Bless this Nest

Hello,

I finally got to finish this wall hanging. It's a wooden board and I spray painted it in 2 different shades, a gold and a bronze. Then I applied a creme craquele paint over the top surface.

All the die cut images are from the Sweetheart cartridge, except for the love stamp and the scalloped oval. Everything got a Glimmer Mist spritz. The colours I used are Creme de chocolat, Sand, Bronze, Vintage pink, Rose tea, Marsmallow and Pearl. The hearts and Tilda are colored with Copics. I also used some really old gold glitter. My mom bought the stuff when we were litlle. Not sure what she did with it though. I 've still got 2 tubes of silver and a tube and a half of the gold. It's quite a chunky glitter. I know Martha Stewart is doing the same style of vintage glitter again.

The board has a hook at the back and I attached an organza ribbon with 2 wooden beads at the end. I used Tea dye ink to distress some of the edges of the die cuts. The flowers are from Prima and Hero Arts, the little roses are from Hobbycraft and the 4 big roses are re-used from wedding favors. The dried cinnamon sticksand twigs with raffia and roses, have been in my possession for many years. I bought them in Belgium in Blokker with the intention to use them for gift wrapping. Waste not want not...

The plaque now decorates my hallway. It 's quite difficult to get a good shot, because the item is quite big, but it sure looks good hanging on the wall.

Post update 01-03-2010:

I was able to take a better shot the next morning with the sun coming in through the front door. I have added a few pearls and stars. Funny thing is; my other half really seems to like it. Not too girly for him LOL.

Carefree

Hello,
A new card with one of my 2 Magnolia stamps. I wanted to use my Basic Grey paper from the Ambrosia collection. The orange tones just excited me. I'm entering this card on 3 different challenges. The easy road? Why not!?
1. C4C26 - it's all about texture; a lot of texture on my card
2. Flutter by Wednesday - using butterfly paper from BG, just love it, didn't want to cut it.
3. cute card thursday -challenge 101: ribbon-tastic
So here it comes;

I did a bit of distressing with dried marigold and tea dye ink. The Carefree cut and branches are made with the Graphically Speaking cartridge. Some Marianne design flowers, a few brads, sequins and ribbon, some Stickles and everything coloured with Copics.

I haven't posted a lot in February, but if I get a chance I'll be posting another little project of mine. I 've been working on it for a while and it's almost dry. It's a wall plaque and I've used the same Magnolia stamp, but in a different colourscheme.

Fashionista

Hello,
I used my new Cricut catridge Sweethearts for this card. It's got some funky cuts on it. I thought this cut might be suitable for the birthday of a young lady or a fashion-loving girl.

Supplies: Papermania Retro Floral paper, DCWV cardstock, Copic markers, Doodlebug glitter and flock, Martha Stewart punch, American Crafts flowers, Making Memories brad, Bead Shoppe sequins, K&C0 rub-on sentiment, Viva Pearl pen in Salmon.

It took a bit of layering and several cuts in different paper, especially because the shoes and the dress kept tearing. I finally decided to cut the dress and make it in a skirt and blouse. The girl on her scooter is cut in 10.5 cm. I quite like how the card turned out, although next time I should put a shadow cut behind her if I use such visual busy paper again.

The search for Maria

Hi,
Got something fun to share today. It's an ad from Belgium to promote Andrew Lloyd Webber's reality TV program 2009 for the search for Maria. I think it's pretty cool. You see the surprised travellers and a few tourists getting in on the act too. Nicely done. Enjoy!

Sweet Baby

It's been raining through the night and it's still coming down this morning, but it makes me feel like spring is on the way. Can't wait for it, so I can go to work again on my little folding bicycle.
There's a cycle path right through the area I live in and it leads me up to the industial estate where the clinic is. I love it, because it leads all through trees and green and I hear the birds sing as I cycle along. It makes my heart happy and calm before the hectic workday starts. In the evening after a long day this is another story, because my legs are so tired from running around 11.5 hours, it takes me a bit longer to cycle home.

I made a baby card for a Spring baby. There 's a card in Cards magazine with the chick cut from A Child's Year for Easter, but it made me think of little ones born at this time of the year, when all is fresh and green and all in nature they 're having their babies.

Supplies: paper Marianne Design and DCWV, cardstock DCWV, flowers Hero Arts, jewels Doodlebug, pearl Papermania, glitter Glitz-it, ink Tsukineko, stamp Basic Grey Offbeat, color Copic, flock Doodlebug, baby and chick A Child's Year, Sweet from Sweethearts cartridge, lime key Shimmerz.

A close-up with the glittered and flocked die-cuts.

This card is also my entry for A Spoon full of Sugar; Spring Time.

I finally bought another permanent adhesive filling for my Xyron 510. I 've had this since 2003, but never used it much due to the price of the refills. I might just start using it a bit more now in combination with my Cricut, but only for the more complicated cuts. I use a Zig pen and mostly it dries before I finish glueing the whole piece. So I got my Xyron back out of the closet after 7 years.

Miss You

Hello,
Made a little card for my mother. Now that she is recovering at home, I know she feels lonely at times.
It's again a Penny Black stamp, but it might be the last for a while now. I got some Valentine presents from my DH; 2 new Cricut cartridges and more. We drove all the way to Crafts U Love and The Craft Barn in Surrey on Saturday. Isn't he sweet? But he got spoiled too and got some guitar stuff.

Supplies: K&Co and Making Memories paper, some punches for the flowers, leaves and border, Glimmer Mist and pearls, Cuttlebug love language die, cricut accent essentials for the speech bubble, Autumn Leaves buttons, Joy Craft ribbon.

Inside the card a small Hero Arts sentiment.
Hope you had a lovely Valentine. Night, night.

Simple Notecards

Hello,
I hope you're not outdone by the snow and the cold. I saw the news today about the snowstorm in Washington DC. The guy was knee deep in the snow. I'm glad we're not having any of it. I believe Kent and London have had snow and another cold snap. I am longing for Spring to arrive. Get some sunshine and some green on the trees again.
I have 6 notecards to share, really easy ones without much fuss.
They 're for my mother so she can send to her friends. She 's now been out of the hospital for a week and has to take things slow as they only managed to open 2 of the 3 blocked coronary arteries.

I made 3 cards in lighter shades and 3 in a darker shade. The paper is Lime Rickey from basic Grey.

Here are the 3 cards in darker colours:

Just a bit of Cuttlebug embossing, some punching, some "inking" with paint dabbers and a little Hero Arts sentiment stamp.

Hope you like them and thanks for visiting.

Love

Hello,

This is my entry for Simon Says Stamps and Cute Card Thursday 99. The theme this week is "love".

I used another stamp from the Penny Black Hugs! set. I added a swirl cut with the Cricut Accent Essentials sprayed with vintage pink Glimmer Mist.

Supplies: K&Co and Making Memories Ledger paper, Nestabilities, paper distresser, K&Co self adhesive ribbon, Prima flowers, Papermania pearls, K&Co rub-on Wild Raspberry, Tsukineko ink in Tuxedo Black, Pixie Dust, Wheat, X-Cut corner rounder.

C4C23

Hello,

This week 's challenge on Crazy for Challenges is ... Be My Valentine...

I 've got 2 cards lined up for you to see. They are small 9.5 x 9.5 cm octagonals with different elements combined on them. I got the "love language" cuttlebug pack last Sunday and used the sentiments and embossing folder with the little hearts. Asbolutely love it!

Supplies: K&Co paper, DCWV and Little Sizzles cardstock, red felt, Nestabilities, Hero Arts, Making Memories, American Crafts and Prima flowers, Papermania pearls, Penny Black stamps, Copics, Sakura gel pen, lace from John Lewis, Woodware leaf punch, Shimmerz Royal red, Tsukineko ink in Tuxedo Black, Red Magic and Wheat.

Hope you like it and thanks for visiting.

New Stamping cartridge

Hello,
I was so surprised to see I had won with the BBTB2 challenge. Big thanks to all who voted and all of you who come and visit. I also like to welcome my new followers.
Isn't this a crazy world! I 'm sure there have always been people crafting and making things, but with the invention of the www and blogging... My! It's fun to see what other people are really making and the inspiration it brings. Thanks for all of you who are sharing and ...visiting. I know, because that's what I used to do before I started my blog last year.
On with the post:
I bought the Stamping cartridge a while ago from Crafts U Love and I finally decided to start using it.
I didn't buy it with the intention to create stamps, but because it has so many sentiments. I'm always on the hunt for some nice words or sentiments in rubberstamps, that 's why I love Hero Arts. I collect even rub-on sentiments from differnt brands.
I made this little card to give to someone sweet. It says "Blessed day" and inside; "...when I met you."

The colours I used are cream, red and grey (mushroom). The paint is from Adirondack Acrylic paint dabber.

I managed to get hold of 5 colors at the Market Gallery. A rare occasion. The stamp comes free with The Craft Stamper magazine and I used VersaMagic Red Magic ink and clear embossing powder. I gave the image several layers (7 in total) with cuts from Woodware punches, Nestabilities and the very last one is from the cartridge. Some paint, embossing and glitter and ready!

The cardstock is from Tesco, Papermania, DCWV, American Crafts and the paper is from Sizzix Little Sizzles. I tried to use up my scraps and it's working. I 've created 3 more of these card toppers, which I will use on later projects.
I'm entering this card on the Saturday Challenge  #68: Hearts. There are already 222 links, but that doesn't matter to me. Just play along. Actually this card was finished on Saturday, but I 'm such a slow photographer and poster. I 've got a nice little camera, but it usually stays in the drawer of my crafting cupboard. Even when we go out, I forget to take it along and when I do, I forget to take it out of my handbag. LOL.

Penny Black stamps

Hello,
Just a quick post. I finally inked up my "hugs!" set from PB. So many stamps, so  little time.

The first one is for Penny Black Saturday Challenge - week 86: Special Someone:

The both cards are for Cute Card Thursday - challenge 97; Blooming Gorgeous and Basic Grey Challenges - week 12; Animals.

I enjoyed making these cards. Penny Black has such cute stamps that are fun to colour with Copics and as you know, I'm a big fan of Basic Grey and here I used Porcelain papers.
Other supplies: Prima flowers, Glimmer Mist, DCWV Spring chipboard, orange vintage flower button from my childhood knits, other buttons & flowers from Autumn Leaves, star buttons from 99p store, Doodlebug jewels, K&Co Wild Raspberry rub-on, Martha Stewart punch.
Thanks for visiting.