Penny Black

It has been several months since I have been in my den doing any serious crafting.  I don't know where the time goes.  A group of crafting friends have started a circle journal swap so that really inspired me to get back in my den and get the creative juices going again.  My journal is now away to the first swap and it will be great to eventually see the finished result. 

It was also Rebecca's 30th birthday last week and here is the card I made to send to her.  Unfortunately we were unable to go down and see her but hopefully we will get down in the new year to see her and the boys.

I haven't made many christmas cards this year but wanted to get a couple of special ones made and after that I made a couple of different designs.  When making any cards at the moment I am trying to keep to a couple of personal goal I have made and that is to try and use stamps I have bought and haven't used and use up all the scraps of paper and card I have sitting in my boxes.  I still have some special ones to make so that is my aim this week after I have tidied my den back up!! Please excuse the quality but I have scanned these ones in as I cannot get good daylight for photos at the moment.

 This is an 8" x 8" card.  I had some large envelopes in my stash so joined two pieces of card together using a fold down the left hand side.  I used my tombow markers to colour all these.  It has been a while since I have used them as I have been using pencils and blending with sansador.  It was good to go back to the watercolouring for a change.

 I have had these two stamps for a couple of years or more now and this is the first time I have used them.  The reindeer was fun to colour in.

 Back to my Penny Black stamps.  It will take me years to use all the christmas stamps I have purchased.  Maybe I should keep my stash of xmas stamps out all year and try and use a different one each week!  A good way of having my cards made in plenty of time!! Maybe not!!

                                                            Last card one of the week.

Flock

My friend Siobhan Fyffe is on the Woodware Design Team http://www.woodware.co.uk/blog/and this week's theme is "flock".  I have previously worked with flock and thought I would post the ideas I came up with as I was dabbling with it.  Please excuse the marks on the samples, I scanned the sample in and my scanner is now covered in particles of embossing powder/glitter. 

For this one I stampled the flower and then went over areas with Zig Zag glue, let it dry slightly then added the flock.

The swirl and flowers were punched/die cut out on double sided adhesive sheets and then the flock rubbed into the adhesive.

These were samples I was playing about with. My good samples, I made into cards which I gave out.  I cut pieces out of double sided adhesive sheets, rubbed the flock over the area I had cut out and then stamped and embossed on top of the rubbed in flock.  Layered onto a card they were lovely

Follow Your Dreams

A work colleague of mine is leaving on Friday - not to go on to another conventional job but to follow her dreams.  She is a very creative person and has already written and recorded some of her songs, she has written her first draft of a children's book and and also makes the most beautiful jewellery.  I have spent this afternoon adapting the idea from the Mirror Workshop I had the pleasure of taking which was held by Siobhan Fyffe.  (You can see lots of beautiful designs by Siobhan who is also part of the design team for Woodware). http://recoveringstampaholic.blogspot.com   I love the wording on the stamps I have used which are quite appropriate for the new journey Jess is about to embark on.  I also made a very quick card to go with the mirror, unfortunately I ran out of time to do anything more fancy so have taken a leaf out of the Simplylessismoore challenges and kept the card minimilistic

Mirror

I have four brothers and sisters with birthdays, my grandson, a friend, a brother-in-law's birthday and also my husbands birthday all this month . Need to go and tidy up my den as  I have pulled out lots of different stamp sets for my mirror and don't have any free space to work in - sound familiar!!

Introducing Dylan

Yesterday, Holly one of our Schnauzers gave birth (by cesarean) to one little puppy.  Harry has named him Dylan.  Both mummy and puppy are fine and have no side affects from the operation.

Dylan   

Holly and Dylan 05.07.11

Celebration Cake

Well, it finally arrived - my 50th birthday!  I had a wonderful day starting off with one of my sisters taking me out for a champagne breakfast and then in the evening I had lots of my family at the house for eats and drinks!  It was lovely.  Must admit my head was sore the next morning, not the drink mind you, oh no, it was because I hadn't eaten much!!! Yeah right!

As usual I was totally spoilt and received lots of beautiful gifts, flowers, balloons and the most beautiful cake made by my niece Gillian.  Away now to start making the thank you cards!

Circle Journal Pages

Penny Black at Allsorts have their new challenge running.  I have added this project which are two 8" x8" pages I made for insertion into a circle journal.  It is very difficult to pick favourite Penny Black stamps as I love so many of them.  You are allowed to enter three projects so tomorrow I am going back into my den to make a new card for entering as well.

I had such fun doing these pages as it gave me the opportunity to use four of my Penny Black hedgehog stamps.  http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com/

Get Well Soon

This is the first day I have been crafting and blogging since my sad loss last week.  We need a Get Well card to send to one of our volunteers at work who unfortunately is not too good after an accident at his home.  I sometimes find choosing a stamp for a male card quite difficult but I finally decided on this Crafty Individual Owl stamp. Hopefully this will cheer him up!    Apologies it looks a bit squint but I think it is how I have scanned and cropped it.

Now back to the blogging, I need to see what new challenges are around!  I noticed the new Less is More for this week is running and the Crafty Individual June theme has now been posted and just as I logged in to my blog account I noticed my friend Siobhan has posted a wonderful Penny Black card on a challenge so might go and have a little look at that one as well!  Hopefully these will lure me back into my den so watch this space ......

A Sad Farewell

It is with deep sadness that we said goodbye to our wonderful standard schnauzer Charlie yesterday evening.  He would have been 14 next month and for anyone who is an animal owner/lover you can image how devasted we are.  We were given him when he was 13 months old, when he was a bit of a character and a handful to manage.  With lots of love and affection and without loosing the wonderful traits in his character Charlie became everyone's "friend". We had no endless amount of visitors who wanted to take him away with them as they left our house.  This is one of my favourite photos of Charlie sitting on the embankment in our garden where he used to love watching the rabbits in the farmers field.

                                               Farewell my handsome chap  x ....

Less is More - Butterflies

I have been trying to have a massive clear out in my den these last few days as I am so running out of space!  The Children's Hospice Association Scotland are shortly having a Craft Sale at the beginning of June so I thought it was an ideal opportunity to try and sort through some of the items I don't use for donating.  As well as that I had bought some lovely storage containers when I was over at the Yours Sincerely craft show and decided to store all my brads, eyelets and embellishments in these instead of having them dotted all over in separate containers within drawers etc.  4 hours later after methodically colour co-ordinating them I finally managed to achieve my goal and if I live to be100 I will never need to buy another brad again!!!  Anyway after seeing this weeks Less is More Challange I managed to find enough working space to have a bash.

I love this butterfly stamp which is part of a Penny Black set. 

As I have several birthday cards to make this week I also made this card from another favourite stamp of mine.

http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/05/week-16-theme-butterflybutterflies.html

Flights of Fancy

I don't know where this week has goneI  Until yesterday I hadn't even managed to work on any new projects to post on my blog.  Last night with either the choice of Eurovision or Britains got Talent I took myself into my den to potter.  Hopefully this will make up for the shortage of postings during the week.

I went to a wonderful workshop in Perth last year where we were shown how to alter a square mirror.  I decided to try my own take on that project using a square wooden frame and the stamps in my craft room.   Lo & Behold most of the stamps I have used are sets I have purchased over several years "for rainy day projects" and I have combined the various stamps from these sets within this picture. I then restamped the birds/insects seperately and glued on top of the stamped image on the picture to lift and give a 3d effect.  I have finished these off with glossy accents to add dimension and protect the finer areas I have cut out.

Although you cannot see the full effect of the dimensions it is really very effective when looking at the real project. Away now to tidy up all the sets of stamps, etc.  Ps. Eurovision was on in the background whilst I was working away, it was better this year than in previous years.  I even found myself foot tapping away to Jedward's song aah!!!

ATC - Friendship

I saw on the Stamp Man blog they run an ATC swap.  As I haven't made ATC's for a while I thought I would have a bash at this month's title which is Friendship.   It gave me the chance to try out some of my unused Crafty Individual stamps!!

 

Sky - Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue

 Friends (C1-277) stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepa

I masked the legs and then stamped the ground (C1-116) with Archival Sepia

Less is More - Congratulations!

I am so loving these challenges!  You forget sometimes how effective the basic techniques can be.  I have also found I am also using stamps I haven't used for a while. 

For this card I have used Hero Arts Cling CG170 Wildflower Garden and Wavy Congratulations F3421.  I stamped with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate and just touched up the petals with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink.  It is still as effective without the colour in the petals as I have made another one uncoloured for my card box.  So quick, easy and effective!
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-13-lucky-dip-thank-you-or.html

Milestones

Back to work today after a wonderful sunny week off work.   Haven't had much time for crafting/blogging over the weekend.  Saturday saw a visit to the Sincerely Yours Papercraft show at Edinburgh with a couple of friends and Sunday was a catch up day in the garden.  Can't believe we have managed to get so much done so early on in the year.  Hopefully if this good weather continues I shall be able to just sit outside and enjoy it instead of having to try and finish the hundred and one tasks that always need doing.

Back to the crafting, I decided this evening I would take up the Penny Black Saturday Challange, the theme for this week being "Milestones".  Although I have had this stamp for some time this is the first time I have used it.  I have cheated with the background paper instead of layering different papers/inking I brought this ready printed sheet back from Australia a few years ago to use in my holiday scrapbook and didn't use it.  I suppose then you could say it has the "holiday" feel about it.
http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/

Co-ordinations

Well what a happy day it has been today!  Although my intention was to watch some of the wedding I ended up watching most of it! Wasn't it wonderful?  Then off to lunch with my sister .... Needless to say nothing much done again in the house and garden again today.  When we got back I ended up going into my den, not to craft but to try and tidy it up, I am sure you know what I mean when I say there should be loads of working space but only 6" square to work with in front of you!!! End result is a tidy den but no new cards made.  I thought therefore I would share with you some cards I made last year for a class.  They are using the core-dinations card, embossed with various cuttlebug folders and then sanded down to show the colour of the card underneath.

That is all for today.  Oh! my friend Siobhan was one of the five winners in the latest Stamp Man Challange. Congratulations Siobhan!  Her blog is http://recoveringstampaholic.blogspot.com/ have a look her cards are fab. We are heading off on Saturday to a craft show outside Edinburgh - more crafting, what a life!!

Recipe "off centre"

OMG! I had hoped when I set this blog up it would give me back my creativity, what I didin't realise is the can of worms it would open or should I say "blogs it would open".  As you know one blog leads to another and I came across this challenge so yet again into my den I went (should have been doing housework, ha ha!) and this is my creation.  Away now to walk the dogs, maybe later might get round to shopping, etc ......!
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-12-recipe-off-centre.html

Happy Birthday Brother

Just realised I would need to get my brother's birthday card posted today.  It is his birthday at the weekend but with the Royal Wedding on Friday I don't think there is a postal service.  Of course, needless to say I didn't have one made.  First thing this morning into my den I merrily went and this is my creation.

Black and White Plus One

Following their blog I saw Penny Black's April Challenge is Black and One Plus One so into my den I went and came up with this card.  I love Penny Black stamps and have a "fair few" to say the least. This is using their "Ode to Joy" stamp which I coloured using Faber Castell Polychromo Pencil "Burnt Ochre" and blended with sansador.
http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-challenge.html

Easter Treat

I realised this morning that it is Easter next weekend and I don't have any cards made!  I stood looking out of the window thinking "fence painting or card making" and guess what won!  This is my first card I have made in a while.  As I am a lover of Penny Black stamps I thought I would use this stamp which I bought last year and was one I hadn't got round to using - does that sound familiar?

I can't believe we have got to Wednesday already!  My weekend was spent out in the beautiful sunshine fence/shed painting!  I am determined this year to have all the labourious work in the garden completed by the end of the spring so I can sit and enjoy the summer (should we get any).  But boy have I suffered!  In my head I am still in my 20's but after 11 hours of painting my body was certainly reminding me I am not!  Friends popped in on the Saturday just as we were lighting the B.B.Q so it was lovely for us all to sit down and have something to eat and catch up.

I still haven't managed to get into my crafting den in the evenings yet so thought I would post this card I made for a work colleague's birthday last year.  As it was a autumn birthday I thought the colours were very appropriate.

The Start ..

As I am setting up this new blog, the sun has not long risen and the morning mist is slowly lifting over the lovely hill I have the pleasure of looking out on to every day from my livingroom window.  Even after 12 years of living here I still do not take this beautiful view for granted.