Looks Can Be Deceptive

Hello.  Welcome.  Don't you just love time.  It flys, it drags, yesterday was summer time and today it's not!!  Such a lovely flexible inflexible thing!!  Today in Norway it's a new day, but over on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity it's still yesterday! and I am sharing a little something for the 28th day of the 31 Days of Halloween.  

I've used Lost Coast Designs gorgeous Owlynn and made a deceptively soft looking Halloweeny card.  But she has her owl, and her Book of Shadows and maybe, if she smiles, she will show off her fangs!!  Or maybe not!  

Full details over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where you can also find the 31 Days of Halloween and the Cats and Dogs challenge linkies.  Both open until the end of the month so join the fun for a chance to win Lost Coast dollars.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Halloween/Spooky
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Halloween/Spooky
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Shades of Autumn
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Inktober
Country View Challenges October - Plant-tastic

It's The Nature Of It

Hello.  Welcome.

I cut an ATC from corrugated card and from PaperArtsy patterned paper using a Sizzix die.  I ripped the edges of the patterned paper and inked them with Crushed Olive distress ink.  I stamped the tree with Crushed Olive ink and the sentiment with brown archival and embossed with clear embossing powder.  Both stamps are from Unity KOM 8/17.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Fashionable Stamping Challenge 129 - Nature
Calling All Sistahs Encouragement Challenge 07
Happy Little Stampers ATC Challenge - Words
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Tear It Up
Crop Stop November Challenge 34

Happy New Wordsearch

Hello.  Welcome.  A Happy New Year to you all.  Ours has started with a calm and sunny day.  So nice to see the sun.  A new day, a new month, a new year, a new challenge at Rubber Dance.  Probably new challenges everywhere!  But I gotta start somewhere....

 

Ooh look, bi-linguine greetings.   Darnell, you are rubbing off on me.....  I used Rubber Dance Alphabet Uno and chose red as my plus one.  Just in case you missed that!!

One of my most favouritest colour combos: Black and white plus one!!  And I love the challenge graphic.  So, get your craft on and join us.  Please do check the rules in the challenge info tab.  We have tweeked them slightly to ask that you use all three colours and link in a max of 5 times.  No biggie.  Just so you know.......  Hugz

I stamped Alphabet Uno on my white panel then coloured the words with red sharpie and added W&N Irridescent Watercolour Medium, cos it's new year and we need a bit of sparkle.  I tried to stamp my letters randomly outside of the words I wanted.  If you can spot any other real words, in either language, I will give you a prize.   

Thanks for dropping by.  Do check out the new challenge post on the blog.  Lots of lovely inspiration from the team.

English blog             Skandinavisk blog

Oh, more happy news!!  Bibi has decided to extend the offer to our blog readers to save 15% when you buy Rubber Dance stamps.  Hurrah!! 

You need to use the new code  

gail2016 and you will save 15% off your order. 

Also orders have worldwide flat rate shipping of only €4,50!! (less than $5 US!!)  Orders over €35 ship FREE!!!  

Thanks for dropping by.  Wishing you all good things.  Hugz

Joining the fun at

Kreativ Scrapping Utfordring 1 - Alt Er Lov 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Party 

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge - Sparkle 

Birthday Boos and a Discount for You

Hello.  Welcome.  As I hope you know, I am very fortunate to be on the Rubber Dance Stamps Scandinavian design team.  So for you, as a little reward for following my blog and being such wonderful supporters of my crafty endeavors, I have been given an exclusive code that you can use on any order this year.  You will get a whopping 15% off your order at Rubber Dance by using gail2015.  Easy peasy, go get you some bargain rubber.  I have a link to the shop in my sidebar and I've added the code underneath so it's easy for you to find.  Just don't forget to use the code and remember, Bibi offers very reasonable flat rate shipping worldwide.  Are you still here??   Oh yes, the boos.........

I saw this card over at DRS and today, whilst hunting for black card, I saw these holographic scratch sheets and remembered I have that embossing folder.  So I ran it through the bigshot and this is the result before I removed more of the black coating.  It looks pretty cool already.  Like Julie says the Sizzix folders do give a really deep emboss.  In fact, I don't use any tabs going through the bigshot and there's less chance of splitting your card. 

Just wanted to share my base card cos you don't get to see much of it in the final picture.  I used an orange card and I stamped with the barbed wire stamp I made yesterday by cutting craft foam with Cheery Lynn's Barbed Wire die.  I've also smudged my edges and beyond with black archival.  Love this.

So, once I'd cleaned a bit more of the black off my embossed letters I added that panel to the base card.  I used Cheery Lynn's Barbed Wire die again to cut well, barbed wire!!  The skeleton is from TH Retro Halloween, stamped, embossed and fussy cut.  I meant to give him a humerous speech bubble but wasn't sure he had a funny bone in his body.   Bwahahahahahahaha.  Sorry about that. 

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 205 - Halloween 
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - People well, maybe ex-people.....
Winnie & Walter WCMD 2015 - Make it Masculine 
DRS Designs Challenge 195 - Spooky or Cutesy 
Repeat Impressions WIW Color Challenge - Orange, Lime & Purple/Black 
OCS October Challenge - Christmas/Halloween/Fall 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Autumn is in the Air 
Scrapyland Challenge 27 - AG with a Die 

Thanks for dropping by.  Don't forget to use my code if you go shopping for Rubber Dance stamps.  Hugz

Why Not Both and A Winner

Hello.  Welcome.  Yesterday I made a collage background masterboard and, after stamping even more in portrait, I decided to make some tags. ATC's? Tags?  OK, both......  

Here's a quick picture I snapped on my craft mat of all the bits waiting to go together.  I cut the masterboard using my Sizzix ATC die.  The tags, candy cane, gingerbread man and santa are all elements from Mark's Finest Papers Holiday Tags set

I attached the tags using crystal brads.  The bow on the candy cane is coloured with dark green wink of stella and I added a sparkly mini pom pom to santa's hat

I like that the brads allow you to swivel the tag to expose the fun sentiments underneath.  

Joining the fun at
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 282 - Collage Background
MFP Stamp Shop Fall Blog Hop Project - ATC's
FSC Challenge 103 - Words
Stampotique Designers Challenge 216 - Tag
VSC Challenge 37 -Use a Die

OOps, nearly forgot again.  I had a little giveaway for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  Thanks to everyone who commented.  Of the people who included the magic word Mr Random picked 

Janis

Congrats Janis.  Drop me a email with your address and I'll get the stamp in the post. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz  

More Fun Than A Box of Chocolate Frogs

Hello.  Welcome.  Special big Hi to Doreen.  Welcome and so glad you have joined my happy little following.  Well, the wind has been blowing, the rain has been raining and the mojo has been flowing.  Over at PaperArtsy there have been many great projects but the bright colours of Rachel's journal page really grabbed my attention.  Here's my version

 

I used Fresco Finish Limelight and Peacoat and some sky blue and violet acrylic to make my background.  

 

I stamped with the Tree and Be Beautiful stamp from EDY06 in black acrylic.  Then JM34 in brilliance galaxy gold.  I cut circles using sizzix dies from yellow card and coloured with DI Dried Marigold and Festive Berries.  The flowers are JM34 coloured with FF Pansy and Limelight.  I added some dots using black sharpie.   The check border is from Unity Stamps SMAK Sep 2012 kit.  Colours as the circles.  The words are letter stamps, except the 'your' which is from the SMAK set.   Be Yourself, those that mind don't matter, those that matter won't mind.  I've seen this on a sign, but the author is Anon. to me

Joining the fun at

The Craft Barn Q&L Challenge - Mind/Ignorance

PaperArtsy

Country View Challenge - Word Play 

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Penny Black August Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping by.  Would love to hear your thoughts.  Any thoughts.  Especially wild crazy theories on the state of midnight.  Hugs

Be Yourself

Hello.  Welcome.  Over at PaperArtsy Jo Firth Young made a cute tree.  I decided to make a card and also combine this with the Stampotique Designers Challenge Sentimental.  It goes like this....

I stamped a load of flower /leaf elements using stamps from PaperArtsy JM34 and EDY06.  The flowers are painted using Fresco Finsh Pansy with a hint of Limelight.  All the other elements were stamped on DCWV printed papers.  Then I totally forgot about taking photos!  Sorreeee....

 

I cut a tree from crunchy wax paper using Sizzix Tree 3D pop up.  I stuck the stamped elements onto it.  I've used a painty background from the stash and realised I should have stuck my tree the other way!!  So the whole thing fell over and became a branch.  I stuck the flowers down the LHS and scribbled a sentiment I saw the other day on a metal sign in a gift shop.  So now it's not a card.   Well, maybe a giant postcard.  Or one of those humorous but slightly embarrassing signs you find in bathrooms.  Like 'Gentlemen please stand closer, it may not be as big as you think' or 'Ladies, please remain seated for the whole of the performance'  That sort of thing. 

Joining the fun at

PaperArtsy

Stampotique Designers Challenge 152 - Sentimental

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes 

Ett Trykk - Kort med Blomster 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Hugs

And Then There Was One

Hello.  Welcome.  Hope you are having a perfect Sunday.  Happy Mothers Day to all you ladies in the states.  Hope you have been spoiled rotten.  Over at PaperArtsy Ellen Vargo has been making a lovely colourful tag flip book.  Love Ellen's style so thought I'd make a couple of tags.  Glad I started with two because there were challenges!!

I made a collage sheet using Simon Says Stamp Artful Borders and MME stamps. 

I painted two large and two small tags with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Rose and Pansy paint using a scraper.  I stamped with Distress Ink Worn Lipstick and Dusty Concord using my homemade dry wall tape stamp, a ruler stamp by MME and the PaperArtsy Book stamp ESN01.  I added some black paint lines using the edge of the scraper and stamped one of the MME border stamps in black.  

And then there was one.  Discovered the black lines on the small Pansy tag were not helpful.  Will be painting over those again later.  I've added some of my collage paper and some white and black pen work.  

These two stamps were next to eachother in my PaperArtsy box.  I saw the bird on the cage SM27 and the word Escapist MN16 and it just had to be. 

The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. 

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Penny Black and More May Challenge - Anything Goes 
Stamping Sensations May Challenge - Anything Goes 
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 
Papirdokkene Utfordring 59 - Ikke Kort Eller LO 

Hope to get back and fix the other one later.  Thanks for your visit.  Hugs

Do Not Adjust Your Set

Hello.  Welcome.  Almost the witching hour and just wanted to share an ATC for the Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge.  This weeks it's Quotes and Words.  I went with this little beauty......

 

Sorry about the blurdiness.  Obviously camera thinks its bedtime too.  Wanted to show you the background.  I used Hero Arts Word Pops stamp, embossed with white and then inked with VersaMagic Aegean Blue, Ocean Depth and Night Sky.  I wiped the excess ink off the embossing with a cloth.

 

 

The ship is the top part of a stamp from PaperArtsy LPC001 set and the sentiments is a Great Impressions stamp.  Both were stamped using ColorBox Arctic Deep chalk.  

Joining the fun at

Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 133 - Quotes and Words 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs

Giving is More Important

Hello. Welcome.  This project started life as an A4 piece of lilac card, because the Cheery Lynn challenge this week is purple, and one of my favourite quotes about change inspired by this fortnights challenge at The Craft Barn.  

My base card is lilac and all the papers are shades of purple.  All my dies are Cheery Lynn, Ship's Compass, Owls With Gears, Pocket Watch, Spring Flower Burst Doily and Angel Wing, Spider Web Mesh Border.  I used motifs that to me symbolise change.  I used a purple Sharpie to write the quote and outlined with a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen.  The brads and the little clock are Storyteller.  I distressed the edges of my card and inked with DI Dusty Concord and VersaMagic Perfect Plumeria.  

I don't know where this quote comes from and have decided it doesn't matter.  I am sure more than one person has said this, I know I have said it many times myself.  It doesn't matter who said it first, just that it was said.  I have decided that since it's my birthday in a few days, and since it is something I should think and act more on, that I am going to keep this for myself.  To remind me. 

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 128 - Pretty in Purple
The Craft Barn Q&L Challenge - Change/Truth
Joan's Touch Challenge 9 - Dies, no stamps, layers, any colours
Storyteller Norge Utfordring 14 - Charms
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Winged Things

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are having a great Easter weekend.  I'm certainly enjoying the sunshine.  Hugs

A Quote From My Mother

Hello.  Welcome.  I have been wracking my brain cell and that of BrainyQuote.com for a good one for this weeks Craft Barn Q & L challenge.  They have been my go to for my previous entries but quite honestly they weren't much help this week.  The Q&L words are Marriage and Age.  Well, what sort of quote is 'a good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband'??!!  It didn't seem to get any better so I checked out age and that wasn't so inspiring.  Then I remembered something my mother used to say.  I hope a quote by mum counts.  I'm using

'Act your age, not your shoe size'

I made a painty background using acrylic paints and then white through Memory box Honeycomb stencil and also flipping the painty stencil to give the negative image.  I also stamped with the white paint using PaperArtsy script stamp from LPC003.  

I couldn't find any shoes so I went with these guys.  These are four of the five characters in The Greeting Farm Spooktacular stamp set.  Cute or what.  They didn't have very big shoes either so I have used a black marker to give two of them boots.  I use a white ink pad all over the background to tone down the bright colours a bit.  A pity, but my funny little guys were getting a bit lost in the busy.  The words are computer generated.  Might try and get a better photo tomorrow, there's a shadow on that one.  But it's nearly midnight here and tomorrow is another day...........

Well, I had fun.  Thought it might make a funny birthday card.  Funny ha ha?  Funny wierd?  Funy weirdo.   Ooh, I detect overuse of the UHU.   

Joining the fun at

The Craft Barn Q&L - Marriage/Age

Stampotique Designers Challenge 137 - Textured Backgrounds
The Greeting Farm - Birthday Bash 

Thanks for your visit.  Have a great Sunday, whatever you may be doing.  Hugs

In a Beautiful Balloon

Hello.  Welcome.  It's a little bit windy here.  Can't-stand-up-in-it-windy.  It's been howling and blowing for two days and they say we will have two days more!!  Oh, goody.  Time to craft. 

At the end of 2013 a few challenges I regularly joined finished.  So I have been looking around and found a few new ones to join in with.  This opens up new opportunities to be inspired by new DT's, by fellow crafters I may not have previously met and to see new ways to use items in my stash.  One blog I came across is running something called the Card Chain Challenge.   It's an interesting idea.    You make a card using a wide range of criteria set by Deborah.  Then you link up.  The card you make you send to the person who linked before you on the list.  The person who links after you sends you a card.  Everyone wins!!  I thought I'd give it a go.  It's always nice to receive snail mail and this will be surprise mail from someone you probably haven't met.  What fun.  So I have linked up and will be sending a card to Greta in Oregan.  Hi Greta.  Still a couple of days to link up.  Check it out and join the fun. 

I have completed one of the many unfinished projects on my desk.  I made a card using an image from Paper Smooches and the colours from their picture inspiration...

 

I downloaded a couple of free digi images from Paper Smooches, one of which was a very cute squirrel.  He was hanging from a Hi but I thought he really needed a balloon.  This then gave me an idea to include The Craft Barn's Q & L Challenge.  

 

I used a piece of ds cardstock from The Little Yellow Bicycle for the card base.  I added a layer of yellow construction paper embossed with Sizzix Rays and added a hint of a tint.  The balloon was cut using a DoCrafts die and embosssed with Sizzix Cirque.  I distressed the edge and used Memento London Fog on the edge and also on the embossed area.  I printed the squirrel onto white card, coloured it very lightly with pencil and cut it out. 

I attached him to the balloon using dark grey embroidery thread and added some computer generated words.   That's the famous song 'Up Up and Away', lyrics by Jimmy Webb, sung by lots of people......... I did think it was called "Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon" but turns out that's the first line but not the title.  You probably knew that.........

My card joining the fun at
Paper Smooches SPARKS - Picture Perfect Challenge  
The Craft Barn Q&L Challenge - Smile/Up 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Emboss It 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope your aren't having too much weather.  Take care, have a great weekend. 

A Little Hoot

Hello.  Welcome.  I've combined a couple of challenge themes into an ATC.  Over at Wicked Wednesday it's Friendship and Paper Smooches have a picture inspiration 

 I've gone with the yellow grey colour scheme and used flowers to represent the dots.  Here's my ATC

I cut an ATC from greyboard and decided to leave it as is.  The letters were cut using Sizzix Movers and Shapers Friends die and the flowers using Cheery Lynn BAF#3 Embellishment die.  I printed the Paper Smooches Owl free digi onto white card, coloured it and cut it out.

Joining the fun at
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 118 - Friendship
Paper Smooches SPARKS - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for your visit.  Back soon.  Be crafty.

Faster Than a Speeding Wotnot

Greetings.  Welcome.  Me again!  I'm trying to get in fast over at PaperArtsy.  Not because the link is closing but because it just opened and Joanne has been sharing a fab CAS project and since I am in that groove.......

Joanne went Halloween.  I love those stamps but since I don't have them so I used a phrase and an image from PaperArtsy USNT4.  I stamped with Versamagic Eggplant.  Added a splash of PaperArtsy Pansy and glittered my dragonfly with my Violet Wink of Stella Brush.  Instant glitter.  No mess.  Mine came from Altered Pages. 

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
That Craft Place Challenge - Things with Wings
ALBC - CAS

Having fun this evening.  Take care.  Thanks for dropping by. 

The Leaves are Falling

Hello and welcome.  Gosh, what a difference a day make.  24 little hours.  Is that a song?  Anyway got up this morning to find piles of yellow leaves on the ground.  There's been a few fluttering around the last few days and we have kind of noticed perhaps a few yellow specks in the trees but suddenly you can't avoid the fact that Autumn is coming.  I don't want to admit it's here.  Although why not?  It's a wonderful time.  Still picking a variety of fruit and vegetables.  The pumpkins are looking good and there's the harvest party still a month away.  Any excuse for a party I say.......  

Quite a few challenges out there looking for autumn colours and over at Cheery Lynn it's all about texture.  Now CLD have a big range of embossing plates but unfortunately I don't have any... yet.  Got my eye on a few beauties.  So I decided to make my own textured background using CLD Dreamcatcher #2 die

I cut lots of the dreamcatcher die from fairly thick card and then stuck the feathers on a piece of white card.  Then I added a couple of layers of crumpled tissue paper.  

Then I coloured some more tissue with various red, yellow and orange DI's, ripped it up and stuck it down.  Hope you can see the texture of my autumn leaf background ;-))  It looks really fab in the real.  

I cut a fancy frame using Crafts-Too Frames 9.  The words are bubble stickers.  I used the dreamcatchers in the corners, embossed and attached with leaf brads and some butterflies cut with CLD Mini Dimensional Butterflies die.  There's a little bird on a twig as well, cos over at Joan's Garden part of the recipe was a tree or bird.  So there he sits.   

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs - Texture
Joan's Garden - fall colours, bird/tree, leaves
Hjerteboden Utfordring 9 - Høst Brunt og Oransje 
Craft-room Challenge - Trees/Leaves 
Country View Challenge 7 - Layers

Thanks for dropping by and all your lovely, encouraging and helpful comments.   Have a lovely Sunday everyone.   

Quick and Blue

Evening blog friends, welcome to my little corner of crafty happiness.  I have finally discovered a technique that's quick!  Joy and happy dance.  In fact I had my central image so fast it was a bit of an OH! moment.  Sometimes we need something quick and although I have kept this ultra simple I am quite pleased.  She looks a bit ghostly but it does have a certain something about it..........

 I have been wanting to try the emboss resist technique for a while and when I saw it on SSS the other day I thought now I'm going to give it a go.  Originally I was going to use a few colours but once I started applying DI Salty Ocean over the embossed image I kinda got carried away.  She looks a bit like an old negative.  The stamps are PaperArtsy Winter Wonderland Plate 6 and the sentiment is from PA Bloom set.  I used white Stampendous emboss powder and mounted on a blue linen embossed foil card from Craft Creations.  



My blue lady is joining the fun at
Bunny Zoes Crafts - Something Blue 
Simon Says Stamp Stamptember Blog Candy Bonanza 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Embossed 
Country View Challenge 7 - Layers 

Quick card, quick post.  Thanks for dropping by.   No challenge over at Altered Pages this month but lots happening as they prepare for 31 Days of Halloween.  Worth a look.

The Saga of Scary Monster

Unbelievable!!  Totally unbelievable.  Hi everyone, welcome to my little corner of blogland.  You may need to check out last nights post here to get some references but basically me and Scary Monster were clipping along at the trot last night.  You know that patchwork paper is a lot of sewing.  I'm glad I went real.  I am sure if I had resorted to the pen then I would have run out of inspiration before the end.  Anyway, this morning feeling buoyed by the success I decided to make some cards.  Me and SM.  Would you believe SM jammed on the second stitch!   Arrggggg.  OK, deep breath, sort it out, try again.   OK, now we are cooking, I mean sewing.   Thread break!!   Deep sigh.  OK, off again.  Needle break!!  OK, I get the message.  Luckily I had done the bits that show so please forgive my resorting to the glue. 

I liked Darcy's clean style cards she made.  This background is so lovely so why not showcase it.  I have sewn on a piece of DCWV Dots paper and the sentiment is from Art Impressions.

Thanks for dropping by again.  It's a particularly wet and yukky day here in Norway so maybe there will be more, although I really must tidy a little after the explosion of masks and stamps and paints last night.  Maybe me and Scary Monster will be back on speaking terms.  At least I have to fix the needle.  Now where are my spares.....

Joining the fun at

PaperArtsy

Stampotique Designers Challenge 114 - 3 Circles 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Dotty 

ALBC - Clean and Simple 

Have a great day wherever and whatever you choose to do.

In My Dreams....

Hi and welcome.  The craft is sure flowing tonight, uhhh, this morning!!  Ah well, today is another day and bright the sun may shine.  Hey, I can wax and wane all over the place at this time of night.  Talking of waxing and waning over at Altered Pages the challenge is Dreamy Nights.  Not sure that my dreams are as organised as the DT pieces suggest but to me it's blues and blacks and moons.  And when the moon is full don't you just got to get howling........

Is that in focus??  Maybe it's just me old eyes complaining of too much screen time.  Anyway, I used various acrylic and distress inks on the base card over crumpled tissue paper.  The Raven is a Crafty Individuals stamp coloured with DI which started about ATC size and then got seriously distressed.  I stamped the ravens head on an Eco Board Inchie from Altered pages, coloured and then added glossy accents.  Over on the left the coyote is a homemade mask inked in black with Tando Distorted Harlequin mask below.    The butterfly wing is Altered Pages Jar Fairies Wings Collage Sheet 1008D.  I thought it fitted perfectly with the colour scheme.  I printed the words a la me, cut and paste. 

Joining the fun at
Altered Pages Challenges - Dreamy Nights
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for joining me.  Again.  Always a bit crazy at the end of the month.  And when the moon is full.  Or there's thunder and lightning.  Take care.  May all your dreams be sweet.  

Postcard to Piggyfeather

Hello and welcome Nomad followers and friends.  I was speaking to my sister yesterday and she said she hadn't seen any Crafty Nomad for a few days.  I didn't realise that anyone I know in the real world was paying attention.  Better be careful what I say........  She asked was I busy in the garden or with the animals?  Yes, to both.   Although today we have been having some rain so in between showers I have been trying a catch up on the craft.  It hasn't been entirely successful as I haven't been applying my brain cell exclusively to creativity and hence the mojo isn't flowing as well as I had hoped.   What with popping out between showers and also hopping around between a couple of projects and ideas it quite honestly has been a bit of a slow process.  Finally though something to share.....

 

Over at My Mind's Eye blog there is a colour challenge, kind of green and black and pink and orangy red with stripes and icons and a few other ideas.  So I got out my 29th Street Market Peaceful Dreams Dream Lines/ Relaxing Red paper and Mischievous chipboard elements.  Now the chipboard elements are actually halloweeny ones but I thought they worked with both the colour scheme and the sentiment.  So my base card is the stripes side of the paper matted on to the reverse red side.  I distressed the edges of both layers and added some DI Walnut Stain to make them stand out a bit.  The central motif is one of the chipboard elements, aren't those owls cute!!, mounted on a piece of the same paper which I have cut with Cheery Lynn Spring Flower Burst Doily die.  The buttons and all the letters come from the chipboard elements pack as well.  I cut up a few of the chipboard sentiments to get to Above All Be True as I liked the mix of fonts, styles and colours.  I really hope that come October I won't need Happy Halloween, Trick or Treat or Lil'Spook!!!!  No, surely not......

So basically the whole card came out of one sheet of 12 x 12 and the chippies!  Great coordinating colours on the front and reverse sides of these sheets.   Nice weight and texture as well. 

Joining the fun at
My Minds Eye - June Challenge
Bunny Zoes Crafts - Wings
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Buttons
Country View Challenges - Die Cuts

I thought this might make an unconventional wedding card or a card for a couple.  What do you think??  Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great evening.  I hope the mojo is flowing for you........

Walking the Fish

Good evening good folk of Blogland.  I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing and chocco filled Easter.  Back to the same old same old.  I had a break from the craft and the blog while my sister was visiting. It's always nice to spend time with them from the Old Country.

It's still sunny and cold here in Norway.  We had hardly any rain last month and we are on fire alert.  The mountain across the fjord caught fire last weekend and we had ringside seats for the three day it took them to put it out.  The flames at night were amazing but we were at a safe distance so just exciting for us.  No such fun for those closer to the action.  No-one hurt, just a burnt mountain.  Luckily there was no wind and the ground is still so frozen that it seems only the surface vegetation was burnt and it may green up again in the summer.  Nature is a wonderful thing.  OK, back to the craft.  Over at Joanna Sheen Challenge Blog they want weather related things.

I have been playing with tissue paper and acrylic paint.

I scrunched my tissue paper, stuck it to a piece of chipboard and then splashed on some blue acrylic paint.

I made a mask using Sizzix original Music Notes die and worked in some purple acrylic.

Here's what it looked like without the mask.

Then I dry brushed on some white acrylic and dribbled some dark blue down the page (sorry didn't photo that bit).  Then I found a bit I liked and cut an ATC using Sizzix ATC and Corners die.  You know I always though it was a bit silly to buy a die to cut rectangles but since becomming an ATC fan I decided this would save loads of time.  And it gives nice rounded corners.  Very professional.

I embossed Umbrella Man from the Artful Muse embosssing folder set onto black card and sanded.  This card has a white core so I got a nice effect.  Then I fussy cut him and stuck him onto the ATC.  The words are computer generated with a bit of a doodle and I edged the ATC with Distress Ink Walnut Stain.  Don't forget the fish.  A lovely little charm from Korthobby.  You heard of it raining cats and dogs??  Well, I am sure they would eat the fish so Umbrella Man has him safe under the umbrella.  

Entering this for
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Come Rain or Shine
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Very Strict Challenge
That Craft Place - Animal Challenge (one man and his fish)

Have a fun and wacky evening everyone.  Off to find an aeroplane........  Thanks for dropping by.