Carol's Parchment Place

CD Sunday - Tag you're it

2012-01-29T08:00:00.001Z

I don't often make or use tags so this one took some thought and I decided that the Cuttlebug had to come out of the cupboard. I only have one die for a tag so there wasn't much choice. Once I got started though I was on a roll. I couldn't get past the thought of Butterflies on the tag and found some new to me beauties on Robert Addams 'Printable Butterflies' CD. I cut out and completed 3 in graduating sizes so then had to make 3 tags as I couldn't leave one unused. I have a girlfriend with a birthday next month and although she doesn't make cards she always finds a special one for me so this will be a special for her.

This will send my fellow teamie Christine into orbit as purple and butterflies are her very favourites and I have put them both on one card. Sorry Christine.

CD Sunday - Zodiac

2012-01-22T08:00:00.005Z

I wasn't sure what I was going to make for this challenge. I haven't a lot on CD's that I thought are suitable but then I remembered I have the Zodiac stitchwork patterns. I also have a family birthday due at the end of this month so I stitched away with 'Aquarius' - chose a blue gingham background from Robert Addams 'Printable Ginghams etc' and hey presto. A birthday card for No:1 son.

I decided to set it all at a jaunty angle but when I had finished remembered that water doesn't flow at an angle so...........poetic licence and all that!

CD Sunday - Enchantment

2012-01-15T08:00:00.002Z

It doesn't seem possible that we are already into the 2nd week of January but here we are with another challenge. Our teamie Christine chose this one and I knew as soon as I saw her choice what I was going to do. I felt that I needed to get back into some parchment and this image of the Unicorn is one of my favourites. And what could be more enchanting than a Unicorn.
It is a download picture printed on 140gsm parchment then embossed from the back and a border made using a Pergamano semi circle tool and a PCA sun tool. I then stitched the finished piece to a metal grey mirri board mat with clear sparkly beads. The layered grey/white backing card comes from Joanna Sheen's Dancing with Shadows and the black card and ribbon from stash.
I hope you like this as I loved making it.

So exciting......................

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000Z

....... photos of a couple of my parchment card samples are in February's Parchment Magazine.

I posted last year about the launch of a CD made by my friend Debs in collaboration with Judith Maslen. The Cd is called 'Fairies are Everywhere' and the artwork is all by Judith - and Debs has created backing papers, inserts etc all to go with the images and produced the CD. It went down well at the NEC in November where it was launched.
Now Judith and Debs have featured one of the drawings with border etc in the magazine and there are 3 copies of 'Fairies are Everywhere' on offer in a competition - details in the magazine.
I did the samples for the Show and here are the two that have been shown in the article.

Debs will be at Bluewater (Stand CC40) with this CD and all her others so please come and see us. Details at top of Sidebar

CD Sunday - Sea Life

2012-01-08T08:00:00.003Z

We had such a wonderful selection of cards for our theme 'O is for Olympics'. I was very impressed. I thought it quite a difficult challenge but we needn't have worried - you came up trumps.
This week we have Sea Life as our theme and I have used an image from
Joanna Sheen's 'Jayne Netley Mayhew' CD - shaped card section. I made this card with a particular person in mind who is tragically losing her sight and I felt she could feel the raised turtle, decoupaged shells, brass charm fish and the bubbles which were from a peel- off sheet.
I enjoyed making it and here it is

Congratulations to sue-b for being our 'O is for Olympics' winner.

An exciting new challenge blog is launched

2012-01-05T09:00:00.002Z

today by Deb's of Debbees Cd's. I am thrilled to be one of the design team and I will be amongst old friends and new friends. You can't beat being part of the blogging world for meeting new people and making new friends.

There will be a Debbees Cd for each monthly winner so to learn more about how and when please pop over to see us at Debbees CDs DT Delights
The boss gave the DT the theme of the January sales and the papers to use for our first samples and I made this easel ATC.

Please come and join us - the more the merrier.

Ooh La La 'Shoes in Bloom 2'

2012-01-04T00:40:00.000Z

These two ATC's are in parchment and the images are from the new Ooh La La Cd - Shoes in Bloom 2.
Another great selection of flowers and this time one of the toppers in each folder has one of the shoes in a decorated oval which really gives a nice neat look to the image. As this is in white it is ideal for embossing. I have added the butterflies, embossed flowers and the corner details.
The particular flowers here are Impatiens and Gardenia.

CD Sunday - 'O' is for Olympics

2012-01-01T08:00:00.003Z

First of all may I wish everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope the heads aren't too bad this morning. This is certainly a timed posting as I am sure I won't be up this early.

Our sponsor for our first challenge this year is Sharon Duncan.

Sharon sponsored us last year and very kindly asked us if we would like her to sponsor us again. Of course we said yes and between us we have settled on the Olympics as our theme. To that end Sharon sent us 4 of her great Embossibilities sheets. One each appropriate in design and colour for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

They are lovely papers and for my Design Team contribution I have made a fine (1/2 cm) weave paper using the 4 sheets and used the result as the backing paper for a couple of ATC's. I have then used peel off O's as the rings, and numbers for the year - all coloured appropriately with marker pens. The sporting 3D teddy toppers were purchased from The Art of Craft.

Sharon's very generous prize is 'Embossibilities Elegance' and 'Embossibilities Texture Prints' CD with some printable papers and embellishments.

We look forward to the New Year of 2012 and to many new challenges.

CD Sunday - Fifties Fun

2011-12-18T08:00:00.001Z

What a great two weeks we have had with 'Things with Whiskers'. Fifities Fun is also going to be a 2 weeker to take us over the Christmas festivities and we will be starting the New Year with a new challenge and the return of a favourite sponsor. More of that later.

For my Fifties Fun I used one of my favourite CD's - Nostalgia (Joanna Sheen). Where else would I go for the fifties as the artist Kevin Walsh - although born in 1950 - paints many pictures depicting that era.

I printed out two of the notelets with matching envelopes and then made a wallet using one of the backing papers decorated with ribbon and a few of the smaller images. These are are included with each main image and I think are a great feature of this CD.

It is my turn to choose the Top 3 for 'Things with Whiskers'. It is not going to be an easy task as we have had such a bumper entry of great cards. Thank you all so much for supporting us at Cd Sunday and I will have little something for the winner. Jenny will announce the names in due course. Please though allow time for post and holidays. Something will arrive eventually.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
xx

CD Sunday - Things with Whiskers - Week 2

2011-12-11T12:39:00.001Z

Here is my second card for this challenge. This time I have used The Rachelle Anne Miller Collection CD from our Sponsor. We are giving away two of these great Cd's - one each week. So if you haven't been lucky this week there is another chance.
All of my card except for a small piece of dk purple card is from the CD. I printed the image on to parchment, embossed and did a very simple double dot border. I used a small part of the decoupage page to add some interest below the parchment and the sentiment is from the CD. There is a great deal to this double Cd and it will make a very useful addition to your sources - so I wish you luck.

Well done Hazel for winning the CD Prize for the 1st week. 16 seems to be your lucky number.

'Apple Tree'

2011-12-08T08:25:00.001Z

This is a project that I started at a Judith Maslen Workshop back in September. I didn't finish it then as there is quite a lot of work involved. I finished it yesterday at our own monthly workshop at The Art of Craft and here it is.

It was a really good practice piece for ink work and the colouring is just dry colouring from the back with polychromos pencils. One of the trickiest things to get right after you have finished a piece of parchment work is a good background paper or card. The wrong colour can completely' kill' the effect. I found a mottled background on Dancing with Shadows CD but it wasn't the right colour so good old MCS came to the rescue. I have changed the grey/white to a pale blue/white just to give an intimation of some sky behind the trees.
I enjoyed this very different project.

CD Sunday - Things with Whiskers

2011-12-04T09:01:00.000Z

Another exciting Cd Sunday Challenge with the start of a new month, a new Sponsor and a new Guest designer - and my turn again to choose the Top 3.
Our Sponsor this month is 'Elegant Inspiration' who are generously giving our drawn winner a copy of their new Cd as a prize . As Jenny has written on our Blog we will be showcasing cards made using this new Cd - The Rachel Anne Miller Collection - next week. Because we know that December is such a busy month we have decided to just have two challenges - each one to run for 2 weeks.
We had some wonderful cards last month from our Guest designer Sue and we hope that she will join us again next year sometime but now we welcome Beryl, our GT for December and January. I am sure you will admire her creations as much as we do here at Cd Sunday.

Here is my first card for this challenge. From Joanna Sheen's 'Nostalgia' CD.

I look forward as always to visiting your Blogs.

Christmas Wishes

2011-12-03T22:33:00.000Z

Here is another of Judith Maslen's great patterns - and yet one more to add to my 'Christmas cards done' pile.
With Judith's encouragement I have purchased a new pen called a Rotring Isograph. This isn't a new new pen - just new to me. The nib - for want of a better word - is incredibly fine at 0.18 and it is taking some getting used to - hence this pattern which calls for white pen and ink work. A little wobbly around the holly leaves but hopefully it will get better with practice.

The colouring - on the back - has been done with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. Back in my comfort zone. No felt tips unless I am told to use them!!

The White Poinsettia

2011-11-30T09:01:00.000Z

From a pattern by Kay James in Parchment Craft 'Cards for Christmas' Magazine - 2011

A true Workshop Wonder

2011-11-27T15:30:00.000Z

I know I have labelled a few of my efforts at Judith Maslen's workshops as wonders but this one truly is and Judith will testify to this as she definately had a hand in it.
Debs is now on her way home from me so I am getting my posting done before she gets home.
We all had fun - as always - at Judith's workshops and I wouldn't miss them for the world. The first project was a new pattern entitled 'Oriental - Fine Feathers'. A beautiful highly coloured bird with very long tail feathers - perhaps a Parrot? Now we had to use felt tip pens and brush for the colouring and this is certainly my most unfavourite discipline in parchment work. I have never really liked felt tips and even less on parchment. So there might have been a little muttering from me as how I wasn't pleased with what I was doing - to Judith's and Deb's amusement and I said to Judith that this weekend's effort would not be one of my Workshop Wonders. I then proceeded to mark the parchment with a dot of green in the wrong place and to make matters worse ruined it - as I thought - by smudging the wet black eye up above his head. Judith to the rescue. She gave him a cockscomb which I coloured and embossed and low and behold a beautiful bird - a true Workshop Wonder..................and then they all wanted one.

Here he is....

The two dragonfly brads are - 1 to cover the green splodge and the other to balance the first.

The second project was hassle free and I was a happy bunny as it was using my favourite polychromos pencils and spreading medium. Not a felt tip in sight.
Here are ' Christmas Candles'.

CD Sunday - On Safari

2011-11-27T08:00:00.001Z

I love all the different cards our design team have come up with for this challenge - and this one is my contribution.
I used Diane Dorward's 'For men' CD for the pyramage and Ooh La La for the backing paper. The word tiles, footprint ribbon and Journey tile all come from Fruit Pixie.
We had some great entries in our 'Tree' themed challenge and I hope you enjoy this challenge as well.

12 Days of Christmas

2011-11-22T17:04:00.000Z

readers of my Blog may remember that last year I stitched the 12 Days of Christmas on cards. One of the ladies who attend my monthly lesson wanted to stitch them as well so at class and as homework all 12 were made and mounted. When it came time to put them on to individual cards my friend decided that after all that hard work she didn't want to send them off in different directions never to be seen again so we put our heads together and this is what has been done with them.

They do look amazing. It is always difficult to photograph something behind glass but we have done the best we can. These are now going to be given to her daughter as a Christmas present and I am sure they will become a family heirloom.

CD Sunday - Trees

2011-11-20T08:15:00.001Z

Gosh the weeks seems to by flying past at the moment. The run up to Christmas always seems a bit hectic and busy. We didn't have quite so many entries last week. Perhaps you were all very busy with these preparations or Paisley wasn't to your liking as much as we hope this weeks theme of 'Trees' will be. There are some beautiful images of trees and Autumn scenes to be found on many CD's as well as oodles of Christmas trees in all shapes sizes and media to be discovered and used.

For my card this week I have used Joanna Sheen's 'Dancing with Shadows' CD for the image and BP. I also used some card candi just to show that I have some as well. The charm doesn't show well but it is a penny farthing from Fruit Pixie.

Mixing it up

2011-11-18T12:04:00.001Z

In between sessions of finishing my parchment homework - a card started in our lesson on Wednesday evening

I have been finishing off a project started at the weekend. I was fascinated by a stand at the NEC where they were selling 3D die cut kits of famous buildings. Lo and behold they had a model of one of my favourites - St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
I just had to have it. My sister and I started it at the weekend and she quickly renamed it Fawlty Towers - and here it is finished.

All I have to do now is find somewhere to put it. At a tad under 2' high - not easy.

CD Sunday - Paisley Fun

2011-11-13T08:00:00.001Z

For our theme this week I have made a DVD Gift Box. I used Elusive Images 'Damask Delights' for the box and tag - printed on to 280gsm card and 'Butterfly Bliss' for for the butterfly which is in three layers (top parchment) and glittered. I used a Robert Addams pattern for the box. Robert has various envelope, gift bag and box patterns on many of his CD's and I find them very useful.
I made this one for our theme a little while ago and it started me off on making all those colourful butterflies.
I enjoyed our Sunset theme last week and I look forward to seeing who our winner is from amongst the great cards that you all made for the challenge.

By the River - at the NEC

2011-11-09T13:26:00.001Z

This handsome duck is one of the images from Deb's/Judith Maslen CD from Debbees CD's - 'Fairies are everywhere'.
This Cd was launched for sale at the NEC. All Debbees CD's are simple jpeg format so it is so easy to take out a single image and resize and generally play with it. I used one of the topper images and printed it direct to the centre of A4 parchment and then added a border using a Pergamano Multi Grid. The lovely painting was then embossed and I stitched it to some rainbow backing card using beads I bought from Riverside Beads. They were right next door to us so that was easy.

I have just about recovered from our trip. I always thoroughly enjoy the general buzz, chatting to old friends and making new ones. It was especially nice to see fellow CD Sunday DT members as well as various friends from forums I belong to. I managed to make plate cards, easel cards, ATC's and quite a few sparkly butterflies.
Debs will be at Bluewater next year and all being well I will be there again on her stand.

I hope you enjoy looking at my work and your comments are always welcomed.

CD Sunday - Sunset

2011-11-06T08:00:00.003Z

It is already the 1st week in November and as usual we have a generous Sponsor at Cd Sunday. This month we have Caroline - of Carolines Rubber Stamps and Digi images.
Caroline very generously gave the design team a 'package' of her own digi images to play with and above is what I have done with just a few of the many images we received and MCS Best of Vol 1 - Walk in Wonderland.
The prize that Caroline is offering is a digi image of the winners choice.
Don't forget that Caroline also has some gorgeous rubber stamps as well. That lovely butterfly I stamped on parchment was designed by Caroline.

Using digi images is a fairly new adventure for me and I had a lot fun designing my card.
This post is a timed one as hopefully I will be dashing about getting ready for our last day at the NEC. I hope it works well.
I will catch up with everyone from Tuesday onwards.

CD Sunday - Puss Cat

2011-10-30T08:00:00.002Z

I have used an image from Joanna Sheen's 'Nostalgia' CD showcasing the paintings by Kevin Walsh. I have always been a fan of his artwork and was so pleased when I saw this Cd for sale. I know I will use it a great deal. I have never had any cats - always been a dog person but I do love this image.

I hope you have enjoyed our Halloween week on Cd Sunday - but what about Strictly's Halloween. I think some good and some very bad sums it up.

I will be away next week so I am apologising in advance as I won't be able to visit your Blogs and leave any comments. I tried taking my laptop with me last year and the reception was non existant so I am not even bothering this year.

Just a Butterfly thing...........................

2011-10-29T10:10:00.000+01:00

Whilst I have been struggling with this awful chest infection I haven't been able to do any complicated crafting especially using parchment patterns as the concentration level has been zero. I have though sat and cut out and made some more of the butterflies from the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD. Again each one is three layers, 280gsm card, 120gsm paper and 140gsm parchment.
I have watched more television these last 10 days or so that I have in the last year and isn't it boring.

Here are the butterflies:

But here is one special one - first of many I hope - and it comes from the bonus folder on a Debbees Cd - Paper Flower Boutique.
I have used paper only for this one. I did varnish the 'feelers' with nail varnish to strengthen them.

I am planning to make many more of these when I am working on Stand G45 at the NEC next week - so I'll keep taking the tablets - and I will see you there.

Fall Butterfly

2011-10-25T15:29:00.001+01:00

A lovely lady in America very kindly said such very nice things about the blue version of this card that I made a little while ago that I decided I would like to make one just for her and post off to the States.
The butterfly is one of those I made using the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD and I chose this one because of the 'Fall' colours on the wings.
I used the Multi Grid No: 17 again and coloured the little butterflies to match the big one using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils- Earth Green Yellowish 168, Dark Chrome yellow 109, Burnt Ochre 187 and Deep Scarlet red 219.
The backing paper is one of my own. I took a photograph at Wisley last year of the leaves on one of the fantastic specimen trees they have there just as they were beginning to turn in the Autumn. I used my ACDSee photo manager to add an oil painting effect to the image and was very pleased with the result- and it matched the other colours I had used perfectly.

CD Sunday - Halloween

2011-10-23T08:00:00.002+01:00

This is my CD Sunday DT card for the challenge ' Halloween'. I have used Ooh La La's 'Silhouette Magic' CD and MCS with some paper additions and a touch of glitter. I hope to see many 'spooky' entries from our loyal band of followers.
Thank you for your entries in our 'Around the World' challenge last week and I will be letting Jenny know my Top 3 choice as soon as possible.

CD Sunday - Around the World

2011-10-16T08:00:00.017+01:00

I got a bit excited about this particular challenge as it was my turn to choose the challenge and consequently to choose the Top 3.
I knew exactly what I was going to do - go off and find my 'Carol's Cubes'. I was fascinated by them when Carol first showed them on C & C and I think I bought all of them. Sadly neglected with my passion for all this parchment but being on this DT means that I have to dig out forgotten supplies and skills. One of the reasons why I love being part of CD Sunday.
So here is my card

I loved making it. I got messy stamping and then got out my watercolours and my best brush and had a whale of a time.
I used the Egypt, Africa and India cubes. The bp for the card is from Ooh La La. The Mappa Mundi is from ?? and the border and wording were added using my ACDSee photo manager programme.

We had some great cards entered last week and it wasn't an easy theme and I know Jocelyn is going to find it difficult to choose her Top 3.
Have fun with our theme this week, which I think is a little bit easier, and I know I will enjoy my trip 'Around the Blogs'. I have a little something for the winner.

Some more from the new Debbees Cd

2011-10-13T19:58:00.001+01:00

Four very quick coasters. Printed on to 280 gsm white card. The quality of the images is shown by the fact that the rectangular pictures were altered to 80mm x 80mm squares without any distortion.

Egg Box Fairy - decoupage. Printed on Navigator Silky 120gsm paper and 280 gsm linen look card for the basic card.

Cup Cake Chaos waterfall card. - again all printed using the 280 gsm white linen look card.

I am having such fun with this CD.

A Plate Card and an Easel Card

2011-10-12T15:04:00.000+01:00

from the new Debbees CD.
I don't normally make this sort of card but they were so easy to make and I think they look great.

I haven't had the completed Cd yet but I believe there will be one or two of each of these per character. No measuring to do - it was all done for me. I just had to cut it out and stick it together. As an easel novice that suited me.

WOW!!!!

2011-10-11T19:12:00.001+01:00

I will start with just one WOW as my fab friend Debs does them much better than I do.
Here is my announcement - in her words:

YES.. Really .... Judith Maslen... Really Really Truly!! (insert more Oh Wows here!) I am sure many of you will have heard lots about this fabulously talented and oh so luvverly and smashing lady. maybe have some her beautiful parchment patterns or been lucky enough to get a much coveted space on one of her workshop, or met her at shows .... and here is a CD full of her beautiful work (insert more Oh Wows please!)

Serious bit.. (if I can stop being excited for long enough!!) on the CD there are 6 main folders, each with it's own quirky little fairy (generally up to a bit of mischief!), hand drawn onto parchment and coloured by the fabulous JUDITH MASLEN. You then have decoupage, toppers, pyramids, waterfalls, papers, inserts etc etc etc Plus Bonus Folders, shaped cards and more papers, PLUS for all you Parchers and Pro-Marker/Pencil/Paint fans there is a bonus Digi Stamp folder with loads of err.. digi stamps :-) and shaped cards, ready to be painted or traced or whatever

Hang on.. Need a couple more Wows!

Loads and loads on here... but way to excited to stop and count the pages.. but lots!!!

Did I mention the artwork was by Judith Maslen??

Available to buy... at the NEC!!!! Stand G45.. see you there.

OK Debs - calm down.

So here is my bit. I have been (and still am )making some sample cards from this new CD for display at the NEC and here is a preview. I am one of the lucky ones who go to Judith's workshops and I adore her work. So I think I am almost as excited as Debs about the new venture.

The Cup Cake Chaos - in parchment.

The Craft Room Fairy - in parchment

The Dressing Table fairy - pyramage

The Egg Box fairy - Recipe Book in linen look card with lined pages.

CD Sunday - Wine Buff

2011-10-09T09:21:00.001+01:00

Good Morning. I am quite excited about this challenge as I think it is such an unusual theme and I am intrigued to see what everyone is going to make for this one.
We have such wonderful entries in our challenges and I am sure this will be no exception.
I hadn't got anything on a CD for an image that I felt was suitable so I turned to my 'stitching' folder and found this one that I liked straight away. It looks like a very 'posh' wine label and is better for being all in one colour.

The background paper is from MCS and just seemed perfect to keep it all in balance.
The two wine glasses charms are a bit special as they were given to me by my late friend Sue. Sue was such a generous person and nobody ever left her house without armfuls of crafting goodies. It was so sad when Sue could no longer craft. Here is a toast to you Sue.

Well done to our two prize winners, Linby and Tabitha, and good luck to Pamela choosing her top three. Not an easy task with all those wonderful cards from which to choose.

Just a little personal note: Welcome back Christine and so glad it all went well.

Blissful Butterfly

2011-10-08T14:52:00.000+01:00

I suddenly felt the need to make a card using one of those butterflies in my last post.... and here it is:

I went back to the Artylicious CD - Butterfly Bliss - for the toning backing paper. I found this in the same colour folder as the butterfly. I then used Pergamano Multi Grid No:17 for the parchment butterfly border. I coloured in the little butterflies from the back using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I chose the four main colours in the butterfly and they are - Phthalo Green - 161, Cobalt Green - 156, Phthalo Blue - 145 and Sky Blue - 146. A small sun tool for the butterfly trail and a sprinkle of Glamour dust - which show up more in the 'flesh'. The card itself is a toning blue with a glitter border. I have had it so long I can't remember the manufacturer.I hope you like it. I enjoyed making it very much.

Some more Parchment Butterflies

2011-10-03T12:18:00.000+01:00

I have been using the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD for a future project (can't show it yet) and rediscovered the pages of beautifully coloured and styled butterflies. Before I knew what had happened I had printed out three sheets each of a couple of the designs. I printed I in 280gsm linen look card, 1 in 120gsm Navigator Silky touch and 1 in 140gsm parchment. I cut them all out and layered them having embossed the parchment one and put that on last. Added some antennae and now have some more for my embellishment box or for the next time I choose the Top 3 on CD Sunday.

Here they are:

CD Sunday - Nature's Wonders

2011-10-02T08:30:00.003+01:00

The 1st week of October already. Our 1st week of the month is a sponsored week as always and this month we have as our very generous sponsor Sue Wilson of Creative Expressions. The prize for the lucky winners whose names are drawn is a share of 4 sets of Christmas Stamps. We are very grateful to Sue for her generosity.
Sue very kindly sent the design team a set of stamps called Nature's Wonders to play with and we have all come up with very different ideas.
I made a couple of ATC's

I used Pattern Source Nature 2 CD (Japanese Papers) and three of the stamps from my sheet.

Sadly last week we had to say goodbye to Tess as a team member and this week we are welcoming our new teamie Jocelyn - of Jocelyn's Place. I am sure many of you will know Jocelyn from her Blog and the beautiful cards she makes and I can confess that I also know Jocelyn as a personal friend.

It is a home from home month for me as our Guest Designer for October is Pamela of Pamela's Pages - who is also a friend of mine. No this isn't a take over bid - just a coincidence. I am looking forward to a great month.

ATC's in Parchment

2011-10-01T12:09:00.001+01:00

I love making ATC's. I belong to a couple of ATC swop groups. The biggest one being the UKSN - United Kingdom Stampers Network. A great club where you can swop many things, but I just belong to the ATC group. That is the only section that allows mediums other than stamping.
I have been making quite a few parchment ones for my 'stock' folder and I thought I would share what I have done.

I have used so many different sources for images, backing papers etc and I can't remember them all but here are those that I do remember:
Judith Maslen, Joanna Sheen, Carol Ann's Studio, Ooh La La, Pauline Loweth, Pergamano Multi Grid 9, Peels Offs, embossing folder, MCS, Rubber stamp and Chocolate Baroque.

Mixed Bag

2011-09-26T12:50:00.000+01:00

There are two main manufacturers of parchment tools - as most people know - Pergamano and Parchment Craft Australia (PCA). My tutor is PCA trained so I started with their brand of tools - but - I do have a few Pergamano tools that have no counterparts in the PCA range. Pergamano have published a pattern booklet called Tool Special covering the use of 10 of their special tools. I bought this at The Art of Craft last week and have been 'having a play' with one of the patterns - by Wilma Bloemers. I haven't got all of these 10 tools but using a couple I have - 'moon' and 'drop' - I have made the following

I used one of my own ready made parchment flowers instead of the one in the pattern and I added a butterfly made using Pergamano Multi Grid 17. The backing paper comes from Carol Ann's Studio Patchwork Petals CD.
I was so tired yesterday after the wedding on Saturday that I just needed to chill out and 'play'. A lovely wedding and good weather - it was just the travelling that was a nightmare. How anyone copes working in London I do not know. Only for youngsters I feel.

CD Sunday -Winter Wonderland

2011-09-25T08:00:00.002+01:00

We had some gorgeous entries for our Black and Blue theme last week and we thank you for your continued support. I enjoy the resultant blog hopping and learn such a lot from all those colourful pages.
This week our theme is Winter Wonderland - a golden opportunity to add one more to your Christmas 'box'.

Here is my offering

I have used Robert Addams CD - Let it Snow for the background and the pyramage -which I prefer to do 'flat'. I like the effect as well as the lower postal cost.
Here is a close-up detail of the flowers which were made using pieces from a 12"x12" heavyweight embossed sparkly vellum and icy blue gems.

This will be Hazel's last week with us as our September Guest designer. Thank you Hazel. Hazel has given us some beautiful samples of her talents and I am sure we will be seeing her again at Cd Sunday.

Two posts for the price of one.

2011-09-22T17:53:00.000+01:00

First is a peek at the wedding card I have made for my nephew and his bride. I am attending the wedding on Saturday in London. I don't think they have my Blog address and anyway I think they will be too busy to browse.

I wanted it to be simple and uncomplicated so I chose a pattern that wasn't designed as a wedding card. The photograph doesn't show it but the ribbon does tone with the background.

The second posting is the project for our parchment lesson last night. I was so tired still from Sandown that I made a pig's ear of my work last night so I decided to sit quietly today and do it again. I took time over it and I don't mind showing this one.
It is an old pattern and is for a Scented door hanger. Two double layers of parchment with dried Lavender in the middle.

Show report - The Creative Craft Show - Sandown Park

2011-09-19T18:55:00.000+01:00

Well, the Show is over for this year. The next one will be in January 2012.
We had a very busy time chatting to many many lovely people about all things parchment. Doing little demos and passing on tips, names of favourite websites and internet shops and all sorts of other stuff. What came over very strongly is that there is a serious lack of parchment tutors in almost every area of the Country. So many really want to try to learn about parchment crafting but struggle to do it on their own.
Here is a photo of our Stand. My friend Debs is on the left, my parchment Tutor Marilyn on the right and yes - you've guessed it - I am the gap in the middle.

CD Sunday -Black and Blue

2011-09-18T08:00:00.001+01:00

This is going to be a timed post - hopefully it will work. Good Morning. Yet another Sunday Challenge has come round. I hope you enjoyed our Alphabet - M - challenge last week. I always enjoy Alphabet challenges. We often have them in our ATC Club.
This week our theme is Black and Blue. I think this was one of my suggestions so I am to blame. For this challenge I decided to make a 'Sympathy' card. A sad topic always but we card makers do have to make them from time to time.
Here it is:

I used 'Clip Art' Cd by Patsy May in MCS and printed the frame image on parchment. I chose a font for the words to emboss and then added a couple of butterflies made using a Pergamano Multi Grid No: 17. The 'Blue' part of the challenge is the blue backing card which just shows through the parchment as a blue haze.

I hope you will join in with our challenge and don't forget that a Cd must be used somewhere in the making of your project.

Sparkling Poinsettias

2011-09-14T22:38:00.001+01:00

Our September Judith Maslen workshop was last weekend. As always we had two new patterns to play with and this is the morning project. I just had to finish off the stippling on the tree. This always takes quite some time and I didn't want to waste valuable workshop time when I could finish this at home.

The second pattern for the afternoon session is a little bit special and I have some more work to do on it. I am going to try and finish it whilst at the Show. In between chatting to our visitors.

CD Sunday - Alphabets - M

2011-09-11T08:01:00.000+01:00

Another week gone by and Wow! - didn't we have some beautiful entries in our 'Inspired by Peacocks'. Some lucky one is going to win those great CD's. And I don't envy Wendy P her trying to choose just 3 for her Top 3.

Our theme for this week is another letter of the Alphabet - 'M' this time. I have made a coaster for this challenge using an alphabet pattern by my own parchment tutor - Marilyn Pybus - and a backing paper from Carol Ann's Studio CD - 'Glitz and Bitz'. The backing paper is a sheet of handwriting against lovely shaded colours of pinks and purples. Three of the ladies in my group of regular diners have names beginning with M so one of them will have this instead of, or as well as, a birthday card.

I am now on the final count down til the start of the Sandown Park Craft Show (details in sidebar) so it will be a busy few days chez moi. Debs will be arriving on Thursday and then it will be three manic days which we wouldn't miss for the world. What could be better than spending 3 days with friends talking about and demonstrating your favourite past time.

CD Sunday- Inspired by Peacocks

2011-09-04T09:18:00.001+01:00

What a great challenge we have for you this week and what a great, great prize. Jenny is right when she says over on our Blog that it has been hard to keep this challenge a secret. Glenda from Chocolate Baroque has been so generous with her sponsorship prizes. Here is Jenny's description.............

"Glenda has very kindly given each of the team a copy of her Peacock Summer Party to use and even better the prize is one I'm sure you will all want, three cd's! Your prize for this week is a copy of Decadent Brocade, Season's Greetings and Peacock Summer Party."

We also have a copy of Peacock Summer Party to give to the winner of the Top 3 - to be chosen by our Wendy P.

I started off my project with the full intention of making a card but when I had finished it it had become a picture. I printed one of the fan topper sheets in parchment and embossed and cut appropriately and then started playing with this pack of beautiful white feathers I had. The background is an A4 sheet of one of the many many gorgeous backing papers on this CD.

I am so looking forward to seeing all the inspirational entries in this challenge and in the meantime I am going to give Jenny my Top 3 list for last week. It was my turn to choose and it was difficult to choose just 3. For the winner I have a small gift of some of my parchment flowers - 6 x Poinsettia's and 6 x White sparkles and I hope you like them.

A big CD Sunday welcome to Hazel as our Guest Designer for September. Hazel has started off with a fab card so please visit her Blog and those of my fellow teamies to see what they have been doing.

CD Sunday - Just Because

2011-08-28T08:10:00.002+01:00

I love a 'Just Because' card. Did you know that we as a nation are one of the Worlds biggest card makers and givers? (Can't remember where I read this - but I did). It must be 'because' when we have run out of Birthdays, Get Well and Good Luck etc., etc., we always have 'Just Because' - which is a one of the best reasons for sending a card.
Although mine is a Christmas card it is still a 'Just Because'...........

it is also my second favourite discipline - stitch cards. The pattern for this one comes from Form-A-Lines - and the BP from Carol Ann's Studio 2nd Christmas CD - CD-8.
There are so many reasons for a 'Just Because' card so I am hoping to see many, many entries to our challenge - esp as it is my turn to choose the top 3. I am looking forward to what I know will be a difficult decision. I have a little bag of parchment Christmassy flowers for the winner.
Please have a look at my fellow teamies 'Just Becauses' - they are all so different and such great cards.
Sadly it is Deb's last week with us as our Guest Design Team member. Her cards have been and are great and I am sure she will be joining us again. Thank you Debs.

Christmas is coming -

2011-08-26T13:41:00.000+01:00

and although we all seem to moan about starting preparations in August I think we have to - to get all those handmade goodies and cards done in time. In my case I need something more and Christmassy for the Show next month. The tree is already in a display case I have purchased for the purpose - so this last couple of days I have been making some Christmas parchment flowers - mainly poinsettias. This year I tried to make them more realistic and I hope I have managed to give that impression. I used my usual pattern for the flowers and green and red parchment which I purchased from the Art of Craft. After I had stuck the layers together I used some creamy yellow beads and stuck them individually into the centres. Doing them one at a time avoided the bead hole showing uppermost. I then just touched the top of the beads with a Sakura Brush pen in green and then yellow. I used a new - to me - glue called appli glue. It dries clear and is just thick enough to allow the bead to stand and not flop over whilst drying. In fact I have been using this glue quite a bit in the last week or so - I can recommend it.
I tried glitter on one of the poinsettias but it didn't look good. They are better plain.

Here they are - mixed in with some others made using a special sparkly vellum.

CD Sunday - Nursery Rhymes

2011-08-21T08:07:00.000+01:00

Another week has slipped by so quickly and here it is - time for another challenge. I decided to make some ATC's for our theme of Nursery Rhymes and I sourced my materials from various places.Using allsorts of bits and pieces is what I love about making ATC's.

I used Joanna Sheen's 'ATC Assistant', ' Crafty Image Emporium CD' and Ooh La La Creations -' Shoes in Bloom ' for my basic sources and then peel-offs, Flower Soft and a rubber stamp for the rest. The clock face came from 'The Fruit Pixie' - a veritable Aladdins Cave for ATC enthusiasts.
We look forward to seeing lots more great entries to our challenge and it is even more fun now we have a top three each week as well as our monthly Sponsor. Well done to Sue, Jocelyn and Caroline - our winners last week. Who will it be this week? It is Jenny's turn to choose her three favourites.

May I introduce you to 'Cordelia'

2011-08-15T20:50:00.000+01:00

'Cordelia' is one of 4 Elegance patterns designed by Judith Maslen sold through the CC Collection. There are three more lovely ladies yet to do but this is my favourite and I had to make her first.

I love doing any of Judith's patterns but I am really pleased how this one has worked out.

I haven't decide on a mount or backing paper yet. It needs a little thinking about.
I hope you like this lovely image as much as I do. Thank you Judith for yet another gorgeous pattern.

Miniature Handbag - an extra

2011-08-15T09:24:00.000+01:00

I have bought a handmade necklace as a birthday gift for a family member and I didn't really like the plain ordinary box that it came in so.................................

I made a bag to match the necklace.
The pattern of course is by Amanda Yeh. I found a beautiful toning backing paper on a Carol Ann's Studio CD and printed it out on parchment. To the centres of the embossed flowers I added blue nailheads and crystal gems. The spotty chiffon ribbon is from The Art of Craft.
I enjoyed making this handbag as a personal gift - and even my son was impressed.

I am also going to enter this in the Allsorts Challenge - Anything But a Card.

CD Sunday - Only Ovals

2011-08-14T10:03:00.002+01:00

Sunday seems to have come round much quicker this week. We had so many great entries last week and as Jenny said it is going to be hard for Christine to choose her top 3 - a new feature at Cd Sunday.

We have a winner though - ChrisJW - for our Sponsor prize- Grandma's Button Box CD - from Katy Sue Designs. Congratulations Chris. I know you will enjoy using this CD.

For my DT card this week I felt like doing some stitching and I found the pattern for the oval Sunflowers in an oval frame at Form -A- Lines . For everything else I used the 'Sunflower' folder on Ooh La la's CD - 'Shoes in Bloom'. The wrapround on my card is the insert from the folder used as an outsert and I just snipped around the edges of the two printed sunflowers to slip over the corners of the matting. I can't remember who makes the butterfly punch but as I suspect most of you have this punch, you will know the maker. I have backed my punched out butterfly with parchment and then embossed from the back. Added jewels for the body.
I hope you like the card and that it will inspire you to think Oval.

Paper Lantern

2011-08-11T10:22:00.001+01:00

A birthday card for a special friend who has a birthday today. I hope it arrived safely - and Happy Birthday wishes Mandi.
The pattern is by Judith Maslen.

In my Summer Garden

2011-08-10T22:30:00.002+01:00

A nice simple design by Christine Coleman in the September issue of the Parchment Magazine. My copy arrived this morning and I just wanted something gentle to do. Coloured on the back with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils using dry pencil technique. (Fancy way of saying - just colouring in).
The black ink work should be finer than this. I cheated and used a Staedtler Fineliner instead of mapping pen and ink. I wasn't in the mood for a pen. Am I bovverred?
xx

Oh Christmas - #86 at Ooh La La

2011-08-08T20:12:00.000+01:00

I needed to start adding more to the very few Christmas cards I have managed to make so here is another one and I decided to enter it in the Ooh La La challenge - Oh Christmas.
I have printed out one of the toppers onto parchment from the 'White Poinsettia' folder on Carnival of Colour CD (Ooh La La). I have embossed the image and then used one of the backing papers for the oval and the rectangular mounts and then a sheet of the matching weave background for the card itself. Peel off trims and sentiment from stash and spotty ribbon from The Art of Craft..

CD Sunday - Buttons

2011-08-07T10:31:00.002+01:00

I am very excited this week for quite a few reasons. We have a great sponsor in and we have been given a copy of Grandma's Button Box CD to play with and I love the CD. It is colourful, bright and fresh. I am looking forward to seeing your designs on the Button theme. I think buttons figure in our earliest childhood memories as who didn't play with Grandma's or Mother's button box? We used to use my Mother's buttons as tokens for a great card game called Ha'pennies in, Ha'pennies out.
Gosh that dates me.
Also my great buddy Debs is joining us this month as our guest DT. I have known Debs for about 4 (mad) years now and I will be on her stand again at the NEC in November.
And we are now going to chose the 'Top three' entries each week - starting this week. Please see our Blog for more details.
I think our team has made some fab cards and I hope you visit their Blogs - and I hope you like my contribution. I loved making it and here it is.

I have used the patchwork letters which are a particular favourite of mine on the Cd. There are sheets of large, medium and small in capitals and lower case. I have printed them all out and slowly cutting them all out so that I have a ready supply to use.
Last but not least a thank you to Chris for for her great contribution as our GDT last month.
I look forward to more sessions of blog hopping. I have found that when I go to look at an entry to one of our challenges I always look futher on the Blog and sometimes go off on a visit to someone on their 'blog friend' list - and then some time later...............

Well - the craft room move was successful and look what I found

2011-07-31T17:27:00.001+01:00

Packed away in one of the boxes. An ' Antique Pansy' card kit from Ribbon Box. I bought it at one of the craft shows about 18months/2 years ago. So now I am relaxing in my lovely new cool and airy craft space I decided to have a go at this. I still have the rest of the box to sort out but I have achieved something. I have a very kind and sweet next door neighbour who has been nothing but kindness itself to me since the day I moved in here and it is her birthday next month so this will be for her.

Monday 1st Aug
Oops! Following on from the above - when I was putting the remainder of the kit away (enough for two) I realised that I hadn't actually finished the card. So here it is - finally finally finished.

CD Sunday - Bling it up

2011-07-31T08:29:00.001+01:00

For our theme this week of 'Bling it up' I have chosen a parchment pattern by Judith Maslen of a pendant necklace. The extra bonus of this pattern is that you could match the gem colour to the Birthday stone of the
recipient. This is a pattern that is suitable for a beginner as it consists of gentle embossing and a little gridwork. I have mounted it on to linen look miri card and then used a bp from Carol Ann's Studio 'Glitz and Bitz' for the base card - printed on linen look A4 white card.
I look forward to blog hopping again to see all your lovely cards. Please join in our challenge and also do visit my fellow teamies.
Our sponsored challenge next week is very exciting so please keep watching.

Fan - free download pattern from Amanda Yeh

2011-07-29T13:35:00.005+01:00

I had a few moments of Will I? - Won't I? show this as I marked the work after I had finished. I caught the parchment with one of my tools and of course the sad thing is that you cannot remove a mark from parchment.
You can hide it by covering it - what we call a butterfly moment - but on here it would look so silly. I could have made one new blade - as a friend suggested - but it was all finished and glued. So here it is - warts and all.
The pattern is available from Amanda's site

Finished Project - Parchment Christmas tree

2011-07-26T16:14:00.000+01:00

So here it is - all finished and sparkly. The pattern is one by Pauline Loweth. I have been dying to do it for some time and I thought it would be nice to have it on display in September. It has 9 layers and a star. They are threaded on to an 8" kebab stick with parchment spacers between each layer. The scalloped edges and the star are all painted with clear nail varnish and glamour dust added. The whole uses a night light candle as the base. The one I have used is a special sparkly Christmas one I bought last year and forgot to use.

Now I have a special wedding card to make for my nephew and his bride to be so I had better think about that as my next project - unless I get side tracked.

CD Sunday - Dreams

2011-07-24T07:38:00.000+01:00

For this weeks theme of 'Dreams' I knew immediately what I was going to create - a dreamcatcher. I am a fairly down to earth kinda gal but the concept of a dreamcatcher has always fascinated me and I knew I had a stitch pattern that would be just perfect. I have added the beads and the horse charm to the design and used a bp from Joanna Sheen's Cd - American Frontier.
Here is a close-up of the design

and here is the insert with the Apache Wedding Blessing

I hope you like my card as much as I enjoyed the making of it. If I am not doing parchment then stitch and bead work is my next best favourite.
Please visit the blogs of my fellow DT members and perhaps join us yourselves in our CD Sunday challenges. We are all so pleased to have surpassed the 100 followers and of course we would love to see more.

The next project

2011-07-20T09:20:00.000+01:00

on my worktable is ?? There are 10 parts like this in various sizes and a kebab stick is involved.

Miniature Handbag No:18

2011-07-17T12:29:00.002+01:00

Well - last one for the show. I did say that I thought it ought to be going out with a bang or a whimper. Well I decided the bang would be the thing. But halfway through this one I began to regret it but it is done now. I am not 100% happy with the handles and I may well change them but they are as per the pattern. They were just fiddly and I got frustrated with them.
So here it is and it is called 'Lace'

The outside layer is one piece of the lace as you see it - two circles of pattern joined in the centre - under the bag. I couldn't face using my mapping pen and ink for the red outlines so I chickened out and used my Staedtler triplus fineliner. These are great - not as fine as is liked by parchment gurus but fine for this and I am not sitting an exam when it would be a No No. I was getting a bit desperate during the pricking out and at one stage even thought - they don't know which one I have chosen to do!!
The red lining piece is plain parchment that I have printed from a backing paper folder on a CD.
Hope you like it - and my next project will be ????
Thank you for all the interest and kind comments.
xx

CD Sunday - Nautical

2011-07-17T09:34:00.000+01:00

Gosh -Sunday does seem to come round quickly.

For this weeks theme - Nautical - I used a CD from Crafty Computer Paper - 'Card Kits and Bits'.
I have a few of their CD's and I consider them an important part of my crafting CD collection. If you need a very quick card that is a little different - quirky even, then this Cd is great.
So I don't consider I have done anything particularly clever, original or inspiring this week but I hope you like the card nonetheless.
I look forward to seeing some great 'Nautical' cards from you all.

Miniature Handbag No:17

2011-07-16T12:26:00.001+01:00

This one is a pattern I have used before but the style is a favourite of my Parchment Tutor -Marilyn Pybus. It is called the' Knitting Bag'. It is on Marilyn's stand at the Sandown Show - in September - where all these bags will be displayed. This one uses two pieces of parchment, one plain and one coloured. For the coloured one I have used Debbees Cd - Paper Flower Boutique. It is a subtle backing paper of mainly yellows and soft greens. It doesn't photograph that well but it does look delicate and pretty in the flesh.
The ribbon is already attached to the bag so that it can be hung from the Fotofall. Sorry about that. It is a fiddle to thread the ribbon through the glass beads I use as weights and I didn't want to do it again.

One more to go but I haven't decided which one yet. I think I ought to finish with a bang and do a really complicated one - - -but then perhaps not!

Miniature Handbag No: 16

2011-07-14T12:27:00.002+01:00

I love this one and I think it is going to be one of my favourites. This is from Amanda Yeh's second book and the patterns in this book take some thinking about. You can tell Amanda is a Mathematics teacher as there is so much calculation and logic in her patterns. There is an outer and an inner sheet to this pattern. The outer layer is like a net - which is the name of the pattern - and worked in plain parchment. Three of the petals in the blossoms are part of that layer and then other three of the six are done as extras and attached with special fixings and then a gem added.. The inner layer I have worked on coloured parchment - a pattern printed from a Carol Ann's Studio CD.
I was just going to make 12 but now I have reached 16 I might as well continue to 18 as there are 18 arms on the Fotofall to fill.

Ooh La La Challenge #84 - Tag It

2011-07-12T15:34:00.004+01:00

Lots of excitement here these last few days as I have finally bought a Cuttlebug. I have resisted strongly these last 6/7 years but a moment of weakness at The Art of Craft last week was my undoing. Debs bought a file full of dies and folders with her on Friday and we had a session so that I could get used to using it and at least have a few bits to play with. I only bought 1 folder and 1 set of dies.
This afternoon I was going through the bits we had done and suddenly realised I had a tag to play with and Ooh La La have a 'Tag It' Challenge so here is my offering

I have used Ooh La La's crackle backing paper for the card and the tag, Kanban blue linen look mirri card behind the parchment scalloped mat I made. The tag and flower dies and the embossing folders belong to Debs so I don't know who made them.
I enjoyed making my first 'Cuttlebug' card and I hope you like it.

Miniature Handbag No:15

2011-07-11T10:09:00.002+01:00

This is from Amanda's second book' Exquisite Bags' - and is called Collection Bag. Amanda has done hers in Pergamano Orange parchment which has a coloured side and a plain side so that you get different embossing effects depending on which side you use. In her pattern you have to reverse the top half of the pattern so that the turn overs are deep orange compared with the rest of the bag. I haven't got any such parchment so I use a very pale spotted sheet printed from one of my CD's. Nowhere near such a dramatic effect but I like how it looks.
I sat and made this yesterday after Debs had left to go home. It seemed so quiet without having her to chat to so I resorted to a Poirot DVD to keep me company.

Latest workshop with Judith Maslen

2011-07-10T15:43:00.002+01:00

Debs and I, and another friend of ours, Charmaine, went down to the woods again yesterday to another great workshop by Judith. Actually it wasn't strictly the woods - more New Forest.
As always we had two new patterns to work with. If you read Judith's Blog you will see that she summed us all up pretty accurately when she said we would moan about painting. Yep - we did but we promised her we would persevere and I am glad that we did. I wasn't 100% happy with my painting but pleased with it as a first go. Need more practice with moving the brush in circles to prevent a hard line. But Judith came to the rescue and we were allowed to dorso on the back to diffuse some of the hard edges. A great tip. This morning when we finished our cards Debs and I also added a little Faber Castell pencil shading to the front and that made it much more betterer - as my children used to say.

So here is the morning card - Boutique 'Frilly Dance Dress'.

Our afternoon project was a very pretty whitework design called 'Trailing Treasure' from the Fantasy Flower series.

Just a little dorso work behind the part oval, whitework embossing and a little gold writing and bobbles. A lovely relaxing card to do and another lovely design from Judith.

The extras I have used were a Martha Stewart punch and gems from stash on the first card and a fantasy flower of my own - with added Bedazzles - from Debbees Cd - Paper Flower Boutique on the second card

CD Sunday - Handbags

2011-07-10T09:28:00.001+01:00

Front:

Back:

My parchment Handbag is made using a pattern in the June Parchment Magazine by Mary G. Kerr. I have used a BP for the main body of the card from 'Shoes in Bloom' CD from Ooh La La.

Well done to Linda H for winning the draw and I hope you enjoy your prize.
As we all seem to love having as many handbags as possible (and a friend of mine - more than most) we hope to see some inspired cards.

Blossom Fan - pattern by Amanda Yeh

2011-07-05T13:12:00.001+01:00

This wonderful pattern from Amanda Yeh's book - 'Exqisite Bags in Parchment Craft' is not for the faint hearted. But like all Amanda's patterns, it is grid work through and through which is my favourite part of parchment work. It was a question of now I have started I will finish and I was up til 2.am. this morning because I just couldn't leave it. This second book of Amanda's is challenging to say the least but I think the result is worth it. I have mounted it on 10 x 8 ready to be framed.

Here is a close up of the ribs and bow

I hope you like it.

(sorry Debs - I'll try and get back to some more flowers xx).

More from ' Paper Flowers Boutique'

2011-07-05T02:12:00.000+01:00

Paper Flowers Boutique

2011-07-03T11:48:00.000+01:00

More flowers- in parchment - from Debbees Cd - Paper Flowers Boutique

CD Sunday - Christmas is Calling

2011-07-03T08:59:00.003+01:00

Difficult to get your head round it I know - but we seem to be on the count down already. As I have been Blog hopping to visit our lovely challengees I have noticed quite a few have Christmas card counters. Your entry to our sponsored challenge will mean yet another tick on the side of - Done .
Our generous sponsor this month is the Stamping Boutique with the winner being able to choose three images from the many on offer. If you haven't been to see what they do then pop over to see them where you will find some lovely digis to choose from.
Please don't forget though to use a Cd somewhere in your design or sadly your entry, although greatly welcomed and appreciated, can not be considered for the prize.

Here is my DT card for this challenge

I have used a backing paper from Robert Addams cd - 'Christmas Carols' printed direct to card (Robert has added some wonderful winter backing papers to his Christmas CD's) and then wrapped it with a precious piece from a sheet of embossed and glittered 12 x 12 vellum. My Stamping Boutique image has been coloured with Sakura glitter pens and the sentiment and snowflakes have been coloured with peel off pens. A sprinkling of Flower soft for snow was the finishing touch.

I too would like to welcome our guest DT member for July - Chris. I have known Chris 'ether wise' for a little while now and I hope she enjoys her time with us and I know we will enjoy her designs.

'Paper Flowers Boutique' from Debbees Cd's

2011-07-01T18:30:00.000+01:00

This small 5 x 5 made using Deb's new CD was an easy one to make as the backing paper, matt , flowers and blank sentiment strip are all from the CD and come on an A5 sheet. Just the mirri card, beads, brads and peel off greeting are from my stash.

Here is a detail of the flower and leaves.

'Paper Flower Boutique' by Debbees Cd's

2011-07-01T14:53:00.000+01:00

The fab new Cd in town. Produced by Debs of Debbees CD's and it arrived here this morning with the ink still wet. I have been lucky to see a few CD's early and make samples for them most have been great but this one is just perfect. Designed especially for the paper flower maker it will soon become a must have. I love making parchment flowers and couldn't wait to get started. I haven't actually been through the whole Cd yet as I got so excited with the first few papers I looked at.
Here is my first completed one. I have copied the centre idea from some commercial silk flowers I have and used some toning stamens cut down. and stuck into the centre.

Now Debs hasn't seen this yet. I am just about to ring her to tell her I have made the first one and posted it here.

A commission - a repeat of Miniature Handbag No: 11

2011-06-30T14:19:00.003+01:00

A friend of mine has made a Ruby Wedding card at one of my monthly classes for her daughter and SIL.
The backing paper used - printed direct to the card - is from a Carol Ann's Studio CD and the heart design came from Stitching Cards

My friend wants to give them a voucher as a present and we discussed the best way to present this and it was decided that I would make her one of the basket versions of the handbag in which to put the voucher. So we chose my No: 11 and I used the same backing paper as the card but printed direct to parchment with a darker plain piece in the same colour range for the lining. She chose two of my glass heart beads (from Anita's beads) for the toggle which I made myself.

and here is the toggle- there is a story with this about me sticking my fingers together with super glue - but I am OK now.

Miniature Handbag No:14

2011-06-28T15:34:00.003+01:00

Remember this?

Well - now 3600 + snips later (in parchment terms that is a snip with parchment scissors between a pair of pricked holes) we have this:

From the side and the back:

The fastening is a pretty glass bead from my collection. At the Sandown Show I am a frequent visitor to Anitas's Bead - for just one more string.
In Amanda's pattern for this bag she shows a couple of pleats front and back fixed with tiny jump rings but as I haven't got any I just did it my way. And this will be the only one I make of this design. It did take patience and I think the only reason it is finished is that my keyboard died yesterday and with no way of communication on the internet I just had to get on and do other things. Shows what a time waster this computer can be.

CD Sunday - Mixed Bouquet

2011-06-26T08:04:00.000+01:00

This has been made using a photograph I took of a beautiful bouquet that was bought for me last year by Pamela (of Pamela's Pages). I did the borders in my Photo Manipulation Programme and made the background using the Toolbox CD. The two silver dragonflies are ones that I bought at a Bead Show earlier this year.
Here is one of the original photographs. It was a truly beautiful bouquet.

Our team have made some fab cards to inspire you and I look forward to lots of Blog hopping to see your inspiration.

Jewelled Butterfly with border

2011-06-24T12:10:00.001+01:00

Back in May I made a parchment butterfly using the beautiful butterfly stamp I had bought from Carolines. I have now found a suitable border to use to make a card to show off the butterfly. I found the border in a new book I purchased entitled 'Flower Garden' by Hiskia Wittenaar. Hiskia had a painting of a Camelia in the centre of hers but as I don't do much flower painting I used my butterfly. The little flowers are made using the same parchment paper that I used for the butterfly. I love the different colour graduations you get in the mottled design. I backed it all with plain white card so that the colouring remains delicate. I hope you like it.

Second ATC using pattern by Amanda Yeh

2011-06-23T19:56:00.000+01:00

The same pattern by Amanda Yeh as the previous ATC posting, just slightly different colouring for the 'ribbon' and a different centre. The butterfly comes from a pattern in one of the Pergamano Books but I can't remember which one. The pen work is done with pearl ink and the colouring from the back using Faber Castell polychromos pencils. For the ATC itself I have used bronze Kanban Linen Mirri card which doesn't seem to be available any more.

Miniature Handbag No:13

2011-06-22T22:11:00.002+01:00

My new Amanda Yeh pattern book arrived from Taiwan on Monday and of course I had to start playing straight away. This is the first handbag in the book and by golly it is quite a toughy. As I hadn't got any red parchment as such I coloured my own but in some places the embossing from the back has shown through white to the front but it isn't really a problem. I added more gems than the pattern called for but I had them so I used them. Do you like the Sunflower? I treated myself to a bouquet of them from Sainsbury's on Saturday to make the place look cheerful for Debs visit.

Now this is the pattern for the next handbag. I thought the last one a mite tricky so heaven knows if I manage to do this one without a few ****'s. I thought it might be of interest to show the pattern pricked out and some of the work done. It is called the Honeycomb Bag. If you look very closely you will see a few errors but these will be corrected as I go along. It is possible to 'mend' some areas as long as the problem isn't too serious. There are a few embossed dots missed and a couple of places where the embossing tool has made a hole but these can be patched from behind and will be almost invisible on the finished piece,

CD Sunday - Tassel Time

2011-06-19T10:00:00.002+01:00

This is all from Joanna Sheen's CD - Elegant Fans. Even the punched flowers were made using the backing paper printed on parchment. The tassel was bought at a craft fair from WS Designs a long time ago and I need to get some more at the next fair I attend. They are fine and delicate and just perfect for fans.

I am sure we are going to see some great ideas for the use of tassels and I look forward to visiting your Blogs

ATC - pattern by Amanda Yeh

2011-06-17T23:39:00.006+01:00

The pattern for this ATC is a freebie on Amanda's website. It has one of my favourite borders and I have used it several times on cards around pre printed and drawn and coloured images. The pattern can be enlarged very easily. The threaded ribbon is also parchment and somehow always looks nicer that material ribbon. I think it looks pleasing and delicate.

This was made this evening whilst finally sitting down for a rest after preparing for my guest tomorrow. Debs (Debbees CD's) is coming to stay and on Sunday we are off down to the big Parchment Exhibition in Bristol. We are so looking forward to it. Apparently there will be in the region of 60 exhibitors. Parchment overload I think will be the order of the day. And before all that Debs and I will manage a few hours of crafting together - and perhaps a glass or two! . Always a joy.

Smaller Miniature handbag

2011-06-15T19:38:00.003+01:00

I have ordered Amanda Yeh's second book of handbag patterns from Taiwan and whilst waiting for it to arrive I have been downloading some more of her free patterns on her site. This little semi circular handbag was amongst them and I made it very quickly. Amanda says it is designed for beginners and that is so. But it is even smaller than the others I made. It was hard to get it to stay on my little card easel so that I could photo it. This would be an ideal one to have a go at if you wanted to try a 3d object in parchment. Amanda suggests rainbow parchment for the outer bag but I used parchment printed from one of my Carol Ann's Studio CD's. I hardly ever use anything else for printing on parchment.
You'll find the pattern on her site - in my sidebar. Once there if you want to download you need to register with your email address but that has never been a problem.

Just had a thought. These are just about big enough to take one sweetie or a sugared almond - great for wedding place settings.

CD Sunday - If the Shoe Fits

2011-06-12T08:10:00.001+01:00

For this challenge I have used Carol Ann's Studio 'Glitz and Bitz' CD. I used some toppers to make decoupaged ATC's to which I added some bling. I made them on William and Kates Wedding Day so they are called - If the Shoe Fits - Wedding Shoes.

Congratulations Hazel L on being our June Sponsored winner. I loved your mouse with the big feet. I hope you enjoy your prize and we see some of your creations using them.

As Jenny said on our Blog it is exciting see new entrants to our challenges, and we hope you keep coming back. If you are reading this and haven't entered one of our challenges before - please do. There is nothing complicated about them - a theme and the use of a CD somewhere. That's all there is to it - and once a month a prize from a sponsor to be won.

Miniature Handbags - Display

2011-06-11T19:18:00.000+01:00

Already to go. Back in the box for now until needed.

Miniature Handbag No: 12

2011-06-11T11:04:00.001+01:00

I had said I wanted to do the round dozen of these handbags for display and had managed eleven when lo and behold in my July Parchment Magazine (delivered yesterday) there is a new pattern by Amanda Yeh. So I have made it. It wasn't particularly difficult - just time consuming and a little fiddly.

Having finished the handbags for the show my next project is a largish Christmas Tree table decoration - pattern by Pauline Loweth.
I had better get on with it.

CD Sunday - Digi Day

2011-06-08T18:54:00.002+01:00

I printed this Digi image - from our Sponsor this month - Stitchy Bear Stamps straight to to parchment and then coloured and embossed from the back. I used blendable pencils - Faber Castell Polychromos. The border pattern I used was from 'Say it with Flowers and Lace' CD by Florence Holmes. The backing paper is rainbow card.
I printed the border pattern from the Cd on to an A4 piece of copier paper . The border appears on the righthand side of the landscape orientation of the paper. I then measure how far in from the far lefthand edge the border finishes and the same from the top, right and bottom edges. E.g. Lefthand edge 175mm, 35mm each top, right and bottom. I put these measurements into my printer and then using parchment paper print the digi image to 'fill the page'. As I have already reduced the printable area and placed it where I want it then the border will fit perfectly around the image. The border is already on the piece of copier paper ready for me to trace and emboss on the parchment. I use this simple technique to place all printed images to parchment so that I can size and place them where I want them. If you have a complicated grid pattern it is always sensible to make a template and then do the measuring for the printer.

I am a mite late this week posting my DT card and in visiting our challengees as I have been away. Good luck in the draw to everyone.

Miniature Handbag No: 11

2011-05-30T11:32:00.001+01:00

Almost there - just one more after this for the dozen. I especially enjoyed making this one. I altered the pattern a little. The outside bag should have been plain parchment with flower designs inked and embossed and then dorsoed with colour on the back but I decided to use some parchment I had printed from one of my favourite Carol Ann's Studio CD's. For the liner I used another parchment I had printed - this time from a download. Where I have the large sparkly brads should have been eyelets but my eyelets weren't deep enough to take the 3 layers of parchment so I managed to find just 4 suitable brads from my box.
For the fastener Amanda (designer) had used a bead toggle she had made that you can buy from her website but I made my own. Heaven knows I have enough beads to make thousands of them. That just added to the - all made by me - feeling.
Here is a close up of the toggle:

Miniature Handbag No: 10

2011-05-29T18:01:00.001+01:00

CD Sunday - Say it with Scallops

2011-05-29T09:10:00.002+01:00

Another great challenge for you we hope from the CD Sunday team. My fellow teamies have come up with some very different designs. I am sure they will be delighted if you visit them to find out more about their cards. I had to put my thinking cap on for this one but I enjoyed putting it all together.
The image of the sea and the BP used for the card come from Ooh La La 'Dreams of Tranquility' - Goddess of the Sea. The parchment scallop is taken from a pattern in the parchment magazine and I have added the beads. The scalloped oval (parchment) is sewn on with beads and the buttons and card candy are from stash. The sentiment from Carol Ann's Studio.
I look forward to visiting your Blogs and seeing what clever designs you all come up with. They are always an inspiration.
Thank you for being with us as a guest designer Jen. I have enjoyed your cards and especially this week as I have the same stamp and it has always been a favourite - brilliant with Sakura pens.

Miniature Handbags Nos: 8 & 9

2011-05-28T12:15:00.001+01:00

I think I have almost enough for the show. Perhaps a round dozen would be good number. I know they are totally impracticable but they are fun to make and they do show a different aspect of parchment crafting.
For these two I have used plain parchment that I have printed on myself (well my printer did the work). I can't remember where the first pattern came from but the second was a bought download and is a favourite diffused pattern especially when I am making flowers.
The second bag is called a 'Knitting Bag' in the design book and is quite an intricate pattern. At least it looks very intricate when you first look but like most things if you follow step by step it becomes clear and you wonder why you thought that you might not bother with that one.

Miniature Handbag No:7

2011-05-26T20:44:00.001+01:00

Miniature Handbag No:6

2011-05-25T09:20:00.001+01:00

I know we are super critical of our own work but I have to be honest and say that this one is very very slightly wonky. It proved to be very fiddly to put together and I don't think I got it quite right. Hence it is photographed hanging from my lilac tree and not flat on a table. It will look alright though on display because it will be hanging from one of those' Foto' tree thingies.
I always learn something whenever I embark on a project like this and accuracy is the keyword here.

FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs - part 4 - new folder

2011-05-23T08:42:00.001+01:00

I found the design for this border in my box of saved bits and pieces. I can't remember whose design it is but I had wanted to do it again. The image is of course from Debbees new Cd -' FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs' and this time I have used an image that has some FlowerFlies or FlutterBugs? The lightweight card I have used as a mount and for the punched flowers comes from the kit I bought recently from Craftwork Cards.

FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs - part 3 - new folder

2011-05-22T17:50:00.001+01:00

Another border of my own design. In fact even more my own design this time as I put a couple of embossed dots in the wrong place so I re-designed as I went along. As you can see this is another clear, unfussy but pretty image which can be used as is or froo frooed (new word). I tried to match my pencils used in the border to the colours in the image and those dragonflies are so special. They are from C & C and are treasured stash.
For newcomers this image is from a new Cd in the stable of Debbees CD's and is called FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs. Link in my sidebar.

FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs - part 2

2011-05-22T11:41:00.001+01:00

I kept looking at the card that I made yesterday and something wasn't right and I finally decided that the broderie anglaise embellishment was just too heavy in style for the card. On this new Cd, Debs has added folders of flower parts - one for each of the image folders. They include a couple of styles of flowers and several different size leaves. So I printed out flower parts folder 13 in parchment and added the result to the card. I think it is much better now and am happy with it. What do you think?

Here are a couple of close-ups

CD Sunday Challenge - Under the weather

2011-05-22T09:46:00.005+01:00

I hope that all our visitors and challengees are well and not 'Under the weather' but if anyone you know is a little down then I hope we have some inspiration for you in this weeks challenge.

As Jenny said I did two this week. I did this one first which is all from Robert Addams CD 'Watercolour Flowers'. This is a great Cd as all the images have blank counterparts for you to use your paints or promarkers.

Then I decided I wanted to do this Stitch and Bead card. The pattern is a purchased download from Stitching Cards. For the card itself I printed out two sheets of backing paper from a Carol Ann's Studio Cd and made my own weave paper. I then scanned this and used MCS to add the words and print out direct to A4 card.

He looks as though he is also feeling proper poorly but has brought you some flowers.
We look forward to visiting all your Blogs so please join our challenge.
xx

FlowerFlies and Flutterbugs - a new Cd by Debbees Cd's

2011-05-21T19:53:00.001+01:00

This is from Debbees great new Cd and I have used the image in Folder 13. Just printed straight to parchment using a specified size to fit the border I was going to use - which is of my own design. After the border I embossed the image lightly in some areas to give a 3D effect and bring out the colours. I have added some Broderie Anglaise lace threaded with toning ribbon. The base card is faintly coloured linen look 280gsm card. The delicate colour comes from the matching backing papers on the CD.
This great Cd has 26 toppers and lots of tiles, backing papers etc.
I have a link to Debbees CD's in my sidebar so you may visit at the click of your mouse.

Birdbath - pattern by Judith Maslen (Freebie)

2011-05-20T20:24:00.004+01:00

I love the subject and simplicity of this card. Well it should have been simple. A little white ink work, whitework embossing and no colour work. A lovely border done on a grid and Bob's your Uncle.
The border is done on a FINE PCA grid. It is a beautiful design and should have been easy but I wasn't really up to par yesterday and shouldn't really have tackled it. But I did and the first attempt was rubbish - and so was the second and then the third. By this time determination had set in and I finally gave up last night at the 8th attempt. A good nights sleep and feeling much better the 9th attempt was a triumph. I was a bit heavy handed with some of the whitework on the column and the parchment is a little crinkled but I have finished it.
I like the end result though and somehow it looks a little like Wedgwood.

Miniature Handbags Nos 4 & 5

2011-05-18T14:48:00.001+01:00

The yellow one took hours to make. Much longer than I had expected and I did need some patience as it would have been so easy to abandon it altogether. The second - Lilac one - was much easier. I used parchment that I had printed with a pattern so half the work was done before I started.

I also tried out a new butterfly pattern in the current Parchment Magazine. It will be a little tidier when I have a second go at it now I have done the pattern once

Glamour Girls - 'Party Time'

2011-05-16T20:48:00.002+01:00

Yes - this is another of Judith's wonderful patterns. There are three of these Glamour Girls in the series and this is my second. I don't know if it was intentional in Judith's design or if it is my interpretation but to me this Glamour Girl looks decidedly squiffy.