Challenge 22 at Artful Times

Hello and sorry for not being around much over the last week, sometimes life just takes over, but on with the challenge at Artful Times which is Asian, as this is the month for the Chinese new year (the year of the snake)

I have decorated a box which was a pressie for my friend Becky. Nothing to complicated simple but effective I thnk :) first paint your box I used a black dabber, cut out your image could be  stamped or as in my case a collage image and make a mask of it, I then  used a background stamp and versamark and stamp the sides and the top and used the mask where I didn't want the embossing (if you don't use a mask you will have the embossed texture  coming through your image) and emboss with a colour of your choice, next glue your image to the masked area and to finish apply a few layers of varnish to protect the embossing.

 

The inside has been finish with more paint and paper from my stash and the Chinese character for love made from friendly plastic in a mould

 

 

Hope you will enjoy playing along with us over the next fortnight

 

Mona Lisa at Artful Times Challenge 10

At Artful Times Challenge I'm  taking you back a few years to when Mona Lisa was one of the most popular images, but she hardly gets an outing these days so thought it would be nice to bring her back into the spotlight. You can make anything you like. be it stamped or collaged

Just for a change I have gone all T!m Holtz, my hanging is made on glossy card using one of the techniques we learnt on the chemistry 101 course, the top is cut with an on the edge die and the  bottom thing cut in grunge board and embossed with a mixture of gold and verdigris and to hang it I have used some staples reclaimed from a packing case

You mght be thinking I don't reconise that stamp ! well here she is :)
The background stamp (papillon) is inked with archival inks (Oyster Stamps have a lovely selection of colours) then distress inked before carfully inking the part of the stamp I wanted to use again with archival, love the way it didn't come out perfect  she seems to look happier to me with the flower in her hair which appeared in my hand after fiddleing with a bit of scrap die cut waste
So come on folks blow the cobwebs off Mona and let her come out to play again and you could be in with a chance to win a £10 voucher from Oyster stamps as long as you follow the rules

Time atc

Out Of The Hat have a time theme this week and I have made an atc to swap with the lovely Sandra

The stamped image from Papermania's urban range was stamp with verasmark and coloured with different colour embossing powders

Art Deco at Just for Fun

Well we certainly enjoyed your memories of the 60's & 70's at Just For Fun  and I hope you will enjoy going just a bit further back the glamour of Art Deco probably not to memories of the period but maybe of things you saw in your grandparents homes.
 Oh how I love the Erte ladies and the strong architectural shapes of the building's coming to the fore with Hollywood and all that glamour.Then there's our English ladies like Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper and Charlotte Reed with their pottery designs

The stamp from non sequential is embossed in gold and coloured with a gold gel pen and promarker and distress ink matted on black and white, and of course Zoe and Neet have there take on it as well as our guest designer Chrissie who has made the most amazing mirror :)
This is a cigarette case which belonged to my late farther in law just love the way the straight and curved lines work together

Have you collected a piece you would like to share ?

Hope you all have fun with is challenge

On a final note I'd just like to apologise if anyone recieved a spam email from me as I was hacked, but it's all sorted now :)

Embossing at the Craft Barn

I had such a fabulous surprise last week when an email came from Isa saying they would like to give me their Inspirational Blog award and to make a card for the weeks theme  embossing . I choose to use distress stains and distress embossing powders you can see all the info on the Craft Barn Blog

The DT team come up with  some inspiring  ideas for calenders this week, as there is a 12 week calender challenge which started last week , unfortunately  the kitchen keeps calling me with all the jams jellies and chutneys that need to be made and I'm already behind with the online class but hope to catch up with the calenders soon :)