New Favourite Stamp

I am really liking this stamp. I put these bits together last night and its a completely different look!
This time I stamped on white and then masked the corset, and then stamped over using Hero Arts Old French Writing. I added black Glamour Dust to the top and hem and used red embroidery thread for the lacing. Matted onto black and red and a red punched strip, which I think looks a bit like a 'garter' or is that just my imagination!
Some challenges for my card:
Wild Orchid - Dieing to Punch
Allsorts - Special Lady
Craft Your Days Away - Special Lady
Crafts & Me - Anything Goes
Simply Create - Do it yourself - I did this myself!
Crafty Creations - In Stitches
Stamping for the Weekend - Mothers Day

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Avril x

Clarity's Corset!

This is one of the Clarity stamps that I bought at the Papercrafts show, I have wanted this stamp for ages. This is my first finished card using this stamp, and I stamped the image with Distress Ink(forgot to get a new Versafine) and then heat embossed using a Stewart Gill Marcasite Embossing Powder which just gives a little black sparkle, but doesn't show in the photo. I cross stitched the 'ties' on the back of the corset before matting on black.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
Simon Says - Mothers Day/Girly
ABC - Sewing
Lets Ink it Up - Punches
Papertake Weekly - Girly
OohLaLa - Mothers Day/Special
Thats it for now - need to put some 'bits & bobs'from the play day together and make a card!

Thanks for looking

Avril x

Penny Black Challenge

Didn't get to play too much today - can you believe it - I was so excited at the thought of playing with my new stamps I almost forgot I was meeting a friend for lunch today. It was a beautiful morning and so easy to get up early, so all the jobs were done and washing was on the line by 10am so I managed to finish my card for this weeks Penny Black challenge which is Spring.
The papers are Papermania (don't look to hard - one is upside down!) The fabric flowers were a freebie from somewhere? cant remember where! and they have sat in the drawer for about a year!!
I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - In the Garden
Simply Create - Monochrome
Cupcake Challenges - Monochrome
Craft Your Days Away - For Mum
Ladybugs Crafts Ink Challenge - Monochrome

Well thats it for now - I am going to play, I have lots of ideas buzzing around!

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please let me know and I will come and visit you.

Avril x

House Mouse challenge

What a great weekend - the weather has been really nice and on top of that I went with crafty friend Diane and her friend Michelle to Harrogate Paperscrafts show on Saturday. We all had a really good day, not only did we buy some very nice 'goodies' but we met up with some blogging friends. It was especially lovely to meet Christine (Nanaseaside)as I won candy from her in the House Mouse Blog Hop earlier in the year. I also met Lisa Jane Lisa and Sylvia Ann and was introduced to some other bloggers who I will have to visit.
I am giving myself a 'play day' tomorrow - can't wait to use the new 'goodies'! but today I have made my card for the House Mouse Challenge Welcome Spring. I bought this stamp a few weeks ago, but didn't have the right shade of yellow for the daffodil so some new Promarkers was essential on Saturday.
I have used an image from one of the new Spring unmounted stamp sets, coloured with Promarkers. The DP is from a Laura Ashley pack - not that you can see much of it!
I have added stickles and glossy acents to the raindrops. I distressed all the edges with Vintage Photo DI.
I am also engtering this card in the following challenges:
CES - Song - Why does it Always Rain on Me
Stamp Something - Sweet - This mouse is sweet
DYSU - Add a Bow
Sarah Hurley - Embossing
The Ribbon Girls - Green & Yellow (it really is pale green not grey)

Well thats it for now. Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Sketchy Lady card.

Wow, I have just realised I came 3rd in the Sarah Hurley Challenge for the 4 legged friends with my House Mouse step card!!


This is a card I made on my 'play day' last week, I can't take all the credit though! I was inspired by a card on Shirls blog a couple of months ago using this stamp and she had made her own postcard, (hers was pink and mine is green). I have used Clarity' Sketchy Lady and the postcard and tag are from an unmounted travel set by Royal Langnickel The paper is from Craftwork Cards(bought at Harrogate last September). I printed the sentiment on the comp.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
Creative Card Crew - Green
Pixie Cottage - Green
Papertake Weekly - Trio of Things - 3 pearls
Sentimental Sundays - Green
Daring Cardmakers - Postal

Well thats 2 posts in 1 day!

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Button & Bows

Just a quick post to show a card I made a few weeks ago for a friends birthday, which I didn't want to share before her birthday. This friend loves sewing, so I knew she would appreciate this. We met for coffee yesterday and she told me she is going to frame it and put it in her 'sewing room' - what a compliment
I have used a Hero Arts stamp (compliments of crafty friend Diane). I stamped out little dresses onto extra paper, addsed some stickles to the pink one. The tape measure is a scan of my tape measure aged with Antique Linen DI!
Button and ribbon from stash to match the DP. I wrote inside 'Sew Glad We're Friends'.

I have found a few challenges to enter this card in
DYSU - Add a Bow
Totally papercrafts - Buttons
Die Cut Dreams - Mothers Day/Special Friend
Sassy Studio - Own Embellishments
Stamping for the Weekend - For Mum


Hope to finish another card today, after a few jobs (unfortunately),cause tomorrow we're off to Harrogate Papercrafts show and I might just buy a few new goodies to play with!!

Catch you later

Avril x

Results of 'Play Day'

I have started putting together some of the 'bits' from the 'play day'. This card was made using 'caught in crystal' where you ink the image on acetate, scrunch up a piece of tissue put it on the back of the acetate, add floor polish and then add H2Os. This is a Clarity Stamps image which I think works really well. I have kept it very plain with just a backing of Script CB pearl card and distressed this with Vintage Photo DI. I stamped another butterfly and couldn't help but glitter it with a little Crystal stickles.
I am entering this card in the following challenges
The Stamp Man - Floral/Mothers Day
Sarah Hurley - Flowers
Simply Create - Monochromatic
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Flowers for Mum
Lets Ink It Up - Embossing


Thats it for now, if you like what you see, please leave a comment and I can visit you - and please pop back.

Avril x

Just Playing

My DH made the remark last week "You don't seem to make cards for yourself now - just for challenges". Yes said I, but they all get used and I enjoy making them.
But it made me think - I haven't had a 'play day' for ages, so Friday became Play Day!
I played with a few old stamps new card shapes and some different techniques and now I have lots of 'bits' just waiting to go together, but one I have finished is for my son's friends wife who has just had a baby girl. I have made it as a pocket card and he can write the sentiment on the tag.

I have used a PSX stamp which I love,coloured as usual with Promarkers and I have added stardust stickles after colouring the moon with Satin. The papers are from the Pink Petticoat freebies in last months Quick Cards mag. I chalked around the image but it looks very pale in the photo, better IRL.
I have found a few challenges for this card (well it would be a waste if I didn't)

Oldie but a Goodie - For a Baby - Had this stamp for ages)
Everybody Art - Baby
I Love Promarkers - Babies
Bling it On - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Dream Valley - New Beginnings

That's it for me, thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please leave a comment and I'll visit you.

Avril x

Penny Black Challenge

Enjoyed some me/crafting time last night and after browsing through 'blogland' (something I haven't had much time for this last week) made my card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, which is More than 1 fold, so - trusty Easel card! I have used the sketch over at Totally Gorjuss and Lemon Zingy from Papertake weekly.
Lemon/yellow is a colour I wouldn't normally pick but I love the clean feel this card has. As usual I have coloured the image with Promakers and added gold glitter to her heart jewellery. I embossed the yellow panel with Cuttlebug Daisy's and used my new MS Vintage Lace PATP.
I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Pearls and Lace
Fussy & Fancy Challenge - Embossing/Paper piecing - Yellow embossed panel
Sentimental Sundays - Pearls & Lace
Alphabet Challenge - R for Ribbons

Well, its obvious which blogs I visited last night, so I hope to catch up with you later tonight.

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril

House Mouse Challenge

Should be finished the last bit of the decorating tomorrow and hopefully get back to normal for a couple of weeks before we start again. I hate decorating, but love the end result!

This is another card that I made in stages, due to lack of crafting time. It is for the House Mouse challenge which is More than 1 fold. This is the first time I have made a stepper card. I followed the tutorial on Cats Wiskers blog. This is a large image - courtesy of Diane, so I had to alter the sizes a bit.
I had the idea for this card and wanted to make all the little embellishments to go with it. I stitched embroidery thread around the little mouse at the front. The image is coloured with Promarkers and I used Magenta stickles on the heart. The papers are from the freebie pack from Quick Cards last month.
I am also entering this card in Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Sarah Hurley challenge - Four legged friends
I have been so busy this last week that I haven't told you about my 'Award' from Laurie


Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!
Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself
Step 3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award
Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award.

So 7 Random things about me:
1. I like Red Wine
2. I prefer Dark Chocolate
3. I am an only child
4. My fav. place in the UK is the Lake District
5. My fav. holiday was HongKong
6. I have 2 grown up children
7. I married a Fireman

I am passing this on to old and new followers Katina Alison Jenni
Christine Sue
Sarah
Louise

Phew! for not having much time I feel as if I have just written War & Peace!

Thanks for looking,

Avril x

Vintage Chic

This is another girly card that was made last week but didn't get time to share. I find these cards easy to do when time is short.
I have used a Stamps Happen image from my friend Diane - there are 2 in the 'set' and I have the other one - so we swap (it really is good to have a friend who likes the same as me and I like the same as her!) The image is coloured with Promarkers with a little glitter for her 'jewels', the card base has been stamped and heat embossed with the Clarity Swirls. The ribbon looks brown in the photo, but is an exact match for the card base.

On checking around I can enter this card in the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Sugar Rush - this is girly
The Stamp Man Challenge - Curls & Swirls - base card
One Stitch at a Time - A card for mum
Bling it On - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Girly Girl

Having the weekend off from decorating, so hope I can fit some crafting in.

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Friends

Just a quick post tonight to show this card for this weeks Penny Black Challenge - Lace and Pearls. We have been busy decorating this week so not much time for crafting or blogging and the card has been done in stages.

The image is Rain or Shine Friends and coloured with Pomarkers. I decoupaged the umbrella. I won the lovely papers on Katina's blog candy. The flowers are Wild Orchid and the lace and pearls are from stash.
I am also entering this card in One Stop crafts challenge - Spring Flowers
Wild Orchid Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says challenge - Recipe - 1 image, 2 patterned papers and 3 embellishments
ABC Challenge - P for Pink
Penny Black @ Allsorts - Spring - (Spring flowers/showers)
Passion for Promarkers - Sugar Rush

Well thats it for now, thanks for visiting and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avrilx

A Girly card!

Have made quite a few 'cute' cards lately so felt I needed to make a 'grown-up' card for a change.

I always feel that my 'girlfriends' are more girly than 'cute' cards and this one is for a friends birthday this weekend. I love this stamp, (Hobby Arts - Lady of Fashion) but to get her dress really 'black' I always end up with her looking as if she has stubble on her chin! So I end up paper piecing her dress and hat after stamping really lightly.
The papers are from old and new Papermania packs and I have used textured handmade paper for her dress. I added black ribbon round the neck and on her hat, finished off with black pearls and of course a feather - well she is a fashionable lady!

I made the card and then looked to see if there were any challenges she would fit - guess what - there were quite a few!
I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Black and...
Totally Papercrafts - Paper piecing
Do You Stack Up - Anything goes
Sweet Stamping - Oh so Girly
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with the option of old - stamp and paper
Moving Along with the Times - Fashion
Craft your Passion - Girly

Well thats it for now and if you like what you see, please pop back

Avril x