It has been a while - LOTV Challenge

Hi my Blog Friends,

I has been a little while since I blogged, the virus came back again and I have been lying low, so to speak.  However I want to enter the Lili Of the Valley Challenge with a card I sneek peeked on WOYWW.  The wonderful Bev Rochester taught a class at Harrogate on colouring in, so afterwards I went and bought a few of the Lili of the Valley stamps and have had great fun with them.  I am now addicted.  There are others on my blog too if you want to have a look.

I also want to say a big heart felt thank you to all of my 34 followers, I have only been blogging for a few weeks and I am thrilled that so many of you have joined me, so THANK YOU ALL!

If you do visit please leave me a comment, you know how much I like reading them......Crafty hugs, Anne x

Sunday Stampers Week 198 - Birds - Experiment

Hello Fellow Bloggers

This week's challenge by Hels Sheridan is to create a stamped piece using birds.  I had this stamp set by Artemio that I had not used before so I thought I would experiment and give it a go, using only Tim Holtz Distress Markers to colour the image.  This is my third attempt and I am still not 100% happy with it.

When using the markers you can take your time laying the colours down and it does not matter if you put dark or light first, the markers do not get contaminated.  I used Neenah stamping card and 5 colours of markers to colour in the image.  I then did a bit of heavy breathing on the stamp and stamped onto the card.  I went around the edges with antique linen distress ink, but this contaminated the black of the birds - even though they were dry - but I carried on.  I matted and layered, added a ribbon and a few gems.  Whilst I am not entirely happy with it, I am going to keep trying to get it right, but not today, it is too hot!

If you do have a look, please leave me a comment and any further advice you may have on using the markers directly onto stamps.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

I just love these LOTV stamps!

I could not resist posting the cards I made today, using my new Lili of the Valley stamps.  I keep saying I don't do girly but I have had so much fun doing these.  The first one is for my best friend, neither of us is in the first flush of youth but I just love the image and the sentiment.

The colours are a bit pale in the photo but if you click on it, hopefully you will see how sweet this image is and the glittered wings. 

The second card is for my Grandaughter and again I have coloured in pale colours and glittered the wings.  I have followed Bev Rochester's example and I have decorated the insides of both cards to match the outside.  It does take a while but it is so worth it.

I hope you like the cards and if you do please leave me a comment as I love to read them!  Crafty hugs, Anne x

WOYWW Week 146 - What a Mess!

Well here we are again, these Wednesdays come around so fast - if you are just happening by and wondering why I am showing a messy desk, please pop over to see Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ for more details.

I am totally ashamed of my work space this week but I do have a good excuse - I went to Harrogate Craft Event at the weekend and bought lots of new things; things I 'needed' and things I 'wanted' and of course things I do not need at all, if I am being totally honest (I just can't help myself - lol).  A lot of them are still on my desk and awaiting a proper home.  The other half of my craft room is tidy (honest) but I did not think that would be very interesting.

I bought stamps from Tim Holtz, IndigoBlu, Inkylicious and Lili of the Valley, inks from Ranger, the new Dylusions Range (wow are they fabulous) but my best purchase of all is a cardboard easel to stand my cards on for photographing - it cost all of £1.75 and I love it (see below on the shelf).

I have only made a couple of cards this week, this one is nearly finished, just needs a sentiment.  I put my WOYWW badge at the front of the card (I am just showing off!).

The stamp is Lili of the Valley and I was lucky enough to attend a class by Bev Rochester who is a genius with ProMarkers, Copics and pencils.  I will never be as good as her but it will not be for lack of trying!

Thank you for visiting and please do leave me a comment as I love to read them.  Hopefully I will get round to your desk too - Happy WOYWW!    Regards, Anne x

Happy Mother's Day + Sunday Stampers Week 197

I usually put an entry into Sunday Stampers which is hosted by the amazing Hels Sheridan but as it is a special day today I thought I would do something a little different. Then I discovered that the theme for Sunday Stampers is Paper Roses - so here is my entry!

I went to the Harrogate Craft Extravaganza yesterday and had a class with the wonderful Bev Rochester (who is featured in Cardmaking and Papercraft this month).  She is a genius with Copics and also Promarkers.  We did this very cute little image from Lily of the Valley in the class, although alas due to time constraints we did not finish it in the class. 

I do not do very many 'girlie' cards but as it is Mother's Day today I made this card up with papers, flowers and lace from my stash and I am dedicating it to all you lovely bloggers who are Mothers. I hope you can just make out the little 'love' charm sitting on the lace, on the right hand side.

If you look at my blog today, please do leave me a comment as I love to receive them.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Gift wrapping for 2012

Hello Fellow Bloggers

I have not had a lot of time over the last couple of days but I love playing with my new Papermania Portobello Road papers so much that I thought I would try something completely different - making gift bags!  I got a pack of plain brown paper bags and set about decorating them.  I have only done two so far but I am going to do lots more and use them this year (with the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics as my excuse) to put birhday gifts in.  On the one at front I have put paper and ribbon strips down the side and on the one at the back I have pleated the paper down the sides.  A bit of red, white and blue tissue paper to wrap the presents in and it's all done and dusted.

I may not use the British flag on all of them but I really like the way these have turned out.

If you do look at my blog, I hope you will leave me a comment.  Thanks for looking.

Regards, Anne x

WOYWW Week 145 - A Labour of Love

Hello Fellow WOYWWers

My desk is a real mess with papers, glue etc. everywhere so I am showing you this project first which I completed today and it has been a labour of love for me.  I bought it originally to make the Grandchildren an advent calendar last Christmas but they already been given another one.  I deliberated on what to do with it, it is from Kaisercraft and it was quite expensive, so I did this: -

It did take quite a while, a good couple of days.  The kit comes flat packed and you need to assemble each drawer and then assemble the boxes to hold the drawers.  I painted the whole thing with eco-friendly paint in mocha and ocean colours and then covered some of the drawers in paper (Kanban and Tim Holtz).  I added some Tim Holtz Idea-ology bits and pieces.  It is standing up so that you cannot see what an awful mess my workspace is in!  Still, I am pleased with the result.  I am going to use the drawers to store buttons, pins, Idea-ology stuff and general bits and pieces.  This is a close up of a drawer and my messy desk.

If you click on the pictures I think that will make them bigger - sorry the sun was coming in - not that I am complaining.  You will also see my messy work area.

If you stop by, please leave me a comment.  I am looking forward to seeing what is on your desk today.

I am entering this into the Bloggers Challenge 3D Challenge at:  http://www.lisasomerville.com/2012/3/bloggers-challenge-3d.html

Crafty hugs, Anne x

PS - the lovely May of May's Happy Daze gave me a Versatile Blogger Award !

Get Well Soon

Good Morning - it's Tuesday already!

I was asked to do a quick card for someone who is ill, which I thought was quite appropriate since His Lordship and I are still recovering from an horrendous virus ourselves.  I had a lovely sweet pea stamp by Sheena Douglas which had not seen the light of day, so I thought it would be ideal.  I did not do too much as I had to do it in a hurry.  The sweet peas are coloured in promarkers and I matted and layered with some gorgeous glitter card.

If you have a look at my blog, please leave me a comment as I love reading them!

Crafty hugs, Anne x

Sunday Stampers Week 196 - Misty

Good Morning Sunday Stampers, the sun is shining here so I feel quite motivated today.  His Lordship and I are still recovering after having a horrible virus.  If there was a coughing competition we would surely win!

The challenge today is 'Misty'.  I do not have a lot of mists but I put some mica powder into a spritzer bottle, shook it up - and spritzed.  The stamp is my current favourite from Crafty Individuals and I have used a favourite technique too.  I spritzed some old dictionary pages in red and in blue, stamped and cut out the balloon and stuck it down in alternating colours, to give a relief effect.  I have gone off honeycombe paper a bit because it is a flat colour.  Once the tag was assembled I spritzed the whole tag again in red mist, distressed the edges in worn lipstick and black soot distress ink, added a journey tag, some ribbon and Bob's your uncle.

I really enjoyed getting messy.  Apologies, my photography does not improve,  but hope you like the result.  I always appreciate comments, so please do leave me one.  Have a lovely day out there in blogland.  

I have also entered this into Fashionable Stamping Challenges (fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/) - bingo using the  diagonal line of metal distress and             vintage.                                                                                                                                                   .                                                                                                   Also entered into Patties Creations Design Challenge         

Now for Something Completely Different!

I did this mini album for a special birthday (40).  The recipient is a relative and is a history teacher.  He has a love of skulls and cross-bones, don't know why, so I thought I would make this album into a card/present.  On page two I have incorporated a space to put a gift card in, page 3 has his age and the last page simply says Happy Birthday.

I got the album from the Kaisercraft range, painted the front page in white acrylic paint and distressed the edges in black soot.  The cross-bones element is painted in black acrylic paint and distress with picket fence distress stain.  The red page is embossed core-dinations cardstock embossed with a metal-like embossing folder.  The stamps are Andy Skinner who does a wonderful (and reasonable) range of grunge.

The metal charms are just some I found on Ebay , the one on the left is two, glued together and filled with red tissue for effect.  I used rings to hold it all together and used bakers twine to finish it off.

This is not really my style at all but I admit I like it so much that I have bought another one to do up and keep!  Hope you like it........

WOYWW - Week 144

My desk is reasonably tidy this week (for me!).  I thought I had better knuckle down and get all the cards I have been asked for, made.  So I did 6 cards, mainly using the new Papermania Portobello Road papers - I am slightly obsessed with the British flag at the moment (which is strange as I am Canadian) but it is probably just a fad.  I also got a new delivery of Studio 490 Art Parts today and some Clearly for Art film so they are still on my desk.  Also my distress markers have never been put away, I use them almost to the exclusion of the distress stains - which is bad, very bad and I must try harder.......  The camera shook at bit here:

This is a bit closer view of the two cards made with Papermania papers, I used book pages instead of the honeycomb paper this time, not sure if I prefer it or not:

I am looking forward to having a good snoop around today.

SundayStamper Week 195 - Diamonds

The theme this week is based on 'Lucy in the Sky with diamonds' so after much head scratching I decided to use Sam Poole's Steampunk Dreams stamps for my entry.  I coloured it in with Tim Holtz distress pens and then added a bit of sparkly mesh that I had left over from Halloween, for the skirt.  I just added a row of diamante to the bottom and a larger sparkler on the boddice.  I distresed the edges in black soot and soaked the ribbon in Perfect Pearls to give it a bit of a sheen.

Apologies for the shadows but I had to angle the tag to get the sparkle from the gems.   Please leave me a comment if you like it.  Kind regards,  Anne x

Tim Holtz 12 Tags for 2012

I decided to have a go and do a tag this month.  For anyone else who has done this, I wonder if you found it as fiddly as I did.  I am happy with the result though.  I did not have the word stamp that Tim used but as lots of other entries have used artistic licence I though it would be OK for me too.  Neither  do not have any Movers and Shapers dies, so I have improvised with the butterflies too!  Here it is:

Hope you like it!



Three Lovely Ladies No. 3

This is the last of my mirror posts.  If I had to choose a favourite then this would be it.  I love the soft colours of the papers, the cottagy feel of the picket fence and way the cat and birdcage stand out.  There is a house in the bakground but it is very faint.  (My photography seems to get worse, not better)

I have done this one in blue because the lovely lady in question is always very calm, cool and collected, she never gets ruffled at all and I think blue suits this type of person.

Most of the items used are from Kaisercraft, the cat is a die cut from my stash and the background paper is BoBunny.  I put a bit of glitter on the cat's collare but this does not show up very well.

Hope you like it, if you do, please leave me a comment.  I am also posting my Tim Holtz 12 tags for March today, so I hope you will have a look at that too.  Crafty Hugs, Anne x

Three Lovely Ladies (No. 2)

The lady I made this for adores pink, in fact if it is pink she is likely buy it (a bit like me with crafty stuff!).

The paper and the dress form are from Kaisercraft.  Like yesterday, I simply cut the paper to size and pasted in on.  The flowers and chandelier are also from Kaisercraft.  The rose lace trim and the pearls are from, my stash.  Again, I did not alter the base colour of this Ikea mirror as I wanted it to be black, so that the pink was in real contrast.

Hope you like it, if so please leave me a comment.

Crafty hugs, Anne x

Three Lovely Ladies (No. 1)

I have been asked to alter three more mirrors, for three lovely family members so I am going to post one each day as I complete them.

The first one is for Sarah, who is very arty and also loves photography.  The mirror is black and comes from Ikea and is 10 inches square.  I wanted the base to be black so I have not altered that in any way. The paper is BoBunny and the range is Mama Razzi.  I simply cut it to size and glued in on in one piece.  In the top right hand corner I added Tim Holtz film strip attached with glossy accents and on the left is a Tim Holtz book plate and stamped inside with 'Live well, laugh often, love much'.  She is getting married this year and moving house, so the expression suits and it is something for the new house too.

Hope you like it and have a happy Friday!  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Tim Holtz Distress Pens

Good Morning!  Did not blog yesterday as we have both had a horrible chesty cough and flu-like symptons.  A bit better today but even though I felt bad yesterday I still managed to do a couple of tags.  The first one is from an idea by the wonderful Wendy Vecchi.  I used an Inkylicious dandelion clock stamp which I inked up in 3 colours of distress markers - it is amazing as the colours do not contaminate each other and it does not have to be done in a hurry either.  Once the stamp is coloured, then 'huff' lightly on the stamp and stamp on to your tag.  Take a water brush and brush over the whole image - this gives a slight watercolour effect and then dry with a heat tool.  I then used an Antique Linen distress ink pad to colour the middle of the tag and then distressed the edges with Pine Needles distress ink.  Finally I went round the edge of the tag with Black Soot distress ink.  The ribbon is seam binding coloured with Peeled Paint and Mustard Seed distress pens (they work really well on ribbon), spritzed with Perfect Pearls and scrunched.  I then spritzed the tag with the same Perfect Pearls.  The sentimnent is also Inkylicious from the same stamp set.

The seond tag was made using my fabulous new Crafty Individuals stamp.  I just stamped onto a tag and did a bit of colouring using the distress markers again.  I used Antique Linen distress ink to colour the middle of the tag and Pine Needles for around the edges.  I masked off the baloon stamp and then overstamped in Pine Needles with the newsprint stamp from Hero Arts (one of my all time favs)  and then spritzed the whole tag with Perfect Pearls.  I was not happy with the balloon and so decided to use some honeycomb paper and cut out the balloon part.  I distressed the edges of the balloon with Black Soot distress marker - they are so easy to use - love them although I only have a dozen so far so I am limited to certain colours.  The cogs are from Sam Poole's Steampunk Dreams stamps.  The words are simply typed in Word, cut up and distressed.  The ribbon is black vintage ribbon from Creative Expressions.

Kind regards, Anne x