A Blast from the Past

Afternoon again,
I have just been watching Barbara on the TV, and I have had a blast from the past, and even a shout out from Barbara herself.
She has been showcasing her Clever Corners, and lo and behold amongst the samples were some that I made for her way back in March 2010 for her TV appearance then.
Given how timeless these stamps obviously are I thought that it was worth while sharing them with you again.

I haven't been on Barbara's design team for several years now, so it was also very reassuring to know that samples aren't just discarded after a show has aired, they are lovingly kept and showcased again even after all this time.
Thank you for that Barbara, it is very much appreciated.
Must get on now.
Hugs Kimx 

Green - Day 4 and a very Happy Birthday Barbara

Evening All
Day 4 in my series of Green cards in support of the CCM Challenge.

This is my first try at Picot cutting around a Groovi design.

I'm not too unhappy with it although I definitely need more practice.

I do love this rose design, and I added a frame around it.

Fairly simple compared to what my lovely friend Sylvie does, and a fairly appropriate post given that it is Barbara Grays birthday today, and she created the Groovi system.
Have a great weekend.
Happy crafting and hugs
Kimx

A Belated Birthday Greeting.

Evening Everyone,
It's Monday again, where on earth is the time going to?
Having spent the weekend making DT samples I decided that I really ought to try and catch up with some commenting.
And then I realised why it is that I try and spend as little time as possible on the blasted computer.............it is just sooooooo slow.
It seems to take forever to do anything, so I have done a bit of housekeeping on my blog and made a few comments and then I am calling it a night before the darn thing ends up being thrown through the nearest window.

So here is a card that I sent to Barbara Gray for her birthday earlier in the month.

The central image has been stamped onto a piece of Brusho background from my stash which has then been layered onto a piece of background created using my Gelli Plate, a stencil and acrylic paint.
That's enough for tonight, my stress levels are through the roof, so have a good evening.
Hugs Kimx

A Sneak Peek

Evening Everyone

Just a quick sneak peek tonight in preparation for Barbara's big USA launch tomorrow at 3pm on Create and Craft Sky Channel 674.
See you there.
Crafty Hugs
Kimx

I've added to my STABLE

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you are enjoying your weekend.
I am having a fabulous time playing.
It is so nice to have plenty of space to spread out, although of course you still end up working in a 6 inch space just like all crafters lol.

I decided, when I was packing for my holiday, that one of the things that I needed to do was to finally play with my Gelli Plate. It has been neglected due to lack of space not lack of love.

Now of course what I should have done was re-watch one of Barbara's TV shows to remind myself of what to do, but as always I was just too impatient and started playing first and then realized that I couldn't actually remember how she made it look so easy!!!
I'm not totally disappointed I just think that I need a bit more playtime.

As is often the case things look so much better once you have chopped them down a bit and added some colouring. And then being in the shop makes it much easier to find papers to match your art work.
Which leads me very nicely in to the title of my blog post tonight.
No I haven't just bought a horse, I have just added a few more crafty items to my stash.
The ladies in the class at SirStampalot today were discussing how we all acquire far more things than we will ever be able to use, but still we continue to buy them, and I was reminded of something that I read in one of Barbara's BLOG posts.
As crafters most of us have a STABLE - STash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy.
I thought that this was the perfect description, and it certainly made everyone laugh.
So for now I will get some sleep, but tomorrow I will no doubt add a few more items to my STABLE.
Well it would be rude not to shop now wouldn't it lol.
Hugs Kimx

Happy Birthday Barbara

Evening Everyone.
Just a very quick post tonight to wish the lovely Barbara Gray a Very Happy Birthday.
hugs Kimx

A Clarity kind of day

Hi All,
Have you been watching Barbara on the box today?
I have all of her shows recorded for later perusal as I spent the day in Clarity sorting mode. Who knew just how many of Barbara's fabulous stamps I own. At least now I can see them all properly, but why does any form of tiding up take sooooo long?

While I am in sorting mode, I thought that I would have a look through the photos of cards that I have made for Barbara in the past. There still seem to be loads that I haven't blogged, so perhaps now would be a good time to share them with you, even if some of them were made rather a long time ago. Sometimes it is actually good to look backwards in order to be re-inspired.

I have to say that these have been amongst my favourite Clarity stamps, but then I always seem to gravitate towards solid images and leaves and flowers especially.
I'm sure that there are still lots of other cards to share but I will leave them for another occasion.
I can't believe that it has taken me all day to sort my Clarity stamps, but that is one more thing that I can tick off my To Do list.
Don't forget to drop in on Craftycardmakers  tomorrow for our first challenge of 2014.
Better get to sleep now, I was up rather late last night and I just know that it will catch up with me at work tomorrow.
Hugs Kimx

A little Christmas Frantage

Hi All,
Another Friday, and another weekend.
I have had a bit of a rest from DT work for the afternoon, I even did a bit of tidying up. Sometimes you just have to walk away for a few hours and then hopefully come back with renewed vigour. That's my hope at least.
I have often thought that even if the person that stares back at you from the bathroom mirror doesn't look any different as the years pass, it is always nice to have it confirmed.
An old school friend of my youngest daughter came into the garage today, and apparently I look just the same as she remembers me from all those years ago (has to be at least 15 years since I last saw her!!)
I like this girl, she quite made my day lol.

I have a class tomorrow on the fabulous Frantage powders, so here are a couple of cards that I made using the Shabby White powder on the die cut snowflakes.

 Tap the diecut image with a Versamark ink pad and then cover it with Frantage powder.

 Make sure that you place the inked image onto a clean piece of paper before you sprinkle on the powder.

 Ask me how I know that little tit bit. Go on I dare you :O)

 This second card also uses the powder on the background stamping as well as the diecut snowflakes.

I always come back from a class in creative mode so I am hoping that I will be able to get stuck in to the last cards that I need to finish this weekend.
Hope you have a good one, and by the way don't forget to tune in to Create and Craft to catch Barbara's last shows for 2013.
Happy Stamping.
hugs Kimx

Barbara is back on the box

Evening
What a difference in the weather today!
No tags in class tomorrow as we will be making Quick and Easy Christmas cards, and no pictures of the cards either as my camera is still sitting on my Mum's table, so instead here is another card made for Barbara.

She will be back on the box again tomorrow 'In the Classroom' so forget to set your recorders.
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 

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

Normal chaos has been resumed

Evening All
I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend and that you caught up with Barbara in The Classroom this morning. Don't forget that she will be back again tomorrow on Create and Craft Sky channel 671 at 9am - 11am and then again at 2pm - 3pm.
The family have arrived back from their holiday and so normal chaos has definitely been resumed lol.
My youngest Grandsons first words as he walked through the door were 'Wow, doesn't the living room look tidy', it doesn't now.

 This is another of the cards that I made for Barbara last month.

 The main image has been stamped and embossed and then painted using the Vintage Pearlex palette.

The border has been hand drawn using a fine black pen, and Glossy Accents have been added to the berries.
I'm hoping that my mojo has returned along with the family as it has been seriously missing just lately. Here's hoping :O)
See you again tomorrow, Internet permitting of course, it has taken me about 3 hours to get this post done!!
Hugs Kimx

Remember Barbara is back on the Box

Evening,
Wow am I ever glad that it is Friday!!
Did you get thunder and a major downpour this morning? It was actually quite nice to go outside in it (I had to help bring in the delivery which of course arrived at the same time as the rain) until you have to stand at the till in a soggy shirt. Don't worry I didn't look like an entrant for a wet T shirt contest, well not quite anyway lol.

Just a quick reminder tonight that Barbara will be back on the box at the weekend.
This card was one of several that I made for her last month. Unfortunately things have conspired against me this month (work, a headache and the Post Office mainly!!!!) so I didn't manage to get anything done for her. I hope that she will forgive me.

 I stamped and embossed the solid image of the Carol Singers, and cut them out using my Nesties.

The papers are from my stash and the Snowflake punch is a Martha Stewart punch around the page design.
I have a bit of tidying up to do tomorrow as the family are due back from their holiday and they will need to be able to get into the living room so I guess that I had better get to bed.
hugs Kimx

A Clean and Simple Birdhouse

Evening Everyone,
Did you get your monthly fix of creative inspiration this morning?
Were you watching Barbara 'In the Classroom'?
I love to see what she comes up with every month, it's always so different from the things that I make with her stamps. But then I suppose that is why you have a Design Team isn't it, to show you that there are so many different things that you can do with the same set of ingredients.

Any way I thought that I would share another card with you that uses the Birdhouse stamp, as featured in the show today, but one that didn't get sent to Barbara.

This is particularly CAS for me, just stamped and heat embossed onto white card stock.
I added some hand drawn lines and dots with a fine black Micron pen.

I ran the stamped panel through my Cuttlebug using an Embossing folder to add a little texture and then mounted it onto co-ordinating card stock for the fine green border before mounting it onto a white card.
I'm looking forward to another dose of creativity tomorrow when Barbara is back at 9-11am and then again at 2-3pm.
I'll see you there.
Hugs Kimx

A Little Bit of Christmas

Hi All
You would think that the whole world and his wife had been shopping in our little garage today.
And if I didn't know any better I would have thought that it must be Christmas with the amount of shoppers, even if the weather was all wrong for the festive season, so maybe that is why I have chosen to share a couple of Christmas cards with you tonight.

I made these using bits from my Christmas box.
They are quite small, but that was nice to do for a change.

If memory serves the small Holly panel is from a Hobby Art Christmas clear stamp set.

The gold embossed Snowflakes on the red card panels are all cut from one large background stamp.

The snowflakes on the white card have been stamped in gold using a lovely Magnolia stamp.
They seem to be predicting more very hot weather over the weekend, so I will be indoors. I really don't do sunshine, perhaps I was a vampire in another life lol.
By the way don't forget to set the recorder for Barbara's TV appearances on Saturday (Create and Craft Sky channel 671 - In The Classroom 11-1pm) and Sunday (9-11am and 2-3pm)
Have a great weekend.
Hugs Kimx

Take Three Girls

Evening Everyone,
Well today has thankfully been a much more normal day, no major dramas. I have also finally managed to finish all of the DT cards that are being collected on Friday.
So here we are with another of the cards that I made for Barbara's last TV show.

The 'Three Girls' have been stamped using the 'Kissing Technique'.
I inked each of the girls using Colourbox Pigment inks and then 'kissed' the image with a clean stamp to remove ink leaving a pattern.
Stamp and emboss the 'kissed' image and there you have it.

I added lots of tiny dots, my new favourite thing to do, and so much quicker than it looks. The green panel in the background has been created using Multiple Resist.
I hope that tomorrow proves to be a nice easy and uneventful day, but as we are having a new till system installed I some how think that that might be a vain hope.
Hugs Kimx