Three Bears and Spellbinders

Hello Fellow Bloggers

A very big welcome to my newest followers, I really appreciate you joining me.  Fortunately for you I do not blog every day so you will not have to do too much to keep up with me!!

This is the time of the week when I usually try to enter a challenge or two but I got some stamps this week from Lili of the Valley, they are brand new designs and the lovely and talented Bev Rochester and who can be found at http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/ has been showcasing the new stamps for a couple of weeks now.  I got two stamps and the one I am showing today is three gorgeous little bears.

I made this card for my wonderful blog friend Lynn Holland.  Lynn sent me a gorgeous and totally unexpected  treat in the post and I sent her this card to say thank you.  She has received the card so it is safe to post it here now.  Lynn can be found at http://oneimadeearliertoday.blogspot.com/ and she is definitely worth a visit to see her amazing Doodly Birds.  I was just saying to Lynn today that I cannot decide whether I like cute or grunge best but today it is definitely cute.  Who knows what I might get up to tomorrow.........

Aren't they just the cutest little bears?  The backing paper is by Papermania from a very old paper pad I had in my stash.  I coloured the bears with Promarkers, cut them out using Spellbinder standard circle small dies and then matting them, again with Spellbinders, using the Petite Scallop Circle dies cut out in in red card.  The sentiment comes with the set of stamps, a new and very welcome addition to the LOTV stamps.  The roses are from Orchid Crafts and I twirled the wire with a pokey tool to give an extra bit of dimension.  Did I say how much I love these bears??

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you will leave me a comment, I love to read all of them and I will always try to return the compliment.  Enjoy your weekend!  Crafty hugs, Anne x

WOYWW, Week 160

Hello Fellow WOYWWers

Here it is again (so soon!) that time of week when we share our desks with all who wish to see.  If you don't participate already hope over and visit Julia at  http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  who will explain all.

I would like to say a big thank you to all of you for your kind comments/concern over all my hospital/Doctor visits last week.  I have put a small piece at the end of this post to explain results etc. for those who are interested, or if you are not then please just skip over it.

I have had a lot of time in my craft room this week and I spent most of it using my new Summer Distress Inks from the King of Distress and I have had a wonderful time.  I laid out a few of the things I have made, a couple have already been posted previously, but this is what is on my desk today:-

There is a gift box at the top (which has a little drawer in it), a vintage perpetual calendar that I altered and at the front a tag that was going to be entered into the Frilly and Funky challenge, but the jury is still out on that one, an ATC made with a lovely face mask stamp and on the far right there are two ATCs that I have received this week, the pink one is from Mo, a lovely lady who is just starting out crafting, who does not have a blog but she does follow WOYWW.  Last but not least is a beautiful ATC from the lovely Bridget Larsen in Australia.  Thank you to both of you and thanks also to Darnell who wrote me a lovely letter to thank me for the ATC I sent to her.  Aren't Crafters just the nicest people?

OK, this is the bit you may wish to skip.  I was diagnosed with sudden onset Rheumatoid Arthritis 6 years ago and since then I have had a right wrist replacement (yes really), a right knee replacement and now they want to operate on my right shoulder and also remove a cyst from my new knee.  I have tried a number of 'wonder' drugs but none has, to date, worked.  I am now waiting for the latest one, which means I will not have to inject myself anymore (yay!).  Anyone who has RA will know how painful a disease it can be but I have learned to cope and the one thing that has helped most (aside from Mr.) is craft.  I get emmersed and forget the pain and I am so grateful for that.  Anyway, if you have got this far, thank you for taking an interest, I will try not to mention it again!

If you do visit this week, please leave me a comment, I love to read them all and I will do my best to return the compliment.  Hope you have a happy WOYWW, Crafty hugs, Anne xx

TWO CHALLENGES

Hellow Fellow Bloggers

First of all I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my latest followers, it is a pleasure to have you follow my little blog!

I normally enter these two challenges separately but as I only had Sunday to craft I did both on the same day.

1)  Penny Black Saturday Challenge - (http://pennybfriendschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/) the challenge is 'Fly the Flags' where you can enter flags, banners or bunting and this is my entry:

The papers are from Papermania, the Candi from Craftwork Cards and the stamp is Penny Black's 'London Calling'.  I coloured in the image with Promarkers and Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  The sentiment is  a Hero Arts stamp.


2)  Sunday Stampers is run by the lovely Hels Sheridan (http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/) where the challenge is Pockets, taken from the musical Oliver - Got to Pick a Pocket or Two.  I had major anxiety over this one as I wanted to create something that could be used.  My lovely DH has a very special birthday coming up in August and I am planning a surprise for him so this 'pocket booklet' will be perfect.  First the view of the front cover:

And this is the inside:

The papers are Tim Holtz, plain cream and Kraft card which I have overstamped on the inside with script and then a diamond pattern on top.  All the additional elements except the cogs are Tim Holtz Ideaology, the cogs and string are from my stash.  I started by making a template which I then transferred to TH Crowded Attic paper.  The pocket part was folded up, more paper added (so that the print would not be upside down).  Both pockets are open in the middle.  I distressed all the edges with Broken China DI.  I put tags in just to show the pockets.  The finished item is 10 cm x 14 cm (4" x 5 1/2"). 

I won't spoil the surprise by telling you what is going into the pockets but will let you know nearer the time.

I hope that if you visit you will leave me a comment as I do love to read them and I always try to return the compliment.  Thanks for looking, Crafty hugs, Anne xx

More ATCs and WOYWW Week 159

Hello Fellow WOYWWers

If anyone is wondering what WOYWW is, it is a chance to share with bloggers all around the world, what is on our workspaces.  For more info please hop over to (http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/) where our lovely Julia will explain all.

I wanted to show my latest batch of ATCs received from kind blog friends:

The large round picture in the top left is not an ATC but it is blog candy that I won from the uber talented Hels Sheridan. Next is an ATC from Lynn with her wonderful Doodly birds, next is a swap I did with Buttons, who did a wonderful double sided ATC.  On the bottom row is a very pretty ATC from Lottie, with a recipe for friendship included - so lovely.  Last but not least is my beautiful thistle and heather ATC in a fabulous envelope from my lovely friend Rita up in Scotland.  Thank you ladies, I love them all!

Next is my desk, which has not seen much action this week, other than my Warhol-esque wall hanging in the background (see previous post) as I have been back and forth to hospital the last couple of days for tests, X-rays and more tests.  Anyway don't want to bore you with that. 

I have been spending again, I got the Spellbinder die I have wanted for ages - Spiral Blossom One so can't wait to play with that.  I also got a couple of stamps and some matching chipboard shapes from Artistic Stamper.  And that's about it.  Hope you have all had a good week and that the weather has been kind to you (we have had two whole days of sunshine here, anyone would think it was summer - LOL).

Sorry , I am not up to doing anything like the number of visits I have done in previous weeks but I will visit as many of you as I can and leave a comment, I hope you will leave me a comment if you do visit.    I am still trying to find Julie Short who leaves me lovely messages but I cannot contact her back.  I hope she will read this.  Crafty hugs, Anne xx

Things Both Ancient and Modern

Hello Fellow Blog Friends

Thank you to my latest followers, I really appreciate your support and love the fact that you might be even remotely interested in my attempts at craft!  I mention Julie Short particularly,  I am unable to return the compliment as I cannot access  the network that Julie uses.

This week on Sunday Stampers (http://pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/) which is run by the uber talented Hels Sheridan posed me with a bit of a problem.  The theme is Men/Male Themed (as a tribute to the fab four - Beatles), which in itself is not a problem because I have lots of steampunk things that would suit.  My problem is that my new Summer Edition Distress Inks landed in the bulging craft room and they are not what I would generally think of as manly colours.  So therein lies my dilema.

I have seen quite a lot of bloggers lately using Andy Wahol-esque designs so I had a light bulb moment (very few and far between in my case!) and came up with this:-

This was so much fun to do!  It is an 8" x 9" wall hanging (it was too big for a card).  I added Squeezed Lemonade to the mix and coloured the backgrounds with  Picked Rasberry, Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks.   I covered twice the area that I needed for my backing mats and then stamped the images in black archival ink, cut around them, stamped again in archival on the remaining mats and then layered up the stamped images on co-ordinating coloured mats.

The stamps are from the wonderful Sam Poole's vintage inventor plate.  I stamped the words in black archival ink, cut them up, distressed the edges in black DI and added them along with the top hat which is from the absolutely fabulous Wendy Vecchi blossom bucket collection of embellishments (love them). Here is a close up pic of the hat.

The hat is very dimensional and I think it suits the Inventor with his top hat.  The hanger is from an old wall hanging that I had.  The idea was inspired by a wall hanging that my lovely blog friend Rita (http://rmgcreations.blogspot.co.uk/) did after her daughter Annie (http://curiousncraftytreasures.blogspot.co.uk/)  had given her a beautiful hanger.

And so it came together.  This is my entry, therefore, to Sunday Stampers.  I hope you will leave me a comment if you visit, as I love to read them and I always try to return the compliment except on Facebook or Pinterest as I do not subscribe to these at present.  Have a lovely rest of the day.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 206

Hello Fellow Blog Friends

The challenge over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week is 5 circles.(http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/)  This is my entry:

I cut an 8" x 8" square card into a circle and cut a further circle to make the easel part.  The background papers are very pale pink on the front and verugated pink and green on the bottom and they are from Craftwork Cards.  The main stamp is Penny Black 'tirgress' and the sentiment is from Penny Black 'salutations' set.  I backed each of the main circles with Hunkydory silk art card and cut the swirls and butterfly from the same card. 

The edges of the card are inked with Spun Sugar distress ink and the flowers are coloured with the brand new Picked Raspberry distress ink, which I added with a water brush (the true colour is amazing!).  I did use the requisite 5 circles but thought it needed a little bit more so I put the pink pearls (5) to balance the card.  Not sure if this breaks the rules but I did keep it to five!!

If you visit I hope you will leave me a comment.  I really enjoy reading them and I will do my very best to return the compliment (other than on Facebook or Pinterest).  Thank you for looking.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

ATCs and WOYWW Week 158

Hello Fellow WOYWWers and Blog Friends

I am not sure where the last week went but here we are again, all sharing our desks with Julia over at
http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/.  If you want to see what it is all about or you would like to join in, please pop over and visit Julia.

Firstly I wanted to show my next stash of beautiful ATCs that I have received this week.

They are from Joanne, Lorinda, Ros A, Trace, BJ and the red card and large ATC are from Kathryn.  I thank you all again, they are all beautiful and have come from UK, Australia, and USA.  How lucky am I?

Next is my desk, very untidy as I have had a busy crafty week, entered a couple of challenges and made OH a perpetual calendar, it is very grungy and plain with just a few cogs and a clock for decoration (as requested by himself).  The sentiment on it says 'The Future Comes One Day At A Time' which I thought was quite appropriate.

I still have unfinished jobs on my desk too, the blue topped box has only had one coat of paint and there is a black and orange twin arch to be decorated too.

Hope you enjoyed your visit, keeping it short as Julia prefers this.  If you do visit I hope you will leave me a comment and I will try my best to return the compliment.  I don't think I can keep up 100 visits per week but I will visit as many of you as I can.  Happy WOYWW, Crafty hugs, Anne x

Wild Orchid Challenge No. 52

Hello Fellow Blog Friends

I made this card for no special reason, I just wanted to practice using Promarkers and Prismacolour pencils.  Rather than waste the image I made the card below:

For once, I am reasonably happy with my colouring so I thought I would enter it into Wild Orchid Crafts challenge at http://wildorchidchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ .

I used a Saturated Canary digi stamp, Magnolia papers, Silk Art card for the mat, swirl, corner and the butterflies, plain ribbon coloured with distress ink (worn lipstick), lace from my stash and the roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I would also like to enter my card into the Fussy and Fancy challenge over at http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ which my lovely blog friend Yorkshire Fox recommended.  The theme of the challenge is Swirls and Flourishes.
If you visit I would appreciate it if you would leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the compliment (not on Facebook or Pinterest).  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Sunday Stampers Wk 209 - Pretty in Pink

Hello Fellow Bloggers

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend.  This week on Sunday Stampers run by the very talented Hels Sheridan at http://pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/, the theme is Pretty in Pink.

My entry is this heart shaped piece:

I took a chipboard heart, painted it in pink acrylic paint and then covered it with worn lipstick distress ink.  I inked around the edges in aged mahogany distress ink.  The dress form is a Stampendous stamp which I inked in archival ink and stamped onto the heart.  I stamped again onto some freebie papers that came with Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine this month.  I glued this on and added some pearls for buttons and some mulberry paper roses over the image of roses on the basque.  I curled the rose wires to give some dimension. The sentiment is a Tim Holtz stamp from his Good Thoughts stamp set.

To finish off I punched two holes and finished them with eyelets using my Cropodile and threaded through some lovely pink twine.  The lace edge is some gathered stretchy lace that I had in my stash and finally I added three more pearls to balance the heart.

I made a second piece using a rectangular shaped canvas, the techniques are the same but I added some of Tim Holtz rose ribbon which I coloured in worn lipstick distress stain and I used a different sentiment from the same stamp set as above.  I was experimenting with stamping onto canvas but this has not turned out quite as well as the first.

 

If you do visit I hope you will leave me a comment as I love to read them and I will do my best to return the compliment (not Facebook or Pinterest).  Thanks for looking.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 205

Hello Fellow bloggers,

Welcome to my latest Followers, thank you so much for joining me, I really appreciate it.

This week over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge (http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/) the theme is Red, White and Blue.  I know the Jubilee is over but I have decided to keep my bunting up until after the Olympics so I thought I would do something different this week and make a bunting banner.

I have never thought to make my own before but I really enjoyed this.  I used Tim Holtz Distress card, added my Penny Black 'miniful' stamp, which I love, added a flag to the cat's hand which was made from a free download from Pink Petticoat, with a hat pin from Wild Orchid Crafts as the flag pole.  The bunting was cut from the TH card and the button at the bottom is from my wonderful Papermania Portobello Road paper pack.  The hanger is bakers twine.  I finished the edges off with some cotton lace from my stash.

Edited to add: My other card using this delightful mini stamp is being featured today on Christine Emberson's wonderful blog http://hope-chances.blogspot.co.uk/

If you visit I hope you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the compliment.  Thanks for looking.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Tim's Tag for June 2012

Hello Fellow Bloggers

I have been working on this tag off and on for a week now but I think I am happy enough to enter it now.  For a change, I had most of the required items with the notable exceptions of the silver coloured page tab and the pen nib.

My first problem was finding a suitable picture in black and white and then finding some inexpensive photo paper to print it onto.  I have had this photo for years and never used it, it is not one of my own but one I found on the internet.  I love it.  Here's the tag.

I coloured the baby's headband and the blanket, as per Tim's video, in spun sugar and left it overnight to dry properly.  I used the one half numerals as the baby is just tiny and I did not think a full number would suit.  At the top the little round charm says 'joyful' and the word band says 'capture life's moments', both of which I thought suited the image.  The other elements are mainly Tim's Ideaology, the pen nib was from a gift bag from Jozarty at Port Sunlight - thank you Jo.

This tag is by far the most challenging, in my opinion, but I really enjoyed doing it.  If you do visit I hope you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the favour.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

WOYWW Week 157

Hello Fellow WOYWWers and Fellow Bloggers

Wasn't last week fun!  I would like to say a huge thanks to Julia (http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/) for organising the ATC swap, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and have corresponded with people in the four corners of the earth.  If you want to know more about WOYWW then check out Julia's blog for info.

My post will be very short this week as I have done nothing since last week other than a challenge and also my Tim Holtz tag for June but I am not posting that until Friday.  I thought I would show my desk with some of the ATC swaps that I have received.  Starting at the top left is from Ann B, then May, followed by Trish and on the bottom row, two from Mark and the last one is from BJ.  How lucky am I! And there are more on the way too.  I made a little binder from Kraft envelopes to keep them all safe.

Also on my desk is my Tim Holtz Compendium II, which I have yet to look at and also Craft Stamper, again unopened.  Why?  Well we spent most of the weekend watching all things Jubilee.  I don't know how the Queen feels but I feel totally worn out and I just watched it on TV.

I managed to visit nearly 100 desks last week, not sure I will make so many this week but if you do visit I hope you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to do the same for you.  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!

Hello Blog Friends

Firstly I would like to thank my latest blog followers, thank you so much, I am always surprised when the numbers notch up one by one and I feel very honoured that you should want to follow me! Thank you again.

I am late today with this post as I have been watching the Jubilee celebrations but I finally knuckled down and did this card.  I have made it for a very special young lady in our life, she is pregant with our 4th Grandchild, she is very patriotic and she has just got a new mini (the one that looks like it has been taking steroids) and she loves it.  So I have combined the last two and made this easel card/gift box for her birthday this month.

I made the box first, from red card and added a strip from Papermania, Portobello Road papers to the pull-out drawer along with a heart shaped button that I covered with felt.  The main image is a Penny Black stamp which I coloured in Promarkers.  The bunting is recycled from some posh tea bags that I bought from that 'never knowingly undersold' store, each tea bag had a little flag hanging from it and I cut these into banner shapes and attached them to some bakers twine.  The strip holding the card back is again from Portobello Road paper pack.  The sentiment is also from Portobello Road.

I am entering this card into Sunday Stampers which is run by the lovely Hels Sheridan over at
http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/ where the challenge this week is Red, White and Blue.

I also want to enter this into Artistic Stamper's challenge which, again, is Red, White and Blue and  can be found at http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.co.uk/.

I have also sent a picture of my card to Christine Emberson at http://hope-chances.blogspot.com/ for her June Inspiration Day which will be held later this month.  If you like Spellbinder dies you should look at Christine's blog, she is the only UK member of the Spellbinders DT and her work is lovely.

If you do visit, I hope you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the compliment (although I am not on Facebook or Pinterest).  Hope everyone in, or associated with, the UK is enjoying the Jubilee celebrations.  We won't mention the weather!  Crafty hugs, Anne x

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Week 204

Hello Blog Friends

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  I am entering this challenge because I actually have a Penny Black stamp which I feel suits the challenge this week and it is one of my favourites.  For more info on the challenge please pop over to http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ where you will find all the details.

The challenge this week is 'case it' where you are given a card, this week the card is by the lovely Kath Stewart (the lady who inspired me to start my blog) of http://kath-allthatglitter.blogspot.co.uk/ and this is my take on Kath's card.

I stamped the PB Mixed Media stamp onto white card and coloured it with promarkers.  I cut away about one third of the stamp to allow room for the other elements.  I decoupaged the top two flowers.  I embossed the background red card with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, in music to match the music in the stamp and sanded it to make a feature of the music.  I had to cut out the circle freehand as I cannot get my Martha Stewart circle cutter to work (!).  The middle strip is cut in two, edges rounded, holes and red eyelets added.  I distressed the edges of all the pieces with fired brick distress ink and assembled the card.  The sentiment is a stamp from Sam Poole.  The flowers were from my craft box and I put Swarovski crystals in the centre of each flower.

If you do visit, I hope that you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the compliment (not on Facebook or Pinterest though).  Thank you for looking, crafty hugs, Anne x

The Doodly Birds have flown in!

Hello Fellow Bloggers

Welcome to my latest followers, I never cease to be amazed that people want to follow what I am up to in the world of craft, but thank you, your interest is most appreciated!

I have been following Lynn Holland (http://oneimadeearliertoday.blogspot.co.uk/ since I first entered into the world known as What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW) and you will see lots of my posts describing this global phenomenon.

Lynn started up a shop recently (www.doodlybird.co.uk) and I had the honour of being her first customer. I bought two notebooks to give to friends.  I love them so much, I cannot bear to part with them and I have just received my second order from Lynn - a mini easel and a larger book in which I am going to keep my blog friends (not literally, just things I don't want to forget).  Lynn's products are delightful and each bird is hand drawn. 

The goodies always come beautifully gift wrapped and this time I got a name tag too, as you can see.  I just wanted to share my new goodies with you.

I had  wanted to make some cards today, to blog,  but I have been so busy packaging up WOYWW ATCs to go to the four corners of the Earth, I did not get time.  I hope your all have a wonderful long Jubilee weekend and that the weather turns nice again!  Have fun.

If you do visit, I hope you will leave me a comment and I will do my best to return the compliment.  Crafty hugs, Anne x