Look what flew in..........

...........the new Stampotique Originals stamp range designed by Jo Capper-Sandon and the range designed by Daniel Torrente are here!

Jo has designed this triptych card using lots of her stamps as well as one designed by Daniel Torrente. Owl with Wings stamp has the wings seperate to the owl body, this means they can be positioned in lots of ways. On the card Jo has used one wing to peer round the side of the card.


You could also use the wings in a flying position, folded, waving, arched above the head or whatever takes your fancy. Hey those wings don't even have to stay on owl they can become wings for any stamp you fancy.


Also in the range is Wee Owl, here he is in the distance, perched in the Tree desiged by Daniel Torrente, also for Stampotique Originals.



....by the light of the (Great) Moon. The plants and flowers in the shadows are Abstract Foliage and Floral Flutter (without inking up the butterfly of course as its a night scene)

With a Song in Your Heart

Designed by Helen Chilton using the Artistic Outpost stamp plate "Songbirds", with Distress Inks in Sage Green, Victorian Velvet and Stormy Sky on Prima Botanical paper along with some pretty dangly beads and very clever cutting out. I love the subtle hues of this, it has a sort of Victorian vintage feel to it.

In a Vintage Style

Over on our Facebook our first challenge "Shades of Blue " was won by Jo Willis, congratulations.

Our next theme, which closes at midnight on Sunday
3 April, is "In a Vintage Style" and to get us started Julie Dandy has altered one of our tea bag boxes to use as storage for her Distress Foam Pads. Very clever!

In our Facebook challenges anything artwork is eligible - card, altered object, mixed media piece, layout, fabric work etc. Just use at ...least one item that can be bought from the Happy Daze shop in the work and post a pic on the Facebook wall , maximum 3 entries per person. Closing date is midnight Sunday 3 April and again one entry will be drawn at random to win a £15 Gift Voucher to spend in the shop. Looking forward to seeing your art work.

Thinking Girl

Helen Chilton has been busy with Artisitic Outpost stamps and some Ten Second Studio Metal. These are her instructions to make this stunning card:

The background in this collage stamp just reminded me of metal fretwork. Cutting out the windows lets the background paper show through.

Stamps used: Artistic Outpost: Ephemera Backgrounds; Think and Wonder

Other Materials:

StazOn inkpad: Jet Black

Adirondack inkpads: Stream

Adirondack paints: Butterscotch; Wild Plum

Distress inkpad: Chipped Sapphire

Glitz papers: Love Nest Collection: Sky; Damask

Ten Second Studio copper metal and metal working tools

Coloured pencils

Instructions:

I stamped the whole image onto copper metal, embossed it and then cut out the apertures, which was a bit fiddly but worth it.

I then stamped the girl’s head onto card, coloured with pencils and inserted into the picture.

The background is stamped onto the Glitz paper in Stream. It’s edged with the Wild Plum and Butterscotch paints just to pull it together.

The deep pink paper is actually some Glitz Damask paper that I overpainted with the Wild Plum paint, stamped with the music notes in black and then inked with Chipped Sapphire.

New Stamps from Stampotique Originals

Stampotique Originals have released new stamps by Jo Capper-Sandon and Daniel Torrente. Our shipment is on its way and we are taking pre-orders, just drop an email to sales@happy-daze.net and we will make sure as soon as they arrive we will let you know and only take payment when we dispatch them to you. Anyone ordering 3 or more of these new stamps will get a 5% discount, order 5 or more will get a 10% discount.

Click the name to see the stamps - Jo Capper-Sandon, Daniel Torrente

Jo has made this fabulous card "Moon Dreams" which features a number of her new stamps: Giant Moon, Jo's Flower Cube, Swirl Stalks as well as Penney/Torrent's Moon Girl and Jennie Bowlin inks.

Fortnightly Challenge - Shades of Blue

Introducing a Fortnightly Challenge over on the Happy Daze Facebook page. Every two weeks we set a theme for artwork, it can be anything a card, a layout, an altered object, a canvas, jewelery etc and should feature at least one product stocked in the Happy Daze shop. Just post your artwork on our Facebook Wall - maximum of 3 items per person - and at the end of the month we will select one entry at random to win a £15 Voucher to spend in the shop.

Our first challenge will close at midnight on Sunday 19th March and the theme is "Shades of Blue". Louise Crosbie has made this gorgeous piece on the theme using a wooden box, "On the Porch" stamp by Paper Bag Studios, Cosmic Shimmer Mist in Aqua Lagoon, crown charm, Ideology corners, Inka Gold paint in Hematite and Crafters Pick Ultimate Glue.

We look forward to seeing lots of your work.

Cold Enough for Cocoa ?

Van Houten’s Cocoa Card by Helen Chilton

Although difficult to see in the photo, I’ve used Perfect Pearls on the large text background before stamping the boy over the top. I’ve also just used parts of the ephemera stamps to fit round my border.

Stamps used: Artistic Outpost: Ephemera Backgrounds; Think and Wonder

Other Materials:

StazOn inkpad: Jet Black

Perfect Pearls: Natural kit: Kiwi; Blue Smoke

Kraft card

Glitz papers: Love Nest Collection: Block

Coloured pencils

Instructions:

Stamp the large text background with Perfect Medium inkpad and then brush over the Blue and Kiwi Perfect Pearl powders. Ink up just the frame of the same stamp in black and overstamp. Stamp the boy collage in black over the top and colour with pencils. Shade behind him to make him stand out. Layer onto stamped Glitz paper and add pleated paper detail to corner.

With a little altering in mind

We took delivery of lot of smashing stuff to alter this week, wood items including jewellery boxes, arches, glass topped boxes etc and key cabinets like this one that Louise Crosbie has altered using Paperbag Studio stamps. Also papier mache items including mini vintage suitcases, vanity cases and Torsos. Plus we have textured tiles and clasp handbags. How much fun could you have!

Inka Gold paint now comes in 50ml pots making them so much more affordable .Inka Gold paint is a super thick wax which can be polished and gives and intense pearlescent sheen to clay, a deep pearl lustre to wood, adds rich permanent colour to metal well it pretty well works any surface porous or non porous. It's a bit too thick for brushes so it's best applied with sponge, "Cut ‘n Dry Foam" or even fingers!

Plus we have Croco Crackling Colour, a crackle paint that produces a deeply crackled and almost reptilian finish. It can be used on almost any surface though glass and plastic should be treated with a transparent primer first.