Well its half term at the moment and with three girls that means all crafting has ground to a halt Lol. I did manage to sneak off and make a birthday card for my friend this morning but was not really happy with the finished result. The first attempt got ripped up and put in the bin so the second attempt had to suffice. Sometimes when I sit down to make something it just does not go to plan at all.
I`ve really popped on here quickly to thank everyone for their kind comments on my card for the JFF challenge. Its much appreciated and I really enjoyed making something a bit different to normal (normal for me that is). I`ve also enjoyed looking at everyone elses challenges - its good to see so many different styles and varriations on the same theme. Hope to be back next week x Vinny

The challenge over at the jff challenge this week is bugs wings. I had this slightly bonkers idea in my head and just ran with it. I`ve never actually used my stamp of the lady with the hoover yet though I`ve had her for years, think she came with a set from QVC if I remember rightly. I think she looks quite posh so Margo suits her don`t you think ?. I always have trouble when it comes to finding a way of putting sayings on cards. I`ve now decided I would like one of those things that does the black labels with the white writing on it but I cannot remember what they are called for a start. If anyone can remind me I would be grateful. So I had to hand write in white gel pen on black card to get the effect I wanted for now. I used the wrinkle free distress ink technique for the background and Sir Tims bitty grunge stamps over the top. Her wings are from a butterfly stamp. I think it was wishful thinking that gave me the idea, I would love a housework fairy to come and do mine. I hate housework with a passion Lol. Thanks for looking x Vinny

bah humbug challenge #6 doilies

Ok, well the challenge this week over at bah humbug was doilies. Doilies ? I thought. Well, I didn`t have any at home and the local supermarket didn`t have any either so what to do. I`ve had to cheat or improvise , however you want to look at it. I did have a lace and glitter kit which consists of double sided sticky backed paper, glitter and some pieces of lace. I used the largest size of my nestabilities to cut the circle from the sticky backed paper, adhered it to the card, laid the piece of lace on top then added the dark blue glitter. After peeling off the lace I then added the white glitter to complete the doily effect. The bird is die cut using a sizzex die set. I cannot believe this card has no stamping whatsoever, thats just not normally me. However, I`m quite pleased with the overall effect and it took far less time than it would take me when stamping. Thanks for looking x Vinny

journal page

Killing two birds with one stone today as the saying goes. This is the first journal page that I`ve ever attempted on the theme of time. It also fits in with the week two challenge here  which is time flies. The journal pages are for a project for one of the ladies over in the Graphicus Guild. She had kindly sent me some paper and some `messed up` pages. I used one of the messed up pages for my first attempt as it seemed less daunting than to work on a completely blank page, so the paper was already coloured a sunny yellow colour. I found this quote from J M Barrie which I felt fitted in with the colour scheme and borrowed my daughters quill pen and dippy ink to write it out. I used a Hero Arts stamp to stamp the grasses along the bottom of the page and embossed with tea dye distress embossing powder to give a textured finish. I used the craft stamper freebie of the clock to stamp in antique linen at the top of the page but it doesn`t really show up in the picture. I used the same stamp for the clock held between the wings which I stamped onto metal and embossed. I`m quite pleased with it for a first attempt. Thanks for looking x Vinny

No challenges today, just me trying out new stamps doing something a bit different.  I had seen a picture in a magazine of a card, not handmade but printed, of flowers making up the heart shape. When I received these new stamps I wanted to do the same kind of thing only with butterflies and insects. I had a small heart shaped box of chocolates which my daughters kindly polished off for me Lol and I used one of the cardboard sides to draw a heart shape. That gave the basic template then I could stamp my insects to fit the shape starting off with the largest moth and working downwards in size. I watercoloured the moth and butterfly and went over their wings with glossy accents plus the beetle. I used rock candy distress stickles to add a glittery effect to all of the bees wings. Distress ink in tea dye and antique linen added shading. The sentiment was a rub on. Bit different I know but Husband likes nature as do I so hopefully he will like it rather than a sick bucket inducing card that you can buy Lol. Thanks for looking x Vinny

Bah humbug challenge #5

Well this weeks challenge over at bah humbug was buttons and bows. I used backing paper and stamps from Elusive Images which hopefully you should be able to get again soon. I decided NOT to use distress inks at all for a change Lol and got the glimmer mists out instead. OMG what a mess I got into !!, I had forgotten how they tend to go everywhere . If the weather is nice, I tend to stand at the back door with it open and card in one hand and spray them so any mess goes outside. Plus I had to run one nozzle under the tap because it had blocked and wouldn`t spray but I got there in the end. You can`t see from the scan but being the very messy crafter that I am, there was obviously loose gold particles of glitter on my table that embedded themselves into the card but added to the overall effect I thought. Adding the bow was the easy bit, but where to add some buttons in ? I found this big lilac button in my box and viola - one big button moon . I seem to remember watching a childrens program called button moon with Mr Spoon, anyone remember it ? Well at least so far I have three Christmas cards to send out so rellies won`t think I`ve emigrated or fallen off of the planet this year. Thanks for looking x Vinny

This is my tag for a new challenge blog which has just started up. You can find it at http://jffchallenge.blogspot.com/  The theme for the month is `wings` and the theme this week is `hearfelt wings`, I had ordered this set of stamps by invoke arts a few days before the challenge started so decided to use those although the harliquin pattern is by hero arts and the womans face is from a stampington set. As usual I did my normal thing of ordering unmounted stamps and forgetting to order some easy mount at the same time so I haven`t cut them up yet until I do. I just inked up the ones I wanted to use on the whole sheet and laid my card on top of it. I did want to thread ribbons through the top of the tag but there isn`t really enough room to make a hole Lol. Never mind. Thanks for looking x Vinny

sir stampalot challange - all creatures great and small

This is my entry (hopefully if I can get the links and things to work) for the monthly challange blog over at Sir Stampalot. The theme this month was all creatures great and small. I used Sir Tim`s texture fade embossing folder to get the tree bark effect and nestabilities to cut the scalloped circles for the aperture.

Mums birthday card

Made a card for my Mums birthday today using two of my favourite stamps, they are B line designs from LB crafts. Its actually an easel style card, the first ever one I`ve managed to make without it all going horribly wrong Yay but when I though I`d try taking a photo, what happens ? no batteries and I cannot find the USB cable thingee Lol. I stamped the lady in versamark then coloured her in with glimmer chalks as I feel she needs very soft colouring. Of course the odd distress ink colouring had to creep in !. Confession time, the glitter you can just see above the brown velvet ribbon was to cover up the fact that I used double sided tape to stick the ribbon down only to realise it was wider than the ribbon duh !. The metal flower embellishment on the ribbon I found on my bedroom floor this morning , I think it has come off my daughters shoe Lol. Its OK the shoes are knackered and going in the bin anyway but I need to find the other metal bit to reuse first . Thanks for looking x Vinny