Crafty catch up

These are the Just Bex challenges I did yesterday:

July challenge 7: Schools out for summer - card for a teacher that doesn't have 'teacher' on it (the 'distorted look towards the bottom is because there is an overlay of acetate which reflects the light):


Friday night challenge: Shape shifters - card of any shape other than rectangle or square (I made two because you can cut two out of an A4 sheet of card - the card has a glimmer sheen which doesn't show here):

Open:
Night in at the movies (based on 'The Wizard of Oz' (I chose 'red shoes' and the background paper seemed appropriate to the theme:

Close ups:


Jen's June challenge 1: using three different 'bling' techniques/products (I used glitter card for the matting around the photos and journalling, glitter glue for the blobby swirls - weren't really meant to be so blobby! - and sticky gems):

I've done a couple more challenges today:

Blooming flowers Craft Obsessions: make a vase full of beautiful paper flowers - I used my Sizzix paper sculpting Daisy to make the flowers out of papers from the DCWV pocket full of posies - something for me to enjoy on my windowsill:

July challenge 4: It's hip to be square - using nine squares in a 3 x 3 format - the background paper is Friendship Word, Creating Keepsakes:

I think I'm going to do some more LOs in this format - a good way of showing a group of photos for a particular occasion or holiday.

Back from Bognor

We came back on Saturday and I've been trying to ease myself into being back home again. Despite health problems that prevented us doing too much, we enjoyed the week and were very blessed with relatively good weather (considering what other parts of the country have been like). On a crafty note, I found a shop that Carolyn had told me about and managed to buy a few items (perhaps a bit more than a few) - what a good job John had a rucksack with him!

My first crafty task on return home was for an inchie swap on Paper n Lace - this was for Lynn:

I've done a few of the challenges for Just Bex today - too tired to show them tonight (should get off here now before my back feels worse) - will put them on here and on the forum tomorrow.

The following card is for this week's dare on Daring Cardmaker's (this is the first time that I've taken part in this, although I did do the midweek extra a couple of weeks ago):

This is the task set by Lynne:

"POCKETS I’d like to see lots and lots of pockets. Pockets full of posies, Brass in Pocket (love the Pretenders).Pockets on clothes, Pockets from clothes, Library Pocket, Pockets of this and Pockets of that. Get the idea? Pockets and Pockets of Pockets.
Don’t forget to leave us a comment and your Blog link and we’ll - hop, skip and a jump over to check out your creations. You can still join in the fun if you don’t have a Blog. Just send a pic/ scan of your creation to the team at daringcardmakers@hotmail.co.uk and we’ll add it to our gallery for all to see.

Remember to have pockets and pockets full of FUN!!!!"

So my card has a very simple diagonal pocket that houses a packet of seeds.

This is actually a simpler version of one that I made last year for a friend, shown here:

Japanese ATCs

Today I've managed to do the Japanese ATCs for the swap on Carolyn's hosted by Wendy. The background is red tissue stuck onto silver card and the stamps are with black stazon. The strip down the side near the ribbon is self-adhesive vellum.

I've also done the DLO in Rach's super CJ 'My little book of laughter'. I might show pictures later (not sure whether Rach would prefer to see or not).

Just Bex May prize

I won the prize for the challenge points for May on Just Bex. This is the super lot of goodies I received:

I've incorporated some of it into a card and a LO which will be used to launch a challenge on JB in about ten day's time - until then I can't show them!

Swirls and flourishes ATCs

These ATCs are for a swap on Tanda. I stamped on acetate with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and embossed with pirate gold powder, using some of the swirl stamps from Tanda. I coloured the back of the acetate with a mixture of alcohol inks: wild plum, oregano and butterscotch with just a hint of gold (irl there's more variation in colour than on the scans). I then coloured a few of the flowers very lightly with pink or purple and added the fans and dragonfly. The acetate was run through my xyron and then stuck on to gold card.

I'm quite pleased with the results, but have to say that a few efforts went in the bin before I achieved these. At first I inked up some gloss photo paper with alcohol inks - it looked really much better than the acetate - I then stamped on it and tried to heat the embossing powder but it bubbled. At first I thought it was the alcohol inks that were causing the bubbling, but I tried on plain photo paper and the same thing happened - it obviously couldn't withstand the heat of the gun. The acetate I used in the end is the kind that can go through a photocopier, so it stood up to heat embossing.


I took the cards to my friend this afternoon (the ones I showed on here last night) and she was really pleased with them, particularly the one with the Cliff Richard Congratulations 'record'.

Scarlet ATCs

These are for an ATC swap on Paper n Lace, the subject being 'scarlet' with the brief to 'think outside the box'. (Scans don't show that the sunset background on each has been swiped with embossing pad and clear embossing powder.

Another card

This is the other card that I was asked to make - for someone who is keen on the theatre and amateur dramatics. The 'curtain' is decoupaged, printed on to velvet paper and the beige background is also velvet paper (I knew I'd find a use for it one day!).

I can now show my scrapbook LO for the chinese whisper on Carolyn's:

I was the last one in the group. The template had started off like this:

If you'd like to see the progression from the template to my LO, please have a look here: http://craftsbycarolyn.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41911

This morning was one of those times when I couldn't really get on with anything - had the workmen in to finish off the fitments in the spare room and also others in to fit new bathroom carpet, so a lot of 'coming and going'.

This afternoon I've been working on two cards requested by a friend. The first one is for her grandson who is mad keen on Roary, the racing car:

Although this is a very simple card it took quite a while because I had to adapt the only picture of Roary I could use that had other bits on it I didn't want, so had to edit in Paint.

And the next one is for my friend to give to a mutual friend who is a great Cliff Richard fan:

I've just realised that this would qualify (I think!) for the DCM extra: 'We've another Retro challenge for this week's Little Extra.This time we'd like you to find your inspiration in the 1960s.'

As usual, the photos aren't very good. Irl the 'record label' for Cliff's Congratulations shows up a lot better. It's mounted on a CD to give more depth.

I have one more to do for her, which is for her son's father-in-law who is keen on the theatre and amateur dramatics, so I know I'm going to use a stage curtain design, but haven't got that far yet - watch this space!

Ribbit, ribbit

Although the next posting date for the CJ on Just Bex isn't until 23 July, I'm trying to get ahead with some fo the things that have to be done, in readiness for, hopefully, going on holiday next Saturday. At least this means I won't have to do it at the last minute when I return.

The theme of Andrea's lovely CJ is frogs, so here is my DLO (the lily is decoupaged):

Paper n Lace fat book: Style

Having received the pages for my Style fat book from the group of girls on Paper n Lace, I've finally got round to doing my own, which is here now:

Hazel, front:


Hazel, back:

Sonia:

Lynn, front:
Lynn, back:
Sharon, front:

Sharon, back:
Jo (Bagpuss), front:
Jo (Bagpuss), back:
Susan, front:
Susan, back:



Thank you, everyone, for contributing to my fat book of Style. Having punched holes in the side, all I've got to do now is to thread some ribbon through (but that will have to wait for a while, as 'housewifely duties of getting something ready to eat' are calling me.)

Here it is now:

Comfort Zone

This is my DLO for the last CJ in the green group on Carolyn's. Helen asked us to consider: when you sit down to make a card or create a scrapbook layout, do you find yourself using the same colours, patterns or stamps? What are you most comfortable using? Take us to your Comfort Zone!

I found it very difficult to choose, because I love using a variety of colours, techniques and materials. It was impossible to reflect everything in the DLO, but I think this is a bit representative of my 'style', although really I don't consider I have any particular style.

Earlier today I made an altered item for the next secret sender swap on Carolyn's - obviously can't show it because it's a secret and isn't going to be sent till 1 August.

My July swap cards are ready for the monthly swap on Carolyn's, the subject being black and white with a touch of colour. I can't show these either, because they are revealed when sent out to people.

June card swap on Carolyn's

Postie came this morning and bought me the June swaps 'for no reason' cards from the group on Carolyn's, kindly hosted and organised by Melissa.

These are the cards I received:

From Jan1951:


From: Helenc:




From CarolynL:

From Annmarie:

I can now reveal the cards I sent for the swap:

Secret sender keyring

I received this a few days ago - it was part of a swap on Carolyn's. At the beginning of June secret senders sent one another an altered notebook and at the beginning of July a keyring. At the beginning of next month we can choose to send any item that is handmade or altered.

I suspect I might have worked out who my secret sender is - if by any chance you read my blog: I think this is fab! Thank you!!