Lost in Music

WOW has it been that long since I posted here?  I must admit I've been suffering from a serious lack of mojo in recent weeks and that is, no doubt, something the majority of you out there can identify with.  I did, however, get my finger out and put together this wooden desk tidy that was picked up at one of the craft fairs I was lucky to attend earlier this year. It's been sitting there, in a bag, waiting patiently for a few weeks. Finally it's voice was heard and I set to. needing to get it out on the desk.
It's a three box tidy, different sizes.  First the MDF needed to be sealed and a mixture of PVA glue and black paint achieved this. When this base coat was dry, each of the four sides were treated to a different design. I would then be able to ring the changes occasionally by turning them round in the base tray.
I apologise in advance about the picture quality - I lost my camera and needed to use that on my mobile phone.

The first side
Inspired by Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" and being my DT piece for Haunted Design House this month. "Lost in Music" - any project inspired by a piece of music.

 This is how all the sides, when assembled, fit together. For the post, the sides were photographed as I went along.

The music score BG is a stamp from Visible Image. Stamped using a silver pigment ink and dusted with silver pan pastel. Sealed with DecoArt Decoupage. The inchy stampbord panels were joined in sets of 4, coloured with distress inks before stamping with some inchy stamps from Inkadinkadoo. The little panels then edged with silver embossing powder before adhering to the sides with glossy accents.
The second side

These are decorated using the rubber versions of "Haunted Places 1" that were available from Smeared Ink and now available in digi format from the Zibbet shop of Rick St Dennis.
The third side

these sides have been stenciled firstly using silver DecoArt metallic paint. then the big skull from the skull sheet of Rick St Dennis was printed out a number of times in 3 different sizes. These were decoupaged  before dipping in UTEE.
The fourth side

Heat embossed using a stamp in my collection of unknown origin and silver embossing powder.

Time for a Bit Of SteamPunk

Good evening people.
I just had to make this. My imagination was flying away with me.
I had the good fortune to visit the Sincerely Yours Craft fair yesterday. One of the traders there was The MDFMan. If only I had more pennies!! So many gorgeous MDF items for sale! I plumped for a clock with various cogs. As well as a couple of skull sets that needed a good home.

What did I get excited about?
Well this is my version..........

............and the story of how it came to be.

Out came the Decoart paints etc and everything was given a coat of black gesso to seal.
As the large face was dry first - that got the first treatment. A thin coat of deco-page and a sheet of paper from the Prima "Time Traveller's Memories" pad. Well stuck down before cutting down and then sanding. Finishing the edges with a brushing of "vintage paper" distress ink. Then with the Decoart stencil "Timeless Treasures" and some copper "Dazzling Metallics", added the numbers for the clock, off-setting the primary numerals. The image of the timepiece and wings is using 3 of the stamps from the Visible Image "Time After Time" set.

Next up the larger cogs that came with the collection
They were daubed with a few colours of the Decoart Americana paints. Antique Rose, Antique Teal Pansy Lavender and Traditional Raw Sienna. When dry a thin layer of Decoart Media Raw Umber Antiquing cream rubbed on before over stamping with an IndigoBlu crackle stamp.using stazon.

The small cogs were coated with Decoart Americana burnt umber mixed with Decoart texturizing medium. Then dry brushed with butterscotch and a bit more copper.

some glossy accents, brads, a length of chain. It's beginning to come together.
Needed something else..........
Those Visible Image stamps again. This time several wings, left and right, stamped onto kraft card and cut out decoupage fashion and layered up. Stuck together with silicon glue before triple heat embossing. My melting pot is no where to be seen tonight. The clock face stamped onto dark brown and heat embossed with white. Applied to the clock with more silicon glue.

I had to be careful all along the way, ensuring that minute hand was not going to be impeded on it's journey around the face and several times had to change the placement of those cogs before finally sticking down. The joys of practicality!

Thanks for looking and hope I haven't bored you with all the details

I'd like to enter my clock into the challenge at
Love2Create - Anything Creative / Mixed Media / anything goes
That's Crafty - SteamPunk Surprise

Whole LOTTA Rosie with HDH

Team B's turn to show some inspiration for the current challenge at Haunted Design House. Have you ever listened to the lyrics or that fabulous AC/DC song? If you don't know them, you won't understand my project - so do yourself a favour and listen again. - Then get a making!!!!

I actually finished an Art doll I had already started off by giving the torso a base coat of burnt sienna paint. There she sat - for weeks - while I pondered what to do with her. Then it came to me!

There I sat one night making 13 roses. Then stamping tissue paper with a music script stamp (visible image) and highlighting with bronze panpastel. Finding that tape measure type ribbon that I knew was in my stash somewhere. Modpodge at the ready........ and we're off. Tissue paper and tape in place. OOps nearly forgot the lightening flash. Some red mirri card from the scrap box then sticking all the roses on, spiralling up the body.
Now for a head. This fashioned from paper clay wrapped round a screwed up wastepaper ball. That paper clay goes further this way. When dry(ish), some old gold gilding wax for the hair and added some copper wire spirals. A rock from the garden makes for an ideal stand. Instead of getting her "Rock on" she got on her rock.
How will you interpret "AWhole Lotta Rosie"? Come show us at Haunted Design House

I'd like to enter this Art Doll into the challenge
Addicted To Stamps - Inspired by a song - (AC/DC's Whole Lotta Rosie)
Visible Image - Anything Goes using the music score stamp

Enjoy Life............. Whilst You Can

Good morning everyone.
I am sitting here at my window looking out on a really cold and dreary day. What happened to the sunshine???
Oh well, it meant that my project for the Left of Centre Challenge actually got completed instead of being late ......... again
I have used the image from Rick St Dennis called The Crazy Queen of Hearts. Also in the Etsy shop for instant download here.

I made a card (for a change)

I coloured our Queen using promarkers and graph-it pens

using papers from stash - that base paper has been sitting on the shelf for longer than I can remember! The main piece is from BoBunny's Enchanted collection. Lace from stash.

The "Heads" that roll when The Queen of Hearts gets into a mood - they are by Stampotique. Stamped onto pearlised paper and mounted onto a flowery diecut

"Enjoy Life" stamp from Visible Image's Time After Time collection. Stamped with white to ensure the red embossing didn't get lost in the black

The rest of the sentiment is going to read "Whilst You Can" when I get the printer working


I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Left of Centre Challenges - Anything Goes Dark Themed

A Couple of Tags

Last night was "Craft Club Night" and making a tag was the project of the day. We had a few laughs as always and I had to wait until I got home to add the final touch to mine. I did not take my cropodile and accessories and felt this was what I wanted to finish the hat off. So in through the door and get to it ..........

Using papers from a CD (kindly supplied by this week's lead member, Pam) a couple of stamps from De Stempelwinkel, TH diecuts, plenty of distress inks, a scrap of ribbon and those rivets that I had to wait for, the tag was born. We all had similar papers but each tag was so different. A great night Pam, Thank you.

Next up a tag using a resist technique.

Loads of different colours loaded onto a tag. Images from the "Free your Imagination" set from Visible image stamped on with versamark and heat embossed with clear EP. Followed by lashings of broken china DI. The sentiment from the same set stamped in white and heat set.

Then out with some stencils. The one used here is the Andy Skinner Baroque sheet with black soot DI. Some feathers set into a bead attached with a few links of chain and some feathery fibres as a tie.








I am entering these tags into the challenge at
Left of Centre - First Anniversary month long birthday Bash - Anything Goes

The bottom tag I'd like to enter into the challenge at
Visible Image - Use your favourite VI stamp

Eternal Love

Immortal or Eternal oh well.
It's week three of the challenges over at Through The Purple Haze Challenge Blog. The current week's challenge is about using favourite colours and is being sponsored by Simply Betty but the big prize that's up for grabs is completing all the challenges leading up to the 16th December.

My favourite colours? That's a toughy. Black/grey, brown, dark reds, dark greens, purples all feature in my normal "go-to" colours normally. So that's where I went on this little romantic card.

The image is, of course Simply Betty, from her Steampunk range, Amaranth and Archie.

Coloured with promarkers before masking and distress inks applied. Matted onto black cs.

The base paper is from DCWV, Heritage collection and has been stamped with the words "Immortal Love" from Visible Image. 

Matted onto more black cs.

Red organza ribbon overlaid with black lace then black satin ribbon added. The ends of the bow secured after twisting them. A couple of charms added to the centre with a jump ring.

I would like to enter this card into the challenge over at

Through The Purple Haze - Favourite Colours

Simply Challenged - Heavy on the Embellishments

Craft-Dee BowZ - must have a bow on it
Ooh-La-La Creations Challenges - For the one you love
Rhedd and Rosie - Time (I chose timelessness)

Gone All Flowery

OOpps nearly didn't make this weeks project for Through The Purple Haze in time. Busy doing other things, but I want to be in with a chance of that fabulous prize at the end of the year so I had to squeeze something in. Anything with flowers is the challenge this week. I'm on a personal mission of using as many of my rarely used stamps at the moment, flowers do not feature much in my collection but I do have these gorgeous Paper Artsy ones. I made a tag following the requirements of Dragon's Dream - Tag It On of stencils and/or masks, paint and ribbon.

The tag base is made from some kraft coloured card in my stash. First, using a flowery stencil, some rusty hinge DI, then moved the stencil just a bit and stippled some copper paint through it. Some more distress inks in orange marmalade, wild honey and squeezed lemonade were sponged on. The flowers were stamped onto yellow card using adirondack "latte" before fussy cutting out and more distress inking.
Some ribbon "stalks" added before attaching to the tag. Some of the swirl detail was picked up with more copper paint.

 The words are from the "Time" set from Visible Image. Stamped onto more of the yellow card, sponged with DI and torn out.

A few tiny gems and a matching ribbon tie (it is a tag after all)

Finished - with just a couple of hours to spare.

Thanks for visiting









I'd like to enter my tag into the challenges at
Through the Purple Haze - Flowers
Dragon's Dream - Tag It On - stencils and/or masks, paint and ribbon
Rhedd and Rosie - Anything Goes
Crafting When We Can - Floral

A Special Card

A friend of mine was to wed her dream man therefore a card needed to be made. This is that card.
Visible Image stamps came to the rescue here. The words on this stamp are just so beautiful. The clean lines I have given the card are for Karen and Drew, Karen's style of crafting is clean cut and the grungy finish of the stamp fits my style of crafting,

The stamp here is called Hearts Entwined. Stamped in blue onto a heart shape die cut and ink distressed with DI.
The back ground cuts are made using my cricut. Three of the frames from the "Frame of Mind" cart.
The colours chosen as these, I knew, were part of the colour scheme, ivory and blue.
The sparkle - well that again ties in with the occasion and there's always going to be bling where Karen is. The flowers are a beautiful royal blue from stash.
A bit showing the corner detail better.

 
Inside is another Visible Image stamp, Fairy Tale Ending. I'm afraid I shook a bit here and the stamp didn't stamp as well as it normally does. That's my fault not the stamps. I was in a rush to get it finished. This is 10 mins before it was to begin it's journey to the happy couple

We all have our mis-stamps, don't we?

Both these stamps are available from that fabulous bricks and mortar and online shop - That Craft Place 

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at

That Craft Place - Flowers

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge - Frame it

Stitch It - with Delicious Doodles

I know, I know, this is late. Firstly I couldn't get my pics to upload to blogger on Thursday or Friday for some unknown reason. I've been having problems all weekend uploading any pics - even by email. Then it all starts working again, go figure. Anyway... better late than never?
The first of many posts (hopefully) today is the post that I had hoped to get done on Friday. That was the date the challenge over at Delicious Doodles went live.

The challenge this week is all about getting you all stitched up.

I have used one of the older images that are available in the shop, but one that I think deserves to be highlighted now and again. For all those rugby enthusiasts out there it is ideal. This is Rugby Silhouette.

I used papers from the Southfield Paper shop, fairly local to me. Layering up with nesties in reverse so that the image is on the bottom and framed. Then blanket stitched (by hand) all round it. The other stitching is faux. Just a thin nibbed brown pen and a ruler to give the impression of stitches.

The LO of the card is thanks to the inspiration of the sketch by Pals Paper Arts.

The sentiment is stamped in brown using various words from Visible Image Stamps.

Again apologies for the lateness of the post but sometimes blogger is here to test our patience as I'm sure most of you have experienced.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge over at Pals Paper Arts as it is inspired by their sketch.

A Classic Birthday Card

A work colleague had a birthday last week and one thing I do is make everyone at work a card tailored to them for their special day.
This card is for one of "the boys" in my team.

I have used stamps from Visible Image thoughout here. Classic Sportscar

with the sentiment "No matter your age"

stamped onto red card and the numbers from Time after time. Then there's that great background stamp of tyre marks as well. The card was masked before over stamping and the paler treads impression on the sentiment layer was created by inking the stamp then stamping twice onto scrap paper before stamping the
The BP is from the Southfield Paper shop. This was layered onto a mat of red then onto a dark cream card base. Gold mirri card, something that has been in the cupboard since I first started making cards 3yrs ago used as a mat for the red image panels. Not something I use very often.
Some red, amber and green dewdrops added as a passing reference to traffic lights.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Simply Create Too - Use your stash - gold mirri card
Cards for Men - Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Use a Sentiment

Quoth The Raven

I hardly know where to start on this post, except to say this little fat page book with ATCs as the main focus is dedicated to, what must be, one of the most well known poem of Mr E.A.Poe.

What was my project going to be for the challenge blog Quoth The Raven?
Choose 3 things from a list.....

RAVEN 

RIBBON

EDGAR ALLAN POE

LACE

SCARLET

METAL

STITCHING

FLOWERS

FEATHERS

SKULLS

CATS

THEN Rick St Dennis came out with these new digis!!  Mr Poe himself and a trio of ravens.
A light bulb came on. That was at some stupid o'clock when I was trying to sleep, always the way with me. A quick note to self, in case I forgot. Fast forward to the next day when I could get all my bits together. Stamps, colouring tools, card etc.
Are you sitting comfy? This post is picture heavy but I think you'll see why eventually.

The only items from the list that are still missing are the stitching and cats. There is room for them when made.

The cover of my little book was made up of a "tiled" image of the plain raven from Rick St Dennis. Available from his blog.

Printed onto white card but yellow, orange and red distress inks brushed on to colour.
This was folded in half and some black ribbon added as the closure.

The quote is taken from one of the other versions of the raven. Edgar is the other digi available in Rick's shop. Promarkers used to colour.

Inside we have 5 pages plus inside covers
Inside front

Candle Poe from Ike'sArt 

page 1

Raven, Poe and Skull with Roses from Rick St Dennis

Page 2

Quoth the Raven rubber from Smeared Ink

Link to digi set there but is available in rubber as part of the "Rubber Club"

Page 3

Free Your Imagination from Visible Image

Page 4

Quoth the Raven rubber from Smeared Ink

Link to digi set there but is available in rubber as part of the "Rubber Club"

Page 5

Writers Plate#20 from Cherry Pie Art Stamps

Inside back cover

A raven from Ike's Art

can't find this one in the shop but there are more to choose from.

I'd like to enter this little book into the challenge over at 

Quoth The Raven - Choose from a list (as above)

Anything Gothic with Delicious Doodles

It's Friday therefore another challenge starts over at Delicious Doodles Challenges. This week it's all about going Gothic. Interpret as you will. The other girls in Team A have produced some stunning pieces of art and I hope you go and admire them all.
My contribution to the line up is a tag using the "Shot Through The Heart" image from, of course, Delicious Doodles.

The image was first printed out four times then coloured with a mixture of promarkers, spectrum noirs, red glitter stickles and silver and black gel pens. The heart itself was coated with crackle accents. For some unknown reason the red spectrum noir colouring has turned orange - bright florescent orange at that. This is something that never happened to me with promarkers. So I guess I won't be using this combo again - unless I need a fluorescent orange in the future

The layering can be seen a bit better here. Some black feathers added for good measure.. 

The base of the tag was coloured by dipping in watered down distress inks - four different colours, fired brick, weathered wood, festive berries and black soot. When happy with that effect I heat embossed a crackle stamp in clear powder on black soot ink. The barbed wire from Visible Image was stamped on using acrylic paint. Then layered two different laces and a black satin ribbon down the side. The tie has a metal cross bow charm attached with one of the three ribbons there.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Heavy Metal
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

For The Boys

Delicious Doodles time. How many have you have made a card for one of the men in your life recently? Apart from that one to your Valentine of course. I'm talking about one of those cards with no bling and frills and suitable to give to one of the blokes. Well this week at Delicious Doodles Challenges, we are challenging you all to do just that.....make one

For The Boys

I chose to stay on the vintage theme this week and chose Teri's image Vintage Norton Bike and the Cog and Chain Border to compliment it.

The image itself is so detailed, not much colouring is needed. I did, however, paint some distress ink on it to highlight some of the key areas.

Torn edges and plenty of distress inks to further enhance that olde look.

Instead of embossing the core-dinations card base, I chose to use tyres marks. A new stamp from Visible Image. This was then attached to a piece of DP from the HOTP steampunk paper pack but not before attaching a piece of ribbon from stash threaded through a wooden cog from Crafty Emblies then adding a couple of their word plaques.

The little golden "headlight" is taken from some broken jewellery picked up in a charity shop and the centre filled with glossy accents. 

So peeps - your turn. Make "One For the Boys" and come over and show us by linking your project up on the Delicious Doodles Challenge blog. You never know - you might win and get the opportunity to choose 5 images from the shop.

I would like to enter this into the challenge at
Shelly's Images - Neutrals with a Pop of Colour
Crafting When We Can - Cards For Boys

CDAC - Anything Goes