The May Winner is.....

MASKA. Please get in touch to claim your prize which will be fluttering off to you as soon as I get your snail mail!

June giveaway will be along shortly, watch this space!

12 Tags of 2014 - MAY

mmmmmmm. Come on Cindy, this is basically a very simple technique. So why am I procrastinating and writing a post about it before I have even started? Having looked at Tim’s tag I know that this is essentially about creating a tiled layout – the problem is I don’t have the kinds of nick nacks in my stash that Tim does, so I really am going to have to concentrate on the tiles rather than re-creating Tim’s tag or possibly even Tim’s style.

Easy huh? Well, here is what an hour of rummaging got me on the desk. Frankly none of it is shouting Tim Holtz to me.

All I am hearing is a nagging voice in my head saying ‘it’s gonna take you an hour to put this lot back in the right place……..’

 

 

But we persevere. There is some vintage sewing potential here, perhaps seaside, even baby…. let’s choose some papers before we do the background.

A plethora of choices but nothing grabbing me particularly.

Picked a few bits out, a ‘Family’ theme, think we may have a plan here.

Below, tThe final tag, on the second background. The first was very pretty but the tiles didn’t ‘pop’. This is better but a bit boring. Particularly pleased with those foam hearts which I heat embossed very, very carefully with WOW powders. Not so sure about that funny little house button! So there you go, don’t look too close at those straight edges! If I’m not gardening, may have another go tomorrow (I do need to make two) but want to link this one up before the end of the month.

Quick show ‘n’ tell.

Not sure if I mentioned that I was away in Norfolk for a week with my mum and sister. We usually get a cottage (the prerequisites are a garden and a large table!!) for the week and take lots of crafty things to do partly because mum can’t go gallivanting every day and partly in case of inclement weather. Well we hit lucky this year and had the most glorious week in the sun. Not too much crafting got done but one of the projects I took was this little bird house – we all made one but I forgot to photo the others.

Not bad for one stamp and two bits of card!! Here’s mum in charge of the BBQ. LOL.

 

and eating chips on the beach. Double LOL.

More holiday projects to come!!

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday #260

Well at last we are here at the 5th anniversary of the friendfest that is WOYWW. I am so happy to be part of this community – even if sometimes my involvement is a bit sporadic - and even more pleased to have been able to attend the WOYWW Crop last Saturday. It was a great day with lots of chat, lots of good food and and an enormous amount of goodwill – and I even got a bit of crafting done! (Finished items to be shared very soon).
But to business, here is my desk late Tuesday evening. I think this is what I will be mainly dealing with this week!

Yes, it’s covered in WOYWW5 ATCs. Once I started I went a little mad and although we did a lot of trading on Saturday I still have quite a few left. I will of course be sending one to the next person on the list who is joining in the anniversary swap. But if anyone else would like an ATC – no obligation to trade – please let me know as I have stamps here to send out up to 10 more. Unfortunately unless we have already agreed to trade I will have to restrict to UK only – mainly because anywhere else will require a visit to the PO which will take me a few days to get to!!

Unfortunately I have to work today so please forgive me if I don’t get round until this evening or even Thursday. I’ll try and pop on at lunch time but the IT at work is so iffy at the mo that might not be possible. Have a wonderful anniversary everyone, roll on next year!!
Cindy xx

Flourishing at Crafty CardMakers and More

Oh dear, Bank Holidays always get me in a muddle! I should have posted this one yesterday!! Anyhoo, Elaine is hosting our challenge this time around and she has chosen the theme 'Flourishing' so she would like to see a flourish of some kind on your project, this can be stamped, die cut or even both!

We are sponsored by THE STAMPING BOUTIQUE for this challenge, more details on the blog.

So here’s my DT piece. I have used papers and card templates from Craftwork Cards to create an exploding card. Here’s the card, with a wrapping that slips off.  

Like this.

And now the  card open.

And finally, a box to present it in.

My flourishes are die cuts blinged up with wow embossing powders.

Hope you like, and are inspired to join us at Crafty Cardmakers and More. Ciao, Cindy xx

Perella Profusion

Well I did have my Lynn Perella stamps out the other day. I’m still lusting after those oriental ones that came  out last year….. but anyhow, going with what we have, here are the two mm tags I showed on MY WOYWW desk recently.

The real reason for getting the LP stamps out was to make a card and a tag BRAK for a friend and here’s how they turned out.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gilding was done using my latest fave  product – Mica Boss from stamps away. (I’ve added the link to the shop but I can’t find it there, I picked mine up from Ali at Ally Pally). It’s a powder you use with a versamark pad to stamp the image like regular EP (or to add through a stencil) but when you heat it it goes sticky and you can gild it. Brilliant product, much less gilding flakes on the hands!!

Have a good Bank Holiday!

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday#

Right. Let’s get snooping. A few photos for your delectation (by the way it’s Tuesday night, gotta work tomoz).

The desk:

Oh yeah baby, I have started the ATCs ready for the big Anniversary and the crop.The piles of acrylic blocks are flattening out some sticking.

Emergency 90th birthday card request received this evening – complete inspiration fail, had to resort to ‘casing’ a layout by Julie Hickey using the delish Country Cottage papers. Centre stage here. waiting for me to print out a personalised centrepiece.

And what do you think of my new storage? These ‘shelves’ were drawers in a cabinet that was going to be thrown away at work because the runners had broken and it was no longer fit for purpose. So I have re-purposed them – they fitted in the space I had perfectly so it was obviously meant to be! So chuffed to be able to get all my bits out where I can see them. (So to speak!!). And a nice little bit of display space across the top. Must do something about that nescafe box though.

So that’s it for this week. HERE is a 'how to' join in WOYWW,everyone is welcome.  Here is an explanation of the WOYWW madness.  And HERE is how we're going to mark the fifth anniversary of ourselves, the week after some of us get together for the WOYWW Crop which is coming up very, very soon! I will have lots of ATCs for the crop and also for the actual anniversary – hopefully about 10 in total that can be posted so let me know if you would like to swap. I did make a note of those that asked last week and will get back to you with details asap.

I hope you enjoyed your visit, would love to know you have been. As I said work today (sob) so will  probably be a late visitor. Happy WOYWW!!

It’s In The Mail (er) – Try It On Tuesday

 

This fortnight at Try It On Tuesday we would like to see some MAIL related images in your art. Or why not decorate an envelope to post and give the postman a smile as well as the recipient? It’s up to you but there is plenty of yummy inspiration over at the TIOT blog.

I decided to decorate a slide mailer and make myself somewhere pretty to keep my stamps for posting so I wouldn’t keep losing them.

 

 

 

The stamps go in the little envelope and in the postcard wallet on the left hand side. Oooh glary photo sorry.

A little piece of whimsy and just part of my mission to prettify my work space. Hope you like.

Ciao, Cindyx

Card Making 101 - #2!! (KISS!)

Another session, another set of cards….. this is what we got up to this week.

I said we would try some blue…. just love those little planes, so cute.

But somehow it went all pink again….

and I have to admit the middle one is a bit flowery and elaborate – but they were already cut out and surplus to another project and the colour seemed to work – waste not want not!!I even used up some peel off stickers. Considering I don’t really like them I have no idea why I have so many.

Net time ‘we’ agreed to try and do male cards. Help!!

Fantasy Stampers Challenge #10 - Numbered Birthday

 

I suddenly realised the other day that I had quite a few ‘numbered’ birthdays coming up (mainly quite big numbers LOL) so the current Challenge at Fantasy Stampers was a reminder to get on and make a few cards.  

For my DT piece I used an elegant tent card blank  and one of the gorgeous ‘Uptown Girls’ collection  by Stamping Bella. Main image coloured with promarkers, flowers from die cuts and papers by Craftwork Cards. Die cut circle4s using Tonic dies and patterned papers highlighted with glitter.

Anyhow if you feel inspired to join in with us at Fantasy Stampers this fortnight we’d love to see what you can get all distressed about!! Any kind of project counts but it MUST include some stamping. Hope to see you there!!

Ciao,    Cindy xx

I am linking this post in with Fashionable Stampers Challenge # 72 ‘ Circles’

What’s on Your Workdesk? #257

Here’s a late Tuesday evening pic as I am just about to tidy up before bed and if I take the photo Wednesday morning there will be, well, nothing on it.

I wanted to make a card using a Lyn Perella image for a friend (nah, not showing you that yet!!) so I have my LP stamps out, my inks and some gelli prints. While the stuff was out I did a couple of mixed media tags. You can also see my two new fave stencils and over in the left hand corner a 3d mannequin I made using die cuts. Not quite sure where I am going with that yet, might be finished by next week.

So there you have it. HERE is a 'how to' join in WOYWW,everyone is welcome.  Here is an explanation of the WOYWW madness.  And HERE is how we're going to mark the fifth anniversary of ourselves, the week after some of us get together for the WOYWW Crop. I will have lots of ATCs for the crop and also for the actual anniversary – hopefully about 10 in total that can be posted so let me know if you would like to swap.

I hope you enjoyed your visit, would love to know you have been. I have to work today (sob) so will  probably be a late visitor. Happy WOYWW!!

Cardmaking 101 – Keep It Simple Stupid #1

I mentioned recently that I was getting some cards ready for my friend who comes over to make cards with me. I do of course know and appreciate that it is also an opportunity to spend some time together and it shows what a good friend she is that she makes the effort to get involved in something that interests me. Now, my friend likes the idea of making cards but finds many of the techniques tiresome (anything requiring an ink pad, cutting, matting, layering, trimming and sticking to name a few and let’s never ever mention glitter again…….).

She was delighted with the prepared packs that I had made for her and went home from that session with three finished cards. I had decided to use this paperpack which I got free from the C&C stall at last year’s NEC Hobbycraft show.

The papers are bright and pretty but a bit flimsy so there is a limit to what you can do with them. Someone else didn’t want theirs so I ended up with two (one for each of us). Because we have lots of each paper it is easy to do more than one card (roughly) the same. So as that was such a success I thought I’d continue and post what we get up  to. The papers are quite bright – be prepared for some stuff that isn’t my normal style – and I am trying (really trying) to keep it simple. Do let me know what you think, and if anyone else picked up one last year I’d love to know what you did with it.

Just to re-cap here were the cards I prepped for that first session:

We got together again this week and these were the ideas I had come up with. There is a lot of PINK in this paper pack LOL.

You can take your sunglasses off now. – or maybe not, the sun is out, time to get in the garden methinks. However I do think maybe we’ll try blue and yellow for next time……..

May Art Draw – Flutterby!!

I know, it’s never been known, the Monthly Art Draw up on the first day of the month!! Well make the most of it, it may never happen again.
So what piece of whimsy have we got for you this month? Well it’s the little butterfly hanging that I was working on yesterday. The base is wood and the wings and handmade flowers are made of paper (no idea who by) and I have attached a string so it can hang although actually it stands up quite happily. 
Usual rules apply, if you would like to go in the draw please say so ON THIS POST before 9.00 pm on Saturday 31st May 2014. Please feel free to link from your own blogs and if you let me know you have I will put you in the draw twice. Overseas players welcome, make sure I have a way to contact you if you ‘win’. That’s it I think. Simples!

And we have a winner.....

for the April Art Draw.

A late entry CHRYSALIS who I also believe has had a birthday this week so most appropriate! I have contacted you hon.

The next giveaway is all ready to go and I will upload it later today.