On a Winning Streak!

Oopps! In all my ATC excitement I forgot to mention that I had also been a winner at INKURABLE STAMPERS last month (for my mermaid), receiving a very generous G/V from Heike at SCRAPZ.BIZ (thanks Sarah & Heike) & I was also lucky enough to receive a very generous cardmakers pack from SCRAPBOOKING TOP 50 (Thanks Victoria) So you see, you have to be in it to win it (says she, who still hasn`t started on this month`s CC challenges over at SBT50!!!!!!!!!!!)

Anyway, I wanted to share the bag I made for this month`s theme at INKURABLE STAMPERS. I had already started it when DD asked me if I was going to show it in my blog, so out came the camera LOL.

I had a bit of trouble trying to find an ink that I could use on fabric, but thanks to Google, I went with Adirondak Dye Ink. I also found lots of free patterns for shoulder bags thanks to Google, complete with great tutorials, but none had the pattern for the style I was after, (a shopping bag) so I worked on the pattern myself, & it turned out just like I had pictured it.

Now, tutorials are not my thing, but I`ll share the photos that I did take & if anyone is interested, I`ll work on a tutorial for later on...just let me know.

I used denim for the outside, & 100% printed cotton for the inside lining. & the finished bag measures 18" x 14" approx. The first 2 photos are the inside bottom corners, it`s what gives the bag its shape.

I then added some short handles, I wanted this bag to replace the ugly but practical shopping bags.

& this is one of the images I used, isn`t it great (this is one of the stamps I chose from SRAPZ.BIZ, thanks Heike)

For stamping on fabric, the image will give great results if stamped onto wrinkle-free, tightly woven fabric, & as you need a hot, dry iron to set the image, cottons work best. Use your DYE inks, & stamp first onto scrap fabric, & when you`re happy with the stamp chosen, stamp onto the fabric, allow a few minutes to dry & then iron on both sides of image without moving the iron about (just press for a few seconds at a time) Now, I doubt that I`ll be washing this bag too often, but if you want to make sure your image can pass the washing test, use a good fabric ink, otherwise, just heat set, & wash gently LOL.

& this is the image I stamped for the opposite side (STAMPOTIQUE from THE STAMPING QUEEN)

& here`s the finished bag : )

& being modelled by my ever helpful DD (thanks darling)

It`s the first time I`ve made a bag, & I`m so happy with how quick & easy it was to make (I know it would have been quicker to make it without the lining, but I was having so much fun sewing FABRIC as opposed to cs LOL, & it looks so much prettier, giving it a nicer finish, don`t you think?). I do believe I`ll be making a couple more as gifts for Christmas (only another 10 weeks away!!!!!!!!)

Who knew stamps could be used on fabric????

Enjoy your weekend, & thanks for visiting : )

DRD ATC Returns

Rachel Greig from DARKROOM DOOR has been hosting ATC swaps from her BLOG, & these are my beautiful returns for the "Wilderness" swap (you can see a video of them HERE)

Top row L to R, "Explore" is my own ATC, next is "All Good Things..."by Jenene E, followed by "Explore" from Teresa A.

2nd row L to R, "Wild" is from Damaris M, "All Good Things.." is from Cheryl T, & "Lost" is from Judith B.

3rd row L to R, "All Good Things..." from Robyn W, "But O..." is from Sandra De M. & "Take a Walk..." is from Tracey S.

Next up are my returns for the "Essentials 3" swap:

Top row L to R (I should do it in reverse order, just to see if you`re paying attention LOL) "Original" is my ATC, followed by Sandra De M`s jade butterfly, & "Wild & Free" is from Tracey S.

2nd row has "Art" by Damaris M, "Art" by Leesa H, & "Inspire" by Judith B.

3rd row has "Explore" by Robyn W, "Mug Shot" by Rachel C, & "With Each..." is from Cheryl T.

& as I sent 2 lots of ATCs for this swap, here is my second lot of little beauties:

Top row L to R, "Dream Create & Inspire" is my own creation, followed by "Moment of Time" by Rachel C, & "Art" by Leesa H.

In the 2nd row we have, "Proof "by Michelle L, "Gilded Butterflies" by C. Blackburn, & "Look..."by Damaris M.

& in the 3rd row, "Flutter" by Robyn W, "Mug Shot" by Helen C, & "Dream.."by Sarah S.

Aren`t they all just gorgeous? Thank you so much Rachel , for hosting the ATC swaps, & of course, Thank you to each of the ladies whose work of art I have been lucky enough to receive, each ATC is so distinctive, & beautifully finished :)

Don`t forget, if you`d like to participate just visit the DRD BLOG for all the DETAILS.

& I`m also very proud to say that my cards for the WCMD competition over in the DRD Flickr group won me a great prize pack of DRD goodies, Thank you Rachel : )

WCMD

Just in case you hadn`t noticed, this past Saturday, October 3, was the official World Card Making Day, & there`s all sorts of competitions happenning in blogland to celebrate the day! The 2 that I had time to join in with were INKURABLE STAMPERS & DARKROOM DOOR. So here are my cards:

The first card is a heart-shaped gate fold card, made for the INKURABLE STAMPERS WCMD comp. The card measures 10cm X 16cm closed, & 30cm X 16cm open
I started with a BB piece of cs (30 cm X 16 cm) & scored it at 5 cm(mountain fold), 5cm(valley fold),10 cm(valley fold),& 5cm(mountain fold). I then drew, cut & traced the pattern of the heart onto the outside folds, distressing the edges. Using the same pattern, I traced it onto white cs (cutting it a bit smaller), which I then applied GM to in brown & sunflower. I cut the heart in 2 & stuck the 2 halves to the outside folds, stitching them in place. I then stamped the script image (from the DRD Sweet Dreams set) I stamped the dolls stamp(Catslife Press, from TSQ) onto a scrap piece of previously stamped paper (Dancing Spirals Sculpey clay texture sheet/stamp) using Versafine black ink & clear EP( cutting the image in half ) & layered the images onto matching cs, distressing the edges.
The inside of the card has a piece of torn mulberry paper, & the sentiment (Catslife Press from TSQ) was stamped with black ink & clear EP.







& the following are my entries for the DARKROOM DOOR BLOG comp, which had to be uploaded to the FLICKR DRD group:

I just realized that I`m only meant to have one card only (it`s good to take the time to read the details!!!!)

Anyway, here`s the recipe for my cards: A white base card, some torn mulberry paper, some machine sewing, Stamped image from the Viva La Flora Vol 2, using Marvy ink, layered over some red cs, & some more sewing in the corners, with some red ribbon, & the sentiment is from the Full Bloom Vol 1 set

For the second card I used the Venetian Vol 1 image stamped with brown ink & clear embossing powder, & coloured with chalks, & I did a second stamping & put that image onto a square piece of chipboard to give the 3-D look (which can be seen a little better in the close-up photo) The word Explore is from the same set of stamps, stamped onto fabric with black ink, & covered with clear EP.
Lots of texture with the torn cs (but no sewing LOL)

For this next one, I used an image from THIS SET did some bleach stamping, & then overstamped with black ink & clear EP onto some painted cs (using Twinks H2Os) The lilac b`ground is a piece of core`dination card which has been dry-embossed with CB, & sanded back with a sanding block. The word is from THIS word strip.

And this one using the same set, stamped onto a salt & watercolour b`ground (one of my favourite b`grounds)

& for this last one, I swiped a yellow Marvy ink pad directly onto white cd, & then stamped the flower image using Versamark ink & covered with clear EP. I then swiped red Marvy ink over the top & used my fingers to spread the ink around, I so enjoy getting messy LOL.

Well, I sent an email to Rachel apologizing for hogging the Flickr gallery, & I promise to take my time & READ the full instructions before I jump in & start to play : ) Thank you for stopping by, & I hope that by sharing my work I have sparked your interest to get out your supplies & play too. Until next time, stay inky!

Not So Quick Show`n`Tell...

I have 4 LOs & a few cards to share, all from the SBT50 September CC. I wanted to do more, but there`s only so many hours in the day...Still, I`m more than happy with what I did get finished, & as a plus, DD (who`s almost 12 yo) helped me to choose all the photos! (Don`t forget, you can click on the images to view them in more detail) So here it goes:

Challenge #1, LO had to be 90% white & 10% colour, & had to include a cluster of embellishments. & here`s what I came up with...I know I`m a little biased, but she was a gorgeous baby :)

& here`s a close-up of those beautiful velvet flowers & the felt butterfly gifted to me by Sarah a while back, thank you SARAH :) It`s also the very first time I used that measuring tape stamp (I forgot I had it!!!!!!!)

For bonus points we were asked to create a card with the LO`s left-overs, but as I didn`t have any left-overs, I just kept to the same 90% white/10% colour theme, & used one of my Stampotique kids, & the sentiment is a stamp from Catslife Press (both stamps are from HERE)

Challenge #2 was a sketch, & the technique to use was distressing. We also had to use floral everything, as in floral pps, flowers, etc. This was a toughie for me as I`m not overly fond of flowers on LOs, but I did get to use some of the pps & other bits & pieces from the WIOIN kit I won last month.

& here`s the card I made with the left-overs, the "Thank you" stamp is from a Darkroom Door set.

For challenge #3 I had to use a home-made journal tag, use staples or pins, use a mix of alphas for the title, & I had to have a title AND a subtitle...

And here`s the card I made with the left-overs, again, the "Happy Birthday" is a stamp from a DRD set, & the spotty butterfly is from a Bella clear stamp set.

For challenge #5 we had to include an animal/insect embellishment, as well as some doodling.





And again, as I didn`t have any left-overs, I used the doodling on my card.

For challenge #6 we had to create a card, which included bright pp, hand-made flowers (I used a Carl punch), a happy sentiment ( "Enjoy Life"stamp from a DRD set) & a charm.

So there you go, all in all, a pretty productive CyberCrop if I say so myself.

While getting all the links to go on this post, Sarah was busy uploading this month`s theme over at INKURABLE STAMPERS, so if you have a few unused stamps that NEED to be played with, go & check out the "BOXES, BAGS & ENVELOPES" post :)

Stay safe, stay healthy, & don`t forget to play...

For A Dear Friend...

I have known her for a couple of years, met her IRL only twice, but LYN has just embarked on one of the toughest journeys anyone could imagine. I`m thinking of you, my friend...

*The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. ~C.C. Scott

*Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there. ~Norman Vincent Peale

*A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995

Above quotes are from HERE.

What a Difference a Day Makes...

I tried to take some photos of my mermaid yesterday, & all I ended up with were blurry pics, & I don`t mean blurry in an arty way, I mean blurry as in BLAH! But today, was a whole different story as you can see:

I got the mermaid template from HERE, & this month`s theme over at INKURABLE STAMPERS was the perfect opportunity to play.
There`s a few templates to choose from too, so if mermaids are not your thing, just click on a plain doll template.
I traced the upper body pieces out of some corrugated cardboard which I cut out & sprayed with denim GM, & stamped the lady`s face (from a Non Sequitur UM stamp plate"The Roaring Twenties") using timber brown Stazon ink. I also stamped the butterfly wings (from Non Sequitur UM stamp plate "House of Belonging") onto cs which I`d watercoloured with Twinks H2Os (mystic blue, ruby red, ginger peach, & mulberry) I then cut out all the wings, shaped them & stuck them to the tail using foam tape for dimention. See that mottled look on her hair, I achieved that look by sprinkling salt onto wet wc paint, allowing it to dry & then brushing off the salt, it`s one of my favourite techniques to use with paint.
As a finishing touch, I stamped & clear embossed the quote from Catslife Press (avail at TSQ)onto a scrap of painted paper, & attached with ds tape. She measures 21 cm in height, & is very shimmery :) I`ll have to find a prominent place for her to hang from, so I can read that quote every day!
Remember, you have until the end of the month to email your entry & join in the fun, & there`s some great prizes to be won, so what better excuse to get out your stamps & have a play???

& If scrapping is your addiction of choice, the September SBT50 CC has already started...how time flies when you`re busy crafting LOL. I`m so glad I finished my "Wonderful World of Books" LO on time (from my previous post), the CC fairy was very good to me last month, & I won a scrap pack from SBT50 & WIOIN, so I`m living proof that you`ve got to be in it to win it ;)

Now I`m off to do a spot of scrapping...thanks for visiting

Who Knew...

I did end up doing one last LO for the August CC over at SBT50, & uploaded it just in the nick of time, nothing like working under pressure LOL

The challenge was to use paint, use light blue colour, & to have a "feeling" word in the title...Wonderful is a feeling, right ; )

This is the quote I used, which I just love:

"I`ve travelled the world twice over,

Met the famous: saints and sinners,

Poets and artists, kings and queens,

Old stars and hopeful beginners,

I`ve been where no-one`s been before,

Learned secrets from writers and cooks

All with one library ticket

To the wonderful world of books"

~ Janice James~

& below is the card I made with the left-overs, that`s one of the oldest stamps in my stash (one of my first purchases from TSQ) & also one of my favourites, the sentiment is from another favourite DRD set (FULL BLOOM Vol 1)

& speaking of DRD, these are my entries to the black, white & red competition they ran on their FLICKR GROUP, if you get the chance, go & have a look, lots of yummy projects to look at.

On another note, the new theme for INKURABLE STAMPERS this month has been picked, & guess whose idea (in a round-about kind of way LOL) Sarah picked? She asked for some ideas, so we all thought up different themes, & my contribution was mermaids...which in turn gave Sarah the idea for the theme of "Down by the Sea". Go check out her gorgeous sample HERE, & thanks Sarah for the RAK : )

Now to prove that you should stay away from places with sick people, I went last week to get my stitches out (from my injured thumb) & came home with a case of tonsolitis, & have been on antibiotics for the last week, I`ve lost my voice (which DH thought was too funny, as I could only whisper, he thought it was sexy LOL) & have had a horrid cough that`s just now starting to ease.

But the antibiotics have just made me feel soooo lethargic, like I just want to curl up & sleep : ( But sleep is such a waste of time LOL

I am feeling much better now, so it`s on with the show...thank you for popping in, & now go forth & create something : )