Chocolate Baroque Challenge 18 entry .......and last Christmas card for this year.......

..................I think!

Morning All,

Today sees the start of the final Chocolate Baroque Challenge for this year and by coincidence last night I made what is hopefully my last Christmas card for this year.  The challenge colours are the gorgeous dramatic combination of red, black and white which are exactly what I had used on my card so I'm sure this is my quickest every entry to a challenge, lol!

After writing out all my cards over the past couple of days I felt that none of my bought cards which I usually send to none crafters were suitable to send to a lovely neighbour who sadly lost her hubby a month or so ago.  They all glaring shouted 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' and I somehow didn't think they were appropriate so I decided to make her one.

I used the lovely trio of trees from Sparkling Trees set simply stamped in black Archival ink together with the word 'Peace' from the Crafty Individuals set of Christmas words (available from Chocolate Baroque).

It's a little difficult to see (but click on the pick for more clarity) I stamped the star from a discontinued CB set using Versamark ink and Sticky Stuff ep over which I sprinkled Distress Stickles Dry Glitter.  I added touches of Diamond Stickles to the trees ....my favourite way of adding sparkle .....no mess, lol!

Finally I edged the card with a red marker and added it to the slightly larger card base with double sided tape.  I like this method of giving the impression of matting and layering because it eliminates the possibility of scew-whiff layers ;-).

A fairly quick card but still quite pretty I think and the red border stops it from being too stark.  Off to do the link up to the Challenge now.  Wonder if I'll be first off the blocks, lol!

Hugs

Lesley  Xx

A Sparkly Christmas Angel!

Hello again,

As promised here's my second Christmas card for today.  Very different for me in that I rarely use glitter (unless it's Stickles) ..... and having made this card I don't think I'll be using it again for a while, lol!  Everytime I pick the card up everything sparkles with Glamour Dust fine glitter.  The results are so pretty though!

Last weekend I spent a fabulous Sunday with long standing PATwit friends and lots of new ones too at an amazing workshop with the lovely and very talented Tracy Scott.  The workshops were quite intense and fast paced and anyone who knows me is well aware I don't do 'fast paced' lol, so needless to say neither of my projects is finished yet but I loved them so much (especially the 2nd one) that I will definitely finish them probably after Christmas.  I didn't feel too bad though as several of the 'experts' didn't get finished either ;-).

Anyway, Leandra and Mark, who very generously arranged this fabulous day for our group of PaperArtsy addicts also set up a 'shop' for us and one of my purchases was a lovely simple JOFY mini stamp of an angel.  I rashly decided she deserved lots of sparkle and this is the result.

I started by using a poinsettia stencil and applying clear texture paste through it.  I then sprinkled Glamour Dust very fine crystal glitter over the paste and the effect is really beautiful but ......... inspite of much dusting with a soft brush I am still getting glitter everywhere each time I touch it.  If the recipient is like me they will be blessing me good and proper, lol!

 

The angel and the sentiment were stamped with Versamark and embossed with blue sparkly ep.  I then dusted blue ink using a brush around the image before assembling the card.

Well, I'm happy with the simple, pretty design but I don't think I'll be using glitter again for quite some time.

Hugs

Lesley  Xx

Chocolate Baroque Challenge #17

Morning All....

....on this very wet and dreary Saturday :-(.  I mustn't grumble though as I feel so sad for all the people who have been flooded, some not once but twice, over the past week or so and while the rain continues to fall I am thinking of them.

I've managed to squeeze in a bit of Christmas card making last night.....I am so behind with Christmas prep this year.......  A couple of weeks ago I made two masterboards and still have lots of bits to use up.  I realised the colours fitted the current colour challenge on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge so I added a little flourish with part of a CB stamp and then stamped & embossed in gold, one of my favourite CB flowers from Steampunk Christmas. 

I love this poinsettia layered up and using the masterboard to give me a matching band across the front made this a nice quick card when time is very much at a premium.  The sentiment is also from a CB set.

Have a good Saturday everyone and I'll be back later with another Christmas card.

Hugs
Lesley  Xx

PaperArtsy Blog Challenge - Masterboard entry.

Good morning ...... on this extremely windy Saturday!

This post is going to be mainly pics as I have been away for a few days at my Daughter's and after a quick one night turnaround at home I'm driving south on the A1 later today.  I can honestly say after the scary drive home last night I am not looking forward to my drive today.  I certainly won't be at risk of getting picked up for speeding I don't think!

Anyway, the last blog challenge of 2015 over on the PaperArtsy Blog comes to an end tomorrow and I didn't think I was going to be able to complete an entry between trips but I have so I'll show you my effort mainly by pics.  The theme of the challenge is Masterboards and as always the inspiration over the two weeks has been gorgeous.  For mine I took inspiration from Leandra's introduction video using a brayer and stamping with the Fresco Finish paints.  All the stamps are PaperArtsy, mainly from JOFY40 set plus a couple from the new Christmas Hot Picks, except from some snowflakes.

 

I actually made two masterboards using more or less the same colours but forgot to take pics of the first one.  I did use that original one for the decoupaged tree so there was a slight contrast in the colours.

I curved the garland stamp on my acrylic block to make it fit round the cut out and added some bling.

Righty Ho!  Off to link up to the Challenge then get ready for the off mid afternoon.  If I weren't driving I think I'd be partaking of a little Dutch courage, lol, but at least the forecast is better for the drive back tomorrow evening.

Have a good weekend all!

Hugs
Lesley  Xx

Off we go ......Christmas cards!!!

Hiya All,

I've finally knuckled down to making some Christmas cards.  I don't know why it's such an effort to get started because I love making them, lol!  Anyway, the other day Mr Postie brought me a stamp and stencil set called Holiday Birds by Dina Wakeley.... I love her scribbly birds and had to have them inspite of the fact I have oodles of Christmas stamps already!

I made a batch of 10 with this first simple design.

I made my card bases 15 x 15 cm and also cut squares 13 x 13 cm.  I stamped the bird off the edge so it looks like he's peeking round a corner or in a window.  There's a choice of 3 hats in this set and I stamped this one as though it's falling off and added the little lines to emphasise it.  I then deliberately painted him very badly with watered down Distress Inks.

Next I stencilled the snowflakes (from the stencil in the set, stamped the sentiment (from the same set) and finally gave his had some Stickles sparkle which you can see if you click on the pic.  I edged the square with a metallic brush marker and stuck it to the card base.

My second design is made with a Woodware clear stamp that I bought at the Stampmagic show a month ago.

Basically, I used stuff that was out on my desk from another project.  I stamped the trees onto a piece of vellum with White Versamagic ink and embossed with white ep and then drew in the ground with a white Pitt pen.  I dry embossed some lines around the edges and also the baubles with a ball tool, glued the topper to a piece of dark blue pearl card just in the corners and placed some pearls on top to hide the glue.  

I stamped the sentiment, which comes with the trees, onto the card base, adhered the topper to the card base and added some dark blue Stickles to some of the baubles.

So I've made a decent start on my Christmas cards and need to keep up the momentum this week and they'll be done in plenty of time except ..........then I have to write on them all, lol!

I hope you're all well on the way to getting your cards done and pressies bought.  That's something else I've been putting off........

EDIT  I forgot to mention that I'm linking my birdie card to A Monthly Challenge which is a new challenge set up by the lovely and very talented Paula just for the fun of entering ie no prizes or winners.  There are hardly any rules, just a theme to kick start the creative juices and which this month is 'Take Flight'.

Hugs

Lesley  Xx

A different kind of swap for me!

Morning everyone,

I hope if you're from the UK you haven't been blown hither and thither or even worse, flooded by the storms battering us this week.  OH and I did manage to get out yesterday to a lovely Christmas Market at Chatsworth in Derbyshire (only about 40 mins from us) and although we got a bit damp it wasn't cold and was well worth going to. Lots of lovely products to browse (or buy ;D), gorgeous food to sample and if I get chance next week I just might go again, lol!  I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the area.

Anyway, my post for today is to show you my makes for a matchbox swap I'm taking part in this month.  It's supposed to be 'mini' creations but I don't do mini very well plus the only empty matchboxes I have are some 'Cooks Matches' ones which I've been saving over the past few years and they are 4.75" x 2.75" x 1" so not exactly mini but they are within the allowed limits.

I began by making a wrap for the box cover using Kraft card.  I stamped the two baubles some discontinued *Chocolate Baroque sets using Versamark ink and embossed with Wow white embossing powder.  I added colour with Sakura Gellyroll pens which has given them a lovely enamelled effect.  When they were dry I masked them with post-it note circles and sponged white Versamagic ink through a circles stencil. 

 

For the base of the boxes I used Kraft coloured wrapping paper to cover them as I needed something thin but fairly strong.  The base was already a snug fit into the cover so I couldn't use anything thicker and if I'd used paints that would have caused a problem too.  I stamped another CB bauble using a multi metalic inkpad I've had for years and embossed with clear ep.  I did use Kraft card for the inside bottom of the box.

 

For the contents I decided to create a couple of Christmas decorations.  The little angel was a supermarket buy last year and only cost me 25p!  It was a horrible brassy bright gold colour with heavily glittered wings so I gave it a coat of Stone Fresco Finish paint followed by another one in Nougat.  When the paint was dry I added lots of Treasure Gold highlights.

For the hanging snowflake I used a Tim Holtz snowflake strip die and then created the medallion for the top with the CB bauble stamped onto Shrink plastic and lightly coloured with Derwent pencils before heating to shrink.  I must say I love the way the bauble turned out once shrunk.

Here they are nestled on a comfy bed of torn tissue paper.

 

And now I'm just waiting for the name of my recipients (we are swapping two each) before these go winging on their way in time for Christmas.  I can't wait to receive my swaps .....so exciting :-)!

Stay safe everyone, wherever you are!

Lots of love and hugs to you all!

Lesley  Xx

*  I checked Chocolate Baroques webshop and there is a clear set of stamps which has a lovely selection of the bauble stamps I used.  They are only in one size though, not 3 different sizes as my old sets are.

A 2nd PaperArtsy Challenge entry and ..........It's shouting 'CHRISTMAS'!!!

Evening everyone,

Are we all fireworked out yet?  I blooming well hope so because inspite of it raining heavily we have had fireworks going off since before dark (about 4 hours) and OH and I are exhausted listening to our poor Snoopy barking like crazy to protect us from the nasty bangs! Still got at least three more nights of it too I bet!

Oh well, at least after this week .......it's not long to Christmas (just sayin'), lol, and that leads me nicely onto my project for today.  I'm on a bit of a roll with the Triptych theme over on the PaperArtsy Blog and made another entry to the challenge.  I was partly inspired by Alison Bombers lovely trio of tags HERE but decided to make mine Christmassy with some of the PA Hot Picks Christmas stamps so I can either give it away as a special Christmas 'card' or keep it myself and put it on display ;-).

I chose a fairly rustic style using red and Kraft with just a little colouring of the lovely images from PA Hot Picks Xmas 03. 

Left side tag. 

Right side tag.

 

 

There is star stencilling in Chalk PA Fresco Finish on the red tags and stamped tiny black stars.  I can't believe the only PA star I have in my collection is a huge Sara Naumann stamp so the little one I found after an extensive search through all my stamp stash, lol!  I then went round the edges randomly applying Versamark ink and Seafoam White embossing powder.  I added some of the stamped stars with Potting Soil Archival to the Kraft tags at the last minute.

 

 

Middle tag.

 

On the Kraft tags I very roughly brayered Chalk Fresco Finish paint followed by stamping the music strip from ESN13.  I'm so pleased to have discovered brayering the paint onto the stamp works so well for me as I've never been successful stamping with paint using other methods.  I also stamped the holly flourish using Potting Soil Archival (second generation stamping) and then went all round the edges with embossing.

The bells and street lamp were stamped onto Kraft card and fussy cut.  I used pencils to add colour because the card I used is extemely porous and it was much easier to use pencils than paint.  The sentiment is from the new Hot Pick Xmas 08 set.  I liked the bare wood stars as they are so left them that way and added eyelets to the tag sides and laced them together with gardners twine.

Well I hope you are having a more relaxing evening than we are, lol!  Snoopy is still being driven bonkers by the bangs ....... I'm off to link to the challenge.  See you again soon.

Hugs

Lesley  Xx