Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Louise’s theme for this week’s Tag Tuesday (Kard Krazy)  is “Summer”.  This got me to wondering, what does Summer mean to me … tennis anyone? Wimbledon is an event I associate with Summer.  Summer is not a time for me to sunbathe or head to the beach – not my idea of fun at all! I’d much prefer to spend my time indoors crafting with images related to vintage seaside and vintage bathing beauties.

Possibly I am wearing rose tinted spectacles (or should that be sunglasses!) and imagine that the seaside in those days would be a place I would not have been opposed to spending some time – I’m sure they never got sand in their sandwiches!

Tag is painted with Sandal acrylic paint onto which I stamped images with a vintage seaside theme. The “By The Sea” and the seahorse were stamped onto translucent shrink plastic (available from The Altered Element) to form a charm and tiny tag tied with jute string. The tiny shells are glued on top of some jute ribbon (The Altered Element stocks jute ribbon in an array of colours) and I also glued some shells onto the fibres threaded through the tag’s hole.

The Award Goes To

I have Cath (Inky Fingers) to say thanks to as she selected my Blog for the Beautiful Blogger Award. My first award!!!

 So it was my turn to select the Blogs that have inspired me. Drum roll please ….
A Penny For Your Thoughts
AlcoholInky

Bluebird Paperie

Trash To Treasures Art

True Colours

When I Grow Up

As a little girl I did not dream of becoming a Ballerina although they say that’s the dream of many a little girl. Did any of you have this dream? From The Altered Element (June DT package) I received Character Construction Mannequin Cafe set. Normally I would say that Character Construction stamps are on the quirky side but this set of stamps would be perfect for anyone who knows of little or even not so little girls who go to ballet classes or even anyone who appreciates ballet.

A trio of cards – the elements I repeated are cream and burgundy (organza ribbon, scraps from recycled velvet skirt plus flat back pearls, gems and sheet music.

Dream has vintage sheet music layered to cardbase and then cream organza layered on top. A paper rose is wrapped around a florist’s pin.

Ballet – a mask and chalk ink created the pattern background. Tutu has been stamped a second time, skirt pleated and silicon glue to create depth.

Close-up of pleated tutu

Ballerine – the fun with this set is to stamp the various elements and play around with the placement of the pieces.

A final tag

The burgundy organza ribbon can be purchased from The Altered Element. Lynne stocks organza ribbon in an array of colours.

A Parisian Love Affair

The Stampsmith DT artwork for this week is an anniversary card made for a friend. As I know the couple have received the card it is safe enough to post here. When I have an anniversary card to make my main problem, what stamp to use, so I usually play safe and use flowers or my favourite butterfly stamp. When making this particular card I did not have this problem as the couple are young and have connections with France so I knew immediately it would be the “kissing couple”  from the Paris plate.

That lovely stamp in the background I received from a friend and it is such a great stamp to create backgrounds, for this card stamped onto Periphery paper. There is a co-ordinating strip running across the top of the card, underneath the organza ribbon and to finish off, some decorative felt border and layered fabric blooms.

If The Shoe Fits

A few months ago Dawn and I chatted about doing a swap, all we knew, we would not swap ATCs but really anything would go and possibly in future set challenges or themes. Anyway for our first swap we said we could make anything we wanted and we would keep it a surprise as to what we were making. We both have similar tastes, anything vintage, feminine or Parisian, which always helps when swapping. Last week a large package arrived in my mail, I unwrap the tissue to discover a shoe!

Isn’t it stunning? The colours, the beautiful flowers and the diamante buckle. Plus Dawn even embossed a gold crown inside the shoe and on the heel, a Fleur de lys. We also said that we would include little bits and pieces from our craft stash. You might just be able to see what Dawn sent to me: gorgeous lace, a crown (I plan to save this for a special project!), Eiffel Tower charm, buttons and chain with coins on it. Yes, I am very lucky indeed.

Now you might be wondering, what did I make for Dawn? The answer ….. you will have to wait a wee bit longer. As Dawn knows, there were unforseen circumstances at my end so the item has not arrived at Dawn’s yet. Once Dawn receives it I will post the piece I made and no, I am not giving any clues!!

1st class

I’m very new to Kard Krazy’s Tag Tuesday but I have to say that Louise comes up with great themes. The theme this week is Postage. How annoying is it when you cannot find amongst your craft stash the item(s) that you need and need now! I only have a few foreign postage stamps but could I find them, no. Typically, they will turn up tomorrow, when I am no longer in need of them!

So, is she the type to sit and write love letters and spray them with parfume, hmmm, I seriously doubt it. Probably too much of a good time girl ,but I can imagine would be suitors who are bewitched enough by her after one meeting to write letters and the odd Carte Postale!

The tag is painted with Twinkling H20s in violet and lilac and a postcard stamped with Wisteria ink all over the tag. Then layered scrap pattern paper, fabric ribbon sticker, lace and stamped elements, swiping some pearlescent medium on the tag’s edges.

The Sweetest Thing

For some time I have collected vintage images (free downloads from the internet), with the intention of using them in my artwork instead of always reaching into my stamp collection. Browsing through some images I came across this sweet little face. I am not normally one to ooh and ahh over images of children but I could not resist making a birthday card for a friend (safe to Blog as she has received the card) with this little girl’s image.

Not a stamp in sight! For my birthday I received some Anna Griffin ink pads, amongst them Duck Egg Blue. The friend who sent me the ink pads could not have selected more perfect colours for me. I sponged some of this ink onto the embossed Laura Ashley card.  Although I have said, probably too many times, that I am not a fan of glitter, I need to hold my hands up and say that Deko Ice has won me over. It appeals to me as the finished appearance is quite vintage.

Note To Self

A sheet of Grungeboard was included in June’s DT package from The Altered Element. Grungeboard certainly is a product that appears to have a huge fan base, but for me, it is not a product I managed to get very excited about in the past!

Heading down a practical road I made a sticky note holder. The covers  and hinges are made from Grungeboard and the flowers and leaves from Grungepaper. As I don’t own a die cutting machine I used a flower (thanks Alison!) for a template and proceeded to hand-cut 7 flowers and also some leaves.

 

The little “notes” tag was made from translucent shrink plastic (also included in the package from The Altered Element) and alphabet stamps.

Grungeboard hinges makes the holder easy to open and close.

Am I correct in saying that the majority of stampers own more than one script stamp, possibly even more than two – come on, own up! For the cover I stamped a Prima script stamp and for the flowers I used French Script by Hero Arts, the first script stamp I ever purchased and one I always keep to hand. By using silicone glue it creates a lovely dimension to the flowers .

(If there is anyone who has never used Grungeboard then I would say prepare with Gesso. I painted 2 coats of Gesso and still required to sponge 2 coats of the lilac velvet texture emulsion paint to eliminate any of the base Grungeboard.)

These little holders could come in handy for stocking fillers as they are so useful. Once the sticky note pad is finished it is easy enough to insert a new one.

Reminder – A gentle reminder that on Wednesday there will be a 10% discount coupon available from The Altered Element. This discount is only valid for the duration of  England’s scheduled match at the World Cup.

In Vogue without being in “Vogue”.

I wanted to share my bit of news this Monday ….. I am published in Somerset Studio!

They set a theme titled “In Vogue” and there was no way that I was not going to have a bash at this one and I knew my inspiration would be Coco Chanel. There are elements which are associated with Chanel worldwide:- distressed edges on her jackets in particular, double linked Cs, black and cream, pearls, gold chain and also the chains which are inserted into all the jacket linings to give weight and therefore they hang correctly and camelias. Strangely enough I just did not have a camelia to hand so instead used a fabric bloom from Bo Bunny.

Now there is a reason why the quality of the photo isn’t very good (that is an understatement!) – it was a mad rush to get the artwork in the post so the photo was taken quickly, really for my own records.  So try to imagine it without all the blur!!

Walk Like An Egyptian

Remember that song? I’m sure anyone of a certain age (that includes me!) will remember this huge hit. What does that have to do with crafting? Well it relates to the card I made for my Dad for Father’s Day.

For his National Service my Dad spent his time in Egypt, the Suez Canal. He is the young man on the left in the first photo and the first on the camel. Little does he know that I pilfered the photos to show on my Blog! He loved his time in the Army, times he reflects on with many happy memories.

So I had the perfect stamp from Oxford Impressions, Travel Journal set.

It is a card that is loaded with bits and pieces so there are a couple of close-ups. Initially I distressed a page from an Atlas but it was still too garish for my liking and as luck had it, in my stash I had an Egyptian transparency and when placing this over the Atlas page, the word “Egypt” fitted perfectly.

The die cut buckle (kindly received from Alison) received the rusty treatment then dents created with the Tim Holtz Texture Hammer.  Thunder Metal Flakes and a scrap of fabric, which to my eyes echoed the pattern of the palm fronds were also added.

Crafty Notions Rusting Powder and a selection of Metal Flakes are available from The Altered Element.