Watching the World go by.

Hi. Well I've made it through another hot day! Not quite as bad as yesterday but there is something to be said about going back to work tomorrow - at least we have air con lol.

The Grandchildren have had a great time in the garden playing in the paddling pool and the new sandpit - the twins birthday prezzie arrived a little early and it just seemed stupid not to use it, who knows what the weather will be like in a weeks time.

They have had a ball in the sunshine but I feel like I'm turning in to a bit of a vampire. I don't come out in the daylight lol.

Anyway all is not lost as I did at least manage to get a card made. I've decided to enter this one in to the Friday Sketchers challenge. Boy I'm getting brave now!!
The card has been made using one of my Magnolia stamps and the flowers are from a clear stamp set - I think it may be Hero Arts.

I have added the name of the little girl that it has been made for in letters stamped onto shrink plastic. I hope you are suitably impressed Louise :)
The background paper and ribbon are from my stash.
I have also added some faux stitching.
Better sign off now it's getting really late.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love Kimx

Floral Bleach

Morning.

Well I made it through another boiling hot day! How about yourselves did you manage to get anything creative done? I do find it hard in this heat.

On Wednesday I'm teaching another class using bleach. I really do think that it has to be one of my favourite techniques.

After their last class (cards to fill the stationary wallet) where they felt like they were on a production line, they have all asked if we can make one specific card.

The one that they have chosen to make is one I have already shared with you guys so it gave me a wonderful excuse to make a couple more samples using the same idea - like I needed an excuse right!!!

I do find it difficult to just make one card for a class, especially as what I usually teach is a technique which you need to play with. I also feel that it narrows down the stamps that they get to play with, but then I suppose on the other hand it does show just how many different things that you can do with just one stamp.

As you may have gathered they will be making an Easel card, once they have created their stamped, embossed and sponged panel. The bleach has been used to remove some of the colour from the image, my trusty Hobby Art  stamp from the 'Jean's Floral Collection'. This technique will only work when a dye based ink has been used, so on this occasion it will be Kaleidacolour ink pads that we will be playing with.

The Nestabilities and border punches work brilliantly with this sort of card and I have also made my own card candy out of left over pieces of card stock and background paper, so they match the card exactly.

I told you I have been trying to use up bits and pieces from my demo boxes, which is why all of these have a very similar base colour for the card.

It still hasn't got too hot here so I am going to get on while I have the chance. We might BBQ later today - so that will probably be the kiss of death to the sunshine lol.

Have a great day, Happy Crafting.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and hugs

Kimx

Tidy.........................for a moment!

Morning All

I thought that I would blog early today before it got too hot, I hear we are in for a scorcher.
I also thought that I would show you that I do sometime tidy my desk.

 It usually happens when I have finished one set of cards, or classes, but then it doesn't take long for it to get back to normal lol.

The reason for all this latest organised chaos is a card for Ethan, my Grandson's best friend.

I am trying to be really good and use bits from my box, or should that be boxes :), that need finishing. So this Magnolia bird fitted the bill perfectly so to speak. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!
It's amazing what you find when you start rummaging. The Magenta panel that the bird is sitting on was in the box as well.

I wrapped some wire around a wooden skewer to make a branch, and added punched leaves and some tiny flowers - not hand made this time.

I did have to get some new stamping in there so I used another of my Magnolia stamps on the background paper. They have been coloured with a mixture of distress inks and Silkies.
Hope you like it.
I'm off for a very cool shower now before I get on with some more cards. Well I did say the table only stays tidy for a very short while didn't I he he.
Have a great day.
Happy Stamping.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Winged Creatures

Afternoon Everyone.
I swear they are out to get me...................moths and flying things that is.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am not good with moths or spiders. That is probably an understatement. I HATE THEM.
Well this week they have definitely fought back. On at least 3 separate occasions I have leaped back from the till - in the middle of serving a customer I may add - as I have been dive bombed by a huge moth.
The first couple of times our trainee manager came to my rescue. Apparently he is on constant moth watch at home since his wife doesn't like them either. She will not allow him to hurt them so on these occasions my attacker was gently removed and allowed to fly free.
I'm afraid today he fared less well - no trainee manager only a firm magazine. I'm sorry all you insect lovers but it was him or me :)

Anyway I figured that this led me quite nicely into pictures of one of the cards that I made for Barbara.
This stamp is called Moonfairy and was part of  the latest Christmas show that Barbara did on Create and Craft.

I have coloured him/her using distress inks and added some Pearlex to the wings although I'm afraid that it doesn't show up too well in the pictures.
My Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and an EK Success Border punch were also used to good effect.

I'm afraid I seem to be very into my hand made flowers at the moment. There are just so many wonderful tutorials out there and they do add a fantastic finishing touch.
Gotta go now, I have to go back to work and count the cigarettes - 2 hours of Air Con how wonderful!!
Have a good evening.
Happy Crafting
Love
Kimx

For the Gardeners out there.

Evening Everyone.
As promised here is the card that I made for my friend at work.

As I said before it is not the sort of card that I would usually make for a man, but I was really pleased with the results.

I ran it past my Sin-in-Law who agreed that lots of men are gardeners and therefore like flowers so why would it matter. Sorry Mags this is probably a bit flowery for you, but I hope you like it anyway :)

I did go for a more masculine colour theme, and once again used one of my favourite stamps Penny Black 3939K Queen Anne's Lace.
The main stamped panel was created using my distress ink pads and a bit of Glimmer Mist, I'm afraid that doesn't show up in the photograph.

Most of the flowers were hand made, although I did add a couple from my stash, along with some punched leaves.
The  greeting and name are from two separate clear stamp sets.
I do wish manufactures would add their details to the acetate that the stamps are stored on like Woodware do since as usual I have thrown away the packaging and can't remember who made the stamps - sorry.
A few gems, some cuttlebugged background paper and a peel-off complete the card.
I amazed myself this afternoon and had a good tidy up, after my granny nap lol. You can actually see my desk. It just doesn't look right so I will have to work on it tomorrow and get it back to normal - total chaos!!!!
Hope you had a good day and weren't too hot.
Thanks for stopping by, do tell me what you think of the card.
Love Kimx

Happy Birthday Mike

Hi All.
Sorry I was absent yesterday but it was one of those where I seemed to spend the whole time chasing my tail, and by the time I finally got to sit down to blog I couldn't think of a thing to say so I gave up and went to bed.
I have been working hard today on a card that a friend at work has asked me to make.
I usually take my cards in to work so that the girls can see them before they go in the post. Having seen the card that I have entered into the challenges one lass asked me if I would make a similar card for a friend of hers. I was a little hesitant as her friend is male, and I was afraid that it might be too feminine, but now its finished I think it will be OK. I will have to share it with you tomorrow as of course it has got too late to photograph tonight. I really am going to have to invest in one of those little photo pods aren't I lol.
Men are just so difficult to make cards for aren't they. I guess since lots of them are gardeners it really shouldn't be a problem if the card that you make has flowers on it.

If all else fails trees and leaves are always a safe bet I find, and this is what I used when I made this for Mike, the husband of my friend Gill.
A little bird, or should I say a Welsh Springer Spaniel called Taffy, let it slip that it was Mike's birthday on Monday.(Taffy Till - The journal of a Welsh Springer Spaniel)
Gill always attends my classes at Lavender Lane leaving hubby to his own devises on many a Saturday and so it seemed only fair that I send him a card as I am responsible for these absences.
As I said trees are usually a safe bet for a man, and I had a lovely e-mail from Mike on Tuesday thanking me for it. Yes the card was late as usual lol.

I have used a Penny Black tree stamp for the main image and a Stampendous leaf for the background on the main card. I do like this line of trees and it works so well with the distress inks.
The greeting is by Hobby Art.
Hope you have had a good day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love Kimx

Christmas in July

Hi All.
Thanks for stopping by. There has been a lovely breeze here today which has made everything so much more bearable.
It does seem hard to believe that we are over half way through the year now, and so I'm sure all you really organised crafters out there will have started making your Christmas cards already.
The only ones I have made as yet have been for the TV, so I've a long way to go before I have enough to send out.

This card was made using one of the new stamps that Barbara designed for her latest TV show. It is called Bauble Collage  and I have stamped it onto a piece of background paper that I created using my Adirondack Colourwashes. The image has been heat embossed with white powder and then some sections have been coloured using good old fashioned bleach. I told you it gets in all over the place in my cards. It IS the nearest I get to cleaning you know :)

I couldn't resist a rather traditional colour combination for this card which was finished off with some green background paper, flowers (not hand made this time I'm afraid girls) and ribbon.
I hope you like it.
I'm struggling to keep my eyes open here girls.
I do find Mondays hard. The trouble is I have usually sat up crafting far too late over the weekend and now it's all catching up on me. You would think I would learn wouldn't you, but hey!!
Love and hugs
Kimx

Can I join in please?

Afternoon Everyone.
Another really hot day, although at least we have got a bit of a breeze here.
Well I thought that as I am a special guest on the Crafty Cardmakers blog (http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/) then maybe it was about time that I entered one of the challenges.
Craftycardmakers Challenge
This post will probably take me half the afternoon to organise but here goes.

The challenge is 'Inky Fingers' and I think this fits the bill given that my finger tips were orange by the time I had finished.
I realized afterwards that I should have got the kids to take a picture of my fingers for you to see how NOT clean I am after a crafting session lol.
July the 5th seems to be a very popular day for birthdays among my acquaintances as I have had 3 cards to make this weekend. One is for Mike, my good friend Gill's husband. Another for Mandie, a customer at the garage who also comes to classes. And finally Kovi, one of the guys that I work with.

The card I am sharing on the challenge is made for Mandie. I know from classes that orange and brown are her favourite colours, so I hope that she likes this. I hope she also appreciates all the handmade flowers on it, I really did get a bit carried away, but I think they all fit together a treat.The main stamped image is Penny Black 3939K Queen Anne's Lace and is available from Sirstampalot. http://www.sirstampalot.co.uk/

I have used my favourite distress inks to create the stamped panel which has also got a Penny Black greeting in the corner. This comes from a wonderful clear stamp set called Salutations 30-014 also available from Sir Stampalot. It is very useful as it contains a variety of greetings as well as the little dragonflies that also appear on the stamped panel.
The background papers are from stash and have been edged with distress inks using a small piece of cut and dry foam. Of course a Cuttlebug folder and Nestabilities Scalloped square just had to find their way into the card.

 The flowers have been punched from background papers which have then been edged with distress inks. The punches are Martha Stewart and Nelly Snellan.
As this card has been made using at least one Penny Black stamp, I thought that I would get brave and enter it into the Penny Black and Allsorts challenge as well. It seems to fit the bill of 'A burst of summer colour'
I've also noticed the Sirstampalot challenge is 'Lazy  Hazy Summer Days' so lets go for the hat trick shall we.
Now if I can just work out how to link the post to the challenges we will be fine lol.
Happy Crafting, this may take a while!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love and hugs
Kimx

A Card for Vixykins Nan

Evening Everyone.

I've been so busy today (cardmaking and babysitting the twins!!!!) that I haven't stopped to take any pictures and now it's too dark, so I thought that I would share the card that I made for Vixykins to send to her Nan on her 90th birthday.

For those of you who didn't know about it Vix tried to organise 90 cards for her Nan's 90th birthday.

http://vixykins.blogspot.com/2010/05/fancy-making-extra-birthday-card.html.

 I think it was an absolutely brilliant idea and I happily sent a card for her to give to her Nan on the big day.

I only wish I had thought of it for my Mum who will be 80 in August :-)

This is the card that I sent her.

It was made with one of my all time favourite Hobby Art stamps from the Jean's Floral Collection. I have stamped it several times on to a sheet of sticker paper that is pre cut into squares. Once I had coloured it in - distress inks of course lol - I have reassembled nine squares sticking them onto black glossy cardstock and leaving a narrow border around them.

This panel has been mounted onto a green card that has had the floral image stamped and embossed down the right hand side. I have then coloured this with bleach.

Boy this card is full of my favourite things lol.

A piece of ribbon across the centre completes the card.

I hope Doreen had a fabulous knees up, and that Vix didn't get in too much trouble. You know what Nan's can be like when they scold you lol.

Better close now. I seem to be getting a little better with this new edition of blogger. I suppose like anything it just takes practise and like most 'oldies' I don't like change.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love Kimx 

Don't forget to watch Clarity

Hi Everyone

Just trying to see if I can get the hang of this new updated editor.

 I tried it before but I.m afraid to say I chickened out and went back to Old Editor - I don't like change lol.

So here goes, lets see if I can add a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well so far so good but that's just taken me at least 20 mins and about 8 times of deleting the pictures and accidentally altering the writing, I think I may have to stick to Old Editor lol.

 And now the writing is centred as well as the picture.................aargh

Anyway what I was trying to do was remind you that Clarity Stamps will be on the TV on Sunday with Barbara giving another two hours of her fabulous stamping ideas.

This time the show will be Christmas based. I can't show you those yet, so here is one from the show last month which had a very African theme.

The card used both the solid and open versions of the stamps. The open ones stamped onto the black have then been painted with bleach which has changed the card to a lovely brown.

I've used a Nestie again, I do like this one, and I have wrapped the edge of the panel with thread.

I suppose I ought to leave a link to Clarity, which was the whole reason for trying out New Editor, so here goes!!!!   http://www.claritystamp.co.uk/

Now why cant I do that in Old Editor lol.

Well I tried but it's taken ages and I'm not sure I'm happy with it, Hey let's see what happens next time if I haven't thrown the laptop across the room that is.

Nite, nite

Love Kimx

Swing on over to Newbury

Evening Everyone.
Have you had a good day?
This weekend sees the Artstamps Show at Newbury.
I haven't managed to get to it for a few years now, but I always remember it fondly as a lovely friendly show.
I have made this card for Julia at Simply Stamps, who will be exhibiting at the show.
It uses one of the new Slapstick Stamps from Penny Black.


She's definitely not my usual style, although I did manage to use my Distress inks to colour her, and of course I had to sponge the edges of the card panels.
I think the pearls finish it off nicely.


I used a Nestie to cut the panel that she is mounted on to, and after sponging around the edges I have drawn a dotted line using a white Gelly Roll pen.
The background paper is from my stash and has been embossed using one of the Cuttlebug folders, and then sanded.


I have added ribbon, lace and flowers, all from stash. Its amazing what you find when you don't have to worry whether or not people can buy it on your class!!!!!!Even some of the Magnolia Chandeliers managed to find their way on to it.(These are available from http://www.sirstampalot.co.uk/)
The card is being hand delivered for me by Jenny from Hobby Art.
She will also be at the Show and very kindly said that she would make sure that it arrived safely, not squashed as it might have been if I had popped it in the post.
That's the trouble when you get inspired, you don't give a thought to how you are actually going to get your finished work to it's destination, so it became very dimensional.
I hope you like it.
Can't believe that tomorrow is Friday again, where has another week gone to???
Better finish now, have a few e-mails to send.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

Did you do your homework?

Evening All
Just a really quick post tonight as I am about to head out to teach at Davina's so there is no time.
I meant to post earlier but when I got back from dropping off the Christmas cards to Barbara my Granddaughter needed the laptop to finish her homework, and you know how it goes 5 mins leads into 2 hours and here we are waiting for my lift lol.



Anyway I thought I would share one of the cards that the girls will be making tonight to fill their Stationery Wallet.
I wonder if they all did their homework? Time got away with us last week and so they all decided that they would make sure that they had decorated the outside of their boxes at home so that all they had to do tonight was make all the cards and tags to go inside. Still a bit of a challenge but I will make sure that they go home with all that they need if they don't manage to finish it all tonight.



I have been getting some lovely comments on the blog. As you may know I am Guest Designer on the Crafty Cardmakers blog, a real honour. I tried to leave a direct link to them in the post but I'm afraid I failed. Help needed with this Vix lol.
Several of you have asked how I have made the padded cards and so I promise I will post more complete instructions as soon as I can.
You never know I might try and add pictures, that would be good for a laugh given how good with this blogging I am.....not.
Anyway must go now, I can hear Sylvie at the door.
Have a great evening and thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

I'm a Special Guest. How cool is that !!!

Hi All
I am feeling truly honoured.
My 'Stalker' has asked me to be a special guest on the Crafty Cardmakers blog (http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/)
The challenge this time is Inky Fingers and Vixykins thought that I fitted that challenge perfectly lol.


Anyone who has attended one of my classes knows I don't do clean! I even manage to get in a mess when I make flowers. Well you have to ink the petals don't you :)
The card that I have posted for the challenge could be considered a bit of a cheat, in that I made it some years ago for Cardmaking and Papercraft. They sat on it for a year and then said that they couldn't use it as my style no longer fitted in with the magazine.
It has always been my favourite cards EVER and so where better to show it off than to all of you guys.


The Zebra was stamped and embossed on a piece of background paper that I made with my Adirondack Colourwash inks.
I then painted some of the stripes with Bleach. Yes it had to get in there somewhere. That is what has turned the stripes orange, good old cheap thin bleach!!



I mounted the zebra panel on to another of my favourites, black glossy cardstock. I should have shares in that and DSST lol.
The greeting has been stamped onto vellum, attatched using brads.
The background paper is from my stash, as are the beads and threads.
I do hope you like the card. As I say it is my favourite card and one I just cant bear to part with.
Happy Crafting
Love to All
Kimx

Christmas comes in June!!!!!!!!

Evening Everyone.
Well, would you believe that on what feels like it could be the hottest day so far, I have been making Christmas cards.
I kid you not. The latest parcel to arrive from Barbara for her next TV show is all Christmas. Its hard to get into the Christmas spirit when its so hot, but I think I made it. Now I know what it must be like on Christmas Day in Australia, no wonder they have a barbie on the beach.


Anyway as you know I am sworn to secrecy over the new show, so I will just have to share a couple more of the cards that I made for the last one.
They are not quite camels, or even donkeys (to fit the Xmas theme) but they will have to do. I hope you like them anyway.
This first card uses a couple of my Cuttlebug folders for the background and words.

This second uses the large postage stamp and a couple of the smaller stamps that came with it.
I'm struggling with the heat now so I'm going to give in and call it a night.
Hope you have had a good weekend.
Love and hugs
Kimx

What a great day

Morning All. Looks like we are in for another scorcher of a day.
I had a wonderful time yesterday in Chichester. The shop was boiling hot, but we managed with the help of an electric fan.


It was only a small class, which was probably just as well given how hot it was.
Its amazing how different everyones box was. I let them choose their card and paper and everyone chose differently which is always brilliant.


We didn't manage to finish everything, but I made sure that they all went away with enough card and paper and stamped images to finish the cards off at home.
Even so I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
We were well looked after, as always, and the day included lunch which we sat outside and ate in the sunshine - under a parasol of course lol.


These are a couple of the cards that I made to fill the box. I used a lovely stamp set designed by my friend Jane Gill, and of course there was some bleach involved as well as my favourite Stardust pen. The colouring was done using a kaleidacolor dye based ink pad.
Must go now if I'm going to get anything done before it gets too hot.
Have a great day.
Love Kimx

Make a Stationary wallet in Chichester

Afternoon everyone.
Sorry I've not been a good blogger this week, but I have been hard at work on my Stationary Wallet classes.
I have been having so much fun making the boxes that I keep forgetting that I have to make cards to go in them lol.
Anyway, just a quick post to say that if you are in Chichester tomorrow and fancy joining me to make one of these then there are still a few spaces available.
It is an all day class, held at The Eternal Maker
41 Terminus Road
Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8TX
01243 788 174
Must go now, I have those cards to make remember lol.
The shop is just fab, a real treasure trove of material, paper, ribbons, buttons..................I could go on but the list is endless.
Look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow maybe.
Happy Crafting
Love Kimx

Stationery Wallet finishing touch

Evening everyone.
Just a very quick post tonight as I really must get those instructions written for the Stationery Wallet but I realized that I had forgotten to post a photograph of the top of it.
I thought the flowers just finished it off perfectly.
I have been working on the cards to go inside but I will keep them for another time. I had better get back to those instructions. This really is the bit I hate.
I can make cards for England but writing the words is the boring bit as far as I'm concerned. It was always the bit I dreaded when I was doing the magazine work, and of course the books.
Anyway bye for now.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love Kimx

Stationery Wallet part 1

Hi All, thanks for stopping by, even if it is very late.
I said I would try and post again today, and here I am true to my word.
I have been working hard over the last couple of evening to finish the Stationery Box that I will be teaching at Davina's on Wednesday evening, and then The Eternal Maker on Saturday.
Ages ago my friend Shaz, the Peel-off Snob (sorry Shaz, I just couldn't resist lol) gave me a beautiful stationery set as a thank you gift.
At the time I thought how nice it was and that it would make a brilliant class.
So this is my interpretation of it. I did check with Shaz first that she wouldn't be offended if I taught it as a class.
I have had to adjust the instructions that I found for it, as they are from America and are therefore in inches. I am an inches Girl in everything but my crafting, all my equipment is in centimetres, so I have spent several hours adapting the box to centimetres.


I have used background paper to help embellish the basic box, and I have stamped and embossed this using a wonderful Swirl stamp from Inkadinkadoo.


This box has a small note book in it but I have also made one which only contains 6 standard cards and then a post-it note block, stamps and address labels. The little tab at the front is for a pen.
In fact I found myself getting quite carried away with all the different adaptations I came up with.


The class at Davina's is being held over two consecutive weeks, as there is just too much to do in one class and as it is held in the evening I couldn't really extend it for an extra couple of hours, I do need some sleep you know lol.
I haven't made the cards to go inside it yet as this will be what they make on the second evening, but I will have to get to work on them tomorrow as the class on Saturday is an all day one so they will need some examples to copy.
The thing I need to do first though is type up the instructions. I think this is one class that definitely needs a crib sheet!!
You never know I might even get brave and organise a tutorial. It would have to be a step by step one, not video, but maybe someone would be interested.
Anyway must get to bed now, it's back to the real world tomorrow, up at 5am for work!!!
Hope you have all had a good weekend, it's never long enough is it.
Nite, nite.
Love Kimx

Motivation at last......

Well Girls, I can't help wondering if I am some how responsible for the change in the weather!!
I did complain that I don't cope well in the heat, but this is just ridiculous lol.
Tomorrow is the longest day in the year, and then the nights start drawing in, and where have the long summer evenings gone to I wonder.
Anyway, as I have said before I have been going through one of those phases where I have so much to do but just can't seem to get motivated to do anything at all.
Well maybe all I really needed to do was make a card because I wanted to, not because I had to for a class or demo.
My turning point came at the beginning of the week with this card that I made for a friend of mine. He proposed to his long term girlfriend, and so I made them this to wish them all the luck in the world and send my congratulations.


The stamp is by Whipper Snapper and is one I have had for a while from Sir Stampalot.
The papers are from my stash, but are old Penny Black background papers.


I've stamped the image several times onto each of the papers and then used good old silicone - what ever would I do with out it now lol.


The shabby chic flower was one that I had made previously, but it matched the card perfectly. That doesn't often happen now does it.
I have been on a roll ever since I made this, so I had better get back to my desk before I encounter another drop in motivation. My to do list doesn't seem to have got any shorter.
Who knows, maybe I will share again later.
Have a great day, I hope the weather is better where you are, sorry again if I'm to blame lol.
Love and hugs
Kimx