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Monday, 28 March 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Happy Easter little ones!
Cazzy Hookin' time: Happy Easter little ones!: Easter pressies for my grandchildren. The carrot pouches are from a free pattern on Amigurumi to go . She also has a bunny pattern to fi...
Tuesday, 22 March 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Birthday infinity scarves.
Cazzy Hookin' time: Birthday infinity scarves.: For a week I dropped the Persian Tiles blanket and instead I made birthday scarves (one each) for my brother and father. Here the den...
Monday, 21 March 2016
Happy Birthday Dad.
Dad's birthday is tomorrow, but he won't see this (because he is a technophobe) and spoil the surprise!
Remember the grumpy penguins card? Well this is the other half of the background I made for that one on watercolour paper. I stamped the Katlekraft water drops with Versamark then heat embossed with white embossing powder before spritzing the paper with water and sprinkling on Brushos.
These birds are also a Katzelkraft set which I bought from That's Crafty, I must be bird crazy because I have the Tim Holtz ones too - but these are half the price! I don't think there are dies for the stamps, so I fussy cut them.
Happy Birthday is a Hero Arts stamp and Dad is a Papermania stamp, both from clear sets and stamped in Indigo Versacolor ink and heat embossed with clear powder.
I got my Faber Castel Gelatos out, first time using them and the set I have is brights. I blended blue and yellow to make green mainly because I started with blue and realised the birds didn't show against the background so I added yellow and blended it (using my fingers and a sponge) - which is the beauty of Gelatos. I found it hard to use round the detailed areas, and the left hand bird ended up with a green eyeball which I went over with my Sharpie Paperwhite pen. I guess I should have masked the eyeballs in hindsight.
I hope Dad likes it!
Challenges entered:
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Quirky reminder, yee haw!
Amazingly I am here on time for the reminder post for the Quirky Crafts challenge! The challenge is masculine and must use ribbon or twine. I used both on my card.
We have three wonderful sponsors, Bugaboo, Crafty Ribbons and SLS Lines.
The digi is from Bugaboo and is called Wee Ones Cowboy - Horseshoe, which is very cute and easy to colour too. There are lots more cowboy digis to choose from. I coloured him with Promarkers and die cut him with Spellbinders dies, using the "outside the frame" technique because the perfect size die for height was a little narrow, so the horseshoe is slightly outside the frame. The papers are from a DCWV stack called All About Boys, the horse silhouette ribbon is exclusive to Crafty Ribbons. It comes in several colours and with different animals - even dinosaurs!
The twine is Tim Holtz paper ribbon, and the horseshoe charm tied on to it is a random odd one I had.
I rounded the corners of the card and biggest paper layer.
If you want to see more examples, play along with us - or join the DT, hop on over to Quirky Crafts now.
Challenges entered:
Friday, 11 March 2016
NBUS #6 Quickly sneaking in!
With only hours to go I wondered how (with my lack of mojo) I could enter the NBUS challenge at Darlene's place. Then I remembered this NBUS that I had made a start on but not completed - voila!
I fell in love with the (NBUS) Katzelkraft Grumpy Penguins rubber stamps that are stocked by That's Crafty and while I was there the water drops set and some crazy birds also fell into my basket, well you have to get the free postage don't you?
The background is a technique I tried from Craft Stamper magazine, you stamp onto watercolour paper with Versamark and heat emboss it with white EP. Then you get messy by spritzing the paper with water then sprinkling on tiny buts of Brushos, letting some run and flicking water on it when it's dry - isn't it lovely?
The penguins were also stamped on watercolour paper in black Versacolor ink and heat embossed with clear powder, then I coloured them a little with Pan Pastels cut them out and mounted them on the background. How unusual, a totally hand stamped card!
The penguins are grumpy about the rain, they are all wet!
Happy Birthday is from a Hero Arts clear set, and Brother is from a Papermania clear set of stamps, both stamped in Indigo Versacolor and heat embossed with clear EP.
There are so many things I wanted to do but haven't got there yet. At least I made it for this one!
So that's my Brother's birthday card sorted for this month! Need one for Dad now.
Challenges entered:
Sunday, 6 March 2016
It's Quirky March!
First I must apologise for February, especially to Regina Easter of The Cutting Cafe for not posting anything at all! I really should have done what Lyn does, and posted "one I made earlier" in true Blue Peter fashion. I will try and make it up to her as soon as I can get into the cutting machine mood again.
February was a bit of a nightmare, and ended up written off for me crafting wise. If you read my last crochet blog post you will know that we went to Torquay for a much needed break which turned into a complete nightmare when my hubby ended up in the hospital for two nights, then our son came down by train to drive us back one day early - so much for a holiday. Flaming cancer, has to ruin everything it can!
Some of you will also know that I am sometimes struggling to do any papercrafting, when I tried I just ended up with tears streaming down my face.
As well as all of that to deal with we had two team members leave us, and a couple more go down with injury or sickness, and Stitchy Bear (who were the first digi sponsors to offer to sponsor us and have sponsored us for many years) announced they were ceasing all sponsorships and down sizing. So I have had to create all the posts for Jan because it was my challenge, and most of the posts for Feb, and I had to do March also! I have also been approaching new sponsors to cover the spaces left by Stitchy, and getting one new team member set up. Kelly Patricia agreed to join us, was all ready to join in with March - then dislocated her wrist! With Lynne leaving due to hand problems, Nana Connie out of action with a broken hand and now a dislocated wrist I am wondering if Quirky has been cursed! Probably by an evil dwarf axe warrior!
Which brings me on to the challenge....
...because yesterday was the first Sunday in March, and so it was the start of a new monthly challenge at Quirky Crafts. We have 3 great sponsors including one new one, Crafty Ribbons, Bugaboo and a brand new to Quirky sponsor - SLS Lines.
My card today features the Dwarf Axe Warrior from SLS Lines, I just love his facial hair! The challenge is Masculine with ribbon or twine, and my ribbon is some silver and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons which was in one of their £1 bargain bags which are amazingly good value. I thought it went quite well.... but until I looked for the link to the digi I had forgotten he was a Dwarf Axe Warrior and was labouring under the delusion that he was a Viking warrior and was thinking of Viking gold and metals, good job I didn't find backing paper with long ships on it which had crossed my mind! I wondered as I coloured him with Promarkers and metallic gel pen, why a Viking would have Doc Martin boots, they are way to modern for a Viking!
I know he isn't a Viking, but I thought of the film Lord of the Rings and the Viking in that when I was making this.
The papers I used were all from two pads by Kanban and they are called Mechanica and Industria which I searched for endlessly until someone who was decluttering said she had unused pads if I wanted them - did I want them!
I added some brads, slightly different shades of brads, to the corners of the "wood" panel, and all the panels were die cut with Spellbinders create a card 5" x 7" set.
I haven't decided who will get this card so I've left the sentiment off for now, might be Father's day, or a birthday or just a Stay Strong card for Hubby.
I will make a Bugaboo example next, and hope to show you that later on depending how the day pans out.
If you would like to see some more examples and maybe play along with the challenge just hop on over to Quirky Crafts now, and if you feel you are a Quirky kind of person - we are still looking for at least one more!
Crafty Gals - All about the boys (Wed 9th March)
Inspiration Destination - #75 anything goes (Wed)
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes #102 (Mon 14th)
Crafting by Designs - anything goes (March)
Crafts Galore - anything goes (March)
Creative Fingers - #104 anything goes
SLS Lines - #17inspired by a book or song (March)
February was a bit of a nightmare, and ended up written off for me crafting wise. If you read my last crochet blog post you will know that we went to Torquay for a much needed break which turned into a complete nightmare when my hubby ended up in the hospital for two nights, then our son came down by train to drive us back one day early - so much for a holiday. Flaming cancer, has to ruin everything it can!
Some of you will also know that I am sometimes struggling to do any papercrafting, when I tried I just ended up with tears streaming down my face.
As well as all of that to deal with we had two team members leave us, and a couple more go down with injury or sickness, and Stitchy Bear (who were the first digi sponsors to offer to sponsor us and have sponsored us for many years) announced they were ceasing all sponsorships and down sizing. So I have had to create all the posts for Jan because it was my challenge, and most of the posts for Feb, and I had to do March also! I have also been approaching new sponsors to cover the spaces left by Stitchy, and getting one new team member set up. Kelly Patricia agreed to join us, was all ready to join in with March - then dislocated her wrist! With Lynne leaving due to hand problems, Nana Connie out of action with a broken hand and now a dislocated wrist I am wondering if Quirky has been cursed! Probably by an evil dwarf axe warrior!
Which brings me on to the challenge....
...because yesterday was the first Sunday in March, and so it was the start of a new monthly challenge at Quirky Crafts. We have 3 great sponsors including one new one, Crafty Ribbons, Bugaboo and a brand new to Quirky sponsor - SLS Lines.
My card today features the Dwarf Axe Warrior from SLS Lines, I just love his facial hair! The challenge is Masculine with ribbon or twine, and my ribbon is some silver and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons which was in one of their £1 bargain bags which are amazingly good value. I thought it went quite well.... but until I looked for the link to the digi I had forgotten he was a Dwarf Axe Warrior and was labouring under the delusion that he was a Viking warrior and was thinking of Viking gold and metals, good job I didn't find backing paper with long ships on it which had crossed my mind! I wondered as I coloured him with Promarkers and metallic gel pen, why a Viking would have Doc Martin boots, they are way to modern for a Viking!
I know he isn't a Viking, but I thought of the film Lord of the Rings and the Viking in that when I was making this.
The papers I used were all from two pads by Kanban and they are called Mechanica and Industria which I searched for endlessly until someone who was decluttering said she had unused pads if I wanted them - did I want them!
I added some brads, slightly different shades of brads, to the corners of the "wood" panel, and all the panels were die cut with Spellbinders create a card 5" x 7" set.
I haven't decided who will get this card so I've left the sentiment off for now, might be Father's day, or a birthday or just a Stay Strong card for Hubby.
I will make a Bugaboo example next, and hope to show you that later on depending how the day pans out.
If you would like to see some more examples and maybe play along with the challenge just hop on over to Quirky Crafts now, and if you feel you are a Quirky kind of person - we are still looking for at least one more!
Challenges entered:
Sunday, 14 February 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: More preemie makes.
Cazzy Hookin' time: More preemie makes.: I grabbed a ball of yarn and hook when we had another long wait in hospital recently, and this set of C2C blanket and beanie for a preem...
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Infinity scarf
Lots of swans, comorant, robin, moorhen and more photos on this post. Cazzy Hookin' time: Infinity scarf: This is my latest make, an infinity scarf for hubby - and he is actually wearing it! The pattern is a free one from Little Monkeys Croch...
Friday, 22 January 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: C2C for the dog!
Cazzy Hookin' time: C2C for the dog!: I made a small C2C (corner to corner) blanket for the dog, it isn't perfect but it will do. I made the border up - do you want to kn...
Monday, 18 January 2016
Quirky January, we are celebrating!
It is the Quirky Crafts challenge reminder, for which I am late, and I am celebrating my Granddaughter's 1st birthday, for which I am very early! She is only 10 weeks old, but for once in my life I am prepared in advance!
We are sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet who provided this, and many more, cute images to the team to showcase. The image is called Baby and is by Beary Dust, isn't she cute!
I coloured Baby with Promarkers and die cut her and all the panels with Spellbinders dies. The background and stamped Celebrate ribbon are all Hero Arts stamps, there are three different definition stamps in the background - Celebrate, Birthday and Family.
Granddaughter is stamped with a Papermania clear stamp, 1 today is I think a Pink Gems stamp set, and Happy Birthday was hand written (with a Marvy's Wet Look pen and heat embossed) by me after searching for over an hour for a vertical stamp I don't think I have after all! I heat embossed the words with holographic embossing powder by Papermania. Finally I die cut the word Cute with a Die-version die.
If you want to see photos of me, the dogs and friends, a robin, ducks and a Kingfisher - check the post below and click the link to my crochet blog!
Hop on over to Quirky Crafts to see some more lovely examples and to play along to win Stitchy digital images.
Challenges entered:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stitchy Bear Facebook challenge for Jan.
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Rustic set, hat and infinity scarf.
Cazzy Hookin' time: Rustic set, hat and infinity scarf.: It has turned cold here in Wiltshire, and the rest of the UK, and I had lost my only hat last year. It was a bought one anyway. I had st...
Friday, 15 January 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Sweet baby bun bun.
Cazzy Hookin' time: Sweet baby bun bun.: The yarn is King Cole Cherish baby yarn, which comes in wonderful colours. The pattern for the dress and bolero is a free one by Just C...
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Cazzy Hookin' time: Another star is born!
Cazzy Hookin' time: Another star is born!: A star blanket that is! This one is for my new Granddaughter's baby cousin who is due any day now. It had to be similar colours to th...
Cazzy Hookin' time: Confessions of a hoarder!
Cazzy Hookin' time: Confessions of a hoarder!: In the garage "loft" I have 4 large wheeled boxes of yarn on cones which I acquired when I was machine knitting. Apart from be...
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Let's Quirky Celebrate everything crafty!
YAY It's Quirky challenge time again, it is my challenge and the first of our new monthly challenges this year!
My challenge to you is to celebrate anything you like, but you must include the word Celebrate, or Celebration.
I am celebrating having a new team, new monthly format, and the New Year.
We are sponsored by the wonderful Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet who provided the team with images to use, and are providing three prizes to our lucky top three.
Here are the details:
The digi I used is called Craft Queen by BB Kakes from Stitchy Bear, her craft room is way tidier than mine!
I took one chocolate box and stuck the inside into the lid to strengthen it, then painted it with white gesso before painting it with Paper Artsy Fresco paints. I painted it with Ice Blue then sponged Beach Hut and South Pacific over the top.
I cut a piece of designer printed paper by Me and My Big Ideas to use for the background and adhered it to the box. The image was coloured with Promarkers and metallic pens (and now I see what I forgot, meant to add some gems to the crown - will have to do that and retake).
I found some ribbon sliders spelling celebrate and added them and their ribbon to the top of the frame. Quirky is stamped with an Inkadinkado stamp and heat embossed in gold. DoCrafts scrabble tiles spell out the words round the frame, and some shiny red mirror mosaic tiles are dotted inbetween them.
The die cut corner is a Spellbinders Heartfelt die, and the other corner features tiny buttons. I added real shells, tiny cork stoppered bottles of glittery stuff and some freebie metal charms, an odd peacock feather embellishement and an exercise book embellishment that I hand wrote in.
To finish it off I rubbed some Treasure Gold round the edge of the frame where the lid edge is.
Here it is from another angle, I made some changes to it from the original below (where you can still see wet glue)! I added two legs made from wooden beads, and I really thought it would stand up - it isn't standing without help! So, as I type, a third leg made from two beads is painted and drying, and I had to paint the back of the box today - now you can only see the embossed chocolate bars and make if you really look. I think I might have to decorate the back, all that blue space!
I added some gems to the crown, and drew some images on the stamps on the shelf, and added another little bottle, who knows what will appear on this next!
This is the chocolate box, the chocolates were a Christmas present from my hubby, he knows what I like!
Challenges entered:
Crafty Gals - #52 anything goes end of year bash and hop (5th Jan)
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Peace and love at Christmas
This is a Sizzix Bigz die and embossing folder combination, and I cut and embossed the dove with Cordinations paper, and sanded it to try it out. So it sat in my box of bits until now. The gorgeous paper it is on was some that I think I was given and I don't know who it is by, it has the same colour in it as the bird, and has faux stitching. The sentiments were cut with Xcut dies, and are covered in glue, I hope it eventually dried clear as it should. This was a really quick card to make.
I stamped the envelope with PaperArtsy stamps and coloured the images with Promarkers, getting inky finger prints on the envelope as you can see.
This stamp is from the same set, the envelope got creased when I carried it with me in case I needed one to give on Boxing day, and I nearly gave it away today - but forgot to take it with me!
I used the sentiment block from the same set inside, haven't taken a photo of that.
Challenges entered:
Friday, 25 December 2015
Don't eat yellow snow!
This card was for my hubby, he needs a laugh! The digi is from Dr Digi, it is coloured with Promarkers and die cut with Spellbinders dies. Paper is Dovecraft I think.
The ribbon is exclusive to Crafty Ribbons.
When I showed it to my parents they said it was lovely, I had to get them to look more closely at the image haha!
Inside is decorated too, and I printed off the sentiment.
Challenges entered:
Awards.
Ike's World - Santa is coming (28th Dec)
Oddball Art - Winter or Christmas (14th Jan)
Oh Christmas tree - not!
This evil snowman had a great idea, to spray Flossie the sheep green and decorate her as a Christmas tree! When I saw Flossie on another blog I had to go straight to Dr Digi and buy her, and I also bought the snowman. The spray can and light bulbs were freebies, and I snagged a few more freebies too. Lights are All Dressed Up, and I used Promarkers to colour my fun scene! Ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the layers are cut with Spellbinders, paper is Dovecraft.
It has been commented that Flossie is a strange zoo animal, and I would like to point out that the ABC DT examples included a shepherd holding a lamb! Also there are such things as petting zoos for children over here, I believe there is or was one at Longleat where you could find lambs to pet, then again Flossie could just be the Lion's dinner!
Challenges entered:
Sing loud!
Here is the card I made last night for my grandson. The first thing he did when he got to our house was sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas extremely loudly!
The little boy is a Molly Blooms stamp, "We Wish You..." is an Indigo Blu stamp, and "The Best Way...." is a Kaisercraft stamp. The verse is die cut with a Spellbinders speech bubble, the panels of paper are die cut with Spellbinders too, the spotty paper was a freebie and the music paper is from a Craftwork Cards pad. The image is coloured with Promarkers and Stickles Ice Diamond on the fluffy bits, and finally some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.
Can you tell what it is yet? By the way he said he liked the box best and played inside that for hours!
Challenges entered:
Monday, 21 December 2015
Catching up - Little Claire geese.
I've tried to stick to bought card blanks for speed, and to use them up. Also they come with envelopes so no scrabbling round to find the right one. I had this shaped card (that I had cut earlier) lurking on my desk and decided to use it. The stamped geese are a Little Claire stamp, and they were coloured with Promarkers and die cut with Spellbinders, as was the card blank and paper layers. Papers are DCWV I think. Ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. I think this is a special Christmas card, my favourite so far, and I will give it to my best friend for Christmas.
I have entered the following challenges:
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