2 days to go everyone!!

Oh wow, the crafty countdown is so close to the end!  So this will be the last challenge for this countdown - lets make it a good one.  All you need to do, if you haven't joined in with my challenge yet, is to leave your suggestion in the comments below.  It can be anything - but you need to give me 3 things to work with.  Any 3 things.  I will then pick someone at random.  Thank you everyone for joining in.

I'll have a little reminise in the meantime.  Wax paper, this was used for helping release die cuts from their dies, but there are so many other uses.  This was a little exploration:

I liked using it with my embossing folders.  Emboss, and then iron onto your card.  Add ink, and look how amazing the results are:

Scrunch your waxed paper, and iron - stunning.  Or use your rubber stamps, again printing the image onto the wax paper, and then transferring it onto the card.

I then used the background I had created, with the brilliant Inkadinkadoo stamping gear system. 

Okay folks, set that challenge......

Crafty countdown is down to 18 days!!

18 days.  For goodness sake!!

Okay, I fancied a bit of stamping today.  So, I found a scrap of watercolour card stock, this is the base

I wanted to create my own background, so decided to use some nice big stamps

Ink the stamp, but you are only touching part of the stamp to the card.  You will have seen the lovely Julia Watts do this technique on TV I'm sure (check out her blog if you haven't already: 

 http://inkyfingerzone.blogspot.co.uk)

Build up the background with different stamps, filling in the gaps.  I used distress inks.

Now, it looks quite intense doesn't it.

So, spritz it with water.  Now it just looks scary.  Don't panic.  It's a piece of card, there's always more card!  

Cover the whole piece with a piece of kitchen paper to soak up the water and excess ink

This will result in a really pretty subtle background.  See how the images now seem to blend together?

Next I stamped and embossed a stunning Stampendous flower.  This is a massive stamp, so really makes a fantastic focal point.

I coloured the flower with the same distress inks used for the background. This will ensure your colour palette matches perfectly.  I layered the colours, using 2 blue tones, and a red/pink

To create shadow, I worked round the flower image with a pencil.  Choose a nice soft pencil which you will be able to blend.  This really does give your image additional definition.

To create a few highlights, I added just a little white paint.  The paint does soak up some of the ink, but it still looks good

Although there is a shine with the distress ink, I wanted to add another sheen.  I took a little Pebeo gilding wax and literally swept it across my card.  I didn't put pressure on, as I only wanted it to touch the top fibres of the card.  You can just see the shine of gold in the light.  Very subtle

As you can see, I stamped my sentiment under the flower

I matted the piece onto black and white card. Complete.

26 days to go...

Well, today has been a busy day.  Full of deadlines and planning.  It's all very exciting - and it's starting to feel very real indeed.  This means, I'm going to have to cheat again on my blog - I do apologise, but it's a little bit late and I'm nodding off!

I will, again, share an old make - and then, ask for your challenge.  If you have played this game before you will know I require you to suggest 3 things that I have to craft with.  Anything!!  If I don't own it, then I will improvise - but I do like a proper challenge, so be as creative/mean as you want.  I do love this game - can you tell!!

Now, the flashback Friday card:

I think I made this card for Cardmaking and Papercrafts Magazine, to show different ways of working with ribbon.  This is beautiful ribbon, known as Silky Crush from May Arts - and another one I will have on my web site when it's up and running again.  I say Sue Wilson do this technique first.  It's so very easy, and effective.

I cut a piece of card in a very dodgy looking circle, and covered it with strong double sided tape.  I then rolled a little of the ribbon in the centre, and began rolling the ribbon around as I worked to the outside of the circle.  I folded the ribbon in half, and scrunched it a little, to give texture.  These are handy to make in bulk so they are ready when you need a pretty embellishment.

That is my card for Friday.  

All the projects, even the flashback ones, will be going up for grabs, when I end the countdown.  Apart from an obvious couple that is.  I have already decided 5 people who have signed up to follow my blog, will be put into the draw.  I think 5 more cards will be given to someone who has done one of the techniques I have shown over the past blog postings.  I will give a call for people to send their photo's in, and I will share them all on Facebook - then 5 people will be selected to win.  Have a nosy at my blog to see which techniques I may be looking out for :)

Right, bedtime I think.  Goodnight ladies and gents, sleep well xxx

27 days remaining - a poem to share

Hi folks. Before I talk about this evenings blog entry, I've decided I will be pulling 5 winners of the finished pieces out of the people who have subscribed to my blog. For those of you who may not have been reading since the beginning of this crafty countdown, at the end I will be giving away all the projects (apart from a couple) to lucky winners...how is something I'm still pondering. Apart from 5 of you of course - that's plan number one. So, to follow the blog you simply need to enter your details in the relevant section to the right.

Now, something a little different. I wanted to share a little poem I wrote ages ago. I was going to use this for a stamp, or a paper - I might yet, I'll see what you think. Obviously it's me, so it has to be a little dark and twisty.

I decided to use my gelli plate to create the background. This is the first time I've used my plate!! I've literally had it years. I knew I'd love it - why didn't I give it a go sooner!! Ridiculously good fun and cool..

My first print was a bit rubbish, and I immediately wondered what was wrong with the Gelli plate - naturally, couldn't be something I'd done wrong....duh, I forgot to remove the cover.  Things went much better after that was sorted :)
The clean Gelli plate

The dirty gelli plate.  I applied two colours of acrylic paint, and also a gel medium to allow the paint to stay wet longer. I used a brayer to spread the paint over my Gelli plate

and then, just play.  This is so addictive.  I was gutted I started my blog post a little late today, as I haven't really time to mess about.  There's so much you can do with this.  I used stencils which I stuck into the paint, and lifted back off again, so leave their impression

This is another one I did actually, for this one I used a paper stub and a piece of circular card to add different patterns

I took one print, just using copier paper, and then applied a little more paint.  Not much, just enough to fill a few of the gapes

 This is a couple of the prints.  I must admit, they do look a lot more effective in real life. You can really see the markings and variations in colour

I then decided to write my poem on top, using a design I read in the Somerseat Studio's magazine - I think!!  It's really easy.  Just draw curved lines, and allow your lettering to reach the line.  It keeps the printing "in the lines" so easy to follow, but looks very arty.  I used a pencil and drawing pen

I'll write it again, just in case you have trouble reading the squiggly writing: 

Horace the Spider crept up

and said, 

"Tell me little girl, do 

I fill your heart with dread?"

Lucinda turned round, 

a smile spreading wide

"Why no, dear spider, 

do sit close beside."

Horace, not normally one of woe; 

Felt a chill run down his back, and replied,

"No, thank you, I must go."

The moral of this story, and do take heed

No matter how pretty 

and sweet

a girl may look

Never presume the contents

from the cover of a book

I will finished this off by either putting in a journal or on the cover :)

33 days left - paper crafting with Bo Bunny

This post has been tricky!!  My computer isn't playing up, and the photo's have taken soooo long to load, so I apologise if I don't write as much as normal - but the computer is seriously in jeopardy of flying out the window :)

33 days.  Not long now!!!

Okay, so today I found a lovely old Bo Bunny pad.  The beauty of working with a pad of papers, are the corresponding colours.  They work together, which makes life easier to begin with

I cut a mat down to fit my square card, leaving a small white border. I picked my next piece of paper, which I trimmed down so it was the same height of the card

I found the centre point of the paper, by folding it and putting a tiny crease in place.  I then cut the paper from the top corner to the centre, and repeated the cut from the other corner

I creased the card to create a fold, and stuck it to the back of the card.  This is the side which the card opens on.  I remember this design from Hot of the Press, many moons ago - but I really like it, so thought I would have a go

This now folds over to the front of the card.  I rounded the point off.

I then added a piece of paper to the left of the card, making sure I didn't add adhesive to the right of this piece of paper, so I could tuck the flap in place

Next I die cut some flowers and began to shape them.  I folded the petals in half, and then layered the blue onto the yellow

The bottom layer I rolled the petals back, and glued this on the bottom 

I also cut a green layer, and just did a bit of faux stitching around the edge

I then cut one of the flowers down, as the petals are basically little hearts.  I did some faux stitching around the edge of the hearts.  I did the same with some blue hearts as well

Now, playing with positioning again.  I moved things round, brought different papers in - just to see what I liked.  You'll realise if you are a regular reader of my blog, that this is something I do a lot.  It's the best way of seeing what looks good.  And the photo's do help me make up my mind

I then decided to add some sentiments.  I found some old rub ons.  I love these.  I popped them onto the decorative paper, and then cut round them leaving a nice border

I added the Love topper onto the end of the flap.  I glued the left side down flat, and the right side, I used 3D foam to lift it a little

The little hearts were placed on the right side of the card, going down the flap

The flower was eventually placed in the top left hand corner.  I used the paper to create little bow tails, which I also faux stitched

When you open the flap there's a lovely space to pop a sentiment, so I placed another sentiment here - again using the rub ons, and then two of the little hearts

Finished.  A very easy paper and die cut card

For a change I decorated inside the card.  Just using a scrap of the paper, a couple of the hearts, and another rub on