Wednesday 28 April 2010

Remember When......?

This week at Tuesday Taggers the theme chosen by my fabulous and talented teamie Michelle is memories. What a lovely lot of scope this gives us. For me personally, I try to scrap special memories and love the opportunity to get together with long standing friends and family members for a "Do you remember when?" conversation, some of the best ones are with my two daughters as they share events remembered from their early years from a completely different perspective to my own recollection, these are the conversations I try to journal to go with my scrapbook pages..... however for this week's challenge I have looked at memory from an entirely different perspective, the things I use to aid my failing memory....lol....my chinese horoscope character is a Rooster, known for making lists !! and I do make lots of lists to keep my life and my crafting organised, lists of inks I own, lists of challenge titles and when they are due in, you get the picture...... so for this weeks challenge I have altered an A5 sized clipboard, so that I can find the lists I've made, instead of them disappearing in the chaos I call a craft room....


I had a wonderfully messy playtime making this. I started with a layer of gesso all over including the shiny metal clip, I added a torn book page, more gesso and then Acrylic Dabber Paints, some distress inks, stampng, heat embossing, masking and spritzing and more inking and stamping later, this is what I ended up with..... a really layered look. The photo doesn't really do it justice as you can't see the lovely pearly sheen that the mica spritz inks have given, and the old metal patina created on the clip but I really had fun making this piece and it will certainly come in useful.

Bee xx.

Friday 23 April 2010

Spring Is in the Air

Hi Everyone,



I don't know about you but Spring has really arrived in my garden and I am really enjoying a little bit of sunshine and warmth. There is blossom in the fruit trees and the birds are nesting, I really love the sounds of spring too, bird song and lambs in a nearby field, on the downside some hungry fox (probably a vixen feeding her cubs) has had my two pet chickens out of the garden..... such is country life.



This week at Tag You're it the theme is spring and I have made this tag in the shape of a little bird box, inspired by the one I can see from my bedroom window.


I have used Papermania V&A 6x6 papers, I really love these little prints, I made the template for my bird box paper pieces myself, but used the Stampin' Up Bird on a Branch Punch for my birds and a 1" circle punch for the entrance hole. I have inked all the edges with Gingerbread Versa Magic chalk ink before putting the pieces together and added some shadows with my copic pens on the completed piece, I also added 2 tiny black gems for the birds eyes and some toning ribbons. I am really pleased with how 3D the finished tag looks but I promise it is a flat tag.

Bye for now.

Bee xx

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Claxby Weekend.

Over at the Running with Scissors shop blogg, I have written a bit about this weekend. you can find it HERE, along with a couple of photos Although we we a bit small in number we still had a wonderful weekend. The sun shone, Andy cooked and the rest of us crafted and ate and crafted and slept and crafted.......you get the idea.

Bee xx

Tuesday Taggers Dragon's For St George !!

This week at Tuesday Taggers my Teamie Teri has chosen the theme of Dragons as it is St Georges Day on Friday, I strugglesd with this challenge as I don't have any Dragon stamps or images, Teri does have a digi Dragon on her website, but I was away at a crafting retreat all weekend with no internet access. Tanda stamps who are sponsoring this weeks challenge also have some wonderful Dragon Stamps but of course it was too late for me to send off for those......then I remembered a little dragon silhouette stamp I had for encaustic art and armed with that I produced this ATC.
Firstly I brayered a background onto some glossy card and overstamped with trees in shades of green, adding some black trees in the foreground to add depth. I stamped the moon shadow next ant then the main dragon image, but felt I wanted more dragons so I just doodled in the distant ones with a sharpie pen. I finally stamped the word Dream in the bottom right corner to balance out the small dragons and layered the image up onto glossy black card. It is a very simple ATC but I enjoyed making it for the challenge.
Bee xx

Monday 19 April 2010

Lots To Do Tag.

Here is the tag I have made for this week's challenge at Lots To Do where we have been asked to use alcohol inks.
I have used alcohol inks and blending solution on the glossy base card for my tag to give a polished stone finish, I stamped over this on the top half of the card using Black Memento Ink and embossed the bottom half of the tag using a cuttlebug folder. I have used a ring pull coloured with an alcohol based pen (Copic) on my ribbon, and used a little chalk ink to emphasise the embossed diamonds.
The paperartsy stamp at the top of the tag has been partially inked with an embossing pen and heat embossed with gold. The sentiment stamp is by Tim Holtz and the stamp in the bottom corner is from a stampin' up set.
I really enjoyed making this tag, and look forward to what everyone else produces for this challenge.
Bee xx

Three Times ATCs

My good friend Janet (ClarkyJ) has set us a challenge to make three ATCs on the theme of Time.
I started out with my 12 new TH Distress Inks and a few other bits and pieces and came up with these three little gems. I love the colours in this new collection and the different looks I can achieve.
Bye for now.
Bee xx

Sunday 18 April 2010

Moon Shadow



At Tag It On this week the challenge has been to produce a Tag with an Image of the Moon on It.


Here Is mine.



I have used TH Distress Inks both for background colour and to stamp with, I used circles punched from post its as masks for the moon and it's reflection in the water, and just love the serenity of the scene I created.


I also found one answer to my own question of what to do with a Tag once I had made it, as you can see below.
This one turned into a really nice Easel Style Birthday Card for one of my friends.
Bee xx

I'm Late, I'm Late.....

It's late on Sunday evening after a lovely weekend spent in the company of some very good friends and fellow crafters. For once my weekend was quite productive in a creative fashion and I have even found one answer to the question I posed about what to do with tags once I had made them. But first things first.....

Here is the Acetate Tag I made for this weeks challenge at Tag You're It, but I missed the deadline as there was no Internet Connection where we were staying.


The tag is made with a paper background from the Papermania Persimmon collection, onto which I stamped the words "It's Never Too Late to Find Out Who You Want TO Be.
The next layer is Acetate which has been coloured on the back with Alcohol Inks in Lettuce Stonewash and Stream. The front of the acetate has been stamped with the french script background stamp by Stampin' Up using Black Stayzon Ink and buttons attached.
The translucent clock face and hands are by Maya Road and just had to go on this Tag !! Secured by an eyelet.

Because I have used alcohol inks on this tag it is elligible for this weeks challenge at "Lots To Do" but I have made another Tag using Alcohol Inks which I will show you later.

I had great fun making this and playing with so many fun products.

Bee xx

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Happy Birthday Emma

This week, my good friend and Tuesday Taggers DT teamie Emma celebrates her birthday, so she has set the TT challenge for this week and chosen Cakes and Balloons as her theme. I've made an easle card using a fabulous new cup cake stamp by Hero Arts which I have masked and stamped 3 times. I coloured in the icing with my copic pens and added a little distress stickles to the sprinkles, but then stamped the cupcake cases onto patterned paper and added them to my images, in the same way that Tracey at Running With Scissors did in the cupcake card she made on Saturday, thanks for the tip Tracey.
I have used Stampin' Up Plain and Scalloped Oval Punches to add the sentiments. The card front measures aprox 17cm square which gives you an idea of the size of the cupcakes.....large life size....lol....only without the calories.
Bee xx

Monday 12 April 2010

Lots To Do

I like the Lots to Do challenge, although I haven't participated for a while as life has got in the way, however I look to see what the challenge is most weeks and the art produced by the participants is an inspiration.



This week the theme is Embossing and I have managed to produce a piece for the challenge myself.




I have made an Archie Tag using an embossed metal piece produced using a paperarsty stamp which I have then coloured using Viva Precious Metal Paints. This piece has been attached to an Arch Shaped Tag which I have and glued tiny pieces of dry pasta to, making the stone effect frame ,then painted black and spritzed with a little bit of silver.

Thanks for the challenge, I look forward to seeing what everyone else produces.

Bee xx

Thursday 8 April 2010

Just Tagging Along

OK I admit it, it has taken me quite a while to "Get" Tags, I don't make many cards, but love ATC's and altering stuff, using stampboard etc to make wearable art and scrapbooking, but this weeks challenge at Tuesday Taggers was specifically a Tag, so a huge Thank you to Georgina who has sponsored Tuesday Taggers this week and set me the Tag challenge, I have had so much fun that I have even had a look around the challenge bloggs and found one or two....ok I know there are more out there....but I like the look of these ones, dedicated to Tags.
Here is my entry for this week's challenge at Dragon Dreams Tag It On "In the City" I visited Venice in June last year and loved it, I then found a Venice stamp plate by Darkroom Door which I just had to use here along with distress Inks, distress crackle paint an EKS border punch and ribbon to create this Tag. The words are printed onto an acetate overlay.
I really enjoyed making this tag....but can someone please tell me what I am supposed to do with it now ? .....lol.....
Bee xx

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Playing Tag.

Firstly I have good news regarding my OH who has come home from hospital today, he seems to be on the mend and much more his usual self. Big thanks to everyone who has been thinking about us all, I really do appreciate your support.


And now ...... another Tag. This one is for the Tag You're It challenge this week which is "On a Bough !"
I have used a set of Stampin' Up stamps and Tim Holtz Distress Inks, along with a bit of ribbon, a tiny black adhesive gem for the bird's eye, my cropodile, an eyelet and some matting and layering to create this tag. I have added a bit of extra dimension by stamping the bough with fruit on a second time and layering it over the first image with silicon glue.
I really enjoyed doing this today, after a rather stressful Easter Weekend !, it was good to know that OH was home and I could relax a little.
Bee xx

Tag It at Tuesday Taggers

This week at Tuesday Taggers the challenge is to Tag It!!

So here is my Time Tag.



I have used Adirondack Dye Inks and Stampin' Up Stamps for the background and large clock, making a feature of the minute dial with a curtain ring and Glossy Accents. The words are from a U-Mount Time plate stamped onto some home made spritzed paper and mounted on foam pads to add dimension. A large stampin' up pewter eyelet, some Idea-ology cogs and brads and ribbons complete the tag.



I've really enjoyed making this Tag and I'm also thrilled to here that The Tag Your It Challenge has started up again, there is always room for another good challenge blogg, so I shall be paying it a visit.

On a different note, things have been a bit fraught at home over Easter culminating with my husband being admitted to hospital on Sunday evening, thankfully he appears to be responding to treatment and sounded as if he was feeling much better when I spoke to him last, but it makes me feel as if the quote I used on the tag was really meant to be there.

Bee xx