Back to the blog

My poor blog has been sadly neglected over the summer and prep for craft fairs so I'm making an effort to show it some love.

We had a fun time at Halloween and I treated myself to some great new silhouette stamps by Marianne Designs

And this is what I made with them

I used Distress inks to create the background on a blank tag and then simply stamped the silhouettes.

The tag below I created for a Facebook swap 

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween too!

Challenges I am entering

Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween Colours

Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween

Spring Time

Although Spring is supposed to be on its way this week, we will be seeing freezing temperatures here in the UK.  However I wanted to share my Spring themed tags I made for a recent Facebook Group swap.

To make them I painted some thick card tag bases with blue acrylic paint and added the clouds with white paint.  For the tag on the left I die cut the fence before adding the rabbits and the grass. These were from a great set of stamps free with Crafts Beautiful Magazine. I had a diecut butterfly in my stash and scrunched up a paper flower to create the daffodil.

For the second tag I put it through an embossing folder and highlighted the areas with coloured pencils and inks. I added the stamped images and the paper flowers. The flowers I decorated with sparkly glitter.

I hope the recepient will enjoy them much as I do!

Tag You Are It - Must use a metal die (Tag 1)

Love To Craft - Anything Goes

Moo Mania and More - Spring

Key to My Heart

Its been ages since I joined in with any of Tim Holtz's tag challenges, but I was so inspired by February's tag I started to make my own.  Its also been a long time since I played with mixed media and I've really missed it!

To make mine I used the same background technique as Tim, using various images to create a collage. These were all pulled together by dry brushing with white acrylic paint.

I then added a few brighter images and the ticket. The red heart on Tim's tag gave me the idea to use felt for mine, add some lace and the keyplate.

To finish I coloured some twine with Frayed Burlap ink and used it to tie on the key.

I am so pleased with the end result and am now working on a little canvas to match - pictures to come soon!!

I am entering the following challenges:

Tim's 12 Tags of 2015 - February

A Vintage Journey - Love is in the Air

Frilly and Funky - Be My Valen - twine

A Busy Monday!

Last week was a bit of a washout craft wise with my son being at home sick, so I didn't get much time to craft. But I made up for it this morning!

My first post is for Linda's Funkie Junkie's Tag Challenge - week 6 (yes still catching up!!).

I made a jumbo tag and covered it with two styles of Kaisercraft paper. I distressed the papers with Frayed Burlap ink. The trees, numbers and birds were made using my Cricut machine. I stamped christmas words onto the tree and then covered it with Rock Candy stickles. I used a vintage postcard I had in my stash on the top and distressed all the other diecuts with Distress Ink. Finally I made the bows and added a snowflake brad. 

Don't forget the prize is a voucher from The Funkie Junkie's store!

I will be back again tomorrow with more makes!!

Funkie Junkie - 12 tags of Christmas Week 4

Now that half term is over I hope to have a bit more time to craft, but this week has been taken up with hospital and doctors appointments!

I think my camera may also need the doctor :) as it seems to be taking very blurred pictures, so I apologise if this one isn't perfect.

This is my fourth entry for the Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas Challenge (I am catching up slowly!) I interpreted the inspiration into a card. I used a very old stamp from my stash and coloured it with Promarkers and Liquid Pearls. The backing paper is in a vintage style from Kaisercraft. I created the embellishment using some hessian, ribbon and poinsettia diecuts covered with text paper.

Other challenges I am entering:

Creative Craft Challenges - Words

Stamping Sensations - Christmas

Grungy Monday Entry

I had time to sit and play this morning so decided to work on a Grungy Monday Week 15 entry. This week, using Tim Holtz's faux distressed enamel technique, I created a little tag book with a cover. The book isn't filled yet - so watch this space! I loved the effect the clear embossing powder produced. I used Tattered Rose and Walnut Stain for this. I stamped the butterfly with the different colours of Distress Ink and embossed it. The black end paper I embossed with Tim's patchwork folder and rubbed over with gold ink. I added metal embellishments to the tag cover as well as ribbon and a little tag. Phew! Off for a lie down now!

Tim Holtz Tags Swap

I have finally finished my four tags for the Lots to Do Forum swap. Here's what I did :

Top Left - This was made by embossing silver mirri card and then colouring with Alcohol Inks

Top Right - Distress Inks background and Tim Holtz Stamps

Bottom left - Embossed card, distress inks and grunge shapes which I painted with acrylic and crackle paint

Bottom Right - Embossed tag, and Birdcage Die.