What a Crafty Day

Evening 

We have had a wonderful craft filled day today. 

It is my weekend looking after the youngest Grandchildren so that my daughter can go to work. 

We decided that we would see what the BBC were offering in their educational programs for young children. There were quite a few choices, so we learnt about different types of motorbikes and then moved on to crafty things with Mr Maker. In one of his programs he made a frame out of lollypop sticks and buttons so we decided that we would make one for Emma's best friend Farrah.

He covered the frame with buttons on the TV, but as we didn't have any to hand we went with using some of Mummy's dies instead.

Emma has been learning about the planets at school so we decided to use a cool die set designed by Lisa Horton to decorate our frames.

Emma drew a picture to go in her frame and Farrah's and is going to do one for Chloe tomorrow because we ran out of time today.

Like mine it is a crafty house, and the kids love to help out. Chloe die cut all her shapes after choosing her pieces of scrap card stock.

Jack isn't quite old enough yet, but he likes to join in with drawing and colouring.

Emma is very creative and drew Farrah a beautiful picture, which unfortunately Jack ruined/ He was trying to colour like his big sister, he just unfortunately picked her drawing to colour on!!

They did some home schooling with Mummy on Friday.

They had printed out some worksheets for Emma to do,

but both Jack

and Chloe were eager not to be left out. The little ones are so funny because they both sound out a letter as they are drawing just as they have heard Emma do.

We have a list of things to do while Mummy is at work tomorrow including making soup for lunch. I will have lots of helpers for that as they all love cooking.

Better get to bed now I'm sure it will be an early start to the day lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Bleach, much more fun than housework.

Evening All

One of my all time favourite mediums to use on cards has to be bleach.

You can paint with it, stamp with it, even spritz with it, if you have the right card stock that is.

Many years ago when I wrote my book on Rubber Stamping I wanted to include a chapter on the use of it. I had to wait on tenterhooks for quite a while for permission from America to add it, since they obviously have far more rigorous HSSE rules and regulations than here in the UK.

Thankfully they agreed and I was able to share my passion with the crafting community.

This month they have a new challenge over at the Mix It Up Challenge Blog where it is Anything Goes with the optional twist of Bleaching.

As I said before you have to use the right type of cardstock. Not everything will react to the bleach so I have lots of sheets of cardstock with a small bleached blob in the corner where I have tried it out.

The black card used in the panels on the last 3 cards bleaches out to an amazing array of colours from a pale grey, almost white to a beautiful teal blue depending on the strength and amount of bleach used. 

Experiment with what you have. 

I find that the best bleach to use is the cheap thin stuff from one of the bigger supermarkets. Use it undiluted with a waterbrushes to paint with. Don't try and fill the brush as it eats the valve and leaks every where which is not very useful. Tell me how I know that little titbit lol.

You can make your own bleach inkpad using several pieces of kitchen paper or a piece of Cut'nDry felt.

If you are spritzing card with it place the card into the sink or bath. Then you don't ruin anything, you have a beautiful piece of background paper and there is the added advantage that it smells like you have been doing some cleaning. It's a win win.

Like I say just play around, it's much more fun than housework.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

A Blast from the Past - Retiform

Evening Everyone,

My good friend Gill Till has been doing a fabulous job just lately of reminding us of those much underused items that are languishing in our crafty stash, along with long forgotten techniques on her Way To Go Wednesday over on Facebook.

This week she has reminded me of an old technique that I taught her many years ago called Retiform.

It is a deceptively simple technique also known as the Grid technique owing to the lines/grids that are formed across the card.

It is actually a masking technique which is much easier to achieve than you might think at first glance.

It is also a great way to use lots of stamps on the one card.

I'm afraid that this card was rather hard to photograph as the masked panel has been heat embossed after all the sponging and stamping has been done.

I used large post it notes to mask off the various grids on the card which I then sponged with ink.

I'm having trouble describing exactly what to do, so I'm going to direct you to Google where there are loads of fabulous tutorials and Youtube clips.

I also used the Southwest corner punch and some threads on the Retiform panels.

I am one of those sad people that has kept a pictorial record of all the classes that I have taught over the years, 

and it goes right back to 2003!!! So you can see a few more of the cards that I have made using this masking technique.

When I first taught the Retiform technique I used it as a Part 3 in a series of masking classes.

Part 1 (Simple) was basic grid masking as on the top three, and bottom left hand cards. 

Part 2 (Medium) was Retiform masking over a complete stamped image, bottom middle card.

Part 3 (Hard) was Retiform masking to include a central panel and lots of stamps. Bottom right card.

I'm off to link this to Gill's Way to go Wednesday Facebook post, and remind her that I taught her this in April 2006!!!!!! Where did those years go to lol.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and craft.

Hugs Kimx

B is for Bauble

Afternoon All,

Well I guess I jinx it didn't I.......we woke up to snow this morning. Not masses, and it looks like it is disappearing fairly fast, thankfully, but I really don't like it. At least I can just admire it through the window today, so let's hope we don't get any more.

I'm still a bit in Christmas mode in terms of card sharing I'm afraid, perhaps it comes of having spent my Christmas asleep!!

Here are another couple of cards that I made (back in the summer actually!!) using one of my favourite Designer Boutique stamps from Creative Expressions. You can see the other cards that I made  HERE

I stamped and embossed the image using a dark brown Versafine Claire inkpad and then spritz the panel with ink sprays. I added some glossy accents to a couple of the baubles for a little added dimension.

This card used the same stamp, and one colour of Distress ink.

Having inked up the stamp I spritzed it will a little water before stamping it on to cream card stock.

I also added a few gems. You need a bit of bling on a Christmas card don't you lol.

They have a new challenge over at Christmas Crafts All Year Round. 

Their challenge for the month of January is Something that starts with A and/or B so I think that these will fit perfectly.

I would also like to enter them in to these challenges.

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge - 523 Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas

Stamping Sensations - Favourite Stamps 

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and craft.

Hugs Kimx

Let it Snow.....no thanks

 Evening All,

What a cold and miserable day it has been today. Thankfully we haven't had any of the snow that my Sin-in-Law said that we were expecting. It's too wet for it to settle at least even if it did arrive.

I have decided that the easiest way for me to decide what cards to share with you, is to be guided by some of the challenges that I follow both through Facebook and individual blogs. So here we are with the first challenge of 2021 over at Christmas Card and Papercraft Challenges on Facebook

....................................Snowflakes - Multiple Colours......................................

As I only managed to write about a dozen cards before the virus got hold of me, I still have plenty more cards still to share with you, before they go in the drawer for next year.

This one was made using a lovely stamp set designed by Jane Gill JGS681 Let it Snow. I created a masterboard/one sheet wonder using the snowflake stamps from the set and various colours of Distress Inks.

Once I cut the panel up it gave me enough for two cards.

This card is made with some second generation stamping around the edges of the main card along with the lovely large sentiment from the set and a few sequins.

Same idea here,

just different snowflake stamps along with a script background stamp.

And finally a torn paper mask across the centre of this card.

Better get to bed, it's my last chance for a lie in tomorrow before I'm back to work at 'stupid o'clock'.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

Jumping in the Puddles

Hi All

I don't know about you guys, but one of the hardest things I am finding with all the current lockdown restrictions is not being able to get out for a daily walk because of the grotty weather. It was fine during the first one last year because the weather was nice, so a walk round the park was lovely, now it's just like walking through a bog so I'm afraid that I wimp out in favour of a cup of coffee and a sit down.

This has definitely been a problem with the littlest Grandbabies, they need to get out and expend some of this endless supply of energy that they seem to have. It is pouring with rain again today, but we have decided to put on our wellies, wrap up warm, and go and find some puddles to jump in.

So what can I find to cheer us all up on this cold and rainy day.

Here is a birthday card made a couple of years ago using a lovely LOTV topper, with a couple of fairies to herald in warmer days to come.

I trimmed it using a dotty square die and added some ink with the die still in place leaving the fine white border.

The background is a piece of 'Bleedin Art Tissue' which I have stuck to a sticky sheet. By screwing up the tissue paper before adding it to the sticky sheet you get added texture. I added some gilding wax to highlight this. 

We had a lovely time this afternoon.

We bundled up nice and warm in our coats and wellies and even got a wave from the tractors that drove past us. They probably thought that we were mad lol.

Of course there were loads of super puddles to jump in.

Several of them deep enough to go over Jack's boots, but it didn't put him off at all.

We went and played in the park where Chloe finally gave in..................and fell asleep in the swing.

Jack also crashed out on the way home, in the basket under the buggy.

Although he looks rather uncomfortable,

he stayed asleep under there for ages and woke up in a really 

lovely mood, which is not what we had expected.

The Girls were frozen by the time we got home, so they had a nice warm shower and snuggled up on the sofa in their dressing gowns to eat their lunch

and watch a film.

We try and get them out for a walk every day if we can and there are still some Christmas lights for them to admire,

including this fabulous tree.

They are much happier now they have been out in the fresh air and are now helping Mum make the dinner and show off their dance moves.

Hope you have had a great day. Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Hobby Art Flower Vase

Evening All,

One of the hardest things when trying to blog every day, is actually trying to decide what card to share. It's not like I don't have plenty of them to choose from. In fact if I never made another card I've probably got enough to keep me going till I'm 107 lol.

Sometimes I take inspiration from a challenge that pops up on Facebook or in my e-mails, and sometimes it is just a case of finding the next card in my photos that I haven't shared with you all.

So that is where we are tonight. A card made many years ago for the lovely Jenny Mayes of Hobby Art fame. The pink background was created using an alcohol based inkpad whose name escapes me now, and glossy card stock. The image was then stamped and embossed onto it and matte and layered onto silver mirri card and co-ordinating pink scraps.

The torn panel across the centre is made from vellum with another image stamped randomly across it using white brilliance ink. 

I finished it off with my signature three tiny square black peel off dots.

I wonder if Jenny will remember this from a demo at the trade show many moons ago .

Off to bed now before it gets too late.

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

Nothing But Neutrals

Hi All,

An old blogging buddy of mine popped up on my Facebook feed yesterday with her first challenge for 2021, so I decided that entering it would be the perfect way to start off the New Year.

The challenge blog is called The Rainbow Card Challenge Blog and their colour challenge for this month is Nothing but Neutrals.

Now I haven't exactly been crafty over the last few weeks due this blasted virus, so I had a look through my photos to see if I could find a card from my stash that might fit the bill, and this is what I found.

I stamped and embossed Jane's fabulous JGS329 Single teasels on to a piece of cream cardstock and then added some distress inks with a blending tool. 

Next I added some background stamping again using Distress inks.

Finally I ran the entire piece through my embossing machine with a Bubbles stencil (they call them masks) from Dutch Doobadoo. If you use an embossing mat underneath the stencil you get a nice embossed pattern in the card stock just as if you had used an embossing folder

With the stencil still in place I added some smoky grey ink and then some Imagination Sparkle Medium using a piece of cut'n dry felt. You only need a small amount of the Sparkle Medium on the felt pad but by using a circular motion over the stencil you burnish the medium in to the paper to give a foiled appearance, which of course looks much better in the flesh than the photos lol.

The sentiment is a favorite old one from Hobby Art.

I hope that this is neutral enough for Mynette's challenge at The Rainbow Card Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm off for a granny nap I think, covid really does take it out of you.

Hugs Kimx

Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2021

 Hi All,

Well there I was doing so well with daily blog posts in 2020, and then the bloody virus got me!!

I feel so very lucky to have escaped with no more than a couple of weeks sleeping the day around and a distinct lack of taste and smell. Some could see it as a definite advantage when it comes to tackling my youngest Grandsons smelly nappy lol.

I have now tested negative so am able to return to work at the end of next week since I already have a couple of days holiday booked. At least it will mean that I can ease myself back into standing up for 8 hours, something that I could not have attempted at the beginning of last week. And don't get me started on whether I will be able to remain civil to the idiots who refuse to wear a mask!!

I hope that you have all remained safe and well and that we can now start to look forward to some much needed crafty playtime.

With much love and best wishes to you All, and a virus free hug.

Kimx