LP Teacup Lady card inspired by Keren Baker at Paper Artsy

It's just stopped raining here in Manchester and if you had looked in this direction earlier you may have also noticed a blue haze over here as well!!
So….it was raining, my card (Keren Bakers fabulous card is here)was almost complete - in fact - all ready to get the glue out and then despite Lucy's words ringing in my head (see here - so funny!)I decided to have a go at cutting out the diamonds on the dress and poke a bit of fabric through. Hmmph! A little bit through - a little bit back - nearly gave up but as my friends always tell me "Chris, you're so patient!" If only they could have seen me - I shut my craft room door so hubby couldn't hear - yes folks - naughty words were said - nothing too awful - I'm not that sort, but for me, bad enough!!!
Instead of dots I used my Distress Markers to spritz some colour - not with the new TH contraption but one I've had for years. At last something I'm reasonably happy to put in the post.

 Now if I can just work out how to get a coffee sachet to stay in place on the back………

Linking to Paper Artsy and at this point would say - Keren, it was fun….up to that point!!!! LOL!

Thanks for looking, Chris

France in miniature

Some time ago on a visit to Kendal I bought a little tray from 'Kitten and the Goat', a little craft shop that has so much in it - I have never come out empty handed yet!!
I didn't really have anything in mind except that I might make something to go on my bookcase next to my letter rack.
Today that's exactly what I did! It's a while since we've been to Paris, but we did have a trip to France last year to stay with my (ex) sister in law in Poitiers. I do love France and this little box  is my reminder of happy days.

I started by painting the outside with Mocha Mousse Fresco paint then added a coat of crackle glaze and once that was dry painted over with Nougat Fresco paint

I sanded some of the paint away too

The inside was painted with Nougat and Snowflake Fresco paints….

….just to make a base for adding

Top left - map from Tim Holtz Warehouse District stamped on to linen
Top right - Tim Holtz Idea-ology District Market Tissue Wrap - Melange
Bottom Left - some torn napkin - courtesy of Alison
Some hessian - again courtesy of Alison

I then set to to add some more stamping and bits and pieces

Top left, bottom right some French stamps I bought last year on our visit to my SIL
Top right a stamp from a letter - donated by SIL
Bottom Left - a miniature vintage drawing and street sign cut from a French Calendar

The 'shelf' was edged with some leftover vintage lace from a die cut.

The Eiffel Tower was from a set of tags I have had for ages and the French stamps were used to stamp two cut outs from my trellis die. The top was also a piece of leftover lace cut with a Martha Stewart punch.

Just to give you an idea how big the box is I have photographed by my stamp pad.

I would like to enter the following Challenges

Frilly and Funkie - Vintage Travel 

Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes

Try it on Tuesdays Wish you were here

Stamping Sensations - Anything goes

Thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW 270

It's that time of the week again - WOYWW - see Julia's blog here to find how to join in. 
I'm posting now (just past midnight) as our youngest grandson is arriving in the morning and then we are off to pick up our eldest grandson and we are off to the cinema followed by two days of 'fun' at the caravan!! Hoping it doesn't rain too much!!!
So, what's on my desk?

As you can see the stamps are definitely about to be mounted! Doesn't it look tidy?!
Okay I confess - see that little box to the right, balanced on the edge of my big shot, well….

having had a play today I couldn't face putting all the bits and pieces away, so just scooped them all up into this cute box that I bought with a view to altering! This may be the only altering it gets for a while!!!
Oh! The two strips of paper one is smooth card the other is water colour paper - I wanted to see the effect of different inks and pens.
So that's me for bed, I'll link up in the morning. I hope I do better at visiting this week - we had the very worst weather which seemed to affect reception on my phone - I'll be back Friday so I promise I'll do my best! 

Thanks for looking, Chris

In-cog-nito!

Before you start to look here just be warned I was in a bit of a frivolous mood so please indulge me and be nice!

It all started when I saw the challenge for Dragons Dream this time, which set me thinking - Hmm? P and cogs? Pear - obviously, cogs? then remembered an embossing folder that would solve that problem. Then we went away for the weekend - didn't take anything with me except knitting (Oh yes! I've started knitting again)

I didn't feel like crafting when we got home but I did have a chance to catch up on some blog hopping etc! I had seen the challenge at A Vintage Journey - Just Stain It and hoped that I might be able to play then…..looked at Paper Artsy last night and suddenly I had a plan - so I slept on it.

This morning I cut a tag from some packaging and ran it through my big shot in a cog folder. Then got my Distress stains out - what????(I'll show you later)
I used Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo to stain the card and using a nib to add embossing ink to parts of the cogs I added Frantage Aged Aqua distress powder and melted that, then some more ink and added some copper distress powder. Both randomly as I didn't want a total covering.

I stamped a pear using a wooden mounted stamp by Rubber Stampede that I bought when I first started my blog, coloured it with the same two Distress stains. 

While I'd been working the word "incognito" came into my head so tore a definition from an old dictionary.
Next the leaf on the pear - Keren Baker used wire in her plaque here  so I stamped the leaf onto some paper I had in my leftovers bag and cut it out

I put glue and wire onto the leaf attached to the pear

and added the cut out leaf - I love the way it curls now.

The 'p' was stamped onto a piece of the same paper and stuck underneath a cog, I then trimmed a square plastic sticky backed bubble to go over it.
I used my stains again to colour the little bit of muslin(this is something we did at Tim's workshop last year) I wish I hadn't forgotten this technique and used my stains more often as I would have known about this sooner!!!……

Is it just me? What has happened?????
I edged the tag with Antique Bronze Distress stain

Now this is where I thought I have some fun, when I found the dictionary definition I thought I would add a little photo of myself - well I am pear shaped after all!! Okay, so it's not a very good disguise but I hope it makes you smile!

Thanks for looking, Chris

I'm entering this in:- 
The Dragons Dream Tag it on 172 Challenge 'p' and cogs
A Vintage Journey - Challenge 11 Just Stain it
Paper Artsy - inspired by Keren Baker

365/12 Calendar pages

Late again - already the 4th August!! Mind you we have been to our caravan and this weekend had no way to communicate with my phone unless we were out! 
My August pages are ready

My July pages full

I will be linking to Kate Cranes blog The Kathryn Wheel. It was Kate that got me started on this monthly journal and now it has become an essential part of my life! I love reading it back and know that my children and grandchildren will too! 

Thanks for looking, Chris

Peeled paint inspired by Liesbeth Fidder

Although I have seen the peeled paint effect before, it was Liesbeth's hanging board on the Paper Artsy blog that set me wanting to try it! 
Well, that and then a programme I watched about the persecution of Catholics in the 1600's that really got me moving!

The stamp I used has always made me think of someone talking to a hidden other person. Now I realise that the person was the priest - locked up in his priest hole, being warned to keep quiet! 

They must have been terrifying times, especially when soldiers would hang around for days hoping that the priest would either get hungry or smelly enough to detect!! One place on the programme was Salmsebury Hall near Preston, a lovely place to visit especially with children.

The image is LPC011 which I stamped in Jet Black archival onto a painted background of Snowflake, Concrete and Nougat.A little bit of text stamp - PA Mini MN76. A little bit of colouring with distress markers then the smeared Petroleum Jelly that I sent hubby of to the shops for(he was going for a walk anyway!)
I used Bora Bora paint over the jelly and image and then - wow!!! I love this effect and I'll be using it again (and again)!!!
I decided to use crackle paste mixed with Concrete Fresco paint through a stencil, but then decided I couldn't wait any longer so used my heat gun on it! I loved the puffy effect I got and with nothing else to hand, used my trusty Adirondak silver dabber paint to sponge on to the puffy bits. 

The cross came from some jewellery I bought at Primark in a sale ages ago.
Finally a key stamped in dabber silver and some shiny fibres and ribbons.

Linking this to the Paper Artsy blog

Thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW 269

Is it really Wednesday again? Oh! OK, so it is time to show my desk, some weeks certainly do go faster than others and I see from quite a few folk around Christmas is on it's way!!! Here we all are - I was going to say Julia's extended family, but I don't want to scare her off - she's been ill you know! Julia, the guide to the desk around the world, how else would we get to meet up? Details are on her blog here.
What's on mine? A few things that need doing - 

Some stamps that I can finally mount now I've bought the mounting sheet, some paper and card to go through the process of die cutting and an experiment with different glues following a fab idea I saw from Darcy on the Paper Artsy blog.

If you have time take a look - it's fascinating!
Now, if you are of a nervous disposition look away now….

to the left

I really have no idea how everything got in this state…..my next job I think! I really can't cram anymore in there!! 
Oh! and that is a Christmas card you see bottom right - shop bought but has an interesting middle so I'm going to take it apart and see if I can make my own bigger version…..

Off to see 'Hercules' with hubby and grandson so I'll probably get around later!

Thanks for looking, Chris