November Craft Stamper Sneak peeks

The new subscription copies of craft stamper has landed. I have a stamping contrast and a short article in it.
The stamping contrast was using stamps from stempelglede. The pictures in the mag don't really show how glittery my pieces are. I guess it's really hard to show without close ups and funny angles

The short article is about using number stamps

I used stamps from Banana Frog

glitter... it's like gold dust!

literally, not figuratively!! it's dusty and it's gold.

The theme at Keep it simple (where I made the top three last week, whahhooooo!) is gold dust. I decided to use fine gold glitter. I don't use loose glitter very often, and now I remember why, lol. it's everywhere!! And, it's so hard to photograph!

I decided to make an acetate card. The stamps are all by scrolls work. I don't know if you can easily tell the gold stars are stuck inside the card.

Holiday Happenings: trees, trees, trees

It's the 25th of the month, so it's time for Holiday Happenings again at Gingersnap Creations. This month the focus is on trees, so I used this stamp I recently got from the Frantic Stamper to make this card, using papers (basic grey) and ribbon that I also got from the frantic stamper.

I highlighted the image with sepia accents. I also made the black "gems" by punching circles of black card and add sepia accents.

easy holly christmas tree

I have made this ridiculously easy card for the winter wonderland "holly Challenge" but then I realised that it will also fit One Layer Wednesday's nature challenge.

I have made this card using masking techniques and a holly stamp from the frantic stamper's own range. This card will appear as a tutorial on the frantic stamper blog, but here's a quick peek at how I did the red "berries"

Wednesday Challenges

Three of my favourite challenges are all on a wednesday, and I couldn't decide which one to go for so I decided to do all three, but for once I haven't combined them I've done a piece for each one.

First of all: Stampotique, where the challenge is "vintage" I hope that this is "vintagey" enough.
All the stamps are stampotique and available from Happy Daze. I have used Jo's Abstract foliage, long splatter and old english Hallowe'en, alongside smile

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Secondly: Wednesday Stamper. Theme: steampunk. Stamps: Scrolls Work . Available from Scrolls Work and Happy Daze.

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Third: One Layer Wednesday: Theme: Nature. Stamps: The frantic stamper's own range (solid square and sunflower).

Forever friends sketch challenge sponsored by Joanna Sheen

Pop over to The Forever Friends challenge to see the sketch we have given you for the new challenge. Sponsored by Joanna Sheen, there is the opportunity to win a £10 voucher.

Some of the Design team were sent a Messy Rabbit CD Rom. I used backing papers, greeting and embellishments from the CD alongside my forever friends image. Basically everything except the bear is from the CD Rom

Keep it Simple

I've had my eye on the Keep it simple challenge blog for a couple of weeks, and thought it was about time I entered. The theme this week is "bling it" so I decided to add a single blingy flower to this card. The stamps are by Scrolls Work and I think they work perfectly together.

chilly in blue

I loved making my chilly card so much earlier this week, that I have decided that it may well be my "batch Christmas make" (well one of them at least). But at the moment I don't have much Kraft card so I was curious to how it would turn out on other colours.
So here it is on a teal blue.

The stamp is "chilly" from Jo Capper-Sandon's new range from Stampotique available from Happy Daze.

so I guess I'll enter this one for WinterWonderland's monochromatic challenge! I hope they don't mind me entering practically the same card!!!

gingersnap challenge: inchies

The challenge at Gingersnap creations is "inchies" I made this simple card topped with an inchie. All of the stamps are from Crafty Individuals

It's starting to feel a lot like autumn..

..although I have no idea what happened to summer.

The theme at One layer Wednesday this week is 3 plus 1, i.e. 3 stamped images and one sentiment. I was really struggling with this one, when these leaves arrived in the post from Scrolls Work stamps today, and then I knew instantly what to do. The sentiment is also from Scrolls Work

I am also entering this for this week's theme thursday challenge "Autumn"

The leaves are stamped in the distress ink colours, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Barn Door. I love this colour combo!

"scarily" easy Hallowe'en party favour.

I was so excited when I found out that Jo had designed a Hallowe'en stamp (with the apostrophe) for Stampotique.
I've had a bit of a thing about how the apostrophe seemed to suddenly disappear in the UK, and it seemed such a shame. Yes, I know that English is an ever evolving language and I don't expect people to go around writing 'bus or 'phone, but come on.... Hallowe'en.. doesn't it just look cooler with the apostrophe? Somehow spookier and more ancient? which after all is what Hallowe'en is all about.
So come celebrate All Hallows' eve with me - grab a party favour.... and let's get spooky..

These were so easy to make just a cone of black paper. A strip of orange stamped with another of Jo's stamps, abstract Foliage. The spider is Mr stripes, also from stampotique. I punched some holes, hung with black raffia, and added sweets topped with scrunched black tissue paper.
Jo's stamps and other selected Stampotique Stamps are available from Happy Daze in the UK

brrrr.. it's Chilly

The challenge at Winter Wonderland is One Layer Cards. I have a real thing for one layers at the moment, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to play with Chilly from Jo Capper-Sandon's brand new range from stampotique, available from Happy Daze in the U.K.
I have made this so simply by stamping in vintage sepia versafine onto Kraft card and colouring with colour soft pencils. I added an embossed snowflake and that was it. A 5 minute card, that actually did only take 5 minutes!

crazy amigos: Cars

Here's a quick "clean collage" for the crazy amigos challenge All of the products used are by PaperArtsy, all of the stamps the die to cut the flower, the papers and even the ribbon.

OLW and stampotique

I am combining this weeks One Layer Wednesday and Stampotique Challenges to make this really simple card.

One Layer Wednesday's Challenge is to make a one layer card (obviously) using black and white and a touch of another colour. Stampotique's challenge is "happy Birthday" is it cheating to just put a happy birthday stamp on and enter it?? well at least I did use a stampotique stamp: Moon girl.

Gingersnap Challenge: Punches

A nice easy theme at gingersnap this week, punches. For my card I have used a martha stewart border punch and an x-cut flower punch. I have made the flowers using this tutorial from Joanne at mainly flowers. it's a brilliant way to make punched flowers look good.
The stamp and papers are by Papermania. The stamp is from a new range of vintage images. I loved this girl on a swing and knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. When I was young we used to have a swing and I spent half my life just sat there.

up, up and away...

...in my beautiful, my beautiful balloooooooon.


I needed a quick card for a male birthday (yes it's today and I had forgotten)
I decided to make this as the person it is for has indeed been on a balloon ride, and anyway who doesn't like the idea of hot-air balloons?

I made the background using my article in craft stamper magazine, but using tumbled glass, stormy sky and chipped sapphire inks, then over stamping Great grandfathers letter (0504-Q ) from the frantic stamper in stormy sky. I then stamped the Med balloon(116-03-1) also from the frantic stamper over the top with black ink and again onto patterned paper which I cut out and mounted on 3D foam

I am entering this for Papertake Weekly's "just the one challenge" as I have only used blue
and secret crafter's Clean and simple challenge

Gingersnap holiday happenings: Lights

I love these theme at Gingersnap where we have to make christmas cards to a theme. the current theme is holiday lights. I just got this stamp(snow girl 6701-P) from The Frantic Stamper's own range and thought it would be just perfect.
I made two cards, I actually much prefer the simpler card. I just used ranger puff embossing powder and a frantic stamper holly stamp(6711-H) on the base card, and then simply 3D mounted the stamped image which has been coloured with yellow pencil to emphasise the light.

The second card has had the image coloured in exactly the same way, but I have mounted it onto gold paper and black webbing ribbon (from the frantic stamper) as well as the holly stamp and french text(1002-M ) on the corner.

Memory Window box

I was sent one of these window shadow boxes to play with, from Happy Daze.I immediatley knew what I was going to do with it as soon as I saw it. I very simply decorated it to created a memory box wall hanging for those little precious bits and bobs you accumulate when you have a baby. I made this for my youngest son, who is now eight.

To decorate it I simply painted the lid with blue and white acrylic paints using a sponge. I then stamped the lid with blue acrylic paint using the Scrolls Work background words stamp which is available from Happy Daze.

I lined the inside with white card stamped with background words in pumice stone distress inks. I added some photo corners. and finally I punched holes in the box with a crop-a-dile and added string to hang.

I thought this would make a nice gift for new parents, in it's unfilled state.

These boxes would also be great for holiday memories, with a photo at the back and the random shells, rocks etc that kids insist on bringing back from holiday.

Article in Craft Stamper Magazine

I'm really pleased to be able to say that I have had another article published in Craft Stamper Magazine. I have made 4 really simple cards using masking techniques. I really hope people like it.
here are a couple of little sneak peeks. The first uses a stamp from PaperArtsy

and the second uses a stamp from Crafty Individuals


In the article I mentioned that this technique could be used on different types of card. I have made this next card using a slightly textured card, I chose to use the distress inks Mustard Seed, Peeled paint and Faded Jeans.

I have also taken the technique one step further. Before removing the post-it notes, I stamped the script stamp from HP1004 (paperartsy), I then used the twig stamp from HP1008 for the foliage detail.

I also had a little card in the Idea Gallery to represent Happy Daze. I used Moon Girl from stampotique for a bling theme, using pink and silver, and here's a little peek.

The magazine is out today, I'd love to here what people thought

one layer wednesday : trees

I decided to have another bash at One Layer Wednesday, where the theme this week is Trees. As luck would have it I just got this fab set of christmas stamps from Crafty Individuals.

I still find one layer cards difficult as there is no room for mistakes (that's not to say there are no mistakes on this card. there are some!)

I stamped the tree with crushed olive distress ink and the star in barn door. I would say this would be good for quick christmas cards.... if it didn't take so darn long!