Snowman Freinds

I have another snowman card to share with you.  This is the cute LOTV stamp and I've coloured with my Copics then added flaky glitter and pearl falling flakes.

Now, before I show you the card, I have to say that it's not one of my best and I actually thought about ditching it .. .. but, the paper is Marianne Design and has been stuck down on the card base for a year - waiting!  And I am determined to use up those started but not finished bits and pieces and the boxes of odds and ends.  So, here is the card:

I think it's the colour that puts me off - I don't associate brown with Christmas!  I tried lightening things up with extra bright white Marianne Design die cut snowflakes too.  And then there was that tree .. .. I recently got the two new MD tree dies and had this one cut out from a dark kraft card as an experiment - and I hate to throw anything away.  So I covered it with the flaky glitter too and popped it in behind my picture.  It's growing on me and I guess some folks like brown!

There's lots of challenges with Christmas themes so I'm going to enter my cute snowman into the Allsorts blog, Winter Wonderland, and the ABC Christmas blog who are up to the letter 'V' for very cute - he is a very cute snowman!

CCT Sparkles!

This week at Cute Card Thursday our theme is Sparkles! so your chance to add glitter and sparkly stuff to your creations!  Our sponsor is All Dressed Up and the rest of the team have been able to use some very cute digi images from Wendy's store, unfortunately I still can't print out digi images .. .. .. Please stop by the CCT blog to see what the team have created and read all about the prize.

I've inked up my favourite snowman, again.  He is from Serendipity Stamps and I wish still available from stores here in the UK.  He gets inked up regularly every year.  This time he's had Viva Decor 3d snow and glitter added along with touches of glaze pen too.  Here's the card:

It's a 5"x7" and I've covered the background with a piece of pretty snowflake paper from the Marianne Design Eline's Beach House, the soft blues are so pretty and I didn't want to cover up the design with more layers.  Unfortunately the colour looks washed out in my picture and more grey than blue, the camera is on the blink again or more likely the operator doesn't know the settings to use .. .. maybe I should have switched to the seaside setting to pick up the blues a bit better - must remember to try that on my next blue creation.  My favourite snowman is coloured with the soft blue denim Copic shades and wood tones, you don't need to be too precise as the stamped image has a rough pencil drawn effect so is easy to colour.  To add more sparkle I've cut the Winter text die from sparkly card, and some of the snowflakes too, others have been inked and glittered. The pretty ribbon across the bottom of the card is a sparkly organza and I've added a row of flat backed pearls across the middle for a little extra shine.

And to finish things off I've added even more Stickles sparkle onto the paper design.

The Holly Jolly Christmas blog challenge is for Snowmen this week, and it's the same at Crafty Ribbons. While over on the Christmas Card challenge blog it's an anything goes theme - to I'll enter my card with all of them.

And I almost forgot it was Rudolph Days at Scrappy Mo's blog!  From the 25th to the end of each month you enter a Christmas creation with a chance to win a prize.

Thank you for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!

my new chalk pot

After watching the Viva Decor clips on YouTube about using this chalky paint, I decided to get the starter pack from Buddly Crafts and give it a go.  I've used Rustoleum chalk paint and wax on furniture to give the shabby chic look, but found the paint quite thin and have needed to use at least 3 coats to get a good coverage.  So, I was interested to see what this one could do .. ..

First up - it goes on glass and other non-pourous surfaces, as well as wood, mdf etc.  It's a soft buttery consistency so does give a good coverage when sponged on and dries rock hard, and I think from translation it can be used out doors.  I did learn from re-watching that if you want to do the 2 colour shabby look, don't leave your top coat of colour for more than 10 mins before starting to rub back or you'll never get it rubbed off and show the first colour underneath!  It does give good coverage.  Here's my first finished project:

I've made myself a new shabby chic pot for storing my everyday craft items from a small coffee jar.

The design on the front is created with this stencil and the Crystal clear Glas Effekt Gel.  I put the gel on through the stencil direct from the bottle as it has quite a fine nozzle, but as this is my first attempt I can see I missed a bit here and there.  The idea from the YouTube clip is that you cover the whole jar with 2 coats of chalk paint then when it's dry you sand back to reveal the clear design underneath.  I can tell you, that sanding back is hard work!  Still, the shabby chic look is there.  As the design is not that proud of the glass it's difficult not to sand back some of the paint off the flat jar around the design .. .. thankfully a little touching up afterwards solved that problem.

Here's a close up of the design:

I die cut the Marianne Design mini poinsettia from vellum, 2 layers of each size, then added Stickles around the edge and a bling stone in the middle before hot gluing onto the jar.

I decorated around the neck with some white pom-pom trim and striped gross grain ribbon to match the blue paint.

That glass effect gel goes rock hard - you can't get that off!  I am thinking it would look pretty with just little dots above the frosting that I've done previously, so will give that a go.  Or, as it comes in different colours and is weatherproof, it might be an idea to create some interesting garden ornaments - I could even stain glass the shed window!

Thanks for stopping by to take a look - and perhaps I've inspired you to make something a bit different and expand your crafting mojo!

Trick or Treat!

Another Halloween card creeping in today!   This is one of my old Elisabeth Bell stamps from years ago and I don't think it's available as a digi - at least I didn't see it in the collection.

I've stamped and coloured with my Copic pens then put the card together with odds and ends of Nitwits digi papers from my bit basket.  Here's the card:

I've added a Penny Black die cut sentiment, punched stars and the die cut mini leaves from the Marianne Design Autumn leaves strip die. I've also done my faux embossed stitching around the edges of each layer and inked with Niagara Mist chalk ink.

There are a couple of challenges I can enter: both The Craft Barn and Sweet Stampin' have Halloween themes going on, whilst Crafty Cardmakers are looking for Autumnal colours.

Have a lovely Sunday, whatever you are doing.  Here in North Cornwall it is a glorious Autumn day with blue skies and no wind!  Rare in these parts so I'm going to make the most of it with Izzy.  Thanks for stopping by and please, tick a box before you leave.

Frosted Spice Jar

I'm back working in miniature! This is just a little empty Tesco spice jar, so about 90cm or 3.5" tall.

I was chatting on the Buddly Crafts Facebook page recently and got sidetracked into ordering the Viva Decor Matt Glass Paint in Mother of Pearl.  After watching how easy it looked on YouTube, I was hooked!  And yes, it is easy!

I taped masking tape around the jar, about where the lace is, and then sponged on the paint, this is just one coat.  Once dry it is rock hard and the jar can be cleaned with a damp cloth, and it comes in different colours too, I might have to try another one!

I've stuck down the two rows of cotton lace with thin red line tape and then added the fancy white and purple ribbon between them.  A rummage in my neglected flower bag came up with this lilac bloom, and I die cut a couple of leaves from pearl card with Marianne Design Craftable die Autumn Leaves.  I found hot glue was the best for fixing the embellishments and added the snips of Aurora pearl string and a little bow.

Here's a view from the side so you can see the lace better.  And I've also fixed a Marianne Design swirl cut from the pearl card and glued down over the frosted finish.

Around the neck of the jar I simple wound some soft string and tied a knot leaving the ends so I could add a little tag and a beaded charm.

Here's a close up of the embellishment.

I hope you like my miniature project.  I have another bit bigger jar as work in progress so once I figure out how to decorate it, I'll be back to share it with you.  I'm thinking it will be a nice T-light holder with the light flickering through the Mother of Pearl frosting .. .. ..

Thank you for stopping by, please tick a box, or if you have time leave me a comment and I will pay you a visit too!

Moonlit night

Time for another challenge at Cute Card Thursday, and this week it's anything goes!  Our sponsor for this challenge is Pinky Dolls and some of the DT have used digi images from their store, so stop by the blog to read all about the prize and see what they made.

I really couldn't get motivated this week, so have been gardening instead! That being so, I had to look at my un-blogged creations to find something to share with you .. .. this is a card made from the rest of the mixed media painted card I made a while back.  You can see the Halloween card I created with the other half here. This one is a winter card and will probably be used for a winter birthday or to send to one of my friends celebrating Yule.

I've used a stencil along the top and down the right sight with transparent paste then added fine black glitter while the paste was still wet.  For the moon I punched out a circle from card to create a mat and did the same, but with shimmery glitters from my stash.

To finish I die cut the Marianne Design fence and trees from black card, then added 3d snow to the fence and dusted it with glitter too.

Here's a close up of my painted background:

It's created with a selection of old pearl and translucent paints, then I went over with the Tim Holtz crackle glaze.  And you can see the different shades of glitter on the moon better now, it's a real shimmery sparkly number!

I hope you like it - no other challenges I can see to link it up to but please do let me know if you can think of any.

I am playing about with some new crafty goodies and altered things .. .. messy but fun and hopefully I'll have something to share with you soon.  Thanks for stopping by, and please tick a box if you can.

Two little cards for Marianne Design

The latest challenge over on the Marianne Design blog is to make 2 little cards size 10cmx10cm - that's around 4" square in imperial measurements.  The cards don't have to be the same, but can be if you want.

Here are mine.  I've made a base from dark kraft card then used Carnation White card with a little texture and pretty paper from the Marianne Design Victorian Vintage paper pack, and I've distressed the edges to keep with the vintage theme.  I'll show them each to you individually, but first here's the insides:

More of the same papers with a bit of fussy cutting embellishment on one, and for the other I die cut the round doily die and inked with Wheat chalk ink.

The sentiment is an old magazine freebie and I've stamped that with Perfect Plumeria chalk ink, I think it's more burgundy than plum.

Onto the individual details then:

For the 'Mum' card I cut my patterned paper out with the Marianne Design Elegant square die, the plain outer edge one.  I've added a snippet of Vintage lace called stars, along with a tiny organza bow, and above that is a snippet of pearl trim.

Mum is stamped and die cut from Marianne Design Vintage Alphabet set, with a snippet of Marrakesh trellis underneath, and a little butterfly to finish off.  The body of the butterfly is one of the oval pearls from the trim so matches perfectly!

The next card:

On this card I've die cut the Marianne Design fancy square from the Carnation White, and there are some embossed areas but I didn't ink .. .. so hard to see.  In the centre of the square is a little piece of the paper with a snippet of Scallop Vintage Lace and pearl trim in white, I must order some in ivory as that might have looked better.

Under that is the stamped and die cut candy heart from Marianne Design finished off with a small satin bow and another little butterfly fluttering in at the bottom corner.

I hope you like my little creations, I was getting bored with Christmas already! And, I am still very drawn towards the Shabby Chic style but don't like things too frilly .. .. so this is my version of it.

Crafty Creations theme is 'don't be blue' i.e. no blue allowed, so I can enter my little cards with them, and at Crafty Catz it's anything goes, so I can join in with their challenge too.

Thank you for stopping by, perhaps you would please take time to tick one of the boxes if you don't have time to leave me a comment.

Krafty Snoesjes and Owl

Our new challenge at Marianne Design Divas is to incorporate some kraft card into your creation, and of course to use a minimum of 3 MD products.  Our sponsors for this challenge are Bunny Zoe's Crafts and Marianne Design - pop over to the blog to read all about it and see what the rest of the DT have made.

I went quite krafty for my creation and stamped Snoesjes and the Owl onto a die cut krafty piece Blankina had kindly sent me. The die cut is from set CR1254 and isn't one I have .. .. yet!  I've coloured with Polychromos pencils for a change, as they seem to work well on kraft card, and of course I've added lots of glitter for the snow sparkling in the moonlight.

Here is my card:

A dark kraft base then lighter kraft on top before adding a piece of patterned paper from the Christmas Time pack. I've distressed and inked the edges of the layers. I've also cut several of my embellishment pieces from kraft card but changed the colour slightly by using a chalk ink over the die cut before adding the glitter.  You can see on the big tree, and the tall pinecones and poinsettia leaves where I just inked the edges. I used Niagara Mist on the tree, and Oasis Green on the pinecones and poinsettia leaves.  I've used Sahara Sand to ink the edges of the die cut greeting banner.  The poinsettia flower is one I made earlier from scrunched and inked handmade papers, I just added the little gem to the centre and a touch of frosting.

Marianne Design goodies:

Snoesjes and Owl stamp HM9475

Christmas Time paper PK9111

red gem JU0954

Banner die COL1324

text from COL1325

label die CR1254

Fir tree LR0378

Pine cones and twigs LR0286

Poinsettia LR0122

The Fab 'n' Funky challenge is simply to make it square - so I can enter my card with them! And over at the Christmas Card challenge blog it's anything goes - so there too!

Thank you for stopping by to see my latest creation with my Marianne Design goodies and I hope you will come and join in with our challenge, and don't forget, please tick a box if you like my card.

CCT Candy

This week at Cute Card Thursday our theme is Candy .. .. so interpret any way you like!  Our sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps, please stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see what the rest of the team have created.

With Halloween creeping up behind us, I've put together a little candy box for the kiddies that come around - last year just 6 little ones all together with a couple grown ups, so hopefully the same this year.  Most of my neighbours are more elderly or don't have young children so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I saw something similar on Pinterest so started out with an empty egg box.  The inspiration picture had it painted black, but I didn't have any black paint so instead went with blood red and used Alizarin Crimson Americana acrylic instead - one coat more than covered the green box but it was easier to spread the paint with a damp brush just to thin it a little.  The pumpkins on the side are a Penny Black stamp I've coloured and fussy cut out then fixed with a double thick 3d pad on the end pumpkins so they sit over the 'hole' but it still shuts - get that?

On top is an easel card with 'Little Witch' by Elisabeth Bell, coloured with my Copics.  I've stamped little bats and spider webs from another PB set and gone over areas with a sparkle pen, but unfortunately it doesn't show up.

The black mat is cut with Marianne Design die LR0310 and I've gone around the edge with black Stickles - you can just about make it out I think.

The stopper is an old brad from my stash, and the spotty paper is from my digi bit box. The 'Trick or Treat' die cut is from a Penny Black set.

Here's the inside of the lid:

I've die cut the 'BOO' from the same set and added black Stickles on top, then fixed onto a strip of bendy plastic so it bobs when the box is opened.

The stamped image is LOTV's little wizard, coloured with my Copics and silver pen for the stars.

And finally, the candy .. ..

The Halloween version of the Creme Egg (disgusting things).  I coloured tissue paper with Copics then used my fancy edge scissors to cut strips to use as padding in the box for the eggs.

Well, I hope my little Halloween monsters will like the gift.  I might have to make a few more little things just in case more of them turn up .. .. watch this space!

Moving Along With The Times blog challenge theme is for Halloween this week, so I can enter with them.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon.  If you've stayed with me this far, you might notice I have added a couple of tick boxes under the comment box, so if you don't want to leave a comment perhaps you would tick one of the boxes instead - thanks!

Mum's 90th Birthday Card

I am finally getting my breath back! It was Mum's 90th birthday on Saturday and I think all went well.  The cake wasn't too bad and the sparklers on top made it special.  It's hard to think of pressies for a lady that doesn't want to go out anywhere and doesn't lack for anything .. .. but we managed with chocolates, biscuits, flowers and a new Sudoko book to keep her mind active (but she does cheat and look at the back for the answers if she gets stuck!).

This is the card I made for her - something a little bit different from my usual style and although it looks easy, you wouldn't believe how much scratching of my head was involved!  I've fallen in love with the Studio Light products at Buddly Crafts and this card is made from the Janneke Brinkman-Salentijn designs.  I've used her pretty paper pack and cut out elements and picture to create the card.

I wanted to create a shabby chic style but not too fussy and rather than distress the edges of my layers, I found my old fancy edge scissors!  After cutting I've inked with Dusty Concord DI and layered up with plain paper for some strength so I could add dimension with 1mm foam tape.  To decorate I've added the strands of pearls, lace and ribbon, cut out the butterflies, covered a little cardboard heart with paper and ink, and die cut the flourishes LR0271, and leaves CR1336.  And I got some sparkly card to die cut the greeting using Marianne Design die LR0223 - cutting an extra th from the birthday to add after the numbers cut with die CR1282. The card is really thick and the glitter is encapsulated so it doesn't shed - and it cut perfectly with the dies.

Here are a couple of close ups of the corners:

This is the bottom corner with the pansy flowers I've fussy cut out and showing the little heart I covered with paper and a fussy cut butterfly.  I found the easiest way was to paint the edges of the heart first with my white dabber, glue on the paper and let it dry then use an emery nail file around the edge to sand off the excess paper, ink the edges then, if you think it needs it carefully add a touch more white dabber to the edge.

I think this is the lace I used.

And the pearl string I used is the 4mm size white one. It also comes in ivory too, as well as a pretty aurora I'm going to order, along with gold and silver - on this page.

And here is close up of the picture along with another fussy cut out butterfly.  I've inked the edges of the butterflies before fixing so they tie in with everything else.


Thank you for stopping by to take a peek at my card - I have a lot of catching up to do and to see if there are any challenges I can enter into .. .. had best put the kettle on first though!

CCT and Just one layer!

EEk! I forgot it was Thursday!  So better late than never, here is my card for the Cute Card Thursday one layer challenge.  Our sponsor is All Dressed Up! please stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see what the rest of the team have created.

One layer challenges scare me rigid!  I do like to embellish, a little bit any way, so how to incorporate a touch of embellishment onto just one layer?  Well, this is what I made:

I cut a piece of white card to C6 size but as a tent fold, then simple ran a score tool around the outside edge.  Then, having taken some inspiration from cards on Pinterest, I've die cut the snowflakes and text from sparkly silver card and stuck them down flat onto my base, so just one layer!

Embellishment wise, I've put a piece of lace across at a wonky angle (I'm good at those!) and tied a snowman charm onto silver cord and wrapped that around on top of the lace.

'Twas made just before I came down with the bugs a few weeks back - and I'm still suffering!  I am looking at it now and want to add a gem into the centre of those snowflakes .. .. ..

And, the snowflakes are cut with a die in the Marianne Design set LR0327 called Anjas' circle. It's my favourite snowflake so far this year.

No challenges that I can link up with, let me know if you can think of any.

Thanks for stopping by - I have to finish Mum's birthday card and get the house ready for the family invasion .. .. and the tumble dryer is making a terrible noise!

Daisy and Deer Dancing!

My order for the new Don and Daisy Christmas stamps came at the weekend and I got to play!

This stamp is Daisy and Deer Dancing - a little odd, but cute nonetheless. I've coloured with my Copics and added lots of glittery snow.  Here's the card:

It's relatively CAS, at least for me, with a base from my UFO box already made up with digi scraps from last year, or perhaps the year before .. .. I matched up the thin ribbon lines with bright red cardstock to mat my image, cutting with the Marianne Design large postage die to fit, then finishing off with another bright red bow.

I've found a new to me challenge blog called the Crafting Musketeers, and their current theme is Christmas with ribbon, so I can enter my card.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon.

Butterfly Blue

Today I have another little project to share with you now I know it has arrived at it's destination.  It's made up of bits and pieces and odds and ends and isn't very big, but I am liking working in miniature!

I started out with a square cut from the cardboard at the back of a notebook that I painted with the Americana Light French Blue paint.  I cut a piece of paper from the Marianne Design Flower Garden pad to fit on top, and distressed the edges before sticking down, then it was a case of using up scraps from the pad and oddments from my stash for decoration.

Here in the close up you can see the twin hearts that I covered with paper then took an emery board to the edge before carefully adding white paint from a Dabber and glittering the butterfly in the design.  You can also see the pretty MD Marrakesh trellis die cut pieces too, the bits that fall out I stuck down towards the top.  Everything got touches of Distress Stickles in denim blue added with the crafters best tool, the finger, and Stickles in blue for the butterfly on the paper design.  I've also added Glossy Accents to the numerals dial on the clock print of the paper.  Here's the finished hanger:

I little bit of a scrap die cut trellis to poke out from behind a scrap of paper, and the layers of lace and ribbon.  The back is quite plain with just another piece of pretty paper and a plain layer to write on - I can't show you as I took the pics after writing .. .. I hope the recipient likes the little hanger.

I can enter into Pixie's Snippets # 197 as this decoration is all made of snippets!

Finally, I think I'm on the mend.  Still got the cough but not as much now or for as long in the mornings trying to clear the overnight accumulations, and breathing is much easier thankfully.  I spent yesterday making up Christmas cards from odds and ends of started but not finished designs, feels good to have less in the bit box!  I'll be sharing them with you over the next few days.  Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

CCT Masculine

Time for our next challenge at Cute Card Thursday, and this week we would like to see something masculine - ummm, well, I kinda got carried away with the flowers on my card, but who's to say men cant do flowers, in pink and blue, with a bit of netting and fish?

Our sponsor for the challenge is Bunny Zoe's Crafts, please stop by the blog to read all about it and see what the rest of the DT have made for inspiration.

Thankfully I got my card made before the bugs struck me down.  The image is an old Papermania stamp set, coloured with my Copics - here's the card:

An artistically wonky shot! Well, I kept the card plainish, with a selection of papers from my bit box that I just distressed around the edges.  The piece behind the image I've embossed with the Marrakesh folder and inked to highlight, can't remember the colour I used but it is a Versamagic chalk ink .. .. ..

The little bit of mesh I thought looked like netting, and pulled out some strands to colour with an aqua ink and tie in a knot.  The fish I stamped up from the Marianne Design Eline's Beach House, coloured with chalk inks and fussy cut out.  I used the same inks to colour the mulberry paper flowers punched out with the CR1323 flower punch die then spritzed and shaped with a ball tool and when dried I've layered up some of the bigger flowers.

The Sweet Stampin' challenge blog theme is for a non white base, mine is aqua so I can enter!  The Creative Card Crew are also looking for masculine creations this week so I can enter with them too.

Thanks again for stopping by - I've still got a few cards I can share with you but I've not made anything this week, Mr Mojo is all coughed out.  I really do have to start working on Mum's birthday card though - she will be 90 years old this October so I had better make it special!