Game On

Hello.  Welcome.  An extra special Hi to LaVon who has joined our merry little following.  So glad to have you along.  Despite the simple appearance of this ATC it did take a lot longer than it should of to put together.   I'm admitting this cos it sometimes seems that people throw 50 elements at the page and they all fall in perfect order and a wonderful project is born.  If you are one of those lucky people for whom design comes easy I am glad for you, and a little bit jealous.  

Over at Wicked Wednesday the theme was clouds.  The tricky bit came when I wanted to cover The Craft Barn Q&L challenge.  Not so much space on an ATC so I needed a quote that fitted, both the theme and the space.  I think I like the result.  Always nice to get out of the comfort zone. 

I used two Memory Box dies, Calm Countryside and Golf Club Landscape and pink and white card.  The quote is by the French Novelist Anatole France.  There wasn't space to write her name as well but I am starting to think it's a bit like the three monkeys and the typewriters.  Have I said this before??  Anyway, the theory was, now disproved, although how you prove or disprove this I do wonder!!!  Oh yes, the theory was that if you gave three monkeys, probably the three wise monkeys, typewriters and enough time they would eventually write the bible.  I think that must have been a bloke that thought that one up.  A woman wouldn't even waste time formulating such a stupid idea, or even wondering at the possibility.  The reason I mention this is because I am fairly sure that anything we say has already been said so either it's all quotes, or it's all new.  I mean, if someone said it already am I in breach of copywrite when I talk!!!  It's enough to make the midnight brain cell roll it's eyes in exasperation.

I was going to delete all that nonsense but maybe someone will agree, or disagree.  Maybe it will at least generate a comment or two.  Just in case the art doesn't.  LOL  ROFL  Oooof!

Joining the fun at
The Craft Barn Q&L Challenge - Path / Horizon
Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge 144 - Clouds
7 Kids Challenge 103 - Anything Goes 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs.  Oh, Teddy says thanks for all the lovely comments.  Although we mustn't let stardom go to his head.  Even as cute as that is. 

Meet Teddy

Hello.  Welcome.  A while ago I said I had new baby rabbits and Laura, hi Laura, asked to see pictures.  When they were born, quite honestly, they were ugly!  Blind and naked, and because most of this lot are white-ish they just weren't pretty.  But now they are gorgeous!!  Meet Teddy

He's a Lionhead rabbit.  It's really hot here at the moment and my furry friends aren't enjoying it.  Mostly they are just flat out.   I got Teddy out to sit with us in the shade and was expecting a bit of action but he just went and lay against the radio.  When I moved him he just went straight back to the radio.  Obviously he has musical bones

Here he is with his siblings.  Cute or what!!  More photo's soon.  I have another Lionhead litter but they are younger, at what I call the Volvo stage.  Long and rectangular looking.  They are starting to move around a bit now so soon they will fluff up and be just too gorgeous.  I'll try and get them to pose as well.  More difficult than photographing a card.  That said, maybe you came for some crafting??.........

Over at PaperArtsy Lin Brown made a lovely mini journal.  I loved the colours she used so decided to make a card in the same style.  At least that's where I started.........
 

I started by stippling three shades of yellow acrylic onto my card.  Lin was working on canvas and I wanted the appearance of texture on my flat card.
 

Then I stamped with Hero Arts Word Pops background stamp and Walnut Stain Distress ink
 

I used a flower stamp and white paint, but it was too detailed and I had to wipe it off quick.  Of course, I hadn't heat set the DI but luckily it didn't fair too badly.  My little accident happened bottom left but the script is still visible.   Then I resorted to PaperArtsy ELB04 stamp set with white acrylic.  Much better

More PaperArtsy stamps with black archival 

Then I got the doodle bug................

My card joining the fun at

PaperArtsy
Stamping Sensations - Summer Blooms
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Start From Scratch
Hero Arts - One Layer Challenge

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are having a lovely summer.  Or maybe for those on the other side it's winter!!  How bizarre......   Hugs

Blue Blooms

Hello.  Welcome.  Over at PaperArtsy this week there are so many fab projects I wanted to try but time is running away again.  My friend Elin and I had a fabby fun time yesterday learning to make dichroic jewelry using an ingenious little oven you put in the microwave.  If you don't know what dichroic jewelry is have a search on ebay and you will find loads of people selling it cheap.  But where's the fun in that???   So after spending a few hilarious hours and the budget, and next months budget, and maybe more, we return home a few pendants richer and with the capacity to make our own.  More fun than a box of chocolate frogs.  

Sue made a frame but I wanted a card so I added IKEA black paper tape around the edges of a blue card and dry brushed with PaperArtsy FF Pea Coat.  And nothing happened!!  Cos Pea Coat is translucent.  Duh!!  Then I remembered Leandra says if you add an opaque to a translucent it becomes opaque so I added a little white and voila!   I had some paint left on the craft mat so I spritzed it with water and stamped flowers and flourishes from PaperArtsy ELB04

I added some more stamping to the background using stamps from PaperArtsy SM12 and Memento London Fog ink.  I stamped flowers and leaves from PaperArtsy ELB04 onto blue card using VersaMagic and Colourbox blur chalk inks and fussy cut.  I stamped and die cut a piece of the background card using PaperArtsy Spotty Dragonfly die and LPC022 stamp.  The sentiment is Kort og Godt stamps and reads 'congratulations, you aren't old, you have just been young a bit longer than many others'

The black resin flowers are Webster's Pages and I added a touch of gilding wax to make them less glossy

Joining the fun at

PaperArtsy

Stamping Sensations July Challenge - Summer Blooms

Penny Black and More July Challenge - Dies and Punches 

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

Late, Early, Always Time For Cupcakes

Hello.  Welcome.  The mojo is with me.  Just need to find the time!  Can you believe it's July already??  Happy Independence Day to my US friends.  Hope you are partying.  Bigtime. 

Over at Joan's Touch Joan wants to see pink, green and white, a circle and flowers.  Yesterday I had a mail from my sister which included a pack of 80's Glam Sharpies.  One was called Jellie Pink and I thought that would be a fun colour for hair.  Last weeks challenge at The Greeting Farm was to case a designer and I liked this card by Marcy but got all discombobulated with time zones and well, time in general.  But it's a cute card so I decided to use it as a sketch.

 

I used a white card that came with hearts embossed on it.   Sorry about the shadow on the photo.  The glossy silver outlined flowers were giving me glare problems.  I cut a round aperture using Sizzix circle die and backed it with paper from Docrafts Shop til you Drop range.  Double Cupcake Anya from The Greeting Farm was stamped and coloured with Sharpies.  I also added Wink of Stella to the butterfly and cupcake frosting but I don't think that's showing.  The flowers are Papermania stickers from the Fun Cats sheet

I cut the corners using shaped scissors and added a ribbon and another of the flower stickers.  The aperture has been tinted with VersaMagic Pink Petunia and Perfect Plumeria and I added 3 green rhinestones to the butterfly

Joining the fun at

Joan's Touch Challenge #20

The Greeting Farm FFF - Anything Goes

Crafty Ribbons Challenge 96 - Anything Goes With a Ribbon

Loves Rubberstamps Challenges 110 - Anything Goes 

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

We Wish You A Merry Merry

Hello.  Welcome.  Personally I think it's a little bit crazy.  Christmas in July.  But blogland is full of it and so I thought I'd join the madness.  Bwahahahahahahahahahaha........

I used an image from LOTV Winter Wonderland art pad.  I cut Cheery Lynn Southern Charm Valance twice from silver glitter card.  I cut one to remove the flourishes and attached it to the bottom of the image.  The other I stuck to the top of the image.  I embossed a piece of white card with Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder and highlighted the snowflakes with clear wink of stella.  I added some silver ribbon to each corner and mounted on a silver base card.   I used silver stickers for the sentiment

Joining the fun at
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 139 - Christmas in July
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 183 - Let's Get Sentimental

Thank for your visit.  Have a very merry merry.  Hugs

Ahoy Me Hearties

Hello.  Welcome.  Today was a very happy mail day.  I got some lovely tag dies I won as candy at Meghan's blog.  I got a large package from my lovely sister.  Sharpies, a frog tea strainer (very cute), a lovely pillow cover and some knickers.  She says you owe it to yourself to have nice knickers and I think last time she visited she wasn't impressed with some of the ones hanging on the line.  It always makes me laugh now when I hang out the laundry.   I also got my June Card Chain Challenge card from Jan, all the way from Alaska!!  Love it.  Such fantastic colours.  If you want to see it and all the other cards which have whizzed around the planet this month you need to check out the full reveal over at Society of Stampaholics.  But before you go, here's the card I sent to Monica

I used a blue base card and added a triangle of MME patterned paper.  I ran a piece of embroidery thread along the top of the triangle.  The phrase along the bottom is from a Crafty Individuals background paper.  The pirate and chest are Kadoodle stamps coloured with Promarkers and some Wink of Stella clear.  The friendship phrase stamp is from Crafty Individuals and I added some blue rhinestones. 

If you want to join the fun at CCC this month you will find the link here and there is an added incentive this month.  In addition to getting a card there's also a chance to win a Hampton Art stamp set.  Win win anyway you look at it.  

Joining the fun at
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - By The Seaside 
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge - Layers 
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday June 2014 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope you are having a great week.  Hugs

Playing With Scary Monster

Hello.  Welcome.  If you been here before you may have picked up the fact that me and my sewing machine, aka Scary Monster, don't always see eye to eye.  So exactly why I decided to make a fabric tag eludes me temporarily.  Maybe it was the Tag It theme at Crafty Individuals combined with the Fabric theme at Eclectic Paperie.  Or maybe it was the bundle of 20 x 20cm squares of fabric IKEA have started selling.  OK, they are 20 x 20 but you are getting a lot of fabric for your pennies.  My bundle contained a couple of plain squares and my first thought was Oh!  Followed by Yes!  What can you do with a 20cm square?  You can cut it in half and make a tag!!

 
I started by cutting it in half and sewing the two halves together.  Scary Monster liked this idea.  I added a piece of chunky wool at this stage, a usually forgotten detail that I immediately regretted!  I applied gesso with a metal scrapper, two layers, leaving a bit of texture with the second layer.  I wrapped some paper around the wool to protect it from the paint.  See, maybe I should have waited with the wool.  I added PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Butternut leaving some white space.  I was going to go Rose, but again the wool is going dictate a little.  I stamped with CI bird stamp and VersaMagic Jumbo Java

I added some pieces ripped from various CI background papers and roughly sewed them to the tag.  Then I dry brushed some gesso to bring it all together.  Hopefully.......

Stamped with some stamp and postmark stamps in black Archival

Didn't like this so added another layer of CI background paper which I stamped and embossed with CI Oriental Fans stamp.  Scary Monster starting to protest about the layers and also the hours.  Crafting after midnight, strange mojo flying by.....

This was going to be the seagull on a suitcase stamp but somehow these guys got in the picture.  Its CI Penguins coloured with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Limelight.  The flowers are PaperArtsy JM34 coloured with FF Pansy and Limelight and fussy cut.  The greeting is a Kort og Godt stamp and the arrow paperclips came from IKEA.  

 
Joining the fun at
Crafty Individuals - Tag It
Eclectic Paperie Eplay Challenge - Fabric 
7 Kids Challenge 102 - Anything Goes 
Stamping Sensations - Animal Antics 
Fashionable Stamping Challenge #76 - Flowers 

Thanks for your visit.  Have a great day.  Hugs