Dare to Dream

Good morning everyone.......................weather not very nice her at present.....I do hope that the sunshine returns soon. Almost need to put the heating on as its a bit cooler this morning. 

Today I am sharing a wall hanging that I made for my sister's  recent birthday :-)

Just a quick post as I have several things to do today. The recipe was more or less the same as the previous make. I used a paper distresser to age the edges on the corrugated card. On the cardboard I used my TH scissors to distress the edges. I also used gilding wax on the corrugated card.

I am entering this make at the following challenges:

Sugar Creek Hollow, where the challenge is Mixed Media

Card and Scrap, whose challenge is Use a Text Stamp

Crafting Musketeers, where the challenge is Use a Stamped Image

Seemacrafts, whose challenge is Mixed Media.

Simon Says Stamp and Show, where the challenge is Kraft

'THank You' so much for popping in and if you have time please leave a comment. I can then return the compliment by visiting your blog. 

Crafty Hugs and have a lovely Sunday xx

Special Memories

 Hi Everyone.......thanks for taking time to visit my blog, it really is appreciated. I am sure that like me you are very busy creating at present, whilst managing other tasks. My craft room is such a mess that I must try to tidy up before I start getting inky again.  Not working today so plan to craft all afternoon !!!  Hurray !!!

This project includes a picture of The Langham Hotel where we stayed on our recent trip to London. All in all it was fantastic and made even better by the fabulous friendly service. It was our Anniversary on the 3rd December and so I thought I would incorporate a postcard  of the hotel in this canvas wall hanging instead of an anniversary card for my OH.  I was under pressure and had no real idea other than challenges that I like to take part in. However, this is the outcome.

Quirky........ like me !!!

I used my favourite DI, Vintage Photo, to colour the canvas, then added Sizzix TH weathered clock die cut. 

I stamped Tim Holtz, Winged Things 11, on glossy card and  ran a distress marker  around the  white cut edge.

As mentioned, I had a postcard of our hotel and tore the edges, inking with vintage photo DI.

Having printed the anniversary date on my pc I then placed a TH Idea-ology ornate plate over it. 

A wooden ticket from Prima and a TH Idea-ology key were adhered and then the fiddly bit began !!!

I curled the wire on my pokey tool, cut the letters from Sizzix TH Wordplay die, inking them with Black Soot DI et voila !!!!   (Adhered the wire to the letters using cosmic shimmer glue )

Finished about 10 mins before OH arrived home !!!!!! Phew

I am entering this piece in the following challenges

Over at Fashionable Stamping the challenge is To Die For.

At Simon Says Stamp the challenge is Houses..............okay its a big house !!!!

At Smudgy Antics the challenge is Alter Something

And at Artful Times the challenge is Anything Goes

Crafty Hugs 

Renaissance - Correggio

Hi Everyone.............I thought I would share a piece of recycling with you. This is a piece of shelving that was left from some recent DIY in my craft room. With some fabulous challenges in mind I decided to create a piece for Frilly and Funkie, whose challenge is Renaissance Men.  I was inspired by  Italian Artist Carreggio, who depicted cherub type images. His most famous painting being " The Holy Night"

Over at the Sunday Stampers Hels challenge this week is Patterns. Having used crackle distress paint to create an aged background  and embossed patterned corners the patterns fit this challenge too. 

 Challenge 16 at Studio L3 this week is Tim Holtz Perfect Pearls Mists.  I  used this technique from CCO2, page 54,creating the corners of this piece, which gives a  faux metal effect.

  As the challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is Anything Goes this week i shall also enter this challenge having stamped several images.

Having  recycled this piece of shelving, framing it with stamped and embossed corners, I am entering the challenge of Anything Goes -Frame It over at Recycle, Repurpose and Re-Invent Challenge.

As you will see below I applied Studio Multi Medium, enabling the paint to adhere to the surface. I used a paintbrush and acrylic paint from my paint dabbers. I used Sail Boat Blue paint for the first coat, then applied Picket Fence Crackle Paint, twice. Once dried I sanded the surface and then blended in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I framed the edges in Rub'n' Buff Grecian Gold, which I applied using my fingers.

Using Jet Black Archival Ink I stamped images from Stampers Anonymous TH Classic Favourites 

( SCF 007 & SCF 008) I then stamped the large image on to vellum, using DI's to age it. I also took my waterbrush and some DI to colour some of the stamped image, then layered it over the main image below, keeping some of the edges slightly upturned to create some dimension.

These corners were created using Tim Holtz technique on page 54 of CCO2. 

This is the completed piece, which is really delightful and is part of a birthday gift for my son's partner, Jennifer. They both went to Rome for Jennifer's 21st birthday several years ago and fell in love with it.

(As the main stamped image has the  french word Patisserie on it I used alcohol ink on the metal key to alter it and cover the word. )

                                  Have a fabulous Sunday and I hope to catch up with you soon

                                                             Crafty Hugs Annie xx

Clockwork Birds

Hi Everyone.............sharing a piece that I created for my DH's birthday. I just love the stamped images from Paper Artsy.

To make this piece I used recycled cardboard, covering it with multi- medium before covering with recycled book pages, which were blended with distress inks. Taking a piece of Metal foil, adhered to card stock, I ran it through a TH embossing folder on my Bigshot. I then covered the embossed foil in Denim and gold paint dabbers, sanding the metal foil once paint dried. The clock work birds were stamped on ultra smooth white card, cut out and then inked with distress inks and some gold paint  from the dabber was added to the crowns. The sentiment was also blended with distress inks.  a variety of metal charms/cogs were used and were altered with paint then wiped with a dry cloth. The metal tag was adhered with sticky pads and string attached. I used sticky pads to raise the metal background, birds and main sentiment, adding dimension. 

Wire was then twisted and placed through piercings, enabling this piece to be hung on a wall.

I am entering this piece in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show -  No Rules ! Anything Goes

The Sunday Stamper - Embellishments 

Frilly and Funkie - Make my Metal Altered

Sir Stampalot Challenge - Whats Your Crafty Passion ( my passion is Distress, Vintage and Steampunk )

Many thanks to followers old and new for continuing to visit and leave comments. 

Crafty hugs

Annie x

Fathers Day

Hi Everyone..........hope you are seeing an improvement in the weather in the UK. Can I also give a huge welcome/Thank You to new and older followers of my blog.................its so great to be able to read your comments and to then link in with your blog viewing your latest creations.

This is a card I made especially for my Dad on his 'special day'.  The frame is made from wooden coffee stirrers that I have obtained during visits to some worldwide coffee houses. They were bound together with metal wire. The  Sizzix TH die cut letters were rusted using the appropriate mediums available from Crafty Notions and some white vinegar. A metal foil sheet was adhered  to a piece of re-cycled cardboard and some Ten Second Studio tools were used to create texture.  I then punched holes on the centre piece and once again used the metal wire to attach it to the outside frame. A stamped hand and time piece were also added to this  creation, providing further interest. My dad was delighted and I hope you like it too.

I would like to enter this piece in the following challenges:

Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-invent- Anything Goes & Heavy Metal

Amusing Challenges - Masculine Card

Sunday Stampers - Men/Male Themed

Scrappy Frogs Challenge Blog - Celebrate Men

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes

Hope you all have a great week whatever you are up to 

Annie xx

http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/celebrate-men-challenge.html

Alter It

Good Morning everyone. Hope you are all well and enjoying your crafty time. 

Posted below is my creative submission for the Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent  Blog Challenge  for May- Anything Goes and a plastic existence.

I have had these foil trays for ages and thought I would 'Re-Invent' them for this challenge. I used alcohol inks to colour the foil, however, getting in to the corners was difficult so I thought I would try the Paper Transformation Technique, inspired by Neil Walker of Neelz Expressionz ( click here for the tutorial) Its hard to believe that this was once just plain old copy paper !

  For my 'plastic existence' I cut out a piece of plastic from a milk carton, putting it through my die cut machine, and you can see the flowers below. I used inks on the flowers but then decided to use  Ranger Glue 'n' Seal, followed by a variety of  Adirondack paint dabbers, followed by Distress crackle pain in Rock Candy.  ( I was also changing the colour of a metal chain for another project )

 As you can see I used a variety of stamps designed by  Tim Holtz, Wendy Vecchi & Lynne Perella.

The large sentiment on the top piece  was designed by Chris Stern of CS Designs. I received this digital sentiment having been featured in the  Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent April Challenge . You should pop over to Chris's online store and view  her designs for yourself.  The images and sentiments are beautiful.
( As a new blogger I was thrilled to bits to be featured !!)

 I adhered some burlap around the large foil tray and added the Sizzix, TH, Word Play die cut letters, which are rusted, using rusting powder/acrylic wax from Crafty Notions. ( you also add white vinegar to the mix )

 On the bottom foiled tray I adhered  some vintage lace. The trays were then pieced together using some string.

                                       
                                         Hope you like this piece, which I had great fun creating.
I am  also  going to submit this creation to  the challenges at Inspire me Fridays- Always Anything Goes and Scrapalicious- Something Altered .

                                           Crafty Hugs as always and have a good weekend

                                                                         Annie  :)

Vintage Theme

Good morning everyone.

Here is my post for today. I made this piece for my sister and brother in law for their  wedding anniversary. Like me  my sister loves vintage/steampunk and she just  telephoned to say that  she is delighted. 

For the background to this piece I used the Sizzix TH Alterations embossing folder on A4 card. The frame was cut using a Spellbinders die, which I stamped with an Andy Skinner stamp, using Sepia archival ink. To create some texture on the red background paper I used a  TH script stamp in  jet black archival ink as well as  a gold acrylic paint dabber on another TH flourish stamp. The  main sentiment  and  pocket watch on bottom left  are stamps from The Artistic Stamper. Other stamps used are from various TH stamp sets that I have. The letters were die cut from Sizzix TH Carnival die. To obtain the look of rust on my letters I used acrylic wax and rusting powder from Crafty Notions. ( white vinegar was also used in this technique) As their anniversary is on the 17th I also added the numbers 1 and 7 either side of the frame. All in all I am delighted with the outcome, particularly the rusting. This is a style that I love and one that you will frequently see on my blog.

I plan to submit this piece in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - Anything Goes

Pixie Dust Studio- Challenge 127, Steampunk

Card and Scrap- Vintage

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Many Thanks for visiting my blog. I love to read your comments and always try to return them. Its fantastic to be able to view the work of other crafters, gain inspiration and to learn new techniques. 

Happy crafting.............Annie

Chain Mail !!!!

Hi Everyone. Hope you are all well and that the weather is improving. We had sunshine today but it was still very cold. Brr !!

This is a piece that I made using  a TH embossing folder  for the background and grand nestabilites die from SB for  the frame. I love the way the embossing folder has given this piece great texture.  I also sanded the background texture before  inking it lightly with black soot. I then inked the frame with Fired Brick Distress Ink and stamped an image from TH Stampers Anonymous, Remnants in Ranger sepia archival ink. I used some metallic rub ons here and there to add a bit more interest to the frame. Various TH  Sizzix die cuts were  applied around the frame and I attempted the rusted enamel technique ( page 41)  from Tim's recent Compendium of Curiosities. I was quite pleased with the outcome of this technique, which I used on the keyhole and key, as well as the gadget gears.  I pulled this piece together with a sentiment from  TH Stampers Anonymous, Words for Thought,  tearing the paper prior to inking with Fired Brick and Broken China. I then added a chain  from TH Ideology range to complete the look.

I plan to enter this piece in to the following challenges:

Cards for Men - Texture

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Ooh La La Creations Challenges - Make in Manly

The Corrosive Challenge Blog - Challenge 148, The Man, The Myth, The Legend...Tim Holtz

That Craft Place - One for The Boys

Fab 'n' Funky - Celebrating Male-ness

Sunday Stamper - Week 203 - Red

Rome................wasn't built in a day !!!!

Hi Everyone. As mentioned I have had  problems  with some posts/images so I am  really sorry if you have visited and not been able to view the pieces.

This is a piece that I made to enter the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge, Sunday Stampers and Make My Monday.

The background, which is  Kraft Resist paper from TH Paper Stash, was inked with  vintage photo distress stain. I also flicked some shimmer spray to give an aged look. The stamps I used were mainly from Stampers Anonymous Artefacts. I also added an embellishment that I had made in my Ranger melting pot.

The keys and lock are die cuts from TH Sizzix Bigz dies. The frame was cut with a Spellbinder die, which I distresed with Broken China, Tumbled Glass and Vintage Photo, giving an aged look. The numbers are also die cuts and I added them as Hels Sheridan is celebrating her 200th Sunday Stampers Challenge.

Thanks for visiting..................hope to see you again soon.

Happy Crafting...............Annie x

French Fancy !!!

Hi Everyone. Been having a problem with this post and my most recent one. Must have done something wrong......sorry if you visited and could not see images.

This is a piece I made to enter Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge - Studio 490 and The Artistic Stamper challenge- Ribbons and Lace.

I used the TH Postcard folder, which I embossed and then distressed with tumbled glass and Vintage photo. I then added lace all around.  The images are from WV Studio 490 range - Art rules and European Art. I stamped them and cut them out. They were also inked with various distress inks. I addedd some  chipbaord letters and a couple of flowers to complete the centre piece.  I placed the finished item on  brown card, placing some embossed corners on it just to add some detail.

I really enjoyed creating this piece. Hope you like it too.

Many thanks for visiting and viewing my posts.

Happy Crafting............Annie x