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Friday 31 October 2008

Still Autumn

Despite the wintry weather we're having, with ice and snow, I'm still in Autumn mode.

This card uses Elusive Images' arboretum stamps, with the leaves clear embossed over a variety of cheap and cheerful embossing inks. The sentiment is also an Elusive Images stamp, it's tied on with a piece of silk ribbon and I've attached an embellishment that I bought for something else. The background paper is from the Graphicus Guild's papers that are sent each month. The background is sprayed with Glimmer Mists.

Wednesday 29 October 2008

More Blog Candy!

Wow! There seems to be lots of Blog Candy around just now.

Denise is celebrating her blog's first anniversary with a lovely selection of Stampin Up goodies: http://denisesstampingpage.blogspot.com/2008/10/blogoversary-party.html

and Camilla in Sweden is also offering blog candy. She has some lovely cards using Magnolia stamps, take a look. http://pysselsidan.blogspot.com/2008/10/dt-julkort-2-och-blogg-candy-dt-card.html

Ghostiwobbles Mystery Card


Astonishingly, it's still only October and we had quite a lot of snow overnight, which was still lying on the ground in places at the end of today!
Today I visited a friend and I haven't set foot in my craft room (gasp!). But just as I thought I would have nothing to post, this came today.
There is no clue to the sender, other than that they are part of the UKATC Group, it's signed Happy Haunting from UKATC Ghostiwobbles. Quite a few people on the list have posted that they've received a card, but as yet Ghostiwobbles remains anonymous.
So far I've held out and I haven't eaten the chocolate ghost... yet! Thank you Ghostiwobbles, whoever you are :)

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Sukkersott Challenge 13


I thought Katherina's sketch at http://sukkersott.blogspot.com/2008/10/utfordring-13-gjestedesigner-4.html this week was lovely and I used it to make this card. The cupcakes are Hero Arts clear stamps, paper and flowers came from Auscrafts when it closed down last month. The flowers have chalk ink applied to help them blend in with the colour scheme.

Something for the Birds - Stamp Something Challenge


http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/2008/10/something-for-birds-challenge.html I really had to enter this challenge and use my new stamps from Elusive Images. I've made quite a simple card, using Glimmer Misted paper for the background, yet again!

Birthday ATCs


I couldn't think what to make yesterday so I tidied up my craft room a bit and I made some birthday ATCs ready for when I need them. They're Glimmer Mist backround with images from http://www.lisasalteredart.com/index.htm on them, plus a bit of stamping and a few embellishments to make them interesting.

Monday 27 October 2008

Friday Sketchers Challenge 25




This week's http://fridaysketchersblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/sketch-25-by-claudia-rosa.html was a great opportunity to get another Christmas card made. The snowman images are from a Penny Black stamp. It doesn't show too well in the photo unless you enlarge it, but there is fluffy stuff snow in the sky and glittery Stickles snow on the ground. I found some lovely old cotton lace in my sewing cupboard to go behind the image and added faux pearls and Dovecraft background paper

Sketch Saturday Challenge 22


I've made a Christmas card with my Sketch Saturday http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/2008/10/sketch-22-25th-october_25.html challenge entry. I've used my Penny Black stamp on a Glimmer Misted background again. There's some ric rac and a couple of faux gems on there too. Ths card is also for my SBS25 challenge #3, which was to make a Christmas card in non traditional colours.

Sewfest Pictures



http://www.newburysewfest.com/ was great fun, I wish I'd taken some photos while I was there, it's a beautiful venue. I was too busy sewing! I made one bag and have one more begun. Had my machine not played up I would have had two completed bags from the two days. The purple bag with the decorative stitching was the first one that I tried. The leather sewed fine with just a standard 80 needle in the machine, using a teflon foot.
On day two, when I had stitched down the lining, I went on to bag two and my machine began to have problems. It's been back to the dealer twice so far this year to try to solve its intermittent problem. The thread was shredding and breaking. Sandra who was taking my class works for Husqvarna and she established that the feed dogs are not dropping every time, which explains the problems I've had with free motion stitching. We got them to drop and I was able to embroider the designs, but then when they were joined the feed dogs did not work properly when I was trying to stitch a decorative line by the join. You can't unpick leather, so my bag will have to become smaller. In the meantime I need to make time to go to my dealer to get my machine fixed.
Bag two, when it's done, consists of two "purses in the hoop" designs stitched out. They make tiny bags, with barely room for a lipstick, so Sandra designed this with two joined together to make a more useful sized bag. It doesn't look much at present but it will be lovely when it's done :). I've used a navy suede.
Sewfest is planned for April 09 next. It was a really enjoyable couple of days, get there next year of you can!

Blog Candy Alert

http://eba-et-al.blogspot.com/2008/10/ebas-blog-candy.html has some delightful crochet blog candy and other goodies

http://danniescreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-hit-3k-check-out-my-candy.html has a gorgeous set of blog candy including stamping Bella images, to celebrate 3,000 visits - congratulations Dannie!

Congratulations to Leonie http://leoniedesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-candy-10000-hits.html who is celebrating her 10,000 hits with a giveaway of some yummy papers and Elzybells images

Sunday 26 October 2008

Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges - Golden Tones


This week's ATC Challenge is Golden Tones at http://tildaandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/10/golden-tones.html . Here is my Tilda. Her background is a gold napkin from the kitchen drawer. There is some Autumn colored yarn behind her and I've decorated a stamped flower (can't remember what this came from!) with some Stickles.

Friday 24 October 2008

Sewfest - Back to School

Today I'm going to Cheam School, the other side of Newbury, to a 2 day Sewfest. I'm doing a course on leather bag making. My friend Clare, who is doing a trouser fitting course, will be staying here tonight. I doubt I'll have much blogging time for the weekend but I do plan to have fun :)

Wednesday 22 October 2008

ATCs sent and received

It's Wednesday and I'm still sticking to my stamp diet :). This morning I finished off this set of ATCs for a UKATC swap. The theme is pub names, which I thought was a brilliant idea. So here are my four pubs, hopefully their names are obvious...



Monday night was Stamp Attic club night. Here are my Hallowe'en swaps, one is still to come. Next month the theme is Bonfire Night. Also next month I have agreed to do a demo as they are running out of new ideas and people to ask. My demo is very secret. Sadly this is mainly because I don't yet know what to do! Oh well, I've a whole month to come up with something...

Monday 20 October 2008

I'm on a stamp diet for a month


Last week my Elusive Images order arrived, with delectable goodies, mainly paid for by winning their website competition. I have the gorgeous bird designs, solid butterflies (already have the detailed stamps) and Graphicus Guild stamp of the month, a stitched design.






Then on Saturday Stamps & Memories had an open day at the local village hall.I dashed over there before we left to go racing at Cheltenham and came back with the cupcake stamps as well as a Christmas tree/snowflake set. In the post when I returned were the two stamps I'd ordered from Whiff of Joy on Tuesday night.

This all seems a bit excessive, so... I'm not going to buy any more stamps for one month. Yikes what about the GG club stamp? Hopefully it will still be available in a month's time. Or maybe I won't want it? Yeah, right...

So no stamps until 20 November. Paper, inks, fine. Just no stamps. Hope I can resist temptation for a month ;)

Sketch Saturday 21 & Secret Crafter 3 Challenges

This week's challenge at Secret Crafter http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ is to use blue, white and a little bit of snowflake. I've combined this with sketch Saturday's challenge http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/2008/10/sketch-21-18th-october.htmloctober.html and come up with this card:

Snowflake stamped with tinsel silver, using an Impression Obsession stamp. Mounted on blue holographic card, Dovecraft papers added. Found a couple of snowflake brads and added them in too.

Sunday 19 October 2008

WoJ Autumn Colours & Stamp Something Sketch 33 Challenges




I really like the Whiff of Joy stamps, shouldn't have ordered because I've had a few spending sprees recently, but I'm just trying to help spend our way out of recession :). So I ordered Willow and her armchair late Tuesday evening and they arrived here Saturday morning - very quick delivery from Switzerland. A tiny bonus stamp that says "Joy" was included in the envelope too, always nice to get an extra freebie. Thanks WoJ!

I'd love some more WoJ but really cannot spend any more just yet. So I've made this card to enter the WoJ Autumn Colours Challenge, also the Stamp Something sketch challenge. Both have WoJ stamps as prizes so here's hoping!
Willow is colored in Art Quest watercolors. She's on a Glimmer Mist background that is stamped with last month's Graphicus Guild club stamp, the tree. I used leaves from the Elusive Images Arboretum set, with cheapo pigment inks that have been clear embossed. "Just Because" is from a tiny Dovecraft set, they were 3 sets for £1 at Ally Pally and the peel-offs on glimmer misted paper were a magazine freebie ages ago.

Saturday 18 October 2008

Kreative Kristin's Blog Candy

Kristin has had 15,000 hits on her blog and to celebrate she has a draw for a very cute Rachelle Miller stamp. Her blog is great fun to look at, lots of inspiration. Draw closes 1 November...
http://kreativkristin.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-15000-hits-blog-candy.html

Friday 17 October 2008

O Christmas Tree - Just Cardstock Challenge, Dutch Dare


This week's http://www.dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ says "Just Cardstock". Now there are some stamped, coloured images in their DT cards, but I tried hard to make my card with just cardstock.
First I tried a new (to me) technique. I dabbed alcohol inks onto a felt pad and applied the all over apiece of metallic gold card. I've an idea I should have used blending liquid too but it still looks ok. I used an embossing folder I bought at Ally Pally and rubbed some red chalk ink over the tree to bring it out a bit. You can barely see the background paper, it came from a Graphicus Guild pack and is just the right red.
Can't decide: should it have a greeting on the outside or should I leave it alone and just put one inside?

Cute Card Thursday - Autumn Challenge



This week's Challenge on http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/ is to make an Autumn theme card. I got out the Tilda that I bought at Ally Pally and painted her. She's mounted on a piece of Glimmer Misted paper (that I used the centre out of for another project) and the rest of the card is some lovely papers that I bought at the Stamp Attic http://www.thestampattic.co.uk/index.html. I added in some lace that I had in my sewing cupboard that looks very Autumnal I thought.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Tilda & Co Challenge 40, a tabbed card





This is my card for this week's Tilda & Co Challenge http://magnoliachallengeblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/winner-of-last-weeks-challenge-is.html , a tabbed card. The paper in the corner is Glimmer Misted, then I've cuttlebug embossed it and rubbed an ink pad over the lettering. Nice sketch, not too busy.




Wednesday 15 October 2008

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Friday Sketchers Challenge 23 and Penny Black Thanks a Bunch Challenge




I've decided to combine a lovely sketch from Friday Sketchers http://fridaysketchersblog.blogspot.com/with the Penny Black Challenge, http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2008/10/week-18-thanks-bunch.htmlwhich was entitled "Thanks a Bunch" The flowers are Inkadinkado stamps, the Penny Black stamp is the one that actually says "Thanks a Bunch" which I bought a while back, I knew it would be a useful sentiment to have in stock :)








Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges - Swap


I'm having an ATC day today :).
Here is my Edwin ATC to swap, for this week's Challenge over at Tilda and Friends. http://tildaandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/10/alota-special.html

Happy ATC


The UKATC group exchange birthday ATCs, I decided to make a couple using images from http://www.lisasalteredart.com/index.htm
Again, Glimmer Misted background, some stamping and embellishment

Monday 13 October 2008

More Hallowe'en ATCs




I got the chance to make another 6 ATCs for the Stamp Attic's swap, due next week. That completes my total of twelve, thank goodness! As before, I used images downloaded from http://www.lisasalteredart.com/index.htm , with ribbons, Stickles, Glossy Images and an Art Impressions tree stamp on Glimmer Misted background.



Lorne Hill Farm - Beginners Quilting

I'm lucky enough to teach for Joanne at Lorne Hill Farm http://www.lornehillquilts.net/ which is in stunning surroundings and also about 2 miles from my home. Saturday was month 2 of beginners machine quilting and our class was depleted as one of the students had to go somewhere else for the weekend. A highlight is the three course lunch that Jo cooks and serves for us in the farm kitchen.

The only downside is that it is hard to do any work at all in the afternoon, I feel we should factor in an hour's doze and then a walk! I've uploaded a photo of some of the blocks made, we did sew as well as eat!


Sunday 12 October 2008

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #2


This is my FIL's birthday card, his birthday isn't for another couple of days but as he's not a computer person I think I'm safe posting it on here!
The stamp is a Graphicus Member's Guild stamp, yes another tree stamp! I first saw this one on their Challenge, which Phree won: http://inkstainsurvivor.blogspot.com/2008/07/three-challenges-one-card.html - what a wonderful card. The stamping positive/negative images idea came from the GG newsletter and is great because I now have two cards for the time spent on one. Theirs was a stark, stunning, black and white but I found I didn't have white embossing powder, so I went with a green Adirondack powder and black. The greens don't match enough to be a true positive/negative image but I still like it.
I decided that it would work well with the Secret Crafter's challenge for this week, this is a new challenge, I've loved both their sketches so far, this is a really nice one I think.


Saturday 11 October 2008

Tilda & Co Challenge 39 - Arts Apart Metal


Today was another busy day, teaching month 2 of beginners quilting, I've some photos to upload tomorrow.
But I wanted to make something so I could scrape into the Tilda Challenge http://magnoliachallengeblog.blogspot.com/ for this week, since I bought some metal charms at the Stamp Attic yesterday, as I didn't have anything suitable for the challenge. They are very like the flowers in Tilda's basket.
So of course I stamped Tilda, coloured her with Jelly Roll pens and some Marvy pens and she doesn't look like the sort of gal for rustic, aged charms! In desperation I've used some beading wire and wrapped it round a purple moon shape. The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and a chalk ink pad rubbed lightly over it. There's no sentiment on the card yet, I'm not sure what it'll be used for... Nor do I know where four rustic metal charms will find a home...


Friday 10 October 2008

Spring Blossom


Last night I also finished a card using my gorgeous Elusive Images Arboretum stamps. Considering the all-out need they inspired in me the moment I saw them, I've not made that many cards with them and really need to put them to work :). This is anothr Glimmer Misted background. The blossoms use different colours of ink and are clear embossed, I added some Stickles to the middle of some of them. Background paper is from Graphicus Guild's monthly papers.

Friday Sketchers Challenge 22






After a busy week when work and other committments have inconsiderately got in the way of my crafting, I finally made a card for Friday Sketchers last nght. I hope it's not too late to enter :)

Hero Arts cup cake stamps again, coloured in through a mask with ink stippled on.


You've Got Mail...




My October swaps from Sheila of UKATC arrived yesterday, along with a lovely decoupage RAK. The ATCs are very dimensional, which doesn't show up too well in the photo. The daisy is decoupaged onto a cuttlebug background and the blue card is made from immaculately done teabag folding. Thanks Sheila!

Sunday 5 October 2008

Another Saturday Challenge

http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/

I've used the sketch from secretcrafters for this birthday card. It uses Hero Arts cupcake stamps and also leans heavily on a magazine article I saw using the stamps. Lovely sketch, I might make some more using this

Saturday 4 October 2008

Penny Black Challenge 17


I made this Christmas card for Penny Black's sketch challenge. The background paper is from Graphicus Guild papers. I've brayered on the circle using Adirondack pesto ink and stamped over it.

Friday 3 October 2008

October ATCs

Each month on the UKATC Yahoo group there is a 1 to 1 swap of three different ATCs. This month I'm swapping with Sheila. I've made these two bird ATCs, using Lisa Volrath's images. TThey co-ordinate with my wrapped Tilda card.

Card for Alex

Time is running out for the birthday card! So I've done this as a "better finished than perfect" card. It's not great but it stands half a chance of getting to Spain by the 8th...

Happy Birthday Marlene!

Marlene in Holland is giving away some birthday Blog Candy here: http://mar1ene.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/birthday-blog-candy/

BQL October Bag Challenge



Now Kandy has published the October bag challenge I can show a photo of mine. While my absolute favourite is still April, this bag runs it a close second. It has ties on the thin sides pulling it in and giving it shape. If you put lots in it, undo the ties and the bag grows. I love it!

Thursday 2 October 2008

It's A Wrap - Tilda & Friends ATC Challlenge


This week's challenge is to wrap up your ATC with ribbon, string, paper, wire, or anything else that comes to mind.
Painted Tilda is on a Glimmer Mist background, wrapped in hand dyed threads, lace and yarn. She is wrapped in a hand-dyed thread "belt" on her dress.