Monday, 24 January 2011

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

Friday, 21 January 2011

Christmas Crackers...

Well it's Bah! Humbug! day again and this week sees us going CRACKERS at Humbug Hall.  LOL, yes our theme is Christmas crackers.  To be truthful this one nearly sent me crackers as I just couldn't believe it, that when I trawled through my vast collection of rubber stamps there was not one stamp with a cracker on!  How strange is that?  
Anyway, all was not lost, it just meant that the grey cells had to do a bit more thinking this week before starting on my card.   With no stamp, stencil or even patterned paper with crackers on I decided that perhaps I should work on the idea of a cracker shaped card with maybe a cutie sitting on top of the cracker.
In the end I made and decorated a cracker shape and attached it to the front of a piece of A5 acetate folded in half.  Then I sat Santa Emma by C. C. Designs on top.  The card will still fit in an C5 envelope, but unfortunately the bobble on the Santa's hat is going to mean yet another large letter size expensive stamp.  I don't know about anyone else, but I can't believe that from April it's going to cost 75p to post a card.  Sheesh, better start saving up now!


Materials used ...
  • C.C. Designs digi stamp
  • DCWV paper and plain red card
  • Heavy weight acetate
  • gold border, corner and sentiment peel offs
  • gold and white ribbon
  • Promarkers combined with paper piecing to colour image
  • pompom from kid's craft set trimmed to size (trimmings used to add fluff to edge Santa hat)
Additional Challenges...
Have a great Friday and weekend everyone and if you have chance do pop over to Bah! Humbug! and take a look at the fab designs by our Guest Designer Carole.  It would be nice if you could leave a 'big hug' over there for Max too as she has had to have an operation on her wrist this week and is banned from using her craft stash for a little while.

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Tea's brewed...

Here's a card using one of the gorgeous LOTV stamps that my dear friend Irene bought me for Christmas.  Isn't it a real cutie of a stamp?  Having said that are there any LOTV stamps that aren't just adorable?  I don't think so!
Other materials used...
  • Papers from one the many craft mags I bought cheaply at the NEC
  • Cuttlebug button embossing border
  • 'with love' sentiment' sticker from stash
  • mock brads made using Japenese hole punch
  • Promarkers for colouring, Sakura white glaze on teacup and dots on teapot plus a touch of glitter on tablecloth.
Challenges...
Hope everyone is having a good week.  Take care and if you happen to be having an operation on your wrist tomorrow remember to get some sleep tonight.  Then remember Rest followed by even more Rest is essential if you want to get fit fast.  Nurse Laura says so!
You know who you are!!!

Thank you so much to great friends who have become followers of my blog. Love having you around.