Lovely trees

When I saw Glenda's new stamp sheet from Elusive Images I couldn't resist. I'm sure I've said before that I'm addicted to trees and the new essence of nature sheet has plenty! This is the first stamp I cut out and used. I brayered a background with Big and Juicy spice, masking the moon. I removed the mask and sponged Adirondack butterscotch lightly across the moon. matted on to black paper I mounted it on to a plain white card stamped with the sentiment (Personal impressions).

This is the blue version, brayered with big and juicy waterfall. They are very very simple, but I think in this case less is more. I've spent today doing lots of stuff for work and jobs at home, so hopefully I should manage some play time tomorrow. Thanks for looking and I hope you are having a great weekend!

Inspired by a poem

This weeks theme at Tuesday Taggers has been chosen by our lovely Michelle, and is to find inspiration in a poem. I sat down over a week ago thinking I would get a little ahead of myself with the beginning of term coming up. I got a bit carried away though! Please excuse the wonky photo.

It is based on the poem Silent Noon by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which you can find here. 

I started off thinking about the bit that goes 'Deep in the sun-searched growths a Dragonfly hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky...' so the right hand panel was my first. The border is a hero arts stamp and the dragonfly is a crafty Individuals stamp, used on fantasy film from Crafty Notions. 

The central panel features the poem, which I printed out and over stamped in wild honey DI with the same Hero arts cling stamp I used on the first.

 Then I decided I couldn't use the whole poem and not illustrate the first verse, so I did cow parsley skirting the hawthorn hedge using Elusive Images Wild meadow stamps.

I backed it all on thick card covered in paper from my Artylicious Essence of Nature cd, and made some grunge paper hinges to hold it together. Not perfectly positioned I'm afraid, but never mind. Here is a quick view of the back.

Isn't that paper just gorgeous? So there you go. My first ever triptych (I think that's what they are called!) Phew! That was a long one! Thanks for looking, and don't forget to pop over to Tuesday Taggers to see my lovely teamies inspiring work. Do hope you can join us this week!

Hang it all it's a Canvas at Tuesday Taggers

Good Morning! It's Tuesday again and time for Tuesday Taggers. This week it is the turn of my lovely teamie Zoe to choose and she came up with Canvas. My first reaction was AHHHHH! but once I'd calmed down I realised I'd been intending having a go at a canvas for some time as I had everything I needed including a choice of canvases in the house. Really, Zoe, I should be thanking you for giving me a shove in the right direction! Also this week we are lucky to be sponsored by Art From The Heart. Click the logo to have a look at the wonderful goodies you can buy from Dyan.

So, I've shown you the butterfly and I guess you want to see the whole thing. I started off painting it with Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers in pastel colours adding some distress and Adirondack inks round the edges and through a stencil. I then stamped some plain tissue with a range of Elusive Images wild meadow stamps. I used acrylic gel to apply it to the canvas. I sprayed it with some blonde moments pearl pigments in festive gold, mixed with water.

After that I painted another coat of acrylic gel over the whole thing. My only regret at this point was stamping the swirl (Crafty Individuals) in Distress inks in the bottom right corner. It's water based ink and the acrylic gel made it bleed a bit. Believe it or not it isn't so obvious in real life! I stamped  the butterfly (Hero Arts)  onto some card, coloured it with promarkers and used a versa marker over the top to apply clear EP. I did 3 layers so it's very rigid! The swirl around the edge was a freebie from CI with my last order.

I took another photo in sunlight (Yes there was a bit at the weekend) to try and capture the gold sparkle from the pearl pigments - not sure it did though!. Not too bad for a first try, I hope you agree. I think it is rather summery too, so I'm entering it into Allsorts challenge this week, which is summer days. Thanks for looking everyone and please pop over to Tuesday Taggers and have a look what my lovely teamies have created. There are some real beauties!

Vintage bookmarks at Tuesday Taggers

Whoops, I'm a day late posting my Tuesday Taggers DT work. This week the theme is Vintage bookmark, chosen by our lovely teamie, Ildiko. The 'hers' one has been on my desk for a while, but without the vintage finishing touches. The stamp is from the Wild meadow themeplate by Elusive Images. The 'his' bookmark features three stamps from Hero arts and a photo I found on the internet. I used distress inks for both.
Sorry I'm not getting time to visit you all at the moment. The eyes are much better, but I've also been writing reports and my allowance of computer time was devoted to that.... until tonight! I've finished them, yay! I'm itching to get inky, but I think I'd better get an earlier night and have a bit of craft time tomorrow. Thanks for visiting, and I really do appreciate you all!

A bit like buses!

I don't know! Two posts in one day then none until five days later - a bit like buses in a rural village! I will try and be a better blogger over the next few days, as it's half term - yeah! Anyway, here is my first offering, a card for this weeks Allsorts challenge where the theme is Black and white and one other colour.

My 'other colour' is bundled sage distress ink. I started off sponging bundled sage over a Crafter's workshop stencil on half the card. I over stamped that with a Paper Artsy squiggly ink swirl stamp. The border is a Martha Stewart punch . The main image is an Elusive Images stamp from the Poppy Collage theme plate. 
Thanks for looking. I'm off back outside to finish helping Steve clear up hedge trimmings, which seem to be blowing half way across Nottingham! Can't complain though, as the sun is out and it is so much better than yesterday!

Tag You're it Challenge #5 - Butterfly kisses

Here is my entry for this week's Tag you're It challenge where the theme is butterfly kisses. I have used a Hero digi stamp for the butterflies, coloured with promarkers. The background was made with  Distress inks on crumpled wet paper, over-stamped with Graphicus oriental grasses(one of my birthday presents) and a crafty individuals fern stamp. As well as being the theme on Tag you're it, Butterflies are the theme on this week's Alphabet Challenge Blog (Thanks for the Nudge, Lesley) So I'm entering it there too.
I bet you are thinking 'what is she doing posting on a Thursday morning when she should be at work?'  Well, as well as having Monday off for May day, School is a polling station, so I've got today off too! I would love a three day week every week!!! Now I can't say I've got a lot to show for it though. I'm surrounded by lovely stash and I don't know where to start! I've not been totally idle. There is a carrot cake in the oven, which was requested by my boss when I asked 'what sort of cake shall I make?' I'll post a picture to make you all hungry! Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy your day!

I've been inspired by Allsorts!

Here is my entry for this week's Allsorts Challenge where I've take my inspiration from a beautiful bracelet belonging to Emma. The circle of the bracelet and the variety of the butterflies really drew my eye, so hopefully I've done a decent job in interpreting it. The background is stamped with a mixture of Crafty Individuals and graphicus stamps, and the butterfly is from Innovative Stamp Creations. I used bundled sage, tumbled glass and peeled paint distress inks, then embossed with silver over the top. The butterflies I coloured with watercolours and then sprayed with creative colour sprays, attaching to my easel card with 3d glue. I managed to find a few minutes this morning to take a photo of it out in the garden in my skimmia japonica.

I took another inside to try and capture a bit of sheen from the creative colour sprays on the butterflies. Thanks for popping by!
Edit: I've just found out that Emma has chosen this card as one of her top five. Thanks Emma!

Mmmmmm...Distress inks

I've spent a bit of time playing with distress inks, because there were two things I wanted to do this holiday. I wanted to make a shaped easel card, like Debbie's and I wanted to make some backgrounds like Paula's. I've been admiring  Debbie Dolphin's shaped easel cards for some time, and in honour of her getting on the front cover of craft stamper I thought I'd better pull my finger out! If you don't know of Paula's blog get yourself over there as she is one mega talented lady. I regularly drool over her wonderful creations. Anyway, earlier in the week she posted this and this. I loved the blue, gold and yellow combination, and was inspired! I'm not sure if mine has worked, as my background is rather busy, so I kept my focal points to a minimum. I stamped the script and daisies (graphicus) in black versafine, then embossed the flashy floral (inkadinkado) in gold, along with the butterfly (I.S.C.). The base card was coloured with distress inks in Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Mustard seed, scattered straw and rusty hinge. As I've used no patterned papers I'm entering it into this weeks Allsorts challenge. It also has a ditressed feel, so I'm entering it into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge.  Thanks for looking!

It's Spring!

I've been out in the garden without my coat on admiring the crocuses, snowdrops and the lovely tête a tête daffodils that are just coming out. The sun is out and there are even a few bees around. I've also been putting the finishing touches to an easel card I started last night.

This lovely hyacinth, coloured with promarkers, is a Graphicus stamp and the papers are from the capsule collection by Papermania. I found the ribbon in my stash and sprayed the flowers with creative colour sprays to blend in. I'm entering this in three challenges - Allsorts, Rosie D's and By the Cute and Girly, Where the themes are Spring is in the Air and Think Spring. Thanks for looking and don't forget to check out the Sir Stampalot challenge blog!

A very quick one

I made yet another following the Allsorts sketch and using up more Laura Ashley papers - the contemporary collection this time. The stamp is another of the graphicus Big Flowers. I think the rest of these papers will be going into a future blog candy along with the LA stamps I bought to go with them. I've not used them at all and I want the space!

My secret project!

I can now blog a little project I've been working on for Lynne's birthday. Although it isn't her birthday until the weekend I have now given it to her, so you can see it too! Not particularly wonderful from this angle, but if I tell you that this is the lid of a box, and the box looks like this...
You are a bit more impressed now aren't you? I made the backgrounds with adirondack colour washes in lettuce, stream and eggplant. The fern stamp is from the wild meadow themeplate from Graphicus and is stamped in Versamagic turquoise gem. The butterfly is from the crafty Elements Butterflies sheet from Crafty Individuals, coloured with promarkers and then clear embossed. And now for the next bit... (drum roll please)... slide the lid off and Voilà!
It's a magic box! Not bad for my fist attempt, eh? The butterflies are on strips of acetate and coloured and stamped on both sides (and clear embossed). The punched flower and leaves are coloured on both sides too.
The full instructions to make a box like this can be found here and some breathtakingly beautiful examples can be found on Elaine's blog. Thanks for the inspiration, Elaine. I don't think mine will ever be as stunning as yours, but I'm very pleased with the results and your instructions were so easy to follow.
It's been a funny day today. I've been on a course that was a bit abstract at times and a bit hard to follow. If you want to be a 'leader' these days you need to know an awful lot of jargon. Oh dear! I'm beginning to sound like I'm ready to retire!!! I'm not really, but maybe I should join the Campaign for plain English!
BTW this is my 200th post!!!! I can't believe it! I am well and truly addicted. I am gathering some blog candy ready for my bloggerversary on 19th October, so keep dropping in!

Top five!

Look what I got! My dragon notes were a hit last week! Thanks Sarah (the lovely lady who gave it to me). That's twice now I've been in the top 5! Whooo hooo! Unfortunately I am not able to join in this week as I have no apricot. It feels like that song gone wrong...'Yes! I have no apricot...! Never mind! I can do the rest that are now up on the site.

I thought I would post a card that has been in bits on my table for about a month. I'm still not sure if it works, but I was tidying and I wanted the space! The layered flower (Graphicus) was coloured in with promarkers whilst we were in Wales (more than a month ago!), The paper is from an Artylicious cd (Floral fantasies). I added the rainbow drops and the punched border (Martha Stewart).I still feel the need to use it on every card!!!If my posting gets a bit erratic you will have to excuse me, as I've got heaps to do for work. I just have to keep thinking that its all earning money to buy new stash!

Graphicus Challenge - Autumn Leaves

Apologies to those of you who have seen these before, but these cards are going to be my entry for this month's Graphicus challenge. The stamps are all from Graphicus, using the Nature's table plate, the Wild meadow plate and the Arboretum plate. I couldn't decide which I liked best, so posted them both. They were made for Steve's birthday back in January. They were done Michelle Zindorf style, starting with colouring the mushrooms and clear embossing them, adding the background later, mostly with Adirondack inks. I hope you like them, and thanks for looking!

Big flowers

I've finished my planning for next week and decided to give myself a little craft break. This is another flower I stamped and took on holiday to colour with my promarkers, so I just needed a card to put it on. The stamps are all Elusive images (Graphicus) from the Ruby Tuesday, Butterfly poppy and butterfly daisy collage sheets. For the backgrounds I used distress inks in Antique Linen, Dried marigold, spiced marmalade, tea dye and brushed corduroy. I also used Vintage sepia versafine. I put the glitter on after seeing Glenda's beautiful creation here.
Work has been great so far, although very, very busy. I have a wonderful class with only twenty children in it at the moment, but I am expecting numbers to go up as we are the only school in the area with spaces in the infant classes. I'm hoping I can do things like planning etc mid week next week to leave the weekend free for Harrogate. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to going as it is the only show I will have been to this year. Off to plan Tuesday's staff meeting now. Have a good Sunday!
P.S. I've just found out Sunday Stampers theme is Life, and I think this fits the bill, so I'll enter it on there too!

Passion for Promarkers - Girly and Glittery

Here is my entry for Passion for Promarkers this week. The digistamp girl is Sophie from Digistamp boutique and the flowers are from the Elusive Images big flower plate (Graphicus). I used mainly cool aqua and lilac, with ivory, blush and dusky pink for skin tones. The blonde hair was done with ivory, pastel yellow and sandstone. The flower centres were canary and gold. I used diamond stickles for the glittler. The papers are from the artylicious floral fantasies cd and the sentiment is a rub-on freebie from a magazine.
I coloured it whilst I was on holiday, so it was just a case of putting it together this evening and adding the glitter. I am pleased that I manged girly without any pink!

Birds and a feather...

I've made these over the past few days. The first was an experiment to see what sort of effect you get colouring with promarkers on pearlised card, and it's quite good. You need to use darker colours, but the sheen does show through. The stamp is from the Elusive images Peacock Glory themeplate.
You know that saying 'a stamp in the hand is woth 2 through the post'... well I found the butterflies and birds inchies (Inkadinkado) on Victoria Market in Nottingham, and although they were probably £1.50 more than I would have paid elsewhere I had to get them. Don't look too closely. It isn't very straight.
Finally, here is Bernard (Digistamp boutique) teamed with my mind's eye papers and leaf stamp.
Well, I'm back to work tomorrow so I've been rushing around a bit today. I turned up the sleeves on Meg's blazer, made a cake, made a box, printed out timetables, planning and Data for the school and wrote down what I want to talk about in tomorrow's meeting. I completely forgot about Passion for promarkers (might get round to it later in the week). I'm really nervous about tomorrow. I know, I've been a teacher for 20 years - I should be used to it, but I am acting deputy until Christmas, and there is that little bit more pressure. Still, the extra money will help my new car and craft funds, lol!

Cards for teenage girls

A couple of Meg's friends have birthdays this month. The first has a digistamp from Christine Dark and the papers are my Mind's Eye. The sentiment and card are from Craftwork Cards.
The second card is (apparently) for a Goth guitar player. The papers are from my Artylicious Butterfly Bliss cd (Graphicus) and the stamp is from the Inkadinkado Clear set 'Rock Star'.
It is approaching the end of the 6 week holiday far too quickly and I'm going to have to do less crafting and more work very soon (Boooo!).

Graphicus August Challenge - Complementary Colours

It's a while since I did the Graphicus Challenge, but, after reading Glenda's article I think this meets the complementary colours theme.(Sorry, Glenda. I couldn't bring myself to do anything on a Christmas theme yet!) I used distress inks in Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold, Dusty Concord and Worn Lipstick. I swiped them across my craft mat and spritzed with water before laying white cardstock on top. When it was dry I stamped it with my favourite stamp of all time - the Fern from the Wild Meadow theme plate. The darker ones were stamped in versafine imperial purple, and the ones in the background are stamped with Adirondack Cool Peri. I finished it off with a dragonfly brad that I coloured with my promarkers. Hope you like it!

Getting inky

I've been having a play with backgrounds. This first one uses Adirondack colour wash sprays in stream and lettuce sprayed onto a craft mat and diluted with lots of water. The stamps are from Crafty Individuals. I stamped on the base card with veramark and brushed Blonde Moments pigment powders over the top.
This second one was inspired by Brenda. I swiped Distress inks in Dusty Concord, Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade across my craft mat and sprayed with water. Then I laid my cardstock on top. The stamps on this one are Elusive Images(Graphicus) Wild Meadow themeplate. The skeleton oak leaf and bumble bee sticker were in my stash - puchases from Lakeland some time ago.

Passion for promarkers - Cocoa and Rose Pink

Here is my offering for this weeks passion for promarkers. I can't believe it is week 12 already! Anyway, I used big flower stamps (Graphicus - big flowers unmounted theme plate) and coloured them in in Rose Pink and Cocoa, using just a bit of henna in the middles. I used Funky fairies paper (free download), a bit of copper tulip paint and a hint of diamond stickles.
I had just put the tulip paint on the first time when my craft knife rolled across it and spread it, so I had to start again. Second attempt is much better! Thanks for looking!