Craft Stamper

Good Morning Bloggers.  Well this is a surprise, me blogging 2 days in a row!

There is a reason for it and the clue is in the blog title!

I was merrily flicking through my new Craft Stamper magazine when I saw a layered embossing technique.  It looked so cool that I had to give it a try.  Then I saw that Craft Stamper have a competition running to enter your efforts using this technique so here's mine!

I started by covering a wall hanging with Eco Green White Acrylic Paint and made sure it was dry before coating the whole piece with Perfect Medium. 
I've put various colours of Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Powder on it in gradients allowing some of the colours to blend where they meet.
The colours I used were Lapis Sapphire, Blue Raspberry, Midnight Blue, Arctic Lake and Tropic Pearl.  After heating embossing the whole piece, I've smeared some more Perfect Medium onto it and added more colour.

The next stage was to ink through a mask with Perfect Medium again and heat emboss using Cosmic Shimmer True White Powder.  I've stamped a few images with Black Archival Ink in the background from the Dandelion Wished stamp set from Creative Expressions.

The next step was to stamp some sentiments from Art Sayings and a large dot background stamp onto single ply tissue using Black Archival Ink.  I applied the tissue to the wall hanging using Beeswax that I had melted in my Melt Pot.  The stamps used are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios.
I edged the whole think with Eco Green Black Acrylic Paint applied using a piece of Cut 'n Dry Foam.

I die cut some of the Spellbinder D Lite dies in black card and stuck them on with Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue.

The final steps were to make up some 3d roses and some flowers using the Spellbinder Carnation Creations Dies, stamp some leaves from the Wise Friend stamps and dip all of them into clear UTEE (again using the Melt Pot).

To finish, I added a metal embellishment made up from small bits and pieces I had in my stash and Creative Expressions ribbons tied around the string hanger.
I do hope you like it, the photo isn't the best as it really doesn't show the shine of the layered embossing.

That's all for today as it was a marathon step by step!
Until next time, have a happy, crafty day!

WOYWW

Well fellow bloggers, here we are again.  Another Wednesday has snuck up on us and we're showing our desks in all their glory!

In spite of my repeated promises to myself to tidy up it still hasn't happened, maybe next week!  So here it is!!

As you can see, there are assorted ribbons, Spellbinder dies, masks and embossing folders as well as sample cards for upcoming workshops.  The brown drawers in the background have stamps in and on the shelves is my collection of cardstock.  I just noticed some ribbon weaving on there as well!

Now on to more pleasant matters!  Here's this weeks project for the Creative Studios Design Team Blog.

 

I've used the Enchanted Souls set of stamps for this one and I've posted a full step by step on the Creative Studios blog so I won't so it again on here.  The link is on the right, just click on Sam Poole.

 

A couple of weeks ago I had a chipboard mini book lurking on my desk and some of you said that you'd like to see the finished thing.  Well, I did finish it and it's on yesterday's post if anyone is interested.  It took a while to do as I wanted to use a lot of stamps that I haven't played with for a long time.  I was quite pleased with how it came out though.

 

So now for today's travel photo.  I've been researching the family tree and found out that this is where my great, great grandparents were married and my great grandfather was christened.  It's the Parish Church in a town called Ibstock in Leicestershire.  It seems as though we lived there from the 1500's.

 

Anyway, that's it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and all the lovely comments.  I'll try to visit as many of you as I can.
Don't forget the blog candy!!

It's Finally Finished!

A couple of weeks ago a little chipboard book was seen lurking on my desk in the picture I took for WOYWW.  It was a blank that I bought in sale ages ago for the princely sum of 30p (yep, last of the big spenders I am)!

Anyway, here is the finished result!  All of the pages have been covered with Graphic45 papers as I love them and I've cut out some of the images from the paper to decorate.

The front cover of the book has a message stamp from Steampunk Dreams by Sam Poole.  The flower and leaves are Studio 490  and are stamped onto Grungepaper. I found the alphabets in my stash and I've coloured everything with Distress Inks. 



These are pages 2&3.  I've used stamps from Steampunk Dreams and Vintage Photography.  I've also used the "Dream Big" stamp from the Art Houses set of stamps.

Page 4 uses stamps from Vintage Inventor and an A6 stamp set with different tickets on.

Page 5 is the Vintage Sewing Set.

Pages 6 and 7.  I've used stamps from the Tim Holtz Classics 6 set of stamps and also used gilding wax on some of the images.  The 3 butterflies are from Steampunk Dreams and the message is from Art Houses.
There's also a metal corner embellishment by Creative Expressions, some punched butterflies and paper flowers with black pearls from my stash.

And so on to the back page which has stamps from Vintage Treasures, a TH pen nib and another ticket from the A6 stamp set.  I've also put another piccie of the front page here without all the ribbon and the book rings.

It was a lot of fun digging out stamps that I haven't used for a while and hopefully, this little book will remind me that I have them!  Unless I've stated otherwise, all of the stamps are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios.

As there are so many photos on today's posting I'm going to leave the travel photo until next time.  Until then, have a happy crafty day and thanks for visiting.

Happy Father's Day

Would someone please explain why your nearest and dearest think that it's a good idea to ask you to make a card and then say they need it in an hour!

I had my morning planned for yesterday.  Make OH a Father's Day card and finish a DT piece I was working on.  But no, youngest daughter suddenly realised that she and her partner hadn't got a card for partners dad and could I just "knock" one up.  Oh, and it has to have a shed on it!!

Anyway, rising to the challenge like any determined crafter, this is what I came up with.

I found a picture of a shed on Google Images that was copyright free then went to my good old Serif programme!
I chose a background and a frame, then dropped the photo into the frame.  The letters are also printed using Serif as are the birds.  Just to give it a hand made look, I stamped the flower and leaves then coloured them in with Copic pens.  The stamps are from the Artistic Stamper.  The flower has been mounted onto the card with 3d foam pads.  Not too bad given the time frame and that it had to have a shed on it!

I'm still playing with my journaling and having a ball getting very inky and finding odd things to stick in it!  Here's my latest page!

I've used a mopping up technique to create the background.  Basically, you just clean whatever you've been using on a previous page onto a new one and see what you get!  Definitely my type of crafting...you don't waste anything!!

Now for todays travel photo.

I thought I'd take you the market in Belem, Brazil today and to the fish stall.  The guy at the back had actually fallen asleep and looked so peaceful amongst all of the fish.  I suppose you could say he was sleeping with the fishes (to give it a Mafia turn of phrase!!)

Well, that's all for today.  We're being taken out to lunch for a Father's Day treat.  Great being a Mum as I get to go too!!

Until next time, have a happy, crafty time and may thanks for visiting.

Trying to be Organised!

Good Morning Bloggers! 

I'm trying very hard to get into an organised mode (not easy for me!) and finish prepping the final workshop of the year.  I know it isn't until November but what with music festivals in the summer and prepping for a cruise I'm teaching on, the year will fly past.

So, I'm sorry if I upset anyone, but I'm going to mention the dreaded "C" word again!  Yes, I'm "doing" Christmas!!

Well, here's the card I've come up with.  It's a nice quick one as in the workshop we do 2 long and 2 short projects (we run out of time it we don't!)

To make the card, I've cut an aperture in a 6x6 card using the Small Classic Square Spellbinder Die.  Using the same die and a larger one, I've cut a frame.  The frame has been coloured using Distress Inks and stamped with Black Archival Ink.
I glued a piece of acetate to the card and glued the frame over the top.
Using the square of card cut from the centre, I've cut another shape using a Spellbinder die and coloured it using Distress Inks.  I've used Dusty Concord, Broken China and Faded Jeans and I've blended them together. 
I stamped the pear from Sam Poole's "Partridge in a Pear Tree" stamp set (the stamp on the frame is from the same set) with Black Archival ink and heat embossed it with clear powder.  A little tip....use an anti-static bag before stamping the pear as the Distress Inks take a long time to dry and will hold on to the embossing powder.

I cut another matching shape out and glued the stamped one to the front of the acetate and the plain white one directly behind it to hide all the gluey mess.  Then it's just a message stamped on the front and you're good to go!

Hope you like it!

Now for todays travel photo....where shall we go today!

These are the "Standing Stones of Stennes" in the Orkney Islands.  They're a Neolithic monument and quite beautiful against the windswept background.

Well, that's all for today.  Have a very happy crafty week until we meet again in Blogland!  Many thanks for visiting.

WOYWW

Good Morning All, it's that time of the week again when we get the chance to have a snoop around other crafters desks!  A very big than you to Ms Dunnit for organising this marathon every single week.

Anyway, here goes with yet another example of a messy workspace.  One day I will surprise everyone and it will look pristine!

Following the weekend journaling workshops at the Artistic Stamper in Faversham, I have embraced all things splodgy, inky, painty and generally messy (no change there!)
This is a journal page that we started at the workshop and here is what I did with it today.

No, I don't know what it means either!  I'm not sure what it says about me, but I'm sure that a psychoanalyst would have a field day!!

I've been playing with Sam Poole's fab stamps again for the Creative Studios Design Team Blog and have come up with this one.

I've used the Art Flower A5 Unmounted Stamp set, Cosmic Shimmer Misters and Distress Inks.  There's a full step by step on the Creative Studios blog (didn't want to put it on twice) and the link is on the right...just click on Sam Poole Designs and go to the Design Team header.

In other news, it was very strange seeing things I had made on Sam's shows on Create and Craft....they summed up my designs as "quirky"....I think I'll take that as a compliment!!

Now for todays travel photo.

Somewhere a little closer to home this time.  We always go to the Larmer Tree Music Festival and this is what it was like last year.  It was so muddy that my wellies split along the seam.  We've booked again for this year so fingers crossed!!

Anyway, that's it for today.  Many thanks for stopping by and leaving comments, I do appreciate them.  I'll try to get to as many desks as possible over the next couple of days, I managed 90 last week so apologise if I didn't get to yours!
Just to say that the blog candy is still up for grabs and will be drawn when I get to 300 followers.  Until next time, have a happy and crafty week.

Art Journalling

Wow, what a weekend I've had with the mega talented Dyan Reavely!  I've never tried art journaling before and when I saw an advert for a full weekend of workshops at the Artistic Stamper in Faversham with Dyan, I knew I'd have to treat myself (because I'm worth it!!!)

It was non-stop inkiness for 2 whole days as my still very inky fingers (and clothes) will testify.  I always think that if you can't take a joke you shouldn't sign up!

Anyway, here are a few near completed pages from the journal I started at the weekend.

The start of a page.  Lots of Dylusion Spray Inks and stamps with some masking.

And how it looked when it was finished!

A couple more that I haven't quite finished yet.

I think the main thing I learned was to let go and not try to be so precise.....just to go with the flow.

Well, that's all for today.  I'll be back on Wednesday for WOYWW and my new DT project for Creative Studios (did you catch Sam's shows on C&C on Saturday...she is so talented).  Until then, have a happy, crafty few days and many thanks for visiting.