little Girls Blue Card

I am much more confident with regular distress ink than the Distress Oxides. I was playing with Distress Oxides trying to redress the balance a little. I did some wrinkle free distress with Cracked Pistachio and Vintage photo  then I blended through a couple of stencils with both colours trying to use brown on top of green and green on top of brown. I finished off with some archival ink stamping in Manganese blue and black, some of my yummy Tim Holtz Design tape and a couple of stamps from my ephemera box.

It still seemed a little dull and flat to me, could be the colours I used but I think after years of the glowing colours of blended distress ink I find the oxidised finish challenging. To try and fix this I mixed some Manganese Blue archival ink into Paperartsy Grunge paste. I used another stencil to create some texture on the smaller piece.

I scraped the left over paste onto the edges of the larger piece added some versamark over the dried paste and embossed it with a mixture of  Seth Apter's Deep Sea and Ranger Antiquities Verdigris embossing powder. Happy now with a  little more texture and shine, I assembled the card, added a sentiment and some Tim Holtz Paper dolls (I coloured their dresses with a touch of peacock Feathers Distress ink).

As I used lots of inventor and scientific stamps in the background I thought it would be good to have little girls rather than boys or gents. Challenging us all to any dream we imagine.

Hope you are all getting a little time to play this week. Thanks for your visit.

Stencils used are all Crafters workshop 6x6
Mini Numerals
Mini Ledger
Mini Harlequin

I am joining in the Vintage Journey Challenge for June stencil it
Also joining in with Creative Artiste Mixed Media at:
www.creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com.au  Challenge 39

Also joining in with the Country View Challenge which is 'The Written Word'  I was thinking how much the words change the way we see these girls making us think about all their potential and the possibilities before them. Also makes me wonder did they fulfill all their dreams?. I do hope so.

Bright and Cheerful Carabelle Birds Card

Just a quick post to join in SSS Wednesday Challenge. Who can resist trying to do a bright and beautiful project? I am using this as a prompt to use a new Carabelle Studio stamp I bought over a month ago. Finally it is seeing some ink! I used lots of stencils and three colours of distress to do the background. The main image is stamped in black Rangers Archival ink. Ive listed the colours and stencils below. It was a fun playful card.

I have left space at the top to add a sentiment when I use it. Never know what occasion it will come in handy for. I often leave it until I use it to stamp my sentiment. That way its quick to finish it off with a sentiment that's appropriate.

Stencils used:
Crafters Workshop Mini Filmstrips
Crafters Workshop Mini Quatrefoil
Crafters Workshop Mini Grandma's Doily

Tim Holtz Distress ink colours used:
picked raspberry
mustard seed
spiced marmalade

Stamps used:
Carabelle Studios 'Taches et Coutures
Carabelle Studios Collage avec des Oiseax


Simon Says Stamp Bright and Cheerful challenge

Little folded book

Ive had house guests and been unable to craft or blog for over a week. While they were here I was frustrated and impatient to disappear off to my studio. Of course once they departed I found I had lost the muse and it took several days of false starts to get back into any creative flow. I wanted to join in with several June challenges and started making a flag book. I was taking lots of shots of each stage but its not easy to get going if you are too self conscious of the process. I decided to put that project aside and got out some patterned paper and my new tubes of Tim Holtz design tape. I have seen lots of lovely projects by Astrid Maclean and others using it, recently I succumbed bought a selection.

I was thinking about the Mixed Media Monthly final challenge. They are "Wrapping it up." So sad to see this challenge blog go but it is hard work and they are all still blogging on other sites so the inspiration will continue I'm sure. This is my offering for wrapping it up.

I used some really old paper from Prima's 'Printery' collection and Heidi Swapp's 'Vintage Chic' collection. I used some stamp illustrations from an old stamp catalogue.

The illustrations in this book are lovely. I think they are nicer than some actual stamps, the detail in the engraving and printing is so fine. As they are all black and white I can colour them to suit any project. One of the Heidi Swapp papers has the exact colour of Tim Holtz's cracked pistachio Distress Oxide ink. I used it throughout along with some Gathered twigs distress ink and Potting soil archival ink. I added some of Ranger's rock candy crackle paint to the cover. I added old book pages cut up into words a bit like the chit chat words. I have put a link below for the pretty bird scraps, more long horded items!

On the final page I used a pressed flower from last summer.

I finished this little book in one session. It was just what I needed - to get lost in the pleasure and satisfaction that creating can provide.

Although I took no photos of the making I have photographed each of the five pages/sections.

I used a tutorial from Kay Williamson on Club Scrap  LINK If you fancy trying to make this book her tutorial is very good. I made mine a little bigger cutting 5x5 inch squares and 2 1/2  inch covers. I dont know what this style of folding pages is called. Do let me know in the comments if you do.


Materials used:
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Design tapes: Remnants, Elementary,Humidor
Prima Printery 8x8 paper
Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic 8x8 paper
Ranger Distress crackle paint - clear rock candy
Cracked pistachio Distress Oxide ink
Gathered twigs distress ink
Ranger Archival ink - potting soil
Board for covers (from back of a sketchbook)
old book text and images
Bird scraps LINK


Im entering this in:
Mixed Media Monthly challenge #49 which is thier "Wrap it up"

Mini Album Makers June Challenge

Insect in a Matchbox

As soon as I saw the Entomology stamp set by Tim Holtz I wanted to make a shiny embossed beetle to put into in a match box. I made the beetle a few weeks ago but I wanted to use the label and the matchbox die to make him a box. Finished it today and I love him! The beetle was stamped in black archival ink on heavy card stock and then coloured with distress ink. Once he was dried I did several coats of Seth Apter's Emerald Creek vintage beeswax embossing powder which produced a fabulous hard shiny beetle with texture and depth.

I used a piece of paper from Time Holtz Wallflower pad the plants were just black line drawings so I coloured them with some distress markers. I gave the finished box a coat of Seth's beeswax embossing powder.

It gave the box strength, shine, texture and a rich vintage colour, I love this stuff so much. The way heat embossing transforms is like magic. It is definitely my favourite material to use. It would have to go to my desert Island with me! I finished off the box with one of my labels and the bug was mounted onto another which I filled in with my own 'notes.' The pin is an entomology pin cut down to fit the box. these pins have great golden heads but black shafts they add an authentic touch.

The paper was perfect it had bugs on the design and I folded it so there was a bee on the outside.

I love this paper collection and it was great to find a project that used it so perfectly and its tiny so even in my stuffed studio I can find space to keep it.


Stamp sets used:
Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous "Entomology"
Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous  "Classic #12"
Entomology pins from   Blade Rubber
Good info and demonstration of beeswax powder Here

I am entering this into the As You Like it Challenge which is about your favourite embossing!
also Craft Stamper Magazines Take-it-make-it challenge for June which is anything goes.

My Wednesday desk

When I first saw the TH Entomology stamp set I knew what I wanted to do first with it. Make a bug box! I have often worked with museum collections and I find all those tiny boxes of specimens endlessly fascinating. I  got out an old TH stamp set Classics 12. It has lots on museum/collector style labels. I made one for the box but I decided to make a set of them to use for other bug boxes or similar themed projects. I used the margins of an old book page and some antique Linen Distress ink to create an aged look. I also added an inky fingerprint to one of them in a happy accident so went ahead and used this on the corners of a few more. I got distracted by the labels and ran out of crafting time so I will post the bug box later.

Hot Air Balloons Card

These long summer days give me so much more incentive to go up to my desk early. The studio is full of sunshine in the morning I was up early for another play with distress ink today. I started with a long thin piece of watercolour paper and cool blues and greens along with my favorite purple - Seedless Preserves.

I remembered to stencil too! It makes such a difference to the layers. I used Manganese blue archival ink for some of the detailed stamping.  It almost glows.

As the card was for a twenty first I added a little sparkle along the side. Invisible sparkle it would seem to my camera. This stamp set is one of the first I ever bought. Just like paper hording buying stamps is definitely addictive. I think I have had these stamps for over 8 years but after the initial flurry I have forgotten to use them. I spotted them last week and left them out to use. Now they have been used I might remember them more often. You cant beat a hot air balloon for an uplifting image.

Sweetbriar Paper doll

At last got time today to do some stamping and blogging. After a week where I got no time I had all weekend to craft. Of course once I was free I could not get back into it at all. Sometimes everything seems to turn to mush.  I especially wanted to join in the Paperartsy theme this fortnight which was paper dolls. With only 3 hours I got out my old Sizzix fairy die and cut out the pieces from watercolour paper. A short deadline is never a good thing for creating and  I threw several attempts in the bin.

These were decorated with oxide inks and a little archival ink in darker colours to add some script details.

I used Lynne Perrella's Sweetbriar stamp to make the head of my paper lady adding colour to the flowers in her hair. Happily then I found I had perfect purple brads to assemble her with.

Next I cut and inked a bodice from German book paper and a skirt in watercolour paper. I used similar colours to add colour and pattern to these.

It is not the doll I set out to make but then that is often how it goes. If I can steal enough time this week I will keep going and make a few more.

Thanks for your visit and hope your muse is flowing.

Im entering this in Paperartsy Paper Dolls topic
Joining in with happylittlestampers Anything goes with dies
And another die cut challenge at MOO-MANIA 

Hording or Letting go of your Favorite paper

Like most people who make cards I have shelves of paper lining my workspace walls. There is always a a new design that I just have to get. Sometimes I buy paper because it is practical and useful like a neutral background design but often it is illustrative designs that draw me to it. This card uses a piece of paper I have been hording for ages - 'Trail Mix' from Bo Bunny. I love the colours in this and all the vintage bird ephemera. Once bought no project seems to be the right moment to use the precious paper. Then when I have committed to using it I have to settle on what section of the design.  For this card the tinted bird won. It takes more time choosing the 'right' piece of paper than the whole construction time.  I am definitely not good at quick cards!

I mounted this on a piece of embossed Kraft core paper and added a little green distress ink to the edges and to the raised embossed areas on the Kraft core. The sentiment is stamped in sbrown and green distress ink onto a torn scrap of old book paper, there is a tiny 22 on it. Now I need an occasion to use the card and I wonder is it still technically hording until I give the card away?

New Darkroom Door stamps

Sunday morning and time to create, bliss. Its been a week of visitors and guests. Great to spend time with people but its hard to go off to blog or do some stamping. Somehow it seems very insulting after all it is not 'work'! After time away from my studio all I want to do is break out the ink and stamp, I was impatint to use my new stamp set Darkroom Door  Dashing Gents. New stamps make it even more fun.

I went for "happy at my desk" colours in distress ink (spiced marmalade and festive berries). I remembered to do a bit of stenciling, lots of stamps in red and archival black and this splendid gent from Darkroom Door stands proud on a card ready for someones exciting event.

The card suits these glorious sunshine days stretching out the daylight hours. Hope the sun is shining on you wherever you are.

I am going to join in the Craft StamperTake it Make it Challenge  for June which is Anything Goes
Also as this is definitely a masculine card I am joining in at Simon says stamp monday challenge