Parchment - Beaded Heart

As promised I have now finished the heart. In the design the centre of the heart should have been filled completely with small beads. I used an embossed mirri card as my backing piece and I noticed that the embossed dots formed a complete pattern in the centre heart so I just sewed a bead to each dot.

CD Sunday - Transport

Here is my DT card this week for our theme of Transport
at CD Sunday. I chose my photograph from a file of about 250 taken on a weeks holiday I had in Luxor way back in 2005. I could probably make my own CD as I have so many.
The base card and the Egyptian head (with a touch of Glassy Accents on the gems) are both from Robert Addams 'Ancient Egypt' CD. The two matt layers are from MCS - as is the text.

Please come and join in our challenge. We had some wonderful cards last week and would love to welcome you back and meet some new. Just please remember to use a Cd somewhere in the sourcing of your material - even if it is just a paper button.

Sailing

I like this design very much and enjoyed stitching it. It is for a good friend.

The finished Parchment and Bead Bracelet

My order from the Bead Shop came very quickly so I was able to finish the bracelet this morning. I used silver clamps and silver magnetic clasps. My first tentative foray into any kind of jewellery making. I put it on top of some silk flowers as it is almost impossible to photograph your own wrist - and much prettier.

Parchment and beads

In our lesson last night we were given two projects using parchment and sewn beads.
One was a bracelet - which is the one I did - finished except for the fastener which I have ordered on line. The beads are sewn into the gap with invisible thread. It is so fine and it kept getting caught on the cut edges of the piece so there were some rudish words uttered. The sample made by our Tutor though was so beautiful we wanted to persevere.
Here is a photo of part of mine. The beads were some we bought from Anita's Beads at the Sandown Show. We all took a shine to Clive - who was manning their stand - and I confess we were buying one string at a time.

I can't show all of the bracelet as it is too long to stay in focus.
The second project is a beaded heart to put on a card and I will do that one later.

The Swans - have been framed

Not a great photo I am afraid but anything any closer just reflected me in the glass - and no-one would want that. All ready for the Parchment Festival now and if this hasn't put you off please come along. Details at the top of the side bar. (Over til next year)

This was the closer view before framing.

CD SUNDAY - Wild Thing

Our challenge at CD Sunday this week is 'Wild Thing' and here is my contribution. He doesn't really look very wild with that little half smile but after I had finished the stitching I decided I liked him too much to abandon him.
I have used a BP from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Nettley Mayhew CD and the stitch pattern comes from Form-A-Lines.
Please join in with our Challenge this week and I look forward - as always - to visiting your Blogs.

WARHORSE

I am breaking my own rule ( for the second time) about this not being a diary Blog so that I can talk about my trip to the theatre today. I went with a group of friends up to Drury Lane to see the show 'Warhorse'.
It was spectacular, magic, wonderful, incredible etc etc. You get the picture.
I had looked at a few snippets on 'You Tube' and read up about it a little but it doesn't really prepare you for what you see.
If you get the opportunity to go please take it. It isn't cheap, I know, but perthaps a Birthday or Anniversary present to yourself or each other.

CD SUNDAY - Colour: Blue, Yellow and Brown

I enjoyed this challenge to use these particular colours and they do go so well together. I hope you enjoy our DT samples and here is my own contribution. As my Cd I used MCS - Deco Follies - which I love and use quite often. Isn't she glamourous? - I don't think I ever had a figure like that. That was easy for the yellow and blue - so for the brown I added pearls as embellishments which I had coloured using my peel off pens.
Here it is -

Well done to PINKY for winning the draw for last weeks challenge with our Sponsor - The Art of Craft - and good luck to everyone again for next months sponsored challenge - to be announced in due time.

Best Bib and Tucker

Today I attended another of Judith Maslen's fun and informative workshops down in the New Forest. In a busy day we made and completed a card in the morning and managed the greater part of a second - very different style - card in the afternoon. Here is my morning offering and I decided to make the bow tie on mine 3D and add a little bling.
I haven't finished the second card and will post it when I do.
Thank you Judith for another most enjoyable session and I look forward to the next one in May.

CD Sunday -Luck of the Irish/St. Patricks Day

We are so pleased that our sponsor this month is The Art of Craft and they are very generously awarding a voucher to the value of £20.00 to the winner of the draw. A card for St. Patricks Day or just anything with an Irish theme will be very acceptable. Please don't forget to use a CD somewhere in the making of your card or project or it can't be entered for the prize.
For my DT sample I turned to parchment by making a parchment wrap with a central Shamrock shape which has been embossed and then filled with a grid pattern. The background was made using one small green shamrock image and cutting and pasting using MCS. A single image was then cut out to place on the the front of the wrap with a lttle added glitter. The sentiment was also generated with MCS.

THE SWANS

I feel in need of a trumpet fanfare or a drum roll at the very least as today I have finally finished my contribution to the showpieces for our soon to be Parchment Festival. (See side bar) (Over til next year)

Our Tutor decided on this picture of a pair of Swans floating serenely on the lake under the boughs of Wisteria, amongst the water lilies. I believe 18 of us started on this long journey of learning quite a while ago now but some fell by the wayside and eleven of us have finished against all the odds. We have had workshops and extra workshops but all in all a lot of chatter and fun as well as continuing to learn new skills from our very talented Tutor.
My picture below is now ready to go to the framers. The photo I have taken isn't brilliant but I am too excited about it to wait until daylight. I might change it later.

(New photo)

Parchment Butterfly Gatefold card

This was the project in our latest lesson at The Art of Craft which is the venue for all our lessons and workshops. Our tutor Marilyn Pybus, who is associated with The Art of Craft as their parchment teacher , designed the card using a template for the outline shape. The plan of the card took some thinking about as it is drawn and embossed as one piece and then cut in half to enable the butterfly wings to be folded back on the front of the card. This involved embossing the frame of the card on one side and the wings on the other. Can be a little confusing.

Whilst mentioning The Art of Craft it gives me the opportunity to tell you that they have very kindly agreed to be our sponsor at CD Sunday for March.
This will be next Sunday - 6th - and they are giving a very generous prize of a £20.00 Voucher. So we are hoping for lots of entries and are looking forward - as always- to many blog visits.

CD Sunday - Art Nouveau

Over at CD Sunday this week our theme is 'Art Nouveau'. I felt very at home with this particular challenge as I was able to use a William Morris inspired stitch pattern for my image. I have done a few of these and I love doing them and using them. For the background paper I went to Joanna Sheen's Cottage Garden CD(2) where there are a wealth of suitable papers from which to choose.
I used a new (to me) MS punch for the edges and some 'ribbon' and some flower lace that I had purchased from my favourite store - The Art of Craft. 4 little pink brads to fix the image and matt layer and then a chiffon bow to finish off.
I hope you like this card as much I enjoyed creating it.

CD Sunday - Get ahead get a Hat

Over at CD Sunday this week our theme is - Get ahead Get a Hat and this is my DT contribution. I went back to one of my old favourite Cd producers - Carol Ann's Studios. I have used her 'Glitz 'n' Bitz' CD (CD-14) for everything except ribbon, pearls and hat embellishment (which I found at Sandown with this challenge in mind).
Our DT team have come up with some very different takes on this theme and I look forward to seeing what our challengees create.
Hugs
xx

Grid Work

This a pattern by Christine Coleman in the March edition of the parchment Magazine

LESS IS MORE - One layer challenge - tree or flower

I haven't used my stamps for so long I had to go hunting for them and I found the Christmas ones first - and this 'tree' was on the top. I have just stamped using Stazon and then coloured with Sakura Gelly Roll Metallics.
The card is pure white but the light today was so awful that where ever I tried to photograph I got this dullish look.
The stamp is a clear one from Woodware designed by Jane Gill.
When I entered last weeks challenge my bestest friends weren't too sure about my change of style. I will be interested to hear what they have to say this week.

CD SUNDAY - Swirls and Pearls

We had some great entries last week for our sponsored challenge and congratulations to Beryl on being the lucky winner.
This week our theme is 'Swirls and Pearls' which always seems a popular theme judging by all those die cut swirls I have seen whilst visiting other Blogs.
I confess I haven't got a die cutting machine of any kind. So I have used an MCS image and parchment and chosen a corner motif which has been copied, pasted and flipped and printed to make it in to a border. I then embossed the pale pink parts of the images then backed with dk pink plain card. The parchment flowers are from my stash and so are all the pink pearls. For the sentiment I used a Pergamano letter grid.
We always look forward to seeing your entries and visiting your Blogs. I personally learn so much on my travels around our 'Blogland'.

Less is More - Pink, Black and White

There is a brand new Blog on the block - Less is More - and I found it whilst blog hopping last night. The whole idea is to keep it clean and simple and the first theme is Pink, Black and White.

I got quite excited but then I thought that I would find it difficult to follow the clean and simple ethics doing parchment which is anything but simple. But for this first challenge I remembered the extra piece of black parchment I had left over from a lesson and decided to make one of my parchment flowers in black and pink. I put the flower and black peel off sentiment and heart on to a pink scalloped matt I had bought from Ribbon Box.

I don't know if I will manage anymore Clean and Simples but time will tell.

CD Sunday - Friendship

I am so thrilled that a personal friend of mine, Debs of Debbees CD's, is our February Sponsor at CD Sunday and that she has chosen such an apt theme.
I met Debs through a craft forum and we seemed to hit it off straight away and have become firm friends even though I am old enough to be her Mum (who I also count as a good friend). Debs stays here with me when she can and we love 'doing shows' together and Debs also joins us on our parchment stand at Sandown. Her foray at the NEC last November was a great success and some of you may have visited her stand and seen the great CD's that she produces.
For her chosen theme of Friendship I have made a gift bag and tag using papers and images from her CD . Who could resist those two fabulous chickens.
I wish you all good luck and look forward to seeing all the entries and visiting your Blogs.


p.s. I meant to say that I had used a Robert Addams CD for the gift bag pattern and tag. I can't remember which one but I think he has a pattern on most of them.

Leaves

This is using a pattern by Susan McGuirk bought as a download from CraftsUprint.

80th Birthday

A Christine Coleman pattern or rather a combination from her numbers selection. A mixture of felt tips and pencils were used for the colouring.
The purple mirri card and the paler purple backing piece were both from 'The Art of Craft' where I was at a workshop yesterday finishing off some cards.

Dragonflies

This is made using a pattern by Judith Maslen. I love Judith's patterns. They are stylish and so enjoyable to work on and Judith seems to have designed a pattern to suit almost every occasion. I have attended a couple of Judith's workshops and Debs and I are heading South for the next one in March.
This pattern - as you can see is called Dragonflies, and involved two or three disciplines as well as embossing. Pen work, colouring with polychromos pencils blended with oils and then using a fine grid.
The addition of the very fine glitter to the wings and the sparkly gems are my own additions.
I have added a link to Judith's site in my sidebar at the top. I am sure you will enjoy looking at her patterns.

Using fancy grids and Cd's with parchment

This is where the true traditionalist parchment devotee will sigh but I want to show how using fancy grids and craft CD's can be used to create a pleasing parchment card without having learned all the skills of this truly beautiful and ancient craft.
I printed the the jug of flowers from a Cd straight on to my parchment paper. On my printer - a Canon - I use Matt Photo Setting - best quality -and remember to let it dry before handling.
I then used a Siesta ruler grid for the border - choosing a part of the pattern that would fit around the image. This is the hardest bit of all but I did a dummy run using paper and pencil - which also told me the size I should set on my printer when I printed the image on the parchment.
I then embossed the appropriate part of the image from the back and then fixed to my backing paper with brads. Ribbons and white half pearls were the finishing touch.

CD Sunday - Love is in the Air

With Valentines Day only a fortnight away what could be more appropriate and there will be plenty of time left to get those cards in the post.
You don't have to do one for Valentines Day though - anything to do with Love will suffice as long as a Cd has been used somewhere in the making.
For my own DT card I have chosen a pattern by Linda Moga Rivera in the January edition of the Parchment Magazine. I chose this one as it has lots of gridwork which is my particular love. The card base is from Carol Ann's Studio CD - Glitz 'n' Bitz - printed directly on to card. The coloured peel off edging around the heart was my own addition to the pattern.

Your entries last week were all fantastic and I really enjoyed my visits to your Blogs. I hope to see you all again and welcome some new challengees.

Ooh La La's new CD All Dressed Up

This is the outside of the first sample I did for this mornings show on Create and Craft. The topper was printed straight on to the parchment and then embossed. I added a little extra colour to the back of the dress as it was very pale and delicate in colour and that would have been lost in the embossing. A few crosses were cut in the lattice corners, gems and a parchment flower added. I did it as a Prom card

and here is a photo of the inside:

Here is the second card. I used the digi image printed directly on the parchment. Then coloured using pencils and embossed - especially the lower white part of the dress. I added some white pencil at the back so that the embossing didn't have to be to intense and therefore avoided 'crumpling'. I used an oval frame for the edging and then stitched it all on the backing card with beads. Spotted ribbon from my stash - bought at the Art of Craft. They have some great bundles for just £2.50 each.

Miniature Handbag - Take 2

Having purchased an eyelet punch and eyelets I have now finished the handbag. I would have preferred pastel eyelets but will have to search further afield.

I have now found some online and ordered them. Not many places had pastel shades.

Miniature handbags

I have been trying something new (for me) in 3D parchment work. I purchased a book of patterns for miniature handbags from Amanda, Ching-Hsiang Yeh in Taiwan. I started the pricking out of the pattern for the first one above whilst on the stand at the Sandown Show. The fastener hasn't been done yet and is held closed by a sticky dot. It needs a couple of eyelets and I can't find my punch at the moment.
The second one is complete.
Amanda's patterns are incredible and her instructions easy to follow.
I have put a link to her site in the title.

Ooh La La Blog Challenge - Three of a Kind

Sadly this is my last card for Ooh La La as a regular member of their Design
Team. I need to concentrate more on my parchment as I am hoping to start my work towards a diploma. I had to put it on hold last year. Wendy at OLL has kindly asked me if I would do the occasional parchment card for them and of course I will be delighted to do so. My association with OLL has been a long one and is by no means over. I love the work they do.

This is a very simple 5 x 5 lightweight card made using the 'Fleur D'Imagination' CD. I cropped and printed out one of the toppers twice and did my own one layer decoupage. Added pink card buttons to the centres. BP from the same folder. I have added a 'Just For You' sentiment but as it is a peel off it can easily be removed and the card used as a simple notelet or Thank You.

CD Sunday Challenge - Waters Meet

Our Cd Sunday Challenge this week is all about water. For my DT card I have chosen Ooh La La's Cd - Dreams of Tranquility. As I made several of the cards for the launch show for this Cd I know it well and there are many beautiful images depicting water as streams, rivers, waterfalls etc.
Please come and join us over at CD Sunday. I look forward to seeing many beautiful entries.

A big big thank you

to all those wonderful people who visited our Stand at Sandown. It was fantastic to meet and talk to so many enthusiastic parchers and would be parchers. I only hope those seeing what parchment is all about will have been inspired to either take up this wonderful craft or perhaps pick it up again where you left off in frustration. Quite a few have told me stories of trying and then giving up.
I hope that those I gave my card to will visit here and I meant what I said about contacting me if you need any help. I will do what I can if I can.

I hope to see you again in September. Same place.
Carol
x

A special visitor with my Tutor

A special visitor to our Stand today. It was great to meet with Nigel again. I last chatted to him at the NEC. It is always a delight to meet and talk to Nigel. He is such a charming gentleman.

Bookmark by Gilly Howe

Last May I posted a picture of a small fan that I had made using one of Gilly Howe's patterns. When I was looking through my patterns yesterday I found this included on her pattern sheet. I hadn't noticed it before so for my theme of bookmarks for the show I made it to add to the display.

CD Sunday Challenge - Sketch

This is the Sketch for the challenge over at CD Sunday this week
and here is my interpretation

I must admit I haven't done many 'sketch' cards and I did find it a challenge. Please come and join us and I look forward to visiting your Blogs to see the many wonderful creations.

Parchment Flower embellishments

Some new flowers for the Sandown Show.

Parchment Project - The Swans

This scan is of a project that we are doing in our parchment group. Our tutor has started an annual one day Parchment Festival and we as her pupils are given a project - to display at the festival. The Festival is in April (more about that in a later posting) and our pictures have to be finished, mounted and framed by the middle of March. Last year we did an A4 picture of a Japanese Lady in a kimono with fans etc. This year it is an A3 size picture (including the two borders and mount) of two swans on the lake. Still to do is the second much larger border and add the flowers to the trees and then perhaps more colour or more embossing - to personal taste.

Lacy trims

These are made using a couple of the Siesta fancy patterned 'rulers'. To be used as ready made embellishments.
It is fairly easy to adjust the lengths to suit requirements.

Bookmark - freebie design from Gemini Crafts

The parchment bookmark is made using a PCA fine grid and and tools. The ribbon is Lavender from Joanna Sheen. It has been mounted on Purple mirri card and then Silver mirri card. Unfortunately the scanner makes it look almost black.

THE STITCH AND CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW - ESHER

My parchment tutor - Marilyn Pybus and her stand - 'The Art of Parchment' will be at Sandown Park again this month - stand H8 and I will be with her for the whole 3 days. 20th -22nd Jan. As always Marilyn will be holding a make and take parchment workshop each day which can be booked on the day.
My great friend Debs of Debbees CD's will be joining us on the Saturday.
I hope to see some old friends again and always hoping to meet new ones.
Our stand is on the corner right by the entrance to Stephanie Weightman's workshop room so you can't miss us.

Please come along and say hello.

Hugs
Carol


Click on the title for all the show details.

Parchment Bookmark - V shapes

Another parchment bookmark. This one is from a pattern by Pat Hosking in a Pergamano Book called Pat's Parchment Celebration.
If you think there is a theme starting here - there is. I am preparing some work for a craft show later this month.

Parchment Bookmark

A parchment bookmark made using a pattern by Pauline Loweth. I have adapted it slightly. Where I have the open teardrop shapes there was a grid chart in the original pattern.

Oll Blog Challenge - Bling it on!

For my design team contribution on this challenge I have used Ooh La La's CD 'Shoes in Bloom. I have printed out the Wigelia and Pearls image on parchment and added some embossing and gridwork on the edges and some embossing to the blooms. I have then added gems to the flower centres, pearls to the shoe straps and a new pearl dragonfly embellishment from C & C.
This was done as a birthday card for my parchment Tutor.

CD Sunday Challenge - New Year - New to you

For my CD Sunday Design Team contribution this week I have used Carol Ann's Studios CD-13 for the backing paper. I have just realised that I use these CD's so often for my backing papers. As I have said before the colours are second to none. I digress. The 'New to me' part is the 'Happy New Year' stitch template purchased as a download from Stitching Cards and stitched in black and gold.
The parchment flower is one of my own designs this time. The half pearls and gems are from my stash.

Stitch and Bead card - 4th Day of Christmas

I know that this posting is very late but I was away at the crucial time and I have yet to learn the intricate art of timed postings. This card was my CD Sunday DT card for the Challenge - 'Stitch It' - on the 26th December. It was one of the 12 Days of Christmas stitchcard patterns that I purchased from Pinbroidery. I have very much enjoyed the making of these cards. A lady from my class has expressed the desire to start making these as soon as possible so that she has the whole set ready for next Christmas.
I used a Cd for the BP and it was Christmas Presence by Ooh La La.

CD Sunday Challenge - Check It Out

For this DT card I used backing paper from our Sponsor - Bearly Mine Designs - and the image comes from Ooh La La's Passion for Fashion CD. The ribbon is some gorgeous new stock I found at The Art of Craft and the little metallised hearts are from my stash but where they were before I can't remember.

OLL Blog Challenge - Toast to 2011

This is my DT card for Ooh La La's current Blog Challenge. I have used a Dancer from their CD - Femme Fatale - and added a glass and a bottle from my stash of embellishments.
I hope everyone has a great 2011 and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful creations to come.
Carol
xx