Dictionary Challenge - H

This fortnight's letter for the Craft Barn dictionary challenge is H. It took me a while to decide on a word - sometimes I just know straight away what to pick and other times (like this) it takes a lot longer. There was no shortage of words beginning with H but I couldn't settle on one until I came to Handbag. 'A handbag?????' I hear you cry in your best Lady Bracknell voice. Here's what helped me decide:
Some time ago (several months into 2007 to be exact) I picked up a handbag themed desk calendar at the bargain price of 95p. It had an image of a different handbag for every day of the year and I have used several on birthday cards since then. The size of the images is perfect for the 13x18cm format I am using for this challenge and this Argentinian red alligator handbag with brass frame from the 60s looked just right for cutting out. In a nod to a current trend I decided to give it a pompom handbag charm which I made with embroidery silks in 3 toning colours (no I don't carry a handbag with a pompom on it!). The background was made with Brushos in yellow, lime green and olive green. I added some punched handbags along the bottom.

UK Stampers ATC Swap - E for Explore

My final ATC this month is E for Explore. I used a stamp of an old map of Japan which I got years ago in a grab bag and a die cut word from a TH set.

Memory Box Challenge - August

This month's challenge on the Memory Box blog is to use yellow. I couldn't stop thinking of a canary so decided to use this Tim Holtz crazy bird stamp with a Memory Box cross stitched frame border die. This Memory Box set is a recent addition and has already proved very useful and fun to use. I got the idea for the colour scheme from this post on Stamping Mathilda's blog. I coloured in the bird with pencils but couldn't quite get a vibrant enough yellow until I finally used a Sharpie.
This card is destined for an old friend (at least he was until I sent him this card LOL!)

UK Stampers ATC Swap - E for Elegant

I had made this ATC background a while ago using a TH stencil and some KTZ dots. The main image is from an old Hero Arts set which I stamped a couple of times in order to get the dress and hat a different colour to the body. The letters are stamped with a small peg alphabet.

UK Stampers ATC Swap - E for Elephant

This month's letter in the continuing ATC swap on UK Stampers is E. My first ATC is for Elephant. I have a whimsical elephant stamp and die set by Hero arts and I decided to make an ATC in that style. My elephant is cut from card that I coloured with Gelatos to give an ombré effect. I die cut some crosses as a base from a Mama Elephant die and placed him (?) on a background stamped with a stamp by Impression Obsession. Some star and flower gems finished the ATC.

UK Stampers Postcard Swap - August

I have been occupied with family staying over and watching the Olympics and am a little behind on my monthly challenges but found some crafting time while watching the rugby 7s final between Fiji and GB(for once I was not disappointed that Team GB only got silver). What a one-sided match but how wonderful for Fiji to win their first EVER medal in Olympics. For me these are the moments that make the Olympics so special although I have been doing a fair amount of shouting for Team GB while the cycling and rowing has been going on as well.
Anyway back to business and this month's postcard swap, the theme of which is Sea/Nautical. I have to admit I struggled with this because in previous years there have been similar themes and I have used my CI beach huts and my Katzelkraft shell etc etc. I had an idea to do something a bit different but during the course of trying to find the required stamp I came across this Inkylicious poem and the grasses (also by Inkylicious). I had in mind sand dunes and the coastal grasses that grow in them (they may look like mountains but they are meant to be dunes). The tiny shells are by CI as is the seagull.

Dictionary Challenge - Z

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a zip die must use it when the letter of the fortnight for the Craft Barn Dictionary Challenge is 'Z'. I also have a zebra stamp but I used that for the previous alphabet challenge so it was a no-brainer. The die in question is by Sizzix and I cut it twice to get the metallic effect of the teeth and pull. The die wasn't long enough so I had to do a bit of cobbling together (technical term). The background is Tim Holtz's knit stencil with ripe persimmon, dusty concord and cracked pistachio brushed through. The stencil wasn't wide enough so further cobbling together was required. I added some zigzag paper in the opening of the zip and the definition.
Aaagh!!! Just realised I've forgotten the pearl! Watch this space...
I totally forgot the twist which was to have a pearl on the page so here is version 2 with 3 pearl buttons on the top peeking out from under the zippered woolly.

Dictionary Challenge - C

This fortnight's letter for the Craft Barn dictionary challenge is C. I chose 'Create' and decided to use an unmounted stamp which depicts a detail from Michaelangelo's 'Creation of Adam'. I have been fortunate to see the original artwork in the Sistine Chapel and it is breathtaking. The background is made with Turquoise, Violet and Ultramarine Brushos. The main image is stamped with Versafine majestic blue. I added some washi tape and a small unmounted stamp.

August