ABC Challenge

 I am entering this card for the ABC Toys and Crafts Challenge Inspiration http://abcdesignblog.blogspot.com/.  This is the picture that is to be used as inspiration,  I have picked up on the use of pink and red, a colour combo I love, and the gingham.  I have used silk to cover the Maya Road Envelope.

Bye for now,

Colette x.

I came 2nd!

Hi all,

Just a quick post to thank the Nicky and her team at http://www.polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ for placing my card second in their design challenge:

All for now,

Colette x.

Plain and Simple

Evening,

I am posting this card I made for this weeks challenge over on Allsorts http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/, the brief being plain and simple.

I love fabric and have a huge stash of scraps from the days when I sewed a lot, I can never throw even the titchiest piece of a beautiful fabric away.  I have decided to use fabric more in my cards so here's a start.  This is one of my more recent fabric purchases and it comes from a designer called Jeanean Morrison, its called Picnic Parade.  I just love the colour combo, its so vibrant.

Hope you like it,

Colette x.

More Halloween crafting.

I love Halloween and Autumn in general.  Its the colours mainly that appeal so when I saw this challenge http://ribbongirls.blogspot.com/2010/09/colour-challenge-1.html I couldn't resist having a go.

It started out as a card and morphed into a little wall hanging.  I mounted the card onto a piece of grungeboard that was part of a bracket book.  I have also used some grungeboard Halloween shapes (the cats and the lantern) which I painted with black metallic paint and the pumpkins come from a Polka Doodles digi kit.  I used some Rock candy crackle paint which ended up curling the paper which I hadn't expected but it adds to the whole shabby look.  I tied on some black and white fibre to create a little hanger.

Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Challenge Entry for Oldie But a Goodie

Morning Everyone,

I spied this challenge on Fleur's blog http://fleurapassionforcraft.blogspot.com/ and decided to enter it with this card.  I made it for my daughters Birthday and it features 'Rose' from the Flower Fairies.  It just sums up my little Charlotte, very tiny and delicate and with the sweetest little nature possible! 

The link is http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.com/

Colette x.

Craft desk is a mess but...

....2 posts in one day! I am on a roll so don't want to stop in case the creative juices stop flowing.  The card has been created for http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-27-fresh-living.html challenge.

The brief was to use green and or the theme of Nature.  I have combined both, I used elements from the 'Sing your Song' stamp set from Elusive Images, Cosmo Cricket papers, 2 M.S. punches (what did we do before they came along!) and a Basic Grey rub-on.

All for now,

Colette x.

Halloween card

I have created this card for the Polka Doodles challenge which is a sketch.  It was originally going to be a Christmas card, the origins of which are still on my desk.  Somehow it managed to become a Halloween card.  The cat is a grungeboard shape and is just the best halloween cat shape ever.  I painted with metallic black paint and then some stickles over the top, which kind of negated the point of using metallic paint but no matter.  I have also used an M.S. punch to create the 'ribbon' which the brief specified was not to be fabric.  The sentiment comes from a download from the http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ website.  Three brads completed the brief, which aren't straight but hopefully they won't hold that against!

Thanks for stopping by,

Colette x.

Holding on to Summer

Although I am more of an Autumn/Winter person I am finding it hard to make the transition to more seasonal cards just yet!  I have been eyeing my Christmas stamp sets but have yet to make a start.

I like to keep a few cards on standby for Birthdays and such so I came up with this.  I love the bright cheerful papers and of course the M.S punch that never seems out of place on a card, I love the sentiment too which comes from a seemingly never ending Cosmo Cricket kit!

Bye for now,

Colette x.

Don't you just love Ikea?

I have been absent from blogging and crafting for a while now.   I have been focusing my attention on something in my life that whilst I don't want to discuss here has been a major hurdle for me.  I feel I am finally coming out the other side and can get back to having fun.  Suffice to say I have overcome a massive and I mean massive fear in my life and I feel truly excited about the future now.  If anyone following this blog has a challenge in their life that they feel is insurmountable I am here to testify that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.  I used to think that was such a corny thing to say but it really works.

Anyway back to the title of my post, I went to my beloved Ikea yesterday and bought amongst other things a set of 3 cork pot stands or whatever they're called.  I decided they would make cute little noticeboards.

I have used a range of Cosmo Cricket, Anna Griffin and BoBunny products plus some handmade grosgrain ribbon flowers and Prima pebbles.

I'll be back with a few other projects later in the week,

Thanks for still following,

Colette x.

Indian Summer card

I love hot pink and orange together, somehow it balances the sticky sweetness I sometimes associate with pink.  I am entering this into this weeks Polka Doodle challenge.  I have used Sticky back canvas to create a transfer using Bo Bunny paper and some Amy Butler paper as a backdrop.  The stamps are Banana Frog 'Hiya Chick'.  I saw Tim Holtz making rosette flowers on his blog the other day using a die cutter.  Well I have yet to own one of these babies (sniff, sniff) so in the meantime I just cut some long strips from a 12 x 12 and concertina folded them.  The smaller the folds the better the effect.  Glue or tape the ends together and push into a rosette shape.  Probably not explained very well but quite easy when you actually do it,

Laters

Colette x.

It's for charity mate!!

I never thought I relied on the internet so much, but a week without was a real eye-opener!  When our laptop did finally get fixed I actually found using it again quite strange.

Anyway I saw this link on a blog I follow http://notesonpaper.blogspot.com/2010/08/sewing-for-good-cause.html and decided it had been too long since I had used my sewing machine and what better way to get back into it than for a good cause.

This is what I came up with

In total I made 12 hats and a few scarves with what I had left.

Colette x.

Design challenge and a new bedroom!

What better way to be creative than to combine a challenge and revive what has become a sad bedroom.  We are planning to sell our house soon, so the obligatory 'lick of paint' started in earnest a few weeks ago.  Our bedroom was the most in need and is still a work in progress but so much better than before.  I went shopping last weekend to my favourite house nik-nak shop.  It occured to me that I could probably make some of the things I was lusting after, so off  I went to buy some blank canvasses.  This is my first one.  It started out as napkin art and developed into something totally different but I have to say I am glad.  It reminded me that I have artistic ability, something I seem to overlook these days with all that life throws at us.  I used some delicious Julia Andrus acrylic paints, some mica sprays, bubblewrap to print with and a gorgeous crafters workshop stencil.  A collage I suppose, it was great fun because I freed myself from being too restrained and just let it happen.  I am entering it into the stampman design challenge 'Anything Goes' http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/ and http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/ 'Canvas' with a prize sponsored by http://www.afth.co.uk/

Thanks for looking

Colette x.

Mojo missing!

I have been really struggling for days now to be creative, I suppose just doing is being creative but I haven't been happy with much of what I have done.  It just wasn't 'me'.  Tonight was the first card or in fact anything that I have made in days that I am happy to share.  I love the colours and feel happy with the end result.  Mind you with the combo of Elusive Images stamps and backing paper and Zva Creative pearls a girl can't go wrong,

Thanks for stopping by,

Colette x.

Summer-Time

I made this card for this week challenge at polkadoodles, the theme is Summer.  I love nautical colours in everything and have been wanting a reason to use these paper straws that I bought for my sons birthday.  They are so retro and I had loads left over.  I squashed and rolled them to make the lollypops/flowers and tied two together for the side of the card.  The stamp is from the Daisy Doodles stamp plate from Polka Doodles.  Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Better late than never!

I can't believe the first week of the school holidays has gone.  I love having the kids at home, mornings are much more relaxed!  I am really going to make the most of this Summer because my son James goes to nursery this September and I really see him growing up.  I would like to keep them babies forever, I think!  Anyway back to crafting.  My start of point for this card came from a design challenge on the http://klstampinnscrappin.blogspot.com/ .  I ran out of time to submit my design but I liked the sketch.  I really wish I could get better at taking photographs!

Thanks for looking,

Colette.

Tags

I love the idea of making tags for gift bags that can double as a card, here are 2 that I made.  The first using mesh ribbon which I twisted to make a flower, the second uses gold leaf on and an image from a cd  on acetate and a little glimmer chip and a white rub-on.

Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

 

A little framed mirror

Hello there,

I made this possibly to put in my daughters room, its not a very practical mirror but then she is only 4, its more for decorative purposes.  I just love the colours of the Amy butler papers which I tore and patched together onto a cardboard base with Modge Podge and then sealed with another coat.  The little bit of bling is of course courtesy of  Zva Creative and some faux stitching from an Elusive Images stamp.  The butterfly is a Glimmer chip as is the little bird which I glittered on the sticky side with Martha Stewart glitter in Limeade (just love the names of all the colours).  The velvet ric-rac completes it.  I am submitting this to the design challenge http://www.polkadoodle.blogspot.com/, this weeks challenge is 'Decorative Item' and http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/ 'Things with Wings'.

Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Miss Evie

I am loving Miss Evie, I can think of so many different looks she could have, I just think she looks really funky.  I decided to break out the glitter for this card.  I just wish I had cut her like a die cut with a white border as her little arms and the flower were a bit tricky but once you've started you have to keep going!

Thanks for looking, enjoy your day,

Colette x.

Having a play

I have been busy but waiting on a camera to arrive, up to now I have been using my camcorder which doesn't take the best photographs.  I am still getting used to the new camera so forgive the still not great photographs.

I have been getting back to stamping and embossing which is what drew me to papercrafts in the first place.  I have been 'experimenting' with Maya Road chipboard hearts that I have had lurking around for ages, they are a work in progress!  I have used the Butterfly Daisy Collage stamp set from Elusive Images http://www.graphicus.co.uk/pages/default.aspx and a Joanna Sheen 'Wild Rose' stamp http://www.joannasheen.com/ on the card and the chipboard hearts.

I also am very proud of the cardboard 3d letter that I covered with Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas which I put through my printer.  The polka dot design comes from 'Colour Burst of Fanciful things' cd rom http://www.kirstywiseman.com/. I used my beloved Zva Creative pearl swirls to finish it off.  It will go in my daughter Charlottes room, I now have to get to work on one for my son James which he informs me must be green!

That all for now, thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Customised tin.

Following on from the theme over on http://bananafrog.typepad.com/.  My guilty secret (instant mashed potato tin!) customised with really bright scrapbook paper and a border made using a Martha Stewart punch!

'Get Shabby' design challenge

This is my entry for the 'Get Shabby' design challenge over on http://klstampinnscrappin.blogspot.com/.  The theme really appealed to me, I hope you like what I've come up with.  I've use a vintage style photograph which I aged with some Distress inks and clear crackle glaze,  I covered a little chipboard frame with Tattered Rose crackle paint and the paper is from Anna Griffin (not current), I gathered some lace into a rosette and inked and tore the edges of a 5'' x 5'' card. A little clear gem and a pearl trinket pin completed the card.  I really loved making it.

Thanks for looking

Colette x.

Thank-you/Teachers card

I have been feeling really under the weather lately so my ability to do really detailed cards just isn't there, so I have been keeping things really simple .  I made this for my daughters teacher, I love using acetate for cards, it really makes the detail stand out.  Bo Bunny Petal Pushers combo stickers and some Japanese masking tape were used http://www.papermash.co.uk/

Thanks for stopping by,

Colette x.

Touch of Creation: Blogoversary Candy!!!!#links

Touch of Creation: Blogoversary Candy!!!!#links

Blog candy link

Check out this for the blog for the chance to win some truly covetable craft stash pinkpuds.blogspot.com and

Colette x.

Paper flower card

I am quite into making these paper flowers at the moment.  If  i'm honest I like instant gratification when I am making things.  They are just 3 circles (use punches or just draw around 3 objects of different sizes) and scrunch up.  The more you scrunch the better as you get that really shabby chic look.  Then just pierce the centre and use a brad to decorate.

I used paper, stamp (don't remember which collection it's from) all from graphicus.co.uk., I used other little bits like the velvet ric-rac and a crystal trinket pin (which didn't come through well in the photo) from my stash.  The flower was inked around the edges and sprayed with some Tattered Angels glimmer spray.

Very simple but effective little card to make,

Thanks for looking

Colette x.

Squiggle Stamp challenge and a new blog!

Welcome to my blog, this is a new thing for me so I am still finding my feet.  To start my blog I have included a card made for the ''Birthday Best'' design challenge over on the Squiggle Stamps blog.  I used the "Daisy with Balloon" digi stamp, some Bo Bunny backing paper and Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas with a polka dot print from a Polka Doodles download and of course some bazzill cardstock. 

I hope you like it and thanks for looking,

Colette x.