I is for Ivy & X is for: ----------

Time to show the last two letters for the Alpha challenge over at the Craft Barn. At the end of the previous challenge we were left with the letters I and X.
I chose to go with Ivy as my word.

Page has been given a wash of tester pot paint ' Natural Hessian.

Brick wall was created using my mini Hougie board to make the brick effect.

Ivy drawn by hand and leaf definition with a large pin.

Wall and leaves inked using Distress ink pads.

 

I was determined not to go with Xmas as my last word. Instead I chose X marks the spot!

Page has been given a wash of tester paint  'White Cotton'.

Stamp was  free with Craft Stamper Magazine.

Letter X created using Sizzix alphabet die 656133

 

Now all that is left to do is to show the covers I made for my book.

The front.





Papers used are all freebies from various magazines.

 

The Back.



Entering into the Following challenge:

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge: Use the letters I and X.

 

 

 



Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach

The challenge over at Dreamtime Designs this month was to make a Christmas project with a Technique I've never used before.
This posed me a problem as there are so many things I want to try out but I finally settled on the  Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach Technique.  I found an excellent Splitcoast Stampers  tutorial for this which you can find here. 
As usual there are some questions which have to be answered and included in the challenge.
1. Why did you want to try this technique?  I have had a box of Alcohol inks sat in my stash ever since Fluff gave them to me when I first started my blog. Sadly never used and every time I open the draw they are in they plead with me to be brought out and played with and at last I decided yes indeed why not!
2. What has been your experience with the technique? Undoubtedly that less haste is more speed. You do need to make sure that you iron over the sheet for long enough for the resist to work and then give it time to dry off before you attempt to stamp over it. Both things I did not do the first time round so this card is my second attempt at getting it right.

Alcohol Ink colours used. Cranberry, Butterscotch, Caramel.

Plain card from my stash along with ribbon and Gems.

Stamp used for reist  'Brocade' by Wow.

Other stamps by Hot Off The Press, freebies from Simply cards and Papercraft magazine.

When you do this technique you end up with a positive on glossy card and a negative on plain card.

I  have chosen to use the negative as I liked the colour combination more.

 

Challenges entered:

Dreamtime Designs #3:  Christmas using a technique you have not used before.

Pixies Crafty Workshop #105: Use up your snippets. (Inks were pre used stash from Fluff!!).

Cute card Thursday #301: Anything goes.

Creative Knockouts #17: Anything goes.

The Squirrel and The Fox #60: Anything goes.

Stamping Sensations: Free and Easy.

Crafty Hazelnuts #157: Share a Christmas card  not shown yet.

 

P.s Just realised why I like the colours of this card so much. It's the colours in my dinning room.!!!!

 



Little Dollies.

I was having a tidy up of my photos for this year and came across these dollies that I made for my Granddaughters'  stocking last year and never showed so here they are better late than never!

Totally made from snippets of wool, material, braid ( from old shop bag handles), thread and stuffing.

Not forgetting  odds of felt and bits of lace.

Have even found some challenges to enter:
Creative Card Crew #52: Anything goes.
Pixies Crafty Workshop #105:  Use up your snippets. (Yes Miss).
Sparkles #51: Anything but a card.

Favourite 5 of 2013

I'm joining in with Debby's challenge of picking your 5 favourite Christmas Creations of 2013. Here is my selection. Clicking on the heading above each picture will take you to the original post

Got Me A Tree!

 

All That Glitters.

 

 

Soldier's

 

 

Elf.

 

Socks.

 

 

 

 Hope you are Enjoying Boxing Day and stay safe in the Storms which are due in again tonight.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas One and All.

This is my card to The Doc this year.

Image by Bugaboo.

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas

From  Myself  and The Doc.

11th and 12th Days of Christmas

Down to the last 2 days now and here is the card for my 11th Day of Christmas challenge
Getting even more difficult to find a design which will take all the images but I think this one is perfect for the digi I have chosen to use.  A tutorial for making the card can be found here on Splitcoastststampers. I altered my card by adding acetate to the window and having the card opening up conventionally instead of stuck down flat.
So here is my:

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me 11 Piper Piping.

Backing sheet  is Dark blue  2 sided Pearl paper.

Blind made from snowflake paper sent to me from USA

Snowflakes, snippets  found  in my stash.

Die cut is Spellbinders 'Deckled Rectasngles'.

Sentiment created in word.

A liberal sprinkling of Glamour Dust also used.

With the blind pulled up to can see the pipers busy piping away.

Image by Digi My World and I have used the pre coloured version here.

There is a little bit of glare from the acetate but not as bad using the light box.

Now hands up all those who just had to count to make sure there were 11?

Thought so!!!

The inside of the card with  more Glamour Dust.

 

Entering in the following:

Curtain Call Inspiration challenge: Sweet snowflakes.

Sweet Stamps #148: Glitter.

Creative Inspirations #245: Anything goes/optional sketch.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #103: Use up your snippets (snowflakes).

The Squirrel and the Fox #59: Christmas or Hanukkah,

That Craft Place: Anything goes.

Dream Valley #72: Christmas.

Challenges 4 Everybody #36: Anything goes.

Live and love Crafts #18: Stardust.

 

Last but not Least my card for day 12 of my self imposed challenge for the 12 Days of Christmas. With twelve images to fit onto the card I really had to push the boat out to find a shape which would work but I did. Another  Splitcoaststampers  a Pop up card  which I have modified to suit my purpose.

So for the very last time I give you:

 

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my True Love Gave To Me 12 Drummers Drumming.

I will show you the back of the card 1st as I rather like the closure.

Just a band tucked round and secured with 2 circles of card, 2 brads and twine.

The front showing just 3 of the drummers.

Digi is by Bugaboo.

coloured using Graph'it pens and a gold gel pen.

Papers are digis by Raspberry Road from their Auld Lang Syne 2 collection.

Numbering   by Britannia  dies.

Sentiment created in word.

With the card open showing the last nine drummers

with the middle ones on the pop up.

 

Showing the pop up folding down inside the card.

 

Entering into the following:

Papertake Weekly #125: Last Christmas card of the yr.

Digi Stamps 4 Joy #82: Anything goes.

Winter Wonderland: Numbers.

Sweet Pea Stampers: Christmas/New yr.

Crafty Hazelnuts #156: Last minute cards not shown yet.

613 Avenue Create #51: Anything goes with no twist.

One Stitch At A time #194: Anything goes.

Scribble and Scrap #8: Anything goes.

Artistic Inspirations #72: Anything goes.

 



Total Mayhem!!

The partridge has now been detained for causing a breach of the peace.

From the sounds in the loft The doves are on their honeymoon.

The French hens are now talking Double Dutch.

The Calling Birds now have pod casts going out to  several countries.

The Geese have pulled out of the panto after they saw the size of the egg one of them had to Lay!

The Swans are bickering over who plays the lead in Swan Lake after they discovered who dies!

The Maids have all been pulled off milking duties to attend to the Lords and Ladies needs.

The ladies are dancing and the Lords are  a leaping about the Lounge

to the noisy tune The Pipers are playing

And I have just heard that a bus load of Drummers are arriving at any moment!

Me?

I'm going to lie down in a very dark room until it is all over.