Monochromatic Craft Room

Hi all,  it's my turn to choose the theme this fortnight over at Craft Room and so I'm challenging you to create a project in monochrome.

The dictionary definition of monochrome is 'the state or condition of being painted, decorated etc in shades of a single colour'. I love the simplicity that using just one colour creates so get choosing your favourite and show us how inventive you can be with just one colour.

Our sponsor this time is Tando Creative.

Our fab design team have made some wonderful projects for your inspiration - it would be lovely if you could visit them too, and here's the card I did - 

I don't usually don't do sport themed stuff, but this is one of the new release stamps from another of our Craft room Sponsors - Stamp Addicts, so as I was making samples for them I killed two birds with one stone!

It's a lovely vintage image which I've stamped in Archival Coffee and teamed with embossed and sanded walnut stain distress core-dinations card. The Background 'Happy Birthday' is also from Stamp Addicts. 

I hope you join in with our challenge this time and look forward to visiting you....Esther xx

You can catch Stamp Addicts on Create and Craft today -  Tuesday 22nd Jan, 1.00pm and 6.00pm

Emboss It Challenge

Hi all - it's my turn to choose the theme over at The Craft Room Challenge so I have gone for one of my favourite techniques. After basic stamping it's the first thing I learnt to do and I love the texture that Embossing techniques add to a creation whether it be as a background or focal element, I especially enjoy triple embossing  though usually make quite a mess doing it ! I've used embossing resist (fern leaves) and triple embossing on my sample – the sentiment is stamped on card and I have embossed over the top with 3 layers of clear EP, using a small flower stamp to make an impression before the powder cools and sets.

As well as being on the Craft-Room Team I also design for Stamp Addicts and they have kindly agreed to Sponsor our challenge this week with a £10 voucher to be spent at their online shop.  All the stamps used in my sample are from Stamp Addicts.

Established in 1992 Stamp Addicts is the UK distributor of top quality rubber stamp manufacturers JudiKins, DeNami Design and Printworks Collection.  Since 2009 Stamp Addicts have been manufacturing their own rubber stamps in unmounted sets, with new designs available each month and some soon to be available on static cling.  Stamp Addicts is also a stockist of Hot Off The Press templates and paper packs as well as lots of Tim Holtz Distress products.  They are also regulars on Create and Craft TV and have a new show scheduled on May 10th @12.00. 

So pop on over to the Craft-Room Challenge to see the inspiration from my fellow team mates, and join us with lots of creative embossing techniques! Have fun…Esther xx

CAS cards

Been a while since I made any cards just because I wanted to so after browsing some challenge sites yesterday, I decided to spend some time at my desk creating a CAS card. This first is inspired by the 'On the Red Carpet' theme over at CASual-Fridays. The movie I chose is 'The red Shoes'. I've coveted this ballerina stamp from Happy Daze for ages and finally treated myself this week so just had to use it.

I stamped in white, embossed in pearl and then painted her shoes on with red liquid pearls. The swirl stamp is from Artistic Stamper and the sentiment a rub on from my stash. I’m also sharing this at Just Add Ink where the theme is ‘red and white’ (hope the black card stock is allowed) and Gingersnaps Chestnut Challenge – ‘Words of Wisdom’.

The second card is one I made a few weeks ago for Stamp Addicts and haven't blogged yet. I'm sharing it in the anniversary Challenge over at Less is More which is a colour challenge - Aqua. Sorry about the awful photo, it's really blurry for some reason and I can't retake it as I don't have the card anymore! I masked a square and used distress inks to create a graduated panel which I stamped over in Stone Grey Stazon. Also added a touch of ink around the edges.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the weekend – not looking forward to braving the snow in the morning ! Esther xx

Just Because...

It's been ages since I had time to make something just because - What with Christmas Cards to make, Design Team projects,  not to mention an assignment for work so today I took some time out, browsed some challenge sites and made a tag for no other reason than because I wanted to.  It was great to do something different and I hadn't made a tag in ages so inspired by The Stamp Man challenge to use a Tim's Tag technique I chose Tag no 9 from 2010 and this is what I did -

 

I took the colours from this weeks Play Date Cafe - gorgeous rich colours which put me in mind to make a more male style tag. I used Distress inks to colour and stamped a background, made a rosette with a strip of papermania DP, coloured some buttons with 'Currant' alcohol ink added a camera charm , square brads and a die cut flourish. The sentiment is made with rub on letters.

I'm sharing my tag here -

Crafty ribbons - Anything but a card

The Play Date cafe - Maroon, Copper, Turmeric

The Friday Mash up - Rosette

Sentimental Sunday - Male Tag

The Stamp Man - Tim's tags techniques

While we're talking about male projects I thought I'd share a Design team card I made for Stamp Addicts. This fab set is called 'Graffitti' and is just perfect for those tricky teenage cards !

I'm sharing this over at Stamptacular Sunday where the theme is 'Boy oh boy'

I've had a lovely time playing this afternoon - hope you all enjoyed your weekends too,  thanks for coming to visit..Esther xx

A detour from Christmas

Now I'm  not really a halloween fan but I thought I'd take a break from Chirstmas today and I do love the colours of this weeks colour story over at The Play Date Cafe. So I had a play with alochol inks in shades of Wild Plum, Pink Sherbert,  Eggplant and Citrus to create a background.  

The stamps are all from Stamp Addicts  and I've just added a black ribbon and a cat button that's been lurking around my craft box for ever.  I'm sharing this here -

The Play date Cafe - Challenge 102

Crafty Cardmakers - Anything Goes

Crafty Ribbons - Halloween

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Friday Mash Up - Halloween

Gingersnaps Chestnut - Horror Stories

 I had fun making this as it's so unlike what I normally do...will be back to Christmas tomorrow I'm sure....hope you're enjoying the weekend..Thanks for stopping by......Esther xx  

Shaky Christmas

After a bit of a damp BBQ yesterday, I have spent a relaxed day crafting today and made this shaker card for Christmas.I've only ever tried a shaker card once before and so was quite pleased with how this turned out (the shadows on the acetate in the pic is glitter). It was inspired by the current Less is More challenge which is a 'things that move' theme, either a card with moving parts or with images that of things that move. I could say I've done both - the shaker card and the flying Santa!!  I've used stamps from Stamp Addicts painted with distress inks and run the outer frame threw my big shot in a dots embossing folder.

It's obviously pretty difficult to show the shaker card in action so I've taken a still of the card lying flat after a bit of a jiggle - I've added glitter and beadazzles.

I'm entering this into these challenges -

Less Is more - Things that Move

Allsorts - You've been Framed

CAS-Friday - Embossing

My Time to Craft - G is for....'Glitter'

I've got to go back to work tomorrow aftr a lovely relaxing week off so I better get off to bed - have a good week and thanks for dropping by...Esther xx

Time for a break..

Ooh how lovely I’ve got the week off work this week and am looking forward to some crafting time with my mum who’s popping over tomorrow to make a start on Christmas Cards! I usually never start these till at least October, but having had to make some DT samples for Stamp Addicts, I’m kind of in the mood now so will make the most of it and carry on. Here’s one I made with one of their latest  stamps releases  -

I’ve embossed the tree in clear to act as a resist before colouring the background with Distress Inks and spritzing with water. The pears are embossed in Gold, and I’ve added dots round the edge and on the base card. A glittery Partridge, pretty, (if wonky) ribbon and shrink plastic greeting finishes off.

I’m sharing this here -

Ribbon Girl – Use Ribbon

Secret Crafter – Christmas is Coming

Simon Says Stamp and Show – Tim Holtz technique

Stampin for the Weekend – spots and dots

Totally Papercraft – Food and Drink (stretching it a bit but Pears are food after all!)

Thanks for stopping by - Esther  xx

More Christmas….

I never thought it would happen…but..I’ve been making more Christmas Cards in July!! The cause of this unheard of event was the arrival of more Design Team stamps. Thankfully they were a joy to work with and inspiration kept flowing all weekend…here’s just a couple of samples -
I’m sharing this at Less Is More where the theme this week is ‘Feeling Fruity’ – I’d never really done CAS cards before coming across this challenge site when it started six months ago and am so glad I gave it a go because I’ve loved creating them – so thank you ladies - long may it continue!!

This wintery one uses the same tree as the first but with such a different look, I’ve used monochromatic colours and am entering this at The Secret Crafter as this is their theme.  I’m also entering it at Allsorts who have a final Free and Easy week.

Thanks for visiting, Esther xx

The stamps used are all from Stamp Addicts and will be on Create and Craft, 9th August @1.00pm.

Buzzy day…

Well it’s back to work for me tomorrow after an extended weekend off for my Birthday – including a couple of days away inCovent Garden  -  It was a lovely weekend!

When I returned I found  new stamps from Stamp Addicts waiting for me so on went my DT hat.

I created this background using the woodgrain technique as required for the Just Us Girls challenge (there is a tutorial link on the JUG blog) After which I ‘stamped’ with bubble wrap in Distress inks. I layered torn cardboard from an old box which I’d inked with Walnut Ink DI. All the images are coloured with Pro-markers and are from Stamp Addicts. The sentiment is from SA too and I’ve layered onto a scalloped Nestie circle.

Challenges -

Gingersnaps Creations – (Spicy Supply) Packaging

Just Us Girls – Wood grain Technique

Simon Says Stamp and Show – Distressed/torn edges

Stamp Something – Something Punched

Right then – off for an early night, getting up in the morning’s gonna be tricky!! Thanks for looking - Esther xx

The stamps I’ve used and others will be on Stamp Addicts show on Create and Craft – 19th June @ 11.00am and don't forget the new Craft-Room Challenge 'Altered paper Dolls' started today!

Splash of Green

One of the things I love about the blogging world is being able to ask for advice when things aren't quite right with a project. I'm doing this here.... Over at the Play Date Cafe their challenge this week is a Colour Splash – more specifically black & white a splash of GREEN. Green is not really a favourate of mine, and inspiration was lacking so I decided to try another card for this weeks Less is More challenge (pick a square) as the previous one wasn’t quite right (should of left the ribbon off!) and I also wanted something to enter this into the Artistic Stamper Challenge which is ‘Ladies and Girls’. I’m not at all sure about it – I used a stencil and sprayed some Distress re-inker mixed with water, onto which I stuck this silhouette, which is from one of the new stamp sets by Stamp Addicts and just added the Penny Black sentiment.  The idea worked in my head – not sure it has on paper..or card! Suggestions anyone..???  Esther xx

New Stamp Addicts Stamps

Hi all – I’ve have a hectic couple of weeks with weddings, work and my mum’s birthday but I have somehow found time to make a few samples for the next Stamp Addicts show on Create and Craft which goes out on Thurs 26th May @ 12.00noon   This chappie looks very comfy having a country snooze.  I have stamped him in Jet Black Archival ink, masked him and used Stamp Addicts scenic stamps in the background, water coloured with Distress Inks. I'm going to enter this card at Gingersnaps Creations in the Random Redhead challenge which is Scene stamping, and also at Sir Stampalot's Magical Worlds challenge.  I’m having a major tidy up in my craft room thanks to some new storage that arrived yesterday so better get back to it! Thanks for looking and enjoy the weekend…Esther xx

Distressing weekend

Yes I've had a very distressing weekend - but not in the emotional upset sense...in an inky sense! I've been playing with new designs from Stamp Addicts -  (Parisian Chic) and went for a vintage look using Distress inks. For the top card I made up a little postcard, including a faux postage stamp, using stamps from the set, the background paper uses a fav stamp from Judikins - italian script and another stamp from the Parisian Chic set.  The Best Wishes sentiment is also from an unmounted stamp set by Stamp Addicts. A little Tim Holtz tissue tape and a die cut swirl finished off with the keys from the stamp set stamped in black and highlighted with white pen.  

For this card I stamped a similar background using keys instead of swallows and added some flowers by the gateposts from an unmounted set by A Stamp In The Hand.  Some die cut flowers and a little bling finished it off.

I'm going to enter the top card to the challenge at Simon says Stamp and Show where the theme is 'Distress it' and the second card at The Artistic Stamper Creative Design Team Challenge who challenge us to 'build it up' with layers on our cards.

Hope you've all enjoyed the weekend - Thanks for stopping by Esther xx

A still quite tidy WOYWW..

 Well didn't think it would last this long but my desk is still quite tidy for me. That may have more to do with the fact I haven't had much time for crafting recently (or blogging come to that) but this last weekend I did manage a card and some Tea Bag templates which are still on the desk waiting to be used.

As I mentioned in a post the other day I've been practising with my first Pro-Markers that I got from Santa and so have some stamped images in various stages of colouring awaiting my return. I'm loving these new additions to my crafting stash and am quite please with my first attempts.  I fiddled with this Gorjuss girls hair for absolutely ages and am really pleased...but can I remember now what did so I can do it again?...of course not !

 I also have a fine (but blurry) example of what happens when you are watching TV, colouring and not paying full attention to the pen you've picked up!! Purple blotchy cheek...really ?! Thought it was the blender !!

Well that's me for another WOYWW..thanks for looking and to join in the fun if you happened here by accident get on over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more desks to snoop about on ! It's great fun! Oh and if you're here early and haven't missed it - check out The Stamp Addicts show on Create and Craft @ 11.00am...they have some amazing Judikins designed unmounted stamps (my DT samples are here and here) and some great demos... Happy WOYWW...Esther xx

WOYWW - My New Year Tidy!

Well here it is the first WOYWW of the New Year - and I've tidied especially!! Gone are the Christmas stamps and ribbon, the gold and silver card and festive paper...to be replaced by a very tidy (for me) desk just waiting for the first project of 2011 to be started. So what has previously looked like this.....

and this.....

and been piled up like this.....

Now looks like this...

                                                           

Wonder how long it will last..???

While I'm here just thought I'd share another card I made for The Stamp Addicts show (before the tidy up). The show is on Create and Craft, Fri 7th Jan @2.00pm featuring some gorgeous new stamps from Judikins.

 I've coloured with promarkers and decoupaged  - you can see the layers a bit better here..

and I added a touch of Flower Soft...

To see how other's desks are doing this first WOYWW of 2011 pop along to Julia's blog - 'The Stamping Ground' to have a peek and share the fun! Thanks for stopping by...Esther xx

WOYWW - First DT projects

I was full of good intentions for today - I've got a few days off work and the plan was to be up bright and early to catch the beginning of the WOYWW list and then get on with the samples for my first Stamp Addicts Design Team job....but here I am at 12.30pm, having had a lie in, pottered around doing a bit of nothing wondering where the morning went! I am very excited though,  having been chosen to be on the Design Team for Stamp Addicts a couple of months ago I have been eagerly looking forward to my first job and it came in the shape of some beautiful stamps which will feature on a new show going out on Create and Craft on Jan 7th @2.00pm. (You can see a preview of the stamps here - they are gorgeous!) So my desk this week basically contains work in progress for that.

And below is a finished card - I created a background with the music score stamp by stamping in Bundled Sage Distress ink, clear embossing, then applying more Distress Inks over the top (pumice stone, peeled paint and Frayed burlap). I created the corner collage of images by stamping and masking - I stamped the bust first (is that Beethoven?), masked him, stamped the violin and piano keys over the top, masked both of them and stamped the music score over the whole lot. I then applied Distress inks before removing the masks. 

 

Although this wasn't made with challenges in mind, it does fit a couple so am going to enter it over at Allsorts - Anything Goes , Simon says Stamp and Show - Yesteryear and Sunday Stampers - music.

To join in with WOYWW just head over to The Stamping Ground, run by the delightful Julia and get snooping  sharing !

I hope eveyone had a great Christmas and wish you all a very Happy and Creative New Year, Esther xx