Hi Everyone and before the bells ring at midnight I would like to wish you ALL a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year. I really hope it is a good one for you.

This week at the Stamp Man we have a challenge and the 2nd annual blog awards event. The challenge is to show us your best or most favourite project for 2010. Go on have a look back at what you have created over the past year and decide which piece you would like to use for your entry.
This is mine - A Family memories Tag Book (click to see the original post and more photos)

Now join in the challenge and link it to the Stamp Man challenge blog. Then go a-wandering to see what all the DT have chosen as their favourite pieces - there is some beautiful and inspiring work to look at and take part in the blog hop. Start at The Stamp Man Main Blog. If you have arrived here with me from Michelle, then you are well on your way and collecting letters as you go round. My letter for you to collect is E and you should now hop over to the ATC blog HERE for the next letter. Leave a comment on all the blogs you visit and once you have followed your way around and collected all the letters you will find on each blog, work out the answer and email it to: thestampman@btconnect.com by 9pm (GMT) on Thursday 13th January 2011. Please put BLOGHOP ANSWER as the title of the message.
Please post our event blinkie onto your blog or write a post about the event with your best/favourite project.

We are really looking forward to seeing your choices and having some fun. There will be some prizes on offer and you can see these on the main blog at the start of the blog hop. The winners will be randomly selected and everyone is welcome to join in.

Take care and have a fabulous evening and a great 2011.

Luv {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 78 - Anything Goes but not Christmas

Good morning Everyone

I hope that all is well with you and your families as we are fast approaching Christmas Day.

This week our lovely Hazel at has set the theme at MAWTT and we are looking for anything but Christmas projects.

We are being sponsored by Stitchy Bear Stamps this week and the winner will receive $10.00 To spend instore!!!!!   Pop over to the Store to see what they have got - there is such a range of images and papers.

I got to play with 'Babe' and Stitchy, if you read this my friend, I hope you don't mind how I have used her.

I have experimented with using digital images to create a piece of art and I did not set out to make a card. I use Adobe Photoshop Elements but have a very limited understanding of what it can do (so I must get myself on a course to learn how to use it properly). Firstly I coloured Babe, put wings on her as well as goggles and a top-hat (I know very Steampunk!!) and then added her and other elements to Panda Bear Designs Garden Fairies Paper. I added more shading and colour to the image with Promarkers and then I used layers, inks, stickles, stamps and embellishments to give it a more 3D look - eh voila.

Only 2 more sleeps now.

Take care, luv {brenda} xoxox



12 Tags of Christmas - Day 9

Hello Everyone

How's your Sunday going? Still got snow on the ground? We have, even though we have had some very fine rainy sleet here today, but I guess the temperature hasn't really got much above freezing, if at all.

I have been trying to finish off bits and pieces that I have started over the weeks and just have to fit a little time in here and there. This is one of the tags I was doing whilst following Tim's 12 tags of Christmas, so as I have just completed it I thought I would share it.

 

Several people have asked me for the link to these tags, so here it is -  http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/ 

There is a list of the individual tags down the right hand side of Tim's blog and also links to the tags he has made for the previous 3 years.

I have a raging sore throat so I daren't go up to visit Mum today, she wasn't too good herself this morning and needed the doctor to see her. I certainly don't want to give her anything else to cause problems. She will be very disappointed though.

Well, one week today and it will all be over won't it? I hope you have done all your shopping and got everything sorted. 

Have a good week, thanks for stopping by.

luv {brenda} xoxox

The Stamp Man - Challenge 12 Anything Goes Tag

Week 12 for The Stamp man Challenge Blog and this week Frankie is hosting and  invites you to make a tag and YOU can choose the content. If you are still in Christmas mode, then that's fine, but some of the DT members have made non-Christmassy tags and I chose to make one that I can put on a card as a birthday card for my son as his birthday is early in January. So I do hope you will be able to join in and make a tag and show us your creative style. Have fun.

Apologies for the photo but I have had to take it at night time. But as you can see two of Ben's favourite pastimes are aeroplanes and playing cricket, so I have combined the two on here. You can just make out the glitter from the rock candy stickles and you can see several of Tim's techniques.

I also decided this was my opportunity to make something for the Studio L3 CoC challenge 24 which is 'Rock Candy Stickles' and as usual the technique can be found in Tim's great book on P.47. If you want TH inspiration do go over to Linda's lovely blog and see what she makes and the other entries for this fantastic challenge. This also fits Simon says Stamp and Show which is to use a Lord Tim of Holtz technique.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and hopefully the snow will fall but not cause too much havoc.

 I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

Thankyou for stopping by. Take care. Luv {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 77 - Let it SNOW

Wow another week nearer Christmas and I still have cards to send and presents to buy and wrap. Hopefully I will get there by the 25th!!!!

This week over at MAWTT, the lovely Hazel is hosting and the theme is 'Let it Snow' and I chose this gorgeous image called 'Chester dah Snowman' by Robyn's Fetish to play with. I have already seen the team's work and I have to tell you - you must pop over and have a look at all the different cards and projects, there is some wonderful inspiration for you to look at.

As many of you will know I have been following the 12 Tags of Christmas by Tim Holtz, but didn't have time to make them all myself. So I decided to use some of his techniques in making this card. If you haven't seen how to use a stamp on an embossing folder you really should go take a look. I have used it here to create my background and then I printed Chester out twice, covered him in snowtex and pieced his hat, nose, arms and heart after colouring them with distress inks.

I haven't put a sentiment on yet cos I'm not sure yet who I am going to send this one too. If anyone knows of any challenges I could enter this into I would be grateful if you would let me know. Sadly I just haven't got the time to go looking at the moment. Thankyou so much.

For those of you who know me - just to let you know Mum is still in hospital and is likely to be there quite some time as she is still being fed by a tube, saying that though she has been allowed some pureed food this week. I am having to battle with the hospital to get information and get things moved on. Communication from and with them is a nightmare and I don't just mean to me - but between each team on duty and each department too. I am gathering my evidence now for a formal complaint.

So sorry I am still not visiting you very often, I really miss keeping in touch, but hopefully soon.

Take care - luv {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 76 - Use lots of spots

Thursday again and a fabulous challenge over at MAWTT. This week the amazing Shell is hosting and she is soooo nervous - she is introducing her 13 year old daughter as sponsor. Danni also known as Didge has been drawing digital images and sells them at Stitchy Bear Stamps.

Shell has challenged us to use lots of spots and I got to use this cute Christmas cupcake image drawn by Danni.

I found these cupcake cards in our local stationers the other day - so I bought them and they are perfect for this image. I paper pieced the cake case and used snow dust as the frosted icing and little gems for the sprinkles. I also added a poinsettia to make it pop out more. The paper has got snowflakes on it so I added more to link the card together. I added a 25 December, from Lynne at Sentiments for You and stuck it to red paper to make it look more like a cherry on the top. 
Where are the days going to? I have been deceorating the house this week, but because I do every room downstairs including the conservatory and the front poorch, it takes me ages - but it's worth it when it is done.

I hope you are organised and ticking things off your list.

Take care - luv {brenda} xoxox

12 Tags of Christmas - Day 5

Hi Everyone

I don't know when I will find time to get all the 12 tags of Christmas done - this is Day 5, but I have missed days 1 and 2 and now have days 6 and 7 to catch up on as well. I stayed up till the early hours of this morning catching up with bits and pieces and couldn't finish this one till the post arrived this morning as I didn't have the metal flower and foliage. As it is I've used different stamps and numbers - but hey ho as I said yesterday that's some of the fun of doing these tags.

If you haven't been over to Tim's blog to see his inspiration then pop over now to have a look. Each day is so different but everyone just stunning.

Hope your week is going well, I am slowly getting the decs up, and love it when it is all done. At least Ken got the outside lights up and working at the weekend. Of course we are the first house in the close to do so.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Blog Candy Winner

Hi Everyone, thanks for stopping by to visit me.

Today my blog candy has closed and I can't believe I have so many new friends, so a warm welcome to Angela, June, Belinda, Nikki, Sarah, Evelina, Sue, Donna, Satoko and Debs, you are so very welcome and I will be along over to see what you are doing if I haven't already.

So who won the tin of tags? Well ............ it is ..............

................................  and the lucky number 13 is Sarah A of Craft Naturally. Well done Sarah, I hope you will enjoy these tags and as promised I will be adding some other bits and pieces to the parcel.

Please email me your address and I will get it in the post this week.  brenda_brown25@hotmail.com

Thankyou to everyone who took part, thankyou for being fabulous blogging friends and followers and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Keep a lookout in January when I have my first blogaversary and I will share some more candy with you.

Just a quick update with Mum - she is feeling a bit stronger today and the tube feed is obviously giving her some nourishment at last. The physio has also been round and got her out of bed for a while. I saw the doctor tonight and the diagnosis and prognosis is so much better than we were led to believe last week and I am more hopeful now that she will make a recovery and be able to come home. Thankyou so much for your prayers and good wishes, they have meant so much, and really helped to keep me going through this very tough time. My very best wishes to each and every one of you.

Right I am off to see what tag Tim created today, I have made a start on yesterdays and want to get that finished too.

Take care. luv {brenda} xoxox

12 Tags of Christmas - Day 4

Well I am all out of sequence with Tim's tags, I have managed day 3 and 4 so far, but love making them and learning more new techniques.

This tag has needed me to improvise quite alot to get the effects needed.

I didn't have the facets so I used a fragment, the beads have come off of necklaces, out of my bead box and the clear one is a Christmas jewel for scattering on the dinner table. I also don't have any bling flourishes, so I cut some cellophane paper and stuck it over a stamped flourish and followed the design to make my own. I cut the flourish out and stuck it down with glossy accents. I shall certainly go to Michael's when I go to New York to get some bling on a roll, again I improvised, I used double sided sticky tape to put my jewels, pearls and beads on and then sprinkled glamour dust over it to help it sparkle. So with some lace died as per Tim's instructions and a blue paper clip I got my tag done.

I so want to make some more of these - and I am sure improvisation will be the name of the game - but hey-ho it stretches the little grey cells and challenges the creativity.

Hope to see you soon.

Luv {brenda} xoxoxox

Compendium of Curiosities week 23 - Double Distress

Hi to all my lovely friends

This is my second post for today - my bird box was scheduled so I just had to find time to enter the CoC challenge at Linda's fabulous blog at Studio L3. Her challenge has been running for two weeks and I will just be in time - again!!!!

This is my Christmas card for my DH, he doesn't look at my blog so he won't see it before he should. The photo doesn't really do it justice, it looks much better in real life.

To find out how to do the double distress turn to P.40 of Tim's book and all the instructions are there. I have used grungepaper, a snowflake embossing folder, TH rosette die, letters from TH seasonal papers, snowflake punches, crackle and glossy accents, bundled sage, antique linen and walnut stain DIs, music paper and an Anna Griffin sticker sentiment.

I shall go and see Mum this afternoon and hopefully be back later. Thankyou to all you lovely people who are still visiting me and I promise to get over and see you soon. What would I do without you all? You really are keeping me going.

Have a lovely Sunday. {brenda} xoxox

OSAAT challenge 42 - Anything goes

Happy Sunday everyone and now we are into advent. Isn't it exciting? I really love Christmas, my decs are down from the loft, we get our trees today and I shall spend spare moments decorating the house - I love it.

I had a little time this week to work on the new OSAAT challenge. I have been wanting to make a bird house for a while and with this gorgeous Chickadee digi from Blackberry Lane, it seemed the ideal opportunity.

I've had great fun with recycling an old box, playing with a paint crackle technique and getting some Christmas bits out of the loft to finish it off. So what do you think?

I have used my Ten Second Studio metal to make the red Poinsettia and I ran it through a texture fade, the turquoise flower is made of card. Notice the crackle effect on the box?

The instructions for this can be found HERE.

We are sponsored this week by Michelle's Scrap at http://www.michellesscrap.com/ and a $15 voucher will be given to the winner. But you could say everyone is a winner this week as there is a coupon code for our blog readers to save 10% on their order at her shop.

So with the theme 'Old Stash New Stash'  (Really Anything Goes Stash) we look forward to seeing your creations.

Have a fun week.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Digital Tuesday - Animals at Christmas time
Riley and Co - Lets think Christmas
City Crafter - Blue Christmas
Creative Inspirations - Christmas Decorations
AiF - Winter - do my icicles count to show the winter theme?
Cute card Thursday - Blues
Dutch Dare challenge - Winter tag, ornament or card
Paper Romance - Winter
Alphabet Challenge - F for foliage

12 Tags of Christmas - Day 3

Are you following the 12 tags of Christmas with Tim Holtz? I am and was so pleased to be able to find a bit of time last night to make this one, which is my take on day 3.

I didn't have all the supplies so I have improvised in places. For instance I don't have the tree stamp, so I drew the branch freehand.

I added some real leaves and dried heads from a Hydrangea in my garden........

..... and I just loved playing with the tissue tape to create the flower.

So if you look at Tim's fabulous tag against mine you can see some differences - but saying that I am really pleased with the outcome.

A big thankyou to everyone who has been sending me good wishes for my Mum. Test results are coming back and things seem to be more positive than we were led to believe - but saying that we don't yet have a diagnosis. Hopefully we will have more information on Monday. She is at last receiving food through a tube, but has had six and a half days without any sustenance at all. We just hope and pray she is able to build up her strength again.

Have a great weekend everyone and I hope you and your families are all well and looking forward to Christmas or other celebrations that are important to you at this time of year.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Make a tag

MAWTT Challenge 75 - A card for someone special

Hi Everyone

Sorry it is a very quick post from me today. Mum is still in hospital and having many tests for which we are awaiting results, so I haven't had much time for making and blogging this week.

But I did manage to make a 'quick' card for Lisa's challenge over at MAWTT, which is to make a card for some-one special. So mine is a Christmas card for my Grandaughters.

I experimented with using embossing powder on a print straight from the computer. It worked, but next time I will choose my fonts, sizes and shapes a bit better.

I also tried to get an angle to show you the sparkly bits - you can see some of it here.

The sponsor this week is Whimise Doodles who make the sweetest little doodles about. They have their store where new images are released on the 5th of the month. Every Friday there is a featured image/s with 10% discount off them. Tuesday is technique day and there is often a tutorial.

We all received an image to play with and these will be launched on the 5th December.

I hope your week is going well and your preparations for Christmas.

Take care.

luv {brenda} xoxox