About Me

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I'm a retired primary school teacher, who started paper crafting in 2008, when I had a fancy to make my own Christmas cards. Since then, I have tried all sorts of techniques and styles - and I kind of like them all. I have been lucky enough to be on blog teams and large design teams and to do a bit of freelance demonstrating - and I love the challenge of working with different products. My crafting style is very varied - from junk journaling and art journaling, bookbinding and journal making, to quilting and patchwork - and of course I still make cards. This variety keeps me interested - and my crafty stash growing!! I'm always seeking inspiration for new projects.

Monday 30 September 2013

CCM Challenge #101 - Cute and Furry!

Our challenge this fortnight is 'Cute and Furry' - chosen by the lovely Jackie! You can use stamps, digi stamps, photographic images etc - but the focal image of your project must be cute and must be furry!!


Sponsoring us this time are Di's Digi Stamps with a gift voucher of $10, and The Stampman is offering a £10 voucher which can be used on-line or in-store. Make sure you check out all the DT inspiration at Crafty Cardmakers.



I have used a digi stamp called 'Parker the Puppy' from Scrapping Memories, for my card. The first thing I did was to colour him in. That then helped me choose the colours for the rest of the card - which turned out very autumnal! So I coloured him in using a combination of: Saffron, Apricot, Ginger and Spice for the lighter, more orangey areas. And the darker areas are made up of Cocoa, Teracotta, Henna and Walnut.  For the bone I used Ivory and Eggnogg. 

I cut the image out with a Spellbinders circle and inked with Tea Dye DI whilst still in the die. I also edged it with the same ink once I had taken it out.

Because the overall effect was an orangey brown colour, I decided to go with an orange base card (A4 folded in half - from my stash). The scalloped circle was cut from C&C Textured cardstock (from the pastel set) - whilst I used the largest Spellbinder Splendid Circle die with a piece of paper from my scrap box (don't know where it was from). I cut this in half and attached it to the back of the scalloped circle.
The autumn leaf card is also from my scrap box - I know that this was leftover from a Hunkydory kit. The colours really complement the orangey, brown autumnal feel the card has. A piece of white card was edged with Triple Scallop Edgeability, and embossed with That Special Touch Large Polka Dot mask. I inked the edges with Tea Dye DI. The ribbon, glittery flowers and fabric flowers are all from my stash. As a finishing touch, I added Glossy Accents to the nose! 

I would like to enter my card into the following:
CMC Copic Challenge Group - Fall Colours
Di's Digi Designs Challenge Blog - Show Off Your Colouring Skills
Graph'It Markers - Autumn Colours

See you soon,
Cxx

Monday 16 September 2013

CCM #100 - Winged Things


Welcome to our latest challenge - Winged Things. Your 'winged thing' needs to be the main focus of the project - NOT a little butterfly charm, or bee in the corner of an image. Our sponsors are Crafts and Me with the choice of three digis, and Woodware who offer £12.00 to spend on-line or in-store at one of their stockists.


So, for my card I chose 'Whooo Loves Ya Baby' digi stamp from Scrapping Memories. Having printed the image on Elegance card,  I coloured it using Promarkers:
Bird house/Letters/Hearts - Frosted Jade, Island Lagoon, Marine, Solstice Blue
Owl - Grey Squirrel, Fired Wood, Umber, Eggnog. Daffodil Bloom
Ground - Grey Squirrel, Frosted Leaves

The image was cut with a Spellbinders scalloped rectangle die, embossed and inked with Pumice Stone and Peacock Feathers DI's.

For the mats and layers I have used pale blue Bazzill, and DCWV self-adhesive brown and grey card. The teal blue and cream are from Papermill. I added a strip of Washi tape (from The Range) and flat-backed pearls to finish it off.

Please make sure that your winged thing is the focal image of your project - pop over to Crafty Cardmakers for more inspiration.

I would like to enter this into:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Anything Goes
4 Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes
Craftin' Boutique Challenges - Anything with an Owl

See you soon
Cxx

Thursday 12 September 2013

How cute!!

This card is my eldest step-daughter's birthday card!! This year I have used a digi image from DigiStamp Boutique called 'Barney and Flower' - chosen by her Dad. 

The brown base card is from my stash, and is embossed with Spellbinders Garden Lattice grand MBossability folder. I inked over this with Gathered Twigs DI to highlight the pattern. The green strip is edged with Classic Triple Scallop Edgeability, and I rounded the corners of the pink flowered card (DCWV Sweet mat stack) with my small X-Cut corner rounder!!  The reddish brown card is also DCWV (self adhesive) and was embossed in the same way as the base card.  I then cut a Splendid Circle from pink paper, cut it in half and arranged it slightly off-centre, behind the image.


The image was printed onto Joanna Sheen Elegance card and coloured with Promarkers:
Dog - Morning Mist, March Hare, Tawny Owl, Terracotta, Walnut
Grass/Leaves - Fresh Meadow, Apple, Forest Green
Flower - Pink Mittens, Pink Carnation, Pink Lobster, Wild Cranberry
I cut the image with a Spellbinders Labels 3 die, and I inked it whilst still in the die, with Picked Raspberry DI. All the elements were edges with Gathered Twigs DI, and the lettering was cut using my X-Cut Rome Alphabet Die. I finished it off with some pink pearls and green gingham ribbon from my stash.

Cxx

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Becoming a teenager!!

Well, it's been a while since I blogged due to holidays and other commitments, but now school has started again, and I am back doing supply work, I should have the time to get back into it. I am starting with a card for my eldest niece who is soon to become a teenager! She loves cooking and baking - taking after both of her parents! But she is also at that stage of still growing into her body - all arms and legs and clumsiness. She is already taller than I am - although that isn't particularly difficult.

So, I thought that The Paper Shelter's "Patissier in Distress" would be totally appropriate! The digi stamp comes with a backing paper, so I attempted to match the general colour scheme of the digi with the paper.

I printed the image onto Joanna Sheen's 300gsm Elegance card, and coloured with my Promarkers. I am still new to using pens, but I am making progress - more work still needed on hair I think!

Anyway, the colours I have used are:
Dress/Shoes/Tablecloth = Pink Mittens, Pale Pink, Budding Rose
Cake Icing = Blossom, Pink Carnation, Rose
Skin = Ivory, Blush, Almond
Apron/Hat = Blush, Saffron, Apricot
Hair = Tawny Owl, Cocoa, Walnut
Trolley = Cool Greys 1, 2, 4  and Black
Candles = Cool Aqua

The image was cut and embossed using a Spellbinder Scalloped Rectangle, and inked with Vintage Photo and Victorian Velvet DI's.

I used an A4 sheet of brown card folded into a easel shape. I used another sheet of the same card for matting and layering. The blue is from a DCWV self-adhesive stack and the patterned card is Kanban. I printed 3 copies of the digi backing paper, using one as a whole, and cutting two further copies down to give height and dimension to the curtains and pelmet. The scrap from this was used to create the stopper for the easel, and to cut out the letters and numbers from my X Cut dies. The pearl embellishments are all from my stash. 

I then added some finishing touches - Cosmic Shimmer Aqua Twinkles for the pelmet, Glossy Accents on the cake icing and lettering, and Sepia Accents on the hair.

The Paper Shelter are having a DT call. Looking at the standard of work over there I don't think I stand a chance - but nothing ventured, nothing gained, so they say, so I am at least going to put my name forward! 

So, I would like to enter into:
The Paper Shelter - DT Call
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Child's Play
TTCRD - Anything Goes

See you soon.

Cxx