July Theme Swap

Television programmes.
Which to choose, which to deny?!?!



I printed out a selection of images of all the televisions channels and decided to use them as my backgrounds.  

I found images from various television programmes that I have enjoyed over the last few years, printed out those and corner rounded most of the images.  


I then attached the images onto the background in a collage style.

Once the card was dry, I painted a clear gel over the top of each card so that a subtle sheen sealed in the images.

I like this style and am very pleased with the end result.

I have received the following cards:



Lots of stamping - Who Do You Think You Are? - Clever!
Thank You Liz.

Programme clipping on a wood effect card.

Thank you JanS.

Enhanced stamp image printout.

Thank you Gwyneth.

July Colour Swap

This month's Colour is Blue......
... and it is also Steampunk!  Well, all mine are!!
I used a sheet on which I had gelli printed several stamps and stencils in blue for all three cards. All the sentiments have been printed out some time ago.  I just tore each one and inked the edges before attaching them to the cards.


I stamped out some flowers, fussy cut them out and attached them diagonally across the card.  I rolled the petals before attaching so that the flowers did not sit flat.

Here is my steampunk Butterfly and a part flower, attached so that they lay flat on the paper.  This time I watercolour washed the images before attaching.

I stamped several roses onto a separate piece of card and fussy cut them all out.  The paper had been used to wipe up the left over paint on my gelli plate so the actual colouring in of the rose was quite random.  After attaching them to the card, I added a sentiment across the stalks as a ribbon.








I have received the following cards:

 Beautiful decoupaged peacock, each 'eye' has been glossed.

Thank you Barbara.

 
Shades and textures of Blue abound.
Thank you JanW.

Washi tape and flowers - love it.

Thank you Margaret.

July Swap

During the latest hot spell, I have been spending my evening watercolouring some images, especially the Mediterranean Dreams (bought from Fiona - Staringatthesea) set.  I thought that I would use some of these and try out some of my tiny dies bought from The Works.



I used some paper from The Works pad as backgrounds cutting out ATC sized pieces.  Three of the images just fitted inside the large dies of each set and I attached each image to the card with 3D foam strips.
This little cat needs no sentiment.

A ribbon sentiment along the side of this card completes it.

I stamped the sentiment centrally (or as near as ....) onto the background on this card.

I have received the following cards:

Beautifully stamped and coloured tags on a red background.  Each tag is attached with a white brad.

Thank you Michelle.

WOYWW #425

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.

This is the week that I am making a flying visit .......The desk is just a dumping ground and will be sorted later ..... when I get round to blogging the day's adventure.  Yesterday to be exact and it's a bit of a story so deserves a blog post all to itself.
Intrigued?
Here is the desk ...

Don't ask about the part finished card lying there at an angle under the DS tapes ..... all will be explained ..... Cardius Bloggus posting.
I had a great morning with the girls at CRUNCH Group and this was my effort, I asked for help, supplied the tapes, scissors, pencils etc and when I arrived home, my bag has been emptied out onto the desk .....
PS
After a couple of months looking, then touching, the big day arrived last week when Little Soldier became a horseman!!!!

Gee up Neddy......
BTW - This 'little' horse was (almost) given to us cos someone else's grandchildren had grown and flown... Blessing indeed.

WOYWW #424

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.

'Where is the year going to?' is  a question I hear lots of times in Blogland.  Well, I'm sorry .... I don't have the answer .... I don't know either but it sure is going somewhere .... and fast!
Which leads me here .... Blogging another WOYWWednesday with a photo of my current desk.

I have some ATC bases to the left, some waterbrushes, paints case and a few stamps.  Along the top of the photo you can see some completed paintings drying.  I am using some of my Stamping Up! stamps (courtesy of Fiona - Staring at the Sea) and some of my winnings from Creative Stamping.  
I am hoping that I will complete enough images to make some 'stash' cards.
I started painting these little artworks last week, outside in the evening sunlight.  Sooooo relaxing.....
We were expecting a thunderstorm overnight, I had the headache but no rain or thunder has appeared ...... I should be grateful but we badly need the rain and the coolness that it brings.... I do anyways!  lol
I have cleared a few more boxes from my craft room but I could not for the life of me show you the space they left, I think that the remaining boxes do not climb up the wall quite so high.  I have to keep working on this, hopefully the bathroom will be finished and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the guys coming in to complete it will be able to complete the rest of the refurb ..... they think it's just bathroom and kitchen ..... shouldn't advertise themselves as 'Handyman'.
I did visit a great post which made me think that maybe we are being shortchanged over here with 'Mr Whippy' ..... I want to TASTE these......
Little Soldier has been having a good time, trying to keep him out of the sun and entertained had stretched us a bit, but we've managed so far .....



We had a great time out in the Park......

Grandad was encouraged to join in......

We did manage to get Little Soldier to sit for five minutes and cool down a bit

Off to visit a few desks for now .... the rest I will catch up with later ......

June Swap - Roses

I had this thought while making my Rose themed card for June Card swap - base my ATC on the same lines ...... clever eh!



I used some paper from stash and then rummaged through my boxes of feathers for a blue one and a white one.  
Then I rummaged through my boxes of flowers for some white roses.
Another rummage through my ribbon box found this beautifully embroidered with blue roses ribbon.  Attach all the embellishments, add a printed sentiment and Voila!  
My card for the June Rose swap.

I received this gorgeously embossed and matted card by return.

Thank you ChrisN.

June Swap - Anything Goes

Has to be Steampunk again doesn't it? lol


I used a stamp I bought some time ago,a Santorini girl, and then coloured her with watercolour pencils.  I fussy cut her out along with a 'bug' and then added them to a spritzed background.  After adding a printed sentiment I rounded the corners .....mmm?

The background for this card was left over from a previous stamp out so I cut it to size and stamped the hot air balloon and a couple of cogs off the edge.  I used some water colour to deepen the colour on the balloon part of the image and then added the printed sentiment.  I fancy punched these corners which added a nice touch.

I used some Brusho powders for the background of this card then stamped my images over.  I used my Inktense pencils to colour 'loosely' and then added some cosmic shimmer spray to give it a sparkle.  After adding my sentiment and being carried away with the corner punches ...... stopped at the top edge as I don't think the corner punch added to the card.

I received these cards by return:

Love the sentiment!!

Thank you Becky.

I am so happy dancing with this card - I follow this Blog and feel so lucky to be the recipient.

Thank you Cat.

I think this card portrays its sentiment.

Thank you LesleyE.

June Theme Swap

Roses
I can smell them now!  Some of my roses in the garden stand over seven foot tall!  I think they were planted just after the house was built ..... but enough!
I sprayed the background for this card and then added a decoupaged rose.  I added some words from a Tim Holtz word pad for the sentiment.

This rose is also decoupaged but this time straight onto the background, a little brown paper ribbon along the top is just enough embellishment.

The photo doesn't show this embossed rose up very well, I am quite disappointed with this die and will have to try again another day.  I used some prepainted paper and maybe the paper could have been a better choice.  I attached this rose to a brusho background and added the sentiment from Tim Holtz' word pad.

I received the following cards:


The background card is a bright lemon colour IRL, I don't understand why my camera dulls colours so much.
Thank you JanS.

A very pretty Bright Pink card!

Thank you Mel.

Decoupage!  Love it.

Thank you Margaret.

May Swap - Butterflies

I have tried something different this month and I am really pleased with the outcome.  It all started when I saw this card on the web ...... 
....I have some stamps very similar - bought back in the dark ages!  lol

I searched them out and had a good stamp about, after which I chose the following backgrounds.  I then sorted out some ok, a lot of Butterfly stamps.



My first card is stamped and coloured with watercolour pencils.  The sentiment stamps was 'bent' on the block before stamping.

Over the lavender background, I stamped with Versfine Onyx and then added a 3D butterfly sticker.

I added an extra butterfly to the original stamp to 'fill in' the text for this card, the pink butterfly was a stash diecut.

I have received the following:


A really brill Mixed Media Card.
Thank you Hazel H
(BTW .. You sent me my first ATCs, so thank you for the addiction!  lol)

Stamped and Washi Taped.

Thank you JulieW.

Lovely Collaged card.

Thank you PatC.

June Colour Swap

Lavender and Green.
No matter how I try, I cannot get the thought of Lavender, the flower, out of my mind.  I will go with it and see how my cards turn out.


I water coloured the background with a lavender wash  ......

I used some of the free stamps given away with Making Cards magazine and then coloured with Inktense pencils.

A topper from my stash was just the right colour for this card, then I tied a green ribbon around the lower edge.

I used a piece of wall paper for this card, again adding ribbons.  I glued a strip of green spotted ribbon along the lower edge and then added a piece of narrower lavender ribbon along the centre of the green.

I received the following cards:



A very pretty collage.
Thank you Kate.

At first look, I thought that this was stencilled and stamped with a die cut.   Still can't make my mind up .....

Thank you Liz.

A delicately stamped card.

Thank you Philippa.