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

So much for a nice uneventful day!!

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have all had a nice quiet uneventful day.
Ours has been quite the opposite. So much for my uninterrupted last day at home quietly making cards.
There I was having a very successful morning, hoping to get all of my top secret projects finished when there was a loud yell from the kitchen.
I rushed in to discover that our new 'Self Clean' oven had exploded during the cleaning cycle shattering the internal glass door and slowly melting the buttons and dial. We possess a fire blanket but as the oven is inside a wooden housing and smoke seemed to be coming from it I rushed down to work and borrowed an electrical fire extinguisher - just in case!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God we live so close to where I work, but next time I must remember to put something on my feet other than Kroc's, you can't do anything quickly in them.
We got Jason to come home. Not quite sure what we thought he could do, but at least he did manage to move the oven forward out of the housing so that it could cool down.
After more than half and hour on the phone being passed from one department to another we are told that we need to leave the oven where it is (half in the housing and half on the ironing board) and someone will be out to REPAIR IT on Friday.
Call us crazy but we don't want it repaired we want it gone and a brand new one in it's place.
So let's hope that this week isn't too warm as our meals are going to consist of stews cooked in the slow cooker and plenty of pasta. We might even try fish fingers in the microwave, my good friend Gill swears by them.
So please excuse a picture less post. I think my heart has stopped racing from the drama, and the sudden exercise!! but I couldn't quite get my head round photos for the blog.
Note to self - invest in a fire extinguisher, and maybe a pair of running shoes lol.
Let's hope normal service will be resumed tomorrow.
Big hugs Kimx

Happy Father's Day

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had a wonderful Father's Day. Have you been waiting on him hand and foot, just as he is supposed to do for Mother's Day?
I have spent another day chained to my desk but the Grandkids have been making sure that their Dad is looked after with a cooked 'Brunch' and plenty of cups of tea and coffee.
We also had a lovely Sunday Roast dinner, which is always a favourite with everyone.
As my own Dad is sadly no longer with us I had no need to make a Father's Day card so I thought instead that I would share this card that I made for a friend to give her Dad on his birthday last month.

Her Dad had been in the Navy for most of his adult life so she wanted something with a Nautical theme.
I had very little in the way of stamps for this so I just had to have a little bit of a spend up with Woodware.

The greeting on the map is what Vicky asked me to put on the card, it is what they call her Dad.

The ship has been coloured using Distress Inks and then the sails have been painted with thin undiluted bleach.

I used Frantage powder on some of the background images as well as Sticky Embossing Powder and Copper Leafing.
The base to the card uses one of my favourite Punch Around the Page punches which is great for Men's cards.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes or TWIST Someone Special (A Male)
Dream Valley Challenge - Father's Day / Male Theme
Totally Gorjuss - For Dad
The Hobby House - Anything Goes (The compass charm is from their collection)
The Artistic Stamper - Makes for Men
Better get to bed, it is my last day off tomorrow and I still have so much left to do. I'm hoping that the Grandchildren will wake me up before they go to school.
Hugs Kimx

Another New Arrival

Evening Everyone,
Are you having  a good weekend. The weather has been very changeable here with big black clouds overhead, which thankfully haven't come to anything so far except a few spots.

It's just as well that last time I made a card for a new baby I made a couple of extra ones for my box as we needed one today and I have had no time to make a new one.

Once again I used one of my Lili of the Valley die cuts and a combination of Grand Nesties which I bought at SirStampalot.

 It was nice to make a nice big card for a change, although of course I also had to make a box for it lol.

The sentiment is also from a Lili of the Valley stamp set and the flowers are made using a Tim Holtz die.
I would like to enter it in to the following challenges
Stampin for the Weekend - Cute
Alphabet Challenge - I for Image
Thanks for stopping by, see you again tomorrow, I hope.
Hugs Kimx

A chalked Flower

Hi All
Here we are at the weekend, yet again, I hope that the weather has been better at your end.
We actually had some sunshine here which was nice. I even left my craft room, if only very briefly, to walk down the road for some milk. Well I can't be expected to craft with out coffee now can I!!

 Among the cards that I sent last month was this one made using a very old Rubber Stampede flower stamp.

The stamped image has been coloured using chalks and it has been mounted over background papers from my stash.
I added some peel-off lines to the right hand side of the card which worked quite well I thought.
I think I might have a reasonably early night tonight and start fresh tomorrow.
Still so much to do, and so little time to do it all in.
hugs Kimx

A Clarity Birdhouse.

Evening All
I need a break for a few minutes from the card making so I thought that I would post my card for today

This was just a simple one made for the last Clarity TV show.
The Birdhouse is part of the next Classroom Kit, and I used second generation ink to stamp the image onto white card stock.

I also added all of the tiny black dots with a fine Micron pen.
Best get back to my crafting, my days off are flying by and I'm not even half way through what I have to get finished.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

A Day full of Happiness

Hi All
I've had a very productive day, how about you?
Definitely a day for staying indoors and playing, it's been pouring with rain here practically all day.
The parcel of goodies that I ordered from Woodware arrived today, so I'm sure that went a long way to helping out in the creative department lol.
I'm working on some hush hush projects at the moment, but I have a deadline that is approaching very fast. Where on earth does the time go I would like to know.

My card tonight was made a while ago, just because!!

The little lady from Magnolia, by way of SirStampalot, is called Tilda with Daisy and was coloured using my Distress Inks.

The part embossed panel was in my 'bits box' as were all of the pieces of background paper.

I added some faux stitching and finished the whole thing off with a sentiment from Lili of the Valley.
My craft table is calling, and as I don't have to get up early for work tomorrow I think I will get back to it while I am feeling inspired.
See you tomorrow.
Hugs Kimx

More Pearlex with friends

Evening Everyone
Well it definitely looks like if you blinked you missed Summer!!
I can't believe the longest day of the year is just around the corner, and the weather seems to think that we are back in the Autumn.
It has been raining here for most of the day.
Still at least that is a very good excuse to stay indoors and craft, as if I needed one that is lol.
I have just spent a very enjoyable evening with some crafty friends playing with Pearlex, so I thought that it would be the ideal opportunity to share another of the cards that I made for the class on Saturday.

 Once again I used the lovely FRCL200 All Occasions Bloom, black card stock,

 and the Vintage Pearlex Palette.

I added an Embossed panel to the back of the card which I edged with a Versamark ink pad and some Pearlex powders.

The alphabet background stamp has also been covered with Powdered Pearlex.
I have got a couple of days off now so I will be chained to my Craft desk regardless of the weather.
Happy Crafting to you all
Hugs Kimx

A Christmas Bear

Evening Everyone
What is it with technology and me? Seriously, it hates me, so I think I will just post my card and head out quick before it closes down on me again lol.
It's still quite chilly here, so another Christmas card is the order of the day I think.

I found the red and green embossed panel at the back of the card in the bottom of my Christmas bits box. It really is amazing what you find when you start rummaging, and how many years old??

The cute little bear is an old Lili of the Valley die cut.

They have more fabulous new stamps launching at midnight on the 12th of this month so I will just have to pop along and check them all out, wont I!!!!
I added a bit of glitter and glossy accents, well it is a Christmas card after all.
I had better quit while I'm ahead I think and try a more detailed post tomorrow.
Hugs to All
Kimx

A Floral Easel

Hi All
Well I really hope that the Summer weather hasn't disappeared in your neck of the woods as it has in mine.
'What a difference a day makes' as they say, it's really quite cold here.
Even though it feels like I should post a Christmas card, I will share one of the cards that I made for the class yesterday as I had hoped to do before my computer started acting up last night.
As you have guessed that is also why I am posting very early for me, just in case lol.

I created an easel card for a change using Kraft colour card and the flower stamp from a Woodware set designed by Jane Gill FRCL200 All Occasion Bloom and painted using the Vintage Pearlex Palette..

The shaped panel at the back of the card has been stamped using a Versamark ink pad and a Woodware Alphabet background and then dusted with Pearlex Powder.

The central stamped and embossed panel is also from the floral stamp set designed by Jane. I also coloured this using the Vintage Palette.

I added some extra leaves and flowers and a greeting, also from the same set.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
Allsorts Challenge - In the Garden
Alphabet Challenge - I for Image
Better go and iron my uniform and get some dinner. Maybe I will get a little crafting in before bedtime.
Hugs Kimx

My computer hates me!!!

Evening Everyone
Hasn't today been glorious, real summer weather at last.
We had a lovely class today at Davina's and fortunately not too much heat embossing to raise the temperature.
It was a very quiet and therapeutic class as they always are whenever colouring is involved.
I'm afraid that my computer is really misbehaving tonight, it has taken me nearly an hour to write these couple of lines and it won't even begin to let me add pictures so I'm afraid that the samples that I promised will have to wait until tomorrow.
Let's hope that technology likes me better then.
hugs Kimx

Just a little Taster

Evening everyone
Just a really quick post tonight with a peek at what we will be doing in class tomorrow - playing with Pearlex.

I have promised to introduce them to powdered Pearlex as well as the watercolour palettes, so the tag uses both.

The floral panel on the right uses the Vintage Watercolour palette.
Stop by tomorrow to see the card I made with it.
The 'GrandGirls' and I have been visiting this afternoon, to see my Mum, their Great Grandma or GranPat as she is affectionately known. She had been a busy lady baking flapjacks especially for our visit.
She makes THE best flapjacks and everyone has been desperate for her to get her new house complete with AGA (a type of oven) so that we can once again indulge. Very bad for the waistline, but boy are they good.
I should really be on the treadmill I suppose but sleep beckons instead. Oh well, I'll be good tomorrow, let's hope no one brings cakes to class :O)
hugs Kimx

Life could never be said to be boring.

Evening everyone
Have you had a good day? Well I never said that life was boring did I, and today was definitely far from normal.
As some of you will know I work in a petrol station, and we started the day with our usual fuel deliveries.
The first one was made by 'Mr Jobsworth' who blocked off most of the forecourt, causing utter chaos, which in my opinion was far more dangerous than allowing some traffic to get to the pumps.
Delivery no 2 was far more eventful, and involved a fire engine full of hunky firemen!!!!!
It is more than a little scary when you look out at the forecourt and see smoke coming from under the petrol tanker that has just pulled onto it.
Fortunately it was all quickly under control with the aid of an extinguisher, but the fire brigade attended as a precaution.
You would think that they would check the brake pads on a tanker wouldn't you. They had gone metal to metal and overheated which is what had caused the smoke.
Still we soon settled back to normal, and the rest of the day passed without further incident.

So my card tonight is how the poor tanker driver would rather have spent his day, it should have been his day off he was just doing some one a favour, that will teach him lol.
The card was made for my friend Vicky to give to her Dad on Father's Day.

The main image is one of the stamps in the Lili of the Valley Vintage Boys range. I actually stamped, embossed and coloured this one myself using Distress inks and then cut it out using a Nestie.

The background papers are from my stash put together following the Tutorial from Crafty Lou which can also be found on the Lili of the Valley website.

The background on the main part of the card is is a Woodware stamp designed by Jane Gill called Men We Love . I have also added all of the names by punching the individual letters from another Woodware stamp called Alphabet Background. That was definitely a labour of love, but everything else just seemed far too big.
I must say I'm feeling rather shattered, that's what a burst of adrenalin can do for you, so I think I will go and lie down lol.
hugs Kimx

An unexpected Visitor

Hi All
Are you well on this beautiful summer evening?
I was reminded a couple of days ago of just how quickly time flies.
We had an unexpected visit from a young lady who we have not seen in a long while.
I used to look after her and her elder brother when I was Childminding. In fact her brother was one of my very first full time children all those years ago!!
He will be 30 next year and has just got engaged so we had some fun finding pictures of him when he was young.
I think I will have to Facebook him so that I can send him these pictures of when he was little and cute.
Well it is a Childminder / Mother's responsibility to embarrass their charges. 'It's written into the contract'. We used to joke about that as they were all growing up so now it is time to put it into practise.
The Grandchildren thought it was fun looking through the photos because of course there were also pictures of Mum and Auntie B amongst them.
They were soooo cute back then, and how much Megan and Saskia look like them, it's uncanny.

I thought that a 'Girly' card might be appropriate tonight in honour of Amy's visit, it also goes to prove that I did  make at least one Christmas card last month.

The image is a Lili of the Valley die cut and the papers are from my stash.
Every thing else is from my Christmas bits box. It's amazing what you find when you start to look.
Hugs Kimx

Lavender and Lace

Hi All
Hasn't the weather been glorious today, maybe we are going to get some summer after all!!
One of the cards that I have had to make recently is this one ordered by a lady who comes into the BP garage where I work.
Her only request was Yellow, Lavender and Butterflies so I immediately thought of this lovely Clarity Montage stamp.
For once I was actually sensible and found my papers first instead of trying to match my coloured image to my papers. Who knew lavender was so hard to match up!!

The background papers are all from my stash and the inks were Dusty Concord and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks.

 I decoupaged the central butterfly and painted the tiny ones on the panel with thin undiluted bleach.

The Montage stamp has matching single butterflies which I am lucky enough to own, so I added a couple of them as well as a flower, lace and some die cut leaves.

I found some tiny butterfly charms in my stash and an appropriate greeting.

I never realized  I had so many butterfly related items lol.
I hand delivered the card on Monday, so no need for a box Gilly, it was actually surprisingly flat.
I would like to enter it into the following challenges
Totally Gorjuss - Anything Goes with Flowers
Make My Monday - Use Lace and/or Ribbon
Incy Wincy Designs - Bring on Spring
Hugs Kimx

Father's Day at Crafty Cardmakers

Evening Everyone

 Today we have a new challenge starting over at Crafty Cardmakers. Our host is Feebsy, who has chosen the theme of  'Father's Day'
As it's Father's Day here in the UK on 16th of June Feebsy would  like to see anything you've created for or have been inspired to make by an important male figure in your life. 
It could be anything from a card, a scrapbook page, a knitted scarf or a piece of altered art. It does not have to be specifically for Father's Day ( I don't want you spoiling a surprise for anyone) but let us know the inspiration behind your work. 

Whenever I think of my Dad, now sadly no longer with us, I always think of the garden and wild birds.
I can close my eyes now and see him sitting at the table under the window watching the wondrous array of wild birds that graced the bird table and assorted shrubs and bushes.
And there were certainly lots of them from common sparrows and blue tits to much rarer goldcrests and tiny wrens.
He could name them all.
Unfortunately in later years he was no longer able to work on the garden, and when he could it was the vegetable patch that was always his baby and flowers my Mum's province.
I remember one year when we were very young, my sister saved a baby thrush from the cat.
Surprisingly it survived and we spent that Spring digging the vegetable patch from one side to the other (and it was a very large stretch) in search of worms to feed Gus (the thrush).
That stretch of garden was never dug so well, before or since, and miraculously we were able to raise Gus until he was old enough for us to take to the local Bird Sanctuary.
So you can see why I chose this lovely stamp from Stampendous for my card.

The sentiment stamp on the right hand side is also available through WOODWARE CRAFT COLLECTION who are one of our wonderful sponsors with a £12 voucher to be spent at one of their Retailers. 

Our other sponsor this time is THE PAPER SHELTER with a $20 Gift certificate. 
Now I am not good with digi images but they do have some fabulous Digital Paper Pads so I bought a couple of them and used some of the designs from one set on my card. 

The feathers and buttons are also from Woodware.

I would like to enter this in to the following challenges

Brown Sugar Challenge - Masculine Birthday

Sweet Stampin Challenge - Fathers Day

ABC Challenges - Masculine Cards

I hope that you pop along and join us this time. 

Don't forget that the Girls from Woodware will be playing along with us every day this week so stop by and show them some love as well as the rest of the CCM  team.

Happy Crafting.

hugs Kimx

All that Jazz

Evening Everyone
Another really quick post again tonight.Where does the time go to at the weekend?
One minute it was 5pm and I had plenty of time, and the next minute its 10.30 and I need to blog before I get to bed. Oh well!!

Another card made for Barbara's show this weekend. Unfortunately this one didn't get shown, and the pictures are not the best I'm afraid.

 The 'Jazz' panels are made using a Sticky Ink pad and Gilding Flakes,

and the stamping in the background on the black card has been done using thin undiluted bleach.
Back tomorrow with a card for the new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers, so I hope to see you then.
Hugs Kimx

A Birdhouse

Evening Everyone
Have you had a wonderful craft filled day, I have.
I started off the day with a couple of hours of Barbara on the Box. She always manages to come up with something stunning, makes my little offering seem very insignificant by comparison.
Still she does say some nice things about me so they can't be that bad I suppose.

Here is one from the latest parcel that I sent her. You never know you might get to see it tomorrow when she is back on the box.

I confess that it is actually one of those cards that started off in the discard pile, but after some sponging and Distress Markers I actually rather like it!!
Better get some sleep, I have another commission to finish tomorrow.
Night night
Hugs Kimx