Journey with a Ticket to Ride - TIO #39

This week's challenge at TIO, is all about journeys and tickets and different countries etc. I used a lot of stamps again - nothing new there then!! The main image is by Curious by Design. The tickets are by Invoke Arts, and are brand new to me... there are ones from UMount and a great foam swirl from QVC. There are a couple from Tim Holtz too. The whole is coloured by distress inks. The tag is quite large at 8"x4", being cut from a piece of shiny card from Clarity.

Thanks for looking

Frankie

xx

New Work, New Blog!!!

I finally got to do some work this weekend... I created a new blog and made it's header... this is it below. The blog is called DragonsDarkerSide, and is for darker, grungier and gothic stuff. I have also finished my invitations and made a tag for the next TIO challenge... it's so good to be working again. Can't show you the tag or the invites yet, but here is the header and thanks for looking...

I used several of my new stamps and my new distress inks, so I had a great time and have many more pieces going on in my head!!!

Frankie

xx

Two Enjoyable Sessions

As soon as I saw Sheena with these little tins, I knew I had to have them... I bought 3 lots and have just finished these ones, as pressies... I am doing a couple more before I finally stop for the holiday. I used a variety of alcohol inks and made sure to wear some gloves, as it really is a bit messy!! YEY!!

I stamped with UMount stamps and used Moonglow twotone ep on them. The flowers and butterfly (because I got bored with the flowers!!) are on alcohol inked card, finished with diamond glaze to make them shiny and more robust. Pearlidoodles and a few gems have been used to finish off the patterns.


The second session this week was to make a card out of the gothic tag for a friend who lives over the road, who has a birthday on Friday. I hope he likes it. I just made a background in the same sort of style and colours, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, using those ubiquitous distress inks!!. It is full of texture and the hanging sun is quite a smiley touch!!

Thanks for looking and for commenting this year. It is coming up a year since I began this blog, and my life has taken many turns in that time. I have met so many lovely crafters and have appreciated each and every one of your visits and ideas. I notice I am almost on 10,000 so that will also be exciting!! Thanks SO MUCH for looking

xx

Blue Moon... this week's TIO#25 Tag

Over on my challenge blog, I have reached a quarter of a century - 25 tags... would have been more but I did have a holiday and did have a major op!!! Glad to get to this though with people still joining in.

I made this tag using pale blue card, overprinted using Vivid ultramarine and distress ink in broken china, embossed in clear ep, as so often!! The stamps are basically from UMount, but the mon is my cloudy one from Judikins, via Stamp Addicts. Simple but quite effective... Thanks so much for looking - I am always so gratified to find your comments, and am sorry for those I lost... if I get any more spam, I shall have to relent and add a level of security...
Thanks and have a great week
xx

TIO #20 - Text it to me - make it purple!!

Here is my effort for this week's TIO challenge #20 - text it to me - make it purple!! I started it with a piece of semi gloss card, and printed it with some background text. I stamped in distress inks in worn lipstick and dusty concord with Lavinia and Dimension Fourth stamps. I also used UMount and Elusive images stamps, then overstamped with some of them in onyx black, with clear ep. Some of the images were blurred using a water spray, which has given a blotchy look to some parts. I really enjoyed this one and hope you like it too.
Thanks so much for looking, and making your comments...

TIO #19 - Up, Up and Away...

This was my inspiration piece for the TIO #19 tag challenge this week... up, up and away. I decided to do dragonflies, but the theme is very open to different interpretations... I began with shiny cardstock and the usual distress inks in blues and yellows. I printed a whispy bamboo from Stamp Addicts by Judikins, in weathered wood and shabby shutters, then various plants from Lavinia Stamps in the other distress blues. The agapanthus and flower swirl from Stampendous and UMount, respectively, were stamped in onyx black then all inks were embossed in clear ep. The dragonflies are from a clear stamp but don't know where from and the ep around the border is a fascinating one from Stamp Addicts called Blonde Moments in festive fern. It is gorgeous and thick and yummy, shot through with green, blue and gold.
Thanks so much for looking again this week...

TIO #17 A Circle Embraces, a line divides

This is my tag piece for the DragonsDream TIO #17 challenge this week, a circle embraces, a line divides. It was inspired by the lovely ring Freddie gave me for our engagement / betrothal on Monday, this week!!! This is it below... it is rose and yellow gold and the flower centre has a diamond set into it... so very pretty. Well, I think so, but then I would I suppose!!! Woo... the picture does not do it justice, as I could not capture the lovely pinky tones of the rose gold. Still, you get the idea...

I started with a piece of soft gold, pearlised card and printed the UMount swirls and flower in gold and rose gold, respectively. The face and keys are from a Judikins cube called treasure. I masked the face and overprinted with my Aspects of Design net, and stamped the UMount sentiment . I used distress inks and my inky tool to blot colour on to various areas, then covered it all with clear ep, to give a dreamy look. The lips and flower centre are highlighted with pearlydoodles, in red.

Thanks so much for looking, and following mine and Freddie's story... there will be more to come next June, but not necessarily what you are thinking!!... the Dragon has dreamed something quite different...

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...

TIO #13 - Spots and Swirls in Pink

This is my tag for the TIO #13 challenge this week - can't believe it is 13 already!!! The theme is spots and swirls in pink, so I began by swirling distress inks in dusty concord, worn lipstick and twilight brilliance, on to my shiny card (note to self, begin in a different way next week!!!). It has been the anniversary of the lunar landing, and last night saw the longest eclipse of the sun to be seen in this century, so I used my cloudy moon stamp and Leda, from Stamp Addicts, by Judikins. The dots/spots are also by them. The swirls are from a UMount plate and I also used a Kodomo stamp - woodcut iv.

I began in the top left and bottom right, stamping the small spots and Hero Art small solid circle, then building several other textures by using clear ep. as I stamped. This pulls out the colour in some places and not others and adds to the intensity. I always start with the palest colours of ink and get darker towards the top. That way the piece acquires more depth - perhaps this would help those of you who say you can't collage and layer your stamps without it looking muddled!!?? I finished off with some narrow ribbon and strands of wool from my bit bag. I hope you enjoy the challenge this week, if you are joining in.
Thanks for looking!!

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!!

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.

TIO #9 Eternal Goddess

This is my tag for this week's challenge over on DragonsDream TIO #9. It was inspired by my new cube from the Stamp Addict's retreat weekend, Klimt Ladies, by Judikins. I also used some parts of stamps from UMount, travel and time. The shiny postcard was swooshed into a mixture of broken china, weathered wood, faded jeans and tattered rose (all also new) distress inks, then enhanced by the use of cut and dry. The main images were stamped in versafine black onyx and smokey grey, then embossed with clear ep as ever! And that's about it. The ribbon was coloured using the inks and the metal embellishment was from my stash. As always, thanks so much for looking.

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...

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.

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.

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.

TIO #2 "Fairies at the bottom of the Garden"

Here is my entry for the TIO challenge this week - fairies at the bottom of the garden. I had great fun stamping away - got carried away, actually, and had to tell myself enough was enough.!! I have used such a conglomeration of stamps including agapanthus from Stampendous, mushrooms from an Elusive Images plate, a large swirl from Dimension Fourth and a large swirl from UMount. I used a mixture of Adirondak and distress pads, as well as versafine. The butterfly and fairy, herself, are from a kit from IW. I don't normally "do" fairies, but this one felt just right!!! Thanks for looking.

TIO Challenge "Time and Tide"

Here is my tag, which I made for the challenge over on my TIO blog. I coloured it with Cosmic shimmer and Glimmer mists in blues and greens. The stamps are UMount, Kodomo and Dimension Fourth. I used clear embossing powder over versafine black and smokey, as well as some distress inks and printworks pads. I just kept adding "stuff" until it had the look I had dreamed!!

I love collage stamps, and find them so useful for this kind of work. This tag is quite large, at 6x3.5 + "wings"... It is shiny and very vibrant, but this does not show well on the screen. Thanks for looking.