Wow embossing powder challenge

I absolutely love Wow embossing powders therefore decided, for the first time, to enter their last blog challenge for 2012.
This is an invitation to a New Year party and I used Marion Emberson stamps with Orange pearl embossing powder. I was delighted with the look when used on denim coloured background paper.
I used the orange pearl powder again to mix with the Wow Ultra high powder for the butterfly.
Please take a look at the New Year Party Challenge on:

wowembossingpowder.blogspot.com/2012/.../december-challenge

Claritystamp Challenge

Each month Barbara Gray and the Claritystamp team set a challenge for members of their New Designs club.
The January Challenge was for a love card in black, red and white including a heart and bird Clarity stamp.
I have not entered the Clarity challenge before but think I will enter one of the attached cards. There is very tough competition each month so we'll wait and see!

50 Shades of Grey??

Only the colour of this tag which I have made for a blog hop in conjunction with Sam Crow (samshomecookedcards.blogspot.com) is anything to do with the title!!!

The recipe for the tag is as follows:

I started with pearlised card which I coloured with white, black and grey Panpastels. I then used the Water droplets background stamp which I acquired from the amazing "Designs by Ryn". I made the two large flowers with tissue tape and finished them with a gem in the centre. The flower at the top I made using my Melt pot and UTEE which I then poured into a mould. The motto of Live the life you imagined was also made with melted UTEE which I stamped into before it set. Finished off with spotty and silver ribbons. Tissue tape was also used in the top right hand corner of the tag.
The rain man was stamped and cut out by hand.

I have entered this tag into the Ladybug Craft challenge - http://ladybugcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/happy-new-year-and-new-challenge.html?m=1

My card debut on TV

Below are the cards I made which were shown on Create and Craft recently. The product being sold was a marbling kit ( for marbling paper). It was quite a challenge to come up with ideas to show off the paper but these are what I came up with.

An Exploding Box using the T'was the night Before Christmas stamps

This is an exploding box made using the Claritystamp T'was the Night before Christmas

Star book - T'was the night before christmas

A selection of photo's showing the star book made with the Claritystamp T'was the night before Christmas stamps

TV debut rescheduled

My cards are now due to be shown on Create and Craft next Monday at 4 o'clock and 7 o'clock. Once they have been shown I will post pictures on my blog.

The Panpastel Challenge Blog

I couldn't sleep tonight therefore I decided to use my time productively. The Panpastel Challenge Blog #44 is entitled "Make an Embellishment.

I decided to enter this tag which has two different embellishments which I have made. The paper beads were made from Panpastel coloured paper to match the tag and the butterfly was made with alcohol inks on acetate combined with crystal glaze, scrunched up tissue paper on top and left to dry. The butterfly was then cut out with a die on my Bigshot. The ribbon was also coloured using Panpastels.

The challenge finishes this weekend and is entered into:

http://panpasteluk.blogspot.co.uk/#44 make an embellishment

Thanks for looking.

Clarity ATC

For this months Clarity ATC swap I decided to make an easel ATC. This uses the Clarity moon shadow, kissing couple and bulrushes stamps. All embossed with Wow Platinum embossing powder. The colours are Distress Inks.

Thank you card

I was looking for a small Thank you card after receiving a lovely gift from a friend. This seemed to fit the bill using a fancy edge card with a die cut butterfly and flower with a smidge of bling. Hopefully it will be well received.

Almost a piece of jewellery

I thought I'd try the crystal lacquer technique with alcohol inks, acetate, tissue paper etc.

Having left it to dry I looked at it each day wondering what the heck I was going to do with it!

I'd bought the pretty petals from Claritystamp and wondered if I could stamp on the acetate and then cut out with craft scissors.

I'm not sure if the photo will do justice to the outcome. It looks almost like a lovely tortoise shell piece of jewellery.

TV debut

Two samples now completed to be shown on Create and Craft TV on 18th November. I will post pictures once the programme has been shown.

Exciting news!

I've been selected to make a couple of cards to be shown on Create and Craft TV. More news when I have it.

Autumn

This is an ATC I did for the Autumn theme ATC swap. I used the Claritystamp window stamp and the blustery day stamp also from Claritystamp. Just like the weather we have been having recently!

Watercolour poppy

Today I made a card for the birthday of a friend. She doesn't like
"fussy" hence there are no flowers, bows or gems. I used the lovely poppy stamp from Indigoblu and the verse stamp from Claritystamps. The background was coloured with Panpastels. Hope she likes it, I'll post it tomorrow.

Little boy clock

I must be getting better at clocks as this one proved far less stressful. This is for a special little boys 7th birthday.

Designs by Ryn - Water Droplets

Wow - what a find. Ryn and her stamps are both amazing. Ryn is based in Canada but don't hesitate in ordering stamps from Ryn as her Customer Service is superb and her rubber stamps well ....... they just
speak for themselves!
In this project I have used Panpastels for the background, leaf stamps and then the superb water droplet stamp. I'm very happy with the result and will be ordering many more stamps from Ryn.

My lovely stamp from Ryn

I have loved this water droplet stamp for a while - designs by Ryn in Canada. It's been used quite a lot with fish and mermaids so I thought it would be good to try something different. I used Panpastels for the background and Distress Inks for the stamping. Really pleased with the results. Thankyou Ryn it's fabulous!

A little girl's clock

Hope you like this - its taken quite a lot of blood, sweat and tears. My next one will be easier (famous last words). It's a clock for a special little girls birthday - she'll be 5 in a couple of weeks. My next project is a little boys blue clock for a 7 year old. Hopefully I'll look back on these two first clocks and wonder why I got into such a dither!!!

Gilding flakes and mica powder

This is the Clarity mask coloured with mica powder and wet paintbrush. Mounted onto double sided adhesive sheet and backed with copper gilding flakes.

ATC

Three little initials. How misleading can they be. How difficult can it be to design on a piece of card 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches. We have started a Clarity ATC swap group - the only rule is that a Claritystamp is used and then you send it to the relevant person on your list. It's been such fun and the comments from some of the ladies have been blimmin funny. This is mine for August.

Tags ....

I've thoroughly enjoyed decorating tags during the last week. I've used masking tape (lots), distress inks, pan pastels and mica powder. I'm also making a mini book out of loo rolls but more of that another time.

Stamp stamps!

This is the birthday card I made for my husbands birthday. Loved the masking and the aperture masking - it was a lot of fun.

I promise .........

I promise that I am going to blog more often. Life is settling down and I'm getting used to having time to play. I spent two days in Kent (Cowden) at a Claritystamp retreat. Smashing people and I met a lot of new folk. I learned loads - although the projects I brought home didn't perhaps reflect that, I learned methods which I could go home and practice. This I did and how I've enjoyed it. Also met lots of new friends on Facebook, even met some at a local monthly crop. What a great new phase I've entered. Enough for now attached a birthday card I made for a recent birthday.

The four months have passed - have I had time to do all the things I was hoping to? Absolutely not. So many things were put off to do "after the end of March" that I've spent nearly three weeks catching up. Still did get a little time off - a crafting weekend away. What a treat, it was very enjoyable and I met lots of new people with the same interest. I still have lots of things I haven't yet played with ...... but my list of catch up jobs is getting slightly shorter.