Make My Monday

Hopefully I am just about in time to post this  for the final French themed challenge on Make My Monday. The topic this week was feminine romance so I hope this anniversary card will be OK.  The week as usual seems to have flown by and I must admit I was struggling to find anything different in the way of something suitably French.  Eventually I came across this background which was a download I've had for ages and had completely forgotten about (also no idea where it came from now either - sorry).  I added a die cut swirl and hearts using Marianne dies, added a bit of overstanping and finally a stamped and punched 'postage stamp' together with a greeting.

Again I've been missing from blogland much of the week and I really will try harder to keep up and also keep in touch with my favourites.

Quick and Easy Bag

I must apologise for my lack of blog posts towards the end of last week - somehow time just seemed to disappear - they say time flies when you're having fun and it is so true!!  I managed to visit most of my usual blogs and hopefully left comments on the majority but a few may well have slipped past my notice - sorry.

Today I have a stitching project to show you which was produced as a sort of 'teaching aid' because I dug out some instructions for a 'quick and easy bag' to pass onto a friend who has recently become hooked on patchwork and quilting; had acquired a sewing machine and wanted to 'play'.  I suggested maybe making one of these as a way of getting used to the machine without just stitching onto odd scraps of fabric.  However when I read the instructions I felt that they weren't perhaps quite as clear  to a 'new' stitcher as they might be so thought the best way would be to make up a bag to a certain stage so that I could actually show her how it was constructed.  I knew that once I got home with the half finished one I should immediately complete it otherwise it could join my collection of UFOs (unfinished objects) although I prefer to call them WIPs (works in progress) - a much more positive name!!  I decided the outside was a bit plain so quickly added a sort of flower appliqued onto one side - a definite bit of artistic licence here and it keeps reminding me of a fried egg now but never mind it is bright and does match the lining.  The bag is roughly the size of a black plastic carrier from M & S (the sort you get when you buy underwear or anything not food) and folds up easily to tuck into my capacious handbag ready to fill with goodies when I go to the shops.  I often set out with just my handbag thinking I probably won't buy anything much but items have a habit of jumping into my basket when I'm not looking - it would be so rude to throw them out again wouldn't it?  At least now I won't need to have a plastic carrier for my purchases.

I'm thinking of making another of these bags because while I was out today I saw a gorgeous cushion in the shape of an owl so 'stored' the design in my brain until I got home and have made a quick sketch because I  think it would make a wonderful applique design - just need to stop waffling on the computer and get stitching again.

Simply Stampin' Sketch

The challenge this week on Simply Stampin' is to follow a sketch which I have to say is usually a favourite with me and some very interesting layout options crop up from time to time - just have to remember them when inspiration is lacking!!  I'm afraid I don't know the source of the papers I've used as they are from the 'bits' box (still using scraps where possible), The stamp is from SU Aviary set with a little swirl of leaves from Sweet Summer.  Framelits labels dies were used for the image, Scalloped Edgelits die for the border strip and Sizzlits Lots of Tags and an SU punch for the sentiment. Do take a look at what their Design Team have shown us for inspiration this week by following the link.

Make My Monday Challenge

There is still a French theme going on at Make My Monday and I'm rapidly running out of French themed 'things' so good thing there's only one more week!  This time they are asking for TRICOLEUR namely to include red, white and blue.  I had a piece of watercolour paper which I'd used at a recent marbling workshop - not particularly successful this particular piece but the colours were right and I was going to sponge and overstamp it so used it for a background here.  French themed stamps are from Chocolate Baroque Paris plate, the small text is En Francais stamp by Stampin' Up and the swirl from SU Everything Eleanor set.  The flowers are also from Everything Eleanor and the leaves from French Foliage (SU).  Sentiment was stamped on a scrap of the background paper and cut out using a Crealies die and flowers were mounted onto Spellbinders die cuts.

Addicted to Stamps Challenge

The challenge on Addicted to Stamps this week is to follow a sketch which they have provided -  following a sketch is an excellent way to lay out a card if you are ever stuck for ideas and this one was quite straightforward.  Background paper is from My Minds Eye; I embossed a piece of Core-dinations card with dots for one of the layers; the image is a stamp from Stampin' Up Faith in Nature set; the swirly frame was cut with a Lea'bility die and that's it really - a simple card for a simple layout.  I hope you all have a good weekend - feeling quite autumnal (ie chilly) this morning but the sun is trying to break through.

V is for Vintage

Did I mention that the tag swap at Chocolate Baroque seems to be more difficult now we are getting to the end letters of the alphabet?  I decided eventually to go for a fairly obvious one here and chose VINTAGE - using the Haberdashery stamps. The dress form was stamped onto a scrap of patterned paper and cut out so that I could layer it.  Background is again from Tim Holtz vintage shabby collection overstamped with smaller stamps from the set.  Of course I had to add a piece of cream lace from my trimmings scraps and made a dimensional flower with some of the backing paper using a Studio 490 stamp. Only four more letters to go now and I will have a beautiful and varied collection of twelve tags by the end of the year.

The Lost Twinchie

The twinchie which I thought I'd lost when Craft Artist shut itself down wasn't in fact lost after all.  When I opened up the programme this morning it asked me if I wanted it to try and recover the unsaved work - how great is that?  Here is my third twinchie - a steampunk sort of Halloween - I hope you will pop over to see what their Design Team have made for this fun challenge.