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Friday 28 September 2012

Vintage Travel for MMM

Hi Folks,

I always seem to be running out of time these days and entering cards at the last minute, I've got a day to spare for this one, so not much change!

The theme this month at Make My Monday has been Vintage, and as regular readers may have guessed, I do like vintage.  This week its Vintage Travel but I must admit I struggled at bit as I didn't want to use my IndigoBlu stamps - again (I did use the map - again)  I've used a Crafty Individuals image, which was stamped twice, cut out the car and attached with foam pads after colouring and rubbing all over with Frosted Lace Stickles to give a sheen. The sentiment is TH .
For the background I used 3 different masks and Frayed Burlap DI.  The letters are cut with TH Vintage Market die.

  I am also entering this into:
  Charizma Cards - For the Guys
  Its all about the Vintage - Brown Tones
  My time to Craft - Transport

Thats it for now, need my beauty sleep - I'm up early tomorrow - going with DD, DiL to look at Wedding Dresses! 

Before I go, I would just like to say 'hello' to my new followers, I really do appreciate you visiting my blog.

Avril xx


Tuesday 25 September 2012

Layers at Try It On Tuesday

Hi Folks,

Its time for a new challenge over at Try It On Tuesdays and this fortnight its Show us your Layers,
this can be paper layers, layered embellishments - anything that can be layered up.  For this challenge we are again sponsored by Smudgetastic.

For my card I decided to heat emboss my image  with 3 layers of clear Embossing Powder, and although its difficult to see in the photo, this gives  a lovely gloss finish . This was then layered onto gold card, and my frame is 2nd size Nestie Romantic Rectangle, stamped while still in the die. The layered flower is made from a  TH Tattered Florals die.  Ribbon and netting coloured with Distress Stains to match.

I am entering this card in:
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Crafty Ribbons - Vintage
  MAWTT - Girly & Prim & Proper

Thats it for now, and thanks for looking.

Avril xx

Sunday 23 September 2012

Fashionable Alterations!!

Hi Folks,, well as the title suggests, we're taking in Alterations at Fashionable Stamping Challenges this fortnight - but only the crafty ones!!!
I did a Workshop a couple of months ago with the very talented Jill of The Stamp Man where we altered a mirror using Moonshadow Inks & Fran-tage products.  We also used the Moonshadow Embossing Powders on some Stampboard.  I loved this technique, and have been thinking about altering a photo frame, however, I decided to take this one step further and altered 2 Beer Mats to make my frame, before commencing with the Moonshadow EPs.

I used a  Nestie to cut out my square in the centre of the mat.  I  inked with Versamark and heat embossed 2 layers of clear UTEE to give extra depth and a base to add the Moonshadow Inks, heating between colours, I love the way these change colour when heated, after a couple of layers of colour, I then started to add them randomly, heating each time.  I inked a Stampendous floral stamp with Gold Encore pigment ink, before heating the last layer, then quickly stamped into the hot  mixture.
I covered the second beer mat with black paper, cut to size, and added a little flap to make it stand.
The stamped image is Tim Holtz, stamped with Memento Sepia, and distressed with Vintage Photo DI.
I also cut a layer of Acetate which was attached to the frame before adding the image.


Sorry for all the similar photos, but it was a nightmare to photograph and the colours of the powders are really beautiful.

This challenge was 'different'  for me as most of my offerings are cards, but I really enjoyed making this frame.  My teamies have excelled themselves this time and have lots of inspiration for you, so do hop over and take a look, and we would love to see your 'alterations', so please join us this fortnight, but remember, we are a stamping challenge and there must be some 'real' stamping on your alteration!

I am entering this in
  Anything but a Card - Texture
  Gingerloft Challenges - Embossing
  That Craft Place - Bling
  Creative Craft Challenges - Anything Goes
  Shopping our Stash - Emboss It
  Recycle,Re-purpose & reinvent - Anything Goes
  Heck of a Challenge - Anything Goes

Have a great Sunday, and thanks for looking.

Avril

Friday 21 September 2012

True Friends

Hi Folks,

Haven't had much time for crafting this week until today, so the priority was to make this tag, which luckily fits a couple of challenges - Make My Monday where it is  Vintage  Childhood, and also Craft Room Challenge which is Childhood Memories.

This tag will adorn a gift for my oldest friend -in fact we met in Junior School! and although we aren't quite as vintage as these children, we did like dressing up,  she's the one on the left - cause she's 9 month older than me!!!
The image is Lost Coast 'Prom Night'.  The tag was inked, spritzed, stamped, embossed and inked again.
The DI's were Frayed Burlap and Tattered Rose with a little bit of Vintage Photo on the edges of the image.
The words are Crafty Individuals.  The rose is cut from  a TH Tattered Florals die.

  I am also entering this in:
    Craftymess - Distressing/Aged
    The Poodles Parlour - Tags
    Simon Says Stamp - Emboss It

That's it now now, hope you all have a good weekend.

Avril xx

Monday 17 September 2012

Craft Room Collage

Hi folks,

The Craftroom challenge this week is collage,

'A piece of art made by sticking various materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing'
The word itself is from early 20th century and French in origin literally meaning 'gluing'.

I don't know about you but I remember doing collage pictures at school and gluing lots and lots of pieces of coloured tissue paper to make a picture  - messy fun, and this was no different!    So here is my picture, lots of images glued - I even got the tissue paper out, glued the IndigoBlue All Saints image, added the tissue paper and wrinkled slightly, when it was dry I rubbed Peeled Paint lightly over to highlight the creases.  The background is IndigoBlu Map, stamped 4 times.  Distress inks used are Tumbled Glass, Spun Sugar, Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint.  The flower is a Mulberry paper, cut with a TH die, swirl is a Marriann die.
Everything was given a spritz with Biscotti Perfect Pearls, although this shimmer doesn't show in the picture.

I am also entering this in:
Challenges for Everybody - Anything Goes
No Matter which Challenges - Diecuts & Punches - (Flower & Swirl)
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thats it for now,  and thanks for looking

Avril xx

Friday 14 September 2012

Paris definitely isn't Square!

Hi Folks,

The challenge at In the Pink is Anything but Square, and this was my original idea for the challenge.  I love using this Marianne frame for an easel card.



I masked off the embossed frame before stamping - Stampendous stamp, and coloured with Worn Lipstick DI.  I distressed the embossed edges with the same ink.  A little bit of pale blue chalk for the sky and lots of Glamour Dust to the flowers.

I stamped the flowers again, fussy cut and added them with a sentiment for the base of the card.

I am also entering this card in :

  Charisma Cardz - Shaped cards
  Paperplay challenges - Fancy Folds
  Celebrate the Occasion - Shaped cards
  My time to Craft - More than 1 fold

I'm on a roll this week, 2 posts today!

Thanks for looking

Avril xx

Vintage Wedding



Hi Folks,

Wow - I was a top pick at Make My Monday last week!  - so thrilled.
This week at Make my Monday it's Vintage Weddings...hm...  I don't have any suitable stamps.....so I downloaded a lovely vintage image (but can't remember where from - sorry - just a Google search).
I bought the Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles a couple of weeks ago at a Craft Fair, and this is the first time I have used them.  I decided to make them look like a vintage frame, cut out the 2 largest rectangles, distressed with Antique Linen whilst they were still in the frames, I also lightly distressed the edges.
I die cut the image and then matted onto a scalloped oval,  and then glued on some pearls  - fortunately they were on a string, the hardest bit was holding it in place till it set!  The flowers (TH Tattered Florals) were cut in pearl card and inked with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo - gives a lovely golden glow.

I am also entering this card in :
  Crafty Ribbons - Vintage
  The Pink Elephant Challenge - Wedding Anniversary's
  Challenges4Everybody - Anything Goes
  The Squirrel & the Fox - Anything Goes
  Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Thats it for now, and thanks for looking,

Avril xx

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Hm....................

Hi Folks,

Hm.....Wish you were Near!!!  

Our challenge over at Try It On Tuesdays this fortnight is 'Anything Goes' and .........for my offering I have had a messy time with this one.

My tag was originally intended for Studio L3's CCV2, but didn't get finished, however I did like the white stamping and didn't want to waste my background. The Distress inks used were Shaded Lilac, Peacock Feathers and Squeezed Lemonade, and although its hard to see.lots of scrpt and swirl  images were stamped on the background with Milled  Lavender.  I embossed top and bottom with TH Bookplate EF.
My lady was stamped twice, I cut out a corset, added some lace top and bottom and shaped it, well she does look rather voluptuous!



I know this image is on the IndigoBlu  sewing plate, and she is an advert for corsets........but whenever I see her I always think of Mae West and her famous saying " Come up and See Me Sometime"  - hence my sentiment on the bottom attached with jump rings (hate these)
I bought some Metal Foil tape and this is my first attempt with the flowers and swirl, not too bad. (I hope you're not thinking - who's she kidding)
I used Eggplant AI and they do match in with the colours on the tag, but were a nightmare to photograph.
The silver ribbon was dyed with Eggplant AI.

Well, that's my 'Anything Goes' -  the rest of my teamies have plenty of inspiration for you, so please pop over and  also meet out 2 new Guest Designers, Michelle and  Birgit.  This month we are sponsored by


http://smudgetasticdigis.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=c11464975f72828      who are offering 3 digis.

  I am entering this in
    Addicted to Stamps - Lots of Bling (Flowers)
    Anything but a Card - Anything Goes
    Stamptacular Sunday - Anything But a Card
    Creative Stamp Friends - Distressing
    Make It Monday - Anything Goes

I'd like to say 'Hello'  to my new followers, it really does make my day to see you ALL there,

Thanks for looking

Avril xx



Sunday 9 September 2012

Good Things Come in Small Packages!




 Hi Folks,                                         
Where does the time go!  Can't believe its 2 weeks since we asked to see your 'floral' creations over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, there were some fabulous entries and we are going to have a difficult job in choosing our winner and top 3 this time.

Well its now time for a new challenge at FSC and this time it's  Good Things Come in Small Packages.

For my offering I have made a Friendship Tag/Pocket which measures 3" x 3"


The image on the pocket is Crafty Individuals, coloured with DIs, and the 'recipe' on the Tag is Lili of the Valley. The tag was cut down from a cream postal tag as I wanted the reinforced hole.

The rest of the DT have made some gorgeous creations to get you inspired, so do pop over and take a look.

I am entering this in :
  Craftymess - Vintage Paris
  Divas by Design - Friendship
  One Stop Crafts - No Floral embellishment

Thanks for looking

Avril xx

Saturday 8 September 2012

Vintage Fashion

Hi Folks,

Just a quick post - why alter the lastest routine - as again I am late and will just get this card entered in time!

The challenge at Make My Monday this week is Vintage Fashion, something I love doing, so my card uses Crafty Individuals Millinery (thanks Diane) and the extra lady is from the Dressmaker set.
The background paper is MME, inked, stamped and distressed, the journal page is TH embossing folder - Journal, distressed with Tattered Rose.  The flowers were made with the Tattered Floral die.  I actually quite like this card - which makes a change, as lately I have had a lot of self doubt, so I really would like to thanks you for all your lovely comments lately.

I am also entering this card in :
  Poodles Parlour - Here come the Girls
  Simply Create too - So Old or Vintage

That's it for now, I will be back with my Fashionable Stamping DT piece tomorrow, where we have a .............lovely little challenge for you.  Thanks for looking

Avril xx

Thursday 6 September 2012

Chocolate for LIM!

Hi Folks,

Well at least I'm not quite last minute with this one.  The challenge over at Less Is More this week is Pink & Brown.  The hardest part of this challenge for me is WHAT stamp/s to use, after that, well - less is more!
The image and sentiment are Darkroom Door and I haven't used them for a while, shame on me!  Stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa onto pink cardstock, matted with pink and brown.  Its only a little card - 4 x 6 - haven't done anything so small for a long while!
I am also going to enter this card at In the Pink - where the challenge is Anything But Square, how's that for extremes - last (yesterday)  and one of the firsts today!!

Just a quick post as my friend Diane is coming over tonight for some crafty play and playtime is something I haven't managed lately - need to get organised.

Thanks for looking.

Avril xx


Wednesday 5 September 2012

Pink Wings


Hi Folks,

I have been struggling to find time all week to make this card for In the Pink, where the 2nd challenge  is 'Pink - Things with Wings'  and as I was a 'Perfect Pinky' in their first challenge,  it wouldn't be nice not to enter and I am there by the skin of my teeth - nothing new these days!

My main image is from Lost Coast, stamped in Victorian Velvet, matted and then again onto some Co'ordination's which was embossed with the CB Script. The butterfly was stamped onto copy paper, and then onto vellum, and brushed with Perfect Pearls,so it is 3d  and quite sparkly, although its hard to tell. I made my background paper, which started off a very pale pink, by stamping the butterfly, masking it, and then repeatedly stamping Hero Arts French Writing., then distressed with Tattered Rose arond the edges.  The sentiment is Inkylicious, which I think fits this Dreaming Lady.

I am also entering this in:
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  City Crafters Challenge - Monochromatic
  Crafty Cardmakers - Things with Wings

That's it for now, and thanks for looking.

Avril xx



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