Birds and Bees AALL and Create - Country View Crafts Challenge

 

I have decorated this Chinese box for the Country View Crafts Challenge for April which is Birds and Bees using Stampbord tiles. I have used the lovely Tracy Evans' stamps from AALL and Create. The challenge can be seen here.

Country View Crafts Challenge I do Like to be Beside the Seaside

 

I was pleased to see Country View Challenges had a Seaside theme as I have been wanting an opportunity to use the stunning papers from Antonis Tzanidakis for Stamperia. A very dear friend had very kindly made me up the octopus mould that goes with the papers and I had this idea in my head of using it with the Venus stamp by Indigo Blu.

It seemed fitting to use Greek mythology, and I have called my sea nymph Amphitripus. She was the first wife of Poseidon, God of the Waves, and they had a son together, Triton, who was a merman. When Poseidon cast her adrift in favour of another, he gave her the legs of an octopus so that she would be forever prevented from coming ashore. She lost her arm crashing against the rocks when he created a terrible storm. She was known by sailors as the queen of the sea, as they often spied her great beauty from their boats, swimming with the dolphins.

A Whiter Shade of Pale - PaperArtsy Shades of White Lynne Perrella

 

I'm delighted to have a post over on the PaperArtsy Blog for the Shades of White challenge, using my favourite Lynne Perrella stamps. This will be my last post for PaperArtsy. I've been associated with them for such a long time, and it's been wonderful! The stamps and paints and stencils are second to none and I know I will always use them. I demoed for Leandra a few times at Ally Pally which I enjoyed so, so much, and I have made some wonderful friends who I hope I will keep always. But it takes a surprisingly long time to do the projects and the posts and, after so long, there are lots of other things I wanted to do, so with the business moving to France, it seemed like the right time to make the break. I'm excited to see what France has in store for PaperArtsy, or is it the other way around! I hope Leandra makes some time to eat some gorgeous food!

PaperArtsy Tracy Scott Fused All Made Up

I am delighted to have a post over on the PaperArtsy blog using Tracy Scott stamps for their Fused Theme. I would be very pleased if you would like to go over and have a look and perhaps leave a comment either here or there.

A New Way With Octopi! PaperArtsy Under the Sea with Eclectica Zinski Stamps

I do hope you are all staying safe and well during this difficult and challenging time. I have been finding crafting a huge source of comfort and distraction. Tonight I have a project over on the PaperArtsy blog, and I have tried to make something on this occasion that would suit families self-isolating together, as well as regulars to working with PaperArtsy products and mixed media. Maybe you don't have many products or are finding it difficult to get hold of craft materials whilst the shops are closed, or your budget is limited.

I have made some suggestions for alternative products you can use in conjunction with the Zinski fish stamps. I love the PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints, which dry so quickly and are so easy to work with, but you can use any paints you have to hand. If you are new to this type of project please ask me here or on the PaperArtsy blog, or ask any member of the blogging team. But most of all, I hope you get lost in the crafting process and enjoy it!

Some Experimenting with Shaving Foam - Tracy Scott Stamps PaperArtsy

I'm delighted to be on the PaperArtsy Blog tonight with a post using Tracy Scott stamps for their Shaving Foam topic. I would be delighted if you would leave me a comment.

Tiptoe Through The Tulips - Carved Stamps for PaperArtsy with Lin Brown stamps

I'm very pleased to have a project over on PaperArtsy's blog for their carved stamps topic using Lin Brown's beautiful stamps in this style.

I used Neocolor Crayons to make the background and one of Lin's stencils. I do hope you like it. You can see it here.

Inchies and Twinchies - King Tut - PaperArtsy

I'm very pleased to have a project over on the PaperArtsy blog for their Inchies and Twinchies theme using Lynne Perrella's recent release featuring Egyptian themed stamps. I made a 'sarcophagus' paper mache box with Stampbord pieces and Fresco Finish acrylic paints. I hope you like it! Thanks for looking!

A Case for Mr Magoo - Ink and the Dog for PaperArtsy

The current topic over on the PaperArtsy blog is Eyes. Such a great topic! I am very pleased to have a project over there if you care to look, and leave a comment either there or on here - thank you so much! I have made a soft glasses case using Vintage Ink and the Dog stamps and Fresco Finish paints. I find 'hard' glasses cases take up a lot of space in my handbag so I like this type of case and am already using this all the time. I do hope you like it!

PaperArtsy Arty Wood Block Theme - Lin Brown - 'Recycling Day'

 I'm very pleased to have a project on the PaperArtsy blog for the Arty Wood Block Theme. I made a little row of houses using Lin Brown's Eclectica collection of stamps and some recycled wood blocks recovered from wood mounted rubber stamps - remember them?!

I would love you to leave me a comment either here or over on the PaperArtsy blog!

Indigo Blu Frida

It's been a while since I've blogged so I thought I would put on here a few things I had Facebooked as I like my blog to be a record of things I have made. It's been a difficult few months. We had a wonderful service for Mum at the end of February and since then we have been sorting out the house, which is a painful process, but we had to put it on the market.

Last year I had had a wonderful day out with my sister in law, my late brother's wife, Margaret, together with the wives of his two closest friends, Berit and Gabi, to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the V and A. I'm a long time fan of Frida so it was a very special day. Such a couragious, beautiful, and inspirational woman. When I got back, I wanted to make some memorabilia of the day to send to these three women who are very special to me, but I couldn't find any suitable stamps. I was delighted recently when Indigo Blu brought out a Frida stamp! It coincided with my sister in law and one of the friends arranging to go to Dulwich Picture Gallery to see a Norwegian artist, Harald Sohlberg, as Berit is from Norway. So I made them these bags, well bags for life are so useful!

Gabi hadn't been able to make it so I have made her this tablet case for when I see her next. Gabi and Berit and their husbands have been a huge strength to Margaret and myself. They all thought such a lot of Mum as well as David.

I have been making some cards as well. I have been taking inspiration from many of Frida's self portraits and examining her jewellery, etc, her earrings like hands, and the necklace she has in one painting, which is like a swallow. In this card I have used words from the Indigo Blu Boadicea stamp set about Courage and Inspiration and Strength which I thought were very suitable. I am going to give one of this card series to Noreen, my sister of the heart, whose birthday is soon. She and I have gone through so much together over the last ten years whilst she has helped me care for Mum.

Joan Sallis OBE - My Beloved Mum 23.1.28-28.1.19 RIP

I have no words at the moment. Couldn't manage to do this until now.

Her marriage to our Beloved Dad was to last 60 years

David, John, and Lucy

'Only one lick though Mum'

Her campaigning life - the Taylor Committee of Inquiry into School Management and Governance

Mum's 80th birthday at John's

Last year - dear Crystal, a regular live in visitor

Hawaiian Girl Make Up Bag for PaperArtsy - Stamping Platforms

I'm very pleased to have another post over on PaperArtsy, this time for their Stamping Platforms Challenge topic, using Tracy Scott's gorgeous stamps. I decided to demonstrate how much the Tim Holtz stamping platform helps when working with fabric, which can sometimes be tricky to get a good stamped image on. I have been making quite a few fabric items recently with a view to having some items to give as Christmas presents, and on this occasion have made a make up bag, or it could be used for paint brushes.

I really hope you like what I have made. I really had fun with this post, especially with the fun girl from Tracy's ETS20 set, and I love using my stamping platform. I do hope you will join in the challenge.

Custom Colours with Ellen Vargo Stamps For PaperArtsy

I'm very pleased to have a post over on PaperArtsy if you would like to have a look. The current challenge topic is different ways with reinkers and I have chosen to use Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Reinkers to make custom ink pads using Cut N Dry Felt, spritzing to give a water colour effect.

I used Ellen Vargo's beautiful flower stamps from the Eclectica range, using the background stamps to build up a design around the flowers.

I then used the images to make some useful gift bags.

I would be delighted if you would visit me and leave a comment, either here or on PaperArtsy!

Bangle - for PaperArtsy, Kim Dellow Claret, Mint, Sage, Gold Colour Challenge

I am delighted to have another project on the PaperArtsy blog. This time it is a colour challenge, and the colours are Claret, Mint, Sage, and Gold. I was using Kim Dellow's stamps and stencils. She is such a lovely person and I adore this range of stamps, and using her stencils as well gave me a lot of scope. I am not by any means a Gelli Plate expert, and in fact I do not have a full size one, but I think it was because of the stencils that I thought it would be fun to use the Gelli Plate this time.

Although I didn't say in the post, it is because of a scar on my wrist that I had been fancying making bangles that match outfits. I think it was caused by an insect bite that built up scar tissue. I'd like to get it removed but I'm sure the NHS has got better things to do.This way you can have bangles in any colour you want! After I had made them, I added some Wisteria to some of the tissue paper and made another, to match one of my summer dresses. I still have a huge amount of the pieces of tissue paper so I am looking forward to taking them with me somewhere I don't have too many supplies, to do a simple project, maybe in France.

I would be delighted if you would visit me and comment, either here or on the PaperArtsy blog.

Magazine Transfer MDF Heart - PaperArtsy Transfers Challenge

Over on the PaperArtsy Blog, the challenge topic is still transfers as there is another week to enter as there are new product launches going on this week! So I thought I would enter with another magazine transfer using gel medium. I used a black and white woman's face, particularly beautiful I thought, from a perfume ad. I surrounded her face with the remaining shrink plastic flowers from the hat I had made previously, with Tracy Scott stamps.

I gessoed an MDF folk heart, and then painted it with a baby wipe with shades of Fresco Finish paints to co-ordinate with the shrink plastic flowers. I then stamped all over with the text from JoFY No 31 in Hyde Park Fresco. I used a beautiful Kay Carley stencil 061 with grungepaste at the top of the heart and painted it with a mixture of Hyde Park and Winter Green. To finish off, I edged the piece with Fresco Finish in Gold, letting it blob around the edges like embossing enamel.

I am entering this into the PaperArtsy challenge, which is here.

'Where Did you Get That Hat?' - PaperArtsy Transfer Topic

I'm delighted to have another project over on the PaperArtsy Blog, this time for the Transfer challenge topic.

I chose the Gel Medium transfer method to transfer a magazine image, and had great fun making shrink plastic flowers from Tracy Scott stamps. I would love you to go over and take a look! Over the course of the two weeks of the topic, the blog contributors will be covering quite a range of different transfer methods, which I think is a really interesting area to experiment with. I'm really looking forward to learning something new, and seeing what everyone comes up with!

PaperArtsy Enshrined 'In Flanders Field'

I am delighted to have a post on the PaperArtsy  blog tonight for the topic 'Enshrined'. I would be very pleased if you would visit me over there!

Kraft Card and Distress Re-Inkers - PaperArtsy Kraft Card Challenge

Over on the PaperArtsy Blog the challenge is Kraft card. A couple of weeks ago I went to Ally Pally and saw Leandra using the Distress Oxide Re-Inkers and decided to buy a few colours (lovely to have a chat with her too!). I remembered when I saw the challenge that Distress Oxides are supposed to show up well on Kraft. The other item I bought at the show was the Tim Holtz Tonic Stamp Platform. My friend bought one too as they were an amazing price. Wow, I love it! Don't know how I ever managed without it and I am only just beginning with all the things I am sure I will be able to do with it. I thought this would be a good opportunity to use some large and detailed stamps and stamp a second time to get a really dark image, and go over any patchy areas again. I stamped the images on the Kraft card first and then coloured them in using little drops of re-inker and a small brush. For the background piece, I pulled the Kraft card through the drops of re-inker. The images are Lynne Perrella from PaperArtsy.

I am entering the PaperArtsy Kraft card challenge, details of which are here.

Craft Fairy - PaperArtsy Whimsy Challenge

'Spring is ever nearing, and now is the time all good Craft Fairies turn their back on the bright lights of the Big House and venture down the moonlit path to the rusty craft shed, leaving behind the family's warmth and chatter for some furtive down-time. As the fairy approaches the soft glow of the single bulb, she can just make out the delicate flowers that have miraculously survived the weight of the recent snow. She can feel a weight lifting too, as her own Marigolds fall from her arms and are replaced by golden gossamer-fine wings. She flies through the door, searching for her toadstool chair, smiling as she does so at the words on the door, which answer that oft asked question about the goings on in her beloved sanctuary. "Of course I talk to myself"'!

Thank you PaperArtsy for bringing the Challenge topic 'Whimsy' to drag me out of my black hole. I would like to enter my Craft Fairy and her Shed here. The fairy door is from The Works, and was painted with Toffee, Caramel, and Chocolate Pudding Frescos, with Rusty Car Infusions. The art doll is from Hot Picks HP1604, and the flowers are from Tracy Scott and the grass is from JoFy 31.

I do hope you are all well. Please keep in touch.