Just an old Romantic.......

Hi

And a huge Happy Valentines day to you all, I hope you are still all wading through your post this morning, my postman had to sit down for a rest after carrying my sackful!! (I wish!!)

Anyway to celebrate this day of Loooooooove I have got the chance to play with another of the fabulous new releases from Brett Weldele - " Zombie Casanova" set. I just love his art work.

Background is brusho using grey and a pinch of crimson, this was created over the stamped image which I had masked off first with Pebeo drawing gum. The hearts, from the set set, were stamped prior to removing the gum.

Image has been coloured using distress inks.

I would like to enter this into the current challenge at 

That's Crafty challenge blog current theme is "Be my Valentine".

I have also made something C&S and more traditional for valentines day

Fingerprint stamp is  Carabelle

sentiment is Unity Stamps which I have clear embossed.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you get spoilt  rotten all day

see you soon

Love

Amanda X

Stampotique January ATC Swap

Hi 

For those of you that are regular followers of mine you will know that I take part in the fabulous Stampotique monthly ATC Swap which is brilliantly organised on facebook by Nikki Woodward. This ATCgroup keeps growing so it is becoming a huge task for Nikki but everyone appreciates what she does because it is so much fun. Anyway now my ATC's have been received and published on FB I can now put them up on my blog. Our theme for January was "Nursery Rhymes" here's what I sent out.

All feature at least 1 Stampotique stamp.

thanks for stopping by

See you soon

Love

Amanda X

Homage To Dina!

Hi Everyone

 I've sneaked away early from work today mainly as I am out at a concert tonight. I have found a little bit of time to get in my craftroom I am having an ongoing battle with my new set of Sizzix Thinlits, Tims mixed media set I just can't seem to be able to get them to cut properly, I'm sure it's user error but have tried every sandwich combination in every cutting machine I own but with mixed results. I can declare that I have no given up, for the time being, in frustration!!! 

Instead I have decided to post this little accordion album that I have made, I call it my Homage to Dina (as in Dina Wakley) I think I am getting into Dina mode before I attend her workshop in March (said with excitement)!!

I have used many of Dina's wonderful stamps that I own including her new set "Silhouetted Women along with her previous silhouetted women "Grungy silhouette" and still my favourite "Lonely Girl".

I have also used a load of different stencils including many of Dina's.

All colour used are Dina's heavy body paints. I did tell you it was a homage to Dina lol but I just love her stuff and hopefully have done her proud!!

There is machine stitching, stamping on vellum and patterned papers and of course from me there had to be washi tape!!

Here are the pages

and finally it all ties up into a book, I might have to add a cover to it.

I quite like the fact that you don't know what's in it.

I would like to enter this project in to this months challenge at

Craft Stamper the Take it, Make it challange for February is use stencils 

thanks for stopping by, 

Love

Amanda X

Black & White with a hint of Red at Fashionable Stamping challenges

Hi

Today see's the start of another new challenge fortnight at 

fashionable Stamping challenges

and this fortnights challenge has been set for us by my lovely team mate Dot and she has chosen a classic

Black and White with a hint of Red.

We are a stamping challenge blog and accept any project as long as stamping is the main focal point of your project. We are sponsored by Flonzcraft and our random org winner will win $20 to spend in their online stamping store.

this started out from cleaning the dried paint off my craft mat with an old credit card which I then scraped down a piece of mixed media card and there it sat for a couple of weeks.

When trying to decide my piece for this weeks challenge I remembered that piece of card and thought it could look like rain so my piece began. I also noticed that it had flecks of red in it, perfect for this fortnights challenge.

I stamped my image which is from the "Angie" collection from unity stamps the sentiment is part of the same stamp set. she has been coloured using Spectrum Noir Pencils.

My background is coloured with pumice stone and black soot distress ink (it looks more grey/black in real life) I then splashed water onto it and lifted it off, removing the distress ink, with a paper towel.

I'd love you to pop over Here and see the brilliant work of the design team and I'd love it more if you came and played along with us this fortnight.

I would also like to enter this into this months challenge at

Countryview challenges the theme is Drips andDrops

Thanks for stopping by

see you soon

Love

Amanda X

She Coloured her Thoughts with............................

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I started last night sorting through all my crafty stash that I longer use or want and have begun listing it to Ebay. My thought process being that there is so many wonderful things being released at the moment that I need I thought I would try and make some additional crafty stash cash, the process of listing is soooooooo dull that I had to take and break and just make something.

I have been playing with Spectrum Noir Aquatints again, this time the pastel set.

First I stamped the image "Visage Athena" by Carabelle Studio bottom right and then masked with pebeo masking gum, I then stamped her again top right and masked her with more gum and then finally stamped her in the middle and again masked her with the gum.

Once the 3 images were covered by the gum I then created my pastel ombre background with Aquatints. Once that had dried i then rubbed off all the gum. My image was then left to be coloured.

I have coloured using Lyra Aquacolors and Spectrum Noir pencils.

Sentiment is from Unity Stamps - "She" set.

Right off to do some more ebay listings.

thanks for stopping by 

Love

Amanda X

Oranges and Lemons ues Citrus Colours at Stampotique

Hi 

Over at the  stampotique challenge blog this week Sue has set the challenge of using citrus colours, which brings a bit of sunshine to an otherwise bleak (weather wise) February. 

Whilst I had my gelli plate out this week I made this background for my card using a Barbara Gray Stencil. 

and using  "Queen of Life" Stampotique stamp. I have coloured her with Paperartsy Fresco paint.

Sentiment is computer generated.

A quick post from me today as a busy day ahead, sadly not a crafty one.

Thanks for stopping by and see you soon

Love

Amanda X

Speedcraft Challenge - Animals

Hi

It's time again for another 15 mins of fun by joining in with us at Speedcraft Challenge this fortnight.

This fortnights challenge has been chosen my by Amazin' teamie Donna and Donna has chosen 

"ANIMALS"

Our Challenge rules are:-

You can make any type of project but your project must be completed in 15 mins, you must include in your entry how long it took you to make it, this makes you eligible to go into the draw for our challenge prize. Further details of our rules can be found on our sidebar.

 This challenge has been sponsored by 

The Old Design Shop 

and one selected winner will have their choice of 3 digi images.

So with my timer set and all my supplies gathered together,  I began.

and 14 mins and 18 seconds later 

Finished!!

As you can see from my supplies above I went for a gelli print card.

The creating of this required 3 pulls from the gelli plate 2 on this one, the second being a ghost print.

1st print was the light yellow colour 

2nd applied the blue and then laid the stencil of the birds which I cut from acetate from Sizzix Birds on a wire decorative strip and add some texture with bubble wrap. I then took a print on a separate piece of card which left me the ghost print on the gelli plate.

3rd pull was then to pull what was left on my gelli plate to my 1st background gelli print.

The joy of the gelli plate is that as you are only adding a thin layer of paint it dries really quickly.

I then added the red dots through Tim Holtz Dot Fade stencil and the lines using an old credit card.

It was then mat and layered onto card I had already cut to size before I started.

A Tim Holtz ChitChat sticker finishes it off and all under 15 mins (just!)

Not part of the challenge but to show what I did with the 2nd print, the one used to create the ghost print I needed, I made this

This only had the blue on so I added colours to the white spaces using pastel colours of aquatints, and stamped my sentiment.

So we would love it if you popped over Here and join in with us this fortnight, there is some fabulous  inspiration for you from the design team.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Aquatints - My First Outing

Hi

Day 1 of my week off work and I am pleased to report that I have hardly left my craftroom (bliss!) other than to make some spicy lentil and chickpea soup and talk crafty things on the phone to my bestest crafty friend.

I had a morning of gelli printing but those will probably appear later in the week and an afternoon of at last playing with Spectrum Noir Aquatints, which I have had for months and never used. I had bought 2 boxes (12 bottles in total) Beautifully Grunge and Perfectly Primary.

I set about making an ombre background with them using colours from both sets.

I turned my backgrounds into these 2 cards

A black card blank on a black background to photograph probably not my greatest idea!

All stamps are from Carabelle apart from the sentiment which is Artistic Outpost. The leaves have been stamped onto scraps from today's gelli  plate outing.

Text has been highlighted white with a white prismacolour pencil.

and the 2nd card also using Carabelle Stamps apart from the sentiment which is Tims Holtz.

Highlights done with white gel pen.

I have to say I have had fun with the Aquatints and I like the effect, need to play some more now and would also like the pastel set.

Thanks for stopping by I really appreciate you doing so and please feel free to leave a comment.

See you soon

Love

Amanda X

Playing with some more new stamps

Hi

Well after a virtually sleepness night I'm not feeling my best (over tired!) so what better remedy than having a play with some of my recent stamp purchases following their launch at this January's CHA.

This time I have been playing with "Mister Meow Meow & Tweets McGee by Brett Weldele.

I first stamped Mr Meow and then masked him off with Pebeo masking gum. I then splashed some

more masking gum randomly around. I then made my background using both brusho's and drawing inks swooshed onto my craft mat. Once dried I then removed the masking gum and coloured him with distress inks and markers.

Thanks for stopping by, I'm off to flop on the sofa now. 

hope you are all having a lovely weekend

and I'll see you soon. There might be a lot of playing this week as I am off work until a week on monday, Hurray!!!

Love

Amanda X

Bird Crazy

Hi

Just a quick post as I am about to go out for a lovely dinner this evening to my favourite restaurant to celebrate my mums birthday. As I have a few moments to spare (got ready well in time, most unlike me!) thought i would quickly post a tag I made this afternoon just having a quick play with my newly arrived Tim Holtz - Bird Crazy stamp set.

Corrugated cardboard tag coloured using distress paints.

Bits and bobs added along the way. One of the birds stamped onto distress painted Manila cardstock and cut out, and even a bit of machine stitching.
I am entering this into the current challenge at That's Crafty where the theme is "Animal Magic"

Well gotta dash, hope you all having a lovely Saturday evening whatever you are doing tonight.

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda x

Painted Background at Stampotique

Hi Everyone

This weeks challenge over at Stampotique Designers Challenge has been set by Corrie and Corrie has challenged us to use paint in our backgrounds. Paint is one of my favourite mediums to work with so decided to make my first canvas of the year and I made a right old mess making this project which I have yet to clean up (that's the dull part)

I warn you this is a photo heavy post as at the end of this I do a tutorial on how I made my painted background. It's at the end so you can skip it if you wish.

Stampotique stamps used are both designed by the talented France Papillon and I have used:-

Barcode Text for the Handle with Care

and

My Heart Large.

I painted a large MDF heart, I had previously painted this different colours and just painted over it with Paperartsy Fresco paint London bus. I then stamped, using One of the textures from Andy Skinners Industrial stamps, onto tissue paper and put torn pieces of it onti the heart with multi medium. I then edged in black with a combination of Pitt pen and black paint.
France's heart has been stamped with versamark and embossed with WOW black fine embossing powder.Then I glued it to my canvas.







Here you can
see some close ups
of the
piece

























and I have even painted and decorated the sides




















Canvas background

I first cut words from magazines and covered the canvas with them using multi medium. I then distresses them by sticking cellotape to the and ripping it off.

then I added a layer of gesso over the lot

I then added my chosen colours of acrylic paint using Dina Wakley paints

I then added petroleum jelly in places and covered the whole lot with black acrylic paint, once the paint had dried I removed the jelly with a damp cloth revealing a distressed paint effect of black on my canvas.





Hope I've not bored you all too much and if you've stuck with it this long, thanks for getting to the end.
Thanks for stopping by as always
Love
Amanda X

Funny or Punny at Stampotique

Hi Everyone

After a busy weekend working this is just a quick post to join in with the latest challenge over at the Stampotique Designers Challenge

This weeks challenge has been chosen by Kathi who has challenged us to make something funny or Punny, I have gone for the latter.

It reads "I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, then it dawned on me" (not the best light to capture the text clearly)

Using a Gelli print background, the planets are punched out of yupo coloured with alcohol inks.

I have used the fabulous Stampotique image "Fofe" because he's fab!!

Text has been created on my typewriter.

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X