Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to your all. I hope you have a peaceful and enjoyable festive period and that the recent rain has not caused any problems for you. 'Tis the Season to be Snotty, tra la la la la la la la la ' in our household at the moment but seeing as we have managed to escape the whole of the autumn germ free, it was bound to happen LOL!

A little padded heart from me using a Stampington stamp I got from ebay around Christmas last year.

I would like to thank you all for the wonderful support and lovely comments you have made throughout the year. It has been a real pleasure visiting your blogs and seeing your inspirational artwork.

Merry Christmas & Happy Crafting XXX 

Venus ~ For That's Crafty

Christmas is nearly upon us so I chose to do a non Christmas project for That's Crafty LOL! After saying I wasn't going to make any more Christmas cards, I made about six this week (which I didn't get a chance to photograph as I posted them straight away), so I'm rebelling from anything Christmassy today yippee.

Loving this stamp from That's Crafty. If you'd like to know more please do pop over to the blog to find out the products used.

Have a lovely weekend and hopefully life is not too hectic for you in the run up to Christmas.

Take care and Keep Crafting. xx

Mask It ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Well I am certainly fashionably late for 'Mask It' which is the latest Fashionable Stamping Challenge. Fellow teamie Claire was the inspiration behind this challenge. As we are a stamping challenge we do require some stamping on your project and no digis please, Our generous sponsor is Marina from Cottage Crafts with a fantastic prize for the winning entree. Please do pop over to FSC head quarters for lots of lovely inspiration from those Fashionettes.

I found an old picture frame which I white washed and shabbied up a little adding a touch of gilding paste here and there. I cut some chipboard to fit and painted with gesso then covered with Tim Holtz tissue paper, added some more gesso to soften the effect then I used some stencils to add the butterflies and swirls. 

I tore some more tissue paper and decoupaged onto some mini frames adding more gilding paste and coated with crackle medium. I used some lovely stampsmith stamps for the inside of the frames and added a few embellishments to complete my vintage frame.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are not buried under an ever increasing mount of Christmas craftiness.

Have a Happy & Crafty Week.

I am entering this for 

The stampsmith Challenge ~ Handmade Holidays

Amour trinket box for That's Crafty

Better late than never! That sums me up to a tea. More often than not I'm in a rush and always running late. My Mum is the opposite. Guaranteed to arrive at least 10 minutes early where I'm always at least 10 minutes late. Why is that I wonder? My blog is no exception, always behind and a bit late. Now this is my blog post for Saturday and it's only a few days late! I do have a bit of an excuse, I'm busy sewing a few bag orders, which have been delayed as the fabric was out of stock. As with everything else I'm a slow sewer, but I am in the middle of making the last bag yay! So I may eventually be able to catch up on everything else, Knowing me probably not!

If you'd like to know a bit more about products used for the trinket box please head over That'sBloggingCrafty for more info.

Have a lovely day my fellow Crafters xx

Little Red Stocking

Brrrrrr very chilly today, don't know about stockings but definitely need my thermals on! Hope you are all toasty and warm. I'm really enjoying making more christmas decorations. But I'm rubbish at all the organising and preparation as I struggle with writing lists and Christmas cards. I need Santa's little helper to come and sort me out LOL!

More of a traditional stocking, made of red linen. Using my favourite TAP and one of my fave wooden stamps from stampa rosa. The image is coloured with my zig photo markers as they work fine with archival ink.

Big big apologises for lack of commenting hope to put that right later today, and a big thank you for all the lovely comments you have taken the time and trouble to leave me. 

Have a lovely crafty day!

xx

French Fancies~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

To Die for is the theme for our latest challenge down at FSC, chosen by teamie Joanna. I do own a big shot, but I rarely use it these days so had to dust off a few cobwebs for this challenge. Please pop over to FSC to get oodles of inspiration from the beautiful projects designed by the team. Our sponsor is marina from Cottage Crafts offering a generous prize to the lucky winner. As we are a stamping challenge we do need to stamping in your project.

I used quite a few dies for this project, spellbinders for the perfume labels and fancy circular die, sizzix bigz for the dangly hearts and the cabinet die and memory box for the pastry label.

Lots of stamps too. Justrite stamps for the perfume label, hearts and the stamping on the cabinet card frame and and the french script is by stamping up. The little angel is by stempelglade.

Apologises for the picture it is a bit ropey, the light was abysmal when I took the photo and as you know photography is not my strong point!

I'm entering this in the following challenges

Ooh La-La ~ The craft room Challenge

Simon Says Stamp & show ~ A project with Heart

Simon Says Stamp Challenge ~ Anything goes

Have a lovely Sunday and wrap up warm!! xx

Victorian stocking

I'm certainly enjoying making Christmas decorations this year. The only Christmas stockings I used to have as a child were net ones filled with chocolate that I used to eat far too much of and make myself feel sick LOL, we always had pillowcases filled with our pressies! So I decided to make myself a stocking.

I used some printable cotton and some images from the Graphics fairy and lots of lace and trims. The fabric for the main stocking is a linen and cotton blend fabric with some calico for the lining.

I managed to photograph it outside in between showers as my indoor camera skills are pretty poor.

Hopefully none of you are effected by the dreadful weather conditions, so devastating for everyone concerned.

Have a great day and Happy Crafting. xx

Festive Sparkle At Crafty Individuals

I used the lovely new CI - 369 stamp which you can see here for this card. A large sprinkling of glitter, perfect for the current challenge 'Festive Sparkle' chosen by the lovely Brenda (bumblebeesandbutterflies) 

Some more festive sparkle on this card using the very pretty CI- 363 stamp and oodles more shimmer.

I used the adorable angel stamp CI- 211 for the final card. It stamped beautifully on glossy card, and I added only a hint of shimmer for this one!

I stamped on plain cotton using the striking reindeer stamp CI- 358 to make a rustic style Christmas bag

There is still plenty of time to enter the Festive Sparkle challenge at Crafty Individuals and when you enter you will be rewarded with a huge 25% discount off the Crafty Individuals website.

Have a lovely weekend & Happy Crafting. XXX

Jingle Bells For That's Crafty

I'm on a roll this week. I've managed to make a few cards :-D Sneaky peak of one for That's Blogging Crafty. If you'd like to see more head over to their blog for more info.

Will be back tomorrow with some sparkles for The current Crafty Individuals challenge.

Take care and Happy Crafting. xx

The Siren

Using one of my fave stamps the gorgeous Serena from The Stampsmith for this monochromatic card. She is such a beauty! The alphabet stamps are from La Blanche.

Thought I would enter this in the Stampsmith challenge again.

So difficult trying to photograph in this dismal light, here's hoping the weather will be dryer and brighter today, as it's been so gloomy.

Have a lovely crafty day xx

Great Symphonies Begin with Just One Note!

I found this great quote online and thought it would be ideal for my project using The Stampsmith Little conductor stamp. I didn't get a chance to enter their challenge last month and I wanted to make something for the November challenge which is monochromatic white. Thought this little chap would fit the bill. I am guilty of having a fair few stamps that haven't been shown an ink pad to and my Sister bought this one over from the States in April, so I thought it was high time it got inked up.

Using the TAP (transfer artist paper) again, love this stuff. I stamped him onto the TAP using archival ink. Then ironed onto a piece of plain white cotton.

I hand drew a large heart onto a piece of card then cut out two pieces from a remnant of white fabric. I picked up a couple of vintage doilies from an antique shop ages ago and the smaller one fitted perfectly onto the heart. I sewed all my lace and the stamped cotton onto one of the pieces first then made the padded heart.

Also entering this for Timewashed ~ Blissful White Wednesday

Have a fantastic week & Happy Crafting xx

Home Sweet Home ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

The lovely Yvonne suggested 'Home Sweet Home' for our latest  challenge at FSC. We would love to see your Home Sweet Home projects as long as we can see some stamping on your project and you follow the theme, literally anything goes. Marina from Cottage Crafts is our generous sponsor. Please do head over to Fashionable Stamping Challenges HQ to see some fantastic projects created by the Stampettes.

As you know I am slightly obsessed with fabric still, so I decided to make a little coin purse. There are loads of free sewing tutorials out there for all sorts of projects and the purse was simple to make. But I had to un-pick the zip and re-sew it, I don't think I ever put a zip in first time LOL!! I was lucky enough to win a set of  these beautiful house stamps from the Artistic Stamper a while ago and thought they would be perfect for this challenge. They stamped beautifully on linen using black archival ink. I then heat set the ink and used fresco finish paints by paperartsy to paint the houses.

It would be lovely if you would join us this fortnight and share your stamping projects. 

Touch wood computer seems to be ok, perhaps the defrag helped, so off to do a spot of commenting now.

I'm entering this for the following challenges

The artistic stamper ~ Anything goes

Take care and Happy Crafting. xxx

Matryoshka tree ornaments for That's Crafty

Sneaky peak of my latest project on That's Blogging Crafty. If you'd like to see more please head over to The That's Crafty's Blog

I have a few projects to blog as I'm rather behind ATM as having a few computer problems (expletive GRRRRRRRRR expletive!!!) we only bought the said computer in January and after a week we exchanged it for a new one as it was faulty, then a few months ago it had to go back and be repaired as there was a hardware problem which resulted in a new hard drive and now this week it is playing up again. Had a blue screen which is always a worry, so I'm not getting a chance to visit many blogs so apologises to you all. 

Hopefully I will be back on Sunday with the new FSC challenge, if my temperamental computer allows!! Have managed to do a disk clean up and a defrag today, I'm not very good at computer housekeeping rather like housework I only do it if I really have to, well there are more important and far nicer things to do like crafting of course!

Have a lovely day and Happy Crafting & if you are having computer issues too, you have my sympathises :-D XX

A Rustic Christmas For That's Crafty

I have decided to make only a few Christmas cards this year, as card making is my least favourite out of of my inky pursuits, don't know why, but I struggle with cards, and last year I found it a real chore as I made well over thirty. So instead I thought I would make Christmas decorations, which I find more enjoyable to make.

If you would like to know more please pop over to That's Blogging Crafty for more details of the stamps and products used.

Hope you are all well and thank you for all your lovely comments.

Take care and Happy Crafting xx

Musical ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges & Blog Candy Winner

Firstly thank you to everyone for leaving comments on my bag candy. Hubby duly pulled a number out of the hat (well actually I put the bits of paper in a saucepan LOL!) and it was 26 which is Astrid. If you let me know your address, I will pop it in the post next week :-D

Now it's time for another Fashionable Stamping Challenge. The musical theme was set by the lovely Esther. The Stampettes have excelled themselves for this challenges, please do head over to the FSC blog for some gorgeous musical treats. Our lovely sponsor is Marina from Cottage crafts with a fabulous prize for the winning entry.

I decided to use the mozart stamp from La Blanche as my main focal image, along with another favourite set of mine from stampers anonymous, and the crackle effect stamp from Crafty Individuals. The wooden box was sanded down and painted matt emulsion paint in a cream shade. Then stamped in archival ink. Painted as usual with my inktense pencils, very economical as they last so much longer than ink pads.

On one of my visits to Lidls I spotted some aluminium foil tape on a roll, think it was only a couple of pounds and it's a huge roll. I placed some of the tape in an embossing folder, then coated the embossed tape with black gesso and finally rubbing over with some gilding wax and stuck to the sides of my box.

I'm entering this for the following challenge

The artistic stamper ~ Anything goes

A lovely Sunday to you all & Happy Crafting XX

Oh No Not More Bags!!

I hear you cry!! Having a grumpy few days as my crafting is not going to plan. I'm getting frustrated with my lack of inky inspiration. All my inkiness seems to have deserted me, just seem to me making a lot of mess but nothing much else. Perhaps my inky mojo has the hump with me as I'm spending more time sewing.

Anyhoo wingeing aside, as I have no inky projects to show you, thought I would show you that I haven't been idle. I am enjoying sewing and the matryoshka bag was fun to make, a bit challenging as it has an internal zipped pocket and a little mini zipped coin purse, that is attached inside. I have to make three similar as my mum wants one and I have to make two for someone for christmas presents. Don't know what to charge really as the materials are quite pricey, I always seem to pick out the expensive fabrics, so think I will just charge to cover my costs.

These sugarloaf pouches are nice to make and can be stuffed with a few goodies for christmas presents.

I used some upholstery fabric for this bag and it was a real b****r to sew. Changed my mind about the ruffle, but hey ho to late after it was all glued in place, so stuck with it now LOL!

The final bag is quite small and had quite a lot of hand sewing which I'm not too keen on, and I made a few mistakes along the way, (so lot's of unpicking going on!) I do try and rush things, need to take my time and be more like the Cadburys Caramel Bunny LOL!! Does anyone remember those adverts? Anything chocolate related always seems to stick in my mind!

That's it folks, hopefully my wondering inky mojo will return soon.

In the meantime Happy Crafting and a big thank you for all the lovely comments you are leaving and I hope to catch up on commenting later. My bag candy has now closed and I will get Hubby draw a name for me later. Have a great day. 

For all my blogging friends and my sister who lives in Washington DC take care and thinking of you all. xx

Bag Candy!

THIS WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF BLOG UNTIL THE BAG CANDY CLOSES ON 31 OCT.

Please scroll down for newer posts thanks!

As I mentioned in my earlier post a small gift as a thank you to all my fellow bloggers for the kind and generous comments you make on my blog and also a little apology for not visiting your blogs as much as I would like. As you all know I'm a bag lady and rather an obsessive one at the moment. I bought some purse frames recently and had a go making my own pattern. The Marie image is from a set I purchased from June at Dezinaworld and I added a simple background then printed onto cotton. It is lined with the same material I used to make the frill. 

The teacup is not included in the candy LOL, just used for scale. I will pop a few other bits in the bag, lace and trims etc.

This candy is for current followers only. Just leave your name and a comment if you'd like to go into the draw. Will just draw a name on 31st of October (can't be doing with the LINKY thingy, getting lazy in my old age!)  

Have a lovely day & Happy Crafting. xxx

Soul of The Rose Cushion for That's Crafty

Feeling in a romantic mood after the dark depths of Halloween projects. I decided to create something a little more feminine. If you'd like to know a little more please pop over to That's Crafty for more details.

I have been fiddling with my blog and so wished I hadn't, it's taking me ages just to centre my post title. It will teach me to leave well alone in future and concentrate on crafting instead LOL!  

Its been so dreary and dark the last few days I've really struggled taking the photos, so you'll have to excuse them as they are rather grainy. 

Have a great day and Happy Crafting XX

Most Haunted for That's Crafty

Just a quick post from me (as usual) as I was supposed to have blogged this last week, but for one reason and another I never did, such a naughty blogger at the moment, hangs head in shame. Its a little Halloween decoration I made for my Mum (The world's no.1 Most Haunted fan!)

More details are over at That's Blogging Crafty.

Will be back tomorrow with details of another project for That's Crafty actually on the same day it's actually blogged as I'm going to do it now whilst on a roll LOL!

Take care and Happy Crafting xx

Sam's Suzi Bag

My lovely blogging friend Sam ( Me And My Stamps) very kindly lent me her treasured Suzi Blu Creative girl stamp (I promise I am looking after her well Sam :-D) Sam creates the most gorgeous and heartfelt creations, do check out her blog if you don't know it already. As a thank you I made her a Suzi bag using creative girl. It is a lovely stamp unfortunately you can't get her any more. I stamped it onto TAP and then painted her and ironed onto some linen.

Have a lovely and very crafty day. Off out today with a friend, so no crafting for me (my sewing machine is breathing a sigh of relief LOL! xx

Sew 'n' sew!

Just a mini blog post from me today. A bit of a contrast from my dark and inky Halloween project last week. I had a busy sewing few days.  Guess what family and friends will be getting this Christmas LOL! I made a cosmetic pouch and a couple of jewellery pouches (or maybe somewhere to store hankies! Needed one of those Sunday night, poor Lady Sybil!!!) Some more sewing today to finish off a project, then I need to get inky and messy again as I have a few pieces to make.

Happy Crafting xxx

Halloween Shrine for That's Crafty

This is a first for me as I've never made anything remotely macabre before.  I've been watching the Borgias which has been quite grisly in parts. One such incident was in the final episode and the poisoning of Rodrigo Borgia.  His taster ingest a large amount of the stuff and the next thing he had blood oozing from his eyes, it was rather gruesome. ( I'm a big wus really LOL!)

If you'd like to see the full project please do pop over to Thatsbloggingcrafty for more details.

Have a great day and Happy Crafting XX 

The Autumn of her Years ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Shades of Autumn is the new challenge theme down at FSC head quarters. I struggled a bit with this one as I don't possess any leaf/fruit/flower/autumn style stamps. Oranges, browns and yellows are not  my colours either. Would you believe it it was me that chose this theme, what am I like LOL!!

I really need to widen my stamp range as I my favourite stamps are faces, people and vintage style typography and backgrounds of which I have far too many. I used to paint portraits so faces always interest me, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, anyhow enough of my waffle onto the challenge.

As we are a stamping challenge we do need to see stamping in your project, but other than that the challenge theme can be interpreted how you like (obviously we need to see autumnal/fall colours too.) The Stampettes have excelled themselves and produced some amazing projects for you to feast your eyes on. Please do pop over to FSC to have a look. We would love you to share your artwork with us this fortnight. Our lovely sponsor Marina at Cottage Crafts is offering a great prize for the winning entry.

I've had this lovely La Blanche stamp for a while and thought it was about time it was inked up. I ended up making a fabric collage as I'd run out of those foam inky things and didn't have anything to blend  with, they always seem to go mysteriously missing. The stamps were all stamped onto TAP and coloured with inktense pencils and a watercolour brush, then ironed onto white cotton and then stitched onto some left over bag making fabric. Then I used the tattered florals die to make a fabric flower, and finished with a tasselled trim. 

I am entering this for the following challenges

Simon Says Stamp and show ~ leaf-spiration

Simply Create Too ~ Autumn/Fall

Sugar Creek Hollow ~ Gives thanks for Autumn

Crafty Creations Challenge ~ colors of fall

Have a great Sunday & Happy Crafting xx

Gothic Princess for That's Crafty

Just a sneak peak of my project for That's Crafty. If you would like to see more please do have a quick look at their blog.

Wow I can tell I'm getting old as I can't believe we're already into October, this year has whizzed by at a phenomenal rate and I seem to have very little time for blogging of late.

I am very conscious of not visiting all of your lovely blogs as much as I would like so as way of a  thank you for your continuing support and lovely comments (and an apology), I will pop a little handmade gift as blog candy for my lovely blog followers. If I get time I will post later today, but I need to get a decent picture of it. Something I really struggle with, is my photography, my skills are sadly lacking LOL! This will be for current followers only.

Hoping you all have a lovely day & Happy Crafting xx    

Alter Something ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Time for another challenge at FSC. This time we would like to see your altered items, but remember we are a stamping challenge so we do need to see stamping in your work. The Stampettes have pulled out all the stops and created some really inspirational pieces so do please check out the FSC blog. Our sponsor is Marina at Cottage Crafts and has a fab prize for the winning entry.

I've neglected stamping of late, as sewing seems to have taken over so my FSC piece for this challenge  is all about the stamping. I've altered a wooden triptych. It is painted with matt emulsion and fresco finish paints and then stamped with archival ink and inktense pencils. The stamps used are by judikins and stampers anonymous.

I haven't entered many challenges recently so here goes thought I'd enter a few this week :-D

Anything But a Card

Frilly & Funky ~ Fall into Fall

Simply Create too ~ Anything goes

Try it on Tuesday ~ Anything Goes

Stamp and Create ~ Anything Goes

Have a great weekend everyone & Happy Crafting XX

Anastacia for That's Crafty

That's Crafty have some stunning new B Line stamps available. I used two of them for my latest project. If you'd like to more, and what stamps I've used please check out That's Blogging Crafty for the details.

Will be back on Sunday for the new Fashionable Stamping Challenge.

Take care and Happy Crafting xx

A Couple of Bags!

I'm rather obsessed with bag making at the moment, can you tell! I just love all the gorgeous fabrics that are available. I have just finished making these two. The first is a mini carpet bag using the same pattern as I did previously. I have been having a play with TAP. It really is very easy to stamp on and I tried my favourite stampsmith stamp Ophelia, and used archival ink and then painted the image using inktense pencils and transferred it onto a piece of plain canvas, the weave is quite an open texture and it still transferred really well, so it was then I thought about using it on a bag & and entering it for the current Stampsmith challenge which is bags'n'tags

Another pattern I've used before, but this time I liked the look of the autumnal colours of this tapestry style fabric. I'm not really into oranges an browns, but I couldn't resist this fabric. I bought it from dunelm mills they have loads of lush fabrics and most bags only need half a metre of exterior and lining fabric.

Have a lovely day & Happy Crafting. xx