FCCB Swap ..... A while ago !!

Over at FCCB this week we are having a card and Christmas tag swap......

.......I made my first Christmas tag of the year !!!!!!!!

...... Can't share it yet but I can share the altered wooden book I made for Cindy in our last FCCB swap a few months ago....

Mega picture heavy but no words yet !!

JoNeita's Box ~ AKA Altered Art Attempt !! - Playing along with Sunday Scrapper...

Good Evening !!

I finally have the pictures of the altered art pizza box I sent my FCCB Valentines card kit to JoNeita in to share !!

I absolutely love getting messy with Inks and Masks and with a lot of practice I think I am finally getting there lol !! It's nearly a year ago since I made my altered art mirror with the girls from Anything Goes over at Lynn's shop The Craft Den in Sheffield at the work shop taught by Hel's Sheridan

I am joining in with Hel's Sunday Scrappers Challenge, Week 301 "Brown Girl in the Ring" in honour of that fab day !! - The theme is to use Browns ... 

(Last year Texture paste/stencils -  ???? WoW !! That's amazing - This year makin' my own lol !!)

I started by covering the outside of the box with cream acrylic paint and let it dry naturally, it doesn't take long with just a thin coating

Then I stamped some fab Prima stamps randomly over both the front and the insides, I used a mustard Distress Ink pen for some tiny bits of mustardy colour and then 3 shades of Distress Ink to "oldy" the inside of the box a bit 

I made the top darker than the bottom,  the bottom will be hidden with brow tissue paper later

I used home made texture paste (acrylic paint, PVA glue and talc powder for the stencilling (smells fab too), white embossing powder for the text and some bubble wrap and Hessian as stencils inked with more distress inks

The letters are thick card x2 layers cut on my Cricut with the Artiste cartridge and coloured with distress markers

The embellishments are lace, raffia and Hessian with a fabby spellbinder die flower

There is also an air dryed clay frame which now has a butterfly nestling in it 

I sealed it all with Crafter's Companion gold varnish spray, I do hope JoNeita liked it as much as I enjoyed making it !!!

FCCB Challenge #202 Pinch Me!!

Happy Monday !!

Welcome to my FCCB post !!

This week our challenge is 

Challenge # 202 Pinch Me

Make a project using the colour Green

I have an added twist on my card this week, our sponsor for the challenge Mark's Finest very kindly donated lots of stamp sets to the DT and we get to play to our hearts content forever and ever with them in exchange for using them on our designated weeks

...however...

I love them so much they will be popping up everywhere !!

There is a stamp set to give away to one lucky follower who enters our challenge this week !!

My Cricut cut is the fantastic tag and oval from the Artiste cartridge

I also used lots of hand made Cricut stencils ( super cheap - cut out multiple shapes with George and Basic Shapes using the fill to page feature and ink through them - I used tiny circles, circles and diamonds on my tag)

I started by blending inks over the tag and then used home made embossing paste and a brick stencil on the bottom two thirds.

Once it was dry I inked again adding stencils and stamps for a grungy greeny brown look. To brighten it slightly I used some bronze mica spray and the lovely Docraft butterfly stamps which I embossed with white embossing powder

My stamps belong to the PRIMITIVE set which has lots of sentiments, sheep and cows on it in addition to the stamps I used 

I used black Stazon ink and coloured with distress markers drawing on the background and grunging it up, I used a layer of clear embossing powder over the whole oval before attaching it with Pinflair glue

 My daughter is laughing her head off because the pictures make the pigs look stripy ( They so are not !! - much !! )

Please pop over to FCCB and see all the amazing DT creations then join in and post your own project

We love wizzing around Cyber space visiting your fantastic blogs !!

As always please remember to use and name at least one Cricut cut.

FCCB Challenge #186 Ribbons and Buttons

Happy Monday !!

Happy FCCB Challenge Day !!

Here is my card for this weeks challenge 

#186 Add at least 1 ribbon and 1 button to your project...

...Its not my week to play but it's definitely my favourite type of challenge

I used some beautiful Prima papers and Docrafts textured card stock for the layers on my card, ruffed them up round the edges and added a faint touch of distress ink

The banner is cut from Artiste

The flower is also cut from Artiste and sits on top of some raffia ribbon with a loose bow and loops of twine 

Please come and join us over at FCCB, we have two challenge winners prizes this week and as always will be show casing our top 5 favourites - did I ever tell you how much I love doing that post ??

(I think I did !! !! !!)

Please use a least one Cricut cut, name the cartridge, link back to FCCB AND remember the ribbon and button !! 

Fhew... I hope I remembered all the instructions he he he !!

Looking forward to a wander round cyber space to visit your blog's and see your entries...

FCCB Cricut Crawl !! Challenge #184 ANYTHING GOES !!

Happy Happy Monday !!

Firstly a HUGE thank you for still being here, its been a hard few weeks one way and another but the tide is on the turn at last and I'm hoping to be back and crafting much more again !!!

Not having time for crafting is a big NO NO in my world !!

SO

without further ado.....

.....

Welcome to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog
Cricut Crawl
(our version of a blog hop)
sponsored by Blitsy

Blitsy are giving away a bag of crafty goodness to one lucky challenge participant.

If you started  over at FCCB then you should be coming to visit me from Missy's blog. If not please hop back to FCCB and start at the very beginning...
...cause
Mary Poppin's says its a very good place to start !! !!

Our blog hop challenge is "Anything Goes" and I have a card made for a male friend to share

The card is a white and A5 landscape in size, I layered it with black card and ripped up stamped wording on one half, inked with TIm Holtz distress ink
The square layers are cut with George and Basic shapes, the moustache, film strips and letters from Artiste.

Michelle is next up on the Cricut crawl please go visit her and leave her some love !!

We'd love you to visit each of the Design Team members' blogs to see their projects.

If you get lost along the way, you can go back to FCCB and pick up where you left off,

don't forget to go back and link up your own project too

Here is the full line up...

Cindy - Creating with the Heart
Jackie- Luv 2 Scrappp
Kim - Kim's Kreations
Amy - The Stamping Tree
Emily - Mollie's Motif
Heather - Scrapping Runner Creations
Lynn - My Cards n Stuff
Missy - Quick Chick Designs
Nikki - Crafty Calamities
Rebecca - Crafting Misfit
Michelle - Just a Nutter Paper Crafter
Katerina - Dorcerela Stamps
Joneita - Create with Joneita
LB - Cool Beans by LB
Amy T - Crafting with Amy

We are having a Design Team call so if you would like to join us please visit the FCCB blog for more details 

 Please remember to be in with a chance of the prize and top 5 you need to use at least one Cricut cut, tell us which cartridge you have used and link back to the FCCB blog so others can enjoy the challenge too...

Anything Goes Challenge "Out with the Girls" x

Welcome to my post for the

ANYTHING GOES CHALLENGE BLOG

This week we are

"Out with the Girls"

When my post goes live I too will be getting ready to go "out with the girls" looking forward to enjoying a very posh lunch and lots to drink in the Bail Gate home to Lincoln's amazing cathedral and stunning castle, I am so lucky to live so near such a beautiful city!!

I used the digi image "GillandCarley" by Sherri Baldy for my card, they are just so cute all dressed up for a big night out !!

The background paper is BoBunny purchased from Lynn's on line shop THE CRAFT DEN

I used my (rusty) Promarkers to colour the girls and them softened the edges of the spellbinders die cut with Distress Ink

I added a big bow, 3 pins, 3 flowers and a large gem for embellishment along with a cute "Happy Birthday" ribbon banner and some little bits of washi tape

The letters used for the name are DoCrafts

Please pop over to the Anything Goes Challenge blog and say hello

The challenge will run for 4 weeks to enable the DT to recharge their batteries in anticipation of some fantastic new challenges 

FCCB Challenge #178 ABC 123

Happy Monday !!

It's Team B up for our new challenge over at FCCB this week.

I had this card stored in my draft "posts to share soon" file and couldn't resist sharing it today even though I belong to Team A lol !!

As always our challenge runs from today until 9 0'clock Sunday evening (US time)

Please come and join in the fun, visiting both the FCCB blog and our fabulous DT's blog's, then go back to FCCB and enter your own project using and naming at least one Cricut cut

We love visiting all your blogs and leaaving messages for you all !!

ABC, 123 PROJECT

It was one of those WHOOOPS moments when my daughter reminded me she had asked for a card for her nephew over two weeks ago !! !! !!
I had 2 hours to get it made and dry for his party !! !! !!
The Cricut will always come to the rescue no stressing required !! !! !!
~SO~

I cut a large number 5 and the letters for little Brett's name on white card stock with the Cricut Artiste Cartridge and distressed them with Faded Jeans.

I cut the Happy Birthday from the same cartridge

I used some blue Co-ordinations card stock and distressed it with my sanding block and used some more Faded Jeans distress ink on the white card at the bottom, I added a red mirri strip to hide the join, finishing off with some blue and red gems. 

EASY !!
PHEW !! !! !!

Birthday Card Commision

I have had to abstain from joining my teamies at FCCB this week, I swear someone stole a whole day out of my week !! 

Please do go and visit, as ever they have some stunning projects, all with a camping theme!!

I couldn't not share something so here is the 70th Birthday card commission I made a couple of weeks ago.

I love cards like this they makes all the muddled worky thoughts and worries disappear and create peace in my head lol 

Hoping to be back with my challenge for Anything Goes next week till them take care

FCCB Challenge #170 Fruit Salad

Happy Monday !!

Welcome to my post for Challenge # 170

FRUIT SALAD

over at

FCCB

Here is my project for the challenge, its another 3D make this time using Cricut Spring Cottage and Artiste Cartridges and my Expression 2

I loved making this basket full of strawberries it reminded me of the fabulous summer garden party I went to on Friday held by my wonderful friend Jo, the weather was just amazing if not a tad too hot lol but she does have a real life proper swimming pool that we were able to cool off in and there was plenty of champagne flowing all day long and well into the night

x Thanks Jo x

The basket is made with Spring Cottage on the larger 12x24 mat and inked with various Distress Inks

I used some lace and pearls on cord to decorate the outside and pieces of burlap fabric and raffia inside

The little strawberries are put together by stringing them with Baker's twine and are big enough to put little sweets inside

I made them from both Spring Cottage and Artiste as the 2 designs on the cartridges are slightly different -  no 2 strawberries are ever the same right ?? !!

I have to confess to being just a little bit in love with this little basket !!

Please pop over to FCCB and see all the amazing projects the DT have created 

You have from now until 1900 Sunday evening to make a project with fruit on it if you would like to enter the challenge

The rules are simple just use and name a Cricut Cartridge of your own choosing

I will be on my way to work after my week off when this post goes live and Acting Ward Manager again, this time, for the foreseeable future .... wish me luck !! !! !!

Anything Goes Challenge #97 Anything Goes !! x

Hi, welcome to my post for this fortnight's 

Anything Goes Challenge Blog challenge

We are going for Anything Goes at Anything Goes this time around !!

Our challenge is open from today until Sunday 29th July 

I decided make a 3D project rather than a card and so I used my new cracker die from Tonic Studio's

They really are so simple to put together and so much fun to decorate

I used my Venetian Spellbinder dies to decorate, the centre piece is the off cut of the two border strips - I off centred the cuts to save paper and came up with the fabulous shape !!

I stuck the cracker together and then stuck the border and ribbon on with super sticky tape

I used a tiny bit of Tumbled Glass distress ink on all the edges

I used the same ribbon to tie the cracker before adding the feather and two more Venetian die cuts, they made from ice white paper and tinted again with Tumbled Glass

I added some gems all the way round the cracker and on either side of the mask

Please pop over to the Anything Goes Challenge Blog to see all the DT projects and then join us with a project of your own choosing, we love visiting and leaving messages for everyone !!

Lynne chief whip cracker (ha ha) has an on line craft shop and although her site is having a make over at the moment you can still ring and place orders or visit THE CRAFT DEN if you are lucky enough to be in Sheffield