Lets Sew.

It was my sister's birthday a few weeks ago.  Like me she loves making things and in fact when sis bought a new sewing machine and showed me it I fell in love with all the stitches it did and the gadgets. So much so that my local shop still had the deal going on it and I now have one too. I love it. I gave my old machine(fully working but basic) to the local quilt club who were pleased too. An all win situation.
Anyway here is the  Shaker card I made for her.

I used a Hunkydory pre colored image from their Little book of vintage lace. The shaker element is made from dark green card stock. The buttons  are shirt ones that I have had in my stash for more years than I care to remember courtesy of my MIL who used to work in a shirt factory. The sentiment is a silver sticker.  The card arrived before my sister's birthday and she rang me in a panic to say the packet rattled so she thought whatever was inside had been broken!! 

Entering the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations #164 Anything goes.
Craft Your Passion #331 Anything goes.
Make My Monday #31 No patterned paper.
Deep Ocean Challenge # 138 Anything goes.
Crafty Gals Corner # 91 Anything goes.
Create and Inspire # 52 Anything Goes.
4 Crafty Chicks # 318 Anything goes.

Valerie with Snowman

Rudolph day has come round again. I didn't manage to play last month so was determined to make sure I entered a card for september. I had such fun colouring up 'Valerie with Snowball' in blue a few days ago that I decided to use another digi of her by Mo's Digital Pencil. This one is called 'Valerie with Snowman' and I have coloured in red. I used acetate again for the card front but made it as a panel encased either side by the red card stock. I have paper pieced the snowman's hat and scarf and also her coat and layered up using 3d pads. Red twine, stickers and silver sentiment from my stash. Winter Wonderland generated in word and cut using an SU labels punch.

 Coloured using just 2 red promarkers for the clothes. Below showing the acetate frontage.

Entering the following challenges:

Scraps of life by Scrappy Mo# September Rudolph day.
Christmas Card Challenge  #42 Anything goes.
Hiding in my Craft Room #268 Any holiday.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #248. Use up your snippets (sentiment made from snippets)
Paper Creator's Crafts #51 Christmas.
Crafty Hazelnut's #300 Use a Sentiment.
Crimbo Crackers #116 Snowmen.
A Snowflakes Promise #29 Anything goes.
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra # Anything goes.

All Change!

Yes your in the right place!

You should now be looking at the new me.
The Lovely Loll of 'Stamping with Loll'

has very kindly taken my Blog and given me
the most amazing makeover.
Thankyou Loll, I love it to bits.
Such a transformation and all done in such 
a short space of time too.
Loll is in a country the other side of the pond
8hrs behind UK time.
It was totally surreal for me to be emailing at silly o'clock
in the morning when it was still daytime for Loll.
It felt at times like I was bouncing ideas off someone
sitting in the room next to me.
The Butterfly Challenge has had a face lift too!!

I just can't Thank you  enough Loll.

I painted the flowers on the card below
in a water colour art class 2yrs ago and it seemed quite
fitting to use them today along with some marbled 
backing paper made using the Shaving Foam Technique.

Your the Tops Loll.

Run For The Hills.

The Butterfly Challenge has a new theme/colour running.

#63 Butterflies + W is for Wire and/or White on White.

Now just in case this has sent you running for the hills

let me help by giving you some suggestions. 

Wire comes in all forms so think staples, wire mesh,

pipe cleaners (those furry ones have wire inside and are white).
Wire edged ribbon makes easy flowers.

Thin wire (florist wire) can be used for flower stems,

making a washing line, wire hearts, wire hangers etc.

How about spiral springs for a pop up card!!

Here are a further two cards to start you off.
I have used simple wire to make a loose coil of circles.
Embossing folder is by Crafts-Too called Spots.
Adhered to a white base card and raised on 3D pads
Precut circles and the sentiment are from craft topper sheets in my stash.
Butterfly is by SU and punched out twice for dimension.
White pearls also from my stash.

Entering into the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #42 Anything goes.

Lets Craft and Create #117 Spots or stripes.

Unicorn Challenge Blog #13 Happy Birthday.

Inspiration Destination #104 Anything goes.

Penny's Paper Crafty #296 Anything goes.

The ABC Challenge # Pearls.

Craft Your Passion #330 Anything goes.

My second card uses a paper clip as the wire element.

See! Simples!!

Here I have used a peel of sticker in white

 by Elizabeth Craft Designs called Flowers in Square

on my background card again raised on 3D pads.

Sentiment tag from the same topper sheet as above.

I did attach with ds tape first and then added the paper clip over 

the top . Butterflies are a smaller SU punch.

Pearls from my stash.

Entering into the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations #163 Anything goes.

Use Your Stuff #234 Butterflies.

Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #247 Use up your snippets (white card for butterflies)

Crafty Girlz Challenges # Anything goes.

I hope you will come and join in .

Wrap Up Warm.

I'm woefully late for our

Christmas Card Reveal.

Sorry Kate I have been away for a few days 

and didn't have time to prepare before I went.

Kate's choice for this challenge was

'Woolie Hats and Gloves'.
We were allowed to add scarves too!

So straight into my used christmas card pile
and I found a card front showing mitts,hat and a sock.

I trimmed  it down using  a Crafts-Too square dies scalloped edge

and adhered to matching red cardstock.

I then made up one of my acetate sandwiches

using green base card wrapped over to the front and attached

to the acetate with the image in between.

I found some green holly stickers for down the front hinge

 and also used to decorate along the base of the acetate.

Next I had a look through my stamps and digi's to see

if I could use something from my christmas stash.

I found this digi image by Mo's Digital Pencil 

'Valerie with Snowball'

I coloured using my promarkers in two shades of blue.

Fussy cut out the hat,scarf,coat and snowball and adhered

to a separate digi image using the same colours. I used 3D

pads to raise them up on top.

I used an embossing folder from

Practical Publishing International on the pale blue cardstock.

I attached this to a dark blue cardstock to make the base card

then adhered the image to it.

Acetate was attached to the hinged flap and makes the front of the card.

I used blue/white bakers twine wrapped round the hinge to make a bow.

I used silver sticker edging, snowflakes and sentiment

on the acetate front for decoration.

Entering the Blue card  into the following challenges:

Merry Monday Christmas #214 Keep Warm.

A SnowFlakes Promise #29 Anything goes.

Get Creative #48 Must include embossing wet or dry.

Lets Craft and Create #117 Spots or stripes.

Paper Creators Crafts #51 Christmas.

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #381 Christmas.

Craft Rocket Challenges #24 Mostly Blue.

Home.

Running late but I overdid it gardening 

and had to have a couple of days resting up.

Here is my finished project for the 2nd week

of  #61 Butterflies + L is for letters and/or Lavender.

to hopefully inspire you.

I picked this plaque up from the local charity shop

some time ago for £1. The E had a piece broken off

that had been roughly glued back in place but as I knew

I would be covering it up it wasn't a problem.

The only problem I did have was that I started

altering it without taking a before photo.

The Doc alerted me to this fact so I quickly put 

it all back together again for a photo shoot. 

I'm the last of the big spenders here as I used toilet 

roll tissue torn up and then glued using pva paste.

I happen to like the pattern of this particular roll

which has roses on it and it helps to not see

the  torn joins when stuck together.

Here is a close up of  the last two letters.

Other toilet roll makes and patterns are equally as good!

It took a couple of days to complete and leave to dry thoroughly.

Once dry I gave the letters a couple of coats of

 paint using a sample poster pot in lavender.

(I find these little pots of sample paint colours from 

the DIY shop are ideal for covering my craft projects).

Then came the fun part of decorating. 

I found everything in my stash. I painted a piece of 

corrugated cardboard with a deeper purple colour and then 

tore it up into rough pieces to randomly adhere to the letters.

I replaced the glass and cut a circle of paper to fit.

The paper design is my own as I tried my hand at 

making marbled paper using  the shaving foam technique.

I did that out in the garden as it can be quite messy

but I had  fun. I made several sheets up using different 

coloured reinkers. The papers all have a lovely shaving foam

smell to them but it did make me sneeze when I was

die cutting the butterflies from it! 

Here is a close up of the marbled paper.

I used Lyndon,Whidley and Theo Poppy Stamp dies

plus Pippa  and Isabella Memory box dies on the butterflies.

Entering into the following challenges:

Altered Electics #Anything goes.

Creative Artiste #18 Anything Mixed media goes.

Love To Craft #2 Anything goes.

Rhedd's Creative Spirit # Anything goes.

Craft Your Passion #329 Anything goes.

Love To Scrap #85 Flower power.

Cuttlebug Mania # Anything goes with die cuts.

Crafty Creations #324 For the home.

Inspiration Destination #103 Anything goes.

Creative Fingers #116 Anything goes.

Really Reasonable Ribbons #149 Things with wings +ribbon or twine.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #246  Use up your snippets (Loads on here).

Gone Fishing

As a DT Favourite back in May on the 

Unstampabelles Challenges

I have been invited back this month 

as their Guest Designer.

The Theme is Changing Seasons with  a twist

of make it Masculine.

I decided to go with the Fishing Season

and show you this card that I made using the art of Iris Folding

The design is from a book called

'460 Iris Folded Cards To Make' 

by Maruscha Gaasenbeck and Tine Beauveeser

All the papers I used were scraps from my stash.

The sentiment was computer generated and cut with 

the SU Punch ' Modern Label'

I  had such fun making this that I actually made two of these cards 

one of which went to a swap friend  (that  I never showed until now)

who said she liked it so much that she framed hers.

See if you can spot the difference with the one below.

They are very slightly different though I have made them 

using the same papers.

I need to go the charity shop and get a frame for my one now!

Just One Ship.

It was our Son in Law's Birthday last week

and this is the card I made for him.

I had previously made a card depicting 3 ships

which went as a swap which I  had really liked 

 so decided to try a card depicting just one ship. 

I think I have the balance about right by changing 

the birds in flight.  

Ship stamp is by 'Inkylicious Twincies'.

I created the background using inks pads and sponges 

to apply the colour. 

Birds in flight is a stamp by Stampscape.

I used liberal amounts of glamour dust on the sails

and water which did show more up IRL.

The frame is the negative from a previously used project.

Entering into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion #328 Anything goes.

Create and Inspire #51 Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #102 Anything goes.

4 Crafty Chicks #315 Birthday.

Little Miss Muffet #146 Anything goes.

Crafting By Designs # Anything goes.

Creative Ladybirds #19 Anything goes.

Love To Craft #2 Anything goes.

Unicorn Challenge #13 Happy Birthday.

Brown Sugar #215 Anything goes.

Lavender Notes.

It is time for a new challenge over at

#62 Butterflies + L is for Letters  and/or Lavender.

So I would like to see  letters portrayed as either 

a sentiment using letters of the alphabet

or a  letter sent in the post  on your project

along with your Butterfly/ies of course.

Here are my inspiration cards for you. 

I have gone with using Letters
sent/received in the post on both.

1st card uses an LOTV pre coloured   Art pad image.

I have used a Fiskars decorated corner punch.

Layered onto lavender cardstock and then 

white card stock to make the base card.

Edges  rounded using a corner chomper.

I made a small envelope up from darker coloured

paper and used a Nellie's Choice E.F. to decorate.

Butterflies fluttering out of the open envelope

were punched using a small tonic punch.

I also used a Thank You  sentiment. 

Entering into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion #328 Anything goes

Through the Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Create and Inspire #52 Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #102 Anything goes.

Jo's Scrap Shack #154 Anything goes.

Crafting By Designs # Anything goes.

Love To Craft #2 Anything goes.

Sister's of Craft # Anything goes.

For my 2nd card I have used a freebie image
of a written letter called
'Garden Background text'
from Beyond The Fringe Freebie digis.
I distressed round the edges and adhered to
lavender cardstock made into the base card.
The pre coloured image is by Hunkydory 
from their Little Book of Flowers 
which again I have distressed around the edges.
Embroidered  butterflies, ribbon bow and pearls
from my stash  complete the card.

Hope you will come and join in the fun.

Entering into the following challenges:

Deep Ocean Challenge #137 Bingo (Pearls/flowers/lace).

Frilly and Funkie # Things with wings.

Penny's Paper Crafty #294 Anything goes.

Fussy and Fancy #171 Lets Fly away.

A Gem of a Challenge #177 Ribbon/lace or twine.

One Stitch at a Time #270 Anything goes +optional lace or pearls.

Creative Ladybirds Creations #19 Anything goes.

Scrapper's Delights #59 Anything goes.

The Crafty Addicts. #23 Anything goes /lace or pearls.

NBUS Flower

I have been feverishly trying

to get a card made so I can enter

Darnell's latest NBUS challenge

but nothing was working. 

Drawers were pulled open, Desktop littered 

(when is it not), papers pulled out and still nothing,

 then like a burst water pipe

whoosh 

it all came together.

So here is the NBUS stamp I  finally used.

I used my Derwent  watercolour pencils to colour

 the flower which I then fussy cut out 

(Mainly because the memento ink pad I stamped

the image with bled around the edges just a tad.)

To give more definition I used a silver gel pen

around the petals and veins on the leaves.

Then I spotted two negative die cut squares

'Crafts-Too  Scalloped Edge PCD77'  on my desk

from previous projects and started playing with them 

 on a pink  blank card base and came up with this design.

A quick delve into my pile of silver peel off sheets

and Ta Da my NBUS was born!

Entering into the following challenges:

Darnell's NBUS challenge #7. New, never used flower stamp.

4 Crafty Chicks #314 Fussy cutting.

Little Miss Muffet #145 Anything goes using  any stamp or digi.

Cut It Up Challenge #104 Water colour plus must use a die cut.

Pixies Crafty Workshop #245 Use up your snippets. (water colour card /die cuts)

Make a Scene.

Time once again for the girls

in the Christmas Card Club 

to show our latest cards.

The theme chosen is

'A Winter Scene' set by the lovely Rachel.

A quick delve into my pile of used christmas cards

and I found this really old card that I had been

keeping as I rather liked the picture it depicted.

I have not made a tile design card for ages.

I think it has worked out really well

I trimmed the card down to 4" square and then cut it 

up into 1" squares (Remember to number them in order 

on the back before cutting, ask me how I know, lol).

I made a grid up on a slightly larger piece of cream 

card stock  using my scor-pal to create the grout lines.

Adhered to gold shimmer card and then a red card base.

Finished off with gold peel off edging  and a

sentiment cut from another old card.

Entering into the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers #114 Anything goes Christmas

Christmas Card Challenge #38 Anything goes.

A Bit More Time To Craft #27 Anything goes.

Creative Ladybirds #19 Anything goes.

Love To Craft #2 Anything goes.

Scrapper's Delights #59 Anything goes.

Sparkles #83 Lots of layers

Keeping up with my commitment to actually

use my Christmas stamps and assorted goodies

I found this Stampendous scene stamp  called Snowy Postcard.

Last used back in April 2014 so high time it saw

daylight again!

Stamped onto white card stock and then just the ivy and

berries coloured in using promarkers along with silver

gel pen over some of the outlines for definition. I then sprinkled

glamour dust on the oval part of the image to create a sparkle

on the snow.  Backed onto silver shimmer card and then

cherry red sparkle card and the base card made up from more

of the silver shimmer cardstock. 

Sentiment is a silver peel off and I finished round the

edges with silver peel of edging.  

Entering into the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #41 Anything goes.

Creative Inspirations #256 Christmas in August.

Creative Fingers #115 Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra #Anything goes.

Crafting By Designs #Anything goes.

Paper Creator's Crafts #51 Christmas.

Sisters of Craft # Anything goes.

More Colour.

I have some more cards  

to show you for the 2nd week of

#61 Butterflies + K is for Kraft Card and/or Kaleidoscope.

The challenge runs until next Tuesday.

On this first card I have made a tent fold base

using red card stock and then cut a slightly smaller 

square of kraft card which I have adhered to the front.

I used an SU butterfly punch to cut the butterflies

from  scraps of various multi coloured design papers

and arranged these to fully cover the kraft card

I popped different coloured pearls on each one 

and added a blue ribbon  for aditional trim.

This card uses Kraft card to make the base card

I cut a smaller piece of card in cream and then used 

strips of coloured card for the colours of the rainbow

 and adhered them in the correct order vertically on the card.

I used gold sticker edging between the colours.

Butterflies are punched using a smaller SU butterfly punch

and trimmed with more of the gold edging and gold pearls.

Arranged over the front as if in flight.

Wording is a Britannia die cut from gold and cream card

c and layered slightly off each other to give a shadow effect.

I would like to enter this card into the follow challenges:

Robyn's Fetish #331 Anything goes.

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #40 Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #101 Anything goes.

Crafty Gals Corner #87 Anything goes.

Aud Sentiments #163 Anything goes + add a sentiment.

Through The Craftroom Door # Anything goes.

Deep Ocean Challenge #136 Things with wings.

Love To Craft #2 Anything goes.

My last card was the most time consuming but I love the result. 

I used pale yellow cardstock  to make the base and then

adhered a slightly smaller piece of Kraft  card to the front.

I die cut the pink card using  Crafts-Too  Stitch  Hole Rectangle

Before attaching to the kraft card I coloured round the edge of the kraft card

that would be left showing with a promarker  grey green pen .

It gives a lovely subtle shading to the kraft card.

The butterfly Striplet +added butterflies is by Sue Wilson called

'Butterflies In Flight'

I cut this out in Kraft card again using the marker pen to colour

and also in white card stock.

I then coloured all the individual pieces from the white card

using variious promarkers and then inlaid them into the kraft card

to give the stained glass window effect.  The left over pieces

from the kraft card were coloured to match and glued  to the top

of the individual butterflies for added dimension.

I used silver sticker edging around the striplet and a muli coloured

sticker for the sentiment. 

Entering into the following challenges:

Southern Girls # 142 Anything goes.

Craft Rocket Challenges #23 Anything goes.

Craft Your Passion #237 Anything goes.

My Time To Craft #328 Something that flies.

Penny's Paper Crafty #293 Anything goes.

I love Promarkers #316 Use a die cut.

Die Cuttin Divas #281 Anything goes.

City Crafter #327 Birthday wishes.

Post Norm!

Will life ever be the same again!!

I just knew it was going to be a bad idea

turning my blog over to a Monkey

for a whole month!!!!!

I had thought I was going to have a nice month off 

and put my feet up but oh no Norm had other ideas.

I now know how David Bailey feels after a photo session,

I took 71 photos of them and thats just the ones

that got posted. The cutting room floor is cluttered with 

 probably another 300 +.

You  try getting two monkeys to stay upright

and not fall over backwards just at the point of taking a photo!

I don't how many times they fell out of that wretched swing before

Norm declared 

"It's a Wrap"

As for yesterday at  A & E

try explaining  to a harrassed  nurse why you have turned up with

1.  A  Monkey or two  in tow

2.    How Norm managed to break his arm

3. What he was doing half way up a ladder on his own anyway 

4. Why he was even cutting the hedge in the first place.

I tell you the white coats nearly had me cornered!!

 Lol!

Thankyou to everyone who

joined in the daily fun and games and played along

with Norm's shenanigans.

Until the next time................

Norm, Sammy and Mrs A.