Monday 28 February 2011

Altered dominoes - part 2

Good morning everyone.
As I promised yesterday, here are the rest of the dominoes that I created in my "Creative Frenzy" Inspired by the Craft Barn ! Thanks for all your wonderful comments. I appreciate each and everyone of them.

The first set to show you today is this little travel inspired set of four.....


So the basic ingredients are Crafty Individuals images that have this lovely Venice feel of "artistic decay" and romance......
Again, I coloured the edges with Krylon in silver and rock candy distress crackle over which I coloured in walnut stain to highlight the crackle.
Don't you just love the dinky key!?  I could not believe it the other day when I came across these just lying on the road (3 of them) So someone has a padlock with no keys but I have these adorable 1,5cm keys!!!!!!

Then I made this little pair.....

These were done a bit differently. After the krylon in silver and a touch of Alcohol ink to colour I covered the domino in sepia glossy accents and sprinkled some ultra fine glitter in while wet. A little key to finish.......
Have a great day and be blessed.........

Sunday 27 February 2011

Altered dominoes at the Craft Barn - part one

Well, I missed the deadline for Simon Says this week, silly moo....... but over at the Craft Barn we've been playing with dominoes. Now I did not have any dominoes in my stash other than tiny (and I mean really tiny; look with a magnifying glass to see tiny ones!) so off I went scouring the charity shops in search of said items...... well I did not find any of those lovely ivory plastic ones that they have been using but found a set of old black wooden ones. So I have adapted the way I did my dominoes but think they will still fit the challenge as I have used a Krylon leafing pen and alcohol inks etc etc! But, boy did I have fun......... so much so that you will get them in two posts ; or perhaps three.....
So here goes with set number one.
I used images from Crafty Individuals with a seaside theme and glued them to the dominoes. When dry I trimmed and sanded the edges before covering the sides and top edges with a silver Krylon leafing pen.
Then I painted everything with a layerof Rock Candy distress stickles and left to dry. Once dry I rubbed broken china blue ink all over and wiped off with a damp cloth afterwards.
The starfish , shell , words and gem embellishments were attached as shown. The shells and starfish were coloured with alcohol inks and a blending brush.
Overall I love the way they turned out.....

Then I made this little pair.....

And this little cutie pie too.........


I made more but I don't want you to get "domino fatigue" so i'll post them tomorrow

Simon Says stamp and show your stripes

Hi there.
I can't believe it is sunday already!. It's been one of those weeks when time runs away and I have not been able to use a computer etc etc! But I will try to catch up a bit today!
First up is my project for Simon Says Stamp weekly challenge which is stripes. I made a notebook.

I kept it simple (My mojo was on a bit of a go slow with this theme and time was running out!) American crafts striped paper covers, inked and stamped with postage stamps. Tim's bird cage, some felt ribbon and gems to finish. (And for all you eagle eyed WOYWWers; yes the bird is made using the piece of random card that was on my desk on wednesday last!)
Well, have a great day. I'll be back with more today (Told you, I need to catch up !)


QUICK EDIT: TOO LATE TO ENTER: DARN THE TIME DIFFERENCE! OH WELL......

Wednesday 23 February 2011

WOYWW 90

What's on my workdesk this week? A mess. Sorry Julia, though I try I can't be tidy ALL the time!
So here it is........ In the middle is a piece of card with scrunched up tissue and alcohol ink. (When I have not got any specific ideas I tend to just create a background or random piece that satisfies my need to do something then later it will get used in a project). On the right there is something that I can't show you yet (So, no looking, ok?) and behind that is the card made yesterday. In amongst all the other chaos is a couple of new paint tubes; Eco friendly. VERY VERY happy with them, they are AMAZING. I got them from the Craft Barn over the weekend and am pleased I did.
Since there is not much happening on my desk that is photoworthy I thought I'd do a couple of closer shots of my bits and bobs tray since a few of you seem to want to rummage!



Have a lovely day and be blessed.
I may well pop back later but for now i'm off to do the WOYWW tour come over and join us HERE

Monday 21 February 2011

100 Followers Winner!

Hi there, as promised, the draw for the winner of a lucky dip follower;
Me: to youngest daughter; hi, pick a number between one and sixteen.
Her: Why?
Me: Don't ask just choose.
Her: Ok, that's random but I choose number 4
Me: Thank you
and scurries off to see who left comment number 4 on the post........ Congratulations Sarah Anderson; it's you. Please email me your snail mail address and i'll be sending you something. It's a suprise but I think you will enjoy it! Enjoy the rest of the evening.

Neil
nsasthewalkers@gmail.com

It's all hearts

Hi there. Well between my wife and my daughter hogging the computer I have hardly got a look in today!
But I kept myself busy with a wall hanging that I picked up at The Range the other weekend. Nice and inexpensive and just crying out for attention! And since the Stamp man Challenge is hearts  and The Artistic Stamper is LOVE IS IN THE AIR it all worked out well.
So here is my entry; it started out life like this
In the end it looks like this!
I used Crafty Individuals papers, Forest moss and aged mahogany distress inks, embossed letter tiles, gold paint and  n old piece of jewellery. I kept it simple as the papers are just so beautiful, I just overstamped a script and flourish  stamp.
Sometimes I think we just need to remind ourselves to be joyful  to appreciate and enjoy the blessngs we have so this hanging will hang there to remind me to


Be blessed.... I'll be back later to draw the winner of my 100 follower gift...... so see you later!

Sunday 20 February 2011

OH WOW 100 Followers!!!!!!!!

Hi there, got home tonight after a visit to friends (via The Craft Barn!) to find I have reached 100 followers.
I am humbled and amazed that 100 of you have chosen to follow my blog. When I started seriously blogging I decided that I was not going to offer candy to entice people to follow me. I wanted people to follow because they liked what I did. But I do think that this milestone deserves a celebration........ so for the next 24 hours everyone of my followers who leaves me a comment on this post will be entered into a draw for one of you to win a suprise goody bag from me as a thank you.
Your comments are always appreciated  and encourage me to create art...... so here's to many more good times to come.
So, lets here from you until 8.30 pm tomorrow my time! (UK)
Be blessed

Saturday 19 February 2011

Just testing

Hi there.
Well I can't share what I am busy with at the moment because I'm not finished. (Why does work always get in the way? Oh, yes I know why, to pay for stash!) Anyway, I thought that I would just post a pic of the stuff I made yesterday while I tested my new recycled ink palette. Not sure what they will end up as in the end, probably book covers                                                                             

I used some acetate packaging from the sizzix folder I received from Brenda the other day to create two little shakers. Stamped with black stazon and coloured with alcohol inks on the reverse. The frames were inked and stamped in frayed burlap, forest moss and aged mahogony. I like the elephant more that the other one if I'm honest, but I was just playing around so they did kinda just evolve!

Anyway, hope you have had a better saturday than me and have done some crafting!
Be blessed.







Friday 18 February 2011

Recycling

Good morning everyone.
I have not got round to creating anything yet as I got distracted .....
I was sorting out and discarding some packaging this morning when I had a thought...... Tim's trinket pins come in a lovely little packet that I was sure that could be used for something useful.

I drew up a table of 30, one side for the insert tray and one side for the main packet and dripped 3 or 4 drops of alcohol ink into each tray with the name in the corrosponding space on the table. Once dry you have a palette of up to 30 colours that can be used with a blending fluid filled waterbrush to colour in your fragments, acetate etc and can be topped up easily and when not in use you can close it up for safe storage.
I was pretty pleased with it, what do you think?
(By the way, make sure it is totally dry before you close it!)

Thursday 17 February 2011

When cutesy met scruffy....

Hi there
A little while ago I won a load of stuff from Brenda at Bumblebees and Butterflies with Brenda in her giveaway. Well it arrived today, Yay! Some lovely stuff to play around with so of course I started straight away! Now, regular readers of my blog will know by now that I am not big on "cute" though I do occasionaly do something cutesy. One of the things that was in the parcel were these Jolly Nation stamps

Hmm, one slightly bemused cat (Meet Smudge everyone) and one slightly daunted Neil......... Well I decided to challenge myself to see if I could use these  in perhaps a different than usual way. So please say hello to "The Scruffpots"
I masked and stamped them a few times. Then coloured in with distress inks and a water brush. I'm not too sure what they had been up to but they sure got mucky.

And would you believe it, I turned my back for a second; a second I tell you and those girls just tossed some more paint splodges on the floor and on the wall! Well, I can tell that they are going to be a handful! Thanks a bunch Brenda!
Be Blessed, these lot are going to bed without any dinner (After a bath, that is.....)

CCC challenge 32 and SSS & S a tag

Hi there
It's a two for one this week. Over at Studio L3 the Compendium challenge is Inking and stamping masks on page 59 of Tim's book (Can't say more than that so you'll have to check it out yourselves) and at Simon Says Stamp and Show  this week it is a Tag.

So this is being entered into both challenges


I used the technique to create the base tag and kept it simple and masculine with the addition of some rusty washers and bolts (picked up from the street) and an Idea-ology sprocket.  I used Tim's elephant stamp and bingo atc stamp for the background. Distress inks used were, broken china, weathered wood, forest moss, aged mahogany and walnut stain.
Here's a couple of closer looks



I tried to create some depth on the elephants by lightly colouring in the second one so it looks as if it is behind....
 Have a blessed day

Wednesday 16 February 2011

WOYWW 89

Yes, it's wednesday again, where does the time go? Time to see what's on the desks of the world again over at Julia's blog Stamping Ground. . My desk is looking a bit tidier this week (if you don't look at the piles of stuff lying on the shelves above!)




There's a couple of finished items and some preperation pieces. Next to the tray are some thick chipboard book covers. Just covered in thick gesso and a bit of ink at the moment. In the middle is a "tattered" book and on the right are a couple of little note pads and some corrugated card waiting to be used (Or filed!)


Want a closer look at the book?



I used corrugated card for the covers; coloured with colourwash. Attached to that is a distressed piece of dictionary paper, an embossed alterations tag. Old tape measure, some grunge "waste" . Idea-ology sprockets and a fanciful flight butterfly in gold and copper. I tore card in olive green for the pages inside.



Then a close up of the two little note pads. A bargain at 25p each so I made a couple of embossed covers for them and bound with the Zutter. Quick and simple upgrade!


So there's my desk today. Hope you have a good day and are blessed in your art.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Valentine Challenge Journey Winners!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi There.
Well, in the end there were four of you who played along with the valentine challenge. Now valentine is finished it's time to do the draw......
I wrote your names out on paper, folded them up and then


caled my wife to pick two pieces out of my hand!


So.... DRUMROLL PLEAAAAASE 
the first name out is WENDY......
and the second name out is ELLIE.........
Congratulations ladies, email me at nsasthewalkers@gmail.com with your addresses so I can get those prizes out to you.

Monday 14 February 2011

Playdate Cafe Challenge 68 and more

Hi there everyone. Over at the cafe the colours are fabulous coffee and pink. Click here to go and see and join in the fun.....
I made this little book based on a post by Tim Holtz. click here to take a look at the video. I won't tell you how to make it here as Tim posted an easy to follow video which explains it very well! You only need 1 12x12 scrapbook paper and glue and tissue tape to make it. Now I love books so this was a great project for me!

So, here's my entry into the cafe this week.


I used Victorian velvet and Frayed burlap to colour, I did a little masking on some of the pages. I then made 3 little tags to go into the pockets.

I used stamps from The Artistic Stamper and glossy accents to do the tags.



Some of the inside pages

Hope you like it.

On a valentine day note I also made another two of these little books and this morning when my daughters got into the car to go to school there was one for each on their seats; into which I put a Starbucks card, Sainsburys card and I-tunes voucher. Because love is for families too!







I thought that they would appreciate that and they are great little gift books!
Have a fab day everyone.

Saturday 12 February 2011

The Craft Barn Challenge 3

Hi there everyone, Hope you've squeezed in a bit of creativity time today. Over at the Craft Barn the Technique we have been challenged with is colouring with distress ink as watercolour. Poupette did a lovely tutorial and the other DT members have some very inspiring samples so I think i'll be doing more than one thing with this this week. So do pop over and join in. However, as a practise run I did a tag. (Well, to be honest, a few tags really and this is the only one that did not end up in the bin! Never start doing something like this when you should be getting ready to go to work!)

So, here's the tag

I used gold embossing powder, the stamp is one I have had for years so not sure who it was originally by, but it is very much one of the flower fairys!
Here's a couple of close ups. I was going to turn it into something more than just a tag but my wife has swiped it and it has disappeared into her promise box! So I guess she liked it!





Be blessed in your art.

Friday 11 February 2011

playing with stuff

Hi there
Yesterday I was wondering what to do and my eye caught sight of a sheet of acetate that I had discarded from another project so I thought I'd play around a bit. I had previously used some alcohol inks around the edges and some stamped images. I started by adding some more stamped images in stazon then poured the dregs of a bottle of glossy accents into it and smooshed it around. Added some more random drops of alcohol inks and then some micro beads. Took a sheet of white tissue paper and laid it over and pressed it in so it absorbed the glossy accents. When dry I trimmed it down into interesting sections and ended up with  6 different pieces (The largest about 13 x 13 cm) I stuck them onto white glossy paper to show the colours nicely.




The eagle eyed among you will already have noticed that there are only 5 there; that's because I have used one already to make a book! Well, it would have been rude not to use one straightaway, wouldn't it?

So here's the book


Using an 18 x 18 cm sheet of bronze metallic card, I cut out a 12 x 12 cm aperture and mounted the acetate inside and used another 18 x 18 cm piece to close the back neatly. I added autumn rose gilding flakes to the two sides and then decide I wanted to emboss..... problem; too big for the bug! Well, never one to give up i put the corner into the folder and hauled out a rolling pin from the kitch! As you can see, it works, though you won't get as deep an impression.
I used one of the non metal metal die cuts of the fanciful flight to finish. The base layers were coloured with Alcohol ink so yes, that works on these too.
Ps, bind the book BEFORE adding the butterfly!
Some of the details


I like the way this turned out and will probably turn them all into books!
Be blessed today and enjoy your art.