Clarity Stamp Challenge May

Hi

I have been promising myself for a few months now to enter the Clarity Stamps Challenge blog and today I have made something I really want to enter.  I am quite happy with it.  I have been practicing my vintage technique for a little while and I was making some vintage ATCs for my monthly craft club last week which I was quite happy with also, so I thought I would have a little play in my Art Journal.

I started with the clockwork stencil and some Dylusions sprays which I love, when the ink dried I used the gold Wink of Stella pen to colour in the cogs and clock face of the stencil, then using the Grunge stencil I wrote TIME WAITS for NOBODY as this is so true.  Next I used spiced marmalade distress ink around the stencil then went over it with some Vintage Photo distress ink building up the colour and leaving a little space around the words to make them pop.  I then inked the edges with Black Soot distress ink.  I then went over the Grunge stencil words with a black Wink of Stella brush pen.  I then stamped the two Clarity pocket watches in aged Mahogany distress ink.

My hands are very dirty looking now with the sprays and the inks, but is had fun and I like the finished article this time.

I will be back soon

Denise x

A card for a Friend

Hi

I have been making a card for my Friend who could use a little love right now.  I was thinking what could I do, what could I do.  I just couldn't think so eventually I thought about some pretty flowers (I love poppies) as I love to receive flowers and I thought if you feel a little burdened you just want to float away, hence my little clarity girl floating away with her balloons flying into the sky.

I had used the gorgeous clarity stencil for my background using pan pastels and then used pinflair Gentle Blends for the frame of the card as White was too stark.

Next came the Clarity Poppies in which I love, I coloured with the poppy red pro marker and then stampin up pens for the grass and stems.  The centre of the poppies are glittered with black diamond sparkles.

Following that came my Beutiful trouble free Love Balloon Girl from Clarity in which I stamped and then used my quickie glue pen again to add the glitter to the balloons in festive red and green diamond sparkles and then the girl herself in gold diamond sparkles.  The word love was glittered using black Diamond Sparkles.

Then I used the quicky glue pen to draw a thin line around the edge off the card and used the gold diamond sparkles to add a little consistency to the colours on the card.

I then used the Grunge ABC stencil to write my Sending All My words.  But I then felt the top of the card was missing something and therefore used one of the little stencils to make a banner and then stencilled the word Sending again.  All the words were glittered in black diamond sparkles.

A couple of white card candi were coloured in my gorgeous lilac wink of Stella pen (my favourite). And placed in the top corners and on the Banner to make the card more even and to add a little more dimension.

I hope my friend likes it when she receives it and doesn't see it here first.  I also hope you like it too.

Denise xx

CC Challenge 2

Hello again, today I am entering Challenge number 2 of the fabulous Compendium of Curiosities Challenge.  For those of you that don't know, that is the Fabulous Tim Holtz book and the challenge is on every fortnight.  I love that I have 2 weeks to enter as I do not always have the correct ingredients to enter each of the challenges and this gives me time to either order on line or ask my fabulous Husband to go and collect what I need if I cannot get out to get it.  Of course he does love to moan about that but he still goes for me (happy smiley face)x

This challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique who offer a fabulous $25 prize and Tim and Mario also offer fabulous prizes.  TBH I don't expect to win as there are so many fabulous crafters out there who have been crafting far longer than I have.  I do enter I. The hope of winning though as that would be a tremendous achievement, but my personal aim is to learn new techniques and that is exactly what is happening.  I used grunge board for the first time ever, if you haven't used it I would highly recommend it it is so soft and so lovely.....and it cuts beautifully in my ebosser and with scissors too might I add.

Well here goes nothing, this is what I made...... Please tell me what you think of it.  I will be giving it to my Dad as a Fathers Day gift in June, wow I am organised for once (another smiley face).

How I made it.....
I had a small wooden frame in which I embossed with clear embossing powder using the scroll stamp from Tim Holtz stampers Anonymous Shabby French CMS087 stamp sheet.
Inked the frame with Spiced Marmalade, Peacock Feathers, Dusty Concord and Pine Needles Distress inks.  Then helped dry it with the heat gun as I don't like to wait.  Rubbed kitchen roll over the entire frame to take the ink off the embossing.
I then stamped the Umbrella Man onto grunge board, cut him out and added Distress Dry glitter (clear rock candy as this was the only distress glitter I had) to the umbrella and then inked in Peacock Feathers.  I then used the heat gun again and it gave a nice bubbled look but my glitter then coloured. I loved that.
Next I used the Movers and shapers star from the mini old glory set and cut it onto grunge board.  I love this little star but didn't think I could use the movers and shapers in my ebosser.  My friend Heather and I were playing with the movers and shapers dies the other day.  I am a happy bunny as I have a couple of them and I can now use them again. I then inked the little grungy stars in fired brick and again covered in distress glitter and the colour just shows through the glitter, another discovery.
I coloured some grunge board letters in Broken China and I loved the look of the inked grunge board so didn't add glitter this time.
The Family sticker was taken from the Seasonal Salvage Stickers from The Tim Holtz pack.
And lastly I added a couple of metal cogs from my little stash to give a little more dimension and a more manly feel after all it is for my Dad.

Very happy with all the new things I have learned doing this challenge.

I hope you liked it and I will see you all soon

Denise x

Altered Beermats and Jar

Hi again, I haven't been around much as I have been under the weather again.  I have been diagnosed as having Functional Neurology Disorder.  A disorder that mimics MS therefore, I don't keep too well.  Enough about that now I have told you, we can get on with the Blog and I will come back as often as I can.

I had entered a challenge this month to alter some Beer mats.  I had to alter 5 beer mats and then send them off to Zuzu as it is her challenge on her blog "Zuzu's petals Altered Art n' Stuff".  I also entered last months altered bottle/jar swap.  It was the first time I had done anything like this and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was really nervous for the jar challenge as it was new to me and I wasn't sure what I could do.  But it turned out ok I think, picture below.......

Now for the Altered beer mats in which I need to post tomorrow to enable them to reach Zuzu on time.  I will receive 5 beer mats in return and a book ring.  I wish I had made 2 of my Jars as it was my first but I didn't.  Anyway I did double up on the Beer Mats so I could have a copy of them, since they are my first.  So here goes, let me know what you think please.......

Well that is the Beer Mats and they will be in the post tomorrow.  I have used the Typography papers from Graphic 45, some Tim Holtz stamps, distress paints and some Dylusions ink on grunge paste over a clarity stencil.  As well as other stamps and some crackle paint and a little glitter and stickles.  I also embossed a little too.  I wanted to do a range of different things to challenge myself and have some fun.  I really enjoyed the challenge involved in altering the beer mats and I will have to think of another way rather than adding Gesso to the beer mats as it didn't really work on them.  Anyway I cannot wait to see what I receive in return.

Speak soon

Denise x

A Compendium of Curiosities Challenge 1

Well hello again and so soon.  I have been on a Tim Holtz fix recently and as you may or may not know, I have only been crafting for a year and am a little besotted with everything Tim Holtz.  So when the new Tim Holtz book "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume 3" came out I had asked my lovely Husband to buy it for me.  Look what came the very next day...

Well the first challenge is sponsored by Inspiration Emporium which mean there are fabulous prizes up for grabs.  Secondly both Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi are also offering some prizes.  Therefore as well as my love for learning all new crafty things I get to learn new techniques using the Tim Holtz products and my new book (I have the biggest smile on my face as I type) so there is nothing to lose is there?

Wow then I got a little scared as I haven't used any other of Tim's products other than the Dies, stamps and Inks.  But I still have nothing to lose.  I then had to call upon a friend or two to borrow some distress paints for the first Challenge as I don't own any yet.  Although I will very soon (another big smile).

Well here goes this is my attempt at Challenge 1 of CC3C....

I used the Honeycomb textured plate after applying the marbling technique with the only two Distress Paints in my crafty little hands to the sissix die cut Tag, Walnut and Seedless Preserve.  I then used the following distress inks, Worn Lipstick, Pickled Raspberry, Peacock Feathers and Broken China. And cut out the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves and Florals and then decorated the tag.  Below are a few close ups....

 

I hope you like my first ever tag and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Denise xx

Cards, clubs and ATCs

Hello I have been busy since I last joined you, it has been a bit of a whirlwind really.  I have been designing some cards for The wonderful Toni Darroch and her fabulous company Stamps by Me for the next Create and Craft show.  I will keep you up to date when Toni will be on C&C.  I am so excited as I have only been crafting for a year and I was thrilled when Toni asked me to make her some cards for the show.  Below is a little sneak peak of one of the cards I made....

Next I have been poorly again.  I do not keep very well just like a lot of crafters out there and I love to be able to craft when I feel well enough to do so.  It is a slow process most of the time, but I get there eventually.

I had also went along to the craft group I attend on a monthly basis called Craftaholics anonymous Glasgow.  I thoroughly enjoy the group as everyone is very friendly and I have learned loads of new techniques with my lovely friends from the group.  I had shown a small group how to glitter some glasses and I had joined Jan in her Demo for more glittery stencil fun making two gorgeous cards shown below.

I just have to say a massive thank you to Jan for her help during the demo where I glittered the cards and I then had some homework to make the toppers into cards.  The tree one is now a little more vintage and masculine although it has some lovely Ribbon and loads of glitter.  And the roses topper was very simply added onto white card with a strip of the green metallic, a couple of green candi pieces placed onto the four corners and finished with a little of mica powder over the white.  I hope you like them and Jan very kindly gave me 10/10 for my homework.  I think she was being very kind.

Last but not least I have been making some ATCs for the monthly swap at Craftaholics Anonymous.  We started the swap a couple of months ago and I had never even heard of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), therefore I had to go and google what they were.  This month the Theme was Fantasy, I first thought fabulous this will be great and then had a little panic as I didn't then know what to do.  Once I calmed down I looked through my stamps and picked a few love story ones and some Mermaids.  Here is a look at the ATCs....

Well that is all for today.  I will be back tomorrow with another blog.

See you then 

Denise xx