love ....

i have been a little absent again ... sorry folks!

i saw a project that sir tim had made in one of mario's blogs, and was inspired to make this using his cut-out heart-with-cogs idea!

i recently got hold of some art parts from wendy vecchi to see what they are like and used a flower here.  got to say i love them!!  i'll be getting some of her new cha releases for sure!

this is not quite a card like i usually make, as it is on a piece of chipboard cut using the suitcase die, standing with an alterations mini-easel. 

the surface was kinda coated white so i tried a little frayed burlap and wild honey stain, then oddly sprayed it with ink refresher!  i swooshed a paper towel over and it left quite an interesting base.   i then stamped tim's horlogerie background stamp with adirondack espresso and cranberry  and clear embossed it.  due to the coating the ink 'shrank' a little but it looked good to me!!  i then used the crackle stamp from the xmas stamp set in clear medium and dusted it with pewter p pearl.

i stuck an adage ticket to the same shape cut from chipboard then cut a mini heart from the centre.  i cut a second ticket from corrugated card and adhered various cogs to it - mini die cuts given a rusted look and ideaology cogs and a few watch parts.  i then used glue gel to stick the 2 parts together as by now they had some depth!  all edges inked.  to the heart shape i stamped a phrase which fits the shape perfectly from tims set 'stuff to say' then covered in rock candy crackle, and added 2 pairs of wings; one cut from card which had tissue tape stuck down and crumpled and ironed as in tims 12th xmas tag.  the other set was a piece of glassine crumpled, stained with picket fence, heat set then dusted with perfect pearl then again heat set.  as glassine is a bit flimsy i wanted it a bit more substantial and have discovered something cool;

TIP OF THE DAY!  using glue n seal, you can actually stick glassine to card if you iron it dry!!!  it works!!  well its still stuck down so far!! lol!

there is a piece of spellbinders ironworks diecut at the bottom of the card, coloured with antique bronze cosmic shimmer powder [still my favourite colour!!]

the art parts flower is distress stained in a peeled paint and honey, then i stamped 'love' on each petal using just that word from a corner of a stamp in tim's little labels set.  the centre is another piece of spellbinders ironworks with an acroutements button in the centre.

that was a bit long winded!! lol!

  i am trying to be a bit more adventurous with my pieces.

this second tag is actually recycled from last easter!!

i added a new bunny from tims new set stamped with a lace background from artistic stamper.  he look quite hidden but i quite like that!

the butterfly is tims fanciful flight in shrink plastic!  i filled in the wings with various stickles, and added more to the rosette.

the background is from 2011 xmas tags; woodgrain effect.

hope you like xx

a slightly gothic valentine

using tim's valentine embossing folder on card spritzed with various red colour washes plus red perfect pearls mist. When dry i swooshed a black archival over the raised text, then sprinkled it with clear embossing powder.

the edges were distressed and edged with black diamond stickles.

the heart is from tims new cupid die, coloured with red pepper dabber then rock candy crackle, edged in white.

the roses are made from the tattered pinecone in black card  then dipped in red utee.

tim's mini flourish is embossed with black sparkle embossing powder.

steampunk in colour!

second post today!!

i have used my paperartsy steampunk stamp again.

background is tim's stash with cogs cut from spellbinders die sprightly sprockets, covered in a layer of my new rusting powder [tip; i found mini misting the powder with white vinegar gives a quicker 'rustier' effect], then sealed them with glue n seal.

this time i have coloured the stamped images with my new best friends the portfolio pastels, which i think have given a lovely 'tinted photo' look.

bedtime now x

3 simple spring cards

i saw a design online somewhere ages ago and saved it, and have given it my interpretation.

i'm trying to build up a batch of cards to go to my charity, and these were simple if not wayyyy over on the girlie side but they look ok to me!

i am trying to improve my 'mat and layering' .... something i find a bit difficult at times.

i have seen a little gizmo HERE but not sure if its worth it? maybe just patience and a steady eye is best!!

here are 2 more similar cards

thanks for stopping by!!

roll on the releases of all the fab new products from cha!!

from tim, dyan, graphic45, wendy vecchi etc .... very exciting!!

Doolally Dorris part 2!

ok .... i admit it ... i love this stamp!!!

i had another go with it this evening on a big size 10 tag, using the fabulous water soluble Portfolio pastels in the background again.   i heat set them, used a couple of alpha stencils with green patina perfect pearl and denim adirondack spray and added a few 7gypsies rub-ons, and used white gesso on a card tube making some circles. [i've been watching Dyan's tutorials!! lol] i covered the entire tag with fresco finish satin glaze which makes the colour of the pastels more vibrant.

this time i stamped Dorris etc on separate card, coloured her more carefully with promarkers and the pastels, highlighted with white and black posca pens, and cut out.  i covered Dorris with fresco finish gloss glaze.  she is stuck on with sticky pads for dimension, as is the largest 'shroom.

the word 'sparkle' is from paperartsy also [sent as a freebie with a delivery], stamped direct on tag with adirondack snow cap pigment ink, and layered on white card in black.

you got me Dyan!!!! xx

Doolally Dorris ....

ok .... this is so far out of my comfort zone it's got a different postcode .... but yes i did make this!! c,")  i did fall over and bash my head today so when i come back and read this tomorrow i will see if i was concussed or confused!! lol!!

i recently 'won' this stamp set from the gorgous talented Dyan Reavely, and promised her i would dip my toes into her world ... and here we are!  this is more or less just a tester/sample.

i used her stamp set  in black archival [the branch is from paperartsy too] and coloured the background and image with the amazing new Portfolio Pastels from PAPERARTSY  .... if you like colour and you like pastels you must try these!!  and have to say the price is really good [the only other place i have found them in uk is on ebay at twice the price!!] water solouble oil pastels --- i am dying to try lots of techniques with these.  i found them through Paperartsy blog HERE .  i was in a bit of a rush to try the pastels and the stamp but for my first journey in this realm i really enjoyed it!  the results here were just by fingerblending and heat setting the pastels, and using a wet brush to fill in colour.  i will try the image cut out on seperate pieces another time, to give more definition, but the coverage over the background was very adequate.  

 i have decided to embrace colour this year!

have a good weekend, tony x

my first of 2012!!

hello friends!

i am sorry for not posting much recently ... after the marathon of christmas i was a little burned out and i hav'nt made a thing since then , but i have been buying way too much stash!!  i stocked up on masses of tim's ideaology to fill up my fabulous trinket and cargo cases!

i have also got quite a passion for Paperartsy stamps and products and have bought a lot of those recently and not had a chance to use them, so i have put that right and made a steampunk card last night!

the background is distress stained then a cog mask over the top with weathered wood DI over it, then i stamped tim's steampunk backgrounds in stream adirondack pigment.

the images are all Paperartsy stamps HERE and stamped in coffee archival then edged with DI vintage photo

i added some watch parts from my stash and a few ideaology cogs. i mushed a bit of rock candy crackle over the images.  the single cog i included just because i used a new powder i found from Crafty Notions called 'rusting powder' which is so cool. See it HERE i know it stands out a little but i just wanted to include it somewhere lol!

 

i really needed to get this out of my head lol! and i'm so glad i have finally made something again!!

*****

i have also made and an easter card using tim's new bunny die;

the background is made using a sizzix letterpress plate.

i am still getting used to this ... its a bit tricky finding the correct surface to stamp/emboss into ... this is a piece of chipboard using cranberry adirondack pigment, then spritzed quite a lot with pink gumball perfect pearl [i have been embracing my girlie side and have forced myself to buy some brighter colours!! lol] edged with gathered twig - everyones new favourite brown DI!!

the bunny is chipboard covered in 2 shades of dabber, with a little light blue on the edges.  behind bunny is tim's vintage doiley edge cut out on both sides of a piece of card making an oval. [i was just testing the die and ended up with this!!] it is lightly distressed and edged in pink stickles [yes more pink!!!]

the little roses are made using tim's tattered pinecone, wrapping it tighter so it becomes a rose!!  i love this!!!!!!!  i had used red card, but recently got hold of some new UTEE in pearl and dipped them into this.  i had hoped it would be translucent but its very opaque and covered the colour completely but it turned out fab!!  the red does just about show through in places.

the 2 flutterbyes are tims movers and shapers ... i used fresco finish paint on them crackling one with white over pewter and the other dusky rose [pink!!] over london night, then both edged in stream adirondack.

i might add a few more embellies to this, or a word [?].. it looks a bit unfinished to me ...

hope you like ... i promise to be back soon!!

ooo and i have to say a huge thankyou to HRH TIM for sending me a personal email thanking me for sharing my cards for my charity at christmas  .... it made my christmas to hear from him -- such a nice guy as well as a total genius!!... the cards went down very well and raised much needed funds, and i will be continuing to donate most of my makes for them to sell during the year ahead.