Welcome


Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.


I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!


Thank you for visiting my blog.


Dionne

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Deck the Halls

Thank you for visiting today and, if it is your first time here, welcome.  I hope what you see will encourage you to visit again.  Please feel free to say hello below, I would love to hear from you.

The current Crafty Boots Challenge is called 'See the Woods for the Trees', in other words trees or wood texture.  Today I have an image with a rather unconventionally decorated Christmas Tree, so cute.


I coloured the image with Promarkers and then mounted it on some gold mirri card and also on some pumpkin coloured card.  I found the backing paper in my stash - it even had a little sentiment.


The flowers, leaves and berries are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Enter your Christmas Trees in this Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.


Dionne

Monday 28 November 2016

I Had a Little Nut Tree

I hope everything is good for you, it is such a busy time for me and I am reaching that time of year where sleep becomes a luxury.  It is already time for the Crafty Boots 'Mid Challenge Reminder', the theme for the current Challenge is 'See the Wood for the Trees.

This week I have been rather cheeky and used the theme of this challenge as an excuse to get on with my Christmas cards.


This has to be one of my favourite Christmas images, it is 'Little Nut Tree' from Delicious Doodles, I think it is so simple yet very elegant.


I coloured the image with Promarkers (I added a little glitter to my silver nutmeg) and then mounted on some silver mirri and green card.  The backing paper is printed from a HouseMouse CD and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  Oh, and the red carnations are from Wild Orchid Crafts of course.

This week Crafty Boots Challenges are so lucky, we have two fabulous Guest Designers Branka and Deanne.  Make sure you pop across and take a look at their amzing work for yourself.

Have a great week.


Dionne

Friday 25 November 2016

Woodland Owl

Hello and welcome to my blog.  As regular visitors know the current Crafty Boot Challenge is rather enigmatically titled 'See the Wood for the Trees' but it is rather simple really, it just means use images of trees or wood textures, or even something wooden, in your project.

I am afraid that the tree branches in this design are difficult to see because the backing paper is very delicate but trust me they are there, the backing paper is covered in trees and branchesl, it is not helped by the poor quality photograph.  I thought I had solved the problem of my photos by changing the bulb in my craft light .... maybe not.


The backing paper is one of the designs from one of my favourite paper stacks - The Promise by First Edition.  I also embossed some marbled paper with a wood grain effect before cutting the banner shape from it.  The Owl stamp was a freebe I got in a magazine many years ago and have never used before, isn't he cute?

The tiny butterfly is from a Stampin' Up Beautiful Wings Embosslits die and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  The ribbon, charm and gems are from my stash.

Have a great weekend.


Dionne

Thursday 24 November 2016

Agapanthus Anniversary Card

Thank you for dropping by today, I look forward to your visits and would love for you to leave a comment and say hello.

I have been wanting this Stampendous 'Agapanthus Cluster' stamp for the longest time but there was always something I needed more but I took the plunge a few weeks ago and ordered it.


I used Promarkers to colour the stamp and mounted it on some silver mirri and SU Wisteria Wonder card.  The backing papers are also by Stamping Up.


The little butterfly dies are by Stamping Up (Beautiful Wings Embosslits) and Memory Box (Kaleidoscope Butterfly).

Have a great day.


Dionne

Wednesday 23 November 2016

Three Little Butterflies

As regularly visitors will know, the current Crafty Boots Challenge is 'See the Wood for the Trees'.  The inspiration for my card today is a holiday we took in Rhodes many years ago.  We went for a walk through the woods in a valley and the whole place was smothered in butterflies - even us.  You will not be surprized to hear that it was called The Valley of the Butterflies.


I think that I must have been thinking about several of the recent Crafty Boots challenges when I made this card and combined them in this single card - 'Pink', 'Things with Wings' and the current challenge 'See the Wood for the Trees'.

I ran some pale pink paper through my Big Shot in the Stampin' Up Woodland Embossing folder.  I then mounted it on some Razzleberry coloured card and some checkered pink paper from DoveCraft.  I die cut the butterflies using a Stampin' Up die and added some small pink pearls to their centre.  Finally I added some pink ribbon.



Dionne

Tuesday 22 November 2016

Rosa Rosaceae Anniversary Card

The weather here at the moment is absolutely dreadful, I cannot remember the last day it did not rain and the last few days it seems none stop.  Such a long way from those endlessly hot days of summer.  The leaves have fallen from the trees and when it stops raining I really must get into the garden and clear at least the paths of the wet, slippery leaves.

My card today is in memory of those hot summer days, with the bees buzzing and the light scent of roses in the air.


My stamp today is another of my PSX floral stamps, this one is Rosa Rosaceae.  I coloured it with Promarkers and mounted it on some mirri card as well as some green card.  I made the tag with a scrape of Stampin' Up paper and some ribbon from my stash.  The busy bee paper is also from Stampin' Up.


Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to your visits.  Have a good week.


Dionne

Monday 21 November 2016

See the Wood for the Trees

A new challenge starts today at Crafty Boots, the theme of which is 'See the Wood for the Trees'.  For this challenge the Design Team will be looking for images of trees, wood grain or perhaps even something made of wood, really it is up to you and your imaginations.

My card today features a Woodware stamp called Going to Seed - I hope you can see the detail.


I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on gold card as well as some green card.  (I cut the banner from the same green card.)  The wooden plank effect backing paper came from my Timeless Texture paper stack.  The rest is from my stash.


(I know the Happy Birthday Craftwork Cards sentiment at the centre of the rosette looks very off center.  However, I have just checked and on the card it is perfectly centered, it must be the angle of the photograph.)

The rest of the Design Team have been working their fingers to the bone making cards, please pop along to the Crafty Boots blog and take a look.

Have a great week.


Dionne 

Monday 14 November 2016

Through the Letterbox

We are at the mid challenge reminder stage of the current Crafty Boots Challenge.  The theme of this challege is 'Things with Wings'.

For my card today I dug out my favourite butterfly stamp - Stampin' Up's Swallowtail Butterfly.  Some time ago I saw something like this on Pinterest by Brian King and then I started seeing similar cards all over the place.  It has always struck me that the effect is rather like looking through a letterbox at the subject.


I coloured the stamped image with Promarkers and I then took my courage in both hands and cut away the wings top and bottom.  I mounted the image half a dozen times on different coloured card.  Finally I added some flat backed gems.

Crafty Boots has two fabulous guest designers this week, Keti and Carol.  Please pop over to the Crafty Boots blog and leave some of your wonderful appreciation for their stunning work.


Dionne

Friday 11 November 2016

Red Clover Flower Fairy

The title of the current Crafty Boots challenge is 'Things with Wings'.  I know everyone expects me to head for my butterfly stamps and punches, and I am not saying that I won't do that, but today I wanted to share another of my vintage stamps with you.


This Red Clover Flower Fairy stamp was based on one of the illustrations from Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies books - don't you just love that bumble bee?  I coloured it with Promarkers and then mounted it onto gold mirri and pink card.


The backing paper is from my current favourite stack by First Edition, which is called 'The Promise'.  The flowers are of course Wild orchid Crafts and the pearls and sentiment are from my stash.

Don't forget to enter your winged projects into this Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.


Dionne

Monday 7 November 2016

Butterfly Wings

A new challenge starts today at Crafty Boots Challenges, for the next two weeks the theme is 'Things with Wings'.   So many choices amongst my stamps, where to start.

I decided to start with a stamp I bought for a previous challenge but did not have the time to use.  This stamp came from Saturated Canary and is called 'Princess and A Frog'.  I thought about airbrushing the frog from the swing but, if I did this, I would not be able to use the cute sentiment.


I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on silver mirri and green card.  The papers are from Studio Calico and the feather butterfly is from my stash.  I wish you could see the butterfly paper, it is coated and when it catches the light it shimmers.


The rest of the Crafty Boots Design Team have been busy making some gorgeous cards, do pop by and take a look for yourself.


Dionne

Friday 4 November 2016

Daisy, Daisy

Here I am with the last of my cards for the Crafty Boots 'In the Pink' Challenge, this challenge has been in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.


My recent printer ink crisis (which I shall not bore you with again) has got me using my rubber stamps ... and it has been so much fun to get out my old stamps and use them again.  This is another Sugar Nellie, stamp from their Sherbet Pip range, it is called Posy Pip and she is possible my favourite from this range.  (I apologise for the shaddowing in this photo, I am afraid the it is raining heavily here and the lighting is abysmal today.)


I coloured the stamp with Promarkers and then mounted it on gold mirri card and some girlie pink card.  The paper, setiment and ribbon are from my stash and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

There is still time for you to enter this challenge.

Have a great day.


Dionne



Wednesday 2 November 2016

Pink Azaleas

November has arrived, it was a cold and wet day here yesterday but what else can you expect for the time of year.

I am back today with another 'Pink' card, it is one of my Crafty Boots Challenges cards in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.


This card features another of my vintage rubber stamps, I have quite an impressive collection of stamps from that era.  This stamp is from PSX - The Personnal Stamp Exchange, it is one of their floral collection.  This one is Azalea.


I coloured the image with Promarkers, then mounted on silver mirri ans some green card.  The petal backing paper is from a House Mouse CD and the pink flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The sentiment, ribbon and gems are from my stash.

There is still time for you to enter your pink projects into this Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.


Dionne