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Monday 30 January 2012

Pass the Salt Please!

Over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge, they have celebrated Robbie Burns on 25th January, by asking for a project with a Scotish theme. I have searched my stash, I can't believe I don't have a piece of tartan ribbon, something I must put right , the next time I'm buying stash. I am hoping the thistles stamps will be acceptable, along with the colour purple, which I always associate with Scotland. I had great fun creating the background of this card. From one A4 sheet of card I made 4 completely different cards. Firstly I started with the lighter colours at the bottom, adding Peeled Paint across the width, landscape orientated. Then above blended with Shabby Shutters, then above Victorian Velvet, then blended Dusty Concord, of course any of the TH Distress inks colours are suitable. Place it on a sheet of newspaper, spray water over the page, until it is all wet, you can see the colours dispersing into each other. Then I added the magic, ordinary Sea Salt from a round tub, sprinkle it in patches over the wet card. This is the only difficult part - be patient. Allow it to dry as much as possible naturally, for the salt is soaking up the colour, which will leave patches. Depending on how wet it is, expect it to take approx one and a half hours. You can speed the drying process but be careful for the salt which is dry may 'ping' all over. When totally dry brush off with a brush or I find my fingers work best. You then decide how your going to cut up the page for cards. This one when dry, I stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black with Lavinia Thistles. Added a few gems, a piece of ribbon and matted onto a piece of black card. Another card from the same sheet can be found .here

Make My Monday Butterfly and/or Dragonfly

This week, at Make My Monday we are taking our last look at NATURE with Butterflies and or /Dragonflies. The choice is yours. I would like to thank Fliss who chose the theme and January's weekly subjects, I have had a great time, which I'm sure you have too. Don't forget Fliss has ofered a prize for the overall winner in January. I am often saying you don't have to make a card, it can be any papercraft project you wish, so I thought it was time I made something other than a card. I am going to challenge myself to provide one scrapbook page each month. Hopefully Scrapbooking will become more popular.
This L.O (Lay Out) is part of a 2 page set, where my journalling panel is, with details of the day. We had taken some grandchildren to a local park one day last year. I used paper with dragonflies to match the colours. I added felt flowers and made some dragonflies from stamping and colouring. Some dragonflies were made with a dragonfly punch. One of the first things I learnt with Scrapbooking is COLOUR - look at your photographs, what colour/s are predominet, then find the papers and card to suit. The title, for every page needs a title, was made on  Word  on my PC.
I am looking forward to visiting you over the next week for I am sure we will be seeing a lot of beautiful cards/projects with butterflies and or dragonflies. Have fun, pop over to see the wonderful samples from the Design team, lots of inspiration for you, in our last week of NATURE. I wonder what February has in store?

Sunday 29 January 2012

Less Is More - 1 for a Gal

(Please see first entry below.) This week at Less Is More Chrissie and Mandi have provided a simple sketch for us to follow. As I have said below, well at first it seemed simple, until I started to think what to add into the panel. I wanted to use two completely different techniques for my Guy and Gal card.
Materials used :-Creative Expressions crackle stamp - Versamark - Clear embossing powder - heated.
TH Distress inks brushed over the resisted first layer, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey.
Stamps used Lady  and swirls are both La Blanche. Ink to stamp - TH Vintage Photo.

Sketch -LIM-1 for a guy.

It's been a while since I played along at Less Is More, but now Christmas and life seems calmer, I'm hopping back on board for Week 52 - Amazing,  how quickly that year has passed us by. This week we have been given a sketch to follow, so simple, but not so simple when coming to design something. I enjoyed so much making my first card for a guy, I made a second for a gal. (please see above entry)
 I will add them seperately to the LIM blog.
Materials used:- TH Distress Ink Frayed Burlap brushed on the panel.
Stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa.
Stamps used Backgound and the Gentlemen from Tim Holtz Steampunk CMS107
Cogs and Clock from Kanban - Steampunk Jasper set.
Sentiment -source unknown.

Make It A Guy Thing

For the next two weeks, at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, we would like to see a project for a guy. It could be a Valentine card, or any other card or project for a guy in mind. Our sponsor Cottage Crafts is now offering the overall winner a chance to choose their own prize to a limit of 7euros. Please pop over and take a look at the amazing catwalk.  The Fashionettes have again produced some amazing pieces for your pleasure. My husband adores the great outdoors, he is a keen bird watcher, so the type of card I usually make for him is of the countryside. This card is not only using Sheena Douglass's stamps but is similar to one she recently made on C&C TV.  The stamps are the Faith set in the Sketchy series. I used TH Distress inks to add all of the colour, by blending, directly stamping and as a watercolour. I look forward to visiting your blog to see your projects for the guys in your life.
Remember, STAMPING must be a main feature and be clearly seen.  Have fun, thank you to any who visit and comment on my card, your ocmments are always appreciated.

Saturday 28 January 2012

Postcard Challenge Wk 4 China

I am feeling jet lagged, the distances we are travelling in such a short time, are amazing and exciting. China, I have changed my mind so many times, I'm still not thrilled with my final result, it is a mix up of my ideas.
The national flower for China was agreed in 1964 to be the Plum Blossom. The giant Panda is indigenous to Central mountainous areas of China. They live in highly dense forest areas, their staple diet is bamboo and the leaves. China regularly re-introduce Pandas back into their natural habitat.
I have many Orental stamps but it wasn't until I started this project I realised probably 90% are Japanese.
Continuing the story of Hermione and her parents.

"Hello Dearest - Father and I are thrilled with your idea to start using owl post. All of this interaction with the animal and birds kingdom is above us. We understand the owl will arrive wherever we are - we give it your post and it will be delivered to you.  So will you continue to send your cards to us via owl post to Paris and then our courier will deliver to us? Love from Mum and Dad"
Stamps used - Joanna Sheene - Plum Blossom
Remainder stamps from See D's Asian Designs -Chinese 50056
To see my Postcard book and my other Postcards go HERE
To see Darcy's Page and a list of my fellow travellers go HERE

Friday 27 January 2012

Fantastic News

I have been so excited and thrilled, and can now share my news. I have long admired the challenge blog Alphabet Challenges, so when I saw there was a DT call, I crossed my fingers and applied. I am so delighted to have been offered a place on the Design Team. Many thanks to the team and hello to my fellow new team members this week. We are coming in for the last letter of the alphabet Z - for Zoo Animals. I am always so happy to get an opportunity to use one of the four large aninal stamps I have from La Blanche bought ages ago on QVC. This is of the leopard. I added some corrugated card to the main card, to give a rustic background. I watercoloured the card with TH Distress Inks Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters. I then stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa, the large stamp of the leopard and leaves. I used watercolour pencils to colour the leaves. I then made two leaves (Sheena Douglass) to add to the end of the card, to place the Scrabble type letters. I re-stamped the animal again, coloured the light areas with Distress ink Old Paper. Tore and distressed the edges and adhered to the corrugated card with silicone. I do hope you like my Zoo animal, I am so looking forward to visiting your blogs to see your Zoo Animals. Please be sure to pop over to the blog for the DT have made some fabulous cards, to inspire you.
I am also entering this crd into the Animals challenge at Dream Valley Challenges

Quirky Crafts - Silouettes

Thank you Quirky Crafts for the challenge of Silhouettes,  it's been a while since I had a messy play. For me the two go together. I have had a great time, blending the inks, splashing on water, throwing on salt. Then when dry giving a few sprays here and there to add more shimmer and colour. I then choose some recently purchased beautiful long stranded stems to stamp, using Memento Tuxedo black. The Stamps are by My Paper World, a very good price from a craft shop within a garden centre. The love birds are from an E bay purchase. I have only recently found your challenge blog ladies, and plan to visit each week, I will be joining in whenever I can.

GC136 Glorious Greens

Gingersnaps Creations 136 is Glorious Greens. I have been having fun again getting inky and in a good old mess. I started with a  piece of white A4 card, which I then blended with a mixture of TH distress inks, including a small area I only coloured with Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters, both shades of green.  I sprayed water all over the full card and sprinkled salt over all of the card. I allowed it to dry, then became impatient and resorted to the heat gun. When dry brushed off all of the salt. I used Memento Cottage Ivy to stamp the Elusive images collage stamp. I re-stamped the butterfly, spritzed it with some Cosmic Shimmer green mica. Added some Diamante glitter and a few crystal gems.  I attached the second butterfly onto the original with some silicone type glue. I also added some glitter to part of the harlequin area to give more light. The completed topper was added to a card with a resist technique leaf background on Crushed Olive. I would not normally make a card with just the one colour but I am pleased with this result. I do hope you like it too. Thanks for visiting and of course for any comments you may leave, for which I am very thankful.
I am also entering this into the January challenge at Sir Stampalot for Monochromatic

Monday 23 January 2012

Flowers and Leaves at MMM

Continuing our theme for January, which is NATURE, this week we are asking for Flowers and Leaves, at Make My Monday. I'm sure this will be a popular choice. As long as it has flowers and leaves, you can make any project, with any medium, we don't ask for anything other than this, other than you having fun. Please pop over to the blog for the team have made some very pretty projects. I used a favourite old stamp from Elusive Images, as was, now Chocolate Baroque, the script and rose stamp. I stamped flourishes behind and used Vintage Photo to stamp the rose, I did a little watercolouring to add some shading.  The leaves on the horizontal panel are from a leaves set from Sheena Douglass. I covered the white card with Frayed Burlap to make it all look more Shabby Chic. I look forward to visiting you over the next week.

Friday 20 January 2012

Postcard Challenge Episode 3 BRAZIL


Here we are on our third week of Darcy's Postcard Challenge 2012,( see on side bar) and we are in BRAZIL. I knew immediately which stamp to use for my postcard, my carnival dancer from Rubbadubbado.
I started by colouring the background with TH Distress inks in bright carnival colours. I used a dandelion stamp, embossed with Silver Bells Wow! powders to look like fireworks. I coloured my dancer in the colours of the Brazilian flag. My OH suggested Motor Racing, son said football. I think not. I love the glitter, the feather and bling on this.
My postcard, above, from Hermione to her parents, which is always posted to a safe house PO Box, where it is collected by a courier, who then delivers it to where her parents actually are. I am enjoying our adventure around the world each week as Hermione and her parents communicate with each other I am getting to know more about them, you'll be amazed how much more there is to be known about all three, time will tell.
To see my postcard book please go here
I am still having commenting problems with IE, sadly I can not access every page to leave comments on those who are taking part in Darcy's challenge. I am leaving comments where I can. Sorry Darcy, I can't comment on your fabulous dancer either, nor to let you know how much I am enjoying this weekly challenge. Thanks.

Thursday 19 January 2012

ATC - Dress or Dresses

When I was commenting on someone's blog I spotted a mention of Wicked Wednesday Challenges- ATC. Before the end of the month I owe a forum member on Do Crafts an ATC for the word Divas. The topic for this week at WW  is Dress or Dresses, it gave me the kick I need to get my ATC made. Will be posting it off tomorrow. I covered my ATC with a piece of paper with dressmaking patterns, coloured it with Frayed Burlap. Stamped 3 ladies from a collection of 12 from Debbie Moore, perfect ATC size. I left them black and white to contrast with the Sepia look and attached the necessary word Divas for our swap. I'll be popping back ladies, trying to support new ventures.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

No Flower Embellishments

This is my second card today, please check for the one below "Birds of a Feather"-thanks.
Crafty Cardmaker's have asked us to make a card with flowers if we wish, but we aren't allowed to add any flower embellishments. Cool! Saves on postage. Stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black, the four flower stamps are in a Hero Arts set called Poetic Petals, it's an old but favourite purchase from E Bay.  Using a white wax crayon, one from a child's pack will do, I added white touches to give a resist. (Wax Resist). I then blended the background with Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet, Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed. It's amazing how white the sections become after you have buffed with a soft clean paper hankie. Added a sentiment and a toning piece of ribbon.

Birds of a Feather

I've been having a look around on Feline Playful again and have found another interesting Challenge Blog, called The Cheeful Stamp Pad,  Their challenge this week is "Birds of a Feather". Having just bought a Papermania Urban set of stamps, the stamps not even yet put away. I set to and made this card. The background was first blended with Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint. Sprayed with Cosmic Shimmer, Meadow Lush and Peacock Green. I stamped the leaves randomley with Bundled Sage and Forest Moss, used clear E.P. Secured the mesh and garden twine. Stamped and secured the images.
Sentiment is from Creative Expressions - Birds Plate.
Selection of TH Distress Inks as mentioned above.

Monday 16 January 2012

Nature Month - Create a Scene

Hi, everyone, isn't this blogging commenting business a huge nuisance? I can now see comments on my own blog, but still don't have guarenteed access to others. If I don't make comments on your work on this challenge, I am sorry but please understand why.
This week at Make My Monday, we continue the theme for January of  NATURE, and now we would like you to create-a-scene, now it needn't be a full page as I have made. A scene can consist of a watering can, or any object with  weeds, flowers or grass with a bird, or a tree with sky, so let us see how imaginiative and inventive you can be.  This may seem a harder than normal challenge, but it can be great fun.
I started by stamping the beautiful funky fairy from Bravura stamps - directly onto the card, then I stamped her onto a piece of paper, cut it out to make a mask and used temp glue to cover the original fairy. This protected the fairy whilst completing the remaining work. the backgtround is watercoloured using TH Distress inks as watercolours. I punched out the moon, coloured it and glued on some glitter. Glued this onto the card for I wanted it to look more dimensional. I then stamped leaves and trees, birds, grasses (Inkyliciousstamps).  Once completed, I removed the mask and coloured in the fairy, using Sakura Gelly and Souffle  pens, glitter and Promarkers for her skin.
I am also entering this as my 2nd entry to a new monthly blog Craft-a-Scene as soon as I can. it has to be a round about way, whereby once someone has commented on the above pic, I will then have my URL and can go over to add my card. Please Blogger listen  to my plea and save my sanity.

Sunday 15 January 2012

The Many Faces of Women


Now that my blogging/commenting issue is solved for my blog, I am now able to up load to the
Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog my card entry for The Many Faces of Women. I really am not a pink girl, but whenever I want to make something soft and feminine I choose pink. I started by making a crackled resist background, used Milled Lavender and Worn Lipstick to cover the card. Stamped two ladies onto tissue paper and pasted them onto the card. I then stamped directly onto the card a stamp showing part of a ladie's face. Used a small swirl stamp and embossed with Wow! Gold E.P. Finally I stamped and coloured 3 of the lovely ladies to add to the centre of the card. I went around the edges with a gold pen, then added the small pink rosebuds.
Stamps used:-
Lady at bottom left from La Blanche stamps.
Lady at top right and part face from Across the Miles plate from The Stampman
3 Centre ladies from Crafty Individuals.
P.S. I would like to welcome my recent last four followers, Helen, My Heart Exposed, Supersnooks 13, Jannastamps and The Lady of Lost Times, you all sound most elegant, thanks so much for bringing my total of followers to 120. Your all awesome.

Semi solution for the Blogger Problem

I have received an e mail from a friend with advice on how to access our own comments page, which I have followed and all seems safe and it has worked.  If you go to this website you will find the easy instructions.

.........................
""Here is a link that was sent via Shar with Gingersnap Creations concerning blogger issues. My blog is set up for full page comments and I don't know if anyone is having problems leaving comments on my blog. It is suggesed that you change the comment area to "Pop Up," so that might work.
http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/2012/01/blogger-issues-white-screen-no-comments.html

FSC - Butterflies or Bugs

I had fun making this card for the D.T. of Fashionable Stamping Challenges, I sat quite happily playing with paint. I love butterflies but dragonflies can be just as pretty with sparkly wings. I used an old Creative Expressions wooden stamp, it's amazing how with the boom in clear stamps, I suspect because of storage, how much cheaper you can buy the wooden stamps at craft events. This is good news for me, for being a stampaholic I love and cherish stamps of any type. I particularly love this stamp for using Luminate H2Os and or  mica powders, of which I have on this card. It's such a shame when the shine doesn't show but you can see a little of it on the right side. I also glittered the dragonflies wings. As it is a small card, I decided to make it into an easel card to give even more of an interesting shape. Please pop onto our catwalk on the main blog to view my fellow DT Fashionettes, for the samples are simply stunning. We know you can provide us with some amazing projects, so please let us see them. Sadly, I am experiencing problems, along with many others I believe who use Internet Explorer, with our own commenting page and those of others, not everyone, but it is making it impossible for me personally to add comments onto other blogs, But I will be trying, most of the team are fine so we will be visiting you. You have two weeks and I an hoping this problem is resolved very soon.  There is an amazing prize for the chosen winner. Come on ladies let us see you strut your stuff.

Saturday 14 January 2012

Postcard Challenge Episode 2 - Spain

My completed Postcard Booklet. I have added plastic pockets, taped once the card is inserted so they won't
slip out. I soon realised I preffered to be able to see both sides as I and others will be looking through in time to come, especially when it is full. i have used various travel stamps, back and front. Two large rings with lots of blue and brown shades of ribbons.
Spain - My visions of the country are , spectacular old churches, Saville oranges, Spanish Equestrian School, Royal Family and Spanish Flamenco dancing - hence the decorated fan. What makes you think I am not a lying on the beach, type of person?
Hermione's parents, first PC to her, is from Spain and reads :-
Spain Jan. 13th. -----Hello dearest, pleased all your books and equipment arrived safely at school. Of course being Muggles, we had great difficulty acquiring some of them, until a school govenor told us you could go to a place called Diagon Alley, I know you will enjoy the school, let us know about it. We are well. Love Mum and Dad.
P.S.Sadly, I am having a problem with Blogger and commenting, both on mine and others, this is preventing me from adding it to Darcy's Mr. Linky and from making comments on those who have successfully
 up-loaded to her blog. I am hoping this will soon be resolved, for I am about to tear my hair out and have a screaming fit. I am looking forward to the next country and to further developing what is to come with Hermione and her parents.


Friday 13 January 2012

Help

I can see I have one comment, but as I suspected I can't read it. Could the sender please send me an e mail, addy in the right side bar. Many thanks.

Is there a Blogger problem?

I am experiencing a big problem on my blog. After I have clicked to read comments the page changes to the comments page but then it is frozen. I can't do a thing, and have to literally cancel out of the internet, to get back in again. I did notice there seems to be the word REPLY now added after people have posed a comment. Is anyone else experiencing this problem? Though if you make a comment to this plea I may not be able to read your comment. Oh! Woa! is me! I feel so isolated with this, being unable to communicate.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Resist Technique on Tag Week

This week over on Try It On Tuesday, it is the turn for us to make a TAG. The additional requirement we would like to see is a Resisit Technique. I first stamped on the tag with a music stamp, though I admit it doesn't show too well, maybe not suitable as a resist. I heat embossed then covered the tag with TH Broken China, then edged it with TH Chipped Sapphire. I stamped each of the additional elements direct to paper with the Chipped Sapphire, then cut each one out and glued to the tag, I again edged each with the dark blue. I completed the tag, adding a gold die cut, two buttons to the top and bottom and some blue shaded fibre and garden twine. Stamps used are from the Papermania Urban collection.
This week is a tinge of saddness, for this is my last entry to Try it On Tuesdays, as a Design Team member, I have spent a month or two short of two years, have greatly enjoyed the experience, I have learnt many new crafting techniques and wish everyone  continued success.
Other challenge blogs I am entering this into are:-
Make It Monday Anything Goes
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamping Anything new
Anything Goes at Anything Goes
Gingersnap Creations GC133-use a Set or Line of Stamps

Monday 9 January 2012

An Animal Challenge

Continuing our month of NATURE at MAKE MY MONDAY, this week we would like to see Animals.  Any size, pet or wild, the choice is yours. Please rememebr this is not a samping challenge so you could use any of your CD's or decoupage sheets to make a card. Also any form of a project is acceptable, a card, a tag, a scrapbook LO. Please check the rules on the challenge blog. Also the remainder of the team, have some really cute animals for you to see. I look forward to visiting you to see your animal choices.
I was fortunate some time ago to buy 4 x La Blanche stamps of African animals, I decided to stamp the Zebras for this challenge. All of the colouring was completed using several TH Distress inks as watercolours.
I stamped the Zebras first onto white card. The watercolour technique I use is achieved by, stamping your chosen colour either onto a white tile or an acrylic stamping block with a piee of white paper underneath, which helps you to see the ink on the see through block. I use a large brush, spritz some water onto the ink.
I then covered all the lower area, below the hills with Peeled paint, the mountains with Frayed Burlap, the foreground with Bundled Sage, the grass was stamped with Forest Moss, using some grass stamps I bought on E Bay. Once dry I then re-painted some areas to give more shading.
The sky was first watercoloured with Mustard Seed, dried, then Dried Marigold, at this stage I made a circle template, punching out a circle onto a piece of card, plced over where I needed it. Stamped the top part of the Zebra's head onto a post it note, covered the area within the sun. I then used Barn Door, less diluted than the previous areas, to paint the reddish sun. removed the mask and template. Once dry, I added more water to the Barn door and smeared the sky. I allowed this to dry then brushed over all of the sky with clear water to dilute over strong colours. the birds stamped when dry, are from Inkylicious.I have added the details of how I achieved the background, as requested by craft a scene, I hadn't originally for I thought it ight be just a bit too much information to read, however, I realise there are some who may be wondering.
I am also entering this card into Craft-a-Scene, I don't know whether it will be okay for sadly I don't have any Scenescape stamps which is their main aim.
Crafty Anne's Challenge Blog - Let's Think Hot!

Friday 6 January 2012

Darcy's Postcard Challenge 2012 Episode 1

I have been eagerly awaiting the start of Darcy's Postcard Challenge for 2012. I have been unsure on what, artistically, was wanted, and as usual my imaginations were above what actually is required, so I needn't have felt intimidated and so unsure. My ideas have been spot on. So now I know for sure, I am going to get on with my first postcard from Austria. I hope to be back later today to add to this post.
First let me tell you about my two characters. I suppose if your a fan of Harry Potter books/films it may help in some of the understanding. I am, of course a mature grandmother who first read Harry Potter within a few weeks of it's publication, I couldn't understand the hype of a so called children's book. By the end of the second chapter I understood. As a female I greatly enjoyed the characterisation of Hermione Grainger. I always felt there could be more to this studious, clever young girl. What of her parents? Muggles (non witchcraft people) but rarely mentioned in the books. What was their relationship like? So to my two characters - their names and addresses-
Miss H.L. Grainger -                                                               
Gryffindor House,
Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,
Across the Lake.
3rd, County from the North,
UNITED KINGDOM

Mr. Mrs. V.H. Grainger
PO Box 2012
Rue de Provence
2012AA  Paris
Ile-de-France
FRANCE
Now anyone who is not involved in Darcy's Postcard Challenge will think, Cazro has at last LOST IT! Not at all, I am going to have fun finding out more about my characters and of the many countries to be visited. Please pop back later to see my first postcard.

My postcard reads down the centre Music and Arts Festival 2012 Vienna - Austria.
The message reads :- "Jan 6th - Hi Mum, Grandmama, and I had a lovely time at the Music & Arts Festival. I really liked the work of the artist Klimt. Posting this before we leave for England. I am very excited about starting at my new school. I have read lots of books, more than those on the list. Thanks so much for all my needs on the list being forwarded to Hogwart's. Love to you both. H.L.G."
I am now wondering where Hermione's parents will be next week for them to send their reply.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Try It On Tuesday A Card

We are starting the new year over at Try It On Tuesdays with just one request, that it's a  CARD which is
                                    All Your Own Work!
                     So no stickers, no design paper, just lets celebrate your own wonderful art work!
                          The regular sponsor of the Card Challenge is offering this great prize too
So please pop over to Try it on Tuesday and let us see some of All Your Own Work.
I usually love to go to town with my backgrounds, but for this challenge, I decided to start off the year clean and fresh, not an original thought, as it turns out. It's amazing how many of my fellow team mates have had a similar idea, strange really, for most of us are 'messy' (inky) crafters.
I used a set of stamps from Kanban, a few coloured and plain gems, a Silver Sakura pen to highlight and TH Distress Ink Stormy sky. I look forward to visiting your blogs. Thanks for your continued support.









Monday 2 January 2012

The Postcard Challenge 2012 has started!

Darcy of Art and Sole  has today started off the Postcard Challenge for 2012. I only found it a few hours before it began but managed to get signed on for it all sounds so different and interesting. Please go to her site, to find all the rules and requirements. I do hope you enjoy and become interested. I am no artist, but I believe I can use any mediums I wish and just enjoy playing along with our own 2 named characters to whom the postcards are each week sent from one to another. Don't understand a word of the above, sorry why don't you click on either Art and Sole above or the logo in the side bar? I now have to go off and think about my FIRST postcard, which BTW we aren't able to post on our blogs till Friday, then we can go searching on other's blogs to see what they have done, as well as get involved in their postcard conversations. I have decided who my two characters are, hope it will be interesting to others as much as to me. See all of you Postcard girls on Friday.

A New Theme at MMM

Welcome back, at Make My Monday we are pleased to start the new year with a new topic, it is the turn of Fliss to choose the week's in January weekly topics, her overall month's theme is NATURE. We are starting off for the first week with BIRDS. A very popular subject during 2011, so we are hoping to see lots of entries, please pop over to see the team's samples for there is such a wide variety.

I choose to use a DL card, I do like them for some cards, for they give depth. The background to this card is the result of one of those messy spritz and spray sessions I so enjoy from time to time. I use so many methods of just making a mess, I can't recall the colours I used but they would be a mixture of Cosmic Shimmers and TH Distress Inks, with a few splashes of clear water here and there. I stamped the flowers and humming bird with memento Tuxedo Black ink  and then heat embossed with clear EP. I used a black card to matt it, then onto red card. Small diamond jewels were added, for a little extra bling. Sadly Cosmic Shimmers don't shimmer on photos as they do IRL.
Stamps used are from Kanban. I look forward to blog surfing to see your first entries in 2012 to our challenge blog at Make My Monday.

Sunday 1 January 2012

New year - New Stash

Firstly may I wish all of my follower friends a very happy, healthy and creative 2012. I have greatly appreciated your support and comments during 2011 and look forward to hopefully providing more papercraft projects which you will enjoy. Thank you so much.  I would also like to thank the recent new followers whom I haven't so far said welcome to. I am honoured,  again thank you.
 At Fashionable Stamping Challenges, we are starting the New Year asking you to use any new stash the big guy in the red suit may have brought you. It can be anything which we crafty folk call stash, a wide choice.
The theme is anything you wish it to be, just let us see your new stash. My family  don't buy me craft stuff, they all seem to think I have enough or say they wouldn't know what to get. I think it makes good sense, no I don't have enough, who ever does? Being honest I love having the buzz of buying my own stash, especially with the gift of cash, don't you? I bought this set of stamps a couple of weeks before Christmas, as a present to myself.  I set about making the card as if it was a snap of a New Year's Eve party. I hope you like it. Please do pop over to the FSC blog for the samples from my fellow Fashionettes are fabulous. I will be popping around your blogs to to thank you for joining us with our first challenge for 2012.
Materials used:-
Stamps - Kanban Jasper Steampunk - figures and clock.
Champagne bottle - La Blanche
Papers from craft stash.
Copic pens  and TH Distress Inks to add colours.