Whiff of Joy meets copics Birthday Card

Hello again,

Well I am sorry to say that there has been no further update on the inches and our team started on Friday to move a little from their homes.  Although I love the snow, when it hangs on this long it does get extremely frustrating.

On the way to work on Wednesday, if Tracey at Running with Scissors opened at 8am in the morning.  I could have quite easily left my car in the que of traffic and nipped over and done some retail therapy.  I sat outside her shop for 20 minutes without even moving.  (ohhhhhhhhhhhh the pangs).  

Ce la Vie.

I made two new year's resolutions which really go hand in hand.  I gave up smoking (9 days so far) and my reward for this is that each Friday evening I can order or place an order for the value of two packets of smokes - well £10.00.  So last night.............................

.................. I did do some on line shopping.  Joey will know what I ordered.  Thank you Joey, I am now in love with some adorable little critters....... the rest of you will have to wait till the postman delivers them so I can show them off.  Matt my husband and Mike my son, think they are pretty special also.

A little while back however still in 2010, I created a card to meet some challenges.  I was not that keen on the card and neither was Matt.  Well I got up this morning to view the next round of Saturday challenges and there was my name.  I had won via the random thing a me jig on The Penny Black Challenge, a £10 voucher from Claire at Valentines.  So on my reconing......................... I can order some more stamps or something and I am still not breaking my resolutions................... 

I am sure you will all think I am right on that one.

Well before I bore you all, I made this card to assist me in the many birthdays through out the year.  It is a tri way challenge card and I really like this one.  It is being entered into

Truly Scrumptious Challenge 23 - Sketch

Whiff of Joy Challenge 61 - A colour combo of aqua and red

Copic Colour Challenge 46 - 

Here is the card

  Red card from the Hobby House, aqua floral paper free with a magazine at some point.  Flowers made from same card and paper however the red large flower was stamped with black stazone with another previously free stamp which I believe is a papermania one.  The pearls, spacers and flower soft (sweet pea) etc from Hobby House as were the punches to make the flower and the leaf spray. Ribbon from stash.

Here are the close up of the floral bits

Here is the close up of the copics, again on the newer paper I bought and still not keen on it and I still prefer my old card but will persevere a bit longer.

Remember I mentioned about one of my xmas presents, the DIY brooch.  I got it out today to consider it for tomorrow. 

Saw this

and this

and might iron instead............................

Have a lovely evening and thanks for taking the time to check out my creations and view my other work.  Thanks for your previous lovely comments

Chow for now

Hugs Kate xx

Penny Black meets copics and distressing Baby Girl Card

Good evening everyone

I have been laughing all day, "at what?" you will be wondering, inches I say and you are still not in the picture.

It all started on Tuesday when a colleague phoned up to say she was snowed in and I asked how many so she sent me several photo's however this did not show me how many inches she had.  So she sent me a photo of her work yellow  ruler stuck in the snow showing 4 inches (Doncaster)  I could not help myself and forwarded this to the team issueing out the challenge, who can beat this?  Barton on Humber said via text image (no ruler) she was the winner as she could not see the curbs in her street.  (this was not taken into the challenge due to the lack of a coloured ruler) North Allerton colleague said she saw my 4 and raised me 2, not confirmed as no piccy or ruler so told her she did not meet the rules of the challenge.  Quickly a response arrived in with her green ruler and 6 inches confirmed.  So dutifully I forwarded this out to the team.  I got a call from Beverley colleague who said he was snowed in, I explained that I needed too without appearing too sound too forward know "how many inches" he said of course he knew that I was being professional and 4.5 inches. I explained that that photo's or a ruler would not help him - he was of course curious and I explained the challenge.  This afternoon one from Teeside colleague sent me a photo of his snow and no ruler!!!!!!!!!!! he used a tape measure and confirmed 12.6 inches (saying that it was not size that mattered) woweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  The North Allerton colleague was a bit miffed by this and sent in a photo of her snow and ruler lost in the snow, she said that she could not beat his 12.6 inches as she only had a 12 inch ruler. I almost wet myself and sent her a message back saying if she walked to a shop she could by a tape measure.  I would love to show you all the photo's and the coloured rulers however it is not as if they are artistically taken, the main aim was of course the inches..........................................................

Well I hope that made you smile it cheered the few of us up that managed to get into the office today.

Here is a card I made yesterday evening but did not get chance to post.  I am entering this into the 

Cupcake Craft Challenge 72 - A baby card

Creative Card Crew Challenge 42 - Distressing

ABC Challenge - L is for Layering

The image is a penny black favourite and the bling buckle is from Hobby House, not sure where the papers are from as several of my stacks are now sort of falling to pieces. The flowers from Boys, Grimsby.  MS doily punch layered several times as using it this way makes it look so delicate.

The overall card

The close up of the flowers

The close up of the bling buckle and ribbon

The ever important close up of the copic coloured image

I used a little Atyou clear glitter on the white daisy petals.

Well I am hoping that you are all safe and well and going carefully in your inches...............

Thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully smile to yourself at my post

Hopefully I will be back with more inches tomorrow, although I suppose I should be setting a new challenge who starts to clear the quickest??? any ideas....................

Hugs Kate x

Xmas Cards for 2010

Hi all

Get me, keeping my word, and have today made two xmas cards for next year.  We will see how long this lasts.

The first one I am entering for

The Pink Elephant - Challenge 47 - A sketch

The Pixie Cottage - Challenge 6 - Button it

Here it is meeting the requirements of the sketch and buttoning it as required.  This is one of next years xmas cards, using some lovely glitter paper and the sentiment from the Justrite collection.  I used the cuttlebug to cut out the sentiment and also its frill.  I added the ribbon and placed a large button, which I had tied with gold thread and attached a little gold bell. I used glossy accents to raise the cut out sentiment and then glittered it up to match the paper.

The card

and the close up of the button detail

and the 2nd one into the Winter Wonderland Challenge a colour combo of cinamon, cherry and lime  - this is a new blog land for me and I look forward to keeping up with each challenge to fill my xmas list.

After finding this site I just had to meet the challenge and of course get another of next years xmas cards out the way.  This was quite a difficult colour combo, not in the lime and cherry but in the cinamon.  I have no dark browny/red papers as such, so had to use a little lighter brown one (mental note for self, buy some unusual coloured cards and papers) Also cinamon itself is light brown, but the colour spectrum selects it as a browny/red.  I used a Mo Manning stamp and copics - my favourite colouring medium by far these days.  I used some liquid applique for the fur on the clothes and also as snow on the floral array with some ice stickles on top to give the snow glitz.

So here is the card

the close up of the snow covered flowers

and the ever important close up of the coloured image using the copics.

Ok, xmas is finally over back to work tomorrow, if you are back at work too (I know how you are feeling right now)

Well take care and thanks for looking at my creations and for your kind comments

Hugs Kate x

My First 2010 Combo - Alice in Wonderland ish

Good evening everyone,

I hope that this finds you well after the new year partying and that you all made solid resolution's that you are going to try to stick to.

I had a quiet new years eve at home with my small family, as Matt was up for work at 5am on new years day.  So at midnight we lit the chinese lanterns and watched them as they bobbed nicely across the sky like little UFO's and then we returned into the house to finish our drink and put all the lights out for bed. We woke up new years day to more of that lovely soft snow covering everything in sight.

My first card for 2010 it is a quad combo - I think that the mouse came from Alice in Wonderland, but who says you cannot have a green and blue mouse, or a purple cork.  I know that this will stand out when surrounded by other new year wish cards.  I am sending it to my sister in Zanzibar, Tansania.  It may arrive with her prior to the electric coming on so it will be bright and cheerful for her to wish the new year in.

I am entering this into

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 82 - Happy New Year

Friday Sketchers

Copic Colour Challenge - 

Cupcake Craft Challenge 71 - A time for celebration

Here is the overall card

the closeup of the image coloured with copics and a little Atyou clear to make it sparkle.

I looked at the jewellery DIY kit again today, so many little pins and bits, I put it down again, although would love to find a little extra mo jo to make a start on it, as the final image does look good, however mine might not look like that.

The ironing is now done, hoooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy and I am now back to normal.  So I am going to put my feet up on the sofa and watch our new tv.

Take care everyone, thank you for looking and for all your recent comments.

Hugs Kate x

Last Challenge of 2009

Good afternoon all, I take this opportunity to wish you a great evening and a Happy and Prosperous New Year xx

This is my final card for 2009, it is a tri-way challenge for

Colour Create Challenge 35 - Lemon and Lime

La La Land Challenge 19 - How Charming

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 26 Lillians Sketch and something new

I started by locating some Lemon and Lime coloured papers and then located a Sugar Nellie Stamp.  I then got to work on the Sugar Bowl Challenge Sketch and located the new item, that would be the copic paper that I just ordered and received, thought I would try it, but will not be ordering again as it does not allow my normal blending as well.  I coloured the image with my copics and then added the charm.  Whilst laying out the sketch all pieces worked fabulously together, however I made a mistake when sticking in place and could not lift the first placed shape down to allow the final one to sit under the top lip, so a little out on the challenge.  I added a flower to allow the charm to hang and hoped that this would resolve the previous hiccup.

Here is the overall card

 

The floral embelishment

The insides of the card with my usual little black and white image

The closeup of the copic coloured image - if you follow me regularly you will be able to see that the shading has not blended as well on this paper.

Well that is me for 2009, see you all in the new year.

Thanks for looking

Kate x

Let's Get Shabby - Challenge Seven - Summer Influence

Hi everyone, hope you all had a lovely xmas and got lots of crafty bits in your stockings or under the tree - if larger items and if Santa thought you had been extra good. (Mine was under the tree :)) ).

Having a few days over xmas has given me time to play.  What with you may think, well actually nothing new on this piece of creativity, but I really enjoyed it all the same.  If you read the end of the post you will find out why.......

I decided, due to getting an honourable mention on the last challenge, on my first attempt, that I would try for gold on my second, however that may not be the case, as not everyone sees things the same way and I am usually a little bit eccentric, or so my work colleagues say.

Let's Get Shabby - The Challenge influence

My creation is based around the things that I love and that "summer" influence me on holiday, "Sun", "Sea" and "Sand".  I searched for hours for the correct photo's for this scrap page layout.  I finally found some - so far unused photos of my sister Jo.  She is in Tanzania and currently has no electricity, this can go on for days, weeks etc. So fingers crossed that they fix it for her quickly, and that when she does she will see this and feel instantly better.

I located some Blue Awning K & Co papers, chose the embossed one with the postcard on it, as you always send these on holiday to your friends.  I then thought that summer is flowers so chose a yellow sun coloured paper from the same pad with flowers on it in white.  Wanted to show rolling sea somehow, so used some horrid greeny / blue lace, it actually looks better now than it did on my hooks.  I added feathers for the crests of the waves (or seagull feathers - you can decide) I used Tim Holtz denim blue and a swirl stamp (not sure of name) to show swirls of water around the circle and then used my little shells for the sandy beach effect.   I added the flowers to complement and the lace through the middle as it had waves at the bottom of it, I had to cut it in half and turn it around under the image to sort of even it out.  I got these lovely flip flop charms from Boys and could not decide how to hold them in place, so got some craft wire in a lovely sea blue and twirled it around a ground peg, to get an even coil and then threaded the charm on to it.  Each image has a corresponding colour on it and then the last one was pink - so I used my copic holiday blue and coloured it up and then placed this just under the flower edge. The sentiments are created in word using an image with text set to appear in front of the image, I cut them out and further distressed.  I felt the rolling blue/green lace sea was missing something so added a Hobby House pin, with several beads that I got from that beloved place ebay.  I feel that this now has all my summer influence inspiration on it.  Hope you like it, again got carried away with my new camera.

 

 

Hope you can see them ok.

Well the reason I needed to get crafty was to take my mind off

the fact that the Insurance cover people on my washing machine turned up for the third time (4 weeks no washing) with still the wrong parts for my washing machine.  I finally accepted there money towards a new washer.  Went to a local store and purchased a lovely new one for an extra £35.00, bargain.  "So I thought".  Arrived home, plumbed in and placed the first load in.  You may as well have put the hosepipe in the kitchen and switched it on.  The kitchen was flooded I just needed my Summer Influence costume on..............and the husband could have photographed me for "Let's Get Shabby"

any way the washer had the most amazing crack from top to bottom in it's casing.  Paddling in the pond, I mean the kitchen - now that is a new one for me, used more towels to swill the water around the room and to late to call and complain, cleaned up and went in for the kill this morning.  I have to say they were very accomodating and did get a machine from outside the area to me within 4 hours, they plumbed it in and hoooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy.

First load just finished.

However, does anyone love ironing??????????????????????????

Hope you all have a great new year, look forward to an obviously intesting one myself as some lovely person bought me this

more to follow on that

Hugs Kate x

What a lovely xmas present - An Honourable Mention on "Lets Get Shabby" Challenge

Good evening everyone,

hoping you are driving carefully in this crisp, cold weather and wrapping up warm.

No photo's today just a catch up.

The ladies at work laugh at me every morning as I arrive, with my hat, scarf and gloves (which change daily) they think I own far too many.  Well my excuse is that if I had to clear my car I would be warm doing it and if I had to sleep in my car I would also be warm.  At my age the, what you look like bit, has already started to go out the window.

My colleague made me laugh this morning, she arrived in the car park and skidded to a halt, so parked her car where it stopped.  Luckily I was able to steer my car to a comfortable straight ish position.

Although I did have lots of work planned this week, unfortunately the weather is preventing that work arriving on my desk, so I feel quite relaxed.

The washer man arrived with the wrong parts (that he ordered) and then realised that something else had broken.  No washer for xmas (oh my gosh) won't get fixed now till the 29th December - ooooo well no washing or ironing.

And finally I am so excited and thankful to receive an Honourable Mention on the "Lets Get Shabby" Challenge 6, with my very first submission, xmas just doesn't get any better than that.

So with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart, I am going to make myself a cup of peach tea and sit myself down to relax. (Before I do the husband's head in)

take care all

Kate x

Magnolia Meets Copics Unusual Xmas Card

Good afternoon everyone.

I have completed my last Xmas card for this year.  I decided to use the Just Magnolia Challenge Sketch, to encourage me to do something different.  I also decided to try fit this with the Magnolia Down Under Challenge - Stamp with another use (Incorrect Stamp for the portayal of the image.  Also to enter the Lots To Do challenge - Free Theme, and finally The Stamp Something Challenge - Holiday Somethings.  I think that this is a record for me and how lovely to end the year with this.

Here it is (I am sure that if I had used floral papers it would make a lovely birthday card, the image is more of a summer one to me, good job the punch adds a little more winter)

Here it is anyway

Lovely vivid pink bottom layered with K & Co upper layers, cuttlebug used for the oval, justrite for the sentiment, ribbon, charm and flowers from stash.  Used Atyou clear glitter pen to add sparkle to the dress and shoes and saved the stars from the border punch to add to the side of the image.  Various copics used in pink, greens, skin tones and browns. Glittered up with stickles.

Close up of the flowers

and the justrite sentiment

and finally the copic coloured image

Well I am going to get my bags ready for work and place the works xmas presents in the sack ready to take to work tomorrow.

Thanks for looking and your lovely comments.

Kate x

Magnolia Meets copics Xmas Card

A fluffly white morning to you all

Last year I lost my xmas card list along with my address book.  So you probably understand why I have forgotton some xmas cards................... Luckily last year I got for xmas a new address book, which I am now filling quickly.

This is a card I made on Friday for my hairdresser - who bless her keeps the grey at bay and does a very good job of keeping me looking fab and without fail she again made me feel like a new woman yesterday.

Anyway here it is, not entering into any challenges with this one, as for ease I started to get stuck in a familiar rut with the layouts, it was just quicker.

This is again a stamp that Polly "Artfulwings" let me borrow, mine still have not arrived.  Not sure what the image is really, looks like a melting wax crayon to me, but if you have other ideas do let me know.

The papers are from another basic grey pad from the Hobby House along witht he flowers and brads, the charm from Boys.

A close up of the flowers I have used these several times, however normally need to colour them with my copics to match the background layers.

Next as always that lovely close up of the copic coloured image, don't you just love copics.

Well hope you all enjoy your day, I am back at work next week :(, so must make the most of today.  Wrapping the last present that arrived yesterday and making another forgotten card.

take care all and happy crafting (sorry xmas)

Kate x

Magnolia, meets Copics and Basic Grey Papers

Hello everyone,

What is the best way to feel christmassy. 

The snow of course and it has started snowing here.  Although it is a little blowy for my liking, it is so pretty to see it coming down and settling on the flower bed from my "Beach Hut" window.  Colouring away and you just see it getting dark and when you look up out the window there it is ................................... I had to run and recover the buffet (patio table) from the garden.  I did not want it to get covered and me to get soaked moving it in.  All done and wiped down and the pretty xmas cover and runner on ready. (ooooooooohhhhhhhhh get me)  Need to steam clean the glasses and cuttlery and polish up the lazy susanne.  All the presents bar one (waiting for delivery) are wrapped and unless I have missed anyone all my cards are now done.  I just love this time of year, don't you.

Well here are another two cards which I am entering into two challenges - the cards are both similar, using basic grey papers and magnolia stamps (thanks Polly letting me stamp the new xmas 2009 images, as my order seems to have been lost through the wires)

Colour Create Challenge  Pink Burgundy and Cream

and The Pink Elephant Challenge, winter and or xmas. 

I love receiving comments from others on my work and love seeing from my widgets (Sue you know how I love my widgets) where you all come from.  I hope that I don't bore you too much with my posts and if I do - well I hope you can take a small smidgen of inspiration and ideas from my creations.

I wish you all a very Merry Xmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.  

 

 

 

Ok, I am off to polish up those glassess and the cutlery..............

Take care all

Kate xx

What are your views????????????????????? Random Generators

Good evening everyone.

Picking up a post from PaperParadise (Sue)  who is asking for our views on the use of Random Generators.  

Do you create your piece because you want to meet the criteria of the challenge to the best of your ability and be judged against others doing the same.

Pop over to PaperParadise and leave your views.

I personally would love to be marked against my abilities than a random generator, how about you??

Good night all

Kate x

Christmas Cards and Copics

Hello again, oooooooooooooh 8 more days............

Well a few final cards, next year (don't laugh) I intend to make a xmas card a week, so that I am well over my quota. 

These cards are made using the basic grey papers from my new pad along with the lovely leather effect red paper I got from the Hobby House, along with the pearls.  Flowers from Hobby Craft and Trotters, ribbon from stash and I know don't laugh a little stick on for the sentiment (a speed thing). Glitter AtYou Pen clear used for that subtle glitter effect on the image.

A close up of the embelishments

and image

Another, brad from the Hobby House and a little liquid applique.

the embelishments

and the image

Well going to wrap my final presents, and the secret santa present for my works day out.  Going out this afternoon to catch up with a few close friends, can't wait.

Thanks for taking the time to view my posts and for your very kind comments.

Kate x