Eileen Hull Journal and HeARTfelt dies

Hello Friends

Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team are showcasing Eileen's fabulous Journal die together with her new HeARTfelt dies.  It doesn't take much persuading for me to use these new dies!

Part of Eileen's new release is her HeARTfelt Paper Pad and I used it to cover the Journal and also to create the signatures inside.

I also used Eileen Stitchlits House/Pocket die and her Stitchy Flowers & Leaf die and of course, the Journal die!  I don't have many step outs today as it was so simple to make...

I die cut the Journal (Sizzix 661906) and covered it front and back with Eileen's Paper Pack (Sizzix 661946).  To seal it and give it more strength I coated the covers with DecoArt One Step Crackle, it creates teeny, tiny cracks.  Then, I painted DecoArt Antiquing Cream in White, left it to dry and wiped it off with a slightly damp baby wipe.  The white stays in the cracks but it is very subtle.

I covered the insides of the covers with more of the Paper Pack.  Each of the signatures was covered with more paper from the pack.

I created two accordion type pockets inside one of the signatures.  I don't really measure, I just wing it with these pockets, but if you are interested and want to know how, just leave me a comment and I will do another post showing the details.

Inside the back cover I added a pocket, made with Eileen's House/Pocket Stitchlits die (Sizzix 661902).

I wanted to use my lovely friend, Tracy Evans, fabulous new stamps somewhere in my Journal.  I stamped and coloured them onto mini cards.  To house them I created a perfectly sized double pocket insert using my Laminator and following a fantastic video by Gio Gio HERE.  It really is a great video!  Do check it out if you would like to have clear pockets in your Journal!

To finish off I die cut a pretty flower from Eileen's Stitchy Flowers & Leaf die (Sizzix 661903) and I die cut the Travel Trailer (Sizzix 660327) from shrink plastic, coloured it with alcohol markers and heated it up, it creates a lovely charm size decoration.  I attached it and some flowers and a heart to a clip for the side of my Journal.

This was so much fun to make, and so easy with Eileen's beautiful papers.  Thanks so much for looking, I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs,  Anne xx

All Squared Up for A Vintage Journey

Hello Friends

It is time for a new challenge over at A Vintage Journey and this month the talented Tracy is our host.  Here is what Tracy has to say:

Whether a frame, embellishments, or die cuts, drawn squares, doodles or windows, lets see where inspiration takes you, lets get all squared up and show how creative those right angles can look!  Show us your squared up pieces in a vintage; shabby; mixed media; art journalling; industrial; timeworn or steampunk style.

I have only used these Seth Apter square dies once before, HERE, so I wanted to give them another airing!  I used a square wooden seed pot that I found in a sale, to create a timeworn tea light holder.

I have a few photo step by steps to share with you.

I started with a bargain square shaped seed planter.

I die cut four sets of square shapes using Seth Apter's Robo Square die set and some heavy black cardstock.

The squares were coated randomly with DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste.

The shapes were all coloured with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic paints in Paynes Grey, Diarylide Yellow, Quinacridone Gold and Cobalt Teal Hue - all quite randomly.

The square block was painted first with Indigo Blu's Artists Matt Acrylic Paint in Leather Corset and let it dry before stippling over with  Imagination Craft's Texture Patina paint.  I wanted to leave quite a lot of the gorgeous brown colour showing underneath.

Here is a view from the top with a night light inside.  There were a couple of squares left over, so I made a little lid to go on top.

Finally I added some square feet made from beads and painted in Leather Corset.

So, do you feel inspired to join us at A Vintage Journey for Tracy's 'All Squared Up' challenge?  I hope you are!

Our sponsor this month is Tando Creative who are offering a package of MDF and mini shapes to one lucky winner.

If you would like to see what my talented teamies have made for the challenge, you can check them out HERE.

I would like to join in That's Crafty's Anything Goes Challenge.

As always, thanks for looking, I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xx

Simon Says Stamp - Designer Spotlight Week 4

Hello Friends!

This is my last week (sadly) in the

at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  I would like to say a huge thank you to Simon Says Stamp and especially to Lols and the whole Design Team for making me feel welcome and for leaving me such lovely comments, I really do appreciate it.  It was a huge honour to work alongside such a talented team!!

But now,

and this week the challenge is 'Stencil It'.  For my project I used several Tim Holtz stencils and dies an Etcetera Tag and Tim's wonderful Sealife Stamp set.

I created one of my most favourite themes, an underwater scene.

I took one of the small Tim Holtz Etcetera Tags and painted it with Picket Fence Distress Paint.

I decided to use four Tim Holtz Stencils - Stripes, Dot Fade, Bubble and Splash.

Before using the stencils I used three colours of Distress Oxides, smooshing them on my craft mat and dipping the painted tag into the Oxides, several times, drying between each layer.  There were some white patches and I liked them so I stopped.

Next, I coloured Ranger Texture Paste  with Distress Oxide Re-inkers in Broken China and Cracked Pistachio respectively and applied these to the tag in a random fashion.

To create some 'greenery' I coloured some gauze with Distress Spray Stains in Broken China and Cracked Pistachio.

I stamped all of the images from the Sealife Stamp set and coloured each of these with Distress Oxide Inks and I fussy cut each of the stamped images, before coating each one with Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint.

Time to put the tag together, first I applied the gauze with some Dina Wakley Gel Medium.  I saved a piece of the gauze to put through the top of the tag.

I attached the octopus and seahorses to the tag along with some Tim Holtz Small Talk Stickers 'there is nothing like a dream to create the future'.

I die cut some greenery and wild flowers along with a Sand Dollar and Starfish, from Tim's Sand & Sea die set, colouring them as before and applied them to the tag.  I just love that lobster!

As a final touch I added some clear droplets by Pretty Pink Posh.

Will you be joining in the 'Stencil It' challenge at:

Each week there is a fabulous $50 gift voucher on offer!

All the of the products that I used, which are available from Simon Says Stamp 

are listed below.

Thank you so much for your visit today, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Products Used Available at Simon Says Stamp

Tim Holtz Etcetera Tag - Small

Tim Holtz Splash Stencil

Tim Holtz Stripes Stencil

Tim Holtz Dot Fade Stencil

Tim Holtz Bubble Stencil

Ranger Texture Paste

Dina Wakley Gel Medium

Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Picket Fence

Tim Holtz Sealife Stamp

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Sand & Sea die

Tim Holtz Thinlits Greenery die set

Tim Holtz Thinlits Wildflower die set

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Reinker Broken China

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Reinker Cracked Pistachio

Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain 

Ranger Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint

Tim Holtz Small Talk Stickers

Pretty Pink Posh 4mm clear droplets

Designer Spotlight - Simon Says Stamp Week 3

Hello Friends!

It is hard to believe that this is my third week in the 

at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  Each time I sit down to do a post, I have to pinch myself, I feel so very lucky!  It is time ....

and this week the Challenge is 'Let's Take A Vacation'.  I love this theme and for me a vacation/holiday has to include a trip to the seaside - any sea / ocean will do!!

Many of you know already how much I love crafting in 3D and this challenge gave me the opportunity to make a pair of beach huts which can be found at many seaside resorts in the UK.

 I don't have the Tim Holtz Tiny Houses Bigz die (yet) but my dear friend Kath kindly sent me the die cuts.  I used the two largest of the tiny houses.

To start off, for my base I used one of Tim's Vignette trays, the smaller of the two.  I made a little banner using off-cuts of card and some kebab sticks.

I turned the tray over and gave it a good coat of Dina Wakley's Gesso and then a good coat of Dina Wakley's Gel Medium to stick my florist's sand to the whole of the base.

I coloured cardstock with Festive Berries and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Paints and then cut them into strips.  I cut the roof tiles and the ridge pieces from the Tim Holtz Rooftops die, the roof tiles from grey cardstock and the ridge pieces from coloured blue or red cardstock.

I applied the strips to the die cut house and roof with Gel Medium.  The doors were made from one half of the roof piece each and I covered both with cardstock to match the strips.

I needed a 'doorstep' so I used the step from the Tim Holtz Village Surf Shack die and I covered each step with popsicle/lolly sticks, painted over with a light coat of Gesso, adding some 'nail' holes at each end to give the look of wooden boards.

After placing the huts and the doorsteps onto the sand platform, I added some florist's greenery and I made a fence from Tim's Idea-ology Memo Pins and Ball chain.

Here is a view from the back of the piece.

To finish off I added the words using Tim's Typography Findings, a couple of surf boards and Lifebuoy ring from the Surf Shack die set.  The starfish is from Tim's Sand and Sea die, cut from shrink plastic.  David thought it would look more realistic by having a Seagull, so I drew one, coloured it and fussy cut it.

So, how about joining in the

Where each week there is a fabulous $50 voucher for one lucky winner!

I have listed below all of the items I used that are available for you at Simon Says Stamp.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my beach huts and I look forward to seeing

you again soon!

Hugs,  Anne  xxx

Products from Simon Says Stamp Shop

Tim Holtz Vignette Tray

Tim Holtz Distress Paint Festive Berries

Tim Holtz Distress Paint Mermaid Lagoon

Dina Wakley Gesso

Dina Wakley Gel Medium

Tim Holtz Tiny Houses Bigz die

Tim Holtz Rooftops die

Tim Holtz Village Surf Shack Bigz die

Tim Holtz Sand & Sea die

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Typography Findings

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ball Chain

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Memo Pins

Stampotique and Eileen Hull Designs - The Crafter

Hello Friends!

This month, Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team have been playing working with some fabulous Stampotique stamps!  I chose 'The Crafter' and several other stamps by Daniel Torrente, along with Kassa Hayelden's fabulous flower stamp - Kassa's Bloom.  I used them to decorate Eileen Hull's Passport die cuts.

I used some calico fabric for the covers of the Passport and decorated the front and back.

I stamped the images using Ranger Archival Ink in Watering Can, using my new Tim Holtz Stamp Platform which gave a nice crisp stamped image.

I coloured the stamped images using Eileen Hull's ColorBox Blend inks in Stop (Red) and Black. The inks colour beautifully onto fabric, with no 'bleed'.

I coloured the spine and the inside covers of the Passport with the ColorBox Blend inks.  The stamped fabric was attached to plain white covers with Multi Medium.  I brayered over the fabric to get rid of any bubbles and left the covers to dry naturally.

I attached the covers to the spine and then glued the red inside covers on top to hide the fabric edges.

I prepared three signatures, each signature has three pages.  I added some tissue tape to the spine of each signature cover.  The images were all coloured with various shades of Eileen's ColorBox Blend inks.

Now it was time to decorate each of the signature covers.  On the first one I used Kassa's Bloom and Art is the Energy stamps.

For the cover of my second signature I used Kassa's Bloom again and also the Art Definition stamp.

For the final signature I used the Lovely Wings stamp and some Tim Holtz Idea-ology pieces.

To finish off I bound the signatures to the cover using thin black elastic and decorated with a felt heart and black multi faceted bead from my stash.

It was such a pleasure to use these Stampotique stamps and I can see myself getting a lot of use from them in the future.  Thank you Stampotique!!

The Inspiration Team and the Stampotique are featuring their choice of stamps and Eileen Hull products, each week on Eileen's BLOG and also Stampotique's Facebook page.  Please do check out the wonderful creations there!

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xx

Stampotique Stamps Used

The Crafter

Daniel's Hearts

Kassa's Bloom

Art is the Energy

Art Definition 

Lovely Wings