Have you entered the challenge yet .......

Happy Friday .......

It's the weekend again ..... whoo hoo!  and it's time for a little reminder of this month's Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge.

Anything Goes as long as there's actual rubber stamping on your project somewhere ...... easy!

Here's a simple card for you using the Altenew Bamboo Rose stamps ...... they're so pretty and I like that you get the different sizes of blooms in the set.

I've simply stamped some of the blooms onto opposite corners of a piece of white card using Versamark ink, and then heat embossed them with a detail gold embossing powder ......

then used my ZIG Clean Color Brush pens to add the colour.
I wet each individual petal of the flower with a water brush first, then just a quick touch with the ZIG pen to add the colour.  The colour spreads itself through the water giving this pretty shaded effect.

If you don't get the effect you're after first time ..... just add more colour and use a little more water until you get the flowers how you want them .... same with the leaves

A added a few ink splatters onto the background and added in a few sequins here and there for added
sparkle

And then finished off by adding my layered die cut sentiment ......

3 layers cut from black card using the CUTplorations word die, and then layered together to add a touch of dimension.

Check out the Craft Stamper Blog today for more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

Our sponsor this month is the fabulous Seven Hills Crafts ...... a super online store bringing you the best craft products from the USA

And the challenge winner will receive a £25 gift voucher to spend in the store.

A couple of reminders if you're entering the challenge .........

• include some actual rubber stamping on your project
• keep your blog post to the one project only
• and make sure you include a link back to the Craft Stamper Blog

Some of the challenge entries unfortunately have to be excluded each month because they don't follow the rules. This is such a shame after all the hard work that goes into them.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.
Mine's going to to filled with boxes ..... packing and unpacking.  We're moving most of the small stuff ourselves before the removal men arrive on Thursday next week.  Hopefully by the end of the weekend most of what's in my craft room will have gone along with all the kitchen stuff etc. At least we haven't far to go!

Cheerio until next time ......

Sweet little jam jars ......

Good morning ........ Happy Friday!

I hope you've had a good week .... looking forward to the weekend are we? I know I am.

For those of you who visit here regularly ..... sorry I've been AWOL (again!)  It's been a funny old week!  Busy ...... but weird!
Hubby's been away on business so I've had the whole house to myself .... boy has it been quiet!!  I've spent nearly the whole week in my craft room ...... it's been bliss, well most of the time!  Got loads done which was good.  The little man wanted to know if I was lonely without Grandad .... bless him! I wasn't the only one who missed him!

Back to business today though ...... time to remind you about this month's Craft Stamper Blog Challenge.
It's Take a Theme for October and it's all about creating Autumn projects (or Fall).  Use Autumnal images, trees, leaves maybe, nice cups of steaming hot drinks.  Or, go for the Autumn colours ..... rich reds, oranges, greens and earth tones.  Whatever you decide, remember you must include some stamping on your project somewhere.

As always we have a challenge sponsor ...... this month it's the fabulous That's Crafty

And what a prize there is for the winner ..... 8 brand new stamp sets ...... yes I did say 8!!
Take a look at these .....

If you fancy getting your hands on this little lot then you'd better enter the challenge .... that's if you haven't already done so.  Although you can enter up to 3 times you know.

I've done a little bit of re-cycling for you today ....... these started out as two little jam jars .....

and now they're pretty autumnal lights ...... with the help of a couple of sets of those really useful battery operated fairy lights .... how cute do these look!

I fell in love with the shape of these little jars, and didn't want to just throw them away so ...... a coating of alcohol ink on the inside to give them some colour .... a mixture of Honeycomb and Sunshine Yellow in one ......

and the new Valencia (orange) in the other ......

I simply squirted some alcohol ink into the jar along with a little Blending Solution and then swished it around the jar until the glass was covered.  I did this a couple of times until I was happy with the colour.

I then tried out a technique I came across some time ago, by the fabulous Tammy Tutterow, on the Tim Holtz Blog, using Glossy Accents and Distress Crackle Paint in the Clear Rock Candy.

Once the jars were dry .... which didn't take long, I gave the outside of each one a coat of Glossy Accents and then left it to dry.
Next came a coat of the Rock Candy Crackle Paint ....... and a sprinkling of the Clear Rock Candy Distress Dry Glitter over the top whilst the paint was still wet ......

I love how the fine cracks appeared, and how the glitter gives this nice frosty look ....

I wrapped some natural twine around the tops of the jars and added some seasonal foliage ......

A few die cut leaves that have been over stamped to add some more detail, a few berries and twigs and a couple of small pine cones .......

I finished them off with a tag cut from a piece of left over card from last weeks Craft Stamper project and some beautiful words that sum up Autumn perfectly .....

You can see the lights fit nicely inside ....... no plug required, just a couple of small batteries in the battery pack which you can hide round the back of the jars

Switch them on and see the pretty Autumnal glow ......

I love how these turned out ..... just need to eat more jam now then I can make some more!!

Don't forget to check out the Craft Stamper Blog today for more Autumnal inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day, and have a great weekend.

It's a busy one here .... it's workshop weekend for me tomorrow and I've got a FULL class!!  But before that I've got some of the ladies coming round later .... we're having a bit of play day.  One of us is doing a canvas, someone said they were making a start on their Christmas cards, one wants to play with the MISTI and me .... well who knows what I'll be doing.  A bit of everything ..... or a lot of nothing more than likely.   I should be making a start on some things I have on order but ...... the ideas are not flowing yet! Maybe a coffee and some cake will help!

Cheerio until next time

Got that Friday feeling .....

Good morning ........ and Happy Friday!

Weekend again .... yeah!! Not that we've anything planned ... well I've not.  Hubby's out tomorrow on the Poker Stars Pub Crawl would you believe ..... not exactly a crawl though, they have a coach to drive them around the island!  I thought I'd give it a miss ..... lots of alcohol, travelling from here to there on a coach, the roads are not exactly straight over here ..... not the best way for me to spend Saturday ..... think I'll just stay in the old craft room!

If you've nothing planned for the weekend, how about playing along with the latest Craft Stamper Challenge ...... Take a Technique.
This month we'd like you to use the strapline from the cover of the magazine for your inspiration .....

Ink Stitch Paint Collage Print Paper

Use at least one of the above on your project, and some rubber stamping of course and you're on your way!

Our sponsors this month are ....... 

and this little bundle is up for grabs (I say little .... have you seen what's in here!!) 

On the top row left to right is ..... 3" plain ATB (Artist Trading Block) cube kit; mini cogs Style 1; geometric cut out ATC blank
Middle row ..... mini fancy shapes 1 - wood plaques; 2" square aperture ATB cube kit; mini crowns Style 3
Bottom Row ..... Fleur de Lis frame ATC blank; mini butterflies Style 3 and a fancy cut out frame ATC blank ...... phew!  what a bundle.

Last week the challenge DT showcased a whole bunch of ATB's ..... don't worry you can enter the challenge with anything you like it doesn't have to be an ATB (Artist Trading Block)

My inspiration piece for you this week is following along from my ATB .... I've used some of the same stamps and some leftovers from last weeks project ......

I coloured a whole bunch of card pieces with Fresco Finish Acrylic paints and used JOFY stamps to decorate.

I added colour using a mix of  Copic Markers and the Fresco Finish paint again ...... this time with a little added water

Because I'd stamped and embossed the images using a clear powder, when it came to painting them the embossed lines acted as a resist to the paint, so that the black still showed through .....

I used foam pads to attach some of the flowers to give a little bit of dimension ...... and also did a little bit of doodling here and there using a white gel pen.

I finished off the front with a greeting .....

and added a little of the design inside .....

You'll find a whole lot more fabulous inspiration on the Craft Stamper Blog today .... pop over and see what the rest of the DT have been up to.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day and have a fabulous weekend.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

Just a little reminder ....... the Take it Make it challenge is up and running

Happy Friday!

I can't believe it's the weekend again already!  Mind you, I do feel as though I've been going at 100 mph all week ... time to slow down and enjoy the weekend I think!

It's also time for a little reminder about the latest Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge ...... it's the turn of .... Take a Stamp this month and there's no specific theme, just anything goes, the choice is up to you.

As always there's a fab prize from our sponsor up for grabs.  This month it's from PaperArtsy .....

and the prize is a gorgeous set of Fresco Finish Paints .......

AND

a fabulous set of brand new stamp designs

Not forgetting there's also a prize for the Design Winner, chosen by the DT.  You can find all the details over on the Craft Stamper Blog

So ... have you entered yet?  No ........ then maybe this will inspire you to give it a go

Another of the results of me playing with my new Brushos for the background ....

Then I've simply stamped over the top using Black Versafine ink, and Penny Black's brand new cling stamp ......  effulgence.  I've then embossed the image with a clear fine detail powder

I added a touch of sparkle to the flowers using a Quickie Glue Pen and some fine crystal glitter, and then finished off with a sentiment (from Tim Holtz's new stamp set .... Perspective)

There's a touch of the design on the inside too

Feel like giving it a go ...... why not!  Need some more inspiration?  Then pop over to the Craft Stamper blog today and see what the rest of the Design team have been creating.
You've got until midnight on the 25th to get your entries in, so come on ........ have fun, and get stamping!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend.  And if you're a Mum .... Happy Mothers' Day for Sunday

Cheerio until next time

Linda 

xx

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow ......

Happy Friday to you,

There's a good chance that I'm nursing a bit of a hangover this morning, so this is actually a scheduled post!  We had a bit of a do at ours last night ......... Stephen and his office chums decided to hold their Christmas party at ours!!  I was in charge of the food (with a little help from our daughter Lauren) and hubby the drinks.  I'm assuming all went well  ....... I'll let you know later!

By the way ....... I don't mean it ...... honest, the Let it Snow and all that.  Not yet anyway, I've still got shopping to do!  After last Friday's post though ...... 'I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas' ....... we did have our first lot of snow on the island!!!  It was only up on the mountains mind but ...... I'm not sure I'm ready for the white stuff just yet! Maybe I should think about changing the title of this one ... with the weather we've been having this week anything is possible!!!

Anyhow ....... another week has gone by, it's Friday again, and it's time to remind you all that the last Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge of 2014 is well under way.

This month it's all about .......

WHITE STAMPING

You can use ink, paint, gesso, or even emboss using a white powder, just so long as there is white stamping somewhere on your design.  It doesn't all have to be white, you can stamp using other colours too.
As it's December your design can be winter or Christmas themed but, it doesn't have to be, you can do anything you like ..... we just need to see some white stamping on there.

As always there's a fab prize up for grabs .......

from this months sponsor  ......

And don't forget ........ the winner also gets their work published in an issue of Craft Stamper magazine and, they will also be invited to do a Guest Spot on a future challenge.  Wouldn't that be a great start to 2015?!

I've done my white stamping onto acetate this time ...... using White Stazon ink

My finished card size is 7x5 inches, but this design would look good on any size of card.

I cut out a section from the panel of white card, and cut a piece of clear acetate to fill in the gap.

I then stamped over the acetate using the gorgeous Snowflake Lace stamp by IndigoBlu (one of my favourites this year).

You need to take a little more care when stamping onto acetate as it's a slippery surface and your stamp can move quite easily, causing your image to blur.  I find that dusting the acetate with an anti-static bag before stamping, reduces the risk of this happening. The ink has something to 'grip' to and you get a nice clear image. 

Also, the ink takes a little longer to dry on this surface so put your stamped image out of the way somewhere, so you don't smudge it ....... 

Once everything was dry, I attached the acetate panel to the back of the two pieces of white card to bring it back to the original size. 

I stamped a Christmas greeting, attached a festive red ribbon around the bottom and finished off with a matching bow.

I then mounted the panel, using foam pads, onto a piece of black cardstock to really show off the white snowflakes.

A cute metal snowflake charm from my stash, and a few sparkly gems add the final touches to the front.

Inside you'll find another acetate panel stamped again with the Snowflake Lace,

and you can see I've added a piece of white card over the top giving me somewhere to put a greeting write my message

Now it's your turn.  As we're getting into the festive season, the challenge will run a little longer than usual so you have loads of time to get your entries in ..... the closing date is not until January!!  Have fun, and Happy Stamping!

Thanks for popping by  ...... enjoy your Friday, and have a fabulous weekend.

Cheerio until next time ..... stay warm!

Linda

xx

Have you joined in the challenge yet? ......

Happy Friday!

Time to remind you all of the current Take It Make It Challenge over on the Craft Stamper Blog.

Have you joined in the fun yet ....... or are you still going through your stamp stash to find a non-Christmas stamp to create something festive with?

Use circles and turn them into festive baubles, triangles for Christmas trees, ovals into tree lights or do you have any birds in your stamp collection?  Well why not turn them into ........

a festive robin

I've used one of the Scribbly Birds by Dina Wakley for my little guy ...... how cute is he! Quick and easy too ..... great if you're doing a lot of cards.

I stamped him in a brown Archival ink and then used Spectrum Noir pencils and Distress ink to colour him in

I added a festive greeting (and sneaked in a pretty little snowflake too!).  Then sprinkled a touch of Chunky White Embossing Powder here and there to give the look of snow.

You don't get more Christmassy than a cheeky little robin!

Are you ready to take the challenge?  Or, are you still looking for ideas?   Well, there's more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT on the Craft Stamper Blog today. Why not pop over, take a look, and then join in the fun.

Our sponsor this month is The Artistic Stamper .......

And as always there's a fab prize for the winner ....

You have until November 26th to get your entries in ..... and you never know, you could be adding these to your stash!  Good luck!

Speaking of Craft Stamper ......... I've been doing a happy little dance around the old craft room because ...... I've been published in my favourite craft magazine - whoo hoo!!!

You can find me in this month's Stamping Contrasts article, alongside talented members of the magazine's regular Design Team, using the gorgeous IndigoBlu stamps Snowflake Lace and Dinkie Merry Christmas Circle.

We all had the same stamps to work with ..... but each wintry design is so different.  It just shows how versatile these fabulous stamps are!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx