TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT........

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!
A journal page to set the scene! I saw the quote on another blog somewhere this week, sorry can't remember where :(

Have been working on this for few days now ready for the actual day! The skull is a ceramic money box, I bought one for my nephew for Christmas last year and he thought it was fab!! I bought another one for me to play with! I added the bats down the side of his face using Diamond Glaze and tissue paper, I like the way it sort of looks like a tattoo.

Another of those leaves I have been playing with painting and stamping on, this one has been embossed to make it shiny, the texture is quite leathery! The pumpkin is plaster of paris in a chocolate mould and then coloured!

Another coloured/stamped leaf and more pumpkins decorate the saucer he is sitting on.

PS. Spot the peel-off?

Who has seen the wind?

The second Play Date Cafe colour challenge was issued today, the colours are orange, yellow and dark brown or black. SARAH is the host this week and she took as her inspiration the colours of the Autumn leaves that are all around us at the moment. You have to go check out her piece, it is LOVELY.

This journal page is my entry.
While I was away over the weekend I picked up a bunch of these quite big leaves that had glorious colours on them at the time but as I didn't get to press them straight away the colours faded. So, I decided to add them back in again! I first painted the leaf with gesso and then sprayed with orange and brown ink. After that I used a yellow pigment ink and added clear embossing powder over that and stamped the text into it.

The quote is by Christina Rossetti.

ANGELS AND SKULLS

A while ago I watched a documentary about BEOWULF the Old English epic poem considered one of the gems of Anglo Saxon literature and in the programme they mentioned Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, Suffolk. What particularly took my eye was the ceiling of the church decorated with angels so while we were in Suffolk this past weekend we took a trip to see the church.

Oh my!! If you get chance and have an angel fetish like me (or even if you don't!) then it is well worth the trip. It is FANTASTIC, the carved wooden angels (there are several pairs of them) are BEAUTIFUL.

On Monday we went into London to the BRITISH MUSEUM to see the MOCTEZUMA exhibition. This fed another of my fetishes as there were some wonderful turquoise SKULLS on display!
The museum also has a DAY OF THE DEAD celebration going on on Nov 1st and so they had some FAB postcard books on sale with great Day of the Dead art in them. Had to get one of those!!

I was a happy bunny this weekend!!

WORKSHOP SNEAK PEEKS

A couple of teaser pics of my workshop project!



Wendy down at THE STAMP ATTIC has just acquired premises that are going to become her studio/workshop venue! It is very exciting and Wendy has big plans for it so be sure to watch her blog for updates and in the not too distant future a workshop list. I am going to be teaching my first workshop in her new premises on December 5th, so if you fancy a trip to Wantage for a day of inks, stamps and chat then come along, it would be great to see you! I am heading off to Suffolk for a few days break, be back on Tuesday!

BIRD ON A WIRE?

Today sees the first PLAY DATE CAFE CHALLENGE, it is a challenge with a bit of a difference, the only thing stippulated is colours. The choice of what you do with them is yours entirely!!

This is my entry. I seem to be a little obsessed with working onto old book covers just lately and that's what this is, I used a couple of new stamps I got at Port Sunlight show a couple of weeks ago, the couple and the bird skeleton, always nice to use new images! They are both from LOST COAST DESIGNS.

WEDNESDAY HALLOWEEN

Not done Wednesday Stamper challenge for some time but really wanted to today as the theme is HALLOWEEN!!
This journal page is my entry.

ART SPECIALLY

I just received my copy of issue 8 of ART SPECIALLY magazine. I have two articles this time and I have to say I LOVE the way they are presented. I can't show you the pieces (publishing rules) but I can tell you that you will very shortly be able to get a copy of this issue from THE STAMP ATTIC
In case you don't know this mag, it is a Dutch publication and the text is therefore in Dutch but the artwork (not that I'm bragging here of course!!) and the photography are such that you hardly need the words!

The artwork on the front cover of the mag is stunning and is done by HERMINE KOSTER who was the featured artist a couple of issues back in Craft Stamper. If you don't know her work check out her blog , you won't be sorry!

AUTUMN

This is my entry for the latest READY STEADY STAMP challenge........pretty late as the next one is issued on Wednesday but at least I got it done!! This time we had to use the theme of Autumn, the colours brown, cream and ochre, staples, hessian and a Distress ink background. The staples and twisted wire to make your own barbed wire idea is not mine (wish it was, as it works fabulously!), I saw it on TIM HOLTZ blog on one of his Halloween tags.....credit where it is due!!

The chair stamp is Character Constructions and the pumpkin is Inkadinkado.

HOME AND HEART

It has been a few days since I had chance to blog, a couple of reasons for this.........busy week, firstly getting samples finished for the SAMUEL TAYLORS BIRTHDAY celebration weekend which is this weekend in Embsay near Skipton, if you come alomg come and say hello, secondly a broken computer........how you miss it when it's not there! All fixed now apart from the scanner, which I discovered as I went to scan what I was going to blog tonight and it says I need to re-install the software! So that will have to wait till next week.


I also had a bit of a sort out (well quite a big sort out!) in my work room this week and came across this CD book. This was featured in Craft Stamper quite some time ago so I thought I'd show it here as I can't blog what I wanted to!

The reason for the sort out (apart from the fact it really needed it) was that I had friends coming round and you just could not get in there.............Sarah actually took pics of my work room and one of them is over on her blog.......THE ART OF MOODLING


The stamps used are PAPERBAG STUDIOS AND INVOKE ARTS, both available from THE STAMP ATTIC

WINTER BIRDS

A couple of cards made with INKADINKADO WINTER BIRDS set of stamps. I just love that owl and for me these would be great as Winter birthday cards or as Christmas cards.
Stamps are available from THE STAMP ATTIC.

PUZZLE BOOKS AND ONE THAT ISN'T!

Ok, so this first book isn't a puzzle book but it was made in the same way and at the same time so it gets to go with the puzzle books! The covers on this book are pieces of chipboard, coloured and decorated and then stuck to pages sewn together with a ribbon. I discovered that if you heat the ribbon to set the ink the ends shrivel up which I liked!



These two books are the puzzle books! The covers are made from childrens puzzle pieces, coloured, decorated and stuck to stapled together pages.




The images are all INKADINKADO.

CRAFT BARN WEB SITE FIRST BIRTHDAY!

The Craft Barn web site is one year old and has had a makeover!!!

To celebrate there is a competition running on their blog with some great prizes. I am a little late in posting this so the competition is on day 3, however that doesn't matter as all the clues are still there and the competition runs all week so you haven't missed out!

The decorated calendar above is one I made as a workshop sample and is part of the clue for today. The blank calendar is available as one of the products in the “Altering” section on the website.

THE COMPETITION.

This is open to anyone who wants to play (other than DT members and Craft Barn staff and designers obviously).

Each day, we will show you samples made by our tutors or Design Team members featuring specific products. You will have to find one of this product online and in the description you will find a clue written in red.

Keep this clue each day, you will need it for the final answer on Sunday. You do not have to submit anything to us during the week. Only on the Sunday. Although we will appreciate comments each day

Here’s a example of what the clue will look like in the description. Click here to see it.

This is JUST an example and does not count for the competition.

On Sunday, you will have gathered several letters and a number. We will tell you then what to do

There will be a draw for three winners. The first one will receive a prize (retail value: over £100). The two other winners will receive vouchers (£20 and £15)

Other things worth mentioning are free postage for orders over £15 instead of the usual £50 for customers in Europe from Friday 9th (8 pm GMT) until Sunday 11th (midnight)

New embossing folders from Crafts Too

New Cuttlebug embossing folders

Oh yes, you might have noticed I got a cute new DT logo, a little Craft Barn chouette!!

NO SPIDERS WERE HURT....

in the making of this journal page!! Stressed a little maybe, frustrated probably but not hurt!! They will just have to go make another web but then isn't that what spiders are for!?

I say this because the web in the background of this is an ACTUAL spider web.

How to do that?
1. Find a web in a suitable position ie. one where you can a piece of card either side of it
2.SHOO THE SPIDER AWAY!
3. Hold a piece of scrap paper behind the web and spray with an ink, a dark colour is best
4. Take two pieces of white card and catrefully trap the web between them
5. Open the cards to reveal a web imprint

Some webs will come out better than others so do a few till you get one you like.......oh yes, each web gives 2 impressions!

The fairy here is a PAPERARTSY stamp (from Nut & Meg 6) that is intended to be used as a Christmas image but why just use it for that!!? Oh yes, her pointy hat is the top of a Christmas tree........again Paperartsy.
The spider is CHARACTER CONSTRUCTIONS.

HIBOU or is it CHOUETTE?

Here is my entry for the sixth RSS challenge. The ingredients this time were the letter b, brackets, pink, grey and white, to use masks in the background and corrugated card.

The last few weeks I have been so busy I haven't had time to take part in any challenges, the fifth READY STEADY STAMP challenge came and went so I was determined to take part in the sixth one. So, today I sort of caught up with myself a bit so decided to have a play with an idea that had been wandering around my brain.


A close up of the owl.........this started out as a basic owl shape cut using a Craft Work Cards template called It's a Hoot, available from THE CRAFT BARN.
There is some very faint text stamped in the background but you will have to take my word for it, it didn't show in the photo!
The beak is a fleur de lys brass charm painted with gesso (my white ingredient), the eyes are a couple of vintage fabric flowers I picked up somewhere and the tail is another brass charm piece. The body is strips of lace glued in place, painted with gesso and then lightly coloured with pink and brown ink.


Apparently in French an owl is "hibou" unless it has tufted ears then it is "chouette"! Mine must be a chouette then I think!! (and that happened completely by chance!!)

OH WHAT TANGLED WEBS WE WEAVE

Today this set of absolutely yummy stamps fell through my letter box and although I am crazy busy with prep for workshops I just had to have a play. They are BASIC GREY stamps and accompany the new EERIE paper range.......the spiders web paper shown is one of the papers, I added the extra spiders!



THE BASIC GREY STAMPS ALONG WITH A SELECTION OF THE EERIE PAPERS AND PINK PAISLEE TWILIGHT PAPERS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STAMP ATTIC ALSO AVAILABLE ARE THE IMPRESSION OBSESSION AND STAMPERS ANONYMOUS STAMPS USED.

This first card actually has a tunnel cut in the centre so you look through to the skeleton and webs inside ( Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Trick or Treat stamp set), it was hard to get a good photo!



This is the outside of the card made with web paper and added spiders!



This next card has an image from IMPRESSION OBSESSION with the lovely scrolly Halloween word from the BASIC GREY set. The web paper is again BASIC GREY.

And finally, I think this is my favourite card of this set! Another IMPRESSION OBSESSION image (from Halloween Party clear set) together with the spiders web and spider from the BASIC GREY set. The spotty paper is from the Twilight range by PINK PAISLEE.

WHAT A SURPRISE! HALLOWEEN!

Just been looking back through posts and realised it has actually been a while since I posted something Halloween! I don't feel so bad now as Halloween posts are showing up on blogs all over the place and there is still a month to go!
So, to remedy that here are three cards made using CRAFTY SECRETS stamps, available from THE STAMP ATTIC

Halloween pole dancing??


So let me ask..........do you think these images are cute or WHIMSICAL??

ANGEL

Just got some new PAPERARTSY stamps and been playing with them this afternoon.........I LOVE this stone angel figure.
Added a twig from the garden stitched into place with red thread and dried hydrangea flower.

MATCHBOXES AND MAGAZINE COVERS

The whole thing.


Side panel...........bird is Stampington.



Poor old blog has been a bit neglected the last couple of weeks, I have been so busy that I haven't had time to post as often as I like to! I'm not complaining, busy is good especially as I have been travelling around signing books, demoing, teaching workshops, chatting, meeting new people.........all great fun.
The matchbox chest above is a recent workshop sample that I was so pleased with I thought I'd share it here!

The fab bird on the top of the chest in one of Tims newest stamps and it is stampd over one of his masks that was sprayed over with Sticky Fingers spray inks.


Finally...............

You might have noticed this mag is added to my published in list on the side panel, just wanted to say that the stuff on the cover is MINE!! I was chuffed to see it there as it was the first time I had sent anything to that mag to be considered for publication!

I am heading off on my travels again this afternoon, heading down the motorway to Wendys ......THE STAMP ATTIC.......ready to be in the shop tomorrow for book signing and stamp club tomorrow night for demo and more book signing.....hopefully!!

FABULOUS STAMPS!

I had a lovely time at THE CRAFT BARN EXTRAVAGANZA WEEKEND signing copies of my book and demoing, thanks to everyone who bought a book, watched me demo and said such lovely things about it, it made me very chuffed!!

My feet have not touched the ground since I got home on Monday (have been signing more books over at PADDYS STAMPING PLACE today)and so while I don't have new art work to share I thought I would share what I acquired, this set of yummy stamps, thanks Beatrice!! These are some of the newest stamps from Katzelkraft and are available in the UK exclusively through THE CRAFT BARN. Although they have a slightly spooky air about them I think they are fab! Go over to Beatrices blog for some samples of what to do with them, I have to say the pics don't do the samples justice, they were beautiful in person!

I am heading down to THE STAMP ATTIC on Sunday ready to sign yet more books in the shop on Monday and at the stamp club meeting on Monday night so if you in the area please call in and say Hi!!

ADDRESS EMBOSSERS

I was just working on a journal page and had cause to use one of these things, as I was using it it occured to me that it would a fun thing to share with you on here!!
These things are address embossers and great for altered/collage style stuff...........my Mum who used to work in a solicitors office way back when says that every office used to have one and the address of the business was embossed on out going mail.
Old style MOT certificates also had the address embossed in the bottom corner...........that's why I had cause to use one of these, I was using an old MOT certificate for my page...........all will be revealed next week!

Anyway, back to these............I bought these a few years ago at my local craft/collectables/antique/junk place (Dagfields Craft Centre) for just a few pounds each. If you go looking for these just be warned that some of them are missing the embossing plates which makes them useless!! Stick a scrap of paper inside and press the handle to check!



This is what the addresses in my embossers look like...........I like the fact they are different fonts and the machines themselves look pretty funky sat on the shelf in my work room!!
I have rubbed over with little brown ink so they show up more.

MEET BINGO WINGS!

Ok, so believe me or not this did not start out going to be called BINGO WINGS!! I sat in front of the TV rummaging through a bag of scrap card looking for interesting bits to cut up and use on this page, came across the bingo paper and thought "ah that will do" and set about cutting, sticking, painting etc etc.
Only after it was finished and I looked at it the next day did BINGO WINGS occur to me!!

TWIT TWOO

This piece was made as part of my design team commitment to THE CRAFT BARN. It is somewhat cuter than muy usual stuff but I still liked the way it turned out!!

It is a small wooden frame with a round hole in the centre and I added a large matchbox behind the hole to give some depth. The owls are pre-printed on paper, the eyes are metal tacks from K&Co and the leaves are wooden Embelliscrap pieces. For full details of products look out for this project appearing soon on THE CRAFT BARN BLOG.

MY BOOK.......HANDMADE DECORATIVE BOOKS

I am very excited that the book I have been working on with SEARCH PRESS is now published!! I can now tell you that it will be available from September 11th.

I am going to be doing book signings! It feels very strange to be saying that, I had wanted to write a book for so long and now it is here it does not seem real!!

The first hopefully being at The CRAFT BARN Weekend Extravaganza on 12th/13th September; I say hopefully because it is only available the day before and so it will be cutting it fine getting copies in time.

I will also be signing copies at
PADDYS STAMPING PLACE on 16th September,
THE STAMP ATTIC on 21st September (in the shop during the day and at their monthly stamp club meeting in the evening)
and at THE CUBBY HOLE on 25th/26th of September in conjunction with their MacMillan charity weekend (I will also be demoing those 2 days)

OWLS

Got back from the Craft Barn yesterday to discover that my copy of the latest Somerset Studio had arrived.These owl bookends are what I have in there!
To buy a copy of the mag visit THE STAMP ATTIC.

Talking of the Craft Barn I had a fab weekend and met a whole bunch of new and lovely people........Hi! to any of you reading this! In fact it went so well the next workshop weekend is already being planned, hopefully for November.
I will also be back down for the Extravaganza Weekend on 12/13th September.

A couple of people commented on the last post that the Craft Barn is too far for them to travel from up here in the north.........I agree it is a looooong way, in fact over 200 miles for me so I thought I would tell you of an event going on up here in the north which will hopefully be more accessible!
Samuel Taylors are celebrating 60 years in business with a 60th anniversary Papercraft Extravaganza Weekend, 17/18th October at their shop in Embsay near Skipton, I am going be there demoing along with lots of other people, it promises to be a good weekend.

More news tomorrow!!