Sun Kissed Fleur

Since these stamps were out thought I'd try out the basket, once again I've coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils, the background was coloured with Pan Pastels and the bow was made with my WRMK envelope board.

I reckon this is a girly card so will join in with Hels at the Sunday Stamper as she has decided on Girl Talk this week. I intend to join in every week but never get anything made on time.

At the Seaside at CD Sunday

Over at CD Sunday Caz has chosen the theme of At the Seaside so I have used both Craft Artist and Joanna Sheen's Tom Meilko cd to make this this. I have put it all together digitally and will add some gems once I need to send it.

I hope you can come over and join in with us and from this week we will be a fortnightly challenge so plenty of time to make something.

Sunkissed Fleur plaque

I've had this wooden plaque for ages and had only got as far as painting it green so today I decided to do something with it. I used the Sun Kissed Fleur background stamp which I stamped in Perfect Medium then embossed with sparkling snow WOW embossing powder, I then used the corner sun kissed stamp which I stamped onto a single layer of tissue then added it to background using Slap it On from Indigoblu, the colouring is done with Spectrum Noir pencils which worked well because it was onto tissue and not onto the painted area, I stamped extra onto card, cut it out and layered up the main flowers.

The centre is stamped and embossed with gold, coloured with Dried Marigold Distress ink andcut out with a spell binders die (labels 25).  The quote is from a Crafty Individuals stamp set which fits in quite nicely.

See you tomorrow with another project for CD Sunday. x

A bit of sewing

I've been promising my friend I'd make her a small bag which is just big enough to use for a lunch box and today I finally got around to making one.

I used some calico that I've had for ages and some fabric that I bought for something else, I used a contrast cotton and am quite pleased with it, in fact I was so pleased at how quick it was I made another for myself.

More stamping

I treated myself to this stamp recently and thought I'd give it an outing before it goes in the draw for an age before I remember about it again.  I stamped it in Versafine and coloured the flowers with Spectrum Noir pencils, I decided that I would use a die and once it was cut out it seemed the thing to do to use the background die to cut another piece to frame it. I used a piece of My Mind's Eye backing paper which I also used to cut the flower and the leaves but I sponged a little Stormy Sky distress ink on them.

I'm entering this into a couple of challenges,
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
Brown Sugar - Anything goes

Florals at Pan Pastel

Over at the Pan Pastel challenge blog this fortnight it's florals, so I thought I'd join in with something a little different. I saw a post on the Heartfelt Creations gallery showing a pretty bookmark so thought I'd give it a go and this is what I came up with.

It's so easy to do but pretty effective as I hate seeing corners folded over on a book, this is made from a four inch square of craft card. I used a die to cut the edge and stamped and embossed the flower and leaves, the flower is Sunkissed Fleur and I have had it quite a while but not used it to it's full potential so I'm now on a mission to get using this stuff I keep buying. If you like the flowers then you can get the stamps over at Craft Clearance at a bargain price so go and have a look. I would put a link on but the page is a bit temperamental and sometimes won't load and today is one of those days.  I'm quite pleased with this and think it would make a lovely extra gift for a book reader.

Tots to Teens with CD Sunday

Hello everyone, it's Sunday morning and that means another challenge over at CD Sunday.  This week it's the turn of Sue to choose the topic and, her choice of Tots to Teens threw me at first but then I needed a new baby card and one for a new grandmother so I thought a baby is a tiny tot so great that will fit.

This card is made from the Crazy Cats cd from Card Creations +  which I bought from C&C when they had another sale on so with postage it only cost me £11 which was a bargain.

The backing paper is from a pad that came in a lucky dip box and it's Born to shop but there are some useful papers in it. I ran the paper through the Sue Wilson tumbling hearts embossing folder to give it a bit of extra texture and the die behind the image which is cut with one of the labels dies from Spellbinders is a Tattered Lace, it wasn't big enough so I cut two and cut them in half which seems to have worked quite well.

There are a few changes on CD Sunday so do pop over and have a look and hopefully join us.

Sunday's playtime

I've been playing around with Pan Pastels and the Justrite stamps I bought a couple of weeks ago, I really like this background stamp and think it will get quite a bit of use.  I saw something similar to the centre bit on Pinterest and thought I'd like to try my own version.

I stamped the background in Perfect Medium and then used Violet Shade pan Pastel over it, I wanted a darker look to the edge so went around with Chrom.Ox. Green Shade but it doesn't really look green.I used the same violet on the die cut piece but when I stuck the topper on I managed to get some glue on it so that had to be covered so the perfect disguise is flowers and the leaves are Tattered Lace Ivy.

Hope you like it. 

I'm entering this into the Ribbon girls challenge which is a colour challenge of purple.lilac  

CD Sunday - Victorian Beauties

Hello again, time for another challenge over at CD Sunday and this week it's Wynn's turn to choose so she has chosen Victorian Beauties. At first I was a bit stuck and then, after looking through some of my cd's decided on this image. Now they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder so if you don't think this lady is beautiful then so be it.

The cd I used was Victorian Companion an oldie from Joanna Sheen which is not available any more but may be available on one of the auction sites.  The backing paper is from My Minds Eye and the die cuts are Tattered Lace.

Hope you can come over and join us.

Saturday playtime

I have been playing instead of doing the dreaded housey type stuff, I recently bought some new stamps by Justrite. They are older ones but were in the sale and try as I did I had to have them so gave in gracefully and bought Greetings from Paris, Bon Voyage and a background which is called Elegant Fronds.

This piece started off with me stamping the background stamp with Versamark and dusting it with Pan Pastels in Ultramarine blue Tint and Hansa Yellow Shade, I then stamped the Eiffel Tower onto the corner and an edge down the other side. I used the same ink pad (Adirondack Slate) to stamp the other images and again used the same Pans. I then went on the hunt for a backing paper and found this one in a HOTP pad.

Once I had laid out the items I decided to cut out the fence which is from a Memory Box die, once I'd laid that down I needed leaves so these are a Tattered Lace ivy die.

The butterfly is a free stamp from Craft Stamper which I've had for ages and the flowers have been sat in a box for a few years, I bought loads and stored them in a box which had disappeared so when I found it again they had to come out to play. I finished the whole thing of with some pearls but now I'm not too sure of the placement but it's tough as they are well and truly stuck.

I'm entering this into the following challenges;

Polkadoodles - Something Old, Something New

Brown Sugar - Pastel Colours
That's Crafty - Spring
PanPastels - Pick a Colour Palette (Blue, Green and Pink)

CD Sunday - For Someone Special

Good morning all, another Sunday and my last day off work so must make the most of it. Over at CD Sunday this week Beryl has chosen the theme of  for Someone Special, now most people we make cards for are special but for me this time it's for my brother and there isn't anybody more special than your family.

I recently bought the four day deal from C&C which was folders and a cd from Sheena but I also bought the stamps that went with it, well I've been playing and this card is one I've made with the folders, stamps and of course the cd. I wanted to use the tiger so stamped him out, I used a distress ink the first time but couldn't get it right so stamped it in black archival and just used the distress ink to colour him, I used rusty hinge and frayed burlap and found that I was quite happy with the look so didn't have to use another colour.

The background is the folder done with Kraft card but it was a bit dull even when I'd gone over to highlight the image so I used a pale wash of Silkies just to give the effect of a bit of light coming from the doorway. The backing paper is from the cd and I used the leaves embossing folder to give it extra texture, I cut out some leaves from the paper and used a gold embossing powder on them but I didn't want them solid so tried to make it look distressed which I think works.  I then stamped the edger a couple of times but didn't match it 100% so used the symbol which looks like a 30 (I do hope my brother doesn't think I've lost the plot it's quite a while since he was 30).
When I stamped the sentiment I I heat embossed in the same gold, not sure why it happens but now and again I get a bit of scorching when I heat from underneath so instead of redoing it I just used some antique linen distress ink to hide it.

So there we have it, I'm quite pleased with it and I hope that it is well received.

I'm entering this into the following challenges
Simply Create Too - Layer it Up
Wags 'n Whiskers - Lots of Layers
Jellypark Challenges - One for the Boys

Something new for me

This is what I've been playing with today instead of doing housework, well no contest really is there?  I bought a couple of canvas boards and didn't have a clue what to do with them so basically I have played with paint, ink, stamps, stencils, texture paste and Treasure Gold. I don't know what to make of it but as I've never made anything like this before it's not a bad start do you think?

Butterfly tag

Well it shows I'm on holiday from work as I have been busy playing and when I saw that there is a new challenge over at Tag it On I decided to use some of the things on my desk that I was busy with last night. 

The theme this week is a flower and the letter B, so no messing about here I have painted the tag with some watered down Silkies, you wouldn't believe I used three different colours on the background and none of them were blue! The stamped flower is one from some of the newest stamps from Sheena that arrived yesterday and the cut out flowers are from the embossing folder. The small flower in the backgound is stamped with Versamark and then dusted with mica powders, they look gold but the colour I used was mustard green. I painted some cream card with more Silkies and whilst it was still damp brushed some more mica this time it's called Passion. I cut two butterflies out and popped one on top of the other to give it a bit of dimension and finished off with some gems. Just for good measure I added a button just because I liked it.

I'm also adding this into the Butterfly Challenge which I spotted on The Crafty Robin's blog earlier and thought it would fit.

Clarity Stencil card

I made this on Monday/Tuesday, on Monday I used the stencil with three colours of pink in Distress ink, they are Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick for the stems I used a Promarker in Marsh Green. Once I had coloured the design how I wanted it I then used some clear Sparkle Medium over the top and had to put it to one side to dry, you can't believe how hard I find that so I just left it overnight.  The two layers underneath are coloured with the Worn Lipstick ink and the Marsh Green Promarker, it's not very often that I leave such a large amount of white but I think this works, I decided to pull some of the lipstick colour onto the top of the design but that was mostly because I had some ink on my finger and left a huge fingerprint and had to cover it!  I was given some stamps for my birthday last year and I like the style of this wording so decided to give it an outing again I used the same pink distress ink.

I had just put this together when up popped a post from one of my crafty friends and she had used the same stencil but in different colours, it's here if you want to have a look.

Steampunk tag

I felt like I cheated a bit using stencils as my S in the last tag I did so I have done another and this time it's Steampunk, I have used some Chocolate Baroque stamps that I've had ages and yes they were another must have but you know all about that I guess. I have also used some of their Texture Fragments in the background, this time I have used Pan Pastels and stamped with Versamark. The window stamp is also stamped in Versamark but then I used a mica powder over it to intensify the blue.

I've never been a tag maker but recently have been using some I got in a box I bought when I went to Kanban so that shows you how long I've had them and I am enjoying playing with them. So this is another one for the Dragons Dream Tag it On challenge of Blue and 'S'

Blue Tag

Over at the Dragons Dream Tag it On challenge blog they want blue and 'S' so I've had a little play with some JOFY stamps that I just had to have but have only used a couple of times. 

The backgound is done with some blue Silkies mixed with some gloss gel medium and just brushed on, I am not very successful with Silkies normally but won't be defeated so have tried different ways to use them. Once I'd done the base layer I used a couple of stencils with Distress inks in Broken china and Shabby Shutters, I then stamped the images with Versafine in Onyx black and painted with more Silkies. I then used a blue Distress Stickles and put it over the little round bits on the stems. 

I'm not sure if stencils will count as the S in the challenge but hopefully the girls will make allowances.
I'm also entering this into the Fashionable Stamping challenge, Flying Things.

Something Old, Something New at CD Sunday

Hi there, can't believe it's Sunday again I think someone is stealing my days as they are going so fast it's almost a blur!

This week at CD Sunday we want you to go with the theme of something old, something new. Now that could be a wedding card but really what we were thinking was you should use something old and something new.  For my card I've used a new cd from Crafter's Companion called Love & Romance and Special Birthdays resource cd, this cd is filled with images from the papercrafting kit they did of the same name but it's so handy to have it in a printable format as I usually wouldn't use everything that comes in the kits.

This card is a 7x10 but because it's a wedding card I think the larger size works well, I printed the whole set from one of the images and that way there's no guess work to see if the colours match. I used the plainer of the designs as a mat, I'm not sure how I managed it but changed the settings on the printer and got the main backing paper to print out at the right size for the card, that way I didn't lose any of the design around the edge.

Before I stuck the the two sheets together I cut the tattered lace dies from the pink paper and I did forget to turn the paper over so the curves were the same way around but I quite like the look it has so ok in the end.  I used Centura Pearl card as the mats for the topper and sentiment and raised them up with some foam tape.  I tied a knot in the spiders web and glued it onto the card and then I used my old element which is the pins, my friend bought them for me about 18 months ago and I forgot I had them so when I found them again I knew what I would be using some of them for.

I hope you can join us and we'll call on you to say hello and comment on your design.

I am also entering this into the following challenges;

In the Pink - Anything but Square

Country View Challenge - New Beginnings

Shabby Chic Wall Hanging

I really wanted to play with the printable canvas but not for printing on so this is what I've come up with. I used a coarse texture paste through a stencil then once that had dried I added Pan Pastels, originally it was just the pale colours but thought it needed a bit more oomph so added the Violet Shade, I wanted the areas that had the pattern on to stand out a bit more so used the gold pan but not really sure which one and it looks totally different on here to what it does in the pack.  I used a few die cuts to add embellishments and apart from the crown all were cut from Centura Pearl, covered with distress ink and then dusted over with some metallic pans. I have added ribbon to make something to hang it by and have put some beads and butterflies on too.
On the back I have added another piece of canvas with the Irish Blessing,

May there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two; 
May the sun always shine on your windowpane; 
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; 
May the hand of a friend always be near you; 
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

There are several about but this one was perfect for the person who is getting this.

I'm entering this into the Pan Pastel challenge which this week is Pretty Shabby Chic, now I'm not sure this fits the bill but I'll give it a go.

CD Sunday this week is a sketch

Good morning and Happy mothers Day to you all whether you are a mum or not.  This week at CD Sunday there is a sketch to follow and I decided to use one of my new cd's from Crafter's Companion.

The sketch is a very easy one to follow and for this card I printed onto gloss photo paper, I must admit that I prefer the matte paper but this does make a change.  I hope you can come over and join in with us.

Mother, Mum, Mummy

Hello all, I've been neglecting my blog again but it's not because I haven't been doing anything just that I have a couple of projects on the go and they're not finished yet.

This week at CD Sunday Sue B has chosen Mother, Mum, Mummy as her theme, well I only realised yesterday that it was this week and I hadn't done anything so this card is a quicky.  I used Craft Artist and a digi kit I bought while they had a sale on French Country, it's full of very pretty things and is really easy to work with.  I also used a frame from the Lace Market digi kit which comes in black but I recoloured it with one of the colours from the kit.

I was rushing to gt it done and when I was using my Perfect Layers rulers to get a nice even edge around the topper I managed to slip and ended up with no mat down half of one side so I had to trim it all off and start again but I got there in the end and all I needed was a few gems and a ribbon.  I have taken everything off apart from the lace frame and the teapot and cups, reduced the opacity on the background, added a verse and the inside is now finished.

I hope you can come and join us and even f you don't have amum to make a card for you can still use something that shows a mum even if it is an animal.