More for the Banner

Second part of the banner Challenge on Ready Steady Stamp came up this morning but as I had to go to see Andy I couldn't start it straight away. I didn't believe it when I looked through my Christmas stamps and found that this is the only Christmas Tree stamp I have - well only non-cute one. Don't know where the cute one came from as I will never use it.

Anyway the ingredients for this one are: Christmas tree, eyelets, Kraft paper, Cut n'Dry stamping. The only problem I had was interpreting "Kraft paper" and I have used what I call Scrapbook paper and hope this is what is meant.

I've stayed with my colour scheme, stamped and embossed the tree (in keeping with the last pennant - and painted it with Ginger to match in), used a piece of Kraft Paper (?) cut in an oval behind the tree and put eyelets in the fancy tag (Spellbinders) which houses my script for this one. The background was done with my gold chain pressed into heated Cut N'Dry using Gold Encore.

I've used the little stars again randomly over the cream cardstock and put three, again, on the bottom. Hope it does not matter that these are additions that were not in the list.

Lots to Do Challenge

The Challenge on Lots to Do this week is "embossing". I would have loved to do something with some metal and my Ten Second Studio tools, or even some Cuttlebug stuff but have so much catching up to do that I really had not the time. So here is my entry - just simple gold embossing.

My daughter in law, Sam, had me make eight of these for her birthday table last year when she was having some friends over. Obviously she did not keep them because she asked me to make two more for Christmas for her and Andy to have on their table this year. "Sam - you had better keep these".

She only wanted "swirls" on her pyramids so I made another one for someone - probably fill it with sweets or something for Chas' aunt - with Christmas Angels on. Sorry these do not show up in the photograph but my camera could not perform any better and so I lost patience after downloading three attempts.

Some of you may remember seeing these when I had an article published in Craft Stamper but it was 2005 when it was submitted (can't remember when it was published) so maybe you don't remember. I do have the magazine somewhere as I saved all the ones with my work in.

Anyway, sorry my entry is nothing more exciting. Who knows, might get around to doing something else another day.

Fleur De Lis

Two posts in one day - a bit like waiting for a bus.

Sorry this scan is not a particularly good one - there is a border on the right hand side in real life. I just could not face scanning again as the first two scans had been wonky on account of the dies being layered on foam. They just kept on twisting when the lid went down on the scanner.

This is the Fleur De Lis die from Spellbinders and it is gorgeous. Not at all difficult to cut as I had been led to believe. I used my Cuttlebug to cut it as I don't have any plates for the Raspberry Wizard because someone told me to use a magnetic plate at one time and it has buckled my cutting and embossing plates.

Not sure there are square snowflakes but in "art" anything goes, well in my book it does. I first cut two shapes out and then used the small centre one. These are all layered up on foam and there is a large gem in the centre and four smaller ones on each point of the base diecut.

It was gong to be a bit hit and miss if I cut out a square from the centre so I just cut a square, again using Nestabilities, and adhered that to the top large one before adding the small shape.

If you go to Amazing Paper Grace blogsite (see right) you will see some gorgeous examples of how Becca Feeken used this die.

Beginning a Banner

The Challenge this week on RSS is to create a banner over the next eight weeks. The ingredients are as above. Size of the pennant was left to us as were the colours used - mine is 8 1/2" long x 5 1/4" wide at the top and the colours I will use throughout the challenge are Cream, Gold and Ginger. These are the colours we have on our Christmas Tree so I wanted it to coordinate with that.



To begin with I cut a pennant shape in Ginger cardstock and then a smaller one in Cream so that I could have a border on the sides. I wanted to use my new Angel stamp (PSX) and so I stamped and embossed it in Gold, colouring it with Twinkling H2o's in Ginger Peach. Once cut out it was to be adhered to the pennant with foam. Then the fun began!

I stamped Music Script as a background in Terra Cotta (Adirondacks) but it was too busy when I put the Angel on so I tried French Script in Gold but again that was too busy. Eventually I tried the Florentine Scroll Background (Hero Arts) with Encore Metallic Gold and that was fine.

I had some small metallic Stars in Silver but I wanted Gold so I had to colour them with my Krylon pen. These were then randomly placed over the background. Next a Sentiment (unknown) that had tiny stars on it was stamped and embossed in Gold on Cream and cut out with my Nestabilities with a slightly larger one in Ginger to form a backing.

Finally three tiny stars were cut out (again Nestabilities) in Gold Metallic cardstock and added to the bottom of the pennant with a Gold thread. Oops! No jewels! Three jewels were then placed on the stars and it was complete. All ingredients finally in place.

Now what will the next Challenge bring?

American Eye Candy

Whilst in America I should have gone on a full day workshop making 20 (yes, twenty) Christmas cards. Unfortunately I was too ill to go but my friend Mary went along and came back with the kits (in a beautifully decorated bag with my name on) for me to complete. Where Mary did not have the stamps at home she had stamped the images ready for me. Isn't she an angel!

Some of the cards I did do in America and some I brought home to finish - and I still have some to complete.

I love how the Americans use ribbons on their cards, something I all too often omit from my cards - promise to myself - will start using ribbons on cards.

I especially love this big green bow on this one.

This was one of my favourite stamps that they had used. I just love this tree and think I might have to buy the set next time I am over. I love the sentiment stamp as well but that is from a different set. By the way - they are all Stamping Up, as is the cardstock which is why it is in such yummy colours.
This one I made a bit of a mess of by folding the scalloped circle in the wrong place - perhaps I can redo it with one of my own stamps.

This is another tree that I like and I am now the proud owner of this stamp. I love the tiny sentiment used on this card - so handy for so many tiny shapes.

Now, I do not do cute but I do like this card, notice the two different ribbons used on it.

Another cute one and an easy way of using a circle on a card, I am sure you could easily cut the base shape out.

I seem to have used my tree again on this card and am now wondering what was on the original one.

This one is a kind of trifold card and something I am going to use again when making some more Christmas cards over the next few weeks.

Another stamp which I brought home (thank you so much Mary) which is very popular over there. Not sure if SU do it in the UK but you will see it popping up on more of my Christmas cards shortly.

Finally a bright and cheerful card which I can almost repeat as I stamped some of these images before I left.

Hope you have enjoyed looking at these cards - my taste of America for you - thanks to Mary!

Lots to Do Challenge

This is my entry for the Lots to Do Challenge this week. This week Sam chose "Distressing" and as I love my Distress Inks and like to make a mess I decided to do just that. Also am so behind with my Christmas cards that I thought I should use that topic so that at least it will be one more Christmas card ready.

I hope it looks "distressed" enough.

I first of all tore some paper up and stuck it on a piece of cardstock, then I went over it in parts with some Gesso. Dried it off and then used three of my favourite colours of Distress Inks for Christmas things - Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint and Spiced Marmalade. Dried it off again and put a bit more Gesso on before drying off yet once more. Then I went around the edges with Fired Brick and finally stamped the Tim Holtz stamp using Versafine Black.

Somehow the paper I stuck on where his head landed has kind of puffed up a bit so it looks good, gives him a sort of roundness to his face.

Then it was just a case of mounting up, tearing the cardstock at the bottom a bit and assembling the card.

Right, am feeling quite tired now so I will leave it there. Hope to do another Challenge tomorrow or the day after. Need to think!

Thank You Liz and Zoe

Well, I returned from my trip to America to find two packages waiting for me. Apologies to both Liz and Zoe for not thanking them earlier but if you remember I was ill whilst in America and have been so since. Today is the first day I have felt like doing anything and I have just scanned them in and uploaded them here.

If you click on their names above it will take you to their blogs - well worth a visit.

This is a tag from Liz (above). A real beauty which I commented on on her blog. it really is gorgeous so a great BIG thank you to Liz for allowing me to have one of her stunning pieces of work. I love how she has used the lace, feathers and pearls - and the image is beautiful and glossy. Wonder where she gets these from?

Zoe sent a card with her tags and she has used this Beethoven collage stamp in a most unusual way which does not show in the scan. It is stamped and embossed in a blueish silver on white cardstock and then the musical instrument is stamped again on acetate and placed over the image below.

Not one, but five tags from Zoe, she certainly intends me filling my tag house up. The first one is stamped and embossed in silver with a gorgeous material butterfly on it which has beads sewn down the centre. A tiny embossed tag is also attached and there are jewels all over. The centre tag is done on acetate and when you hold it against a light it looks like a stained glass window. The third tag has grungeboard crowns on it and I am intrigued by the lettering she has used. I cannot fathom how she has done it at all.

The first of the final two tags from Zoe also has me intrigued. I would love to know how she has got the surface of this tag done as it is a technique I would like to try myself. The last tag is in silver with tiny bands going across it with wording stamped on and some shrink plastic stars dangle from a beaded hanger.

Now aren't I the lucky one! Thank you so much for sending me samples of your artwork to fill my tag house. I can assure you both it is well full now.