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Hello and welcome to my blog. Here I will be showcasing all my design team work, general crafting and digital scrap booking.I hope you enjoy seeing my creations and listening to my ramblings. If you leave a comment I'll know you've been and be able to visit you in return. I read and appreciate all comments which are left - good or bad! Thank you for taking the time to visit me. Pop back soon. Carol xx

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Halloween Tealight

Good morning all.

I'm off down home today as I have a funeral to go to, I hope the weather behaves.

Some recycling to share today.
I started out with this:


Took out the middle and added a battery operated tealight...


and ended up with this!


Image is from PpinkyDollsArt and I've coloured with promarkers before die cutting with a Spellbinders oval and layering onto a fancy oval.


Fence die is from Magnolia, I used black card and then rubbed gold gilding wax over it. Mesh came from Crafty Ribbons and button from my stash.


Spider's web, spider and pumpkin dies are all from Spellbinders. I edged the lid with black ribbon and added the orange spotted ribbon over the top, both ribbons from Crafty Ribbons. The witches hat was made to fit the top of the lid, cord from Crafty Ribbons and stars from my stash.


Challenges entered:
Great Impressions - get your spook on
Pile it On - the witching hour
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with buttons and ribbon
Decorate to Celebrate - anything goes
All Crafts Challenge - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Ppinky Dolls - anything goes/girly
2 Creative Chicks - any glass jar
Altered Eclectics - anything goes
Take a Word - buttons and bows

Monday 29 September 2014

Merry Christmas

Good morning all.

A quiet day yesterday spent making a mess in the craft room! Nothing to show yet though...maybe tomorrow.
A clean and simple Christmas card to share today.


Stamp is from Kaisercraft and was a magazine freebie, I've coloured it with promarkers and added some stickles. Ribbon and bow from my stash. After layering the image on green and red card I adhered to the card base with foam tape to give the card some dimension.


Challenges entered:
Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
Completely Christmas - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes with 3 layers

Sunday 28 September 2014

Mostly Words

Good morning all and welcome to my latest followers. Thank you for joining me on my crafty journey and I hope you enjoy what you see here. Thanks also for all the wonderful comments, I do read and appreciate them all.

I had a lovely relaxing couple of hours at the hairdressers yesterday morning then got all the laundry washed and dried. After persuading hubby to make the tea I managed some time in the craft room too.


Image and sentiment stamps are from Woodware's Huge Snow set...I do love this stamp but wish it didn't have the lines of all the letters on it as I never know what to do with them!
I've stamped with versamark (stamping the "O" twice) and heat embossed then paper pieced all the letters. I think the paper was from Papermania, it was an odd sheet I had left. The 2nd "O" has been die cut and I've added a gem and some stickles before adhering with silicon gel for height. I then embossed the edges of the card before adhering to the card blank with foam tape.
Side view showing the layers.

Challenges entered:
Less is More - Recipe, Mostly Words
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
A Gem of a Challenge - clean and simple
Red Rubber Inspirationals - anything stamped goes

Saturday 27 September 2014

Robin Red Breast

Good morning all.

Off to the hairdressers this morning, then I'll have to catch up with some washing and housework!!

Another quick Christmas card today.


Stamp was a magazine freebie, stamped on Desert Storm kraft and coloured with promarkers. Sentiment from the same set of stamps. Gems from my stash.

Nice and flat and finished inside.


Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
ABC Christmas - something festive
Crafting by Designs - Christmas
Scrapper's Delight - anything goes, no DP
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Completely Christmas - anything goes

Friday 26 September 2014

Fa la la la la...

Good morning all.

I haven't played at "Less is More" in a long time so thought it was time to rectify that...this week's challenge is "face the music and dance"...I thought this stamp fitted the bill.


A very quick card. Stamp is a magazine freebie coloured with promarkers. Die from Memory Box. Snowflakes are punch waste from the insert. Gems from my stash.

Very flat for posting and finished inside too!


Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
CHNC - 20 minute or less
Less is More - face the music and dance
Sparkles Forum Challenge - things with wings
Stamping Sensations - things with wings

Thursday 25 September 2014

Christmas Wishes

Good morning all.

Apologies if I didn't get round to you yesterday commenting....Chrome was making life very difficult, IE doesn't like blogger very much so in the end I admitted defeat and picked up a magazine I'd bought whilst shopping!! I'll try again today!

Another Christmas card to share today.


Stamp and sentiment from Wild Rose Studio, coloured with promarkers and highlighted with stickles before being fussy cut. Background is a Creat a Card from Die'sire - Starry Night. Lacy seambinding from Crafty Ribbon and pearls from my stash.

All finished inside too.


Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
Merry Monday - bingo (red, die cut, sparkle)
Papertake Weekly - oh how cute
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in September
Deep Ocean Challenge - at least one flower
Love to Create - fussy cut

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Acrylic Art

Good morning all.

Well last night was spent on the edge of my seat watching Liverpool playing football, never before have I seen a game go to 15 penalties to each team before a winner was declared!!

I was hunting for something last week when I came across some acrylic art pieces which have been lurking around unused for many a year (at least 5 or 6!). I decided it was time I took the plunge and used a piece...why, why, why have I not done so before now!!


I stamped the image with Stazon (stamp from my set of Anita's stamps) and coloured with gel pens, then stamped over with embossed ink and added some sparkly EP and heat embossed. I used red EP around the sides to make a border then stuck it to a Spellbinder die cut. Papers are from Kaisercraft and Dovecraft. Ribbon, twine and tag are from my stash.
Of course I had to finish the inside!


Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes
Sparkle n Sprinkle - anything goes with glitter, EP or flock
Die Cut Divas - new things (first time using acrylic art)
WOW embossing powder - my favourite (although new this could easily become a favourite!)
Holly Jolly Christmas - ribbon or lace

Tuesday 23 September 2014

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Good morning all.

Had a big washing day yesterday, then got waylaid after opening an email from Find My Past telling me about the new school records on line....I had to have a look to see which counties were included and having found Lancashire among them I had to look for some of hubby's ancestors (as you do!). Managed to lose most of an afternoon and evening after that adding bits to the family tree! I managed to find both of hubby's paternal grandparents and some of their siblings...one poor little chap had been sent to school at the ripe old age of three and a half and that was in the early 1900's!
Of course at 10.30pm I realised I still had eldest's bed to remake!!

A very CAS Christmas card to share today.


The little penguin stamp is from Stamps Away and I've coloured with promarkers. Die is from Memory Box. Snowflakes are punch waste. Gems from my stash.

Finished inside too...so glad I've kept this up this year!


Challenges entered:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Christmas critters
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
Merry Monday - bingo (red, die cut, sparkle)
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - halloween/ Christmas
Sparkles Forum Challenge - things with wings
Squirrel's Penguin Challenge - feature a penguin

Monday 22 September 2014

Merry Christmas

Good morning all.

A very quiet weekend had here, managed to get into the craft room and make some headway with the Christmas cards which I'm way behind on!!

A very quick one to share today.


A cream hammer embossed base card; Die'sire Create a Card die "Christmas Eve" cut with kraft card and inked with DI whilst still in the die; Merry Christmas stamp from Anita's stamps; gems from my stash.

Simples!!

And of course finished inside too!


Challenges entered:
CHNC - 20 minute or less
CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes
ABC Christmas - anything festive

Sunday 21 September 2014

Christmas Card Club "Winter Wonderland"

Good morning all.

It's time for our fortnightly Christmas Card Club challenge again and this time the theme was set by Christine who gave us "Winter Wonderland".


Stamp is from Wild Rose Studio and I've coloured with promarkers and used stickles to highlight before die cutting. Dies from Spellbinders. Backing paper is also from Wild Rose Studio and was a magazine freebie (think the stamp was possibly too). Embossed panel is pearlised paper and the embossing board was another magazine freebie. Sentiment stamp from Anita's Stamps. Ribbons, gems and poinsettia from my stash.
All finished inside too!


Do pop over to see the rest of the gang's creations, their links are on my sidebar.

Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra  - anything Christmas goes
Winter Wonderland - use two ribbons
ABC Christmas Challenge - S for something festive
Holly Jolly Christmas - ribbons or lace
Crafty Ribbons - 1st Christmas with ribbons (my 1st is first time stamp has been inked)
One Crazy Stamper - halloween or Christmas

Saturday 20 September 2014

All Dressed Up!

Good morning all.

Another Halloween treat bag to share today.


Image and papers are from All Dressed Up. Image is coloured with promarkers before being die cut. Square dies from Spellbinders, banner die is a Signature die from Joanna Sheen with the waste hearts used in the corners. Fibres from my stash.


Challenges entered:
Crafting By Designs - childhood memories
Divas by Design - anything but a card
The Paper Shelter - ribbon, twine or floss
All Dressed Up - favourite colours
Dies R Us - fall festival
The East Wind - feel the fall
All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card
Fitztown - fall colours
Whoopsi Daisy - colours of autumn

Friday 19 September 2014

Fireworks

Good morning all.

Better Together...now everyone needs to work together to make it work for everyone!

I needed a card for a swap with the theme of fireworks!! Really had no idea what to do until this came to life....just hope my swap partner likes it and considers it follows the remit!


Another faux pearl background....this time I mixed some black acrylic in with my pearlescent one...I could probably have afforded to have been slightly heavier handed with this one but heigh ho! I then used various distress inks in orange and yellow tones to ink it up. Starburst die is a Signature Die from Joanna Sheen and the banner is from Spellbinders. Sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts. Card is finished with a few gems.

Challenges entered:
Crafty Sentiments Designs - autumn colours
The Sisters of Craft - anything goes
Crafty Girls Challenges - anything goes


Thursday 18 September 2014

Get Well Soon

Good morning all.

Well today is the day when those of us living in Scotland get to vote for the future of the country, goodness knows what we will wake up to tomorrow morning the polls are so close! Whatever happens half of Scotland are going to be unhappy with the result! I know ours is a divided family with the three kids erring the opposite way to us two oldies and whoever listened to their parents at that age??

At least my upload button has decided to work!!

Some more faux pearl today...I discovered I needed a Get Well card for a male relative soon after making the birthday card I showed on Monday so set to and made a similar card with an appropriate sentiment.


The backing was one of my heavy handed spare pieces but I decided to use the reverse of it and start again...I think I've made a better job this time although I'm pants at random colours.....I've treated myself to some mini blending tools to see if that helps.  I used salty ocean and squeezed lemonade distress inks for this one.
Note to self...let your distress inks dry thoroughly before buffing!
Die is from Memory Box and sentiment from Wild Rose Studios. Bow from my stash.


Challenges entered:
Cardz 4 Guyz - no patterned paper
Cards Galore Encore - make a card
Creatalicious Challenges - flower power
Die Cut Divas - new things (new background technique)
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
Crafty Boots - anything goes
My Craft Creations - anything goes

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Crafting for all Seasons #86 "Colours of Autumn"

Good morning all.

Grrrr!!! Why do they keep changing things....I can't upload anything from my computer unless I add it to my Picassa album first!! Just as well this post was already scheduled and most of the challenge post was already written...I'd have been tearing my hair out otherwise. Has anyone else got this problem?

Today it's time for our next challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Colours of Autumn". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. Our sponsor this time Limited Runs who gave the DT images to work with.

I've taken the opportunity to make a start on my treat bags for Halloween.


My image is called Halloween Sign and I've coloured with promarkers and added the wording with a stencil. Dies are all from Spellbinders. I've made the bag using a sheet of A4 paper printed on both sides two different papers from Bearly Mine. Ribbon from my stash.



Fabulous Sponsor 2014

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine - colours of autumn
Come and Get It - digi plus autumn theme
Simply Create Too - fall/autumn
Milk Coffee Challenge - colours of autumn
Decorate to Celebrate - fall/birthday
Oldie but a Goodie - autumn (leaf and pumpkin die cuts are leftovers from last year)
Passion for Promarkers - make it digital

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Merry & Bright

Good morning all.

Holiday Monday and it was dreich and dreary here all day, hope it improves for the rest of the week!!

Another card using the faux pearl technique, this time a Christmas card.
Hmmm the layers don't look very straight on this photo but I have been back and checked it out and it is straight!


I used Festive Berries and Pine Needles to colour the card...I've been exceptionally heavy handed with the acrylic paint on this one but the recipient won't know that lol! The bauble dies and stamps and the sentiment stamp are from Spellbinders, gem, bows and cord from my stash.

....and it wouldn't be a Christmas card if it wasn't finished inside!!


Challenges entered:
Paper Creator's Crafts - early Christmas
CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes
CRAFT - Christmas
Crafting When We Can - Christmas come early