Christmas Card Club - "Christmas Flowers"

Good morning all.
Hopefully Blogger is behaving as this is a scheduled post...I'm spending a few days with my Mum with limited internet.

I set the girls the theme of "Christmas Flowers" over at the Christmas Card Club this time. Poinsettias have to be my all time favourite Christmas flowers although I usually manage to kill them off pretty easily!

This one uses dies from Lil'Inker Designs for the background and Marianne Designs for the poinsettia. Finished with some twine and gold stickles.

This second card uses a stamp from Imagination Crafts, stamped and heat embossed with gold EP then die cut and mounted onto a gold mat. Some vellum from my stash to finish it off.

If you'd like to see what the other girls have made you'll find their links on my sidebar.

I'll be back later with some a mixed media project for our monthly challenge at STAMPlorations.

Create Art Canvas

Good evening all.

It's my turn to share a tutorial over at ARTplorations today and I'm showing how I created this canvas.

Here is a sneak peek of what you'll find.

Stencil Sunday #33

Good evening all. Hope you've all had a lovely Valentine day and someone you love spoiled you.

Spending a long weekend in Taupo on the Lakeside. Lots to see and do without needing the car...have to give the chauffeur a rest sometime! This was the supposed plan, all change on Friday evening when I took what they think was a slight stroke, so I've been in hospital all weekend! Waiting for more tests but a scan yesterday showed my brain is fine. Being well looked after but a ride in an ambulance wasn't on my to do list!!

My turn to provide some Stencil Sunday inspiration over at STAMPlorations today. Today I have a tag to inspire you.

Tag die is from Die-namics...a Christmas present from one of the kids :) I used watercolour card for the tag and secured the Butterfly Prints stencil and stamped all over with versamark ink, then heat embossed with white EP. Background was coloured with smooshed DI in abandoned coral, dried marigold and fired brick...once everything was dried off I used the background script stamp from the Mixed Media Elements stamp set wiping it off the embossing.

I used a piece of waste card to mop up the excess inks then stamped my butterfly from the Blossom Like a Butterfly set adding more colour with distress pens. Sentiment is from the Hello & Company stencil and I used Sparkle Medium to emboss. Tag was finished with a fancy bow made using a fork.

And the February Mixed Media Challenge runs until the end of the month! If you want to play, you still have a few days left to get messy and share your non-card mixed media projects. It's anything mixed media goes except a card...and you must use a stencil (any brand or even a homemade one!) in your project(s). For the complete challenge info + prizes, click here.

It's Your Birthday

Good morning all.

Headed to Dunedin today for a two night stay in Portobello, hoping to see some penguins.

Yesterday my Aunt was 93, this is the card I made her.

Dies from Wplus9, Spellbinders and Memory Box. Stamps from Imagination Crafts. Ribbon and bow from my stash. Background is a second pull from one of my Distress Paint smooshing sessions.

ARTplorations Stencil Blog Hop - day three

Good afternoon all.

Had a lovely trip to Edinburgh yesterday with my niece and a couple of my sisters albeit it was a tad breezy. We had a leisurely stroll around the markets sampling the Gluwein (just to keep us warm!), then headed down to George Street for a late lunch. At this point the weather became wet and windy, so we enjoyed a leisurely lunch before heading back to the station. 

My train was stranded at the station on the way home....we had no driver as he was delayed trying to get over from Fife!!

A reminder! We're on day three of the blog hop...come and join in the fun.

Prizes:

• FIVE (5) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog.

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by December 13: 

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to today's projects here.

Using a smooshed distress paint background I stencilled one of the trees from the ARTploration Christmas Trees stencil with sparkle medium from Imagination Crafts. Sentiment is from STAMPlorations Vignette: Christmas Block set. Scalloped die from Wplu9, smaller stitched die from Spellbinders.

Challenges entered:

Anything but Cute Mixed Media - happy mail

Crafty Creations - happy holiday

Creative Card Crew - holiday season

Holly Jolly Christmas - anything Christmas

That Craft Place - Christmas

Virginia's View - all about glitter

Let it Snow....

Good morning all and welcome to my new followers...I hope you enjoy what you see here.

Well Black Friday was definitely black weatherwise! I did some Christmas shopping and bought some bits to go to New Zealand and enjoyed spending my voucher at Simon Says Stamp which I won this week but certainly didn't manage any bargains of the century.

Another Christmas card to share today, one of the ones I made last weekend.

Image and sentiment from Imagination Crafts. Image is heat embossed with white EP and shaded with a white pencil. Die'sire EF folder from Crafter's Companion used on the base layer. Gem from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Holly Jolly - embossing

A Snowflakes Promise - anything Christmas

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas

Fairy Tale - Christmas, no red or green

Polkadoodles - white + one

CRAFT - winter

Crafting by Design - getting ready for Christmas

Sisterhood of Crafters - snowman

Paint Outside the Lines

Good afternoon all.

Arrived home last night after a lovely week away....we had wonderful weather all week!  Wednesday I endured five hours at the Tank Museum before we headed to Somerset to stay with hubby's Aunt. On Thursday we meandered our way to Gloucestershire, enjoying lunch and a canal walk at Bradford on Avon enroute. We had a lovely meal at the hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. We really enjoyed our tour around Highgrove Gardens on Friday followed by a champagne afternoon tea....then began the journey from hell up to the Lakes...a four and a half hour journey which took us seven and a half hours. The traffic was horrendous!! I think everyone was headed to Blackpool for the firework display!!

My turn to provide some Stencil Sunday inspiration over at STAMPlorations today. I've created a canvas which will hopefully inspire you all to get your stencils out.

I started with an 8 x 8 canvas and painted it with gesso, then used gelatos to create my colour wash. All stencilling has been done with Sparkle Medium. Sentiments were stamped onto tissue and attached with gel medium. Butterflies were stamped and heat embossed with black EP then coloured with DI pens. Lines were added using gesso and a credit card.

Products used:

ARTploration Stencils - Flutterby, Some Birds, Bloom Silhouettes and Retro Circles

STAMPloration Stamps - Blossom like a Butterfly, Trendy Butterflies and Subway Art Builders

Please come and join the September Mixed Media Challenge you have until the end of the month to get messy and share your non-card mixed media projects. It's anything mixed media goes except a card...and you must use a stencil (any brand or even a homemade one!) in your project(s). For the complete challenge info + prizes, click here.

Challenges entered:

Love to Create - anything mixed media/creative goes

Artistic Stampers - things with wings

Creative Artiste - anything goes

Bloggers - stencil it

Creative Corner - anything but a card

Where the Heart is - add some text

Anniversary Wishes

Good morning all.

We spent a lovely day with my Aunt and Uncle yesterday.....a morning catching up, lunch in Paignton then hubby and I had a brisk walk with my Uncle to Sharkham Point - 4 miles in under an hour with my Uncle setting the pace at nearly 87 year old! Looking forward to spending some more quality time with them over the next two weeks.

An anniversary card to share today made for my niece and her husband who celebrate their first anniversary later this week.

Kraft card base; die from Memory Box; hearts stamp from Unity; sentiment stamps from Imagination Crafts; paper from Nitwits and sequins from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - anything goes make it floral

Simply Papercraft - anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes

Crafty Time - punches or dies

Sparkles Forum - vintage/shabby chic

The Sisters of Craft - anything goes

Scrap and Craft - celebration

Crafting for all Seasons #104 "It's a Boy Thing"

Good morning all.

Plans here all took a change of direction last night when Gary decided he wasn't confident enough riding his motorbike to Iceland...unfortunately he's left the decision too late to get refunds on his ferry bookings! He's now going to fly out to Iceland tomorrow and rent a small car and just be away for about three weeks instead of five. It's a shame but problems with the bike mean he just hasn't had time to get any road experience and I'm glad he was sensible enough to make the decision himself.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance...it's been glorious here and it's set to continue until the weekend :)

A fortnight has passed and it's time for a new challenge at CFAS, our theme for this fortnight is "It's a Boy Thing"...so anything for a male will do. We're being sponsored by JustInklined who kindly gave the DT images to use.

I've used Football Crazy, coloured with promarkers and die cut with a circle nestie. All dies from Spellbinders. Sentiment from Imagination Crafts. Backing paper from Wild Rose Studio (I think!). Finished with some sequins...excuse the wet glue showing!

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the other girls, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Love to Scrap - masculine

Pile it On - for a man

Challenge up your Life - digi stamps

Passion for Promarkers - masculine

I Love Promarkers - anything goes

Digi Chooseday - male

Secrets of the Garden

Good evening all....running a tad late today!

Sunshine and showers has been the name of the game today and waiting for the refridgerator engineer who turned up at 6.30pm!

This has been lying waiting for words on my desk for weeks now but I finally got it finished this afternoon.

My May page in my Art Journal. Lots of stamping and stencilling...main focal stencils from Imagination Crafts and Prima. Sentiment stamps from Bo Bunny, Paper Artsy and Mucky Paws. Background stamps from Artistic Stampers and Crafter's Companion.

Challenges entered:

Mixed Media Mojo - tic tac toe (May, stencil, stamp)

Artistic Stamper - journal your heart out

Stamps and Stencils - three of a kind (flowers)

Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes/spring fever

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Mini Canvas

Good morning all.

All packed and ready for the off! Just hoping the weather stays dry...I've packed some books and craft mags just in case!

A little 4" canvas to share today.

Canvas is painted with Fresco Finish paints from Paper Artsy. Stamps are all from STAMPlorations and are inked with Wendy Vecchi Archival inks. Stencil is from Imagination Crafts  and I've used Sparkle Medium.

Challenges entered:

Unruly Paperarts - animal instincts

Our Creative Corner - colour your world

Stamps and Stencils - anything goes

Mixed Media World - use bright colours

DL Art - anything goes

Hello

Good morning all.

A funny old day yesterday, woke to bright sunshine but by dusk it was blowing a gale and raining...looks like more wind and rain today and tomorrow too! Hope it brightens for the Easter Weekend.

A card made for a swap to share today with the theme of "Watch the Birdie".

Backing card, stencil and sparkle medium all from Imagination Crafts. Sentiment die from memory Box and gems from my stash.

This was one of those cards where if something could go wrong it did!! I started by stencilling on plain white card, looked at it and thought silly moo! (or words to that effect!). Re-did no problem, got the topper all made up stuck it onto the base card with foam tape...I'd made an upside down tent fold card!! Managed to correct this without any damage then decided it needed something in the middle of the card so found a nice sentiment which fitted, stamped with stazon ink then remembered the foam tape which meant I got a lousy impression...thought about covering up with a die cut but it wasn't going to look right! I then had a light bulb moment and remembered the stazon remover...things couldn't really get any worse could they...et voila the card was saved!! I quickly did an insert, took a photo and removed it from harms way while it was still in one piece!

Challenges entered:

613 Avenue Create - anything goes

Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

Crazy 4 Challenges - let's think spring

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - anything goes/add a sentiment

Simply Create Too - anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes

Dream it Up - Marching into spring

Noted

Good morning all.

We ended up with another glorious spring day yesterday despite the cloudy forecast. The eclipse was quite surreal as my computer sits in full sunshine at that time of day so I was sat with the sun on my back and the moons shadow shading the screen. It was actually too sunny to see the moon itself and I didn't have anything protective for my eyes so I basked in it instead lol.

A bit of upcycling/altering today...I won this  note block in a raffle recently and decided it was ripe for a bit of altering.

This is how it used to be...navy blue tacky plastic cover but a nice size and very sturdy. This is what it looks like now:

This is plan A...I started with plan B and painted the plastic with black gesso then used the brayer with various Fresco Finish paints but I didn't like it....so...

After removing the notepad I recovered the whole outer with adhesive canvas and painted it with gesso.  I then set to with a brayer and some Fresco Finish paints from Paper Artsy in first an opaque Mermaid then a translucent South Pacific. Peacock feathers DI was then sponged through a circles stencil from Memory Box before I stamped a chicken wire and word stamps from Artistic Stamper.

The bird on a branch is a stencil from Imagination Crafts and I've used two colours of Sparkle Medium. Noted is from Prima, metal doily and love plate were a recent purchase from China, butterfly charm from Splodgeaway and corners from Mucky Paws...these were all gessoed then sponged with peacock feathers DI. Feather and flower were from my stash.

I love how this turned out!

Challenges entered:

Mixed Media Monthly - birds of a feather

Our Creative Corner - junk in your trunk

Paper Artsy - deconstruction

Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent - anything goes

Mixed Media World - anything goes

Tatiana

Good morning all.

A quiet day yesterday, I had a football match to watch in the afternoon...really need it to be the end of season as the matches keep interrupting my crafting time lol!  A quick visit to the dentist this morning, a few household chores then the day is my own.

The intrepid traveller decided to head into Yorkshire...after visiting Kielder Reservoir he set off over the Pennines into the Yorkshire Dales where he has been visiting caves, waterfalls, gorges and reservoirs. He was camped up last night with a view of the Leighton Reservoir. He's staying clear of all the motorways and main roads and just "googling" as he goes! I believe he's heading for the North York Moors today.

I read a tip at the weekend regarding dies which were hard to cut...put a layer of bubble wrap in your sandwich...now I want my die back to give it a try!!

Some more embossing with aluminium tape to share today.

Using one of the Celtic Dream Dies from Imagination Crafts and Lavinia Stamps called Tatiana. I've cut the die several times and layered it up to give plenty of dimension and stuck it to a backing card embossed with a hessian EF from Crafter's Companion. Plumbers tape was then stuck all over the die and backing sheet making sure to press it well into all the grooves.

Once everything was covered I started inking up with fresco paints from Paper Artsy - I used 

Autumn Fire, Blood Orange and Pumpkin Soup . Paints were sponged on and then polished when dry to let some of the tape shine through. I kept adding layers of paint until I was happy with the results. 

I then added some diamond sparkle medium over the die relief to add lots of sparkle. After painting and distressing an MDF collage frame with black and silver the finished piece was mounted and a few gems were added the frame.

Challenges entered:

Mixed Media World - anything goes

Art Journal Journey - things with wings

The Mirror Crack'd - wings

Country View Challenges - anything goes

Lavinia Stamps - add some gems 

All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes

Spring

Good morning all.

It would seem spring has arrived and it looks set to stay mild for a few more days yet..I'll not be "casting a cloot" anytime soon though!

A journal page to share today. 

 

Another double page spread in my journal completed...finally caught up with myself! 

Pages have been gessoed before using embossing paste through the Honeysuckle and Woodland Flower stencils from Imagination Crafts. I added some tissue tape and re-applied more gesso. Colour was applied using cracked pistachio and abandoned coral DI...loving these two colours! Stencils were then replaced and I painted with twinkling H2O's.

I used several of the smaller stamps from the decoupage stamps sets I have to stamp in the background with DI and archival inks. Bullrush stamp is from Lavinia Stamps. April Showers stamp is from Crafter's Companion, Live Create sentiment is from TH both are stamped direct to paper with archival ink. Bird house was a magazine freebie stamped onto tissue and coloured with promarkers. Spring word art was printed from google onto tissue.

White circles are stamped with white acrylic using a lid, then I used my fingers to apply white acrylic to soften the whole page.

Challenges entered:

Virginia's View - all thing embossed

Artistic Stamper - spring is coming

Inspiration Journal - spring blooms

ATP Exchange - spring

Crafty Boots - anything but a card

Country View Challenges - anything goes

Christmas Card Club - "Poinsettia- any colour"

Good morning all.

Well March certainly roared in like a lion yesterday, it was wicked overnight Saturday!

I'm running a day late with my Christmas Card Club post but as I already had two DT posts yesterday I thought that was enough! Margaret picked the theme this time and she's asked us for "Poinsettias, any colour".

Using a decoupage stamp from Imagination Crafts, stamped and heat embossed with gold detail EP onto ivory Centura card. This was then die cut with the Tattered Lace Starlight Square and inlaid into the gold mirri card die cut. Card is simply layered up onto more Centura and gold mirri card. Tag sentiment is from LOTV, bow and gems from my stash.

You'll find a list of the girls in my side bar if you'd like to pop around and see what they made for this challenge.

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Winter Wonderland - tie a bow
CSAYR - anything goes use EP
CHNC - cut it up
Crafts 4 Eternity - emboss it
Crafty Catz - dies/punches
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - embossing wet/dry
Sweet Stampin' - all or nothing
CCEE Stampers - inlaid dies

And I'll leave you with a photo of a rose hubby picked out of the garden for me on Saturday!

Imagination Crafts - March Challenge "Anything Goes"

Good morning all.

It can't be March already! Hopefully we'll see some spring very soon...I'm definitely ready for some.

It's time once again for a new challenge at Imagination Crafts.

Our theme is always anything goes and the winner will receive a £40 voucher to spend in the Imagination Crafts Shop.

Image is from the Hanging Basket decoupage stamp set - stamped with versamark and heat embossed, coloured with distress pens and die cut with a circle nestie. Background has been embossed with a Die'sire brick wall EF to which I added some Vintage Photo DI. I've used the Arch of Flowers stencil upside down with Sparkle Medium in Sage Green and Antique Pink.

Happy Birthday dies are from Spellbinders. Ribbon from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Art Impressions - tie it up 

Add a Little Dazzle - texture

Mod Squad Challenge - spring forward

Penny's Paper Crafty - lots of layers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

Work it Wednesday  (SSS) - spring

The Color Throwdown - #331

Loves Rubber Stamps - ribbon or lace

Top Tip Tuesday - rubber stamps only

Eureka Stamps - birthday cards

Get Creative - embossing

WOW - spring

Virginia's View - all things embossed