Cocoa Boy Card

I have made this colourful card for the 'Brighten your Month' challenge, using the cheery Spring and Summer Distress Ink Pads and the Think and Wonder plate by Artistic Outpost. The image has been stamped on a wrinkle free distress background with some book text placed behind it, and the card blank edges sponged with Picked Raspberry. And can you guess what I used for the speckled background?!

I finished off with a die cut butterfly and the Wonder and Think wording.

Angel

This week I've used the Praying Angel from Lost Coast to make this hanging piece. I stamped the image once in Black Archival and then once more with versamark and embossed with gold. The image I embossed I attached to some board and cut out, then attached to some black card which I also cut out.

I cut out the inked angel and coloured with watercolour pencils and once dry adhered it to the hanging piece with 3d foam. Added some ribbon, beaded trim and lastly some stickles. 

 close up 

TFL
Mandy x

Grumpy Girl Box...By Carol Fox

This image by paperbag studios has always been one of my favourites from the Delight sheet, I just love the grumpy look on the girls face.

I have used it on the lid of one of these smaller sized wooden boxes. The text from the same sheet has been used around the edge. The box was painted and then sealed with Glue and Seal before the images were stamped onto the box. It was then gently coloured using alcohol inks, in the pens available in the shop here.

You may need sunglasses!

Our challenge for November is 'Brighten up the month' and with the clocks going back and a lack of proper daylight I was glad to get out the bright paints and feel summery.

I began by stamping the Mona Lisa stamp using Staz-on on to tissue paper, painting it with a skin tone paint on the reverse so she didn't look anaemic and using lots of PVA stuck her to the mini art canvas. I then went to town with the turquoise paint, flowers and sticky gems. Shrink plastic is becoming a firm favourite of mine so I stamped and shrunk Moon Girl and text from a Suzi Blu stamp.

Just a bit of fun! Hope you can join in the challenge,

Wishing you a happy day, Sam xxx

Chocolate Girl Tag.....By Moira Sutton

The background of this tag has been made using distress stains and the wrinkle free method.
The main image is Zetti, and the squiggle arms are by Stampotique. The dots are Silver Ferro used though a Dylusions Stencil "chequered Dots".

I bet you haven't seen one of these before on Happy Daze!

Hello, I'm Lottie, and this months guest 'Designer'!!!

I know what you are thinking, and I thought that too when they asked me.

But it's great to be invited to create three items to brighten up the month - and it just proves that someone like me, who can't make a card for toffee, and who is definitely not a designer in any way can be picked.  They really do look at your blogs when you join in the challenges.

 I have been 'rummaging around' the Happy Daze shop looking for something different for Christmas presents, and I was not disappointed.

I've found something that will be great for children and adults.

It's lined with plastic so it can hold water,  

It packs flat so it's cheap to post!
It's  brilliant - so much so you'll want to buy one for yourself too!

It's a collapsable Paint Brush Bucket!
I've found different uses for mine - but first I decided to personalise it.

I stamped on two of the sides using brown acrylic paint.

 I've never tried doing that before so I was a bit apprehensive - but it was easy.

I spread brown paint on a washable flat surface, then just gently tapped the stamps on it, checking that the stamps have an even covering.  If you put too much paint on your stamp on your first attempt, don't be tempted to use it - just wipe the stamp clean, and try again; if it is too thick and gloopy you won't get a clear image, and clean your stamp/s as soon as you have stamped  your images as paint dries quickly and  you might not get it properly clean if you leave it.
 Leave the bag to dry properly, then colour you image in. 

 I have multi uses for mine.  As you can see, its holds lots of paintbrushes.  I have a number of very tall ones too, so decided to make the most of the bag by storing everything in one place.

This is one of those big chilli con carne tins which I have covered.

 I was looking through my old ATC collection for inspiration, and realised that those little works of art hardly ever see daylight!

 So I scanned some into the computer and printed them off and used them to decorate the tin, which fits nicely into the middle of the Paint Brush Bucket

 This is great as it holds my watercolour pencils too! All neat and in one place.  I'll be getting another for my colouring pencils, Promarker pens, and water colour crayons.

When I am ready to paint I just lift out the pot of paintbrushes, and pop in a jam jar, or a big yoghurt pot or fill with water!  There are so many other uses: for all my polymer clay tools - they'll be near to hand and tidy on my desk ready to use,  instead of hidden away in a drawer, ditto my jewellery making tools, colouring pencils etc

More ideas...... decorate one very girly with pretty stamped images, add embellishments, flowers etc. and do the same for a boy with another colour.  Add a name tag too to presonalise it.  If you don't have time to personalise one - just buy some for presents.  They are so cool and great for arty crafty friends and children
Am I allowed to say how much they are?
£3.80  I'm not being a 'cheapskate' but they do make really lovely presents - for adults and children alike!  What a bargain!

Yes, with Happy Daze, you sure can brighten up the month, and make birthday and Christmas presents at the same time!

Go on, give it a go, and do send me a link as I would love to see what you create.

And thanks so much for looking - and if I can do something anyone can - so all my three 'makes' are easy peasy.

Kudzu Cafe Canvas Board

I decorated this canvas board using the gorgeous new stamps by Artistic Outpost called Kudzu Cafe. I used patterned tissue paper first - you can buy similar here - then sponged on Distress Inks and stamped with a selection from the set, then added more prominent ones on tissue paper in different shades of ink. I also used the small mesh stamp from Whimsical Melange which is a great 'filler' stamp for adding visual texture.  I stamped the Kudzu Cafe on glossy card and coloured it with Distress Markers. Finally I added some die cut vines climbing around the cafe to represent the prolific Kudzu vine.

I hope this is colourful enough to brighten up your world and encourage you to join in this month's challenge!