It's That Stamp Again ! FSC 26 Lets Get Inky and Messy.

I must say that this is the type of challenge that really appeals to me with words like 'inky' and 'messy' in the title. The lovely Fashionistas over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges have invited us to create 'splodgey grungy and totally inky' works of art. So my offering is this canvas, it's the third in a series of collages I've made using this phrenology head stamp which I'm still in love with and what could be better for getting messy with than Dyan Reavleys fabulous Dylusions Spray Inks! I firstly stamped a variety of images onto white tissue paper using Black Archival ink. I then sprayed the paper with several of the Dylusions colours. I also sprayed the canvas though the surface wasn't really absorbent enough to take the colours that well.After leaving it to dry I  layered the tissue onto the surface using  Golden matte medium. Once I was happy with the arrangement I gave the whole surface a coat of matte medium. to add a little texture I've used some Artist's Spackle through a stencil. I painted this with ink with a little gold Perfect Pearls added to it. All in all great fun and very messy ! x

Guilded Craft Glassine

I've just finished this vintage style gift box using Tim Holtz's  Guilded Craft Glassine technique from his book Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2. It's a great way to get even more out of your alcohol inks so check it out on page 39. Linda over at Studio L3 has been helping us to work through Tim's latest book week by week learning lots and lots about the techniques and products we have come to love from Tim and his merry gang. This week there is a prize of a $25 gift certificate from The Funkie Junkie Boutique so good luck everyone. I am also going to enter this into The Simon Says 'Hey Girl' challenge as a bit of feminine grunge !
I created the faux wood effect for the background of the box by using a wood graining tool with some amazing twin colour acrylic paint from Eberhard Faber. I think I will have to do a further post about this at a later date x

I really love making these 3d flowers with Tim's Tattered Florals Die. I think there's an endless variety of different looks that can be achieved. Check out this video from The Artful Splodger.  

WOYWW 164 .........The Big One

Well it's here not just Julia's fabulous Stamping Ground Blog with her WOYWW, but also the summer holidays or 'The Big One' as it's come to be known  in my house. As usual I am full of ideas as to how I am going to while away the next few weeks, hopefully that will include some time spent crafting. My desk this week is just waiting for me. I haven't got any projects on the go but I am building up to it. I'm still shell shocked by the busy last few weeks, so I'm just starting to unwind. A big Thank you to everyone who commented on my last weeks post. The art work was very well received and the comments from all of you really kept me going. On my table this week I've got some new goodies in the shape of a large Archival ink pad, a new mat stack and some fabulous stamps which I was lucky to win in a blog candy draw over at Jennie's blog, The Artistic Stamper, a few weeks ago. I've got my new Tonic scissors and some Klingon so I will be setting about mounting them shortly. I've also indulged in the clear alphabet and sentiment stamps I found in Wilkinsons, very reasonably priced.There's also a transfer of Emiline Pankhurst leftover from the doors  project. I'd like to incorporate this into something not sure what as yet. At the top left are a couple of files which I am using to put my stamps in. I've tried various storage systems and have returned to this idea since I found these ring binders with four rings and some good quality punched pockets. I use laminated card to put the stamps on. I find this method works for me as the stamps are easy to locate. It would probably be an even better idea to stamp out the sheet before laminating and to organise each file into categories, however, anyone who has followed my desk on WOYWW will know I am not that person, it'll be enough for me just to get them in the files ! Happy WOYWW everyone don't forget to enjoy the sun x

Twelve Tags of 2012 July

I made this tag on Sunday but with all the children's art work needing completion it's the first opportunity I've had to post it. Although I've been really busy, I've been trying to fit in the occasional craft session as a way of relaxing. I would like to thank everybody for the amazing comments about the children's work they are very inspiring. Speaking of inspiring Mr Holtz has managed to come up with yet another great idea for The Twelve Tags of 2012 July tag. I've had a bit of a surfeit of red, white and blue after the Queen's Jubilee and the London Olympics, so I decided to go with these summer colours. I've used Tim's Mona Lisa stamp as it's such an iconic image known the world over much like the Statue of Liberty. I used black Archival ink which I wiped the off the background in order to make her really stand out. The Eiffel Tower stamp is by Clarity Stamps. I think Leonardo would have enjoyed meeting Tim and the gang as I'm sure he would have been fascinated with all the wonderful inks, paints and stamps they've developed! x

WOYWW #163

It's WOYWW time again and an opportunity provided by the lovely Julia at her Stamping Ground blog, to show the world what's on your work table .Well mine is taken up with the final piece of children's art work which I've just finished sewing together, with some difficulty manoeuvring it under my poor sewing machine.   This is the third wall hanging and completes the project. The children made these doors using lots of braids and ribbons. Behind each door is a transferred picture, some are of the children and others contain pictures of people who we considered to have made a 'difference.' I'm looking forward to delivering it and seeing the childrens'  faces! I'd better get ready for work, not many more days left now before the end of term.  Have a Fab WOYWW and see you all next week x

Oriental Domino Pendant for FSC #25

I've got just enough time to post this before The Fashionable Stamping Challenges 'Oriental' #25 challenge closes. I bought a few dominoes from The Artistic Stamper some time ago and felt that the oriental theme would be  perfect  for my first altered domino piece of art. I even got to use my Dremel for the first time to drill the holes! I've used alcohol inks for the background and stamped the Japanese figure with black Archival ink. The stamp was a freebie from Craft Stamper magazine. I made several attempts before I got the effect I wanted, fortunately it's easy to wipe the ink off and start again. I used Promarkers and  gold pen to add some detail before covering the surface with Glossy Accents. It's so hard to wait for that stuff to dry completely before handling it. I've ruined many a piece of work by being impatient. The beads and chain are from my growing collection of cheap and cheerful jewellery I've been buying specifically for altering. There's some great pieces out there loaded with beads and charms. The sun on my pendant is actually a punched circle from a tomato paste tube. I was going to use the gold side but I  like this pink and green circle as it looks rather  like a setting sun. x

Dragonfly Dreams

I hope I may be just in time to post my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2 challenge over at Linda's Studio L3. The challenge has been running for the last two weeks and the entries are amazing. I'm annoyed with myself that I've missed a couple of the challenges as I've really been enjoying working through Tim's book. Paid work has had to take priority recently. So here's my answer to the challenge, not a whole Configuration box but a little box I've had for a while. I cut a rectangle shape out of the lid and proceeded to cover it according to Tim's instructions on page 33 of CC2. A most excellent book might I add. After covering the inside of my box with some Chinese paper, I decided to make a collaged landscape with various other papers including some stamped tissue paper and a piece of an old dictionary with the definition of 'dragonfly'. The dragonfly and 'moth' were cut from thin copper sheet using a Spellbinders die. I gave them a verdigris finish with some patinating fluid I've had for ages. As I've used several layers in this piece I'm also going to enter it into Simon Says Stamp and Show which is all about layers this week, that's handy! x

WOYWW 162

Good morning WOYWW buddies, I've missed you all after being unable to join in Julia's WOYWW  at  her Stamping Ground Blog, but I don't want to slip off the radar so here I am with a rather static picture of my desk. I've just sorted out a few oriental themed stamps in the hope that I can join in the FSC this week, so all poised and ready to go. To the side of these are some stamped collages I did a while ago, I was going to use them as book covers but several years later still haven't got round to it. I like just 'playing' with stamps inks paint etc with no particular purpose in mind, so I end up with loads of pieces of work that are stuffed into folders and boxes and never see the light of day. So my project for the looming summer holidays ( which cannot come soon enough!)  is to make a couple of Smash books and stuff them with some of my bits and pieces of work. Perhaps the covers will be used after all. Happy WOYWW everyone. x