Pass the Salt Please!

Over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge, they have celebrated Robbie Burns on 25th January, by asking for a project with a Scotish theme. I have searched my stash, I can't believe I don't have a piece of tartan ribbon, something I must put right , the next time I'm buying stash. I am hoping the thistles stamps will be acceptable, along with the colour purple, which I always associate with Scotland. I had great fun creating the background of this card. From one A4 sheet of card I made 4 completely different cards. Firstly I started with the lighter colours at the bottom, adding Peeled Paint across the width, landscape orientated. Then above blended with Shabby Shutters, then above Victorian Velvet, then blended Dusty Concord, of course any of the TH Distress inks colours are suitable. Place it on a sheet of newspaper, spray water over the page, until it is all wet, you can see the colours dispersing into each other. Then I added the magic, ordinary Sea Salt from a round tub, sprinkle it in patches over the wet card. This is the only difficult part - be patient. Allow it to dry as much as possible naturally, for the salt is soaking up the colour, which will leave patches. Depending on how wet it is, expect it to take approx one and a half hours. You can speed the drying process but be careful for the salt which is dry may 'ping' all over. When totally dry brush off with a brush or I find my fingers work best. You then decide how your going to cut up the page for cards. This one when dry, I stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black with Lavinia Thistles. Added a few gems, a piece of ribbon and matted onto a piece of black card. Another card from the same sheet can be found .here

Make My Monday Butterfly and/or Dragonfly

This week, at Make My Monday we are taking our last look at NATURE with Butterflies and or /Dragonflies. The choice is yours. I would like to thank Fliss who chose the theme and January's weekly subjects, I have had a great time, which I'm sure you have too. Don't forget Fliss has ofered a prize for the overall winner in January. I am often saying you don't have to make a card, it can be any papercraft project you wish, so I thought it was time I made something other than a card. I am going to challenge myself to provide one scrapbook page each month. Hopefully Scrapbooking will become more popular.

This L.O (Lay Out) is part of a 2 page set, where my journalling panel is, with details of the day. We had taken some grandchildren to a local park one day last year. I used paper with dragonflies to match the colours. I added felt flowers and made some dragonflies from stamping and colouring. Some dragonflies were made with a dragonfly punch. One of the first things I learnt with Scrapbooking is COLOUR - look at your photographs, what colour/s are predominet, then find the papers and card to suit. The title, for every page needs a title, was made on  Word  on my PC.

I am looking forward to visiting you over the next week for I am sure we will be seeing a lot of beautiful cards/projects with butterflies and or dragonflies. Have fun, pop over to see the wonderful samples from the Design team, lots of inspiration for you, in our last week of NATURE. I wonder what February has in store?

Less Is More - 1 for a Gal

(Please see first entry below.) This week at Less Is More Chrissie and Mandi have provided a simple sketch for us to follow. As I have said below, well at first it seemed simple, until I started to think what to add into the panel. I wanted to use two completely different techniques for my Guy and Gal card.
Materials used :-Creative Expressions crackle stamp - Versamark - Clear embossing powder - heated.
TH Distress inks brushed over the resisted first layer, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey.
Stamps used Lady  and swirls are both La Blanche. Ink to stamp - TH Vintage Photo.

Sketch -LIM-1 for a guy.

It's been a while since I played along at Less Is More, but now Christmas and life seems calmer, I'm hopping back on board for Week 52 - Amazing,  how quickly that year has passed us by. This week we have been given a sketch to follow, so simple, but not so simple when coming to design something. I enjoyed so much making my first card for a guy, I made a second for a gal. (please see above entry)
 I will add them seperately to the LIM blog.

Materials used:- TH Distress Ink Frayed Burlap brushed on the panel.
Stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa.
Stamps used Backgound and the Gentlemen from Tim Holtz Steampunk CMS107
Cogs and Clock from Kanban - Steampunk Jasper set.
Sentiment -source unknown.

Make It A Guy Thing

For the next two weeks, at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, we would like to see a project for a guy. It could be a Valentine card, or any other card or project for a guy in mind. Our sponsor Cottage Crafts is now offering the overall winner a chance to choose their own prize to a limit of 7euros. Please pop over and take a look at the amazing catwalk.  The Fashionettes have again produced some amazing pieces for your pleasure. My husband adores the great outdoors, he is a keen bird watcher, so the type of card I usually make for him is of the countryside. This card is not only using Sheena Douglass's stamps but is similar to one she recently made on C&C TV.  The stamps are the Faith set in the Sketchy series. I used TH Distress inks to add all of the colour, by blending, directly stamping and as a watercolour. I look forward to visiting your blog to see your projects for the guys in your life.
Remember, STAMPING must be a main feature and be clearly seen.  Have fun, thank you to any who visit and comment on my card, your ocmments are always appreciated.

Postcard Challenge Wk 4 China

I am feeling jet lagged, the distances we are travelling in such a short time, are amazing and exciting. China, I have changed my mind so many times, I'm still not thrilled with my final result, it is a mix up of my ideas.

The national flower for China was agreed in 1964 to be the Plum Blossom. The giant Panda is indigenous to Central mountainous areas of China. They live in highly dense forest areas, their staple diet is bamboo and the leaves. China regularly re-introduce Pandas back into their natural habitat.

I have many Orental stamps but it wasn't until I started this project I realised probably 90% are Japanese.

Continuing the story of Hermione and her parents.

"Hello Dearest - Father and I are thrilled with your idea to start using owl post. All of this interaction with the animal and birds kingdom is above us. We understand the owl will arrive wherever we are - we give it your post and it will be delivered to you.  So will you continue to send your cards to us via owl post to Paris and then our courier will deliver to us? Love from Mum and Dad"

Stamps used - Joanna Sheene - Plum Blossom

Remainder stamps from See D's Asian Designs -Chinese 50056
To see my Postcard book and my other Postcards go HERE
To see Darcy's Page and a list of my fellow travellers go HERE

Fantastic News

I have been so excited and thrilled, and can now share my news. I have long admired the challenge blog Alphabet Challenges, so when I saw there was a DT call, I crossed my fingers and applied. I am so delighted to have been offered a place on the Design Team. Many thanks to the team and hello to my fellow new team members this week. We are coming in for the last letter of the alphabet Z - for Zoo Animals. I am always so happy to get an opportunity to use one of the four large aninal stamps I have from La Blanche bought ages ago on QVC. This is of the leopard. I added some corrugated card to the main card, to give a rustic background. I watercoloured the card with TH Distress Inks Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters. I then stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa, the large stamp of the leopard and leaves. I used watercolour pencils to colour the leaves. I then made two leaves (Sheena Douglass) to add to the end of the card, to place the Scrabble type letters. I re-stamped the animal again, coloured the light areas with Distress ink Old Paper. Tore and distressed the edges and adhered to the corrugated card with silicone. I do hope you like my Zoo animal, I am so looking forward to visiting your blogs to see your Zoo Animals. Please be sure to pop over to the blog for the DT have made some fabulous cards, to inspire you.

I am also entering this crd into the Animals challenge at Dream Valley Challenges