Stampotique - background using household objects

The challenge over at Stampotique designers challenge  is to create your own background using a household object!  Well this got my creative juices aflowing and off I went around the house grabbing all sorts of bits n bobs... and covering them in all sorts of ink and paints.  I have a cool.stash of backgrounds now awaiting their day to become a card but this one is my favourite.

I used a medicine popper, storage thimngumy to created these circles.

I applied distress paint in fired brick, then seedless preserves and then I misted with water... love this look, messy and not regimented but more so then I would.get doing this freehand.

I then stamped the awesome New stampotique cake stamp, masked it and stamped the bottom cake so.it looks like they're stacked.  I paper pieced with graphic 45 papers and added some cosmic shimmer glue dots for sprinkles and wink of stella to the candles

Lastly I die cut "with love" from my background, cut another 4 from coredinations card and stacked them together and applied lashings of wink of stella

 I mounted it onto kraft card that I inked a stripey pattern onto and all done :)

I loved this challenge, pop on over and have a look at the cool ideas the DT came up with by clicking here

Take care

Tracey

Damsel of Distress giveaway reminder

You still have 4 days to enter Becca's birthday giveaway, she has 7.... yes seven stamplorations sets to be won!!!!

A gorgeous mood board is the inspiration

Pop over to the birthday girls blog for a more detailed explanation and to link up your makes.

This time I have used Beccas colours, dots, the sentiment and some inspiration from the girl herself and her strength.

The stencil is from stencil girls.  I will definitely be investing in more of these in the futures.  The stencils are so easy to work with and the designs are truly unique.

This stencil just grabbed my heart as soon as I saw it.  To create this look I blended with distress inks and then, keeping the stencil.in place misted with water.

I did this a few times to build up the depth. It's.not often I have an idea and it works as I pictured it but this one just came together.  I used some glossy accents for the tears and did a little journaling. A little bit of this and that and voila

There are still four days left to enter so get yourself on over toBecca's blog

I am also joining in for the first time at mixed media world where their challenge is to use a stencil.
And Thatscraftychallenge where again we are being challenged to use stencils or masks

Happy Birthday Becca :)

It is the awesomely talented and uber lovely Becca Cruger's birthday.  Mecca is on the DT team with me over at Eclectic Ellapu and her alter ego is the Damsel of distressed cards.  Becca is so nice she is not spending her birthday thinking of the crafty goodies she wants for pressies but rather sharing her stash with a fab giveaway!!!!

Becca created this beautiful mood board to inspire us all

So much loveliness here,  for this card I have been inspired by that gorgeous cushion, smooshing and who doesn't love a pun!

 I squished and smooshed and flicked and generally had a good ole play with my inks to create the background and dragonfly. I used texture paste and embossing powder to create the clock.

Lots of layering and distressing here too as Becca loves a vintagey distressed look.

 Some hat pins coloured to match.
I flicked some embossing powder around on the background too.

And smooshing some cream ribbon in distress ink.

And finally my sentiments, from graphic 45 other than my attempt at a pun, every birthday for me seems to get here quicker and quicker, am not always convinced it cause of all the fun I'm having lol.  I really enjoyed making this card.

Happy Birthday Becca x

I'm also sharing this over at Frilly and Funkie where their challenge is to raise it up
The lovely Laurie who is asking for lots of layers as she is Hiding in her craft room
And of course with Becca

Take care y'all

Travel with Eclectic Ellapu

July already and the theme for us pink ladies is travel.  I chose to interpret this by making a travel folder to take on my hols with me, I'm really looking forward to getting away with my family, all 20 of them!!!! My aunt and cousins and their kids, myself, mum, dad and my two youngest are all sharing a villa and I can't wait.   I want to make a scrappy journal when I come back so my folder will be perfect for keeping my notes, sketches and pics in during the holiday and after while I assemble it..... I hope ;)

 I started with a Tim Holtz large collection folio

 And then I went to town with stencils and paint and inks.  I love t g at zip die by paper smooches.  I also used some rub ons.

 I used lots of graphic 45 bohemian collection papers and the Tim holtz rosette die

 Sorry for the photo overload but these collection folio's just have so much room in them.

 I have a list here of my fav web sites

I can't recommend these folio's enough, so much room and uber easy to jazz up.

Do play along with us at Eclectic Ellapu, if the travel theme doesn't tickle your creative fancy the purple team are challenging you to create something to do with your favourite holiday.

Take care

Tracey

Anything goes at Eclectic ellapu

Happy June Ya'll

The challenge over at Eclectic ellapu with us pink ladies is "anything goes" or if your into steampunk you'll find yourself amongst maties with the purple team.

I've been playing along with the masquerade online card classes again and have used masking fluid by pebeo to start my background.  This stuff really holds up well to water, I put loads on and squished and smooshed and flicked distress inks around and then splattered and flung more water about and then more inks and... Oh I did have a lotto fun.   A long time later when it was thoroughly dry the masking fluid rubbed off so easily.

A bit of stamping, and paper piecing with my beloved G45 papers

I was so chuffed with the lush white thought bubble that appeared under all that messing about with inks when the masking fluid was removed.

Like I said anything goes this month so pls do pop over for a visit Eclectic ellapu and share what you get up to this month with us.  It's a real treat looking at your work.

Take care

Tracey

stampotique, humans with animal heads.

I really wanted to join in with this weeks stampotique challenge which is to use an animal head on a human... problem is I don't have any animal stamps!
graphic 45 and their raining cats and dogs collection to the rescue :)

I used two stickers from the 12x12 sticker sheet and some of the borders. I stuck them to some kraft card before fussy cutting them out and popping them atop my two fav Daniel Torrent stamps.

Don't tell the cat but this little fella is my favourite ;)

I'm loving the stampotique challenges, they really inspire me to.get my thinking cap, or in this case animal head on.

Take care

Tracey

seeing spots and going dotty

No I'm not off my meds!  This weeks stampotique challenge is polka dots and I saw the lovely Becca's DT piece for the Craft Girls challenge which is spots and or stripes so it seemed rude not to have a play ;)

 I used a Sheena stencil from her new collection, she has some really awesome talent.  A stampotique stamp... I am so NOT over my love of these! A Maya road chippie tree and paper from graphic 45 bohemian pad

The sentiment is a new stamplorations design, you must pop over for a look, their new collection is so usable, this is from the fond expressions set.

I am sharing this with the stampotique and crafty girls challenges.

Take care

Tracey:)

Eclectic ellapu fussy mussie challenge

How can it be May already!!! The were so many awesome entries for last month, it was great to see so many of you taking a step outside you comfort zone and still coming up with the goods.

For me this month's challenge is also something I have never tried before, tussie mussie making.  A tussie mussie is a cone shaped holder for small posies or gifts, popular in Victorian time and often worn as a kind of broach... albeit a rather large one ;)

I decided to cover mine in flowers and pop choccies inside.

Where are the choccies you say.... they were very yummy!!

I used Tim Holtz tattered acorn die, an old rolled rose die and just did that thingy where you cut out a circle, then cut a spiral around and roll it up to make my flowers.

I may have gotten a little carried away with the flowers but they were so much bloomin fun to make and I couldn't bring myself to leave any out.

I used my butterfly palm punch, some pearls and got creative with some wire to make the handle, leaves and some more flowers.

I'll be honest and admit I groaned a little when I saw the challenge theme, I had no idea what a tussie mussie was.  I can totally admit to also having had a blast making it.  The girls over at Eclecticellapu have made some gorgeous pieces so do pop over for a look, even better if you join in the fun.

Take care

Tracey :)

Stampotique circles challenge.

I am just in lurve with Stampotique stamps at the moment, space I'm really not much of a colour but I have really enjoyed using these . I used distress inks and a white and black gelly pen with a waterbrush.   I am really quite chuffed with how this turned out and look forward to playing with them lots more.

 Are used Neenah desert storm card to stamp on and unicorn white heroarts ink.  Well to be honest I stamped loads of this cute girl in a variety of colours and inks.  Are you distress inks in spiced marmalade and tumbled Glass and weathered wood.  At first I thought I'd made a huge mistake as I come round the edges with the black pen and it was all smudgy but I persevered and kept playing around and love the way she turned out . When I fussy cut her I deliberately did a bit Jaggi as I think this suits the style of the stamp.

 I made the background using shattered coredinations card and a crafters companion embossing folder.  I love embossing this card and then sanding it back to reveal a really cool grungy look.  I used paper smooches thanks Die and cut it out of the desert storm card, white and the coredinations . I offset them slightly then used a bit of wink of Stella and glossy accents.

 Hi Cut out a few of the circles using the blue side rather than the black, added a bit more wink of Stella and glossy accents. the little sentiment I made on my computer .

 I make this card for the stampotique circles challenge

thanks for having a look, the stampotique challenges run until 5th of May so pop over and have a play

 take care

Tracey

Fashionably late... nope just plain rude!!!

I'm really gutted haven't been able to post and play for a while but I've had a really bad fibro flare :( However, you still have a week left to play with us eclectic girlies :) the challenge this month is outside your comfort zone!

 I've been Loving the Stampotique creations that I've been seeing hopping around.  To me there is an eclectic mix of bright colours, fun and a little bit of grunge in the projects I have been admiring... reet up my street.  I have been really inspired by the wonderful owner of the Kathrywheel blog, her journal soup classes are just Awesome. I hadn't yet had a try so I treated myself to 2 new stamps and I have just been loving playing with them . I was further inspired by one of the challenges at the Stampotique blog, use stitching, way way outside my comfort zone.

 I am so super chuffed with how this turned out :)  My eldest daughter is taking her GCSEs and I am consumed with thinking of her and her  friends and what difficult time of life this is for them.  I love how this card is still fun and girly but not too cute and young for a teenager,   I think the stamps really help with this.

 I had no idea what I was doing when I started making these flowers. I just twiddled the string around caught it upwith the needle and fastened them off . They really add cool  dimension and texture.  it's something I will definitely be having a go at again .

 Something else that is completely outside of my comfort zone are shaker cards.  The sun is a mini shaker that I made using the packaging from Tim Holtz ideology Buttom package .  I then used my thread needle again and added little rays for the sun .

 I completed the card by using a faux stitch die down the side , and a hugs and kisses die.

 I popped the cutout part of the hugs and kisses die through the holes so you could also see them from the inside. I stand out we believe in you sentiment with the new lemon citrus ranger ink and voila.

 Again my apologies for being so late, hope you like it .

 Take care

Tracey :)

Stretch your dies, Online Card Class

I love these classes, not just because of all the fun techniques and entertaining instructors but because they help me work out what products would enhance my already too large collection.... and yes I have placed an order since class finished.... but air need them lol.

This is gonna be a long post as I am gonna do a kind of round up of the things the class inspired me to create as I just haven't been well enough to play and blog daily.

DAY 1 - Word dies
On the edge with the awesomely funny Lauren,  I fell in lurve with this idea and made lots, and then I moved on from words to.shapes but with the same idea, I just adore those little zipper gift cards :)

inland

DAY 2 -flowers dies and DAY 3- basic shapes.

I don't have,well didn't have but will soon, any of these types of dies.  I have floral strips but they wouldn't work for these techniques.  Oh I am looking forward to the positive bringing them!!!

DAY 4 - Mini Dies

Word and mini combined

I only have mini hearts so have ordered some stars and will be looking out for some bargain littlies from now on!

Enhancing a pattern

Such a cool idea to personalise gorgeous pattern paper without looking the... well pattern

DAY 5 - Coordinating stamps and dies

I had a set that I loved but had never made anything with, I just couldn't get a card to come together... well I just got carried away with one of the lessons making lovely backing papers... this is just a selection, honestly I couldn't stop myself lol and... one card!!!

Stamping a window

This is such an elegant way to use these sets I think

DAY 6 - Border Dies

shape cards

Yukon posted this one before but I just had to pop it in with its peers ;)

Inlay borders

I loved jigsaw puzzles as a kid so this is right up my street.

DAY 7 was alphabet dies but I got frustrated with my twitchy fingers and those fiddly little dies so am saving that along with many other ideas for other days.  These classes are such great value for money and with a lifetime of being able to look back what's not to love.

Tracey