Back to the blog

My poor blog has been sadly neglected over the summer and prep for craft fairs so I'm making an effort to show it some love.

We had a fun time at Halloween and I treated myself to some great new silhouette stamps by Marianne Designs

And this is what I made with them

I used Distress inks to create the background on a blank tag and then simply stamped the silhouettes.

The tag below I created for a Facebook swap 

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween too!

Challenges I am entering

Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween Colours

Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween

Always Be A Mermaid

 Having just got back from a fantastic week away in Majorca (despite the heatwave!) it's time to get back to the crafting!

I was lucky enough again for my work to be selected for the Ready, Set, Stamp feature in CraftStamper Magazine.

The theme was Deep Blue Sea and this is what I created

I used Distress Oxides on the card and sprayed them with water to merge them into an underwater effect. Once dry I stamped the mermaid by Stampendous stamps in archival ink and the blue circles in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. 

I used the Jane Davenport Making Faces flesh coloured paint for the body, watercolour paints and gold marker. I added the embossing powder, glitter, beads, artstones and fragments for the under the sea look. The diecuts were cut from watercoloured card before painting and added to the card. And as the sentiment says, Always be yourself, unless you can be a mermaid!

Other challenges I am entering:

a2zscrapbookingblog.com - Sparkle and Shine

Country View Crafts Challenges - Blue and Green

Easter Time

I hope you are all looking forward to the Easter break. We are expecting some warm temperatures in the UK, hotter than the Costas!

I decided to create this Easter card today before the holiday formally begins tomorrow.

The rabbit was cut on my Cricut machine and then edged with Distress Ink. The other elements were diecut from various foliage dies, some from coloured paper, others from white paper and watercoloured.

I embossed the background before bringing out the detail with distress ink. Finally I layered the finished work and mounted onto a white card. 

I am looking forward to seeing all your Easter creations too!

Challenges I am entering:

Crafty Gals Corner Challenges - Easter

Country View Craft Challenges - Easter

Always Fun - Easter

As Seen in Craft Stamper

Its been a while since I've blogged as we have been enjoying our annual holiday in Jersey, Channel Islands. Its a beautiful island and one we have returned to for the past 4 years.

St Ouens Bay

Pleimont Bay

                           













Even more exciting is seeing my work in Craft Stamper Magazine! I was delighted to have my work chosen for the Ready,Set Stamp feature.

I used a new set of shell stamps from Woodware and an embossing folder from my stash. I inked the background using Distress Inks. Having arranged the stamped elements are used Imagination Crafts Art Stones for texture. For more information pick up a copy of the magazine for more details.

Just Us Girls - Beach

Country View Crafts Challenge - Sun, Sea, Sand

Cheers - Happy Father's Day!

So today is Father's Day and I want to say a big thank you to my Dad who is amazingly kind, generous and fantastic Grandpa!  I know for some today is painful for those who's Dad is no longer around but I hope you can think of them with fond memories.

I picked up the recent copy of Papercraft Essentials and made this card for my Dad using the free Apple Blossom gifts.

I used the embossing folder and then distressed it with various colours of Distress Inks. It was a happy accident as I started with black and didn't like it so added colour. I quite like how it turned out!  I stamped the bottles and glasses onto card with an archive ink pad before colouring them with watercolour pencils and diluted Distress Ink.

The sentiment was created with a set of alphabet stamps from my stash.  

The card is now sitting in pride of place on my Dad's mantelpiece!

So all it remains for me to say is

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY - CHEERS!

Challenges I am entering:

An Inky Mess - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps and More - Anything Goes

E

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

A Peek at Fairyland

Last week I treated myself to a new set of stamps from Crafters Companion as demonstrated on Hochanda by the fabulous Sheena Douglass.

And this is the result...

To create the card I first applied Distress Crayons onto Watercolour card, adding water to create a wash. I then overstamped the toadstools and foliage. I used Distress Ink and water to colour in. I also applied a wash of Clear Sparkle Pen to add a touch of magic. Finally added some white pen highlights.

I wonder who lives in those toadstools?!

Challenges I am entering :

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes

The Fairy and the Unicorn - Anything Goes (optional fairies)

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Magical Fairy Garden

Happy Hauntings

So the witching hour will soon be nigh for those celebrating Halloween on the 31st. I love the day but prefer to think of the traditional origins rather than the commercialised merchandise! We will be carving our pumpkin as usual and enjoying a spooky tea.

This spooky card I made for a Halloween Card Swap at UK Stampers Group on Facebook.

I turned to an old Creative Expressions set of stamps which are still my favourite for the window, ghostly figure,pumpkins and ivy. I stamped these onto a background I made using Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and water. 

I used a stencil and Distress ink to add the spooky tree. I stamped and coloured the pumpkins using watercolour pencils before cutting out and adding to the front. The black base card was put through an embossing folder and then I rubbed gold ink over the top to highlight.

I hope you all have a fantastic Halloween and stay safe whatever you are doing.

I am entering this into the following challenges:


Fussy and Fancy Friday - Spooky
Moo Mania and More - Halloween
Cards and More - Halloween
Tuesday ThrowDown - Spooktacular
Eclectic Ellapu - Dark / Dramatic

Embossing in Gold

I hope you enjoyed your Easter break. I managed to sneak in some crafting during the school holidays!

This is one of my all time favourite stamps from Crafty Individuals.  This time I decided to make it a little more modern by using this colour combinatio - Barn Door and Broken China

I stamped the images and decoupaged some of them for added depth. I then added WOW! Pale Gold Embossing Powder to some areas. The card background was made by spritzing ink in corresponding colours onto the card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

AAA Cards - Clean and Simple

WOW! Embossing Powder Challenge - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Craft Rocket Challenge Guest Post

Back in October I was lucky enough to be chosen as the Winner at Craft Rocket Challenges with my Spooky Card.

So this week I have been invited back as a Guest Designer!

The theme is Add a Sentiment which gives a lot of scope.

For my card I used stamps which were freebies with a papercraft magazine. I created a round circle template and applied Distress Inks to create the moon. I then used a juicy black Archival ink pad to stamp the rest of the images. This pad gives a nice crisp print.  To finish I hand drew a line border to frame the design before mounting it onto a black card base.

I can't wait to see what you will enter in this challenge!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps and More - Anything Goes

Crafty Addicts - Anything Goes

Fantastic Tuesdays - Anything Goes / With Purple

Which Witch?

Halloween is nearly here, so I just had to make another creepy card!

I made this in a similar way to my last Halloween Card (see previous post) using a Cricut cut image. The background was created using Distress Inks and ink sprays.

I'm hoping to share some photos of our Halloween decorations soon - so watch this space!

Here is a photo of our first pumpkin we carved this week.

Spooky!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

Craft Rocket - Spooky

Moving Along With the Times - Halloween

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Orange and Black

Die Cuttin Divas - Picture Inspired

Artistic Inspirations  - Halloween

Its the journey not the Destination

I thought I would share this project I made as my entry to the Sheena Douglass Design Team. Unfortunately I wasn't successful this time, but I am really pleased with the result of this piece.

I sprayed the canvas with various ink sprays and highlighted some areas with gold acrylic paint.  The middle section is an MDF square again sprayed with inks and Distress Inks. The butterflies, sentiment and flowers were stamped and embossed with Brass WOW!Embossing Powder. 

The outside leaves and flowers are from Sheena's brambles stamps. I sprayed a sheet of watercolour card with various inks before stamping onto it and cutting out the images.

As they say sometimes its not the destination but the journey that delights us!

Challenges I am entering:

Altered Eclectics - Anything Mixed Media

Creatalicious Challenges - Butterflies

A little stitchery

I hope you are all getting ready to enjoy the heatwave in the UK?

Another craft I love to do is sewing and embroidery. This weather is perfect for relaxing in the garden with a bit of sewing. This is a WIP! Although not sure what its going to turn into yet.....I will keep you posted.....

On the papercraft front I have also created a stitch themed card.

I used a Creative Expressions set of stamps to create the images, stamping with Distress Ink and using a wet brush to pull out the ink. I used a hessian embossing folder to create the background and lots of sewing bits and bobs to decorate.

Hope you like it!

Challenges I am entering are :

Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes

 Crafty Cardmakers - Stitching

A Little Bit of Spring

The English weather is a law unto itself! On Friday here in the South it was so cloudy we missed the eclipse. This morning when I finished this card we had bright warm sunshine. Now at 4pm we have black skies with the threat of rain! I hope the weather is good wherever you are and this spring themed card will cheer you up if its not!

To create this card I used the latest set of stamps free with Creative Stamping Magazine. First I stamped the wreath and coloured it with Aquamarkers and coloured pencils. Before cutting out the shape I stamped the sentiment in the middle. I then stamped other elements and decoupaged them onto the wreath. The card base was created by appling Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage Distress inks through a mask.

I love to read your comments on my work and will always try to visit your pages too!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Card Mania - Spring

Crafty Cardmakers - Spring

The Craft Barn - Something Flowery

Were you scared?

Hopefully Sparkly Fairy followers you weren't too spooked this Halloween?  This is the last of my Halloween cards for this year as I need to concentrate on Christmas - and that is very frightening!

To make the card I created a background using Distress Inks applied with Cut N Dry foam and then water dropped onto it and mopped dry to give the mottled effect. The tree and wording was cut from A Cricut file and I simply added a circle of orange card for the moon.

Hope you like it!

I am entering the following challenges:

Deliciously Dark Challenges - Halloween

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Halloween

Crafting By Design - Halloween

Die Cutting Divas - Halloween

A Scary Night

As Halloween fast approaches I have relished in creating some spooky artwork.

First I created the background on watercolour card using ink misters and Distress Ink.  I used a Clarity Stencil to create the tree branches and then stamped the witch, toadstools and vine (Lavinia Stamps). The moon was done by applying distress ink through a punched circle.

Happy Haunting!

The Challenges I am entering are:

That's Crafty - Spooky

Sarah Hurley - Halloween

Order of the Opus Gluei - Spooky Goings On

Christmas Crafting

It is so hot here in the South of England I have been trying to keep cool with some Christmas crafting. The thought of snow and ice is appealing right now!

For this card I made a tag and embossed it with snowflakes using White WOW! Embossing powder. This created a resist effect once I had gone over the top with Distress Ink. I stamped the deer image and again embossed with white powder before mounting it onto blue card. This gave a nice border to the deer. I then stamped the greeting and added the embellishments. For the background card I stamped a snowflake stamp with Broken China and Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink using first and second generation stamping.

At least that is one card off the list for Christmas!!

I am entering the following challenges:

Crafty Boots - Christmas in July
The Glory of Christmas Challenge - Christmas
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Non traditional colours
Addicted to Stamps - Holiday
Artistic Inspiration Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Spring Butterflies

Over the weekend I found a bit of time to have a play with some different techniques and materials.And this is what I came up with.

First I painted kraft card with Gesso. I then used the butterfly stamp with Staz On ink so that I could watercolour the images with Distress Pens.  The text stamp was randomly used over the card as well as applying Bundled Sage ink through a stencil.  Finally to make the butterflies really stand out I used Glossy Accents on them.

Challenges I am entering:

Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Flying Things

Make My Monday - Distress It
Fantasy Stampers - Distress It

Crafting A Scene

Happy Monday everyone! Once again over at Craft A Scene, they are sharing one of my projects I made for my Guest DT spot.

I made the background by swooshing card through Distress Inks diluted on a splodge mat. I then used a stamp from Kanban that I have never used! I used Perfect medium and embossed it with WOW Embossing Powder - Ebony. I added Perfect Pearls to the toadstools and using a Marianne Creatables stamp I stamped the dots and embossed with WOW! White embossing powder.

Why not enter this month's challenge with one of your favourite techniques?

Countdown to 40!

Well the dreaded 4-0 is nearly here for me (Sunday!) I keep trying to ignore it but it won't go away! Unfortunately celebrations are low key due to my current ill health, but have a lovely weekend planned with family all the same.

There are so many challenges based on Autumn at the moment, which I love! I made this card a few weeks ago but never got round to sharing it with you.

First I stamped the trees from a Creative Expressions set in Distress Ink. I made a mask to create the sun again with Distress Inks. I used gilding flakes and glitter glue to highlight the trees. I then rubbed around the edge of the card with distress ink and overstamped a variety of foliage. I drew in the fence with a fineliner. The embellishment was made by die cutting the leaves from metal using the Sizzix Tattered Leaves die, embossing them and then colouring with alcohol inks. 

Happy Autumn! 

Challenges I am entering :

4 Crafty Chicks - Autumn

Addicted to Stamps and More - Autumn Colours

Feeling Crafty  - Autumn

Heck of a Challenge  - Autumn

Autumn Twinchie

It may be Autumn but we are expecting temperatures of 70F tomorrow here in the South! I think I have said before that Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I love the colours and the cooler days and evenings when you snuggle indoors with your crafting!

I made this Twinchie for Show Us Your Twinchies Challenge which is Autumn and Autumn Colours. I used Distress Inks to colour a piece of gloss card. I then stamped and embossed a Kaisercraft Toadstool stamp with Ebony WOW! Embossing Powder. I used my new bargain Distress Pens (courtesy of ebay!) and my mica paints to colour.

Have a great weekend!