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Monday 30 May 2011

Shutter background

Evening
Hope you all had a good day off. I'm jealous of course lol.
At Mags suggestion I sent my mojo to the naughty stairs but I don't think it worked so I think I'm calling it quits for tonight, and maybe the week!!
This is another card that I made for Jenny using the Scene it Window  and Scene it Sentiments sets.
The background has been made using the window shutter which has then had one of the leaves and the wisteria blossom stamped around it. The greeting had been cut out using a nestie, and then attached with my favourite padded look.
Hope you like it.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Sunday 29 May 2011

Wish you were here in Craft Stamper

Evening All
I'm afraid that my mojo seems to have gone the way of all the beautiful sunshine - missing!!!
I have sat and stared at stamp sets from Barbara for most of the day and have come up with only two cards, so I think I had better call it a night.
This card was made during my holiday at Sir Stampalot in March, and has just been published in the July edition of Craft Stamper, page 73 top right hand corner.
It shows you just how far in advance you have to work with the magazines.
It was made for the ideas gallery and follows the Postcard theme and colour guide that I was told to use by the magazine. The instructions for the projects can be found as a web extra on the Craft Stamper website www.craftstamper.com. The Destination Tag is by Hero Arts (H4978).
All of the items used are available from Sir Stampalot. The background papers are by Kaiser Craft and all the stamps of famous buildings are by Art Impressions (Big Ben (L2993), Globe (K2266), Leaning Tower of Pisa (G2647), Eiffel Tower (G2542), and Colosseum (G2672)) 
I couldn't find a suitable greeting to go on the card so I added a handwritten 'Wish you were here'.
I think I'll flick through some old magazines or Stampin Up catalogues and see if I can get inspired again.
Hope you have a good Bank Holiday Monday. Some of us have to work of course so the card making will have to take a back seat until tomorrow afternoon anyway :)
Love and hugs
Kimx

Saturday 28 May 2011

Shaped Card with Men in mind

Evening Everyone,
Hope you are all having a good weekend.
I should be hard at work on cards for Barbara, but we are conducting a bit of a juggling act with beds at the moment which means that I can't even see my table, let alone get to it, so it seemed the ideal time to blog.
This is another of the cards that I made for Jenny's last TV show. It uses the Scene it Window set.
I always try and do something a little bit different with the stamps and I think I have achieved that using just a few of the elements from the set.
The red background has been created using a combination of inks, bleach and pearlex. I have also stamped the greeting onto a piece of vellum using Stazon ink. The leaves have been added around the edge of the vellum panel and then they have been embossed from the back with a ball tool.
I also added the birthday greeting to the base of the easel card on top of another vellum panel.
This card has been made with my 'Shaped Cards for Men' class in mind, which I will now be teaching at Davina's on Wednesday 8th June.
All beds are now in their correct rooms, so with a little bit of effort I should be able to get to my table in a short while. I had started a card before all the maneuvers so maybe I will get it finished before bedtime.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Friday 27 May 2011

High Flight by John Gillespie Magee

Hi
I can't believe that it's Friday again, and what a dull one compared to the last couple of Bank Holiday weekends. It certainly hasn't been the bright cloudless sky as depicted in the card I have made using the wonderful new Hobby Art  Flypast set.
The greeting is also part of the set and is taken from a poem called High Flight by John Gillespie Magee.
As Jenny explained on her show on Wednesday, Magee was an American Spitfire pilot during World War II and the verse was inspired during a high altitude test flight.
It was penned  on the back of a letter to his parents, three months before he died at the tender age of 19.
I managed to create the main panel for the card without any difficulty using several of the stamps from the set and I think the verse works beautifully with it. I used one of my nesties and a lovely sketch over at Sketch Saturday.
I think it's about time I entered another challenge, don't you lol. I hope it meets all the criteria.
I love the little airplanes peeping out from behind the rolled background paper.
The card actually got quite an airing on the show as the presenter was holding it whilst Jenny was explaining the origins of the verse.
Better post this now or I will miss the deadline for the challenge. Hope you all have a good weekend and the weather isn't too disappointing where ever you are.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Delight in the Beauty that surrounds you

Evening
Cards for 'Hobby Art Jenny' are all finished and delivered so I can breathe a brief sigh of relief before I re-tart work on my box of stamps from Barbara for her TV show in a couple of weeks.
While we are on the subject of the TV this is also just a quick post to remind you that my cards will hopefully be seen on Jenny's shows tomorrow. 12midday on Ideal World  and then 5pm on Create and Craft.
This is one of the samples that I made, until I realized that I had used the wrong set for the show!!! The background has been made by stamping with thin bleach and then stamping again with versamark.
I have added gold pearlex to the versamarked images. The greeting is taken from the Scene it Sentiments set.
Must get some sleep now, and I must remember to set the sky plus box for tomorrow.
Nite nite
Kimx

Sunday 22 May 2011

Watercolour Wonders

Evening All
I have had quite a productive day today working on new cards for Jenny's TV show on Wednesday.. (Create and Craft Sky channel 671 also available on Ideal World)
I made quite sure that I was using the right sets this time lol.
One of the sets going on the show has to be one of my all time favourites, as you all know - Anna's collection Just for You. I was actually using it on the Watercolour Wonders class at Lavender Lane on Saturday so here are a couple of the cards that I made.
The stamp has been inked using a Big and Juicy ink pad and then has been spritzed with water before stamping on to white card stock. Spritz and stamp repeatedly until all the ink has been used.
Also stamp on to the panel with an unspritzed image to create contrast. Add a greeting, these are all from another Hobby Art  Sentiments set.
I have then sponged around the edge of the panel.
I am lending all of these, amongst others to Jenny for the show. I still have one day left to make a couple more samples, although I do have to do the school run tomorrow afternoon after work so I will just have to see how I feel after that. For now its time for bed.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Saturday 21 May 2011

My take on Tuscany

Evening Everyone
I Hope you are all having a good weekend. I had a couple of great classes at Lavender Lane today. The ladies all seemed to enjoy themselves and came up with some wonderful creations based on the techniques that I was teaching them. I keep meaning to take some photos so that I can share their work with you - maybe next time.
My day has ended less well however. It was while I was putting everything away so that I could get on with some more samples for Jenny that I realized that all of the cards that I had made for her so far had been made using the wrong stamp set AAAAAAARGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!
Time for a break me thinks :(
The class this afternoon was 'Men's cards'. I borrowed a box of samples from Jenny and her design team and the ladies had the opportunity to recreated any of them that they chose.
Scene it cards are a little outside my comfort zone I have to admit. Jenny or Anna have such a wonderful eye for creating fabulous landscapes while I struggle. I tend to see the stamps as individual designs and so I use them in a totally different way. I suppose this is what its all about really isn't it. There seems to me to be little point in me coming up with exactly the same thing as Jenny so I try to do something just a little bit different.
This card using the fab Tuscany set and is probably about as near to a 'Jenny card' as I get lol. Of course I had to put my spin on it so there is a nestie of course and some padded trees.
I think I will call it a night now and hope that I can start a fresh after a good nights sleep.
Nite nite
Kimx

Friday 20 May 2011

Recycled Greetings

Evening Everyone
Several years ago I was asked to make a selection of items suitable for Wedding Invitations to go in an edition of Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine.
I keep all of the cards that I have made for magazines and use them to send to people that I know will appreciate them. Given that I don't have much use for a wedding invitation  I decided that I would try a spot of recycling when I needed a card to send to a work colleague who is getting married on Sunday.
The original card was very simple with just the spotty panel with the heart charm and then Wedding Invitation stamped underneath it. I have covered this message with one from Hobby Art which I have stamped and embossed onto a scrap of card. I'm afraid that the pictures are not the best in the world.
Of course no wedding is complete with out some flowers and a bit of bling.
The Loving Bridal Couple are by Magnolia and for once I stamped, embossed and coloured them myself. I hope that Murali and his bride Kayathiri like the card.
I'm teaching at Lavender Lane tomorrow which is always enjoyable, but it will mean a reasonably early start so I had better get to bed.
Hope you have a good weekend
Love and hugs
Kimx

Wednesday 18 May 2011

For the men in your life

Afternoon All
I've got to watch the kids for my daughter for a little while so it seems the ideal time take a break from the cards and blog.
May seems to have been a hectic month for birthdays so here are a couple of cards that I have sent.
I have picked out some that were sent to men as I know that we all seem to find them the hardest to make cards for.
This first card uses a cuttlebug folder that I have sponged with ink before running the card stock through it. The main card uses the same folder. The greeting is by Penny Black - sorry no codes.
The trees on this one are also Penny Black and are quite a favourite of mine. The leaf stamp used in the background is also by Penny Black and the wording is part of a Hobby Art greeting.
The main image here is actually a peel-off although I believe that there is also a very similar stamp. Again leaves make a brilliant background.
I had better post this I can feel a Grandmotherly SHOUT coming on.
Have a good evening.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Monday 16 May 2011

With much love.

Evening Everyone
I hope you have all had a good day. Mine has been reasonably productive, although I'm not sure why the day seems to pass so much quicker when you are at home than at work.
As promised here is the second card that I made for my friend to choose from for his sister. It is also an easel card since I think that they make something a little more special, and soooo much easier to stand up lol.
The panel is embossed resist although  I'm not sure which Penny Black stamp I've used. I have been trying to make cards using pieces from my bits box which of course means that I don't have the stamp in front of me to get the details from. Sorry. I do know that the greeting on this panel is from a  Hobby Art clear set.
I have used a cuttlebug folder for the background and 'with much love' has been punched from the centre of a circular Lili of the Valley greetings stamp.
I can't make up my mind which one of the cards I like the best, although I think that perhaps the first one is just a fraction ahead in the race. I wonder which one Q will choose?
Back to work tomorrow, and Pilates as well so I had better get some sleep.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Sunday 15 May 2011

Time to Celebrate

Evening Everyone
Well I either slept through all the noise last night or else the sleepover involved just that - sleep lol.
I suspect that its much more likely that I was just plain shattered and slept through everything.
I've been a busy bunny again today trying to get on top of some class prep and interspersing it with cards for Barbara since my next parcel arrived last week.

The card I'm sharing tonight was actually made last weekend. It has been made for a friends sister. I have actually made two cards for him to choose from, I just had way too much fun making them that I couldn't make up my mind which one I liked best.
The background paper was made using Starburst Stains from The Stampman, although I can't remember which set I used to make it.
The vase is a Magenta stamp that has been coloured using dye based inks. I have sponged ink around the edges of the panel before mounting it over gold card stock.
The circular greeting is from Lili of the Valley and is a great way to personalise a card.
I've got a days holiday tomorrow so I hope that I will be able to get a load more card work done, at least that's the plan anyway.
I will post the other card that I made for my friend tomorrow and you can see which one you liked the best - I wonder if we are in agreement over which one he will choose?
Nite nite for now
Love Kimx

Saturday 14 May 2011

Two Little Girls

Hi
I hope that you have all been having a wonderful Saturday. I have been reveling in the peace and quiet. Although it was Megan's birthday on 1st May her party had been postponed until today. Five extra bodies plus a friend for Reece!! She is having a sleepover so I can see some late night blogging in my future lol.
In the meantime they have been swimming so I have been making the most of it.
I told you that I had a couple of new baby cards to make, well I had to add another baby girl one to the list after I found out that an old friend is now a Daddy.
This first card was made today for Mathu and Kavitha on the birth of baby Kaavya on 12th April. I made it with one of the lovely Lilli of the Valley Babies die cut sheets.
I love them as you will have noticed from the last few posts. I do stamp and colour in myself honest but these are just so brilliant when time is short.
I cut out the image and circular background using a Nestie and mounted it over more background paper and pearlescent card stock.
Of course flowers are a must and the pink ones have been made using my new  Marianne Creatable Flowers and Leaves LR0162 and LR0163.
This second card has also been made using a Lili of the Valley Babies die cut. Making this one really does make me feel old since I remember the Mother being born and here she is giving birth to her third child!!!
The greeting is also by Lili of the Valley and is from their Circular Sentiments clear stamps sheet. More flowers but not hand made this time I'm afraid.
Everyone has now returned so my peaceful afternoon is officially over.
Have a good evening. Who knows I may post again later if I can't get any sleep :)
Love and hugs
Kimx

Monday 9 May 2011

A Girly Afternoon

Evening
I hope that you have all had a better day than I have. I managed to escape a stint in the Wild Bean Cafe twice last week, but it finally caught up with me today when Beverly didn't come back from her holiday.
Believe me hot ovens and hot flushes really do not go well together, she had better be back tomorrow or I might just end up killing someone lol.
This is a card that I made last month for a young lady who will always be very special to me. Her name is Victoria and I can't believe that she was 21 on 28th April.
I was a childminder for a long time and Victoria was the youngest child I ever looked after since she started with us at the tender age of 6 weeks. She became part of our extended family, even popping in after after she moved onto Secondary School, so I felt that a very special card was warranted.
Once again I have used one of the Lili of the Valley die cut sheets Girly Afternoon and matched the card to the pre-coloured image. I cut her out using a Nestie and padded the panel with silicon as I have tried to show here.
Of course no girly card would be complete without flowers, and these ones matched perfectly I think you will agree. I added some stardust pen to give the image a bit of sparkle.
Having taken all my pictures I then decided that the mirror would look better with some glossy accents added to it so I retook this one.
I hope she received this card fairly close to her birthday. She is away at University and last year my card was carefully put in a drawer awaiting her return during the holidays only to stay there until after Christmas. Perhaps I will send her a message via facebook so that she can at least know what she is looking for lol.
Better stop now it's late again.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Sunday 8 May 2011

Not bad for two Old Dinosaurs :)

Hi
I felt that I had to make this one last quick post for tonight.
It's another Hobby Art card which I felt to be most appropriate since Jenny and I have been conducting an IM conversation whilst I have been working on my laptop. Not bad for two 'old dinosaurs' don't you think!
It was made using the new Scene it Window set and once again is quite different to the samples that the other DT members made. I used the Aqua markers direct onto the stamps but then spritzed them with water before I stamped them out, hence the watercolour effect.
Well I think it is well past this dinosaurs bed time, so I will say goodnight for now.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Something a little bit different

Afternoon All
I have managed to get photos of all the cards that I made yesterday so I will post them over the next couple of days.
I thought that I would post a couple of cards that I made for Hobby Art Jenny for her last TV show. I've just checked out her Blog. She has posted samples using the new Scene it Window set and so I though I would share the samples I made with it as they are something a little bit different from the rest of them.
I'm not very good with scene it sets used in a conventional way, but then I like to think that my samples show that you can do so much more with them than just make scenes.
I have stamped and embossed some strips of blue and green card using the leaf branches from the set and then stamped them again using versamark ink. I've padded the three squares on the first card using silicon and added a greeting from another set cut out using a Nestie.

This second card has alternate colour squares mounted onto it and then a line of bricks has been added across the bottom of the card. I painted these with bleach.

I had to share this picture of the Grandchildren with you as it reminded me of the cards.
This last one in particular reminds me of an old TV show called Rowan and Martins Laugh In. Oh dear I really have just given my age away haven't I. I doubt most of you will remember it or a very young Goldie Hawn in it lol.
So much for the diet this weekend. Jason has been trying out his new Silicon cake tins so we have been guinea pigs, and I was doing so well. Never mind I'll just have to start the diet again on Monday.
Enjoy the rest of your day, coffee and a slice of cake is calling :)
Love and hugs
Kimx

Up, Up and Away

Hi
What truly bizarre weather we have had here today. We seem to have had just about everything from dull but boiling hot to pouring rain. I think the only thing missing is the snow :)
Hope I haven't spoken too soon.
Just a really quick post tonight, I hadn't realized just how it late it had got.
I've made my baby cards but finished them too late to photograph so I will share them with you tomorrow.
This card was made for Barbara and uses the Large and Medium Hot Air Balloon stamps.
I've stamped the images onto coloured background paper which I have then cut out and placed over the images in the squares, there is also some masking involved.
Hope you like it.
Nite nite
Love Kimx