Monday and another working week, for many

Morning,

Busy day for me today so just a quick fly by visit ..... I'm off out in a very short while, meeting a pal for coffee, but I have a couple of cards to share with you today ....

 

Scraping in under the wire with this entry for CASology's "FLUTTER" challenge! I needed a quick THANK YOU card and this just seemed to fit the bill .... it was (originally) going to be much grungier but .... you know what they say .. "Less really IS more"!!!

 

 

My CAS card

 

And the co-ordinating inside and envelope

 

Materials used:

• 5" x 7" white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado butterfly image stamped using Memento Bahama blue ink
• Paper Artsy "splatter" image stamped using Encore gold ink
• Imagine That sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival cobalt blue ink
• Stardust stickles randomly applied - to give some sparkle - can never have too much sparkle!

 

And my second card, another thank you ....
 

My CAS card

And the inside and envelope, to co-ordinate! Yee Haa!

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panel (x 2 including insert)
• An A4 of pink card cut to fit my image panels using the 1/16" edge of my perfect layering ruler and a craft knife
• Hero Arts cling rubber stamps - inked using Memento tangelo, dandelion and rosebud
• Inkadinkado wordy sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Crafters Companion Spray and Shine - to seal and protect in transit!

I'll be entering this over at Simply Less Is More's "Mostly Words" challenge, for the "CAS" challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More and also for the sketch challenge over at Unscripted sketches .... and the sketch? Well I turned mine but I think you can plainly see the sketch ....

Happy Monday, may your week pass quickly in to the weekend!

Lazy Sunday again

Hi peeps,

 

Another Sunday morning and I hope you have something nice planned for today. My hubby's off to the flying field and I imagine that I'll be at home and crafting - YAY! This way, we're both happy!

Yesterday saw us heading to the home of my brother and sister-in-law as it was my brothers BIG birthday earlier in the week, they were having a family tea. They live about a 40 minute drive from us so, not that far at all. The birthday party went well and everyone had a splendid afternoon and evening

 

I have a card made using a very fun technique which I'm sure many of you have tried ... I know I've had fun with this before but .... the Friday Mashup current challenge is: to use the "Ink blowing technique" OR a colour challenge (Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and Basic Black) OR both!!! Yee Haa!, I just had to go for it ... because I used snippets I shall be entering this in Di's "snippets challenge" over at Pixie's Crafty Workshop too. I forgot just how far those alcohol inks can go though!, so I now have some lovely blue spatters on my water spray and glue bottles ... oopsie!

 

 

 

 

Materials used:

• White C6, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white gloss and black cardstock (no new sheets of card were harmed in the making of this card!)
• Visible Image INKognito flower and stem stamped on to the gloss cardstock using Ranger Archival jet black (I had to have two goes at this because the first time the image stuck so firmly that much of the colour came back off too - round two feature a liberal sprinkling of pounce/talc)
• Adirondack alcohol inks: stream and sunshine yellow - closest I own to the specified colours - I don't think they look too different, do you?
• A straw .... for the blowing part! - though you could use an old biro and simply take the ink part out
• Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle to both seal and add a little "bling" - you can never have too much bling I find!

 

Happy Sunday peeps

Saturday challenge day

Hey there

 

How's your weekend?

 

Last evening saw me heading to dinner with a couple of pals. Not long ago we dined at the third pal's and then it was my turn .... last night it was the last of the three of us. We've known each other almost forever and it never seems to matter how long it's been since we saw one another - we just pick up where we left off. FAB isn't it? I hope you all have great friends like that too. Dinner was yummy too with lots of nibbly bits to start, a gorgeous lamb and apricot tagine with couscous and then tiramisu and fresh strawberries, all washed down with a couple of glasses of Prosecco - YUM! Can't wait to do it all again!

 

Anyway, Saturday is normally my challenge day and, hungover or not, today is no different!!! FYI it's NOT ..... to the hangover issue!!

 

Over at Simply Less Is More their new challenge is :- "Mostly Words"

 

My card



And a close up of that twinkle - super Christmas-y!

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panel (x 2 including insert)
• 14cm square bright blue card panel (x 2 including insert)
• Fiskars sentiment stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Craft Stamper free snowflake image (by Chocolate Baroque) stamped using Memento Bahama blue ink ... stamped off once in each case (if you compare it to the non stamped off version inside then I THINK you will agree it was the way to go...)
• Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle - iridescent - to add some real Christmas-y twinkle!

 

And a peek at the inside and the envelope too ...

Another to add to my ever growing collection - someone said (only yesterday) that they thought I must be about ready to start on my 2015 quota - how close they were too!!! Being challenge day I'm likely to head off and make another card but will TRY to make it something other than a Christmas card - wonder how that will work out!!!

I'll also be entering the above card for the "Clean And Simple" challenge over at A gem of a challenge

Happy Saturday - have a good one

Here comes the weekend!

Morning all,

 

Hope you've enjoyed your week so far and have plenty to look forward to this weekend. Me? I'm out to dinner with two pals .. poor hubby's left to fend for himself but don't feel too sorry for him - he's a great cook so he certainly won't starve!!!

Yesterday it was my turn for a trip to the hairdressers, so I'm feeling "properly pruned"!!! Yesterday afternoon I nipped round to my neighbours (she's "real mum" to the surrogates regular readers will know about). Surrogate grandson #2 was there so I "fixed" his stethoscope for him!! His dad collected him whilst I was there and left the other surrogate grandson .... who'd been doing some baking at school so I got to come with some cheese scones, and very nice they were too - THANKS "H"!

Clare set the challenge over on Craftbubble 2½'s group "Craft Mad and Loving It" (membership required) for Rudolph Day yesterday and she went with "FREE AND EASY" for the challenge and here's what I came up with .... using  a CAS style and a free image

My card

A close up showing the twinkle

The co-ordinating inside and envelope

And the "FREE" stamp set used

Materials used:

• White C6, 300 gsm, scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Daisy and Dandelion image (fre with unknown magazine) stamped on to a die cut circle using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Alcohol markers to colour
• Stardust stickles to highlight
• Die cut scallop edged circle cut from red card
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped on to my card blank using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Crafters Companion silver Spray and Sparkle sprayed over the card front to add lots of Christmas-y twinkle!!

 

I'll also be entering this as my second entry over at Cute Card Thursday, where their challenge is to "use dies and/or punches" and I used two die cut circles! And as a second entry over at Addicted to Stamps and More where the challenge is: "CAS" and, as Kylie's just reminded me .... over at Addicted to CAS where the challenge is: "CUDDLY!"

Many of my regular readers will recall that we often get awakened by the crows chorus as they convene of a morning .... not this morning! Not sure if this little critter was waiting for the crows or just plain optimistic ..

And now for the Friday Funny, this week coming to you courtesy of Trading card buddy, PatG, I can truly say that "I got it off Pat!" - you're in the 2014 draw!

 

OIL SHORTAGE

 

A lot of people can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country.

 

Well, there's a very simple answer.

 Nobody bothered to check the oil.

 We just didn't know we were getting low.

 The reason for that is purely geographical.

 Our OIL is located in The North Sea

BUT

 Our DIPSTICKS are located in Westminster !!!

 Any Questions?

 NO?

 I didn't think so!!

 

Have a great weekend everyone

Hi there and welcome to RUDOLPH DAY - not many left now!

Morning all,

Last night saw us both out, with a pal, for a curry - the weather was certainly cold enough too!! Nights are drawing in and there's definitely an air of autumn in the air - darn it!

Here we are at Rudolph Day once more ... hard to believe that there are just TWO left .... OMG! WHERE did 2014 go????? Not started your Christmas cards yet? OH MY! Where have you been? Best you get cracking - about 25 for each of these challenges should bring you up to date! GOOD LUCK

 

I've been trying to keep on top of my Christmas card makes this year and have endeavoured to enter as many Christmas card challenges as possible to help with this ..... On Craftbubble2½ (membership required) there is a Rudolph Day challenge, this month to be set by Clare, so I may be back later with another post .... she's chosen "FREE and EASY" as her theme and this might take some thinking about!

Sarn of Stampingforpleasure just asks that TWO Christmas cards appear in the same post to be eligible ... so, here are my two

 

Here's my CAS card featuring Sparkle, Red and a Die cut (2 in fact)

Close up of the sparkle!

The co-ordinating inside and the envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panel (x 2 including the insert) plus snippets for image and sentiment
• Red card for matting and a snippet for die cutting
• Fizzy moon image and sentiment stamped on to white card snippets using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Alcohol markers to colour and a Wink of Stella glitter touch using black and clear
• Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle (silver) sprayed over the large white card panel and the sentiment panel to "bling it up"!

 

I'll be entering this card for theFollowing challenges too:

1. Addicted to Stamps and More, where the challenge is CAS
2. Merry Monday "BINGO" challenge ....... I went top to bottom and selected:- SPARKLE, DIE CUT and RED
3. Cute Card Thursday - use dies and punches .... I used the scalloped square and fancy bookplate dies

 

And the second entry to qualify for Sarn's Rudolph Day:-

My card

And co-ordinating insert and envelope

Here's the close up which shows the overall twinkle!!

Materials used:

• Cream linen effect DL card and matching sized envelope
• Stamps Happen "DollyMama" image stamped on to a snippet of white card using Ranger Archival jet black ink (I used the same on the envelope but Versafine smokey grey on the inside ... in case I need to write over the image)
• Alcohol markers and Copic Atyou Spica glitter pen to colour image
• Hero Arts Sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card using Ranger Archival jet black ink and then cut out
• Red card snippets for matting
• Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle used to both seal and add twinkle to the entire card front

My thanks to the Design Team over at 52CCT where my card was picked for an Honourable Mention for the last colour challenge.

Have a great Rudolph Day!

Morning readers - food alert!

Morning all

I see the post title got you interested .... anyone who knows me personally will know that I'm no domestic goddess (too many other more creative things to keep me occupied!) so it will no doubt come as a bit of a surprise to see the photos below! Ah well, I wish I could lay total claim to it but ..... the photo truly owes more to my dear hubby (who DOES like to cook - thank heavens!) and to the person who sent me the recipe .... read on ...

 

We had friends round to dinner on Sunday evening and it was the inaugural "outing" of crunchy chicken and the lime torte (THANKS Sarn for the recipe!)

  

Didn't it look YUMMY?

  

I would have taken a photo of the crunchy chicken except it looked awful before cooking - all pale and salmonella like! - and I'm afraid we served it with noodles which meant "For heavens sake .... eat it whilst it's hot!", what I'm trying to say is that you will just have to imagine what crunchy chicken might look like all stuffed with peppers and fresh tarragon, served with noodles in a red pepper sauce. Trust me when I say it was DELISH!

Meanwhile, over at the Pan Pastels challenge blog, their new challenge (launched on Sunday) is: "To add some embossing"  and I thought it was time I entered again as I've missed a good few challenges - sorry peeps, not sure how that happened. You don't HAVE to use Pan Pastels but the winner DOES get to win some of the little pots of gorgeousness!

My "embossed" card

And the co-ordinating inside and envelope

 

Materials used:

• White C5, 300gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Purple mirri card and black card for matting and layering
• White card run through my Big Shot inside a scrummy floral embossing folder (not sure who's .. as it belonged to my mate Wynneth - thanks mate)
• I applied Versamark ink all over the embossed panel before applying Pan Pastels (using Sofft tools) in shades of green/pink/purple/silver/gold and red ..... and buffing with a cloth
• Spray and Sparkle iridescent sprayed over to A) be sure the chalk set and B) add lots of super twinkle
• My panel was then matted first on to purple mirri card and then black card using the 3/16" and 1/16" perfect layering rulers and my trusty craft knife!
• Imagine That sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card and then cut out and matted on to a snippet of black card.
• Because I used an embossing folder I couldn't QUITE carry my design through to the inside and envelope (you wouldn't be able to write on it and the Post Office would have trouble too!) so I picked a stylised flower by Hampton Arts, stamped in Ranger Archival jet black instead!

 

 

I'm also going to try entering the above card at CrazyforCAS where they've a photo for inspiration .. I took the sort of flower shaped swirls and the variety of colours for my inspiration

Over at Merry Monday those inventive peeps on the Design Team have come up with BINGO!, so I might just have to have a go at this .... make a Christmas card using three elements you choose from side to side, top to bottom or diagonal - woo hoo!

Slept like a top last night - just as well as I'm sure that I would have been kept awake by the spider who was busy creating the spidey equivalent of "The Shard" around my bedroom light fitting! It wasn't there yesterday, honest! It'll be gone shortly - frankly, I'd be too embarrassed to leave it there! I do hope it's not one of those "giant" spiders we've been reading about!

Happy Tuesday

Lazy Sunday

Morning everyone,

Yesterday was a funny old day which started off with no water!! yes, NO WATER!!!! It had been off when we'd gone to bed but who'd a thunk it would still have been off when we got up! Still, it DID come back - we were able to shower before heading out - something the person we were visiting was no doubt glad about!!!! Delivered a brand spanky new printer to a friend and my dear hubby installed it and all the appropriate drivers etc - our friend was DELIGHTED and my hubby came away from there with numerous goodies which clearly showed her appreciation! Thanks matey ... some of it was the sharing kind (wine!) too so I may even get to benefit from her gratitude.

When we got home the water was running clear, darn it - so there was no postponing the usual weekend chore of laundry etc!

However, I did get to trawl t'internet a smidge and a couple of challenges took my eye .... Craftyhazelnut's weekly challenge (and challenge extra) this week may indeed prove to be a challenge to many people .... sort of lends itself to CAS though! What IS it? It's "to make a Christmas card in 20 minutes or less" with the added rider that this excludes the time taken to assemble materials ... and Addicted to CAS has the challenge to produce a CAS card which is "CUDDLY". I can never resist these kind of challenges so ... camera in hand I snapped the clock as I readied my materials and started my creative engine! Here's what happened over the following twenty minutes!
 

And here is my cuddly CAS Christmas card in less than 20 minutes ..... see below

 

OK, so this is the clock as I started

Materials assembled though not all cut ...

Look - time to spare, maybe I've time to do the envelope

Yep!!! and you can see that the clock is reading 3:35 - BINGO I made it!

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square of white card (x 2 including insert) + snippet for image
• Blue holographic card for matting
• Panel of "faux mother of pearl" card from a recent experiment (if you missed it then .. see it here), matted on to a snippet of holographic blue card
• Go Kreate oval die used to cut a white oval from a snippet - slightly larger than my cuddly snowman (OK so ..... who's NEVER snuggled up to a snowman???) and my Inkadinkado snowman stamped using Ranger Archival cobalt blue ink
• Kaisercraft sentiment stamped on to a white snippet using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Stardust stickles used to highlight and Gold Pro Marker to colour his nose
• Silver Spray and Sparkle spritzed over the front of my card to give added twinkle (like it needed it!!!)

And, as if to prove the point ... here's a close up to show the super twinkle!!!

And there you have it, in under 20 minutes, a CAS Christmas card using a cuddly image! I'll also be entering this at the "Anything Goes" challenge over at Avenue 613 .... AND I get to enter it for Di's "Snippets challenge" over at Pixie's Crafty Workshop - reSULT!!!

 

 

And, further to my experiment with shaving foam and alcohol inks .... I sort of wondered whether the current craze for brusho's could be deployed.

 

This time I decided to use cling film as my non stick base ... thinking I could then simply wad it up (excess shaving foam an all) and throw it away rather than using copious quantities of paper towel!!! I squirted a covering of shaving foam (not a huge amount as, frankly, I was only half expecting this to work) and sprinkled black and lemon brusho crystals on .... no activation - hmmm. My inner coward MADE ME spray just the teensiest amount of water ..... then I swirled (I used another of those gourmet coffee shop wooden stirring sticks) and pressed my snippet of card in. On removal I took my paper towel and sort of scraped (MISTAKE! Memo to self, remove excess foam in a swirling motion ... you will see why when you look at the photo) off the excess. Hmm, you can see where I smudged the black brusho but, in the main I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how well this worked. I may try it again but will be a bit more careful in the preparation and removal of the foam .. check it out

 

I think "scraping" is the cause of the smudging, need to be "double dog" careful
because of the brusho activation with moisture

 

I think you'll agree though, despite needing a little refinement, the technique DOES work with brusho crystals!

Was it me or was there really almost NOTHING on the TV yesterday? I thought I'd missed a Public Holiday when I saw that the Great Escape was on!!! Early night for me, last night, with my kindle!

 

Have a great Sunday

 

Saturday and it's another challenge day for me ......

Morning readers

 

How are you all? Hope your Saturday has kicked off well and that you have lots of things to look forward to this weekend.

 

I have a couple of things to share with you today .... my dear hubby went shopping yesterday (for household and grocery supplies) and I asked him to add shaving foam to the list ... I've been wanting to try the shaving foam technique for AGES and ages but .... I only have about three re-inkers. I had a sudden lightbulb moment and a quick search of youtube confirmed my suspicions. YES, alcohol inks work too!!! YAY! I certainly have a few of those as anyone who's visited my home to craft will attest!

 

I chose to work with just four today though .... the youtube videos suggested using a paper plate but (rather recklessly) I decided to "wing it" as we don't have any paper plates! I just used a non stick craft sheet (actually acquired from Aldi - its original purpose being an oven sheet, we crafters will use ANYTHING!)

 

Ready to roll

And then .... a shake (of the shaving foam) and a smoosh (of shaving foam again) a drizzle (alcohol inks) and a swizzle of both the foam and the inks and ....

 

Does this remind anyone else of bakewell tarts?

And with some pre cut card at the ready ......

 

A splendidly messy technique, just a bit of fun!

 

Kitchen roll deployed to wipe off the excess and then set aside to dry .. I re-inked just once to get the examples below

 

And there you have it .... some background papers!

 

I imagine that, with practice, you could become quite adept at making patterns but mine just smooshed! I imagine I've used about 2% of my foam so still plenty of life (and backgrounds) in the tin yet .... AND I have a stock of alcohol inks in various colours which may live to play another day.

 

Over at Simply Less Is More their new challenge is:-

"Face the music and dance"

My CAS card

 

A close up - to show the sparkle!

 

And a view of the inside and envelope
Yes, I went with "Anniversary", I figured the sparkle made it super special enough!

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of: white card, black card, silver mirri card
• Unknown image of dancing couple (unmounted and unpackaged .... my memory's good ... but not THAT good!) stamped using Versafine onyx black ... for a good solid impression
• Twinkling H2O in lavender water coloured on to the dancers dress, to give a little definition
• Panel then sprayed with silver Spray and Sparkle to both set and add super twinkles!!
• Close to my Heart sentiment
• FOR THE INSIDE I added the anniversary sentiment by Hero Arts

 

Super speedy finishing my entry for LIM this week because I have to head out shortly and hubby's rubbish at this card making malarkey so I thought I'd get a wiggle on and get it done  before I went!! We had no water when I got up anyway so it's not like I could put laundry in or even get showered!!

Happy Saturday