A Monochrome Christmas

Evening Everyone,
I'm afraid that we are still no nearer any sunshine in my neck of the woods, in fact I'm quite surprised that we haven't all developed webbed feet and gills!!
Maybe I can scare the sun in to putting in an appearance by posting a couple of Christmas cards.

There are a couple of Christmas challenges that are looking for Monchromatic cards so I decided that that was a good place to start when making some more Christmas cards.

Once again I have managed to use up some more pieces from my Christmas bits box.
It is looking a little less full these days, but only because I had a bit of a sort out and gave my friend Sylvie a pile of bits that she might be able to make cards with.
Once she has made them into cards she sends them to a charity shop who have been selling them and donating all of the proceeds to the charity that her son supports. He recently finished a magnificent run along the canals that took him a week to complete. Sorry I can't remember the exact details and I don't want to give incorrect info so I will have to check it out tomorrow and let you know.

This next card uses very similar ingredient, a piece of Moonshadow background paper which has been stamped over, a Hero Arts snowman, and Hobby Art greeting.

Don't forget the dye based ink and bleach that I have used to paint the snowman.
I am entering these into the following challenges
Winterwonderland - Monochrome
Weekly Christmas Card challenges - Monochrome
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Anything Goes.
Hugs Kimx

No Cards, Tags or ATCs at Crafty Cardmakers challenge no 70.

Evening Everyone.
This week we see the start of a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.
Our Hostess this week is Carole and she would like you to make anything EXCEPT a card, tag or ATC - for example it could be a gift bag, a box, a bookmark, something knitted, something sewn - just NO cards, tags or ATCs!!!
I'm so glad that I had to get my pictures taken yesterday as it has been pouring with rain here all day.

I must confess to a little bit of cheating with my project, in that it was actually made a number of years ago.
I have been so busy recently (with things that I am not in a position to share yet) that I just didn't have the time to make anything new. I hope that I am forgiven.

The cover to the Memory Album was made out of very thick card. I think it was actually some carrier sheets that come with some 12 x 12 papers.
I painted them with Moonshadow ink and then tapped screwed up copy paper into the ink while it was wet to give some texture.
The stamped panel was made using versamark ink, glossy cardstock and black dye based ink. It was then matted and layered and added to the cover.

As I said in the main challenge, I have made the book, now all I need to do is buy the time to fill it.
I'm afraid that this page is as far as I have got, and was made at the same time as the Album.
Please tell me that you all have loads of started projects like this, it will make me feel sooo much better lol.

The young man in the picture is my late son Adam.
I would never make a true scrapbooker (is that a real word?) as I never want to cut the pictures up, so as you might have guessed this is a photocopy!!

The text was stamped onto black card using a white Stazon ink pad. I'm afraid that I have very little info on any of the stamps used - another consequence of using a project made some time ago.

The fastenings for the album is the Rollabind system (not sure if it is still available) but you could use the Bind-it-All machine instead.
I do hope that you will join us for our latest challenge HERE
Off to bed now.
Hugs Kimx

Make it for a Man at The Stampman

Evening Everyone.
I hope that you are all now ready for your long weekend.
Somehow I have managed to get into major creative mode now that I know I haven't got to get up at 5am. It's a shame that I didn't feel the same during last week as I am now so far behind with everything. Still never mind I don't like the sunshine anyway so if it rains it will be a good excuse to be indoors crafting, not that I need an excuse you understand.
Anyway today saw the start of the latest challenge over at The Stampman, and we are looking for you to 'Make it for a Man'

I wasn't sure quite where to start with this challenge since like a lot of people I find cards for men much harder to make, so I decided that the best place to start was my 'Bits Box' to see if anything inspired me.

I do love leaf stamps and I think they are always good for masculine cards so when I came across a piece of background made using Moonshadow ink - Smoky Sapphire and Van Dyke Sepia and some cling film, I decided that that was a good place to start with the addition of a few leaves.

I stamped leaves from Stampendous SSC023 - Summer Leaves randomly over a square of the premade background and embossed them with Stampendous Aged Silver embossing enamel.

I added some extra leaves stamped with Walnut Stain distress ink and black versafine before mounting the panel onto a square white card.

Of course before I attached it to the card I wrapped some Bakers Twine around the panel and added a greeting from Woodware FRCL171 - All Through the Year.
This was cut out using a Nestie and I also added some stamped leaves using Walnut Stain ink. The white card had also had leaves stamped over it and a fine black stiched line drawn onto it.
I hope that you will join us this time, and of course don't forget to check out what my lovely Teamies have made.
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kimx

With Love from Clarity

Evening All
I hope that you have been having a great weekend.
I have spent part of it working on new samples for Barbara's next TV appearance on Saturday and Sunday the 5th and 6th of May.
I can't believe how far into the year we are already, it's quite scary really, the weeks just seem to be rushing by.
Of course I can't share the art work with you until the show has aired so you have to be content with a card that I made some weeks ago using one of her stamps.

I inked the stamp using my distress ink pads, and then stamped it again without re-inking it, having embossed the first image.
Yes you can emboss dye based inks, you just have to be a bit quicker applying the embossing powder than with a pigment ink.

I cut the trees out using a Nestie and added a hand stitched border with a fine black pen.
'With Love' is also a Clarity stamp. I added a few tiny dots along the tree trunk.

The background to the card has been made using the fabulous Moonshadow Inks from The Stampman.
You will find a tutorial on how to make this type of background paper over on Vixykins blog, so why not pop over and check it out. More inky fingers involved, but it's great fun.
Crumbs, is that the time, I had better go and have my shower now so I get a few extra minutes in bed tomorrow.
Night, night.
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

Happy Christmas Everyone

Well I'm afraid I failed miserably when it comes to posting any more of my Christmas cards. My excuse is that I have been at work all week at the garage, and I have had to fit blogging in around everything else.
You would be amazed at how busy we have been all day today, with people coming in to buy their M&S goodies with out having to go to a main store. We are only a medium sized petrol station but we have had 5 tills open and customers queing all day.
It's crazy isn't it - all this for one day, still it is Christmas I suppose he he.
I also had my very own Santa today. A regular customer insisted on buying me a bottle of Cava - 'for being so lovely all Year' How nice was that!!
Any way I thought I would share one last Christmas card with you, made for a very special lady, my Mum.
It is made using some of the fabulous Moonshadow Inks and Moonglow embossing powders from The Stamp Man.
I do love making background papers and these inks are just wonderful for that.
The panel in the centre of the card is made with ultrathick embossing powder which has then had some of the moonglow embossing powder added to the final layer before the stamp has been pressed into it.
It may not be the most traditional of Christmas cards but I love it.
I had better close now. I have to be at work again tomorrow at 6am (we are open 24/7 365 days a year, and Friday is my day to work!!) Still it is actually quite a nice day to work as everyone is in a good mood and then when I get home dinner will be ready :)
The grandchildren are just getting their letters, mince pies and drinks ready to leave for Santa, and of course a carrot for the reindeer. They are so excited. We have been tracking Father Christmas on the internet - oh how times change!!
Any way I just want to wish everyone a Wonderful Christmas, and a very Happy New Year. I hope you have a fabulous day tomorrow.
Love and best wishes
Kimx