Reasons to stamp in August

looking for some inspiration for August? then pop over to the gingersnap blog where the design team have provided samples for every occasion or inspiration there is for August.
I chose to make a sample for Clown week (all stamps from Scrolls Work stamps)


and Cupcake day (cupcake stamp from serendipity stamps) decorated in what I like to think of as a Cath Kidston style.

September craft stamper sneak peeks

The new issue of craft stamper is out next Friday, but I received my subs copy today.
This month I have taken part in the Stamping Contrasts challenge using stamps from Jo's range of stamps from Stampotique, provided by Happy Daze.
I chose to decorate a candle holder and a napkin ring.

My new nail art blog

I have decided to open up a new blog to put my pictures of my nail art on. Mostly because I know how annoying it can be when you like a blog and they suddenly start prattling on about something you have no interest in.
so if you want to continue viewing my nail art, you can find it here
or the link is in my sidebar

Holiday happenings

The gingersnap creations blog is currently running a challenge to make christmas cards along a number of outdoor related themes.
I decided to make this tag using a stamp from the frantic stamper's own range of stamps

I'm also sneaking in a bit more nail art. Toe nails this time.

forever friends notebook

This week at the forever friends challenge we challenge you to make a notebook using your forever friends images. The design team were each sent some messy rabbit town house and town house extra stamps from Joanna Sheen.

I used these along side my forever friends stamp to make this notebook, (containing a pad of post it notes) that I thought would make a nice new home gift instead of a card.

Climbing Wall Cake and some nail art.

A bit of an interesting combination you might think, but I thought it might be a good idea to put my non-stamping items all in one post.
My son is having a climbing wall party today and I promised him that I would "try" to make him a climbing wall cake...
it was going to have a person on it as well, but my roll out icing was just too soft and looked awful, so I decided to just go for the wall.
In case you are interested in making one for yourself (?!?)
I used 3 madeira slices from Asda, and stacked them end on with buttercream and jam in between, I used a packet of asda ready to roll white icing, added some black food colouring, then kneaded it until I had a rock like pattern. then I rolled it out into a random shape. and dumped it onto the cake (which I had painted with warmed apricot jam). I then just made it fit. I wanted it random to look like rocks. I made some more rocks from ready to roll icing (I had to open a second pack) for the candles, and decorated with Skittles, tutti-fruttis and strawberry laces.
This is the first fondant decorated cake I have made since leaving school and I'm quite pleased with it.

now on to the nail art. I recently bought myself a konad nail stamping set and a couple of extra plates, and I can't stop playing. these are a couple of my recent attempts. (My nails are really short as I have to wear them that way for work (and I am not allowed to wear nail varnish to work so I get to re-do my nails twice a week!!)

Gingersnap challenge: Sunshine

Well after the last few days of miserable weather I would welcome a bit of sunshine, but maybe I'll have to settle for this card for now. The gingersnap theme this week is Sunshine and I made this card with some really simple masking, inking and stamping techniques. The inks are distress inks for the colour and the fabulous stamps are from the new HotPicks range at PaperArtsy. I have used both Hotpick 6 and Hotpick 7 for this card.

how to make a pillow box without a template..

On the frantic stamper blog today I have a tutorial for making a pillow box using just a circular object to draw around (I used a roll of tape)
I hope you like it, don't forget to leave a comment over there as there is a prize for one commenter a month.

One post or three?

Sometimes when I have lots of things to blog, I don't know whether to split it up into individual posts for each item or whether to just go all out in one long post.

Today, I decided to go for the one long post.
First I will start with the Stampotique Challenge, where the theme is Christmas in July. I didn't think I had any Christmas-sy stamps from Stampotique, but then I remembered the legend of the Christmas spider, a story I have had a fascination with for a long time. You can read about it here.
So I decided to use Mr Stripes and make a simple tinselly card that fits with the legend.
Stampotique stamps are available from Happy Daze in the UK.

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Today I also have this simple cupcake card for a young boy featured on the Frantic Stamper blog, please visit and leave a comment as this month there is a prize again for a comment picked at random from a random post. it was a great prize last month so don't miss out. All the instructions, stamp credit etc are there.

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Also from the frantic stamper is this Apple stamp from The Frantic Stamper's own range of stamps, I made this for the Marker challenge at Gingersnap Challenge as I have coloured the apples by blending whispers markers. This card will also be featured on the frantic stamper blog at a future date.

TMTA Ravens

The theme at think monday think ATC is ravens
so here's my raven ATC.
Simple as.

All stamps are by Scrolls Work

"something completely different.."

It's the first time I've taken part in the "something completely different" challenge, but this week you have to make a tag with the theme "are you sitting comfortably?" and I thought that this chair stamp from Scrolls Work was perfect. The background words and sequence waste stamps are also from Scrolls Work.

Forever friends sketch challenge

This week we are being sponsored by I am Roses again for our sketch challenge. The gorgeous flowers on this card were provided by I am Roses, and there is a gorgeous collection to win.
visit the forever friends challenge for more information

basic nail art

a slight deviation from my normal blogging, but I just wanted to share my latest "thing".
I recently had a lovely pedicure, where I had some gems put on my toenails, and as a crafter the whole time I was thinking, "I could do that!" , especially when I was charged 20p per gem, and I had 18!!
So I immediately ordered some gems and started playing.
I was browsing various sites today looking for more ideas of ways to position the gems, when I hit upon the most useful information about painting designs on nails. Use acrylic paint! on top of your nail varnish of course.
I am never short of acrylic paint so I immediately had to play. This very simple design is simply six dots of acrylic paint applied with a fine brush and one gem in the centre (attached with a small amount of top coat). The whole thing is then protected with a top coat.
The main nail varnish is just a cheap rimmel one.

hedgehog party!

Today on the Frantic Stamper Blog I have this card featured. it's a really simple card, using a fistars texture plate, basic grey paper and penny black stamps. There are full instructions on the frantic stamper blog, along with step by step pictures. (why not pop over and say hi over there?)

I am entering this for theme thursday where the theme is animals

Gone Fishin'

Well you might have thought I had with my lack of blogging this week, but that's actually the theme at this weeks Wednesday Stamper.
I made this card using Water babe from Scrolls Work stamps, coloured with whispers markers. The K&co paper I ripped to create the waves actually has fish on it too, but you probably can't tell. I have mounted this on a small plasma card (cut from a larger one) about 2.25" x 4"

one of my more odd posts!!

Okay I guess I need to explain this one a bit. For the past few years the village where I live has held a scarecrow hunt. The theme this year is books, so this is my model of James and the Giant Peach. For a laugh (!?!) I decided to crochet my model of James, I didn't use a pattern, I just made him up as I went along. The peach is a giant beach ball covered in fabric with extra stuffing, and a knitted leaf.

The models are dotted round the village in people's garden, which they very generously let us do, to raise money for the primary school. I have made this little card as a thank you to the person who is allowing James and his peach into their garden. I love these Rose Garden Papers, and with the touch of red ribbon I think this very simple card has a "cath kidston"esque touch