She believed she could.................

A quick post this morning before I start preparing for a house full today for a roast beef sunday lunch, catching up with friends I haven't seen for a while.

I have still been playing with stencils, inking them up with distress ink, misting them with water and them using them as a stamp.

the stencil I have used this time is Mini Four Faces - Balzer Designs by TCW

 

Distress inks used were victorian velvet, spun sugar and antique linen. Once I'd transfered the inked stencil to card I thenmasked off the squares and added victorian velvet distress paint through Tim's dot fade stencil. I then used the following stamps:-

handwriting - Dina Wakley textures

Barbed wire circle - Wired by Stampendous

Sentiment -Dina Wakley Scribbly Women.

I carried a little of the design onto the Kraft card blank.

 

 

This card fits in with the current challenge at Allsorts Challenge Blog which is create a one layer card so I am popping it into that challenge.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you all have a lovely Sunday.

Love

Amanda X

 

Stampotique Challenge Blog Celebrations

This is my 2nd post of today (I think I am making up for lost time, lol)

This week over at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog they are celebrating

150 Challenges. In honor of that milestone the theme for this weeks challenge is

"CELEBRATION"

The design team, as usual, have made some amazing pieces to celebrate.

With my entry into this challenge I have made a card to celebrate their milestone.

I have used from Stampotique:-

"Cup of Fun" which I have shown "Jordan with love" popping out of. Text is "Type Alphabet"

 

 My backgound has been created by adding distress ink pads onto my craft mat, spritzing with water and then dipping my stencil into it, I then used the stencil as a stamp.

Some washi tape, holographic candy and doodling finish this background off.

So Happy 150 Stampotique may there be another fabulous 150!

thanks for visiting and see you soon

Love

Amanda X

For the Boys

It's Friday and so a new theme over at Crafts4eternity and our theme for the coming week is

ONE FOR THE BOYS"

With Fathers day a week on sunday, for those of us in the UK, we will all have male themed cards on our mind so why not pop over and show us yours.

Your entry doesn't have to be for fathers day, mine isn't as I haven't got around to finishing it yet, but it must be a project with a male theme to it.

the background has been lying around for months and is white gloss card that I have used to mop up Dylusion sprays and clean stencils on. I have added to it washi tapes, Tims remnant rubs and black doodling with a sharpie pen.

I have used the following stamps:-

Paperartsy - passing Time 3 (main image)

Paperartsy - Passing Time 4 (sentiment) I have replaced 2 of the words with Tim's label letters

Stampotique - Barcode

Stampotique - Barcode Text (both embossed with black fine EP)

and finanlly some machine stitching.

So if you feel like getting intouch with your masculine side pop over HERE and show us your project.

One, randomly chosen entry will win 3 digi images from our sponsor this week

Crafty Sentiment Designs.

Thanks for visiting

Love

Amanda X



Jardindes Des Delices

I recieved a lovely parcel today, (Still waiting for some to arrive) with some "Little treat for me" stuff!

Part of my parcel was some stamps that I haven't seen before that I found, they are from the French company Carabella Studio and I have made this card using one of the 4 I ordered, this one is called

"Jardindes Des Delices"

I've gone with a lot of white space on this one (yes you are on the right blog!)

The colour is from one of my previously made gelli prints, the paint has a real shimmer to it which the photo doesn't capture. I stamped once onto the gellli printusing versamark and ultra fine black embossing power and then again onto white cardstock using archival ink. Then using a variety of circle punches punched out sections of the gelli image and laid it over the back and white stamp. Highlights have been added using a white gel pen.

The sentiment is from Tim Holtz.

I will be back soon hopefully with what I have made using the other 3 stamps.

Thanks for visiting

Love

Amanda X



Like Clockwork This Fortnight at FSC

 

Hi

Today see's the start of another of our fortnightly challenges over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and out theme for the next 2 weeks is

"LIKE CLOCKWORK"

Anything to do with clocks,watches and time.

As a reminder

we especially need to see that the stamping is the focal point on the project and that the stamping follows the format of the theme.

No digi stamps are allowed but you may use digi downloads for enhancement of your projects … but the main focal point must be stamping.

Please welcome our sponsor of FSC a fabulous company called Flonzcraft

The winner of each challenge will receive a very generous voucher for Leo’s Store of $20.

Here is my interpretation of this fortnights theme:-

When I thought about this challenge the first thing that came into my mind was the white rabbit from Alice in wonderland, always running around with his pocket watch being late, so I have captured that in this card.

The white rabbit stamp is from the Octopode Factory coloured with Copics and Spectrum Noir pencils.

 

The background I have created using dry brushed red paint and a variety of background stamps from Kaiserkraft,Indigoblu and Clarity, Dylusions and Indigoblu stencils,  paint splats and white gel pen, some torn paper playing cards and washi tape.

The printed text has been cut out from a copy of Alice Through The Looking Glass and the "Whatever" is a Stampotique stamp.

I hope you feel inspired to come and play along with us, visit  us HERE for more stunning inspiration from the talented design team.

Thanks for visiting and hopefully you will pop over and play along

Love

Amanda X



Pink,Turquoise and Polka Dots.....

Hi

This weeks challenge over at Stampotique Designers Challenge has been set by Sam Read. Sam loves polka dots so has challenged us all to use them along with the colours pink and turquoise, so following that fabulous theme here is my entry into this weeks challenge.

 

I have used the recently released "Froggie" character from Stampotique

 

 

Background created using watered down Dylusion Sprays

paint through sequin waste.

stuck on sequin waste and glittered some random holes.

Stamps used

Froggie - stampotique

Stitched circles - Prima

Paint splats - Darkroom Door

Say it how it is - Dylusions (sentiment)

Right have to dash now got to get ready for work!

thanks for visiting

Love

Amanda X

Best of Britsh

Hi

Today starts the new weekly challenge at Crafts4eternity and our theme for the week is

Best of British

So any project with a British theme.

 

I firstly stamped Baby Aloysius bear from Indigoblu onto Neenah desert storm kraft card, I love this bear and he reminds me of a treasured bear that I owned as a child. I then masked him off and using the large Union Jack stamp from Indigoblu coloured it with distress markers then sprayed it with water and then stamped it over the masked bear to get him in the centre. This was then mounted onto a kraft card blank.

Sentiments and Great Britain stamp are from the "Pomp and Pageantry set also by Indigoblu.

The London postmark stamp is from Crafty Individuals.

So why not join us with your "Best of British" project.

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Di's Digi downloads and one randomly chosed winner will win $12 to spend in their online store.

Hopefully see you over there

thanks for visiting

Love

Amanda X



A rumage through my bit box....

Hi Everyone

Like most of you I struggle to throw anything away and have collected up a lot of off cutsin a box  from previous projects. I have put together a card using some of them. There are bits of gelli prints, book pages and scrapbook papers that I have painted etc etc. I started by cutting them into thin strips and punching some circles out and then it all turned out like this..............

 

 

and a close up

 

Stamps used:-

Octopode Factory - Heart Stems

Prima - Stitched Circles.

finished with the quote "Love Grows" using Tims label letters.

I'm making the most of my day off today because it's raining!!! and having a crafty day.

thanks for stopping by and see you soon

Love

Amanda X



The Greatest Show on Earth!!

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you are all enjoying this weekends sunshine, for those of us in the UK it's been a long time coming, and like me I hope you are all making the most of it.

Today we see the start of another new fortnightly challenge at

Fashionable Stamping Challenges 

and our theme is

Make something 3D,
Our challenge this fortnight has been chosen by our special guest designer Alison Bomber AKA Butterfly. I have been an avid follower of Alisons for a long while now as her work is stunning.If you want to visit her blog and see what I mean you can find her HERE.  

 

We are a stamping challenge blog so some ruber stamping should be the most prominant feature of your project.

 

So for my DT piece for this fabulous challenge I have eventually got around to using the wonderful Blocks/Cubes die from Sizzix and created this Circus themed Stack.

 

Cut from mountboard and then painted with mustard seed distress paint, here you can see the first 2 sides

 

and here the second 2 sides.

 

Loads of stamping, infact there is some stamping on everyside I have only used black and vermillion archival ink, (even on the tops which I have forgotten to photgrah) some I have stamped onto white paper and cut out to give some contrast.

I used the following stamp sets:-

Circus - Andy Skinner

Graphic 45 - Le Cirque set 1 & 3

Tim Holtz - The Big Top

Tim Holtz - Bitty Grunge

Tim Holtz - Stuff to say

I have aged everything using Vintage Photo and gathered twig distress inks and a Vintage Photo distress marker.

Other bits to finish off are some Tim Holtz chit chat stickers and Tim Holtz seasonal washi tape.

I'd love you to join in with this fortnights challenge there is some fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT which you can find HERE.

Our sponsor for FSC is a fabulous company called Flonzcraft and

the winner of each challenge will receive a very generous voucher for Leo’s Store of $20.

thanks for stopping by and see you soon

Love

Amanda X

 



Mad dogs and Englishmen............................

Hi

It's good that things are getting back to normal again here and normal for me is entering the fabulous weekly challenge held at Stampotique designers challenge blog.

This weeks challenge is to use a coloured background of pink and orange as chosen by the lovely Corrie.

I have chosen a gelli print that uses those 2 colours but I have stenciled black over the top of it but you can clearly see this weeks colour combo bursting through. I have hopefully captured the warmth of summer with these colours, something that couldn't be further from the truth here in the UK as we seem to have one day of rain after another at the moment.

I have used Bird Legs (small) by Janet Klein stamped and cut out 3 times and they stand upon a torn piece of inked card to ground them I think it looks like the beach.. The sentiment I have hand stamped with a small alphabet set.I have edged the card using a credit card to add gesso and picked raspberry distress paint finish with a few paint splats of the raspberry.

.

If nothing else I hope this card helps you remember summer (for those of us in the UK).

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

I'm Back!!!

Well am I glad that months over.........

I am happy to say that my craftroom is now back to normal (whatever normal is?). The roof is fixed, my ceiling plastered and all is newly painted and I have sorted through all my stuff and reorganised it all. It would, I suppose, have been quite cleansing had it all not been so stressful and forced upon me................

Anyway onwards and upwards.............

I return just in time for my DT piece for Crafts4eternity and this weeks challenge, starting today,

"STAMP IT"

So we need to see any project that includes stamping.

My piece this week is a quick make, but at least it's a make.... 

Stamps used:-

Feather Bird - Lost Coast 

Raindrops - Designs by Ryn

You! - kaisercraft

background has been created with Paperartsy fresco paints guacamole,mermaid,sky applied to my card using my bath sponge (well was my bath sponge!)

I have edged the card with black soot distress ink to make it look a bit more stormy.

Mat and layered onto black card.

So why not pop along and join us at Crafts4eternity and share with us your stamped project.

All details and randomly selected winner prize details can be found on the blog.

It's great to be back and I will see you all soon, I've got some catching up to do.

Love

Amanda X

Catastrophe strikes!!

Hi everyone

Just to let you know that I am having one of those weeks when you just say to yourself "nothing else could possibly go wrong" when it does!! To cut a long story short I have a loft conversion which one of the 2 rooms is my craft room and the roof was leaking well it turns out that all 3 flat roofs of the dorma windows needed replacing at a cost that seriously impacts on your crafting budget!! Once over that shock work commenced and on day one didn't they go and put their foot right through the roof that they told me was rotten??? That is the ceiling to my craft room. 

Well what a mess that has made!! So now I need the thing repairing and plastering. So I have had to empty one half of the room for them to get at it. Needless to say all creative activities have gone on hold. Then it will need painting which I have to say is long over due I kept putting it off, for obvious reasons, but this little mishap will force me to do it.

So this post is to just share my pain and to say I will be back soon!!

Love

Amanda x