Just Add Love

Graphicus Monthly Challenge - August

2009-08-31T22:39:00.002+01:00

Graphicus Challenge - August

August’s Challenge Theme: CHRISTMAS

August’s Colour Scheme: TWO COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

See the Graphicus Blog for past and present challenges.

So here's 3 cards ....

The first: Christmas Card using Greens & Burgundy. This is a Joy-fold card made in the style of a gift.

Using Papers from the New Decadent Brocade CD which were cut and shaped to the design then I used a fine liner in gold to highlight the pattern. The papers were backed on to a bright green vellum and on to gold mirri board then on to burgundy card stock. Corners stamped with corner Holly flourish from the Christmas Flourish themeplate.

The main tag was stamped using with the matching design to the background which was from one of the Graphicus Guild members stamps. Stamped using Versamark on the burgundy card to create a watermarked effect. Another panel was stamped using the same stamp then embossed in gold. The poinsettias are from the Christmas Fusion themeplate which are stamped on to Acetate then gold leaf has been applied behind. Centre poinsettia is decoupaged. Burgundy glitter to centers.

When you open the card up there is another tag card inside tied with a bow so you can pop in a special message.

Now you can see the embossing and outlining a little better.

Second:

You may have previously met Oliver Twitter .... Well meet his cousin Robin ... no not the ice-skater that was Robin Cousins !!!

Here's Robin ....

Stamps used - All of A Twitter , Christmas Flourish , Seasons Greetings .

He visits every Christmas !

OK now for the third card .... Sunglasses at the ready as this takes Complementary to the extreme. Andy Warhol move over ....

Coming next ... Tall trees .. see you tomorrow !

Distress Inks

2009-07-14T12:05:00.002+01:00

I'm part way through (75%) writing a HUGE 'How To - Tips & Techniques' with Distress Inks at the moment.
At the Doncaster show I had so many comments on the card below which is one of the projects made by using some of the techniques.

The book pages used are from an old 1949 book about the Publican trade and makes for quite funny reading - lager didn't exist in those days and if you made £3000 a year as a publican you were deemed to be doing very well !!

As soon as I've finished all the pictures and the write up I'll pass the link on to you - but the most important thing with Distress ink is to play and experiment with them.

Relieved yet LIVID

2009-07-14T11:42:00.002+01:00

To follow on from one of my earlier posts - re how I just seem to be catching up and fate steps in again .... I don't normally put personal things up on here but this is one time I am also using this as a plea for information.

A week last Thursday I got one of those calls on the mobile .. funny how you know it's going to be bad news before you even answer it !

Hello is that Mrs .... it's West Yorkshire ambulance your daughters been in a car accident do you want to meet us at the hospital ? NO where are you I'm coming NOW .... 5 mins later I'm on the scene .... extremely RELIEVED that my daughter and friend although cut and bruised are in one piece. Even the police were amazed they weren't attending a fatality.

Now comes the LIVID part ... the person that caused this had driven off, despite all the witnesses but with all the carnage - no-one had taken their number plate.

My plea to anyone in the Morley area of West Yorkshire who may just stumble across this post is ... If you have seen a Blue Ford Ka - colour coded bumpers with a damaged front passenger bumber/side please get in touch with myself or the Holbeck Traffic division. This person caused the accident then drove off after seeing my daughters car flip over and didn't stop to consider if they were dead or alive.

Also a huge Thank You to all those who helped the girls, I wish I knew who the lady was who wrapped her towels around their cuts, I will hopefully find you.

Graphicus July Challenge Part Deux

2009-07-14T02:16:00.005+01:00

Artylicous will soon have a new CD out ....

Here's a sneak preview of one of the background papers which some of us have been sent out.

I've made two large A5 cards from the one sheet and have used the matching stamps.

The first card is a double styled card based on a half gatefold A5 and a standard A5. The tag on the front made using a brayered resist then over stamped.

Below: The backing paper has been overstamped.

I will add an insert to the card to match the overall colour scheme.

The second card is a more standard A5 card - again using the matching Brocade stamps the background paper has been overstamped and is enhanced by using a Vellum lattice - (courtesy again of Spellbinders) then coloured over gently with the colorbox ink. The front panel was stamped onto a pale greyish card stock and the white in the flowers was re-highlighted with an Inkssentials white pen.

Stamps: Elusive Images - Brocade Backgrounds UA4SP0239, Grungy Brocade UA4SP0238, Words of Wisdom UA6GW0193

Paper: New Artylicious CD paper. White card 350gsm. Silk Art Card tag. Grey card.

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Dye - Pebble, Slate. Colorbox.

Accessories: Flowers & Ribbon - Me. Spellbinders Lattice Borderabilities. Inkssential White Pen.

Graphicus July Challenge

2009-07-14T01:41:00.004+01:00

Graphicus July Challenge ....

July’s Challenge Theme: INSPIRED BY THE SEA. July’s Colour Scheme: TWO COLOUR HARMONY

I've gone for the second part 'Two Colour Harmony' and using the Green and Yellow and shades of those two colours. This is going to be a scrapbook page but until I take that certain photograph that I know will suit this page I'll leave it as a large 8" x 8" card for now

Stamps: Elusive Images - Flora & Fauna UA4SP0151.

Paper: Torn page from old book. Graphicus Guild paper pack. Gold Mirri card. Silk Art Card

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Dye - Butterscotch, Meadow. Ranger Archival - Olive. Ranger Distress Ink - Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw

Accessories: Button & Twine - Me

Yikes where did 2 weeks go ?

2009-07-14T01:08:00.005+01:00

There I was just getting on top of things and catching up - ready to begin uploading to here and yet again fate intervenes. More of that in another post tomorrow !

Ok lets get some pictures up ..... Here's Charlie - my sons newest addition and he's gorgeous !

The pink under his nose is actually his lip as he has no fur on it so he always looks like he's poking his tongue out at you !

Ok back to crafting ... Here's a card I made just messing about with some new Nestabilities - the new Lattice Borderbilities.

Stamps: Elusive Images - Fleurs et Parfum de Paris. La-Blanche - Flowers & Filigree swirl

Paper: K & Co from the Classic Collection, Satin Art Card

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Dye - Stream, Ginger, Terracotta, Espresso. Ranger Archival - Russet

Accessories: Spellbinders Lattice Borderabilities; Petaloo -Flowers, Ribbon & Gems - Me

Pandora's Box

2009-06-30T23:16:00.004+01:00

Whoooo hoo I'm back ..... well flying visit sort of !!!

Almost ran out of time to get this submitted for the Graphicus challenge .... Pandora's Box.

The Theme was Exotic and the colour scheme Pink and Orange

Ok let's give you a hint - Pandora's box measures 13" long, 6" high and 5" deep and is made from mount board. ( May I just say boy did it take some cutting !!!)

I just love the top on this and painting the colouring in and doing the shading was pure bliss - yep every single flower & leaf .

'but what's in it ? is it just a box ?' you ask! Ok let's turn it around for you ......

Oooooh so now you see ... let's show you some more then ....

Yep it's to store all those meter long Maya road ribbons that normally just get shoved in a box. I need to punch some more holes though as I've more ribbon than I realised !!!!

Back tomorrow with some more things for you x because tonight ( it's now 11.24pm ) and I have a 20th wedding anniversary card to make for my darling husband x

Ink Racks / Craft Racks Part II

2009-03-16T11:33:00.009Z

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me - I'm so overwhelmed by the response - we must all need a lot of organising !!

Here's a quickie web page for them CLICK HERE with all the sizes, prices etc.

Here's a few more photos of just how much you can store on these ...

Above:

Picture shows a large A3 storage box of various ink pads. Even if you stack your ink pads by type you still have to rummage to find the colour you want ! or do you empty the whole box on to your craft table ?

Why not pop them on an Ink Pad rack ? Everything in the box is now on a Double size rack - not all have been double stacked so there is still room for more. Plus there is space to put re-inkers and don't forget you can store more items on the top or why not display your craft work !

Above:

Pictures shows a typical craft table, with storage boxes full of embossing powders, glimmer mists and ink pads - not much room left to work ! Why not pop it all on an Ink Pad rack ? Everything in the boxes is now on a Triple size rack - not all have been double stacked and there are still some empty shelves - so there is still room for more. Plus there is space to put re-inkers and look you can store more items on the top or why not display your craft work !

Below:

Now see how much table room you have to craft on! Everything is fingertip ready to use. Or why not Wall mount it for even more table space !

To answer a few questions that have been asked :

Can I collect ? yes you are more than welcome to collect, we have workshops & a furniture showroom based in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Do they come ready assembled ? - Yes everything is fully assembled - just unwrap and start emptying those boxes !.

Are they heavy ? Weights etc are given on the link above.
For wall mounting we also include fixings. As wall types vary so much you will need to use wall plugs and screws that will be suitable for your wall type.

I have an awkward space - can you make a custom size ? Yes - just email me.

How do I label my ink pads ? - We include self adhesive labels that are just the right size - use your ink pad to colour them and stick them on the side of the ink pad - most ink pads have a space for this.

Do you make one with a ribbon spool ? - YES - Coming soon !

Keep an eye out on my Blog as throughout the process of designing these racks - we made several styles until we came up with the optimum style and sizing - so I have a couple that were draft design models in the single size.

You will be able to win one of these draft models !

Ink Racks / Craft Racks are here ...........

2009-03-13T18:42:00.003Z

Well I have nattered my other half to the bone - poor lad must be sick of me and ink pads by now and I think I am officially banned from our workshops as I seem to have put their normal production schedule in backwards motion !

These are what the ink pad racks are going to be like and for the small size of them ( only 8cm deep so won't clog anyones desk up or they can be hung on the wall ) - they will hold loads !!! Each single shelf will hold either 4 full sized ink pads double stacked, 6 distress ink pads double stacked, Adirondacks 4 full sized ink pads double stacked, yes even when the ink pads are double stacked you can slide each one out with ease .... I think the pictures will show just how much you can fit on these and not just for ink pads as the shelves are removable so other items can be stored. I've even sourced the right sized labels for inking and popping on the ink pads for ID.

Single: 12 shelves

Will hold a minimum of 48 ink pads - plus space for re-inkers / pens etc
Width 31cm , H 56cm , D 8cm

Double: 24 shelves

Will hold a minimum of 96 ink pads - plus space for re-inkers / pens etc
Width 56cm , H 56cm , D 8cm

Triple: 36 shelves

Will hold a minimum of 144 ink pads - plus space for re-inkers / pens etc
Width 81cm , H 56cm , D 8cm

So if anyones interested just let me know as they are going to be on sale shortly.

Graphicus Challenge - March - ' Yellow & Sing '

2009-03-10T22:21:00.005Z

Just a couple of cards to go with the Graphicus blog challenge:

All the items used except for card stock are from Graphicus:

The first is using the ' Good Deeds ' themeplate. The background is Glimmer misted in Honey Dew and Lemon Zest from the ' Spring Fever ' set and over stamped with one of the Good Deeds stamps and a flourish stamp. The ' Tag ' is flourish embossed and glimmer misted and rubbed to deepen the effect and a couple of organza ribbons. On the front of the tag is two 2" stamped , coloured and etched ' Stampboard ' pieces. On the right the matching verse and stamp from the Good Deeds set.

The card is an A5 - ¾ fold card which just adds a little more interest than a standard gatefold. Again the back ground is coloured and stamped as above.

This next one is just another pretty card which I made as I had some card left over with the over-sprayed glimmer mist so thought why not make a quickie card .....

This one uses the Fuchsia Themeplate for the main panel and also the small fern style leaves from the Hyacinth Themeplate and the Lily Themeplate . The stamping was inked with Memento and Versafine inks, the buttercup flowerheads were highlighted with 0200 Sun Yellow Inktense Pencil. Inktense Pencils .

I do have another in the making that will tie in more with the " Sing " part of the theme ... all will be revealed shortly !

Coming to a Store near you soon !!

2009-02-27T21:11:00.002Z

I kid you not ... Ink pad racks ...

This is just a demo model, the rest will be available soon in 12, 24, 36, 48 - all the way up to 100+ versions , they will be in horizontal and vertical versions and can be desk or wall mounted.

In the meantime I'm gonna paint and decorate this one ...

Vintage Rose & Tag for Moira

2009-02-19T22:12:00.004Z

Just a couple of quickies ...

First Vintage Rose .... Warm Pinks toned with chocolate ...... reminds me of Hot chocolate with pink marshmallows !!! oh how my mind works or am I hungry ???

ABOVE:

Background: The main background was made using a ivory cardstock. Using Anna Griffin Ink pads - Cream and Shell - the flourish from the 'Graphicus Guild' members stamp pack ( month to follow ) was randomly used to create the flourish back ground.
Over this I used one of the Anna Griffin single row Harlequin stamps in her Chocolate ink colour - after inking the stamp I first did a pre stamp on a rough piece of paper to give the real stamped image some distress to it.

The 'Roses' word is from Elusive images 'Rose Stem Script' . Using my Ink dusters I randomly dusted some Shell ink and also some Memento Angel Pink, the edges were dusted with the Chocolate . The background then matted on to some pink card stock and then on to a larger
chocolate cardstock with the same 'Guild' flourish stamped over the cardstock in the Chocolate ( Tone on Tone ). On the left I added some stitching detail and also some wooden floral buttons - coloured to match - to add some dimension. On the right a larger button with some grossgrain ribbon (coloured with the Shell ink pad ) and some Rafia.

The sentiment is from Stampin-Up - in the Chocolate ink, again dusted over with the Memento and Shell ink and matted on to chocolate card stock.

ABOVE:

Rose Topper: The Rose is from Elusive Images new themeplate 'Harlequin Rose' and was stamped in the Shell ink. I used a matching colour pencil to add a little extra depth to the shading of the petals. The edges were dusted with Shell ink and also some of the Chocolate Ink, matted on to some pink then chocolate card stock. Again this was sewn around for extra effect.

ABOVE:

Bit closer detail of the card.

Now on to Moiras' Tag

MOIRAS TAG: I just love those Alcohol Inks but big problem is when they come out I spend hours just creating Tags !!! This one below was just one of those that evolved as I was making it, no set plan.
I decided to send it to Moira - ( hope you don't see this before you get it ! ) but I'm sure that she'll agree that these pictures don't do it justice !

Please don't ask which colours I used as I just grab a few I think might work together and off I go. What I can tell you is what I did and what stamps were used:

Firstly I used the stamps as a clear resist with clear embossing powder - ( my preference when using Alcohol inks with resist ) - the watch is from Elusive images - 'Scripts and Timepieces' themeplate, the lower resist is from Elusive Images - ' Damask Squares ' themeplate. After applying the alcohol inks I then ironed off the clear embossing powder.

Using an Archival black inkpad I inked just the edging of the main rose stamp from the Elusive Images new themeplate 'Harlequin Rose' , now using a flourish from the 7 Gypsies NottingHillset I stamped around some of the edges. The Memories stamp is from the same set and even though it is supposed to be straight - the great thing with clear stamps is they are flexible enough to arch them !

The lady is from one of Joanna Sheens plates which were in her sale but I haven't seen them on again. In the lower corner I just added a few beads and an eyelet, at the top a gromet ready for a ribbon.

BELOW:

Just to show the shimmer of the mixatives - you really need to see this effect for real as it just can't be seen right on photographs.

It's in the post to you Moira x

I'm Back .....

2009-02-18T00:01:00.007Z

Well what a whirlwind since the New Year ... By the way if I haven't had chance to say it to you ... Happy New Year !!!

OK so what's been happening ???

Well Egypt was unbelievable .... just a few pics below to show some of the AMAZING sea life and scenery ... now I have been good and only put a few of my favourites on here but to be honest there is so many I'm going to have to do a separate blog for the bulk of my photos.

Upon returning from Egypt on the 25th we were then given 5 days notice that our house move was being brought forward from mid Feb to the 30th Jan .. so a mad rush then ensued to pack everything we have accumulated over 17 years in our beloved home. Lots of boxes still to unpack and a new dedicated craft room to design and I may then be back to a bit of normality !

I've alot happening during 2009 ... I'm so excited about it but more about that when the time is ready !

In the pics below you'll notice I took my copy of Craft Stamper with me, I was very good as I got it the day before we flew out and even though I was severely tempted to peek through it, I quickly packed it at the bottom of my suitcase. Whenever I wasn't diving you'd find me on the sun lounger reading avidly ! Hey I wonder if we could start a 'Where do you read yours ?'

Anyhow on to some of my photos of Egypt and the Red sea ..... If you find you are missing any pictures then try refreshing the page ( my server seems a tad slow tonight ! )

Below: Take one stunning region - Sinai Mountains, Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea

Below: Sinai Mountains

Below: Add one Beach by Day

Below: Or by Dusk

Below: Or by Night

Below: Add a Craft Stamper magazine

And you have a perfect fantastic holiday .... but to make this a colourful holiday we need these .........

Now if these don't get those creative juices flowing ..........

Below: Giant Clams - these are almost 50cm wide each one

Below: Free Diving - Yet unidentified rare male species ... Ok it's my other half !

Below: Even the flora didn't go unnoticed .....

Well as they say in the cartoons ... That's all folks ....

Only for now .... back soon xxxx

New Toy - Alcohol Ink Box

2008-12-17T21:02:00.005Z

Oooh I've been waiting for this to come so I can start to sort out my huge ink collection once and for all ...

This is the Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink storage case.

And just to show how good I've been today I've part sorted out my ink storage cabinet, grabbed all the alcohol inks that were hidden in the drawers and then finally got around to making the inked coloured tabs and sticking them on to the bottle tops so I can see which colour they are ! Thank you for the great tip there Mr Holtz !

Next on my list is his huge Ink Pad case so I can keep all the Adirondack ink pads together !

Harlequin Rose Part II ( Deux)

2008-12-15T22:18:00.003Z

Well I finished the Card from one of the stamps from the Harlequin Rose Themeplate ( got more on the way ! ).

Ok so here's where we left off .... The card was at this stage - Tag stamped & coloured, background made.

Now at this point I needed some more colour and opted to go with a Lime green as a contrast to help bring out the foliage. I also needed an embellishment !

Below: Anyone ever make Paper roses when they were little ? Me too .... So with some more tissue paper and the Glimmer Mists from the vintage Lace collection off I went spritzing again with the tissue wet I scrunched it up in to a ball.

Below: Once opened and dried ( takes seconds to dry ) I stamped a few flowers from the Big Flowers themeplate and quickly cut them out. No need to be too precise as they are going to get scrunched up again.

Below: The finished rose ... just a few spots of glue around the flowers, some green papered wire and then just scrunched together.

Below: This was the card at the next stage with some Lime ribbons added but it still needed some more contrast.

Below: Back to the background and some more glimmer misted tissue this time using the Honey Dew mist. I like the tissue as it still allows some of the background to show through. The Love was from the Words of Love themeplate and stamped with Versamark and embossed in the Stamp n Stuff Rose Quartz.

Below: Still not happy with it .......

Below: Tag now offset .......

Round Robin Challenge

2008-12-15T22:04:00.001Z

Annette Lee from the Elusive Images team came up with a round Robin Challenge.

To be honest I haven't taken any pictures of the other parts I've done but this one made me laugh so I had to photograph it.

My husband after looking at some of my stamps saw the tiny sledge on the Seasons Greetings themeplate and asked if I'd ever used it - No was my reply - so this card part of the Round Robin Challenge ( the third to date ) was based around this teenie weenie sledge !

Apologies about the picture , as it's 10pm at night, I'm still in the office and I have no natural daylight. I'll take some proper ones tomorrow.

Delicious Autumn

2008-12-09T22:54:00.002Z

Delicious Autumn.

Well here's another set of Stamps from the Graphicus open day that are just so me !

"Fall Season" by Inkadinkadoo

Below:

Card stock was firstly inked up with the Tim Holtz Adirondack Colourwash inks in Butterscotch, Lettuce and a touch of Red Pepper . The main leaf stamp randomly stamped using various tones of browns, reds and greens.

Below:

Next came over stamping with the Delicious Autumn stamp: I really enjoy making back-grounds - just a pity that we often cover most of it up with our next layers :-(

Below:

The main topper was one piece - again inked up with Tim Holtz Adirondack Colourwash inks in Butterscotch, Cranberry, Red Pepper and Lettuce.

The large scroll leaf stamp was used down the edges and the tree in the centre. Over the Tree I embossed in a mix of Detail Gold and Pewter. The smaller leaf scroll was used at each side, embossed in the Detail gold. Next the whole thing was sliced in 3.

Below:

The three sections matted up on to green then gold, then on to the background, which was then mounted on to gold and finally on to a burgundy A5 card.

Below:

Card tilted to the light to show the embossing.

I'd also like to say a big Thank You to Lynn who has inspired me to get out all my Adirondack inks again and have an almighty play about with them again - I'd fogotten just how much fun they are !

Lynns' blog can be found on http://inkyartitude.blogspot.com/ so please go pay a visit x

Harlequin Rose Themeplate

2008-12-09T22:47:00.003Z

Apologies to all as I haven't blogged much lately ... I'm in the process of moving house and with Christmas coming I'm all in a dizz.

I managed to squeeze in a day trip up to Graphicus for their open day on the 5th and lots of goodies were subsequently purchased. Why is it though when you get home you then wish you had got the other things you'd been umming and arghing over ?

One of my first purchased was the New Harlequin Rose Themeplate which is due for release in January and they are absolutely scrumptious.

Here's a quick peep at what I started making when I returned home :

Below:

Main image stamped in Versafine Sepia , the new tags from Graphicus are a semi-gloss and as I have found out they absorb inks differently dependant on which ink type you are using. The Versafine took a little while longer than other inks to thoroughly dry so I had to make sure I didn't smudge it.

Below:

The tag was then Glimmer Misted using the Vintage Lace set which gave a lovely soft rose petal effect, some Adirondack Inks to add some rose highlights to the edges and lower corner. The rose was coloured with the Tinkerbella Inks

Below:

Now deciding on the background ?? I tried as shown in the first picture but wasn't happy with the style so I then took a piece of tissue paper and stamped the background using one from the Butterfly Whimsy Set in a soft chocolate brown from one of the Colorbox sets. Using Glimmer mists from the Vintage Lace set again I spritzed the tissue completely - picking up the tissue ( very carefully as it can tear ) I just scrunched it all up in to a ball in my hand. Unrolling this ball of tissue was a delicate operation as it became so fragile. Held over my little oil radiator it dried in seconds and the final result can be seen in the second picture.

Below:

Close up of the Glimmer misted tissue paper, the effect is a shimmery crackled one.

Below:

The card as it stands at present which should be completed in the next couple of days.

It's official ...

2008-10-31T23:55:00.003Z

Now when you see pictures like this ....

And this .....

It can mean only one thing ............. I'm off diving again !

(well in 4 weeks time )

This time to Egypt and the Red Sea, so the underwater camera is having it's O-ring overhaul, the diving gear is all coming out of the cupboard, having it's full inspection and testing.

My other half was so overwhelmed with excitment - he went to bed !

Oooh I feel like a kid at Christmas - can't wait !

Chocolate Resist .........

2008-10-28T21:25:00.007Z

Mmmmmmmmm must have been what I was thinking when I made this .............

Ok lets start ... This is a great and easy way to do a resist stamping technique and really quick for one of those last minute cards. All in this only took about 25 mins to make.

Main card in a mottled natural cream is an A4 scored and folded to make an A5 landscape card. Main matting layer is the tobbaco brown that I seem to use alot of.

The top layer is the mottled natural cream card which has the resist stamping as the main feature with an overhanging tag with a word phrase and some Grossgrain ribbon.

So lets start - everything apart from my basic card stock is yet again from Graphicus.

I used the cow parsley stamp from the "Wild Meadow" themeplate and the Fine detail embossing powder in white as I want this to stand out from the cream and also to soften the shadow effect.
So after embossing all the flowers I used a brown pigment ink pad to stamp the same images over the white embossed images - now you need a pigment ink pad as when it comes to the Glimmer misting you want this ink to slightly run to give a softer shadow. Don't worry if your colour is covering the white as in the next step this will be misted away !
So with the Crème de Cocoa Glimmer Mist just spritz away, any ink that remains over the embossed flowers can be gently rubbed with either a soft paint brush or cloth.
The white cow parsley heads were filled in with an Inkssentials White Pen to highlight them more and the edges were inked with the brown ink pad to give them some more depth.
The brown Grossgrain ribbon was in the sale items at the Graphicus open day - and anyone in the Graphicus Guild - read your monthly newsletter as there are ribbons in there at a knowdown price !

Below: The topper is one of the large Tags - simply folded over and the corners rounded, quick spritz of Glimmer Mists and the edges inked . The quote was a stamp made by myself .

I'm going to try this in a few other colourways as I think it could look fab in greens or russet reds.

Peacocks ....

2008-10-26T17:09:00.001Z

I often browse through the Galleries at Graphicus, there is some extremely talented people on there. I was taken aback by with a card made by Lesley Wharton - "Lesleys' Card" . Now it was my dear old friends birthday in September and I had began a card based on Lesleys' idea but the present I made was one of those - wow I've got to get one of those moments while at the Graphicus open day. So below is what I did .....

Now this is a big card, I used a lot of my scrap booking card stock for it and I think off-hand it ended up at about 10" square. The idea of the card is that it opens in an alternating fashion, so after opening the initial front covers left then right, the pages inside then open to the left, then to the right until the verse at the end is reached.

So what did I do ... The initial "Peacocks" from the "Peacock Ladies" themeplate were stamped in
"Versafine Lagoon Blue" and embossed in clear. I picked 3 vibrant "Glimmer mists" colours - Fully Purple, Patina and Yellow Daisy and spritzed each colour separately, waiting for them to dry before add another colour - this is because I wanted the brightness of each colour to show - if you spray them over each other whilst each is still wet then you can end up with a murky colour. When everything was dry I touched up the eye of each feather with a gold pen - this took flipping ages ! Behind the outer leaves I used some Patina Glimmer mists on some parchment paper to back them with which gives a lovely effect as the glimmer really shines on this.

Below: So after opening the outer layers this is the next layer. The background card was colour washed with the Glimmer mists, then the Peacock stamped and embossed in Gold detail powder, then
over painted using the Glimmer mists to deepen each ones colour. This section then opens to the left to reveal the next layer.

Below: The backs of any previous upper layers have been Ink dusted over so as not to leave them as plain white card. The Peacock lady from the same themeplate above was stamped in Versafine Onyx black, then using the glimmer mists as paints I just coloured her in, a few touches with the gold pen to add to the effect. This page now opens to the right.

Below: The final page with the greeting . The design is from the "Peacock Summer Party" CD and the verse was created on n overlay for the insert. Again the back of the previous upper card have been Ink dusted.

Now the present ....

At the Graphicus open day they had these brilliant Maya Road chipboard boxes which have a small book inside.

I first gesso'd the whole thing - box and all the pages ( every side ! ) Then glimmer misted the outer box before using various stamps from the "Peacock Ladies" themeplate all in a gold fine detail embossing powder.

Each one was coloured in using various glimmer mists as paints and some added sparkle in the way of gems.

Each of the pages was ink dusted and then on the front side either had a stamped image or sentiment on.

The reverse of each page had photographs on which are very special to Viv, I converted the photos to black and white and added some white edging detailing to them. A small vellum wrap with the date on written with a gold pen.

And I left two blank pages at the back so she can add a couple more in time x

Free To Good Home ........

2008-10-22T21:11:00.002+01:00

One dose of flu ! ( or severe cold ) ..... Maturing nicely but would prefer a different host.
I'll even chuck in the aches and pains for nothing !

Time for the beechams Hot lemon x

Duck Egg Blue & Sepia

2008-10-20T22:21:00.002+01:00

A few things have been used on this card, so lets start at the beginning with the main coloured card.

The main card was firstly run through my printer so I could print the background text. Over top I used a "Glimmer Screen" and sprayed "Patina and Creme De Cocoa - Glimmer Mists" over the top. The glimmer mist will slightly make the printed text run but this is what adds to the aged effect.

The stamping down the left side is from the "Filigree Fusion" themeplate and stamped in the Versafine sepia. A bit of dusting around the Edges with my Ink dusters. The flourishes on the right are from some Stampin Up stamps I've had for ages.

The tag was first embossed on the left side with a flourish, then using a few odd ink pads Ink dusted in the Sepia and duck egg blue, highlighting some of the embossing. The left hand then stamped using one of my favourite theme plates "Fleurs et Parfum de Paris" . The right hand stamp is again from the "Filigree Fusion" themeplate with some gem stones. A bit of grossgrain ribbon - slightly inked over to finish the tag off.

The flower is one of my bargain flowers - (which I must put a post up about these) - held in place C/o Crocodile large brad. The whole top was then matted on to some Tobacco brown card, then on to some duck egg blue card and finally on to the main card.

If anyone wants the old style Text to print out yourself on to your own card - just give me a shout and I'l email it over x

Inspiration from Nature

2008-10-20T21:39:00.002+01:00

A couple of pictures of my favourite trees & plants in my garden at this time of year.

The first is what is called a "Stag's Horn Sumach Tree" , and the colours are absolutely stunning.

During the beginning of the year the tree is totally bare and just resembles stag horns with a velvety texture, during Summer it is a luscious green, but it's true glory emerges during Autumn, as the leaves change to a deep carmine red, then through to a blazing crimson, then the oranges come, persimmon, amber, then finally through to the yellows. The yellows don't last long as that is the final colour change before they fall and then the cycle begins again.

Another of my favourites is this Jasmin, I had it for years and the flowers have the most irresistible scent during Summer.

Isn't nature wonderful x

Summer Evening

2008-10-20T21:13:00.002+01:00

This was a square card I did a while ago using the "Wild Owl" themeplate.

The card was done on watercolour paper and I used my Ink dusters with just regular ink pads to create the background scene and a fine line watercolour brush using Versafine smokey grey for the faint line clouds. The shadow tree from the "Orchard" themeplate was lightly stamped in Versafine smokey grey and the foreground grasses are from the "Wild Meadow" themeplate just stamped in various green inks. A torn paper strip, again coloured using my Ink dusters and then a gold embossed phrase from the "Words of Wisdom" themeplate and finally attached with brads.

The swallow was stamped with a Brilliance black ink, and the flourish bird was stamped on to an off cut from the background the cut out and placed on the torn strip to make it seem as though it was perching ( Not sure if that is a real word ! ) . Everything was then mounted onto a gold layer, and then on to a black card.

FREEBIES .... New Papers.

2008-10-11T03:27:00.003+01:00

Freebies again ! Enjoy !

Just a small sample of some of the new range of coordinating papers I'm working on, although they will be in about 10 colour ways and 6 designs, I've popped 3 of the Orangey/Pink/Red themed ones on for you to download. I've just done them in a top print quality A5 jpg format for now and if you use a graphic program you can reduce the size to A6 if you wish or just cut what you need from the A5.

The papers are in their own Zip file and you can download one or all. As my server space is not cheap - please just email me for the password to unzip the files.

The downloads are quite big approx 3Mb to 5Mb but if you're on broadband this won't take long. To download click on the picture and a new window will open (if you have a pop up blocker you may need to allow the download window to open). You will need to select "Save" which will start the download, and you can choose where you would like to save it on your PC ( I'd recommend your desktop ) . Double click the file and enter the password to open it.

SHEET 1

SHEET 2

SHEET 3

Monotone .....

2008-10-11T00:38:00.005+01:00

I was commissioned to make a card for a lady whom I was recommended to her . She had searched everywhere for what she had in mind but couldn't find what she wanted. ( I'm sure we've all been there before ) All she gave me was it must be black and white, ornate and a verse for her mother.

Now Black and white is not always as easy as it seems - blacks do vary in colour so choose a black inkpad and stay with it through out the project ! My choice was a Versafine Black Onyx.

This is what I made : A 9" x 9" gate fold card.

No those aren't backing papers - both panels have been 100% stamped, the left with black on white hammered card and the right panel with white on black hammered card, each matted on to some satin silver card then matted on to the main card.

Eyelets C/o crocodile with an organza black ribbon. The Lady is from the "Graceful Ladies"
themeplate which is the framed over with a matted picture panel stamp with diamante gems -but they don't photograph too well. ( My new circle cutter really came in handy there for that aperture! ). The happy birthday is several layers matted up ranging between black, silver, white and the topper. The Happy birthday stamp is from Serendipity and one of my all time favourites.

Below: After opening the card there is a vellum overlay over the main insert, this has been embossed with the "Holographic Embossing" powder ( I've tilted the card to the light to show it a bit better ) which I'm not sure if it's still on the Graphicus site but if not then Joanna Sheens' site normally has it. I know many people have tried this holographic powder and can't seem to get the hang of it but the trick is not to overheat it - if you do it just goes a gooey creamy colour. There is something in the powder which reacts to the heat - this is how I vary the resulting colours as I keep my heat gun on a low setting and keep it moving.

Below: The main insert behind the vellum has the "Rose Stem" and the greeting. The Rose stem has been stamped in Versafine Onyx black and then using a pencil shaded in an a touch of glitter on the petals, matted on to some black hammered card and edges torn.

The verse is quite sentimental.

Below: No way did I have an envelope for this card ... so out to my scrapbook heavy card stock to make a box for it ! The top panel was stamped and the I masked the corners to mitre the stamp, some more black organza ribbon and then stuck this to the box lid. The box base is in black with some tissue wrapping for the card.

The lady who commissioned this from me was very very happy to say the least !

For me - I just love making them !

Wow They say things come in 3's ... 4's ... 5's ???

2008-10-11T00:03:00.002+01:00

Apologies to all ........... Yes things do come in threes but over the last four weeks everything and anything has happened.

Blogs aren't really the place for me to blab on but in short ...

I've been quite poorly.

2 marriage break-ups within our close family ( not my marriage I might add ! )

Daughter in a car accident.

Roof on house in France had severe leak and damaged part of an interior
roof.

Full in depth fire inspection at the shop due 23rd Oct ( so all those little
things that we need to get sorted must be done ! )

Need I mention the economy aswell ?

I'm sure there's more as it certainly feels like there has been !

Thank goodness I can escape a bit from reality with some good ole crafting !

My BIG project with the Unicorns is still underway but had to be put on hold whilst dealing with the above - my poor husband seems to think I'm getting carried away with it ! Watch this space.

Anyhow here's a couple of other cards I did a few weeks ago with the Unicorn stamps.

The "Dream It Do It" is embossed on vellum with the Holographic embossing powder which gives a great iridescent colour. The outer edges of the main picture have been edged with some gold mica - but alas this doesn't photograph too well. I've tried tilting the card in the pic below to try and show it more clearly.

The next Unicorn was done using a piece of gloss photographic paper 6" x 4" and memento dye inks for the background.

Then using Brilliance black and also Ancient page black the tress, Unicorn and foliage were stamped.

The picture panel has been mounted on a black card and then has an upper frame which stands proud of the picture panel.

The card isn't finished as there will be an outer acetate jacket ( shown below the in-progress picture ) which hopefully when it's completed will be like an enchanted forest, when you open the panels - go through the trees - it will then reveal the picture above. I've still to finish the foliage and do some glittering on the back of the acetate.

The picture below was made on a off-cream card stock and apart from the stamped Unicorn and tree skeletons was painted with just plain black ink - again this is in progress as it was my starting block for the ideas above.

Gone Quiet ...

2008-09-10T23:04:00.002+01:00

Ok so when I go quiet you can usually tell I'm up to something
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.

And this is something big ! even my husband said "No Way" !

So in and amongst my already heavy workload I'm doing little bits on a very special project .

All will be revealed shortly ! - well not that shortly but by next week I hope !

I'll pop some more cards in in the mean time x

THE Winner Is ......

2008-09-07T22:05:00.005+01:00

I've made the list, checked it twice, sorted out who's been naughty or nice

..... oops that's the Christmas list

And The Winner Is (As picked by the Random Number Generator ) ......... ( Drum roll in the back ground )

No' 36 - ChrisF

Congratulations ChrisF , please can you Contact Glenda with your details of where you would like your prize sent to. Don't forget to show us all what you do with your Unicorn stamps x

A big Thank You to Glenda for her fantastic Treasure Stamp Hunt, the Prizes she has given away and to all who have visited all three of the Blogs in the Hunt ( and probably more in your searches ). I've had a great time visiting your blogs and will be returning to see you all again xxx

FREE BLOG CANDY -

2008-09-03T23:41:00.003+01:00

PLEASE REMEMBER - Glendas Blog Candy Give-Away for the "Unicorn" stamps Ends on Midnight Saturday the 6th September - if you want to be entered your must leave a comment on the
"FREE BLOG CANDY" post to be in with a chance of winning !

Do not reply to this post !!!!

Happy Heart & Spring Dawn

2008-09-03T23:08:00.005+01:00

2 New cards from the "Birds" Stamps from Elusive Images - sorry I keep calling them the "Birds" as I don't know what the plate will be called yet. Just to show that although the theme plate shows black images - you don't have to stamp these birds in black. You can alter the colours in both cards to suit your own colour scheme.

The first is Happy Heart

This card stated with an off white piece of card which was then coloured using DTP with Tim Holtz Aged Paper and an odd turquoise ink pad. Over the top I used the long stamp from the "Fantasy Floral" themeplate in alternating directions in Anna Griffin Chocolate ink. After inking the edges with the turquoise ink I then mounted it on to a 15cm square card. The topper again started as an off white piece of card which was first stamped over with one of the "Damask Backgrounds" themeplate. The bird was stamped with the Turquoise ink ( with some of the chocolate on the branch ) and then clear embossed. A soft turquoise inked edge before using some of the flourishes from the "Birds" stamps around the edges. The flowers and the filigree in the Bird were coloured in gold with a Sakura pen. The matting was the off white card inked using the turquoise for the top and then another in chocolate for the bottom mat. The sentiment is from the "Words of Wisdom" themeplate which was stamped in the turquoise and then clear embossed. Again matted and layered over inked edged mats. Finally an organza ribbon and three wooden flowers to finish.

Now for ................

Spring Dawn ...

So how's that for colourful ? Yey - Stampbord again !!!

First the main card is an A5 landscape pastel green, the back matting is a white card stock with an inked edge in a summer blue ( from a clearance set of 60 ink pads for a £5 ) , the main background white card stock was first DTP with the summer blue and a soft yellow ink, where the blue and yellow meet it gives a natural soft green hue. This was then stamped over first with the floral spray from the "Floral Damask" themeplate in a whispers baby blue ink, this gave the soft image I was after - more like a shadow stamp. Random filigree swirls were added around the edges wherever I felt like popping them. The "Oval Stampbord" was DTP ( suppose that should read Direct to Stampbord DTS ) and the Bird stamp was stamped in Versafine Olympia green. As this remains wet on Stampbord I embossed it with clear powder and added some more branches to the lower of the oval - again all embossed. I used the "Scratch Tool" to etch into the design and then recoloured using red, orange and yellow inks. The oval edge was sanded back a little. The top background layer for the Stampbord piece was a white piece of card stock, a soft yellow ink was dusted over then stamped again with one of the "Damask Backgrounds" themeplate in the Baby blue whispers ink. Flourishes from the "Birds" stamps to the corners in the summer blue and inked around the edges. This was matted on to a piece of white card stock which had the edges inked over with the yellow and blue.

The greeting comes from "Joanna Sheen - from the Serendipity range" stamped in the blue and clear embossed over a DTP matted layer again matted on to an inked edge layer. The flower is held in place with one of the Large eyelets from Crop-A-Dile.

I'll explain about the flower in another post - make them yourself for pennies !!!

PLEASE REMEMBER - Glendas Blog Candy Give-Away for the "Unicorn" stamps Ends at Midnight Saturday 6th September - if you want to be entered your must leave a comment on the "BLOG CANDY" post to be in with a chance of winning !

Morning Glory Card - Finished

2008-09-01T16:39:00.003+01:00

Here's the finished card ... Total size measures 27½cm long x 17cm high.

I do like the shadow stamping effect on the insert - not too light not too dark.

I'll do the "How To Make Your Own" in the next few days and pop a link on so you can read it at your leisure.

P.S: Don't Forget - Glenda Waterworth is giving away some Free stamps.
If you want to be in with a chance to WIN some of Glendas Newest Faery Stamps then you need to leave your comment on the BLOG CANDY post !

Now for something a little more colourful !!!

The Bird Stamps have arrived !

2008-08-31T20:45:00.009+01:00

Well I got back from the office Saturday and there on the door mat were the new ''Bird Stamps'' by Elusive Images that I won courtesy of Glenda Waterworths' Blog . The stampbord hasn't arrived yet but when it does I'm hoping a couple of these stamps will fit it perfectly.

So here's a sneaky peak at what I've made this evening ....

Morning Glory . . . reminiscent of early morning, when a fine mist dances around a meadow and the birds gather to sing.

Shown below ... I 've tilted the card so you can see the gold shadow under each bird which helps them to stand out. I haven't mounted it fully yet as I have quite afew birthdays etc this month so untill I know which occassion it will be used for I won't put a greeting on .

I'll update this post later with some more pics of how I made it etc ... I need a coffee :-)

Now Don't Forget - Glenda Waterworth is giving away some Free stamps.

If you want to be in with a chance to WIN some of Glendas Newest Faery Stamps then you need to leave your comment on the BLOG CANDY post !

A Few Pics from Cuba

2008-08-30T15:51:00.009+01:00

Sunset in Havana, Cuba
One of the fantastic buildings ... and there's the other half stood in the middle !
Unfortunately - most are in this condition .
Cayos, Cuba - Now if you ever have heard the Saying ... Stop the World I wanna get off - then here's the place to do it ( apart from the Maldives ... but that's another set of photos waiting for me to upload ! ) Diving in the Mangroves in the Cayos ... Now these parrot fish should give you some colour inspiration !

Right back to finding my book !

Help ...

2008-08-29T21:54:00.005+01:00

I've spent the day really having a well deserved sort out in my office - that is office come craft room ! and I still can't find my special dates list book , you know the ones we have with everyones birthdays, anniversary's etc in.

I'm not doing anything until I find it !

Until tomorrow when I check where the dot matrix printers are stored I'll leave you with some of my pictures from Mexico the other year ... and if you're really lucky you may spot the hubby diving past in one !

Just to say apart from Stamping I have a love for diving and architecture. Mother nature just can't be beaten and I have been honoured to have travelled to some of the most beautiful unspoilt destinations in the world. The camera I use is a special Fuji underwater camera - only problem is the fish won't stay still ! LOL

Wait till you see Cuba ! - stunning !

BLOG CANDY .....

2008-08-28T23:54:00.013+01:00

FREE BLOG CANDY

Yes You Read That Correctly

FREE BLOG CANDY

If you have found your way here then you have found one of the 3 Blogs which have been chosen to give away one of the New Elusive Images

“Away with the Faeries”

collection of stamps from the inspiring

Glenda Waterworth and the Graphicus team.

" Unicorns ''

To win this magical collection of stamps all you simply need to do is leave a comment here - the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

But hey - don't just leave a comment here - Why not visit Glenda's blog to see the other enchanting Faery stamps and maybe try to find the other two themeplates !

Click on the picture of the Unicorn Faeries themeplate to be fairy dusted away to Glendas' wonderful spellbinding blog x and don't foret to go Blog-Hopping to try to find the other 2 sets !!!

All the Best To My Son x My Hero x

2008-08-26T21:31:00.008+01:00

I'm not normally one for preaching or moaning on the net or elsewhere, or to get in political agendas about the rights or wrongs of war ..... but I was a tad disappointed when listening to the news the other day , when our Olympic team were returning from China. Yes the GB team have done brilliantly - such great athletes but to hear they had put on the plane heroes ! ???

I have a son in the Army, we are so proud of him , yet despite his tours of Iraq - on his and his platoons return to the UK , there was no well coming party, no commander or any officials to welcome them home - nothing. Even families weren't told when they were due to land so we couldn't even be there to welcome them.
Unfortunately not all come home as they leave and my heartfelt wishes go out to all Mothers, fathers, wives , husbands and families of those who have lost loved ones in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These men & women are our heroes - though mostly unsung and un-noticed.

I spent this evening chatting with my son ( far left in the picture below ) as he flies out to Canada on exercise for the next 3 months - he's been given instructions by me to please try to photograph some of the stunning scenery out there !

This is him trying out his new Officers mess dress ... very smart ! very embarrassing !!!

Thank You All

2008-08-26T21:27:00.002+01:00

I'm absolutely thrilled to have won the Stampbord challenge and thank you all to who-ever voted for me , it really does mean alot x

Incidentally I gave everyone a vote as Art is Art and all of us who entered made some beautiful work.

Well I'm totally shattered after a long drive back up from Cornwall , a million and one emails to answer and customers to sort out ... so unfortunately it's straight to my office to sort a few bits out x

More to come tomorrow xx

Vote for Me

2008-08-25T00:22:00.004+01:00

Just a quickie as I'm away at the mo in beautiful Falmouth but my lovely friend has allowed me to quickly use her laptop.

Glenda has now put the Vote page on for her Stampboard competition , so even if you're just passing through or a regular visitor please feel free to vote for my Stampboard Sunset Choir :-)

I'll be back on Tuesday xxx

Sunset Choir - Glendas' Stampbord Challenge

2008-08-18T17:16:00.015+01:00

" Sunset Choir " - AKA Labour of Love !

Ok so Glenda Waterworth aka Graphicus aka Artylicious has set us another challenge competition - this time using Stampbord, so here's my entry and once again I have chosen "Other Item" - this time this is a large 10" square panel picture. The panel picture is based upon a summer evening ( sorry we haven't had too many of those lately ! ) when the birds are giving their last song of the day. Once again everything used is from Graphicus - except my cardstock.

As this is a large panel picture it will sit on an easel frame near my landing window so every time I pass it, the word Inspire will do just that !

How I made it etc all details below . . . . . . . . . . . . . Click the pictures to open them in new window and then click again to see them in their full glory !

All the various Stampbord pieces - 21 in total - were placed in the arrangement I wanted prior to being sprayed, as I wanted the background colours to flow into each other. The main center panel is 6 pieces of 2" square tiles. I used a combination of Glimmer Mists and also Tim Holtz spray inks ( all available at Graphicus ) to create the shaded background working from the green through to the deep russet. The centre panel was rubbed off slightly as I wanted a more highlighted effect for this panel.

The panels in general needed some fore-thought as I didn't want to over stamp each one and the effect I wanted was for the stamped panels to flow on from each other, IE: the vines on the bottom centre panel then flow outwards to the side panels, which in turn the stamping then flows on to the next panel. The same with the centre panel, the foliage from the tree flows down to the top centre panel to match and again on the bottom panel.

The 4" x 6" centre panel was stamped with the Graphicus Guild Members stamp from the June newsletter. The left & right edges were then stamped using the Leaf flourish from the Lily Themeplate . All detailing was made with the scraper tool and various scratches were then rubbed over with colour to highlight them - ( see the birds chests ) this gives a great effect as the colour deepens within the scratches and gives the birds some dimension. Spots of gold were added to the leaves. Before anyone asks I didn't leave gaps between the stampbord pieces as it made the birds look like they were caged - not my kind of thing.

I didn't want to overdo the scratching on the outer panels as these were meant just as highlights to the stamped flourishes. The lettering down the side was stamped with the Sketchy Alphabet as this could really then be highlighted with the scratch tool.

Each stampbord piece was mounted on to black card, then onto a gold pearlescent card - then again on to another black card. Each Matted & Layered panel was then glued to the main gold pearlescent backing card which was then matted to yet another piece of black card.

All in all this has taken over a week to make as I had to do bits in between my other work - hence the labour of love x

Buttercup Fields

2008-08-13T20:39:00.010+01:00

Ever since my daughter was 2 years old ( 20 years ago ! ) we have always had buttercups in a corner of our garden. She always said they were her flowers and I wasn't to pull them out. We've been asked on many occasion why do we grow weeds ... Weeds .. No they are such lovely flowers and I will always have a little corner somewhere for my daughters flowers.

The card below is inspired from the above and was made using the stunning new Themeplates from Graphicus - the buttercup is from the Fuchsia and not only has the outline version but also a reversed solid version.

The background card is stamped with the outline buttercup head in an Olympia Green Versafine, the next layer is a Glimmer Mists ( I will have to check the colours as I just spritzed away ) the edge was then stippled with the versafine using those lovely little ColorDusters from Judikins ( like mini shaving foam brushes ).
The top layer was fun as this is parchment, you can get the mottled type and the great thing about parchment is when wet is creates dimples - so with Glimmer Mists in hand I lightly spritzed the parchment to give a soft subtle effect. You can see the dimple effect better in the next picture.
I tried various ink pads on a spare piece of parchment as I was after a soft shadow effect for the solid buttercup, the one that gave the look I was after was the Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Peeled Paint which when combined with the parchment gave the soft shadow. The outline buttercups were then stamped over with the Green Versafine. To highlight the buttercup flowers I just used some of the Glimmer Mists - Lemon Zest as a colour wash.
Organza ribbons in limey green and yellow threaded through an antiqued buckle lower down.
Top corner Stampboard - first spritzed with some Glimmer Mists and the same stamping method - soft shadow for the solid and outline for the main.

The text is from Serendipity Stamps which came via Joanna Sheen and are great as they are already pre-trimmed and mounted on to EZ mount !

Remember click any of the pictures to see the full sized versions.

This shows the dimpled effect better of the parchment.
See the glimmer !
The inside was again made with a soft stippled edge and another soft shadow style stamp in the lower corner with the solid buttercup.

Quickie Card ...

2008-08-13T18:41:00.003+01:00

You know when you need a quickie card ... yep one of those which is needed in the next 30 mins !
So here's a quickie for a male that I had to make earlier !

Just love those glimmer mists for painting with - the colours blend so beautifully.

Conkers !

2008-08-13T18:37:00.003+01:00

Look at those lovely Conkers ! was my exclamation to my husband just before he nearly choked on his cuppa !

They are nice though aren't they ?

Ooops

2008-08-11T21:46:00.003+01:00

Well so much for once a week !

I currently have 1001 things on the go at the moment and never seem to have enough time in a day to concentrate on 1 thing solely !

So pleased as I did my first international order for my Anti Static Bags the other week and they emailed today to say how pleased they are with them - I did offer that if they wanted I would go out and demonstrate them for a week ! ( Anything for a bit of Sun ! )

Our shop is being refurbished at the moment so it's somewhat chaotic there and my poor office never seems to get anymore organised. I've gotten in a terrible habit of stamping, then cleaning my stamps & popping them in a large tray at the side of my work desk. Normally when I've finished I then go and pop them back on the appropriate sheet in their folder. The tray is now full of stamps and I need a good day to sort them all out again.

Thank you to all for the awards ... I'm not normally an awards person but on these occassions I will happily accept them x

Our local Co-Op was selling some chocolates on special offer so I bought a few .. not for the choccies but the containers they were in ... again all will be revealed as soon as I've completed the projects ! Ok so I did eat a few !

I will be back shortly ... hopefully with a card or tag or box !

Glenda's Christmas Challenge Part II

2008-07-26T14:31:00.007+01:00

Well I was messing about with the Filigree stamps and backing papers today so I thought I'd make another Christmas card for Glenda's Challenge ... Now I am supposed to be sorting the office out but hey I'll do it in a bit !

All items used were from Graphicus seeing as this is Glenda's challenge except my card stock. This is a larger card .... 23½cm long and 15 cm high and made from some scrapbook card stock and based on a monotone card but with a touch of Ice-blue.

The main card was in Black card stock, stamped with the Filigree Stamps down the side in Silver and the edge torn. The right hand side of the card is printed from the Filigree Fusion CD but when the print option comes up you can select to print in just black - TIP ... Adjust the image with the Brightness & Contrast settings to define the pattern more or use a graphics program. There is some fine glittering to the edges of some of the leaves but my camera hasn't picked this up too well.
Remember - Click on the picture to enlarge them.

The Happy Christmas is from the Happy Christmas Greetings Themeplate as this has the matching Filigree background, the greeting was then matted & layered several times. I used watered down Glimmer Mist Patina ( nice ice-blue colour ) as a pale colour wash on some of the leaves.

The tag was matted and layered - edged with the Filigree stamps and the greetings from the Joy Greetings & the Seasons Greetings themeplates. The edges tinted with some black and the watered down Glimmer Mist Patina. Although it doesn't show too clearly the tag has pale ice blue organza ribbons. The flower is layered and comes from the Ruby Tuesday themeplate, some of Glenda's Glitters in Turquoise and Snowflake.

The inside is printed from the Filigree fusion CD.

Right let the office cleaning begin !

NEW Papers . . . Part Deux

2008-07-21T17:50:00.007+01:00

So here's what I made from just 1 A4 printed Duo Paper ... and I still had some left over.

What I used .... Turquoise Duo paper from my FREEBIE post, Wild Meadow Stamps - Graphicus , Words of Wisdom - Graphicus , Ruby Tuesday - Graphicus , Damask Squares - Graphicus. One sheet of A4 card, some silver backing card, one tag and some sissal twine and a large eyelet.

This time I have used the pre-printed image as the backing and over stamped with some thistles in a dark teal and there were also some ferns in white but they don't show up too well. This was then mounted on to a silver matting layer and then mounted on to an A5 card. "Be Happy" was stamped on to the plain Duo-paper and matted.

Remember click on any of the pictures to open a larger version.

The top tag is the plain side from the Duo-Paper but layer stamped with the Butterfly from the Damask Squares - first in a light turquoisy-teal colour, then randomly stamped again in a darker turquoisy-teal colour. Finally the Words stamp layered over this. Each layer can still be seen but non overshadows any other layer.

The tag was then trimmed slightly and layered over another tag which had inked edging and mounted on to a silver matting layer.

I'll explain the flower lower down.

The dimensional flower is from the Ruby Tuesday themeplate and was made from just one single stamp .. full process explained further down !

A hidden surprise under the top tag ......

Making a Layered flower from a single stamp .................... This honestly only takes about 10 - 15 minutes to make and the effect is great.

Using the plain side from my Duo-paper - stamp one image, I used Versafine Onyx Black as I wanted to colour wash the central petals.
Now cut out the whole flower as below ...

Next snip down between one of the petals and cut around the inner layer. Do exactly the same for the middle section. This should now leave you with 3 pieces as shown below.

Next cut two segments from the outer ring - but leave lugs that you can use to glue together, cut one segment from the inner layer. What this does is to reduce & tighten the circle size but it also helps it form a floral shape.Now with some wet glue ( pva etc ) stick the little cut lugs together to rejoin the circle on both the inner and outer layers. I used my bone folder to curl the petals and popped some little glitter dots on the center.

Now using the inner lugs and a line of glue around the inner rim glue your outer layer down where you want the flower, then a line of glue around the inner rim of the next layer and finally put the inner center on a sticky pad to raise it up ( I think I used a 3mm ).

Simple flowers but very effective !

The whole card was made with only 5 different stamps ( 2 from the Wild Meadow set, 2 From the Words set and one from the Damask set ) and 3 ink pads - one Turquoise, one Teal one Black.

There are so many options you can use these papers for - I could have used contrasting inks ... ( Note: must find my colourwheel under my desk clutter ) , printing on to vellum for a softer look.

Right my ironing awaits !!!!!!

New Papers .....

2008-07-20T23:51:00.009+01:00

I've been asked about the new papers I'm currently designing, the ones shown on my sisters card below. At the moment they are still in the design stage but I suppose I can give you all a sneaky peek ! They follow on from My Four Seasons theme .....

My reasoning behind the papers is that not everyone is a stamper, not everyone enjoys making the backgrounds for stamping on to ... so I'm trying to design some papers that complement and can work with certain stamp themes - be it nature, floral or abstract - instant backgrounds that can be stamped over without detracting from the actual stamp itself but which the most novice of stampers can take a stamp and create a wonderful stamped card.

My card above used one of my printed backgrounds which I then stamped over with some of the flowers from the Wild Meadow Themeplate to enhance it. On the topper I could have stamped some more flowers or even the lovely fern leaves .. but time was of the essence and I really had to get to the PO. I'll remake the card in another colourway and next time stamp over the topper to show you the results.

FREEBIE: For those that are interested when you click on any image it will open in another window - but Click on either of the Turquoise images and in the new window Right Click the image and save it to your PC. They are both full sized duo printable pages, one is A4 which will give you one A5 side plain and one A5 side patterned, the other is an A5 size which will give you one A6 side plain and one A6 side patterned. So you can have a play yourself with your stamps and see what you come up with. I would suggest to print onto card stock rather than paper. If you want to adjust the image size then simply use your graphics program to resize the sheets .

Note : Not sure if this is working right with blogger - if not then I'll upload a zip file with both sized sheets in which you can download.

As per usual - please remember these are my working designs, you may download them for your own personal use but please do not pass the links out and just pop a comment on.

These lower two were me just having a another experimenting session in Photoshop ... Great fun ! I could play on Photoshop for hours :-)

Glenda's Christmas Challenge

2008-07-20T16:50:00.010+01:00

So Glenda's challenge:
The Challenge: The theme (unsurprisingly) is Christmas
The Rules: Make a card, ATC, or other item featuring Elusive Images stamps in some way.

I opted for " The other item " Hmmnn .... something a little bit different - Stamping on to glass ...

There's something about the soft glows of tea-lights and when combined with Christmas what more could you ask for. So taking something so simple as a cheap old plain glass tumbler ... I turned it in to an embossed glowing Holly Flourish tea-light holder.

So how to:

First the glass tumbler, I just grabbed an old one out of the cupboard, washed and cleaned it and dried thoroughly. Now glass will attract fingerprints static etc - which when combined with embossing do not mix well so use an Anti Static bag - not only on the glass but also coat your fingers !

I used for the main glass the large panel from the Christmas Flourish themeplate with Versamark, to stamp your glass use the stamp on a flat worktop and then roll the glass over the stamp, my glass was slightly angled so I had to start on a slight angle. Check the stamped image - Don't worry if it's not right you can wash it off and try again. TIPS: If you've never stamped on glass before try it with a coloured inkpad first so you can see the image as you are working and adjust your method to get the best imprint. Any practice runs can be washed off.

Embossing: I used a detailed Gold embossing powder and twin speed heat gun on the lower setting, if you only have a single speed heat gun then don't hold the gun as close to the glass.

When the embossing was done I added some red gems for the holly berries and trimmed the glass with some wired ribbon - NOTE: the ribbon I used is wire based.

For the flourish I took another stamp from the Christmas Flourish themeplate with the filigree swirls, after stamping and embossing I cut out the holly leaves and then made some filigrees with some 18 gauge wire in gold, red and green. The wire filigrees were stuck to a holding block and then the holly leaves stuck over the front. A little glitter for the berries to add a little more twinkle and then the holly flourish was stuck to the lower front ribbon.

Please click any of the photos below to enlarge.

Picture 1. I've tried to show the tea-light holder lit in a darkened room but my camera doesn't seem to like that kind of photo so the real effect unfortunately doesn't show up.

Picture 2. Switched lights back on to show the imagery.

Picture 3. After embossing, ribbons & gems - but before adding holly & filigree.

For My Sister

2008-07-20T16:42:00.003+01:00

Unfortunately my Sister has been quite ill so I made her this bi-fold card as a cheery get well .

The backing papers are my own design - the very bottom one has been over stamped with an image from the Wild Meadow Themeplate from Graphicus in copper colours.
The topper is again another of my own paper designs with the mini tag stamped with a Get well soon message in Copper. The topper was finished off with some bronzed eyelets and a copper/bronze organza ribbon. The insert again from my own designs.
A simple yet effective card.

Been A While .....

2008-07-20T16:26:00.005+01:00

But here I am and I am going to promise to put at least one card or one blogging session on a week !
OK first a couple of Tags that I was playing about with ... You can click any of the pictures to enlarge them.
Made with yep .... glimmered backgrounds , Fleurs et Parfum de Paris from Graphicus and some papers from the filigree fusion CD - again Graphicus.

This was just playing about with some ideas.

More Tags coming soon !

Backgrounds using Glimmer Mists and Inks

2008-02-26T16:46:00.013Z

Now I'm back in the office I'll start again !

Below is a card I'm making for a friend, the background was colour washed over with the Tinkerbella Ink in the Rich Violet colour, then randomly stamped using the filigree swirls from the Damask Hearts themeplate, ( now if you enlarge the picture those eagle eyed amongst you will also notice the smaller versions of these - they were in the December Guilds members offer stamps ) in a deeper violet. The background for both toppers was made with the Glimmer Mists - Pink Bubblegum and also an odd splodge of the Rich Violet. Again I normally do a whole A4 sheet then I can choose what bits I want to use - the spare gets popped in my backing box.
The top left is from the Delightful Damask themeplate, the bottom from the Damask Hearts and the edging around the bottom one was also from the Decembers Guild offer. I purposely didn't want a full on black , more of a worn effect , so after inking up the stamp I gently prestamped on a spare piece of card just to take some excess ink off. I haven't finished the card as I just wanted to show you the effect of making your own backings, the top right image is a piece of Stampbord , coloured using the glimmer mists to match, overstamped with a green then stamped again with the mini Filigree and a little scratching to highlight areas, I still have a couple more to do to finish the card.
Ok so scroll down to see the great backing papers that I started this about ............. Please remember you can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Making your own backgrounds is so much fun, I could spend hours doing this, I tend to sit and play around with my colours. All the backgrounds below were made using the Glimmer Mists Spring Fever set and Tinkerbella inks. I've tried where possible to show alternative views as the colours will change as you move the papers around. All my papers are either A4 or A5 size. As a note - although I call them papers most of my backings are done on card around 200gsm.

Glimmer Mists - Lemon Zest and Rum Raisin, with a final spritz of Irridescent gold.

Below .... Glimmer Mists - Denim Blue and Honey Dew Mist and a splash of Irridescent Gold. This particular backing is to be used with my Peacock stamps from Graphicus

Below .... Glimmer Mists - Denim Blue, Irridscent Gold and Tinkerbella Inks Sky Blue & Teal

This A5 below was what was made from the excess ink and overspray from the above paper, the texture comes from the corrugated board that was below the paper.

This next one is so easy to make , and gives an A4 sheet full of wonderful colour. Just fold an A4 sheet in half, blot - splodge - splatter whatever colours you like on one half and simply fold the card over and rub to mirror the image on the other side, touch up any places as required. Glimmer Mists used - Golden Terracotta and Lemon Zest with a little spray of rum raisin around the edges.

Glimmer Mists - Pink Bubblegum and Rum raisin - just using a spray and holding and turning the card to let it flow naturally.

Now the next couple are for some cards I'm making for a friend, and yes the colour really is a Lime Greeny Yellow ! Using Glimmer Mists - Lemon Zest and also some Tinkerbella Ink Sunshine Glow kit. As this is part for a project I've already stamped one section in white and clear embossed it before making the background. Middle section has had some of the leaves touched in - using the Tinkerbella ink. As mentioned - the colours change so beautifully as you turn the page around. The lower picture was made the same way but with a few strokes of Tinkerbella Teal.

These are for the same lady - to go with the above , this time the papers were made with the Tinkerbella inks , the Rich Violet and the Teal ( mixed with some Glimmer Mist Pearl Glimmer ) I have made the A4 sheet sectional as I'm going to be using it in various ways. The top section is a nice grungy texture - criss crossy brush strokes blending into a soft Turquoise. The next sections are much deeper as some of them will be overlayed with a vellum as shown in the pictures which will soften the colour back down.

Ok - back to my favorite colours - I just love these rich warm Russet tones - all again made with the Glimmer Mists and Inks

Well that's just a few of my backings - I hope I've managed to show just what wonderful effects can be gained from just a few simple items and it really doesn't take long.

Busy - Busy - Busy

2008-02-26T00:22:00.002Z

Apologies to all, work has been so hetic and my blog has taken a nosedive of late, but in the snippets of time that I can catch I have been making lots of backing papers and card , so I'll be popping them on for you all to see.

Making your own backing papers I just find so relaxing, I never know what's going to turn out and every one is unique, I'm sure quite a few of them refect my aurora. Anyhow pictures speak louder than words so I'll pop some pictures on.

P.S. I haven't forgotten the Queen of Hearts but I'm doing a lot of detail painting on that as and when I can - all I will say is The Luttrell Psalter

Knave of Hearts

2008-02-09T14:35:00.000Z

Wow - I saw this in the Graphicus Sale - Knave of Hearts and at half price ! I wasn't too sure what I might use it for but at £6.25 you can't go wrong. Boy was I wrong - ( gob smacked as they say in Yorkshire ) the detail in this set of stamps is fantastic and I hope the pictures go someway to showing this.
My first reaction that sprang to mind was the old Medieval architecture, the colours of the stonework and etchings as often seen in these old places and I've tried to bring this out in the card.

1. Using direct to paper techiniques I created an old stone effect background, over the top of this I stamped the large acanthus styled design in a deeper shade, then over this in various shades used in the DTP I randomly stamped the crown.

2. The border edging on the left and bottom of the card was stamped using a sage green with an odd hint of holly green. The emblem in the bottom corner was a flourish stamp which was then embossed in copper to resemble a seal ( no - not the ones that live in water ! ). I'll explain about the top right emblem lower down.

3. The scroll was made by taking some paper and aging it using Vandyke crystals dissolved in distilled water and used in a spray bottle. You can add more or less water dependant on the depth of stain you require. I made sure that I also did the back of the paper where I was going to roll it. When dry I stamped the Knave using Versafine Sepia and also added the border stamp to the top and bottom.

4. The scroll edges were torn and then inked with a copper ink pad. I used one of my paint brushes to roll the scroll and some good ol' double sided tape to ensure it stays in place. I placed the scroll on the card as though it wasn't attached, just a bit of tape under the top and bottom of the scroll but with the scroll centre off the page, this gives it some movement as though it had just been unrolled.

5. The copper emblem, made by triple embossing a piece of card with copper colour embossing powder, on the 3rd embossing while the powder is still fluid stamp into it.
The verdigris aged effect was done by allowing the embossing to crack and then using my sage and holly ink pads to rub into the embossing.

Overall I was really pleased with the stamp set, even more so as I have also purchased the matching Queen of Hearts set too ! But that's another story that will be coming to a blog near you very soon !

Watercolour Floral Card

2008-02-09T13:54:00.000Z

So Mothers Day fast approaches and my husband asked if I could make a card for his Mum, I find water colours so relaxing to work with and decided to use a set of stamps by Helene Metivier. The outer matting layer border was made by a combination of a few of the stamps, repeated to form the complete border. The inner main design was made again by combining a few different stamps and using masking techniques to enable me to build up the effect of a group. I used a Versafine ink pad in smokey grey as I thought black would be too harsh for this watercolour card. The purple matting layer is made by using my Glimmer Mists in the Rum Raisin colour. A simple almost see through lilac organza ribbon added to the side.

Back of Card stamps

2008-02-09T13:46:00.000Z

Well my order from the USA arrived, along with my Rhonna Farrer stamps I got a set of stamps for the backs of my cards. I think these are great fun and the Hallmark one made me laugh.

They come from a company called My Sentiments Exactly ( MSE ) , which have a great range of sentiments and sayings stamps for crafting.

Dragon Fly Card

2008-02-09T13:29:00.000Z

Ok so I eventually finished the Dragon Fly Card - remember Dragon Fly Part 1 ( the DTP Challenge from Glenda ) ? So using a Turquoise Damask background paper from one of my scrapbooking pages over a Lavender cardstock, slightly inked around edges with a deeper purple. I restamped the dragonflies on to acetate and coloured with H2o's, a few shrinked dragon flies ( boy those little tiny ones were yikes to do ! ).

A little saying matted and layered to finish it off. I love embellishments that seem to bring a card alive, hence why I love the Dragon flies coming off the page. The direct to paper background blends great with the backing paper, almost as if it were see through.

Organise Day Part 2 -

2008-01-27T02:52:00.000Z

As I've mentioned previously I do have the odd tendancy to go off on tangents - so in between knocking up my storage boxes I thought I would unmount some of my previously wooden mounted stamps, re mount them onto EZ mount and to also make A4 indexing file mounts for them.

TIPS: To get stamps off their mounts I pop them in my microwave for 10 seconds and test to see if they have loosened, if not pop them back in for another 5 seconds or you can try soaking them in hot water.

Cautionary note: EZ mount have issued a warning not to store EZmounted stamps on acetate as it can cause a chemical reaction and permanantly bond to your stamps. Laminated sheets are fine as they are PVC based.

Above stamps on their original mounts.

Stamps now de-mounted and EZ mounted. To make your index sheet you can either stamp each image or place your wooden mounts on to a photocopier or scanner . Try to use card for this as it will add to the overall strength and Remember to label your index sheet.

Place sheet in an A4 laminating pouch, if you used paper for your index sheet also slip a sheet of card under for extra strength and then run through your laminator, hot is best.

If you have clear stamps on an acetate index sheet and wish to make an A4 index filling sheet - you must put a sheet of card under the Acetate sheet before laminating or else it will buckle with the heat.

When punching your new index sheet, try to use a 4 hole system , 4 ring binders are easily available and come in sizes up to 90mm deep ( plenty of room for lots of index sheets ).
4 Ring binders will stabalise the index sheet and minimise the card from bending, this isn't so much a problem with clear polymer stamps but the weight of rubber stamps will allow a 2 hole system index sheet to bend.

For easy reference you can punch and file together any instruction / inspiration / idea sheets that go with your stamps.

You could use different colour binders for different stamp types for easy identification but if like me you have too many stamps then maybe an outer index on the spine would be better !

Ok so back to my storage box making !

Saturday - Clean Up Day - Organise Day !

2008-01-27T02:22:00.000Z

Ok so before I do any more crafting I really had to sort my office come craftroom out. So last night ( Fri ) off I went to Ikea for some more of their wooden storage box units, now the last time I got these they used to be ready made - not so any more. Funny but the idea of knocking up 20 odd boxes was only enlightened by the fact that I might be able to find things again !

Armed with hammer, nails and woodglue I managed to knock up this one - only another 21 drawers to do !!!!

Don't worry - the drawers won't stay blank for long ... I haven't decided whether to stamp them or paint a mural theme Hmmmnnn

Glendas Challenge - Jan 08

2008-01-25T02:30:00.000Z

Firstly I must keep up with this blog thing !
Ok so Glendas DTP Challenge, I have used two different methods for the Direct to paper, the traditional one with ink pads and also one using the Spray inks. Both results below. Just click pictures to see larger versions of them. Hope you like them.

Direct to paper using pigment inkpads.

The idea for this card was the gorgeous Sweetpeas that grow at the back of my garden. I've no idea where they came from, they just grow every year along with the wild Ivy.

Along with Butterflies we get the occasional Dragon flies.
The teals and turquoises are my representation of the foliage and purple the hues of the Sweetpeas.

Base card A6 off white semi sheen, using just Petal Point ink pads and Catseyes ink pads - first layers blending turquoise and teal, then blending the lilacs and deeper purples.

I used a single line diamond style border stamp on an angle for the netting / trellis effect, repeating using various colours to highlight where needed.

I stamped some twirling vines randomly over the background to replicate the leaves and tentacles of Sweetpeas.

Finally came the Dragon flies, again randomly stamped in a deep blue, coloured in with a dry paintbrush just dabbed on the various ink pads that I'd used for the background. I will eventually finish the Dragon flies with either some shimmer or acetate wings - not sure and no doubt when the time comes to it I'll probably do something completely different !

Direct to paper using Spray Inks

Nowadays with Spray inks so readily available I find them so versatile for backgrounds and really easy to work with. The Spray inks I used for the background are available from Graphicus which are the fabulous Glimmer Mists, these have a fantastic lustre and as the name says - they Glimmer ! Mmmmm yummy ! I need more !!!
I used the Golden Terracotta, Denim Blue and Lemon Zest ( Spring Fever Kit ) for this card.
The idea of this card was an old writing desk with it's worn leather, you know - the type that has the gold tooling around the edges.
TIPS: The card may get quite damp so I always use a little repositionable tape under the centre just to stabilise the card and stop it curling as much - I don't want that Glimmer mist running off !

I do apologise in advance but the Glimmer does not show up too well in photographs.

Shown in picture above: To make the background is completely random, this is why I think the spray inks are so good, with the ink pads you are placing colour where you want it, with the sprays you can never be too sure of what you may get but it will always look fantastic. I used 10cm square cream card.
I took the Lemon Zest and sprayed centrally, I could have now just used the Honeydew green mist around the edges but it's more fun experimenting. I know blue and yellow make green so I sprayed that more towards the edges.
Using a brush I just swirl and blend some of the puddled mists together, now I have a golden centre with an outer hint of green fading out to blue. I need some reds and browns.
Again red and green make - brown or some sort of shade of brown ! so I spray my Terracotta randomly around the edges and using my brushes I can now blend where I want deeper colours and using a stroke brush I pulled some of the blue back towards the centre.
As I had only used a little repositionable tape under the centre of the card it will still curl slightly but this will allow the mists to settle at the edge of the card - similar to creating an inked edge.
I'm impatient - want it now - so out came my heat gun, as I was drying it I used my brush in the areas I wanted more effect just to build up the colour. Finished result on the left.

Next the first stamp layer. This is a repeating damask background stamp, I used my Petal point ink pads - in a soft caramel.
( Sorry about picture but I'm still trying to catch that wonderful Glimmer effect ! )

My next stage was to replicate the effect of the tooling used on desk leathers, out came my border stamps and using a Versafine sepia I stamped the scrolling leaves on the left hand edge and the ornate corners on the right.
The pale damask background can still be seen under.
For my top layer I used a collage stamp which has a writing theme to it - letters, ink pen and ink pot, I used the Versafine sepia again but added hints of Versafine red to lift areas.
To add effect, shadows were used under the top letters and ink pen, I just used a dry brush and dabbed it on my ink pads and brushed gently where I wanted the shadows. You could also use pencils to do this effect.
Please definately click this picture as You can see the various colours in the background that were achieved just by the simple use of 3 Glimmer mists. ( Ideally and if you know what stamps you will be using - I would have stamped the top layer before the edge layers and masked it off ) So that's the topper as it stands now, it will go in my drawer and I will no doubt add more to it in time or re stamp the top layer so I can decoupage it !

Now I need to clean up and get a coffee !!!!

Close up of the shadows applied to the top letters and pen to add a feeling of depth. You can also see the hues of the blue mist in the left corner.

BELOW: Here's the GLIMMER - WOW ! I had to tilt the card in the sun ( yes we did have an odd ray of it today so off I rushed - camera in hand ).

1am in the morning and I'm still drawing !

2008-01-10T01:04:00.000Z

Just finishing a design on the PC and came across a few of my daughters jewellery designs so thought I'd pop them on for you all to see. She makes everything from earrings to charms, a lot of her beads are hand made, if you look closely you will see the mandrels in the centres. Where ever I go in the world I always try to bring her some beads and shells back with me and I was so pleased to see some beads from Cuba in the Dark coloured charm.
She was asked by a local craft store if she could give some lessons on jewellery making but unfortunately with her new Salon only opening October last year she hasn't much time. To say she's only 19 she's done so well and we're really proud of her.

Hope you like the pictures. Just click them to enlarge.

I've Been Good today - Well kind of !

2008-01-09T22:18:00.000Z

Hello number 2 ......... As a cautionary note I do have tendencies to go off on tangents so don't be surprised if I start talking about one thing and end up on a totally different subject.

OK so lets start off with me and what I do and what my passions are.

I'm a Northerner and proud of it, married to a wonderful husband who seems to put up with my crazy ideas - he's my true sole mate x
I have two great kids, both grown up ( or so they seem to think ! )

Along with my husband for the last 20 years we have manufactured and retailed hand made furniture in solid timbers, Oak, Pine etc , you can't beat real timber - but try telling my daughter that - she prefers scaffolding in her bedroom for a wardrobe !!! Running a business is not as easy as people seem to think it is - where does all the time go ?

I'm trying to get my accounts finalised ready for the Taxman - my own fault as I've left everything till the last minute ! But hey I'm a Virgo - I'm supposed to be organised LOL

In the spare time that I can muster I love crafting .... crafting to me is a total release from all the stresses of work, I just get so embroiled on what I'm doing that the hours just whizz past. I've been known to get an idea in my head at gone midnight and then I'm down in the kitchen till dawn trying it out. I must pop a note book handy somewhere as I've thought of a couple of card styles just before dropping off to sleep but by the time I've woken up they've gone :-( Do we start loosing our memory at 40 ? OK so I've lost a couple of years there hehehehe
I love designing my own papers and themes either by hand or on the PC and I'm going to start a new theme this January either based loosely on the William Morris styles or the Art Nouveau styles. I hope to use this blog to keep you all informed of my progress along the way and show you the finished results.

I have a real appreciation of Glenda Waterworths' designs, and for those who don't know who I'm on about please go see her Blog and her website http://www.graphicus.co.uk/ , Glendas' CDs are a must have for any crafter, the colourways make your mouth water just by looking at them. I've started using a type of pearlescent paper for printing the CD images, I got a good deal from a local paper company and thought what the heck I'll use it for something hey at 10p for an A2 sheet I wasn't going to pass it up. I must say the results are fantastic, the paper is white but has a soft gold effect pearl to it, so any colour comes out as normal but with this great gold pearl tint, I suppose it's similar to painting with H2O's or Mica's but a darn lot quicker with the printer.

I must have inherited my arty streak from my late Mum, she was always doing something to anything - we used to joke that if we stood still long enough she'd stencil us. My Mum passed away last Christmas through illness, she was only in her early sixties and had suffered a lot though her life and I'm so glad that during her last few years she came to live with us which in turn gave us the opportunity to look after her.

Mum lived in France in the Loire region for 12 years and hoped to run craft courses out there but unfortunately illness got the better of her. Mum had a love of animals as we all do in my family, she would take in injured and unwanted pets, she had 9 cats, 2 dogs, the ducks, chickens ( oh and Isabella the duck who thought she was a chicken and wouldn't go in the pond ! ) oh and the rabbit she rescued from the farmers next door before they ate it.

The manor house is still out there, still stencilled, marbled and sponged but we haven't had chance to get over to France for a while. Mum was a painter, embroiderer, stenciller, seamstress, you name it in crafting she did it. I'd love to think that wherever she is now is a much more colourful place - knowing mum she would have marbled the pearly gates ! white was always too bland for her. I miss her dearly x

OK back to me .....
So in true Virgo style I've started to sort out my office today, my office is part office and part craft room. My husband says I'm expanding slowly in to the showroom ! Lately with Christmas just gone it was more craft room and I really need to sort out the Christmas bits and pack them away until later this year when it will all come out again ready for the next one.
I've had a good sort out of most of my rubber stamp collection, the ones which were rarely used and I definitely know I'm not going to use them again have gone to a friend who has just started crafting. I've finally got round to laminating the design sheets for my newer unmounted stamps so have now filled those away - anyone who has the Ez mounted or Klingon backed stamps this is a great tip for storing them: TIP: Laminate your index sheets - If you don't have an index sheet then stamp your images first on to a piece of paper ( remember to allow a little room between each image ) then put your index sheet in an A4 laminate pouch and run through your laminater - hot is best. Punch the side to suit the file type you are using, I prefer the 4 hole but that's only because it's all I've got in the office but I also find it holds the laminated card better with the stamps on. Now you can put your stamps away nice and neatly and you can use tabbed dividers so you can arrange them by style etc !

Now I don't know if I'm supposed to do this but I've also remounted some of my previously wooden mounted stamps. I found that with some of my older ones I could easily & gently peel them away from the original foam mount and remount them on to EZ mount, but being me and not quite content with that I grabbed my new Anna Griffin wood mounted background stamps and thought Hmmmm and guess what I remounted those too, so tomorrow will be another index making and filling session. Next comes sorting out the paper and card Argghhhhhh

I'll pop a photo on tomorrow to show you the results.

Well that's enough for tonight .... I have emails to answer and an Acanthus leaf to draw !

Hello

2008-01-06T22:57:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my Blog.

I am sat here creating my first Blog and I'm supposed to be catching up on my accounts - yikes !

Ok so this is my first posting and hopefully I'll be able to add more each day.

So I'm off to tweak my Blog and then in the immortal words of Arnold Swarchenegger .....

I'll Be Back !