Pretty as a Picture

I've not had a lot of time for crafting recently since being on holiday and returning, but this is a card I made for a friends birthday. The background paper is Melissa Frances fifth avenue and is a recent discovery. I bought it from Dunelm Mills of all places as they now have a craft section there. The image and frame are from crafty Individuals and the heart is a one I made using a sizzix die which was covered in the melissa frances paper. The other die cuts are from memory box and cheery lynn.

Its good to be back at my craft desk but I'm certainly missing those pain au chocolats for breakfast. Apologises for the photo but on going camera problems so using my iphone to take pics but I do rather like the border effects LOL!

Thanks for all your kind words, I really appreciate you taking the time and trouble to leave a comment and its lovely to visit all your blogs too.

Happy Crafting XX

The Little Black Dress: Designed for Happy Daze

This is a scheduled post as I'm hopefully sunning it in France, ink-free fingers crossed.

The current Happy Daze challenge is that favourite ‘ little black dress’ crafting item that we revert to when all else fails, I have a bit of an obsession with stamps and one of my favourite sets is Labels by Lost Coast Designs. I have used them many times and this time I have made a simple notebook.

I stamped and masked the images & coloured with distress inks. Then glued to some recycled card and cut to size. I sprayed with crafters companion to seal the notebook.

There is a £15 voucher and free P & P up for grabs for the current challenge. 

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

Happy Crafting XX

Travel : The Stampman Challenge

 This clutch bag was originally going to be my challenge piece for Happydaze, but the lovely Julie Dandy by pure coincidence blogged the very same clutch which she had beautifully altered last week, so I thought this would fit the current Stampman Challenge which is travel instead!

 This had a couple of coats of gesso then I used a variety of lost Coast Designs labels stamps and curious by design Paris stamps. I used water colours for the images then I sealed the bag with ranger glue n seal. I completed the bag stamping and distress the pink paislee mistables trim, added a bow and sparkle to finish.

Happy Crafting XX

Sirens, Mermaids & the deep blue sea

The current challenge on Alter It Monthly is Sirens, Mermaids & the deep blue sea. I used one of those fabby, cheap mirrors from Ikea.

I really should have been doing my packing, but crafting is a lot more fun. I gessoed the mirror as usual, and painted it. The stamps used are Littlebigtree, enchanted sea. I got seriously messy with this, using cosmic shimmer mists, Inca gold and some embossing powder and of course my krylon pen!

Bit awkward to photograph as I was trying to avoid my unattractive reflection in the mirror, just about managed it. LOL!!

Back to the packing now!

Happy crafting & lovely to receive all your comments XX

Naughty can be Nice designed for Happy Daze

Not sure what these two lovely ladies have been up to. I'll leave that up to your imagination!
I used a wood jewellery box which I painted in white matt emulsion then I used Lost Coast Designs Naughty can be Nice stamped in archival ink. I used victorian velvet & dusky concord distress inks to rub over the box. The image was coloured in with water colours, but you could easily use distress inks. I finished the box using a a button and trim from my stash & a chain tassel.

I've decided I'm not much of a card maker at the moment, but I did manage to make one at the weekend under duress. LOL! I think I need some more practice!

The image is crafty individuals CI- 320 which I stamped onto cotton !

Thanks for all your lovely comments, I love visiting all your fabulous blogs.

Happy CraftingXX

Crafty Individuals ~ Bright & Beautiful

The current crafty Individuals challenge is Bright & Beautiful and I'm a little late with my entry this month.Thankfully the weather is bright and beautiful today as all it did yesterday was rain continuously. I've used some more distress inks I don't usually reach for, mustard seed, barn door & peeled paint. I think it would have been a lot easier using distress stains but as I don't have any I used my inks. Not really sure what the difference is to be honest. I  used one of the wooden shrines as I love these. I decided just to use inks and stamps on this shrine and resisted the urge to add any extras.

I used gesso on the shrine then some cream matt emulsion. I stamped the images with archival ink & the two CI stamps used are CI- 209 & CI- 277. Then the distress inks to create the background & the colour the back of the shrine. I used water colours to paint the children. I varnished the shrine to protect the inks & water colours & finished by using my gold krylon pen round the edges.

After what I said on the last post I'm entering this in for a couple of other challenges at the Stampman & Gingersnap Creations  LOL! 

I was fiddling with my blog template yesterday as I wanted to be able to add the extra large photos, and now I wish I hadn't as I think I moved the margins, oh dear it will teach me not to do it again!

Not a lot of time for crafting next week as I'll be busy packing for our holiday to Normandy so I'm hoping the weather improves as they're weather is similar to ours. Still the wine is a lot cheaper.

Thank you for looking & happy crafting  XX

Fairies or Angels

I don't seem to enter many challenges & never organised enough to make a project that fits more than one challenge, so I spotted this one on Make My Monday and decided to have ago. Not so sure about the colours I used , but these distress inks just sit in my draw and are rarely used unlike my trusty victorian velvet and brushed corduroy!

I gessoed an oblong canvas then painted it with some turquoise watercolour paint mixed with some gesso as I didn't have any turquoise acrylic, then I sprayed it with a couple of cosmic shimmer mists and stamped with a mesh background stamp. some lovely inca gold and sprayed with varnish. The crafty Individual stamps were stamped onto eco board  then painted with distress inks and watercolours and triple embossed with UTEE, so they look like little glazed tiles, which you can't really see in the photos.

The butterflies and flowers are from one of the crafty Individual books and the butterflies were coated in glossy accents.

Just wanted to add this other photo as I was having a play on my iphone and I liked the border effect. LOL!

I have also entered this into the Dream Valley Challenge which is distressing, not too distressing I hope :-D

Happy Crafty & thanks again for all your generous comments. X