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

Fairies or Other Mythical Creatures at CCM

Afternoon Everyone,
We have a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers today where our host Jackie is looking for Fairies or other Mythical Creatures.

My time has been extremely limit of late so I decided to look back through my not so inconsiderable stash of cards and photos of projects already sent out.

 This was actually made a couple of years ago using a lovely topper from LOTV.

 As I had several images all the same I decided to do a little decoupage.

The main card was die cut using a favourite Go Create die which I then stamped and white embossed with large Chocolate Baroque butterflies before sponging with Distress Inks.
I hope that you will find the time to join in with our challenge. Anything will do so long as it contains a fairy or other mythical creature.
Don't forget to pop along and see what the rest of my wonderful Teamies have come up with to inspire you HERE.
Have a fabulous week.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Ribbon or Lace challenge at CCM

Hello Everyone,
It's my turn to host the challenge at CCM this time, so I am looking for your creations using Ribbon or Lace.
I have a huge stash of ribbon, which I usually seem to forget about, so this was a good excuse to use up some of it!!

My card was actually made for my Mum, for her 88th birthday in August, and is a bit of a family affair.

The background is a painting that my Granddaughter Emma proudly brought to show me.

There were two of them in fact, and I loved the colour, so I thought that they would make fabulous backgrounds for a card. I also knew that Mum would be thrilled to think that Emma had helped to create it.

I wasn't allowed to keep the originals, so I made several photocopies before I stamped and embossed on one of them with some of my favourite floral images.

Having trimmed the panel down, I wrapped two different widths of sheer ribbon around the bottom before mounting it onto some co-ordinating card stock.
I also added some black buttons and a sentiment.

I die cut 'With Love' from black and white card and layered it to give a shadow which makes it pop.

I used a little more of Emma's background for this card which is one of several that I have just posted to Julia Watts for her TV appearance on Hochanda on Thursday.

I stamped and embossed one of Jane Gills fabulous new stamps onto the background,

and then did some very basic zendoodle. I also stamped and embossed the same image onto the black card base.

This one uses the same stamp, but a bit of 'mop up background', of which I have plenty lol.

I painted the image with Distress Inks and Oxides this time,

and then added a little Sparkle pen over the top of the blue flowers.
I have just posted a box of cards to Julia, so hopefully there will be a few of my samples on her shows on Thursday at 11am and 3pm.
I hope that you will find the time to join in with our latest challenge at CCM. Please pop over and share some love with the rest of my lovely Teamies, I know they will appreciate it.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Ally Pally Playtime Part 2

Evening Everyone,
I had better get this post done quickly before my computer starts acting up, as well as my phone.
Why is it that anything involving technology just does not seem to work for me. It should be so easy to download all the photos off my phone onto my computer, or so all of my children and Grandchildren tell me. At this point I am ready to get Emma, who is three, to give it a go cause it just ain't happening for me. GRRRRRRRRRR
Anyway. Rant over. Here is part 2 of the class on Saturday where we all played with our purchases from Ally Pally the previous week.

Part of my contribution to playtime were some Tonic Nuvo Shimmer Powders which I used to create this fabulous watercolour background.

I also used one of my new Woodware stamps designed by Francoise,

and a 'With Love' die also from Tonic.

This piece of mopup background was enough to make two cards.

I stamped and embossed another of Francoise stamps onto it,

and then painted it with bleach for the flower petals

and Shimmer powders mixed with water for the flower centers and leaves.

The background to this card was created using Green Parade Shimmer Powder and glycerin.

 It was something that I saw my friend Paula Pascal do on one of her TV appearances for Tonic,

and was the reason why I just had to try out the Tonic Shimmer Powders even though I own all sorts of other types of powder including Brushos, Colour Bursts and Pixie Powders lol.

This card uses another of Francoise stamps which has been coloured with the Shimmer powders mixed with a little water to create a paint.

The background paper is from a Clarity paper pad which was also amongst my many purchases.

 I even managed a Christmas card.

One of the Girls brought along some Embossing powders and a lovely Christmas Tree stamp, so I just had to play with that just like everyone else.
I am going to admit defeat with trying to transfer my photos from my phone to my laptop and get my lovely friend Joe to do it for me. I can see him shaking his head now, but at least my laptop and phone should remain intact, as well as the nearest window :O)
Have a great evening.
Hugs Kimx