Some more ATC's using Debbees Cd's

These are from Waterside Watercolour (Summer)
Waterside Watercolours Shades of Autumn
Waterside Watercolours Winters Sleep

These 3 CD's are all based on seasonal paintings of the same scene in France. They are the work of Deb's Mother, Tina Cottis, who is a talented artist as you can see.
These are all available on Deb's site - see sidebar.

Parchment Atc's using DEBBEES CD's

The date for our Parchment Festival is getting ever closer. My friend Debs of Debbees CD's will be there with her stand (and so will I of course - esp as she is staying with me). One of her CD's that is my favourite is Pamela West's 'Dayze of Innocence'. This one in particular because it lends itself to parchment.
For the NEC last November I made a few parchment ATC's using the 7 folder images but of course they were given away so I have spent this evening making another set.
Here they are and if you want the chance to have one of these you will have to come to the Festival to do a swop or even perhaps buy the Cd so that you can make your own.

I hope you like these as much as I have enjoyed making them. Initially I made then to show how you can manipulate the sizes from the Jpeg and not lose any clarity of detail. Now I just enjoy them as Atc's. I belong to a couple of ATC clubs and thoroughly enjoy making and swopping.

Parchment - Beaded Heart

As promised I have now finished the heart. In the design the centre of the heart should have been filled completely with small beads. I used an embossed mirri card as my backing piece and I noticed that the embossed dots formed a complete pattern in the centre heart so I just sewed a bead to each dot.

CD Sunday - Transport

Here is my DT card this week for our theme of Transport
at CD Sunday. I chose my photograph from a file of about 250 taken on a weeks holiday I had in Luxor way back in 2005. I could probably make my own CD as I have so many.
The base card and the Egyptian head (with a touch of Glassy Accents on the gems) are both from Robert Addams 'Ancient Egypt' CD. The two matt layers are from MCS - as is the text.

Please come and join in our challenge. We had some wonderful cards last week and would love to welcome you back and meet some new. Just please remember to use a Cd somewhere in the sourcing of your material - even if it is just a paper button.

Sailing

I like this design very much and enjoyed stitching it. It is for a good friend.

The finished Parchment and Bead Bracelet

My order from the Bead Shop came very quickly so I was able to finish the bracelet this morning. I used silver clamps and silver magnetic clasps. My first tentative foray into any kind of jewellery making. I put it on top of some silk flowers as it is almost impossible to photograph your own wrist - and much prettier.

Parchment and beads

In our lesson last night we were given two projects using parchment and sewn beads.
One was a bracelet - which is the one I did - finished except for the fastener which I have ordered on line. The beads are sewn into the gap with invisible thread. It is so fine and it kept getting caught on the cut edges of the piece so there were some rudish words uttered. The sample made by our Tutor though was so beautiful we wanted to persevere.
Here is a photo of part of mine. The beads were some we bought from Anita's Beads at the Sandown Show. We all took a shine to Clive - who was manning their stand - and I confess we were buying one string at a time.

I can't show all of the bracelet as it is too long to stay in focus.
The second project is a beaded heart to put on a card and I will do that one later.

The Swans - have been framed

Not a great photo I am afraid but anything any closer just reflected me in the glass - and no-one would want that. All ready for the Parchment Festival now and if this hasn't put you off please come along. Details at the top of the side bar. (Over til next year)

This was the closer view before framing.

CD SUNDAY - Wild Thing

Our challenge at CD Sunday this week is 'Wild Thing' and here is my contribution. He doesn't really look very wild with that little half smile but after I had finished the stitching I decided I liked him too much to abandon him.
I have used a BP from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Nettley Mayhew CD and the stitch pattern comes from Form-A-Lines.
Please join in with our Challenge this week and I look forward - as always - to visiting your Blogs.

WARHORSE

I am breaking my own rule ( for the second time) about this not being a diary Blog so that I can talk about my trip to the theatre today. I went with a group of friends up to Drury Lane to see the show 'Warhorse'.
It was spectacular, magic, wonderful, incredible etc etc. You get the picture.
I had looked at a few snippets on 'You Tube' and read up about it a little but it doesn't really prepare you for what you see.
If you get the opportunity to go please take it. It isn't cheap, I know, but perthaps a Birthday or Anniversary present to yourself or each other.

CD SUNDAY - Colour: Blue, Yellow and Brown

I enjoyed this challenge to use these particular colours and they do go so well together. I hope you enjoy our DT samples and here is my own contribution. As my Cd I used MCS - Deco Follies - which I love and use quite often. Isn't she glamourous? - I don't think I ever had a figure like that. That was easy for the yellow and blue - so for the brown I added pearls as embellishments which I had coloured using my peel off pens.
Here it is -

Well done to PINKY for winning the draw for last weeks challenge with our Sponsor - The Art of Craft - and good luck to everyone again for next months sponsored challenge - to be announced in due time.

Best Bib and Tucker

Today I attended another of Judith Maslen's fun and informative workshops down in the New Forest. In a busy day we made and completed a card in the morning and managed the greater part of a second - very different style - card in the afternoon. Here is my morning offering and I decided to make the bow tie on mine 3D and add a little bling.
I haven't finished the second card and will post it when I do.
Thank you Judith for another most enjoyable session and I look forward to the next one in May.

CD Sunday -Luck of the Irish/St. Patricks Day

We are so pleased that our sponsor this month is The Art of Craft and they are very generously awarding a voucher to the value of £20.00 to the winner of the draw. A card for St. Patricks Day or just anything with an Irish theme will be very acceptable. Please don't forget to use a CD somewhere in the making of your card or project or it can't be entered for the prize.
For my DT sample I turned to parchment by making a parchment wrap with a central Shamrock shape which has been embossed and then filled with a grid pattern. The background was made using one small green shamrock image and cutting and pasting using MCS. A single image was then cut out to place on the the front of the wrap with a lttle added glitter. The sentiment was also generated with MCS.

THE SWANS

I feel in need of a trumpet fanfare or a drum roll at the very least as today I have finally finished my contribution to the showpieces for our soon to be Parchment Festival. (See side bar) (Over til next year)

Our Tutor decided on this picture of a pair of Swans floating serenely on the lake under the boughs of Wisteria, amongst the water lilies. I believe 18 of us started on this long journey of learning quite a while ago now but some fell by the wayside and eleven of us have finished against all the odds. We have had workshops and extra workshops but all in all a lot of chatter and fun as well as continuing to learn new skills from our very talented Tutor.
My picture below is now ready to go to the framers. The photo I have taken isn't brilliant but I am too excited about it to wait until daylight. I might change it later.

(New photo)

Parchment Butterfly Gatefold card

This was the project in our latest lesson at The Art of Craft which is the venue for all our lessons and workshops. Our tutor Marilyn Pybus, who is associated with The Art of Craft as their parchment teacher , designed the card using a template for the outline shape. The plan of the card took some thinking about as it is drawn and embossed as one piece and then cut in half to enable the butterfly wings to be folded back on the front of the card. This involved embossing the frame of the card on one side and the wings on the other. Can be a little confusing.

Whilst mentioning The Art of Craft it gives me the opportunity to tell you that they have very kindly agreed to be our sponsor at CD Sunday for March.
This will be next Sunday - 6th - and they are giving a very generous prize of a £20.00 Voucher. So we are hoping for lots of entries and are looking forward - as always- to many blog visits.