Happy Little Stamping again

It's been forever and a day since I posted on my poor lonely blog... insomnia last night and a lil email reminder and  happy lil stamper again ;)

 I'm entering their feb CAS challenge which must include a heart.  Thanks happy lil stampers for tempting me back

A rusty but sparkly, patched but whole heart is my design idea... and the lil heart that's missing is all gold after lots of heat embossing but hiding inside with my smooshy words for my fella ;)

The fibro was winning for a while, even taking a job I loved from me. Well tbh it was the fibro getting together with a few mean and ignorant  colleagues and one managers inability to stand up for a disabled member of staff or read policy.  I fought  for a long time to keep my job...there were some wonderful women too
 I tried to keep at bay the depression and anxiety caused by trying to work with fibro...and I lost. This paragraph sounds bitter I've nearly deleted it...but I'm not bitter now, just frustrated that the people living with fibro are thought to be weak...even malingering...when we are so strong to keep getting up and going...even if  on the worst of days that get up and going takes all our spoons for a wash, change of PJs ;)
I decided to leave the paragraph in because I know I'm not the only one getting down with a chronic illness...I think it's ok for us to have a lil moan ;) and if you need one yourself let's chat :)

Moving along... before i bottle it and keep my poor blog bottled up again.....as is often the way even while life is taking...It's giving too. I have wonderfully supportive family and friends...all you talented crafty folks to keep inspiring me and filling my eyes n soul with colour,hope your own strength and inky sparkly joy.  And a truly supportive fella for who accepts me and my slightly broken self, makes me laugh everyday and reminds me to love even the thorns...brcause the roses beauty is worth them.


Take care

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