Trick or Treat bag by Astrid

Can you believe that it is nearly Halloween? Time certainly seems to have wings at the moment.
For my first project this month I decided to make a gift bag in moody Halloween/Autumn colours. I made the bag out of an envelope.
There are loads of tutorials on how to do this out there, here is my quick take on it.
1. Use a good sturdy envelope, glue it shut, making sure the flap is glued down right to the edge and trim off one side so you have a bag shape. Colour around all 4 edges on both sides in a colour of your choice. I used Adirondack Dye ink in Expresso for mine

2. Next score around the three closed sides. The width of your score depends a bit on the side of the envelope you started with. My envelope was 5 x 7" and my scoreline was 1". After scoring, make a sharp crease with your bone-folder, this is important!

3. Fold the original folds of the envelope back onto it self and shape the bottom of the bag by tucking in the corners. (This is the most tricky bit...but don't worry it does not have to be absolutely perfect as you can see from mine, you don't notice it in the end.).

The last step is the tuck in the sides and your basic bag is done.

Now for the fun of decorating the panels for the front and the back.
For this cut two panels large enough to cover most of the front and back of your bag. Mine were 3 x 5.25" and I cut them out of smooth stamping card. I coloured them with Distress Inks in Rusty Hinge, Frayed Burlap and Vintage photo. I then gave them a few spritzes of Perfect Pearls Mists in Cappucinno and Heirloom Gold. I also stamped some splotches (hard to see on the photo) with a stamp from the Swirls Splats and Dots plate and one of the sentiments from the  Caterpillar Words. I finished this side with a cut out and coloured butterfly from the Insects and Butterflies plate and some die cut and coloured autumn leaves from my stash.

The second panel was coloured and decorated in a similar way, but this time I used the Airmail Bird Stamp over the coloured back ground. I highlighted the eye of the bird a little bit with a white gel pen.

I completed the project with some bits and pieces from my stash and added a ribbon for the handle.
Hope you enjoyed this project and found some inspiration for your autumn/halloween projects, until next time!

Happy Halloween by Emma

Hi everyone! Once again, time has flown by and it's already that time of the month for me to share my first piece with you all and I really hope you like it!

Here's how I created the piece...

Firstly, I used Tim's faux metal riveted technique that he used for his September tag, in the 12 tags of 2012 series and covered a Manila tag. I then covered the tag with Hazelnut, Eggplant and Gold Mixative Alcohol Inks before sanding the surface.

Next, I used the Tim Holtz Gadget Gears Alteration Die to die cut some chipboard which I then painted with the gold Adirondack Paint Dabber. Once the paint was dry, I applied the black paint dabber over the top and then, gently wiped away some of the paint. I then die cut the '31' from the Gothic Boo die and applied black paint over the numerals, before brushing the edges with gold paint.

Next, I blended a piece of white card with Old Paper Distress Ink, added Black Soot around the edges and distressed the paper slightly. I then stamped the image of Phineas Pinchbeck onto the card and I also stamped the Happy Halloween Ticket from Tim's Odds and Ends Stamp set.

I added all the die cut and stamped elements onto my tag, together with the a piece of the Film Strip Ribbon, attached with the Tiny Attacher and some Sprocket Gears, with the Game Spinners attached to the centre.

Finally, I added Glossy Accents onto the clock on the stamped image and threaded seam binding through the top of the tag and tied it into a bow.

Here's a list of what I used:

Phineas Pinchbeck Stamp

Adirondack Black and Gold Paint Dabber

Alcohol Inks

Antique Linen

Tim Holtz ~ Odds and Ends Stamp

Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Gothic Boo Alterations Dies

Idea-ology Findings

Manila Tag

Glossy Accents

Thank you for stopping by to take a look at my little tag and I can't wait to read all your comments!

That's it from me for now but I'll see you all again, soon!

Emma x

Retro Jewellery Set by Alison

Hello Stampers!

I have a little jewellery set to share with you today.

I took a metal bookplate, 2 ribbon slides, & 2 metal beads, & applied some Vintaj Patina to them. I used ruby, rust & clay. I sanded the beads & ribbon slides back, to reveal the designs, then coated them all with Vintaj Glaze, to seal the paint.

I stamped the scroll image from the Architecture 1 Plate onto white card, coloured it with distress inks, then stamped 'Curves' from the Architecture 3 Plate with black Archival ink. I cut out the image to fit behind the bookplate, glued it using glossy accents, & added a coat of glossy accents to the front, to seal the image. I also sealed the back, to make it more durable.

Finally, I assembled the jewellery, using some more metal beads, silver chain, & jump rings.

I hope you like this fun little set, thanks for looking,

Alison xxx

Home by Titbelsoeur

Coucou les copines !

I tried to find a song that would fit with my project, this one by Jack Johnson looked wistful enough ;-)

I gotta get home there's a garden to tend
There's fruit on the ground 
and the birds have all moved back into my attic, 
whistling static
When the young learn to fly I will patch all the holes up again...

keep it in my records for a next project about gardening... if any !
    
To make this project, I have used a A4 sheet of drawing paper, some printed pictures, book pages and various pieces of fabric, lace and ribbons.

I have stamped HOUSES on a piece of fabric that I have glued on the back of the 4 sides to make a cover. Then I decorated it with lace and ribbons, a tag and some home made paper beads.
   

I have covered the front with book pages and colored them with various Distress inks on a pad through stencils. I then stamped some arch doors  and glued cropped images. Roofs are drawn with a black pen.

 

 

Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoy my project,

 I am looking forward to reading your comments ! 

A tout bientôt !

Titbelsoeur

Frosty winds made moan.... By Zuzu

 I have begun to think of christmas projects now. lets face it, if you are going to be making things for christmas then you need time to gather inspiration, choose the stamps and supplies, order them, receive them and then get making. With that in mind, I have made this little frost inspired arch (this can be adapted to any winter scene even if you do not celebrate christmas.)

I used one of the little wooden arches from HERE. I decorated it with paint effects; sky blue (toned down with a little white) for the undercoat and blank canvas white for the top coat), sanded it then stamped it using some christmas stamps from HERE... snowflakes, "silent night" and the little winter scene... I have also used some of the trimming from the Tim Holtz collection by cutting off four or five individual roses from it.

 I painted some fake ivy leaves in white and added glitter to them and stuck on some silver snowflakes i have had in my stash for more years than I care to remember.
and there you have it. a wee snowy frosty sparkling shrine.

Tomorrow is a Mystery by Sioux Jenneys

Hi all! These posts are really coming around quickly this year! LOL So I'm here to share a card this time, one that is suitable for those guys in your life :)

It's a one layer card and involves no masking of images at all!!! Simples ;)

1. This card uses the principle of colours nearer to you  being darker than colours that are further away to achieve the effect, and I started with the arch image from the architecture plate 1 inked up with Distress Ink scattered straw and lightly inked on the edges with Distress Ink brushed corduroy stamped in the middle of a 12 x 12 cm square of card.

2. The sentiment from jounaling words 3 was stamped over the top in Archival black.

3. The columns, also from the architecture plate 1, were stamped in Distress Ink vintage photo, the edges of the square tattered and aged with Distress Ink scattered straw and a touch of Distress Ink vintage photo

4. The words "arch" and "column" from the architecture plate were stamped all around the edge with Distress Ink antique linen, no need for masking at all as the lighter colour of ink makes it appear to be behind the other stamping. As I said......simples! ;)

5. Attach this to a 13.5 x 13.5 cm card blank

See you again soon! :)

xoxo Sioux

Winner of September's Challenge

Hi, Jennie here again with the winner of last month's challenge. I loved all of the glorious pieces that everyone entered , and it is always so hard to pick a winner, but Mr Random.org has chosen this

by

Ellie Knol

 

Congratulations and please email me so we can arrange your prize.
We love seeing all your artwork, and this month's challenge is The Natural World.... check out the artwork by some of the Team :) and do join in.. you could even win some stamps from The Artistic Stamper :)
Have a very creative day
Jennie