Better Late than Never.... and a very Happy Birthday to Two Special People

Hi All,
Well not quite the morning post that I had hoped but I made it at last.

Here is the card that I made for the latest challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers where our host Lin has chosen the theme of 'Birthday' to help celebrate the launch of the challenge 4 years ago.
Our sponsors this time are HOBBY ART and DI'S DIGISTAMPS.

With this in mind I have chosen to use a lovely new HOBBY ART design Sharon's Birthday Vase for my card. 

I stamped the vase onto Woodware watercolour card, which I am loving, and then coloured the image using Distress Inks.

I paper pieced the vase using some of the background papers and then cut the image out using one of my numerous Circular Nesties. Of course I had to add some faux stitching.

The background to the main card has been made using background papers from my stash and a Hexagon Die.
Yes it is a little time consuming distressing the edges, putting it all back together and then adding the stitching, but it is so worth the effort I think.

I wanted to add Birthday Greetings to the card but without hiding the background, so the obvious answer was Timber Brown Staz-on and some acetate.
I hid the silicon under the vase but added some brads to the corners of the acetate panel to make sure that it remained flat and in place.
Why not check out the challenge and see what the rest of the team have come up with to inspire you.
While we are on the subject of Birthdays today is a special day for two very special little people.
Saskia and Ciaran are 6.
I cannot believe where that time has gone to. It seems only yesterday that I was picking Megan and Reece up from school, in the pouring rain I might add!!!!, so that we could go and visit their brand new baby Brother and Sister.
I wonder if there will be a royal birth today? That would certainly make it easy to remember.
Have a great evening. I am sitting in the doorway at Sirstampalot catching a lovely evening breeze while the ladies are beavering away at Christmas Club.
Hugs to all, and especially Ciaran and Sas.
Kimx

I'm a really bad blogger

Hi All
I'm sorry, I'm a really bad DT blogger aren't I.

There you were expecting to see my card for the Crafty Cardmakers challenge, and all you have is a sneak peek.
Well I do have an excuse, another one I hear you all say!!
I'm in Peterboro, and it's hot, and I'm tired.
There I admit it, I'm rubbish in this heat.
I've come up to SirStampalot for a few days to work on some DT stuff and the journey has done me in.
How do people travel on the train and underground every day??
I couldn't do it for a day let alone a lifetime.
So I am going go and get some sleep, and I will try and get my post done tomorrow morning before it gets too hot, and anything else conspires to stop me.
Stick with me folks, I hope that you will consider it worth it.
hugs Kimx

Fire Update

Evening Everyone,
Now I know that some of you will have come my way via the new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers.
I know that I should be posting my card, but to be honest I am feeling too knackered to do it justice so I'm going to be late to the party and post tomorrow, Sorry.
On the home front, or my daughter's home front at least, the clean up has been on going all day with her partner on his hands and knees for most of it (Evidence on facebook) lol.
Becki has been feeling pretty rough which is probably to do with all of the crap that she inhaled, but at least they are both safe, and the cat has ventured out from under the kitchen cupboards so that is a step in the right direction.
Stay safe and big hugs to all
Kimx

The best laid plans..........

Hi All
Are you having a wonderful Sunday? I am seriously struggling with the heat, even though it is possibly a little cooler today than yesterday.
I can't manage outside, and I have even had to switch the lights off in my craft room to cool it down a little which has of course made crafting rather difficult.
I hope that I can get some inspiration going later today as I have two very special birthday cards for next week and at the moment I am getting no where fast.

STOP THE PRESS

I started writing this post this afternoon with every intention of getting back to my desk once it got cooler. However fate had other ideas for me, and I have spent the afternoon and evening helping my youngest daughter clean soot and smoke damage from her house due to a fire.
You would never credit how much damage could be done by an iron. All that is left of it is the plug and cable with a molten lump at the end. The ironing board is just a shell.
Fortunately the house is still standing, no one was hurt and the damage probably looks worse than it actually is, but when you get a phone call from a sobbing daughter you leap in a taxi (I don't drive) and ask questions later.
So I'm afraid tonight will be picture less,  as I am in need of something to eat and a shower lol.
And I can't face ironing my uniform for work tomorrow, I will just have to go in creased
Hugs to all, stay safe.
Kimx

A Sleepover and The Wanderer Returns

Evening Everyone.
Wow has it been hot today. I have been indoors cultivating my 'Pale English Rose' complexion, and crafting of course lol.
My Grandson has gone to a party,and sleepover, at his friend Ethan's house, so here is the card that he took for the Birthday Boy.

Ethan, like Reece, is into his football so I made him a card using a fabulous Football Edwin stamp that I bought from SirStampalot.

I coloured him with Distress Inks in the Chelsea Team colours as this is his favourite team.
The circle behind Edwin has been embossed using a folder and I also added plenty of grass die cut using a Doohickey.

The hexagonal background has been made using papers from my stash and I added some medical gauze which I thought looked a little like a football net.

I added Edwin using silicon for dimension.
We have all had a very late night as my eldest Granddaughter has just returned from her school trip to France and we were all eager to hear about her travels. Even the twins stayed up so that they could go and collect her.
Everyone is safely tucked up in bed now, so I think that it is my turn now.
Night, night.
Hugs Kimx

The size of a small bird

Evening Everyone,
Are you glad that it's Friday?
I certainly am. We seem to have been really busy this week, so I seem to have spent all of my time on the till.
We did have a bit of a lull this morning, which was just as well because we had the most enormous moth fluttering around and if it had come near me I would have been off, customers or not.
Seriously this thing was the size of a small bird, I kid you not, and anyone that knows me knows that I do not like moths at all. I know it's irrational but they terrify me.
 Fortunately one of the boys came to my rescue and managed to get rid of it.

 My card tonight is another that I made using an Imagination Decoupage stamp,

 The small bird, holly leaves and greeting are all part of the set.

The frame has been created by cutting around the central image of the donkey.
I painted the images with Distress Inks, used background paper from my stash, and added some Faux Stitching.
Hugs Kimx

Fun with Frantage

Hi All
I know that you will probably all shout at me, but today has been much more bearable  for me.
In fact someone left the bathroom window slightly open last night, and it was positively freezing in there this morning!!

I have been playing with Frantage powders this afternoon, in preparation for Saturdays class at Davina's in Purley.

I have used some Kraft coloured card to stamp and emboss the Woodware image JGS273 Wheat.

I added a little Vintage Photo Distress ink around the edges and also some stamped stitched lines from a Hobby Art Decorative Backgrounds set.
The finishing touches were made using dotty ribbon and a wooden button. I added several layers of Frantage powder to the button and then stamped into it while it was hot with the Wheat stamp.
I think I will play a little more tomorrow, maybe with some Christmas stamps. Well they have got to start Christmas cards sometime, and I have a lovely Hobby Art branch in mind that would work very well with this technique I think.
Better watch this space, as they say.
hugs Kimx

A Longing Gaze

Evening Everyone
Here's another card and a reminder to watch the lovely Sue from Imagination Craft on TV tomorrow evening at 10pm (QVC Sky channel 640)

This reminds me of the cats that we have owned who would all at one time or another sit on the window ledge and gaze longingly out of the window at the bird population.

I stamped and embossed the image and then coloured it with Distress Inks.
The window panes has been painted with a Versamark pen and clear embossing powder to resemble glass.

I added some white pencil to the window frame.
I'm not sure that any of our cats would have put up with a bow, well not for long anyway.
Don't forget to set your Sky box, I have.
Hugs Kimx

With Love from Clarity

Evening Everyone,
Another hot day, are you surviving?
I have a really quick post tonight as I have to be at work at 5am tomorrow, and I should really be sound asleep lol.

This was made for Barbara's last TV appearance at the weekend.

I used the lovely Pear Tree stamp, stamped and embossed in white and then coloured using Distress inks and a little bit of Pearlex.

I punched squares from the stamped image and then layered them over some peel-off lines.
The sentiment is also from Clarity and just goes to show that a stamp designed for Christmas doesn't always have to be used for Christmas :O)
I really must get to bed now or it will be time to get up before I know it.
Night, night
Hugs Kimx

Christmas in July

Evening Everyone
Another hot one then, although there did seem to be a bit of a breeze today so I have coped.
I can see that I am going to upset a few people over the next couple of days as all of my DT work recently has been Christmas, and despite the heat it is now time to share it with you.
I suppose at a pinch, and it would have to be a very large one, you coukl forget that this card was made with a Christmas stamp set if you ignore the holly that is.

OK so I did say it was a stretch lol.
This was made with one of the lovely new Decoupage stamp sets that Sue from Imagination Craft sent me to play with.
She will be showing them on the telly on Thursday at 10pm, a little late for me but I will have my Sky box set to record. (QVC Sky channel 640 at 10pm)

I stamped and embossed the image onto watercolour card and then painted it using the 'Wet Watercolour Technique' and Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress inks.
The donkey has been painted with bleach to remove the colour.

The holly has been painted using the Vintage Pearly Palette.
The greeting is part of the same stamp set, they really are such good value.
I'll be back tomorrow with another card, sorry it will probably be Christmas again Lin :O)
Hugs Kimx

Mam-ma to the Rescue

Evening Everyone,
Hasn't it been another stunningly sunny day?
I have to admit that I have stayed inside as I really can't cope with the sunshine.
How on earth they manage to play tennis in it I do not know, so mega congrats to Andy Murray.
I may have been indoors all day but I have had my uses, especially when my Grandson announced that he had a party to go to Midday as he was eating his breakfast!!!!!!
Good Old Mam-ma, and Edwin to the rescue, and a couple of hours later here is the card that I made.

The sentiment on the left is from a clear stamp set by Hobby Art  and is a stamp that I find myself reaching for all the time.

I have used one of my Grand Nesties for the base of the card and added some embossing (using a folder) and Magnolia DooHickey die cut grass and cloud.
It was nice to have the time to make it now that I am on top of my DT work, at least for the moment that is.
Back to reality tomorrow, I hope that the air-con is working properly or I will melt.
Night, night.
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

Lots of Happy Birthdays

Evening Everyone,
Happy Independence Day to all of my American friends, I hope that it was a good one for you.
Tomorrow is a very birthday heavy day for me. Four cards to send, or hand deliver in the case of three of them lol.

This card is for Kovi, one of the Guys that I work with, and given how large our deliveries have been of late I'm sure that this is how he would prefer to spend his birthday.

 The background has been made using assorted strips of patterned paper.

 This second card is for the youngest daughter of one of the Girls that I work with.

The background has been made in the same way but I added some bling. All girls love a bit of bling don't they?
Looks like tomorrow might be a little calorie heavy as well given all the cake that is likely to be on offer, oh well, the diet will have to start on Saturday :O)
Hugs Kimx

More Baby Wipe Reinker Cards

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had a good day.
I decided that my card tonight would be another featuring the Baby Wipe Reinker Technique as explained by Mynnette over at Technique Time Tuesday.
She comes up with some fabulous ideas, some new to me and some old favourites that I had forgotten about.
I try to play along although sometimes my card doesn't quite turn out as the technique says it should, as with my cards tonight, but I do like to play anyway.

The pale panel on this card was created following Mynnette's instructions and part of a Stampendous stamp set Daisy Stem Trio SSC1105.

I also used assorted dye based reinkers, although I'm afraid I can't remember which ones.

I stamped one of Jane Gill's fantastic solid image stamps JGS273 Wheat onto the panel and then used it as a type of spotlight to the main card.

The second card tonight has been made in a very similar manner, this time using JGS274 Ferns.

The main panels on both cards have been made using Distress inks, Glimmer Mist, Faux Stitching and some Card Candi.
Please check out Mynnette's instructions for the Baby Wipe Reinker Panel, you never know you might feel inspired to give it a go.
I will enter these cards into the challenge at Woodware.
At least that way Dorothy will get an explanation as to how I created the background on my card from yesterday as it was made in exactly the same way.
Off to bed now, night night.
Hugs Kimx

No Paper, No Problem at Woodware

Hi All
This week the lovely ladies at Woodware have tried something a little different.
Their blog theme has been chosen by Jill Tuck from The Stampman and once a month they will be featuring one of their blogging retailers. Jill has chosen No Paper, No Problem.
Those of you that are regular visitors know that as well as all kinds of paper, there is nothing I like more than messing around with my stamps and inks to make my own backgrounds.

This card was made a while ago using a technique which my crafty friend Mynnette shared on her Technique Time Tuesday challenge blog.

Unfortunately my very early starts this week have really caught up with me today and so I will have to try and correct the links to the exact posts tomorrow when I might be able to stay awake lol.

The central panel was created using a Baby Wipe Reinker technique as explained by Mynnette and stamps from a Stampendous clear stamp set.
I also stamped and embossed the blue background with the same stamp, versamark and clear embossing powder.
I hope that you will feel inspired to join the girls at Woodware with their latest challenge, and also check out Technique Time Tuesday as they launched their new challenge today.
Hugs Kimx

Where shall we go on Holiday with Crafty Cardmakers

Evening Everyone

Hasn't the weather been beautiful again. At least today there has been a little bit of a breeze, and as I have been back at work there has been the air con so I have coped.

Today we started a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers where Josephine has chosen the theme 'Holiday'. 

She would like to see projects that depicts or is inspired by a holiday, maybe one that you have already taken or one that you would like to have, but have not gotten around to yet.

I found this one quite hard for me as I don't really 'Do Holidays', unless it's my 'Crafty Holiday' staying at SirStampalot.
As a child we had travelling holidays. 
My Dad loved driving, so over the years our holidays would be spent driving through just about every country in Europe, both large and small. 
We never stayed in one place for more than a couple of days. It usually worked out that we visited 14 countries in 14 days!!!!!!
Jenni, Jason and the Grandchildren like their camping and caravan holidays. And when I think of these I always think of the numerous lists that Jenni writes in the weeks leading up to the holiday. At least she rarely forgets anything.
So my card for this challenge evokes my memories of childhood holidays with Jenni writing her holiday lists. 

We are sponsored this time by SIR STAMPALOT with a fabulous Hero Arts embossing folder and stamp set which I was lucky enough to play with as well.

The background has been stamped and embossed using black Versafine and clear embossing powder and then coloured using Distress inks - Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Brushed Corduroy.

I have used the same inks to paint Tilda Writing Dairy (Jenni writing holiday lists) which I fussy cut and mounted over an assortment of stamped images, also from SirStampalot.

The various stamped and embossed images of famous places have been cut out using circular and oval nesties.
I also added a couple of charms

and some tiny hand drawn dots.

The sentiment has been added using an old Stampendous set SSC219 Small Typewriter Alphabet.
I have to go to bed now as I am starting work at 5am again tomorrow.
Don't forget to stop by and show the rest of the DT some love, and maybe give the challenge a try.
Look forward to seeing you there.
Hugs Kimx