Inspired By A Song - The Stampsmith Challenge (GDT)

Hi, I hope you are all well and ok.  Those of you who know me or who follow my blog will know that The Stampsmith Challenge is a firm favourite of mine and that I absolutely love their stamps. A little while ago, I was extremely honoured to be asked to be a Guest Designer with them for the next few months, so I would like to say a big thank you!.  The theme for September is:

'Inspired By A Song'

With all the new mdf I recently acquired, I decided to make a wall hanging, which was inspired by the song by Martina McBride "In My Daughter's Eyes" - the words to this song are beautiful and so touching, and really took me back to that overwhelming feeling I had for my daughter once she was born.  She's 19 now and has made me a very proud nanna, and of course, that feeling always stays.

This was definitely a labour of love, lol.  The base was undercoated with Gesso, painted with a couple of layers of chalk paint (sanding in between), stamped with lots of words relating to Mother/Daughter, repainted, and sanded again. Around the edge, I used some Paperartsy Grunge Paste, stamped into with a CI crackle stamp, and then painted it with the same colour as the background, highlighting the raised areas with Treasure Gold in White Fire.  The trim across the bottom also has pearls added and a seam binding bow.

The gorgeous Stampsmith image, from the plate "Thank Heavens For Little Girls" was stamped in Coffee Archival Ink and matted onto some music dp, then onto Kraft.

All of the rolled roses I made myself from ribbon, and just added some pearls, a couple of paper roses, and a couple of resin ones.  The Tim Holtz Idealogy Hardware was also painted with chalk paint, and again, highlighted with White Fire Treasure gold (I love how this turned out) - the word 'family' (Making Memories) underneath the plate was covered with Decoart Crackle medium, and then inked to show the crackle a little more.  A vintage style cameo sits amongst the roses, as does a metal heart, which was also painted with chalk paint.

The Tim Holtz glass vial contains the words to the song rolled up tightly and hangs from some chain attached to the hardware above.

A couple of other embellishments such as a TH ticket and a sentiment bar across the top finish this off, along with a picture hook across the back to hang it from.

I hope you like it, and if you have any Stampsmith stamps, that you can join in with the challenge.

Thank you so much for your visit - I have been unable to visit recently due to a few personal problems, but I really appreciate the comments which you leave for me.  

Enjoy your week.

Maria xxxxx

A Shabby Little Birdhouse - Something New / Craft Room Challenge DT

Hi, another fortnight has 'flown' by (excuse the pun :-)) and another challenge is upon us over at the Craft Room Challenge.  Your Bingo creations were amazing, I love to see how everyone interprets our challenges so differently.  This fortnight the lovely Debi is our hostess and she has chosen a theme of:

Something New

This is what Debi has to say:

For my theme I got thinking..... and  if you're anything like me, you either have a heap of new stash still waiting to be used, or your Pinterest Boards are full of techniques that you want to try but just haven't got round to it yet lol.  So I thought lets have a challenge that might get us using some new stash or a new technique.

Well, Debi is right - I have loads of new stuff I've not yet used, particularly alterables, so out came a brand new birdhouse which came in a little stash my other half bought me for Christmas.  I thought I may as well try a new technique/product while I was at it - Grunge Paste - I seem to have a bit of a fear of texture pastes, lol, but after seeing one of Alison's fantastic creations over at Words and Pictures I thought it was time to have a go, so thank you for the inspiration Alison :-)

I've undercoated the birdhouse with Gesso all over - the Grunge Paste has been sitting on my desk begging to be used, but being avoided all the time, so out it came - I put it all over the roof with a palette knife like buttercream frosting.  

Once dry I used chalk paints - a little cream sponged over brown - all over, and touched up the roof with some Treasure Gold in White Fire, then did a bit of stamping with an IndigoBlu stamp right around the base.  

I applied Deco Art Crackle all over the house and waited again.....then gave it a good sand down taking some of it back off for a more distressed feel.  I highlighted the crackle a little with some Walnut Stain DI.

Some TH word stickers, a bit of bark from the garden which was cleaned and inked then given the White fire treatment (couldn't find my twigs), a donut charm debossed with 'Happiness', and a couple of Tando birds painted and crackled.

A quote and stamp from Oxford Impressions' 'Birds' Nest' was used on the back, and vintage style lace trim and ribbon around the base to finish - not forgetting even more Treasure Gold White Fire on all the corners & edges.

I'm really happy with the shabby result I got on this - even though the roof does remind me a bit of a chocolate cake!

Our very kind sponsor this fornight is:

who sells a fantastic range of rubber stamps and other crafty stuff - click on the logo to visit their online store.

The rest of the Design team have made fantastic creations to inspire you for this challenge, as well as our Guest Designer this fortnight, the very talented Von from Messy Me.  

I'd like to enter my little birdhouse in the following challenges:-

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes
Country View Crafts - Quotations and Sayings
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Wings and Things
Stamping Sensations - Wings and Things and a Touch of Vintage
Our Creative Corner - Words, Words, Words

Thank you for dropping by, I appreciate your visit and your comments.

Enjoy your week :-)

Maria xxxxx

So Sentimental - Craft-Room Challenge DT

Hi, I hope you're all well.  Milder weather seems to have arrived in our little corner of the UK, which is nice for a change!  It's time for a new theme over at the Craft-Room Challenge, and this time it's the turn of our very talented Mervi to choose our theme, and she has chosen

So Sentimental

 Mervi would like to see your text, script or messages clearly, 

but otherwise your creation can be anything self-made and new!

The entries into our "In the Library" challenge were gorgeous, by the way, and Debi will be back next Tuesday with her Top 3 and winner.

For this theme, I decided to decorate a large perfume bottle I'd picked up from Dunelm Mill last week.

I used some pre-printed tissue paper which I bought from Crafty Individuals, cut it to size, and gave it a couple of coats of watered down emulsion.  I then over-stamped it with the background stamp from TH Papillon set and a SU flourish, then adhered to the main body and the neck of the bottle with multi matte medium.  The sentiment on the front of the bottle is by Darkroom Door.

I added some lace, a beaded trim and narrow ribbon with a glue gun, and to the stopper of the bottle I added a ball chain with some charms: a key, a heart padlock, part of a recycled necklace, and a bezel with a CI stamped image and a metal corner encased in Ice Resin.  A little Paperartsy Metallic Glaze was painted onto the rim of the bottle, and also the bottom part of the stopper.

Our sponsor this fortnight is:

manufacturers of fabulous chipboard and chipboard shapes.

We'd love it if you joined us, and if you'd like some more inspiration, please drop by the challenge and see the fabulous creations from the rest of the Design Team.

Thank you for dropping by, a big hello to my new followers, and have a wonderful week!

Maria x

In The Library - Craft-Room Challenge DT

Hi, I hope you've all enjoyed your Easter weekend and break, if you were lucky enough to have one.  At least the weather has been quite nice here, for a change! 

It's time for a new theme over at the Craft-Room Challenge and this time, it's the turn of our very talented Debi to choose the theme, which is:

In The Library

Debi loves books, and would like to see us use

books, stamps of books, mini books, altered books, pages from books, text, script, etc. 

 

For my DT sample, I used one of those papier mache book-shaped boxes - they usually come in a set of two, and this is the larger one:

 

 

I've painted it all over with black gesso to start, then used Rub n Buff in Antique Gold on the spine.  I've then used a couple of pages torn from a book, painted with a wash of emulsion, for the front and back. 

 

The Paper Artsy image has been stamped onto cream cardstock, torn out and a little Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain added round the edges, then I adhered a mica tile over it.  From the same plate, the sentiment "Bookworm" was added at the bottom of the image.  Across the top and the bottom, I've used some Viva Ferro metal effect colour in gold, then stamped into it with a CI crackle stamp, and highlighted it with some more Rub n Buff (there's lots of Rub n Buff on this creation!).  A pen nib has been added to the top, along with some TH Chit Chat stickers, and a TH Hitch Fastener.

 

When you open the box.....

 

...it has been painted, again with black gesso, and lined with unpainted torn book pages.  I've then filled it with little plain pieces of notepaper - maybe to make notes of the books you have read or want to read - and tied them up with some paper string.  A little Rub n Buff around the edges just to finish it off. 

 

This fortnight, we are very kindly sponsored by:

 

who manufacture gorgeous vintage rubber stamps

(click on the picture to visit the store)

 

We are also looking for Guest Designers over at the Craft-Room, so if you fancy joining us for a challenge or two, please add GDT after your name and Mervi will be in touch with you.

 

For a bit more inspiration, please drop by the challenge and see the gorgeous creations that the rest of the Design Team have created for you.

I'd like to enter my box into the following challenges:-

Simon Says Stamp And Show - Anything Goes
PanPastel - Anything Goes
Penny Black & More - One For The Boys
Allsorts - Vintage
Rhedd & Rosie Challenge - Vintage/Shabby Chic
The Artistic Stamper - Texture
 

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you have a good week!

 

Maria xxxxx



Monochrome Magic...In Shades of Blue

Hi, I hope you're all having a good weekend, unfortunately they just don't last long enough.  I think the working week should be 3.5 days, but on the same pay of course :-).

By the skin of my teeth, I have managed to create something for the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge, their theme is "Monochrome Magic" and closes in a matter of hours.  I have used a bare plywood frame measuring 6.5in x 6.5in to create a picture in shades of blue:

The frame has been painted with Craig & Rose Chalky Emulsion in Pompadour then stamped with script and harlequin stamps.  I have coloured some text dp with Faded Jeans DI, sponged through a sequin waste mask with the same colour, and edged with JB Spice Tin, then attached down the sides of the frame. 

The beautiful image is by Paper Artsy and has been stamped with JB Spice Tin onto the same inked dp as I used on the frame.  I have tinted the flowers on the image with some ink mixed with water, and added clear Distress Stickles onto the darker leaves.  The centres of the flowers are blue chipboard circles covered in crackle glaze.  I have also used the harlequin stamp and sponged through the sequin waste mask around the image, and added glossy accents inside the clock part.  I've covered a navy blue chipboard bracket also with crackle glaze and attached an inked flower covered in stickles, and then a watch face/timepiece.

The navy blue glittered heart was triple embossed with clear UTEE to seal the glitter in - it's made it look as though the glitter is encased in glass - I love how this has turned out.  The idea for this came from Shelley Hickox at Stamptramp (thank you!) where you can check out her fabulous tutorial for this technique.

I'd also like to enter my picture into the Crafts & Me Challenge, as they have a theme of Distressed at the moment, and Simon Says Stamp And Show, who have a theme of Anything Goes. 

That's all for now, I'm off to scrub my fingers again as they're still a very pale shade of blue, despite many washings, and look as though they're gonna drop off with the cold!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Maria x