Poundland stamp storage files...

Yesterday I found these fabulous stamp storage containers at Poundland.  I already knew how good they are as my daughter bought me a set a few years back, but I've never been able to track them down since at either 'cheap' shops or office supply shops.  They really are fab so if you are anywhere near a Poundland (not the Rotherham one as I'm calling in tomorrow to get some more and I don't want them to be sold out) watch out for boxes like the one in the photo below.

They are just deep enough for a layer of stamps stuck to both inside panels of the box.  I laminated the Elusive images design sheet to put between the stamps so the the rubber was not pressing on the rubber at the other side when I closed the box.  Dents in stamps would not be funny!

As you can see in the photo I'm stashing a sheet of clear stamps in there too.

This the box closed - very slim - very compact and you can even pull out a side piece which allows you to store it in a lever arch file.  I did take a photo of this, but it didn't come out very well.  I think I would prefer mine out of the file and just stood on my shelf really, but it's nice to have the option.

I don't normally decorate my storage containers.  I think I must have been having a funny turn.  I do think it will make getting these stamp sets out a real pleasure though and maybe I will use them more.  The bird on the design is from the Elusive Images set 'Birds of a feather' and the stamp details were computer generated using 'Australian Sunset' font.  A little bit more dusting going on in the background too.  Wish I could work up more enthusiasm for the other kind of dusting, but I can't.

My storage container is perfect (I hope) for the challenges at...

• Crafty Ann's - Monochrome
• Charisma Cards - something new or not done before (not a new technique, but I haven't decorated a stamp storage box before)

Wishing everyone a fab start to the week.

Ann xxx

Just playing...

I really loved one of the articles in this month's Craft Stamper Magazine and have been wanting to try out this technique ever since returning from holiday.  In the magazine, which is not to hand so I can't give you any details, the designer had used post it notes to section off an area of her card and then brayered it with colour.  I did mine slightly differently in that I used masking tape and an apperture to create my square and then ink dusters to apply the colour.

The fabulous bird silhouette is from a new set of stamps I got free (favourite word making an appearance there) when I joined the Graphicus Guild. If you aren't a member of this already I would really recommend it and as the price of membership goes up in October now could be a really good time.

The sentiment is from a set by Hero Arts and although I love it it did cause quite a bit of hair pulling out yesterday afternoon.  I stamped it on paper - perfect - I stamped it on one my trial runs of the dusted colour - perfect - I stamped it on to the real thing - no 'be' in best - aaaaaaaaaaaaah disaster!  Due to it being a clear stamp I tried to over stamp (bad idea) - even bigger disaster.  I started again - groan. 

I will be trying this technique out with the other stamps in my new set and some different shapes so watch this space.  Hopefully there will be no more hair pulling out!

My experimental card is also for the challenges at...

• Fab 'n' Funky - Whatever (just how I felt on my third attempt to get the sentiment to stamp perfectly)
• Secret Crafter - Clean and Simple

Have a great day everyone whatever you are up to.

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! day - Stitching...

Ooooooooooooooh stitching - enough to make the blood run cold!  I see stitching on everyone else's cards and it always looks amazing, but I am such a scaredy cat (plus the sewing machine is in the very deep dark recesses of a very overpacked cupboard).  However, no worries at Bah! Humbug! because any stitching counts - faux - stamped - drawn - embossed - any kind of stitching so even wooses (is that spelt right?) like me can join in.

The stitching on my card is faux blanket stitch created using a set of Elusive Images rubber stamps that are all Christmas images with a stitch effect on.  The other blanket stitch effect on the pink squares was created using one of the stitched square embossing folders by Cuttlebug and then sanding to make them pop.  The pink and blue papers are from an amazing paper pad by HOTP that Max gave me in York.  

Other challenges...

• Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge - different technique (faux stitching using embossing folders and sanding - hope that counts)
• The Secret Crafter - Stitching

Vellum roses...

This is a card I've done for an elderly lady who has just come out of hospital.  She loves pink and vellum so I decided to stamp on to some pink shaded vellum from my stash and then emboss the image using fine white embossing powder.  The image,which is one by Elusive Images,  was stamped several times so that I could cut out sections and decoupage it.

I've also used the pink shaded vellum laid over the top of white card to create the background and done the same thing using the scalloped nestie.

The sketch is from Truly Scrumptious and unfortunately I'm rather late at entering as I believe the challenge ends today, but not to worry it's a great sketch and certainly one I will use again.

My card is also for the challenges at...

• Alphabet Challenge - Pink
• Pile it On - Flowers
• Creative Card Crew - Get Well Soon

Last day at work today and the thought of that might just mean catching the bus at 5.30 this morning a little more bearable.  Then I'm off on holiday for a whole week - SQUEAL - not that I'm excited or anything.  SQUEAL!!! 
The first aid course yesterday was brilliant.  I must admit that I was dreading it as the ones I've been on before have been so boring, but the tutor for this one was really down to earth and 'real' about things.  
I feel like I could cope with most things that could happen now although I am a little worried about Carol, who I was on the course with.  She said she had enjoyed it so much that she almost felt like pushing someone under a bus on the way home so that she could try out her new skills.  I work with some strange people and I'm not talking about the ones I support either. 
Irene and Max don't worry you'll be safe in York I'm not that enthusiastic.  If you do have an accident though I know exactly what to do.  Shout for John.  He was the really clever guy in the DVD who could cope with anything.  Tee hee!
Have a great day everyone and if you do have an accident of any kind don't forget shout for John - he's brilliant.

Pink Elephant Day!!!

This week Ella at the Pink Elephant has a recipe for us ...

One flower - three brads and one patterned paper.

My flower is again one of the beautiful flowers from the Elusive Images set 'Ruby Tuesday. This time I stamped the flower several times onto card and once onto the purple background paper. I coloured the images using promarkers, cut them out and layered them up.

I added some enormous jewelled diamonds that I bought recently at Poundland. There was 124 sticky backed diamonds for only £1 and unlike some expensive sticky gems they actually peeled off the sheet easily! Isn't that shop just brilliant?

My patterned paper has a very distressed look about it and I'm quite distressed myself that the butterfly design on it is not showing up too well in the photo. It was yet another rainy day in England - I'm just so glad we're having a heatwave this summer as the weather forecasters promised. Does anyone know when it's going to start?

Last but not least my three brads are in the bottom right corner.

Over the last few weeks we have been overwhelmed by the number of amazing entries at the Pink Elephant. I do hope this will be another bumper week of fabulous talent. Really looking forward to seeing everyone's work.

Ruby Tuesday...

Quite a few people have asked me about the stamp I used for the ATCs and the 'Floral Frenzy' card so I thought I would show the sheet of stamps that the flower came from. The sheet is by Elusive Images and as you can see it has more than one flower on and an assortment of leaves, swirls and a couple of stems.

The flower I used stamps beautifully - it has a lovely textured, dotted effect on the petals, which really makes it special. I haven't used any of the others yet, but I do think they would lend themselves to being decoupaged and even given the bling treatment.

On Graphicus this is what they say about the stamps...

"Design-A-Flower A4 sized themeplate

Following on from our very popular Big Flowers themeplate, Ruby Tuesday includes stalks and leaves (which can also double up as petals) to design your own flowers. They have gemstones and pearls in the decorations - they're a wonderful playground for all those flat backed gems."

Hope that helps anyone who may be watching out for this set or wondering where I got the flower from.

Floral Frenzy...

The challenge this week over at My Time to Craft is themed 'Floral Frenzy' so it seemed a good opportunity to show this card I made for a forum friend.

Yes, it's that enormous flower from Elusive Images that I used on the ATCs I showed yesterday. This time I stamped the flower twice and decoupaged it to give depth. The leaf is a stamp from the same set.

It doesn't show very much in the photo but the background is actually a swirly leaf design on tinted acetate. It's really unusual and lush to use. I believe it's by Kanban, but I got it at my favourite market stall.

Thanks for looking and also for leaving such fantastic comments. I really appreciate them. Have a great weekend everyone and see you Monday for the new Pink Elephant challenge.

Summer Flowers...

These are two ATCs I made recently for a forum swap I was involved in on the theme of Summer Flowers.

I had a fabulous time both stamping and colouring them. The quote was stamped in the centre of the ATC and then by masking sections off I stamped the huge (Elusive Images) flower around the quote.

I used many 'sunshine' shades of Promarkers to colour the images - one ATC was completely coloured and on the second on I attached a small tinted piece of acetate over the quote.

Charmed Cards and Crafts have a brilliant competion running at the moment so I have entered my ATCs into the 'Anything Goes' section - amazing prizes so fingers crossed! If you haven't entered this yet time is running out so do pop over and have a look - please don't win though!!

Something fishy going on...

Well last week I said that I was determined to join in the ABC challenge each week no matter what. I even joked that even if the theme was B for Bondage I would still be there with my card. Luckily it wasn't and it wasn't even Baby Oil as another blogging friend suggested!

The theme until tomorrow (yes I just made it) is to use Blue and Brown - not an easy one for me as it's not a colour combination I'm fond of. My daughter said she loves it though calling it very 'retro'!

As my card also has a fish motive on it also fits the challenge at Daring Cardmakers where the DT want us to have either fish or frogs on our work.

Materials used:

• Elusive Images Mandella stamp - decoupaged to give depth
• DCWV - paper from Vintage stack
• brown base card
• Derwent Inktense Pencil Crayons
• gold brad and corner peel offs from stash

Cuttlebug Day...

Wednesday is the Be Inspired Challenge at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/. This week the theme is distressing your work in any way you like. It may be sanding the embossing as I have done in my card or tearing or you might even want to stamp on your card. I've felt like that more than once in the past ! The choice is yours!

For my card I used one of the folders from the Stitched Squares set to form a quilt like effect. Each square was cut out using my Nestibility die set and then embossed. I found that the squares tended to slip when put through the machine and after a couple of dud quilt pieces I tried out a small piece of tape on the rear of the embossing folder to hole the card in place. It worked a treat.

The heart images and flowers are from a set by
Elusive Images.

I painted them to match the DCWV card and as you can see in the photo I added foam squares to give some depth. I decoupaged the central flowers.

I hope you can see the subtle sparkle - after finishing the painting I added a touch of Sakura Clear Stardust using it scribbled on my acrylic block and then added with a wet brush like water colour paints.



I particularly wanted to create a quilt style card to match up with this wonderful sentiment stamp that I have used on the inside of my card....

I believe it's from a sheet of stamps from the company My Heart Stamps for You - a truly lovely sentiment.

I do hope you will find time to join in the challenge this week and...

Do make sure you visit http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ at the weekend as it is going to be a very exciting one - lots of inspiring projects, prizes and lurve around!!!

Check out the little poster in my sidebar for more information.