Steampunk garden

Good morning and welcome to the Make My Monday challenge.

 It's my turn  to be the hostess and I've chosen.

Steampunk.

You can choose any theme as long as it follows the  Steampunk style

My theme is Steampunk Garden with a Steampunk butterfly spreading the pollen of the Steampunk flowers. Let your imagination fly.

 Products

Chocolate Baroque: Steampunk Butterfly
IndigoBlu: Poppy Meadow.
Prima A4 paper pad: Engraver.
Versafine Onyx black
Versamark
Stampendous embossing: detail black.

I raided Joe's Bits box for the nuts and bolts I added some broken jewellery pieces as well.









I hope you  join us.
 Suzi b xx

Halloween

Good morning everyone, hope you're all feeling good...  It's wet and grey here in Crewe..... hope it's brighter where you are . This week for the Make My Monday challenge Jan would like us to be inspired by:

HALLOWEEN

I am  very short of time this morning so this is a very quick post

I had my grandchildren in mind when I made this but for more "sophisticated" inspiration pop over to MMM to see all the gorgeousness my lovely team mates have made.

Products

DP: Graphics 45. Chocolate Baroque.

Stamps: Chocolate Baroque, Tanda Stamps.

Bye for now

Suzi B xx

All about the Texture

Helloo It's 9am Monday morning and time for Make My Mondays weekly challenge. This week the lovely Rosie would like to see

 Texture on your projects.

 This means you have a vast array of options to choose from. Because my time was limited and my mojo is "resting" I opted for the quick and simple...

Products

Silver corrugated card.....for some reason it looks gold on the photograph.

 Light weight white card embossed with Embossalicious O'Christmas Tree folder.

Tiny snowflakes punched from silver paper

Silver embossed snowflakes... very difficult to see under the punched snowflakes

Tiny blue gems.

Once the card had been assembled I rubbed around the embossed image to depress the white card into the groves of the corrugated card... to outline the Christmas tree...

As usual I look forward to seeing your projects.

Suzi B xx

Elegant in her way!

Hello again it's time for Mid Week Motivation at Make My Monday still following the Elegant Ladies theme. Now this lady I think is very elegant ... in a shabby chic, outrages way! So here she is in her shabby palace posing elegantly in her fraying dress with shabby curtains, threadbare carpet  and very large cat!

 

Products

Stampotique : Angel: stamped directly onto DP then paper pieced, straggly bits of jute added

Freebie cat from Craft stamper. stamped directly and paper pieced

Splatter stamp from SU  French foliage... I love this stamp. 

Words from Darkroom door: Prague set.

Wired jute ribbon... cut and  frayed... loose threads cut to size to be used on the dress and for the carpet  :))

DP from Gecko Galz Star Crossed paper pack. distressed with the DI's, splatter stamp and edges crumpled .. a bit

 DI Antique Linen and Rusty Hinge

 Versafine: Vintage Sepia

 Hope you like this take on Elegant Ladies and it inspires you to join in at MMM. Thank you for looking or for leaving a comment which I absolutely love to read...
 Suzi B xx

Elegant Ladies

Hello and welcome thank you for dropping by. It's my turn to host the Make My Monday challenge and I would like to see 

 Elegant Ladies 

 featured in your makes. 

Here's mine

 there's only one bit of stamping on this card ... which is the strip of lace, from Chocolate Baroque, in Vintage Sepia on the left of the "Elegant Ladies"  The backing papers are from a gorgeous digi paper set called "Star Crossed " from Gecko Galz and bits and pieces from my lace stash. As for the lovely main image I've no idea where it came from but it too is a digi image

I coloured this flower which I cut out of a ribbon strip, then swiped DI Tattered Rose over it and stuck some pearls into the centre. I distressed around the papers and image with Tattered Rose and Antique Linen .. the first DI's I bought  and could be my favourites :)
 Now  for this card I used a Heat Gun for the first time. I got on famously with the pearled lace but when it came to this flower I got in a bit of a mess! The glue wasn't coming out of the nozzle, the plastic cover around the nozzle dropped off! then I noticed the stick of glue had melted at the back!! what a mess. Guess what it's now in the bin! I thought it was going to be so much quicker!!
You'll also notice the flower on my card isn't pink! ... I decided it looked better without the added colour and changed it. but forgot to take a photo.

 Hope you can join us at MMM this week, the DT have made some very elegant cards to inspire you and there will be another  make from me on Wednesday for your Mid Week Motivation
  Enjoy your week.


Suzi B xx

For Men!

Good afternoon people, lovely to see you,  thank you for dropping by.
This afternoon I'd like to share with you the cards I made for my Wednesday Craft Group. At last weeks class they expressed a desire to do cards  men
So this is what I came up with.

 Products.
 Digi postcard images: www.bitmap.etsy.com
Background stamps: Magenta: C22056-O, Lisa Pevelka: love letter, SU: French Foliage: postage stamp and splats
Eggs and bird: Paperchase: Birds.
Distress Inks:Vintage photo.antique linen, gathered twigs
Glossy accents

Close up of background and eggs

The second card was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest but I can't remember who by... sorreee :(

 

Products

Tree image: Paperbag Studios: Lone Tree

Block Images: Sugarloaf.

Distress Inks: Gathered Twigs, Frayed Burlap, Old Paper.
 The girls enjoyed the morning, lots of chat, laughter, coffee and biscuits!
 See you soon
 Suzi B xx

Helloooo

I'm back, I have so missed you all.

 Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post :)) Just a quick update... my sister is at home receiving excellent care from family and professionals :)

 I'm hoping to get back into the swing of crating , even though my Mojo is on a go slow and hopefully I'll get round to visit you  soon.
I volunteer to run  the Craft Croup  at an Assisted Living Complex which is held every Wednesday from 10.30 - 13.30 but by  last Tuesday afternoon I still had no idea what we would be making!!
 I have recently bought some JOFY stamps  and one of them was featured in  an article by Joy Firth Young in Octobers Craft Stamper... so I cased it... cased?!  more like copied!. By now it was Tuesday evening  and I was beginning to thing we'd have to clean out the craft cupboard instead of making cards!..  Thank goodness for Craft Stamper  and JOFY.
Here's my interpretation using JOFY stamps JM10 and the Happy Birthday from JOFY14... I managed two!! very easy cards.

The second one used up some hammered .splatted card from my scrap box

 

 here's the lovely inspiration from JOFY.

 The ladies in my group have very different health, mobility and dexterous needs, some of the ladies have belonged to the group since it started three years ago and some  are very new to the craft world.  Most of them are new to stamping, using DI's , spray inks etc etc... I took over the group a few months ago.
 here's a sample of what they did.

The girl's all had fun ...I think... but getting the background done on card no. 1  proved to be a tad tricky!... but I think they did a wonderful job. I didn't manage to get a photograph of every ones work.... sorry girls. In case you were wondering if my lesson plan is ready for tomorrow ...  the answer is no! flying by the seat of me pants again!
 Take care, thank you for looking and leaving comments it is much appreciated.
Suzi B xx

Childhood Memories

Hello to you all thank you for stopping here on this first Monday in September 2013. Being a Monday it means it's time for another challenge at Make My Monday and this week it's my turn as hostess and I've chosen

Childhood Memories.

 This means the subject is wide open to interpretation and I'd love to see some of your childhood memories.

 I've chosen to make a card which depicts a man fishing.. why? you might ask, what has this to do with childhood!  Well my dad was a keen fisherman and my older sister and I went with him on his fishing trips. We had great fun roaming along river banks, splashing in the water in sandy places... well away from the men fishing, collecting watercress from clear streams tumbling down wooded banks... I could go on with lots of tales... but you get the picture.

The sister I mentioned above is 5yrs older than me... you've seen some of her art work here, she's a talented painter and does fabulous sketches... but she is critically ill. This year has been particularly hard for her especially the last three months, at the end of July she was given devastating news.. her heart is extremely week, the doctors are amazed that she is still with us... Consequently this will be my last post for MMM for some time because I want to spend as much time as possible with Anne.  I will be back as soon as I can as one of th MMM DT... a lovely group of talented ladies past ans present. I may publish work that is ongoing.. Circle Journal etc but my creativity is at an all time low...

I like this quote... could relate it to craft! ... or any hobby.






I hope you enjoy this challenge it really did evoke lots of wonderful memories for me...  I will do my best to pop by and share your childhood memories.
 By the way this theme was chosen many months ago so just coincidental.
 Suzi B xx

Shabby Decadence!

Hello and welcome, lovey to see you here today. It's time for another challenge at

 Make My Monday. This week our hostess Jan would like to see:

Anything but a Card

I've chosen to show you the canvass I made for my local craft shop exhibition Celebrating Diversity showcased in July and still ongoing.. The theme this year was Masquerade!

I named my canvas....  Shabby Decadence!

I only have one photograph because as usual my entry was last minute and I dashed it off to The Cubby Hole forgetting to take photographs !

 I took this one on the opening night of the exhibition after a couple of glasses of red wine!..   Good fun had by all!

 I covered the base with a couple of coats or so of Gesso added dimension with various stencils using home made texture paste (thank you Carol of Cubby Hole fame for the workshop)The stamps are from Tim Holtz and Chocolate Baroque stamped in gold and black and layered. Black and gold lace, black, gold and white embossing powder.

I wish I'd mounted the whole canvas onto a slightly lager board in/painted black or something to give it a black outline but as previously stated I only just made the deadline.... by a whisper!

 The design team at MMM look forward to seeing what you come up with... we know you will show us some delightful objects etc.

Thank you for looking and commenting... appreciated more than you know :))

Suzi B xx

Blue Planet

Hello and welcome, this weeks challenge at Less is More is called

 Round and Round

"For this you may use any image which implies this movement...ie. things with wheels or which move in this manner etc or in fact cards with some moving parts."

  I used  Couture Creations Uber embossing folder (clock parts, fingers of which go round and round) onto colourCore Cardstock which was lightly sanded to reveal the darker blue.I stamped the La Blanche World (we spin on an axis.. so that's another round and round bit !) onto cartridge paper which was coloured with DI's.
 I would've liked to add the word PEACE onto the card but can't find it!! I think that fact highlights my storage organisation... there isn't one! I must get down to organising my stamps in some way. I end up looking through drawers and boxes saying to myself "I know I've got that word, somewhere ! It was a lot easier when I had less stash! I was also more creative....  :))

Our "Blue Planet" is beautiful and unique ... as far as we know...  and I wish the worlds population lived side by side in harmony respecting each others beliefs and cultures... perhaps the word DREAM would've been more appropriate.
 Thank you for looking .. I always appreciate your visits.
Suzi B xx

Childs Play at Make My Monday

Hello and welcome I'm back after a bit of a break due to family illness. 

Time for another challenge at MMM and this week Laura's chosen theme....

It's Child's Play

She would like to see a child's birthday card or a new baby card.

 I decided to make a card for the slightly older child...  and kept it CAS.

I added seed beads to glue in the centre of the flower then stuck a gem on the top.

A simple, fun card!

 This might  be OK for 12yr old Ellie ,my youngest grandchild ... but then again!?

I do hope you'll pop across to MMM and take a look at the  inspiration provided by the DT and join in we'd love to see your children's  creations.

I'm glad to be back in blogland .. I've missed  seeing everyones inspirational makes...
 I'll be round to see you soon.
Thank you for visiting, have a lovely week.

Suzi B xx

I've been playing

with acrylic paints to make another card for LIM I've been wanting to use this lovely stamp from Paperbag studios for some time and the LIM challenge this week shouted out for it.
here it is

 

using this colour palette challenge

I used Yellow Ochre and Lemon Yellow acrylic paints lightly brushed onto the stamped image with a fine paint brush. I used them  watered down and neat .

I also added some metallic guilding wax to give some shimmer. never used this before and I really don't know how to use it but I like the effect achieved here. It doesn't show up very well on the photographs. You can see it better on the photo below... I hope :)

I've been unwell for the last couple of days with a reoccurring problem,  side effects of cancer treatment  from 20yrs ago... so as far as I'm concerned, worth it... at least I'm here to tell the tale, if only boring  all of you :)  Playing with this stamp and "painting" was very relaxing and helped me through the day.
 Thank you for looking, see you again soon.
Suzi B xx

Challenges

One Stop Challenge: keep it simple

Puccini for LIM

The beginning of the month means its time for a colour challenge at Less Is More
here's mine

Products

Stampington: Puccini's Muse. One of my favourite operas

IndigoBlu:  free butterfly stamp from Craft Stamper

Kaiser craft: Life Sentiments.

Versafine: Onyx Black

Whispers Strokes

I studied for my nursing finals listening to Puccini and Mozart. I sat at my desk in front of a wide open bedroom window over looking the country side until all hours... good memories :o)... plus I passed!!

Here's the challenge colours provided by Design Seeds

I enjoyed this but not 100% happy with it... are we ever ? If I have time I will give have a another go with these fab colours.
Thank you forcalling here, lovely to see you :)
Suzi B xx

Circle Journal at the Cubby Hole

I'm involved with one of this years projects at the Cubby Hole (My local craft shop) which is a Circle Journal... some of you will have seen my journal which is about Significant Places. You can see it here.  There are 14 of us in the circle, we receive a different journal, with a different theme chosen by the owner of  each month.  We won't  get to  see our own journals for some time!! Here's the latest one that I've completed which was to complete one 12x12  page in a "My Garden" theme.

 I chose to do a "fantasy Garden using JOFY stamps of which I only have one set :o( 
 I also chose to keep it simple because it has to fit inside a plastic sleeve

The photo doesn't do it justice it is really bright and alive!

  Products
JOFY 09
Distress Inks
Whispers Strokes.
12x12 white card stock.
I hope Dot likes my page?  The journals I've completed so far... sorry I forgot to take pictures before I handed them back..are:
Janet's: Snowdrops... self ex planetary
 Lynda's: Cartoon Characters: I did Peter Rabbit...
Dot's:  In My Garden as above and my own of course.
 I have one waiting in the wings which has to be completed by 17th August, its called  favourite Songs... I know what I'm doing but not started it yet I will share when finished.
As always, thank you for looking, see you soon
 Suzi B xx

Paper Piecing at MMM

Hello and welcome to a new challenge at Make My Monday. This week our hostess is the lovely Fliss who would like to see:

Paper Piecing

here's mine: All you need is love and a garden to make a home.....  :))

Products
Paperbag Studio: News Print House
Basic Grey Paper Pad:  Stella Ruby
Hobby Craft sentiment: All you need is love
Oxford Impressions: Jane's Garden: the word garden.
Cartridge Paper
 Versafine: Onyx Black
 Adirondack: Cranberry

Newspaper house has been  paper pieced from the paper pad and raised on foam pads then adhered to  thick cartridge paper which was mounted onto the backing paper also with foam pads.
I cut round some of the petals of the flower to the right of the house and placed  the  image square behind the petals. The rest of the flowers were cut from a second page of the same design

Here's a few more I played with...

Main image from Chocolate Baroque, I can't remember where the little stylised rose is from,  I've had it forever but this is the first time I've used it. Both roses paper pieced with DP from Papermania, Rose Garden.  This card is for a very dear ex colleque... xx

 I don't like the way this one turned out

 I like News Print House just not the card :(

 It started life like the one below... actually that's a fib! I got a big black smudge  on the original, which was all in the pale script paper so I chopped it off and put the blue paper on the inside... I didn't like it... I still don't now it's altered.. lol! but I like to show you warts n' all 

 Hope you can join us this week I'd love to see how you go about Paper Piecing! Pop across to MMM.
to see the fabulous inspiration provided by the DT.  It would be lovely if you could visit each of the DT's blogs and say hello.

 Thank you for looking and commenting, it gives me such an enjoyable boost.
Suzi B xx
Challenges
There She Goes Clear Stamps: Paper Piecing
Card Mania: Summer Blooms

Paper Playtime : Use patterened paper   


                             
        

Shabby and Vintage

The House of Cards challenge blog is all about encouraging us at have a go at different card making styles. Pop across here to the blog to see all the details. This week it's the turn of the Shabby and Vintage style following a colour theme provided..
I'm not good at  vintage/shabby although I love it! so thought I'd have a go.
 Hope this fits the bill!

 Products
Various spray inks in Blues and aqua
Thick cartridge paper
Character Construction Stamps  Mannequin Parade No.15. I love this stamp plate.
Chocolate Baroque lace stamp
DI: peacock feathers
Adirondack: Cranberry.
 **************
 I think I've overdone the "shabby" why I think that vintage has to look a bit scruffy I don't know still if I carry on joining in this challenge perhaps I'll get better.... perhaps!! ;)

Here's the lovely ladies enjoying a fabulous coffee in an exclusive cafe somewhere along the Champs -Elysees

Here's the colour choice of which we are to use at least three

It's called French Cherry so my choice of stamps is quite appropriate.. although I didn't know the name of the photo until I uploaded it!! happy coincidence.
Thank you for joining me today.
Suzy B xx

Photo Inspiration

Good morning and welcome, hope you're enjoying the heatwave hear in the UK, I am, especially the wonderfully warm evenings sitting out in the garden enjoying a red wine, gazing at the night sky
. Its Jan's turn to host Make My Monday this week and she's provided us with  a 

Photo Inspiration.

Here's my interpretation: I've cosen to use the colour, hydrangea flowers and wavy lines in my interpretation

  Products

Stampin Up: Best of Flowers and Very Vintage stamin' around Roller

Marianne Designs: craftables CR1204

Spellbinders Nestabilities: Petite Ovals

Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch

Adirondack: Watermelon

Whispers Strokes and Zig art dual tips

Hammered white card stock

Plain whit card stock

I used the very vintage roller stamp to echo the swags on the table decoration... tentative I know :)

I stamped onto plain white card  with Watermelon then trimmed using a wavy edged paper trimmer... for the same reason.. IE. echoing the swags.

The Marianne oval also echos the swags and the bunting. I stamped the flower several time cutting out the leaves to layer up  adding movement and dimension, punching out the tiny hydrangeas from the main flower head image... hope you understand... I got a bit mixed up lol

Oops nearly forgot the photo Inspiration

Would love to see your interpretations  hope you feel "inspired" :) enough to join us at MMM
 Thank you for looking
Suzi B xx
Challenges

LIM: Handmade Flowers... a bit tentative but here goes :) One of my favourite challenges which I haven't managed to participate in for a few weeks...

Stash you haven't used yet!

Yes that's the challenge at Make My Monday chosen this week by great and wonderful Caz and she wants to see you inking up those non-inked stamps that we all have :) or to use a CD or decoupage sheets you may not have even looked at yet!

A Non-Inked Stamp or A New sheet of Decoupage. 

 I have a quick post for you today I'll be on my way for a day out with the girls... our monthly get together. There is some debate as to where we'll be going, no doubt we will make our minds up at the station at about 09.15.

 

Just the one photograph for this simple card using my new JOFY 09 stamp sheet coloured with Whispers Strokes/Zig Art pens. I've been resisting buying these stamps although I loved them from when they first came out.  I gave in last week! so this is the first time I've used them, I've not even inked them for a play!

 I've added a couple of extra circles where I'd made a blob... handy this type of stamp :)

Hope you're all enjoying the fantastic UK weather ... I'm not good in the heat, I much prefer the shade.The three friends I'm meeting tomorrow will all be well bronzed... me? I'll be the pale, interesting one... tee hee.

Thank you for visiting me here today, I really appreciate your visits and comments.

Suzi B xx