Tags!

Another very quick post this morning as we're off to an auction.  There's a lot of musical instruments in the auction so we have to go and have a look (and maybe buy something!).

I'll be looking to see if there are any cheap frames, mirrors or boxes, in fact anything that I could alter!!  We have to get there quite early as we missed the viewing day yesterday so need to have a good poke around before the auction starts.

Now on to the crafty stuff.  I haven't had much in the way of mojo for the past few days....think it's taken itself off to sunnier climes.  Hopefully it'll return when the sun starts shining here!  When I get like that I often just sit and make tags and that's what happened yesterday.

The first one is a mixed media tag.  I've just used a really cheap tag from a stationers and covered it with Perfect Medium then clear UTEE.  Once that had been heated, I re-inked and put some black embossing powder on.  I re-heated it and while it was still warm, added some Cosmic Shimmer Mica Flakes, Micro Beads and a little bit of glitter.  The flower was made with a Spellbinder Blossoms die.  I covered the piece of card I was cutting out with double sided adhesive (the Creative Expressions one works best for this), cut out the flower in the Grand Calibur, removed the backing sheet and covered the flower with gilding flakes before rolling it into shape.

The second tag was really quick.  After covering a tag with Distress Ink, I inked up a mask with Perfect Medium and embossed it with the Grand Calibur.  When that was done, I removed the mask and covered the tag with clear embossing powder and heated.  It looks a bit like animal skin.

Tag three was made by inking all over the tag with Wild Honey Distress Ink then masking off an area and inking through the mask with Rusty Hinge Ink.  I used an anti static bag before inking up the train (it's from a set by Sam Poole at Creative Studios) with black archival and setting it with clear embossing powder.  The oval was cut using a Spellbinder die and the label on it is another Sam Poole stamp.  They've been inked the same way and I've used some Black Soot to distress them.

I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet but hopefully inspiration will strike!

Now to todays travel photo!

This one is just a bit of fun!  It was taken in Parantins which is a town on the Amazon river.  It's my lovely better half (so he would say!) being eaten by a rather large snake!

Anyway, that's all for today.  Don't forget the blog candy.  Hope you all have a very happy crafty day and thanks for taking time to stop by.

WOYWW

Good Morning All.  I can't believe that it's Wednesday already....where did this last week go!

Well, I'm ashamed to say that my desk hasn't got any less messy than the last visit!  In my defence, I am in the middle of sorting out kits for the next workshop in July.  I know that's ages away but it's nearly the start of the festival season when I can go away and be an ageing hippy!

On the desk are some Cosmic Shimmer Misters, a set of Nautical stamps and my trusty Teacup as well as the start of the packs, masks and sample card.

I'm on the Creative Studios DT blog today with a step by step for the door hanger I've put on here.  I've used the Wise Owl set of stamps designed by Sam Poole.  If you'd like to know how I made it, please click on the link on the right.

And finally, my travel photo for today!  This is in the Amazon where we were lucky enough to visit in January when we were teaching on a cruise.  It's a place called Alto do Chao and is a beach resort right on the shore of the Amazon river!

Well, that's all for today.  Many thanks for stopping by and leaving comments for me,  I do appreciate it.  Until next time......

Enchanted Trees

Good Morning All.
Sorry I didn't make it yesterday but I woke up feeling really rough and achy...almost like 'flu but today I'm fine again.  Go figure!


Anyway, enough of that and on to a card I made using one of the fab new stamp sets from Sam Poole at Creative Studios.

I started by stamping the new A6 Tree Bark stamp onto some Kraft card with Coffee Archival Ink.  The large tree was also stamped with Coffee Archival but this time onto cream card and heat embossed.  The message was stamped the same way.

On the background, I've rubbed 3 colours of gilding wax.  I can't remember all the names but I know one was Deep Red and the others were a gold and a copper!  That'll teach me to write these things down!  I've used the small tree to make a border around the edge of the background and I've randomly stamped the words "Enchanted Souls".

I added gilding wax over the tree and message.  I've edged the background, main image and message with Black Soot Distress Ink the gone around the very edge with a black Copic pen.

To finish the card, I've used a strip of Kraft card which I've distressed and tied some twine around it.  There's also a Dazzler on it just to give it a bit of bling!

It's a shame that a photo doesn't do justice to the wonderful effects that you get with gilding wax.

All of the products I've used are from Creative Studios.  To visit, just click on the link to Sam Poole on the right of this page.

Just a quick travel photo this morning.

We were lucky enough to be working on a 6 week cruise to the Amazon and Caribbean in January this year and on board, teaching scrapbooking was my good friend Michelle (also known as the Art Tart!).

We had a fantastic time (as did the passengers) and this photo was taken in a small village on the banks of the Amazon.  The children dress up in costume and bring their pets to show everyone whenever a cruise ship shows up there.  The little girl is holding her pet sloth.

Well, that's all until tomorrow so until then, have a great crafty day!
 

Thank You

Good Morning Everyone and a very happy, relaxing Sunday to you all.

Firstly, a very big Thank You to everyone who came to the workshop yesterday.  It was a bit manic at times...we really do need a bigger room...but great fun.  Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.  The next one is July 6th and I'll have another 4 projects ready to play with!

Now onto todays card.  This one is a white on white card.  I wanted to make something a bit more elegant than my usual inky offerings as it's to give to friends that have invited us to lunch today.

First, I pierced around the edge of a square of plain white card with my piercing ruler.  Sue Wilson gave me a great tip for doing this.  Hold the ruler in place at both ends with the stick pins...then you've got them ready for the finished card as well!

I ran a smaller square of card through the Grand Calibur with the Moroccan Mask and taped a strip of ribbon around it before matting and layering.  The topper was made using a "To Die For" stamp, labels 23.  I inked the stamp up with Perfect Medium and heat embossed with Cosmic Shimmer True White embossing powder. The stamps match the Spellbinder dies perfectly so after stamping I placed the die over the image and cut it out. 
I had a "Thank You" message stamp in my stash (very old and I don't even know where it came from!) that was just the right size and font for what I wanted.  I used the inner from the die cut to stamp the message on which was then heat embossed with clear powder.
Once the message was glued into place, I added the die cut topper with 3d foam pads.  A bow, some stick pins, a dazzler and some pearls and the card is finished.  Hope you like it...hope the friends it's for like it too!  Apart from the message stamp, everything else used was from Creative Expressions.

Todays travel photos!  I fell in love with Hvar in Croatia so thought I'd bring you a couple more shots from there.

This is a view from the castle.  I always try to find nice marinas wherever we go as we have a friend with a yacht and keep hinting that he would like to sail to these places and possibly take us with him as crew!  I can make a good cup of tea, even is rough seas!!

And this one was the main promenade by the seafront.

This week on Create and Craft the very talented Julia Watts will be demoing the "To Die For" stamps so do tune in.

Hope you all have a great day and many thanks for stopping by.

Quick and Simple

Good Morning All.  Thought I'd keep it quick and simple this morning as I've much to do (but not about nothing!!)

I've got to sort out all the tools for the workshop tomorrow and double check that the packs have all the necessary goodies to make the projects.

I'm also half way though putting another card together.  I walked away from it yesterday as I wasn't sure where it was going.  Sometimes it's best to go back to these things the next day!

Anyway, here is todays offering.

I stamped the background using Dusty Concord Distress Ink and used a stamp from Enchanted Trees by Creative Studios.

I stamped the small tree from the set 3 times using Broken China, Faded Jeans and Dusty Concord.  Once the trees were stamped, I used the same background stamp to go around the trees.  The message is from the same set of stamps and has been inked with Black Archival and heat embossed with clear powder.  Just a bit of simple matting and layering to finish.  All of the products used are from Creative Studios and to check them out, click on the link to Sam Poole on the right.  While you're there, take a look at the Design Team page.  We newbies to the DT are busy putting projects on there which will hopefully give you some ideas.

Now for todays travel photos!  I'm thinking of making this a permanent feature!  These were taken on the island of Burano in Venice.  The tower really is leaning that far over!

I loved the houses, the colours in the sunshine were glorious, makes me wish that I could paint but photos will have to do I'm afraid!

So, that's all for today.  I might not get a chance to post tomorrow as it's an early start for the workshop.  If I don't get to do it, I'll be back on Sunday. 

Hope you all have a happy crafting day and thanks for visiting.

The Finished Project

Good Morning All.  Many thanks to everyone who visited yesterday and for all your wonderful comments.

Well, here is my first Design Team piece for Creative Studios.  I was pleased with how it came out (especially as I didn't have a clue where I was going with it!).
Sometimes these things just fall into place!
I have fallen in love with my Melt Pot all over again and can't think why it ended up on a shelf neglected for so many years.  I also had a pot of beeswax that I bought 5 years ago and until this year was unopened!
You never know when these things will come in handy!!
Anyway, back to the project......
The stamps I've used are from 2 stamp sets by the very talented designer Sam Poole at Creative Studios.  They are Timeless Journey and Steampunk Dreams.  I've put the full step by step on the Creative Studio blog.
To find it, click the link to Sam Poole on the right of this page.  When you get there, click onto Design Team at the top of the page and all the DT projects will be there.  I posted mine yesterday.
It also gave me a chance to play with the Ranger Vintaj Patina paints to distress the metal embellishments.  I should really have taken a photo of what they looked like before.  Let's just say they were a bit brassy looking!

Now onto todays travel feature!  This is a photo of the statue to Christ the King taken in Lisbon.  It was made to look like the one in Rio but is quite a bit smaller.  It still looks impressive when you're up close to it.  It stands on the opposite side of the River Tagus to the main city and can be seen for miles.  The weather was pretty good as well!!

That's nearly all for today, thank you for visiting and hope you like the project.  Thank you also to the new blog followers...we'll soon be at the target for the candy draw! And the Saturday workshop has now sold out. There will be another one in July, date to be confirmed.  Until tomorrow, happy crafting!

WOYWW

Good Morning and Happy WOYWW! 

If you're not sure what this is all about, go to my link on the right and have a look.  For curious bodies like myself, it's a great way of having a little look-see at other people's desks and what they're up to!

Mine, as usual, looks like a bomb has hit it!  To be fair I'm assembling bits for a project for the Creative Studios Design Team.  It's being posted on the Creative Studio blog tomorrow complete with "Step by Step" photos but I will also post a picture of the finished piece on here.  For the step by step, please visit Sam Poole (the link is on the right).

A card that I did manage to finish was this one.  I'm quite pleased with it as it's not my normal colour scheme (trying to get out of my comfort zone).  The stamps are the "Wise Owl" set from Creative Studios and I've used Barn Door and Wild Honey Distress Inks.  The background was make using the Falling Leaves A6 stamp again from Creative Studios.

And finally, another photo from my travels.  This time I thought I'd post one from Venice again.  It has to be one of my favourite cities in the world.  I wouldn't want to go there in "high season" though...it's also one of the busiest with tourists!

You can just see the Bridge of Sighs in the background.  This was taken from the ship as we sailed in at 6.30 in the morning.

 

Hope you all have a happy crafting day and many thanks for dropping by and leaving all your comments.

P.S.  Don't forget about the blog candy...as soon as I hit 300 followers I'll be making the draw.