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Sunday 30 November 2014

Winter Wonderland at Fashionable Stamping

Time to tell you about the latest challenge at Fashionable Stamping, which is Winter Wonderland and from our sponsor, Flonzcraft, there's a fabulous $20 Gift voucher for one lucky random winner to spend in their online store.
My tag was first stamped with a Stampendous Greetings background and distressed with Tumbled glass and Chipped Sapphire, next I clear embossed a snowflake onto some white card before dry embossing with a TH folder, I used the same inks to colour and if you look closely you can make out the snowflake pattern. My main image is a Flonzcraft stamp which you can find here,  cut with an oval Nesti after I had made a snowy background and to finish - lots of Diamond Dust for a very frosty look.
The rest of the Design team have some wonderful inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details. Don't forget though,  we are a stamping challenge and must see real stamping on your project which follows the theme.
This is a scheduled post, and hopefully my weather is the opposite of this!
Thanks for visiting and I'll catch up with you soon.
Avril xx

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Christmas is Coming at Try it on Tuesdays.

Christmas is coming and it won't be long, so I hope you are all getting prepared, and to help you along, the theme at Try it on Tuesdays this fortnight is 'Christmas is Coming'.
I've been busy making cards, and I'm pleased to say they're all finished and and in their envelopes just waiting to be posted when I get back from holiday.
My card background was embossed with a CB folder, then inked with Peeled paint, Ices Spruce, Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany and then brushed with Perfect Pearls before it was dry, it has a gorgeous sheen which doesn't show in the photo. The Santa image is from Rubber Stampeed.  Santa's key was made with a Martha Stewart mold and UTEE in the melt pot.
The design team have all been busy, so pop over here to see what they have been doing.
I'm off tomorrow for some winter sunshine,it's a 'big' birthday for DH and we will be meeting up with some friends during our first week and then family are joining us for our second week, so I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to it.
Avril xx

Sunday 23 November 2014

Santa

Hello and thanks for visiting today, I've had a busy week,  I'm  trying to get organised for a much needed holiday as well as some Christmas shopping and trying to finish off some Christmas cards.
I'm sharing a card made with a lovely traditional image from Nicecrane Designs which you can find on the Vintage Santa Vol 3 sheet, the image was printed out onto Ivory hammered card, which I think gives a lovely vintage look.
I am entering this at :
  WeDoDoobadoo - Christmas
Just a quick post today, it's a pain when 'life' takes priority!  Hope you're having a great weekend.
Avril xx

Sunday 16 November 2014

Christmas Tags at Fashionable Stamping

Hello, it really is like waiting for a bus around here - wait long enough and one eventually does turn up!
Anyhow, I'm here to tell you about the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenge which is, yes you guessed - Christmas Tags. We have a wonderful sponsor, Flonzcraft, who are offering one lucky random winner a $20 spend in their online store.
I used the Tim Holtz holly stencil for my background, coloured with Forest Moss and Peeled Paint and Fired Brick for the berries.  While the stencil was still in place I stamped a script stamp over the leaves using Iced Spruce DI and then sprinkled Clear EP over and heat embossed for a lovely shine to the leaves, before colouring the rest of the tag, just a shame I covered most of it up! The main image is Tim Holtz 'Letter to Santa' stamped with Potting Soil Archival. I used Brushos to paint his suit.  Joy to the World and the Snowflake were both freebies from magazines.
It would be lovely if you could join us - we all need Christmas Tags and it's a good excuse to make a start, but remember we are a stamping challenge and you need to use real stamps and these must follow the theme, for all the details and some wonderful inspiration from the rest of the team pop over to the main blog.
I am entering this at:
  That's Crafty - Anything Vintage
  Artistic Stampers - Christmas is Coming
  Allsorts - Anything but a Card
  Vintage Stamping Challenge - Anything but a card
  Eclectic Ellapu - Leaves & Foliage
  Live & Love Crafts - Favourite Christmas Colour Combo (Red & Green)

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my canvas I loved making it, although I must say I did feel a bit out of my comfort zone showing it, so thank you.

That's it for now, enjoy your Sunday.
Avril xx



Tuesday 11 November 2014

Hand made/Home made at Try it on Tuesday

Hello  - yes I know, 2 posts in 2 days - just like a bus - you wait for ages and then 2 come together! anyhow,  I have to tell you there's a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday which is Handmade/Homemade, so this could be gifts, decorations, wall hangings , but not cards.
For my project, I made this wall hanging, which started life as an offcut of wood from one of DHs little jobs.
I used texture past through a stencil for the script, raised corner and skirt of the dressform, I cut another dressform  in corrugated card to lift this up. The butterfly, roses, and cameo were made with crafters paperclay and silicone molds.  After everything was glued in place I painted with Gesso I then got to work on the colour with home made ink sprays and some Dylusion sprays, and then highlighted areas with Treasure Gold in Aquamarine.
The rest of the team have created some wonderful projects to fire your imagination, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.
  I am entering this at:
  Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes (no cards)
  The Crafting Cafe - Not a card
  Crafting Musketeers - Anything but a Card
  Craft room challenge - 3D

Thanks for visiting, I do appreciate it.
Avril xx 

Monday 10 November 2014

Perfect Roses

Hello and thanks for visiting - life has slowly been getting back to normal and I found Mr. Mojo hiding when I was organising the last kitchen cupboard, so I chased him upstairs to my little craft room and closed the door on us - no more shirking!
One of the things  neglected has been the lovely images from  Nicecrane Designs, and this one is  from 'Flowers Bring Smiles II' sheet, has been printed out, waiting to be used for a while.  I covered one of the papers from the Madam Payraud collection with Picket Fence Stain and when dry I added texture paste through a stencil.  My Nesti frame was shortened by cutting half the card and repositioning the frame for the final cut. I used Walnut Stain DI and then randomly sprinkled gold EP before heat setting.  I added small paper roses to the table.
I am entering this at :
  WeDoDoobadoo - Enhance your Die cuts
  CraftyCatz - Ribbon/and or Lace
  Vintage Challenge - Use Lace

Before I go, I would just like to say 'hello and welcome' to some new followers, it's lovely that you want to join me on my creative journey, especially as I have been such an absent blogger of late.
Avril xx



Sunday 2 November 2014

Animals at Fashionable Stamping Challenge

Hi, it's time to tell you about the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping and this time it's Animals - Wild or Domestic - it's up to you, and if you pop over to the main blog you will find all the details as well as some fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT.  We have Flonzcraft as our sponsor and they are offering one lucky random winner a $20 spend in their online store.
For my card I decided to use some of the bits from my Brusho play a while ago.  These bits, I think, were done with Sandstone, and maybe one of the reds, I thought they had that Autumnal look.  My silhouette  lady walking her dog is from Flonzcraft, was stamped with Versamark, then heat embossed with Black EP.
It would be great if you could join us for this challenge, but remember we are a stamping challenge and you must use real stamps and  that your stamping is the main focal point of your project.

Hope you are all having a good Sunday, can't believe it's November - where did October go to.  I need to get the Christmas card head on and make a start there, otherwise, I'll be buying this year and what a waste that will be.
Thank you for visiting,
Avril xx