A Black Cat and Stitching

Welcome

I made this card for a friend who's cat is totally black - needless to say she appreciated it

The image is a Gina K one, and from memory the sentiment came from the same set... 

I started by very carefully adhering all the dies in the Memory Box stitched rectangle set together, then embossing the card with the stacked dies ... 

Our card stock is measured by the British standard, and the card is slightly longer than the dies, so this gave me a space for the sentiment.

After embossing and stamping the panel, I adhered it to the card front.

The stamping was all done in Memento Tuxedo black ink, the only addition being the black 'pearls'. 

I am linking this to: 

Allorts Challenge #856 - Embossing - heat or dry

Simply Clean and Simple August Challenge - Anything Goes opt Nature

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2632 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesdays Challenge Weeks #764 + 765 - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers Challenge #327 - Anything Goes

Time Out Challenge #319 - Pick 2

I picked Monochrome, Geometric, Stitching, CAS and Birthday

Thank you for visiting

Bookmarks x4

Welcome

Warning - photo heavy post - I will try to keep words to a minimum. 😀

I belong to a local Embroiderers' Guild, and recently we made a display for our national conference.  The theme for the display was 'Threads of Connection', and as we are a small guild, we chose to make some bookmarks each, in various techniques, and attach them to a background.

These are my contributions

From Right to left...it's just the way the photos loaded...

Canvas work - in soft colours, with silver threads for highlights - they glint beautifully in the light

Both these canvas word bookmarks were designed by myself

Another canvas work - this time using a variegated thread  for one of the colours

White thread on a pricked card - the pattern came as part of a card making kit, but I gave it an alternative use...

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And last but not least - some bobbin lace

One of my best pieces to date, as I had to let it rest for some years, due to life circumstances - I have picked it up again recently

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse at some of my other crafty endeavours

Thank you for visiting

I am linking this to 

Tag-along (and ATCs) August Challenge - Fashion or Anything Goes

Ally's Angels Challenge #108 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #150 - Anything Goes

3-2-1 - And a Cat!!

Welcome

And a very warm welcome to my newest follower Denise Morgans, known as Dennymor on both IG and Facebook.  

I recently saw a video tutorial online by Ardyth, here, and was inspired to try it myself, just at the time that the monthly challenge for my small swap group came out, which was to use three patterned papers, a two word sentiment and one image.

This is the result!  (and the recipient loved it!)

I started with some very old patterned papers that were freebies from a magazine, that I had never used, but I chose them as the sheets were big enough for the inside of the project.

Then I found a previously unused stamp set by Unity - A Little Not Fine from their Pissy Kitty series...

The technique looks a bit like a bulky gatefold card when taken out of the envelope, and I held it shut with the piece of twine that formed kitty's bow

 

Here it is opened out, with the other two papers showing, and the two word sentiment.

I don't blame Kitty looking a bit pissy with a glittery bow draped over her face, a sparkly butterfly in her fur, and fancy brown tipping on her fur also - not how a self respecting cat wants to look!

I am linking this to:

We Love Stamping July Challenge - Summertime or Anything Goes

 Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2628 - Anything Goes 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks # 760 + 761 - Anything Goes 

Little Patch of Crafty Friends July Challenge - Anything Goes 

Love Those Pretty Papers July Challenge - Coastal, or Anything Goes

NBUS Challenge #88- Always Anything Goes with NBUS stash

(The patterned papers had never been cut into before, and the stamp was also NBUS)

Thank you so much for visiting

Grungy and Steampunky

Welcome

I am determined to get a third post in this month... and by the skin of my teeth as it is the evening of the 30th here!

This card was a compilation of bits from my desk, some pieces from a collage pack I bought ??? number of years ago at a craft show, vendor no longer remembered, possibly Imagine If, and a Tim Holtz family figures (?) pack.... 

The main  background piece was a pull from some gelli printing I had previously done - I think it was called a ghost print - there was definitely gold over blue, and some textured, diecut butterflies involved in the process

I layered a half doily and the leatherette strip over that, and then the figurine, before carefully positioning the chipboard cog, which I had painted with blue and then gold paint to tie it to the background.   The flower was added on top to soften to look of the card, as it was for a woman

A few die cut silver cogs (from some very old Marianne Dies) , a pearl and some lace to finish the front.

Inside were more of the 'silver' cogs, which were cut from a 'spray box liner', so there were hints of other colours also, and some matching butterflies (punched) and more pearls 

I am linking this to:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #758 +759 - Anything Goes

Pixies Snippets Playground #535

Lots of snippets of stuff off my desk - lace, background panel and small cogs cut from offcuts and the half doily

We Love 2 Create Challenge #4 - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Allsorts Challenge #852 - Anything Goes Opt used

 'Lil patch of Crafty Friend Challenge #280 - Anything Goes

 Cup Cake Inspiration June Challenge - Anything Goes

Thank  you for visiting

Birthday Crocus

Welcome

Just a quick post today

I needed a card, and had one 'sort of' started, but it would not cooperate.. so it sat there for some days, and the birthday crept closer.

I saw a card by Bev of Uniko on Instagram, and was inspired, but the 'realistic' side of me could not stamp that in purple, which was the colour I wanted to use.

So I pulled out my trusty Crocus stamp by Uniko (which appears to have been discontinued) By this time I was not particularly well, so rather than divide my panel into three, 

I simply coloured the crocus with my FC Polychromo pencils, 

stamped the sentiment, (a magazine freebie) brushed the edges and assembled

And added a few wee clear gems as 'dew drops'.

I finished the inside with the same washi tape as on the envelope, but unfortunately the photo was blurred, so you just have to trust me 😊

I am linking this to:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #756 + 757 - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2623 - Anything Goes

Craft Rocket Challenge #137 - Birthday

Elliebelle's Garden party #16 - Anything in or from a Garden

Simply clean and Simple Cards June Challenge - Nautical, or Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge #851 - Anything Geos From the Garden

Coverplate and a Stenciled Daisy

Welcome

Today's card is one for our local swap group, where the challenge is to use a stencil.

I was having difficulty photographing this, which was not helped by the fact that I had written in the card and addressed the envelope before I took the shots!

The idea came from a you tube video, that I now cannot locate - if anyone can tell me who presents it, or can link me back to it, it would be appreciated.

The technique is to take a diecut background - here I used a Paper Rose die, Mandeleine,

and stencil over it, using a fairly 'open' stencil - stencil used was bunch of Daisies by Oakwood

The greeting was die cut from card I had coloured using the same inks as I had used on the flower.

The die was a Sizzex alphabet by Lisa Horton.

I used just the head of the flower on the corner of the inner corner of the card liner, as also on n the envelope.

I am linking this to: 

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #279 - Anything Goes

Simply Clean and Simple June Challenge - Anything Goes Option Used

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2623 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #754 + 755 - Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge #851 - Anything Goes From the Garden

Creative Knockouts Challenge #573 - die Cuts - Stencils - Punches

Masculine, and Messy, Model T

Welcome

I made this masculine card using up scraps that I had smooshed ink onto.

All stamps are from (the now defunct) KiwiStamping.  whose owner got me into this stamping hobby!

I made the background by stencilling over the blotchy base card using a Uniko Mid Century Modern Squares stencil, and the residual ink on my brushes, moving the stencil between layers.  From memory I think I did three layers of stencilling.

The feature panel was stamped using Catherine Pooler Rouge ink on a smaller panel

And the sentiment went directly onto the background.

The edges of the panels were swiped across the ink pad to give a subtle definition.

The bakers twine had a metallic thread through it, which gave an unexpected glint to the card. 

The inside, and the envelope were decorated using another scrap and edged with the same ink.

I am linking this to:

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #278 - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping May Challenge - I used the Anything Goes option

We Love to Create Challenge #3 - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2621 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #752 + 753 - Anything Goes