Pay it Forward

I was lucky enough the other day to be one of the first five to comment on Chris' blogpost for Pay it Forward. The way this works, is that the person posting promises to send something handmade to the first five people who comment on their Blog post. But to enter, you must promise to post too, and offer something handmade to another five people that comment on your Blog.
The rules are simple, it must be something handmade, or homemade by you, and it has to be sent to five other people during 2011.
Judith xx

Bah Humbug Crackers

The challenge over at the Bah Humbug Blog this week, is Crackers. I was a bit stumped at first, but I googled cracker templates. I downloaded a template that I liked, and decided to make a cracker and matching Christmas card.
I decided to go for a Kraft and red colour scheme, which was a nice warm blend of colours, and threw a little bit of green in there too. I stamped a swirly Elusive Images background onto brown wrapping paper for the cracker itself, and thicker Kraft card for my actual card. I made a couple of Poinsettias from sticky backed canvas mounted onto Grungepaper, after I had sprayed it with Adirondack colour wash sprays. I fixed the layers together with large brads, curling them a little bit. I used an Elusive Images sentiment for my card, and cut out a piece of cream card, using an oval Nestability. To get a fine mount for this, I drew around the same Nestability onto my red card, and cut this out by hand. I use the small curvy parchment scissors, which are great for cutting curves.

I really like the way the cracker turned out, so I may make some more of these for the Christmas meal, I just need to collect some useless cracker jokes, and the bits to go inside them, between now and December, and I'll be fine!

Thanks for stopping by today, any comments you care to make are really appreciated, Judith xx

WOYWW 86

Hi folks, it's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for another look at what's going on around Blogland on everyone's desks, and crafting spaces. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then hop over to Julia's place to find out.

On my desk this week, as per usual, is the project for the Bah Humbug Blog challenge. The week just goes too quickly for me, and I am always trying to finish it on a Wednesday in time for the Thursday deadline. This week, the challenge is Crackers. I am making a card and matching cracker. I'm almost finished, but could do with some rubbish cracker jokes please. I like the design that I came up with for the cracker, and think that I will make my own for Christmas. I made some poinsettias with sticky backed canvas on Grungepaper, using a Nestability die, and sprayed them with Adirondack colour wash ala Tim Holtz, they are very pretty. I've made the cracker from Kraft paper, with a lovely scrolly stamp from Elusive Images, as the background stamp, and I'm going to use big red bows at each end.

I posted my Masterboard makes as promised in my previous post, using the Masterboard that was on my desk last week.

Yesterday, I finally put my two Printer's trays on the wall, which I am very happy about.

I have been waiting for ages to put these up. One is very soft and romantic in its theme, and the other is metallic and is very strong in its colour theme. I bought both from LB Crafts, the top one was made in a class with Linda Brown, and they both started life as dark brown trays.

I have shown you my filing cabinet drawers of wooden stamps in the past; I have five. I have decided that they are not earning their keep, and I am going to put most of them on Ebay to sell. I do have a few that I will keep, but a lot have not seen the light of day for a couple of years. I haven't sold items on Ebay before, so am looking for advice really. Would I be better putting them into group lots, with minimum prices? Should I sort them into categories, for example Penny Black, Hero Arts, or what do you think? Let me know your thoughts, or how you have sold your items in the past. Right, I'm off foer a nosey around other peoples' spaces now, happy Wednesday! Judith xx

Masterboard makes

On last week's WOYWW post, I showed a masterboard that I had made with my card making class, and promised that I would post the finished samples. Now normally my class samples don't get finished, as I make them in a hurry, I have to be one step ahead of the girls, and they are rushed affairs, not necessarily my best work. I needed to finish the second sample for this week, so that they could see what to do, so I figured that I might as well finish the first one while I was at it. I got all of the patterned sections of card from one piece of A3 card, with a small section left over, for these two cards. The first card is based on Linda Elbourne's projects in the February Craft Stamper, making a pocket to put a packet of seeds in, or something of a similar size.

The second card is using the rest of the masterboard, and Vix Kennedy's design on page 83 of the same magazine, to make an easel card with a Post-it note block as the stopper for the card. On both cards, I have used large black beads to embellish my Wendy Vecchi butterflies, Paper Artsy stamps, and a mixture of Distress Inks and Memento Inks. I used a little bit of shrink plastic for the sentiment.

I really enjoyed working with these colours, they feel like Spring is just around the corner. It's too cold for that here at the moment, but we can live in hope. Thanks for popping by, Judith xx

Floral Tags

Hi folks, I've been making a couple of pieces for other people recently, and thought that I'd share them with you.

The first one is a tag that I made for a swap on the Graphicus Guild. The theme was New Beginnings, and I chose the theme of Spring for my tag. I embossed a swirl design in white pearl embossing powder over my tag, and then blended Distress Inks in blues and greens all over the tag. I made a flower, using a Nestability Die, and some Artylicious DP. I coloured the back of the paper with Distress Ink, before scrunching the layers, and fixing them together with a large brad. I used a Marianne die to punch out the stem for the flower. I stamped out a large butterfly with Stazon ink, coloured this with Distress Inks again, and painted key areas with bleach, to highlight them. I added a Tim Holtz fragment to my sentiment, and a steampunk butterfly charm to finish the tag, on a piece of chain taken from a cheap necklace. 

My second make is a Birthday card for a friend who comes to my card class. She is a French teacher, so I chose to make my background paper from pages torn from a French poetry book. I stamped an Elusive Images rose over the top, and coloured this with Inktense pencils, to give a faded vintage look.

I ran my tag through the Tim Holtz postcard embossing folder, and coloured it with Distress Inks. and made my flower with left over paper, colouring that with Distress Inks too. I also edged the cream Prima leaves with DIs. A piece of cream lace and an Elusive Images sentiment complete the card.

Thanks for stopping by today, and any comments you leave are very much appreciated, Judith xx

No reply from Blog giveaway winner

If I do not receive a reply from the Winner of Friday's draw by tomorrow morning, I will redraw from the original comments, Judith xx

***Winner of the stamp Giveaway***

Hi all, I toddled off to Random Org, and punched in my 24 comments, and it came up with number 14, which is Sarah. There are a couple of Sarahs in the list, so I popped to your Profile, and your Blog is Blackdove Designs. If you'd like to email me at judith@tnjsmith.fsnet.co.uk with your address, I'll send the stamps out to you. Thank you everyone for commenting, Judith xx

Stamp giveaway

*****THIS DRAW IS NOW CLOSED*****

Some of you may recall that I had a card published in Craft Stamper magazine back in November. I received my card back from the magazine last week with a free gift of a set of stamps. Unfortunately, I already have this set of stamps, and would like to give them to someone who doesn't already own them. There are no strings attached, you do not have to be a follower of my blog, although, chances are if you are reading this, you are a follower!
The set of stamps is from Elusive Images, it's called 'Weekend in Venice'. It has a lovely picture of a balcony and a silhouette of a Venetian building and the front of a gondola. There is a scrolly rose, and the same rose in a silhouette version. there are two little sentiments, and a beautiful heart set in a square.

Anyway, just leave me a comment, and if there's more than one of you, I'll do a random generator thingy on Friday 21st January. I'll then announce it and ask the winner to let me have their address, and these lovely stamps can be with you in time to make some lovely Valentine's projects. This is a card I made last year for my OH, using this set of stamps.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Stencils

The Challenge on Bah Humbug this week is to use stencils on your Christmas cards, either as a background, or main feature. I have chosen to use this lovely Dreamweaver stencil of winter trees as a background for an Elusive Images reindeer. I have chosen an Artylicious Christmas paper in Green with a lovely swirly snowflake pattern all over.

I inked through the stencil with Distress Inks, and then took a  clear Stardust pen down the left hand side of each trunk and branch to represent frost. It's hard to see in the photo, but it's very shimmery.

I've used one of my favourite Elusive Images sentiments to complete the card. I added a little bit of purple, (my favourite colour) in there for good measure, as the snowflakes on the backing paper are actually purple. It was refreshing to work with an unusual colour palette for a Christmas card.
Pop over to the Bah Humbug blog to see what everyone else has been getting up to. Thanks for popping by, Judith xx

WOYWW 85

Hi folks, it's Wednesday again, and time for a nosey around Blogland to see what's on everyone's desks. If you're wondering what I'm on about, then head over to Julia's place to check it out. I'm sorry that I didn't make it to many desks this week, but I was busy creating things, and had to keep my head down somewhat. Say no more. I've finished what I needed to make, and my time is a little bit easier this week. I've been working as an invigilator too. My Mother-in-law thinks I'm a vigilante, as she can't say invigilator. It's quite a mental picture, to imagine walking around the exam room with a lassoo and a cowboy hat, keeping the teenagers in order!

Anyway, onto what's on my desk this week. I've been working on a masterboard based on the project in this month's Craft Stamper by Linda Elbourne with my card class. We've made a piece of A3, so that hopefully we can make a couple of projects. The class made some lovely sheets last week, and this week, I'll get them to make some cards with them. I didn't have the exact set that Linda used, but liked them so much, that I ordered them, and they've arrived. So, I'm going to have a play with them, time permitting, and make another colour way up. I also got a set of the Hot Picks words, as I really like those. Once I've made my samples, I'll blog them, promise! 

Sorry for the quality of the second photo, but I took them last night, so that I could post nice and early this morning before I took off for the day. Also on my desk is a lovely book from Paperchase, covered in black felt, with an embroidered butterfly on the front. This is my ideas book. It is very tactile, and I love it. I have a bit of a felt thing going on at the moment, I bought a kit just before Christmas, and want to have a go at making felt from scratch. I'm even thinking of going on a course, because I really love the stuff! My Daughter thinks I'm mad, (I probably am). There are also two little chipboard trees beside my craft mat, I have a lovely project in mind for these, and want to get on with that this week. I also have my Bah Humbug card to make, hence the little pile of bits to the left.

Just by my computer is a set of Elusive Images stamps, 'Weekend in Venice', I am offering these to anyone who doesn't have them, and would like them. No strings attached. Just leave a comment on the relevant post, dated Friday 21st January, and I'll put you in the random generator thingy. You DO NOT need to be a follower, or jump through hoops.

I hope you're all having a great day, thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug challenge my first entry!

I decided to enter the Bah Humbug challenge this week, and am getting in pretty much by the skin of my teeth. I have had trouble with headaches which has made crafting really difficult, but no matter, my card is together now. The theme this week was Holly or Fairies, or you could use both. I chose to use a digital image by Mo Manning called Holly Fairy, which is just perfect for this challenge. I used some lovely backing paper from Sei, from their Winter Song range, that I have been cherishing for a long time, and that formed the basis for my colour scheme. It is a lovely soft turquoise colour. Some of the other papers in the range have a deep red in them, so I decided to choose a deep red Bazzil card as my mount.
I have used Diamond Stickles to edge a lot of my layers, to add a bit of Christmas bling, you always have lots of glitter at Christmas, don't you? I have used a Whiff of Joy die to cut out my Holly leaves, and a Crealie die to cut out my lovely flowers from the remaining Bazzil card. I wet this before I curled the flower points to add dimension to the flowers.

The sentiment comes from Elusive Images, and the brads are from Hobby House. I saved a biscuit tin left over from Christmas, as per the tip on the Bah Humbug blog last week, so this card will be the first to go in there ready to send out at Christmas. It feels really good to say that I've started to make my Christmas cards for this year!!! Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

WOYWW 84

It's been a little while since I posted, so I thought I'd get going again by saying Happy New Year to the WOYWWers out there. If you don't know what I'm talking about, head over to Julia's Blog to find out.

I had a big sort out in my craft room a week or so ago, and although I didn't tidy everything up, I'm not a complete saint! It's still looking quite organised.

I am in the process of making a Christmas card for my stock to send out in December. Yes, I'm being organised this year. I don't know how long it will last. I'm hoping to enter it into a blog challenge, but will have to get a wriggle on. I'm using a digi image, Nesties, and some lovely Crealie dies. These are fab from the Netherlands. They are so easy to use.

On the other side of my desk, which I don't normally show you, as it's so untidy, are a couple of unfinished projects that I'd like to tackle. One is a canvas with tags of different sizes displaying lots of different tecniques. It was a project from the Graphicus Retreat last year, and sadly, we didn't have time to complete it. It will take a long time, but I want to put some work in on that. The second project, is a book to hold tags and ATCs, covered in lovely papers. It has all sorts of little flaps and pockets inside, and is bound with the big Bind-it-all wires. I haven't been feeling all that well for a few days, so I'm allowing myself three quiet days to rest a bit, so I thought I'd do a bit of crafting, and just potter about a bit. Even the thought of all that crafting time is making me happy!

Whatever you are doing today, I hope that you have a good day. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx