Heart and Soul

Over on Dragon'sDream Tag It On challenge we're still in a very romantic mood. Frankie and Freddie are on their honeymoon, and my warmest congratulations and best wishes are being sent via cyberspace. In keeping with her mood, Frankie has asked us to dream a tag to symbolize "Heart and Soul".
I had two thoughts immediately pop into my head, and rather than decide which to do - put them both on opposite sides of a tag.
The first side is a patterned paper with little flowers and dragonflies onto which I stamped in red ink, hearts within a heart shaped stamp. I think was from C&C. Pieced onto which is an Autumn wreath from Sunshine stamps, with an image from Tanda stamps in the centre. The colours silver and gold being the happy couple. The little picture is a downloaded image of the heart and soul nebula. The obverse side I used a piece of black imitation leather that I found in the attic, onto which is stuck three interlocking hearts from Soft Pencil.
The explanation of the colours used can be found on my "Handfasting" post so I won't go into all that again. The ties are lengths of embroidery silk.

TIO Dragon's back

Acetate and Alcohol - that's the challenge this week over on Dragon's Dream, Tag It On. Our poor Dragon is at the moment sporting some impressive bruises c/o her recent knee op. So to welcome her back I thought a little celebratory tag would be in order - bottle of champagne, flowers and a slice of cake. Well I can't be there in person to give them so stuck them on a tag so she can at least see them.
On a piece of purple card I heat embossed a dragon (Tanda Stamps) in gold to represent Frankie herself. I roughed up a piece of thickish acetate and, after spraying with mica and painting some bubbles on, I stuck some appropriate bits taken from the papermania mens' celebration decoupage set I had given to me, and a couple of flowers and raffia to keep it all together from Crafty Feelings. I chose bruise colours to match the knee pics.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Frankie......

Buttons and more Buttons

Here I am just waiting for any excuse to use my new Tanda Stamps from the Dragons and Fantasy range. One of the little groups I belong to has a twist to this weeks sketchy of "EASTERN PROMISE". Out comes this chinese dragon stamp which I heat embossed with pale blue powder onto pale coffee cardstock to compliment the colours of the digi BP I had. Then layered up (5) alternating pale blue and coffee card. - I did the same with the sentiment. The ribbon, buttons and flower are from stash.
I am entering this into the Allsorts challenge this week as they have a craving for buttons and/or lace. I'm hoping they like my buttonfest, and into Crafty Catz weekly challenge as there they are having an embossing week.

Tellen's Place

This is a bit of a rush job for my Tellen's Place entry this week I'm afraid. Had a bit of a disaster at home last night. The ceiling just outside my crafting room came crashing down covering EVERYTHING in dust. But if there is one challenge I do my hardest not to miss ... it's this one. The team are great and it's like one big family. Any way - enough of my misfortune - on to this replacement card.
This week I chose Auresha to be one of the stars. She is playing the part of hand maiden paying homage to the dragon - an image from Tanda Stamps Fantasy range. He's keeping his stash of skulls very close. These were cut out of the Tellen's Place Gorgon image (printed several times) and pieced on. With little Edward and Jessica having a rest on the hill side wondering what the noise is. The other world of fantasy being invisible to them being on another level.
The 2 patterned papers used are very similar but they are different. Edward and Jessica's level having pink petals floating down and the dragon's layer has been photoshopped to get the sky pink from blue.

Water Coloured Image

I am now a member of a couple of forums for crafters. The first, Craft Bubble, have helped me get to the level I am at now with my crafting. From a complete novice in Jan this year to being able to win a couple of challenges on merit not just a randomy thingy. The girls have highlighted various products and through the various challenges each week, I have expanded on techniques. This week's sketchy has a twist of "concentrate on the edges".
Well I don't yet own any distressing tools or ink so that technique is out. I didn't want a glittery card. Thinking cap comes off the shelf... I have this 2 tone voile fabric... and used it to cover the matting layer and then a 2nd layer folded back onto top layer of paper. All stitched and then stuck together. Depending on the angle of the light hitting the fabric it looks either red or purple - shimmery but not glittery. The image, 1 of my new Tanda stamps, I watercoloured for a change. The ribbon comes with the little beads and bobbles attached.
Keeping the sentiment off for the mo until the right time.
The other forum I have just joined is Smeared and Smudged. They cater for that side of me that keeps coming out ... the dark, Gothic, alternative side. Their guest DT for June, is Jennifer. She has tasked members to create using a water coloring technique. Well the image here is watercoloured so I might just go post it over there as well.
Also going to enter this into BBCS where the challenge is "Anything Goes" and into Tuesday Taggers for their "Touchy Feely" challenge.