Anyone for cake?

Hi All
Well we have had another fabulous class at Davina's this afternoon.
We could really have done with it being a little cooler since the heat guns were on the go non stop, but what do you expect when you play with Frantage Embossing powders lol.

As usual we made a tag first and then they played with lots of wonderful stamp sets from Hobby Art.

This card uses the Pine branch from the Santa's Reindeer clear stamp set.
I just adore this stamp and am trying to persuade Jenny that it would work really well as a single rubber stamp, and also a little larger.
What do you think?
I used Kraft card, Aged Green Frantage powder and Vintage Photo Distress ink for this card.
The tiny dots around the edges of the panel are made using another fabulous stamp, this time from Decorative Backgrounds. I think everyone on the class wanted this set. Who said background stamps aren't useful?

For the tag I used the flower stamp from Flourishes another wonderfully useful stamp set from Hobby Art. I am so lucky to be able to work with such lovely stamp companies.
I used Aged Scarlet Frantage Powder here, with a little of the Aged Ivory powder literally thrown onto the tag to fill in some of the gaps.
If you heat gently from below there is no need to stamp with ink first the powder just seems to melt onto the card stock.

The ladies seem to have had a fabulous time which makes it all worth while.
One of the newer ladies even arrived with a huge honemade cake. She had obviously taken on board our joking comments about cake being a welcome addition to any class.
Normally it is only supplied for a birthday celebrations, so it was a happy coincidence that it would have been my son Adam's 32nd birthday today. We toasted him with tea and coffee and rather large slabs of a very tasty chocolate cake. You will be sorry you missed class Gill, or maybe your wasteline will be grateful lol.
Jenny from Hobby Art will be back on the box next week, so I had better get a move on with a couple of samples for her.
See you tomorrow. Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and any comments are always appreciated.
Happy Crafting and hugs

Kimx

In a Pear Tree for TV

Evening All
It doesn't take long to get behind with the Christmas card pile does it?
It seems that the only Christmas cards I have made in the last couple of months have been either for the TV or the Woodware catalogue. Lovely to be in demand, but it doesn't do anything for my stash lol.

This one was made for Barbara, and I am using it as a rather subtle way of reminding you all that she will be back on the box this weekend. Boy did that last month fly by!!

The three squares have been punched from a piece of stamped, white embossed and watercoloured background. I used Distress inks to add the colour.

I also added some gold embossing and the fabulous Christmas Banner as well as some hand drawn lines to the finished card.
So don't forget to tune in to Create and Craft Sky channel 671 tomorrow morning for In the Classroom,  and Sunday for the normal shows. I wonder what Barbara has come up with to tempt us this time.
Have a fabulous weekend.
Happy Crafting.
Hugs Kimx 

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Evening All
Another birthday card from the 'sent in August' pile, I told you there were loads of cards to send this month.

The background panel has been made using lemon juice and Distress Inks and a lovely Hero Arts stamp that I was playing with at SirStampalot a while ago.

 I had great fun playing with the lemons, and it was quite a talking point as well.

I added the sentiment to the panel and attached it with silicon. The leaves and flower are from my stash.
Typically this is late going in the post so I expect the recipient might get to see it here first lol.
Hugs Kimx

A Peacock in Blues

Evening Everyone,
Just a quick post tonight as I have a splitting headache and am finding it difficult to concentrate, and spell apparently. Thank God for spellcheck lol.
This is a card that I made for one of the girls at work for her Wedding Anniversary.

 I know that turquoise is her favourite colour, so I hope that she will like this.

The peacock has been stamped and embossed onto card and then painted with thin undiluted bleach.
The Agapanthus in the background has also been stamped in bleach as well.

I added some Glossy Accents and tiny pearls as well as a punched border.
Let's hope that a decent nights sleep clears my head.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx

Happy 18th Birthday Lauren

Evening,
Well it looks like I'm nothing if not adaptable.  I had to turn my hand to plumbing this morning!!
I was called off the till first thing by a cry from one of the boys who was frantically trying to stem the flood of water from beneath the sink. It is amazing how quickly we started paddling before I managed to find the stopcock!! We seemed to fight a losing battle to get it mopped up so in the end I just opened the back doors and just swept it out with a broom, and all this before 7am and a cup of coffee lol.
Yesterday was far more relaxing, well, at least the afternoon was anyway.
There was a big family party for my niece's 18th birthday. I can't believe that she is that age already.

I made her a card using one of my lovely Lili of the Valley die cuts and my Nesties.

I added some tiny pearls, stardust pen and glossy accents, as well as some faux stitching.

The large 18 is paper pieced using FRS127 18th Birthday from Woodware. The background stamp to the right of the card is also from Woodware FRS241 Many Happy Returns.

It is amazing what you find in a drawer when you start to look for flowers that co-ordinate with the background paper.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
Crafty Sentiments Designs  - Make it Girly
Cuttlebug Mania - Anything Goes Die Cuts (Circular and Scalloped Circle Nesties)
Let's hope that tomorrow is a little less eventful, or perhaps I should go prepared with a tool box, and maybe wellies :O)
Hugs Kimx

Funny Folds at Woodware

Hi All

Today sees my last post as Guest over at Woodware, and for this challenge Dorothy has asked for Funny Folds.

Now I know that you were probably expecting some Teabag Folding given that I once wrote a book on the subject, but I thought that I would go for a Waterfall card instead.

I have taught this as a class on several occasions and always get the ladies to create a template out of scrap paper first so that they have one to take home to remind them of what to do.

The panels are made from red card stamped and embossed with a favourite Stampendous Agapanthus stamp of mine.

It is always nice to have a little surprise at the end so I have used another Stampendous stamp and this time I painted the image with thin undiluted bleach.

I think that it has a rather oriental feel to it.

I have really enjoyed my time as Guest DT, maybe they will think of me again if someone wants to take a holiday. You never know.

Don't forget to stop by and show the rest of the Team some love, there will be something new to see each day.

Happy Crafting, and have a wonderful Bank Holiday.

Hugs Kimx

A Touch of Gold Leaf

Hi All
Another quiet day of crafting. At least the rain seems to have stopped for the moment so I'm hoping that the kids are not too washed out in their tent.
It has been quite good them being away at the moment as I have a major amount of prep work to do so at least I have been able to lay it all out on the dining room table without danger of little fingers, or moving it for dinner.
The card that I am sharing with you today has been made using bits from my 'Metal Leaf Folder'.
I seem to have been crafting for so long that just like fashion, techniques come back on to the scene as if they were new. Being the sad sort of person that I am I have class folders from all those years ago - just in case!!
So the basic bits to this card are years old, and I couldn't even begin to tell you what the stamps are lol.

The floral panel has been stamped onto acetate and then the Gold Leaf has been added to the reverse using Double sided Sticker sheet. The colour has been added to the front using Promarkers.

The lovely crumpled background paper is from Woodware, as is the Card Candi.
I had better get the dining tabled cleared up as the family are back from their camping trip sometime tomorrow and I have to be at work in the morning.
Hugs Kimx

A Fishing Trip

Evening All
Well where on earth did all of that rain come from? I don't know what it has been like in your neck of the woods but here it has been absolutely chucking it down!!
Typical Bank Holiday weather I suppose, but with the kids away for the weekend camping it could have waited until next week to be so miserable couldn't it?

This is another of the cards that I have made for one of the numerous male birthdays that there are this month.

The central image and sentiment are from Lili of the Valley and I added a punched border strip and some ribbon

as well as some punched leaves and a fish charm.
The background papers are from my stash but are all from Basic Grey 6 x 6 paper pads.
I'm sure that the family will be having a good time what ever the weather, who knows they might have even got in a little fishing as well.
Hugs Kimx

A Sticky Copper Tree

Evening,
I told you that August was heavy on the male birthday card front, so here is another one I made, this time for one of the guys at work.

I used a panel that I made during a class on Sticky Embossing and 'Gold' Leafing.
The stamp is by Stampendous, and was one of those 'I have to have' purchases. Alright, I know there are lots of those, but this one really was at the top of the list lol.

The background to the tree has been coloured using Decorating Chalks.
The stripy paper is from my Woodware stash.
Yes Dorothy I do have a separate box for Woodware papers and another one for product, although this has recently had to be moved to a larger box. Too many lovely new things to play with lol.
Hope you get some playtime in this weekend, I know I will.
Hugs Kimx

It's a Man Thing

Hi All
I can't believe that we are nearly at the end of another week.
I have only just recently become the proud owner of a Gelli Plate, unfortunately still in its box, not unloved just unused due to a lack of available playtime lol.
Prior to its delivery I was trying out a friends queries as to whether you could achieve similar results with the back of cut and dry foam and re-inkers.

My answer to her is that you can definitely create some interesting backgrounds but that it is much messier, although it might just be that I went a little overboard with the amount of ink I used!!

I did get some rather strange looks from people at work the following day when I was serving them.
I don’t know about being green fingered (something I am definitely not when it comes to plants, just ask my Mum), but I was definitely green handed.

August seems to be particularly male heavy on the birthday front and so these pieces of background seemed perfect as the starting point for a few cards.

Now as you know I hate making the same card twice so these are all very slightly different, just using the same basic layout and stamps.

I bought this fabulous stamp set on Saturday at Davina's as it was just perfect for the cards that I had in mind.

The sentiments, were from my bits box, but are all by Hobby Art.

The leaves on the Kraft card stock have been painted with bleach which has darkened the colour not bleached it out for some bizarre reason.

I coloured the leaves on the handmade background panel with a Versamark pen, a really useful addition to your toolkit, and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.
The embossing allows the pattern to show up better.

This greeting is part of one of my all time favourite Hobby Art word stamps Birthday Greetings. As you can see it cuts up beautifully so that you can add several lines to a card or just one.
As these will all be going to different parts of the country I don't think that there is any danger of them all being seen together, except here of course, so I feel ok with them all being very similar.
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend. Let's hope that it rained itself out today so that it will be brighter tomorrow. Not that I'm complaining it was actually quite nice to see the rain, although of course I was indoors, I'm sure I would think differently if I had an outside job :O)
Hugs Kimx

Take Three Girls and a washing machine

Evening All
What is it with us (my household that is) and technology?
Do not ask us to do a self clean cycle on anything, at this rate we might become those awful neighbours that you see on the TV who’s house needs to be fumigated lol.
Long story short - the washing machine broke down just after the kids got back off holiday, couldn’t be fixed, new one arrived today.
We follow the instructions in the manual which tells you to put it on a cleaning cycle with detergent in it and I get back from work to find my daughter with the phone in one hand and a large bath towel in the other trying to stop the flood of water and soap suds that is billowing out of the front of the brand new machine !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Customer services (that's a laugh) says we shouldn’t have put the detergent in like the manual told us because IT HAS A MISTAKE PRINTED IN IT!!!!
There is a room full of small children so both my daughter and I are trying not to use too many expletives when talking to the condescending d… h… on the other end of the line.
I begin to think that we might have to get an old sink and a mangle in the back garden, what can possibly go wrong with that.
Don’t answer lol.
It seems that we have managed to sort it out, although it is in danger of walking across the kitchen when it is on a spin cycle!!
I don't think that I will touch anything mechanical tonight, just in case, so here is a card that I made a while ago using Barbara's Girlie stamps.

The green background panel has been made using the Dye Based Multiple Resist technique that I was teaching on Saturday at Davina's.

The three girls have been inked using similar colours of Pigment Ink.
I have then 'Kissed them' together with the tree stamp to remove some of the ink before stamping them onto white card stock. I also added some tiny black dots around the edges of the images.

The other background papers and ribbon are from my stash, as is the Card Candi.
I think I will get a very early night and start fresh tomorrow, am I safe in the kitchen though.
Perhaps a take away is the order of the day. Where is the Curry House menu?
Have a safe evening.
hugs Kimx

Girlie Things at Woodware

Hi All,
I'm hoping that Blogger will behave and this scheduled post goes live when it is supposed to.
This is my 3rd week as Guest Designer, or Friend, as Dorothy so kindly called me, over at the Woodware blog.
This week we are looking at Girlie Things, and I must admit that I have cheated a little since I have used a card that I made for one of the Woodware catalogues.

The main panel has been stamped and embossed using Vintage Sepia ink and Jane Gill's lovely JGS302 Vive La Plume stamp.

The border has been punched from the GCD No Worries paper pad using the Butterfly Border Crafty Edger punch.

Girls love flowers, well I do anyway, and this one was made using 3 different sizes of Kiku punch and a gold brad. And of course what could be more girlie than some ribbon and pearls.
I would like to enter this in to the Words, Words, Words challenge at Our Creative Corner.
Hope you will join us this week with your lovely Girlie projects.
Happy Crafting
hugs Kimx

Fun in the Sun at Crafty Cardmakers

Hi All

Today sees the start of another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers where our host Lin has chosen the theme Fun in The Sun. She would like to see something relating to Summer fun, so that might be holiday related, or something in the garden, basically something you might do outdoors when the sun is shining that's fun, clean and legal!! 

We are sponsored by SATURATED CANARY with 2 of their gorgeous digis, and and SIR STAMPALOT with this fabulous prize:-

I was lucky enough to be able to play with the same stamps for my card as Janice has kindly provided for the prize, and here is what I came up with.

The background to the card has been created using a Magnolia Seaside background which I have stamped and embossed onto watercolour card and then coloured with Distress Inks.

I mounted this panel onto a piece of white paper that has been embellished with a Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page.

The little boy is a Molly Blooms image

as are the Sunglasses

and the Ice cream.

The Banner is from a Woodware stamp set, and I used a very old alphabet set to write the sentiment.

I also added some glitter glue to the shore line and clouds.

Don't forget to stop by and show the rest of the team some love and enter the challenge HERE

I look forward to visiting you, if the Internet will allow me access, it is not playing the game very well at the moment lol.

Happy Crafting 

Hugs Kimx

A Birthday Dragon

Evening Everyone
Well, I am happy to say that my class on Saturday seems to have kick started my mojo at last.
I have spent a wonderful day playing and now I hope that I will remain inspired so that I can get to work on some rather important DT projects when I get home from work tomorrow.
This is a card that I made with some items from my bits box for the daughter of one of the girls at work. It was her little ones birthday on Friday but she wasn’t at work that day so it will be delivered tomorrow.

I love this Huge Happy Birthday stamp from Woodware, it is so useful. It works brilliantly for paper piecing, although here I have used the wet watercolour technique to ’drop’ colour onto watercolour card stock.

I added some Glossy Accents to the letters to highlight them a little, and some Faux Stitching around the edges of the panel.
The little dragon is a stamp that I bought ages ago on one of my trips to SirStampalot.
I'm sorry that this post is a little short, I am having terrible Internet issues at the moment.
In fact I am in danger of throwing the computer at the wall at the moment as everything keeps freezing.
I have been trying to send a reply to a couple of e-mails since yesterday evening and they keep disappearing without saving or sending. I can see that I am going to have to pay a visit to my little computer man before something gets damaged lol.
Hugs Kimx