ART NOUVEAU MEETS GLITTER

        Hope you have all had a lovely weekend, I was very spoilt yesterday as our son and wife invited us for Sunday lunch. I have to admit that my son cooks a wonderful roast dinner so there was no hesitation in accepting. True to form it was amazing. 

          So this morning I got stuck into some housework, well I had to burn off some of those calories as our daughter-in-law also made a delicious apple crumble. So I have a clean house now and I needed some craft time. 

          I chose to do some die cut cards and used the lovely Art Nouveau  dies. I rarely have a plan when I start card making, things just usually evolve. I would probably get things done a lot quicker if I thought about it a bit more.  Anyway I die cut the first one then decided to use sticky backed adhesive so that I could put some glitter over it. 

    

                       So on the back of your die cut attach a piece of double sided adhesive, then peel off the backing and stick to your chosen paper. It was at this point that I decided to do a little bit of paper piecing in the snowdrops, so cut another die in white. Once that was done I sprinkled glitter over the entire image. 

         
             I repeated the process with another design but did not do any paper piecing this time.  

   

                          I did put some faux stitching around the edge with a whit gel pen, just took the starkness off it and also used some of the waste to make a little flower with a bit of twine to finish off.    

                 

                  So a couple of cards completed and although I did not have a plan I think they worked out ok. 

                     Thanks for dropping by, off to make a cup a tea now, I was hoping hubby would do the honours but does not seem to be happening.  xxx

TWO GROOVI SESSIONS

             I have had a busy few days attending some workshops, they all seemed to come along at similar times and I was determined to try and fit them all in.  The first one was last Thursday, which happened to be my Birthday. I went along to a lovely little craft shop at Rosliston Forestry Centre called Kraftitz. Hazel Edwards was running the workshop and a lovely lady called Julie is the shop owner.  There were only eight of us due to space limitations but it was a great morning. Hazel had a couple of lovely projects for us to do first of all a card and then a little gift bag. Kept us busy for the morning, I took along some cakes to help the energy levels and destroy the diets.  
                                                                                       

                       The card we did. There are some slight changes on mine as I wanted a little bit of gridwork on it. This one was made using   Tina's Christmas corners 2.   There are so many elements on these plates to use. 

                                                

                              
                             Just a little closer look at some of the detail.
                                           

             

                    The second project was a little gift bag. It did not take too long to complete but is very effective. Brilliant for those little gifts, you could also make a matching gift tag.

                     The light is reflecting off the backing making it look crinkled but in reality it is not.

                Then on Saturday I went along with Hazel and her husband Steve to Little Wenlock in Shropshire for another workshop. They also gave a lift to two more ladies, Dee and Linda. Poor Steve in a car full of women, he survived the experience though. We made another card and gift bag and although I can show you the card I had a mishap with my gift bag when I was putting the glitter on it. Knocked the bottle of sticky ink over it, so annoying. 

                         This one is made from the Christmas corners 1   again by Tina Cox.

                 
                                   A little bit of grid work, just embossed but there was a lot of laughter as dots were put in the wrong place. Can't put a butterfly on a Christmas card so I reckon there a lot of snowflakes being added. 
     

     
                   

                 I finished off the weekend by going to a stamping workshop run by Maria Moorhouse on the Sunday and I will show you that project another time when I have finished it. 

                    Hope you like these cards, my Christmas card pile is growing. xx                                        

CHRISTMAS COLOURS

              Well I don't think we can escape the fact that everyone's thoughts are beginning to turn to Christmas. The shops are beginning to put out their Christmas stock, well amongst all the Halloween stuff that is. I let that one pass me by, not a big fan although I usually have some treats for the children if they do knock the door. Any way I got sidetracked there. I am starting to think about all the presents we need to get, quite a lot for us as we have a large family . Also of course all the cards and I do try to make all mine, a big task. Every year I think I am going to be organised about this task but I never am. Will I ever learn. 

               I bought the lovely new Groovi Christmas embroidery plates designed by Tina Cox. I do like stitching on parchment or even just on card, it is not a quick card certainly so I always make sure they go to the people I know will appreciate them. So the first design I have stitched is the Baubles. Very pretty and I chose to use traditional Christmas colours. 

                This one is done just as the plate comes but it would be very easy to just use parts of it like any Groovi plate. 

       

                                                A closer view of the centre section.

                                                         
                                                         The pretty leafy corner.


        All instructions to complete these designs are included with the plates and if you need stitching guides they can be downloaded from   Clarity Matters blog. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to fine the link marked  here.  


                         Good luck if you decide to get stitching.

        Off to get my tea now and then maybe carry on grooving. xx 


         

A MUSICAL FRAME

              Hello again. What a miserable day it has been, no bright spells at all today. I think we have seen the last of the warmer days, shame but I do actually quite like our different seasons even if I am not at all keen on cold days. I have spent most of the day catching up on those dreaded household jobs. They have to be done even if I would rather be in my craft room. 

             So going back to September it was our youngest son's Birthday, he does enjoy his music so I wanted to find something suitable for him.  The Finest Music stamp seemed to be perfect for him.                                  
                                                                            

        It is a beautiful stamp, quite a large one as well. It is on offer at the moment so a good time to buy.   I chose not to colour in ,just kept to monochrome by shading with a nice soft pencil and a black Micron pen. I was pleased with the finished effect. 

                           I decided on a red die cut sentiment and some lovely red paper for the backing with punched corners. I liked just the small splash of colour. 

               He liked his card, I am pleased to say.  He is so very lucky as well as he has just managed to get tickets for Glastonbury yet again. He goes most years with a group of friends longing for the day when his little son is old enough to go as well.

                 Hope you all like this one, it is a wonderful stamp as you could mask of parts of it and just use little bits. 

                Right off to get my tea and settle down for the evening. xxx

                  

          

A BEADED DRAGONFLY

    September has been a month full of birthdays for me, seems like most of my family chose that month to be born.Means the Christmas cards have been put on hold but  back on track now pleased to say. At the moment I am working on one of the lovely embroidery plates designed by Tina Cox. For those of you who do not know what these are, it is sewing onto parchment. The design comes from one of the lovely Groovi plates. I will share the finished card with you all later but in the meantime here is one that I did for my daughter's Birthday last month.

                                                             
                                                             The finished card

                                            I added beads for the body of the dragonfly .                                                     

                           
                                                       One corner showing the stitching.

     Our eldest daughter ,Yvonne loved her card, apparently she saves all the cards I give her so that is lovely to know all the work is treasured. I also have many of her cross stitch cards that she has done in the past. 

                   So just a very quick visit tonight but I have several other cards to share another time.


                               Thank-you for dropping by. xx