INK PAD STORAGE UNIT

Fed up with rooting around in a plastic box for the inkpad I wanted, I've been playing with my mountboard again. If you want to see how I made it, you can find my tute at MAKE SOMETHING NICE.

LET'S PLAY TAG!

I've just hosted a tag swap and the brief I gave was to make 2 tags with a vintage and/or distressed theme. These are my two that are now winging their way (well, in the back of a post office van) to 2 other places in the country.


Each tag is 6" tall. They were covered with some paper from a huge K & Co pad I've got. Everything was inked with distress ink pads Walnut Stain and Brushed Corduroy. I stamped the honeycomb grid and the birds using another of my new Kaisercraft Stamps (sheesh! I love Kaisercraft). Hope and Dream are Tim Holtz tickets and the boy is a Tim Holtz Ideaology 'Lost and Found' sticker. Dream and the chipboard key (inked with walnut stain) were crackle glazed. The text strips I did myself on my pooter and the other bits were from my stash.

Entering into:
TUESDAY ALCHEMY #24 - Very Vintage. TOP 3
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #15 - Anything goes. DIGI WINNER
CRAFTS & ME #94 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything goes.
TOTALLY STAMPALICIOUS - Texture.
ANYTHING GOES #72 - Let's not be square.
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Make your own.
SHOPPING OUR STASH #61 - Something new.
STAMP N' PLUS #2 - Anything goes.
ART WITH NO BOUNDARIES - Anything goes.

GOING FOR GOLD!

It's challenge #127 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week we want to see Gold, Silver and Bronze on your cards. Just the one or all three, whatever is fine. Sponsor is DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend for our winner. The DT all used one of DD's images.

I chose to do something completely different for me and used one of the Fancy Frame digi stamps. Apart from the colouring and cutting out, it's a very simple card. Backed with gold sheen card and with a gold ribbon from a chocolate box, I think and that's it. I added my own sentiment inside the frame. I know just who's birthday this is for too. ;o)



Entering into:
DIGI DOODLE SHOP #117 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #99 - Anything goes.
PAPER PRETTIES MONDAY CHALLENGE #49 - CAS.

UP THE AMAZON...

Well, not the river of course, but Amazon online marketplace. I love Amazon and get loads of stuff from them including lots of books and I always throw the packaging away. But this time, I thought I'd do something else and I turned one of the cardboard book box/envelope things into a folder. First, I opened it right up and painted it all over with gesso.


I took a ring binder and placed the holes where I wanted them and then took it off to paint it. I also made a spine from mountboard to stick on when it was finished - a: for strength and b: to cover the brads attaching the ring binder.



Using acrylic paints, Dylusions inks and stencils and digi images from Octopode (enlarged to 8") and Ten Two Studios I decorated it. I bought a pad of ready prepared canvas sheets and then added them and now I've got myself a nice, bright painting book.

FRONT

INSIDE

The flap on the bottom right has been stuck down to make a pocket.

Entering into:
DIVA'S BY DESIGN #44 - Anything goes.
PERFECT SENTIMENT #41 - Anything goes.
CRAZY AMIGO'S - Free theme.
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #14 - Anything goes with colour medium.
ART WITH NO BOUNDARIES (JULY) - Anything goes. FEATURED
MAKE IT MONDAY #98 - Anything goes.

GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES.

Time for another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week, #125 it's CIRCLES, so we want to see lots of the round things on your card. Our fabulous sponsor this week is NITWIT COLLECTIONS. Now, I rarely, if ever use digi papers but of course, I had to this week and I must say, they print out exceptionally well. The papers I used for my card are 'Buds and Blossoms Too'. It's a nice play on words 'cause not only is there floral papers in the collection, there's also buds i.e. friendship papers! Best buds...get it? lol. If you've never been to Nitwits, you really should go and look, there's a massive selection of papers and kits.


I sat Tilda on a bit of ribbon that I'd wrapped around the mat, the sentiment is one of my own, the leaves were cut on my Robo, I made the flower very simply with 2 punches and I finished off with a few pearls and brads.

Entering into:
ATCS/CARDS WITH ATTITUDE #18 - Anything goes.
FAT PAGES WITH ATTITUDE #18 - Anything goes.
FUN WITH SHAPES AND MORE #113 - Summer Birthday.
MAKE IT MONDAY #97 - Always anything goes.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #67 - Anything goes.
JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #12 - Anything goes.
STAMP N PLUS #2 - Anything goes.
MEMA'S CRAFTS - Anything goes.

SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE

This week, I am proud to be guest designer over at GUYLOU'S INIMITABILITY and the theme is something that relates to music or dance. The prize is a $10 gift certificate to spend in store and a guest designer spot too. I combined two of Guylou's images to make my card - "Karaoke Chuck" and "Serena Plays her Guitar" both of which are available from the store HERE.

I used some musical papers that were in my stash which I inked with Walnut Stain distress ink. The clef and notes I cut on my Robo, the 'flower' was cut with a Tim Holtz die and I finished it off with some black gems, a doily and a strip of ribbon.

Entering into:
CRAFTY CREATIONS #178 - Free for all.
PENNY'S CHALLENGES - Anything goes and blog hop.
CELEBRATE THE OCCASION - Happy Birthday

HIS MASTER'S VOICE...

Hellooooo!! Happy 4th July to all our American friends out there.

It's challenge #124 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week's theme is MUSIC. Our sponsor is the lovely JOANNA SHEEN with a £10 spend in store for the winner.

I recently bought a few new stamps and amongst them were 3 Kaisercraft ones, this one included. I love them as I really like an eclectic mix of images in one. As soon as I saw this one, I thought of the little dog that used to be on the old gramophones.


My papers are from the totally gorgeous Blitz pad 'French Kiss', the lacey border is a Cheery Lynn Die and a Tim Holtz die made the flower. I cut the music note on my Robo and then finished it off with a strip of ribbon and some black gems. I'm often not enamoured by some of my finished cards, but I actually like this one, lol.

Entering into:
LEJ Designs #10 - Fabulous flowers.
EMERALD FAIRIES #27 - Birthdays.
CREATALICIOUS #35 - Anything goes.
CUPCAKE CRAFTROOM - Layers.
MEMA'S CRAFTS - Anything goes.
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #11 - Anything goes. FEATURED
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Anything goes.
STAMPNPLUS #2 - Anything goes. TOP 3
CRAFTY BLOGGERS #1 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #96 - Anything goes.
VICTORINE ORIGINALS #37 - Birthdays.

FANCY A GLASS?

Hiya peeps! Another Wednesday already and another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS. This week it's #123 and it's everybody's fave - ANYTHING GOES! I can hear the huge sighs of relief from you all, lol. You didn't like last weeks 50's theme did you? ha ha. Our sponsor is DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend in the store. I used the image 'Glass of Wine' available from the store.


My papers are from the Glitz pad 'Vintage Blue'. I've also used 2 Cheery Lynn dies, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, seam binding, pearls, pins from our lovely Karen and the leaves were cut on my Robo.

Entering into:
CREATIVE CARD CREW #13 - 1,2,3. (1 image, 2 pins, 3 papers)
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #10 - Anything goes.
CELEBRATE THE OCCASION #68 - Birthday.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #74 - Anything goes.
LOVE TO CREATE #21 - Anything goes.
BUNNY ZOE'S #25 - Girls, girls, girls.
ALLSORTS #160 - Any die will do.

BLOOM.

My latest art journal page. To me, this phrase says 'make the best of what you've got' so I've not decided yet whether to put a bit of personal journalling on or not.
Background done with acrylic paints, including some stencilling with a plastic veg bag piece, stamps by Elusive Images and a little bit of colouring with Inktense pencils.


Entering into:
MAKE IT MONDAY #95 - Anything goes.
ART WITH NO BOUNDARIES - Anything goes. FEATURED
INCY WINCY - Anything goes.
LOVE TO CREATE #21 - Anything goes.
STAMP AND CREATE - Bold and bright.
TAMMY'S SCRAPIN' CORNER #16 - Anything goes.

A JOURNAL JOURNEY

A couple of years ago, I handmade and bound myself a book. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but in the end, decided to use it as an art journal and I really liked the Rusty Pickle paper I'd used to cover it. I did about 2 pages and then forgot all about it.


This last week, I decided to take up journaling again but now, I really didn't think the cover was suitable as styles have changed so much. So...I altered it.

Front Cover.

Back Cover.

Now, I love it, lol. I so enjoyed doing the cover, that I've also done a couple more pages as well. All my backgrounds were done with acrylic paints (have yet to try spray inks) I used brushes and my fingers to blend it. Paint has also been flicked and thrown on to make some of the marks. I took the bull by the horns when I decided to doodle and hand write things too, lol. I'm not sure if I like that part, but hey! it seems to work OK. :o) Images by Dyan Reavely and Ten Two Studios. I also used some background stamps by Andy Skinner.


This 2nd page has Sylvia Plath's Mirror poem written on it. My fave all time poem and I'm sure one that many of, as we get older, can relate to, lol.


Entering into:
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #9 - Anything or Altering.
CRAFTS AND ME #89 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything but a card.
TANDA STAMPS #198 - Splish,Splash,Splat. (plenty of that here, lol).
ART WITH NO BOUNDARIES - Anything goes and/or Performing Arts.
MAKE IT MONDAY #94 - Anything goes.

BACK TO THE 50'S

I'm suffering here. I had to have a tooth out this morning and it was a difficult one. The anaesthetic is wearing off now and boy, am I sore.

Anyway, it's challenge #122 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week and the theme is the 50's. Our sponsor is LETRASET with a pack of Promarkers for the winner. Not having a lot of imagination, I really struggled with this, but then...Just Inklined provided some free images, including this one of Liz on her bike. I thought maybe she was happy about being queen (then thought, maybe not) but as I couldn't think of anything else, I put the date 1952 on some bunting and that's pretty much it, lol.

You should pop over to the blog and have a look at the rest of the teams cards though. They've all come up with some brilliant takes on the theme.


Entering into:
CRAFTS AND ME #89 - Anything goes.
INKY IMPRESSIONS - Red, White and Blue.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - Banners or Bunting (embossing folder is old).

WHAT A HOOT!

A week or so ago, I spent the day with my grandchildren and I took them to a little wildlife park that I discovered while googling for somewhere to take young children. Mia's 4 and Aidan is 2. Anyway, we had a lovely time and this is the first of my layouts from that day.


Entering into:
HAPPY SCRAPPERS #2 - The Great Outdoors.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #63 - Anything goes.
FOREVER FRIENDS #38 - Anything goes with an animal.
LITTLE MISS MUFFET #37 - Loads of layers. (not sure if LO's are eligible)
FRESHLY BREWED #100 - Anything goes.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Well, it looks like the weather has taken a turn for the worst again doesn't it? What happened to Flaming June? Still, I did manage a full day's gardening on Sunday. I also managed to fit in cooking a dinner. So what? you may ask. Well, at 5.30 I dished up this lovely looking (and smelling I may add) casserole, only to bite into a solid carrot and potato. My oven broke half way through cooking!!! lol. Microwave meals for a while now methinks, lol.

Anyway, onwards. I am honoured this week to have a GDT spot over at JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS. *inserts big smiley* This week they have a challenge theme 'Inks & Such' so I used plenty of inks on my birthday tag. The image is one of Robert Jacksons that I chose as part of my prize last week. These images are really all African American but I've coloured my lady white (only because I don't know how to colour any other skin tone, lol).


My background is done with my distress ink pads and then run through my bug with T.H's bingo embossing folder. The corners are stamped with a Paper Artsy stamp. I did the text strips myself, printed them off and then inked them too. The image is coloured with Promarkers. The other embellies were in one of those Jolie's packs that must have been in my drawer for about 6 years and I've never had a use for it. I've still got the slot machine left too, lol. Do you remember when these packs were the best thing since sliced bread? How tastes change eh?

Entering into:
MAKE IT MONDAY #93 - Anything goes.
LEXI'S CREATIONS #67 - Birthday.
CRAFT YOUR PASSION #114 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW - Anything goes.
CRAFT PUNKED #23 - Birthday. WINNER
GUYLOUS INIMITABILITY - Large tag. WINNER
INSPIRE ME FRIDAY #62 - Anything goes.

WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?

It's week #120 over at I LOVE PROMARKERS and this week the theme is all about little girls. Sugar and spice and all things nice!!!! Hmmmmm, maybe lol. Anyway, you have to make a card (or other project) for a little girl. Our sponsor is LILI OF THE VALLEY and the prize is a £10 gift certificate.


I had a little trouble with this card. First off, I don't have any LOTV stamps, so a google search sent me to ebay and found me a pack of 20 that had been a free gift in a magazine some time ago. God knows what card they've been printed on, but it's appalling and certainly no good for Promarkers. The colours bled really badly and it took me an absolute age to lift all the mess with my blender pen. It's also a little TOO pink methinks, lol.

I have used dies by Memory Box and Cheery Lynn and the papers are from a pad that a friend bought me 4½ years ago for my baby Granddaughter layouts. Some flowers, ribbon and pearls finished it off.

Entering into:
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE - Birthday.
JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #7 - Anything goes.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - Anything goes. (papers are over 4 years old)
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Anything goes.
CRAFTY BOOTS - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #92 - Anything goes.
MAKE MY MONDAY #52 - Birthday with pearls.
OOH-LA-LA CREATIONS #106 - Make it girly.
CUTIE PIE CHALLENGE #19 - Die cuts and punches.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX.

Following on my Andy Skinner's Book of Secrets workshop, when I made THIS, I've altered another box. I had a few problems with this one, the paint just wouldn't do what I wanted it too, lol. Bad workman - blaming tools springs to mind, ha ha.

I used Decoart Traditions and Americana acrylic paints in Red Iron Oxide, Deep Burgundy and Glorious Gold. Gesso and Texture medium gave me the textures. The stuff on the lid are some Tando Creative compasses and cogs I had left over from my last box and Tim Holtz cogs from his Ideaology range. The red text tape is 7 gypsies gaffer tape and the paper inside was a piece buried in my stash (both of which I've had for a couple of years) which I inked with Ranger Distress Ink 'Aged Mahogany' and the stamps used are Andy Skinner's 'Steampunk Accessories' and 'Tempting Textures'.








Entering into:
JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #6 - Anything goes with some Tim Holtz. WINNER
BUNNY ZOES #24 - Anything goes.
QUOTH THE RAVEN #9 - Red death. (not sure it fits the challenge, but it IS red?)
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #2 - Anything goes.
SCRAPALICIOUS - Alter something.
EVERYBODY ART #195 - No cards.
TOP TIP TUESDAY - Use something old (papers and gaffer tape).
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #22 - Steam Punk.

GOTTA USE A DIGI.

Time's flown by again and it's already time for another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS. This week is #119 and you've got to use a digi image. Our sponsor is the fabulous DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend in the online store to our winner.

I did something not as shocking as last weeks, lol. My image, from DDS of course, is Little Sweeper and my papers are Prima Almanac. I've spent the last 5/6 days in the garden so had to rush this card yesterday afternoon to get it to the challenge blog in time. Not a flower or ribbon in sight...arghhhh!!!! I'll be using this as a birthday card but it could also maybe be a new home card? What do you think? A new broom sweeping clean and all that.



Entering into:
CRAFTING FOR ALL SEASONS #28 - Many layers.
DIVA'S BY DESIGN #37 - Anything goes.
PENNY'S PAPER-CRAFTY #80 - Anything goes.
CELEBRATE THE OCCASION #64 - Anything goes.
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE #27? - Birthday.
CRAFTY SENTIMENTS - Anything goes.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #70 - Anything goes.

OOOEEERRR!!!!!!!!

Time for another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week (#118) it's to use die cuts. No biggie there eh? I reckon we all use them all the time now. We're sponsored this week by DIE CUT DREAMS and the prize is a lovely selection of die cuts.

So, maybe I'm a bit off beam with this one, but when I saw this image over at Redonkulous, I just couldn't resist him. It is sooooooo my sense of humour, lol. I made it for a friends birthday on Monday and he cracked up when he opened it. I knew he'd like it..tee hee!


The tree is a Marianne D die and the border is done with a couple of Edgeabilitity dies. Papers are MME Lost & Found 'Breeze'.

ENTERING INTO:
SENTIMENTAL SUNDAYS #103 - Whimsical.
BEARLY MINE #36 - Anything goes.
PASSION FOR PROMARKERS #150 - Birthdays.
BUNNY ZOE'S #24 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #90 - Anything goes.
GREAT IMPRESSIONS #3 - Anything goes.
JOANNA SHEEN - Birthday.
ONE STITCH AT A TIME #114 - Anything goes.
ROBYN'S FETISH #108 - Anything goes.
CRAZY4CHALLENGES #137 - Birthday.
CHOCOLATE, COFFEE AND CARDS #13 - For the boys.
HOTSHOT CRAFT #8 - Use die cuts.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #59 - Anything goes.
CRAFTY CREATIONS #170 - Male birthday.
SOUTHERN GIRLS #44 - About the boys.

My Little Book of Secrets..

I'm doing yet another amazing online workshop with ANDY SKINNER (my 3rd) called THE BOOK OF SECRETS. I've completed my first 'book' and I am sooooooooo pleased at how it turned out. You all really should sign up for some of his classes..they're brilliant.

We started with this blank box. I got mine from The Craft Barn. I also got my Tando Creative chipboard elements from there (cogs, compass...) Stamps used are by Andy Skinner.










And this is the back which is much plainer.


I'm off to get my stuff out and do another one now!! lol.

Entering into:
TANDO CREATIVE - Alter it.
CRAFTING WHEN WE CAN #18 - Steampunk.
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #22 - Steampunk.
PIXIE DUST STUDIO #127 - Steampunk.
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #4 - Alter it. TOP 3

HANDBAGS????.

A year or so ago, I came across some instructions for making all sorts of lovely things. I had forgotten all about them although I had made some things up. I'm sure I've never shared them on my blog, so I thought that now, I would.

This first one used 'Blue Awning' papers by K & Co. I love these papers, they were my fave at the time and I really didn't want to cut my pad up, lol. Still, no point in buying papers just to look at is there? :o)






I can't remember what paper I used on this next one, but it had a definite vintage feel to it, so I thought it was perfect.



Anyway, I hope you like them and big thanks to Becky Roberts.

Entering into:
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #2 - Anything goes.