New Day, Two New Challenges -

I have been hampered recently, but getting back into the swing - up/down, up/down!!! No... create, create... I missed Grungy Monday #5, even though we had two weeks, but the first challenge here will be for GM #6, hosted by Linda on Studio L3. She has asked us to look at Sir T!m's Christmas tag from the past for our inspiration... fab.

So I have made my background using that technique, but different colours. You can get a better view, close up in the picture below...

Firstly, I painted with lettuce and snow white, but it looked too bright, so I toned it down with Claudine Hellmuth gesso, applied by finger!!! It was smooched over with vintage photo, and stamped with that fantastic stamp from the new papillon sheet... clear ep added some great texture.

Even closer,shows the technique really well... The second challenge will be for Simon Says Stamp and Show - anything goes... well this is what went!! but I am SO late I suspect they won't even notice it, as there are so many entries for an open challenge!!

Bottom right is a pearl UTEE embellishment, perfect pearled, made from a brass one moulded... I was pleased how it turned out...

Even closer, you can see how shiny, glimmery and blingy it really is. The piece was a steampunk watch, gears and dragonfly... used up now on another project, but echoed nicely in the mould I made of it...

This shot just shows how dimentional the piece is and how pretty the colours are. The moths and butterflies were stamped from the papillon set, on sticky back canvas and cut out to fit onto a strip of lost and found paper.

So there you have it... I did this post several times this week, and blogger just foiled me every time - would have been useful if the foil were bling!!! but it was all just so frustrating, wasn't it??... Anyway, it's now SO late in the week, it's hardly worth the challenges, but I shall share it anyway and hope you have enjoyed looking at it. It's yet another one to find a home for, but I love the colours and it's smaller than some of the others I have made recently!!! Hope you liked it and will leave me a comment, cos I love hearing from you.

I now have a great idea for that thingy for my followers, but I will leave that to another day to discuss it with you!!!!! no, you can't get it out of me yet...!!

Love and light

Frankie

xx

TIO Piece for Texturise It

 Well nearly didn't get this finished, cos I have an ickle bug today, with a raw chest, sore throat and then sickiness to cap it all!!! VERY nice, I hear you cry... well no, not really but I will survive, tee hee. The headache has abated a bit, so I thought I would share this TIO tag with you. The theme we chose to dream about was texture, so I tried to get lots of different ones in...

 With texture, you just HAVE to start with a texture fade - never really understood the name,  but the folders are fab!!  This one is patchwork, and whilst some of the other folders don't emboss evenly (hence "fade" I suppose) this one is fabulous in every respect. I did not use all of it, just some elements, and I used distress inks in wild honey, spiced marmalade, vintage photo and walnut stain to add colour, all spritzed off with perfect pearls heirloom gold... such a clever product to add glimmer and glitzy mica without altering the ink.

So, a best-ever-product has to be the rosette dies, and I had to use them. Small and large here to create a lot of dimension. The clock bit of the texture is enhanced with the clock die hands. Along the base I have added a lovely rosey ribbon which is all smoothe and shiny..

 The base card is from a sheet in the PaperArtsy Thornton Hall stack.. I love this paper, especially enhanced with a strip of lace..  The one real stamp I have used, which is a rule over at TIO, is a texture one with dots on from Stamp in the Hand called field of sky, so useful. Glass beads and a length of gold chain finish off the whole thing.

 So the brief was texture and I think I have managed that... lots of different textures and pretty colour into the bargain...

Thanks for looking and for your comments. I am always pleased when you pop to see me, and I love coming along to see what you are up to... Always looking for inspiration...
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #101 - Making for TIO

 A little more tidy this week... I have been finishing my PIF for the swap chez Julia - but the things you see out, here, are for this week's TIO challenge, set by Wanda at Sunshine Crafter, for me. To see the finished article, please pop here when it is posted.

 Here are head pins and glass beads, ribbons and a texture stamp, distress inks OF COURSE!!!! and some chain... what an odd mixture, but it works on my tag...

 Corr!!! Yes!!! and some perfect pearls mist in heirloom gold... the beauty about this stuff is that it is pure mica, but without water, so it dries without affecting inks etc but just adding total glimmer.... do you spot a couple of rosettes?? well of course, again, as these have become my very faves!!! So, do you want a little sneaky look at the DragonsDream tag??? Ok, you can, but only a small corner, till it's completely finished...

Well, there are those rosettes... can you guess what the theme of the challenge is then??? No, not tellin... you will have to go and visit to have a look. My DT is SO talented... they have made some fabulous pieces, and their ideas are just pure inspiration...

Thanks for looking and commenting, and I hope you have a great week...
Love and light
Frankie
xx

What a Feeling, What a Day!!!

As my regular followers will know, the lovely Freddie has got all the family into riding, and we have shown our little pony and won some classes... however, he is very green and young, and not always reliable enough, so the decision was made, en famille, (woo, get her!!!) to try for another one, a bit older and wiser!!! So the search was on...

It's not easy, as something experienced and pretty is jolly expensive, and out of the reach of my poor pocket - well, I DO have to leave enough in the coffers for my crafty stuff... but you know, there are times when the Dao shines on you, and you are destined to do/meet/find etc what you want - just as I found the fabulous Freddie, two years ago at the end of this month!!! I found and confirmed a couple for Freddie to follow up and we made a date to see one today, Saturday...

So do you want to see what I had found??? This picture was on the web (not as part of the current advert, but 2 years before that, when the present owner was buying the pony)... stunning or what???

A champion no less... and SO SO beautiful. SO we looked again at the advert Friday evening, only to find it was gone!!! - No, nothing sinister, only that it had run it's course and was finished!!! If I had not seen it on the previous day, we would never have known she existed... yes, she is a 7 year old with fantastic breeding, a chestnut roan, with flaxen mane and tail, called Rosie, as her stable name...

So we went, we saw, she conquered!!! A beatuiful girl, a bit bedraggled in the rain, but fantastic movement and so calm.... Matthew rode her and we were lost!!! And yes, we bought her, saddle and all... so now my crafting purse is MUCH depleted but I already love her...

And what of Beau?? I hear you cry... well that's another case of follow the Dao and all will be well... we went for our riding lessons in the afternoon (we are at a show with the fabulous Freddie and his mare tomorrow, so no time to ride then...) and Freddie spoke to the owner of the school, whom he has known for years... my teacher also had the idea quite independently... what about the school having Beau there?? Yes, you guessed it, he is going Monday evening, and we get Rosie Friday evening...

And the best bit of all??? Not only do we NOT have to take him to a sale and take pot luck who buys him... the fantastic Freddie got money for me, for him!!!!! WOO... we are all delighted. A show pony, a newly homed pony, and Miranda's cat, the sister to mine, had three lovely kittens - what more can you want out of one day?? tee hee...

Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comments, I am always really gratefulthat you take the time
Love and light
Frankie
xx