'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday 30 April 2010

I love black and white and wanted to make an Oriental Card, so thought I’d make it in Black and White.  Sorry about the photo – it’s not very bright here today.

oriental bw1

This one’s just ‘cos I can' – thought I’d make a card like everyone else does :)  It’s for a friend’s birthday, but she’s away now, so she won’t see it before it arrives.

easel card2

easel card addition

Thursday 29 April 2010

I seem to be doing a lot of VERY similar things, lately – h’mmm, must do something different after these!  Not sure I should have made these today cos I’m really not in the right frame of mind but time’s moving on and there are other things to do tomorrow.
These are for a KCUK swap I’m hosting – what Spring means to us…
Fortuitously, the One Powerful Hour Challenge is also Spring, so this is my entry :)
Spring 1
Spring 2

Tuesday 27 April 2010

I’m using one of my wet Tissue Backgrounds here – just added a little more ink and some background stamping.  Didn’t those colours turn out fab?

It’s not difficult for me to think about birds – I absolutely love them and especially at this time of year, when they sing so sweetly (and loudly) and all the summer visitors arrive – in fact, I stayed awake for the Dawn Chorus in my garden last year (3.40am) and intend to do it again this year – what a treat it was!!  My son calls me ‘Bird Woman of Rainhill (where I live)’ because I buy so much birdfood and really spoil them.  We always have birds in our tiny garden (unless the Sparrowhawk’s laying in wait or has just visited) and I appreciate being able to contribute a little to them when they give so much pleasure to us. 

Anyway, enough waffling, here’s my Birdie entry.  This is for both Sunday Stamper’s Free as a Bird Challenge (get yours in while you can) and because I noticed it last night, for Crazy Amigo, which is birds.  (I’ll probably do another Sunday Stamper one, just to stay within the rules.  I don’t really like combining challenges – feels like cheating…)

Bird Song

This one’s especially for Hels, at Sunday Stamper – lots of detail on that background layer if you click to enlarge it :)

free as a bird 

This one’s just because – I sprayed a piece of card with Glimmer Mists and it was perfect for sky.  I had every intention of doing more on it but decided that the simplicity suited the bird image better.  I tend to forget about this bird because it was one of my own stamps but I really, really love it :) I’m entering this one into the Simon Says Challenge – Things with Wings.

Be as a Bird

Words on both of these are from Stamp Camp who I’m hoping will be at Port Sunlight next weekend – I think that’s when it is – woohoo!!  Can’t wait!  If you live anywhere in the North West, it really is worth travelling to.  It’s still mainly a Stamping show and hasn’t been taken over by papers, stickers and stuff, so it’s well worth a visit, but tickets only…

Monday 26 April 2010

This is NOT Maths – ahem, cough, cough!  Mondays are Maths Days… couldn’t resist this challenge for TMTC, though, which this week is Image Transfers.
TMTATC image transfer 
I used Sheer Heaven to transfer the image.  If you’ve never tried it, you really should – it’s SO easy!!  Just follow the link and it will take you to Jessica's website.  I used to sell this stuff and love it :)

These two are done with Golden Gel onto fabric - not quite as easy but it works pretty well.
atc accordion 3 image transfer atc accordion

Sunday 25 April 2010

After getting drenched earlier this afternoon, while out birdwatching, I spent a couple of hours colouring this image, while I was drying out.  I’ll paint some glitter onto the Moon when I go downstairs.  Hard to get true colours with the scanner, but the bits of sky which look white are actually primrose coloured.  There’s a lot of lavender and pale grey in that sky :)

stars in her eyes

Close up, as promised.  Only problem with close ups is they show all your mistakes…

bg on stars 

Here’s another image I’ve been playing with, too – really enjoy this colouring for a change, though I really struggle with the fine lines, must be honest… old age, methinks, he, he :)

more sweet pea

Haven’t made a card with her yet but I will :)

Friday 23 April 2010

While my computer was down, I thought I'd try some stamping - whatever I did turned out wrong and was a disaster..  Ever have one of those days?  NOT funny!  Anyway, thought I'd better get my corset swap done, since I organised the swap and I'm the LAST to get mine to my partner - what's new, lol?


I really struggled with it and in the end found I couldn't do one with stamping on it, so I had to put it on a card - it's for KCUK, which is a Stamping Group.  I stamped on the lace background but it didn't show up too clearly over the paint (previous post) and I had to stamp it THREE times before I managed to get it straight - that's how bad I was!!  Then, I managed to get some black ink on the edges of my Ooh La La stamp, but at this point, I was losing the will to live, so it stayed as it was :)  I did swipe Black Stazon over the Eiffel Tower charm, but it's obviously come off... really wasn't my day and I had all that time to play.  Could have done loads if things had gone right.

Oh, I forgot to mention that during this disastrous time, I managed to break my Crop-a-dile AND my favourite old, black heat tool packed in - I was near to tears by this point AND in pain.  Good job I can laugh :)   Anyway, here's the finished card, which Dot has now received.   


Here's a close up, showing the vellum more clearly.  I DID stamp on it, but with Pink Sherbet (Adirondack) ink, so it's very, very subtle.

Been making a swap for a friend and pulled out some card I made a while ago, thanks to some inspiration from a friend, Freyja, who some of you will know, who sent me some samples which I really liked :)

I thought I'd show you and tell you how it's made because it does look good and it's SO easy.

These are A5 size, so could be folded to make a card or cut up to use as backgrounds.  It doesn't stamp very well - though it does stamp - but it certainly looks rich and elegant.



It's just cheap gold and silver spray paint, from the Pound Shop, sprayed through lace onto cream and black card.  I did use some copper too but must have used that.  Doesn't it look good?  It's worth doing if you have any spray paint knocking about.  You can buy scraps of lace from market stalls, in little bundles and there are often some really interesting patterns.  Great for Christmas cards, too.  (Sorry to mention the 'C' word at this time of year!)

Thursday 22 April 2010

Theme Thursday’s challenge is Red and Black.  (Photo, so don’t think you’re cracking up cos it doesn’t look absolutely straight on one side, lol)

red and black 1

The Challenge for Lots to Do is Alcohol Inks.

AI Time
Had fun with these – splodged some on my Craft sheet, along with Gold Mixative and added Blending fluid, then splodged the glossy card into it.  Used my new colours and some Piñata I was given at CHA (Trade Show in US).  I got some interesting mixes, so will use those at a later date :)

Had no internet connection for over 24 hours - aaaghhhh!  Don't you miss it when it isn't there??  Back to normal today, I think - so far, anyway :)
This is an old FB piece I found, just needing inks and more stamping.

faux batik1

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Just using up one of my watercolour backgrounds, which has been sprayed with Gold Webbing spray – not very successfully, as you can see, lol :)  I love the background and I loved the stamped piece but I'm not over pleased with the way this has turned out, so may remove layers and make a new one tomorrow, lol.
flowers

I remounted onto a plain card – boring but it looks better, I think :)

flowers remounted

Monday 19 April 2010

No time to do much, so mainly black and white because I’m having withdrawal symptoms, lol.  One ATC with triangles and one Wild Animal card.

tmtatc triangles
africa 1

Friday 16 April 2010

Just managed to make a super quick card with some bits I found)  – only needed to add a little more ink and a couple of stamps and it was done.  Not sure the colour of the Word background goes now I see it again but I thought it was a change.    Made that a few years ago at a class with Sandra McCall in California – it was a great class :)  Must get out her DVD and watch it again…

I’m at the tail end of a major craft room TIDY– yuk – will I EVER let it get so bad again????  Probably!  Still have card pieces to file and lots of unmounted stamps to put back on their laminates or in their bags and then I’ll probably be scared to mess it up again! 

Only joking – I have a pile of half completed stuff I’ve found and LOTS of backgrounds and images, but I also found some things I’d forgotten about and want to try out…

in dreams

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Just a quickie today because I needed to let someone know I am thinking about her.

simple card for a friend

Sunday 11 April 2010

I saw a great example of some Faux Metal on Willy’s Blog (if you haven’t seen it, you really should have a peek – it’s well worth bookmarking) and just had to have a go last night. 
Addendum here: Paula says that you can do the same techniques on silver foil, stuck to card, so that may well be much cheaper and isn't that what we all want, lol???

Here are my results.
This one’s just a selection – flat silver card, gold mirror card and silver mirror card.
faux metal selection 2
Same again – silver mirror card, copper card and flat silver.
faux metal three types card
Mirror silver and mirror gold card.
faux metal mirror card
Flat silver card, with borders.
faux metal borders
Gold Mirror card with borders
faux metal distressed mirror card borders
On this one I tried Stazon Olive as well as Pumpkin.
faux metal stazon olive pumpkin
Quick card made with a background like the above, but no Stazon Olive.
faux metal 1
fm closeup2 
Then I remembered the Stazon distress technique, where you swipe gold mirror card with Stazon Black, then wipe it off.  It takes the top bit of colour out, leaving silver behind and looks distressed.  Mine’s not very distressed, so perhaps I rubbed it off too quickly or too vigorously?  I had used Black acrylic paint and Pumpkin ink first :)
Will try again but had fun.
stazon distress fm

Saturday 10 April 2010

Today is the birthday of my very special friend, Lynne – Happy Birthday, Lynne!
Here’s what I spent the morning making – yep, I know – last minute Katy, as ever.  Enjoyed making it but it’s a while since I’ve done anything like this in such a short time and if you could only see the aftermath – stuff all over my stamping room and all over the kitchen table and the worktops…. lots of tidying up to do now that it’s been delivered.
I taught this at a workshop just before I closed the business but I haven’t ever done it since, so thought I’d give it a rehash.
This is how it started – making the pages from white card, with Colorbox pigment inks – and a bit of Adirondack Twilight Pigment – and stamps.  Oops, the white is Adirondack Snow Cap Dabber, stamped, but it's not meant to be clear, so that isn't a mistake.  I like the fact that it gives the illusion of words, a bit of texture and a total contrast - this is an element I use often over inky backgrounds.
As ever, click to enlarge if you want a closer look :)

page 1
page 2
page 3
This is the next stage – adding the ‘card’ layer.  It’s hard to explain so I’ve tried to show in a couple of photos.  The card is centred inside the back of the scored page, but opening in the opposite direction.  The smaller, scored flap then goes INSIDE the open ‘small card’.
in progress 2
in progress 3
Then I inked and stamped the fronts of the smaller ‘cards’ and attached them.  A Picture hinge is attached with a brad to the top (or side) of the upper part of the smaller ‘card’ and ribbon attached, just as you would through a tag hole.  Then ribbon is attached to the back of the page, so that it meets up with the ribbon on the picture hinge and can be tied.  The whole thing is then attached to a larger background page (I used two and added images to the front and back of the first one) scored at the side, ready to become the spine.  I strengthened that with mountboard between the pieces, then attached them all with Tim’s book ‘bolts’ – that’s what I call them, anyway :)  The charms are gorgeous little charms gifted by the lovely Jo a while ago – only one left now, so Lynne’s highly honoured.  They were dabbed with a bit of black dabber, to make them look a little more aged.
book front
<KENOX S1050  / Samsung S1050>
inner pages
<KENOX S1050  / Samsung S1050>
<KENOX S1050  / Samsung S1050>
<KENOX S1050  / Samsung S1050> 
All the main images and words are embossed, so this is my Lots to Do challenge and ‘Something Completely Different’ which is the letter B - Birds.

Friday 9 April 2010

This one’s Versamagic inks – my ‘feel good’ colours and my favourite type of background :)  Colours aren’t absolutely true because it was getting late when I photographed it….

thank you friend

and a very simple birdie card, but I love this image :)black white and one other colour ish

Thursday 8 April 2010

Suddenly discovered I didn’t have that extra week I thought I had to complete a mega (17 pages) application form, so I’ve spent the last two days filling it in, copying certificates and making phone calls to my referees.  Yep, spent approx 13 hours on them, all told – it was really important to me!  At 4.45 this afternoon, it went in the mail, Special Delivery and so to celebrate, I thought I’d finish a card I was in the middle of last week AND use an image sent to me by the lovely Dot.  Not my usual thing, so I thought I’d enter it into the Crafty Cardmakers’ Challenge, which is to do something you’ve been meaning to do for ages, using stash you’ve had hanging around but never done anything with - and the Sir Stampalot Challenge, which is FANTASY.  So, I used this SUPER CUTE fairy image (not used one of those for about 11 years, lol – pretty yes, cute no), dragged out a book of patterned papers (had this for about 10 years and never used any of them cos I rarely ‘do’ papers), got the Copics and Promarkers out and made this card :)

sweet pea 1
This is one I had stamped twice and cut out the man and moth from the top image, so I just added inks and matted and layered to complete the card.  Here’s Mothman…
Mothman