What's on your workdesk Wednesday??? Fun!!!

We blinked, breathed and sighed but once and voilà...WOYWW! The day of legal snooping where all crafty chaos, stash and blurb doth abound...thanks to Julia de la Dunnit. Feel free to join in, but "Show us the desk or the frog gets it..." Explanation later... Well here I'm working on 'stuff' for my new months My Mojo Monthly inspiration blog but I got distracted by the glass drawer knob for another project. I ending up faffing away, and yet again excelled in the art of nothing. Sigh...

WARNING - STASH FLASH! I feel almost ashamed... with 'almost' being the most active word. Yes, ten new sets of Tim stamps. I have NEVER been so frivolous but seeing I have been paid for my first official published design work, what the heck.

 I justify it all to Hubby with a "You wouldn't get a decent guitar for the same price..." Works for now.


For my last week as a Visiting Artist at Gingersnap Creations the theme is "Things That Leap!" They say you should keep the humour in a relationship and I think that includes the love affair with ink... I truly love all my DT work but it can be an intense and demanding process..I ain't got a 2012 or bunny stamp to my name and after spending a week on my Steampunk Shoe, this gal needed some FUN!

So naturally you think Sock Frogs...! (fab tutorial here)

For once I could slouch on the sofa, talk in a normal voice to hubby (instead of hollering from upstairs craft room to music cellar) and best of all, I made myself chuckle!
I think he's chatting her up in his best French accent... and she's heard it all before...wondering how many more ugly princes she'll have to kiss...

Finally, a card for Less is More. It's a "Use your scraps" thing which is fine and dandy with me. I got tons of the stuff and love using them too! So I dived into my box of odd die-cuts and 'pretty keeper bits'... l even broke open my new stamps to try out some rookie rubber.

Well that's the story so far... I'm heading into the crafty zone for some serious non faffing I hope. Be seeing you soon. Sarah.

The Alternative Glass Slipper...

Good Morning and Welcome to La-De-Dah!
It seems the weekend has yet again bid us farewell...so I'll start the new week and challenge theme at Simon Says Stamp & Show with some Steampunk shoe shenanigans as we dive into a Tim Idea-ology Bonzanza! Don't ask me why, but most of my ideas come to mind when I'm swimming...and once a thought creeps in, I have trouble letting it go. So "Hmm, I could try a shoe..." got me this time. I stalked down a pair of fab platforms on eBay, sprayed the shoe with copper metallic paint and spent a few hours just looking at it! I find the best way to start is to imagine the mood and well,  just start...

I covered the platform in Grungepaper which I embossed with Tim's Steampunk folder and inked up with Vintage Photo. I added washers a strip of embossed Memory Foil Tape and then glued on a series of Hitch Fastener tops.

 Then I set about adding some metal 'armour'  cladding grunged with my fave Alcohol Inks...

I used Copper metal from Ten Seconds Studio all embossed as before. Measuring up was a fiddly job. Alas, I'm no architect like Laura Dennison... I pressed a sheet of paper against the shoe, creasing along the joins to get a rough template of the shoe shape, cut my metal slightly bigger and then faffed, formed and fiddled from there. I finished the metal edges with my Ten Seconds Studio tools.

I added eyelets with my Crop a Dile Big Bite and glued on my metal. I swear I dropped every eyelet during the make and had to hunt each one down as I was running low. Grrr! I was also having major doubts about the whole project and walked away a few times. Enter the joy of Idea-ology! I put the shoe aside and worked on two features for the front and back. The toe is adorned with a Timepiece, a Spinner, Regal Wings, an Ornate Plate, Foliage and Sprockets! Pile it on...

This is my favourite shot... On the heel I used  another Timepiece, Regal wings and crown and a Locket. I coloured them all with Alcohol inks before gluing them all together with Glossy Accents, letting them dry overnight.
Whilst that was happening I dabbled with the Ball Chain trying out different looks and also glued a length along the shoe edge.

 Here's a shot of the inner side which more or less mirrors the outer side. This was very fiddily as it was more rounded and caused a few deep sighs... A close-up of some more findings including a Muse Token.

I just keep putting different pieces together, playing around, to see what worked... (for me!)

I wanted to bring back the Grungepaper so I created some studded straps layered up with Copper Tape on the heel.Once these were in place I could glue on the main pieces I had prepared. I suspended a Swivel Clasp from the locket and hung a key on the end... The heel tip was real fun. I removed the original one and replaced it with a Sprocket and Hitch Fastener! You can also see more Idea-ology and a few washers on the sole.

I painted the inside with my Gold and Copper Dabbers as the lining didn't take the spray paint. I used the original insole as it was such a good fit. I glued on various Chip Block letters and numbers, covered them with Ranger Metal Foil and then used a paper stump to refine the letters before doing my Alcohol ink splodge thing. I had lots of Hitch fastener bases left so I used them to 'stud' the sole! A final wrap and drape of Ball Chain and a fanfare. Done!!!

ldea-ology - the Science of Ideas methinks... Pile 'em up, on and all over or just use a few for that metal accents. Words, papers, findings, die-cuts... inspiration galore. Take a look the wonderfully creative makes from my Teamies and check out  the whole Idea-ology range here. Feast your eyes on the new generation of goodies about to hit the stores!!!

It was a battle of wills, eyelets and patience this week, but just like a long run, you gotta keep your eye on the goal and the feeling of accomplishment once you hit the home straight...

I could strut down to the Supermarket...but seeing as I've only made one and am now six months pregnant...maybe not. A hop along podge pudding...Not exactly the height of glamour. I'll leave that up to the Oscars Red Carpet. Seeing as it's a one-off wearable, I'm going to hop over to Grungy Monday too. Thanks for being here and still being awake! Gotta run (well,waddle). Sarah.

Tag-ology and a Rather Nice Day!

Morning my dears...Firstly a round of applause for the weekend. Even though I have an intensive weekend of inky dabblings ahead, I'm very glad to be doing it all with a Saturday feeling...

I'm calling by with a peek into a GREAT workshop I did recently with the very lovely Kaz Hall at Crafty Bunch.

I'm sure you know this uber talented damsel! Here's Kaz doing her Hercules Poirot meets Hilda Ogden act.

We played around with Distress 'Stuff" and it was wonderful to see real people and just sit, play, natter and enjoy!

For me it was such a welcome break and treat from all the DT work! I need more playtime! This is the fabby book Kaz designed...

Kaz is a great teacher, very chilled and let us run as wild as we dared. Here's a few of my tags I made...

One of my faves I rustled up...Distress Stains galore... with some lovely dribbles of Picket Fence. I think the old Papillion stamp will still be around in 2099! It was a wonderful atmosphere, a great group of enthusiastic ladies and I relished every minute of rediscovering Distress. Sometimes you need to step back and remember why you fell in love with this art...
Kaz has a lot more workshops coming up, but you need to be very quick. Full details here.

Here's a show of our inky fingers with a liberal coating of cupcake icing too methinks...

If you fancy a snuffle in a really great craft shop brimming with goodies and stash for everyone, then you need to get to Crafty Bunch fast. It's an Aladdin's cave of loveliness with everything from Grunge to Girlyness. And you won't find a nicer or harder working host than the wonderful boss Sue. I'm always made to feel so welcome and come home feeling rather happy... So get thee to Shropshire I say!

So there you go, a tale of ink and joy from Telford... Right I must be awaying as the deadline bell doth toll...loudly.  Here's a sneaky peek of something I'm working on. If the powers that be are feeling kind, I hope to share it with you Monday. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you are up to and maybe that Spring Sunshine will find us all...

Greetings from Ludlow...Sarah.

What's on your workdesk Wednesday????

Hello and 'Good Wednesday' to you all...I'll refrain from using morning or any specific time frame as both have long become obsolete in Blog and WOYWW land... Thanks to all who called by and said hello. After 199 desks two weeks ago, last week was a shambles as I caught a bug off Hubby and wasn't up to much for a few days. So I'm hoping to get back on track this week with the nosey parker thing...do join in courtesy of Julia Van de Wit here!  Thanks also for the kind wishes. Me and my bump are just fine and podging out nicely.

Plugging in my sewing machine always requires crawling under the table and performing a 'knees over ears' Sumo squat of Olympic proportions. I will definitely have to rethink that one as I went blue and almost got wedged in for the Spring this week...my personal space is on the decline. However, shares in Gaviscon have rocketed. Make mine a double. Shaken, not stirred. I swear even looking at a banana gives me heartburn.

Do not adjust your screens... Lo and behold...colour! For my third week as a Visting Artist at Gingersnap Creations and their Two Colour Theme, I've rustled up a little canvas. I do love colour very much, I just easily deviate into the Sepia zone! My Color Wash Sprays were also feeling neglected and a tad envious of my ink pads so I gave them a go. Deep orange and black is my combo. See, it's not just for Halloween.

I'm a big Wendy Vecchi fan and I like to show how versatile her stamp range can be. So for the more inky, painty folk out there, this is also for you. My background is created with Red Pepper and Sunset Orange Color Wash and dribbles of Glimmer Mist. Then I built up the layers with lots of free stencilling and stamping. I filled in the flowers with orange paint, added a white few dots with my fab Posca Pen and added some torn scraps and random stitching.

Just had to add two Wendy flutterbys before setting it on a collaged background made with torn, Color washed Tissue Wrap. I like it's zingy little face so much, I'm keeping it on my desk! 
Well, I thought I was going to do a short post...I'd better leg it now. Thanks for popping by and happy WOYWWing.
Sarah.

Piling on the Lurve...

Hello there,
Just me popping in with a wee card for Less is More. This week it's all about die-cuts so I thought I would have a dabble and make some good use of my stash that is often way too under exercised! I went for my Tim Holtz Alterations which often up end up in a Grungy setting but I wanted to see if I could use them in a different style and form...

I cut the Tim hearts from thick white scrap card and then inked them up with Stormy Sky and Broken China Distress inks. I embossed them with either the Notebook or Polka Dot folders and then swiped over a bit more ink to bring out the detail. I laid them on my craft mat and faffed around for far too long deciding on their layout. I can jiggle hearts around forever you know...

I cut the Alphabetical letters from red dotty card for a bit more colour and contrast. Something was missing so I machine stitched the SU Kraft card base which did the trick and brought things all together.
A tad too late for Valentine's, but it's never never too late for a little love...and that includes yourself and your stash! I gotta start using it or losing it!!! Must fly - working on an Alternative Cinderella idea...
Thanks for taking a peek, Sarah.

ATC à la Chunky Style!

Bonjour! Ça va? Well, it's Monday again so I'm jumping straight in with my latest creation for Simon Says Stamp & Show! Grab your passport, because we're on a whirlwind tour...Paris, London and New York. Take your pick! Don your nostalgic beret as I'm taking you back to the City of Love in 1889.

I took my inspiration from the wonderful Paris Exposition stamp set by Artistic Outpost and decided a chunk of wood would be the perfect base to build on. I used Rusty Hinge Distress Stain to colour my block and then set about adorning each side. I went old school vintage style with lots of torn edges, aged papers and layering...

I covered scrap card with an old French book page, swiped it with Gesso and stamped various words in Archival Inks, stitching and distressed the edges before gluing it to the block. Then I swooshed Manilla cardstock with Stormy Sky and Rusty Hinge Distress Stains, stamped the balloons did some fiddly snip-work, re-stamping and layering the balloon wording.

I love the blast of colour against the vintage tones!
I hammered two rows of brass tacks into the wood and zig-zagged some copper thread around them to create some extra detail and a base for the bigger balloon so it could really 'float'...

I aged a small tag with generous doses of Distress Stains, Distress Ink and lots of manhandling!
The background is randomly stamped and the Parisian mademoiselle is stamped onto a lighter scrap, cut out and layered on top.
I wasn't fussy about any creases or marks that were already on the papers...it all adds to the mood of yesteryear.

On the other larger side I set my gents against an inky stamped background. I created a frame from Grungeboard which has been heavily 'antiquified' with Vintage Photo Distress Stain and Embossing powder. I re-stamped and cut just the men, and set them directly on top of the frame

 I added a few more details and wording to the frame and then moved onto another side and the Eiffel Tower...

I stamped the tower onto card and then gave it a good inking and folding to add age. I layered it up with a scrap of a vintage French map using the wording from another stamp in the set.

And so finally, we reach the summit... I think it's my favourite part.

I love clusters and just piled on the scraps, a piece of a metal ruler and an old brass knob, coloured with Alcohol Ink to finish.

I think it's fabulous theme this week! Hop over to The Design Team Blog and feast your eyes on the loveliness from my wonderful teamies! We love seeing your artwork and really look forward to seeing what you'll come up with! Don't forget the great $50 prize from Simon Says Stamp - just perfect for all those new CHA goodies!
I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who called by last week with such lovely words about my Tissue Wrap dress! THANK YOU! Now I must be awaying... Sarah.

Inner heart thoughts...

Aaah, the sweet perfume of 'le weekend' is wafting my way...and although the week has just hurtled by and a marathon weekend of projects awaits, I'm still very glad to usher in that Friday feeling.

So before all the DT stuff takes me captive, I decided to just play around with my Wendy Vecchi goodies and just let something find it's feet. Yes... a heart. Rather cliché but still a little en vogue too seeing as it's February and the month of luuurve. I dived into my Art Parts ghetto to find a host of frame bases...and for some reason I felt the doors opening...
I first covered the large heart in Tim's tissue wrap using Gloss medium for extra sheen, dried, added a layer of gesso and then Weathered Wood Distress Stain. I lightly skimmed the wrinkles with Rusty Hinge Stain using my fingers. Looks great on the heart but not a wise move before a big date. Nicotine fingers aint such a hot look...

I wrapped some old wire around the heart, then made two shabby Wendy roses stamped and cut from card swooshed with various Distress stains. I think I spent twice as long bashing up my flowers as I did assembling them...! I laid them on Art Part leaves embossed with Vintage Photo Distress Powder.

The doors are coloured with Vintage Photo Stain stamped with Wendy lace and the insides lined with the same card as the roses. Added a little fern stamping and stitching... I coloured my hinges with Alcohol ink and added hitch fasteners to the fronts.

The centre inlay is a thick piece of inky card painted with Paper Artsy's fab Crackle medium and when dry white paint. A little layered stamping and Wendy words...

I wanted to keep things fairly simple but felt just one flutterby was justified! I've also added a Memo pin in which I set a metal flower using Glossy Accents.

Just a piece of inky raffia string to hang it up and I was done and so was my craft mat which needed some serious decontamination. My fingers might take a few more swims yet... 'tis the price you pay for just playing around. It's also my piece for the Everything Wendy Vecchi group and Snazzy's Challenge and, by jove, a second for Grungy Monday and our Brit Wendy ambassador, Hels...the more the merrier!
So I'm signing off with lots of love. Merci!
Sarah.

Also playing along with:
The Artistic Stamper
Fashionable Stamping Challenges
Flourishes Boutique

WOYWW? More Gingersnaps and card capers...

Welcome to the mid-week flaunt of my inky zone thanks to Mrs Dunnit who always does it...and good too! Feel free to show a crafty leg on the 'What's on your Workdesk Wednesday?' catwalk.

Last week, (fanfare), I did the whole shebang of 199 desks! It's great to pop by everyone, have a nose and meet all the new folk.  
Just one very pretty please from me. Do consider removing word verification, or swapping to comment approval if you worry about spam. I have no eyesight problems but all those words, codes, loading time and jaberwocky. Boy, they are some hurdle. (Youtube help here) Thank you!

Anyway, the above was the 'just getting started' mess which has since bred and lost all sense of decorum. Can't believe it was all for an ATC and a few cards... but here's the pay-off!

It's my second week guesting at Gingersnap Creations where we are dabbling with faux techniques.
I could have offered my housework skills but went for faux batik instead. See Mr. Tim in action for the tecchy low-down. I decided to go for more unusual colours than I normally do...

I used Wild Honey to emboss the lace, the blue is a blend of Weathered Wood and Stormy Sky Distress Inks. I mainly used the Floral Tattoo stamp set, plus a Tim phrase and his birds, over stamping in the same blues and Sepia and Coffee archival ink. I emphasised the heart by layering a second clear embossed one on top of the original. When I first saw the yellow I nearly ran away,  but I worked on the colours and now I love it and am also going to join in with Grungy Monday and Sunday Stampers.

A little confession, it's been two weeks since my last Less is More. Do forgive me.
This week it's stripes so I dug out my Glitz balloon stamp which I lurve, but really don't use enough. I love one layer cards because the fresh imprint of ink on white card still gets me excited! I used Ranger Vermillion Archival ink which is a great red and ink to work with. Now obviously, there are stripes on them fine balloons there...

But I also went a bit further with the theme adding scored diagonal lines...

Then onto my trusty 99p peg stamps and Cobalt blue using the lines as 'support', all done on SU Confetti card.

Just a reminder that it's a HEARTS theme over at my inspiration challenge My Mojo Monthly. Got some crafty LOVE to share this month? Then do join in February's journey! 
Enough card capers...time to love you and leave you and say big thanks to everyone who calls by. I might not reach the 199 this week but I am up for a fair mooch around!

Au revoir...Sarah et le/la bump.