Dragonsdream TIO

"Eternal Goddess - think woman, earth colours, ancient Goddess figure, angelic" - that was the requirement for TIO last week ........ had this all in my mind to do when wham bang flat on my back ....... but mojos getting back into gear and I'm just in time, so here it is.

Again I've drawn inspiration from the garden, this time one of the statue type things that lurke in our beds and border. I've always loved this one and she epitomises to me the set theme this week ........ just hope she's not a bit risque with her boobs on show on my little part of the www.

My picture of her was run off onto plain white cardstock and then I messed about with some Tim Holz inks, versamark and gold embossing powder, highlighting bits of her hair and image. The tag itself was also treated to some more messing about with the same products plus lots of water, then overstamped with Stampendous N154 and Hobby Art GR13411 - Shakespeare Sonnet which I though was quite apt for my Goddess. The butterfly came on the wrapping of a birthday pressie and I just added some wire antenna ........ I got some odd looks (well odder than usual) when I took the butterfly off the wrapping and instinctively started to fondle it's wings into shape ........ doesn't everyone ?

That's all for today folks, going to try to get round a few more of your blogs and make up for lost time.

Dragondream TIO

Simplicity and Serenity is the theme at Drogaons TIO this week. I immediately thought of this stamp as it always evokes calmness to me. It's from the Artful Stamper 1159R, I've had it years and used in for a number of different occasionas.

The tag, cut on Cricut Plantin Schoolbook has been lightly misted with Glimmer Mists - lily pad and lemon zest, then when dry spritzed here adn there with timeless lilac through a piece of mesh material to achieve a honeycomb effect. The image is stamped in versfine black and heat embossed with detail clear and I added crystal glitter to the folds of her dress and neckline. Her wings were stamped again onto vellum, spritzed with the lilac GM and decoupages. The edges of the tag are stamped with brilliance purple using Penny Black 3878F. The image had a lily in her hands and I have laid a silk one over the top and added a ribbon bow and a tiny butterfly.

Dragonsdream TIO 7

Dragonsdream TIO challenge this week is "your interpretation of - Treasure". Now I'll be honest and say I thought what the devil can I do for this, then I stepped outside the box and it came to me ........ what do I treasure ....... well apart from the obvious, family, pets and the like for me it has to be nature.

As a child my Dad taught me that nature was something to be appreciated from the smallest wild animal to the towering oaks, a value he held all his life and right up till his death at Christmas. As a child I spent hours with him wandering the hedgerows and doing simple things like picking a bunch of cowslips. That enjoyment has never left me and I have tried to instill the same values in my children, although I have to confess modern life takes it's toll and sadly such activities are less prevalent nowadays. But to be fair, most of them garden and grow veggies and enjoy speding time in the Countryside and have animals.

I never fail to be astounded by natures abilities of regrowth and regeneration, all the things it's so easy to take for granted because they are always there. So my tag, which on reflection is probably totally OTT, encompasses just a small element of the vibrant colours, fauna and animals that are all around us if we take time to look. I have used so many stamps and materials that for once I am not going to list them, otherwise you will still be reading this post next week.

Dragonsdream TIO

What a way to start Wednesday morning, sheer heaven in the theme at TIO this week - "Dragonflies and Butterflies" and an opportunity to try out some nice messy ink techniques as well.

I had a play round with inks starting by spritzing water onto the blank card, then lightly dabbing over chalk eyes and found by adding the water first I did not get the outline of the inkpad and it all bled together nicely. When it was dry I took a piece of meshy fabric, laid it over and dabbed more of the darker ink here and there which gave a honeycomb effect (it's not over obvious on this tag, but can be seen better on another one I did which I shall post above this one.

I stamped randomly with a tiny butterfly from Penny Black 30-034 and 3816E and Rubber Stampede 33538 and favourite Agapanthus Stampendous P107 ........ Oh I do love this stamp in case nobody realised. The large PB butterfly was stamped again onto vellum and embossed with aquamarine powder and just two lines of PB 2695J. The ink used is Brilliance lightening black which has a slight green tinge so less harsh than solid black.

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.

Dragonsdream TIO

Dragonsdream TIO challenge really is true to it's name for me this week, mainly because the theme is "Oriental - China Blue". The oriental part is no problem, it's the blue as it's a colour that for some unknown reason I rarely use and struggle to find the right ingredients.

Anyway, I started with a stamp that has a lovely story which Sarah from Stamp Addicts told when it was used it in one of their C&C shows. The stamp designed by Judi from JudiKins (2776G) is called Aiko and was based on her own Mother. I have used UTEE, starting by heating a small pile on my heat mat (no card, just powder) and repeating this process three times so an irregular shape is achieved. Lastly I added sapphire, malachite and gold, heated again and stamped my image, inked with black stayzon into the hot shape. When cold it was matted onto some blue card torn around the edges to mimic the shape.

The blossom is cut on Cricut home accents and flowers and gems added and the tag is also cut on the Cricut plantin using schoolbook, I stamped the tag all over with Magenta 32090M, inked the edges and added lapis embossing powder and heated to give a distressed look. Added a piece of ribbon across the bottom to carry the blue and Mizuno cord - I know there is a proper way to tie this, but have no idea how it's done, so mine is just twisted.

Dragonsdream Tag it on and ABC challenges

Motoring this monring, four challenges sorted, just need to write them up and post.

My first is for this weeks TIO where Ali has set the challenge "Rhubarb Crumble and Custard - use pink (for the rhubarb) yellow (for the custard) and texture (for the crumble) You must use at least one stamp and 2 embellishments. When I read this first thing this morning all I could see was a plateful of crumble and custard had wondered how on earth I could depict that, two espressos later (that's the only way I can kick start my day) I read the task again and the idea came together.

The challenge over at ABC this week is "N is for Not a Card", so i thought my tag would qualify there as well,

The bottom section of my tag was run through the cuttlebug to achieve the texture element. I stamped Hero K5162 with brilliance orchid and poppy and highlighted the flowers with yellow liquid pearls. I took a look at the rhubarb in the garden and cut leaves on the cricut to loosely reflect what they look like and coloured with brilliance thyme and ivy. Added ribbon plus a brad and some staples as my embellies.