Pheonix?

Have spent the last couple of days ignoring Christmas (no tree/food shopping/anything else done) and spent some 'me' time messing about with inks. Have promised that the tree will get put up tomorrow and am going out later to do a bit of shopping. Not a busy time for me as there's only the two of us so we normally don't go to any great effort apart from the full hit Christmas Dinner!
I made this card yesterday.

 I demand that you stand up and give me a round of applause----- look at me using BRUSHOS!!! Had the darn things for such a long time and this is the first time I have managed to achieve anything remotely passable.

Sorting through stamps I came across this set of 'Fantastic Birds' - don't know if that is their real name but it's what I called them! This one reminded me of a Pheonix rising from the ashes and in a light bulb moment thought it might work with the dreaded Brushos.

So stamped onto watercolour card then heat embossed to create the 'resist'.
Used Orange, Yellow and Lemon Brushos, sprinkled, sprayed then shut my eyes!!
When I had the nerve to look at the piece I thought 'Hey - not too bad really'! Blotted with some paper towel and left it to dry.
I am not sure it needed the pearls really but put them on anyway and hope it still measures up to being a CAS card - shades of orange and pale gold to highlight the 'flames'.
The sentiment is by Technique Tuesday.

Challenges
CAS Watercolour - Watercolour Resist
Love to Create - Anything Goes
Creative Carte Blanche - Song Lyrics ( Pheonix Rising by Kristilada here) 

Quite a nice day here - blue sky but chilly! Off to get the carrier bags and hit the shops. Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Seeing Stars

Happy Saturday!
I have had a mammoth card making fest the last 2 days - day off tomorrow as I am travelling tonight to attend another Presentation in the Midlands, although I may get home tomorrow at a reasonable time - weather permitting!
We've had quite a bit of snow the last 2 days (one of the perils of living so high up!) and the window up here on the top floor is completely covered - although DH has been out this morning and says the roads on the lower levels are fine - we just have to negotiate down to the main road and the motorway!!

I bought these hessian stars last year and found them when looking for something else and I remembered a rustic style card I had seen which used a wooden star - hence an idea. I have no idea why I bought these excepting they were reduced! They are actually I think a little big for cards and probably were intended for a garland or something.

White linen card used as my base.
An Indigo Blu script stamps embossed in gold provided the background and I then randomly dabbed a paintbrush rubbed over an embossing pad to make the smudgy bits!
A couple of star stamps also embossed in gold.

The hessian star was simply stuck on using foam pads so it is a little raised from the card.

The two stars were die cuts which got a triple embossing treatment - serves them right - they were just laying there on the desk.....

I used some gold metallic embroidery thread - this thread was out of my Mum's embroidery stash - (I still have lots of colours left!) but there's something about gold and white that just shouts Christmas to me!!
The sentiment is from SU.
Challenges
4 Crafty Chicks - Fabric
Crimbo Crackers - A/goes
CRAFT - Christmas
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - A/Goes
Daring Cardmakers - Insp by Christmas Carol (Bright Star of Bethlehem - here) 
Stamplorations - Stamp and 3 (my 3 stars!)

Thanks for paying me a call today - hope you are warm and dry wherever you are! x😃

Spring has disappeared!

We've gale force winds and heavy rain this morning - what a contrast from Wednesday when it was such a beautiful warm Spring day - my poor daffodils in the tub outside are being battered to death in the wind!

It's a while since I have managed to submit anything for the Less Is More Challenge but during the week I promised myself that today I would enter the challenge - Mr Mojo has stubbornly refused to be co-operative this week so have made very little, although thankfully there are a few in the drafts folder made for the Macmillan day which I've not yet shared and this 'case'd' card was one of them.

We could choose 3 previous challenges so mine are

Week 212- Wings, Week 194- Little Creatures and Week 173 - Add a Die Cut

The stamp is from SU's Simply Sketched coloured with Distress Inks and the dies are from the fancy rectangle set.

I love this little bird - and have used it a lot! 

Sympathy Cards are those kinds of things we hope we never had to send but I always have some in my own stash box.

Other challenges -

Whimsy Stamps - Use a Die Cut

Time Out - CAS

Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark

Hope the weather is being kind to you - have a great weekend. x

I have to confess to being hooked on making these 'Marie' style shoes. This one was made for a blogging friend - she now has received it so it's safe to post it on here!

Papers are by K and Co, the lace, paper flowers, pearly heart button on the tag, ribbon and pearls are all from my stash. I popped a small bundle of ribbon and lace inside the shoe and tied it with an organza bow.

As it's been such a long time since I entered any challenges (at least a week!!LOL) - I'm submitting my shoe into a few challenges that are currently ongoing -
Sisterhood of Crafters - Recipe of ribbon/trim, designer papers and flowers
Fab n Funky Challenges - 'What'eva'!
Bunny Zoes Crafts - Vintage,
Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Gingersnap Creations Random Redhead Challenge - Go 3D
Anything Goes - Say it with Flowers
Tuesday Taggers - Books - (and mine is 'Marie Antionette -The Journey' by Antonia Fraser (which is a biography which makes you re-think what history says about Marie Antionette)
Dezinaworld - Gold and Lace

Wistful Wanderings

Another card from me this morning - using an image from the same set of stamps as the 'Water' card. I stamped these images at a craft meet a couple of weeks ago using the hosts stash and I wish I'd made a note of the manufacturer when I used these cos I would probably now be investing in them!

This is another one of those drawings that somehow make me feel relaxed and peaceful - the girl standing barefoot on the grass, collecting wildflowers and watching the butterflies dancing in the breeze........ooo listen to me waxing lyrical!!

Back to the card - the image was coloured with a mixture of Promarkers and watercolours and the background papers are from Papermania's Capsule Collection 'Sunshine'. I used a Coredinations 'whitewash' paper run through the flowers folder, then sanded for the right hand side panel and matted all the various elements onto DCWV mustard yellow card before adding to the card. The sentiment is by Inkadinkadoo and cut with the nesties.

The Incy Wincy Colour Challenge this week is 'yellow'

The Secret Crafter's Challenge's theme is - What are little girls made of'

Rainbow Lady's challenge is 'Paint It' and as I used some watercolours I hope I qualify!

Challenges galore

After the canvas and the mixed media project I made a card!

This oriental blossom stamp was amongst those that I bought when I decided to see what all the fuss was about when people were raving about stamps! So it's been with me for a few years and have used it a few times on various things and confess to liking it rather a lot!

I found this lovely sketch over at The Sweet Stop blog and was determined to use it to make a card with!

I used aqua blue coloured card for the background then mounted some chinese washi papers onto white linen card before matting again onto gold card. I love the feel of washi papers and I haven't yet found a design or colour scheme that I don't like!

I then stamped Cherry Blossom onto the same aqua card and embossed in gold, and layered onto the same white and gold card.

The 'lace edging' is a Martha Stewart punch (what else???LOL)laid over the gold card and with an offcut of the washi paper on top. Finally some fabric flowers which were all white were coloured with a promarker called 'Cool Aqua' and a metal butterfly from my stash were added to complete the card.

This card fits the following challenges too this week

Sweet Stamping Challenge - Favourite Stamp

Totally Gorjuss - Aqua

Simon Says - Summertime Blue

One Stop Craft Challenge - Oriental

Another Card!

Had a few hours in the crafty space despite the glorious weather!

This card is just one for the stash - I might pop it into the 'Pink Box' or may use it myself as we have one or two men's birthdays looming at the Club!

The photo has a bit of an orangey tint to it - don't know why - the background is actually a dark red - but am sure you get the idea....

The image is a digi freebie called 'Light My Life' - I usually make a note of who offered the freebies so I can say thank you on here when I use one but am afraid I haven't kept where this one came from. I coloured it with Promarkers before layering onto dark red and blue cardstock. The striped paper was a present from Maureen and I again layered it onto blue cardstock before adding the 3 blue eyelets (supposed to look like portholes - LOL) and the plaited rope. The sentiment was printed out on the PC.

The card fits several challenges -

S2G - Create a card for a man using a masculine image

Crafts and Me - Distressed (no not me, the stripey paper! LOL)

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - One for the Boys

I Love Digi - For my Dad (and even though I don;t have a Dad if I did I'm sure I would send him a card like this!)

Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog - Home Sweet Home

One of my first stamps!

This poor stamp has been tucked away for a very long time..... I bought it when I first decided I would start stamping..- bought it, looked at it and until today it's never seen any ink! It's called Floral Collage and is made by 'Stamps Happen'.

I coloured the image with promarkers (even the background 'cos like a fool I'd stamped it onto bright white card.....lol). After tearing the edges I used a mixture of Antique Linen distress ink and Dove Grey stazon around the torn sides and then mounted it onto card that I think Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen had a hand in designing. (Do you remember him - he painted walls and ceilings the most dreadful colours and used MDF everywhere!)

The paler background paper is by Artylicious.

I re stamped the dragonfly and coloured it then highlighted with glossy accents before 3d'ing it. (Please click on the picture to view it full size to give honest opinions about my colouring in and shading!)

Button (which is a sumptuous sludgy green and doesn't show up very well on the pic) and flower from my stash.

Now for the challenges -

Tuesday Taggers - Bugs. This week's challenge here is sponsored by The Craft Barn - go visit!

Passion for Promarkers - 2 images (which I did with my dragonfly layering!)

Corrosive Challenges - Spring

Papertake Weekly - Open theme

Charisma Cards - Spring

The Writing Desk

It's been such a long time since I've made anything using a vintage theme - so this week with some spare time I made this card. I think this much under used Inkadinkadoo stamp was one of the very first I bought - it's quite big so if you want to use the whole stamp the card or project has to be large too - which probably explains why I haven't used it much! But to me, it conjures up the elegance of a bygone era, when ladies sat at the writing desk and scribbled in their diaries about everyday things like love and life!

Image stamped onto cream card and then distressed used Antique Line, Tea Dye and Tattered Rose inks. French script stamp used on other bot of cream card, then both torn and edges distressed using Antique Linen. Those who know me are aware my sewing skills are not the best but practice makes perfect (or so they tell me!) so I attempted to stitch! I matted the main image onto dark red card and stitched it into place, then stitched the K and Co background paper (albeit not very straight!) onto the card before adding the main image and script paper. I'm hoping that the less than perfect stitching adds to the cards overall 'shabby' look? The vintage lace, ribbon, flowers and buttons are all from my stash.

I have submitted this card for a few challenges

Allsorts - Card for Mothers Day or someone like a Mum to you

Pollycraft - Distressing

Totally Papercraft - Mothers Day

Stamp Something - Designer paper, Ribbons and Buttons

Stamptacular Sunday - Back In Time

Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply 42 - Lace and fibres

Secret Crafters - Stitching

My Time to Craft - Something for Mum

Flowers.

This card is for my Mum to send to a relative. I used Kay and Co papers, the Sarah Kay image was a freebie from a crafty friend and I coloured it with promarkers. The greeting is an Inkadinkadoo stamp which I stamped once onto white card then onto pink and cut out the pink and stuck it onto the white base. The lacy edges were done with a Martha Stewart punch.

The card fits in with a couple of challenges -

The Pink Elephant - add Green to your colour combo

Digital Tuesday - Use scallops (hope the greeting is scalloped enough!)

Cute Card Thursday - Use Ribbon

OSCC - Optimistically Pink

Simon Says Stamp - Girly

Puppy Love!

One Stop Crafts has a sketch challenge this week and the theme over at Simon Says Stamp is 'What's Love got to do with it', whilst the theme at One Powerful Hour is not surprisingly, Love, and finally Tuesday Taggers also has a theme of ... yes, you've guessed, Love is All Around!

This is a Lili of the Valley stamp. Think it says everything about friendship and the unconditional love you get from a dog.

I remember a saying - 'happiness is a warm puppy' - and whoever said it got it right!

Image coloured with promarkers and edges inked with Tattered Rose Distress Ink, all papers from K and Co and the greeting is a stamp from Inkadinkadoo.

More Birds!

Have finally finished the pages for the Bird Journal jam over at our New Inspirations Group. These are Sherry's. Sherry's theme was 'lavender and lace' and we were told 'interpret how you wish'! I had some dried lavender so put some in a felt pouch which I attached to the bird on the left with the lace and ribbons. I found this quote of a lavender seller in Victorian London which I liked!

I also found a 'recipe' for lavender ink! It was designed for young Victorian ladies to use when they wrote letters to their 'heart's desires' so when the envelope was opened the 'mysterious scent would waft and linger'! I stamped inks bottles and nibs onto the background paper, added a vintage pic and put some more lavender in a vellum envelope attaching it to the bird's beak.

Wendy wanted 'birds, nests, eggs, butterflies in blues and greens. I used a K and Co tag on the middle of the bird on the left as it had a pretty flower already on it! I stamped some more leaves and placed a little gem in the centre of the flower and a watering can embellishment. The butterfly came from the same fabric I used earlier this week to make the ATC. this is much smaller and was a bit more fiddly but after treating to prevent fraying it turned out ok! The bird on the right is a paper collage made up from images courtesy of Flickr Collage Group and a couple of stamps and a large 'opal eye' gem for the birds eye!.

This is Sheila's. Her theme was 'birds and associated stuff' in browns, gold and creams. The images on both birds are courtesy of Flickr collage group too. I stamped and embossed the cherry blossom tree branches on both sides of the bird. The gold actually shows up far better in real life! I added a gem dragonfly and some gold braid to the one on the left and on the right some tiny flower gems and cream/beige fibres. The bead charm I have to admit was a straight copy of one that I received on an ATC some time ago and I liked the design so made one exactly like it! I think I may have gone a bit overboard with the feathers and I hope the bird doesn't start to 'moult' by the time it arrives at Sheila's!

This was for Maureen who wanted a theme of Birds and Flowers in a vintage style in pastel colours. I stamped the one on the left with various clock faces and flourishes then stamped the wording. I added a vellum butterfly and some fabric flowers and leaves. The right bird was stamped with leaves and I added a paper collage depicting a nightingale, a bird's nest and the music sheet 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkely Square'. The lace was from a pile given to me some time ago and I secured it on the right bird by using a K and Co flower brad.