True Love is Forever - JAD's DT piece

Over on Jean's Art Doll forum the theme of the month is Valentine.

My piece is inspired by the Tattered Angels tutorial Girly Grunge which can be found here. First of all I covered my card with gesso, then sprayed with Lava Red, Lilac Night and Gold Cosmic Shimmer, then sponged with two different tones of gold acrylic paint. Randomly stamped the key and script image with Black Archival ink. The image was printed off on canvas photopaper and added a grungeboard frame to it.

All the chipboard pieces were covered with Adirondack gold paint dabber and heated to add some texture. The rose was a cheap hairclip from Primark.

Gingersnnaps Colour Challenge 88 - Coffee & Cream

Here's a card I've made for one of the Gingersnaps challenges, I love it over there as they have three different challenges which are all clearly set out and easy to find. If you're a member of the Yahoo Group you can join in the fab art exchanges too.



Anyway back to the card, it's the colour theme challenge "Coffee and Cream" my new Paper Artsy stamp (which was a bargain from Fruit Pixie) was perfect. I inked the background with distress inks, stamped image in Vintage Photo and decoupaged the roof and chopped the sentiment up. Papers and cardstock used are SU Crumbcake, MME, Magnolia newsprint and the recycled outer from a take away coffee cup. Added a bit of creme lace and viva pearl pen to finnish.

First altered tin

My good friend Caro bought me some lovely little tins for altering for Christmas. Having never done one before had no idea what to do with it apart from using alcohol inks to colour.

I got an order from Fruit Pixie last week including some fabulous bargain Viva Alcho Inks for a pound a bottle! I set too with the violet and pink then had the brainwave to spray the inside with the copic air brush - it worked! I used Paper Artsy stamps and a selection of flowers for the inside.

Copic air brushed background

Morning all, I had a play yesterday with my new airbrush, after a lot of trial and error finally managed to get something usuable, so this is my first proper attempt at a copic air brushed background.





Need lots more practise but I am now armed with blue tack to make my cioa's fit the handle. The plan is to replace them as they run out with sketch, may take some time me thinks.

Right off to get ready for lunch, it would have been my Grandma's birthday today so me, my Mum and Auntie are off to the farmshop for lunch to remember her.

Bye for now

Simply Adorable

It feel's like ages since I blogged anything but I have been busy making cards even with the new distraction of Chatting on the Craftymess forum.

These are two of my favourite cards this week and they are the Sugar Nellie Simply Adorable collection, not sure about the ones with just the heads but I love these.

Both coloured with copics and Tim Holtz Vinage Shabby papers





A bit of excitement, got a new toy today.... a copic air brush system! I managed to get a mini compressor in the sale at Hobbycraft for the bargain price of £30 reduced from £105! Okay I think it was slightly overpriced to start with because I know Eisbaren thought hers was a bargain at £60 so mine definitely was. I've had a quick play this afternoon but need lots more practise, promise to upload my first attempt shortly.

Another Lili

Afternoon all, just grabbing five mins seen as hubby as gone to pick the boys up from school for me.

I've been a busy bee lately made ten cards in the last couple of days and a doublesided tag book (will post that later). I'm loving the new Lili of the Valley stamps, such a dream to colour. This isn't actually on the new ones but the first time I've used it, kept it simple.



Coloured with Copics, Hunkydory cream patterene card and Magnolia paper with gold mirri board and Wild Orchid flowers.

1st Craftymess Challenge Card

Over on Craftymess Shannon is hosting a Lili of the Valley challenge, think these are everybodies favourites right now.

The criteria was to use LotV image, an A5/6x6 card using texture and punches a nice easy one to start.



I used the new "I Do" stamp coloured with Copics, Tim Holtz papers and SU Kraft (or Crumbcake as it now known), Martha Stewart heart and border punches, LotV sentiment and Wild Orchid flowers with McGill pine punch leaves.

New Forum and candy up for grabs

The lovely Judie aka Craftymess has just launched her very own forum and shop of the same name and I must say it's looking good so far, it even has it's own chat room.

To celebrate the launch Judie is putting this fab candy up for grabs, if you want a chance to win just follow the link and sign up to be a member it's quick and easy.

See you over there.

First Challenge card of the year

I'm afraid to say I have rather neglected the Gingersnap forum although I did the Winter exchange, I love the swaps as the artwork received is always lovely.

Anyway, determined to get more involved so here it is my first challenge card of the year for the Gingersnap's Chestnut theme "Hot Beverages"

It was a quick card but works well.



Tim Holtz - Vintage Shabby backing paper
Unity background stamp
Lilli of the Valley image coloured with Copics
White flower coloured with Stormy Sky Distress Ink
Glitter and Viva Pearl pen to finnish

First DT card for JAD's

Here's my first DT card for JAD's we had to make something using the theme "Winged People"



My image is a Paper Artsy stamp. Made a tag using pearl acrylic paints, stamped image in Stazon. The papers are my favourite Tim Holtz stack Shabby Vintage. All distressed and edged with Fired Brick added a ribbon and a few embellishments.



If you fancy a go at altered art why not pop over and sign up to the forum, we are looking for new members as the site hasn't been running for long.

Go on dare to be different!

Gingersnap 4x4 swaps

It seems a long time ago since I made my swaps for this exchange on Gingersnaps, I think it was way back in November, ths is an international swap so they all have to go to the States where they get jumbled up and sent back again. But the post system didn't want to play and took forever!

Anyway thanks to Laura for arranging the UK side of things these are the lovely ones I got back in return.

l-r top Joanne Wardle, Laura Liddel, Petra Brenedsen,

bottom Sandra Dillon and Krisha Ogle

Looking forward to the next one and hopefully it won't take as long.

Some exciting news

I am now officially a Design Team Member for Jean's Art Dolls (JAD's)



It's a new Mixed Media/Altered Art forum where the motto is "Dare to be Different" so if you want to do something different, pop across and register to join the forum. Can't wait to start on my first DT piece.

Vintage Belles

This is the tag book I made to replace the one for the Art n Soul swap that I'm keeping. Again I'm really pleased with this one but it has to go. I know I'll get a lovely swap in return and it will go to someone who appreciates it.

I think the vintage theme fits the title of the challenge "Beautiful Buttons" perfectly.

All the images were freebie downloads either from Craft Stamper or Magic Moonlight.



Front pages



Back pages

Love, Beauty, Peace and Time

Over on the flickr group Art n Soul this month's challenge is to make a four page tag bug with the theme "Beautiful Buttons", I knew the stamps I wanted to use just had to buy them. So having landed on my doorstep yesterday morning, I set too with the challenge, only I'm afraid I can't bear to part with it as I love it so much. Going to have to make a different one.

I started off by making my own buttons, chipboard, embossed grunge and shrink plastic, there was tutorial in the December issue of Craft Stamper and printed off some of the Sewing Cards that were a freebie a while ago.





The new stamps I bought were a Creative Expressions set called "Vintage Sewing", I even did some sewing on one of the pages, it looks a bit childlike though sewing's not my forte. Oh well adds to the vintage look with the frayed edges of the Calico.

Distress inks were used, mostly Fired Brick, Barn Door, Vintage Photo, Tea Dye and Walnut Stain.

The image on the front is a fabulous Le Blanche stamp which I bought on Ebay for the grand sum of 99p. They are big foam stamps which I thought would be rubbish but are in fact really nice.



So here we have the front of all four tags



and the backs



My photography's as good as my sewing, it actually looks much better in real life.

Thanks for looking

1st Cricut Card

Well I finally made my first card using my new Cricut Expression which I treated myself too just before Christmas.

Up until now I have just been pressing buttons and seeing what happened, lol, but with the help of a very talented lady called Sue whose blog you can find here she convinced me a Cricut was nothing without SCAL and a few tutorials this is my first card.



The template is an SVG's which can be bought from Sue's website PlayingwithPaper and the images are of course the lovely Lilli of the Valley coloured with Copics.

Can't wait to make some more projects, got a lot to learn but I'm sure in 12 months time, I'll wonder how I ever managed without a Cricut.

Happy New Year

Hello fellow bloggers and a Happy New Year to you all.

It's been a while since I visited blogland but thought I better upload the last of my 12 Days of Christmas tags, I got a bit bogged down so had to take a raincheck but was determined to complete the challenge, better late than never.









I really enjoyed making all the tags and learnt some new techniques from Tim.