Too Early for Christmas

Well I think the title says it all really, especially as we are in the middle of a heatwave! However it is inevitable, Christmas will be upon us before we know it and it really isn't ever too early to start preparing.
Over at Cardmadfairy the challenge is 'Too Early for Christmas' and we would love to see what you are all getting ready for Tinsel Time.
We are very pleased to have three new DT members who are all very talented crafters so there is an even bigger selection of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing! The prize this time is a full set of the new Christmas Digi images that Jenni has created.
My image this time is one of Jenni's new Christmas set which you can check out over here. The papers are a freebee set which came with  Cardmaking and Papercraft  magazine. I used a punch to make the felt snowflakes and added some glitter glue which I also put on the scarf and hat. As always I coloured the image with my trusty Promarkers and I added some Distress Ink round the image.
I will be entering the following challenges:
http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ Die cuts/ punches
http://ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com/ Distressing (round circle)
http://inkyimpressionschallenges.blogspot.com/ Die cuts/ punches
http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/ Anything goes
http://scrap-creations1.blogspot.com/ It's a Girl thing
http://www.4craftychicks.blogspot.com/ Anything goes
http://magicalmondaychallenge.blogspot.com/ Christmas in September
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Always anything goes

Layers

It's a beautiful afternoon here in the south of England and I really should take advantage and get out in the garden so I will have to keep this short and sweet. Our challenge over at Cardmadfairy this time is Lots of Layers. I love this image with her pretty party dress. She is called Chloe and she reminds me of my little girl when I had to leave her at parties and she went all shy and didn't want me to go, now she is happy to party 'til 3 in the morning! You can buy this image and all the other Cardmadfairy ones over here. I wanted to use her because her dress is layered, perfect for the challenge. I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!
The sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo. Some of the other DT members have used their images so there are a variety of cards to inspire you. The winner will be able to choose 7 digi stamps.

I am also entering these challenges:
http://www.papercraftstar.blogspot.com/ anything goes
http://rubysrainbow.blogspot.com/ for a girl
http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ vintage/shabby chic
http://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/ vintage/distressed
http://diecutdreams.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ always anything goes
http://cceestampers.blogspot.com/ pretty in pink include lace/doily
http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/ girlie girl

A Veritable Bouquet

Good morning All time for a new challenge at CardmadFairy and this time we are asking you to Add some  Flowers to your project. Not a hardship for most I think as they are a staple in the field of card decoration! 

I enjoyed looking at all the fab cards with buttons in the last challenge, it's so interesting to see all the different ideas and ways of using the same item.

This time the challenge is being sponsored by none other than the Cardmadfairy herself so a chance to win the new set of digi stamps which includes Imogen. Definitely worth a go!

The image I have used is one of the newest in the collection, her name is Imogen and she is really cute. I used a set of V&A papers to paper piece her dress and also for the other papers which I tore and then inked with distress ink . I used a two piece punch, one punch cuts and the other embosses, to make the blue flowers and also the orange one. I doodled the trailing leaves with a Jellyroll pen and used the flower cutouts from a Martha Stewart border punch to add some detail with some half pearls on top to match the larger flowers.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

http://bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.com/ flowers flowers flowers
http://citycrafter.blogspot.com/ all dressed up
http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/ anything goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ always anything goes
http://thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.com/ paper piecing
http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/ distressing and tearing
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/  dies and punches
http://digistamps4joy.blogspot.com/ handmade flowers
http://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/ border punch
http://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/  Autumn Colors and/or Favorite Embellishments(flowers)
http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/ handmade flowers
http://someoddgirl.blogspot.com/ paper piecing

Silk Scarf Painting for a change

I can't believe the summer holidays are nearly over and in one short week it will be time to go back to school again. I have tried to cram in lots of crafty things I was storing up but there is never enough time for it all. Especially when I spend far too much time checking out what other people have been up to on their blogs and don't leave enough for actually doing things myself!

Anyway years and years ago I gave my lovely MIL a kit for decorating her own silk scarf which at the time she was thrilled about but as it turns out not confident enough to actually have a go at. Recently she gave it back and asked if I would like to do it for her as she was worried she would spoil it. Well you don't have to ask me twice to have a go at anything crafty so I cleared a space and here is the result! Luckily the paints, which must be at least 5 years old, hadn't dried up and there were really clear instructions for mixing the different colours on the pack.

The instructions were really easy to follow and as there were several designs to choose from I opted for the one that wasn't too structured as I have a habit of not following rules or recipes too closely! 

After wetting the ready made scarf I twisted the fabric into lots of swirls and then it was just a case of applying the watery paint wherever I felt like it loosely following the instructions.

Choosing an abstract design meant there is no right or wrong!

When I was happy with the design I let it dry.

Then all I had to do was iron the scarf for 5 minutes and it was all done.

 I have to say I was thrilled with the results and so is MIL! There was only one problem however, I now have a whole bunch of silk scarf paint left over and an urge to make lots more. Luckily good old Ebay has a shop with ready made, ready to paint silk scarves. I have a feeling quite a few of my relatives can expect an exclusively  designed silk scarf in their stocking this Christmas!

Now a first, I am going to try joining in a link party. I have enjoyed looking at countless fabulous blogs with so many clever crafty ideas this time I decided to share too....I just need to work out how! 

I am linking up at 

http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/

http://simplydesigning.blogspot.com/

http://makingtheworldcuter.com/blog/

Birthday Buttons

Our new challenge at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days is Use Buttons. This time the challenge is sponsored by Hope Jacare find her Digi stamps here.

There is also a DT call so if you would like the chance to join a design team pop over and have a look.

We had some fantastic entries in the Summer Holidays challenge and I had great fun hopping round Blog land looking at them.

 My card this time was made with someone in mind, my beautiful daughter Emma is 23 this year which I find hard to believe. She sings in a band which they describe as Indie, funk, rock so you can see where I am coming from in my design! All three images are by Cardmadfairy. I coloured the images with her two favourite colours (purple and green) and peach. When I checked my button box to see if I had anything suitable I was really pleased to find one that fitted the bill exactly. Unfortunately when I started to put all the elements together I found the button just wouldn't fit into the overall design so I will have to save it for another occasion. I have added a picture of it so you can see how well it would have fitted in, ah well.

The music in the background is some wrapping paper I bought about 15 years ago when I first started making cards, I don't remember there being any of these fantastic designer papers around then, certainly if there were I wasn't aware of them. I remember using wallpaper and all sorts! The patterned paper is Basic Grey. The ribbon is a piece of trim I bought in London at MacCulloch&Wallis, a fabulous place to find haberdashery, and the heart buttons are from my local craft shop The Art of Craft   where I spend far too much money!

I would like to enter these challenges.

http://emeraldfaeries.blogspot.com/ birthdays

http://littlemissmuffetchallenges.blogspot.com/ multiple images

http://someoddgirl.blogspot.com/ complimentary colours (violet/yellow-green)

http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ anything goes

http://stampwithsarahkay.blogspot.com/ girlie

http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com -spots-stripes

http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ birthdays/celebrations

http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/ anything goes

http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ anything goes

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ always anything goes

Summer's here at last!

Morning All, thanks for stopping by. First week of the school holidays over already and finally the sun came out. I spent a few lovely days in Scotland with Jenni but couldn't stay long because my daughter Rachael and her friend are staying for the whole month working at the Edinburgh Festival. We spent a lovely day in Edinburgh with our younger sister Karen at the reopening of the Chamber Street Museum which was fantastic,well worth a visit. The only  disappointment was the fact that they have removed the fish tanks from the grand entrance which have always been there and are a memory from our many childhood visits. Also Jenni had donated some catfish which had become too big for her tank at home and we kind of want to know what happened to them. No-one seemed to know!

While I was there we had a chance to get out in the garden and that is what inspired my card this time. The summer holidays is our theme  over at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days, which is when I get to spend time in the garden enjoying all the flowers and hopefully butterflies, although there have not been so many of those this year.  We are sponsored this time by Sandra who is one of the DT and she has put together a prize of bits and pieces to add to your stash.

For my card I used two different Cardmadfairy images, the A4 sheet of dotty flowers and the butterfly. Isn't the butterfly fab? I wanted it to be the main focus of the card but the thing I love about digi stamps is you can make them any size you like. 

The patterned paper is from the new pad I recently bought but I only used a little so the card didn't look TOO busy! The plain papers are Basic Gray. The metal corners have been in my stash since the world began!
I would like to enter the following challenges.
http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/  butterflies
http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.com/ In the garden
http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://creativecraftchallenges2.blogspot.com/ summertime
http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.com/ summer
http://ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com/ things with wings
http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://stampwithsarahkay.blogspot.com/ summer
http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/ anything goes in August
http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/ anything goes

Oh so Girly

The new challenge at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days this fortnight is Oh So Girly. We are being sponsored this time by The Poodles Parlour. 
The last challenge  Add an Animal was very well supported and I had great fun looking at all the entries and visiting so many cool blogs. 
I really love this image as the dress reminds me of the kind we wore when we were young,so many years ago!! She also reminds me of my sister Jenni when she was little, I'm not sure if it was intended as a self portrait but that was what prompted me to use it and to give her red hair. I bought a new pack of papers and my first Martha Stewart punch  which I thought would really fit in with the girly theme. I love the butterflies and glitter and the chinzy flowers on the papers. I wanted to make the little blue butterflies  which I added to give a focus stand out from the card so I curled some acetate strips with my heat-gun and stuck them to it, it's a bit tricky to see from my poor photography but they actually stand about an inch from the card. The two branches in the foreground which are also a Cardmadfairy image were coloured to match the flowers in the backing paper to try to give a feel of the little girl being surrounded by flowers and butterflies.
I would also like to take part in the following challenges
http://diekreativenstempelfreunde.blogspot.com/ summer
http://kbchallenges.blogspot.com/ use a Digi
http://stampsfun-creativity.blogspot.com/ use a Digi
http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/ flowers
http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/ open
http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/ glitter (on backing paper and flowers)
http://craft-roomchallenge.blogspot.com/ butterflies
http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.com anything goes
http://littlemissmuffetchallenges.blogspot.com/ summer