Monday, February 28, 2011

Joseph Sox


All the scraps used up now, and another pair of socks for winter. Very bright but lovely and warm.
I am sure I must have Scottish blood in me - cannot waste anything - you should see my scraps of card stock I have saved, in case I get an opportunity to use it!
Have started a new pair of socks, using a very different method. You knit from toe to heel, then split across the top of the foot, pick up and knit the leg and cuff.
Very exciting to see if I can get it right. So far, no problem and have a lovely smooth toe cast on - no seams!
This book was written by Cat Bordhi who made it her mission to find an easier way to knit socks.
Will keep you posted.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Meet Joy!


Another simply adorable digi image I purchased from Funky Kits. I coloured her with my FC Polychromos pencils and touched up with Copics where I needed more intense colour. I mounted the image onto a bright fuchsia coloured card cut with my Labels Eight nesties and mounted onto another of the lovely sheets from W&M packs.
My dear blogging friend Amelia sent me some seam binding that I coloured with copics and turned into the little rosettes with a fabric coloured button in the middle. I then attached it to one of the fancy labels that had been pre-stamped with the sentiment. Whilst still in the die I used Distress Milled Lavender sponged around the inner edges and when out of the die, the white edges showed up beautifully and framed the sentiment. Love doing this technique. The flourishes were included in the envelope from Amelia so I thought I would use it on a card that I could send back to her to say thank you for your kindness. I am always amazed at the generosity and kindness that crafters give to each other. I have never, in all my years, experienced such amazing sharing, ever!
Amelia loved the card, and I thank you again dear friend for sharing with me.
Hugz

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Gooseberries & Aubergines


My pencil painting of the gooseberries is now completed. Not sure what I will do with this one, so will hang onto it for now.

On the go now, is a study of Aubergines. I am trying to work in specific colours so that I can learn the different shading combinations of purples. Very interesting, the colours one layers to achieve the end look.

Below is the start of the Aubergine study.

I will blog my progress, until finished, which needs to be soon as Linda's departure is not too far off!
Thanks for the visit!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bunny Time!

Please click on the Moz Bearz page above to visit my newest addition to the hug.
She is an adorable Bunny who is looking for a lovely home.
Enjoy the visit.......

Sunday, February 20, 2011

On a roll....


I really enjoyed working with the teacup stamp so played a little more and came up with this card. Using the same process as per my previous post, I stacked several more cups and saucers. I mounted them onto a strip of white card that I had punched both sides using my MS Doily Edge punch and the same again onto a pink strip. The sentiment is from the same Tea for Two set by Papertrey. All mounted onto a bright pink metallic card stock from the stash. A bow using Paola's lovely ribbon completed the card.
I think it is really pretty....

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Tea for Two


I made this card with Valentine's Day in mind.
I used a freebie stamp I received with my February issue of the Craft Stamper magazine. It is one cup on a saucer with a tea bag label. I stamped this twice onto this lovely heart flowers paper from my stash, cut them both out and separated the one cup and saucer. I slit the remaining cup so that I could insert the base of the cut out cup into it to create a stacking effect. I then attached the cut out saucer underneath the fixed cup and saucer, cutout out the tea bag and placed it. The Tea for Two is a Papertrey sentiment. Using the Nesties Labels Ten I cut out and mounted onto a red background label and placed it onto a sheet of W&M heart paper, mounted onto red and finally onto the white card. I found these dinky hearts in my stash and they just finished the card off.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Simply Adorable

Don't you just love these images?
I bought the digi's from Funky Kits and have such fun colouring them. I found it was cheaper to buy the full image and then I could crop them to suit myself.

This is Grace. So pensive!

I used my FC Polychromos pencils to colour her as I do not have a full range of Copic's - working on it... lol. I cut her out using the Lacy Circles from Spellbinders Nestabilities and mounted it onto a round in turquoise. I had slipped a length of seam binding that I had dyed with copics to match the colour scheme used. A very dear blogging friend was so kind to send me some of the seam binding to play with. Amelia will be selling this seam binding shortly. Do take a look at her blog - you will be bowled over with her fantastic work. I mounted it all onto a sheet of paper from a pack by W&M - lovely selection in this pack. I cut a strip of the same turquoise card stock and used the EK punch to get the lovely loops that match the Lacy circle. Onto this I stamped the sentiment from Papertrey and popped in a few blings for fun!
I can't wait to play with the rest of these Simply Adorable images.....

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Meet Jonty

I have posted a new Bear on my Moz Bearz page.
Please do click on the link at the top of this page.
Jonty would love a visit!
Hugz
Moz

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Chocolate Boxes


I have been so busy with these boxes, I have neglected all other crafts....
This is the last batch of boxes for Valentine day this year.
I do hope the recipients realise how much work and effort went into making these boxes and they keep and use them and not turf them away. I will sob if they do.....
Perhaps it is better I don't know.....
Happy Valentines Day!
I hope you have been thoroughly spoilt!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Yip, still knitting.....


These are my 'Joseph' socks!
Rather than waste all the little bits left over after each pair of stocks, I rolled them up into two equal balls and started knitting it all up.
This is the first sock. Now the fun begins with the second, to try and keep similar stripes to the first one!
Wish me luck!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Progress


I have been very slack with my art work, as we had a break over the festive season, also not being well over the months prior to December. I am feeling a lot better now, and I am coping with more each day. Over the weekend I hooked out my study of Gooseberries and started doing some work on it. Mostly laying in backgrounds. I will be taking it with me to our first lesson of the year and with Linda's help
- Lot's of it - I will start with the tweaking and shading, which is so important to make this 'pop'. I will post my progress in later posts.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The month of LOVE!

Wow, February already!
My friend Clare from eClare has a Valentine's promotion on at present. In my hand made boxes are 20 delish hand made Belgium chocolates with the most decadent fillings - enough to get the love morphs titilated!
Here are the flavours - French Coffee, Durban Delight, Pecan Caramel, Baileys, Summer Sparkle and Nut House.
She will make up your order as per your own selection. Take a look at her website to find the filling flavours available.

The customer requested certain messages, which I placed onto these lovely Cuttlebugs hearts. I highlighted the embossing with a swish of Stickles and used my fav MS punch with hearts on one box and the other box has red velvet ribbon on it and both a little bling!
Can't wait to hear the customers reaction to both the choc's and boxes.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sally's Birthday Card


In my previous post I mentioned my dear friend Sally. It was her 79th Birthday last week, and Maureen arranged a lovely tea party for her. She was so thrilled! Once again, she came loaded with really lovely cards she had made and shared her 'how to' with us all. Because she is so innovative, I had to find a different card for her, knowing that she will work it out and add it to her repertoire. This started as an experiment and ended up as a card. It is called a slider card. The butterfly slides up and down the slot as you tip the card. I really is very simple to make. You need to cut a slot into the card, then make the sliding mechanism by using a coin. I used the 50c piece. Onto the coin I attached foam backed tape, cut to the width of the slot and stuck it onto the coin. I then slipped it under the slot and attached the butterfly to the sticky side on top of the coin. That's all it is really.
The Nestie cut out was using the Beaded Ovals, which I left on the card and sponged Distress Ink, Wild Honey over it all. Using a shimmer board with these inks is so stunning. This I had already done and whipped it out of my stand-by box, so the rest of the card had to be styled around this colour scheme. I placed it onto an embossed background using the Tim Holtz Texture Fades folder, a butterfly from the Cuttlebug Butterflies die and embossing duo, then sponged the raise area with Distress Tattered Rose. Found some ribbon that would bring it all together and glued some pearls onto the beads of the oval.
She was fascinated and I am sure she went home, satisfied with the lovely eats, great company and a new technique to play with!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Showcasing a Dear Friend

Occasionally you make an acquaintance that soon becomes a treasured friendship.
Many years ago I stamped with a group of ladies, and Sally Leech was one of the 'old hands' who took every new stamper under her wing and taught all of us everything she knew about stamping. She has been stamping for so many years she cannot remember when she started, although she tells the story of cutting little shapes into the little rubbers on the top of pencils and letting her small children stamp with them! She has the ability to turn what she sees in books, into stunning cards and this is one of them. She bought a Cuttlebug last year and is always playing around with it. These butterfly's are so beautifully shaded. This is a step card and using the black butterfly background has shown up her beautiful creations. Of course, she has shared her 'how to' with us all and we are so grateful to have her in our lives.
Love you Sally!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Birthday Card


My only brother has a birthday today!
He is slightly younger than me, and never lets me forget it!
Besides his passion for his Harley, he collects watches, all kinds. He has had my Grandfathers watch perfectly restored in Switzerland, and it has become his prized possession. The watch was given to my Grandfather as a long service award, so has lots of sentimental value. My brother is all about 'family' and loves and treats us all as very special people in his life. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives.
I started with the background - using Distress inks, Walnut Stain and Faded Jeans, I blended these colours around a bit and spritzed it with water - drying it quickly with my heat tool so that it did not 'moosh' into each other to much. I then got out all my watches and using the same ink pads, stamped them randomly over the background. This was mounted onto chocolate brown card stock and then onto a natural coloured card. I used the same natural colour card to stamp the fob using Versafine Sepia, for both the fob and the sentiment. I shaded with Tea Dyed ink, mounted onto chocolate card stock, and added a little grosgrain ribbon. I enjoyed creating this from scratch.
Last year I made him a Harley card, using the Harley scrapping paper. I don't seem to have a photo of this one sadly.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Get Well Soon Ria


A member of my online stamping group recently had an operation and I made this card for her.
I really battle with card 'overload' so embellishments are far and few between. I am working on it.....
I used one of my few Magnolia stamps and coloured her with my Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils. I shaded the background with blue 'shavings' which give a lovely soft background.
Of course, cut out with my Nesties and paper from one of the W&M packs. A bit of bling and ribbon to bring it all together.
I was thrilled that I got the hang over, of the legs right with the Nesties, but did not get the placement right. It should have been higher up so she sits on it properly. Anyway, next time......