Have you ever felt....

......that you could eat and eat and never be full!!  Today that's all I want to do... no sooner have I eaten something than I want something else.  I am still trying to lose weight so this is NOT good...lol ...is it my body or brains' way of telling me that my fat stores are being depleted and need re-filling or is it just downright greed.  I honestly don't know but at this rate I will be shopping for food tomorrow or looking for a bolt for the fridge!!

So onto crafty stuff to take my mind of eating.  A tag using lots of yummy distress inks and a paint dabber with a Tim Holtz crown stencil.

This gorgeous girlie and butterfly are from Crafty Individuals... she so deserves those wings with that cute look on her face :D

The gold German scrap I altered by covering with Black Stazon and then wiping it off again... tis magic how it turns silver...so coool

Hope you are having a fun weekend

hugs

Chris xx

Miniature Suitcase

I found this fab little suitcase template at Mirkwood designs... it's totally cute.  Small but fun and I would imagine you could enlarge the template to make different sizes to stack if you spent a little time. There are so many fab template on this site that you will be spoiled for choice... check it out!!

I used stamped onto my card and clear embossed before colouring with distress ink.  I love the resist effect when you remove the ink from the embossed images.

I did the same for the straps but on paper so the effect is a little different and so is the colour of the ink due to the different porosity.

The handle is made by threading fibres through punched holes.

I used the punched out pieces to add little studs by sticking them to punched out sticky pads and colouring with silver ink.

I think it would be a cool place to keep cuff links or loose change for a guy eh.

Now just check out that shine.... Tim Holtz rock candy crackle.... ooooh how cool is that stuff!!

Thanks for looking... catchya later :D

hugs

Chris xx

Dream atc

I forgot about this atc that I did a while ago and wanted to share cos I love it.  The background is created with alcohol inks (which I haven't played with for a g e s ooooer)

The stamps are from Crafty Individuals.  The tree is stamped directly onto the background but the horse and girl are just part of a stamp which I stamped onto white paper before cutting out and glueing on top.  The word is a rub on.
Have a great day.
hugs
Chris xx

Sunday Stamper-week 100

Well I had a fab time with Chriss but back to normal now... not the same having anyone to play crafty with :(  Still guess I can't be greedy... we had a fab few days (Thanks Chriss) and had lots of fun. 

I decided to have another entry into  Hels Sunday Stamper challenge... cos she has some fab prizes up for grabs.  You only have 'till tomorrow if you want to take part :D

The background for this Stampotique fairy was created with Tim Holtz distress inks and I doodled with white pen... before and after stamping.  I love doodling it's sooooo relaxing but sometimes I get carried away and forget to stop..lol

Have a great weekend all.

hugs

Chris xx

SCD challenge - The letter 'H'

This is my piece for this weeks SCD challenge... the letter H which turned into Imagine House :-)

I used Tim Holtz distress inks on textured card before cutting out my shape... 'tis only about 2" x 3".

I added German Scrap which was altered from gold by covering with black stazon before wiping it off with Kitchen roll.  It magically removes the gold and leaves some black areas for an aged look.  Love this effect.

The 'Imagine' word stamp is by Crafty Individuals and the Lady jigsaw stamp is from Cherry Pie Art stamps.

Of course I had to give my lady some added interest by using my fave glossy accents :D

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Chris xx

ATC club April swap (Vintage)

This month's ATC club challenge which is Vintage was set by the very talented Patty
Now for a change I have done 5 different ones this month... though the main image ...this pretty girl from Lisa's altered art is the feature on each one.

The background on the first one was a freebie from Altered bits.com and I used SeeD's stamps and Anna Griffin letter stamps for the word.  I've also used Tim Holtz brushed corduroy ink on all of my atc's cos it is just my favourite and suits this theme so beautifully.

The background for the atc above is a freebie from The Vintage Moth...I love this... all those stamps layered together...brilliant.  The Butterfly is from Crafty Individuals.

This delightful background featuring a bird on a branch which I watercoloured is part of a generous freebie from Patty.  I just had to use it on one of my Vintage atc's.

I have been waiting to use this fabby pen background which is a paper from Tim Holtz for ages and it went so well with the book and specs stamp from SeeD's.

Finally my 5th atc which is the one I will keep for my own collection was put together using another free background from The Vintage Moth.... the edges are part stamps from SeeD's vintage collection and I also used sepia accents on the hat.
Thanks for looking
Hugs
Chris xx

Wednesday stampers - Trees

Todays piece is for the Wednesday stampers challenge.  I used this fab new funky stamp from Crafty Individuals which says 'meet under the tree for a nice cup of tea'  shame I prefer coffee... but there we go :D 

I picked out my chair to sit on and my cup and stamped that part again on a seperate inked piece of card and after cutting out placed it over the original image before adding glossy accents for added dimension.

I think you will be seeing a lot of glossy accents on future crafty bits cos my love for it has been rekindled :D

hugs
Chris xx

Stamping with paint.

Oh the paint dabber is getting some hammer...lol   This time I used it to stamp a flower onto my background to act as a resist for the ink... see I am practicing the techniques from my fabby new Tim Holtz book.  Love love love it!!   Love the gorgeous images too which once again are Studio art stamps.

Didn't quite manage to stamp my image properly which is why her boots are a bit pink... well they are unique right... no-one else will have a pair the same and as I AM 'free to be me' I'm allowed to have happy accidents ... or not as is sometimes the case.
I think she still manages to look a thoroughly modern miss :D
hugs
Chris xx

Just for a change...

I used paint.  I got me a paint dabber and now I've used it ... I'm hooked... neeeeed lots of colours... well all of them really if I could afford them.

I used some sequin scrap to dab through after applying distress ink to the base of my tag.

This fab image is part of a lovely stamp here designed by the uber talented Hermine isn't he just soooo cute!!
Hope you've had a fun weekend :D
hugs
Chris xx

ATC club March challenge-Garden Fairies

This months theme for the Atc club swap "Garden Fairies" was set by the lovely, talented Nancy. If you'd like to join in all you have to do is create 5 atc's to the theme... you keep one yourself and then send the other 4 off to Chriss by the end of March and you receive 4 swaps from the same theme... totally cool and I love receiving mine cos they are always so fabulous. More info can be found here.
I had a ball creating these... though it did take me a while. I made me a secret garden :D Tim Holtz distress inks on the go again...love them.

The fairy and daisy stamp (on inside of the doors) are Crafty Individuals.

I covered inside of my Secret Garden with rock candy stickles... you can just sort of see it on the fairies dress but it is lovely in real life and makes her look magical :D

hugs

Chris xx

Oh the joys....

of playtime with Distress inks and Tim Holtz goodies... so much fun to be had and lovely colourful fingers to finish with lol
I'm now back home after my fab time with Chriss who is an absolute joy to share crafty time with and who introduced an almost teetotaler to the joys of drinking Brandy and coke (turning me into a virtual alcoholic) rofl
I have the joys of looking after DG this weekend so no crafting but more lovely company and I'm sure lots of fun and games.
So just quickly sharing this arty piece I made. Distress inked background with a pen nib stamp for added decoration (sorry don't know who's it is). I used a grungeboard oval frame for this fab stamp ... part of a collage stamp from Paperartsy (which I think bares an uncanny resemblance to the great man himself...oooeer)!!

The stamped image was placed on top of some crinkled paper and then I added sepia accents for that lovely raised glossy look. Finished off with a couple of brads and voila :D

Lots of lovely mess left over but OMG it was worth it. Lots more to share over the next few weeks cos Chriss and I did LOADS of artwork these last few days.... mojo was in overdrive for a change.

Have a fab weekend

hugs

Chris xx

Art Journal cover

Well I didn't quite get to wallow in self pity over my bug invasion as my pal Chriss decided that no matter if I was poorly or not it was time for us to have another get together and playtime. So I packed my bags and headed off with my germs (hope I didn't spread 'em) and had a fab few days creating... in between the coughing, sneezing and sitting with loo roll plugging me nostrils (what a sight for sore eyes...rofl)
Debbie joined us for some fun and I finally got to play with my Tim Holtz goodies though not in an obvious way. Some of you will know from previous posts that I have trouble with faces so I decided that it's time to face my demons and practice makes perfect. I am gonna fill an art journal with my face sketches and paintings and hopefully I will improve through time and end up being to do what I've always wanted to and that is to do a lifelike facial portrait.
So this is the front and back cover of my journal and I used my Tim Holtz distress inks as watercolours for this sketch. I used a flourish stamp from Crafty Individuals to decorate my little lady and used the distress inks and grungeboard for the background and lettering.
More faces to come later as I actually managed to do 3 while I was with the girls... there's nothing like a bit of encouragement from your number one fans...lol (Thanks lasses...MMwwaaah)
hugs
Chris xx

Metal atc's with alcohol inks

Everything is taking soooooo much longer than planned with the decorating etc.... you know the saying 'the best laid plans' an all that!! Well I am beavering away and must admit I am getting sick to the high teeth of looking at paint cans etc but because the walls decided to fall with my latest wallpaper stripping efforts I now have 3 times as much work as originally planned. Lining paper has become the latest must have addition in my quest for a space that is liveable... hopefully it will solve many problems and mean that sooner... rather than later... I will have somewhere to put my sofa so's I can put my feet up for a while.
'tis DD's 27th Birthday today so I have just popped in during a well earned rest before I go help her celebrate with a big fat cream cake and a teensy weensy drink :D Mind you knowing that each year along with DD... I also get older.... doesn't fill me wif glee... specially as half a century is looming... OMG did I say half a century.... ok not for a couple of years yet.... can breathe a little for now...lol
These atc's are ones which I did for my pal Chriss' monthly atc club swap.
All images are from Lisa's altered art

The theme was 'Metal'

Backgrounds were created by running metal through script embossing folder and then adding Tim Holtz alcohol inks.

With just a few adhesive half pearls added in strategic places for added decoration.
I was quite attached to all of these and it was really hard work letting them go. I hope the recipients enjoyed them :D Hope to be back with you all soon cos I am soooooo missing my blog hopping and all your gorgeous creations.

hugs till then

Chris xx

Metal effect necklaces and brooches with alcohol inks

The Simon says challenge this week says Craft with Tim Holtz... the man himself...so who can resist. Using one of Tim's products... my favourite...Alcohol inks... I decided to create some jewellery.
First of all a necklace using a disc created with Cuttlebugged metal which I coated with alcohol ink. I layered ten discs of card sticking them together to resemble chipboard before adhering the metal to it. The metal was put through the script cuttlebug folder once the right way and then turned 90 degrees and put through again for the effect on this metal. I also made a matching brooch using the same technique and adding a bottlecap image from Lisa's altered art to the centre before decorating with pearl half beads

As usual I got a wee bit carried away and couldn't stop at one... so I did another using different coloured Alcohol inks combining red and green (my favourite colours of the moment) allowing the gold metal underneath to show through. This metal was put through the script folder just once.

I sanded over the top of both pieces to remove the ink from the top layer which turned silver. Playtime and happy accidents once again...lol
Have a great day all

hugs

Chris xx

Stash revival - don't you just love it...

when you find something in your stash that you forgot about and give it an airing and have loads of fun getting messy.... oooooh what a fab feeling. I so often get caught up with using new (must have) stuff that I forget what I have tucked away from former purchases.
I came across some textured paint that I bought about 5 years ago for 50p...yes 50p... in an art shop sale. It got hidden away in a draw never to see daylight again...lol Well 'till now that is and am I glad I found it...it's fab. I love texture... it's so much nicer when something is touchy feely as well as being pretty to look at. So I did myself a favour and created a plaque for my room to remind me of what I love to do.
I used the texture paint before I added my own colours over the top. The original was white with sparkly bits in it (bling it on...sigh) I painted a canvas first of all giving it a second coat of brown acrylic paint. These Maya Road chipboard letters were coated with the texture paint before using Tim Holtz distress inks to add colour.

The chipboard crown from Riff Raff designs just has two layers of the white textured paint and some bling added cos I love princessy things (the little girl in me is still here). For the background paper I used BasicGrey cupcake attached to a scalloped chipboard base which I cut in half for the top and bottom of my plaque. I added glitter and flock to portions of the design for more touchy feeliness :)

This lovely bit of bling is from some stick on pieces that DG bought for me at Christmas in his little parcel of loveliness. He knows his Nanna so well ...bless :) Believe it or not they were meant for decorating your hands!! I'm not quite THAT with it...rofl but they did come in useful.
One of my other loves is making things 3d and sticky pads are never far from me in my stash bag (the crown got the treatment) I added a little more colour to the canvas with distress ink rubbed in which brought out the sparkle from the textured paint and 'Bob's yer Uncle' and 'Voila' etc.. etc ..etc. I now have no excuse for not knowing what to do when I'm in the crafting mood.... I can see my reminder every day....

Create ... A R T :)
See you soon and thanks for visiting

hugs

Chris xx