Adorable Willow

I popped onto the blog to post this tonight before I got back to crafting and thought I'd just have a little a little nosey at what everyone has been doing and an hour and a half later I still haven't posted anything, I've been so engrossed in all the lovely things out there in blogland. Oh dear. This cyberspace takes up far too much time but I love it!!!!

Right, time is precious now so I'll keep it brief. I just wanted to show you my first attempt at using my new Whiff of Joy stamp of Willow with the cookies. Colouring in isn't something I've done a lot of, well not since I was five, so it isn't up to all those expert ladies standards out there, but I am looking and taking notes so hopefully she'll improve.


I made this card for my lovely Sister In Law whose birthday it was last Friday. She's not a flowery person so I thought this would suit her. I stamped the image on a labels Nestie and coloured her with Whispers pens. The BPs were all from Artylicious CDs.

I have to be honest and say I'm not really into cute cards. I prefer flowers and swirls but these WOJ stamps have really caught my eye, they are just lovely. We also know a Willow who is growing into a very elegant young lady so these stamps also remind me of her.

Thank you as always for visiting and the wonderful comments you leave me and I hope your Monday has gone reasonably well.

Such A Glorious Day

Doesn't the sun make you happy?

After a week of cloud and cold we woke up to the sun streaming through the curtains this morning and nothing to do but enjoy it, a rare luxury!

I had my first load of washing out but 10am and then my lovely Hubby took us out for a delicious lunch. I'm still full to bursting now, even after spending the afternoon gardening. There hasn't been a cloud in the sky and I've had my camera out taking lots of photos hopefully to scrapbook. Everything always looks so much better in the sunshine and set off by beautiful blue skies.

So down to crafting. While the dragon is on holiday we have ages to create a tag for her so I thought I'd have a go at the Tuesday Taggers challenge, which this week has been set by the very talented Mrs Jill Stampman and is Sepia. I've been missing my tags, so this was an obvious place to start.


I sprayed the background with Treasure Island Aqua Moonshadow Mist, what a fantastic name it has. This gives the sepia look but with a green glimmer, (I hope that's not cheating, but I love to get glimmer in somewhere).

I then stamped the Crafty Individuals stamp in Walnut distress ink and pulled in some of the colour with a waterbrush. I wiped a spare piece of card over the overspray of the mist on the craft mat and re stamped the image on this and used chestnut Whispers ink to colour it with the waterbrush, cut out the flower and the pod and decoupaged it on the original. The chestnut ink gave a slightly redder colour which I thought gave the poppy a bit of aged colour! The Walnut Distress was then rubbed round all the edges just to finish things off. Very simple but I'm quite happy with the results for once.


Thank you for visiting. I hope you are all having a great weekend and the sun is shining for you too.

Framed

I hope your week is going well so far. I just want to know where the sunshine is they promised us from today onwards. It's been cold and grey here but dry so I suppose we need to be grateful for that!

On our crafty trip to Harrogate the other week, amongst all the lovely things we saw that provided bags of inspiration, the one that stuck in my mind was on the Once Upon A stamp stand where they had made decorative frames by putting different shaped Nestabilities together. They were fantastic and another use for these wonderful must have craft items. My sister took some photos for me for future reference but I had to have a go as soon as I got home, so these are from memory.


The first one was sprayed with turquoise, meadow green and gold glimmer mists. The green layers were cuttlebugged with the textile folder and denim distress ink rubbed over to highlight the embossing which was then used to stamp the swirls on the turquoise layer and then clear embossed. I then dipped the edge of each layer in clear ink and gold embossed to give a random frame.


The dragonfly was stamped on acetate twice and cut out with stickles added. I then cut out just the wings on the second one and attached them with silicone glue. Two holes were put through the top with the crop o dile and brads added and gold wire put through to create a hanger.


The second was layered up in the opposite way with the scalloped square as the base and the red layers were run through the cuttlebug. I used Candy Apple Red and Suede Glimmer mists and ran Walnut ink distress ink around all the edges and used it to stamp the swirls. The flower was sprayed with gold glimmer mist and the gems added. As usual with glimmer mists the photos don't do the glimmer justice, they really do sparkle.


Now I've got my hands on the photos I shall have another go but I think the sky's the limit with these, you could do anything, the only problem is it makes you want lots of new shapes to play with.

Before I sign off tonight I'd just like to send my blogging friend Brenda lots of love for her surgery tomorrow. My thoughts are with you Brenda.

Thanks as always for visiting.

Where Has That Week Just Gone!!!!

I can't believe it's Sunday night again, as my friend Elaine always says, it's that Antiques Roadshow feeling. You always know when you watch the AR that the weekend is over and it's Monday tomorrow!

I have been crafting you'll be pleased to know and will show you more later in the week but for now I just wanted to get my entry for Tuesday Taggers blogged before I miss it.


This weeks theme is die cuts and punches and I'm afraid this card isn't what I started out to do, I wanted to play with my new Nestabilities but my idea didn't really work and I was left with this big flower which was cut from the build a bloom sissix die. I've embossed the petals with the Cuttlebug Textile folder and then rubbed chalks over to colour it. I used the negative from the swirls as a stencil around the card, again using chalks and the lettering was from the Wingo Zingo Sizzlit alphabet.

I added a punched flower for the middle of the bloom and a gem in the middle of that.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great week.

Texting In Purple

The theme for this week's Tag It On challenge is a purple tag with lots of text.

I had a lovely play last night, not really knowing what I was going to do just getting some inks and stamps out and seeing what happened. I had the idea of books and letters unlocking all sorts of things and was going to include a key and key hole but decided in the end to just add the key hole as the key was too big.

The only ink used was Dusty Concord distress ink. I added lots of water for the pale background and then went over a tattered angels mask with it at full strength. I stamped an Elusive images stamp that had very ornate writing on around the edges and then a Crafty Individuals stamp in the centre in black. The key hole was also from Crafty Individuals and I darkened it with more distress ink to make it stand out a bit.

For once I was quite pleased with the results and knew when to stop adding things, a rare event for me.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your Tuesday has gone well.

Experimenting!

So many people have been making Christmas cards lately which I have to admit seems awfully early. I don't usually think about Christmas until the month before, apart from pressie buying. I always start that early having learnt from past experience that you need to buy things when you see them because if you wait they've gone and you spend weeks searching usually without success.

Anyway, inspired by all this card activity I thought I'd experiment with a few designs to see if I could come up with something I liked and which was fairly easy to mass produce so that nearer Christmas when I want to make my cards I'll know what I'm doing.


This was my first attempt using the new papermania duo stamps. I tried to use a different layout from the usual 3 shapes going horizontally across the card and although I like the cuttlebugged silver paper, I don't think I'm so happy with it.


For the second card I tried the white on white technique that I've admired on so many blogs using the Christmas tree embossing folder. I picked out bits of the design with stickles and matted it with card painted with cosmic shimmer watercolour to add a bit of sparkle. I was much happier with this one and think this is the one I shall use, maybe altering the colours so that they are not all the same.


Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and also the awards I have received lately from some very kind ladies. I appreciate them very much and promise I will get round to putting them on here and passing them on, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day at the minute and I spend far too much time blogging and not enough time crafting!!!!

What A Great Day !

The sun has been shining here today from first light until dusk in a clear blue sky, absolutely glorious and I've had a heavenly day at the Papercraft show in Harrogate.

I dithered all week whether to go or not. As many of you know I've been trying to have a "not buying new stash" year with limited success and I knew if I went I'd end up being tempted by lots of lovely things. In the end I decided to go, just for a couple of hours you understand, with my crafty sister, it was an excuse for an outing with her if nothing else.

Well, what a day we've had. There was so much wonderful shopping to be done and yes we did plenty, lots of inspiration to be had and on top of everything I've met lots of my lovely blogging friends into the bargain which was an added bonus and a wonderful surprise. It's been so nice to put a face to names. My poor sister couldn't understand what all the fuss was about so I've been busy working on her on the way home to start her own blog. She makes wonderful cards and they deserve to be admired and it's just fantastic to belong to such a friendly, encouraging community where everyone produces such lovely craft.

I shall be going to bed with a warm glow ready to start creating with my new things tomorrow and as I don't like blogging without a photo I thought I'd share this picture of a lovely Dahlia that flowered until nearly Christmas last year and makes me think of the sunshine today.

Wishing you all a Happy Sunday.

Beautiful Butterflies

One of the purchases I made when I went crafty shopping after the holidays was the beautiful Inkadinkadoo stamp, Mindscapes. I chose it because I wanted a large butterfly stamp and the lady on the cash desk pointed out that the images were all made up of fairies, birds and all sorts of other creatures which I hadn't noticed. It is now my new favourite stamp set!!!

I had a play with the butterfly and this is what I came up with.


The first card was stamped with various shades of blue on a Nestability and then clear embossed and edged with one of the shades of blue.

The background was the script cuttlebug folder which has been glimmer misted with denim blue and suede and then edged with denim blue distress ink.


I stamped a strip down the card with the flower stamp from the same set and then added the swirls around the outside.


The second one was gold embossed and matted with some gold mirricard. The background was from one of the Elusive Images CDs I had printed out awhile ago so I can't tell you which one it was. I think this would make quite a good Christmas card but haven't added a message because I might change my mind and use it for something else.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope the sun has shined for you today as it has for us at last.

Fantastic Blog Candy

I love visiting all the wonderful blogs out there and spend too much time browsing and not enough time crafting these days but when I come across a new site that I fall in love with, this doesn't matter at all. This is what has happened today and I just needed to share my find with you, especially if you are a scrapbooker and I know there are a few of you out there.

I've just found Ingvild's wonderful blog. Her work is just stunning, definitely worth a look, you'll be amazed.

As a bonus she is also giving away a huge amount of blog candy.

Enjoy.

Up Up and Away

What a way to start a Monday morning. I was drinking my tea, minding my own business listening to the radio when dear old Terry W made his announcement about leaving the Breakfast Show. Now I know this is not earth shattering in the scheme of things but I am one of those people who was brought up with Tel in the'70's, he then accompanied me to work in the 90's and since 2001, when I became a stay at home Mum has got us going every morning with many a smile. He will be sorely missed in this household. Mornings will never be quite the same. We wish you well Terry.

Now down to crafty things. The theme for this weeks Tag It On challenge is Up Up and Away. My first thought was hot air balloons, but I have no stamps of them so I'm afraid I resorted to the trusty dragonflies again.


I glimmer misted the background and then stamped the Stamptivity lady in dark blue brilliance ink. I silver embossed some more of the flowers on the same stamp on the bottom, embossed some dragonflies on scrap card and cut them out and attached them and then added a bit more foliage in black down the side.


Freya has also done a tag this week with a different lady from the same sheet. She painted her background with cosmic shimmer watercolours and stamped just the lady (missing of the rest of the stamp) with crimson brilliance and the butterflies with the Marvy shades of sunset blending blox.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

A Few Cards

It's been a funny day here weather wise. One minute the sun is out and the next there is a heavy misty rain coming down, but the wind had been cold and strong all the time. Not a day for being outside. Where has the Summer gone, how I long for the warm sunshine again.

Whether it's the weather or just one of those days, but I have struggled all day with some cards I have been working on. They are coming together now but it's too dark to photo them, so I shall show you another day.


While browsing through the blogs earlier I spotted that the Allsorts challenge this week was to do a male orientated card so I thought I'd enter this one. I made it for one of our neighbours whose birthday it was while we were on holiday. He looks after our house with his wife when we go away and we'd be lost without them. He likes anything to do with nature so I did this little Inkadinkadoo Owl which was sat on a Nestie edged with some swirls. The swirls and corner stamps were from a little pack from Studio G. The greeting was printed on the computer.


The second card was one I did for my Mum's birthday recently. I have to be honest and say I scraplifted it from the very talented Brenda, hope you don't mind Brenda, but I just loved the design. You can see the original here.

The paper was from my leftovers box and is one of my favourite from Anna Griffin. I matted and layered it onto co-ordinations pearly paper and the lovely silver embellishment came in a pack that I've had for ages. I stamped the swirl twice to get that lovely effect. Lastly I ran the edge of the card through the cuttlebug with one of the new border folders. It's a bit difficult to see on the photo but just finished things off.

Thanks for looking today. I did manage to salvage most of the wet paper from the other day but had to reprint my photos. The layout is now thankfully finished and out of harms way. It's another thing waiting to be photographed in good light.

Have a lovely weekend.

Just One of Those Days

It's back to school day for us and there was one little girl who wasn't too keen to go. I think she's enjoyed her Summer holidays, which I'm pleased about, six weeks can be a long time to keep children entertained as I'm sure many of you are only too aware.

Anyway, the rain was lashing on the window and bed pulled but off up the hill we went and she was soon smiling once she was back with her friends.

I came home to cleaning and two bored cats who are stuck in doors until the rain at least eases off a bit. I had laid a scrapbook layout out last night and left it on the dining table to be stuck down today and I just happened to glance at it as I walked past and thought "why is that photo all curly?". When I picked it up it was all wet, as was the rest of the layout. My dear cats chasing each other had knocked over a glass of blackcurrant squash left on the table from breakfast all over the place. Yes I know, my fault for leaving the glass there!!!!!

I now have bits of paper all over the place drying to see what I can salvage, I shall probably end up having to start again. Just one of those days!!!!


As I have nothing new to show you today I thought I'd show you a layout I did just before we went on holiday. I'd seen some photos taken of big rain drops in a magazine recently and wanted to have a go myself and these were the result. I thought they were a good way of doing a layout about the wet summer. Trouble was we spent days walking round singing "Drip drip drop little April Showers" while it was on the table, it was very catching.


The title was taken from a free digital kit I've acquired at some time. I typed the title in and then printed it off and cut it out. It was coloured with watercolour pencils and then the whole lot was covered with glossy accents. The journalling was written with a Sharpie pen on acetate.

The backing papers were from DCWV, the All Dressed Up stack and I also used some green mirri card and a piece of green glimmer misted card to mat the photos onto. The GM drops look like rain drops in real life.


The flowers and swirls were cut with a Sissix flower die using scraps of patterned paper and gems just added a bit of bling.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope everyone who has returned to school today or this week, young and slightly older, have gone on OK.

Craft at Last

It's taken awhile but at last I did some crafting today.

We came back from hols last Wednesday feeling full of life and brimming with good health and by Friday my lovely hubby was struck down with a horrible cold and decided to share it with me over the bank holiday so although the creative juices were flowing the body wasn't willing. Thankfully we are both much better now and something has been created. Goodness I've missed my stash.


This weeks Tag It On challenge was to create a bookmark with any theme but using at least one stamp and I've just managed to scrape in. I really enjoyed doing this and will use it now instead of the old plant labels and shopping receipts I usually use.


I cut the bookmark from an old cereal packet so painted it with olive green acrylic paint to get a good base to stamp on. The swirls were from creative expressions and were stamped in both white brilliance and peeled paint distress ink. The quote was from my old faithful elusive images inspiration themeplate and the flowers were petaloo foam flowers that had a bit of a swirl stamped on them in crimson brilliance.


I must also say a big thank you to Anne who has a lovely blog well worth a look. I won her 100th post blog candy while I was on holiday and she has been very patient with me, for which I shall be eternally grateful. Anyway, her candy arrived this morning, which was a beautiful handmade notebook and I shall certainly make very good use of it. Thank you again Anne, I love it.