The Stamp Man Challenge a touch of the orient

Feeling oriental over at The Stampman challenge this week so I have made this little atc which is up for swap! (Email me here if you would like to swap) Clean simple lines show this wonderful dragon vase by habico off nicely and I love the detail on this archival ink.

All the bits and bobs can be purchased at The Stamp Man.

Do stop by the challenge blog and see what the Stamp Man team have made its brilliant!

Michelle and I are running a workshop on the 12th February exploring the properties of inks - Obviously to do them all would take weeks not just a day but we hope to give you inspired ideas so you know what inks to use and when - If you would like to come email me here or book on the Stamp Man website

Alter it with wings!

So our lovely team mate Ildiko has chosen the theme for our week 4 Alter it! Anything with wings was the theme and I have stayed with cute - I don't know what on earth is going on but I just needed to do cute LOL!

This is a little papier mache box - its really small and so is that tiny tilda fairy on top! Papers are by 7 gypsies, card stock SU, ribbon, pearls and lace from stash.

Because I wanted to elevate the heart I need to disguise behind hence the 3 roses. I really enjoyed doing this - how long the cuteness will last is anyones guess - I blame Linda who set me off on this road early in January! Only Joking Linda - really looking forward to seeing you again at the retreat x

So stop by the TioT blog and see my team mates work - fantastic!

Whoops

Forgot all about uploading this yesterday! This is the little wall hanging I made for Mums birthday. Although we have a craft room to share Mum does most of her crafting downstairs and has this year bought a cupboard to house her craftiness in the sitting room so this is to hang next to it.

I adore this House Mouse image which I think I got from Tracey at our craft club. Mum loves her tea so it seemed to fit really well. Just to make my day this also fits with Hels challenge of push the button!

Had a busy day sorting in the craft room yesterday. My pal Michelle gave me some shelving to use on my desk so I cleared everything only to find they are 4 inches too long and the door wont close - gutted! So a major sort out has occurred so I can now have the big shot on hand instead of away in a carry case. All is not lost with the shelving either as they will fit into my sons room for his ever growing book collection!

Yes I am afraid the addictions run through our family. Tom needs one of those massive library rooms with a ladder - think Henry Higgins library in my fair lady! James needs a massive room to house his growing guitar collection - hubby has gone to pick up No 9 today! and this is not including the massive amps and guitar pedals he has. I fear the house may burst at the seams LOL.
Have a great Sunday x Janet

Happy Birthday Mum!

Today is my Mums 62nd Birthday - yes she was a child bride LOL. This is the birthday card I made for her and I also made a little pressie which I will share tomorrow. This is a magnolia of course and a little heart and charm to co-ordinate - the papers are what I have been playing with most of the month - boy they have done well!
Hope Friday has been good for you x
Janet

Oh my goodness

My lovely Chum Clare is downsizing her stash! Gutted for her but so thrilled for me what yummy bargains to be had!
Want a peek too?

stp by Clares stash sale now!

Sad News

I had some sad news yesterday that one of my oldest friends Mum has died - I felt so sad for her. I have made this card to let her know she is in my thoughts.

Image sugar nellie, rose paper - magnolia, swiss dots card square inked with weathered wood and ribbon and flowers from stash. I thought the image looked like she was in deep thought so it seemed to work well. Card blank is by craft work cards.

Good friends, good food, good wine - hic hic

So we spent the weekend with our gorgeous pals Georgina and Joanne. I met them both at the 2nd craft retreat I ever went to and felt so comfortable with them. Georgina is a sweet and gorgeous lady inside and out - truely i could not find one thing wrong with her at all. her blog is here and is called my secret place - hence this little hangy thing

Here is a closer look. this lovely whiff of joy image was sent to me last year by the equally gorgeous horners corner - Thanks so much Clare it was perfect for this project x

and now onto Joannes - a completely different look for a very glamorous lady - this stampsmith stamps screams star to me and thats exactly what Jo is an absolute star!

A bit closer - i even used my precious graphic 45 papers and now retied BM papers too - it just seemed to work.

The dear little lock and key brads were bought at the stamp man and are a perfect addition to a project like this.

The hangers are wooden plaques just covered in paper and decorated - they were such fun I have made another but that will have to wait to be seen so dont tell just yet!

Jo's daughter Ashlee was with us most of the weekend - great to get to know a much loved and talked about young lady. She has set up her own blog too which you can find here.

She embraced Journalling - our craft focus -and was brilliant at it - hope she shares her gorgeous pages soon too!

Sneaky peeks

Now I am away overnight visiting some of the best folks I know But here is some sneaky peeks at projects I will be showing you on Monday!

I do love playing in my craft room!

The stamp Man Challenge - distress

So this time The Stamp Man wants distress or is that de stress?? Actually I find creating a tremendous de stressor although somehow my OH does not understand this urge to craft instead of clean LOL.
Anyway back to the challenge - I bought this clock face stamp from the shop last year when doing a workshop with Jill about clocks - infact she also did something similar in craft stamper do you remember the gorgeous UTEE clock? Well it led me to this purchase and I have sadly neglected its need to be used - so here it is. Done as Jill did on shrink plastic although hers was perfectly round and mine started off that way too but what happened? Still you can get oval clocks so i carried on. I have inked a piece of card run through the cuttlebug with victorian velvet distress ink - roughed up the edges with the Tim Holtz distress tool and mounted it all onto some pearly black card - hey presto an atc for the Tim Holtz swap I have joined. Now as ever my fellow teamies have produced some stunners and with links to all the products used too you can't go wrong so do stop by the Stampman challenge blog and take a peep x
have a great Friday x Janet

A sketch from The Shabby tea room

The first time I have played along with this challenge and although the sketch looked simple enough I couldn't quite get the look I wanted so just before I added the end embelishment I flipped the sketch.

Now I am not sure this is allowed as its my first play but we shall see. Got lots of birthdays coming up so it seems a perfect way to kick start the new year with some new challenges to play with. Hope the team at the shabby tea room like my efforts too :0)

Papers are by papermania, ribbon from stash and the gorgeous stamp from Sugar Nellie

Whoops had a bit of an accident at The Glitter pot sale - it was awful! so many things fell into my basket - reduced stamps, papers, flowers - ok the flowers were not reduced but they are necessary right? Thankfully the check out process was not as long as the shopping bit or I may have been tempted to go back for more - Oh dear - roll on payday!

Cheery little tags

Go on then who was waiting by the door to mug the postie for craft stamper? I cannot cope with this change of routine and have been desperate for my monthly CS fix so to distract myself and try to remain positive I played with last months freebie stamps on the scraps left for the last 2 cutsie cards. Love the stamp its fabulous for paper piecing! these are for some pressies later in the year - boy I have been getting so organised! Hurrah the CS arrived today so I have had a flick but have promised myself a hot chocolate later and an hour to devour it cover to cover. The freebie stamp on there looks ever so useful too! My box for the CS freebie stamps is too full so I am going to have to redo my storage. I do so love them and enjoy playing about with them. In fact I used my red strawberry so much it disintergrated! Am thrilled to see gorgeous projects by my fellow Stamp Man teamies Vix and Debbie - really must try that fab box card thing Debbie

Don't forget the blog hop ends tomorrow and we have a brand new challenge beginning on Friday. If you are playing along with the blog hop you can find the post here which tells you what to do.

Have a great day x

Watch out its not all moonlight and roses!

Ages since I got an award on my blog but last week the lovely Susie gave me this. Wow thanks so much Susie.
I now have to list 8 things about my self. Hmmm wonder if they need to be stylish too??? that may be a tall order LOL
1) I am half of Lovin Ink - a little shop which sells knick knacks for stylish crafting. The other half is my pal Michelle. The shop name comes from the fact we love to stamp with any type of ink. We have very different styles but seem to compliment each other when we work together.
2) My wedding anniversary is the 14th February - everyone thinks this is so romantic but sadly it was just the date the venue had that month LOL. This year we celebrate 25 years of marriage - Not quite sure how that happened LOL.
3) Before becoming obsessed with crafting I was a workaholic holding down 2 jobs and childminding my nephew 2/3 days a week as well as bringing up my own children- phew i'm exhausted thinking about that one!
4) This one is a toughy but makes me who I am - when I was a child I was a victim of abuse from a great uncle (not at all great as it turned out).Its not something I shout from the rooftops but having therapy when I turned 40 and learning to forgive myself, accepting it happened and learning more about myself through it has made me a stronger and more adaptable person. The process of recovery was tough but so worth while. Anyone out there who has carried this sort of load around I encourage you to seek the counselling. I really am happier in my 40's than I have ever been and I didnt think it had affected me much!
5) I am a closet twilight fan! What is it about werewolves and vampires that have gripped me ? Think its just the whole romance thing really I wouldnt be drooling over Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner now would I?
6) I live in an extraordinary house! The house is 2 terraced houses which are joined together inside by the means of interconnecting doors upstairs and down. My Mum and sister live in one half and we live in the other. Its an odd arrangement and not without its challenges but it works for us - even if I won the lottery I would not move - I love the house with its cold drafts, horrid crackle glaze woodwork, gorgeous fireplace, tiny bathroom - I honestly would want to live anywhere else ever!
7) I am a fraud! Folk think I am really good on the computer - this could not be further than the truth Lol - I fumble my way around blogland gleaning little tips and writing them down hoping to get better. Its the same at work - I must come across as confident or something because I really dont know that much at all - I think I am just a good adapter!
8) I love social crafting. Back in 2007 I went on a craft retreat. Little did I know that some of the people I met there, and the next one and then the next would become some of the dearest friends anyone can have. We meet up 3/4 times a year and feel so comfortable together. This is a real gift I treasure. Lovin ink craft retreats were born from that group of people and now I find we have even more special folk joining our retreats. I am very very lucky!

Now the second part of the award is to pass this on to 4 people. Now given my last fact -I think so many people are stylish crafters I am going to leave this open. Please feel free to take the award for your blog - let me know if you have so I can come and visit and learn a bit more about you too!

A little more cute!

Still playing with the cuties I thought I would ink up this sugar nellie stamp. I think this one is gorgeous. I have used vanilla and saffron promarkers for the skin tones this time so would appreciate feedback on the difference in colours from mondays Tilda. Again papers are the same - My Minds eye, with the addition of this bulky heart charm which used to adorne a choker necklace. Not sure how long the cute faze will last but i have also inked up some of my new christmas cuties to play with too!

Try it on Tuesday - For a Man

So our teamie Emma chose the theme for this week - a Tag for a Man. Now I decided the men in my life would not even look twice at a tag - too busy looking at what its attached too lol. So I made my tag - book markish looking so it could also be a little gift.
The papers are all little scraps from my bits box - I think the reddish brown one is Graphic 45. I used 2 stamps - a paperartsy film strip and a bathing lady got yonks since from Ebay. Coloured with promarkers then distressed around the edges, once put together I added crackle glaze to the strip to add a little dimension.

There are some great creations over on try it on tuesday for our week 2 challenge so do stop by and take a peep.

Inspired by Lindas

card I have done a little cute! Not done anything like this for ages so it was nice to go back a few steps and have a play with some old friends. I only own 4 tilda stamps and they are from 2008! A little shufty at the magnolia down under blog provided a sketch to get me going

Papers are by my minds eye, ribbon stampin up and button from stash. She is coloured with promarkers. think I may try deeper skin tones next time as the ivory and blush seem a little washed out.

It also fits with the "Dots" theme over on Winter Wonderland this week which does not have to be Christmassy - shame I can't enter that one too but being on the DT even as a part timer excludes me from the fabulous prize LOL!

Thanks for stopping by today x I really appreciate it.

Janet

Brothers birthday

Its my brothers birthday on the 19th so i have been playing around making his card. Stamps and papers are now retired from Stampin up and have been coloured with promarkers. A bit of embossed card on there using a cuttlebug folder with gadgets and gears on and the silver button is from my stash - thought it looked a bit like a hub cap!
Looks like blue is still my colour this year too!

Sent to me

Nothing to show you as I have been poorly sick - yuk! Started with a nasty cold on Thursday which on Friday turned into a violent sick bug. I have spent the last 48 hours feeling very sorry for myself indeed! The cold is still here but is so minor compared with the last couple of days.
Anyway before I became ill this lovely card arrived from a super lovely Lady called Linda who attends our Lovin ink craft retreats. Linda does not have a blog but is super talented so I hope she does not mind me sharing this piece of her crafting with you all.

Bookings are coming along nicely for the retreat - email me here if you would like more details or click on the page at the top of my blog.

Hope you are feeling well today!

A brand new beginning

Over on Tuesday Taggers we decided we needed a revamp - a place where we can try new ideas, have a bit of fun and challenge the team as well as the players. Along with the funky background, variety of challenges and new header we decided to go for a whole new name too! So here we are



Do stop by the blog where the details are explained clearly. This week is week 1 and so is "make a card" and the theme is "new beginnings"



My card is for a special friend who is starting a new job this week. Always a scary but exciting time I wanted to let her know I am thinking of her. Ive used my fav colour combo which she will no doubt recognise as her birthday card in November was the same colours! All the stamps are by Stampin up as are the lush papers. Lace from stash and the gorgeous flower from my lovely friend Georgina thanks love x

I have also added my own writing for the Good Luck sentiment. I have always been afraid to do this sort of thing in the past however journalling and some lovely compliments about my writing have helped me grow in confidence. I still think other folks writing is nicer than my own but feel less like I have "spoiled" my work by writing on it.

My team mates have done some fabulous cards too and a lovely one from our Guest designer too so do stop by and see what we have done with the blog and check them out x

Have a fab time with Try it on Tuesday!

Happy 2nd Blogger birthday!

No not quite 50 LOL! Its 2 years ago today since i began my blog as a new years resolution and its one I have managed to keep of sorts! Today is also the 21st Birthday of my youngest son James who is studying at Brunel Uni in Uxbridge - he's home until next Sunday so we are all going out to celebrate tonight with an Indian meal at a local restaurant - 12 close family members which should be really lovely.
If you have joined me for the blog hop you will find the details here
and atc swap just scroll to the next post.
This card is for my daughters piano teacher - it was commissioned by Babs at work so i have also made one for her and tried to be totally different with it. Papers are by sandylion and are now very old! Actual sheet music for the main background (wonder if she will be horrified at that??) and stamped image from an unknown stamp company but seemed perfectly right for a piano teacher LOL.
And yes I have used peel offs.....................................
Have a fab day x Janet

A new year a new swap!

Please scroll down for details of the stamp man blog hop and award.

So the new year brings a new theme for The Stamp Man atc swap.

as always the theme has been chosen by one of our past winners and is Rhymes and Tales

This lovely nursery rhyme popped straight into my head as I had not yet used this tiny pear stamp I bought from the single stamp section at HQ

For those of you not familiar with it it goes

I had a little nut tree nothing would it bear

but a silver nutmeg and a golden pear

The King of Spains daughter came to visit me

All for the sake of my little nut tree.

I found another verse and the history of the rhyme here

What a useful site!

Stamps I used are from tim holtz - fir branch and crackle and pear from the Stamp Man. Ive also used distress inks to stamp with Crushed olive and wild honey. The little nutmeg has been done with a silver gel pen.

Looking forward to seeing what you fab folks come up with this month do stop by the atc blog for more DT inspiration too x