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

Little Thank You canvases

I popped into the Great North Papercraft Extravaganza (GNPE) in Harrogate after a class at Art from the Heart in October.  I heard that Paper Artsy had a stall there so I went to grab myself a bargain. I picked up these teenie tiny canvases which I've painted and stamped up to say thank you to two crafty friends, Anne (Redanne) and Trace (inkypinkycraft).

Anne sent me a lovely Christmas tree stamp I said I liked on her workdesk, so I sent her the pink mini canvas. Trace and I did a swap shop of goodies from our stash. Trace sent me a lovely enamelled hanging heart with her parcel and I sent her the blue mini canvas below.

I enjoyed working in the small scale as it makes you focus on the tiny details. The little heart and crown is from Tim Holtz grunge board elements.

I painted up the canvases with acrylic paint, then painted around the edge in metallic purple and blue. 

I blacked the edges with black Adirondack dabber. 

I used a honeycomb stamp and a flourish to create some layers on the canvas. 

I've used some cosmic shimmer embossing powder on the hearts and Tim Holtz Walnut Stain distress embossing powder on the crowns. 

I've used my favourite little accessory the Beadazles and some Cosmic Shimmer mica flakes too (the mica flakes are my new obsession at the moment), love those shiny things.

I just wanted to say Thank you very much xxxxx

Wiry 3D Christmas Tree Tag

I've been away from my crafty desk this week, with everyday life getting in the way of my crafty mojo-ness!

I'm practically rocking back and forth, going crazy not being able to use my distress inks and stamping.

Well I'm back I tell you, back where I want to be, with dirty inky hands, long may it last!

I've got a new camera too, so I'm just feeling my way around that. I could do with a lesson in using my digital SLR, I've forgotten everything I learned at college about photography. 

I'm really enjoying using these new stamps for the Creative Expressions design team. The ones below are the Let It Snow stamp set. I just love that Christmas tree and the reindeer. 

I started off with a tag I had inked up with blue distress stains and Cosmic Shimmer mists, hence the lovely blue drippage, then I splatted it all with white gesso. It really looked Christmassy at this point. But I wanted more colour!

Then I stamped it with TH crackle stamp using a green metallic acrylic paint, distressed the edges with Rusty Hinge DI,  and darkened the edges more with Black Soot DI. I used a stiff dry paint brush with a bit of white gesso on it to run streaks up and down the tag, which gave it a weathered beach kind of effect. 

Loved this with the blue and the rusty hinge colours.

I used the Let it Snow stamp with Picket Fence Distress Stain and stamped that around the tag, then stamped some flourishes here and there too. I pleated some music Tissue Tape along the bottom of the tag, for a nice little frill not thrill!. 

I've added some sparkly gold texture from the Cosmic Shimmer mica flakes too, they are gorgeous, love them!

I used blue and green alcohol ink on the numbers, the pin and the Christmas token to match the green wire on the tree and the baubles.

I made the tree using Cosmic Shimmer Bronze lustre embossing powder. Stamp both sides of a tree shape 3 times then cut it out. Then do another one without one on the other side (this is your base). Fold the other 3 in half. Cut one  in half, this is your centre one. Use the other 2 folded trees to glue (down the centre only!) to your base and glue the centre one in and leave to dry. Once dry you can bend all the layers into the right position. I used a poky tool to make holes to thread the wire through the layers of the tree. Don't forget to add some beads while your threading to make little baubles.

I am well and truly into the Christmas spirit now, especially as the Coke Cola Christmas truck advert was on the TV on Saturday, now I know Holidays are coming!.

Michelle x

Ordinary Candle Holder to Sparkly Christmas Candle Holder

Everyone who knows me knows I'm a big Christmas fan, and if I can turn an ordinary everyday item into a Christmas decoration, I will!

Here is a large glass candle holder, very nice and elegant.......but Christmas is coming and it can't just sit there being all elegant and having no reference to the festive season can it! 

So I decided to use my gorgeous Heartfelt Creations bauble stamps, from Creative Expressions to add some Christmas cheer to my candle holder.

What a transformation! Not ordinary any more.

I stamped the candle too.

It looks so pretty with the heat embossed baubles around the glass.

I used a mixture of white and gold embossing powder.

I'm really pleased with how this has been transformed. It's unique and I made it.

I love that feeling.

Make something that makes you happy today.

Bye for now

Michelle x

Creative Expressions are recruiting. They're looking for a Regional Accounts Manager to cover the Midlands and South East area. If you're interested and want to find out more information check their job vacancies page. 

Halloween Antics 2012

Halloween has always been a big affair in our house, because it's my son's birthday on the 31st. It's great because I'm never stuck for a theme for the party! Although the party is much less chaotic these days now he's 22 but we still carve our pumpkins, get dressed up, decorate the front of the house and get tons of sweets in to hand out to the kids. The kids love it, they always say "it's propa mint this house!"

We like to make the effort, it's a whole lot of fun. Here's our effort for this year.

Here's the big spider web on the front of the house!

Some of our snacks, hotdog mummies.

We used szechuan pepper corns for eyes.

Me and my ghost

I've been trying to find our pictures from previous years, and I found these two from 2010.

This is when Sack Boy from Little Big Planet was all over the place.

And a blog post wouldn't be the same without some crafting now would it!

Well it's been a very busy week, with two important birthdays and a works night out, now it's time to get back in the craft room and get into the Christmas spirit.

Hope you all had a great week, if you got up to anything spooky this week, tell me about it?

mwahh ahh ahh ahh

Michelle x

R is for Retro

I'm a child of the 70's born 1971, I have many fond memories of playing outside, with my flared trousers on and my incredibly long collars! I remember the heatwave in the summer of 1976, and the Silver Jubilee street parties. The music was pretty awesome too. When It's crafting Time said that this week's design team theme was retro it just conjured up happy memories of always playing outside and not so many rules as we have today.

70's retro colours to me are brown's, mustard yellow, red and blue, and here they are on my altered Decopatch letter R for Retro.

I've used Tim Holtz Cirque stamp set, they all work brilliantly with this theme.

I've also cut out the letters from a Tim Holtz Seasonal Paper stash page to spell Retro.

I have to thank Kate Crane for the black liner I used around the letters. Kate kindly gave me a black Stabilo aquarellable pencil after using one in one of her classes at Art from Heart. Its brilliant because you can rub it with your fingers to make a grungy grubby black shadow around things or use a fine paint brush with a little bit of water to blend the black into the edges, which I've done here.

I've also used one of Tim's idea-ology metal sentiments dabbed with blue alcohol ink and rubbed with white gesso in the letters to make them stand out. I've also used music note tissue tape on the inside edges.

It's far out man!

M xx