Triptych Arch ~ For That's Crafty

Hope it's another sunny day where you are, it's a scorcher here today. A few bits today as I'm a behind with my blogging, the sunshine is making me feel more lazy than usual LOL!

I made a triptych arch, if you'd like to know more details it's on That's Crafty blog here.

And a couple of cards for people with recent birthdays.

One for MIL, the stamp is from Stamps Happen and the last card is using a stamp from the stampsmith. Had to take a quick photo (and rather bad one at that ) as it had to go in the post. 

That's all today, enjoy the weather. 

Happy crafting XX

Jewellery Pouch

I've been itching to use my sewing machine more; I really want to have a go at making a bag and bought a book recently, but I'm already confused what with having to enlarge the patterns, selvedges,  warp & weft, bias binding and that's without making sure I get the right size fabric!! So I've settled on a simple jewellery pouch. There are loads of tutorials on the net and I adapted one to make this pouch. I used two pieces of fabric and some iron on interfacing.

I used a couple of images from The Graphics fairy and Imagenes Vintage and printed onto some linen from Craftycomputerpaper and cut around my spellbinders die then stitched onto the fabric first before sewing together with the lining.

I made the lace flower and added a pearl brad and snap to complete the purse

I really enjoyed making this and I'm sure I'll be making a few more before attempting the bag project as I'm still dithering over what fabric to choose.

Anyway enough waffle from me. Hope you all have a fantastic sunny weekend.

I am entering this for Brag Monday ~ The graphics Fairy

Happy Crafting XX 

Miranda For Happy Daze

Good morning & hiya to my new followers. Do I see sunshine!! I wish I could drag my craft desk outside as I seriously need a touch of sun on my extremely pasty skin (nearly the same colour as this bag) :-D. If you would like to know what products I used please pop over to the Happy Daze blog for some more info.

Hope you all have a lovely day crafting and manage to get some much needed sun. xx

I'm entering this for the following challenges

Tuesday Treasures (Bumblebeesandbutterflies)

Craft room challenge ~  add fabric 

Panpasteluk ~ pastel colours

Steampunk Love ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Steampunk is new challenge at FSC this fortnight. Its a theme I struggle with, so I decided to add a feminine slant to my project, anything masculine brings me out in a cold sweat LOL!! I know, another fabric hanging, I'm just enjoying using my sewing machine ATM.  Please head over to FSC headquarters for some stunning steampunk creations. Our lovely sponsor is Marina from Cottage Crafts and is offering a fab prize for the winner.

The background panel is stamped on cotton fabric with sepia archival ink then painted with diluted inktense washes. I die cut a couple of hearts from the a piece of cotton I'd put through my bigshot with an inked up gears and cogs embossing folder. The central image is a combination of two stamps, La Blanche clock and steampunk lady by Graphic 45. These were stamped on gessoed fabric and painted with Inktense pencils. Then all stitched together.

Looking forward to seeing all your gorgeous entries. But remember no digis as we are a stamping challenge and we do need to see some form of stamping in your project. Thanks for looking and have a lovely Sunday.

I'm entering this for the following challenges

The Craft room Challenge ~ Add Fabric

Simon Says Stamp And Show ~ Anything goes

Happy Crafting xx

Isn't She Lovely!

Isn't She Lovely is the gorgeous stamp sheet I chose for my prize from the Stampsmith draw. I changed my mind several times before I finally chose this fab set, as they have far too many gorgeous ones to choose from. I've followed the current sketch on The Stampsmith Challenge blog for this card.

I'm entering this for 

The Stampsmith Challenge ~ sketch

Tuesday Treasures ( bumblebeesandbutterflies )

Out of a hat Creations ~ Bingo Card (lace, image, bling & beads)

Simon Says Stamp & Show ~ Anything goes

Sorry very short and sweet today, will be back on Sunday with the new FSC

Happy Crafting XX

Shell seekers ~ Thats Crafty

A sneak peek of a gorgeous stamp I used in my simple design project for That's Crafty. If you would like to see more pop over to their blog for more details. Brrrr its freezing today but at least I can imagine I'm on a warm sunny beach LOL!

Have a great Tuesday & Happy Crafting.

Vintage lace ~ Out of a hat Creations

I can't believe it (as Victor would say) the sun is shining and is streaming in through the bedroom window, fingers crossed no rain today!

The reason I made this bag is because Florence's lovely blog. I saw her lovely lacy DT card for Out of a Hat Creations and was inspired to get out my lace. I picked up two of these bags from Hobbycraft only 99p  each (why didn't I buy some more I ask my self!!)

I randomly stamped in sepia archival ink with various stamps, La blanche script stamp and one of my favourite stamp sets Tim Holtz papillon on the front and back of the bag. A while back I bought some printable cotton sheets, so I printed up some vintage images from my computer, I think one or more are from Imagenes Vintage which has a wealth of beautiful images. Then set about sewing and adding oodles of lace.

I also linking this to Brenda's Tuesday Treasures  

and entering it for 

Simon Says Stamp and Show ~ Your favourite Stamp (hope stamp set counts!)

Fab'n'funky ~ Buttons and bows

Have a lovely weekend & Happy Crafting XXX

The Lady Margaret ~ Happy Daze

I was so pleased to see that Happy Daze are now stocking these gorgeous Chapel Road Art stamps. I love this image of Margaret she is so serene and I love this period in history it is so rich, oppulent and fascinating.

 I made two gothic arches out of some recycled card and buffed on  distress inks in Barn Door and fired brick to create the rich red background. Then I used crafters workshop harlequin template and sponged on black soot distress ink and used one of my script stamps, to complete my background. Happy Daze are also stocking Micro Glaze from Judikins and this is perfect for sealing and protecting inky backgrounds. It also protects and seals any inkjet papers or photos. I rubbed a small amount onto each arch, then buffed to a sheen.

Margaret was stamped with black archival ink onto glossy card and coloured using a selection of versamagic chalk inks and a craft nib. I rubbed on some gold leafing wax, inka gold will work too. Then I triple embossed with cosmic shimmer clear utee. I also triple embossed my cabinet card frame with utee, then stamped with an inked up swirl stamp, then rubbed on more gold wax, cosmic shimmer bright gold is a much easier alternative, but unfortunately I didn't have any to hand. I added a couple of antigue bronze corners and a metal flower, then stamped and added the sentiments. Finally attaching the two arches together with some chain. 

A quick reminder about the current Happy Daze Challenge which  you still have plenty of time to enter. It is "May Queen." One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win a  £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

• You can enter by blogging you address to the linky widget here, 
• emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net
• uploading your photo to their facebook page

Cities of The World ~ Fashionable Stamping Challenges

I would like to welcome my new followers, and a big thank you for everyone who regularly takes the time and trouble to visit my blog and leaves comments. I've had a great crafting week, firstly my win at the Stampsmith (still haven't managed to choose which set I want though, I am such a ditherer LOL.) Then I came top three in Simon Says stamp and show and finally Jean  asked me if I'd like to join the fabulously talented Crafty Individuals design team and of course I said YES! Thank you Jean it will be a real pleasure.

I hope you are all enjoying the bank holiday weekend. It is so cold here at the moment, I'm longing for some warmer weather. I'm imagining it is a tad warmer in Florence, the city I chose for my Fashionable Stamping Challenge project. I went to Florence in my early twenties, whilst inter railing and stayed in the most amazing youth hostel there, we only managed a short visit so I would love to return again, as it is the most gorgeous city. The new challenge at FSC is Cities of The World. The other Stampetes have created the most fabulous projects so please do head over to FSC for some beautiful and inspiring art work. As we are a stamping challenge we do need to see some form of stamping in your project and no digi stamping please. Our generous sponsor is the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts.

You can probably tell I have re-discovered my sewing machine recently. There are some gorgeous fabrics around and I picked up some lovely linen fat quarters from ebay, which I have used in this hanging. I don't like tacking and couldn't find any pins so I held the fabric together with a tape pen before sewing, ooops, probably why it's turned out a bit wonky, plus I didn't measure anything! 

The stamps set is Bella Vita and is from Oxford Impressions. The words are stamped with sepia archival ink and stamped onto linen. Venus is stamped onto cotton which I painted with gesso first then coloured with Inktense pencils and a gold krylon pen. Then sealed with matte medium. I added a lace butterfly and some loops for hanging. 

I'm entering this for 

Pan Pastels UK ~ Anything goes

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend, whatever your doing and I hope you manage to squeeze in some crafting. xxx

Fabric Bookmark ~ For That's Crafty

I hope everyone is managing to stay cheerful despite the dreadful weather. My Sisters visit from the States has been a very soggy one, but we did manage to spend her last day in the sunshine before she jetted off home. I haven’t managed to squeeze in as much crafting as I’d have liked, but I’m still really enjoying using these fantastic Lynne Perrella stamps available from That's Crafty, they are so versatile. I think this one is definitely my favourite. It has a very historic Tudor feel.  I loved the political intrigue of the Wars of The Roses when I was at school and still find that period of history fascinating, so I really enjoyed making this bookmark.

If you would like to know more please head over to That's blogging Crafty for more details. There are lots of great projects on the blog and a new gallery section.

Thanks for looking & Happy Crafting XX

Rain Rain Go Away!

And don't come back for at least a month please, as I still can't get my furry boots on, well on the puffy foot anyway and I feel a bit conspicuous splashing about in odd shoes LOL !!

As it was Hubby's birthday yesterday (and the sun did come out) I had to make him a card. Groan, can't do male themed stuff, don't own many masculine stamps whinge whinge , only a few steam punk, motorbike ones. The choice is limited for men isn't it, as it seems to be steampunk or vintage gents. I always make Hubby motorbike cards, so thought I'd have to make something different this year. He plays the mandolin and guitar and as I didn't have either of those stamps I plumbed for another stringed instrument instead. I made the background using DI and La Blanche stamps and a kaisercraft music one. The focal stamp is also La Blanche and is coloured using DI's and prisma pencils. Rub n buff antique gold was added to the curled edges.

I am very behind in leaving all my comments so I do apologise and will do some blog hopping later, but first I have some serious craft catching up to do.

The lovely Lynne from Adorn has just brightened my day by letting me know that I have won a set of stamps from The Stampsmith, how fabulous, thank you Lynne.

I'm entering this for

The Crafty Cardmakers ~ For The Boys

Happy Crafting XX

Blog Candy Anyone!

This post should remain at the top of my blog till the candy finishes.

Not been feeling very crafty this week so I thought I would have a look for some blog candy instead as it was my first blog anniversary in March. I've included one of the bags I made for the Craft stamper magazine (actually it was the prototype and not the one photographed!) as I made two. 

It is just a small selection of new and unused items that you will hopefully enjoy using.

• Maddie photo stamp which is by Scroll work stamps, 
• Kaisercraft clear stamp set
• kaisercraft small envelopes
• A set of stamps by Paperartsy
• 4 various lace trims & 3 tassels
• 1 Cotton zipped purse
• I canvas coin purse
• 2 bunches of flowers
• 1 small heart shaped frame for altering
• 1 MDF bird house
• 1 diamante strip
• 5 websters postcards
• 1 pack of small wooden butterfly embellishments

The blog candy is open to all followers. If you could add the candy to side bar that would be good too. Just add your details to the Inlinkz thingy below.

The candy will close on 31st May and will be automatically drawn if I work out how to do it LOL.

Thank you for looking & Happy Crafting xx