Just wanted to say ... thanks for taking the time to stop by, hope you enjoyed your visit.x

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Magical monochrome

Well I feel that haven't blogged a tag for a while and the rogue redheads challenge is distressed greens and i love crafting with green distress, so , here is one:


I started with various greens, some stencils, gesso and some stamps...
and this tag just evolved..
Started by applying  a layer of gesso through the chicken wire stencil,
and left to dry,
 then when dry applied DI over the tag and then
stamped some chicken wire randomly
 from the mixed media set of Tim stamps
I distressed the edges and inked these...

the wings were cut from  old packaging and coloured with alcohol inks.
.I quite like that they are hidden in certain lights/ angles


 
I love,love  this dress form and applied black soot embossing powder
on the main part of the dressform  and then
 added a canvas dress ,inked with DI.


 
to complete I added a heart, some ribbon , harlequin border
 and a flower made from the tatteredd floral die.

I love all the textures and layers and although I am embracing colour,
 I love working in monochrome.
Are you a colour person..or do your prefer muted, distressed or monochrome?

I am entering this for the following competitions:

have a fun and inky day!

Sunday 29 July 2012

a recipe challenge..

Well this is a challenge....
when the fab Michelle contacted me about the idea of doing a challenge thee.. idea, I jumped at the chance..
and it has been so much fun...she checked with the wonderful Ellen and Hels whose fab challenges can be seen on their blogs.
Michelles fab blog can be found here and her post for this challenge is here ....

For more challenge background see the fab Hels last challenge here and the lovely Ellens fab last challenge here.

So onto our challenge...we talked and set up a few items..which grew... So here they are :

Tim Holtz stamps
Blank dimensional book
Gilding flakes
Paint dabbers
Gesso
Stencils, die cuts
Distress and archival inks
Idea ology

it was so exciting!!! And then I kept thinking..ooh wonder what Michelles doing?!

so without further ado ... Here is mine..




and inside

I admit some of the products are things that have been in my stash for ages
and not seen the light of day..like the gilding flakes..
.if you had seen the mess I made, oh boy!
 yes I did have the window open and these are flighty to say the least...
I will leave the rest to your imagination.
.......let's just say everything sparkles!

I covered the the outside of the book with DI and then cogs,
well actually i put cogs everywhere...
cannot help myself!



the cogs were cut from grungepaper and grungeboard,
coloured with distress ink and then splodged with paint dabbers
in pitch black, copper and gold

 inside I added a stamped piece with cogs info, rolled and distressed, wings,
 bottles wrapped with stamped paper,
 ideaolgy....
and a compass made from a tim stamp.
.with glossy accents and gilding flakes added


and then the inside cover..with ideaology and more...
cogs!


the inside was painted with gesso mixed with
 paint dabbers and dabbed at ..

sorry about the long post for such a small piece , there was lots to show...

I have loved doing the challenge with Michelle and hope we can do another real soon!


I am entering this for the following competitions:


have a fun and inky day!

Saturday 28 July 2012

simons says ...one for the girls..

well one for the girls ..was so not me..
i am having a grunge kind of feel to my makes so this really put the pressure on...
so this is as girly as i could get today...


 i started with a selection of wendy vecchi arts parts, some distress inks and off i went...



i coloured all the arts parts with blue distress, spritzed with perfect pearls,
dried then added picket fence from my craft may mixed with DI,
dried then added dusty concord DI.

Once all the spools had been put together ,
I added flowers made from Tims tattered floral die,bottles ,


a wendy vecchi arts part pocket watch..coloured in same way
and some butteflies..stamped onto grungepaper
and then cleary for art layer added.


i tried to add detail to the back so that
the piece looked good from behind too..



I am entering this for the following competitions:




have a fun and inky day!
enjoy the olympics..not enough hours in my day!!

Thursday 26 July 2012

guilded kraft glassine for compendium of curiosities vol 2, challenge 14

I must admit I have kraft glassine, but have never really played with it properly
so this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity..
This fab challenge is hosted by the lovely Linda..here..

The technique for this can be found in by the man himself,
 in compendium of curiosities vol 2, pg 39
.
The fab sponsor for this challenge is the funkie junkies boutique and Linda is offereing $25 !
so here is mine :

I started with a tag which I had applied crackle paint in pewter in a patch,
  I then added DI onto it and then I embossed using a Tim snowflake embossing folder...
then reapplied DI in the darker colours to the tag...
.and then I used the flick and spritz technique because I love it!!!!


I added a fab snowman from Tims stamps,
 applied DI and then rock candy ..love this too!
Finally added guilded kraft glassine elements
and some ribbon coloured with distress.


i used some guilded kraft glassine behind the sentiment too!

So not like me to do festive this early...
but the colours just made me think of snow!

Make sure you pop across here to enter and see all the fab entries!

I am entering this for the following comeptitions:
compendium of curiosities vol 2 tecnique 14 @ http://studiol3.blogspot.co.uk/
favourite colours @ http://www.creativeinspirationspaint.blogspot.co.uk/
sentiment on a tag @ http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
anything goes @ http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

have a fun and inky day!

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Alice, the White rabbit and a strange situation..for dragon dreams tag it on dt.

Still so chuffed to have been asked to be part of this fab dt...
this fortnight the challenge is one well out of my comfort zone..and so it was a  real challenge...all the details of the recipe can be found here.
you need Alice, the white rabbit and a situation...
Make sure you pop across to see all the dts fab makes here and
 maybe join in  the fun and spread the word!
there is now a chance to be a dragon dreamboat and be picked to  feature
in a top three dreamboats each fortnight....

So here is my tag: ( which had to include Alice, the white rabbit and a situation)


I had to acquire some Alice stamps , as mine had gone the way of eBay
for different stash...so I better keep this set safe!
these are from artstic outpost , called wonderland collage

I started by making the background, using a take on Tim Holtz rusted enamel.
.a technique I love ...but with twist..
and the embossing powder was a special make your own blend!
i love the way you can emboss patches and ink through....which I did with black soot DI.

the stars and butterfly wings were embossed
using own the same homemade concoction
...and I filled the little bottle with it...


The images were lightly coloured 
and I added some picket fence marker to Mr rabbit....
The little tag for the bottle was cut using a Tim sizzix die....
tiny tabs and tags
and the sentiment is an all time favourite from Wendy vecchi.... its face art.


This was a real adventure,
not only for Alice and the rabbit but for me too....
let me know if you think it was a happy ending?!
I am entering this for the following challenges :

magical and mystical @ http://panpasteluk.blogspot.co.uk/
tag you're it @ http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/pio-30-tag-youre-it.html
more than words @  http://pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/
distressing @ http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

woyww #164, some different angles and a sunny trio of treasures.

well it is that great midweek time
where courtesy of Julia, our hostess
we hop around blogland to see the crafty spaces, places and people
if you want to join in all the midweek fun, hop across here .
so here are some different angles of my crafty space:


you can just see bagpuss clinging to the top of a pot..
my butterfly lights...
and the fab tag ..i had as part or our tag swap
from the lovely and talented Mel
her work can be found here



then there is a storage unit waiting for decoration
my fab spinners!
and a lovely Indian piece, that has been attached to the back of the door
love all those colours and textures...

and then
because the sun is shining...
at last...
.here is my trio of sunny treasures.....
who quite obviously are NOTon my desk..!
but had some much fun yesterday i could not resist adding their smiley faces:


even when the sun is not shining they brighten my day !

have a fun and inky day

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Anything goes challenge dt piece..anything but square

Well it is challenge time over at anything goes challenge and
 the theme this time is..anything but square...so I went for a chunky piece:



I started with a block of wood...cut from an old worktop
...and before you ask....
no I didn't use the saw to cut it!

the block was painted,crackled on one side
and then  distressed....very ....when I had finished with it!
then added lots of images from some London themed stamps,
paperartsy and artistic outpost..


.then added die cut tickets , stamped with images, a flower made from tattered floral die.
.more tickets



some ideaology...of course! and a little bottle with a crown for a lid..

.
sorry about all the pictures..got carried away!
please make sure you pop across and see my team mates great makes and pop across here and add an entry yourselves.
the lovely Lynne at the craftden has lots of crafty goodies.

I am entering this for the following competitions:

red white and blue @ http://raisethebarchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
anything goes @ http://craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/monday-challenge-1-anything-goes.html
so very british @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.co.uk/
lots of layers @ http://cupcakecraftroom.blogspot.co.uk/
anything goes with artisic outpost stamps @ http://artisticoutpost.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/artistic-outpost-july-referral.html
have a fun and inky day!

this item will be added to my etsy store later..just staring it out...
.see link in my sidebar!

Monday 23 July 2012

the winner of my blog candy!

well sorry i am so late..my daughter decided she didn't fancy bed and then it has been a busy sunny day with the chidren....

so without further ado..
i put all the names onto pieces of paper, folded and in a dish
you know me and technology..not too hot!

hubbie steve did the honours...
so the winner is:

Buttons.

congratulations, please email me your address and i will pop the goodies in the post.

sorry i cannot send more goodies to more of you.x

i want to thank everyone who took part and all my loyal followers for their support and comments..

have a fun and inky day

Sunday 22 July 2012

nearly a year blog candy! This is a sticky post,please see below for my inkiness !

Well I have been in blogland nearly a year and cannot believe the fun I have had, the amazing friends I have made and the huge amount of inspiration I have found..
I have had a ball and so to say thanks for being part of my journey and following me,
 here is some blog candy,
to be in with a chance to win these two pre mounted sheets of indigo blu stamps please....
1 .please leave a comment below
2 .please follow me if you do not already
3 .please put my candy in your sidebar with a link to my blog
 i will draw the winner on Sunday 22nd July at 9.00pm
thanks for being part of my inky journey, you don't know how much it means!!

Saturday 21 July 2012

happy mail - tag swap

well here is a post with a difference,
 i cannot tell you how happy I was when the lovely Mel ..the yorkshire fox, suggested we do a tag swap.
.I love her work and boy I was not disappointed..
I was lucky to receive  the most fantastic tag shown below,  and much more, lots of lovely goodies all so beautifully wrapped,
 it really made my heart smile.
So here is Mel's fab tag:
the only condition of the swap was that we added a heart..
we both love hearts..something about them..
 i wish my photography skills could do this stunning tag justice..
the wire work is so wonderful and the textures on the tag are just amazing.
 to see more of Mel's fantastic work make sure you pop across here ...it will be well worth it!
She is super talented and creative and makes the most beautiful and  thoughtful pieces
and has a very kind heart .


http://theyorkshirefox.blogspot.co.uk/

i love the heart and the textures and what a fab word...oh and you know i love wings!!.just fab, thanks Mel..I love it and hope we can do it again sometime soon.
Mels work is so beautiful,
thoughtful and i am thrilled to have this tag
to add to my wall!
sometimes, kindness and friendship blossoms i the most unexpected places
and like the heart should be treasured, thanks Mel
here is the tag I made for the swap..using various Tim goodies,clear embossing, layers of ink and staples , a heart and wings!

thanks for all the lovely comments, they mean a lot!
have  a fun and inky day
and make you stop by Mels for amazing inspiration..

Friday 20 July 2012

Tims tags 2012 - july

well it is time for another Tim's tag and Tim's fab tag can be seen here. Here is my take on the tag , I had great fun with the compressed air..that had been bought ages ago and sat unused and unloved...not now...
so here is my tag:

I used all the details a s per Tim's tag but substituted the kraft core..as that is still on my wish list and i decided to go for a London theme. i am as usual, not very early but there is still time...see here for details

short and sweet from me today..
have a fab and inky week!

Wednesday 18 July 2012

how lucky am i?!

some days are lucky days and today is one for me as i have been honoured to have been asked by the lovely Frankie to become part of the fab team over at dragons dream tag it on . The theme for these two weeks was considering steampunk..a recipe challenge..to include fantasy, inventions and victoriana. So here is my first dt piece:
I love steampunk..it is one of my favourites ..i have used lots of techniques here to create the background..dry and heat embossing and then added some fab steampunk stamps..supplies detailed below.
i made a hot air balloon invention, using a stamp and an embossed cog die..i love these cogs!

hope you can see the embossed detail..and this stamp just makes me smile..i tinkered with it and added the word fly and some wings..cannot have enough wings , another thing i love at the moment..

there is still a week to go and there will be a top 3 chosen, who knows it could be you! make sure you pop across to see my fab new dt team mates creations..they are fab!
I also want to say a huge thanks to Frankie for asking me and to the rest of the team for giving me such a warm welcome! thanks

I am entering this for the following competitions:
steampunk @ http://vintageartisans.blogspot.co.uk/
crafty passion @ http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
embellish itfor sunday stampers @ http://pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/
anything goes @ http://itsallaboutthevintagechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
my style @ http://www.blueboxbabe.blogspot.co.uk/

supplies:
stamps -
oxford impressions, steampunk elements
paper artsy minis - mn03, mn60
distress inks..walnut stain, vintage photo and black soot
clear embossing powder
dies : cogs
embossing folder metal patchwork

have a fun and inky day!