Half time oranges...

Actually, they're more like end of game oranges since this is my last chellenge as Guest Designer with Something Completely Different. Thanks for asking me girls - it's been a fun month! This is the last week of making tags and our challenge today is a colour one: orange, blue and brown.

This is one of the very first stamps I bought - it came in a mixed lot of used stamps on eBay. It has a checkerboard border round it but I just trimmed out the central portion with the picture as it was then the perfect width for my tag.

The houndstooth pattern is stamped with a light coloured pigment ink onto a tag which was cut from chocolate coloured cardstock - I like the soft effect this gives. I added some Sakura Glaze pen on the cut piece of orange to give the segments a wet sheen and other than that I think it's self-explanatory!

Stamps:
Oranges by Hampson Arts
Fine Houndstooth Scrapblock (Cornish Heritage Farms if you're in the UK, Bubbly funk has this in stock {here})

Paper:
Simply heavy chocolate
Smooth white

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Versacraft by Tsukineko (Sand)

Other:
Copic markers
Sakura glaze pen (orange)
Sewing machine and thread
Extra large eyelet by We R Memory Keepers (antique copper)
Jute twine

Thanks for stopping by!

Going round in circles

It's Friday so it must be Something Completely Different challenge day! We have five Fridays this month so we're not quite done with tags yet, one more to go after this week.

Today's theme is... circles! I went a bit mad with a couple of punches for a layered, textured kind tag by sticking my punched shapes onto a base of white card coloured with Peeled Paint Distress ink and sanding to shabby it up a bit. I love this cute little alien and thought it would be fun to have him peeping through a porthole.

A few buttons keep things round and add some extra texture. I wrapped a bit of craft wire round a paintbrush handle to finish it all off with some springy alien antennae (broadcasting friendly messages, of course).

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Little Guy (Kim Hughes line)

Paper:
DCWV

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Peeled Paint)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Fiskars squeeze punches (medium and large circles)
Nestabilities by Spellbinder (Circles Large - to cut the top of the tag)
Copic markers
Inkssentials white gel pen by Ranger
Craft wire
Linen thread
Buttons

Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Christmas snowflakes

I know it's only July but that means we've reached that point in the year where next Christmas is nearer than last! I haven't been doing well with my effort to make a few cards each month but maybe a few non-card projects will help get me kick-started!

This beautiful snowflake plaque is one of Tando Creative's new releases for Christmas 2010. It's so lovely that I thought it would be fun to make something that would stick around rather than being here and gone on a card. I've turned this one into a vintage style ornament to hang on the tree.

I used gesso on the whole piece and then added Rub n Buff metallic wax over everything except the snowflakes. Those were treated to a bit of Rock Candy crackle paint and topped off with pearls.

The sentiment panel is also coated in crackle paint. I've found in the past that putting it over Copic colouring makes the colours bleed so I tried something different here - adding the Copics over the top of the paint. It worked well and gave a nice variation in the colouring because of the cracks.

I rescued some crystal chain from my "might come in useful" box of broken jewellery etc. I reckon it's been in there for 20 years! A metallic cord hanger made from twisted thread finishes it off.

Supplies:
Snowflake plaque (Tando Creative - find Tando stockists {here})
Winter Vintage Signage stamps set (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Versafine ink by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)
Rub n Buff by Amaco (Gold Leaf)
Copic markers
Gesso
Distress Crackle paint by Ranger (Rock Candy)
Flat back pearls
Nestabilities by Spellbinder (Classic Ovals Large)
Crystal chain
Metallic thread

Thanks for stopping by!

Elegant anniversary

Anniversary cards always feel a bit tricky to me - you feel you need to get the masculine/feminine balance right somehow when you're sending to a couple! I went for creating my own "designer paper" here by doing some repeat stamping in a tone on tone kind of way with a big, ornate roundel stamp. The ivory and dark red were the couple's wedding colours.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
So Happy (Rummage bin line)
Ornamental Beauty (Rummage bin line)
The word "happy" from Birthday Centers (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Simply linen natural
Dark red (unknown maker)

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Flower by Prima Marketing
Flat back pearl
Sewing machine and thread

Thanks for stopping by!

Fantasy!

It's Friday so that means it's time for a new challenge over at Something Completely Different. Our tags this week have the theme of "Fantasy".

I really struggled with this one! Things didn't quite pan out the way I imagined them but I got somewhere in the end. I started playing with the idea of a genie escaping from a bottle and somewhere along the line I got the dense, tangled foliage of stories like the Sleeping Beauty mixed in there as well and my genie turned into a lute playing lovely - lol!

My Dymo labels looked a wee bit stark white with the other elements so I swiped over with a green Copic marker to blend them in a bit. The swirls were die cut from acetate and then coated in Glossy Accents and glitter so they have a translucence about them in real life. I also used Copics to colour over clear glitter.

The vivid green bottle is from one of the Dezinaworld collage sheets I won in a SCD challenge a while back - thanks June!

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
East West Historic Poster (B&O Railroad line)
Big Inspiration (Mona Lisa Moments line)
Leaves #3 backgrounder

Paper:
Black
Glossy Photo
Acetate
Smooth white

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx black)
Versacraft by Tsukineko (Spring Green)

Other:
Elegant Flourishes die (Tim Holtz Alterations/Sizzix)
Enchanting Emerald collage sheet by Dezina World
Detail embossing powder (black)
Dymo label maker
Copic markers
Deko Ice glitter by Efco (Crystal)
Prismacolour pencils
Extra large eyelet by We R Memory Keepers (antique copper)
Leather thong

Thanks for stopping by!

Bird watching birthday

I made this card for my uncle's birthday (happy birthday Uncle John!). Dogs and water seemed about right for his interests so I pulled out this lovely stamp from the Saturday Evening Post range. I heat embossed with fine detail black for a silhouette that would resist the ink I brayered over the top for the sunset. I used a punched circle to mask the sun before brayering and then lightly sponged with the same inks I'd used for the sky. A few white gel pen highlights give the impression of the grasses and the dog's nose catching the last rays of the sun.

I kept the layout very simple and resisted adding any embellishments to leave the focus on the image and the rich colours.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Bird Watching (Saturday Evening Post line - if you are in the UK, Bubbly Funk has this stamp in stock {here})
Cursive Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Simply smooth
Black
Kraft

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Sky brayered with Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick)

Other:
Detail black embossing powder
Memento marker by Tsukineko (Tuxedo black)
Inkssentials white gel pen by Ranger

Tools:
Brayer
Squeeze punch by Fiskars (large circle)
Sponge

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you sitting comfortably?

It's time for a new challenge over at Something Completely Different. Our tags this week have the theme "Are you sitting comfortably?". As an avid reader from before I started school, there was really only one response possible from me! The next bit of the phrase has to be "Then I'll begin" and the story follows!

I found Oscar Wilde's story The Selfish Giant online and printed out a section of it to use as the base of the tag. I had the idea that the little reader should be "lost" in the words so he's stamped straight onto the text and not coloured in any way. I stamped again on plain card, coloured the book and cut it out to add over the top of the image. The sparkly circle of tiny gems is the magical, enclosed world created by losing yourself in a good story!

A bit of sanding and inking give it a shabbier feel and because it's flat I think this will make a good bookmark!

Stamps:
Story of Me (Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps)
Story Book (retired - Cornish Heritage Farms)
Time to Stamp (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Paper:
Smooth white

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Gold detail embossing powder
Copic markers
Acrylic nail art gems
Sanding block
Silk ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, do come and join us at SCD if you fancy playing with a tag this week!

Birthday Flowers

Sometimes I like to go back to basics and use just stamps and ink. The clean, graphic style is one that has a timeless appeal and using minimal supplies to make something pleasing to the eye brings its own sense of satisfaction!

I thought the little inchie frame element would combine well with a vivid ink colour and lots of white space. Just a simple sentiment makes it occasion-specific but I reckon you could make a set of these, maybe switching up the colour of the flowers, as all-purpose notecards to make a little gift.

I used Cryogen White cardstock to give a subtle shimmer to the whole thing.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Inchie Style - frame and flower (Rummage Bin line)
Birthday Centers - sentiment (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Cryogen White

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Spiced Marmalade)

Thanks for stopping by!

Cherish the moments

I like to find different ways to use the stamps in my collection and I've been having some fun looking for images that will work on inchies, even though they're not designed with that format in mind.

Lots of the images in the Baby Dear set lend themselves to an inchie treatment and it changes the look of them significantly. This sweet image of a mother enjoying smiles with her little one is actually circular if you just stamp and go. To switch up the look by making it into an inchie try cutting or punching a one inch square in a piece of scrap paper and laying the square hole over your stamped image to select the portion you want.

Some DCWV cardstock in a pretty duck egg shade with a strong contrast (chocolate brown) makes for a quick and easy vintage look, especially if you sand lightly round the edges and finish off with some silk ribbon!

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Baby Dear (Rummage Bin line)

Paper:
Simply Heavy Chocolate
Simply Smooth White
DCWV white core

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite black)
Adirondack by Ranger (Espresso)

Other:
copic markers
Silk ribbon
Edge punch by Fiskars (Threading Water)

You may have heard already but Liz and Richard, owners of Cornish Heritage Farms, have decided to move on. The business is up for sale and while the hunt for a buyer is on, they'll be running down their levels of stock and offering some discounts as the weeks wear on. You can find full details of what's happening here if you'd like them. I hope you'll join me in wishing Liz and Richard every success in whatever adventure they embark on next and in hoping that there'll be a buyer for CHF who will carry the catalogue forward and bounce to even higher rubber heights!

Thanks for stopping by today!

The sweetest moments

I'm delighted to be joining Something Completely Different this month as guest designer for July - thanks for the invitation SCD! We're making tags this month and the first theme is.... hearts!

I discovered that I don't have much by way of heart stamps but when I remembered this little honeycomb heart, the rest just sort of fell into place. I couldn't resist using Wild Honey ink with it ;)

The bee was stamped on vellum and cut out and then stamped again on plain white card and just the body cut out and stuck on top of the vellum so his wings are semi transparent. I used the Wild Honey ink to colour him. I stamped the head part onto the cut out heart so that his legs and antennae show there rather than trying to cut round them!

I stamped the sentiment straight onto the tag and then stamped again on white cardstock and cut around the "dymo label" words and stuck them over the top. A little bit of doodling and a silk ribbon through the top finishes it off.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Sweet Bee set (Rummage Bin line)

Paper:
Manilla shipping tag
Scrap of smooth white
Scrap of vellum

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade)
Stazon by Tsukineko (Jet Black)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Silk ribbon
Copic multiliner
Foam pads

Thanks for stopping by!

Cracking pendant

I've been playing with Tando chipboard again - the large pendant drop this time. It's an elegant and timeless shape that would stand up to all sorts of treatments. I decided to slather it in some of my favourite paints for a shell-like look.

Viva Decor Croco paint is great fun to use - you're never quite sure exactly what it will look like once the crackling has fnished! I punched holes along the bottom edge of the pendant first, using a Crop-o-Dile, and then covered thepiece with Turquoise Croco and left it overnight to do its thing. I rubbed black acrylic paint on to accentuate the cracks and then sponged some Precious Metal paint over the top and nestled beads into the holes, using a gel superglue to stick them in. The larger beads were salvaged from my ancient bead box and were a particularly nasty brown plastic so they've been coated in Precious Metal paint to make them look like pearls.

I finished the top with an extra large eyelet. As the threading hole was quite a bit larger than the diameter of the eyelet's shank, I squished the eyelet flat first and glued it into place rather than trying to get it to grip round the hole.

I used a double strand of leather thong to hang the pendant, binding with some black linen thread to finish it off.

Supplies:
Large Pendant Drop by Tando Creative (you can find a list of Tando stockists here)
Croco paint by Viva Decor (Turquoise)
Precious Metal paint by Viva Decor (Blue Azure and Mother of Pearl)
Black acrylic paint
Extra large Eyelet by We R Memory Keepers (Pewter)
Beads
Leather thong
Linen thread

Thanks for stopping by!