Matchbox Shrine

I've recently taken part in a matchbox shrine swap over on UKScrappers. Oh my!If I'd realised how hard it would be I would've thought twice! I can't tell you how many matchboxes I went through trying to get it made-nothing turned out the way I wanted! I ended up using the simplest idea just because it was the only one I could get to work!

 The person I was swapping with chose flowers for a theme. I covered the outside of the matchbox with patterned paper and made a flower to decorate it with. Then I added some ribbon to hang it with.

 I painted the drawer with gold acrylic paint and added a brad as a handle.

 Then I stamped a daisy stamp on both sides of a piece of paper. On one side I added quotes I'd found about flowers.

 On the back I added some Glosst Accents to highlight some of the flowers.

I had planned to put some flowers in the matchbox but they wouldn't fit so I put them in a little gift bag instead 

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I'm just waiting to see if the swapee likes it-fingers crossed!

Mother's Day card

I just couldn't resist using my new rose die again! The card was sprayed with a pale Glimmer Mist and the panel stamped with a Stampin' Up roller stamp. I cut the rose on plain card then inked with Distress Ink before stamping with a text stamp. Pretty minimal I know but I wanted the rose to be the focus. I'm actually really chuffed with the way it turned out!

I'm linking this over at Handmade Monday and Bath Bomb Creations-please pop along and check out the wonderful crafting on show!

Birthday card

I made this for a friend's birthday. The text is a Stampin' Up background stamp-which I love!- with a bit of shimmer mist to add colour. I made the flower with my new rose die. I've had my eye on it for ages and finally succumbed!

Sing ATC

This is my latest ATC for the design team over at ATCs and Cards with Attitude. The challenge started last week but I've only just got round to posting it here. I've used one of the digi stamps we were given and cut out the bird and birdhouse and stuck them onto an inked background. Pop along now and join in the fun-there's still a week to go!

I'm also posting this over at Handmade Monday and Bath Bomb Creations-come along and see the fabulous crafts on show there.

Freedom ATCs

The theme for the ATC swap over at UKStampers is Freedom. The first thought that came into my head was 'free to be.' I thought it'd be a good chance to use some of favourite women stamps. 

I know the middle stamp is Ophelia by The Stampsmith. The others I bought in a job lot and would love to know the make if anyone recognises them. I'm linking over to Handmade Monday-come and check it out!

Take One Stamp swap

Another great swap based around the free Craft Stamper stamp from a month or so ago. It's an Octopode Factory stamp and I love it so couldn't resist joining the swap. The idea is that everyone makes some images to put in a maze book. I haven't finished the maze book yet but the stamped images are ready!

These were stamped on a background of Big and Juicy with French writing (wouldn't you know I stamped the houses the wrong way round so the writing's upside down!). I finished them off with a bit of ribbon which was kindly given to me by Elaine from UKScrappers.

For these I stamped the image on different colour papers then cut and stuck them together. The background is Glimmer Mist finished with Mod Podge. 
I'm looking forward to getting the book finished and sticking everyone's images in.

Chunky ATC-Alice in Wonderland

I've just taken part in a chunky ATC swap over on UKScrappers. The swap was inspired by an article on a chunky ATC in Craft Stamper magazine. This was such fun! I was given the theme of Alice in Wonderland which stumped me for a while as I don't have a lot of stamps and despite trawling the local shops couldn't find many embellishments. So I've made do with what little I could find and am actually quite happy with how it turned out.

Front

I used text from the book as background and stamped the White Rabbit image. The clock's stamped onto thick card and covered with crackle paint. 

Back

I was pleased with this image because I have trouble getting Cheshire Cat to show up usually and this time he made himself visible!

Side

I added a party chair to the top above Mad Hatter.

Side

You can't really see the March Hare and Dormouse but they're there!

Top

There's a gold tea service and a red heart. The glass bottles are Drink Me Eat Me.

Bottom

I used two of the red hearts as feet.

I hope the recipient likes it. I really enjoyed doing this and will definitely be doing more- if I can find somewhere to buy the chunks of wood!

ATCs-Music

These are the latest of my ATCs that I made for the ATC Trail over on UKScrappers. The stamps are some of my favourites from Indigo Blu-love them all!

The background was a leftover piece of paper I'd inked with my Big n Juicy then splashed with water. I stamped the music stamp then the music hall lady over the top. She's one of my all time favs!

This time I used distress ink and some glimmer mist for the background before stamping the sentiment. Thought it needed a bit of glitz too so smeared some stickles over it! I think the words are fabulous.
Am linking these to Handmade Monday.

Art Journey - Journaling

The prompt on last week's UKScrappers Art Journey was to use text. I searched through all my old magazines and found loads of words, letters and fonts but settled on these. The background started with bits of newspaper, gessoed over and coloured with ink then sprayed with Glimmer Mist (I know!). I added the pictures and the text and coloured over them a bit. I quite like the effect of the page with the messy background-will be doing that again!

Project Runway CJ

This is my entry for the Project Runway Circle Journal I'm doing at the moment. The idea was to take a photo of an everyday object and recreate it in some form on the page. I couldn't decide what to use until I bought these shoes last week!

I used Cosmic Shimmer paint for the background and embossed the medallion stamps with Disco Black powder-I love the sparkle this gives!

Am hoping the recipient likes it.

ATC-Bliss

I finally got to go to Cal's Rochdale crop again yesterday for its one year anniversary! One year!How time flies. Despite getting there late and having to leave early because of the snow I had a great time and was able to make some ATCs for the monthly Anything Goes ATC swap on UKScrappers. 
I loved this bird stamp and was excited to find a matching diddy bird stamp to use too!

I had planned to make five different ATCs but loved the bird so much I did four more!

Art Journey-Consumerism

The latest page in my Art Journey journal on UKScrappers is based on the prompt Consumerism. It's a slightly frivolous take on the prompt based around my obsession with lipsticks! I counted 33 but then remembered I had a whole load of handbags in my wardrobe that are bound to have a lipstick or two in so the count is a tad more than that!

The background's inked with Distress Ink then blotted to look like smeared lipstick. The lip stamp is from Stampin' Up-I love it! I've written the colours of some of my lipsticks around the outside of the page.
It's my first double layout in the journal. I usually struggle with things bigger than an ATC but decided to give it a go!
I'm popping this on Handmade Monday. It's celebrating it's one year anniversary so please come and check it out!Join in if you can! 

Love Blooms ATC

This is my ATC for the latest challenge over at ATCs/Cards with Attitude. I've used Glimmer Mist for the background-note to self- leave the glimmer mist alone! The heart is covered with 3D glaze but you can't tell in the photo. I hope you'll all come and join in the challenge!

More Bitten by the Bug!

I'm playing catch up in the UKScrappers Art Journey but have just finished my second page. The prompt was Preconceptions. I did the background first and had no idea what to do next - then I found the peacock and it all fell into place! It's not perfect but that's what I'm trying to break free from!

Bitten by the bug!

So,after sending my Art Journal CJ on its way last week I really missed it and wanted more! This led to me poking my nose on the UKScrappers Art Journey thread and decided to join in!
I've found a notebook that's been hanging around for ages and started on my intro page. I used Cosmic Shimmer as a background and stamped the border with a bit of doodling thrown in too. 
I'm beginning to feel obsessed! 

I'm going to pop this over at Handmade Monday which I've neglected recently and have missed.

Journal Your journey-Art Journal CJ

I've bitten the bullet and joined an Art Journaling Circle Journal over on UKScrappers.http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk I've wanted to try art journaling for a long time but just don't have the guts to do it!

Now I can't back out as I'll have a journal to complete every month!

My theme is travel-favourite quotes,places,journeys etc. 

Cover Page

Background is glimmer mists,stamps and doodled border. 

Rule Page

 This is a bit of a mish mash so I might redo it when I get the journal back!

Journal Page

I found the image of the lady on the motorbike and just couldn't resist it! Love it! The quote's a favourite of mine. All the images I've used are from Freubels-Freebies.

I'm looking forward to experimenting and learning along the way-just hope I'm up to it!

Fairy Doors

I saw a swap on UKScrappers for Fairy Doors and was intrigued! I've never heard of them before but it's such a magical idea to have a door in the house for the fairies to come in!
I made one for the swap and another for a friend's daughter. They're made on thick card, painted with acrylic paint then decorated with flowers and Stickles. I cut out the toadstools, coloured with Promarkers and gave them a bit of texture with Enamel and Glossy Accents. I really enjoyed making these and can see myself doing a few more!

This is the one I made for the swap...

and this was for my friend's daughter.
I did put a little fairy with both the doors but she was too shy to be photographed!(I forgot!)

ATC-Guitar

The latest ATC for the ATCs with Attitude challenge blog. As from this week, the blog is opening up the challenge to card makers too. I'll be hounding everyone to take part!

ATC -Fly

This is for the first challenge of 2012 over at ATCs with Attitude. I wanted to try an art journal-y thing as I'm about to start an art journal CJ.(something new for 2012!)
The design team were given two images to chose from and I chose this one because I liked her attitude!
I coloured over the ATC with oil pastels and stamped the borders down the side before adding some Stickles to the wings and glossing up her hair.
Couldn't resist the crown! 

Happy New Year!

I can't believe a year's gone by since I started this blog - and it's still going! I've had a great time keeping it up and running but the best thing's been all the new friends I've made along the way.
It's a wonderful community and I can't wait to see all your creativity in the year to come!


Happy New Year to all my followers!