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

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Easter Dress

If things go as planned you are going to be seeing a lot of me for the next two weeks, that's if I get my Easter cards made in time.

Today's card features the Saturated Canary image Easter Dress.  I am never sure whether her companion is meant to be an Easter bunny or a hare, looking at those ears, I suspect the later.


I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on pearlescent card.  The papers are from a K & Co stack.  The yellow buttons are from my stash.


The current Crafty Boots Challenges is 'Easter', don't forget to enter your Easter projects.


Dionne

Monday 30 March 2015

Happy Easter

With only a week until Easter we have a new challenge starting at Crafty Boots Challenges today, the theme of which is of course 'Easter'

A few years ago I would have never thought of sending Easter cards but now it is getting like Christmas and I send to quite a few friends and close family ..... and to be honest I need to get my finger out because I  have only made a couple of cards and I need to make a lot more and get them into the post by tomorrow or the next day at the very latest!

I have made a start and here is the card I have to share with you today.


This Sylvia Zet stamp is called 'Easter Bunny'.  I coloured it with Promarkers and then mounted it on silver mirri.


The papers are from a Papermania stack and the flowers are by Pataloo.

The rest of the Design Team have been busy, please make time to take a look at their inspiration work and don't forget to enter your own Easter projects whilst you are there.


Dionne

Friday 27 March 2015

Sweet Blossom

Happy Friday, how has your week been?

At Crafty Boots Challenges we are still looking for your 'Spring' projects.  We have seen some amazing cards already but please keep them coming.

My card today features Sylvia Zet's 'Sweet Blossom', she is just sooo sweet.

 

After colouring the image with Promarkers I mounted it on some pearlescent card, the papers are from a Dovecraft Stack.


The dies are a Marianne Design Creatables Die called Branch Garden and one of the spell binder bird dies - I cannot remember which one.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the little butterfly charm came from ebay.

I hope you have a great weekend.


Dionne

Wednesday 25 March 2015

The Last of the Cleaning!

I wish it were the last time I had to clean, wouldn't that be brilliant, a self cleaning house - and I don't mean those silly cleaners which cause so much trouble in crime TV shows.

As promised, I am back today with the last of my current set of Teddy Bo & Co inspired spring cleaning cards.


This image is called 'Cleaning Bo', I coloured it with Promarkers, then I mounted it on pearlescent card.


The paper is from Docraft and the ribbon and sentiment are from my stash.

We are still looking for your 'spring' projects over at Crafty Boots Challenges, keep them coming.


Dionne



Monday 23 March 2015

More Spring Cleaning

Regular visitors will know that the current challenge at Crafty Boots Challenges is 'Spring' and we have seen lots of gorgeous projects this past week, keep them coming please.

I have another of my Teddy Bo & Co spring cleaning cards to share with you today.


This image is called 'Spring Cleaning High', which I coloured with Promarkers before mounting it on pearlescent card.


The papers are from a Dovecraft stack and the sentiment of from Kanban Craft.  the little wooden star shaped buttons are from ebay.

The Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team have been busy created a new set of inspiration projects, please drop by to take a look.

I hope you have a good week, I will be back in a day or two with my final spring cleaning card.


Dionne

Friday 20 March 2015

First Day of Spring

Happy first day of spring, how is it with you?  As you may know the current theme at Crafty Boots Challenges is 'Spring' and I have promised to share more of my Teddy Bo & Co spring cleaning cards.


This image is called 'Jolly Cleans Up High', which I coloured with Promarkers ad then layered with pearlescent card.


The paper is from Dovecraft and the ribbon is from my stash.  The sentiment is a Craftwork Cards one.

We can all start looking forward to the summer now!


Dionne

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Springtime

Crafty Boots Challenges is currently celebrating the long awaited arrival of 'Spring' and we are really enjoying all of your Easter cards and cards with flowers.

I have a one of my favourite stamps to share with you today, I am a big fan of the Sherbet Pips stamps from Sugar Nellies.  This one is called 'Posy Pip'.


I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on pearlescent card.


The papers are all Dovecraft and the sentiment ladybird and ribbon came from my stash.

I hope you have a good Wednesday.


Dionne


Monday 16 March 2015

Spring Cleaning

I know that many of my crafting friends have had a very hard winter and it may feel that it i not over yet but spring arrives in the northern hemisphere later this week.  To celebrate we have a  a new 'Spring' challenge starting at Crafty Boots Challenges today.

Today I have the first of four cards celebrating 'spring cleaning', not a favourite task of mine, I would much rather be crafting, I don't know about you.

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This Teddybo image is called 'What Soap, Where?!?!?!', I coloured it with Promarkers.


The papers are all from a Dovecraft paper stack and I have layered them with pearlescent card.  The sentiment is from Kanban Crafts and the little pearls are from my stash.

The rest ot the Crafty Boots Challenges Design Tam have been very busy, please take the time to look for yourself.


Dionne

Monday 9 March 2015

White Canvas

We had a sneaky peek at spring this weekend, Saturday was a really lovely day.  I have a busy week ahead of me so I made sure I saw the weather forecast last night, heavy winds and showers.  Oh well, you can't win them all!

It is the mid way point for the current Crafty Boots Challenge.  The theme is 'Anything but a Card'.

You may remember that I recently tried my hand at a mixed media canvas, not one o my greatest successes but I felt that part of my problem was that I did not have the materials I needed.  So I have been doing some serious internet shopping and this is the result.


Between you and I, this is a far cry from the layout I had in my head when I started, my original plan was a lot more fussy, I think I was trying to include all of my new goodies and it was just a mess.  So I scaled back my ideas - I think the only thing of the original design to remain is the seam binding bow,

I started by giving the canvas a coat of Gesso, followed by a coat of white acrylic paint.  Next I mixed up a batch of Pamellia Johnson's fantastic texture paste, it's the first time I have used it and I was so impressed.  After it dried I tried to make it look a little grubby by painting it with some Photo Finish Distress Ink and smucging it with a baby wipe, but I did not like the effect, so I painted it over with more white acrylic paint.  The dried paste held together perfectly.


I made my bow from seam binding and I used a Sizzix Bigz die to make my tag, the manuscript stamp is from Julie Nutting.  I added a little string of artificial pearls around the top edge.


The sparkly flourish is made using a die from the Cheery Lynn line and the roses are from Wild Orchid Craft.


I made the letters by cutting them out of card a half a dozen times and gluing them together and painting them white.  The finishing touch was the green glittered butterfly (I originally made it with white glitter card but it was hard to see.  So I imagined that a green butterfly had decide to land by the roses!)

The fabulous Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team has been busy making inspirational pieces, make sure you check them out.

Have a great week.


Dionne


I am entering this project in the following challenges:

Country View Challenges - Anything Goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - Challenge #236 - Anything but a Card
Ruby's Rainbow - Challenge #99 - Anything but a Card

Monday 2 March 2015

Steampunk Dragonfly ATCs

A new month and a new challenge at Crafty Boots Challenges.  This Challenge is being hosted by new teamie Jess and the challenge she has set us all is too make 'Anything but a Card'.

A few months ago I made some steampunk ATCs featuring my Sizzix layered Bigz bee die and ever since I have wanted to make some featuring one of my other Sizzix layered Bigz dies - the one with the dragonfly.  This was the opportunity I was looking for...


I painted some card with silver coloured acrylic paint and, once it was dry, cut out the ATC cards using a Bigz die.  I then ran them through my Big Shot again, this time using a wood grain embossing folder.







I cut several dragonflies from different metalic coloured card.  Then I raided my stash for everything I thought would work with the steampunk style. I decorated my dragonflies with an assortment of flat backed gems, die cut cogs and watch parts.

I love these ACTs but you should see what the amazing ladies on the Crafty Boot Challenges Design Team have come up with.  Seriously you should pop over and take a look.


Dionne