January Mystery Crime reading Challenge.

The Mystery/Crime reading challenge started this month. The book I chose to download and read was

 

328 pages.

 

Since July 2011 'The One You love' has been downloaded over one and a half million times, has spent a full month at number 1 in the UK Kindle free download chard (July-August 2011) and has spent over a year near or at the top of UK Apple ibookstore free crime and thriller chart.

 

The story revolves around Emma who is shortly to be married. On her hen night she receives a phone call from her brother who should be out on her Fiance (Dan's)  stag night to say that Dan has gone missing. They race over to his flat to find a body on the floor badly injured and Dan nowhere to be found. Emma's nightmare is about to begin as first one then another of her friends and family come under suspicion. The race is on to find Dan before the police do.  Who can she trust and who is she to believe. The pace is fast and keeps you guessing right up until almost the last with a good twist at the end. 

A sequel has been written to this book  called  'The one you Fear' which takes up the story 4 weeks later.

My rating 9/10.

 

Full details of The Crafty Book Nerd 2013 mystery /crime reading challenge can be found here. you can join in the challenge at time during the course of the year.

 

 



Something begining with C.

Over at Tag Tuesday we are also playing with the letters of the Alphabet and the letter this week is C. Looking through the dictionary I found the word Corset and knowing I had this wooden  one from Crafty -Emblies in my stash decided to raid the rest of my stash looking for suitable papers and vintage bits and bobs to go with it.

 

The papers were free in the craft magazine  Making Cards.  The fancy letter was downloaded from this site. The little bow with the wording ' with love'  was cut from the tag inside a jumper I had bought  and as I thought it too pretty to throw away had kept safely in my stash along with the rest of the items.

 

Along with Tag Tuesday

Entering into the following Challenges:

 

Pixies Crafty workshop: Use your Snippets.

Simply Create Too: Anytjhing goes.

Crafts & Me Challenges: Vintage  Themed.

Anything Goes: Buttons and Bows.

Crafting For All Seasons: Buttons and Bows.

Crafty Creations: Just take two. (used 2 papers, 2 buttons, 2 pieces of lace, 2 ribbons)

4 Crafty Chicks: Buttons.

Papertake Weekly: Tie up your loose ends.

Make it Monday Party: Anyting goes #125

 

 



Thinking of you.

I made this card for The Doc's  Aunt as sadly his Uncle died this week. I actually made 3 cards and let The doc choose. He thought she would like this one so this card is for
Aunty Eileen.

 

Difficult to decide on colours and embellishments but I had this lovely pink/beige paper in my left over scraps. It has a delicate lacy pattern on it and I have matched it to a snippet of digi paper by Chocolate Barroque called Cream Ice (a very pale pink). The die is  new from

Crealies  (Creative Flowers CL CF 25) and I'm already loving using it as is layers really well. The leaves were made using their CL CS 09 die. Swirl is a Sizzix die. Stamps are by Wow.

I adhered the paper to a piece of cardboard cut to size and distressed the edges for a worrn look. I have used T.H. Vintage Photo ink  for the sentiment and edges of the flower/leaves.

Finished off with a white pearl in the centre of the flower. Verse inside was created in word and printed off in a brown to match. Close up of flower detail below.

 



 

Entering:

 

Crealies challenge: Anything goes. (Dies listed above).

   

Also the following:

One Crazy Stamper: Anything Goes.

Crafty Calendar: Whats new. (New stash)

Craft Room: Monochrome.

Creative Inspirations: Anything goes +an option of a flower.

In The PInk: Distressed.

Totally Gorjuss: Flowers

Pixies Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets. (papers from snippet box)

The squirrel and The Fox: Something New. (Dies)

 



10 Minute Craft Dash.

I somehow managed to talk myself into doing this challenge that I came across on another blog. How difficult can that be I thought!!!!

 

The rules are fairly simple.

1. To create a card/project within ten minutes using the colour palette above.

2. Post the time it took to create.

 

and the one I liked the sound of the most

You can pull out your supplies before your time starts.

Yay!

How difficult can that be I thought!

  





 

Selected items to use and found stopwatch facility on mobile. How difficult can that be I thought.  Went and retrieved  mobile user guide. 30 minutes later chucked the  instruction book away which is half written in Malay and worked it out for myself instead.

Two minutes and so many seconds into the first card(note I said first) the land line phone goes? I have to answer this so put the stopwatch on hold. Finish call and find the stop watch has reset itself.

How difficult can that be I thought. Went and cut fresh supplies and started again.  Another two cards later and I cannot get the time to under 10mins.

It has now become a matter of pride to do this so a fresh strategy was needed. I had been cutting a sheet of card in all 3 colurs and layering up.This I decided was where my time was being eaten up so I reduced down to one green sheet, a pink distress marker and Memento London Fog (Grey) ink pad.

Ta da!!

  



And the one you have all been waiting for .







 

09:30.44

 

If you try this at home yourself just make sure that you have a glass of suitably chilled wine sat on the top shelf in the fridge and a reason for passing said fridge door!!!

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Pretty Pink Posh: 10 minute Craft Dash.

Addicted to CAS: Lets get Embossed.

A Gem of a challenge: Emboss it wet/or dry.

 

 

 



4 U.

This really is a left overs card from making a couple at the Weekend that needed to get sent to Australia today.  Can't show those two at the moment as they are destined for a swap and do not want to spoil the suprise before they are seen in real life. I can say  though that the theme for the swap was to use a die cut shape on each one.
The butterfly is part of a two piece die that I have begged, borrowed and stolen from Fluff in the past but she finally relented and gave it to me as part of my Chirstmas present. Yay!!!
I love this die to bits  so all I can say is watch this space in future months.

It was a joy to get back  to using Pink after the last few cards being in blue.  The tiny,  tiny butterflies are acutally what gets punched out from a Tonic Studios border punch that I have. (Well you didn't think I was going  to throw them out did you!!!!)  After glueing them + my fingers + anything else I touched I managed to get them stuck on the card.  Sentiment was created in word and printed out onto cream/ivory paper. Again the shaped window is what was left from cutting and using the inside shape on another card. I added a  few gems to the butterfly to mimic the design of the wings. The pink paper underneath has a swirl pattern on it that the die cut swirl reflects in mirror image which you can see better in the close up below.

 



 

Entering into the following challenges:

Glitter n Sparkle: Sentimental.

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything Goes.

The Squirrel & The Fox: Anything Goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your Snippets #56

The Ribbon Girl: Pink & Ivory.

Created with Love: Anything Goes.

Cute Card Thursday: Diamonds are Forever.

UnstampaBelles: Use one or more Dies.

Card Crafter's Circle: Layers.

Make it Monday: Paper crafts # 124



 

 

 

V is for Venus.

Over at The Craft Barn  they are starting something new called the Alpha Challenge. If you have an old dictionary you can play along. You can either alter the dictionary itself or you can take pages to insert them into an art journal. A new letter of the alphabet will be posted every two weeks. The first letter is V.

I have chosen to make a journal book  of my dictionary  pages.  I made the hard covers for the front and back from sturdy card which I have rounded the edges on and punched holes to take the book ring binders. Apart from the dictionary which I purchased from the local charity shop every else used is from my stash

 



 

Looking through the pages for V  I found Venus the God of love and as I knew I had this roman stamp and the heart stamp decided to use them on my page.  I painted over  the page ( except for the defintion on venus which you must leave showing)with white paint

and when dry stamped over the top using a distressed ink pad. The fancy letter I downloaded from the  internet here. Scrap of ribbon and lace from my stash.

 



 

Here is a close up of the page showing the detail. I think on future pages I will water down the white paint as you cannot really see much of the dictionary page  but it is there trust me!

I wonder what the next letter will be as they are being randomly picked each time.

 

Entering into:

The Craft Barn : Alpha challenge  letter V. 



Love Is.

This is another of the gifts that I sent Bee in the Advent Swap last month. I wanted to make a heart shape plaque so I gathered the necessary items together below.

 

I could just have bought a heart shape MDF but when you have items in your stash that will work just as well use them up. I cut the shape from 3 pieces of thick card  and stuck together. Covered in torn up serviettes using PVA glue and left to dry off in the airing cupboard.

 

 

My local hardware shops sells the Dulux tester pots which I find are ideal for covering and saves on using up my more expensive Jo Sonja paint tubes. I have chosen a pastel pink called Dusted Fondant. I punched two hanging holes and picked out the lettering I needed from a selection of grunge board ABC in my stash.

 



The finished plaque with pink lace, netting, cream fabric roses and edged with Inka Gold. Ribbon for hanging has shown up as rather a funny colour but it is in fact pale pink to match the paint.

 

Entering into the following:

Crazy 4 challenges: Shape it up. No square cards.

Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes.

Cupcake Craft: Anything but a card.

Make it Monday: Any paper craft. #123

The Shabby tea room: Antique roses.

Whimiscal Designs: Anything goes.

Crafty Ribbons: Love/Romance/Anniversary.

Craft us Crazy: Celebrate Love or the colour Red.

Crafty Catz: Anything but a card.

The Crafty Bloggers Network: Flowers.

 

 



Word Search.

I had a Male Birthday  card to make this week for someone who is Football mad. I couldn't find a digi I felt was  suitable so created this card instead. Another blue card but these are   the teams football colours that he supports. 
The light blue is actually the back of an old envelope which came in the post (which of course everyone  keeps) that just happened to be the correct colour blue and the buttons were taken from an old top of Fluff's little bruv that had been safely stored away.
Don't you just love it when a Stash comes together!!!!!

The light blue was adhered to a piece of thick card and then distresed around the edges before being glued onto the card.

I created the grid in excel , deleted the grid lines and then posted into word, shrunk down and printed off. There are another 10 words hidden within the grid. Can you find them?

 

Entering into the following:

Shopping Our Stash: Use your old Buttons.

Divas By Design: Anything goes.

Simply Create : Link up # 17

Cute cards Thursday: Beat the Blues.

Wags  & Whiskers:  Celebrations.

Catch the Bug: Anything Birthday.

2 Sisters Challenge: Celebrations.

Hiding in my Craft  Room:  Super scraps Saturday.

Penny's Paper - Crafty : Anything Goes.

Pixies Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets #55.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wimpy's Got Mail!

Can one of you please tell Wimpy his got Mail? Cos I  don't like to!!!

 

Hope your Weekend is full of Craftyness.

 



Blue your Cares Away.

I really wanted this card to work as there were several challenges that I wanted to combine  into one.
The image is by OOh La La Creations from their Passion for Fashion CD. I love the sheer elegance of these ladies. The backing paper is also from the same CD.
Cutie Pie Challenge have a sketch this time which caught my eye. I normally shy away from these type of challenges but I have decided I must bite the bullet  and get over my adversions. I think I have stayed true to the sketch. Cupcake Craft have a challenge this week asking for Monohromatic Blue creations. Again blue is not a fav colour with me but needs must so I bit another bullet!

 

The rhinestones, lace and ribbon are all from my stash. The flowers are cut from lace  (if there are any gentlemen reading, please leave the page now )  on an old bra which was much too pretty to just  throw away and was also in my stash. You can see a close up below.





 

Entering into the following:

Oh-La-La Creations:  Happy Birthday.

Cutie Pie Challenge: Sketch time.

Cupcake Craft: January Blues.

Craft Your Passion: Vintage Shabby Chic.

Totally Gorjuss: Anything goes with ribbon.

Crazy 4 Challenges: Ribbons & Bows.

Live and Love Crafts: Something old in Vintage style. (embellishments are all old).

Sarah Hurley challenge: Celebrate.

Digi's Galore: Somthing New. (New CD.)

Pause Dream Enjoy: Use Ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

On a Winters Day.

I haven't touched Scenes since this time last year so thought it high time that I got reacquainted with them.
Craft a Scene have a challenge this month  to create a snowy cottage scene. My scene is a digi from Delicious Doodles called 'On a Winters Day'.  As soon as I saw  this image I knew I  had to purchase it and a Red Cardinal digi  might just have accidentally  fallen into my shopping basket at the same time. (Some days I 'm all fingers and thumbs! Well thats the story I'm sticking to.)

I have coloured the image using Distress Markers and pearlescent chalks. A bit limited with my choice of pen  at the moment as I only purchased seven basic colours to try them out. Another seven are now on their way. (Don't tell baggage control!) The paper lace  panel under the ribbon is cut using a Tonic Studios pattern punch. I have layered up the image using two different blue card stock onto the white base card and rounded the edges on all. Sentiment was generated in word.

 



 

I tried taking a close up to show the pearlescent effect but the lighting is appalling even with two daylight bulbs on .

 

Entering into the following:

Craft a Scene: Snowy cottages.

Card Mania: Winter Wonderland.

Crafty Hazelnuts: A christmas card without Santa.

Simply Create too: Let it Snow.

Card Crafter's Circle: Theres no business like snow business.

Love to Create: Winter Wonderland.

Fab 'n' Funky: Winter.

Pan Pastel: Anything Goes.

Stampin for the Weekend: Anything Goes.

Glitter n Sparkle: Anything Goes.

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Plaque.

This is  another of the items that I made Bee in the Advent swap we partnered each other in last month.  Having looked through Bees blog for inspiration I spotted a post showing her kitchen with a Rayburn in it. I imediately  thought that a rustic plaque would be ideal to make and would fit in with the style of her room.

 

The plaque itself is made from very thick card covered in torn up serviettes and then given a coat of matt paint. I find the matchpots made by Dulux make excellent base coats on most of the items I make. Hanging holes were punched in the top before painting  and then  popped into the airing cupboard for a quick drying. I used grunge board lettering which

I painted using Jo Sonja acrylic paint in black. I then did a black line around the edge and rubbed in some Inka Gold. I couldn't resist making a little Bee. He is made from two circles of yellow card, thin mercer cord for his antenna, black felt for the stripes and clear acetate with punched sequin waste behind for his wings which were cut using a heart punch.  A piece of florist wire twisted together made the hanging.

 





 

Entering into the following challenges:

Catch The Bug: Anything Goes.  (Well had to enter this one didn't I !)

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets #54. ( Bee is made from snippets in stash).

Created with Love: Anything but a card.

Hand made Harbour:  Monday #98.

Pin and Tack:  Anything goes.

Lexi's Creations: Anything Goes.

Anything but a Card: Things with Wings.

Dream Valley: Anyhing Goes.

Craft my Life: AnythingGoes. no cards or scrapbook.

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything Goes.

 

 

 







Pocket Book Calendar.

This is one of the gifts that I made for my partner in the  Advent Swap that we did last month.  A pocket book calendar for 2013.

Bee likes the colour blue so I pulled out all my snippets of blue patterned papers  and set about creating the pages. The papers were stuck onto thick card  and the edges coloured to match with promarkers. The calendar  months were stuck on matching paper for each page and then adhered to make a pocket.

 

I then made smaller tags  for each month  that had Notes on one side and Birthdays on the other to fit inside the pockets.

Punched holes in the top and finished each one off with pretty ribbon. Two book rings held the pages together.

 

Entering the following challenges:

Pixies Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets #53.

2 Sisters Challenge: Anything but a Card.

Papertake Weekly: Anything Goes.

Crafters Companion: Anything but a Card.

Crafty Creations: Anything Goes.

Cards Galore: Anything Goes.

Sparkles: Anything Goes.