I'm getting ahead of myself

OMG, that will teach me to try and get ahead of myself.
I got so far ahead that I missed the last Woodware challenge for October altogether.
There I was, all pleased with myself for having e-mailed pictures to Dorothy and writing and scheduling my own blogpost.
Imagine my horror this morning when I checked the blog before work and discovered that I had used completely the wrong sketch.
I really have got ahead of myself - right into NOVEMBER.
So I think I had better go and lie down, preferably in a darkened room and try and catch up with myself again lol.

Before I go, here are a couple of cards that I sent out this week.

  A couple of them are even went in to the postbox early.

See I told you I was getting ahead of myself.
Night, night.
Hugs Kimx

Beware Picture Heavy Post

Evening Everyone,
Here we are at the start of another week, and I am now officially on count down till my bi-annual holiday to Sirstampalot.
I can't wait. As the Grandkids would say, only 5 more sleeps lol.
I am trying to get organised and ahead with a few of my crafty commitments so that I can concentrate on play when I am on holiday.

A couple of weeks ago Dorothy set us a 'Flourish' challenge over at Woodware, and as usual I got a little bit carried away.

Most of them use stencil paste and this beautiful Holly Flourish stencil from Dreamweaver.

This one just uses dye based ink through the stencil which was then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I love this sentiment, such a useful size.

The central panel on this card has also been created using stencil paste and dye based ink,

but the red background card has been stencilled with Versamark ink and then brushed with Dreamweaver Mica powders.

The background to this final card has also been created using stencil paste onto a piece of background paper from my stash which has then been covered with inks, gilding flakes and mica powder.

Better get to bed now.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx

Good Luck for the future to The Craft Barn

Hi All,
Last Sunday saw the end of an era, when The Craft Barn closed the doors on its bricks and mortar shop forever.
Although the management has changed over the years, and even the venue at one stage, it will always hold a special place in my heart as it is the place where my creative journey began over 20 years ago!!
It was in the original Barn that I first learnt about all things stamping, and where I was given my first opportunities to demonstrate and then ultimately teach.
I have made many good friends there, and met some of the best in the business, so I felt that it was only fitting that I should mark its passing into an on-line only shop by entering their very appropriate challenge this week and wish them Good Luck.

I love Francoise Huge Word stamps.

They are so useful and with careful cutting out it it easy to create several cards from the one set of stamped images.

With each of these cards I stamped the image on to card and created my background before adding the paper pieced letters.
I added some Gelli Roll Stardust pen to the small overlapping areas of the letters for a little added interest.
I would like to wish everyone at The Barn good luck in this next stage in their adventures, and hope that people will continue to shop with them and be inspired by their classes, which I understand will be continuing.
I for one will be forever grateful for the wealth of knowledge that I acquired during my many visits over the years, as well as some of my rather large stash.
Good Luck in the future everyone.
Hugs and happy crafting.
Kimx

Christmas Cards with Animals for Woodware

Evening Everyone,

I'm sorry that this post is so late but my computer decided to throw a hissy fit on Thursday evening and it has taken me till now to coax it back into service!

This week at Woodware Dorothy challenged us to make Christmas cards with Animals.

I have several young ladies of my acquaintance who have all had, or are still expecting, babies this year. So as soon as I saw this beautiful stamp designed by Jane Gill I knew that it would get a good workout.

I did a bit of paper piecing on the rocking horse before adding it to the card over the top of the die cut dotty heart.

I also added a bit of faux stitching  and some glitter glue.

As I said I have several cards to make using this stamp so here is another card that I made with the leftovers.

This time I went for an easel card using some papers and die cut leaves from my stash.
So that is two down and another two to go. Better get on with it, it will be Christmas before we know it lol.
Hugs
Kimx

Autumn Colours at CCM&More

Hi All,
It's time for a new challenge over at CCM&More, and our host Jackie would like to see anything with Warm Autumn Colours.

I love Autumn with all its glorious colours so this was an easy challenge for me.

The central panel was created by tapping a Kaleidacolour inkpad on to an acrylic block, and then spritzing it with water before stamping onto watercolour card stock.

There is usually enough ink left on the block to create a second background, just spritz with more water before stamping.

.

This card has been made using this second generation background. Once it was completely dry I stamped and embossed the panel with one of Jane Gill's fabulous Weeds and Grasses stamps.

The background paper was from my stash and I have toned the colour down a little by sponging it with some co-ordinating dye based ink before stamping and embossing it with the same stamp as the main panel.

I wrapped the stamped panel with some bakers twine and then added a LOTV circular sentiment.
I hope that you will join in with us this fortnight. Why not check out what the rest of the team have come up with, there are some truly stunning samples to inspire you HERE.

A Moonlit Birthday

Evening Everyone,
Hope you had a good weekend, mine has been very productive, which I know that Jenny at Hobby Art will be very pleased to hear since I was working on some samples for her next TV show.

 I also managed to get a pile of cards ready for the post, including this one for a friend at work.

The background was from my stash and I think it was made with the 'Bleeding Art Tissue'.

I stamped and embossed the image which I think is by Penny Black (not doing too well am I ) and then added a circular mask before lightly sponging with co-ordinating Distress Ink.

I added Gold Gilding Wax to the edges of the panel with a stencil brush and then mounted the finished panel on to a dark green card and finished it off with a stamped and embossed sentiment.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx

Woodware blog - Flourishes

Morning All,
This week Dorothy has challenged the Girls at Woodware to create something with a flourish.
I wasn't sure what to do for this challenge so I thought a good place to start was to type flourish in to the Woodware website to see what it came up with.

Among the goodies with flourish in the title was this fabulous Dreamweaver Christmas stencil Holly Flourish, so as I have it in my stash it seemed like a very good place to start.

First I applied Dreamweaver Embossing paste through the stencil onto a piece of white card stock.

When it was dry I replaced the stencil and added colour using dye based inks with a finger dauber.
I trimmed the panel and distressed the edges with a very old pinecone versacolour cube, before layering it onto a piece of background paper from my Woodware stash.

For the finishing touches I added glossy accents and stardust glitter glue to the berries and tips of the flourishes, and a sentiment from one of Jane's new stamp sets Trio of Trees along with some tiny gold metals.
As usual I got carried away finishing off all the bits and pieces that I was playing with so there are several other cards that I will have to post for you.
I hope that you have enjoyed our Flourishes for this week, and lets hope that the Woodware blog is back up and running again next week.
Have a good weekend.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Blue Poppies for Hobby Art

Evening All,
It has been ages since I posted, and even longer since I posted on the Hobby Art blog. Life just seems to have got in the way recently lol.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago a fabulous new stamp set dropped onto my mat from Jenny, the October Stamp of the Month Poppy Heads.
I love poppies and this is no exception.

As luck would have it I had some pieces of Gelli Plate background on my desk and so I decided that I would use one of them as the base for my card. As it was blue I thought it would get away from the usual red poppies for a change.

This fabulous set comes with a text background stamp which I used randomly on my piece of handmade background paper.

I stamped and embossed the stems and leaves on to the bottom of the panel,

and then coloured them in using Spectrum Noir Alcohol pens.

I didn't want to have to do any masking so I stamped and embossed the poppy flowers onto some gingham background paper from my stash and then fussy cut them out.

I added some extra colour with Distress Ink and Black Wink of Stella and attached them using silicon to add a little depth.
The background to the card has been created by stamping and embossing the text randomly onto a piece of matching blue card stock from my stash.
Hope you like it.
Hugs Kimx

A wall hanging for Woodware and the Mirror Crack'd

Hi All
It's my turn to post for Woodware again today and I'm VERY, VERY late.
This week we are taking our inspiration from The Mirror Crack'd a Mixed Media challenge which Woodware occasionally sponsors, and this time round the challenge is 'Wall Hangings'.
Now this really took me out of my comfort zone as I don't think of myself as working with mixed medias, but after a trip through some fabulous clips on You tube, and the arrival of some canvas from Woodware, I took the plunge and started to play.

I'm actually rather pleased with how things turned out.

The central panel has been created using my Creative Palette, acrylic paints, stencils, translucent texture paste and gilding wax.

I also burnished through the Bubbles Doobadoo stencil with some Mixed Media Ink and Glitter Glue.
I hand stitched the canvas onto a frame made from a piece of purple card and white card stencilled with more texture paste and gilding wax.

The flowers have been punched from one of the pieces of 'practice' card before I risked pulling a print using canvas.

I attached them using silicon and added some gilding wax, glitter domes and die cut leaves.
I think that it needs to be put into a box frame when I can find one.
I do hope that you will join us this week. Try challenging yourself to something new, it can be great fun after the initial panic has subsided lol.
I would like to enter this into the challenge at The Mirror Crack'd  - Wall Hanging or Tic Tac Toe.
Have a good evening.
Hugs Kimx

It's my challenge at CCM&More

Hi All
It's my turn to choose the challenge over at CCM&More, and I have gone for Circle cards, always a favourite of mine.

I had to make a Diamond Wedding Anniversary card for a friend, so I decided to use my theme as the starting point for the card.

I have used several sizes of Circular Grand Nesties to create the base of the card and decorated the edges with White Frantage powder and Victorian Velvet Distress ink.

I die cut the heart from the main panel and placed a piece of die cut trellis behind it.

I added the scalloped heart over the top to tidy everything up before adding the stamped and die cut banner.

The flowers are die cut from white and handmade glitter card.

I added 'Memories' to the panel using a Versamark ink pad and some white mica powder.

The final finishing touches are some die cut leaves and plenty of tiny diamonds.
I hope that you will join in with my challenge, my team mates have certainly excelled themselves. I can't wait to see all of your creations.
Have a wonderful day, happy crafting.
Hugs Kimx