August ATC's

I am really getting withdrawal symptoms!!

I have now been away from my craftroom in India for two months! 

My 'makes' are defined by what little I have to hand at the moment...

Anyway the theme for August's ATC UK Swap was

'At the bottom of my Garden'

I live in an apartment in India so have no garden - just a balcony...

so I 'borrowed' the garden from the National Trust property at Ickworth.

My daughter and I were amazed by the fantastic stumpery - which to us seemed pretty eerie...

My ATC's were each made by matting a trimmed photo taken at Ickworth

 onto a 2.5 by 3.5 in rectangle of DP from my UK mini-stash.

I then added a butterfly sticker from the NT shop.

.

I am going to link this to A Step in the Darkness - Anything Goes - I think this is a little bit dark!

This next one was of some of the beautiful baby cyclamens blooming everywhere! I will link this to

Wicked Wednesday 121 Beautiful Blooms

I love all the wild flower meadows that have been cultivated in recent years - this is within the walled garden at Ickwork - beautiful!!

 To this ATC I added some decorated paperclips which I think came from Tesco!!

I am always really pleased when my ATC's arrive at the swap -

 Sue always displays them beautifully!

Happy Crafting!!

LOC #42: Sponsored by The Stamping Chef - Stitching (Real/Faux)

 Left of Center

A fairly simple card to inspire you today...I am really missing the stuff in my craft room!!

I was lucky enough to use The Stamping Chef's All Girl

 which I printed on cream card and coloured with Promarkers.

I then used embroidery thread to stitch a wavy line around the image.

I matted and layered onto cerise card and a cream card blank.

Finally I added a couple of cerise buttons...

Please join us at Left Of Center!

I will also link this to Stamping Chef Challenge 43 - Anything goes!

LOC is very happy to be sponsored by The Stamping Chef.
Another of LOC's sponsors is SLSlines Digital Stamps

They have just started a new blog and have a design team call if you are interested1

Happy Crafting!

A Friendship Hop for Lisa!!

Our Lovely Lisa Tyrell 

has been back and forth to hospital for weeks

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH HER WELL!!

Get better soon Lisa!

We have all made a special creation for Lisa - please hop around to have a look!!

And especially see Lisa's latest blog...

I am but a facebook and crafty friend of Lisa's - but I am totally inspired by her creations -

 her colouring is amazing! 

I am currently visiting the UK - my home is in Mumbai, India along with all my craft supplies - so I am working with a limited stash...My card is pretty simple as a consequence!

I started with a dark red tri-folded card blank with heart shapes cut along one side.

 I chose two Markers and used then doodle around the hearts and decorate a strip of white card to go along one side. (One day I will really try to get into Zentangle...)

Lisa likes a touch of the dark side - so I also used some Lelli-Bot toppers and embellishments to complete my design...(I was delighted to win these earlier this year in a draw!!)
An oval inside...

and a square and a corner on the front...

Finally the ribbon, butterflies and skull...

Hope Lisa likes this and that YOU enjoy the hop...

Here is the blog order...

Maureen Scott

Jackie Cornfield

Vicky Fortier

Zoe Russell

Teresa Morgan

Bettina Leikvoll

PaulineMargaret Stewart

Karen Willis

Linda Simpson

Kay Roche

Erin Bentley

Kath Muckypaws Halstead

Kristy Deyette

Susan Renshaw – YOU ARE HERE!!

Kay Mowat

Fiona Walker 

Stephanie Lukaszewski

Kyra Eunkyo Kim

Catherine Craftyhands Wilson Dobbs 

Sheena Fitzpatrick

Lisa Tyrell

Please, if you can't hop around all the blogs, just head over to Lisa's and leave her some love - she's the last one on the list!!

If you get lost on the way please return to Mo at the beginning...

I am also going to link this card to

A Step in the Darkness Challenge 8

Crafty Girls Challenge 25

Happy Hopping!

P

SNS *NEW* Card Sketch August 20

Here's today's new sketch!!

And this is my take on it...

Lots of matting and layering!

Ingredients: 

Scored and folded white card base, trimmed to fit a 5 x 7 envelope.

Papers from Papermania Capsule Collection.

Brown textured card from my stash.

Cameo and small background stamped images - not sure of the origin of the stamps.

Sentiment - from Stampin' Up 'Dear Friend'.

Cameos on dimensionals.

Do join us at SNS!

I then started thinking of another card I made last Christmas - look at the similarities!!!

Happy Crafting!

Guest Designer for CHNC challenge extra for August (#2)

Once again I was so pleased to be Guest Designer for

 Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra for August

I am really trying hard to get all my Christmas cards made early this year - so every little helps!

This is another easel card - made from a square 'kraft' card base.

I love this bugaboo image, coloured with a few Promarkers.

The other ingredients are mentioned at the bottom.

I do hope you will join us at CHNC...

Ingredients:
Bugaboo Image coloured with Promarkers and fine glitter.
Square 'Kraft' card base
Papers from Papermania 12 Days of Christmas and Bobunny Mistletoe Collection
Sentments - Inkadinkadoo Holiday Rubber stamps
Twine and pearls from my stash.

I will link this card to 12 months of Christmas 

Happy Christmas crafting!



LOC #40: Limited run - Anything Goes Dark Themed

Left of Center

The new theme at LOC is Anything Goes Dark Themed - sponsored by Limited Run.

I chose to use this brilliant Limited Run image 'Witch Splat'.

I started with a Kraft card base -
 I matted and layered this with yellow card and then orange handmade paper.
I used scalloped dies for my image and sentiment.

I paper pieced the cupcake case with handmade paper and then used Promarkers for the colouring!



Finally I added some plastic lace and spiders...

Hope you like it!!

Please join us at Left Of Center!

Happy Crafting!

Sketch N Scrap *NEW* Card Sketch

Sketch N Scrap

So here's the first card sketch for August...

I know it's August and this is a Christmas card -

 but I make my Christmas Cards all through the year - so I don't have to go mad in November!!

And also - when I was looking for a Project Life Card in my stash

 I came across a few items from a Stampin Up kit and I rather liked the 'long sentiment'...

Do you ever make a card and then find you don't have an envelope to fit?

Well... I have learned to start with the envelope and score and cut a card blank to fit.

I found additional layering papers from my scraps,

 distressing the square piece with 'festive berries' around its edges.

Hope you will join us at SNS

Happy Crafting!

An elephant never forgets... your Birthday!

Not sure how many elephant cards I have made now -

 living in India it is one of my favourite themes!

Anyway this is my most recent...

I started with a blue hand-made paper card blank and attached some lace.

My basic elephant shape was printed onto white card and matted onto some blue card.

I then added sequins, star buttons and a beady embellishment (all picked up in India)

to fill the shape...

I am going to link this to Merry Monday's Surprise Birthday Hop

Happy Birthday Leanne - almost catching up with me!!

Happy Crafting!

Guest Designer for CHNC challenge extra for August (#1)

I was delighted to be asked to be a guest designer for 

CHNC Challenge extra for August!

Hope you will join us there!

I chose to use this Bugaboo image 'GertrudeTinsel' and 'Don't get your tinsel in a tangle' - 

and decided to make a twisted easel card...

Just take a square card blank (white in this case) and score a diagonal across the front, from bottom left to top right. This is folded back and decorated to stand up,

 using the stand on the card that becomes the base.

Ingredients:
Bugaboo Image coloured with promarkers and fine glitter.
Papers from Bobunny Mistletoe collection
Tinsel from Papermania Sparkling Trims
Buttons from Beutron delights

I will link this card to

12 Months of Christmas

Completely Christmas #22 Anything Goes

Christmas Card Challenges #35 Anything Goes

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Sparkle and Shine - August - tinsel and glitter!

Happy Crafting!