"Secret Garden"... 4x4 Friday and TGIF

I think most women love flowers and gardens so here is my entry for the challenge "women" at "TGIF"
...and as it is a 4x4 and laid down onto board I would also like to enter it into "4x4 Friday"
I glued some scrunched up tissue onto board and when it was dry I gold embossed and added micro beads. I then built up my images with lots of pieces of torn paper. I finally added touches of inks here and there.
I had a job taking a pic so sorry its at an angle... please click on it for a bit of a closer look.
I hope you enjoy walking around my "Secret Garden" !

"Metal" Card !

"Layers of Colour" have set the challenge "Metal" this week.
So here's what I've come up with....the frame was made on the Keepsake "majestic" board by pressing "air-drying" clay into the grooves and then removing it. After cutting round the shape and leaving to dry I silver embossed it.
The net was stapled to the centre of a cuttlebugged silver card before adding the frame. I used foiled card for the stamped corner pieces.
Hope you like this one...!

Puzzle Book !

I made this a while ago and usually it is swinging from my handbag or hanging on the wall above my craft table.
I thought someone may like to make a similar mini scrapbook.
(I used pieces from my grandson's outgrown jigsaw for this one.)
Paint each of the pieces and then add little photos, words and stickers etc.
Make a hole in each of your pieces and thread onto a bookring.... add some fibres and you have a tiny scrapbook.
I'm entering this for the challenge on "This Thursday Its All About" as their theme this week is "Puzzle"
Hope you like it !

"Summer" ATC

"Arty Girlz" challenge this week is "Summer" so I've made a little ATC for my entry.
I think I may have gone a bit over the top with the fibres but they are such lovely cheerful colours that I couldn't resist going a bit mad...Lol !
Hope you like it !

Card and Matching Bookmark

Here is a card I have made (and designed !) which holds a bookmark as a gift.


Here are the card and bookmark shown separately. This is the first time I have tried to make a card like this so I am entering it in the "Created By Hand " challenge which is to try something new.
I would also like to enter this in the "Daring Cardmakers" challenge which asked us to add something extra to match our cards.
If you want to copy this you will need to put the ribbon slightly to the right on the front of your card so that the bookmark sits under it evenly...also dont put the brads in the ribbon too tight so that if you give the bookmark a slight twist the brads hold it in place on the front of the card.
I hope you like this idea !

Award ...!

I would like to thank the lovely Cynthia...who you may also know as Rainbow Lady.. for giving me the "I love Your Blog" award It has taken me quite a while to get to grips with putting the logo on here but I've finally managed it !
The rules are...
1.The winner can put the logo on her blog
2.Link to the person who gave you the award
3.Nominate 7 or more other blogs
4.Put links of those blogs on yours
5.Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.
I would like to nominate the people who I visit all the time...they are on my "Real Favs" list because I do indeed love their blogs !

I removed this to edit it as Faye very kindly also nominated me for this award. Thank you Faye....it means a lot to know that you are so supportive.
As most of you know , I struggle with computers so apologies for taking so long to say my thank yous. x

Transport.....?

This is my piece for "Rainbow Lady's" challege which this week is "transport"
I must say this pic took me back to my childhood (what a good memory...Lol) when we used to make little carts out of boxes and pram wheels. It wasn't until we were bombing it halfway down a hill that we remembered we were supposed to have a brake !
Happy Days.....!

Hope you like it !

Tick Tock.....

Here is my ATC for "Think Monday Think ATC" This weeks theme is "Tick Tock" so I have tried to do an ATC with a gold pocket watch on it. I stamped into several layers of heated gold embossing powder and then embedded the chain and T-bar. I put some mini beads around the edge.
I hope you like it ....!

"Punch" Tag

Here is my tag for "Tag You're It" which has challenged us to make a tag with punch art on it .
I've just gone for a simple look for this one.
I hope you like what I've done!

"Rose" Card for "Layers of Colour"

Here is my piece for the challenge at "Layers of Colour" which is "Rose"
The centre stamp is from the Layers of Colour range designed by Laura.
I hope you like what I've made with it!

This Thursday Its all About....Bling ...!

The challenge for "This Thursday its all About..." is "Bling"
Here is my card entry ...using the Majestic Keepsake board again.
Hope you like it !

(...hope my friend Chris likes it too because it's for her birthday on Sunday!)

Ribbon,Flower and Buttons Card !

"My Time To Craft" have set the challenge to make something which includes a piece of ribbon...a flower...and two buttons...so here is my effort (a card) for the challenge.
I am also entering it in the "Lots To Do" challenge as theirs is "Recycle "
So what bit is recycled then ...Lol.....?
It's the silver embossed centre.....!
I used a silver foil lid ...the type used on take-aways...and put it through my Bigshot using a Cuttlebug folder. I do hasten to add it wasn't a used lid !!!( I got a mound of lids from my local "Scrapstore" )
I twisted the ribbon and glued it with photoglue( as I've found this glue doesnt seep through the ribbon).
I enjoyed making this so I hope you like it !

4x4 Friday......Statues !

This weeks challenge from "4x4 Friday" is "statues" so here is my piece for the challenge.
(Sorry I haven't managed a very clear pic.)
I have no idea what the words are all about but it was on the base of the statue so I cut it out and put it on my 4x4. If anyone knows anything I would be interested to hear ...ta !
Anyway I hope you can make out what I've done!

Christmas Tag in August !

This Tag Card was first aired on my blog back on 24th July when I made it for another challenge but I thought it was worth airing again so that anyone making their cards can copy it if they like it. I used Brenda Pinnick for it...the same as I have on the new one below for the" Tag You're it" challenge



The challenge on "Tag You're It" this week is to make a christmas tag so I thought I would make one with slightly less traditional colours to give it a more modern feel.
I will probably mount this on to a card after the challenge.... I raided my Brenda Pinnick stash for this one again!
Hope you like it !

Colour Is My Obsession....!

Colour really is an obsession with me so I enjoyed this challenge for "This Thursday its all about...." The challenge is based on words attributed to Monet
The hand I've used is courtesy of "The Graphics Fairy"...although I did cut off the rose the hand was holding and put the brush in it instead.
I hope you like my take on this one.

Marie Antoinette

Here is my piece for this weeks challenge at "Theme Thursday"
.....which is "Marie Antoinette"
Hope you like it !

No Patterned Paper ...!

"ArtyGirlz" challenge this week is "no patterned paper"....aaaahhhh ... I had to put my thinking cap on for this one !
I swooshed a piece of card with inks...then stamped tiny flowers and painted them with acrylics.
Next I added the image and a small diecut sprig of flowers...
and finally...because I thought this beautiful woman looked as if she was daydreaming, I added the word "Dream"
I hope you like it !

"Cats" Accordion Book....

This is an accordion book I have made for the challenge "Cats" at "My Time To Craft" This is the inside shown open....sorry the pics are so wishy washy...you will have to believe me that it looks a bit more colourful in "real" life !

Above is the front cover

Inside pages 1, 2, 3 and 4


The book was made using Kay and Co papers using one sheet of 12"x12" and some extra flowers were cut from a second sheet to use for collage and to give a scrapbooking effect.
I hope you like this one ...!

Journey...

Here is my piece for the "Created By Hand" challenge which is "Journey".
Not a very good pic I'm afraid but I hope you like it anyway !

Tag...Faux Postage

Here is my tag for "Tag You're It" which this week has the theme 'faux postage' I used my "faux stamp" for the background and took it from there...
Hope you like it.

I stamped the background with a "Faux Postage" rubber stamp, then added the miniature postcard and trimmed it. The corner of the NZ stamp was tucked under the postcard. I added the main postage stamp and the word "discover" and finally I added the buttonbrad and ribbon.

Ribbon Card

Here is an idea which uses up all those precious little scraps of ribbon.
If you have odd buttons or brads etc they can be used on the cross overs (as can any sentiments)to make a simple little card, ATC or tag.
I would like to enter it in the challenge at "This Thursday its all about..." which this week is "bowdacious....ribbons and bows"
I hope you like this idea and enjoy trying it !

Smile....I've gone Dotty ....!

Rainbow Lady's challenge this week is to make a piece using stripes and dots....and add the word "smile" or "be happy"......or both. So I swooshed some inky stripes and then added some inky dots...(using the rubber end of a pencil...) then added the ribbon and words.
It was nice to experiment with something different....!

Earth Tones...TGIF

This week the challenge on TGIF is earth tones.
Here is the piece I've done for it.
Hope you like !

Theme Thursday....

Theme Thursday have chosen statuary (or stonework)for this weeks challenge.
The only thing I could find that even came close to anything "statues" was this postage stamp with King Tut on.....so I hope I can scrape by with this one!
I took the pic at an angle so the words on the stamp are clear enough to read.
(The background (rubber) stamps are from Judikins artifacts cube.)
Hope you like !

Lime, Teal and Black...!

Here's my tag for this weeks "Tag You're It" challenge.
Its as close as I could get to lime and teal....
so I hope you like it !

Dans ma Maison il y a...La Mer

Here is my piece for Dans Ma Maison...which this week is The Sea.

I'm afraid the pic is a bit blurred but hopefully you will like it anyway !

"Vintage" Accordion Book..."children"

I have made this book based on a 12"x12" sheet of scrapbook paper folded in half and then accordion pleated.
I would like to enter it in the "Layers of Colour" challenge(children)
and the "Artygirlz" challenge (vintage)
Its a while since I made a book so I hope you like it !

The words on the tag in the first pocket say.....
"Children come into the world with fresh eyes
to see all that is beautiful,
embrace all that is joyful,
and love unconditionally
with open hearts and minds."

I've Been Tagged !!!

The lovely Dawn at " http://dawnscrafttime.blogspot.com/ " has tagged me !
It is a random tag and here are the rules....
1.Link to the person who "tagged" you.
2.Post the rules on your blog.
3.Write six random things about yourself.
4.Tag six people at the end of your post.
5.Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6.Let the tagger know your entry is posted on your blog.

So....here are six things about myself....
1. I have a gorgeous little cat called Portia who rules the place.
2. I hate, loathe and detest ironing.
3. I own just about every kitchen gadget known to man.
4. I own a wardrobe full of clothes two sizes too small which I am going to fit into "one day"
5. I would love to drive a racing car to see what its like to go at a "ton plus" !
6. I spent over 30 years looking for my sister and 18 months ago I finally found her ....so...no matter what your hopes and dreams are....never let go....and never give up x

I would like to tag...Annette (Voodoo Vixen),Beryl,Cafegirl 17, Cynthia (Rainbow lady),Faye and Rosie(altered tart) because they are all so kewl x

Cuttlebug Tip ....!

Here is a way of having two tone paper when embossing with your Cuttlebug.

Using a brayer,roll ink (I used pigment ink) over the debossed (indented) side on the inside of your Cuttlebug folder. Place cardstock inside as normal and put through your Cuttlebug as usual. Hey presto...and its done !
Ink can be cleaned off your folder, after use, with baby wipes.
(This doesn't seem to work very well if you don't use a brayer)
Hope you like this tip....if you do I'll post a few more...!

I am wondering what black card would look like if I use versamark ink and emboss it in gold....I may have another play later......

Tag....Wings.....Twirls and Swirls........!

Here is a tag made with the lovely fairy stamps that I "won" from "Tag You're It" I'm so glad my name came out of the hat for these as they are really cute. I thought I'd have a play with some acetate for a change so here is what I came up with. (I've used my own swirls for the corners) The acetate is held by the butterfly and the ribbon. There's only one snag with laying acetate over glitter card....the glitter scratches the ink off if you aren't careful!!! (so thats something else I've learned then ...Lol !)
Well I hope you like this one....!

I would like to enter this for Rainbow Lady's challenge (swirls)....
Theme Thursday (Tags)....
and...This week It's All About...(wings)