Why does Barbara make it look so easy??

Evening Everyone,
I survived another day at work, and now I have started a couple of days holiday.
Well I call it that but actually it is a chance to catch up on some DT 'work', definitely my kind of holiday lol.
First on my list of Things to Do is prepping for my class on Saturday where Davina has requested Gilding Flakes / Gold Leaf.
I confess that I don't play with this medium as often as I should, and now I remember why. I am covered in it!! Why does Barbara make it look so easy on the TV.
I'm actually quite glad that it hasn't been too warm today because I haven't had to have the fan on, which quite frankly would have been a disaster.
Sorry folks I'm wishing for dull and miserable on Saturday and then we won't have to have the windows open or the fans on then either lol.
As usual I got carried away with playing and haven't got around to finishing a card yet, so I thought that I would give you a sneak peek of my work desk instead.

Messy or what??
There is a fabulous blog where everyone can share Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW).
It would be quite wrong of me to link tonights post as there is absolutely no way that I will find the time to stop in on everyone, but do have a look if you get the chance.
It is actually quite gratifying to see that I am not the only one who works in utter chaos.

Ciaran has his school assembly tomorrow morning and I have promised him that I will come and watch, if I am awake in time that is. At this rate I suspect that I will be watching it as filmed by Mum, I was quite looking forward to a bit of a lie in.
That's a point I must remember to turn off my alarm, it's set for 5am!!
Off to bed now, I have a busy day ahead of me.
Night night.
hugs Kimx

Birds of a Feather

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had a good day.
It's been no brighter here, and with a Bank Holiday just around the corner I hope that it doesn't do its usual and pour with rain.
Another Woodware Peacock card tonight I'm afraid.

As I said before I have been using up bits and pieces, so this was made with a couple of specific challenges in mind, and they are due to end very soon.

Brown Sugar Challenges are asking you to use Pink, Orange and Yellow and Stampin for the Weekend are looking for Buttons.

I have used the sketch over at Crazy 4 Challenges and some background papers from my stash.

I even managed to find a couple of flowers in my box that matched perfectly.

Once again the colouring was done using Distress inks and I also did a little stamping and embossing along the edge of the background panel using Aged Ivory Frantage Powder.
I only have tomorrow to get through and then I have a couple of days off. I will have to be chained to my desk though as I have so much DT work to do it is untrue.
Thanks for stopping by.
hugs Kimx

Colours of the Earth for Woodware

Evening Everyone,
Well I don't know what it has been like in your neck of the woods, but here it has been more like November than May. I admit that I can't cope if it is too hot, but I would at least like to be able to take my fleece off at work at this time of year.
My card tonight is another that I made using bits and pieces from my 'Coffee Class' on Saturday.
As luck would have it, the new challenge over at Woodware is 'Colours of the Earth', and the colours that I chose for this card are almost exactly the same as the first DT card from Pam The Pampered Stamper.

The Girls all laughed when I told them that I keep a sheet of card in the bottom of my 'Spray Booth' (old cardboard box to the rest of you) to capture all of the excess ink, coffee and glimmer mist.
The background has been made using just that piece of card stock. I added some more coffee and then when it was dry I ran it through my Grand Caliber using the lovely new (and huge) embossing folder that I bought from Davina on Saturday.

The peacock is part of a lovely Woodware stamp set FRCL205 Proud Peacock, coloured with Distress Inks.

The border is a DooHickey, sorry Dorothy not a Woodware punch I'm afraid, and I also added some pink Glimmer Mist to the background as well as tiny gems to the tail feathers.
Well this really is impressive, entering the challenge on the first day instead of 20mins before it closes lol.
Why not check out Woodware every day for new inspiration from the DT.
Hugs Kimx

Do fish drink coffee?

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have all had a lovely Sunday, mine has been very productive.
I have managed to catch up with quite a few, not all, of my blog visits and commenting.
Sorry Guys if I haven't made it to you yet, I will try, honest.
All of my lovely followers will know that I am trying very hard to be a good girl and finish things off after a class or demo instead of adding more bits to my stash.
With this in mind I have been having a great time with all of the coffee bits and pieces from the class on Saturday.

My card tonight has been made for the Woodware challenge, which this week has been cards for Men. Now I know it is rather late, but I had such fun making it that I hope that Dorothy will forgive me lol.

The background to the card has been made using white cardstock that has been spritzed with water and then sprinkled with coffee granules. As they dissolve they leave lovely dark 'puddles' of coffee. Once it has dried I sponged it with blue Distress Inks.

I also stamped the background with Woodware FRS227 Curly Stitched Background and Sepia Versafine ink. The 3 underwater panels have all been stamped and embossed onto water colour card stock, which has been spritzed with coffee, using black Versafine ink, clear embossing powder and Woodware FRCL195 Sea-Life.

The colouring to these panels has all been done using more of the dissolved instant coffee and undiluted thin bleach.
I have also added some medical gauze and doodled lines.
I would like to enter this in to a couple of other challenges.

Sweet Stampin Challenge  - Oodles of Doodles (Hand drawn lines around the edge of the card)
Totally Gorguss  - Water (I hope that underwater creatures will count lol)
Creative Creations Challenges - For a Child (A fun card for a Child I hope )
Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes

I was thrilled to see that my last Kids card won the challenge over at Allsorts 'Any Sport' challenge, so I must remember to drop Brenda a line to claim my prize.
Hugs Kimx

Thank You.......for stopping by

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had a wonderful Crafty Day.
The class at Davina's was fabulous as always, with plenty of chat and coffee, both to play with and drink.
There was even cake!!

I've been trying desperately to catch up on some commenting since I got home, but I don't seem to have got very far, I keep getting sidetracked on to another card on another lovely blog. I need a few extra days in a week to be able to look at it all!!

As I haven't managed anything creative today (I never make anything in a class, I'm tea, and coffee maker lol) I will share one of the cards that I made a while ago for Janice and Andy at SirStampalot.
The panel was actually made using Copics directly onto the stamp, a technique that I saw over at Splitcoaststampers.
I hope that I will get to play tomorrow, so I had better get back to my commenting.
Happy Crafting.
Hugs Kimx

Anyone for Coffee?

Evening Everyone,
Hasn't it been cold today, much more like Autumn than Spring!
I've had a spot of babysitting to do this evening so I'm afraid even my half finished card didn't get a look in, let alone any commenting.
I am teaching at Davina's tomorrow afternoon which is always good fun, and it will be right up at least one persons street as we will be using Coffee in class and not just to drink lol.

 Once again we will be making a tag to add to their book as well as a card, or maybe two.

The panel on both the card and tag has been made using a lovely stamp set from Woodware. I stamped and embossed in brown on the card and then spritzed with coffee to create the background.

 The peacock has been coloured using Distress inks, and I decided to do a little decoupage.

The area around the bird has been painted with undiluted bleach to remove some of the coffee colour.
I will have to get the instructions for the back of the tag finished tomorrow. It's hard to write anything that make any sense when you have one eye on Ice Age the Movie.
Hugs Kimx

Is it a Birthday or a Christmas card?

Evening Everyone
I hope you have had a good day.
Why is it that I always start off with the intention of dropping in on my wonderful blogging buddies, and then I get carried away with my card making, and here we are with another late post and no commenting done!!
I would say that I will try and do better but I just know that I will fall at the first hurdle, the half finished card on my desk will draw me in and I will be lost to my craft room once again lol.

I'm not sure whether my card tonight should be classed as a card for a Winter Birthday, or a Christmas Card.
Perhaps with a well placed sentiment it could be used for either.
I found the central panel in my bits box when I was searching for inspiration for our current challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers. This is to choose 3 from a list of 6 techniques to use on your project.
As one of them is masking you see why this panel was among the possibilities for my card.

The image has been stamped and embossed onto a piece of background paper made using the Faux Mother of Pearl technique.
I added a masked moon to the background before I applied my dye based ink.

All the other papers are from my stash, and I used the sketch at CLP Challenges for my layout.

I think the pine branch at the bottom of the card is what gives it it's Christmassy feel.

I must confess to a bit of a double take when I opened the door this morning, but fortunately our 'Snow' is distinctly pink and floral (Cherry Blossom) unlike the poor souls in Devon and Cornwall who woke to the real thing according to the papers.
Better stop now. I will get around to all of your wonderful blogs, but as I still have to finish my class prep for Saturday, I doubt it will be tomorrow. You see I'm a lost cause already :O)
Night night.
Hugs Kimx