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

Award

I have received this award from a super lady who has given me so much support while I have been getting used to and learning how to do things as a Design Team member for both 'Moving Along With The Times' and 'One Stitch At A Time'. She shares both teams with me and creates some amazing things.

Go have a look at what she is doing at 'My Crafty Life'

Thanks for being there Clare, I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Take care.

Luv Bxxxxxx

Update 28/6/10

I believe I should pass this on to 10 talented bloggers so here goes -

Georgie - who is creating some most beautiful cards and deserves this award for the talent she is growing and the encouragement she gives me.

Lisa Jane - who belongs to many challenge blogs and always has time to leave such lovely comments (and I don't know how you do it Lisa)

Chris - who just 'found' me and gives me so much encouragement for being 'different' and creates beautiful things.

Juls - who has so much mojo and can create a 101 wedding cards that are all so different without taking her eyes away from Wimbledon.

Annette - who inspires me with her amazing talent of creating such different pieces of art.

Zoe - who constantly keeps me going with ideas and sweet comments.

Hazel - who I have not known long but is so supportive as a fellow member of the MAWTT challenge blog and always has time to give me advice.

Liz - at OSATT challenge blog who has taken on a new team and given so much time to helping us to settle in and understand the workings of being a new DT member.

Gemm - also a new member of OSAAT with me and who makes such lovely cards with a variety of styles.

Linda - who doesn't know me at all but I love going to her blog for TH style inspiration - she never fails me.

Queen Bee

Good morning everyone, another bright and beautiful day here.

I made my card and wrote my blog last night hence the references to it, but I needed more light to take my photograph, so I had to wait till today to finish everything off.

With the title of my blog to do with bees as well as butterflies I have found it difficult to incorporate bees as part of my signature, but I was so excited tonight when another experiment led to me learning something new.

The Dutch Dare Challenge Blog has a challenge called 'Bee Happy' and immediately I was very attracted to it and the Creative Inspiration colour theme of turquoise, gold and cream.   I love the Graphics Fairy blog which provides free vintage clip art to use in your art work and there is some amazing stuff to be had. I went across to look for a beehive as I have already downloaded some bees and yeh I found a fabulous one.

 I knew I wanted to create a hive with bees around it and I started experimenting, using Photoshop Elements, but I didn't know how to place objects on top of one another and anyway the beehive was a picture not a shape. After playing around for a while I had got bees around the hive but at a distance. In my desire to find out more I played with tabs and menus and found the magic extractor and this enabled me to 'cut out' the beehive, so I wasn't going to give up here and I carried on. I managed to cut out a bee and overlapped several of them on the hive. I had also found a gold crown which I wanted to incorporate and thought I could change my sentiment to 'You are Queen bee'. But I didn't have a paper that I could use with it and decided to use one from the computer. Originally I was going to print the paper off and then put it back in the printer to print the beehive over it, but that was going to cause problems in lining it up where I needed it. After more perseverance I was able to add the paper to my creation, take it to the back and line it up, then print the whole thing out together.

So tonight I have learned how to make my own digital collage, and I am so pleased with what I have created.

I hope you enjoy it too.

Luv Brenda xxx

Other challenges I would like to enter are -
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges - Summertime      Bees always make me think of the summer
Mixed Media Monday -  something old
Lexi's Creations  -  something old
Stamptacular  -  cute as a bug   (but no baby on mine)
Quirky Crafts  -  Summer

Happy First Birthday - 'Moving Along With The Times' - Celebrating with a Blog Hop and anything but a card.

Happy birthday to MAWTT, happy birthday to MAWTT - woo hoo.

It's our first birthday and to celebrate we are having a BLOG HOP for you to enjoy. If you have arrived from the MAWTT challenge site to participate in the competition then you have arrived at the right place. If you haven't then please go back to check the rules and I'll hopefully see you again soon.

Firstly have a look at my creation for the challenge this week. We were asked to produce something that is not a card, has a Gorjuss Girl on it and that has a birthday theme. One of my grandaughters has a birthday coming up at the beginning of July (and she is a gorgeous girl) so I thought I would alter a photo frame, add the Gorjuss image to it and put in a photo of her taken recently when we went to Seaton.

The frame is one of those very inexpensive white 6x4 frames from Ikea. I thought I would go very bright and girly for this one. The paper came from my stack that I have in my craft room and I really must keep them organised so that I know where they are from. I chose some ribbon which came from a set from QVC a long time ago. The bow I made from seam binding and added a little pink pin and green flower charm. I used pink wings, a pink heart and a pink star with a turquoise MS punched butterfly covered in star dust stickles in the bottom right hand corner. .... and of course I stamped and coloured the pretty Gorjuss Girl image and added to it. Three pink gems just gave it the finishing touch.

So back to the competition for the Birthday Blog Hop. This is gonna be real easy you know, especially if you have looked at my blog and there is candy to win at every stop. So once you have participated here pop along to the next stop and visit Clare Thread-bare and see what she has to offer at My Crafty Life.

Beside the individual candy offered at every stop there will also be one lucky winner who will win some lovely goodies on the main blog.

Ok here we go. To be in with a chance of winning this gorgeous candy -

1. You need to have entered the challenge this week and followed the design spec. We will be strict with this to make it fair on everyone.

2. Leave me a comment  and re-arrange these words to make a lovely sentiment that can be used on your cards.

about the but dance rain not for pass to the is waiting to learning in life storm

3. When you have that sentiment email it to me at

brenda_brown25@hotmail.com

DO NOT add the saying to your comment or everyone will copy you. Entries must be in by Midnight Wednesday 30th June.

4. I will draw a winner from the hat on Thursday 1st July and post the winner on my blog on Friday 2nd July.

If you like some of what you see on my blog then I would be happy if you choose to become a follower but it is not essential to be in with a chance of winning candy.

Good luck with winning the Dandelion  goes fishing decoupage set, embossed transfers and stamp set.

Have fun.

Luv Brenda xxx

Challenge List
Alphabet challenge - H is for hearts
Totally Gorjuss - Sugar and Spice
Drunken Stampers - Colour and bling
Sketchy Colours - Green, blue and pink
Paper Sundaes - Pretty as a princess
The Crazy Challenge - All things spotty
Crafty Creations - shine
For Fun Challenges - use a pin
Stampavie - Heart
Crafts and Me - Birthdays
ABC Challenge - X is for Xtra-dimension
Digi Doodle Shop - Anything goes

Blog Candy and MAWTT Birthday Blog Hop

Hello friendly crafting friends.

I thought I would show you what is up for grabs on my blog from this Thursday 24th June to Wednesday 30th June. There is a Daisy and Dandelion 'Gone Fishing' decoupage set and papers, a packet of matching rub-ons and some matching stamps. I will be running a little competition, nothing too difficult, and the draw for the winner will be on Thursday 1st July.

You will need to come back on Thursday to see what is happening for the MAWTT Birthday Blog Hop and to have your chance of entering for a lovely prize on the main blog too. Also all the design team members will be giving away candy, so there are lots of chances of winning something. I so hope you can come and take part and also see my second entry for the Design Team.

Here is a peep at what I have made. Something completely different again. 

I hope you are enjoying our second summer. Long may it last. Apparently it is going to be even hotter tomorrow in the south woo hoo. (Trouble is I am working all day boo hoo).

Anyway take care, remember to use your sunscreen.

Luv Brenda xxx

Winged heart

Good evening crafty people.

I have been wanting to use these little gold paper wings for a long time and either I hadn't seen how I could use them on a project or I had forgotten about them, so having found them I decided to have a go at using them in a design. I used a layout from another card I had seen and put my own twist on it.

The music paper I use comes from some old clarinet and piano music books that I found at a carboot sale, and I just love using them. Mixed with some pink backing paper and stripe paper I think it looks really good on this card. The frame is another I made myself using the Spellbinders rectangles. You know when you have done something 'wrong' and then experimented to change it? Well this is what happened here. I covered the frame in my usual glitter I like to use and then realised I had planned to use a different colour and had forgotten that as I was beavering away. So I got out my Cosmic Shimmer iridescent mica pigment powders and rubbed golden plum all over it. Eh voila, a sparkly and shimmery frame in a pink rather than a sparkly aurora borealis glitter. Not bad eh???

I used a Rubber Stampede text stamp on the stripy pink paper at the top and gold embossed the crown from the TH Shabby French collection. The heart was cut using the Cricut and glittered, the butterfly is a MS punch and the birdcage is a free image I downloaded from the internet, both have been covered in Glossy Accents. I also used Cosmic Shimmer aqua twinkles around the edge of the frame and pink backing paper. Finally a pink ribbon to set it off.

I hope you like this little creation, another experiment with the Shabby Chic style.

Have a great week, mine is hectic!!!

Luv Brenda xxx

Challenge List

Paperplay #24 - Something old  - those wings that have been hanging around for ages

Charisma Cardz #24 - All about bling  - heart, frame and crown glittered or gold embossed

Crafty Ann's #17 - Embossing  -  the crown was gold embossed

Alphabet Challenge - H is for hearts
Lexi's Creations #16 - Something old
Cute and girly - Something old
Incy Wincy Designs #47 - Music

Happy Father's Day

This is especially for Ken who is supporting me in all the time I need to be creative and to take on Design Team work. I am spending every bit of spare time at home getting to grips with being a DT member for two challenge blogs and have been asked to join a third, which I have deferred till December. I applied to four to test the water and so far 3 out of 3 replies have offered me a DT spot. I just can't believe it.

So here is my card for Ken. Made in between all the other bits I have been doing this week and getting myself organised for challenges etc.  I don't usually like using bought 3D embellishments but I needed something for a man and nearly all my bits are for feminine cards and golf just fitted the bill.

I used the TH textured fades embossing folder to make the golf ball and the sentiment I made using Word Art in MS Word. I edged the ball with Adirondack denim ink pad and used Star Dust Stickles for the edge of the green mount. I wonder if there is a challenge out there to not use any DPs???

Anyway HAPPY FATHER'S DAY KEN.

Have a great day everyone especially if you are celebrating by doing something different.

Take care. Luv Brenda xxxx

Starts today Stitchy Bear Stamps Bundle sale

Just to let you know that there is a sale over at Stitchy Bear Stamps and it is well worth a look.

Do It Yourself Bundle Sale

Starts June 20th for one week only

Check out what the creators at Stitchy Bear have for you! They are having a bundle sale, not pre made bundles, do-it-yourself....when you purchase a bundle, follow the instructions in the download and pick your own stamps or stamp packs! Time to create and enjoy the new high quality stamps at a low price!

Don't forget our challenges go live every Sunday at noon UK time...please pop over and show us what you've made..

                                                                                                      HERE

Take care. Love and hugs. Brenda xxx

First MAWTT DT card

Hi Everyone

It's so great to be able to post my first card as a design team (DT) member for 'Moving Along With The Times' (MAWTT). I have had an incredible week getting to know new people and what the expectations are of working with a new team -  and what lovely people they are, so helpful and kind. Thanks girls for making it an easy transition.

So here it is using the fantastic sketch created by Hazel.

I still want to use challenges to stretch me and take me outside my comfort zone at times so I have used the theme of fairies for Gingersnap Creations, a rub on 'Happy Birthday' sentiment for the Creative Belli challenge, stitching to link with the Crafty Creation challenge, the colours raspberry, aqua, kraft and white for the Play Date Cafe and embossing for La la Land.

The image is from the Cemerony Share blog and is soo cute, the colours fitted well for the theme today.  I have used a Spellbinders pendant called Fleur De Lis, to frame it. The DPs are ones I have organised into a box and not kept a note of where they come from, I shall have to try and be more careful so that I keep the same make together. The flowers I made using the Nellie Snellen punch with embosser and the stamen punch. I used DI worn lipstick and tattered rose on them to give them a more weathered, vintage look. I had to include a butterfly and a bird as they seem to almost be my trade marks on many of my cards.

Other supplies
Distress inks - Broken China, Worn Lipstick and Vintage Photo
Cosmic Shimmer Aqua Twinkles
Stickles - Star Dust
Distress Stickles - Tattered Rose
Glossy Accents
Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen (on the stamens)

Have a wonderful day, not long before the weekend and Ella is having her 4th birthday party. I will be there.

Take care. Luv and hugs.  Brenda xxxx


Challenge List
Gingersnap Creations - Fairies
Creative Belli #93 - Rub-Ons
Crafty Creations #72 - It's  a stitch up
La La Lands #43 - Embossing

IoW photos

I promised some photos from last weekend. I haven't had a chance to go through them all yet but here are a few. Lisa hope you like the ones of PINK.

Me, my friend Yvonne and hubby Ken.

PINK arrives!!

You can just see how she gets on stage.

She tumbles above the crowd. (It looks as though there are two of her because the photo shows the big screen in the background as well.

Paul McCartney headlined.

LOL B xxx