Saturday, 31 July 2010

"Cheers" - Ken's Birthday card


Caution could be problems later today.

Hi Everyone.

It's Saturday and it's Ken's birthday and I have made a great card for him. Something linked to the above caption.

I popped over to Sarah's blog during the week and she gave the nod about Imag-e-nation having a sale of Flippin men and women stamps. Now these are definitely NOT my usual style but I went to see anyway and just couldn't resist a bargain. These were too good to miss. Usually a set sells for £9.99 but they have the whole set of men or women on sale for £20.00. A bargain you say, but if you buy the whole set you get the other set completely free - just incredible. Don't know if they have any left but it would be worth a quick look to see.




So I decided to discard the card I had made for Ken earlier in the year and make him a new one. He loves bitter when he has a drink so I chose the 'Cheers' set, aren't they fun?



(He doesn't look like this I have to say!) I decided to make up the front and back of the image and use the back one on the inside of the card. I think Ken will like it. He'll certainly like the caption.




Promarkers used - 18 of them so I won't bore you by listing all their names.
DPs - blue one printed from Papercraft World CD others from my box of bits.
Music paper from a vocal score brought at a car boot.
Vintage paper - one of my downloads.
Buddie is a vintage bottle top also downloaded, and other embellishments from my collection including the TH ticket.

We are having a BBQ later with friends and neighbours, so I hope the weather holds out. It is an annual event and we have been known to stand under gazebos getting damp, but hey ho once the beer gets flowing I shouldn't think there will be a problem, only the drowsiness one.

Hope you have a fun day and weekend. See you tomorrow, I have two posts for DTs, so something else to look at.

Bye for now. Luv B xxxx

Friday, 30 July 2010

Compendium of Curiosities week 7

Good evening everyone.

I have been working on my entry for the challenge at Studio L3, which is focused on Tim Holt's book A Compendium of Curiosities. This week we have turned to page 55 and the tinted vision fragments tutorial.

I only have 1 inch square memory glass I can use for this challenge and the photograph and materials I have used means I have gone with even more of a vintage look. 



The photograph is of my Mum when she was 16, (she is now 80), and it is one of my favourite pictures of her. As you can see I have used two tinted vision fragments on this.

I started with a chipboard piece from my large box of shapes and covered it with DIs working through from mustard seed at the top, scattered straw, frayed burlap and vintage photo. The edges were done in walnut stain. Mum loves going to a little bingo session with some friends at her sheltered accommodation, so this stamp, by TH of course, seemed a good one to use. I have added some music paper, because she loves listening to her CDs and a very small photo of her with her brothers and sisters when she was probably about eight or nine. Down the left hand side I have put some TH tissue tape. I coloured a metal corner with alcohol inks and added that too. Now I look back at my piece I see I have missed off a small butterfly that I had cut out to stick on it, so that will go on later. She loves butterflies and that's one of the links to my blog title.

I have decided to use this for a 12x12 scrapbook page and have already gathered the elements and papers for it so hopefully I can post it early next week, but it will be too late for the challenge so I must get this in as it is. I will let you know Linda when I have finished it completely so you can take a look.

I have another post to come tomorrow morning as it's Ken's birthday and I have made him a fun card.

Thankyou for stopping by to take a peek at my work. I hope you have some time planned for rest and recreation this weekend.

Take care. Luv B xxxx

Thursday, 29 July 2010

Fuchsia photo inspiration. MAWTT challenge 57

Good Thursday morning to one and all.

Thankyou to everyone who took part in my challenge at MAWTT last week. It wasn't as popular as some of the others so I will have to have a think about that one.


Today the new challenge is hosted by Lisa Jane who has given us a fab sketch and a beautiful photo for inspiration.

Fuchsias are my favourite flowers and I've had lots of ideas for this challenge but I decided to create a vintage style card as I found this beautiful vintage image and poem.

In Eastern lands they talk in flowers,
And they tell in a garland their loves and cares,
Each blossom that blooms in their garden bowers,
On it's leaves a mystic language bears.



I used the Nestabilities labels 4 and the TH Alterations ornamental die for the vintage image and mount. The mount I pained with waterfall and aged gold Eco-Friendly acrylic paints - sprayed with water and blotted. I thought it would give a spattered pattern to it but it looks more like painted and weathered wood. The red DP is K&CO designer paper pad, Classic K and the sentiment is from Creative Expressions and stamped onto the bird from the TH Alterations caged bird die.

The Fuchsia looking flower I made, the others are from my box. Other embellishments have either been punched or die-cut. The hinges are from a cuttlebug die and cut in half, I used DIs and both clear embossing powder and TH frayed burlap distress embossing powder to get a slightly more aged look. I folded the corner of the DP back to reveal another paper underneath. It was all edged with crystal stickles. I added a butterfly cut out and covered with crackle accents.
DIs used are aged mahogany, tumbled glass, pine needles
Adirondacks used are oregano and stream.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

Have a great weekend coming up.

Luv B xxx

Sunday, 25 July 2010

Compendium of Curiosities week 6

Good evening
It has been such a busy weekend with the family I didn't think I was going to be able to get this posted in time for the Studio L3 challenge but I have got a little time to get this done. You know how I love all things TH style so I didn't want to miss it. I think I have made it on time Linda.

This is a tag I have made for Week 6 which happens to be page 66 of Tim's book, and the multi-medium collage technique.  The tag is part of a chipboard tag book I bought recently at my favourite craft shop The Stamp Attic in Wantage. I occasionally pop in when I am working in the area but you can also order on line.



I will leave you to learn the technique from Tim's book, but suffice to say I have loved creating my art in this way. My tag represents my blog and you can pick out the elements of it. I have stamped a bumble bee (one of Tim's stamps), added a butterfly (one of my downloaded files cut out and covered with glossy accents), a B for Brenda and @ representing the blog site, both using the technique demonstrated on page 66 (they are die cuts) and both have been covered in glossy accents. The additional honeycomb stamp is from Stampers Anonymous.

DIs I used are mustard seed, spiced marmalade, walnut stain  and fired brick.

I hope you have had a great weekend. I have been at Farnborough Air Show all day watching all the planes and will try and post some photos later. I am off to see whether this tag meets any other challenges.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my work.

Take care. Luv B xxx

Friday, 23 July 2010

More Blog Candy

Just love this blog it has beautiful work that is vintage and grunge and TH inspired.

The blog candy is fab for those of you who like distressed paper and inky fingers. Just become a follower and post a link about the blog and candy and become a follower. When Anika has 50 followers she will make the draw.


B xxx


Craft Your Days Away

Hi Everyone

There is a new challenge blog starting on the 7th August called 'Craft Your Days Away', which will be a multi-crafts challenge blog. At the moment to celebrate and to spread the word they have candy to give away to three lucky people. Go take a look.

First Prize a £10.00 voucher to Crafty Emma's Store


Second Prize is some fab embellishments



Third Prize is a Kraftin Kimmie Stamp


Good luck and happy crafting.

Luv B xxxx

Monday, 19 July 2010

Toby is a winner and Farnborough Air Show

Woo hoo, Toby in a bag is a winner at Mark's Finest Papers and my prize is a stamp set, so I await to see which one it will be. Isn't it great to know that your work merits a win. Thankyou to everyone at MFP.

This week the Farnborough Air Show is on and we live right under the flight path, so it is very exciting to watch all the planes coming in and to be able to see much of the displays during the day. As a family we are very interested in watching the planes and my husband and son can name them all. Both my son and my daughter even take the week off normal work to go and work at the show for the week. Of course they get to see the planes, meet people and earn extra money, can't be bad can it?? Yesterday morning Ken and I were standing out in the garden before 9.00 am with our dressing gowns on waiting to see the Boeing Dreamliner come in. A historic moment as it's the first time it has been seen in this country, we have seen many of these 'firsts' over the years.

Here are some photos I took this afternoon whilst watching the display from the back garden. I have only named one as I would need Ken or Ben to tell me what the others are.






This is the double-decker Airbus and as you can see it came very near to the house. Those trees are at the bottom of my garden.

Just loved the cloud - so whispy, so I thought I would take a picture of it.

Hope you've had a good start to the week.

Take care. Luv B xxxx

Sunday, 18 July 2010

Digi Madness

Hi Everyone, it's Sunday and time again for the weekly challenge at One Stitch At A Time. Go have a look at the digi madness examples from the design team and the images they have used. This week we are sponsored by Craftbrulee with a $10 voucher to spend in their store. Check out their gorgeous lace flowers.

On my card I have used the smiling seahorse from Lil Diva which can be found at Stitchy Bear Stamps. I wanted to make a summery beach/ocean theme card and this cute image really caught my eye.
I used promarkers to colour it in using denim blue, duck egg, soft green, pastel green and the blender which gave it a gorgeous effect and then I cut it out and edged with broken china and pine needles DIs. I then covered the image only with glossy accents.




The DPs are from the Soft Expressions set by Judy Melvin and Crafters Block. They have been distressed with TH distressing tool and edged with the above DIs then edged again with star dust stickles.


The real shells I collected the other week when I was in Swanage and the resin shell and starfish I bought in Swanage a few years ago.

I have also used some cream binding tape and notepaper and TH Alterations ticket strip both edged with vintage photo distress ink. The sentiment is from Raindrop Echo designs.

I love this photo of the shells, it looks as though there is a reflection in the water. Actually it was taken outside on my glass table. Not bad though eh?

Challenges I would like to enter -
Little paper Shop - Distressing
Pollycraft Monday - Bold and bright
Incy Wincy Designs - Distress it
Everybody Art - Holidays
Creative Card Crew - To die for
Gingersnap Creations - Markers
Stampavie - Anything goes
S2G - Make a splash
Shelly's images - Layers
Daring Cardmakers - Sea related
Mami Doodles - Anything goes
Allsorts - Summer Days
Stamp, scrap and Doodle - Animals
Bee Crafty - At the beach
Our Creative Corner - Beach layout
Oh Alice - Dancing under the sea
Anything Goes - Sparkle and shine
For fun challenges - colouring techniques
Practical Scrappers monthly - Just beachy

Sunday, 11 July 2010

A Compendium of Curiosities - Bee Happy

Happy Sunday everyone and bee happy.

Before I get onto my card for today I can't wait to see all the creations Team A have made at One Stitch at a Time. The new challenge starts today has been a 'challenging' one in every sense of the word. Go take a look and see if it takes your fancy. Always up for a challenge aren't we?

For me I have been inspired by Annette to take a look at Studio L3 and the challenges which are all things Tim. This week, Linda's challenge is P.49 in the Compendium of Curiosities and Shabby Chic. Of course TH and shabby - well I couldn't resist could I - but actually although I have used the technique here, I wouldn't say my card is particularly shabby chic. But even so I am pleased with the way it came out. I also used the layout from Sketch Saturday.

This is how the technique worked for me. I used my TH bee stamp properly for the first time and had several goes at this before I was happy with it. The first one I made I used clear embossing powder over gold acrylic paint and then put copper over the top so there wasn't enough contrast. So for this one I stamped the bee using distress embossing ink on dark blue card and added clear powder. Then I painted both the gold and the copper over it in two seperate layers. This has given it a metallic look and you can see the shades of the colours where I have rubbed them off to reveal the dark blue bees. I edged around with cinnamon stickles. Next time I will try a pattern like Tim and use the black acrylic paint and a shabby colour on top.


So this is how the card looks. The backing paper is Basic Grey and I edged it with vintage photo DI and cosmic shimmer aqua twinkles (I thought the gold stickles would be too much here). I also used the TH distressing tool. The top and bottom strips are made from red paper also edged with the vintage photo and aqua twinkles, I added some ribbon and twine and sewed over these to give a different effect. The roses are made of ribbon and bought from one of my local craft shops but I also added vintage photo to age them. The sentiment is mine - just produced in Word.

Hope you like my new creation. Enjoy the rest of your day and have a good week.

Luv B xxxx

Challenges I would like to enter
Studio L3 A Compendium of Curiosities #4 - Shabby Chic
Sketch Saturday - week 111
The Shabby Tea Room - Let's make an impression
Ooh la La Creations - Summer    Bees definitely remind me of this time of year
The crazy challenge - In the air  Hope the fact that the main image is bees is enough for this challenge
Kaboodle Doodles - Summer
Your next stamp - Flowers

Saturday, 10 July 2010

Art Creations and Lili of the valley

Welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by.

As I was perusing the challenge blogs I found this background paper on Art Creations Friday and a great sketch on Lili of the Valley and decided to put the two together for my next card.





















I have used a vintage picture and used PMs to colour the red top, embossing it with clear embossing powder.

I glittered a Maya frame and placed the picture behind it and used the next size up frame to mount it on. It has been covered in paper and painted with white acrylic paint, then edged with fired brick DI and star dust stickles.

The butterfly and bird are from my collection that I have downloaded and they have been covered in crackle accents.


The roses I made, the white one I used crepe paper and the red one is made from ribbon. The leaves are punched and edged with pine needles DI. I cut the ribbon frame using Spellbinders ribbon tag trio 2 and added some white seam binding and the sentiment I made using Word.
I cut the flowery background paper in three and edged each piece with star dust stickles and the spotty paper comes from Far Far Hill again a free download. This was also edged with vintage photo, fired brick and star dust stickles.

I am pleased with the shabby look and the way the picture stands up on the card. Of course there is plenty of sparkle too.

Hope you are having a good weekend, hopefully in this gorgeous sunshine, although I realise it's not across the whole country. Enjoy whatever you are doing.

Luv B xoxox

Challenges I would like to enter
Art Creations Friday - background paper provided
Lili of the Valley #57 - Sketch
Stampin' B's - Dots
Shabby Tea Room - Embossing
Incy Wincy - Punches
Crafty Cradmakers - Inky Fingers
Lexi's Creations - 3D

Friday, 9 July 2010

Christmas in July

Welcome everyone to a scorcher of a day. I have just sat outside to have some lunch and the sun is very intense. If I go out again I must remember to put some sun screen on.

I didn't think I would be able to think about Christmas at this time of the year but I was looking at Linda's blog - A crafting journey and was inspired to make something completely different again, but in her TH style. I loved her little hanging she posted on Monday and decided I really fancied doing some 'grunge'.

Alot of my Christmas bits and pieces are in the loft, and I think I will have to get them out, but here is what I had fun making with what I have in my supplies.



The stamps are TH Letter to Santa collection and the text is from Serendipity Stamps. I used antique linen, fired brick, peeled paint and vintage photo DIs. The tree is a die cut from Lisa Bearnson and I popped out the circles, glittered them and stuck them back in. The tree was coloured using the peeled paint and then I embossed it with clear embossing powder. I used green and red stickles for the holly and berries round Santa's hat and added the ribbons at the bottom. Thanks Linda for the inspiration.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Luv B xoxox

Challenges I would like to enter
Crafty Cardmakers - Inky Fingers
Creative Card Crew - Die-cuts
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - Christmas in July
Creative Cottage - No cards allowed
Corrosive Challenge - Christmas Time
One Stop Craft - Distressing
Meljen's Designs - Circles
One powerful hour - Stamp It
Fussy and Fancy - Christmas in July

Thursday, 8 July 2010

MAWTT DT card -

Good morning everyone

I am working today so this is a scheduled post, but I will be back later to check all is well.

The sketch challenge at MAWTT this week has been designed by Hazel and we were given a digi stamp and some backing papers to use by the very talented Stitchy from Stitchy Bear Stamps, who is our sponsor this week. If you haven't visited the shop yet, go along and take a peek, there is a whole range of goreous goodies you can buy. Stitchy, if you read this, the sentiment is for you. Very apt don't you think??



This is my creation using Stitchy Stamps Butterfly Love and papers from Crafty Chaos, which I thoroughly enjoyed making. (Check them all out at Stitchy Bear Stamps - link above).  I mounted the three matting pieces on yellow paper, distressed them using faded jeans DI and edged them with the star dust stickles. The gorgeous image was coloured using promarkers (see list of colours below) and I have covered the wings with frosted lace stickles. Around the outside edge I used the faded jeans again and waterfall stickles - you know how I love to glitter things up. The green patterened backing paper was distressed and then edged with the waterfall stickles. The flower was made using prima petal layers and I have added my usual butterfly covered in glossy accents. Some little yellow flowers with a pin and beads tied with a ribbon have balanced out the design.


Promarkers
dress - tulip yellow, yellow, canary and oatmeal
hair - cinnamon, caramel, tan and satin
skin - pastel pink, dusky pink, blush and ivory
wings - pear green, denim blue, powder blue
others - forest green, peach, azure, duck egg, burnt orange

Have a great day and I hope to see your creations on the MAWTT challenge blog.

Take care. Luv B xoxox

Challenges I would like to enter
Crafty Catz - Distressing
Prairie fairy - Anything goes
If the shoe fits - Spread your wings
One stop craft - Distressing
Bee Crafty - 3D
Pile It On - favourite things   Using glitter or Stickles to look sparkly
Sentimental Sundays - Celebrations   I envisage this card being used for anything that celebrates someone doing something different ie walk for charity, opening a new shop, etc
Magical Crafts - Flower Power
Crafty Cardmakers - Inky Fingers
Your next stamp - Flower power
I love Promarkers - Distressing
Flutterby Wednesday - Open but with a butterfly, fairy or angel on it

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Altered photo frame

Hi Everyone
I thought I would show you another photo frame I have altered. This time it is more of a shabby Chic style.

It really tells it's own story, but the thing I am most pleased with is the lovely red grungepaper flower. I used the TH tattered floral die and added some glitter to the edges and love the result.

The die cut used at the top is from the Llewelyn Bowen Renaissance collection and as you can see I have also added a pin and beads and some little hearts, one with a green heart charm hanging from it.

Of course I have added a butterfly from my downloaded collection and spread glossy accents over it.






I hope your week is going well.
Take care. Luv Brenda xxxx

Challenges I would like to enter
ABC Challenge - You and Me   This is Ken and I on holiday in Egypt earlier in the year. Lovely memories.
Creative Cottage - No cards allowed
Creative Belli - Alter it
Creative Card Crew - Die cuts
My time to craft - Angelic - I have an angel on the die cut
Pile it on - Favourite things  -  butterflies yeh
Magical Crafts - Flower Power
The Prairie Fairy - Anything goes
If the shoe fits - Wings
Ellephantastic cards and crafts - Its up to you

Sunday, 4 July 2010

OSAAT card for a new baby and new mother

Hi Everyone

Woooo how exciting my first DT card for One Stitch At A Time Challenge Blog (OSAAT). It's been amazing making new friends on the team and seeing so much inspiration gathered all in one place. If you haven't yet been to visit the OSAAT blog and take part in the challenges, have a look, I am sure you will find plenty to interest you. They are having a 30% SALE in the shop at the moment. The link is on my side bar.
The sponsor this week is Hobbyhabitat which is a great shop with brilliant prices - http://uk.ebid.net/perl/main.cgi?mo=user-store&title=hobbyhabitat&start=375
If you buy something from them please say you got the link from the OSAAT challenge site.


This lovely image is a digi stamp called 'Baby on the Moon' and is from Sew Many Cards. The challenge was to use one of Angela's images with the theme 'lace and ribbons/bows', and this is the result.


I have coloured my image using Promarkers, distressed the edges with TH Distress Ink - Vintage Photo and mounted it on a blue background which I made by painting a light blue acrylic paint onto some card, drying it off and then going over it with an Adirondack Denim dye pad. I spritzed it with water and blotted it off to give a mottled effect for the sky. I then stamped with a small star stamp from Lavina stamps using Versamark and Judi Kins sticky stuff embossing powder. I then sprinkled glitter over it to get a sparkly sky effect. The frame I made using Spellbinders dyes and covered it with glitter, edged it with Aged Mahogany and mounted the image over the top.

The pink DP is from my box of bits and edged with both Aged Mahogany and Vintage Photo DI and then with Star Dust Stickles. Some music paper, also edged with Vintage Photo, has been added with some lace. I cut a scalloped tag using Ellison thick cuts and edged with Aged Mahogany and Vintage Photo. The sentiment is from Melissa Frances.

I hope you like the end product, I am pleased with the overall effect and just need a new baby girl to be born so I can pass it on.

Promarkers used
cloud - powder blue, pastel blue, ice grey 2
moon - canary, tulip yellow, buttercup
baby - magenta, pink carnation, blossom and the patches are soft green
star - yellow with sakura glitter pen over it
skin - dusky pink, blush, ivory

I hope you are having a great weekend.

Luv Bxxxx


Challenges I would like to enter
Bunny Zoe Crafts - nice and girly  -  for a new baby girl
Shelly's Images - anything goes with a celebration
One Stop Craft - Distressing
Bee Crafty - 3D (My frame, sentiment is on foam pads)
Lexi's Creations - layers, 3D
Totally Papercrafts - One for the girlies
Crafty Catz - Distressing
Prairie Fairy - Anything goes
Alphabet Challenge - J is for Jewels
Stampavie and more - Sparkling
Crafts and Me - Birthdays
Cooking it up with Katie - Sparkle an altered die cut
Everybody Art - Birthday

Friday, 2 July 2010

Blog Candy Winner

Hi Everyone

It's been a lovely, sunny week in Swanage, just a shame it's damp and cloudy today. Mum and I have been very lucky and got down to the beach hut nearly every day, I even took her paddling yesterday.
I have enjoyed having my first blog candy and it's been a great blog hop at MAWTT. The winning person who will receive the Daisy and Dandelion goodies was chosen by my Mum and so without further ado it is - dah dah dah dah  ..................................................................

JOYCE  of Gram's treasures - congratulations Joyce over in Canada. Thankyou for taking part and if you email me your address I will get the candy in the post to you as soon as possible next week.

I haven't been able to post any cards or projects this week being away in Swanage with Mum, BUT I brought a couple of small tubs of crafting bits with me and I have made 6 cards in the evenings, so look out for them appearing over the next few weeks in between DT challenge cards.

I tell you it's amazing how inventive and creative you can be when you have limited stash, for instance I didn't bring my heat resistant mat with me that I use to distress edges with TH distress inks - instead I used a cellophane magazine bag and it was just the job. I had also found some gorgeous little pink and cream ribbon roses in a local craft shop the day before I left home and I packed them in the tub to bring with me. I have used them a couple of times - but the card I finished today needed slightly different colours to what I had got - so I painted these cute roses with white acrylic paint and added cosmic shimmer glitter glue and they are just brilliant - talk about altering your embellishments. You're just gonna have to wait to see them.

I will be back with my first DT card for OSAAT on Sunday, so I will see you then.

In the meantime enjoy the end of the week and have a good weekend.

Luv Bxxxx