Grunge it up...

Go grungy and decorate anything using the Tim holts distressing inks 

Heres a few items I've 'grunged' up with a matching pattern on them, using Tim holts distressing inks, gold flake, bleach and a black ink pad.

On the small pine chest I first covered the chest with tissue paper pasted on with watered down pva glue. I left this to dry completly then grunged it up with a fired brick and dusty concord coloured ink pads. Then I dibbled bleach over some of the ink to lighten areas, you need to only a tiny amount to do this. I added some gold flake and then stamped up with a roman clock pattern and a small dandylion stamp

This tinket box is made using the same techinque as the chest , I have added a few gems a flower and a butterfly. The base box is recycled card and the plain

boxes can be found in loads of different shapes at most craft shops for a few pounds, this one cost me 99p!!

Below is a matching birthday card which would complement the set nicely if I planned on giving the set as a gift...

I like to make a range of cards and projects and think sometimes its good to leave your 'comfort zone' from time to time, so I plan to start adding a few new ideas in the future. hope you like these.

 Please feel free to leave comments and follow my blog 

Tim holts distressing inks can be found on the J and C Creations website

In the Garden

Penny Black Challenge

Here's a card I made for the penny black Challenge using the 'In the garden' Stamp Set. This stamp set can be found on the J and C creations website with many other fabulous penny black Stamps to choose from. I stamped the cat image and added the foliage and butterfly after. It was coloured in with pro markers, then mounted in a fancy floral oval spellbinder shape which has been cut from white card.The centre edge has been dusted with a blue Tim holts distressing ink pad 'faded jeans' and the outside edge with a green 'peeled paint' distressing ink pad and the blue one again. I love distressing inks and use them all the time.

I enhanced the edge of the oval on the spellbinder shape with some glitter glue which gave it a real sparkle. I added some decoupaged flowers using a small flower stamp and some butterflies made from silver mirror card and peel off stickers, and hey presto, the topper is complete.

 I have cut some blue pearlised card and run it though the cuttlebug in an embossing folder and cut as corners. The corner flowers are peel-off sticker flowers mounted on acetate and then cut out. each one has a gold brad through the centre.  Add all this to some pretty paper and then matt and layered onto some more patterned card and mounted onto a black 14 x14cm blank cream card and the card is finished. Don't forget to add a sentiment.

 Penny Black do a huge range of stamps and you will find a great selection on theirs and J and C Creations website xx 

SPELLBINDERS 'Chateau Window' Die cards

Here are a couple of cards I made for J & C Creations last month, I have included all the instructions, tips and components to help create a simalar look  

The first is a window card made using spellbinders Chateau Gate (window)  dies, if you look in you will see a fireside view. The other is of a chatuea using the same die but as a single this time and using the matching stamps from Heartfelt creations . 2 totally different cards made from the same die hope you like them

WINTER LODGE CARD

you will need

5 x 7 card blank

black and white card

gold and silver mirror card

Stampendous halo Glitter- Gold

Stampendous Embossing Enamels Aged rose,Aged Aqua and Aged Ivory

Stampendous Colour Fragments - Taupe

Clear embossing powder

HCPC3447 Window Accents Stamp Set

Heartfelt Creations/spellbinders chateau window and leaf die

Versamark ink pad

clear Acetate 3'' x 4''

2 small flower punches

red and clear small gems

 

 

First Cut 2 frames from the spellbinders windows die in gold card and remove doors stick together to make large window and cut acetate to fit inside frame . cut a piece of black card 4.5'' x 6'' and stamp down the card with the wood grain stamp with versamark then sprinkle with Stampendous embossing enamal aged Ivory, melt from underneath than dab versamark pad over all the card and dip in clear embossing powder melt and sprinkle with taupe colour fragments. cut aperture in centre of card 2.2' x 3'' and fit window frame over . Punch some medium flower shapes from white card and stamp with versamark then sprinkle and melt aged Aqua and Aged Rose on them , 4 of each colour. use a slightly smaller flower shape for the center, dip these in clear embossing powder and melt. while the powder is molten sprinkle with gold halo glitter, keeping fingers out the way as it gets really hot! after its cooled build the eight flowers, and add a red gem in the centre of each. put a stamp image on inside of window I did a fireplace scene using heartfelt creations window accents stamps and promarkers Matt and layer onto gold and black card and mount on 5 x 7 blank decorated corners with flowers and add silver leaves to accent. add a clear gem to undecorated corners of window frame

CHATEAU WINDOW CARD

you will need

Black and white card
Spellbinders chateau gate die
Vintage UT Embossing Crystals – Tarnished Silver (black,silver)
Heartfelt window accents stamp set
brown ink pad
memento ink pad
versamark ink pad
Martha stewart bangle punch
bird stamp
paper roses
ribbon
peel off butterflies

First Cut out your spellbinders window die in black card, stamp with versamark and then coat with Vintage embossing crystals Tarnished silver. Melt with heat gun and leave to cool. Take some white card and stamp and colour bird image. Ink up some more white card with your brown ink pad and stamp on the wood grain and doors in black, cut out rectangle 3'' x 3.5'' place bird image onto it and place window frame over top than cut out doors and cover outside of window flaps. matt onto some black card. take a piece of patterned paper and matt and layer onto black card add a piece of ribbon and the punched bangle strip to it, add paper roses. matt and layer onto more card and add butterflies and a sentiment. The butterflies were made by sticking peel-offs onto acetate and cuting out and adding a few gems.

All items highlighted can be found on the J & C Creations website

Fancy Fun Floral Ovals...

 Morning Crafters and what a glorious morning it is, the sun is beaming in and the weather man has promised us 27 degrees by lunchtime. If I'm going to do any work today best get upstairs before the heatwave hits, as my little loft can get rather hot during the summer season ( and its only May!!)

Mr Postie came yesterday bearing gifts for evil-bay thanks to iconuk.crafts for my Nestabilities Spellbinders  Floral Oval die set , a bargain at £15.49 including p&p. have been enjoying myself playing with them and creating some lovely cards.  Here are a few I thought you might enjoy seeing. The stamp was from Elizabeth Bell and the range is called 'Bells and Whistles' and was purchased from my friends at J and C Creations you can also find the moccoran motif spellbinders on their website too, which is what was used as a base for the sentiment . The image I coloured in with pro-markers, I then used the 'regal' M-bossibilities board again from spellbinders for the backing sheet, this was cut into 4 and matt and layered before placing on the main blank card. I added some paper flowers and finished with some pastal candy dots. A sweet little card for a childs birthday.

The beauty of stamping and 'colouring in' is the varity of different cards available to you to make, heres a blue version I did after by finishing the yellow and peach one above. By changing the backing paper and arrangment, you have a new and different card to share. All the elements are the same as the yellow card but I have added some fancy swirls under the sentiment this time. I love to stamp but dont always get the time and so have really enjoyed making these cards. I think I will have to send a few hours on this sort of thing more as I find its so therapeutic and calming to do in these hectic days we create for oursleves . It's good to take 'some chill' time once in a while...

Here are a couple of cards using the fancy floral Ovals again but this time with some Hunky Dory card stock, the Sentiment is from 'Clarity Stamps' and is by G Ghandi and is lovely, it reads

' If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden'

The floral Oval shapes were cut out of some Hunky Dory card stock I recieved free with one of their magazines and I bought a 2 sheet pack of their beautiful butterflies from Biggin Hill paper show last week. The corner punch is from Martha Stewart and you will see a lot of that punch in my cards as it is one of my faverites to use

This card below has been created using the new spellbinders 'cut and tuck' range of dies, this one is called floral burst  and as the website says 'the new Spellbinders Shapeabilities Cut • Fold • Tuck die templates creates intricate geometric designs in a single pass.' They are rather spendid, its a shame the photo below isn't clearer as they make a fabulous card . The butterflies are a nice touch and are  from Hunky Dory and the floral Oval is behind the main flower again cut out of cream card, apoligies again for photo quality the backing paper, is just some plain white run though the  'fancy hearts' M-bossibilities folder. Simple buy classic. I choose to make mine a Golden wedding Anniversary card but simply change the gold to silver and you can celebrate a 25th just as easily 

I hope you like these cards and they help to inspire you in some way to creating your own works of 'art'

if you like what you see, why not leave a comment or follow me

everyones welcome..xx

twinkle twinkle...

Well what a lovely weekend just gone, had a fabulous time at the Biggin Hill paper show, met the girls from J and C Creations and had a chat and found some wonderful products on sale there . Made a few purchases as you do and Spent far too much money during the day but hay ho he can't take it with him, (he he.) and with so much to choose from , glitters, new spellbinder dies and more stamps than you can shake a stick at , its a must-do day out.  If you get the chance to go next year, check out the tea and cake stall as their carrot cake is to die for!! we always get some as its hubbies reward for carrying the bags and credit card . I have offered to leave him in the 'husband Creche' but he insists on coming round with me

 Anyway must tell you about a product I found called Dream weaver Embossing Paste, you mask down your stencils and then smooth this over then just add glitter and what fantasic results

you can use it with your plastic masks just make sure you have it masked down well and dont over work it or there is a danger of pushing the paste under the mask. It needs an hour to dry hard but is touch dry in 20 minutes so make sure you keep on top of cleaning your stencils , soapy water does the job nicely then dry well for the next project, I have had a small selection of metal stencils for a few years now that I have never really played with but yesterday they made a comeback to my crafting table and have earnt their keep so to speak. have also made a further purchase with Sweet poppy.co.uk and have ordered the christmas village and christmas baubles for the holidays at the end of the year so keep an eye out for them

Fathers day is only a month away so I will be beavering away upstairs on some cards to sell at the local fayres .  Have a lovely little bulldog stamp I will be playing with today, watch out for the up and coming cards from that and also some beautiful poppy stamps as many of my friends are British legion members I expect that they will prove to be very popular.

Fishy Friday

Morning Crafters
well the Competiton on jandccreations.blog is in full swing, looking forward to seeing all the great entries. You will find my inspiration, FISHY FRIDAY along with my fellow team designers there check it out. There is a £20 gift voucher up for grabs so dont forget to enter

If you would like to know how to make this and what I used you will find all the instructions and products over at jandccreations.blogspot.co.uk

Roll on tomorrow when the Biggin Hill Papercraft Show in Surrey kicks off, you will find me there bright and early spending all my/his hard earned cash on more fabulous crafty stuff . If the weathers nice husband and I plan to ride down on our motorcycles, do a spot of crafty shopping (he'll be carrying the bags ha ha!!) and chatting of course. Dont forget to look out for J and C Creations Stand where you will find loads of good products and inky/stampy stuff to choose from, as well as some of my sample cards. 

Yesterday was spent like most other days entirely in the loft/craftroom, can honestly say I've spent as many hours up there as Anne Frank! Got loads done, new cards for an up and coming show in Losely Park ,Guildford next month , the cobblers assistant has been busy making baby shoes and  I even got a chance to have a tidy up!! It's amazing what you can find when you do a little house work.  heres some baby pumps  I made yesterday they are a great seller at the fayres and are reasonably easy to assemble, you can find the template for them on the My Craft Studio Encylpedia Cd volume 4. The label on the top was made using spellbinders picot edge circle die and some shalloped mirror card shapes.

So cute...

Flutterbies

Good Afternoon Crafters

 At last the sun has finally come out and the skies are blue again, the postman arrived bright and early at 10am today which is really early for him and there was a small packet on the doorstep ready to be investigated. It was my newest butterfly die from marianne designs and I have got stuck in with it already. It's larger than I expected around 4'' to 5'' wide and cuts beautifully, the paper is easy to release from it, even tho it is so filligree. here are a few cards I did this afternoon along with one of the older Marianne Butterfly dies,  hope you like them.  

The background to this card is some ordinary pink card around 250gsm embossed in an leafy embossing folder though the cuttlebug and then dusted with a pink mirca powder,  The picture doesn't show the wonderful shimmer it has. The backing toppers are from the spellbinders collection of dies moroccon motifs and picot edged circles and the topper sentiment was from a kit from hunky dory . Add some gems and a bow and you have the finished result

This card was made using kanbans 'spring blossom'  clear stamps, the backing cards was embossed the same way as the above card and dusted with an olive green micro powder. Then I cut it into 3 sections and then matt and layered to add a little interest. I like that affect and you will be seeing it again. Tim Holts distress inks work well in floral images I find and I stamp with them a lot . I used peeled paint green ink pad on this occasion The spellbinders labels 3 are a nice size to stamp on. add a Marianne designe butterfly on the side, a few pearls , silk flowers and hatpins in the corners to finish it nicely

This card shows off the beautiful detail you can get from a Marianne butterfly die if you would like to purchase any of the matials I used on these cards from your cutting machines to ink, check out the range on offer at .j and c creations

Spring Weddings

Morning Everybody

Well its raining again, hope the girls from J&C Creations dont get too wet, they are at Sheppton Mallet today attending the Stitch & Creative Crafts event. If you are going, do drop by and have a look at all the lovely craft goodies including the new Stampendous Fran-tage Essentials demonstrated recently on Create & Craft TV which are proving to be very popular.  They will be there today and up until the 29th April

All their products can also be ordered from the  website or by phone on 01622 729154

Its been raining here for the last 4 days now , and not your usual April showers either, more like monsoon weather, The pets are bored and don't want to leave the sancuary of their nice dry home and have taken to taking turns in chasing each other round the house to kill the boredom. I, on the other hand have been beavering away in my craft room/loft and stamping, embosssing and creating to my hearts content . only stopping for 10 mins after a text from a friend asking for large wedding cards as someone at work is taking the plunge. This is a regular thing as all my friends know I sell my cards at Summer Craft fayres to feed for my crafty habit, and Its not usual to get a text saying 'Help!!!Rosie I forgot its So-n-So's birthday , can you do me a card for Tomorrow pls.....

Luckily I had a few to choose from and thought you may like to take a look ,most were constructed using the spellbinders and the Cuttlebug. the one above was made from some pink and Silver cardstock punched on the corners with a Martha Stewart punch called string lace lattice, and layered onto a white aperture card. I have used a holograpic pattened acetate I found at a craft fayre in the aperture and mounted the hearts and bells on to it.  The hearts were cut out on my cricut using the Sweethearts cartridge,as were the bells. The butterflies were some Hunky Dory pink foiled card Cut out using a Martha Stewart Punch and then layered onto silver holograghic silver card butterflie shapes Slightly bigger and then finished with a banner top and bottom from spellbinders added some peel off sentiments and a few pearls at the bottom. An easy card to make have that looks beautiful, so I'm told

This card was made the same way as for the pink card and but I changed the look by adding a silver shadow to the banners and adding an extra layer on the base. The butterflies were cut out of an  older marianne die, (Time to treat myself to some new ones, me thinks) and then I used a ordinary hole punch to get the circles on them. I also added some yellow gems to create a body on them

 here are a two others to check out, hope you are inspired by them

Thanks for visiting my blog if you like what you see pls feel free to follow me

Early starts and rude awakenings

 Early Starts and rude awakenings

Today started at 5.30am like most mornings do nowadays, and though I promised myself I would roll over and go back to sleep of course it didn't happen, the cat was been incredibly vocal as it's  hungry and the husband was been even more vocal complaining about the cat been vocal !!!!.It was never destined to be. eventually they both left the bedroom and I gave going back to the land of nod a second try. it didn't happen. So after hearing the grumble of hubby's Yamaha disappear in the distance (I can hear him from the bedroom window as he drives pass the house) I chose to bite the bullet and get up. Anyway I should get up now that I'm gainfully employed and back on the treadmill again (not literally that's still standing in the corner of the bedroom doubling up as a clothes horse and collecting dust!!) So with a 'hi-ho hi-ho its off to work I go.....' and off I went . all the way to the dining room to the PC . fabulous, first day at work and I'm early .

Today is a new beginning as today I officially start work on J & C Creations  Design team. I'm really proud to have been accepted and hope they like what they see, I'm a terrible critic of my own work  second only to my daughters who don't believe in sparing the rod when it comes to pointing out when I go wrong. anyway here are a few cards that I have put together for them using their wonderful products. I hope you like them. most of the products used to make them can be found on  J & C Creations website and if you fancy having a go at making one yourself, all the instructions and inspiration can be found on their blog the card above I call 'if friends were flowers' and is a combination of spellbinders , stamping and paper flowers and  the one below 'special couple' is a mixture of pink and white card stock cleverly cut with spellbinders dies and lovingly embossed by the cuttle bug

looking forward to getting stuck in to making samples up in the future, already have a jiffy bag full for express delivery tomorrow. So best get upstairs to bed as its nearly midnight and the cat is already planning a full on strike to see who's going to get the privilege of feeding her breakfast tomorrow ....

 

Rainy Sunday Afternoons...

So its piddling down outside, the cats curled up by the fire , the dogs sulking because he's been ousted to the corner of the rug and lost the prime spot and I'm here in front of my Pc again , so I thought as theres not a lot going on this afternoon I'd pop on some of my favourite cards for you to check out , here's just a few that make me smile.  Anniversary cards for old friends and new, a mothers day card for a friend mum and some wedding cards to sell at the country Fayre's we visit on hot summer weekends.

 Today is nothing like those days in June with its thundery outbursts and ridiculous winds, Mother nature determined to remove our recently erected new fences taken down by her last hissy-fit. This time last week we were sitting on the grass  eating chicken salad, chilling in the sunshine  and watching the bravest (and some say the maddest of them all) young men that ride in the British super bikes tearing round Thuxton race circuit at 150 mph . Sadly today its cold, wet and miserable outside, still that means more time to blog and craft and relax with a piping hot coffee and a packet of chocci biccies  (low- cal of course)

These are some baby bits I remember putting together in 2010, the Princess Pram is from the Arty Farty  range and took all day as i wanted it to look just right , theres lots of pink lace and white pearl centura A3 card  in that project, and the cricut was out for the lettering on the top and for the baby grows and text on the card above.  luckily they're waterproof as I was told the babies mum was overwhelmed when she saw it  and sobbed uncontrollably.( probably more to do with hormones, bless her) I see the twins on a regular basis and they are truly bonnie little ladies now

This card i just love, it was very easy to make I used a spellbinders die to cut out the large flower in parchment paper and then embossed it though the cuttlebug and a little punch for the smaller ones, a sprinkling of holographic glitter on top to finish. I punched some silver leaves out with a martha stewart punch and added a few border leaf peel offs. The bible is the tiny book in the centre of the glitter girls Bookatrix and the doves came from the cricut Sweethearts-Cartridge  . All based on a cream aperture card it really works for me. it's one of those cards  (and I'm sure I'm not alone on this )  that after its made, you just like too much to give away. theres just something I love about it, Don't get me wrong I'm not religious in any way shape or form, it fact it has been know to thunder and lightning when  I step in to churches so I tend to steer clear.  No I think its just cause its clean, crisp and to the point. I think when this one go's, it will be to someone very special to me until then I think I'll just hang on to this one a little longer....

Anyway the rain has finally stopped and the sun is now shining so I'm off out for a lemonade with friends and to catch up on all the latest gossip xx

Trinket Box

 Trinket Box

Heres a Trinket Box I made last week ,  A small  chest-like wooden box can be found at most HobbyCraft stores , Think I picked this one up from the Craft barn in Lingfield for a few pounds . I glued on very small googly eyes for the rivets, (they are the perfect size for this and cheap as chips) and then covered the lid in a white Acrylic base coat . The rest of the box was done is a metallic licac paint and then the whole thing was sprayed with Crafters Companion multicolour glitter vanish. The frame was 4 die cut corners in silver foil 250gsm card and then I just decorated with paper flowers and pearls with a silver butterfly in the centre, this was made from the waste of a  butterfly peel-off, lifted with masking tape and then stuck onto acetate, I think it came out pretty good and cost less than a fiver to make x

I don't normally do boxes  but think for a first attempt this came out well. If you like what I do please leave comments as it's great to get feedback on my work x

Hi there
Welcome to my blog
 I hope you enjoy my cards as much as I enjoy making them . This is a favorite of mine, made for a friends mother last month. she was chuffed to pieces as she fosters a little hog like the image on the card, Arrr Bless, how cute is he x