Compendium of Curiosities 2 Brushless Watercolour

Just a quick post so that I can keep up with Linda's Studio L3, Compendium of Curiosities Book 2 Challenge 7. The challenge is also sponsored  by 'eclectic Paperie' with a $25 goods token! This week it is Tim's brushless water colour technique. This is a great technique for anyone that likes the look of watercolours but is terrified of painting. For full instructions turn to page 49 in Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2 and give it a go. I've created this 'vintage postcard' using distress stains and watercolour paper. The frame has some embossed resist flourishes and stamped rust marks. The stamps I've used for both the card and frame are by Artemio. The post card stamp I've used on the back of the card  is by Stampington. As with all the techniques I've tried, spurred on by Linda's challenges this is a lot of fun.

WOYWW #156....... Chaos !

Happy WOYWW 156! Well done to Julia for reaching this milestone. Three years of hosting Whats On Your Work desk Wednesday on her lovely Stamping Ground Blog, that's what I call dedication to the cause of crafting. Thankyou Julia, the time and effort you have put into hosting WOYWW, come what may, is indeed admirable. I've only been joining in for a short time and it's sometimes difficult to find the time to sit down and post, but to do that week after week .... well you deserve a medal ! As you can see my work table continues to groan under the weight of so much stuff, I'm embarrassed to show you all. Still I break up from work at the end of the week and I've vowed to have a MASSIVE clear up. Have a Fab WOYWW I've got my ATC's ready to post x

Twelve Tags of 2012 May Tag

Well I know I should have been out in the garden instead of up in the attic in the sweltering heat, but I couldn't resist getting on with my Tim Holtz  Twelve Tags of 2012 May entry. I hadn't realised how close to the end of the month it is. This tag was a lot of fun to make as there are lots of different elements to it. As usual I don't have all the lovely Tim bits and pieces so I've made plenty of substitutions but that's half the fun ! The sewing stamps were a freebie with a magazine and the 1920's lady  is by Graphic 45. The yarn holder was a free graphic download from Craft Stamper, which is still available on their blog. I stamped the tape measure onto a piece of woven tape and made the coat hanger from a piece of wire. I loved doing the faux porcelaine on the Prima flowers and had to stop myself from using up my whole stash! Thanks Tim another fun project x

It's All in The Eyes CC2 Challenge #6

What glorious weather! shame I've been at work all day, still got a nice evening lined up, a meal with friends at a curry restaurant  within walking distance of my home, not bad. So I need to get this post up so that I can join in with the lovely Linda 's Compendium of Curiosities Book 2 Challenge number 6. I'm really enjoying working through the book and have so far only missed one, which I have vowed to go back to. The great thing I've found about this challenge is that beside getting my weekly fix of crafting, I'm really learning a lot. When I first glanced at CC volume 2, I thought O.K nice book, lots of nice pics. It's only when you start using it, that you realise that there is a huge amount of content in it. Tim scores again! I only wish I'd been blogging when Studio L3 worked through volume 1. It wouldn't have just sat on my book shelf for the past year. Anyway enough said about that. This week it is all about tissue paper collage you can find the instructions on page 38. There is a $25's worth of goods prize, sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique, goody, goody! I made this canvas as my entry, it's the first time I've worked on a canvas. Lots to learn x

WOYWW 155

Oooo! I do love Tuesdays. Yes I know It's Wednesday but on Tuesday's I have the afternoon off work and I've decided to dedicate the the whole afternoon and probably evening and possibly night, to craft pursuits. There are a million and one other things I could be doing with this precious free time but they will always need doing. So I've decided to stop fretting and do something  at least once a week that I REALLY enjoy. The other great thing about Tuesdays is that it is the day before Wednesday and thanks to Julia and her WOYWW over at her Stamping Ground blog it means that I can share my work space with anyone that cares to drop by and I don't even have to stop and make them a cup of tea, although that would be nice according to the lovely comments you fellow bloggers have been leaving me. So have a poke around and see what you can see. Happy WOYWW x

Cities of the World FSC #21

I completed this tag earlier in the week for the Fashionable Stamping Challenges 'Cities of the World' challenge 16.  The background stamp of Venice is from an Elusive Images set I discovered  in my stash when I was mounting some new stamps the other week. I've had it for ages and it was looking rather unloved still in it's package uncut, unmounted and unused! The Travellers are from my newly acquired stamps they are by B Line Designs. I began by using  Tim Holtz's masked layered technique on a manila tag. I then stamped a map of Europe over this with black Archival ink. I stamped the Venice scene also in black Archival on a separate piece of white card. I then used distress inks and a water brush to colour the picture. I stamped the picture again on another piece of card in yellow Archival ink and cut out the roses. I added a little glossy accents to these and stuck them over the original ones. The Lady and gentleman have been stamped and coloured with DI. I then cut them out and mounted them on a piece of yellow card to give their profile a little glow. I  attached them to the scene with raised foam tape. The final embellishments are some die cut lace strips, I used the  Tim Holtz Vintage Lace Die with metal tape and 'copperised' it with alcohol inks. There is also a small stamped Italia tag pinned to the dyed ribbon. As usual I've gone a bit mad with the 'vintaging' but I just can't seem to stop myself. I must have a go at some 'clean' cards one day but it will be a challenge.

Shattered Stains

I have just completed my entry to Studio L3's Compendium of Curiosities 2, challenge number 5 This week is Tim's delicious 'Shattered Stains' technique,  which can be found on page 48 of his new book. It's another fun technique to do. I've made this brooch out of three chipboard flowers. After following the instructions in the book I layered them together and added a decorative button from one of Tim Holtz's Ideaology collections. I've also glued a brooch pin on the back. Simon Says Stamp are sponsoring this week's challenge for Studio L3 and I think I might also enter this into their 'anything goes' challenge. Well somebody's got to win .... good luck everyone x
Pictures below show individual layers and close up of crackle effect.

WOYWW 154

Oh What a Beautiful Morning.... sunshine and blue skies and Wednesday again, already! Quick post to get my WOYWW picture uploaded to Julia's Stamping Ground Blog where you can join in and have a nose around other work desks from all around the world. I had my usual Tuesday afternoon crafting session so my table has seen a bit of action. I've got a couple of things on the go for different challenges. There's a tag for the fortnightly FSC challenge and also some chipboard flowers I've been prepping up for a challenge over at Studio L3. I try and join in with the challenges on these two sites as it makes me do a little bit of crafting at least once a week. I couldn't resist posting this pic of the clematis in my garden taken this morning. It's absolutely gorgeous at the moment laden with flowers against  a deep blue sky. Have a happy day WOYWW'ers. x

No.1

Here is my entry for the CC2 challenge over at StudioL3. This weeks technique is faded layers as described in Tim's latest Compendium of Curiosities Book 2. It's a fun technique to do I've used one of my new stamps and made the first of a series of collages I'm hoping to do using this stamp. The stamp is by Lost Coast, the mask I've used in the background is from Crafter's Workshop and the flourish stamp is by Crafty Individuals. I'm also entering this into the Simon Says stamp and show favourite stamp challenge, nothing ventured.....x

Early Bird ?

Good Morning WOYWW 'ers  getting closer to the top well about 100 places closer than last week. I'm joining in with Julia's Stamping Ground blog for her fabulous WOYWW. My table was pretty busy yesterday afternoon and here is the aftermath. I have a few new stamps and some old ones which needed mounting. I hate that job. but was itching to have a little play. One of them, the phrenology head by Lost Coast Designs, I bought this one from That's Crafty and I think will become my new favourite , I've started a little collage down in the left hand corner, though it's not stuck together yet. I can see lot's of possibilities for dressing him/her up. I was also following a La Blanche Stamping video posted on Art of Craft NZ. Great site, and I've started to have a go at her idea for tickets Oh dear, I can see another 'addiction' coming on! Happy WOYWW everyone x

Birthday Card

May is a busy month for birthdays with both my husband's and son's. I also noticed that Simon Says Stamp are celebrating their 3rd birthday with a blog challenge, so I thought I'd enter this card I made for my husband. I've used  several of Tim Holtz's stamps as well as a die cut umbrella man. I used a Kaleidacolor rainbow inkpad in Calypso to stamp with and then applied my usual walnut distress ink around the edges before mounting on black card. I'm not sure where I got the Happy Birthday Stamp from as I've had it for some time and have thrown away the packaging.  I stamped and coloured this separately before cutting out and fixing onto raised tape. Since I've started blogging I'm trying to remember to make a note of the names and makes of any new stamps I buy.

Studio L3 CC2 Challenge,

I Just had to join in with the Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge over at Studio L3. Each week a technique is chosen from Tim Holtz's second book CC2, this week it is distress stain marbling. For this card, I created two backgrounds and stamped on the lightest one with one of my all time favourite stamps. I just love the rather distant expression on this ladies face. I was pleased to find that she also just fits inside the frame which is from a set of stamps by Glitz called 'Laced with Grace'. A rather fitting match for her. I have coloured the roses with Distress Markers and added a little glossy accents. After a bit of vintaging with walnut distress ink, I went around the edges with a gold leaf pen, before mounting onto the background with raised sticky pads. This was then mounted onto a brown kraft card. I wanted to add a few embellishments but couldn't find anything suitable in my stash, I thought a beaded hat pin may be nice perhaps. x

WOYWW #152

Just got back from work so thought I'd better let you see what's been going on in the attic. Julia's Stamping Ground Blog provides all of us nosey crafters with a place to go and take a peek at each others' desks from all around the world. I've noticed that whatever size table or desk we have and whatever country, there is a tendency to fill up the space with stuff, reducing the actual work area to the size of a postage stamp! ok slight exaggeration A4 sheet perhaps. My desk hasn't had much going on this week as I've been busy at work. You can see a collection of number stencils I've cut on my Pazzles Inspiration, these are to use at a children's workshop on Friday. I'm doing some sessions at a local school and this week the theme is the Olympic Games. I'll post some photos of the finished work later on. It's shaping up nicely so far. Happy WOYWW  and thanks to all the people who have left such nice comments on my blog over the last few months x