Christmas on the last day of July!

Having thought that I never wanted to see another Christmas card after last year's mad dash I have been re-energised by some of the cards appearing over at I love PMs challenge this week Challenge #25 'Christmas in July'. I have purchased some darling little penguins and christmas trees from the Pink Petticoat shop (more of them another day!). I have to say that I feel very in the Christmas mood.

So I thought I would join in on this, the very last day of July, with a cute little Tilda (thank you to the kind image donator).

She is obviously coloured with PMs of the festive variety. Her fur is created with glossy accents and Glamour Dust (Crystal) - I am very pleased with this product as it is easy to use and gives a real sparkle - 10/10.

Tilda is teamed with lots of card stock from DCWV which has been texturized with sizzix dies - 'Merry Christmas', 'Holly' and 'Christmas Trees' (can you tell I was trying them out for the first time?) - really like all of them. Sentiment is D&D as is the snowflake stamp in gold Dew Drop Ink. Paper is Dovecraft 'funky'. The poinsetta is a sizzix die. I have created the ribbon with a MS punch (again a product that I highly recommend for its efficiency and overall effect. Card candy (as it's Christmas) is Craftwork's 'China Town' - gorgeous reds and gold that said buy me as walked past in Bee Crafty!

What a lot of waffle - anyway you get the drift that I am getting in the festive mood. You never know this may mean I am organised by December!

Have a lovely weekend whatever mood you are in.

XXX

New things

Firstly, decorative pins (thank you Karen, an uber creative and talented crafter). For a fab tutorial go here. Just getting the hang of them and now I want some intricate little silver and gold beads and alternative stripes to go in between the glass beads. Definately going to be making these more and more.



What have you started Karen!

Secondly, creating backing papers with Inks and masks. I've used Sir Tim's mask here (a clock)with faded jean and tattered rose DIs and Dew Drop pearlescent pink and purple and pink and gold. Really like all of these.

Here I tried wax with DI over the top and two DI with water. Both these techniques were from Craft Stamper by Jo Capper-Sandon. I quite liked the wax. I think the water one needs more practise - as they didn't really mix but that may have been because it is soooo humid and muggy here.

Watch out you may be seeing them in some of my future creations!

I really enjoyed playing - so did my LO who did her own take using her paints and anything she could steal from my desk!

Lastly, my Little pixie in a stolen woolly hat - in this weather! Just because...

What are you playing with at the mo? Or what would you like to play with if you had the time/energy/volition?

XXX

With a neigh neigh here...

Rosie has challenged us with 'Old Macdonald's Farm' as a theme on 'Craft Mad & Lovin' It' Group this week. Allsorts Challenge blog want something for a baby/child and Rosie Ds Challenge want 'All Creatures Great and Small'. As I have a a small goddaughter who has a birthday coming up and is horse mad I thought this was a perfect opportunity to put this card together. I hope she will like it - and that you do too. It was a hoot to make.

Instructions:

1. Make a step card (there are lots of good how to guides in Blogland)

2. Colour images (I used PMs and some glamour dust)

3. Stick angel hair and handmade papers down as grass

4. Stick raffia type material down to make fence

5. Cut and stick card and paper to go behind Tilda (mine are DCWV and K&CO)

6. Diecut shapes (mine are Sizzix)

7. Glamour dust shapes and stamp sentiment (mine is G Studio)

8. Make decorative pin (Karen has put a fab How to on the Craft Mad blog - this is my first - what do you think?) and flower (mine is Wild Orchid)

9. Stick figures and shapes on to card once they are dry

I wonder what else will be on the farm? Clare has added a cow!

Thanks for looking and I wonder what animal you would add?

XXX

A Distressed Vintage Chocolate Tilda!

Here she is!

(I seem to work in phases and I am using Tilda's quite a bit at the mo!) She is coloured with PMs and I have decoupaged her a little and added pearls to her dress.

She is set in a sketch by Karen on the 'Craft Mad and Lovin' It' group for challenge #2 who also wanted lace and pearls. Things I don't normally use. I decided to really experiment with the whole distressed/vintage look once I got started. Some elements I like and some I'm not sure about.

I liked putting Tilda on to a piece of lacey material and I think this works well with the Victorian themed paper. I used the Craft Stamper flower and the MS punch flower with distress stickles and added some more lace and pins. I finished it with Gold glimmer mist and a few pearls here and there. The card was misted and stamped with the flower stamp in DI. The sentiment is an Inkadinkadooooooo! All the edges were distressed (a bit like me doing it) -LOL.

Challenges that are very inspiring with gorgeous DT work:

1. Totally Tilda Challenge #1 Chocolate (hosted by the fantabulous Susie Sugar)

2. Passion for PMs Challenge #61 Distressing

3. Just Magnolia Challenge #65 Vintage

Thanks for the fun and inspiration (although I don't think this is my style really).

Have a wonderful Sunday.
XXX

Fairytale Tilda

Rosie not only set the 1st challenge over at 'Crafting Mad & Lovin' it' sketch Sat but also set the 1st themed Sunday challenge - Fairytale. I love this idea of a theme.
So here is Midsummer Tilda glittered and PM'd up with Paperartsy castles and Craft Stamper flowers.

Cardstock is DCWV and ribbon is Anita's. Sentiment is a Magnolia one which I love - 'Made with love'. All stamped in either DI Faded Jeans or Encore Metallic Silver.

I used Donna's sketch from Pear Tree Designs Challenge #9 as a basis for the layout but moved the top right hand embellies to the opposite side and to the bottom - hope this is ok!
Sketch with a twist (use ribbon).

Go and check out the lovely work on the blog and be inspired.

Thanks to Rosie for the theme and Donna for the sketch - had fun playing.

Happy Weekend all and Summer Hols to teachers and students.

XXX

Friends are made of Glitter and sanded embossing!

Time is a precious and fleeting experience - I don't seem to have enough of it at the moment. Finally I managed to create a card but not alot else - I suppose I am storing lots of ideas for when I can journal and make and stitch and paint - if only!!! Here is another sweetie from Hanglar & Stanglar - she is coloured with PMS and glittered with Sparkles. The images are really nice to work with.

She is set in a sketch designed by Rosie for 'Craft Mad and Lovin it' challenge #1 'Ink and emboss, my friend'. Thank you Rosie! I have to say this was a struggle for me as I appear to be shaped challenged!
She is teamed with DCWV cardstock and paper from 'Nana's Kitchen' Stack. The frames are Original Sizzix shapes and the embossing plates are Sizzix Ornate and Stripes (which I sanded over a first for me). The flowers are punched with an X-cut punch. The sentiment is a Papermania sent kindly as a prize from Lauren -thankyou friend!

I am entering this card in the following - go and check them out as they have some gorgeous work on show.

1. Lovely HAnglar Only challenge #4 - Glitter

2. Crafty Creations Challenge #77 - Something Sweet/happy

and of course the #1 challenge over at 'Craft Mad & Lovin' it' on Craftbubble.

Lastly here are lots of hugs and Mwahs to FRIENDS.

XXX

Where does the time go?

Not much crafting or experimenting in the last couple of weeks - so I have little to share. Sometimes life just is what it is - so I am not stressing about this and I know there will be time ... sometime.

Little person and I did make some cakes yesterday because it rained so I thought I would share them instead. It was a lovely activity which we both enjoyed in a rather sticky icky way.

My internet friends have gone and created a new group called 'Crafting mad and loving it' on Craftbubble and they have introduced a WOYWW thread - so here is a before and after tidy shot.

It is in our garage - but this does mean I can be messy and noisey - in fact it's a bit like being a teenager again - a room of my own - which is a bit odd when you have a house. It obviously says a lot about me that I like the garage!

The other bit of news is that I purchased Audrey Niffenegger's new novel today (I had missed that she had written one up to this piont!). I hope it will be good. Got to finish 'The Children's Book' first - I am enjoying it but I am just so slow at reading at the moment.

Well I hope you are all well and creating what you need to create or resting as you need to rest or thinking as you need to think.

XXX

Top 3!

Having arrived home from Hols (lovely St Ives) I've discovered I made the top 3 for the 'Stripes' challenge. Thank you to the gals over there - I am very chuffed. Go and check out the DT work and the challenges as they are lots of inspiration and fun.

Have fun this Thurs eve whatever you are choosing to do.

XXX