Birthday Wishes

Hi Everyone

Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas, I know I have........ I have loved just lazing about watching reading cooking etc but thought today I would make an effort to make a card, totally unrelated to Christmas to get me up and doing something creative again.

So this is a LOTV image that i have had since March and this is the first time I have used it. Although i did colour this and some other images while watching TV over the past few days so I just had to make it into a card.  I really must aim to use all of my stamps at least once before buying any more   Coloured with Spectrum Noirs and I've added quite a bit of grey to darken the colours up.  Papers and flowers are from my stash as too is the gem swirls.  The a little tag to add the sentiment.

I really must get my thinking cap on for the Crafter Companion blog challenge as January's is anything but a card, but I am stumped at the minute.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Happy Christmas Everyone

Hi Everyone

Well i just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has viewed, commented and followed my blog in the last year and a half or so.  I love making cards and sharing them with you.  Even though i don't seem to get as much time to take part these days.  So this last one before Christmas is for the Spectrum Noir blog challenge, Winter Blues.  Theres still time for you to take part so pop along and enter to win a fabby prize.

I've coloured this beautiful LOTV image with my Spectrum Noirs and matted onto Bo Buny card stock that Margaret and i found in Holland.  I've been waiting to use it since i got back and thise was the perfect time.    The eaxact card is Snowfall stripe and Snowfall wintertime. I've used a marriane die Christmas Leaves, snowflake dies and my Scalloped Tag for the sentiment which is just printed from my pc.  Then added some extra sparkle with glamour dust.

Hope you like it and that you all have a fabulous Christmas and Happy New Year.

Louise xx

Sheena Douglas Workshop

Hi Everyone

Well it has taken me a week to recover from Sheena's workshop (in a good way) i even had two days off work last week and didn't lift a piece of card or speccie and it has taken me a week to share these piccies with you.  I would have had a Craft Punked blog challenge card on Friday but our blog has disappeared and not to be found again........ ;0(.  However i think we will be back in the New Year with something a bit different so watch out.

So these are the two items I made at Sheenas workshop and i am quite impressed with myself.  The first is a welcome sign just made on plain old chipboard and then painted with a crackle effect.  The welcome is cut using an electronic die cutting machine, it may have been the ecraft and then the poinsettia made using Sheenas stamp from her paint fusion range. Its stamped with black ink onto plain red and green card and then the edge distressed with walnut stain distress ink and i little bit of glitter in the centre.  The faux wood panels have been created by just using a ruler and distress ink.  And the flowers and leaves added to decorate.  I've then added a few brads to finish off.

 The next item is just a simple  vase from ikea and then stamped with a flower from the new Fantasy circle stamp set.  Its edged with the cerne relief out of the fantasy paint range which are still sold out but will be back soon and Sheena had already prepared this part of the process. Then the flowers and leaves have been filled in with the fantasy paint to give this stunning effect.  it was so easy to do and when i heard we would be painting i really thought i wouldn't be keen on this but its paining in the loosest sense of the word as its applied with the non brush end of the paint brush and just filled in really.  I think it took all of 10 minutes to do this and the rest of the time is just drying time.  The colours i chose are very muted but some of the other attendees had stunning results with yellows  red,s oranges turquoises etc, just beautiful.

What a fab day we had and i really would recommend you attend any upcoming workshops as it was just so interesting.  Santa even paid us a visit.

Hope you like them.

Louise xx

Craft Punked Blog Challenge - Keeping Warm

Hi Everyone

Well i managed to fit another card in today and its just in time for the Craft Punked Blog Challenge and this weeks theme is Keeping Warm,.  Ideas could obviously be hats, gloves coats, fires etc but i thought this image went perfectly.  What better way to keep warm than curled up on a comfy chair or sofa on these warm dark cold nights.  Oh i wish i had Minnie and Tink back with me........

So..........  coloured with Spectrum Noirs and the image is Paw Prints.  I've used some dove craft paper that i brought back from Belgium and i know the holly doesn't match the theme but it matches the backing paper and i bought this Holly die at Graces while at a demo recently and also the holly berries which i knew would be useful.  The tag is from a diesire tag set once again, with a sentiment to match.  So not really a christmassy image but it now could be used as a Christmas card.

Pop over and join in the challenge.

hope you like it.

Louise xx

Hair Colouring Techniques

Hi Everyone

Today my Spectrum Noir Blog post is up and its a new card made using one of my fave crafters companion images.  This is the third card i have made recently with this stamp and i just love her.  For all details of colouring her hair please pop over to the Spectrum Noir Blog but here is my finished card.

Coloured with Spectrum Noirs and the satmp is Daydream Believer.  the paper is from my stash and i have once again used a tag from a diesire die set.  I've then added a couple of paper roses, a double bow and the heart is from my trip to Belgium, i knew they would come in handy one day.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Crafters Companion Monthly Blog Challenge - December

Hi Everyone

Decembers Crafters companion Monthly blog challenge is Winter Friends so i have posted a card that Gracie and I made a couple of weeks ago when she felt in the mood to craft, which she hasn't done for ages.

So she chose a Christmas in Mulberry wood Stamp and wanted to colour in greys with my Spectrum Noir pens  as i have done in the past.  She has coloured all of the owls, tree etc and i finished the blue background off, i think she had had enough by then.  She then chose papers to match from the Mulberry Wood CD and embossed some coredinations with a snowman snowflake embossing folder   Auntie Margaret had given her some Christmas embellishments when we were at her house and she wanted to add the snowman so she placed it herself and added a snowflake.

She was very pleased with this and i think she said she wants to give it to her Mam, so we will add a special sentiment when she is here at the weekend.

Hope you like it

Louise xx

Spectrum Noir Blog Challenege

Hi Everyone

This months Spectrum Noir Blog challenge runs from 15th November until 14th December midnight GMT, so you still have a chance of entering and winning, so don't miss out.

The theme is Animals and for my card i have used an everyday in mulberry wood stamps, Smile Everyday with my Spectrum Noir  pens.  I coloured this at the NEC a few weeks ago and Leann die cut it with the Magic Mirror die and i just love it.

A lot of people ask how should you start to make a card?  do you colour your image first then try to find papers to go with it or should you choose your paper and the colour the image to match.  I do both depending on how i am feeling or the circumstances.  So when i was colouring at the NEC i never had my crafty stash of papers with me so just chose colours i liked at the time.  Then i hunted for papers to match when i got back..  So both ways work i think.  the background papers are from K&Co out of my crafty stash and i have used kraft card for my base.  The tag is from the scalloped tag die set and then i have just added some ribbon tied in a triple bow using my ultimate pro, a brad and some pearls   The edge of the magic mirror die is distressed with vintage photo distress ink.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx