INKY FINGERS

I’m really enjoying trying to make something of my old scraps, so here are more…

This is an old Faux Batik background, which turned out too dark, so I used the same stamps used on the background and added a little more to it to lighten it. I used yellow for a change and did a little shadow stamping in the background.

I don’t often use die cuts but I saw these used on the Stamps and Stencils Challenge blog and fell in love with them – they’re also a great way of lightening darker backgrounds. Sorry it’s not a good photo but it’s pretty dark here today

This is another dark (acrylics) background lightened with stencils and white ink or paint, using a Paperartsy Flower stamp and a great Tim Holtz text…

Another Paperartsy stamp and another TH quote…

…and the lovely Woodware silhouette again on a simple inky background.

I’d like to link these to the following challenges.

Try it on Tuesday – Beautiful Nature

Creatalicious – Anything Goes with optional dies/punches

Crafting with Friends – Anything Goes

and

Crafty Creations – Anything Goes

Thanks for looking

See you soon

Cath

xxx

I played a little with a couple of Penny Black Brush stroke stamps yesterday… I have a real weakness for their beautiful designs.

I’ve been wanting this stamp for a long time but wouldn’t get it because I thought it was a bit limiting…I gave in eventually and love the way it’s turned out. Long tailed tits are among my favourite birds, being one of the smallest in the UK. I used to love watching them flying in to the feeders, in flocks of around 13 – they always sound as if they’re ‘tinkling’ like bells and are such a delight to watch. So I tried to emulate their colouring, though it’s not perfect. I like the result, though the beaks look a little more finch like, the way I’ve coloured them…

I’d like to link this to the Penny Black Saturday challenge – Anything Goes.

I also found my Duo Daubers when sorting out my Craft Room, so I thought I’d play with them and this PB stamp.

I usually colour with Prisma pencils after stamping, but with the DD being pigment inks, I just embossed, which means they’re a bit bereft of shading, but they’re still ok.

This one is for two challenges and uses up one of the ‘too dark’ backgrounds I made a while ago on linen card, using Glimmer Mists. The texture of the card makes the wording look a bit lost, but it looks better in real life. I used Brilliance Moonlight white, stencilled, to try to lighten it a bit and coloured the SU lady with Prisma colour pencils.

This is for

Addicted to Stamps and More – Make your Mark

Through the Craft Room Door – Anything Goes

and

Stamping Sensations One for the Girls

I just went to add my link to Addicted to Stamps and More and discovered my card was chosen as Top Addict – wow!  Thank you so much, peeps. I’m honoured

Then I did a simple page in my Journaling Bible…

More in progress, so I’ll be back soon.

Thanks for looking

Cath

xxx

‘One for the Girls’ is the them at Stamping Sensations, so I was playing around with some of my sillier images…

I went a little overboard (for me…) with gems on her shoes, glasses and ring, plus an odd bit of Stickles on the earrings, cigarette holder and hair ornament, but it’s just a bit of fun!  It’s amazing how feeling old creeps up on you… I gave her a blue/purple hair rinse, too

I’ve been using up more scraps and using some images I don’t use as much these days, so these are the results.

This one is made with new stamps and uses an old background, stencilled over with White Brilliance ink.

I’d like to link to the  ‘Anything Goes’ challenges at

Mix it up Challenges

Word Art Wednesday

and

A Bit More Time to Craft.

Thanks for looking

See you soon

Cath

xxx

I’ve been adding Ebay listings (selling some of my craft stash and clothes I just don’t use any more) and almost lost the will to live – it takes SO LONG!!!! 

So, I decided to have a real play today, using some of the images I spent a day and a half stamping and cutting out masks for… well prepared…NOT.

These are images from the pile of stamps I decided I simply must use again some time, when reorganising my Craft Room – which isn’t (of course) yet finished

This is a pretty little girl image…made mostly with pink Distress inks and a bit of Aged Mahogany. I can’t remember where the word stamp came from but I know it was from the Port Sunlight show, around 10 years ago, so it’s probably from Stamp Camp – who no longer attend

I think the little girl image is from either Stampinback or Lost Coast…but I may be wrong…again, bought around 8-10 years ago.

I love both this stamp AND the words. Again, I’m not quite sure where the girl image came but it’s highly likely to be one of the above – I bought a lot together at one time, around 9-10 years ago.  There again, it may be Viva Las Vegas…I ordered a lot from them at the same time.

The words (both sentiments) are definitely from Stamp Camp. I loved her stamps. Not sure if she’s still around but I ordered from the US a couple of times until I realised her service was somewhat sporadic, to say the least.  Such a shame.

I used some background stamps I haven’t used for a while and also a new stencil, which I really like!

I also used two of my favourite colours of Distress ink – Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio.

As so often happens after a Craft Room tidy/reorganisation, I ended up with a pile of stamps I hadn’t used for years and wanted to use again…notably, this little butterfly girl, from Time to Stamp, which once was a favourite of mine.  I noticed Rubber Dance now sell the same image(s – there are a few different ones on the same theme), which intrigues me, especially because they credit Time to Stamp…

I masked the butterfly girl and made two quite different cards – this one was a simple one with a plain background, edged with a stamp made from an old rollagraph wheel.

The next one was a bit more complex because I clear embossed some images over the mask, then added inks, a bit more colour and some words.

I’d like to link that to

Make My Mondays - Things with Wings

I was still playing with Black and White for a day or so and made another scrapling…

…and this one from an Art Journey stamp, with an Isa stamp in the background. Not sure if they were pressed by Katzelcraft but I know Isabelle designed the plate. I used a Hero Arts alphabet set for the letters.

Here’s another Winged Creature…or three on an Oxide Background…

…a simple ‘Happy Day’ card on another Oxide background…

…followed by another…

…and today’s journalling spread, again, made with Oxides, various stamp and pens.

I’m linking to the following challenges:-

Addicted to Stamps and More – Photo Challenge

A Bit More Time to Craft – Anything Goes

and

Simon Says Stamp Wed – Anything Goes

Happy Easter, everybody!

Thanks for looking

See you soon

Cath

xxx

It’s been one of those weeks… we all have them, I’m sure …

It was my birthday, which became a bit of an extended celebration, and on which my lovely younger son put up some shelves in my craft room. I was so excited, I had to start reorganising it all immediately, which sort of lasted a few days. My (still unfinished) craft room is looking great, but as a result of all the lugging and clearing and cleaning, my hands died and my already sore back just got worse, so I’ve been unable to stamp – big AWWWW – or do much of anything else!

I contented myself by making a few bits which didn’t need too much dexterity.

This one is for 

Allsorts Black and White challenge… 

I concentrated on layers, rather than the fiddly bits I usually enjoy adding to black and white. I’m sure it would have looked better if I’d added the brads vertically…

I then made this one… intending to add some tag words, but after numerous failed attempts, I gave up   I haven’t used this image for a while – it was one of my favourites a few years ago. The background on the back layer is my trusted crackle stamp, stamped repeatedly around the edges, then clear embossed.

Sticking with monochrome, I found this background I’d stashed, and added the stamp (from my winnings at Simon Says Stamps) and an already cut out image from my ‘cutouts’ basket. I really love the result.

I’ll link this to the

Crafty Friends Challenge – Anything Goes

and to

Crafty Creations – Anything Goes.

This is one I made for a KCUK mingle.. all things New.

I’ll link it  to Mix it Up’s ‘Make Your Own Background challenge.

I’ll end with another couple of scraplings…

Here’s a close up to show the mica in the background.

I’ll be back soon…lots more to share.

Thanks for looking.

Have a great Easter!

Cath

xxx

I don’t often use bling on my cards but do occasionally like to, when it fits the image… this is the kind of image that screams out for a bit of glitter…not that you can see it!

This is for the Allsorts Challenge – Bring on the Bling!

(Unfortunately, the link is closed, so I can’t add this )

and

Dragonfly Dreams – All that Glitters

And how could I not add glitter to this one, with that sentiment?

This is just a Spring card… for the

Spring into Action challenge at That’s Crafty

and

My Time to Craft – Easter/Spring

and a journal page for Art Journal Journeys

A bit more Spring rain with new Inkylicious stamps.

…and last, but not least, another Scrapling, this time with a lovely Swallow postcard stamp.

Back soon

Thanks for looking!

Cath

xxx