Saturday 30 November 2013

Vintage Christmas


The countdown to Christmas is approaching fast.  so with this in mind the new Challenge Theme over at Sugar Creek Hollow is 'Vintage Christmas' and you can make a card, ornament or gift.
Please pop over for all the details and welcome out Guest Designer for this week Avril Branthwaite.

My choice is a card .  The base layer is embossed with a snowflake stencil then  shaded  with  a dusting of [ blue]  Pans Pastels.
The image is from the  Figgy Pudding  images  set by Gecko Galz.
My boys loved sledging  when it snowed, I won't mention how old they are now,  it was a long................................. time ago.
As usual  my vintage/shabby chic card features  a bit of lace and ribbon, as well as  torn edges on the  layers.
The snowflake die cuts is a Memory Box die.

I will  also be joining the current  Craft Room challenge the theme is  Vintage Christmas.

Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments.

Friday 29 November 2013

Sadie's in love.


A quick post today, time sure is  flying.
'Hearts', is the latest challenge at Tag Along.
So here is my take on their  theme  using all sorts of bits from the left overs box.
I think Sadie  is totally besotted with her fellow and just 'Can't get him out of her head,..
Thank you for stopping by, I realy appreciate you calling.

Monday 25 November 2013

Just Dreaming



Clean and Simple is the challenge Viv  has set us this time at Crafty Cardmakers.
This is a real out of my comfort zone style, but its not a challenge if you don't try.
The base card is white, looks a bit cream in the photo.
I stamped the image [Indigo Blu stamp]onto plain white card. The sentiment stamp I have had a while and sorry cannot remember the maker. I ran the edge of the ink pad around this piece of card as its not allowed to use layers on CAS cards.
We have two sponsors for this challenge, please pop over for all the details.
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Now here is another simple version of  the  card , using the same images, but in a style that I am more used to making.


You can see the base card, shows white, a whole lot better when adding some colour.
Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate the comments you leave.

Sunday 24 November 2013

Snowy days




'Ring a ding Ding - Lots of Bling.'
This is the theme the folk over at the Tag Along  Challenge 
They want to see lots of sparkle.
 No warning was given about  how to avoid getting glitter everywhere it shouldn't be, the dog included.
But I did enjoy making this tag.




On the right is a close up of the die cut poinsettia , coloured with tumbled glass distress ink, before it got the glitter treatment.





Even the poor squirrel got a dusting of the sparkly stuff.

He will also join the fun over at Crafting When We Can the new theme there is, 'Winter'.


Thank you for stopping by to take a look, your comments are always appreciated.

Friday 22 November 2013

Bless My Mess


Some days, it is good to play  with your crafty stash.  No plans, no expectations, go with the flow, forget what you should be doing, have some fun.   This afternoon I actually managed this.
I had seen that the Stampotique Designer Challenge was ' A Splat of Paint on your work.
Just the prompt that I was looking for, nothing I like better than an excuse to create a bit of mess.


I decided to make a small hanging using these Stamptique images, which were water coloured.
The base is recycled packaging painted with acrylic paint, Mermaid blue and  Mocha.  A tatty piece of Kraft card to mount my top layer on.
It was great fun 'splatting ' with paint. I have to admit I watered the acrylic  paint down a bit so it would flick off the brush easier.
By this time the whole bench was dotted [and me].  It took longer  to wipe things down than splash them.
Even the fibers  look  tatty and messy.

Thank you for stopping by, I do realy appreciate the comments you leave.

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Fruit, Flowers and a Cup of Tea


I thought that I might to name this post,  'Peel me a grape darling', or 'I want to be alone',  this coy image  came from one of the free image sheets I collected on the Gecko Galtz blog hop a while ago.
I have made this tag for the current  theme  Fruit and Flowers at the  Tag-Along  challenge.
The base is random stamped and generally shaded with distress inks.
The grapes are a Creative expressions stamped image which was water coloured,I have no idea who to attribute the flower stamp to.

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Afternoon Tea


Also sharing a journal page with you that I  have just declared ' finished' . Its been in the making for a few days now. Lots of random stamping and blotting inks for the base layers. Some scraps of muslin etc, because I don't like to waste anything.  The main image is a Crafty Individuals stamp, which I can relate to very well.
Three o'clock is definitely time for a cuppa in our house.
Over at  The Craft-Room challenge  the current theme is Afternoon Tea/Photo inspiration.
I hope this page meets the theme.

Thank you for stopping by to take a look, I always appreciate your comments.

White Christmas


White on White is the new theme over at Try it on Tuesdays.


This is not an easy colour to get a good photo at this time of year. I had to use a daylight lamp and it  showed a reflection on  part of most photos.
Anyway, as you can see the card is made mainly with a selection of die cuts [ including Spellbinders]. The embossed word strip was a freebie  from a magazine. [Simply cards and papercraft]
For once I had clean hands making this, not a stamp  or ink pad in sight.
We do hope you will pop over and join the fun.

I will also enter the colour  challenge at
Inkspirational Challenges  which is White on White

Thank you for stopping here, I realy appreciate  the comments you leave.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Tranquility


Christmas gets so hectic, sometimes its good to make time to enjoy a little peace and Tranquility.
I love this scene, I think  its a Woodware stamp, but not sure its so well used.
This card I made  for the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping challenges , the theme is ' Shabby Chic Christmas'.
The base card is random stamped with a Stampers Anonymous snowflake image.
Colours used for all the shading are Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass distress ink.
Two of the layers are  dry embossed, a tiny ivy sprig for one and music. Both folders are Embossalicious ones. As you can see the blunt scissors were used on the edges, material scraps  etc for interest. The lace and ribbon were also shaded with Vintage Photo DI.
Please pop over and see what my design team sisters made and get all the details and read about the prize from our sponsor Flonzcraft.

Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments.

Saturday 16 November 2013

Its a gift



We have a new challenge theme starting today over at Sugar Creek Hollow
This time its, ' Vintage Tags/Boxes . I am sure that getting close to Christmas these are real useful things to make especially if its going to someone special.
We also welcome our  Guest Designer  for this challenge Bonnie Garby, please pop over and see what we all made and check out all the details.
I recently bought the  Figgy Pudding images set from Gecko Galz, they are the kind of Vintage images I love.  Normally I prefer stamping but this set might just be the one that makes me experiment a bit more with digi's.

I decided to make a Gift Tag, using mainly off white and cream card for the layers.




The light for the photos was not playing nice, so I am afraid these are the best of a goodly number
Naturally the Vintage Photo distress ink featured for the additional shading.
Scrap pieces of lace and trimmings from my stash.
The base layer I run through the Crimping gadget, there is also a little  sprinkle of Frantage ivory embossing powder in a few places.


Thank you for stopping by, I do always appreciate your comments.



Tuesday 12 November 2013

Feeling Blue



I am pleased to say that I have nearly finished my Christmas cards. Some I shall  share as DT cards over the coming weeks. Now don't be shocked, I have been confined to the house this past week with a poorly foot, which  now  sports the multi coloured shades of  some eye catching bruises.  I have been  able to get out a little this afternoon, a slow walk, not very far, but it was lovely to be out in the fresh air .
 Thank you for all your kind wishes.
Now on to this card.

The image is a digi one from the Figgy Pudding set by Gecko Galz.
I used a Computer program to change the colour to print out Navy Blue.
An Embossalicious folder with sprigs of holly was useful to add texture to  the base card  layers. All the shading is Tumbled Glass distress ink.

I will join the current challenge at  Crafts -Too Challenge You.
The theme is a Vintage Christmas and Twist 1 for the 1st-14th November is Monochromatic

Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate the comments you leave.

Monday 11 November 2013

Noel


The new Crafty Cardmakers challenge has been set for us by Viv  the theme is Paper Piecing.

As I am now into making a start to my Christmas cards, this Woodware stamp  is just right  for using  up small pieces of paper . The base card was  fancy edged all the way around to begin with, but an accident involving  acrylic paints  had me reaching for the trimmer. As you can see it was random stamped  before I added the layers.  The papers all came from my  box of stuff that might one day be useful.
First I stamped up the image onto the plain paper , then again onto the  smaller pieces. I only had enough of the red for two letters..
After fussy cutting out the letters it was an easy card to assemble..

Please pop over for all the details of the challenge, and see what our sponsors  Saturated Canary and Woodware  are generously offering.

Sunday 10 November 2013

A Time to Remember


A Time to Remember.



This tag was made using only an Inkadinkadoo Poppy stamp. The main image was watercoloured.
Other shading was Bundled sage and Weathered Wood distress inks.
Over at the Tag Along Challenge Blog  there is a new theme which was given to co-inside with  Remembrance Sunday. I think many of us keep in our thoughts,  the memory of some one who gave their lives  for the freedom and safety of others.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today. 

Friday 8 November 2013

Typograpgy


I  have been making a few DT cards over the past couple of days as well as the necessary Christmas cards  and   just had to give myself a break.
 Something just for fun, so I decided on a collage page in my Journal, using some papers from my new Graphics 45 stack, and enter the new challenge for November over at Country View Crafts .
The theme is Letters and I found all the information here.



As always I have scraps of materials lying around my craft desk, I also came across the pen nib in a buttons box, no idea how that got there. The page originally had been used to blot up stamps that still had a little ink on them  from previous projects.
Looks close and you may see blots and smudges as well.

The random  letters are die cuts, gifted to me from a friend.


The patch of material [bottom left ]is a piece of Tim Holz alterations fabric.
Well back to those 'C' cards,  I am determined to get as many done as I can , but wonder what will distract me next,

Thank you for stopping by to take a looks,the comments you leave are always appreciated.


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Christmas is coming


Someone mentioned to me the other day that they would soon have to think about posting their Christmas cards, I've hardly started making mine.
However after falling down a couple of steps in my hall yesterday and bruising my foot and a couple of toes big style, it looks like I will be house bound for a few days. So with the said foot propped up on cushions here is one of the cards I made.
I used Stamps by Chloe , the background is random stamped all over using Broken China distress ink.
There is a die cut circle under the garland,, not a lot of this is on show.
I embossed the garland stamp using fine metallic silver Wow Embossing Powder.
Ribbon and gems to the center  of the snowflakes came from my stash.


It is sheer co- incidence that  I will be able to enter this card in these challenges.
The Artistic Stamper - the November Challenge  theme is Christmas.
Stamping Sensations -the November Challenge is Christmas.
Addicted to Stamps and More- Challenge 70 is a Photo Inspiration, with blue/white and sparkly details.

Thank you for taking time to stop by, I do always appreciate your comments.



Tuesday 5 November 2013

A Colour Explosion for TioT's.


'Colour Explosion', is our new theme over at Try it on Tuesdays
The added information we were given was 'Bright seasonal colours'.
 Now for those of you who regularly visit, this is not one of my comfort zones.
The colours I decided to use were- Fired Brick distress ink, [ for  Christmas , also we have Bonfire Night on the 5th November in the UK] and a touch of Bundled sage because its an  autumnal shade.
So Christmas is coming and this is one of my first cards.
I used an Embossalicious folder for my base card, liberally swiping it over with the distress ink pads, before blending.
Buttons and scraps of materials etc are always to hand on my desk.
The poinsettia is a die cut, I often use the petals of this for leaves.

Thank you for stopping by, I so so enjoy reading your comments.

Sunday 3 November 2013

Anything but Ink.



'Anything but Ink', is Fashionable Stamping Challenge's new theme. 
There is a full explanation over here, together with some fantastic examples from my design team sisters.
Also information on the generous prize from our regular sponsor Flonz Crafts


After a few experiments involving gesso, ink spray etc.  that went wrong 'big style'. I decided to use Water colours to stamp up my main image.
  I have to admit I did enjoy painting the rubber image, giving it a light spray of water [ too much water =  loss of detail],  the result  I was happiest with, you can see above.




I used Spellbinders Labels die cuts to mount the image onto an embossed layer. Now because I decided to  keep away from any ink, I used Pans Pastels for the shading.

I will be joining the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which is 'Anything Goes.

Thank you for stopping by to take a look, I do so appreciate your comments.

Saturday 2 November 2013

A Vintage Birthday card


Today sees the start of a new challenge  over at Sugar Creek Hollow.  Theme this time is 'Anything Vintage Goes',  for me one of my favorite  styles  of crafting.
This is a larger card [ 8 x 8 inches] than I usually make, but it is going to some one who I'm sure will like it.
One of the layers is a piece of pre -printed Kraft paper, which I didn't colour as it matched my other elements. All the other papers are from Graphics 45, A Ladies Diary stack.
Other trimmings used were, lace, muslin, ribbon and of course some flowers.

Thank you for stopping by, your comments are always appreciated.