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28 December 2014

Santa Baubles...

Ooh! I *might* just have been lucky enough to be part of this semester's 3UP over at PaperArtsy's blog. To see more of my project (and Lucy and Julie Ann's who I was VERY privileged to have joined) do click here!
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24 December 2014

T'was the night before Christmas...

I have the pleasure posting a Christmas Eve project over at Country View Crafts Projects - I made a Chunky ATC, please do pop over to see it. If that doesn't entice you, then perhaps the promise of a festive picture of SWEA might do the trick..!!!
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15 December 2014

Vintage Bauble

The theme at Country View Crafts Challenges this month is Nostalgic Christmas and this got me thinking nostalgically...! When I was a child we would make Christmas decorations for the tree and I thought I might make one for our tree this year. 
The base is an Art Part painted white. I painted it white and then, when dry, added a layer of Vintage Photo Distress Stain. This makes a lovely chalky background but it was a little dark so removed some of it with a baby wipe. I then, through a Dylusions Mask, added Vintage Photo Distress Ink and dried it. 
I added a stamped wreath and a little sparkle with a little Metallic Glaze paint! The ribbon is a little sari fabric and I will retie the bauble on the tree when it has been chosen from the Christmas tree shop! We have a tradition in our house  that my husband takes my son to buy a tree that is the same height as our son and then my daughter and I decorate it! Funny what traditions you have isn't it?! Thank you for popping over and visiting me - if you have a moment pop over and see what my amazing team mates have made this month.
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3 December 2014

Merry and Bright

By the process of elimination it must be the last in our alphabet series at DragonsDream Tag It On and I must confess to a little tear as I have loved every minute of this challenge and I know many of you have too.
So the challenge lent its self to a Christmas theme and who am I to argue?! There are lots of lovely seasonal stamps around and I've used some of my favourites here.
So, thank you for joining in with us on our alphabetic journey this year. I've been keeping a record of my tags here - why not pop over and see how up to date I am!!! In the meantime please do join in with us this fortnight and we look forward to unveiling our new challenge in two weeks!
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1 December 2014

Nostalgic Christmas

I LOVE Christmas! I love getting the decorations out and as I put each one out I remember where each one came from. I love looking at all the presents wrapped up and ready to give out (though the shopping and wrapping can be a little less enjoyable!) and I love the excitement from the children and the anticipation of what Christmas Day will bring. Luckily for me, the new theme at Country View Crafts Challenges is Vintage Christmas so, to add to these memories, I made a hanging to join my growing collection. 
The base is an Art Part. I painted it white and then, when dry, added a layer of Broken China Distress Stain. This makes a lovely chalky background. I then, through a Dylusions Mask, added Broken China Distress Ink. The lovely Father Christmas (Santa?!) is a Tim Holtz stamp which was stamped on tissue paper and the reverse of it painted. Careful apply the tissue paper to the Art Part because glue can affect the Distress Ink. Then I made two holes, dyed a ribbon with more Distress Stain and added a Christmas Tree token I have had for more years than I care to remember!
I hope you join in with us the month and do pop over and see the truly amazing projects my team mates have made. They are AWESOME!
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21 November 2014

Butterflies Garden

I am a huge consumer of quotations. If I'm bored waiting to collect child from an activity I'l happily search for quotations on my phone, take a screen shot of ones I like and then refer to it later in my Studio! So this quotation had been hanging around for a while and once the weather started to turn I thought I'd never get to use it this year! How wonderful that the theme at Country View Crafts Challenges this month is Bugs, Bees and Butterflies! I turned to my fabulously summery JoFy stamps to create a garden and butterflies.
The images were all coloured using Dylusions inks with the fuchsias (are they fuchsias?) and butterflies being stamped again on cream card and the flowers and wings cut out. I hope you're inspired by my wonderful teammates to join in with us this month!
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19 November 2014

Xiexie

For DragonsDream Tag It On this fortnight we are on our penultimate recipe and this time Julie chose the letter X and purple. Oh my! What X to choose?! That's a toughie. But then I remembered my poor daughter who has studied for a Chinese (Mandarin) GCSE as an after school activity for 18 months. She found out in the summer she'd passed so she never has to do it again (she was so thrilled to know it was over as it was really tough!) and when I announced it on Facebook she thanked everyone by saying 'xiĂ©xiĂ©' which is Mandarin for thank you! And so the idea for the tag emerged..! Oh! It's pronounced "sheh sheh" by the way!
I used purple Dylusions spray for the background (bright isn't it?!) and an Ellen Vargo stamp for the pattern. The top is my most favourite Wendy Vecchi stencil and her clear embossing paste (magical stuff indeed!)
The figure is a Lynne Perrella stamp which I stamped on to tissue paper and painted with Frescos. Think I made the fishing rod out of the top of her head a little wonky but once it's stuck down...! Hope you'll join in with us - just make sure you include a stamp and a tag and your interpretation of the theme! If you need more inspiration - my team mates have created a really fabulous variety of ideas - why not pop over and see?
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8 November 2014

Believe

Over at Country View Projects I have begun my Christmas countdown! Why not pop over and see it in it's glory!
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5 November 2014

Untried...

It's my turn to choose the theme at DragonsDream Tag It On this fortnight and I chose the letter U and a Quotation. I found this Tim Holtz quote stamp and thought it an unusual 'U' so it seemed pretty perfect!
The background is layers of Distress Inks and I added stamped Tim Holtz images stamped on cream card.
Hope you'll join in with us - just make sure you include a stamp and a tag and your interpretation of the theme! If you need more inspiration - my team mates have created a really fabulous variety of ideas - why not pop over and see?
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1 November 2014

Bugs, Bees and Butterflies

It's November already! Where is this year disappearing to?! This month the theme at Country View Crafts Challenges is Bugs, Bees and Butterflies. This makes me think of summer days - a real change from the increasingly cold rainy weather outside my window! So for my first piece this month I chose to go back to my square journal and use the fabulous bee die from Mr Holtz. The wings have a thin layer of Glossy Accents on to give a subtle sheen. 
The paper behind the blue backing is a dictionary stamp by Wendy Vecchi stamped several times on tissue paper with Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the top. I enjoyed making my own backing paper... think this might be a new obsession! Hope you pop over and see what my talented team mates have made and that you feel inspired to join in with us this month!
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28 October 2014

An invite to Halloween

Ah! Halloween! Not my favourite time of year... however lots of people love it, including my children! I have made something Halloween inspired over at Country View Crafts' Projects... Why not pop over and see?
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22 October 2014

Direction

The latest theme at DragonsDream Tag It On is the letter D and Red! I think I went a little bonkers with the red! It seemed the perfect opportunity to use my Dylusions direction stamps (though Tim Holtz has some too but I hadn't used my Dylusions ones for far too long!)
Hope you'll join in with us - just make sure you include a stamp and a tag and your interpretation of the theme! If you need more inspiration - my team mates have created a really fabulous variety of ideas - why not pop over and see?
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18 October 2014

A Recycled Anniversary


Hello! It's my turn again at Country View Crafts Project blog and I've made a card from some cardboard I wrestled from all the birthdays we've had over the last few weeks (sadly not mine!) Pop over and have a look!

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8 October 2014

Verse

This fortnight at DragonsDream Tag It On the theme is the letter V and Feather. I chose to use the word 'Verse' and a quotation from one of my favourite poets, Shelley, about poetry. It seemed appropriate to have an image of an ink bottle and a quill pen!
I used my most useful Wendy Vecchi striped stencil with her fabulous Clear Embossing Paste (love that stuff!) for the top and bottom of the tag. Just before it was completely dry I added some Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the tag - where the paste isn't quite dry it adds colour giving the stripes an added effect. I do this quite often since I discovered the effect (all because I was too impatient one day! Happy accidents 'eh?!)

Hope you'll join in with us - just make sure you include a stamp and a tag and your interpretation of the theme! If you need more inspiration - my team mates have created a really fabulous variety of ideas - why not pop over and see?
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5 October 2014

My Sparkly hanging

For Country View Crafts Challenges this month the theme is Sparkle and Shine. For my second project I have made a wall hanging using some favourite stamps. I started by painting the hanging board black which looked really dramatic! 
The leaves are stencilled and then painted to add a little more interest. I started by stencilling the leaves on in white paint and then with Hey Pesto with a painted accent of Holly. The flowers are stamped onto vintage book paper that was adhered to Clearly for Art to add dimension. The centre of each little flower has Distress Glitter and the larger flowers have clear embossing paste for added shine! The centre of each flower has a rub on number and then I added a Lin Brown sentiment.
I hope you'll join in with us this month, there's a whole month of inspiration on the blog and we look forward to seeing you over there!
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