Anyone for Coffee?

Evening Everyone,
Hasn't it been cold today, much more like Autumn than Spring!
I've had a spot of babysitting to do this evening so I'm afraid even my half finished card didn't get a look in, let alone any commenting.
I am teaching at Davina's tomorrow afternoon which is always good fun, and it will be right up at least one persons street as we will be using Coffee in class and not just to drink lol.

 Once again we will be making a tag to add to their book as well as a card, or maybe two.

The panel on both the card and tag has been made using a lovely stamp set from Woodware. I stamped and embossed in brown on the card and then spritzed with coffee to create the background.

 The peacock has been coloured using Distress inks, and I decided to do a little decoupage.

The area around the bird has been painted with undiluted bleach to remove some of the coffee colour.
I will have to get the instructions for the back of the tag finished tomorrow. It's hard to write anything that make any sense when you have one eye on Ice Age the Movie.
Hugs Kimx

Is it a Birthday or a Christmas card?

Evening Everyone
I hope you have had a good day.
Why is it that I always start off with the intention of dropping in on my wonderful blogging buddies, and then I get carried away with my card making, and here we are with another late post and no commenting done!!
I would say that I will try and do better but I just know that I will fall at the first hurdle, the half finished card on my desk will draw me in and I will be lost to my craft room once again lol.

I'm not sure whether my card tonight should be classed as a card for a Winter Birthday, or a Christmas Card.
Perhaps with a well placed sentiment it could be used for either.
I found the central panel in my bits box when I was searching for inspiration for our current challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers. This is to choose 3 from a list of 6 techniques to use on your project.
As one of them is masking you see why this panel was among the possibilities for my card.

The image has been stamped and embossed onto a piece of background paper made using the Faux Mother of Pearl technique.
I added a masked moon to the background before I applied my dye based ink.

All the other papers are from my stash, and I used the sketch at CLP Challenges for my layout.

I think the pine branch at the bottom of the card is what gives it it's Christmassy feel.

I must confess to a bit of a double take when I opened the door this morning, but fortunately our 'Snow' is distinctly pink and floral (Cherry Blossom) unlike the poor souls in Devon and Cornwall who woke to the real thing according to the papers.
Better stop now. I will get around to all of your wonderful blogs, but as I still have to finish my class prep for Saturday, I doubt it will be tomorrow. You see I'm a lost cause already :O)
Night night.
Hugs Kimx

On Your Wedding Day

Evening Everyone,
Well I survived my first day back at work, and without a Granny Nap as well. I even managed to finish off a couple of things on my desk, this can't continue lol.
The house has been very quiet this evening as the family have gone to a Wedding reception.

I made this card for the happy couple, I hope that they like it.
The image is a Lili of the Valley die cut, one of my favourites for a Wedding card.
I have used a Martha Stewart punch around the page to create a border for the card and then matched it to a background paper from my stash.

 The flowers are made using Spellbinders dies and card stock.

I added a DooHickey die cut tag and heart as well as a Lili of the Valley sentiment.
Yes Gill I did have to make a box for it,but I hope that it is something that they will treasure.
I still have all my Wedding cards in a box, along with a telegram that arrived on the day, something for the History books given that they don't exist any more lol.
Oh boy look at the time, better get to bed.
hugs Kimx

It's a Basic (Grey) Matching Set

Evening Everyone.
What a miserable day it has been, definitely good crafting weather, no excuses to go outside in the wet.
I feel that I have had a very productive couple of days, which is just as well as my new parcel from Barbara has just arrived so I will have to get my thinking cap on.
I even managed to get several Christmas cards made, which I am very pleased about.
The challenge this week at The Friday Mashup has been 'It's a Matching Set'.
Amy, the host,  has devised a little tutorial showing how to create a set of cards out of 4 matching pieces of background paper.

The background on my card tonight has been made following this.
I selected my papers from 3 Basic Grey 6x6 paper pads - Archaic, Matifica (I think that is what it says I need a magnifying glass to read it really!) and Basic Kraft, since the challenge over at Basic Grey Challenges is Mix and Match

I picked one of my Lili of the Valley die cuts, Nesties and Kraft card stock to complete the card.

I added a punched border and one of my lovely new flowers which finally arrived from The Ribbon Girl.
The parcel was delivered on time, just to the wrong address!!! But I have to say that it was well worth the wait as the flowers are gorgeous.

I decided that I would use the other background panels to make a couple more 'Kids Cards' for my stash.
We seem to be starting the round of birthday parties so I am sure that they will come in handy.
I didn't get the chance to finish them all off but I have most of the elements ready as you can see.
Back to the grind tomorrow, so I really ought to get some sleep.
I can see a Granny nap will be in order tomorrow. It's amazing how tired a couple of days off can make you lol.
hugs Kimx

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 91 Choose Three Different Techniques

Evening Everyone
It's the start of another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers .
I had intended posting this so much earlier, but Grandchildren duties took over and I am as late with it as ever.
Our host is Sharon who has asked to see 3 different techniques on your card or project. 
Take your pick of 3 from the following list and be sure to state which 3 you've used:

• Embossing (wet or dry)
• Distressing
• Masking
• Making your own flowers
• Paper piecing/patchwork
• Shrink plastic

We are sponsored this time by Milk Coffee Digital Stamps with a prize of 5 digis from their store, and SirStampalot with a fabulous new Fran-tage Mica Fragments kit from Stampendous.

 For my card I chose to use a selection of stamps available from SirStampalot and some MASKING.

The central masked panel looks much more complicated than it actually is.
I learnt this particular technique from the lovely Barbara Gray, and I'm sure that it is on one of her DVD's except I'm not sure which one.

My second chosen technique is DRY EMBOSSING.
Of course heat embossing crept in there as well, always my favourite thing to do with my stamps.

My third technique is MAKE YOUR OWN FLOWERS.
I used a lovely Spellbinders set, Chrysanthemums I think.

The tiny leaves are the left overs from the punched border across the middle of the card.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges

Crafty Calenders - Blooms and Blossoms

Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes

My Sheri Crafts - Flower Power

I hope that you will feel inspired to join us HERE, but please don't forget to follow the rules or I'm afraid we will have to delete you, and we don't want to do that lol.

I have one final day off tomorrow, and no babysitting duties, so I hope to get a few more cards finished. 

You never know I might even manage a Christmas card or two. I confess I have been very lax so far this year, and I did so well up to this time last year.

Off to bed now, night night.

Hugs Kimx

Finally a card for the Woodware Sketch

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had a lovely weekend, despite the weather.
I have managed to finish several cards, including a couple for Kids party emergencies lol.
I even managed to make a card for the Woodware Sketch Challenge.
I feel that I have been woefully neglecting these challenges over the last couple of weeks, a situation that I intend to rectify.

I have been trying to use up some of the previously made pieces from my 'bits box'.

The main panel has been made from a piece of copy paper that I had in the bottom of my 'Spray Booth'. It is mostly covered in Glimmer Mists, but there is probably some dye based Adirondack sprays in there as well.
You see crafters never waste anything.
I painted the sky with undiluted bleach and added some Paper Pieced leaves.

The sentiment is from a Woodware clear set designed by Jane Gill and I have stamped the gingham background with an Artemio swirl stamp.

The buttons are also from Woodware, and I have added some tiny white dots with a Gelly Roll glaze pen.
The sketch challenge runs for the whole of May so you still have plenty of time to join in, and don't forget to drop by tomorrow to see what the new weekly challenge is.
Hugs Kimx

Schools Out

Evening Everyone
Well today has definitely been crafting weather, it has been pouring with rain here.
I have been busy with some DT work for Monday so fortunately I had a 'Girly' card in my box for Saskia, my youngest Granddaughter, to take to a party today.
My Grandson Reece also has a party to go to tomorrow so I had time to make this for him to give to his friend Daniel.

The main image is one of my Lili of the Valley die cuts, and I made a piece of background paper following the tuitorial by the lovely  Crafty Lou over at Lili of the Valley.

The grass was cut from cardstock using a DooHickey die.

I added peel-off letters to the flags which were also cut using a DooHickey die.
I would like to enter this into the challenge over at Allsorts where they are looking for 'Any Sport'.
Also at TTT Challenges Schools out for Summer so they are looking for Kids themed projects.
I think I had better get a few more 'Kids' cards made as I can see that we are starting the round of birthday parties. In fact I think I might go and finish one right now, after all it is Sunday tomorrow and I can have a lie in.
Night, night.
Hugs Kimx