Faux postage

The challenge this week on Rainbow Lady's challenge, well last Thursday acrually, is Faux postage. I actually created this yesterday but forgot to post until just now! Yikes!!! Anyway, here it is

My base is a piece of grungeboard painted with black acrylic paint dabber, then covered with TH paper leaving a small border all round. Then I had loads of fun making all the mini postcards and stamps, using a wide variety of stamps. Sorry, I didn't make a note of all the stamps I used, but you get the idea. Most have been coloured with distress stains and coloured pencils. I then punched two holes in the top and added ribbon to hang. I searched high and low for metal chain I know I have somewhere but had to give up in the end. I bet it will turn up today!

I am entering my wall hanging into the Try It On Tuesday Challenge which is to alter something.


Bye for now. Thanks for looking.

Wanda xx

TIO #94 - Bed of Roses - a little light metal

TIO # 94 - Bed of Roses, a little light metal

The next round of challenges over on the TIO challenge is Song Titles. Each design team member has to come up with a song title then we all have to create a tag around that theme. Cool Huh? The round is being kicked off by Elizabeth and she has chosen Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi, and is asking for a little light metal. I think this will be a popular theme. At least it is with me! It will have to go some to beat the record number of fabulous entries we had last week for Frankie's theme. some fabulous entries there were too.

Added to all this excitement, we have still more. Sadly, two of our design team, Zoe and Janet, have had to drop out owing to other commitments, so we have not one, not two, but THREE new design team members. You will have to pop over to the TIO challenge to see who they are, but it promises to provide you with some fabulous and very diverse samples to whet your whistles. So go on, pop over and take a look.You will be sorry if you don't. Then join in and show us what you can create. Just remember to use at least one real stamp in your creations.

Now back to my tag -

To start, I sprayed my tag with a light spritzing of water, then I coloured it with antique linen distress stain, blotting with a sponge to give texture. When the tag was dry, I coloured around the edges with distress ink in the same colour. I then set to work with my stamps. The stamps I used were TH Papillon and Mini Muse, Clarity Birds in Flight, and Artylicious Keys and Locks stamp plate.

The inks I used for my stamping were antique linen and chipped sapphire distress inks and archival coffee. Some of my stamping is second or third generation stamping.

I cut my flower layers from gold metal, by Woodware, using PaperArtsy dies. I then set about making my flower using a fabulous tutorial by the very talented Leandra Frannich. Her tutorial can be found on her PaperArtsy blog. Thanks Leandra, I so enjoyed giving it a go.

I followed her instructions, colouring my metal with a pitch black paint dabber, which I rubber off very gently, then I used alcohol inks in stream and purple twilight. The leaves were coloured in the same way but using clover alcohol inks instead. The TH flourish was coloured in the same way.

I then added my metal elements to my tag and, voila! So that's my entry this week.

Here is a hanging I made a little while ago, but it seems to fit in with the theme. Well, it does have a lot of metal!

All the metal elements were cut using a selection of dies from TH and PaperArtsy. They were cut from copper metal and coloured with alcohol inks. The three sections of the hanging were coloured using Eco acrylic paint in blue, then I overstamped. Sorry, I can't mention to stamps I used as I didn't make a note at the time.

The hinge at the top was cut from grungeboard. Strong stuff!

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Now go on, give it a go. Surely we have given you enough inspiration to get those creative juices flowing.

I love to read your comments and thanks for taking to time to leave one.

Wanda xx

TIO#93 - "Travel - Make a Getaway"

I can't believe how quickly this month has flown by. Here we are nearing the end of August. Just one more challenge then that's August put to bed.

I wasn't too sure which stamps to use for this challenge, set by our leader, Frankie, then decided upon a set called Vanezia by Ruber Stamp Concepts. It is the first time  I have used this set. I think it will be getting quick a few airings! We are blown away by the talent and creativity we are seeing in your entries to the TIO challenge. You keep coming up trumps week after week. Anyhooo, back to my design team entry.

TIO #93 = "Travel - Make a Getaway"

The tag was coloured with Eco paints, using Sheena's crackle technique. I then swiped over it with broken china distress stain.  Once this was dry I set to work with my stamps, Rubber stamp Concepts - Venezia, Creative Expressions - Tickets, and Crafty Individuals C1-307, and stazon inks in smokey grey and black.

I also stamped onto acetate with one of the images from the Venezia set and then adhered guilding flakes, Autumn Rose, on the reverse. I also stamped the work "Venezia" in the same way. Both were adhered to my tag.

I then stapled two tickets onto the tag. and two moulds made with ultra-tick EP and bronze and rose ep. Finally, I added ribbons from my stash along with a little bronze key, also from my stash.

I'm sure if you pop over to the TIO challenge blog you will be suitably inspired by the varied samples by my talented fellow design team buddies. Go on, give it a go, you know you want to. Frankie is speaking of making a sampler from this weeks entries. You might just be in it.

Thanks for stopping by. I love to read your comments.

Wanda xx

Child's Play

TIO#92 - Child's Play

Another week has flown by since the last TIO challenge. This week the challenge is set by Janet and she has chosen "Child's Play" as her theme. My problem was deciding which stamp to use. Having finally made that decision I set to work with a stamp by Sheena from her Little Bit Sketchy range. He is such a cute, cuddly little boy!

I coloured the tag with distress stains - broken china, peeled paint and wild honey. I only have five or six of these at the moment but NEED more! I stamped the child using black archival, and the birds, from Clarity Stamp with grey archival. The sentiment was also stamped using black archival. I then stamped the child again on a seperate piece of card and coloured in with prisma pencils, and paper pieced over the image on the tag.

Finally, I added ribbons from my stash, a narrow yellow ribbon and a polka dot pale blue organza.

Do pop over to Dragon's Dream TIO challenge, using the link above,  and check out the fabulous entries by my fellow design team buddies. They really are amazing. Then let us see what you can come up with. I bet you have one or three child type stamps in your stash. Have fun and just remember to use at least one real stamp in your creation.

Bye for now.

Wanda xx

TIO # 91 - It's a Horses Life

TIO #91 - It's a Horses Life

This week over on the TIO challenge, the theme is "It's a Horses Life" and it is set by my fellow design team buddy, Zoe.

I was able to use a set of stamps I bought a couple of weeks ago at a Craft Fair in Wrexham, from Stamp Addicts, Gypsy Caravan No 2, and Rural Scenery.

My background was created by swiping distress stains, broken china, spun sugar, peeled paint and wild honey across the tag, then dabbing with a wet wipe. I then edged with distress inks - tumbled glass and vintage photo.

I stamped the images in the rear with distress inks, shabby shutters and peeled paint. the main images have been stamped with sepia and black archival.

I have added a bit of shading to the main images with polycolour pencils.

Right, that's it. Short and sweet!

Below is another I made first. using the same tools but landscape this time. I decided it was a bit too busy so chose the one above as my design team entry.

Bye for now. Thanks for dropping by. I always look forward to reading your comments.

Wanda xx

Family Outing

We went out for a meal to an Italian restaurant in Prestatyn last weekend to celebrate by daughter's birthday. Here she is pictured above, with my grandson, Jamie.

The picture above shows little Louis, my daughter's youngest, Sophie, Jamie's girlfiend, and Ellisha, by daughter's middle child. Not sure what Louis is doing there?

The picture above shows my son, Alex, in the foreground, and my son-in-law, Pete sitting next to him. They look content after their meals, don't they?

Louis, concentrating very hard on something.

Jamie, in thoughtful mode.

Louis, ready for mischief.

It was a lovely meal. We will certainly be going there again. Louis was as good as gold, considering he is only three. I took a picture of my OH but, as he was sitting right next to me, it looks as though he is about to eat me so I decided to leave it out!

By for now.

Wanda xx

Haute Couture

I made this card for my daughter's birthday recently. It is very similar to one I made some time ago, same colour scheme, but this time I have added flowers, made with a new to me Marianne die. I am finding it really relaxing making flowers.

The image has been coloured with copic markers. The backing is made using swiss dots embossing folder, with broken china distress ink gently rubbed across. I have also inked the mat with my main image in the same way.

A few pearl gems, ribbon from my stash, and voila - a card!

Thanks for stopping by.

Wanda xx

Nature's Bounty

TIO#90 - Nature's Bounty

The theme this week on Dragon's Dream tag it on challenge is set by me, and I have opted for "Nature's Bounty". It struck me that we are surrounded with all nature has to offer at the moment, from fruit to vegetables, and I noticed whilst walking to the post box the other day, that the blackberries are nearly ready for picking. There is an abundance of locally grown produce available at the moment. So I thought it would be an apt theme.

We are really impressed with all the fabulous entries we have the pleasure of checking out each week on your blogs. So thank you so much for dreaming along with us.

Now, on to my entry. As you can see I have opted for blackberries, from a Joanna Sheen stamp plate, and fungi from a Graphicus (now Chocolate Baroque) stamp plate. The sentiment is from a Sheena stamp plate.



I have stamped the berries and foliage using Whispers Markers, and the remainded with sepia archival. I have coloured my tag using broken china and scatered straw distress inks, and gone around the edges with vintage photo DI. I have coloured the images using aqua markers, which I have scribbled onto my craft sheet then spritzed with water so the colour is not too intense.

The fungi has been stamped on a separate tag, cut out and 3D mounted to give some dimension.

Lastly, I have plaited some twine and threaded this through the top of the tag. I would have preferred to use rafia but can't, for the life of me, find it. Isn't that always the way with these little used products?

I hope you will feel inspired by the design team entries to give it a go and show us your interpretation of "Nature's Bounty". Just remember, you must use at least one real stamp in your entry.

Bye for now. Thanks for stopping by. I love and appreciate your comments.

Wanda xx

Gossamer Felting

A couple of weeks ago I atttended a super workshop at Stitch It in Llandudno with my friend, Elizabeth. I made the gossamer scarf, shown below. Firstly, we learnt about all the products that are available for felting. We then had the daunting task of deciding on our colour schemes. Now, to anyone who knows me, it will come as no surprise to learn that I am the queen of indecision. However, on this occasion, I found the decision making process relatively easy. I opted for pale blue with a smattering of pink. Not my usual colour choice, but I decided I wanted to do something different.

The day just flew by. Once we had laid our main colour of merino felt tops out onto the clear plastic sheet, three layers with a bit of cross-hatching, we then laid down our chosen quantity of contrast colour in various types of silk wools, giving our work as much texture as we wished.

The next step was to spray the peice liberally with soapy water, then lay another piece of clear plastic on top. Then the work began, firstly with pre-felting to start the binding process, then the felting, then we washed and rinsed our scarves.

Definately something I will be doing again. I have since watched a u-tube video where the lady demonstrating used bubble wrap instead of clear plastic, and rolled the work up, firstly from one end and then from the other, rolling the work about 100 times from each direction.

Bye for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Wanda xx