Wind Fairy

Time for another challenge over at

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 84
Anything Goes with an optional TWIST .... Over the rainbow

{create something that speaks from your heart and soul and screams you with the images you use

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

Ike draws the most beautiful women and here is another gorgeous one called 'Wind Fairy'.  She is so beautiful I wanted her to fill most of my card space lol and then add a simple cloud background.  The Wind Fairy was coloured with Promarkers and Polychroms and the background was created with Pan Pastels.  The rainbow was printed on acetate so the image would shine through.

My Mum is getting pretty old and struggling with Alzheimer's now so each week I make a card which I can send to her.  She can't cope with long letters anymore as as she and I are separated by many miles a card landing on her doorstep each week brightens her moment a wee bit.  So this card is a bit sentimental too, one day she will no be here on earth as the Wind Fairy is how I see my Mum in her next life.  As I don't know exactly where in the universe the next life it I chose to represent it with the sky background and yes, the rainbow, this represents that one day we will meet again, that goodbye on this earth is not the end, just the closing of a door in this dimension.  While Mum and I are together on earth she has, may a time, coloured my day with her unending love, her passion for nature, her belief in living by her good values and her respect for all around her.  She is and always will be a shining example of how one should live their lives and I love her so dearly, truly honoured to have her as my Mum.  I hope this card will make her smile when she receives it by snail mail :)

Ingredients:-

• image - Wind Fairy by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Promarkers, Polychromos and Pan Pastels
• from my stash - gold glitter, acetate

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Crafty Cardmakers - 2W, C15 - #184 For a Special Woman (Week 1)
• Make My Monday - 2W, Top 3, 3E - #41 Colors of the Rainbow (Week 2)
• Addicted to Stamps 2W, winner + Top Picks  Must include digi or rubber/clear Stamping (no precolored digi's) #143 Pastel Colors (W2 of 2)
• Morgan's Art World Open Challenge - 2W, E3, any image - No 5 - (W1 of 2) - Include A Sentiment
• Craft Rocket Challenges 2W,3E #34 No Patterned Paper (W2 of 2)
• Creative Moments - 2W, 3E - #113 Anything Goes/Option of Blue (Week 1 of 2)

Fancy Borders

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).

Challenge #3 - Fancy Borders

Hi there happy crafters :) Today I have a pretty simply die cut card to share with you for our Fancy Borders challenge. Now I know borders are usually on the edge but I fancied making the border a focal point on the card.  I did colour some gold peel off stickers with a green Promarker and added them around the edge of the top mat to create an easy fancy border there too hahaha.  The design paper used is from my stash but I can't remember where from, sorry.  Next I die cut my text using the same design paper and finally a flower corner die cut on white card to which I added pearls to the centre of each flower.

Challenges entered:-

• Allsorts  W,3E Spring Inspiration
• Di's Digis Designs 2W, 3E,SIO  Die Cuts and/or Punches (W2 of 2)
• Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers 2W, C10  G is for Green for Envy (W1 of 2)
• Kitty Bee Designs - 2W,2E,C10 No.89  Flowers (W2 of 2)
• Simply Create Too - M -March - Lots of Green
• 4 Crafty Chicks W #340 Green
• Star Stampz Challenge 2W,3E,SIO  Make It Monochrome (W1 of 2)

Coffee is a pleasure

Time for another challenge over at

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 83
Anything Goes with an optional TWIST .... Focal Sentiment

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

Oh Ike, you are such a superstar, thank you for drawing the coffee cups for me :) :) :) Yep folks, I was not sure how to do the twist on this challenge and could only think of using Ike's images to make a background so I mentioned to Ike what I wanted to do and could she please draw me some coffee cups to work with :)

I used 3 of the coffee cup images from Ike and overlaid them to make a random background.  I then used distress inks to add the colour.  Next I digitally created my sentiment and again coloured with distress inks and added lace to the top sentiment also coloured with distress inks.  To finish off I used one of the coffee cup images and printed it very small, coloured it with Promarkers and fussy cut then added some gold sparkle varnish.  The final bit of my card was to add some ground coffee which is glued on with PVA.  Have to say, at this moment in time my card smell yummy, so much so I have had to go and make myself a posh coffee with real coffee, not the instant stuff :)

Ingredients:-

• image - Coffee Cup images x 3 by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Promarkers, Distress inks
• from my stash - ground coffee, gold glitter spray varnish, lace. 

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Artistic Inspirations - 2W, E3, F - Always Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - W, E3, F - Always Anything Goes
• The Corrosive Challenges - M, 2nd Sunday, 3E #2 Anything Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges W,1E #374 - Use Your Words - make Sentiment your focal point
• A Vintage Journey - M First Friday of M (Vintage)- February - Words That Are Special
• Brown Sugar – W, E2 - No. 239 - Anything Goes
• Colour Crazy Challenge - 2W,2E  - No.8 - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers -  2W , 3E, No totally digital projects - No.125 - (W2 of 2) Anything Goes
• Jo's Scrap Shack - W, 3E  - No.177 - Anything Goes
• QKR Stampede – W, 4E, SIO – No. 232 - Anything Goes or Birthday Cards

Storytime Together

A bit of me time and experimentation today :) :) :)  I am so useless at stamping hahaha, tried acrylic blocks, they work fine but I can't get things where I want them and can reprint if the ink is not even.  Got the roll type acrylic blocks and they are easier but I have left them in the UK so are 4,000 miles away from me in Saudi.  Have been thinking about the Misti stamp tool, look awesome but I hesitate to spend so much until I can try something similar.  Anyway, to cut a long story short I found the hack of using the IKEA Hemmingsbo picture frame and we do have an IKEA here in Saudi believe it or not.  At a very low outlay and an afternoon creating it I now have something similar to the Misti to try and improve my stamping with.

To make my card I used the stampset 'Storytime Together' by Crisalis Classics from Crafter's Companion.  The stamp successfully stamped 3 times using my new tool so I had pretty much a perfect impression.  I was so chuffed with the sentiment, managing to place the stamped text inside the stamped frame almost perfectly hurray :) :) :).  The image was coloured with Spectrum Noir Pencils.  For the background I die cut some button hearts and used them to emboss, this way I could emboss around the image with more control.  Next I die cut some Tim Holtz word sentiments and stuck them to the card ready for me to start inking.  To colour the background of the card and image layer I used Spectrum Noir Aqua Tints.  A bit of ribbon, a bow and a chipboard heart embellishment finished off the card.

Items used from Crafter's Companion:-

• Stamp set  'Storytime Together' by Crisalis Classics
• Spectrum Noir ColourBlend pencils
• Spectrun Noir Aqua Tints
• Neenah Classic

Challenges entered:-

• Spectrum Noir - AG / Love and Friendship

Recycled sardine tin

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).

Challenge #2 - Recycling

I recently started doing some nail art, more fun and yet another craft to add to my every widening passion :) :) :) I used to paint my nails on a regular basis but when I started card making I found I left marks of nail varnish on my cardstock - probably because I did not put any top coat on hahahaha.  Anyway, this summer I had my nails done with Gel polish and was in love again, so much so I had to go buy myself some Shellac and a lamp.  Thanks to Ebay my collection of accessories has grown with the addition of foil, stamping tool, stamping plates, gems, striping tape etc. and an excellent box which the hubby found in one of our local stores to keep everything together.  When I do my nails, very lazily on my knee with a tray I find my tools roll all all over the place, pesky paint brushes, orange sticks, nail scissors never stay in one place so I decided to use this recycling challenge to make myself a wee pot to hold things together while I am nail crafting :)

I embossed some gold paper to cover the tin and added lace to the top and bottom along with lace bow.  Next I added some raffia around the tin and the 3 flowers were die cut using a Desire flower die. To the centre of each flower I added some Stickles and a pearl and then added some Stickle dots in the shape of swirls although you can't really see them in the photo.

Here is my sardine tin - I had the sardines for lunch and they were yummy!!!!

Challenges entered:-

• Allsorts  W,3E Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends Challenge 2W, 3E, Anything Goes (W2 of 2)
• Hiding in my Craft Room W,1E  Embossing
• My Time to Craft 2W Anything but a Card (W2 of 2)
• Creative Fingers -  2W , 3E, No totally digital projects - No.125 - (W1 of 2) Anything Goes
• Fussy and Fancy - 2W - No.181 - (W1 of 2) - Ribbons & Lace
• Crafter's Cafe (2W, P1/15, E3, F) #167 - No Red or Pink
• Kreativeinkauf-challenge (M, P15, E3, C10) #48 - Monochrome
• Open-Minded Challenges (M, P10, 3E) #14 - Flowering in February

Hanging Basket

Time for another challenge over at

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 82
Anything Goes with an optional TWIST .... Nature

{create something that speaks from your heart and soul and screams you with the images you use

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

I wish I could do clean and simple but boy do I struggle with the concept. I think this is as clean and simple as I have managed to date hahahaha.  The image was coloured with Polychromos, I then die cut the square and distressed the edges, added my ribbon and gems and there we go, all done.

Ingredients:-

• image - Hanging Basket by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Polychromos
• from my stash - Spellbinder scallop edge die, ribbon and gems

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Crafting When We Can - 2W, 2E, C5 -  #137 Flowers  (W2 of 2)
• Allsorts  W,3E  Hearts and/ or Flowers
• Creative Corner - 2W, 3E  Perfectly Pink (W2 of 2)
• Morgan's Art World - 2W, E3, - No 3 - (W1 of 2) - Add Flowers
• Creative Knockouts W,2E,C8 #180 Flower Power

Love is in the Air

Today is an exciting day with the launch of the new challenge blog - International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).

Challenge #1 - Love is in the Air

For my first design team creation for this new challenge I have decided to do a bit of pyrography.  My youngest daughter was married on January 4th of this year and this was a wee personal gift from me to her and her partner.  My daughter was born in Kenya and we lived on the slopes of Mt. Kenya.  Hubby and I recently returned to Kenya for a holiday and I thought it would be rather nice if I could find a piece of wood from 'home' and make it into a wall plaque for Nicole and Meesh.  It was only a few days before we were due to fly home that I found the perfect piece of wood - cut from an old cedar fence post.  You are not allowed to cut the cedar trees on Mt. Kenya now as they are protected but this old fence post was cut some 60 years ago, well seasoned and legal.  Thank you so much Anne from Suyian Soul for letting me raid you wood pile :) :) :) This piece of wood along with two similar pieces were put into my suitcase and boy were they heavy hahaha and brought home where I burned the saying into the wood, added names and dates and varnished.  The plaque then had hooks and chain added ready for hanging but I needed to get a photo taken before this was done as time was short.  My daughter was in tears when she saw it the day before her civil partnership to Meesh and her only words spoken as she caressed it was 'A bit of home' :) :) that is the exact reaction I so wished for so you can imagine how I felt inside.  Both my daughter and her partner are in the British Army and, Meesh is a medic and travelled a fair bit on exercise etc. It turns out she has been to Nanyuki, Kenya (on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, and where we lived) twice and was on exercise on the neighbouring ranch to Suyian Soul where this piece of cedar wood came from.  How cool is that, the plaque has meaning for both of them, both knowing where it came from, both having walked the same land even though it was years apart :) :) :).  So as you can see, this plaque really is a 'Love in in the Air' creation and I hope you like it.

To make the plaque I first created my design on Illustrator taking into account the placement of the holes and markings in the wood.  I then printed my design on tracing paper and transferred it to the wood.  It was then out with my pyrography tools to do the wood burning and to finish off a couple of coats of varnish.

I also made three wedding cards for Nicole and Meesh, one from hubby and I, another for my mother to give them and one for Nicole's eldest sister to give.  The wedding theme colour was navy blue with orange flowers so this colour scheme was carried through with the cards.

Card from hubby and me

Card from my Mum

Card from Natasha, Nicole's eldest sister.  I saw this idea on the net and thought it was perfect but for the life of me I don't know the source - sorry.

Challenges entered:-

• A Bit More Time to Craft (2W, P1/15, E3) Always Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time To Chraft (M, P1, E3) - Always Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe (2W, P1/15, E3, F) #166 - Recycle Something (recycled old fence post for pyrography wall hanging)
• Crafts and Me (M, P1, SIO) February - Anything Goes
• Crafts Galore Encore (M, P1, E3) February - Anything Goes
• Creative Craft Cottage Digi Creations (2W, P1/15, E3) #66 - Add a Heart
• Delicious Doodles Challenge (M, P1) February - Anything but a card
• Dies R Us Challenge (2W, P1/15, E3, die cuts) #66 - Hearts
• The East Wind Challenge (P1/15, 3E, no digital coloring) #70 - Love and Romance
• Creative Fingers -  2W , 3E, No totally digital projects - No.124 - (W1 of 2) Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - M - February - Love
• Craft Rocket Challenges 2W,3E #32 It's A Love Thing (W1 of 2)
• Crafting With An Attitude M,1st Thurs,3E Always Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations M, 3E Anything Goes - Feb
• Crafting By Designs - W, F, 3E - Anything goes
• Creative Moments - 2W, 3E - #110 Anything Goes (Week 2 of 2)
• Mod Squad Challenge- W, 3E, F  Use Both Hearts and Flowers