Friday, December 30, 2011

Stamp Man end of year awards for 2011

It's that time of year again, when over at The Stamp Man challenge blog, we ask you to show us your favourite or best craft project of 2011.

I've chosen this journal that I altered as part of the collage background challenge.


I was so pleased with how it turned out, I loved the colours and the texture I managed to work into it.

So time to show us your best stuff from the year. Don't forget to grab the blinkie from the challenge blog to be in with winning the prize- and there's some fab prizes up for grabs, for the winner and the top 4!

Thank you for visiting my blog this past year, it's been lovely to have your company. I hope you'll be back for more in 2012.



Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Stampotique colour!

The Stampotique designers challenge blog has a fab challenge at the moment. It's to show your dreams, hopes and wishes for 2012 in a project. I have so many things I wish for in the new year, but here's something that I'm determined to happen in 2012.....



I'm going to laugh more. Gotta be worth a try, right?



Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Octopode Factory Christmas

Lily has come up with some fabulously quirky Christmas images this year, but then the Octopode Factory always comes up with the goods as far as I'm concerned!!



The bottom section is silver mirri card (never shows up on photos....). I love colouring snowmen in, they're quick to do! 

I'm entering this into the Octopode Factory Christmas challenge.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Princess castle for my Princess

I've made my Miss Little Legs a fab chipboard photo album for Christmas. I'm sooooo chuffed with it :)


Isn't it pretty? Fit for my Princess.





Hopefully she'll love it too! I'm all ready for Christmas now and sooooo over excited, I'm worse than the kids.......

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas cards!

Not many words in this post, just a few of the Christmas cards I've made and sent. I quite enjoyed making them this year!


For my gorgeous nephew Jack, who is car mad, so I'm entering this into the Totally Gorjuss challenge- for someone special.


Promarkered fairy! I'm entering this into the By the Cute and Girly December challenge of Let it snow and the Passion for Promarkers Celebrations challenge.




I'm entering this penguin into the Fussy & Fancy Friday challenge- Monochrome and sparkle (there's lots of blingy gems on there).



I'm entering this one into the Papertake weekly challenge- Last Christmas card of the year.


Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Stamp Man challenge- a new technique

The challenge this fortnight at the Stamp Man is to try a new technique. A great chance to push yourself and have a go at that thing you've always fancied trying.....

I went for embossing onto tissue paper, I've fancied doing this for a while, but hadn't come up with the right project. I had it in mind to make my Mom a little scrap book of some photos I took in her garden this summer. I just popped out one Sunday afternoon and took loads of photos on my phone and they came out so beautifully I wanted to give them to her. She works really hard on her garden, and it's gorgeous. So, I tried out my new technique on the cover.


I painted the chipboard cover with Radiant Rain daubers then PVA'd on torn strips of gold tissue paper. I swooshed over the top with a versamark ink pad to catch the raised pattern on the chipboard and the edges of the tissue paper and cover. Then I used some two tone Moonglow embossing powder which gives such a rich shiny finish.

Over the top I stamped some swirls and leaves and then finished off with sparkly punched swirls, some gold flowers which were salvaged from a hair clip, and I made the centres with coiled gold paper flowers. Lots of stickles and copper pearls to complete it and I'm well happy :)

For more information on the Stamp Man challenge click here. Don't forget there's a gift voucher up for grabs.


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Try it on Tuesday - guest design spot

A few weeks back I won a challenge on Try it on Tuesday, and this week is my chance to be a guest designer. It's card week and they want to see cards with Father Christmas on.

Here's mine!


It's a simple stepper card with some fabby Tim Holtz and Lavinia stamps on.

I'm entering this into the Sir Stampalot challenge, which is a bingo grid- I used stickles (snow on the roofs), pearls (red on Santa's hat) and ribbon.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

The Stamp Man challenge- a Christmas ornament!

Ooooh, interesting challenge over at The Stamp Man this fortnight. Didn't know what to come up with for my DT project, until Tim Holtz came to the rescue! I came across the idea for this little beauty on one of his Tags of Christmas blog posts.



It's a little battery operated tealight with a diecut townscape round it. 

Thought I'd do a quick tutorial, cos these are so easy to make!


Die cut the Tim Holtz on the edge die using grunge board or thick card. It's got to be able to bend into a circle, but needs to be stiff enough to stay up. Cut off the end house (check the circumference of your tealight before you do this, make sure the die cut will fit round it) and sponge colour with Distress Inks.


Overstamp with a background stamp- I used a favourite script stamp in Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.


Use a Versamark pen or ink pad and white embossing powder to create some snow.


Cut some lengths of beading wire and bend into interesting shapes- these will be the smoke from the chimneys.


Glue on scraps of acetate or plastic packaging for windows- the fake tealight doesn't give off heat like a normal candle, so there's no fire risk. Add the wire smoke.


Finally, use redline tape to stick the whole thing directly to the tealight.

And.... voila!



Righto, your go! Try making a Christmas ornament and enter our challenge, there's a prize up for grabs as ever! All details on the blog here.

I'm going to enter this into the Artistic Stamper December challenge, which is Christmas.