Sunday Stampers Challenge - Love

I decided to take part in a new challenge hosted by Hels called The Sunday Stampers and this week's theme is `Love'! I chose to make an atc, so I dabbed some adirondak inks (raisin and Lettuce) onto my non-stick craft mat and then spritzed this with water and dragged my atc through the mess and then dried it with my heat gun. I wasn't too pleased with the results so I rubbed the raisin over certain areas which made it look a bit better! Then I stamped the images from a Magenta set that I have and embellished with a few tiny black gems and added some ripped brown paper down the left edge - hope you like it!

Jigsaw Pieces

I decided to alter some large jigsaw pieces after being inspired by an article in the Craft Stamper magazine! The first piece was just inked using different distress pads and then some images stamped on to it from an unmounted set I got from Joanna Sheen's site that was in the sale!

On the next piece I covered up areas with different scraps of Basic Grey papers, I then inked in the gaps with peeled paint and added some other colours here and there. I stamped again with some other images from the same set and then I sprayed both sides with my glimmer mist lilly pad. I enjoyed doing this so I think my next project will be to make a book using the jigsaw pieces!

Three 4 three swap

I made these last night using some papers from BasicGrey and some images from my Crafty Individuals and Artsy Collage books. Hopefully I will be able to send them off for Lesley's January 3 x 3 swap but I am a bit late putting my name down for this - so fingers crossed!!

Some ATCs

Here are some ATCs that I've been making - I really enjoyed doing this cus its been quite awhile!!! Some of the backgrounds are from Leonie when she sent me them after joining her club and this last one is from Sockscat. I dont tend to do oriental but I got these mini postcards and their just gorgeous - perfect for ATCs!!!

A RAK for someone ...

I made this page as a RAK for someone on the CSF. I love this paper, it was from a kit but I can't remember which one, although I think it was the one that had a DVD called tips, tricks and techniques with 2 American ladies sharing their knowledge with us! Anyway, the stamp I used as the focal point is a new one that I bought a couple of weeks ago, the ink I used was a brown versafine which I use an awful lot because it really does show up fine detail. Then I added some ribbon underneath and went round the edges with the same ink pad (I think!). Anyway, hope she likes it!

Green Pages

I've recently joined the 3 for 3 fat book swap on `Our Refuge', and this month the themes are Green and/or Spring. I've decided to do `Green' and this is what I've been making tonight!


They are all basically the same, as in I've used Adirondack Lettuce, Peeled Paint and also shades of green from my petal point chalk ink set.


I didn't intend this to happen but they all seem to have a lady stamped on them! I haven't had this Hero Art stamp long, in fact Sockscat encouraged me to buy this when we went to Westpoint last year as it was `a very good price' - I'm glad I listened to her cus I do like the image and she stamps up really well!


This next one is a stamp I've had for a while and I actually rubbed a baby wipe over the inked background (pinched this idea from Shazzapat) and it gives a nice effect, then I added some fibres to the side.

The last one is more of the same really - I do like her but I've often wondered why they didn't give her any legs!

Another wonky one!

Well tonight I have been making my tags as part of the Hels Angels January tag swap which has a Tim Holtz theme. I didn't think I would be able to join in with this one until I discovered that a stamp I bought at the weekend was actually a Tim Holtz one - what a stroke of luck!!!

Anyway, I created a tag shape and covered it with antique linen distress ink, then I used a dotty image and made a background, I went round the edges with my peeled paint and then stamped some swirl designs top and bottom and added my Tim Holtz stamp in the middle (yes I stamped it wonky again!!). I finished off by making a hole with my cropadile and pulling some thread through and finally attached 3 beads.

Love is...

Every week on the Craft Swap Forum there is an ATC challenge which unfortunately I haven't taken part in for a very long time! Anyway, this weeks challenge was to make an atc with the `love is...' theme so I decided to get stuck in!

Bee said we could do anything we liked but we should use shades of the same colour so, as you can see, mine are all shades of brown. I used a stamp that I've neglected for quite a while (dont know why cus she's very pretty) and then I typed the words `love is that secret smile' (she definitely looks like she's in love) and then I added a ribbon. It does look a bit wonky doesn't it but thats cus I didn't manage to stamp it straight - oops!

A xmas fat book page

Well here is the result of what I've been doing this afternoon! I am currently taking part in the rubber stamped xmas fat book list on the Craft Swap Forum and this design is for that!

First I covered the page with the `smudge holly' design from the Artylicious cd `Season's Greetings'. I then went around the edges with my copper leafing pen to give it a border. Next I stamped the image with a versafine ink pad, tore this out and applied scattered straw with my cut and dry foam around the edges and lightly over the image. Then I went back over the edges using the distress peeled paint ink pad. Finally, I mounted the image onto the fat book page and hey presto - its finished!

Wow - I'm getting there!

Well thanks to Lydia, I have now managed to add a playlist - how cool is that! Hope you like my music xxx

What am I doing?

Happy 2008 to anyone who happens across this non-blog!

I set this thing up last year (I think) but I've never used it! So my question is, will I do anything with it this year? I have visited a few crafty blogs and they always look so professional, with lots of clever stuff to read and do. How do they do it? I have no idea so the best way is to start writing and then see what happens! I dont know how to add music, how to add photos, in fact it took me ages to work out how to write this!!! Thick - yes I must be! Anyway, I've started now so lets see what happens.

Karen xx