Kevin's Gang & Diamond Resin for Indigoblu

Morning everyone,

Over on the Indigoblu blog today I'm sharing a make with their new Diamond Resin, and Kevin's gang stamp set.  I had immense fun making this, and didn't want to part with the necklace for my DT piece either.  Just going to have to make one for myself.

Diamond resin is a new two part epoxy resin which is crystal clear and sets hard, and is very easy to use.  I am a big fan!  You will need to visit the Indigoblu blog to see how I made these guys, there is a step by step over there for you, but here's a pic or two of the finished piece.

A bit closer - spot the dictionary pages I used? 

Right, I'm off to make more goodies for upcoming demo's, hope you like these.

Best Wishes,

Nikki
xx

Happy Easter

Morning all,

Just popping in to wish everyone a Happy Easter, or Happy weekend, whatever you are up to.  Hoping the weather isn't going to be too rubbish!

We've just celebrated Luna our staffie's 4th birthday, she had a cake, which of course she couldn't eat much of as it was a normal cake, hubby bought it so we could 'share it for her'...    Here she is closing her eyes and making a wish...

I want to get to take her out over the weekend, she loves her walks.  Apart from that it's a busy time at the moment.

I have some news too that I have joined Lindsay Mason's Design Team, mega excited to be using her fab digital stamps, and will show more of that later too.  I have a shiny new badge for the blog sidebar too :)

I'm working on a project to enter into a competition, it's the 'Skinzapfel' collaboration between Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel Stratton, using Decoart products.  I've been having fun with Andy's rusting techniques which you can find on you tube, they are brilliant.

I can't show you very much, as it's work in progress, and with other things going on it won't be ready for a couple of weeks probably, but this is a snippet of the rust.  It was a photo frame out of a cracker, in silver colour when it started.  This will be a slightly odd creation, as is sometimes normal with me....

I used Decoart paints, and texture sand paste for this, and Andy's new Toxic stamp set.  I'm pleased with the effect!  Can't wait to put it all together and show you, but it's secret for now.

I do have more news, but another time :)  

For now, have a good weekend,

Best Wishes,

Nikki

xx

Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge Reminder - March - Take a Stamp

Morning everyone,

It's reminder time on the Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge, and our theme this month if you haven't seen already is 'Take a stamp'.

Our sponsor this month is Basement Studio, and the prize is a 20 euros voucher.

Basement Studio, based in Luxembourg, is the brainchild of talented Craft Stamper Designer Jaine Drake. Full of fabulous mixed media products like paint, mediums, inks, stamps and papers, it is well worth a visit!

Our second winner is our Design Winner. This winner is chosen by our DT, who all vote for their favourite design from all of the entries. This winner will have their winning project published in Craft Stamper Magazine, (with a 2 page spread of their very own!), they will have a GDT slot for an upcoming challenge, and will also feature in their very own Winners Profile blog post! 

You can find all the information you need to enter HERE. 

Here's my inspiration, a little wall hanger, using my Decoart Media gesso and paints on the background, with doodling and background stamping, and then I used PaperArtsy's Fresco finish paints on the flower's, and stamped the centre's in stazon.  They are layered up to stand out.  I love this PaperArtsy Eclectica stamp set too, by the lovely Emma Godfrey.   The sentiments on this set are fab, and it's a new firm favourite of mine for my journal.  

I've used a chipboard background, and just punched holes in each corner with a cropodile, to attach the fetching gingham ribbon in pink to hang it by.  Just thought it complemented it nicely!  

So come and join us at Craft Stamper for the challenge, we'd love to see your work and you can see all of the Design Team's inspiration.  Why not pop past their blogs and see how they made theirs too?  

Have a good weekend,

Best Wishes,

Nikki
xx

Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge - March - Take a Stamp

Morning everyone,

It's a new Take it, Make it challenge at Craft Stamper Magazine, and our sponsor this month is Basement Studio.

The fab prize is a 20 euro voucher to spend in their store.

The theme this month is 'take a stamp', which means any stamp, and create something with it to share with us.  You can check out the rules HERE.

My inspiration for you is a simple necklace, made by stamping with Flitterglu and megaflake onto black stamping card, with the teeny backgrounds stamp from Indigoblu.

All you need to do is cut out the shape to go into the bezel, and seal it in with glue, underneath and all over the top.  Then I used Diamond Resin to coat the necklace, but you could use Glossy Accents or similar if that's what you have.

Once it's sealed it's ready to wear, just add a simple chain.

So join us at Craft Stamper this month, you can see all the team's inspiration over on the blog, and enter the challenge HERE.

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.

Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge February - 'Text Me'

Morning everyone,

It's Craft Stamper challenge time, and this month it's all about backgrounds, and text.  We'd love to see your text backgrounds, using pages from books, background stamps, bits torn from magazines, scrapbook papers, whatever you can find.  It's all about the backgrounds here, so single word or phrase/sentiment stamps don't count :)  I am sure you will get an amazing amount of ideas from the Challenge DT too.

Our sponsors this month are:

And the prize is a whopping £25 voucher:

Also, A Sprinkle of Imagination are offering an extra 10% off for blog readers!  The code is CSBlog10% and will work from 5-25th of February, with a minimum £5 spend excluding P&P.

Here is my inspiration for you.  I used an old book that had lost pages before I even got it, and wasn't attached to it's spine, and tore a couple up.  I attached them vertically and horizontally to a card front, to create texture and interest by layering them.  I used Dylusions sprays to colour the background, in pink, green and aqua.

Next I stamped large and small symbols from the brand new Chemistry Lab set from Indigoblu, onto the book paper, and cut them out.

Then I spritzed the flower's with Dylusions inks, in pink and green.  

I layered them up and added them to the spritzed background..

And it looks like this:

The sentiment is also from the new Chemistry Lab stamp set, I love it! 

I chose to use these symbols as flower's, but they are an awesome background stamp, edging, anything you like. I just thought they worked as a modern flower.

So hop back to the Craft Stamper blog to see more inspiration, and enter this month's challenge - it's a nice easy one and I love playing with text, don't know about you :)

Have fun,

Best Wishes,

Nikki K. 
xx

Craft Stamper Challenge Reminder - December 2015 - Share the Season

Hi everyone,

Today is reminder day over on the Craft Stamper challenge, we have a fab sponsor and some great prizes and guest DT spots to be won.

Our sponsor this month is:

Polkadoodles

Polkadoodles is an amazing online store, carrying everything you could wish for to create some wonderful art. From markers and paper, through to digi images and wonderful stamps, you could shop until you drop! Which is good, because the prize on offer for our randomly chosen winner this month is...

a £25 voucher to spend in the shop!

How fabulous is that!

 Our randomly drawn winner will be one lucky person! 

Our second winner is our Design Winner. This winner is chosen by our DT, who all vote for their favourite design from all of the entries. This winner will have their winning project published in Craft Stamper Magazine, (with a 2 page spread of their very own!), they will have a GDT slot for an upcoming challenge, and will also feature in their very own Winners Profile blog post! 

It's all about sharing the season, so we want to see your seasonal designs, winter, christmas, frosty, you name it.  It doesn't have to be a card, it can be anything from a canvas to a box, a jewellery item to a home decor item.

My inspiration for you is a christmas card with the lovely 'Baby Aloysious' stamp from Indigoblu.

I used distress inks to create the background in salty ocean, and used a baby wipe to smoosh the ink.  I stamped the border with bauble flourish.  Aloysious is stamped onto a seperate piece of card, and distressed with vintage photo.  Merry christmas was also cut out separately and layered, and distressed.  The flower is from summer lovin, and coloured with promarkers.  I added distress sparkles in gold to the border, and framed it on co-ordinating layers.

So hop across to the Craft Stamper Blog, and check out the Design Team's fabulous inspiration, then scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter, it couldn't be simpler!

Have fun and good luck,

Nikki K.
xx

Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge - November - Take a Stamp

Hi everyone,

Today is the start of a new 'Take it, Make it' Challenge over at Craft Stamper, and the theme this month is 'Take A Stamp'.  This means you can enter ANY stamped creation you have made recently, be it a card, artwork, mixed media, anything.

I have taken an mdf bauble, which I painted in Indigoblu's Gee Sso Good black Gesso.  This is then left until completely dry, or flake can stick to it.  You can also use the black as chalk board paint, just make sure you do a few layers first.

I have then stamped Splattered Heart in Flitterglu, and used Chocolate Box Megaflake.  I stamped Dinkie Butterfly splat the same, but onto a piece of black stamping card, and flaked again.  I cut the centre's only out, cutting round the butterfly leaving a small flake border.  These were adhered with silicone glue.

All it needs is a pretty ribbon and you have a handmade bauble.  You can decorate the other side too, the same or different, so that when it turns on the tree you can see both sides.  Or you can add the date you made it, so you can keep it for years and always know.

Our sponsor this month is Magenta Stamps.

So head across to the TIMI challenge, check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and then join us and enter your creations.  Don't forget to check out the guidelines, and most of all, enjoy!

Have a good week,

Best Wishes,

Nikki
xx