Merry Christmas to all!

Just a wee post to say thank you for all your support and comments over the last 12 months and to wish each and every one of you a safe and peaceful Christmas and hope that 2008 brings you and your families health, love and happiness. Merry Christmas Everyone!

A Tricky one

Been a hectic week so a very quick and late entry for Saturday Stamper last week.

Kaz said

For this week’s challenge, and I think it really is a challenge……I’d like you to make one piece that will cover all of the following challenges……..themes only, no size restrictions, you can still make whatever you want, card, atc, skinny page, whatever you like, but you must incorporate ALL themes below……..good luck!!
Gothic Arch Challenge….theme is………………”Friendship”
Mixed Media Monday……..theme is………… “Buttons”
Fluffy Fatbottom’s Twisted Tuesday..theme is Button Wisdom”
Wednesday Stamper……..theme is………………..”Diamonds”
Theme Thursday…………………..theme is……………….”Chalk”

That was a proper challenge - really tricky but a lot of fun!

A Birthday Card

This is a card that I've made for Karin, who has her birthday today (sorry the card will be late x). Hope you have had a great day!

As it very nicely fits in with the diamond theme over at Wednesday Stampers and has a button - it will also be my first entry for Mixed Media Monday.

Hope you like it Karin!

Tone on Tone

I love using green and was in no doubt which colour I would choose for this challenge on Saturday Stampers. As I have also been sooooo short of time these days I am combining this with Wednesday stampers challenge of chairs. I refuse to be beaten and have attempted the transfer technique to apply the girl and the chair so as to lose the colour. Still not there but I will persevere with this technique. If you get a chance check out Carrie's blog - she really is an inspiration with this technique!

The contrast in colour where the transfer was applied is not so pronounced in real life but 30 photos later I give in!

Friday Fiver

This is a site Friday Fiver that I found via another blog - I'm sorry I can't remember where exactly. On a Friday they post 5 questions designed to make you think and just for a bit of fun. This week's questions together with my answers are



1. What's the last thing you threw away? A crisp packet.
2. Have you ever been to Paris? Yes - I know it very well and love it!
3. What do you stare at? The sea - I love the movement and the freedom and the moods that it has.
4. What do you hurry for? To get home to spend time with my family.
5. Friday fill-in:I could have been better organised - I'm sure that should be my motto!

Pay it a visit once in a while - it's interesting the way it can make you think!!

A late entry

This is a very very late entry to LAST week's Saturday Stamper challenge of tags. This is also for a tag swap that Gillian is organising with the theme 'Tis the season to be jolly!" Now all the Christmas stuff is out I may as well spend and hour or two making some of my cards. Have a great Saturday!

C'mon Scotland!!

Hallowe'en Tag

Thank you to all those who visit and leave such positive comments - I really appreciate you taking the time.

Well this is my entry for Saturday Stampers. Strangely enough they were on the theme of Hallowe'en this week, mmm can't imagine why, lol.

I had such a lovely time layering ink after ink to create the background, stamps are Tandastamps and Paperbag Studios.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Winter....

....isn't far away, although what a beautiful autumn week we have had. Had a stunning walk with my fabulous son this week and took lots of pictures of the trees. Thought I would share these with you, feel free to use them in your work (I would love to see anything you make with them).

Meanwhile over at Saturday Stampers the theme is winter and here is my piece - an arch that I have made for a swap elsewhere. I'm really enjoying working in layers of acetate at the moment!

Cheeky Chap

Don't you just love the expression on this wee guy's face - he makes me smile every time I look at him. Wednesday Stamper's challenge this week was children and this is my entry. The rest of the tag is distress inks in various shades of green, paperbag studios swirl stamp and glitter glue, ribbons and a splash of gold mulberry paper.

Orange and Black

Joanne's Inchie challenge this month was for orange and black. In the absence of Hallowe'en stamps (on order lol) I used a portion of a larger tree stamp and some birds in the distance on a distress ink background. Black stickles picks up some of the detail on the trees.

Pink Ribbon

Saturday Stampers challenge this week in support of the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign is to use pink ribbon somewhere on your work. I have a friend who is expecting at the moment, she is thinking it is a girl (I don't think so though lol) so I made this card to put away just in case!

We can all do our bit to help by visiting the Breast Cancer Care site daily, click here for info.

Double tagged

Well I've been tagged by Emma for the following

''Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.''

1. I have a phobia about cupboard doors being left open - I get twitchy and can't even go to bed if I haven't checked they are all closed .
2. I love the sea and feel very happy that I see the water every day from work
3. I am incredibly proud to be Scottish - I love my country and culture.
4. I go to bingo once a month with my Mum (who is also not a bingo kind of person - whatever that is)
5. When I was 10 I auditioned for and got a fair sized part in an American movie Hitler's demise, playing one of the children that was in the bunker with Hitler at the end. My parents changed their mind about it when they saw the filming schedule.
6. I am a fully qualified Leiutenant in the Boys' Brigade - although I am not involved at the moment.
7. I used to ski competitively as a teenager.

Kaz has also tagged me for this one
Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blogpost containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

My middle name is Anne (given to me in case I didn't like the slightly different Seona) so here goes

A - All my family - hubby and son - they are the centre of my universe and my fabulous close family, my brilliant supportive parents, aunt, cousins and families and the close friends that are the "family we choose for ourselves. Can't imagine life without them!

N - new things - I love trying new things - sports, arts, jobs, challenges, life is too short to fit everything in.

N - New York. I went for the first time with Stuart (son) last year and cannot wait to go back and share it with my husband.

E - eating, love it love good food, love cooking, love the social side of sitting down with friends to enjoy it.

Now who to tag - thankfully only need to find 4 so

Angela
Ros
Penny
Galina

Tag - you're it!

Saturday Stampers DPOV

Here is my entry for this week's challenge at Saturday Stampers. We are challenged to take one stamp and make two or more items with it. I chose this great stamp which came free with an issue of Craft Stamper (best free gift ever - I have found so many uses for this!). This tag is also for a swap where the theme is Pink Ladies. I have used the stamp on acetate as an overlay to frame the tag as well as the central gold embossed image.

Click image for more detail

On this card I used watercolour crayons and a spray to create the background here and finished off with a dash of gold alcohol ink. The image is by Crafty Individuals.

Click image for more detail

Autumn Colours

Wednesday Stamper has challenged us all to use autumn colours this week. These are absolutely my favourite colours to work with! I made this tag using the PBS stamp as I think autumn and the seasons are all about change and this stamp is about the next step!

I've used paper from my stash, distress inks in fired brick, spiced marmalade and mustard seed. The wooden leaves I had lying around in the dest from many moons ago!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I have decided to follow Joanne's excellent example and change to pink this month in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Feel free to join us - anything to raise awareness is a good thing!

Treasures

This is a card for the treasures challenge over at Saturday Stampers. I know it seems a bit sad and lonely even, but, after the recent weeks I've had, it was only intended to be thought provoking and to remind me as much as anyone to take the time to appreciate and treasure the here and now.

Moo

Well it's been a while since I had time to craft, but managed to scrape in a wee 15 minutes tonight to come up with this, my first wee Moo card for the Wednesday Stamper challenge. Thanks for looking and hope you like it.

Wednesday Stamper - Triptych

Here is my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper challenge. Great challenge by the way - loved it.

The backgound is Distress Inks in Marmalade, Fired Brick and Walnut Stain. The Raven is from the new PBS Flourish Plate. My tree is from a larger stamp by Art Impressions, I tried to leave the embossing powder patchy on the tree trunk to give it a bit of texture. Click on the images for a better view of the detail)

The keen eyed among you may notice that the birds are the wrong way round. My intention was to initially repeat as a mirror image on the right hand side, however I wanted to add these words from Christina Rossetti's Sonnet so that I could take part in the great new Saturday challenge on Saturday Stampers (click on the link for more info)

Flourish

Well it seems to be a week of firsts. This is my first submission to the great 4x4 challenge. I had this lovely muted blue card (it's almost linen like with "bits" through it) and wanted to try to create something that wouldn't take away from it's effect. Using Belle from the new Paperbag Studio's plate and some clear impressions flourish stamps I created this. All the stamping is archival ink in coffee bean and embossed.

Gothic Arch - Family

This is my first entry for the challenges over at Gothic Arches. I found the shape tricky to deal with and am frantically hoping that it gets easier with practice. I guess that makes it a real challenge for me!

Inchies

This time the theme on Joanne's swap is circles. At the moment I am sorting out some bits of sewing for school so had lots of buttons lying around - these were my inspiration. All stamps are from the Oxford Impressions sewing plate - I just thought it would be more fun to sew the buttons on! ;o)





Please click on the images for a better idea of the detail.

Thanks for stopping by. x

Twofor

This is a wee "two for one". Gillian set the challenge of wings for this month's tag. At the same time the challenge on Wednesday stamper this week is to use Mulberry paper. This is not something I find easy to do (although since discovering Gold mulberry paper - now affectionately known as Zuzu paper - have a new fondness for it). I managed to fit a bit in with the angel.

The background is one of my first attemps at working with Watercolour crayons on stamps. Pop over to Penny's blog and have a look - she is ace at this - her work with this inspired me.

TMTA - man

Gosh last minute as usual - will need to get more organised.

The challenge at Think Monday - Think ATC last week was man.

Paper - K&Co

Stamps - PaperArtsy and Paperbag Studios

Inks - Distress Ink - walnut, Versacolour - mountain lake, Versafine - ocean

Notebook

This is a wee project from this evening. I hadn't intended to finish it tonight but it just kept on going. I know a good home for it too ;o)

This stamp is from Crafty Individuals as was the image on the wedding card - see post from earlier this evening

Hope you like it.

The acetate over the image was reflecting - sorry this is the best picture I can get till daylight.

Black and White

This is a birthday card that I made for a forum friend. I wanted to stick to black and white but the images got lost so added a splash of red to lift it a bit!

Wedding card

I was given the job of making a wedding card for our boss and her new hubby. No pressure then lol. Her colours were cream and gold and she is a lovely glamorous lady -I tried to capture these things in the card.

ATC Folder

Since we all seem to be on an ATC folder roll thought I would share this one with you. Still have to make the ATCs for the inside but hope you like the folder. Background is destress inks in Pine, peeled paint and shabby shutters, stamps are Clear impressions and Art Impressions.

Thanks for stopping by.

On a roll

Was set a challenge which said that we can only use chalks to colour a piece of work, no inks at all - I made these two but may have cheated a little by using coloured card ;o)

TMTA - Music

The theme over at Think Monday - Think ATC this week was music and try as I might I could not get the idea of birdsong out of my mine. Must be the return of the sunshine!

Wednesday Stamper - Stitches

Welcome back themed Wednesday Stamper! I missed the set challenges over the summer and am delighted to see them back. I realise it's a lot of work for the folks over there and I really appreciate it, so thanks to them!

This weeks challenge said

The next 2 weeks’ challenge is all about STITCHES. It doesn’t matter if they are machine stitched, hand stitched or faux stitched or even rubberstamped stitched. Use your imagination to create beautiful artwork.

I made this tag for a swap where the theme was to be memories and had added the stamped lace, buttons and stitches before I remembered about the challenge so I was delighted that I could submit it for this too. There are a lot more swirls in perfect pearls irl. The problem with it being subtle is you don't really see well it on the image. Click on the image for more detail :o)

TMTA - numbers

Well it's been a busy old week, what with going back to work and all, so nearly didn't make this at all!

By the skin of my teeth here is my entry for this week's challenge on Think Monday - Think ATC, where they said:

Every day we stumble across numbers, on licence plates, bills, letters. Most of the time we don’t pay attention to it. This week we will Integrate at least one number on your ATC. Whether large or small is all up to your phantasy.

Hope you like it :o)

Zuzu Sunday

After a lovely day crafting at Zuzu's I manage to produce this my second slide mailer. Don't worry you didn't miss the first it was not good enough to blog lol.

For Emma

This is a tag book that I made for my good friend Emma. As it's also open theme at Wednesday Stamper I'm submitting it for there too.

It started as 3 or 4 tags but seemed to grow.

It was great fun to do and I must get some more of these cardboard pieces soon.

All the images won't fit on one post so bear with me more pics to follow. As always click for more detail ;o)

TMTA - tag

This is my entry for this week's Think Monday Think ATC, where the call was for for a tag to be used. I'm pleased with this one - hope you like it ;o)

DCM -Time

Over at DCM this week.

Hi there, It's me, Kathy, here to dare you this week;
OK, Absolutely anything goes this week as long as it's on the theme of TIME."It's About Time" So you can use clocks, calendars, quotes, sayings, pictures, nursery rhymes, or altered art-type stuff, whatever takes your fancy - just take some time out to play and have some fun; remember, time flies when you're having fun!


Hope you like this, the colours are quite soft and muted without being pastel and it's been hard to show that in the picture. Stamp is Paperbag Studios and is on acetate.

Click on the image for more detail.