Allsorts M&S crafty meal deal

Before

(M&S foil dish, kitchen foil, old book, pearls from old card)

After

One of our new teamies, Helene has set the theme at Allsorts this week and would like to see how we interpret "Rags to Riches". So many of you joined us again last week and it seems you have decided that Allsorts is the in place to be seen lately and we really do appreciate you wonderful support.

I admit to being a bit baffled at first, but when it eventually dawned on me it came together quite well. The flower image is Penny Black 4042K Daisy Fields stamped with black styazon onto acetate. On the reverse I dabbed Adirondack alcohol inks(always the reverse as stayzon and alcohols inks don't mix), then I smeared Diamond Glazed over the top and laid on a piece of ripped book with music notes. I added more Diamond Glaze and laid scrunched up kitchen foil over the whole piece........new foil I might add, I thought it was taking the recycling a step to far to use some that covered last nights dinner in the oven.

Another sheet from the book is punched with Martha Stewart Arched Lattice and shaded with Tim Holtz rusty hinge to act as the DP and the punched flowers also made from a book page and spritzed with Glimmer Mist Flower Power. The leaves and butterflies are punched from the M&S foil dish and coloured with the same alcohol inks as were the pearls.

And I am being a bit cheeky here and entering it for this weeks Tuesday Taggers as it seems to fut their bill perfectly.

Polkadoodles challenge 2

Hopefully some of you already have your new 'Love and Romance' CD which Nikky from Polkadoodles launched on Create and Craft last Sunday and are enjoying playing with it as much as I am. Nikkly has come up with a real gem with this one, the colours are just stunning and everything on the CD so versatile that myself and the DT found that the cards come together so easily.

So of course the theme for this weeks Polkadoodles challenge is "Love". I have gone with an easel card using the Heart to Heart collection, covering the front image which is a section of one of the papers, with acetate. The border is a new Martha Stewart double punch, with I cut out twice, once with pink paper and again with acetate laying one over the other. I added some ribbon tabs and pearls to embellish.

Internet nightmares

New Stamp Addicts TV Show

If I ever had any doubt how much I rely on the Internet the last week confirms I am most definitely joined to my computer at the hip. A whole week with only the odd hour or so's connection here and there is a total nightmare. This new server was going to take just a few hours to install, yet here we are a week later and they are still faffing about with it. It's meant to be mega efficient and fast and have bells and whistles.......if you ask me the bells and whistles are well and truly rusty.

So the result, very little blog hopping and only the odd visit to all my friends out there........I am so so sorry, I do still love you all really. I am preparing this post on Wednesday afternoon, but when it will actually go live on my blog is any ones guess.......but I must have faith in the teccies, they assure us all will be well shortly........I seem to recall them saying something similar this time last week.

Anyhow, I told you that there was a new Stamp Addicts show in the offing.......well it's going out live on Wednesday 18th November at 10am on Create and Craft TV........and now I can share some of my sample cards for the programme.

I really enjoyed playing with all the goodies that you will be able to buy from the programme, some really yummy embossing powders from JudiKins along with some if their great cube stamps. This card uses the Pressed Leaf Cube using one of my favourite messy techniques. The images were randomly stamped with Black Stayzon onto Acetate, then Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks added to the revers along with some splashes of Gold Krylon. I then took a piece of ripped text from an old book, covered it with Tombow glue and laid it over the inks. Next I crumpled a piece of kitchen foil, added the same glue and laid this over the back of the whole piece. Once dry - this only takes a few moments, I did some simple matting and layering and tied some raffia round before adhering it to my card. Finally, I highlighted the stamped images with an Inkssentials opaque white pen.

New Hero stamps

Busy at 'proper' work today so just a quick share in my coffee break........third espresso of the morning so should keep me going to lunchtime.

This is one of the cards I made for Sir Stamplaot last week using some of the new Hero Arts cling stamps, this one is C0115 which I stamped onto heatable acetate with versafine then embossed with detail gold, but masking the 'thank you' wording in the centre as I wanted to place a butterfly there instead. It's always difficult to photograph acetate but the wrap is slightly visible on the second picture.

I stamped the card itself with Hero G3316 harlequin using Hero shadow soft sand then Inkainkado 97513 leafy swirls and and Penny Black 3816E butterfly using versamark and detail gold embossing powder. I placed lace down the side underneath the acetate then fixed the stamped acetate in place with ribbon. Finally I stamped the flowers from the Hero stamp twice more onto acetate, again embossing with detail gold and decoupaged them on the front of the card with a gem brad.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank my Allsorts teamie Debs for giving me this award, thank you so much Debs, hope the backs improving.

I shall be back late with a small candy offering.

Allsorts challenge 7

My goodness, it's week seven at Allsorts already and it's Jackie's turn to select the theme which is ACETATE, to use it somewhere on your projects.

For my card I have used one of my favourite messy techniques. First step is to stamp the image onto acetate - I find it works best using a stamp that has a fair amount of solid pattern, this time I've gone for Hero S5033 stamping with Stayzon black. When it's dried turn over and apply alcohol inks (I used Tim Holtz) - it's important to add inks to the reverse as the inks and Stayzon don't mix.

Next take a page of an old book rip to fit about half the piece and cover with a dries clear glue - I find Tombo stick works well and stick the the inked side. Now take a piece of kitchen foil, crumple then flatten, add more glue to the entire piece - paper/ink side again and flatten the foil over. Now it's ready to trim and add to your card. I also like to highlight parts of the image with a white Inkssentials opaque pen to add definition.

I finished my card by adding some buttons, beads, lace and ribbons and stamped Hero F5158 down one side using versamark and detail white embossing powder.

Acetate flowers

I have created this one for Stampalot using the nesite frames Andy asked me to try out a couple of weeks ago ........ sorry Andy, been a bit slow here I know. Anyway I do really like this frame - there are two in each set and a couple of flowers as well. I must at this point, put my hands up and confess to a degree of plagiarism today ........ trouble is I've done too much blog hoping with all this resting up and now have an abundance of pent up inspiration to try out, but I do try to put the ideas into my own context and give credit where it's due.

The frame is cut on the cuttlebug using My Minds Eye DP's ........ in case you didn't realise, I do so love these papers and even have a class coming up at Stampalot next month based around them (will be sharing some of the samples just as soon as the new terms dates are published later this month).

All of the flowers are cut on the Cricut from the same DP which is double sided plus acetate. I have edged the acetate flowers with gold Krylon and each flower has one DP layer and two acetate. I have also placed a layer of acetate into the frame over the stems/leaves which are stamped from Hero CL338 and laid onto bazzil. The acetate flowers are the first of my 'borrowed' ideas which I saw on the blog of a lady called Enfys. The second 'borrowing' is from my good blog buddy Jules ........ I did ask if I could pinch this one which is her fab idea of cutting away part of the edge to give this pretty edge. Apparently, according to Jules this punch even has a name - Threaded Water, so I must remember this in future and not just call it "my new Fiskars punch" - not a lot of help if you want to track it down to buy is it ? As most things in my little world need gems, I have added some swarovski ones down the side.

Dragonsdream TIO

Walk like an Egyptian is the theme at Dragondsream Tag It On this week which gave me the opportunity to fish out some JudiKins stamps G7181, 2377F and 2375G which I haven't used for ages.

The hieroglyphics cube has been repeat stamped in versamark and embossed with detail clear powder. The edges gave been roughed up and highlighted with Tim Holtz weathered wood. Nefertiti has been stamped twice onto shrink plastic, coloured with gold Krylon and blue Sakura pens and King Tut stamped onto acetate, run through the Zyron and gold leafed on the reverse. Cord and ribbon to finish.

Penny Black challenge 48

Black and white + 1 other is the theme over at Penny Black this week. I had a mind to do something with some new copper and black leafing foil, so my '+1' is of course copper.

I have kept the card pretty simple as I felt the leafing gives interest. The image is PB2827K which I had from Stampalot for a class a few weeks back - I realise there may seem to be a pattern emerging here as my earlier post also has birds and is monochrome - pure coincidence, or otherwise it reflects my mood today !

The image is stamped onto acetate with stayzon white, run through the Xyron and the leafing stuck to the reverse. Matted on to black and white cardstock and a mock stitch edging done with Inkssentials opaque white. The card edge looked a bit plain so used one of the the Cuttlebug border folders, coloured the flowers with copper H2o, agged gems, a bow made from some gorgeous spotty organza ribbon and I couldn't resist another stick pin made up with beads and pins from Spellbound.

Cupcake challenge 38

What a lovely theme this week for the Cupcake challenge set by "Claire, better known as CraftyC who would like to see Numbers on your card/project".

I have used a stamp which I really love and had for years, but not used that often, but as it's a bit arty to my mind and I need a '27' birthday card for an art student, thought this was ideal. It's from Rubber Stampede 3729H and has been stamped onto acetate with stayzon and laid over a GM'd background using lilac, gold and bubblegum. The card itself has been repeat stamped with another good old favourite Hero H2365 using versamark dazzle champagne and then chalked. I then stamped over the edges with Hero F5042 using brilliance crimson copper then heat embossed with detail clear.

The DP is Sandylion which I have also used to punch out butterflies which have then been diamond glazed and gems added plus ribbons to finish.

I'd be thrilled if you take a look at this post on my blog to see if you can help.