Bloomin Great.......

Hello everybody,

how are you doing with the preparations for christmas, getting there I hope. This next week will just fly by quicker than normal.

We have had some super new stamps from Indigo Blu and replacement stocks of some of the popular one's. I have manage to get my mitts on two of them.

Enjoy Life which I have had my beady's on for a while, and Blooming Great a new one.

My first instinct was to make a card but I thought I had better try something different.

So I was faced with a new Journaling book. Isn't the white page frightening, I don't know why, it's a bit like a new exercise book at school and you don't want to spoil the 1st page. But when all said and done it only cost £1.50.

Paint's at the ready lets play, the only idea I had was to use the statement from Enjoy Life and possibly use it again to make like bullet points or sign post's.

I found two pictures I had saved from a photography magazine that I thought expressed the meaning of the page.

The leaves that are around the pages are from the Indigo Blu stamp "Blooming Great" the veins of the leaves are really fine but because I stamped using distress ink it has soaked into the Paper Artsy Acrylic paints which I like but if I wanted to keep them clearer I would have gone for Archival or Stazon.

The sunrays dots and circles are from my much used Tim Holtz stamp Psychedelic Grunge, the stars at the top of the page are off Rockstar.

I have painted through the Tree of Life template and doodled using Black and white Gelly Roll Pens.

There's also a bit of Ranger Gold and Pearl dabber in there applied from the lids.

This could be my New Years resolution page, but I would like to think this was how it was in 2012.

Just one more little thing I would like to share with you, I have found that I love making mini books.

It's a bit like when you first discover ATC's wonderful little mini arts.

 Made using slide mounts which have been coloured and stamped.
The embellishments are from the Creative Expression's range of Victorian corners.

The pictures are from Crafty Individuals Christmas Miniatures book.

The scallop at the top is made from Sizzix Vintage Lace strip die and distressed using Vintage photo

Just to show you the scale of the book

The back, If you cannot get hold of any slide mounts, there is a die cut and stamp on the Paper Artsy collection Hot Pick Die Stamp set 2.

Well I am going to have another play with my new stamps, I have got so many ideas but I must focus otherwise I just end up with lots of bits of paper stamped and not amounting to anything.

Hope Christmas doesn't get in your way and stop you from crafting and enjoying your selves.

Bye for now

Sharon

5 minute tag

We have just taken delivery of some fantastic new stamps from Crafty Individuals Designed by Alice Palace. I managed to get my grubby (inky) hands on just one, for now.

So I did a 5 Minute tag, Distress stains and Dylusions stencils, embossing powder and Idea-ology tinsel.

We have four of the new stamps and I think they can be used for Christmas, Birthdays, any occasion really also they will fit into journalling nicely.

We have also had some new Indigo Blu stamps go and have a look at the shop.

I forgot to mention it was a quick tag because it's freezing in the barn, so I'm going to move some of my craft stash inside 

Cardinal's had a hair cut?

Well it's been a busy weekend not that I'm complaining. We popped back to Ashbourne to see family and friends. We soon run out of time with so many things to do with Christmas and Birthdays coming up.

When we got to the bed and breakfast on Saturday night, we were welcomed with a big roaring fire in the bedroom, I should have packed the Bailey's it would have been the perfect setting for sitting and sipping.

So with Christmas in mind I have made a card and tag using the Sizzix Bigz Die Christmas Cardinal. (You could use the Mini Cardinal as well)

But I thought he needed a new hair-do (and a beak trim)

This is how he started out

So in great british tradition the Robin is born....

The background is Sizzix texture fades from the Christmas border and background set, painted with diluted Ranger Gold Dabber as is the Crunchy Wax Kraft Paper which is underneath.

Merry Christmas is stamped onto a Tattered Banner and distressed with Walnut stain.

I have also added ribbon cut from manilla cardstock with the Vintage Lace strip die.

The silver tinsel twine I have tinted with Cranberry and Terra Cotta Alcohol Ink.

The tag below was coloured with Ripe Persimmon Distress Stain, embossed and the raised areas highlighted then covered with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and edged with Walnut Distress ink which soaks into the cracks.

To finish it off top and bottom again I have used Vintage Lace from the Sizzix Strip Die, coloured with gold dabber and distressed with walnut stain.

I painted the robins red breast using barn door reinker (which is like distress stain on steroids) and the rest is a combination of inks and markers and picket fence distress stain.

Oh and I also cut out another Cardinal sorry robin in Indigo Blu's Black cardstock and offset it slightly just to make it pop out more.

Hope you like my little altered bird, thanks for looking in 

Bye for now

Sharon

Rubys New Wardrobe

Hello, It's that bad here high winds and torrential rain even Jack & Bru don't want to go out, not that I can blame them. So I thought I would show you an idea I had for Ruby's New Wardrobe. Hope Dyan doesn't mind.

I cannot draw so I started by stamping Ruby Rainbow onto card, them laying it onto a acrylic block face down and tracing the outline by holding it up to the light.

Then when I had got the outline I doodled till my heart was content, and then painted with distress inks and stains.

I cut out my tags from Manilla cardstock using the Sizzix Tag & Bookplates Die then coloured again using distress stains which have been smeared onto the craft sheet and spritzed with water. Then with a quick swipe you get some nice patterns which are different every time.

Too add a few layers I blended inks through different Crafters Workshop Stencils and sprayed with Perfect Pearl mists.

I also added some Ribbon Tape and Filmstrip Ribbon a New Corner Embellishment in brass and some chit Chat words.

So that's Ruby with her new wardrobe, all dressed up and no where to go.

Hope you like

Sharon

Ruby Rainbow - Dylusions Stamp Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates Perfect Pearl Mists THE CRAFTERS WORKSHOP Tim Holtz Idea-ology - ChitChat Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Filmstrip Ribbon Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Ruler Ribbon

InLinkz.com

Jack in a Box

Hello

It's Tuesday again and the day I always think about blogging. Maybe because I have had a good crafting weekend, partly due to bad weather and the Grand Prix, if you know what I mean.

I have decorated a little house and I promise you this is the last christmas decoration I am going to make. Well this week anyway.

It is a wooden house that we sell at £3.49 a bargain. It needed a coat of paint so as usual I grabbed my favourite paints Paper Artsy Acrylic's and used Baltic Blue with a little dry brushing around the edges.

While that was drying I cut out the Pennant from the sizzix on the edge die aptly named Pennants twice, once with plain lining material and the second with a piece of card.

The material I sprayed with a Dylusions Spray London blue and left that to dry before stamping with the snowflakes from Tim Holtz CMS066 Mini holidays.
When all dried I glued the material to the card and then stuck the Route 52 Snowflakes to the back of the card.

The little Route 52 Bucket is painted with Pearl Dabber, the little boy who is posting his letter to santa was left over from the Shadow Box Drawer's. All the paper is from Graphic 45.

I painted the corked Vials and then stamped onto them when dried and decorated with Idea-ology Tinsel Twine.
The "Believe" Philosophy tag I wiped Snowcap Dabber over and removed to show the word better.

I made a little christmas card and distressed the edges and applied a little stamp from the Graphic 45 papers. So that's 2 projects and only 3 pieces of cardstock, I like to get good value from my paper.

The little bows that are dotted around are cut from the Sizzix Movers and shapers Mini Wreath and bow, which is at the apex of the house, plus the 25 from the reindeer and 25 set which has been embossed with Ranger's Rich Red (before embossing it looks a really bright red but changed to a lovely deep red).

Christmas Carols was stamped onto shrink plastic, I find the easiest way to shrink it without losing it, is place the piece in a box and let it go from corner to corner.

Hidden in the bottom corner is a ticket from a strip die and stamped with Merry Christmas from Tim Holtz CMS100 Odds and Ends there's something for every occasion on that stamp set.

Lastly Jamie wanted snow on the roof, so I splodge Mod Podge around the edges then sprinkled with Rock Candy Dry Glitter, I thought it looked quite nice but Jamie pointed out That it was frost and not snow.

Theres also the really cute wooden reindeers at the bottom and I think that's about everything.

Jamie's just made a lovely mug of coffee and then look what we found in the Photo Light Cube.

Oh Jack!!

Wooden House	Fresco Finish Acrylics - Baltic Blue	Sizzix On the Edge Die - Pennants	Snowflakes
Movers & Shapers Mini Wreath and Bow	Sizzix Mini Reindeer & 25 Set	Corked Glass Vials - Large - 8 Pack	Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Philosophy Tags
Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Tinsel Twine - Silver	Mod Podge Gloss 4oz	Distress Stickles Dry Glitter - Clear Rock Candy	CMS100 Tim Holtz - Odds and Ends
Ranger Dabber - Pearl	CMS066 - Tim Holtz - Mini Holidays	Dylusions Ink Spray - London Blue	Mini Bucket 35mm

InLinkz.com

Christmas Icon

Hello everybody,

Hope you are all having a good week with plenty of crafting going on.
I have discovered I work best when I have three projects on the go at the same time. Maybe it's because as one thing is drying I can get on with the next, it also gives me time to think.

Here's one the projects I have finished a little Icon which you can buy for a small amount. I have turned it into a tea light holder. (The tea light is battery powered not a real flame one).

After gluing the Sizzix mini Reindeer and 25 onto the Icon I painted it three times, firstly with Paper Artsy Ice Blue then Sky and finally with Baltic Blue. After each coat I rubbed the paint off the reindeer and 25 and a bit around the edges to give it a worn look and to reveal a small amount of the colour below.
When it had completely dried I stamped the small snowflakes from Tim Holtz CMS066 Mini Holidays with perfect medium then embossed with Polysparkle Embossing powder.
I also went over the Reindeer and 25 with PA Metallic glaze just to give them that extra sparkle.

The Pine trees have been cut from Sizzix's on the edge die "Tree Line" out of grunge board, then painted green leaving an area at the bottom to add the snow.
I applied perfect medium from a reinker to the tops and edges of the trees then sprinkled white embossing powder over it, I hope it resembles snow fall.
Finally I have used Tinsel Twine in silver from the Idea-ology range.

Tomorrow I will show you another little christmas project I have done, unless I get to go shopping.

Thank you again for stopping by and I do appreciate your lovely comments.

Icon 11 x 17cm	Sizzix Mini Reindeer & 25 Set	Fresco Finish Acrylics - Ice Blue	Fresco Finish Acrylics - Baltic Blue
Fresco Finish Acrylics - Sky	*NEW* Sizzix On the Edge Die - Tree Line	Grungeboard Basics Plain	Fresco Finish Glaze - Metallic
Ranger Embossing Powder - Polysparkle	Perfect Medium Clear Re-Inker	CMS066 - Tim Holtz - Mini Holidays	Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Tinsel Twine - Silver

InLinkz.com