Box It Up

Hi, the fabulous Sam has picked the theme this week for the Stampotique challenge, and she chosen 'boxes' Here's what Sam has to say.
"I think we all have boxes that we throw away and so this week I'm inviting you to take an empty cardboard box and and later and decorate it to your hearts content.I can't wait to see your boxes, have fun!"
Won't you join us this week?

Great challenge Sam, here's my box

I started by covering my box with newspaper and watered down PVA. It's a Spanish newspaper so I didn't have to look out for naughty words lol. When it was dry I gave it a coat of watered down gesso.

Now for the fun bit, I stamped and coloured lots of images with DecoArt Glass Paints. I must admit I got a bit carried away with this part lol.

This is how it looks from the top

and this is the side view. Like a good soldier I didn't leave any images behind :-)

As usual I used quite a few stamps but I have left some white space lol.

I've used

Mushroom Forest

Trees (2 sided)

Bushes

Leaf

Sunflower Large

Mushroom Group

Splattered Mug

World All Her Own

So take your empty box and join in with our challenge, for the chance to win $30 of new rubber from the Stampotique store.

Enjoy your week, and thanks very much for looking x

On The Sunny Side Of The Street

It's Wednesday, so time for another challenge at Stampotique. This week Kaz has chosen the theme, and it's one that I can really relate to.

It's cold in the UK and I can't wait for it to warm up.  Show me something sunny to hopefully encourage the sun to come out.

This is a mix of older stamps, and the new releases. 

I've stamped Stitched Houses onto patterned paper , backed onto black card and sewn around.

In the background there is Crow Line and I've also used Picket Fence, which I've stamped, coloured and cut out, and put onto acetate  and cut out again to give it a bit more strength.

What street could be complete without Daniel's new Dog Cube, and there's also France's Cracks in the background. 

I hope you like it, and that you join in with our sunny challenge.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Please read ALL RULES on the linkz page before linking your creation.

If you didn't follow the rules posted, you may have been deleted.  

Feel free to relink your creation with the correct information for a chance to win.

It's Wicked Wednesday...

Stampotique is excited to sponsor the challenge over at Wicked Wednesday ATC today.  Our team has some wonderful creations for you all and there is a chance to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps over there.  The challenge today over there is to use WINGS on your ATC.

We are also having a little challenge going on here today along with our new challenge over at Stampotique Designer's Challenge.  2013 is quickly approaching and we are looking for some Stampotique fans and followers who might be interested in being a guest designer for us next year.  

So come on, it's great fun being a guest designer we don't bite - honestly :-) Check out the Stampotique Designers Blog for more details.

I used ink spritz and flick on glossy card then stamped with Vintage Script. 

Flying Bird has been stamped and cut out, and the words are a Tim Holtz die.

Thanks very much for looking x

Stampotique Sponsors CAS-ual Fridays

We are very excited today to sponsor the CAS-ual Friday challenge to create SQUARE cards.    This is a super easy challenge and you have a chance to win a $30 Stampotique gift certificate for stamps.

This was  such a challenge for me, just look at all that white space, but I must admit that I really like this.
This is a white base card, with a layer of Kraft, then a white layer again with a Nestie cut circle.

Hello! has been stamped and watercoloured. The 'friends' is a Timmy sticker. For all of you in the UK, this is my Harvey and Rabbit moment. And for all who are going Wha...? you MUST watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20UhjXpFX_c

So if you fancy making a nice clean and simple card, pop on over to CAS-ual Fridays and join in the fun.

Thanks very much for looking and have a great weekend.

Big Changes At Stampotique

With the big announcement last week of our growing design team we have decided to make a few changes to the way we do our challenges.

• First we will be going to WEEKLY challenges instead of only the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month
• Challenges will remain on Wednesdays and will remain open until the following Tuesday at 5 p.m. EST
• Challenges will be open to using ALL stamps, giving everyone the opportunity to win some Stampotique stamps to use
• Our design team will be posting in two groups, rotating weeks

*edited to add: Two winners will be randomly chosen at the end of the month from all the challenge participants to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps.

Yay for copy and paste, that would have taken me ages, and here's the next bit... 

Hi, it's Kim here and today is my turn to host our next challenge. Anyone that follows my blog knows that I'm a big fan of sketches.  Even if you don't follow the EXACT sketch, it's a great jump start for your mojo and sketches are some of my favorite challenges to participate in.

This week I have created this sketch and we have lots of inspiration from the design team to share.  Please remember we are now doing weekly challenges so you will have until Tuesday, 8/14 to link up below using Inlinkz and play along for your chance to win.  All winners from the challenges from the month will have a chance to win, we will randomly draw 2 winners for a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps.

Seriously until I got a blog I didn't know how to do that lol. Anyway, even though I'm in next weeks DT group that wasn't going to stop me having a play this time around. I've loved the Courting stamp for ages, so couldn't wait to try it out when it was handed over (my family hold my stamps to ransom ). The base card is a combo of The Luxury Stack, and Basic Gray. I always think that BG and Stampotique were made for each other. I've paper pieced her dress and his jeans, and just coloured with pencils. Hanging Hearts has been coloured with a red pen. The sentiment has been computer generated (is there no end to my techie prowess I hear you say) and printed onto Safmat. The little diamonds are rub ons that I've had forever, and the flower has been cut using one of Timmy's mover and shaker dies. I was going to try and leave a little white space in that corner but I caved at the last minute lol.

This will be winging it's way to my sister next month, probably a couple of days after her anniversary :o)

Now, head off over to the Stampotique blog, and join in the fun - you know you want to.

Thanks very much for looking x

In the UK both of these stamps are available at Art From The Heart  and everything is available from Stampotique Originals  Make sure you have a coffee and a biscuit, you'll be here for a while! x

Look What I Got!!

Woo Hoo, I'm so pleased and proud to announce that I was lucky enough to be chosen to join the Stampotique Design Team. As you may know (if not where have you been lol) I've been a fan of these wonderful stamps for years.
I'm joining such a talented team, so please wish me luck, and take a look at the latest challenge which is Birds and Buttons, then come and join in.
I can't wait to get started, I havn't stopped grinning for days :o) So no cooking or cleaning for me - no change there then, I'm seriously playing!

Look Into My Eyes....

At Stampotique this time Kaz has chosen birds and buttons as her theme. At first I thought they would all have to play without me 'cos I don't have any bird stamps,  but then I remembered Wee Owl... phew!
My background is a mop up page on some cartridge paper and look - white space!! not often I leave any of that!
My tree has been stamped in coffee archival, then painted in cappuchino Perfect Pearls mist.
Wee Owl has been stamped onto a scrap of the paper, then my clear button (stampin' up) has been glued over the top. The button holes match his eyes perfectly. Did I know this in advance - was it perfect planning- of course (not).
The words are Timmy stickers outlined with a black Pitt pen, and that was it, all done. Very less is more for me, but I like him just the way he is.
Head on over to Stampotique for lots of inspiration, and the chance to win a $30 certificate.
Thanks very much for looking and have a fab weekend x

Hang On....

Jane over at Stampotique has chosen the theme of Sentiments for this fortnights challenge. 
I've chosen Jo Capper -Sandon's World of Her Own as mine, and embossed it in silver on to black card. A bit of Frantage around the edges, and I've stamped Jo's freebie from Craft Stamper onto shrink plastic, and coloured with silver and gold Krylon pens.
Jo's moon has been stamped and filled in with French Text, and embossed with silver and white.
Stella has been coloured with Prisma pens, and just sits upon the moon.
This was the easy bit done, next came the photographing - I tried it inside - too dark. Outside - too windy, under the car port - under the car port - too messy a background. I finally ended up in the greenhouse - the finished photo has been very carefully cropped lol.
Thanks very much for looking, and head over to the challenge blog for lots of fabulous inspiration x

Femme Fatale

 The design team over at  Stampotique are challenging us to think outside the box this fortnight, and create something different to our usual. This seems very harsh to me as I love my comfort zone thank you very much, and see no good reason to leave it lol. So, casting said comfort zone well and truly adrift, I had a rummage around in the top drawer, and right at the back, in an unopened box (why do I do this??) were some microscope slides  and slide mailers. So, never having done this before, should I just do a single one - no of course not let's start with a double, Doh!
I started by painting my mailer in bronze VerDay paint, then spraying with the patina solution to make it go all green and speckled, great effect on chipboard - not so good on your breakfast toast. This has then been over stamped with French Text.
The slides were put side by side then stamped with the Femme Collage in black stazon. I stamped the stamp again on acetate so that the patina would show through, then again on Paper Artsy metal card.

This is the outside, stamped onto the metal card again. I've stamped the 'femme' again on black with silver for a little bit of contrast, and a portion of the Beauty stamp.
This teeny thing took me hours to make, but it was fun, and it does look very nice IRL. As Neil said, another for the 'what are you going to do with that pile'. It's our wedding anniversary in the next couple of weeks, 30 years (all medals gratefully accepted and well deserved) - he may not make it lol.
I'm also entering this into Hels Sunday Stampers challenge which is 'silver'  Mmm David Essex ..... anyway have a great Sunday - Spain to win the footie tonight, and thanks very much for looking x

Curiouser And Curiouser

The challenge this fortnight over at Stampotique is twins, so you need to use the same image twice. So a bit like football, my card is a game of two halves. 
I started by stamping Mushroom Forrest in the middle of a piece of card then tearing it down the middle. One half was then stamped and coloured with bright Pan Pastels and Prisma pens, and the other with various shades of grey.
It's really strange just colouring in greys, and really quite depressing lol, but I like how this side turned out.
I'm also entering this into the Pan Pastel challenge, which is anything goes.
I can't believe England has just lost on penalties again - where was David Beckham when we needed him lol.
Bed time for me now - work in the morning.
Thanks very much for looking x

It's Summertime....

The challenge this time over at Stampotique is to use bright colours. I made my background with Pan Pastels in yellows and oranges, and used various stencils, bubble wrap and bits of plastic to give it some texture. The small bee and butterfly have been stamped and embossed, and the grass has been stamped and sprinkled with gold glass glitter.
Arty has been coloured with Prisma pencils, then covered with Glossy Accents.
This is my own little bit of sunshine, 'cos it's disappeared  again here, and it's blowing a gale. Typical Summer eh!
Thanks very much for looking x

Not Quite The Little Mermaid...

I've always thought of mermaids as sweet kind creatures that came to the aid of sailors (a bit like dolphins) until I saw the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean film, and I now know that they are bad... very bad! 

With this in mind I made a journal page for the latest Stampotique challenge, which is 'Families' I've used Smumanha and Smushallaum (spellchecker has just had a nervous breakdown lol) as these are definitely evil twins!
For the background I've used Pan Pastels and Versamark ink. As it's a Stampotique stamps only challenge I've also used bubble wrap, plastic, bottle tops and an old credit card.
The words are courtesy of Hall and Oates and are printed onto Safmatt (click on the picture to make it bigger)
The seaweedy bling in the corner is  glass glitter and microbeads.
This looks kind of sinister but I quite like it.
Check out the Stampotique blog for lots of inspiration.
Thanks very much for looking x

Lost In Translation

The challenge this fortnight over at Stampotique is to make an ATC. It can take me as long, and cause as much mess to make one of these as it could to decorate a small housing estate. I am not quick, and I'm not tidy!! Anyway... I started by making the background. The usual ink, paint, stencils, and the Stampotique French Text stamp. My Gentleman Fox has been coloured with Prisma pencils. Now to me, and everyone in Britain there is only one fox. Drum roll please for Mr Basil Brush - Boom Boom!! 

Told you some things get lost in translation lol. 
My second ATC features the wonderful Old Timey Frog. What is not to love about this stamp! He's been painted in Dylusion inks and decoupaged. As I don't have a printer at the moment the words have had to be handwritten. How I wish I was one of those people who could write, or draw, or even doodle, but never mind - I have rubber!!
Thanks very much for looking x

Hello Hello I'm Back Again!!

....and what have they done to Blogger while I've been gone!! Honestly one week off with a poorly computamabob and everything changes!

This is in my Moleskine, and hurrah I've got past page 1 and it's all still intact. The background has been made with Pan Pastels, using just 3 colours 'cos I havn't got many. The old me would have put a 'yet' on the end of that, but having looked round a Uni with my youngest on Saturday I'm on such a spending ban, and I think I really mean it this time. Not only will he come out of it thousands in debt, but Neil and I may have to sell body parts too!!

Anyhoo, I've used my new Stampotique Alice stamps on this (don't get me started on how long it took Parcelforce to deliver these) lots of stencils for the flowers and leaves, and Pink Paislee rub on's for the silvery bits.

I'm entering this into the following challenges

The Altered Alice - Splendidly Dressed

Stampotique - Oodles of Doodles

Pan Pastels - Add A Flower 

Thanks very much for looking x

Spring Has Sprung

The challenge this time over at Stampotique is Spring Has Sprung. I've used some nice bright orange Bazil Bling for my backing card - not a colour I normally use, but I think it goes nicely with the green. The front piece is watercolour paper that I've painted in acrylics and stamped with the the flower and French text stamps. I've stamped and cut out lots of flowers and mounted on wire springs to give a bit of dimension. The centres are teeny tiny buttons that I could barely see to sew on :o). Jasmin has been stamped and watercoloured, and World All Her Own has been stamped on vellum. Thanks very much for looking and enjoy what's left of your Easter.

It's Very Purple and Very Girlie

The latest challenge at Stampotique is pink/purple with black, and at Fashionable Stamping it's Something For A Child, so I put them both together and came up with this. It's for my niece who's nine going on twenty five. She's no diva, but then she's not become a teenager yet lol. The chippie has been sprayed with my favourite Dylusion ink in Fuchia, then masked and sprayed again with Glimmer mist in purple.
I've stencilled through with black soot DI around the corners.

Prom Queen has been stamped on watercolour card and coloured with Dylusions and Inkydinks. The chipboard letters have been inked with pink embossing ink, and the UTEE'd in purple. I've carried on heating until the UTEE ran a little, so now you can see the pink and the purple.

The sentiment has been stamped and embossed then sprayed with the fuchia ink again. There's Glossy Accents over the top to raise it up a little, and for once I resisted the temptation to stick my finger into it to see if it were dry :o).

I really enjoyed making this, and I hope she likes it too.

Thanks very much for looking x

On The Case....

The challenge this fortnight over at the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog is to CASE a Stampotique designer. Now I had no idea what this meant, but luckily all was explained and it means to Copy And Steal Everything. So I went straight on over to Jo Capper-Sandon's blog 'cos Stampotique said - nay insisted that it was OK to copy!

This is what I came up with, using Jo's Papillon and butterfly stamps. This copying isn't as easy as it looks, you get used to doing things a certain way so it was really good to change the sizes of the mats and things. The top layer is velum so I put on the gems to try and cover the adhesive.

Here is the original which can be found here. I've always loved this card, but then I love everything that Jo creates. (I'm not a stalker honestly I just love her stamps lol). Head on over to Stampotique and get CASEing! Thanks for looking and have a great weekend x

Here Come The Girls

The challenge this time over at Stampotique is to alter something. I've chosen this wooden framey thing that's been in my 'seemed like a good idea to buy a few' box for ages.
I gesso'd it to start then pained with Dylusions in pinks and purples. I then went round the edges with Inka Gold in grey and silver.
Bla Bla and Diva have been stamped with Black Archival and clear embossed.

Here Come The Girls has been cut out with the Tim Holtz Typset Decorative Strip. I'm really impressed with this 'cos it's gone through mirror card and double sided sticky without a problem.

Karin has been stamped in black Archival and coloured with Inktense water colour pencils. I havn't used these for ages and I don't know why 'cos they are brilliant.
Miss Snottie has been stamped on Blonde Moments paper for the background, and then again on white card and clear embossed.

 Prom Queen has been clear embossed then decapitated! Just kidding - no Stampotique Original has been harmed in the making of this framey thingy!

Make sure you check out the other fab examples over at Stampotique, and thanks very much for looking x

It's In The Bag

This fortnight the challenge over at Stampotique is to create a pocket or a handbag calendar. As my handbags are the size of cabin luggage I decided to go with this option. I started with the gorgeous Pink Paislee paper and made a matchbook fold. I inked it through a hexagonal die with yellow and brown distress inks. The stamps are all by Jo Capper - Sandon for Stampotique. The medium bee has also been stamped on velum and popped over the top of the stamped image.

The butterflies on the inside have been stamped on velum , and the papillon on the Pink Paislee paper. The callendar pages have also been put onto the same paper which has been perforated at the top so that it can tear away as the year goes by. The calendar has been stippled with the same yellow and brown DI's. I've had these vellum's for years, it's  nice to actually use them.

The vellum quote is from a stack that I've also had since time began.

I really enjoyed this challenge, thanks very much for looking x

I'm also entering this into the following challenges;

Rogue Redhead Designs - use vellum

Fashionable Stamping - Butterflies or Bugs

You Gotta Have Friends (And a Kate Crane DVD)

The challenge this time over at Stampotique is a Wish For The New Year. My wish is to see more of my friends and family. Real life can be a bit of a treadmill and before you know it it's Christmas again and another year has gone by. For my birthday I bought myself the fab Kate Crane's art journaling DVD's, (I knew it  was no use relying on hints to get this)  and armed with my shiny new  A4 journal, some Dylusion inks and paints, and the bottom drawer of my Stampotique stamps collection I decided to take the plunge and do a journal page.
Sooo I painted it in blue, pink and purple, hated it, and decided to tear it out lol. Then I remembered what Kate had said on the Art From The Heart taster day - that she NEVER tears out a page from her journal (let alone the 1st one) so I carried on with the splatting and the stamping and the bottle tops and the credit card painting and in the end I quite liked it!
I think that Karin and Marci look like X Factor finalists, and twinkie is just about to deck Louis Walsh :o)
So a Happy New Year to everyone, and may all your wishes come true (as long as they are legal and don't interfere with mine lol)
Thanks very much for looking x