Wedding Card

Posting on my blog two days running - can't be bad eh!!  I guess the weather can be partly to blame for that because it is wet and windy again today so I decided indoors is a good place to be.  Looking through my box of cards I noticed I needed a few more cards in various categories other than birthdays so started with this one suitable for a wedding or engagement perhaps.  I used the piece of Centura pearl card embossed using a Creative Expressions folder and added die cut circles from Marianne (the large frame) and Spellbinders.  The sentiment was produced using Craft Artist and then cut out using circle dies.

Celebration

Celebration is the theme for the challenge on the Male Room blog and it can be any type of occasion as long as it is suitable for a male.  I've used a stamp from the Wetlands set by Stampin' Up and a Cuttlebug embossing folder with just a simple birthday greeting.  The frame for the image was cut using two Spellbinder dies, the framing layers are gold mirri card which looks brown on the scan.  I'm quite looking forward to the challenges starting again after the break - maybe they will give me some impetus to get into the craft room which has been neglected a little of late.  I've just noticed that the picture is a little skew-whiff - the card itself is straight!!

Very best wishes for 2014 to all my friends and followers.

Yellow Flower

It seems ages since I actually made a card and I seem to have lost momentum so I'm planning a bit of a tidy up in my room and then really must get down to using up some of my stash.  For the moment I've decided I don't need to buy anything more and have managed so far to resist all the offers which arrive daily from the various companies I deal with - not sure how long that resolution will last!!  This card was made before the Christmas rush began and I used a Marianne die set which really didn't need  much more to finish it off apart from the flower in the centre which was layered up using three ready-made flowers with a large brad in the centre (all from Papermania)..  A simple greeting produced on the computer and layered onto Cuttlebug die cut shapes and a piece of toning background paper completes the layout.

This will be another fragmented week with a Bank Holiday in the middle and I'm looking forward to normal weeks which start and finish on the right day.  Wishing everyone all the very best for 2014.

Seasonal Wishes

I would like to wish my followers and on-line friends all the very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.  This card was made using decoupage from the La Pashe 'Oldies' Christmas collection.

Bicycle Girl

Earlier this week I met up with two of my lovely crafty friends for lunch at our local craft shop and was, of course, tempted with a little retail therapy in the form of some toppers by Hobby House.  I’ve combined one of these with die cuts – Stately Circles from Spellbinders and the larger circle was cut with two of the dies from Tonic Verso Decorative Bow Rings, all using Centura Pearl card.  The flower was made using a Marianne die and two X-cut punches, some die cut leaves were added. Background paper is a piece of pretty floral from my stash. It is nice to be working in delicate colours as a break from the Christmas cards and I don’t think I need any more of those for the moment.
                                    

I see this has come in with a wide margin which I don’t normally do – sadly I was unable to use the programme I'm really used to for getting pictures from the scanner to post on the blog which is a real pain. I’m still trying to work around my various options with programmes on the computer and obviously haven’t really got to grips with it yet – previously I could do it without thinking!!  I will persevere.

EDITED - I managed to get the picture to look as I'm used to but by a very circuitous route, just hope I remember what I did!!

A Card to Share

I’m still trying to catch up with my computer bits and pieces, installing programmes and tidying up files etc and with Christmas as well I still seem to be all behind.  Here is another card which I made a while ago and haven’t yet shared.

I hope you are all managing to get the shopping and other things done despite the horrible wet weather.  Take care.

A Bit of Crochet

I have something a bit different to share today - an owl doorstop which I crocheted.  I spotted the design on the cover of a magazine and of course I just had to buy it for the pattern.  Apologies for the slightly fuzzy picture but I'm sure you can see what he looks like.

A CAS Christmas

This is the theme for the Make My Monday Challenge this week and as I've missed a few weeks due to computer problems I thought I'd pop on a quick CAS (clean and simple) card.  This was done very quickly using Craft Artist so maybe a bit of a cheat but hopefully no-one will mind!!

Quintiles for December

The theme for the December Quintiles was, of course, seasonal and because I was somewhat pressed for time I've made two very similar ones using a lovely tree stamp from Chocolate Baroque.  Stamped onto card printed from Seasons Greetings CD and embossed with WOW powder; layered onto an embossed panel of snowflakes and the base layer is more of the same printed design from the CD.  Hopefully I will be able to include a picture here - I've lost the programme I normally use for manipulating and sending the scans to my blog and have had a go with something else which came with the new system.  I was so used to the old programme but sadly it isn't compatible which is such a pain but I'm not going to rush out and buy another programme until I've tried out other options.!!

I'm Back!

My computer was returned to me yesterday complete with new operating system so hopefully I will be able to catch up with blogland - I do so hate being cut off from the world and using a tablet is no substitute for the real thing.  I have quite a bit of work to do re installing my programmes and retrieving my files but I'm hoping that won't take me too long and of course I have to get used to the new system but it seems pretty straightforward as far as I can see although some of my programmes aren't compatible so that's something else to deal with.  I have a card to share today which is one I made a while ago but hadn't actually shown. Background is embossed Centura pearl card and the other elements are from various Stampin' Up stamp sets with some die cut leaves and butterflies.

missing from blogland

Apologies to my followers - I seem to have been very busy doing other things. Thanks to those who've shown concern, yes I am fine! However I will be absent for a few more days because my computer has  to be taken into ' intensive care' for a new operating system to be fitted. Hopefully I will be up and running before too long.

November Quintiles

Well November seems to be rushing by while I've been pondering how to depict the theme of FIREWORKS  which was the obvious choice for the Quintiles this month.  Eventually I had a flash of inspiration and decided to use some of the stamps from  Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) sets - Retro flowers/Vases because they  gave me the impression of bursts of colour in the sky such as would be seen with fireworks.  I used two different approaches here - one using the clear embossing resist technique, starting with yellow card and gradually adding images followed by a slightly darker colour of distress ink, then more resist with a darker colour and so on.  The other one was made using very dark purple card with  stamped and embossed images using various colours of Cosmic Shimmer embossing powders.  The descriptive word was typed on the computer and cut out with a label die.   It is lucky really that I actually got these made this month because it took me so long to come up with an idea but hopefully they will get there in time!!

Quilled Christmas Card

Yesterday I attended a seasonal quilling class with the lovely Jill and came away with lots of ideas for Christmas cards.  The card we made was this one which includes some lovely quilled pinecones which I'd not seen made before.  To my shame I've not actually done any quilling since I went to a class with Jill this time last year, consequently I'm not too happy with my poinsettia flower which to me looks a bit spindly so I might make some better ones for another project.  We were also shown a great Christmas rose flower which I made when I got home before I forgot how it was done so you might be seeing that at some point. I enjoy going to workshops and meeting other like minded people and I also treated myself to lunch which meant no cooking yesterday.

Where Did That Week Go??

I can hardly believe it is almost a week since I posted anything on my blog - apologies.  However I've at last managed to find a bit of time to get into the craft room and make something for the  Make My Monday challenge  This week they are asking for ANYTHING BUT A CARD and CHRISTMAS THEMED so I decided to use one of the box 'blanks' which I bought recently at the Stampin' Up Extravaganza.  The boxes are made from sturdy kraft card and have an acetate sleeve which slides over to cover the contents (mine is empty at the moment) but they are food-safe so could contain some nice home-baked goodies perhaps or even some shop-bought ones which appear to be home made - not that I'd cheat like that LOL!!!  I've added some patterned paper with matching mat layer and die cut a selection of Marianne poinsettias using Centura Pearl card.  The embossed detail doesn't show up in the main photo but the close-up should give you an idea.

Twelve Tags 2013

I expect many of you know about Tim's 12 tags series but if not you can check it out here.  I've not used all of the ideas this year and somehow I never seem to have quite the items he's used  although I can usually improvise if necessary.  The chalkboard technique used on the latest one has taken my fancy so I had a go but instead of using the traditional 'blackboard' colour I've used a very dark purple card and rather than make a tag I've decorated the cover of a journal. I've also incorporated a few of his other techniques from Creative Chemistry.  I won't go into details because you can read all about it on his blog but I used one of his blueprint stamps, Distress inks and stains along with various masks/stencils for the background.

All I need to do now is launch into jornalling which is an entirely new field for me - very daunting seeing all those blank pages staring at me!!

House of Cards Challenge

The first week of each month in the House of cards Challenge is CUTE AND FUN and this month they've given us a colour challenge by way of a photograph of poppies so my card has been made using various poppy shades.  I must say that their photograph is quite vibrant with more orangey (not sure this is a word!) colours now I look at it again but I've used various reds, and greens which I hope will be acceptable. The image and papers all came from Funky Hand CDs and the border made using a Tonic punch with the 3D flowers being made with a punch from Stampin' Up and also some of the 'waste' from the border with a few odd die cut leaves which happened to be lying around.  It's another grey and damp day here but I did see in the paper this morning that the first snow has landed in Co. Durham so I hope that doesn't mean we are in for an unpleasant winter this year.

Autumn Flowers

AUTUMN FLOWERS is the theme for this week's challenge at Make My Monday and there are some lovely cards by the design team for inspiration.  I've used a silhouette stamp from Stampin' Up, inked using marker pens and cut out using a die from their Apothecary Accents set.  The embossed background is Centura Pearl card with a Creative Expressions embossing folder and the various layers and borders used up some more of my scraps of paper and card which hopefully tone with the image in autumnal colours.

Christmas Ted

I can't really rouse much enthusiasm for Christmas yet although I heard yesterday that there were 'only 53 sleeps' until the big day so maybe I should start getting into gear.  I did make a seasonal card in the week using up some odd  die cuts which were on my desk, along with one of the Tatty Ted images I'd printed.  The background paper is from the Tatty Ted range as well and the dies used were from Marianne and Nelly Snellen.  Enjoy what's left of the weekend.

More...

I'm so enjoying working through some of the techniques in the Creative Chemistry from Tim Holtz and this card incorporates effects like shattered glass, tarnished silver, faux rust etc - obviously I can't go into to details but I know lots of my 'viewers' have been following along as well so they might recognise the various elements. Can't stop to write more at the moment as I'm off to patchwork group, somewhat reluctantly I must say - I need to 'play' some more!!

Creative Chemistry

Yesterday I decided to have a play day, experimenting with some of the techniques to be found within Creative Chemistry 102 from Tim Holtz - great fun resulting in a selection of backgrounds and some embellishments which will be incorporated into projects. This one is a sort of layered effect using masks, stamps and inks and I added some embossing and embellishments to turn it into a male card (always useful to have in the box) - I find on the whole I tend to make more female cards than male ones so I might try to concentrate on the male themes.  I guess my next task will be to have a bit of a tidy up before I can do much more - such a messy worker!!

House of Cards Challenge

The House of Cards challenge theme this week is SHABBY/VINTAGE, still using the sketch for the month of October.  I used a Marianne die to cut a shaped square from Core'd'nations card which was then sanded and cut into four triangles  layered onto another piece of card.  The penny farthing is a Stampin' up stamp on a Stampin' Up label die shape with a greeting added.  Backing paper is from Tim Holtz vintage shabby paper pad. Next week we will be into a new month with another theme for the month so keep an eye on their blog if you are interested in taking part.

The sketch for october

Steampunk Theme

The STEAMPUNK theme this week on Make My Monday has been chosen by Suzi - well chosen for me at any rate because this is one of my favourite genres. I've used a backing paper from Papermania Chronology range; an embossing folder called Uber by Couture Creations and a stamp from Chocolate Baroque Steampunkery set - this is the first time this particular one has been inked.  The quotes are also from this stamp set and have been cut to resemble the 'chit-chat' stickers. The stamped image was cut out and the clock face has been layered for a bit of dimension. If you like this theme why not take a look at what the design team have made and perhaps take part yourself this week.

Challenge Card

The challenge this time around for the Male Room is NATURE and I've used stamps from Stampin' Up sets - Lovely as a Tree and A Touch of Nature which should fit the bill.  The trees were stamped onto a paint chart which you can easily pick up in DIY stores which mix  paints for decorating purposes.  I fished out some toning paper and card from my stash to complete the card.  The embossed panel is watercolour paper put through an embossing folder which was inked before using. Take a look to see the lovely cards from their design team.


I really hope the predicted horrendous weather doesn't materialise but if it does - stay safe and don't go out unless you absolutely have to.

Tatty Ted

I thought it was about time that Tatty Ted had an airing on a couple of cards - such a cute character and handy for all sorts of occasions. He, or maybe this is a female relative, has been combined with an embossed Die'sire folder) background which was highlighted with some wax and a couple of die cut shapes using a Nellie die set. Once the cutting and embossing was done this was quite a quick and easy card to put together.

House of Cards

We are into the third week at the House of Cards so the theme is CLASSIC AND ELEGANT following the sketch which we have been given as inspiration for the month. Somehow I've managed to miss the first two weeks this month - sorry!

I decided to use a Marianne  corner die cut four times with a floral stamp from Stampin' up onto some Spellbinder oval shapes and a simple computer greeting. Background paper is from my stash - a pad which lost its cover I'm afraid.

Halloween

The challenge this week at Make My Monday is HALLOWEEN and this will be my second project on this topic, which considering I don't really 'do' Halloween is good going.  This time I decided to take a look at what I have available within Craft Artist and luckily there were some suitable items for me to build up a spooky scene.

One of Those Weeks

Most of my weeks seem to go by in a flash but this last one seems to have been speedier than others - probably because I have been out most days for various reasons.  I'm just scraping in by the skin of my teeth this week for the Make My Monday challenge which has the theme of  TEXTURE.  This card has been made using various embossing folders and dies from Tonic, Creative Expressions and Spellbinders.  The sentiment is a stamp from Stampin' Up.  I've not managed to visit and comment on as many blogs as usual either so apologies to any I've missed - I'll try harder in the coming week!!

A Day Well Spent

I've just got back from a lovely day out attending a Stampin' Up Extravaganza day with the lovely Jenny Moors (Stamping Moments) where we made a good selection of Christmas items in attractive shades of blue and silver.  We made three different sized gift boxes, the largest with an accompanying gift pocket card, a medium sized one with an acetate sleeve - probably about the size to hold a box of after dinner mints, and the small square one contained the three little cards.  As always this was a really enjoyable day and I even managed to actually complete all the projects and of course met up with like-minded friends - I'd say a good day was had by all.

Spooky

Being October the theme this month for the Chocolate Baroque Quintile swap is SPOOKY.  I'm a bit short on Hallowween stamps etc but I did have this one from them.  It was stamped onto heavy watercolour paper and a mask cut for the moon before colouring the background with Distress ink, some of which was lifted off with splashes of water.  Using a reverse mask I then brushed some colour over the moon.  I've tried all along to make two different tiles for this challenge but I'm afraid this time around the two are very similar with just the water splashes being in different positions!

More Jewellery

Last week when visiting a local gallery to see a quilting exhibition I was tempted into their craft section and just had to treat myself to a silver scarf 'ring' with a gorgeous dangly owl on it.  This of course got me thinking that I could make some of these if I could obtain the basic finding (scarf bail) easily.  I discovered they aren't quite as easy to source, particularly in this country as far as I can tell, which in turn made me think that I could maybe design a beaded scarf bail  and this is the result of my first experiment using Delica beads.  The dangly part is an adaptation of a design seen in the latest issue of the Beadworkers' Guild Journal which I spotted after I'd started making the bail part using an idea from a book on Geometric beading.  I picked up a couple of light scarves in the local charity shop and that's it - my first beaded scarf ornament.  With all this beading I've not produced any cards recently so it is back into the craft room to dig out my stash and play with inks because I have a couple of Halloween quintiles to make.

Elegant Ladies

The theme this week for Make My Monday is ELEGANT LADIES and I've used an Art Deco image to make my card. The image is from a Card Creations CD, as is the backing paper and the border.  The embossed panel was made with a Papermania embossing folder and the sentiment is a Papermania stamp.

Rosebud Bag

I've been stitching this morning making a bag using a Clover template - these are excellent templates with very clear and concise instructions for six different bags of similar style.  One of the members of our craft group had very kindly brought along some pieces of what I imagine are samples of up-market furnishing fabrics to share and this one with the 3-d embroidered rosebuds appealed to me.  I also had a plainer piece of linen type fabric for the lining and handles.  This piece had rows of vintage ruched ribbon which of course I removed and saved to be used on a card or three!!  Because the fabrics were quite heavy I could only make a fairly plain style of bag but I will enjoy using it and I'm sure it will be a useful addition to my collection of bags - love them - and they do all get used at some time depending on how much shopping I need to carry.  Sorry it isn't the best of photographs but I'm sure you get the idea.

Caldera Bracelet

I have long admired the geometric beadwork designed by Jean Power and this design is in a book which she published last year.  This pattern was available to people who pre-ordered her book as a download and a selection of beads was offered in a range of colours chosen by her.  I added about three more colours from my stash and used them randomly with the black being a constant throughout the design.  It feels as if I've been working on this forever and I  dread to think just how many tiny beads were stitched in one at a time but at last it is finished.  I don't really have any way of displaying it nicely but hopefully you will be able to see roughly what it looks like from this photograph.  I worked on this mainly at a weekly craft group meeting and usually managed about one and a half triangles each week, sometimes a bit more if I didn't chat too much and of course I have done some of it at home, particularly the finishing off and joining as concentration was required to ensure that the bead colours matched up on the join.  There is no fastening as it slips over the hand and that was another hurdle to overcome, making sure it would go on without too much difficulty yet not be too loose in wear - hopefully I've got it just right.  I did enjoy making this but won't be making another one in a hurry.  I'm beading a couple more pens next - birthdays and Christmas coming up and I think a couple of family members would like one as a gift.

Ladybug

When I saw some of these ladybirds on a friend's blog I thought this would be a die which would get good use so it had to be added to my growing collection.  I have a feeling someone will soon need to start an organisation called 'Crafters Anonymous'  as it seems so easy to become an addict - harmless though I'd say and brings so much pleasure to so many people it can't be bad, can it?.  I used this cute image cut out with Nestabilities dies and coloured with Copic pens.  Background was a handy piece of paper which was in my stash and I just added some die cut grass using a Marianne die.  Sentiment was produced on the computer and popped onto a Cuttlebug die cut.  A handy card to keep in the box for maybe a child's birthday.

Photo Inspiration

As there were five Mondays in September the people at House of Cards have come up with a photograph for inspiration and we can use any style of cardmaking.  Here is the photograph -

I've picked up on the autumnal colours for my card and also the leaves.  An image from Oh La La Cascade of Colour has been printed onto watercolour paper - this was after a couple of false starts until my printer finally decided it would carry the paper through!!  A matching piece of paper was printed for the background, then a layer of embossed card using a Couture Creations EF with leaves (Core-d-nations card, sanded to bring out the design).  Finally I cut a selection of leaves using a tim Holtz strip die and arranged them with a greeting. Lots of ideas on the challenge blog if you want to have a go - just follow the link.

Make My Monday

The challenge this week at Make My Monday is to make a vintage style card using CREAM AND SEPIA with either BLUE OR PINK.  I decided to go for this image of Wellington as I reckon he is definitely a vintage bear and in the right colours too. The floral embossed panel was some Tim Holtz whitewash card which was put through a Sheena floral folder and sanded to bring out the blue.  A punched strip using a Tonic border punch was added along with some cream lace and the sentiment printed and popped onto a couple of toning tags.  Of course I couldn't resist using a few of the 'waste' flowers from the punched strip - never throw anything away!!

Male Room Challenge

For The Male Room challenge this time the theme is ANIMAL, AVIAN OR AQUARIAN and we have to choose just one of these to make our cards.  It so happens that I came across this image while I was sorting through boxes of bits and pieces and it fits the animal theme.  At the time (ages ago), I'd printed a whole sheet of images from a Jane Netley Mayhew CD from Joanna Sheen and of course had only used one of them, storing the remainder away for future use. Backing paper is also from the CD or at least I think it must be and because the image is quite large there wasn't much more needed to complete the card apart from a piece of embossed kraft card and a simple greeting.  There are some great examples on the challenge blog from their design team if you take a look by following the link.

House of Cards Shabby challenge

Well I'm not sure quite where this week has gone but I think I'm just about in time to scrape in with my card for the House of Cards SHABBY AND VINTAGE challenge. Again we are using the colour scheme of the month.  Background paper is from my stash and the postcard embossing folder by Sizzix seemed appropriate, along with a dress form taken from an artylicious CD to which I've added some die cut swirls and little yo-yo flowers which I made with some scraps of organza and beads.  A ticket sentiment and that's it for the challenge this week.  I was planning on popping out this morning but as it is raining steadily I think the craft room is a better bet!!  Have a good weekend whatever you might be doing.

I must apologise for the picture quality - too dark to take a photograph indoors, too wet outside so I've scanned it which tends to throw the background out of focus if there are raised elements.

Beaded Pen

I really enjoy beadwork but as there is a limit to the number of necklaces and bracelets which I can wear I decided to have a go at beading myself a pen.  The 'blanks' can be purchased from beading suppliers, along with needle cases, key fobs and so on, any of which would make great gifts.  I worked out the pattern on a grid to tie in with Delica beads in colours from my stash and of course something like this doesn't use a huge number of beads so would be great for using up oddments

Make My Monday Challenge

The challenge at Make My Monday this week is to produce something with either FLOWERS OR TREES.  I've used another of the digital stamps which I came across while browsing through files on the computer - this time a rabbit, or is it a hare?, with a 'Get Well'  message.  Either way I'm sure this would cheer someone up if they weren't feeling too good.  The flowers were stamped onto patterned paper using Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur stamps, then die cut.  The leaves were cut with a Tattered Lace die. Take a look at what their design team have given us by way of inspiration and maybe have a go yourself.

Purrfect Day

I have gathered loads of digital 'stamps' over the years and indeed now have no idea where some of them came from which is a shame.  I was printing off something earlier this week and decided to fill a page with some others while I was at it.  I quite like this cat image but no idea of the source.  It has been layered onto some Spellbinder die cuts and I simply added a matching ribbon and a computer greeting on a Nellie die cut shape.

Gilding Flakes

Earlier this week I met up with two friends for coffee, crafty chat and a bit of 'show and tell'.  One of the cards I saw was made by Anne and I've 'cased' it but using a different image and a different die. Thanks for the idea Anne.  The stamp is from Personal Impressions and the dies from Spellbinders. Background is some textured card with a sort of sheen and has been embossed with Creative Expressions heart lattice folder.  Corner is from Whimsy and the sentiment is a computer one on Stampin' Up punched labels. My pot of gilding flakes has been around for years and is now more like crumbs than flakes but they still managed to adhere to the sticky sheet used.

Swirls and Pearls

The challenge this week for Make My Monday is SWIRLS AND PEARLS and I've used one of the lovely  images from Katy Sue Fabulous Shoes.  The swirls are within the image and pearls have been added to the ribbon.  Backing paper by Papermania has been in my stash for ages; border was cut using a Tonic punch; sentiment from the computer on a couple of Cuttlebug diecuts.  Lots of inspiration from the MMM design team as always.

HOC Classic and Elegant

It is the week for CLASSIC AND ELEGANT on the House of Cards challenge, still of course working within the colour scheme of the month.  I've taken a slight liberty in that I have used some gold card in place of the orange shade so I hope that is OK.  A Tonic Verso die has been used with some Centura Pearl card; the border strip down the side was cut in gold card using a Stampin' Up punch;  Spellbinders oval dies used for the sentiment (SU stamp); the corners were cut using a Whimsy die.

The Male Room challenge #4

The theme this time on the Male Room challenge is SPORTS OR HOBBIES and there are some interesting takes on this with the design team cards, well worth a look if you are stuck for ideas for male cards.  I decided to use a Boofle image - he is a photographer here - and I've used matching backing papers and added a few die cut buttons (Sizzix die from Stampin' Up).  The zig zag strips were cut using a Spellbinder borderability die.

Tim Holtz Tags 2013

Each time I see the latest tag from Tim Holtz I think that I must try the technique but so often never actually get around to it - roads being paved with good intentions and all that!!  However I have at last had a go with his latest one for September 2013 and you can find it HERE if you want to see.  Of course I never have all the same stencils or stamps which he uses but I've made do with what I have, even down to making my own chit chat stickers.  This was fun and now I have to scrub my hands again to bring them back to their normal colour.

I hope you are all having a good weekend and that the horrible weather forecast for tomorrow doesn't cause anyone too much bother - could be a good excuse to stay indoors and play.

Second Autumn Quintile

As promised here is my second autumn themed quintile.  I used the same double inking technique using a mask, but a different design this time.  I've added a tag printed from Chocolate Baroque Essence of Nature CD and overstamped the background with  floral and grass stamps (also CB).  These are packed up and ready to post in the morning and I'm so looking forward to receiving my swaps.