A Trio Of Teenagers Aaargh!!!!

The fabulous Alison AKA Butterfly has been leading the fun over at PaperArtsy this week. She has to be one of the nicest people in blogland as well has having far too much talent for just one person :-). She's been working in 3's this week, so here's my trio of terrible teens.

I had to photograph this indoors as it was throwing it down this morning. I guess Summer has given up and we've hurried into Autumn.

I prepared my bookpaper by gluing some old pages to card and cutting out with the Tim die.I must have 20 different makes of glue (seriously) but I'm still searching for the perfect one for sticking paper to card without buckling, taking forever to dry or just lifting straight back up. I've added Fresco paint over the top to blur the print, then added a little frantage for the grungy teenagers.

The stamps are from Urban Snapshots Passing Time plates 3 and 4. For my girlie tag I've used a more blingly Frantage lol. They've been stamped onto manilla tags then torn out. I've never really noticed before how sturdy these tags are and how nicely they tear and ink.

The sentiment are also from the same plates, and the torn one says 'You will do foolish things but do them with enthusiasm'
The corrugated card in the background is from one of the Megga Monday boxes - I hope Leandra does this every year, I love surprises and these were certainly nice ones!
Right, I need to hit the send button, have you seen the time, Last Chance Charlie again:-)
Thanks very much for looking and have a fab day xx

You're Beautiful...

She is though isn't she? I think Marilyn Monro is wonderful.

This is the photo inspiration from The Stampsmith challenge this month. Firstly I would love to be able to wear these shoes, but I don't think they're a EEE fit lol.
Marilyn has been stamped in Archival Coffee, and had cream Frantage sprinkled randomly around her.
She's sitting on some Kandy Core that's been embossed, sanded, and had a bit of embroidery cotton wrapped around.
It's been a wee while since I made a card, and just look at the white space on this one - so not me, but I quite like it.
I now need to tunnel my way through the washing and ironing - can you feel my pain lol.
Thanks very much for looking x

Love Is Like A Butterfly...

It's time for another challenge at TIO, and this time it's the lovely May's turn to choose.

Hi Everyone... It's May here again... this time round I have another recipe for you for the next fortnight  "Orange...Purple....Butterflies..."

Thank you all so much for taking part in our Tag it On... We love to see all your fabulous tags our only rule is you must use at least one real stamp  on your tag.. The rest is up to you...Have fun  Enjoy!!

So orange and purple, Mmm time for the distress inks, and butterflies... I used to love the Wendy Craig comedy Butterflies many (many) years ago, and the mere mention of butterflies and the theme tune is running through my head.

I've used Stampotique Small Butterfly, Daniel's Hearts, and Abstract Foliage together with Frantage embossing enamels and glass glitter.

It's all been edged with a little silver Treasure Gold, and a computer generated sentiment.

So, the usual rules, make a tag - how simple is that, and use at least one real stamp.

Thanks very much for looking x

PaperArtsy Meets Frantage

The fabulous Michelle Webb is back at PaperArtsy this week, and she has challenged us to make something in 3D. I've used the PA hanging board, lots of fresco paints and distress inks.
I felt that it needed 'something' so I sprinkled a little Frantage embossing enamel on in Aged Ivory.
I've used stamps from the HP1004 plate, and some bubble wrap for the background.
Have a great weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

In The Bleak Midwinter

Well it seems that December has done it's usual trick and has crept up on me again! It's  gone from Summer (?) to Christmas in about a week, and yeah it sure is cold out there - again just like Summer!
So the theme over at The Stamp Man this month fits in very nicely, it's In The Bleak Midwinter. 
For our challenge this month we are asking you to include your interpretation of 'in the bleak mid winter'.

We are thinking of snow and icy scenes.  Use white in your winter themed projects, perhaps as a wintry sky, a snowy scene, or perhaps snowflakes. 

Maybe keep it simple and elegant showing you aren't afraid to use just white as a colour, or try using a cool combination of secondary colours.

For me that meant I had to use my new favourite stamp, which is the Stampendous Snowy  Postcard This was stamped onto so metal card and clear embossed. I then stamped it again on white card and triple embossed with Kaleidoscope embossing powder. This really makes it sparkle and has a lovely crunchy snow feel to it.

The frame cost £1 and was a lovely bright shiny silver - not bad for a quid but not quite what I wanted. I painted it in brass, copper and bronze VerDay paints and gave it a spray with the magic solution. I now had a rusty patina'd old frame, much bleaker.
I gave this a coating in Aged Marine embossing enamel then drooled a little 'cos this is beautiful. All the gold bits bubbled on the surface, and you can still see the VerDay patinas showing through.

The snowflakes and flowers are again from a £ shop, and have been embossed with a mixture of Frantage embossing powders and glass glitters.
This now has pride of place above the computer, 'cos Christmas is coming down out of the loft as I type this lol.
Please join us at The Stamp Man  and show us your Winty projects.

I'm also entering this into the Happy Daze challenge which is In The Deep Midwinter - this is where I bought my VerDay paints (I'm still in love with these).
Thanks very much for looking x

Woo Hoo I'm Embossing With The Stampman

I'm very excited as Jill from the Stamp Man has asked if I would like to join her design team. She has such a talented team, and I feel very honoured. The theme this month is Embossing, and here is my piece.

One of my loves at the moment is Frantage, so this is the route I have taken.
The Shirtwaists have been stamped with a mixture of Detail Gold and Aged Marine embossing powders,  onto card that I have sprayed with coffee. This smells sooo good, especially when I heat it up to melt the EPs. It's been coloured with Prisma pencils then  the Frantage glass glitters have been added with a glue pen.
The layer beneath is Kanban Kandy Core that's been put through the Grand Calibur with an A4 mask. This has then had a good old sprinkling of Frantage Embossing Enamels.
The American seam binding has been dyed with spray ink, and I mopped up all the embossing powder on my heat mat so this has also dried into the ribbon.
The chipboard dress form has been coloured with Metalic Distress Stains, then I set to work with the frantage. There's a mixture of colours, and glitters and mica flakes - ooh love all that sparkle!
Just matted onto Bling card, with a torn edge and more of the detail gold, and under that some Kraft card stamped with a mesh stamp.
This was so much fun to make, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know my new teamies. 
Please pop over and join us - any form of embossing is good, and thanks very much for looking x

Leaf It Out!

Helen has chosen the theme this time around on TIO, and she has chosen (drum roll please) leaves, metal, and the colour orange.

So to me orange is for pumpkins, and pumpkins are for Halloween, and Halloween means Edgar, and Ravens and so here we are.
The background is Distress Inks that have been blended, and then a leaf stencil over the top and more ink added. The Stampendous stamp has been inked in black Versamark and clear embossed, and a very handsome bird he is too.
I put metal tape around the edges, then added some silver embossing enamel to blend it in.
The bird and leaves have had a coating of Frantage embossing to give it a bit of texture, and the ribbon has been died with a Radiant Rain dauber.

I just love the Frantage range - can you tell lol.
This is not at all what I had in mind when I started the tag, but it seemed to come together nicely so I'm sticking with it!
Please check out my teamies tags, then gather your ingredients and come and join us. It's the usual terms and conditions - you must use at least one real stamp (but the more the merrier).
I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is leaves.
Thank you very much for looking x

Things That Make You Go Ooooo

This time over at Dragons Dream TIO Silvia is in charge, and her recipe is entitled Don't Fear!! She has chosen a scary image, a crowd of purple and textures. I have to admit this challenge has been the one that made me go oooh??
My only scary images (besides the ones used to make Christmas cards in June) are from my Cherry Pie graveyard scene.
The tag has been stamped with a text stamp, inked in Stampin Up inks in various shades of purple, then run through an embossing folder that has been inked in a lighter purple Distress Ink, then lots of Black Soot DI has been applied to the edges.
The graveyard and skull have been stamped onto tissue paper then stuck down with watered down pva. This has then been embossed with Frantage embossing enamel in white. 
The Nevermore stamp is also by Cherry pie, and  has been stapled down and further staples added to the edge and to close the skulls eyes (I must be a very disturbed person on some level lol). The moon has been embossed in white onto vellum.
Every scary tag needs a skull charm to finish it off, and some black organza ribbon.
Please head over to the Tag It On blog to see my teamies fabulous entries then make a tag and we can come look at yours!
As Simon Says Stamp And Show are asking for Depths of Distress I'm entering this over there.
Thanks very much for looking x

Ticket To My Heart

It was my turn to pick the recipe today at Dragons Dream Tag It On, so I chose spray inks, embossing, and die cuts. As it was my choice you would have thought I had something in mind, but no, it was the old 'white cat in a snowstorm' that sprang to mind as I looked at my blank card.
Luckily help was at hand as postie brought my new Stampendous corset stamp - (if Neil asks I've had it for weeeeeeks if not years lol)
Sooo changed the white card to some blue, and stamped and embossed the Hero Arts stamp in white. I then sprayed with Radiant Rain in green and bright pink. When this had dried I sprayed again with some champagne pearly paint dissolved in some rubbing alcohol.

This part was some white card sprayed with Dylusion ink in Old Leather, after I had stamped and embossed in gold ep, then masked the image. This is coloured in Prisma pencils. I've added a little sprinkling of Frantage chunky glitters and colour fragments. Yes, this is my latest love lol. The cloth in the background is some very loosely woven cheesecloth, and I've also cut a strip of this to use as the ribbon through the top. The die cut is from Hunkydory. The blue around the edge is Moonglow embossing powder and it looks really nice here IRL.

This one gives you a better idea of the colours. The die cut button is one of Sir Tims from the dress form set, and it's been embossed in the same Moonglow powder, then had some glass glitter placed carefully (thrown) on. 
I finished off with some lace and a needle and thread 'cos I was feeling a bit 'arty' Everyone then proceeded to tell me 'you do know you've left the needle in' YES I'm an artist daaaaarling lol.
So please pop on over to TIO and cook me up a tag.
Thanks very much for looking x

My First Attempt At Frantage - and the MANFLU!!

I made this over the weekend, but I've not been able to post it till now 'cos I've got the Manflu!! No wonder the poor dears take to their beds and complain when they have this. I must admit that for the last 2 days I've been functioning at a very low level (breath, cough, groan - breath, cough, wheeze) So to all you brave men who soldier on through this - I commend you lol.
I've been trying to come up with something for this months Artistic Outpost challenge, which is travel. For this I've made an inky background, then used the stamps from the Paris Exposition plate. I've thrown the kitchen sink at it in terms of embossing powders and in real life it look really nice when you twist it about and it catches the light. I've used 'That Special Touch Of' metal embossing enamels in copper, gold and silver, and I really do like these.  I  enjoyed making this very much, and it's something I will definitely try again.
Thanks very much for looking (sniff) x