Time for a Hug!

Hi

Hope you have all had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend.What better way to start the weekend than to come and join in with us for this weeks challenge over at Crafts4eternity, our theme this week is "Teddy Bear Picnic". Now this one gave me a bit of head scratching as I don't really do bears, but never one to back away from a challenge here is my design team piece for this week.

 

 For my main image I have used 2 stamps The bear is from Indigoblu, which I stamped with vintage sepia versafine, I then masked it off and stamped the time stamp from Crafty Individuals so it sat behind. I then cut out using a Spellbinders die (which got jammed in my ebosser and resulted in having to buy a rubber mallet to release it, but that's another story!)

I stamped the sentiment with mini alpha stamps onto a tiny tag and mat and layered several papers from my stash, distressed and inked with vintage photo distress ink. I have highlighted his eyes and nose with glossy accents to make them stand out which you cant really see in the photo.

The clock faces are a recent purchase from Ebay, a big bag full, which I love.

So why not come and join us this week at Crafts4eternity and show us your bear themed project.This weeks challenge is being sponsored by floppy Latte Designs where one lucky randomly chosen entry will win a $10 gift certificate to spend in their online digital image store.

Hope to see you over there and thanks for visiting my blog.

Love

Amanda X

I'm Dylusional!

Hi
Well what a fabulous day I have had, I have spent all day in my craft room getting down and inky with lots of Dylusions goodies. I have made a couple of cards. I did have a task in hand though, I had to make an 18th male birthday card, which I did.
Here are the 2 cards I came up with, one that I had to and one because I could, lol.

Dylusions -Monster Mash

 

 

I would also like to enter my Monster Mash card into this week challenge over at Try it on Tuesday where the challenge is "It's all about the eyes"
and
Simon says stamp and show where the theme is "Something Messy" and trust me I made a mess!

and now my 2nd card

Dylusions - Under The Sea

These stamps are so much fun and so is colouring them. all have been coloured using dylusions sprays as water colours. I have used the following Dylusion stamps:-
Monster Mash
under The Sea
Around the edge
further around the edge
Doodle parts
Say it how it is (both sentiments)

Moster Mash card background has been made using dylusion sprays and snowflake fresco paint by Paperartsy and a selection of crafters workshop and dylusion stencils.
Under the sea background was a leftover piece of card I had from using my gelli plate.
Now all is left to do is a huge tidying up session, or maybe not!
Thanks for popping by I really do appreciate you visiting.
Love
Amanda X

"Be My Valentine"

Hi

Well I can tell I have been back to work this week as my available crafty time has been limited if not non existent. I have managed to start a few things but haven't managed to finish anything other than this weeks design team piece for our weekly challenge over at Crafts4eternity. The theme this week is "Be my Valentine" there must be loads of luvvvvvvvve cards out there with Valentines Day only a few days away, so why not pop over and show us your Valentine projects, it can be absolutely anything you make with a Valentines theme. Here is mine

I have gone with a clockwork theme hence the sentiment that I have added "you make my heart work"
My main stamped image is from the recent Tim Holtz CHA 2013 release of new stamps and is from his "Industrial" Blueprint stamps, I have stamped onto Kraft card twice, cutting the gears out of one and layering on top to add depth.The background has been made by using The Crafters Workshop 6x6 mini gears stencil sprayed with Dylusions black marble and cherry pie onto watercolour card.

The heart is my first attempt at Tim Holtz technique of riveted patchwork. I cut the heart out of grungeboard using Heart wings alterations die, then covered it in pieces of ranger foil tape. It has then been distressed with red and black paint. I am actually quite pleased how it has turned out. I have then embellished it with Tim Holtz clock gears and hands with a bit of bling in the gear.

I have then stamped onto shrink plastic with the heart from Paperartsy stamp set HP1105 and added 3 of them in order to add I love you with Tims Chit Chat stickers.

And my main sentiment that links the theme again using Tim Holtz Chit Chat stickers












Final touches include a few more metal gears with bling, a little burlap and bakers twine.
So why not pop over and join us and show us your Valentine project. This weeks challenge is being sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs who have generously offered, our randomly chosen winner, their choice of 4 digital designs from their fabulous range of images.

Thanks for looking and hopefully see you for this weeks challenge.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:-
Simon Says Stamp "Have a heart"
Try it on a Tuesday "Get ready for Valentines day"
Fashionable Stamping Challenge "Show Some Love"

Thanks for visiting my blog I really appreciate your visits and comments.
see you soon
Love
Amanda X

Feeling in the PINK!

Hi
"Pinch,Punch it's the first of the Month" Well this week has absolutely flown by. Why when you are off work do the days go so quickly, yet at other times they simply drag on by? Sadly I haven't done half of the things that I wanted to but at least what I did manage to do wasn't work, and that can't be a bad thing. One of the things that I have managed to do is my design team piece for this weeks challenge at Crafts4eternity our challenge this week is ROMANCE and there is a colour theme to follow (which is posted at the end of this post)
So here is my DT piece

I have this week decided to make a 5" x 7" canvas using some wonderful Stampotique stamps. I have also received my order of Tim Holtz Distress paints I had to have every colour and I have to say I am not disappointed but I do have to play with them some more but I love the fact that they, like the other distress products, react with water.

Here you can see that the stamp goes around the edges, everything was first stamped onto tissue
paper that stuck to the canvas with Claudine Hellmuth matt multi medium, the sentiment from Dylusions was added the same way.

Here are the majority of items that I have used to make this canvas. You will see I have already made a right mess of my distress paints!

You will have probably guessed by now that our ROMANCE challenge is PINK, here is the colour swatch so come and join in at Crafts4eternity this week and lets all share a bit of romance.

I am also entering this piece into the following challenges:-

Simon says stamps challenge theme is "Anything Goes"

Crafty creations challenges theme "Anything but a card"

Try it on a Tuesday theme "Get ready for Valentines day" (use at least one heart)

Fashionable Stamping Challenge theme "Show some love"

stampotique designers challenge theme "what makes you happy" and for me it is getting all painty and messy and you should have seen the state of the place after making this!!!

thanks for looking 

love

Amanda x

Seeing Stars!

Hi
and for those of you that Have read my earlier post I did say that I was going to make the most of today and as such have spent a wonderful afternoon getting crafty, so much so this is my 2nd post of the day. I recently got a gelli plate, which is the most fun ever. I have made another card using part of one of the backgrounds that I made using my Gelli plate (much more fun to be had with that this week).

Close up of gelli plate background

I have made this card to enter into this weeks challenge Simon Says Stamp and Show where the theme this week is stars.

Stamped images from Creative Expressions Urban Beats and Urban life. I have stamped the arrow again and cut out before adding to the image to add some dimension.

Patterned paper is from My Minds Eye Boys collection which I have overstamped.

Mat and layered with black and green card.

I also feel this has turned into a great male card, even though it has pink in it (well they all seem to wear pink shirts these days) So I am making this my second entry into the 2 following challenges:-

Make My Monday "One for the Boys"

and

Allsorts Challenge Blog"Masculine"

Thanks for looking

Love

Amanda X

Getting in touch with my masculine side!

Hi
Well it's a very dreary Tuesday here in the north west of England so what better reason does a person need to spend a few hours in crafty bliss. I have made a masculine card that I am entering into the following challenges:- Allsorts challenge blog where the theme is "Masculine" and
                                Make My Monday where the theme is "One for the boys"

Main image is from Whimsy Stamps vintage Transportation which I have cut out using spellbinders postage stamp die.

Papers are core'dinations, Kraft card and Collection Elements paper.

length of burlap

numbers I have cut from Kraft card using my silhouette cameo inspired after seeing Tim Holtz New strip dies.

Tickets Tim Holtz stamp stamped onto Kraft card and cut out.

Everything has been edged with vintage photo distress ink.

final embellishments are a Penny Farthing Charm and some metal bits that came from an old belt.

 

Thanks for stopping by and see you soon

Love 

Amanda

 

         

TIC,TAC,TOE at Creafts4eternity

Hi
It's the start of a new weekly challenge over at Crafts4eternity and this weeks challenge is a Tic,Tac,Toe challenge. I have chosen Charm,ribbon and punch (my charm is actually an old earring but I think it passes as a charm).

This card is a move away from my recent makes as I have made it for my mums birthday this sunday (and she likes this kind of thing). I have mat and layered with black and gold card and the patterned paper is from Graphic 45. I have cut the diamond shapes with spellbinder dies and again mat and layered several times. Stamps used are Masquerade by Creative Expressions. I have stamped 3 different masks with indigoblu flitterglu and covered with gilding flakes I then added a bit of bling, covered some cocktail sticks in gilding flakesand added a black feather to each one. I have added a punched border along the bottom, made a bow out of crinkle ribbon and added a charm (earring) to the bow along with a creative expression dazzler.

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Crafts4eternity where the winner will be able to choose 3 digital images from the site. So why not pop along, choose your line, and play along this week,

thanks for stopping by
love
AmandaX

Day off today!! Smile!!

Hi
well after working 7 days on the run I am happy to say today I am NOT working, well I haven't had to go to work but I have a mountain of jobs around the house to do....... they'll wait, lol.
I have several projects that I need to complete, relatives birthday cards and  anniversary cards need to be made. However I have had a quick play with my distress inks and dylusion sprays and have made a card to enter into this weeks challenge at Make My Monday the challenge this week is a CAS sketch and this is my interpretation of that sketch.

Stampotique 3 Smiles

My stamped image is Stampotiques "3 smile" I have masked the stamp so I can stamp each smile individually, I have then stamped again on white paper and cut out the smiles and paper pierced them on top to make the teeth stand out. Background has been created using a combination of distress inks and Dylusion sprays. The white splatters have been made with white acrylic artist ink. I have added a length of Tim Holtz film strip ribbon which has been machine stitched in, a wooden camera coloured black and a Tim Holtz chit chat sticker - Smile.

Hope you all have a good day
Love
Amanda X

I wish I had that friday feeling!!!

Hi
Well as my title says "I wish I had that Friday feeling", but sadly, even though I was due to be off work this weekend, I now have to work due some of my team having this dreaded flu/cold virus that doesn't seem to take the hint and just go away.......... so my crafty plans have to be put on hold...... Friday does mean though that the weekend starts with our new weekly challenge over at Crafts4eternity and our challenge theme this week is PUNCH IT! We would like to see your projects with a punched element or two on it.

Here is mine as part of the design team

Dina Wakley - Lonely Girl

My main stamped image is Lonely Girl by Dina Wakley and the sentiment is by Donna Downey by Unity Stamps. The background has been created using Paperartsy fresco finish paints. I have punched circles out of the background using a variety of sizes of circle punches and added them with silicone glue to give them a dimensional look.
So why not come and join us over at Crafts4eternity and show us your punched creations. I lucky, randomly drawn winner will receive their choice of 3 digital stamps from Crafty sentiments designs.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend
Love
Amanda X

"Moody Blue's" at C4E this week

Hi
Well it's friday again which for me means one thing, a new weekly challenge over at Crafts4eternity and my design piece has been made to fit this weeks theme which is "Moody Blue's".

As you can see I have gone with a Steampunk Theme which I feel works quite well in these deep blue shades, background has been created using a mix of Dylusions and Ranger colourwash spray inks. I have overstamped with picket fence distress stain, which worked sometimes!. The majority of the stamps are Steampunk Dreams from creative expressions with a touch of Andy Skinner thrown in. The word beads were a bargain some months ago, £1 for a good size bag full. For dimension I have stamped the wings several times onto book pages.

This little steampunk bug was made in the same way but I added wire and filled the bugs body with glossy accents and then dropped in some watch parts.

So why not come and join us and show us your "Moody Blue" creation. One randomly selected winner could win a $6  Gift voucher to spend at Floppy Latte Designs online store.

thanks for looking
Love
Amanda X

A Tag for Tuesday

Hi
I have just been playing around and ended up making this tag.

this tag includes bits of everything I own I think, paint, sprays,ink, pan pastels (how much can you get on one tag?) stamps used are Stampotique Line up (cut out and with one missing) others are all Dylusions stamps and I think there is a little Tim Holtz and Claudine Hellmuth in there too!!
Hope you all have a good day, I'm off to work now and need to try and get through the day with the beginnings of a dreadful cold... I just knew I wouldn't escape it!!!
see you soon
Love
Amanda xx

Something New

Hi
and welcome to my first post of 2013. I hope you all had a great New Year and you are looking forward to the crafty year ahead. I start this year with my design team entry for our first challenge of the year at Crafts4eternity and we start with

SOMETHING NEW

Your project should include something new, such as a new technique,tool,stamp,paper, infact anything that is new to you (a Christmas present from Santa).

Our randomly selected winner will win a choice of 3 digi stamps from our regular sponsor

Stamping All Day

My something new is a card made using my new stamps and additional colours of pan pastels.

New stamps used are Underwater from Chocolate Baroque
and my long awaited acquisition of Water Droplet stamp from Design by Ryn
 

I first stamped one of the plants with versamark then applied the pan pastels, this technique makes the colour stronger on the stamped area. I then stamped the seahorse in Black archival ink, masked it off, then stamped the droplets in aqua marine archival ink. I then used the droplet stamp again to make a further background paper and again stamped using black archival ink. The sentiment is from Steampunk Dreams by creative expressions.

Close up of main image

I hope that you will pop over to Crafts4eternity and show us what your "Something New" is.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:-
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Something New
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Surprise Us (Anything Goes)
Try it on a Tuesday - New Stash

Thanks for popping by and see you soon
Love Amanda