Stampotique Guest Designer - Final Week "Spring has sprung"

This is my final week as Guest Designer for Stampotique. It's been fun and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. And of course this week is challenge week so you can join in too. The theme is Spring has sprung and I created this little ATC book.

Once you open it, it has 4 little spring ATC's all attached to each other.

Come and join in over at the Stampotique blog!

Stampotique Designer Challenge - Wearable Art

This is my 2nd week as Guest Artist for Stampotique and this week it's challenge time over on the Designer's Challenge Blog. The theme is Wearable Art, so if you fancy joining in pop over!

I created a tshirt for my nephew using printable cotton and the alphabitties stamps. Sewing is not really one of my strong points but thats ok, there is other options like iron on adhesive backing. Easy and you can create your very own wardrobe.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Non traditional Christmas Cards

A non-traditional Christmas card is the theme at Stampotique. No red or green allowed. Well, there is definitely no red or green in my card and I think Uncle Buck is as non-traditional as you can get. Doesn't he look handsome with his crown?

I'm not sure who I will be sending this card to, maybe someone who isn't too keen on Christmas, hehe.






Now as for this card it started off as a card to enter into the challenge but it turned out too red, even though I used my orange distress inks and for the writing I used stamps other than Stampotique, one of the challenge requirements. But nevertheless I absolutely adore this card, I just love the little goblin stamp, probably my best purchase this year. And I just wanted to share the card so there you go.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Sketch Challenge

It's been a while since I've played with a sketch so yesterday I created this little Christmas card. I like the vibrant colours of it and the way it turned out. This one is for my housemate. I am yet to make the cards for my family and some friends but have finished the majority of the cards I'm sending. Very organized. In fact I started wrapping presents last night too.
So I'm off to make more Christmas cards.....

This is of course being entered into the Stampotique Designers Challenge.

Love Poison Bottle for Stampotique Designer's Challenge

Just a quick challenge entry from me. My blog is supposed to be on holiday and having a makeover but there is a few challenges I just love joining. Stampotique is one of them.

So when I saw the theme - Altered Poison Bottle - it scared me a bit. I don't really alter bottles that much. But when I was making some custard tarts the other day I used vanilla pods, which come in these test tube like bottles and I thought that's perfect to alter and small enough to not put me off the challenge.
I kept this one simple and added a few things around the screw lid, I used the Stampotique heart stamp and made a shrinkie poison label using the Alphabitties (luuuurve them!). On the actual glass I stamped heart boy (see below), perfect for my love poison. Love poison in the shape of sugary hearts. Hehe.

As mentioned (a million times) before I am having a blog makeover and I am currently playing with new display options for my makes. Can you tell? So "Woody" here has lent me a hand with my bottle. I bought him yesterday to display mainly my jewellery makes for photos. But I think he did a fab job holding the bottle too.

Also I have just learnt what a flower frog is. Do you know? You know them spiky almost brush like objects people use to display cards sometimes. You may have seen them if you browse flickr. I think it's a fab idea but I had no idea what them things are, until I asked and someone kindly explained to me they are flower frogs, used to hold stems in place when arranging flowers. You learn something new everyday. I'd love to hear of more cunning display options. So feel free to share your ideas below.

I am also entering this into the Explosion of Colour Challenge over at Happy Daze. Stampotique images are available from their shop so do check it out!

Well, so much for a quick post. Laters!

Lynne Perrella inspired Tags

It's been a bit quiet on my blog for a few days but there is a reason, I spent a weekend in Warrington at Artsy Crafts. Having taken part in Lin and Leandras workshops before I just couldnt miss this one, it had a special guest - Lynne Perrella.
I must say I had not really been familar with her work before but liked what saw on her website and I like to learn new things and venture out into different angles of crafting and so I just booked myself 2 day workshops with her. As always it was well organized and I met a lot of lovely people. The projects we did with Lynne still need some finishing touches and I will share them with you when they are ready. In the meantime check out this You Tube video to see everyone's work.
But the main inspiration I took away from this weekend was Lynne's love for oil pastels. She gave us a quick demo on a tag how she layered pastels with paints and stencils and I am totally in love.
The tag on the left is one Lynne did or me using an old photo of me and my sister. The next one is one I made using the same technique. And then the other two are ones I did at home yesterday. I also created a whole mirror in that style - I'll share that some time this week.
So overall a fab weekend, the venue was nice, the people were even nicer and I have taken away loads of inspiration. Thanks Lin and Leandra and everyone involved and especially thanks to Lynne - you are amazing!

The Disco-Tag (get it?!?!) will be entered into the Tag Challenge at The Stampotique Designers Challenge.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Humorous Birthday

Yeah it's time for another Stampotique Challenge and the theme is Humorous Birthday.
I didn't have a plan when I made this card, I just started inking and splattering some water and then grabbed this foliage stamp and so on and I ended up with this card. The inside reads "they get better with age".

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.

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Bookmarks

Do you ever find yourself going through phases of taking part in certain challenges? I do and at the moment I am just loving the Stampotique Designers Challenge. Not just because I recently really got into their stamps but it's fun challenges every week with great DT inspiration and some weeks you can join in using any stamps.

This week we have been challenged to make a bookmark using Stampotique stamps only. So I used my lovely owl stamp for the first time. And I am totally in love with the alphabet stamps. They are just so playful and fun. LOVE THEM!

So I'll leave you with my entry for the week......

Stampotique Challenge - Red, Yellow, Orange

Til a few months ago I never looked at Stampotique stamps twice, they just didn't suit my style and mood. But people change and moods change and styles too and since I started painting canvases in an art journally style i have found myself wanting more and more stampotique stamps.

For this canvas i had to re-size the little man a bit so I stamped him, scanned him and printed him in the size I needed, I hope this is acceptable for he challenge. The hearts hanging from the top are one of my favourite stamps at the mo, I just hang them from every page and card possible. Hehe.
The blablabla stamp from Stampotique is on my shopping list but I have not yet been able to afford it (have ordered many others though) so I had to make up my own BLAS!
I made this with the Red, Yellow and Orange Challenge in mind and this will be my first ever entry, sure it'll be one of many to come.