The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 3

This week the theme at The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge is "Green and Flowers". My submission has been made in a bit of a rush as I am about to go on holiday in the morning.
So this one has been inspired by one of Kate Crane's journal pages, I loved her page so much with the gremlin and flowers that I had to make my own thing with it. And as I'm not much of a journaler I thought why not make it into a calendar, then I can hang it on the wall and enjoy it!
Of course I did more sewing on this piece. like I said I'm sewing everything at the mo!

I printed a calendar in A5 and bound it with the bind-it-all, I think I might make a few more calendars like this, they'd make nice presents I think.

Magic Mushy ATC

My last ATC from the recent batch I made, I used more Stampotique stamps, the mushrooms I love and the alphabet I cannot live without anymore. It's so much fun and a bit crazy, I love it!
More stitching too! I'm stitching everything at the moment.
This is being entered into the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge.

I went to the BSSS at Ally Pally yesterday and for the first time got a proper chance to chat to my friend Kim of Crafty Makes. Also bumped into Alison which was fab. Good to see you girls!
Didn't spend as much money as I thought I would which was good. Didn't have much time to spend anyway, had to rush off to work. Another fun show, wish I'd had more time to watch the demos though. Maybe next time I'll take the day off work.

And even more ATC's

Why not share some more ATC's, they are small, they are quick so why not show loads in one day.

This one is using my newly found love for Stampotique stamps, I attached his head with a small spring behind it. It shows that ATC's don't have to be superfancy and take ages. This one was so quick and I really like it. Sometimes you just have to let the stamp speak for itself.

Stampotique is available from the Happy Daze Shop so why not check them out?!
This one I am entering into the Happy Daze "Little Black Dress" Challenge. My little black dress item here is the script stamp by Hero Arts. I use it ALL the time. Any good, large script stamp would do, they are just so versatile.

More Stampotique stamps can be found on this one. The hexagon for the background, I've sewn along the hexagon lines after stamping it. The bees are stamped on top of the acetate, which is then sewn to an acetate backing around the outline of the ATC. I love the idea of the sewing and creating layers like that but I'm yet to perfect that. This is my first attempt, definitely not my last.

This one I'm entering into the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge.

More ATC's to share

Yes I have gone a bit ATC crazy again, I always do things in phases and I think I just entered another ATC phase.

This one is inked with distress inks, stamped, sewn, collaged. I just love sewing on card at the moment. Bought a few rolls of nice coloured cotton, now I just need to fix the light in my sewing machine, the bulb broke not long after I bought it. Oops.

This is being entered into the current Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge.

I'm off now. Ally Pally and my bloggy friend Kim Dellow are waiting!!!!!!!!!!!

Trapped butterflies ATC for Simon Says

It's ATC time at Simon says Stamp and Show and I haven't made any in ages. I like working on a small scale sometimes as you get to try many different techniques in a short space of time.
I have wanted to get out my sewing machine for some projects so I thought why not sew all over my ATC's. I made a few today. First up I'd like to share my trapped butterflies. They are loose behind the netting and can move around. When I saw those netting offcuts (used for wig making, my sister had some spare pieces) I just knew I had to make little sewn pockets of some sort and put things behind it.

This one was simple really, didn't stop me from faffing about with it for ages though. More ATC's to come so watch this space.....

Butterfly Wax Canvas

The inspiration for this canvas came from a You Tube Video by Stampington.
I haven't played with my meltpot in a while so this inspiration was just in time to get waxy.

I am entering this into the first ARTSpecially Challenge, although the website is in Dutch, thank heavens for Google Translate.
I love their magazine, I bought some back issues from a shop in Germany last time I was home and although I didn't know what the articles were about, the pictures and projects were still amazing and very inspiring!

Pocket Calendar "Hearts"

It's week number two at The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge and I have made this little pocket calendar. The cover is Stampotique and goes with their Black/White and some colour challenge. The hearts are embossed and coloured with distress inks. I bound the whole book and yes......

I stamped the inside too. Months and days all handstamped. I put the weekends in red other than that I didnt put the days, it's just for myself to put in my handbag and mark the odd appointment and stuff. I just thought maybe it was silly to make it white, it'll get so grubby in my bag.

More cards with Photos for Just Stamps Magazine

Once more I'd like to share some photo cards with you.
The one on the left is featured in the current issue of Just Stamps Magazine.

The one on the right is a recent variation of that card and will be entered into the Artistic Outpost Referral Program.

I just love the filmstrip stamp as it is so versatile, you could create this card with your own photos and have an instant personalized card for any occassion.
These are all photos of my dad when he was younger.

Cards with photos for Just Stamps Magazine

Today I would like to share with you some more of my recent publications, these can be seen in the current issue of Just Stamps Magazine. This is available to order from Creavil. Don't be put off by it being entirely in German, there is plenty of pictures and step by step pictures.
I have in the past bought Dutch magazines cause there was so many pretty things in there but can't understand a word the articles or descriptions say.

These two cards are for the theme "Cards with Photos" and as I love working with pictures, especially old family photos I could not resist.

Same photo, different card. I use that picture of me and my sister a lot. It cuts out very well and it just reminds me of when we used to go to my grandmas house as this picture was taken just outside her house.

Journal of Imagination for Just Stamps Magazine

The latest issue of JUST STAMPS - EINFACH STEMPELN is in the shops, German shops that is. And I'm delighted there is quite a few pieces of mine featured this time round.
For the Shabby Chic theme I made a small bound notebook and also this larger journal. Although there is much stamping on the journal it is a favourite of mine.

The journal is available for purchase in my Folksy Shop.

Mixed Media Canvas

I've not shown a canvas for a while so here goes.
This is actually one of my larger pieces. The background is a crazy mix of paints, spray inks and splatters. Some stamping for the numbers and writing and the dina wakley stamp has been stamped, scanned, colours inverted and printed out in A4.

I'm not very confident when it comes to messy crafting, I like to have a plan and know what goes where but with this one I just got in there and went a bit mad.
Turned out ok I think!

Notebooks and my bind-it-all

If you've been following the past few days you would already have seen my off cut notebooks. And they were offcuts from when I cut the pages for these little notebooks.

This first one is a favourite. I've recently got all these photobooth pics for a project I'm doing, so I had them scanned in and it came to me I could print them on sticky back canvas and make it into a notebook. Love it!!!

This one is using denim for the cover. It's a pair of old jeans I had since I was 16 or so. I loved them so much but they just stopped fitting me. So here they are recycled with one of the new Dina Wakley stamps.

This one is made from a Japanese fabric, the company is called Kokka and they do all these amazingly cute prints. I love this one for having a London theme. So sweet.

I made many others but most of them wouldn't upload to Blogger they right way up so if you wanna see more, check out my Flickr page HERE.

The sticky back canvas and bind it all wires are available from Happy Daze. I am entering the first notebook into their "Little Black Dress" Challenge. I could not be without my bind it all and sticky back canvas to make sweet personalized notebooks like that. If you have been following for a while you may remember the notebook I bound for my mum and sister using photos of theirs. It's simply to print on sticky back and make such personal gifts. Give it a go!!

Friends Steampunk Clock

I came across a clock on someone's blog the other day and they had used one of those really cheap balsa wood clock faces. I remembered having bought one myself before and thought it was quite cheaply made and it has just been sitting in the cupboard since as I didn't like it much. But the clock I saw (I cant find the link anymore, I'm sorry, I wanted to at least link back to their blog) inspired me to take this base and turn it into something useful. And maybe to prove to myself I can even turn something I don't like into something nice ad useful.
I have a bit of a habit of always buying more rather than using what I have stored away already. And OMG there is 2 giant boxes of things to be altered/painted/decorated. So anyway, I created this steampunk style friends clock for the Art Journey Challenge "Autum Colours" as well as Simon says Stamp and Show "Steampunk".
The clock is now hanging above my desk so I always know what time it is when crafting!

Offcut notepads and new Art Journey Stamps

I have gone a little crazy making notebooks in the past 2 weeks. When I cut my pages I have these long pieces of paper left over and I thought why not bind them too, with a nice cover, they would make a good pad for writing lists. I am a bit of a fan of writing lists, whether it's shopping, to do or things to make, anything gets listed.

So for this one I used some sticky canvas that was sprayed with inks and stamped with the new Art Journey stamp from the Pen Nibs set.
I saw these in Craft Stamper and just had to have them, but it turned out they had not even been released. One email later my order was in and I absolutely love the writing stamp, it'll be a new favourite of mine. Perfect for backgrounds or notebook covers.

So this one is being entered into the Art Journey Challenge where the theme is Autumn Colours.

Another bunch of offcuts was made into this notepad. It is fabric covered and then I stamped some Artistic Outpost Images on the front. This I am entering into the Artistic Outpost Referral Program.

Watch this space for the actual notebooks I have been creating, after all these are just the offcut pads. I am loving my little notebook collection, I think I made about 15 or so. They will make fab little gifts so pop back to check them out!

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge.....

Have you heard about the Craft Barn's 12 Week Calendar Challenge??? If not do go and check it out.

Each week we are being challenged to create a page or calendar to a certain theme. There is a voucher up for grabs too.

I decided to make a birthday calendar for this weeks Blue & Crackle theme. I painted the cover with acrylics and splattered this that and the other. The star image is stamped on a book page, cut out, attached and covered in clear crackle paint. Can't really tell from the picture.

For the inside I printed out a calendar, no days as it's a birthday calendar. Small and handy, oh and pretty, somewhere nice to keep all birthdays together.

Faux Stained Glass Keyring

Over at The Stampsmith we are being challenged to try out faux techniques. So I thought I hadn't played with my alcohol inks in a while and I created this faux stained glass keyring. The stamps used are both Stampotique which I love at the moment.

And over at Happy Daze this month's challenge is "Little Black Dress" - use a technique, product or tool you just keep coming back to over and over again.
I have so many, but one of the is Tim Holt'z idea-ology. I use these swivel clasps for all the keyrings I make and always add a little something extra like here the token and the gears. Can't live without idea-ology. Plenty of idea-ology available from the Happy Daze shop as well as the Stampotique stamps so check them out!

First christmas card of the year

It's coming up to that time of the year where all I do is make christmas cards. Not too bad really cause I luuuuurve christmas.
My sister and I have been making each other an advent calendar for around 10 years now so I gotta get thinking of what lil things I can wrap up for her. As she loves all sorts of crafts too there will be some nice crafty things I'm sure.

So here is my first christmas card of the year - a CAS card, not normally what I do, but I like a challenge. And this one if for the "Less is more" challenge where we are challenged to use metallics in our creations. Do pop by for inspiration and to join in of course!

Try it on Tuesday - Alter it Week

Running a bit late this week with my Try it on Tuesday entry but I'll get it in just in time.
The theme is (or was) "Alter anything" so I got working on this wooden frame. Gesso, paint, splatters, bottle cap rings, spray inks, stamping and a gungeboard heart.
That's the ingredients for this frame. I think it would make a nice little frame for a kids picture, what do you reckon?

As always the Alter it week is sponsored by The Craft Barn.

Lucky Thirteen Birthday Card

So the new challenge at The Artistic Stamper is Numbers and as my boyfriends daughter is turning 13 this week and he needed a quick card (as always he left the card sending to the last minute) I made up this little card to go with the challenge. The number isnt quite that obvious on the front, unless you count the coloured hearts. But the inside reads: Lucky Thirteen.
I am in love with my stampotiques at the moment and it's the first time I used them hearts. So quick and simple and yet a pretty card.
I am also entering this into the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes for their Stamptember Blog Hop.

Stamptember @ Simon Says Stamp and Show

How cool, a whole month dedicated to stamping, not that I make an exception the rest of the year but you know, it's a good excuse to spend even more money on new stamps and boy have I been spending money in the past few weeks. I should save a little for the upcoming Ally Pally Show.

So I have been putting aside little bits for this printer tray for a while now. Everytime I made sth special or sth I just really liked I made a note for it to go in the tray.

I used some of my favourite stamps and photos, tried different techniques and inks and paints. But my favourite is the centerpiece, the photo f my mum. I just love it. I made it in the style of a card I made and that was published in the recent Stamper's Sampler. So it doesn't just remind me of my mum but also of my craft achievements. Double special!
There's pictures of my dad and my sister too, little sayings, a rusty birdcage, a bird Wendy style, grungblocks, a grungepaper rose etc. Lots to discover and a celebration of anything crafty, just right for Stamptember. So I am entering this into the Simon says Stamp and Show Challenge.

Alter it monthly - September Theme - Trees & Twigs

It's Alter it monthly time again.
I had two months out from the DT as the themes were a lil bit not my cup of tea and so the amazing Kim Dellow took my place for two months. She did a much better job of the 2 themes than I ever could have so a huge thank you!

This month the theme is trees and twigs. Any kinda trees, parts of trees you get the idea.
As I have been making a lot of canvases recently it just had to be one for this theme, and here is my tree of thoughts.
I have recently done a photo tutorial on how I create my messy, painty backgrounds so scroll down for earlier posts if you fancy getting painty yourself.

I hope you do join us for this months challenge, there is of course a prize up for grabs from our lovely sponsor Calico Crafts. So I'll cu there!