A litle robin is sending some love ...

I've decided I really must get into the Christmas card mode, otherwise I will not manage to get everything done.  So another one today.

This is a Penny Black image I have had for a while, and I have used my new papers - Memory Box Mistletoe - which arrived from Quixotic Paperie this morning.  This pack has some lovely traditional Christmassy colours.

The Hedgie image has been coloured with Copics.  I used some puffy stuff for the snow - except there was no puff in it so I have added some Ice Stickles to give it a bit of bling.I have followed a sketch from the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  The panels on to which Hedgie is ounted have been punched out with a Fiskars leafy edge.  Some poinsettas and green gems complete the picture.

In addition to the Penny Black Challenge, I am entering this into the following:

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Animal Magic
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Sparkly and Glittery
Just Us Girls - Green, Red, Black and Neutral
Totally Gorjuss - Wild thing
Alphabet Challenge - U - Unused Stash - mine is the stamp and flowers from last year
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Anything goes


Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

DT Post - Lexi's Creations - Picture Perfect

Good morning to one and all
I hope you have had a great weekend, and have had some crafty playtime.

Monday brings Lexi's Creations and a new challenge.  This time we are asking for a photograph to be included in the project.  It does not have to be a card - it can be whatever you want - scrapbook page, tag, etc.

Our sponsor this week is Letraset

and the prize is some wonderful Promarkers.

So let's get on to my card.

For this card, I used a very pale pink Bazzill Swiss Dot cardstock, and combined it with two papers from a K & Co box of mixed papers.  I have used a Martha Stewart punch on the edges of the borders going down and across my card.  The leaves, dragonfly and swirl and all Magnolia die cutes, and the flower is Prima.  The sentiment, is from a range of brilliant sentiments created by Lexi, all available here. 

Why not pop along and have a look at the great range of images and sentiments design by Lexi, which are available at Fairy Dust Crafts here.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

AllSorts Challenge #70 - at least 3 punches - some of mine at dies - I hope that counts!
Saturday Challenge #101 - Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge - U for unused stash - my unused stash is the box of K & Co paper which is the first time I have used it - I bought it last year!!!
Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central - Anything Goes
Glitterbabes Challenge #12 - anything goes - but it must have some sparkle - mine is on the swirl and dragonfly
Gingersnap Creations GC70 - Punches

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.


 

DT Card - One Stop Card Crafts

Good morning bloggers - Saturday already - doesn't time fly when you are having fun.

The challenge at One Stop Card Crafts this week is sponsored by Robyn's Fetish, which is a Division of I Did it Creations.  They have a wide range of digital stamps, and paper selections.


This week it is my turn to host the challenge at One Stop Card Crafts,.  I have chosen the theme of Autumn and provided a sketch.

I decided that I wanted to stick with the autumn colours as Halloween is a bit too far away for me at the moment.  I have made an 8 x 8 card. 

The base is covered with a dark green cardstock.  My two panels have both been embossed with Tim Holtz texturez and had Distress Inks in Honey, Spiced Marigold and Barn Red wiped over them.  They are backed with a rust cardstock.  My main panel has been coloured with the same colour distress inks, and I have stamped it with a selection of some of current favourite stamps.  I have cut the spiky mount on the Cricut - I really don't use this often enough.  The dark green leaves have been cut from green patterned paper with my trusty Cuttlebug and I have inked over with Pine Needles Distress Ink to tone the colour down.  The flowers are cut from various dies and put together with brads.  To finish off I stamped some bees round the edge of the green background.  However, I really must remember to follow the sketch more closely!  I made the flowers too big to allow any room for a sentiment ..... Doh!

Please do pop across to the challenge to see all the inspirational work there, and why not enter the challenge as well.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs #59 - Autumn Colours
Pollycraft Monday Challenge #61 - Autumn Colours
Daring Cardmakers - There's stomething in the air - things that float or flutter in the sky - mine is Bees
Fairy Fun Friday #35 - Embossing
Ellephantastic Challenge - Handmade flowers

Thanks so much for stopping by.   I really appreciate your comments.

A walk in the autumn woods ....

Hi everybody

Well - it really does seem like autumn with the cold evenings - cannot believe it - I thought we were going to have an Indian Summer.  Haha!

My image is from Stampavie.  I have coloured with Copics, and love the combination of the orangey and pinky/mauvey tones of the paper with the mauve for the coat.  I have used papers from the Eseence of Nature CD from Glenda Waterworth - three different ones for the various elements.  The flower has been made with some of the petals from the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals, rubbed over witth Wild Honey distress ink.  I have used the smaller petals to make a rose in the middle to which I have also added a small gold pearl.  Across the middle is a band of the base card, which is tan, and this has been punched with a martha Stewart edge punch of leaves, but it is not terribly visible.  I have wrapped some mauve grosgrain ribbon around the centre band as well.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #69 - Colours of Autumn
A Spoonful of Sugar #121 - Autumn into Fall
Creative Card Crew Challenge - Autumn or Fall
Delightful Challenges - Ribbons and the colours of autumn leaves
Incy Wincy Designs #59 - Autumn Colours
Mark's Finest Papers #20 - Autumn Colours
Stempel-Magie 19 - Autumn Colours
Theme Thursday - Autumn
Wee Memories - Fall into Autumn

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

Just a little sparkle for Christmas

Penny Black at AllSorts are looking for some new DT members, and I have decided to enter for this with my Christmas card, and they are looking for lovely punch work as well.

Today I have gone for a fairly restrained colour palette of Christmassy colours, with some gorgeous papers from the GCD Studios Joyful Peace range, available here.

For my image I have used Jolly Christmas Kitty.  I have had this Penny Black image for a long time, and it lends itself to a variety of styles.  I have coloured with Copics and added some bling with Stickles Ice in Crystal.  he borders on the papers going across and down are punched with a Fiskars border punch - the only one that easily went through the dark burgundy card.  The snowflakes are die cut with leftovers from the various papers, and again covered in Stickles Ice.

My card is an 8 x 8" or 20 x 20cm, a size I am quite liking at the moment.

I am also entering this for the following challenges:

Bah Humbug  # 35 - Use favourite mediums - mine is beautiful papers and Copics
Aly's Sunday Challenge #24 - Sparkly and glittery
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #19 - Use Christmas colours, but does not have to be a Christmas card - mine is!!

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

Thanks Faye ....

I received this lovely award from the very talented Faye - thank you.

I'd like to pass this on to all the lovely talent people who take the time to look at my blog and leave lovely comments.
Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

Just a note ....

Good morning everybody - gosh this sounds like a record !!  Has the week been fast forwarded to Saturday or is it that I am just not keeping up!

Saturday brings another challenge, and this week it is the Sweet Stampin' Challenge #43.  We want to see a note card this time around.  Why not pop over to Sweet Stampin' to see all the lovely inspirational work from the DT's.

Our sponsor is

and the prize for one lucky person 3 Images of your choice from their shop!

I think I have probably gone to town on this far too much, although it was very simple to make, but probably not everybodys' idea of a note card.  But I do tend to make a lot of things all the same size, and not put any sentiment on them before I want to use it so that I have a choice of ways is can be used.  And, this is the type of card I would use as a note card.

I used some black card which has a self pattern on it - but it cannot be seen in the photo.  I printed some paper from the Essence of Nature CD - three different but co-ordinating papers.  I have layered two of them, and along the edge I have used some Aqua Ice Stickles which goes really well with the colours.  I have stamped some words to one side of the card and added a little butterfly just above.  The flower and leaves have been made with a variety of dies.  The flower has been layered up and held together with a little metal flower and pearl brad.  I then smeared some stickles on the flower to give it a bit of bling.


I am entering this for the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge #12 - Blue and an option of flowers
Paper Romance #15 - Clean and Simple
Southern Girls Challenge #1 - Anything goes
Your Next Stamp #24 - Anything goes
Everybody Art Challenge #107 - Handmade Flowers
The Paper Players Challenge #14 - Clean and Simple


Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

Candy winner

Hi bloggers

Thank you everybody for your lovely comments and good wishes, and  for taking part in my candy, and becoming followers.

The winner is no. 56  - Tessa of  http://tessaskaarten.blogspot.com/.

Tessa will you please email me your full postal address so that I can get your candy in the post. 


Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

Candy for several reasons ...

EDIT:  9/9 - now closed.  Val


Hi bloggers

Thank you for all your wonderful support over the past year - it certainly has been eventful. 

I thought I would have a little candy as my blog has now been running for 1 year as of July 25,  I had a birthday on August 19, and will be celebrating my  38th Wedding Anniversary on September 8.  And, I have found so many wonderful cyber-friends who share this VERY expensive but addictive activity!!  To help you on your way to acquiring further goodies I have put the following items into this candy  ...

- Spellbinders label 13
- L-Em leaf punch
- 3 Lili of the Valley unmounted stamps
- Yellow and Green ribbons - 1 metre of each
- 5 rolls of American Crafts ribbons
- White and cream lace - i metre of each
- Pale blue and gold pearls - 1 pack of each
- Pink pearl pins
- Round and oval slider buckles - 5 of each
- a Selection of flowers, which are mostly Wild Orchid Crafts
- deNami Rubber stamp
- Judikins Rubber stamp

I will keep this post at the top of my page until midnight on September 8 .... now all you have to do is the following:
1. Become a follower
2. Post the candy on your sidebar
3. Add your name to Mr Linky

Mr Random will pick one lucky person to win the candy on September 9.


Thank you one and  all for stopping by.   I really appreciate your comments.

A new blog for challenges - and some fab candy ...

My crafty friend Anne sent me details of this new blog - Feline Playful.  What is really great about it is that not only does it list the challenges available on each day, but also the theme for the challenge - what a useful idea - saves popping in and out of blogs to find out what they are doing each week, amking it so much easier to co-ordinate what you are doing.  And to top it all there is some fabby candy to win.

Why not pop over there and have a look.

Hugs,

Something simple ...

Good day to one and all - my wedding anniversary, and also the last day to enter my candy.

I have made a card that is fairly simple.

My base card is Ivory Gold Dust Shimmer card, which even if it does not show well in the photos, works really well with what I have done.  I printed a sheet of paper in lovely autumnal colours from the Essence of Nature CD - I am so loving this.  I have layered a strip over a piece of card, and edged the join with some Copper Stickles.  I have made a flower with some new flower and leaf dies I got from here.    I finished with a sentiment, which is from Stampin' Up.

I am entering this for the following challenges -

Crafty Cardmakers #29 - Clean and Simple
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #99 - Clean and Simple
Totally Stampalicious - Paper flowers
One Stitch at a time #29 - Blooms, Butterflies or Blings
Gingerloft Designs #1 - Anything goes
Everybody Art Challenge #107 - Handmade Flowers
The Paper Players Challenge #14  - Clean and Simple


Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

Layers, Pearls and Lace mix it for several challenges ...

A second posting for me - almost unheard of .....

At the workshop I went to on Saturday with Sarah Anderson at the Stamp Attic we played about with all sorts of ideas, and this is about leaving white space and letting the image or embellishment do the talking.

This card has been spritzed with two colours of Adirondack Colour Wash Spray but cencentrated to one area of the card only.  We then put together an embellishment to go on top.  Mine has some shrink plastic with paper behind it, which has been coated with embossing power.  I then stamped the heart on some printed paper, and also coated then with embossing powder to give it some body.  I stamped Moon Girl on some scrap paper, coloured her wings with distress ink, and then covered her with embossing power as well.  I have added little bits of lace with some pearls, and also layered some scraps of sheet music behind the whole thing.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show - show us layers
Simon Says Stamp - Pearls and Lace
Fairy Fun Friday #34 -Pearls and Lace
Paper Sundaes # 34 - Mixed Mediums
Fab 'n' Funky #38 - Living in a Material World - mine is lace
Magical Monday Challenge #4 - Lace and I think Moon Girl makes a lovely fairy
Cute Card Thursday  #128  - Material Girl - mine is lace
Pile it on #35 - Layers
Bee Crafty #37 - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - Something Cute
Speedy the Cat's Challenge #19 - 5 of something - I have 5 layers - they are there I promise!
Gingerloft Challenge #1 - Anything goes


Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.


 

DT Card - Lexi's Creations

Good morning everybody

It's Monday.  Uugh!!! You many say,  BUT it's also time for Lexi's Creations, This week our Sponsor is the fabulous Joanna Sheen…

The winner will receive a £10 Voucher to spend in her Online Craft Shop.

This week we want to see flowers on your projects.  My card the week is fairly simple, but I think quite effective.

My card uses a lovely sentiment from Lexi, available here, and given that it is also my wedding anniversary on Wednesday, it really serves as a reminder that my dear OH deserves something from me - but maybe not so girly.  We will see!  I have added some little pinky mauve hearts around the sentiment as well.  The background paper is from the Elusive Images Essence of Nature CD by Glenda Waterworth.  I have cut butterflies from the same paper, hearts from a cuttlebug die, and added a Prima rose which tied in really well with the colour theme.

I am entering this for the following challenge:

Bee-Crafty #37  - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

More inky fun .... and stitching

I had another fun day at the Stamp Attic and this time with Sarah Anderson, who really had us thinking outside the box.  So  more techniques under my belt..  I am not sure how much we were supposed to achieved because a lot of gassing was done as well, but for me the camaraderie is all part of the fun of doing these workshops.

This is one of the cards I produced, and it really fits the bill at Moving Along with the Times, who to see sime stitching.  I haven't added stitching to a card before, but methinks I am going to be in the future, so will have to get my machine out.

My inky background was made with several colours of Adirondack colour sprays, which were then smudged together with a baby wipe and then overstamped with some text.  The image is Time To Fly from Paper Relics, and some papers were paper pieced.

To top the afternoon off Sue Roddis came in, and she had with her the most amazing piece of work.  It on her blog here.

I am also entering this for

Think Ink #28 challenge
PaperPlay #35 - In stitches


My problem with going to the Stamp Attic is that I cannot but help coming home with a bag of crafty stash, and this is on top of what I bought on Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.


 

DT Card - One Stop Card Craft

Good morning one and all

I can just here you all saying - yippee - its the weekend!  It's also time for the next One Stop Card Crafts Challenge.  This week it is a photo inspiration and we are sponsored by Dew Dropz Crafts.

I have printed paper from the Essence of Nature CD  and have  stamped my tree on to this.  The paper reflects the natural beauty of nature, and this is, in essence, what I have tried to capture from the photo provided for the inspiration behind this..

I have made a flower using  the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die.  The paper for this is from the same CD, and I have lightly inked over with distress inks.  Some ribbon has been added and a sentiment.  In all, quite a simple card to make.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Pollycraft #59 - Add a little Nature!
My time to Craft #105 - In the Garden
The Shabby Tea Room #25 - Old Meets New - Old = the stamp I have used - New = the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die for the large flower, and also the CD from which I printed the paper
A Crafty Little Place - #54 - Anything Goes
The Paper Players Challenge #13 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Just the One
Crafty Emma's Challenge #2 - Floral frenzy
Creative Belli Challenge #99 - Old Stamps

I am off to another workshop at the Stamp Attic, so I hope this publishes for when it is scheduled.

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.

 

A wonderful inky day .........

I had a brill distress inky day yesterday with Hels and 4 other lovely ladies - Annette, Brenda, Sue, and Sue, at the Stamp Attic in Wantage.  We focussed around making a tag book with 15 different distress ink techniques, which is now a really useful tool for the future, especially as I have written on the back what each technique is and how it was done.  Although I have read through Lord Tim's CCC,  it was great to work with Hels and work through these samples with her.  I really liked the addition of the grungepaper tag to hold the while thing together.

We were liberally supplied with coffee, chocs and biscuits, and worked in Wendy's lovely studio at the Stamp Attic which is very bright and airy.  If you are within driving distance I would say to anybody - go visit - the shop is a bounty of lovely crafty stash of all sorts - whatever your style you will find something to suit.  And there are lots of lovely classes to attend. 

Below are some pics of my favourite techniques:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Sploshy Spritz

Bleached Stamping - my fave!

Rumple Crumple

Clearly Resisted

Dainty Spritz

Rerinked Shimmer Mist

Controlled Watercolour Stamping

Water colour distress stylee

 

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Stampavie and more Challenge - Anything But a Card

Crazy4 Challenges - Books

Think Ink #28 - Distressed Out

 

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your comments.