Hopefully not too pink

Hi All,
My few days off have ended in a bit of a blur. I can't believe just how quickly a week has flown by.
I have literally hundreds of cards in my stash that I have made over the years, but why is it that there is never the right one when someone needs a card at the last moment.

The card on the right was already written and ready to go in the post tomorrow when my daughter asked me this evening if I had a new Baby Girl card  that was not too pink.!! 

I had several of these paper pieced panels ready to go after a fabulous class a few weeks ago, so I just copied the original card layout, with a few minor alterations.

The 'New Arrival' stamp is from Lili of the Valley and I also added some images and sentiments to form a background.

The letters on this card have been paper pieced using papers from Woodware.

The background on this card has been made using a piece of paper from my stash of Creative Palette backgrounds and I added some stamped sentiments and a Lili of the Valley topper.
I have a few more of these started, so perhaps I ought to finish a couple more off, just in case lol.
Hugs Kimx

Now the Football is over

Hi All
Just a quick post tonight as time has really got away from me.

This is a card that I made for  the birthday of one of the children that we used to look after.He is now at Secondary School!! How old does that make me feel?

Like all the boys that I know he seems to like football so I used one of my Lili of the Valley toppers, only this time I fussy cut the image before adding it to a circle of green card.

I went over the back of the image with a large ball tool and attached it to the card using silicon to add some dimension. I used a circular greeting in place of a football.

The football background is actually an embossing folder which I dry embossed onto white card stock and then wiped over with a black ink pad before heat embossing with clear powder.
The grass is a very well used DooHickey die.
Had I been a little more on the ball (sorry for the pun) then I would have posted this to tie in with the World Cup final. But you can probably tell how much notice of that event I took by the fact that this post completely missed it lol.
Off to bed now, I need to make the most of my last lie in. Besides I still have those two special cards to finish and my deadline is getting perilously close.
hugs Kimx

A card full of favourites

Hi All,
Well my samples are all finished, now if I can just find the energy to make two very special Birthday Cards then I will be a happy bunny :O)

This card was made a while ago, but as I have been playing with NEW Hobby Art stamps over the last couple of days it seemed wholly appropriate to share a card made with an OLD one.
 This actually has to be one of my all time favourite stamps, and I rather like doing 'Spotlight' cards as well.

I stamped and embossed the floral image onto a piece of background paper made with some Shadow Stamps and dye based inks. Another old technique that I like.
I stamped, embossed and coloured the image again on white card stock and then punched out an oval which I positioned over the background image matching it up exactly. This is what is known as a Spotlight.

I stamped and embossed the image along the edge of the green card and then painted it with undiluted thin bleach.
Wow this really is a card full of favourites - shadow stamped background, spotlight technique, bleach and a favourite stamp.
Well this isn't getting my cards finished is it, so I had better crack on.
Don't forget to tune in to Create and Craft on Thursday 17th July at 12pm and 3pm for Jenny's shows.
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kimx

Shades of Grey for Mollie

Evening Everyone,
Have you all had a good day. I have been a very good girl, beavering away with my DT samples for Hobby Art.
The house has been very quiet which is rather unusual, as everyone was out watching my daughter's friends participate in the Race for Life.
The wine was chilled and ready for their return and everyone spent a lovely afternoon sitting in the garden while I carried on with my samples.

This card was made for Mollie, one of the runners who was 12 last week. I'm told she actually beat her Mum to the finish line!!

I coloured 'Poppy Tilda' using Distress Inks Black Soot and Weathered Wood.

I cut her out and matte and layered her using some oval Nesties.

The flowers are die cut using DooHickey dies,

and I added some Card Candi as flower centers, as well as a little glitter glue and pearls.

The background to the card has been made with pieces of embossed card stock using the Bargello technique.
I'm sure that everyone will sleep well tonight and I must admit to taking a little pleasure in suggesting the my Grandson could come and wake me up in the morning as I won't be at work, but he will be at school.
I did go on to point out that he would be getting his own back for 5 whole weeks in the Summer holidays so he should not begrudge me the next 3 days lol.
Hugs Kimx

Poppies ...... as we Remember with Woodware

Evening,
I've had a fabulous day catching up with some 'crafty' things and starting my samples for Hobby Art.
One of the things that I needed to finish was a card for the Woodware challenge.
As usual it is the last day of the challenge before I manage to get something posted lol.
This week the challenge has been set by one of their retail shops LLinda's Craft Shop and she has chosen

The Poppy .......... as We Remember

Once again I have managed to find some bits in my box that I could make use of, and funnily enough the main panel actually uses the same Dreamwaver Tall Poppy Stencil that Linda used in her fabulous creation.

How different my card looks though. I have used my stencil, some Red Metallic sheet and my Cuttlebug machine.
I have used my Dreamweaver Stencils so much more now that I know that I can use them with my Embossing Machine. Do make sure that you get the right sandwich though so that you don't bend the stencil.

The plates on my machine are rather well worn, but this has added a rather nice distressed look to the finished piece. I used some permanent black pen on the center of the Poppy.

I added some Alcohol Ink to tone down the red of the metal.

I found two pieces of metal in my box with the Poppies already embossed on them, so I decided to finish a second card. The background is from my large stash of papers made using my Creative Palette, bubble wrap and inks.
This piece of metal was silver to start with and once again I added some Alcohol Inks.

I stamped and embossed some Wild Flowers onto the background paper and added a sentiment stamped onto a piece of acetate.

I notice that Dorothy hasn't added a link again this week, but as she is currently in Skipton with Judith and the rest of the Gang getting ready for the Retailer Retreat which starts tomorrow I think that she can be forgiven for the over sight.

Off to get some dinner, and then it is back to the Craft Room where I have a few more samples to make.

Have a good evening.

Hugs Kimx

Golden Wedding Wishes

Evening Everyone,
I hope that it has been more summery where you are than it has been here. It's been wet and dull all day, much more like Autumn than Summer.
So I thought I would inject a little sunshine with this card that I made for a friend to give her parents on their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

I used the fabulous 'Congratulations' stamp from Lili of the Valley which I stamped and embossed in gold onto pale cream card stock.

I also added my favourite Hero Arts Leaf Flourish F5042 using Antique Linen Distress ink.

The sentiment has been made up using stamps from a couple of Woodware sets FRCL043 Wedding Words and FRCL107 Wedding Anniversaries. 

The main panel on the card has been dry embossed with an Embossalicious Flourish folder and then I added  more Antique Linen ink and some White Fire Treasure Gold Metallic Wax.
The panel was cut out using a Go Create die and then mounted onto matching gold card stock.

The flowers and leaves have been cut from gold and kraft card using an assortment of dies (mostly DooHickey's). I also added some Card Candi and stamen from my stash.

As usual I attached them with silicon which helped to give the whole thing some dimension.

Fortunately the card was being hand delivered so I got away without having to make a box for it.

I would like to enter a couple of challenges, something I haven't done for a while.

A Vintage Journey - Dies and Distress (Plenty of dies, also Distress ink and Frantage powder)

Crafty Catz - Flowers (Plenty of them )

Creative Moments - Anything Goes / Celebration (50 years of marriage is definitely reason for Celebration)

Little Red Wagon - Wedding / Anniversary (Golden Wedding)

Craft Room Challenge - Wedding / Anniversary

Die Cutting Divas - Wedding or Anniversary

Have a great weekend. I am looking forward to playing with some new stamp sets from Hobby Art in preparation for Jenny's TV appearance next Thursday.

Happy Crafting and hugs

Kimx

Up and Away with the Hobby Art Blog

Evening Everyone,
I posted for the first time on the Hobby Art blog today, and boy was it a feat. 
As I was going to be out with friends today I thought that I would be smart and get my post ready a day early. 
Wow, not as easy as I thought, I couldn't even find where to start. I ended up having to get advice from the Design Team on Facebook at the same time as trying to write the post. Multitasking, how cool am I !!!
I decided to share the card that I made using the Hot Air Balloon from the new Hobby Art Vintage set.The balloon has been stamped and embossed onto watercolour card stock and then painted using Distress inks and the ‘Wet Watercolour Technique’.I fussy cut it out and added it to the background panel using silicon, one of my favourite accessories, I get through loads of the stuff.
The background to the card has been made using glossy card stock, Versamark ink and Distress inks to create a resist image.
This really is like magic painting for grown ups and is a fabulously easy way to create a background.
It is also a great way of using lots of stamps all at once without the card looking overloaded with images.I have used a strip of acetate to add my sentiment to the card as glossy card stock can be a little difficult to stamp on to.
Yes I know acetate is slippery too, but it is also cheap and any art work will show through, so if all else fails and the stamping goes wrong you can always throw it away and try again without having to remake your entire piece of artwork.
It is also a great way to hide a mistake if your stamping is not up to par.The acetate on this very card actually hides the fact that my stamped sentiment went a little wrong, but you would never know unless I told you!!
I managed to teach the Guys at Hobby Art a thing or two with my forward blog planning. 
More by luck than by judgement I found out how to do a scheduled post on the blog, something that they hadn't worked out yet. (They don't use Blogger which is what I'm used to)
It was a nice feeling to think that I had helped out even when I am rubbish with a computer.
I've offered to do another post for them later in the month, but hopefully that will be a little easier to work out now I at least have a vague idea of what I am doing.
Hugs Kimx 

My good deed for the day

Hi All
Not much crafting over the last couple of days I'm afraid as I have been staying with my lovely Mum so that I could accompany her to the hospital for a pain killing injection into her neck. OUCH!!

This is the second time that she has had it done, and although I have absolutely no desire to see my Mum in pain I did hope that the injection hurt this time.
Before you think I am totally cruel and heartless let me explain.
Last time she had the procedure it didn't hurt at all going in, and it also didn't give her any relief either.
I have spoken to several people who have had this kind of treatment, and they all say that the more painful the injection is to have, the better the effects on the pain afterwards, so I am hoping that it is very painful, but with the nicest possible motives.
It is a good job that Mum and I get on very well and that she completely understands otherwise she might thank that I was being horrible to her. Definitely not daughter of the year material lol.

This photo was taken the last time Mum came for the day.
Saskia and Ciaran are always up for a photo session, although I think that Mum was less keen. I don't know about you, but I hate having my photograph taken.
Hugs Kimx

Under the Sea with Crafty Cardmakers and More

Hi All
I know, this should have gone live yesterday, but you know how rubbish I am with blogging at the moment so I hope that I will be forgiven :O)
Julie is hosting the challenge this time over at Crafty Cardmakers and More, and she has chosen 'Under the Sea' for her theme. She would like you to create something with Mermaids, Turtles, Fish or other dwellers beneath the waves.

 I chose a lovely Woodware stamp set called Sea Life for the main focus of my card.

I stamped and embossed the three images onto Watercolour card and coloured them using Distress inks and what I call the 'Wet Watercolour technique'.

The background paper has been made using my Creative Palette, bubble wrap and inks.

I added some glossy accents to the stamped images and used some medical gauze under the main panel.
The 'coral' has been made from a piece of acetate (packaging from a newly acquired embossing folder) which I die cut using the fabulous Dreamweaver Leafless Tree. I added a little colour to it using Stazon ink.

The seaweed along the bottom of the panel is a Magnolia stamp that I bought a while ago during one of my 'holiday' visits to Sirstampalot who are one of our fabulous sponsors for this challenge.
Of course I always throw away the packaging so I can't find the code number for it, but Janice and Andy are very good and I 'm sure that they will probably know the number without even looking. Or you could always refer them to my blog for a picture if all else fails.

I had a narrow panel of background paper left over so I decorated the envelope.
Better post this now before another day passes me by. Please don't forget to check out the challenge HERE and show the rest of the team some love.
Night night.
Hugs Kimx

Wax Paper Resist and Embossing Folders

Hi All
Well I've made it through my eight straight days at work, and here I am facing the start of another week. Where on earth did those 2 days off go. (In fact I have just finished a day of work since once again this post got side lined !!!!)
Sorry I have been absent for a while, this post has been started about 5 times, and then much like any cardmaking  last week, a 'granny nap' took over.
Not that I don't have plenty of things that I can share with you, given how quiet I have been in Blogland just lately, in fact I could really do with blogging twice a day in a bid to catch up with things.
We had another fabulous class at Davina's on Saturday, and this time I didn't break the iron so no thinking  on my feet, we were able to play with Waxed Paper and Embossing folders.
Once again I got a little bit carried away with the samples so I think that I will split them up into a couple of posts or this will end up like War and Peace.

As usual we made a technique tag to add to their book, and in fact this time they made two so that they could remember what to do with the left over waxed paper (tag far left)

The background to this card was made using a fab Sheena embossing folder, waxed paper and kaleidacolour inks.

I added some matching punched leaves and some stamped flowers along with a Hobby Art sentiment.

This card was made with another panel of the background,

 punched leaves, stamped flowers and a different Hobby Art sentiment.

I also found a few matching gems.

The beauty of this technique is that if you sandwich your embossed waxed paper between two pieces of card before you iron it you get the positive and negative image transered to the card stock.

I placed a strip of both the positive and negative background onto one of the tags,

and the other tag had a left over piece of the waxed paper coloured with stazon inks after the wax had been removed.

The sentiment has been added by stamping it onto acetate using Stazon ink and then attaching it with a fine line of glitter glue around the edges.
I think I had better press  publish on this before yet another day goes past.
Hugs, and Happy Monday.
Kimx