Hues of blues & Crazy or not?

This has been a great weekend. I stayed home, had time for myself – which means crafting, cooking, reading, listening to music – went to bed at more or less reasonable times and had some sunny walks through the frosty fields behind the house where I live. After weeks of cold and wet weather we have had a few days of frost paired with sunshine – the sky is blue, the birds are singing and I feel good.

I luckily remembered that I had some chicken breasts in the fridge, and started to prepare them for mydinner today. As I was standing by the stove I realised I was singing (to the tune of *I’m off to see the wizard*) *I’m off to fry my chicken, the wonderful chicken of Oz…dadum-tidum-tidum-tidum – the very best chicken there was!*
Sometimes I think I am a bit crazy, at times like this I am sure of it.
So what? As long as I feel happy with it!

I have been keeping warm at home by crafting, trying out a lot of techniques learned on *Gingersnaps* and other sites, making cards and tags and….and….finishing my third little canvas. The background has been painted with acrylic colours in indigo, cobalt and gold, with a bit of glitter sprinkled on while it was still wet. Then I decided to enter it into June’s challenge on *Dezinaworld*, which this week is *Hues of blue*. I die cut some flowers, birds and a cage using TH’s Alterations, and embossed the parts using a Texture Fade which I had inked with *faded jeans*. I also cut some flowers out of a dark blue, handmade paper and a gold bird and cage. Then the fun part came – playing with all the bits and bobs till it looked like I wanted, sticking them together and onto the canvas, and adding the final decorations – a button, some bling, a cameo and an old butterfly brooch, which has been fluttering about in my drawer for years waiting to be used!
I am quite pleased with the result, it is always tempting to alter things again and again, but once I start, I never stop, so I will leave it as it is!
I am also entering this into the following challenges:
Try it on Tuesday - Alter it with wings who are being sponsored this week by *The craft barn*





and The *Sisterhood of Crafters* - Anything goes

GC85 – Hot Beverages – Take 2 & *Oh la la* Tag for Bella Creations

Yesterday while I was sitting on the couch, watching TV and drinking coffee, this little verse popped into my head:





Give me coffee, but no tea –
Tea is not the drink for me!
Coffee, frothy, brown and hot -
I can always drink a lot.
Coffee topped with whipped-up cream,
This with joy will make me scream.
Café au lait with chocolate sprinkles,
Makes me happy, stops my wrinkles.
And if the point you have not seen –
A day without coffee makes me mean!

So I wrote it down before it popped out again, and decided that I needed a card to go with it, which I then made. The cup has been drawn on a piece of white card, pasted onto patterned paper, and cut out. The *foam* on the top has been made from a scrap of *snow* left over from Xmas, the chocolate sprinkles have been substituted with stickles in cinnamon. The easel has been made from cream coloured card, distressed with ancient linen and espresso inks, and stamped with coffee cups and quotes from *Justrite*. The verse has been printed in brown onto linen weave paper, distressed with the same inks as before, and matted with the same patterned paper – from LaBlanche - that I used for the cup.
Gingersnaps is a group which always gives lots of inspiration!
Need I say that it was fun to make? This was not a *make and take* but a *drink and think*.



Then, late at night, I decided to join the *Oh la la* Group at *Bella Creations* and join in their tag Challenge with a beautiful, vintage - and so romantic! - photo. I managed half of it last night, and the rest this morning. Used a large manila tag, which I distressed with TH inks in forest moss, wild honey, Victorian velvet and faded jeans, die cut some lace, which was distressed with Victorian velvet, printed the background with a French text, put the photo in a metal frame, added some wings - also coloured with Victorian velvet, some flowers and leaves, and a velvet bow. And then stamped and embossed *Ooh la la*. Voila - finished!

Yesterday was such a nice day. Sunshine & glittery frost outside, crafting & coffee inside. And today it's the same lovely weather, so apart from a little walk through the fields I will keep myself warm with scrapping. What a life!!
Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

More Makes

I always find it very difficult to make cards for men, which is probably the reason why I nearly always forget their birthdays....Anyway, yesterday evening I remembered that I was late, late, for a very important date, the birthday of an ex-colleague. I have a lovely *Belated Birthday* stamp, which someone gave me as a present ( I wonder why??) and which I use quite often.
I cut a waistcoat from wine red embossed card, stuck it to a hammered card, added two fob pockets and a shirt collar from some white scraps, and added details with white and black pens. Then I wanted to put a watch into the pocket, and although I have lots of clock stamps, they were all too large or too something else, they just didn't fit! And then *Craft Stamper* arrived this morning - yooohoo! Thanks a lot to Petra B. who so kindly sent it to me! And the freebie watch was just right. So, I just had to start stamping, still in my PJs, and tried it out in all colours. The one I have used for the card has been stamped with archival black and gold embossed, cut out, and fixed to a piece of golden chain, which I have glued into the fob pocket of the waistcoat. Added the *Tempus fugit* stamp and a red bow tie, and stamped the inside of the card with my *belated* stamp and a cup cake. Finished! Now I can get it posted off to the recipient, and hope I will be forgiven for being a week too late.
And I noticed this morning that I was chosen as a *Ginger gem* in the *Ginspiration* challenge on Thursday. I did congratulate the winners on Thursday, but must have overseen that I was one of them....thanks again to the Design Team at Gingersnaps!






So, here's wishing you all a happy weekend, take care, and thanks for looking!

Art Journal February 2011

As this month is almost over, I thought it was high time to start my February calendar pages. Used some freebie papers from *Scrapbook* magazine. I didn't like the papers much, but cut into small pieces, I like them better. For the 14th I cut a TH heart and wings out of a piece of scrap paper. The sentiments (Sizzix die cuts) have been cut from scraps of white cardstock and used to spray a negative image on the edges, and then, after drying, to add the *positive* words, a 2-for-1 effect. The month has been inked with a stencil, the weekdays have been printed onto some scraps of coordinating, patterned paper. Did some random stamping, to which I added a spot of stickles, and that was it.
It was, as always, fun to make, and this month I have been enjoying making short, positive comments every day, then every day has something positive about it, if only that it is over and it's time to go to bed....But seriously, nearly every day has some good times, and it's important, for me, to remember these moments, and not just the bad ones. I think I remember a song from my past which went *Even the bad times are good....* - by the Tremeloes?
So, here's wishing you all a good day! Thanks for looking!

Hello, hello, hello!

Yesterday I visited my friend Inge. Unfortunately, I was not feeling too good, and decided to drive home in the afternoon and just go to bed and sleep it off. Shortly before I get home there is a pretty lane leading between two fields, quite idyllic. For some time they have had a building site at one end of the road, where mostly nothing is being built, and nobody is working. But *they* have made a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour for part of that road, and seem determined to have it kept!
Okay, I was driving too fast, but still not speeding, and still well under the normal limit. And all I wanted to do was to get home and get to bed.
But *they* were waiting for me. Three friendly, young policemen, just doing their jobs. And one of them waved so friendly at me - with his red *lollipop*. He explained the situation - in case I hadn't realised what was up - and said I had to pay a fine of 25€. Under other circumstances I might have had a discussion. But I was feeling bad and just wanted to get home. So I showed my identity papers, paid - with my bank card, as they have a terminal to hand, good customer service! And then drove home. Or tried to.
Next problem. Our road was blocked - with fire engines, ambulance and police cars. There was evidently something wrong in the house next door, although I still don't know what was up. So it took some time before I managed to get past and find a parking space. I dragged myself up the stairs and went to bed.
This morning I looked at the receipt they gave me yesterday. At the bottom it says: *Please keep this copy and give it to the customer*. Customer? What did I buy???
At least they haven't written that they hope to see me again soon!
Have a nice day, take care, and don't drive too fast....

Canvas with Valentine Theme

Here is the second of the small canvases which I prepared last week. This time I have painted it with blue tones and added some gold corners and a bit of gold glitter. Then I wrote some love quotes, and *love* in different languages, before decorating it. I die-cut a heart from an old cardboard box, embossed it with a TH folder, and heat embossed it with perfect pearls in copper and gold before swiping it with some black archival ink. Added some feathery wings, some prima leaves and a spot of bling. It was, as always, fun to make, although I don't really like the results, so the third one will be done differently. Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!

The Wish Tree Fairy

I made this card using o ne of my new Lavina stamps, and had great fun just playing with it on Sunday. The background here has been distressed with TH inks in cloudy skies, broken china, Victorian velvet, wild honey and forest green, and where some of the colours looked too bright, I wiped part of the colour away with a wet wipe and then toned it down with ancient linen. The fairy tree has been stamped in the middle with archival ink and first clear embossed, and then embossed again with copper, pink and green perfect pearls to give it more shine and depth, it does not show up so well on the photo. The vine on the left hand side has been hand doodled, and *wish* is a sizzix die cut, Then I placed a piece of acetate over it, which has been stamped and stickled along the bottom. The pearls on the vine and in the tree have also been stuck to the acetate, and the little fairy die cut has been inked, glittered with some gold ice stickles, and then sat on the step.
Was great fun to make something different, and the Lavinia stamps are just gorgeous.

I am entering this for *Simon says stamp and show childhood memories*, because I was firmly convinced that a fairy lived in the tree in our garden, and I would see here if only I could stay awake long enough....

Some quick cards....

It always does good to have a clear out. I found this bunch of cards last week together with my paints while I was searching for the hammer....I remember making them, and then they just disappeared. That's the bad thing about clearing up, afterwards you don't find anything!



Thanks for looking, and have a good day!

Perhaps not what you were thinking....

Just a short post today, as I have been cropping, nattering and eating cake today, having a great time playing with my new stamps. The results will be shown when they are finished!
Here is a card I made for a challenge last year and lost before I could upload it....well, while looking for my paints, I rediscovered it, so here is a pic of Titam taken when he was about 2, and determined to fill up his paddling pool even though his Mum had said *no*....
Thanks for looking and have a good week!

SP6 - Single Layer Card

Help, I think I have forgotten how to make a basic card! For this one I used one of my all time fave stamps, my lovely owl from LaBlanche. The moon in the background has been stamped with resist ink, and then I distressed the card with TH Inks in marigold, brushed corduroy, ancient linen and Adirondack espresso. Tried to create a murky, misty night. The owl has been stamped in Archival black and clear embossed before brushing with perfect pearls in interference blue and gold and embossing again, to bring out colours in the feathers. The eyes have been dotted with stickles in cinnamon. Hand-doodled a leafy branch in black and gold. It was, as usual, fun to make, and has effectively kept me from doing the housework up till now - but now I can't avoid it any longer....help!
Thanks for looking and have a good day!

Creative Connections #4: Party Hats

“I am participating in a GC Creative Connection. I heard about this month’s GCCC - Party Hats - from Sharon Briss of http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com
Why not play along? Post a creation to your blog mentioning my post and the Creative Connection post on Gingersnap Creations. Let’s all craft it forward and see how far we can get this connection to go!”

For my card I used Shar's label technique again. I printed an A4 label sheet with an invoice from 1916, and used part of it to stamp my lion and window from LaBlanche. I used archival ink and clear embossing powder. Then I distressed the background with some TH inks before sticking on the labels. I gave the lables a *frame* made of sticky ribbon to give it all a window look. The party hat wearers are from a sheet of Men's images from June at *Dezinaworld*
I cut my three *men * out, gave them party hats and balloons, die-cut with Sizzix, and that was it. Was fun to make, as always.
Tomorrow I have to do things like housework and washing, not so much fun!
But had a wonderful time yesterday and today celebrating with my friends, so hope that will have given me enough strength to get at least the important things done!
Have a nice day, and thanks for visiting!

Flooded roads, hailstones and a quick 51st Anniversary card

Yesterday I had an appointment at the doctor's. I drove there, found a parking lot straightaway, parked, got out of the car and was standing in a puddle up to my ankles, together with two rather indignant pigeons who had evidently thought it was their bird-bath. Reached the doc with no further mishaps. Didn't even have to wait long. Had my tests and got prescriptions for my medis - strange how they seem to grow with each new birthday! As I left, it was pouring. My umbrella was high and dry - in the car. So had to run for it as well as I could. The huge puddle had not disappeared in the meantime, and it was impossible to access the car without treading into it, so once again, got wet feet. On the motorway it started to throw down hailstones, which pinged so hard on the roof of the car that I thought they would pass through it, really scary. Then I went to the chemist's to get my medis. Difficult to find a parking space, because those giant puddles were everywhere, and the park looked like a river. Anyway, never give up, found a dry place, threw some money in the ticket machine and ran to the chemist's. Got everything I needed, and managed to get back home without further problems. where I treated myself to dry trousers, a cappuccino and 2 current buns - delicious!
Then I realised I needed to make a card for some friends, who are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary today - congrats I & T!! I also baked a chocolate cake to take with me when I go there, so was a busy evening.
The easel card has been made from wine-red embossed card stock, and the front panel has been cut from the *Taj Mahal* stack (DCWV). Added TH die cut hearts and wings, and 2 roses, and of course a golden 51. Inside I put one of my favourite verses, which translated into English says *We are angels with just one wing, and can only fly when we embrace each other. Angel with just one wing -come, fly with me, embrace me.*
Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!!

Mona Lisa with Hearts and Roses - GCSP6, Take 2

Yesterday I made a card following Shar's inspiration of using labels. My friend B gave me a pile of A4 label sheets, so I will be able to have more fun trying this out in the next weeks, as it is a fun technique with lots of possibilities. I printed the whole sheet with a freebie background from June at *Dezinaworld*, and stamped my image over one part of it , so I can still work with the rest of the sheet. I used my Mona Lisa stamp from LaBlanche, and stamped with archival ink which was then clear embossed. Then I mounted the labels onto a scrap of white card, which I matted with wine red before mounting it onto a card, which I stamped with script in *aged mahogany*. Added some hearts and roses and gave her a touch of lipstick and eye shadow, and it was finished.
And another nice surprise from *Gingersnaps* today, as I was chosen as a Ginger Gem again for my *Polar animals* tag. Many thanks to the team for their never ending source of inspiration and ideas!
It was fun trying something new - as always - and I will definately try this again.
Thanks for looking and have a good day!

Ginspiration Challenge CCSP6

For this challenge I have made a black and white card, inspired by Stephanie's elegant cardigan. I needed a *good luck* card for a friend, and as cows are a big fave with me, I used them here. They have been die cut from Kaisercraft paper, and I have mixed and matched the heads to make them more interesting. They have been mounted on to a piece of white paper left over from die cutting a lace edge, and the background has been stamped with text in archival black. The cows have been fixed with foam pads to give them more depth. I added some black and white prima flowers, a border of the same scrap paper, I just altered the writing at 2 places to *Moo* instead of me. Then I mounted it all onto a black card, and that was it - udderly simple, and I hope the recipient will feel mooooooooooved by it. The eyes and flower centres have been dotted with a spot of liquid pearls in red, and then I added a matching tag with a sentiment. Was fun to make, I think I will try the other Ginspiration challenges, too!
Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Masking Challenge for *Simon Says*

This is my entry for the *Simon Says* masking challenge. The background has been masked with *garden ironworks* from *My Tattered Angels*, and sprayed over with *Juneberry wine* from the same company. I then cut the tag to match the contours of the pattern. Then I decided to keep it monochromatic, so cut the tree and birds in a matching colour using coredinations paper, which has been lightly sanded. The fence is also a TH die. The tree has been dotted with a few spots of liquid pearls in silver. As a finishing touch I added two stars in white with some lilac liquid pearls dotted in the middle.

It was, as always, fun to make. Thanks for looking & have a nice day!

GC83 Polar animals Challenge

For the polar animals challenge I used a photo of Knut, a bear that was abandoned by its mother and brought up in the Berlin Zoo by zookeepers. He was a real cutie, and drew a lot of fans who queued for hours to see him. I have cut the top part of the photo away, inked the edges, and mounted it onto a tag which has been distressed with TH *faded jeans* and white embossing powder. I cut the pic of Knut a tad wider than the tag and just stuck down the edges, so that Knut seems to stand in front of the tag.
I stamped a circle with resist ink to make the moon. To finish it I inked the edges, and added a few stars and a snowman charm.
It was, as always, fun to make. Thanks for looking!

Fairy arch for *Gothic Arches* Challenge

This time I have made something a bit different for the fairy challenge, and managed to use up some things which have been slumbering in my cupboard for a loooooooong time. But I thought for a fairy challenge, they would be just right. The background has been distressed with TH inks in gradient colours, and has then been covered with acetate printed with trees and then outlined with glitter. The fairy was from a decoupage sheet that I won from a blog candy, so I inked the edges, layered her, and added some ice blue stickles. The top arch has been cut from a scrap of paper, embossed with a TH folder to give it depth, inked with faded jeans and then rubbed with a bit of stickles, too. Added two punched birds, two prima flowers with mini buttons and a few tiny glitter flowers. It's nice to try something different once in a while, and it will be sent to a nice little girl who will be 9 next month and who just loves fairies, especially when they are pink, pale blue and glittery!
Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Ginger gems, a LIIU challenge & a lazy day.....

Today I had great problems leaving my bed, as I had a bad back on the one side - oooops, how can you have your back on one side???? And I don't mean my backside either....
OK, I'll start again. This morning my back was hurting. This made it difficult to roll out of my bed, but after my first coffee everything started to feel better....
And then -
And then - I saw I had been chosen again as a *Ginger gem* for my *white glitter*challenge entry - woohoo! Thanks to the team for the inspiration and encouragement, we have a great bunch of ladies there!


Yesterday evening I made a card for the LIIU Challenge #8, anything goes, and as the theme over on Gingersnaps was beverages, used that theme again. The background has been distressed with TH *Victorian velvet* & *Leather* glimmer mist from *Tattered Angels*, before randomly stamping it with a justrite stamp *Is there really life before Coffee?* and using Adirondack *espresso*. The tea cups have been stamped with a freebie from the *Craft Stamper* magazine, cut out, coloured and hand doodled, and then decoupaged. The vintage lady pic is from LaBlanche, the metal corners also. I placed a piece of brown card underneath it, which forms a little hiding place on the back into which I can pop an invitation to coffee.
It was, as always, fun to make - especially with this theme - and the rest of the day I have spent daydreaming, thinking about what I might do next and generally avoiding housework.
Thanks for dropping in, and have a good day!

GC85: Chestnut Theme Challenge - Hot Beverages

For me there can be NO discussion about which hot beverage I like the best - it was, is, and will be - COFFEE!! I love the smell and the colour of it, love watching it coming out of my coffee maker, and have a large collection of different coffee cups and mugs. The first thing I do everyday after rolling out of bed is to stagger to my machine, switch it on, pop in a capsule and watch the aromatic brown fluid run into the foamy milk....
For this challenge I decided to make a LO. The background paper is from K & Co *Neapolitan chocolate daisies flat*. The die-cuts are from Sizzix, and the wings from Melissa Frances.
I took a photo of an antique cup and saucer which I inherited from my Great- Aunt, natually filled with cappuccino. And I do want to emphasise that the dollop of extra cream on top was only for the photo. Well, I did drink it afterwards, I couldn't waste it, could i??
I printed the photo 3 times, and cut out 2 of the pics and decoupaged them. The coffee in the top cup hs been glazed with glossy accents and dotted with some stickles in cinnamon. The background is a ceramic card, distressed with TH Victorian velvet and Adirondack *espresso*, and sprayed with *leather* from *My Tattered Angels*. The card has been edged with die-cut lace which has been distressed to match. The text stamp is part of a *Justrite* coffe stamp set, and has been edged with a border made with a cuttlebug die and embossing folder. The leaves and bling are from Prima.
This was another fun challenge, for which I drank lots of coffee for inspiration.
Thanks for looking, and have a good day!

Update!
Last night I had the *brilliant idea* to make this into a canvas. Took a 15x15 one, distressed it with inks and sprays to match, and mounted the LO in the middle. Now I have a new picture for my kitchen wall, and it is hanging near the coffee maker!

Clockwork Orange- or God made time - He didn't say anything about clocks.....

A couple of years ago I altered a canvas and added a clock. It was in pink, with some blue and purple splodges, some glitter fragments, and didn't really look bad. But I couldn't find the right wall to hang it on, so it ended up in the corner of my bedroom...Last week I had a visit from a friend. She LOVED that clock, and said it was ALMOST perfect (flippin' cheek - my things not quite perfect??!) But then she explained, her bedroom was decorated in yellow and orange, and if she could find a clock like that in orange tones, she would be sooooooooo happy. Tada! Now she's got one. Took another canvas, distressed, daubed and sprayed it with orange, yellow, pink, blue, some adirondack wild plum, indeed, everything I could get my hands on to make it more or less the right colour, added sparkly bits and fragments again, stuck down with mod-podge and glossy accents, and added a floral frame to fence in the clock. Yesterday she rang up to say that her clock arrived.... And she thinks it's absolutely perfect, except that it ticks a bit loud....well, I suppose you can't have everything, can you? Thanks for looking, and have a nice weekend!