Another Butterfly Card

Here is another card I made recently using the same stamp plate as in my previous post .



For this card I stamped the moth butterfly randomly onto gloss card using Versamark ink and then clear embossed the images. I then used a Speedball brayer and an Adirondack multi coloured inkpad (sadly discontinued) to brayer over the piece of card and of course, the embossed butterflies resisted the ink. I then took an acetate jacket and stamped and embossed the scroll corner again from the same stamp plate, using Moonglow EP. Finally I stamped and embossed the butterfly with the same Moonglow EP onto Artylicious DP from the Simple Elegance pack, cut it out and attached it to the acetate over the central butterfly on the card underneath. I left the wings free to create a bit more movement.


I hope everyone is gearing up to a nice relaxing weekend. I can't say I will be relaxing exactly as in about 15 minutes time my youngest granddaughter is arriving to stay with me and her Grandad for the weekend while Mum and Dad go to a wedding. She's 22 months old now so into everything. I think I might be pretty shattered (but pleasantly so) by Sunday, Lol!

Thanks for looking everyone.

Lesley Xx

Beautiful Butterflies

This is one of my recent card makes using some of my favourite stamps because they have butterflies and daisies - two things I love! The stamps are from Elusive Images Butterfly Daisy Collage themeplate.

I've used Derwent Inktense pencils and Distress Inks to colour all the images and although I couldn't get it to show in the photographs I went over the butterfly and some of the 3D daisies with a Versamark pen and heat embossed with Detail Clear EP. The background paper is from the Artylicious Simple Elegance designer paper pack and I also punched the leafy sprays from another sheet from the same pack.

Ingredients : Stamps, Designer Papers, Derwent Inktense pencils, Distress Inkpads all from Graphicus

Nestabilities Labels 8 from Once Upon a Stamp

Everything else was from my stash.

Hope you're all having a nice relaxing weekend doing what you like best.

Lesley Xx

Exciting New Venture

Hi Everyone,

I have some news about an exciting new venture for myself and three of my crafting friends. Jo, Judith, Elaine and I don't get to see each other very often as one lives way down South, another in Norfolk and two more further north but still 45 minutes apart by car but we really wanted to find a way to be able to craft together. So, the idea of a joint blog was born, whereby we challenge ourselves to attempt things normally out of our comfort zone and encourage and support each other through the process and although it is only a few days old, so very much in it's infancy, we have a bit of information about us as individuals and also about the blog itself already on view.

Each month one of us will choose a project from the current Craft Stamper magazine to challenge ourselves with and we will take the following month to complete our pieces of artwork and then post them on the blog. It will be interesting to see how different these projects are when completed. In order to make it a bit more fun and interesting, throughout each month we hope to add little sneak peeks of our projects, i.e. bits and pieces we might be using and maybe a handmade embellishment and other odds and ends and maybe there might be mini tutorials (from the cleverer ones among us, Lol). Erm, I might duck out of that one.

Anyway, we'd love it if you'd like to join our band of followers and maybe leave a comment or two when you have time to give us a bit of encouragement. Our new baby is called 'Craft Stamping Quartet'. Thanks a bunch you lovely people.

Hugs

Lesley Xx

A 'Love' Card and (most) of My Craft Stash

Hi everyone. I hope you are all making the most of being snow free. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the snow we are told is coming on Wednesday doesn't turn up just like the buses and the postman didn't last week, Lol.

I got the inspiration for the card I'm sharing tonight from this card by Linda Elbourne. Please take a look at her fantastic blog if you don't already know it. The heart stamp I used is from one of Elusive Images new romantic themeplates, as is the 'Love' stamp on the little tag. I originally intended the card to be a Valentine's card but my DIL has asked if I can make one as a Wedding card for a wedding they are going to in 2 weeks.

Thanks for the inspiration Linda. I'm really pleased with this card.

After I dismantled our very big Christmas tree that we have in the conservatory every year, I had a pretty good tidy up in there as my craft stash had got in a terrible mess. I also re-arranged things a bit to try and make my stash more accessible. Hopefully, this is only a temporary measure as I am hoping to have some nice cupboards and a proper crafting work surface (I use my dining table at the moment) fitted in the very near future but for a bit of fun I decided to take photos of how it looks at the moment .................

and then I went round the rest of the bungalow taking photos of the drawer and cupboard space I've commandeered in the 2nd bedroom .................

and a set of drawers I've squeezed into the little 3rd bedroom.

I have a nasty feeling I'm not going to get enough cupboards in my conservatory to house it all, Lol! Oh, did I mention the stuff I've hidden behind the dining room doors? I forgot to take pix of those little nooks. Oh dear, I think I have a problem (addiction more like it)!!!

Take care everyone and thanks for visiting.

Hugs

Lesley Xx

Why are Men sooooo Difficult?

I'm referring to men in the context of cards. I personally don't like cards for men depicting a hobby such as cricket, golf or football not to mention the inevitable beer mug. My OH loves a pint of beer but I'm fairly certain he would not like a card with a beer mug on. So I needed an alternative and I have used the stamps from Elusive Images themeplate 'Edwardian Gentlemen'to make the two cards in this post. I really like these stamps and there is a beautiful script stamp which I very often use to stamp onto DPs or blended inks or Glimmer Mist backgrounds.

This first card has a lot of distressing going on with the background paper. I sanded it, scratched it, rubber stamped it, tore the edges and used my Tim Holtz distressing tool and then inked them. The blue matt of Co'rdinations paper was put through a CB embossing folder and then sanded and the main image was stamped and inked a little around the edges before being embossed with two layers of ultra thick clear EP.

The main image on this second card was stamped in brown Stazon and then I used the very bottom of the flourishy script stamp I mentioned earlier to create a little swirl edging using Memento London Fog and then cut it out with deckle edged Nesties. The clock which I stamped randomly in the background is also using London Fog stamped off onto scrap first.

I used an EK Success border punch on the DP.

And finally I stamped the clock three times onto shrink plastic and after cutting them out and shrinking them I attached them to the card with 3D foam pads.

Well, we've had a massive thaw here today and a lot of the snow has gone but we still have lots of packed ice on our road. By all accounts this should go over the weekend but ................ I have been informed by my OH that the reports are we will be back to freezing temperatures and loads more snow by the middle of next week. I also read on AOL that we could have snow until April. I'm old enough to have been there before and I didn't like it so I think I might have to turn into a mouse or something and go hibernate for several months!

Think warm thoughts everyone.

Hugs

Lesley Xx

A NOTE FOR MY LOVELY AMERICAN VISITORS !!

Elusive Images who manufacture the wonderful stamps I have used on these two cards and many other wonderful themeplates which I feature on my blog regularly, are exhibiting at CHA next week on stand #3525, so if your favourite art stamp/craft shop is attending the exhibition please ask them to stop by Glenda's stand and see the wonderful products she has to show them.

Ingredients : EI Stamps, Echos of Italy DP, EK Success border punch and ink pads all from Graphicus.

Shrink Plastic, Ultra Thick EP and Nesties from Once Upon A Stamp.

That's My Boy!

Just a quick post for now as I have a little bit of news I want to share. Regular visitors to my blog will have seen the pieces of artwork I have posted that were by my son, Jamie, and after much badgering by me he has finally started his own blog.

If any of you get the time, please pop over and leave a little comment of encouragement if you can.

http://jamie-ebdon.blogspot.com/

If this link doesn't work the one in my blog roll does.

Thankyou lovely people.

BTW I hope you are all safe this morning. We have black ice everywhere on the roads and pavements. I haven't been out but my friend rang to warn me and said there has been a 5 car smash near our local Asda and it's impossible to stand on the pavements. Please be careful everyone.

Warm Hugs

Lesley Xx

I've Got Something to Post - Yay!!!!

Seriously, I've actually made one or two things recently but I'll spread them out a bit otherwise I'll hit another bare patch and have no artwork to post again, Lol!

This is a card I made recently by embossing with clear EP and then brayering over the top with Big and Juicy ink. I then made an acetate 'jacket' on which I stamped with Versamark and embossed with Moonglow EP. Finally I stamped a butterfly onto DP using Versamark and the same Moonglow EP, cut it out and then positioned it on the acetate over a butterfly on the card beneath. I lifted the wings and only attached the body.

It's a bit short and sweet tonight (now who shouted yipee?) but I'm starting to feel as though I have a cold coming on. You know, sore throat, bit shivery and headachy, so I'm going to get a soothing drink and curl up with a few magazines. It's the one too many cuddles I had with a poorly little granddaughter last week that's done it I think!

Hope you're all starting to thaw out nicely now. I'll be back soon.

Thanks for visiting. I really appreciate you keep coming back.

Lesley Xx

Ingredients : Elusive Images Butterfly Daisy Collage themeplate for the stamps, Artylicious Simple Elegance DP, Big and Juicy Spice inkpad all from Graphicus

Midnight Emerald Obsidian Moonglow EP from The Stampman

Ribbon, acetate and card from my stash.

THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

I thought I'd just show you a few pictures of our outside Christmas lights for this year now they've had to come down and everywhere looks so drab (except where you've had more snow of course). As you may imagine, I'm dreading the next electricity bill!

This is the front

and this is the back

Aren't the lights just beautiful? As you have no doubt guessed they are definitely not our lights, Lol! The top two are photos of the castle in the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, Orlando, after they put the lights on halfway through our holiday in November and the bottom two are photos taken in Hollywood Studios (MGM as it used to be). There is a whole street where every building is covered in lights and at 8.00 pm every night they 'dance' to the Christmas music that is played. Absolutely magical!

It was going to Orlando at the same time of year 20 years ago that started me off wanting pretty twinkling lights outside our house at Christmas but I think I have managed to keep it fairly under control and not too tacky I hope. Our little granddaughters loved them this year. Go back on my blog to January 3rd 2009 if you want to see what our house really looks like at Christmas.

I hope it won't be too long before my next post and I'm hoping that will be of something crafty. It's about time, Lol.

Hope you've all had a good Christmas and New Year.

Lesley Xx