AJ WK49 Time Flies & TMTA- Mosaic

Art Journal wk 49, time flies! Well this year has gone in a blur for me. I just don't know where it went but looking at my computer & seeing all the artwork in my photo folders, at least I know I spent the time wisely & creatively! The card is a scrap of DCWV Once upon a time paper. I tore a calendar page from an old diary, & glued it onto the page. I love time & images related to it, so this gave me the chance to lightly ink up two of my fav clock stamps & apply them to the card. I also use one of the time quotes from the stamp set. They are from The Artistic stamper I have a link in the sidebar. I used mini clocks that I printed on transparency for my CJ. These were left over & I attached them with brads.

For TMTA Mosaics, I decided to use my mini patterned squares stamp, CI-178. It is fab for cutting up & using small sections. I stamped them in Versamagic eggplant. Selected 6 & glued them to lilac shimmer card. I then glued this to white card & finally onto navy. I added this buterfly lady from my printed ephemera collection & coloured her in with inks.

Thankfully new ink cartridges arrived today & Im going to make sure I print off the stuff I know I'll need next time I'm out of ink!!

Saturday Stamper- New Beginnings

For this challenge, I decided to make a Christmas decoration based on the new beginning of the birth of the infant Jesus. I used cream cardstock, cut the tryptich shape & painted the outside with acrylic paint, Boldmere Gold Hue, The Works. I stamped my CI Angels onto cream card in gold ink & cut them out to use as a sort of closure. I printed the words from some wordings sheets I made last Xmas for cards.

Inside, I stamped in gold ink my CI Script stamp & heat embossed with gold powder. Once dry I used a sponge & ink the whole thing with the same gold acrylic. Then using Brilliance Coffee Bean, I stamped some scrolls, Design Objectives, two inside one on the front.

The Madonna & Child are not my prefered one to use but as my printer ink won't be here until middle of next week, I have no others to use. She is only glued in with repositionable stuff so I could replace her with something far better. The image comes from a book I bought back in 1994 Christmas Craft Sourcebook by Gail Lawther. It is full of line drawings to trace.

I'm pleased with the completed design & plan to use it every year to grace my shelves. The colour is so gloriously rich. Let's hope I find a more fitting Madonna for this piece.

Crafty Individuals stamps are my favourites.

4x4 Friday - Mona Lisa

This week's 4x4 Friday was to add Mona Lisa somewwhere on your artwork. I thought this would be tricky as I have no stamps of Mona or ink in the printer, but I did find this B&W pic amongst my ephemera collection. I am so glad I built this up, printing off images when I see them as now I have a few to play with until the new cartridges arrive. My background was made by randomly stamping, using archival black ink all over an A4 sheet of card with clock & key images. Once the ink was dry I applied acrylic paints in reds oranges & browns. I added touches of gold & left to dry completely. Once I'd stuck my Mona onto it, I added bits of eggplant chalk ink to give more depth to the colours.

I inked the edges with back & stamped a floral flourish in Brilliance coffee bean.

DCM - Candy Stripes

I love candy stripes & I immediately though of this paper when I read the DCM blog last night. I used it to cover a clipboard earlier i the year & had bits left over. I got the 3 papers in a pack from Poundland. Images are stamped from See D's clear sets, in red (they were my orignial idea for last Fridays 4x4) I colourwashed them with inks. Anitas sticky ribbon across joins. It was great to do an ordinary card & will probably used as an Anniversary card for a couple celebrating their 2nd on 23rd December.

Christmas Card I can Blog

This card was made for my dearest friend, Louise. She opened it today at worked so I can show it now. The photo doesn't do it justice, the papers are stunning. This is from the Christmas backgrounds pad.

Papers, stamped angels & the singing girl acetate in the window are all from Crafty Individuals. Links can be found on the similar card below, DCMLE Buttons & Bows. I can't get enough of these stamps. I had challenged myself to use the same stamp as many times as possible but in different ways & I never tire of seeing it or any of my CI stamps come to think of it.

Wednesday Stamper & Theme Thursday

Wednesday Stamper "Toys" & Theme Thursday "Playing Cards" I combined the two themes as yesterdays attempt at the WS went pear shaped. It hasn't gone all that well today either, so it was either this or not enter at all. I used a playing card coverd in gesso & ink to apply my vintage toys. The problem began when I tried to stamp my train & boat onto the card, the designs wouldn't show up so I did them onto card & glued them on. Not quite how I wanted it but you win some you lose some. I mounted it all onto a blank ATC.

DCMLE - Buttons & Bows

I'm a bit cross as I ended up late home from work & so it was even darker for trying to get decent photso of my latest pieces of artwork! This one is for the DCM challenge. Still the only thing I would say is the flower is not this crimson IRL! Paper & Transparency, Crafty Individuals. Stamp, Stamps Happen. Button, Eyelets & ribbon, Papemania. Tag, WHSmith. Flower, Scrapfairies.

The card lifts upwards & if you can see, it is scored along the top. The pic of it open was too dark to share.The transparency is glued behind a cut out window in the card front, so whe it is open you can see right through & it looks really pretty.

It is of course a non Xmas card, but I think you might get away with sending it last minute if you forgot someone.

Arty Girlz - Christmas

I have to admit my heart sank when I saw the title of the post on the Arty Girlz blog. I have all the Xmas cards I need & then I remembered I had cut out all the pages & bits for my Starbook xmas decoration. I make myself something every year when possible. Its a tradition I began in 1987. I was in hospital & to pass the time I made knitted finger puppets of Santa & Snowmen & then stitched them across the bottom & made tree ornaments from them instead. Another year, I knitted a snow scene complete with knitted log & bits. Anyhow, enough of my ramblings, this is the first page of my lilac & pink starbook decoration.

I wanted to keep it completely lilac & pink but have since realised this is not going to work. For a start I have no ink left in my printer so can't print photos or my vintage images I had bought & I certainly can't afford to have some printed for me. My poor family are going without proper gifts this year as it is!

All About Eve - Hindsight

Papers are from book of Retro Sarapapers. ABC, 123 & picture stamps are a set of Anitas alphabets. Rub ons by papermania for the small title letters. Main title stamped using See D's dotty alphabet.

TMTA - Alice in Wonderland

Blogger had problems last night & as I did my blog hopping I noticed everyones pictures were missing so I held off uploading in case it wouldn't let me!!

This weeks theme for TMTA is Alice in Wonderland. I had no Alice stamps for this although I have seen two sets & drooled over them. They are quite pricey for me right now so I made do, using my heart background stamp, by Anitas & placing part of my Queen Tag stamp by Hampton Arts behind it to represent the Queen of Hearts. Then I found a small image of Alice & punched some red hearts from card, I embossed the crown section of the Queen Tag & cut it out to finish the top. Background was stamped in Brilliance Rocket Red Gold. The Queen is stamped in Brilliance Coffee Bean. It has a gorgeous gold shimmer in the right light. I called this Through the Looking Glass as my Alice has a heart shaped mirror & she can see the Queen in it.

Art Journal Week 48- Ideas

Another fabulous prompt this week for the Deck of Me challenge. Ideas was the word & I had so many!! This card is designed using an idea I pinched from something else I made. My entry for the 4x4 Friday challenge! Only I took this one step further & made the circle a small journal spot. I could have added far more pages but didn't have a larger blue photo turn!

Papers are an offcut from DCWV, Once Upon a Time. Art, taken from chipboard pack to match Old World papers, also DCWV. Stamp, Stamps Happen which I have since discovered has a name...it was written on the side..dhur! #90289 Postcard Collage. Poto turn & brad, Queen & Co.

I took a photo of it open so you can see my journal spot in its full glory.

Ideas come to me in the strangest places & at the oddest times. Often they don't work out on paper, many get thrown into the bits box to have parts cut off & reused on other projects. Some even find themselves filed in the B one n...bin!! This card is even an idea that originally went wrong. I'd planned a lightbulb embossed in gold that lifted up with my journalling underneath, but I just couldn't draw one & my printer is out of ink!

Saturday Stamper - Xmas with a Twist.

The challenge for this week's Saturday Stamper, is to make an Xmas card, but without using the word Christmas or a traditional image.

As I have done all my Xmas cards this suited me perfectly as it will actually do for a birthday or Anniversary. Sadly it is pouring with rain here today & the light is appaling so the colours on this card aren't true on screen. It isn't quite so red!

I can't believe it is already December. I have spent so much of this year ill with one thing or another. I am determind to feel better before Xmas day. Today I am finishing off a few gifts for my friends & then I'm going to do a bit of cleaning before considering which decorations are going up this year! I'm hopefully going to get my starbook completed as it is for myself for a decoration. I have my "Xmas in a Box", decoration that I made last year & hope that over the next few weeks I'm going to be making crafty things just for me. Everything is usually for other people so it will be good to have something to keep. My Art Journal cards are fabulous, they will be completed very soon & I can look forward to what Em has planned for us in the New Year.

DCM- Birds / 4x4 Friday- Red

DCM this week is Birds. I wasn't too happy with this & wish I hadn't bothered with it. I will probably use it as a notecard. No paper would go with this bird as it is meant for a scrapbook page or a clock. However, I have made all my xmas cards, there are just a few I can't share as they are for family & friends that read my blog.

4x4 Friday this week is Red. So I used this stamp by Stamps Happen to stamp the main image in Brilliance rocket red Gold. Though the gold doesn't show up well on this picture, it is dark now. Then I stamped a circle section again in Tea Leaves, punched out the circle & foam mounted it. All that was left for me to do was cut the design to 4x4ins.

THTH - Winter/Snow non traditional colours.

Another "not perfect" picture of this. The trouble with dark nights & full time jobs, they disrupt your social/craft life!!
Theme Thursday this week, non traditional colours for winter/snow.
I picked shades of oriental green for my gift tag. Snowflake stamps stamped in Versamagic Tea Leaves & Wheat. Paper from DCWV, Far East. The message is silver overcoloured with green brushmarker.

Wednesday Stamper - Words

Fantastic theme for this week's Wednesday Stamper challenge.

Not the greatest photo of this card, but I am very pleased with the results. The photo corner in the bottom corner is silver, the shadows overcast it slightly. I made the 4x4 square first using some antique script paper torn & inked with Versamagic chalk ink, Tea Leaves. I added a nice stamped floral flourish (Design Objectives) in Versamagic chalk ink, Eggplant. The flower & butterfly are both from Crafty Individuals & are stamped on paper in Versamagic chalk ink, Wheat. I then added an offcut of silver & gold swirl paper from the DCWV, Luxury Stack to one side of a 5in card & placed the square in the centre. I love my new ink colours, did you notice?!!

Arty Girlz - Squares

Brilliant challenge today, squares. I got this stamp 5 or 6 weeks ago, & although I have stamped it a few times, I have never used it in its entirety. Each time that I have used it, it has been in black & to be cut up into 9 individual tiny images to be then cut diagonally to be used as photo corners, page corners or even squares mounted on foam as elements instead of pebbles. So today I got the chance to stamp the whole thing & use my new Versamagic chalk ink, tea leaves. I wanted a simple ornate card that would suit every occasion as right now, I have every Xmas card made that I need (they are even all written & enveloped ready for 1st Dec!!) & today has been spent making gifts for people, which obviously I can't blog until after 25th Dec. No peaking allowed!

The corner stamps are Studio G, clear stamps & the paper is an offcut from DCWV luxury stack, edges inked in tea leaves.

I sell all the cards I make as a rule, but I never make xmas cards.I find by the time I have made my own Im sick of them & I certainly won't be selling this card either!

EDITED TO ADD.... I forgot to add a link to the stamp when I posted this card earlier! Crafty Individuals scrolls.

AJ wk47 & TMTA

Art journal week 47, Happy Place. Well I have done cards about home, my sofa & a layout in recent weeks about my favourite window spot so for this prompt, I decided to go for my crafting spot. Instead of another pic of my craft table I chose to decorate my card using two images I made at it instead. The girls are from one of my fav sets of stamps. Im happiest right now creating with ink & rubber. I often create lots of images but never use them. Reserving them for projects to come such as this one today. I have run out if ink on my printer so I am glad I printed images a while ago & am so pleased I have stamps to play with! Paper is off cuts from a project I can't share until Feb 2008. It is Urban Lily, babylily, blush dots. Brad, MM, bloom, Dunhelm.

TMTA prompt this week is Headwear. As I said, I have no ink so I had to search through my images box to see if anyone was wearing a hat!! I was fortunate to come across this gorgeous vintage Christmas image. So I set to work punching mini snowflakes with a punch I bought for 75p from Tesco. I stamped the tree & the holly in evergreen, versacolour ink. The tree edges are overstamped in briliance moonlight white. The berries are Heidi Swapp gems. Paper is an offcut from another project I can't share until Feb 2008. It's one of the new Papermania single sheets, but can't find the name strip I cut off it!!(They are entries in my teamies CJ's)

I managed 7 hours sleep last night which is an absolute miracle. The nose is still really blocked & all decongestants do is make me worse. But, I woke refreshed & had one of those "light bulb" moments. I figured out how to get photos of my artwork when its dark. I stand them at the base of a reasonably tall table lamp that is switched on & then using the flash to balance out the yellow light it appears to work. If they are still a touch yellow, my photo editing program sorts it out! Lets see if it works tonight at 5pm. It did these two at 8.30am!!!

Theme Thursday & Saturday Stamper

This tag fits the theme Thursday challenge as well as the DCM card does as they both have chalked areas. The saturday Stamper challenge was to include diamonds/friendship/buttons/button wisdom/chalk.

I haven't had a lot of time to myself for crafting since the course on Wednesday so am still one challenge down, 4x4 Friday still to do.

DCM - Song without words

I had no crafting time until 3.30pm yesterday by which time it was far too dark for photos! I have chosen a stylised card for a Christmas card. The ends of the swirls have seed beads glued on them. The background is chalked, so this fits the theme Thursday challenge too.

The song I picked is actually a hymn we used to sing at Sunday School.

Shine on Bethlehem Star.

Wednesday Stamper -Diamonds

Get me, three posts in one day!! but, as I'm on the course all day tomorrow, there'll be no nipping home lunch time! This card is for a commission. The family wanted a personalised card to celebrate their brother receiving an MBE. The background 7Gypsies diamond paper is stamped with corner scrolls & fleur de lis. The medal is a photo from the net. Very bad quality but the best they could get me. I thought it fit well with this weeks' theme at Wednesday Stampers & it happens to be my favourite paper. I plan to buy a diamond stamp in the New Year from Crafty Individuals.

Arty Girlz- Ribbons & Fibres

Somehow this card looks far prettier than the picture, but it is getting quite dark. The 3 girls are mounted on pale ribbon & another piece goes along the side. I used the striped paper from DCWV luxury Stack. The other side is stamped with script in lilac, embossed with siver pearl powder & then over inked in blues & lilacs for a shimmer look. I finished it off by tying ice white & lilac glitter fibres round the card, knotting them at the top & letting the ends hang free.

I feel a bit better today but don't want to tempt fate!! Tomorrow I am going to Halifax on a training course & have no idea what time I'll get home. Im hoping for 5pm, but it will be too dark to craft then!!

DCMLE Baubles, Bells & Bows

Very quick post as Im on my lunch hour & it was too dark to take a photo of this card last night.

This is for the DCM LE challenge. I stamped the small baubles (studio g) randomly onto the card blank. Inked the card using purples & reds & a sponge. Then on seperate card I stamped my large bauble stamp (purchased 3 years ago from Horseshoe Crafts) Coloured them in then I stuck the first one directly to the card & added a small gingham bow. I added the second on sticky pads for dimension (though it can't be seen here!) & tied fibres in a bow behind the top. The strips of paper, top & bottom are from my Crafty Individuals Xmas paper pad . They are offcuts from another card I am currently working on.

TMTA & AAE

TMTA this week is houses. I hadn't any house stamps so I used this rub on & stamped the door key from my clocks & keys collection. I used rub on letters to spell out home sweet home.

All About Eve challenge is love your body!!! Well this was hard to do, but harder still to photograph!!! It is a touch blurred. I tried not to use the flash as it makes the pink rather psychedelic! Pink Bazzill, BG paper, Scarlets Letter, hand scalloped with corner rounder by EK success. Pink distressed ghost frame, pink spotty tape, speech marks, Heidi Swapp kit. Stamps, Design Objective. Ribbon, The Range. Title stamped with papermania foam stamps & the word face spelt using American Crafts Thickers, cream soda white.

SS - Tone on Tone & AJ WK46 Rejuvenation

This is the Saturday Stampers challenge, Tone on Tone that I missed doing yesterday (my usual day) The picture doesn't show it to its best as it is very dark here. Black skies & pouring rain! The paper is silver & gold DCWV Luxury stack. I stamped & embossed the two gold corners then on seperate paper I stamped the Christmas word block & gold embossed it. I sponged it silver to blend with the paper. Corner stamps, Design Objectives. Christmas Words, Crafty Individuals.

Art Journal (Deck of me) challenge week 46, Rejuvenation. I covered the card with this fabulous doodlebug words paper left over from a minibook I made years ago. I stamped flowers & leaves up one side. Then on pink bazzill card, I wrote the things I do to rejuvenate me (except none of them work when you are ill on antibiotics!) Im very pleased to have got these two done today & am still frantically working on my layout for the AAE challenge, Love your Body.

Late Challenge, DCM

Apologies to the people who's blogs I read daily, I have not been on my computer since Wednesday morning. I have not made anything since Tuesday evening. I really have not been well, the antibiotics wiped me out & I decided the rest was far more important. I have missed 3 challenges & have decided not to play catch up. This one however is a card I began making 3 weeks ago & then threw to one side as I couldn't think what to put on it. I made the tag & just couldn't think what to put on it. Yesterday, I stamped the queen tag part of the Hampton Arts stamp & then re stamped the crown part of the design & gold embossed it for impact. I added Her Majesty for the greeting. This would make a fun birthday card for an old friend.

I will hopefully be starting my challenges as normal this week as I miss them, but my head was too empty to think of anything for WS, Chairs, Theme Thursday, Boys, 4x4 Friday Trees (well Ive done that one to death really!) & I am still mulling over the Saturday Stampers, Tone on Tone! Might give it a go.

Papers for this are all offcuts from another project, DCWV Once Upon a Time. Stamps, Hampton Art & Studio G.

AJ WK 45 & DCM LE

This week is the 45th, which means we have only 7 weeks left of this challenge. Wow, where has the 52 weeks gone? A Deck of Me, a playing card a week decorated using fabulous prompts by the ever fabulous Em Falconbridge. Well this week, late but by no means rushed, is Self Realisation. I used 7Gypsies calendar paper for the background as it kind of represents the year. I began the year searching for "Happy" & it struck me in the oddest of places that I have it! I was walking down the stairs at work after having nipped to the loo quick during a training session. I felt full of pride for how well I have done getting this job on my own merit & 5 years on, being valued enough to be trained for more complex work to add yet another string to my bow. I am comfortable with who I am right now, it came upon me after my 40th birthday this year & despite all the illness & money worries this year has dealt me, I have Happy within me still! I am happy being me, I have never been able to say this before with any conviction.

DCM LE this week is pile of parcels. I desperately wanted to use these stamps I have & keep it a bit simple. Some people don't like fussy designs, prefering the less is more style. I tried that for a while at home (lasted a week) I love my bits & pieces. Not cluttered but displayed together things I have collected that represent who I am & what I like.

TMTA & Arty Girlz

I'm late with these challenges but getting them done bit by bit!!! I have been poorly, as most of you know, for over 7 weeks. It started as a cold that won't go away, turn into a viral infection. The worst part is the fact I haven't slept a full night in those 7 weeks, nor have I been able to breathe through my nose. After several weeks of "over the counter" medication, I decided to go back to the doctor again. She eventually agreed that I am clearly ill & can't fight it myself. I say eventually because she was so stubborn. She insisted I try inhaling steam etc... where do they get them from??? Of course I have tried that everyday, along with God knows how many cold & flu capsules, which the pharmacist refused me on my last visit as I am on perscribed medication & he said it ws time for the doc to step in. I wouldn't mind if they were free & they didn't want to give them away but I pay for mine!! Well, I got antibiotics & they are very strong, hence the reason I haven't blogged since Sunday. Im hoping they will get to work very soon & I can get my life back. She suggested I stay home until Im well, like I can afford no salary for weeks on end!!!!!

TMTA - Hollywood. Inked background, stamps from my travel sets.

Arty Girlz - Hearts. there are a fair few all over this card.
Tonight I have the DCM LE to complete & the AJ card, as Em has been poorly & couldn't post on Monday. So I will be back hopefully later.

Saturday Stamper - Tag It!

This week's theme is Tag It. I love tags, especially on cards but this one hasn't turned out how I envisaged. For a start I made a mistake by printing onto the shiny paper & forgetting to alter the printer. So it rubbed off a bit & although it doesn't look bad, I wanted it clearer! I desperately wanted to use my angels again from Crafty Individuals & this holly from an Inkadinkado Christmas kit. I used rub on alphabets to put the bit of verse from Mary's Boy Child (my fav version is actually the Boney M hit!) I wanted to keep this an antique Christmas card but didn't have the suitable red in paper so it is done in green & gold with red touches being Mill Hill seed beads (from my cross stitch days) & a red pipe cleaner & brad. Edges inked with my fab, Timber Brown, Stazon.

Nothing much going on here, I've plenty of ideas but no motivation to get them onto paper! So typical when you actualy have the time to create!

DCM & 4x4 Friday

I got this DCM card made yesterday but was too tired to upload it after I had struggled to get a decent photo. Then promptly forgot all about it today until I remembered it was the Saturday Stamper & I coldn't get online to see what this week's challenge was. Server problems are to blame & unfortunately they can't make them work any faster. Back up servers just aren't powerful enough to cope with all our internet hungry homes! The card is just something rustic I made & don't even like now I look at it. The bits are all from a kit of card making supplies I bought about two years ago & never used.

The 4x4 Friday challenge is Faces. I love this little girl's face. She is on the stamp in my tag below. The stamp CI. I stamped the corners of the 4in square card with these floral stamps in purple & then inked the rest of the page in gold & touches of orange. The girl is stamped onto a jigsaw piece. These 4x4 inc pieces are not cards, just a square which at later dates I might add to the front of 5in cards or larger as toppers. Or I might make a minibook of them all, the possibilities are endless I just need to feel better.

Theme Thursday - No.1

This week's theme for THTH as I call it now, is Number 1. Use the number one somewhere on your artwork. Well I ended up using it twice as the first one isn't very visible. (It's above the first image)I added a page pebble to one flower on the top girl & that's not very obvious either. Tag is just a standard luggage from WHSmith. Papers are 7Gypsies, diamonds & flowers, DCWV sanded so a lot of the pattern is distressed. Inked with Rangers Jet Black archival. Lace, from market. Girls from a stamp of four by Crafty Individuals. (Im in love with all of them!) Fibre, wool shop. Rub on alphabets, WHSmith.

Blogger is broken AGAIN!

EDITED TO ADD; Blogger has now let me upload the post with the picture but it is below this post!!!!!!!!!!

I have made a few things but unfortunately blogger refuses to allow me to upload my pictures. I do have photobucket but the resizing just isn't right for the blog. So I wait but it really annoys me as I end up behind with challenges! I'm still full of cold but am taking new "drugs" for it & they are improving my quality of life..lol! I even got an (almost ) full night's sleep last night.

I am also having internet issues & while I can sometimes get on the net it won't let me surf long before my connection drops. Also my email server is having problems. Scunthorpe in general is having computer problems. At work it is painfully slow so I'm not sure who is actually to blame!

Never mind, I have a few Xmas projects lined up & if I can't sit surfing when I'm home I actually get crafting done! I only work 3 days now until January, so the 3 days I am in are quite busy & I am having training for some new work as we are now in closed season in my dept. Very few people are interested in their Jetski's from Sept to March! Come March, there are never enough minutes in an hour, bizzare really but thats how it goes.

Hopefully I will be back later today with my entry for the Wednesday Stamper Challenge.

Wednesday Stamper - Leaves

I am really not happy with this photograph. I tried hard but it was after 5pm before the card was completed, by which time too dark. The leaves around the quote are actually 3D. I stuck them on with sticky foam pads to lift them. The background is stamped using my Autumn leaves set which I placed randomly all over my largest acrylic block to look like a collage. Then using sponge & pigment ink pads I shaded it all in my fav colours, Autumn! The quote was printed out on paper & the tree was first stamped onto tissue paper & then cut out & glued to the quote paper.

DCM LE & Arty Girlz

DCM LE Snowmen & Snowflakes. Well I couldn't resist getting out my circle punches & creating this cheeky chap! I drew his arms, facial features including the nose, scarf & buttons with whispers brush strokes markers but couldn't quite manage a robin, it looked a bit odd so he had to go. The falling snow are hole punched white card & the snowflakes are stamped in various inks. The metal snowflake doesn't shine very much on this pic but to use the flash would have been fatal & you would all be dazzled!!

Arty Girlz Bling! Well we girlz always love a bit of bling but I tried for something sophisticated. The paper is from DCWV Luxury stack. (An offcut from a page Im making in a mini Xmas starbook. To be revealed in the next week or so) The floral design is stamped using my corner stamps & blossoms attached with a big jewel brad. I cut a section off the front of the card so the inside could be viewed & stamped more corner detail & drew lines with silver gel pen. I added tiny bling to them & bigger ones down the side. I carried the lines right across on the inside & also on the paper on the front.

AJ WK 44- Home & TMTA - Birds

Art Journal prompt this week is home. My fav place. It means many things to me but the most important one is I always feel safe. I watch TV in it, snuggle with hot cocoa & read in it, create in it & I love my home, even though it is only rented. My card was stamped with script, then over stamped with floral stamps. These see D's packs are excellent value. I coloured in the flower heads with make up sponge tips then oversponged the script between with gold. Small pics of my home go with the hand journalling.

TMTA theme for today is birds. I am sadly lacking in bird stamps, although I have seen some stunners. I love birds & am quite dismayed that no one seems to make a Robin stamp for Xmas. In fact, at the weekend I was looking through endless Xmas supplies at my local craft shop & not even ribbons, stickers or brads feature this cute guy!! To me they are a symbol of Xmas & winter. So I chose to stamp a floral corner in moonlight white brilliance ink & clear emboss it onto green pearlised paper from DCWV, Luxury stack. I added a gorgeous drawing of a Robin in the snow & added a soft fluffly feather to emphasise the snow at his feet. You may have to click on the picture to see it better. It looks gorgeous IRL.

Saturday Stampers - Collage

Collage, one of my fav things these days. I couldn't get it right so shied away but somewhere along the line I grasped the concept & now it features heavily on my creations.

This is the theme for this week's Saturday Stampers.

The top half of this square white card was stamped with script. I then overstamped it with butterflies, leaves, clocks & the words Thinking of You. (these stamps are a mix from Lakeland Ltd, & Clocks, Artistic Stamper) Next, I sponged inks over it to match the patterned paper I planned to use along te bottom half of the card. This particular paper had the girls faces on & I just stamped some clocks in blue to blend it into my piece. I tore a piece of the paper to put the two stamped girls onto. Added the gorgeous floral ribbon, ric rak & made the frame from watercolour paper. Flowers from just flowers & pinned on the two tags to match the time saying below.

Other stamps are Crafty Individuals. Clicking on the words will take you directly to the stamps on the relevant website where possible.

Now as I am supposed to be resting today, I plan an afternoon full of TV & craft magazines.

All About Eve - Idol

Here is my idol... Nigel. He died 3 years ago, this August of Acute Myloid Leukaemia. He was my BIL, but treated me as his sister & friend. He helped me so much over the ten years he was in my life & often just by talking me through stuff, like how to paint walls etc.. I learnt new skills & had the pleasure of the reward of doing it myself, something else he taught me too. He loved my cardmaking & crafts.

Papers are all BG Scarlets' Letter. Rub ons "MY" Narratives. "Idol" American craft thickers, cream soda. Words are black dymo in tag. The tag has personal journalling on the reverse. Blossom inked black & clock, some I printed onto inkjet transparency. Scroll stamps, Design Objectives. I really love this page, it is only the second one I have managed to complete in almost two months!

DCM- Hand-cut & 4x4 Friday- Faux Postage

DCM challenge this Friday, Handcut something. Well most of my cards are as I have few dies for my Bigshot. This wss made last night but too dark for a photograph. I set myself a personal chalenge of using up some of this paper & trying to combine the patterns without it looking gaudy. I think it stayed subtle. Blogger was playing up today & I had two challenges to upload. They are both in the same post to save time. I stamped the trees in purple & pink to blend with the papers, handcut wavy sections of a different paper to act as hilly backgrounds then stamped the snowmen onto more patterned paper & cut around them. They are mounted on foam pads.

4x4 Friday challenge this week is Faux Postage. I stamped a 4x4in piece of white card randomly with various script & post related stamps from my travel collections. Then I blended several shades of blue inks all over the card. Adding a touch of silver to give some depth. Then, as I am still really not well, I dipped into my bit box for some stamped images to colour. I picked these two floral ones, both are Crafty Individual stamps, no.113 & no.115. They both have postal marks in the design so I thought they were fitting for this piece. I really do love palying with my inked backgrounds!!

I had a rotten day yesterday & was awake at 2am in the morning totally unable to breathe. How I got through to 4pm I just don't know. My immune system is low & this is about the 4th cold virus I have caught. I can't fight them but the blood tests are all okay, so its not that Im lacking in anything. I am told I just need to rest & if things are no better by mid week then I might have to go down the antibiotic route, which I hate!! I collapsed into bed at 8pm last night & for the first time in 4 weeks, I didn't wake up until 7am! A miracle! thanks for all the well wishes, it means a lot. I am getting there. I don't have to be back at work again until Wednesday, so I have lots of time & am doing jobs that can be done sat down!! The recylce paper bin doesn't know what has hit it after I have cleared out over 10 years of craft magazines, keeping only the pages of interest...very cleansing feeling. Right, I have a layout to complete for AAE.

Theme Thursday - Script

I stumbled on this new challenge blog this afternoon & really fancied playing along. Theme Thursday. The challenge is script. I adore script, whether it is on paper, or made by stamping. I made this card by first stamping the lady, one of my new stamps from Crafty Individuals, onto matt photo paper. It is gorgeous smooth stuff which loves colour & never bleeds. It is also relativley inexpensive, I buy mine from Tesco. I colured the image using pigment inks & make up applicators. Then I made my background. I stamped script over the card in jet black. Then I randomly stamped floral images in lilac & pink. Once these were dry, I sponged pigment inks all over & sprinkled on some hollographic embossing powder & heated it up for some shimmer. I glued my image on & fixed a small piece of knotted ribbon underneath.

I had so much fun making this card & the colours grow on me each time I look at it. It is a very cheap & pretty way to decorate a card without using paper.

(rather late) Wednesday Stamper Wild West

Well I suddenly had a brain wave about 11am this morning sat at work & made this in my lunch hour!

The poster is Jesse James, famous outlaw. I used K&Co patterned paper at the bottom of the card & lining paper for walls at the top. I stamped script & maps all over it. Stickers are also K&Co, my alpha stamps were just too big for this design.