Christmas Ornaments

I bought some little wooden blanks from Craft Den and decided to decorate them to put them on the tree.  I covered them with gesso, then transparent Viva Croco paint, allowed to dry overnight and then coated reverse sides, allowed to dry.  Sprayed them with various colours of glimmer mists and finished off with Viva precious metal colour in blackberry and turquoise.  These were difficult to photograph, you'll just have to believe me that colours are rich and catch in the light beautifully.

Well, off on my travels again, down my see my granddaughters in their respective Christmas Plays (not allowed to call them nativity!).  Charlotte is in the infants and she has the leading role, or so she tells me and Lucie is in the juniors and has the leading role in hers.  Obviously both talented and take after their Mama (that's me), only kidding, although I did used to be a thespian in my younger days and have actually appeared on the London stage (and not just sweeping up).

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC06

The challenge over at The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC06  was to use the colours green, light blue, dark blue and orange.  I have been given this stamp by my friend Pat for my birthday (which isn't for another couple of weeks), but hey ho how could I not resist using such a fantastic stamp from Stampotique Originals, I had to use it now!

It is difficult to photograph but it is an acetate card, stamped with a snowflake in white Stazon. I used the usual distress inks in spiced marmalade, peeled paint and edged in spiced marmalade.  The image is coloured with Copics, the ivy leaf is a Martha Stewart punch, then  edge it all with glamour dust.  All ingredients used available from Craft Den.

Card for Nancy

This is a card I made for my sister-in-law, who seems to like my style, so I'm sure she'll appreciate this one.  The background is Claudine Hellmutts sticky back canvas, painted with Claudine's acrylic paints, background stamped in black ink, flower and butterfly made out of grunge paper (what else?), glossy accents and Viva copper pen, Studio 490 stamps, coloured with distress inks, T!m's ticket attached with brads and mini attacher, wizzed round with sewing machine and all mounted on blue card.

Back from hols

Got back from Cuba yesterday morning after a long flight and have decided that I'm not doing any long haul flights for the next 12 months, mind you I say that every year.  Cuba is such a beautiful country, but oh so poor.  I've been to quite a few poor countries over the years, but I think, apart from the starving in Africa, that Cuba is quite the poorest.  Yet although the people don't have much, they are so genuine, fun loving, and generous.  We made some good friends and when we left they gave us lots of gifts to bring back home, we felt quite humbled.

Anyway, took my Moleskine journal and only did a couple of pages because I'm afraid the sun, sea and sand took priority.  This is the one I did on the plane going out, as usual the colours don't show too well, particularly the yellow, but I enjoyed doing it and will finish it  at some stage.

Had a couple of lovely surprises too.  I won first prize in the Readers Gallery in this months Craft Stamper and I also won the Gingersnap Creations challenge to use orange/green and brown.  I received two lovely Hero Arts stamps from Craft Stamper and from Gingersnap Creations I've won the Cornish Heritage Farms' Stamp of the Month, The Pines.  I'm really thrilled to bits.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to leave all the wonderful comments, it's very much appreciated.

Card for Sarah

This is a birthday card made for my friend Sarah.  Method:

Distressed ink background on cream cardstock, splashed with water.

Stamped in black with T!m's and 7 Gypsies stamps

Dandelion cut out of grunge paper on Cricut

Spiced marmalade distressed stickles on petals, orange button and gingham ribbon

Made ticket out of card and coloured with frayed burlap, stamped with Studio 490 stamp and then covered with rock candy, attached with mini fasteners

Machine stitched around edges
All materials used from stash or from Craft Den

Time and Tide wait for no one

Decided to enter The Play Date Cafe Challenge this week where you have to use the colours orange, yellow and chocolate.  Here's my entry and what I did:

1. Used an MDF arch which was cut out by my husband
2. Painted with Terra and whilst still wet stamped with PaperArtsy clocks stamp
3. When completely dry, coloured with acrylic paints, using Claudine Hellmutt's yellow and Blonde Moments orange, then went over with Viva copper paint
4. Edged in Espresso acrylic
5. Made the watch using copper metal and PaperArtsy Clocks 3 stamp
6. Cut wings out of grunge paper and inked with brushed corduroy

I enjoyed creating this on a very rainy, dark and windy Sunday morning.

Bean Tin

Loved the bean tins that Linda Elbourne has been doing so decided to have a go, but to use metal for the flowers etc. instead of grunge paper.  Covered the tin in copper metal, embossed on a TSS big daddy mould, sanded off tops of pattern.  I then made the embellishments using Wendy Vecchi stamps, which are absolutely fabulous, out of silver metal and then alcohol inked them with different colours.  Don't look too closely at the third photo because you can see the join, will have to find a way of overcoming that, but I have really enjoyed doing it and maybe will try again.

All products from Craft Den or my stash.