CD Sunday - Fifties Fun

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

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'

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

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

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

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

A true Workshop Wonder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...........................

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.