Playing and winning

Hello everyone and welcome back. Two pieces of exciting news today - firstly my prize from winning The Stamp Man Challenge arrived today (huge squeals of delight!!!) I got to choose from Jill and Ian's fabulous online shop, and quite frankly it took ages and several lists as there are so many goodies to choose from (hint, hint OH for my birthday). This is what I settled on...

I predict this will be one heavily used set of stamps...! Next on the winning front, I have just been awarded the honour of being placed in the top three on the Make My Monday challenge :) (see side bar link) Redanne - one way or the other we should clean up on the lottery this week!! LOL

Now onto a new challenge hosted by Frilly and Funkie with the theme stencils and masks. If you have not seen this site before it is highly recommended as so many highly talented artists contribute regularly with all sorts of amazing tips and techniques.

Now it's my better half's birthday in a month and he has just started a course at work which is very important. With this in mind, and not wanting to create the ususal card I took inspiration from Hels Sheridan who mentioned that she collects all her TH challenge tags together. So this project is marks the beginning of a collection on ATC's which are designed to be inspiring and supportive. I returned to the TH CC2 faded layers technique (see Linda Ledbetter's challenge week 4).

The background started life as some K&Co Ancestry journal paper which got inked to within an inch of its' life with Memento Lady Bug and Desert Sand, Marvy Vintage Old English Rose and a TH small crown mask. The whole lot got embossed with a TH Texture Fades embossing folder and highlighted with gold ink (DTP). The sentiment came from Sam Poole's Vintage Games stamp set, embossed in CS Black embossing powder. The gold King 'ingot' was embossed with the same folder in gold card, distressed with Archival black ink and re-embossed with Bright Gold CS embossing powder.

The playing card was stamped in Lady Bug on Ivory pearlescent card, slightly distressed with Desert Sand and Old English Rose again. The chess pieces were stamped onto a remnant of the backing paper with Old English Rose, triple embossed with clear UTEE and cut out. Finally the buttons were stamped with Black Promarker with stamps from the Vintage Games set. It has finally dawned on me that using the same limited palete of colours in different ways allows the whole project to hang together better. You see? Drool over others' fantastic artwork long enough and some things begin to rub off!! LOL

I'll be back over the next few days with the next bits of this project (oh yes - there is something happening on the other side of this project!!) In the meantime thank you so much for all the wonderful comments. I will do my best to return the favour, especially as that means I get to see all of your beautiful work.

Hugs, Buttons x