Butterflies and Diamonds

I hope everyone's had a good Saturday! I had a very easy relaxing day after a very busy one yesterday - had a hair cut and a bit of retail therapy this afternoon, then tonight cooked a lovely meal and kicked back with a large glass of white in front of Strictly - I'm so glad Phil's still in!!

This is a card I made a few weeks back for a challenge on the Hero Arts blog but forgot to post on here - the challenge was to make a card using a technique that was featured on the Hero blog. I chose an emboss resist technique using acrylic paint daubers as featured by the wonderful Jennifer McGuire.


Recipe -
Stamps - Dots and Flowers (Hero)/Butterfly (Hero)
Ink - Red (Colorbox chalk)/Versamark/Distress Ink
Card -Kraft/Vintage Cream/October Afternoon DP Other - Clear e.p/sewing machine/linen thread/corner rounder punch/pearls/Snow White Acrylic Paint Dauber (Ranger)


I stamped the background with Versamark, embossed with clear embossing powder then sponged white acrylic paint over the top, wiping it off to create this background - I love this effect, and think it looks great on the kraft. Must use this technique more often!

Over on A Passion for Papertrey I just posted this card (along with all the details):


It was near impossible to take a good photo of this card because it was stamped with silver metallic ink - it was a commission for a Diamond Anniversary card for a friend. That's 60 years of marriage - wowzers!!! I chose Papertrey's Damask Design set because I thought the elegance of the set fitted the occasion.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend! Oh and don't forget to put your clocks back - time for me to go into hibernation lol!

Kate x

Christmas Medallion

Evening folks! I hope everyone is having a good week so far. Tonight I made one of my favourite warming suppers - 'Thai Inspired Noodle Soup' - it's from my favourite cookery writer, Nigel Slater. I love his style of writing, and his passion for simplicity in cooking. Thai cookery is also one of my very favourite styles - I've added a link to the recipe. It's very simple and absolutely delicious - if you try it let me know if you like it!!

My parents have just got back from a holiday in Barcelona, bringing me the yummiest chocolates which I'm currently munching on. You know when you just can't resist another... and another?!!

When I first looked at the new Stampin Up catalogue the two products I immediately fell in love with were the big Medallion background stamp and the new thick stripey ribbon so I put them together with one of my other favourite supplies, Kraft card, to make this:


I think the medallion looks great embossed with white on the kraft, and how heavenly is that ribbon?!!! But do you think it works as a Christmas card? I'd love to know what you think!

Now where are those chocolates? ;)

Thanks for visiting!

Kate x

Recipe:
Stamps - Medallion
Ink - Versamark/Chocolate Chip
Card - Kraft/Chocolate Chip/Very Vanilla
Other - White Embossing Powder/Wide Striped Ribbon/Crafter's Tool Kit/Adhesive Pearl

Birthday topiary

Happy Tuesday from a wet and cold corner of England! Autumn is truly here isn't it? I adore summer but I couldn't live in a country that didn't have seasons like this - the leaves on the trees are such beautiful hues of red and yellow, there's an intense aroma of ripening autumn fruit, the days are getting noticeably shorter (I walked the dogs in the dark this morning!) and there's a real nip in the air.

We have literally hundreds of apples to use so this week I'm going to try to get around to making some apple jam, it's a shame that I can't stand cider or I'd make that! (I know - a Somerset girl not liking cider?!!)

Today's card was a commission from my mum for a friend - she specified topiary and amazingly I actually had a topiary stamp (that I'd never used! See all these unloved stamps come in useful eventually!)

The topiary was coloured with Copics and Prismacolor Pencils - the background stamp is En Francais from Stampin Up.


Recipe:
Stamps - Rose Topiary (Stampington)/Vintage Picnic (PTI)/En Francais (Stampin Up)
Ink - Elegant Eggplant/Memento Black
Card - Kraft (PTI)/Elegant Eggplant (SU)
Other - Elegant Eggplant ribbon/sewing machine/buttons (PTI)/Copic Markers/Prismacolour Pencils/Oval nestabilities

Today we've set a new challenge on A Passion for Papertrey so if you have any PTI products we'd love you to play along - this fortnight it's all about polka dots!

For my sample I used the polka dot tree from PTI's Tree Trimming Trio in three colourways, nice and simple design that will be easy to mass produce :)



Enchanted Evening:


Sweet Blush:


..and my beloved Aqua Mist and Kraft:


Recipe:
Stamps - Tree Trimming Trio
Ink - Versamark/Enchanted Evening/Aqua Mist/Sweet Blush
Card - White/Kraft/Enchanted Evening/Aqua Mist/Sweet Blush
Ribbon - Swiss dot - Enchanted Evening/Aqua Mist/Sweet Blush
Other - Epoxy clear stickers/corner rounder punch/white embossing powder

Thanks for visiting today!

Kate x

Christmas cuppie

Morning! A very quick post as I'm just rushing out the door to my dance lesson - I've recently started classes and now having private lessons (I need them believe me lol!!) .... here's another card I made for Taylor's sketch challenge:


Pretty straight forward - coloured with Copics, some shimmer with a Spica Glitter pen on the tree and cuppie and Antique Linen Distress Ink sponged around the edges.

Ok, must dash or I'll be late for my Foxtrot!!!

Kate x

Recipe:
Stamps - Season's Sweetings (TE stamps)
Ink - Memento/Antique Linen Distress Ink
Card - Blue Bayou(SU)/Vintage Cream (PTI)/Jolly by Golly (Cosmo Cricket)
Other - sewing machine/ Copic Markers/buttons (PTI)/scallop edge punch/adhesive pearls/Spica Glitter Pen

Hark the Herald

Wow, where has this week gone?!! In spite of a busy week I had a chance to snuggle down in my craft room this afternoon - a large mug of hot chocolate and my Gossip Girl box set were the perfect companions to some inky fun:) (BTW any more GG fans out there?!!)

I've been making some cards for Taylor's sketch challenge - it's a fun one:


And here's one of my cards - I am making an effort to use some unloved stamps at the moment and as soon as I saw this yummy Cosmo Cricket Paper I wanted to pair it with this angel. I decided to flip the sketch around as I thought the angel should be facing inward.


Recipe:
Stamps - Trumpeting Angel (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink - ColorBox chalk/Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)
Card/Paper - Vintage Cream (PTI)/Pure Poppy (PTI)/Jolly by Golly (Cosmo Cricket)
Other - sewing machine/scallop edge punch/buttons/linen thread

Thanks for visiting today!

Kate x

A winner!

Thank you to everyone who joined my blog candy last week... we have a winner!!

Here are your random numbers:

105

Timestamp: 2009-10-12 08:00:18 UTC

(Random.org)

And the winner is Natalie! Congratulations Natalie! Please email your postal address to kate_lewis23@yahoo.co.uk and I'll post your goodies to you asap!!

Starry dreams

Wow, where has this weekend gone?! I had a full to-do list to complete by the end of the weekend and looks like it may spill over into the week.. don't you hate that?!!

Today's Stamp With Us is a colour one using this piece as inspiration:


And here's what I came up with:

Recipe:
Stamps - In the Stars
Ink - Night of Navy/Old Olive
Card - Whisper White/Taken With Teal/Chocolate Chip/Old Olvie
Other - white gel pen/scallop edge punch/corner rounder punch/Cuttlebug embossing folder/star punch/brads/sewing machine

Don't forget to check out the Stamp With Us blog to see what the rest of the DT made and for details on how you can join in... I hope YOUR dreams come true this week :)

Kate x

BLOG BIRTHDAY!

Blog Candy now closed!


Today is my first blog birthday! Thank you so much to everyone who has visited me and supported my blog over the past year - I feel so lucky to have met such lovely people and to have made such fabulous friends through my blog!

So to celebrate I have some candy for you :)


-Flourishes Poinsettia Stamp Set
-Flourishes Damask Backgrounder
-K&Co 6x6 Designer Paper pad
-American Crafts Layered Embellishments
-American Crafts Foam Baby Blue
-American Crafts Felt Everyday
-Bag of multicoloured buttons

To be in with a chance of being entered in the random draw please leave a comment below before 9am, Monday 12th October 2009.

Thank you again and have a great week!

Kate x

Changing days

There can't have been two more opposite days than yesterday and today weather-wise - yesterday it was dull, grey and poured all day long. To counteract that I baked bread, stayed in the warm and excitedly waited for my box of Stampin Up goodies from the new catalogue - what a box of treasures!!! You'll be seeing a lot of my new stash in days to come!

And then today - the most brilliant, warm autumn day you could wish for! The fabulously blue skies meant I could get some photography assignments under my belt down in Devon. I did have a chance to play with my new SU goodies first thing this morning and will post them tomorrow.

For now here are a few recent cards. A birthday card for Jenny, one of my SU downlines..Happy Birthday Jenny!


Recipe:

Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Card - Kraft/Night of Navy/Certainly Celery/So Saffron DSP
Other - Certainly Celery ribbon/scallop edge punch/Nestabilities/Cuttlebug/Copic markers/Stickles

This is my sample for today's Inspiration and Themes Challenge on In Love With Stamping - the theme is congratulation so I made a card for a friend who's just had a baby boy:


Recipe:

Stamps - Queue Up
Card - Whisper White/Bashful Blue/Brocade Blue
Other - Copic markers/gingham ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Kate x

Raspberry Suite Challenge

Just in time to join in Dawn's current Raspberry Suite Color Challenge!

Here are the colours:


And here's my take on it:


Recipe: (Papertrey unlesss otherwise stated)

Stamps - Vintage Labels/Rustic Snowflakes/Signature Christmas
Ink - Pure Poppy/Vintage Cream/Dark Chocolate
Card - Kraft/Vintage Cream/Aqua Mist/Dark Chocolate
Other - Aqua Mist ribbon/brown brads/Fiskars border punch/Labels One die/Cuttlebug embossing folder/adhesive pearls

I'm firmly in Christmas card mode now... a few down, a LOT more to go!!!

Thanks for visiting!

Kate x

A new challenge

Today's challenge over at Stamp With Us is a themed one - 'Anything but a Card'. I took this opportunity to make some Christmas tags with my Tags for All set:


Recipe:

Stamps - Tags for All
Ink - Real Read/Sage Shadow/Old Olive/Night of Navy
Card - Real Red/Old Olive/Sage Shadow/Close to Cocoa/Chocolate Chip/Night of Navy

To check out the rest of the DT samples and for details on how to enter head over to the Stamp With Us blog.

Thanks for visiting today!

Kate x

Swaps....

As promised here are the fabulous swaps I received when Jen had a 'Mini Convention' for her team last Friday:


Maria's:



Val's:



Diana's:


Jen's:



Jane's:




Jo's:



And mine:


Recipe:
Stamps - Whimsical Wings
Ink - Basic Black
Card - Whisper White/Basic Black
Other - Circle Nestabilities/adhesive gemstones

Speaking of swaps here are the Papertrey ATCs I made for our recent swap over on A Passion for Papertrey - there are pictures of all the ATCs on the blog :)



It's a windy, cold autumnal Saturday down here in Somerset - just perfect for a cosy day of card-making... how else could I spend World Card Making Day! Have a great weekend, and happy stamping!

Kate x

College Days

A little card I made for a dear friend in California who started at college this Autumn - ah, university... those were the days! I've always thought some day I might go back to uni and do a little less partying and a bit more work lol (no regrets though ;)!

Kate x

Recipe:
Stamps - Hero Arts - Owl and sentiment/Lined Paper backgrounder (CHF)
Card - Kraft (PTI)
Other - White gel pen/spiral punch (SU)/Melon Berry ribbon (PTI)