Data Protectionand Privacy Policy

Wednesday 29 September 2010

A Lovely Fat Robin!

Hi Everyone,
I went to Alexandra Palace with a friend on Sunday. It wasn't very busy but I had never been on a Sunday before, we usually go on Saturday. However, it made it much nicer for walking around. I bought 4 stamps from Lili of the Valley. I do love their stamps as they are very easy to work with. Of course didn't stop there! A few more items found their way into my bag!
Other than the bauble in the centre of this card, all the other stamps I used for both of the cards, are from Crafty Ideas By Kaz. They are from her own range of stamps.
The detail on this border stamp is beautiful. I am not normally into border stamps, as they sometimes are very heavy looking and distract from the main image. These stamps are so delicate that they actually enhance the main image.
I love this Robin. He is just what a Christmas Robin should look like. Fat and full of Christmas pud! Both the Robin and the Poinsettia corner stamp are from the same range as the holly border above, also the frames down the sides of the Robin.
I stamped the corner stamp a few times and then cut them out. Both the flowers and the leaves were mounted on foam pads and coated with Glossy Accents and glitter.


All the images were painted with Distress Inks. Stickles on the leaves and Glossy Accents on the berries. Robin was stamped onto water colour board, so it was much easier to blend the inks.

Check out Karen's full range of stamps. The spring and summer flowers are also very detailed and excellent quality rubber, unmounted stamps. A nice change from the 'Big boys' designs in this trade! I love to support our true crafters, who supply us with their own individual stamp designs. Long may they reign.
If you agree, please leave a comment.
Thanks for visiting my blog,
Luv,
Carolx

Thursday 23 September 2010

My Fluffy Friend in the Red!

Hi Everyone,


This is the new man in my life! He has a very soft beard and very cool specs. I wonder who he represents?!


He started out in life as a cardboard cone and a pair of groovy boots, that I bought in Crafty Ideas. I painted the cone with Cosmic Shimmer paint and bent some wire for the specs.

Check out the boots!! They are amazing, I just love them! They would look great sticking out a chimney top. I feel a box, like a chimney is now on my to do list.

I think he will be my Christmas table centre this year. Certainly a talking point. I may make him a sack with small gifts in. He will be a fun change from holly and ivy etc.

He has got a snow ball on the top of his hat, but it appears that I chopped it off in the pictures! I think we were laughing too much.

Thanks for looking at my efforts,

Luv,

Carol S. x


Wednesday 22 September 2010

My Friend Jill, a Tissue Box Cover and Me!!

Hi All,

I am having great fun at the moment, intoducing the world of papercraft to my friend Jill. We spent today making tissue box covers. She made the blue one on her own and I think you will agree she has made a great job of it!
She first stamped and embossed all the flowers and Dragon Flies. This was the first time she had come into contact with a heat gun or embossing powder! She then stamped the Kay Carley swirls onto the background and then used Distress Inks, Broken China and Stormy Sky, on the background with Dry Foam. Another first!! I can't get over the result which looks great. I think she is also hooked!
We had a good laugh when she tried applying double sided tape. We ended up crying with laughter, but she got there in the end, with the tape in the right place.
The pink one we made first, between us. The top of the box was not as good as on the blue one, so we adjusted the blue one and it turned out much better. She is going to make another one tomorrow, with a beach scene.

She has definately got the bug now, as she couldn't sleep last night thinking about the boxes!
I just said, 'Welcome to the world of craft'!

It is a great world to be a part of. Making many new friends and the pleasure of creating beautiful treasures for our families and friends.
I am looking to a fun filled day again tomorrow. I won't bother putting on mascara, as it will end up all down my face! lol.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I will be posting my funny fluffy friend next time.
Carolxx

Monday 13 September 2010

A Butterfly in Flight!

Hi Everyone,

I have been rather busy, as I am trying to make things for the sale I am doing for my local charity. It is both a residential and full nursing home for the elderly. The staff are fantastic and very special people. I have been going there for nearly 5 years. I hope next year, when my house is finished, I can do more fund raising for them.


The basis for this card I designed 2 years ago. It was then featured in The Craft Stamper magazine as a 2 page spread, in March 2009. Last week I sat with some friends and we made this version. For the background I stamped and embossed onto vellum, using a little stamp set from Crafty Ideas by Kaz. They are great little stamps and you get 12 in a pack!

I also used the stamps on both the centre circle and the outer ring. You even get 2 butterflies and 2 dragonflies in the set. Great value and excellent quality.

The main butterfly is from Mariannes Creatables. The bottom butterfly is card, coloured with Spun Sugar Distress Ink. The top butterfly is vellum with spun sugar. The body is pink Stickles.


The leaves on the background, I coloured with a pink Sakura Stardust pen, using a water brush.

I really like the Spun Sugar ink, as it is such a delicate colour. Perfect for this pretty butterfly.


At the moment, I am having a bit of fun with a cone and fluffy stuff!! All will be revealed soon!

I'm in full Christmas swing now, as I am sure all of you out there in crafty land are!!


We are looking forward to it this year, as last year it was rather a non- event. We were living in one room, as the rest of the bungalow was in turmoil! We had a conservatory built as a dining room, but could not go into it, as the builders could not complete it, due to all the snow we had fall. It was the first ever christmas without a christmas tree! The only sign of christmas were the cards, which I spread all over the place just to make us feel better! This year I am going to have 2 trees! One in the sitting room and one in the conservatory and deckies everywhere, even in the loo!!


Well enough of that christmas thing. It will be here all too soon!

Going for some retail therapy tomorrow with a girl friend. Nice change, away from my desk or a tin of paint!

Will be back soon and thanks for visiting.

Carol x

Monday 6 September 2010

A Lovely Blog Award


I would like to thank Mary for giving me this lovely blog award. I feel very honoured.

I have to now say as to why I started my blog.

I had for a long time thought about starting a blog but never seemed to have the time, or the confidence to do one. I was a Tutor and Demonstrator at The Craft Barn in Lingfield, Surrey. I was encouraged by the owner, Sandy, to do a blog but I didn't think anyone would take the time to look at my blog or leave comments. Becoming a member of the Little Claire Design Team gave me the final push.
It has now given me the opportunity to both share my ideas and get inspiration from, my fellow bloggers on the design team and beyond.
I would like to pass the award onto the following people, that I find very inspiring, along with the Little Claire Design Team:
Sandra Dry
Kay Carley
Kim Piggott
Artylicious
Cats Whiskers
Christine Dark
Sheena Douglass

Friday 3 September 2010

Frame it!

Hi everyone,
I haven't had time to post for a few days, as it was my husbands 60th birthday. We had 28 people to lunch last Sunday and I did all the catering. I must admit, I haven't catered for that many for a number of years. I had forgotten how tiring it is. But we had a very enjoyable day and the weather was kind to us.
This is a lovely set of 3 wooden frames, which I decided to paint with acrylic paints. The first coat was a dark blue, with a lighter blue, dry brushed over the top and sanded back in places.

The flower stamp in the top frame was a stamp I had from years ago, it fitted well into the frame. I coloured it with Stormy Sky distress ink, which I also used to distress around the edges.
The flower is a Marianne Creatables, cut from silver card, with a card candy in the centre. Punched leaves edged with Stormy Sky distress ink.
The butterflies are Nesties coloured with Stormy Sky distress ink, with a line of Waterfall Stickles for the body. This frame I have left for a photo to be put in place.

The bottom frame was completed as the first frame.

I know it is a bit early to think about Christmas, but now I have had my birthday, which was yesterday, I feel I should start thinking about Christmas!! This set of frames would make an ideal gift, which is quite quick and easy to do. They are available in the shops I have listed. You will be surprised at the price!!
Thanks for looking,
Carolx