Red and green Snowmen

Over on Something Completely different is a challenge this week for Red and Green Snowmen.  I think I read the brief a bit literally. I wondered this at the time but then decided I liked the quirky nature of having red and green Snowmen. So here is my contribution!

Play Date Cafe 6

This is my entry for week 6. Bit of a struggle today. Not because of the colours. I kept on making great coloured backgrounds and then mucking them up after. the colours are my sort of colours. I mounted it onto some paper which I chose because I felt it created a weathered wood beach hut look. After a difficult day it is good to end with something. I feel the colours match the brief well. 

Jingle your own Damn Bells!

Well this is my make for the new Gingersnap challenge to include frames. As I think you can see I like to make fun, happy, quirky things. If anyone was wondering why I named my blog "As happy as....." I think you will now understand. Why the picture of the peas? Well there are few things that look so happy and snug and contented all huddled together. It is always a joy when I pod peas to just see the little lovelies all lined up and cozy. Now broad beans are a wonder too! They have a fabulous furry nest to lie in. I often think when podding how nice it must be to be a broad bean growing in its pod, surrounding by the luxurious furry lining. I expect people are thinking I have lost my marbles! However I believe in enjoying the simple things in life.

Well back to the make. Both stamps are from Stampotique available through The Stamp Attic in the UK. The frame was a stamp I bought ages ago. It is a large foam stamp. I don't think it shows but I embossed it to make it look more relief like. The background is created by mainly using, I think, Sticky finger ink sprays. A  real autumn set that include names like Autumn gold, Blackberry, Raspberry, Maple, Walnut etc. I am sure I added some glimmer mists as well.

Oh I almost forgot. The hat. Yes Tomato puree woman was at it again. Stazon hat stamped onto the metal. Cut out and embossed with pointy tool. An old biro will work just as well.

Play Date Cafe 5

This is my contribution to this weeks Play Date Cafe colourway of purple, blue, white and silver.

The purple vellum has been run through the Cuttlebug. I love the way it turns the dots white and creates a snowy feel. The background card was coloured by swooshing with blue and purple inks. The stamp was embossed with silver. There is a pretty pale blue spotty ribbon holding the card down and lovely glittery snowflakes added. All was mounted onto a silver card.

Christmas Tree

I have just finished this in time so I can contribute to Hels weekly challenge. It is about 4.00 pm when I came to photograph it. The weather is grey and foul and the light atrocious. So this was the best I could do under he circumstances. Not the best time of year for this process. The days are just so short and the nights so long.

Lots to Do : Embossing

The light is fading

The deadline looming 

This is my last minute entry for the Lots to Do Challenge to include embossing. How we can trust our reliable Cuttlebug. I have embossed some fantastic paper that is red with a gold starburst sheen on it. Suitable for Christmas I did think.

Pink, Brown & Burgundy

This is my entry for Tag Tuesday. A Christmas theme to use colours pink, brown and burgundy. She looks like a cross between a fairy and Little Bo Peep. I should have added some snowy Christmas lambs. Next time maybe?

Blue & White Snowflakes

This is my blue and white snowflake make for Something Completely Different. The top section has embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and inks swiped across the top. The paper for this was a lovely pearlised paper from the Paper Temptress. Unfortunately the lovely pearly look does not show up on the photo., but it certainly adds to the card. Contrasting paper added with ribbon and snowflake brads and a final snowflake tag.

Gingersnap Buttons Christmas Decoration

I forgot to add this, probably over a week ago now. This challenge is still running over on Gingersnaps called buttons. Here I have made a Christmas Decoration which is very simple to make. I have used the wonderful two colour sided card from the Paper Temptress. I love this card. As you can see this piece was bright pink on one side and lime green on the other. Looooovely. I punched 4 pieces and stamped each one. Added some gel pen colour here and there. Folded them in half. Stuck them together with the ribbon running through. Added a felt flower and a button on either side. Finally weighted with a chipboard Christmas Tree embossed with metallic green powder.

The decoration is hanging above a radiator at the moment. The hot air rising is making it turn slowly and allows you to see both colours in turn with its gentle movement.

Play Date Cafe 4

This is my entry for the fourth Play Date Cafe challenge featuring colours cream, tan, brown and a bluish green. Time was running short so I have just made a tag this week. I love these mad crows in their party hats.

Tag Tuesday

This is my tag this week for Tag Tuesday to incorporate a photo, cold and I have added memories. "Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember". Yes this is me being blasted with a snowball thrown by my brother. I think I was not best please to be bulls eyed so well. Hence the saying.

Thank you Hels!

What a wonderful way to wake up on a Sunday morning and find this has been given to me. It does give you a warm feeling inside. Thanks Hels it was a wonderful surprise.

So here are the 5 facts about myself:

1. I hate the fact that I now need to wear glasses. I now feel blind without them when crafting or reading. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
2. Ok that was my one negative fact. All the rest are upbeat. Talking about beat I think my all time favourite band is the Rolling Stones. I just wish they wrote songs now as good as in their hay day. Their new stuff just does not do it for me!
3. I love to have lilies in the house. They just smell so beautiful!!!!
4. Broad beans picked straight from the garden and cooked lightly. Yummmmmmm!
5. I must have a good cup of coffee in the morning. A real ritual.

So here are just so many people I would like to give this award to, but I have to choose only 5. So here goes.

Artyjen 

Shar

Ali

Carol

Marion

Pink card with Christmas Tree

This is the challenge over on Something Completely Different this week. Pink card with Christmas Tree. 

The card is from Paper Temptress who are sponsoring Gingersnaps this month. It is a good weight card that is pink on one side and orange on the other. This is a colour combination I think you either love or hate. I love it. The top of the card for the Christmas tree is cut from the back piece and is just left straight. The stamp is one I have had for a few years which I love. Cannot remember who it is by or where it came from. I have used Stazon and stamped onto, you've guessed it, my favourite metal tomato puree tube. I have then embossed into the writing to give it more dimension. I have stitched the edges and beaded them to suggest the decorations without complicating the words. Layered onto purple card and adorned with a large star on the top and then placed on to the pink card.

The decorations are  Paper Artsy stamps.

Play Date Cafe No.3

This is my entry this week for the Play Date Cafe. Another fantastic stamp by Stampotique available from The Stamp Attic. I feel it has a very poignant message that is relevant for our times.

Three Kings Tag: Tag Tuesday

This is my tag for Tag Tuesday.

The challenge was to make a tag from something other than paper and card. So I have used my favourite Tomato puree tube. Metal embossed on a mold and embellishments added.

Holly & Ivy, Red, Green & Gold

Over on Something Completely Different this week it is a new month and a new challenge. Christmas Cards, starting with Holly and Ivy with red, green and gold.

I have inked the background paper. Can't remember how as did it ages ago. I think I tried to do some resist stamping which didn't work to well and then just played with greens. The Holly stamp is a DeNami stamp. One of the very first stamps I bought. I liked the movement within it. After stamping I loosely used an embossing pen to roughly add colour to the leaves. I didn't want neatness more a sense of freedom to it, and used Verdigris embossing powder. The red berries were done in the same way but obviously using red embossing powder this time. The red card was randomly stamped with a Paper Artsy stamp and gold embossed.

Play Date Cafe No: 2

This is my entry for the second Play Date Cafe Challenge. The colours being orange yellow and black. Thoroughly enjoyed this second play. Why not take a look for yourselves.

The stamp is a Stampotique stamp called Queen of Life. Available in the UK at The Stamp Attic.

Reasons to Stamp in November with Gingersnaps

Housewife Day November 3rd

This is me every day when it comes to housework.

Stir up Sunday November 22nd

There is an actual recipe on the tag for Christmas Pudding if you can actually read it. The stamp is one of Paper Artsy's. 

National Espresso Day

How I love my coffee in the morning! I can feel it surging through my body waking it up.

This is also one of my favourite quotes "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single cup of coffee."

See all the other makes for reasons to stamp over on Gingersnaps. There are some great makes this month.

Stamp, paint, metal: Lots to Do Challenge

Oh how I enjoyed myself with this one! The Lots to Do Challenge this week. Sloshing paint and ink over the background. Throwing salt on it and waiting (boring) to dry. Then I could use the wonderful quirky Stampotique stamps, available from The Stamp Attic and Happy Daze in the UK. I also used some Paperbag Studio  stamps on the background. Which leads me to a question: Has anyone found the best ink pad to use over glimmery paints/inks. I find they all tend to sink behind the glimmer rather than sitting on top? I have tried Versafine, Archival, Stazon and Versacraft. I must admit I forget to try Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Soot Black. Maybe this would do the job? 

Halloween Inchie

Well here is my final inchie for October with Something Completely Different. Well this is Something Completely Different for me! You may have read earlier in the blog that I have been trying to learn Photoshop. Well this is me using photoshop for my inchie. The scary images came from a download I purchased from Itkupilli. She has some fabulous downloads many very suitable for Halloween. You can find her link on the side. I don't know about you but I find this image rather haunting and certainly scary!

So this is a new departure, new adventure in using digital images to create something! Quite a basic beginning but a beginning. I must spend more time learning photoshop I have been rather off the boil with it currently. So many other things to do! Not enough time!

What is quite peculiar is I have been re playing in photoshop and somehow, happy accident, created this colourway. seems even more scary than the one over on Something Completely Different. Why not take a lok and see which you think is scarier.

Time Flies: Artsy Craft Weekend

I was also very lucky to attend the Artsy Craft weekend. It was great. Lots and lots of crafting. New techniques learnt and new friends made. To attend was quite a big decision as it was quite expensive. Worth it but I did think of all the wonderful craft materials I could buy with the same outlay. However I was thrilled to go. Had a great time and would be very tempted to go again. Leandra and Lin were wonderful as were their whole team! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This was my take on "Time Flies". I could not resist adding legs and a head to the main piece to create a wacky bird which could, maybe, actually fly!

The centre section was a new technique to me. UTE powder melted in a melt pot. Poured into a cookie cutter mould with the stamped card on the base. Quite tricky. I had several attempts at it before achieving this less than perfect example.

Halloween Night with the Play Date Cafe

Fingers crossed I am just in time.

Risque

I think I may have just managed to join in Gothic Arches this week by the skin of my teeth? Fingers crossed. This is my contribution to "Risque"

Halloween: Wednesday Stamper

Here is an item I made for the Wednesday Stamper. Halloween is a great fun subject for making things. Why not join in the fun?

"Face" Inchies: Something Completely Different

Over on Something Completely Different this month there has been an inchie challenge. This week the challenge is caled "Face". I have found inchies quite a challenge. They seem such a small item to stand alone. Part of a larger piece I find easier. However as the weeks have past I think I am learning and am finally getting my head around them. 


I even made another inchie just because..... I actually do think I am eventually getting my head around them. This stamp is part of one of the Crafty Individuals Tree landscape.

Cornish Heritage Farm : Haute Couture

I haven't posted for a few days so I thought I would duplicate a posting I did for Gingersnaps. Just incase anyone else is interested who does not know Gingersnaps.

Cornish Heritage Farms were very generous and sent the Gingersnap design team a selection of their stamps. I was sent the sheet called Haute Couture which had a wonderful image of the Eiffel Tower and some very elegant Parisian Women. I have had great fun using these stamps to create several cards and a tag. The quality of the stamps is great and they stamp really well.

Cornish Heritage Farms are sponsoring Gingersnaps this month and we have all been enjoying using their images. These are some of my creations.

Lots to Do and Brights

Boy! (where does this expression come from?) there has been lots to do this week. As you can see this is not a finished piece but something I have been picking up from time to time during the week and playing with in my sketchbook. I have been very inspired by Marion who makes wonderful things. Do visit her blog Bockel 24. I just love her work. She very kindly posted some instructions a while back as to how to start. So this is me trying to find the way to go. Still a long way to go! 

I have linked to the Lots to Do challenge in case anyone is interested.

Brads with Gingersnaps

This is my brad contribution with the Gingersnap challenge. The stamp is one of the Cornish Heritage Farms stamp sheet called Fashionista. it is a great stamp sheet to play with. Cornish Heritage Farms are the sponsors this month over on Gingersnaps and if you play along there is a chance you may win some of their stamps. Why not have a go.

I will be posting some more makes that I have put together using these stamps very soon.

The Three Muses: Numerology

It was only when I was checking the words in Alice in Wonderland that I realized the words I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!" were actually from a Walt Disney film. The words on the tag are the actual words from the book. Thank you The Three Muses for another great challenge.

Gothic Arches: Famous Person

As you can see I decided to base my Gothic Arch famous person on Leonardo Da Vinci. I thought I had to add facts to the piece so this is what I have done including a self portrait of himself. He sounds as it he was the most amazing person. He was an illegitimate child of  a Florentine notary, and Caterina, a peasant. Leonardo was an architect, musician, engineer, scientist and inventor. He wrote most of his notes using mirror writing. Some believe that this was to keep his ideas secret. Here are some other facts from Buzzle.com

• Leonardo sketched the first parachute, first helicopter, first aeroplane, first tank, first repeating rifle, swinging bridge, paddleboat and the first motorcar.
• Leonardo was very much interested in the possibility of human flight. He produced many studies of the flight of birds and plans for several flying machines.
• He was also a sculptor, designer of costumes, mathematician and botanist.
• He made maps of Europe.
• He invented the scissors and hydraulic pumps.
• He designed a movable bridge for the Duke of Milan.
• He invented the bicycle 300 years before it appeared on the road.
• He drew the plans of the first armored car in 1485. 
  
• Leonardo would wear pink to make his complexion look fresh.
  
• He never married or had children.
  
• He was undeniably one of the greatest thinkers and well ahead of his time by hundreds of years.

These are just some of the extraordinary facts about this unique man.

Lots to Do Challenge: Cities

This is my contribution to the Lots to Do Challenge on Cities. I decided to make a mini folding book. It reminds me of a delightful week I had with my daughters and my very best friend in July this year. And yes we did do the Millennium Wheel. In fact we just got on before a wedding party entered the very next carriage, so we witnessed a wedding ceremony take place whilst we turned full circle.

Harvest Blessings

Over on Gingersnaps the sponsor this month is Cornish Heritage Farms. They very kindly sent us some stamps to use. The words Harvest Blessing is from one of their word sheets called 

'Friendly Kritters Holiday Expressions'

I really made this  to sponsor their kindness. There are some very useful expressions on this sheet. I felt this Paperbag Studios stamp portrayed the right mood.

LEARN PHOTOSHOP FOR FREE

I have been thoroughly enjoying these lessons. They are just brilliant classes. Very visual learning from people who use photoshop as their profession. You see their screen and the buttons they press right in front of you. I find it so much easier than reading a book. 

I found them so great that I have also purchased the downloads. 5 weeks for $45. Each lesson is over an hour long and I will have them available to refer to over and over again.

Last week they also hosted Lesa who did an amazing lesson on masks. She even showed us how to paint with a black paint brush to reveal layers underneath. Just amazing. If you are at all interested I suggest you go check it out!!!!

http://creativetechs.com/tipsblog/free-6-month-photoshop-course/

Harvest

Cornish Heritage Farms are the sponsors for all of the challenges on Gingersnap Challenges this month.

There is a lovely stamp up for grabs, perfect for Autumn, winter and Christmas makes, called the pines. So come over and play and be in for the chance to win the stamp.

I know my contribution is quite similar to a make I did recently but I find it a powerful image and very evocative for me. I do find it extraordinary when the moon rises and it is visible so close to the horizon. It just looks so big. Most often seen around this time of year and often a wonderful rich orangey red colour, filling the sky red. I just had to make another version, this time with golden embossed pears ready for the reaping of the harvest.

Mad Hatter's Day over at Gingersnaps.

The Hatter is usually referred to as the Mad Hatter. However he is never called this by Lewis Carroll in the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I have made this for two reasons: 

The first being it is October 6th,  Reason to Stamp Day over at Gingersnaps and it is Mad Hatter Day. 

The second reason is that  Alice was based on a girl called Alice Liddell and believe it or not I am actually related to her.

Tag Tuesday: Birds

Pink Sky at Night

Shepherds Delight

I love tags and I love birds, and I love trees so I was very happy when I just had enough time to play tags this week. This is my make for Tag Tuesday.

Tuesday Taggers: Trees: Morning Light

I just found time to contribute this week to Tuesday Taggers. Here is my tree entry. I want to call it Morning Light as it rises through the trees.

This week The Craft Barn are sponsoring the prize of a £15 voucher to spend with them.

Zlightly Zetti Challenge with The Three Muses.

Great challenge. I feel much better after having made this. I was feeling really crotchety before. I am in the zone now.A great weight feels it has been lifted off my shoulders. Up to now I was doing jobs I just did not want to do. I just wanted to play. Gosh don't I sound like a spoilt child. Why not join The Three Muses and play along!

Oriental Inchies

Here are my first inchies for the Something Completely Different challenge. 

The first tag is my first make where I treated every inch as a new image, canvas.

Then I read a very inspirational tutorial by Ali Manning over on Gingersnaps which resulted in the second tag. It is well worth a read. I found it great.

Autumn Gothic Arch

This is my contribution to Gothic Arches. The theme being Autumn. This is the first time I have taken part in this challenge and I came across it from Sam's Blog. Thank you.

For me fungi really depict autumn. I have two brothers who are great fungi hunters and are very good at recognizing them. But enjoy cooking and eating them even more.

The Stamp Attic: Blog Candy

There is this great blog candy up for grabs over at The Stamp Attic if you love books and altering things.

ABC Moo

This is my first contribution to Something Completely Different Challenge as part of their design team. The background was a scrap that I had left over from a previous project and had been coloured with Glimmer Mists. The main stamp is a Paper Artsy stamp and the bottom border was just a small foam stamp I had in the drawer. The ABC's where from a stamp set I bought years ago, which I stamped onto script paper and cut out. I also wanted to emphasis the pen so treated that in the same way.