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.

Two posts for the price of one.

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

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

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

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

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

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.