Jules's Sunday Scrap challenge

Just made it in time to join in with Jules's Sunday Scrap challenge. Jules has set herself the task of making something each Sunday using only pieces from her scrap box, and invites anyone to join in. So here's mine.

I've punched the flowers from scraps of coloured vellum, and given them glitter glue centres. Unfortunately the colours don't show up very well in the photo. The leaf is left over from yesterday's card. The background papers have been in my scrap box for so long I can't remember where they came from, but I think the patterned paper is by Hot Off The Press. The girl stamp is by Innovative Stamp Creations, and the border is one of my new Nestie-compatibles from Waltzing Mouse. The sentiment is by Katzelcraft.

I found this quite a difficult challenge, but I've got so many bits to use up, I'd better have another go next Sunday!

Got new stamps

Ever since I bought my first set of Nestabilities, I have thought that there should be stamps to go with them. Since then I've found that there are some companies making some. A while ago I bought a few Just-Rite stamps, but I'm not impressed, either with the designs or with the fiddly mounting system. But last week I discovered Waltzing Mouse! Wow! What a revelation. Just what I have been looking for! The company, based in N. Ireland is owned by the wonderful Claire Brennan, who designs all the stamps. To get some idea of her genius, check out not only her Nestie-compatible (and other) stamps, but also the "Secret Stamp Set", the idea behind which is quite simply brilliant! You need a password (provided) to see it! The website also has a fabulous gallery of inspiring samples.

The problem was which to order first! I settled on sets to go with my Labels 2 and Labels 10 Nesties, but then couldn't resist the "Rescue Remedies" set, so I will now have to buy the Nesties to go with the stamps!

I used Ella Blue papers (by GCD Studios) as a background for the stamps, which I had to cut around, not having the dies. (Yet!) The sentiment, I think, is an old Craft Stamper freebie.

The next card has the Waltzing Mouse border stamps on the Nestie die-cuts, Basic Grey Cappella papers, and an Impression Obsession sentiment. There is a bit of glitter glue in the flower centres and butterfly body, but it doesn't show up in the photo.

I have two more of the stamp sets already on order. I don't think they'll be the last!

Any left-handers out there?

I made a card! My first of 2011! I wouldn't say I'm back in the groove quite yet, but at least it's a start. Although there's no lack of inclination - I want to do it - I'm still struggling to find motivation. I don't think they are one and the same.

Anyway, here's what I made. I really like the clean and simple cards which Joanne Wardle showed in her article in the October 2010 Craft Stamper, and which were so beautifully demonstrated by the Craft Stamping Quartet in their challenge showcasing Joanne's work. The link goes to Lesley Ebdon's post, but see also the three subsequent posts.

I also love the masked landscape technique which I first saw done by Barbara Gray a few years ago, and which I first tried back here. Recently there have been several people doing something similar, linking back to Heather Telford, who has some wonderful examples on her blog, including a tutorial. Do go and have a look at it.

I didn't want just to copy what other people had been doing, so I sort of combined the two techniques and came up with this:

I *think* it works - what do you think? To make the shape of the landscape I cut a mask out of acetate (so that I would be able to see where I was placing things) large enough to cover the card, and then sponged the design with VersaMagic inks and torn paper masks. The tree stamps are by Clarity Stamp, the small and medium versions. The landscape was made entirely with the small tree, using just the edge to stamp the little bushes. The larger tree and the sentiment (Personal Impressions) were then stamped with VersaFine ink.

I was quite pleased with the outcome, considering how long it is since I made anything, except for one thing. You can tell it's been a while. The finished card turned out like this!!

I'd totally forgotten to check which way the card opened before I started stamping on it! The perils of stamping straight on to the card! I was so annoyed! I thought the best way to redeem it would be to cut off the picture side and mount it on to another card, but that wouldn't be the perfect solution. Then it occured to me that it might just be appreciated as it is by someone who is left handed! I'll have to test the theory on a left handed friend......

Merry Christmas!

I'm up in Dumfriesshire for Christmas, with two little boys who are going to be very, very excited come tomorrow morning! Doubt we'll get much of a lie-in! Here are a few pictures I took when we went out for a walk today in the snow. Beautiful day, but some warmer weather would be most welcome now!

A very Happy Christmas to all my blog friends and followers, and I hope that 2011 is good to you all.

Very busy!

Up to my ears in school concerts and things right now, but just had to pop on to point out that Lin Brown, of LB Crafts, is giving away a fabulous set of Tim Holtz goodies on her blog!

 Click the link on my side bar to see how to be in with a chance of winning them!

With you in spirit...

....if not on the blog! I'm sitting here wearing two fleece jumpers, with a fleece throw wrapped around my lower half, and feeling as though I've got ice cubes at the end of my feet instead of toes! The heat from the radiator never seems to penetrate under my desk. On top of all that I've got a streaming cold! Some of our windows are not double glazed, and this morning we woke up to find ice on the inside of them. I remember that happening a lot when I was a child, but not since then. The temperature outside here last night dropped to about minus 9, and it didn't get much above that during today. I know that some parts of the country were a lot colder still, but minus 9 is quite low enough for me, thank you very much! They say that come the weekend we may get up to plus 5! It will seem positively tropical!

The reason for my absence yet again on the blogs is that sadly, my father-in-law died very suddenly a fortnight ago. It was a great shock to us all. We had seen him a couple of days previously and he seemed fine, but he had a massive heart attack and although the paramedics arrived within a few minutes, it was already too late. We can only be thankful that he went so quickly and didn't suffer. I guess if we had a choice, that's the way we'd all wish to go.

The funeral was yesterday, and most people managed to get there in spite of the weather. My daughter  and family came down for it from Scotland on Friday evening without major problems, and it was lovely to have them here over the weekend.

The boys helped to take our minds off things a bit. They and Grandad made a snowman in the garden. He was a very upright sort of character at first, until a slight thaw made him somewhat tipsy! Fortunately he froze again before he reached the point of no return, and is still regarding us with a rather quizzical expression, as if he's trying to work out his next move.

This time last year I said that I couldn't wait for the new year, as it couldn't be as bad as the one we'd just had. I was right. This year has been even worse. So this time I'm saying nothing! It's a good job I got the majority of my Christmas cards made when I did, because just at the moment I can't summon up much enthusiasm for crafting.  I've been lurking a bit on the blogs, to try and keep up, but I hope you'll forgive me if I haven't had time to leave a comment. Being so busy at work just now doesn't help either. Roll on the Christmas hols, when with a bit of luck I will get a chance to recharge my batteries and get back to something approaching normal!

Keep warm, everyone, and I hope to see you soon!

Origami Christmas Tree

Yesterday Jules posted a brilliant tutorial on how to make an origami Christmas tree, which had been taught to her by a lady called Jo Unwin (for whom unfortunately I don't have a link.) I couldn't wait to try it, and here's the card I made with it.

I used one of the big (8" x8") square cards from Craftwork Cards for the base and stamped it with an Elusive Images stamp from the Grungy Brocade set. The patterned papers, including the one I made the tree with, and the sentiment, are all from the Artylicious Season's Greetings CDrom from Graphicus. The three little snowflakes were punched with a freebie punch which came with the December 2010 issue of Papercraft Inspirations magazine. Now, one might suppose that magazine freebies are not usually of the best quality, until one realises that this punch is made by Tonic Studios, and it actually works really well, as you can see by the detail.

I was very pleased with how the tree turned out, thanks to Jules's clear instructions, so if you fancy having a go too, hop over to Jules's blog and try it out.

Serendipity!

"Drat!" I thought, when I dropped my Memento Rich Cocoa dew drop ink pad, ink side down of course, on to the pristine sheet of white paper I was just about to stamp on.

Then, "Hmm," I thought, "that looks like a petal." So I dropped it a few more times.

Then I cut out the shapes and made a flower!

Papers: Basic Grey (Capella), punches: Martha Stewart, sentiment: Personal Impressions.

Had a funny old week, busy at work, and then decided to catch up with various little jobs which I've been meaning to do for ages but somehow never got round to, mostly sewing and mending. Yesterday was such a glorious day weather wise that we decided to go out for a walk, just a few miles around our local area, but it was good to get out and get some fresh air and exercise. My pre-new year resolution is to get more exercise! I spend far too long on the computer. I'm sure that the act of switching one on enters you into a time warp, so that you think you've been there for half an hour, but in reality it's more like three hours! I'm sure many of you will know what I mean!  Anyway, we both enjoyed the walk & I took some photos along the way, including this beautiful holly tree, such a lovely shape and laden with berries, in the local cemetery.



If only the weather was like that every weekend! Hope you all had a good one too.



Deja Vu!

This is a photo I took seven years ago, in Cumbria, just up the road from where my daughter used to live. It was early in the morning, the sun was just rising, and a flock of sparrows alighted in the brambles for a breakfast conference. They sat there obligingly while I took the picture and then flew away again.

Earlier this year, Paper Artsy released their Hot Picks 1005 stamp set. Click on the link and you'll see why I had to buy it! Got it on Saturday at Sir Stampalot. Here's what I made with it today.

I coloured a background with Distress inks, then stamped the birds in black Brilliance and clear embossed. The flourish at the top is also from the Paper Artsy set. The chipboard twigs and leaves are from Crafty Individuals. Again, coloured with Distress inks, as are the additional punched leaves.. To make the tag, I stamped just the outer border from a Hero Arts ticket stamp on to the back of a Making Memories ticket, then stamped the Paper Artsy "Secret Garden" inside the border. Just a bit too late for all the recent "Autumn" themed challenges!

Another fab Blog Girl Day!

Today saw our second "Blog Girl Day" at Sir Stampalot. We had a great time, great company , had a good natter, a yummy lunch, and even made some cards! Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Brenda and Chris for organising the day and designing some gorgeous projects for us to make. Also to Janice and Andy for hosting us, and keeping the shop open for the necessary retail therapy afterwards!

Here's what we made (my versions of Brenda's and Chris's designs). The first two cards were designed by Chris. I admired her pink and bling bauble card when I first saw it on her blog, so I was delighted that she showed us how to make it today. And I love the little step card with the tipsy Christmas trees!

Brenda's creations were equally gorgeous, and both shiny, so unfortunately they haven't photographed very well. The first one uses layers of stamping over a Distress Ink and Glimmer Mist background. The second was made on acetate, with leaves stamped on top using black Staz-on ink, and the reverse coloured with alcohol inks. It was then backed with text torn from a book and crumpled tin foil. The effect of the foil is amazing, and the photo really does not do it justice.

The book chosen for the text caused some hilarity, being a rather seedy crime novel! We had to be very selective about which pages we used! But the end result was very effective. I was proud of the fact that I managed to complete all four cards, unlike the previous time when I didn't actually get any finished on the day.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone, for a really lovely day. Looking forward to the next one!