Missed it!!

Welcome

 I am taking this opportunity to wish all my visitors and happy and prosperous 2016

I made this card yesterday - for a male family member who's birthday I had forgotten....

The stamp is from Kiwi Stamping, and I gold embossed it, cut it with a SB Labels Three, before adding some colour with chalks.  I used washi tape with destinations printed on it to ground the car.

My printer is currently not co-operating with my computer, so the words were written free hand, trimmed and edged with the same pen before sponging.

These photos show the background paper - some embossed Kraft paper by

 Tim Holtz.

All the edges were sponged using Tea Dye and Walnut Stain DI.  I trialed the home made sponge daubers that Suchi shared here, and loved them - I can see a lot more being made.

I am linking this to:

Creative Card Crew Challenge #103 - Anything Goes

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #5 - Anything Goes/Celebration

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #24 - Anything Goes

Moo-Mania and More Challenge - Anything Goes

Mod Squad Challenge - Just One Die Cut

Repeat impressions December Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #52 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #305 - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination Challenge #66 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #216 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Flowers and Splatters

Welcome

I made this card some time ago and missed blogging it.

The star of the show is the flower stamp, which is one from a magazine.

I stamped and embossed, then masked the two pink flowers and sprayed the card with the purple spray.

I then stamped, gold embossed and trimmed the centre image, and mounted it on foam, tucking some rose buds behind two of the intersections.

The final detail was some white ric rac that had some wee red tufts on it placed diagonally across the corners, the lower one being layered over some purple organza ribbon.

I am linking this to:

Not Just Cards Challenge #27 - Anything Goes

Crafting From The Heart Challenge #92 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew Challenge #103 - Anything goes

Deep Ocean Challenge #119 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #5 - Anything goes

Sweet Stamps December Challenge - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tuesday Morning Sketches #332 - Annual Anything Goes Challenge

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #274 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #214/215 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Blogger Changes - It's Called Progress

Welcome

Thanks to the lovely Shaz in Oz, I have become aware if some changes that Blogger is going to be bringing shortly - it may mean a drop in the numbers of followers for those of us blogging with Blogger, and that some of my followers may not be able to be notified of, or read new posts after 11th January, or comment.

This is their post which explains things, not that I am impressed, but they call it progress!

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

I hope this does not inconvenience any of my readers, as I so appreciate you all.

May your day be blessed

I Did It - A Mixed Media Card

Welcome

I do hope you have all enjoyed your Christmas, no matter how you celebrated.

We had a wonderful day filled with family.

Yes, I have been making the most of the True North set of stamps - again.

I started with a piece of corrugated card, covered it with gesso, then smoothed some gelatos over the top of the ridges before spraying it with water mixed with some Lindy's Magicals (pigment powders) in Whale Watch Blue.

The ship was stamped on the snippet of white card.  After painting it with Twinkling H2O's, I die cut and sponged it with Distress inks.

I stamped and silver embossed the lighthouse  and sentiment on blue card, and sponged the edges with Memento Platinum ink.

I assembled all the elements onto a white base of which the edges had been sponged with blue ink.

I finished the inside by randomly stamping the compass from the set in blue, and adding a birthday sentiment - unfortunately I did not photograph it.

I am linking this to:

Craft Rocket Challenge #5 - Anything Goes

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #54 - Add Some Sparkle

(in the 'sea' and sails on the boat and sponging on the edge of the blue card)

CCC Digi Creations Challenge #39 - Anything Goes

Art By Miran Challenge #48 - Anything Goes

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge #9 - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Challenge #51 - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft Challenge #20 - Anything Goes

Stempelsonne Challenge #156 - Anything Goes with a coloured image

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #214/215 - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Never Ending Challenge - Anything Goes

Thank  you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Banners, A Bike, and a Mouse

Welcome

I would like to extend Christmas greeting to my newest follower - Gerrina from the Netherlands.

I had fun making this somewhat whimsical card.  I started by pulling out the bike die from my NBUS stash, and cutting it in silver. 

I then decided that I wanted to put something in the basket, and found that this mouse image, (an old Penny Black stamp) when trimmed, would fit perfectly.  I silver embossed the image and coloured with water colour pencils, and added Glossy Accents to the balloon.

The banners were hand cut from snippets in my 'promise box', and the sentiment panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle, from an experimental piece in there too, then embossed with silver.

Here is a close up of the bike. Note to self -  put glue on finely cut images with a toothpick, and not the glue bottle nozzle.  I grounded the bike by mounting it on a strip of washi tape.

Rhinestones were used to finished, and turned an otherwise nondescript card into something I am happy with.

I am linking this to:

Crafting From the Heart Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

2 crafty Girls Challenge #8 - Anything Goes

CCC Digi Creations Challenge #39 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge weeks #214/215 - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #274 Anything Goes

Tuesday Morning Sketches Challenge #332 - Anything goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #5 - Anything Goes

Deep Ocean Challenge # 119 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew Challenge #103 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Another Nautical Birthday

Welcome

The sub- title of this post should read - with two fails and one save!!

Once again I have been playing  working with the STAMPlorations True North set of stamps.

I started by cutting a rectangle using a Memory Box Stitched Rectangle  from watercolour paper, then stamped and clear embossed the ship image.

I then used distress inks to paint the image and background - in doing so I left a couple of small smudges of brown on the background of the card ...

so out came the silver shimmer spray, which looks gray when seen straight on, and that disguised the small dots, and gave an interesting shimmer.... but

I had stamped the sentiment on this panel before I sprayed it, and being in distress ink, it reacted to the moisture and slightly smudged... argh!!

The birthday greeting was stamped on a snippet and cut with a small stitched rectangle, some fairly coarse twine was knotted around it, and both panels were mounted over an orange base - the recipients favourite colour.  He is also a person who hates clutter, so a plain card is what he appreciates!!

I am linking this to:

Love To Scrap Challenge #68 - Anything Goes

Penny Black December Challenhe - Anything Goes with a Stamp

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #24 - Anything Goes

Great Impressions December Challenge - Anything Goes

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #106 - Make Your Own Background

Lacy Sunshine Challenge - Anything Goes

Amusing Challenge - Anything Goes

Avenue 613 Challenge #155 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #214 - Anything Goes

Pixies Snippets Playground Week #208

STAMPlorations Anything Goes Challenge

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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A Super Hero and a Fail

Welcome

I needed a card for a boy, and chose to use this Bugaboo Super Hero image

Before I printed him out, I added an age circle, a freebie from Cindy Close in 2011. I have tried to 'find' her since to insert a link, to no avail.

I masked the images and sprayed the background with a colour wash and a wee bit of Lemon Shimmer Spray before painting the super hero with acrylic paint, and  colouring his face with chalks.

I coloured the outside edge of the circle with red pen, before adding clear stickles.  The number was covered with gold stickles, which blobbed in the process, so after a quick scrape and dab, I was left with a smeared background, much to my frustration.  I touched up the digit with a gold pen (which does not show as much IRL, as this image is approx 2x the size).

   

I layered the mounting of  the image, sponging the edges of each layer as I went, and stamped and embossed the sentiment in gold on the top of the middle layer.

The fix for the smear - yes, the stars!!  As a friend of mine says, "there are no mistakes, just opportunities for creativity".

I am linking this to:

Simply Papercrafts Challenge #20 - Anything Goes

Polka Doodles Challenge #51 - Anything goes

Brown Sugar Challenge #177 - Anything Goes

Art By Miran Challenge # 47 - Anything Goes

Mod Squad Challenge - Anything But a Christmas Card

Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #11 - Anything Goes

Crafting With Attitude Challenge #10 - Anything Goes

Craft Rocket Challenge #5 - Anything Goes

Chalk 'N' Stock December Challenge - Anything Goes + use chalk

(The chalk is on his face and hair)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #214 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Sequins, Lace and Sparkle.

Welcome

This card has been made with a small girl turning five in mind.

I inked up one of my (NBUS) Reverse Confetti stripey background stamps to make the background.  I must admit I was a bit frustrated that the stripes did not match up either horizontally or end to end...

The image is a digi one that I received in a RAK some time ago from the lovely Shelly of  My Creative Rumblings.  I painted her with Twinkling H2O's, and used Stickles for the wings and Glossy Accents for her eyes.

I trimmed the image panel, rounded the corners and sponged the edges with Delicata Gold ink.  Before I mounted it with foam dots, I sprayed the die cut stitched rectangle striped panel with some Citrus and Silver Glimmer Mist.

The final adornments were sequins and lace, and the embossed sentiment

I am linking this to:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #214 - Anything Goes

Lacy Sunshine Challenge - Anything goes

Great Impressions December Challenge - Anything Goes

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #23 - Anything Goes

City Crafter Challenge #292 - The Heat is On - Heat Embossing

Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #116 - Anything Goes - Twist - Make it Sparkle

Sweet Stamping December Challenge - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #274 - Anything goes

CCC Digi Creations Challenge #39 - Anything goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may lave are deeply appreciated

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Slightly Masking Mad????

Welcome

I recently purchased the STAMPlorations set True North and decided to ink it up the other day as I was needing a masculine birthday card.

I started by stamping and silver embossing both the image and sentiment.

 I then added masks before adding colour - the sea and the sea fog I used dusters to apply the colours, which gave a sense of movement, but not violent movement.

The 'beams' were dusted on too, but I used sponges on the sky, which gives a hint at turbulence that may have just calmed.. I added dots of stickles for stars.

After tying the bakers twine around the panel, I added a thin strand of gold thread for interest.  I then mounted this panel over a lighter blue base.

I also stamped the inside of the card with the compass from the set, 

and added a birthday greeting too.

I am linking this up to:

Quick Quotes Challenge #58 - Non-Holiday Cards

Jo's Stamp Shack Fun Friday Challenge #118 - Anything Goes

Art By Miran Challenge #47 - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge # 23 - Anything goes

Great Impressions December Challenge - Anything Goes

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #116 - Make Your Own Background

Lacy Sunshine Challenge - Anything Goes

Classy Cards n' Such Challenge #115 - Starry Starry Night

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #213 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Fruity Thanks

Welcome

This is the second card I taught at this months class, and to mix it up a bit I gave the class options in the way of image and background stamps, and we had some great cards made.

I used an old Rubbadubbadoo stamp and coloured it with Water Colour  Crayons (omitting the leaves),and then spritzed it with water and stamped it.  As it did not turn out quite how I wanted it, I took a wet brush and moved and added colour to the image, and grounded it with a wee bit of 'shadow'.

I then masked the image, inked the (old) Hero Arts gauze stamp with distress ink, spritzed it lightly and stamped over the image.

The final detail was to emboss the sentiment (a Montarga stamp) sponged the edge of the (hand cut) banner, and attached it, snagging some multi-coloured metallic thread under it.

This second card was made using the same methods and stamps, just a different coloured background.

This is a snap of the group concentrating on the negative colouring  from this card.

We had a wonderful afternoon with lots of laughs.

I am linking this to:

Whimsy Stamps Challenge #88 - Anything Goes/Holidays

(Always need thank you cards after a holiday)

Crafty Galz Corner Challenge #49 - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps and More Challenge #174 - CAS

Crafty Addicts Challenge #5 - Anything Goes

Moo-Mania Challenge - Favourite Stamps or Images

Inspiration Destination Challenge #63 - Anything Goes

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #23 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #213 - Anything Goes

Penny Black and More December Challenge - Anything goes With a Stamp

Creative Moments Challenge #83 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Butterflies for an Aunt

Welcome

It's good to be back - (real) life got busy last week, but it is good to be back here now.

This card is for my last surviving Aunt, who turns 88 this week.  She loves her garden, so it is always a pleasure to make her a floral type of card

I used another piece of this gorgeous pearlised floral paper, I love the sheen on it, and at the right angle the sheen turns gold, as in the top right hand corner in this photo. 

The trellis was cut from gold card, and then trimmed it in half before attaching it.

The sentiment banner is hand cut, embossed in gold and sponged with 

Tea Dye DI with a few clear rhinestones to glam it up.

The butterflies were cut from scraps/snippets of white card and sponged and given several coats of WoS, then layered over a solid die cut from pink metallic paper.

I am linking this to:

CCC Digi Creations Challenge #38 - Anything Goes

Our Crafty Corner Challenge #4 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenge #121 - Dies Cuts and Punches

Crafting From The heart Challenge #89 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #212 - Anything Goes

Glitter n' Sparkle Challenge #166 - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #291 - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards Challenge #27 - Anything Goes

Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge #81 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Cottage Challenge #53 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

All comments are moderated and spam will be deleted