Charmed at Less Is More

Hi All,

Hope everyone is OK and enjoying this crafting weather!

I've been making the most of it and made my card for Less is More where the challenge is 'Add a Charm'.
My card is very simple, pale pink parchment base card, computer sentiment and die cut Dress Form, adhered with 3D foam pads.  This was sponged and stamped in Victorian Velvet DI using a Crafty Individuals flourish and a little sprinkling of pink glitter.  My little ribbon 'belt'  holds the charm.

Thats it for now and thanks for looking,

Avril xx

Shabby Chic

Hi All,
I bought this Magenta stamp at the weekend and couldn't wait to use her as I needed to do something petty after my 'Vintage Males'  She was coloured with watercolours and I spritzed some bronze perfect pearls onto my crafts sheet to paint over the flowers on her hat. I stamped an 'extra' bird as I wanted it to look as if it was flying down.
For my background paper, I inked up a large Stampendous Flower stamp with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, I then sponged with Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, and Spun Sugar, and sprayed on some bronze perfect pearls and a pink DIY one, although its hard to see in the photo, but you can see some pink 'splots'! The frame was cut with an oval nesti,  inked with Victorian Velvet and heat embossed with UTEE.  The sentiment, cut with another nestieis  is Tim Holtz, and inked with Victorian Velvet. Ribbon was also coloured with DI.

I am entering this card into:
  The Stamp Man - Shabby/Chic
  Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Its a Girl Thing
  Paper & Such Designs - Just for the Girls
  Try Stamping on Tuesdays - Sketch
  Bunny Zoes - Ribbon or Twine
  Cardmaking Mamas - Make it Girly
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thats it for now and thanks for looking.

Avril xx

Anything Goes at the Craft Barn with TioT

Hi All,

The challenge this week at Try It In Tuesdays is 'Anything Goes' with products from The Craft Barn who are our Sponsors for this Challenge, full details on the blog.
My DT card is again 'vintage' and manly!  I think the image is from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) and it is stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and then embossed with Ranger Clear UTEE, I love the effect of this technique. The frame is Spellbinders Label  18   and coloured with DI Walnut Stain.  For the background I used a mask for the compass and sponged with Walnut Stain, then stamped some script and 'accounts' with the Rich Cocoa all on cream card, then sponged with DIs.  I ran some beige cardstock through a TH Cogs Embossing Folder and sponged again with Walnut Stain. I tore some cream paper and put it through a 'crimper' and distressed this.  The words are from  a TH 'Stuff to Say Stamp set, all distressed with Walnut Stain.  Hope I didn't bore you with all the details!

It would be lovely to see you over at TioT, and if you need any inspiration, there are some great makes from he rest of the team.
I am also entering this card in:
  Cards for Men - Texture
  Crafty Boots - No Girls Allowed
  Love to Create - Anything Goes
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking, I'm off to finish a 'girly' card, need to make something pretty after my last 2 'Vintage Males'

Avril xx

Embossing at Fashionable Stamping

Hi All,

The challenge at FSC this fortnight is Embossing - that can be Heat Embossing or Dry, or both, the choice is yours, and as we are a stamping challenge there should be at least one stamped image on your 'creation', and don't forget there is a prize from our lovely sponsor Marina of Cottage Crafts.
For my card I embossed a piece of co ordinations with the Tim Holtz Clocks EF and then rubbed Vintage Photo DI over the top.  I also embossed a scrap of brown with a script EF, but this time I sanded to show the cream core. I stamped the 3 Gents and the tag in Memento Rich Coco , then sponged with Vintage Photo.  The letters were cut out with my new Vintage Market Alphabet die ,(a great bargain from EBay)
stamped with the 'Time is a Companion' words and then Heat embossed with UTEE for a lovely glossy finish.  The clock was also heat embossed with UTEE.
We would love you to join us this fortnight, and if you should need any inspiration, there are some fabulous 'creations' from the rest of the Design Team, so please head over and take a look.

I am  entering this card in:
  Crafty Anns - Its a Man Thing
  Daring Card Makers - Tag You're It
  Bling It On - Monochrome
  Sparkles - Men Only
  Crafts & Me - Vintage
  Everybody Art - Card for a Man

Thats it for me - I'm off the the Sincerely Yours Papercraft Show at Gateshead International Stadium with my friend Diane, I'm meeting up with Caz and Meggymay my fellow teamies from FSC, its great that we three live in the NE and get the chance to meet up at craft shows.  Is anybody else going?

Enjoy your Sunday - whatever you're doing,
Avril xx

Butterflies for LIM

Hi Again!!
Two posts in one day - you can tell I've  had a 'play day'!

Managed to make my card for this weeks Less Is More challenge which is one layer with some doodling!
Well, it all looks so simple when Barbara Grey does it on C&C, I won't tell you how many attempts I took to 'doodle the frame'!!! Reasonably satisfied with this one, so stamped the butterflies in the centre, then sponged with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo before colouring with DIs, when it was dry I added a thin coat of Pale Porcelain H20s for a subtle sheen.
It makes a change for me not to be entering my card at the last minute

  I am also entering this card in Dream Valley Challenges - Earth Tones

Off now to see what everyone else came up with.

Avril xx

Inky Day

Hi All,
Have had a few hours to play and get messy today so thought I would make a card for Craft Room challenge which is  - Ink It .
I won a $50 gift cert a few weeks ago at Through the Craft Room Door and as part of my prize I chose the Tim Holtz Papillion Stamps.  I love the butterflies, but I love the background script even more and have been dying to use it.
For this card I stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with clear EP  I then over stamped the dress form, from the Haberdashery set with Bronze Metallic Ink, and heat embossed with Bronze EP. Then sponged with Tattered Rose, Spun Sugar and Vintage photo D Is before stamping the Paris/NewYork/London text.  The background paper was made using the dress pattern instructions stamped in Rich Cocoa, the torn piece was stamped with the needle book image and some Crafty Individuals labels, I embossed the torn edge with gold EP.  The flower was made with organza, gauze(from the First Aid box) and lace all coloured with Spun Sugar DI.
There are a few sewing related challenges so I am entering there as well:
  Papertake Weekly - A Stitch In Time
  Simon Says Stamp & Show - Anything Goes
  Lets Ink It Up - Distressing
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
  Allsorts - Button & Thread
  Alphabet Challenge - E for Embroidery

Thats it for now, hope you like it!

Avril xx

Springtime in Paris

Hi All,

Just a quickie post, as I have been trying to find time to upload this card since Friday! 
The theme over at Craft Room Challenges is 'Music' and at the Stamp Man - Use vellum, so I have combined the two.  The background is a Stampendous Stamp and I have inked it with Bundled Sage and although it doesn't fit the card, you can't see  where I have 'joined 'it. There is also some random music notes stamped around.  The vellum was inked up with and IndigoBlu music stamp and then distressed.  The image is another Stampendous and I have sponged  with Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint, Spun Sugar and Vintage Photo inks. the flowers were coloured with Promarkers and layered.
I would also like to enter this card in:
  Craft Room Challenges - Music
  The Stamp Man - Use Vellum
  Aud Sentiments - Spring/Summer colours
  MAWTT - Shabby Chic or Vintage
  Rainbow Lady's - A touch of vintage

That's it for now, been out for a lovely lunch and off to enjoy a cosy evening with DH as its our Wedding Anniversary (didn't realise it was the same day as the Titanic sank, until this year) - can't neglect him for blogging tonight!!

Avril xx

Its all in the Greens at LIM

Hi all,

I have given myself the Day Off - not that its been quite a full day!  But managed to make by card for this weeks Less Is More Challenge - which is 3 shades of Green.

I have used the large Clarity Swirl and inked it with Distress Inks Forest Moss, Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage.  The sentiment from Inkylicious was inked with Forest Moss.
It is stamped onto a white card, and although I have taken quite a few photos, they all look as if its shaded with pink?
Once again, I'm late with this challenge, but at least this week I'm there!
  I am also entering  Freshly Brewed - Frenship (verse)

That's it for now, off to play for the rest of the day!

Avril xx

Try It On Tuesday - and I'm late!

Hi All,

Just a quick one - this should have been done yesterday, but at the moment Life is getting in  the way of crafting!!!

The theme over at Try It On Tuesday this week is 'Pampered Pets'  I was a bit stuck for for my DT card this time as I don't have any pets, and don't have any stamps with pets - only House Mouse and I don't think they count!

This card uses a stamp borrowed from my  friend Diane, and I forgot to take a note of the maker.  A very simple card as I have been very short of crafting time this last couple of weeks. 
We would love to see you join us for this challenge, and if you need any inspiration, the rest of the DT have produced some great projects, so please pop over and take a look.

I would just like to say 'hello'  -  and 'thank you' to my new followers, its lovely to see you.

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

Avril xx

Is 'Nautical' at Fashionable Stamping

Hi and A Happy Easter to You

It seems ages since my last post, and the week has just flown by!  and its time for another challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where the theme this fortnight is 'Nautical'.  If you need any inspiration for this, please head over to FSC where you will see the most amazing samples from the rest of the team.
Shirley has been giving 'sneek peeks' so if you have been guessing, now's the time to find out if you were right!
I saw this great set of Nautical stamps by Woodware  at GNP Harrogate,   - and I was so pleased with them that I even made two  D.T. cards. Although both cards are the same, I think they look totally different, a nice 'fresh' blue and a 'vintage' brown. The frames are Nestabilities Labels 18.  I didn't have white corrugated paper, so I ran 2 pieces of paper through a Papermania Crimper, the join is under the spotty border!

I had a lovely few days visiting  DD as she can't be home for Easter due to Uni work,  her final exams start next month. It was a shame the weather was so cold, but at least we didn't get any snow, unlike DH who was left at home!

I am also entering this card in:
  Fairy Fun Fridays - Anything Goes
  Our Craft Lounge - Run for the border - (stamped borders on mine)
  Divas by Design - Anything Goes
  Just Keep on Creating - Anything Goes
  Papercraft Star - Anything Goes
  Lets Ink It Up - Distressing

That's it for now, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend,  and thanks for looking.

Avril xx