Wonderful World

Didn't seem to be able to settle to doing anything tonight,spent a lot of time blog hopping and admiring other peoples work, I'm always amazed at how much some people seem to do, think I must just be a bit (or a lot !) slow as it takes me forever to make anything. I finally got going and made this atc for CCM Spotlight challenge which is for atcs this time, almost missed it, think it finishes tomorrow.  The background is done with the Cosmic Shimmer chalk mists which I got when I re subscribed to Craft Stamper, they have been sitting on top of my printer as the colours are so pretty didn't want to put them away, its the first time I have used them and I do like them very much. The little girl is a Crafty Individual stamp as is the wording.

Also wanted to say hello to three lovely people who have just joined me as followers and for all the lovely comments that are left for me.

Ten minute tag

Tag Tuesday this week is to make a tag in ten minutes. This tag is just bits left over from the previous post. I stanped the complete stamp on a cream tag, inked the edges and added the cut out and coloured butterflies on top, bit of ribbon at the top.  I just love this stamp and feel it really doesn't need anything added to it, the butterflies are very irridescent but don't know if that shows on here.y

Flutterbies

Had another play with Tim Holtz butterfly stamps to make a card for Crafty Cardmakers challenge which is "flutterbies" butterflies.Stamped and embossed the background stamp with clear powder,overstamped with the net stamp and then ironed off the embossing. Hero art flowers coloured with DI inks,spritzed with water and stamped, I like the water colour effect that it gives. Butterflies are coloured with Art from the Heart pigment powders and have a lovely sheen to them which doesnt show up on here.  The card needs something at the bottom corner but I will add a sentiment when I  use the card.  Most times now I try not to add sentiments so I can add the appropriate one when I decide what or who the card is for.Think this card will also fit for
Simon says stamp and show - anything goes
Make it Monday - anything goes

Lace and Pearls

Its the last week of vintage over on Make My Monday and this week the theme is lace and pearls. I dug out these two old stamps to mak the tag and also used up some old Paperartsy papers. Its not the best of scans as its not straight so I couldn't crop off all the dark card I had scanned it on,the actual card is not quite as wonky as it looks!  Sugar Creek Hollow which is always vintage, shabby chic or primative asks for tags this week so I'm also entering in to their challenge.

Just sits.....................

This atc just about sums up how I'm feeling . I haven't had the slightest inclination or inspiration to make anything for several days now.  At least with atcs if I get round to sending them off I know I am going to get something nice back in the post eventually. I have been very bad about doing swaps and answering letters to the lovely people who send me atcs. I hope something is going to kick start me into getting creating again soon !

Trains and Planes

I've done these posts in the wrong order but never mind eh !  This is the second page of my sometime to be steampunk book and is for Gingersnap Creations Trains and Planes challenge in this months Machines theme.  I was struggling a bit with train images as although I have a few train stamps they just looked very dull then I saw on Netty's blog that she had done a lovely colourful steampunk piece and it gave me the nudge to put in a bit of colour which just lifted it all, thanks Netty.
Just been reminded that Try it on Tuesday is Steampunk this week so am putting it on there too

cogs and clock parts

I started this project with the aim of creating a little steampunk book to fit inside an altered steampunk tin- started by coating the tin with some sealer so I could paint it then read the instructions after I had done it - takes 72 hours to cure!  abandoned that project for now, though I could start on some pages so this is the first one which is for Gingersnap Creations challenge - cogs and clock parts,don't have any clock parts but there are watch parts in the bottle top, cogs on the G45 paper and the other cogs are cut from Kraft card embossed with cogs folder. I found if I use my postage stamp scissors the wrong way round it gives a sort of toothed edge that looks like the edge of a cog ( well I think so anyhow !!!) I found the image on the internet and don't know where I got it from, even more annoying while I was messing about with the image I managed to lose the other three images which were on the same page, I'm just hopeless using my Paintshop Pro programme, I really need lessons but haven't been able to find any that suit what I want to do .

and another vintage......

I seem to have got into a bit of a vintage theme at the moment although I am also working on a steampunk item at the same time, talk about a contrast.  This weeks Make My Monday challenge is Shabby Chic  with the added extra of torn or crumpled. the pink paper and the lace paper are torn and the flower is crumpled book pages. I've no idea where anything came from, its all bits and pieces from stash. Also putting this on another few challenges.

Shabby Tea Room - picture inspiration and a charm- ived used the colours and the little butterfly charm
Mojo Monday - sketch, although I have turned a few bits around
Make it Monday - anything goes

Butterfly plate

More playing with the butterfly stamps, just get that ooh factor when I stamp them !  I found this set of pretty vellum and papers while I was looking for something else, I have had them a long time ,think I kept them to stroke , anyhow they seemed fitting for the butterfly theme, bits of lace and ribbon and a punched vellum flower with a jewelled centre and its my entry for Sugar Creek Hollow challenge which this week is wing things.I'm also entering it on Sunday Stampers which is Build your own flower embellishment. We were supposed to be going to the Steam Fair at Masham today but as it rained all day yesterday and was raing this morning we decided it would probably be very muddy there so decided not to go, now I'll just have to go and play with some steampunk stuff instead.

Butterfly Canvas

Now I know why I always scan my cards instead of taking a photograph, had to take loads to get a half decent one, tried inside and outside, my main problem is that since I had my computer updated I am really struggling with uploading photos etc, on my old one I could pick what I wanted to load, now it loads everything thats in the camera even if they are already on the computer ( they are still on there as I want to take it and get some printed )I really don't like this Windows Seven I have now, liked the XP much better although I do have much better speeds now, I suppose I will eventually get used to it or at least I hope I will !..  This is a 4x6" canvas that I found in The Works last week, complete with its own easel at £1.99, they also had a restock of the mini canvases with easels and were selling them at 2 for £1.50, a few of them fell into my bag as well.  I am just in love with this Tim Holtz butterfly stamp, its beautiful without having to do anything with it, stamped in back on a cream card its just like an old etching. On this I have just lightly coloured the butterflies with Blond Moments pigment powders and they have a lovely irridescent glimmer which doesn't show on here. Canvas and background papers stamped with Old Paper D.I , bit of raffia ribbon also dyed and a piece of corrugated card to mount it on.  Putting this on a couple of challenges
Just For Fun - groovy corrugations
Stampman challenge 27 - Anything by T!m

Stitching ?

O.K... well with this card I didn't know whether to post it on here or chuck it in the bin !  All was going reasonably well until I decided to sew round the edges, first I tried to use a little craft sewing machine and suceeded in jamming it up and bending the needle and making a load of wonky holes in my card, then I reluctantly went upstairs and dragged out my "proper" machine and brought it down here, I did manage to sew three sides of the card before the needle jammed and it ripped the top of the card, hence the lace across the top, I should have given up at that point but I don't like to be beaten by a few bits of card!  It started off as my entry for Sugar Creek Hollow vintage with somepaper piercing challenge, the white mat is pierced using a paper pricking stencil.
Also putting this on
Simonsays stampandshow - stitching, real or faux
Craftuscrazy                      -  distressed vintage
Make my Monday            -  vintage with some embossing

Sewing notions

Here's my tag for Grungy Monday which is Tim's technique from here. The tag was coloured with mustard seed DI and embossed with clear embossing powder, I only have detail EP so its not as bumpy as it might have been with regular EP. I just treated myself to new Tim's stamps yesterday so had to have a play straight away, the frill is gathered seam binding and I deliberately left the threads hanging which was quite against my natural inclination to snip them off ! I love the stamped thread labels and buttons, got to play some more ! My lovely sister e-mailed all excited that she had been to Carson and met Tim Holtz and I nearly hated her I was so jealous !! (love her really). Also entering this for Tag It On which is All About Tim Holtz

On the road ?

Had a play around with more steampunk images this afternoon,I love the idea of steampunk but putting things together doesn't come easy to me.  The background is a collage of stamps from Scrollswork stamps as is the kite?balloon ? whatever thingy and the light bulbs.  The crazy man on the bike and the clocks are from Elusive Images. The light bulbs and the dial are also scrollswork stamps,the dial is in a metal frame that is meant to hold an alphabet letter.  I'm putting this on a couple of challenges

Gingersnap creations - machines ( On the road)
Sunday Stampers      -  Flight

Had a nice day at a Stampin Up class yesterday, not a lot of stamping as usual but made a couple of nice boxes . a decorated tea light and a three cards, quite a busy day!

Just because...

While I was making my tag for Grungy Monday I made a second background just in case I messed up the first one when I started stamping so thought I might as well use it up and make another tag with this thoroughly modern miss visiting the Paris Exposition ( think the years are a bit wrong as I think the Exposition was 1889 and she is obviously a very fashionable 1920's Miss)

Singing Bird

I've been having another play at this weeks Grungy Monday which is the Tim Holtz technique shown.here  I don't have any paint dabbers so just stamped with white acrylic paint, its a bit blobby but I quite like the texture of it. The stamps are Oxford Impressions, flower stamp Stampin Up. The dangly bit at the top is an Interlock swivel which I believe is something to do with fishing! picked up a packet of them for pennies last year on holiday in Wales, knew they would be useful sometime. I'm also putting this on another couple of challenges

Sundays Stampers - words
Simon Saysstampandshow- flourishes

More pink vintage

The first thing I want to say about this card is that the flippin ribbon is brown ! everything else on the card looks pretty much the right shade, I wouldn't mind but I spent ages dying it and aging it.  All the stamps are Crafty Individuals, the pink paper is Craftwork cards and the pattern paper is a lovely free download from the internet here.  I'm putting this card on a couple of challenges

Crafty Individuals - Pink,cream and brown
and
Make My Monday -Vintage, cream,brown and either pink or blue

Paris Postcard

Well this is the first time I have used these new Crafty Individuals Flapper stamps and I am loving them,so pretty.  The pink papers are all Craftwork cards and were a freebie in a Making Cards magazine a while ago.
I made this card just for fun but it will go on a few challenges I think.
Craft Your Days Away - Vintage
Just For Fun - Anything Goes
Crazy Challenge - Beautiful women
Paper-crafting Journey - anything goes
Sir Stampalot- anything goes

I'm still having dental problems despite two visits to the dentist and I am so fed up of having toothache,can't even drown my sorrows as I can't mix alcohol with the antibiotics!  

Foggy Day In London Town

I'm still enamoured with these Artistic Outpost stamps, can't leave them alone! Still waiting for an e-mail to tell me the other set are in stock at Happy Dazes, won't waffle about this time and miss them again!.  Theme Thursday this week is for an atc so I will post this on there. Got my new Crafty Individual stamps today so will have a play with them later.