Beauty is in the eye...

...of the beholder, and it certainly was when I saw this gorgeous sentiment stamp by Rhonna Farrer from the Autumn Leaves set

" Spring Swirl".

I didn't want it to be one of those stamps that I buy because I really like it, but then it just sit in my craft box unused. So I decided to make an acetate card, using the main sentiment from the set.

I stamped the background in "Peeled Paint" ink by Tim Holtz and then stamped a damask design by Papermania. The squiggly line stamp is by Inkadinkadoo.

However, when it came to stamping the sentiment on to the acetate, there were a lot of naughty words said, as I messed it up 3 times before I finally just about got it right!

On my first attempt I skidded with my ink pad on the acetate. On the second attempt I stamped the sentiment too far to the left so it would have been completely obscured by the ribbon. Then I didn't press down hard enough and it didn't stamp out properly. The end result you see here was my 4th attempt! Even now it's not stamped quite central...but I'm not wasting anymore acetate!!

Finally the nightmare of photographing acetate. By the time I had finished my card last night it was dark, so I photographed it at 7.30am this morning before work! It was very overcast but I think this is better for acetate as there isn't so much glare.

Hope you like anyway, see you again soon.

PS:I found one craft knife by the way, but have lost a large pair of scissors instead!! I give up!

Christmas in Monochrome...

I saw an article in a card making magazine recently about making your own Christmas card baubles and decided to give it a go.

I punched out some circles and then stamped them with these beautiful stamps from B Line Designs, called "Brocade". And as I have the postive and negative stamps I've used both for my creations.

Here is a close up of the bauble..I have just added some clear gems for a bit of sparkle.

The beautiful large gems are by Imaginisce. I got mine from my local Hobbycraft.

I think these baubles would look really good in other colours and other stamped designs. I will definitely be experimenting with this idea.

These are really simple cards I know...but simple is all I've got at the moment. Time runs away with me again and I can't believe it's Sunday again already.

Well, I'm off on a mission today...I've lost my craft knife...my most used crafting item and it's just disappeared. Actually if I'm really honest, this is the second craft knife I've lost this week!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...see you soon.

EDIT: Sorry to those of you who have enquired about the sentiments-I don't know who makes them as I threw the wrapper away-doh!! If anyone recognises them I would be very grateful if you can leave me a message so that I can pass the info on.

Bella Bleu

Hi again everyone. I write this feeling very under the weather...yet again I seemed to have picked up some nasty virus. I swear I am a magnet for viruses..in fact I truly believe I have one that has taken up permanent residence in my bloodstream, and just pops out now and again when I'm a bit low just to let me know it's still around!

Anyway, enough of feeling sorry for myself and on to my latest creations made a few days ago. I have indulged myself in my new SU stash.

I have used the new SU Bella Bleu papers...I so had to force myself to cut into these babies..

The ornate frame is by none other than Mr Tim Holtz...isn't it a beauty?

The gorgeous envelope template is by Priscillastyles. I really love this template. What you can't really tell from my photo is that is it approx 2cm deep, so perfect if your card has a bit of dimension to it.

The SU stamp set is one of my fave's from the new catalogue called "Autumn Days". I have used Not Quite Navy SU cardstock to match with the Bella Bleu papers.

Well I really enjoyed making this set...hope you like. I'm off for a lie down...see you all again soon!

A Challenge and a Walk in the Woods...

Yesterday hubby and I took a walk through the local woods. It was a little bit overcast but very still. Anyway, we were under a canopy of trees when it started to rain....we could hear it above us but because the trees were so dense the rain didn't reach us...however the rain started to strip the leaves from the trees and suddenly we were in the middle of a cascade of falling leaves. It was quite simply wonderful. Kinda wish I'd had a camera but then no photo could have done it justice.

This morning though we have torrential rain and gale force winds. Actually you know, I don't really mind..as long as I'm all cosy indoors!

Being tucked up indoors today has given me the chance today to make a card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge and the Colour Create Challenge, where the challenge is to only use white apart from the image.

The beautiful stick pin is from the Pretties Kit by Stampin Up, which I bought a while ago.

The stamp is by Penny Black which I bought last year...I used the Cuttlebug holly embossing folder to create the background and applied Glamour Dust to the holly. Then I've just added some pearl gems and white ribbon to finish. At least I got this challenge right unlike my last post!

Well I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day...hope you do too!

The challenge that nearly was...

Hi again folks...seems such a long time ago since my last post...I've had such a busy week at work, and I've been on a training course as well...I've had very little time to get in my craft room. So so glad Saturday has finally arrived.

I have been very naughty recently and bought heaps of SU stuff from the new catalogue...this beautiful medallion stamp was first on the list...

I was going to enter this for this week's SCS Colour Challenge...the colours are Cameo Coral, black and Kraft...I made the card and was about to post it on their website....when I realised I'd forgotton the Kraft!! deffo my age I think...but as I've admitted before I don't do challenges very well as I get so engrossed in what I'm doing I completely forget what the challenge was in the first place...well that's my excuse anyway :)

The beauty of this stamp is there is very little you need to add...in this case just a Prima jewel in the centre and a bit of ribbon. I think this stamp works really well as both a statement piece and as a subtle background stamp....I just know I will use it a lot.

Well, it's back to X Factor tonight...what happened with Danyl last week!! How could he have ended up in the bottom two?? Ooh I get so emotionally involved with it all lol.

If you hear some mad woman screaming this weekend it isn't because it's halloween...it will be me coz the twins got voted in again!

Stamp Duos

As much as I love my crafting, as we all know it can be expensive, so it is really nice when you see a bargain...and the little Papermania Stamp duos are just that...for approx £1.99 you get a couple of really versatile little stamps..and the designs are fab too.

For the card above I used a snowflake duo...I stamped one of the snowflakes in Versamark onto green card to create the background...and used the other snowflake stamp to create the tag.

Below is another of the stamp duos...

I used the square stamp to create this gift tag...really really easy to make...

The green paper is also by Papermania.

Well, I'm staying indoors today...the weather is pretty horrible here. Still I am looking forward to the extra hour tomorrow...I've got a million and one things I could do with that hour but I suspect I will spend it fast asleep!

A card, a challenge and an Indian takeaway!

Only a quick post today and a reasonably quick card as I'm supposed to be helping with the decorating...not my favourite pastime it has to be said.

I had a peek to see what the SCS colour challenge is for this week. The colour combo for this week is chocolate chip, taken with teal and apricot appeal.

First I stamped the background in white with a floral stamp from Inkadinkadoo onto the chocolate card. The image is by Lavinia...if you know Lavinia stamps you will know this isn't how they are normally used but I think they work really well as the main image for a card as well as for creating scenery.

Well, I'd better get back before I'm missed...I am not very good at painting...I have more paint on me than there is on the walls!

Still, when we're finished tonight it's off to the Indian takeaway...

Take care peeps.

Each day brings it's own joy...

...and it's nearly the end of the week...yet again I have a few days off work...must seem that I get a lot of holiday but you see I don't take very much time off during the summer months...so I end up with quite a lot to take in the latter part of the year. I really don't mind as I love the autumn, and the build up to Christmas as well.

So today, in between shopping, tidying the house and having my hair done, I've managed to complete a card and photograph it, all in one day! Not bad eh?

Here is a close up of the fab sentiment and frame by Hero Arts.

And here is a close up of the bird cage by Craftwork Cards. The ivy stamp is by Flower Soft...it came with the lamp post set...a very versatile little stamp that I've never used before...but I can definitely see me using this again and again.

I have to say that, yet again, I have not been happy with my last few creations...I've certainly been lacking in the inspiration department...but I got my distress inks out today for the first time in ages and had a little play and really got back into the swing of things. I think it is mainly because I often feel so rushed...I get so little free time that I don't have the luxury to just sit and play...I gotta get this work life balance thing sorted out lol.

I used Tim Holtz distress ink in "Weathered Wood", and Adirondack ink in "Stream" to create the background.

Well, I've got another lie in tomorrow, followed by a bit of decorating... and of course I shall sneak into my craft room when hubby isn't looking lol...

See you again soon!

My new border punch...

These are my first creations using my new EK Success border punch....

...and also my new Papermania stamp shown below...

I used K&Co recycled cardstock, and my Papermania brad making kit as shown in one of my earlier posts.

The border punch is called "Diamond Lace"...it looks very sleek and even folds flat for easy storage.

Well, I gotta dash...got ironing to do and all the usual pre-work chores before the next intallment of X Factor tonight!

TTFN peeps.

Bold and Bright...

In complete contrast to the soft muted colours of my last card, I have gone all bold and bright!

The sentiment and frame is by Hero Arts...it is quite an old stamp I think but I still managed to track it down and bought it last week-hooray for the internet!

The floral stamp is the same stamp I used in my last post...it looks so different stamped in black and painted with my Twinkling H2O's.

I wanted to say a huge thank you to my lovely bloggy buddy Clare who let me know about Elzybells new hybrid inkpad called "Whipped Cream" (what a fabbie name!), which works on kraft and dark card. Well I ordered it late on thursday afternoon and received it the next morning-how's that for service! I've tried it and have to say I'm impressed. It works better than anything else I've tried, including black card. So thank you Clare, and to those of you who also had the same thought and left me messages.

Can't believe another week has passed and we're back to Strictly and X-Factor. In Strictly I love Ali, and as for Ricky Whittle...wow he's got the moves, but for sheer entertainment I love Ricky Groves!

As for X-Factor, my money is on Stacey...Simon's group are all really good although I'm not so keen on Ollie. As for Louis' group...in my view those twins have gotta go! (sorry if they're your fave lol)

Oh, and I did finish the tub of Haagen Darz last week...it was pralines and cream....I'm so ashamed lol...tonight I've got one of those huge Quality Street chocolates...a caramel cup!

Enjoy your evening peeps.

SCS challenge "Mellow whites"

I am having a "me" day today...I have taken the day off work without DH to have some quality crafting time. Now don't get me wrong...I love spending my time off with hubby and our time is usually spent together...but I quite like now and again just being on my own to do whatever I want to do.

So today I've had a hunt around for some challenges...and I've found a fab colour challenge over at Splitcoaststampers called "Mellow Whites" The colours are mellow moss, white and Kraft.

This card actually took me ages to make...not because it's overly complicated or anything but because I could not find a white inkpad that would show up on Kraft card. I didn't want to heat emboss as it wasn't the look I was after...I tried inkpad after inkpad including white Stazon but nothing showed up very well...in the end I found a Colour Box inkpad in white that just about did the job. If anyone knows of any white inkpads that they have had success with on Kraft or dark card I would love to hear what you use!

Well, there is still plenty of time before hubby comes home to do more crafting so I'm off to make the most of it!

• Floral stamp: Magenta
• Flowers: Mulberry Street by Prima

Autumn

Autumn is most definitely my favourite time of year, and as there are a couple of autumn themed challenges at the moment, I just couldn't resist!

I really love tree stamps and this one is by Penny Black. I stamped it in brown Stazon and have just added a few orange gems for a bit of sparkle.

I shall be entering my card into the Crafty Calender Challenge, a brand new challenge blog run by my lovely bloggy buddy Georgia who is only 13 years old and makes the most amazing cards, and the theme for this month is autumn...do hop on over and join in the fun!

There is another autumnal challenge at Penny Black Saturday Challenge, so I will be entering my card into this challenge as well!

Well I'm just about recovered from my over indulgence last night...I didn't have any Thornton's this week for watching X Factor and Strictly, so I got some Haagen Darz out instead. I put the tub on my lap and kinda scooped a bit out now and again as it melted. Before I knew what had happened, half a tub had disappeared and I ended up feeling pretty ill afterwards as a result!

So no ice cream for me for the next round of X factor tonight....believe that and you'll believe anything lol.