Ooh La La Blog Challenge - 'Birthday'

Here is my current DT card for this fortnight's challenge at Ooh La La.
The Pyramage and the outsert used as the card are from Ooh La La Floral Extravaganza. Folder: T for 2 - nos: 6 and 10.
The ribbon and pearls are from stash and the butterfly is from Shoes in Bloom - printed on parchment.

CD Sunday Challenge - Meow

For this Sunday CD Challenge "Meow" I have used The Pamela West Collection Cd for the image in the window behind the pussy cats. The window is a peel off on acetate.
I then affixed this to a card produced on MCS comprising a lilac background, a cream and purple mat and some words.



From September Sunday CD Challenge are starting a monthly challenge (first Sunday of each month) which will be sponsored by a CD producer so keep your eyes peeled. There are some wonderful sponsors lined up with lovely goodies to be won. Soooooooo, only 6 weeks till blast off!

More South American Parchment Work

This time Brazilian Lacework used to make a bookmark.

Decorative perforating

(new better photo)
This is my first project from a new book I have bought called South American Parchment Craft by Janet Wilson.
This piece is designed to show Argentinian decorative perforating with the use of small crystal beads as part of the pattern and to attach the piece to the card. In this case purple linen mirri card. It was a nice relaxing piece to do and I used my largest embossing tool for the plain embossing and it meant that the embossing was smoother and less inclined to buckle.

CD Sunday Challenge - Looks Like Summer

'Looks Like Summer' is the CD Sunday Challenge this week and I have used 3 CD's for my entry.
The stripey background is from Carol Ann's Studio Patchwork Petals. A favourite of mine as I have said before. The lovely Summer image is from a Cd by a dear friend - Debs- at www.debbeescds.co.uk. This is a mini Cd with 7 folders using special paintings by Pamela West and the Cd is called 'Dayze of Innocence'. I have printed on parchment with a border created on my photo manager programme and then a little gridwork done and some embossing to highlight the picture. I have then added three sparkled dragonflies from Wings and Flowers CD also printed on parchment to make them look realistic.
I welcome any comments and look forward to reading them.

Workshop Treasures

I went to a Judith Maslen Workshop yesterday down in the New Forest and had a wonderful but hardworking day. I think we spent a good 6+ hours out of the 7 working.
The first card uses pencil techniques to show fur and that was absolutely fascinating and I learned so much from Judith. The second card shows embossing a larger area without overdoing it and spoiling the parchment. A sneaky white pencil technique came into play here.
Just a very, very good day and worth more than the so reasonable cost and the travelling. But Tom Tom got me there unscathed.

Punching fun

I had a couple of fun hours last night at The Art of Craft - my local Aladdin's Cave. They do some great workshops there and it was Martha Stewart punches last night. We made this easel card and a couple of others that aren't quite finished. Needless to say I purchased some punches - esp to try out on parchment. I didn't buy this edge punch that we used but I did buy the 'Embroidered Floral' as you can thread ribbon through the punching which appeals to me.

Clip Art - Koi Carp

Here is the second card using my new Clip Art CD by Patsymay (link in the title). The Koi Carp has been printed on parchment, embossed and then coloured from the back using polychromos pencils, then glazed at the front with Perga gloss.
The border is one by Wendy Walters - which I have adapted from 4 corner pieces to a frame.

CD Sunday Challenge - Kind Thoughts

I really enjoyed making this CD Sunday Challenge card as it has been made for a dear friend who is confined to bed at the moment and can no longer craft or join our little gang on our jaunts.
I used Carol Anne's Studio 'Patchwork Petals' CD again for the backing paper. Printed both sides with toning colours. The photos are my own taken on trips to Wisley RHS Gardens (down the road) and the frames have been done on ACDSee Photomanager. Then I used MCS for the Deco Ladies and the oval and the sentiment printed in white. I have used 3 of my parchment flowers. Three because Sue is a special lady.

Just for You

My entry in this weeks CD Sunday Challenge is a coaster rather than a card. It is for a girlfriend's birthday - 'Just for her' with name and the date.
I have used Ooh La La's 'Shoes in Bloom' CD - no surprise there then. I used my ACDSee Photo manager to add the name and the butterflies are from Pergamano Grid No: 17.
Tulips - I believe - are one of the flowers for July.

Clip Art Glamour

When I went to the Newbury Craft Show last weekend one of my missions was to visit a stand belonging to a friend of mine, Pat, of www.patsymay.co.uk. I did and found that Pat and Alan have produced a wonderful new Cd of Clip Art. You can buy it with or without a book showing the images. I loved what I saw and could see many possibilties especially for using with parchment. Pat asked me if I would make her some sample cards and this one above is the first. I took the printed image to the monthly workshop I attend and we all had fun talking about this image and the others on the CD. I had such a lot of input from everyone. I can really recommend this CD and the site link is in the title 'Clip Art Glamour.
A tip is to use the images with MCS so that you can resize and change the opacity. I reduced the opacity by about 50% which gives a lovely tone on the parchment.
I love it and will be using many more of these images so watch this space.

Ooh La La and Jonathon Earl Bowser

Ooh La La are on Create & Craft again on Tuesday 6th July at 4.00pm (please check time as this may not be 100% accurate). Showcased this time are 'Shoes in Bloom' again and new to the screen 'DREAMS OF TRANQUILITY'.
This is my second favourite of Ooh La La's Cd's and the images are wonderful. Ethereal and magical without being too 'fanatasy'. For me anyway but you will love them. I have done a series of pictures using images from the Cd and given them parchment frames and crackle paper mounts. Amongst the images are 5 Elemental Ballets and I have done them as a series all linked with a Pauline Loweth butterfly. I hope you like them.
The link to the artists site is in the title to this post. I am new to this blogging and haven't yet worked out the magical way the link is added to the text here.

Just stitching

An Initial card - pattern from Pinbroidery. The pattern reminds me of Jacobean style crewel work. This took a little while and not one to be done in a hurry.

Stitch and Bead Card

A birthday card for a girlfriend this month. I thought I would do a stitch and bead as a change from parchment which I did for her last year. The pattern is a download from Stitching Cards. The beads and thread were bought at a Craft Show and the gingham bp is from Robert Addams CD 'Printable Gingham etc'.