Fragments......

Morning peeps well the weather man was right its raining .....mind you we do need it for the gardens, I'm off next week and rather than go away we are having a grass laying, gardening, wallpapering, cleaning kind of holiday, can't wait to put down the grass and have some colour in the garden again....its artificial grass and it looks so real and soft it will be great for the grand children to play on.....ohhhh I'm already thinking in twos, my poor daughter is really going through the morning, noon and night sickness, hope it soon passes. On a funny note I'm coming out in teenage spots, haven't had spots since I was kid and now I'm getting zits.....whats that all about !!
Oh well enough of the waffle, today's card is one I did do a while back but never got round to posting.....I have a back up card file, sad I know, but sometimes you make a card and forget all about it, this is one I did in a class with Linda Elbourne lots of distress inks and this one also has a fragment which has been alcohol inked and removed, pop over to Tims to get the full deets, as its the challenge over at Lindas this week, seems ages since I entered a challenge there, I love this technique as it gives a real vintage look.I've used tissue tape and embossing to create the background and all of the stamps are by B Line.

Challenges

L3....use fragments.

Simon Says Stamp and show.....travel.

Stampin' B....distressing.

  Have a lovely day

Hugs n' Smiles 

Grungy Monday......

Don't panic it's still Sunday but I seem to get later and later posting my entry for the challenge for Grungy Monday over at the fabbie Lindas blog, this week the technique to follow is one of my faves ........'Shabby Chic' and you can follow the deets if you click here to be transported to Tims blog where there is a lovely tutorial for you to follow. I've gone with a guys theme as I love me cogs and metal and I just love doing men cards. The paper under the stamped acetate which is the challenge by the way over at The Craft Barn has a printed map of Italy and we shall be driving down those very roads real soon as I've been talked into driving to Italy rather than flying which takes 2 hours as against 2 days.........my hubby and son would be quite happy driving anywhere for as long as it takes where I kinda like the idea of being there by lunchtime sitting by the pool........anyway back to the card, the stamp with the car on is by B Line, the cogs is by The Artistic Stamper, I'm sorry I've forgotten the paper manufacturers name which is a nuiscance as I need some more.

Challenges

Sunday Stamper......use stash that makes you happy, (I love working with metal),

The Stampman......Boys and men.

Fussy and Fancy........card for a man or boy.

Paper cutz........Beach or travel theme,

Stampin' B ......Male card using black, brown and 1 other colour.

oh well I'd better and get some gardening done, well I'll probably just

stand there and point at what needs doing being as my back

is still playing up, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it.....

Happy crafting

Birthday card.......

Todays is my sons birthady, and I was told off last year for not making him a card for his 21st and he reminded me of it again this year so I thought I'd better make him one or I'd be in trouble again.....I've used a combo of stamps for this card, an atc from Tim Holtz, music stamp from Crafty Individuals and the Rockstar stamps which I can't remember for the life of me who the manufacturer is of these....its on the tip of my tongue as they say. I have used a variety of techniques on this card, for the background I used alcohol inks with gold, I was really pleased with how this turned out. The main tag was distressed with Chipped Saphire, Denim and Dusty Concord, I added silver embossing powder to parts of the skull and then glossy accents on the top.I even did abit of recycling by using a ring pull from a can blinged up with black stickles.

Challenges

The Stampman.......Embossing.

If the Shoe Fits.......Die cuts, embossing and clear bling

Can't believe its the weekend again

have a good one

hugs

Stitches.....

Well many years ago the trade show at the nec was called Stitches, when I went to the very first show that they held, it was in a local hotel in Solihul and was opened by the actress Una Stubbs, how times change. I've just back from the show and thought I'd share some piccies with you of Tim Holtz doing his thing and some of the amazing work on the Sizzix stand featuring the new dies which will def. be on my gotta buy list.

The finished tag using the new colour stains, purple perfect pearls mist (yummy)

and the new butterfly stamps.....gosh he makes it look so easy.

lots of goodies on the Sizzix stand

Off to have a play with my stash

hugs

Day Nine Tag.....

Morning peeps, todays tag is a couple of days tag ago.......last tag from Tim today so I 've got the rest of the week to catch up before Christmas, I've decided to make cards out of all my tags for my staff at work this year. As you can see I went a bit overboard with the gold bling..... which are all buttons, the main brass one I stamped a snowflake on with Stazon......quite please with the result as it was a bit fiddly.It was a real busy day again at work yesterday as I guess with only one Saturday to go everyone is starting to realise its not that far away including me. I'm going to Olney today as according to Lin from LB Crafts they have a Victorian Christmas day and I'm in need of some festive spirit and enteratinment with a splash of retail therapy thrown in should be a good day.

Challenges

Sunday Stamper.....Include script on your design.

Drunken Stampers.....Tag.

Lots to Do ....Glitz.

Die Cut christmas Club.....a Christmas carol.

Allsorts ....Christmas.

Thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Day Eight Tag.....

Evening peeps I've up to day eight with the tags and for once I had one of the main ingredients.....the mask, I did have a bit of difficulty with this as I had a line running around the edge, so I used a red pen to colour the gap in, now don't laugh but I didn't have any house stamps so I improvised yet again and use beach huts instead....well I'm sure santa flies over the seaside so there are bound to be beach huts.....lol, I didn't have any metal corners so I embossed some.

Challenges

Fussy and Fancy.....anything but a card.

Something completly different........Christmas tag.

Alphabet challenge....G for glitter.

thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Day Seven Tag......

Feeling abit deflated this evening, I've been to  a school fete with my cards and didn't sell one, mind you we didn't sell any chocolate as well and to make matters worth I'm coming down with a chest infection and cold, on the plus side I should be better for Christmas....I hope.
Todays tag is the day before yesterdays tag, just when I think I'm catching up along comes another one.......lol, I didn't have the canvas so I glimmer misted grunge board, at least I had the dies today which makes a change. I used a bottle top for the embellishment, the image is from Crafty Individuals, I sprinkled gold glitter in the glossy accents.

Challenges

The three Muses.......Flowers.

Little Red Wagon......Use a die cut.

Creative Beli.......christmas embellishments or paper.

Gingersnap Creations......White glitter.

ABC Challenge.......Y for Yuletide.

Paperplay.......Holiday Tag

Cooking it up with Katie.....red, layers and christmas

thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Day Six Tag....

Evening peeps, wow what a spectacular day, the frost made everywhere looked magical .....picture post card material. I went out side and took some pics as I've never seen the frost look so thick although its been -6 for most of the day it hasn't felt so cold, probably getting used to it. Today is Tuesday and that can only mean one thing.......Ethan day, after breakfast he wanted some juice, so off he trots to the kitchen and I hear a voice saying "juice nana.....chop chop", I was in stitches, I guess I've got to jump to it now, little tinker.
Todays tag is yesterdays tag, again quite alot of improvisation.......I did have the tissue tape though.....yay, I cut out the snowman from grunge board as I don't have any of the dies also cut out the trees......well my version of the trees anyway, I added frost to them for a snowy look to go with the snowflake embossed background which i covered with rock candy stickles but it doesn't show up that well in the photo.

Challenges

Top Tip Tuesday.......use ribbon.

Tuesday Taggers.......deck the halls, Christmas theme.

Simon Says Stamp and Show.....Christmas greeting

Compendium of Curiosities......Rock candy distress stickles.

Crafty Cardmakers.....christmas tag.

Gingersnap Creations.......Snow people.

Something completly different........tag with trees.

Thought I'd share this piccie of Richard and Ethan in my mums garden.

Thanks for taking a peek

your comments are much appreciated

thank you

Day Five Tag....

Brrrr....I've just got back from work and I'm sure its been colder today than it was last week, we've had freezing fog as well. Well the trees up all I've got to do is wrap the pressies and buy another couple and then I'm ready for the big day. Todays tag was a bit of a disaster as the santa stamp I originally used did't look right so I used a Crafty Individuals one instead but had to stick it over the other one, I've really had to improvise on this tag, even the numbers are chipboard, but I did follow the technique. The poinsettia are made from gliimer mister card using the marianne dies. I've just seen todays tag so I guess I'll be improvising again.....oh well its the challenge thats fun, lovin' all the other tags out there in blog land.

Thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Day Four Tag....

Wow another posting I've nearly caught up, I love this tag, got abit carried away with the alcohol inks as my fingers are pretty inked up even after cleaning them, the background paper to the tag is from Crafty Individuals as I don't have the TH one yet......and I inked up all of the trims as well, hence the inky fingers....right I'd better get a move on as I've got so much to do today, clean windows again, I hate it when the sun shines and shows up every mark and all the dust I try to ignore dust these days......lol but there it is begging to be cleaned, oh well the sun might go in in abit and then I won't notice it again...

Challenges

Sunday stamper......Christmas.

Crafty Pad.....anything goes.

thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Day three tag....

Phew I'm shattered it was busy at work yesterday and I've over slept this morning which I hate doing as you wake up fussy headed.......what am I talking about I'm always fussy headed I hear you say, so I was glad I managed to make my tag before I went to work, so yesterday morning at 7.00am I sat in my craft room making a start on yesterday tag for today......well I'm def. thinking outside the box on this one as well, as  its all Pink and girly, I used Victorian Velvet as the main colour but I did follow the tutorial for the die cut bird and flower so there is some similarity I suppose, I did enjoy doing this tag though, although I blinged it up with glimmer mist, you know me never happy till I've blinged, at least yesderdays tag that I'm making today to play catch up is blingy....yay.
Later we're putting up the Christmas trees, I didn't realise that its a week early for me to be putting them up, when I agreed to put it up this weekend with my son and hubby....ohh well, after all the snow I'm starting to feel festive, we had the light switch on last night in town, I think we've got a new light as I didn't notice it last year, my Grandson and his mum and dad came down for the switch on and being as we weren't busy I let him choose a bag of sweets and scan it in the till......I think I may live to regret that as he will probably want to play on my till again......lol

Challenges

Fussy and Fancy.....anything but a card.

Lots to Do .......words on the project, I used a script stamp for the background from The Artistic stamper

Top Tip Tuesday.....anything goes.

Pollycraft....use chip board (bird).

Artistic Stamper......Christmas

Have a great Sunday

off to play....lol

hugs

Day Two tag......

I know its day three but after being at work all day its hard to keep up so I'm always going to be lagging behind the rest of you, now I know we can think outside the box well I'm def. doing that as I couldn't do the technique due to no re-inkers so I did the next best thing and inked the stamp with a couple of colours to try and get a similar effect, and I then coloured in the petals, I do look forward to seeing how many techniques Tim manages to incorporate on a tag, I have started tag 3 .......well I've got some tissue tape, yay....so hopefuuly on day four I can post day three.....hope you're keeping up with all this rambling......think its brain freeze after another cold day at work and would you believe it my kettle broke, now all my staff know that I'm a tea addict so calamity reigned for half an hour untill I went and brought another kettle, as I'm typing this with one finger I'm drinking tea.....

Challenges

Alphabet challenge......F is for foilage.

The stamp man......Christmas theme with 3 colours, red gold and green.

Stamp Something.....Christmas colour combo.

Red Wagon....Christams tag.

ABC Christmas.....Yuletide.

Gingersnap.....vintage colours.

Simon Says Stamp and show.....tag.

Thanks for taking a peek

hugs

Feelin' blue

Had my grandson on a sleepover last night, he usually manages to sleep in his own bed for half the night but then creeps in with me, well I have to fetch him as he'll wake everyone else up, this morning at 7.00am I had a little voice in my hear saying wake up Nana, and as you can guess thats all the sleep you're going to get as hes bouncing around and I'm shuffling half a sleep about, he did get my coat of my bed for me......by the way my coat is my dressing gown, thats what he calls it..........
All my Christmas cards seem to be blue this year and I don't know why as its not a colour scheme that I usually do, perhaps is all this snow we're having as I'm loving all things snowflakes at the moment, brrr.......
hope you are all keeping warm, we've still not had much of the white stuff just a sprinkling, so onto todays card,last weeks compendium of curiosities challenge was double distressing, and I just had to use TH stamp for the main image, colours used are Broken China and Chipped Sapphire, the snowflake dies are by Marianne.

Other challenges are

Compendium of Curiosities.......double distress.

Paperplay......Monochrome.

Cute card Thursday.....blue colour theme.

Stampavie......Snowflakes.

Tuesday Taggers.....Jolly old St. Nick.

Crafty Pad.....Snowflakes.

Lots to do.......Embossing either heat or dry.

Alphabet Challenge......E is for Embossing.

The Stamp Man......Anything by Tim, Xmas theme.

Thanks for taking a peek

and your comments are greatly appreciated

keep warm

hugs

Compendium of Curiosities....

Its seems ages since I last blogged but I've had a whirlwind of a crafting weekend, sorry for not posting any pics but now its dark in the mornings and evenings when I get home ,I have to wait for my day off work to take any half decent pictures, I think I may have to make a light box. This weeks challenge at Compendium of Curiosities is Perfect Distress....turn to page 38 for the deets, at least we're not doing anything extreme this week, I think I may have to have another go at this as I was a little heavy handed with the spritzing....well you learn by your mistakes as they say....I have photographed the card  this evening, so the photo is not too good but  I didn't want to wait till Thursday when its my day off again. The stamp is one of my favourite Tim Holtz christmas stamps, I've sprinkled it with silver embossing powder, I used Old Paper, Chipped Saphire, Tea dye and Broken China distress inks.I used an image from Crafty Individuals for the bottle top, I covered the image with glossy accents and sprinkled silver glitter on the top before it dried.......

Challenges

Compendium of Curiosities.....Perfect distress, main tag and sentiment tag done with the technique.

Simon says Stamp and Show......favourite Tim Holtz Tag.

Crafty Calendar....Winter theme, snowflakes.

Crazy 4 Challenges......square card.

Drunken Stampers.....use punches (snowflakes).

Paper Sundaes.....Let it snow.

Sunday Stampers....winter.

Totally Papercrafts.....Tag it

Spoon full of Sugar....Snowflakes

Thanks for taking a peek

hugs from Daniele

Gingersnap ......blast from the past

Evening peeps a couple of weeks ago Ali from Gingersnap Creations Challenege asked myself and Annette to join her again with a blast from the past....the challenge is to follow a tutorial from Jo Capper- Sandon on string wrapping as a background technique.....my twist to the theme was to use mohair wool instead of string and I used a couple of shades of Glimmer Mist instead of paint as I wanted a frosty look for the background, the image was sprinkled with embossing powder for a smidge of colour.The snowflakes are acetate covered in glamour dust and I used a Marianne die.

Challenges

Stampman......Christmas.

ABC Christmas....W for winter wonderland.

Sir Stampalot.....Christmas Traditions.

 Thanks for taking a peek

hugs