Circles

Another great theme at Less is More this week! Chrissie and Mandi want to see circles - lots of them! Or at least, more than one! I had quite a few ideas for this, but unfortunately I doubt I'll have time to make them all. Anyway, here's my first entry. I've counted 57 circles (58 if you count the scalloped circle), think that should be enough!

Stamps used: Owl - Inkadinkado; Branch - Stampscapes; Alphabet letters used to make sentiment - New Stamp On The Block (sadly no longer trading).

Celtic Inspiration

I'm a big fan of Celtic Art, and I've had a Celtic design laser-cut border (by Rayher) languishing in my stash for a long time, waiting for a suitable opportunity to use it. When I saw this week's Less is More Challenge, which is a sketch, I knew I'd found one.

I stamped the bottom third of the card with some Celtic text (Judikins), layered the border on to a black background, stamped the Celtic knot circle (source unknown), cut it out and added a scalloped border (with my Nesties) and a sentiment (Inkadinkado).
 
 
 

I wasn't sure at first whether to stick with black and white, or whether to add a bit of colour, because a lot of Celtic artwork is very colourful, but I decided in the end that my card would work better in monochrome.




 

It was a great sketch to work with, and one I'll probably use again.
 

Sally and I had a trip up to Once upon A Stamp on Saturday.  I bought some new Nesties, Labels 5, in preparation for the eagerly awaited arrival of some new stamps I've just ordered from The Stampman. They're made specially to fit the Nesties, and they've got butterflies on! What more could I possibly want? (Well, butterfly stamps to fit ALL my Nesties would be good - I've dropped a hint to Jill!) When I first saw the new stamps on Jill's blog I thought I must be in stamp heaven! I'm clearing a space on my desk so that I can get to work with them as soon as they arrive.....

Less is More Week 4

The Less is More Challenge is going from strength to strength and I'm loving it! Week four asks for three squares. Sounds simple, but it isn't! Not for me, anyway! The problem is knowing where to stop. You wouldn't believe the trouble I had with this one, or how many attempts went in the bin. First of all I stamped three frames, and then three different flower squares inside, but the frames didn't look right. Too heavy. I tried a different frame. Same problem. So on the next try I hand-drew some wiggly frames. Getting better. I stamped a sentiment, but the script was too heavy for the frames. So I found another sentiment (Crafty Individuals) which was more in keeping. At last, I thought! But somehow I still wasn't happy with it. I left it in disgust and went off for my tea. When I came back and looked at it again, I knew what was wrong. I put it in the bin and started again. This time I used the same flower (Inkadinkado) in each frame, and I don't know why that should have made so much difference, but this time it worked! Or, at least, I was happy with it! Couldn't be much more CAS really!

Feasting on Phonemes!

Or, to put it another way, eating my words! I said I wouldn't be making any Christmas cards before December. I hate the fact that Christmas is so commercialised these days, with stuff in the shops before we've even got the summer holidays over with. And starting the preparations too soon seems to be wishing time away. It goes fast enough as it is.

However, the ladies who come to my card class wanted to do some Christmas cards sooner rather than later, so I thought that since I had to make samples for them, I might as well carry on and get more done for myself  while I was at it. They asked for quick and easy, which was fine by me. I don't have much time to spend on making cards at this time of year. It's my busiest time at school, with all the Christmas concerts to prepare for. When we're back next week, after half term, we'll be starting rehearsals, with the first concert only five weeks away! Maybe next year I should start making the cards in January!

Anyway, here are some I've done so far. Plain and simple, and certainly quick and easy. I don't like doing "production line" cards, but needs must, and by using different papers I've managed to get a bit of variety. I bought the Holly Frame embossing folder by Crafts Too, which I embossed straight on to the card blank. It made adding texture very quick, and only needed a stamp in the centre to finish it off.  It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but I also used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder on some of the cards.

Stamps by Crafty Individuals, Hero Arts, Elusive Images, PSX, Inkadinkado. Other items used: Nestabilities dies, Promarkers, Dovecraft papers, various inks.

I'm sorry I haven't been getting round everyone's blogs lately. My grandsons came to stay (with parents, though plenty of babysitting was involved!). We had a great time, even though I also had to go to work as unfortunately our half term didn't coincide with theirs this year. Then I went up to stay with them for a few days. The weather was mixed, but one day was absolutely gorgeous, so we went for a walk by the loch close to where they live, and got some photos.

And one other I can't resist sharing, my elder grandson puddle jumping! The joys of being 5! (The carrier bag was to collect fallen leaves in, with which he and his mum made a mobile.)

Anyway, I will try to catch up with the blogs soon. Hope everyone is having a good week.



Brilliant Day!

Well, the day finally arrived, and Sally, Megan and I set off to Sir Stampalot for our eagerly anticipated Blog Girl Get-together. It was lovely to be able to put faces to names (and blogs!) and spend the whole day playing, although with all the talking and laughing going on, not to mention eating (at lunchtime a delicious buffet appeared as if by magic!) some of us didn't get quite as much crafting done as we might have!

Brenda and Chris had prepared some wonderful projects for us to make, and since we wanted to try as much as possible, many of them were started and then put carefully aside to finish off at home. Chris's first demo was a really neat little album for recipes, photos, etc, with mini envelopes for pockets, then Brenda showed us how to make a lovely book/album using a new Sizzix Bigz Pro die using distressing and resist techniques. Other projects used brayering, masking and decoupage. I have yet to complete my little photo album, but have just finished the book.

(I used Distress Inks, and stamps by Hero Arts, Penny Black, Magenta, Inkadinakdo, and Crafty Individuals. The flourishes were cut with a die by Marianne Design.)

It was a very warm day, but the atmosphere of fun and camaraderie was even warmer. So to Brenda, Chris, Jules, Linda, Hayley, Rosie, Amanda, Sally and Megan, thanks for your company, and I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as I did. Thanks also to Janice and Andy for keeping the shop open for us to indulge in some retail therapy afterwards (not to mention during as well!) to everyone who contributed to lunch (Jules's heart shaped cheese scones were just to die for!) and huge thanks to Brenda and Chris for teaching us some gorgeous projects and for all their hard work which made the day such a success. Here's to the next time!

A bit different, and blog candy!

Just managing to scrape in again for this week's Tuesday Taggers, where the challenge is to use a jigsaw piece in your artwork. I puzzled over it for some time, and then decided for a change to make some earrings. Long time ago, before I started cardmaking (ie. about 20 years ago!!), I was into jewellery making, but haven't done any for ages, so this project has definitely used old stash! The two pieces I used to make the earrings are from a real old jigsaw which was destined never to be made up again as it had many pieces missing. I've no idea what the picture was, as the remaining pieces were given to me in a plastic bag, but I'd guess it was an old countryside scene. The colours were quite dark, so first of all I painted them with a white Ranger Acrylic Dabber. Next I coloured them with Brilliance inks and overstamped with my current favourite Hero Arts flourish stamp. The backs and edges were covered with a black Promarker. I gave them a top coat of clear embossing to protect them before making them up into earrings.

They are displayed on an ATC stamped with the same Hero Arts flourish. The words are by Inkadinkado and Papermania, and the tiny butterfly is also by Inkadinkado. The butterfly jigsaw piece was made with a clear peel-off sticker over an image from the latest Crafty Individuals Miniatures book: "Nature's Beauty".

I didn't have a recipient in mind when I made them, so I have decided to give them away as Blog Candy. (I hardly ever wear earrings!) If you'd like to win them, please leave me a comment, (or even better, become a follower if you are not already, though that is optional!) before next Monday, Feb 8th. Mr. Random.org will choose the winner. Please note, if the winner does not have pierced ears, I can change the fittings to suit.

Now I'm off on Brenda's blog hop (see my previous post for details).

Christmas things

Well, I managed to get everything finished in time to catch the last posting date. Phew! Now that I know that some of them have reached their intended recipients, I can post them here. The Inkadinkado Angel has been one of my favourite Christmas stamps this year. I've kept this card quite simple so as not to detract from the image, which I've embossed with kaleidoscope EP. The greeting is by Craftwork Cards

Here's the angel again, stamped over "Silent Night" by Magnolia. The printed picture is from CraftyIndividuals' Christmas Miniatures book.

Next a few cards inspired by one of the beautiful samples on Sue Nelson's HeartPrints gallery. I liked the simplicity of it. (I needed something quick to do!) The one on the left has a Cuttlebug background and Nestabilities frames, and the image is from Woodware. The one on the right uses a background paper from the Elusive Images "Season's Greetings" CD from Graphicus. Nestie frames again. The image is one I've had for years, by PSX.  Same details for the third card, except that the image is from Woodware. The greetings on all three cards are computer generated.

When we went to the Sir Stampalot demo day, I was really taken with Brenda's    little decorated tins. I bought some blank ones to have a go at doing my own. Here's the one I made for my daughter's mum-in-law. It's coloured with alcohol inks, then stamped and embossed on top. The stamp is by Craftwork Cards. Inside I've put little photos of her three grandchildren, two of whom are also mine!

We will be going up to stay with them for Christmas, so no food shopping or cooking for me to do! I'll be on grandma duties so that my daughter can get on with things, and that's just fine by me!

Anyway, this will probably be my last post before Christmas, so to everyone in Blogland, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a very happy and peaceful New Year.