Warning!! lots of photo's!

 For a really, really long time I have wanted to make a book, but I've been frightened to because all the wonderful books that are being made in blogland and they're so stylish and the sense of continuity through the books is amazing. Anyway for this weeks challenge at Stampotique I gave in to the make a book urge. Lovely Sarinda is challenging us to use text paper in our creations and I always feel guilty when destroying a book so by making another book I felt like I was recyling and didn't feel so bad.

I featured my furry friend Poppy and when I finished the book I looked at it I realised that if Poppy could write a book it would probably be something like this. I made the inside pages by folding, scoring and cutting a 12in x 12 in piece of paper, and the covers are chipboard and it's closed with some red and white polka dot ribbon which perfectly matches Poppy's collar. Bear with me for the photo's as the book wouldn't lay flat and I had the camera in my other hand . . .

 Yes Poppy, be quiet!

 Poppy and I do indeed believe there are fairies in the garden ;)

I think Poppy is a very wise little pup. All the stamps used are Stampotique, if you'd like a list or a name of a particular stamp please email me, samantharead7@yahoo.co.uk or leave a comment and I'll reply asap.

Thanks so very much for looking, wishing you a wonderful day, Sam xxx

A Muse Ing

On my previous post Coco left a lovely comment about what a wonderful muse Poppy is, it's so true!! So to celebrate Poppy and my new Suzi stamp, (the girl image) I made this decorative hanging finished with beeswax, all other stamps are Stampotique. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Sam xxx

Stick it to me!

I love making things to embellish my home and if they are personal I love them even more. Regular visitors to my blog will probably be familiar with Poppy, my fur baby. She's adorable and brings with her so much love and joy. Each day whilst on a walk she will find a stick and bring it home, when we get home she will leave the stick by the gate.

One morning last week I thought it be nice to make something with one of Poppy's sticks. Poppy joins me in my art room and she really did have a puzzled look on her face when she saw a stick among my stamps. Inspiration for the wire work came from Pinterest but I couldn't resist making it personal with Stampotique stamps. Which fits in nicely with this weeks challenge at Stampotique which is hosted by our Team Captain Kim. The theme for the challenge is 'Anything Goes', so it's a great opportunity to really go wild with your imagination and art materials and have lots of fun.

I used quite a few stamps: Dorothy, Toto, Banner, Stack of Birds,  Floral Swirl and Tiny Handhelds. For the text I used Plant kindness and gather love, A Heart, Sometimes I pretend and May I always be....

Poppy and I really hope you like it!

Thanks for looking and we wish you a wonderful day xxx

To wax or not to wax . . .

I learned a good lesson today and one I shall probably not forget! I used a white embossing powder the flowers and butterflies and then later decided I was going to finish with beeswax, of course the embossing powder re-melted, I think in future I shall protect embossing with some multi medium so I won't have blurred flowers again. The lesson: It's not always good to wax ladies ;)

I did have great fun using my favourite stamps, a Suzi Blu stamp is the focal girl. All of the flowers are Crafty Individuals and the heart and words are Stampotique.

Hope you like it, thanks for looking.

Wishing you a lovely day, Sam xxx

The sun has finally got his hat on!!

After what seems like 18 months of winter, the sun has come out to play, yesterday I saw the first ducklings of the year and I heard a cuckoo, the trees are covered in lovely blossom and the world just seems to be a nicer place. All of which is quite appropriate because fellow team mate and friend Carol is our hostess with the mostess this week at Stampotique and she is inviting us to make a summery item.

I've chosen to work with balsa wood again this week and just for a change used one stamp, Under the Parapluie. I love this stamp and I'm hoping the colours I used and the big blossom suggest summer time. I achieved this by painting around the outside  but not all the way around so some of the wood shows through. I then applied modelling paste over the central part, stamped, coloured and added the sticky gems and flower. I really hope you like it.

Thanks so much for visiting my little blog, I hope the sun is shining for you where ever you may be, Sam xxx

Hanging around

I may have mentioned this before but Turquoise and Pink are one of my favourite colour combinations, they are simply gorgeous together. One of my favourite things to work on at the moment is wood, it's smooth yet can take lots of abuse. This weeks challenge at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog is hosted by fellow team mate Polly and she is inviting us to use turquoise and pink so I couldn't resist!

For this decorative hanging I've used balsa wood, I hope you like it. The stamps I used are: Moon Girl's Crow, Splatter Long, Bow Heart and Carol's flower.

I shall be looking at your entries if you do join in the fun and can't wait to see what you do with turquoise and pink!

Wishing you a fab day, Sam xxx

Fit for a Princess

Here's something very different for me and I'm quite nervous sharing this. Firstly I played with some paper clay, never done that before! Secondly I've used just one stamp, I don't think I've done that before either, I usually use as many as I can on each creation. 

The inspiration for this came one evening after doing the washing up, I usually take my ring off and put it down somewhere even though I wear rubber gloves. One evening I thought I had lost my favourite ring and I just thought that this had to stop as it wasn't the first time. So I go my thinking cap on and came up with this. The paper clay was really easy to use, I painted it when it was completely dry and added some silver leaf and the lovely daisies which are part of the Daisy Daisy stamp. I finished off with a coat of gloss medium for protection.

I hope you like it, Sam xxx

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

 I'm a huge Wizard of Oz fan and was delighted when I saw these Stampotique stamps as I thought they were perfect. Other stamp companies have made Oz stamps but they just weren't to my taste. I had a blank MDF money box hanging around for about 3 years, one of my many, 'I could do loads with that' purchases that was put to one side and forgot about. 

When I showed this money box to my daughter she loved it and instantly claimed it! It fits in really well with the challenge this week at Stampotique which is hosted by the lovely France. France is inviting us to use 3 trimmed/cut out stamps in our creations. I've totally lost count on this one!! At least 25 I think!!

I like to use as many stamps in a creation as I possibly can, it just adds to the layers and fun. I finished this with beeswax to blend all the layers together and make it smell lovely. I had such fun making this I do hope you like it.

The stamps I used are: Stacked Boxes for the Yellow Brick Road. Spray, Scalloped Lace Border, and Seaweed  for details and to frame the main images which are: Toto, Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman. The sweet little butterfly in part of Floral Flutter. I almost forgot I also used Art Lives Here and changed the words, silly Scarecrow still looks like he's going the wrong way!

Thanks for visiting my little blog, wishing you a wonderful day, Sam xxx

Close your eyes and . . .

I love the challenge this week at Stampotique, it is hosted by the lovely Carol and the theme is 'Happy Birthday' so it's wide open for your own interpretation!

I've chosen to make a little gift by decorating a wooden cube and using a memo pin to hold my message, it could have said 'Happy Birthday' but I thought that would be a bit too obvious. It could even hold a birthday photo after the birthday. The candle is part of Candle, the stars and hearts are hand drawn and the little character is part of the Line Up.

Wishing you a lovely day, Sam xxx

A Confession . . .

. . . I have 'a thing' for floppy ears, don't know what it is, I just love 'em. So when I saw this stamp I just fell in love. The bunny is originally flying with just one balloon but I thought with those floppy ears he's going to need a couple more to stabilise himself in a gust of wind. The whole make is on balsa wood, it's one of my favourite substrates at the moment and I love seeing the wood show through, a bit of paint and some modelling paste and it's a little work of art completed in about an hour.

Thanks for looking at my little blog, wishing you a lovely day, Sam xxx

I've just discovered the theme on Sunday Postcard Art is 'Soar' so linking up!