monster birthday

I had a lot of fun yesterday morning making an inky painty background for this card. The monster stamp is from Stampotique. I had seen these stamps used by Kate Crane in Craft Stamper and loved them. They are cute but quirky with it and not overly sweet. However, I could not find a stockist in the UK so was then thrilled to find the stamp attic which you can find here stock them. On Kates blog which you can find here she has a card which uses this stamp made for her nephews birthday. Well, it is my nephews birthday today, so I took inspiration from that to make my own version. I used a crafters workshop template with distress inks for my background. I only used part of the template. I then found some more plastic stencils which I`d forgotten I even had and used that to stipple paint through for the swirls. I also used the edge of a credit card to make lines and a bottle top for some more circles. It was such fun to just go with the flow and see how things progressed with no aim in mind. The monster is coloured in with copics and I stamped happy birthday onto his sign. The sign is blank on the stamp which is really useful as you could stamp any message in there. I found an old piece of dictionary paper for my `mountain` which he is standing on. That was that, I mounted the whole thing onto a turquoise card blank which I felt matched my blue monster and made the orange background stand out. I will definately be making more cards like this again and big thanks to Kate for the inspiration. x Lavinia

Tim Holtz March tag

This is my take on Tim Holtzs` March tag. He has decided to do a tag for each month instead of the 12 tags of Christmas. February completely passed me by I am afraid so March it is then !. The main technique he showed for this tag was how to make the mosaic butterfly. I have not got the mover and shaper butterfly die he used so I used my spellbinder one. I die cut and did two butterflies but they were a bit too big to both fit on my tag. I used some thickish cardboard with the wondertape adhered to it. I haven`t got the embossing powder he used either so used opaque black. In hindsight I think I should have gone for a more colourful background on my tag to make the butterfly pop, I`m not sure the grungy background tag really matches my butterfly. Shall try another background with the other one. I did really enjoy trying this out however and would definately do this again as it was fairly easy albeit fiddly to do. Thanks for looking x Lavinia

Alphatag swaps for Chocolate Baroque

I really do not know where the days go, here we are in March already. I haven`t shared anything lately though I don`t think I have been that productive either. I`ve moved all my crafting things into the dinning room to hopefully give me more space to work. The only thing is I need to go and buy a blind for the window because there are no curtains up and my dinning room faces onto the street outside - its like sitting in a goldfish bowl Lol. I have been taking part in a Alphatag swap on the Chocolate Baroque ning group. Each month we make two or three tags for the letter of the alphabet given and send them in to be swapped over. We have already done letters A through to D. However, I forgot to scan mine before I sent them off. This month it is letters E, F and G. The above tag is my E for England using the new Crafty Indivuals stamps. I used distress inks in chipped sapphire, stormy sky and barn door for my background then overstamped the sayings in versafine. I cut out some of the elements and embossed them for the main image.

The next tag is F for Floral. Probably not the most original intereptation but never mind. I used a floral stamp from Chocolate Baroque for this one stamped onto a background paper which is also a Chocolate Baroque one.

The last one is G for green, gold and grass. I used a crafters workshop template for my background with glimmer mist. I really like these stencils, only bought two to try but definately will invest in some more. This pattern is blazonry. I then overstamped with Chocolate Baroque stamps from the Nature theme stampset in two shades of green ink. I also stamped some leaves in gold and embossed them at the top of the tag as it looked a bit bare. I need to go play with all the other stash I`ve bought now as I have been really naughty this month ! too many tempting new things comming into the shops at this time of year. x Lavinia

jff challenge art nouveau

oh its Wednesday already and I realised I`d not done a challenge this week. A super quick effort from me then ! the challenge over at just for fun this week was Art Nouveau which you can find here I found two wood mounted stamps which I`ve had since don`t know when which fitted the theme. I think the lady is a very old elusive images one and the corner stamp I have no idea of. I used a pearlescent pink card blank and brilliance ink in crimson copper embossed with clear embossing powder. I think I need to invest in a stamp positioner because my corners are very wonky but never mind. Did you know you can actually wipe off brilliance ink off of pearlescent cardstock if you are quick ? don`t ask me how I know Lol. A dark pink/red colour ribbon finished things off. So there you go, a very quick card which would be ideal for last minute birthday cards I feel. Thanks for popping by x Lavinia

jff challenge - art deco

Well here we are mid way through January already. I swear the older I get the quicker the time goes. A very quick make for me today. The challenge over at Just for Fun which you can find here this week is art deco. Now that just has to be my favourite era. I love the clothes, the shoes , the architecture, everything. I still seem to be in tag mode at the moment so appologies for yet another tag but this just seemed to come together quickly without loads of faffing which makes a change. I used distress inks in antique linen and tattered rose direct to paper for my background. All the stamps except for the Eiffle tower which is a B line one are Hero Arts. The main image was stamped then coloured in with copics. The rest of the stamping was just with Ranger black archival ink. Hope you like it x Lavinia

tims 12 tags of christmas tag #9

only three more to go ! I used a Chocolate Baroque peacock background stamp for this one and the same colours of distress ink as Tim used - evergreen bough and festive berries. I felt this technique gave the impression of antique wallpaper , quite aged and distressed. I will be trying it again definately. I embossed my baubles, also from Chocolate Baroque on green and red card with gold embossing powder. I cut then out and used gold thread to hang them. Quite a quick and simple tag, this one. x Lavinia

tims 12 tags of christmas tag #8

well here we are with tag 8 - only four more to go. Tag 8 had a definate steampunk theme which was tricky when you have no steampunk stamps Lol. Still I did have the gaget gears die which helped a great deal. I used reproduction cigarette cards as well as a oxford impressions stamp of my moustachioed gentleman. I gave him a party hat to make him more festive but he still looked like he didn`t approve hence the phrase bah humbug. This one was fun to do I have to say dispite being much more `busy` than something I would normally do. Thanks for looking x Lavinia