Yin Yang

The challenge this week at Just for Fun is "Black and White", so I've gone for a little oriental style yin yang piece.

First I made a round origami thingy made from After Eight packets (yum) - found a video on YouTube.

Then I white embossed bamboo and buddha stamps (Inkadinkado Asian Influences) onto black paper and layered them up.

Now after all that monochrome I think we need a bit of colour ....
Yesterday we went for a little walk in the woods ....
                         some rowan berries

     

and a toadstool (do you think this is where the fairy snowman lives!).

Thanks for another great challenge ladies.
Have a fun week and thanks for dropping by.
Suze xx

Inky Less is More

It's a One Layer Week over at the Less is More Challenge with the additional feature to

USE INK

(i.e. try not to use any computer generated image or sentiment)

I thought I'd have a go at what Mandi had done - ink up an acrylic block and stamp straight onto the card.  Well, I gave it a couple of goes and basically the result was pants (and the card warped a bit).

I'll cut it up and use it in another project but I decided to try something else .....



I masked off a panel and inked over some sequin waste with Stormy Sky & Faded Jeans Distress Ink

I then stamped my image and sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black and added a couple of gems ...

(Image is Kanban Mini 06 & sentiment is American Crafts Sentiments)

Have a great week everyone, thanks ever so much for stopping by.  I'll try and get round as many of you as possible but I think there's going to be LOTS of entries this week.

A quick edit - I've trusted Chrissie suggestion and stamped over my 'pants' inky attempt ... what do you think .... 

I think we have to admit she was right!

Suze xx

A Crown Tag

There's a new challenge blog in town - Fashionable Stamping Challenges.

The design team have made some fabulous pieces and I really wanted to enter into their first challenge, but rummaging through my stamps there was nothing that really inspired me. However, I did notice that I have quite a few stamp sets which have crowns in them, so I thought I would do a tag, simply using all the different crowns.

I searched the internet for a suitable quote and came across one by John Wodroephe (a 17th century writer).

Background - Stampin Up - Very Vintage Roller - Broken China DI
Crown Stamps - Versafine Imperial Purple & Dusty Concord DI
Edged with Brilliance Galaxy Gold Ink
Top crown is a Cuttlebug Die, inked in gold with some Stickles & Liquid Beadz

Thanks for taking the time to visit.

Suze xx

Colours of Scotland

Less is More time again and this week Chrissie and Mandi have given us the challenge

COLOURS 

of 

YOUR NATION'S FLAG!

I'm a Scottish lassie and the official flag of Scotland is The Saint Andrews Cross (The Saltire) ...

My initial thought was, mmmm, blue & white, we did shades of blue a few weeks ago, but then I thought oh, I could use the Royal Standard of Scotland (Lion Rampant) which is much more colourful ...

So I've made a couple of cards, stamped images look a bit 'orangy' in the photos but they're redder IRL ...

Bird & Flowers from Stampin Up 'Punch Potpouri' - stamped onto yellow cardstock in Dew Drop Rocket Red and clear embossed
Foliage - red miri card cut with Sizzlits Little Leaves die from Stampin Up

Couldn't make up my mind about a sentiment so left one off meantime.

and my second card ...

Image - Hero Arts 'Poinsettia' stamped onto yellow cardstock in Rocket Red and Clear Embossed
Mounted behind a circular frame cut with a nestie
Touch of red liquid pearls and white enamel accents

Thanks for taking the time to visit, it really is very much appreciated.

Have a great week and Happy Crafting!

Suze xx

Pure White

This week over at Just For Fun, the challenge is "White on White".

I really liked the painted corrugated card that Sam used in her DT piece, so I've taken a bit of inspiration from that and created a tag.

A white card base, with 3 corrugated panels on top.
Tim Holtz dress form - I cut two and embossed one to use as a bodice.
Foam hearts and felt strips make up a 'skirt'.
Buttons around neckline.
The word 'pure' cut from Tim Holtz Vintage Market Die.

Why not join in the fun this week - but remember - it's strictly white only.

Thanks for another great challenge ladies and thanks everyone for stopping by!

Suze xx

A Tag for The Bard

Well here's something completely different.

I wanted to make a tag for this week's challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show and in my "small" pile of newly acquired but uninked stamps, I have a Kanban mini set which has a thorny rose stamp.  Whenever I think of roses I immediately start singing (usually out loud!) my favourite Robert Burns song/poem - "My love is like a red, red rose".

So hence this tag was born.

I have to say I quite like it and I may even make a few more based on other Robert Burns poems.

Stamps: Stampin Up Music Roller & Kanban Mini Stamp09
Inks: Wild Honey, Crushed Olive, Forest Moss, Vintage Photo Distress Inks and Rocket Red & Hint of Pesto Dew Drop, with a touch of Glossy Accents
Sentiment printed on PC
Tartan scraps

Thanks ever so much for stopping by.

Suze xx

Mini Elephant Canvas

Ages ago I bought a mini canvas to play about with but it has lain untouched until today when I was inspired by this post by Gay Peplow.  The canvas is the perfect size for my new (un-inked) Crafty Individual's stamp so I've had a bit of a play day and here's what I've ended up with ....

I first painted the canvas with gesso then painted over in lemon acrylic which was a bit too bright so I stippled some yellow ochre on top which toned it down a bit and gave it a bit of texture.

I stamped the elephant stamp (CI-321) onto some DP and embossed it in detail white. Added some bling, beads and ribbon (which has been coloured with Promarkers).

Have to say I usually go for a more subdued colour palette but I think it's turned out ok.

I'd like to enter it into two challenges:
The Stampsmith Challenge -  TSC19 Teal & Yellow
Crafty Individuals - Bright & Beautiful

Thanks for visiting and happy crafting.
Suze xx