Stormy skies....

Hello bloggers!

Whilst cosy indoors yesterday, out of the storm, I made this card which I think gives the impression of stormy skies and swirling wind!  I've used Fiddlehead set, trickling water and raindrops from Designs by Ryn.  I've also used Tim Holtz's umbrella man.  The background is a swirl of lots of blue-toned distress inks.

I'm entering this in the Make it Monday challenge!

Hello and thank you to my new followers, and thank you all for your lovely comments recently, I really do appreciate them! :) xxxxxxx

Ooooh, I'm lovin' this deer die!

Hello lovelies!!

I'm having so much fun playing with my Tim Holtz Christmas stuff at the moment!  I've made another tag using Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight die, Memory box Precious stars and Visible Image's Xmas words background.  I made the background by swooshing the tag through a mixture of Frayed Burlap and Antiqued Bronze distress stains.  Then I stamped the xmas words in gathered twigs distress ink.  The antiqued bronze gives a lovely muted shimmer to the background.  Not sure you can see it on the photo, but I went round the edges of the reindeer with gold wax, messy stuff but it does look good!  I hope you like it, I sure had fun making it! :) xx

I've entered this tag in Visible Image's October challenge.

I'm entering this in the Make it Monday challenge.  Thank you for visiting! xxxxxx

Christmas Tim Holtz style!

Hello crafty peeps!

I was sent an email from YouTube which included a video from Jann Gray (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SJMy10Aaxk&feature=em-subs_digest).  In the film Jann gives a tutorial on how to make this fab Christmas card!  I love the crackle paint in the debossed flourish, mmmm, think I'll be making a few of these to send out this year! :)

Wonder why I'm humming 'the holly and the ivy' to myself now lol!!  I always get excited about Christmas in October, then by the time it arrives I'm fed up with it all!
Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you'll leave me a message!  :) xxxxxx

My first Art Journal page!

Hello lovely bloggers!

Yesterday I made my first 'solo' journal page!  I went on a course run by Dyan Reavely some time ago and was shown how to use the dylusions inks and how to go about creating a page, but I haven't ever got up the confidence to tackle a page by myself.... until yesterday!   I saw a beautiful canvas made by Debbie Freeman, (you can see it on her blog by clicking HERE) and she used a lovely stamp by Donna Downey.  I loved Debbie's canvas so much that I was inspired to order the stamps and decided to be brave and do a journal page with them.  I also used the lovely 'Compound Leaf', Abstract leaf and Raindrop set from Designs by Ryn, Visible Image's great sentiment stamp and Tim Holtz's umbrella man!  Phew!

I do hope you like my first attempt at art journalling,  hubby says it's good because the end product is neatly away in a book and not stuck all over the study walls like my tags!!!  Heathen.....

Thank you for visiting, hope you enjoyed your stay! :) xxxx

Watercolouring is so relaxing.....

Hello again peeps!

I spent a happy hour (or two!) last night watercolouring this card....

I used Neocolor II crayons to colour the flowers, which are from a Stampin' Up set called Fifth Avenue Florals.  The background is my favourite watercolour and salt technique.  I nearly cut the top off this card, but I really liked how the paint had 'bloomed' at the top, so I kept it on!  I hope you like it....

Thanks again to all my visitors and new followers, hugs for you lovely people who leave me comments too! xxxxxx

Feeling Christmassy?!!

Hello lovely people!

It's that time again.... Rhedd and Rosie have a new challenge for you!  ...and this time it's 'Anything goes'!!!
Always a good one to enter, so pop over to www.rheddandrosies.blogspot.co.uk and enter your next project!   Here's my DT make for the challenge....

I used Tim Holtz's stamp and printed my own 'merry christmas' words.
There's a great prize on offer at Rhedd and Rosies',  a fab Xcut corner punch!

I'm entering this tag in the Make it Monday challenge.

Also wanted to say a warm welcome to my latest followers, I really appreciate your support!  I'm also very grateful to all of you who have left me such lovely comments recently, you are very kind! xxxx

Tim Holtz butterflies

Hello peeps!

What disgusting weather we are having here in Kent, just right for staying indoors and crafting!
I've been playing with my TH Papillon set, a TH embossing folder, distress inks and my new gold PanPastel!  Ooo, I like this gold, so much easier to use than the gold wax stuff, I always end up covered in that wax and never get the right amount in the right place...
I've taken several pictures because it's difficult to show the embossing and the gold edging on the photo, hope you can get the general idea anyway!

I'm entering this tag in the Make it Monday challenge.

Thank you for popping by, hope you like what you see!  Enjoy the weekend, hugs. xxxxxx

Autumn leaves in the breeze....

Hello bloggers!

I've got another Autumn card to share with you today.  Just love using PanPastels to make beautiful backgrounds, so easy to blend!  I used some of Ryn's brand new leaves, the tree is from Visible Image, the sentiment is from Inkylicious and the script in the background is from Kaisercraft.

I'm entering this card in both Visible Image's Autumn colours challenge, and PanPastel's Falling leaves challenge.  I'm also entering this in the Make it Monday challenge.

Thank you for popping by!  I really appreciate all the lovely comments you have been leaving me! :) xx

Spiral branch and leafy dragon....

Hello bloggers!

I've used Spiral branch, one of Ryn's new stamps, to make this underwater scene with leafy dragon.  I made a watercolour background and added salt to create the texture.
Have a look at Ryn's fab new stamps at www.designsbyryn.com,  they're beautiful! :)

I'm entering this in the Make it Monday challenge (even though it's Wednesday lol!)
Thank you for visiting my blog! xxx

The London Look at Eileen Godwin's workshop!

Hello bloggers!

Spent a lovely day with Eileen Godwin and many other happy crafty ladies at one of Eileen's workshops yesterday.   Here's one of my cards made using acrylic paint and lots of Tim Holtz stamps....

Great fun to use such bright colours!  Thanks for popping by... xx

Brand new stamp from Designs by Ryn!

Hello bloggers!!

Here's my very first play with one of Ryn's zentangle leaf designs....

and here's a close-up of those beautiful leaves....

I also used Ryn's Luna moth stamp.  The green and blue background is made with dylusion inks, and I made the moth by sprinkling salt onto a pink watercolour base.

If you like this new stamp and Luna, you will find them on Ryn's website:  www.designsbyryn.com ! 

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you can leave me some feedback on these fab stamps! :) xx

Rhedd and Rosie's challenge....

Hello bloggy friends!

It's time for another Rhedd and Rosie challenge.... this time the theme is Shades of Autumn, lovely!
Here's my DT make for the challenge...

I made the background with distress inks and then stamped the yummy 3 leaf set from Designs by Ryn over the top in lots of different colour inks (you can't really see that in the photo though).

The prize this challenge is donated by Rebecca, it's a fab prize so go on and give it a go!!

Pop by the other design team members' blogs, they are listed over to the right of my blog.... the girls have made some outstanding projects for this theme (as always!).
Thank you so much for visiting my blog, hope you enjoyed your visit!  Big hugs too if you have left me a comment! xxxx

Brand new Designs by Ryn!!

Hello bloggers!

So exciting.... I received a large package of Ryn's new stamps yesterday.... so I just had to get playing!
Here I've used the Fiddlehead set in various golden colours against a Panpastel strip on linen card.  It's such a pretty stamp, love it!

I used a gold ink for the larger leaves, you can see the shine a bit better on this photo...

Ryn's new stamps are really beautiful, they will be on her website at the end of the week!  www.designsbyryn.com   I'm entering this card in the Make it Monday challenge.
Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you will leave me a comment if you like what you see....
Big hugs! xxxx

Kaiser craft and Inkylicious....

Hello lovelies!!

I was having a play last weekend, trying desperately to make interesting tag backgrounds like Tim Holtz makes with his distress paints and stains..... well, at first I just made a muddy mess until I realised I wasn't using enough paint!  I've turned one of my trials into a tag... looks quite good now it's stamped up!  The background stamp is from Kaiser craft, and the raised butterfly is one of Inklicious's flutters stamps.

Love this warm colour, it's fired brick, just right to warm me up on this horrid, wet and dreary day!

I'm entering this tag in the Make it Monday challenge.

I hope you all have a fab weekend, thanks for visiting my blog! xxxxxx

Lavinia Stamps challenge time!

Hello bloggers!

Today it's time for another Lavinia Challenge, and this month our theme is 'Autumn colours'.  As always the fabulous prize is £40 to spend on Lavinia stamps, WOW!!
Here's my DT make for this challenge....

I made this card with Lavinia stamps and PanPastels, easy peasy!
Funnily enough, I sent this card to my hubby's Aunt for her birthday which is also today, so it's Happy Birthday Jill!! xxxx

To enter the challenge you must make a card to fit this month's theme using Lavinia's stamps, and have your own blog.  Pop over to the Lavinia website by clicking HERE if you would like to buy some of their fab stamps!
Thanks for visiting my blog! big hugs xxxxxx  I'm entering this card in the Make it Monday challenge.