Steampunk or Punk a$$

Well I can safely say today's card is way out of my comfort zone. But hey, it's fun to mix it up a bit form time to time, right? The challenge over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers is "G is for gears" with a theme of steampunk. I'm never sure what steampunk really is. All I know is it's all about gears and men in top hats. Ok, so gears and top hats it is then! I started by inking up my Tim Holtz Steampunk embossing folder with Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Distress Inks, and ran a piece of cardstock through my Big Shot. Then I inked the embossed gears using Hickory Smoke ink, adding a bit of shadow around the edges using Black Soot. Then I used a brush to add some Perfect Pearls on the gears as well. Next, I stamped one of Tim's Crazy Birds and some paraphernalia from the Crazy Things, coloured it all with Copics and die cut using matching dies. Last, I created the sentiments using Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs and STAMPlorations Sketchy Alphabet and distressed the edges of the sentiments and the embossed panel. I also added some Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso ink to the edges of the sentiments. I matted the whole shebang onto black card.

I'm also linking up with Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is Make Your Own Background, Little Red Wagon where the theme is "Mainly Manly", Left of Center where the theme is "Big Eyes", Craft Rocket Challenges where the theme is "Feathers or Fur" and  Craft Your Passion where Anything Goes

Card: 300 gsm black card, 300 gsm white textured card, scraps of Tim Holtz Core'dinations card and a scrap of a homemade coloured card made with Distress Paints
Ink and colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Early Espresso and Black Soot, Tsukineko Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Stamps: Tim Holtz Bird Crazy and Crazy Things and matching dies, STAMPlorations Sketchy Alphabet, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs
Other: Perfect Pearls, Steampunk embossing folder, black glittery embossing powder, Tim Holtz Distress tool

A world full of colour

Sorry for the silent treatment, I'm a few thousand miles from my craft room at the moment. I did however want to share with you this fun card I made last week, I absolutely love rainbows, I always say rainbow is my favourite colour. And of course I love Tim's Crazy Birds, and I realised I haven't had a play with them for a while so it was past time for them to come out and play.

I made a big bunch of rainbow Distress Paint backgrounds ages and ages ago. Apart from this card, the rest of the backgrounds have been hanging out unloved in my UFO box, so I thought it's about time to do something about it. I picked one of them and die cut it using a stitched rectangle die. Then I stamped one of the Crazy Birds and some artsy paraphernalia, coloured with Copics and die cut using the matching dies. Last I added a sentiment from STAMPlorations and attached everything onto white card.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
Make My Monday - Newest or most favourite stamp 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - T is for Technique (Distress paint background)

Card: 250 gsm white card, 300 gsm white linen textured card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Bird Crazy and Crazy Things (and matching dies), STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Tim Holtz Distress Paints
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles

Happy Crazy Halloween

Boy am I glad it's Friday. I'm suffering from a worklife related existential crisis. All I do is try to get through the weeks and make it to the weekend, sometimes it even feels like I'm only fully alive from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, the rest of the time I'm walking around in a zombie-like stupor. I know I'm supposed to be all excited and positive, but all I want to do is bury myself under my duvet and eat a ton of chocolate. I know it's just the darkness and this time of the year, and it will eventually pass. It's funny how some people just embrace autumn and talk about wrapping up in huge sweaters and having hot beverages. I'm trying to see their side of the argument, but I'm finding it very hard, especially as my toes are freezing despite doubling up with fluffy wool socks. Grumble, grumble...

Talking about zombie-like stupor, it's almost Halloween! I can't wait for next weekend, as I will be spending it with alpacas, the coolest animals ever! Pop back next weekend to hear what it's all about... Anyhow, back to Halloween. I grew up not even knowing what Halloween was, so it's never featured on my list of interests. I mean nowadays it's all been imported from the US, but back in my childhood, we didn't know about trick-or-treating. We do have an All Saints night around the same time of the year, but it's all about lighting candles and remembering those who have passed. No pumpkins or candies though.

Despite my general lack of interest towards Halloween, I had to have a little play with the gorgeous Crazy Things Halloween-y bits and bobs, just for one card. I have no idea what to do with it as I really don't know anyone who is into Halloween to send it to, but at least I had lots of fun making it! My colour inspiration for this card was this week's Colour Me...! with some quite Halloween-ish colours. The layout was inspired by the sketch over at Mojo Monday, it's been a while since I played along over there. It's also been waaay to long since I played along with the Snarky Sisters, so here is my long overdue contribution to the most recent challenge which is Halloween with some pink. Boy, I've missed good old Edna! I'm also linking up over at 4 Crafty Chicks, The Friday Mashup, Deep Ocean Challenges and Inky Chicks where the theme is Halloween

Card: 300 gsm black card, 250 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card

Stamps: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Bird Crazy and Crazy Things with matching dies, Lawn Fawn Hats Off

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Tim Holtz distress inks Black Soot, Wilted Violet

Colouring: Copics YR02, YR04, YR07, R20, R43, V04, V09, E37

Other: Lawn Fawn Happy Birthday border die, Tag You're It die and Let's Polka in the dark paper pad, Stampin' Up Glossy Accents

Cheer up, buttercup

I can't say it's been the most beautiful autumn day today, but although the skies have been grey, the rains have kept away and we spent a few hours in the garden. The results are a big bowl of apples which need to be turned into stewed apple, thee cucumbers and a huge bowl of tomatoes of various sizes and colours which I'm hoping to turn into a bit of tomato sauce. I'm so gutted that the tomato crops this year have been abysmal, last year we had enough tomatoes to keep us in tomato sauce for a year, and this year we hardly had any and all have been consumed as soon as they have been picked. But we did have an exceptional harvest of cherries, apricots and figs, so I'm not complaining. And there are plenty of apples and pears, I'm just happily picking the fruit straight from the tree and eating it standing right there in my garden. True happiness! 

I did get a chance to play in the craft room as well. Today's card is my second entry for the CAS-ology Silly challenge. I absolutely love this theme, and I have to admit I once again turned to my beloved Crazy Birds. The round sad looking is my absolute favourite of the bunch (shhh, don't tell the others!). I thought he could do with a bit of accessorising. The layout was inspired by the sketch over at My Favourite Things, and the colours are from the current ColourQ. I'm also linking up at Allsorts where the theme is No designer paper, Chocolate, Coffe and Cards where the theme is animals and Crazy 4 Challenges where the theme is costumed characters. 

There's nothing very high tech about this card, I die cut a panel of watercolour paper using Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles dies and stamped the sentiments and bird using Staz-On Jet black ink. The first part of the sentiment is stamped using the Stampin' Up Alphabet Rotary stamp and the second part using Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs. I like creating my own personalised sentiments to go with the cards I make, sometimes you just don't have an appropriate sentiment in your existing sets. Which reminds me I do want to buy at least one more alphabet stamp set, I am loving the Lawn Fawn ones as they have multiple copies of most letters so you can create the whole sentiment you need in one go instead of having to stamp one letter at a time. I watercoloured the birdie and his (I don't know why the birds are all male to me, but they just are...) accessories using Stampin' Write markers in Tangerine Tango, Wisteria Wonder and Old Olive (I don't have Kiwi Kiss). I then used the same markers to colour three stripes from the Stampin' Up Brushstrokes background stamp for the background and adhered the front panel with foam adhesive. I also stamped a sentiment inside the card which I thought would go with the theme of the card.

Card: 300 gsm white card, 300 gsm watercolour card

Stamps: Tim Holtz Bird Crazy, Crazy Things and matching dies, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs, Stampin' Up Alphabet Rotary stamp, Brushstrokes

Ink: Staz-on Jet Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Tangerine Tango, Wisteria Wonder, Old Olive

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies

Spectacular is what you are

I'm so happy tomorrow is Friday. I have lots of plans for the weekend. Among other things I am planning to sleep in late, lay on the sofa like a vegetable, read a book, eat chocolate and maybe some cake, and sleep some more. I'm going to be very busy indeed! 

Today's card involved lots of fun stamping. I was inspired by the Silly theme over at CASology, and thought the glasses from the Crazy Things  stamp set would bring the perfect silliness together with the custom made sentiment using Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs. The layout is inspired by this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch and the colour combo is inspired by this week's colour swatch over at Color Throwdown.

Card: 300 gsm white linen card, Vanguard VA017 Ivory card
Stamps: Tim Holtz Crazy Things, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABC
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up So Saffron, Pistachio Pudding
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies

Color Throwdown Guest DT card

I'm absolutely over the moon to share this card with you, as it's my Guest DT creation for this week's Color Throwdown which launches today. It is one of my "go to" places for inspiration, the DT is bursting with talent and the colour combos are amazing. I like to play along as often as I can. And today I have the great honour to join Tammy and her team of incredibly talented ladies to hopefully inspire you to play along with the rich colours you can see below. When I saw the colour swatch I immediately thought of an autumn theme, but as I had just created a few autumn watercolour scenes, my brain quickly moved on to Christmas instead because of the red and green. And the orange - what else could it be than a crazy beak? Can you see I still have Crazy Birds on my brain? So my little Crazy Santa was born. He wasn't born without considerable labour pains though, as this card is version three in the creative process. You can see version two below, and you won't see version one unless you have a good old dig around in my bin. But as most mother's would say, you forget the pain when you publish a blog post about your newly born card. Now it's your turn to link up over at Color Throwdown to inspire us with your gorgeous creations!

I created the background using my new favourite toy, the Tim Holtz Spritzer tool. I used the Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflake die cuts as masks, and spritzed several hues of brown distress markers to create the background. I absolutely adore that spritzed look. I stamped Santa birdie and his hat and candy cane onto watercolour paper and watercoloured using distress markers. Version two is coloured with Copics, and although I like the vibrant colours, I still like the muted earth tones of bird number three more. To finish, I die cut a frame using Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, added some Ice Stickles to the hat and some Glossy Accents to the candy cane. The sentiment is from the Lawn Fawn Joy to the Woods stamp set.

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
The Friday Mashup - Use a die cut to create a frame 
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes
The Artistic Stamper - Things With Wings
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Christmas
Clear It Out - Theme: Things with wings, stash:glitter (there is some stickles on the Santa's hat although it doesn't show very well in the image)
Papertake Weekly - Take your pick (autumn colours) 

Card: 300 gsm hammered white card, 240 gsm coloured card Chocolate Brown, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper
Stamps: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Bird Crazy and Matching Dies, Crazy Things, Lawn Fawn Joy to the Woods
Ink: Staz-on Jet Black, Tim Holtz Distress Markers Ground Espresso, Gathered Twigs, Vintage Photo, Tea Dye, Antique Linen, Festive Berries, Barn Door, Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn, Frayed Burlap, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral
Colouring: Copics (on the smaller card) BG 10, R24, R46, R89, YG11, YG13, YG15, YR04
Other: Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflake Dies, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Merry Christmas border die (on the smaller card), Stampin' Up Glossy Accents, Ranger Ice Stickles