Friday 24 October 2014

Karleigh Sue Happy Halloween Challenge DT Post

It's time for the October challenge over at Karleigh Sue Challenge Blog and this month's theme is 'Happy Halloween'.

I must confess I'm not really that big on Halloween ( my kids think I am such a mean mummy as I don't let them trick or treat!), and here in the UK we don't send cards to celebrate it, but I do have some good friends who do love Halloween and every year they throw an amazing party for all their friends and neighbours, and we are lucky enough to be on the guest list. With that in mind I decided to make my DT project for the challenge something that I know they will appreciate to help their celebrations along on the 31st- a bottle holder!

The digi used is Bewitched - click the link to find her in the Digi Shoppe. I coloured her using promarkers and fussy cut her. I used my Hougie to create the bottle holder and base, die cut the lettering and embellished with spider webs cut for me by a friend on her Cameo ( thanks Nicki!). 






I hope my creation has inspired you to play along and join in the challenge and  if  you love Karleigh Sue stamps as much as I do you may want to check out her  Facebook page too where lots of fun stuff happens.


xxx

Thursday 23 October 2014

MDF Man Clock Project

This weekend the clocks go back so now seems a good time to share a not so little clock project I have been working on. 

Back in February I attended the Make It exhibition in Farnborough with some of my family who also like to craft. My sister Laura and I both fell in love with the large fob watch clocks on sale at the The MDF Man's stand ( we also bought a shed load of other stuff as it was all amazing!).  We had a joke about how different our styles are and we were both curious to see how differently they turned out so agreed to reveal them at the same time. 

Well, February was a long time ago and I confess it sat in the cupboard like something scary waiting to jump out at me one day for a very long time as I really didn't have a clue how to tackle it! But last weekend I felt brave so dusted it off, dug out the paint, stamps, texture paste and gilding wax and set to work and this is the finished result.


I wanted to create something to fit into my very traditional, newly decorated lounge so used warm browns with a touch of burgundy mixed in for the base, and painted the numerals in gold. I stamped a script around the edge using gold acrylic paint, and added some texture using a mask and texture paste. For the cog centre piece I decided to do something a little different and use Kroma Crackle over the top to give it an aged look. I had no idea if it would work or not, as it's a medium I haven't really played with properly. It frustrated the life out of me waiting for it to dry ( 3 days!!) but eventually it did and I think it was worth the wait!


Behind the cog piece I used a paper from my stash, distressed with Rusty Hinge distress ink, and applied gilding flakes to some blank cut cogs I had left over from another project. I also added a couple of metal hands to some of the watches on the paper.

I went over the entire thing with a combination of bronze and gold gilding wax to highlight areas and finish it off.

Yesterday Laura shared hers with me too and I have to say, our styles arent as different as I thought they would be! Hers is less splodgy, more delicate, and much tidier ( a bit like the comparison of our houses too if I am honest!) but we have used some of  the same elements and techniques and I absolutely love it!


I can't wait to get cracking on some of my other MDF Man projects now. If they are half as much fun as this I shall be very happy playing indeed!

xx

Thursday 16 October 2014

Mistletoe Christmas- MoonFlower DT Post

Good evening my lovely blogland friends. I have some news to share this evening and I hope you will be as excited as I am! Last week I applied for a new DT post at MoonFlower Digi Stamps . MoonFlower is a new digi company and the images are delightful, so I was thrilled when I discovered I have made it on the team.

Like it or not ( and I love it!) Christmas is coming and so my first DT project will hopefully inspire you to turn your thoughts to the festive season. I worked with Mistletoe Christmas and had so much fun colouring her in vibrant Christmas colours with my promarkers. I added stickles to her hairband, and gold flowersoft to her dress for some extra sparkle and used red perfect pearls to add dimension to the berries on the holly.


I kept the card fairly simple as she is so stunning I didn't want to over shadow her with too many embellishments!

You can find her and all the other lovely digi stamps by MoonFlower here. Take a look- I'm sure you will love them!

I would like to enter the following challenges: 





Saturday 11 October 2014

Inkspirational Guest DT Post

I was recently chosen as a Top Pick for my no lines technique  musical themed 18th birthday card on Inkspirational Blog Challenges, and they have very kindly asked me to guest DT for them on their current challenge. The challenge theme is ' purple with grey/silver'.
 
I love all things myth and magical and wanted to use this challenge to have a play with my new castle stamp from Lavinia Stamps so decided on a new home card.
I created the background using my Gelli plate, a tree mask and Black Soot distress ink. I made a castle and moon mask and applied them to the plate before adding the ink to ensure that area stayed clean.
 
Once I had the black trees I placed the tree mask over my cardstock and applied Shaded Lilac and Lavender Distress ink to create a night sky. I then went over the trees with a touch more black ink and my water brush.
 
I stamped the castle in the clean space and coloured it in shades of grey and purple with Spectrum Noir pencils. I added a light dusting of grey clouds in front of the moon and some dragons in flight ( also a Lavinia stamp).  I mounted on silver and black card and generated the sentiment on my computer.
 
 
It would be lovely if you would join us in this challenge and play along.
 
Thanks to the team for letting me join in as guest DT- it's been fun!
 
Happy crafting!
 
xx

Friday 10 October 2014

Kenny K Socialite

Good evening bloggers! Hope you are all well on this Autumnal Friday night and are looking forward to a weekend of fun. I thought I would pop on before I snuggle up in front of the fire with my crochet, and share tonight's make with you.
 
This card is for my friend's daughter, who turns 18 next week. She is very into vintage fashion and my friend wanted the card to reflect that.
 
I used Kenny K's Socialite digi stamp, coloured with promarkers and gave it dimension with perfect pearls for the necklace  and flower soft on the fur collar,  and  teamed it with papers from my stash and layered it up. I embellished with metal corners, pearls and lace for a real vintage feel. The sentiment was from a free set that came with Creative Stamping magazine a while ago. I love the effect the flower soft gives on the coat, it really makes the image 'pop'.
 
I hope that the young lady it is for is pleased with it and has an 18th to remember!

 
I would like to enter this in the following challenges:
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Vintage Style Tag

Over the weekend I had a little play vintage style, just for fun, and made something I don't often do- a tag. I used a pretty paper from a K and Co pad in my stash, distressed the edges and inked with distress inks. I use Indigo Blu stamps to stamp over the paper and create the topper, which I also coloured with distress inks, and embellished with a doily, some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and metal skeleton leaves. I finished off by adding a pretty pin from That Craft Place.



I am entering this in the following challenges:

Thursday 2 October 2014

Sherri Baldy Wee Winged Cuties Autumn Card

Autumn is my favourite season. I just love the freshness in the air, the rainbow of colour that explodes before my eyes as the days roll on and get shorter, leading in to warm, cosy, candlelit nights snuggled in front of the fire. 

I was asked this week to make a card for a friends 3yr old niece and decided that rather than go pink and girly I would reflect the season, so I coloured this gorgeous pair from Sherri Baldy in all my favourite Autumnal colours using my promarkers. I then realised I didnt have a suitable backing paper, but I did have one that worked colour wise lurking in my stash, so I distressed the edges and inked it with Rusty Hinge distress ink, and used a stencil to add fern leaves to the paper to make it seasonal. I added a selection of pretty flowers and leaves, ribbon and sentiment to finish off. 


I would like to enter this in the following challenges: