TIO #10 Say it with Flowers

This is my tag for week #10 at DragonsDream - say it with flowers. I was inspired by a bunch that Fred brought me in the week. I am so lucky to be getting flowers again, and I just wanted to share the feeling around!!

I used the new stamps from Kay Carley by The StampMan, flowers and swirls. I just added the net from a much older Aspect of Design sheet, because I love using it in my stamp collages. The background is a mixture of distress inks, Adirondaks and Starburst stains. The flowers are from my stash. Thanks for looking....

TIO #7 Challenge - Treasure - Dragon's Hoard

Here is my tag for the TIO #7 challenge at DragonsDream, this week. The theme is Treasure. I wanted to use my lovely dragon stamp, which I have reclaimed from it's wooden block, that had warped, I think. I printed him on to shiny card and embossed with a copper ep. I used my wonderful starburst stains to bodge colour on to his body, and then to the background, after stamping with various texture stamps. Some of the scales have been further enhanced by adding Sakura colour. I cut several "coins" from embossed card and used 3 small Chinese coins from my stash. His treasure includes a golden pear and a blood-red casket, which held my broken heart!! **(thereby hangs a tale) Above the symbol "long" (with a rising inflection) which means "dragon", I have used one of my treasured knots as the tie. I have given this tag to Fred, who is my lovely, lovely new man!!! Woo. Thanks for looking!!!

** see above the poem I have written, to tell this story, if you are interested....

TIO #6 - Dragonflies and Butterflies

Here is my tag for the TIO #6 Challenge Butterflies and Dragonflies. I have really enjoyed this one, the colours and thinking about the symbolism. Living by the canal, we often get Dragonflies in the garden, and this year, I have already seen more butterflies than almost the whole of last year!!

So, a wonderful collage stamp by Creative Stamping, and a great UMount corner stamp are combined for this tag. I have overstamped with various leaves and words. The backgound was made by swirling the shiny card through the distress inks and spraying with Starburst stains and Glimmer mists - it's always a source of disappointment that the glimmer and shine does not show up on the screen!! A simple purple bow completes the piece. Thanks for looking...

TIO #5 - Walk Like an Egyptian

I really enjoyed thinking about this one, for the challenge on my DragonsDream blog - Walk Like an Egyptian. I wanted to finish up with something different this week, and I was pleased with the result. I used a duo of stamps from a Non Sequetur sheet, available from The StampMan. They complement each other with the echo of the column. They were stamped with black onyx, on to white card, and embossed with clear ep. I then splodged them with lots of icy primrose gold starburst stain, with a brushing only of ramblin rose pink. Small details were picked out with various Sakura pens.

The lotus image is one from my computer set and the metal charms are from my stash. The whole lot is set off by the beautifully figured mirror board. So a collage with a difference. 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...

Ad-awww-able Girlie Gothic Arch!!

This darling piece was made for the challenge at Gothic Arches this week, which is little girls, chosen by Sandy. I don't do cute, but I adore Mabel Lucy Attwell images, as I had all her annuals for Christmas when I was a child. So they always make me smile.

I made the background with glimmer mists and Starburst Stains in shades of pink and gold. I overprinted with a Dimension Fourth swirl, one from UMount and floral scroll from Hobby Art. The flowers are from my stash. There is nothing terribly difficult or arty about this one, but it is SO pink and sweet, and really pretty in real life. 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.

Blog Candy!!! - Elusive Images New Plates

Well, I decided NOT to fuss about so-called "blog candy" but I really can't let THIS one go, can I?? I LOVE Glenda's Elusive Images stamps, and have many of them... so I would like these plates. I have added a card I made with the peacock plate, just to show it off!!! Have a look at the new plates, they are really lovely, and just up my collage street, at the moment...

The card uses Starburst Stains, and Joanna Sheen's ODCD. I used a feather from my stash

This is the back of the card.

An Oriental Splenour - Star Card

This is a star card made for my mother's birthday, a little while ago. I used Starburst Stains and stamps from The StampMan, by Non Sequetur. Two stamps are from Stamp Addicts. I wrote a line in each page which became a poem, at the end.


Cherry Blossoms
Painted in light.
After the storm through the window,
The Butterflies Dance to
The Music of Life.


I have entered this card into the challenge at Daring Cardmakers, called Oriental Splendour. It is NOT to use red and black (not necessarily oriental colours, anyway) and the colours here are pinks and purples and gold. The cover of the star book is a page of the Far East stack by DCWV, and the cord ties are from my stash. My mum was thrilled to bits with it, and still has it up on at the side of the bed...

Rainbow Lady's Rainbow challenge - yellow

This is my card for Rainbow Lady's Rainbow Challenge this week. I decided to do yellow as I well and truly "did" red the other day. I made all the backgrounds here except the pale lemon glitter card. The stamps are from Umount, for the swirls and flourishes, and full bloom from Hobby Art. I just went for all my yellow sprays and dabbers. The beads have slightly distorted the scan, but I expect you get the idea??!!

RED RED RED!! (and white...)

I just had a ball with all the reds I could find... the background uses glimmer mists and Starburst Stains daubers - oh! I LOVE these and not used them for a time... they are out on the desk now, so... The piece is made for the Arty Girlz challenge this week - red and white.

The letters are formed from card, dyed with alcohol inks, and the white flowers along the bottom, are made using vellum through a Cuttlebug border folder, with white Pen Touch behind for greater effect, and attached with 2 red brads. It's not a work of art, but it was fun and VERY red to do!!!