woyww #136, some inky grungepaper

Well hey there bloggers and crafty friends,
This week has been a busy week as my eldest son was nine, cannot believe where the time goes!!!So there was more presents, cake and a trip to the deep aquarium at Hull.
I have had some crafty fun playing with my melt pot, a Christmas pressie and have had some awesome and disastrous results, in fairly equal measure!!!However whenever there is a disaster something good usually comes out and I had a beeswax and melt pot moment where disaster was averted when I added perfect pearls and blasted with my heat gun, I will post the results later in the week...but there were a few hairy moments I can tell you!!!!
Anyways here is the desk today...

I am having my first, yes you got that right my first ever attempt at proper 3-d Tim grungepaper flowers!!still a work in progress!
Thought I would show you around some of my crafty storage, just because..

and here is some more storage and I still have boxes in front that i havent had time to home!

make you you pop across to julias, our fab hostess with the most-ess to see other fab crafty spaces and creativity!!! @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
see my later post today for my visiting artist piece for gingersnaps!
have a a fab inky day
hugs trace x

Anything goes dt piece for anything goes challenge blog!

Well hey there!
it is challenge time over at anything goes challenge blog again and this time the theme is ...anything goes!
So he is, my bit of anything goes:

I decided to do another book as these are fab and very addictive!!This time I tried to do a more masculine themed book, using some fab stamps from the Artistic Stamper, some idea-ology and some arts parts shapes.
I started by covering the book with watered down gesso!shocked you, no crackle today!!!Then when dry inked with distress inks and left to dry.When dry I stamped the fab splat stamp from journalling plate in antique linen and then vintage photo.When dry I added some calligraphy script, also from the artistic stamper.Once totally dry I stamped some Tim pen nibs in walnut stain, heated to dry and then stamped a smaller version of same set in coffee archival.

I covers the left hand side in my favourite thing, tissue wrap.
The middle panel was White card coloured in antique linen DI, the I stamped the journal word..imagine in same DI, to get a very subtle effect. I then added the splat stamp using vintage photo and pen nibs in walnut stain.

The sentiment is a journalling stamp from the Artistic Stamper and the bottles are arts parts from Wendy Vecchi, coloured and crackle paint and metal tape added the top(this was also painted).Finally some idea-ology was added and some computer generated text added.
Sorry another marathon post, must try harder to waffle less and get to the gist, but then I never was very good and short and sweet, why use 1 word when 10 will do!!
Anyway make sure you hop across to see all the fab dt work and for all your craft needs visit Lynnes craft den.
I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything but a card @ http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/
Have a fab inky day
Hugs trace x

Some more inky playing in monochrome and Happy 9th Birthday James!!

Hey there,
Well here I am again with a card that came out of playing with a few themes in mind, I wanted to try and play along with try it on Tuesday's, where the challenge was to make everything on a card yourself and also to play along with the gingersnap theme of wax.Especially as I was a lucky girl and got a melt pot for Christmas, so he she is:

I also decided to try and tie this in with a monochrome theme and use a couple of barely used distress inks, rusty hinge and wild honey.I started by making the background using DI, spritzing, blotting and drying, I never tire of this...does that make me predictable?!!hope not! then added some DI coloured card over stamped with script from my first ever set of Wendy Vechhi stamps from a while ago...once dry I spritzed with perfect pearls mist in heirloom gold and blasted with my heat gun!!

The sentiment was stamped onto card coloured with wild honey and then stamped and edged in rusty hinge.The leaves were stamped in rusty hinge from one of my new sets of Wendy stamps, coloured with wild honey then spritzed and quickly dried.I loved the way this really made the wild honey 'pop'!!
NOW......THE FLOWERS! oh wow I want to make more and more and more!!!!!

I started by stamping the two sized flowers onto card, colouring and stamping text over.I coloured both sides so no White showed.I curled and layered using pin flair glue then when dried cracked out my new melt pot!!!yippee!!!I melted some natural beeswax and with some , oh golly what am I doing dipped the flowers in, coated and set aside to dry!!!I am in love...I fear I could be dipping many things in beeswax now!!!!

The centres were made with a gold pearly pen thing, very technical!
Anyway I am delighted with my new toy and can't wait to get dipping again!!!
Am entering this card for the following competitions...
wax as a supply @ http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/
make a card yourself @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/
monochrome @ http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/
Thanks for surviving the ramblings!!
Before I go, I just want to say Happy Birthday James to my eldest son, who is 9 today!!!Love you.xx
Where did the time go?!

Have a great inky day!
Hugs trace x

First piece as proud visiting artist for gingersnap!!!!how excited am I !!!

well hey there bloggers,
Today is an exciting day as here is my first piece as a proud visiting artist for gingersnap creations!! I was so excited and chuffed to be asked..The challenge this time is to use a set or range of stamps...I went for the one and only TIM!!So here is my piece:

I decided to use a great set called fairytale frenzy and an additional Tim text stamp, some distress inks and some idea-ology.
I started with a blank book which had been been pre painted and crackled, using crackle medium and household emulsion!Once dry..I inked the book cover using antique linen, iced spruce and broken china.
I then added a strip of tissue wrap, which I think I can officially say I am addicted too!!, to the spine and left hand side of book, this was covered with picket fence distress stain and then when dry covered in DI.I over stamped the cover with the flowery flourish thing in broken china, direct to the cover and left to dry.

Th middle panel is made using all the same DI, spritzing with water and drying and then stamping with the no's in antique linen and the butterfly in stormy skies and the script in broken china...I love layering stamps to build up backgrounds, so much fun and you never quite know where you will end!!
The central panel is coloured using DI and the sentiment stamped in archival black ink.

To complete I added flourish die cuts which were inked and  butterflies which were inked and covered in script stamp.The butterflies centres are spinners and I added a word key and clock and some corners all from the fab Tim's idea-ology range.
make sure you hop over to Gingersnap Creations to join in all the fun!! See you next week for more gingersnap fun!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything goes with santa stash @ http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/
new beginnings @ http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/ , starting anew from now..
something old, something new @ http://papersundaes.blogspot.com/ , old stamps, new idea-ology
please see post below for woyww #135!
have a fab inky day
hugs trace x

woyww #135, a new year, same old desk!!!but some inkiness too!

Hey there,
well happy new year woyww!!!
Happy new year and welcome to the new year, with same old me, same old desk but some  new inkiness afoot!
Make sure you hop across to Julias @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ to see allsorts of creativeness and inky stuff!!
So enough waffle, here is my desk today:

And finally some craftiness has come my way, inspired by new crafty stash from Santa, the hubbie and the children, as well as some me time to play!!! I know not too exciting yet, but my head is buzzing!!!I just need more time to finish!!
and because it would be rude not too, I spilled craftiness onto the computer desk as well...:in the form of yes, more work in progress...

That is what happens when your brain is trying to do many things at once lots of bits and no final "thingamajig".
I was a very very lucky girl and the children and my fab Hubbie certainly outdid themselves with all my new crafty stash,thank you!!!but so much to do, so little time!!!Heres hoping to get some more me playtime soon!!!
Don't forget to hop across and see all the fab creative desks and creativeness over @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
happy woyww!
have a fab inky day!
hugs trace x

Some inky fun for the new year,!!

Hey there bloggers,
Well today was a chance for me to play and have some inky fun!!I started with a collage frame from The Artistic Stamper, some tissue wrap and Tim things and some new and old Wendy Vechhi stamps and art parts.
so here she is

I started by covering the collage frame using Tissue Wrap, which I just love!!I applied it using golden gel matte and when applied a coat on top as well, once dry I washed over a watered down layer of gesso. Once dry I inked this with DI in broken china and dusty concord and chipped sapphire.
For the centre I cut a piece of card stock to fit, and covered in DI, then spritzed with water and dried...I never tire of the soft and varied effects this makes!When totally dry I inked the Wendy text stamp from an old set ,in broken china and stamped.The edges were then coloured using dusty concord DI.
To make the embellishments/flowers inside I stamped the small flower onto grungepaper, another thing I love!!! this was coloured with broken china and then over stamped using script stamp in Dusty concord.The centres are idea-ology bits and the flourishes are a Tim die cut and coloured using DI!

The outside flowers are a large arts part flower, two flowers stamped onto grungepaper and an
idea-ology centre.All the flowers were coloured using DI and over stamped using fab spotty background From The Artistic Stamper.
The leaves are made from my new Wendy stamp, stamped onto grungepaper using forest moss DI, and then cut out and coloured using peeled paint.Finally, I added a little calendar and my Hubbie has hung it in the kitchen!!!

I am chuffed to be able to have been able to have time to have some inky play, and I am chuffed with the finished results!!!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything goes for sunday stampers @ http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/
anything goes @  http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/
something new @ http://addicted-to-stamps-challenge.blogspot.com/
something old and something new @ http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/
anything goes with new stash @ http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/
thanks for looking!
Have a fab inky day!
Hugs trace x

My favourite for the Stamp Man 3rd annual awards challenge!

Well hey there bloggers!
Happy New Year!
well over at the Stamp Man Challenge blog  it is the Stamp Man's third annual awards and you have to choose your favourite piece of the year...
see link in my sidebar..Or click above on stamp man above to whizz across,

here is mine:

This was my final piece for my guest artist spot in December for The Artistic Stamper, an opportunity I was very proud to have been given.
I had never been brave enough to try a configurations box before  but loved it! and know there will be lots more to come!!!!
The details for this piece can be found over at The Artistic Stamper ,and the piece is default linked to my blog but can be found at http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/ date 28th december, sorry for the confusion!!!
Have a fab inky day,
hugs trace x