Get Your Skates on to the CCM challenge

Afternoon Everyone,
Well I fell at the first hurdle didn't I!!
In my defense I did have to start work at 4am yesterday, so while I was trying to write my post I was doing my best nodding dog impersonation so I just gave up and went to bed.
The trouble is that I was on a roll in the afternoon, sorting through class prep boxes, when I should have been on the computer writing my blog post.
It was a very productive time though as I managed to empty several folders and add lots of cards to my stash. So this afternoon I am being a good girl, and the computer comes first.

We have a new year of challenges starting over at CCM and I am hoping that my endeavours on the blogging and commenting front will fare better this year. As you can see it's not going too well so far, as this was supposed to go live at about 1pm yesterday lol.

We are still in winter mode, Challenge 225 - Winter  but please NO Christmas Sentiments.

As they are predicting that we are shortly in for some snow, my card seems very appropriate.
My card was made using a fabulous old Woodware stamp designed by Jane Gill.
I stamped and embossed the skates on to a circle of white card and then after colouring them using sparkle pens I added some faux stitching and tiny gems.

The background is from an old paper pad and I added a couple of diecut snowflakes and silver Card Candi.
This challenge runs for a fortnight, so you have plenty of time to join us.
Thanks for stopping by. I had better go and visit a few people on line before I head out to the gym.
See you soon.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

More Poinsettias

Morning All
I hope that you having a great Sunday.
I thought that I would share a few more of my poinsettia cards with you today before I get down to the business of playing, and finishing off more of the bits that I created in class yesterday.

They have all been created with a fabulous Poinsettia stamp set and a Kaleidacolour multicoloured inkpad.

The first three cards were created from a masterboard.

Stamp the image onto a piece of white card stock and then paint over the flowers with a damp paintbrush. Because the ink is dye based it will move and colour in the petal. Just make sure you clean the brush in between petals.

This piece uses the same stamp and more ink blended over the images.

Same stamp just a bit of fussy cutting on the next two cards.

While these have been made as Christmas cards, I think that they would work every bit as well as a birthday or anniversary card.

The final three cards again involve the same stamp this time stamped and embossed in gold.

Ink has been blended over the top of the images

and then I have used a Versmark pen and clear embossing powder to colour in the flowers to make them 'pop' from the panels.
I would like to enter these into the following challenges;
Crafty Calender Challenge - Make it Flowery
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
Off to play now. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy crafting and hugs
Kimx 

Poinsettias........and lots of them

Evening,
I don't know about where you are, but it has turned bloody cold in my neck of the woods.
I know that lots of you will probably think that I'm being pathetic cause you are already wading your way through thick snow, but I really hope that we don't get any of that here.

Now I may not have gotten any Christmas cards sent out this year, time just seemed to get away from me, but I certainly have lots to share, so I will try and blog a few each week.

Maybe if I try and enter a few of the Christmas challenges that run throughout the year it will help to keep me on track.

I love poinsettias, although I am never very successful at keeping them alive, so stamps are definitely a much better option.

I do love this old Magenta stamp, as you may have guessed. It is part of a fabulous set, and works really well with these handmade background papers.

 This is another fabulous poinsettia stamp,

which I stamped and white embossed onto kraft card and then sponged and coloured with Distress inks.

This Penny Black stamp has been used

with an old favourite Kaleidacolor inkpad.

And one final card for tonight, this time with a bit of fussy cutting and some lovely 3d flowers.
I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges..
Crafty Calendar challenge - Make it Flowery - lots of Poinsettias
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas optional Something Old - Magenta/Penny Black Stamps and Kaleidacolor ink pad.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Cogs and Wheels

Evening Everyone,
I obviously had a lot more cards suitable for men than I thought.

I have an elderly friend, who every few months asks me for a box of assorted cards that he can send to his friends and family.

So while I was sorting out a new box full for him last night, I came across several more cards that would be suitable to give to a man.

The first two cards were made using a panel of card covered with aluminium tape from a car accessory shop - very masculine.

I coloured the tape covered panels with alcohol inks,

and then embossed them using a cogs embossing folder.

The embellishments are cut from metallic card using a die.

This final card uses a piece of handmade background from my stash.
I think it was made using my Gelli Plate, but I wouldn't want to swear to it. That's part of the problem with using up left over bits, it isn't always possible to remember how you created them in the first place.

I do know that the tree stamp is an old one from Imagination, but other than that please don't ask lol.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great evening.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

For the Men in Your Life

Hi All
I have had need of a few cards for men just recently and I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough of them.
Whilst I have literally hundreds of floral and 'pretty' cards to suit my female acquaintances, I have very few that I would consider appropriate for a man. I know that they are often gardeners and like flowers but pink and flowery just doesn't seem right to send somehow.

I found various pieces of artwork created during a class involving 'Bleedin Art Tissue', so I decided to finish them all off.

As its name suggests the colours bleed when the tissue is wet so I scrunched some sheets together in a bag which led to the most amazing pieces of background paper.

 When the sheets are dry screw them up tight and then flatten one out on to a sheet of DSST.

It doesn't look like there is very much texture left, until you apply gilding wax.

Before adding the wax I stamped and embossed onto the prepared sheet of tissue paper and then painted the images with undiluted thin bleach.

Once the gilding wax is added it picks up the texture of the tissue and also the embossing.

The last card has also used torn pieces of tissue paper to create the background on which the tree is stamped.

Place the torn pieces of tissue paper randomly onto watercolour or mixed media card stock, and then spritz with plenty of water. The colour bleeds into the card to create amazing backgrounds which can then be stamped onto once dry.

I used some more of the scrumpled tissue paper background to mount the trimmed tree panel on to.

Leaves and trees create a much more masculine feel to a card I think you will agree.

I'm off to try and cross a few more things off my 'To Do' list before its bed time, if I can manage it that is.

Have a great evening, and thanks for stopping by.

Happy Crafting and Hugs

Kimx

Just to say........it's back to School time

Evening Everyone.
Is everything back to normal in your household? There were probably some very grumpy kids in my house this morning when they had to go off to school. I'm quite glad that I was at work.
I tried to get back to some sort of normality myself over the weekend even though I worked all over the Christmas period.
For me that means working my way methodically (or compulsively) through my long 'To do list'.
I have to admit to being pretty compulsive when it comes to my crafting which can be a bit of a problem since I find it hard to move on to something new until I have finished and tidied up from the previous project.
I would like to think that I am the same with all other types of paperwork, but who am I kidding, the carrier bag just gets more and more full :O)
There is an ever expanding pile of Stufftainers in my room with half finished class prep, there just never seem to be enough hours in the day.
I did try and have a bit of a sort out yesterday. I emptied a few boxes.....well I moved a few things around from one box to another. It did look good to have removed a couple of boxes from the pile, and it was very therapeutic lol.

Both my Boss and one of the Girls that work in the cafe have a daughter away at University.

It is the first time that they have been away from home, so I made them each a card and sent it to their Halls of Residence. It's always nice to get some post, especially when you are far away from friends and family.

The images are  LOTV digis which I printed out and then die cut using some fabulous Sue Wilson Octagonal dies.

I added a little bit of sparkle and a die cut sentiment with a shadow in a matching colour.

The background to the card (under the open work die) has been created using co-ordinating distress inks.

I think everyone has survived today, although I'm sure that there will be some rather early bedtimes. It's amazing how tired you get on your first day back after a few days holiday.

Have a good evening.

Happy Crafting and hugs

Kimx

Back Again with a Birthday.

Evening Everyone
Well I'm back again. New Year, new start maybe.
I expect most of us have made some sort of resolution, and I bet most of us will have failed by about Friday, if not before.
I managed to get my parcel to Creative Expressions in the post this afternoon, so that is one thing that I can cross off my very long list of 'Things to do'.
The trouble with new pieces of equipment is that they eat into your crafting time while you try to find things. I have spent the last couple of hours trying to sync my Fitbit to my new laptop. I've given up so it is still 10.30 on Boxing Day in my little corner of the world lol.

Now give me new bits of crafty equipment and I can soon find things to do with them, and I don't feel like I am wasting my time at all.

My new favourite toy is the Alcohol Lift Inkpad. OMG it is just amazing.
I first played with it back in October in preparation for a class at Sirstampalot in Peterboro.

This card was made for my Boss's daughter using one of the images 'lifted' using said inkpad.

The poppy image is by Penny Black and has become another favourite of mine. Playing with the inkpad, stamp and Alcohol inks has left me with quite a stack of images waiting to be made into cards, so I will have plenty more projects to share with you.
I'm rubbish at step by step photos though so I will direct you to YouTube and the amazing Jennifer McGuire, who has become my new go to place for inspiration.
She has several clips available on the Alcohol Lift inkpad, and best of all she gives you finished cards that she has made with all of the pieces that she creates during her playtime.
Do check it out if you have a moment or three to spare, but be prepared to loose several hours both in watching and playtime.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

From Me to You

Happy New Year to you All.
Did you miss me?
I'm afraid that I rather abandoned blogging over the past few months due to PC and time related issues. Hopefully things should start to return to normal now that I have a new one...…….if I can work out how to use it that is.
Why doesn't anything come with an instruction manual nowadays? I know that we are supposed to be heading towards becoming a paperless society, but I for one happen to like books, and being able to flick backwards and forwards to see how things work. It's no good to me on the very thing that I am trying to access, if I don't know how to get to it!!!!
It's been rather an expensive time to be honest since along with Christmas and the laptop I have also had to replace my phone, and that has been even more difficult to get used to without a manual to flick through.
You get so used to the equipment that you have, and when it is no longer available (obsolete, as they so politely put it!) and you have to 'upgrade' to something much more technical, I am definitely being dragged further in to the 21st century, albeit kicking and screaming all the way.

I really must get back into regular posts as I have simply hundreds of projects to share with you.

Typically there is nothing New Year related, so these are From Me to You instead. 

They are pictures of some cards that I made recently using stamps designed by the ever lovely Jane Gill.

When I am working on samples for her, I try very hard to use up all the bits and pieces which means there are often several cards that all in a similar vein, or colour scheme. 

As you can see I don't like throwing anything away, even little strips can create a fabulous background.
I have actually just finished playing with Jane's newest release...……..literally an hour ago. I have to get them in the post tomorrow so I am sure that I will be able to share them with you very soon.
In the mean time I will try hard to stop by on a much more regular basis.
So for now I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May 2019 be a good one for us All.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx