Using bits!

I'm on a mission to try and use up all those little off cuts of card that pile up on the end of the table! So this little card was made using just those bits.......

I started off with a 'card blank' that was a bit left over that I had cut off whilst making another card the other week.....it measured 6" x 3". Using a mixture of Penny Copper Sparkle Texture Paste and Copper Kettle Texture Paste and the Trellis Mask by That Special Touch I added a bit of texture to the card, I wasn't overly precise wasn't going for a perfect look!

Once that was dry I blended a little bit of Ripe Persimmon and Squeezed Lemonade Distress inks around the edges.  I also had a bit of card that I'd kept which had some distress colour already on it ( choose the colours above to match this off cut) so I stamped a couple of flowers from the Button Florals plate and then also a couple of leaves and glued them all in place along with a little button. I also stamped one of the sentiments from the same plate and edged with distress before gluing in place. Finished everything off with a little doodled stitching.

Donna xx

A Touch of the Orient....

.... is the theme over at Sunday Postcard Art this week.  I've used some of Sheena Douglass's 'A Little Bit Oriental' stamps and one of the embossing folders for my postcard this week....

Started off by embossing a 6" x 4" piece of card using the Maple Leaf embossing folder, then I blended various shades of green Distress Ink and added a bit of faux bleaching....

Then to build a bit more visual depth I added a bit of stamping with the oriental writing from the 'Sakura' stamp set and then over that stamped and embossed in gold some cherry blossom using the silhouette stamp from the same stamp set.

Then I stamped and embossed some of the lanterns from the 'Lanterns' set and used some of the foliage stamps on the same plate to add some decoration to them. I cut these out and coloured them with a mixture of Ripe Persimmon, Squeezed Lemonade and Pumice Stone Distress Ink before gluing in place with a little 3d glue gel.

 Do pop over to Sunday Postcard Art and join in the fun :)

Donna xx

It's the 25th.....

....so that must mean it's Christmas! What do you mean it's only July?! Well over at the That's Crafty Challenge the theme is "The 'C' Word......anything to do with Christmas" So here's a little chap that definitely seems to be ready for Christmas, he's even got the decorations up!

I stamped this Santa Owl from Stampendous onto a small square of card and then blended a little Distress Ink around him in shades of green.  Then using a Holly stamp from the Sleigh Bells plate by Oxford Impressions I added a bit of foliage around the edge to frame him.  Then using the little bulb stamp from the Christmas Wish stamp set, also by Oxford Impressions, I gave him some fairy lights to decorate his little corner......each time I stamped the bulb I inked the bulb part with a different colour of distress ink and the top part with black memento. I liked the way you could see through the bulbs once stamped, made them look more glass like. Then I coloured our festive feathered friend with Distress Inks by putting the colour onto my craft mat and picking up the colour with a damp brush like watercolour.

Make sure you pop over and join in the challenge, there's a chance to win £20!

See you again soon
Donna xx

Something.....

.....non Christmas!!! Lol! Seems I've done nothing else for the last few weeks! So my weekly piece for That's Crafty has absolutely nothing to do with the festive period......just pink, floral and a touch of summer. 

Pop over to the That's Crafty blog for full details :)

Donna xx

Last two shows.....

.......today for the Sheena Douglass's Four Day Deals. Shows are at 1pm and 5pm over on Create and Craft so if you get a chance make sure to check 'em out!

I used the snowy rooftops embossing folder for  this....

......simply ran it through once with black card and added gilding wax, then sprinkled a bit of embossing powder (very lightly) and heat set to give appearance of smaller snow/stars. Then ran some white card through with folder, cut out the rooftops, painted with distress inks, added some painty snow and then layered onto the black with 3d glue gel.

Don't forget to check out the shows for some great dems from Sheena :)

Donna xx

Creative Expressions time again....

....it's Tuesday so must be time for my weekly Creative Expressions piece.  Following the theme for the month I'm still playing with masks, ink and sparkle texture paste....

So to start of with you need to work a bit of Distress Ink through the Mosaic Mask, I've used Ripe Persimmon with a few touches of Mustard Seed. Then before removing the mask I added few areas of Aurora Sparkle Texture Paste, then leave to dry.

Then ink up the Baroque frame with a mixture of the same Distress Ink colours, stamp and quickly emboss with clear embossing powder.  Cut out, edge with Black Soot Distress ink, stamp a sentiment and add a few doodled black stripes.

 Mount your original panel onto a piece of black card and then onto a white card blank.  Take your stamped frame topper and glue using 3D glue gel to the centre of the card on the diagonal as shown. Then to finish I added a couple of stamped bee's! :)

Donna xx

A little tag....

.....for my second piece for the Country View Challenges blog where the theme is Stencil It.

I started off by blending some Squeezed Lemonade and Ripe Persimmon Distress ink onto a rectangular piece of card.

Then I used a Honeycomb mask and blended on more of the same colours to just add a subtle layer of interest before blending some Pumice Stone distress ink through the Alphabet Sprinkle mask. 

 Then I added some clear texture paste through a bit of punchinella, left it to dry a little and then zapped it with the heat gun.....I like the added texture you get by letting the paste bubble through the application of heat.  It's a personal thing and if you don't like it then just leave it to dry naturally :)

Then I stamped my little Stampotique figure, cut him out, coloured him in with Promarkers and glued him in place. Added a stamped quote direct to the tag and finished by mounting onto a little black card and adding some green seam binding.

Donna xx

One more day to go...

....until the 4 day deal on Create and Craft with Sheena Douglass's new embossing folders....there's also some new stamps :) Here's a sample card using the snowflake and the snowfall embossing folders....

I'll be back tomorrow for one last preview before the shows kick off......
Donna xx

Day 3 of the sneaky peeks...

...of Sheena Douglass's new embossing folders and stamps that will be launching on Monday on Create and Craft. I've used the other rooftop stamp on this sample, the snowfall embossing folder on the back panels and acetate snowflakes made using the large snowflake embossing folder.....

I'll be back tomorrow with another sample card. Check out the other inkoids blogs to see their wonderful samples :)

Donna xx

It's all black 'n' white.....

......in my That's Crafty make this week....

...pop over to the Thats' Crafty blog for full details :)
Donna xx

Another peek at the new Sheena releases....

...that will be launching this coming  Monday on Create and Craft.  This sample that I've made uses both the stamps and one of the embossing folders....

I love this big snowflake embossing folder and as for the set of rooftop stamps .......well......I have new favourites!

So don't forget.....Create and Craft.....Monday 21st.... start of a 4 day deal with Sheena Douglass :)

Donna xx

Sheena's back with a four day deal....

....a lovely set of 8 5x7 embossing folders and then in addition to the four day deal she'll also have two new A5 stamp sheets. If you're a fan of Sheena's products then you won't be disappointed with these........they're lovely :)
So fancy a little sneaky look?  Here's one of the samples I've made for the shows that start this coming Monday 21st on Create and Craft...

This features one of the embossing folders 'Figgy Lane' which was coloured with distress ink, spectrum noir pens and pencils, and over stamped with a snow flurry stamp........yes pretty much through everything at this one!! Lol!

So don't forget to tune in on Monday and see some of the other lovely sample from the rest of the inkoids and some great dems by Sheena.

I'll be back with some more samples over the next few days :)

Donna xx

It's Tuesday ......

....so it must be time for another Creative Expressions make :)  This month we're playing with the lovely Cosmic Shimmer Texture pastes, so here's my sparkly make for this week.

I started out by creating the base layer by blending some Pumice Stone Distress Ink through the 'Squared Mask'

Then I used the 'Fuchsia Mask' with Rose Copper and Sea Green Sparkle Texture Paste.  Once it was dry I used a black fine liner and added a dark line to one side of the stencilled image to give it a little extra 'pop'.

Then I simply layered everything up and added a stamped sentiment to finish.

Donna xx

Trying some new stamps.....

...I just love new stamps!! I've seen Carabelle Studio stamps around more and more recently but hadn't tried them till now....oh they stamp beautifully!! Had a couple as part of my DT package from That's Crafty this month and this was my first little play, full details on the That's Crafty blog.....

Donna xx

Masks, Stencils, Templates......

....that's the theme for the new challenge over at the That's Crafty Challenge blog.  Well for my piece I've created a little something for myself , a recycled tin can to keep all those 'need to have at hand' bits that are usually lying all over the table and on my mat as I'm working..................not now............they now have a new home.....

I started off with an empty tin can.....

..then painted it with Decoart Multi Surface Paint. First gave it a base coat of White (Cotton ball) then when that had dried a mixture of Lemon Zest, Coastal Waters and Chartreuse. Then I used Blue Bird through That Special Touch's Doodle Square mask.  

Then I cut a strip of calico and using the same mask sponged toning colours of the Decoart So Soft fabric paint onto the fabric........this fabric paint is so easy to use and as the name suggests does leave the fabric feeling soft.  

I put a few very tiny spots of Cosmic Shimmer glue around the middle of the can and wrapped the fabric round.  Then I wound some plain string round and finished off by gluing some buttons ....... hid the join!! Well I'm honest! Anyway hope you like my little recycling project and do make sure you pop over to the That's Crafty Challenge and join in the fun......you might even win yourself £20 to spend on the website :)

Donna xx

It's all about the sparkle....

.......on today's card for Creative Expressions!  Black card, Sparkle Texture Paste and a That Special Touch mask combine to make this sparkly  little black number!

I used the 'Bouquet Mask' from That Special Touch and used Sea Green Sparkle Texture Paste through the leaves and then Rose Copper and Aurora Sparkle through the flowers. 

I used the dot part of the 'Filigree' mask to add a little bit of a border around the image and then added a stamped sentiment and bow to finish.

Donna xx

Well the new Christmas stamps....

....from Sheena will be launched later this morning on Create and Craft at 11.00 am on the Craft Clinic should be a good show so hope you can tune in and watch some of it.  Here's another of the samples I've made for the show.......

....the background of this one was done by stamping the holly and the tiny snowflake with H20's and then blending a little Distress Ink over the top, it makes for a very pretty and slightly retro feel background.

There'll be lots of other beautiful samples from the rest of the Inkoids on the show as well as lots of dems from Sheena, so get the kettle on and settle in for the fun :)

Donna xx

Sneak peek no.3 and ......

.....a few giggles for you to enjoy this Sunday morning! So first off here's a card featuring another one of the Christmas stamps that will be launched tomorrow by Sheena Douglas at 11.00 am on Create and Craft.....

 ...I stamped the window and some bricks with Pumice Stone Distress Ink and then with a damp paintbrush just brushed out some of the colour to give plenty of shading, in places I picked up a bit more colour by using more distress ink from off my craft mat. Then I've added some stamped and glittered spruce branches.

Okay so now for your giggle......another little fun make with the stamps was a little party hat featuring the spruce and the holly sprig. I took the picture by putting it on a polystyrene head......

....BUT it needed a proper model........AND SO........in stepped Brock......well actually to be more precise a very unwilling Brock was cajoled and bribed with many biscuits into becoming the latest party hat fashion model........

............he has just about forgiven me......just about!!!!!!! Lol!!! :-D

Donna xx

A little bit more Christmas....

......with another little look at some of the new Sheena Douglass Christmas stamps that she will be launching on Monday on Create and Craft.........

......if you want some quick cards (and who doesn't at Christmas!) then there's a lovely big sentiment stamp as part of the collection which is great as the main focal image of your card........here I've used it with a nice shimmery H2O background and a bit of stamped and embossed spruce.
Donna xx

New Stamps....

....and some fun  in my mini moleskine journal.  I had some Viva Las Vegastamps this month from That's Crafty to play with and got them inky first off by using them on these journal pages.......

....full details of stamps, paints etc that I used can be found on the That's Crafty blog.
Donna xx

Dare I mention the 'C' word???

...well there are some new Christmas stamps coming to a craft TV channel near you!  Sheena has some new Christmas stamps being launched on Monday 7th July on Create and Craft, going to be a 2 hour Craft Clinic show as well, so lots of dems etc for you to watch :)

Here's a little look at one of the samples that I've done for the show.......

Baubles are stamped, embossed and painted with H2O's .  The bauble is actually a blank open stamp which means you can fill it with whatever pattern you fancy........so really versatile!

Be back with another little sneaky peek later...
Donna xx

Tag time again.....

....I'm picking the challenge this week over at TagAlong and I've picked the theme of Natures Glories.......well its nice and simple and just about everyone loves something about nature!  I've used some Sheena Douglass stamps on my tag including her cute little baby birds from her last stamp release.......just loved those bird stamps. So here are my little 3 cuties on a branch or......wait....a swing!!! Lol!

Do pop over to TagAlong and join in the fun :)
Donna xx

'Stencil It' .......

....is the new theme for the month of July over at the Country View Crafts Challenge blog. I've gone for a masculine card for my first DT sample piece.......and yes I got the Time Travellers stamp set out again!! Can't help it love this set, lol!

Right so a quick how it was made.... first covered a bit of paper with 'Old Paper' distress ink and splashed some water on for a faux bleached effect

Then I got the Doodle Squares mask and randomly applied a bit of Brushed Corduroy distress ink through it, then I laid the Steampunk mask down and applied Pumice Stone making sure I didn't extend the colour to far into the middle of the square...

I stamped one of the figures from the Time Travellers set and cut him out, then lightly brushed him with a bit of Old Paper distress ink.  When I laid him in position though I didn't like the way he was going to look stuck on.....

.....so I left him in position replaced the Steampunk mask and blended a little Pumice Stone distress ink over the bottom corner  

I liked that much more! So glued him in place added a little more colour using my trusty alcohol pens (mixture of Promarkers and Spectrums) and then mounted it up and attached to a blank card.

Make sure you pop over to Country View Challenges and join in the fun.......there's also the possibility of winning a £20 voucher or maybe getting the chance to guest on the Challenge blog......so what you waiting for......we'd love to see you :)

Donna xx