New PaperArtsy stamps

Second post today!
I have just received the new stamps from PaperArtsy, and thought that the "bird" theme at Sunday Stampers was the perfect opportunity to "break them in" so I made this card. I have used a colour of flowersoft that I bought this week, Summer. I have four pots of flower soft now, where will it stop? The grass is stamped with the two new shades of green ditress ink



I also bought these papermania bare boxes this week and decided to also use the PaperArtsy stamps to decorate one of these. I have made the flower using one of the stamps on brown wrapping paper four times. I have coloured the bare box by dragging a tattered rose ink pad accross it.

Time for Tea

The theme at sunday postcard art is "Time for Tea". I knew straight away that I wanted to use this new Mabel Lucie Atwell stamp of the mad hatters tea party from the artistic stamper. The gingham bunting is made with the gingham background stamp from the artistic stamper, but I hand drew the triangles (that's about the extent of my drawing capabilties- dodgy triangles!!).
I have edged the card with tumbled glass distress ink, and decoupaged the bunting and teapot.

The effect of the scratching is where I tried to remove some stray ink, but I liked it so I added some more, lol

Pink, green and flowers

that's the theme at the secret crafter challenge, So I thought I would enter this card which is actually for next weeks forever friends challenge, which is "spring"
At the forever friends blog we will be having a design team call, so if you are interested don't forget to visit on monday.

All the papers for this card are by basic grey and the card is finished with spring flower soft.

simple notelet on the frantic stamper blog

I made this notelet using a really simple masking technique and distress inks, for a card in a hurry.
The instructions are on the frantic stamper blog. I also made one in different colours to show how a completely different mood can be achieved.

All mine!!

I thought this week's stampotique challenge was indeed challenging, the theme is easter and it's stampotique stamps only. I have 4 stampotique stamps and none of them seemed particularly eastery, but I am not beaten easily.
When I saw the theme thursday theme of 2"x4" I was further intrigued....
could I combine these two challenges?

I love this little guy's smiel and thought that it would be the kind of smile you would have if you were surrounded by easter eggs.

The papers are all basic grey, the eggs are punched, the sentiment is done on the computer and the little guys background is done using two of the new distress inks, spun sugar and bundled sage.

Mixed Media Monday: vintage children

I love the theme at MMM this week I could use vintage images of children all day long... but I decided to go a little bit different. I have just received the new Mabel Lucie Atwell Alice in Wonderland images from The Artistic Stamper. I decided to make a book mark (seemed appropriate) and used bits of pages from an actual copy of the book. I have also used the new large lace background from the artistic stamper I have edged the main image and stamped the lace with one of the new distress colours, tumbled glass.
I love all alice images but I like these ones from the 1920's version of the book as they are just a little bit different.

(Just to clarify, I don't have this book, was just showing a picture of it in casw anyone was not familiar with mabel lucie atwell's Alice drawings)

forever friends sketch challenge

We are halfway through the fortnightly challenge at the forever friends blog, and this is the card I made for the current sketch challenge.

Spiffing Birthday

We are celebrating my son's birthday today and this is the card I made for him. There is a private joke in it. He has worn glasses since he was three, but when he recently had his eyes checked we found one of his eyes had returned to normal vision. He has just started to wear contact lenses so only has to wear one. I did suggest he get a monocle, to which he replied "spiffing"....
The stamps are by Inka, available from Scrolls Work.

more lace stamping

I love the new lace stamps from the artistic stamper, I have used the smaller background lace here to make a flower by stamping the flower onto the stamped lace and cutting it out.
They have just released another bigger lace background which I now how, that should be really useful.

All of the other stamps are also by the artistic stamper as is the gem.

simple scrolls work card

I got this gorgeous new photostamp from Scrolls work stamps yesterday. She's called Emma. I have used here along with Inka stamps which are all available from Scrolls Work.

Party Animal

The theme at this week's mixed media monday is Party Animals, so I have made this Party cat using stamps from PaperArtsy. The banner at the top is made from the same hat stamp that the cat is wearing.

easter egg easel card

I have made this piece for the frantic stamper blog, where I have recently joined the design team.

I love easel cards and was curious to see if an egg shapped easel would work, as I had received the springtime swirls stamps in my DT package.

tag tuesday : Arch

When I saw the theme at Tag tuesday was "arch" I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use this most famous of arches, the Arc de Triomphe. I was sent this stamp as part of a DT parcel from The Frantic Stamper. I have also used other stamps and accesories available from the Frantic Stamper on this Tag.

gingersnap frosting challenge and another pair of slippers

This week at Gingersnap creations the challenge is Frosting. I decided to use some flower soft to decorate my serendipity cupcake and also some stickles glitter glue to decorate the cherry and the lettering.



Here's another pair of my crochet slippers, I have made these for my mum for mothers day using Wendy Skye DK (shade: violet) this took just over one 50g ball so I have most of a ball still to play with.

Spring has sprung: stampotique challenge

The Stampotique challenge this week is "spring has sprung", but we don't have to use stampotique for this one.
I have used a stampotique stamp as my main image, but have also used a stampendous stamp for the words, and the blades of grass are a paper artsy stamp. I have coloured the image with whispers markers and edgde the image with the new crushed olive distress ink. I have also used the new Wild honey distress ink on the torn bit at the bottom of the tag.
If you look carefully I have also used some lovely flower soft sprinkled around her feet.

more new distress ink..

This time Barn Door, more of a true red than fired brick I think.
All the stamps and Ink are from The Artistic Stamper. And this is another of the new lace stamps.

Crochet Slippers

I used the techniques I learned from this pattern and this pattern, to devise my own pattern for crochet slippers which can be made with any thickness of yarn for any size foot, using only an outline of the person's foot and no measurements (but quite a few stitch counts and calculations.)

Here are the basic instructions. (in British Stitches)
Draw around your foot, mark the length, the width and an approximate third of the length. (this can be done "by eye": no need for accuracy)

Chain a short length of stitches, approx the width of the first two toes (I started with 9)
3dc in 2nd chain from hook, dc accross remaining chains, 3 dc in last chain, turn to go down the other side of the starting chain, and into first of 3dc. 3 dc into middle stitch of previous end 3dc. Continue working in this oval, doing 3 dc into each end of the oval, until the width of the piece is the same as the width of the foot, ensuring that you are at the end of a round (ie the same no of rows at each side)

at this point count the no of rounds and the no of stitches, and WRITE THEM DOWN. Decide how many stitches are in the final end shaping (either 1 or 2, by making sure you finish with an even no of stitches).

continue to dc in rounds until the length of the piece is a third of the length of the foot. (ending with a complete round) (note the number of rounds)

now, lie the slipper flat and decide where the edges are, as you have been working in rounds, there is a tendency for the piece to twist and you need to allow for this, make sure your stitches end where you new "edge" is.

now for some calculation. take the no of stiches you have and half it (call this a) now take a and divide it by 4, round this up or down to the nearest whole number (call this b)

now continuing in the same direction dc b number of stitches, chain one and turn (ch does not count as stitch) dc (a + 2b) stitches (this will be roughly three quarters of the total stitch count.


* example: I had 38 stitches in my round. 38/2 = 19, and 19/4 = 5 (rounded up to nearest whole number) I crocheted an extra 5 stitches, turned and crocheted 29 stitches.*

continue to work straight on these stitches until the slipper is the length of the foot if you stretch the slipper slightly. (note the number of rows)

dc halfway across row, fold right sides together, then without breaking the yarn, slip stich the ends together to form the heel.

still with the yarn unbroken, dc evenly around the opening of the slipper, dc3 together at each of the front corners .
repeat this round twice more.
finish with a round of reverse double crochet (rope stitch, crab stitch) with no shaping, join at back with a slip stitch, break yarn and sew in ends (you will only have a start and a finish end).

decorate with a simple flower.

chain 5, join ends with slip sticth chain 6, dc into ring 10 times. finishing with a slip stitch, attach to slipper.


now use all the calculations and counts you HAVE written down to make a second slipper exacly the same.

New distress inks

The theme today at lots to do is distress, as luck would have it I took delivery of six of the new distress inks today from the artistic stamper, so I had to have a play. I have made this tag easel card using 3 of the new colours: stormy sky; pumice stone and crushed olive. All the stamps are also by the artistic stamper including the new lace stamp. (no that's not real lace, it's a stamp, realistic isn't it?)

gingersnap challenge: celebrate

The theme at this weeks Gingersnap challenge is celebrate. What better way to celebrate than with a bottle of bubbly and what better way to decorate a bottle of bubbly than with a stamped tag. The celebrate word (VAP) is done with red glitter embossing powder and I have edged the k&co paper with stickles glitter. The main stamp is by Inkadinkado.

There is also a design team call at Gingersnap. The details are here.

Why I will probably never knit another pair of socks....

because now I know how to crochet them!!

This is my first ever pair of crocheted socks, so obviously they are not perfect. (in fact they don't actually even match, but I know what I'm doing with them now)

I got the instructions from here.

How are they better than knitted? They are quicker, easier and I am alot less likely to poke myself in the eye than when I am using dpns.

The yarn is really cheap pink sparkly stuff, a bit tacky I suppose, but I like it, it's fun and you can get away with that for socks.

forever friends and some more knitting

This week at the forever friends challenge we have a photo inspiration.

The photo reminded me of this yarn which I still hads loads left off, so I used it to finish a tag.

Of course, that didn't use much up, but I had a cunning plan....
I have made 3 more skinny scarves to sell at the mothers day secrets room at my son's school.

and that's it! all the yarn has finally gone, but I did pick up 3 large balls of sparkly pink wool the other day, so the story starts all over again...

oops I forgot to blog this one!!

This is a piece I made for the lace/fibres challenge for the gingersnap challenge, it's okay the challenge still runs until the 7th march.
The stamps are Artistic Stamper, as are the gems