Forest Friends at Craft-Room

Hello - it's time for a new challenge theme ove at Craft-Room, I'm away on my holidays so this should have popped up on schedule !!   It's Amber's turn to host the challenge for this fortnight, and she has picked the theme of "Forest Friends".   You can include any of them in your project, but we ask that they be one of the focal points and not just a "token gesture".  Please check out the New Pesky Rules to ensure that your entry/post qualifies to be in with a chance of winning.  Our sponsor this time around is Tando Creative. 

I used a Gelli plate print for my background - one made using a lovely tree stencil from Clarity Stamps, and then added this cute little owl which is by Stamp Addicts .  

 The colours are a bit bright and orangey in this photo  - I'd packed my camera already for my holiday so had to make do with my phone.   I'll be home before the challenge ends so I look forward to seeing all your Forest Creatures when I return...Happy Crafting...Esther xxx

Something new and old with Craft Room

Hi Everyone, its Annie's turn to choose the theme over at Craft Room and she's challenged us to use   'Something Old and Something New'. We all have some old craft items in our stash and some new ones too so we would like you to make something using both and you are required to list what you have used within your blog post'.  I hadn't actually purchased any new stash for quite some time - so this was a perfect excuse to order some new stencils and tools to use on my Gelli plate - 

I made a card using the Gelli Plate technique demonstrated by Barbara Gray (Clarity Stamps) here.  

I layered the Gelli print onto another print created using my new catalyst tools to wipe away paint before printing and added a strip from this background print across the front too onto which I stamped a sentiment - with an old Hero Arts Stamp.  

I also stamped a flourish round the edges using versamark which I dusted with perfect pearls for a little shimmer. So my NEW tools were my stencils and catalyst tools and the OLD was my flourish and sentiment stamp.                                 

                                             Our sponsor this fortnight is Crafty Individuals

                                        So come over and join us and happy crafting...Esther xx

Back with Craft-room cats

Well it's been a while since I was here having had a little break while I had some tricky stuff going on. But I'm back with my team mates from Craft-Room to join the latest challenge from our newest roomie Christi. She has chosen 'Cats' as our theme and I've made a grungy birthday card - 

I've used scraps of paper from Gelli plate prints, stamped the swirly cat from Stamp Addicts and embossed it in black. The other grunge stamps on the background are also from Stamp Addicts.   

We've had a bit of a revision of our rules  -  we want to inspire and encourage you to create for our themes but were getting many entries with just token elements  or that didn't really fit the theme, so please have a read and play fair - 

Our rules are shown in the page Pesky Rules on the challenge site but to give you a quick run down they are:

* Must be new (no back links) 

* Fit our theme (no token gestures)

* Maximum of 3 entries to our challenge (limit of 5 other challenges entered)

* We will ignore any invalid entry

* You must add our challenge and a link back to it to your blog post. 

But mostly we want you to enjoy your art...so have fun and Happy Crafting....Esther xx

Craft-Room Tattoo Art

HI there - I'm here with another challenge from Craft-Room.   

Zoe has challenged us to take inspiration from Tattoo art with the added twist of including something hand drawn. I was a bit stumped by this at first, despite loving tattoos and having a real one, but decided on Skulls and Roses - both of which feature heavily in Tattoo Art. The stamps are by Stamp addicts -I've used masking to create the background, and mounted the main skull on layered die cuts.  I have added some hand drawn stitching as a border. 

We have a new roomie joining the team from this challenge.   Please welcome Christi to the team and she and the rest of the girls have made some fabulous samples. 

Our sponsor for this challenge is once again Tando Creative, they have their own on line shop now as well making it really easy to get hold of some of their goodies. 

As always to be fair to all please respect the rules and ensure your entry follows the theme.  Happy Crafting..Esther xx                               

Recycle at Craft-room

Hello - This fortnight it's my turn to choose the theme over at Craft-Room and I've challenged the team to recycle something - this can be either giving an old creation a new lease of life or starting from scratch using a recycled object (or both!!).

I started off with the board from a fridge memo pad that I'd finished and some tags I'd made an age ago that had been sitting around my craft room.

I removed the magnetic strips from the back before chopping the board up and neatening the edges of three pieces with Tim Holtz Tissue Tape. I cut one of the tags into sections, which I then stuck onto each piece of board. The tag I used had been stamped with a skeleton leaf, masked and coloured with distress inks and stamped with a script stamp. The flowers are die cut from grunge paper and old book pages. 

I've used a swirl from another tag and on the smallest piece a flower that was hanging around too. I attached a piece of magnet onto the back of each piece and now I have three new fridge magnets ! 

Our sponsor this time is Ali-Craft

Don't forget we do have a few Pesky Rules

As always my fabulous team mates have made some beautiful recycled creations, be lovely for you to pay them a visit too.  

Humour with Craft-Room

Hi all - we're back again for another challenge over at Craft Room and as this is launching on Aprils Fools day Mervi has asked us to inject some humour into our creations.  Our sponsor this fortnight is The Stamp Man. 

I have to admit I struggled with this theme  - I've never really made humorous cards and didn't think I had any supplies that fitted, but I found a lone sentiment stamp which I hope is mildly amusing and went with it - 

A simple card - the bottom edge sprayed with ink sprays to which I've added a stamped and embossed cupcake. The banner is a stamp and die cut set which I've used to place the sentiment.   I hope you join us and I look forward to having a bit of a chuckle as I visit you this fortnight, for the right reasons of course !!  

Craft-room Colours

Hi - well here I am coming in few days late with our latest challenge over at Craft-room which is a colour challenge set by the lovely Amber hoping to inspire some cheery spring creations. Here are the beautiful colours she chose - 

We are sponsored by the fabulous Stamp Addicts 

I've used their Floral Bloom stamp and coloured with pro-markers

As the stamped image was detailed I've kept embellishments to a minimum and just layered on some contrasting paper. These colours are beautiful - I hope they inspire you too...

I'm sharing this card in a couple of other challenges too - 

Fantasy Stampers - Bingo (Pink, Flowers, Button)

The ABC Challenge - F is for Flowers

Stampin for the weekend - Flower Power

Esther xx 

Craft-Room Ribbons and Lace

Hello - thanks for all your great creations for my water themed challenge at Craft-Room last fortnight. It's now the turn of our lovely new team member Annie to set the theme and she's chosen Ribbon and Lace. We are sponsored once again by the ever generous Crafty Individuals.

 

I made a card simply using strips of ribbon and a couple of banner stamps and die cuts - 

You can make whatever you choose as long as you use ribbon and/or lace - Happy Crafting, Esther xx

Late ATC’s at Craft-Room

Well there I was all organised, ATC’s made, drying on the shelf…off I went to pack for my holiday and before you know it I was on a plane to Turkey – and  had I photographed and scheduled my ATC post ?  - of course not !! So now I’m home, here they are better late than never -

The pics are a bit rushed and taken in not great light, apologies they are not the best. So of course this is my inspiration sample for the latest challenge over at Craft-Room.

My set of ATC’s are all cut from a single Gelli print (no surprises there and no apologies for the continuing use of Gelli prints, still loving my Gelli plate !).

I’ve embellished with stamping, moulding paste coloured with rub N buff,  cut out embossed flowers and Frantage embossing powder and mica flakes.

Maria chose the ATC theme but she has some ‘life’ stuff to do (you know that every day stuff that gets in the way  of crafting!) so Zoe is filling in for her over on the challenge site and all you have to do is make an ATC or a set and share them with us!

Our Terrific sponsor this time is Tando Creative.

We are also having a DT call, there is a sticky post here with all the details and it’s open til Oct 6th.

Well I have holiday washing to get on with – I look forward to seeing your ATC’s…Happy Crafting, Esther xx

Summer Time at Craft-Room

Well, we've had a couple of bright sunny days here in the UK and here at Craft-Room we're hoping that  summer is on it's way.  Maria has chosen 'Here comes Summer' as our theme this fortnight.  Your creation can be anything you want, cards, scrapbook layouts, wall hangings, altered items, in fact anything whatsoever which makes you think of summer.

Our very kind sponsor for this fortnight's challenge is Liz Welch from Rarebird:

Our Guest Designer for June is Linda a.k.a Eemeli, You can  join us as a Guest Designer, just add GDT after your name when linking your entry. As always our design team has come up with some fantastic so pop on over and visit them. I've made a scrapbook layout - 

These are photos of my mum and her friends on summer outings at the beach

I cut the photos into banner shapes and made the ribbon banner by cutting and inking circles and attaching them to a strip of ribbon. I've also added some stickers, splashes of ink and journaling.  

So even if we don't have as much sun as we'd like, lets bring a little bit of summer to our challenge - I look forward to seeing what you create - Esther xx

For a Man..

Time has come round again for another challenge from Craft-Room and this week Julia has chosen a theme that is a real a challenge for a lot of crafters, including me!  - SOMETHING FOR A MAN.   You can make anything you like, gifts, cards home decor as long as it would be suitable for a man. I made a card using new stamp addicts stamps  - 

I ran a white circle through my big shot in a polka dots embossing folder and then turned it over to use the de-bossed side thinking it may look a little like a golf ball.

   The images are coloured with Pro-Markers.  

Our very generous sponsor for this challenge is FlonzCraft from New Zealand (and EBay), who produce stamps from cute to vintage, something for everyone.

As always there will be a randomly drawn prize for one lucky winner, and a top 3 chosen by Julia. Look forward to seeing you at Craft-Room..

I'm sharing my card over at My time to Craft and Totally Gorjuss who both also have challenges with male themes....Esther xx