Doing a Happy (Rubber) Dance!

I can't tell you how pleased I am to be part of the wonderful team that is the Rubber Dance crew - I've made some awesome friends already and am loving the creativity. I am so grateful to the lovely Bibi for bringing me into her little family that my first posting is these thank you cards - to say Thank You Bibi!

You can meet the rest of the fabby Design Team here: www.rubberdance.com/designers.html

My official debut is tomorrow over on the Rubber Dance blog where I am first up (gulp!) with a step-by-step tutorial. But for today, these are really simple easy cards using Distress Inks blending through a stencil created using a Nestabilities die cutter. I simply stamped the flower and sentiment on top. This technique is great for making a batch of quick cards.

My cards feature two of the Rubber Dance sets I was lucky enough to get in my DT package:
NP5-M: Weed Love
JNEN-2E: Just a Note

All the stamps used for these projects are from Rubber Dance: www.rubberdance.com

Those of you who know me well know I am woman who speaks as she finds! So believe me when I tell you that you will not be disappointed with Rubber Dance stamps - the quality is absolutely awesome, they stamp like a dream and the designs are stunning. Oh and the customer service ain't bad either ;).

See you again tomorrow - wish me luck!
Katy x

To find the stamp(s) used for these projects, and many more, visit the Rubber Dance website at www.rubberdance.com. You can meet us on Facebook - come on over and say hi!

CC3 Challenge 7

Just a quick post today - my make for the latest CC3 Challenge 7 - Painted Industrial.

Inspiration Emporium are the sponsor for this challenge offering a generous FIFTY DOLLAR SHOPPING SPREE for one lucky CC3C entrant.

I created a 3D pocket watch shaker using the technique with Tim's mini pocket watch die. I cut it multiple times, removing the centres to create layers and sandwiching a piece of acetate between the top two layers. It's filled with tiny real watch parts. On the top layer I repeated the technique but rather than embossing I sanded the surface of the metal lightly with fine sandpaper.

Not sure what I am going to do with this yet but entering it anyway as inspiration is unlikely to strike between now and Saturday!

Watch this space for news of my Rubber Dance debut - coming very soon! Super excited!

Katy x

Country View Crafts Guest Designer!

Delighted to be guest designing for Country View Challenges today. The theme is 'Stencil It' which suited me nicely as I've just added a few of Tim's Layering Stencils to my stash.

I used stencils to create my background using the stencil effectively as a stamp (it's a Tim Holtz technique). I inked the stencil direct from the pad using Distress Inks, misted lightly with water and pressed onto inked cardstock. This creates a lovely soft effect. To add detail to the stencilling I replaced the stencil (after cleaning it) over the original impression and applied Treasure Gold into the gaps.

The tag is decorated with my very own Artistic Stamper stamps that I've gently coloured with Distress Inks and a waterbrush. I added finishing touches with pearls and seam binding.

I hope you've enjoyed today - make sure to keep checking back to the Country View blog as there's lots going on throughout July.

Katy x

A krafty card

A quick card for today made with my Botanical Stamps from The Artistic Stamper. I had a play with my Coloursoft pencils on kraft card - they are nice an opaque on the coloured card. I finished off with a handmade banner to highlight my greeting.

That's it for today - just a quickie x

K x

You've Got Mail!

A really quick, simple project today - and there's that Stampotique bee again!!!

I got this post box from Dunelm in the sale and gently altered it for my craft space. It was white already and as my scheme is green, white and wood I kept it the original colour, simply covering the existing writing on the front with a die cut label adorned with a bee.

All the edges are inked with Archival Watering Can ink which worked so well! I officially LOVE Wendy's inks.

It's happily sitting behind my desk now, keeping my Crop-a-Dile and big scissors safe :).

K xxx

Frilly & Funkie Guest Designer

I am absolutely delighted to have been asked to be a Guest Designer for the Summer Heat Challenge over at Frilly & Funkie. My post on F&F is here.

After much deliberation and several failed attempts, I came up with this canvas featuring bright summer blooms for the challenge.

I wanted my flowers really vibrant so I've coloured them with Inktense Blocks, using them straight from the box like a palette with a water brush. I love the intensity of colour! I used the same method with the label.

For the flower stems I used my new jewellery making skills to create stems and tendrils from coloured wire - I think these are quite effective and allow the blooms to sit off the face of the canvas the wire is supportive.

I raised the bottle and blooms with silicone glue so the canvas is really nice and dimensional. The red twine ties in with the flowers. The background is patterned paper by MME which I gessoed to knock it back and enhanced with splat stamps (IndigoBlu) and Tissue Tape. The bottle is an Artistic Outpost stamp.

Finally, I just want to show you a close up of the bookplate (please ignore my shoddy colouring of the words!!! You can't see it when the canvas is hung up as it's so small!). I've aged the bookplate with Watering Can Archival Ink - I simply pressed the ink onto it and then dried with a heat gun. It looks really tarnished - great effect.

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by and good luck if you play along with the challenge!

K xxx

Stamps: Tim Holtz Visual Artistry (Wish), Artistic Outpost Apothecary (bottle), IndigoBlu Ledger (splats), Innovative Stamp Creations (flowers). 

Creative Blog Hop

Last week I was tagged by my very dear and uber talented friend Trish Latimer in the Creative Blog Hop. So here I'll be sharing some insight (!?) into my creative processes and tagging some totally amazing crafters who inspire me. So here we go with the questions.....

What are you working on?

Generally I am working on a number of things at once. At present I am have a few larger scale projects in the pipeline and I also like to do challenges as they give me a starting point from which to work - I've been trying to do Tim's Tags and my latest effort is below. Recently I've been spending a lot of my spare time transforming my new craft room into a creative sanctuary and I LOVE it!

Over the next six months I will be doing a lot of work for the Rubber Dance Design Team – very excited about that. 

How does your work differ from others in your genre?

Not sure that it does! I like to think my USPs are that I have good colour sense and excellent attention to detail but my work can be quite eclectic. I think this tag is a good example of my detailing but I can also go clean. Do I even HAVE a style??? I'm not sure! I certainly do adore vintage and below is my fave piece of vintage work - a Configurations Box.

Why do I create what I do?

Simple. Totally for love – crafting helps me relax, unwind, express myself and have fun.

How does your creating process work?

I usually start by roughly (and I mean roughly – I SO cannot draw) sketching out an idea for what I am going to make. Usually my finished item roughly approximates my sketch but sometimes I just go with the flow. I am quite a controlled person so I like to have a plan in mind. I work fairly fast initially but usually the detail and finishing touches take me quite a bit of time. I like to tweak the design until I feel the composition is just right before I commit to the glue stick!


SO now onto who I am linking to! They will be posting next Monday but if you haven't been to their blogs before, go and have a look at their gorgeous work. There are plenty of people who inspire me, but I've chosen to tag some of those whose quality of work I really aspire to.

1 Liesbeth Fidder-de-Vos

http://liesbethart.blogspot.co.uk/

I’ve known Liesbeth for quite a few years and her work always floats my boat; whatever stamps she chooses she makes them beautiful. What that woman can do with a stamp and a few inkpads is remarkable - notice her work is barely embellished and yet there is so much to look at.

2 Lydia Brooke Evans

http://lydiawalker.blogspot.co.uk/

I so admire people who can do CAS as I really struggle with it and dear Lydia is the master of this style in my opinion. Her cards are just so fresh - they make me smile! She also has a fab sense of humour which comes out in her fun choice of stamps.

3 Helen Chilton

http://helenchilton.blogspot.co.uk/
Last but certainly not least is the fountain of crafty knowledge that is my wonderful friend Helen. Helen's eclectic style is a real inspiration and she has taught me so, so much about stamping. What I love most about Helen is her incredible use of colour - she can put together the most extraordinary combinations and they always look stunning! Oh and that she's just the right side of bonkers ;).

Thanks for visiting me on this creative journey today.

K xxx