Mixed Media Halloween

Now I don't do Halloween - but as those who saw my post last weekend will know I am determined to use the Mixed Media projects in Craft stamper magazine to develop my techniques for card making and Art Journalling as I don't make altered or 3D objects very often. So because there are several Halloween themed challenges about at the moment I double challenged myself and chose the Curious Apothecary feature by Louise Crosby in Novembers issue for my inspiration. Here is the card I made -

I got so engrossed in this I forgot to take step by step photos - but I started by applying crackle paste coloured with acrylic paint through Tim Holtz Gothic stencil onto black card, once dry I added touches of treasure gold. While that was drying I rooted through my stamps and cutting dies for anything that looked remotely gothic/Halloweeny. I was surprised by how many things I had that I could adapt considering I don't ever make Halloween projects.    

The bottles at each end are Tim Holtz die cuts - I've cut them twice each, once on card coloured with distress inks and again in acetate stamped with a PaperArtsy numbers stamp. I then sandwiched Stickles glitter glue between one pair and bead gel coloured with alcohol ink between the other two. The bottle of 'blood' is a sizzix die cut and the feather 'quill'  a Craft Stamper freebie. 

The jar of frogs eyes are stamped eyes sandwiched between stamped (Artistic Stamper) jars - one is stamped and embossed on a layer of acetate coloured with alcohol ink and the other behind it is on white card. 

The skull is a Stamp Addicts stamp and the wings another Craft Stamper Freebie - I've added big blobs of diamond Stickles to the eye sockets. My Halloween card is by no means anywhere near as spectacular as Louise Crosbie's amazing Apothecary, but I  had an amazing time creating it (not sure my other half was so impressed though as dinner was an hour late).

I'm sharing my card here -

Craft Stamper - Take it Make it technique challenge
Mixed Media Monthly - Spooky Word search (Skull)

Mixed Media Mojo - Halloween (optional - Wings)
Our Creative Corner - Horror
Stamps and Stencils - Make it 3D

Thanks for stopping by - Happy Crafting....Esther xx

Craft Room Punches and Die cuts

Hello - I really enjoyed all the hand made flowers you've shared with us at The Craft Room Challenge over the last two weeks, as always it's going to be tricky to choose our favourites. This fortnight it is Nikki's turn to challenge us and she's asked us to use our die cuts and punches.  My contribution was inspired by one of Tim Holtz's 12 tags of Christmas.   

I've used Glassine paper which I've scrumpled, inked with picket fence distress stain ( I've wiped over with a damp cloth to remove some of it) then stamped on, before adding a Tim Holtz elegant flourish die cut, Sizzix Holly leaves die cut and a sentiment on layered Nesties. A net adn ribbon bow and my favourite Martha Stewart Snowflake punch finished off.

Now it's your turn to show us what you can do with your die cuts and punches.

To be eligible for the Random draw and a chance to win £10 to spend at Craft-Room remember to display the shop logo and a link to the Craft-Room shop in your side bar.  We also have Blog Candy, click on the Indigo Blu plate on my sidebar to find out more.

As always I look forward to visiting you...Esther xx

.....and back to Christmas

Hello - where has the weekend gone ? I've spent two lovely days in my spare room making Christmas cards and I can't believe it's sunday evening.  So here are a couple of the cards I've made -

This is the first time I've used this cute Lily of the Valley stamp and have coloured it with Pro-markers. I love this stamp but don't often do cute cards because I really struggle with knowing what to do once I've got the coloured image. In the end I've used the leaf detail from the image as inspiration to decorate the rest of the card using a sizzix holly die and a free leaf stamp from Craft Stamper mag. The swirl is a Marianne design die. I'm sharing this card at  -

Passion for Pro-markers - Christmas Critters

Winter Wonderland - Robin Redbreast

Anything Goes - Die cuts/punches

Stamptacular Sunday - You Choose

My second card is quite different - I started by stamping a background of blue snowflakes then stamped white stazon snowflakes on a piece of acetate which I layered over the top.  The sentiment isn't very clear on the pic, it says 'Let it Snow' and is a Penny Black stamp. I've cut it with my nesties and added some lace, ribbon, die cut snowflakes and crystals. I'm sharing this at -

Crafty Ribbons - Ribbon and lace

The Friday Mash up - Snowflakes

Totally Papercraft - Use acetate

I hope you've all enjoyed the weekend, thanks for stopping by...Esther xx

Vintage santa

As you can see I'm still working on Christmas - this time using my new LeBlanche Santa stamp. I've been looking for a Santa stamp for a few years but hadn't been able to find one I really liked - until now. I love this and can tell I'll be using it lots. I've stamped him onto Manila cardstock with black archival and added Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany Distress inks. I've only used the centre part of the stamp - the full image has a very pretty frame but for this I just wanted Santa with a bit of the background.I used cosmic shimmer paint to add white to his beard. 

I've made the background by stamping a message in Fired brick and embossing in clear, then overstamping with a Stamp Addicts script stamp.  I've then used a Stamp Addicts circle greeting stamp as well. This was inspired by 'Just us Girls'  where the challenge is to create a collaged text only background or focal point for our project. 

I wanted to add lace because I thought it went with the lacey effect on the stamp, but I only had white which was far to bright and non-vintagy so I coloured it with Aged Mahogany DI and added a strip of gold ribbon, die cut and layered a poinsettia and finished off with some swirls and a Tim Holtz adage ticket.

I'm sharing this in the following challenges -

Just us Girls - 'Text Me'

Winter Wonderland - 'Santa'

Just for fun - Vintage

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Secret Crafter - Inspired by a song 'Santa Claus is coming to town'

Charisma Cardz - Inspired by a song 'Santa Claus is coming to town'

Crafty Ribbons - Festive cheer in September

Allsorts - Flowers and swirls

Stamp Something - Anything Goes

Fashoinable Stamping - Ribbon and Lace

 Hope you're enjoying the weekend....thanks for stopping by and welcome to my new followers who have joined me recently  -  Esther xx

Craft-Room Challenge - Home decor

Hello...happy Tuesday, must be time for a new Craft-room challenge and this week Maria has chosen home decor as our theme. She says she loves seeing hand made items and altered bits and pieces as they seem to give a place lots of character and individuality.  Maria has told us our creations could be anything from something for your wall or around the home, to giving a new lease of life to old furniture, to absolutely anything at all for the home! Use whatever you like - ink, paint, fabric, etc.

I found this one tricky as I don't tend to do much crafting that isn't paper based - but ended up altering a plain wooden photo frame I'd had for ages.

I painted with Gesso to provide a base and then added old paper crackle paint, I only applied a thin layer so the crackles don't really show up much here. I rubbed some Walnut Stain distress ink over the dried paint and randomly stamped some dots. I then decorated with grunge paper flowers (Tim Holtz tattered florals die) and some flourishes. For the top corner I stamped a crafty individuals stamp onto tissue paper, glued it onto some card and then glued some white net behind on one side as a frill. I also added some crafty individuals birds and bees to the frame.

I'm going to indulge in a little sentiment now because there's a reason I used the net. It's from my very first ballet tutu  - I was about 5 ! The photo in the frame is of my grandma who encouraged my mum to dance and who as a result took me off to ballet classes as soon as I was old enough ! Apparently I cried all the way through my first lesson but carried on till I was into my late twenties and loved it - thanks Grandma.

I'm going to hang my picture frame in my lounge - I planned the colours to co-ordinate, now it's your turn - please share your home makes with us.  Remember, to be eligible for the Random draw and a chance to win £10 to spend at Craft-Room we ask you to display the shop logo with a  link to the shop site in your side bar.

I'm sharing my frame at these challenges -

Totally Papercraft - Not a card
Crafty individuals - Hanging about
Sir Stampalot - It's a Frame up
Just for fun  - Words
Moving along with times - Handmade Flowers

Have fun...look forward to seeing what you create! Esther xx

School Days

Hi - I'm enjoying having an extra day off thanks to a bank holiday even if the weather isn't that great! Been playing with my pro-markers, watching some tutorials and practicing my colouring and I'm quite pleased with the result - feel like I'm making progress!  There are loads of back to school challenges about and it's not a theme I'd usually do, but I fancied trying something different. I don't have anything specifically suited to this theme so had to adapt a little - I coloured Tilda who is actually holding a butterfly, but made an apple for her to hold instead - which has glossy accents on but it doesn't really show up.

I didn't have anything school like for her to sit on so drew some books freehand under the stamped image and coloured.  I've used the sketch from a new challenge I came across this week - Friday Mash Up, who have the added option of using dry embossing. As you can see I've used two embossing folders on some paper for the background layers - I bought these a while ago as they were on offer and they've sat on the shelf untouched since! I think this qualifies for the challenge at Just Add Ink where the challenge is to use something from our stash we've had for ages and never used. You can really see the texture in this pic-

Other Challenges -

Allsorts - Back to school

My time to Craft - Girls

Passion for Pro-markers - No Patterned paper

Stamp Something - Back to school

Totally Papercraft - Back to school

Thanks for stopping by...Have a good week - Esther x

The Colours of summer

Despite planning to spend time making Christmas cards I got distracted by a few of the challenges around and ended up altering a notebook with some very hot sunny colours –

After a coating of Spun Sugar Distress stain I used a Tim Holtz mask and Distress inks on the background paper – moving the mask and layering the colours till I was happy. My intention was then to add a few delicate sprays of Cosmic Shimmer (Lava Red) but thanks to a clogged nozzle ended up with blobs – I decided they looked like ink splots though which fits so I didn’t have too much of a paddy!   I stamped over with Judikins Italian script stamp (love this stamp!) .

Then used baby wipes I had mopped up my ink with to make flowers (with the help of the Tattered Floral Die), added a Nestie label, some tissue tape and glassine paper flourishes and there we have it. Trouble is once I’ve altered a notebook I don’t like to use it so this will probably join a couple of others on the shelf looking pretty !

I’m entering this at -

Paper Take Weekly – grow your own flowers
The Stamp Man – Summer Colours
Allsorts – anything but a card
Just Us Girls – Alter a Notebook
Gingersnaps Spicy Supply – Baby Wipes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Make your own flowers
Paper creations ink - Show us your flowers

Right then – where are those snowman stamps….xx

Summer at last…

Well after moaning about the the gloomy weather last week it’s been a glorious week –if a little tooo hot on Monday, the cooler but still sunny days since have been very welcome. It’s prompted me to bring out my bright summery inks which I’ve used with some brand new Waltzing Mouse stamps. They have a sketch challenge which I’ve used as a starting point for my card.

After the success of my rosettes here I’ve stuck with them for this one also and made a sunshiny card adding some ribbon  for ‘rays’ and some gems for sparkle. These are colours I don’t commonly use so I enjoyed trying something different. I hope you’re enjoying the sun too – fingers crossed it lasts for the weekend! There are lots of summery challenges about so here are the few I’m entering this into -

Allsorts – Lemon and Lime

Daring Cardmakers – something old (ribbon), Something New (stamps)

Waltzing Mouse  - Sketch Challenge

Crafter Companion – Here comes Summer

Moving Along With the Times – Here comes the Summer Sun

Thanks for stopping by…Esther xx

Summer Birthdays at Craft-Room

Wow – we’ve made it to challenge three already over at Craft-Room ! Thanks so much to all who’ve been playing along. Our next challenge was set by Mervi – who , like me has a summer birthday, so chose this as our theme.      I decided to make some bunting as my DT sample – it always makes me think of summer fetes and garden parties! Armed with some pastel paper and my die cutting machine this is what I did -

I really struggled to get good pics because, unlike our theme there is nothing summery about the weather here and everywhere is a bit gloomy…still hopefully you get the idea. 

I stitched the edges of the bunting and stamped some text for detail, then added die cut shapes, glitter and sequins  (notice the ‘deliberate’ mistake - I added the sequins after taking these individual pics as I thought it needed a little ‘something’) .

So, I hope you find some summery inspiration and join in with our challenge – I look forward to browsing and hopefully all your projects will cheer us up despite the cloudy weather.  Edited To Add - since writing this post the weather has been the hotest we've had in a long time, should be careful what I wish for!

I’m entering my Bunting into challenges at -

Totally Papercraft – spots and stripes (on the balloons)

Crafters Companion – Here comes Summer

Sister-in-law Card

 Well here are some better pics of the card that was on my desk this morning...it's now packaged ready to go to the person who ordered it, but I took some snaps before I got it ready so I could enter it into a couple of challenges and share it on here as I was rather happy with it (if I do say so myself!).  The request was for a 40th birthday card for a sister-in-law, theme of shoes/bags, colours white and silver and NO FLOWERS!..that's right NO FLOWERS...can't remember the last time I made a card with no flowers on at all..there's usually at least one blossom somewhere, so this was a bit of a challenge for me..and here is the result....

The stamp is an an oldie but a goodie..Hero Arts - Vintage Shoes which I just love and the bag is from Funstamps, I've lined the envelope with paper multi stamped with the shoes and stamped the bag over the envelope opening. I used die cut flourishes (Tim Holtz die), computer generated the message and added a touch of bling to the silver embossed bag (I'd quite like a bag like that myself!).

Challenges are - Lets inks it up - Die cuts/punches

Allsorts - For a Special Lady (sister-in-law)

Stamptacular Sunday - No kids allowed - Birthday

Thanks for visiting, off to find my bed after a very long day! Esther xx