The Stamp Attic: Blog Candy

There is this great blog candy up for grabs over at The Stamp Attic if you love books and altering things.

ABC Moo

This is my first contribution to Something Completely Different Challenge as part of their design team. The background was a scrap that I had left over from a previous project and had been coloured with Glimmer Mists. The main stamp is a Paper Artsy stamp and the bottom border was just a small foam stamp I had in the drawer. The ABC's where from a stamp set I bought years ago, which I stamped onto script paper and cut out. I also wanted to emphasis the pen so treated that in the same way.

Stars: At Gingersnaps

I think I was meant to add this yesterday to my blog but I was on a work related course all day. So I am adding it now instead. Another great challenge to take part in over at Gingersnaps.

I thought this Stampsmith Stamp of Marilyn depicted the attitude "What the hell" perfectly.

Wife Appreciation Day

More reasons to stamp as listed at the beginning of the month with Gingersnap Creations.

This is more like a propaganda poster. Being someone who hates housework I would love a wife. Don't get me wrong I do not believe wives should be good little housekeepers. I am not on both counts. I am not married, so not a wife, and I am not a good housekeeper although a very good cook. I could really do with a housekeeper. Trying to train John  is a bit like trying to train an old dog new tricks. 

It also brings to mind "Behind every great man is a good woman." Also a great song!

Watercolour with Lots to Do

This is my entry for the Lots to do Challenge subject watercolour.

I have used watercolour paper and watercolour pens to colour the stamp. Spritzed the paper, huffed on the stamp once coloured and here is the result.

Circle Moos

I have been playing with Moos this morning. They are lots of fun and you can achieve many ideas quite quickly. The one immediately above this writing is a Christmas Moo.

With the others I was playing with masking,  using clock pieces or sequin waste, and spraying or dabbing over to create the circles. Of course a few sequins had to appear on one. Getting ready for the Christmas glitz.

These were for the Something Completely Different challenge and I am so pleased there are another two weeks left to play with Moos.

Mayflower Day

Over on Gingersnap Challenge Blog there was at the beginning of the month reasons to stamp in September. 

I had quite a shock today as I suddenly noticed it was September 16th, Mayflower Day. I wanted to produce something in recognition of this day since some of my distant ancestors went to America on the Mayflower, so making up the American branch of my family.

I needed to produce something super fast, and here it is. In fairness I had an idea which stamp set I was going to use but not how. The ribbon that has "journey" and the start of "adventure" on it has been fixed to the scroll with sealing wax and a seal stamp stamped into it whilst hot.

Black, White and Silver

Over on Gingersnap Challenge there is a new challenge. This week it is Black, white and silver and can be based around this months theme of Movie Stars.

This is my contribution and I wanted to create something that was crisp, graphic and clean. The sentiment must be one that many movie stars share "Believe in your dreams"

The only silver I have used is the mirri card that I have backed the central card onto which slips into the border pocket.

Rainbow Gingersnap Challenge

This is my entry for the Rainbow Gingersnap Challenge.

The background was inked with a rainbow ink pad, direct to paper technique. It was then stamped with Versamark and clear embossed. Now I have Alzheimer's. I made it a about 10 days ago and I can't remember. It looks like I may have rubbed some more ink over the top and wiped away where the clear embossing was to emphasis the clear embossed image more? Who knows. Anyway the chipboard flower and stem were covered in paper and further distressed with ink pads. I thought this paper from Crafty Individuals set the colours off well so used it behind and for stamping the words.

Sardines

This is my entry for the Lots To Do Challenge. Time was running out but I wanted to contribute. The sardines were stamped onto tissue paper and stuck with pva onto card previously coloured with distress inks. The shell border was also stamped onto tissue paper and glued over the tin that had first been coloured with alcohol inks.

Harvest Moon:

This is my seasonal entry to the Three Muses relating to the moon. I agree with them as to the mystery and importance the moon has on all our lives. I love the way the moon looks so very large when it first rises in relation to the horizon. This was what I had in mind when I created this.

I have also entered it into the Graphicus September Challenge for Autumn Leaves. This being autumn leaves silhouetted against a Harvest Moon.

I found this great article to share with you. I think it has inspired me to make a moon creation every month relating to their given attributes. What fun over the next 12 months or will it be 13 as are there not 13 full months a year? At least in some years. I shall have to check how many full moons this article caters for.

This article has come from:

http://dailyapple.blogspot.com/2005/06/apple-83-full-moons-orange-and.html

ORANGE FULL MOON

Last night there was a full moon, and it looked orange. I asked the person standing next to me if he knew why the moon was orange. He thought a minute, and said no, he didn't. Maybe, he said, pointing to the orange shirt he was wearing, it was because of his shirt?

       It is the scattering of light by the earth's atmosphere that makes the moon appear orange, especially when it first rises.

       Early in the moon's ascent, it is still pretty close to the surface of the earth, from our vantage point. This means we have to "look" through a lot more of the atmosphere.

       The air molecules in the atmosphere scatter away the pieces of visible light that are blue, green, and purple. So when we look through a lot of the atmosphere toward the moon, which is white, we see it as yellow, orange, or red.

       Sometimes when the moon is directly overhead, it will still appear to be orange in color. This can be because there is a lot of dust or smoke or pollution in the air.

       Also, the Harvest Moon in the fall appears to be orange. This is for two reasons. First, during some months of the year, the atmosphere contains more dust particles than others. In the fall, many farmers are harvesting their crops, and there is also a lot of pollen floating around. Second, the moon also rises at a lower angle to the horizon in the fall. Thus, at the autumn equinox, you'll see a big fat orange moon, the Harvest Moon.

FULL MOON NAMES

This reference to the Harvest Moon reminds me, I've always liked the fact that each month's full moon has a different name, but I can never remember what they are, and I'd also like to know why they are so named. As it turns out, most of the names come from Native American tribes and refer to weather, growing, or hunting conditions at the time of the full moon.

         January: Wolf Moon

       Wolf packs, hungry, howl together in snowy January.

         February: Ice or Snow or Hunger Moon

       Heaviest snow or ice falls during this month. It's hard to hunt or find plants to eat, so this is also a hungry time of year.

         March: Worm or Crow or Full Sap or Lenten or Crust Moon

       With the first thaws, earthworm casts begin to appear in the soil, signaling the return of robins and the beginning of spring. The crows caw to signal the end of winter, the sap begins to run, and for Europeans, it's time to start fasting for Lent. Another name, the Crust Moon, referred to the fact that snows melt and freeze again at night, making a crust on top of it.

         April: Growing or Pink Moon

       The pink herb moss, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest spring wildflowers, appears at this time. It also signals the first plants beginning to grow.

         May: Hare or Flower or Corn Moon

       Flowers bloom abundantly at this time, rabbits are born, and it's time to plant corn.

         June: Mead or Strawberry or Rose Moon

       Time to harvest the strawberries, make the mead, and in Europe, pick the roses.

         July: Hay or Thunder or Buck Moon

       Buck deer begin pushing out new antlers, it's time to mow hay, and lots of thunderstorms happen in July.

         August: Corn or Sturgeon Moon

       In the Great Lakes, sturgeon are abundant and easy to catch, and it's time to pick the corn. Some tribes also called this the Full Red Moon, which would make sense, given that some things are being harvested in August.

         September: Harvest Moon

       This moon may actually be in October some years, as it appears closest to the autumnal equinox. Often, farmers are working at the harvest until late at night at this time of year, and the moon appears to be orange because of all the dust and pollen they work up.

         October: Blood or Hunter's Moon

       After the harvest, the deer and fox and other animals are fattened and easier to spot, and it is time to hunt. Blood runs from the animals hunted, but also perhaps the moon still appears red in the sky.

         November: Snow or Beaver Moon

       This is the time of the first snow, and time to set the beaver traps before the swamps freeze, to ensure a warm supply of furs for winter. The beavers themselves are also preparing for winter.

         December: Cold Moon

       Nights are getting longer, and colder, and it's just plain cold.

One moon fact I never really thought about before: though the time of the full moon's appearance may differ, everyone in the world will see the same full moon on the same evening.

LEARN PHOTOSHOP FOR FREE

I have just found this link on Juno's Blog for  a free on line photoshop course!

http://creativetechs.com/tipsblog/free-6-month-photoshop-course/

Can't tell you any more but I have just signed up for it.

Life

Blog Candy Alert: Ink on my Fingers Blog. I just love this name for a crafty blog. I always have ink on my fingers. I cannot work cleanly or tidily. Things get strewn everywhere. 

To me eggs represent the beginning of life hence my use for them for this subject: Life.

The background was distressed with ink pads Milled Lavender, Scattered Straw and Dusty Concord Timm Holtz distress inks. All the stamps came from Elusive Images from Graphicus.

The eggs are a three part stamp so they have been layered and stamped in three colours. Most of these ink colours where either Dew Drops or Chalk Cats Eyes

Gold and Black Moos

Well, here is my very first Moo! When I was cutting the size I thought....Great, just the right size for a glass slide. But no not quite, close but different. 

I have made this for Something Completely Different. For me it was something completely different being my first.

The stamp is from Paper Artsy and I thought the gold halo colour would suit this contemplating angel.

And this is my second Moo. They are small little canvases to work on. 2.8cm x 7 cm, but fun.

The stamp is one of the Elusive Images stamps from Graphicus.

Chipboard Gingersnap Challenge

This is my entry for the Chipboard Gingersnap challenge. I love paisleys so I often return to them. 

I created the background card by distressing with Adirondack Earth tones: Butterscotch, terra-cotta, lettuce, meadow and oregano. I stenciled the terra-cotta some more through sequin waste. If you can get hold of some of this it is brilliant for adding an extra layer/dimension.

Then I used a feather stamp from Elusive images. I inked it with Cranberry Adirondack and stamped it off first on scrap paper so the image would not be too strong. I chose this stamp as it echos the shape of the paisley chipboard.

The chipboard was embossed or glittered with sprinkle and sparkle powders fro Joanna Sheen.

Gems to finish off.

This was matted onto black silk paper and then onto a card half covered with patterned paper.

Movie Star

This is my design contribution to the Gingersnap Challenge blog. Take a look at all the fabulous

designs that have been made.

I have used this image to create an early Christmas Card. Image is stamped and then tinted using Tim Holtz distress inks on skin tone lips and hair.  Sakura gelly roll clear sparkle pen used to highlight skirt. Wings added and lifted using silicone behind. Then matted onto mirri card and paper.

Port and Starboard

Here is my entry for The Lots to Do Challenge.

The challenge is to produce a piece that incorporates words.

This is my newest stamp and I just love its quirkiness. Right up my street. I was torn as to the words to use. The Okie Cokie may be more suitable but as I was colouring their stockings Port and Starboard came to mind. It also felt fitting in that both my daughters have just completed their first sailing course this summer. Port is left and red. Starboard is right and green