
I then stamped the letters (Studio G)  onto white card, cut them and stuck them into place.    I then added some purple cotton thread, and Head (Stampotique Originals at The Stamping Queen) coloured with green wc pencil and stuck with foam tape for added dimention.     I was going to use some wool as hair, but then came across the beads and went with those instead, I think they look really cute, plus I couldn't find any green wool LOL.    So here is my finished ATC:

     Looking at the photos now, I think those beads would also work as mermaid's hair, don't you think?      There's still a few days left to join in with this fun challenge, so why not give it a go?     Thanks for visiting my humble palace, I hope to see you again soon, until then, go forth and play  : )

Messy Fun

This is my entry to the latest theme over at the Stampotique Challenge Blog...lots of ink (Adirondack lettuce) lots of acrylic paint (red, purple, yellow) & some wc paints and wc pencils...

I've used a couple of my most recent acquisitions, Perl and Miss Snottie, some bubblewrap, some Kaiser tiny letter stickers, foam tape for Miss Snottie, a wooden heart-shaped button and some bakers' twine(button and twine are from my Craft Queen stash, thanks Nicole)
Tag measures about 6.5"x3" approx.
Now I better go and clean up my craft table, I hope you're enjoying your weekend, thanks for stopping by...   : )

Hello Sweety...

I had the chance to make a couple of cards this afternoon while watching a Doctor Who DVD with DD, & if you are a Whovian, you will get the reference in my title...
Anyhow, here is my entry for Stampotique's challenge blog, last minute, but at least I made it LOL

I started with a white card base, doodled in the B&W edge, stamped Miss Snottie (one of my newest purchases, this was her first outing!) onto a piece of scrap white cs & cut out,and as the theme calls for B&W and a hint of colour, I added a painted piece of mesh (I think it's called plasterers tape?)  and the sentiment (Carolee's red letter stickers)  I used some foam tape for added dimention...I hope the school holidays are being kind to you too  : )

Playing With Acetate

Stampotique's current challenge is "bookmarks", and I know that no matter how many bookmarks I have, I can always do with some more... 

  For this particular one, I started with a piece of clear acetate, cut it into a tag shape, stamped Gooseneck & Prom Queen on the reverse using black StaZon ink, and when dry, I added white and purple acrylic paint.     Once that was dry, I added the image of Head (stamped onto scraps of painted wc paper), the (old Collections) cs scrabble tiles, covered with a coat of DM.    I added the left-over oval center piece of a Sizzix Alterations die (folded in the middle over a piece of painted text paper)      The button is from Craft Queen, and so is the seam binding.   I also used a Souffle pen to accentuate the whites of their eyes  : )   I hope you're having a creative weekend, thanks for stopping by.

Mail Art With Legs...

Or, what to do with your scraps!...join in with the current Stampotique Designers Challenge Blog, of course LOL.     Here's my entry for this fun theme, and I didn't use anything that wasn't already hiding under printed papers, cardstock, and other bits and pieces on my craft table!    Even the envelope was there waiting for me...

I recently took part in an ATC swap for which I used THIS great Stampotique Originals image, but I had the lower body left over as I only used half the image for each of the 9 cards...plus I had 2 full images left over.       I began by sticking the label from the TH Alterations die (which I had used as a mask on another envelope) onto the front of a kraft envelope, I then stuck Smile on top of that, added the other half Smiles to the edges of the envelope, and used a black texta and a mint Souffle pen for the doodling, so easy, but so cute, don't you think?     That's it for me today, I hope you are having a great Sunday : )

Never Enough Time, and Never Enough Bookmarks...

I usually only read one book at a time, but I sometimes like to jump from book to book depending on my mood !?      Anyway, for this week, Stampotique's challenge was to use acetate, so this gave me the idea for another quick bookmark.

I cut a piece of acetate to measure 12" x 2", folded it in half, and used my favourite Stampotique Originals image, HEAD, stamping him using black StaZon, adding some bronze acrylic paint to the underside, and some teal acrylic paint over that (I like how the brushstrokes can be seen close up), and adding some printed script writing (stuck with DM)     I then added the quote, and the fibres as a finishing touch, doesn't he look cute?     There's still time to enter this fun challenge, so go on, get inked !

One Layer Wonder

That's the current theme over at INKURABLE STAMPERS this month, and boy, oh boy, it was so hard for me to do!     What can I say, I love the 3-D look, but I'm very happy with how this card turned out,  and I hope the recepient likes it too   : )

I started with a white piece of cs, onto which I stamped "Head"(from Stampotique Originals) with black Versafine ink, and clear-embossed him.     I then masked him, and then stamped the new Darkroom Door Flourish stamp (isn't it gorgeous!!!) using platinum planet Brilliance ink, and clear embossing powder.     I then put the mask back on Head, and stamped the "Merry Christmas" from THIS Darkroom Door set using some red Marvy ink, and sponged some Adirondack ink (lettuce) all around the white spaces.    I then used an edge distresser, sponged the edges with the red Marvy ink and added the green brads.      I stuck this to the green card base and added the glitter ribbon, using a green brad to hold the bow in place.    BTW, this particular glitter ribbon is fantastic, the glitter doesn't come off, no matter what you do with it, and it easily stays in place with some ds tape (a bit of info just for my friend Lyn)    
I'd just like to shout out a great big Thank You to those of you who've come to visit me lately, and have left me lovely comments, I know we are all pressed for time during the festive season, so it really means a lot to me to know you've taken the time to share your thoughts...Thank You : )