The Wicked Witches' Residence !

Hi, yesterday I had a fun time creating a 'Spooky' Halloween card which I would like to enter for The Creative Carte Blanche Challenge Witchy Woman and The Craft Barn 2 weekly Challenge Pumpkin and Bat.

I started by cutting 2 houses using Tim Holtz Rickety House die, one in spotty co-ordinations card and one from card that had been coloured with Fresco Chalk Acrylic paints.

Once I'd worked out which window went  where I sanded the black die cut house and rubbed areas with Treasure Pewter.

Next I stamped the bat, pumpkin, broom, and hat onto scrap card and clear embossed so as two make cutting out a little easier. These were coloured with Distress Makers and a silver Pro-Marker.

The banner was cut from kraft card using Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Banners die and stamped with Wicked Witch and heat embossed in black.

The card blank was coloured using Distress inks in Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky and Pumice.

The cobwebs were added using pumice.

I don't normally make Halloween cards but I must admit this was fun to construct and I think the bat is quite evil!!

There is no visible witch in this project so I hope the Creative Carte Blanche will accept this entry.

Many thanks for stopping by, I hope your weekend is full of fun and relaxing things, maybe even some crafting!

Take Care, Jane X

Card With a View

I've had an idea in my head for some time but never got round to trying it out, so when Crafty Individuals announced their theme for the January blog challenge I felt this was the time to try it out.
To see the wonderful scene Coco has made to kick the challenge off click here. Ok so the theme is 'Scenic Stamping'.

Then open the doors / gates ---

To begin with I stamped C.I. 249 in Archival Watering Can onto watercolour card. I then expanded the text for the wall using InkyDoodles text background stamp. 

Colour was then added to the scene by brushing watered down Distress Inks in Pumice Stone, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Tea Dye and Stormy Skies.

Another set of doors were stamped onto medium weight paper and coloured in the same way to be cut out and stuck onto the inside of the doors.

The ivy was stamped in Forest moss.

The doors were cut using a craft knife and lightly scoring down the hinged edges. I then felt it needed  some steps, so these were made from watercolour card and coloured with Pumice Stone, Tea Dye and Shabby Shutters.

The edges were lightly inked with vintage photo.

Next Tower Bridge was stamped from C.I.221, I masked the 3 other scenes before inking. This was also stamped in Watering Can, the sky and river were coloured in Weathered Wood and Stormy Skies. The colour was added to the bridge using watercolour pencils.

The tree branches were added using a Distress Marker in Walnut stain and then I over stamped with a few ivy leaves.

This was attached to the back of the doorway using foam pads so as to add a little depth.

Now onto the flowers-- these were stamped onto card coloured with Pan Pastels using a Crafty Individuals stamp that was a free gift with an order using Versa-Mark ink and then white embossing powder. These were then punched out and the petals curled to form a type of 'Clematis' flower.

Black gems were added for door knobs and the whole picture was mounted onto a piece of Graphic 45 paper before attaching to a kraft card.

I am pleased with how the card turned out and hope it fits the criteria for the challenge. Thanks to Coco for giving me the nudge I needed to see this idea through.

I hope you all have a good week and hopefully some time for a little crafting--- its good for you!!!!

Take care and thanks as always for stopping by, Jane x

Summer's Here !!

A very happy Friday to you all and the title of this blog entry really doesn't reflect with what's  happening outside the window, ( grey and very damp!) but hey we can dream a little.

Walking around the garden earlier this week I felt I wanted to make a card that reflected the colours of the flowers in bloom at the moment i.e. nicotianas, calendars, roses and zinnias.

Items Used

Lavinia Stamps; Zen Flower 2, Poppy Pods and foliage from the magazine freebie

Distress Inks in Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass, Lilac Shades, Victorian Velvet, Wild Honey and Pine Needles.

Piece of white card about 14cm square + smooth white card for stamping flowers on.

Pro-Markers in Lipstick Red, Pumpkin and Lime Zest.

Tim Holtz embossing folder from Pattern and Stitches A2 set

Clarity Honeycomb Stencil

Perfect Pearls in bisque

Brilliance ink in Pearlescent Thyme

Lattice die from Spellbinders

Stickles in Crystal

Length of fuchsia coloured string

Black Archival ink pad

Versa-mark ink pad

Clear and white Embossing Powder

To begin with I stamped various flowers in black ink onto white card and then embossed with the clear powder and also versa-mark ink and white embossing powder. These were then coloured in using the pro-markers and cut out. The buds were formed by using 5 petals from a flower, curling them and then sticking the tips of the petals with some pva glue. I stuck petals 1, 3 and 5 together first and the brought in petals 2 and 4, so as to form a layer.

The main flowers were made of 2 layers glued together and a piece of Craftwork Cards candi used for the centre.

I then coloured the background card using the distress inks and a brush. Once happy with the tones I added subtle areas of matching colour ink using the honeycomb stencil and a sponge.

Once dry I embossed 3 sides with the stitch embossing folder.

Next I stamped the flower stems by inking the the poppy pods stamp but not inking the actual seed head. For this I used the pine needles ink.

Then the leaves were added using the pearlescent thyme ink which gives a slight shimmer.

The white lattice die cut was then stuck to the bottom of the card and trimmed to size. The pink string was then stuck to the back and knotted at the front.

Before attaching this to the card blank I added a very small amount of corresponding coloured ink to the edges of the card just to tie it all in.

The 2 lower flowers were attached first and the the 3rd centre one, next the 2 buds/ seed heads depending how you look at them. Next I added the dots of perfect pearls and then added a smidging of the stickles to the 2 outer petals of the buds.

I would like to enter this for Lavinia Stamps monthly Challenge titled 'Summer Colours'.

Well I hope the sun pops its little head out for us all over the weekend, Have a good one whatever you may be doing and if its raining there's always ink to play with !!

If you have time to leave a comment at the bottom of the page I would appreciate hearing what you think.

Take Care and thanks as always for stopping by Jane  x

Vintage Seaside Tag

Hello, and a very happy thursday to you all. Well where has May gone? I can't believe it's the 29th already. Todays blog is just a quickie as I wanted to enter this tag into Frilly and Funkies fortnightly challenge and time is running out!

To view all the DT's beautiful pieces click on the link ;  http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/vintage-seaside-challenge.html

To begin with I printed part of a seaside photo that was taken at Rock in Cornwall several years ago looking across to Padstow. This was printed onto 250gsm card and then cut into a tag using the Tim Holtz die. I then extended the sand area by painting on some watered down Distress stain in Gathered Twigs. The sky and clouds were created with a cloud stencil and using Distress Ink in Antique Linen and Adirondack in Juniper.

The top was stamped with "Postcard" using the hole of the tag as the o and then a row of beach huts were stamped so that the tops were in the sky line. This were all stamped in Sepia Archival and then coated in clear embossing powder and heated.

The flags on the top of the huts were coloured in using pro-markers.

I then stamped a matching row of beach huts onto white card and coloured these in again using pro marker pens. I stamped 2 larger beach huts also in sepia, coloured them in and cut them out. I discarded the flags on the top of the larger huts and cut these out of material to give some added texture. The bunting was cut from white card using a Memory Box die and these were coloured using the same colours as the small huts.

I then stamped Memories from a 7 Gypsies set of stamps on to a card ticket that had been painted with PaperArtsy acrylic paint in nougat, then given a coat of Americana Weathered Wood and then once dry a coat of white acrylic paint. Once dry and crackled I inked the edges and slightly smudged the word memories with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I then rubbed in a little Treasure Gold wax in Renaissance to hi-light the cracking. 

The tag, bunting and all the cut out huts were aged at the edges using Pumice Stone Distress Ink. The sand area was lightly rubbed with some Distress Stickles in Vintage Photo.

The names of various shell fish were added to the sea area using letter rub-ons and the flying birds were stamped in the sky using Watering can Archival ink.

I frayed a small piece of burlap/hessian and stuck this onto the tag using Glossy Accents. The huts were all stuck in place with glossy accents and the ticket and bunting were attached with foam pads for extra depth.

Finally the fishing net was attached to the bottom corner, this was a piece of netting saved from a bundle of satsumers---- I had a feeling it might have a use one day!

A length of natural rope/ thick string was added to the top of the tag.

I would like to enter this tag for The Frilly and Funkie Vintage Seaside Challenge.

Thanks as always for stopping by and reading todays entry, hopefully you'll pop back again soon. I always love to read your comments and messages so please feel free to leave them at the bottom of the page and if you have any questions on todays tag post them at the bottom and I will answer them asap. Until next time, take care and enjoy your crafting time whatever it is you do. Jane x

'SEWING' A Transformed Gift Bag.

Hi Everyone and a very Happy Bank Holiday to you all, hopefully you haven't got to go to work and that you are having a well earned long weekend. Todays crafty offering is a little different but I hope you like it and that it might give you a few ideas for jazzing up a gift bag and also personalising it for the recipient.

I would like to enter this for the Frilly and Funky fortnightly challenge titled " On The Runway" Sewing or Fashion. To view the DT creations and the other entries click on the link; Frilly and Funky

This bag is decorated on all 4 sides so there are a lot of different components,  I shall give details for the dies, inks and waxes used and how I made the main elements on each side.

The bag I started with was a 14cm x 14cm x 9cm brown paper gift bag which is available at most craft stores. This I cut open at the sides so that the bag would then lay flat to allow me to sew my chosen fabric to the front, back and sides along the top and edges.

I then reformed the bag and reinforced the cut sides with a piece of card on the inside. This was stuck with double sided tape.

Next I embossed a sheet of Paperartsy Crunchy Waxed Kraft Paper with the Tim Holtz Texture Fades Pattern and Stitches A2 folder. This was then cut and torn to fit onto 2 of the sides. Once in place the raised edges were hi-lighted with some Treasured Gold Wax in Renaissance.

A picture of an old sewing pattern was downloaded, stuck onto some card that resembled stripped fabric and the edges were cut with pinking shears and inked using Distress ink in Vintage Photo.

Now onto the main elements.

Starting at the top, the tape measure was stamped in black onto white card, then cut out. 4 small lengths of ribbon were then stuck onto a textured piece of brown card, an eyelet was used to attach the tape and the card and then a length of bakers twine tied to the top.

The mdf tag was given a coat of white gesso and then when fully dry a coat of Paperartsy Fresco Chalk Acrylics in Blush. The sentiment "You're Sew Special" was stamped in black archival and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The edges were stamped with a flourish stamp by Graphic 45 in vintage photo and then brushed with Perfect Pearls Mica in Heirloom Gold. A length of boucle wool was then threaded through the hole in the tag.

The picture in the centre was embroidered in cross stitch onto cream Aida. The frame was cut from some hammered card, edges cut with pinking shears and then rubbed with Decoart Metallic Lustre in black shimmer and the Renaissance Treasured Gold. Once dry this was then buffed with a soft cloth. I then crocheted a length of chain stitches to hang the picture with and attached a hook from a hook and eye set.

The thread card was stamped onto kraft card with versa-mark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Once cut out the silk thread was then wound round the card and fastened.

The dressmakers dummy was cut using Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers mini sewing room die. This was cut twice, once in black felt and then in natural calico. The top and bottom were cut from the calico dress and then stuck onto the felt. I then sewed 2 layers of gathered lace to form a skirt and threaded some tiny beads onto some invisible thread for the necklace.

The flower was cut from Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die and the centre petals were cut using a flower punch. The outer layer of petals were cut from Grunge Paper, embossed with an embossing folder, inked with Distress inks in Dusty Concord and Victorian Velvet. Once the ink was dry I applied a little Treasured Gold in Ruby and Sapphire to the embossed parts. The leaf was cut with the Mini Tattered Leaf die, inked in Iced Spruce and Peeled paint and the edges rubbed with Treasured Gold in Olive Bronze. The flower is held together with a metal brad.

The millinery ticket was stamped onto some rose bud patterned paper using Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Adverts in Walnut Stain. this was then stuck onto a torn piece of T.H. Kraft-Core no 23 and the whole thing was lightly inked with vintage photo.

A pair of scissors were stamped and heat embossed in black and cut out and a piece of trellis was cut from cream card using the new T.H. die.

Now onto the assembling.

Using Walnut Stain ink I randomly stamped some text onto the fabric. The hook for the picture was sewn in place and then the picture is held with a glue dot. The Sylko tag was taken from an old cotton reel and the buttons are just odd ones found in the wonders of a "Button Box" ( A child's delight!)

The tape measure was just tucked into the top of the wax paper and then 2 press fasteners used to secure. A few pearl beads were threaded onto come cotton.

The pattern was attached with double sided tape and a brad was fastened in the top corner. the trellis was then stuck with foam pads to give some depth. The flower, leaf and dummy were all fastened with wet glue. The tag was tied to the handle and held steady with a glue dot.

The patterned paper was stuck on the bottom edge, hand sewn on one side and left unfastened on the other side so as the scissors could be tucked in. Cotton lace was gathered and hand sewn at the top and the ticket was attached with double sided tape.

So there you have it, a completely transformed gift bag. How much fun it would be to fill with lots of little sewing goodies for someone's birthday present. I hope you have enjoyed todays entry and that it fits the brief to be entered for the challenge.

If you have any questions or comments on this make please feel free to leave them at the bottom of the page and I will endeavour to get back to you asap. Hope you all have a great weekend and hopefully see you back here soon for some more crafty time. Take care and thanks as always for popping by, see you soon  Jane x

Spring Colours

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend and that you were lucky enough to have the gorgeous sunshine on Sunday that we had here in Kent. It was lovely getting out into the garden to get on with some much needed weeding and dividing of some of the perennials.

Anyway less of the waffling and onto todays crafty offering. This I would like to enter into Lavinia Stamps Blog Challenge titled "Spring Colours".

Items used

Lavinia Stamps; Fairy House, Fairy Mia, Slender Mushrooms, Small hearts and Fairy Dust is like verse.

Spellbinders Die Ribbon Banners Lg

Imagination Crafts Stencil Bay Leaf

15cm x 15cm card blank

White card for stamping

Contrasting card for mounting

Versa-mark ink pad

Ranger Seafoam White Embossing Powder

Clear UTEE

Distress Inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Milled Lavender, Wild Honey, Victorian Velvet, Tumbled Glass and Pumice Stone

Brilliance Ink Pad in Pearlescent Olive

Perfect Pearls Mica in perfect pearl

10cm Square mask 

To begin with ink up some white card with the Distress inks using all the colours except the Pumice Stone. I used a brush but a blending tool or cut and dry would all work.

Then stamp the fairy house in versa-mark and emboss with the white powder.

This image was then cut into a 9cm square, which was then cut into 4 equal tiles as in the picture below.

These were then very lightly inked with the pumice stone ink and the excess wiped from the embossed image. this helps the image "pop" slightly.

These 4 tiles were then mounted onto a contrasting colour card. 

The remaining inked card was then stamped with the fairy verse and the slender mushrooms in versa-mark and embossed in the white EP. The verse was die cut with the ribbon die and a matching die cut using the contrasting card. These were stuck together so as to form a shadow behind the verse.

The slender mushrooms were then cut out and inked with the versa-mark and embossed with the Utee, this was repeated so as to give a good coverage and give the impression of a glazed tile. This was also mounted onto the contrasting card and a hole was punched for some ribbon to be threaded through.

OK now it's time to start on the card blank, firstly using the square mask lightly ink the centre of the card with the squeezed lemonade.

Remove the mask and then cut a paper mask the same size as the centre aperture of the mask used. This will then be used to cover the area that has been inked. To keep this in place I use the sticky part of a post-it note pad folded in half under the paper mask.

Once the centre is covered the fairy was stamped in the top lefthand corner using the pearlescent olive ink. The small hearts were randomly stamped using the milled lavender D.I. These were then brushed with Perfect Pearls mica powder to give a subtle shimmer.

Next using the bay leaf stencil the flower stems were inked through using the peeled paint and the victorian velvet.

Now all thats left to do is to stick the 4 mounted parts of the fairy house in the centre and then attach the verse and little glazed tile. Job done!

Well I hope you liked todays card making session, one that would be very easy to adapt to any type of stamped image, whether it be for a male or female, young or the not so young---

Thank you as always for stopping by and reading this post and any comments, questions or queries are always much appreciated. Until next time we meet take care and have a good week, Jane x

"Blue or Lilac or Both!"

Hi everyone, todays blog is my entry for Lavinia Stamps Challenge "Blue or Lilac or Both!" to view Lavinia Stamps wonderful range and the other entrants click on the link  http://laviniastamps.com 

Items used

White card measuring 15cm square

Lavinia Stamps Spiral of spells, Secret garden, Poppy pods, Mia fairy, small slender mushrooms and small stars.

Heart from Tando Creative Grab bag of hearts

Distress inks in Shaded lilac, Stormy sky and Tumbled glass

Adirondack in Eggplant and Denim

Versa-mark ink pad

White Seafoam and Black embossing powder

Moon Mask

Brilliance ink pads in Starlight Black and Twilight

Cosmic Shimmers mica powders in Antique Blue and Perfect Pearl

Decoart Metallic Lustre in Black Shimmer

1 Lilac Dragonfly Brad

small amount of ribbon

To start with apply the 3 colours of Distress Inks to the white card, this can be done with a brush or a blending tool.

Once the ink is completely dry stamp the Spiral of Spells in versa-mark ink and emboss with the sea foam embossing powder.

Then place the moon mask in the top right-hand corner and with a make-up sponge apply shaded lilac and stormy sky ink to the surrounding area so as to darken that part of the sky and blend as you go. Remove the moon mask and then apply the negative part of the mask so that the moon is revealed and the surrounding sky is covered by the mask. Dab a tiny amount of versa-mark ink to the moon and then brush on the perfect pearl mica powder. Remove the mask and brush away any excess powder and buff up. 

Next the edges were stamped using the eggplant ink pad,  just the very edges of the secret garden stamp were used.

I only inked the parts I knew I was going to use. The stars were randomly stamped around the top of the sky using the Starlight Black ink pad.

The Poppy pods were then stamped in the Denim ink and the slender mushrooms stamped in the lilac end of the Twilight ink pad. The antique blue mica powder was brushed onto the mushrooms to give a slight shimmer.

Now onto the heart, this was coloured with the shaded lilac using a blending tool. Then the fairy was stamped in versa-mark ink and embossed with black embossing powder. A couple of stars were also stamped onto the background.

The metallic lustre was applied to the edges of the heart and once dry buffed up with a soft cloth.

A small piece of ribbon was then attached to the back of the heart. The dragonfly brad was placed on the picture near the moon. The heart was stuck to the card with glue.

I mounted the whole piece of work onto a painted piece of packaging card which had been painted in white acrylic paint and the edges were defined with black acrylic paint that was applied with a small piece of cut and dry foam sponge. A length of tasselled thread was attached to the bottom of the card before to was mounted onto the painted cardboard.

So there is how this entry was made. I hope there is an idea that you can take from this and use on a card or whatever it is you are creating. If you like fairies and mystical themed stamps do have a look at the wonderful range over on Lavinia's site. 

I hope you all have a good week, enjoy your creative time and see you again soon. Thanks as always for stopping by, take care Jane x