vintage cottage swap on UKS...

sometimes...when i fancy doing something a little bit differento to my usual crafty style...i look for a suitable swap to join in on UKS...this one was hosted by Smelly who sent us all a cottage template and challenged us to make vintage style art withing the shape.

i love how they are all different...and all i need now is a bookcase to display them on! ;)

many thanks to all who took part...Gail S, Lou, Sarah {aka Smelly},Karen and the un~named cottage creator too!

can you tell which one i made???

12 days of Christmas swap...

its not a regular thing for me taking part in swaps...but over on UKS atm...i was tempted by the 12 days of Christmas swap...inspired by a project in Craft Stamper Magazine...designed by the fabulously talented Linda...

the idea is that 12 people make 12 thrinchies {3 inch squares} and decorate them, leaving the corners clear for attaching with jump rings...then when we swap...we end up with 12 different Christmas themed squares and it makes a lovely wall hanging for the festive season :0)



if you're wondering why i've made 9 turquoise and silver thrinchies...its because some of the people have requested specific colour schemes {including me!}

this red, green and gold is my chosen colourway...

this totally golden one was just for fun...

...and this black and gold colourway was chosen by another swapee...i hope she likes it!

the more observant of you will have noticed my absence and may like to know that i fell down a rather nasty poorly hole last week...but i'm doing much better this week...hope its a good one for you too...

woyww?

welcome to all followers of the good lady julia ...here is my wednesday confession...more push it back...pile it high...and if necessary...paint over it, i'm afraid...but that is just the way i've always done things!

as you can see...i'm making a start on christmas...in fact i'm taking part in a swap...so i won't be showing you the finished articles...not yet anyway!

thanks for stopping by...i hope you like what you see...and maybe you'll even feel moved to say hello!

back with another challenge!

so here i am again...with another challenge entry for the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog...and this week's theme is layers...the more the better...and here is what i've created:

using a bingo clipboard as my base, i've layered one sheet of pp, some bazil cardstock and a photo i absolutely love, of my sister and BIL on the way home from a fabulous tennis party {hence the shorts}...see how the light catches the sunflowers...and his pint of beer...and they are all laden with presents :0) love it!




over the photo & mats, i've layered an enormous chipboard flower that i got from Bee Crafty...and coloured with Distress Inks...on top of that is a huge plastic flower that came from a QVC scrapping kit yonks ago...and then on top of that...joy of joys...i have discovered that Nestie dies will cut grungepaper!!! how did i not know this before...now i have a thousand more reasons to play with both these wonderful toys!! the grungepaper is also coloured with distress ink...and layered over two layers of Sizziz die~cuts of branches and leaves...coloured...well...you can probably guess ;0)...and layered again with some purple plastic flowers topped with brads!

on the right hand~side, i've tried to use up all the bits i cut off the die~cuts on the other side...and created a flower from pp dipped in the melt pot to create a thick and super shiny base...then stippled alot of gold perfect pearls in the centre...and sprinkled with black/brown glitter...all was looking dandy until i lost patience waiting for the pearls to dry and tried to brush off excess glitter a little heavy handedly...so i've lost the seed effect in the middle of the flower...bummer...but i guess i'll make another one tomorrow...when i'm over the fact that i cocked up the first time!! lol

so there you have it...to hang it i've cropadiled through the whole thing on both sides and tied a toning ribbon :0)

if you want to play along and make a multi~layered creation too...and maybe win yourself a stamping prize to boot...check out all the details here!

happy today...

Oh happy day...

...today is the day that my family move in just near us...and i could not be happier!! :0)

in honour of their arrival...and instead of a *new home* card...i've altered them a tin and decorated it with the name of their new home...in the vintage style they love:

i've used a Wild Asparagus kit that i won at our local crop aeons ago...and added in some lace, a little bit of bling and a couple of grungey newspaper roses...it is Rose Villa afterall ;0)

...as with all cake tins...the good bit comes when you take the lid off...lol...i've made their favourite flapjacks and lemon buns...you know you've arrived when you have your first tea~party, right?

ok, i'm off to check the place out...and put the kettle on...bye for now xxx

scrapping with Shimelle...

...so here is the first of my LO's based on Shimelle's sketches and prompts in the Love your pictures, Love your pages class....

...the photos were taken during this year's Valentines' Weekend...which was christened *the love weekend* in our house!

...again its all made using scraps of pp...which was Shimelle's idea...to use up all those strips that accumulate in the scrap bag, and i've managed to get in some eyelets...so old letter stickers by Basic Grey, and a couple of grungepaper flowers left over from a previous project!

after abandoning you for most of the week...

...because i got totally carried away crafting and preparing for the monthly crop class...i have alot of things to share today :0) I'll start with the final version of my Corfe Castle LO:

I produced a sketch of it, and full instructions {which no~one ever reads lol}...and the rest of my fellow scrappers all produced stunning scraplifts...each with its own little twists and changes...each looking so different from the original...and i think everyone was rather chuffed with them! And as if by magic...I have them here to show you:

wendy and rosie wanted to show themselves as well as their work ;0) well...rosie only wanted to show her eyes really!!

Most of the gang were away this week {for various reasons}...and we missed them...but actually...i quite like a little group...its quieter {so i don't get tired so quickly}...and i get to talk to everyone...apart from crafting...and chocolate...chatting is my next favourite thing! ;0)

Thanks to all the girls, for thier great work and enthusiasm...for thier giggles...and for sharing the chocolate orange! lol

This scraplift was only half of this month's class...but with this many photos...i think i'll wait until tomorrow to show you the other half...

in the grungey~groove...

after months of putting it off...for no real reason i'm aware of...i've finally had myself a little go at the grungepaper flowers everyone is madly making...and oh boy...are they seriously addicting little beauties to make!!! ;0) trust me...there will be more!!!

this is my version of the rose that is so popular atm...i've not got the official Tim die...{yet!}...so i cut mine using the Hello Kitty Daisy die...and added a couple of extra layers as the petals are longer and thinner...but i really like the full blooming effect...once i'd cut the shapes...i embossed them using the swirly Cuttlebug folder and inked them with distress inks...then sprayed them with the two~tone Moonglow mica powders and sealed them...i then cut and curled the shapes and assembled with glue and pegs...once they were dry i sprayed them again with Moonglow...sprinkled crystal glitter on them...and sealed them again...i was having so much fun i could have played all day!


this large daisy flower is one i really like...its so open and pretty...and easily flat enough for a LO or a card...i would really keep the roses more for gift wrap or projects like this.
see how i've sprayed the Moonglow and the glitter over the brad too? its tricky to photograph as its soo glittery and shiny...but it really settles well on the metal and has a sort of mottled and very naturalistic effect...

my final attempt {for today...} is a flower which takes up Shimelle's Something from almost nothing challenge...to use up mismatched brads...as you can see...i've clustered them in the middle of the flower and then sprayed them to bring the colours closer together...i've used 18 brads in all on this flower...but it would look super cute with 3 or 5 in the middle if you are a less is more kind of crafter!! lol

ok...off to find out the next challenge...and to clean the loo!

have a crafty day xx