Simon Says Stamp and Show - and GCSP07"BlueMoon"

 And now for something completely different , to coin a phrase!!! I wanted to stamp, of course, but for texture, not image, so I decided to have a go with my new toy - a griddle - and some friendly plastic. A book with it's covers sprang to mind, and this is what I came up with... Opps.just realised I forgot to photogeaph the back, so will add that later... I used a sheet of 12"x12" paper from the lost and found stash, the floral one, to fold into a pocket book... I have also made some mini tags to go inside each pocket. They are not finished yet, but I will decorate and embellish them soon.

So the cover is friendly plastic, stamped with a Judikins floral cube from Stamp Addicts. I added the moon image from a mold set, and cloud clay which is a fabulous medium to play with and it air dries... I painted it with gold and blue to match the FP. Even the beads are made from FP... you just heat up the scraps, mold it in your fingers with the ribbon wrapped inside, then shape...The word "Imagine" is in the same set. A key, one of my mini watches and a pair of Sir T!m's wings finish off this fun project... Below is the inside...

Here is the inside as promised. with the folded book and the distress inked tags.  I shall enjoy stamping and embellishing them later this week... Woo, the brightness at the back of the photo is that funny stuff called sunshine!!! tee hee... Thanks for looking and please do comment, as I love finding out what you think. I just wanted something out of the ordinary this time... Below is the back of this mini book...

I also want to submit it for the Blue Moon challenge at Gingersnap Creations ... the idea is that there are not many months with 5 Wednesdays, hence once in a blue moon... so I looked at the back challenges and chose GC57 Wings... my "Blue Moon" (tee hee!!) has TH wings so I guess it should qualify!!?? Hope so!!!
Love and light
Frankie
xx

The Three Muses - Steampunk

 Here is my piece for The Three Muses challenge this week - Steampunkerie.... a favourite topic of mine, as those who have seen my jewellery pieces will know - nearly entered them, but they are too well known !!! smacky handy!!!

It is a whopping 10"x10" because I am using some of the Graphics 45 Steampunk stack and wanted to use some large chunks - cutting into it nearly broke my nerve, but I kept steady!!! tee hee.

 So here we go with the first close up view, of the top left. I painted the whole card piece in a mixture of copper and bronze eco, then a pva glue sandwich with black on top - not much left showing, but there is a bit here and down the righthand side. The whole lefthand side is a piece of the paper that has this lady on it. I added some rosey bits to her hat and waist, and made a clocky thing for her throat... Peeking from behind her hat is one of those skrink watches I made on my WOYWW desk... I KNEW they would come in handy!!

 Here at the righthand corner is a little box I made a long time ago for a TIO challenge, and I have altered it a bit to go here - it is like a mini printer's tray that had Chinese coins in it, at one time...

 This middle right section showa a bit more of the crackling with eco paints/pva sandwich, and features some coiled copper wire, done on my coiling machine!!! Fab... Here is the tiny cage from TH, but when I went to cut it my loverly, bootiful new Vagabond gave up the ghost and stopped working!!!! BOO HOO!!!!  Thank goodness for the little bug under my desk still!!! So it will have to go back and I will have to await new stock!!! Ah, well....

 This little box is the third and last from the TH configurations day... I papered it using the butterflies from the back of the sheet I was cutting, then added a butterfly and this ticket from my stamp set... the box is crackled too, and has some gears and sprockets etc added... yummy...

 Finally, I made some of those roses I love so much (thanks JoZarty for showing me the link to Lynne Forsythe and her wonderful video tutorial ) and painted them copper, distressed black and bronze. I stuck some of them to cogs and then added some of the coiled copper wire, pulled and twisted... bit like me then - well the twisted bit anyway!!!

So there it is... I hope you liked looking and I hope those guys over at The Three Muses like it... well, I do so I shall have to find somewhere to put it!!

Thanks for looking , and for your lovely comments, much appreciated
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

Sunday Postcard Art - White

I have not entered this challenge at Sunday Postcard Art for a long time... not done many challenges at all for a while, but really getting back into it now... The theme there is white, and I had great fun planning and making this piece. I crackled again, of course, and used Sheena's paintfusion daisy stamps for the main image, overstamped with silver ep.

The crackle worked so well, the blue was showing through too much, so I whitewashed it again, to tone it down, back to white. I really like the accidental effect and the texture. The butterfly is from Elusive Images and is printed on parchment, embossed with white ep. The extra flower is from Prima, as are the "leaves" - another flower cut up into 3 pieces. I distressed the edges of everything with TH broken china ink, and some more silver ep.

Really enjoyed working on it... thanks for looking and please leave me a comment, I value them all
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

Well... An Incredible Week !!

As many of you know, I have had some dark times with pain and disappointment, recently, but I got back to serious crafting in the last couple of weeks... and all those frustrated ideas came tumbling out!!!

I entered 3 challenges last week at Tellens Place, Haunted Design House and Wednesday Stamper... Well, I made the sampler on the latter, chosen 1 of 12 from 41 entries. Better yet, I was top 1 of  2 from 12, and named "Gruesome Twosome" at Haunted Design House - a great accolade on that blog, I gather!!! But best, I actually won outright at Tellens Place, and was their first ever unanimous choice by the DT!!!!  So three out of three can't be bad!!!!!

WOO, I am floating on air and so chuffed to get back to crafting with such a bang!!! Below are the three entries to the challenges

This is the image that won the prize at Tellens Place. It is called "All About Me" .You can read about how I made them all over on my DragonsDarkerSide blog.

Thanks so much for looking and for supporting my blogs. I really do value all the comments and the followers of each one... I am SO glad to be back!!!
Frankie
xx

TIO #14 - Time Flies - La Notte Scivola sul Mondo

My entry for the TIO #14 challenge on DragonsDream, is La Notte Scivola, on the theme of time flies. It means "the night creeps over the world..." My lovely Fred introduced Il Divo to me when we first met, and we play their music lots when we are together and when we are alone... you know how it is!!? The song it's from is Ti Amero. Well, we are learning Spanish together because he has family in the Canaries, and he has never managed to learn the language before... I have an ear for accents, so we are having a go!! For those eagle-eyes amongst you, I spelt a word incorrectly on the tag!! Never mind, I know what I meant!!! Tee hee...

How did I do it? Well, I stamped the moon - it is an old stamp from The StampMan, but not sure what sheet - on a piece of card, coloured with distress ink, then cut it out. The background card is black, pearly and gorgeous, stamped with splatter pattern from Stamp Addicts by Judikins, and embossed in Moonglow ep in midnight teal and midnight violet. The butterfly is an old, old real favourite, first seen used by Carol on a Stamp Addict's show, moons ago - I loved watching that lady work, she was SO inspiring!! Sorry to say, I cut his wings off, after embossing in clear ep and colouring with alcohol inks... The clock is from UMount, creative expressions, and the wings were stuck on with foam pads. I think this is quite a whimsical piece this week!!
Thanks so much for looking...

Mooning About!!

This simple ATC was created for 2 challenges - moon, and moon and stars, at TMTA and Created by Hand Tuesday challenges, respectively. I used my beloved cloudy moon and the small trees from StampAddicts, by Judikins. I masked the moon to keep it white and brayered over the shiny card, using the gum drop big and juicy!! I promised I would do different backgrounds this week!!! Field of sky stamp, also by Judikins, adds the illusion of grass in the corner.
Thanks for looking today
xx

InchyByInch Challenge - Text

Here is my entry for the InchyByInch challenge this week - text. Right up my street again , this one as I love using calligraphy and text in my art - but curiously, I never use it on the front of cards!! Odd lady...

The backbrounds are swirled distress inks on shiny card (yet again!!!) in mustard seed and tattered rose, and I printed using a variety of stamps from UMount plates and Butterfly Kisses. The spots of colour are from Sakura pens... really enjoyed myself here...
Thanks for looking!!

TIO # 12 Carte Postale (Oriental Lady)

The theme on my DragonsDream TIO challenge this week is to make a postcard tag. I bought the images I have used here at the Stamp Addicts retreat, and thought they would be just right, when I thought up the idea of a postcard. This is actually A5, bigger than postcard size, but the only rules are to use the postcard theme.

I began with a piece of coated card, and printed the postcard image, one I had from The Graphics Fairy. Then I began swirling colour in distress inks mustard seed and tattered rose. I had seen the tag as "yellow" and basically it is, with some old paper, spiced marmalade, faded jeans and broken china thrown in!! The images are by Curious by Design - Cherry Blossom set. However, the blossom itself is from a set from QVC, which came wooden mounted and I peeled it off, the better to stamp!!

And that's it really. I built up layers of stamps and hightlighted some areas with a little more neat colour, using cut n' dry, and cut the edge with my decal scissors, after adding a little scrap of yellow ribbon. There are a few splashes of glimmer mists and starburst stains, and the blossom is coloured using 703Sakura stardust, so much of it has a sheen and shimmer - in fact it looks like a piece of delicate silk. Thanks for looking!!

Rainbow Lady's challenge - Script

I have thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon, doing Cynthia's challenge over at her Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog - Script. She wanted to see some calligraphy and I was in my element with this collage. I used an A5 piece of cream coloured card and distressed it with old paper, tattered rose (new and I LOVE it!!!) and brushed corduroy, using a piece of cut n' dry. I used field of sky and cloudy moon, from Stamp Addicts, to add dots and watermarks etc. I then stamped with my new set, Paris Voyage from Curious by Design, in versafine black onyx and old paper, for some calligraphy. I just kept layering stamps and also used a wash of my new blues distress inks. Then I put some clear ep over it and it took in damp places, causing the pitting you can see... UMount plates completed the piece... Hope she likes it!! Thanks for looking.

Bubble Challenge Chez Lilibulle - Coins

Well... I am obviously in a mood for blue and oriental!! This piece is for the bubble challenge at the blog of lilibulle - coins. You have to create a bubble with altered coins on it. So here is mine.

I stuck white tissue to the circle of card, for great texture, and then used my starburst stains to colour it... It is actually very shiny in places but not showing here. I printed in blue ink on the dry piece, with a bamboo and tree stamp from Stamp Addicts, by Judikins.The lady has stains on her too. The coins and flowers are from my stash, the coins being special ancient Chinese ones - so pretty. Thanks so much for looking...

TIO #4 - Oriental ... China Blue

Here is my entry for the TIO challenge #4, Oriental - China Blue. It is a subject dear to my heart, oriental... so could not resist making a tag with that theme.

I used a shades of blue Blending Blox pad, on my heat sheet, and smooshed the card about a bit!! Then over printed with the fan shape in the same pad. Think both these stamps came from QVC - they were the ones that peeled off their wood too easily, so I stuck them to Easimount...

The bamboo is from an Aspect of Design sheet from The StampMan, by Kay Carley. It's a fantastic stamp for all sorts of reasons. It was stamped in black onyx and embossed with clear ep (when is it not!!??) The lady and the fan were done in the same way, but on really dark card for contrast. Ribbons and flowers, from my stash... job done!! Thanks for looking.

Bubble Challenge Chez Lilibulle - Inchies

Front
Back

I enjoyed this different format. It is a piece made for the challenge by Lilibulle, Bulle d'artiste Ateiler. They do a bubble challenge and this week it is to use inchies. Those eagle-eyed amongst you will recognise some of the ones I made for the InchyByInchy challenge, when I was the guest hostess.

I stamped the leaves and such, and embossed with clear ep. Then I over-printed with some shimmers and glimmers on to the circle, using a piece of bubble wrap. I had masked off the honesty with some dimensional glue, to keep it the right colour. On the back, I used distress inks in peeled paint and shabby shutters in the direct to paper technique, then over stamped with the various images, such as agapanthus by Stampendous, and some pieces from an Elusive Images plate. I thoroughly enjoyed the different shape, and it's contraints. Lilibulle invited me to have a go, so I hope she likes it!! Thanks for looking.

TIO #3 Challenge - Rhubarb Crumble & Custard

Here is my entry for the TIO challenge this week over on DragonsDream, set by my friend AliMayes - Rhubarb Crumble & Custard . I really enjoyed doing this one as it was such a different concept!! Anyway, I created the background with Lava Red Cosmic Shimmer and then put it through my swiss dots Cuttlebug folder, dots inverted. The stamp is a part of a larger collage from Stamp Addicts, Life is in Bloom, printed in onyx versafine embossed with clear ep. I used butterscotch alcohol ink for the vase and flower, then cut them and stuck them to another stamping of the image. I added pink dots to the vase and yellow souffle pen to the daisy. Two yellow flowers and a pink brad complete the front.

I am selling my tags now, so I do the backs too... I had a great serendipity moment as I swiped the back with alcohol inks, and the colour flooded through the little indents on the front... even more texture, Ali!!

Below is my second embellishment (oh she is so extravagant that Ali - her stash is SO big, she can put 2 extras on!!!). I went on a bead making course on Sunday morning, and these are the very ones I made... needless to say I bought tons of clay and will be doing beads a lot more ... I was SO excited by the diferent colours etc. They will fasten on to the beaded chain of my tag, but did not want to be on there in the scanner!! - Well, if Ali can have 2 images on the challenge, so can I!!! Thanks for looking.

UPDATE
I have now got out the camera in order to photograph the way the beads sit on the tag. This is the shot below. However, the colour of the scanned picture, above, is actually more like real life. I will also do a tutorial on making the beads, as a few people have asked me about them. I will try to get some photos as I make them.

WOO HOO - I sold this one folks!!!

Booklet Front Cover and Frames for RL

I have created this piece for a friend, who is about to open a new shop. She will be selling things such as crystals, incense, my cards, postcards and tags!! and providing complementary services such as Reiki and Indian head massage... Her open day is next Saturday, and this piece is for the cover of her booklet. I hope she likes it!!

I want to enter it into Rainbow Lady's challenge, too, which is frames, this week. I discovered the way to make the narrow frames (could be broader if I wanted) on my printer, this evening, that was a great find... I began by stamping the Butterfly Kisses stamp, then adding the cloudy moon image, from A Stamp in the hand. My fav swirl corner from UMount, was next, the butterfly from Elusive Images and then the agapanthus from Stampendous.

Most of the inks were versafine in onyx, smokey grey and vintage sepia, and the black ones were embossed with clear ep. I masked the head image and the moon, swirled distress inks mustard seed, worn lipstick, dried marigold and old paper on my heat mat and spritzed with water. I dibbled the shiny card about to get the colours where I wanted them, just blending a little with my fingers etc. My hands are FILTHY now, but I LOVE the piece. It will be a shame to give it away. Thanks for looking.

Alice In Wonderland on Postcard

This piece was made for Sunday Postcard Art, where the challenge is to make a work about Alice in Wonderland. I printed a scene on to acetate via my printer, and embossed with clear ep. I created a background, on shiny card, with distress inks, having a care to put some colours in special places, so they would show through the acetate e.g. the dress and the large toadstool. I printed various images on to the background, and then stamped a full set of toadstools for the front, colouring them with the distress inks. 4 yellow brads attach the acetate to the card and a couple of flowers, from my stash, finish off the piece. Thanks for looking.

2 Bee Swirly!! Small World of I and T

Here is a silly little piece!! A bee swirly for the Small World of Inchies and Twinchies challenge this week - swirls... right up my alley!!! The background was left from my Zetti moo, and I stamped some swirls from Dimension Fourth and UMount (my all-time fav I think!!) The bee is also from a UMount plate. Thanks for looking.

Zetti Moo - Make a Moo or Two Challenge

At Make a Moo or Two, the theme is Zettiology. I have made moos before, but never tried this Zetti lark ... it's fun as there seem to be no holds barred!! Odd people and some black and white!! Sorry, that is far too simplistic, and I shall have more goes at it...

I used some Cosmic shimmers, some freebie swirl and squares stamps. I created the lines with an agapanthus stem and a UMount diamond plate forms the body. The heads are from Avante Guarde by Stamp in the Hand. That's it really... I had fun!!! Thanks for looking.

TMTA Challenge - Peacock

Here is my ATC entry for the TMTA challenge this week, peacock. I really enjoyed this one, as I got to use my Starburst Stains and the Elusive Image peacock plate stamps. Favs all!!!

I enjoyed the triple embossing too, as always, and added a few jewels from my stash. Unfortunately, the thick embellies made the bakground a little out of focus, and, as usual, the shimmery nature of the inks just does not show to best advantage. But the colours are deep and shiny, and the piece has pleasing texture. Thanks for looking.

Altered Postcard

This is my entry for Wednesday Stamper's challenge, alter the back of a postcard. I printed out one I had saved from The Graphics Fairy, as shown above. I used distress inks, spritzed on my heat pad, then overprinted with several different stamps, in the same inks. The main image was printed in stazon. I added a little paper butterfly and mounted on to music paper. The stamps are from Lavinia, Butterfly kisses and UMount, basically. I really enjoyed the freedom of this piece after the more traditional work of my sample cards!!

A Few More...

Here are a few more inchy "jewels"... Don't worry about having a small enough stamp!! The top 2, bottom 2 and the left middle, are all from parts of the Life is in Bloom stamp from Stamp Addicts. The middle right is one of the parts of the bookmark stamp from Elusive Images. These were all done with 2 colours of ep on the top layer, after using thick, clear on the first and second layer. The bottom 2 use 2 kinds of verdigris - love them!!