31 October 2020

Zoom class cards

 Hi Everyone, I attended a Zoom class with 18 other ladies last Saturday and forgot to show my makes, they are so different for me, (love to try new things!). All the card, paper and embellishments, most were cut and ready to place, were sent to us by Michael Strong. The theme of the class was hot and cool colours.

As I was trying to get in to the class, I thought it strange others weren't there yet! I kept trying and then Michael popped his head up, he said you're a little early! - I had mistaken the time and used GMT instead of BST. DUH! Anyhow, I had a great time, although it was difficult for me to hear everything with my hearing aid, not just the volume, but the whole chat, just as I did on the last local class I attended. Thankfully Michael had enclosed a photo of what we were supposed to make and I could follow that.  I added gems and used some glue.

Here they are. The photos are not that good, as we have had the most dreadful weather, it's  been dark most every day because of the rain, so I decided to use my desk and the light overhead. I hope it hasn't spoiled them too much, they are really pretty colours. 








28 October 2020

Vintage Post Box

 Hi Everyone, I'm trying out different styles, I'm not entirely satisfied with these cards and not sure I'll even send them, what do you think? They are supposed to be shabby chic, something I never do, but thought I would try it.

 I blended some tea dye ink over white card after stamping the lovely image, then coloured them as pale as I could, so they looked aged? I scissored the edges, printed background paper after adding faux stitching. I placed some ribbon in the centre, coloured with ink.  A holly die was added to the corner, I really couldn't bring myself to add more, as it should be for the shabby chic!

stamp - Vintage Postbox, Chocolate Baroque 
Distress inks
holly die - Card Making Magic
ribbon - stash 
Holly paper - Creative Fabrica
faux stitching - Akizo Designs

I just had to add these Magpies who visited the garden this week. One had lost its tail feathers, but it didn't stop him flying in and out, with seemingly, no problem.


This is what he should look like

There wasn't much colour in the one above, being an awful day, so I thought I would go back a couple of years and choose this photo, so you could really see how long the tail feathers are.


26 October 2020

Coffee!

 Hi Everyone, a card today for a blog friend who has just moved house. She loves her coffee, the subject is on nearly every card she does, I can never get over the variety of cards she can do with coffee included in the subject. Because of this I had to make her a coffee / home card. I used orange on the house, as she is Dutch and it's the National colour.

Now there was one problem doing this blog post - I hadn't taken a photo of the card before sending it, I was in too much of a rush to send it. However Hetty kindly shared her card on FB and this is where I had it from, it's probably a better photo than I would have taken anyway LOL. I apologise to the other lady for cutting her beautiful card out of the photo.

Stamps, stencil, house die, all magazine freebies.
tag - shape copied from file and cut with Cameo.
card shape also cut on Cameo, as was insert
on which I wrote (with the Cameo) the sentiment.
Distress inks - Spiced Marmalade, tea dye
dye based inks - Whispers (VERY old inks)
sentiment - mine

I have a visitor who arrived twice yesterday, I'm so thrilled -
a Great Spotted Woodpecker, the best photo I could get.




24 October 2020

80th birthday

 Hi Everyone, I hope you're all well and keeping safe with the new restrictions in force, we are in shutdown and can't go out, except for essentials and exercise for 2 weeks. I'm so thankful for my hobby. My card today was a request from hubby's sister as she can't go out due to restrictions and her hubby having Alzheimer's, it is for my brother's wife on her 80th birthday. I'm lucky to have wonderful and kind hearted SiL's. I had to do them differently from mine completely. (to be shown later). Both love Autumnal colours, so I decided to make it in those colours, hoping to satisfy both lovely ladies, the giver and receiver. The flower is a layered stamp.
stamps - layered Peonies, magazine freebies
inks - Distress inks
ink - Papermania Dye inks
flowers embossed with gold and clear embossing powder
sentiment drawn on Cameo with metallic gold pen
frame cut on Cameo
embossing folder - Cuttlebug
paper -  Creative Fabrica
ribbon - stash




Seeing as we are in Autumnal colours, I'm adding the top of the garden, I know I'm a pain including the garden often, but some people actually like seeing it, OK one or two of you, wink wink, so for those, here are Autumnal colours in the garden this week :) The beans are finally taken down and we can see it all now.







22 October 2020

Autumn Pods stamp

Hi Everyone, more cards I did recently, I have bought a few stamps, can't believe it! I saw these and loved them, I thought they were simple and could be used whatever the occasion. Firstly I had seen (can't remember where now,) of making straight lines and distressing a shade. (If you know please let me know so I can give credit for the great idea.) EDIT - I have had a few people comment that it is the amazing Eileen Godwin, thank you everyone and Eileen too. I thought it sounded simple enough that I could do it, luckily I found it a great thing to do. When I had finished that card, I added water to the colours and pressed my card into it, then when dried I stamped on top of it. The third I just stamped and layered. I bought the other 2 stamps in the set also, so look out for those at a later date!
stamp - Woodware Autumn Pods  
sentiment stamps - magazine freebies
Distress inks
black ink - Stazon
embossing powder - WOW clear sparkle
glaze - Nuvo Crystal Glaze


This is the one where I used a piece of card, then blending distress inks off it, to make the straight lines. I added colour to the stamped image and added sequins.

This is the one where I added water to the Distress inks left on my glass mat and pressed the card into it, stamping on top with a darker shade of the background and added clear sparkle embossing powder to it and layering just the corners.

This is just plain stamping, no embossing powder.
 I did add glaze to the centre of the flowers, instead of colour.



 

20 October 2020

Slimline lift up

 Hi Everyone, my card today is one I made for my GG Niece who was 3 recently, I had seen a card with Pat, that I loved and wondered if I could do the same without dies, so off to my Cameo and in the end I managed to get something like Pat's, certainly not as good, but I'm still happy with it. Thank you Pat

I measured the DL card size and I measured everything to match the size, it was a little difficult to get the layers the right size, but I got there and this is the result.

design - my own with thanks to Pat
animals - Creative Fabrika
insert paper - Delicious Scraps
metallic pen - Tesco
charm, ribbon & gems- stash

I had the Cameo to write on the hearts with a metallic pen, and found an elephant charm in my stash to add to it.

I had print and cut the animals for the lift up feature, so placed them.

I designed an insert for the card, then printed it out and added it to the card, as seperate pieces, not as one sheet as I usually do, I thought it fitted better. The verse is something I've copied from somewhere a long time ago, so sorry can't give credit for it. I'm glad to say she liked it.




17 October 2020

Navy & White Christmas card plus

 Hi Everyone, I hope you're all safe and well. I've got a picture heavy post for you today. I've done a few cards that I haven't blogged and thought it about time I did, so here are my first ones to show you. I saw the stamp and thought it so lovely I had to buy it. I pictured it on navy card in white and here is the same card I thought of. I coloured the roofs and windows with metallic pens, after stamping using a white ink. simple and quick. I like the effect, although I had to try it with a clear sparkle embossing too. I felt the star needed more emphasis so added a gold one over the stamped star!

stamp - Woodwear
ink - Brilliance moonlight white 
embossing powder - WOW clear sparkle
star - die magazine freebie


Things are very strange in the garden, we are still picking runner beans another two and a half pounds this week, we have a lupin flowering and phlox flowering again and even the hebe decided to flower again. Never been known. However I really appreciate the fine weather and blue skies we have been having too. Here are piccies of the flowering plants. I didn't include the beans you've already seen some of those. LOL

the lupin

the phlox

the hebe

the following are in their Autumn colours,
 although the hydrangea still has fresh blue blooms coming through

this hydrangea is just 2 years old

and one of my favourite Autumn flowers Nerine
EDIT - I've been corrected by Christine who is 
of course correct these are SCHIZOSTYLIS or kaffir lilies. Thank you Christine.
Funny thing is I had the name correct here! Kaffir Lily 
although the colour here is better LOL.






15 October 2020

Floral Heart

 Hi Everyone here I am with my DT project for today and it's for the new challenge at QKR. Our challenge is now on the 1st and 15th of every month, so you have 2 chances every month to enter the challenge.

We will select two winners each of the weeks 
1 using QKR Stampede  or Eureka Stamps image
 and 1 using any image!

Anything Goes every 1st & 15th of the month

My card is a combination of things today - digital cutting, die cut, colouring, blending and embossing. Too much? you decide LOL.

I saw the sketch to start with and decided to follow the design. I started by printing and cutting the heart on the Silhouette. I cut 2 printed hearts and the layers, in case I made a mess of colouring, I didn't thankfully so I took all the layers and glued them together. I took the card and blended the background with Distress inks, I cut a rectangle to fit the card then added 2 die cut shapes as a border. I cut another rectangle and embossed with with similar flowers to the heart added both rectangles to the card and then the heart with die cut sentiment added also. A little bow and my card was finished. This is quite a different card for me in colours and the mixed media!
much too late to join the challenge sadly.
image - Eureka Stamps Heart Flower Wreath
print & cut - Silhouette Cameo
Distress inks - Tumbled Glass, Wilted Violet, Twisted Citron
embossing folder - Tattered Lace border EF 
border dies - The Works
paper - Create & Craft
die cut words - Tattered Lace
drops - Nuvo Crystal Drops Buttermilk




13 October 2020

Flower bouquet


Hi Everyone, my card today is for my SiL who's birthday it is today. She loves Autumn colours and when I saw a "special" magazine that I liked the look of, I bought it for Autumn. I was looking through the magazine and this card caught my eye and I decided to use all the ingredients in the mag and make it.

I did what I hadn't done before, stamping, then colouring the stamps on printed paper supplied in the magazine, using more paper as an addition for the "bouquet wrapping" and all with instructions on how to do it by Teresa Morgan. I love the card and thrilled how it turned out. I also love the paper background to the flower and will certainly look at doing it again, the sentiment was done in the same way as the flowers. Of course I had to add her age. I hope my SiL will love it too.

all items from - John Next Door Magazine, Autumn Special
coloured with Distress inks
Pickled Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin
sentiment die - Tonic
number dies - mag freebies



09 October 2020

Hedgehog

 Hi Everyone, sorry I've not been around as much, things have been a little difficult, but now improved and hopefully I am back with a few things to show you.

My card today is a cutie and quite a simple card, the hedgehog is from a digital stamp designer who I thought was new to me and has the cutest of images. I then realised I had used her images before HERE & HERE the image for this one is where Theresa actually made this as a request from me, after winning my choice of image in a challenge, how coincidental is that?

 I coloured the Hedgehog with Distress inks, I'm not a good colourist, but tried to get the spiny effect of a hedgehog, the background is digital paper cut with a die, the background is embossed with a wood EF, which I thought matched the theme, the sentiment is stamped on die cut circles with twine added.

image - Henry Hedgie TNT Artspiration
Distress inks - Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso,
 Pumice Stone, Antique Linen,  Seedless Preserve.
dp - Creative Fabrika
sentiment -  free Simply Cards & Papercraft #208
EF - Crafters Companion
twine - The Range
circle dies - Tonic

I thought I would show you our harvest this week,
we are STILL picking Runner Beans and this is what we had this week so far. We have never had the beans this late in the year. There are still plenty more if the weather holds as it is - wet and mildish!



07 October 2020

TMR #143 A Quote

Hi Everyone something different today for our challenge -
a quote

Isn't this a beautiful quote.

This is a box cover, I decided to do for a card I have to send. I have this dark brown card that I embossed with watches, then added a luster colour to each watch, I wanted more shine, so I mixed up some Pixie powders and spread it over, but the card wouldn't absorb the water, it just stuck on it, but, dried quite nicely when spread over with a brush, quite a strange card to work with, bought in a sale a long time ago. 

I printed a lovely leaf paper, then cut a circle of leaves of it, after designing it in Silhouette. The paper was lighter than I liked, so I edged each leaf shape with ink and added each gold cut leaf to the shape. I added a clock die that I heat embossed with clear powder, then added the die cut pine cones added to paper, also inked.
brown card - stash
box made on Crafters Companion scoreboard
dp - M Turnidge
watch embossing folder - Crafters Companion
leaf shape - Loni Stevens Silhouette Design Store
clock die - Amazon
pine cone die - mag freebie Simply Cards & Papercraft #208
luster rub ons - Craf-T Products
Pixie Powders - Burnt Orange, Rich Gold
Distress inks - Fossilized Amber , Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade

The Sisterhood of Crafters Anything but a card

TFJB Challenge Fall Foliage


Crafty Gals Corner Fall Colours

01 October 2020

Elk smile!

 Hiya Everyone, my second DT card today both fun cards methinks, (the first is down below this post), is for 

the 43rd Challenge at

 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  

We now have all our Winners and DT favorites posted in a separate post and 
on the "Winners" tab at the top of the blog.

     Now, our October Challenge!

We are excited to be sponsored this month by Beccy's Place!

When I saw this image I HAD to have him, he makes me laugh and
 I can see him being so handy for many occasions. Yep! you can see the sentiment is wonky, I had to take it off and correct it. Thankfully with no rips.

Elk - Elk
coloured with Distress inks
Tea dye, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage photo
glaze for eye - Nuvo Crystal Glaze
background papers - CreativeFabrika
twig die - I've lost the packet/unknown
circle die - Tonic
square die - Sue Wilson square Noble die
sentiment generated on computer, coloured with Distress ink
sentiment die - Julie Hickey


Beccy's Place Challenge  Hope it matches photo inspiration?
I WON the challenge!





Christmas Pig

Hi Everyone long time no see, but here I am with my first DT project for today and it's for the new challenge at QKR. Our challenge is now on the 1st and 15th of every month, so you have 2 chances every month to enter the challenge.
We will select two winners each of the weeks 
1 using QKR Stampede  or Eureka Stamps image
 and 1 using any image!

Anything Goes every 1st & 15th of the month

image - QKR Christmas Pig
inks - Distress inks
sentiment - computer generated
ef - top, Apple Blossom, bottom, Crafters Companion
dies - SCPC Magazine #208 freebie


I hope to see you in the challenge