ATC club April swap (Vintage)

This month's ATC club challenge which is Vintage was set by the very talented Patty
Now for a change I have done 5 different ones this month... though the main image ...this pretty girl from Lisa's altered art is the feature on each one.

The background on the first one was a freebie from Altered bits.com and I used SeeD's stamps and Anna Griffin letter stamps for the word.  I've also used Tim Holtz brushed corduroy ink on all of my atc's cos it is just my favourite and suits this theme so beautifully.

The background for the atc above is a freebie from The Vintage Moth...I love this... all those stamps layered together...brilliant.  The Butterfly is from Crafty Individuals.

This delightful background featuring a bird on a branch which I watercoloured is part of a generous freebie from Patty.  I just had to use it on one of my Vintage atc's.

I have been waiting to use this fabby pen background which is a paper from Tim Holtz for ages and it went so well with the book and specs stamp from SeeD's.

Finally my 5th atc which is the one I will keep for my own collection was put together using another free background from The Vintage Moth.... the edges are part stamps from SeeD's vintage collection and I also used sepia accents on the hat.
Thanks for looking
Hugs
Chris xx

One more sleep....

'till the big man with the beard and the red suit comes to visit and I'm sooooooo excited my tummy is full 'o' butterflies. Am I a believer... YOU BET!! Don't you know if you don't believe in Santa you don't get any pressies... I believe.. I believe... I BELIEVE rofl.
All shopping done... pressies wrapped and I am going to have a fun day today after I've had me a nice relaxing ... full of bubbles... nice smelling... warm as toast bath and put me glad rags on. May even do up me face to go visiting and pressie delivering :D
I am sleeping at DD's tonight because as DG says.... Santa won't come if I'm not there... awwwww bless :D
Okay 'nuff waffling and some bits and pieces to share specially as I didn't get round to blogging earlier cos of pressie buying, food shopping and the like, so much to do... so little time just like all of you probably.
So first of all some mini cards I did with my alcohol inks, and women stamps from The Queen's dresser drawers, the background text stamp was a gift from my pal Chriss so I don't know who's stamp it is but I love it.
Next the last of my Crimbo cards to share with you this year... I know you are probably sick of the sight of them by now heh heh!!
A girly one featuring Ellie from Cen's Crafty bits

with handwritten sentiment... bling :D ... and Christmas glitter...

and a more masculine one featuring Joe, watercoloured and holding his own Christmas star...

using some of my favourite Papermania papers and covered chipboard to add the sentiment to.

Now before I leave you in peace :D a couple of awards to share from some special girlies...

This one from Dawn

The rules are to give it to five others, who shall give it to five others.
Link the one you got it from, and also the ones you give it to - then let them know.
And there is more... You have to write down five things you are addicted to.

I award this to....

Beate , Sesga , Sandy ,Viola , Gayle and Heather

Ok Ok I know that's 6 but hey it's Christmas so I'm allowed...lol

and the five things I'm addicted to :_

Coffee ... keeps me awake

Bling!! ... makes me smile

Crafting... keeps me sane

Spending money on crafty bits....ooooer

My Grandson.... He puts the light in my life and fills it with fun :D

Finally I received this smashing award from the lovely Suzyb... "Gift of the Gab award"... speaks for itself doesn't it...lol

Well I really can't help the fact that I often have verbal diarhoea... I just can't stop my mouth or my fingers (when typing comments etc) from running away with me. Hey you should be inside my brain... I'm sure there are little fella's in there working overtime to make sure the cogs are well oiled and able to keep running :D

Suzy forgot the rules for this one...lol... so I've no rules to follow so I'll just pass it on as Suzyb did to fellow bloggers who have entertained me with their own chattering online and off and they are :-

Chriss , Terrieb , Sharon , Debbie and Kath

I could go on and on all day BUT I will have to stop there or else I won't get round everyone I've got to deliver gifts to today or have time to beautify myself in readiness for the big day... so I send you all a wish for a Fabulous day tomorrow and hope you all have heaps of fun :D

See you soon

hugs

Chris xx

Willow Sketchie and Artygirlz (favourite medium) challenges

I combined two challenges for my card today, Willow's sketchie challenge which I haven't managed to join in with for a few weeks and this weeks Artygirlz challenge which is 'favourite medium'. So just before I drown you in Christmas pics I thought I would share this with you and give you a break(would share the kit-kats with you too but I've eaten them all...lol)
I rotated the sketch because I found it fit better with what I had in mind to do, but that's the beauty of sketches to me... a starting block to get the mojo going and a lot of fun too.
My favourite medium... well I don't need to tell ya really do I... 'BLING A LING A LING' doesn't get missed off a lot of what I create does it :D I am really loving curling the edges of my papers and shapes too, though on this card I stopped with the shapes.

More of my favourite things with chipboard, ribbon and Silhouettes just had me in a happy place making this card and the reverse silhouettes from Cen's Crafty bits are some of my favourites... really cool and printed out on A6 photo paper they are just the perfect size to use with a circle punch..whooohooo easy peasy.... and my ribbon box is getting some hammer lately too... d'ya think I'm over my addiction to stroking and stashing it...lol

Ok just before I go I have to say a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our well talented blogging buddy Kath who has recently won Simply Cards and Papercrafts magazine Card Designer of the year Competition 2008... really well deserved too as Kath's creations are stunning in every way. If you haven't paid her blog a visit... what are you waiting for :D

Kath is also having some blog candy giveaways in the lead up to Christmas... so pop by and say hello... I know she would be happy for you to.

Okay that's it for me tonight... am shattered after DG visit this weekend, 8yr olds have sooooooo much energy and I'm as sure as God made little green apples that DG runs on Everready (sp)batteries!!

See you soon

hugs

Chris xx

Papergirls Altered jigsaw challenge

It's my turn to set the challenge over on The Papergirls blog so this month the theme is an altered jigsaw with added 'Bling' If you don't have a jigsaw piece you can alter there is a template available here that you can use which has four different sizes to suit your own individual taste.
Below is my jigsaw piece example which includes a Christmas image from Cens' crafty bits as the focal point. After printing I added white glitter to Santa's hat and beard using pva glue to add a 3d effect.
I stamped mini circles with a snowflake stamp (unknown) to make little paper baubles with added ribbon....

a little bit of bling and prima flowers adds a girly touch... and I stamped onto the background paper (free from Cen's loft Christmas freebies) using an Artistic Stamper flourish stamp and Red Brick distress ink from Scrapz before edging the whole jigsaw piece with gold Kryon pen.

A ribbon bow and hanger with more bling completed my little project....

and now I have another Christmas decoration to add to my ever growing collection :D

Thanks for looking and I hope that you will pop over to the Papergirls blog and join in with the challenge. You will find the other details including the closing date over there :D

Happy crafting

Hugs

Chris xx

Christmas tag... (weekend taggers challenge)

Well I've been going to join in with the weekend taggers challenge for a while so I've succumbed this week. The lovely Kath has set this weeks tag challenge which is Red and Green. Well seeing as my favourite colour is red... how could I resist... I just had to make one :D
I used Ellie again from Cen's crafty bits... but this time just the outline printable so I could colour her in myself and colour a matching sledge which I filled with handcut snowballs :D

I love the fact that you can print out smaller images onto A5 or A6 paper so that they fit in with various projects such as this tag, atc's and inchies as well as cards. I also added my bling and ribbon on top of some red netting to give it a feel of luxury and I'm going to use this tag on one of DD's Christmas pressies :D Need to make lots more for DG's gifts too so think I had better get cracking...don't you :D

Have a fun day

hugs

Chris xx

Gothic arch challenge - sillhouettes (and some altered bits)

Well I was going to do all sorts of things... including some tutorials for you to check out this week... but the best laid plans often go out of the window for me...lol I developed a cold on Friday and it has blown my socks off... I have sneezed, coughed and spluttered my way through the last few days so as you can imagine it's not the best way to attempt any crafting. I gave up on the tissues and adopted a pack of quilted loo roll which has been my best buddy and never been far from my side and oh if that loo roll could speak what a good tale he would tell because believe me I am NOT a good patient and even whinge at myself...rofl.
I have had a little smooth with the rough though, through watching this years "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" I don't usually get really involved a lot with these tv programmes... choosing to watch them only now and again... but hey I am going to be tuning in to this series and waiting every evening for the next episode!! I caught the first episode by chance because I had forgotten it was starting and I am sooooooo glad I did because I haven't LAUGHED so hard and for so long in many a long month. I laughed so much that I almost wet my pants... WHY ANY sane person would put themselves through the ordeals of putting their hands on huge creepy crawlies or eating such unappealing morsels as eyeballs and kangaroo testicles is totally beyond me... urgghhhhhh with a capital U.... rofl Mind you as daft as THEY are... I guess I'm dafter for watching and most of it is seen from behind a pillow as I cringe and squirm ;-)
Anyway on to nicer things.... I finally managed to create my arch for this weeks Gothic arch challenge and as I have been in the mood to experiment lately I decided to watercolour the background and the paper for the edging and flowers. The black base card has a slight marble effect on it but unfortunately doesn't show up well on the photo. The silhouette is a printable from Cen's crafty bits.


Now then last week when I spent some crafty time with my pal Chriss I was itching to do some altered dominoes... 'specially since the prize I won last week from Karen's Christmas card challenge was stamps that fit so beautifully onto them. I had no alcohol inks... but I hate to be beaten so tried all sorts of inks ...drawing inks, printer inks, etc to try and get a similar effect :D ... nope it wasn't going to happen... BUT I had another electric light moment (need one of those symbols for my blog..lol) and decided to try my Sharpie pens because they are permanent to see what would happen.

Well after hours (and I mean hours!!) of colouring the dominoes and attempting to smudge the ink with the pads of my fingers... it worked a little :D Almost had no skin left on my fingers ... so I wouldn't recommend trying it..lol but I was happy enough with what I managed to do and went on to decorate this tin...

so I have now got something to put my tiny stamps in AND something pretty to look at too.

I will however NOT be attempting to recreate any of these project until I get some alcohol inks ( which by the way... I ordered today..rofl...naughty girl!!) Well a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do ;-D

Sorry it was such a l-o-n-g post... congrats if you are still awake :)

hugs

Chris xx

Cen's crafty bits...

is now up and running and what a treat you have in store... there are going to be lots of downloads in printable pdf form available to use in your crafting and you can get the newest downloads here now :D
I used one of the images from the Sillhouettes downloads to create a special card for my Mam's Birthday. I used digital papers and frame from Cen's stuff Victorian Memories kit which you can find here for my background and handcut elements.

Lots of paper sculpting and doodling again on this card with some of my favourite bling and gorgeous sticky ribbon that I bought many moons ago to add a feel of luxury. Well we've only got one Mam right :D

I hand drew the scalloped edge and punched holes because I don't have a waterfall punch... but where there's a will there's a way right :D

Now I have already introduced you to Ellie below on my 1st Christmas card so now I want you to meet Jo :D You can find these two cute characters over at Cen's crafty bits ready to download for printing... there is a coloured version and also one that you can colour yourself using your copic markers, pencils etc.

Here is my first Christmas card using Jo... I think he is so cute and like every little boy he loves his Christmas tree :DMore paper sculpting and bling with printed papers from Cen's stuff Victorian memories digital kit. This kit is one of my all time favourites... I just keep using it again and again and I just love doing hybrid creations.
I hope you will pop over and visit Ellie and Jo and one more thing before I go... if you haven't already... then you really need to pop over to The Papergirls blog and see the amazing entries in the altered cd challenge... they really are all stunning... and don't forget to vote for you favourite too :D

Have a great day

hugs

Chris xx