NBUS #6 Quickly sneaking in!

With only hours to go I wondered how (with my lack of mojo) I could enter the NBUS challenge at Darlene's place. Then I remembered this NBUS that I had made a start on but not completed - voila!

I fell in love with the (NBUS) Katzelkraft Grumpy Penguins rubber stamps that are stocked by That's Crafty and while I was there the water drops set and some crazy birds also fell into my basket, well you have to get the free postage don't you?

The background is a technique I tried from Craft Stamper magazine, you stamp onto watercolour paper with Versamark and heat emboss it with white EP. Then you get messy by spritzing the paper with water then sprinkling on tiny buts of Brushos, letting some run and flicking water on it when it's dry - isn't it lovely?

The penguins were also stamped on watercolour paper in black Versacolor ink and heat embossed with clear powder, then I coloured them a little with Pan Pastels cut them out and mounted them on the background. How unusual, a totally hand stamped card!

The penguins are grumpy about the rain, they are all wet!

Happy Birthday is from a Hero Arts clear set, and Brother is from a Papermania clear set of stamps, both stamped in Indigo Versacolor and heat embossed with clear EP.

There are so many things I wanted to do but haven't got there yet. At least I made it for this one!

So that's my Brother's birthday card sorted for this month! Need one for Dad now.

Challenges entered:

NBUS #6 - Sunday 13th March

Tuesday Throwdown - create a scene.

Love to create - #6 anything mixed media (27th March)

Craft Stamper - Take it Make it for March, anything goes with a stamp.

Country roads take me home...

I have two sets of Artistic Outpost stamps which I bought in a closing down sale, and I wanted to enter the Artistic Outpost challenge so I thought I would have a go.

I have stamped some of the images in shadow ink, decoupaged the truck which is coloured with Promarkers, and cut out the second set of words and re-arranged them around the Home stamp. I sponged the edges with Distress ink, and stamped the clock faces with it too. Home is metallic blue. 

I folded and cut a gold pearlescent card blank to mount it on and added some blue and white baker's twine.

Challenges entered:

Simon Says - tie it up (Wed)

Addicted to Stamps - anything goes (Wed)

We love to create - anything mixed media or inky goes (Sun)

Artistic Outpost - verses and greetings AO stamps (Aug)

The Artistic Stamper - anything goes (Aug)

First Quirky Craft Challenge of 2011

The first Quirky Crafts Challenge of 2011 is Something New - New Year, new house, new baby - a celebration of anything new this year.

I have taken the plunge and attempted my first ever canvas. I bought the canvas with the small easel because I wanted the easel, now it just may have to stay on display like that! I primed the canvas with white gesso, first time I have used that. Then when it was dry I inked the canvas with Ranger alcohol inks, Sir Tim would be proud of me. I used Cranberry and Lettuce with Pearl and Copper mixers and just swirled it around on a felt pad. Then I tried to ink the word Quirky directly onto the canvas, this took three attempts and I had to find an acrylic block the right size to wedge into the back of the frame so that the inkpad had a firm surface. Not bad I think. I dabbed over that with a Distress ink pad, which didn't work out as I planned.

Then I die cut copper sheet letters, oh I stamped the copper first with Stazon and a Hero Arts background stamp, and stuck those on. For the 2011 I die cut some chipboard packaging with Shadow Box Sizzix alphabet dies, and painted the numbers with gesso. I inked the shadow part with two colours of distress ink and stamped over the top numbers. I also inked the top numbers a little with Denim distress ink. I stuck on some Tim Holtz tissue tape that I got for Christmas from my son, he brought it all the way back from NY. I sprayed the whole canvas and lettering with Perfect Pearls turquoise mist spray, I can't find my glimmer mists anywhere. Then I stuck the numbers together and on the canvas with DST.

Finally I inked up some grunge paper with some Paperartsy stamps, and inked the flowers with Distress inks which were not drying so I added Denim Distress powder and heat embossed. Then I sanded off the powder. I scrunched up the flowers and added a brad through them and the canvas.

My New Baby card is made using a Stampavie stamp that I think I won. It is so sweet, and I decided it was really for a baby card. I coloured the image with Promarkers, cut it with a Nestabilities die. I cut a panel of Papermania paper slightly smaller than the card, and stuck it in the middle before stitching round the edge with my mini sewing machine. I added a piece of paper lace then the image. I also used some paper daisies and a foil panel I found in my stash. I decorated the inside of the card to match, but left it blank so someone can add their own words as desired. I don't know any pregnant ladies at the moment.

I have entered the card in the:

I Love Promarkers anything goes challenge

 Lots to Do New Beginnings challenge (spooky that).

My time to Craft Brand Spanking New challenge.

Torre Abbey - more

But is it art?