Peacock stitch card

I tackled this yesterday afternoon and I must admit it took longer than I expected. I am glad though that I persevered and I hope the recipient will like it. I had Radio 7 on for most of the day (using BBC IPlayer ) to keep me company and caught up with a few comedies and dramas.

CD Sunday Challenge - Shabby Chic

Much discussion went on about what exactly is 'Shabby Chic'. I have decided it can't really be defined in an exact way so this is my interpretation. I have used a 'shabby' Bp as the start and then built up from there using paper lace, tag and ribbon and some patchwork flowers. The flowers are from Little Big Trees - Wings and Flowers. I have a few really favourite CD's and this is in my 'top of' list. So versatile. It suits my attitude to life. I don't buy shoes and bags unless they will do for many outfits - I can't be doing with a matching set for each.

#67 OLL - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

This is my DT contribution to our current Ooh La La Blog Challenge.
I have embossed on parchment through a stencil. Added beads where there were dots and also a red one on his nose. The backing paper comes from the bonus folder on the Kiddiwinks CD by OLL. The blue snowflakes were made with a Martha Stewart punch and then I added pearls to the centre to tie up with the beads.
I hope you like my Rudolph and I am looking forward to seeing all the contributions to the Challenge. I am always amazed at the talents of all our challengees.
xx

CD Sunday Challenge - Lavender and Lace

Here is my DT card for Cd Sunday this week - Lavender and Lace. I made the 'lace' background with parchment and I used Flower Fairies Friends CD from Crafters Companion for the Lavender Fairy,which I have decoupaged.
We had some wonderful entries for last weeks 'The Natural World' which was sponsored by Joanna Sheen and congratulations to Laney.

Parchment gridwork card in purple

This parchment 'square' is made using a pattern from Pauline Loweth's Gridwork book. The parchment backing paper is from a download which I have changed from pink to purple in MCS.
I have stitched the parchment gridwork to the parchment background using glass silver lined beads. The butterfly comes from Pergamano Grid No: 17

Made on Debbees CD's stand at the NEC

These are cards and ATC's I made using parchment and Dayze of Innocence - a cd by Debbees CD's (original artwork by Pamela West).

Ooh La La on C & C this morning

These are the cards that I made for the Ooh La La Creations Show this morning on Create & Craft TV. The show featured Fleur D'Imagination, Femme Fatale and Christmas Presence.
I must admit to being very flattered that Stephanie liked my parchment card for Easter using the Daisy Daisy image on Fleur D'Imagination.

CD Sunday Challenge - The Natural World

For my DT contribution this week I have used a shaped card from Joanna Sheens 'Jayne Netley Mayhew 2CD '. I just loved these Elephants and then found there was a matching Bookmark, so I made that as well. The 'tassel' on the bookmark is made using some letterbeads I found in my stash of embellishments. The card is so simple to make and I love watercolour style images. This particular image would be so suitable for man's card.

Next stop NEC

Well I am nearly ready for the off tomorrow. Just got to pack my clothes that are draped around all over the place.
Now please don't forget to come on over to Stand HG45 - Debbees CD's - and say Hi and of course buy some of her great CD's.
Debs has worked so hard these last months and we (her groupies) have done our best to support and help her and the DAY has nearly arrived.

I'll be offline for a couple of days until I can (hopefully) get the Laptop fired up.

I am so looking forward to meeting new people and putting faces to the names of those I have been chatting to - in some cases for a few years.
See you soon.

Carol
xx

CD Sunday Challenge - It's Spooky

This is my DT contribution to the CD Sunday Blog Challenge this week.
I have used Gwyneth Windsor's 'At Your Fingertips' for the image and the cat. Then the ghosts and the witch from elsewhere.
Please come and join in with this weekly challenge. We had quite a few entries last week and it was great to see. Our Sponsored challenge this month should not be missed so keep an eye out for the bulletin.

Ooh La La Challenge #66 Remember, Remember

This is my current DT card for Ooh La La

This card is a loving reminder from one sister to another of earlier times.
I used Silhouette Magic for the image. Added a couple of borders in my ACDSee then printed out twice. Once straight to card and then again (same size) to parchment. Inside the black border I have done a tiny bit of embossing and pricking and then attached to the background card. Just a touch of glitter and some sticky pearls to finish. It is a small card - just under 5" x 5".

Download from Mettemusen

SOLD TO A VISITOR

I love these Sarah Kay figures and they are ideal, as sketch type prints, to print on to parchment and emboss and colour. You have to choose how to interpret the drawing so there is more work than just printing off a 'ready' image. This time I have used my Faber Castell pencils to colour from the back. The border is one I have adapted a little from a parchment pattern Cd by Florence Holmes called Say it with Flowers and Lace. A great Cd for a parcher to dip into.
The sentiment was embossed using a Pergamano Alphabet grid (No:16) that I bought from The Art of Craft - my local Aladdins Cave.

CD Sunday Challenge -No Embellishments

This is my first card as a very new member of the CD Sunday Challenge Design Team.
I have use MCS. The background and the very desirable gentleman are from Deco Follies and the princely frog and wand fom Walk in Wonderland. Wouldn't it be great if there were such things as magic wands!! Oh well.

Exciting news

The Design Team over at CD Sunday Challenge has done me the honour of inviting me to join their team. I was so pleased to accept.
I thought their CD Challenge idea was great right from the start. Most of us have so many craft CD's and they can become a little neglected in amongst stamping, distressing and all the new techniques so please join us in blowing off the dust and creating something a little different each week. My own collection of about 150 was under used since I discovered the joys of parchment but I am pleased to be using them again and rediscovering their contents.
I look forward to seeing many many entries - so please come and join us. Once a month the Challenge has a Sponsor so there will be prizes too up for grabs. As they say - you have to be in it to win it.
Come and join us.

The link to the latest Challenge - No Embellishments - is in the sidebar to the left.

Workshop Wonders

SOLD

Last weekend I went to a Judith Maslen Workshop down in the New Forest with my great friend Debs. We had a fab time as always. This is the mornings project card which has a bit of a story and why I have called it a Wonder. Most of Judith's patterns involve pricking out the borders through the pattern. This is not how I like to do them so I made a pro-forma border with my grid so that I could then use it on my work to prick through it for a perfectly placed border. Fine in theory but when I had finished and lifted up my 'stencil' it was crooked to the carefully worked image. To save the day I pricked out the image and made the border into a strip border and rescued it. I am sorry Judith if you see this that it isn't exactly how you planned it.
This might be a tip that could be useful to someone reading this who has made the same mistake.

OLL Challenge Blog - Scary Stuff

This image is from OLL 'Watercolour Memories CD' - Essex Farm folder and is my DT contribution for the current challenge - Scary Stuff.
I have added a moon and a flying witch with my graphics programme and then added a border and words and then aged the whole thing. I found the cat and mouse amongst my black peel offs.

From the Parchment Magazine - Nov 2010

This is my version of a pattern by Tina Cox in the current Parchment Magazine. Tina has done the pricking for the pattern using the pattern but I prefer to use a grid. I used my PCA bold grid which meant I had to adjust the number of pattern repeats etc and I was only left with room in the centre for the 'Merry Christmas'. Tina had put quite a bit more. I have done my poinsettias differently - so - all in all - this is my take on her design. That is what it is all about - doing your own thing.

CD Sunday Challenge - Monochrome

This weeks CD Sunday Challenge is - Monochrome. The image I have used is from 'The Jayne Netley Mayhew Collection' by Joanna Sheen. The colour range goes from the palest cream through to deep sepia which I believe to be in the same colour range.

CD Sunday Challenge - Not a card

My entry this week in the CD Sunday Challenge is the first 2 of 24 Parchment Advent Pyramids that I am making for my daughter. I made the full set 2 years ago and they now hang on my Xmas tree each year. My daughter says she can't wait until they become an heirloom and she has to fight for them so I am making her a set of her own. The pattern is by Alison Yeates. The Cd I have used is for the lining blue parchment - from Carol Ann's Studio 'Patchwork Flowers 2'. I never buy coloured parchment now - I just print on to the parchment from any of my CD's.

Debbees Cd's - Samples

These are from 'Birds,Bees,Bugs and Me', 'Pockets' and 'Cheerful Christmas toppers' CD's.

Debbees Cd's - Samples

From 'Computers.....'CD. A whimsical (I hope) take on a male Get well Soon card.

Debbees Cd's - more samples

Some more sample cards for Debs. These two are from her 'Crosses' CD. That is just what it is - a Cd with lovely images of crosses with flowers etc. Ideal to have at hand for the occasions we all dread - but happen. Also can be used for Confirmations etc. I think it is a brilliant idea.

Ooh La La New CD. Christmas Presence

One of the sample cards I made for the new Cd. The remainder are in the following post.

Ooh La La New CD. Christmas Presence

These are four of my sample cards for the new Cd. Three of them were featured today but I could see the other two on the counter. My fellow designers produced some astounding cards and I hope these have inspired many to purchase this lovely CD. Another winner for Ooh La La I am sure.

'Pockets' CD by Debbees CD's

This is one of the samples I have made for Debs. It has some decoupage and a sprinkling of glitter. I love the bright simple clear fun image. A lovely card for a child, as many would be on this CD.

The Ooh La La Blog Challenge - Nothing Floral

The current challenge for Ooh La La is 'Nothing Floral'. For this one I have used their Cd - Silhouette Magic - for the image and the backing papers. The butterflies have been printed on parchment with beautiful irridescent blue 'nailheads' on the bodies. Bow from stash - probably Papermania.

CD Sunday Challenge - Decoupage

For the CD Sunday Challenge of Decoupage I have used a Cd from Carol Ann's Studio - Glitz 'n' Bitz. All from the Cd except the 'garter' which I have made using a Siesta stencil and some of my ribbon stash from Ribbon Box. I have a girlfriend with a birthday on Wednesday so this is for her.

Dayze of Innocence - CD by Debbees

I love this parchment border - or rather photo frame. It is a purchased download from the parchment section of - I think - CraftsUprint. I know that they have a good selection and I purchased quite a few.
Image again is from 'Dayze of Innocence' and I used just 4 beads this time to anchor the frame, image and liner together.

More from Debbees CD's

Another of the lovely images on this CD (Dayze of Innocence). This time I used MCS to add a 'quite wide' blurred blue border to the picture before I printed it on to parchment. I then used blue crackle background from Ooh La La in MCS to make a same size backing on card for the card itself and to have something as a background to which I could stitch the image and the seperate border.
The beads were from a some I bought at the Sandown Show. I just can't resist them and have far more than I will ever use.

DEBBEES CD's

Another of the lovely images from 'Dayze of Innocence' from Debbees Cd's. This border is also one by Florence Holmes from 'Say it with Flowers and Lace. It took quite a bit of concentration Florence but so worth it in the end.

Not much else going to be done today as it is Ryder Cup time.
xx