More Zentangle from the Surrey borders

Here they are as promised.  The Owl, the Dove and the Rooster.  I have really enjoyed sitting quietly and losing myself making these.  I think the Rooster is my own favourite. 
These images were all designed by my Tutor, Marilyn, but the border pattern is mine.  Not that it is very complicated but I needed something that was size adaptable.
I would now like to find some smaller images and create a few ATC's for the UKSN group that I belong to.

Please feel free to leave a message if you wish.  It is always nice to know you have looked in on your way past.
Carol
xx

CD Sunday - Round again

Good morning everyone.  Tis my theme choice for this coming fortnight and my title is just another way of saying recycling.  It has always seemed popular in the past so I thought we would go 'round again'.
My fellow teamies seemed to have been more adventurous that I have which is a poor show on my part but here is my card.

The 'round again' bit is the creamy mat with the pink and lilac butterflies etc.  This was die cut from an old birthday card I had received.  I have added some more butterflies and a curly bow.  The CD I have  used is Joanna Sheen's - Jane Shasky "from the heart of the garden" CD2.  On the CD I  found a lovely background sheet with feint swirls in a  toning colour. Just perfect.

I have just realised that with all the die cuts on here it would have qualified for Jenny's theme as well.

I look forward to many interesting projects to make it hard to choose my Top 3.
Have fun.
Carol
xx

Zentangle Elephant - finished

As promised I sat at the table until I had finished my little elephant card.  Using a fine stamp edge tool I took him 'out' of the piece of parchment on which he had been created so that I had just the elephant ready to mount on any background that I wished.  I made  a frame using fresh parchment and a simple border that I created.  I then wanted to 'ground' him so I used my 'grass' die and cut out a strip in black to put behind him.  I stuck this to the new frame and then mounted the elephant using Perga glue very sparingly just on the very edges so that it doesn't show.  Finally I used a Spellbinder die to cut out a frame  in black card.

Here he is:

I hope you like him.  I have an owl, a cockerel and a dove to do in the series so I have plenty to do.
Carol
xx

Zentangle is the buzz word

down here on the Surrey borders at the moment.
On Wednesday it was our monthly parchment lesson and our Tutor - Marilyn Pybus -  had some small animal Zentangles for us to do.  I haven't finished mine yet.  Rather I have finished the elephant but not the presentation as yet:

Here is the example we were working towards:

I expect I will finish mine over the weekend.

Today we had another of our now popular craft days that are organised by our Tutor.  Not just parchment for these occasions.  Last time I ran one of the workshops - Stitched Bookmarks - but today I was just an eager pupil.  We did 3 workshops.  Made a box using the Hougie board and then decorated it, made a very fancy notebook with a cover in parchment (not finished yet) and this wonderful gift bag:

I thoroughly enjoyed doing the Zentangling.  The outlines had already been very expertly stamped for us so we could just get on and have fun.  The bag was provided as well.  I added the parchment butterfly and the other two crinkle cut ones when I got home.  I thought the three matched beautifully with the image.
A couple of close ups of the Zentangling

We have some more small animal images to Zentangle so watch this space.

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed doing them.  For a whole day I managed to relax and just enjoy crafting and good company.
Carol xx

Ooh La La Challenge - Let them eat Cake

I knew I had a Judith Maslen parchment pattern that would be ideal for this challenge so here it is:

I went to an Ooh La La Creations Cd for the backgrounds.  I have nearly all of them and I chose 'The Shaw Jenkins Collection'.  I used two blue backgrounds from the Bonus section.  Plain for the mat and striped for the card.
Doesn't that piece of coffee cake with what must be frosting look yummy?  I am also a confirmed coffee drinker so all in all a good pattern for me. Another great Judith Maslen design.
The parchment work consisted of embossing and shading, colouring with Faber Castell pencils and spreading medium, pricking with a Pergamono tool and then cutting out.

7th July
I was very excited to learn that I had won 1st Prize in the Ooh La La Challenge with this card.
xx

Bristol Parchment Exhibition 2014

It is all over now and I am safely back home. The weather was glorious - in fact a little too warm for the Exhibition itself yesterday.  I think perhaps some consideration  could be given next year to providing some  cooling fans or some such.  It is difficult to work on parchment when your hands are hot and sticky.
Any way back to the show itself and the exquisite pieces of parchment on display and their creators.  It was all fabulous but some was jaw droppingly good.
Lots and lots of lovely people stopped by to chat whilst Jenny (fellow pupil) and I were working on our tutors stand.  Jenny was creating a wonderful lacy piece and I was working on some ATC's. 
Here are the ones I managed to complete on the day:

Two of the lovely people I met and chatted to were Margaret and her husband.  It was great to see Margaret looking so well after all her trials and tribulations.  We managed to chat for quite a while.  I see on her blog that there are many photo's of some of the exhibits.  I did have my camera but didn't really have the time to take any pictures.  So thank you Margaret.  It will give a good idea of what was on offer.  This will be the third time I have met Margaret at the show and I look forward to many more such chats.

 
I look forward to next years event - especially as I get to spend some more time with my sister.  I am off now to put the washing in and then perhaps play with a few of my new toys.  Parchment and others. (We visited the new Lakeland store at Cribbs Causeway).

It is that time again

for the annual Bristol Parchment Craft Exhibition.  It is on this Sunday - 22nd June - 9.30am - 5pm - at Brunel's Old Station - Bristol.  Right next door to Temple Mead Rail Station.  After what happened to me year before last I tend to approach this event with some trepidation.  My sister lives in Bristol so I am going down early to spend a few relaxing days in her company.

I will be with my Tutor - Marilyn Pybus on her stand - and I will be making some parchment ATC's. Just what ever style takes my fancy

As I am travelling tomorrow I have been getting all my parchment tools and 'stuff' together today and couldn't resist having a play........

I hope to have more to show when I get back next week. 

Have a lovely weekend and I'll catch up with you all later.
Carol
xx
 

CD Sunday -' Dies'

Good Morning everyone.  I think you are liking our new and improved format of a fortnightly theme instead of a weekly one and having all the DT team back together.  It is making it easier for the team and from some of the comments I have read -  easier for our challengers.
Now it is Jenny's choice this time round and what could be easier than 'Dies'.  As we all seem to have hundreds it shouldn't be a problem - just don't forget, in the excitement, to use a CD in your creation.  Tis easily done. I have done it myself and had to start again.

Here is my offering.  I really had fun with this one and enjoyed the making.  I even bought a new die for it.  Daft isn't it when I have so many.

The CD part is the background printed direct to card from  Ooh La La -' Shoes in Bloom'. The colour matched the Wisteria on the old garden wall perfectly.  The old garden wall was a photograph I had taken in my sister's garden at a previous house and I used the new die 'Bille's Stones by Joy craft to cut out the arch.  If you look carefully you can see the embossed stones around the opening.  The view through the arch is another photograph I had taken during one of my frequent visits to RHS Wisley - here in Surrey.  The bay trees are also die cut and I think the die maybe one by Marianne - I am not sure.
I hope you like my offering.  Please feel free to leave a comment.  It is always so cheering to know you have visited.
Hugs
Carol
xx

The Scrabble Queen

This again is from the new La Pashe downloads of images and backgrounds for men but there are some that will do for ladies as well.  This is one of them - especially with the added letters and bow.

I just love all the La Pashe artwork and find the cards so satisfying to make.  I must admit I don't add many 'bits and bobs' - as my friend in Northumberland calls them.  I think the artwork speaks for itself. The bow is made using the Sue Wilson die.
My sister is a Scrabble demon so I may well save this for her next birthday.
Carol
xx

The Snooker King

Well I didn't get to the seaside unfortunately except in my day dreams and the days since haven't been a lot better but I managed to lose myself in some decoupage cutting yesterday.  One of my sons plays a mean game of snooker and also  poker - I am led to believe - so this card is for his birthday next month.  I expect it will hold something crisp and folding so that he can buy some more of those creepy Sci Fi box sets that are his other passion.
The card comes from a new download series of images and backgrounds for men's cards from La Pashe.  I liked them all.  I don't think I will manage to use everyone but most will be very useful.
Here it is:

I couldn't just make one card at a time.  Not worth getting the guillotine etc out  just for one so here is the second:

I don't know who this will be for at the moment but I loved the image and especially the splishy sploshy background paper.  Wonderful.  I will print it on to parchment later  for some of my parchment flowers.  Should look really good.

Have a lovely weekend and I will see you on Sunday for the next CD Sunday theme.
Hugs
Carol
xx

CD Sunday - At the Seaside

Oh! how I wish that that is where I was - lying on the beach somewhere in the sunshine.  Not fussy where but just somewhere.  Can you guess that I have had a bad week?

Back to the business in hand and less day dreaming.   Our theme this week was chosen by Caz and I did enjoy making my DT card.  I always enjoy using La Pashe CD's and this was the first image I thought of when I saw what Caz had chosen. Here is my offering:

La Pashe - Something for Everyone

 

 

 

 

I used a Kraft card as the base to resemble sand and tied round some straw/raffia that I found amongst my stash.  Just to add a little 'je ne sais quoi'.  Only a couple of layers of decoupage.  On a personal level I admit that I prefer designing for and using square cards.  Somehow they seem neat and unfussy and just generally pleasing.
I hope you all have a good week and I am hoping that I have a better one.
Hugs to all that need one.
Carol
xx