New Store Launch

Paper Jewels is a launching a new store selling her paper jewellery.

She is also giving some away to celebrate.

Pop over and have a look

How could I lose the ATCs for the Metal swap?

But I did - so have been frantically making some more. I bet I find them once I have posted the new ones off. Grrr



I made the grungy paper background - in daylight it is a deep red. Stamped on the car and the lettering and embossed the latter and the border.

I made a card

I don't really 'do' cards, but it is my son's girlfriend's birthday, so decided to make her a card.

I used gold leaf in the corners - which is reflecting the light, so hard to see.

Lots of embossing. I think I should try and make a card a week - to improve my skills.

I have won a prize from The Artistic Stamper

A huge thank you to Jennie of The Artistic Stamper for choosing me as the winner of her birthday prize. If you click the link you will see that it was her birthday and we had to leave a comment saying what her ideal way to spend her birthday would be. And she chose mine!

This is the comment I left

Happy Birthday Jennie.

You will of course be waking up in a luxury hotel - the curtains being opened by your personal maid.

The sun streams through the window revealling a warm and sunny day - with lots of surprises.

The first is a champagne breakfast served by the butler - with a red rose in a little vase - and a loving note from your husband (we won't reveal the contents of that though).

After a wonderful breakfast, you have a 'date' with the beauty therapists - a day of pampering and relaxation - and as your lovely new blog photo shows - a great change of style.

You get a phone call from your husband to be ready to 'go out' dressed to the 'nines' at 6pm when he will meet you in the hotel lobby. So you have plenty of time to choose a new outfit from the hotel's Mall of designer shops.

You sweep down the stairs - getting lots of admiring looks - to be greeted by your husband, who leads you to a stretch limo. You are then whisked to the theatre to see the show you have always wanted to see, but never got around to doing so.

Afterwards - a romantic meal for two - by candlelight - finished by a tour in the stretched limo before returning happy and tired to your hotel suite.

Before you know it you hear a bell ringing - it's your alarm going off.

It's all been a wonderful dream - but it's still your birthday - so today you meet up for and have a lovely lunch with your husband. Cards and presents and phone calls from loved ones - family and friends - who are there to make your day special.

I guess the dream is just for romantic novels - but it is nice to dream isn't it.

Have a wonderful day.

(And like you my birthday is a winter one - but it's nice to dream of a warm one isn't it)
Needless to say I am chuffed to bits and very grateful too.

The Artistic Stamper just so happens to be a great place to shop - with so many unusual things - plus all the greats and latest Tim Holtz, Maya Road to name just a couple.

Bamboo Tile book mark/thong

I decorated a whole stack of this little tiles before Christmas - for presents, for decorations, and just because I loved doing them.

There were some that I hadn't finished - and this was one of them.




One side has this image on it - which I thought lent itself to being a book mark or book thong as they are often called.

I sealed with several layers of Shellac which gave it a lovely light amber coloured glaze and gave it a vintage look I thought.



On the reverse I put this risque vintage image - with all her 'naughty bits' hidden by blue butterflies.



I am entering it for a swap on Craft Stamper Forum - and the 'spec' was to include it in a piece of art. So I made a tag - it's tinted with the same colours that appear on the domino. I also embossed it with clear embossing powder to hightlight some fot he features - but it doesn't show up on this photo. I am really happy with the little butterfly. It looks lifelike just settled on the tag - and I have embossed it too so the body looks lovely and shiny and the wings catch the light too.


A complimentary coloured ribbon - the same shade as the backing paper on the written side of the domino was threaded through - and I weighted it with a link - again from the same broken bracelet and glued it to the ribbon. I also added one of the rings that linked the pieces all together to hold the ribbon together




I finished off by making a tiny tag similar to the bigger one - as a 'modesty' tag to hide the nude.

I think I am all domino'd out for now!

It started it's life an anonymous tile in a place mat .....then it escaped

It started off as one of the above - a little bamboo tile which was one of a hundred or so that make up a placemat - which you can buy from The Artistic Stamper

Then, with fine sandpaper, alcohol inks, pva glue, a rubber stamp, and black embossing powder.


The back looked like this.



With the addition of a vintage picture, gold Krylon pen outlining, a few sprays of varnish each side, some silk thread, and two bits from a broken chunky bracelet - you end up with a book mark!

Sea Goddesses ATCs

I make no apology for using this Goddess stamp again. It is almost theraputic making the watery background.



She looks so wet - in 'the hand' as she is all embossed (as it the next one). The liquid pearls do look like little pearls stuck on, and I never make two the same even though I use the same stamp.




I move the stamp so that it is not quite at the same angle. Emboss it differently, the colour/pattern is always different - and this time she has a pearl amulet.

They will be off soon to be entered into a swap - so just for today I will enjoy them both.