A Vintage Journey {it inspired me to blog!!!!!}

Yesterday saw the launch of a brand new challenge blog

A Vintage Journey

It's a vintage and shabby chic style Tim Holtz inspired challenge blog run by the ever so wonderful Brenda Brown and supported by a whole host of wonderfully talented gals. You must go check it out.

The first theme as you would imagine was 'Anything Tim' though mine turned into everything Tim lol

I started by making a hidden book stack from envelopes, I then inked um all up with distress, I used papers from the French Industrial pad, along with some of the new ephemera pack pieces to decorate the front. I also used a Tim stamp {from the shabby french set} for the postmark , and some pearl beads for the feet.

I chucked in a few alteration die-cuts and some copper idea-ology bits and bobs.

The inside I keep a little lighter, a bit more shabby, using more of the papers, ephemera and die-cuts, along with some lace, rose ribbon and tag.

I pretty much spent all of yesterday happily making this, I hope you like it too.
{oh and wish me good luck, i've applied for the last DT spot!}
Stay Inky

There goes another week!

WOW Tuesday again already and another week passes with no art.. sorry bout that.
A mix of uber hot weather, niggly lung pain and shabby play... the altered stuff just isn't getting a look in.
Well that is not till today over on the Creative Studios DT blog
here is your peek to entice you over
{the problems with commenting from last week have now been sorted too}

Yeah it's shabby but it's also something altered!!!
Stay Inky

Dainty Doily Dolly

Sorry for not being an active blogger this week, those pesky blue are well and truly singing but i'm getting back on form slowly, In the meantime I thought i'd share a pic of my finished doily mannequin.
Some of you may have seen it but some may not have so for you people.. here it is.

It started as a plastic mannequin you would use for a barbie clothes shop, but with some hot glue and some doilies, lace, flowers & pearls I transformed it into a victorian beauty.
I was totally inspired by a similar project made by Shilpa on utube.
Stay Inky

An Upcycle Challenge!

One of my lovely twitter friends Lin set an upcycling challenge a couple of weeks ago for a few of the gals, I was lucky enough to get in on the action last minute.
She sent out a pack of goodies to each of us with instructions to play with 2 conditions, We had to work in monochrome with whatever chosen colour we picked, and we had to use up everything we received.

This is the pile of goodies I received:

And these are the projects I created:

 

I jazzed up the mini folder with grunge paste, stuck on the mesh, and several of the embellishments from the kit and let it all dry. I then covered the whole thing in shades of brown fresco's. Did some brown stamping with paper artsy stamps and a smidge of treasure gold {the brown shade onyxite} and it is now a nifty ATC holder {I put playing cards in the spaces for show}

I took the cigar tin and covered it with the old book page, I lined the inside with the doilies and painted all the chipboard bits with antique linen distress paint, I also used the paint to soften the cover.

Then I assembeled it all together adding a couple of pics I printed off on the comp and some time holtz chit chat stickers along with a couple of other flowers and pearls from my stash.

After the 2 projects all I had left was a bottle top and some tiny scraps so I turned them into a little brooch.

I'd like to thank Lin for this fab challenge, Do hop on over to Lin's Blog for links to all the girls upcycled pieces.

Stay Inky

WOYWW {The Shabby Chic Edition}

Firstly I can't believe a whole week has passed.. I managed to visit just over 100 of you for the WOYWW anniversary celebrations, If you stopped by and I didn't make it back for some strange reason, I do apologize. The hands really were playing up something chronic, I did my best to make as many visits as possible.
I hope all those that went to the crop had a fab time, I'm expecting to see some photo's later when I do my rounds after my driving lesson.
So todays desk!
Yep that's right folks it's "full shabbiness ahead" on my desk this week.
I'm on a lace and pearl kick with all things pretty and white
I'm currently making some shabby flowers

Things on my desk include, a dish of pearl bracelets from the charity shop, ready to be repurposed, some little embroidery hoops, also for some altering and then a dish of already made flowers and lots of fabric pieces ready to become flowers.

You can also peek my finished dress form in the top left of the 1st pic. along with the best fabric glue EVER
Beacon Fabri-tac is fab stuff, I just got it and I LOVE it, super sticky and very quick drying.
Right I best crack on.. Things to do, places to go and all that!
Catch ya in blogland, Thanks for visiting xo
Stay Inky

Not Too Shabby!

So today over on the Simon Says Stamp'n'Show blog they have a 'shabby chic' theme.

Being that when i'm not doing grungy things my next favourite style is white lace and shabby, I leapt on the challenge like a lion to a gazelle.

I've used some Wendy Vecchi  art parts and a mini domino at the bottom to keep the legs apart and to enable the piece to stand.
Nothing too tricky, just a coat of 'snowflake' fresco paint, some highlighting with 'white fire' treasure gold wax, some stamping and floral arranging.

Sorry the pics are a bit fuzzy, the light is just terrible at the moment for picture taking.. Oh how I wish for some sunny warm spring days!!!
Thanks for visiting x
Stay Inky

Happy Trap!

Hello Peeps

Sorry i've been absent, I've had a bit of a tummy bug and haven't been very crafty for over a week, but I wanted to share this little gift I made for an online friend as a thank you, 

and seeing as Simon Says Stamp'n'Show has a "no rules" theme this week I figured it the perfect opportunity to share.

Yep i've been mouse trapping again, There just so much fun, and gave me a great excuse to use my Tim Holtz  alteration dies.
Hopefully my mojo will come back to me soon and i'll get back to blogging a bit more.
Till then thanks for bearing with me and supporting me x
Stay Inky

♥ HUGZ ♥

Let's Get Shabby

Although I am grungy girl at heart I do have a rather shabby side, and when I saw it was the 'Let's Get Shabby' challenge blogs 3rd Birthday I knew it was time to finish a certain project that I had started over a year ago and had sat waiting for inspiration to strike and finish it off.
The theme was to take one of the previous challenges:
I picked Sewing Box Challenge (Oct 10)

Using items from your sewing box

Must see at least 3 sewing box treasures in your creation and one of them must be pins

The piece was already painted and crackled with Fresco vintage lace paint, and I had used some of the TH sewing pattern paper to back the recesses, and a little TH diecut bunting.

I found an old dolls house singer machine at the local charity shop which started off the sewing theme. But that's where I had stopped.
So to finish it off I raided my sewing box and slowly found elements to fill up the rest of the spaces, The top spools were made from the mini TH die then inked and wrapped with cotton. I still had 3 very blank spaces at the bottom, and then I had a light bulb moment and decided to make draws, that way it could house sewing ephemera.
The draws were made with kraft card and then fronted with mountboard, I then stamped using some of the TH mini stamps, and edged with some rose trim.
The last touch was one of the WV blossom bucket embellishments and the piece was finished.

I'm really pleased to have finished this project, it sat unloved for so long, now it will be treasured for sure. Thanks LGS for the push I needed to finish it.
***
Stay Inky

♥ HUGZ ♥

Shabby Shack!

This going back to work lark has really messed up my crafting schedule lol
There just aren't enough hours in the day, and that is obviously showing with my lack of blogging!
Sorrweeee folks.
But today I am managing to share the piece I made for Hels Sunday Stamper challenge which has a Houses/Home theme

I made this piece by putting a mini embellishment tray into a frame, then I cut some mount board with the 'on the edge' scalloped die and arranged like a roof.

 I painted the whole thing with fresco paints and crackled with the fresco crackle.

I lined the sections with a pretty paper. Then it was just a case of embellishing which I did with mini bottles, charms, and bottle top and a hand made mini book.
And there it is, 1 shabby little shack/ house!
***
After I finished the piece I realized I had not put one bit of stamping on it!!! durr what a muppet I am,
I hope Hels can forgive me that little indiscretion!
***
Thanks for stopping by x
Stay Inky

♥ HUGZ ♥

Borrowed Mojo!

Regular visitors to my blog will know i have been having a little mojo issue of late..
The issue being my mojo did a runner..
Now i did have a few people say they had seen it and had sent it back home but i'm guessing the mojo that arrived back here was not actually mine..
I mean just look at this piece i created for the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge which this week has a 'Layers' theme and the Let's Get Shabby 'Music' inspired challenge.

It's all frilly and girly, a real shabby vintage kinda affair

Definitely not my mojo!!!

So who-ever this mojo belongs to i would just like to say a big thank you for letting me borrow it, I actually had great fun transforming a sad empty wafer tin into the chic pen pot it has now become.
Who's mojo will i get tomorrow i wonder!!!!
♥ HUGZ ♥

Lots To Do !!!

WOW, there goes another week.. and so much for it being a holiday! I've have Lots to Do myself... but i managed to squeeze in making this ickle piece for this weeks 'Canvas' challenge!

As you can see i've gone for the shabby chic look, just having a play around really, the pretty lace at the bottom is actually from the arm of a top that i just cut a strip from!
This also fits in with
Sophisticat Challenges - Embossing {i embossed the white swirl on the sheet music and also the text is embossed}
The Secret Crafter - Stitching {i've gathered and stitched the lace at the bottom}
Crazy 4 Challenges - It's all about Texture
Creative Inspirations -Monocrome

Yesterday i had the bestest day at a friends house playing with my melt pot, a craft sheet and lots of Timmy stamps... trust me there is no better way to spend a day.. other than with Tim himself of course but i know that ain't never gonna happen!  Oh just a little note though.. never try and melt fine embossing powder in your pot, it just does the strangest thing.. or at least it did in mine.. it melted but only slightly and then was like a stiff honey that i had to spatular out.. i didn't waste it though and i'll have photographic evidence up when its finished lol.. well waste not want not.. i also saved the canvas board i smeared it on from my mates bin.. hay just doing my bit for the enviroment lol

Don't forget to come back on monday to find out the winner of the lovely Laaaaaaady stamps :)
♥ HUGZ ♥