CD Sunday - Garden Pleasures

Good Morning.  This weeks theme couldn't be more apt for me  as yesterday I spent a wonderful day at the gardens at  RHS Wisley - where I am a member.  There were nine of us wandering around - chatting and catching up with news whilst admiring the wonderful gardens.  Our group came from as far afield as Holland, Wales, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Sussex, Kent and Surrey.   We all agreed that we never tire of our annual group visits to Wisley so a 'Garden Pleasure' it truly was and it will always be so.
For my card I used a Pamela West Cd - Volume 2 Cd 1.  I printed the topper on parchment and embossed all the appropriate areas and then fixed it to the matching backing paper and card with tiny brads. The blue bow is a die cut and the 4 corner flowers were punched and were from stash.

This is our last week with Tess as our Guest Designer.  Tess,  it was lovely to have you back with us this month,  and thank you for your beautiful creations.

The Foxtrot

This was my parchment project at the lesson on Wednesday.   The image was traced using black ink and white pencil  from the stamped image of a Kanban stamp by Yvette Jordan called 'Foxtrot'.  The oval border was made using Pergamano Grid No: 20 and the brads are white floral brads by Nellie Snellen. I used a little Glamour Dust and 3 tiny stick on pearls.

Crafts-Too Challenge You (C2cu) - 4th /5th week of our Decades/Era Challenge. Twist 2. 3 or more layers

Little girls seems to have been my main theme for these 1950's projects.  These two little drawings were on a creamy background in with my selection of papers for the 1950's so I put them in that decade.  I have used a lovely piece of green background that looked a little distressed which adds so much to it.  I used a Crafts-Too embossing folder for the piece and then used gold mirri card for all the matting.  The die cut swirls are from the same gold card.  The parchment flowers are of my making with large pearl centres from stash.  I printed a green and a yellow background from a craft CD straight to parchment and then made the flowers, embossing dots on  a couple of the layers using a grid.  Lots of Rhinestone Sticker Dots from Crafts-Too were used again on the swirls.  They are a perfect size for all my projects this month.I still have plenty left that I am using on other projects.

I hope you are enjoying the first month of our challenge.  I can't wait to see who wins the huge selection of goodies at the end of the month.  I see that even more has been added.

I have enjoyed the making of these first projects and as I know what is coming I can assure you that you will enjoy next month's challenge just as much.

I look forward to visiting your blogs on my rounds.

Carol xx
C2cu DT

The IT whizz

It was my second son's birthday yesterday and this is the La Pashe card I made for him.  Very appropriate for him as he is a computer whizz.  He built my new computer from scratch and looks after all my IT needs.  He says that it isn't accurate enough as he is usually using at least 3 screens all at once - and I think the lad looks a mite younger than him.
But it raised a smile and so did the contents.

Yet another Christmas card

I have combined parchment, stitching, beading and die cutting - all in the one card.  The Christmas tree pattern is a new one from here. I edged a piece of parchment paper using a scallop tool and a star tool and then stitched the parchment to the white backing sheet using red glass beads. The stitching pattern was pricked and stitched through both layers which were then matted with red and green card.  I used a Marianne Creatables Holly sprig die for the embellishments together with red pearls.

CD Sunday - Dreams and Dragons

Good Morning.    I had a great week away in the wilds of Northumberland. It is a jolly long way to go but I did have such a great time.  We were either crafting, talking about crafting or visiting craft stores.  What a great way for a crafter to spend a week.  Apart from being with my friend the extra icing on the cake was that she arranged for me to meet Jak Heath of La Pashe at Imag-e-nation. I am a great fan of all things La Pashe and I was also lucky enough to meet the artist Jim Harker  and have a long chat with him about his art and how he started.  If you read this Jak and Jim - thank you for taking the time out to say hello.

Sue-T has chosen our theme this week and although the DT seem to have sourced some similar images I am sure that we will have some very different ones from our challengers.

I have used JS - Enchanted  Dreams CD for the image and the background card, gold mirri card for the mat and the die cut bow and sentiment tag.  The mask charm was a silver one which I have coloured with a pen.

Carol x

Crafts-Too Challenge You (C2CU) 3rd week of our Decades/Era. This time Twist 2 - 3 Layers

Good morning and welcome to the third week of our July Challenge.  This time we are asking you to use  3 layers.
Here is my contribution

Very 1950's style dresses on this piece of backing paper and I loved the colouring.  (seem to be liking red at the moment).
The  stamped lady in the pinafore dress came from the Marianne Clear Stamp set - Fabulous 50's.  Again I used flat water colour paper and diluted Distress Markers.  I chose the colours to match both the papers used - the background and the die cut piece, both from Crafts-Too.  All the papers we have used have been gorgeous to work with as they all have a good substance and finish.   The Rhinestone Sticker Dots are from Crafts-Too and the rest from stash.

I look forward to visiting your Blogs.  I am now back on duty after my week away.  Trust me to choose the hottest week for ages and the hottest day for my drive home on the M1.  But I did so enjoy my visit with my crafting friend and her husband. Wonderful time.

Please don't forget to use the full title of the Challenge Blog - 'Crafts-Too Challenge You'  in your posting and to tell us which Decade/Era you have chosen to represent with your work/project.

Carol x

Good Morning from what I hope will be a sunny North.  I am up here staying with a wonderful crafting friend.  My visit had been put off and put off whilst all the drama re my arm went on and on and I suddenly decided that if I didn't make it before the op I wouldn't be here until next year - so here I am.

Our theme this week has been chosen by our Wendy and it was chosen, I believe, to kick start us all in to making some Christmas cards.  Well Wendy you have succeeded and I have now made at least two.  Just joshing - in fact I have managed about 20.

I did enjoy making this and the image comes from 'Festive Funnies' by Ooh La La Creations.
It is a pyramage - a real one - although it looks like a digital one in the photo.  I added the silver charm fish and some pretty spotty ribbon - just to add the feel of bubbles.
I will catch up with you all later in the week and in the meantime have fun.  You never know it may start you off on the Christmas cards.
Carol
xx

Crafts-Too Challenge You (C2cu) 2nd week of our Decades/Era - Twist 1 - Anything Goes

Good Morning
This is a scheduled post this week I am afraid as I am actually managing to have a short holiday. I will catch up my visits and commenting when I get back.
To be a part of this new venture is very exciting for all of us on the team and I thought there were some great cards last week by my fellow teamies and I am sure there will be this week as well.  So please visit their blogs and get some ideas and join in with us .

I must confess that when I was first asked to join the team and received all my goodies to use it took a while for the brain to stop whirling.  I had ideas - certainly for last week -  but when it came to the second project my mojo just got up and left.  I was a bit panicky but did what I always do when that happens - make some ATC's.  It hasn't failed me yet - so here they are.

Just three - called '1950's Little Misses.
The little girls come from the Marianne Clear Stamps set - Fabulous 50's.  I stamped them on flat watercolour paper and painted with diluted Distress Markers.  All the beautiful background papers, the spotty tape, Rhinestone sticker dots and blue buttons are from Crafts-Too.  Little bits of ribbon and lace are from stash.
My mojo duly returned for the next challenges (at least I hope you think it did) and I look forward to showing you those in due course.
I hope to see you on my visits.  Happy crafting.
Carol x

CD Sunday - Hats

Good Morning.  Thank you for your entries into our 'Dance' challenge and I will be giving Jenny my Top 3 choice as soon as possible -  and I have a little something for the winner.

This week we are delighted to say that  we are being sponsored by Sarah Andrews of Jem's Designs. Sarah very kindly sent us all the Hat Box Confections CD so that we could all choose which delicious hat we wished to use.

Here is mine and I chose the Pyramage option in the folder.  A very pretty and clever design as it actually looks embossed as well as raised.

I have only added a piece of mirri card, a ribbon and two hat pins (and of course the hundreds of sticky pads out of sight).

This month we are delighted to say that Tess is joining us as our Guest Designer.  Tess was on the CD Sunday DT when I first joined and she has been missed by us all.  Welcome Tess.

I hope you can join in with us and our Hats and Sarah is very kindly donating  a Jem's Design CD to the lucky winner. Good luck everyone.

My next couple of posts will be scheduled I am afraid but I will catch up with you all when I can. Please accept my apologies in advance for my not visiting your Blogs.
Carol
x

Crafts-Too Challenge You - Decades/An Era

The Crafts-Too Challenge You Blog is now well and truly launched and today we are posting our 1st Design Team cards and inviting all to enter into our challenges.  Just click on Crafts-Too and you will be taken straight to the Blog where you will find all the challenge details.

I have chosen the 1950's for my decade theme and for our first challenge - 'Anything Goes' here is my card - a party invitation:

In amongst the lovely backing papers I received I found this  piece depicting these little girls in what could only be described as party frocks.  It took me back in time remembering the lovely dresses that my Mother used to make for me.  As we entered the 1950's I was 7.
The paper was landscape so I cut off the right hand border and turned it round to make it portrait and hid the join under ribbon and buttons.  The size is A5 giving plenty of room for a party invitation to be slipped inside.
Please don't forget there is still a chance to win  the  Give-Away prize.  Add your name to the linky here  and post the photo with a link back to this blog on your side bar. It is not an expectation that you have to become a Follower to participate but we would love it if you do.

So please come and join us and support our exciting new venture and be in with a chance of winning the monthly prize.
Carol x