"Don't Stop Playing Alice!"

"Mystical and Very Magical"

is the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges this fortnight...

I have been silently admiring the Alice in Wonderland style of card for some time and I love the whole magical/fantasy world that everyone creates. 

It is always so much fun...

 So I decided to give it a go this time.

When I saw this image it reminded me of the Saturday nights when a group of families in our neighborhood would get together and have a card night (Pontoon)...each family took turns to host the night.

Those nights were the best fun and I have great memories of sneaking a sip of my dad's beer when mum wasn't watching, and finally being big enough to join in...
but only on the games that were for matches.  lol

 I found the larger card stamp and thought it would make a great mask
(you could win a hand of Pontoon with a jack and 7 if you were lucky!)

Alice and the deck of cards is masked and the playing cards are positioned as a backdrop and foreground piece.

And then cut with a nestability using the out of the box technique (I have so much fun with this technique)

They are all layered with mounting foam.

The background is a little difficult to see, but it is distressed inked, splattered, stenciled and overstamped with keys and clocks.

I have stuck some Jak paper onto cardstock and die cut the flourish...after peeling the top layer off I added some crystal glitter.

Can you see the queen of hearts???

Above Alice is a die cut heart with a crown that has been stamped on acetate and glittered...

Get it??? lol

(that's my clever bit for this week)

I hope you enjoy the amazing DT pieces over at FSC and get out all your glitter and wings and wands and all things mystical and magical and join us for this fortnights theme...

Enjoy!

I am entering this card into the following challenges ~

- Divas by Design ~ Anything Goes

- Crafty Cardmakers ~ Distress It 

- Crazy Challenge Blog ~ Childhood Memories 

- Emergency Crafters ~ "Dreamland" 
- Southern Girls Challenge ~ Dying to Die Cut or Punch
- Craftymess Challenge Blog ~ Fantasy/Anything Goes 
- The Game Challenge Blog ~ Jacks R Better

"Rock On"

Teenage cards can be a challenge to make, especially for a boy...

my baby boy, who turns 15 today!!! loves playing the guitar so I made this one for him.

He has an electric guitar that he rocks out to every day,

 and is saving up madly for a bass guitar.

I think the trick with teenagers is to keep the card simple...don't over do it.

I have splattered acrylic paint onto the stamped background and added glossy accents to the body of the guitar so it shines like his guitar does.

I have used shadow stamping in the background, and kept everything else pretty basic.

Not too much bling...boys just don't like it.

He loved it!!!

Enjoy!

I am entering this card in the following challenges ~

- Allsorts Challenge Blog ~ Happy Birthday to someone special (my son, who turns 15)

- One Stop Craft Challenge ~ One for the Boys

- DRS Designs Rubber Stamps ~ Masculine Card

- Stampavie and more ~ For a Boy (my son)

- Anything Goes Challenge Blog ~ Black with one other colour ( I have red) 

Pearl Lady

"Pearl Lady"

This is just a quick card that I made for my aunty.  

The techniques in this are an attempt at marbled stains topped with shadow stamping. 

I think that the overall effect is really pretty...just right for my aunty.

The butterflies are edged with DI's and have rhinestones added...

and I have added interest to the swirls with a white pen, which I also used to add dots amongst the swirls...like a starry effect.

Pearls and swirls are always a classic combination!

Enjoy!

I am entering this card in the following challenges~

- Diva's By Design ~ Flourishes

- Sugar Creek Hollow ~ Pearls and Swirls 

- The Poodles Parlour ~ Monochromatic 

- The Crafting Place Challenge ~  Monochromatic

- Anything Goes Challenge Blog ~ Black with One Other... (I have Blue)

Bionic Bird

"Bionic Bird"

Welcome to another challenge theme at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.

This fortnight it is STEAMPUNK.

Remember this is a stamping challenge so bring out your stamps and have some fun!!!

And remember, Marina from Cottage Crafts offers a fabulous prize each fortnight and we have our DT picked runner ups, spotlights, and sneakpeaks of the next challenge...

I have gone with a steampunk stamp sheet from Oxford Impressions, because I love this bird!

Even though I've had this stamp for AGES...it's not one I have used very often.  This time I have settled for stamping it on acetate with Stayzon Ink and working some alcohol inks behind it...and then layering it onto white cardstock that is lightly sponged with DI's.  Then I layered it again onto torn card.
Now for the bit that is a little different...
I have dipped (carefully) the edges of the acetate and torn card into melted UTEE for a chunky metallic feel.  And used some droplets of UTEE for studs around the edge.

Enjoy!

 I am entering this in the following challenges ~
- Pixie Dust Studio Pixie Challenge ~ steampunk
- Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog ~ Let's get inky! 
- Oldie But A Goodie Challenge ~ Things with Wings
- Paper Sundaes ~ Things with Wings
- Delicious Doodles ~ Try Something New (dipping into melted UTEE for an edging effect)
- Southern Girls Challenge ~ About the Boys!
- So Artful Challenges ~ Steampunk 
- Simon Says Stamp and Show ~ Anything Goes

"Flying High"

"Flying High"

This card was just a quick and fun one to put together.

 I am really loving the quickness of inking up some cardstock the Tim way, and then using that as my background paper!

I kept the colours to a minimum, added balloons using faded jeans distress ink (which was used in the background) and a bi-plane in the foreground in bold black.

As an afterthought I have UTEE'd the bi-plane piece...it looks great up close.

Enjoy!

I am entering this in the following challenges...

~ Crafty Cardmakers - Birthday Challenge - Balloons!
~ Paper Sundaes - Things with Wings
~Glitter Geeks - Wings and Things
~ Southern Girls - About the Boys
~ Lollipop Crafts - Just For Him

"Cities of the World"

Being a bit of a country bumpkin, creating a cityscape was an awesome challenge!
"Cities of the World" is the theme this fortnight at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.

So I give you my fear and my excitement in one!!!

Paddocks are replaced by streets upon streets of houses, hustle and bustle, crowds, tickets, tolls, lack of time, the unknown, the mystical and the secret stuff behind closed doors.

I even threw in an umbrella because everyone in the city (on t.v. anyway) carries an umbrella.

Oh, I forgot the traffic!!!! lol. nevermind, on this card we can have a break from the traffic.

There really is nothing complicated about this card!

It is cardstock that is DI'ed with bundled sage, crushed olive, milled lavender and tumbled glass inks.

And spritzed and flicked with water.

The moon is added with pan pastels.

As an after thought l've gone around some of the edge with vintage DI, and I think it adds a bit of a city smog effect.

The background scenery is all masking!!!!

Just starting at the bottom and working my way up...just to show you what I mean, I am adding the background on it's own to show you.

It looks great as it is doesn't it??? Then I added the city crowd.

Again...all masking!

I don't have many people stamps, so I used what I had and masked them all together to create a crowd, watercoloured them with DI's, fussy cut them and layered them with mounting foam.

So only a 2-layered card.

And heaps of fun to make!!!

Treat yourself to the awesomeness of the Fashionable Stampettes, and follow the link for a glimpse into city life.  Join in the fun and you will be in the running for a prize from Cottage Crafts (thanks Marina!)
Stamps and Ink and Fun...are the only ingredients you need.

Thankyou to the new people who have joined me on my journey...welcome aboard!
I hope you enjoy my blog.

Enjoy!

The Stampman Challenge Blog ~ Your favourite technique (masking!!!)

Polka Doodles ~ Distressing
Aud Sentiments Challenge blog ~ Anything Goes 
Three Muses ~ Hats and Crowns and Wings and Things (yep, I have those! lol)

For Mum on Mother's Day

Just thought I would share this card I made for my mum this year.

Pink and purple because she likes really likes these colours, and all the pearls and lace to give it the femininity that fits her so well.

She doesn't have the internet so I know I can show it early.

 And it is sooo much fun being sneaky lol....

A big Thankyou to Avril who, last year, posted me some stamped images of this stamp that I enjoyed on one of her DT projects for FSC.  This one was on acetate and I cut it make a tag.

I hope you like it too Avril.

The background is DI's and ripped, distressed and gold embossed to add lushness.

Mum doesn't like things overdone, so I have had to restrain myself a little.

Enjoy!

I am entering this card in the following challenges...

~ Card Crafter's Circle - Pearls and Lace
~ Polka Doodles - Shabby Chic/Vintage
~ Dutch Dare Card Challenges - For Mum/Special Lady
~ Paper Crafting Journey - Vintage
~ Repeat Impressions DCC425 - Card for a Woman you Love
~ Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
~ Let's Ink It Up - Distressing

Bed of Roses

"A Bed of Roses"

Welcome to the next challenge at FSC... and this fortnight it is all about technique!

Dry/wet embossing.

 You can create anything you like, anything goes at FSC, as long as it has some form of embossing on it

and of course the main image is stamped! 

(And lots of ink is always fun).

My card this fortnight is a "pretty one"...and I only announce that because pretty is not something I usually do!  For some reason it just happened...lol
For my card I have used a dogwood rose stamp and stamped it a few times and layered and spread them out to add interest.
The rose stamp was masked, the En Francaise stamp was stamped over it and then it was die cut with a nestability shape...dry embossed and layered.
(unfortunately the embossing of this isn't showing up in this photo)..and the edges are sponged in DI's.
The 4 main roses have UTEE on them - but I only gave them one layer of UTEE because I wanted to create a mottled/watery effect.  The other UTEE embellies are the droplets on the flourishes ~ using Red Utee.

The background is sprayed, inked, wetted, and worked before being run through a Bigshot using a houndstooth embossing folder.  And then inked some more with DI's.  I think it looks rich and like a big warm blanket!
(hence the name of this card! lol)
 Oh, and I added some butterflies...because everyone loves butterflies!
The black ones have copper EP around the edges.

Everything was then just assembled and...hey presto...

A big thankyou to the people you joined in my journey this fortnight.  You add sooo much excitement to what I do. Thankyou!

And remember to pop on over to FSC and check out the awesomeness of the fashionettes...they never cease to amaze me with their creativity...and allow yourself to be inspired and join in the fun!


Enjoy!

I am entering this in the following challenges ~

- Artful Times ~ Sea of Green
- Craft Room Challenge ~ Ink It 
- The Stamping Boutique ~ Anything Goes 
- Simon Says Stamp and Show ~ Anything Goes
- Tammy's Scrapin Corner ~ Anything Goes, with some Green somewhere on the item

My Underwater Garden

"I like to be...Under the sea 

In an octopus' garden...In the shade."
(Beatles)

I live by the sea, I see it everyday from my window at work, my kids snorkel and play in it all year round, I row on it in a whaleboat twice a week....it is part of me.  

I love the sea!

So I couldn't wait for this fortnights NAUTICAL theme at Fashionable Stamping Challenges!!!

This is my new most favourite card!  The colours are incredible and I hope it shows through ok.

For those of you who have been following Tim's classes lately, this card is created using the 

 "Perfect Splatter Distress Technique" (Day 9). Love it!!!!

I used every colour that I had that would create the effect of being underwater.
I am really happy with the result.

The other major technique in this card is masking...all the stamps are masked and stamped with black Stayzon Ink on acetate.  It only took one go too!!!

(not an easy feat with acetate and masking)
And the bubbles are done with bleach - because nothing else I tried seemed to work!

The gorgeous shell and seahorse stamps are from Chocolate Baroque.

And that is about all there is to this one...

So remember to pop on over and check out the awesomeness of the Fashionettes and remember to leave some looove.

And keep in mind that Marina at Cottage Crafts is generously giving away an on-line gift voucher each fortnight!

Enjoy!

I am entering this card in the following challenges ~

- Crazy Amigo Challenge ~ Free Theme 
- Diva's By Design ~ Anything Goes 
- Crafty Purple Frog Challenge ~ Let's Get Distressed 
- Let's Ink It Up ~ Distressing
- Little Darlings Challenges ~ Outside 
- Pollycraft Monday Challenge ~ Water, Water, Everywhere! 
- Happy Daze Design Team: April Challenge ~ April Showers (my water based theme is undersea)

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the Air at Fashionable Stamping Challenges this fortnight. 

It was a tad difficult to get my head around this one as we are now in Autumn here and all the flowers my are drooping and leaves are falling....heaps!
 

Springtime...blue skies, butterflies and flowers all pop into my head and are my inspiration for this challenge.

The background is a mixture of DI, ivy stamped onto tissue paper and glued on, stenciling with white acrylic ~ are all techniques used for the background

So just a muck-around piece really...and I just kept going until I was happy with the shades (I really wanted the blue to be almost white in the middle).

The butterflies and blooms are fussy cut...

-and the blooms inked with DI, raised on mounting foam and glossy accents and beads were added to finish them off.

Oh, and the leaves are hand made, punched and DI'd and scrunched etc...

My goal was "freshness" and "new life" so I hope that I have achieved that.
I seem to be really getting into the experimenting side of stamping and having so much fun with the inks this year.  A new phase for me I think, and soooo much more fun! In a very different kind of way.

Welcome to the new members this fortnight, it is fantastic to have you aboard.

Just a reminder that FSC have had to start their followers list all over again, so if you get a chance you will need to sign up again...it was a blogger thing!
Pop on by anyway and check out the awesomeness of the Design Team!
They are truly amazing.  They have created some very refreshing designs.

Enjoy!

I am entering this card into the following challenges ~

- Lily Pad Cards - Flower Challenge

- Our Craft Lounge - Spring

- Simply Create - It's Spring

- DRS Designs Rubber Stamps - Butterflies

- PaperPlay Challenges - Spring Colours 

- Crafts and Me Challenges - Light Airy Spring Colours

- Celebrate the Occassion - Welcome Spring!

- Crazy Amigo Challenge - Spring

- Creative Stamp Friends - Spring 

- Simon Says Stamp and Show - Handmade Backgrounds 

- Lets Ink It Up - Show Us Your Flowers