Tando Creative Sponsor Spotlight at Our Creative Corner

Hi everyone and thank you for joining me. Apologies if I've been missing your posts recently - like so many out there my Blogger dashboard and reading list have stopped working so I'm trying to fix a way around it.

This is my first post of the day (if you are looking for my Frilly and Funkie post it will be up in five minutes).
It's my turn to host a 'Sponsor Spotlight' for this month's challenge sponsors, Tando Creative, over at Our Creative Corner. I'd love you to hop over there and take a look at my altered clock - it's totally different for me!

For now, take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

A Little Extra at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone. I've got a little extra for you over at A Vintage Journey today and hope you can join me there to do some reminiscing...

Have a great week and take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Tag You're It at IndigoBlu

Hi everyone. It's the start of a new challenge over at the IndigoBlu challenge blog and the theme this month is 'Tag You're It'. You guessed it, we are looking for your tags (created using IndigoBlu stamps of course!) and here's mine...

It's back to the seaside for this one and there's a distinctly vintage vibe going on here. As I sit here typing my fingers are a gorgeous shade of turquoise (my youngest says I'm turning into an Avatar:) It's the result of dying that seam binding ribbon for the top of the tag - did you know if you add Picket Fence Distress Stain to your other ink colours when staining ribbon and then heat to dry the crinkles remain - no falling out if you fuss too much. Well it was a revelation to me - lol!

The base of this extra large manilla tag was covered in a mix of blues/ greens and more of that Picket Fence Distress Stain before being stencilled and edged. This fantastic verse from the A5 'Skegness' stamp set was stamped and clear embossed to make sure it remained a prominent focal point. Then the remainder of the background had ink-altered muslin adhered.

I absolutely adore the seashells and seahorse images from the A5 'Under The Sea' stamp set; at about an inch wide these are incredibly useful and beautifully detailed stamps. Initially stamped in Watering Can Archival Ink before being painted with various Distress Inks, they were easy to alter with various embossing powders. You can see more clear powder has been melted over the seahorses, and I used the Frosted version for the shells to enhance the colour and give a more textured finish.

Finally some die cut seaweed sprigs were inserted to balance out the frame design. Seaweed doesn't have to be green - in fact I distinctly remember picking up the brown version as a child on Seaburn beach in Sunderland. Ahhh, happy days... 

I look forward to seeing your entries over at the IndigoBlu challenge blog where you can find the other tags created by my talented team mates. Plus you'll be able to check those all important details about the very generous prizes and challenge requirements.

Have a great weekend whatever you're doing and take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

Hi everyone and welcome everyone, including my latest followers. So glad to have you along for the ride.
It's tutorial time over at IndigoBlu and I have some ideas to share with you using paint, metal foil and a fantastic A5 stamp set to evoke all those seaside holidays - 'Skegness'. Here's a few teasers to whet your appetite...

OK, grab your bucket and spade and join me over at IndigoBlu for some summer fun! See you there...
Jenny xxx

Liquid Gold at IndigoBlu

Hi everyone. It's time for a reminder about the latest IndigoBlu challenge 'Monochromatic'; we've already had some fantastic entries but there's just a little time left and room for more. As well as a generous stamp prize, there is a chance to win a Guest Spot working alongside the Design Team, and even the top three will be invited to do an inspiration piece mid-challenge.

I've gone for gold with this one, inspired by a scrap of paper I'd stamped with the honeycomb background, covered in 'Chariot of Fire' Mega Flake and painted with 'Goldfinger' acrylic paint. The flake resists the paint allowing it to shine through. Leave the metallic paints to dry naturally they even more.

Add that fabulous honeycomb to some coordinating Alter Ego pieces and you've got the start of a positive bee-fest! I love the contrast in finishes achieved by the paint, flake, inks, and embossing.

The background paint colour was achieved by mixing Banana Custard, Burning Bonfire and Pink Iced Gem acrylic paints. I love that these matte paints blend together so well to create custom colours. They are also a fantastic base for stamping on (with some 'tooth' to them) using Archival Inks.

The Alter Egos will take any colour medium. I used a combo of Archival and Distress on the bees, and the metallic paint on the honeycomb shapes. There's no warping or splitting with these tough yet incredibly light embellishments.

A quick tip; if you are stamping words or sentiments with FlitterGlu and adding a covering of Mega Flakes it's best to use single colour flakes as these will make the letters stand out more.

Which colour will you combine with your IndigoBlu stamps? Can't wait to see more of those entries flooding in over at the IndigoBlu challenge blog. If you hop on over there now you'll get the chance to see what the rest of the Challenge Design Team have been up to as well. See you there!
Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Links to IndigoBlu items;

English Cottage Artist's Acrylic Paint 'Burning Bonfire'

English Cottage Artist's Acrylic Paint 'Banana Custard'

English Cottage Artist's Acrylic Paint 'Pink Iced Gem'

English Cottage Artist's Acrylic Paint 'Goldfinger'

Gee-Sso Good! Gesso 'White'

Mega Flakes 'Chariot of Fire'

Alter Egos 'Birds and Bees'

A6 Honeycomb Background Stamp

A6 Design Numbers Stamps

Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge 4 - So Retro!

Hi everyone. It's Friday 13th, lucky for some (crossing fingers here for my two eldest and anyone else out there taking exams) and definitely da bomb for my good pal Hels Sheridan who celebrates her birthday today - doesn't look a day over 21 and doesn't act it either!!! Love ya Hels :)

I wanted to add my personal shout out to you for the current Compendium of Curiosities III challenge 4; this time they are exploring the first of several Layering Stencil techniques - Texture Paste, page 49 of A Compendium of Curiosities III. Check out the technique in your own copy then link up your own unique spin to the challenge blog to be in with a chance to win. As well as a host of goodies from the ever generous Tim and Mario, it's an even challenge so The Funkie Junkie Boutique is sponsoring with a $25 gift certificate up for grabs. Of course a shout out is all well and good, but an entry would be even better...

In line with the challenge rules I'm not sharing 'how to's' for this; suffice it to say the base colour is created using the Marbled Distress Stains technique (Compendium of Curiosities II) with retro diner colours - Tattered Rose, Tumbled Glass and Brushed Pewter.

Having done a bit of research on Pinterest it soon became clear that a checkerboard pattern is a common design theme for retro diners, so I used Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi's 'Checkmate' stencil with her white texture paste'. To emphasise the composition some of the squares were coloured with a little Black Soot ink mixed with water using a fine detail waterbrush.

The reason for going all retro? Simples, getting my paws on Tim Holtz' Treats Blueprints stamps. THESE are the ones I have been waiting for since their launch back in January. Why so excited? For someone who primarily makes cards these are a dream as they will suit every age group, male or female and for so many occasions. Versatile or what?!!

The pop bottle and popcorn box were stamped and watercoloured with the same Distress Stains (with the addition of Fired Brick and Scattered Straw - the perfect colour for popcorn - who knew!) The bottle looked even better with a couple of coats of clear embossing powder.

Don't the picture wheel, film strip, ticket strip and Artful Arrows fit in beautifully with this theme. It's great when new stash and old work together. That's why I also added a stamped ticket from the Mini Blueprints 4 set.

The picture wheel needed to look sharp yet slightly aged so I coloured it with Brushed Pewter Distress Paint before adding a coat of Frayed Burlap Distress Stain. If you overheat it with your heat gun the surface bubbles ever so slightly.

By now you should be in the mood for a burger and fries before setting off for the local flicks. Whatever the weekend holds hope it's a great one.

Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

P.S. Just seen the latest Simon Says Wednesday challenge is 'Stencil It' - well it would be rude not to enter eh?!

$17.95 Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Treats Blueprints	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Mini Blueprints 4	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stencil - Checkmate	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Tattered Rose	Tim Holtz Ranger Metallic Distress Stain - Brushed Pewter	PRE-ORDER Tim Holtz Ranger Metallic Distress Paint - Brushed Pewter	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Tumbled Glass	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Frayed Burlap
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Old Paper	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Fired Brick	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Ranger Embossing Powder - Clear	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Scattered Straw	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Picture Wheel BIGz Die	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Mini Filmstrip & Mini Tickets	*Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Artful Arrows Bigz Die
Ranger Inkssentials Mini Ink Blending Tool - With 4 Blending Foams	Ranger Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet

For All Our Fathers at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone. It's the second week of the latest challenge over at Frilly and Funkie. As host I picked the theme 'For All Our Fathers'; there are so many celebrations coming up for those special men in our lives!

OK, I went a bit mad and made two cards. Don't worry, you'll just get the edited highlights! The metal background layer - embossed, coloured with alcohol inks, swiped with an Archival Ink pad and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Both arched layers have Weathered Wood, Bundled Sage and Brushed Pewter Distress Paints applied and Iced Spruce Distress Ink added over the top. One layer was stamped, the other stencilled using Watering Can Archival Ink. 

Adding sanded Kraft Core Coredinations cardstock is always good, and teaming it with Remnant rub ons and Industrious borders is heavenly. 

And on to the second card. You'll notice the men have something in common with a previous card (HERE).

Stamping them onto a Specialty Stamping paper background inked with Potting Soil Archival reinker meant they already had a watercolour look before I added extra detail with Distress Markers. Drops of Glossy Accents were added too.

I LOVE the rusted metal layer to this, inspired by a real piece of metalwork on Pinterest. Take a piece of Specialty Stamping paper, colour with Pumice Stone Distress Ink, dry, emboss with a Texture Fades folder, swoosh it through Potting Soil and Orange Blossom Archival reinker with rubbing alcohol, dry, swoosh through a mix of Rusty Hinge and Brushed Pewter Distress Paint (mixed with a little water), dry, then finally rub over the raised parts with Potting Soil Archival ink. Did you know it takes longer to say that than it does to do it!!!

More of the same from this point; if you are going to age your double-layered die cuts with alcohol ink give them a quick rub with Black Soot Distress Paint and work it into the crevices first. Adding Glossy Accents into the recessed parts works well too.

Have I got your mojo working? Do any of the men in your life need cards or any other sort of projects? Get them linked up to the challenge at Frilly and Funkie and you could be in with a chance of joining us for a Guest Designer spot or a shopping spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Tim Holtz Sixxiz Texture Fades - Blueprint & Gears Set	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Potting Soil	Ranger Embossing Powder - Clear	$6.39 Core′dinations Kraft Core By Tim Holtz - 4.25x5.5" Paper Pad	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Industrious Stickers - Borders	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Remnant Rubs Life Quotes	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Weathered Wood	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Bundled Sage	PRE-ORDER Tim Holtz Ranger Metallic Distress Paint - Brushed Pewter	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Iced Spruce
$17.95 Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Time Travelers	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Clockwork	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Watering Can	$17.95 Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - The Chemist	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Remnant Rubs Numbers	Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Black Soot	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Markers - Full Set - $129	Mini Cabinet Card Sizzix Alterations Movers & Shapers by Tim Holtz	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Vintage Cabinet Card Base Die
Ranger Inkssentials Speciality Stamping Paper 8.5 X 11	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Pumice Stone	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Diamond Plate and Rivited	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker - Potting Soil	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Rusty Hinge	Tim Holtz Vintage Fan & Globe Sizzix Alterations Movers and Shapers Dies