Christmas Card Club - "Sentiment as Focus"

Good morning all.

It was my turn to set the theme over at the Christmas Card Club this week and I've asked the ladies for "Sentiment as Focus".

It was my intention to make several cards this week but with a busy month of birthdays time ran away with me. This uses dies from Crafters Companion and Spellbinders and the sentiment in from Stamping All Day.

Please excuse the awful photograph but I had to take it at night!

If you'd like to see what the other girls have created you'll find their links on my sidebar.

Christmas Card Club - "Non Traditional Colours"

Good morning all. I can't believe how quick the nights have come in this year and will be glad when the clocks change at the end of the month!

Finally got my computer up and running again so touch wood it stays that way! I've also started a new blog for photography....I've recently started a year long online course to learn how to use the controls on my camera (amongst other things), so this will chart my progress and I'll also be posting my holiday photographs too. My first post goes live this morning if you'd care to take a look.

I'm playing catch up at the Christmas Card Club again...sorry ladies and promise I'll get round you all in the next day or so to leave my comments,

Two weeks ago Val (aka Mrs A) asked us to "Make it Round", here is my card.

Don't know why navy always looks black in a photo! Using a new die from Crafters Companion, a nesties die from Spellbinders and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted. Not sure about these new dies from CC, they're a bit fiddly to use and line up although they do make nice cards.

This week it was my turn to set the theme and I asked for "Non Traditional Colours".

Kraft and white is one of my favourite non traditional colour combos. Using dies from Wplus9 and Spellbinders and a Typografia Christmas stamp from STAMPlorations...a quick and easy card ready for posting! Think I need a new pot of  white EP...mine is looking a bit yellow!

If you'd like to see what the other girls have made you'll find their links on my sidebar.

Christmas Card Club - "Magical and Mystical"

Good morning all.
Huge apologies for not being around, I'll catch up with you all soon hopefully.

Wedding is all over...it went really well and we had a lovely day. Hubby and I are off this week to drive the North Coast 500,looking forward to some time away from home after all the wedding prep and building works of the last few months.

I'm late, I'm late.....

This should have been posted yesterday (and two weeks ago) but my computer packed in straight after the wedding and isn't fixed yet. What a struggle to use DD's laptop which doesn't take a memory card to upload photos from my camera!

I've got two cards to share today... Rachel set us the theme of  "Magical and Mystical" for our latest challenge. I struggled a little with this as my mojo has gone astray and I was short on time to get inky...this is what I came up with.

Combining old with new....backing card from Kanban and new dies from Crafter's Companion and a sentiment from Penny Black.

Two weeks ago Christine set us the theme of "The True Meaning of Christmas", I'm playing catch up so here is my card.

Same card from Kanban used with a stencil from STAMPlorations and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted.

If you'd like to see what the other girl's have made you'll find their links on my sidebar.

Christmas Card Club - "Snowy Mountains and Skies"

Good morning all.

Hoping to spend some time in the craft room today...I have some Distress Oxides to test drive!! Never thought you'd hear me say this but yesterday I ended up in a garden centre with a craft department and after a wander around I discovered I didn't want or need anything...I had to have a lie down in a darkened room when I got home lol!

Kate has set us the challenge of "Snowy Mountains and Skies" over at the Christmas Card Club.
Note to self...re-read the remit before heading to the craft room. I only remembered the skies bit...sorry Kate :(

A rummage through my embossing folders yielded this Crafter's Companion folder...I was going to do a WOW but decided to add in some silver. The embossed piece was simply matted and layered using Spellbinders nestie squares. The snowflake die is also from Spellbinders and the sentiment is from STAMPlorations.

I did like the design so I repeated it in cream and gold! I'd like to say no machines were hurt during the construction of this card but my Grand Calibur decided to bite the dust...luckily SP are going to send me a replacement part FOC and I eventually managed to source some of the A4 plates for my Platinum so I'm fully functioning once more.

If you'd like to see what the other girl's have made you'll find their links on my sidebar.

Happy Birthday

Good morning all...hark at me, blogging just for the sake of it!!

The new house is finally coming on a treat and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Lots of cleaning to do though to make each room habitable. The first of my carpets will be fitted this week and I'll be able to start dressing the rooms...finally!

It's been a busy month with birthdays so far and hubby has his birthday today. Most of my stash is at the new house now but I still have a workstation set up here so I've been busy beavering away of an evening. This is the card I made for my sister earlier this month.

Using a Paintbox Poppets decoupage sheet from Crafters Companion...I die cut the main sheet to fit my square card base. Dies are all from Spellbinders, backing paper, bow and sentiment from my stash. A very simple card which went together seamlessly.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

Good morning all.

Lora got her exam results on Tuesday...we were very pleased with how she did. She passed everything including her maths so only English to resit next year. Just waiting now to see if she gets a place on the biology course at college...we have to hope someone else failed their Nat 5 or changes their mind!

A quick decoupaged card to share today, made for a card swap.

Decoupaged image is a Paintbox Poppet from Crafter's Companion. Die is from Wplus9 and I used a Spellbinders die to cut the inside out of the frame.

Challenges entered:

Creative Moments - anything goes/summer sun

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

Paper Shelter - anything goes

Sisterhood of Crafters - summer heat

Crafty Boots - beach/summer vacation

Oh La La Creations - nautical

Country View Challenges - summertime

Die Cut Divas - favourite holiday (one by the seaside)

Dies R Us - summertime fun

Sparkles Forum - sun, sea and sand

Eclectic Ellapu "By the Sea"

Good morning all.

A new month and a year older...wonder what this year has in store for me!

With the new month comes a new challenge at Eclectic Ellapu. Yvonne has picked the theme of "By the Sea" for the Pink Team this time.

I started with a canvas board which hadn't turned out as planned and covered it with a napkin before painting with white gesso. The texture paste stencilling  was still evident so I positioned the canvas with this in the bottom right corner to give the sand some texture. Once dry I used antique linen crackled paint and two shades of blue chalk frescoes from Paper Artsy to paint my background. My image is a Paintbox Poppet decoupage from Crafter's Companion which I've framed with my die from Wplus9; the sentiment, cloud and sunshine die are also from the same set. The seagull and compass stamps are from Kanban and I've stamped onto tissue paper. I've used some dark blue ink to stamp around the edges with a stamp from The Mixed Media set from STAMPlorations.

This  was one of those pieces which had no plan and just evolved as I went along...I love how it turned out....and my canvas didn't go to waste :)

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the other girls, you won't be disappointed. The Purple Team have a recipe for this month - 3 dies, 2 stencils and 1 sentiment.

Challenges entered:

Stamps and Stencils - happy holidays

Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Die Cuttin Divas - the great outdoors

Crafty Cardmakers - anything but a card

Simon says Stamp - not ordinary paper (used a napkin)

Altered Eclectics - anything MM goes

Rhedd's Creative Challenge - anything MM goes

Sparkles Monthly - sun, sea and sand

The Mirror Crack'd - canvas

Anything but a Card - anything goes

Happy Birthday to you

Good morning all.

Well yesterday was a bit of a washout and today isn't looking much better! I'm off to the hairdresser's later, then getting my nails done. Hope it fairs up so I can walk there and back....I need the exercise!

Sharing another birthday card today.

The lovely Becca is hosting a Birthday Bash Link-up to which everyone is invited, here is the mood board to get your creative juices going. She has some fabulous prizes on offer!

I was inspired by the bird and the colours to create my card.

This is a real snippet buster....all the card was in the bit box! Die is my favourite from Wplus9, the sun also comes from the same set. Embossing folder is from Crafter's Companion which I sprayed with distress spray...this was a piece made for another project which didn't work. The Tim Holz Crazy Bird from Stampendous and Clearly Besotted sentiment are stamped onto some of the leftover bits from my very first gelli plate play.

Challenges entered:

Becca's Birthday Bash - mood board

Bloggers - the letter B (bird, blue, birthday)

Fussy and Fancy - things with wings

Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes

Creative Artiste - anything mixed media with texture and spray mists

plus colour palette

Seize the Birthday - anything goes

Southern Girls - get messy with ink and paint
Dream Valley - embossing wet/dry
Not Just Card - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - anything goes

$25,000 Reward

Good morning all.

Things are slowly returning to normal here and I hope I've caught up with most of you by now. A slow internet connection and the Ipad are not conducive to frequent blogging - hence my absence for two weeks.

Spent yesterday down home as it was my nephew's birthday, along with his Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary and as I was running late with the birthday card I had to hand deliver!

I finally made it into the craft room on Tuesday but the mojo is still hiding in the suitcase or perhaps under the pile of ironing I've managed to create! This is the card I made for my nephew....luckily the wedding anniversary card was made some time ago.

I made a similar card for my BIL last year and Jack asked me to make him one this year so I knew where this one was going. The backing paper was the waste paint piece from a gelli plate play (the results of which you may or may not see in the future!) which I ran through a Crafter's Companion brick wall embossing folder which I'd inked with black soot DI....I love how it turned out! The reward stamp was a magazine freebie...I managed to print the photo the right size and overstamp perfectly first time before heat embossing with black EP and cutting with a nestie die....love it when things go right first time!

The happy birthday die and stamp are from Whimsy Stamps and I finished with a smattering of sequins....I've had a few comments in the past from people who love sequins but feel they never manage to place them right....please know I belong in the same group! So if I can do it so can you!!

Challenges entered:

Crafty Gals Corner - to die for

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Bingo (embossing, sentiment, punches/dies)

Card Mania - anything goes

Craft Your Passion - anything goes

Dream Valley - embossing wet/dry

Fashionable Stamping - all about men

Penny Black and More - anything goes with a sentiment

We Love to Create - anything mixedmedia/creative/inky goes

A Gem of a Challenge - birthdays

Eclectic Ellapu "Anything Goes"

Good morning all.

Another quiet weekend apart from hubby hammering and banging whilst making a garden shed! Saturday was glorious so I ended up sitting in the garden with my new Craft Stamper magazine which postie had delivered. After an evening stroll with hubby and the dog I managed some craft time. Yesterday was spent catching up on a few things followed by another crafty evening.

Another month passed...can't believe how fast this year is going! Today sees the start of a new challenge at Electic Ellapu and the challenge for the Pink Team is "Anything Goes".

I've done some journalling for my inspiration project.

Stencils are all from Memory Box. Stamps from Crafter's Companion, Unity Stamps, STAMPlorations, Kanban and Personal Impressions. The gorgeous die cuts were a RAK all the way from sunny Mauritius and were the inspiration for these pages.

Do pop over to the blog to see the inspiration from the other girls, you won't be disappointed and if Steam Punk is your thing then you can join in with the Purple Team.

Challenges entered:

The Artistic Stamper - summer is on it's way

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes

Mixed Media Monthly - a year of challenges

I've used January's new to you prompt...the majority of the stamps and stencils used are new or being used for the first time.

Lulupu - summer splash

Secrets of the Garden

Good evening all....running a tad late today!

Sunshine and showers has been the name of the game today and waiting for the refridgerator engineer who turned up at 6.30pm!

This has been lying waiting for words on my desk for weeks now but I finally got it finished this afternoon.

My May page in my Art Journal. Lots of stamping and stencilling...main focal stencils from Imagination Crafts and Prima. Sentiment stamps from Bo Bunny, Paper Artsy and Mucky Paws. Background stamps from Artistic Stampers and Crafter's Companion.

Challenges entered:

Mixed Media Mojo - tic tac toe (May, stencil, stamp)

Artistic Stamper - journal your heart out

Stamps and Stencils - three of a kind (flowers)

Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes/spring fever

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Tiger Take Two!

Good morning all.

As promised here is hubby's birthday card from yesterday. He used to have a thing about tigers and even made himself a Readicut rug with a tiger's head on it before I met him.

Unintentionally it is very similar to the oldie I showed yesterday! I recently bought a tiger stencil with the aim to use it for his card but after two failed attempts I gave up and resorted to a CD image...luckily I chose a different image from the one on yesterday's card! Image is from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD and I've printed onto ice blue decoupage paper then matted and layered onto orange and black card. I do love the images on this CD.

Background has been embossed with the distress folder from Crafter's Companion then inked with DI. The inks used match the original colour scheme and as this part of the card was already made I couldn't add any more ink to it...and at this point I really couldn't be bothered to start again!!

Happy birthday sentiment is from Lawn Fawn, gemstone from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Simply Papercraft - anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes

Seize the Birthday - anything goes

Time Out - grunge with twist embossing

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything goes

Cardz 4 Guyz - world wildlife

City Crafter Challenge - inky-ness

Creative Card Crew - embossing wet or dry

Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Oh La La Creations - pre-coloured image

We Love to Create - anything creative/mixed media goes

Eclectic Ellapu May Challenge "Tussie Mussie"

Good morning all.

Since it's the first of the month it's time for a new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu, the challenge for the Pink Team was chosen by the lovely Vickie and she wanted us to make a Tussie Mussie! I hadn't a clue what a Tussie Mussie was so had to google for instructions! We had lots of lovely entries last month so I hope we see you again this month.

I started with an empty wool cone which I found amongst a box of things I was given recently. The paper used to cover it came from Crafter's Companion many moons ago. Lace, ribbons, tassel and peel offs from my stash. I've used a doily inside.

This looked so easy...how wrong that assumption was!! I was tearing my hair out and it didn't help that I don't know where I keep my glue gun refills!!

Do pop over to the challenge blog and see how the rest of the pinks made their Tussie Mussies, you won't be disappointed. Alternatively the green team's challenge this month is a "Photo Inspiration".

Challenges entered:

Sweet Stamps - anything but a card

All Crafts - anything but a card

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Decorate to Celebrate - anything goes

Crafting for all Seasons #101 "Sketch"

Good morning all.

It's time once again for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is a "Sketch". We're looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Milk Coffee who gave the DT images to work with.

I've used an image of my own this time, a topper from Kraftyhands which I've die cut with a Spellbinders die. Background mat has been put through the distressed EF from Crafter's Companion which had been inked.  Ringlets die from memory Box. Sentiment from Wild Rose Studio, dies from Spellbinders. Cheesecloth, and ribbon from my stash.

Here is the sketch:

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the other girls, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Craft your Passion - anything goes

Crafting from the Heart - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - die cuts

Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes

Tatiana

Good morning all.

A quiet day yesterday, I had a football match to watch in the afternoon...really need it to be the end of season as the matches keep interrupting my crafting time lol!  A quick visit to the dentist this morning, a few household chores then the day is my own.

The intrepid traveller decided to head into Yorkshire...after visiting Kielder Reservoir he set off over the Pennines into the Yorkshire Dales where he has been visiting caves, waterfalls, gorges and reservoirs. He was camped up last night with a view of the Leighton Reservoir. He's staying clear of all the motorways and main roads and just "googling" as he goes! I believe he's heading for the North York Moors today.

I read a tip at the weekend regarding dies which were hard to cut...put a layer of bubble wrap in your sandwich...now I want my die back to give it a try!!

Some more embossing with aluminium tape to share today.

Using one of the Celtic Dream Dies from Imagination Crafts and Lavinia Stamps called Tatiana. I've cut the die several times and layered it up to give plenty of dimension and stuck it to a backing card embossed with a hessian EF from Crafter's Companion. Plumbers tape was then stuck all over the die and backing sheet making sure to press it well into all the grooves.

Once everything was covered I started inking up with fresco paints from Paper Artsy - I used 

Autumn Fire, Blood Orange and Pumpkin Soup . Paints were sponged on and then polished when dry to let some of the tape shine through. I kept adding layers of paint until I was happy with the results. 

I then added some diamond sparkle medium over the die relief to add lots of sparkle. After painting and distressing an MDF collage frame with black and silver the finished piece was mounted and a few gems were added the frame.

Challenges entered:

Mixed Media World - anything goes

Art Journal Journey - things with wings

The Mirror Crack'd - wings

Country View Challenges - anything goes

Lavinia Stamps - add some gems 

All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes

Spring

Good morning all.

It would seem spring has arrived and it looks set to stay mild for a few more days yet..I'll not be "casting a cloot" anytime soon though!

A journal page to share today. 

 

Another double page spread in my journal completed...finally caught up with myself! 

Pages have been gessoed before using embossing paste through the Honeysuckle and Woodland Flower stencils from Imagination Crafts. I added some tissue tape and re-applied more gesso. Colour was applied using cracked pistachio and abandoned coral DI...loving these two colours! Stencils were then replaced and I painted with twinkling H2O's.

I used several of the smaller stamps from the decoupage stamps sets I have to stamp in the background with DI and archival inks. Bullrush stamp is from Lavinia Stamps. April Showers stamp is from Crafter's Companion, Live Create sentiment is from TH both are stamped direct to paper with archival ink. Bird house was a magazine freebie stamped onto tissue and coloured with promarkers. Spring word art was printed from google onto tissue.

White circles are stamped with white acrylic using a lid, then I used my fingers to apply white acrylic to soften the whole page.

Challenges entered:

Virginia's View - all thing embossed

Artistic Stamper - spring is coming

Inspiration Journal - spring blooms

ATP Exchange - spring

Crafty Boots - anything but a card

Country View Challenges - anything goes

Live Your Dreams

Good morning all.

Another gloriously sunny day here yesterday. We took a trip to Edinburgh to see if Lora's new glasses were in...after two weeks there was no sign of  them and no one knew why so we're waiting for a phone call today to find out what is happening. Meanwhile we have to hope the sellotape holds! The place was heaving...all the eateries were full and no one has any money! Did have a swift tour around Hobbycraft...it would have been rude not to and got a couple of magazines which had nice freebies and a few other bits and bobs but can't say anything really grabbed me.

Sharing the commissioned card I finished on Saturday.

Various sentiment stamps from Visible Image were stamped and heat embossed with white detail ink then using one of the new 8x8 embossing folders from Crafter's Companion I embossed the card. Card was inked with distressed inks which I then softened with gesso. Dots were stencilled with texture paste. More sentiment stamps were stamped onto tissue and adhered with matte gel. Various small background stamps were stamped in the DI and black archival ink. Frame and number dies are from Spellbinders, happy birthday stamp and banner die are from Clearly Besotted. 

Pages 2, 3 and 4 are made using the same embossing folder and inks but I've inked the folders before embossing. Stamps are from Stampers Anonymous, Lavinia Stamps, Bo Bunny and Unity Stamps...some have been stamped and heat embossed before the embossing was done, others are stamped on tissue and adhered as above, the rest are stamped in black archival or the same DI used on the card.

Very over the top but my cousin wanted something special for her daughter.

Challenges entered:

Open Minded Crafting - no pink, no red

Our Creative Corner - tic tac toe (EP, stencils and mediums)

Craft for the Craic - birthday or anniversary

Crafty Catz - birthdays

Crafter's Cafe - birthday

Simon says Stamp - bright and beautiful

Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Visible Image - Show and Tell February