!! SIMON SAYS STAMPTEMBER BLOGHOP !!

Hello Everyone...Ready to hop?

Simon Says Stamp and Show and The Simon Says Stamp Challenge join forces to bring you a SUPER BLOGHOP and treasure hunt to celebrate the approaching fall and winter holidays. We're giving away a HUGE BASKET OF CRAFTING GOODIES to the Bloghop winner and three $25 Simon Says Stamp Store VOUCHERS ! The vouchers are the treasure hidden on 3 DT blogs. All you have to do is find them...!

Starts Aug. 31st at Simon Says Challenge Blog

Ends Sept. 5th at Simon Says Stamp & Show Blog.

The theme for both challenges is ANYTHING GOES. That's anything you like! A card, an ATC, a LO... endless possibilities! You'll need to hop through each blog, find the little parcel of goodies and make a note on which designer’s blog you found them. You don't HAVE to comment on all the DT blogs, but we would love to hear from you!!! If you lose your way, a full list of all the participating blogs with links and all the hop details will be available on Simon Says Stamp Challenge and the Stamp and Show Challenge blogs. You MUST enter the challenge and link your creations with the Inlinkz on the Stamp and Show Challenge to be able to win the Grand Prize or any of the $25 vouchers

If you arrived here from Marcea, you're going in the right direction! Otherwise you need to start at the beginning on the Simon Says Stamp Challenge. Now start hunting...

So what did I get up too??? Anything Goes gives me the chance to play with all the things I love. Inks, stamps, metal, findings and above all my imagination. So I indulged in my Wendy Vecchi stamps and goodies and created a hanging using an old metal tin lid!

I altered the tin with lots of Alcohol ink and then created the background using a good spray and swoosh of Color Wash, Distress Stain. Then lots of inky work using Wendy's A Form of Art and the just oh so lovely ironwork from Art from the Heart stamped in Mushroom paint.

I am always attracted to the dress form which is both an Art Part and stamp by Wendy. I love her elusive feminine qualities! I used Wild Honey Distress stain and embossed in black for extra sheen. My very favourite part are her wings! I stamped the light bulb from Steampunk onto Clearly for Art and just love the translucent look which makes everything feel more ethereal. She is nestling on layers of stitched paper, thread, fabric and wire scraps... I also added clusters of rusty metal findings which seem right at home.

 I used a scrap of Mica to stamp the word Become. It adds depth, but also kind of floats. Become, who you were meant to be. You can just read the second part subtly stamped along the edge and make out the wing nut glued to the side.

 So there she is... Just one more side shot to show off her curves and glossy wings. She is hanging on my mirror at the moment which is a good place to think about such a sentiment. I hope you can enjoy her as much as I do. Do let me know... That's my take on Anything Goes. Have you got an idea bubbling away...? Can't wait to see them all! That's me all done. Just want to say THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!!!

From here you need to hop along to the lovely Mandy for more inspiration. (The last stop on the hop is the Simon says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog. You will need to leave a comment there with the name of the 3 blogs with hidden treasure. The comments will be moderated so you cannot see the answers). 

Wishing you some seriously Happy Hopping! Off you bounce now...

Sarah.

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday???

Welcome to my desk, random ramblings and inky efforts at artfulness. It's the weekly Show & Tell hosted by Desk Duchess Julia. Lots going on at my HQ as several projects decide to land in the same week...phew. My desk displays another flower offering in the make and remnants of DT work. I'm also busy tweaking the new projects for the new September issue of My Mojo Monthly which I'll post tomorrow!!! UPDATE - IT'S HERE!

Here is a sneak peek of one of three projects I've created for you! I had a really great time working on a new theme and challenge for the old Mojo. I really hope you'll call by tomorrow, read the fab interview with designer Jo Firth-Young and join in... (ah, the art of subtle hinting...)

And finally...Here is the finished flowery event. The challenge over at Lori's  Everything Wendy Vecchi group was to use a bottle. Now, a bottle stamp I ain't got yet, but I do have a wonderful Belgian hubby and his exuberant patriotic beer collection...! So I figured a bit of recycling and imagination would do the job! Just right for Try it on Tuesday!

 The flowers are made using Wendy's Art Parts range which are fun to work with. I like their chunky attitude and it gives me a chance to dabble with both paint and ink! I decided to stick to a rustic colour pallet of yellows, greens and burnt amber. Must be the chilly mornings and whiff of September in the air. The label and butterfly are stamped onto Claudine Hellmuth's sticky back canvas which works great with paint, ink and sewing machine.

I like the texture and think it works well with this style of piece. A touch of the country crafts and all that...Yes,more flowers and fluttery things from Sarah. But I do balance it all out with some serious dabbling during my vintage, Grungy and altered moods. Am I trying to do it all? No, not at all. I love it all, like to imagine and love to create...that's all I need to know. On that note I'll be signing off...

Thanks very much for taking some time to be here. I hope you have a good Wednesday whatever you're up to. I'd love to hear from you and am always happy to answer any questions (not the meaning of life ones). See you tomorrow!!!
Sarah.

Seeing Red...

Well, after lots of sneaky peeks, I thought it was time to put some "real stuff" on my blog.... She's coming in with the cards! As many of you know, amongst all my full blown inky antics, lies a passion for simplicity and purity.

This week at Less is More we can mix things up, so I playing with a touch of red, squares and ribbon to name but a few.

 I think a lot of my arty notions reflect my dance training. I've studied classical ballet, modern jazz and contemporary dance with a real love for choreography. I think this style is kind of akin to the ballet. Purity, a sense of line and definite shapes.

 I can never get enough of red and white and decided to break open my new Ranger Vermilion ink pad. I'm glad to say it's true red, red... if you know what I mean!

The stamp is one of my first ever and a real favourite from Hampton Art. I used it a while back in a similar way, but I really wanted to see how things would look in such a vibrant tone. Mucho likey...

A strong image and pure colours do all the talking... I added a little ribbon and lace to set them off, choosing textured card stock for a little more detail.

After stamping and cutting them all out, I just played around with them seeing how they fitted together. It might sound strange, but give them a moment and they will tell you how they feel...

Thanks very much for calling by and taking a peek...does the red do it for you??? Ok, she's signing off...
Sarah.

Our Day Out and Vintage Photo Freebie!

Good Morning!
How are you all doing? Well I'm feeling très jolie that it's the weekend and looking forward to spending some quality time with my ink-pads. Sounds strange to some...but you know what I mean. I'm just dropping by with a tag I made last night using a postcard from my ever-increasing vintage collection.

 Good old sepia tones, scraps and a quirky bunch of folk! Lots of Vintage Photo Distress Stain, stamping and stitched edges. Then onto the layering... an old book page, crinoline and some Belgian lace. I've called it "Our Day Out" as it looks like they are in their finest glad-rags and I've whisked them all off (in my mind) to Brighton! Hence the typed snippet!

The postcard came from my local flea market here in Ludlow which is always oozing with such lovelies. This one is from around 1902 when such headgear was all the rage.

A close-up of the torn book page. "Visiting"... I thought the mood would be perfect for Frankie's Tag it On and The Stamp Man where it's all about travel. Lots of travel themes this week. We have one at Simon Says Stamp & Show too! The more the merrier I say...

CLICK TO ENLARGE 

And finally for all of you vintage lovers, here is the original postcard. I have so many wonderful images and thought it would be fun to share some with you instead of them gathering dust. So here you go! Do click and open the image first before saving for the best quality, rather than just dragging it off the page. (Use it however you fancy - original photo not intended for resale...be smart!) Now have fun with this bunch, do let me know if you use it... would be great to see. 

Enjoy your weekend...Sarah is signing out!

Also joining in with:
Just Add Ink - Something from your stash (my postcard!)
Dutch Dare Card Challenges - Anything but a card

Three Little Words...

Evening all,
Just calling by with my card for Less is More...my weekly paddle in the waters of simplicity and white(ish) space! This week it's 'things that move'. Hmmm, another theme with rather undefined borders...

Could be literal or abstract. So, I kind of went for both... a pointy finger and moods which are always shifting.

The trio of images are from Señor Timothy Holtz. I've used Archival inks in Sepia, Coffee and Vermilion from Ranger. The hand has been cut out and glued to a brad so you can give it a spin and switch moods! Very handy for the female mind...

It's almost Friday...and a Bank Holiday weekend over here so I'm rustling up a little holiday feeling already...

That was me for tonight! See you all soon,

Sarah.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday???

Well... this, that, those, them and a bit of the other...So here we all are again. Bloggy Inbetweeners of the world unite to be pretty nosey but also rather nice. Here's my lurvely ink pit in action...

Still saving the new craft sheet for another day or century it seems. I was just getting started here...

Three earlier attempts at something vaguely creative had already been trashed so I was in a right huff. Alright then, the brain has gone flat-line, let's make something simple and flowery I decide. Hmmm. I think I got slightly side-tracked by this lot, but they were all so very gentlemanly about it.

I casually stamped these gents onto an inky tag just to see how they looked and - me likey very muchy. After hours of futile faffing today, I was ecstatic to feel a smidgen of inspiration. It doesn't matter what I make - however simple or complex, I  have to feel that click or buzz that tells me I've got one foot on the right path. So this one went from a tag, to a card, to a full-on canvas, but sometimes you just got to run with it!

Mr. Holtz's Steampunkers! Well-known and used stamps in Blogdom but nevertheless, mighty fine rubber and images! I fancied chasing more of a Gent's theme... so I added some typed words and a very English spiffing!!! A close-up of the fellas themselves...very dapper or not?

Loving the Wild Honey Distress tone in all its forms... It definitely warms up the vintage look.

Bits & bobs, string, stuff, even an old cuff link thrown into the mix!
Keeping it a bit blokey and not a flower in sight. Must fail at flowers and do 'whatever' more often I think as this was a fine journey. That said, this is my stop, so I'm hopping off.

Hope you enjoyed the small peek into my inky HQ. Head over to Chief Desk Guru Julia to join in with all this larky.

Don't forget, it's the last week to submit your entries for My Mojo Monthly!!!! August's theme is Muse & Use it so if you've created some usable art lately or are bursting with Mojo...do tell!
 I must be aways now (with the fairies). Thanks so much for taking a peek, have a fab mid-week moment!

Sarah.

Joining in with:
The Artistic Stamper - Macho Men
Anything Goes - Film:Sherlock Holmes
Take a word - Old-fashioned 
The Cheerful Stampad - Portaits
Cards For Men - Anything Goes 
Shelly's Images - Show us what you got

Let's Go Dutch...!

Good morning,
The world keeps spinning and gives us another Monday, so I'm here to share my new creation for Simon Says Stamp & Show. I just want to say I'm still so honoured to be part of this fantabulous Design Team. Every week - I just luuuuurve it! My big heartfelt thanks to ALL the team for making it such an amazing experience. This week we are in a TRAVEL mood...! Last year in The Netherlands, I bought a pair of children's hand carved clogs which have been sitting in my craft room for ages, begging me for a makeover. I lived in The Netherlands for 14 years and still waffle to myself in Dutch so I decided on a tribute to The Flatlands à la Wendy Vecchi style... à la Blue Dutch Delft style!

(Before we go any further, I can live with sweet and pretty just fine, but I don't do cute...) I prepped the clog with three coats of Gesso to get a good white colour and base and then stamped the leaves from Wendy's Nature's Art set in Cobalt Archival ink. No acrylic block, I pressed the stamp against the form of the shoe. It was a bit scary on such a white surface but you just have to be brave and go for it! I also stamped the leaves onto Grunge Paper and cut them out for later...

Then onto a flurry of flowers! I really love to make things from scratch, relishing the stamp, snip and glue work! Wendy's Live and Make Art set make great florals and you can stamp your heart and soul into them, if you fancy! I painted some Grungeboard white and went for gingham and polka dots. Those checks look just like real fabric! If you haven't tried Wendy's stamps yet, you should! You can indulge in the whimsical or flowery...I love both. Let me tell you they all ink up beautifully and create really wonderful impressions.

I experimented with lots of different flutter-bys... but in the end this fella, also from Nature's Art, made centre stage. I stamped him in Stazon Midnight Blue ink onto Clearly for Art. The flexible and transparent quality of CFA allowed me to add colour and dimension without overpowering my little clog. I think he looks just dandy perching on the nose!

It's full on with the blue flower power but also fun to take the authentic colours of Dutch Delft pottery and mix it up with a modern feel. A girl's gotta play!!! Here you can see more of the flowers with painted washers for centres. I bent the Grungeboard to add some shape to the flowers and glued my cut out leaves under the front flower. The standing flowers are mounted onto thin metal rods pushed into holes that I drilled into the clog...

Here you can see an itty-bitty flowery dooby...a few of which I added to the sides and back. Aaawh, even I think they're cute... ahum, sweet. You can turn the standing flowers so you can have them and the clog facing in any direction. You know, just in case you want to admire the derrière for a change...So there it is. A fine case of the blues and all clogged up in the best possible sense! Would love to know what you think? Me is a bit chuffed and a little in love...

So get your TRAVEL thinking hats on and share some creative dabblings with us. Head on over to our blog and see all the fabulous fingerwork from the rest of the Design Team! And you have GOT to be here next time because it is something rather special...

For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show and The Simon Says Stamp Challenge are joining forces to bring you a SUPER blog-hop and Treasure Hunt to celebrate the approaching Fall and Winter holidays. Be sure to come back on August 31st to start the hop which runs until September 5th. Simon Says Stamp is offering some really great prize packages, and there's a chance to win some fabulous blog candy, too!

All sounds pretty good to me! Looking forward to seeing you and your art this week! Thanks very much for being here!!!

Sarah.

Perefectly Sensible Nonsense

Bonjour,
Creeping over the threshold in the wee hours of Sunday morn, just in time for Linda's Grungy Monday and a touch of the sparklies. This week you can wow us with your best Distress Stickles moves. I'm feeling quite bedazzled this week as I also had to do a Bling themed DT piece...so much glittery stuff and not even a whiff of Christmas in the air. Anyway, after an intense session working on other projects, I just wanted to just grab a tag and dabble.

 I was surrounded by a chaotic inky aftermath and just took whatever came to hand. Maybe the late hour inspired the sunset mood... Distress Stained background, embossed rays and lots of ink. No real plan which is sometimes the best way to play.

Which leads me nicely to this bit. I like the word stuff. It covers a multitude of things and can be anything you want it to be...

I stamped the words in a mix of colours onto a painted book page and the added a good dose of Distress Stickles...it is there twinkling as best it can as such an obscure hour. The only place to get a good piccy at this ungodly hour is on a small ledge outside the loft bedroom. This requires hanging off the stairs and poking the camera through the bannister.

Also a quick reminder that the My Mojo Monthly August Challenge is up and running. It's a Muse it & Use it theme this month....which means your ideas and thoughts on usable art! Do join in!
So that's me all done. Off for a little shut-eye before the dawn breaks... Thanks again for dropping in. Do share a little blog love or gossip... I'm all ears.

Sarah

More of Less is More...

Hello Fair LIMettes,
Sarah back in the saddle after what feel like months away. Just two weeks actually but still, you get into a rhythm of joining in with Less is More and I have to say I feel all over the place after just a short absence of leave. Did you miss me?!! Having a staycation this week too which means lots of free time. Very surreal...indeed. I do need a summer break, but I am also the undisputed Queen of Faffing Around and definitely need some pressure and deadlines to whip my Mojo into action... You don't always have to feel creative and arty...sometimes it's good to just bite the bullet and get stuck in. So I did...

This week it's think ink. Might sound silly but I had to ponder for a few days as it's such a broad theme which could take many a path.
Even with cards, I like to have a concept to get my teeth into and let an idea grow. So, I asked myself what do I love about ink?

Four years ago I walked into a craft store and bought my first ever ink-pads and rubber stamps. Just inking up a stamp and seeing colours and images appear on paper still feels as good today as it did then. I stamped Tim Holtz's Floral Tattoo in white Stazon, dried it a little and then applied Wild Honey Distress ink with a blending tool. I played with the intensity of colour and then stamped a Hero Arts sentiment in Russet Archival ink. I love the detail in this stamp and can almost feel the warm glow from this wonderful colour!

So there we are...back on track with LIM which is a good start. I will be seeing you all again soon in Blogdom. Thanks very much for calling by and enduring my random thoughts. Off I must trot, I've got some faffing around to be getting on with...
Sarah.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday???

Good Morning Wednesday,
And a big hello to you too! My awaycation has become a staycation as I'm back home a week early. Hubby's back is not playing along and the Dutch rain delivered exactly what it said on the box (continual and wet), so homebound it was. Not plan A or B, but now back at Chez Funny Farm, we are like two contented OAPs adept in the art of pottering around. And very nice indeedily it is...
The goodies here are from a quick trip to Worcester today. The huge Dutch holiday haul of new stash multiplied daily and has already been filed and sorted. Second mortgage is pending...

Did a big unpack and clear-up day before hitting the crafty space which was a smart move because now it really feels like playtime. Took quite a while to get going yesterday and find the right path again, but the fingers did so want to play, so I fiddled and faffed with lots of different elements and layers which came together to create a hanging.

Enjoyed losing myself in vintage tones and Wendy Vecchi art. I think her work has a kind of American folk art feel to it, but it's also quirky and detailed too. So I feel it challenges and feeds my creativity in all the right places!

It started off as a card following the challenge guidelines from Lori's EWV group but it was needing more oomph and depth, so the hanging invented itself. Stamping, Art Parts, Clearly for Art, inks, dimension and layers really put me back en route! I created a little house and garden and just went to town mixing up the patterns and textures. Took a lot of rearranging and contemplation but it's good to really feel the brain ticking over. You don't have to get it right first time!

Don't forget August's My Mojo Monthly Challenge. Many of you are hoping to join in. Ooh, please do! I'd love to see what ya got!

Thanks too for such a great response last week. Sigh...I wish I could give you all a parcel of Dutch lovelies. The winners are Kissinia and Gabrielle. Well done girls!

So there we go, another week back on the ranch. Do join in the WOYWW desk-hop and nosey around...brain-wave of our Star Hostess Julia! It's fun, free, frantic and fab. Thank you again for taking some time to be here. Do enjoy your visit, drop me a line and have a great week too.
Adios...
Sarah.

Joining in with:
Try it on Tuesday-Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything but a card
The Shabby Tea Room - Polka dots

It's a Bling Thing...

Ola! Holiday greetings to all, be it a vacation or staycation! I've been away and it seems like an eternity, so I'm really glad to share my newest creation for Simon Says Stamp & Show. We want to see the sparklies, as there's a Bling Thing going on! I'm not much of a Blingy girl in real life or my art, but I do have a real weakness for vintage costume jewellery. A pair of old earrings got me thinking...

l thought the hangers would make some wonderful wings and I was itching to try out a Wendy Vecchi Pocket Watch. I love creating with different materials and elements and I enjoyed playing with stamping, papers, ink and metal findings, all of which lend themselves to many a style. A flying Diva in a whimsical and vintage mood came tugging at my sleeve..!

 She might be petite but she's got some depth. I used two watch pieces, a back and a frame, to create dimension and weight. I used Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks to colour the watch... those Art Parts just love being inked up! I stamped a circle of Design paper and sandwiched it between the front and back with some other scraps of mica, Belgian lace and book trimmings. The chapter title, YOUR LADYSHIP was just perfect!!!

The alluring face is stamped, cut out and brought to life with colour tints on the eyes, cheeks and lips. She rests on a scallop, inked in Rusty Hinge which I adorned with an old washer and Idea-ology flower. She does like to keep an eye on you, I must say...

And there's the Bling...! Applause for Glossy Accents which is working some serious muscles to hold those two there. I also added a few findings and a copper hanging chain and we are good to go!

Here's another picture to give you a better idea of the proportions. She is doing her Mona Lisa stare thing again. I really had a great time creating with this one (well, all of my DT work actually).

I hope you can find some inspiration in my piece and also those from all my fabulous Design Team mates. There are lots and lots of Blingy ideas out there, AND you can also meet the new Design Team members Ellen Vargo and Tracy Evans! Show them a little blog love please!

I'm really looking forward to seeing all your arty creations. Go on give it a go...all new-comers are very welcome. There's a generous $50 voucher in the hat and the coveted Top Three honour on offer! So have a think...what's your Bling Thing??? Thanks for calling by - always very appreciated. I would love to hear from you all, so feel free to add some wordy ramblings!

Hope you have a really great week - in all you do...
Sarah.