Simple and Quick

I am still colouring all the images I printed out and stacked away on the desk in an attempt to pre-empt a New Year resolution of 'Finish One Thing Before You Start Another'!! I have so many printed images lying about looking very sad and dust laden so I am determined that before 1st Jan I will have at least made a dent in the pile!

I managed to pull my back yesterday whilst stretching to get a bag of flour out of the cupboard - ended up sitting with a hot water bottle on my back for most of the day and feeling sorry for myself. Consequently, I only got two cards done as I needed to go and lie on the sofa most of the evening. Several anti inflammatory pills later, today I'm gingerly walking round and have no idea how long I'm going to be able to sit here so am trying to make the most of what crafting time I have! Here's a basic simple card that didn't take me very long to make using a freebie digi from the very talented Beccy, which I coloured with promarkers. I dusted the linen textured card with the 'red' brush (the one that I use for all the red/pink distress inks) without adding any more colour to it as I didn't want it to turn out too pink/red! The strawberry paper is from the Basic Grey 'Nook and Pantry' pad and the fabric flowers are from my stash.

Challenges-

Papertake Weekly - Be Thankful

Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes

Cupcake Craft - Thank You

Phindy's Place - Thank you

Blingy!

As our Christmas party was cancelled due to the weather, we're hoping to hold it on 3rd January and celebrate the New Year instead - so it's quite apt that we are able to encompass another celebration on that day - a lady and gentleman at our Club are celebrating their DIAMOND anniversary on 1st January! Amazing!! (And if you saw her on the green you would never believe she's been married for 60 years - a demon player!!). I never believe anyone when they say they've never had 'a cross word' - bet they HAVE had a few cross words in 60 years - I can't believe that they have always agreed with each other over everything! But obviously when ever they have had a disagreement they've done the most important thing and made up!

So yesterday I sat down and made them a card. The beautiful embossed frame was sent to me by Jan some time ago (when she was playing with yet another set of new goodies!! LOL)

I printed the sentiment onto another piece of matching card. I had printed out the number in a lighter shade of grey to give me an outline to work on as I didn't trust myself to stick the gems on freehand - they'd have been bound to end up in a mess.

I added some more sparklies to the frame and some silver mirri card inside the straight edges to give it a bit of depth and then mounted the frame onto the sentiment and glued onto the card.

I hope they like it!

Christmas Wishes

To my blogging friends,

Thank you for all the times you've visited me this year,

Thank you for your comments on my work, your support and your inspiration.

I wish you all a peaceful Christmas,may you be surrounded by those you love most and all my best wishes for a happy,(and crafty!) 2011.

xxx

Birdie and Tag

Decided during the Christmas Card-a-thon to take a break from colouring in and go back to stamping. Made a couple of these for crafty friends but unfortunately, I didn't take enough pics to show them off properly! The basic idea was a piece of card with a 'pocket' and a tag inside. I meant to take a pic of the tag separately so the stamping on the card and the tag could be seen propely but was in too much of a hurry and I forgot!

So you'll have to make do with a description - some pale green paper was layered onto cream and brown cardstock and I put some plasterer's tape over it and then randomly ran a Sepia coloured ink across it. When dry I peeled off the plasterer's tape to leave a tiny squares pattern in places. The tag was made using the same paper and layered onto cream card. I then used a large snowflake stamp (have no idea where I bought it from - lol) and stamped onto the background and onto the tag itself. A piece of cream card was cut smaller than the background card, suitably distressed and I used ink brushes and Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The bird stamp is one of my favoutites and is by Elusive Images, stamped in Sepia and then another couple of stamps (Pine branches and Holly swirls) from Butterfly Kisses. Put a couple of tiny red gems onto the holly swirls for berries and added a larger red gem in the centre of the snowflakes.

I added some brown and cream card onto the back, folded in half to make a stand (and so I could write a greeting!)

Enjoyed doing these - will save the idea for next year too I think!

Challenges-

Stamp Something - Something with a Tag or pocket

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

Gingerloft - Distressing

'Nother Tag!

Now that Jan has received this, I thought I could share it!

(Although if I find out she's opened her pressie as well she'll be in DEEP trouble.....lol)

This is a variation on a tag that I made for Maureen.Used Victorian Velvet Distress Ink on the music script paper and coloured me flower with red acrylic paint and a bit of glossy accents.

Was quite pleased with myself 'cos I managed to stamp AND emboss a greeting onto a small piece of acrylic which started it's life as tag shaped but became more rectangle when I ran over it with the wheels of the chair....... (the other bits are embedded somewhere beneath the desk or ground into the mat). Anyway I rescued the largest piece and with the use of a trusty file smoothed off the edges and made it into a rectangle thingy shape.

The numbers are little wooden ones I bought at the NEC.... when I got home I spent 5 days looking for them - I was moaning to Maureen that I'd lost them and wailing 'what am I going to do now' 'cos I was convinced I'd thrown them away with the carrier bags when trying to hide the evidence(till receipts) from DH......

I found the little blighters nestling away in the corner of my (cavernous) handbag - (which Mum used to call a 'port manteau') when I was searching for a lip salve!!! So although they tried to make a bid for freedom, I prevailed!!!!!! ...... And glittered them for punishment for trying to escape.

Challenges -

Tag Tuesday - Gold

Creative Belli - Christmas

Something Completely Different - Christmas Tag

The Artistic Stamper - Jens Tag Withdrawal Challenge

Theme Thursday - Tags

I tidied the desk of all the Christmas workings and put them neatly away. OH came in, looked round and asked me if we'd been burgled.........................

So after having neatness for a whole hour and a half I then got bored and out came a pile of paper and stamped images.

This image was one I did using Maureens stamps (as if I haven't got enough of my own......) - don't you find that other crafters always have fab stuff that you don't???? LOL Anyway, the poor image has been here since September so thought I'd better use it!

There was a colour challenge over at the Play Date Cafe of Black, White and a 'splash' of Yellow. Don't know whether this could be considered more than a splash but never mind! I think the stamp and sentiment is from a set called 'Elegant Ladies' and I love it. I opted not to colour the dress but just dotted the polka dots with a dark grey promarker and coloured her shoes, ribbon belt and hat band in yellow. I made an attempt at highlighting the egde of the image ( a first for me) and I am quite pleased with it as I think it gives it a little bit of 'depth'.

The spotty paper is by DCWV and the polka dot ribbon was the last yellow and white piece I had left- wasn't enough to tie a bow with either - hence the 'blingy' buckle.

Challenges -

Play Date Cafe - Black, White and a yellow splash

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

I Did It - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T- Black,White and a touch of colour

Tag Book

First challenge of 2011 (and it ain't even here yet! LOL) is posted over at my Flickr Group Art N Soul.

I chose the theme of 'Beautiful Buttons' and the challenge was to make a Tag Book with at least four tags.

Each tag had to have a button on it somewhere and your books could be made from anything you wished.

I chose ordinary card and just dug out a pile of vintage stamps.

You can only see one tag clearly on this pic but both sides of each tag are decorated. (if you want to see the rest of it, just click on the 'Art N Soul' link above). I tried to continue the vintage theme throughout the book and have used Paperartsy stamps, K and Co paper, distress inks and vintage lace and buttons from my stash. Oh and a wee bit of shrink plastic on one of the inside ones! (cos the stamp I wanted to use was too big!)

It's made a welcome change not to be Christmas Card making yesterday and today. We still have a foot of snow and temperatures of minus 9 today - the lane is still blocked with snow and ice so going out was impossible so I have sat here in the crafty space until my bum has become numb!

A first for me! - Grungepaper Rose

Here's a tag I made for Maureen. She's had it since the end of November when I paid her a quick visit but I only let her open it earlier this week!

This was my first attempt at making the flowers from grungepaper and I am real pleased with my little self that I actually managed it!

The idea for the tag came from a Graphicus newsletter - sadly Graphicus has gone into liquidation in the last week but Glenda is hoping to start up again in some way in the New Year. She's far too talented to give up creating and I hope she and her staff can put aside the money worries over Christmas and begin again in the New Year.

Back to the tag. The rosette was made from script paper which I rubbed over some Distress Ink. I secured it with a pearl brad. The chipboard flourish is by Maya Road and I liberally added the glitter (not just to the chipboard either - the work table looked VERY festive by the time I'd finished!). The background paper is by papermania and I silver embossed the edges. The acrylic tag came from Glenda's company Elusive Images and I used a Crafty Individuals snowflake stamp embossing in silver. The grungepaper flower was painted in acrylic paint, stamped with the co-ordinating stamp to the background paper and covered with some glossy accents and a wee bit of sparkle. I just added a few glossy punched out snowflakes and some white organza sparkle ribbon to finish. This is one of a couple I made this year - will post another very soon!

OH and I were supposed to be cooking Christmas Dinner for 58 people at the Club today. Got up at 7am this morning to be greeted by 2 feet of snow and no chance at all of even getting the car off the drive never mind down the lane. We're an hour away from the club on a good day - So Christmas Party cancelled. Snow has finally stopped falling about an hour ago so we've just had to settle ourselves indoors for the duration! Happy Saturday!

Challenges -

Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply Challenge - White Glitter

2 Sisters - Christmas

Just Us Girls - Colour Challenge

The Stamp Man - Anything Goes Tag

Allsorts - Anything Goes

Something Completely Different - Christmas Tag

Theme Thursday - Tag

Following on from Jennie's (The Artistic Stamper) comments I have entered this into her 'Tag Withdrawal' challenge - go visit and see some gorgeous creativity!

Stocking

A real grey day here but I've been busy finishing up the Christmas Cards - I began to tidy the desk and found a few printed images waiting to be coloured, so rather than throw them away I have made them into cards - if I don't send them this year I'll save them for next (nothing like starting early is there??? lol).

This one though is already in the post!

The recipient will need a thick letter box ... didn't think about the thickness of it when I was adding the 'jingly bells'!

A digi freebie from the Paper Garden coloured with promarkers and a few punched out snowflakes with a bit of bling! The stocking cut out with a nestie and brushed with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. Background paper is from K and Co and the little parcels were just made from some red paper.

Challenges -

Tuesday Taggers - The Stockings were hung

Creative Belli - Xmas themed embellishments

Magic in the Air - Traditional Red and Green

Stampin Vacation (Youth) - Christmas Stocking

Crafty Ho's - Red and Green

The night before.....

Couldn't resist this digi! I am feeling relatively pleased with myself as I have nearly finished the 'Cardathon'. Half are in the post and I have written a few more and there's half a dozen drying here on the desk. I wasn't going to make a lot but I wanted to use up some of the stash before I pack the Christmas stuff away for another year, so have made more than I intended to this year.

Have enjoyed the card making this year more than I thought I would once I got motivated - sometimes I feel pressured into sending hand made cards as everyone knows I make them and I get a bit paranoid thinking that they might be thinking - 'oh she didn't make me one'......

Anyway have made as many as I usually do and have sent a mixture of hand made and shop bought!(Or rather I WILL be sending a mixture once I've finished!)

Coloured 'reading mouse' with promarkers and used Basic Grey Jovial papers. Played about a bit with my scalloped nesties too, used a Martha Stewart punch for the border and coloured the card candy with promarkers to match the background paper. The whole thing layered onto red card.

Challenges-

Stamp Something - Digi Day

Allsorts Challenge - Light up the Night (use a candle or similar)

2 Sisters - Twas the Night before Christmas

Digi Doodle Challenge - Animals

Starry

Here's another - (am on a roll here I think!! LOL). This is another digi from Sassy Cheryl. This gorgeous little girl is staring with wonder at the Star. I love the little Ted in her hand - how many of us dragged our favourite toy around like that? And insisted that they came with us to look at absolutely EVERYTHING!!

Anyway I hope I have done her justice with my less than expert colouring in skills.

The background papers are from the Basic Grey Jovial pack, all layered onto dark red card.

I added the fabric star over the one Cheryl had drawn and sprinkled some 'Frosted Lace' Stickles acroos the floor and dotted the sky. The embellies are from my stash and the little bell makes a lovely tinkling sound! Sentiment printed out on the PC.

Challenges -

Crafty Creations - Project including a Bear

Cooking it up with Katie - Red, Layers, Christmas

C.R.A.F.T. - Colour Challenge

Sassy Cheryl - Colour Me Challenge 5

Meljens Designs - Red, Green and Gold

Frosty!

Frost has almost disappeared here this morning and thankfully it's a little bit warmer.

Made a few cards last night - here's the first.

Isn't this digi lovely!!! I adore him. Think he looks so cute! He's from Sassy Cheryl, who draws the fabbiest snowmen (and other things of course!) I think he's rushing home for his Christmas Dinner!

I used the sketch from this weeks Mojo Monday challenge for a bit of inspiration. Quite a basic one but I liked it's simplicity really.

As always, he's coloured with promarkers and a small sprinkling of Stickles on his face and hands. Please click on him for a better view. And what is it about spotty paper? I love it! It goes with everything!

Challenges -

Mojo Monday - Sketch

One Powerful Hour - Snow People

Play Date Cafe - Colour Challenge

Sassy Cheryl - Colour Me Challenge 5

I Believe in Angels.....

I am so disorganised it's untrue!! Today, I received several Christmas Cards. I haven't finished making mine and people are already sending theirs out..... gotta get my skates on so today I am going to make as many as I can and hope that I have enough to send to the people who I usually send hand made ones too....

Finished this last night. The image is a digi coloured with Promarkers and cut out with a nestie. I used my 'shaving' brush and went round the edge with Faded Jeans Distress Ink.

Having steeled myself to use it after it gathering dust for over 12 months ( deffo strokable paper this lot.... LOL) , the backing paper is from the Winter Wonderland pad from K and Co.

I thought the paper made enough of a staement but couldn't resist the wee punched edge as I didn't want to waste the bit I'd cut off!

The chipboard sentiment is from my stash and threaded with two shades of blue organza ribbon.

Challenges -

Crafts and Me - Moody Blues

Creative Belli - Christmas Themed embellishments

Little Red Wagon - Use a Die Cut

That's better!

Hot on the heels of the previous unispiring effort is this one done using some of the same paper and ribbon.

Santa is a Crafty Individuals stamp inked in Vintage Sepia Versafine and cut out. Popped him onto an oval cut out with my nesties and then put them onto a deckled oval sent to me by Maureen. (Deckled ovals are next on the nestie purchase list!).

The scrummy backing paper with all the lovely Xmas words was an indulgence at the NEC this year! (At least I cut into it instead of keeping it for 3 years before use!)

A couple of chipboard greetings and my fave holly ribbon to finish.

Ahhhhhh so much better than the previous effort! (Well I think so anyway........)

Terrible Pic!

I have spent an absolute age trying to photograph this card to show the true colours. I have now given up. I am soooo disappointed with the colours of the tag on the pic - the red is 'in real life' the same colour as the red holly paper (which is from Kaiserkraft). The red holly paper was a tiny scrap I had left - so used it up and I have tried to make this just a basic card as although we are having a low key Christmas I still wanted to send cards.

This though is probably one of the most uninspiring cards I have made to date but nowt I can do about it now!

I have made this card for a male relative hence I couldn't overload it with embellies - as it is, he'll probably pass a comment about the ribbon (that's if I even send it!!) But - I will be forgiven 'cos it's Christmas! -I hope..................

Challenges -

Tuesday Taggers - Deck the Halls

Cards for Men - Christmas

Brrrrr!!!!

Well, it is so unbelievably cold here!! The temperature has not risen above minus 4 all day!

But I donned the boots and gloves and ventured out into the garden in the glorious bright sunshine that we were treated to for about 3 hours today. I was absolutely fascinated by being able to see the 'air' sparkling.... all little tiny white sparkly flecks showing up in the bright blue. This tree is one of my favourites. I planted it when I first moved into this house and it lays between the second and third lawns - it looked amazing today. I was completely blown away by it's beauty and today was a day when I wished I'd have had one of those sooper dooper cameras so I could have caught the image in all it's splendour instead of my tiny little digi!

I was going to upload a card - but decided to share this instead!

Keep warm wherever you are! x

Santa

I've had this stamp for a couple of years and it's never lost it's appeal. I stamped image with Cranberry ink, then distressed the edges and ran the ink pad across to define the edge before mounting it onto dark red card. The background paper I bought in a local crafts shop - a bargain as it was only 15p for an A4 sheet!
The ribbon is from Papermania and I've had it a while. It just seemed to blend in with the paper and image so I was glad to finally use it up.
The snowflake edge was done using a Martha Stewart punch and was sent to me by Maureen as were the punched out snowflakes. I ran the same ink pad over them all before adding the two 'sparklies' to the large flakes and covering with glossy accents.
Challenges -
Totally Papercrafts - Xmas Punches
Corrosive Challenges - Red and White
Xmas Card Challenges - Monochrome

Saturday Challenge - Christmas

Sew Many Challenges(my second entry this weeked!) - Snowflakes

Stampin Vacation - Monochromatic RedsTuesday Taggers - Jolly Old St Nick

First for Today

Had a productive couple of days and here's another one for the stash. This one though was about to go into the bin as I had a bit of a disaster with the nestie! The image is a feeebie digi which I coloured with promarkers. Cutting her out was fine - then I thought 'I'll just emboss the edges'... should have left well alone cos as I ran it through the machine again the paper must have slipped - result? An image which had the wonkiest embossing you've ever seen. Agghhhhhhh- !!!!
Sat for a while looking at it and cursing then put it to one side and started something else.
Halfway through the new project I remembered some fibres I had. Tipped out the box - not a lot left.... could I stretch it? LOL. Just about - I was left with less than an eighth of an inch after covering the edge! So she was saved from the bin and to celebrate I gave the 'furry' bits of her outfit a liberal dose of Stickles in not one but TWO colours!
She's stuck onto a blue foiled background which is layered onto silver mirri card. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the corners and the snowflakes were from my stash.
Challenges -

Wags N Whiskers - SnowflakesBee Crafty - WinterStamptacular - Blue Blue Christmas

Sew Many Challenges - Snowflakes

Snow

Was on a bit of a roll yesterday so you may get fed up with the posts today - will try and limit myself and not go mad uploading.

I have had a K and Co paper pad for a couple of years and so far have steadfastly refused to use it as I love the paper. No idea why we have an aversion to using gorgeous paper (after all we buy it cos it IS gorgeous!), but everyone I speak to confesses to doing the same. I made an early resolution that I would not hoard paper anymore - if I bought it I must use it - so heres the first card from K and Co's Winter Wonderland pad.

The design of the card was inspired by Mojo Monday's sketch - although the interpretation isn't exact as I've only used one piece of background paper I liked the circle idea!
Snowman and friend were coloured using promarkers and the usual Stickles glittery stuff to give him a 'frosty' feel!
The silver embellishments are also very very old! Bought them in a sale about 4 years ago and only have a few left - they're on elastic so I just wrapped them round the glitter circle and secured them at the back.

Challenges -
Crafty Ho's - Snowmen
The Crafty Pad - Snowflakes
Stampavie - Snow
Gingersnap Creations - Snow people
Creative Belli - the letter 'R' (well circles are ROUND aren't they???LOL)
Cute Card Thursday - The Blues
Dutch Dare - Christmas

On the first day of Christmas....

Another card made for my own use this year.

I coloured this freebie digi with promarkers and added a tiny bit of sparkle to the pears.

The holly background paper is from Papermania (thanks Anne! lol) and I am feeling rather pleased with myself as the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' paper from Paper Pizazz started life as a really unappealing beige colour. It has been sat here for almost 3 years and I have not found a christmas project that I could use it on in all that time. So looking for a suitable paper for this card, I scanned it and then colour filled it green with my photo program - so that's a first for me!!

I wanted to give the card a 'shabby' feel, hence the distressed edges and the tattered cotton lace. Please click on the image for a better view - I am sorry for the 'shabby' quality of the photo (never mind the card- LOL) - it has been a real grey day here with the occasional snow flurry and taking pics with my little camera has been a bit of a trial to say the least! This was the best I could do in the bad light.

Some challenges -

Craft your Days Away - Texture ( Hope the lace qualifies)

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - Vintage

Oo La Lah - Christmas Song

Pile It On - Feathers and/or Fur

Stamp Insanity - Try Something New (using my photo program to colour)

Altered

The final challenge of 2010 over at Art N Soul was to alter a matchbox and include 'something' inside as a surprise for your swap partners. Looking at the photostream everyone has shown what's inside their boxes so no surprise there then!!! LOL

Here's my matchbox. I used Crafty Individual angel themed papers and embossed the edges of the box in silver. A dab of Stickles on the stars on the front of the box and some glossy accents to highlight the two angels. I lined the inside of the box with the same themed papers and put some grey organza fabric inside. The silver bell is from my stash.

Inside the box is a tiny Christmas Card made with the same papers and I again embossed the edges, also added a row of clear beads.

Some time ago, I made several necklaces from glass tiles so I popped one inside a silver coloured tin, (which the recipient can alter for another project if they want to). The silver star snowflake was from my stash.

Mixed Media Monday - Boxing Clever

Lots to Do - Embossing

One Powerful Hour - Stars

Winter weather

The snow cut short my day with Maureen today - I didn't want to be driving back in mega sub zero temperatures so I left earlier than usual.... which meant I DIDN'T make too much of a mess in her newly tidied craft room!! The drive home was uneventful thank goodness but the temperature showed minus 5, even at 5.30pm!

Thought I would put this on to share with you even though I have had several attempts at taking this pic and I wasn't happy with any of them! I know it's all to do with the glitter and I've tried everything to reduce the glare but in the end gave up and decided to post it anyway.

I have wanted this Dreamweaver stencil since my very first visit to the NEC - I know it's an old one but I love it. So this year I treated myself to it - and then instead of using embossing paste,(which I didn't buy) just used the double sided sticky stuff and some soap!

This card looks so much better in real life - the colour turned out as well as I could have hoped for.

I used Craft Creations Lilac foil for the backing paper, and then mounted the glittered stencil and greeting on mirri card (again something I don't use a lot of - but needed it to pick out the foil effect of the background paper). The soap technique works well in stopping the stencil from sticking onto your project - and I only had two failed attempts when I first tried it - you just have to remember to make sure the stencil is stuck onto the sticky stuff - I did this by rubbing over it with the discarded backing from the sticky stuff! If it's not stuck down properly then the glitter merges onto the parts you don't want it to!

I finished the card with a suitably glittered and ribboned fabric poinsetta and a couple of card candy buttons coloured with an Amethyst promarker.

Challenges - Creative Cottage, Totally Papercrafts and 2 Sisters all have themes of 'Non Traditional colours', Stampin Vacation's theme is 'Snowy Christmas Wishes' , Allsorts' challenge is Monochrome and Thoughtful Thursday is the letter 'M' (so M for Monochrome!).

Made a few Christmas cards yesterday - weather here is so cold! (Good excuse to hole myself up in the craft room with the heaters on!)

Here's the first one for today -

Messed about with my Nesties - I used dark brown cardstock for the octagonal scallop and I quite like it.

I wasn't sure about using this reindeer laden paper - at first glance I thought it might be too overpowering and maybe I should just use it as a strip to contrast but in for a penny etc etc! The reindeer image was stamped straight onto the co-ordinating Basic Grey paper. I used Timber Brown stazon, but the colour turned out a bit wishy-washy so I went over it with a Cocoa coloured promarker! Used another promarker (Cardinal Red) to give poor old reindeer a small red nose!

I coloured the card candy with a 'Pear Green' promarker and added a piece of brown ribbon.

Think this would be quite a good man's card - even with the ribbon!

Lots of Xmas Challenges today - Cards for Men, Crafty Sentiments, Crafty Creations, Fresh Brewed Designs all have Christmas themes, Little Red Wagon's challenge is to use Basic Grey paper, and Oo La La's challenge is 'Rudolph'.

Had a go!

I have been a busy bee the last couple of days. A couple of things done but can't reveal as in case you hadn't noticed ...... Christmas is coming!!! LOL (As if you couldn't notice - I cringe every time I see the Christmas trees in the shop windows..... for goodness sake- it ain't even DECMBER yet!)

Anyway I'll stop my rambling - here is a commissioned card for a lady at the Club who's daughter is about to celebrate the BIG FIVE O........... shhhhhhh!!!!

As I was getting left behind by the creative abilities of my blogging buddies (Anne and Maureen) who have both tried this technique thought I'd better give it a try (anything so as not to be out done! lol)

I was forced (with my arm up my back) to purchase some odd looking things which looked like red handled men's shaving brushes - I was a bit concerned as I began to think my 'friends' were not telling me something..... have I developed facial hair? I peered in the mirror - no facial hair. (well none to speak of anyway....). Had the leg waxing worn off already?? (A quick roll up of the trouser leg showed this not to be the case).

Imagine my relief when I was treated to a quick demo of the intended use of these brushes - you apply INK with them... (so no need to rush out for a ton of shaving foam then....)

So here's my attempt! This is a slightly larger card than I usually make, I used Tumbled Glass and Spun Sugar Distress Inks and I have to say I am feeling a little smug 'cos I also did the insert the same and I actually LIKE this card!

The bird cage and tree branch stamps are from Elusive Images and I 3d'd the bird cage after colouring with a petrol blue promarker to give some depth to the focal point of the card. Sentiment PC printed and cut out with my Nestie die and some paper flowers (which look really dark on the pic but are actually the same colour as the birdie house) with some sparkly centres to finish.

Hope the recipent likes it!

Challenges -

Spoonful of Sugar - Anything Goes

I Dit It Creations - Wings

One Stitch at a Time - Season or event

Pear Tree Designs - Colourful

Rainbows

Looking at the sentiment on this card I really need to heed it's content. I feel in limbo at the moment as the house move isn't progressing quick enough for my liking. I am trying very hard to be patient and optimistic but am really bothered that our buyer is going to pull out at the last minute - consequently have not been feeling particularly creative due to my pessimistic mood.

This card wasn't made for any purpose really - other than that I liked the image! The stripey glitter paper background is from DCWV and I've had it for eons. The image was a digi download and I coloured it with promarkers... think I was drawn to it 'cos I've been demanding lots of hugs this week - again due to the 'glass half empty' feeling.

The card candy used on the left side were all coloured with promarkers too and the sentiment is by Alyssa Knight Age 12 and is on an Inkadinkadoo stamp set.

Just two challenges for this card - Crazy 4 Challenges - Circles (and i hope my card candy qualifies) and Thoughtful Thursday which has a challenge of the letter 'L'... and I think this little boy's Love for the little girl is plain to see.

Have a good day whatever you're doing. x

Weather has been soooooo bad here today - lots of rain and strong winds - good job I was holed up in the work room all day! Unfortunately though I've been doing some paperwork today but thought I'd pop this card on (one I made earlier - LOL) as it seems such a long time since I was here!

Another lovely image from the fab Mo Manning of Bronson Stargazing! Paper from the Basic Grey Jovial pack - (talk about getting my money's worth!!!)Coloured with promarkers, some Stickles thrown about, Liquid Pearls and glitter! Oh and 3 little sparkly fabric gold stars!

Challenges -

Magic in the Air - Glitter, Ribbon and a Xmas Card

Simon Says - Sparkle

Bee Crafty - Christmas with a Digi

Stamp Something - Use a Digi

Am off to get messy with some embossing powder - have a nice evening whatever you're doing. x

I really do need to tidy up! There's no room at all on the desk and I just keep piling stuff on top of each other........ I played a really good game this morning ------ called 'pick up nine million sheets of paper from the floor' - well maybe nine million sheets is a bit of an exaggeration but I was really quite shocked when I saw the amount of Christmas backing papers I possess and I am now trying to understand why I purchsed 3 more books of papers at the NEC recently! I don't make THAT many Christmas cards!!

But here's one I did make for an order - in a traditional red and green colour scheme, image is coloured with promarkers and suitably glittered as Santa should be!

Challenges -

Totally Gorjuss - Traditional Christmas Colours

Crazy 4 Challenges - Christmas

2 Sisters - Christmas

Am off to find the drawer of stamps which is under the paper.............. I may be some time.............. lol

'nother one!

Second one for today - know it's not long since I posted a card using this image, but the other one was part of an order and this is one I have made for a friend to sell at a charity event.

I know I'm boring you when I say I really really like this image but it's true!!!!!

I decided to give Kai a different colour scheme as I had some poinsettias (a bargain from a 'Maureen and Jan shopping trip'), in a yummy peachy colour complete with little specks of glitter. So Kai was coloured in a aqua shade to tone in with those!

The ribbon was also a present from Petra and it co-ordinated beautifully (well I think so anyway.....LOL). Label nesties, another snowflake embossed frame, some glitter, a few punched out snowflakes tucked behind the flowers, a sentiment printed on the PC and a little bit of love to bring it all together!

Challenges -

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Crazy 4 Challenges - Square Cards

Spoonful of Sugar - Snow/snowflakes

Bee Crafty - All About Christmas

Paper Sundaes - Let it Snow

More cards

The weather here cannot make up it's mind - we have had torrential downpours to bright sunshine accompanied by a gale force wind which blew the lid off the outdoor recycling bin! Typically, I tried to take photos this morning whilst raining instead of waiting for the grey skies to disappear!

First card today is one done with a LOTV stamp bought at the NEC - I wanted all of them but was very good and bought only 3!!!

This is another card made for a great grand-daughter of a lady at the Club.

She's coloured with promarkers and I added some Liquid Pearls and glitter glue for the snow around her feet and Frosted Lace stickles for the fur around her hat. Out came the swiss dots cuttlebug folder and then the panel was coloured using Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. The same colour was also used around the main image.The flowers were also coloured with promarkers and Cotton Candy and Fruit Punch stickles for some more glitter! The background paper is from my stash and I have no idea who makes it!

Challenges -

LOTV - Anything Goes

Delightful Challenges - Glitter It Up

Crafts and Me - Glitter

Creative Inspiration - Pink Christmas

Creative Cottage - For someone special at Christmas

Sir Stampalot - Christmas

Snowflakes!

I have been asked to make a few personalised cards for children - their ages range from 3 years to 4 months. This is the second one of the order.

Here's the one for the baby! I loved this image from Mo Manning called Kai in the Snow as soon as I saw it - I think the expression on the baby's face is simply wonderful! (I have always loved snow so maybe that's what attracted me to the image)

I coloured Kai with promarkers and added some stickles for the snow.

The embosssed frame is from Craftwork Cards and I used some Pearlescent Blue ink round the edges of the scallops before mounting it onto some blue card. I dusted over some of the snowflakes with blue glitter, the two single snowflakes were done using a Martha Stewart punch and the greeting was printed on the PC.

There's lots of challanges relating to Winter this week -

Sunday Stampers - Winter

Bee Crafty - Christmas (and a Digi image)

Paper Sundaes - Let It Snow

One Stitch at a Time - Winter Wonderland

Stamping Vacation - Paper with Snowflakes

Raise the Bar - Curves or Scallops

Reindeer

Just a quickie post from me this morning - off to look at what we hope will be our new place. (Shhhhh........... keeping everything crossed still....)

But I thought I'd better pop something on here as I have been away for a while again.

This is part of an order for 6 children's cards. Molly is only a toddler so hope the reindeer is OK!

He's made from felt and I think he's got a cute expression on his face!

I resisted using any backing papers and just watercoloured the sky behind him, adding some stickles for a wee bit of sparkle to both the sky and to the snow covered ground.

Had a lovely day yesterday with Maureen at the NEC, met Anne and spent a bit on some (small) bits and pieces - I am hoping to have a wee dabble later today with the goodies!

That's all for now - OH has just said we'll go out for lunch first so am off to get my coat!! Have a nice day whatever you're doing. x

A present for......

..... maybe me!!

Have been a bad blogger just lately - we've accepted an offer on the house and have been doing all the stuff that goes along with buying and selling - solicitors, estate agents, surveyors etc etc so crafting time has been at a premium to say the least. There are so many things that can go wrong and I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that all goes smoothly - the new place seemed to just put it's arms around me when we went to view and I'm desperate for us to begin the next chapter of our lives in this new home. Am dying to share the photos with you but am afraid to tempt fate - so once the signatures are on the dotted line look out for some pics - in the meantime please keep hoping for us.

But I was determined to do SOMETHING!! Knowing I should really be making Christmas Cards I decided to do a canvas instead - I REALLY will have to make some effort on the Christmas front.......

Perhaps I shall hang this in the new house? Don't know!

Anyway, canvas measures 15" x 10". Used cuttlebug folder on the metal base and stamped the images with Stazon onto the metal. The stamps are by 'My Paper World' and were a bargain! The usual polyfilla in the back after I'd 'puffed' them out a bit for some depth and then matted and layered onto textured board suitably painted with acrylic paint in shades of Burnt Umber, Chocolate and Vanilla. The stamps were a bit fiddly to do embossing (puffing out) wise, as they're so finely detailed but it looks OK in real life.....

Had a play with a couple of 'herringbone' metal tools for the copper band and the top of the canvas was done using a Martha Stewart punch and the tiny flowers are the offcuts from the punch.

Not many challenges that this effort fits -Sweet Stampin - Anything but a card - was the only one really..... unless someone can tell me anymore!

Thanks!

As well as my main Flickr group Art N Soul, I also occasionally set a challenge on another one called 'Hugz from the Heart'. The idea of this group was for us to just occasionally celebrate occasions without the pressures of a regular swap. So far this year we've celebrated Valentines and Spring and then we had a break during the summer months.

As the autumn is fast upon us here in the UK (and boy was it cold this morning!), I thought it might be a good idea to celebrate a holiday with our friends 'across the pond'. I'm told by one of our group (who's a brit now living in the US) that we should adopt thanksgiving here - she loves it and says it's a chance for families to get together without the massive cost and pressure of Christmas - so it gets my vote! Here's my card.

The orangey spotty background paper is from K and Co. The tree image is by Crafty Individuals. I stamped it in Timber Brown Stazon and then tried my hand at colouring with Distress Inks (Victorian Velvet, Rusty Hinge, Mustard Seed, Tea Dye). I am still very much a novice at this technique but I hope it's passable!

I ran some Antique Linen Distress Ink round the image before mounting it onto dark brown card.

The orange mulberry paper was from my stash and I used a small Elusive Images leaf stamp to give the panel some interest. The sentiment was printed on the PC and cut out using my nesties. I finally added the little wooden button with a few fibres.

There's lots of challenges around this week that this card fits -

Simon Says - Give Thanks, The Stampman - Autumn Colours, Let's Ink It Up - Halloween colours, Crazy 4 Challenges - Fall/Autumn, Stamping for the Weekend - Fall, Totally Papercrafts - Autumn, The Pink Elephant - Brown and Orange, Mami Doodles - Thanksgiving

Even though this has been a difficult year for me personally I still have much to 'give thanks' for - I am blessed to have wonderful friends, both here in the UK and in cyberspace and I have the best husband anyone could wish for - and I 'give thanks' for them all. x

This is another image which has been on the desk for ages and ages...... am trying very hard to sort my way through the mess but each time I find an image I then untidy the desk again, scattering papers and card everywhere in an effort to use the pictures up!

This card was not made for anyone in particular, just to keep in my stash for a man's birthday.

The image was coloured with a mixture of promarkers and watercolours, and the stripey paper was a present from Maureen after I moaned I didn't have enough papers suitable for men cards........(never enough papers is there???? lol), the dark brown card is from DCWV and has a really nice subtle texture to it.

There's a few challenges which this card fits -

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

Cards for Men - Birthday

Craftalicious - Anything Goes

Crafty Emma's - Male Birthday

Haven't I seen this somewhere before???....

is probably what you're asking yourself when you look at this pic.

Well the answer is Yes you have seen this before... in the shape of wall hanging earlier on in the blog.....

This poor beer mat has been hung over the light plug and I've kept looking at it thinking it needed something else......... so I took a few bits off it and started again. I was happy with the basic design but just decided to alter it into something that was useful!

I re-did the metal leaf using the Elusive Images stamp and the copper metal, but puffed it out a bit more from the back and filled it with polyfilla to give it more depth. I punched a few holes in it to take some eyelets, had another dust over with the copper embossing powder, added a little sparkly above the word 'precious', gave it a back cover, tied the two mats together with lots of fibres and put some post it notes inside.

Have searched the challenges for something that says - 'altered, then not happy so altered again' but can't find one! LOL

Instead, besieged and battered these beer mats will be on the way to Sherry who is my partner in the swap!

Even though the basic design is the same and a similar pic has been previously posted I'm hoping that it will be accepted into the following challenges as it's been made into a different project.

Crazy 4 Challenges - Autumn

No time to stamp - Metal and stones

Stampin for the Weekend- Fall/Halloween

The Stamp Man - Autumn

First a card .......

Since coming home I have struggled to find any inspiration at all!

I sat yesterday and realised I had only half finished a project that was due for a swap today so I was forced to do something! (More of that in next post).

After finishing the swap project I was tidying my desk and found two paper pieced images which I'd done using one of Maureen's 'Elegant Ladies' stamps. (If you pop over to Maureen's blog she has a card made from the same stamp!)

Feeling exceptionally guilty that they had been lying on the desk for almost 2 months, I thought I should make an effort and make at least one into a card!

So here it is - must admit I struggle to use green as I think it can be quite a brash colour but overall am happy with the way this card turned out.

3 different types of spotty paper from my stash, one of my fave Marta Stewart punches used for the top border, the sentiment printed out on the PC and the ribbon was a present from a fellow crafter, Petra.

Have submitted this into a couple of challenges -

Tuesday Throwdown - 3 elements and Papertake Weekly - 3 of a kind

I need a woolly jumper.....

Did you think you'd got rid of me? I've been missing for a while I know - but hard luck - I'm Back!!!! So here's the excuse for my absence -

for the last two weeks this has been what I have woken up to every morning..... at the gorgeous Asimina Suites in Cyprus.

I did NOT want to come home....... and I am COLD!!!!!

Ah well... back to normal (well almost - once I have finished the mountain of washing and ironing which we all manage to accumulate when we're on holiday!)

This holiday though rates as the best ever - it was a complete relax and total chill out. Good job I recharged the batteries - we agreed the sale on our house two days before we went and now need to find somewhere to live pronto!! (Have already measured up the beach here for a tent..... couldn't think of a better place to be go to when you're homeless!!!! LOL)

So I shall be trying to catch up with everyone over the next week or so and am looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

Basic and Quick!

So today whilst Maureen has been visiting we had a wee dabble in copying an idea from this weeks Craft Stamper mag. The article was called 'Sunset Silhouette' and the cards appealed to me, not only because they were quick to do, but also because they required minimum effort but more importantly they used minimum stash!

Using sticky notes to mask gives clear and crips outlines and this was a first for me. I have never used these for masking before but shall definitely be using them again!

I used Wild Honey, Dried Marigold and Mustard Seed distress inks and an Elusive Images stamp and am very happy with the result. I think I will make a batch of these using different coloured distress ink backgrounds and just stamp on an appropriate sentiment as needed. My card is the one minus the sentiment - Maureen's card was done using the same colours and an Oriental flower stamp I've had for years. In my opinion it makes a perfect Sympathy card as even though the colours are bright I think the overall effect is understated.

So - a succesful afternoon!

Crafty Cardmakers - Clean and Simple

Creative Card Crew - Autumn or Fall

Allsorts - Colours of Autumn

Pollycraft - Autumn Colours