Are we all in Christmas Card Panic Mode Yet??

and if not.............Good on you!
Frankly I haven't made a single one -that is if you don't count the demonstration cards and the cards made for classes, and the cards for other people [orders] etc., but made for me.........nah, not a one!

However, couldn't resist this little chappie, another new stamp from the Mabel Lucie Attwell range from The Artistic Stamper

I cut out the circle in the white card, and used Acetate, then glued the stamped and coloured image on top - stamped and coloured and decoupaged the holly - which I just love! on top... and fixed the whole thing to the card front with 3mm foam pads.  The patterns were made using Zig Calligraphy Pens and I coloured the image in with the Calligraphy pens and a Water Brush - Simple!...... The piccy does not do the card justice, at least I don't think so... but then I could be biased.  OK, hope you like, off to make so chrissy cards for me now............... Happy Crafting xx

Pretty Flowers...................

I had such fun creating this........... the new... new ... new  Mabel Lucie Attwell stamps from Artistic Stamper are just gorgeous! I used Zig Calligraphy colour blending pens to paint with........ yep! just put a little colour onto a tile or a piece of acetate/plastic or whatever, and use as paint with a water brush - simple!  The little pearly flowers came from The Glitter Girls new range of Crystal Flowers - they are so pretty...... I'm going to send this card to a friend who protests loudly that she cannot do anything crafty.... but hey! you should see her garden - it is a canvas of beauty!  The text says "we are all artists - even if we don't know how to draw", is so so true, 'specially in her case!  Happy Crafting. xx

A simple request!

Greetings fellow bloggers.  Thank you so much for all your lovely comments!  I've had such fun and garnered some fabby ideas from scouring all your lovely blogs - such wonderful creativity!

I had a simple request from a friend the other day... she wanted a birthday card for her daughters 16th birthday and could it include a picture of a rather fabulous drawing she had done of a young lady - no problem thus far - until she mentioned that her daughters ambition was to be a Tattoo Artist!!!!! and could I include this as a theme.???????????  Don't know if Jennie at The Artistic Stamper had this in mind when she created these rather lovely swirls and flourishes...... but I think they fitted the job exactly!  Stamped onto pearlised card with Stazon [I confess to using a brand new ink pad! - just to make sure that I got sharp images] - I just love the monochromatic colours, think I might do something like this again, and maybe use fun flock powder on the stamped images....... how lush would that be?!  Hope you like.

Ye Olde Style Congratulations - New Baby

A work colleague has just sent a colleage/customer of his, a gift for his new baby..... there were some lovely muted colours in the outfits they chose for the new baby's gift... it made me think of the gorgeous Mabel Lucie Atwell stamps from The Artistic Stamper - and while the 'title' of this stamp is 'A Jolly Day Out'...... somehow, I thought it might make a splendid New Baby Card...... I've used Ranger Distress inks on the background of the card - sponged and 'crackled' with a bit of screwed up cellophane.  Torn and distressed the edges of the papers.... added some gorgeous ribbon from Craft Fairy and coloured the image with Sakura Gelly Roll pens for a lovely glossy finish - and despite my general 'dislike' of peel-offs...... I thought these finished it all off rather beautifully!  Oh yes..... the little button, is wooden....... came from the wooden button stand at Ally Pally [actually it might have been Farnborough... but it's the same guy!]  Hope you like.

giving Harvest Thanks.......

I think  people know that during the daytime I work for an English Vineyard - yes we do make wine - good wine - and red too,  in England!  We win lots of awards... International - we've even beaten the French!  That being said, we've just finished [well, almost] the most amazing harvest we've ever had - bringing in and processing over 100 tonnes of grapes - that folks, is a heck of a lot of wine!  Anyways, I had this hankering to make something using a rather lovely church window stamp from The Artistic Stamper together with one of their fabby texture mat stamps - and just for good measure, being Harvest 'Time'.... one of the clocks and foliage stamps too...... feathers from birds on the estate... crown cap [bottle top] from the bottling line for the sparkling wine... All inked up with Brilliance Tiramisu ink and Archival Coffee ink - thus my tribute to Harvest time!  The picture doesn't do the article any justice, but maybe I am a little biased!  Think maybe i'll have another go with different inks........ any suggestions??  Cannot hope to replicate the fantastic colours that the vines are turning into..... I'll post some pictures later!  Enjoy your Harvest time. xx

Love, Love, Love.....

All you need is love.... right?            It's been one of those weeks, when folks could've done with a little more love! I fell over a discarded Teddy Bear... [like you do!]... and thought ... apart from Ouch!... I have this lovely stamp [well what else do you think about when you've just falled a** over t**?]  [apart from an open log fire, oodles of hot chocolate and a big box of Maltesers?!] one of Mabel Lucie Atwell's drawings of course!.......  from The Artistic Stamper - so a little 'me' time for playing, nursing a sore toe and knee...... and tra-la........ adding colour with Sakura pens, some embossing and some rather lovely fun flock for teddy from Stamposaurus - I managed to 'flock' the brads too! [peeps, this you gotta try!] dip the brad head into pva.... then into fun flock..... [use tweezers!] then put the brad 'stems' into a piece of foam [Oasis or polystyrene work great] leave to dry overnight!  I mounted the little girl onto brown card, decorated with Calligraphy blending pens from Kuretake and the metallic pens - blend the two pens together.... [I used brown and silver] and decorate away! great effects! Have fun.:-)

Origami Picture Frame - Instructions

Okay dear friends......... you asked for it......... don'chya just love this little piccy frame.....and it really is so simple! 
Step 1. take a square of paper.... I used 12" x 12", but you can make it smaller.... you need to find the centre of the paper, so bend the paper [dont fold the whole thing please!!!] diagonally and crease just a fingers width in the centre, repeat on the other diagonal........ if you're like me, and can't see so well.... I used a pokey tool to make a hole on the centre mark.... just to make sure! 

Step 2. with the patterned side of the paper face down, bring each of the diagonal corners to the centre, folding each edge with a bone folder to make a good crisp fold. 

Step 3. turn the paper over, and once again bring each of the diagonal corners to the centre, folding each edge with a bone folder [or if you are like me, and have a workbench that frankly is a disgrace, and you cannot find a thing - use anything you can to make that fold crisp and sharp!]

Step 4. now fold the diagonal points back, so that they are level with the outer edge, again creasing with the bone folder [or the base of a paper punch..... or whatever!]
Step 5. pokey tool to the fore once again..... and holding what is now the frame in one hand - poke a hole [this to make brad insertion easy] approx. 1cm from the edge - go thro' all the layers of the frame - but take care a. not to push the pokey tool through your finger! or b. dont go through the back of the paper]

Step 6. you need ribbon... or fibre... and 4 brads of your choice.  Lay the ribbon between the flaps on the first side of the frame, insert and fix the brad into place - carry the ribbon around under the next flap and fix as before..... repeat, until you get back to the beginning.

Step 7. Attach your chosen picture to the inside 'back' of the 'frame'..... and gently pull the ribbons tight..... tie in a decorative bow.

Step 8. with the bow at the bottom, turn your 'frame' over, and fold back the bottom diagonal flaps to form the stand

Hey Presto.......one Photo Frame!  See, I told you it was simple!

Origami Picture Frame

Origami fascinates me... I confess it here! so when I saw somebody make a picture frame from a single sheet of paper, they got blown over in my haste to 'have a go'! Welllllllll some things you just gotta do, right?!  Anyways, I had in mind a wedding piccy to do for a neighbour as a little gift on their gazzillionth wedding anniversary, bless! Hope you like...... I used Kuretake paper - plain in ivory/cream.... I just adore the texture of this paper, and it stamps so well! used Stazon in Dove Gray, and Swirly stamps from The Artistic Stamper to decorate the paper, a few flower brads and some divine mole coloured chiffon complete the look....... it's a real simple design.... and you can make it smaller out of 6" square paper too! [smaller than this works too if you can cope with the folding!!] and folding the bottom bits, creates a stand for it to 'free-stand' which is real dandy!

'Potential'..... just means - 'you 'ain't done it yet'!

I have a little bank of sayings...... things i've found, sentiments i've been given, and I thought this one really fitted MLA's lovely stamp... the little girl was concentrating so hard on the balloon..... I thought she was lovely... her 'Potential' is enormous!  Another one of the new set from The Artistic Stamper these really are so cute, and great for decoupage!

This was really a great challenge for me, not being a dedicated 'decoupager' - lots of tiddly cutting out! - but as I have had to spend the day with my foot elevated [far too much shopping at the BSSBS yesterday!] it was a great bit of relaxation, however, I did colour her face with colour pencils and sansodor... 'potential' was a challenge, but great fun to do!

Lovely papers - unashamedly from a pack I bought in the USA; the balloon was coloured with Sakura pens, and glossed with glossy accents.  Edge punch is one of the new Martha Stewart punches.... can't wait to get my hands on the corner punch for this one!

'Under the Weather' with Mable Lucie Attwell

Brand new stamps - oh so cute! The Artistic Stamper has excelled again!! Mabel Lucie Attwell was a picture on my bedroom wall - oh so many years ago, as a child.... I adored her....... I've created a couple of the images....... Ok so the colours may not be 'traditional', but heck a little poetic license is good for the soul! Really hope you like them!

I've embossed her raincoat and the unbrella... and given a coat of gloss, to replicate the rain.... she is just so adorable....... I think this one is my fave so far!

Fundraiser for MacMillan Nurses at Broxmead Paddock

Had a great time with a bunch of folks on Sunday afternoon - friend of mine who has been thro' some trials ... does a great job of fundraising for Cancer charities..... she asked me to take some cards along to the fundraising afternoon tea... she and hubby run a fabby guest house in Bolney [that's in West Sussex, just a brief 12 miles or so from the sea at Brighton] so if you're in the area!! .... w.broxmeadpaddock.eclipse.co.uk   


Hope you like them!

I had such fun creating all the cards.....

mind you, I had to burn the midnight oil a bit!

I do rather like Prima flowers at the mo.....

and with all the lovely new designs that they just brought out!!!

how can a girl choose?

Enjoy!  and thanks sooooo much for all your comments, very much appreciated!

Season's Greetings!

In September..... aw c'mon, I mean - like purleeeeese!  But hi-de-hi folks, the jollifications of the yuletide season are but a brief blink of an eye & 14 weeks away!  So..... I thought, just for fun, I would play with my Sakura Gel Pens and these rather gorgeeeeeeous Chrissy Stamps, from The Artistic Stamper.  Hope you like them!

Circle Time Journal

I have this fabulous little machine - you may have come across it.... it's a Bind it All ! - ok, ok I know loadsapeeps have them...... but it's quite a revelation to me! that I can create my own 'little' books with relative ease! - and now they've brought out a new one in PINK! [I really want one of those!]... anyways, here's a little book I made out of 'stuff' - artefacts from here and there!, stamps from The Artistic Stamper - Distress Inks and clock hands from the 'God' of inkiness, Tim Holtz!!  I used some copy paper for the pages that I happened to have.... great fun to do, my friend saw this the other day.... now she wants one too!

Octagons - the new circle!

Octagons are the new circles - it's official ! there are lots of possibilities for using Octagons.... coupled with the some of the Stitchels stamps from Stamp Connection, stamped with Blue Stazon.. and embossed with silver embossing powder from Zig... a little bit of fun!

Having a Purple Day!

I just adore that poem ... When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go!!.... I'm having one of those days - and my favourite poem never fails to inspire me.......

Sakura Gel Pens provide the stunning colour to the lady... gorgeous girl is from a collection at The Stamp Connection - and the background is a luscious new stamp from their stable......fantastic plates!

Artistic Stamper - July Challenge!

I've had a month of birthdays! Which gave me the idea to create this darling set of notelets and gift box for pressies.........

All are created using a selection of stamps and sundries from The Artistic Stamper, papers are Crafty Individuals, grungeboard letters and chipboard are also from Artistic Stamper.



These fabby chiffon flowers were made from cutting out circles of chiffon.... and - wait for it - holding the edges into a candle flame to melt the chiffon..... This is NOT one for the kiddies!

Hold your chiffon circle with a pair of tweezers... and hold it close to the flame - the chiffon will melt! Turn the flower..... repeat...

Don't hold it too close - it WILL catch fire... makes an awful mess of the tweezers - trust me!Three different sizes of circles, held in the centre with a teeny tiny brad............ they're great!

This card uses the Dotted Grungeboard letters from Tim Holtz... inked with Grape Archival ink... and highlighted with lilac Brilliance Ink... The dancing girl stamp is one of a collection from Artistic Stamper....... The Gibson Girls - these are fab.... one of my faves! I've added a teeny tiny bead chain and Prima Deux flowers with diamante.


I do love flowers... this has to be one of my favourites..... but then I love them all!.... chipboard flowers... covered in scraps of papers [sand the edges off] with Prima Flower centres and brads.

Simple but effective.


Another fave....... Did I say I like them all? Acetate butterflys - painted with Stickles glitter glue [also from Artistic Stamper].... I just adore this little verse stamp............

Make a wish... add a little diamante..... and you have the perfect birdy card!

Check out the doily lace edge! [Martha Stewart doily lace edge punch]

And finally.... another image stamp from the 'Gibson Girls' collection from Artistic Stamper.... punched out of pearly card [guess where that came from!] topped onto a scallop edge oval [punches from Stampin Up] - the twill ribbon wordy strip was from a selection at Artistic Stamper.

Really hope you like this set!

Holiday Fun Blog Candy from The Artistic Stamper

Fantastic Holiday Fun Blog Candy! from The Artistic Stamper -

You gotta check this out guys! Seashell stamps to die for!!

Can't you just 'hear' the sea?

Fabulous Flowers - This you gotta try!

http://www.scrappyhabits.com/2009/05/paper-flower-tutorial.html

Craft Fairy Designs: Christmas in July

Craft Fairy Designs: Christmas in July

Stamposaurus Duckies ! Soooooo Cute!

Happy Easter everyone!

I've had a blast the last few weeks, been doing some classes for Adult Education MIND, we made some darling cards with Stamposaurus Ducks and the gorgeous new lace doily edge border punch from Martha Stewart [USA]. http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/martha-stewart-border-punches-at-michaels/

Check this out ! - to see this lovely punch [they don't have any stock incidentally!!] If you can find them in the UK - I promise you....... you'll want one!

Birdies - OOOh These are so Lovely!!!

Blog Candy Link-You gotta give it

a go!!

Goodness it's Easter already ! Where on earth do the days go to? It's occurred to me that I hadn't posted anything for ages......and that would imply i've been doing........ nothing! Untrue, untrue! Loadsastuff!........ My good friend Jennie Owner and Creator of Stamp Connection / The Artistic Stamper has made some fabulously lovely stamps, they've been drawn by another friend Hels Sheridan. They're so good they have made the front cover of Craft Stamper for May 2009! Wow......way to go girls! So in tribute to Jennie and Hels.....i've made a couple of pieces of artwork....... this is a great opportunity to get out the beads and go over the top too....... crowns, [which are just dolly - sadly you can't see them too well on the pics.] beads, lace, flowers.......... oh yes, the background panel has been 'chalked' using the pearlescent powder paints - also from Stamp Connection! Jennie was also fortunate to be chosen to go to Ranger U in New York! just last week.....so she's all fired up and set to rock and roll....... having spent days with Suze Weinberg and god of creative art Tim Holtz! ~With the aid of my trusty heat gun and some UTEE, i've filled a bottle cap [courtesy of Sparkling Wine bottling at my day job! in a vineyard- and before anyone gets worried, the caps came from waste on the floor!] This has gotta be soooooooooooooo much easier to do with the aid of a melt pot!

Click on the blog candy link [top left of this page] and have a go!

Kuretake Brush Pens........

The Brushable pen range from Kuretake are so very versatile.... 4 pens in each set - gives you 8 different colours......and if thekids get hold of them.... they can't wreck them.........'cos they are brushes.... not felt. Fab for using with rubber stamps and for colouring in...........

The stamp was an Image Tree Stamp from Craft Fairy.

www.craftyfairy.co.uk

Ahh...Sweet Valentine xx

I'm in Love!! lipsmackingly gorgeous ribbons from Craft Fairy!

Diamante from Kuretake......... and a photo card.... from something I found............don'tchoo just lurve re-cycling!

Having been a professional florist for more years that I care to think about.... Red Roses are very overrated....and this was just such a gorgeous pic. of a Jacaranda scented rose.......... love it!

Inspiration - where does it come from?????

A question often asked.......where does inspiration come from?... One of the guys I work with... his wife is THE most fantastic photographer! We work for an English Vineyard .. K. has taken some incredible pictures of the vineyard... and I just have to share them....... The colours are SO incredible.......I just have this urge to go scrapbook..........

Sorry..................gotta go................have an urgent appointment with paper & glue!!

Check out the fabby clear stamps from Stamposaurus! Ellie Elephant is just a darling!! and such great fun to use with Flock powder......... The Ducky Ducks are great fun too...............!!

Goodness here it is the 8th of January already! one quarter of the way through the first month of the year.... Time passes so so quickly.... there's just not enough time to craft!

Being a very privileged part of the design team for The Artistic Stamper is great fun! check out the blog to see what's going on in Craftland!!

http://theartisticstamper.blogspot.com/