Aura Knot

This is my first attempt at a tangle not confined to the square format and also the first time I'd tried any pencil shading - could do better I think but we all have to start somewhere!!

Well I set up a separate page for these but must have got it wrong somewhere because this has appeared on my main page as you can see.  Hopefully I can work out how to move it!!

So far no success in getting the posts to appear on the Zentangle page apart from including the images as part of the post on there so maybe that is the way to go for the future unless I can work it out  when I have a bit more time to play around with the settings.

Feeling Blue?

No I'm not feeling blue but the team over at Addicted to Stamps are asking for a predominantly BLUE project this week.  I've used a two step stamp from the Simply Soft set by Stampin' Up and repeated it three times.  Background paper is from the Vintage Shabby pad by Tim Holtz with edges sponged using distress ink.  A stamped sentiment also by SU, a ribbon bow and fancy corner die cut (Cuttlebug) were the finishing touches to this straightforward card - not exciting but definitely BLUE!!

Make My Monday challenge

Hopefully I will be able to complete this post successfully - I've had server problems today and then just as things seemed to be OK I then lost my internet connection.  Here goes anyway.  The challenge at Make My Monday is to use the secondary colours and nothing else (apart from background to image and stamping for sentiment etc).

I'm not sure these colours were any easier to use together than the primaries last week but here's my take on it.  Backing paper was printed from Funky Hand Dreams Come  True - Autumn Style with some purple faux stitching drawn around the edge; the flowers were stamped and punched using Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch set; the leaves were stamped from Chocolate Baroque Sunflowers stamp set and the sentiment was also SU using their punches; the green layer was embossed, scored and has a diecut edge with purple gems.

If you follow the link to the challenge blog  you will see what the Design Team members have made using these colours.

Sunday Stamper 213

The days keep on rushing by and it is time again for the Sunday Stamper challenge which this week is DREAMER - Hels would like us to use the word DREAM on the project.   I was mulling this over whilst drinking one of my many cups of coffee and I thought of a set of Wonderland Stamps from Polkadoodle which seem to fit the bill - in my mind anyway.  Background paper was printed from a Polkadoodle CD and the image was stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured with Coloursoft pencils, as was the hat.  The word came from Artistic Affirmations stamps by Chocolate Baroque and the frame was one left over when I cut out some large tags using a Sizzix die which also has two book plates as an extra. Do pop over and see the beautiful flowery creation made by Hels.

Three Challenges

I'm not sure how I managed it but I seem to have made a card which actually covers three challenges - I'd like to claim that it was intentional but I'll be honest it was totally by chance. In fact I've also covered my own personal challenge to use some of my scraps wherever possible before cutting into any new pieces of card or paper.

Addicted to Stamps - Christmas in July
Forgotten Friday - Use Forgotten or Neglected Stash
Simply Stampin' - A Sketch for Inspiration

I started by digging out the SU stamp set Pines and Poinsettias to make the Christmas in July card and the images had been popped onto the Sizzix Two Tags die in readiness when I realised that I could maybe use this for the SU sketch challenge.  Background paper is from a Papermania pad which I had last Christmas and the ribbon is from a Papermania pack purchased at the same time and not even opened until yesterday - the central border was cut using a Memory Box die (Tessatina) using a scrap of green card.  Of course the fact that none of these items had been used for several months qualifies the card for Judith's challenge.  Do follow the links above to see other projects made for these challenges.

Sunday Stamper week 212

No I'm not a day early with this but hopefully just getting in by the skin of my teeth for last Sunday's challenge which had the theme of  SILVER DREAM MACHINE.  I've been mulling this over during the week and have only just managed to find time to bring the ideas together although mine is maybe more of a SILVER TIME MACHINE but there are some bicycles in the background!!  Background paper and the clock stamp are from Papermania, the wings and dandelion 'clock' are stamps from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk romance set.  Edges were sponged with Distress ink Weathered Wood.  I stuck some aluminium foil to a piece of card and embossed with a Sizzix folder then distressed it with black gesso, printed the words onto Dymo silver tape and that's it.  I will be looking out for the new challenge tomorrow and maybe I'll get that done with a bit more time to spare, especially if the weekend weather stays as wet and windy as it is at the moment.

Twinchies

What are 'twinchies' you may ask and if you pop over to this new challenge blog all will be explained!  At the moment I'm not convinced these are for me because I've always found ATCs a bit restrictive and they are larger (3.5 x 2.5 inches) than the 2" square twinchies but nothing daunted I've had a go for this very first challenge with the easy theme of 'anything goes' - in fact I've had two goes.  The first was another Zentangle which  as a newcomer to this technique was a bit difficult because the official Zentangle tiles are 3.5 inches so I had to scale down but I have managed a far from perfect example.

The second one is actually the promised 'slosh around with inks' which will fit the Make My Monday primary colours theme - as you can probably guess the weather just got wetter and wetter yesterday so no way I'd be out weeding. It is also looking very dull and dark outside this morning so maybe more 'playtime' is on the cards (excuse the pun). I used Distress inks and Distress stains to colour some card, cut out a two inch square and stamped some foliage with a Papermania stamp, finally adding some butterflies die cut with a Sizzix (for Stampin' Up) die.  At least I think this one will make a nice 'topper' for a card.

I hope you will take a look at what the Design Team have come up with for their twinchies and also follow this link to Eileen's blog to see some more.