Shadows of Angels Wings

I made this atc using the final image from the Dezinaworld Painted Ladies collage sheet, having set myself a challenge to make things with the whole sheet.
The background paper is a paper towel on which I stamped a music background from an Oxford Impressions sheet of angel stamps in Palette black ink. I then overstamped a floral design in Distress Broken China ink, sprayed the paper towel with water to make the blue ink run and then dried it with a heat gun.
I glued the paper to the atc base and added the collage image. I used a butterfly to make the angel's wings.

In A Decorative Mood

Well it seems like Autumn's really here today-gone is the warm, sunny weather and now we have lots of wind and showers. I decided to make a card in warm, mellow colours to cheer things up.
The background paper is a square of textured card sponged with Scattered Straw Distress ink and stamped with a flourish design from Impression Obsession Solid Florals CL124 clear set in Palette Raw Sienna ink. I inked the edges with Palette Cognac ink.
I did a bit of recycling by stamping the remaining pieces on a beige paper bag. I used the images from Paper Artsy's Urban Snapshots Wrought Iron 3 set and stamped the Eiffel Tower in Cognac ink. I cut it out with postage stamp edge scissors and inked the edges. I stamped the wrought iron twice on the paper in Palette Black ink and then overstamped a flourish design in Raw Sienna ink. I trimmed the top edge with scalloped scissors and inked the edges with the Cognac ink.
I stamped the script in black on the paper bag and cut it out with small scallop scissors. I overstamped the panel with a flourish image in Cognac ink and inked the edges in black.
I assembled the card on an ivory textured card blank using an image from Dezinaworld's Painted Ladies collage sheet and some Laura Ashley Connemara sticky ribbon.

Purrfect Day for Maria

This card is for one of the girls I work with and she loves cats and butterflies. I couldn't resist using this gorgeous stamp by Funstamps which I bought last year to do my sister's birthday card as the cat resembles a black fluffy cat we had when we were young called Heidi.
I stamped the cat in VersaFine Smokey Gray ink and coloured just the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. I matted the image on lilac glittery card. I stamped the butterfly (Hobby Art's Orange Tip BU12D) in the same ink and coloured it with pencils. I cut it out and embossed the back with a ball tool for a 3D look.
I printed my greeting from the computer and matted it on the glittery card. I stuck all the components on a square marbled blue card blank.

Feather Hat Twist on Resist Card

Another card using my new technique with some gorgeous stamps by B Line Designs (from L B Crafts). The paper is stamped with the Floral Motif FF322D and embossed with white. It is sponged with Distress inks in Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo. The embossed areas were dabbed with Palette inks in Chartreuse and Landscape.
The woman image Sherrie PR117E was stamped on cream card in Olympia Green Versafine ink and coloured with Prismacolor pencils. I then matted the image on gold card and trimmed the edges with deckle scissors.
I stuck the decorated paper to an ivory square card blank and added green grosgrain ribbon and some Laura Ashley Connemara ribbons. I stuck on the image panel and added a Laura Ashley Connemara chipboard bouquet to finish.

Pin Up Girl Twist on Resist Card

This is yet another card using my new technique but this one has the twist done with Stazon ink so that you can see what it looks like in stronger colours.
I have used the same Hero Arts floral lace stamp and after embossing it sponged Distress inks in Worn Lipstick and Dusty Concorde on to the paper. When it was dry, I dabbed Stazon ink in Cherry Pink and Royal Purple on to the embossed areas.
I made a lilac square card blank and embossed the right hand side of the card with a Cuttlebug Frills border. I stuck on the lace paper and another of the Dezinaworld Painted Ladies collage images.
I finished the card off with a piece of burgundy velvet ribbon, a gorgeous burgundy feather and a layered flower with a jewelled centre.

Beauty Twist on Resist Card

This card is made using the remainder of the twist on resist card from the atc as I like making larger pieces of decorative paper so that there's enough for several projects. It doesn't take that much longer and saves time in the end. I also find it useful to make several variations while the materials are out for the same reason.
The flowery paper in the background is very easy to make. I cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit in the standard Cuttlebug folder and sponged it with Raw Sienna Palette ink. I stamped the dog rose from Time To Stamp's Glamour Girls unmounted stamp set (from the Craft Fairy) in Belle Rose Palette ink randomly over the coloured paper. When it was dry, I run it through the Cuttlebug with the Victoria folder for added texture.
I inked a piece of rose lace with brown ink and stamped the saying ( B Line Designs from L B Crafts) in Cognac Palette ink on pale pink card.
I assembled the card as shown in the photo with another of June's Dezinaworld Painted Ladies collage images.

If Wishes Were Pearls ATC

I made this atc from another piece of Twist on Resist technique paper. I used a Hero Arts Floral Lace stamp and the background was inked after embossing with Distress inks in Scattered Straw and Vintage Photo. The twist was done using Belle Rose, Cognac and Raw Sienna Palette inks.
The image is again from June at Dezinaworld's Painted Ladies collage sheet. The words were printed from my computer and the butterfly is German Gold Scrap by Paper Artsy.

Lady in Lilac Twist on Resist Card

Here's a card I've made using the paper from my step by step tutorial for my new Twist on Resist technique. I think it's always good to see what it actually looks like when used for a project.
I've combined the paper with another piece of easy to make background paper which is made by sponging cheap photo paper with Palette inks in Raw Sienna and Cognac. I then stamped some of the script stamps from a set by Time to Stamp in Cognac, Belle Rose and Lavender Sachet. All these colours were used on the resist paper, ensuring that all the colours will blend well.
I used another image from the Dezinaworld Painted Ladies collage sheet by dear June (there is a link to her shop on the side) and stuck this to pale pink hammered card and trimmed the edges with deckle scissors.
I stamped the flower from the Time to Stamp set on a pale pink hammered square card in Belle Rose ink. I added some lilac velvet ribbon, a pink flower and an antique gold brass stamping from Empire Beads to finish.

Twist on Resist Technique

As promised, this is the technique I used for the lacy background paper I made for my Glamour Puss card. It's an easy technique and gives an antique, distressed effect that works beautifully with collage images and photo image stamps. I use the old fashioned parchment paper (the type used for correspondence not parchment craft) which is really good for inking techniques as the ink moves about the paper well.
You Will Need:
Parchment Paper in a light colour (Southfield Stationers)
Distress Inks in 2 0r 3 toning colours
Solvent Ink (Stazon or Palette) in 2 or 3 darker toning colours
Pigment Ink in any colour
Opaque White Embossing Powder
Cosmetic Sponges
Background type stamps of your choice

Here's how you do it:

1. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the required size and stamp the background image all over in pigment ink, the colour doesn't matter as the embossing powder is opaque. Emboss the images with the white powder.
2. Using the cosmetic sponges (Superdrug's are great and cheap), sponge on the lightest colour of Distress ink first-I used Scattered Straw. Add patches of the medium shade-I used Worn Lipstick. Finish with a little of the darkest shade-I used Vintage Photo.
3. Here's the twist! When the ink is dry, dab solvent ink directly on to the white embossing. I used Palette inks in Cognac, Belle Rose and Lavender Sachet. As before, you start with the lightest ink first and build up the colour gradually.

This technique works well with Stazon inks too, although the colours are stronger and need applying with a light hand. You could also try alcohol inks if you have any for a similar effect.
I usually buy my parchment paper in my local stationers who have stocked it for years, but you could try Southfield Stationers website for stockists or buy direct.

Roses Trinket Box Dezinaworld Challenge

I've made this trinket box and as I really love roses decided to use the latest challenge image from June's Dezinaworld as the lady has a rose in her hair and is just perfect for it.
I painted a box blank with burgundy acrylic paint all over and glued some roses from a lovely book of rose photos that I bought last year in a bargain book shop (100s of images for £2.99!). I then distressed the edges lightly with my Basic Gray Precision File Set for a slightly worn look.
I stamped a small flourish image by Anna Griffin in black Stazon ink all round the lid. I cut the lady image out with an oval cutter and then cut out a further larger oval from strong white card. I glued the lady in the centre and then gradually added Diamond Glaze on all round and put gems, tiny flower buttons and butterflies at random and filled the gaps with Suze Weinberg's Beadazzles in Purple Rain. When it dried, I tapped off all the excess and then glued the panel to the box lid.
I stamped a small rose image by Anna Griffin all round the box sides and then glued a cut out rose on each side to finish.

Glamour Puss

This is a card I've made for the latest Trimcraft challenge which calls for glamour.
I decided to use one of the absolutely gorgeous images on a collage sheet from June's Dezinaworld shop called Painted Ladies (see the link on the side to take a look at the fab stuff she has).
I cut the image out and stuck it to a white, then a violet mat. I made a frame for the image by cutting a larger piece of strong card and sticking pressed flower petals around the edges. I used pale yellow pansies, pink hydrangeas, purple delphiniums and red rosebuds.
I made a piece of lacy background paper using a large B Line Designs stamp and my new Twist on Resist technique (more on this later). I added a piece of violet paper embossed with the Cuttlebug new Victoria folder and stuck this to a cream textured card blank. I stuck on the lacy paper and then a piece of crocheted lace.
To finish, I added the image stuck to the floral panel and a butterfly sticker.

Dezinaworld Prize Challenge Entry

I saw this cute baby image on June's great Dezinaworld blog and couldn't resist having a go at the challenge. I decided to use pretty pink and yellow colours for a summery feel. I combined this with a patchwork background for a soft look.
I cut squares of pink and lemon card and stamped on a sunflower by Artemio in slightly darker colours. I masked off the baby image and then stamped on a small flower from a Rubber Stamp Tapestry set using my Millefiori technique. I stamped a saying that I felt exactly fit the baby image in pink on white card and cut it out. The stamp is by Debbi Moore.
I assembled the card on a white corded card blank and added paper flowers with a button centre.

My Own Blog Background At Last!

I'm really pleased that I now have my own blog background using my hand drawn images and there will be more very exciting news on these soon.
My lovely daughter Claire who's a bit of a techno wiz helped with this as I had no idea how to turn my doodles into the background. As she's off to Japan for 10 months shortly, I had to grab her help while she's still home.

Roundie Flowers Swap

These 2 roundies are for saphira's monthly Trimcraft roundie swap. The theme is currently flowers and I decided to do a slightly different take and include girly images and butterflies as well for added interest.

The Daisy Chain roundie has a background coloured with Distress ink in Scattered Straw and then I stamped on a Paper Artsy script stamp in the same ink. I stamped the daisies (Hobby Art), the Gibson Lady (Elusive Images) and the butterfly (B Line Designs) in VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink and then coloured them with Prismacolor pencils. I added a pressed daisy to the girl's hair.

The Blossom roundie has a background coloured with VersaColor ink in Lime and Split Pea and I stamped on the blossom script (Penny Black) in Green Tea ink. The girl (Stamp It), hydrangeas (Impression Obsession) and the butterfly (B Line Designs) are stamped in black ink and coloured with Prismacolor pencils.

Life's A Zoo UK Stampers Challenge 51

This tag is for this week's challenge on UK Stampers Forum and the theme is Z is for Zoo.

I had rather a struggle due to lack of the right type of stamps but found this cute set in my stash. It's called It's A Jungle Out There by My Favorite Things and came from Sir Stampalot a while back.

I stamped the various images and coloured them with markers and water. I cut them out and then dry embossed them on the back to give them a rounded 3D look. I made the tag from white card and coloured it with Distress inks in Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, China Blue and Vintage Photo. I then stamped on it in the same colours some of the grunge backgrounds from my set (see Challenge 50 post). I then added the text using a saying from the Jungle set, some Hero Arts small alphabet stamps and a Stamp It Antique Alphabetstamp (1712G) from Kangaroo Paw Prints.

More Awards! From Cheryl and Sandra.

I've just been given another 2 awards. How great is that! Many thanks to the lovely Cheryl and the lovely Sandra. It's wonderful to receive recognition like this.
Here are 5 more things I like to do:
1. Teach rubber stamping classes.
2. Browse textile shops for inspiration.
3. Browse charity shops for bargains for altered art.
4. Spend time blogging.
5. Doodling-more on this soon!

I would like to pass an award on to Anne, Claire, Neenie, Lyn and Maxine. Great blogs ladies.

Circle of Friends Award

I've just received this lovely award from Sandra which is a big surprise.

Here are 5 things that I like to do:
1. Spend time with my family
2. Craft!!
3. Read books on the theme of sci-fi & fantasy
4. Listen to my fave bands-Kings of Leon are top at the mo.
5. Bake cakes (oh, and eat them!)

I'd love to share this award with some great friends:
Cheryl, June, Ei, Sam, Liz, Andrea, Rose, Val, May and Jude.

Creative Inspirations Recycled Book

This book is a real labour of love as it's taken me several weeks to get it all together.The book contains a selection of my treasured ATC collection, together with my collection of clothing tags which are far too beautiful to throw away. I'm often asked where my inspiration comes from and the clothing tags are just one source so it will be lovely to have my collection in a book rather than a bag!

The pages are all made from recycled materials with a card base from cereal boxes covered in old sheet music. The pages have all been coloured with various shades of Distress inks to tone with the particular ATC or tag. They are decorated with flowers stamped on old book pages and coloured with Distress inks, butterflies cut from an old book of illustrations, pressed flowers and leaves, lace from packaging and a few jewels. The flower stamp set I used is by Technique Tuesday.

The gorgeous image on the front cover came with an order from Crafty Individuals and I just had to re-use it as it's so pretty.

A Woman's Heart

I made this card as part of a project for the SSP Guild of which I am a Design Team member. The latest issue of the online magazine is now out and if you're interested in joining a friendly and helpful forum for stampers, scrapbookers and paper crafters then click on the link.
Each online magazine has a variety of projects with full step by step instructions so it's well worth a visit to see what it's all about.

UK Stampers Challenge 50

Here's my entry for this week's challenge on UK Stampers The theme is G for Graffiti and it gave me much food for thought. I decided to go for something in the true spirit of graffiti as it also gave me a chance to try out the plate of grunge backgrounds that I bought at Newbury from the Craft Fairy. I'm so glad I got these stamps as I can see that they're going to be really useful for all sorts of things-just the sort of thing I like!

I made the tag myself from white card and gave it a rounded top. I stamped on the brick background and cracked paving in VersaFine Smokey Gray ink. I stamped the Art Impressions Manhattan Skyline at the top in Onyx Black.

When all the ink had dried I got to work with some Distress inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Vintage Photo, Faded Jeans, China Blue and Peeled Paint) and sponged until I was happy with the colour combination.

I then doodled on the brick wall something that means a great deal to me-art does rule OK!!!
I then added the graffiti word which was given to me by my elder daughter who, when hearing that I was doing something with a graffiti theme, said she had just the font on her computer.
I inked the word up with Distress inks and cut it out. I then stuck it on with tape just at the ends so that it stood out from the tag a little. Finally, I stamped on a further grunge background at the base of the tag in the grey ink.

Larrie's Lambanana ATC Swap

These 3 atcs are for the July Technique Swap hosted by Larrie. I decided to use up some of the scraps from my hand decorated background paper box.
Face the Music is made from a piece of altered music score, treated in the same way as my watercolour crayon technique from an earlier post. The background is embossed with the Cuttlebug Allegro folder and coloured with Broken China Distress ink.
Rough Diamond is made from a piece of watercolour crayon paper and over-stamped in black with an Impression Obsession stamp. The background is embossed with the Cuttlebug Diamond in the Rough folder and coloured with Mustard Seed and Fired Brick Distress inks.
Paintball is made from a piece of glossy photo paper (Tesco Value) coloured with alcohol inks in Purple Twilight, Wild Plum and Sage. The background paper is embossed with the new Cuttlebug Herringbone folder and coloured with Peeled Paint Distress ink.
A rather wacky but very enjoyable swap.
Fliss x

Hobby Art Stamps Cards

I designed these cards for a class I taught last weekend using some of the new Hobby Art stamps.

The blue and orange card uses the insides of envelopes and I have found that even if the envelope is rather crumpled, this disappears when you emboss it using a Cuttlebug folder. I stamped the orange envelope paper first with a Hobby Art flourish stamp and embossed it using the new Victoria folder. The white square was embossed on one side with the Frills set of borders.

The blue and purple card uses scrapbook paper, one Anna Griffin and one unknown. The corners are punched with a Woodware punch and the butterfly was cut from an old illustration book I found (a real bargain at £2.50 with over 300 butterfly coloured sketches).

The orange and cream card has a manila tag embossed with the Cuttlebug Textile folder, a panel stamped with the Hobby Art Shakespeare Sonnet stamp and an orange embossed panel. The flower has been stamped on orange, peach and white card and pieces cut out to layer up. The white leaves were painted with Olive Vine H20 paint.

My Vintage Heart

This is my entry for the Sunday Challenge on UK Stampers the theme of which is V for Vintage.

I made my own tag in an arch shape from textured card and scribbled on gold leaf with a Krylon pen. I painted over the top with several layers of watercolour paint and removed the excess with a baby wipe. I stamped the tag with some of the squares from a Magenta cling set with Memories art print brown ink.

I made a heart template and cut out a thin card heart. I covered it with pressed pansies and trimmed off the excess when the glue dried.

I stamped the Elusive Images Gibson Girl in VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink and coloured her with Prismacolor pencils. I cut her out and glued on a pressed daisy.

I stamped the words with the VersaFine ink and Hero Arts letter stamps. I inked the cut out words with Tea Dye Distress ink. I assembled the tag using some Laura Ashley Love Song Harmony sticky ribbon and a butterfly cut from an old illustration book.

I added a copper brass stamping at the top and some wire as a hanger.

Fliss x

A Life On The Ocean Wave

I made this card for my father in law's birthday as in common with all the men in my hubby's family, he likes anything to do with the sea.
The background paper was made using Tim Holtz's compass mask on light blue card with coffee acrylic paint. I then stuck the square to a blue card blank.
I added a torn piece of map and topped this with a piece of recycled corrugated packaging painted in various shades of blue acrylic paint with touches of copper and antique gold. I stuck on a picture of the ship from Master and Commander, from my hubby's book about the film and shrunk on the copier. I hung sea themed charms from the bottom of the panel.
To finish I added a favourite line about the sea, generated on the computer.

Old Fashioned Girl for Cheryl

I made this atc for Cheryl as she kindly agreed to swap her beautiful Mask atc with me.
This atc has quite a few techniques on it. The background is watercolour paper which has been scribbled on with a Krylon gold leafing pen. I then painted over the top with green and yellow watercolour paints. When dry, I sponged the paint off the gold leafed areas with a baby wipe and stamped on it in black Memories ink using a Hobby Art flourish stamp (I was partly responsible for Chris designing this particular stamp after nagging him for more background designs lol)
The heart is card cut from a paper template I made and is covered in dark red pressed bougainvillea petals. You just glue them on all over with a clear drying glue and trim off the excess round the edges when it's dry. I love the soft textured look of the petals.
The girl is stamped. She's part of a Crafty Individuals stamp as is the title. The pieces are coloured with Prismacolor pencils.