12 Days of christmas

These are my 12 Days of Christmas tags inspired by Mr Tim Holtz. They took me a bit longer than twelve days to do due to a horrible cold and have taken a good couple of hours to blog!

They are now hanging above my fire place!

No 1

Background-Spritzed with mica sprays. Stamped with music script, words and border stamps. The lower third was embossed with a cuttlebug folder (diamonds) the raised areas were then 'coloured' with two way glue and allowed to dry and then silver guilding flakes were applied. The pears were done in the same way but onto acetate. The bird was also stamped onto acetate and onto angelina fibres (ironed) and applied to the back this was cut out and applied to the background with foam tape.

No 2

Background- Canvas material painted with acrylics scraped on using a credit card. Printed paper and embossed metal applied to lower half. the snowman was stamped on to tissue and coloured on the back with white acrylic allowed to dry and then applied to the canvas with glue stick and the snowflake with an eyelet.

No 3

Background- Masked and coloured with distress inks. Santa was stamped onto tissue and applied to the background with glue stick. The words are stamped in archival onto painted grungeboard and backed with embossed metal. The 25 is metal and applied with silicon glue.

No 4

Background- spritzed with mica sprays and embossed with cuttlebug embossing folder (birds in tree) then coloured with distress inks. A strip of paper spritzed and stamp was applied down one side. The Angel is made from 'Butterfly kisses' fairy stamp with her wings replaced with grungeboard wings which have been embossed and painted with pearl dabber. Her dress has been stamped with a border stamp with paint and sprinkled with irridesant glitter.

The word 'angel' was stamped with archival black and attached with glue and foam tape.

No 5

Bracground- Spritzed with mica sprays, border stamped in archival black, the word 'Snow' is grungeboard painted with picket fence crackle.

The 'snowmen' are hand cut from coloured card and their faces are my 2 lovely grandsons!

No6

Background- Swirly stamp embossed in clear and then coloured with distress inks. The reindeer is grungeboard embossed in silver then coloured with distress inks. 'Dream is stamped with archival black and the flower is also coloured with distress ink and attached with a brad.

No 7

Background- I embossed in clear the script background and the border stamps onto navy card then applied light blue dabber paint with a baby wipe (as shown on Tims blog) wiping away excess before fully dry to allow the embossed images to show through.

The photo is my grandson holding his Santa (made by him and my youngest son) as you can see he was so please with what they had made! This was printed on paper from a normal printer, this I then wiped over with Judikins micro glaze (which stops the ink from smudging if it gets wet). then a button (7 gypsies) was added.

No 8

Background- Embossed with cuttlebug folder (birds in tree) then swished over with versamark and embossed in clear, then coloured with distress inks. The bottom third is covered with paper spritzed with mica sprays and stamped with music script. The birds (Crafty Individuals) are stamped onto seperate card twice, coloured and cut out and applied with silicon glue.

The word 'Joy' is grungeboard painted with crackle paint. Then a line of beads were added.

No 9

Background- coloured with distress inks, music script stamped in archival black. Small tree stamp coloured with water coloured pencils. Along the right edge there is Angelina fibres. The words were stampes in black archival.

No 10

Background- Alcohol inks stream, denim, pearl and silver were used to create this background. The image was stamped with archival black onto a seperate background using the same colours but lightened with blending solution. The word 'Noel' is chipboard sprayed with mica mists and embossed when dry.

No 11

Background- the word 'wish' is from Tim Holtz alphabet masks which was applied to a white tag then distressed inks over before removing stamp script in distress ink (blue jeans) carefully wipe the distress ink from the masks, then remove them.

The child image was stamped onto photo film strip (which had been stripped of the brown coating with bleach) a small amount of glossy acsents was used to adhere it to the tag and then eyelets top and bottom, then I added a star.

The 12th Tag

Background-bottom half embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folder (swirls) and distress inks, then stamped with music script (black archival) and border (pearl dabber). The bird is grungboard painted with picket fence crackle paint, the heart cut from scrap od grungeboard and painted with crackle paint,

Here is Hazel's 'Mona' as promised! Love it! My photography is not too hot though, it is much richer in colour and there is gold EP around the edges.

Here is my entry for the Sunday Challenge over on UK Stampers.

Make a 6x6 page in the theme of 'spice'.

The base is a 6x6 piece of pattened paper stuck onto card which I covered with distress inks in spiced marmalade, marigold and brick red.

The next layer is a piece of card which I used one of Tim Holtz masks on then coloured using the same colours as before then I added frayed burlap to the edges.

The bottom section was covered with a piece of left over card from another project.

The clock face (Crafty Individuals) was stamped twice, once onto cream card (base) and once onto glossy (face).

This was then coloured around the edges and attached with staples.

The wings were stamped onto acetate and coloured foil adhered to the back.

I made a mold of a mans chest (taken from a statue I found at a car boot sale about 18 months ago) which I cast in white (which I coloured with distress ink before it was molded to make it flesh coloured) Delight paper clay. this was applied with silicon glue.

Words stamped as usuall from my faithful Pixie alphabets (PSX). Apart from 'spice'.

Here is my entry for this weeks Challenge over on UK Stampers, the brief was to use a stamp you had never used yet!

My stamp is just a part of one (just the boys face) I've had for a while but never 'got around to using'.

Firstly I cut a tag, then I scraped on some gesso with an old credit card and gave it a quick blast to dry it, I then placed 3 of Tim Holtz masks ( the time ones) randomly, then I applied frayed burlap distress inks with an aplicator all over and also added some broken china, then I removed the masks.

Using frayed burlap distress ink I stamped some background writing. The boys face I stamped onto tissue and applied to the tag with a glue stick.

The wings and the clock face I stamped onto acetate, the small ones were left and the large one I applied guilding flakes to. these were attached with glossy accents.

Then I just added the words and a ribbon at the top.

This is my grungy family book I am working on, the outside cover has been painted with gesso and lettuce acrylicand decorated with a silver book plate and corners. The pages inside have been made from seperate pieces of board covered in old printed pages from the book itself and painted. The photo's inside are of my Mum and Dad when they were very young some before they were married and some after by way before they had any of us kids.
This book is just for me really as I don't think any of my family would get why I would crumple and rip and scratch and paint on these precious memories (they are copies).
I haven't finish it yet but I won't be blogging it when it is fully finished because I intend to write about my family and thoughts and these words will be for my eyes only (for now anyway).
So where there are blank spaces will be the words I will add later.
The pages have 3 holes punched and eyeleted in them and they are wired to the spine and beads were added to embelish, then I addded a crystal in the middle and a heart at the bottom.

My inchies for Sids 9x9 inchie swap on UK Stampers Christmas theme.

Alcohol ink background (stream, aubergine and silver) and stamped (tim Holtz) with black Archival ink.

Here are my ATCs for this months swap on UK Stampers the theme was 'Da Vinci'.

They all have similar backgrounds, white and various other light coloured acrylic paint scraped on with an old credit card and simply stamped in either black or sepia Archival ink.

This my entry for The Sunday Challenge this week on UK Stampers with the theme of 'Halloween' I don't own any Halloween stamps in my stash or any other things to do with Halloween either so I had to put my thinking cap on! And in the middle of the night I came up with this!

The background is fabric, the moon was stamped straight onto the fabric which I painted first with pearl Dabber, the 'witches' are stamped onto a really fine cotton material and sewed to the background, hats were cut out free hand and glued on, as were the cauldron and the flames and the the tree which was stamped with 'scratches' (Tim Holtz). The words were stamped with PSX 'pixie' mini stamps.

The whole thing was then attached to a backing board with tape.

'Never Quite Alone'
I think I feel a bit dark this week nearly everything I have made has a bit of 'darkness' about it. I think this is my favourite stamp at the moment, she just reminds me of me when I was young sitting on the grass making daisychains for hours 'lost in my own little world'. Although I was alone I never felt it, I had a 'little friend' who was always with me!
This canvas was covered with bright dabber colours and swirled with a babywipe, then I stamped images onto tissue and applied the main image and some trees to the dry canvas with Modge Podge, when this was dry I painted black acrylic with a baby wipe around the edges and when this was dry I put on the two faces over the black acrylic, this gave it a ghostly look.
Then the words 'Never Quite Alone' were stamped with versamark and clear embossed.

This is a gothic arch made with Ten Second Studio foil usind some of the tools and also a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders and a lttle bit of free hand drawing. The middle is ramdom pieces of pattened paper stamped with parts of stamps and arranged within the frame and adhered with wax, this then lets the light show through when held up to the light (it looks like it is illuminated) dont hang it in the heat though or it my melt!!!!

This is my little Halloween matchbox. The outside has foil which was embossed in a Cuttlebug folder (swirls). The edges of the matchbox were painted with purple acrylic, then the foil was attached when it was dry. the foil was then painted with black acrylic left a while and then the excess wiped away to reveal the silver foil.

Inside was covered with pattened paper, the booklet is just a small piece of card cut to fit and stamped with a moon (which I stamped over pearl dabber and some trees and embellished with a shrink plastic bird (Tim Holtz). The front was simply stamped with 'by the light of the moon'.

The same bird on shrink plastic was used for the pull on the drawer of the match box.

Sunday Challenge No 12

Here is my entry for Sunday Challenge No 11 over on UK Stampers, this week we had to make something with store gift cards.
I decided to make a house using my newest rubber stamp (well half of it).
The walls are the gift cards painted with dabbers inside and out, the floor is a square of card, the front and back walls are attached with the bind it all and the sides have been punched with a crop-o-dile and attached with ribbon. The sides are all held together with ribbon. Beads were added to the bottom and there is a bead and tassell drop in the centre of the floor.
The roof is acetate and covered in zooms, this is 'perched' on the top the hanging wires hold this in place.
The inside is decorated too (but my camera batteries ran out so I will have to take a pic later).
It is going to hang in my craft room and hide a little stash of chocolate for those times when 'you just have to have some'.

Challenge No 10

Here is my entry for the Sunday Challenge over on UK Stampers.

Sunday Challenge 'All Things Bright and Beautiful'

This was such a hard challenge for me. This was the hymn we sang at my Mums funeral. At first I thought 'I can't do this one.' But today I went into my craft room and made this tag.

I must say it is a lot brighter in real life!

Background is coloured with distress inks, scattered straw, spiced marmalade and firebrick. the swirls are stamped in spiced marmalade and the diamonds in firebrick. The purple strip is alcohol inks on glossy card, the 'kisses' near the top are wire and symbolise the 'butterfly kisses' we did when we were kids.

The butterfly wings are grungeboard painted with a gold dabber, glittered around the edges and bejeweled. the body is a selection of beads, the head is part of a stamp from the Queens Dresser Drawers I just had to have cos she reminded me of my Mum when she was young and I couldn't bear not to buy it! The words are stamps from PSX pixie alphabet and stamped in black archival. The colours of the ribbons were taken from the colours used on the tags and I added some pearls cos Mum always wore 'her pearls' when she went out.

I've been playing with Cuttlebug embossing folders these are a few things I have come up with.

I have used card, acetate, thin metal, canvas and grungeboard.

In the next post there are bigger pics!

Sunday Challenge No 8

Here is my entry for this weeks challenge on UK Stampers.

I used canvas fro a roll for the base which I embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder Swirls, it is quite hard to see on the photo but in real life it is a lovely effect. Then I applied acrylic paint in white, light blue and a light green with an old credit card to the top two thirds and on the bottom third distress ink in mustard seed and distressing embossing powder over the top in mustard seed and antique linen.

The net I made with garden string knotting it into net. The mermaid is from a mould made with hearty paper clay and coloured with pigment powders and water and marvy le plumes. Small bottle has a stamped message inside, the shells are stamped onto shrink plastic, the wood is a craft lolly stick (given to me by one of my grand sons) which was toned down with a dabber (snow cap).

The words were all stamped onto different things (card, wood, grungeboard, shrink plastic and glass) and coloured.

The hanger was made from more garden string with I knotted.

Here is my entry for The Sunday Challenge over on UK Stampers this week. The theme is 'Pirates'

I don't have any pirate stamps so I chose to use photos of my gorgeous Grandsons and 'alter' them a bit.

After cutting around them I added hats and eyepatches to the photos.

The tag was covered with acrylic paints (in white, light blue and light green) scraped on with an old credit card.

When dry I stamped a swirly stamp over it.

The skull and cross bones are from Tim Holtz grungeboard painted with snowcap dabber with a hint of black to outline features.

The words are made up from Pixie stamps and edged in black Archival ink. Everything was adhered with glue.

Here are my 3x3 buildings ATC's for this month on UK Stampers I don't own any buildings stamps so I made my own by masking colouring and stamping with background stamps.

Here are my inchies for this months Inchie Swap on UK Stampers. The theme is numbers.

I used the poem '1 for sorrow, 2 for joy, 3 for a girl, 4 for a boy, 5 for silver, 6 for gold, 7 for a secret never to be told, 8 for a wish, 9 for a kiss and 10 for a bird not to miss.' We only had to do 9 (but I couldn't miss out number ten now could I).

Here is my entry for this weeks Sunday challenge, to 'make three leaf tags in autumn colours'.

The Autumn Man.

I cut the leaves out free hand, coloured them with Dabbers and over stamped with swirlly stamps (Anna Griffin).

The background was coloured in the same way and the mans face is from Judikins and stamped in black Archival.

This was created from a small box I found at my local carboot sale inside it had chess pieces (I will have to think what I can do with these later).

I gave it a light sand inside and out then painted the outside with Tim Holtz distress paints the inside I covered just the back wall with some paterned paper.

The hopes and dreams canvas is painted in the same way as the box and so are the letters, the motif is a piece of fimo which I stamped and coloured with rub and buff. This was adhered to the lid of the box along with the keyhole and the letters y o u r.

The key is from Hot off the Press as is the keyhole. 'unlock' is on shrink plastic.

Inside the box the words 'make' are plastic and are held up with silico glue. 'Them' have wire through them and atached to the shelf by making small holes in the shelf and gluing. 'Real' is atached to acetate with glue and stuck to the box with silicon.

Here are two of my sons drawings rendered with Pro markers, he thinks they are the best!

He has 3 or 4 shades of the same colour and uses the lightest one to blend them together!

Then finally is the Irish dresser, the drawers and cupboards are now full with 'bits' (bits of lace, wire, buttons and anything else I think 'I might need that' and it is getting pretty full of things I have made.

So thats it thats my little craft room, the place I go to 'do my thing'.

This is a cupboard with a drop down front and 2 cupboards below, I an in the middle of 'decorating' it, sorry it looks a bit boring at the moment (I should have taken a pic of the inside it is now covered in pretty lilac paper and has a gold edges, I will take a photo and post it soon)

This is a set of 'cubes' which are full of stamps in the drawers and blank items in the cupboard just waiting to be altered! And above is two shelves where some of the things are that I have made.