Wing A Ding A Penguin

Hello.  Welcome.  Lots of endings today.  End of the week, hurrah the weekend!  End of February!!  Who stole that month?  Roll on March, roll on Spring.  Lots of challenges coming to an end.  Still a few hours to sneak in a little love.....

I took a Tando Creative Arabian style arch, covered it in texture paste and then added a gazillion layers of paint.  OK, maybe not a gazillion but lots.  I was going to take pictures but camera didn't like it, and err.. maybe I did forget now and again in my painty frenzy.  Anyway they were mostly fuzzy and who wants to look at fuzzy pictures without a glass of wine in hand??  Then I backed it with one of Crafty Individuals background papers from Travels in Italy. All papers used on this project are from various Crafty Individuals Background Papers Books. 

I added an ornate gate from Tando Creative painted with black, then gold acrylic.  My Crafty Individual Penguins were stamped and embossed.  I was going to add some colours but the Crafty Individuals paper was so pretty.  The flowers are all Cheery Lynn dies, Cuties 2, BAF #3 and the flourishes from Celtic Fire Oval Frame die.  All the pearls are from Storyteller.  

My passionate Penguin pair (say that three times fast!) are joining the fun at
Crafty Individuals Challenge - A Fine Romance
Tando Creative Challenges - Passion
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 121 - Flowers using Dies 
Storyteller Utfordring 10 - Bruk Dies Eller Diecuts 
7 Kids Challenge 94 - Anything Goes 

Thanks for your visit.  Have a great weekend.  Off to put my feet up and relax after a busy day.  Back soon. Hugs

Blue Hat, Blue Shoes

Hello.  Welcome.  Nothing more fun than crafting with friends.  Uhhh.. well maybe shopping with friends, eating cake with friends, OK maybe not nothing, but crafting with friends is certainly fun.  And inspiring.  Today I have gone all blue.  My favourite.  

I've used the sketch over at Your Next Stamp Challenge and The Greeting Farm has a lovely picture inspiration that started me on blue, the shaped tiles and also the net background.  So it all came together like this......

I deckle edged a panel of pale blue pearlised card (although you can't see the shimmer in the photo) and then wrapped it with a piece of net I bought at a fabric shop near my mum's.  I always go in and buy a bit of this and that sure that one day it will be perfect for a card.  Today this bit was perfect.  The panels were cut using Crafts-Too Frames 7 dies.  I rummaged through the never ending scraps and found some card I had covered with various blue DI and then spritzed for a lovely mottled effect and some fabric I had coloured and stamped with various PaperArtsy stamps.  Perfect.  The Greeting Farm Pretty Hat stamp was coloured with pro-markers.  I added a pretty button to her hat and glossy accents to her pearls.  The greeting is part of a Kort og Godt stamp which translates to 'It is your day today, congratulations'.  I did some tricksy die cutting using the frame 7 dies to get the matching shape on the ends of the banner.  The embroidery cord is the same as I used in the button.  Matted and mounted and ready to go.   

Pretty Hat is joining the fun at
The Greeting Farm FFF - Picture Inspiration
YNS Challenge 9 - Sketch/Picture Inspiration
Craft Hoarders Anon Challenge 2 - Let's See That Hoard
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes With Pearls 

Lovely that you took the time to visit.  Hope you are having a fabulous day.  Hugs

Two Much Wit Makes You Hoo

Hello.  Welcome.  A special hi and hello to Amy who has joined my elite following.  Thank you and all my followers for your support of my little crafty corner.  I'm in an ATC mood today.  There's a couple coming together so it could be a hat trick today.  We all need a little magic in our lives. 

I had a friend visit tonight to do a little crafting so I'm a little late with this, but hopefully not too late....

 

I was playing with distress re-inkers the other day, blobbing them on some card which turned out to be a bit too absorbent.  Today whilst I had my Sizzix ATC die out I decided to chop up the not totally pleasing piece of card and ended up with 5 very pleasing ATC blanks.  Well, not totally blank you understand.....  So I stamped Stampotiques Little Hoo Hoo onto card and coloured with pro-markers.  I added glossy accents to the horns, eyes and teeth of the monster and also to the owl's eyes.  The barbed wire is a Cheery Lynn die cut from acetate and coloured with black pro-marker.  Haven't had so much trouble getting a decent photo for ages.  Glare from the glossy accents and the acetate was murder.  Do they look like they are in front of a firing squad to you??  Scary love.....

Joining the fun at

Stampotique Designers Challenge 135 - Use Acetate 

Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 124 - Anti-Valentine 

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Use Distress

Thanks for your visit.  Back soon.......

Take One

Hello.  Welcome.  It's a lovely sunny day.  Felt the need to make a little something something.

I cut a piece of the painty background I made here to ATC size using Sizzix ATC and Corners die, punched the corners and added a gold embossed edge.  The banners were hand written and cut from kraft paper.  The AI Penguin was stamped onto card, coloured with pro-markers and fussy cut.

My environmentally friendly penguin joining the fun at
Art Impressions Stamps Challenge 129 - Let's Get Krafty
Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures

Thanks for your visit.  Off to do a bit of gardening.......

It's All In The Technique

Hello.  Welcome.  I should have been crafting.   OK I probably should have been doing something else very mundane, but instead I did a little retail therapy a la net.  I recommend it on a wet Sunday afternoon, especially if you are lucky enough to get some bargains.  Well, they felt like bargains when I put them in the shopping cart.  Hopefully they will still feel like bargains when then arrive and I unpack them.  I do occasionally unpack my little crafty packages and think "Why did I order That??".  Is it just me????

Inspired by Ellen Vargo over at PaperArtsy I really wanted to have try some of her bold collaged ideas.  Darcy made a comment on my AJ post, hi Darcy, that it's the technique not the products, so I decided to have a go after a root through the stash. 

I started by brayering fresco finish Limelight and Butternut on a piece of card.  Then I grabbed a couple of shades of yellow.  I loved the citrussy mix but decided to add orange and ocher as well.  I love how the limelight seems to give a lovely glow in the background.  Quite wonderful. 

I cut up my brayer card and stamped in DI Barn Door using stamps from PaperArtsy Kids Plate 3, USFD1, SIBM4 and LPC003. 

I didn't know deli-paper that Ellen referred to but figured it was maybe translucent or semi-translucent.  I decided to search through the inked scraps box and see if there was anything suitable.  I found a piece of white paper I had covered in sentiments and decided to brayer it with a thin coat of ochre.  Whilst having a moment of brayer wild abandon my brayer fell apart!  pause, mouth open, huh!, uhhhh.... We can rebuild it? we have the technology?  I hope.  Yep, up and brayering again.  Gosh, big sigh of relief. 

Then I doodled

and doodled

and doodled.  A pile of upside down skateboards maybe??

and doodled.

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope you are having a creative weekend.  Hugs

Ways With Cuties

Hello.  Welcome.  I should be getting ready to go out but just wanted to quickly share this card with you.  Cheery Lynn are looking for a shaped card so I went with an irregular octagon.

I cut my card base then added a border cut from Tilda Autumn Lilac paper stack using Cheery Lynn Cuties 2.  Then some lace.  I added Cheery Lynn Barbed Wire die cuts in gold.  Love these.  I cut Cheery Lynn Love You More heart, embossed the center and added some red glitter highlights.  The Cheery Lynn Ship's Compass was cut 5 times in black then once in gold and layered to give a nice dimensional embellishment.  The stamp is Kort og Godt, I think it's called Bare Foot, stamped on card I coloured with distress inks and paint splats.  I used the Cuties 2 die to make my flowers and the leaf and pearls are from Storyteller.  I also added a small piece of pink organza to the bouquet.  

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 120 - Shaped Card
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team February 2014 Challenge - Use Distress
Kort o Mania Udfordring 102 - Punch eller Dies
Papirdokkene Utfordring 56 - 1-2-3
Storyteller Utfordring 10 - Dies Eller Diecuts

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great evening.

Having a Brayer Moment

Hello.  Welcome.  I've been getting all painty again with my brayer.  Brayer times are good times.  If you haven't tried this technique you should give it a go.  I find it's very liberating. 

Grab some paints and brayer away.  Then I added some white paint through the new Memory Box Shine stencil and some white stamping using a script stamp from PaperArtsy LPC003.  Sorry, forgot to photo.  Having too much fun.  But here's the finished card....

 

I've used a quote I found at brainyquote.com for the Craft Barn Q&L Challenge Strong.  The tree I cut using Memory Box Frosted Christmas Tree and MME Quite Contrary Paper.  I shaded the embossed areas with green ink and then cut two more trees in dark green to offset above and below the front tree to give a shadow.  It also gives a nice chunky raised embellishment.  

My not so Christmas tree  joining the fun at

The Craft Barn Q&L Challenge - Strong/Miss

Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures

Thanks for your visit and your kind comments.  One more project I hope to get finished as tonight we have been invited to friends for dinner.  Isn't it lovely when someone else is doing the cooking?  Take care.  Hugs

Trainee DG

Hello.  Welcome.  Woke up a bit early this morning all overcome with delusions of being a Domestic Goddess.  Decided to make school buns (that's sweet bread with vanilla cream, icing and coconut on top).  Then decided we needed chocolate cookies as well.  Why not?  Why not?  Because I want to play with my art journal page I started in response to Darcy's post here.    I've been doing a bit but dithering as well in the hopes the new stamps I ordered might have made it, but alas......   And then I checked the post and realised I only have a few hours to get from sanded layers to somewhat complete!!!   And I got to watch the cookies!!!!!!   Obviously I only make trainee Domestic Goddess.

Just to let you know I have none of the stamps Darcy used and very few of the paints, oh yeah, no grunge paste either.  I am convinced this would have been better if I had had the same products but use the stash is my aim for the year and I'm sure this project entitles me to purchase some of the new limited edition fresco paints LOL.  I started with a spiral bound AJ I have, pages 22 x 31cm.  Not sure if that's a standard or just some wild and wacky size.  I took it apart to worked on the page as I wasn't sure how it would stand up to all the paint and sanding.  Here's the result of using masking tape, applying tinted texture paste and stamping in it.  Nice.  Stamps are PaperArtsy from SM12 and USFD3.

 

14 layers of paint says Darcy.  Now why would I need 14 layers??  Oh, wow.  Here's my approximation of Darcy's colours with my bog standard acrylics, although I did go a bit mad orange and ochre on my bright layer.  I've done some sanding, middling to successful and also tried the mask behind the paper technique.  On this picture that's most visible on the RHS and top left.  I used punchinella behind my page and must admit was pleasantly surprised with the result.  My texture squares, ok almost squares, got a bit flattened in the joy of the process.  

Close up of the stencil texture rubbed through from behind

My favourite corner.  Not only are these colours gorgeous but the texture here is fantastic, like an old plaster wall all rough and flaky.  All those paint layers work fantastically.

Darcy used her fab new stamp borders.  They are top of the wish list (wish, wish, everything crossed) and a lovely girl silhouette.  Loved the black and the pop of colour.  These cute Signature Dies duckling border dies arrived from Joanna Sheen yesterday and I decided to use them here.  I drew a wiggly border with a black galaxy marker to join the elements.  Then I was thinking of doing some tangles but loved Darcy's pop of colour so grabbed the fresco finish limelight and filled in the bits.  Then I decided it needed a similar border at the top.  Then I hit the wall and as much as I hate to post a not totally finished project I would hate more to rush and add something I later regret.  So that's it folks.  Darcy will be posting the next in this series soon and maybe it will give me the ideas I need to complete this as well.  Or maybe it needs to just sit a while. 

My AJ page joining the fun at
PaperArtsy - Darcy Journalling Month 1
Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures 


Thanks for dropping by and for your comments.  It did make me laugh that on my last post the new work bench made by my man got more comments than my card.  I agree, it definitely was the more important piece of art in that post and I am making good use of it.   Take care.   Off to knock up a chicken biryani to keep the builder of workbenches happy.  Never know, might be needing some new shelves LOL.  

Space to Craft

Hello.  Welcome.  It's a little chilly today.  Snow flurries and storm force winds and the old house is creaking and little draughts are creeping into my craft room.  It's a double sock day.

It's been a few days since my last post and I thought I'd share the reason.  I mentioned at the end of my last post that I was having a bit of a reorganisation and hopeful improvement to my crafty space.  Well, I'm sure you all want to see what I got so here it is.....

There used to be a bed here covered in stuff but I cleared all that out on Sunday and my man brought in this new work bench he had made for me.  The observant amongst you will notice the hinges.  Yep, it's an old door.  A very nice old door.  Only now it's crafty space.  So happy.  Dancing.  I took this picture quick, quick because I had to move all the stuff back in.  OK, I admit at the moment it looks a bit messy cos I haven't found space for everything yet and there are still some bags and boxes I have to get ruthless with.  But it is fabulous.  The little cupboard on the floor has 4 drawers but I forgot to put them back in before I took the photo.  As of today one drawer is still empty!!   OK, enough showing off my space, on to the craft.

The challenge over at The Greeting Farm is Sweet Treats and I decided to use TGF Pretty Hat stamp and the sketch from Your Next Stamp Challenge.  I layered cupcake paper and papers from Basic Grey and Kaisercraft onto a pink card base.  I've used a wide pink ribbon, a piece of purple glitter paper and a sticker border from Woodware.  I've coloured my stamped image with promarkers and added a cupcake button and a bit of feather to her hat. 

Joining the fun at
The Greeting Farm FFF - Sweet Treats
YNS Fun Friday Challenge 9 - Sketch
Penny Black Allsorts Challenge - Make it Sparkle
7 Kids Challenge 93 - Anything Goes
Crafty Ribbons Challenge 77 - Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping by.  Off to rattle through a few boxes and see if there are any crafty treasures I have forgotten about.  Take care, hope you are dry, warm and safe.  Hugs all round......

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Hello.  Welcome.  A extra big hello to Dunja and Jamie who have joined my little following.  A pleasure to have you along.

I have been spending way too much time checking out all the fab posts over at PaperArtsy.  Have you been there this week?  They are releasing stamps and paints and stencils and there are just so many things to look at, and yes I must admit, things to buy!!  I have started with a modest little order which I hope will soon be winging it's way across the sea.  Speed bonny postman, speed......

With so many new product and samples I've been a bit sidetracked.  This project was going to be based on Julie Ann Lee's posts but I spotted a lovely tag on the JOFY post which just jumped out at me.  I don't have any JOFY flowers (speed bonny postman, speed) so I have used flowers from ELB04 and SM12 and given them a bit of a JOFY look.  Well, I tried.....

I started by stamping flowers from ELB04 in white acrylic onto kraft card.  Then I added some Pansy FF paint highlights. Then I cut it to make a large tag

I coloured some card with FF Pansy and Inky Pool and stamped the flowers from SM12 and SIEN10F and cut them out.  I've added some grass using a white paint marker and a green pro-marker. 

I added a moth Julie Ann Lee style and some pretty fibers.


My tag joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures
Stamping Sensations - Wings, Fantasy and Fiction
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Get Krafty
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Love Stamps

Thanks for dropping by.  Off to post this before Mr Linky closes........ Then I have to empty a load of stuff from my craft room.  I have a single bed in here that just acts as somewhere to put stuff.  After remarking on it numerous times my man has decided it needs to be moved and he will put in a work bench instead.  Hurrah.  So I need to get all my stuff moved out so he can do his thing tomorrow.  Must help to make the transition a smooth one.  Hope to be back crafting in a much more spacious and organised way very soon.....

Oops, Is That What Happens When You Forget The Title??

Hello.  Welcome.  Today was a day to craft.  Bad weather outside and Mr Postman brought crafty mail.  Definitely a day to craft.   Over at The Greeting Farm the challenge is Recycle and Cheery Lynn Designs want us to Frame It so.....

I started off with a piece of cardboard packaging.  I removed some of the top layer to expose the corrugations and painted it with thinned white paint.  I cut a frame in black card using Cheery Lynn Emperor Swan die.  I backed this with orange card, hand cut a layer of green mirror card to go behind and then another layer of orange card which I cut with some fancy scissors.

This is a stamp from The Greeting Farm Pretty Hat set.  I raided the scraps box and paper pieced her.  I used green half pearls from Storyteller for her necklace and the flowers were cut using Cheery Lynn Cutie 2 die.  This die arrived with Mr Postman today and I gotta say I was impressed how easy these were.  Cut and roll.  These are my first attempts.  Not too shabby huh?

 

I added some leaves from Storyteller, a couple more Cutie 2 flowers and a bought sentiment.  I mounted the panel on an oval card. 

My girl in a pretty hat joining the fun at

The Greeting Farm FFF - Recycle It 

Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 119 - Frame It 

Loves Rubberstamps Challenge 90 - Paper Piecing 

Storyteller Norge Utfordring 9 - Leaves 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Love Stamps

7 Kids Challenge 93 - Anything Goes  

Stamp Artic January Challenge - Something Old or Recycled 

Thanks for taking the time to visit.  Please leave a little love so I know you passed by.  Keep safe, be crafty. 

Bang, Bang, Bang

Hello.   Welcome.  Yesterday it was spring.  I was out in the garden.  Today, winter again!  Brrr, yukkk.  Hail, snow, rain...  Craft time!!  

Inspired by the challenge at Eclectic Paperie to alter some playing cards and by Julie Ann Lee over at Paperartsy I started with some playing cards

 I bought these a while ago because thought they were a bit different.  They will be soon.......

I painted two with gesso and then stippled four shades of blue acrylic paint.  Remembering from my brayer adventures that white and red gave a lovely lift......

 

I used the small leaf stamp from PaperArtsy ELB04 with white paint and then made some red lines using the edge of a scrap of card.   Some blobby bits, all good texture. 

I took elements from Julie Ann Lee's third post stamping the egg and sentiment from Urban Snapshot Nature 4 onto some MME card.  I distressed the edges of the sentiment, OK, seriously distressed, and added some VersaMagic chalk ink.  I embossed the eggs with gold embosssing powder.

I stamped the moth from the same stamp set with Inky Pool fresco finish paint.  I added some more of the eggs which I cut with zig zag scissors.  

 

I thought they were tags but think they might make good bookmarks.  The fibres are from a Basic Grey Urban Prairie fibre pack. 

Joining the fun at

Eclectic Paperie Get Altered Challenge - Altered Playing Cards

Paperartsy

Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Love Stamps

Stampotique Designers Challenge 134 - Perfect Pairs

Thanks for dropping by.  I really do appreciate the time you take to visit and comment.  I hope you are avoiding the wild weather and keeping safe, warm and dry.  Take care. 

Blooming Great

Hello.  Welcome.  Over at PaperArtsy Clare Lloyd started this week with some tags.  I am always keen to make a tag and I loved the flowers so here's my version.

I started by cutting a couple of tags from a piece of card I had left from the last card.  They are about 20 x 7cm each.  Big skinny tags.  I used Pea Coat fresco finish paint through That Special Touch Of Butterfly mask.  Then I tried flipping the mask onto the second tag but the paint was mostly dry so I just did some dry brush stippling.

I forgot to take the photo before I stuck some of the flowers down!!  I used Rose FF paint and stamped the leaf from ELB04.  The flowers are from the same set stamped in black archival onto rose FF and fussy cut

I added some stamping using the small stamps from SM12 in black. 

The first tag I added some fluffy fibres for the tie and  a sentiment.  I also added a couple of metal butterflies from Korthobby attached with tiny pink flower brads.  The second tag I really like that as is so just the fluffy fibres there.

Joining the fun at
Crafting Musketeers Challenge 10 - Butterflies
Korthobby Utfordring Februar - Tags
Country View Challenges Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge 89 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping by.  Back soon......

Bloomin' Lurverly

Hello.  Welcome.  Gosh, another Sunday.  Hope you are having a good one.  It's Mothers Day today in Norway so Gratulerer med Dagen to mothers everywhere.  Today I'm sharing a card inspired by Helen Chilton.  She has been sharing stamping and masking techniques over at PaperArtsy and I wanted to give it a go.  I love the dimension this gives to a single layer card.   OK, not 100% single layer (sentiment and ribbon) but you get the idea........

I basically followed Helen's steps so check out her post.  I used PaperArtsy stamps from the Bloom set, small stamps from SM12 and the text stamp from SIDD1.  I used ColourBox archival dye ink Irish and Imperial, VersaMagic chalk inks Tea Leaves, Aegean Blue and Ocean Depth and Ranger archival black.  The background was given a wash of PaperArtsy fresco finish paint Limelight.  The sentiment is a Crafty Individuals stamp.  I've been using that a lot recently.  Maybe it's because I really need to send some snail mail to some people who may think I have gone to the moon.  If you are tuning in and I have missed your birthday or even, yes I admit it, your Christmas salutation then just be assured it's on my desk....... somewhere on my desk!!!  The stripes at the bottom are a piece of ribbon. 

Bloom is joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Hjerteboden Ufordring 2 - Til Noen Du Er Glad I
Craft-room Challenge - Ribbons and Lace
Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge 89 - Anything Goes

Thanks for your visit and your lovely comments.  They really bring sunshine, and we all need a bit of sunshine.  Take care.  Hope the mojo is with you......

Painting On Silence

Hello.  Welcome.  Well, two weeks has wizzed by and there are only a few hours left to post over at The Craft Barn's Q & L Challenge.  This time the words were Silence and Dazzle.  I immediately thought of Simon and Garfunkel and The Sound of Silence but despite racking my little noggin I wasn't sure how to make that into a card.  So still feeling musical I found a great quote by Leopold Stokowski, a British conductor of Polish descent.  Here's my depiction of 

"A painter paints his pictures on canvas.  But musicians paint their pictures on silence.  We provide the music, and you provide the silence"  Leopold Stokowski

I embossed a piece of silver cardstock with Sizzix Carnivale folder.  I stuck a piece of velum to the same cardstock and cut a long triangle and added it to the embossed card.  I printed the quote onto white card, after messing about a bit with the fonts, distressed the edge and added DI Vintage Photo.  The notes were cut with Sizzix Music Notes die, coloured with various DI's and stamped with ColourBox Imperial Achival Dye ink using a script stamp.  I used the same ink around the card edge and smudged it around a bit.   The bee is a Crafty Individuals stamp. 

This card joining the fun at

The Craft Barn Q & L Challenge - Silence Dazzle

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 

Thanks for dropping by.  Back soon. 

Birthday Tag

Hello.  Welcome.   Midnight crafting yee haa.  A tag, using Die-namites dare sketch, girly colours and a lovely metal heart from Korthobby.  

My tag is made from MME Penny Lane and 29th Street Market papers cut with Sizzix Vintage Cabinet and Mini Vintage Cabinet dies.   I used Die-namites Spring Branch and Wide Vase dies and paper pieced pink patterned papers and pink glitter card.  I've just used the flower part of the wide vase die.  I used a pink ribbon behind the Spring Branch die and the greeting is purchased as seen.  The lovely metal heart is from Korthobby attached to some funky fibers.  

My tag joining the fun at
Die-namites Sketch Challenge Dare February
Diva's That Cut Paper February Challenge - Girls Night Out
Korthobby Utfordring Februar - Tags
Hjerteboden Utfordring 2 - Til Noen Du Er Glad I 

Thanks for your visit and all your kind comments.  Hugs

It's Like Buses.......

Hello.  Welcome.  It appears everyone is still having a lot of weather.  Hope you are staying warm and dry.  My crafting seems to be a bit sporadic this month.  The spirit is willing but the mind is occupied by 101 things I would/should/could have done.  I started a few things yesterday but spent way too much time looking at things you had done.  Such lovely projects out there in blogland.  Really must try and honor my wish to spend less time looking and more time doing.  It's so easy to get lost browsing around....  That makes me sound like a right moo.  Moo.   Anyway......

This is going to be a mulitipost.  That will save you and me some time.  I can waffle less and you can use one comment to cover a multitude of my sins.......    I'll try to say it in pictures.  

Last month I signed up to the Card Chain Challenge.  Send a card.  Get a card.  This is the card I sent to Greta in Oregon.  

I used a Prima stencil, DI Picked Raspberry and Dusty Concord, a bright pink ribbon and a piece of black glitter tape.  The 'person' is from Panduro's Rascals stamp set coloured with Wink of Stella, sharpies and glossy accent accents.  The friendship stamp is Crafty Individuals. 

There were 29 participants in January.  For the full reveal see here and to sign up for the fun this month see here.  Mr Postman has yet to deliver my card from Jo although she posted it ages ago.  I admit to giving in to temptation and checking out the reveal post and it's so cute!  With bunnies!!!!  Hope Mr Postman brings it soon.

I'm going to enter this card over at the brand new Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #1 - What's Your Style?.  I think this is me.  Simple, a little bit crazy, a little bit fun.  The most recent acquisition I used was the stencil, bought just before Christmas.  Everything else has been around for a while.  In the case of that pink ribbon, years!!  Maybe even into the decades!!!!  See, I knew I would use it one day..........

I've also got this single layer card for your edification.  I've used DI Dried Marigold, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Worn Lipstick.  I'm still not so good blending these and even the spritz didn't seem to work the magic today.  I couldn't get a photo of just the background.  My photo apparatus refused to focus.  Critics!!  I've used Hero Arts Dandelion Frame and Asian Elements (the dragonfly).  The little Happy Birthday is a Stampingbella stamp.  I distressed the edges and used Dried Marigold which gave a nice orange lift.  

This card joining the fun at
A Blog Named Hero Challenge 37 - Flowers
Hero Arts Birthday Challenge - Rainbow
Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge 89 - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations February Challenge - Wings, Fantasy and Fiction

Thanks for dropping by.  I'm in the mood so maybe I'll see you again later.  Take care

Trampled Beneath Her Feet

Hello.  Welcome.  I was just reflecting on how January seemed to slip away like a speeding wotnot.  The older I get the faster time seems to pass.  I don't feel older.  Maybe I'm just losing my grip.  No wonder older people get confused.  How can you know where you are when the days go by so fast you loose track of what year it is!  Hjelp......

Blogland is full of love.  Well, OK, it's always full of love and we are many times grateful for that, but I mean the challenges.  Lots of loverly hearts challenges.  Here's a little ATC valentine from a non-traditional outlook.....

I embossed my ATC with DoCrafts Lovers Lane folder, coloured with PaperArtsy Limelight FF paint and highlighted the hearts with DI Mowed Lawn.  I cut two hearts, different sizes from red glitter paper and edged them with VersaMagic Night Sky Chalk.  The lovely lady is a stamp from The Greeting Farm Spooktacular set that I have paper pieced.  Her hair is black glitter paper and I used a white paint marker for the white streaks.   What a heart breaker she is.  If you think she looks a little green that is intentional so please do not adjust your set.  The spooktacular comes with the stamp set and the other words were computer generated.

Mrs Frank is joining the fun at
Splendid Stamping FFF - Lovely Layers
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 122 - Valentine's Day
Haunted Design House - Rotten Romance
Hjerteboden Utfordring 2 - Til Noen Du Er Glad I
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Have a Heart
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Love Notes
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge 89 - Anything Goes
That Craft Place - Valentine

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope your day is filled with love. 

Somewhat or Nother

Hello.  Welcome.  Do you ever get those days when you want to craft and the mojo has flown?  Or it's all in your head, so clear, and when you get it in front of you it's just..... disappointing?  I'm having one of those afternoons.  Maybe I'm trying too hard.  Maybe it's just looking at too many things at once.  Whatever.  It started as something but became this.  In a strange way I like it so I thought I would share.  

After many a false start today I resorted to the scraps box and found this background I made in this post.  Yeah, that again!!  I liked elements from Helens tulip canvas at PaperArtsy this week so I added some texture paste coloured with fresco finish Butternut paint.  I put this through That Special Touch Of Bamboo Mask.  I made it quite rough to give interesting texture.  Then I thought it was all a bit bright so I hit it with a whitewash.  Always a little bit scary.....

I liked Helen's bookpaper stems for her tulips and after trying flowers I made some clouds which then became trees!!  I embossed them with Spellbinders Sea Beauty folder and added blue and green VersaMark chalks.  I scattered some book paper coloured with butternut and added DingDong bird.  I've stamped him three times to give a layered style and turned his wing up a bit so it sticks out.  I did try to give him bookpaper legs but they were too chunky so I sat him on a pile of stamped circles.  The sentiment is a Crafty Individuals stamp.  Then I mounted it on a wide card and added a black line each side to frame.  It's growing on me.  

DingDong is joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Stamping Sensations February Challenge - Wings 
Stampotique Designers Challenge 132 - Winged Things 
Country View Challenges #12 - Painty Pleasures 

Take care.  Hope the mojo is flowing for you.  If you have a little to spare then beam it over LOL.  Thanks for dropping by.   Back soon.......

Owl Always Love You

Hello and welcome.  I think we are living in a wind tunnel!!  We've only had a couple of days the last few weeks when it hasn't been windy.  Now we do live in a windy corner here but these have been can't stand up, hold on to the kids, watch out for low flying roofs winds!  

I'm staying in and crafting.  Had to nip out a few times and throw food and water to the animals.   Yesterday I threw a load of salad leaves to the hens and it all came back to me.  I expect I looked like a ruccola tree!!  I am more careful when distributing the goodies now.  It amazes me how all the small birds still manage to fly in these winds.  The bigger ones seem to be positively enjoying it.  Not my hens.  They don't like ruffled feathers.......

I made a pillow box from red card.  I have decorated it mostly with die cuts from Cheery Lynn.  I used sketch #72 from Papertake Weekly to help with my layout.  I added a couple of layers of Bazzill Basics Paper Posie Pink.  The edges were distressed and coloured with VersaMagic Perfect Plumeria.  The top layer I embossed with hearts using DoCrafts Lovers Lane Heart folder and coloured again with the Perfect Plumeria.  I cut the Cheery Lynn Tiny Bubbles Border from the raspberry paper and added a bright pink ribbon behind.  I cut Cheery Lynn Love You More heart from white card and coloured with Distress ink Picked Raspberry.  I backed it with some raspberry paper and the center is a piece of patterned paper from a wedding set.  Love those heart shaped rose trees.  

The owls are Cheery Lynn Owls With Gears set.  You get two different sizes.  I have used the small owl.  Again cut from the raspberry paper and backed with pale pink.  The flourish is Sizzix Flower and Vine #3 cut from Bazzill Bling and then I used Cheery Lynn BAF #1 and #3 Embellishments for the flowers.  The large flower is cut using the same papers as the owls and the small flowers are cut from Bazzill Posie Pink and I have added Cosmic Shimmer Rose Hue water colour paint to the centers.   

I think these boxes make a lovely way to package a gift card or money or maybe some silky underwear for your Valentine........  This one is for a couple getting married later this year.  Probably it will contain a gift card rather than silky stuff, but then again.............

My box joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge - Tickled Pink
Papertake Weekly - Sketch I used #72
Hjerteboden 2014 Utfordring 2 - Til Noen Du Er Glad I 


Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are safe and warm and feeling crafty.