Stampbord Brooch swap

Over on UK STampers we've recently had a stampbord brooch swap.

Um, not sure what I can say about it other than - here is my effort!

Well, ok, I used alcohol inks for the background - stonewash, denim and silver mixative. I might even have used a little slate for good measure. Then I rubber stamped and heat embossed in black part of a fairy. I'm afraid I don't know the manufacturer. I also stamped the word "Believe" and added, in silver heat embossing, a corner element. Did a little scratching, edged in silver krylon, and coated with a thinnish layer of diamond glaze. I'd punched holes in three corners, so added beading. A brooch back was the last bit - but silly me has forgotten to sign it.

I hope the final recipient likes it!

March Rudolph Day

Ok, not such a good month this one for SSCC. I don't really "do" Glitter, which was what the theme was. However, I've rustled up 5 cards.

They all actually have a lot of glitter on - trouble is it's mostly a translucent glitter glue, and doesn't easily get picked up by the camera... Ho hum.

On the Matilda card, there's glitter on her pompom, and her wings, but also all over the background paper - on the trees and baubles etc.



On the snowman card, it's all over the snowman - I used a topper I got in a swap, to which I added loads of glitter to bling it up!



On the medallion card, it's all over the medallion. Needless to say, for you medallion afficianados out there.



The cross-stitched card has glitter all over the four images in the corners - plus I added blending filament to the actual stitching to make it pop.



And finally, I have used a pre-made topper, and finally tried out my Big Shot which arrived yesterday (woohoo!) with a cuttlebug embossing folder. I think the glitter is kinda obvious on this one!

Oh my.....

Well first of all, I have to say whoops... too much time has passed since I last blogged. Now, I'm all for blogging without obligation (must get that blinkie!), but I still think that nearly three weeks is a bit much. Shame on me. My apologies.



And now for an "Oops".


Guess what I did at the weekend?


I broke my trusty, faithful Sizzix machine.


Yup, you read it here first folks. (Oh alright, second. I told the guys on Aunty's first...hmpf).


The unbreakable is..... breakable.


EEEEKKKKK.


Ok - so I hear you asking, how in the heck did I manage that? If I'd dropped it, it would probably have gone through the floor and into the room below. If I'd dropped it on my foot, it would have taken a couple of toes with it on its way through to the room below.

Nope. Nothing so exotic. I was using it .

I guess this means I'm pretty strong. Or at the very least, stupid and strong.

Here is where I point out that the demise of the Sizzix was a gradual process. It started a few weeks ago, with a klutz attack. I put a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the cutting mat, ensured I had all the relevant adaptors attached, slid the mat under the pressing bar, applied pressure... et voila! CRAAAACCCCKKKKK. Further inspection pointed out that I didn't push the mat far enough under the bar, resulting in uneven pressure, which made the bar go a bit wonky (like the technical description???) and ultimately, the red bit split on the back corners.



It then started to ooze an oily substance....


So, finally, at the weekend I used it a couple of times - and it gave up the ghost. No pressure. It did the Sizzix equivalent of NOT fighting its way out of a paper bag. It was a bit like the original Mr Muscle guy... In fact, you could even say that it bled to death....

Which of course means...

Drum roll please....


NEW TOY ALERT!!!!

Watch this space. I feel a Big Shot coming on.


MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

February Rudolph Day.....

It's that day again. Time for a spot of show and tell so I can get my points on SSCC.

Today, for your delight and delectation, we have CHRISTMAS TREES. Well, actually the brief was specifically just Trees, in whatever shape or form they take. So here are my first efforts. I may try and to a couple more tonight too.

First up is one that I did as part of Sketch Saturday a couple of weeks ago - but never got around to blogging. It also covers this month's challenge on Aunty’s Forum which was to use three of a variety of things. I seem to have lost my list of things you can use for that, but I do remember that it included Pasta shapes, ribbon, cotton/thread, beads, sequins, lolly sticks, tin foil. There were a couple of other things too, but I can't remember what they are for the mo. Most of mine have the old ribbon/bead/sequin or thread combo. I might try making something with pasta shapes before the weekend, but I digress....



Another one I really like is this. I've used two different cuttlebug folders on it - and had a little accident with the Swiss Dot one. It wasn't meant to deboss - I got the folder round the wrong way. Oops. However, I like the happy accident, and it's a bit different.



The others I'll just upload in a row now, or we'll be here all day!










9.30pm - one last addition!

Paper Beads

I wanted to put more in my post yesterday, but the other half was mithering for me to join him in Telly Watching (a national sport in itself, in my house) so my various activities were somewhat curtailed.

In another swap on UK STampers some bright spark (Pinky!) came up with the idea of a paper bead swap. I used to do a LOT of quilling, so making paper beads is something I'm ok at. I even mastered the art of the round bead, once upon a time, which if fine if you want something that is only about 2mm in diameter! The reason being that the width to length ratio is so extreme that for anything larger you need an inordinately long piece of paper. LOL.

Anyway, I digress. Kind of.

I picked purple as my colour (what else?!) and these are my results. I only had to make 20, but one style of bead is so small that I decided to make double the quantity of those, so people don't feel short changed....



Now, I don't have a melt pot. Not yet, anyway - it's now on my ever lengthening list. But a melt pot may not have been able to achieve quite the results that I got with these beads. For starters, I use Versamark ink to give the UTEE something to adhere to, then heat it. And generally, I repeat ad infinitum until I have the thickness of coating I require. Of course, this has its own snag as you end up twirling the bead constantly to ensure that the huge great glob that wants to drip off and hit the deck, doesn't. Makes a nice embellishment when it does though! Well, on these beads I decided that after layer number 1 of the UTEE, I'd add a little moonglow embossing powder to create a bit of interest, heated as normal and then of course went back to the UTEE. I forgot that it would reheat the other EP, and in the process of constantly rotating the bead I wound up with the following effect. It really is scrummy in real life - like glass that's been stretched and wound during the blowing process.

It's at times like this I love my camera. It's an Olympus SP-510UZ, nothing too fancy, or even that expensive, but it has both Macro and Super Macro (sounds like a computer game!) functions on it. Which enables quality shots like these. I mean, you can even see the print dots on the paper I used for the beads!





Naturally, this post wouldn't be complete without a look at the teeniest beads I did. Bear in mind that I'm showing them off on cocktail sticks - so I put one of them on a pound coin, just to show the size properly! It's just plain purple paper, only 5mm wide, cut to a flag and wound slowly and tightly to create the rounder bead. UTEE just the same, but the last lot was a half dip in hologram powder. Gorgeous!





The bug has bitten - and once I have all my other swaps under control, I'm going to make more.

And more...

and more..............

Altered Domino Swap & ATCs

Last month we did an altered domino swap on UK STampers . I've only just got into using Alcohol Inks (Tim Holtz IS a god...) so I thought I'd join in. What I have learned is that it's a good idea to remember that different coloured backgrounds affect the end result - I used the same inks on both the canvas and the dominos, but as one was white and the other cream, I got an odd effect. I also found out that alcohol inks strip the gold colour off German Scrap. It was just as effective a technique as adding the ink, to create a distressed look, but hey-ho.... I should point out that the frame is only about 4" x 2" approximately - weeny.



Images used were by Paperartsy and Judikins...


I've also realised that I completely failed to put up here the results of another ATC swap on Aunty’s Forum. The January swap was "Thank You for the Music" and my offering was very similar to the Metal one I did for UKSTampers:



And the ones I got back in exchange were....




Can you spot the deliberate mistake in one of the photos??? ROFL

Inchies

Well, I sent out even more inchies, and got some back this week.

Here are the inchies I did for the February swap on Aunty's Forum: I used medium weight card, and a mixture of stamps from various manufacturers. The theme was "New" - see if you can work what each of the "New" images mean (I defy anyone to get what the hourglass is representing!). They were stamped in Stazon, coloured in with pencils, edged with gold Krylon, and the word "new" printed, cut out and glued on. I then added a little Distress Ink in Scattered Straw around the edges.




The inchies I got back were from the UKSTampers "Let's Celebrate" swap for Jan 09. (See my examples below). Sadly a couple of people had to pull out, so we got some doubles - but to me that's just twice the love!



I hope to blog some more tomorrow - I got the "New" swap back, and sent out some "Oriental" ones....

My 100th post! Woohoo!

It's taken me a while to get here though, hasn't it?

I've been rather busy of late, and I keep meaning to come back on here and post what I've been doing, even if I only post one thing a day. Amazing how real life gets in the way - I've just seen that my last post was on the 27th January, but it doesn't feel like it's been more than a week since I last blogged!

Anyway, onto the more interesting stuff.

From the Morti Creation Station this week we have.....

Well, the first one isn't my own work - remember the metal ATCs I posted about on the 25th, for an ATC Swap at UKSTampers? These are what I got in return!



Big thanks go to WyvernSian, Rukshana and Okey for their fabulous work!

Next up is a 3D decoupage card I did for my little friend Miranda who turned 7 on Saturday just gone. My apologies for the poor photo - the full sized image of the whole card turned out blurred when I downloaded it from the camera, but by then the card was on its way...

Anyway, it's quite a simple card, using the die cut Fairy Poppets 3D images, mounted onto one of the DCWV (I think) mat stacks (Once Upon A Time set), which was then mounted onto lavender pearlescent card. That in turn is on an A5 pale pink card, and there's organza ribbon and bling. LOL



Finally for this post (cos it's a work day, and I've got to run!) is a card I made for a birthday on the Birthday List at Aunty's.

Again it's 3D decoupage (relatively quick and easy and doesn't require a lot of extras to create the wow factor!).



Just realised something - my apologies for my exuberant use of parenthetical statements - just one of those days!!!

And another....

Ho hum.

Another quick post, with another card, before I dash off to go and do some more ATCs....

Basically, this card is made using:

Third Coast Rubber Stamp (Mask)
Happy Birthday rubber stamp
Hero Arts swirls background rubber stamp.
A6 Card blank
black card
white card
silver mirri card
Opalite ink
blue dye ink
Twinkling H20s
silver EP
Holographic EP
holographic peeloffs
Textile Cuttlebug Embossing folder.
Red Stickles



I was going to tell you how it was all made - aside from the fact that I rubbed the opalite ink over the embossed black card, I think you can pretty much suss out what I did. If I was to explain it all, it'd take forever.... Gee - didn't realise I used so much stuff!

More creations....

Ok, just a sneaky before I head off to Badminton!

I made this card at the beginning of the month for a birthday on Aunty's Forum - we have a Birthday List, and everyone on it sends cards to whoever's birthday it is. It's always a surprise, too, cos some folks include a little prezzie too!


This one is 3D decoupage, quite simple, and reasonably quick too.



Base card is a soft pastel green, with cream coloured card embossed with the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder, onto which I've layered dark green card and then the 3D image. Add a prima with an antiqued brad, et voila!