A simple Good Luck card

I'm feeling sorry for myself right now, got a horrible cold :(   So I think a bit of painty therapy might be in order for the day. Or a background day. I like making backgrounds in my journal, you don't have to think too much about it, just start picking things up and playing.

I made this a couple of weeks ago for a friend and only just got it up on the blog. It's a nice simple card that says it all. Sometimes those are the best.

Lovely sparkly Stickles on the butterfly.

Now I'm going to crawl into a corner.........ahtissue....sneezing and coughing. 

Can't see the Christmas for the Trees!

I was at Art from the Heart on Saturday for an art journaling day with Dyan Reaveley. We had a great day singing Christmas songs and being creative. Everyone made these awesome trees and we swapped them with each other and put them in our journals. I love all my trees. Can you guess which one is Dyan's? I rounded the bottom of one tree and then after sticking it in the journal I realised that this was Dyan's tree! It was pure coincidence that I cut that tree to the same design as the trees that Dyan designs! AND it was the only one I did on the page. Mad that!

I think this is my favourite journal page I have done so far. It just makes me happy looking at it.

Made with Dylusions inks, stamps and stencils

I was at Art from the Heart the week before too, (see my previous post) we made a little bird house with Marie McCarthy, some bunting with Kate Crane and some 3D stars with Dyan. I've finished my little projects and put pics on Facebook, but I thought I would get them on the blog too. So here they are, I really enjoyed my day there making these lovely little makes below.

We made these in Marie McCarthy's class 

We made this bunting with Kate Crane

We made these 3D stars with Dyan.

There is something so satisfying about making and finishing small projects like these, it's quick gratification, and you have something gorgeous to hang up and look at.

I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas? I've had an amazingly craft-tastic Christmas this year. I must've been a very good girl because I got all these!

I think I'm going to be very busy.

Oh can you see in the bottom left hand corner is an arty bag, then a little journal with "123" on the cover, and a tag next to it? Well this was made by my wonderfully imaginative friend Mell Cooper.  

And I got another little gift from the equally talented Gemma Mags.  Gemma made me a bracelet and gave me a little owl stamp too. Thank you so much Mell and Gemma. xxxxx

I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store!

House warming canvas for my number crunching friend.

Thank goodness it's Friday! I think most people will be finishing work today and having a well deserved rest for Christmas. It feels great doesn't it?

I've made this canvas for a friend who moved away a couple of weeks ago. Her career is in numbers and her other half is just as nerdy too. The pair of them wouldn't look out of place in an episode of The Big Bang Theory. They won't mind me saying that because its a bit cool and trendy to be nerdy these days. Her other half specialises in probability mathematics hence the "probably" at the end of the quote.  I just know the pair of them are going to love it. 

I tore up some pages from a maths book, I found the ones with lots of equations on and covered the background of the canvas. I then painted over the scraps of paper with gesso, blue, yellow and green acrylic paint. I started adding layers of colour using number and pattern stencils with distress inks.

You can see the equations on the scrap paper under the letters. I like this. I've stamped numbers and texture stamps for even more layers too.  The letters are inked up Tim Holtz Grungeboard, I've used London Blue Dylusions inks and cosmic shimmers to give them a lovely deep blue colour. I've edged a few of them with some white paint, and stamped a honeycomb pattern with metallic copper acrylic paint on the letters and on the canvas. 

I used Tim Holtz flower stamp along the bottom of the canvas with yellow and orange archival ink, but I've also stamped paint too for some strong vivid colour.

It's in the post winging it's way to my friend right now.

I hope she likes it?

I'd like to wish everyone who comes passing by or leaves me a comment a very Happy Christmas.

I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to say something nice or just coming for a visit.

Thank you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Have a great Christmas

Keep Calm and Sparkle On Tag

Michelle is officially on holiday from work! I just love putting my "out of office" on! Let the frivolities begin, but before that though is the small matter of 70 odd wedding invitations to make for a friend. Then I can relax for Christmas.

I've been a good girl all year, I think there might be lots of crafty goodies under the tree for me........eeeeeeeeee.

Anyhooo enough about that, lets get back to the "work" I would rather be doing 24/7.

Here is my next Creative Expressions DT piece.

My inky embossed tag.

I've used the "If the Crown Fits" stamp set.

I've also used: -

London Blue Dylusions Inks

Flourish embossing folder

Cosmic Shimmer spray - blue

Vintage ribbon

Adirondack Dabber - Pitch Black

Tim Holtz Distress ink - Chipped Sapphire 

Tim Holtz distress markers - Fired Brick

Cosmic Shimmers - mica powder (on the flourish)

Stickles glitter glue

A text stamp

Art From the Heart Preview day December 2012

What a brilliant day at Art from the Heart (AFTH) today, lots of arty friends, happy smiley faces and some cheeky inkyness. It's not just a class, it's not just an art shop, it's home and its family.  Su Corrin asked me today "how does AFTH make me feel?"   It makes me feel like I belong.   In the non arty world no one understands just how much being creative is such a huge part of our lives. When I walk into AFTH I don't feel like I have to explain my obsession, everyone just understands and encourages you to buy that shade of green ink, that's in between the other two shades of green ink you have!

Here are a few pics of what we got up to today, and some crafty bits a bobs.

Kate's looking very impressed here, but can we take her seriously with those tasselly boppers!

Sandra has an alternative technique for inking up her bunting! Whatever works for you Sandra.

Kate's demonstrating her bunting we made in her fab class, can't wait to finish mine off.

Here's a closer look at Kate's bunting, isn't it cool?

We made a hanging bird house and heart in Marie's great class.

And we made amazing hanging Dylusions stars in Dyan's class.

Of course I couldn't go to AFTH without having a little spending spree, here's my haul.

Dyan was demonstrating the art of folding valleys and peaks for the star, but the star seemed to fall into it's own valley between two peaks!

Here's is the lovely Sandra and Dyan, Love Sandra, she makes me laugh so much.

Dyan is holding a Christmas card I made for her. It says "Dear Santa I've been an angel all year!".

 When I've finished off my little projects from today, I'll get them up on the blog. Can't wait to show you how fab they are. Bye for now xxxxx

Inky Stampotique Christmas cards

I've been looking like a Blue Meanie all week at work with very blue inky fingers, I just couldn't get it off. (anyone got any tips on how to get it off, I'd love to know? Water takes some away, but not all)

But look what came out of that blue inkyness!

Some wonderful Stampotique and Dylusions Christmas cards.  These are for my Brother and my Son, both captions apply to both, mmmm now I've got to choose who gets what.

I love the liquid pearls on the fairy lights, they look so bright.

 This was Kate Crane's idea from one of the preview day workshops. 

And doesn't he look cute? I think he does.

I've used London Blue, Vibrant Turquoise & Crushed Grape Dylusions inks, and Dylusions Christmas sentiments. The Stampotique stamp is Tangled enthusiasm.

Only 2 more days left at work for me, I can almost taste the Christmas Dinner.

Are you wearing an invisible crown?

Time for a non-Christmassy crafty project, it's actually a refreshing change right now. A little bit of calm in a sea of Christmas bedlam. This background was made from the "If the crown fits" stamp set from Creative Expressions. I love the versatility of these stamps, I can think of loads of ways of using them.

You can really see the white snow cap dabber paint stamped with the flourish stamp here.

I've used: -

Tattered Rose, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress inks

Adirondack Dabber - Snow cap 

Tim Holtz flourish, Roman Print stamps

Gold florist wire

Crochet ribbon

Pink glitter

Bow charm

Santa is it too late to negotiate?

Only 9 more days left at work and counting! Can you tell I want it real bad?  I have the Stilton crock chilling, the grapes in the freezer and the vintage port waiting on standby. Oooo I can't wait. What's the best thing you like about Christmas?  Is it the time off work, the food, the family, or anything else?

I'm setting aside a day to make my cards on Sunday too....I'm looking forward to making them for my friends and family. I'm going to use my Stampotique and my Dylusions stamps this year, good job I bought some more Dylusions inks, I was running low. I'm gonna re-use my bottles on making some Dylusions shimmers though, get some mica powders in there! Bring it on.

Below is a Christmas card I made from a sketch we were given from It's Crafting Time. They have a great selection of Dyan's stamps, inks, stencils and her fab new journal. Here I've used the inks, the stencils and the stamps.

I've drawn the sides of his face and his nose, he looks like a 'What No' Christmas. Can you remember those 'What No's' from the 80's? They were everywhere.

Hope you have a great weekend

Masquerade, flooding & Christmas.

Boy have I missed the blogging world. I've had two weeks of bedlam at home. There's been flooding, spring cleaning, making a Thanksgiving dinner (for my American friend), and putting up the Christmas decorations. All of which are not conducive to crafting and blogging!   I'm happy to report though that all is done, I have no more jobs on my to do list, and that includes all the presents and wrapping. So all I need to do now is sit back and wait for my time off work and then its crafting galore! 

We've been sent our new stamps from Creative Expressions, I've used the Masquerade stamps below to create the mask on the journal page below. I was obviously in touch with my darker side with this one.

I drew the girl's face and used my Caran D'ache watercolour pencils to colour her in. I've also used Stampers Anonymous Classics & Papillon stamp set with a Big & Juicy stamp pad, to get the mixed ink colours.

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This was my poor back garden in the floods from last week!

I just watched the water get closer and closer to the back door.

Now it's an ice rink, and it's comedy watching the cats play on it!

After that came this!

Much better don't you think. Look at Felix getting in on the action. He's a right ham for sneaking in on the shot. I have my bunting up and my candle too. It just looks so cosy and warm.

Time for mulled wine and a Christmas film......probably Polar Express...love that.

Hanging Trees Christmas Decoration

This hanging decoration has kept me busy, by trying not to think of the rising water levels in my garden and watching it creeping ever closer to the house. Last night it was about 5ft from the back door! The rain has finally stopped this morning, but it'll only take one more big downpour to reach the house. Fingers crossed it will recede.

While I was waiting for my next design team stamps from Creative Expressions I thought I would make one more project from the wonderful Let it Snow stamp set. This is hanging in my kitchen and it looks fab, (you can just see my huge spice rack in the background, oh yes... its a thing of beauty).

I picked up the white wicker ring from the florist and adorned it with ribbons, bells and 3D trees.

Here is a closer look at one of the stamped 3D trees. I hung 2 snow charms (back to back) from the bottom to gave the trees a sturdy hanging weight.

Surely now I can put all the other decorations up???  Yes??

Michelle x

Christmas Dylusions & Holidays are coming!

Here's a Christmas journal page I made for a challenge Dyan Reavely set on Facebook last week. It's also tying in with a Christmas theme over at It's Crafting Time this week. Pop over and have a look at our very talented design team to see what they've made. 

I made a background using the London Blue and Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions ink just sprayed onto the page and then closed the journal to soak up the ink on the opposite page.

Then I use the large snowflake mask to spray water on the page and dampen off with a kitchen roll. This is Dyan's fab bleaching technique and works a treat on the snowflakes. It makes them look snowy white too, gorgeous. Then I used the small snowflake mask to spray the blue and the turquoise in small random places. I sneaked in a flying Santa sleigh stamp too from Inylicious!

 

I stamped the tree using the Christmas Accessories Dylusions stamps in various, green, brown and black  Archival inks.

I've outlined some snowflakes with a white Gelly Roll pen. I used a Tim Holtz Christmas music stamp with bright gold Distress Stain over the top of the page too. 

I used a mix of Dylusions stamps for the Snow King, Bits of this (skull head), Ruby Rainbow (body), Christmas Accessories (beard), and I drew the crown. I finished it all off by doing the black border and writing Ho Ho Ho and other Christmas related words in the stripes. I also got dotty happy with liquid pearls all over the page. Love these gorgeous beads of shimmeryness!

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On another note, I saw this last night.

I was on cloud 9!   How cool is this!

It will be coming to a town near you, check out the tour dates. (I think the website keeps crashing with all the traffic, but you should still be able to see a list).

But beware the roads leading up to it, will be gridlocked, park up and walk to it!

Holidays are coming, Holidays are coming!

Christmas Bunting

Everyone likes handmade bunting, and when it's Christmas bunting.. well that just makes it even better doesn't it! These last few weeks I've been making Christmas decorations left right and centre. I can't wait to decorate the house and use them all, it'll be nice to see my handmade crafty items put to good use.

The stamps I've used here are the "Let it Snow" stamp set from Creative Expressions. I've also used the stars from the TH Christmas Time stamp set too.

Oh it looks so Christmassy with the fairy lights on!

First of all I've used the back of a Tim Holtz Christmas Memories kraft sheet. I die cut the bunting triangles. Then used white Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder on the stamped images.

My newest crafty purchase is the Sissix Bigz Word Play alphabet die. 

The die cut letters were the perfect size for the bunting.

But they did need some jazzy colour,....... that's coming up!

Before I put the colour on the letters, I distressed the edges of the bunting with Vintage Photo DI.

Look at these shiny bad boys!

I used green Colour Wash and Cosmic Shimmer spray

I punched holes into my bunting triangles and threaded red ribbon and jingly bells though them, I then linked them all up to make the bunting.

I really love those letters and the bell in the middle of the ribbon.

I've dotted some areas of the bunting with glue and stuck down some Cosmic Shimmer mica flakes.

They catch the light, which adds a little bit of sparkle.

I really wanted to leave these up!

It won't be long till they go up for real.

Michelle x