The Multi-layered Man

This weeks theme on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is "Handmade Background".  I wanted to have a play around with layers on this piece, so while creating the handmade background with Claudine Hellmuth paints, I inserted 3 images of the man at different stages in the process.  The framing also plays on the idea of layers - at first glance it looks like the central panel is mounted on a larger panel covered with script, whereas the script is a wooden frame and the central panel is sunk into it.

Our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering a $50 gift voucher as the prize again this week! The winner will be chosen at random from those who enter the challenge, so why not give it a try? At the very least why not head over to the Challenge Blog to see how the other members of the design team have interpreted this weeks theme! :)

Moi? Je ne suis pas branché!

Which is to say "Me? I'm not trendy!", and believe me, I'm not! LOL (A fact that I'm sure can be vouched for by those who know me!) But I did think this guy from one of the PaperArtsy Urban Snapshot plates is kinda cool looking, hence the "branché" on the tag.

I sat down to start work on this with absolutely no idea in my head as to what I was going to do, other than start out by spraying colour onto a blank tag. I tipped a load of metal stencil letters onto my desk to see what I could spell with them and the word "branché" just jumped out at me, which tied in nicely with the choice of stamp for the main figure :) I've also been listening to a bit of french music in the last couple of days so I'm sure there's a residual influence there too!

I sprayed the tag with Cranberry and Stream Color Wash sprays and then laid down some of the stencil letters and sprayed again with Sunset Orange. The top panel is a leftover piece from a sheet from the Tim Holtz "Crowded Attic" card stack. The guy was stamped seperately and cut out then fixed in place and coloured with Promarkers. I used the stencils with a white pen to spell out the word, and then doodled a bit with black and white pens. I stamped the star, cut it out and fixed it in place, then finally edged the whole tag with some Walnut Stain distress ink.

As ever, click the image for a better view! :)

Gingersnap Creations Challenge: Quotes

A new challenge has started on the Gingersnap Creations Blog today and the theme is Quotes.

I chose to quote some lines from the Rolling Stones song "Ruby Tuesday". I'm not much of a Stones fan to be honest, but I really love the Melanie version of this song, and listened to it on repeat while I worked on this :) (You can hear it here if you're interested).

The text around the edge of the tag and the notepaper were computer generated (the notepaper having been stamped first with a TH stamp and then scanned into the computer). "Ruby" is one of my favourite stamps in my collection, a PaperArtsy image that I come back to time and again. She was stamped with a black Memento ink pad then coloured with Promarkers. The background was Promarker'd, distress inked and stamped with a TH scratches stamp. The notepaper was stamped with TH's small coffee cups and my handy fingerprint "stamp" :)

Check out the Gingersnap Creations blog to see the fun ways in which the other Design Team members have interpreted the theme! Go on, you know you want to! :)

Identification Check

Another project based around one of my shield files from a couple of weeks back, and this is also my entry for this weeks Theme Thursday Challenge. Because I was using a vintage photo in this piece, I wanted the whole thing to have a faded, vintage feel. To achieve this, I set myself the challenge of using only Promarkers and only the pens that were in my "skin tones" wallet. I think the pale, washed-out colours have worked really well on the background, and lend an old-fashioned feel to it. Well, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it! LOL

The photo is from a set by Darkroom Door, and was liberally coated with Rock Candy Crackle Paint before putting it into the memory frame. The striped background was stamped in black and then coloured with the aforementioned Promarkers. The rugby team stamp is by Paper Artsy and the Identification Check ticket is by Crafty Individuals. The type charm is one of Tim Holtz's. Finally, I finished the whole thing off by punching a series of holes along the bottom with the crop-o-dile and "sewing" with some jute garden twine. That's about the nearest you'll ever see me to a needle and thread! LOL

As ever, click on the image for a larger view :)

Bits'n'Pieces

... is the theme over on the Sunday Stamper's Challenge this week, so I chose this PaperArtsy stamp that I've had for a while but not used yet. I thought that the way the wording was cut into bits and pieces was perfect for this challenge! I added some "manly" bits and pieces floating around in the background too for good measure :) The photo is a bit washed out in places, I'll try and do better next time! lol

Click on the image for a larger view :)

[Edit to add - The stamps used in the background were: bike chain and cogs from a set by Technique Tuesday, screw by clevercut.co.uk]

Less is More Tag

Another day, another tag!! (Hopefully any german readers will enjoy that pun! lol)

Once again, more new stamps that I'm trying out for the first time (I'll try to remember where they're all from, but I always forget!)

I started out by colouring the tag with Dusty Concord and Dried Marigold distress ink, applied from the ink pads with an ink blending tool. I then spritzed the large dots background stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms with water and stamped it on the tag and left it to dry.

I used a wet baby wipe to remove a lot of the colour from the bottom section of the tag, then applied Mustard Seed distress ink to that section with my ink blending tool. I then stamped the rulers background from Lost Coast Designs, with black ink.

The bubble wrap stamp is from a Paperbag Studios plate, and I stamped with with Dusty Concord ink (see how much darker it stamps compared to the areas where I applied it with the blending tool?)

The Less is More stamp is from a PaperArtsy sheet, and I stamped it in black and highlighted areas with a white pen. The shoes stamp was a gift from a friend, so I've no idea where it comes from! I stamped it separately, then used a water brush and Spiced Marmalade distress pad to paint the orange colour into the white area. I used a grey promarker around the toe of the shoes to make them pop a little more. I then cut out the image and stamped the Less is More stamp across it's bottom left corner, then lined it up with the phrase already on the tag and stuck it in place.

The arrow is from the same Paperbag Studios sheet as the bubble wrap (I think!) and it was stamped in black and highlighted with white pen. Finally I used a scratches stamp from Tim Holtz's Slight Alterations set and stamped it with Milled Lavender distress ink around the edges of the tag to finish it off.

I hope you like it, I had a lot of fun making it! :) Click on the image to see a larger view.

Wednesday Stamper Squares Challenge

This weeks challenge on the Wednesday Stamper blog was "squares". I took a sheet of printer paper and cut a 1in square out of it, to act as a window. I then used this window to stamp onto a 6in x 3in tag.

Each image was stamped using black versafine ink, and then hand painted.

I ended up making two windows, as the ink started to soak through the paper on the first sheet. I think they look quite interesting in their own right, so I have included an image of them here.

I hope you like it! :o) Click on any image to enlarge it.

Imagine

Another outing for the Cricut today! I had an idea to create a figure out of boxes, and decided to link it in with the Crazy Amigo Challenge this week, where the theme was "wings".

I drew the 3 shapes for these boxes on the computer, and used SCAL to cut them out. I sized them such that the top cubic box would be used for the head, the tapering box for the body and the tall one for the legs. I selected colour themes for each layer - green/blue for the legs, citrus colours for the body and purple/yellow for the head.

After that, it was just a case of getting busy with the stamps and inks! Far too many stamps used here to credit them all, inks were Ranger distress pads, black Versafine and a few colours of Ancient Page (which I love, but am finding they are drying out pretty quick! Anyone else out there having this problem?).

Nice to work in 3 dimensions for a change, at least more 3 dimensional than 3D foam allows! :o) And, while we're on the subject, (ok, we weren't, but just go with me here...), given that I took the time and trouble to fix the wings on with brads, so they could be raised and lowered to different positions, wouldn't you think I would have had the sense to check that I'd at least positioned them level before I took the photos? :oD

I hope you like it, thanks for looking and click on an image if you want to see it larger!

Um.... 5 More Triangular ATCs

Well, I enjoyed making the last 5 so much, I thought I'd make 5 more! This time, I didn't have the sense to make two of them point-side down, so they'd be easier to photograph, so they're split into 2 images here. Click on either to enlarge them.

Nothing groundbreaking to say about these really! In the second, the word "bored" is deliberately spelled that way! Honestly!! :oD The 2 stamps used in the 4th are some that I had made for me as a one-off.

I hope you like em! Ta for taking a look! :o)

5 Triangular Stamped ATCs

I have just completed these ATCs for an interesting-sounding swap. Each person taking part must make 5 triangular ATCs, 2.5in wide x 3.5in tall. The only other criterion was that they should be stamped. As I have been known to a bit of stamping from time to time, and also have a ruler that can measure in inches, I thought "why the heck not?" :o)

All images were stamped with either versafine or ancient page (my new favourite) ink pads. Cards were coloured with blended distress ink pads, applied with cut'n'dry foam. Other techniques used included masking and painting with a waterbrush.

As ever with ATCs, less time and trouble is spent on decorating the rear side. In this case, I simply stamped my "handmade by dan99" stamp, masked it, then overstamped and painted one part of the image.
I hope you like 'em! Even more importantly, I hope that the recipients like them too! All I have to do now is make sure I get them in the post on time, LOL. Click on either pic to see it larger. :o)

Basic Grey Flourish Stamp Tags

Two tags made with some flourish/swirl type stamps from Basic Grey.

The main images were stamped in black versafine then masked. Both tags were coloured with distress ink pads applied with cut'n'dry foam and flicked with water drops, which were allowed to dry. The flourishes were stamped stamped in black versafine and a waterbrush was used with distress pads to colour them. Finally they were distressed around the edges with a fine application of distress ink (walnut stain).

I hope you like em! Click on a tag to see a larger view :o)

Covers for a book and another tag

I've decided to collect some of the tags I've made lately into a book with the Bind-it-all, so I've made some chipboard covers for it today. Yes, yes, I realise I've already made a tag very similar to those covers, but I enjoyed making it so much I wanted to do it again, LOL Plus, I'll leave that tag out of the book, seeing as how you're making such a big fuss about it! LOL

The tag uses a Stampers Anonymous stamp that isn't new, but IS new to me, and some fontwerks clear botanical stamps. The man is by PaperArtsy.

I hope you like em, click on any image to enlarge it. :o)

Maya Road boxed ATC cards and new look for my blog!

I picked up a couple of these chipboard boxes from Maya Road a little while back. Each one contains 8 chipboard ATCs joined by a chain, and are all ready to be attacked with inks/stamps/paints, you name it!

I thought I might have to cover them in white paper first, but they take ink really well, and the colours don't suffer too much from the grey/brown background. Hopefully will pick up a couple more in the next few days, as I think they make great gifts once they're decorated! Oh, and this is called April in Canada cos I made it in Canada, in April. But you knew that all the time, didn't ya? :)

I hope you like, click on any image to enlarge it :o)

Regular readers will notice that I decided it was time for a face-lift of my blog. Let me know what you think, after all, it's YOU that reads it! :o)

Old stamps with new twists

I thought I'd take some old stamps that I've used several times before and combine them with some new stamps and new colours, to see if I could wring yet more life out of them! We all know that stamps aren't cheap, and I'm all for getting as much use out of mine as I can!

In each case the central image was stamped first, in Versafine ink, and then masked while I worked on the rest of the tag. Parts of each image were painted with distress ink pads and a waterbrush.

Click on any image to enlarge it, I hope you like em! :)

Fragments Mini-book

I'm getting quite hooked on these 2x2 books! They're a great size cos they're big enough to stamp on, but small enough that you can finish them quickly. This one is for a friends birthday, a few pages are duplicates of things in other projects, but I have mostly missed those out on the photos I've included on here. I hope you like it!

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Once upon a tag...

front back

I don't often say this, though it's often true, and in this case it's more true than ever.... this looks a lot better in the flesh than when photographed!!

This tag started out as something very different. My plan was to make some tags using predominantly PaperArtsy stamps. Once I got under way, (and I don't know if this ever happens to you, dear reader), it quickly developed a mind/voice of it's own, and I just went with it! I did manage to largely confine it to PaperArtsy stamps, though I did use a few others when my limited PaperArtsy collection didn't yield up the right images.

The jigsaw piece was created using the Batik technique I explored in my last posting. The splatter stamps were highlighted with glossy accents and the copper bookplate was distressed with espresso and a greenish dabber (I forget the name of the colour). A portion of the back of each side was decorated so that when the tag was torn and the edges held back by brads, they wouldn't be white.

The heart on the back of the tag was outlined with a Sakura Gold-Touch pen. The words "Love's Labours Lost" were printed out in brown from the PC, and stamped with an image in clear embossing ink, which was then allowed to dry to give a watermark effect. The fingerprint is the artist's own :o)

I hope you like it. Click on any image to enlarge it.

Santa Tag

Another 6x3 tag for the tag swap I'm involved in. PaperArtsy holly border was stamped and embossed in gold. Fired brick distress pad applied to the whole tag, black soot distress pad applied to the holly border with a wet wipe. Eyelet surround is black card with a crackle background stamped and embossed in gold, then punched to shape. Santa is a rubbadubbadoo stamp, applied as low-level decoupage, which is to say it was separated into layers, but no 3d foam or silicone glue was used. This still gives a 3d effect, but it's much more subtle. Back of tag was stamped with my own avatar and "handmade" stamps and a tapestry snowflake stamp, in fired brick and aged mahogany.

Oh, and I almost forgot, there's a tiny amount of stickles glitter on his hat and beard, just for a bit of sparkle :o)

Click on the image to get a larger view.

In-flight Entertainment

This project is based around the movie descriptions in an Air Canada in-flight magazine. They were so short that taken out of context the sentences seemed a little bizarre, and many of them were not even recognisable as the movies they were supposed to be describing!




Pages 1/2 - "A commitment-phobic man keeps falling for a woman with no short term memory".



Pages 4/5 - "A professor framed for a murder in the Louvre unravels a religious mystery".



Pages 6/7 - "The son of a brilliant archaeologist receives the ancient map that his father died to protect".



Pages 8/9 - "A Manhattan orphan infiltrates a brutal gang in order to avenge his father's death".



Pages 10/11 - "After a series of unsuccesful romantic set-ups, a visually impaired man meets a woman he could fall for".



Pages 12/13 - "Stripped of her noblesse, a French woman goes to Versailles to try and win back her status". The attached mini-book contains an account of the famous case of "The Ghosts of Versailles", in which 2 women on holiday in Paris in 1901 claimed to have gone back to the time of Marie Antoinette.



Comments welcomed!