Compendium of Curiosities III ~ Challenge 9 ~ Sizzix Alterations Stamps and Framelits

The Curiosity Crew are continuing to takes us on a journey through Tim's Compendium of Curiosities Volume III, and we have arrived at challenge 9, which is to create a project using those lovely Sizzix Alterations Stamps and Framelits. Full details of the challenge can be found on Linda's Studio L3 blog here. In the spirit of the challenge, I will not reveal the techniques of how to use the Stamps and Framelits but you can find full instructions on Page 63 of CC3. This fortnight, it is the turn of the lovely Inspiration Emporium to sponsor the challenge with a very generous $50 gift certificate. Tim and Mario have also donated some wonderful goodies for the Curiosity Crew's Choice. Not bad eh?
My project is a birthday card using the the Birthday Blueprints set. This is a brilliant set which I'm sure I'll be using time and time again. Now back to my card, Birthdays are all about surprises and I wanted my card to be just that. The outside features the stamped and die cut cupcake in a monotone colour scheme. I raised the cupcake up with dimensional tape, and gave it a hint of sparkle with Rock Candy Distress Glitter, I'd forgotten how much I love this stuff ! The inside is rather more... well... what can I say....

a colourful, pop up, surprise ! A couple of cuts and a bit of folding gave me the pop up base ready to mount my pieced together cup cake on. Here's a side view showing the fold.

I hope you like my surprise birthday card, it was great fun to make. It will be back to the day job for me on Monday after a lovely long summer break. I've loved nipping up to my craft room whenever I've had spare time and it's getting harder and harder to drag myself away. I think I've got ink and paint flowing through my veins ! x

Twelve Tags Of 2014 ~ August ~ A Trio of Tags

Well another month has flown by and I think it's high time I posted my entry for Tim's ' Twelve Tags of 2014' challenge. As you can see I got a bit carried away with this one and managed to produce three tags. I kept having those kind of 'what if... ' moments when I started making the tag such as, what if I use a different colour scheme, or stamp or stencil.. Tim, there was so much content on this month's tag, I just couldn't decide which direction to go in! Not that I'm complaining I always love and look forward the Twelve Tags Challenge. I've stuck pretty closely to Tim's design on each of my tags, with a few substitutions here and there. I'm hoping I'll have decided which one to submit by the time I've finished this post. Here are the pics of each tag ...

This was the first one, I then decided on a more feminine interpretation and came up with this one. I used Distress Glitter around the edges instead of Distress Embossing powder...

This next tag came about the following day after I woke up and thought I must try it with the fabulous skull stamp...

I used two of my favourite things with this one, the Rays Layering Stencil and the Skull stamp. I made the 

No1 stencil by die cutting a piece of stencil plastic using the Cargo Stencil Number Set. It works really well.

OK then, which is it to be? Hmmmm! hop over to Tim's  Twelve Tags of 2014 challenge and see if you can spot it ! x

Compendium of Curiosities3 ~ Challenge 8 ~ Faded Layers.

It's time for another Compendium of Curiosities Volume 3 Challenge over on Linda's Studio L3 blog. For the 8th challenge, the Curiosity Crew have chosen Tim's 'Faded Layers' technique. This was a great chance for me to break out my Alcohol Inks. I love the many effects you can achieve with these little beauties. My entry this fortnight is this travel themed panel which I shall use as a cover for a journal. As is customary, I won't be sharing Tim's Faded Layer Technique but if you want to have a go you can find Tim's easy to follow instructions on page 58 of CC3. If you haven't got a copy, you can order one directly from Tim by following the link here.

The challenge this fortnight is sponsored by the lovely Funkie Junkie Boutique with a generous $25 gift certificate. There is also a fabulous prize package of goodies from our favourite guys, Tim and Mario, for the Crew's favourite entry and if that's not incentive enough, you could also be awarded an Honourable Mention. Which brings me very nicely to expressing my thanks to all of the Curiosity Crew for awarding me with an Honourable Mention for my Painted Industrials project. It really made my week ! x

Butterfly Bunting for The eclectic Paperie ePlay Challenge.

Hi folks ! It's my turn over at The eclectic Paperie, where our 'Embossing' ePlay Challenge is going strong. If you'd like to see how I used Tim's gorgeous Layered Butterfly Die and embossing folder  to create some fun summertime bunting, hop over to the eP blog for a closer look and you'll find my step by step guide. You might even take the opportunity to join in the ePlay Challenge. You'll find all the details by following the link here. We'd love to see what you can do with embossing, whether it's with folders, pastes or good old embossing powders. Maybe you can think of embossing in a way that we haven't. Just follow the challenge guidelines, share your project and you could be on the way to winning a $25 gift certificate from Kim's fabulous eclectic Paperie shop. The challenge runs until the last Thursday in August. Hope to see you there ! x