Thanks

This picture has worked better (dunno why I did exactly the same)
This is a card that I am sending to Kay & Alfie at Indigblu to say thank you for my lovely lady.
I was very lucky and won this stamp when I entered Kay's random act of kindness  over on FB .
I used a raspberry Adirondak and brayered the background around the edges and left it lighter in the middle added some script and some of the ladies hair with the same inkpad.

I originally made the centre square and had black bits of her hair around the edge but at the very last one I smudge it. ( I will not repeat on here what I said....air was blue) so to salvage I used a spellbinder and cut her out and mounted onto black. where there is a will there is a way LOL.

80th birthday Card

First of all I would like to say sorry about these pictures. I have put them through Serif first to add my signature but I think I have done something not quite right as the pictures are now small ( I will have to play a little more methinks)
Anyhoo I have used some Kanban stamps that I have they are all cogs and great for man cards I also have another sheet of clock bits and both sets work well together.  I used flitterglue and guilding flakes.  I did a round sentiment and added the 80 in the centre and mounted on a spellbinder shape, added 3 coin "buttons" .
I used my Clarity letter set to make for you brother down the sides.

Little boy Blue

I made a frame card for this New Baby Boy card with blue pearl card.  I added  a die cut pram and printed some words on plain white pearl and then cut them out with a die cut shape.
 I used the Clarity letter set for the words.  The ribbon shows better on the lid than the box as this picture is rubbish.... David  Bailey I am not.

Anyway wishing you all the best for the New Year and hopefully I will be back on here soon.  Don't know when  depends when I get my crafty stuff back out and my youngest daughter has landed herself a new job in Gibraltar so she is off on the 4th January - I am really going to miss her.

Happy Birthday Ethel

 Hello there not been on here for a long time!! Naughty Naughty Blogger

Not feeling over bright today and not got my crafty stuff back out yet after tidying it up for Christmas and I was just on my lappy doing some admin and found a couple of cards that I haven't blogged so I thought I would post them both whilst I was here.

I hope you have all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year.  I got some fab crafty stuff amongst my pressies and pennies to spend too!!

I did this card for a commission a birthday card for a lady in her eighties had to be pink and have flowers,  I have a pad of really nice heavyweight paper/card so I used a piece for the background the nice lace ribbon was in my stash I got it from the haberdashery stall in the local market.  I used pearl white card stock distressed with antique velvet distress ink. The flowers were made from some more of the patterned paper.

Christmas baubles again

This time I used flitter glue and royal peacock guilding flakes onto black card.  I stamped the sentiments around the edge and made a little rectangle for me to mount a personal sentiment.  I drew the wiggly line with a fine gold pen.

The next question is will I sell all my Christmas cards this weekend or will I have enough left for my personal use or will I be making like mad!!!!  Time will tell.  xx

Christmas Baubles

I am back to this Indigoblu stamp - I do think its lovely.

This time I embossed with clear powder and brayered over the top with Denim blue adirondak.  for some reason it came out looking more like stonewash - unless I had the lids mixed up. LOL

I added a few random sentiments - again Indigoblu, some gems, a tag for me to add a personalised sentiment onto, then mounted onto navy card and then white some blue candy in the corners.

Christmas cottage

 I have three posts today as I have been doing a few last cards ready for this weekend's fair in Blackpool.  I will be there all weekend and as I haven't got an i-pad :(  .......I won't be able to do any blogging whilst there

I would schedule them but then I don't know how to share with my friends on Face book other than by pressing the share button after I have posted.

This is a simple little card - I have made several with different background papers but apart from that they are the same.
A Beautiful stamp from stampendous - shame I haven't got this but I borrowed it from a craft friend.  (we do like to share stuff as crafters don't we)

Its a bit hard to see in the pick but I added a hint of blue with a promarker and coloured in the holly.  I used a glue pen and added glitter, mounted onto a bit of red card ( to bring out the berries) and mounted onto some nice paper from a pad of Christmas papers I picked up some where or other.

Forty

THIS VERSE MAY OFFEND IF YOU ARE DEEPLY RELIGIOUS SO PLEASE DON'T READ IT IF YOU ARE

 My husbands nephew and neice (twins) are forty at the beginning of December. 

I hadn't a clue what to make him aren't men so hard to make for?

I saw this verse so I half hitched it - found a picture of him and his mates on FB and included it in the insert.

The front of the card was done in Serif then I distressed the edges with slate adirondak, matted on to black card.  I stamped another piece of card with beer mugs and distressed that too.

Ruby Wedding

I was asked to make a Ruby Wedding card and was given a photo.

I too the photo into serif to get it the right size to fit into a spellbinder oval.

The top and bottom are a from a cheery Lynne die that I have "hooked" around the oval frame.  The heart is made from two bits of scrap from the fancy flourish.

Its all in pearl card again.  I printed a sentiment and cut around it with a circle die and back onto another one to give it a bit of a lift.

Pink Wedding

Another wedding card - another order - its very similar to the one I posted last week but just thought I'd share it with you.  Its all made out of pearl card and silver mirri.

I used my hougie to create the background.  The flowers are made from white pearl paper and embossed in silver with the flower stamp from dimension stamps.  I printed the sentiments onto white pearl card and embossed with silver.  Te box has a strip of ribbon to match the one that goes across the card.

21st Birthday

Yet another commission - hasn't my new grand calibur been busy!!

Had to be pink - oh b...er no pink card. so out came   my splodge away mat and my brayer together with Victorian velvet and made some!
I used the creative expressions folder and embossed the backing card . mounted on gold.  printed the sentiment and embossed in gold.  used some beautiful number stamps that I got at a craft show but I can't remember who makes them it is a foreign name - they make glittery paste and stuff too.

Cut out with labels twenty but the largest label was a bit big so drew round it and  cut out with scissors.

Made  some flowers with Dimension stamps - I have used these a lot again no pink pearly paper so had to colour my own.!! the little leaf in gold is a cheery Lynn die and is helping to cove the line in the embossing folder!!.

Ruby Wedding

A simple card for a Ruby wedding (another commission)

Red pearly card and white pearly card.

Again I printed the words in Red and embossed with clear powder.

I just used a fancy edge on my trimmer and cut the strip of white and red.

The hearts with a spellbinder .  I embossed the base with a creative expressions folder and used the strip to cover the join. rounded the corners and added some pearls. et voila

Wedding card

A but of bling for this one - its for a Grandad to give to his granddaughter.  I stamped the couple and embossed in silver, put the the GC with a spellbinder and topped on silver mirri card.
The base is pearl white card and I made a pattern with my Hougie board I added the ribbon in a ruffled way then mounted onto silver and then onto a base card.  I made a sentiment with the computer and embossed this with silver too mounted onto silver mirri and stuck on the ribbon with foam tape.

I printed the names and embossed then cut out with spellbinder hearts for the lid.  stuck some of the same ribbon across the box and added a bow.

Retirement Card

My next commission was for a retirement card for a man. I took my inspiration from a card I did on a workshop with Maria Simms.

20 x 20 brown base card
I cut out 9 brown squares and 8 white ones. I distressed the white ones and a piece that was 19 x 19 .  I used flitter glue, with royal peacock guilding flakes and the stamps are a mixture of
cogs - from Kanban
Minature fob watch and large fob watch (centrepeice) from Clarity
a round sentiment from little Claire and another watch fob that came with craft stamper magazine a long time ago.


the centrepiece was made by stamping the sentiment,and then I had to put the flakes on before I could mask it to then add the fob watch.( how do I know to add the guilding flakes first LOL).

Darwen Tower Xmas card

I have been busy making commissions and still have some more to go but I will post a few before I get them out.

For those of you who don't know - on the moors above Darwen there is a jubilee tower that was erected to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - we all call it Darwen tower but its official title is the Jubilee Tower.tower.

I have an old wood mounted stamp of the tower - I am very lucky as my friend also has a smaller version so we can swap about!!

Anyway back to the card I stamped in slate grey adirondak and then cut out the oval - the stamp lends itself to an oval but the way the ground has been drawn.  I  brayered the background for the sky and added glitter for snow and on the castle ( though it doesn't show on the picture.  These cards are going across the pond so I added the sentiment from Darwen.  I stamped some holly in two opposite corners with Judikins sticky stuff - heated it up and added glitter. Two rows of ds tape across the middle and glitter.

I have kept the card flat to keep postage costs down.

A pressie for you

This is the last card I made on Wednesday it's a simple card .
Stamps are a Clarity corner (again) and  an inkylicous parcel stamp.

stamped and embossed with silver and mounted onto mirror card.  I made a hole in the top of the parcel and the tag to thread some silver ribbon through and stuck it to the back - I added the bow after i had stuck it all down.  The tag is for the sentiment. and I mounted it all on a 15 x 15 white card.

Snowy house 2

Following on from yesterday's card I thought  I would try a picture in a picture.  I stamped the house onto copy paper and cut along the snow line to give me mask.  I brayered with black ( very brave I thought LOL) and added some trees with a miniature Clarity tree I stamped the house again onto a square, matted onto black and lined up the picture . I used a glue pen to add glitter to the trees and house and some dots in the "sky"  I added a tag to put the sentiment on.

Snowy house 1

Yay

Mojo came home this afternoon so I have been busy playing !!!
I've done 3 cards to post so I will schedule them as I will be at craft club tomorrow.  ( I have stamped some images on double sided adhesive aka Barbara and I am taking them with me tomorrow with my perfect pearls to have a play dunno what they'll turn out like - probably end up in the bin!)

I stamp scene with a Clarity stamp and twiddled around the edge then trimmed back, covered the whole thing with versamark and then embossed with kaleidoscope detail powder from stampendous - it gives it a bit of shimmer. I lightly added a little grey adirondak ink on the edges and mounted on black card.

I made a wide border with a Clarity corner again stamped in black, added grey along the edges again and mounted on to black.  The black strip in the middle is for the sentiment.  I added a few little black gems.

xmas tree

A Simple card using the Baroque Christmas tree stamp form Indigo Blu and the starry corner stamp from Clarity.

Simply stamped in Bottle Green adirondak, mounted on some green card, the fancy corners of the base card are the edges of the Christmas tree and I have just added a few red gems.

That was short and sweet,

Santa in the sky

Oh  I haven't had a good day today no mojo.  I finally get around to being able to  play with inks and stuff and mjo decides to go for a wander hope he's back by tomorrow I have some commisions I need to make but want to do the Christmas ones first.

Anyhoo this is a 20 x 20 card base .
The background was brayered with the Hydrangea Big & Juicy inkpad and of course the splodge mat.  The topper was done with the same inkpad but further into the darker area.  I left a moon and I then sprayed with water finely and rolled over with paper towel to make it "starry".  Today's blog post The buildings are a stamp I got from Inkylicious a few years ago it can be a bit temperamental - methinks I could do with getting some of that clingy stuff to give it a bit of padding as it is not very tall but quite long.

The Santa is a beloved Clarity stamp but only has two reindeer so I inked up the stamp and then masked off the topper and just stamped 2 reindeer then I re inked and added the full stamp behind so that it looks continuous.

Both layers are mounted on some complimentary purplish card from my stash and the sentiment is a Clarity stamp.

Hark

This card was inspired by Maria Simms at the last Clarity workshop i attended in October.

The background of the topper was brayered I think it was either stone wash, denim or a mix of the two using a splodgemat.
I stamped the front image and masked it then repeated the process until I had all 3 angels stamped. I coloured the dresses with promarkers, added glitter to trumpets and wings with a glue pen and glitter.  I have a little cluster of stars on a stamp and another star stamp that is also small . I randomly stamped these with versamark and embossed with kaleidoscope  powder from Stampendous.

Mounted the whole lot on some blue mirri - stamped the sentiment in Denim and embossed in clear.
the whole lot was then mounted onto some very fine glitter card then more mirri and finally onto a 20 x 20 card./

That's it - I am up to date.

I have several commissions to do but I am every hopeful that I will be back to making cards and doing all things inky tomorrow and hopefully will find the time to blog.

See you soon and thanks for visiting xx

Joy at Xmas

Splodge mat
Clarity stamps - Joy framer, Robin and tree
Candi dots
Navy and white card stock
silver ribbon
pro markers for Robin
Weathered wood distress
Denim Adirondak
Brayer.

I have left the tag blank as I have lots of little strips in white with different family sentiments to add on the card whilst I am at my fairs. So it may just say Merry Christmas Mum & Dad or to a special couple etc etc.

Catching up well aren't I? one more to post which will follow.

wedding card 2

Clarity church - I love this stamp embossed in gold.
two spellbinder ovals one white one gold mirri
creative expressions embossing folder.
The words and letters are a right old mix of stamps.  The W & D are from a set of nice letters ( can't remember who made them but the small letters are not much kop).  The rest are from dimension stamps the ones that come with the large rounded letters and have no first letter.

Just a note:
I stamped the words onto a piece of pearl card and embossed in gold.  I then embossed with the folder twice to leave the background behind the words plain.

wedding card

This was a commission

Gold Mirri and cream pearl card.

creative expressions embossing folder
Splendid circles spellbinders dies
spellbinders blossom flower
marianne dies poinsetta die used for the leaves and some gold ribbon.

couple of gold gems for some bling.

I have a couple more to post which will follow shortly

nik naks

  
 

 


 


Hello everyone - it is absolutely yonks since I last posted a blog.

I have been extremely busy working on a secret project and making little niknaks for my craft stall.  I made quite a lot but then sold them at the Oswaldtwhistle show so I spent most of last week and this afternoon making more stock.  This is a selection of the ones that are now all sold.
My next show is at the Last Drop Hotel near Bolton this Sunday and then I will be again at the Winter Gardens Blackpool on 1st & 2nd December.

I have one or two cards that I can post and I will put them up in separate posts.

The candles have been decorated with dry decals and gems.  the Little handbags are made from nice scrapbook paper/card . The crackers  are empty but include a snap for people to fill them or use as gift wrapping.  the green photo frame was made in a similar manner to the one I have previously posted and the blue one was covered in Gesso then bubbled up with the heat gun.  I also added some frontage enamel and shabby blue embossing powder.

Clarity project club - October

I was a bit stuck for inspiration last Thursday so I decided to have a go at Barbara's inspiration from the Clarity Stamp project club for October.


I stamped randomly around the edge with versamark and clear powder.
then I brayered with raspberry adirondak.  I repeated the process and then added stonewash.

Finally I repeated with eggplant.

I stamped the lady in eggplant and embossed her with clear embossing powder so that I could colour her with promarkers - not a clue which ones I used though lol.todays blog post

My new Grand Calibur yay

Hi All

Sorry I haven't been here for a while I just don't know where the time goes.  I have been busy making cards and stuff for my stall but somehow I don't seem to have found the time to blog.

I have just posted all of my new Christmas cards over on Facebook in my Christmas card album so feel free to take a look.

Anyway BIG news.  It was my birthday yesterday and my lovely girls bought me a grand calibur.  They sent for it from C&C the other week when it was on offer and it has been sat here for 3 weeks and I haven't played with it - how good was I.

I opened it yesterday and started to play but then I had lots of lovely visitors so didn't get a proper go until today.

the card is a 20 x 20 base

I bought a spellbinder grid die when I went to Harrogate and haven't used it until now.  Unfortunately I didn't have any thinner black card so I used what I had 300 gsm.  It took several passes but I got there eventually - patience is a virtue don't you know.  I extended it so that I had a larger area.

 I then took a piece of pearl card 19 x 19 and used a labels die to cut out a section - I did this twice and overlapped them in the middle to create a larger hole. ( only got one grandee die yet lol).

I then used a creative expressions embossing folder and in several goes went around the whole piece to emboss.I only used one half of the folder so that I could get all around the frame.
I cut another piece of black 19.5 x 19.5 , cut out the middle and rounded the corners.
I then layered it all  on the base card.

I cut out some dies in red white and blue and stamped the red one with my sentiment.

The flowers are made from the same design set of dies.  There is a small circle so I cut several for each flower and just made them by cutting sections of each one out and layering up.

A few black dots of bling in the top corner .

A small frame

I decided to have a little play today and sorry but I cannot get a better picture to show it any clearer.

I made a frame from heavy duty grey board from paper artsy.

I coloured the bits before I assembled it with adirondak eggplant.  I then overstamped with a Clarity stamp - florabunda in the same colour. I stamped a butterfly onto grungepaper and coloured in the same way.

I triple embossed both the frame and the butterfly to make them shiny I added frantage gold embossing enamel to the edges of the butterfly and melted it in.  I restamped the frame with a final coat of versamark and sprinkle some more of the gold enamel powder and sunk this into the frame.

It will take a small photo. I really enjoyed doing something a little different.

Buttons

 No cards today for my blog but something a little different.

When I was at the Winter Gardens on Saturday I was on a stall next to a lady who made the most beautiful bridal bouquets out of buttons.  She also did some head bands tiaras and corsages.

As I am of the old school I still have a button box so I thought I'd have a play today and this is the result.

sending you sunshine

Just a quick post today,  I went to Harrogate papershow yesterday and had an amazing time.


I got these Clarity stamps it is a set consisting of the sentiment, the tree and a long stamp with the children and animals.

Inks:
adirondak - sunshine yellow
Tim Holtz distress inks - victorian velvet, aged mahogany, shabby shutters, forest moss.
Archival - coffee.

I used by brayer and inks for the background, then added trees before finally stamping the children.

65 again

A card made for a commission


20 x 20 pearl base card
gold mirri card
memory die leafy trail
Dimension stamps flower stamp
White vellum
versamark
gold embossing powder
Sunshine yellow adirondak ink
xcut fancy square die

I printed the sentiment on the computer and cut out with the xcut die.  I cut a large one in mirri card to frame it.  I cut some leafy trails and distressed with yellow.  I also went around the edges of a 19 x 19 pearl white card with yellow. and mounted it onto mirri and then on the base card.

I stamped the flowers onto vellum with versamark and also stamped the script stamp from the same set over the top.  Embossed with gold and distressed with more yellow and then made the flowers up.

I cut down some of the leafy trails  before mounting.