Salt: His Princess

'His Princess' is the theme for the new Salt challenge launched today. Caaey says:

Welcome! It has been really lovely to receive lots of lovely visitors and comments for the RAK this fortnight! As for the winner, I'll get to that in a bit...Oh the suspense!

This fortnight at SALT, I (Casey) want you all to think about and maybe create a piece of art that conveys a message of being His princess! When I first heard that term (HIS PRINCESS) I thought it sounded a bit over the top...but then after reading the Bible and listening to other messages, I realised that we are daughters of THE King. So, daughters of a King are referred to as princesses. So, how does it feel for you to be His Princess? We'd love for you to share your "HIS PRINCESS" creations with us. You can do this by simply leaving a comment on our blog, so we can pop over and visit your blog!

Now, for the winner of the RAK......
Congratulations nancyjones...you are the winner

I used one of my favourite worship songs as inspiration for this LO. The song: 'King of Kings, Majesty' includes the phrase 'in royal robes I don't deserve ...'

I've used Be Blessed paper 'candied flowers' as the background and plenty of Poundland bling!



Please take a look at Salt

Diamond wedding card commission

The other day I was asked to make a Diamond wedding card for someone at church (she might be along to my sale tomorrow and collect it), so this afternoon I made this one:



and then realised after I'd made it that on the congratulations paper there were champagne glasses and I'm not sure whether the recipients might be tt and so it might be inappropriate.

So I thought I'd just make another one and that one could go in my general stock (and perhaps someone else tomorrow will need a Diamond wedding card - you never know!). The only trouble was that I wanted to use the same diamonte letters and found that I only had one 'D' left (even though I had three packets originally - 'D' had been in demand!) So I improvised and used the stem part of an 'L' with an upside-down 'C' - I think it worked:



Because of glare from flash, I had to scan rather than take photos (and there won't be time in the morning) - the '60' is silver, of course, irl, not black! The 'sticky up bits' have cast shadows on the surrounding papers, but you can get the general idea.

Just Bex Friday night challenge 'goes without saying'

Having just thought that I perhaps really ought to make one or two more get well cards suitable for men, I flipped over to JB and found that this evening's challenge set by Lis is: 'For this weeks challenge, please make a card without any letters or wording on the front whatsoever....BUT it has to be obvious what the card is for...birthday....Easter, new baby etc..... '

So here it is (papers are Guy's Life earthtones and the embellishments are read made from The Works - a very quick card - at this stage that's all I can manage:

Tanda Teaser 'under the weather'

Wendy on Tanda set this week's teaser: 'I decided on this theme as so many of my friends and relatives have been proper poorly of late and I am hoping to get some much needed inspiration from you guys on making cards for both the ladies and the chaps!'

Getting ready for tomorrow's sale, I was aware that most of my cards for 'get well' are more suitable for ladies than gents. I think this one could be for either - I used fairly old BG papers and a few bits and bobs including expoxy stickers that I didn't really know what to do with them:

Back 2 Basics

Sue on CBC has set a stamper's only challenge called 'back 2 basics'. Sue said: 'and I want you to create something with ONLY inks and or markers NOT an embossing Powder or heat gun in sight. Patterned Paper and other embellishments are fine'

So here's one from me - which is one more for my stock for Saturday (I've made a few today, but not feeling great, so I'm not sure how many more I'll achieve today). Some friends took us out by car for lunch - which was lovely because it meant John got out for a while (still not able to go far because he can't wear his shoe and has to be very careful not to knock his foot).

Anyway, back to crafting - I think the papers are from HOTP - been in my stock for some time - and the stamp is one of a set that I bought fairly recently, stamped with Stazon vibrant violet - irl the papers and ink match up better than they look on the scan (and there's no light to get a photo):

CBC ATCs just received

Two stunning ATCs just received from the swap on CBC. The one on the left is from Sue (Desperate Housewife) and the one on the right is from Carole (cazat81) - both gorgeous, thank you, girls:

Rip it up

Another challenge card - CBC 'Rip it up@: 'So now is the chance for you get rid of those frustrations and do some ..... ripping and tearing it doesn't metter what you tear - just getting ripping!'

These cards are all helping towards my stock for Saturday - did another couple similar to this while I was at it. Papers are K-Ology Addison range and the beautiful swan picture is one that I've had for ages - waiting to see what I could do with it:

Mix it up

Last Thursday's challenges on CBC is: 'We'd like you to make a card, LO or altered anything-you-like on any theme - the only rule is that you must use more than one font in your wording. So it can be a different font for each word or phrase, or for each letter in a word. You can write, type, cut, sticker, robo, die-cut, peel-off, transfer, stamp, etc, etc,'

So here are three more Easter cards which I think fit the bill:

I know, I know ....

... I should be making cards, but I remembered that I had said I would put photos of my fabulous Glamour CJ on here and hadn't yet done so.

This was the result of a CJ group on Bumbleberries forum - a group of ten of us, the largest CJ group that I've been involved in - so it's a bumper packed CJ.

Thank you to all the girls who took part in this - it is a journal that will be treasured:

Front:



Welcome:



Rules:



My DLO:




Nicky's DLO:




Kathy's DLO:




Karen's DLO:




Angie's DLO




Jackie's DLO:




Jacqui's DLO:




Caroline's DLO:




Beckie's DLO:




Rachel's DLO:




Sign in pages:




Back:



The photos just don't do it justice.It is a real crafting extravaganza!

(Now I need to get on with those cards!)

Lisa's fab CJ

I spent the evening yesterday doing my DLO in Lisa's fab CJ for the group on CBC - such a good idea: 'Once Upon a Time ...' - Lisa started off the story and asked the members of the group to continue it. I must say that when I received it I was bowled over by the excellent standard of what had already been done and I was beginning to wonder whether I would be able to continue the story and do it justice - I hope I've managed that. Obviously, I can't show the DLO here because it would spoil the surprise of the finished story when the final chapter has been added.

Now I need to get on with various bits and pieces and then it's got to be a serious effort to increase my stock ready for Saturday - sale in aid of TEAR Fund.

Mum's card (done in time!)

Having made the exploding box with the K & Co Hannah papers, I put the card together with pieces that matched - and the main pink bloom and big Dovecraft brad is the same as on the box - and other similar bits added:

Tanda Spring ATC swaps

I'd already stamped the daffodil and the tulip, but hadn't actually got round to signing up for the Tanda ATC swap for February. I usually love doing these swaps, but didn't want to sign up and then let people down. But the lovely Wendy has said it's still not too late, so I've used the daffodil and tulip stamped images to create these Spring ATCs:

Swirly cards

The topic for the card swap for January/February on CBC was 'swirls' - I'm a bad, bad woman, because I meant to get these off to Melissa much earlier and here I am and the deadline was actually yesterday!

So, here they are now, and I apologise that they're not really that 'swirly' but I hope they more or less fit the bill:






And here's a P 'n' L forum birthday card for today:

Blogversary!!

Nothing to show (yet) today - hopefully something later (need to get that card done for mum for tomorrow and some swaps that I'm late doing - oh dear!).

Anyway, I just had to come on here now to say that it's a whole year since I started this blog!!

There are times when I feel that I achieve little in the crafting sense, but it's encouraging at times to look back and see what I have achieved.

And it's so good to have made so many good friends through craft forums and blogs - and if I haven't visited you as much recently as I used to, then I apologise - it's not because I don't want to, it's just the way that real life goes.

And, although this is a virtual way of communicating, it is still very much real life - getting to know so many fab people who have similar interests.

Here's to the next year!

My first exploding box

I decided yesterday to make an exploding box for mum for Mothering Sunday, so I used my robo with a template kindly given by stressed on UKS. I used papers and bits from the K & Co Hannah range (worked well, because the papers are double sided - and then I layered to match).

It's not perfect, but for a first attempt I'm quite pleased - and the robo template was so easy to use.

I'm going to make a card with Hannah papers etc to match (note to self: make it before it gets too late tomorrow evening!)

Salt: Inspiring Christian Women

It's time for another Salt challenge (two weeks go by very, very quickly!).

This is what Ruth said:

A big thank you to everyone who has participated in past challenges. We pray that they will have been a blessing and/or challenge to you.

Please continue to spread the word about our blog, and to help you do that we've decided to offer our first RAK! We are pleased to announce that Casey from Scripture by Design is offering a fab package of items... 1 x printed transparency, 1 x pack of 4 stitched verses, 1 x pack of three journaling cards, 1 x pack of three handstamped tiles. Total retail value $AU 21.85



Please leave a message to this post by Wednesday 12th March, and we will pick a winner out a hat and announce it in two weeks time when we set the next challenge.

This week it is my (Ruth's) turn to set the challenge. To be honest it crept up on me and so when I was thinking about it I think I had in the back of my mind Mother's day here in the UK which is this coming Sunday. So, with a slight twist I came up with

Inspiring Christian Women...

...they could be women from the Bible, from Christian History or from your life.

Please take a look at Salt - and leave a comment to be in with a chance to win that fab RAK

For my contribution to this Salt challenge I was inspired to concentrate on a LO about the Samaritan woman and her encounter with Jesus at the well when I listened with John to daily readings this week from Everyday with Jesus (John has tapes from Torch Trust for the Blind and I sometimes listen along with him). It struck me that in a very simple, but effective, way, the woman became one of the first missionaries - she went and told what had happened - and as a result many believed. The encounter of Jesus with the woman unfolds in John chapter 4 - it is a fascinating encounter with an unlikely person at an unlikely time.

I used rub ons by Fancy Pants, Basic Grey wholy cow! and American Crafts 'mini marks'(because some of them are white, unfortunately on the photo you can't really see the 'believe' in the top right section and the 'share' in the bottom left section - the light isn't really enough to get a good photo).

Background paper is Basic Grey Urban Couture 'Lustra'. The journalling is printed on to vellum which was then put through the xyron and stuck down. The Fancy Pants rub on at the top right hand corner was rubbed on to vellum and then reversed to give a softer look than the original. I had a hard choice for a picture of the woman with Jesus - there were so many famous paintings etc to choose from - but I rather liked this woodcut by Gustave Dore: