Happy Birthday - my baby turns 18 today

This card was made for my youngest daughter who is 18 today.

You may recognise the tag, but it was too good to waste, I stamped the G45 Steampunk Spells Top Hat stamp in vermark and used perfect pearls to bring it to life, I then stamped the scroll from the same series of stamps and added in the 18 from a set of open numbers I have, again in versamark, I used distress embossing powder to outline it, then with  a versmark pen I infilled and used the distress powder again.  Good job it was a freebie powder, wouldn't waste my money on it, and I like Tim Holtz as a rule!

I then stamped daughter from a set I have with family member names on.

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Birthday card for a colleague

This Card was made for a lady at work who likes teal and tourquoise.  I used Dylusions sprays to create the base, then Creative Expressions Stamps for the background, focal point and the sentiment. I added co-ordinated gems as her favourite pass time is shopping for bling

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Seven Seas of Rye

Over on PaperArtsy Blog  it's once again Liz Borer's turn for the inspiration, she did a nautical panel and below is my interpretation.  I started by adding Grunge Paste mock waves to a canvas square and then using a blend of Antarctic, Ice blue and Bora Bora Fresco Finish's to blend from sky to sea, I then stamped the ship image and added and extra wave, I then struggled a bit and with a blend of the above paints, added in inky pool and beach hut got the "sea" I wanted, then to add the foam, I used nougat on a stiff brush to leave the lines and let some of the blue come through. I then used the image from LP003 and "framed him".  I then guilded up some embellishments of a nautical theme in a combination of Renaissance and Aquamarine TG.

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Swan Stitch Number 4 - last one, probably

For this (another decoration) I used a wood blank picture frame I believe from Hobbycraft, painted it with Toad Hall Fresco Finish, Stamped the snowflake with Stazon Teal Blue and *sobs uncontrollalbly* die cut the image from a Graphic 45 pad Santas Workshop.

Anyone would think I liked Christmas, but if it wasn't for Swanstitch challenge they would be in the to do box forever.

I am also entering this in Anonymous Stampers - Anything goes
Stamping sensations - Christmas

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Sam threw down the gauntlet and I picked it up

This blogpost is in part Sam's fault. Over on SwanStitch there is a Christmas challenge and Sam did a quick make to bump up the numbers earlier in the month, she then went ahead and submitted another entry as there is no limit, other than it has to be Christmas and contain some stamping.

For project one I did the Santa Christmas plaque and featured here are entries 2 and 3.

Entry 2

I started this last year, I had gotten as far as backing the shape with paper and attaching the ribbon and then I was stuck.  I had the baubles from EDY04 already stamped onto double sided adhesive sheet from another project and decided to guild these and stick to acetate.  I then used the holly flourish template with Fresco Finish Paint Toad Hall sponged through and pink stickles for the berries.  I then used a papermania die cut sentiment for the focal point.

Entry 3

For this one I used a Christmas bauble blank from the MDF man, I used Cinnamon Fresco Finish (well cinnamon is a christmassy thing innit?) to base coat it, I then used flitter glue to stamp the Cog Christmas tree from Chocolate Baroque and guilded it, I then added some watch parts and the Penny Farthing charm.

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Swan Stitch Crimbo challenge

Over on Swan Stitch blog Anita has set a Christmas challenge and she said anything goes as long as it's Christmas so I decided to do a Christmas wall plaque.  The first hurdle was not having any Christmas stencils so, after a shopping spree this is what I came up with.

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My entry in the Great Northern Bake Off (most imaginative apron category)

This project was inspired by the above and a project Darcy_UK_ did a few months back on PaperArtsy blog.

I used a hugely expensive plain calico apron from a local(ish) chain store Boyes (it was a bank breaking £2).

I then set about using a combination of Viva Las Vegas stamps own stamps (the Dr Who themed pocket) some Stampendous stamps (boot and Harley) and the remainder were Paper Artsy. Please don't ask which plates as I've slept since then.  I then set to painting the main images with a selection of translucent and semi opaque Fresco Finishes diluted to wash consistency.

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Double Trouble

No you're safe, I'm not blogging about my daughters.  This is a double post for two challenges, both with a PaperArtsy feel.

First Alison Bomber did a mask technique using the positive and negative on two tags.  I took two size 10 tags and used Bora bora through a fluer de lis stancil on tag 1, I flipped the stencil and printed the negative on tag 2, this took some working out.  I then used Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers distress inks to fill in the open areas.  I then stamped the script from OP3 in Teal Satzon, the watches from ID09 in Cactus Green and the sentiment from EDY03 on tag 1 and the lady from WW1 on tag 2 both in Royal purple.

Second Darcy who is on the DT for PaperArtsy has a competition running on her blog art-and-sole to win her new stamps, the idea is to take one or two stamps and see how many techniques you ca come up with and make different styles with just those stamps.  I had a go but ran out of time, it didn't help that 2 attempts were umitigating disasters, one got binned, the other has been included.

I used the baubles and sentiment from EDY03 (I think they're both on the same set as I forgot to check before coming back downstairs, if not then EDY04 was also used) The first I stamped with versfine in black and used distress markers to colour the baubles in.  The second I used Peacock Feathers Distress ink to cover the card and again Black versafine was used.  Lastly I tried to use crunchy wax paper (badly) and used Fresco finish paints to create an arty background (again badly) but hey, at least I had a go.

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Haunted Money Box

Those of you that follow me on Twitter already will have seen some sneak peeks of this in progress.

It all began with a money box blank from the MDF man I bought at Doncaster, I then set to work with the following list of items used:

Fresco Finish paints: Little Black Dress, Crackle glaze, Toad Hall, Beach Hut, Chocolate Pudding, Stone -mixed into a wash with water (which was almost immediately wiped off with a wet baby wipe to look like it was a totally bleached with age effect). Limelight and finally Eggplant.

I then used Grunge paste mixed with Little Black Dress and stencilled through a Splodgeaway stencil on the back to look like the shadow of a spooky tree.

I stamped the roof with the vine from EDY01 and painted the heart leaves with a mix of Toad Hall and limelight, thinned to a wash so they weren't as bright. The broomstick and coffin are from HPHW01 and painted in a wash of Toffee and pumpkin soup.

The other halloween images are from Graphicus/Chocolate Baroque painted with Fresco finish pumpkin soup onto card and stuck on, I then finished the whole thing off with Memory Box dies, Spider web, Spider and the flying bats.  The largest bats I attached via acetate so they were flying.  I added the leaf embellishment I'd found in Darlington and highlighted the spider with Glossy Accents.

I am entering this into:
bastel-traum - Halloween
kreativeinkauf-Halloween
sparklesforumchallenges - Halloween
alphabetchallengeblog - S is for scary
brownsugarchallenge - things with wings
craftyhandsdevon - anything Goes
Leftofcenterchallenges - Halloween
savvyhandmadecards - Gone batty
charismacardz.blogspot - Anything but a card


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A little box - Altered Eclectics November DT piece

For this project I used a small lidded box, I based it in Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Little Black Dress, then covered with their crackle glaze, I then used Nougat to be the top coat, once this was dry and cracked, I sanded it back a bit further and added the traditional Decoupage flowers to the top/lid with IndigloBlu's Slap it on.

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Emergency Crafters DT Piece - Steampunk Tag

This month I decided to do a tag, I used a size 7 from Paper Artsy  I also used their Fresco Finish paints to create the base colour, Little Black Dress, Stone and Toffee.  I stamped Punky Flowers from Graphicus/Chocolate Baroque in Vintage Sepia Versafine and then layered the die cut mannequin using Spider web for added interest under the hat and over the skirt.  I added charms to the tape measure ribbon.

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