C.R.A.F.T Challenge 15 - Anything But A Card

My DT project this week for C.R.A.F.T Challenge 15 is, as you can see, a Birdhouse!

It was very easy to make - the 'body' of the box is just an A4 card scored and folded into four equal parts (after leaving a 1.5cm 'lip' for sticking), which is easier to decorate, cut holes in etc. before you stick it together.

The roof, is just another pice of card I fudged around with until it fitted.
The two birds are Inkadinkadoo stamps which I cut out, coloured and mounted, one on the roof and one on the perch.
I roughly sketched and coloured some flowers and used an Adirondack Lettuce inkpad to make some rudimentary grass and colour the roof.
Hope you like it!
Hugs,
Ei
x.


ps I've entered this into a challenge at Flashback Fridays...in 2011! LOL!
It's the first challenge I've come across which INSISTS on back linking! 

C.R.A.F.T Challenge 14

I really enjoyed our C.R.A.F.T mission this week. I haven't done much in the way of parchmentcraft and so was pleasantly pleased when this turned out okay.

It really wasn't as hard as it looks or as I expected it to be. The hardest bit was deciding on the design.The basic card is an A4 rainbow cardstock over which I placed a vellum jacket which I had edged with my brand new Martha Stewart Lace Doily punch! I DO so like the Martha Stewart punches....mmmmm!

The panel is a heavy vellum/parchment. A heavyweight one is recommended as the lighter ones can tear quite easily.

I'm afraid I'm a bit of a philistine when it comes to the embossing templates - not sure what make or pattern I used on here, just it's Dutch and an octagonal shape! The butterfly was an ordinary brass stencil by American Crafts and the decoupaged blossoms are a pergamano pattern that comes with the tools when you buy them.

I thought of adding stuff like flowers but decided that would 'over-egg the pudding' so to speak so, in the end, didn't!

Thank you for looking and good luck in the challenge!
Hugs,
Ei
x.

Sympathy cards

I made these two quick cards for my cousins as my Aunt passed away today.
Clearly, the same La Blanche stamp was used for both and coloured with Copics.
The upper one sports Nestability mats in three different shades of cream which are slightly distressed with Adirondack Terracotta and a sand-coloured powder eyeshadow, and outlined in Gold Touch.
The message stamp is my own Eiglas text stamp in LucidaCalligraphy 28pt.
The plain textured cream base card I 'dotted' with Gold Touch pen.

The lower one I used a pearlescent card for the base and layered up my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch with a scalloped ribbon.

Thank you for looking.
Ei
x

Penny Black & One Stop Challenge Card

The theme for Penny Black Saturday Challenge 63 is 'Stitching' so my little ballerina cat is stitched onto her nestability mat, the tags are 'stitched' and the backing paper (my own creation) is 'stitched' to the base card.
You ned to get over there to see the DT cards - they're fab this week (as they are every week) and worth a lickle 'sken'!

The colour cheme of Pink & Black comes from 'One Stop Challenge' 42.
I've only just found this blog but I'm now a follower and will return thence!
I adore Penny Black Stamps and have loads on my wish list and I think the pink & black combination lends itself well! It certainly makes a change from all my recent 'vintagey' colours of green & brown!
I hope you like it and thank you for looking!
Hugs,
Ei
x

CCC 27 & Allsorts 15 Challenges 22nd August

Copics Colour Challenge don't mess about! What a painful combination they chose this week with C3 (cool Grey 3) E57 (light Walnut which I don't have - I used a mix) and YR04 (Chrome Orange)! They don't like to make life easy, do they...? LOL! But I did my best with a little help from my lickle friend Daisy...!The Allsorts Challenge provided the lovely sketch, which I put a slight tilt on (hope that's okay...!).
Don't even ask, apart from the Copics, what I've used as I've no idea - it's all from my anonymous stash!
Thanks for looking - it's much appreciated!
Hugs,
Ei
x.

Simple Pleasures...

Today's card was made with a couple of challenges in mind.

Firstly, SPCC (...I know it sounds like a child protection organisation, but it stands for 'Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combos'..!) have their FF (Finally Friday) Challenge requesting a festoon of fancy borders, so I went a bit mental with the Fiskars.....!
My second is Cute Cards Challenge 74 which has a theme this week of 'Lazy Dayz'.
I could do with a lazy day picking daisies on a summer hillside......!
Pink Elephant's theme this week is 'Summer' so I think it fits in with that too! I've only just found Pink Elephant but it's a lovely blog and I think I'll be following it.




In addition to my usual 21cm square cardstock I used a DCWV paper from the 'Old World' pad for the patterned greeny backing paper. This I attacked with a Woodware border punch......!
After adhering this to the base card and very lightly distressing it with Archival Olive inkpad, I stuck a border in brown down one edge the made a second border with Fiskars Lace border punch in white and stuck that on top and slightly overlapping.
Th olive green eyelet border then concealed the edge of the white as it overlapped the patterned paper.
Next I selected a leaf-green scrap of DCWV plain textured cardstock and punched out a border with my Matha Stewart Frond punch, retaining the die-cuts.
This green border was then adhered to the patterned paper about 2 cm from the border, ensuring the end was tucked under the olive eyelet.
Next, a fancy-edged pair of scisors were used to cut a narrow (approx 2.5cm) strip of a second patterned paper, this time brown on white, and I used my eyelet punch to enable me to thread a chocolate satin ribbon through.
My images are both Just Magnolia and the scene is cut with and mounted on Nestability shapes.
All colouring is with my beloved Copics - even the pinky blush on the white fabric daisies (...which were cheap as chips from Wilkinson's - 70p a bunch! LOL!).
Lastly, I took the fern punchies (...remember Martha Stewart...?), distressed them a little with Cut & Dry and Adirondack Mushroom inkpad and stuck them just untderneath the flowers.
The two little silver photo corners are MM brand and I want more 'cos I LOVE them!
Little sentiment is K&Co from their mega embellishment kit of about two years ago! I'm still trawling though it!

That's it, all done and I hope you like it!

Please feel free to copy my lo's but I really would like it if you would send me a link if you upload 'em anywhere as I love to see my work translated!

Hugs,
Ei
x

I like the 'Brooke' papers from Making Memories and here I've used the spotty paper for the backgound. The other two papers came free in a magazine so I'm not sure of their make. The stamped image was from an image swap with a couple of friends, so I'm not sure of that either! LOL! Not much use so far today, am I? The flowers are just little punches - Carl is one the other isn't marked with a maker. The fern-type leaves are Martha Stewart and all colouring is Copics!

This was for a friend's birthday but she's received it now, so I am able to show it!
Be back later with some more!
Thank you for looking - it is appreciated!
Hugs,
Ei
x

....A Dimwit or what...?

I really shouldn't be let out on my own y'know. And, I should be a blonde not a redhead! Just trawling through my favourite blogs, as ya do, and there's one of my projects displayed on the Allsorts page! I wouldn't mind, but I must have swept past it twice! LOL! Apparently, for my Vintage Aunt & Uncle card, I got a top five award from Allsorts and didn't even notice!!!!! Oh dear.... I could understand this if I didn't visit the site from one week to the other but I'm always 'skennin' for interesting inspiration on my favourite blogs and following up any links they recommend. Such a dork..... Thank you so much for the award Allsorts crew - I'm very appreciative of the honour and not snubbing you at all, at all!
Just a blonde moment ....or should I say week!! LOL!
Thanks for looking in at my blog - I do appreciate it!
Hugs,
Ei
x

C.R.A.F.T Challenge 13

For this week's C.R.A.F.T Challenge, I couldn't decide between two of my projects, so the team generously decided to put both on!
The first is a mirror I've made with a heap click frame and piece of mirror from an old broken one.
To this I've added Polyfilla and shells! That's it! So easy.
Okay, I also used a bit of my stained glass but it'd be just as nice without, don't you think?


My second project is a 'seascape' I made out of stained glass. It was one of my very first projects, which is why it's a bit rough and unpolished but I actually like that about it!

You know what rather important bit of information I've realised I've left out of the description? The shells and the sea-smoothed glass was collected over years by my children.

We had nothing when they were small and when we managed to let them go away with their schools on little trips or short holiday breaks, rather than have them spend their pocket money on presents, we asked them to find us a nice shell or stone and htis they did. They're all in their twenties & thirties now, but it makes me smile when I remember their little baby faces whe they gave us their 'treasure' when they came home. Ahhhh......!



I've a sneaking suspicion that when I publish this post the piccies will be the wrong way round but you're intelligent - you'll figure it out...! Thanks for looking and for playing with us at C.R.A.F.T! Hugs, Eiglas x

Whiff Of Joy Challenge 43

I've been having real problems with photos lately. The weather up here in Liverpool has been soooo miserable and grey, it's just as bad as indoor flash photography. We've had a couple of minutes here and there, but it's not always possible to just drop everything and go scurrying for your camera, just 'cos the sun has decided to pop out for a minute!
This little card is for the Whiff of Joy Challenge 43 which requires a pink & brown pallette which is a lovely combination I always think.
My papers are quite old K&Co ones. The brown is from Neopolitan and the pink chalk stripe is also from them and I think it's called 'Belle Stripe' but it's not printed on it so I can't be 100% sure.
The images are, clearly, Whiff of Joy!
The background behind the figures occurred when I was distressing some leaves for another project with a piece of cut-and-dry tooled up with a tiny dreg of Archival Maroon.
The card is for a friend's birthday!
Thank you for looking!
Hugs,
Ei
x

Kreative Blogger Award

I have been given another lovely award! There must be more deranged peeps out there than I thought! LOL!

This time, it's from Kate T from Cato's Crafty Corner who needs her bumps feeling!
The requirements for this award are:-

A. Thank the person who nominated you ! (done)

B. Copy the Logo onto your blog (yep)

C. Link the person who nominated you ! (yep)

D. List seven things about yourself that people might find interesting...(hmmmm...... )

E.Nominate 7 more Kreativ bloggers !

F.Leave comments on their blogs to let them know.

Let's hope I can get it done this time 'cos the last two I failed to do service (sorry folks, only so many hours in the day...)

Right, my seven things.....hmmmmm...!
Okay,
1 I don't have a favourite colour but if I was made to chooose, my default would be purple.
2 I love all kinds of music but particularly rock of all genres except thrash and punk.
3 I was taught by nuns from the age of 12 - 16. I hated every minute of it and couldn't wait to leave. I'm not a Catholic either.
4 I love all animals with a passion, but have a very special relationship with dogs although my last, Merlin, passed away nearly 12 months ago and I'm still heartbroken.
5 I was a rock singer 'til me lace broke!
6 I went to Warrington College of Art but dropped out.
7 I also write poetry (...well, doggerel really...) and short stories.

I nominate......(......let me think for a moment.....)

Bev of All The Things I love
Anne of Annies' Creative Moments
Kim of Cards by Kim
Elaine of Quixotic Paperie
Lynda of Lynda's Scrappy Place
Pauline of Passion for Papercraft
and
Fliss of Stamper's Chef

There are all amazing crafters and you won't regret popping onto any of these blogs for inspiration - they're all fab!

As I mentioned previously, I have more awards to give out (...better late than never...!) and I will get around to them one day!
Thank you for looking!
hugs,
Eiglas
x

Penny Black Challenge 62 - blue, cream & tan

The Penny Black Challenge (62) this week reqires three colours in addition to the PB image; blue, cream & tan.
Unlike some challenges, you can't add other colours, green or skin etc.
So I thought a sepia kind of treatment might work with a little tinting with the blue, so here it is!

I used the K&Co mega pad again for the backing paper and layered the Nestability mats with 3d foam for dimension. I just touched the corners with Adirondack Mushroom inkpad.
The image is, clearly, Penny Black and is coloured with copics.
Added a blue satin ribbon and a Laura Ashley fabric brad and we're done!
Thanks for looking!
Hugs,
Ei
x.

Tilda Just a-hangin' around...!

Tilda is a fab little creature for colouring - she's so versatile!

This card is my entry for this week's Just Magnolia Challenge 18 and for the Copics Colour Challenge 26 which requires the colours R59, BG09 & G99.
I don't have R59 so I mixed R29 & E37.


My usual 21 cm square cardstock is the basis and this is covered with a K&CO paper from their enormous new Best of K&Co pad.
The embossed card is from a set of really inexpensive Christmas cards from Create & Craft which I've just used flat and cut to size. The aperture was, handily, already there!
The flowers are Prima and the leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch.
The cords 'holding' the sentiment are coloured with Copics as is the Tilda image and the teal flower.
Hope you like it!
Thanks for looking
Hugs,
Ei
x

My first C.R.A.F.T DT card!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 12

Who'd have thought 'spam' folders could cause so much chaos?! LOL!
Well there I was, feeling like a right 'bill' 'cos no-one was letting me into the secrets of the DT world, and there they were, wondering where my sample card was.


Then I received a pm through Trimcraft and all became clear! My 'spam' folder had not recognised the e-mail addy and thought it was someone naughty trying to mess up my pc, so it gobbled them all up!


So then, I e-mailed DT land to explain what had happened and guess where my e-mails were ending up too.......you guessed it! Another hungry 'spam' folder! LOL! But we got there in the end and at 3:00am this morning, this card emerged from my sleep-deprived brain!



Base card is A4 white cardstock scored & folded in half.
The background paper is from K&Co's new mega-big 'The Best of K&Company' but I don't know the name as it's not printed on it anywhere.
The lemon band is plain lemon cardstock.
The three square icons are from DCWV Pet Stack and I matted them onto red pearlescent paper.
The ribbon is organdie and the heart charms are from MM (I think!).
I did a little 'scribbing' round the edge of the lemon card band with my copics in YG06 & YG11, just to tie it in with the green of the fruity background paper.
The 'Friends' chipboard message is from the K&Co Mega Kit.

I hope you like it and my sleep-ridden eyes didn't let me down! LOL!

Hop on over to C.R.A.F.T and look at the sample cards from the rest of this talented team!

Hugs,
Ei
x

Vintage Aunt & Uncle

This is my entry for the Allsorts Challenge 13. I was hoping to upload it yesterday but got stuck searching the entire city for kitchen floor tiles instead! We (HE) got halfway through tiling the morning-room floor and discovered we didn't have enough tiles of the right colour! Aaargh!

Of course, we have been waiting three years to have these tiles laid (...yes, I bought them in 2006...) so, the original shop had long since sold out and stopped supplying them. So had the other eight stores we tried over the last six months.....
By chance, at three o'clock this afternoon, we found them! Yayy! My kitchen floor could now be finished and the baby doesn't have to hop over the little step caused by the absence of tiles in the morning-room any more!
Ahem! Sorry...Back to the card!

The base cardstock is, again, my fave size, 21cm square.
On to this I adhered a piece of a sheet from the new massive Best Of K&Co pad. No idea what it's called as it's not labelled on either side.

I made a window in the middle by cutting a capital 'I' shape and trimming the 'wings' with a corner punch (the type you can remove the platform from) .

I centred my photo (...no, not Bonnie & Clyde, my Aunt & Uncle, believe it or not!) and adhered it in place. I then had a bit of fun with a pastel pencil and some Perfect Pearls and my finger!

I made an oval shape for the message by covering a chipboard tag I already had with a scrap of the K&Co and distressing with a sepia inkpad and the pencil then placed the peel-off message on it. I don't often use peel-offs, but felt the copper ones fitted with this theme.

The flower is Prima and the leaves are a Martha Stewart punch.
I really enjoyed this theme and I already have some other ideas from it!

Thank you for looking!
Eiglas
x

This week the Allsorts Challenge is 'Vintage' and it reminded me of when I very first started making cards in the modern way.
About six or seven years ago, I started making my own artstamps and I kept a couple of the first cards I made with them and I thought I'd pop them on here.
I think it's interesting to see how we alter our styles as we progress and these two were very basic! LOL! But there's still something interesting about them and it could just be that very uncomplicated treatment which makes them so.

Thank you for looking!

'

C.R.A.F.T Challenge 11

This week, for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 11 it's a recipe - thee papers, two squares and two buttons (...even though I stuck on three...! LOL!).
So I've chosen DCWV 'Old World' papers in greens & blues to compliment the background card I created for my stamped heart image.
The flower is Prima and the leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch.



The main white cardstock is 21cm square (..but of course you can scale it down if required...) and I've faced it with the plainest of the three papers (Scissor Sisters Sky Blue Plaid) which I'd edged with deckle edged scissors.

To create the large paper heart in the background I placed two of my papers face to face, drew half a heart against an edge and cut it freehand with Fiskars Shape cutter.

I then put the two halves together onto a piece of white card, leaving a good 1.5cm edge showing and, once again, edging with the deckle scissors. I then punched around this edge with a small punch.

I edged both of these with a violet pastel crayon, smudging it with my finger.

The stamped heart is a Magenta stamp and I created the background card with a direct -to-paper distressing technique and various Ranger dye inkpads, 'salting' with Perfect Pearls and spritzing. This was dried with a heat gun and then stamped with a black Whispers inkpad. I then mounted it onto a linen-textured gold card leaving only a very slim edge showing.

I then made two 4cm squares from my papers, mounted them in the same way and adhered them to the large paper heart with a glue-runner. I tucked five leaves (three paper and two vellum)under the edge of them and added the little sentiment stickers

The large heart was then adhered using foam tape to the main card positioned close to the upper left hand corner on a diagonal.

The stamped image was then adhered on top of this toward the bottom right corner and the buttons to the top right in a row. The gold 'thread' is actually fine trimmings from the gold card!

The flower was secured with Pinflair glue gel.

To finish off, I took a gold Perfect pearls powder, dipped my finger in it and rubbed it gently in strategic places to create dimension and just 'kissed' the top contours of the flower.

Don't forget to add your name to the back!

I'd love to see any interpretations of this design, so if you make one, please let me know with a link to your blog.

Thank you for looking!
Ei
x

Summer Fun!

To make up for our lousy sumer weather, Penny Black Challenge this week has a theme of 'Summer', so here's mine! My little hedgehog pals are having fun on a see-saw. They're coloured with Copics but I didn't stamp on my usual card so it's not as smooth as usual because the card was more porous.
Thank you for looking!
Ei
x
(ps I just replaced the piccie because the other one was taken in the evening and I couldn't get a good shot!)

Copic Creations - Eyes

Copics Creations Challenge #9 is all about eyes. Well, look at my name......am I going to miss a challenge about eyes? I don't think so!

Eyes have been an interest of mine for as long as I remember. They are indeed the 'windows of the soul' and they're the first thing I notice about anyone.

I made a set of ATC's on the subject a little while ago. They're not Manga style so I don't know if that will matter, but they are, it cannot be denied, eyes!

But my entry to the challenge is the top picture, which is a caracature based on my daughter Bev, who has the most beautiful green eyes with golden brown flecks. It's coloured, of course, with Copics.

My most useful new Copic is E0000 (Floral White) which is a godsend for pale, transluscent skins. I now have 49 Copics (including 11 Sketches) plus 4 Spicas and a Multiliner, so am now building a reasonable collection.

Thank you for looking!
Ei
x

C.R.A.F.T Design Team

You may or may not have read it on the previous posts comments but I have been lucky enough to have been asked to join the C.R.A.F.T Design Team! Yes! That's right - ME!

I'm chuffed to little mintballs to be joining
Andrea,
Anesha
Claire
Jo
Jude
Julie
Magda
maxine
Peggy
Rose
Saskia
Suzi
and
Tracy
on the C.R.A.F.T team! Have a look at their individual blogs - you'll see why I'm so flattered (...and amazed...) to be included in this collection of talent!
Can I please say thank you to everyone involved and hello to my fellow nebwbies!
Can't wait! LOL!
Hugs (...and a little excited dance...)
Ei
x

Midnight Tilda

This is the project I started with a little 'distress' in mind! LOL!
I think I may have got a bit carried away!

I used Cosmic Shimmer sprays in Peacock Green and Purple Violet, Ranger Adirondack & Archival dye inkpads and Opalite Iridescent Inkpads with cut & dry foam.
The Tilda image is decoupaged & layered and coloured with Copics. The tree is from a Wendy Brown stamp called 'friends' (which is a trio of owls cuddled on a tree branch).
Now you might wonder where this might fit in, blog challenge-wise, but it just so happens that 'My Time To Craft' is having the theme of their Challenge 72 'neglected or forgotten stash', which half of the stuff on this card is!
To begin with, I've had the Ranger inkpads for at least four years and have just taken the cellophane off most of them to practise 'distressing' and in the end plumped for the colours you see here. In addition, the Opalite pads have the same story. Loved the idea of them but never found a use until this card. The Sizzix Texturz embossing plate I bought about two years ago and have never used it at all (...slinks away ashamed...)!
The Wendy Brown stamp, much as I love it, I have never used before. It just sat, looking reproachfully at me from it's stamp drawer
The perfect pearls I have also had since about 2003! Pots are still full folks...! The oak leaf punch was the very first punch I bought, from QVC in 2002 and I've used it ONCE before. To test it!

The Tilda stamp is new......

Thank you for looking!
Ei
x

Distressed Tilda Bee!

As this is my first attempt at using a 'distress' style in a card, the poor card really is distressed! The photo doesn't show the colours well as it's been such a foul time weatherwise the flash keeps going off! LOL!

Notwithstanding, I've entered it into the Just Magnolia Challenge for this week (16) for which we need to use a distressing technique.

I've done another one and I'll upload that later but that didn't turn out quite the way i planned....!

I've been trying to emulate the style of Kim Piggott as she makes the most wonderful art - sorry Kim! - I will develop my own style soon but I need to start somewhere! LOL!

Kim was kind enough to comment on my last project and invite me to place something on the Magnolia Distressing Tutorial Blog, so this is the one at the moment - hopefully I'll learn fast!

Thank you for looking!
Hugs,
Ei
x

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 10

This is my entry to Challenge 10 over on the C.R.A.F.T. blog. The colours were green & pink and as I just got the front Daisy stamp this week I couldn't wait to use it!
I love these colours and the papers, called Brooke from Making Memories, are just gorgeous.
I coloured the Daisy and Magnolia images with Copics (what else? LOL!) and hand-drew the rocking chair. The 'frond' punch is Martha Stewart and the 'leaves' on the inside are Sizzix.
Thank you for looking!
Hugs,
Ei
x