A birthday card and an ATC

My friend Kate asked me to make a card for her Neice who is forty next week. I resorted to the cuttlebug again, but used the paisley embossing folder on these numbers. The background paper is from the Artilicious cd called Filigree Fusion. I thought they complemented each other well.

This ATC is my second for the Crafty Individuals competition. I stamped the Swirl stamp over Direct to paper using broken china distress ink, and highlighted with a white pen. the butterfly is from their flowers and butterflies minatures book.

A productive weekend

It has been a very cold weekend and staying indoors has meant that I've got lots done. I now have 6 ATCs for the Crafty Individuals competition, I've done a couple of cards that people at work asked for and one I need myself. The card above uses a Hero Arts stamp called Dandelion. The photo doesn't do it justice, as it is stamped onto a background using crative colour sprays from Crafty Notions.

This is a cuttlebug card - the lettering is a sizzix sizzlet and the shoes are made using a brass stencil, then coloured with chalks.

Finally, this uses a stamp from Stamporium that I've had for years, but have only used a couple of times. I can't begin to tell you how much better this one is compared to the previous cards made with it! I used clear embossing powder over the dolphins to protect them from the ink. This is sponged rather than brayered onto a semi- shiny card stock. I will post pictures of my ATCs when I've had the chance to photograph them in daylight.

Babies and Birthdays

I've been busy trying to make a few ATCs for the Crafty Individuals ATC competion. This is my first. I'm rather pleased with it!

This was the card we sent to my mother-in-law. She loves pansies and violas, and I just had a small piece of this lovely backing paper left. the stamp is from Hero Arts.

When I returned to work, one of my friends asked me to make a card for her niece who is due to have twins on Friday. After a bit of thought I decided to make a gatefold, as she is having a girl and a boy, and use one side for each. No stamping at all on this one, but lots of use of my cuttlebug, embossing folders, a sizzix sizzlet, a circle punch and a heart-shaped punch. I'm quite surprised I managed to make it without stamping once!

Sunsets

I had a look on Michelle Zindorf's latest blog entry and she asked about favourite colour combinations for sunsets, so I had a look for some of the sunsets Meg and I took photos of on holiday in the summer. Some are in the Lakes and some are views across the sea to Arran and Ailsa Craig on the West coast of Scotland. I love the colours in all of these.

Playing with adirondack colour washes

The background papers for these two cards were created with Adirondack colour washes. Every so often I get them out and make a pile of paper really colourful. I then let them dry off, iron them flat and wait to be inspired! The first card features stamps from the Peacock Glory plate by Graphicus. The second card has a Dandelion seed head by Crafty Individuals and 'Real Dill' from Hero Arts on the background. These cards were the result of my last colour wash session. Messy but fun!

Happy New Year!

I thought I'd look back through my photos and select the best of what I've created this year. I feel I've come a long way creatively, particularly with stamping. I have taken inspiration from Michelle Zindorf, Glenda Waterworth, Jean Hardy, Deby at Just add Love and of course my good friend Lynne. I'm not sure about New Year resolutions - I'd like to get fitter, lose a bit of weight, create more, spend less... I'd also like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone who reads my blog. I'm always thrilled when people leave comments or rate my entries. It is so good to get feedback. Blog-wise I've had help and inspiration from Guzziesue and Biker Ted - many thanks!

Shopping

Today Meg and I went out to do a bit of shopping. We went to Craft Central at Derby Garden Centre, only to find they have called in the recievers and are selling off stock before they close. Very, very sad - a recent discovery hit by the recession. We came home via Hobbycraft and Range, where I found out about the Create a Card for Cancer Care campaign. It is being run by Do Crafts and Marie Curie. I got my bags from Range at Lady Bay retail park, but there are more details here. I intend to make quite a few.

January Birthdays

Whilst I had the Cuttlebug out I decided to try a brass stencil in it using the rubber mat I have and came up with this. The stencil is from Lasting Impressions and I have used it alot. Then I turned my thoughts to my brother's birthday on 7th January. Knowing how much he admired Megan's Christmas card I decided to do him a wolf too, but not in snow this time. I'm quite pleased with him. The Wolf/ husky is a Clarity Stamp, the leaves are Lavinia and the bracken Crafty Individuals. The small fir tree is by Making tracks, inc.

Finally I moved onto a card for my mother-in-law. Her birthday is on the 4th January. I came up with this initially, but on second thoughts it might be a bit modern for her taste. The stamp is from Stamp to your Arts Content, but I'm not sure how clear the Clematis image will be to an 84 year old, so I might just have another go.

I feel very positive about today. The cooker is fixed, Meg has been out on her new bike, I've made cards, done the shopping and had some R'n' R. Planning for next term is looming now!

Wild Meadow background

I've been playing with a few stamps (Wild Meadow and Autumn table from graphicus) I started off stamping the bracken in versamark onto slightly shiny white card. I then sponged over it using Distress inks in broken china and peeled paint. It was okay, but needed something else, so I stamped some leaves and stems over it. In a bid to get the ink off the versamark images I used a damp sponge that softened and blended the colours a little more. I quite like this background now, but don't know what to do with it, so I'll put it on one side till I get some more inspiration!

Santa was very generous!

Well, I have finally managed to get round to playing with a few of the lovely gifts I recieved from Santa. My Christmas had a distinct Graphicus flavour, with Wild meadow, arboretum and the triple birds plate, and Nature's table and Autumn hedgerow thrown in for good measure! I also got a proper cuttlebug. A few years ago - just before they brought out the cuttlebug I bought a zip-e-mate, and although I have had my money's worth out of it the cuttlebug takes up a lot less space and is more suited to my needs. The bird stamp (Graphicus) is stamped onto shiny card and sponged over with butterscotch and stonewashed Adirondak inks. I inked the Cuttlebug embossing folder with silver brilliance ink before putting it through.

There's an Angel by the name of Julie that lives up my road

There I was on Christmas Day cooking a fairly simple dinner ( just the 3 of us to cater for ) when a fuse blew and the cooker and Microwave went off. We went to the fuse box and switched everything back on one at a time and all seemed well... until I realised the oven was no longer steaming up my glasses and I couldn't hear the Duck portions sizzling any more. I have a cooker with a small top oven as well as a main oven, so I quickly got that going and transferred the duck. The problem that was causing me to panic was the fact that I was cooking Christmas dinner for seven on Boxing Day, and was staring at a huge Turkey that would fit into my top oven about as easily as Dawn French would fit into a size 8. I could cook everything else - roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, brussels, broccoli, gravy, bread sauce, and stuffing, but not that one vital ingredient. I even looked at saws in the garage, wondering whether to chop it up and just roast a bit of it, or stew it in a big pan!

Anyway, after lunch I got a text from my friend Julie thanking me for their presents. I rang her back to see if she would be around on Boxing Day, and she immediately said she would cook my Turkey for me! I took it up there at 9am and Steve fetched it, swathed in towels to keep it warm at one o'clock. I think that must be the sign of a true friend - someone who would cook your turkey for you, and to perfection too! So, on Boxing Day our whole house toasted Julie, for saving our Turkey (or should that be Bacon)!
Thanks is such a small word, but means such a lot!

Merry Christmas!

Meet Tufty! This beautiful little robin spent his juvenile days hoping around our garden in the summer of 2007. He was very bold and regularly landed a few feet away. As he got his adult plumage he followed us around the garden and we nearly put our hands on him when he kept settling on the spade handle!

I spotted him on Tuesday (really murky day, so bad picture!) with a little gift... for this young lady...