Tag time!

Large Shroom and Splatter Long by Jo Capper-Sandon

Gog Lin by Jill Penney

Splatter by Carols Collection

for Stampotique originals

Inks by Dylusions

It's the Stampotique Designers Challenge time again! This week Nellie is our hostess and she has challenged us to work on a tag or to use a tag somewhere in our art. Here's what Nellie has to say:

I love to work on a tag. For me it feels like it somehow invites you to think and work in another way than when you’re making cards. So I challenge you to make a tag or some project in which you use a tag. Any size, any color as long as there’s at least one tag involved in your artwork. 

To make my tag above I used some of the new Dylusion ink sprays in Bubblegum, Poppy and Sunshine - they are such a fabulous combination! To create a sense of foliage along the lower edge I used Splatter Long repeatedly and then I coloured two large Shrooms with Distress Inks. I thought it would be funny to have Gog Lin peeking out from underneath, and then I used a Shakespeare quote (Ooh! Get me!) which I changed slightly ... The original quote is from Macbeth .. just after 'double, double, toil and trouble', ... and originally said 'something wicked this way comes'.

As its the first challenge of the month you can use any stamps at all to create your tag. If you feel like joining in the fun, have a look at the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog.

I love working on tags and often use a left over bit of inked card to make a tag, which I then often turn into a little hanging. here's another one I made because I was on a roll ..... I used Mink because she looks like she is in a foul mood, and then used my computer to generate text for my favourite put-down :-)

The ink spray colours are Bubblegum and Poppy by Dylusions, and also I used the fabulously useful Basic Backgrounds stamps to add some pattern to the background.

Mink by Stampotique

Basic Backgrounds by Dylusions

 Byeee for now ...

September at last!!

Ink Sprays in Bubblegum, Sunshine and Poppy

Bits and Bats DS005, Basic Backgrounds DS020, Further round the edge DS015

All by Dylusions

Well, here it is at last ... my September calendar page. Didn't want you to think I was getting behind or anything like that. tut tut. As if. If you click for a closer look (and I know some of you double clickers do!) you will see I have had a fairly rubbish month, so the fact that my calendar is done at all is something of a miracle!

Thanks and well done to everyone who has already linked up with their calendar this month. Some of you are just soooo organised! I have been to visit most of you and as usual I'm staggered by the wonderful inspirational art that is going on. We're almost there (unless you are going to continue next year of course!). Don't forget, if you haven't yet linked up with your calendar you can do so here, but don't panic, the link will stay open all month.

So, back to my calendar ... I used some of the new Dylusions ink spray colours to create the background, they are gorgeous! I also used some of the new background stamps, and the new vine stamp to create a border along the lower edge. Have a closer look here:

And then, while I was messing about with inks in my craft room, I decided to ink up a tag (Jade and Sunshine)  .............

Heart Shirt by Daniel Torrente

Crow Line by Janet Klein

Stella's Hat, and Splatter Long by Jo capper-Sandon 

All by Stampotique 

Before I go, I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your get well wishes :-) 

And today, I'm going to leave you with this. The lovely Sunanda sent me these words following my last blog post, and I'm sure a lot of you out there will appreciate them too:

Happiness Unlimited

Happiness is a state of being created while working towards the goal,

not a feeling to be experienced after achieving the goal.

If we believe that happiness comes after achieving then we create

stress, anger and fear while achieving, and do not thus experience happiness.

Before I take responsibility for those around me,

I need to take responsibility of my own thinking and feelings.

When I am happy and take care of others, then they will be happy

Byee for now, I'm off to get inky. 

Finally ... a little journaling ...

Images by Tumblefish Studio and Crowabout Studio B at Deviant Scrap

Paints and inks by Dylusions

Finally, I have done a little journaling again. Once you fall off the art wagon it can be quite hard to get back on again, and I struggled with this page ... couldn't quite get things to work. The images are from a collaboration by Tumblefish Studio and Crowabout Studio B. What a fabulous collaboration! You can see them here. This inks and paints are, of course, by Dylusions at Art from the Heart.

I added the quote 'keep the faith' because I have made some fairly drastic decisions about my future recently, but I don't think making the decision is always the hard part. The hard part is to keep believing in yourself, and trusting that you have made the right decision. I know that you must follow your heart (because it knows where it's going) but we are only human and sometimes a few doubts creep in along the way ....... 

And here's another page I completed a while ago after overhearing something on my son's favourite TV programme - Total Fishing. Yes, it really is as dull as it sounds, unless you are a 9 year old boy. The two presenters were talking very seriously about fishing, while stood in thigh high water in their waders. One of them actually said 'To catch a fish, you have to be just a little bit smarter than a fish'. This struck me as deeply profound (and very funny), more so than it was intended I think! Of course, to win at anything you have have to be only one step ahead .....

Images by Crowabout Studio B

Thanks all for your get well wishes. I'm on the mend, slowly but surely ...... Byee for now

It's Calendar Time!

OOh, it's that time of the month again! But I must confess I am cheating a little today and sharing with you a collage of some of my previous pages .... you will know from my previous post that I haven't been too well recently so I am running a little behind on my calendar. Tsk tsk! However, I know some of you will be chomping at the bit to get yours up and posted, so here's the link, and I'll be adding my pics soon :-)

Ha ha! Stampotique Challenge time

Mink by Daniel Torrente

Daisy Daisy by Jo Capper-Sandon

Sentiment by Carol's Collection

All by Stampotique originals

Dylusions inks in Bubblegum and Sunshine

Well, its that time again, yes, time for another Stampotique Designers challenge, and this time we have been challenged by Vikki. Here's what Vikki has to say:

So here's the challenge: create a humorous Birthday Greeting! Something funny, sarcastic........perhaps an image that will evoke a giggle or a good belly laugh, which I particularly enjoy! 

It just so happens to be Vikki's birthday today, so happy birthday Vikki!

I used two of the fab new colours by Dylusions (sunshine and Bubblegum) to create my background, and then stamped and coloured Mink with Distress inks. I chose Mink because she looks a bit fed up, like she doesn't WANT another birthday LOL! I added Daisy Daisy hanging upside down (this is such a useful filler stamp) and coloured with Sharpie poster paint pens:

I generated the text on my computer (as usual, having a dig at people's age as they get older!!) before adding my favourite funny sentiment from Carols Collection at Stampotique.

As its the second challenge of the month it's Stampotique stamps only please, and don't forget, as always there is a $30 gift certificate for one lucky person. Have a look at the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog here. Come and join the fun  and join our challenge with something funny!

And just before I go .... just to let you know I haven't been 100% recently .. I'm off work and just taking it easy trying to get sorted. My mojo has gone AWOL and I have been a little absent in blogland. Normal service will be resumed shortly, but in the meantime I am off for a nap zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Bye for now ........