How chuffed am I!

Over on Crafty Cardmakers this week we have a very special guest - GOD - I mean Kim Reygate! The way I developed over the years has been influenced somewhat by Kim and also Cath Wilson. I think this card is an ode to both!

Our challenge is INKY FINGERS *smiles* I was going to do an alcohol ink background but whilst rummaging I found some posh metallic inks I've had forever so gave them a dust down.



I started with 4 colours and placed drops of them onto a craft mat. I then gave a few blasts of glimmer mist iridescent gold (You can just use water)

Next I placed a piece of glossy card on top and turned the card slightly (about an inch) and peeled it off. You can repeat this, add mre drops just play with it. The colours tend to get muddy after the 2nd time.

I made myself a few backgrounds like this and stamped the starburst fairies from The Stampman and embossed. I embossed the fairies with jewelled gold powder but do feel it would be better with black too (I used moonglow midnight violet) The edges of the card I used wrn lipstick distress ink and overstamped another of Tracey Coates stamps frm the butterfly beauties set in the corners using brilliance ink in pink. Added some bling bling and the corner text stamp which I bought at Shamelas in South Africa and the brand escapes me (I'll add laterz)

The inks are metallic and have a very shiny appearance - wonder why theyve been in the cupboard this long!

Would like to enter into...

Gingersnap - Wings (Chestnut challenge)

Pile it On - Paper

Crafty Anns - Embossing

Is it safe to come out yet?

Now the male themed explosion of challenges has passed? Not my forte lol!

Lots of news and happenings to report today!

Last Friday I got a mail off Ann from the Inspirational DT asking if they could feature me - hell yeah!! Here's my feature
That means I get a covetted Inspirational blinkie woooooo hooooooo! Thank You sooo much (Does the happy dance!)

Next news is The Stampman have opened up their brand spanky new ATC Swap blog. This is to actually swap ATC's with a monthly theme. My teamie Janet will be running that, she's had a lot of experience doing this so pop on over and have a look, there is some great candy on offer!

And finally a card (or two!) These were for order so I've customised the bride & groom matching the hair and dress colours. Image is Bride & Groom by Jade (digi) by Dewdrop Craftz. I've coloured with promarkers, edged with distress ink and added glamour dust to the dress and veils using a glue pen. They've had a spray or three of pearl glimmer mist. The flowers are from wild orchid crafts.

Entering into...

Craftalicious - Monotone
Crafty Catz - Go digital
Gingersnap - Shades of Blue

Crafts & Me challenge #7 - Birthdays!

I'm reeeeeally late posting this, had such a mad busy week, low or no connection speed (Thats when Molly hasnt pulled all the keys off my keyboard again!)
Anyhow I shall crack on and catch up lol!

Its my turn to host Crafts & Me's latest challenge and I've chosen Birthdays. It was Molly's 2nd and Nan's 90th yesterday! Nan is having her party next Friday so she'll be in for a bit of a surprise lol!

The image Ive used for this challenge is Come Softly by sweet pea stamps available at Crafts & Me in the UK. I've coloured with Promarkers and used nesties labels 11.

I'd like to enter this into...

Crafty Creations - Shine (lots of iridescent gems and sprayed with pearl glimmer mist)
Creative Craft challenge - Stamp it up
Bunny Zoe - Nice & Girly

An easel post it holder

Good evening! Hope you're all enjoying the gorgeous weather we're having! I've been in a right muddle this week with seeing my eldest DD off to Crete and dealing with my youngest DD who's 2 in a weeks time and her antics, you really DONT want to know!!

I've been literally drained this week with her and asked Teresa for the week off as I wasnt feeling too creative and been run off my ickle legs, of course she said yes being Teresa but today it was really nice out, the kids found some old toys I'd stashed so they were like 'new' to them and were having a ball so I managed to come up with this :D

Its an easel card combined with a post it note holder so it will last a long time for the recipient as the post it part is easily replaceable. I used the sketch from Sweet Pea Stampers and have used the image "It's my Birthday" by sweet pea stamps available at Crafts & Me (They also have some fab new stamp plates in this week and some very exciting news so go have a looksie!)

BTW if you didn't know they also have a blog for the shop where all the DT post once a week plus we have customer creations days where you can submit your designs, have a look at it here as you might miss some fantastic designs & inspirations!

Image is coloured with promarkers with glamour dust on the wings, sakura stardust pens and stickles on the flowers. Its had a spray or three of pearl glimmer mist and added lots of sticky gems - there I feel better after my mans card hehe!
The post it holder opens up and can be replaced when you've run out :)
Cute little text stamps are by Stamping all Day, papers DCWV and not sure about the stripy one as Helen gave it me! Flowers are Wild Orchid (top ones altered with a promarker)


Entering into...

Sweet Pea Stampers - Sketch
My time to craft - Xtra special
One stitch at a time - Celebrations
Meljens - Fibres, ribbon or lace
Charisma - All about bling (Oh yes!)

Crafty Cardmakers #23 Mens cards!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! Its Man Card time over at Crafty Cardmakers! You know how much I just luuuuuurve man cards (NOT!) hehehe!

I'm rather late posting this week, had soooo much I've needed to do, my schedule is all squiffy and my youngest DD is driving me round the bend! My eldest DD has flown off to Crete for her first holiday without us old duffers so hope she has a good time! She's learnt not to have ice in her drink lol!

Our Special guest over at Crafty Cardmakers is Sandy Hulsart who has a wonderful stampscapes & photoscapes blog here

I was extremely short on time to make my card this week (uploaded 8 minutes before live!) so this was a really quick make using an alcohol inked background I saw on Sandy's blog and thought That'll do!

I applied alcohol inks with a stiple brush and blending solution, dropped a few droplets of ink on, dropped more drops of solution on and gave it a spray with iridescent gold glimmer mist (Well I have to have sparkle dont I!!)

Stamped the mountains and cove, oak tree branch and man in boat and used brilliance ink around the edge to make a spotlight. Its all done on linen card for a textured effect. I've also spread paper glaze on the water bit.

10 minute make (which is totally unheard of from me!) and I've no mans birthdays for a while ha!

Entering into...

Cards for Men - Fathers Day

Magical Crafts - Fathers Day

Pear Tree Designs - Fathers Day

Incy Wincy - One for the guys

An antidote card!

I'm psyching myself up to do a man's card aaaaargggghhh! So as an antidote to even thinking about doing one I made this PINK creation!

Passion for Promarkers want PINK so I'm obliging! Pollycraft want ribbon and bling so yep got that and I love Promarkers provided the sketch.

Image is Kiki with cake by Pollycraft. I won a £10 voucher for there a few weeks back and this was one of the digis I treated myself to. I think she's such a cutie and perfect for birthdays. The cakes I ummed and ahhed over colouring the cake icing in pink, I had a bit of a problem colouring pink icing in the past, the girls from I love promarkers team are probably having a little chuckle to themselves right now lol! I've added dimensional magic glaze to them and sprinkled with pink microbeads, the cherry is a sticky gem.

I've edged the image with distress inks in spun sugar and worn lipstick with crushed olive and peeled paint for the grass.
Papers are unknown (bought loose from LCS) and I've used some pink starburst stains stamped with a flower and also stamped the circle text stamp from Stamping All Day on starburst stains too. Flowers are from wild orchid crafts, all were white except the yellow one and are coloured with promarkers and/or distress inks.
All of it has been sprayed with glimmer mist (pearl) for some sparkle.

Entering this into

Pollycraft - Ribbon & Bling
I love Promarkers - Sketch
Passion for Promarkers - Pink birthday
Cupcake - Dazzle us

Thanks for looking :)

Right now to tackle that mans card - aaaaaargh I dont wannnnnnna do it!!!!!!!!!! Can you see the trench marks from my heels dragging!

Are we ready for the world cup?

Not long now until world cup 2010 opens in South Africa! Now in case you didn't know or have dropped by my blog and scratched your head wondering why I am waving a South African flag my OH is South African, I'm an honorary one and have 2 "half saffers" We do encourage that side of their culture, we have Braai's (BBQ) drink rooibos (red bush tea) and sometimes when we find it have boerewors (sausage) although my local butcher says he'll make it when its a "hot summer" i.e NEVER!

My favourite colour was always lilac until I went to Cape Town and everything is blue! This is my DD on top of Table mountain above the lions head and Robben Island to the right where Nelson Mandela spent many years imprisonned. Everywhere was blue blue blue and this was coming into WINTER! Seemed really bizarre seeing Winter Sales signs in June lol!



Onto this weeks card which you may remember seeing me colour a couple of weeks ago - Seeing Through available at Crafts and Me. I'm very pushed for time this week, got 2 poorly sick kids so have been run off my feet so I thought I'd use one of the images I coloured previously and mount on some lovely paper printed from Designer Extremes vol 3. I had this crazy idea to add this black velvet sticky swirly stuff which looks really bulky in the photo, its not but is a major pain to use it and I now remember why its been sat in my drawer for over a year ha! The card does look better than the photo but I might pull it apart again and reuse the image.

Its coloured with promarkers with glamour dust on the gloves, necklace and roses with fantasy film wings :)

Crafts & Me Challenge #6 - For friends or family

Challenge time again over at Crafts & Me and this time Amy has set the challenge "For friends or family" which should drop in nicely for fathers day cards too!
We're sponsored by Digistamp Boutique and I chose "Single Flower" image - honest it is lol!

For the background I used the flowerhead and enlarged, overlapped and greyed out then I've used larger and smaller versions of the flower to make a posy overlapping them and erasing the lines, I also erased the leaves as it was easier to see what I was doing then added them in at the end.

Its coloured with promarkers in purples and pinks although it doesnt look it, its all then coloured with sakura stardust pen in clear so its very sparkly. Ive stamped a sentiment stamp which I won on stampin for the weekend blog ages ago and I've added white ribbon, distressed the edges with worn lipstick and victorian velvet distress inks and added some flowers to the centres for more dimension and the edges to frame which I coloured with alcohol inks and iridescent gold glimmer mist.

Entering into...

Tuesday Taggers - All that blooms
A spoonful of sugar - Floral Delights
Charisma Cardz - Flowers (entry 2)
Paperplay - Flowers & Sparkle
Stamp Something - Digi day
Crazy challenge - Distress it


Hope you can come join us at Crafts & Me challenge! Thanks for looking :)

BTW there is a tutorial HERE that I wrote on merging digital images if you want to have a play. Works in PSP and other programs :)

A card for a Princess

My Princess to be exact! Little Miss Moo is going to be 2 this month (Same day as my Nan!) and I thought for a while what I wanted to make as this is something that will be put away in her memory box. I've used Princess Tilda from Sir Stampalot, I really like the fairytales range!
I knew I wanted to make something a bit different and found it on Debbie Dolphins blog - A flip flap card or whatever its called lol! Here's Debbie's Card.

Next I went searching for the right text stamps and found them at Stamping All Day I've used 3 from there - Fairy Princess, May your dreams come true and Princess circle. I think these go really well with the Magnolia fairytales.

I'll try and explain as I go along how I've made it! I started with 3 cards size 5 1/2" by 5" and used stampin up whisper white cardstock as its quite thin (HIGHLY RECOMMEND for Promarkers!) so wont be as bulky when I start putting the layers on. Two of the cards I cut one side in half and glued these to the base card. Ive decorated completely with a new Stampin Up set called Cottage Wall. I was round Helen's the other day and asked if she had any nice, pretty, princessy papers and she brought out this new set which is one of the new colour ranges, I was actually thinking of doing this card in pink but I really like how these papers work together.

I've coloured Tilda with promarkers in pale lilacs (using the blender) and maroon & burgundy and added glamour dust with a glue pen to the gloves, underskirt & waistband. The crown I stamped with stazon onto holographic silver paper and paper pieced it and added sticky gems. The shoes I've given a coat of aileens paper glaze so they're shiny like patent leather.

With Tilda I learnt a new trick to place the image outside of the frame. A lady did email me a while ago with destuctions but I couldnt twig how to do it. I finally saw a video on you tube and as I'm a visual learner I clicked straightaway how its done - The video is here.
I've used Nesties labels 4 and edged that with victorian velvet distress ink.

Flowers are all from hobbycraft and the leaf is a woodware punch (grass) I've given all of it a spray of glimmer mist (pearl) so its got a subtle sparkle.

On the inside I've repeated the Tilda and punched it out with a circle scallop punch, the reverse of that I've put the Princess circle stamp and paper pieced the crown with the silver holographic paper. I've made another circle to match the front and used some lace to make a border and added a picture of my little Princess, stamped some number 2's and the may all your dreams come true. On the other side of the flap I've put Molly in sticky letters and covered with silver holographic glitter.

The borders down the middle of the front and on the edge of the flaps is a martha stewart doily lace punch.

This card took almost 2 days to make, well inbetween the kids and whatnot but it was a looooong time but my princess is worth it :D


Entering this into...

Just Magnolia - Lace borders (On the circle on the inside)
Sir Stampalot - Punches (2nd entry)
Sketch Saturday - Sketch (Hope it counts as its the one I followed!)
Ooh la-la - Colour Inspiration
A Spoonful of Sugar - Celebrations
Pollycraft - Hidden Message

FRONT OF DESIGN

INSIDE WITH BOTH FLAPS CLOSED

INSIDE WITH BOTH FLAPS OPEN

CLOSE UP OF MY PRINCESS!

BACK OF THE CIRCLE ON INSIDE.

Sweet Pea - Koi

Last night I was thinking I need to do my DT card for this week for Crafts and Me and had a rummage through my stamps. As I was a bit pushed for time I thought I'd go for one of the easier designs and for some reason my mind wandered off track and I picked up Koi which is one of the newer stamps in the range and one of the more challenging! I do like a challenge though lol! I think if I chose a wider range of colours it would be easier but I was sticking to an orange/yellow theme so had to think a bit to get a good contrast!

I've coloured her with promarkers and accented with sakura stardust pens. I used the blender pen quite a lot with this one to get the effects on her tail and clothes. The actual Koi and her tail I've painted with glossy accents and added glamour dust on the tail.
The ribbon I've coloured using a matching promarker (amber) and the background is starburst stains bachelor button blue which I've used a puddling technique so it looks like water. The little tag stamp can be found here.

Entering into...

Cute Card Thursday - Orange, blue and black

Charisma - Flowers

Quixotic - Go Wild (There is a fish there lol!)

Right-o I'm off on my first bike ride of the year, wish me luck lol! The kids love it so we're going down the trans pennine to grab some tea!

"KOI" can be purchased via Crafts & Me in the UK. Thanks for looking!

Jill said "Hey Vix, how'd you fancy...."

Jill from The Stampman likes to challenge her brood from time to time and this time as I was helping pack up following Port Sunny Jill says, "Hey Vix, how'd you fancy having a play with this?" and hands me a packet. The packet is some 12x12 sheets of Claudine Hellmuth sticky back CANVAS. Canvas I ask you!! Jill says maybe play with your starburst stains offering some helpful advice....


Yesterday I had a bit of a rampage and tidy up and I like feeling new and fresh around the house and I took out a sheet of this sticky back canvas and thought Hmmmm, hmmmm. Had a quick flick round some challenges to inspire me and decided I wanted to use my promarkers but not only that to colour "The Eyes" in skin tones as well I'm challenging myself using something new so I think I'm pretty good at colouring The Eyes in greyscale and have never actually tried it regular colours yet. Now to do The Eyes the way I do it requires a huge amount of the blender so this was no different only normally I use whisper white cardstock which lets the colours float around a bit so I can manipulate them, on canvas it doesn't, put a promarker on and it spreads like wildfire so I just adjust the way I colour to allow for the different surface. Its quite stiff so you can punch it and shape it too so watch this space for more playing with it!

And as I was in one of "those" moods I also made the background with luna lights paints I've had forever and overstamped with one of the bubbles stamps from the same set as the eyes (Alluring Ladies by Tracey Coates available at The Stampman)
I was actually going to layer and whatnot but once I'd done the stamping on the luna lights background I thought it looked quite sweet as is :)

So the image is indeed coloured with Promarkers on canvas using the blender pen and also some help from adirondack blending solution, I've also used sakura stardust pens in black and clear and smudged them. The flower is made from leftover luna light background and moonshadow ink punched out and I've used a Martha Stewart punch on some white card sprayed with iridescent gold glimmer mist. Added some sparkly hearts and gems (the hearts are from the papermill)

So Jill did I pass the challenge (Blows raspberry!)

Entering into...

Sir Stampalot - Punch It
Mixed Media Monday - Personal symbols & myths
One Stitch at a time - Something new
Crafty Creations - Favourite Stamp

Vixykins does CUTE

Oh yes she does (sometimes shhhh!) I got asked to do a Christening card so made this. Image is a forever friends bear coloured with promarkers. It actually took me 5 minutes to colour which is bizarre for me given I usually spend an hour or two but it was ready in 5! The flowers I coloured with sakura stardust pens and I've used an old favourite divine swirls cuttlebug embossing folder and my new labels 4 nesties which I got from Jill at The Stampman. Text is computer generated and both that and the image are edged with distress ink in chipped sapphire and weathered wood.

Entering into

Crafty Catz - Boys (Its a christening card for a boy)