WOO HOO - I'm on the Rubber Dance Design Team

I am literally jumping up and down with excitement to have been selected to be on the DT for Norwegian stamp company Rubber Dance. I haven't been on a DT for a quite a few years but when I saw Bibi's gorgeous stamps I HAD to apply. If you haven't come across them take a look (warning - may cause copious spending!).

You can join us on Facebook too here.

I can't wait for my first package of rubber and to get started!!! My term starts 1st August. Woop woop!!

K x

Indigo Not-So-Blu

Very pink in fact! This is my entry for the Indigo Blu Tag You're It Challenge. Distress Inks (again!) blended then overstamped with Archival inks in Pale Ochre and Rose Madder. I simply added flowers, lots of punched detail and gems to her hair. It's simple but I am really pleased with the result - very summery and a bit boho methinks.

Short and sweet as busy, busy, busy today.

IndigoBlu stamps I used were:
Juliet
Bloomin' Great
Ledger Background

Hope you like :).
K x

The Birds Part Two

Pretty amazing week so far with awards from both Frilly and Funkie and Virginia's View for my artwork - feeling humbled and energised by that recognition!

Playing with bird stamps again! Got these from my lovely hubbie for my birthday - Tim Holtz's Bird Feathers set. Remember the vintage notebook cover that I binned? Well I decided to give it another go! Once again I went for a flat, practical finish but added a metal token for a little texture.

It's practically all Tim's stuff - Distress Inks, Layering Stencils, Stampers Anon stamps...... I was inspired by playing with the Layering Stencils, which were the subject of Tim's Tags this month, so I am entering this into the A Vintage Journey - Wings & Things Challenge.

Thanks for visiting!
K x

The Birds

Today's project is something I made to take to my new job - using those fab Scribby Birds by Dina Wakley again. I just made a stamped panel to cover a shop notebook - challenging for me because it's almost completely flat except for the layered birds. I usually like layers and dimension but it's not practical with something like this that's to be used.

This is VERY not me but after my vintage effort went in the bin I decided to just have a bit of fun.

After stamping the Tim Holtz greeting in three Distress colours I added splats of various spray inks using a pipette (OMG it's messy - do this in a box!!!). I then stamped a Donna Downey foam stamp with Distress Inks before adding the watercoloured birds and finishing with a Remnant Rub.

I think this will brighten my day at work!

Entering this for the That's Crafty - The Birds Challenge!

AND

Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Birds and Bees

Thanks for popping by

K x

Take Flight

When I saw that this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge was 'Anything Goes' I decided to have a look through my recent purchases for my entry. I got this MDF pocket watch from Pink Tulip Creations and it's FAB so I decided to make a random little piece of craft room decor. She'll hang from my shelves.

Been playing with my lurvely Moon Girl stamp from Stampotique again and I added some inspirational words to my piece so am also entering this for the Stampotique SDC152 Sentimental Challenge.

CC3C - Challenge 4 - Texture Paste Stencilling

Feeling a bit whimsical this week so today's make has a distinctly fairytale feel to it. I recently treated myself to Stampotique's Moon Girl which I've wanted for ages so I had to use her! She's riding a seahorse - why not?

I am entering this make for the Compendium of Curiosities V.3 Challenge 4 - Layering Stencil with Texture Paste. Still a few days left to enter this awesome challenge and there are super fab prizes including a The Funkie Junkie Boutique gift certificate and a big bundle of goodies from Sir Tim and Mario!

I used Tim's stencil technique on the background. I battled with this challenge for a while as I was trying to make the stencilling a main feature - in the end I used it to add a bubbly background to my watery scene - it's only in the background but it adds so much depth and texture.

I inked the panel with Salty Ocean and Peacock Feathers inks before splashing with water then over-stamping that gorgeous Stampers Anonymous flourish in white ink (Prima - LOVE their chalk inks). I finished by adding 'foamy' white paint around the edges with a sponge. The torn strip at the bottom is real sandpaper and the background is painted corrugated cord - adding a bit more texture. You can't really tell from the pic but the seahorse and crown are painted with Perfect Pearls so they are all gold and shimmery.

It was really fun making this and I have another Moon Girl project in mind already.

Goodies used: Stampotique - Moon Girl; Stampers Anonymous - Nautical Blueprints, Fabulous Flourishes, crown and word (can't remember which set!); Crafty Individuals - seashells; Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Bubbles; Sizzix Alterations - Tattered Pine Cone.

Simon's Monday Challenge - Proper Painty

Had great fun this morning getting covered in paint for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week.

I created a painty background by adding three blobs of paint to a piece of card and dragging the paint down and across with an old credit card. I then cut the panel following the shapes the paint made. I also used watered down paint applied with a baby wipe and stamped paint for the canvas panel background.

I haven't done this technique before but it was really easy and I LOVE the result! Just don't overwork the paint and you can't go wrong.

I painted the bird very loosely with Distress Inks to echo his scribby look. I enjoyed having a play with my new stamps I got for my birthday - thank you Ruth and Paula - and going a bit brighter than usual!

Oh my - I made a CARD and it's a MAN'S CARD!

This is probably only the second or third time I've ever made a man's card! This is so far out of my comfort zone that I discovered when embarking on this little exercise that I don't own ANY masculine stamps! So I turned instead to my patterned paper stash and found these rather nice Prima ones.

I had to add a bit of inking and stamping so I used Tim's compass mask and the postmark stamps from my very own Carte Postale set (from which it would appear I have lost the big postcard stamp.... I may have to buy a set of my own stamps!!! Sigh.....).

To add a little bit of texture I battered some brads with a hammer (oh what fun!) - I think this adds nice detail.

Am entering this for three whole challenges!

Frilly and Funkie - For All our Fathers

Country View Challenges - Only Men Allowed

That Craft Place - Men

Off for a lie down after all that manliness! Bye for now!

FINALLY finished!

I finally got around to finishing the canvas from Hels Sheridan's workshop - which was so long ago I don't even remember when it was! I'd been looking for a suitable sentiment and thought this MDF word from Pink Tulip Creations was perfect! Now I can finally put it up on the wall!

The Birds are Singing!

The sun in shining today and the birds were in full song this morning, so I felt like making a celebration of nature with my tag today (OK, same as most days!). I have several of Crafty Individuals' bird stamp and this collage one is probably my favourite. My apologies to the bird who I think is a sparrow! Needed a pop of colour in their so he ended up blue!

It's quite dimensional this tag, with plenty of layers on the little birdhouse to make it pop from the background. I cut the heart out as a aperture and and the roof and bird are layered too. I did Paula Cheney's big bow thing again at the top, this time with twine.

Decided to combine two challenges with today's crafty make - Crafty Individuals Tag You're It (hosted by the lovely Helen Chilton) and Virginia's View Challenge #4 (tag with a recycled element).

My recycled elements are real twigs, garden twine and a scrap of old music paper.

The Crafty Individuals stamps I used are Birdhouse Collage (218) and Birds, Branches & Cage (234).

Thanks for stopping by!

Tim's Tags and Flaming June

Here's my version of Tim's June tag using the stencil print technique. I didn't have the dinky inkpads so I adapted this to use blocks of colour (Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge) creating a graduated effect. I used the Bubble stencil. The colour palette was inspired by the latest Our Creative Corner Challenge - Flaming June. 

This tag is all about my great affection for bees - these adorable little creatures are getting more scarce and we need to save them! Plant bee-friendly gardens people!

I had a bit of a play before I finished my tag and my tips for this technique are:

-You HAVE to use the ink straight from the pad - and really squidge it on there to get good coverage

-If you want the tag bright and relatively crisp like mine don't use too much water - if you want a more watercoloured look, use more water

-Chunkier stencils work better (had a play with my fave Doily stencil and it looked like a muddy mess!)

Am totally in love with Paula's bow and can see this being used on lots and lots of tags!

Stamps are my very favourite Wendy Vecchi stamps - I totally love them!

Entering this for the following challenges:

Tim's Tags June AND

Our Creative Corner - Flaming June

Thanks for popping by!

Katy x

CC3C - Challenge #3

Another wedding project from me today! It has to be said that my mojo is back (yay!) and although I had to make a tough decision to get where I am now, I am in a happier (and more creative) place. Anyway, I digress from the important matter of crafting! I was aiming here for a very soft, faded, sun-worn look, hence the pale colours and altered, muted photo.

This project turned into a bit of a labour of love as it took me quite a while to get it finished. I began by stencilling the canvas with a Prima stencil all over - I initially painted it blue but it looked too bright so I sponged over it with cream and white paints to get a multi-toned effect before highlighting the texture with Inka Gold.

I made the tea roses more or less as instructed but I didn't used a cocktail stick - I just glued them instead. Lots of inky layers here - Tumbled Glass ink, then edged with Stormy Sky. When dry I sprayed with white then champagne gold spray mists and finished with a touch of Frayed Burlap DI and Inka Gold to the edges. In the centre of each is a tiny pearl. I am really pleased with how these came out - they are really multi-tonal which doesn't show that well in the pic.

I am in love with this versatile Sizzix die and have about 20 little roses on my desk waiting for some love as I just kept on making them (great in-front-of-the-TV crafting!).

The kraft card layer is stamped and wrapped with sheer net ribbon. I embellished with die cut book paper leaves and a bird stamp from Tim's Bird Feather set, carrying a little heart charm in his beak (I altered the charm with ink too).

This is for the third CC3C Challenge, faux tea roses, sponsored by Inspiration Emporium who are offering a fab $50 voucher to spend on crafty loveliness!

As I used texture paste I am entering for the latest That's Crafty Challenge too.

Thanks for visiting me today :). See you soon.