Another Emerald Faerie

Evening!  Quick post before I hit the sack!  Been out today trying out mottie-bikes.  Have decided to go for full bike licence funds allowing so was getting a feel of what's available.  Have not had much interest mainly as I always thought they'd be way to big for me at just under 5ft 2 but all that changed a couple of weeks ago when I saw a suzuki which was really low I thought I could ride that!  My OH has a Tiger and its enormous so thats all I've seen really so was an eye opener to find that there were bikes around I could fit on!  Sat on a Kawasaki ER6F and they demonstrated what it would be lke lowered, seat changed and whatnot and to be honest it felt a bit heavy then I tried a kawasaki ninja (which I love!) but it was a little 250 and I felt very comfortable.  Now we have the issue of whether to do the direct access or not as a 250 I wouldn't need to, I'd only need CBT and test and ride for 2 years which I'm happy with or go for the direct access course and ride anything.  OH reckons I'll want something bigger/better very soon and doesnt think I'd want the 250 for very long so hmmm, would love to hear your thoughts if you ride.  I really did like that ninja though....

Anyway I made this and wanted to share, have remebered to do my promarker list which is below.  Its a digi and is Emerald Faerie gardens and its called Ally & Beeble which is here.  I wanted to do a bold hot pink with green for this so chose some papers by Bearly Mine (always hand having digi papers as you never run out!)  I made a lollipop flower out of Starburst Stains using Bougainvillea fuschia and Fern Green and also used on the die cut Tim swirl which is here (and very useful!)

Hope you like and thanks for looking :)

Would like to enter into....

Emerald Faeries - Anything goes (3rd entry)

Allsorts - Things with wings

Stamp Something - Use a sentiment

2 sisters - Anything goes

Creations by Gill M - Green & Pink & Flowers

Crafty Catz - Green & pink

Fun with shapes & more - Die cut & sparkle

A spoonful of sugar - Wings

Claudia & Co - Girls birthday

Stamps r us - use a digi

Scrappy Frogs - Birthdays

Promarkers used
Skin - Ivory, blush, sandstone, soft peach
Hair - Vanilla, cocoa, umber
Stalk & Shorts - Meadow, olive
Flower & Clothes - Baby pink, mulberry, fuschia, maroon
Ladybird - Red, burgundy, cool grey 2, 4 & 5
Blender

Evening all!

Evening all!  Been having a little play today so I'm showing these 2 makes.  First one is the new stamps by The Stampman which fit perfectly into certain nestabilities, this one is from the scalloped framies sheet here that fits inside Petite Scalloped Circles Large nestabilities here.  Its embossed with detail white embossing powder and I added a simple peel off sentiment and a couple of tiny punched butterflies and added some paper flowers to frame it.  These stamps are really versatile and can be used in a complex design or a more clean and simple one for most occasions.



Would like to enter this into...

ABC Challenge - V for Violet
Creative craft challenges - restful colours
Anything goes challenge - Bingo (Ribbon, flowers, die cut)
I did it creations - anything goes

This one is another stamp from The Stampman and is from the Aspects of Design 01 Floral sheet which is featured in this months Craft Stamper.  I coloured with promarkers and then added 3d gloss and a sprinkle of glamour dust.  I'm playing with my doilys again lol!  I coloured that with victorian velvet distress ink and also added some sparkle with glamour dust.

Would like to enter this into...

I love promarkers - Pearls
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
Crafting for all seasons - anything goes
Truly Scruptious - anything goes
Papertake weekly - Pastels
Woodware USA - Anything goes

Nearly the weekend so hope everyone has fun!  Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it x

Die cuts and Lace at Bearly Mine

The challenge this fortnight over at Bearly Mine Challenges is Die cuts & Lace.  There are fab prizes from Teddy Bo, Crafts & Me, Fred She Said and of course Bearly Mine up for grabs!

For this I used a digi image by Crafts and Me designed by Hannah Lynn called Aliah coloured with promarkers and I used my new martha punch around the page, my die cut bits are the image and the swirls which are classic scalloped rectangles large and Tim Holtz Bigz Elegant Flourishes.  Little text stamp is here.  Papers are from Bearly Mine and are from the spring blossoms and spring flights set.  By the way they are having a design team call on so pop over if you're interested, Donna's papers are fantastic to work with and have lots of variety so you never tire of them :)

I'd like to enter this into...

2 Sisters - Use a digi
Crafty Emmas - Embellish it
Stamps r us - Use a digi
Crafty Catz - Anything goes
Sew many cards - flowers & lace

Passion for #Promarkers Mega Challenge

Well its been 6 months and now time to hand back over to team 1 at Passion for Promarkers so this is my last week until the end of the year.  Its also their 2nd Anniversary so to celebrate we are having the 2 teams posting and are creating 2's - 2 images, embellishments, flowers etc you get the gist!  There are some awesome prizes up for grabs for this one - more to win so better the chance!  Prizes are listed below...

** Letraset are offering 2 x stamping kits **

** Whiff of joy stamps are offering a Nora & Ben “forever friends” stamp **

** Some Odd Girl stamps are offering 3 digis of winner’s choice **

** Crafty Emma’s store is offering a £15.00 voucher for her online store **

** Bearly Mine Designs are offering 4 digis of winner’s choice **

** The Emerald Faerie Garden are offering 4 digi images of winner’s choice **

** Joanna Sheen are offering a £10.00 voucher to their online store **

** Pink Gem Designs are offering 2 digis of winner’s choice **

Wowzers hey!  How fab are they?!

For this I used items from some of the sponsors - Promarkers of course by Letraset! I have also used a new digi by The Emerald Faerie Garden called Willy & Mia, I went for this as its 2 faeries and I did a reflection for another '2' along with 2 flowers and pearls. The paper I used is by Bearly Mine Designs from the designer extremes 3 cd.


Would like to enter into...

Make it colorful - Water scene
Totally Gorjuss - Water
One stop craft - Fairytales
Emerald Faeries - Anything goes

For those that asked how to do the reflection, basically if you're famliar with picture editting software like paint shop pro then do this adding new layers each time...

1. Make a copy and flip

2. Reduce the visibility of the flipped image to about 70% so it prints grey not black

3. New layer and add either a straight or draw a curved waterline

4. Print then colour same as main image using a lighter hand

5. Take blender pen and colour right over it to reduce colour

6. optional - colour over with a white coloursoft/prisma pencil

voila!

The Stampman and a Toddle Waddle

Late again!  I'm being plagued by headaches lately, not full blown ones, just the dull ones that refuse to budge and the PC makes them worse so not been on much.  Perhaps I should have an eye test?
Anyway I should have posted this on Friday but my head has been sooooo sore my blogging mojo disappeared so sorry for the delay!

The challenge this fortnight at The Stampman is a really fun one and is a bingo card - you have a box of options and can choose any straight or diagonal line so there's lots of options to choose from!  I went for the top straight line using Blue, embossing powder and stitches.
For this I used one of the new Scalloped Circle framie stamps by The Stampman.  These fit perfectly into the corresponding nestability dies.  Its stamped and embossed with moonglow midnight teal and coloured with my 2 favourite colours broken china and spun sugar distress stains.  I added some punched butterflies and mounted on coredinations black magic card.

Do pop over this fortnight to The Stampman and have a go at this fab challenge!

I'd like to enter into...

Creative stamp friends - Favourite colours
Pennys - Anything goes
Flutterby wednesday - open
Craft us crazy - New and/or fav embellishment (new stamp, fav gems)

Kids did a sponsored toddle waddle on friday with a teddy bears picnic, the weather was looking dodgy but rain stayed off all morning yay!  They really enjoyed it and got a medal at the end so I had Molly shouting "I'm a winner" all weekend lol!

Anything Goes with optional Kraft

This week over at Crafts & Me Challenges it is an Anything Goes with an optional of using Kraft - thats that lovely browny coloured card!
For this I used a sneak peek of a new stamp coming soon to Crafts & Me and is Day Dreamer by Sara Burrier.  I;ve coloured with promarkers and derwent coloursoft pencils and lookie lookie my first ever doily haha!  You wont believe how excited I was to have doilys!  Butterfly is new punch coloured with pink distress inks which I also coloured th doily with (spun sugar and worn lipstick)  DP is by bearly mine and I used kraft card embossed with dvine swirls and punched with martha stewart punch french scroll.

Would like to enter into...

One stitch at a time - Anything goes
Scrappy frogs - anything goes
Flutterby Wednesday - open week
A spoonful of sugar - anything goes
Papertake - floral
Emerald faeries - anything goes

I have been asked to list the colours so I shall do my best to remember lol!

SKIN TONES - Ivory, Blush, Soft Peach, Sandstone

HAIR - Buttercup, Vanilla, Tan

Flower - Baby Pink, Carnation, Fuschia, (dark grey pencil)

DRESS - Vanilla, Caramel, Cocoa, (dark brown pencil)

WINGS - Baby Pink, Primrose, Pastel Yellow 

STEM/LEAVES - Apple, Grass

Red, White & Blue plus a Charm at Passion for #Promarkers

Over at Passion for Promarkers this week the theme is Red, White & Blue with a Charm with a prize of 6 images from Digistamp Boutique up for grabs.  For this I used a stamp I won over at Lexi's by Whiff of Joy coloured with promarkers.  To get the shine on the umbrella like that leave a white gap when you colour in then use the blender pen to smudge it over, add a bit more colour and repeat then add dark grey or a darker red and blue on the edges.  I had a play with my new round the page punch (french scroll) and butterfly punch, umbrella charm from stash.

Would like to enter into...

Incy Wincy - Clean & Simple

Top Tip Tuesday - Card for a child

Card Cupids - No DP

Karens Doodles - Bold & Bright

Embossing at Crafty Cardmakers & Port Sunny

Goooood Morning!  I'm catching up again lol!  Had a great time at Port Sunny on Saturday and caught up with lots of peeps, thanks for popping over and saying hello :)  As usual I was a menace with my camera so here's some snaps from the day!

Mrs Stampman hiding behind some filigree shapes!

Mr Stampman himself who hates having his pic taken!

Was delighted to find this pair of lovely ladies demoing at Port Sunny - Jo Capper-Sandon and Joanne Wardle who I've known online for many many years so first time in the flesh :)

Jozarty hard at work

Some of the Katys Corner Crew

Cath and Chris (Katy's Corner Crew)

Some of Padgate Crafters Group

Some stash from The Stampman!  Can't wait to get stuck into the Princess Carriage at the back there and I thought I'd give the Ferro paints a whirl as Sarah Anderson uses them and I've always been a bit nervous!  And I got some luvvy distress stains I've been playing with all week

Looking forward to the October show!

And here's my creation for this fortnights challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers the theme being Embossing.  I found a really old huge jigsaw piece and triple embossed with moonglow embossing powders using the hero arts fabulous flourish stamp (all from The Stampman)  I just bought the butterfly punch at port sunny which was half the price of the MS one and I bought from Here at the show, not sure where it is on the site to link to it but just ask them, I also got the MS French Scroll punch around the page from there.  I panted the butterflies with gold ferro paint and added a pearl to the centres.

Not sure about the card as its a bit different for me, maybe a bit plain BUT I had a whale of a time making all the bits so I'm happy enough :D

I'd like to enter into...

Creative Inspirations Paint - Butterflies

Dream Valley - Old & New (Old Jigsaw/New Punches)

Jac-Inks Papercraft Challenge - Heat Embossing

A couple of weddings

Yay we're finally back on blogger - gosh how traumatising was that lol!  Doing a quicksh post before beddy byes, I'm off to Port Sunny in the morning doing some demos for The Stampman. I'm demoing "Winging It" so if you haven't seen winging it demoed before please do pop along hehe!

Got a couple of cards to show today, the first one is a brand spanky new rubbah from Crafts & Me and is Melody Bride, or similar, I actually don't know as she's that hot off the press but she's by one of my fav designers Lemon Shortbread aka Vera.  You'll find Vera's stamps here at Crafts & Me and she will be available soon! 
I've used papers by Bearly Mine, added ribbon, lace, pearls and flowers and on the image which is coloured with promarkers I used some flowersoft (sweet pea) and scribbled some clear sakura stardust on and quickly spread out to avoid streaks and the dress is super sparkly, I think you can see it better in 2nd pic :)  The flowers are also glittered with stickles.

Hope you like her, I've been after a bridal stamp I like for ages and she will do nicely!  I'd like to enter into...

Top Tip Tuesday - Flower frenzy

Dream Valley - Flowers

Sketchy Colours - Pink, blue & green

Clear it Out - Ribbons/Trim

Bunny Zoes - Lace

Everybody Art - Flowers

Woodware USA - Weddings

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

Creative Card Crew - May flowers

Crazy 4 challenges - Lots of flowers

Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes

Simon says Stamp - Anything goes

Divas by Design - Anything goes

Papertake - Punches or die cuts (Has both)

Use it tuesdays - bling

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Oooh dear Amy over at Flashback Friday is wanting to see the first wedding cards we blogged *gulp*  I thought I'd post it along with the new Melody above to show I've got a bit better haha!  These were both blogged on same post here and are from 25th Sept 2008.  First one is a Magnolia couple which I actually quite liked but nobody else seemed to like that stamp much, coloured with versamagic (watercoloured)  Second one I think is Anitas and I've probably still got it.

Come on join in, yours cant be any worse!

Baaaaad week & a couple of cards

Been having a helluva week!  Started with DD2 being a complete nightmare at weekend culminating in her throwing up so that kinda explained the vile mood she'd been in!  Then I have DS having a complete meltdown, he's not had one that bad for quite a while since I banned aspartame in his diet but he was TERRIBLE, hitting and kicking me, attacking Molly who screams the place down if he comes withn 2 foot of her then that also culminated in him being sick several times and off school today.  Wednesday morning is my only time I don't have either of them and I had so much planned for today too aaargh!  He's better now so back to school he goes!

I've also had a long awaited psychiatrist appointment, I don't normally talk about personal stuff like that as you know but I think people going through it would fnd it helpful.  Basically I saw a clinical psychologist for about 6 years a while ago who diagnosed me with Aspergers which at the time I refused to accept.  However the past couple of years it got to the point where it couldn't really be ignored so I looked into it and I could really relate to adults wth AS, I don't really relate to 'normal' people (unless theyre crafters as thats my special interest)  Anyway turns out that the clinical psychologist hardly made any notes in 6 years and as far as the current professionals are concerned his word means diddly squat so I asked for reassessment to either confirm or dispute the diagnosis.

Saw another psychologist in January who felt I was too complex for her so she referred me onto a psychiatrist knowing full well I wanted the AS assessed.  Finally after waiting since January I saw her this week and it started so bad they sent me to the wrong clinic then called me by my married nae from yeeeeeears ago then the Dr just mumbled and you have to go through the whole thing again and again and again which winds me up no end.

Anyway for those of you familiar with Aspergers she claimed that I "Couldn't be AS as people with AS dont get married or have babies"  LMAO!!!
Everyone I know with AS is MARRIED, many of them have children and its also hereditory (Look at my Dad and tell me he's not!) so if AS people dont reproduce then surely it would have died out yes?
I challenged her on that one then she admitted she knew little about AS so NOW I'm being referred to a specialist which I asked for IN THE FIRST PLACE!! 
She also said yes I have AS traits but she didn't see the point in a diagnosis as there are no services anyway!!  Unbelieveable!
A lad I know local said he had to travel to sheffield to get his diagnosis as local would not give him a label so ain't looking good.  The other thing is if they DO officially label then they have to provide service to meet my needs and although I've muddled through life, someone younger may have a greater level of need therefore they need resources and services - money.  There's the answer, money!

So anyway if you're looking to get a diagnosis anytime soon don't hold your breath :/  As for me I'm a bit eccentric, I may not speak to you but that is not because I'm shy or rude its because I don't have a clue how to start a conversation and if by some miracle I do I won't be able to hold it so I don't bother.  Ask me questions and I will answer, talk about crafting and I'll chew your ear off, step outside that zone and theres only a rare few I do speak to on other subjects.  This is in real life, on tinternet I'm fine as I have time to think of responses. Sometimes I may not respond as a long mail takes me ages to read, re-read and understand then think of appropriate response.  Its funny that actually in a work environment I wear a mask, a different persona, I do the job (and very well) then go home, you wont find me at after work functions, I attended the occasional large christmas party but just hookng up outside work was a no no, probably thought I was a right anti-social git lol! 

Right had me mini-rant!  I just hate it when I get pushed from pillar to post and end up at the first pillar I asked for!

Sharing a couple with you I made this week before I sign off.  This first one is for the new challenge at Bearly Mine Designs who have a vintage easel theme.  I used a stamp called Ophelia by The Stampsmith available from Crafts & Me here.  I stamped with one of the adirondack multicolour inkpads then stipled some lavender distress inks.  I've used Bearly Mine's Vintage papers here  I also punched the butterflies out of the vintage papers and added distress stickles as the body bit.
Would like to enter into..

Sketch N Stash - Challenge 61

This one is for Passion for Promarkers theme of Teenagers this week, I thought I'd go along the manga line as I know teens love them.  Image is another one by the talented *Sureya over on Deviant Art and she's called Emerald.  She's coloured in a variety of greens with a yellow halo and added bling bling :)

Would like to enter her into..

Critter Sketch - Green and Yellow

A Stampbord Box

Cazro has chosen INCHIES for the theme this fortnight at The Spotlight Challenge. I absolutely love inchies particularly using a few at a time but I would also like to have a try of individual ones too sometime :)

As I'm really short on time and energy I did have a play with a few different types but time ticking on I thought I'd show this one which I did make a while ago but not published.  Have had kids being a tad unwell and my mind has been god knows where this week lol!

So anyway hope you like the little tutorial and please do have a go, you just need to use 3 or more inchies on your design :)

STAMPBORD BOX

 

Materials list:

Wooden Box
Stamp - Stamp Oasis "Starry Eyed" from The Stampman
Moonshadow Ink - Tawny Turquoise
Promarkers - Sky blue, French Navy, Orchid, purple, leaf green, blush
Stampbord 1" pieces
Glitter gel pens
Scratching tool
Step 1 - Lay your pieces of stampbord face down and sellotape them firmly together on the back. Stamp your image onto the front (It helps to have a solid surface to stamp on)

Step 2 - Colour your image in with promarkers. As the surface is a smooth clay the promarkers don't dry instantly so I have used the chisel nib to add some blue to the edge then used my finger to streak it across to make the sky effect. Use the sparkly gel pens to add accents.

Step 3 - Use a scratching or poky tool to gently scratch highlights onto the image as seen on the finished piece below. Dye your wooden box with the moonshadow ink giving it a couple of coats and drying with a heatgun or hairdryer. Adhere your stampbord tiles to the lid.

(Optional extras - Stamp a swirly pattern using gold acrylic paint on the stamp and press the box down onto it (I used Hero Arts Fabulous Flourish and a Gold dabber).  You can glaze your tiles using a clear dimensional glaze or for quickness use a clear ink pad and clear embossing powder.  Use the chisel end of a black or gold promarker or gold acrylic paint to edge around the tiles)

Poppies at The Stampman & Red #Promarkers tutorial

Its a Poppies Challenge this fortnight over at The Stampman hosted by Janet.  If you haven't heard Janet is collecting poppy themed cards and items to sell at the Royal British Legion  at their fundraising concert later on in the year.

I thought I'd do a little tutorial along with it on using reds.  I've used the gorgeous Poppy stamp from Aspects of Design 01 Floral.  I also used coredinations black magic card stock.

Reds are one of the scariest colours to use in promarkers it seems but actually they're really easy.  As there is such a high level of colour in them, the blender pen really works magic when using reds, moreso than any of the other colour ranges.

For this you will need red plus one of the darker shades of red like poppy, your blender pen and one of the greys 4 (I used cool grey 4)

 You can see in the pic above that I've added a darker shade of red leaving some of the original red and white showing.

 Now pick up your blender and colour in the whole of the petal, this will push some of the original red over the white and merge the red and the darker red together.

 Repeat ths by adding your red, then your darker red and blend.  To get a higher depth let it dry off a few minutes and repeat.

 Once you're happy with your colouring then use a dark grey such as cool grey 4 to add shadows.  On this image the shadows would go where the stamp is black.  Colour over it lightly with a blender pen (only once) just to break up any harsh lines from the grey.

 This one is a mauvy pink version using baby pink and fuchsia.

Hope this is useful to you, the reds work very well with the blender, nothing to fear :)

Would also like to enter this into...

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes (Entry 2)
Bloggers challenge - Nature
Phindy's place - Embossing

Swirls at Crafts & Me

Its all swirlys over at Crafts & Me Challenge this week hosted by Karina and for this I used Jasmine Becket-Griffiths' Pearl Swirl Mermaid - seemed apt!  Papers are a swirly one from Bearly Mine which I think the blue one is a freebie one and the white is cuttlebug embossed with divine swirls so lots of swirly whirleys!  Flowers all wild orchid with added stickles glitter except the bunchy ones at the bottom which are from the works and theres tons of pearls and diamonds.  The ribbon I coloured with promarker duck egg blue to match in with everything (Tip: Buy white satin in bulk and colour!)

Mermaid is coloured with promarkers and I used quite a lot of pencil on this one.  Hope you can come and join in our swirly whirly challenge!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Would also like to enter into...

Sketch n Stash - Used sketch 10
Corrosive - Turquoise & Pink
By the cute & girly - Anything goes
Dream Valley Challenges - Flowers
Wags n Whiskers - Punches
Papertake - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes
Paper Shelter - Bling

Fit for a Princess and some Safmat

Its challenge time again over at Passion for Promarkers and its my choice this week on the challenge and I've opted for Fit for a Princess given Fridays lovely wedding and our new Princess William or Duchess Catherine.  If I was her I'd be kicking off saying I didnt want to be a duchess I wanna be a pwincess!
For this I made a little notebook, tutorial for which is here and used the pretty Tilda Princess stamp coloured with promarkers.  On the inside I stamped the princess circle (from stamping all day) surrounded by tapestry stamps and glued this to the back of the image so theres something to look at on the inside too.  Flowers are from QVC and the punched leaves are mother of pearl.  Papers are from Bearly Mines Spring Flight set here.  You can get the notebooks in Asda (18p!)

Hope you can come over and join in at Passion for Promarkers and make something fit for a princess, there is a stamping kit from Letraset up for grabs yay!

Inside view

Princess circle stamp with tapestry stamps (I knocked my heart shaped gem off but fixed now!)

This is my new moniker for my cards using a nearly invisible film called Safmat by Letraset.  I've used it for years mainly for scrapbooking, printing text on to put anywhere on the layout, its printable and you can use your punches and nesties with it easily.  Here I've used it for my personal stamp, printed and punched out.  For more ideas have a look on the letraset blog here.  Set your printer to transparancy and lower the print quality to everyday and leave it to dry for a while before cutting out and burnishing on your design.

Safmat on white card.  Fairies on my design used with permisson from Stitchy Bear Stamps

Would like to enter this into...

Magnolia stamp lovers - Flowers

Card creations and more by C - Anything but a card

Catch the bug - Flowers and pastels

ECP - Influenced by royal wedding

Sweet Stampin - Try something new (Notebook)

Totally Gorjuss - 123 (1 image, 2 papers, 3x3 gems)

Fussy & Fancy Friday - Springtime