Woodware Challenge week 18 Something for the Boys

Evening Everyone
I made this yesterday in preparation for my class at Davina's this evening.
I am entering it into the Woodware challenge HERE, where the theme is Something for the Boys.
I think that it also fits the challenge on the Woodware USA blog, where it is Happy Fall Y'All !!
Maybe the link is a little tenuous but I think it would make a nice gift for a man so I guess it might fit after all.

The class was making notebooks using the Zutter Bind it All machine, so I made this one using some lovely Autumn Leaves from a Stampendous stamp set. Very masculine. Well I think so anyway lol.
The notebook is actually made to fit a large post it note pad, very useful for listing all those little jobs that you need him to do lol.

The covers have been made from some pieces of mount board and I have sponged dye based inks all over them. Cover one side of each piece of card at a time.
When you have sponged colour all over the surface, stamp the leaves randomly using the same ink pad. I have used the Spice Big and Juicy pad.

Once you have finished stamping apply clear embossing powder to the entire thing. Since the colour has been sponged onto the card it will stay wet for a lot longer and enables the powder to stick. Once the powder has been heated and cooled stamp over the entire thing with an Artimeo word background stamp using Timber Brown Stazon ink.

Originally I had stamped 'Notes' direct on to the cover but I didn't like it so a well placed nestie hides a multitude of sins.
Unfortunately tonight's class never went ahead, but at least this is one less Christmas prezzie that I will have to make.
Off to bed now.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Look what I did with my Mini File Folders for the Woodware Challenge

Morning All
Well here, as promised, is my entry in to the Woodware Challenge.

I must confess that when these little file folders arrived in the post from Dorothy I did wonder what on earth I was going to do with them, but having shown my endeavours to the family we have come up with lots of other ideas for the little booklets that they make.

I sponged three of the largest folders with Antique Linen Distress ink and sprayed them with Glimmer Mist.
I then stamped around all of the edges with the dotted flower from the Woodware clear stamp set FRCL153 Flora.

Each page has then been stamped and embossed with one of the other stamps from the set using Sepia Versafine ink. I have coloured these images using ink from a Mountain Meadow Big and Juicy ink pad.

I have stamped and embossed greetings on to each page from several different Woodware stamp sets FRCL154 Salutations, FRCL080 Mixed Greetings and FRCL085 Oriental Style Alphabet.

Finally I have stuck the folders together to form a little booklet using DSST and then added a stitched border using a fine black Micron pen.

I also added some crystals to the image on the front as well as a few tiny peel-off dots on all of the pages.

I had hoped to add some small photos to it but time just got away from me
I thought that it would make a lovely gift for my Mum whose birthday is tomorrow.
It is a shame that they don't come in a slightly bigger size (there are 4 different sizes on each sheet but they all get smaller than this) but I can certainly see myself using them again.
My daughter suggested that if she had lots of journaling to do on a Scrapbook page a little booklet like this would be ideal to tuck into a pocket on the page. My Sin-in-law suggested that a booklet of little pictures and sayings to look at and give someone a lift if they were feeling down would be another idea. And they have already asked me to make one as a Christmas present full of little photos.
I hope that my idea will inspire you to give them a try.
Now I really must get on with some more design team work.
Don't forget to tune in to Create and Craft later today and again tomorrow to watch Jenny from Hobby Art.
I will try and post again this evening as I have so much to share with you. Have a good day.
Love and hugs
Kimx

A Challenge at Sketch and Stash

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you are all safe and haven't suffered with all the terrible rioting that we have been experiencing.
It has been really scary watching the images on the TV and in the papers,of buildings that I know being burned to the ground.

The card that I have for you this evening was made for my Aunt and Uncle's Wedding Anniversary this Friday.
I have used the Sketch over at Sketch and Stash so I would like to enter it into the challenge.
The stamped and sponged panel has been created using a lovely Hero Arts stamp H5424 Exotic Bloom that I bought when I was last at SirStampalot.

I have stamped and embossed the image a couple of times using white embossing powder and then I have sponged all over using one of my trusty Big and Juicy ink pads.
The greeting is from Woodware.
I layered the panel, which I have cut out using a Nestie, over some background papers from my stash.
The panel has been padded using silicon, a technique which I will be teaching at Lavender Lane this weekend, along with how to make the flowers.

The main flower has been made using Chinese Rose, a fairly new Marianne Creatable that I have only just got around to playing with.
Of course if you look closely you will see that Magnolia swirl stamp that I like so much.
I hope that you like it. One of the boys at work did, I have to make another one to send to his Girl friend lol.
Stay safe.
Love and hugs
Kimx

A brayered background

Evening
Wow, isn't the first day back after a holiday hard. I always seem to have to play catch up on all those things that apparently only I can do lol.
One of the main reasons for my few days away was to spend last Saturday teaching a lovely group of ladies who call themselves the Camstampers. They meet once a month in Offord D'Arcy and I was invited to join them by Ellen who I first met at Sirstampalot some time ago.
They provided me with numerous cups of coffee and a lovely lunch and I in turn taught them three separate techniques.

One of the things that they had specifically asked that I cover was brayering. Barbara Grey I am not. As you can see I have not yet perfected the 'flick' and therefore get lines in my backgrounds.

The main brayered panel has been created using a big and juicy ink pad and screwed up copy paper. I have then stamped and embossed Hobby Art Just for You and Hero Arts Leaf Cluster across the panel in black.

By cutting the panel into three before mounting it onto co-ordinating background papers I have helped to disguise the lines, I hope :)
As Julie Hickey always taught me ' It's never a mistake, it's always an opportunity!'
I have also used a Martha Stewart border punch and a Magnolia DooHickey to embellish the panels.
Well I was pleased with it, and the ladies seemed to enjoy themselves so that really is all that counts.
Off to bed now. Nite nite
Love and hugs
Kimx

What miserable weather we're having........

Hi All
What miserable weather we are having today. That to me seems the perfect excuse to sit and craft, as if I needed one :)

Let hope that these cards will bring a little bit of sunshine to the day. Once again they have been made using the Clarity Allium stamps from the last TV show. I have inked them using a Big and Juicy ink pad and then spritzed the stamp with water before stamping the image onto white card stock.

I have stamped and embossed the greeting Sending A Little Note onto the panel which has been trimmed and given a stitched border. I have stamped one of the Allium down the right hand side of the purple panel using a white brilliance ink pad.

The panel on this second card has been created in the same way using the same stamps.

This time I have used Versamark to stamp down the right hand side of the purple panel.
I hope they have cheered up your day.
I've had a little break form the cards while I watch Gulliver's Travels with the Grandchildren so I guess its back to the craft room now that it has finished.
Happy Crafting
Love and hugs
Kimx

White Embossed Resist

Evening Everyone
These are a couple of cards made from some of the sample pieces that I created whilst demoing at the weekend, at Ally Pally.

They are all made with panels of white embossed resist. This card uses my favourite Hobby Art clear stamp set Anna's Collection - Just for You and a Melon Melody Kaleidacolour ink pad.

The card stock was purchased at the show from Limetree Crafts

This card uses the same stamps but a Big and Juicy ink pad this time.

 The background paper mount has been cut out using a Nestie and then the card has been embellished with some peel-off dots and crystals.

 This is again the same stamps and ink pad, and even background paper, but this time I have used a punch along the bottom of the panel and then mounted it over a piece of ribbon. Finishing touch - Card Candy.

And don't forget some crystals along the punched edge.
Look at the time, another late post. Where does the time go to??
Love and hugs
Kimx

Claritys Naked Tree..........

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just have so much to do that you don't know where to start and so you end up doing nothing???
Well I have been having one of those. All my good moves to get on top of everything seem to have gone out of the window at the moment and now I am back to square one. Oh well onwards and upwards I suppose.
This is a card that I made for Barbara's TV show at the beginning of the year, and as the naked tree is featuring again in her new show this Sunday (Create and Craft sky channel 671 11am - 1pm Sunday 6th June) I thought it appropriate to share it.
I hope that I haven't posted it before, although I know that I meant to. I have just spent ages scrolling through all of my posts but can't find it so I assume that it must have been in January when I had all my computer trouble and I didn't get to post for a month.
I won't be able to get much catching up done today as my old Primary School is having a 50th birthday reunion today and I am attending with my Mum and Sister. It will be fun to try and remember how it looked all those years ago when I went there - it was new then lol. I wonder if I will recognise anybody, I will let you know.
Hope that you have a good weekend.
Bye for now
Love Kimx

New Hobby Art flowers

Hello everyone, I can't believe it, a post before 10pm :-)
Not sure how that happened but it does mean that I haven't played this evening. Perhaps I will after dinner.
I did get to play last night though with stamps hot off the press from Hobby Art. Jenny does like to throw a challenge my way. New stamps delivered Monday could I possibly have something by Thursday. No pressure then lol.The card is made from one of their new clear stamps sets, and has been designed by my good friend Anna. They are just fabulous. I love flowers, as you may have guessed, and these will make great backgrounds, and will bleach and, and.......oh the possibilities are endless.
Of course Thursday really means Wednesday evening so that Anna could rush into the garage this morning and pick them up from me on her way to Hobby Art, so it really wasn't very long to play, but at least I got this card finished and have a host of other ideas which I will just have to work on later.
The background was made with a big and juicy ink pad and then the flowers were coloured in using the same pad. My close ups definately don't do them justice.
I really must get to pick up my new glasses cause everything looks a little blurred and I'm not sure if its just me or the photography.
Must go now, dinner is ready. Maybe I will get to play a little later.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

More flowers

Evening Everyone, me again.
I just can't seem to get away from flowers at the moment.
Here is another of the cards that I made for the brayering class at Lavender Lane.
I used one of the wonderful Big and Juicy ink pads - brilliant for brayering - and such wonderful autumnal colours.
I found some double sided paper for the flowers in my stash which matched perfectly.
The main image has been stamped and embossed over a piece of resist background.
I added some pigment ink and embossing power to the punched flowers which definitely shows them to best advantage.
The Martha Stewart punch completes the card, along with the inevitable crystals - a must for flower centres!!
Hope you like it, and aren't too fed up with flowers.
Happy Stamping.
Love Kimx

Not a flower in sight!!!

Evening Everyone, or should that be Good night!
I really must try to post at a more reasonable time of the day, still better late than never I suppose.
I thought that I would share another one of the cards that I made at Lavender Lane on Saturday. As well as making flowers we also had a class on brayering.
There are lots of wonderful backgrounds techniques that you can create with a brayer and the resist technique is just one of them.

I stamped the checkered background on glossy card stock with a versamark ink pad, heated it , and then brayered dye based ink over the top.
As I have said before the effect is like magic painting for grown ups. Once I have made the background I have stamped and embossed the trees in black.
This makes for a very masculine card, which makes a change, and there is not a flower in sight, at least not on this one. Lots more to share tomorrow but I really must get some sleep.
Nite
Love Kimx

The wonders of modern technology!!!!

Good Morning everyone.
Well once again I have been defeated by technology.
There I was all ready to blog and share the brayered cards that I will be teaching today (Saturday 13th) at Lavender Lane, and then what a surprise - no internet connection - and I was on such a roll.
I just don’t know what it is with me and the internet, I seem cursed.Anyway here are two of the cards ideas that I am sharing with the ladies on the class.
I’ve always loved brayering, but my style is totally different from Barbara‘s. I don’t seem to be able achieve the paler backgrounds that she creates so beautifully. Mine always seem to work better with a darker more dramatic finish. Maybe it’s the stamps that I generally have to work with which seem to favour the darker look. Still isn’t it a good job that we both do different things with a brayer, it would be very boring if it was all the same.
The first card makes use of a resist technique - magic painting for grownups. A versamarked image on glossy cardstock with dye based ink brayered over the top, and hey presto the image ‘pops through’ just like magic painting when you were a child.
The tree has been stamped and embossed at the side of the resist greeting. As it is dye based ink I have been able to bleach out the top of the trees - what a surprise!!
The brayered panel at the centre of the second card has been created by applying scrunched cling film to a previously brayered background. Before you lay the cling film over the brayering spritz it with some water. Glimmer mist or something similar works really well with this technique.
You have to be patient and allow the card to completely dry before removing the Clingfilm. Your patience will be rewarded by the most amazing backgrounds which always remind me of ‘Jack Frost on the window pane’
I know I'm old cause I remember it being on the inside of the window pane, very pre-central heating. Now I think the nearest you get to seeing it is in your car on a frosty morning - I think I’ll stick with the central heating and create the effect myself on a piece of card lol.
I hope they all have fun playing today. Its amzing how many different pieces of background can be created using exactly the same inkpads and stamps, I always pick up some new ideas from everyone..
I hope you like the cards.
Lets hope I have better luck with the internet today.
Happy stamping.
Love Kimx

Clarity show part 2

Good Evening All.
Finally torn myself away from my craft room for a few moments to post.
Did you catch Barbara's show, it is so nice when you see your work on the TV, makes it all worth while.
If you did catch the show you will have seen every demonstrators worst nightmare. Table all laid out, products on display and a big empty space where the samples should be.OMG
Good old Barbara she acted like the true professional that she is and didn't seem phased by it. Me I would have gone to pieces, maybe that is why she goes on the telly and I don't.
Anyway just thought that I would let you see a couple more of the cards that I made for the show.
This was another set that was a joy to work with. I really am a lucky girl, I get to play with fabulous stamps in my spare time.
I hope you like the artwork, I have to sign off now as I have to get a reasonably early night as I am back at my real job at 6am tomorrow. Well I have to fund my craft habit somehow don't I. And besides I still need to play a little more before bedtime.
Have a lovely evening. Will try and post again tomorrow.
Lets see how long this lasts, more than two days I hope.
Happy stamping
Love Kimx

I'm back at last!!

Well I'm back at last, so here's wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!
Very belated I know and not a very good start to the blogging year, but our internet has been down since Christmas - what is it with me and technology, and I was going to be so good this year :)
I have so much to share with you all, I just don't know where to start.
I have just finished work on the samples for Barbara's second TV show this year. It is on tomorrow, Sunday 7th February at 2pm Create and Craft channel 671.
I managed to deliver them myself this time, even invited myself for coffee - still I did bring the muffins, M&S of course!! Last time it involved a panic phone call and a knight in shining 4x4 collecting them on the way to filming thanks to all the snow.
I'm sure that Barbara wouldn't mind if I give you a sneak peek of one of the stamp sets that she will be using, isn't she just fabulous. Very ethereal, wonderful to stamp with and she works really well with these watery inked backgrounds.
I think that these cards are probably my favourite of the ones that I have made this time but let me know what you think. I will try and post a couple of cards a day in a bid to catch up with all the things that I have to show you. You never know I might even post more than once a day if I can tear myself away from my craft desk.
I am working on the classes that I will be teaching at Lavender Lane next Saturday, so you never know maybe I will give you a sneak peek of them as well.
It's lovely to be back.
Happy stamping
Love Kimx