Matchbox Swap

Another Matchbox Swap!  The Theme this time is Spring.

Lots of flowers, green and lemons.

Too right there is!

First off is to decorate the matchbox.... I used Washi Tape to decorated round the outer sleeve, then more Washi Tape around the tray. 
I popped a funny on the bottom of the tray and a daisy brad into one of the ends.



I cut out some pretty card from various paper selections in my stash and then set to work.



I added tags, flowers and a mixture of embellishments......

...... rounded the corners of some of my cards and fitted them all into my small box and posted it off along with a few diecuts.








My return matchbox arrived a few days later ....



......lavender and yellow .... my favourite together colours!



The tray is covered with a beautiful shiny paper with a small golden yellow jewel.


So many tiny cards tumbled out of this pretty box, twenty!  

I am amazed!  

How on earth my partner managed to fit them all inside the box is just wonderful.

There are embossed card, foiled card, ribbon, peel offs and an assortment of embellishments.

Thank you so much Iona, this is a 'gobsmacking' return.
.......and ....... and there were extras.....

Thank you again.

February Swap

Childhood

I had several ideas for this swap but in the end I was quite taken with a card I saw on the web - address not noted, sorry - so I thought I would have a go at trying to create one on similar lines.
I sorted out some backgrounds made up sometime ago.  This particular background uses pre-spritzed tissue paper, shades of blue and gold.  

I selected the image from my stash, fussy cut him out and then attached the image to one side of the card.  I then typed up some sentiments and cut them into strips, attaching the words strips at angles.  I used a black pen to outline the word strips.

It wasn't till I looked at the photo that I realised one of the word strips is missing from the card!  It still makes sense but .......

Luckily there was space for me to attach the missing word strip .....

Did you spot it?

February Theme Swap - Hearts

Not one of my favourite subjects but I am willing to give it a go.  

I didn't want to make cards with the traditional red hearts so set about using my new heart diecuts with two different black and cream patterned papers and a piece of text paper.  I watercoloured the base card with pink and, after I had added the hearts, shaded round them with a little bit more paint.  I used Versafine Onyx ink to stamp the sentiment.

 I used a scrap of gelliprint with 'blotches' of red and green steampunk stamping for my next card.  I used a very old stamp to stamp out some outline hearts, then infilled with the sentiment.  Once this had all dried, I smooshed some extra red ink within the heart outlines.

I covered my third card base with some washi paper, imprinted with red hearts and then added some small hearts diecut from some text paper.  
Once I had attached the hearts I outlined them with a fine black pen and stamped the sentiment using the Versafine ink.


My returns are beautiful!




Beautiful silver hearts with tiny bows.
Thank you JanW.

Love this faux stitched heart.

Thank you Pat.

This brilliant piece of work includes stamping, stencil and texture paste.
Thank you SueF.



Thank you Jan for hosting another wonderful swap.

February Colour Swap - Red and White

I am still practising my stamping believe or not, and this time I managed to combine several stamps together.  I printed out my resources pictures and went to work.



I used some fancy cut paper for this card, cutting round the star shape.  I found the stamp among some free ones given away with a magazine, stamped with red Distress Ink onto white card, rounded the corners and popped the sentiment onto a 3D glue pad.

I found this red and white label among my stash along with some red lace.  I covered a white card with the red lace, wrapping the edges round the card.  I stamped the sentiment with red DI as before, and attached the label to the lace. 

I used some red and white paper for this background, added a smaller piece of white card in the centre.  
I diecut a Tour d'Eiffel out of some red shiny paper found in my stash, this is very shiny.  
I used a sentiment from an 'Acid Drops and Wotnots' set of stamps, cutting the words into to three so that they would fit onto the card.
My stamping is great on this card - maybe helped by the quality of the stamp!!




My returns have arrived!



This gorgeous die cu butterfly is trimmed with lace.
Thank you Gwyneth.

Such wonderfully sparkly background and brill die cut owl.

Thank you Margaret.

Decorative butterfly on embossed background.
Thank you Philippa.

Thank you for Used Postage Stamps

I received a lovely surprise this morning in the post ...... a package from America......


This beautiful card was enclosed and when I opened it up there was a Thank you note and a very pretty ATC.


The ATC represents the State Flower of Iowa.
Betsy has recently moved to this State and had promised to send me the thank you for some used postage stamps I had sent.
I love the way she has used the paper cut out to represent the corn plant.
Aren't I the lucky girl!!!

WOYWW #403

This is What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

Well, that was a week! ...... spent most of it in bed but ..... watch out world .... I'm up and about now!!!!  

I'm a firm believer in that 'Good things come out of bad' (check out the story on the Tate & Lyle golden syrup tin!) so on my 'oooh! I feel ill'' days I just sat in my craft room and mooched .... cards got made, boxes got sorted, very slowly but at least something was done!!!.... and I didn't die!

So onto more cheerful things ....

.... I've have had some lovely post these last few days ....

.... but I'll post more on that later....

.... for the now let's get down for the real reason of the day!

My desk ....

While I've been sitting mooching, I found some files from a Group that I joined years ago.  Among them were some designs for Envelope Cards - this particular Group turned out to have, as members, some really clever girls who designed cards for us to print out and try, long before CraftsUprint was so popular (may not have been around then!!).  Well, as sick as I was, I had the thought that I might be able to print the designs out at the right size for ATCs .... so there you have it .... one sheet started on.
Also on the desk, for close up snooping information - to the left: one unfinished list.  To the right: one book bought in Paris and only just being examined (may call for a separate posting), a small calendar for cards .... I have the stirrings of an idea to use them.  There is also under the book a list of funnies (to me) which I may share over the coming weeks........
Thank you for all the wonderful comments last week, I'm sorry I didn't do any visiting but I'll try to make up for it this week.
You take care now .....

BTW - just a sample from the Top 10 Reasons God Created Eve ......
10   God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because men hate to ask for directions.

9    God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote.  (Men don't want to see what's ON television, they want to see WHAT ELSE is on!)

WOYWW #402

This is What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

You've caught me just finishing some craftwork - yes ... I have actually found some time to make the cards for this month's swap.
There's the ATC - Theme Childhood - and a card for the Alphabet Swap - W this month.
I found the waistcoat image on the web and printed it several times so that I could decoupage the image.  I used an image from my stash for the ATC - posting soon.
Also still on my desk, washi tape, glue sticks, scissors, ribbons .... I could go on but you'll have to see for yourself .......

I am fighting a cold at the moment, I am hoping that the worst symptoms will pass me by ....

leaving me time to visit as many other desks as I can.

In the mean time ..... have a good week and stay warm...... and healthy!  lol

February Partner Swap

I saw this idea on Birgit's Blog, a small handpainted scene with a white frame.  It's a beautiful card and I tried very hard to create it small size.
So this is my take on it .......
I cut three ATC sized watercolour cards and used watercolour pencils to draw out some scenes.  
I started with a 'Tuscany' scene, followed up by 'a bridge' and then  ..... lost my mojo ......
I managed to draw out some distant hills, those sort of heather coloured ones up there in Scotland.  Then 'The Tree' kicked in ...... not a good one this time but a tree .....  
Now I needed to frame the artwork but didn't think a white frame would suffice so I diecut the frames from several pieces of textured card.  
Now came the most difficult part, adding the frame to the artwork ...... I'm not very good with straight lines .... wonky eye and all that ..... but I did the best I could and I'm pretty pleased with them all.

Now they're ready to post....... I hope that they arrive safely as the cards sent last month did not arrive at all.

They arrived safely, I am pleased to say and these are my returns:

Beautifully delicate cards.
Thank you Philippa.

WOYWW #401

This is What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

It's a special day today in our family.  Our youngest, Little Soldier's Mother, has her birthday ... one she doesn't want for some reason .... it's not a biggie or an important one .. she just doesn't like the number!
We will all go out for a meal on Sunday, our family and friends, we will all have a lovely time and she will be the big ....... I won't say it .... she has a long way to go yet and lots of exciting times lie ahead.  PJ says everyday is an adventure ..... she has lots ahead of her .....
... and on my desk lies her birthday card .... the finished edition!

Experienced desk snoopers explorers visitors will also notice that silver peel offs can be transformed using Promarkers .... if you come in close you might be forgiven for thinking 'funny way of putting it' but you see I couldn't find the 'th'  ....... he! he!
I have been sorting through my box of finished cards, the blue one remains on my desk cos I thought it was inspiring .... my copy one did not work out right and is lying in the bin!  The washi tape is still on my desk, I used some of it on a swap card on Saturday so they all remain in view.
I hope that we can all stay warm this coming week, the weather forecast is predicting a time to stay indoors and craft so have a good week.
I shall visit, early if Little Soldier has his nap .... later if he decides otherwise.

WOYWW #400

This is the big 400 What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

FEBRUARY already!!
Don't ask me where the time is going .... I don't have a clue.
I did manage to get a couple of days crafting over the weekend .... and today's desk shows the aftermath ....

I have managed to make the next month's ATC swaps only it is now this month's swaps!!  You see here the detritus of the creation, a sheet of labels ready for the cutting out, a couple of sets of cards with envelopes at the ready and .... and.... a selection of spotty washi tapes .  
I could not believe my eyes when I popped into The Works and spotted (!!) this selection of tapes for £2 .... perfect for March Theme - spots/dots.  Couldn't wait to get started but was very good and created my February cards first.
I am off now to collect Little Soldier, we have to pop out to the Garden Centre to buy some birdfood ..... my two little Nuthatches are still visiting me, must go buy some sunflower hearts for them.
I will catch up later .... probably very much later .....
Have a good 400th and take care.