On the beach part 2...

Okay it's official I'm totally addicted to my new Craft Artist Platinum programme.  It's just so easy and so much fun.  This is another 'cheats' page although I did alter it slightly both moving things around and making the photos larger.  They looked blurred in this photo but are fine in real life - honest!

When printing the 8 x 8 page I'm making sure that there is space around the page to cut it down so that I can mat it on to card.  On this photo I used the corrugated card that I used on the last page I did as a mat with slit corners to hold the photo.  Using the corrugated card again makes the two pages work as a double page spread.  My other page is here.  The sentiment was a predone one and I do like it, but would have preferred to end it 'on the Coast of Boa Vista'.  I really should have slowed down and found out how to change the text.  Note to self 'don't be so hasty'.

I've even going to be brave and enter this in to some challenges - eeek!

• CD Sunday - 'Where waters meet' - mine is where waters meet the beach.
• Crafty Creations - Heat it up - thinking about warmer weather

Right I'm off to do pages 3 and 4 and I'm not cheating this time.  I'm doing the whole page myself.  Have a fabulous weekend everyone.

Love and hugs

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! Day...

Can't believe it's Friday again and time for another challenge at Bah! Humbug!  This week is a super easy challenge called 'An Oldie but a Goldie' and we are encouraging everyone to take a look at their old stash.  We want everyone to pull out something they love and want to use again or maybe even for the first time if you're like me and buy things, but don't always use them.

My snowman card was made using a stamp I've had for ages.  I love it to pieces, but I just never got round to inking it up.  Maybe I should buy less and use more - eeeeeeeeeeek no!

To create my card I stamped the image on to acetate and then attached the acetate to blue and white sky effect glitter card using glitter brads.  Then I stamped the image twice on to white card.  I coloured and glittered the snowman and then cut him out before attaching him to the front of the acetate.  I also cut out an extra layer of the snow at his feet to give a little more dimension.

The bottom half of the white card is embossed using a herringbone patterned embossing folder (yeah that's twice this week I used something other than Swiss Dots).  The tags were cut using a Cuttlebug tag die.

My second set of cards for this week's challenge make use of my Cuttlebug snowflake die and embossing folder.  I've had this for ages and I just love it.  I think the photo is pretty self explanatory and does anyone read the writing on blogs anyway.  I for one am terrible for just looking at the pretty pictures.

Additional challenges...

• Cutie Sunday - anything goes
• CPS Card Sketches - used the sketch for my snowflake cards.
• My time to Craft - Emboss, Emboss Emboss

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.  Hope you can find time to dig out the gems in your stash that you haven't used for ages and play with us at Bah! Humbug!
Love and Hugs
Ann xxx

Scrapbooking...

ooooooooooooooooooh look what I made!  My first page using the new programme by Serif called Craft Artist Platinum.  So proud of myself, but to be truthful I must come clean and own up to the fact that the only things I did with the main part of this page was drag my photo onto the ready made background and just edge things around a little.

What a fraud - what a cheat - good fun though!

After printing I chopped the 8 x 8 page down so that I could mat and layer it and I also added the corrugated brown card strips and brads to give it more dimension so there is a little of my own work included.

So far I'm really enjoying using this software even though there are some glitches on it that Serif are going to correct. If you want to find out more and maybe try the free version of it visit Daisy Trail here.

Oh the photo is one of me in Cape Verde last year. ooooooooooh wish I was on that beach now or anywhere but England in freezing cold January actually.

Love and hugs

Ann xxx

All you need is love...

I almost missed the deadline for this month's challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts.  When I first saw the theme of 'All you need is love' I really wanted to scrapbook my photos of a visit to Liverpool, but alas I just haven't had time to do that project justice.  However, I really didn't want to not enter the challenge especially seeing as I was one of the lucky winners in the blog hop they had over there.  I won two fab Penny Black stamps - how lucky am I?  I've used one of the stamps on my 'with love' card .  It's a fab little image featuring funky hearts and I'm sure that it will get used a lot for creating backgrounds too.

Apologies for the poor photo.  I did take one in daylight but then decided that the card needed black peel off dots to accentuate the scalloped edge and had to take another photo using my daylight lamp.

Additional materials...

• swirly heart designer paper by Kanban (I think)
• black and red card
• dots embossing folder by Crafts Too
• image was stamped using Versamark and then embossed with Ultrafine black embossing powder.  Coloured using Promarker Crimson and Sakura stardust red.  Diamond Glaze on top.
• black organza ribbon and 'with love' sticker from stash

Additional Challenges...

• Crafter's Companion - the sketch (yeah second enty - I've now found my corner punch)
• Pollycraft - black, white and one other colour
• Charisma Cards - Love theme

Thanks for stopping by.  

Love and hugs

Ann xxx

Fa la la la...

Oh my goodness yet another Christmas card!  Well I had to do this one to join in the challenge at Penny Black Saturday challenge.  This week they want to see people using stash they bought in the January sales.  I bought one or two (eeeeeeek daren't really own up to how many) stamps from the amazing bargains that Sir Stampalot had just after Christmas.  

Isn't this silhouette skater combined with the fa la la la text brilliant?  Well, having said that she is brilliant till you try and stamp with her.  I wanted to stamp on art card and use my inks and ink dusters for the background, but no way could I get a really black and even impression on the card.  Very upsetting, but all was not lost as I reverted to black Versafine ink and normal white card.  I used chalks and a Perfect Pearls brush to create the background  and then sprayed it with Crafter's Companion silver glitter spray.  Love that stuff - not only does it seal the chalk, but sparkles like frost too.  

Additional materials used...

• x- cut border die (to cut border and remains were used to make the mock brads down side of image)
• dark blue card and silver mirri card
• basket weave embossing folder (yes I hid Swiss Dots and forced myself to use something else)
• organza ribbon and gems from stash

Additional challenges...

• The Sweet Stop - fab sketch - thanks ladies
• Cute Card Thursday - 1 - 2 -3 = 1 image, 2 ribbons (one narrow and one wider for bow) 3 gems on three mock brads)
• Simon Says Stamp - choose three in a line from grid - mine are gems, glitter and ribbon

Thank you for looking and all the kind comments I receive.  They are very much appreciated.

Love and hugs

Ann xxx