A few of this years Christmas cards

So far this year all my Christmas cards have been made using Elusive Images stamps. I think their range of Christmas stamps is second to none and most of the inspiration for these cards also comes from Glenda Waterworth and her talented design team. These are a few of the cards.

This first card is stamped onto acetate and then gold leaf added to the back. I then attached it with brads to a piece of backing paper from my Artylicious Season's Greetings cd which I had already stamped another image.



For this second card, I stamped with versamark onto semi-glossy white card and embossed with clear EP. I then used my brayer and the Adirondak Noel multicolour inkpad (now sadly discontinued) to brayer over the top and because of the EP resist, if you look closely there appears to be a shadow of each tree image which I really like. I admit this was a happy accident!
The image is then matted onto some Glimmer Misted card (from my bit box).


As you can see, this third card is really simple but I love the clean, classy look of it. I just embossed all the images in gold onto plain white cardstock, matted and layered the tree and sentiment onto gold mirri. Then cut out the partridge and the pear and attached them with 3D foam pads.

This fourth and final card for this post is on similar lines to the last one except I edged the images with Sakura gold Pentouch and used a strip of backing paper layered with gold paper underneath.

Just about all the products used on these cards can be obtained from Graphicus, but most importantly, the stamps and the Artylicious cd, Season's Greetings, for the backing paper. Anything else was already in my stash.

And finally a couple more cynic's quotes :-

Rock and Roll : The sound of grown men throwing tantrums - Bono

Pun : The lowest form of wit - unless you thought of it first - Anon

My little Rudolph???

This cheeky little sweetie is my youngest granddaughter, Alexa, wearing some antlers my DH bought when he went to fetch his daily papers. She's getting into the Christmas spirit nice and early.

Breakfast - The meal that sets you up for the day!

I just had to share this text message I received from my daughter this morning, just before I left for work.

"I've just caught Izzy (Isabella, my 11 months old granddaughter) with a lump of dog food in her hand and dog food smeared all over her face. Yum Yum!

Ugh, Yuk, Barf!! is all I can say

Nautical Birthday Card

I was asked to make a birthday card for a man who is a member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution so I thought the Nautical Themeplate from Aspects of Design (available from TheStampman) would be perfect.

The main piece of backing card was made using Moonglow Inks and so was the piece of mesh effect paper which is actually Anaglypta. The galleon stamp was stamped with Versamark onto heat resistant acetate and embossed with Moonglow Emerald Obsidian (I think) EP and I then used a sheet of double sided adhesive to put gilding flakes on the back. I matted it onto dark brown card and then onto a piece of card from my 'bits and pieces' box which was sprayed with Glimmer Mists. I stamped the script using Sepia Versafine then tore the edges and 'antiqued' it with Ranger Distress Inks in Vintage Photo and Milled Lavender. The sentiment was from a QVC kit bought ages ago stamped onto a piece of cork. I used another sail ship from the Nautical Themeplate to stamp on the insert and also on the envelope and watercoloured them a little and tore and inked the edges of the insert. I also used a Krylon Copper Metallic Pen to edge several of the embellishments and added touches of Glimmer Mist to the sail ship with a waterbrush.

Nautical stamp themeplate, Moonglow Inks and EP and double sided adhesive sheet from The Stampman

Glimmer Mists and Ranger Distress Inks from Graphicus

This last photo is a bit of fun that turned out quite nicely. My son made me some paper roses from kitchen roll and I decided to Glimmer Mist them (if it stands still long enough it gets sprayed). I think they look lovely!

To finish off this post, a few weeks ago when I visited Fountains Abbey (see earlier post) I bought a little book which amused me -Wicked Wisdom : A Cynic's Dictionary. These are a couple of quotes from the book.

Appeaser - One who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last : Winston Churchill

Antique - Something that's been useless so long, it's still in pretty good condition : Franklin P Jones

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

Wow, I've just found this lovely blog by Debbie by following a link on Phree's blog. What a lovely lady with some gorgeous work and she's very generously offering some fabulous candy. Go take a look. The blog itself is candy with it's inspiration!

I'm So Sad

I'm sorry if I make anyone who is kind enough to read my blog sad too, but today we lost a beloved member of our family. His name was Benni and we rescued him from the RSPCA a little over 12 years ago. He was a lovely little dog, full of character (barking the other dogs out of the way at the kennels so that we couldn't fail to notice him). He had a beautifully soft silky coat which was a joy to stroke and a wonderful white tail which was always waving like a flag.

Here he is kindly sharing his bed with his friend Tink (our daughter's little border terrier) when she came to visit.

Today's decision to give him peace was the hardest I have ever had to make, because he wasn't yet in any pain (as far as we know) but he was blind, deaf and was profoundly weak in his back legs. Needless to say, he could nolonger go for walks or play and had recently begun to lose his dignity (details of which I won't share). But the worst part was seeing him not being able to find his way round his own home and garden and the vet agreed that it was far kinder not to let him get any more frightened or confused.

I will never forget his wonderful capacity to love people and I don't think I will ever stop looking behind me to make sure I don't tread on him. We are so glad you decided to wander from your previous owners and find us instead BENNI.

Another Wonderful Day at Fountains Abbey

After visiting Fountains Abbey a couple of months ago for the first time, I vowed to go back as the trees were changing colour, so yesterday (Thursday 16th) I did and took my lovely daughter and granddaughter with me. We had a wonderful day. If anything the place was more beautiful in it's Autumn cloak and the weather was absolutely perfect. Everything was so clear and sharp. This place brings a lump to my throat with it's beauty and these are a few of the many photos I took that I want to share. I was particularly struck by the 'double whammy' of the colours reflected in the water.

and finally, a couple of photos of another subject who brings a lump to my throat with her beauty - the eldest of my two gorgeous granddaughters, who shared the day with me and her mummy.

My 3rd VIP Birthday Card

This card was made with love for my new Daughter-in-Law. I used an A5 portrait white base card, covered the whole of the front with some acetate which I had coloured with Ranger alcohol inks. I attached the acetate with DST under where I knew my image was going to hide it. I then took a piece of card which I had previously washed with Mermaid Seashells Starburst Stains. I designed my tree using Elusive Images Design a Tree Stamps and a mixture of Adirondak dye inks and Cats Eye chalk inks. Then I stamped my little patch of meadow using the smaller stamps from EI Wild Meadow themeplate and the same inks as the tree. The mica in the Starburst Stains gives the whole thing a lovely shimmer. Finally, I stamped my unicorn and faery (again from EI) with Cats Eye Frost White pigment ink and embossed with a mixture of White EP and Clear Crystal EP. I filled in the unicorn image with Sakura White Soufle pen and touched the mane, tail and hooves of the unicorn and the wings of the faery with Sakura gold Stardust pen. I mounted the trimmed image onto some Glimmer Misted card, stamped a little sentiment and mounted this onto the same GM card and positioned both onto my main card using DST. I was aiming for an 'are they there or are they not' look and was quite pleased with the end result.

For the inside of the card I had just enough of the Starburst Stains card left to cover one half of the inside so I stamped one of the larger Wild Meadows stamps down the left hand side stamping twice without re-inking and then printed my chosen wording onto white card which I trimmed to the size I wanted and edged it with one of the colours I used on the stamp and attached it to the inside of the card. All in all, I was really pleased with this card as I came pretty close to what I wanted to achieve and my Daughter-in-Law loved it which was the main thing.

I apologise for being predictable, but once again I've used my favourite products from my favourite craft shop www.graphicus.co.uk helped a little by products from The Stampman. Hope you like!

Fantastic Blog Candy Giveaway

Please do yourself a favour, anyone who reads this, and pop over to Elusive Images Design Team blog and look at the fabulous giveaway they have running at the moment. IT'S COMPLETELY FANTASTIC! Not only is there so much of it, they are brilliant products too. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment on the blog candy post before Friday the 17th October. Simple!

Birthday Card for Another VIP - My Daughter

These are photos of a card I made last week for my lovely Daughter, Jenna's birthday this weekend.

First of all I blended Weathered Wood and Milled Lavender DIs onto a linen effect base card then stamped a background using a stamp from Elusive Images Wild Meadow Themeplate and Broken China DI. I then embossed a piece of dark navy linen card using a Cuttlebug folder, sanded it and then sprayed with Glimmer Mists in Pearl, Jazz Blue and Rum Raisin. I already had a piece of background card which I had made a while ago using Mermaid Seashells Starburst Stains (available from The Stampman) so I used this to layer the embossed piece onto. I also stamped some flowers from EI Big Flowers plate using Sepia Versafine onto the same piece of Starburst Stains card, cut them out and added touches of Sakura Stardust Pens and shaped and curled them a little.

I blended the same DIs as before onto a large tag and sprayed with the same GMs and then stamped my new Paper Artsy Tag stamp (bought at Harrogate Papercraft show a couple of weeks ago but can't remember who from) using the Sepia Versafine. I did the first one by stamping the image before spraying with GMs but the mica did not stay on the Versafine but puddled on the unstamped areas which ended up making the pretty little girl look evil so I did it again and sprayed before I stamped - success! Finally I stamped flourishes (from a clear set whose make I cannot remember - possibly Hero Arts) off the edges of the tag stamp using Broken China DI and edged the tag with Sakura Gold Pentouch.

For my third main element I took a Grungeboard letter J, blended the inks I used before and then triple embossed and finally stamped into it with the previously used Wild Meadow stamp inked up with Brilliance tricolour pad - Aurora. I also edged this with the gold Pentouch.

I assembled all the elements onto the basecard and then arranged the cutout flowers, added clusters of tiny beads, ribbon and fibres and some lovely shell buttons (QVC) in different shapes and sizes.

Inside I used the same DIs and Wild Meadow stamp to create an insert which I then put through the printer to print my chosen wording.

I was quite pleased with how this card turned out and Jenna loved it and ......for once I have used a few items from different places along with my favourites. Hope anyone kind enough to look likes it too.

I'm Humbled

I have been very kindly given this award by Phree of Ink Stain Survivor fame, and feel very humble because of the illustrious company that I share the award with. As I am a regular follower of Phree's lovely blog I would have sent this award back to her but didn't know if this was allowed but I hope she knows how much I enjoy her seeing her artwork and reading her posts otherwise I wouldn't keep going back for more.

The rules for this award are :

1/ The winner can put the logo on their blog.

2/ Link the person you receive uour award from.

3/ Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4/ Put links of those blogs on yours.

5/ Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

After thinking long and hard and revisiting all my favourites here is my list in alphabetical order. I realise some of them are already on Phree's list but they are my favourites for various reasons and so get the award from me :

Deby : http://just-add-love.blogspot.com/

Glenda : http://artylicious.wordpress.com/

Jo : http://littlepeachtree.blogspot.com/

Lesley : http://thepaperengineer.blogspot.com/

Lynn : http://inkyartitude.blogspot.com/

Ros : http://stampandscrape.blogspot.com/

Veronica : http://vroncards.blogspot.com/

Birthday Card for a VIP in My Life - My Son

I'm having a bit of a bleak time in the crafting department just recently. Like many other people I've had a bug I can't shake off and I think it's attacked my mojo as well as my throat and chest. So I thought I would share a card I made for a very important person - MY SON. It was his birthday back in March and it was extra special because his first baby, beautiful Alexa, was born the day before. I wrote the verse inside myself but as it is a bit sentimental and personal I was too shy to photograph that. I think that with this design I was trying to portray something of the idea that although time passes quickly, it also goes on forever in our children and their children and the fastening on the card symbolises holding on to our love for each other and enfolding new loved ones within the circle. This is all a bit deep for me, as usually 'a card is a card' which I just try to make pleasing for the recipient, but this was a very special time for our family as our first adored granddaughter, Isabella, was born just 3 months before and Alexa completed the family - for now!

Now, enough sentimentality! (Another byproduct of The Bug) For this card I used all my fave products once again. The backing paper was from an Artylicious cd (I think Damask Delights), the stamps are Elusive Images - Scripts and Timepieces, and Antiquities for the DTP. The card I used for the DTP was first coloured with Glimmer Mists. All these products are available from Graphicus.

These are a couple of photos of our gorgeous babies taken about a month ago.

I HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!

AND THE WINNER IS .............................

VERONICA

Congratulations to you Veronica.

I can't wait to see what you do with these

lovely stamps. Please do a post on your blog

when you get chance to use them.

However, first you have to contact Glenda

with details of where to send your prize.

Enjoy the beautiful Gossamer Wings themeplate.

Veronica's comment was :-

All of Glenda's stamps are great, so here's hoping!

Love your pix of Fountains Abbey, reminds me of school

trips many moons ago................

Faeries, Beautiful Faeries

DON'T FORGET....................

You have less that 48 hours to leave

a comment on the original Faery post

(not this post)

OTHERWISE....................

you will have no chance of winning the

absolutely gorgeous blog candy

GOSSAMER WINGS FAERY THEMEPLATE

being offered along side two other faery

and unicorn stamp themeplates

by the inspirational Glenda Waterworth

Click here to travel to her blog

to see the stamps that could be yours come Sunday

Please scroll down through the posts

here on my blog

until you find the original

Looking for Faeries?

YOU'VE FOUND THEM!

If you scroll down a couple of posts

you'll find the original one for the faery competition.

You have until Saturday 6 September

at midnight

to leave a comment on that original post

then a winner will be chosen by random number generator

and announced on Sunday 7 September!!!

GOOD LUCK.

Baby Girl Card

This is a card that was ordered by a lady at work. It was to give to her daughter and the sentiment on the oval says 'Thank You for the Gift of a Beautiful Granddaughter'.

I made a standard A5 gatefold card from hammered white card. I then printed a pink butterfly design from the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CDrom onto acetate and again onto bright white 160gsm paper and I also printed a matching insert and an oval tag on which I typed the sentiment.

I used Elusive Images Baby Letters set of stamps and stamped in pink pigment ink (I think it was a Versacolor) and embossed with clear detail powder onto the butterfly printed paper and then cut out each letter. I also cut out two of the butterflies from the printed paper and added touches of Stardust Stickles to these and the letters.

I cut a piece of the printed acetate to size A5 and attached it to the inside left of the gatefold card with double-sided tape. I then cut a strip from the printed paper to cover the left side of the gatefold and attached this to cover the acetate so that you could not see the DST. On the front of the card I used a fine peeloff border on both edges of the acetate.

I trimmed the insert so that it was slightly smaller than the inside of the card, brushed the edges with the pink inkpad and attached it to the card.

I stamped out the baby clothes (again Elusive Images) in the pink onto white card, embossed with clear detail powder and cut them out. I then attached them to the inside right of the card with foam pads and added touches of Stardust Stickles.

On the front of the card I layered the two butterflies and attached them just by the bodies to leave the wings free. I attached the oval sentiment with foam pads having added a brad in the shape of a baby's rattle and finally attached the BABY letters to the right side of the card with foam pads.

This is the box I made for the card. I used the Groovy Duo card and box maker (available from Graphicus as well as the stamps and CD). I mixed a few colours of Fantasy Fibre (bought from various places) and stamped the loppy eared rabbit (Creative Expressions) and the 'It's a Girl' sentiment and attached them to the box with DST.

Luckily, the lady I made it for was very pleased. Hope you like it too.

A Day out with Hubby for a Change

Back in May our daughter bought us National Trust Membership for our birthdays and until yesterday we hadn't had time to use them at all. So we said that come Saturday we were definitely going to give them an airing and having done a bit of searching the NT website we decided on Fountains Abbey at Ripon, Yorks, not least because we could combine it with calling on our daughter's little family in Harrogate afterwards.

Well, we certainly couldn't have made a better choice for our first use of the membership. The Abbey is the most fantastic place. It is beautiful, magestic, atmospheric and steeped in history way back to the 12th century. The grounds are stunningly beautiful with a mix of formal water gardens and informal parkland.
I have to say our feet and legs are suffering a bit today (because we are so unfit) but it was well worth every twinge and I for one can't wait to go back hopefully in about a month's time when the leaves have turned.Here are a few photos from the 100+ that I took. I'm not a good photographer but I would think it's nigh impossible not to get something worth showing from such a special place.

The image below is the West Range but in the monks time this would have been partitioned.

This is a view of the Abbey from Anne Boleyn's seat. It's a bit of a steep trek to get there but well worth it.

I couldn't resist these lovely wild flowers which reminded me of Elusive Images Wild meadow stamps.

And finally few doorways and archways I loved. The cistercian architecture is quite severe but beautiful nonetheless.

There's Something at the Bottom of My Garden.....

...........AND I THINK IT MUST BE GREMLINS!
I thought I was away with the faeries when Glenda Waterworth of Graphicus, Elusive Images and Artylicious fame asked me and two other lucky 'bloggers' to aide and abett in her latest blog candy giveaway. Obviously, I said I would be delighted and set about composing my post, only to find I have a computer gremlin which is not allowing me to show the beautiful Gossamer Wings Themeplate. However, if you're reading this WHEY! YOU'VE FOUND ME! and if you click on Artylicious you will be transported to Glenda's faeryland where you can see the lovely themeplate and some wonderful inspiration too. Just leave a comment here before you go to have a chance of winning the prettiest blog candy ever. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator.
SO GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.

Another 'Birdday' Card

This is another of the 'Birdday' cards I made for a work colleague using the same products as the previous card plus some stitch effect stamps from a kit I bought from QVC when I first started card making about 2 years ago. I think it was a HOTP kit.

'Birdday' card

This is a card I made for a work colleague's birthday. I nearly didn't buy these birdy stamps from Elusive Images 'cos I don't normally do whimsical but I'm glad I did because the recipient loved the card. As usual, I've used my favourite products, i.e. Graphicus Glimmer Mists, Elusive Images Stamps and Artylicious backing papers and I added a little fantasy fibres.

Graphicus Guild June ATC Swap

I'm trying really hard to catch up on my posts even though I should be catching up on my ironing...LOL! Anyway, these are the two ATCs I made for June's Graphicus Guild swap. The first one is untitled and I used a Glimmer Mist background stamped with an image from Elusive Images 'A Thing of Beauty' themeplate using chalk ink pads to stamp and the same pads and a blending brush to colour the image in. I then covered the image with a strip of fine mesh. I attached a thin strip of the Glimmer Mist basecard to the right side edge with pearl brads.

The wrap is made from a piece of ivory pearlised card, embossed with a Cuttlebug background design, then brushed over both front and back with a selection of chalk ink pads. Finally the sentiment from the same themeplate as before was stamped onto a scrap of the base card, the edges torn and inked and some fibres tied to the left side 'hinge'.

This second ATC is titled 'Pocket Full of Posies' and again I used a Glimmer Mist base card. I used a piece of anaglypta washed over with Moonshadow Inks (must try this with Glimmer Mists) to fashion a little pocket with expanding pleats at each side.

The chipboard paisley embellishment was made at Glenda Waterworth's (Graphicus) Glimmer Mist workshop earlier this year. As usual with my terrible memory, I can't remember what we used but I think it was Adirondak paint dabbers.

I stamped four flowers from Elusive Images Big Flowers themeplate and coloured them in with chalk inks and blending brush, cut them out and shaped the petals a little. I layered and attached two over a scrap of mesh onto a Glimmer Mist tag and attached one to the ATC base and one to the pocket. Finally finished off the tag with some fibres and put the tag in the pocket.