Sunday 27 March 2011

Tags, ATCs, Classes and a springtime walk!

Sentiment by Carols collection

Paints and inks by Dylusions

Recently it was my niece's 12th birthday so I made her a door hanger to hang on her door to ward off unwelcome visitors! Naturally, as a 12 year old, her favourite expression it 'whatever' so the sentiment suited the occasion perfectly :-)


I can't seem to get enough of Minky at the moment, and I think she looks especially great with beeswings:

Large bee by Jo Capper Sandon
Sentiment by Carols Collection
Number stamps by Ma Vinci

I made this background using Dylusions inks only rather than my usual combination of acrylic paints and inks. Look! I even left some white space on the background!


Whilst I was in the mood for creating backgrounds with inks, I made a quickie ATC. Love these cutie house stamps by Dylusions:

Right up your Street stamps, and inks by Dylusions

Yesterday I held a workshop in my village, as I have been doing now for about 6 years. An amazing group of ladies attend on a regular basis, aged from 9 to 89! Here's Kathleen getting stuck in with the new Distress Stains and Tim Holtz stamps:


Ooooh just look at the concentration here!! :


Wowee, what a productive morning! :


Ok, so the weather here in the UK has been unusually good and we have been enjoying some beautiful spring weather. My family and I went out for a stroll in the glorious spring sunshine today and discovered that everything has started to burst into life. Have a lookie:


These bullrushes are fit to burst!




Now, back to the new Distress Stains by Tim Holtz. When I first saw these I didn't know if I needed them. How could they be different from Distress inkpads? Or re-inkers? So I tried a few (it would be rude not to!) and now I know why I need them. They are lush! Have you tried them yet?



Right. Off to visit a few blogs - I'm a bit behind recently - life has been busy busy busy! Byeeeeeee for now.


34 comments:

  1. Wonderful spring pics Kate. It's so lovely to see everything bursting into life & so welcomed too.
    Your class sounds like fun. Love everyone's makes!
    Great tags & Atc..think I might have to check out these Distress Stains ;)

    Have a great week..can't wait for the Easter break!
    Gez.xx

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  2. Your artworks are gorgeous! I love it!
    Have a nice and creative week!
    Susan

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  3. SUPER tags, Kate!!! Why do you live so far away...? No workshops on Tenerife, but maybe Dina Wakley in Madrid. I'm still thinking about the Distress Stains but now ... Your butterfly cards are fabulous.

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  4. Fab door hanger and love the winged Minky !! Some fab pics of Spring there too !

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  5. Great post, lots of cool stuff. First of all, I adore the piece you made for your niece, lucky girl. And your class!!! How nice, all the things they made. And, ahem, you push yet another new product, the Tim Holtz, arggh, lol. And.....it snowed 6" here yesterday.
    You also used my fave word, whilst. Don't know why we don't use that word. I think I'm going to start.
    :)xoxo

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  6. Kate these are AWESOME - your style is fabulous - wish I lived closer to attend your classes! Your blog is probably my favourite one to visit since I found it!

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  7. Ooooooeee catkins! - always reminds me of junior school - no idea why - must have learnt about them there I suppose.
    Haven't managed to get my hands on the Distress stains yet although they are on order and I watched Dyan demo them at Stitches. Just a matter of being patient but I have got Tim's new stamps and have a few projects in the pipeline with them.
    Your ladies did an amazing job but with a teacher like you I'm not surprised. Everything you make is just fabulous - jealous who me Nah!!! anyway I have a Kate original atc so whatever!!!!! Lol! xx

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  8. Lovely stuff - I especially love the moths.

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  9. oooooh your class looks so much fun!!!.. I adore your tags, especially the 2nd one, love the dimension of the wings!!! Hugs Juls

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  10. Gorgeous work (as always) Kate... love the minky and house stamps too... Your classes look wonderful... how lucky for those ladies to have you teach... I haven't seen the distress stains yet... will have to look out for them...

    Have a happy week...
    Hugs
    Jenny x

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  11. Great post with lots of interesting stuff and an explosion of colour as well as bullrushes!. Love the Minky work and the flutterbys too. Looks like you had a super workshop. thanks for sharing it all.
    JoZarty x

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  12. I bet taking a class from you would be lots of fun. I'm glad spring has come to your part of the world, it looks lovely.

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  13. Had to chuckle when I saw the little gift tag for your niece. My granddaughter is 12 and her favorite expression is "Whatever!" too!!! Small world! So much fun to see everyone having such a good time at your workshop. Gotta check out those new Distress Stains. Hugs, Terri xoxo

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  14. First of all....your new tags rock. I need to come up with a new verb to compliment your art because I'm running out and I hate saying the same thing over and over again. I literally am in awe of you. Your style is so unbelievably awesome. I'm not exaggerating or lying when I say I never, ever leave your blog uninspired or excited to make something. Thank you so much for that. The other thing I wanted to tell you was that I had the same feeling about the Distress Stains, I was thinking they were probably going to be the reinkers with water made up for us in a bottle. Now I have yet to try them myself but I've heard from others as well as you now that they really are worth getting and just as fun as all his other Distress products to play with. So I'm looking forward to getting a few. Your pics from your walk are beautiful. We've been lucky enough to have 75 degree days for a month or so now. The nights are usually in the mid to high 50's. Spring and Fall in Arizona is really amazing, it makes it worth going thru the summers. Have a great week Kate.

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  15. I wish I could take one of your classes, I absolutely adore your work. I love the colours and whimsy in your work. You are so inspirational. I wish I could be like you! :)

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  16. What a fantastic array of colors with these! You need to do some online classes ;-) I would love to learn how to do some of these colors like you did. They are amazing!

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  17. Fab post. Love Minky with the bees wings and the door hanger. Your class looks great, wish I lived nearer so I could attend! Love those butterfly wings, the colours are so deep and lush! x

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  18. Looks like a fab weekend darling !!!! everyone looks like they had a great time, and the little peeks at the bottom with the distress stains YUM so so stunning xxxx

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  19. Wow Kate stunning collection of artwork again! I just LOVE your Stampotique tags, so rich and colourful as are your tags with the distress stains. I have them ready to use but didn't use them yet.

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  20. Beautiful artwork! Sounds like you have a fun filled weekend :]
    Enjoy seeing all the pictures and others being creative.

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  21. Love the door hanger....perfect for a 12 year old.

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  22. Wow Kate you make these inky backgrounds look so easy, you have a knack of making them look wonderful, not when I try LOL. Love all your creations. Think I might try an inky background for the Stampotique challenge this time around. Funny I wanted to ask you a question too. Do you tend to stamp your image separate and cut them out and adhere to your tag? To answer your question about the tattered floral, I use the spiky flower only in the set the one with pointed petals, cut quite a few layers and bend them in towards the centre as you go. Tracy Evans x

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  23. Love the door hangers, and the sayings. Looks like a wonderful class. Thanks for sharing about the Tim Holtz Stains, I didn't know about them, but they look nice and vibrant which I LOVE!
    Hugs and blessings for your week
    Kelly

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  24. I love visiting your blog Kate as it is always full of scrumminess and you haven't let me down again!! The only thing is, you make me spend my money!
    I DO NOT NEED THE STAINS. I DO NOT NEED THE STAINS.
    xx

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  25. I love the Spring photos very good. No I have no TH stains (why do I need them?) like you I wonder.
    I would love to do classes good for you 6 yrs cool

    love Dawn xx

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  26. Oh my, what a lot of loveliness to see here. Am envious of your village ladies and totally inspired by your butterflies!!

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  27. Hi Kate, I have an award for you on my blog. Your work is inspirational. Tracy Evans x

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  28. oh...you DO have spring there! i'm jealous! we still have snow on the ground. boo hoo.
    i can't wait to try those tim holtz stains. i'm hoping they have them at my one and only stamp show in a few weeks.

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  29. WOW this is awesome
    love tasha xx

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  30. Hi Kate, lovely pics of the local flora :-) Beautiful stuff they made in your class and I love the doorhanger. The stains do look good but I haven't seen them IRL!
    Anne xx
    PS great time at the show, lovely, lovely, lovely

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  31. Love your spring photos Kate and well, your projects take my breath away!

    Hugs

    Vicki

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  32. Love the garden photos! Don't you love spring! Fun project you did for your niece!

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  33. arent you a busy girl..... loving the tags. maybe I'll get to one of your classes (Lee HAS to get a job!!!!). hugs xx

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  34. Oh Kate, I was laughing hysterically at the second ATC. DH asked why I was laughing, I read it to him and he was cracking up, too. Minky is brilliant!! I'll have to look for her.

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