Bad blogger!

 Have not really had any time this week to post here on the blog and I'm feeling really guilty! I've been so busy with the start of the outdoor season and also trying to get organised for my imminent holiday I was sure I would meet myself coming back on several occasions - I did however manage to find a couple of hours to make a couple of cards -

The first card is one of a pair made for Maureen and Jan who have had a short break in their caravans - thought it was quite apt! The image was a freebie from Bugaboo and coloured with promarkers. The flower was also coloured with promarkers.

The second is a simple birthday card for one of the men at the Club, using some distress ink and a vintage stamp with stamped 'dog tooth check' backgrounds.

The Caged Bird

The Caged Bird title describes how I've felt this week perfectly. I have been longing to put aside the orderly (and OK yes I admit - cutesy - lol) card making stash and make a mess with paints and inks!

This project has been spinning round in my head for 4 days and today I finally finished it. I have, on several occasions, been really frustrated with myself as it never seemed to be about to 'come together'. I'm not sure it ticks all the boxes as far as cohesion is concerned but I confess that it was good to get back to the satisfaction that mixed media chaos brings to me after being more concerned that what I was making had to satisfy other people's tastes and not my own!

This canvas measures 12" x 10". I painted the background with a mixture of acrylics, watercolours and distress inks in shades of green, brown and white. Whilst the paint was still wet I put some plasterers jointing tape over it and brushed over some thinned down paint then quickly removed the tape to leave a small chequerboard appearance. Once dry I stuck on the script background (by Artylicious and printed onto glossy paper), used some alcohol inks first then painted it with gesso and then stamped the edges of the canvas. I used black Stazon for the crackle stamp and white Versamagic for the flourishes.

The large images on the right were cut from a Graphic 45 sheet that I have had for EONS -(I steeled myself before cutting into it- lol) and the one on the top left is an image from an old book with some gold paint, gold mesh and 3 small metal pieces added.

I used some Paperartsy and Elusive Images stamps for the foliage and the large bird was stamped onto a piece of acetate. The butterfly was a present from a fellow crafter and I used some Glossy accents on the wings and some tiny black gems. The caged bird is also acetate attached with clear glue.

Please click on the pic to enlarge.

The theme at 'So Artful' is 'Shy Beauty' - and I believe that the women's faces are beautiful (shy I'm not sure???) 'Lots To Do' has challenged us to use Alcohol Inks, Gingersnap Creations (GCSP3) has their Blue Moon challenge theme of 'Take on a Tutorial' and I chose the tutorial on 'Creating a Background With Acrylics' , the Sunday Stamper's theme is 'Free (as a bird)'. Sunday Stampers is also having a blog candy give away to mark their 100 weeks! Click on the link in my sidebar! and last but not least Mixed Media Monday's theme is 'Look what I've found'....and as I 'found' the courage to use the paper, I've submitted my canvas!

AWOL

Just to prove that I am still breathing I thought I'd better post something on here!

This card was made for a Ruby Wedding Anniversary I went to a couple of weeks ago.

I sponged the base white card with 'Port Wine' ink and highlighted the edges. Good old swiss dots Cuttlebug folder used again (don't know what I did before I bought this folder..lol) and then matted onto heavy embossed dark red cardstock. The sentiment is a digi image altered in Photoshop and then glittered over entirely before matting onto the same dark red.

Added some red gems and a red organza bow and finally a shiny large red heart above the sentiment.

The time has come now for 'crafting mode' to be a little less than it is in the winter but I am still intending to try and be creative over the summer, even if the opportunities are few and far between.

The challenge at 'Follow Your Heart' this week is 'Emboss It'.

A new arrival and a visit with old friends!

Have had a real nice two days despite having to attend a conference in Leamington Spa.

Whilst at Leamington I took the opportunity to meet up with Maureen! (You'd think we'd be fed up meeting exch other by now wouldn't you? lol... During the Summer we might only manage to see each other once... from September to April though we manage quite a few meetings! So last night I drove to Coventry and met with Maureen (and her long suffering OH who by now must be thoroughly sick of the sight of me....) and had some tea. Maureen always brings gifts and last night was no exception... another box of goodies for my Charity Day and some fabby papers for me along with some 'Somerset Studio' magazines. So my reading matter is all sewn up for the next few weeks!

After the conference today I stole some time to go visit another friend Sue (Sassy) who I haven't seen for such a long time.... she's recovering from an op and looks really well all things considered. It was wonderful to see her and she also had made me two fabulous presents.

So I want to say a huge thank you to them both - I am so lucky to have such wonderful generous friends and I appreciate them more than I can ever tell them.

So, after a murderous drive home (please please please someone dig up that M6 and replace it with something less stressful and accident strewn), I collapsed in the chair and have just popped on here for a few minutes.

This card I made a couple of weeks ago and as the challenge on Digital Tuesday this week is a Blue and White colour combo I have submitted it!

Martha Stewart lace punch, Cuttlebug swiss dots folder and a free image from Digital 2 for Tuesday coloured with promarkers used to make the card. I printed the sentiment on the PC.

Spring?

Well it's cold, wet and windy here at the moment and all my poor daffs are now bent double in the stiff breeze.....forecast though says it will improve later today. Yesterday afternoon we had a glorious blue sky with fluffy white clouds - I manage a 5 mile walk late yesterday afteroon without my scarf!!! So warmer weather I hope is on the way finally.

I made this card for a family birthday. Background paper is by K and Co, matted onto DCWV green cardstock. Coredinations Whitewash paper used with the Cuttlebug Script embossing folder and then sanded. The geraniums image and the butterfly are both from Penny Black and all these were also mounted on the green cardstock before adding to the base card. I finished with 3 gems from my stash.

Have submitted this for the following challenges -

Pollycraft's theme is 'Anything Goes'

Little Red Wagon's theme is 'Rolling into Spring'

Pink Elephant's theme is 'Nature'

Angel

Here is a revamped version of a fridge magnet I made some time ago.

I covered a piece of wood with a left over piece of K and Co paper and then used parchment paper to print out the saying. The parchment is stuck onto some thick cardboard.

The beaded Angel is a copy of a similar one that my Mum brought me back from Prague. (Shameless aren't I? lol) This was the second attempt at making one of these angels and I really enjoyed doing it, so have made another at the same time for my stash!

She's just attached with a piece of ribbon and a star brad. This is a replacement for the original one that sadly has faded on the front of my friend's refrigerator door. I hope she likes it!

There is a brand new challenge blog called Crafts and Me which started this week. The challenges are set every two weeks on a Wednesday and their first theme is 'Wings', so I have submitted my little magnet into the pot!