Mailart

Hello lovely visitors! Some of you may have seen that Paperartsy are having a mail art challenge right now. Well I love mail art, and really needed a break from all the Christmas projects. I hardly ever play in challenges, but this one I could not resist... So here goes, my mail art envelope:

I made my envelope using a really old piece of scrapbook paper, no idea from whom, but it was dark brown with rulers printed on. I covered it with gesso, and as it dried it turned this rather cool (I think) grey blue colour. I gave it a spritz of Ground Espresso Distress Ink Spray, dabbed it with kitchen roll and then played around with a number of different Tim Holtz stamps, using Snowflake Fresco paint, and a dark brown Big Brush pen to ink up my stamps.

I also added some collage elements, fussy cut and stamped, just to add a bit more interest.

This is what the back looks like:

Done in a very similar way, again, mostly using stamps from Tim Holtz Correspondence set.

I really enjoyed making this and plan to do a few more. If anyone would be interested in a swap, - leave me a comment. Mailart envelopes are sent just as they are, closed with nothing inside, like ATCs they are just an art exchange. If you are new to mail art, there are some super examples and a lot about the whole concept HERE. I am adding this to the Paperartsy Mailart Challenge

Well that's it from me for today. I'll be back tomorrow with just a little sneak peek for Shimmerz.

Happy weekend and thanks so much for your visit!

With a Flourish for A Vintage Journey

Hello everyone and thanks for taking the time to drop in here. Today it's a new challenge at A Vintage Journey, the lovely Jennie is the challenge host and the theme she chose is "With a Flourish"
Flourishes always feel very feminine to me, so I made a soft and feminine card, trying very hard to still keep it "Tim Holtz style".

It was pretty quick and easy to put together, as most of the bits and pieces were in my box of scraps already, so here is how I went about it:

I created a background panel on a piece of manila card stock. I inked it with Weather Wood, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain Distress inks, stamped some flourishes around the edges using Coffee Archival ink ( this is a La Blanche stamp), and then added a piece of trellis from my scrap box.

Next I added some other bits and pieces: a butterfly from the French Flight Framelets set, a piece of paper from the Wallflower Paperstash, a ticket, stamped with a stamp from the Odds and Ends stamp set, a couple of little flourish die cuts and a rose made with the Pinecone Sizzix die. Below you can see some detail of how I layered it all up:

I tucked the ticket in between one of the flourish dies

The butterfly sits on top of one of the Tattered Curvy Banners to which I have added some Remnant Rub words.

Well, that's about it. I matted it on some white and then 7 x 7" Kraftcard the card was complete. A fun to do quick project and another card ready to send to someone.

Hope you'll play along in this latest challenge, - do check out all the other DT samples. Trust me they are amazing!!! Like always, our challenge is sponsored by Countryview Crafts where most of the products I used are available.

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for visiting today!!

Tim's August tag

Hi everyone and welcome to all of you, but specially my new followers, thank you for deciding to follow along here!!

It's not often I publish in the middle of the day, as most of my posts are scheduled for either mid night here in the UK or early morning. This for once is an unscheduled post, fresh from the crafting table so to speak....

As the title suggests, it's my take on Tim Holtz August tag, though I have to confess, I made it a few days ago, but only now found a minute to blog it. Just as well, as August is speeding by at a horrible pace.

I'm keeping this short(ish) as all details can be found on Tim's Blog.

I followed all his techniques closely, but changed the colours, stamps and the overall design as back in January I decided to work with two tags, a #8 on top of a #10, to give me more room to play with.

I used the new Gothic stencil and Wendy Vechhi's crackle paste though you can hardly see the crackle on this quite delicate stencil.

I used the butterflies from the new French themed Framelets set, but as they were getting a bit lost against the tissue tape and other background elements, I stamped the larger one again and fussy cut it, just to pop out a bit more.

The film strip, overlapping both tags to hold the overall design together a bit. I decided to put my pen nib on top of the strip. I did stitch it vertically, but it's hard to see from the photo. I also added some tissue tape and more stamping to the background tag.

A word band, high-lighted with Picket Fence DP (I don't have the newer word bands yet, they're on the wishlist).

Remnant Rub words on the vial label. Believe it or not, I had quite forgotten which words Tim had picked and then when I looked I had picked the same ones, must have been there somewhere in my unconscious mind.....

A Philosophy tag and the way I usually finish my Tim tags with the month at the top.

Well, that's it pretty much, - oh I did not use the speckle stencil as I thought it might get a bit too busy in the background, so I used the Spritzer tool for some very subtle spots instead.

Linking this to Tim's August Tag.

Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

A Rusty Gentleman

Hello everyone and welcome, lovely to have you here and a specially warm welcome to all my new followers both of Friends Connect and on Bloglovin. Please know you are all very much appreciated!!
Today I would like to share a tag with you

I have been wanting to take part in Sandee and Amelie's Steampunk challenge block for ages, but every month I seem to run out of steam (no pun intended). This month the theme is rust, and though all I have to offer is a humble tag, it's all about joining in the fun right? I know I never have the time to do big complicated assemblages and such, and my steam punk bits and pieces are also limited, but I love rusty things so I knew I had to play.
So, as you can see there are many layers to this tag, the background was embossed and painted with numerous colours of acrylic paint trying to resemble something rusty, aged and worn. I then added some rusty wire, another bit of embossed paper (the bit at the bottom, with a Sculpey Clay tile on top).

The embossed bit was actually layers and layers of toilet paper, torn to bits and put on an embossing folder, spritzt with water and then run through a diecut machine. It was left to dry overnight and then turns into something resembling paper clay, very cool! I learned this clever trick from my friend Rita. It was coloured with Distress Inks.
Other layers include a photo from one of the papers from Tim Holtz's French Industrial collection, a rusty heart, some rusted steampunky bits, a couple of chit chat stickers and a sentiment from a Donna Downey set stamped on a Tim Holtz tattered banner. All the raised bits were high lighted with various colours of Treasure Gold.

Finally I added some lace and more curly rusted wire and a flower for just a little bit of a feminine touch and there you have it.

I am adding this to Sandee and Amelie's challenge "It's all about Rust"

Thanks you so much for visiting and have a creative day!

Makes for Men Artistic Stamper challenge

Hi everyone, great to have you visiting! Hope it feels like June where you are...... I won't say much about what it's like here.... the month of Summer???? Really????

Anyway, it being the first of the month means there is a new challenge over at the Artistic Stamper, the theme is "Makes for Men", in honour of Father's Day here in the UK. All you need to do is make a little something to the theme and link it and you are in with a chance of winning some fabulous Artistic Stamper stamps.

Here is my sample made from another of the wonderful caddies I received from Brenda, made entirely using stamps this time.

Have a creative weekend everyone, enjoy yourselves and thanks for your visit!