Thank you

I had such a lovely day on Friday which was my last day at school. There was a special Leavers Assembly for me where the children took over and gave me a certificate for being such a lovely headteacher, they also gave me a large framed photograph of them all outside the school with drawings of themselves all round it.

 I received a gorgeous Bay tree and some chocolates from the governors and the staff bought me a bottle of bubbly and a stunning Pandora bead for my new bracelet. 

It has been such a pleasure working with the staff and children of this school and I am going to miss them dreadfully, but I have told them to expect me to pop in for a coffee sometime.

Here are two of the cards I have made to send to say thank you.

I have used the Tilda Sewingbird paper pad for both.

Hope your weekend is going well.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have some fun with.

Lily Pad - Flower challenge

Art Impressions Stamps - Spring has sprung

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Celebrate the Occasion - Thank you

Riley and Co - Spring and polka dots

Creative Stamp Friends - Spring

Unruly PaperArts

Tomorrow is the big day when Unruly PaperArts is first published. This is going to be the most amazing blogozine.

Have you joined the merry band of followers? Have you bookmarked the page? Have you become unruly on Facebook or joined the Unruly Yahoo Group? Lots of ways to stay in touch. Just visit the blog and you will see where to join up.

My first article is not scheduled until May as I need to give myself some time to get ready for it,  

having finished work yesterday!!

BUT you are gonna see some amazing pieces from the most unruly team in blogland and there are some fabulous items coming up from guest contributors too.

Come and be unruly with us and grab this badge from the UPA blog

See you again soon.

hugs {brenda} xox

Altered canvas - Sewing theme

This was a workshop piece and the class just loved making it. My canvas was 8 x 8 but the ladies made a 10 x 10 and did a superb job. 

We used an old tissue dress pattern for the background and washed over it with watered down emulsion paint. The clock face had crackle paint and vintage photo DI on it; the mannequin from Craftwork Cards was painted stamped and inked and a skirt made from the pattern tissue. A smaller canvas wth bookplate and other embellishments finished it off.

Unfortunately I only got photos of two of the ladies work.

Lynda wants to buy a clock mechanism for hers - what a great idea.

Susan used some papers from the Tilda Sewing Bird Paper Pad.

Thanks ladies you were real stars.

For now.

hugs {brenda}  xox

Challenges to have fun with -

Simon says Stamp - Anything Goes

Frilly and Funkie - Your favourite vintage style

Craft Us Crazy - Altered item

Gingersnap Creations Visiting Artist 4

It's a sad but happy day at Gingersnap Creations as this is the last challenge; and of course it has to be the inimitable colour theme "Copper, Rust and Ginger".

My card is made up of these colours plus a fabulous vintage picture I found of Ginger Rogers, which I thought fitted perfectly.

Have you ever painted with alcohol inks? The rose background is a foiled piece of printed cardstock from the  DCWV Natural Stack, I wanted one of the flowers to stand out more so I used copper, ginger, pearl, raisin and butterscotch alcohol inks to create that metal effect. I also used the fabulous Graphic 45 Steampunk Débutante papers.

The two pictures show the rose in different lights. The first shows the foiling and on this one you can see the alcohol ink painting.

Go take a look at all the wonderful inspiration on the Gingersnaps blog and hopefully we will see you participate too.

Hope your week is going well. I finish school on Friday and can then say I am retired. Woo that will feel strange, but I am looking forward to having more time to experiment and create again.

Take care, next week I will be able to come and catch up with you all. My huge thanks to those of you who have stayed with me, I really appreciate your love and support.

For now.

hugs {brenda} xox

Sewing theme

Everyone who visits me knows I just adore anything with a sewing theme and this piece I loved playing with - I think it is very different for me. I actually made it some time ago but not had the time to blog it.

Can you see what the actual container is? Take a guess.

I have used a vintage dressmaking pattern, several clay moulds, fabrics and other embellishments to finish it off.

Not long before I finish work and then I will be able to visit you a bit more.

Take care.

hugs {brenda} xox

PanPastels - Bright colours

Another beautiful morning here in Surrey folks. The sun is shining; the spring blossoms are coming through and the colours are stunning.

Today the challenge at PanPastel UK is to show us your bright colours to celebrate the fact that Spring is here.  I have made a card for my sis' birthday using PPs for the backing paper; the DP and the flowers.  

I used a Prima stamp and cut each of the flowers out individually.

We hope you will join us and if you want to top up your PanPastels or if you haven't tried them yet go on over to Your Creativity Store where you will find a 10% discount and free P&P if you live in the UK. 

I  had a great party at home last night with friends and neighbours; so I think that has to be the end of my birthday celebrations for now.

Have a wonderful day.

hugs {brenda} xox

The Stamp Man - Bingo card / Recipe

Take time to smell the roses.

I am soooo late with my DT piece for the Stamp Man this week but here it is at last. 

Lisa is challenging us to use this Bingo card to create something so that we can complete a line in any direction be it vertical horizontal or diagonal. 

Green	Fabric	Polka dots
Flowers	Circle	Numbers
Swirls	Metal/metallic	Ribbon

I  have completed 3 lines, as you can see if there was some fabric and polka dots I would have had a full house lol.

I stamped and used the TH water brush to see what effects I could get. 

I think I need some more practice with this.

The flowers were made La Blanche style using metal and paper.

Supplies used -

Tim Holtz clock die

Distress inks - Peeled Paint, Aged Mahogany, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick, Victorian Velvet.

Distress Stains - Picket Fence; Peeled Paint

Stampendous stamp - Profile Portrait

I am hoping to get some of my photos downloaded from our wonderful trip to Paris last weekend. 

We had the most amazing time. But it's another busy few days over this weekend with friends and family and a bit of a party tomorrow night. I am still celebrating and am going to make the most of it.

I hope you have a great weekend too.

hugs {brenda xox

Chunky Art

Today I am showing you a piece of chunky art made from lots of fabulous pieces sent to me by Gerri at It's All Treasure. 

My dear hubbie cut me lots of pieces of wood and this is the first piece I have used.  It is almost a chunky ATC, just slightly thinner.  It was painted with white acrylic paint and then I set about using lots of the bits that Gerri sent me for her 'Do you want to play with me' pack, see here.
This is what I received.

and this is what I made.

I wasn't able to use all the bits and I would have like to put some chain and feet on it, but I will look out for the right fixings and some large beads.

Thanks Gerri for providing the resources and challenging me to use materials I wouldn't normally use. 

It really made me think.

Have a great weekend.

hugs {brenda} xox

Gingersnap Creations Visiting Artist 3

The Random Redhead Challenge 

at Gingersnap Creations this week is to go back in time to the 

'Last Century'.

I had great fun starting a Glue Book with an old hardback version of  'What Katy Did Next' and using the theme of vintage sewing.

I seem to have collected numerous vintage images and other scraps that I don't want to throw away and thought this would be a good way to use them up.

Do you remember the old Simplicity and Vogue patterns?

For this project though I created some background images using digital files and merged them in PSE, adding other elements to create collage pages.

Sewing is very dear to my heart, although I rarely use the sewing machine with fabric any more, but it was my dear Mum who taught me how to make my own clothes when I was very young. She was a great inspiration, having no formal training herself.

There are some fabulous pieces on the Gingersnaps blog so let's see what you create.

Have a wonderful day.

hugs {brenda} xox

PanPastels - Add a Flower

Woah, can we rein in the time a bit? These weeks are passing by way too fast.

But we do have another fantastic challenge at PanPastel UK Challenge Blog. 

Do you like adding flowers to your projects and cards? Then why not show us what you are creating.

I have a sewing theme card - well it is one of my most favourite themes, so I hope you are not getting bored of it, and I have made the most enormous pom-pom flower using a new Sizzix die and using tissue paper from a dress making pattern. I gave this card to my DiL for her birthday.

 I used PPs on the backing paper and masked over the DP with a button mask, I stamped the dress form with embossing ink and then used PPs to colour it in and I also used PPs over stamped dress pattern tissue paper to create the backing behind the dress form.

I love the collage layout and as you can see I added some embellishments, but my favourite is the cotton reel labels. They have been created from original reels, scanned in and printed.

Our fabulous sponsor Your Creativity Store, is generously providing the winner with a trial set of colours. So why not pop over to see what the amazing design team have been making and also go take a look at what Your Creativity Store has to offer.

Have a great week ahead. This is a scheduled post as I will be in Paris to celebrate my birthday - a special treat from hubby. See you when I get back.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Gingersnap Creations Visiting Artist 2

Hi, at Gingersnap Creations today the fabulous team would love to see your projects that include border punches. I do hope you will go over and see the amazing inspiration that the Gingers have created, it really is fabulous.

The main focal point of my 8in x 8in card is a digital image I created myself using downloads from various places. I printed it out on thin card and then covered it in embossing ink and heat embossed using clear EP. I left if to cool off completely and cracked it a bit by just bending the image slightly. Then I mounted it onto white and then deep burgundy card.

The rest of the design is made using DCVW striped card with some glitter in it, a spellbinders border and Tim Holtz vintage lace border. I made a vintage butterfly using an artemio stamp and covered it with crackle accents. A Prima rose, some leaves and pearls finish it off.

Let's see your borders at Gingersnaps and enjoy the rest of your week.

hugs {brenda xox

PanPastels - Girly/Mother's Day

Hi Bloggers

Happy Sunday, I hope you are enjoying a bit of crafty time over the weekend.

Today sees a PanPastel UK challenge that focusses on a girly or Mother's day project. Mine is a straightforward card using DP with girly colours and embellishments.

I embossed a piece of mirri-board and painted it all over with gesso and before it fully dried I rubbed some of the paint off to reveal the outlines of the butterflies and then dabbed my PPs over it. I sprayed it with fixative to make sure none of the pastel colour comes off. Another experiment in using PPs that I am pleased with.

Please come take a look at the challenge blog if you haven't already seen it, you could be in with a chance of winning a trial set of PanPastels worth £11.99 from our fabulous sponsor Your Creativity Store. They have a wide range of artist materials and well worth a look.

Enjoy whatever you have planned for today.

Happy crafting.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxo

FSC - Bingo

This is my card and tag today for Fashionable Stamping Challenges where the theme is to use Sue's fabulous Bingo card to create a project.

My card is also the one made for my workshop at The Art of Craft on Friday where 9 lovely ladies joined me to make their own. We had a great morning and had some fun at the same time. 

There are a possible 8 lines to make up for your project - 3 x vertical, 3 x horizontal and 2 x diagonal. You can see that I can call 'Bingo' on 6 lines on this card but only one line on the tag which includes my stamping this week. Does that make me eligible for a prize? - Sadly not this time round. The only thing I haven't used this week is sewing (although I could have added some faux stitches and called 'HOUSE').

Lots of layers, distressing, vintage images and paint and some sweet embellishments to give this a shabby chic feel.

The tag I had made to match the card but we didn't have time to get onto it at the workshop.

I want to thank, Beryl, Brenda, Pat, Christine, Lynda, Mary, Val, Anne and Diane for being such a fabulous group to work with and here are some of their versions of the card that they made.

Mary

Pat and Brenda at packing up time.

Have a wonderful Sunday and thank you for taking time to stop by today.

 hugs {brenda} xox