Clean and Simple 120

This is the current challenge sketch for Clean and Simple.  The papers are from a K & Co pad that I have had for ages. The flower is made with one of the papers using a Marrianne D die,although it didn't emboss so I used an embossing tool to do it. The leaf die is heat embossed with gold embossing powder using the idea seen here on Stamp TV such a clever idea and another way to use dies. I also used the same technique on the brad in the centre.  The base card is actually cream.

This is probably my last post for a few weeks as I'm off back to blighty on Wednesday, HOOOOOORAY, but I will be checking in on all the blogs I follow.  See you in the New Year after I have done the rounds of the craft shops!!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to visit, your comments are really appreciated.

3D for a change

When my Papercrafts Inspiration magazine arrived this month it had a free booklet of Forever Friends decoupage and matching backing papers with it. This image and paper just cried out to be used for this weeks Pixie Cottage Challenge. The paper was reversible and even had the border on the plain side. Just added a few pearls  and a sentiment from the Forever Friends stamp set I used the other day and hey presto one fairly quick card. The small scallops were cut with Nestabilties circles cut in half. Sadly the largest one was not big enough for the large one so I found a plastic plate to draw round. The base card is a very pale grey/green.

We had torrential rain last night with thunder and lightening and gale force winds, my OH had to go out and lower the level of the pool this morning and remove all the debris. Still very windy but the sun is out at the moment. Winter is definitely here!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I really appreciate your comments.

Anne

Best Friends

This is the second of the Lili of the Valley stamps that I chose as my Blog Candy win, coloured again with Promarkers. The paper is from Dovecraft which I have had for ages and the ribbon is from my stash.
It is my entry for this weeks Lili of the Valley Challenge using their sketch.

Only four more days until I go back to the UK for Christmas, I'm counting down by the hour! Looking forward to some nice cold weather and long walks. It actually looks as if we might be getting winter here now at last, they are forecasting wind and rain until we go away, and nighttime temperatures down to 5 or 6 degrees. That is very cold here as the houses don't hold the heat, rather high electric bills for 2 or 3 months!!

Thank you for taking the time to visit, your comments are really appreciated.

Anne

Coffee Break

This is one of the stamps that I chose when I won the Lili of the Valley weekly blog candy coloured with Promarkers.  The backing papers are from Bearly Mine Designs, how I love Donnas designs. Flowers of course from Wild Orchid Crafts and ribbon from my stash. I used a pale lilac pearlescent card to mount it all on.  The sentiment is from a Papermania set.


Crafty Emmas Shop Challenge  Sketch
One Stop Craft Challenge  Coffee or Tea Ispiration

Thank you for taking the time to visit it is really appreciated.

Anne

Clean and Simple

A simple card made with a Stampendous Stamp that I bought second hand last year. I stamped twice with Stampin Up Chocolate Chip ink. and then a final stamp without reinking. Coloured with Promarker Pear Green and mounted on Chocolate Brown card although it looks grey in the picture. The sentiment is from a set from Papermania, heat embossed with gold.

Clean and Simple Challenge 119 Sketch

Thank you for taking the tiome to visit. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Anne

I've Won

I was amazed and stunned yesterday to discover that I had won the Birthday Blog Candy from Bearly Mine Designs, aren't I the lucky girl, just look at all the goodies I've won.

I will have a whale of a time when I get back here after my trip to the UK to spend Christmas and New Year with my family and friends.

Thank you Donna for being so geneorous.

Anne

Butterfly

Having had no Telephone or Internet yesetrday, I think the workmen must have damaged the cable, I sat and wrote all my Christmas Cards ready for posting when I go back to the UK and would you believe I only had one left so I think that was great judgement. I had quite a few left from last year so it is good to be able to start fresh again next year.

This is going back to my previous favourite style of card, Embroidery. The pattern is from Anns Paper Art and stitched with variegated threads  This one took several hours as there is a lot of work in it..The sentiment I made on the computer.


I Did It Creations Wings
Ellephantastic Challenge Butterfly
A Spoonful of Sugar Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit, I appreciate your comments.

Anne

Forever Friends

This stamp was a freebie with the Creativity magazine this time last year and I had never got round to using him so this is his first outing. He was designed as a Christmas stamp as there was a Robin with a hat by his feet, but as I have finished Christmas cards for this year I cut him off and thought it was a suitable image for a Birthday. coloured again with Promarkers. The flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts and the papers are Bearly Mine Designs and Fred She Said.

Pixie Cottage challenge Sketch

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I appreciate your comments.

Anne

Gone Fishing

This cute bear is from the Daisy and Dandelion range, which I found reduced on one my shopping flurries in the summer. Isn't he cute? The sentiment says "Fishing, If it was easy it would be called catching".   I have coloured him with Promarkers again, Mustard and Buttercup for the bear and Denim and Pale Blue for his hat jacket and bag. The grass is Marsh Green. The backing paper is from a Dovecraft pack that I have had for ages.
I am entering him for the following challenges :--
Sketch Saturday (their sketch)
Cards for Men  (Animals)

Thank you for taking the time to visit my Blog, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Anne

Think Pink

I have had this paper for a long time, it is from a pack by Dovecraft, and I suddenly had an urge to use some of it!  The image is anyother of the Whiff of Joy City Girls stamps. I coloured her with Promarkers using black and Cool Greys for her dress and Magenta and Pink Carnation for the sash. I'm quite pleased with way it turned out if I do say it myself, I seem to be getting the hang of using my Promarkers, and love the way you can add one colour on otp of another and blend them. All mounted on shocking pink pearlescent card.

THe pink roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts but I can't remember where the tiny white ones came from, I've had them ages.

The will be entered for Cratfy Emma's Store ChallengeThink Pink

Thank you for taking the time to look at my Blog, I really appreciate your comments.

Anne

Christmas Card

This is one of the Christmas Cards I have made with my Whiff of Joy stamps that I bought earlier in the year. It is coloured with Promarkers, one of my first attempts,  and I have used stardust Stickles on her hat and muff.  Mounted on a Nestabilities Labels 10 in Purple Pearlescent card. The backing sheet is a freebie from Jak.

I am entering it for Whiff of Joy Challenge Christmas Card and Stamp Simply Challenge 165 non Traditional Colours Christmas. This is also for Craft Ann's Challenge Blog .Christmas card using non traditional colours

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Anne

Let's Dance

This is a card I have made  for my amazing niece who will be 20 on Christmas Eve. Every time I use this stamp my husband says is that Sarah, she looks just like this and has danced since she could walk. Sarah is trying to break into the entertainment world as a singer and has been in several talent contests in last few months, in fact she is in the final of one tonight. We heard her sing in the summer and she has a wonderful voice, she just needs to be in the right place at the right time.

Anyway back to the card, the stamp is from the Whiff of Joy City Girls collection called Dancing Willow. I have coloured her with Promarkers. The backing paper is a freebie from Fred She Said. The mount was made with a Nellie Snellen square die which I ran 3/4 of the way through my bug and then turned round and used the other way to make a rectangle. The flower is made with some plain paper flowers from Prima which I coloured with Promarkers to match the card and sprayed with Pearl Glimmer Mist..I can't remember where the leaves came from they were in my stash!

This is being entered for this weeks Lili of the Valley Challenge Anything Goes

By the way the trenches have been filled in today and there is a man with a brush sweeping the road!!

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Non Craft!!!

 They are installing mains drainage in our village at the present time and I thought you might be interested to see what it looks like outside our house at the moment. The noise and dust is awful and this is only the first stage, the next one it to use pneumatic drills to make links to each house, that will be really noisy!! We can't get the car near the house at the moment and have to have all the doors and windows closed. Work statrs about 7.00 am and goes on until about 5.00pm when it gets dark.

Thank goodness it is only 5 weeks until we go back to the UK for Christmas but knowing my luck it will all be finished outside by then

With Love

This card is made with a Pyramage from the Popcorn Romance CD by Crafters Companion and I have used the sketch from their current challenge which also has the addition of One for the Girls so I think this will be OK. The paers are from the same CD although the plainer one looks a bit colourless, it does have a feint pattern although it doesn't show up in the photo. The roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts not quite the same red but I think they work OK.
I am also going to enter this for My Time to Craft Challenge which this week is Rhapsody of Roses

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Different Style

I made this card following an idea on Stamp TV and thought it was a simple but interesting one. The image and text are mounted on different sides of the gatefold front so that when you open it one is on the left and the other on the right. The image stamp is one I picked up reduced in one of the craft shops I visited in the summer and I thought it would be a useful one. The text stamp I have had a while but don't use very often. I used Stampin Up ink in olive and mounted on olive card although the picture makes it look grey. The white card is embossed with the Cuttlebug Goochie Script folder.
I am entering this for One stop Cards and Crafts Challenge which this week is Embossing, and also C.R.A.F.T.http://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ challenge which is dry embossing,

i hope you like it and thank you for looking .

Anne

Same but Different!

These two cards are both made using the same Lili of the Valley stamp from their occasions set but with a totally different style.

This first one is coloured with Promarkers in Lilac shades and mounted on a stitched card with a pattern from Ann's Paper Art. The shaded thread is a Gutterman Sulky thread that I can no longer find a supplier for in the area of the UK that I visit so I have to use it sparingly.I have mounted it all on Lilac card. The sentiment is from the same set of stamps. The background card is the same colour lilac although it doesn't look like it here.

 

 The second card is also coloured with Promarkers and mounted on pink and cream plaid paper from Bearly Mine Designs and I just added some cream ribbon to finish it off.

I hope you like them.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Lili of the Valley

Well it has been a long time coming but at last I have got round to posting again. I just don't seem to have had the enthusiasum to post anything lately although I have been busy making Christmas cards, I think I have got enough now as I had quite a few left from last year.

Anyhow down to business, firstly I was amazed this morning to find out that I had won this weeks Blog Candy at Lili of the Valley, a great start to the week and month, (lets hope it's a sign of things to come and I can finally get back home to the UK).

I  think I have managed to get the hang of colouring with Promarkers and am ready to share on of my results with you all. This is one of the LotV boys stamps and I have used to enter their challenge this week whch is a sketch by Bev. The backing paper is from Dovecraft which I bought ages ago and I have tried to use the colours from it colour the image. The sentiment is from the same set as the stamp. I bought the buttons when I was in the UK in the summer and stripped some string down to single strands to tie them with. I think it has worked out OK.
I don't know where the white line across the top has come from, it seemed to appear when I uploaded it, it certainly is not there in real life!!!

Thank you for looking, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Anne

I'm Back

Well everybody did you miss me ? probably not, but hey I'm now back in Cyprus and melting with the heat and humdity, which yesterday was 70+% and everyone says it is cooling down!!!!
When I was in the UK I made my usual round of the Craft shops and visited one or two new ones so I have lots of new goodies to play with, just trying to get my brain round what to start with.  I bought some Promarkers so I'm looking forward to trying them out with all the new stamps I bought!!!

This is just a quick card for the One Stop Crafts challenge which this week is fashion through the years. I made it for a friend who was 64 and I thought it approriate.  The 3D is JollyNnation and the backing paper is from a pad from Papermania that I bought ages ago, it just seemed the right colour. The sentiment was generated in word.

Thank you for looking and I hope to be in full action again soon.

Anne

Whiff of Joy Christmas

OK so it's only 1st July and I'm making Christmas cards, but I am going back to the UK next week until at least the beginning of September and you never know we might have to come back and pack everything up if we get a buyer for our house in the meantime so I am making a start. I have actually pricked out a load of stitchimg patterns ready to take with me, these and a few reels of thread don't take up any room in the luggage and I have to have something to do while I'm there.

This is made with 2 of the stamps from this set they are really gorgeous and so fine and detailed. I love them. The little girl is cut out and mounted on sticky pads . The backing paper came from my stash and the brads I bought last summer reduced in The Range, 10p for a pack of 24!!!! This is being entered for Sketch Saturday Challenge as I have used their sketch.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

One for the Girls

One for the girls is the title of the first Challenge for A Pocket Full of Posies which as you can imagine must include flowers. This is another freebie digi image from here and she has got plenty of flowers!.
The floral backing paper is another from Bearly Mine Designs and the other one is another freebie I saved but again I'm not sure where from. The border is made with Tonic Studios border punches and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I am also enetering this for Create 4 Fun Challenge as I have used their sketch although I have just realised it should have had some text in the bottom corner which I haven't included, there wasn't really room.

I am now going to ask for some advice from all you talented ladies out there in Blogland. I am looking to buy a set of Promarker or Copic pens and wondered which you all prefer and the pros and cons of each. As it will be a costly investment I don't want to make a mistake and buy the wrong ones.

Thank you for lookiing.

Anne

Pink and Brown

This card was made a while ago but I thought it was suitable for this weeks One Stop Crafts Challenge which is Pink and Brown. The stamp is from a set I bought from Lakeland when they were selling craft items. I used Stampin Up Close to Cocoa ink and coloured it with watercolour pens. The tag is a Cuttlebug Die stamped with a sentiment from a Papermania set. The ribbon and rhinestones are pink but don't show up very well. The paper is another downloaded freebie but I can't remember where from.
It looks crooked in the picture but I can assure you it is straight in real life.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Yuletide in June

Two posts in one day!! This is a record. Yesterday with temperatures well over 35 degrees and humidity of nearly 90% I sat with the Air Con on and made some Christmas Cards!!! Must be mad. Today it is cooler but blowing a gale but more comfortable, don't need the AC.
The Challenge for My Time To Craft is Yuletide in June. I had already had the idea for this card the other day when I was using the embossing folder for something else. It is one of the ones from Crafts Too. The design is made with Stamps from Rubber Tapestry. the word Noel is one stamp and the decoration is made with 3 tiny peg stamps. I stamped the Noel with Versamark and heat embossed it with gold and then added the decoration. A quick and simple card but I think quite stylish and light too for posting, especially from here as everything has to go airmail

I tried 2 different ways, on the second one I used an embossing pen on the stars and added gold embossing powder. I'm not sure which way I like best.
I am also entering this for Crafty Anns Challenge Blog which this week is Embossing.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Twit Ta Whoo

This cute Owl is a stamp from the Honey and Hugs range by Papermania which I bought reduced at Easter and hadn't yet used. I have used the sketch from Sketch and Stash Challenge 38. Stamped with Stampin Up Close to Cocoa ink and coloured with Watercolour pencils. The backing sheet is a freebie from Bearly Mine Designs.  I have used Nestabilites Labels 13 for the mounts and the small flowers which are from the same stamp set.
I rather like the Pink and Brown colour combination.

I am also enetering this for A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge Good Luck / Best Wishes.

Thank you for looking

Anne

New Arrival

This card has been made with another free image from here. I do so love Anns images. The backing paper is some that I saved on my files but I don't remember where from. The corners are punched with a punch from a set I got in Hobbycraft when I first started card making and which I hardly ever use. I decided to make another Easel card as I like these for a change. I have used the sketch from Totally Papercrafts for this weeks challenge. Not quite sure about the colours, perhaps there is too much yellow?  The sentiment is from a set that I got at Easter and still hadn't used.

This will also be entered for Create 4 Fun Challenge 25  make a baby card.

Thank you for taking the time to look .
.

Anne

One for the Boys

One for the boys is this weeks challenge for One Stop Craft Challenge. This is from the Crafters Companion Popcorn Mens CD and I have used the sketch from  Crafters Companion Challenge and intend to enter it there also although I have left off embelishments as I couldn't find anything suitable in my stash so I don't know if it will be elligable. The Pyramage and papers are all from Popcorn CDs
Quite a simple card really but nice to be able to make a mans card for a change.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Xtra Special

Just a quick post today (although this card has taken about 3 weeks to make because of my printer problems).
One of the ladies I meet up with when I am back in the UK will be 90 next month and she looks and acts no more than 75, she is an amazing lady. I was told her likes were Blue and pastel colours, Flowers and Butterflies so I think I have included everything.
This is another gatefold card using Nestabilities Mega Rectangles. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the paper is from Bearly Mine Designs. The pearls and ribbon which is a very pale blue are all from my stash. The butterfly is an holographic peel off mounted on acrylic and tiny pearls added.

This will be entered for My Time to Craft Challenge which this time is Xtra Special.  This lady is certainly that!

Thank you for looking

Anne

D I Y!!!!

 After the week I've had it is amazing that I have made any cards at all. You may remember I told you that my printer had thrown a wobbly. Well we eventually had to buy a new one, not really what we wanted as the old one was an all in one and this is a printer only. It was however all I was prepared to spend here for a printer with individual inks, even that was nearly twice what I would have paid in the UK for the same thing. Anyway after a few days it started refusing to print jpg and photos and then blocking the print menu. We had to unplug the printer and reboot the laptop to clear this. The lady from Cartridge World came out last Monday and spent over an hour trying to figure out what was wrong and decided it was probably a fault with my computer, Her husband a sofrtware engineer came on Saturday and spent nearly 2 hours and was still unable to find the fault so took everything home with him. Sunday evening I got a call to say they had fixed it. Monday we got in the car to go and fetch it and guess what!!!! the car wouldn't start. We had to get a new battery. When we eventually got everything home, it still wouldn't work, grhhhhhhhhhhh. Yesterday the lady from CW spent the morning trying to get some joy from HP but to no avail.
I have just had a call from CW to say that they will replace it with a new one  Hip Hip Hooray!!! Lets hope this one works, fingers criossed.
To top all this the kettle has sprung a leak!
Sorry for this rant but I just had to get it off my chest.

 

 Now down to the important thing. I thought this card would do for a man who perhaps is not the best of DIYers!!!
The stamp and sentiment are from the Daisy and Dandelion range. I think this is Marshmallow. The papers are from a pad I have had for ages. I think they are Papermania for Men.  The corners are made with a photo corner punch.

This will be entered for One Stop Crafts challenge as this is their sketch by my friend Chrissie.

Totally Papercraft Challenge Animal Magic

and Charisma Cardz Challenge Spots and Stripes.

Pink and Blue

I'm not sure if this is a bit too sugary, but here goes. This is another image from here coloured with Maryvy water colour pens. There are some wonderful free images here, and so cute. I used a backing sheet from a K&Co pad that I have had for ages and tried to match the card etc to it. Perhaps the image could have been a bit bigger. I use my new Nestablities Label 13.
This is for an entry in The Cuttlebug Spot Challenge using their sketch. I have used my Border embossing folders on the pink card. The lace is some from my stash, (can't remeber where I got it) and the pearls just add a bit of life to the embossing. The flowers are again from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Thank you for looking.

Anne

Orange and Green

This is another of the freebie images from here  isn't she a real cutie. This time I've used Marvy Water colour Pens and Watercolour  pencils. The papers are some I had stored on my Puter (not sure were from!)  The green paper ribbon I coloured with a Marvy pen. The sentiment I made myself on Word, it took nearly as long to work it out as it did to make the rest of the card! When I get back to the UK I will have to find somewhere to get some more lessons.
All a bit bright but I think it works. My colours are rather limited, but perhaps when my life is sorted out again and I get settled I will be able to afford to invest some Promarkers or Copics. I'm not certain which is the best as some people like one and some the other.

I am entering it for the Create 4 Fun challenge using their sketch.

Thank you for looking. I appreciate your comments.

Anne

Circles

This is a free digi stamp from  /http://bodilsscrappeverden.blogspot.com/ which I coloured with Watercolour pencil and Marvy Watercolour pens. Although it doen't show very well on the picture she has pink and yellow sripy socks!  The backing sheets are from  http://bmd-creations.blogspot.com/ . I punched a border with a Tonic Studios border punch. The flowers are from http://www.wildorchidcrafts.com/
which I have added pearls to the centres.
This will be entered for the following challnges

http://thepixiecottage.blogspot.com/2010/05/pixie-cottage-challenge-20-add-pocket.htmlI have used the sketch from here.

http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.com/ Circles

I think it will also qualify for this  http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ Pearls and Swirls as I have embossed the pink circle with C/B Divine Swirls  folder and added pearls.

I think these are all OK.

Thank you for looking. I appreciate all your kind comments.

Anne

Moorhead 3D

This cutie is one of the Moorhead Decoupage sheets that I bought at a bargain price recently from a company that was closing down. The paper is some I got ages ago as a freebie with one of my magazines. I have used my new Nestabilities Labels Eleven to cut the mount from glitter card and pink. The roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the leaves are made with a Crafts Too punch. Just a few pearls and ribbon to finish off.

I am going to enter this for the   http://cookingitupwithkatie.blogspot.com/ Challenge which is Wing it you Pink Petal.

Thank you for looking, I really appreciate your comments.

Anne

Monochrome

This is an easel card made with one of the Docrafts Pickles and Onion stamps. This is Onion, He is coloured with pearlescent water colours. The mount is made using the Nellie Snellen square die set and mounted on sticky pads to give the layers height.
The Papers are from Bearly Mine Crafts downloadable digi range.
I haven't added any sentiment yet as it could be a New Baby card or a 1st birthday.

I am going to enter it for Totally Papercrafts Challenge which this week is Monochrome.

Thank you for looking. I really appreciate your comments

Anne

Another City Girl

This is another of the Whiff of Joy City Girl stamps. This time I have used pearlescent water colours for the dress and watercolour pencils for the skin and hair. The background paper is from a pad of K & Co paper that I bought when I first started card making and have hardly used. The green card is a limey green pearlescent that I bought when I was in the UK at Easter. I used a Woodware punch to make the central strip.
I am going to enter this for a few challenges :-

Sketch and Stash Challenge 36

Charisma Cardz Challenge 20 3D

Spoonful of Sugar Challenge 105 Celebration

Crafy Ann's Challenge 15 Lots of Colour.

I hope it is suitable for all of these. I think it is OK.
Sorry the picture is a bit pale. I now have to rely on my camera now as the new printer I bought last week is only a printer and not a scanner as well which is what I was using before.
Thank you for looking. I appreciate your comments.

Anne

Shopping Spree

I am going to enter this card forWhiff of Joy stamps challenge. I only have 3 0f their stamps but I love them as they are so fine and stamp beautifully. This is from their City Girls Collection. The challenge is Brown and Yellow and another colour. The stamp is coloured with water colour pencils. I have used some new digi backing papers from Bearly Mine Designs, they have some wonderful papers. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The jewels are a bargain I got from a pound shop in the UK, a pack of 3 emery boards covered with these in various colours!

Thank you for looking your comments are greatly appreciated.

Anne

My First Challenge entry

I was asked to make a card for my husbands friend to give to his wife for their 20th Wedding Anniversary. This is what I came up with. I got the idea from Suzannes card craft. It uses Mega rectangle Nestabilities. The cardstock is folded in half before cutting to give a double page and fixed to another piece of cardstock to give a gatefold card. The backing paper is from Joanna Sheen Redoubte Roses collection and the roses are from Wild Orchid crafts. I had to use peel offs for the wording as my printer has thrown a wobbly and refuses to use 2 of the colours. (it's at the Doctors at the moment, I hope they can fix it as I don't really want to have to buy another until we get back to the UK. The selection here is rather limited and expensive).
I have entered it for the challenge at Totally Paper Crafts Wedding / Anniversary.

Thank you for looking. Your comments are appreciated.

Anne

Fashion Peels Offs

I've not really been getting much inspiration lately, just a bit fed up that we still haven't been able to get rid of our house here so that we can move back to the UK. Hopefully something will happen soon.



Believe it or not these two cards were made using Peel Offs. The Dress card was made with a bodice embroidery peel off which I mounted on red card and embroidered with gold thread,and threaded with white ribbon. The skirt was cut from a template I found in one of my magazines,cut from printed paper and folded to give pleats, I used some of the same paper to mount the handbag and added some red gems. The shoes were again peel offs mounted on the same red card as the bodice and again some gold gems.




The second card is also a Peel Off for the hat mounted on deep purple/burgundy card which I dressed up with flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. The head template is from the same magazine as the skirt which I resized to make it fit the hat and cut from flesh colour card. Just a bit of bling to make a necklace. The backing paper is from Papermania Amethyst Infusions collection.

Who says Peel Offs are boring!

Thank you for looking, I appreciate all your comments.


Anne

Same Stamp Different Card

While I was in the UK one of the ladies I met up with was selling off her stamps. This is one that I bought, I'm not certain what make it is but I thought it would be useful.
The red card I coloured the stamp with my pearlescent water colour paints and cut out the Butterfly. The red paper is from a Papermania Oriental Spice pack which I stamped with a swirl in Versamark and heat embossed with gold. The butterfly is mounted on sticky pad and finished with gold Stickles on the body and antlers.


The other card has the wings only cut out of a Nestabilities label and mounted on a larger label.
The paper is a K& Co one that I have had for ages. The blue strip is paper lace that I coloured with the same paint as in the butterfly. I'm not sure about the colours on this one but I think it works.

Thank you for looking. your comments are greatly appreciate.

Anne

Another Flower Stamp

This is using another of Papermania Stamps this time Build a Rose. The flower was again cut out as individual petals coloured with pearlescent paint and fastened together with a brad. There are more layers on this than on the Pansy. Another of my new Nellie Snellan Dies and a round scalloped Nestability. The Embossing is the Roses folder from Crafts Too and a border folder from Cuttlebug.
The Build a rose stamps are being sold to raise money for Cancer Research.

Anne

Using some New Toys

When I was in the UK the other week I had my usual spending spree and bought lots of new goodies.
This card is made using Papermania Build a Pansy stamp set which I coloured with some new pearlescent water colour paints, cut out and fixed together with a central brad (the stamp has a whole flower and a set of different petals to make up into a flower) amd mounted on gold cut from one of my new Nellie Snellen Dies. These were then mounted on white embossed with my new Cuttlebug Script folder. The ribbon is from Wild Orchid Crafts and the whole thing is mounted on a card blank from The Works.

Iam quite pleased with the effect of the water colour paints and only £5 something for a tray of 21 colours a lot cheaper then Cosmic Shimmers for a beginner!

Thank you for looking

Anne

Stitched and Chalked

I recently made this card from a pattern by Form a Lines. They suggested stitching in one colour but I decided to use colours suitable for the thing being stitched and then I coloured the design with chalks to make it look like a picture. I used threads by Mettler and Gutermann Sulky.
I think it looks OK and more like the seaside in Summer.

If anyone hasn't done stitching on card it is very theraputic and I do it while i am watching TV to stop me falling asleep!!! You have to prick the holes from a pattern and stitch it a bit like you would have made string pictures, going from one hole to another and back again to the next hole.

Anne

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. Please forgive any mistakes as this all very new to me, but then we all have to start somewhere.
I am an avid card maker who got into it quite by chance. Just under 3 years ago a new craft shop opened near here and I went along to have a look at what they had in stock. The ladies who owned it said they were starting a card making class and was I interested in joining. As I had only recently moved here to Cyprus I thought it would be good place to meet a few people, so said yes.

As I had never made a card before in my life I was a bit dissapointed with the first card but persevered and within 2 or 3 weeks I was hooked.

My favourite techniques are Stitching and 3d Decoupage but recently I have become attracted to stamping and colouring. I have also done Teabag folding, Iris Folding and Spirelli although I don't do much of them at the moment.

Here are a few samples of my work. I would appreciate comments contructive or otherwise.

Cyprus Anne