Christmas!

Hi Bloggers - hope you are all well and getting organised for Christmas (which is getting scarily closer!)  Over at  Happy Campers this month the theme is Christmas so for my DT entry I am sharing this project with you.  I made this Advent Calendar for my children.  It is made from a kit that I bought from CleverCut (I actually bought it last year, so not sure if they do it any more - sorry!).  The kit comes flat-packed and includes papers to cover it.  I coloured the top, base and numbered drawer fronts with 'faded jeans' and 'peeled paint' Distress Inks and went over with a snowflake stamp which I embossed in silver.  The snowmen papers and embellishments are from my stash.  I lined each drawer with a cute Christmas picture.  The finished product is very sturdy, so can be used year after year.  The drawers are a nice size too, so I can easily fit three chocolates in each (one each for my two boys and an extra for me!!).

Please be sure to hop on over to the Happy Campers blog for some more DT inspiration.  We'd love to see your Christmas projects too!

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Glitter it!

 



Hi Bloggers!  This month at Happy Campers the theme is glitter so I decided to have a play with my Sparkle Medium from Imagination Crafts.  I love this product because you can make amazing designs with just a little bit of Sparkle Medium and a stencil.  The stencil I used for this card is called 'Sparkles' by Imagination Crafts.  I used Silver and Blue Moonstone Sparkle Medium.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

I would like to enter this card into the following:

Imagination Crafts challenge - Glitter and Sparkle

Crafty Calendar challenge - Anything Christmas

Stamping Sensations challenge - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it.

Halloween!

Hi bloggers!  It's time for another challenge over at Happy Campers and this month the theme is Halloween.  I can't wait to see all your Halloween projects!  I created the background for this card using the Spiders Web stencil from Imagination Crafts and WOW! Neutral Ultra Shimmer Embossing Glitter.  I used Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circles Large to cut out the sentiment which is a digi from Jellypark.

 

I would like to enter this card into the following:

Imagination Crafts challenge - Halloween

Crafty Calendar challenge - Halloween

Countryview Crafts challenge - Something Spooky.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it.

Flowers

Hello bloggers!  Over at Happy Campers this month the theme is 'Flowers', so for my DT project I made this.

I go to a local craft shop, Sugar and Spice Crafts, once a week for a craft class and for the last couple of weeks we have been playing with the amazing paints and mediums from PaperArtsy.    I used these to decorate an MDF plaque I had in my stash.

The items I used are:

PaperArtsy chalk acrylics 'Beach Hut' (blue), 'Hey Pesto' (green) and 'Very Berry' (pink)

PaperArtsy grunge paste (used through the stencil)

PaperArtsy stamp set 'JOFY 11' (for the sentiment)

Spellbinders 'Sun Kissed Fleur' die (the small flowers, which are coloured with Promarkers)

That Special Touch Mask 'Chicken Wire'

Imagination Crafts Stencil 'Bird Cages'

Pinflair Buff-it 'Silver'

 

We would love to see your 'Flowers' over at Happy Campers this month.  The DT have produced some amazing projects, so why not pop over for some inspiration.

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!

 



Poppy!



Hi bloggers!  What else to do on a cold, rainy day than sit and make a card!!  While sorting through my stamps at the weekend, I came across a set I bought a while ago from Dimension Stamps called 'Forever Floral'.  The set contains 12 flower stamps (one for each month) along with its name and the month (I think I bought it with a calendar in mind but never got round to making it!).  I coloured the stamp with Spectrum Noirs.  The die cut poppy is one of the Spellbinders Die D-Lites - 'Asters and Poppies'.

I am entering this card into the Stamping Sensations challenge - poppy photo inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!

Autumn Garden

Hello bloggers!  With the boys now back at school I decided it was time to tidy the growing pile of crafty bits which I have bought throughout the summer and not done anything with.  Lurking in this pile was a box of goodies I bought from The Hobby House using the £25 prize I received when I was the lucky winner of The Hobby House challenge back in July and I used them to make this card.

I would like to enter this card into the following:

The Hobby House Challenge - 'Hobby House Artists' (Elisabeth Bell)

Country View Crafts' Challenge - 'Layers'

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!!



Festive!

Hi bloggers!  Where did August go?  I can't believe the boys will be going back to school next week.

I recently bought one of the Art Pads ('Tis the Season) from Lili of the Valley and have used one of the beautiful images to make this card.  The flowers and leaves are Spellbinders 'Layered Poinsetta'.  The dotty card is Anna Marie Designs.  I embossed the card blank with one of the poinsettia dies.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend and have some sunshine where you are (it is glorious here).

I would like to enter this card into the Lili of the Valley's Ideas to Inspire Blog challenge - 'Make it Festive!'.

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Happy Campers DT Project - 'Use a Stamp'

 



Morning bloggers!  Wow, I am so grateful and excited to have been chosen as one of the new DT members at Happy Campers.  The Challenge for this month is 'Use a Stamp' (either rubber or digi, or both!).  The rest of the DT have produced some amazing samples so why not pop over to Happy Campers and take a look and enter your own stamping project!  For my card, the sentiment is a Clarity Stamp and the flowers are Marion Emberson Designs 'Sunshine & Flowers'.  I coloured the flowers with Sakura Glaze pens.

Am supposed to be spending the day at the beach today with friends but looks like the rain may have put a stop to that.  May have to do some more crafting instead!!

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Christmas!

 



Morning bloggers!  Spent a glorious 11 days in Spain with the boys - brilliant!!  Came home to find out that my mum was in hospital - not so brilliant!!  Anyway, she is back home now so things are beginning to return to normal (or as normal as they can be).  Lying awake at 6am this morning wishing I was back in Spain I decided to get up and make my first Christmas card of 2013 (as you do!!) and here it is.  I stamped and embossed the IndigoBlu 'Large Snowflake' onto vellum and coloured the back with Copics.  The background is PanPastels randomly stamped and embossed with the snowflake.  The sentiment is from the IndigoBlu 'Here Comes Santa' stamp set.  I would like to enter this card into the following:

IndigoBlu Challenge - 'Christmas in July'

Crafty Calendar Challenge - 'Anything Goes'

The Hobby House Challenge - 'Christmas'

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Summer

Wow, where have the last couple of weeks gone!  My children have kept me so busy with end of school year activities that crafting has had to take a back seat! 

I love this colour combination - I think it's really summery.  The background is a piece of cardboard covered in texture paste, stamped into top and bottom with a Karantha stamp - 'Cottage Garden: Meadow Daises' and dusted over with yellow and pink PanPastels.  I spread imagination crafts' Sparkle Medium - 'Old Rose' through a That Special Touch mask - 'Fox Glove'.  The large flowers are the Heartfelt Creations 'Sun Kissed Fleur' die and the butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.  I distressed the edges of the black card on the base with the Sparkle Medium.  I would like to enter this into the following:

Happy Campers Challenge - 'Summer'

In The Pink Challenge - 'Hot Pink'

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!

Diamonds

Morning Bloggers!  Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine.  The inspiration for this card came from the Crafty Friends Challenge this week 'Inspired by a Song' and I chose Rihanna's 'Diamonds'.  The background was created using dusty concord, picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks.  The stamps are Sheena's 'Silhouette Garden' and Claritystamp's 'Birdhouse Garden'.  This was a reasonably quick card to make but I am pleased with the result.  I would like to enter this into the following:

Crafty Friends Challenge - 'Inspired by a Song'

Happy Campers Challenge - 'Bling!'

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!



Beach Hut

 

 

Hi bloggers!  I bought this Artemio wooden beach hut and wooden shapes a few weeks ago and have finally decided to do something with them!  One of my dreams would be to own a beach hut just like it and spend lazy days by the sea (one day maybe!!).  I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in 'Beach Hut' and 'Stone' to paint the beach hut with a layer of PaperArtsy Crackle Glaze between the two layers of paint to create the crackle effect.  The wooden shapes are painted with the 'Beach Hut' paint.  I stamped the anchors on the front with 'Peacock Feathers' distress ink.  I stamped some leaves on the sides with 'Peeled Paint' distress ink to create a seaweed effect.

I would like to enter this into the following:

Crafty Calendar Challenge - 'A Colour Challenge'

Stamping Sensations Challenge - 'Summer Colours'

Crafty Friends Challenge - Picture Inspiration (Summer theme)

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!

Here Comes Summer!

 



Hi bloggers.  Have just been looking at the weather forecast for the weekend and it looks like summer is finally on its way (well for a few days at least!), so I have decided to share this 'summery' card with you today.

 

The items I used are:

 

Papers - HOTP 'Serendipity'

Orange/yellow flowers and flourishes - Spellbinders 'Jewel Flowers and Flourishes'

Pink/blue flowers - Die-namics 'Prima Donna Petals'

Whimsy Stamp - 'Wee Suzi' (coloured with Promarkers and Spectrum Noirs)

Large black gems - Creative Expressions Dazzlers

White circle - Spellbinders 'Exquisite Circles'.

 

I would like to enter this card into the Country View Crafts' Challenge - 'Summer Sizzler'.

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

 



Pink Bling!

Hi Bloggers!  Hope you are all having a good weekend and have had some of the lovely sunshine where you are.  The background for this card is made using a That Special Touch mask - 'Floral Lace' and imagination crafts' Sparkle Medium - 'Old Rose'.  The butterflies are Spellbinders 'Les Papillions' embossed with a mixture of pink and glitter embossing powders.  The sentiment is a Clarity Stamp.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:



Happy Campers Challenge - 'Bling'

Crafty Friends Challenge - 'Bling'

In the Pink Challenge - 'Things with Wings'





I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Ooh La La!

Hi Bloggers!  I love Wednesdays, because I go to a weekly craft class at Sugar and Spice Crafts which is owned by the very talented Marion Emberson.  The Wednesday classes are run by a lovely, clever lady called Nina who teaches us lots of different techniques.  The other ladies there are great and we have lots of fun and get to craft for a couple of hours too!!

Today Marion took the class.  She is an expert with WOW! Embossing Powders and we made the mannequin embellishment on the canvas.  The whole mannequin is embossed with black.  The skirt is triple embossed and we stamped into the third layer of embossing.  The top of the mannequin is embossed using a coloured embossing powder - sorry, but I didn't make a note of the exact colour, but they can all be found on the Sugar and Spice website.  We made the rose using the coloured embossing powder, WOW! Melt-It and a silicone mould.  We tied a small piece of netting round the middle of the mannequin.  I added the rose charm and gems later.

For the canvas, I mixed modelling paste with a green PanPastel and spread this through a Pronty Mask Stencil - 'A4 Butterfly' to make the background and brushed the edges with 'old paper' distress ink.  I cut out the red and black card using Spellbinders 'Labels Twenty-Eight'.  The black card was embossed with an Embossalicious folder called 'Rose Garden' and I went over it with pewter gilding wax.  I made the corner embellishments using melted embossing powders and a Martha Stewart mould.

I would like to enter this into the Crafty Friends Challenge - 'Use a Charm'.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!

Summer Time

Hi Bloggers!  I made this card for the Indigoblu Challenge - 'Summer Time'.  I stamped the roses onto watercolour paper using the Indigoblu 'Clock Work' stamp set.  I embossed with silver then painted with distress inks (picked raspberry and a mixture of peacock feathers and mustard seed).  I used Spellbinders 'Exquisite Circles' for the white circle.  The sentiment is a rub-on from my stash.

Let's hope we get some real summer time soon!!

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

All White!

 



Morning bloggers!  Firstly, a huge heartfelt thank you for all the lovely comments I have received during the past week and to my new members for following me.

This card is an 8" square.  The flowers were stamped onto parchment with the Heartfelt Creations Striped Sun Kissed Fleur stamp and embossed with a mixture of white and glitter embossing powders.  I then used the Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur die to cut them out.  These stamps and dies make gorgeous flowers and I can see myself using them a lot!  The centre is a 6" circle cut from white pearl card and embossed with the Couture Creations Tied Together embossing folder.  The sentiment is an Anna Griffin stamp cut with Spellbinders Marvelous Squares.  The corners are also Spellbinders (sorry, but couldn't find the packaging for the name!).  I embellished with gems and card candy from my stash.

I would like to enter this card into the Happy Campers Challenge - 'White on White'.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it.

Flowers, flowers and more flowers!

 

Good evening bloggers!  I received a new die yesterday ('Die-namics - Prima Donna Petals'), so thought I would have a play!  I started with an oval canvas board and went round the edge with a mask and green PanPastel.  The vase is Spellbinders 'Filigree Vase'.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies.  The flowers, leaves and flourishes are 'Die-namics - Prima Donna Petals' and Spellbinders 'Jewel Flowers and Flourishes'.  The paper roses are from The Hobby House.  The gems are from my stash.  I am quite pleased with the way it has turned out - will have to find somewhere to hang it now!!  I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

 

The Hobby House Challenge - 'Anything Goes'

Crafty Friends Challenge - 'Bingo - Pink, Gems, Die-Cuts'

In the Pink Challenge - 'Pink with Flowers'

Stamping Sensations Challenge - 'Summer Blooms'

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

 



Live, Laugh, Love

 

Hi bloggers!  Today I would like to share this canvas which was inspired by the very talented Hels Sheridan.  I started with a piece of cardboard which I coated with white modelling paste.  While the paste was still wet I stamped the top and bottom with a Craftynotions Karantha Stamp - ' Cottage Garden: Summer Meadow'.  I left it overnight to dry then brushed with green and blue Pan Pastels.  I then inked through part of a Pronty Mask Stencil - 'A4 Butterfly' with Wild Plum Adirondack.  The butterflies and birdcage are Spellbinders 'Les Papillions' and 'Bird Cage Two' which I cut out of Copper Engraving Board and sanded back.  The 'Live Laugh Love' and black edges are Visible Image stamps which came free with this month's 'Craft Stamper' Magazine.  I stuck the cardboard to a 5 x 7 canvas board which I had edged in black.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge - 'Things with Wings!'

Country View Crafts' Challenge - 'Die Cuts'

Happy Campers Challenge - 'Use Metal'

 

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Clarity Stamp Challenge 4 - 'Mr and Mrs'

 

Hello bloggers!  What a lovely sunny day we're having (at last!).  I made this card for the Clarity Stamp Challenge - 'Mr and Mrs'.  For the background, I cut a piece of ivory card just over 7" square and painted it with a mix of PVA and water.  I then scrunched up some white tissue paper, carefully opened it out and stuck it onto the card, going over it again with the PVA and water mix - I got this idea from Sue Wilson which she used on one of her cards in the Creative Expressions Project Book.  I stuck a piece of netting onto this once the glue had dried.  I stamped the sentiment ('Happy Sentiment Stamps') and characters ('Clarity Character Silhouette Stamps') with sepia archival and then embossed with a mix of white and glitter embossing powders.  I clear stamped Clarity's Floral Swirls and embossed with the same powders.  I used Spellbinders 'Vines of Passion' for the heart aperture and Spellbinders 'Jewel Flowers and Flourishes' for the flourishes which I cut using double sided adhesive sheets stuck on ivory card and covered with fine glitter (although this doesn't show up that well in the picture - must treat myself to a new camera one day!).  The rose is one I made with air dry clay and the hearts I made with melted UTEE mixed with a mica powder called 'Crushed Diamonds' poured into a heart shaped cookie cutter.  Finally, I stuck it all onto an 8" square card.

 

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

All Dressed Up!

Hi bloggers!  Today I would like to share a card I made using the new Fabulous Fashion cd rom from Katy Sue Designs.  I haven't done much CD crafting, but must say that the designs and colours on this one are fab!

 

I printed a decoupage dress and hat and added ribbon behind one of the layers of each.  I printed one of the matching background papers.  The green paper is from my stash and I used an Anna Griffin ribbon punch along the edges and threaded ribbon through it.  The flowers are from the CD and I have used card candy in the centres.  The lace and gems are from my stash.

I would like to enter this card into the Crafty Ribbons Challenge - 'Anything Goes with Ribbon'.

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Lilies

Hello bloggers.  Firstly may I say a big thank you to everyone for their lovely comments - I really appreciate them!!  Today I thought I would do something a bit different.  I bought some Martha Stewart air dry clay a little while ago so decided to have a play with it.  It is really easy to use and the results are great - even my 11 year old son made a beautiful rose with it which he is really proud of!

My son's rose!

I inked a piece of card with Dusty Concord Distress Ink and then stamped Sheena Douglass' 'A Little Bit Floral - Floral Corners' with black archival.  I then 'painted' the stamped lilies with watered-down bleach to lift off some of the colour (if you are going to try this please work in a ventilated area as the bleach does make your eyes water!).  I layered the stamped image onto black card and put a piece of acetate over it - I used Card Candy to cover up where I had stuck on the acetate.  (I saw this done in a magazine a little while ago and think it looks really effective.)  I stuck the whole thing onto a mirror I had so I can now use it as a piece of wall art.

The lilies in the corner are made with the air dry clay using the Blossom Sugar Art 'Lily' cutter and mould set.  I left them to dry overnight and used the 'Ultramarine Violet' Aqua Promarker to colour the centres.  I cut the flourishes from Spellbinders Jewel Flowers and Flourishes.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge - 'Blooms and Blossoms';
Country View Crafts' Challenge - 'How does your garden grow?'

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Cute!

Hello everyone - I thought I would share this card with you today as I think this stamp is really cute!  I have made it for a girl at my son's school for her 11th birthday.  I started with a 6" square scalloped card blank.  The image is 'Flowers From Bamboo', from the Crafter's Companion Party Paws range, which I coloured with Copics and Spectrum Noirs.  I cut it out using Spellbinders Marvellous Squares.  The sentiment stamp is from Marion Emberson Designs 'Sunshine & Flowers' which I stamped in black archival and cut out using Spellbinders Ornamental Tags One.  The green and red card are Bazzill Bling (Christmas).  The background card and gem is from my stash. 

I would like to enter this card into the Love to Create Challenge - 'Something for Kids'.

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Clarity Stamp Challenge 3 – 'It’s All In The Sentiment'

Welcome to my Blog!  This is a card I have made for the Clarity Stamp Challenge – ‘It’s All In The Sentiment’.

I started by stamping the front of an 8 x 8 card with the Floral Swirl stamp using Victorian Velvet distress ink.  I then embossed it with an Embossalicious folder called Rose Garden and inked the edges with Victorian Velvet.  The circles in the centre are Spellbinders Exquisite Circles.  I used archival ink for the sentiment and Roseart stamps.  The paper roses are from The Hobby House.  The pink and green card are Bazzill Bling (Christmas).  I used Spellbinders Jewel Flowers and Flourishes to cut out the leaves.  I stamped the Clever Urn onto the pink card using black archival and stuck it onto the card using 3D foam pads.  The gems are from my stash.

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!