Art Chain - Day 6

Officially my contribution to the Art Chain Challenge ended yesterday but I have decided to have one more day so that I can nominate a dear friend who is not on Facebook.  The rules of the challenge are to post 3 projects from your back catalogue for five consecutive days and each day to invite a different friend to take part in the challenge.

I made this card last Easter, the image is from Mo's Digital Pencil and is called Savannah on Easter. I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on silver mirri and red card.  The polka dot paper is from Papermania.

Something else from 2013, an altered matchbox. First, I cut the box to make a lid, I used a Spellbinder die to create the shape along the edge, then I covered it with a pale green paper from Papermaina. I created little feet with four crystal buttons from Stampin' Up. I decorated the top of the box with a large dragonfly charm and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. I also added some clear flat backed gems and trimmed the box with some pale green pearls.

This card features a digi stamp from Eureka Stamps called Butterfly and Sunflowers. I coloured it with Promarkers and mounted it on pearlescent card. The background paper is by Papermania and the sentiment from Craftwork Cards. I cut the butterfly from more pearlescent card using Memory Box dies, the flourish die is from Cheery Lyn Deigns.

My special nomination for this challenge is Pamellia Johnson. I am sure that many of you will already be familiar with her inspirational work.  Pamellia is incredibly talented and her work is fresh and original. Pamellia describes herself as dabbling in all sorts of crafts, but I can assure you that she does far more than simply dabble.  She also says that her true passion is making handmade cards, enjoying all sorts of styles, but her favourite is shabby chic - with its soft muted colours, big shabby bows and frilly laces.  I know that Pamellia is incredible busy but I hope that she decides to take up this challenge and share with us some of her back catalogue.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Dionne

Art Chain - Day 5

Day five already, regular visitors will know that last week the very lovely Gabrielle Price has challenged me to join in an art chain.  Her challenge was to share 3 pieces of work on Facebook for five consecutive days and also to challenge someone each day to do the same.

Today I have to make my final selection of three projects and it is a virtually impossible task, I wish I had another five days ... I knew this would happen.

In 2013 I made my first altered little house.  I had been looking at them for ages on Pinterest and it took me ages to pluck up the courage to have a go.

I gave the little wooden house a coat of Gesso and once it was dry I painted it with acrylic paints, white roof and walls, cream trim and green grass.  I left it overnight to make sure it was completely dry before adding grass and flower effects using Flower Soft.  I added some pretty cream lace along the edge of the roof, and some pearls around the entrance.  One side of the roof I covered in lilac and white roses.  Finally, I printed a host of bright pink butterflies from the internet and added them to the decor.

March last year I posted this card featuring a Day for Daisies image called Pearls in My Hair.  I coloured the image with Copic pens and added small red flat backed gems where the pearls were meant to be. 

My final card comes from just a few weeks ago.  I coloured this Penny Black poppy stamp with Promarkers and then mounted it on silver mirri and green glitter card.  I added a bow of matching ribbon and a sentiment.

This is actually a Facebook challenge and, as such, I can only nominate someone I am friends with on Facebook.  Today I nominate the brilliant and charming Stephanie-Emma Brunning - the leader of our little group.  Stephanie-Emma's work is vastly eclectic, although recently she has been concentrating on scrapbooks and Project Life.  I hope she will accept my nomination and share 3 pieces of her work for 5 consecutive days.

Dionne

Art Chain - Day 4

Day four already, this week is almost over, it has flown by.  Regular visitors will know that last week  the very talented, Gabrielle Price, challenged me to join an art chain.  All the time the Ice Bucket Challenge was going around I had my fingers crossed no one would nominate me because I am with Patrick Stuart when it comes to ice.  However, I was really happy to undertake this challenge, which is to share 3 pieces of my work on Facebook for five consecutive days and to challenge someone else each day to do the same.

This has been such an amazing week, I have spent a lot of time looking at my old projects and it has bought back so many memories.  I have three more cards from 2013 to share with you today.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love sparkle and glitter and this card is a prime example of just how much I love it.  I made this card for a baby shower.

The stamp is from Saturated Canary, Ice Cream and Pickles, I coloured it with Promarkers,  I also coloured some of my Stampin' Up silver Glimmer Paper with a pink Promarker.   Next I stamped the umbrellas from the Stampin' Up Rain or Shine stamp set onto various papers and cut them out, I curved the umbrellas and affixed them with Pinflair Glue Gel so they were supported. Once the glue gel was dry I coated them with Glossy Accents.

To make this butterfly, I stamped the Stampin' Up Swallowtail Butterfly image twice and coloured each identically using Promarkers. I them cut them out and pasted them back to back. Once dry I carefully folded the wings in half and set them in the desired position using Pinflair glue gel.  Whist the wings were drying I went out into my garden and cut some dead twigs from a tree.  After washing the twigs and leaving them to completely dry, I wired some Wild Orchid Crafts cherry blossom flowers to the twigs and set them into position on the card with more Pinflair Glue Gel.  Finally, I glued the butterfly into position, so it looked as though it was about to land on the cherry tree branch.

My final card today also features a Saturated Canary stamp. I coloured the image with Promarkers and then mounted it on silver mirri card and some frayed muslin. The lush backing paper was a freebie from Bearly Mine. The sentiment was from another Saturated Canary digi and the spider is from my Halloween stash.

As this is actually a Facebook challenge I can only nominate someone I am friends with on Facebook.  Today I nominate the very lovely Chun-Han Chan, my very good friend and an award winning photographer.  Chun-Han is super talented and has an eye for the unusual.  I really adore her work and I hope she accepts my nomination to share 3 pieces of back catalogue for 5 consecutive days.

Dionne

Art Chain - Day 3

Regular visitors to this space will know that my dear friend, Gabrielle Price, has challenged me to join in an art chain.  This has been such a thrill for me.  For five consecutive days I have to share 3 pieces of my work and to challenge someone else to do the same.

It is a great opportunity to dig out some of my favourite things from the past and have another look at them.  Yesterday I shared three of my favourites so today I thought that I would show you what other people seem to like the most.

The single project most often visited on my blog is this cross stitch from 2011.

This wonderful Lavender and Lace design of three fairies is by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum and it is also one of my favourites.   It is encrusted with beads and metallic threads, when it catches the light is really twinkles.

If I am being really honest I would have to confess that my work is hardly ever pinned on Pinterest.  However, one card has been pinned twice as many times than any other card and, to be honest, I do not understand why.

The card was made in 2013 and features a Clarity Stamp of a tree with butterflies made with a Martha Stuart punch.

If you combine the number of pins and the number of hits on my blog then the clear winner is another 2013 project featuring butterflies.

This project features the stunning Stampin' Up stamp of a Swallowtail Butterfly on a candle and trimmed with lace.

This is actually a Facebook challenge and therefore I can only nominate someone I am friends with on Facebook.  Today I nominate Chris Parker-Barnes - one of my Crafty Boots buddies from the other side of the world.  Chris works for one of the better known paper craft companies but she does not limit her work to just their products, she does much, much more.  I hope she will accept my nomination and share 3 pieces of her work for 5 consecutive days.

Dionne

Art Chain - Day 2

If you popped by yesterday you would have seen that my dear friend, Gabrielle Price, has challenged me to join in an art chain.  I really cannot tell you how excited I am about this.  For the next five days I have to share 3 pieces of my past work and to challenge someone else each day to do the same.

It is a great opportunity to dig out some of my favourite things from the past and have another look at them.  There is very little on my blog which I am not reasonably pleased with.  Not because I never make anything I don't like, far from it, just that those pieces end up in the bin and not on my blog.  However, it is very interesting to see how much my style and the fashions have changed over the past four years, which is when I started to photograph my work.

My favorite pieces will change from day to day but the following are among those which gave the greatest satisfaction when I first made them.

This counted cross stitch from 2011 took a long time to make but it has always been one of my favourite pieces.  It is a Butternut Road pattern by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum entitled "Earthdancer".  It is full of tiny beads as well as fine strips of suede and even a little bit of angora wool.

I very recently dabbled with a little bit of steampunk, giving it my own style.  Because I used two of the Sizzix layered Bigz dies (the ones with the texture fades embossing folders), the bee and the dragonfly, I needed a fairly large notebook to work on.

This card is from 2012 and features the Saturated Canary image Witchkeys, a firm favorite of mine and pure joy to colour.  I have done it in more traditional colours but this time I gave it a modern twist.

This is actually a Facebook challenge and therefore I can only nominate someone I am friends with on Facebook.  Today I challenge Zoe Young Kirkby - one of my longest Crafty Boots buddies and an amazing colourist.  If you get the opportunity you really should see for yourself.  I hope she is able to accept my nomination and share 3 pieces of her past work for 5 consecutive days.

Dionne

Art Chain - Day 1

I am very excited because my good friend and old teamie, Gabrielle  Price, has challenged me to join in an art chain.  This is such a thrill because I never really think of myself as an artist, more of a Jack of all trades, so I am hoping that the Challenge is for crafters as well as the more artistic in our midst.

For the next five days I have to share 3 pieces of my work from the past and then challenge someone else each day to do the same.

It seems to me that this is a great opportunity to dig out some of my favourite things from the past and have another look at them.  The big problems will be to narrow it down to just 15 things.  As this is day one, I thought I would share some personal firsts with you.

I started my blog in 2011 and the only reason I did this was because I had been invited to join the Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team and having a blog was one of the criteria for being on the team.  I did not have a clue and Stephanie-Emma had to help me set up the blog and show me how to write a post.  This is the first project we put on my blog, it was 1 August.

It featured the 'Be Neighbourly' stamp set by Polka Doodles, which I had I coloured with Promarkers.

It seems only right that I should also mention the first project I posted as a Member of the Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team.  Not a card this time but a fabric covered box.

I make these boxes by cutting mount board to the desired size and covering it with a lining fabric, I then hand stitch the seams together before adding the padding and finally stitching the outer fabric in place.  The Petaloo flowers and pearls were added last.

I very rarely enter other challenges, there never seems to be the time, so my final first today is the first time I actually won something.

It was in 2012 for this card featuring a Sugar Nellie, Home Grown stamp from their Sherbet Pip range, this one is called Posy Pip.

This is actually a Facebook challenge and therefore I can only nominate someone I am friends with on Facebook.  I nominate Lisette Baker - someone who I have come to admire in so many ways.  I am not sure if there is one phrase to sum up her style, I suppose the nearest would be mixed media but is much more than that.  If you get the opportunity you really should see for yourself.  I hope she will accept my nomination and share 3 pieces of her work for 5 consecutive days.

Dionne

Thinking of You

It's time for the mid challenge reminder over at Crafty Boots Challenges - the current Challenge is 'Butterflies'.

I have found that it is a good idea to keep a small stack of some types of cards in a box for those unexpected occasions.  A couple of simple 'open' cards come into that category.  I recently used a similar card to this and wanted to make a replacement.

I stamped IndigoBlu's Tree-mendous stamp onto white linen effect card.  I mounted it on some purple card and some white pearlescent card.  I then punched some small butterflies out of the the purple card using a Martha Stuart punch. I left the inside of the card blank so I can add my own message.

The butterfly is the symbol of Amy and Friends, the charity that supports those suffering from Cockayne Syndrome and their families. (You can find out more here.)  My dear friend Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness of this charity and she is asking everyone who makes a butterfly project to mention Amy and Friends in their blog post.

Don't forgot to take a look at the gorgeous projects created by my very talented Crafty Boots team mates.

Dionne

A Few of my Favourite Things

Flowers, bunting and butterflies are just a few of my favourite embellishments when I am making birthday cards.  You will find them occurring again and again in my card making, especially butterflies.  I wonder how many butterflies there have been over the years?

The current theme at Crafty Boots Challenges is butterflies and I have gone a little OTT with the card.

I paper pieced the dress and coloured the hanger with Promarkers.  This Fairydoodler stamp is from Teddy Bo and Co stamp, it is called 'Short Prom Dress',   I used a variety of butterfly punches and dies including my favourite Memory Box die.  The backing paper is from a Craftwork Cards paper stack called Al Fresco.

Pop over to the Craft Boots Challenges website to see how others have interpreted this Challenge and don't forget to enter your own project whilst you are there?

Dionne

Butterflies

Hi

A new Challenge starts at Crafty Boots Challenges today and the theme was chosen by my good friend and team mate Lisette. 

Over the last two years or so I have tried to help Lisette, who many of you will know as Mrs Beez, to raise awareness of the work of the charity Amy and Friends.  Amy and Friends supports children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome. This charity uses a butterfly symbolize those whose lives have been cut short by this illness. 

Mrs Beez has chosen the butterfly for this Challenge as she also hopes to continue to raise awareness of the disease and the work of Amy and Friends through her blog. So please visit her blog and find out more about this important charity.

We are almost 3 weeks into the new year and I thought that it was high time I got my Thank You cards in the post.  I find some of my card ideas on Pinterest and recently there have been several variations on this theme and I thought this would make a lovely thank you card.

I cut some white card to the size I wanted and folded it in two to make a card.  I then cut some navy blue card slightly smaller to the size of my card.

I used one edge of a Spellbinder die to shape the bottom of the navy card.  Next I used one of my Memory Box butterfly dies to cut a butterfly shaped hole in the navy card, however, this would have made a rather plain card, so I returned the punched out butterfly to the hole.  I stamped 'thank you' in white just under the butterfly and wrapped some white ribbon around the navy card before attaching it to the white card.

I repeated this eleven more times to make enough cards.  In a few minutes I shall sit and write my thank you notes and get them into the post.

The very gorgeous Stephanie-Emma was much quicker than me in sending her thank you cards this year, just look at the fabulous postcard I received from her the other day.

The rest of the Crafty Boots Design Team have made some really amazing projects, please pop over and take a look.

Don't forget to enter your own butterfly projects.

Good luck.

Dionne

Anniversary Card in a Box

It's time for the mid challenge reminder over at Crafty Boots Challenges. The current Challenge is 'Out with the Old and In with the New'. 

It is a great opportunity to use something you got for Christmas, or something you have gifted yourself in the sales, or perhaps something you have had for a while but never used before. It could even be a new technique you have never tried before. You may like to team it up with some of the old stuff from your stash or you could go for something totally new, it is really up to you.

I have made one or two cards in a box before but I thought that it would make life a little easier if I bought a pack of plain boxes.  I ordered a pack from C&C but it was not until they arrived just before Christmas that I realised they came with papers and embellishments.

I used the papers to make this card but, as the embellishments were not suitable for a wedding anniversary card, I used stuff from my stash.

I took my theme for the embellishments from the papers - flowers, hearts and buttons.

Don't forgot to take a look at the gorgeous projects created by my very talented Crafty Boots team mates.

Dionne

Out with the Old and In with the New

Happy New Year!

Did you celebrate the end of the old year and the commencement of a new one?  I like to see in the New Year in style but most of the people I know prefer an early night.  I guess they have worn themselves out celebrating Christmas or perhaps it is our age.

Today sees the start of the first Crafty Boots Challenge of the year.  The topic was chosen by my good friend and team mate Lisette.  Her challenge to all of us is to use something new.  This could be something you got for Christmas or perhaps something you have had for a while but never used before.  It could even be a new technique you have never tried before, it is really up to you.

This was one of those occasions when I kept changing my mind about my project, I was lucky enough to be given some very nice craft related presents for Christmas, but I wanted to save them for another occasion, then I remembered that I had visited our local craft shop just before Christmas and had not had the chance to use all of my purchases.

The new elements I used for this card were this fabulous Gorjuss Girl stamp, the Santoro lace and even the trimmer I used was new.  I have had the papers in my stash for a while but I do not think I have used them before.  The embellishments are old favourites, the Marianne Creatables butterfly die and the Cheery Lynn flourish die I have used many times and the sentiment is from a Craftwork Cards set and I have had my Tim Holtz Idea-ology tickets some time.  

(I went back to the card and added some yellow rose buds to the flourish, the card originally looked like this.)

The rest of the Crafty Boots Design Team have made some really amazing projects, please pop over and take a look.

Don't forget to enter your own projects.

Good luck.

Dionne