Anything but a Card at CCM

Well as I predicted, my toothache really has got the better of me.
The antibiotics took nearly a week to kick in and I have been popping painkillers like they were going out of fashion, all of which left me feeling sick all the time. How my daughter Becki put up with it for the entire 9 months of her pregnancy I will never know. I could barely manage a week!!
I think part of the problem is that I don't usually take any pills at all so my system is struggling to cope.
I started to feel a whole lot better at the end of last week after another emergency appointment to drain the infection, and my bank balance can look forward to a huge hit when I start treatment for a root canal filling.........oh joy!
On a much happier note Chloe is gorgeous, and Emma is being a very helpful 'Big Sister' despite co-incidentally hitting the terrible twos.
I have been working on Thank you cards for all the wonderful prezzies that the Girls have been given, but as I can't share them yet I though that instead I would show you the picture frames that I made for a recent class.

We have a new challenge starting today over at CCM where our host Angela is looking for Anything But a Card so these fitted the bill perfectly.

I recently held a class where we made picture frames using some old wood mounted stamps.

This frame uses a Magenta stamp which has been coloured in using Watercolour Pearlex.
The floral embellishment is from Stampin Up

This frame uses the same Magenta stamp

and some Hero Art floral stamps.

This frame uses a very old Penny Black frame stamp. It was actually made many years ago but will make a fabulous Christmas gift.

It is the perfect image for some decoupage, although now I would prefer to use silicon glue to attach the cut out images.
I hope that you will find the time to join in with our challenge which runs for the next two weeks, just remember that we are only looking for Anything but a card.
Have a great week.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Happy Valentines Day

Evening Everyone,
Friday at last, and a Happy Valentines Day to you All as well.
I hope that you have all been suitably pampered and indulged.
Before the current flooding, and before all of our Valentines stock was transferred to another store, (My Boss had to carry it all across the bridge to his car bit by bit) we were expected to dress up and make the day special for our customers.

It was difficult to know quite what to do, so in the end we settled on pink as the colour theme, and I volunteered to make badges for everyone.

Because I have been trying to keep on top of things I had all of the badges made already, so despite the lack of stock, or customers for that matter, we wore them today, even if we didn't dress up. So much for forward planning, that will teach me to try and get ahead.

I used heart shaped nesties, Kraft card and very old Penny Black paper for the badge base, and then added a flower and leaves die cut using DooHickey and Stampin Up dies, and other papers from my stash.

The names have been added using die cut letters.

I made the Boss's badge a little bit different so that he stood out as our leader.
I even took some colouring in to work with me today.
The days really drag at the moment, I couldn't face another day of standing around doing very little. There is only so many times that you can clean the same till area.
I hope that you all have a good weekend.
hugs Kimx

A Birthday Card for Barbara

Evening Everyone,
On Tuesday it was the birthday of the lovely Barbara Grey, and this is the card that I made for her.

I'm rather hoping that she got so many cards that she won't notice that mine will be fashionably late as always lol.

I have, of course, used a Clarity stamp Snowdrop which has been stamped and embossed onto a piece of background paper created using the Faux Mother of Pearl technique.
The background papers are from my stash, although I have added some subtle stamping around the edges.
Happy Birthday is part of another Clarity Corner stamp.

I added some buttons made with a Stampin Up die and some metallic clips. I hope she likes it, when it finally arrives.
I started my holiday this afternoon, and am writing this from my 'Crafty Corner' at SirStampalot.
My table was ready for me on arrival along with a 'Challenge' pile and a crate for my shopping lol.
Why not stop by and say Hello, I'm here for over a week.
Hugs Kimx 

A Christmas card for Fetch a Sketch challenge 19

Evening everyone,
I have been babysitting this evening while my Daughter and Sin-in-Law went to Megan's first Parents Evening at Secondary School.
Of course we had to watch our favourite babysitting film Mulan and eat Cream and Caramel eggs.
Yes I am a bad Mamma, fill them full of sugar and E numbers just before bedtime. Still I did brush their teeth so I'm not all bad lol.

I have joined in with the latest challenge over at Fetch a Sketch and came up with another Christmas card.

The stamped panel was once again created using Stampin Up stamps and ink only this time I cut it into 9 squares and mounted them onto white card stock.

I tapped pine cone ink around the edges of each square, before mounting them onto the small white card.

I would also like to enter this into the picture inspired challenge over at Weekly Christmas Card challenges.

I had better get to bed now. 

I'm off to SirStampalot tomorrow for my holiday. Lots of late nights and early mornings, I am soooo looking forward to it.

Maybe you will pop in and say Hi, I look forward to seeing you.

Hugs Kimx

A Card for 52(Christmas) Card Throwdown

Evening Everyone,
Just a quick post tonight.
This is a card that I have made to enter into the challenge over at 52(Christmas) Card Throwdown, where this week they are looking for Red, Green and Blue, and of course a Christmas card.

The main stamped panel was made using a Stampin Up stamp and ink pad. The bauble has been stamped multiple times onto white card before re-inking.
I added a panel of chequered paper punched down one side using my Woodware Crafty Edger Japanese Fan cassette.

The greeting is also from Stampin Up. I have added some metallic nailheads and tiny drops of Glossy Accents   to the baubles.
Off to bed now, nite, nite.
Hugs Kimx

A couple of Thank You cards

Evening Everyone,
I don't know about you, but I have a drawer full of cards that I have made over the years.
Sometimes there is one there that is ready to go, although  most of the time I have to make something new because what is there is some how just not quite right lol.
These cards were made quite some time ago using a stamp that I got at a Stampin Up party.

Both of these cards use background paper made from Adirondack Colourwash inks.
As you may have guessed I do like playing around with inks and creating backgrounds.

The background on this first card has been made by spraying white card stock with a combination of Denim and Wild Plum ink sprays. This has then had cling film placed over it to create this stunning effect.
If the card stock is not quite wet enough when the clingfilm is applied, then the inks will not blend and it leaves a spotty effect, which can be seen in some places on this card.
I painted some of the images with thin undiluted bleach, another of my favourite ingredients to play with.

This second card has been made in the same manner as the first only I didn't use any cling film once I had sprayed the card.
Because the ink is water based, a wet paint brush will help to move it around without the need for any extra ink, so this is how I have painted the leaves.

I added a couple of extra images to both of the cards.
My daughter Becki gave these to the Nurses at the hospital where she completed her 2nd year placement recently.
I have my uses it would appear, even if it is only to provide handmade greetings cards lol.
Happy Crafting
hugs Kimx

Only just made it to Sketch Saturday

Evening Guys
So much for having a day off and a lie in. I don't seem to have stopped today what with one thing and another, but I have managed to post three times so I suppose it can't be all bad. I still haven't done my homework yet though so I really must get on with it when I finish this post before the entries to the CCM challenge hits the 300 mark!!!!
Boy am I glad I don't have to choose a winner this week.
I have managed to get one card finished today and I am entering it into the challenge at Sketch Saturday.

This has been made for Andy,the husband of my friend Anna. His birthday is actually on Monday, the same day as me, but as he doesn't follow my blog, I think I am safe in sharing it with you tonight.

I'm afraid that once again I have been using stuff from my 'bits box' so all I can tell you is that the pieces at the back of the card are made using distress ink and walnut stain ink. I can't remember which stamp it is or even which company makes it - sorry :(
I do know that the greeting is by Hobby Art.

The heron is from a Stampin Up set stamped onto a piece of handmade background paper. I think it was made with alcohol inks but I wouldn't swear to it lol.
I'm afraid I haven't left you much time to enter the challenge yourself this week, but maybe you will check it out anyway.
Off to do my homework before I get a detention.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Woodware Challenge week 8 - Anything but a card

Evening Everyone,
Well that's the end of my couple of days away from work, back to the grind tomorrow.
I have been beavering away with various projects today including getting Saskia's birthday card ready for Sunday. One down, only Ciaran's to do now, but that will have to wait for a couple of days as I am teaching on Wednesday and then again on Saturday so I had better get some class prep done. In fact I have so enjoyed my break that I completely forgot to remind you about Jenny being on the box three times today, sorry. I will try and share some of my samples from her shows over the next couple of days.

The challenge this week over at Woodware is Anything but a Card. I made these picture frames quite some time ago, but they fit the theme perfectly I think.

The main part of the frame has been made using an old Magenta stamp 26.003.R Decorative Frame which I must admit I couldn't find on the Woodware web site. The flower on this one is from Stampin Up.

Both frames have been painted using US Artquest Micacolor Palettes. I love to paint with these, although unfortunately the photos don't do justice to the lustre that they bring to the image.

The flowers on the second frame are made by Hero Arts. Sorry Dorothy, but at least I made the effort to enter lol.
Oh dear another late night. That's always the trouble with having a little bit of a lie in, you don't feel tired till late. I just hope it doesn't catch up on me too soon.
Thanks for stopping by, and do please leave a comment, I so love to read them all. And of course don't forget to enter the challenge.
Nite, nite.
Love Kimx

Dazzling Diamonds..............

Evening Ladies, I'm sorry for the lateness of the post - normal service has been resumed he he :)
As you probably know I am NOT a Stampin Up demonstrator although I have long bought their products.
Well I have just spent a wonderfully 'Crafty' day with several good friends, and some new ones, at Dazzling Diamonds Stamporama in New Addington.


I am apparently responsible for more than one persons crafting addictions so with this in mind I was honoured to be asked to be a special guest designer when Sharon and her Stampin Up team, Michelle, Patricia and Sue organised today's fun filled day.
It truly was jam packed full of projects, gifts and food and I created a project to share with everyone.

I decided to make a mini Easel card, and although the project had to use Stampin Up products I just couldn't help adding a couple of extra touches so in crept my Nesties and the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.


Of course Sharon HATES peel-offs so there just had to be a few dots and lines added especially for her - well it did make the peel-off snob laugh anyway lol.


I think everyone enjoyed the project, although I had obviously misunderstood my instructions. I hadn't realized that they only had half an hour in which to finish the whole thing. It's a good job I had cut most things for them - not usually my style I have to say.


Even so I couldn't just make one card. Well you have to give people choices, you have to allow for gold or silver girls and I had to use all the stamp set................good excuses don't you think :)


There were four other projects through out the day - three of them with written instructions, and all with everything provided that was needed to complete them. One even came with a set of stamps for us to keep.


The Girls are planning another event such as this in October, so watch this space for a confirmed date. I have happily offered to help again, if they would like me to.
Of course the day would not have run as smoothly as it did without the team behind the scenes. I would call them the Kitchen Queens (Sharon and Michelle's Mums), but that might offend Watson, Sharon's wonderful husband who spent the day being Chauffeur and go-fer, and didn't complain once, despite being surrounded by all these Crafty females. He's definitely a keeper Shaz, look after him.
Better go now, before I send you all to sleep with my ramblings.
Thanks for stopping by
Love and hugs
Kimx