Don't look too closely.....

.......at my stitching!!!!!

Maureen decided to use me as an experiment and sent me one of her gorgeous fabric postcards (the oriental one at the front of the pic here on Maureen's blog) via Royal Mail without any protective envelope/cover - it arrived undamaged and in pristine condition (so a big thank you to our sometimes much maligned postal service)............

Being Maureen though, I was not going to be able to get away with just receiving a post card without an instruction to 'Have a go at one yourself'...................which is all very well if you're good with a sewing machine (which I'm not).

So here is a rather raggedly stitched fabric postcard which I shall give to Maureen (for her sins - and for her making me attempt something I am definitely NOT good at!!!)

Spring Butterfly?

I can now post this pic of the note holder I made for a present. I made two of these, in slightly different colours for crafting friends and I confess to shamelessly copying the idea from Craft Stamper magazine.(But the recipients seem not to have minded - lol)

The large butterfly was from a template I had saved on the PC (no idea where it came from- LOL). I cut it out in mountboard then used Distress inks to colour the background before stamping the butterflies and swirls.

The note holder is just secured with a small bulldog clip.

Doing these kept me busy in the early part of December and I enjoyed making them as they reminded me of Spring somehow.....

So Christmas is now over and 2010 is almost here. I recieved some fab presents from fellow crafters and I shall cherish each and every one - I know some real talented people!! We spent a quiet Christmas at home, the peace only broken by my squealing on opening an envelope from my darling husband which contained an extremely large sum of money gift voucher to be spent at Paperartsy!

Hope your festive season was all you wished for too!

Merry Christmas

Thank you to everyone who has visted my blog this year, commented on my work, encouraged me and given me inspiration.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas (and Santa brings all my crafting friends lots of lovely new stash!)

Best wishes from me for the holiday season and for 2010. Merry Christmas everybody. x

3 down................

After the rose (see post below!) I was spurred to try and create something pretty!

Here is another piece for my (hopefully) soon to be assembled fabric book. I now have three projects completed and need to do a couple more. Maureen (the mentor...lol) has kindly sent me some canvas to use as the pages for the book and am looking forward to finishing this project, not because I am fed up doing it, far from it(!), but because I have really enjoyed doing it and want to finish it!

I have again used as the backing fabric, more of the chinese silk. This time I used a pale blue piece which really is a beautiful colour and it seemed a pity to cover it but needs must.. so cover it I did, although you can see a small bit of it at the top and bottom!

I used some old cream and pale blue lace for the right hand side (the blue of which has not shown up too well in the pic), a piece of striped fabric from my stash which I frayed and some paper from the huge K and Co pad I recently bought.

The image is printed onto cotton fabric and the blue picot edging was, like all the silk, given to me by my mother in law! I put the image onto a piece of frayed muslin and hand stitched the ribbon roses and pearls.

As the theme at Created by Hand is Vintage this week, I have submitted this as my entry.

The last rose of 2009...........or the first of 2010?

In my garden I have an old pig sty - half of it is used as a storage shed for garden tools and the other half as a store for garden chairs etc. I've had no cause to go near the place over the last month because the weather has not been dry enough to do even a small amount of tidying up outside. (And anyway I'd sooner be crafting!! LOL) But over the last week I had noticed something pale coloured outside the building bending in the winds - the weather here on Friday last was freezing cold but dry so I stopped being lazy and went to take a look.............

Can you believe this rose? Does it not know its December? It didn't look this good in the middle of our so called Summer!!! Even with all the hard overnight frosts we've had since I took this pic the thing is still blooming! I was sorely tempted to cut it and pop it in a vase inside the work room but knew it would die instantly with the change in temperature so I have left it where it is and I am now checking on it every day irrespective of the weather.

It makes me smile each time I see it - and reminds me of summer days past and hopefully those to come.

Vintage Tag

I made a few tags this morning to send to some fellow crafters instead of Christmas Cards and didn't think to take pictures of all of them before I put them in the envelopes! This is an extra one I made.

I think the background paper is Graphic45 and the image is printed onto cotton fabric. The vintage lace at the top of the tag was cut from a roll that was given to me recently. I thought it looked like a star! I put a gold star brad in the centre and messed about for ages with a single bead drop which I had taken from the same piece as the beaded embellishment on the bottom. It was the fiddliest thing in the world and sorely tested my patience in trying to secure it to the centre of the lace star - but I managed it in the end - it was only afterwards I thought that I could have re strung the beads and then stitched it onto the tag.............erm......!

I attached some more lace to hang from underneath the star and used some sparkly fibres for the hanging thread.

This is my entry into Theme Thursday's challenge of 'Vintage' this week.

Egyptian Discovery

I have set the challenge on our Flickr Group - Art 'N Soul- this month. The challenge is to make a 'Circle Book'. I have made one of these before (which can be seen here) and have been wanting an excuse to do another! So my poor friends in the group were challenged to make one for our next swap!

I have used the theme of Egypt for my book as I had recently bought quite a few egyptian type stamps (they were a bargain in a sale - honest!!).

I once again have to apologise for my photography skills - not made any easier by the light or the shape of the finished project either! (Enlarging each image helps!) But if you want to see a 'step by step' account and also have the template to make one, they can be acquired on my photostream here.

Inside the book, I used some parchment type paper for the backing of each page, some vellum, a variety of the stamps, embossing some with gold onto a black background and also using some images from a variety of sources.

The front and back covers are thick gold embossed paper and some torn muslin was used for the ties which were distressed with 'Antique Linen' ink. The 'mummy' on the front is made from air dried clay using a Krafty Lady mold, then I used Mod Podge to stick the muslin on the body! The Mod Podge has given the muslin a harder feel and it is quite rough to touch now, which I am happy with - after all, if you've been stuck in the ground for thousands of years you'd expect cloth to be hardened wouldn't you???? LOL

Winter Wonderland

Another beer can! Basics are the same as the Winter Birds further down in this blog - a beer can ungrudgingly donated by the Other Half, the frame is the same Cuttlebug embossing folder. Wanting to create a 'cold' feel this time I used 'Sail Boat Blue' and 'Stream' alcohol inks with a silver mixative.

I mixed two different sets of beading along the bottom to try and represent varying shades of icicles. The snowmen image was printed onto canvas type card for texture. The greeting was in a pack of Christmas buttons and the pearly snowflake is from my stash with some fluffy snowy white fibres wrapped round it. I used the same fibres to make the hangers.

I have submitted this to Gingersnap Creation's, whose December challenge is 'Winter Wonderland' and also a very late entry into Theme Thursday's theme of 'Christmas Holiday Creations'.

More metal

Have no idea where the last week has gone..... I'd like to say I have been absent because I have been getting organised for Christmas but that is one great big fib! I have though made - a Xmas present (which I can't show you here cos it'll spoil the surprise), - another wall hanging from a beer can (which I'll post later) and - this small canvas. So I haven't been idle... just guilty of not finishing my Christmas Cards!

This was another dabble with metal (bought piece this time, not one of OH's cans!) and although I am reasonably pleased with it (and myself- LOL), there are a couple of things that need more practice. I am still struggling with getting the background completely smooth after embossing and stretching the actual design but I'm hoping that this is the case where 'practice makes perfect'!

The stamp and quote is by Elusive Images. I 'antiqued' the flower plaque by using acrylic paint, but opted to leave this (much used by me) quote bare. Both are mounted onto black card. I painted the canvas with a mixture of acrylic paints and cosmic shimmer powders. The 3 small metal 'studs' were in my stash and fortunately for me were a good colour match!

Winter Birds

I just HAD to make something out of the empty beer cans that OH has been obligingly supplying me with - it was a real labour of love for him as you can imagine - (lol!).

Inspired by Jan (and encouraged once again by Maureen re using alcohol inks) I completed this wall hanging this morning.

The beer can was embossed with the cuttlebug die and then coloured with alco inks (-Burnt Orange colour mostly).

The bird image I printed onto cotton fabric paper. I added some feathers and a couple of 'eggs'. The leaf arrangement on the right is made up of a large leaf that Maureen cut out and embossed for me (from yet another beer can OH donated - LOL) as I don't have a leaf die - (something else for the shopping list!) and two smaller fabric leaves and a couple of sparkly flowers from my stash. The beading at the bottom was a gift from Maureen and I thought it co ordinated well with the piece and finally I added an antique look chain to hang it with.

My other half appears to be delighted that I have taken to wanting metal to work with....... can't understand why!!!

I have submitted this piece to Gingersnap Creations whose challenge this week is to use frames.

A first attempt at something different

I stayed with Maureen on Friday as I had to attend the National Presentation then a meeting on Saturday morning. Maureens OH played taxi service for me (what a nice man he is) and once the meeting was over I got back to Maureen's as fast as I could so I could play messy before driving home!

Maureen is my tutor on all things crafty............. and having bought lots of stash at the NEC recently only just had room in the car for my evening wear after loading the craft stuff!

So.... Saturday afternoon, she gave me several tutorials on things I was unsure about including how to apply napkins as a background properly.

I was also itching to start with metal and after not having any success with a large stamped image (I kept creasing the metal whilst trying to emboss the design), I embarked on a smaller metal project using one of Maureens stamps. Metal bit finished I packed up and sadly had to come home! Where does the time go when you start crafting?

This morning I decided to finish the torn napkin background which Maureen had started yesterday.. during the tearing and sticking process I thought about using the finished metal piece on the background.

So here it is - The birdie image stamped onto tissue is the only bit of the project that I am not happy with as I think I used too much Mod Podge to stick it and it hasn't got a completely smooth appearance(didn't have any gel medium so reverted to Mod Podge) - I was scared to press too hard to remove some of the creases as I didn't want the design to disintegrate! I distressed the chipboard 'branch', added a couple of fabric leaves and gave birdie a sparkly eye.

I LOVED doing this... I am hooked I think! I love the cat stamp (another thing that I will now HAVE to buy - lol) and the quote 'You know you love me' just seemed apt for the bird to say whilst being stared at by Kitty looking for his dinner! Kitty has turned out quite well for a first try at metal I think although looks better when enlarged - so please click on it and have a look!

I now have a problem about how to display it..... don't know whether to just mount it onto a plain canvas background or what? Have tried various colours behind it but none seem right so am open to suggestions! Even though it is not perfect I tried very hard!

Have entered this into the Lots To Do challenge which has an open theme this week.

Red,gold and green

Tuesday Taggers challenge was to use the colours Red, Gold and Green in any project. I am finding that entering these challenges ensures I don't shirk from the objective of the Christmas card making extravaganza that I am currently embarking upon!

I made this using gold card mounted onto cream cardstock then I glued the Christmas words paper (something else bought at the NEC) onto dark red card.

The tag came from a Paper Pizazz book and was the perfect match for the background paper. I tried to define the tag a bit by using some gold peel off's (not often they come out!! LOL) and mounting onto the same dark red card. Finally I glued on the green Christmas Tree - (love the swirlies on it!) and finished it with some ric rac braiding and red/gold organza ribbon.

First for today

I am definitely having a Christmas onslaught.... am determined to finish these cards!

Here's another Christmas card using those lovely papermania papers. (I made 4 the same from one sheet of paper). I have been impressed with this book of papers, there isn't really any design in them that I don't like. There's a couple of designs I've yet to use though so maybe will get those done later today. The weather here is dreadful, wet, windy and not as mild as the weather forecasters keep saying it is - so I have a perfect excuse!

I used part of a stamp for the embossed trees - there's actualy about 7 trees on the stamp but felt that it was too long for the size of card I used.

The design is from a sketch posted on yet another challenge site called Create4fun which I found via fellow card maker Anne's blog! Blogland is full of these challenge sites for cards and if you were dedicated enough you could just sit and make cards 24 hours a day to fulfill all the challenges! If you're struggling for inspiration for designs go check out some of the challenge sites and have a look at Anne's fab cards on the way!

Have a stiff drink......

..... before you look at this card!!! I can see you all now saying.. 'there's no way she made this' but I can honestly say this is deffo all my own work!!!!

Who said I don't do cute??????????????? Is this cute??? I don't know!!!

Mo Manning draws these digital stamps and I know a lot of seasoned cardmakers love them so I decided to try a few out for myself! This card will soon be winging it's way 'across the pond' to our lovely little niece in Texas.

The striped backing paper is Paper Artsy, I used the 'dots' stamp from Stampers Anonymous with heat set white Versamark ink on the red card which was then matted onto white card. The punched lime green pearlised border was done by Maureen who was showing off her Martha Stewart punches when she visited..LOL - (waste not want not!). The digi stamp was coloured with watercolours and promarkers and I added some 'frosty glitter' round the hat. Lime green and red flowers with a sparkly red snowflake and brad and the words were stamped onto the same lime green card with red stazon.

I am actually feeling quite smug on the completion of this card....it is such a huge diversion from my usual stuff..... may have to go and make some more! And I have found a site Cupcake Craft Challenges whose theme this week is Digital Stamps and another site called Digital Tuesday... so this has been submitted as my entry!

Christmas Flurry number 2

Not exactly a snowstorm but a few more Christmas card flurries!

Have decided to do my latest offerings in 2 lots as one card I am submitting for a challenge so will post that separately.

Quick descriptions - the top cards were made using Papermania 'Christmas Carol' papers. Played with my new Martha Stewart punch for the maroon one, and mounted the paper onto maroon card, added some broad ribbon and a silver Christmas tree charm secured with an organza bow. The two 'snowflake' cards were matted onto dark green card, the stamp is also Papermania and co ordinates with the backing paper. The snowflake and words were stamped stamped using a mix of Antique White and Holographic embossing powder.

The holly decoupaged card was a quick one made from a kit.. just distressed the edge os the backing card, added some red ribbon and matted onto dark green card - made in about 10 minutes!

And finally St Nick and the Christmas Cake recipe was stamped onto white pearlised card, matted onto a grey background then mounted onto a silver grey/white/blue Christmas script paper (which I bought at the NEC and have no idea who makes it....!) , which had been layered onto grey and white card. Added a sparkly white ribbon to finish.

I have suprised myself that I have been so disciplined to carry on making cards... when all that luscious metal and other bits are sat here waiting for me to play..... but cards it is for the next few days! I am staying with Maureen at the weekend as I am at a Presentation Dinner near where she lives - the metal stash is also coming to stay with me!

A Flurry of Christmas - 1

I have spent some time this week making Christmas Cards.... guilt really, cos when I mentioned to a couple of people I was going to send shop bought I was told in no uncertain terms that ' You'd better not send ME a shop bought one'...............hence the mad flurry of card making that has started (am nowhere near finished... they might end up getting cards In February... it's the thought that counts...LOL)

So here's a small selection of (Blue Peter quote) -some I made earlier (this week!).

The one thing I haven't mastered with blogger is to get the pics all together on one post as they just appear all over the place! So am sorry for the higgledy piggedly placing....

Quick description of the cards ....
The Angel is stamped onto white pearlescent paper and embossed in silver -mounted on silver holographic card as is the quote which is from Elusive Images. The backing paper is a vellum musical score sheet (Silent Night), added some sparkly ribbon on left hand side.

The 'White Christmas' card was simple and quick.. using fab Graphic 45 paper (just love it!) and some glittery ribbon. The paper is so beautiful I didn't want to use it! (But there's none left cos I made a batch of these.....)

The Silver Dove was the free stamp from this month's Craft Stamper magazine.... as the embossing powder was out I used it again! Can't remember where I got the background paper from as this was just a piece I had left.. have also got a scrap of some lilac paper the same design left so need to use that up too!

The Holly card is another Elusive Images stamp, suitably distressed and Liquid pearls used for the berries. The holly sprigs at the top and bottom left of the card are from a clear stamp set (I think from Habico....?) coloured with watercolours and berries done again with liquid pearls. All mounted onto a dark green embossed holly background.

The green background on the reindeer card is from the Papermania Christmas Carol collection, matted and layered onto lighter green and dark brown card. I don't have a circle or scallop punch so these were both cut freehand (which probably accounts for them not being completely symmetrical!LOL)

The reindeer was stamped with brown Stazon and a tiny gem added for the eye and I put some pale green organza ribbon down the side.

Finally, the other Reindeer card was made using the same Papermaia papers, this time matted and layered onto maroon and white card. I used 'Silver Tinsel' embossing powder for the reindeer and edge of the scalloped circle and finished with an organza bow. The reindeer and edge is really quite sparkly and it's a nice effect I think!

Just lately I have wanted to try so many other things and have become frustrated that there hasn't been enough spare time for me to actually sit and learn new techniques, but I have to confess that I have really enjoyed doing these cards... which is just as well cos I've still got loads to make!!!!

Far too early arrival!

I have waited for a couple of weeks to post this picture - I made this for Nancy's birthday and posted it early as I wasn't sure if the postal strikes were going to muck up the delivery! Anyway it arrived in the USA just five days after OH took it to the post office and unfortunately two weeks early for the birthday- but she opened it anyway... despite the warning on the envelope! Honestly, some people!!!

The image was stamped and distressed and I used different shades of white, holographic and gold embossing powders for the rays of light. Although the pic doesn't sho the 'rays of light' tumble down onto the face (done with holographic powder!),

The vintage lace was acquired from my mother in law ( who is still clearing out and finding fab fabrics and lacy bits etc...goody!). I added the charm which says 'Live in the Light' and a fabric flowerbackground with a glass flower centre secured with a brad. The whole piece is mounted onto chipboard to give it some substance for hanging on the wall.

Nancy has said she loves it - thank goodness!

Checking through the challenge blogs, Lots To Do's theme this week is 'embossing'... thought about submitting the red and gold oriental card but decided this also fitted the challange!

Cotton Wool

Have had a real bad cold the last few days. Although the cold not yet disappeared completely at least my head doesn't feel quite as fuzzy and cotton woolly. But I've been left with a hacking cough and I feel like someone is sitting on my chest permanently. Consequently I have not ventured to do anything and I certainly have not been able to play with all my goodies bought at the NEC last Friday.... which, as you can imagine, left me soooooo frustrated!

I have promised myself that when I'm 100% again, I shall lock myself in the craft room for a full 24 hours!!!

In the meantime, as my brain would not allow me to be even remotely imaginative I sat for a while today and made a couple of simple Christmas Cards and also tried out a new embossing folder called 'Stylised Flower'. I think it's really pretty. I used 'Black Magic' paper from Core'dinations and once embossed attacked it with some sandpaper( a very big emery board really, but it worked the same!), which exposed the colour underneath. (Which yet again has been spoilt by my photograph! - The colour is a very pale and delicate pinky lilac). I glued two flat backed pearls onto the 2 main flowers and an addition of a paper flower secured with a pearl brad finished this basic card which I actually quite like for it's simplicity!

Tuesday Taggers challenge this week is 'no patterned papers' so I'm submitting my embossed card.

Asia

The weather here has been dreadful today so I have spent my time making some Christmas cards, - all made using different embossing powders with a Papermania 'Bauble Decoration' stamp! The stamp is a popular one this year and I have to confess I really like it - will post some pics when I feel a bit more 'Christmassy'!

When I became bored (and believe me it wasn't long), I turned my attention to something else - this Asian themed card was made using Elusive Images stamps. The blossom background was done using just the edge of the stamp omitting the branches and I gold embossed both blossom and quote before mounting the quote on a black border and adding a strip of black card behind to give it some definition. The fan is a fabric one which I bought at the NEC last year and although a bit too pricey to use on a card I decided it was worth the expense - the pic doesn't show the embroidery very well as I am trying to take pics in artifical light which is never a good idea - maybe I will retake the pic over the weekend...(if I remember!)

I have submitted this card into two challenges this week - Wednesday Stamper's theme is Asia and Theme Thursday's challenge is 'Borders'.

Another toe dip into the fabric pool!

A couple of weeks ago I was partnered with Jan in a domino book swap. Inside the envelope she sent me (apart from the beautiful domino book!) was an assortment of lace and buttons, a picture printed onto cotton and an instruction to 'make another pretty fabric collage'.

So I have done as I'm told! (Jan can be really fierce if you cross her...LOL)

Here is my second venture into the world of fabric collage. I would like to think I am improving but I know there is still a long way to go before I get even close to my other talented friends!

The fabric back is a piece of Chinese silk given to me by my mother in law. She had a whole array of small pieces in different colours - these are now all at home with me! Inside the pack of material were bills dating back to 1975 from the Kowloon store where they were bought (this proves doesn't it, that if you keep something long enough it eventually comes in useful!!!)

The applique rose corner I cut from a sweater a long time ago and found in the bottom of the lace box - I stitched some tiny beads on it for a bit of sparkle.

All I need to do now is to make several more pieces and get them into a book...............................!!