CBC ATCs velvet

I nearly forgot about these. The choice this month was velvet or vintage (or a combination of the two).

Earlier in the week I ironed velvet paper on to a rubber stamp - one of my favourites atm - and today I just added some stickles icicles.

These are very simple, but it was all I could think of doing with velvet:



Some people have asked what this technique is, so I thought I'd add this:

You just place the rubber stamp with the rubber uppermost and put the velvet paper on top of it, with the velvet side against the rubber. Then you use a medium to high hot iron to press firmly on top to get the impression. It really works better with a bolder pattern, but I wanted to use the trees.

3 in 1

This card actually fits three challenges.

Firstly, it has a quotation on it, so it fits challenge 36 on Lots to do (although I notice that there's a new challenge up for today, so really it's late).

On My time to craft, challenge 37 is: 'It's raining, it's pouring', which is appropriate for this card.

And today's Dottie's World challenge is to use a photo as well as a Charmed Cards and Crafts digital download.

The photo I've used as the entire background of the card was taken some years ago in Tenerife - in fact irl the colours on the card, particularly the rainbow, are a lot more vibrant than on this scan. The image in the bottom corner is from a 'love and marriage' Dottie download and the quotation is computer generated, printed straight on to the photo background.

BF forum CJ

Where does time go? It's the first of the month tomorrow and that means it's time to post on the CJ within the group on the BF forum.

When I received Rosie's CJ 'I am' I had a fair idea of what I would do, but I put it off and for the past week or so I haven't been well. I was hesitant to do my DLO because I didn't want to make a mess in someone else's CJ.

I had intended to print out the writing for this - in fact I did so - and then I decided that the papers I wanted to use would lend themselves to handwriting rather than print. This is pretty brave for me (or stupid, depending on which way I look at it!) because my writing isn't up to much these days. So I thought I'd have a go and if I ruined it I could always go back to the idea of printing, but it seemed to be OK, so I've stuck with it.

The papers (Dream Street), flowers and buttons were all part of a BF kit (I think it was July, or it might have been a Think Pink one) - which seemed appropriate to use for a CJ on the BF forum.

It was only after I'd finished and taken the photos that I realised that everyone else who had contributed so far had included a photo, so I've added my photo to the sign in tag at the back.





You can read the writing better if you click on the pictures.

Lili of the valley 10: sprinkle and sparkle + ABC Quick card

I've used some more of the sparkly, sprinkly shaker embellishments on this simple card. The background is K & Co Tim Coffey Birthdays. This fits in well with this week's Lili of the valley challenge: sprinkle and sparkle:



It took me so little time that I'm also linking it for the ABC Q challenge: Quick card (although this challenge was a couple of weeks ago - trying to catch up with them).

I've just realised that the scan of the card showed the sprinkles spread out so that you can't see the 'Happy Birthday', so here is a (poor quality) photo that does show it:

Dottie's world Sunday challenge: fabulous flowers

The challenge on Dottie's world this week is to use flowers - Louise said: 'I want you to make something (it doesn't have to be a card) and embellish it with flowers of some description. You can use flowers in your image or in the pattern on your paper but there must still be a flower(s) forming the main part of the embellishments, it could be silk or paper flowers, brads, buttons you get the idea right? As always Dottie's World challenges must have one of the Charmed downloads on them somewhere.'

I used the freebie Dottie Fairy that was given to every entrant in the 'black, white and a splash of colour'. I printed it on to a piece of pink patterned paper (not sure what it is - was in my offcuts box - think it might be HOTP) and added lots of primas and crystal stickers.

Rosie Dee's challenge 11 and Cupcake 15

So now for the cards following on from the previous post. Challenge 11, set by Dee, on Rosie Dee's challenge blog says: 'Those who visited and played along with us last week will remember that Rosie asked you to keep those scraps of paper nice and safe as you would need them this week. Well, using those scraps of paper, I'd like you to make some cards with them. It's up to you whether you make one or several.'

As I said in my previous post, I had to cheat somewhat. However, I found that I'd got half a sheet of the lovely British Beach paper that was left over long ago from another project (Gez, if you read this - always buy more than one sheet, then you can use one and keep one - in fact, I like these papers so much that I've still got some). So I cut the remaining half in half and used as the background for two summertime Birthday cards (why, oh why, am I making summertime cards now?!?) So, although it was a cheat, I actually used the same kind of paper as background.

I didn't totally cheat, because I've used the scraps of the DCWV card and the Craft Creation blue paper to make the Happy Birthday on one of the cards.





The big ice cream and lolly were part of some embellishments I bought and have never used. The ice cream is a shaker - little silver balls and a Happy Birthday inside it, like this:



This card also fits the challenge this week on Cupcake: 'So the challenge this week is sweets & cakes, it can be anything a card, scarpbook page, 3d project as I said anything it just has to feature sweets or cakes in some way!' so I'm linking it for that too.

Rosie Dee's challenge 10

I want to do challenge 11 on Rosie Dee, but the problem is that it depends on having done challenge 10 and I hadn't got around to doing that.

So this afternoon, sitting here feeling poorly and a bit sad (it's mum's birthday and we were going to go out to lunch, but neither of us is well enough), I thought I'd do something for challenge 10 'out and about' and then I'd be able to do challenge 11.

Mmmmm - I've now done challenge 10, but the idea of challenge 11 is that you use up scraps from the LO of challenge 10 to make a card ... I used a full sheet of Park Lane Paper 'British Beach' for my LO and just a bit of Craft Creations blue paper to mount the thickers letters for 'out and about' - the shape around it was cut on my cricut using a piece of DCVW card.



So now I'm going to have to cheat for challenge 11!

HS:MS:HS mini catch up

I've missed the last few days on HS:MS:HS, so here is a mini catch up:

Birthday (clearer if you click on for bigger picture):



American:



Rain:







English (English Paper Company):

Lovely surprise

I've won the prize for last week's http://basicgreychallenges.blogspot.com/ challenge (the card that's under here). Thank you to everyone on the BG blog and to Jennie at Artistic Stamper for donating the prize.

BG challenge 12: embossing

This is a card for the current challenge on the BG challenge blog (just scraping in on the last day): this week we would like to see some embossing on your creations, it can be heat embossing, dry embossing or even a combo of both :) its entirely up to you :), and of course not forgetting to use at least 1 item from BasicGrey on your creation.

I used a stamped image that I received in a recent swap on CBC done by kaz67uk - gold embossed.

This was coloured in with skin tones copics And mounted and matted on to different sheets of BG boxer and sugared.

Decoupage lilac cards

It's mum's birthday tomorrow and, shame on me, I hadn't made a card yet. Why is it that it's easier to make other cards than those for our nearest and dearest?

I'm not feeling well atm - just trying to get over diverticulitis and now I've got a sore throat that feels like sandpaper and as if someone's throttling me!

So I confess that I didn't feel like putting much energy into making mum's card, even though I wanted to.

Recently, in a moment of madness, I bought a decoupage kit from C&C, thinking it would make quite quick cards as and when - so, this has proved to be one of thos occasions, I'm afraid. I just added a computer generated sentiment printed on vellum.

The strange thing is that, even though it has been easily to make, she'll probably like it just as much as a card that takes ages to do.

Anyway, the topic on the Secret Crafter Saturday challenge this week is Decoupage. The theme on Cute Card Thursday this week is 'lilac', so this fits a double challenge.

It's also very late for the Crafty Creations challenge: pretty for mum, but I'll still link it as I said I would be doing a card for it.



While I was making the card for mum, I made one with reverse decoupage as well:



Sorry about the poor quality of the photos.

BF secret advent swap

There is a secret advent swap going on on BF. Each person is sending 25 little crafting gifts - to be opened like an advent calendar - one every day from 1 December leading up to Christmas.

Mine has arrived!

And here it is:



Do I really have to wait till Monday to open the first one?

I will be strong ....

Another award

Wow! I've been given an award by Gez and Janice - thank you so much, girls - I'm not sure though that I live up to what it says:

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.



I now nominate:

Lythan
Adele
Ruth
Esther

Well deserved, girls

CBC tag swap

I haven't done much for a few days - not been very well.

This morning I did the remaining two of my tags for the swap being organised by Jackie on CBC. Here ar the five tags I'm sending:



The only other craft related thing I've done in the past few days is prepare for the advent swap on BF, which is secret, so enough said!

HS:MS:HS catch up

I've not been playing along at HS:MS:HS for a week or so, so I've done a catch up. But before I show the photos, I must make a big apology to Sue Nicholson, who gave me an award a while ago - at the time I was busy preparing for the minimarket etc and this is the first opportunity I've had to make a HS:MS:HS post.

Sue left me a comment: "There's a little something for you on my blog. We have been "blogging friends who snap away and improve" for quite some time now :-)" So this is the award that I've been given:



And here's my catch up, which ends with today's prompt:

Button:



Fake:



Italian:



Spanish:



French:







SPS in B & W:



SOS:





Scottish:

I've been given an award

Wow! Gez has given me this award:



Thank you, Gez, for the lovely things you said.

And these are the conditions:

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

Gez said she found it easy to nominate - I'm not finding it quite so easy, not because I can't think of enough fab talented people to award, but because throughout my time of being involved in craft forums and visiting blogs, I've got to know so many extremely creative crafters.

In the end, I've selected five people who have become dear crafting friends, four of whom I've met in real life. I very much value their friendship and greatly admire their creativity.

Adele
Kathy
Lythan
Sue
Maddy

If you've never visited their blogs I urge you to do so - you're in for a treat - their crafting is outstanding.

I feel these five girls deserve this award much more than I do, but feel honoured that Gez chose me - thank you.

Having just visited the blogs of these friends, I've discovered that Kathy has already been given this award, which means I can choose someone else in addition - another very talented lady, whose crafting I greatly admire and who, over the years, has become a good crafting forum buddy:

Ellen

There are many more people I'd love to award, but I'll stick to the rules!!

Salt: comfort in suffering

For this time's Salt challenge, Kim has chosen the theme of 'comfort in suffering'. You can read what she's said here.

This is a very moving and emotive topic - and one that I thank Kim for at this particular time.

I chose to focus on thoughts about my dad, who suffered with dementia and died nearly five years ago, on mum's birthday. This time of the year is a particularly sad time of reflection - it would have been dad's birthday on 29 October and it's mum's birthday soon, but, nevertheless, it's also a time to reflect and be thankful for the way God sustained us through those difficult times. Dad had always been a very quiet, shy man. He had a strong faith, but wasn't one to say very much. However, when he was in the grips of dementia, it was just as if his inner being overflowed and expressed the depths of his faith, recalling hymans and scriptures and affirming his assurance in his Lord and that he would be going to heaven. I learned a lot from dad in this time, more than he could ever be aware.

For my LO I used a background of papermania 'ornate cluster' and added pieces of Be Blessed 'be thankful'.

I haven't been feeling well for a few days and so it was a bit of an effort to do this LO and I kept it simple, but am grateful to Kim for this topic. If you click on the image you will be able to read what I've written:

Cuttlebug embossed butterfly

This card is for challenge 7 on the Cuttlebug challenges blog and also for Rainbow Lady's challenge 'things with wings'.

The challenge on Cuttlebug is to emboss a die cut, so I chose a butterfly that was originally die cut (ages ago) with a die that I got with my QVC pink peril (long gone now). On Rainbow Lady: 'This week I have THINGS WITH WINGS for my challenge to you. This could be birds, bees, butterflies, angels - the list is endless' (this is my first challenge for that blog).

I used BG sultry papers and silver holographic card inked with alcohol - left over from making my previous 'inchies' card.

The picture doesn't show the true colours - irl they are more pink on the inked card - might replace with a better photo tomorrow.

Yummy RAK

What a kind lady Carole is - she is a member of CBC forum. I was able to help her a bit recently when her computer died and she has sent me this 'thank you RAK':





Carole remembered that I love dark chocolate, so she has sent me three bars. Although I'm trying to lose weight atm, I still enjoy some dark chocolate, so this is most welcome.

I was so taken aback when this arrived - thank you, Carole.

Blog inspiration + alcohol inks

I made this card last night for two challenges, but it has been very difficult to get a photo - last night was impossible with a flash and the weather now is so dull that it wasn't easy to get a daylight picture, but here it is anyway:



The challenge on Created Byhand was to make something using alcohol inks - I didn't need much persuasion, as I love playing with them. I used butterscoth, wild plum and meadow.

Challenge 60 on http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/was 'blog inspiration'. I took my inspiration from Crissi, who had shown an inchie set.

So I inked up a piece of holographic silver and chopped it into inchies that I then used on the card. The background is a BG sultry paper.

One for the boys - a child's card

Challenge 11 this week on the basicgreychallenge blog is 'one for the boys'; also on A spoonful of sugar this week challenge 25 is to make a child's card.

I used BG archaic papers (love them), with the addition of a few stickers - the dinoasuar is on a spring, so it wobbles when you touch it.

Remember

'Remember' is the theme for the ATC monthly swap on the Tanda forum. It's also challenge 15 on UKStampers, so these are for both.

I used a stamp that came free with Craft Stamper (I don't think it's actually a poppy, but for my purposes today it definitely is!). I stamped and embossed, using the masking technique and then coloured in with lipstick red copic and blender. The poppies on the first ATC are darker than on the second because I stamped them on a piece of paper the same as the backing, whereas the second one was stamped on white. In both cases I cut round the poppies and swiped them with versamark and embossed with clear to give them a sheen that, unfortunately, doesn't show on the scans.

The background was stamped randomly with a HOTP swirl stamp and the 'remember' epoxy stickers are some I've had for quite a while and can't remember where they came from.





And I've just remembered (ha ha) that 'remembrance' is the theme on Lots to do this week, so these ATCs are appropriate for that challenge too.

Mixed Media Monday: the human body or parts thereof

I couldn't resist using this lovely face stamp by JudiKins, stamping it with Stazon saddle brown on to Papermania antique cream creative tones and the words printed and cut from a matching paper - for the current challenge on Mixed Media Monday:

Rosie Dee's challenge 9

Last Sunday on Rosie Dee's challenge blog, Deanne said: 'Something different for this week tiddly peeps.

An altered project you can do just for fun, for you craft room, for a gift, the list is endless...'

Well, when I was in Orpington the next day, I bought a little clock (didn't want a big wall clock) that can sit on my bookshelf in my craft room. It was very, very expensive - 99p lol!!

I don't know why I didn't notice it had such a dirty face until I took a photo:



Having taken off the front and cleaned it, I was really stumped as to what I could do to alter it - in the end, out came the crystal stickers elements and primas and here in the (pathetic) result:

It was worth the effort

Now I'm back home and the minimarket is over, I can reflect that it was worth the effort, even though I'm feeling tired and my back has been playing up. Mum sold a few cards for me at her Christmas fair, but most of the people went from one to the other, so they tended to buy from me, so I did much better than she did. However, it means that I've been able to give some of the takings to mum's sheltered accommodation and some to the BMS that the church minimarket was supporting.

I had two tables at the minimarket, one was just cards and the other one (a dear lady from church helped with this) consisted of calendars, notebooks, etc, some of which I made and some I bought in.




Yes, it was worth the effort.

Time and energy have run out

Isnt it typical?! Tried to use my robo this morning and I got an error message saying the robo controller wasn't ready (everything seemed to be normal) - all I can think is that a windows update has interfered with the setting or something - I even tried a system restore and then gave up. In any case, there's only so much time in the day and I wouldn't have been able to get any more done than I have today, especially as I'm not feeling too great - my back is really playing up today.

Anyway, here are a few cards I made this morning:



and one of the notebooks:



Everything is now labelled, bagged and ready to be picked up at about 6.30 this evening - going to the church to set everything up ready for tomorrow.

What I haven't done now won't get done (and I wonder if someone will ask for something that I haven't got?!)