More Shabby Chic

Hello Everyone.
Am I the only one that has terrible trouble coming up with a title for the post. My titles always seem very lame in comparison to some that I have seen.
Oh well, I hope that it won't affect your enjoyment of the card that I am sharing.
This is another of the cards that we made on Wednesday evening with the beautiful shabby flowers added as embellishment. I do like this cuttlebug folder it so obviously lends itself to floral cards, and you may also have guessed that I am very into my card candy. I pick up new colours every time I catch up with Craftwork Cards at a show.


I inked and embossed the petals on this flower, it makes the paper quite robust so hopefully it will survive the post, although I will need to make a box for it to go in before I send it.
Why is it you never think of that when you make them, still it won't put me off, I do love making the flowers.
Oh dear, I hadn't realized what the time is - my watch died today - so i had better close and get some sleep.
Nite, nite.
Love Kimx

Shabby Chic for Tors

Hello everyone, nice of you to pop by.
We had a great time in class last night making these lovely shabby chic flowers.

Yesterday was also the birthday of a special young lady.
Long before I started work in the petrol station I was a registered childminder. We have opened our home to numerous children over the years, and still do since my daughter has taken over from me.
It is wonderful to think that most of the children stayed with us for several years, but Victoria or Tors as came to call her holds the distinction for the longest time we ever looked after anyone.
She came to us at 6 weeks old and continued to pop in long after she had bypassed the need for a babysitter, who needs one when you are at secondary school, in fact we came to look on her as part of the family.
She is now 20 (how old does that make me feel lol) and although she has now moved away we still keep in touch and she pops in whenever she is up in our neck of the woods.


So this card is for her. Everyone knows that I am rubbish at getting cards to people on time so I hope she will forgive me for sharing it with all of you first.
Happy Birthday Tors, hope you had a great day.
Love Kimx

Is it a Monet....

Hello, another late night post I'm afraid, I don't know where the time goes to.
This is a card that was made for Barbara's latest TV show and features the painters easel and brush.

Do you think I would give Monet a run for his money.....I don't think so some how, but then the easel could be filled with any number of images, just a little imagination required.

I used the small flower from the kitten set.
Off to bed now, will post again tomorrow, at a more reasonable hour I hope.

Shabby Chic flower

Hello Everyone, thanks for dropping by, normal service has been resumed - only one post today, work interfered.


One of the things that I had to do over the weekend was prep for my next class at Davina's on Wednesday evening - Shabby Chic flowers.

I had great fun, lots of screwed up punched five petal daisies to make one flower.
Thank you Louise for teaching me the technique when I was in Peterboro last month.
Hope you like the card, I do. I have also used one of my new Magenta stamps.
Better get back to the craft room, where has another day gone!!
I can't believe how light it still is, isn't it amazing what a difference it makes putting the clocks forward. Some how lighter evenings and a bit of sunshine make crafting so much more enjoyable.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Spring Flowers from Clarity

Well I managed it, three posts in one day!!!
The final card this evening is made with the small flower from the kitten set.


The flower has been stamped and embossed numerous times over a piece of hand made background paper using distress ink pads.


Punches, brads and crystals complete the card along with a torn paper background.
I have had a successful day of card making today, so I will have plenty to share with you, but for now I must get to bed. Back to real work tomorrow with the usual early start so I had better get some sleep.
Nite, nite.
Love Kimx

Goodbye Kitty

Afternoon Everyone.
Two posts in one day, how cool am I??
Barbara's show has just finished airing so I felt it was OK to share some of the cards I had made.


These first ones seem uncannily appropriate actually as my Mum lost the last of cats on Wednesday. Max was 18 years old, quite an old gentleman, and as my Mum has pointed out a centenarian in man years. He will be missed greatly.


The pictures really do not do them justice, but were taken in a bit of a rush when I dropped the cards off to Barbara. The trip was a bit of a spur of the moment thing and I realized that I hadn't taken any snaps so once again they were taken on the table at the unit with out being able to check them on the computer to see if they were in focus or not.


The stitched look seems to be creeping in to all my cards at the moment, but it really does finish things off I think you will agree. I also like the faux card candy made with a small round punch and embossing tool - matches beautifully.
Better get back to the new samples, you never know I might get to post again later, now that really would be a record for me I think lol.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Love Kimx

A Christening Card

Morning Everyone.
Where has all the nice weather gone to!!!
I thought they were predicting a really hot day and here we have got rain.

I hope that the weather gets better as my friends Jeanette and Mark are having their son christened today, with plans for all the kids to play in the garden afterwards!!!!

The card has been made for them to give Samuel. Jeanette said that she couldn't find anything with 'Our Son' on it and so asked me to make one for her. I hope that they like it. It was fun playing with one of my many uninked Tilda's.
You see I knew I had to have them for just this occasion lol.
Hope the weather gets better.
Still I will be inside anyway, I have so much prep to do I need a couple of extra days in this week, can anyone arrange that for me please he he.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Clarity on TV

Hello Everyone, hasn't it been another beautifully sunny day.
I took a walk with the twins first thing this morning before it got too hot - I'm afraid I must have been a vampire in a past life as I can't take the sunshine lol.


I thought that I had better remind you all that Barbara will be on the TV again on Sunday (Create and Craft channel 671 at 11am for TWO HOURS)
Don't forget to set the timer for the correct amount of time Gilly he he.


I promised Barbara that I wouldn't show any of the new cards I had made before the show aired so here is a card that I made from one of the older sets that will be shown.
I felt that the card needed a greeting so a Hobby Art stamp found it's way in there but as this one isn't for the TV that will be OK.
Hope you like it.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Penny Black Poppy

Evening Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
Hasn't it been a wonderfully sunny day. I obviously picked the right one to take off from my real job to teach a class on making roses.
The ladies all seemed to have a great time, and the colour combinations were just stunning. Isn't it amazing just how different our colour choices can be. I always tend to stick to 'safe' colour combos when prepping a class and it is always great when people choose something completely different to what I have chosen.
The card I am sharing tonight is made with what has to be my favourite Penny Black stamp at the moment. I feel in love with it even before I saw some of the stunning cards that Brenda has made with it. (http://stamping-fantasies.blogspot.com/)
The background on which the image has been stamped has been created using pearl Silkies and bundled sage and wild honey distress inks. This has co-ordinated beautifully with papers from my stash.
I am actually sending this card to the Girls at Butterfly Kisses - I promised it to them at Ally Pally so I had better get it in the post asap. Besides I am back at work tomorrow so I need to get some sleep. Sorry about the picture quality, I think I really do need to invest in a better camera, the card looks so much better than the pictures make out.
Nite nite and thanks for looking in.
Love Kimx

Cracked Glass Trees

Good Afternoon Everyone.
Who knew how useful babysitting the Grandchildren could be. We have cleaned and tidied and gone shopping - its amazing what the promise of a burger out can get little ones to do lol.
I am now sitting 'cinema style' in the front room watching Mulan. I just love that film, it's music is fantastic and what an excuse to watch it - I just HAD to cause the kids wanted it on!!!!
I had hoped to get a couple more cards finished from the peel-off class yesterday but small children and crafting don't really mix so Mulan won.Instead I will share the 'Cracked Glass' card that I showed everyone yesterday in the UTEE class. The nestie panel has been stamped, embossed and watercoloured and then several layers of UTEE have been added. Once it has cooled (putting it into the fridge or better still the freezer will speed this up) you can crack it. Be brave, the effect is lovely. Smudge brown ink over the entire panel and wipe off the excess. The ink settles into the cracks and gives it a wonderful aged look.
I am obviously going to have to brush up on my linguistic skills. As well as adding a clustrmap to my blog with the help of Gilly, I now also have a Geocounter.
I have always wanted to add something like this so that I could see where in the world people were visiting me from and I have to say that it has proved to be absolutely fascinating. I have set it up to e-mail me whenever there is a visit from a new city and I find opening e-mails has never been so exciting. Only today I have had a visit from someone in Russia - how cool is that!!
I so wish that I had set it up right at the start, but this blogging thing is definitely a learning experience, and I have learnt that you are definitely never too old to learn.
Anyway I had better get back to Mulan, my favourite song is on.
Hope you get some crafting done, I may do when everyone is in bed.
Love and hugs
Добрый вечер
Kimx

A family Affair

Hi All.
I would say Good Evening Ladies, but after having a young man on my class today I feel that it would be distincly unfair to generalize.
It was another lovely class, if somewhat a family affair since as well as Jane's nephew (the young man on the class) her daughter dropped in with her new baby, George. You forget just how small and adorable they are, and typically very contended with a clean nappy and full belly.
As well as cooing over the new arrival everyone managed to make some fabulous cards with UTEE.I have once again used Hobby Art stamps, including the wonderful clear greeting set.
The large pink 'card candy' has been made from scraps of stamped card and just finished it off nicely.
I had better get to bed now as I am on babysitting detail all day tomorrow. That will probably mean a very early start as I'm not sure that young children know what a lie in is, at least they don't seem to in our house anyway.
Have a good evening.
Love Kimx

Classes at Lavender Lane

Evening Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
I had a wonderful, if very small class on Wednesday evening since unfortunately two of the ladies were unable to make it.
Hope you are feeling better Patricia, look forward to seeing you next time.
I can't remember the other ladies name but I hope that her Mum is feeling better now too.I actually sat and made a card that evening which I was going to share with you as soon as I had added some bling, but I couldn't wrestle the laptop off the grandchildren yesterday so I will share that one with you at a later date.
I am teaching at Lavender Lane on Saturday and as you may have guessed from the sample one of the classes is on UTEE - Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel for the uncrafty amongst you.
This is just one of the different techniques that we will be doing. I've stamped into it having first added some mica powders. I'm not sure that the pictures do the card justice, but at least taking them in daylight has helped a little.
The second class is called Patchwork Peel-offs and was inspired by a technique that the lovely Lisa B http://lisabdesignsinspiration.blogspot.com/ showed me at Farnborough.
I am really looking forward to the classes, they are always fun when Gill is there. I will make sure the kettle is on Gilly don't worry lol.
Have a good evening.
Happy Stamping if you get the chance.
Hugs Kimx

Easelly made!

Well I think that I have finally recovered from Ally Pally.
I'm sure that we must have had nice weather for the weekend - I didn't see any of it of course - I can only guess that it was because it was so unbearably hot inside.
It was a lovely show, as always, and so nice to see lots of familiar faces and some not so familiar ones who made a special effort to drop by and introduce themselves and tell me how much they like my work - that is always nice.
Apparently I am responsible for a large number of the crafting addicts out there.
What a lovely thing to be addicted to lol. It is a very theraputic hobby and always gratifying when people show their appreciation of your efforts.There were so many fabulous samples on display at the show and a host of wonderfully talented people demonstrating that it never ceases to amaze me what passes as inspiring articles when I open some of the magazines these days - go figure, something is definately wrong somewhere.
Anyway now Ive got that off my cheast I had better share one of the numerous classes that I am doing at the moment.
Here is an example of what the ladies will be making tomorrow night on my Easel Cards class.
Its such a lovely easy technique that I am quite hooked at the moment as you can see. Anyway I really must get some sleep - more classes to prep tomorrow, and more samples to make for Barbara and Jenny.......can we have 27 hours in a day please, I'm not sure how else I am going to fit it all in. Oh well!!
Nite nite
Love Kimx

I'm off to Ally Pally........

Well girls, here we are at the end of yet another week, and another lovely sunny day. Just where is this year disappearing to?This weekend I am off to Ally Pally, which has to be one of my favourite shows. It's not too huge but is full of lots of wonderfully inspirational people.
I will be helping Sue and Harvey on the Imagination stand so don't forget to stop by and say hello.
I made these two cards using some of the Imagination products and had meant to post them, but I guess I will just have to hand deliver them instead.
They both use Imagination stamps heat embossed with white powder. I have then blended several colours of the silkies over the top using some cut and dry foam.
The punched panel on this card has been stamped with versamark and then brushed with mica powders. The tiny gold dots are waste from a peel off border.
This card uses the same technique as the first one but with just one layer of white stamping.
I'm hoping to pick up some more colours,and of course some new stamps. Well I can't come home empty handed can I lol.
Hope to see some of you there.
Love Kimx

Mermaids

Hello Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
Isn't it amazing how much better you feel when the sun shines. Although I have a streaming cold at the moment I still feel motivated, which is so much harder when the weather is dull and dreary.
I work in a BP M & S petrol station during the day and it never ceases to amaze me how little people wear as soon as we get a bit of sunshine. Which brings me nicely to the last of my cards from Barbara's show - the half dressed mermaid lol. Well Gilly I hope you feel it was worth the wait :)
This by the way is the right way round. I was yelling at the scren on Sunday when Stephanie insisted on holding it up the wrong way.
The EK Success punch and cuttlebug folder just went so well with the stamp.The background on which the image was stamped for both cards was created using promarkers as was the colouring on her tail.
I have used another of my new toys from Sirstampalot here,a new nestabilities shape to cut out the mermaid.
I have to say that these are my least favourite cards of the batch, but I hope that you like them.
I had better get on now before this cold takes hold of me again.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Feathers

Evening Everyone.
Where did the lovely weather we had yesterday disapper to? I know it is supposed to be April showers but couldn't we have a few more warm days before we get in to them.
Anyway here are the next set of cards from Barbara's show.This IS one of mine despite it being credited to someone else on the show. I have stamped the feather randomly over the burgundy card using bleach and then again with gold encore ink. Finally I stamped with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder.
It was one of those happy accident backgrounds. I only used the embossing powder because the versamark didn't show up well enough without it.
I havent done paper weaving in a while so I was really pleased with this card.
This technique is a great way of using up bit and pieces left over when trimming down a main panel.
You know me and backgrounds I just love to play lol.
The main stamped panel on these last two cards has been created using promarkers.
I have used them directly on the stamp and then spritzed with alcohol blending solution befoe stampng them out onto glossy card stock. Spritz again and repeat until the image will no longer stamp out. Keep going until you have a large enough piece to create a card.
Look how different colours can create such wonderfully different cards.
Had real fun making these, got carried away again as usual.
Have a good evening.
Love Kimx

My Pink Period

Well Girls I think I have got my Creative mojo back!!
I spent the weekend making cards.........just for fun. Then I panicked that I had class prep to do for next week, until I realized that I was getting ahead of myself and I will be at Ally Pally first. Oh the joys of getting old and loosing your marbles lol.I will share some of the cards I made for fun at another time but here as promised is the first wave of cards from Barbara's show on Sunday.
I do so prefer the presenter from this time. She let Barbara get on with the demos and showed lots of the samples which I know is what people want to see. Although she did insist on holding one of my Mermaid cards the wrong way round and credited another of my cards to a different designer..........I really must remember to sign them, some thing I am always telling ladies to do, it's about time I took my own advise!!!!
I was obviously in a pink period with these three cards.
I added all the new distress ink pad colours to my stash when I was in Peterboro and they are definitely influencing my colour choices at the moment.
I actually made these cards while I was staying with Janice and Andy and so I had lots of scrummy papers and card to work with as well as Barbara's wonderful stamps.I also added another Martha Stewart punch to my stash as you may have guessed.
Hope you liked these. I must get on now as I have a couple of special cards to make, maybe I will share them later if I can tear myself away from playing that is.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Just a quick reminder..........

Hi everyone, sorry I've been missing for a while, I have found it hard to get back into crafting mode this week as I am now back at work. So this is just a quickie to remind you of Barbara's latest TV show.
Create and Craft Sky channel 671 at 5pm tonight - 2 hours of fabulous crafting inspiration.
I will share my samples with you over the next couple of days, once the show has aired. I've made sure that the Sky box is all set to record this time lol. I'm still looking for a copy of the last show if there is anyone out there who has it.
Anyway creative urge is calling so I had better answer.
Happy Stamping, and hope you are all having a great Easter with lots of chocolate!!
Hugs
Kimx