Tag & Challenges

Morning, I have lost it! (my mojo) I am gutted, so if you find it please send it back immediately!  I am so lost with out it, I was on such a roll as well so I am a little sad :0( so I thought I would do a challenge or two so I can get those creative juices flowing. Over at the Stamp Smith they want to see any SS stamp and the colours Blue and Brown. And SSS&S want to see some stars (they are there honest) And Hels over at Sunday stampers Also wants to see Brown.

I can't say this has brought my Mojo to life but it's better to do something than nothing. The stars are gems (the teeny tiny kind) in the top left corner. I thought I would use some paper and beads. these are glass beads off last years flip flops ha ha. I don't throw any thing away now with out checking A. if it's good enough for charity.  And B if it's not, what can I use off it? I used PVA tacky glue as it dries clear. I am happy with it but I need my MOJO back, believe it or not this tag took all day, I KNOW, you don't want to know how many ended in the bin. lol Have a good day. Love Dawn xx

Bird Shrine

Oh My It's Sunday already, and I'm picking up the little man tomorrow for another week of joy and exertion lol. I am hoping to do some crafting but I don't know how much or if I will be posting much this week so please forgive me if I am not around much this week. I will get round to a few peoples blogs if I hope though (love your creations). I have a lovely tea cup set ready for Tuesday though so hope you pop back for that. But for now a shrine of sorts.

I hope you like this, I have had this frame for about a month and I wanted to do something with it  but didn't quite know where to go with it. Then I saw the challenge Alter it Monthly and I thought another opportunity to use this stamp set I hope your not too board of it. Having made it and looking at the DT I think it also fits in to the colour scheme for The Play Date Cafe Which this week is lemon, pale peach and peach. And the lovely Hel's from Sunday Stamper Is looking for letters (hope my letters at the bottom count he he)

I am sure you can imagine the work that went into this little creation. First this is just a chip board frame/shadowbox so it was primed with two coats then it was painted and then it had distress crackle on it, I love the effect I then put some DI into the cracks to help it show up. I made the eggs and nest from sculpey clay which was then baked and then coloured with copics. I found this cute chick and colored it with copics too (too much of a bright yellow so he had to be toned down a little ;0).

You can see the crackle effect better here I think. The sign was stamped with DI on embossed DP then I had some UV gel and let it set under a UV light, this looks like a piece of glass now and I am very happy with the result this new found gel gives me, it's even better then glossy accents (you know how much I love this stuff right?) and dries so much quicker under the UV lamp.

I used the same gel here too! This is some DP cut out, I have added ribbon and attached it to the bottom like a hanging pendulum, but it also makes sense with the chip board letters too!

'Life Time in a box' is the name i have given this piece. If you think of the eggs the chick and then the mother bird watching over them all, I am really happy with it. I also stamped the label's and cut them out distressed and coloured them attached some string and added the letters as you can see above.

I wanted to give you a closer look at the inside. I have stamped some feathers with feather images, and also scavenges some bark and more feathers and added them to this little box of life! I really like the added feather to the stamped image of the mother bird. You can see the chick how it had had it's added colour  and the detail in the eggs, I hope you feel it has the nest feel and you have enjoyed looking at this, as I have enjoyed making this. It took almost a week with drying time (lots of coast of paint on the box/frame) and to come up with the ideas but I feel it works well and was worth it. as I said earlier I will hopefully be working on some projects through the week in between looking after James (my grandson) so I may not be around much but I am sure I will still find time to visit some of your blogs and wonderful work as you are all so inspiring. Love Dawn xx

 I have also been given this rather different award by the lovely Anesha she is so inspiring, if you haven't go pop over to see her she is a very talented lady. Now the rules mmm quite difficult. You have to tell 6lies and one truth!

• I am a millionaire
• I am not happily married!
• I hate animals
• I have way to much stash!
• I love all the comments I receive
• I dislike the sun
• I have swam the channel

So which one it the TRUTH only one now the rest are big fat porkys (although I have to give you a hint I wish the top one was true lol)

I also have to award this to 7 other people and let them know (well I will have to do this later as i am of to church and pray for forgiveness for the 6 lies I just told lol) see you later and  will pass out the award to 7 of you and you will have to play liar liar to!

So my seven are:- Lynn, Irit, Hilde, Lorraine, Barbara, Viola and Linda. All these women are amazing and have fantastic blogfuls of inspiration so give them a visit. Love Dawn xx

Items Used:-  Frame, Twiddlebitz shadow frame  Eggs & Nest, Sculpey clay. Paint, Laura Ashley and Distress Crackle Paint Ranger. Design Paper (DP) My minds eye & Graphic 45. Distress Inks (DI) Crackle glaze Tim Holtz (Ranger) Stamps, Stampington & Co. Letters ? Ribbon, Stash.

My first Fabric Paper!

It's Monday, I hope you have had a lovely weekend too. Look how sunny it was yesterday (Sunday) when i took these photos. I made some fabric paper (FP) and it was so much fun! This is some cotton I got from a charity shop (you would usually use muslin) however cotton is fine I used a table cloth  but you can use an old blouse tea towel ( as long as it's a thin 100% cotton). I got some vintage sheet music riped it all up the covered in waterd PVA glue then added crumpled up tisue paper un-crumpled it then more PVA and let it dry.

Oh while the PVA was wet, I added some liquid acrylic (just a few drops) then brushed it all over,  on my 2nd piece I used a couple of colours of GM and brushed it together (you can use ink or paint wash) I wish I had more room I would of done more than two sheets, and I have already used it in a project! (see below). So if you like to get a wee bit messy and would like to try something new, why not make some FP.

What do you think? It's been a while since I made a card. I am going to use this for some challenges I think you can guess the 1st one ;0) this will be my 3rd entry (as long as each entry is different eg. card, ATC, LO etc you can enter as many times as you like) 10 cards would only be one entry though. Yep  it's for Sir Stampalot you know I want that prize. A darling Tim Holts goodie bag (fingers crossed) The theme is 'Blossoms & Butterfly's. Next it's SSIC I love the ladies here and the spirit they bring to each Sunday. Their theme is 'Music/singing' and there is lots of music notes and the birdy is singing.  Next Allsorts theme is 'Birthdays' And the final challenge is Sunday Stamper and the lovely Hel's theme is 'Red' and there is plenty of yummy red on this.

I went all Tim Holtz (TH) on this card. I have used the fabric paper to punch out some of TH flowers and the birdy I have edged the flowers in red DI

I also die cut the bird cage, it's metal, I have used alcohol inks to put colour and texture on the cage,  (I love the effect) And you can see my bird better here made from the FP too!

I didn't want to put happy B'day on the front but I think this would make a lovely B'day card. the ticket is another TH die cut coloured with DI and a beautiful butterfly stamp embossed (so it is raised) to add yet more texture. This idea came to me in a flash when I thought about the birdcage and I love this card. I hope you do to. Thank you to all my visitors for your kind words and encouragement. I have been stopping by quite a lot of new blogs as well as my usual ones and I am never disappointed but always blown away by your talent so your comments mean so much to me. Love Dawn xx

Items Used:- there's a few lol. Stamps, Crafty Individuals and  Stampin' Up! Alcohol inks, Ranger. Perlescent liquid acrylic paints, Daler & Rowney.  Papers (DP) K&Co. Mini Letters & Brad, Making Memories. Distress inks (DI) & Die cuts (alterations) Tim Holtz. Material, tissue, jump rings, vintage sheet music & beads from my stash.

Tag and some updates.

Morning and I hope you are enjoying your week end it's beautiful here in NW UK but I am too poorly to go out (one of my bad days!) any way I can craft and look at your wonderful work. This is a tag (you don't say?) lol But I have made it for the  challenge over at Tuesday Taggers There theme this week is 'Dragons' so I have included some 'Dragon flys' They are being Sponsored by Tanda Stamps this week so pop have a looksy, I have never shopped there but I know I will be going for a week look around to see what they have lol. I will also enter this for Sunday Stamper Hels is encouraging as many entrys as you like for this one this is my 3rd entry  just pop along for more details of how to enter.

Sorry just realised it's not the right way round (but you get the idea ;0) I have used some red stazon to stamp this LLB stamp on some accitate I have put this on the scrummy DI background I used two colours BDR & WH then stamped my drangon fly stamp with some CO ( I think?) I had stamped some images that I wasn't that pleased with so used them to punch out my DF I think they look great and finally some orange ribbon from stash and volia!

I also wanted to show you my 'Sew Lovely'  (thanx for the suggestions) now it's finished. And  I Have hung it up in my craft room with some extra distresed backing and some ribbon through some jumbo SU brads. I thought I would also enter it for a NEW Challenge blog! Sentimental Sundays (SS)It looks very exciting pop over to have a look they're also having a DT call so please pop by if you can.

Here are my Fairy swaps from ATC swap 'till you drop I would love to thank the ladies in clock wise order they are Vonny, Karen, Jeanie & Chriss. I will be round to your blogs thank you for your beautiful work xx

And finally but by NO means least I got a scrummy card in the post this morning From Chris Oh thank you hunny ITS DIVINE ;0) lol. And better still, what was inside. Pop to her blog if you haven't already that is, you won't be disapointed. How did you get the out line for that butterfly? it's all delish.

These two yummy ATCs one is a swap as we had a little trade, and the other is just because we are bloggy friends how wonderful she is. I am still looking at them, love the backgrounds I am assuming you painted them yourself they are wonderful & you can see the texture just! Where did you get the crown and trim ( it's like peel off but classy) My love to you all as always Dawn xx

Items Used:- (for top tag) Inks, Distress inks & Stazon. Ribbon, Stash. Stamps, SU & LLB, Punch dove craft.

Altered Frame

Morning folks, I left some photos for your own use on previous post B&W and Sepia I thought you may like them for some craft projects have a look later. Now this little innocent frame above this was before I altered it. Now it has been Dawnied (see below) lol I bought 2 from the charity shop for 32p each  they both had these big flowers in which I have kept. (you never know when it will come in handy) I showed you on Wednesday WOYWW them painted  (there was also a third larger frame)I sanded them all and used a small tester of the vintage crown paints and there is still lots left! So now I have come back to show you one finished frame I hope you like it. I am using this to enter a challenge GSC theme is 'Botanical' pop along loads of inspiration from the DT as always. as well as SCD the letter they are using thios week is 'H' and there  are one or two Hearts in my project ;0) Also Sunday Stampers

I have gone all girly vintage, But I haven't given this peice a name as yet! There are a few techiques in here too! I have had a lot of fun using a new technique (more about that in a min) and using some old stash as well as some new!

Here You can see Tim Holtz yummy 'Ornate Plates' which I hate to use but what's the point of all the good stuff being in the draws and not on my art? I used some paint and one of the 'Adage tickets' inked with DI, I also got a 'Bow Easy' and it does what it says on the tin, you can see a tiny bow made with hardly any bother at all. So more bows around I think lol In the back ground you can see the lovely BG DPs but also the lace stamp I used, loving this new stamp set!

I painted a chip board Butterfly then stamped it in a contrasting colour,  I then used a metalic rub for the edges instead of ink for a change. I also used the bow easy again ;0) I also used a new mold and some friendly plastic  (all very new to me) to make the key hole. I was inspired to have a go by Lucy You can see her TT  if you click her name. I was very impressed. So I have started small but I have already made an Eiffel Tower and other things too, I may get to show these to you another time. But I am loving the versitility this new technique can give me.

I have had some of this chip board for years, it has been radically altered but it's so useful isn't it? the heart I covered with some DP and then a lovely image. I rubbed some metalic rub on round the edges, the sissors you know I already love lol I have stamped and cut them out and then highlighted with Glossy accents.

Last one, another little chip board butterfly, this time inked and then some glass glitter sprinkled all over with a couple of pins at the back, and all mounted on some foam to lift. I have had the pins so long I don't know where they're from. On the outside of the frame is a stamped image coloured with copics, love this. I have cut the stand off that is on the stamp it's really lovely, also on the frame are stamped images from the same stamp set also a yummy flower and another tiny bow. So what do you think? Love Dawn xx

Items Used:- Frame, charity shop. Tim Holtz, adage tickets, Ornate Frames and Distress inks. Craft ySecret s stamp set 'Sew Special' Chip board, hearts, butterflys and ribbon stash. DP Basic Grey & Crafty Individuals. Flower, Hobby craft. Image, Crafty Individuals.