Self portrait - age 8

This is me! As soon as I saw this stamp I knew it would end up as a self portrait of some sort ;o)

Aged about eight or so, I had this kind of hair cut and often wore an "Alice band" and I was such an avid reader as a child that even when mum said I had to go outside because the weather was beautiful I was not above taking a book with me and sitting on the back doorstep to read it!

Two challenges combine here - Something Completely Different is on the last week of postcards (6" x 4") and the theme this week is "books". Sunday Stamper has asked us all to "imagine" this week, using the word on our creations. Imagination was exactly the reason I loved to read so much - all those other lives and other worlds to live in!

I've curled the corner of the page to show how eager this little reader is to turn to the next one.

Just for good measure here, I threw in a kind of book I'm not so keen on - the background is stamped with Vintage Ledger Scrapblock - I don't really enjoy working with numbers and have to make a big effort to keep things organised so the idea of using a ledger is not really "me"!

Again, in keeping with my take on the postcard theme, layers are minimal and there are no embellishments on this one.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
School Primer (All Things Considered line - releasing Tuesday 4th August (girl, page, cursive alphabet, "My dear children" are all from the set))
Vintage Ledger Scrapblock
Big Inspiration (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth

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

Other:
Copic markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Ready, steady - stamp!

Most of my UK readers will know the TV show Ready Steady Cook! There's a new fortnightly challenge blog with the same kind of format but we're not cooking, we're stamping! Each challenge features a "recipe" of five items and our stamping project must include all five items, just like the cooks must combine their five ingredients to make a meal in the cookery show. Here's the (bilingual!) list of ingredients for the first challenge. Cute is outlawed at RSS so my only domestic cat stamp was out (it's a cartoon one wearing a Santa hat) and my dogs were borderline so I decided to head for the savannah and find myself some big game! I didn't want to vandalise a book so I printed off some encyclopaedia information (from Wiki) about leopards to use for the faux batik background, making it a three column format so it would be more like the real deal. It's stamped and clear embossed with a harlequin background stamp, covered heavily with Brilliance Coffee Bean and then just lightly with Graphite Black before being ironed to remove the embossing. My third brad is a bit difficult to see as it's black on black but it is there - down at the bottom left. Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms): Cheetah (Leopard) Profile (Saturday Evening Post line) Textured Harlequin Backgrounder Everyday Petites (Mona Lisa Moments line) Paper: Premium weight copy paper Simply Smooth (CHF) Black Ink: Brilliance by Tsukineko (Coffee Bean, Graphite Black) Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Pitch Black) Other: Tag Trio dies by Spellbinder Copic markers Brads Krylon leafing pen (Pale Gold) Gold thread Fun challege (although the brads gave me a hard time!) - thanks girls! Thanks for stopping by, hope you are enjoying your weekend! Je sais qu'il ya beaucoup de participantes françaises pour les challenge RSS - si vous voulez me laisser un commentaire, mais vous n'aimez pas le faire en Anglais, s'il vous plaît n'hésitez pas à le dire en Français! Je ne le parle pas bien, mais c'est OK pour la compréhension de commentaires court. Merci de votre visite!

Postcard to the stars

I'm just squeaking in on this week's Something Completely Different challenge. July's object is the postcard (6" x 4") and Gez has chosen this week's theme of "vintage". This is not at all what I planned to do when I sat down but sometimes things just happen, don't they?

I love this quote from Galileo - "I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night" and find it especially poignant as Galileo lost his sight in later life. I am lucky enough to live in an area of the UK with relatively little light pollution so we really do have a great view of the stars, even the Milky Way sometimes and we also love the stars fondly.

I hope the star map and the fantastically complex telescope qualify as vintage! In keeping with the postcard theme (at least my thinking of it) I kept the layers and embellishments to a minimum - there's just the torn scrap of vellum for the sentiment and the cut out star other than the base layer. The Scrapblock was perfect here - being a 6" x 6" stamp meant that I could do the whole width of the postcard and have the map go all the way to the edges :o)

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Reach 4 the Stars (Rummage Bin line)
Astronomy Scrapblock
Postcard and cancellation mark from Journal Box (Rummage Bin line)

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Stazon by Tsukineko (Jet Black)
Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Paper:
Cryogen white
Vellum

Other:
Lyra Skintone pencils
Stapler
Copic marker (to tone down the staples)

Thanks for stopping by, if you're wishing upon a star, I hope your wish is granted!

Christmas in July!

I know that really Christmas comes but once a year - it's just that in the papercrafting world we get to spread it out a bit! When I first saw the Evergreen Holiday set I just knew I wanted to use it on ornaments somehow. Here's what I did yesterday...

These are regular common or garden microscope slides (1" x 3") turned into ornaments for the tree with the help of some stamps, some copper foil tape and some wire. I'm a total novice when it comes to wire work so I was pretty happy with the way this turned out (although I did end up with blood blisters on the tip of my left index finger - I think I must have nipped it with the pliers without noticing!).

What I didn't want to do was get into the whole soldering thing that usually goes along with microscope slide art. It looks lovely but I'm really not sure about the fumes that come off that stuff - I well remember the smell of soldering from my dad and brother doing electronics projects when I was a kid! So I just wrapped the edges of my slide "sandwich" with copper tape (this narrow stuff is often sold for doll house enthusiasts to do the circuits round their tiny houses) and used Superglue to attach jump rings to the backs of the pieces. I even made the jump rings so they'd be the same copper as the rest of the wire work - I'm feeling quite proud of that little achievement :o)

If you didn't want to do the wire work, these would be just as pretty with a chain loop or a ribbon hanger - the sort of narrow silk ribbon sold for ribbon embroidery would give them that touch of vintage opulence!

I was so pleased to find that this little sentiment block fit across the width of the slide to make one with a tall, slim look about it.

On this one, I've just done a simple hanging loop at the top but added a jump ring at the bottom so it has a little bead dangle for added interest there. The trees on this one and the branches on the final one have touches of green Spica glitter pen which looks really pretty in real life but doesn't really show in the photos, sorry!

This last one is my favourite, I think! I love the elegant shape of the cone and the teeny tiny conelets at the tip of the branch!

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Evergreen Holiday (All Things Considered line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth (CHF)

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Stazon by Tsukineko (Olive Green)
Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Copic Markers
Copic Spica Glitter pen
Microscope slides (two per ornament)
Copper tape (6mm)
Copper wire (22 and 16 gauge)
Round nose and chain nose jewellery pliers and wire cutters
Superglue
Czech glass beads

Thanks for stopping by!

Edited to add a note on materials as Tracey asked: I think the entire thing is an eBay special here! Microscope slides are pretty cheap and widely available, eBay just happened to be convenient for me to get them. If you only want a couple, try asking a school lab technician if you can pay for a couple of out of school supplies. My copper foil tape also came from eBay but you'd most likely find it in a model shop since people use it for things like doll house electric circuits and electric cars and stuff. The wire is just jewellery wire so anywhere that sells a decent selection of weights and types should do you. Oh, the Superglue came from the £1 shop - three little tubes in a pack :o)

Bits and pieces...

Paper piecing is not something I do very often but it is a fun technique! It's also the challenge for week two of the CHF Summer Stamping Star contest so I thought I'd show you a recent paper pieced card. Of course, the patterned paper phobia struck again and I basically created my own! In my head paper piecing goes hand in hand with the Clean and Simple look for some reason, so it's a CAS card today... I stamped the tree top twice on green paper from the Scrapblock pack then cut out three of the clusters and pressed them onto the Fine Houndstooth Scrapblock. I left tabs on the base of the two higher pieces when I cut them out and cut corresponding slots in the base tree so the tops of the patterned piece are free of the base for a bit of dimension. The trunk was cut separately from a piece of brown cardstock and stamped with the Wood Grain backgrounder. I used my home made stamp positioner (a handful of Lego bricks made into a right angle and a piece of clear card sheet) to split the sentiment over two lines to suit the shape of the card better. Stamps: Summer Trees (Kim Hughes Collection) Fine Houndstooth Scrapblock Woodgrain backgrounder Friend Centers (Mona Lisa Moments line) Paper: Scrapblock Layers (CHF) Smooth white Scrap of unknown brown Ink: Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso) Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger (Shabby Shutters and Weathered Wood) Other: Stamp positioner Craft knife Detail scissors If you played along, thanks for joining us in week one of the contest - we've had some wonderful coloured creations! Hope to see you again this week (check out the details by clicking on the Will It Be You logo over on the right if you'd like them). Thanks for dropping by!

Pick your weapon of choice!

Markers? Watercolour pencils? Prismacolors? What's your colouring weapon of choice? I'm a moody type so I don't really have a favourite, I just go with whatever grabs me on the day.

Today is the first day of the CHF Summer Stamp Star contest and the gallery is open for your entries to the colouring challenge - wheeee, we're off!

I decided to show you a watercoloured card in honour of the first challenge. This is July's Stamp of the Month and it's called Harbor Scene.

I used Distress inks as watercolours for this one and kept it absolutely simple so the focus is squarely on the lovely image.

To make a shaped card like this, cut a card base by putting the fold just inside the cutting line at the top of your die (you might need to finish off the cutting job with scissors if the Nestie doesn't go all the way through both layers). Then cut a complete card front and stick it over the top so you get a complete shape rather than one with a missing bit at the top.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Harbor Scene (July Stamp of the Month - releasing 1st July)
Motivational Centers (Mona Lisa Moments Line)

Paper:
Watercolour paper

Ink:
Stazon by Tsukineko (Jet Black)
Various Distress inks used as watercolours plus Adirondack Stonewashed for sky

Other:
Labels One Nestabilites by Spellbinder

If you have CHF stamps and you'd like to play along with the challenges, check out the details by clicking the Sumer Stamp Star "Will it be you?" logo over on the right of my blog. Play all five, not only for the chance of the grand prize but every participant who joins us each week will get a 25% discount code once the challenge is over - worth it if you have a CHF wishlist anything like mine (ahem!)

Thanks for stopping by today, hope your world is a colourful one!

Spot the well known phrase or saying!

Just a bit of fun, this one! I combined this week's Something Completely Different (object: tag; theme: crowns) and Lots to Do (use Grungeboard) challenges.

My little froggie stamp does actually have a crown and I could have just left the final one as a complete stamping but I fancied something with a bit more dimension so the Grungeboard one seemed perfect! It's coloured with a Krylon pen and has nail art gems (green of course!) at the tips.

The frogs were stamped on green paper, given a little shading with a couple of Copics, the whites of their eyes filled in with an Inkssentials pen and then they were cut out (chopping their crowns off in the process!).

The princely frog also has a little glitteriness courtesy of some Spica pen (green on his eyelids, clear squiggles over his body). He's been given a royal lift so he's above his lowly counterparts, courtesy of some foam pads.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Little Guy (Kim Hughes Collection)
Everyday Petites (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Smooth white
Scrapblock Layers (CHF)

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger (Shabby Shutters)

Other:
Copic markers
Inkssentials white pen by Ranger
Copic Spica glitter pens (green and clear)
Grungeboard crown
Nail art gems
Krylon leafing pen (Pale Gold)
Grosgrain ribbon
Embroidery floss
Foam pads

Did you fill out the saying from the visual clues? (You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince)

Thanks for stopping by!

If you're planning to play the CHF Summer Stamping Star challenges, don't forget the first one launches tomorrow. There's a full week to play though so pick your best shot during the week and upload to the special gallery before next Sunday evening to be in with a chance of the weekly $50 prize! Full details here. Anyone who plays all five challenges will get a 25% discount code to use at the CHF store so it's worth a go, even for challenges you don't feel are your "strong suits" :o)

Fleeting dragonflies

Aren't dragonflies spectacular? I love the rare occasions when you actually get to see one and watch it for a while with the light glimmering off its wings.

Cornish Heritage Farms recently introduced a new line of art called All Things Considered (ATC). They're perfectly sized for ATCs, as you might expect from the name, but you could use them for all sorts of other things too!

This is a set of ATCs I made with the Botanical Bliss stamps.

I used heat fusible film to make the dragonflies that tie the set together thematically so that the wings have the iridescent shimmer of the real thing. The clock face on the third card was done with the cracked glass technique on a separate circle that was then stuck to the base design. I thought blue poppies would be fun (they really do exist although they're rather rare, I believe).

I used the whole background stamp for the third ATC but for the first and second cards I inked up just the frame of it and used it to give the whole set matching borders.

Stamps:
Botanical Bliss (All Things Considered line at CHF)

Paper:
Smooth white

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

Other:
Copic markers
Cosmic Shimmer heat fusible film (Blue Lake)
UTEE by Ranger

Thanks for stopping by, hope you liked the project!

Countdown to the Summer Stamping Star contest!

There's just a week to go before the launch of CHF's Summer Stamping Star contest so the DT girls thought we'd have a blog hop to help get you in the mood! We picked a challenge each and had a go ourselves. I picked the One Sheet Wonder (OSW) challenge.

Those of you who know me will probably realise that I have a problem with patterned paper. Not that I don't like it - I look at what other people do with it and it always looks lovely - but even if you give me free run of the latest Basic Grey, Graphic 45 or whoever, I'm almost guaranteed to suffer brain freeze :-/

So, why oh why did I pick the One Sheet Wonder challenge you might be asking. Well, I decided a challenge should be challenging, right?! I've never done a OSW before so I figured I should try it out. I found the first bit easy enough...

Four stamps, two inks and the tiniest touch of Warm Grey 1 Copic - one sheet of patterned paper, yay!

Ack! It's a sheet of patterned paper! Now what?!

I decided to keep it simple and just make a set of multi-purpose cards with a matching box. I drew a few lines on the back of the sheet and chopped it up into a variety of blocks and then paired it up with a strong colour. I decided to keep it simple for a graphic look - just paper, stamps and ink - no fancy embellishments.

I managed eight cards and decoration for a presentation box from my letter sheet. Here they are all together (the teal cardstock really is all the same colour - I was having problems with the sun believe it or not!).

I added "general purpose" sentiments to some of the cards and left the others with no sentiment at all so they could be used just to write a short note or sent for a "no occasion" kind of card.

Here are cards 1 - 4...















...and cards 5 -8

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Ornamental Beauty (Rummage Bin line)
Sentiments from various sets

Paper:
Premium weight copy paper
Smooth white
Teal (Prism Papers)

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Slate)

Other:
Copic marker (Warm Grey 1)
Scor-It
Corner Chomper

Why not take a look and see how the other girls have tackled colouring, paper piecing, resist and scenic stamping? You might even find another One Sheet Wonder! Bek, Jen, Julia, Kristine, Lisa, Sherrie and Lisa are all playing today - have fun!

Thanks for visiting today and if you'd like details of the Summer Stamping Star schedule and rules, you can check those out here.

Love in the key of SCD

It's Gez's turn to set the challenge over on Something Completely Different this week so I really couldn't let the week pass without having a go. This month's object is the tag and Gez's theme for the week is "hearts".

I picked up an old book of music in a charity shop (goodwill store for my American friends!) a few weeks ago and thought this would be the perfect project to use a little of it as it gave me the opportunity to pun off the word "key" and although Kathy is the queen of puns I think I may be second in line to the throne ;o) The keys are stamped over the hole in the tag so it looks a bit like they're swinging from the chain and I found the space between the staves was perfect for the sentiment!

My heart is hand cut from some packaging - it had the corrugated texture showing rather than being laminated with another plain sheet which made me save it. I grunged it a little by rubbing some gesso in with my finger. The wire was saved from the 'cage' on a bottle of Rioja, the lace is vintage and the chain is from a broken necklace so all in all I did pretty well on the three Rs here, huh?

Stamps (all Cornish Heritage Farms):
Key Elements (All Things Considered line)
Key Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Vintage sheet music
Recycled packaging

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

Other:
Vintage lace
Recycled wire
Chain
Nail art gem
Gesso

Thanks for the challenge girls and thanks for stopping by to take a look, hope you liked it! Don't forget to check out CHF's Summer Stamping Star contest if you have CHF stamps to play with!