Fun Filled Weekend - Part 1

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to attend one of Eileen Godwin's workshops. I have long been an admirer of Eileen's style of crafting and use of bright bold colours, but lacked the confidence to take the plunge and be so bold. So I booked myself onto one of her workshops and set off to spend a week in Kent. With the help of Sat Nav we found the Village Hall quite easily and hubby dropped me off with my bag of craft equipment, my lunch and a few nerves, after all I was on my own and didn't know anyone. However after a warm welcome from Eileen, she showed me where to sit and I was soon chatting to the ladies around me, Hellen, Helen, Diane and Sue. Thanks you for being so friendly ladies.

We made three projects (cards during the day) and time flew past. We made two cards in the morning, one that had to be started and then left to dry, and the other we got on and made while the first was drying.

The first one above, I feel I kept within my comfort zone colour wise as these were colours that I would use everyday, but it was a great technique involving getting pearlised card stock wet before adding the colour.

Next I went way out of the comfort zone, using acrylic paints in very bold colours for me. And I loved it, now all of the acrylic paints I've bought and left in the cupboard will be coming out and getting a new lease of life. After the paint was dry I went over it with a stencil and distress inks, then a Tim Holtz stamp from the London sights set. The small circle stamp was from Designs by Ryn, then the circles added with a shot glass and white acrylic paint. Finally the dots are Enamel Accents (very much like Glossy Accents) and they take a long time to dry.

After lunch Eileen showed us how to make this gorgeous card above, it was such an easy technique but looks so effective. Embossed in white on water colour paper and then finger painting over the top with distress inks in the colours desired, just finishing off the leaves with a paint brush.

Than all of a sudden it was time to pack up, I could not believe that I had been there nearly 6 hours - the day went far to quickly. However Eileen has started up a Jounalling workshop, and I had put my name down for this too. If you pop back on Monday you will see what fun I had then.

Thanks you for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

CD Sunday - Butterfly

It's Thursday evening and I'm scheduling my post for Sunday Morning. As today (Sunday) I am attending a Journaling Workshop with the talented Eileen Godwin. Yesterday (Saturday) I was attending a card based workshop with the same talented Lady. Anyway as it's Sunday it's time again for another new theme over on the CD Sunday blog. This week Wendy has chosen for us, and it's butterfly. For my card I have used Krafthands, Kew Collection, and this beautiful old fashioned Bearded Iris. When we first moved to our current house over twenty years ago, there were loads of these in the garden, but lined up against a fence. I decided to move them and only a couple have ever come up again. This Month Wynn is our GDT, and I know that both she and the DT have made some lovely cards for your inspiration this week. So please pop over to the blog and take a look.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

30th Birthday Cards

Today I thought I would show you the 3 different cards that I had to make for my Daughters 30th Birthday today. All are 8x8 card bases, the first was made using this gorgeous large swallowtailed butterfly stamp from Stampin Up (I just had to have it). I stamped it and then embossed with white embossing powder, then coloured over the top using a stylus tool and Adirondack ink pads. I wiped away the ink that settled on the top of the white embossing, and then cut out. The backing paper was a download from Chocolate Baroque, which I took into MCS to lighten the colour, after cutting it to size I went around the outside of the page using Storm Adirondack ink. A Martha Stewart punch was used for the fancy panel, which I placed some wide lace under. The sentiment was made on the PC and again coloured with the Storm ink. The corners are from a Marianne Die.

The second card from my Son to his Sister was made using the Fabulous Shoes CD from Katy Sue, with art work from Sandra Wright. When my Daughter first saw this CD she fell in love with it, so it was the obvious choice to use.

Finally the last card from my Father-in-law was again using a Katy Sue CD, with art work by Sandra Wright, but this time it's the new Flights of Fantasy CD. The flowers used on the last two cards are made using a crealies die, also the leaves. The corners on the last card are a new Marianne corner die.

We're off out for a meal tonight with my Daughter and her partner, she hasn't seen the cards yet. It's a good job I know that she won't look at my blog before we meet up.

My next post will be a scheduled one, as this weekend I'm attending two workshops, held by the talented Eileen Godwin, of Eileen's Crafty Zone. The first is a card based workshop, which I should have attended earlier this summer, but it was the weekend my Mother-in-law passed away. And the second is the following day and more journal based, so I hope to have plenty to show you when I get back.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and you kind comment which are always appreciated.

Sue

21st Birthday Cards

Yesterday was my Niece's 21st Birthday, and this was the card that I made for her big day. This is one of the many that I've had to make over the last week or so. I used The Fabulous Fashion CD from Katy Sue (Flowersoft) with the wonderful art work by Sandra Wright. It is an 8X8 card, with the topper being decoupaged. The flowers were white, but I coloured them with pro markers to match the colours of the dress. I used my Cricut and the Plantin cartridge to put her name and age on it.

Last Saturday was my other Niece's Birthday (my sister and I were so kind to my Mum, all of her Granddaughters are born with 5 days of each other - in different years of course) she was 23 so no age on her card. It was made the same way as the other one, minus the Cricut letters, and the flowers were made using a crelies die. This time Happy Birthday was cut out using Occasions die cuts.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

Craft A Scene - Foul/Fowl Weather

I'm back again with my second post today, this time for Craft A Scene. This month we're asking for your Foul Weather scenes, and also to include a bird or birds in your scene. For this card I used a 6x6 card base, and silver mirri card for the matting. I used some matt card stock from Lavinia stamps to stamp my scene onto, and stamps from Lavinia, Sheena Douglas and Designs by Ryn.I started by stamping my Island in the middle of the card with blue Stazon, I also stamped the thistles and birds with Stazon. I stamped the willow leaves at the top using chipped Sapphire distress ink doing first and second generation stamping. Next using my brushes I used distress inks in milled lavender for the sky, and faded denim for the water. I went around the outside with chipped Sapphire and then added the raindrops, I have also added glossy accents too, in the hope that they look wet. I hope that you will pop over to the blog and see what the rest of the DT have made for your inspiration this month.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

CD Sunday - To The Moon And Back

Well another Sunday has come rushing around, bringing with it a new month, and as it's Sunday it time again for a new challenge on the CD Sunday blog. As it's the first Sunday of the month it means we have a sponsor and this month it's the lovely Lynda Chapman from Creative Crafting World. Lynda very generously sent the DT some art work for this challenge, please don't forget to pay the blog a visit to see what we've all made with it. If you read my blog post earlier this week you will know that this is a busy month for me with lots of family birthdays coming up, so with this in mind I made this card for our Great Niece who is going to be 7 on the 17th (the little fairy even looks like her). I used an 8x8 white card base for this card and used gold mirri card for the matting. I printed off one of the design sheets and cut out all of the elements, I decoupaged the main image and added the stars down the side of the card and the daisies at the bottom. I also printed off the alphabet sheet and cut out the name Darcy and added it. Finally I added a ribbon rosette in a matching colour.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

Spooky

I can't believe how fast this year has gone, and that it's October already. This is always a busy month for me as it's our wedding anniversary Friday. Saturday is my niece's birthday, the 8th is my other niece's birthday - she's 21 this year. Then 9th is our godson's birthday and the following day my Daughters birthday (30 this year), and that's just the beginning of the month.

Each month on the Chocolate Baroque group we have a swap of quintile's (5x5 square piece's of work) with a new theme each month, and this month is Spooky. I know that here in the UK we don't celebrate Halloween like our friends in the US and Canada, but I do love the Halloween stamps, so for this month I had just had to get out those stamps. For the first tile I've used stamps from Nevermore and Witches Brew sets and distress ink pads in colours Milled Lavender, Picked Preserves and Dusty Concord. I added a little glitter to the small mushrooms by the witch in the hope that they would look a bit magical.

For the second tile I've used stamps from the Bewitched Moonlight set. I've used distress ink pads in Mustard Seed, Wild Honey and Spiced Marmalade. I then stamped some of the mushrooms in Rusty Hinge and Vintage photo, I also used Vintage Photo to create some shadows. Glitter again to the mushrooms and also the rat's wings.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:

Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations - One Layer
Sister Act Card Challenges - Anything Goes
ART Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Thanks for taking the time time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

CD Sunday - 1950's

How Sunday morning's seem to come around so quickly these days, it's time again for a new challenge at the CD Sunday blog. This week the theme is 1950's and was chosen by Carol. For my card this week I've used MCS, Fab Glam Fifties, if only I had a lovely slim figure like this lady. I used a 6x6 white card base to start with, then teamed everything with the topper and used shades of green. The flowers started off as white and I painted them with some pale green pearlidoodles that were in my cupboard, and added some flower brads to them that I've had for some time and the bow was picked to match the coat. I hope to be back on track with my commenting this week, we've just spent the last week in Cornwall with my Mum and Hubby's Dad. We had a lovely week but had no mobile phone signal for most of the time, and no Internet for the whole of the week. It's great to get back to normal this week. This is Anne's last week as GDT, please do pop over to the challenge blog and see what she and the other DT members have made to inspire you this week.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

CD Sunday - Snow People

Time once more for a new Challenge on the CD Sunday blog, and this week it's Beryl who has picked the theme, she went for Snow People. As I had just received the Crafters Companion Snowman and Snowdog CD it was the obvious one to use for this challenge. I've used an A5 white card base, and some silver linen textured card for the matting,and matching paper for the backing from the CD. This jolly group of snow people seem to be having a wonderful time, but I'm glad we don't have weather like this just yet. We still have Anne with us as GD this week and she again, with the rest of the DT have made some lovely cards for you as inspiration, do pop the blog and take a look.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your kind comments which are always appreciated.

Sue

Lavinia Challenge 7 - Add A Flower

I've made this card for a friend who is just about to turn 50 (good job she doesn't read my blog), we were neighbours as children and our Mum's are still neighbours now, and great friends too. It also fits the challenge on the Lavinia Challenge blog this month, which is Add A Flower. My scene was made using various shades of browns and oranges in Adirondack, and a little spiced Marmalade distress ink for the edges and the flowers. I cut the design out using a grand nestie, then used the next size up to cut a matt in brown. I then place it onto an 8x8 white card base, I considered adding Happy Birthday and 50, but changed my mind and have left it blank. I finished by adding some glitter to the wings and stars.

I am also going to enter this into the following challenges:

Inspire me Fridays - Anything Goes
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything goes Stamp Challenge
My Time To Craft - Autumnal Colours
My Craft Creations - Stamped or Digi Images

Thanks for taking the time to look, and your and comments which are always appreciated.

Sue