Vintage Travel

Good morning everybody

At least I hope it is, but this is a scheduled post, so you never know, what it is likely to be.  The rain scuppered all my plans for Sunday, and the road outside was like a river.

At Make My Monday this week, everybody is on their travels - Vintage style.  So cars, bikes, balloons, steam trains, sailing ships - the choice is yours - just make sure it has a vintage flavour.

I have used a combination of stamps for my card.  I used distress ink on the background, and overstamped just to give a bit of interest in some lines, and then script.  The car image is Crafty Individuals, and the lady sitting at the side is a favourite B Line stamp called Stylish Traveller.   All the main stamping is done with Stampin Up Expresso.

Please pop across to Make My Monday.  As usual, the team have come up with some brilliant pieces of work for your inspiration.


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you.

 Hugs,

Father's Day

Good morning

What a wet one it is!   Ten days time and it is mid-summer day!!

Firstly I want to say welcome to my new followers.  Thank you for 'joining up'- I so appreciate it.


We are continuing our challenges at  Make My Monday  with June and Associated Events, and of course Father's Day is in the middle of June.  If you do not want to make a Father's Day card then a Masculine card would be fine.

I guess my card may be considered multi-gender, but certainly if my dear father was still with us (he passed away last September on his 92nd birthday), then this is what I would have given him.  One of Dad's abiding interests was plants, particularly his garden, but also the countryside.  And he was certainly a 'seedsman', collecting seeds around the garden and anywhere else he could get them, and germinating them in his greenhouse for the following year.  Hence my choice of stamp.

The background has been brushed with distress inks in various shades of green and I have overstamped in leaves from a Stampin Up set,  I have also stamped extra leaves and cut them out for the embellishment.  The main image is a Stampendous stamp.  I love their botanical images.  The flowers are Prima.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

CCEE Stampers - Create a card with a Vintage Feel
Cards for Men - Father's Day
Delicious Doodles - For the fellas
Desmet Challenge - Men/Boys
Dream Valley Challenge - For that Special Guy
Pan Pastels Uk Challege - Boys/Fathers
Secret Crafter - Happy Father's Day
Simply Create too - Father's Day/Male
The Pink Elephant - Masculine
The Stamp Man - Make it for a Man
Simply Create Too - Make it for a man
The Cheerful Stamp Pad - In the Garden



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

It's a pearly birthday

Good morning everybody

What a damp miserable day.  I really do hope that the last two weeks were not summer!

At  Make My Monday  we are starting a new set of themes for the month, and they are all June related.  So as pearls are the birth stone for the month we want to see Birthday Cards with Pearls.  You can check out the themes for the month here.  Our fab leader is the hostess for June, and as it is also her birthday on June 10, this is a very appropriate theme for this week.  Happy Birthday Jacqueline!

Please pop across to the challenge, there are some lovely inspirational samples.

I have gone for a fairly simple card.  I  have taken some Kraft card and used a Hero Arts stamp with Adirondak ink in Expresso.  I wanted the background to be slightly patchy so left inked fairly lightly in some areas of the stamp.  The gingham strip across the bottom is a B Line stamp, and to this I have added some lace.  The flowers are butterfly are both from a Hero Arts/Sizzix set, an again have been stamped in the Expresso ink.  The sentiment is Stampin Up.

I should say that my inspiration for this came from something I saw on Kath Stewart's blog - she does some amazing work which I have constantly admired.

I am entering this in to the following challenges:

The Ribbon Girl - Use Ribbon Or Lace
The Secret Crafter  - Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar - Flowers in Bloom
Sweet Stampin - Let's see your favourite stamp - this is one! of mine
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe - Anything Goes
Crafty Ann- Butterflies and flowers
Dilly Bean - Stripes
Aud Senitments - Any sentiment


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Floral in Pink, Green and White

Sadly it is the last week of our Floral theme for the month of May at  Make My Monday.
There are some fabulous cards on the challenge blog so please do pop across to be inspired.

I have used a digi image for this card and coloured with Promarkers in various shades of pink.  The background paper has been put through an embossing folder, and the green border at the bottom is cut with a Martha Stewart border punch.  I have added lace and pearls to soften the card a bit as I felt it was looking a little too vibrant.  I am not sure where the sentiment is from - I see words that I think might suit and just collect them on a document stored on my computer for future use.

These are the colours and images the team have been guided by:

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Corrosive Challenge - Not too Shabby
Great Impressions - Anything Goes
Senitmental Sundays - Pocket full of posies
Colour Me Creative - Pinks and Greens
Cute Card Thursday - Pink and Green

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Wild grasses and flowers

Good morning

Our Floral theme continues at  Make My Monday,  and this week we want to see Wild Grasses and Flowers.

I had several goes at this with various inks and did not like the effect, so this is my final version, with a background using PanPastels.  I do love working with this - the colours are so soft and pretty.  I tried to get the idea of the sun setting, but did not want the work to be too dark.

The grasses are all stamped in Versafine Ink, and are a mixture of stamps - Tim Holtz, Hero Arts, Lavinia Stamps, and the birds and butterfly from Tim Holtz Visual Artistry series, which I find useful when wanting the small stamps in his range, but smaller.  I have edged around the whole thing with black Promarker rather than use a black card.

The card base has been coloured with Pan Pastels as well, and then grasses have been stamped in Distress Inks around the edge.

Please do pop across to the challenge there are some beautiful pieces of work from the team to delight and inspire you.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Pan Pastels - pastel colours
Craft a Scene - Spring flowers - thistles and cow parsley are spring flowers!
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Stamptacular Sunday - In the Garden
Hybrid Chick - Flowers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Flowers
Card Makin' Mamas - May Flowers



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

A very belated DT post for Make My Monday - Sports or Hobbies

Hi everybody

I cannot believe that chaning computers is so difficult.  I became the very proud owner of an iMac and last week it went in to have all the content of my old computer transferred.  The email was not done, and everything is scrambled, so tomorrow hopefully they are sorting it once and for all.  So I had been carrying on using my old PC, and then lost my internet connection - just what I wanted to happen.  So I am finally back up.

At  Make My Monday  we are continuing our theme of Men and Boys chosen by Caz.  This week the subject is Sport or Hobbies  I decided to  base my card around music - in particular jazz and the 20's.  My youngest son is a talented double bass player, among other things he does, and plays with a number of groups around when he lives.


Please do pop across to the challenge - there are some fabulous pieces of work for inspiration.

The background and other papers are from Graphic 45 Curtain Call, as are the stamps.  I used a variety of distress inks to age them.  The piano keys stamp is from Clarity.

I am entering this for the following challenges: 

Use It Tuesdays - Anything Goes - all my stuff is from hoarded stash bought last year and not touched
Deep Ocean Challenge - Inspired by a Song - St Louis Blues


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Vintage for MMM

Good morning

At   Make My Monday  we are continuing our theme of Men and Boys, which has been chosen by Caz.  This week we want to see Vintage creations for your entries, so lots of scope for this.  Please do pop across to the challenge, there are some amazing pieces of work for inspiration.

My entry is quite a simple one.  I have taken a piece of dusky pink card and overstamped with script down the middle.  I embossed some clocks on to brown card and then sanded it to get the images showing through and tore it in half.  My main image is a Dark Room Door image of a pub stamped on to card coloured with distress inks, and the words came from another Dark Room Door stamp plate.  I peated some toning ribbon across the bottom.

We are very fortunate to be sponsored by the fabulous Marianne Designs, who have provided an amazing bundle of goodies as a prize.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Springing into Spring

Hi everybody

I am slightly behind with my blogging today,  I have a mammoth task on sorting out my craft room for some new furniture.  I'm sure that everybody knows what that means - trying to convince yourself you didn't know you had so much!  Hee hee ...

We are continuing our Spring celebration at  Make My Monday,  and this week Jacqueline really challenged the team - we want to see a Spring Fold Card.  If you are not sure how to nmake one, there is a tutorial by Jacqueline here which is very easy to follow.  Please pop along to the challenge and have some fun with this slightly different shape of card.

I have used a very pretty Pansy image from Fred She Said for this.  The base paper is from a FabScraps pad, and I have added a pansy border along the bottom edge.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Cupcake Craftroom - Spring Bouquet
Sparkles Forum - Mothers Day or Spring

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Spring continues at Make My Monday

I love these bright mornings, it makes things so much nicer than getting up to dull grey skies.  I have two unhappy furbabies today, as they have been for a wash and brush up at the groomer and have decided they they don't like each other any more and have been fighting all over the house!

At  Make My Monday  we are continuing with our Spring theme, and we want to see cards for Mother's Day or Thank You cards.  There are some fabulous DT projects for inspiration on the challenge blog so please do pop across and join in with us.

My card is a Thank you card, as sadly I lost my mother in 1994, and then a year later my mother in law.  I decided to go CAS having messed up two cards along the way, one of which I was really annoyed about because I dropped an inked stamp on to my beautiful disress background all pretty with roses, and there it was - black ink right on the edge so I could not salvage it for what I had planned.  However, it has gone in my scraps box for future use.

I have used a music stamp across the centre of the card, and then overstamped with some leaves from a Wendy Vecchi set.  The sentiment is SU. All the ink is Adirondack Slate.  I like the pinky grey colour of it.  I then die cut a flowers and put it together with a pearl brad.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

All Sorts - Say It With Flowers

Less is More - Use script - mine is music script so hope it counts

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Has spring arrived?

Well I don't think so, even though there are lots of pretty snowdrops popping up everywhere.

However, at Make My Monday, Spring has arrived.  This is our theme for the month of March, and this week we would like to see Spring Flowers on your project.

This is my card, and you will see that I have taken a slightly different tack on this - but to me spring in Paris is the time when it is overflowing with flowers everywhere - bulbs, cherry trees along the streets- just so pretty.

My base card is Tim Holtz Distress Card, and I have topped it with s sheet of Prima paper which I have added a few extra swirls to.  My image is Hero Arts.  The background is distress inks, with stamping in archival black.  The flowers are coloured in pencils.  Pearls and flowers are from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Paper Creations Ink - Spring is in the Air,
St Lukes Charity Challenge - Spring into Spring
Gingerloft - Spring
The Paper Players - Spring has Sprung
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Spring has Sprung
PanPastel Challenge - Use a stamped image
Hiding in my Craft Room - Bring on some Spring

I also have to say a very big THANK YOU to two challenges this week, as I have just learnt that I was chosen as the winner at Paper Creations Ink, and was one of the runners up at St Luke's Charity Card Challenge.



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Diamonds and Flourishes

Good morning

I hope you have all had a good weekend.  I spent friday with some crafty friends,the fabulously talented  Anne and Lady Limmette herself, Chrissie,  at Make It, Farnborough, and of course there was quite a bit of money spent on new stash, and on Sunday it was more crafting time and lots of natter with Anne.   Thank you Anne - I had a lovely time.

It is the last week of our Romance theme at  Make My Monday,  and this week we want to see Diamonds and Flourishes on your projects.  You will see that I have decided to treat the idea of 'diamonds' slightly differently to those of my of my Deezine team mates, and I have not used anything sparkly  Please pop across to the challenge blog to see all the team members fabulous creations.

This card was produced during my crafting day with Anne, and I am really pleased with it.  My base card is from the Tim Holtz distress pad.  The first layer is covered with distress inks and then the flourish stamped over the top in the same colours.  The second layer is a Crafters Template in Diamonds.  Again the same method, covered the card in distress inks and then used the template over the top.  The image is from Art Journey whose stamps I adore.  The edges have been stamped with the same flourish as on the background.  All the background colouring has been done with Inkylicious brushes for a softer feel.  The edges on all the layers have been closed in with Dusty Concord.  The flower and leaf have been die-cute, and put together with a moonstone brad.

Don't for get that this is your last chance to be in the running for our  fabulous prize generously donated by Marianne Designs - take a look

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Do You Stack Up - Distress
Happy Daze - A Technique you love
Lawnscaping - Distress Mania
Moving Along with the Times - Layers
Paper Creattions Ink - Show us your style
Stamp and Create - Valentines/Love
Stamps & Fun = Creativity - Non-Cute
The Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge - Another Dimension
That Craft Place - Anything Goes

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you.

Hugs,

Victorian Romance at Make My Monday

Hello everybody

I am a little late posting today for our challenge at  Make My Monday.   This week we are continuing our theme of Romance, and this time we want to see elements of Victorian Romance. 

This is my Victorian Romance card.  There is no sentiment because it is probably going to the daughter of a friend who is getting married soon, and I need to decide what would be suitable.

I inked my base card all round the edges before added the brown card and the lovely pink Pion paper which has been distress to within an inch of its life.  The photograph is mounted on a doilly which I have inked and also attached some lace to at one side.  I cut two swirls, and added flowers and a pretty pin as well. 

Since making this I have decided this needs some sassing up, so probably by the end of the week you will find a new version of this card at the bottom of the blog.

Don't forget that Make My Monday is being sponsored by Marianne Design and we have this fabulous prize for the winner at the end of the month.

I am entering this into the following challenges

Ruby's Rainbow - Vintage
Bunny Zoes - Celebrations
Crafty Bloggers Network - Shabby Chic
Creative Mondays - Anything Goes
Deep Ocean Challenge - Pink and Brown
Stamps R Us - Anything Goes
St Lukes Charity Challenge - Love and Lace
The Crazy Challenge - Use a die or punch
Victorine Originals - Lace


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you.

Hugs,

Make My Monday - We're all about Hearts and Flowers and die cuts

Hi everybody

I hope you have all had a good weekend. 

This month at  Make My Monday  the theme is Romance, and this week we want to see Hearts and Flowers, with the option of die cuts as well.  There are some fabulous pieces of work from the design team, so please pop across to the challenge blog to have a peek.

This is my take on this weeks' challenge:

I decided to let the fabulous paper do the talking here.  It is Graphic 45 La Romantique, and it has taken me several months to dare to use it.  It is layered on to a darm creamy/tan paper which I have distressed around the edges, and then I added Distress Crackle Paint in Rock Candy around the edges of the two pieces.  I am not sure where I got the sentiment from - I have had it for a while - I really felt it suited the theme.  It is pounted on to a piecve of the same card and I wetted this and then rubbed distress ink around the edges.  The hearts are Marianne dies, and flowers are from stash.

Don't forget that this month we are sponsored by Marianne Designs and there is a fabulous prize to be won

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps - Valentines/Love

Bloggers Challenge - In Bloom

Crafty Bloggers Network - Love is in th Air

Creative Belli - Hearts/Valentine

Creative Inspirations Paint - Hearts

Dream Valley Challenge - Valentine

Gingersnap Creations - Words of Wisdom

Just Inspirational Challenge - Photo for inspiration - I have picked the roses out

Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes

Our Craft Lounge - Vintage Love

Rainbow Lady - Have a Heart

The Squireel and the Fox - Valentines Day

Truly Scrumptious - Love and Hearts

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Love letters from the heart

Hi everybody

I hope you have all kept warm, cozy and safe over this weekend.  We don't have snow any longer, just wet mucky slush.  I just hope it does not freeze.

It is the start of a new theme for us at  Make My Monday,  and what else could it be for February, but Romance.  And this week we want to see Love Letters; verse or text on your project.

Please pop across to the challenge blog - there is some fabulous inspiration.

This is my take on the theme.

The base card is Co-ordinations )not sure what shade of pink it is.  I have distressed the edges and inked them with DI walnut stain.  The spot paper is from a Graphics 45 pad, and again this has been distressed and edged with walnut stain,.  I then sprayed them with Tattered Angels Gold Irridescent spray.  I then took a piece of card which was coloured with DI in spun sugar pumice stone, with worn lipstick around the edge.  Again it was distressed and edged with walbut stain.  I also dripped water over the card to mottle it slightly.  My main image is B Line designs which stamped in coffee archival ink and  coloured with pencils. This was masked and overstamped with text - a Studio 490 stamp from a set - in pumice stone and worn lipstick.  The pattern around the edge is from a Stempelglede set as is the Carte Postale stamp in the top corner.  The sentiment is from a Studio 490 set.  The swirls are cut with Marianne Designs dies and coloured with DI over the pink card.  For the heart, I stamped the Paper Artsy heart on to pink card in worn lipstick and then cut it out with a matching die.  A matching heart from a piece of Clearly for Art was cut and had some stamping added in coffee.  The two pieces were then glued together and heated so it could be bent slightly.  I do wish I had not put the coffee stamping on it though.  Flowers, lace and brads from stash.

Oh dear - I do seem to have gone on a bit about all the stages in this card.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps - Valentine / love
The Stamp Man - Embellish It
The Artistic Stamper - Hearts
The Sunday Stamper - Hearts
Come and Get it Challenge - Love
Let's Ink It Up - Lace and Ribbons - I have ribbon threaded through the lace.
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Show love
Sweet Stampin' - The One I love

We have a fabulous sponsor this month - Marianne Design - with a prixe that I am sure anybody would want to win. 

All you have to do for a chance to win this gorgeous set of craftiness is to enter some of our challenges this month and as the theme is such a great one, that shouldn't be too difficult!




I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Nature at Make My Monday

Hi everybody

At  Make My Monday  we are still following the theme of Nature, and this week we want to see Flowers and leaves.  There are some fabulous pieces of work from the DT so please pop across to the challenge blog and join in.

My card this week is quite a simple one.  I had planned  to give this a slightly oriental feel, but hey ho - could not find my Japanese papers, tassels or coins!  So I have stuck with red and black.  The image is a favourite one from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque).  I love the beauty of these poppies and the fact that they have seed heads as well as it gives more dimension to the image.  I have coloured with Copics with several shades of red and added some orange in as well to get the richness in the colour.  The centres have a little stickles added.  Ribbons are from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Daisy Doodles - Anything Goes
Let's Ink It Up  - Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Floral
Hook on Crafts - Something Bright
Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes

I must apologise for the fact that this is late - I have been having real problems with my broadband connection - I am now hoping it is solved after having spent several hours this morning working through all the cabling etc and found a loose connection.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Create a scene at Make My Monday

Good morning everybody - I hope the weekend has been a good one.

Now - I do not mean scream and shout when I say Create a Scene.  This is the third week of our Nature theme at  Make My Monday,  and we want to see a scene created.  There are some fabulous examples on the challenge blog, so please do pop along and have a browse.  I must admit I did struggle at first, but it's amazing what can be found in the stash when you are desperate for the right stamps.  However, as a result of this I also have another carrier bag full of stamps that I am going to sell.

I built my background with Pan Pastels - did I say I love these (!), and then used a variety of stamps from Elusive Images - now Chocolate Baroque.  I am now sure where the seat came from - it is very old and the writing is off the stamp.  All the images are stamped with archival ink.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Craft a Scene - Anything Goes
Let's Ink It Up - Anything Goes
Pan Pastel Challenge - Anything Goes
Bloggers Challenge - Wings and Things
Alphabet Challenge Blog - Y - You can choose

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Ode to a Kitten

Hi everybody

It's time for Make My Monday again.  We are continuing with Fliss's Nature theme, and this time we want to see Animals on your cards.  Well my stock of animals is pretty non-existent, so I guess I am going to have to do something about that!!  So out came my lovely kitten stamp again.  Please do pop along to the challenge blog - there are some fab inspirational pieces of work.

The background papers are from a couple of pads, and the base is Bazzill.  I have stamped the kitten and then used Pan Pastel in turquoise around it.  I have done the same with the little poem as well.  A while ago I bought a couple of metal shim plates from Dies to Die For, and put them in the bug at the same time as cutting out - sigh - no more messing about with embossing mats as it is all done in one go. The flowers are a mixture of various Prima sets, and the ribbon, just seen on the tag, is from stash.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations Paint - something old - my stamp is very old
Dream Valley Challenge - Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time - use Embellishments
Sparkles Forum - Anything but a Christmas Card
Crafty Emma - Anything Goes

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you.

 Hugs,

Clockwork Birds for Make my Monday

Hi everybody

I wish all my followers and lovely commenters a Happy, Healthy and Safe 2012, and hope that 2012 is what you want it to be.

This is the first challenge of the year at  Make My Monday,  and we are starting with a new theme.  January is Nature, and the first challenge is to make something with Birds on it.

This is my take on the Birds - slightly quirky.  These are not new stamps, but they have not been inked before, so as far as I am concerned they are new!!

I made the background for the stamping with Pan Pastels.  I am in love - they are so easy peasy to blend and so smooth and soft.  .  These are fairly new in my craft stash, but I had them sometime before Christmas.  I had to cancel a class at L B Crafts with Lin, and decided to use the money to purchase some of the Pan Pastels.  Now these were on my Christmas list but I think everybody thought I had enough craft stash so everything crafty was totally ignored.

The stamps are Paper Artsy.  I have stamped the cogs and clock in Distress Inks, and the birds and measure in Archival Black.  Along the bottom is a strip of tissue tape.  I have added a small clock and key.  I thought the birds looked slightly feminine, hence the soft colours, and the background paper which is from K &Co Ancestry.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Fashionable Stamping - Anything goes with new stash
Creative Inspirations Paint - Inspired by something new
Robyn's Fetish - Anything Goes
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Hiding in my Craftroom - Freestyle
Simon Says Stamp - Something New

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

It's time for a Seasonal Tag at Make My Monday

Hi everybody, I do hope your Christmas preparations are further forward than mine.  But we did manage to get the tree up over the weekend, and re-organise the kitchen - so a job well done.  However, I have run out of cards so shop bought ones are coming back out of the cupboard.  Today is the final challenge of the year for Make My Monday, and we are looking for Seasonal Tags.  Please pop across to the challenge - there are some lovely pieces of work for your inspiration.

I'm sure most people will recognise the Father Christmas image - from Tim Holtz - probably one of my favourites ever.    I stamped with Archival Ink and then coloured lightly with pencils.  The tag itself I coloured with distress stains and to take the colour back I went over with picket fence.  Ran it through the Bug, and then highlighted the snowflakes with ink.  The branches at the bottom are from the TK Pine Cone die, and I still haven't mastered the art of getting them right - so no pine cone.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you.

Hugs,