Make it a Guy Thing !

Happy Sunday everyone and also welcome to the next challenge with the Fashionable Stamping Challenge. This time round the challenge is 'Make it a Guy Thing', I have to say I quite enjoy making cards for men as I get to use browns and blues and can go quite grungy. Make sure you check out the rest of the DT's work and also the fab prize that's up for grabs.


I made this card a few weeks back as it was an order for a 70th Birthday for a friend of my sister's. I didn't have much to go on other than the person in question likes cars. So I dug out my Tanda Stamps, that haven't seen the light of day for many a moon, and used the car from the Transport Set 1. The man's head is from my favourite Oxford Impressions stamp set (probably because I only have the one set......at the moment ! Have you seen that the Craft Barn are now stocking them !) also, the pen nib is from the same set and I've stamped it and cut it out. I've also used a stamp from the Tim Holtz set called Curiosities for the Merchandise form. The embossed panel is a Tim Holtz EF and the background has been stamped with a Wendy Vecchi stamp.


The Memory piece is a piece of Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper and the Happy Birthday is a Stamp Man stamp. The tag is cut using my Quickutz and I've stamped over it using a stamp from an Impression Obsessions set called Masculine. The word Dad is also from this set. The numbers are made using the Tim Holtz Vintage Market die, I've inked the letters with Walnut Stain DI and then covered them with Glossy Accents. A type charm and some thread and that was it !

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• Cards for Men - Boys and their Toys
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Embossing
  
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Layer it on
• ABC Challenge - H is for Happy Birthday
• Sentimental Sunday - Dry embossing
  

I hope you get chance to join us in this challenge.

Embellish it !

Another 2 weeks have zoomed by and it's time for another challenge over at The Stamp Man. This time it is the lovely Siobhan's turn to host the challenge and we would like to see embellishments ! Simple as that, so dig out your flowers, ribbons and anything else you can lay your hands on ! As usual there is a £10 voucher for the winner. Make sure you check out the rest of the DT's fabulous work.


Those of you who know me will be a little surprised to see pink, I'm not a big fan, but this stamp just called out to me to use it !
I started by stamping the background using the Tim Holtz French Marketplace stamp set and the birds are from the Darkroom Door Love Birds set. I blended Victorian Velvet DI over the card and then I gave it a coat of Gesso which I wiped off with a baby wipe. For the embossed panel I used the Cuttlebug Victoria EF, I rubbed Tattered Rose DI over the inside of the folder and then stamped inside it using a stamp from the Tim Holtz Reflections set, then embossed the card.



I watercoloured the main image, which is a Stampedous stamp called Rose Corset, with DI. I added some tiny self adhesive pearls down the front of the corset. The ticket is cut from acetate and then stamped with black Stazon. The rose is made from a piece of the embossed panel using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die and I've cut two of the smaller flowers from Crinoline and tipped it with Victorian Velvet DI. The lace, ribbon and stick pin are from my stash.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• My Time to Craft - Your Favourite Embellishment - I love making flowers
  
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
  
• Charisma Cardz - Pretty in Pink
• Paperplay - Lovely Lace
• Moving Along With The Times - Blooming Marvellous
  

Happy Birthday Kathryn !

Today is the birthday of my best friend, Kathryn, and the card I'm sharing with you is her birthday card.

As I always have to post her card, as she doesn't live near to me, I've kept the embellishments quite flat so that it would go in the envelope ! I started with the background and used a Wendy Vecchi background stamp which I've stamped in Coffee Archival ink. I've then blended Stormy Sky DI over it. The butterfly wings are from an Oxford Impressions set and I've stamped them with the Coffee Archival ink too. The doily is a Tim Holtz die that Santa very kindly brought me, and I've blended Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo DI over it. The luggage ticket is also a Wendy Vecchi stamp and has been aged using DI.

The main image is one of my favourite stamps at the moment and is also from the Oxford Impressions set as is the sentiment. They've both had Old Paper and Stormy Sky DI blended over them. The ribbon is seam binding and I've used Weathered Wood and Faded Denim Distress Stains to colour it. The card has arrived safely and, unlike last year, I actually remembered to write on the inside too !

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Sentimental Sundays - Ribbon (+ sentiment)
• Addicted to Stamps - Use the colour blue

Boat Trip!

For my Katzelkraft DT piece this week I decided to do a scrap book page. These are a rare occurrence for me as I don't really like doing them, but after I saw the new Scrap 365 magazine I felt inspired to have a go ! The photo's are from our holiday last year which was on the Isle of Skye. My other half went out on a very little boat to see the Sea Eagles, needless to say I kept my feet very firmly on dry land !


The background paper is a piece from a Tim Holtz paper stack. I've blended DI over it and then flicked it with bleach. (I was really good too as I didn't flick any on to my clothes !) I stamped the swirl across the bottom using my new favourite colour Iced Spruce and I also stamped the birds and the text with the same colour. The swirls were cut from cardboard that I'd peeled the top layer off then I used a Snowcap Paint Dabber and Ice Spruce and rubbed them over the top.


The piece of journalling is written on a die cut from the Artful Dwellings die which I've dipped into Old Paper re-inker which had water misted over it. I did the same for the 'Voyage' shape too. The letters down the centre are Grunge Board and I've inked them with Old Paper and Walnut Stain DI. I might have another go at a scrap book page, but I don't think it will be any time soon !

The stamps I've used are Paris Monuments, Paris Postal and Norris and JMC Quotes, all of which are available excusively from The Craft Barn in the UK or from Katzelkraft in France.

I'm also entering this project into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is Anything but a Card.

Bugs and Butterflies !

Well the last two weeks have zoomed by so that can only mean it's time for another challenge over at The Fashionable Stamping Challenge ! For the challenge this time we would like to see bugs and butterflies, so nice and easy !

I needed a card for my other's half's Mum as it was her birthday last Monday so this challenge fitted in perfectly ! I started with the background and as usual you can't see alot of it, but I had fun making it ! I stamped various stamps from an Elusive Images set with Versamark then used Pan Pastels over the top. The small butterflies are The Stamp Man stamps. The border along the bottom is a Wendy Vecchi stamp and I stamped the image and then lightly drew around the shape of the stamp and cut it out, then blended DI around the edge. The main image is also a Wendy Vecchi stamp, which I stamped then watercoloured using DI. I then masked it over and stamped over the top with a Katzlekraft text stamp.


The ribbon is seam binding that I've coloured using Wild Honey Distress Stains. The butterfly is a Tim Holtz mini die and the swirl is the Tim Holtz Elegant Flourish die.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

• Crafty Cardmakers - No flower embellishments
• Anything Goes - Anything goes
  
• For Fun Challenges - Anything goes
• Charisma Cardz - Happy Birthday
  
• Alphabet challenge - Y is for you choose
• Pan Pastel UK Challenge - Anything goes
  

I hope you get chance to join us for this challenge.

Red is the colour !

It's time for another challenge over at The Stamp Man and this time we would like to see Red ! A little or alot, whatever your heart desires. There is the usual prize of a £10 voucher to spend in The Stamp Man shop so it's got to be worth giving it a go !

Now, I have to be honest, red is not a colour I like to use alot of so I opted for a splash rather than going the whole hog ! The project I'm sharing with you is a little gift for my other half for Valentine's Day. I started out with the idea of making a glasses case (as he's lost the original one that came with the glasses !) but I soon realised that the Grunge Paper wasn't flexible enough, so I changed it to a pen case ! I'm going to fill it with Gel pens but for the purpose of the photograph I've used some biros I had to hand. I blended DI over the Grunge Paper using Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain. I then used the swirl stamp from the Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight set, stamping with Archival Coffee ink.



The sentiment is from the Stuff to Say stamp set and the heart is from the Good Thoughts set. The heart is stamped onto Grunge Paper that I've coloured with Distress Stains Fired Brick. The ticket is also coloured with Fired Brick and then the ticket stamped onto it from the Bits n Bobs stamp set.


Simple project this time but I did enjoy stitching the Grunge Paper and will have a think as to what else I can make with it !

I hope you get chance to join us for this challenge.

It's a man thing !

Well that's the first week of 2012 almost over, it's quite scary how quickly time flies past you ! The card I'm sharing with you today is testament to that as this is for my Brother-in-law's birthday, which is today, and it only seems like 2 minutes since I was making cards for his last birthday !

The inpsiration for this card came from the very talentend Joanna(or Asia) K and her post that looked back over 2011. I loved the colour combo and design on her June project and it gave me the push I needed to do this card. Thanks Joanna !

I started by covering a piece of card with pieces from an old french newspaper. I wanted it to be quite shabby so didn't cut the pieces, just tore them from the pages. I then used DI to age it, you can't see that much of it in the end though ! I then stamped images from different stamp sets including Oxford Impressions, Tim Holtz, Katzelkraft and Stampin' Up. I cut the images down to form a collage style background. For the pen nibs I masked them off and then stamped the text over them. The main image is an Oxford Impressions stamp and I've cut it out using an oval deckled Nestability and given it the DI treatment.

The pen nib is stamped onto metal and then cut out and I've gone round the edge with a metal working wheel to finish off. The hands for the clock were added before I stuck it down (amazed at how I remembered to do that! ) and the buttons are from my stash.

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Daring Cardmakers - Colour combo
• Cards for Men - Recyclying ( I recycled the french newspaper)

The wind has dropped quite alot today, thank goodness, let's hope it stays that way !

Dragonflies !

For my Katzelkraft DT project I'm sharing a birthday card that I've made for my brother-in-law's birthday. I decided to keep it simple, which for me was a huge achievement !

The stamp set I've used is Wings and I've stamped with Versamark and then blended Pan Pastels over the top to create the background. The main image is made using Terra- Sahara that I've smoothed over a piece of mount board. I then sprayed the stamp with water before stamping into the Terra. When it was dry I used Stream Colourwash and Blonde Moments Pearl Pigment over the top.


The sentiment was done on my PC then I used DI around the edge. I wasn't sure when I finished that I liked it, but I've slept on it and I'm happy with it, but simple isn't me !

The stamps I've used are available exclusivelly from The Craft Barn in the UK and from Katzelkraft in France.

As I'm writing this the wind is howling outside and the rain is battering the window.... roll on Summer !

New Year...New Stash !

First things first, Happy New Year to everyone ! To be on the safe side I've scheduled this post as I most probably won't be up and about too early !

It's time for the first challenge of 2012 for The Fashionable Stamping Challenge. We thought that most of you would have new stash from the big man in red, so what better way to start the year than to have an Anything Goes and New Stash challenge. Remember, you must include some stamping on your project and for this challenge you need to include in your post what new stash you've used.


I was really cross with myself as I wanted to take a 'before' photo before I started to alter this box. The box was a dark red and had a sort of leatherette texture. I gave it a coat of Gesso, which went pink ! Then I coated it with Baby Blue acrylic paint and distress the edges with a darker blue acrylic paint and then a white Paint Dabber. The top panel was stamped using Paper Artsy stamps and also the Stampin' Up Sanded background stamp.

The flowers were made from white card that I stamped with a Wendy Vecchi text stamp and then I used the Paper Artsy Scallop Flower die. I assembled the flowers and then used my new Melting Pot to coat them with UTEE to make porcelain flowers. For the leaves I blended Weathered Wood DI over some white card stock and then screwed it up to break the fibres. Then I used DI direct to the card and then ironed it on the reverse side. I used the Tattered Leaves die to cut the leaves out. The text is a Wendy Vecchi stamp that I've masked off and stamped each line separately.

The tickets are made using the Tim Holtz Sizzlit die and then I've stamped the words from the Tim Holtz stamp set Stuff to Say. The pearls are self adhesive and I stuck them in a swirl shape.

The metal panels are made using a Ten Seconds Studio border mould. I embossed it by running it through my Big Shot then refined it. I covered the panels with blue acrylic paint and rubbed it off then with black acrylic paint and rubbed that off. The result is a blue tint aswell as the black distressed look. I was quite pleased with the way this turned out ! I added a Tim Holtz lock to the front to finish off.

It was great to do something different for this challenge. I hope you get chance to join us for this challenge.

I'm also entering this project into the following challenges:

• Anything Goes - The colour blue plus one other colour(I'm hoping silver counts!)
• Charisma Cardz - Anything goes
• Secret Crafter - Anything goes
• Crafts and Me - Anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Anything goes
• Happy Daze - Try something new