CD Sunday- Dance

A lovely warm day here as I write this and I hope it is the same for everyone.
Thank you all for your entries to our challenge last week.  Beryl gave you a wide field with 'S' and I hope I have done the same this week with my choice of 'Dance'. There are so many dances to choose from so I am looking forward to seeing many varied dance steps from which to choose my Top 3.  Of course I will have a little something for the winner.

I have chosen a La Pashe CD  - 'Wrinklies' as the source for my DT contribution. Here it is:

This graceful and elderly couple are dancing the Silver Foxtrot. They look as though they still have eyes only for each other.
Sadly it is Wynn's last week with us as our Guest Designer and her last card is as fabulous as all the others.  Thank you Wynn for your contribution to our challenges.
I look forward to visiting your Blogs.  If you care to leave a message during your visit here I would be delighted.
Carol
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Bristol Parchment Exhibition

Well I got there and back safely this time but must confess to being tired.  This trip was the furthest I have driven in a year - but I did it.

The Exhibition was wonderful.  After I  had a long wander around  all the stands and gawped at the incredibly beautiful work on show I came to the conclusion that I don't do parchment - I just play at it.  I am not too despondent about that fact as I know I started learning late in life and I really do enjoy the parchment work that I produce - good or bad.

I had a great time with my tutor Marilyn on her stand and met many lovely people.  Not all of the questions we were asked were expected.  Many of the ones I received were about the source of the case that I use to keep my tools in and from where did I get the sparkly vellum I was using for my Christmas flowers.  I was making sparkly flowers and poinsettias - all in parchment for use as card embellishments.  I sold quite a few and was very pleased. 

On the Sunday evening I joined a whole crowd of the Exhibitors at supper (59 of us).  It was a very pleasant evening.

On Monday Marilyn and I joined many others at Linda Williams' workshop.  A rare privilege for me and I did worry that I was 'punching above my weight' parchment wise.  This is what I have managed to do so far - about 25% of the finished project.

This has been scanned in front of a piece of glitter card just so it can be seen.  It will have a background card when it is all finished.  There is so much more work to be done on the hair and the bow in the hair - let alone the rest of the card.  You can just see the little piece of tape that is behind the face holding a white paper mask to show the colouring.  It may need more yet.

CD Sunday - 'S' is for...............

Good Morning.  This is a scheduled post this week because if all is right with the world (and especially my little bit of it) I should be down in Bristol getting ready for the Bristol Parchment Exhibition.  Followers of my Blog will remember that it was whilst loading my car for the journey down for this Show last year that I fell and broke my arm.
Enough of that.  My card for this theme is a little tongue in cheek and I would like to present to you....


My 'Stitched Stallion'...

Hasn't he the most fabulous waistline?  Just like his creator.  And those teeth!!   I am so enjoying this series of patterns. Two more to go - the cow and the pig.   I will have to work them into a future theme somehow.
The CD part of my easel card is the background again.  I used the same CD as before when I did the Rooster - Ooh La La's  'Carnival of Colour'.

I will catch up with Blog land in a couple of days.  Hope you all have a great weekend.
Carol x

Crafts-Too Challenge - a new Blog in Town

A new Blog sponsored by Crafts-Too has been launched and to celebrate the launch they are offering a great 'Give Away'.  The details are in my side bar - just click and you will be taken straight there.

I am especially excited about this as I have been honored by being asked to be one of the Design Team.  I can't tell you how excited I was and really 'made up' when I got the phone call.

The first challenge will commence on the 1st Friday in July and all the details will be posted then but in the meantime why not visit and sign up and be in with a chance of winning the 'Give Away.'

Carol
x

I have some more to add to this posting and here it is - from the Sponsor - Crafts-Too

Thank You

Wow what an amazing start to this new challenge blog, you have already made us feel so welcome and so many of you have become followers and linked to the Give-away. Thank you so much.

To celebrate having 50+ followers in such a short time we are adding some more bits to the Give-Away prize.

Ornate corner embossing stencil by Marianne Designs

Embroidery template by Marianne Designs

Alphabet embossing stencil by Marianne designs

2 packs of Joy Crafts decorative gems and jewels

Another 50 and we will add some more.

CD Sunday - Kimono

Good Morning.  Not quite such a fine weekend with  some high winds and squally showers. Tis best to stay inside and craft.
This week's theme has been chosen by Cazro who happily is back with us after her little break.  Our Guest Designer Wynn has produced another of her fabulous cards.  In fact all the team have made some beauties and they are all different. 
I don't know why but I didn't find this one easy and in the end used a couple of CD's - both from Joanna Sheen - Tales of the Orient CD2 and Elegant Fans.
Here it is:

I added a couple of die cut sprigs of leaves in copper mirri card -  trying to tone in with the maple leaves in the background.  No sentiment added so that I can put it in the 'Here's one I made earlier' box.
We had some lovely and varied Plumage last week for Jocelyn to study and choose a winner from.  Not going to be easy.
 
Not good news on the shoulder front.  I am now  booked in to have a 'reverse shoulder' replacement in August.  There is nothing else they can do. Of course there is always the option of doing nothing but I am fed up now and would like to get rid of the pain.

Anyway that is on the back burner til August and in the meantime there is crafting to be done and Blogs to visit so I will see you later.
Carol
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Distress Markers used as watercolours

The beautiful hat is a digi image on the La Pashe 'Just Inklined 2012 CD'.  My printing this out in a certain way was an experiment and as it was successful I thought I would pass on the tip.
When I attended the Jane Gill painting flowers workshop we stamped the flower images and then heat embossed with clear powder before we went on to paint.  This was a technique to give a clear outline and help keep the colours in the place in which they were put.  It worked very well and we had some lovely stamps to use.  But say you haven't got many stamps to choose from but want to try the technique.
When looking  at all the wonderful digi images on all the La Pashe CD's I wondered how I could use them in the same way so I tried .....and it worked.

I used smooth surface water colour paper (90lbs Cold Pressed/Not Grain Fine) and trimmed it down to A4 size.  The pad is actually 12 x 9 inches.
I put this into the printer and printed out my choice of digi image and IMMEDIATELY it came out of the printer I covered the image in clear embossing powder.  Once then heated as usual it worked perfectly.  I then carried on and used the Distress Markers in the same way I would water colour paints and here is the result.

The smooth surfaced paper is essential to achieve a smooth printed line whether doing it this way or with a stamp.

CD Sunday - Fine Plumage

Good morning on such a fine sunny Sunday.
Very suitable weather for our theme this week - 'Fine Plumage' - chosen by Jocelyn.  My fellow teamies have made some beautiful cards so please try and visit them to have a  look.
I am afraid I have another stitched creation for you.  I have been dying to use another of that set of 6 farmyard animal patterns I purchased from Stitching cards.  You have seen the sheep and the goat and here now is the Rooster:

What fine plumes he has and so colourful.  I just love these patterns..  This time I made an easel card and for the easel and the  'stopper'  I went to the Carnival of Colour CD from Ooh La La and found what I wanted in the 'Henpecked' folder.

I am looking forward to seeing who has won the Ooh La La Cd of their choice when the random draw is done for last weeks challenge. All the entries were so good.

On a personal note it looks to be almost certain that I am going to have to have a partial shoulder replacement - hopefully in August if it can be arranged.

I look forward as always to a weeks blog hopping.  See you there and then.
Carol
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Stitch and decoupage Christmas card

A lovely friend of mine is in the habit of finding new websites for me that I might not have seen and it usually costs me money.  This new site - The Printable Card Shop is just such a place.
 I fell in love with all the new to me stitching patterns and in the end purchased 10.  This card I have made, in the Continental style of stitching and decoupage, is the first I have done.  I chose the most time consuming one to start with and it did take most of yesterday.
I must admit to liking the result very much and I hope you do too.

The thread I used was  Gutermann Sulky  CA 02776 and is a multi coloured metallic thread.  The sentiment die is a Britannia one from Joanna Sheen.

'E' is for...............

a friend of mine who has a birthday this month.  I am obviously in a stitching mood and found this very pretty alphabet letter on the Pinbroidery site.  In fact I purchased all the letters as they are lovely to stitch and they do look good when finished.

I decided that I didn't want  a plain white background for the stitching so I scanned a piece of backing paper from a CD that I found in my box and printed it out on to 300gsm pearlised card,  which is my preferred medium for stitching.  I liked the soft pink hue that resulted and I felt it wouldn't overpower the colour of the stitches.  I added a chiffon bow and matching half pearls.  I think the backing paper came from Jane Shasky's CD

I enjoyed sitting stitching this whilst listening to a story CD last night. I have had the steroid injection into my shoulder and I am trying to take it easy and convince myself that it is working or will work.  Not very convinced yet.
Carol  xx

CD Sunday - Faithful Friends

Good Morning.  A new month and  we are thrilled that we are being sponsored again by some old friends - Ooh La La.     I am particularly pleased - as a past DT member - to be using their new CD - Faithful Friends.  The team were all offered a folder from this CD to use for our card.  I asked for one that I could use on parchment  (has lots of white in the picture) and this is what I made with the lovely image I was sent

I have since bought the CD  - of course  -  and can tell you that the faithful friend is a Bearded Collie.
I printed the image direct to parchment and then embossed his coat and other  highlights.  The parchment border was done as a separate sheet to slip over the image which was then stitched in the corners with tiny glass beads.  The bow - believe it or not - is a paper bow from the Borders/Embellishments folder on the CD. I used a bright purple card as the liner and it is showing through the parchment as a very soft lilac.

CD Sunday are welcoming Wynn as our Guest Design Team member for this month.  I know you are going to enjoy her creations. Welcome Wynn.

Please join in with the challenge.  All the details of the prize on offer are on the CD Sunday Challenge Blog.

Carol x