My winner for the challenge at Crafty Cardmakers

Evening Everyone,
Hasn't it been cold today, not spring like at all.
Thanks to everyone who entered my challenge at Crafty Cardmakers last time.
I can honestly say that when I decided on my recipe, I really had not envisaged just how difficult it would be to follow, something most of the rest of you seemed to have found as well lol.

So many congratulations to Cumbrianlass (pictured here) who followed the challenge to the letter.
It was quite a challenge in itself getting around to everyone, but I promise that I did visit each and every one of you even if my comments may have been a little on the short side.
I don't quite know where last week disappeared to.
I'm actually secretly quite glad that there weren't too many of you that managed to enter or I might not have got any sleep at all.
It is really quite scary being responsible for choosing a winner since everyone has gone to so much trouble making something.
Still I can relax now as it will be quite a while before it is my turn to host the challenge again.
I obviously relaxed a little too much after picking the winners however since I totally forget to get my entry made for the new challenge which started TODAY. This time it is a sketch.
I will have to get on to it and post it here even if it isn't on the main blog.
Not tonight though I need some sleep :)
hugs Kimx

What happened to Spring?

Evening Everyone
Well I don't know about you, but I think the weather today has been far nearer Winter than Spring, and so I think that a Christmas card for this post will be quite appropriate lol.

I made this a couple of weekends ago with the intention of entering it in to one of the Christmas challenges, but it never quite happened. Never mind.
The main image is another of the Lili of the Valley toppers which I have cut out using a nestie.

The background paper is from my stash and I have stamped and embossed the main card using the Stampendous Shabby White embossing enamel.
I added a border cut using a Magnolia DooHickey and some ribbon.
Of course no Christmas card would be complete without some glitter glue and Stardust pen.
I have a couple of boxes and inserts to finish before I can get to bed, so I had better get a shift on.
I really must get the hang of this scheduled posting.
Just noticed that Weekly Christmas challenges are looking for Embossing so I am going to enter it in to the challenge there.
hugs
Kimx

Come and Join me for the Woodware Challenge

Hi Everyone
This is my first attempt at a scheduled post so I do hope that you are viewing this while I am safely tucked up and in the land of nod :)

The month of March is a very special one for me as I am honoured to be Guest Designer over at the Woodware Blog.
This week we start off with a Sketch, and once again I have used the fantastic Artemeo 10001147  Hedgerow Plants. This really is such a useful set as you can see by how much I have used it recently lol.

The main panel on this card has been created using the embossed resist technique that I was teaching at Davina's today.
Ink up the stamp using different colours of pigment inks.  I used a combination of colours from Colour Box Cat's Eye or Queue inkpads.

I like these little ink pads as the shape of them makes it easier to ink up the stamp.
I always start by covering  the entire stamp with the lightest of the colours and then add the others over the top. This way you guarantee to have covered the whole image and there is also less contamination of colours.
When you have stamped out the image once onto white card, cover it with clear embossing powder and heat, and then re-stamp the image again without adding any extra ink. If you 'huff' on it there is enough moisture in your breathe to rejuvenate the ink on the stamp and allow you the opportunity to re-stamp the image, sometimes several times.

I have also added some fine text using another of my Artemeo stamps 10001048 Manuscript Backgrounds. I only used second generation ink here to give a very subtle effect.
Once the panel is finished don't forget to wipe over it with some kitchen paper to remove any excess ink.
As it's name suggests the embossing acts as a resist and any ink stamped onto it won't dry so wiping it away will save you getting yourself in a mess, something I managed to do the first time I tried this technique out.

The stamped panel has been edged with my Pinecone ink pad (Thank you Crafty Lou  for introducing me to this colour) and some stitching using a fine black pen.
The background paper to the card is from a GCD Zen Garden paper pad.
I stamped onto it with my stamps and pinecone ink.
I have also added a border of pale orange card which I have punched with my Crafty Edger Antique Floral cassette and some gold peel-off lines.

The small square with greeting on it from the Woodware FRCL154 Salutations clear stamp set has been created in the same manner, but has then been dry embossed from the back and added to the card using silicon which gives it the padded look.

Of course no card of mine would be complete without three little 'somethings'.

I hope that you like the card and that it will help you feel inspired to join me this month.

Maybe you will even join in with the challenges HERE on the Woodware Blog.

Have a fantastic Sunday with hopefully a bit of crafting thrown in.

Hugs Kimx

Barbara is back on the Box

Evening Everyone,
So it is all my fault that it has been much colder today. Well I did post Christmas cards yesterday after all, so it must be lol.

Sunday sees the wonderful Barbara Grey back on the TV.
Create and Craft Sky channel 671 at 1am - 2am / 9am -11am and then again from 2pm - 3pm.
What a way to spend your Sunday, wall to wall crafting.
This card was actually made for her show back in January, but I never got around to sharing it with you.
One of the lovely things with making cards for both Barbara and Jenny at Hobby Art is that I am given completely free rein when it comes to using product to create my little pieces of art.
Although obviously I try to use products that are going to be part of their show I am never criticised for using what ever I have at hand, which makes it so much easier.

With this in mind this particular sample uses some background that I made using the wonderful Moon Shadow inks available from The Stamp Man. They are little pots of mica and walnut ink combined so that you can create the most amazing pearlescent backgrounds.
My good friend Vixykins has a tutorial on her blog for creating these fabulous backgrounds, so do go and check it out.

Of course there was plenty of stamping and embossing involved.
I used Perspective Trees 1 and 2 and Dippy Toe which you can check out HERE.
Dippy Toe has been stamped and embossed on to a piece of Bazzil card stock and then painted with thin undiluted bleach. In this instance it has turned the card a lovely pink colour.
I opted for Vintage Sepia versafine ink for most of the stamping to complement the brown in the Moon Shadow inks.
As you may have noticed I am trying to blog every day this year.
2 months down only 10 more to go, I'm not sure that I will make it, but I'm going to have a damn good try.
Have a great weekend and Happy Crafting.
hugs
Kimx

Christmas Stickers

Evening Everyone,
I hope you have had another lovely mild day, certainly not winter weather so I suppose my card tonight could be considered wholly inappropriate for the time of year lol.
The challenge this week over at  52(Christmas) Card Throwdown has been an Embellishment one and Jacqueline has asked for Stickers or Rub-ons.

The Snowmen on this card are Penny Black stickers and I have had them for years, so the challenge was great as it made me finally get around to doing something with them.

The background paper is from my stash and the Christmas trees have been covered in sticky embossing powder and glitter which I watched Louise demo last time I was in Peterboro. It is a lovely way to add plenty of sparkle.

I enjoyed playing with the stickers so much that I actually ended up making 3 cards with them.
This one also uses papers from my stash and some of the lovely Frantage Shabby White Embossing Enamel from Woodware  on the Scalloped Nestie that the Snowman is layered onto.

These stickers are great because they have clear edges and so can be attached to white card which makes them easier to cut out.

This last card also uses a Snowman sticker and a piece of background from my Christmas stash box.

The large Hero Arts background has been stamped and embossed in white and then dye based ink and glimmer mists have been used to create the coloured background.
Hope you like them.
I would also like to enter them into the challenge over at Winter Wonderland where they are looking for Glitter and Bling. (I was too late to enter this one but never mind.)
By the way my Christmas card tally for February was 10, not as good as January, but not bad.
Better get some sleep now.
hugs Kimx

Flutterby Spring Butterflies

Evening Everyone,
It has been wonderfully mild in my neck of the woods today, even if it hasn't been particularly sunny and so it has started to put me in mind of Spring which is hopefully just around the corner.
How very appropriate then that when I got home from work today my copy of Craft Stamper should be waiting for me.
Everything has to be made so far in advance with the magazine deadlines that it can be very difficult to get in the mood for spring when it is actually Christmas lol.

The card on page 37 in the Butterflies Gallery is the one that I made for the lovely Janice and Andy at Sirstampalot using Magenta Butterflies CSET29.

I used distress inks to watercolour the images from the stamp set  and then layered them onto various background papers from the amazing range that Janice and Andy stock.

A punched border, some ribbon and pearls, and of course some hand drawn stitching. The greeting is from the Hobby Art Sentiments clear stamp set.

The Magenta set also contains a small butterfly so I added a couple of them, which I cut out and attached using silicon.
I am really pleased with how it looks in the magazine, I hope you like it.
Happy Crafting.
hugs Kimx

A heartfelt Thank you

Evening Everyone
In light of the allegations against me that I referred to in my blog post yesterday I have been humbled by the wonderful kind and generous comments that I have read.
Your messages of support have been truly overwhelming and have gone some way to restore my faith in the wonderful crafty people that it has always been my pleasure to serve.
I would just ask once again that the people that it is that I am supposed to have copied please contact me direct so that this matter can be sorted out once and for all and we can all get back to the business of crafting.
It is after all why we share our work on Blogger.
hugs to All
Kimx