Craft Stampers June Challenge Reminder

Just a little reminder that the new challenge has started over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we would like to see you getting inky with your stamps.

I created an inky background using Distress ink applied with blending brushes, finishing up with Hickory Smoke around the edge.

Then I spritzed water through the Quarters stencil from Kaisercraft and mopped up with a clean paper towel to take the ink away in the dotty pattern.

I printed out some of the digi designs that match the free stamp on the cover of the July issue, and coloured them using Prismacolour pencils, cut them out, and added them to the now dry background, along with a sentiment stamp from Kaisercrafts  Treasured Moments Collection.

The washed out stencil dots make brilliant bubbles.

So that's my make, what will yours be? Pop over to the blog for more inspiration from the rest of the team and find out how to join in the challenge. Check out the fabulous sponsor prize that's ujp for grabs as well!!!!

Have a great weekend
Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge - 'Take A Technique' Colour!

There's still time to get your entries in for the Craft Stampers Take It Make It Challenge where we want you to "Take a Technique" - Colour! No deep, dark grungy colours, keep it bright and cheerful :) and of course please use stamps!!
Leave us a direct link to your artwork and link back to the Craft Stamper Blog. There is a fabulous prize up for grabs from our sponsor's IndigoBlu of two new stamp plates.

My background is made using ripe persimmon,picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks, blended and then water splashed over the top. The stamps are JOFY and coloured in with Prisma pencils, love them!

So get stamping, keep it bright and get joining in!!!!

Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge April - 'Take A Technique' Colour!

Our challenge over at the Craft Stamper Magazine this month is to use colour, so the world is your Rainbow, just no monochrome or dark projects please, bright colours only!!!
I've shaded a piece of IndigoBlu's Perfect Stamping card with Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks, they blend together beautifully on that card. Then using Peacock Feathers stamped the wide lace from IndigoBlu's Nottingham Lace set across the bottom.
The butterflies were stamped onto a piece of turquoise card, cut out and yellow Pan Pastels added to the inner wings.
Both the sentiment and the butterflies are from Kaisercraft.

As always we have a fabulous sponsor, this time around it's IndigoBlu with some of their gorgeous new stamps up for grabs!!!

So we would like to see bright projects this month, you don't have to use the whole rainbow, just please remember to use stamps on your project, leave us a direct link to your artwork, and link back to us at the Craft Stamper Blog for a chance of winning.

Good Luck
Elizabeth x

Craft Stampers Take It Make It Challenge 'Take A Technique' : Theme: Stencilling

 A little reminder of our challenge over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we want to see your stencilling projects. This time I decided to use Distress Inks along with one of my favourite Prima stencils.

 I used a mixture of Picked Raspberry, Dried Marigold and Mustard Seed inks applied with Inkylicious brushes. Then added flowers and birds from IndigoBlu's Nature 1 stamp set in Archival ink, love the contrast of colours against black ink.

So pop over to the blog and check out my fabulous team mates artwork, make a little something following the guidelines, and join in by leaving us a direct link back to your blog. You could win a fabulous prize and also have your work published in the Craft Stamper magazine, how cool is that!!!

Good Luck,
Elizabeth x

IndigoBlu's September Challenge - Indian Summer

Over at the IndigoBlu Challenge Blog the September theme is "Indian Summer". This makes me think of warm evenings with beautiful coloured skies, and of course poppies.
My sunset is a blend of barn door, wild honey, mustard seed, picked raspberry and dusty concord distress inks.
I've then used stamps from Poppy Meadow, with the flowers stamped again on to red cardstock and layered up.
Hop over and join in this month's challenge and also check out what the DT, and the rest of the Demonstrator team have created to inspire you!
Elizabeth x

Dragons Dream TIO #173 The Letter "O" and Rust!

This time over at the Dragons Dream TIO Julie has chosen the theme of the letter "O" and Rust for our tags. Now I have to say this one got me thinking, what on earth could I use for the letter "O"?
Finally at last, after much searching I remembered the Tim Holtz Blueprint stamps with an oak leaf and acorn, phew!!!!!
My base tag has been inked with a mix of Distress Ink with Eton Mess Mega Flakes added to the bottom of the tag.
The acorn and leaves were stamped using Distress Inks and water brushed, for a little more shading, with the same inks.
The rust around the edge of the tag is Bright Copper Sparkle Medium from Imagination Crafts.
We love to see what you create following our recipe, just follow the link and as always please don't forget to use at least one real stamp on your tag.
Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Magazine's Take It Make It Challenge for August - Favourite Technique of the Year !

Can't believe it's August over at the Craft Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge this year has flown by so quickly, and how many amazing projects have there been in the magazine so far this year, and that's the choice you have to make!
Which out of all the techniques in the magazine has been your favourite so far? Hard to choose I know, but one that stood out for me was Helen Chiltern's "Into The Fold" from the March issue, a technique using your embossing folders as stamps!! How simple, but it opens up a whole new set of stamps, and if there are no letters or numbers on there, you can use both sides of the folder for this technique, doubling up the possibilities.
So I started off with the Cuttlebug cogs folder inked up with Shabby Shutters and Tumbled Glass, placed the card over the top and pressed it down to pick up the image, I then re-inked the folder with Mowed lawn and Salty Ocean, two slightly darker shades, and staggered the image to create a shaded effect with the cogs. The last folder I used on the top is Hessian form Crafters Companion inked up in Salty Ocean.
Helen stamped and cut out her images to go over the top, but I decided to stamp straight on to my background with a selection of Tim Holtz stamps using Archival Ink.

So check out your back copies of the Craft Stamper Magazine from this year so far and get stamping!! There's a fabulous prize up for grabs and the winner will have their work published in the magazine, how cool is that!! Please remember to link your projects directly to the blog and of course use some real stamping on there.

I am thrilled to be staying on the Craft Stamper DT for another six month term from September, and looking forward to working alongside my amazing team mates, and seeing all your fantastic artwork.

Elizabeth x

Dragons Dream #172 The Letter "P" and Cogs

This time around over at the Dragons Dream TIO it's the fabulous Gabrielle's choice of "Cogs" and the letter "P".
I'd been having a play about with a cog embossing folder inking it up with Distress Ink, and then running through the eBosser, love the effect this creates, texture as well as colour.
The stamps I've used are a mixture of Artemio and Kaisercraft, and the "P" well of course what else but Paris, well overdue a trip there!!!
So we would love to see cogs and something with the letter "P" on your tags this time around, and of course as usual at least one real stamp.
Elizabeth x

Dragons Dream TIO #168 - The Letter "I" and Butterflies

It's my turn over at the Dragons Dream TIO Challenge to choose the theme, and I guess you all know I love butterflies! So along with the beautiful little winged creatures I would love to see the letter "I" involved, and of course at least one real stamp on your tag.
The stamps used on my tag are Tim Holtz along with his Butterfly Frenzy strip die and a Spellbinders frame for the sentiment.
I didn't realise at the time I chose the paper for the butterflies it was called Oscar Wilde - Temptation!
So lets hope this "tempts" you in to joining in with our TIO Challenge this time!
Elizabeth x

The Potato - Take It Make It at the Craft Stamper Magazine!!!

The rest of the DT and I have had great fun with the new Craft Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge which launches today.
The lovely Helen Chilton thought it would be a great idea to make stamps from, yep, the good old potato!!
So after the giggles and comments of "not done that since school" had finished, I think I can say we all had a fab time making stamps!
My first idea was to make a honeycomb and have bumble bee's on it, funny how plan's evolve isn't it?
My potato background was stamped out using acrylic paints and then spritzed with Dylusions. The edges were inked with Distress Ink and the Sheena stamp was heat embossed with black powder.

Follow the link to the Craft Stamper blog and check out the prints made by my fellow team mates. If you need further inspiration, check out the new magazine which is available in WH Smith's and all good craft shops today! And finally come and share your potato projects with us at the Craft Stamper Blog where we have some fab goodies up for grabs, as well as a chance of being published in a future magazine!!!
Good Luck
Elizabeth xxx

Passion for ProMarkers Challenge #214 Pink Pearls

I though I'd make the effort this week and try to join in some different challenges, and as I love my ProMarkers and my Mum as a Printer and so have grown up with Letraset products this is a perfect one  for me.
The stamped image is one of Crafty Individual and coloured with ProMarkers. The tag and dies are all made a sheet of TH Vintage Shabby paper, which have been inked with a mix of Victorian Velvet and of course Black Soot. The flowers were ready made from my stash and the final layer was a dabble of gorgeous Gilding Wax from Creative Expressions, which I am slightly addicted to!
Sorry the photo looks so blue, it's not got light properly here all day.
Elizabeth x

Dragons Dream TIO #145 Vintage, Flowers and Texture

 Well here we are again with another new challenge over at the Dragons Dream Challenge blog. This time the theme has been chosen by my uber talented team mate Tracy, who would like to see "Vintage, Flowers and Texture" on your tags along with at least one real stamped image.
I love this Poppy Meadow stamp from IndigoBlu and the sentiment is just so true!
I applied grunge paste through the Crafters Workshop mask and then painted over with lilac Fresco paint, working in some dusty concord and black soot around the edges. The sentiment was stamped out on  watercolour card as I love the texture when you ink it up. The flowers were also stamped out on to watercolour card, waterbrushed and then extra layers of petals were added by stamping again on to tissue paper and layering up.

The petals on Poppy's always remind me of tissue as they are so delicate. We would love to see your tags over at Dragons Dream, just click the link on my sidebar for a short cut, and please don't forget to include at least one real stamp.
Elizabeth x

Dragons Dream TIO #133 "While Dragons Dream"

Here we are at Dragons Dream with our first challenge of 2013, and in honour of our Dragon, Frankie, our challenge this time is "While Dragons Dream". We would love to see some mythical creatures, a night sky,  a full moon and at least one real stamp on your tag.
I've had a bit of a break over the last few weeks, so it's great to get back in my very tidy workroom (not for long) and get my hands inky again!
I've used a mixture of different shades of blue distress inks for my background, with a punched out mask for the moon. My Lavinia dragon is flying across a sky of iridescent stars, and away to a land of dreams!
We hope you enjoy our challenge this time, to join in just click on the link on my sidebar.
My resolutions this year, to always carry my mug of hot coffee by the handle, and not to let any opportunities pass me by!! What are yours ?
Happy New Year
Elizabeth xxx

Dragons Dream #131 Merry Christmas

Wow I cannot believe this is our last TIO challenge before Christmas, this year has gone by so quickly. This time around we have a Christmas themed challenge, with no recipe to follow, the only stipulation, as always is that you use at least one real stamp on your tags and have fun!
I am back in vintage mode again and loving this Kandi Core card form Kanban, it looks like old leather when it's distressed and sanded.
My cheeky little Robin had to make an appearance again, this time I've cut him out and layered him up along with some foliage, also cut from the Kandi Core. He's one of many to have been watercoloured with Distress Inks for a Vintage feel, the others are lined up ready for my own Christmas Cards. The HOTP sentiment is embossed using Wow Pearl Gold Sparkle, love their powders!
We hope you join in with our festive challenge this time, just click on the link on my sidebar, and don't forget, at least one real stamp must be used on your tag.
Merry Christmas Elizabeth xxx

Sunday Stampers #233 All Those Years Ago

Ever wondered when you are busy, you get more things done lol. Have at long last played with my new Robin stamp from Imagination Crafts. The Ladies I taught at Denbigh got to play with him before I did!
I stamped him out in Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink and watercoloured him for a soft vintage look, to fit in with Hels theme this week.

 He has a Barn Door tubby and berries, and how lush is that ribbon with the beads entwined, a little bargain from Lidl, only popped in for some bits for tapas! Thanks for stopping by, hope the weathers better where you are, raining cats and dogs here, the Irish Sea is bouncing and lots of roads are closed. Roll on summer Elizabeth xxx

Dragons Dream TIO #128 Self Propelled Flowers

 

This time over at Dragons Dream Gabrielle has chosen the theme of "Self Propelled Flowers" She would like to see Butterflies, Flowers and movement of some kind on your tags.

I used a sheet of cotton paper to blend different colours of mica on to, then let it dry au natural. My favourite flowers were then stamped, cut out and shaped, they hold well on this paper. I cut the TH cage out is silver and decided to have my little butterflies in the same colour, to blend in with the lilac and pale green flowers. My tag is inked up using a mixture of Milled Lavender,  Bundled Sage and of course Black Soot Distress Inks. All put together with a little helping of the yummy tissue tape from Indigoblu. I hope you pop over and join in out challenge this time, I know so many of you are busy at this time of year, but we love to see your tags!! Don't forget to use the ingredients along with at least one real stamp on you tag. Off now to finish the little felted book that's peeping out from under my tag. Elizabeth xxx

Dragons Dream TIO 118 Industrial Chic

First of all I have to apologise for being awol for the last few weeks, I've been busy with year end accounts and a short, much needed, break away.  I promise to catch up on all of the blogs I've missed this weekend. This time over at Dragons Dream TIO Gabrielle has chosen the theme of "Industrial Chic". She would like to see clockworks, cogs and vintage brown on your tags, along with at least one real stamp.
Completely without intention, everything I've used on my tag this time is Sir Tims lol. From the ink to the embossing folder and stamps, simples!! Hope you pop over and join in with this times tag, just click on the logo on my sidebar to take you there, and check out what my fab team mates have created. Elizabeth x

Rainbow Lady's Challenge #200 Vintage

This week over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog we have the very fabulous Hels joining us as a guest designer, we are soooo excited! The theme this week is Vintage, so loads to get your teeth in to there. The card I've made this week is a twisted easel for my friend who is a "Sewing Queen" maybe I should re-word that one lol, a "Queen of Sewing". She has rescued my attempts on several occasions, and pinned me back together again!!

I love this mini tattered florals die, think this one will be living on the desk! Hope you come over and join us in this weeks challenge, just click on  the logo on my sidebar for a direct link. Elizabeth xxx

Rainbow Lady's Challenge #199 Easter

Over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week we are being sponsored by Joanna Sheene, who yet again has put up a fab prize for grabs! This week we are asking you to share you Easter projects with us, no matter what it is!
I love making tags and these little Indigoblu bunnies were the perfect size to fit on a tiny tag, along with Sir Tims flowers. They will probably make it on to a card shortly! Pop over via the link on my sidebar to join in. Happy Easter and good luck! Elizabeth xxx

Dragons Dream TIO #113 Angels and Demons

Over at DragonsDream TIO this time Lyn has chosen the book Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I've used a theme plate from Non Sequiter called Greco Roman, which I though fitted the bill. Unfortunately as I'd not used these stamps before they were still un-mounted, not to panic won't take long. How wrong.... Not one scrap of EZ Mount have I in the cupboard! No problem I cut them out, placed them on to a sheet a paper and sprayed they backs with Stick and Spray, then left them on the floor to dry whilst I put the coffee pot on. Came back up and would you believe out of all this floor space Oscar chose, yep to sleep on top of all my newly sticky backed stamps!!! Going to be one of thoses days!!!!! So all washed, re-stickied and defluffed! I've re discovered chalk pencils again, I love the soft shading you can get with these. Our challenge is open again two weeks so please share your tags with us, and remember to use at least one real stamp. Elizabeth x