An Old Button

Use it up Tuesdays is a lovely challenge blog, which I would join in more often if I had more time, don't we all say that at least once a day?  their main principle is, as it says, Use it up, we all have stash lying around forever. Well, this week they are going further and have asked us to use up TWO old  items from our stash. Oh! that could have been painful. I have managed though, my two old items are the beautiful old button from my button box, passed on from my mother,  along with the organza ribbon, from my ribbon box. I have some more recent touches, the Paris stamp and the Fran-tage, both from Stampendous.
I am also entering this card into Make It Mondays - Anything Goes,
Oldie But Goodie Challenges, (see old items above) - Anything Goes
My Craft Spot - Buttons and Bows

Medals and Monarchs

I recently purchased the Stampendous LONDON stamp, I didn't of course need it, but oh! I did want it so badly. I am sure I will find many uses for it over the years. Umm!! Of course it works perfectly for the Sir Stampalot monthly challenge, which for May is Medals and Monarchs. My square card has a collage of print outs from the Debbie Moore London Shabby Chic which has been topped with the London stamp, coloured with Promarkers. I added gems to the crown.
I am also entering this card into Craft Your Days Away - challenge, Red, White and Blue.

Colour Inspiration

This week,at Make My Monday,  brings us to the end of our monthly FLORAL theme with a colour inspiration photo, aren't the colours just gorgeous - Pink, Green and White. I have enjoyed the floral theme, so appropriate to end on such a pretty challenge. Thanks to Suzi B for her choices they are been wonderful challenges. For my card, again I made a square card, I randomly stamped on two pieces of green paper to form the background. Added a piece of very pretty satin and organza ribbon. I stamped the image using a Memento black ink with a Kay Carley design stamp available from The Stampman. I used Promarkers to colour in the image, matted onto light and darker green card. Added a few pink gems for a touch of bling. A simple but I hope you agree a very pretty card. I am looking forward to visiting you to see your creations, there were some wonderful flowers and grasses last week, difficult to choose the Top 3 once again.

Mushy House

This week at ATCs with Attitude finds us at Challenge 14, - Anything Goes, you can either make an ATC or a Card, anything you choose. I chose from Anita's Digital Designs the Mushy House and made an ATC. It is such a cute house, suitable for many cards and events. I coloured the house with Promarker's. I coloured the background and stamped the images with TH Distress Inks as water colours. I look forward to visiting you over the next two weeks, to see your Anything Goes creations.

Steampunk Sally

For this week at Fat Pages with Attitude, I chose the delightful Steampunk Sally from our sponsor Delicious Doodles. I coloured her with Promarkers and Sakura pens, placed her on a background of cogs paper. I then added a few metal bits and pieces 'removed' from my husband's stash of bits from the garage. They look better on my Fat Page than in a jam jar. The hand is from a set of stamps by TH. I am looking forward to visiting you for Challenge 14 which is Anything Goes so feel free ladies (gents) to make either a Fat Page or a card.

Easy Elegance

Easy Elegance is the name of the challenge this week  at CD Sunday Challenges. I printed the topper of the dancer from Fashion CD by Maria G Designs. I used some old black and white stash for the background. Made 5 black and white paper roses, adhered a few pearls and a greeting. I hope you think she is elegant, I do. Thanks for visiting my blog and any comments you may leave are always appreciated. 

Wild Grasses & Flowers

Make My Monday, are now in the third week of the FLORAL theme. Suzi B for this week has chosen Wild Flowers and Grasses, a wonderful choice and an opportunity for all of us who have not been able to resist the many available stamps in this style currently available. I started by creating the background with TH Distress Inks, Victorian Velvet, Worn Lipstick, Broken China and Dusty Concord. All of the stamps, except the birds, are from Inidgo Blu, Nature 1. The birds are from Inkylicious Trees set. Please pop over to the challenge blog for I think the DT have excelled this week with their samples, or am I biased for I love this form of stamping. I am looking forward once again to visiting you to see what you have created, but please check the rules and have fun.

Steampunk at Fashionable Stamping

For the next two weeks at Fashionable Stamping  Challenges we are asking you to think of Steampunk. Don't be daunted by the prospect, if you've never attempted it before, think of Victorian,  Jules Verne, Steam, if electricity hadn't been invented what else would we have using steam? Fashion too, can become your way out fantasies. Mix it up, clocks, cogs, mechanical parts. Be daring and try being different but we do ask somewhere noticeable on your work we can see some stamping. For my project, I have made it feminine, it isn't always about men. Yes, it's grungy but I like to mix up my styles. The background is a sheet from a kitchen roll which cleaned up my mess at the Stampman workshop yesterday, don't throw anything away. Stamps used, coloured and cut out, the lower lady's head is stamped onto tissue paper. A piece of mesh, with a piece of cotton with eyelets adds extra texture and interest, contrasted against a frizzled up organza bow. Over some areas of the card, I have sprinkled and heated Fran-tage, one of the delights I procured  from the workshop. Along with some Lilac Wow! powder, messy, maybe, but it's my version of Steampunk. I hope you like it. thanks for your visits. Sorry I haven't been a good commenter lately but I've been very busy and poorly, hope to improve soon.

The Stampman Workshop

Today 15 crafter's have spent the time, colouring and decorating an inexpensive frame giving it the Jill Tuck
(Mrs. Stampman) and Stampendous Fran-tage touch. We also had the wonderful Ian, (Mr. Stampman) ever so willing to help us at the Snod's Village Hall - near Shotley Bridge, Co. Durham. Many of us had looked forward to it since its day of conception, none of us were let down. I would like to thank Jill and Ian for a wonderful day. My thanks to each of the fabulous ladies who supported the event. Here are a few pics of those ladies having a good time, getting crafty and playing.

Caz/Carole and Yvonne/Meggymay

Jan/JayBe and Pat (Chippa)

Sue/Garnet and Gwynn

Ann B and Doreen

Joan and Pam

Pat and Jen

Diane and Avril with Jill

and where was Pat Forster I wonder? Pity I missed her with the camera.

Of course at the end of the day, the most frequent asked question was 

"When is the next one?" Good question. Watch this space girls.

Handmade Flowers

My apologies to the girls and our team leader at Alphabet Challenge for adding my DT sample almost two days late, but I have been poorly with a cold, which has even reduced the amount of crafting I've been able to. For the next two weeks, we are asking you to join us in making your own flowers. Any kind, as long as you have made them. You can enter any piece of your created craft, not just cards, scrapbook LO, tags, anything you wish, as long as it has on it a or some handmade flowers.
For my card, I used a sheet of designer paper from Melody Ross. Stamped one of my favourite sentiments, from a stamp I purchased on E-Bay. I stamped the leaves onto green card and made the flowers. These spiral flowers are so easy to make, and depending upon the size of the circle you start with, varies the size of the flowers. If you want to see more please go here. which is on my Techniques/Tutorials blog.

Normal Service will Resume.....

as soon as I am feeling better. I have a rotten sore throat, associated with as many awful unmentionable symptoms as you can imagine. Can't be bothered. Yet I have have got to get pulled together tomorrow, to finalise the arrangements for the Workshop I have planned for Mr & Mrs. Stampman to demonstrate wonderful techniques, on Saturday. I have been so looking forward to it since it was first arranged. keep away from bugs they aren't friendly ones these days.

Up, Up and Away.....

with my beautiful balloons. Don't worry you can't hear me singing it. Over at Crafty Cardmakers, Mynette has challenged us to make a project to celebrate her birthday with Birthday Balloon Bonanza. We can make anything with any kind of balloon. I used to regularly play with iris folding, it's been ages since I made a card with it. Late last night the electric light bulb went ping! An idea! this is the result - two flying hot air balloons up, up and away to say Happy Birthday to Mynette and anyone else celebrating a birthday this week. i found the pattern at www.circleofcrafters.com/irisfolding  which are free to download.

Mirror Reflections

I do love the challenges at CD Sunday Challenges, they are so different and I do have to put my thinking cap on and research, or in other words,  trawl, through my CDs, which can be fun too. The theme this week is Reflections, so many ways this could be undertaken. I couldn't resist this image with the very pretty reflection in the mirror, which is on the CD - Fashion, a Maria G Design. The background paper is from Debbie Moore Shabby Chic Paper Delights. I added a large charm, pink flower with a simple flow of ribbon, and 3 pink gems.
Thanks for visiting ladies and for any comments, they are always greatly appreciated.

Flowers and Music

This week at Make My Monday we are continuing our FLORAL theme with the addition of MUSIC. You are obviously enjoying the Floral theme, there were some awesome cards last week, so difficult to choose the winners. For my card,  I decided to make a small card, I used a designer sheet for the background. Stamped the music sheet from La Blanche, I distressed the edges. The tulip is from a Stamps by Chloe, which was painted with Luminate paints and decoupaged. Ribbon and pink jewels added for texture and bling.  I look forward again to visiting new and old friends to see your creations of Flowers with Music.

At the Races -Trinitage

This is my second card for the Rainbow Lady, Age as in Decoupage or in my case Trinitage from La Pashe. I made several of this type of card for a demo class recently. This card is for a Dad who enjoys the races. A fuller description of the mechanics in making it are in the card below this one.

Grand Prix for Dad

The Rainbow Lady this week has an interesting challenge, called Age - as in Decoupage etc. I have chosen to complete two cards I hadn't quite finished, they had started out as demos for my weekly class. Firstly, let us go to the Grand Prix - A Happy Father's Day card - which is a Trinitage from La Pashe. A pop up card which is really easy to achieve. In the set you get two pieces of paper which you transfer to card to make small boxes to which you attach the different layers of the card. the second card I completed is above.

The White Queen

This is my first post as a new member of the DT,  at Fat Pages with Attitude. I am so pleased to have been invited to join this lovely Challenge Blog. I chose the White Queen simply because she is stunning, she has such a pretty face. Being the White Queen I joined her up with a Creative Expressions Vintage Games stamp set. The chess board and smaller chess pieces were stamped with Versamark, embossed with Stampendous extra fine white embossing powder. Blue glitter card on the background. I printed the image onto white card, coloured her with skin colours, the remainder with a Pastel Blue Promarker , other areas left white.

I am looking forward to visiting your creations of either a Fat Page or a Card for the theme Butterflies and Blooms or Anything Goes. 

Flower Power

This is my first project as a new girl on the DT. I am so pleased to have been invited to join
ATC and Cards with Attitude. I chose the Flower girl, because I knew she could be so colourful. I printed her onto plain white card, I used white copy paper as a mask, followed by stamping with flowers from my tapestry stamps collection, using a variety of Brilliance ink pads.I then coloured in the remainder with a Promarker. I added a piece of cord around her head and added a flower jewel. Cut her out, added her to a bright background, with stars and flowers.

I am looking forward to visiting your creations over the next two weeks.

Yellow Bubbles

It is the Colour week at Less Is More - Yellow, it appears not a favourite for many, but I love it, it is so fresh, bright and cheery. I first cut up a piece of bubble wrap, added Mustard Seed TH Distress ink directly to the bubbles side. Gently lay it directly onto the card and gently pressed. I am impatient, so, I dried it with my heat tool. When dry, I used Memento Rich Cocoa ink to stamp one of my newest stamps from Indigo Blu - Nature 1.  The greeting stamp is an old foam one but I love the font and find it suitable for so many occasions.
I am also entering this card into:-
Top Tip Tuesday - Clean and Simple.
My time to Craft - Happy Healing

In the Trees

This week the CD Sunday Challenge has set us the challenge of Trees or Bushes. For me, part of the challenge is finding the theme on my few CDs, the remainder is deciding what to do with the found piece. I am in luck this week, lots to choose from on the Joanna Sheen, Oriental Dreams, which I purchased a long time ago. It seems Oriental may be trying to make a comeback, so this card may not feel too outdated. I used plain black paper to mat and layer the CD background and topper. Made a scroll for the small topper. Down the side I twice stamped and gold embossed a strip of Kanji (Japanese writing). I think this is a suitable card for a guy.

A White Flower

I hope everyone enjoyed my choices for the Man and Boy theme during April at Make My Monday. For May, the theme of the month will be FLORAL, chosen by our team member Suzi B. For this week, the birth flower for May has been chosen, the Lily of the Valley, but if you don't manage this, then an alternative is any white flower. For my card I decided upon Morning Glory which sounds better than it's common name, which I know as Bindweed. I stamped onto a piece of white vellum, dried the ink. On the reverse the areas I wanted white, I embossed with an embossing tool, which stretches the vellum to show white on the reverse side. I coloured the other areas with 3 shades of green Promarkers. The vellum was attached to a piece of white card and green card with a couple of brads. Matted onto a white 5" x 7" card, with a piece of pretty green ribbon. I didn't add a sentiment for this is a general card which can be used for many occasions which will be added to the insert when I need it. Have fun, please pop over and join in the challenge, I am sure you will enjoy our Floral month.

Morning Glory stamp from Elusive Images (Chocolate Boroque).

Cities of the World

For the next two weeks we at Fashionable Stamping Challenges are looking forward to visiting Cities of the World. We are sure to have a whirlwind journey. London has featured heavily, only because for many of we Brits it is our most famous city, where there is so much going to be happening this summer, with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and of course the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games.  For my card, first it is an A5 in the UK this is half of of an A4, so, quite a big card. The Union Jack background is from a scrapbook sheet by Personal Impressions. The building is from a set from Inidgo Blu, the two figures are from Kanban's Jasper set. Everything was coloured with either Promarkers or TH Distress Inks. The London letters were created by hand and coloured. Don't forget there is a prize and a badge for the outright winner and a badge for the Top 3. Come on bloggers, now which city of the world will you be visiting?

For the next two weeks at Alphabet Challenge we would like to see your creations of  G for Garden. I've  recently been making stepper cards for the class I run. I felt this fitted in really well for all of the stamps I have used from the Flippen Women series from La Pashe stamps. I took a close up of one side but if you click on the main picture you will see all of the card closer. I coloured everything with Promarkers. The punched white fence is from a Martha Stewart border punch. There have been some amazing creations for our last challenge, it was really enjoyable looking at all of the varied birds, so I am looking forward to viewing your gardens. Have fun ladies and any gents who may be around, most welcome.
I am also entering this into the challenge Garden Gems at My Time to Craft

If I have any visitors - thankyou

I am furious that this can happen, my blog has been almost blacklisted, to put out a warning like this will anyone visit me? I doubt it! I am a Design Team member for three challenge blogs, what is the point, if no one will visit me. I have had this design from Shabby blogs for months and months, most of this year. I am now so unsure for  I don't know how to remove it, I am still struggling with the last changes made by Google. I am now thinking what the h... am I to do????????????????????
Keep calm - I have removed the offending Shabbyblogs which I loved. I will stay boring white until I think of what else to do.
The warning appears to have gone. Thank Goodness.

Chocolate, Cream and one other

This week at CD Sunday Challenge, I will be honest, I have struggled to find inspiration. I then remembered I had a CD Rom of The Tales of Peter Rabbit, by Crafter's Companions. I've only used it once before, time it came off the shelf, to become useful again. I do enjoy the finished result of decoupage cards, but nowadays they are ones we need to be handing over and not posting. All the papers except for the brown and cream card came from the CD. Thanks ladies for continuing to stimulate me.