February Rudolph Day.....

It's that day again. Time for a spot of show and tell so I can get my points on SSCC.

Today, for your delight and delectation, we have CHRISTMAS TREES. Well, actually the brief was specifically just Trees, in whatever shape or form they take. So here are my first efforts. I may try and to a couple more tonight too.

First up is one that I did as part of Sketch Saturday a couple of weeks ago - but never got around to blogging. It also covers this month's challenge on Aunty’s Forum which was to use three of a variety of things. I seem to have lost my list of things you can use for that, but I do remember that it included Pasta shapes, ribbon, cotton/thread, beads, sequins, lolly sticks, tin foil. There were a couple of other things too, but I can't remember what they are for the mo. Most of mine have the old ribbon/bead/sequin or thread combo. I might try making something with pasta shapes before the weekend, but I digress....



Another one I really like is this. I've used two different cuttlebug folders on it - and had a little accident with the Swiss Dot one. It wasn't meant to deboss - I got the folder round the wrong way. Oops. However, I like the happy accident, and it's a bit different.



The others I'll just upload in a row now, or we'll be here all day!










9.30pm - one last addition!

Paper Beads

I wanted to put more in my post yesterday, but the other half was mithering for me to join him in Telly Watching (a national sport in itself, in my house) so my various activities were somewhat curtailed.

In another swap on UK STampers some bright spark (Pinky!) came up with the idea of a paper bead swap. I used to do a LOT of quilling, so making paper beads is something I'm ok at. I even mastered the art of the round bead, once upon a time, which if fine if you want something that is only about 2mm in diameter! The reason being that the width to length ratio is so extreme that for anything larger you need an inordinately long piece of paper. LOL.

Anyway, I digress. Kind of.

I picked purple as my colour (what else?!) and these are my results. I only had to make 20, but one style of bead is so small that I decided to make double the quantity of those, so people don't feel short changed....



Now, I don't have a melt pot. Not yet, anyway - it's now on my ever lengthening list. But a melt pot may not have been able to achieve quite the results that I got with these beads. For starters, I use Versamark ink to give the UTEE something to adhere to, then heat it. And generally, I repeat ad infinitum until I have the thickness of coating I require. Of course, this has its own snag as you end up twirling the bead constantly to ensure that the huge great glob that wants to drip off and hit the deck, doesn't. Makes a nice embellishment when it does though! Well, on these beads I decided that after layer number 1 of the UTEE, I'd add a little moonglow embossing powder to create a bit of interest, heated as normal and then of course went back to the UTEE. I forgot that it would reheat the other EP, and in the process of constantly rotating the bead I wound up with the following effect. It really is scrummy in real life - like glass that's been stretched and wound during the blowing process.

It's at times like this I love my camera. It's an Olympus SP-510UZ, nothing too fancy, or even that expensive, but it has both Macro and Super Macro (sounds like a computer game!) functions on it. Which enables quality shots like these. I mean, you can even see the print dots on the paper I used for the beads!





Naturally, this post wouldn't be complete without a look at the teeniest beads I did. Bear in mind that I'm showing them off on cocktail sticks - so I put one of them on a pound coin, just to show the size properly! It's just plain purple paper, only 5mm wide, cut to a flag and wound slowly and tightly to create the rounder bead. UTEE just the same, but the last lot was a half dip in hologram powder. Gorgeous!





The bug has bitten - and once I have all my other swaps under control, I'm going to make more.

And more...

and more..............

Altered Domino Swap & ATCs

Last month we did an altered domino swap on UK STampers . I've only just got into using Alcohol Inks (Tim Holtz IS a god...) so I thought I'd join in. What I have learned is that it's a good idea to remember that different coloured backgrounds affect the end result - I used the same inks on both the canvas and the dominos, but as one was white and the other cream, I got an odd effect. I also found out that alcohol inks strip the gold colour off German Scrap. It was just as effective a technique as adding the ink, to create a distressed look, but hey-ho.... I should point out that the frame is only about 4" x 2" approximately - weeny.



Images used were by Paperartsy and Judikins...


I've also realised that I completely failed to put up here the results of another ATC swap on Aunty’s Forum. The January swap was "Thank You for the Music" and my offering was very similar to the Metal one I did for UKSTampers:



And the ones I got back in exchange were....




Can you spot the deliberate mistake in one of the photos??? ROFL

Inchies

Well, I sent out even more inchies, and got some back this week.

Here are the inchies I did for the February swap on Aunty's Forum: I used medium weight card, and a mixture of stamps from various manufacturers. The theme was "New" - see if you can work what each of the "New" images mean (I defy anyone to get what the hourglass is representing!). They were stamped in Stazon, coloured in with pencils, edged with gold Krylon, and the word "new" printed, cut out and glued on. I then added a little Distress Ink in Scattered Straw around the edges.




The inchies I got back were from the UKSTampers "Let's Celebrate" swap for Jan 09. (See my examples below). Sadly a couple of people had to pull out, so we got some doubles - but to me that's just twice the love!



I hope to blog some more tomorrow - I got the "New" swap back, and sent out some "Oriental" ones....

My 100th post! Woohoo!

It's taken me a while to get here though, hasn't it?

I've been rather busy of late, and I keep meaning to come back on here and post what I've been doing, even if I only post one thing a day. Amazing how real life gets in the way - I've just seen that my last post was on the 27th January, but it doesn't feel like it's been more than a week since I last blogged!

Anyway, onto the more interesting stuff.

From the Morti Creation Station this week we have.....

Well, the first one isn't my own work - remember the metal ATCs I posted about on the 25th, for an ATC Swap at UKSTampers? These are what I got in return!



Big thanks go to WyvernSian, Rukshana and Okey for their fabulous work!

Next up is a 3D decoupage card I did for my little friend Miranda who turned 7 on Saturday just gone. My apologies for the poor photo - the full sized image of the whole card turned out blurred when I downloaded it from the camera, but by then the card was on its way...

Anyway, it's quite a simple card, using the die cut Fairy Poppets 3D images, mounted onto one of the DCWV (I think) mat stacks (Once Upon A Time set), which was then mounted onto lavender pearlescent card. That in turn is on an A5 pale pink card, and there's organza ribbon and bling. LOL



Finally for this post (cos it's a work day, and I've got to run!) is a card I made for a birthday on the Birthday List at Aunty's.

Again it's 3D decoupage (relatively quick and easy and doesn't require a lot of extras to create the wow factor!).



Just realised something - my apologies for my exuberant use of parenthetical statements - just one of those days!!!

And another....

Ho hum.

Another quick post, with another card, before I dash off to go and do some more ATCs....

Basically, this card is made using:

Third Coast Rubber Stamp (Mask)
Happy Birthday rubber stamp
Hero Arts swirls background rubber stamp.
A6 Card blank
black card
white card
silver mirri card
Opalite ink
blue dye ink
Twinkling H20s
silver EP
Holographic EP
holographic peeloffs
Textile Cuttlebug Embossing folder.
Red Stickles



I was going to tell you how it was all made - aside from the fact that I rubbed the opalite ink over the embossed black card, I think you can pretty much suss out what I did. If I was to explain it all, it'd take forever.... Gee - didn't realise I used so much stuff!

More creations....

Ok, just a sneaky before I head off to Badminton!

I made this card at the beginning of the month for a birthday on Aunty's Forum - we have a Birthday List, and everyone on it sends cards to whoever's birthday it is. It's always a surprise, too, cos some folks include a little prezzie too!


This one is 3D decoupage, quite simple, and reasonably quick too.



Base card is a soft pastel green, with cream coloured card embossed with the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder, onto which I've layered dark green card and then the 3D image. Add a prima with an antiqued brad, et voila!

Loads of stuff!!!!

Yes - it's been a while since I was last on here blogging, but I've been a bit busy. Yes, I've been crafting. But I've also been watching the European Ice Skating Championships - and Britain has won Bronze in the Ice Dance! WOOHOOO!!! About bloomin' time too. Last time we won anything was Torvill & Dean in 1994.....


Anyway, onto the Craft stuff!

Today is Rudolph Day - which means I have to show the cards I've made. And here they are:






We get extra points for cards with Snow on them, and all four of mine have! I've recycled my old Xmas cards, used both dry and heat embossing - cuttlebug folders, I love you....


I've also been in an inchie swap on UK Stampers, as well as an ATC swap there. The theme for the inchies was "Lets Celebrate"...



and the theme for the ATCs was "Metal" - they basically had to have some metal on them somewhere. As I'm in the throws of another ATC swap on Aunty's where the theme is "Thank You for the Music", I kind of rolled with it on this occasion - my fave music tends to be rock and heavy metal, hence the music notes embossed on metal sheet. Which in this case happens to be a Tomato Puree tube opened out (and washed thoroughly, too). Paper was 7gypsies, stamps are Paper Artsy and Studio G.... inks are all Ranger - either Alcohol (on the metal) or Distress.



Anyways - gotta run! More tomorrow..... maybe. I have badminton tomorrow night, so more blogging may have to wait until Tuesday!

It's 2009!

Well - figured I'd better come on here and at least wish everyone a very happy New Year!

Did Santa bring you everything you wanted? Or did you get loads of things you could have lived without? I did quite well myself - more on that another time!

Catch you around.......

Flu and all that....

Oh my. It's been a bit crazy here for the last fortnight! Both DH and I came down with the dreaded lurgy, and are only just feeling normal, aside from a nasty cough that just won't shift!

Despite that, I've managed to get pretty much all my cards and presents out on time, and have taken part in an Ornament swap on Aunty's Forum

I made this for Pauline.....



....using a basic beaded net pattern by Jill Oxton, to which I added my own design of drops.

In return I got this from Lynne...



which I just love and have got on my Christmas tree.


I so enjoyed doing the purple one, I decided to make another one for my friend Debs. It would all have been ok if she'd used purple and silver on her tree this year! But no, she opted for gold and green, so I couldn't use the purple baubles I still had from before. I had to wait until we were fit enough to get the decorations down from the loft, so I could furtle around in the boxes to find a gold bauble with the "right" sort of top (has to have straight sides round the loop, not slanted - sigh!). Luckily we did have a spare one, so I then proceeded to make this.....



I hope she likes it! It took a little bit longer than I'd hoped for, partly because it's bigger than the lilac one! Count the rows of beads - there's 3 rows on the purple, and 5 on the gold.... LOL

Right - I'm off - my ironing board awaits and I have bedlinen to get in the machine ready for the impending arrival of my Mother..... TTFN!