Rust, Denim and Dusty Butterflies

I made a decision this weekend – radical and scary...I MUST use some of my existing paper stash before I’m allowed to buy anymore!! Oh my…can I bear it?..I have a whole storage thingy full of 12x12 papers, bought for scrap-booking so long ago it’s now not really very in trend…so I am aiming to alter it and USE it!!! Then I can justify buying some more lovely stash to look at and stroke! So today I took 3 sheets – (I know 3 at once!), got out my inks, stamps and spray bottles and had a right messy old time. These are the papers I started with. Not very inspiring – but they were picked for the colours to match the theme at Gingersnaps Creations of Rust, Denim and Dust. After a bit of masking, spritzing, stamping, splodging and ripping here is what I ended up with. The Butterflies are Die cut in cream card and the baby wipe I used to clear up my inky mess.

Other Challenges -
The Written word -   The Three Muses
Something that Flies Charisma Cardz
Monochrome Plus one  The Artistic Stamper Creative Team.
Favourate Stamp (text stamp)  - Simon Says Stamp and Show

Bank Holiday Challenges

I love Bank Holiday Mondays!! That lovely feeling on a Sunday night when you know you haven’t got to get up in the morning, and waking up in the morning and remembering it’s a day off…and then knowing that you’ll only have to work four days..and then having loads more time to craft!! AND – I especially like it because it means I can enter Linda’s Grungy Monday Challenge over at Studio L3 actually on the day. This week Linda wants us to use Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, 2007, Day 10. And so, my card -

I have used this technique before and loved it…then forgotten about it and this is why I love the Grungy Monday challenge as it takes us back. I used it on the bottom panel of the card with Judikins Italian Script Stamp, then stamped again on some cream card which I’d coloured with Antique Linen Distress stains for the top half.

The flower I made myself (am going to put together  tutorial I think so won’t go into it now). As well as Studio L3, I’m going to enter this over at Simon Says Stamp and Show where they want us to use our favourate stamps. This is my all time fav background stamp so hope that counts. I’ve used ingredients from one of the Recipe Bingo lines over at The Stamp Man – Embossing Powder (in the Tim Technique), Ribbon and homemade background paper so am entering there too.  Finally I’m entering into the Sentiment challenge at Stamp Something.

Right off to make the dinner…thanks for visiting..and don’t forget the Craft-Room Challenge launches tomorrow!!  Esther xx

Trying to keep the summer going...

Oh My...we're off out tonight so I've got myself ready and am sitting here trying desperately to get this done before the taxi arrives, with wet nail varnish..not a good idea - but left it to the last minute again!  There seems to be lots of challenges about at the moment with a summer theme and so I though I'd keep my beach stamps out after my last effort and try and keep summer going a bit longer as the the rain falls outside!

The main stamp on this tag is from Rubadubadoo, and I've used Distress Embossing technique with Walnut Stain Embossing Powder. This can be found on P43 of Tim Holtz's Compendium Of Curiosities for Linda's challenge over at Studio L3. I had a bit of trouble with this one - find it difficult to tell when the embossing powder has melted, and so don't know if it looks like it should.  Before I stamped I used Tumbled Glass, Broken China and Faded Jeans distress inks on my craft mat with a spritz of water to smoosh some glossy card on. The tag itself is made the same way, but with Faded Jeans over the top to make it darker.

The embellishment I made by colouring some cheesecloth with Distress inks (again applying to craft mat, spritzing before wiping it up with the cheesecloth)  I then added a stamped shell, metal embellishment and stars from my stash along with a few pearls and some twine. 

I used the free sea shell stamp from Craft Stamper magazine to stamp on melted gold embossing powder (while still hot), cut out the 'On the Seashore' phrase and used a black pen to emphasise the lettering.  All in all I'm quite pleased with the result, but am going out with inky fingers...despite a shower and hairwash there's still a hint of Faded Jeans !! 

As well a Studio L3 challenge I'm entering this into -

Tag.You're it - By the Beach
Daring Cardmakers - We are Sailing
Sunday Stampers - Song Sung Blue
Sir Stampalot - lazy hazy days of summer
The Stamp Man - Anything Goes