Lovely Lace and Lovely Tilda!

Hi,

I thought it was time to blog one of my cards that I made last week with new year in mind (using Happy New Year Tilda might have had something to do with it lol!) but it could also be quite a neutral card for many different occasions......

I can't believe I managed to keep it so clean and simple lol! That was my intention so I'm really pleased I stuck to it and might have to do more cards like this occasionally as I think my images tend to get lost in all the other stuff I put on my cards sometimes. I used Magnolia's doohickey star tag cut from Magnolia paper to break up the edge and corner opposite Tilda, the text is also Magnolia,and added faux stitching and a lace tab. 

As Tilda is very much in the spotlight I added glossy accents to her shoes and glass, and put my pearl maker pen to good use!

I haven't entered any challenges for an age and Marvelous Magnolia was a challenge blog I entered a lot last year so I would love to enter my card into their awesome Lovely Lace challenge/DT call!

Thanks for visiting me today, it wont be too long before I'm back with another creation.

Hugs,

Crafting Space

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

No card to show today even though I got two finished this week, going to save them for next week! The reason for todays post is to join in with the fun over at Deep Ocean before the current challenge of Crafting Space show and tell finishes. I love being nosy and looking at where others craft so I thought I'd better play fair and let you see where I'm spending most of my time these days!

As you can see it's just a computer desk/cupboard and it's squeezed into a corner of the lounge. This picture makes it look deceptively tidy but I had had a bit of a clear away session beforehand, most of the time it's as if we've had burglars and there's stuff everywhere! 

The cards and other creations on the top are ones I've made. I've just put in a wire for my die-cuts to hang at the back. The big shot and Grand Caliber have to come out onto the floor when I'm using them and I have a little table for my sewing machine that has to be taken off if I want to use the table for frantage. The more I'm working in this small space on a regular basis, the more I realise I've outgrown it (or to be more accurate my stash has outgrown it lol!) So, as I'm the only one who spends any time in here, I think I'll have to persuade my hubby that it would be better if I took over the whole room (I'll have to let you know how I get on with that lol!)

Wishing you all a fab weekend, I'll be back next week with a card or two.....

Hugs,

I wish it could be Christmas every day....

Hi everyone,

I've just had the most wonderful Christmas and (like every year) I don't want it to end :( 

I love having the kids at home from school and the Christmas decorations make the house look so pretty. So, as a new year approaches I thought I would show you two Christmas cards that I made and never had the time to blog until now. I must confess to not being around much at all in blogland the last few months - Christmas preparations kind of took over for a while there, so on second thoughts it's a good job it isn't Christmas every day lol!

The other day on the radio I heard them asking what has been your highlight of 2013 and although I didn't ring in I thought I would share mine here with you....I've had a few highlights this year but joint first are my holiday to France when we took the kids to Disneyland, and my fortieth birthday when hubby surprised me by taking me to Boras, Sweden and I had the best treat ever visiting Magnolia.

In November I made the decision to resign from my job as Preschool Assistant and concentrate on arts and crafts working from home. Lots of people had been telling me to sell my cards but I still don't know how successful that will be.... I'm going to have a Facebook page to display the things I make and will still carry on blogging here too, but you may see some changes in what I make as my creativity evolves, including a greater variety of projects and hopefully more productivity! So with a bit of luck I should be posting more regularly :)

Wishing you all a Wonderful New Year with Peace, Love and Prosperity......

I'll be back very soon with some new creations xxx

GDT Giftbag for LOTV

Morning everyone, and what a lovely sunny Sunday it is where I am at the moment - it's hard to believe that later today and into tomorrow they've forecast terrible storms!

I'm back with my third project as one of LOTV's honoured guest designers this month and as soon as I looked at 'Swirly Fir Tree' I thought 'giftbag'! Maybe it's the sweet Christmas presents at the base of the tree that gave me the inspiration :)

The base layers were a Go Kreate die, all layers were distressed with walnut stain DI, the papers are Magnolia. I also used the following Magnolia Doohickey's - tag, poinsettia, spruce, antique lace border and vintage leaf.

The Swirly Fir Tree image from LOTV's latest release of beautiful stamps was coloured using DI's and the postage stamp detail at each side is a kaisercraft stamp.

I stitched the spruce trees down the centre, to the layer beneath. The 'pinecones' were made using a marianne creatable rolled flower die. 

The tag with matching image was a happy accident, I wasn't totally happy with the image the first time I coloured it and went with the second attempt, but rather than waste the first image I cut it out using the doohickey tag. I added another plain card tag behind, and used an LOTV Christmas grunge message as a third tag (I decoupaged the Christmas trees on this using a bit of the base layer paper). 

I thought the heart charm echoed the hearts on the fir tree perfectly - not a traditional Christmas charm but more of an expression of a gift sent with love :)

To finish off I added white acrylic paint here and there, diamond stickles and plenty of shabby blue frantage!

Thank you for visiting me today and I hope you like my creation. Sorry the post is a little later than intended - I had a lie in lol! It was a bonus that the clocks went back last night ;)

Hope you have a lovely crafty week ahead.....

Hugs,

Lili of the valley GDT #2

Morning everyone,

I'm thrilled to be here today showing you my next GDT card for Lili of the Valley. I had great fun with this easel Christmas card, the image 'Snow Buddies' from the latest LOTV launch, was a delight to colour and I have to admit to going a little Frantage crazy lol!

The shape of the base card was made using a Go Kreate die, I used DI's to colour this super cute pair of friends and added quite a lot of shabby white Frantage both around the image and the TH trees that I tucked behind at both sides.

The tag is a Magnolia doohickey and the LOTV  grungy Christmas sentiment sits perfectly on this tag. I love this rich burgundy wired ribbon that adds glamour to the card and the finishing touches are a snowflake charm and a bell.

Space to write a message was created using trusty spellbinders nesties, made festive with that gorgeous Frantage and a double layered Magnolia doohickey snowflake.

Thanks so much for visiting today and taking a look at my latest creation, can't wait to show you what I make next......

Hugs,

Magnolia workshop creations

Hi everybody again,

I'm back as promised to show you the things I made while over at Magnolias open day in Boras, Sweden.

Water colour flowers using the peony petal doohickeys:

A frantaged hanger with doohickey slender firs and Magnolia Old Swedish church stamp:

Decorated matchbox using doohickeys poinsettia, mistletoe, slender firs, doily, sprawling ferns:

Christmas card with doohickeys - christmas tag, snowy forest, cloudy tag, poinsettia

The new Christmas image was coloured in black soot distress ink, and I'm quite happy with it even though only had an hour to finish it - I usually take a lot longer than that lol!

Thanks for visiting me today, hope I didn't make you too jealous if you read yesterdays post! (btw, even though the trip to Sweden last weekend was for my birthday it was two weeks early as my birthday isn't until the 19th Oct, but Neil couldn't persuade Magnolia to change their open day to then lol!)

Back soon xx

Hugs, 

Surprise trip to Sweden!

Hi everyone,

No card tonight to show you, but......... I just had to tell you that a couple of weeks ago my darling husband surprised me by telling me what he had planned for my fortieth birthday - a long weekend in Sweden, Boras to be exact, and specifically to Magnolia's shop on their open day! Let's just say I was so happy I cried lol! I kept saying I'd love to go there but never thought it would be possible, so when Neil told me we were going it was like a dream come true :)

He had started planning all this last year - I can't believe he'd kept it a secret all that time - and he'd stuck emails and flight details into a scrapbook for me to add to as a momento! I have lots of people to thank for helping hubby in his mission - he contacted Kim Piggott, Debbie Dolphin and Christine Dark to find out how to contact Magnolia and how to get there, he emailed lots of people in Boras to arrange somewhere wonderful to stay and eat out, and Asa at Magnolia was so helpful ensuring I felt like a VIP at their open day!

Words can not describe how great it felt to actually find myself at Magnolias door last weekend. Debbie was right when she said I looked overwhelmed - I was! Everyone was so lovely and it was a pleasure to meet such wonderful ladies :)

There were so many gorgeous things to look at in the shop, no wonder I was overwhelmed! But I was also in my element, and spoilt for choice with the rows and rows of stamps -such a dream come true!

What did Neil do while I was busy at Magnolia all day I hear you ask? Well, he walked his legs off around Boras taking photos of the gorgeous scenery and beautiful sculptures that were dotted around close to our hotel. 

The next morning I was lucky enough to spend breakfast talking to Debbie and Lillemor who had stayed in the same hotel as hubby and I the night before. It was fantastic to actually be able to sit down and talk to crafters whose blogs I've followed for ages, to finally meet them was fab - they were truly lovely ladies!

Now that I'm home again, it feels like I dreamt it all and I have to remind myself that it did really happen lol! I really am very lucky and have Neil to thank for making my fortieth birthday so special and not something I'm going to forget in a hurry :)

I will be back tomorrow to show you what I made on Debbie and Lillemor's workshops.

Hugs,