Thursday 1 December 2016

Crafts Galore Encore January Challenge DT Post

So, it's a new year and time for a fresh new challenge over at Crafts Galore Encore and this month our kind sponsor is Sparkle N Sprinkle.



I chose to work with Isabelle Hat Lady for my project. I just love her stylish elegance- don't you? 


I gave my card a suitably vintage feel by distressing the lovely floral papers from my stash and adding some  pretty embellishments and ribbon. The sentiment is from a free set that came with Craft Stamper magazine a year or so ago. 

Do pop across and join us if you can. The theme is Anything Goes so a nice easy one to kick start the year.

I hope 2017 is a good one for you all!

Challenges



Lynda
xx

Crafts Galore Encore December Challenge DT Post

I have some exciting news to share. As of now I am a design team member on the Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog!! I have been following the blog and entering challenges on it for a while now, so I was thrilled when Denyse approached me and asked me if I would like to join the team. I have had the pleasure of crafting with her in person at a couple of workshops in Kent , and never realised she managed the blog. Small world!!

So, this is my fist official DT post and I am pleased to showcase my work using images by this month's sponsor Sherri Baldy. I hope you like them and they have inspired you to enter this month's challenge. The theme is Anything Goes, so get creating and share with us here for a chance to win.







The digi I chose for my first creation can be found here. She's such a cutie! I teamed her up with some vintage papers from my stash, a die cut snowflake and a hand made flower.

The Gift

Challenges:

Craftaholics R Us #12 Cards for Girls for Christmas
Craft Rocket #29 Winter Time
Crafting With an Attitude #22 Anything Goes
Moving Along With the Times #34 Anything Goes/Christmas
Through The Purple Haze #114 Winter/Christmas Colours

This sweet little gingerbread girl is hiding here in Sherri's store. I never could resist gingerbread and she worked beautifully with some papers I had from a magazine last Christmas. 

Gingerbread Bestie

Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps #222 Make Your Mark
Crafty Creations #329 Christmas
Creative Moments- Anything Goes
The Crafty Addicts #29 Anything Goes/ Christmas Paper
Sunny Day Crafting #25 Anything Goes




Thanks for stopping by to see my work. I hope you enter the challenge, and if you do good luck!

And I guess it's time to wish you all a merry Christmas too. I'll see you in the new year with my next project for Crafts Galore Encore. Can't wait!

Lynda
xx

Friday 25 November 2016

Exotic Flowers- Julia Spiri New release

It's new release time over at Julia Spiri and I just love this weeks image. She is called Exotic Flowers and you can find her here. This was so much fun to colour and really brightened up an otherwise dreary November day.



Julia has very kindly put a Black Friday offer in place for her too!


We always love to see what yo create with your Julia Spiri digis so why not pop across to her Facebook group too and share your wonderful creations and join in the chat. And don't forget there is also a monthly challenge over on the blog if you enjoy blogging your work. 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:




Thanks for popping by.  Have a great weekend!

Lynda xx


Monday 7 November 2016

Some Festive Sparkle

Like it or not, Christmas is coming to get us and soon. I'm nowhere near prepared for it this year, it's kind of snuck up on me when I wasn't looking, so I am now on a mission to get my butt in gear and start some preparations. Every year I want to treat myself to new decorations, and every year I end up deciding to save my pennies and stick with the old ones, so this year I am going to try to make some. Much nicer than shop bought after all, and cheaper too!

My first hand made decoration is a monolith from Visible Image. I had so much fun making this at the weekend and it almost put me in a festive mood! All stamps on it are also from Visible Image too of course ( I do have a slight addiction to them!) .

I am really pleased with the way it turned out and can't wait to see it really sparkle amid the Christmas lights. 




Challenges



Sunday 6 November 2016

A Very Special Congratulations

I was so thrilled last week to hear the happy news that my beautiful niece Kerri and her fella Mark are, after 7 years together, now officially engaged. It's been long awaited I can tell you, so I am glad Mark has finally popped a ring on her finger, and what a beautiful ring it is too!  They really do make a wonderful couple and I wish them all the happiness in the world for their life together. 

Of course no such occasion can go unmarked with a card, and I just couldn't resist using this gorgeous fairy stencil from Sweet Poppy Stencils. Isn't it just the sweetest image for a young couple? I teamed it with some stamps from Lavinia Stamps to create a pretty scene, and added some stickles and perfect pearls to accent the details.



Challenges:





Working My Fairytale Magic

Nothing beats going back to your childhood and spending some time throwing paint around with your sister and recently I did just that, with my older sister Tina. Tina is a professional photographer ( and a pretty amazing one at that - check out her work on her website here), and every so often she likes to throw a creative challenge my way, making props for her studio shoots. 

She traveled to me a couple of weeks ago, armed with over sized book shaped constructions, put together by her husband, and our mission was to turn them into giant story books for children. We took over my conservatory and set to work!


Tina was working on a pirate story book, and the theme for mine was to be fairy tales. 


Step one was to add some texture to the 'book' , which I did by covering it with tissue paper.


While that dried I cut a castle and lettering from SVG files on my Cameo, and arranged the basic image out  to check I was happy.


The entire book was then covered with white gesso.


 I created some trees hanging over the castle with texture paste and a mask, then I used my fingers to apply acrylic paint , in blues, purples and pinks, and shimmering cream for highlights. When that was dry I sprayed areas with cosmic shimmer spray to really make it magical and shimmery. I painted my castle, cut and stamped pillars and a sweeping driveway, and once I had stuck it to the book I used hot glue to edge around it, creating definition to the turrets, and covered the glue with gilding wax, which  I think it made it look a little like an ice palace don't you?


I defined the tree branches with a grey marker, and added Nuvo Drops as berries. I love this drops, so easy to use and the colours are beautiful!


Every castle needs a hero and a princess of course, and I had the perfect stamps in my stash, made by Visible Image. The brick work stamp I used was also from them ( I have a bit of an obsession and rather a large collection!). In this story my princess is about to be snatched by a dragon, but her heroic beau will not doubt come to the rescue!





I have to admit, I am thrilled with how the finished project turned out and I can't wait to see Tina how works her own magic in her studio with it. There's no rest for me though now my work is done - I went to visit her last week ( where she put me to work making santa hats!!) and she sent me home with another book to work on for her. Can't wait to get started!


Challenges:







Thursday 27 October 2016

Steampunk Heart by Julia Spiri ** NEW RELEASE**

Wosers has Julia pulled some amazing images from her pencil this month!! This weeks new release has a steampunk theme and I just love them!! Go take a look at what the rest of the team have made over on the blog. So much talent and creativity!

For my card I have worked with Steampunk Heart. Isn't she a beauty? Oh, and not only are the actual digi stamps stunning ( you can find them all here), but Julia has created some incredible clip art (here) to compliment them too! I used a variety of the elements to create a backing paper using Craft Artist on the pc, printed the main digi image separately and coloured her with copics before cutting her out. The sentiment stamp is Tim Holtz and the other embellishments from my stash. 



I really hope you enjoy this new collection, and if you do make a purchase don't forget to share your creations with us over on Julia's Facebook group. It's always nice to see what other crafters are making. 

Challenges:


Thanks for stopping by 

Lynda 
xxx

Wednesday 19 October 2016

Colours of The Wind by Visible Image

I've spent so long working primarily with digital images recently that this week I decided that having reduced my digi DT commitments, the time has come to get back to some proper messy play and doing what I love- painting and stamping!

One of my favourite stamp companies is Visible Image and todays card features their stamps. The Visible Image designs are so unique and cutting edge. If you aren't aware of the company do check them out. 

I have become friends with a lovely lady on their Facebook page, and we challenged each other to dig out our gelli plates, and make something arty to swap. I created my backing paper on the gelli with a stencil and paints, in Autumnal colours. Autumn is my favourite time of year and I never need an excuse to play with leaves- even paper ones, so I decided the stamps to use for my swap would be the Colours of the Wind set. I stamped them in versamark all over the paper and heat embossed different colours over them. I also used the leaf stamp that comes with the Christmas Poinsietta set, stamped both on the back ground and on another gelli printed sheet and fussy cut. I also stamped the main leaf again and fussy cut, edging it in gold to make it pop and adding the sentiment across the top. I mounted the main and smaller leaves on foam pads to give it some added depth and dimension. 


I really hope that the lovely Erika likes it. It was great to get back to some good old fashioned ink and paint splodging!

Challenges:


Tuesday 18 October 2016

Potter Head by Saturated Canary

Good evening folks. Stopping by to share I card I made for my Harry Potter loving niece's birthday this week. The image I used is called Potter Head by Saturated Canary, and as soon as I saw it I just had to buy it. Krista has now sadly closed her SC shop, so I am glad I got it when I did!

I had SO much fun making this. The image was perfectly suited to my Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells papers, which I distressed and inked the edges to. I layered them up over some black card that I decorated with a Visible Image grunge flourish stamp and gilding flakes, along with some spider webs, confetti spiders and bats, a die cut bird ( gotta love Tim Holtz dies for the spooky stuff!) and a black feather . The owl in the frame is cut from a G45 sheet and mounted behind a wood decorative frame that I painted and gilded with wax.



I absolutely adore this digi, and can't wait to use it again soon. My youngest daughter has just discovered the joys of Harry Potter and as I type has her nose stuck in the first book, and as it's her birthday soon I think I will have to magic her up a card using it, don't you?

Challenges:



Friday 14 October 2016

Little Carmen by Julia Spiri- Freebie Alert!!

Exciting news today! There is an event running over on the Kit and Clowder Facebook page and as part of the celebration Julia Spiri is sponsoring the fun and offering up this gorgeous free digi  called Little Carmen. Isn't she cute? Perfect for all kinds of celebrations from birthdays to New Year I think so do pop across, grab her and join in the fun. You won't want to miss it!



Perhaps if you do snag her you could enter your creation in the latest challenge over on the challenge blog. We would love to see what you do with her. If you're not into challenges then you could always share on Julia's Facebook Page of course. 

Challenges


Oh I do love kick starting the weekend with some crafty fun don't you?

Have a good one whatever you are up to.

Lynda
xx





Tuesday 11 October 2016

Kitchen Knight by Mo Manning

Today I am sharing a special card made for an equally special young man on his 2nd birthday, my great nephew Toby. Unfortunately I was a bit late sending it, but I'm hoping the fact it is a hand made one of a kind will make up for his great auntie's lack of organisation!

The image is called Kitchen Knight by Mo's Digital Pencil and you can find him here. I love Mo's art- every character seems so full of life, and this is no exception. Just perfect for a very cheeky 2yr old don't you think? 



Challenges



Sunday 9 October 2016

A Sunday Clock Making with Karen Clare

Sometimes you just have to forgo your Sunday morning snooze in favour of a good crafty cause and today was one of those days. The talented Karen Clare was running a clock workshop in Kent, which was the perfect excuse to ditch the housework, husband and kids and trundle round the M25 and catch up with my mum and sister, who also love to craft, over paint, stamps and all things fun. 

Karen's workshops are always so relaxed and she is a great tutor so for me it is well worth the trip when I do join her and her merry band of crafters on the odd occasion. They always make me feel very welcome which is lovely. 

Karen is known for her love of clocks, and today we created a lovely layered clocks. which are made by Samantha K Gifts. They are so cleverly designed, cut from a layer of mdf and 3 layers of acrylic, and help give great dimension and depth to a project. 

When she suggested we plan out our projects I don't mind admitting it put me in a flap. I never ever have a vision of what I am creating, I am more of a lob everything at it and see what happens kinda gal. My plan got as far as me drawing out a circle then I binned it and took my own haphazard approach. It worked out ok though thankfully ( after a few attempts anyway, but the joy of acrylic is if you don't like it you can wash it off!).

While many of the class opted for beautiful warm colours and fairies, after much deliberation I decided I wanted to use some of my stamps by Visible Image on my design so went with a colder,stormy kind of  background to work with the stamps.The first layer was sponged directly onto the mdf base ( after two initial coats of gesso), using soft blues and grey acrylic paint. 


On the second layer, an acrylic plate, I created clouds with a mask, which I outlined with a white Posca pen.



Layer 3 was where it all started to come together. On the back of the acrylic I stenciled raindrops, and added some blue to the bottom to create a puddle. and on the front I stamped my main image and a sentiment. I wont lie, it took a few attempts to get it right as stamping on acrylic appears to be a bit of an art (that I haven't perfected!)  but luckily with some hand sanitizer and a tissue the stazon ink was easily removed so I could persevere until I was happy. 


For the final layer, on the rear of the plate I stamped raindrops, using an Inkylicious raindrop stamp. I coloured them in with a silver Wink of Stella pen to add some sparkle, tying it in with the wording. One of the other class members kindly supplied some vinyl cut numbers for us to add, in return for a small donation to a very worthy cause Lily's Little Legs ( thanks Denyse!) 


I am so pleased with how this turned out once all the layers were put together, and it really is a simple yet effective project. If you want to see what the other ladies created then keep an eye on Karens blog here as I am sure she will be uploading her own post at some point this week. They were all amazing, and all so different,  so well worth a look.

Thank you Karen and all my fellow crafters for a really wonderful day. Hopefully I will see you all again soon.

Lynda
xxx














Wednesday 28 September 2016

Julia Spiri New Release- The Paper Dolls Collection

Do you have fond memories of playing with paper dolls as a kid? If so then the new collection of digis from Julia Spiri is for you. She's come up with a unique set of outfits to go with a cute little paper doll. So much fun to play with! You can find the collection here.

For my DT inspiration I have created a wardrobe card, using a craft knife to cut the doors and layering it on a second sheet cut to size. Luckily I picked up some teeny hangers from the craft fair at Alexandra Palace last weekend, as they fit the bill perfectly for this project! The sentiment n the front is cut from a sizzix die, and the message inside is hand stamped using 
Wake Up Awesome by Visible Image.



The rest of the DT have also made some incredible projects so if you need more inspiration hop across to the blog to take a look. Such a talented group of ladies!

We would love to see your creations as well so don't forget to share with us on Julia's Facebook page too!

Challenges:


Thanks for stopping by 

Lynda 
xxx


Friday 23 September 2016

Cake Glorious Cake- Lili of the Valley

Who likes cake? I know I sure do ( the waistline doesn't though!) and this cake looks amazing! The image is called Cake Glorious Cake and is by Lili of the Valley. You can find it here. I love that they have started to release their gorgeously cute images as digi stamps now as well as in rubber and can't wait to collect some more!



Challenges:



Friday 16 September 2016

Chit Chat Queen- Karleigh Sue New Release

It's new release time over at Karleigh Sue and as always Cheri has penned some great images. I have worked with Chit Chat Queen. You can find her in the store.

She's such a great image for the modern day teen- don't you agree?


Do pop across to the Inspiration Blog to see what the rest of the team have made with the other images. 

Sadly this is my penultimate project for the Karleigh Sue design team as the time has come for me to step down, but I will be back later this month to share my final project with another of the new release images so do pop back.

Thanks for stopping by

xxx


Sunday 11 September 2016

Wanna Get Wild by Karleigh Sue

Today I am sharing a fun card I have made using the sassy Wanna Get Wild by Karleigh Sue. She's was so much fun to play with!

I created the background with distress inks, a harlequin mask, embossing powders and a set of Jester rubber stamps I have had for ages but never used. The sentiment was created on the computer and is courtesy of lyrics by the one and only Robbie Williams of course!


Challenges:


For those of you that are Facebook users do come and join us in the Karleigh Sue Digital Stamps group and share any of your creations there. We love to see them!

Thanks for stopping by 


xxx


Saturday 10 September 2016

Colours of the Wind by Visible Image

Autumn has definitely arrived here in the UK and today has been a very wet and dreary day. However, I absolutely love Autumn and with the rain pouring down outside this afternoon I decided to embrace it by cosying up and crafting. 

To create the background for my card I used distress inks, and a leaf mask from Splodegeaway, lifting some of the colour through it with a baby wipe. Then I stamped over the top and embossed with the leaf stamp from the Colours of the Wind stamp set by Visible Image. I really can't get enough of their stamps- such amazing quality and so unique!  The sentiment was stamped on co ordinating card and die cut, and I distress inked the edges to help the whole thing pop.


I am entering this in the following challenges:


Tuesday 6 September 2016

Crafty Girl- Julia Spiri Freebie Alert!!

It's Julia Spiri's 1 year anniversary and to celebrate she is kindly giving away this gorgeous digi called Crafty Girl over on her Facebook page. Isn't she fabulous?!

To create my card I coloured her in Copics and fussy cut. I created the background using dylusions pains and my spin art machine, stamping over the top with splats from a stamp set by Visible Image. I had some splat buttons in my stash too so they finished it nicely.



As well as fun in the Facebook group there is a challenge over on the challenge blog too so come and play if you can. 

I am entering this in the following challenges:




Julia Spiri Blogiversary!

Wow can you believe it's a whole year since the Julia Spiri Challenge Blog launched? I am so proud to have been on the team all this time and glad to have created this special project to celebrate.

No celebration is complete without sweeties so I opted to make a candy milk carton box with my Hougie Board using one of my favourite images Sweet Girl with Lollipop. The papers are by Becky Higgins as part of the Project Life range. 


I am entering this in the following challenges:


Do pop to the blog and join in the celebratory challenge if you can, and also we'd love you to be part of the celebration on Julia's Facebook page. There's fun in store and maybe even a treat for you so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks for stopping by

Lynda 
xx



Tuesday 30 August 2016

Voodoo Doll and Merry Creepmas- Karleigh Sue Inspiration Post

Today I have not one, but two projects to share using digis by Karleigh Sue. They are both from this months new release, which has a slightly dark edge. You can check them all out and see what the rest of the DT have done with them on the blog here.


My first card uses Voodoo Doll and I have kept it very simple, just mounting her on some pretty black scrapbook card and adding a sentiment stamp from Visible Image. If you're not familiar with their stamps check them out- they are fabulous.


I am entering Voodoo Doll in the following challenges:



Christmas is coming, or rather Creepmas, and my second card uses the lovely Merry Creepmas. I coloured her in monochrome, and added glitter to her furry bits, and then created the backing paper using an embossing folder and black paper. I had intended using gilding polish on the flakes, but when I opened the folder I saw that the white of the paper had popped through the black outer layer and it made it look all sketchy and cool so I stuck with that.

I am entering Merry Creepmas into the following challenges:




I hope that I've inspired you to get creative. Don't forget that if you love Karleigh Sue we have a new Facebook group where you can share your work with the images too. Hope to see you there!


xxx


Friday 19 August 2016

New Baby by Saturated Canary

Just over a week ago we had some very exciting family news. My lovely niece gave birth to her second daughter. I have yet to meet my new great niece, but I did of course send them a very special card to congratulate them. 

I adore this image by Saturated Canary. I love Krista's digis and am so sad that she is closing down her business at the end of the month ( I have of course had a little shopping spree in advance to stock up!). This one is called New Baby and you can find her here.


Challenges:


Thanks for popping by!

Lynda 
xx