Flower Necklace

I realise that it is a week since my last post which is unusual but I have been trying to play catch up with some beading which doesn't produce such speedy results as making cards.  I spotted this necklace in an issue of Bead magazine before Christmas and decided I really had to make it. It was certainly very labour intensive and I still have a beaded clasp to make but thought I'd better post a picture of something before anyone thought I'd left the planet!!  As well as getting on with this I've produced an intricate bracelet from a somewhat complicated pattern which I was given by a friend - this is also awaiting a fastening and I will take a photograph of that when it is completed.

Make My Monday challenge 36

We are still on a general theme of romance for February on Make My Monday but this week the 'added extra' is die cut hearts/flowers.  I'm a bit disappointed with the scan of this card because for some reason (and it often happens) the toning green card I used for some of the components has come out looking very pale turquoise blue - grrr!  Background paper was printed from Chocolate Baroque Essence of Nature CD and the main image is from Fragrant Honeysuckle which one of their new stamp sets - image was coloured using Coloursoft Pencils. The Top Note die was cut from pearlescent GREEN card and embossed with flowers.  The GOLD hearts were cut using Marianne dies and the sentiment was produced on the computer, punched out and layerd up on matching punched shapes.  The little butterflies were cut  from the left over scraps using a Sizzix embosslits die from Stampin Up.

Simply Stampin Challenge 46

The people over on the Simply Stampin challenge blog have given us a sketch to follow this week - I do like a nice sketch and here it is

 For my card I decided to have a floral theme and started with the main image by stamping a background using the large En Francais text stamp onto some white card followed by flowers and leaves from Greenhouse Garden and A Rose is a Rose which are both two-step stamp sets..  This was then embossed with Swiss Dots embossing folder, trimmed to size and sponged around the edge.  The papers and card are all from Stampin Up and some of their punches were used for the border, sentiment etc.  The two flowers on the bottom corner were from Vintage Vogue with touches of  Fresh Vintage and some pearls. Ink colours used were Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi.

D is for Daisy

Here is my tag for the letter D as promised - I didn't have as many items written down for this letter but I chose to use a stamp set from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) which I've had a long time.  I stamped the main image onto a die cut tag and the little tag  from the set on a piece of spare card using Memento ink.  The daisies were coloured with Polychromos pencils.  I then stamped again on masking paper and cut out the two daisies so that I could sponge the surrounding area with Distress ink.  I added a tiny D for dragonfly charm to the ribbon and that's it for this month. I'm so looking forward to receiving my swaps and to seeing the gallery of pictures.  Next month there are three tags to think about so I should start earlier to get them done in time but first I need to have a major tidy up  because the naughty imps have been creating havoc in my craft room - AGAIN!!!

C is for Cogs and Clocks

We are now into the second month of our Alphatags swap with the Chocolate Baroque Guild and this time it is C and D so not too difficult to find something to fit the bill.  The main problem for me was deciding between the various ideas I'd jotted down - not too hot on decision making!!  I eventually settled on 'cogs and clocks' for C so ran the tag through the Big Shot with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then brushed on some Distress ink and  Treasure Gold to highlight the pattern.  The clock was cut out using a Tim Holtz Sizzix die, with parts embossed using  WOW gold embossing powder.  The harlequin paper is from  Tim Holtz vintage shabby collection and a clock charm was added.  I do hope it doesn't matter that the clock extends slightly beyond the edges of the tag.  With a bit of luck I might have my D offering to show tomorrow as they need to be posted off soon.

Simply Stampin challenge 45

Two posts in one day - I just realised if I didn't post this now I'd miss the deadline. The theme this week on Simply Stampin is 'heartfelt' presumably with Valentine's day in mind.  I didn't think I had a heart from Stampin Up until I trawled through my stamp sets and lo and behold there was one in the Punch Potpourri set which I stamped and embossed onto red card and cut it out because I don't have the heart punch - yet (might need it). I've also used a Top Note die with stamps from Nature Walk and the Love word is from Pennant Parade.  It really pays to have regular looks through the stamp collection as a reminder of just what is there!!  Background paper is from my oddments box - it had already been cut to size a while ago and sponged around the edge but obviously I didn't use it at the time so I'm not sure of the source. SU punches were used for the sentiment. Do take a look on the blog to see what the DT have come up with by way of inspiration.

Blues

I've managed to make a card to cover two challenges again - this is getting to be a habit!!  The Funky Hand challenge for this month is 'January Blues' and I've used papers from the Jovial Man collection on the Colour Me Happy CD.  What I particularly like about these CDs is that you can take the papers onto the workspace and change the size and scale which I reckon works well.. The other challenge is Forgotten Friday on Judith's blog and the forgotten elements are the floral image which is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque Fantasy Meadow and one from the set which I'd so far not used, also the die cut tag in blue is from a Sizzix die which I really NEEDED back in November from Stampin Up and to my shame this is the first time it had been taken out of the packet!!  The birthday greeting is also a SU stamp and is on punched shapes from SU.