This is not a Tag

Its a card.   Cut using the TH Tag Die with the top fold placed carefully just below the cutting blade.

It is, of course, CAS in style, with the Clarity Blossom image painstaking coloured.   Stamped in Memento Brown, I rarely use black as an outline ink these days, my ProMarkers provided the colour with at least 4 if not 5 different shades used on the branch.   It is my response to this week's Less is More Challenge One Layer Card, Spring Flowers.

Naturally I made more than one card yesterday, this second one uses the card left over after folding a piece of A4 card stock length wise to cut the Tag Card above.    It is quite small just 4 1/8" x 4 5/8" perfect for the Clarity Blue Bird stamp.

First using DI on an acrylic block Weathered Wood applied to the base, next Forest Moss and then Worn Lipstick were added in the same way one colour at a time. By tapping the ink pad directly onto the block the ink pad image is clearly outlined making an interesting and textured background.    Next the Bluebird image and the Blossom Branch were stamped.   These were coloured using Whisper Pens.   The birds eye filled with Glossy Accents.

The main technique might not be quite that described in Craft Stamper this month but it is a method I use with my Gelli pad, the results being more interesting and the colour more subtle than those achieved with acrylic paint.   I'm entering this then into Craft Stampers Take it Make it challenge which is to make Monoprints using an acrylic block.

With the use of Distress Inks and Distressing albeit a little differently, I'm also entering this into a new challenge A Vintage Journey - Anything goes with Tim.

Back to work tomorrow, it has been a wonderful break no idea I was so tired, and it has been fun getting a little inky/messy.

Just a couple of Tags

I really do like the tag format and my TH tag die has probably become my most used.   Not that you are limited to the traditional tag shape just that I often work on that shape/size.   It is the size that most appeals to me being more comfortable with space the smaller formats feel more restrictive.   So while the Gas Man was here yesterday servicing the boiler (and fixing a couple of leaks which I did not have to pay for as he did not think to ask me first!) I carried on with a couple of Tags already in the works.

This one was inspired by CCEE Stampers who in celebration of Michelangelo's 539th Birthday (6th March) have challenged us to make an Art/Artistic themed piece.   I've used my new Stampendous Mark Art Stamp, and Creative Expressions Vintage Artist plate for the tubes of paint.   The paint tubes have been Layered for a 3d effect but it did not photograph very well.   Once coloured with ProMarkers the squeezed paint was coated with Glossy Accents and the layered imaged pressed into the GA while it was wet giving the tube effect a little more dimension.    The edges of the tag have been dusted with Adirondack Stream and the letters traced over with Sakura Glitter pen.   I'm especially pleased with the drop shadow effect on this tag if you did not know it was there you would not see it but the effect is to just add a little depth and dimension to the flat images.

Then I turned to the New Rogue Redhead Designs plate 'Winter Women'.   The tag first coloured with Green, Yellow and Blue Adirondack dye based inks and my Ink Dusters, then stamped with a Rogue background plate,    The two Girls stamped onto white card, fussy cut and coloured with ProMarkers.   The Gas Man (a former school teacher) was interested in these pens, or perhaps having shared his life history thought it might be an idea to show interest.    The lady attached to a Kraft Tag which had also been dusted with colour.    The young girl stuck with sticky pads directly onto the main tag.   Finally the rose image added to the corners.

I'm sharing this tag with
Timbro Scrapmania - Tags, Tags, Tags
I Love ProMarkers - One for the Girls
Addicted to Stamps - Woman's Day
Fashionable Stamping - Anything Goes

Now I'm going to play with another Tag Blank.

A bit of Green Mailart

I'm living in hopes that this piece of mail art has been delivered now to my friend Annette.    Having received an extra copy of Somerset Studio and being told by the publisher that they did not require it back I was free to offer it to someone else.    If you don't know the publication check it out, part of an American group of publications it knocks spots off anything published in the UK!

That said all the stamps used here came with a British publication Creative Stamping, the thing I enjoy about this magazine is that the stamps are used in the article's and projects shared with readers giving you lots of different ideas on how to use them.

I've also used Tando and Prima masks with various inks (& those brushes I love so much) for colouring the stamped images I used Whisper Pens.   Annette often jokes that she & I might be the only 2 people left who use those pens.   Now if you have been here a time or two before you might already know what my favourite colour is, if not here's a clue I've used it a fair bit on this project!

Challenges I'd like to share this mail art with.
Ruby's Rainbow - Monochromatic Green + 1 other colour
Crafty Boots - Green
There are other Green themed challenges but looking at their other requirements my piece does not fit.  I always try to check the rules it is so frustrating looking at entries and realising that they only remotely and with a bit of poetic licence do they fit.

Right it's a grotty Friday and the Gas Man is coming.

Butterfly Kisses

I'm not sitting at home crafting my week off away but I am a bit of a home bod so it's a bit mixed some time at home some time exploring the area.   This little card has been made with some of my favourite things.

I love butterflies, here a Crafty Individual stamp used first and then masked.   The same stamp used twice more once on pre-printed paper and finally on self coloured paper. These butterflies carefully cut out and set aside.   Rogue Redhead Background over-stamped the masked image and with the mask in place distress inks brushed over.    The CI image lightly touched with sakura pens and the decoupage images layered on top.   More butterflies from my collection of stamps stamped onto the green self coloured paper and the sentiment stamped onto cream paper and embossed with gold EP.   One of my trademarks seems to be a strip of ribbon or gems down the left hand side, on here I've used both.

My favourite 'bits' Green, Butterflies, Crafty Individuals, Rogue Redhead, distress inks and a dash of citrus contrast colour.

Challenges to share my card with.
Cuttin' and Stamping - Butterflies are Buzzing
Oldie but a Goodie - Spring has Sprung (old stamps some very old, old inks, old techniques, old favourites)
Stamp and Create - Ready for Spring

Now where shell I go today?

20th Century at the Craft-Room Challenge

Hello there how are you?  After a dreadful winter and who knows what's to come we are at least getting some signs of spring and more daylight.  I for one am so glad the winter darkness is lifting.

It is a time for a new challenge at Craft-Room Challenge, and time once again for me to set the theme.   Before we get to that I'd just like to give the team a shout,  when we get to my turn it means we have run another full cycle and I'm sure you have been as impressed and inspired by the team as I am.   We are so lucky as a group as we are all very different and distinctive in our styles but such great friends and very supportive of each other.   Recently we have been joined by Annie and Amber who have slotted in as if they had been with us from the start.   As a team we are very fortunate and with so many of you visiting and joining in challenge after challenge we have a great do to be grateful for.   Thank you team and thank you all of you who play along.

Right soppy over time for the challenge and it's The 20th Century.   Thats 100 years of experiences and events, designs and styles to take inspiration from.    There are endless possibilities maybe the roaring 20's and those flapper styles,  or perhaps the music and dance of the '80s or graffiti of the '90s gets your creative juices flowing.   What ever it is just go with it so long as you are rooted in the 20th Century you'll be bang on.

I suspect the last century will be seen as the age of man made material.    Bright acrylic colour, vibrant expressive art and a looseness, rule breaking artistic freedom.   Man made, and MDF Box given a base coat of gesso which is acrylic primer.    A plastic mask laid over the lid and embossing paste spread over it.   Once the paste had dried acrylic paint and Promarker Pens used to colour the top and base of the box.    Nylon lace wrapped around the sides of the box and sprayed with Glimmer Mist to knock the while out of it.   I think the design is reflective of the late '60s early '70s but unavoidably with a 21st century twist.

We are sponsored for this challenge by Tando Creative, a 21st century business whose chipboard is some of the very best.   One person drawn at random will receive a prize selected for them by Di the owner/designer.

I'm also entering this into

Rhedd and Rosie - Anything but a Card

Kaboodle Doodles - Embossing (hoping embossing paste counts)

Craft Horders Anonymous - Vintage/Retro

All Crafts Challenge - Anything except a card.

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Always Altered Art Only

Playing around on Saturday

What, you may ask, was I doing on a beautiful spring like Saturday at my Craft Table?   Well I have a whole week off work and the need to play with Stamps & Ink, and other toys & techniques was bursting out of me.   Here then are the results.

First a card for Less is More.    This week the CAS challenge team are looking for Yellow and Green.   A hand scribbled border provided the required colours and a base.    The Sun image is from Stampendous, a new stamp from The Stamp Man.    Stamped in Nick Bantock inks (I love these bight vivid inks such a shame they are no longer made) and embossed with shabby green ep.    Adirondack Sunshine Yellow brushed over the image.   I'm also sharing this with CAS on Sunday whose theme is Colour me Pretty.

Then this celebration of Spring, an acetate tag.   The acetate is recycled from report covers at work, people there are beginning to get used to my scavenging for their 'rubbish'.   This came to me when the reports were being shredded the covers being first removed to a rubbish bin in future unless they are really badly scared they will come to my desk.   One happy crafter.

Cut the cover into 4" strips and run through my big shot in an embossing folder.    ProMarkers filled the debased areas on the 'back' of the tag.   My one and only Our Daily Bread stamp used on white card cut out and coloured with ProMarkers, the butterfly stamped and coloured again.   The colour of the butterfly is called Orchid.    Half a small doily, left over from some long forgotten project, added at the top and the glue strip used covered with a fancy strip of self adhesive pearls.   Really really pleased with how this came out suspect there might be more to come.

Sharing my tag with
All Sorts - Spring is Coming
Come and Get It - Flowers
Pile it on - Sweet/Soft (or Bold/Bright)
QKR Stampede - Anything but a Square Card
Crazy 4 Challenges - Use the colour Orchid, but my Orchid pro marker is nothing like their sample!   My acetate embossed butterflies are much closer to their colour.

As always all the challenges entered are listed on Challenges for Days, if you are part of a challenge we do not list please tell us about it.   If you would be interested in vein part of the list maintaining team please let me know we would love to have you join us.

Guest designer at Sugar Creek Hollow

Yep your read this right I have been asked to be the guest this time at Sugar Creek Hollow.

The theme is Sew Fashionable and the challenge is to make, craft or alter anything in line with the theme but it must be Vintage/Shabby Chic.    I'm not the best at the style which made my win very exciting.   It was made even more special by the fact that usually at SCH if there are not enough entries they do not have a winner but the team liked my project so much they made an exception.   How about that to make someone feel very good about their art.

My sample for the challenge is a mini dress makers dummy.   First the form was covered with torn designer paper stuck with clear drying pva glue and then dusted with Old Paper DI.   More dp folded into a fan shape another strip of the same paper draped over the shoulder.   Ribbon Flower wrapped around the base pole of the dummy and around the middle, a die cut needle and thread tucked into it.   With these elements attached more Old Paper DI dusted on and a blast of Cooper Glimmer Mist to colour the flowers and help the ageing effect.    The wooden parts of the form painted with Art Quest paints.   Butterfly stamped cutout and coloured with ProMarkers and a little heart pin from my broken jewellery stash added.    Buttons glued to the base and die cut scissors complete the sewing theme.

I really enjoy SCH challenges and love the fantastic inspiring things the team there make so wanted this to be worthy of them.   I hope you will join in with this challenge.

You might come across Challenges for Days, a daily listing of the challenges around we are aware of.   The challenge's below I'm sharing my mannequin with are all listed there.

Crafty Ribbons - Ribbons and Buttons
Altered Eclectics - Always Anything Goes
Eureka Stamps - Add a Butterfly (could not resist both adding one and entering the challenge)
All Crafts Challenge - Always Anything Goes except Cards
The Hobby House - Buttons