A Steampunk Journal

Hi there!

Something a little different from me today - and it's a very PHOTO HEAVY POST - so you might want to make yourself comfortable!

A Steampunk journal made of elements from a Stamperia paper/sticker/pop-out die cuts pack called Voyages Fantastique. 

I went halves on the pack with a friend, and we each made a 5” x 7” journal from it. In addition to our journals, we have also made three Steampunk Zines. 

You can see more of the pocket and tag details if you  enlarge the photo’s.

Here's the front cover:

Front cover

And here's a little flick through the inside:

Pages 1 & 2

Pages 3 & 4

Pages 5 & 6

Pages 7 & 8 - with a flap to be lifted to reveal what’s beneath!

Pages 7 & 8 showing the flap lifted so you can see
the secrets beneath

Pages 9 & 10

Pages 11 & 12 showing the additional pocket and envelope
which tucks behind the collaged band as in the photo below:

Pages 11 & 12

Pages 13 & 14

Rear cover

If you would like to see the Steampunk Zine I made using further elements from the Voyages Fantastique pack, please visit the page at the top of this blog.

Thanks for looking.

Sunday Snippets - another Christmas Candle!

Hi Playmates!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so. Remember to look at the Noticeboard at the bottom of the Playground blog post.

For my homework this week, I made another hand-drawn candle card!

As mentioned last week . . . . I was inspired to draw the candle after seeing Tina Cox’s designs at Clarity Stamp.

5.5” x 3.5” card

White snippet that I scribbled some red Tombow pen on in order to
die cut some berry shapes (I used the larger 3 berries!) 

White snippet that I scraped my VFC Spruce
ink pad on so that I could stamp and cut
out the holly leaves in a dark green.

I stamped the holly leaves first, then drew the candle.
(You can still see my pencil marks on the flame!)

Details:

• Magnolia holly leaves stamped 3 times onto a white snippet for the main panel, and again onto a further white snippet that I had scraped a VFC Spruce green ink pad across. I then cut out the leaves and adhered them to the panel with foam pads. 
• Hand-drawn candle, coloured with a mixture of Tombow pens and Distress Inks.
• Berry dies - probably Sizzix(?) which came as part of a foliage set.
• The Merry Christmas sentiment comes from a PaperArtsy JOFY set of stamps.
• Main image mounted onto a red snippet of card.
• The originally A6 sized card was cut down to give an even border around the main panel.

Textured ATCs

Hi there!

Today I have a couple of textured ATCs to share - but be warned - this post is a bit photo heavy! Both ATCs were originally playing cards, which I trimmed to 2.25" x 3.25" and rounded the corners so that I could mount them onto a 2.5" x 3.5" base.

Here's the first:

ATC

Attempting to show you the embossed texture
of the base and the flower.

ATC MATERIALS:

• Focal flower: Flower head from a retired Stampin' Up! set, coloured with yellow & orange Distress Inks then heat embossed with clear EP. The stem and leaves are from Tim Holtz Flower Garden CMS125, stamped in black VFC ink, then heat embossed with clear EP.
• Background: Stamps from Studio Light Grunge set SL GR STAMP229 and Creative Expressions Arty Background stamp set CEC-784. Base was created by painting and smearing the playing card with a mixture of black, white and turquoise gesso. (Yes! You read that right . . . TURQUOISE gesso - by Jane Davenport!)
• Texture: created with different layers of gesso; heating embossing and the flower head was stuck to the card with a foam pad.

I couldn't believe how glossy the flower turned out. I had simply stamped it onto some plain old copy paper and coloured it with a yellow and orange Distress Inks. I liked it like that - but, as I had the heat gun and embossing stuff out on my desk, I wondered what would happen if I dabbed a VersaMark ink pad onto it and covered it with clear embossing powder! This was the delightful result:

Sooooo glossy! Happy days!

I would like to enter the flower ATC into the TAG ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE where the theme is to ADD TEXTURE.

Delighted to be picked.

This is how the playing cards looked at first:

I covered the playing cards with
gesso and acrylic paints.

Here's the other textured ATC I made from the above:

The photo below shows how it looked after the gesso & acrylic paint, with the added stamping, stencilling  and heat embossing, but minus the chicken and flower "sun" and the sentiment which I cut out from a magazine and inked.

If you managed to get to the end of this longer blog post . . . congrats and THANK YOU!

Sunday Snippets - a Christmas Candle

Hi Playmates!

There's a new challenge to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND hosted by Miss Di for the next fortnight.

For my homework I was messing about in Art Class and drew a small candle on a snippet of white card. I quite liked it - so I mounted it onto a black snippet of card after rounding all the corners with a punch. I was inspired to draw the candle having seen Tina Cox’s designs for Clarity Stamp. (However, I figured I could draw a candle myself and save £20!)

It was still quite a small image due to the size of the snippet I picked, so I reached for a long strip of white card (a snippet left from making my own card blanks). The strip measured 2.5" x 11.5", so I scored it at 4", 8" & 9¾" to make a zigzag card base.

Side view to show the card shape.

A face-on shot!

After making the card shape, I stencilled over it and glued the candle to the front panel. Then added the Merry Christmas sentiment.

Materials:

• Hand drawn candle, coloured with Tombow pens.
• Retired sentiment by Clearly Besotted*
• Stencils: "Dotty Circles" (magazine cover gift); "Bubbles" Dinky Stencil TC005 by That's Crafty.
• Snippets - ALL the pieces of card used for the card.

*EDITED to say I originally stated that Clearly Besotted were no longer trading but this is not the case. I’ve checked and the owner, Stephanie, says her little business is fully operational. 

Sunday Snippets - Crafty Roo Stamp

Hi Playmates!

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework this week, I thought I’d make a card with an NBUS Crafty Roo stamp to showcase one of the stamps that also happens to be available as part of the prize in the current Snippets Playground Challenge. 

A6 sized card

Attempting to show you the glossy wings!

Card and matching envelope.

Materials used:

• Inks: DI - Mustard Seed & Spiced Marmalade for the honeycomb. SU - Pool Party & Night of Navy for the circles. Versafine Onyx Black for everything! Ink pads were dabbed onto an acrylic block and picked up with a waterbrush to paint the card.
• Stamps: Main stamp with honeycomb and circles is by Crafty Roo; the small bee is from the Julie Hickey “Sunflower Bee” set - plus I used the matching die for the bee; the “Flourish” word is from AALL & Create set #628 “Spread a little Happiness”.
• Other materials: Foam pads to attach the die-cut bees (all the bees are snippets);  "Sea Breeze" Nuvo Jewel Drops (added to the bee wings).

Jersey Moth ATC

Hi there!

Today I'm sharing an ATC with you. 

ATC

I'd like to enter this ATC into the November TAG-ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE where the optional theme is to ADD TEXTURE.

I'm entering under the 'anything goes' option as although I have dimension on the ATC from the raised moth stamp, I'm not sure I have actual texture on it.

Details:

• Background: snippet cut from a scrap sheet I used to stamp off extra ink prior to cleaning my stamps properly. (I stamped a few little circle trios by Uniko onto the sheet.)
• Main image: Jersey Moth stamp from the "Tall Grass" set by Funky Fossil - stamped onto a snippet of acrylic paper, coloured with a waterbrush and Picked Raspberry DI. It was stuck to the ATC with foam pads for dimension.
• Sentiment was cut from a sheet of paper from the "Warm Breeze" Paper pack by Craft O’Clock.

Textured ATCs

Hi there!

I made a set of ATCs just for fun!

I'd like to enter these ATCs into the November TAG-ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE where the optional theme is to ADD SOME TEXTURE. 

Set of 4 ATCs

Below: work in progress:

This pic shows how they looked after stamping; stencilling;
adding modelling paste; Washi tape and
gold splatters (which remained raised once dry) 
and before  adding the die cuts and mounting onto
SU Misty Moonlight card.

The left over snippets I can play with another day!
These show up the original stencilled and stamped layers 
prior to adding the different textures.

DETAILS:

• Stencils: 'Ink Swirls' by Visible Image and TCW various circles stencil and 'Zippy Dots' by Memory Box.
• Inks: Distress Oxide colours Spiced Marmalade; Peeled Paint and Faded Jeans for the stencilling; Misty Moonlight dye ink by SU for all stamping added on top of the stencilling.
• Stamping: blue circles ('Tall Trees' set by Funky Fossil); line of numbers by IndigoBlu; broken circles from a grunge set by StudioLight; blue splatters from the Gorgeous Grunge set by SU.
• Washi Tapes: Aall & Create numbers #7 and #41.
• Galeria Modelling Paste - trowelled on through the dotty & circular stencils mentioned above. I brushed more Distresss Oxides over the paste once it was dry as it didn't show up very well! I do not recommend the Galeria modelling paste (recently bought from Hobbycraft) as it is very lightweight and although you can FEEL it, it's hard to actually SEE it unless inked over!
• TEXTURES: All ATCs have modelling paste, raised gold splatters and Washi tape added to them. In addition 3 of them have die cuts from snippets of SU Misty Moonlight cardstock as follows: Top Right = Marianne swirly foliage die, plus a few extra leaves from a die by The Works; Bottom Left = Daisy Flower by Leane Creatief and two smaller flowers from "The Missees" set by Karin Joan for Studio Light, flower centres = a tiny floral die by Gummiapan, and Bottom Right = two unbranded daisy dies bought from Amazon.

Blue Birthday Flowers

Hi there!

Today I'm sharing a one layer birthday card with you.

A6 sized card.

Details:

• Lovely large background stamp by Crafty Individuals (ref CI-514), stamped in SU Pool Party ink.
• Flowers from Aall & Create's Flower Smudge set No. 985, stamped in SU Island Indigo ink. Please note that I have cut the flower stamp into pieces to better suit my needs - it does not look like this when you buy it!
• Flowers grounded with a small grungy stamp designed by Asia Marquet for IndigoBlu. 
• Sentiment by Stampin' Up!

Sunday Snippets - 19th October 2025

Hi Playmates

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework, I made a tag which I'd like to enter into the October Tag-Along & ATCs Challenge, where the theme is ANYTHING AUTUMN (or anything goes).

I used one of the smaller scalloped tags from the prize I was lucky enough to win from the Tag-Along & ATCs challenge last month, and am entering under the 'anything goes' option as I'm not sure the scene is all that autumnal!

Details:

• Super Size Nestables Scalloped Tags Die Set by Creative Crafts used to make the tag.
• The tag was cut from a snippet of acrylic paper & the ribbon is also a snippet (probably a clothes tag in a previous life!).
• Inks: Faded Jeans & Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks for the sky; Walnut Stain Distress Oxide for the hill and bunny shadows. VFC Pinecone for the rabbits & foliage.
• Sakura 08 Gelly Roll white pen for highlights.
• Lavinia stamps used: Mini Leaf 5; Vine; Wild Hares (Large)
• Other tools: Crop-A-Dile to set the eyelet; torn paper to create hill mask; plastic circle for the moon; "make-up" brushes to add background inking.

I’m off to look for my pumpkin pie recipe as I need a few pies ready for reheating in the Treehouse microwave for when we’re all ravenous after school! Reckon a slice will go down well with a mug of hot chocolate don’t you?! Remember to sign up for Miss Di's Pumpkin Carving Class too! 

Sunday Snippets - 12th October 2025

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. This is your opportunity to use up some snippets, then come over to the Playground for a 'show and tell' via Mr Linky.

For my homework this week I decided to make a monochromatic card with a VERY OLD stamp by Rubber Romance. I’m afraid the name of the stamp is lost in the mists of time, but I'm calling her "Chocolate Girl"!

5.5" x 4.5” Landscape side opening card

Everything was stamped and coloured with SU Misty Moonlight ink.

I tapped the ink pad onto an acrylic block and picked up the colour with a waterbrush to colour the image, which was then mounted on a snippet of SU Misty Moonlight card. The sentiment is made up from two different stamp sets - one of which is by Stamping All Day.

There's not mushroom on an ATC!

I love to join in with the TAG ALONG & ATCs challenge, and to that end, I've made an ATC that complies with their current theme of ANYTHING AUTUMN (or you can choose the 'anything goes' option).

2.5" x 3.5"

Details:

• All mushrooms and foliage by Lavinia Stamps. (Mini Meadow Mushroom  and Meadow Mushroom.) Small foliage stamp appears to be retired.
• Autumn word by Crafty Roo (no longer in business).
• Snippet of white card to stamp on.
• Cardboard packaging to mount the white card on.

Foxy!

The current ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #833 has a theme of WOODLAND CRITTERS (or anything goes) so I made this ATC.

I'm also entering this ATC into the TAG-ALONG & ATCs October challenge. The current theme is ANYTHING AUTUMN, but I'm entering this under the anything goes option. I was the lucky winner of the September Tag-Along & ATCs challenge, so watch this space for a couple of tags using my lovely prize!

2.5" x 3.5" ATC

Details:

• Penny Black sentiment (probably long-retired!)
• Aall & Create fox from the 'Up Up & Away' stamp (set #467), coloured with Distress Inks and a waterbrush.
• Torn piece of paper used as a mask to create hill with green ink, then various distress inks were dotted on.
• White & gold snippets of card cut to size to make standard ATC.

Sunday Snippets - 5th October

Hi Playmates!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework I've created a floral card using lots of snippets. In fact, EVERYTHING stuck to the card front is a snippet! It's been a wild and woolly week of weather here in the UK, but remember the sun always shines in the Snippets Playground, so come on over to play!

Card measures 5" square

The snippets after die cutting!

Details:

• "Modern Floristry" die set designed by Tim Holtz for Sizzix - cut from various gelli prints to make up the flower, stamen and leaves.
• Flower & leaves glued to snippet of patterned paper, and mounted onto a gelli print snippet before being added to the card front.
• Sentiment by Stampin' Up! inked with Marina Mist.

Stencilled OLC

Today I'm sharing a One Layer Card (OLC) which has simply been stencilled and stamped.

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• Inks: VFC Pine Cone (for the sentiment) and Wild Honey DI (for the stencilling).
• Funky Fossil "Meadow Flower Silhouettes" foliage stencil used over the top of the background.
• Visible Image "Collision" stencil (in the background)
• Crafty Roo sentiment (no longer available).

Sunday Snippets - 28th September

Hi Playmates!

I don't do ‘cute' very much these days - but I simply couldn't resist this £1 charity shop find . . . a little LOTV bear stamp (with a sentiment that I opted to leave off this square card). 

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• LOTV bear stamp.
• Floral punch-out added to the top right corner.
• Watercolour pencils and a waterbrush were used to colour the main image. 
• All paper items on the card front are from SNIPPETS!

Miss Di is in charge of the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight - so skip over there to find out what lovely prize she is offering, as well as all the details on how to enter. 

Sparkly Friends!

Hi there!

I used a preloved Woodware stamp (Daisy Panel JGS334) that I bought for a great price at a local destash event a little while ago.

I coloured the image with glittery Posca Pens which had been scribbled onto a non-stick sheet and picked up with a water brush. The sentiment is from a Visible Image set called “A Friend Like You”.

DL sized card.

Close up of the card front - attempting to show you the sparkle!

Sunday Snippets - 21st September

Hi Playmates!

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my snippets homework I have a floral card to share. 

Landscape A6 card

Details:

• Aall & Create flower border stamp designed by Tracy Evans. (I cut this large border stamp down in size to suit my needs better.)
• Woodware Sentiment from a fishing set they made years ago. 
• Kuretake "Starry Colors" gold watercolour paints used on the hexagons. 
• Kitsch Flamingo & Picked Raspberry Distress Inks to colour the flower.
• The flower was stamped for a second time onto a snippet of white card, coloured and cut out. It was then added to the card front with foam pads and a dot of glue at the top of the stem. 

Chicken Wings anyone?

I hardly ever make sets of ATCs, but wanted to play with my Artemio chickens - a stamp set that I've had for a long time and yet they rarely see ink! The Artemio stamps were called something like Pico - but are long retired  

So, to remedy that, here's a trio of chicken ATCs - which I hope make you smile.

I'm making this my third entry into the Tag-Along & ATCs September challenge where the optional theme is THINGS WITH WINGS (or anything goes).

Details: 

• All three ATCs were created from snippets of white card, left over from making my own card blanks. Each one has been edged with a gold Sakura Pen-Touch calligraphy pen.
• TOP LEFT ATC: Artemio chickens; Funky Fossil Protea flower stencil (tops of the stencil petals used to create "grass"); Uniko Nature's Treasures stencil for the leaves; "buddies" word from Aall & Create's "Strange Birds" set #464. 
• TOP RIGHT ATC: Artemio chicken; top & bottom stamping from a cut-down stamp by Aall & Create. Sentiment from Aall & Create's "Strange Birds" set #464. 
• BOTTOM ATC: Artemio Chicken (stamped twice and decoupaged); Visible Image "Ink Swirls" stencil for the background, brushed with blue and green Distress Inks. The sentiment is old and I cannot remember where it came from - but was possibly a magazine freebie along with  some feather stamps!

Sunday Snippets - 14th September

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND. This is a great opportunity for you to use up some of your snippets, then come over to the Playground for a 'show and tell'.

Miss Di is feeling better, but still has some healing to do. She's been safely ensconced in a comfy chair in the Staff Room with Dudley dancing attendance! 

For my homework this week I made a card showing how one of the prize stamps can be used - as I have the same stamp in my own collection:

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• Crafty Roo "Embrace the simple things" sentiment stamp (no longer available unless you win the challenge prize!).
• AALL & Create #67 "Broken Circles" stencil.
• SU splatter stamp from the retired "Gorgeous Grunge" set.
• Florileges Design "newsprint" stamp (dabbed on here and there!).
• Snippets: the daisy and its centre. The daisy die is by Marianne Designs. The flower centre is waste fall out from cutting with other dies!

Leafy card for Allsorts

Hi Crafty Friends!

I have a stamped and die cut card using one of my gelli prints to share with you today. I'm entering it into the current ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #832 where the lovely Val has chosen the theme of Trees, Leaves and Plants (or you can enter an "anything goes' project). I went with LEAVES!

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• Simon Says Stamp die:"Circle of Leaves" used to cut the leafy circle from a gel plate print
• Heffy Doodle "Stitched Circle" die used to make the outer frame.
• Lots of Studio Light and Florileges Design stamps used from different sets to create the background.

Tag-Along & ATC September Challenge

Here’s an ATC with a lovely silhouette butterfly by Visible Image, flying away from delicate flowers. I’m entering this into the current TAG-ALONG & ATCs September Challenge which has the optional theme of THINGS WITH WINGS (or anything goes).

ATC measuring 2.5" x 3.5"

Details:

• SU Night of Navy ink used to stamp with.
• SU Night of Navy card used to mount the main image, which was in turn mounted to the white ATC base with foam pads for some dimension.
• Visible Image butterfly (from theVI Mini’s #1 set)
• Studio Light Flower from the "Dried Flowers" duo (SL-ES-STAMP828).
• All the pieces of card used for this ATC were snippets. 

Sunday Snippets - handbags at dawn!

Hi Playmates!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

I used just two snippets on the card below, but I hope you agree they make a great focal point.

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• Handbag stamp - bought from eBay yonks ago and looks to be handmade and therefore unbranded.; Image coloured with Distress Ink.
• Snippet of yellow card, die cut with a Heffy Doodle Stitched Square die.
• A Sweet Huni "glossies" self-adhesive gem for flower centre.
• Uniko sentiment.

White snippets, stamped, coloured
and cut out with scissors.

As you can see from the above photo, I stamped a few handbags onto a larger white snippet and then watercoloured each one before cutting it out. Here's another card that I used one of the yellow bags on:

Card measures 5" square

Details:

• Background stamps from various sets by Kaisercraft; Studio Light and Bee Crafty - stamped in Misty Moonlight SU ink.
• Unbranded handbag stamp coloured with Distress Ink.
• Light blue self-adhesive gem used on flower centre.
• Snippet of SU Misty Moonlight card die cut with a Spellbinders circle die.

Floral One Layer Birthday Card

Today I'm sharing a One Layer Card (OLC) with you. I love the Clean And Simple (CAS) look of it. 

Card measures 4.5" square

Details:

1. Stamped the "Creative Chaos" Visible Image flower direct to the card front, together with a PaperArtsy birthday sentiment.
2. Flower is coloured with Picked Raspberry Distress Ink in various dilutions using a water brush.

I'm taking this card over to the ALLSORTS' CURRENT CHALLENGE #831 where the optional theme is BIRTHDAYS.