Happy Anniversary To Me!

Today is mine and my husband's 17th wedding anniversary. We all seem to struggle over men cards and this was no exception. I started with a DL base card and created the backing paper using some light blue card to which I stamped the Hero Arts script stamp. I then stamped the stop watch and key designs (all hero arts and picked up super cheaply in our local Home Sense store)over the script and then sponged distress ink over the top. The glasses, frame and border are all from a clear stamp set from Personal Impressions and the sentiment was created using the computer. The card was finished off with little photo clips. I think my husband appreciated it......!

Hydrangea Tag Card Mk2

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that my previous post was a hydrangea themed card as well. This was made with Elusive Images stamps but from a different set.
The base card has been stamped with just the top of the main image so as to just include the script. Then I stamped the main image twice using brown and then blue ink. The two images were cut into strips and then woven together. Where necessary I have trimmed the strips with a craft knife so the images fit together better. Once woven into place I mounted the design onto brown and then blue card before gluing to the base card. The small tag is from the same stamp set and has been attached using silicone glue. As you can see Distress Ink has been liberally applied to most edges and a small brown piece of ric rac has been added as a finishing touch. There you have it - hope you all have a great bank holiday, byee!

Hydrangea Tag Card

Hello folks, hope you are all doing ok. This card I have for you today was made with a stamp plate from Elusive Images. The background was created using a brayer and then embossed with the silver butterfly design from the stamp set. The main hydrangea design was stamped onto acetate and then the reverse side was covered with double sided sticky plastic. Once in place I peeled the back off to reveal the sticky side and then dabbed Ranger Perfect Pearl powders to colour the image from the reverse. I then cut around the image using a sizzix tag die. The small butterflies were also stamped onto the acetate and coloured in the same manner as the hydrangea tag. The background tag was put through a cuttlebug embossing folder that had been inked with a brayer before putting the paper in. When you run it through the cuttlebug machine the ink transfers to the debossed side. I love this technique as it gives your embossing folders another use. A Martha Stewart punch was used along the decorative panel and it was stamped using the corner stamp from the same Elusive Images stamp plate. The sentiment is from the stamp plate and the card was finished off with silver ribbon and the odd dab of crystal Stickles glue.

Hope you like......until the next time, tatty bye.

Ball Boy

Hi all - hope you are all managing to dodge the downpours we have been having this week - what a pain for the school holidays. Still lets get on with the blurb eh?

The footballer is from Wild Rose Studio and I think it is great for boys of all ages from little ones to ones that still like to act as though they are little! I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted on the card with silicone glue. The background football pitch is from Joanna Sheen's Messy Rabbit cd and the sentiment was added on the computer before I printed off the football pitch. 10 today was die cut from a Quickutz alphabet and there you have it another super quick card.

Girly Card

This was a quick card I had to make for my daughter as it was one of her friends birthdays. The stamp used was Wild Rose Studio and water coloured with Inktense Pencils. The paper is Dove Craft and the sentiment was Craftwork Cards. The flower was two plain cream Kaiser Craft paper flowers which I have water coloured with the Inktense Pencils and finished off with a flat back gem in the middle.
Have just got back from a very enjoyable if not tiring 4 days at Butlins, which is where my new header has come from courtesy of Bognor beach - good time was had by all - hope you are all well and will be back soon with another post.

Fuchsia

This fuchsia card has been made with a set of stamps from Elusive Images. The centre image was stamped using Memento ink and coloured with Inktense pencils. The flower frame was stamped with versamark and then dabbed over with chalks. The centre of the card has been cut out and the Fuchsia mounted on the reverse of the front of the card with foam pads so it is inset slightly and then the purple frame was mounted on the front of the card with foam fixers just to add more depth. Thanks for looking - will be back soon.....

Heart Plaque

I have used this technique on numerous occasions as I love the effect this Elusive Images stamps gives when it is stamped into Hearty Clay.

The base used is a plain wooden panel bought from Hobby Craft, which I have coloured using distress and alcohol inks. I then placed a stencil in opposite corners and applied sno tex paste over the top. Holes were punched using a Crop O dile and the dangley hearts are shrink plastic versions of the large heart on the plaque.

Hope you all have a good weekend. Bye for now

Under the Sea Necklace

Hi - I'm really not sure where July has gone, I have just checked back and realised nothing has been published on here since the begining of July :( Well I have a few things to add now as I entered the Elusive Images Design Team Challenge but alas I was not picked. Still at least I can now publish the projects I created to apply for the team. Obviously all stamps used are Elusive Images and a mixture of inks have been used. Mainly distress inks and inktense pencils to add colour - Staz-on for the shrink plastic and a dab of cream acrylic paint to try and create the aged look to the display box.
I am disappointed I didn't get chosen for the team but not surprised, however I do wish the lucky "chosen ones" good luck and I look forward to seeing their work.

Melt Pot Creation

I had a play with my Melt Pot for the first time yesterday and found I really loved it. I thought I would try something fairly basic to start with so I found a clay cutter and poured the melted utee into it to see how it would look. I made the colour by mixing clear and silver utee and adding a few drops of blue and yellow melt art dye with a bit of Melt Art Flex. The swirly pattern came about completely by accident as I found that if you poured the melted utee in a swirl action it seemed to hold the pattern once the utee was set.I managed to add a hole by using a crop o dile and the piece did not shatter as the flex stops this from happening. I just added a couple of jump rings, some cord and clasp attachments and there you have a necklace! I also had ago at pouring the melted utee into some sugar paste moulds I had lying around and was quite pleased with the outcome. Will show these another day.
Bye for now, be back soon.......

Mum

Sorry, nothing crafty to share as I have been rather preoccupied over the last few weeks. Sadly Mum lost her battle with cancer and passed away on June 13th. It goes without saying that I will miss her so much. So I thought I would post these pictures of the wild flowers I walked past on my regular morning walks, in my attempt to try and get fit and also use the time to think through all that Mum and me were going through and having to deal with.
I am not very good with flower names apart from the obvious so if anyone knows what these are please let me know. I would be most grateful.
Once Mum's funeral has taken place I hope to fully immerse myself back into crafting so normal posting will at long last be resumed!

Oooh another bangle

This should have been posted yesterday in the same post as my previous bangle but blogger had other ideas.......still it's here now. Not sure I like them as they are different to what I do normally, but maybe I'll give them another go when I next go and visit my local craft shop and stock up on more supplies.

Bangle

I haven't posted for a while, but have a wooden bangle to show, nothing too exciting I know, but I have been doing some actual crafting the past couple of weeks. Shock horror! Yes it has been great! I decided to go for the design team call over at Elusive Images. The deadline is 15th June so I have been busy. I am glad I did as the request has kick started my non existent mojo, so even if I don't get chosen at least I can thank Glenda for helping to get my stamps and inks out again, hoo flaming hooray!
My mum is in hospital at the moment but with a bit of luck we may be able to get her back to her nursing home this week. I have shown her my design pieces and she said they were lovely so that pleased me (I know she is biased lol). So if anyone is interested in entering the challenge of being on Elusive Images Design team go along here and find out more.