Spooky Tree

HI all - Now Halloween is not a theme I normally create for, but there are lots of Halloween challenges about and  I have this great skull stamp set from Stamp Addicts so I have been playing. I stamped the skull in Pumice stone Distress ink on the card blank, then added inky layers to an old book page with a tree stencil and spray inks - Dylusions and perfect pearls, which I then layered on brown and burgundy cardstock.

The gold embossed tree is also from Stamp Addicts and is actually part of a Christmas set, but I've added shrink plastic skulls instead of a Partridge and pears ! Here's a closer look - 

The letters are die cut and sponged with gold ink.

I'm sharing this card over at -

Creative Inspirations - Inspired by Halloween

Crazy 4 Challenges - Halloween

The Cupboard Trilogy - Halloween/Fall

Country View Challenges - Something Spooky

Ali-Craft – Halloween

This was different for me and I enjoyed creating our of my usual style – thanks for stopping by – Esther xx

Tims Tags - playing catch up!

I have a cold...thanks to my darling other half who kindly shared his! So what better way to rest and cheer myself up than a day of making Christmas tags Tim Holtz style (see his 12 tags of Christmas here)...now I'm way way behind and will not manage them all but I've finished the first five. So here they are - I've had to adapt them to use materials I have but have followed the technique instructions pretty much..

Tag 1 - WOYWWers may have seen this incomplete on my desk last weds..since then I made a little holly garland (so fiddly!) and added smoke and a ticket. This took my ages - I made everything from scratch as didn't have any of the dies or pre-made embellishments but was really fun to make. I'm going to enter this at The Artistic Stamper Creative Teams challenge blog. (Ooh..and a thankyou to The Artistic Stamper cos I won a prize for guessing the materials used to make their snowman, looking forward to Mr Postie arriving!)

 Tag 2  - I really like the colours on this one - going to enter it at Gingernsaps Creations in the Colour challenge which is vintage hues and Simon says Stamp and Show where the theme is 'Holiday Greeting'.

 (tag 3 was made earlier in the week and is posted here)..

 

Tag 4 -The paper on this tag is Crafty individuals, I didn't have a facet to use so made an oval from shrink plastic and did the alcohol ink technique on that instead which I think worked ok. The glitter flourishes at the bottom were made with crystals on Tims card but i'm too frugal to use that many on one piece so used white glitter instead, I think they look like little snowballs!  Going to enter this one into the Gingersnaps Creations Spicey Supply challenge.  

Tag 5 - I think this is my favourate - I love this stamp from Stampington and Company. Made the numbers from grunge and heat embossed with white EP and then clear UTEE.  I'm going to enter this one over at Lets Ink it Up - their Christmas theme has an added option of sparkle or bling and the stickles on the holly leaves here definately add sparkle!

Thanks for stopping by...Esther xx

More ATC's - this could be addictive!

 Today I have had a fabulous time creating my ATC's for the next Stamp Man swap - which this month is 'Take a Letter'. I'm really enjoying taking part  and had some lovely swaps drop through the letter box, I'd never made ATC's before 2 months ago and can see it being very addictive. I have literally taken the A T C letters -

I've used a letter on each one so that they are linked as a set but also stand alone individually because I've used a theme connected to the individual letter  (does that make sense - it's getting late?). The colours were inspired by The Play Date Cafe challenge #54 which are gorgeous as always. Each background was made the same way, stamping and embossing an image in clear then using distress inks on a craft mat, spritzed with water and  'smooshed' on to the ATC. The clear EP resists the DI leaving a white image. I made each letter using the technique from Tim Holtz's compendium that Linda has chosen for this weeks challenge over at Studio L3 - it's page 54 and that's all I can tell you.  Not sure I'm really happy with how the letters came out, I didn't have the right tools so had to improvise and not sure it worked like it should - not 'scratchy' enough!.  I used shrink plastic to make wings for the A and a tiny clock for T. I had real fun with these just making it up as I went along with my stash of E-bay BargainTim Holtz stamps.

I'm also going to enter these into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge - Shabby. I must admit I get a little confused by the different styles sometimes because they seem to overlap - where does grunge stop and shabby start ? Anyway - my ATC's are Tim Holtz inspired which is what this challenge site is all about so hopefully I'm not too far out. Here they individually -

A - Artist

T-Time

C - Creativity

Thanks for having a look - better get to bed or I'll be no good for anything tomorrow and there's a list of commissioned Christmas cards waiting !!  Esther xx 

Something a little different

Yipee..it's the weekend and I'm very excited. Firstly I have a week off work, secondly tomorrow I'm off to stay with my BFF and we're having a girly day of shopping on Monday and then Wednesday it's my birthday (and the start of Big Brother, sorry I am a fan)! But i'll still fit in a little crafting and I've been beavering away today too.  I haven't made any jewellery for a long time, but just fancied doing something a bit different...and here it is...  

The main pendant is made from black shrink plastic stamped with a beautiful image from the Oriental Flourishes set by Elusive Images. I used Opalite ink pads with a touch of gold round the edges, and also stamped with a text stamp after heating while the shrink was still soft to give just a little texture, though you can't see it very clearly on the pics. Now all I have to do is hit the clothes shops so I have something to wear it with - 0h and maybe a bag to match!