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 !