Tag your it!

As both my DT duties are the same weekends (at the moment)

I am having more time to just play along with challenges.

Today I am incorporating 4 challenges;

TPS # 294 Faux/real stitching

I (heart) Promarkers # 335 Girls Birthday

Passion For Promarkers # 395 Tag it

Fab n Funky # 351 use background stamp / create a background

 I haven't made a tag for ages!!!

Creating your own background is way easier than most people think.

 I had this piece of card that I had just been testing

 my mini ink pads on to see if they still worked...

so base layer already done :D

 I've been seeing "background segment" stamps for sale.

I have background stamps...so I "segmented" one.

 I chose a piece of the "ink blocked" card...

 and over-stamped with the  segments,

before blending with distress inks.

 Pretty easy to select colours for my image using the backgorund

as a guide.

 Then I remembered the "stitching part lol

So I over-stamped again with stitch stamps from

Joanna Sheen's Haberdashery collection.

 Then it was just a matter of colouring with my promarkers,

tearing into a tag shape and adding embellishments :D

(image used "It's Tea Time" from TPS)

So why don't you go try making your own background..

it doesn't have to be a messy process all the time :D

Enjoy XXX

Time for a tidy up....

I don't like housework,

 but I do like to try and keep my work areas tidy.

*which isn't easy when you have as many different projects on the go as I tend to*

So this month I am investing in "storage".

Plastic boxes are great, but not inspiring in noticeable areas like table tops.

This is when mdf flat pack comes into it's own.

 I know have a lovely clear sewing table

 with storage to match my home decor :D

The unit is from Stamps Away and went together in 5 minutes...

yes it was that easy, just a spot or two of pva glue on the crate edges

to hold them in place while I painted them. 

 One coat of matt emulsion covered the mdf easily.

Now to decorate the draw fronts...

my fav Graphic 45 papers and distress inks...

       

 to create basic panels. 

I like "aged" so I scuffed all paper edges before inking.

*make-up blender sponges are brilliant for inking*

I didn't glue anything in place until I had all my pieces ready

and used scraps of the same papers to test ideas out 

before making final marks.

The stitching is done with my Joanna Sheen Haberdashery stamps.

Now to add some interest.

I wanted something slightly raised...

 and settled on these "inchies" I made years ago.

 One for each draw, mounted on coordinating card stock,

accompanied by toppers from my Graphic 45 paper pad.

 *trying out arrangements before gluing*

 Simple, tidy...and I still get to stroke my fav papers :D

Coming soon...

Ribbon storage unit!!!!

Enjoy XXX

What's your Favourite???

Welcome to

 Crafting When We Can Challenge #128 Use your Favourite Medium

(pens/paint pencils etc)

This was a tricky challenge for me as I just love crafting...

so ALL mediums are my favourite lol.

I narrowed it down to 

Paper/fabric/inks/ Promarkers and Stamping,

so how to combine all these ...

Fabric Transfer paper!!!!

 I had already coloured the adorable "Goth Girl"

from our sponsor

  "StarStampz"

using promarkers in my go to colours of 

neutrals and faded blues...

then I simply had to print her off on the transfer paper

(may as well do a few at the same time)

and iron on to some scraps of cotton fabric.

 (the only thing I use my iron for...)

 The image now has a soft grainy texture, 

which I think makes her even more soulful looking...

 and fraying the edges makes the piece even more tactile.

 Now to choose from my stash of yummy patterned papers...

 keeping to the fabric theme and sepia/blue tones...

 before digging out my "stitching" stamps.

 Simple matting and layering can be given 

extra energy with the use of faux stitching, and these stamps

certainly make this process quicker.

 A hand written sentiment makes the card so personal,

especially to a poorly friend :D

Do you have any "go to" favourites when crafting?

If so, why not show us ?

I am entering this card in the following challenges;

Passion For Promarkers# 363 Favourite Colour Combi

Everybody Art #380 Anything goes

TTCD # Anything Goes

A Real Animal!! 2nd post

Been dying to use this stamp for ages!! He is Jayne Netley Mayhews creation, and is available from Joanna Sheens online store :D

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges;

Stamptacular Sundays#120 Animal Antics

Sentimental Sundays #64 For the Men in Your Life

Fab N Funky#82 Animal Magic

2nd post: Creepy but cute!

Got this little dude from Joanna Sheens online store(ordered friday afternoon, arrived saturday morning!!!!) He's on special offer at the moment so you might want to check it out :D

I thought he would be perfect for this weeks HDH Macabre Mondays challenge#96 Xtremely Xhaustive, use something long.

I created the mirror image by stamping him onto a piece of acetate, then turning him over and mounting him onto silver mirri card. The frame is another JS stamp.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges;

HDH Macabre Mondays#96 Xtremely Xhaustive

Burtonesque Dolls#Tweedle dee, Tweedle dum, I see double!

Allsorts Challenge#110 Free and Easy

Stamptacular Sunday challenge#118 Seeing Double

Aaaah Bless !!

Now I had started out with the intention of grossing this up for the HDH Mac mondays challenge, but I just couldn't!!! Look at that beautiful little face!!

He is from the Joanna Sheen/Jayne Netley Mayhew collection(Labrador Retriever JNM546) Too Cute!!! So instead I am entering him for the following challenges;

Corrosive Challenge#90 Sketch

Simon Says Stamp and Show# Torn/Distressed Edges

Stamptacular Sundays#115 Dads or Grads(This would make a lovely fathers's day card)

Sentimental Sundays#59Masculine/Father's Day

2 Sisters challenge#43 3-2-1 (1 image/2papers/3embellis)

Pear Tree Designs#53 Father's Day

Enjoy :D XXX

And more Poppies for Janet

This is the 3rd set of cards I have made for Janet's challenge at The Stamp Man this week. She is hoping some people will let her have their poppy cards to sell on behalf of the Royal British Legions Poppy Appeal later this year. I have decided to send her a box of 12 poppy cards, of which these make nine :D

I have used a stamp from Joanna Sheens Poppy Fairy set.

Challenges I am entering are;

Creative Card Crew# May Flowers

Theme Thursday Challenge# Garden

One Stop Crafts Challenge#130 Birthdays

Cards of Rememberance

A bit of a downer as posts go today :(

A work colleague of hubby's passed away last week, she was younger than us, and had only been feeling ill for a few weeks. After going to the doc's for a quick check up, they found she had cancer (every where!!). She and her family hadn't even had time to let the news sink in before she was taken from them. Hubby only found out as he had made a trip to her office to see how she was feeling, and walked in as her other colleagues were being told the sad news. Hubby had known her for the best part of 20 years, and considered her a valued friend and is very upset about the whole thing. As a family, we deal with death in a very open and matter of fact way, yet it is the 1st time hubby has lost someone in such a quick way.

He asked me to make a card for him to take to the funeral on monday, but he didn't want it to be sad. He says she was a lovely cheery person, and she loved flowers. So this one is for Patty, who will be sorely missed

Inside I have put a verse by Christina Rossetti, from her poem Remember;

"Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than remember and be sad."

This is the second set of poppy cards I have made for Jane'ts poppy appeal over at The Stampman Challenge Blog
For this set I have used a Joanna Sheen Poppy fairy stamp, and kept them clean and simple.

Not for Challenges XXX

Mwwwah!

The challenge for May at Sir Stampalot is "Magical Worlds", so I couldn't resist using my fav sentiment stamp from Crafters Companion Flower Faeries collection :D
I teamed it with Joanna Sheen's Forget-me-not Faery (because he looks like he's puckering up for a biggy).
Other products I have used are;
Anna Griffin spring card kit(base card and mat)
K&Co flower gems(gift from Glitterbabe)
Nellies Oval frame cutter
Promarkers, and ribbons from stash.

Challenges I would like to enter this card for are;
Sir Stampalot's May challenge# Magical Worlds
Critter Sketch#63
Woodware USA #25 Colour combi (Blue/Yellow/Brown)
Let's Ink It Up#14 Embellish It!
Stamping Vacation No No Challenge# No Black Ink!

Grief this post took forever!!! Where has my Google Chrome setting gone!!!
:D XXX

Playing with Poppy

I was reminded recently that I needed to write to an old friend, couldn't just use plain paper, so I made this card to write in. Poppies are her favourite flowers :D

I have used an old Joanna Sheen Garden Fairies Stamp set called "Poppy", and coloured the images with promarkers: Poppy/Pear Green and Chocolate ink pad.

I made this for the following challenges;

2 Sisters #22 Flowers

Delicious Doodles#8 Use 3 colours (I've used red/green/brown)

Corrosive Challenge#99 Lace and Pearls

Flourishes Timeless Tuesdays#101 Make it Big! (A5 card)

:D XXX