A little bit vintage

This month the Creative Expressions Design team have been given the rather fabulous "Gala Event UMount Stamp Set" to play with. The other DT members have already posted their first projects using these stamps, so if you haven't already, make sure you check out their blogs! You can find all their blogs on the Creative Expressions blog "here".

We have been doing a major decorating project at home decorating the study. I had the curtain fabric and borders since we moved into the house about 12 years ago. Needless to say fashion has changed and we don't want to use the borders any more. So I thought why waste them? So this card started off from a piece of Laura Ashley border.

I stamped the main image in versafine and then coloured using distress markers and then coated the main dress with glossy accents.  This was cut out with the labels 4 Spellbinders die and the edges distressed with Victorian velvet distress ink.  I also stamped the JustRite floral flourish stamp around the edge, as this went rather well with the pattern on the dress.  This was then edged with gold EP and layered up on Coredinations distress card.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

"Amusing Challenges - Anything goes"

"Fashionable Stamping - Anything goes"

"ATCs and cards with attitude"

"Phindys Place - Button it"
"Stampin for the weekend - photo inspiration"
"Craft room challenge - Buttons and Bows"

"Inspire me Friday - Anything goes"

Festival Girl

For this weeks DT project using Sam Poole's butterfly girl stamp set I have used the butterfly girl, dotty stamp and retro flower stamp from the set.  I stamped the girl twice in black archival and stamped the retro flower onto the dress of one of the stamped images.  I painted the images with cosmic shimmer paints and some normal watercolour paints using a grey to make a watery background.  I used the dotty stamp with weathered wood distress ink to stamp the background layers and distress around the edges.  I cut the flowery dress out layering it up over the base image. 

I coated the girls wings and flowers on her dress with glossy accents and then sprinkled them with glitter.  Then  I coated the girl's hair and boots with glossy accents. The tag was cut from mount board. The ribbon is chalk white seam binding coloured with cosmic shimmer watercolour paint.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
"Lets ink it up - all girly"
"Pile it on - Tag it you're it"
"Sentimental Sundays - Things with wings"
"Allsorts - distressing"
"ATCs and cards with attitude - Anything goes"
"Aud Sentimental Challenge - Put your sentiment on a tag"
"Inspire me Fridays - Anything goes"

More Faux Ribbon and Another Thank You Card

For my next Creative Expressions DT piece I have gone along the one layer route again. I wanted a quick thank you card for a couple who are seriously minimalist in their taste. So my card had be simple. I decided to use the faux ribbon technique again and then used stamps from the "Butterfly girl stamps by Sam Poole" .  I also used Sam's bubble wrap background stamp, vintage typewriter set and the large flourish from the JustRite Greetings from Paris set .

I used weathered wood distress stain and distress ink and archival black ink for my stamping and distressing.  I coated the large flourish with glossy accents as my final finishing touch.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
"Make it Monday - Anything goes"
"One stitch at a time - anything goes"
"That craft place - anything goes"
"the paper players - CAS with sentiment as main element"
"ATC's & Cards with attitude - anything goes"
"Inspire me Fridays - anything goes"

Getting Ready For The Olympics

So we managed to get a few tickets for the Olympics, Syncronised Swimming and Ladies Road Race on Box Hill.  Looking forward to both!  So with the Olympic games due to start any time soon the theme for the "Tanda Teaser" is summer sports.

For my card I came up with a folded pop-up card. I used Tanda stamps, watercolour paints and distress inks. I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

"Craft Room Challenge - sports" Just have to support this Tanda sponsored challenge
"Shopping our stash - extra fold or pleats"
"Top tip tuesday - for men"

"Creative Mondays - For Men"
"Make it monday - anything goes"
"Here come the boys - tag on a card"
"Catch the bug- anything goes"

Pass The Pimms, Feeling Summery!

Sorry for lack of blogging....according to hubby...I've been doing far too much blogging...he obviously doesn't read my blog!!!  And things have been soooo totally hectic that I haven't had a chance to visit any blogs...so huge apologies to my design team mates!!!

Not been home much as "one" has been sampling the delights of Henley Royal Regatta.  If you read this blog you will have seen that my youngest has been getting quite good with her rowing.  So we thought it might be nice if she got to go to Henley with her rowing partner.  Seeing as it is their ambition to row at Henley...(Unfortunately there isn't an event for a ladies pair)...

Also huge decorating project going on...and suddenly 48 hours notice...got a french girl coming to stay for a week. Stuff everywhere..can't even see the bed in the spare room atm...and DH is away until Friday! DD1 is adamant she will not help....DD2 is currently hoovering, bless her!

So this is a thank you card to the friends that gave us tickets for Stewards so that the Emily and Sarah could see what the the best crews were like.  They had the huge privilege to get photographed with Sir Steve Redgrave and so this was the inspiration for the card....together with the "bubble wrap stamp by Sam Poole"....you create loads of bubbles when you row!! And if, by any chance you get to see this Sir Steven...you totally made the girls day! Thank you!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges....

"Crafty bloggers network - Anything goes"
"Incy Wincy Designs - Summertime" what could be more summertime than Henley and Pimms?
"Make it Monday - Anything goes"
"Stamps and Fun - Summer" Pimms again!
"That Craft Place - anything goes"
"Less is more - Gold"....a bit outside the box with this one....Sir Steve Redgrave is my golden ticket having won 5 gold medals in the Olympics!