Followers

Saturday 16 December 2017

Last minute Christmas/CAS Christmas - Sweet Stampin'

Good morning all?

Need some ideas for last-minute Christmas cards because you joined me in procrastinating all year and are now woefully behind?
Then this fortnight's challenge over at Sweet Stampin' is the one for you! we've all prepared you some Last minute Christmas card ideas, and gathered them up over at the sweet Stampin' blog.
Maybe you have some good last minute or CAS Christmas card ideas too? If so, come and share them with us!

I came up with two very different designs (and made many of each, because as I said - I left it all waaaaay too late!)



I'm loving the blackboard-style stamp from LOTV, and it goes so well with the lovely traditional papers.

I did some more heat embossing for my next card, but went in a whole different direction:


There's something about heat embossed gold that just screams "Christmas", I think...


Over to you! Please come and share your ideas over on the blog. we'll be running this challenge for two weeks while we all take a much needed break for Christmas. All will be back to our regular schedule in January.

Have a great weekend!

Sammy-x

Friday 1 December 2017

December Challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Hello again,

I'm back with the second challenge starting today... It is of course the December Challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit, and this time I may actually have managed to put together something Christmas themed!


I started with a cheap frame from the pound shop (which cost, oddly enough, one pound), and grabbed some Christmas supplies and had fun!


I started by heat embossing a Christmas text stamp with gold embossing powder for the background, then embellished with a Marianne designs die (cut and layered several times for dimension) and a whole heap of embellishments from last year's December Craft Box. And a bauble rescued from the box of decorations!
The frame itself I textured, painted and roughly edged with a gold leafing pen.


Quite a change from this, isn't it?


So, that's what I did... How about you? I hope you'll come and share your makes with us at Rhedd's (just remember, no cards please!), and while you're at it, please do check out the lovely goodies the rest of the team made.

Have an awesomesauce weekend!

Sammy-x

December challenge - Altered Eclectics

Good morning all,

Is it really December already? I have to admit, I'm sooooo not ready for it to be! Not only am I woefully unprepared for Christmas, but it's my daughter's 18th birthday next week, which I am even less ready for! I'm sure she was my adorable toddler (yes, she really was adorable as a toddler. this mythical creature really does exist) only a year or two ago...

Anyways, onwards to the new challenge starting at Altered Eclectics today, where the team has some gorgeous inspiration lined up for you.

I took an old soap dish/towel holder, which had a gorgeous Parisian shabby chic look, but was unfortunately quite chipped and damaged. It was another item I rescued from being thrown away at the charity shop I volunteer for, and I had the perfect idea of what to do with it.

You see, if have one of those pesky teenage boy creatures at home. You know, the kind that leaves their school and karate bags lying on the stairs for people to trip up over... They're also for ever misplacing their keys. so I thought a dedicated hanger in the hallway for these items would be both useful for him, and would save a broken neck or two in the future to boot.

Naturally, it needed to be suitable for said boy, so in the end it turned out something like this:


Some gears from Fernli designs, and some Finnabair rust paste were used, as well as some tissue paper and bronze and dark brown paints.
I love how the texture has come out, especially after working the darker paint into the cracks and crevices.



Luckily it went over really well, and the teenage trouble-causer no longer leaves his stuff on the stairs. Result!

Now it's your turn! We look forward to seeing your altered art over at Altered Eclectics over the next couple of months (this challenge will run for two months, to give the DT some time off for good behavious!)

Back in a minute!

Sammy-x

Saturday 25 November 2017

Your favourite Christmas colour - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all!

So, we need to know... What is your favourite Christmas colour?
Myself and my fellow sweeties have made up some inspiration for you over at Sweet Stampin', and I went with... The non-traditional colours of lilac and mint! I find red and green boring, and despite the fact I use gold a lot in crafting, I actually don't like it at all, so the non-traditional approach definitely works for me :)

Naturally, thar be LotV...


Apologies if the colours haven't come out as strongly as I'd like. I seem to have a devil of a time photographing anything that has any shade of purple in it. Wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't my favourite colour! lol.

Your turn! come and share your favourite Christmas colours with us!

Have an awesomesauce weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 18 November 2017

It's our birthday!! - Sweet stampin'

Morning all,

It's not my week over at Sweet Stampin', but I just had to play along, seeing as how this is our eighth birthday! The theme - unsurprisingly - is birthdays, and we hope you'll come celebrate with us!

So here's my contribution... a birthday card I made for a very musical friend (who is a little older than 8, lol).



It's very CAS, but he likes that kind of thing, lol.

Now it's over to you, but don't forget to come and see what my fellow Sweeties have made for you this week!

Have a great weekend,

Sammy-x

Wednesday 15 November 2017

November tutorial - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Morning all,

It's my turn to host the mid-month tutorial over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month.

My tutorial for this plaque should be going live right about now:


Hope to see you there!

Have a great day!

Sammy-x

Saturday 11 November 2017

Babies - Sweet Stampin'

Hi all,

Saturday again, which means a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin', and this week we're looking for your baby themed projects.

I dug out a LotV stamp and papers, and played with them:


Such a cute stamp, isn't it? The sentiment is also LotV, and it was a great excuse to use a few cute buttons.

Over to you, we're looking forward to seeing your baby themed creations!

Have an awesomesauce weekend!

Sammy-x

Wednesday 1 November 2017

November challenge - Altered Eclectics

And hello again!

My second post this morning, because we also have a new challenge starting over at Altered Eclectics! (I'm trying very hard not to think of the fact that it's November already, because I'm sooooooo not ready for it to be!)

I had a wee play with a small MDF "canvas". It's just under 12cm square, and really lovely to work on.

Many, many Craft Box goodies were used, as well as a Tim Holtz sentiment, and a butterfly brooch rescued from an unceremonious dumping in the bin at work!



I'm going out tomorrow to try to find new light bulbs, because they only seem to sell very yellow ones locally, and they're not conducive to crisp, white photo taking! Wish I could use LED bulbs, because the light tends to be very clean, but they also give me a terrible headache. Oh well, can't win 'em all ;)

Well, that's it from me for today. There's lots more gorgeous goodies waiting over on the DT blog however, so please do go take a peek.

Have a most fantabulous day!

Sammy-x

November challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Gooooood morning everyone!

It's November, and my turn to host the challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit! This means that besides the project I have prepared for this month, I have also got a mid-month tutorial lined up for you. Come on back on the 15th, and you'll see how I made this:


The "this" in question is one of the loooovely mdf plaques from Inkylicious. I may or may not have picked up a few at a craft fair recently...

For more details, check the blog at Rhedd's on the 15th. in the meantime, please do go take a peek at what my fellow teamies have made, and then come and play with us. Remember anything altered art or mixed media goes, but no cards please!

Back in a moment with another post...

Sammy-x

Saturday 28 October 2017

Bears - Sweet Stampin'

Good morning bloggers!

It's new challenge time at Sweet stampin', and our challenge this week is bears.
This can of course only mean one thing! you guessed it; James!

And it's also a good excuse to get cracking on those Christmas cards!


James is of course paired with LotV papers, and there's a Tim Holtz sentiment in there too... I tried to keep the card as flat as possible, as our local post office has closed, so it's a real struggle to post things that don't go in a regular envelope!

That's it from me. Go see what my fellow Sweeties have prepared, and then why not come and play?

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

Sunday 1 October 2017

October challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Hello again everyone,

It's time for our October challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit! As always, anything altered art or mixed media goes (no cards please!)

I'm very fond of my make for this month, and it's going up on the wall right next to another steampunk canvas I did a little while ago!


The picture doesn't show it very well, but the background is a bronze tone (A 13 Arts paint I got in a Craft Box mixed media box) , while the different elements are all highlighted with gold (from my Rustoleum gold leafing pen. I am in love with that thing!).


The penny farthing is a gorgeous piece from Fernli Designs, as are about half of the gears. the other half and the rest of the embellishments are from Craft Box. I am hopelessly in love with the clock stencil in the background (got that from craft Box too), and a little bit of Distress ink really made it pop!


I had so much fun doing this canvas, and just love the way it came out. hubby loves it too, so it's definitely going up in our living room!



I hope you'll check out the gorgeous work done by me fellow teamies, and then come and play with us!

Have a most fantabulous day!

Sammy-x

challenges: 

I'd like to enter this canvas in the current challenge at A Vintage Journey.

I'd also like to enter the heavy metal challenge at Simon Says Stamp 

October challenge - Altered Eclectics

Morning all!

Time for our October challenge over at Altered Eclectics!

I did a canvas, which is a little different from my usual...


I decided I really needed to do something with some of the 250000 buttons I have, especially the ones that aren't nice enough to use on a card or anything where they'll be too visible... so I decided to use them here, paint over them, and then highlight with silver (for which I used a Rustoleum silver leafing pen). apart from the buttons, all the embellishments came from Craft Box. Did you know that aside from the normal box (charms, papers, embellishments and more), Craft Box now also do a mixed media box? I've had all three of them so far, and they're packed with awesome stuff, like the brilliant art stones I used here.

So, that's mine, now do yourselves a favour and go take a peek at what the rest of the team have made! after that, why not come and play with us?

Back in just a minute with another post, but until then, hope you're enjoying your day!

Sammy-x

Saturday 30 September 2017

Autumn - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all!

Another Saturday, another challenge over at Sweet Stampin'. And this week we're looking for your autumn creations.

I fear I'm turning into a bit of a broken record, because just about every one of my autumn makes usually involves a lot of red and one or more of the Tim Holtz blueprint stamps.

This time is no exception...


Had some fun with my Distress inks and some stencils, and of course a Tim Holtz sentiment sticker to finish it off.

I hope you'll come and join us, we look forward to seeing your makes!

Have a great weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 16 September 2017

Your favourite stamp - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all,

A super easy challenge for you all over at Sweet Stampin'... this week we'd like for you to use your favourite stamp.

The hardest part is going to be choosing which stamp that is!

My favourites for over a year now, have been a series of three stamps from Inklylicious. You've no doubt seen them used on my blog many times since then.

I made a card with one of them


Definitely one of my favourites, though I'm rather in love with her sisters too!

Your turn. Have fun going through your favourites to choose one, and don't forget to come share the results with us.

I'm playing along with the Rubber Dance "your favourite stamp" challenge this week, because the fates collided and said it must be so! ;)

Have a great weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 2 September 2017

Heat embossing - Sweet Stampin'

Good morning all,

It's Saturday, and you know what that means... Yep, new challenge time over at Sweet Stampin'! this week, our theme is heat embossing.


For my card I re-visited the industrial/chalkboard technique that I loved so much when Sir Tim used it in his 12 tags.
I found it translates pretty well to cards too. especially when said card is for hubby, who is an engineer (couldn't resist the fab embossing folder!) and loves his beer.


I heat embossed the stamp onto black card with white powder, and lightly went over parts of it with a piece of chalk to give it that dusty look that chalkboards often have.
A little bit of black twine finishes it off.


And there it is. Now it's your turn. I hope you'll come play with us this week!

Have an awesomesauce weekend!

Sammy-x

Friday 1 September 2017

September challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Good morning all!

September already! Just a few more days and my offspring will be back to school, and I will be getting some well-deserved peace and quiet. Which will hopefully lead to lots of crafting!

Of course, september also means new challenge time over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit, where as always anything altered art or mixed media goes!

Now you may remember me mentioning recently that we were having a craft fair at work to raise money for our charity? I'm happy to report it was a resounding success! I sold almost all of my altered art and mixed media, and a load of cards besides, and we ended up taking well over £200!

One of the items I sold started off as a worn out little trinket box, which had certainly seen better days...


I had a play with a Tattered Angels paint system, and some goodies from Craft Box , and turned it into this:


I adore the filigrees Anna often puts in the Craft Box boxes. One of my favourite things to do is to cut them in half to get different shapes!


I hope this inspires you to come and have a play with us!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

September challenge - altered eclectics

Good morning blogland!

It's time for a new challenge over at Altered Eclectics, and the DT have been busy making all sorts of lovely things for your inspiration.

This month I played with an MDF ATC from Fernli Designs, as I wanted to make a little thank you something for a lovely crafty lady.


Apart from the lace and the Tim Holtz sentiment everything I used to embellish it is from Craft Box. I love the little glass gemstones. Because they're clear, they're a great way to add a little interest, without making it too "busy".

I hope you'll come and play with us!

Have a great day!

Sammy-x

Saturday 19 August 2017

Doodling - Sweet Stampin'

Good morning stampers!

It's new challenge time at Sweet Stampin', and I have to admit... it's the one I dread! Yep, time for our Doodling challenge.

As you probably all know by now, I'm not a doodler. I really, really have no idea what to do, and never like how things come out. I even usually use stamps to do faux stitching on projects!

But luckily for me, my daughter is quite the opposite, and she came to the rescue by doing a zentangle heart for me to pop on a card.


Isn't she clever?

Now I know some of you are expert doodlers, so I hope you'll have a go and come play with us this week. you know you want to...

Have a great weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 5 August 2017

Summer fun - Sweet Stampin'

** Apologies for the late post again. I seem to be having problems with scheduled posts not going live at the moment. waiting for a reply from the Blogger team!**


Good morning all! It's Saturday again, so time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin'
This week's challenge may seem like a bit of wishful thinking, at least to those of us in the UK, as the theme this week is Summer fun.

When I think of summer fun, I think of the seaside, and this led me to think of pirates, which resulted in this card below:


I hope you'll come join me and the rest of the Sweeties this week, and share your summery creations with us (because, frankly, it's all the summer we're going to get, it seems...)

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

Tuesday 1 August 2017

August challenge - Rhedd's Creative spirit

Hello again all,

And of course August means time for a new challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit too!

I had some fun making a configurations box...



Most of the goodies in this configurations box came in the lovely monthly boxes sent out by Craft box.


Yes, that's a car from a Monopoly game, painted gold!



The wagon wheel I bought from a stall selling dolls house items. I thought it was perfect for a project like this.



One of my favourite things was coming up with different things to put inside the vials...

I hope I've inspired to you make something of your own and then come share it with us!

Have a fantastic day!

Sammy-x

August challenge - Altered eclectics

Morning all!

It's August already! (though you wouldn't guess it looking outside here... I don't think it's stopped raining in a month!) and of course that means new challenge time over at Altered Eclectics!

This is what I made for your inspiration:


I decoupaged a wooden block with a napkin (after painting it a lovely Spun Sugar), and had lots of fun decorating it after. I certainly didn't spare the flowers!

I hope you'll come play with us this month, and don't forget to come see what my fellow teamies have prepared for you!

Be right back with my second post of the day...

Sammy-x

Saturday 22 July 2017

CAKE! - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all,

It's new challenge time over at Sweet Stampin', and our theme this week is Cake! yum!

And who does cake better than Lili of the Valley, right?

Here's my offering:


And speaking of cake... The craft fair for the charity I volunteer for is today, so wish us luck. we want to make lots of pennies for the orphans we look after, so we need all the fingers you can cross!
I've been telling people all week that there will be a cake stall, so if that doesn't bring them, I don't know what will, lol.

Hope you'll come join us this week!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 15 July 2017

Mid-month tutorial

Morning all,

Just a heads-up that my tutorial for making these canvases has just gone live over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit.


Hope to see you there!

Sammy-x

Saturday 8 July 2017

Photo inspiration - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all,

It's new challenge time at Sweet Stampin', and this week we have a photo inspiration challenge for you.

We are using this gorgeous picture:



I decided to use the macaroons and some of the pretty colours, though I was having camera issues and the colours haven't come out at all like what they're supposed to! It's actually a mint/pastel pink combo, rather than the sage/orange-pink it appears to be, lol.



The macaroons were from a magazine freebie (as was the sentiment), and I masked and stamped it several times to get the stacked effect.
The teacups are a Tim Holtz Bigz die.

I hope you'll come play with us. just pick anything at all from the picture that inspires you, and join us!

Have a great weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 1 July 2017

July challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Hello again, another post from me this morning.

It's my turn to host the challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month, and we have some gorgeous inspiration lined up for you. hope you'll go take a peek!

I did a trio of mixed media canvases, using lots of Craft Box supplies..




They're just under 6" each, and make a nice little set, I think. They'll be going up for sale at the craft fair we're having for the charity I volunteer for at the end of the month... fingers crossed we make lots of pennies, as it all goes to feed, clothe and educate orphans and young mothers in the Burmese refugee camps in Thailand.

If you check back on the 15th, I will have a tutorial for one of the canvases prepared for you.

I hope you'll come and join us!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

July Challenge - Altered Eclectics

Morning all,

Post one of two here from me, first of all about the new challenge over at Altered Eclectics.

This month I decided to alter a giant MDF tag from Fernli designs.


There's some more gorgeous projects waiting for you over on the blog, so go take a peek, then come and play with us!

Back in just a moment with my next project...

Sammy-x

Saturday 24 June 2017

Lots of layers - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all,

Those of you who know me, know I'm not hugely comfortable with CAS. Love the style, but when I do them myself, I always feel like there's stuff missing.
So when they theme at Sweet Stampin' is Lots of Layers, I can breathe a sign of relief and go to town layering all the pretties until my heart's content!

Hence, two cards from me this week:




Mostly a layering of gorgeous papers this time (I remember the days I wouldn't have been able to use them at all, because I wanted to keep them and stroke them! lol), with a Kenny K image in the first (did you hear they're closing!!? I may have stocked up on 30 digis, because they are perfect for those pesky teens!) and the second has a super scrummy Artemio ship stamp.

I hope you'll come and play with us this week!

Have a fantabulous weekend,

Sammy-x

Saturday 10 June 2017

Monochrome - Sweet Stampin'

Psssstttt... there's a new challenge starting over at Sweet Stampin'... This week we're looking for your monochrome creations.

I went - perhaps rather unsurprisingly - for the "many shades of brown" option.


This card was inspired by Chris, one of my fellow Sweeties, and uses one of my very favourite stamps.

Your turn... pick a colour and come play with us!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

Thursday 1 June 2017

June challenge - Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Hello all, second post this morning!

It's time for a new challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit, and I made another ATB (getting quite the collection now!). As the weather has been so lovely, I decided to go with a nautical theme.

I used a 3" ATB blank from Fernli Designs, and some beautiful papers from 7 Gypsies.


Instead of using card to mat the gorgeous 7 Gypsies ephemera, I used pieces of Hessian. I always think it has a natural look that goes great with a seaside theme!


As you're reading this, I should be back on the exact beach I found these seashells two years ago. Good thing I'll be able to replenish my stock!

That's it from me! I hope you'll come play with us this month!

Sammy-x

June Challenge - Altered Eclectics

Morning all,

I can't believe it's June already! at least we've been having some gorgeous weather here in Leeds for a change, lol.

It's also new challenge day over at Altered Eclectics. I decided it was about time I corralled all my paintbrushes in one place, rather than having them scattered in several places, so I grabbed a pen pot blank from the MDF man, and made this:



The paint I used is actually bronze and quite shimmery, and the bits that look white are a sparkly blue pigment, but I had some trouble capturing that on camera.



The heart was die-cut from a piece of board, then painted and covered in crackle medium. I embedded the butterfly - which I had distressed previously - into the medium while it was still wet, so it appears to be coming out of the heart.
The "Create art" sentiment is Snipart, which I got from Craft Box.

That's it for my first post of the morning. I'll be back in a minute with the next. Don't forget to come and join us this month!

Sammy-x

Saturday 27 May 2017

Something old - Sweet Stampin'

Morning all,

It's challenge time over at Sweet Stampin', and this week the theme is Use some very old stash.

So dig out your old, neglected stash, and play along with us!

I made a card using my second-oldest paper pad (Dovecraft Garden Party) and some punches I've had since Adam was a lad and I never use...


And the heart gems? Another very early buy (from the pound shop). The sentiment I think was a magazine freebie, and therefore also pretty old, as I unsubscribed from them all a couple of years ago!

Over to you!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x

Saturday 13 May 2017

Shabby chic - Sweet Stampin' DT

Morning all,

Time for one of my favourite themes at Sweet Stampin' this week. Shabby chic!

I had a play with a pretty vintage image and lots of other goodies...


I made a flower out of Foamiran, and stamped the layers before putting them together. I really like the added interest it gives. The sentiment is from Unity (I believe!) and of course I had to add some of my favourite shabby bark hearts from Live & Love Crafts. (Whom I miss dearly, and will miss even more when the hearts run out! lol)
I may have gone a little overboard with the perfect pearls, but it just seemed to fit here.

Your turn! come play with us and show of your scrummy shabby creations!

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sammy-x