Thrilled and Honoured

I am thrilled and honoured to have been invited to join the Fashionettes at the new challenge blog, Fashionable Stamping Challenges. Stamping is my passion, so to be a member of such a talented team of stampers is awesome. I am so looking forward to taking part in the forthcoming challenges and stepping on to the catwalk. I am a little late, due to technical difficulties but here is my first card to tread the boards, with the challenge of Ribbon and or Lace.
I added some pearlised card to a plain white 5" x 7" card. Secured a piece of very pretty white lace down the side, to which I adhered 3 pretty Lily flowers and a white ribbon. Used an oval Nellie Snellie die, which was gently coloured to tone in with the flowers. The bridal stamp is from Bravura stamps, I have only seen these on E-bay, which are very popular. I do hope you like my first card as a Fashionette. I look forward to visiting your blogs, for I so love to see the creations of others. I greatly admire how we as crafters are always so willing to share and learn from each other.



Altered Week at Try It On Tuesdays

This week being the Altered Week  at Try It On Tuesdays, Neil has set us the challenge to alter anything. Last week was a wall hanging, so it being still  in my mind I decided to alter two beer mats.  I cut two pieces of mountcard and glued on two pics of butterflies from a Crafty Individuals Flowers and Butterflies booklet. I triple embossed each with UTEE, to achieve a high gloss finish. The same size apertures were cut from the centre of the mats. I covered the mats with pretty paper from K&Co. Edged them with Victorian Velvet and Vintage Photo. Stamped with my second favourite La Blanche swirl stamp. Secured the butterfly inserts, ran the ribbon down them,a liitle crooked on one side I have since espyed,  and backed each with a piece of black card. A few black stones to add some interest and bling. I look forward to visiting your blogs to see your creations.  Have fun.

Last Week of Things with Wings

Today is the beginning of our last week at Make My Monday with Things with Wings - Suzanne B  has provided us with a wonderful Photo to give us inspiration, it is amazing how different we have all interpreted it, my fellow team mates have created some fantastic cards.

I decided in the beginning to make a shaped card, a friend recently sent to me a lovely gift of a Papercrafts CD  by Robert Addams - Fabulous Folds. I like to challenge myself, I thought making a shaped card would be a challenge, but they are so straight-forward, I so enjoyed creating something different. Once made, I covered the main body of the card with white card and an embossing folder, to replicate the wrought iron on the garden furniture.Two bird cages stamped, curved to give shape. Stamped and added a bird. I punched out lots and lots of white, pink and a darker pink flowers, adding them to the card. I am so much looking forward to visiting your blogs, to see your interpretations of this beautiful photo. Have fun!

Stamps used - Creative Expressions bird cage and sentiment - Bird from Inkadinkado

I have also entered the card into the following

Jellystone Friends - Die cuts/ Punches

Moving Along With the Times - Birdies

Tribute to Teens

My second post today, please check below.

Here is my Rock Chick for the Gingersnap Challenge - Tribute to Teens. It is a shame for the sheen and shimmer doesn't look as appealing as it does in real life. It gives such a shine. I covered my craft mat with four different TH Distress Inks, sprayd with water then placed on the card, moving gently to pick up the ink. I used a small star stamp from my stash, to randomly add to the background. The corner embellishments are double sided tape, with purple glitter added to them. The Rock Chick is a stamp I got at a craft event,  I've had it ages and this is only the 2nd time I've used it, so thanks Gingersnap for the opportunity of getting it out again. I coloured with Promarkers and Sakura pens. A little glitter added here and there. Thanks for looking and leaving any comments, which are greatly appreciated.

Spots and Dots

This is my first entry to Polka Doodles, I do enjoy the bright cheerful cards as a contrast to my other styles of stamping and card making. The challenge this week is Spots and Dots, which is provided in the upper piece of card, both of the cards are from a lovely block called Hideaway, super colours. I stamped the LOTV fairy onto an oval die and used colours from the card, making her a very bright and sunny fairy. Flowers and leaves are from my stash. Thanks for looking and of course, you know I love to read your comments.
I am also entering this card into
Dream Valley Challenges .Colour -  Lemon, Lime and Orange
Opus-Gluei - Roses

100 Followers - yippee!

To the last few followers on my blog, to Suzi B, Terry, Shaz and Dot, which  is the grand total of 100. I do realise I have lost many since my blog started in June 2010, but I know I equally have many faithful followers to whom I am so grateful. Their comments can lift my spirits and encourage me to continue doing something I love but the joy is being able to share it with craft minded friends.

Things That Move @ LIM

This is my 3rd entry today, please look below this item.

At Less Is More this week Chrissie and Mandi have asked us to create 'Things That Move' It can either be an item that moves or a part of the card may have movement. I have opted for the easier of the two. I have chosen a new stamp I bought at the event I went to last Sunday, a bargain stamp of a Dragonfly, from The Stampman.  I stamped it onto black card using Perfect Medium, then added with a small brush, several mica powders which were gently blended over the stamp, then sprayed with hair spray. I used a piece of yellow glitter card for a mat, to provide clear definition. I'm not a lover of glitter card, but I believe it works for this card. A few pearls added for interest. I have decided not to add a greeting, for I will wait and see for what purpose it will be used.
Other challenges entered............
Ooh! La! La! Creations Challenges   - No backing Paper

Handmade Flowers

The lovely new challenge blog, for its second week at Fashionable Stamping Challenges have set the challenge of Handmade Flowers. I love the stamp I used from Crafty Individuals, CI 148, it can be used in so many ways. I decided to add distressing to this card, it just happened that way. for the backing sheet I used one from a K & Co Basic Grey pack, stamped leaves on it and distressed with Vintage Photo. I found in my lace box a beautiful piece of cream and brown lace, which was perfect to lay the matted image onto.
The flowers and leaves were made with paper from Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Paper Stash. I call them spiral roses and they are so easy to make. Pop here to see how I made them. 

Explosion Box with a surprise

This week at Make My Monday, we are still on the theme of 'Things With Wings' but this week we are asking you to use some Acetate. Any way you choose. I first saw these 'Magic Boxes' a few year ago on this blog, http://magic-boxes.blogspot.com/ I have made several for special presents which have been so warmly received. This box has butterflies and a bee flying around at the end of acetate strips. Rather than me explain how I made it, the lady who designed them obviously makes a really good job of it, so please pop over to her beautiful website, she even has some free downloads. I am looking forward once again to visiting your blogs, such wonderful talent each week, it is a joy to visit, though it is getting harder each week to choose the Top 3.

No. 4 At the Seaside

Thanks to all of the ladies over at St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge for the wonderful challenge of  'I do like to be beside the Seaside'. I really do, too, this August has been the coldest and wettest that I can remember for ages. We did take two grandchildren last week in the rain and cold wind, as enjoyable as it was, it's not as good as when it's warm and sunny, for we in the North East of England are blessed with many wonderful sandy beaches. This is my 4th and last card for the challenge, and I now wondering what they will be asking for in September. Onto my card - This is the second Joanna Sheen Babe on the Beach I have used, they are so cute and easy to use. A simple easel card, with just a little colouring with Distress Inks, both direct to card and used as a watercolour. I stamped a few shells from an Elusive Images set and added a real shell from my stash. I'll be posting it off at the end of the month, with at least one other card for your next fund raiser.

Petals Wax Resist

If any of my class are looking in they will have a sneak preview of one of the cards they could choose to make at our next class. I stamped a variety of stamps from two sources, La Blanche and a Poetic Petals set from Hero Arts. I first stamped each flower randomly on an A5 card. I used a white oil pastel, although a wax crayon or even a candle will work, to add highlighted areas, which will also provide a resist when the coloured inks are add. I used several distress inks, to colour the flowers and the background, always adding in a circular motion. I layered the card onto pink,  grey and finally a white base. I am entering this card into
The Cheeful Stamp Pad whose theme this month is Petals. Thanks for looking at my blog and for leaving any comments, which are always a joy to read.

Portmeiron LO

I am entering this Scrapbook LO into the August Sketch Challenge at Creative Craft World. it is a fairly simple LO but follows the sketch. I enlarged two pics which I don't normally do but it suits the subject. I have made another page with smaller pics so it is a double LO .

Anything Goes at TIOT

As this is the 3rd Tuesday in the mont at Try It On Tuesday, it is time for us to create Anything we like, no theme, no requirements, the world is your oyster, so to speak. I need to catch up on my self made committment to Janet for her Poppy  Card Appeal so I took this opportunity and have made six of the bookmarks, featured above. I first coloured a sheet of card with Old Paper DI, then scrunched it up, to create lots of creases, smoothed it out, and brushed it with Vintage Photo DI to darken part of the card. I then stamped it with my favourite crackle stamp from Creative Expressions with black ink. I stamped the poppy in black, and embossed with clear powder. I used Mustard Seed, Barn Red, Fire Brick Red, Black Soot DIs and a dark green copic pen to colour in the poppies, leaves and stems. I look forward to see your creations over the next week. Above all have fun and enjoy creating. 

Fun with Fruit

The challenge blog Our Creative Corner are wanting us to have some Fun with Fruit this week. I most certainly have had fun, I love to try something different. I bought this stamp only yesterday, so this is my first play with it. I stamped it as it is, and coloured it all over with DI Old Paper and Antique Linen. I painted around the border with Vintage Photo, applied as a watercolour. I stamped the main image again, coloured the leaves first. I then touched some areas of the grapes with a white oil pastel crayon, I was so pleased when I added the Dusty Concord, the oil pastel resisted the purple colour giving the desired reflective areas. I then cut it out and added it as a decoupage layer. Matted the image onto black card and decorated the card.  Thanks for the diferent theme with a chance to play with my new stamp.

Fairies or Angels - Things with Wings

Over on Make My Monday this week, we continue with the theme of things with Wings, Suzanne has chosen FAIRIES OR ANGELS. This LOTV stamp is one of my favourites, plus I think she sits so well on an easel card. I decided to use purple tones, as my grandaughter has progressed from girly pink to almost teenager purple. Please pop over and have a look at the wonderful cards made by the deezine team, I look forward to again visiting your blogs, it is so rewarding to see so many interpretations and styles.
I am also entering this fairy card into
Delightful Challenges - Things with Wings
Moving Along With the Times    Fantasy
The Crafty Pad Cute and Girly
Make it Monday Anything Goes
Materials Used
Papermania Capsule Collection - Aqua Paper stack
Joanna Sheen purple paper
Butterflies cut from Craft Candy paper.
Sakura pens, Distress ink, Quickie Glue pen and glitter,
Flowers from stash, ivy leaves from one very long household stem of ivy, cut each individual leaf off, in stash.

Get Inky

Keeping the concept of Clean and Simple, Chrissie and Mandi, over on Less Is More, are asking us this week to get inky, to use inks on our cards. I just love messing about with inks. This card was already scored to give a square panel in the centre, so I masked  off the sides with post it notes, and worked within the square panel. I first stamped and embossed grasses stamps from Elusive Images, then I  used Distress inks, to colour the background, which then showed the ealier resist stamping. Stamped again using two colours of inks for more grasses from the same set. Sprayed with some Cosmic Shimmer  and finally added the bird from an Inkadinkado set of clear stamps, to which I added glitter. I hope you like it and thanks for any comments which I always enjoy reading.
I have also added this card into the challenge at The Stampman, Anything Goes with Summer Colours.

I'm back with £1.50 in my pocket........

Not telling how much I took with me, but I've had a great day. Terrific event, thanks to Ross Papercraft show oganisers, at Raignton Meadows, Co. Durham, plenty to  see and do, it's not too big to be uncomfortable. I spent my money fairly quickly, but had lots of time to roam around and take in lots of new ideas. I love looking at the cards already made, the samples give so many new ideas. I met a number of friends, had a chat and laughs. Adding a pic of my goodies, your right Cath, lists and craft events do not go together, never looked at my list, but still managed by memory to get the boring essentials I was desperate for.

Going to a Craft Event

I'm off to a craft event in the morning near Houghton-le-Spring in Co. Durham. I am so excited, it's like kids at Christmas, and I know there are a lot of you out there just like me, so I don't feel silly at all, just excited.  I have a shopping list, including boring necessities, but I never seem to stick to my list somehow. I 'll be in touch after my day out. Bye for now.

No 3 St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge

This is my third card for this month's challenge 'I do like to be beside the seaside' over at St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge. Please pop over to have a look, they do need a lot of support to help them raise the funds they need each year. They will be so grateful for your support, simply make a card, and if you can spare it, send it to them so they can sell it at their next craft sale. I would like to thank the ladies, for I have been thinking so much of the seaside these past few weeks, my OH and I took two of our grandchilren to the coast on Thursday, it was wet, cold, dull, and we had a fabulous time walking along the beach and playing around the rock pools. So thanks ladies. Now to my card (No 3) this involved a lot of different parts being masked, stamped and coloured. The stamps are a combination of Coast from Creative Expressions   and Beach stamps from Elusive Images. All colouring has been achieved using TH Distress inks, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Mustard Seed. I stamped and used silver EP for the anchor. I hope you like it, I will be posting it at the end of the month, as usual.
I am also entering this seaside card into the Clouds challenge at Stampin B's Design Team .

Welcome and thanks to Terry - USA

Hi and welcome to Terry from Southern California, who has become my 98th follower. Wow! I am thrilled and amazed, I know there are a much smaller number who look in and comment regularly for which I am very appreciative. I only started my blog, just over a year ago, so it is very rewarding to have this amount of followers. Only two more and I will have reached 100.  Many thanks to all of my visitors for whether you comment or not, your visits do give me encouragement and support.

What have I done today?

I have made two more cards for the Poppy Appeal, click for details. I love this poppy stamp and the verse which are both from Elusive Images. The heart is a little beauty, I have been tidying up a shelf, and found it, can't for my life remember seeing it before. lol. I have painted the poppy with distress inks. The card below is another bargain stamp I purchased, and again from Elusive Images. I spritzed and splashed the background with various Cosmic Shimmers, allowed to dry then simply stamped directly onto the card with a Tuxedo Black Memento, no colouring necessary. I have matted and layered to add more detail. Thanks for visiting my blog, I love your ocmments.



Flower of the Month

Daring Cardmarkers challenge this week is Flowers of the Month, to be either Poppies or Gladiola or both.
I am on a Poppy Fest at present making as many cards as I can with poppies for my friend Janet's husband Tim, who is planning a fund raising event for the British Legion in October and his wife is running a card stall, with crafted goods which have a poppy/poppies on them. If you would like to contribute or have more infomation please take a look at Poppy Appeal on my blog. The background of the card was made by spritzing several colours onto a piece of copy paper, which was then scrunched up to create lots of creases, again given a light spritz and put aside to dry. Later partially smoothed out to form the background. The background to the stamped image is the technique I call splodging, I placed three colours of Distress inks onto my craft mat, sprayed them with water, to get small bubbles, then gently placed my card onto the splodge, moved it around, let it dry, I then stamped onto it with a stamp from an Elusive Images A4 plate.
It seems fashionable now to have big bows, which I have glued to the centre a velvet covered button from MIL's button box. Thanks for stopping by, I love to read your comments.

Tag week - Trees at TIOT

This being the Tag week over at Try It On Tuesdays, the theme is Trees. I decided on being rustic and grungy, the tag is sitting on a piece of torn and exposed cardboard, which I coloured with Walnut Stain. A hole punched though them both is tied up with garden twine. The actual tag, has was stamped and clear embossed with text, then I blended several toning colours of Distress inks, I then stamped a super large tree from Inkylicious, with a scattering of birds from the grass. When everything was dry. Out came a sheet of newspaper and I ironed over the tag, till the hot iron had removed the embossing , leaving behind a white text, going through all of the stamping, this is known, I believe as 'Batik stamping'. May I add, like any good crafter, this is the only iron, I've touched for over a week. Once again I look forward to visiting your blogs. There were some fabulous seaside cards last week. Please pop over to our blog where the design team have produced some wonderful tree tags. have fun and thanks for visiting my blog.

CAS at Cards for Men

Over at Cards for Men and Boys, the challenge this week is Clean and Simple. Some time ago, I saw this technique, which I am calling Split Negative, I tried several times without success. Today I tried again and it worked so well. Everything comes to he who waits, so they say. I stamped with Versamark and used white embossing powder onto black card, then stamped onto white card, using black ink and clear embossing powder. The trick then is to mount them one on the other exactly, I then cut the square to 6sq cm.,  checked again the position of the bike then cut the card at 3 cm. I have another two pieces left so I can make another card. I matted and layered on white and black card. Added black and silver card candy down the two scalloped edges and made it a tent card. I hope you like my card, however, many thanks for visiting me, I always look forward to your comments.
I am also entering this into  the Secret Crafter Monochrome (Black and White only) challenge.

Things with Wings - Birds or Bugs

This is our second week of Things with Wings at Make My Monday, and Suzanne would like us to create a project with Birds or Bugs.  I wanted to use an embossing folder, so I chose birds. Firstly I coloured the card with Distress Inks before I placed it in the E.F. and ran it though the Cuttlebug. I then added more colour to the embossed areas and the sky. I wasn't too happy with the bird already on the embossing folder so I decided to stamp a suitable bird for the top of the reed as well as one for the lower section of the card.



I added some twine for texture. The birds are from Inkadinkado - Jewel birds, I have added some glitter on some areas, the remaining areas have been painted with H20's. I coloured the card with Weathered Wood for the sky. For the lower area, I covered the card with Mustard Seed, then used a piece of mesh through which I dabbed with Spiced Marmalade, don't you just love the names of these wonderful inks? Added a few flowers and job done.  Please pop over to the challenge blog for the Design Team have made some wonderful Birds or Bugs samples for you to see. I again look forward to visiting your blog, it is amazing how many variations of a theme are possible, it is so interesting. Thanks for visiting me, I always appreciate your comments.

No 2 Beside the Seaside

Here I am again, ladies, my second card for the month for St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge. Do you know they need to have £4 million  to provide the care they give each year?  It is ages since I was last at the seaside,  so I am enjoying pretending to be there. This card was made using a Joanna Sheen stamp, an oldie but a golden set in my collection. I decoupaged the little boy to make him more life like. I have added glitter glue to the sea, I hope you can see the glitter when you take a peek. I used Distress Inks to colour everything on the card, I thought it added more interest by taking the colouring from the panel to all of the card.

I hope my last batch of cards arrived okay. Have a good week ladies, see you next Sunday.

I am also entering this card into the Gingersnap Creations "Babes and Tots" Challenge.

Fashionable Stamping - New Blog

It seems there are new challenge blogs sprouting up like mushrooms but this is one I have signed on as a follower and will be entering their challenges on a regular basis. The Fashionable Stamping Challenges will be perfect for my stamping. I wish the group every success, though I know they will be a very popular challenge blog. For my first entry in their first challenge,  Anything Goes, I have made a small 4" square easel card, A little cheat on the base, for it is from the new La Pashe build a Blossom sheets. However, the easel section is 100% staming techniques. I started by  heat embossing text which covered the square. Then coloured the background with Fired Brick red Distress inks, so I had a resist technique. I then stamped the lovely lady and swirls, from La Blanche stamps, using Tuxedo Black. all was then dried with a heat tool. The card was covered with newspaper and ironed carefully checking as I went, until all of the embossed was ironed off, leaving a batik effect. The writing is still there behind all of the stamping giving a very effective background.
I am also entering this card into the Sugar Creek Hollow Make you own Background challenge, another beautiful challenge site.

On the Beach

This week at Try It On Tuesdays, we would like to see anything connected to the beach, there are a few challenges around with the same title this week, so why not add our name to your list too. Over on our blog there are some wonderful samples from the DT. Don't forget the winner, chosen by the Random Indicator, will receive a £10 voucher from One Stop Craft cards, their logo is on my side bar.
For my card, I decided to punch a 3" aperture, to allow us to see through to another scene.
I used the Coastal stamps from Creative Expressions and Distress inks for my colouring both in and out of the card.  I am looking forward once again to visiting your blogs, have fun, I do hope we get some more sunny weather before the summer ends. Have fun and thanks for visiting my blog.
I am also entering my card into the following challenges.
St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge - At the Seaside
There She Goes     Summer
Creative Inspirations  Summertime
Craft Room Challenge summer Holidays

New Month - New Theme at MMM

A new month, a new theme, at Make My Monday. Thanks to Fliss for the Vintage theme last month which was greatly enjoyable. For August we have Suzanne's choice of WINGS AND THINGS, each week, there will be a different challenge, around the theme, starting this week with Butterflies or Dragonflies, I seem to have been the only one who chose dragonflies, for I think they can be just as beautiful as a butterfly, I started by mmaking, what I call a stubby Diamond fold card.  I stamped on the lower section with a crackle stamp and added a greeting. The main topper on the diamond fold, was first coloured with Distress inks, dried, stamped with Versamark, again with the crackle stamp and a small swirl stamp. I then gently brushed onto the topper, gold and copper mica powders, which I then dried with my heat tool. Finally I stamped the dragonflies using Memento Tuxedo black ink. Give it a try, it's great fun and you can get some wonderful results by experimenting. Good luck and have fun.