These are my swaps for August on UK Stampers. The theme was children.

'She just wants to play'

First on white card stock I applied gesso, when dry (hurried along with a heat gun) I used distress inks in fire brick, worn lipstick and marigold randomly all over then over stamped in worn lipstick a diamond background stamp (Queens dresser drawers). The little girl is from Joanna Sheen, then I stamped the words in black archival ink.

'Lets play dress up'

Background same stamp as above embossed in gold, the little boy stamps just stamped in black archival ink and mounted the crowns were just cut out and embossed with gold embossing powder, words as before.

'We'll be friends for ever'

Alcohol inks on glossy card, image stamped with black archival ink, the little girls were stamped again on a 1x1 inch chipboard square (which was painted in gesso first, then coloured with distress inks) then applied over the main image.

'I do, I do believe in fairies'

The little girl photo is one of a set from Joanna Sheen. I use a crdit card to apply the white acrylic paint around her, when it was dry I stamped a corner image in biscuit chalk ink. The backgound has gesso applied with a credit card, then distress inks applied randomly. A swirl of gold was also added. Then I stamped a tiny flying fairy all over the top half of the background and the words in black archival ink. I then made 3 shrink plastic fairies and attached them with a fine gosimer thread.

'Memories' book.

Made with 7Gypsies concertina book blank First I applied gesso with a credit card, then I added aqua, lettuce and lilac in the same way (I dried each layer with a heat gun).

I then stamped all over the background with lots of different stamps (swirls, flowers and flourishes) in a stone coloured chalk ink, then I inked around the edges with aged mahogany distress ink, sounds like a weird combination I know but it really works! The main stamp I stamped onto mica with black stazon and added a scape of white paper behind just the stamped image so it stood out. The hinges are Tims grungeboard.

2nd Sunday Challenge over on UK Stampers.

'To make 2 tags with the same stamp, one in black and white and one in colour.'

This is my entry. The colour tag has a background of dabbers scraped on with a credit card, the lower half is white acrylic paint and over stamped in black archival.

The background on the black and white tag has been made by masking off areas and filling in some with black soot distress ink some were left white. Then each were stamped. The main picture was stamped on glossy card and matted onto black.

I've been experimenting! I've used fusible film with an iron and a stamp but I've not just zapped it with a heat gun before.

I cut about a 2 inch strip and folded it in half, put it on a heat resistant mat and just blasted it with my heat tool and it curled up around the edges and crinkled in the middle, perfect wing shaped, the 2 lower wing are just half the size.

I used Art Glitter Fantasy Film Sunkissed for this little fairies wings. (Sorry for the rubbish photo, I think someone has changed the settings on my camera, I knew I should have hidden it!) I also used Crafty Notins fusable film Calypso Blue which came out very cool (like petrol in a puddle) and Crystal pearl which I heated for longer and it looked like a milky semi-transparent opal.

This is my new cupboard my craft room, a lovely old Irish dresser given to me by my lovely niece Tina (she has just moved and can't get it into her kitchen) lucky me!
We went and picked it up yesterday and after a struggle I helped Paul get it out of the van but I just couldn't get it up the stairs so 1 phone call later my eldest son Ben came to the rescue and a few hours later it was filled with goodies in the cupboards and drawers and some of my many finished projects were displayed on Sunday morning.

Also while I was there I got some 1by1 inch boards they are nearly as thick as stampbord and only cost £2.85 for a big bag!

I used gesso as a base coat then dabbers for the background and stamped the harliquin in chalk ink and the birds in black archival.

While I was ar LB Crafts at the weekend I picked up some really cute little canvases. 2by2 inches, 2by3 inches and 3by3 inches, so I used my new stamp on one. The background was gessoed and dabbered.

Tims August challenge.

This is my tag, I didn't have any fragments so I used acetate and my background is just off cuts! It is much more vibrant in real life and the background is a mixture of different techniques.

I am going to try more of Tims challenges (even the Christmas ones, but change the theme) and see what I come up with.

Just an old tin I found, old paper on the left stamped on the right, glass slide stamped with white stazon and edged in silver tape. Bird is stamped on acetate, 'inspire' stenciled onto silver tape and stuck in place. Maya Road ribbon and buckle held on with eyelets

I think I had a bit of a 'fairy' week, not my usual thing but I quite enjoyed doing some 'girlie' stuff! Probably won't do any more for ages but who knows!
Well I'll be back if this blog lets me!

New Wings

Background is distressed inks overstamped with frayed burlap on (the poppy stuff you get in parcels) butterflies cut from an old book, the fairy was stamped onto glossy card with black archival nk and 'dewinged' new wings from Crafty Individuals were made the same as before and attached with glue. 'Oh New Wings' was stamped onto Safmat using black archival and backed with acetate then aplied with silicon glue.

Another fairy dress!

Dress form was painted with gesso coloured with distress inks, with a small amont of guilding flakes to enhance and a feater for the skirt. The wings are from crafty individuals (I wanted them semi transparent so I used clear packing tape transfer method and then applied them to acetate to stiffen).

Fairy Dress

The background has been stamped in versamark onto black board and embossed then rubbed over lightly with rub and buff. The dress stand has been stamped in the same way then chalk inks have been applied with cut and dry. The wings have been stamped onto organsa and embossed in gold, the skirt is the same wings but cut in half and rearanged into a skirt, then I added beads to some wire and placed aroung the waist, this was then stuck using silicon glue so it was raised off the background.

Same technique. Clock face stamped onto acetate and Snow Cap Dabber was applied to the reverse, wings, Tims grungeboard painted with snow cap. Girl stamped onto glass and backed with white card stock and edged with bronze foil tape.

I have been so busy over the last week. But until now I hadn't remembered to take photos so now I have lots to share all at once!

Dragonfly Art

The background has been stamped in versamark embossed in clear spritzed with Adirondack sprays then ironed to remove the embossing. Then the same stamp was stamped in black Archival Part of the dragonfly was then stamped onto glass, on the back of the glass I smeared glue (the sort that stays tacky but goes clear) then I rubbed perfect pearls over it. A backing of card was placed on the back and foil tape was applied around the edges . The 'Art is a pigment' stamp was embossed in gold.

Our weekly challenge on UK Stampers was to create something with your oldest and newest stamps.

My oldest stamp is this funky cat, (All Night Media) which I brought while on holiday in Centre Parcs in 1993, I needed something to do in the evenings while my youngest was asleep (just 2 and a half) and my husband and other 2 children were out, so I got this a black ink pad and some colouring pencils and I was hooked. The next day I went back to the shop and got a set of 9 more stamps and so I was on the slippery slope and still am!

My newest stamp,(Crafty Individuals) brought for me by my husband when he took me to LB Crafts at the weekend.

The background was made from lots of off cuts (which I keep cos I can't bear to throw anything away), the birds were stamped in Archival black ink and sewed to background using waxed thread.

This was my bargain! I went to our local carboot and saw this mirror for 10p (well it wasn't like this it was just wooden) so I applyed some 7 gypsies paper to 2 of the corners and the other 2 I applyed gesso and distress inks and over stamped 'spells and potions'.

Fairy Book

This is much more recent, I gutted out an old book, applyed glue all around the inside and outside edges when dry I applyed gesso then distress inks. The wild flowers in the background were stamped onto acetate as was the fairy, these were then cut out and inserted into the cut-out with silicon glue. Then I stamped more wild flowers on to a large piece of acetate and put this over the cut-out to encase the fairy with in. The words were printed onto Saf mat.

A Tag

This tag I made a while ago it has acrylic paint dabbed over the background and is stamped in Archival black ink.

Well here I am again! This is the 3rd time I have tried to make a blog so lets hope it's 3rd time lucky!