Anything Goes at ATSM

Evening all.

I'm back with a card for the latest challenge over at ATSM.

This week its -

ANYTHING GOES

Absolutely anything at all, let your hair down, try something different or not, just as the fancy takes you.

Here is my card.

My son's best friend has just got himself a new house with his girlfriend, so I thought I would make a card for Ben and Holly to celebrate. Using the sketch from this week's LIM challenge and the picture at Time Out as inspiration this is how I went about it.

On some scrap white card I stamped the cluster of houses from STAMPlorations and coloured them with Copics before fussy cutting them out. Placing them on a circle of card to match the base I thought they needed grounding so added some sky and ground before attaching the circle over a die cut lattice panel and stamping the greeting.

For more inspiration , check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at-

Masculine Tag

Good morning.

The last day of February and I can't believe its come around so quickly! Tomorrow is the meteorological first day of spring. Well here the blackthorn is out, the lambs are in the field and the early daffs are in bud, but more of that later.

Today sees the start of a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. Today we would like to see your projects on the theme of -

TAG IT

So, anything with a tag on or just a tag. I went with the simple tag.

a

I took my inspiration from the latest challenge at Tag You're It, but made it masculine by using cogs and gears instead of flowers.

The cog stamps I got from Port Sunlight a couple of years ago and are by Crafty Roo Designs.

The gear die cuts are a set by X-Cut cut from scraps of gold and kraft and some split pins. The black edge was cut using a Avery Elle die and attached to the bottom of my Poppy Stamps tag die. A simple stamped sentiment from STAMPlorations and some butchers twine with added Copic colouring complete.

Please check out the rest of the DT here for some fabulous inspiration and join in.

I'm joining in over at -

My gears connect to each other!

Creations for Males

PS On the subject of the track, we still have a stream running down it and now also around the edges. More stone has been added to raise the level again and in doing so the contactors caused us some problems on Sunday as some visitors were unable to travel down, Al had to let them in the back way. We were not informed that there would be a blockage so could not warn our visitors, just typical! One more thing to add to the ever lengthening list of complaints!

As I mention above the lambs are arriving rapidly now. Here is a photo I took of our first set of twins that arrived early last week.

Mum was very wary and I had to keep my distance, she was the second to lamb here before the rest of the flock went up to the lambing pens. We had our first set of returning ewes with their lambs yesterday but too late for a pic!

Big Hugs for you

Morning all.

I managed a trip to the garden center in the warm springlike temperatures yesterday but didn't hang around as it was half term and busy with Nannies and Grandpas entertaining grandchildren! There was also a couple of coach loads of OAPs on some sort of tour. There I go, OAPs indeed, that's me according to the Teachers Pension people who have recently contacted me to inform me that I am entitled to a pension, pittance though it may be! Appears that teacher's can claim as before and not follow the rules for the new state pension!

However, they don't make life easy to claim it as the web site is a nightmare. Even my computer savvy daughter agreed it was poor. I was talking to a very nice young man who was talking me through it but we got cut off and well then I was left to my own devices. 

Onto cheerier topics, our first lambs arrived earlier than expected. The flock was due to be taken to the lambing sheds last week but there was no transport available until today. Yesterday morning I saw a ewe who looked to be in labour up against the fence as I walked the dog. I let my hubby know and off he went to investigate only to find a pair of very wee lambs gamboling in the field. The ewe I had seen was not the mother! Anyway all is well with those two. let's hope no more arrive before they are taken home!

Over at Cardz4Guyz it's time for a new challenge. This week it is -

UNDER WATER

I wasn't sure I had anything in my stash to go with this topic but after flicking through some images from a mag I came across this image of a cat in a rather deep puddle!

He is rather more under than above the water in this picture!

After printing out the image I coloured him with Copics and fussy cut him before gluing him over an aperture in a piece of linen card. The background is a circle of card inked up with DI and splattered with water fo create the texture. Gluing the circle to my base card I popped the sinking puddy tat top panel up on pads. The sentiment is from STAMPlorations and I thought went rather well with the image.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here and why not join in?

I'm joining in over at -

     

PS   On the matter of the track, we don't appear to have made any progress despite our meeting with the contractor's representatives. Basically we were told that an agreement had been reached with the landowner and sucks boo to us. Our access is owned by the neighbouring farm and we only have right of way. We do have to maintain it, requiring agreement between the 4 parties or to appoint an experienced surveyor to arbitrate in the event of a disagreement. Not wishing to go down the legal route, we thought we could discuss the problems reasonably but 7 days later the drain has been fractured further up the track and is again running down the new surface, clarting every thing in mud!

Yesterday afternoon an empty wagon got stuck returning up the drive, resulting in even more hardcore being added but no attempt to cure the real problem.

Having pointed out to the contractor the basic problem, offered a solution and pointed out the fact that they are no longer keeping to the original track but have encroached onto our land, cutting away the verge, and as a result damaging the drain, they don't seem to want to do anything about it.  We shall wait to see what happens next.

CASEing Therese

Good morning folks.

It's been a busy week in the old craft room and this isn't the last post of it!

Today see's the start of a new theme over at the Alphabet Challenge.

Today and the next 13 days our theme is -

Y is for - YOU CHOOSE!

Free rein then for you to enter what ever YOU want!

Here is my choice.

I wanted to have a go at Caseing the inspiration from Therese Calvird over at the Flower Challenge.

I've done one using the same layout here but not with a flower. This one also uses the colours from the latest challenge at The Paper Players, although the only suitable grey card I had has a sheen to it. 

The die I used here is a Memory Box die, English Rose Corner . The technique is the same as my heart card here but I used a larger piece of ink blended paper so that the edge pokes out from under the top panel. The Happy Birthday was a die cut which I covered with Versamark ink and embossed with copper EP. I needed a couple of goes to ensure that the white card was totally covered and the embossing even. A few dots of Glossy Accents coloured with Copic to match the backing paper completed the look.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

     

 

                                                 inlaid die cutting

Gorjuss

Good morning.

It's time for another challenge over at Cardz4Galz. Or theme this time is -

CARDS FOR TEENZ

I was struggling with what to do for this challenge as it's not a theme that I make very often but then I remembered some Gorjuss images I stamped when my friend Di popped by for a crafty day.

I used the sketch at Sketch Saturday for the layout and a panel of NitWits paper for the colours.

Regular readers will know that I'm pretty much a clean and simple sort of gal, so I didn't add too much in the way of embellishments but I did incorporate a strip of ribbon as the horizontal in the sketch. I have an extensive stash of ribbon and a smaller one of lace but it doesn't get reduced much as I only ever use little bits, if at all, but for a girlie card and in the correct place this ribbon (over lace) fits the bill!

After colouring her in with Copics, I fussy cut and placed her on the ribbon above an embossed panel of white card, a panel with the sentiment was attached to the side of that.

For more Teenz inspiration, check out the rest of the team.

I'd like to join in over at -

Ribbon or Lace

CAS Mix up, Guest Designer

Good evening everyone.
This is a scheduled post 'cos I'm out having fun with like minded ladies at my craft class.
Love to get together for a bit of light hearted banter and an hour or so of crafty delight!
A fortnight ago I was in the same position and today sees me back with a reminder for you for the CAS Mix Up Challenge that I'm GDing on this month. Thanks for asking Bonnie, Loll and the rest of the girls.
 Anyway here is my card to remind you that you have just over a week to get your corrugated card projects linked up

This time I took the colours from this month's challenge at Altenew, using their gorgeous 'Remember This' set. I stamped a large bloom, a couple of buds and some leaf outlines and embossed with white EP. I then coloured them with my Zigs and fussy cut them out.
I took some cardboard from a packing box and ripped a corner off, also removing most of the top layer of paper to reveal the corrugations. Last time I left the corrugated card it's usual brown colour but this time I painted it with white acrylic and when dry added some platinum Inka Gold wax with my finger. On a die cut white card panel I glued the painted card in the bottom left corner, then grouped the fussy cut flowers and stuck them down. From a scrap of matching card I cut the always (STAMPlorqations) and also one from some funky foam, although I cut away the a so it would lie flat over the c. card.
Using my Misti, I positioned the always where I wanted it to be and placed the & Forever stamps (STAMPlorations). Removing the always, I stamped and embossed the words in silver before placing the always back and gluing it in place.
The finished panel was then attached to my base card.


My choice was Inka Gold Wax, Heat Embossing, Watercolour and die cut

Please check out the wonderful artwork from the CAS Mix Up team here and join in.

I'd like to join in over at -

Hearts and/ Flowers

Rain or Shine

Evening all.
Its time for another challenge over at ATSM. This week is -

CLEAN and SIMPLE

So minimum embellishments, layers and lots of 'white' space.
Here is my card using HLS stamp set 'Rainy Days'

I started by stamping and heat embossing the cloud, sun and raindrops with white EP on a piece of mixed media paper. After washing in some colour using my Zigs and a water brush. I stamped the sentiment in black and embossed it with clear EP.

Simples!

The starting point was the latest challenge over at Less is More, where the challenge theme is OL, 'Opposites Attract'. Hope this fits the bill!

Over on the  ATSM blog there are lots more of CAS inspiration from the wonderful DT, check it out.

I'm joining in over at -

Masculine Anniversary Card

Morning all.

The weather was positively spring like with all the sunshine streaming in through the windows, showing up all that dust, but the wind chill was something else. A hat and a pair of warm gloves were the order of the day when I took Max out. It's looking a little better wind wise today and the thermometer is set to rise into double figures tomorrow, fingers crossed.

The saga of the track continues. On Saturday when I walked Max up the drive there was an enormous lake in the dip on the lane, so much so that Max had to tiptoe around the edge. My husband had a word with the surveyor acting for Railtrak  and they are come to see us yesterday so that they could hear our thoughts. Anyway, whatever Al said must have encouraged the site manager to do something because by the time I went out in the afternoon the lake had gone but they had not fixed the drain but bulldozed a good 6"of road planings over so the lake was buried! 

The guys who came yesterday didn't seem to be aware of the problems other than what we told them so they went with Al for a walk an were a little sheepish about the encroachment onto our land by the wagons. Watch this space!

OK, over at Cardz4Guyz its time for a brand new challenge and its my choice -

NO PATTERED PAPER

Here is my card.

I'd seen a card a while ago on Pinterest, using cut out numbers but for a birthday. I really thought it a great idea so this is my CASE of it. In the original the hilighted numbers were pink but as it was for a fella, silver sparkle was much more suitable. You could change the colour and the numbers to suit.

I die cut a selection of tumbling numbers with MFT's little numbers then fit a snippet of glitter card behind the 25 before popping the top panel over a black base card on pads. The sentiment was free with a mag a couple of months back, which I embossed with white EP. I replaced the fiddly bits cut from the number centers and that was it.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

Anything Goes

CUTplorations Clustered Hearts

Hello again.

The saga of the lane to our house continues. The post man struggled down this morning as did the Parcelforce guy who said he partially grounded his van on the way down despite a shed load of granite rocks being laid yesterday by the engineering crew. The heavy wagons have again displaced the stone and formed a central ridge which is quite high for a standard van or car clearance. My husband is talking to the surveyor involved this afternoon, as the site manager was a little aggressive when he went to complain on Monday, so hopefully something will be done sooner rather than later. 

OK back to the happier side of life and some more Valentine's inspiration. 

This time it's for the brand new challenge over at HLS Anything Goes with Dies.

If you saw my earlier tag you will recognise the clustered heart die from STAMPlorations. This time I cut 5 of the same but cut the smaller hearts off 2 and arranged all of them onto a panel of Spritzed Zigs and Brusho. I used a magenta, hot pink Zig markers and a sprinkling of crimson Brusho to get the colour which I then spritzed with water to blend. Over at Less is More they are celebrating their 6th Birthday and would like to see 3 adjacent colours on the wheel, so for my background I used the top left 3.

After gluing the hearts down I decided I wanted to add some dimension by adding some infill hearts both flat and raised on pads. I cut these from some scrap to which I made using the same technique and colours as the panel. I finished off the design by stamping and embossing in gold the 'Love You'.

For more die cut inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

            

Just the picture for me

    

                                                        Hearts

Clean and Simple, using the heart shaped choccies as inspiration for my popped up hearts

You and Me Always

Good morning folks.

After a couple of really crisp winter days we are back to grey and miserable, as well as windy. I suppose we are never satisfied and life would be boring if the weather was too predictable!

Anyway the saga of the track continues a pace. The heavy wagons on Friday managed to smash a field drain that was originally a good 12" under the verge on the side of the track. The result, a beautifully clear stream of water running down the edge of the track washing soil down to create a further mess at the bottom in the dip. The contractors have put down some granite lumps to fill in the dip higher up but the stream was still running mid afternoon yesterday. So much for them saying they would sort it at the weekend! Railtrack get your act together please! 

The wagons continue to use the lane and erode the edges so I'm sure that more of the drain will be smashed before it gets sorted! It had lasted a good many years before Railtrack came.

Sorry, rant over and back to happier things. Love is in the air over at Cardz4Guyz where this 

weeks theme is -

LOVE YOU

Here is my card based on one by the fabulous Therese Calvird for the Flower Challenge.

The scribbled heart die is from a Tim Holtz set by Sizzix which I cut from the top panel of my card. I then cut it again from some red funky foam and from a rectangle of white just a little smaller than the top panel. The background is a watercolour, Brusho and Inka Gold Platinum spritz experiment that has been sitting in my tray waiting for just this moment.

To assemble, I glued the red heart and white foam panel over the w/c panel and then glued the top panel complete with card heart onto the foam and then onto the base card.

The 'amazing' die is a new one from STAMPlorations and I love it so you will be seeing a lot of it, cut from a panel of shaded card made with a selection of red Copic markers blended together and the hearts were some of the same experimental panel. As with the heart I popped the 'always' up on some funky foam before gluing flat on the panel.

For more masculine Valentine inspiration please check out the rest of the DT here.

There are lots of Valentine/heart challenges around at the moment, all playing their part in influencing this card so I'd like to join in over at -

     

Inspired by the words

'Friends are connected heart to heart, distance and time can't break them apart'

Heart was the link word to my card and my hubby is my best friend!

    

      Ch. #124- Love

February Craft Stamper, my card published

Morning all.

I wish we could have a few more crisp wintry days, all this grey dank weather is rather depressing.

As I mentioned before, the lane down to our house is being used by contractors building an access way for Railtrack to repair the embankment on the railway. The heavy wagons bringing hardcore for the access road are churning up the sides of the lane and all this rain is washing it down onto the lane itself, this accumulates until the next heavy truck squelches through cutting further into the soft ground. I hope they will be doing something about it soon or someone will slide off!

Rant over.

Today sees the start of a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Galz. This time it is the theme of

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Here is my card, which some of you may recognize as appearing in the February edition of Craft Stamper. I have to say that although the mag took their own photo for the edition, I think mine is better as the raised Love shows up more!

Again I've used the Altenew Painted Flowers for this camouflage technique card.

Using the colours (Purple, soft pink,cream and mink) for the Ready Set Stamp February Art Call, 

I stamped a bouquet of flower outlines on a die cut panel of cream linen card in Seedless Preserve DI then filled in the centres with 2nd generation Picked Raspberry and Pumice Stone. I laid the Avery Elle 'Love' die over the middle and cut, having previously cut one from a piece of Funky Foam.

The stamped panel, minus LOVE was glued flat onto the base card and the foam LOVE glued into the space left by the die cut. The flowery die cut was then glued over the foam one. YOU from a STAMPlorations set, Bold Blooms, was stamped in Seedless Preserve to complete.

For more fab LOVE inspiration, check out the rest of the girls here and then why not join in?

CASing my card

Evening peeps.

Not my usual time for posting as I'm currently at my craft class having a fab time with some lovely ladies but it is a special occasion. Some of my regular readers may remember I won the December challenge over at CAS Mix Up with this card. As a result Bonnie and Loll asked if I would be their guest for the February challenge. Here is my card

using this months theme

For my card I decided to CASe a card I made almost a year ago, here.

I cut a frame from a piece of corrugated cardboard, then stripped the front paper covering off to reveal the corrugations. To add a touch of glitz, I added some Inka Gold wax (my choice) in gold to the edges and lightly rubbed some over the ripples with my finger.

The flowers are my favourite Painted Flowers by Altenew, just love the arty feel of these blooms, which I recycled from a project that never saw the light of day because I splodged some paint on part of the panel and couldn't rescue it!

I stamped and embossed the outlines before embossing in glittery black EP (my choice), this allowed me to watercolour (my choice) the blooms with some DI in Picked Raspberry and Peeled Paint. The darker shading was added once the first wash was touch dry. You could of course use the other stamps in the set to stamp the petals and shading.

Before adding flowers and frame to the base, I diluted some more of the Inka Gold with water and splattered it across the bottom right of the base card and finished off with a gold embossed sentiment on a banner.

That's about it from me, but please check out the rest of the team for some fabulous inspiration.

I'm joining in over at

Favourite Flowers