It's been a while!!

Hi Everyone. Well, it's been a while since my last post! Not like me I know, but I have had lots of little things to do! Which, like your probebly know, lead into one really big thing that you wish you never started!! So it has left me little time to blog :-(I have still been crafting though, and here are a couple of projects I have been working on..I coloured 3 pieces of pre embossed card stock using Broken China Distress Ink.Matting each piece with some light Blue Mirror cardand adding them to my Easel Card.I'm not quite sure what the embossing is, a Star Burst, Firework, Snowflake? But they were crying out for a little bit of bling to be added to the centres!!
A few posts back you may recall that I sent a card off to Marianne from Marianne Designs? Not only did she send me a Designers Badge for my Blog but she also sent me some goodies to play with.. In fact she sent my the whole of her August releases!!This was one of them.. Which I cut out several times onto some light Blue Glitter Card.Attaching them to my base card with a die cut sentiment which was White, but I coloured using the Broken China Distress Ink to keep the Blue theme going through the card.I also made one in Pink & Red.. using Victorian Velvet and Spun Sugar Distress Inks instead of the Broken China...
Thanks for checking us out.
Andy.

Calling Card..

Hi Blogland. I hope you all had a good weekend?
Today I wanted to share with you a project I have made and have decided to enter it into a Design Team Call with Creative Expressions!
Part of the requirements for the call is to use stamping and an ATC (Artist Trading Card) on the project..
So, this is what I came up with...You may be surprised to learn that the box actually started off life like this?! A plain White pre-made cardboard box...I coloured the box using Vintage Photo Distress Stain.What a complete contrast from the original box!!I then added some "Tim Holtz" corners to each corner of the lid of the box, to give it a more of a robust, vintage look.Next, I took a piece of Grey Board and White card stockand coloured them, again using the Vintage Photo Distress Stain.Notice the colour contrast on each piece of card stock, I guess the Grey Board just soaks up more of the Ink, but actually dries lighter than the White card stock..
For those who came to our Tim Holtz Day a few weeks ago, you will have had a go at this little ATC... But for everyone else, here's a step by step.
I de-bossed the Rain Man image from the Tim Holtz Textured Trades Folder Set Artful Muse,filling the image in with some Glosssy Accents.Once it was dry it adds a great effect to the ATC...I then cropped the edges of the ATC to add a little bit of interest,and also, hand on heart, to make it fit onto the top of the box!!
I then stamped my image which was from the Vintage Treasures Stamp set by Sam Poole..And then applied it to the top of the box...The sides of the box were looking a little bit bare in contrast to the top so I stamped some "creative" text using the Art Collage stamp set..The Black on Brown is making me feel that this box is looking just like an old tea chest!For the card which was to go inside the box, I stamped my image onto another piece of card stock which had been coloured with the Vintage Photo Distress Stain. The stamped image I used was from the Vintage Inventor Stamp Set.I then attached some Faux Screw Brads to make it look as though the image was screwed to the eventual card it was going on to.This has got to be one of my favourite sentiments! It sums a lot of us crafters up I think!!This, and the Inventor image were applied to a small card which had been distressed using Brushed Corduroy Distressing Inkand then popped into the box I made earlier!!.And there we go... Something a little bit different!! And you end up with a little box to keep all of your ATC's in too..Thanks for checking us out.. See you soon.
Andy.

One Stamp, 6 different ways. Pt 5 & 6

Hi everyone. Well, here we go with the finale of using one stamp in 6 different ways.
I must say that I've enjoyed playing around with this stamp, but I think It's time to put it away for this year and move on to something else.. But not before I share with you the final 2 cards made with it..
Both were pretty simple to make, well to be honest, so were the other 4.. When it comes to churning out the Crimbo cards, quick and easy is defo the way to go.. But I have started very early this year so hopefully I will have more time later in the year to do something a little more extravagant!! mmmmmm, we'll see!!Anyway, for the 5th card in the series,after stamping, colouring and glazingI cut around the image using a die from the Marianne Creatables set Frame Circles (LR0112). This is the same set of dies I used for the Swirls in card #3..I added some Jimmy Gems to the flower centres and put it to one side whilst I prepared my base card.I cut a piece of patterned Vellum 5 3/4" x 5 3/4"and mounted it onto a piece of Blue card stockand then onto my base card. Adding the Frame and the stamped image to the centre of the card.I then cut out some Snowflake shapes from the Spellbinders Set Snowflake Wonder (S4-085) in some Blue Glitter cardand applied them in between the flower shapes of the Frame Die..Me thinks that the "Snow Cuddles" (name of the stamp!) couple look quite cosy in their little igloo!! And there we go, that's #5!!Now for #6!yada, yada, yada re the stamping, colouring and glazing of the image!This time I cut the image out using the Spellbinders Wonky Squares die..A much underrated die in my collection. Must try and use it a bit more...I then punched around a 5" Square piece of White card stock using the Martha Stewart Vintage Floral Punch (M40-60043, aka Deco Flowers).Matting it onto a piece of Lilac Glitter card and adding a few Gems.Mounting the image in the middle.I then cut a Snowflake from the Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder Set (S4-085)and attached it to the imagebefore mounting the whole thing onto my base card to complete, not only this project!, but all 6!!! Yeah finito!!!Well done if you have followed all 6, which one was your favourite?? For me, it has to be # em!, #2..I think you'll agree, 6 totally different looks, using just the one image.. Why not give it a go with one of your stamps!!!
Anyway, thanks for checking us out, and for those who are coming along to our Christmas in July event at the weekend, I'll see you there..
Andy.