Mail Art Steampunked

Hi Guys, hope you are having a good weekend. For those of you getting the two bank holidays - hope you are having a lovely LONG weekend - could get use to this!

Got a little mail art for you today, something a little different from my usual cards. I've decorated an envelope using the fabulous Artistic Outpost stamps and some journal stamps I already had in my stash.

I've used the fabulous Ephemeral Background set which is just so useful.

With the wonderful Steampunk Stamp set which has so many fabulous Steampunk themed stamps to keep me busy for a good while yet!

I think you can tell I love these stamp sets!

My list of projects using them are getting a little out of hand!

I've linked this up to the Artistic Outpost April Referral Program for April.

Right I will be off now! before I go don;t forget the Quixotic Paperie weekend special:

FREE P&P ON UK ORDERS OVER £25

PLUS A SELECTION OF SPECIAL OFFERS!

RANGER and TIM HOLTZ PRODUCTS 10% OFF!

OFFERS END MIDNIGHT MONDAY 2ND MAY 2011

Catch you later.

Kim

All Seasons ZIG Art and Graphic Twin Pens From Kuretake

I was going to post this tomorrow, but I've heard a rumour that there is something going on tomorrow in the UK that will draw most people's attention away from blogs. I know! Hard to believe that something could do that!

I wanted to show you another ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens set from Kuretake. This one is the All Seasons set of six pens and the colours are in the pastel range.

You can catch up with the other ZIG Art and Graphic sets here and for more info on the pens themselves hop along to this post here.

Another gorgeous set of colours, so very versatile and inspiring I thought. Perfect for anyone who loves their pastels and to have a grey colour is very useful as this can add shadow or be blended to give darker hues.

As before I've made two samples with these pens, the first is a little moving home tag, which I've stamped and then coloured the image with the pens.

If you look closely you can see how wonderful the watercolour effect with these pens is when you colour images. I've only lightly added the shading to the houses and windows but you can still see the texture that the pens have given the image. I used the pens directly on the image rather than using a brush or the ZIG Water colour system BrusH2O.

For the next sample I coloured the stamp with the ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens and then stamped the image. I've also coloured some spare card to make a matching matt and layer.

Hope you enjoyed that little look-see for the ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens set. 

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday and for you guys who have a bank holiday tomorrow - have fun!

Kimx

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday...Tidy Version

Ta - Da...A clean and tidy workspace! See here for the Before Photo!

This photo is from Sunday and it is still this tidy today! SHOCK! I'm trying to keep it in order - check back next week to see how well that went LOL!

As always the lovely Julia has the WOYWW list.

Have a fab Wednesday.

Kimx

Are You Crazy About Sardine Tin Art?

I am! Ok so you guys are going to start thinking that I have some sort of Sardine Tin obsession - it is just coincidence - honest! But you got to admit it Sardine tins are perfect size for a little bit of altering into art? Don't you think?

I've recycled this tin with a Spring theme and using a variety of stamps available over at Make The Day Special and Ippity Inspiration.

So all you need is an empty and cleaned sardine tin, the clouds are stamps from the Unity Adventures In Happiness (which is on sale over at the shop!) and for the flower I used the {Ippity} Gurnsey Gingham and {Ippity} A Bit Of Burlap. The colouring was all done with ZIG Art and Graphic Twin Pens from Kuretake.

So you wanna make one now don't you? See I knew it!

I've entered this little guy into the Spring themed challenge over at Alter It Monthly.

I would love to see your Sardine Tin Art so don't forget to come back and tell me about yours and I'll come and have a look!

Happy Sardine Tin Fun.

Kim

Magic Monday And A Competition

Hi Everyone, Happy Bank hols for those who have a bank holiday today. What are you all up to? Any crafting in the plan for today? I've got a clear craft space at last and can reach my chair :) Wahoo! I've even got a make for you today! Shock!

A little La-La Land Crafts Magician Luka gift tag. I've coloured Luka on Kraft paper to give the pastel look. Thought he would look good on a present or even as a topper on a card or Scrapbook page embellishment. Bit of inspiration for the contest running over at La-La Land Crafts at the moment (scroll down for info). 

As always you can get this little guy as either a digi-stamp or a rubber stamp.

Competition time!
Make a project that isn't a card with a La-La Land Craft stamp and link it up to the competition post to be in with a chance to win:


1st Place - $50 credit at La-La Land Crafts store
2nd Place - $25 credit
and 3rd place - $10 credit

Competition is running until 7th May so get making!

Happy crafting!

Kim

Right Ho!

Ok so you all saw the mess that once was a craft space in yesterday's post, well I actually managed to make something! I know! Shock! Well I had to make it in the kitchen on a little portable craft mat!

I used my new favourite vintage stamps, the Artistic Outpost stamps that Elaine has stocked over at Quixotic Paperie.

There are two sets in this make the The Ephemeral Background set and the Steampunk Stamp set.

A bit of Ranger Distress ink colouring and Elaine has the new Distress ink stains in stock. I've used ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens for the background.

Before I go off to tackle my cleaning Elaine has lots of fabulous new items in stock, well worth a look-see:

NEW BASIC GREY 6X6 PADS!

MAKE IT CRAFTY STAMPS - CARNIVAL!

MAKE IT CRAFTY LASERCUT CHIPBOARD

GORJUSS STAMPS IN STOCK!

NEW COSMO CRICKET 6x6 PADS!

PLUS From 21st April 2011 to midnight on Monday 25th April 2011 all UK orders

over £30 will enjoy FREE P&P

Time to stock up me thinks!

EDIT: I've linked this up to the Artistic Outpost April Referral Program.

Have fun!

Kim

Blog Post?

Ok, so my plans to get back on top of blogging this week went a little awry - oops!

My workspace has vanished - I can't find it. Just lucky I wasn't in my seat at the time as I would have been lost too!

I'm in a little bit of disarray and the disarray has been building since the beginning of April! The turmoil in my craft area is a reflection of the turmoil this April has bought to the Dellow and Norman household. Some good turmoil and some not so good turmoil - such is life :)

So Easter - is sort out time! We is Spring Cleaning - Eek! Scary! 

My craft space will be turned into a well organised area of shiny creativity - honest :)

Enjoy your Friday you guys.

Kimx

Is There A Doctor In The House?

Yes there is! It's little Doctor Marci from La-La Land Crafts sitting on a little colourful Get well Soon Tag, obviously very busy treating a little panda who is a bit off colour! That's just my little joke (very little joke!)

Ok well moving on fast - you can get the lovely Doctor Marci as a digi-stamp and a Rubber stamp.

The background is a collage and I've treated it with a couple of coats of Gesso and then used a mask and my ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens from the Summer pack to colour the background.

I've tied the fabric ribbon with the Bow Easy template - which is why it looks so much neater than if I had tied it by hand - and fixed it to the make with a spot of Golden Gel medium which I just love, great stuff!

Before I go did you know that you could win a prize with your La-La Land Crafts makes? Go check the La-La Land Crafts Customer Gallery page  and get linking your makes for a chance to win! Also you can see what others have been up to with their stamps and there are some absolutely fabulous inspiration to peak at! 

So hope you are all well and are ready for the new week!

Have fun.

Kim

Sunday Round-Up

Hello My Sunday Fluff Bundles, how are you all doing? I've been a little missing in action this week and my blog has been a little quiet which is unusual for me but life does have a habit of stopping us from blogging from time to time doesn't it?! 

Well I'm playing a bit of catch up and hopefully normal services will be resumed shortly. In the meantime I have some news to share. I have an article in the new issue of Papercraft Essentials that should be in the shops by now as it came out last Thursday.

I'm not able to show you the cards but if you have very sharp eyesight and a magnifying glass you might spot the cards on the cover: 

Ok so they are a little tiny on the cover LOL! But you might have spotted that the article is about using different colouring mediums such as using the solvent based markers like Copic pens and Promarkers, watercolours like Rangers Distress inks and ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens and using pencils like the Prismacolor pencils. The article also covers the best papers to use for each and tips for colouring. 

I've used the gorgeous La-La Land Crafts Luka and Marci stamps. The article uses the digi-stamps specifically but all the techniques are applicable with rubber stamping too!

Here are a couple of sneaky peeks :)

It was another article I really enjoyed putting together so I hope you guys who get Papercraft Essentials find it helpful :)

Right, well I have lots of DT makes, some commissions and sorting my craft space to do (Eeek!) so I better crack on. 

Have fabulous fluffy Sundays.

Kimx

All Distressed Butterfly

I'm a bit distressed today - well my ATC is! I've used one of my favourite Unity kits - Key to Joy available over at Make The Day Special.

The background has been stamped and embossed with Tim Holtz Rangers Distress embossing powder on a Gesso treated collage background and finished with Rangers Distress inks.

The butterfly was stamped onto Studio 490 Clearly For Art Modeling film that I picked up in Ally Pally (the craft show I was in a huff about missing at the weekend) last September and have been meaning to play with ever since!

Great stuff to use. I coloured it with alcohol inks and then shaped it using my heat tool, adding a touch of Rangers Distress glitter to the underside of the butterfly's body.

I thought that as my make today happens to be all distressed and the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week is Distressing I could enter it in to the challenge! I haven't had a chance to enter a challenge for ages!

Catch you later.

Kim

Totally Tropical Monday

Sunshine explosion - It's MONDAY!

Fresh week and a tropical La-La Land Crafts make to start it!

Anyone who dropped by Cute Card Thursday will have seen my La-La Land Crafts make for this week. Our theme is Totally Tropical and the sponsor is The Stamp Shoppe.

I've got La-La Land Crafts Sitting Marci perched in the centre of my tropical bloom and you can get her as a digi-stamp or a rubber stamp.

I think I might have taken this week's theme a bit to literally with the big tropical flower! What do you think?

Have fun with your tropical makes.

Kimx

Sunday Round-Up

Hey Guys, how is your weekend going? I'm seething with jealous of all you folks who have been going to Ally Pally for the Big Stamp and Scrapbook Show this weekend! Ok so you better all come back saying that none of the retailers were there and you didn't buy any fabulous new products!

If you had fun, found lots of hard to get things at cheap prices, learnt lots of new things and met lots of lovely bloggers and crafty friends I just don't want to hear it! Phooey!

Ok - it's safe, you can come back - princess tantrum is over!

You might have guessed I couldn't make it to Ally Pally this weekend, but I'm not thinking about it at all as you can all tell. My grumpy alter ego above is of course the Angry Ballerina from Kraftin Kimmies stamps :)

Well to cheer myself up I thought that I would share some more beautiful blogs with you all today.

I wanted to share some gorgeously fun makes from two of my Kuretake DT friends. Back in March when I met Emma, Sarah and Buffy from Kuretake, Buffy was kind enough to give us some Kuretake templates to make gift boxes with. Sarah jokingly said that she was going to use hers to make Royal Wedding Favours boxes. 

Well both Sarah and Emma have taken up the Royal Wedding stationery challenge and you can see the results on their fabulous blogs: Sarah's on Sarah Hurley and Emma's on That's Life.

Whilst you are having a nosey at Emma's and Sarah's blogs you might like to pop in on Dee Paramour who has been playing with the Kuretake Alcohol Inks and making tutorial videos! Fun!

Another blog that if you haven't seen already you really must go look at is that of Sarah Engels-Greer. Sarah has a wonderful eye for the shabby chic, vintage, distressed and contemporary design and her makes often take my breath away. She recently was very kind to say that she was inspired by my circle flowers tutorial and you really should have a look at how she has taken them to the next level. Love!

Have a lovely Sunday and enjoy your blog hopping!

Dinosaurs On Me Blog Again!

Yep it's me with my dinosaurs again! Got a little commission birthday card using the super cute Oliver from the Oliver and Amelia Happy Days set from the Greeting Farm that Elaine has available at Quixotic Paperie.

It is a very minimalistic card using Kraft card from my stash, luckily Elaine also has some Bazzill Kraft card available at the shop.

I've also used some torn up glassine envelopes and doodled little Dino prints with a ZIG Vellum Writer. Oliver and his Dino friends are all coloured with ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens.

Before I go you might like to know that Elaine has got some of the gorgeous Make It Crafty background stamps new in at Quixotic Paperie, I thought I would give you a small peek at them:

Have a great weekend.

Kim

Peekers Blog Hop!

Introducing...The Peekers by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD Stamps!

The Quixotic Paperie design team have once again joined forces with the SCACD design team for this blog hop to celebrate the release of THE PEEKERS by Elisabeth Bell. We think you'll agree, these are some of the most adorable images by Elisabeth Bell, truly capturing the mischief and innocence of childhood.

There are FIVE adorable Peekers in this release, and they are available either individually or as a full set at a special discounted price!

If you're in the UK/Europe you can buy the stamps NOW at Quixotic Paperie.

If you're in the US you can buy the stamps NOW at Susana's Custom Art & Card Design

On to the hop!

If you have hopped on over here from Mary Lou's Blog then you are on the right track, if not then the first blog on the hop you need to go to is Kim G's Blog - Crafts By Kim.

For my make I have used Sweet Mischief Peeker

Yummy cake!

I've used the lovely Memory Box Pixie paper with Kraft card from my stash but Elaine has some of the Bazzill Kraft card in Quixotic Paperie if you are looking for some.

The next stop on your journey is Dianne's Blog.

Enjoy the hop!

Wanna Win Some Copics?

***GIVE AWAY ALERT!***

La-La Land Crafts is giving away 12 yummy Copic Sketch Markers

Check it out!

Summer ZIG Art And Graphic Twin Pens From Kuretake

Hi All, I have another set of ZIG Art and Graphic Twin Pens from Kuretake to demonstrate today. Last week I showed you the Core Colour pack of four pens and this week I thought I would show you the Summer pack of four pens.

This colour combo is right up my street, the Core colour set is a perfect starter kit but the Summer pack really gives some gorgeous exotic inspiration for those Summer months.

In my first sample I've stamped in archival black and then used the watercolouring aspect of the pens to colour the images. I just love pinks and oranges together.

The second sample uses the fact that you can colour the stamps directly with the ZIG Art and Graphic Twins Pens to get lovely coloured images and some lovely subtle blending effects. Not sure if this photo shows it particularly well but there are touches of orange at the centre of the flowers.

I have a small write-up about the ZIG Art and Graphic Twin Pens that you are welcome to view if you would like to learn more about these pens.

Being a bit quiet on the old blog this week as I'm working on some articles and I can't even show you peeks of those. 

Hope you are enjoying your week and getting lots done.

Kimx