Journalled Christmas

I thought I would share with you today my 2011 Christmas journal page. These have been done in my SMASH Book so you don't have to create a background as they have patterned paper pages.

I have been practising my fancy lettering using this fantastic new book from Lindsay Ostrom which I bought as a Christmas present to myself tee hee. I have quite a few of Lindsay's books but couldn't get this one over here in the UK so bought directly from Lindsay and boy am I glad I did as she personalised the envelope in her wonderful style. :) Thanks Lindsay and yes I will "practise, practise, practise!".



Happy New Year to all you out in blogland, I hope you have a healthy and prosperous 2012.

Christmas Eve

Wishing all my blog readers
a wonderful Christmas &
a joyous New Year.
I hope to be blogging again
very soon after Christmas.

Smile .....

Here is a journal page that I finished yesterday night. The prompt came from Bubbly Funk forum from the very talented Kaz. The prompt was the quote, "Life is short ... so smile while you still have teeth!"


Must admit I still do this in old magazines now tee hee!

I Remember ...

Is the Gorjuss challenge and I have just made it under the wire! phew!

My journal page is inspired by The Cat In The Hat and I have designed my page to look like the front cover of the book using the same colour scheme. The red is a Copic pen and the turquoise is a Ranger Dabber that was applied with a brush as it has clogged up but being ever thrifty I eek the paint out with a paint brush! haha.


Do visit the Gorjuss blog and see what the Design Team have come up with and some other fantastic entries. New challenge up tomorrow.

Fantastic Felties

That is what the challenge is this week over on the Daring Cardmakers Blog and I have created these two birthday cards.

I cut the hearts using my Sizzix machine and some Sizzlet dies then I embroided with thread and used cross stitch, running stitch and French knots to decorate them. The papers are from Bella Road "Everbody Loves Christmas".

Do visit the DCM Blog for lots of inspirational ideas and why not join in yourself - you have until Friday until the next challenge is posed.

Colouring in

Well I recently succumbed to the temptation and bought some Copic Sketch Markers and today I had some time to play with them. Still a novice and learning how and what to colour in with them.

I now realise that I haven't got many colours that blend together so my palette is very limited. Oh dear I need to buy some more hahaha.

Here are my efforts from this afternoon.


I realise that I don't have any colours for hair, hence her rather pale brown hair. The shading didn't go right on the bottle of fizz but as I said this is my first real attempt.

Night-time Christmas

Here are three cards for Christmas I made last night. I think these sort of cards are called "scraplings" as they are the scraps cut off of bigger cards? I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will correct me - (please) :)


Again quick and simple designs using papers from Bella Road, "Everyone Loves Christmas" and bits and bobs lying around my desk and drawers. Need to have a good de-clutter I feel.

Thanks for stopping by and maybe even leaving a comment.

A Christmas Card

Today I want to show you the Christmas card I made for Kathy's Waffle Sketch 2 Circles 2 Go and as it happens also is the Daring Cardmakers Challenge this week! Double whammy!


I have used papers and stickers from Echo Park Paper Co "Everyone Loves Christmas by Bella Road" and just followed the sketch. Easy, very easy indeed.

Now visit both of those wonderful blogs and see what inspires you!

Spooktastic?

Well my kids don't think it is spooky enough! haha.

I have made this card for the Tando Spooktastic Challenge which finishes at the end of this month.

I've used a Tando house and fence that I inked and used Distress Ink on the hill and for the sky. The bats were hand drawn. As I recently purchased some Copic pens I thought I had better start to use them so tried to make a cobbled path effect with them. Then stamped lettering as I'm not sure whether Halloween is a "happy" time hence the question mark. haha.

I'm back

after a long blog absence ..... sorry Miss! ... I have something I have created to blog about.

I have made a card for the Totally Gorjuss Challenge 102 which this week is a Bingo board. You have to choose 3 elements from that board and use them on your project. I chose stars, buttons and pearls and made this card. Quite manly I thought and will come in useful later on in the month for my bil's birthday.
A very simple and quick card to make so I guess I will be making more in the future. Thanks for stopping by my blog and why not pop over to Totally Gorjuss and take a look at their challenges to.

By the Skin of my Teeth ...

... I've just got time before the next DCM Challenge comes out. Just! haha

This weeks' challenge was to feature a candle. I love making these candle cards they are so quick to make and use up lots of little pieces of lovely cardstock in my bits and pieces folder. So happy days all round.
So do pop over to the Daring Cardmakers blog and have a go at their challenges you won't be disappointed.

Two days in a row?

haha .... Well I sat at my craft desk with it's mountain of stuff on it and thought I had better use some of it up. The cards I made used up scraps of paper and odd sized cards I had left in my blank card box. I also found some sentiment chipboard that I thought I had better start to use. Very simple cards and can be used just as notelets.

Whilst sorting through my chipboard I came across this Tando swirl and thought I want to use this and with this grey/silver card blank I thought they worked well together. I inked the swirl with distress ink and added the blue gems. Then I found a chipboard sentiment to adhere to the corner.

I Used A Sketch

Hello you lovely lot. I've been away a little while getting back into the routine of school life :( and I also picked up a bug from somewhere so was feeling under the weather and not very creative.

However, last week I hopped over the Kathy's Waffle Sketch File and found inspiration to make this card.

I've used some new glitterised (think I might have made that word up tee hee) paper from SEI (I think) and some ribbon from my tangled box of ribbons to make this birthday card. I love the colours and hope the recipient is happy with the card.

Please do give Kathy's blog a look as there are some great ideas and a new sketch every month.

Gorgeous!

I bet that made you want to read on? haha

Well on Saturday a new Totally Gorjuss Challenge was set number 96 and I have made a card already! Yes don't faint, I've actually got in before the closing date.

This week the challenge was to use a sketch and there is a prize too for the lucky random winner so do please go along and have a go at this challenge.

Thanks for stopping bye my little blog. :)

Seeing Pink!

Happy Bank Holiday Monday to all those in England - true to form the weather is dull so I thought I would brighten up this blog with some pink!! Always a cheery colour I feel.

This first card is one of my newly acquired stamps and it is so easy to colour in - I've used Distress Ink pads and my water brush.


The second card is a pink Christmas card, another coloured with Distress Inks and the "wonder" brush. The ink splodge on this one was made using a stencil to spray through. Here is the stencil - ok it is waste from some Grungeboard but I think it looks pretty. Look out for this being used more in the future.

Feeling Krafty

Well what about this then? I've made a card for the Daring Cardmakers challenge before the deadline!! I am really pleased with myself, hahaha.

The challenge was to use a least three natural items to make a card entitled Feeling Krafty. I wanted to use some suede from an old pair of boots that were beyond repair, so I knew that the colours where going to end but quite masculine. My other natural ingredients were the twine and the shell buttons.

It felt quite wrong cutting into the suede but I consoled myself knowing that I was recycling and that the boots would of just ended up in the bin! Not a very good place. I also recycled a clothes label that came from one of my husband's shirts.

What do you think?

Thanks for looking and do visit the DCM Blog for more loveliness and inspiration when you tour the rest of the team's blogs.

Banksy - Daring Cardmakers

Think I have just got in under the wire for the Banksy challenge on the Daring Cardmakers Blog?


I haven't made a card more like some artwork on card - does that make sense?

Thought I would use a sign and play about at bit with it. I've tried to imply that the wording on the sign has been iced on the cake especially for the birds to eat! haha and I've placed it against a fence to get the graffiti effect.

Well I hope it fits the challenge and do check their blog tomorrow for a new challenge.

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas

Two lots of cards to show you today.

The first one is a birthday card for my "cyber sister", the Serial Crafter, whos birthday it is today and I know the card has reached it's destination so I can show you it now. Do visit her blog as she is a fabulous digital scrapbooker and wonderful cook too. Oh and very smiley :)


Now yesterday, when it rained all day, I found some green card (left over from my neice's wedding invitations) and made 10 mini Christmas cards. I send cards to the pupils at school so this size comes in very handy. I photographed them outside and as you can see from the photo the sun is indeed shining today.


Well thank you for stopping by my blog, hope to see you again soon.

Go Wild!!!

That is the title of the Tando Challenge this month so I thought I would give it a go and I have come up with this piece of artwork.


I wasn't sure what to do at first and remembered this sentiment stamp from Adorn It and knew I wanted to use that. I used lots of stash I had forgotten I had like the chipboard dinosaur from Riff Raff, the scalloped circle from Maya Road, swirl is Grungeboard and I used an Early Learning Centre "Copy Cat" Machine which was my kids when they were small to match the scalloped circle and then I cut it out of the Echo Park Everyone Loves Christmas patterned paper.

Lots of Distress Ink Pads were used in the following colours Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss and Fired Brick. The scalloped circle was also given the Tando treatment with the use of one of the splendid and very sturdy masks in a leaf design :) and then finally I used a Dylusion's flower stamp to add flowers to the background cutting one out and Glossy Accenting it in the middle.

Well thanks for looking at my creation please leave a comment - I love to read them.

And lastly do pop over to see the creations other crafters have made and go on ...... have a go at the challenge - it runs until the end of the month.

Three in a row

Yes three blog posts in a row woop woop!!

I have taken part in the Daring CardMakers challenge this week which is to make a card with a cute image or as is know in Japanese circles as:-

so kawaii!

My card features a Snag'em stamp from the Berrylicious Collection and I've photographed it on my lemon tree :) My tree has never produced any flowers so no lemons sadly, the two in the pot are from my fruit bowl hahaha.


Please visit the DCM blog for lots of lovely creations and a new challenge every Friday.

On my to do list this week .....

... the garden!!! To be exact the pond in the garden. A week or so ago I was cleaning out the pond of some dreaded duckweed grrrrrrr! and came across this pink/purple goo. Eeek I thought the pond is deseased and I've had my hands in it!!!!!!!

Do you like how I have recycled my spaghetti server? - please be assured I do not use this in the kitchen now lol.
My parents and neighbour couldn't help and had never experience this before - I was getting really worried now - so I turned to my electrical friend Google. After several attempts to remedy the problem I came across a blog (The Garden Pond) that set my mind to rest. It wasn't deseased just suffering from an algae problem. phew!

So now I am in the process of cleaning the pond out - all the oxygenating weed is in a trug in the process of being cleaned with fresh water - this takes ages.


Here is a photo of the pond with a lot of the duckweed gone - but as you can see I still have some way to go. Oh and I found the crocodiles tail at the bottom of the pond too hahaha.
I am also removing all the plants from around the edge of the pond and am going to move the apple tree in the grey container on the left of the photo as I am sure this is not helping with the leave debris that is in the bottom of the pond. Anyone feeling strong? hahaha

Hello

I'm back from my holiday in Marrakesh, Morocco and enjoying the cooler weather. Phew! was it hot, hot, hot!!!! Too warm for little old me. :( Say what you like about the British weather being too cold in Winter or Summer or Spring but I do prefer to be cold rather than hot. Anyway enough of my body temperatures lol ...... you want to see some photos don't you?

This is our hotel and every building in Marrakesh was painted this colour ...... good job I love orange tee hee

I found some shade and got my pens and notebook out and tried to copy the pattern on this table easier said than done . And believe me the heat in this little bit of shade was intense.


Our taxi guide took us to see some camels and of course Sunj had to ride one hahaha

but alas he didn't want to make that public :) Lawrence of Arabia he was not!!

And this is my favourite photo from our holiday the Jardin Majorelle - Yves St Laurant garden - I love the colours. Oh and the garden was really cool (that is cool as in temperature not slang for good! tee hee) as bamboo grew metres into the air and made a natural canope from the blazing heat from the sun.
I do feel I need to do something with this photo even if it is just get a poster print of it.

At last I've seen Harry Potter

Well I finally made it back to my blog - only been a few weeks from posting, sorry about that.

So the summer holidays have started and this is the beginning of the second week, phew that first week went quick!

Today my son and I went to the pictures, yes I know on a warm day like today too! But we have been itching to see the final part of the Harry Potter series of films and today just had to be the day. If you haven't already seen it then go, you won't be disappointed. We didn't realise we had been in the cinema for so long as the story had us gripped from the beginning.


All three actors in the lead roles were extremely good and I do hope they won't be type cast and have a long acting career. In my opinion this film was as good as the book and I can't recommend it enough. Go see it.

Bye for now. x

Phew!!!

What is happening to the minutes, hours, days and weeks there never seems to be enough time?

I haven't forgotten my blog just not been able to craft anything (apart from school props that is) to show you. Only two weeks left of this term and then the holidays will be here - yippee!!

I will be back as the infamous Terminator would say! See you all soon.

- x -

mmmmm strawberries

One good thing to come from all this rain are these beauties

So far I have picked 20 strawberries from our patch and as my son and I are the only ones that eat them, and he is abroad at the moment, I have had them all to myself tonight.

That is what summer is all about - yes?

Background For Journal Pages

I've been messing around with spray inks and masks again, tee hee what fun.


I used two Tando masks, one of leaves and another one flowers. I then went a bit crazy with the inks some from Sticky Fingers which I am running out of and some by Dylusions which give the page a great shimmer.

I'm not sure whether to cover with an image or what to write as yet but just wanted to show you the background.

This morning I have been going a bit mad with my acrylic dabbers. They have got all gunged up inside and are running out so adding water is not really working but that is fine as I am having a wonderful time poking the paint out with a stick and then applying it to the paper using an old RAC membership card! hahaha.

That one I will photograph once the paint has dried.

Speedy Sunday Sentiment Scrap

Well last minute Minnie strikes again ...... I needed four yes four cards for this afternoon so sat at my craft desk and made these.Yesterday I found some old articles that I had torn out of craft magazines, Quick and Crafty, Crafts Beautiful and Craft Stamper and these gave me the inspiration to make these birthday cards.

Various equipment and stash used including a new cog mask from Tando, a bird stamp from Basic Grey, Rub-ons from Cosmo Cricket, beads from Creative Beadcraft in Beak Street and the linen type fabric was from John Lewis.

I also tied another bow, getting used to doing them now.

Last day of my holidays today ..... back to work tomorrow so enjoy the rest of your sunday. x

Frivilous Friday Fanciful Fruits (of my labour)

A little bit of alliteration there haha. As it is the last day of my holiday I thought I would share what I have been up to.

Most of the week the house has been upside down as my daughter has had new laminate flooring laid in her bedroom. Meaning that all her possessions were all over the house. Couldn't do the ironing (shame tee hee) as the wardrobes were groaning with all her stuff.

So now the flooring is complete and looks lovely and the wardrobe, bed and desk have been put back in their positions and now it is up to her to sort out where all her things go. Don't go thinking I put the floor down, oh no we got a little man in :)



Next is the DCM challenge from two weeks ago ...... yes I know there is one due out today and been a new one last week but as I have said before I am a sloooooow crafter lol. This challenge was to use the lyrics from Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars"( I hate the Leona Lewis version) anyway ...... I used the line "is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see" and used a free stamp from Craft Stamper some months back.

Also this week I have been trying to use up scraps of paper from my desk and made this A6 card and a button.
I then made this one using a stamp from My Cute Stamp, Sweet Kawaii.


When I uploaded these photos from my camera I found this one too! It made me laugh out loud ..... don't you just love kids?

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend
x x x

fantastic giveaway

Over on one of the blogs I follow Amelie's House (she bakes and decorates fantastical cakes) she is having a wonderful giveaway. A whole party!!!! Full of gorgeous cakes and decorations and presents. Yippee!

Closing date next Monday 6th June
so be quick and go take a gander

More makes from me

I took these photos last week (while we still had sun) but being so busy this week I've not had time to blog them. Well another week off for me (half-term) so there will be more blogging going on.

First are some cards made from Hazel's Christmas Challenge and the prompt was to use a song and I chose the carol We Three Kings. I used a Heidi Swapp mask for this one, although the card on the left isn't as crisp an image as the rest and might end up in the bin or being used last that is for sure.


Next is a page from my art journal started ages ago but only finished this week. Funny that some journal pages have to be thought about and come back to while others just happen first time.

This one is using one of Milliande's January prompts Day 6 (wow that long ago!) "Millipede Me". Used my trusty Elle magazine for the legs and hat. Wish my legs looked that good and could wear high heels!

Thanks for stopping by my blog and hopefully, fingers crossed, more will appear next week.

Tarrah
x x

Masks and Journalling

I bought some fantastic new masks from Tando Creative last week online at Bubbly Funk. I couldn't wait to try them so got my inks out last night and created this page in my journal.

I used the cogs masks and thought about with cogs whirling around in my brain! I used various spray inks and the images are from my October 2008 Elle magazine (still going strong and plenty of images left!!)
I bit deep for me this page and I'm not going to explain the meanings behind the images or words I just wanted you to see that the masks work really well and are cut clearly and are very sturdy and easy to clean (thank goodness as I did use alot of ink!)