I won top talent thursday for our creative corner

well I am so chuffed to have been chosen as the top talent for Top Talent Thursday over at Our Creative Corner. I was lucky enough to be chosen for my purple and silver entry and invited to be their top talent..so if you want to find out a bit more about me please hop across here and see my answers to some questions and the project I have created.
I am really proud to have been chosen as their have been some amazing top talents before me and some wonderful talents on the design team.

So I decided, as I could make anything I wanted to go down my much loved and adored steampunk route, so here is my make :

I started with some arts parts, namely the frame and base for the frame , I added some texture paste through a cog stencil in the corners, painted with verday paint,when dry I sponged more paint on, sprayed the solution and waited for the magic to happen..

Then came the fun bit of decorating and filling the sections.. I started with some favourite stamps warehouse district from Tim Holtz I love this hand and use it lots and the sentiment ( stamped in black archival and given the distress treatment! oh I love distress!) is one to remember .. I added part of a hitch fastener to the hand, a twist of rusty wire, some cogs and spinners..

and these steampunk guys are one of my all time favourites! I added more cogs, a chit chat sticker, pen nib,more twists of rusty wire, and then some fab goodies my dad gave me from his garage!! thanks Dad!x  I added layers of distress ink to the image and then removed colour from the faces using a waterbrush and a touch of glossy accents for their hats. I love all the different textures and elements I could add to this ..it was great fun!

and I also added this fab thingamajig sentiment from creative expressions vintage inventor ..there are three plates in this series and I love them all
I added plenty of idea-ology and even rusted a watch face using distress embossing powders, oh and this fab rusty spring..again thanks Dad!

I made a little shelf and sat idea-ology bottles full of old watch parts on it.

I added lots more goodies, including a fab rusty heart, more rusty wire, chit chat stickers and some propellers  (again a creative expressions product) which were painted with the same paint. Also lots more goodies from my Dad.

Thanks again to the lovely ladies for choosing me and allowing me to roam free and I cannot tell you how much fun I have making this piece , hope that comes across and for once I love the finished result!

I know it has been a busy week for me post wise, but thanks so much to everyone for their lovely comments and for taking the time to stop by, it means such a lot to me!

I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything goes @ http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
monochrome @ http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
vintage @ http://www.flonzcraft.com/vsc/?p=404
favourite stamp @ http://www.theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/january-challenge-your-favourite-stamp.html

have a fun and inky one!

spruce it up..for Frilly and Funkie DT

Well here I am with my make for the current challenge over at Frilly and Funkie and the theme this time is spruce it up! Think about those items on your desk, or in your crafty space that could be spruced up.There are some wonderful spruced up creations on the blog here, so why not getting sprucing up and join in the fun! So here is my make a spruced up pencil box with a twist:

and the inside..

 

 

Instead of using this spruced up plain pencil case for pencils I decided to make some inspiration stick for those moments when my mojo is missing, to give me a kick start. ( more about those later!)

 

 I started by painting the plain paper substrate box, with a brown paint, layering with crackle medium and then when dry painting in paperartsy nougat colour. Then let the sprucing up fun begin.

I inked the box with my much loved, vintage photo distress ink and when dry added a second layer to the edges, I also lightly inked inside the box.

 

The lettering for the top and inside of the box was cut from grungepaper using Tim Holtz word play die..( fast becoming a firm favourite!).I coloured the letters up using snowcap paint dabber and then when dry stamped the music script from Artistic Outposts ephemera backgrounds..I love the look that this stamp gives...When the ink had dried I edged the letters with vintage photo DI.

 

 

To complete the front of the box I die cut a heart using movers and shapers die from grungeboard and again applied snowcap paint dabber to it. when dry I applied a good coat of another favourite of mine, distress rock candy and left to dry. When dry i added vintage photo and pushed this into the cracks ( shattered stains technique from Tim Holtz ). I also added wings ( no surprise there then!) which had been stamped and inked in same way as letters.

 

The inside of the box had lettering and wings,

a small heart and also a little bottle filled with another favourite loose distress rock candy glitter, a pen nib and also a chit chat sticker as a label.

 

Now , if you are still awake the inspiration sticks:

 

I started with some blank wooden lolly sticks, painted with snow cap paint dabber, and when dry stamped with music stamp ( Artistic outpost ephemera backgrounds) and edged with distress ink.

Then I set too typing out some of my favourite elements and supplies into a vintage style typewriter script, then tore out and inked the edges.

I then glued these to the sticks.

 

So now when my mojo is missing, I will be able to challenge myself to create art and  use a stick and combine all elements, two from a few sticks..well the possibilities are endless!

 

So I hope you will join in the fun here and hope that you like my make. I have loved making this!

 

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to follow my journey and leave such lovely and treasured comments!

 

have a fun and inky one!

Artistic Outpost Ephemera Backgrounds Unmounted Rubber Stamps	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Word Play Die	Mini Hearts Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Movers & Shaperss	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Heart Wings BIGZ Die	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Snow Cap White
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Pen Nibs	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Chitchat Stickers	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Corked Vials	Tim Holtz Distress Stickles Dry Glitter Clear Rock Candy	Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy 4 oz size	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Vintage Photo
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Grungeboard Basics Plain

be mine valentine for creative expressions DT make

For this creative expressions Dt make I have used the amazingly versatile set hearts entwined to create a gift bag and matching tag that fits inside the bag. Last time I made a grunged up steampunk make and this week I have gone for a more vintage style piece. I know I usually post on Thursday..but have another post up then so here I am! here is my make :

I will show the tag and other side in more detail later in the post. I started by smooshing some distress stains (tea dye, old paper, vintage photo and picket fence) onto my craft mat and spritzing with water, then pulling the paper through the colour. I then dried and dabbed the piece back onto dots of colour until I was happy with the colour and layers. When dry ( okay I blasted it with the heat gun, impatient me!!) I edged lightly with walnut stain distress ink.
I used the same technique for the front of the tag and scuffed and edged the tag with the same distress ink. ( the back was coloured with vintage photo distress ink and left blank for that romantic...(or maybe not!?) message.

I used the small two hearts joined and randomly stamped over the bag die cut. Now the decorations. I had some heart die cut shapes ( I used movers and shapers heart die but any hearts will do) and repeatedly stamped I love you across them in a random manner, dried with heat tool and then edged with vintage photo distress ink.

The sentiments  were done in the same manner and cut into strips so that I could break up the sentiment across the design. (two hearts joined as one can be stamped as a whole design or split into its parts..which makes it even more versatile , I did this with be mine as well as I liked the design better this way for this piece)

On the tag I did use some text from another creative expressions set timeless journey, as I love this script.To complete I made a love letter and added pen embellishments.

 and some idea-ology and on the other side of the bag added some...have you guessed....wings!!!

The seam binding finishes off the tag and was coloured using the same distress stains, with the addition of walnut stain.

Well hope you like my more vintage styled make and see you next week for something different!

Make sure you pop across and see the links to the other design team members who have been having lots of fun with these stamps too!

have a fun and inky one!

 

supplies:

hearts entwined set

distress stains

distress ink -

idea-ology

pen nibs

seam binding

 

my take, on Tims tag January 2013..and an inspired ATC

well I had a ball playing along with Tim's tags 2012 and managed all 12, so here I am with my take on Tim's January tag for 2103   ..hoping I can make all 12 again!
If you haven't played along pop across here and see the master at work..the tags are packed full of techniques and Tim's eye for design and detail and great fun to play along.
So here is my make:
(I did stay as true to Tim's tag as possible ..because I loved it and had nearly all of the stash!)
I also made an inspired ATC..see later in post!

There are so many things I loved about this tag, the fab colour combinations..something I have not used together before..but definitely will again..yummy! I do love my distress!

The grungepaper cogs, fab love them!
Cogs , well you know me and cogs...don't know what it is but I love them!

I loved the stamped ribbon too...another will be using again...idea!
I loved making this tag..so much I made an atc inspired by the colours...oh and my new blueprint mini stamp just fell through the letterbox at the right time...

I loved the colours so much and just had to have a quick play with my new stamps..rude not too!
I added a spinner for a clock hand and added crackle accents around it. The image was coloured with distress markers and my waterbrush and scuffed and edged with distress.

 

I am loving these new blueprints...cannot wait to add some more to my collection!!!

I was naughty and bought two of the new mini sets..restrained I felt!!!

 

 

have a fun and inky day!

 

I am adding my ATC to artful times time ATC challenge and linking up my Tim's tag for 2103



dipping my foot in the ocean of colour!!

well the middle of this week saw the birthday of my blogging buddy Michelle, whose love of colour sings form her blog.I wanted to send her something and so , took a deep breath, (having often looked at other blogger use of colour, ..including Kate crane, and Trish Latimers painty layers)...and dived into this whole painty colour thing.
I am still testing the water , as I am much happier in monochrome pieces, soft colours and browns..so hold onto your hats!
So here is the canvas I made for Michelle:

well you know me and my love of hearts and wings, I love blue and would have stuck to that, but Michelle has this whole love of colour thing going on and I embraced it! Had lots of fun and well that's it really..had a go.
I added layers of paintyness, then added some texture paste coloured with paint, through a stencil and left to dry.

When dry I added lots of painty layers through different stencils and some sequin waste ( thanks Mum!).
Then I stamped with PAINT!! I know how mad, but managed to stamp and get stamp clean again..

Finally I added circles using a pot lid dipped in paint and some lines using a thick piece of card and edged with some paint.

The decoration, a heart, ( wound with wire..love wire!),

some textured pasted wings, covered in treasure gold..(silver) and dream big cut from my word play die..

I think sometimes it is good to challenge our creative boundaries and have a go at something new..I will never leave my love of distress and all things vintage behind..and a dash of steampunk thrown in..but may embrace this whole painty thing and colour a bit more!

Have a fun and inky one!