Beautiful Sunflowers

Earlier this month I got out one of my favourite vintage rubber stamps from the PSX (Personal Stamp Exchange) to make a card for the Crafty Boots 'Sunshine' Challenge.  Using that Chrysanthemum stamp made me think about all of the other stamps I had from that floral collection and never use these days .... so I went on the hunt for something I could use for the current Crafty Boots challenge, which is ' Autumn is in the Air'.

For my post today I should like to show you the Sunflower stamp, there is something about Sunflowers I find irresistible.  At this time of year these beautiful blooms can be seen bobbing their large heads above often very high garden fences.

For this card I coloured the stamped image with my F&C polychromos pencils and mounted it on gold mirri and sunflower yellow coloured card.  The backing paper is from the Timeless Textures paper stack.  The flat backed pearls and ribbon are from my stash.

There is still plenty of time for you to enter this 'Autumn is in the Air' Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.

Dionne

Autumn is in the Air

There was a distinct change in the air today, first thing the air felt slightly crisp and it smelt of autumn.  Perfect timing because today is the first day of a new Crafty Boots Challenge called 'Autumn is in the Air'

My Design Team card today features the Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Falling Leaves stamp set.  I sometimes think that I like to make things hard for myself and this card is a good example.  I started by painting white card with copper, gold, brass and silver metallic acrylic paints.  The paint seemed to take forever to dry!  However, all of the messing about was worth it because I managed to get the 'brushed' look I was after.

Once the paint was dry, I used black ink to stamp my leaves, this was my biggest mistake, I should have cut my square mats first and mounted them on white and gold mirri card.  That way I would not have been so worried about smudging the ink but I set them aside for a long time to dry completely.  I was pleased with myself, no smudging, not even a little bit.  Finally, I attached my mats to a nice pumpkin orange background.

The rest of the Design Team has been busy making some amazing autumnal cards, why not pop over to the Crafty Boots page and take a look for yourself, then link-up your autumn projects, we would love to see them.


Dionne

Pets Corner

Autumn is officially here and looking out of the window this week I can see this is only too true, who would have thought that only last week I was complaining about how hot is was!

I am back today with another of my 'All Squared Up' designs for the current Crafty Boots Challenge.  This has been such a fun challenge, and to be honest, it has not really taken me too far out of my comfort zone because I love matting and layering.

Something a little different today with a telescopic style of design.  However, to fit all of the washi tapes in I had to fiddle a little with the placement of my squares - I guess you cannot have it all ways.  By the way, the washi tape is from Stampin' Up and the 'rivets' are Craftwork Cards Card Candy.

This little guy is a rubber stamp from Funky Kits called 'Pets Corner', he is from their Sugar Nellie range.  I coloured him with Promarkers and mounted him on silver mirri and green card.  The sentiment is a Stampin' Up stamp.

There is still time for you to enter your square designs into this Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good Luck.

Dionne

We Plough the Fields and Scatter

When I was a girl 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter' was sung at this time of year in schools as we celebrated our Harvest Festival.  I remember taking into school my little package of fresh fruit and tinned goods to go on the stage with all of the other contributions.  Then afterwards the food was distributed to the local pensioners and disabled.  When I as older I even went with the head teacher to help take the food parcels round.

We would then do the same with the local church.  The alter was always beautifully decorated by the local ladies and the village baker would make a huge diamond shaped plaited loaf for the centre of the alter table.  (I often wondered what happened to that loaf afterwards.)  The thought of that old hymn really takes me back.  Do school still hold Harvest Festivals?

It is time for the Crafty Boots Challenges Mid Challenge Reminder.  The theme of the current challenge is 'All Squared Up'.  A very easy challenge, just use squares in your project or simply create a square shaped  card.

For my project today I used this nostalgic Delicious Doodles design called 'Working the Land'.  I coloured the image with my polychromos pencils and then mounted them on gold mirri and blue card (Pool Party).

The backing paper is also from Stampin' Up.  I created the sentiment on my computer.

We have two very talented Guest Designers at Crafty Boots Challenges this week Zoechaos and Papersniffer - known to their family and friends as Zoe and Wendy.  Don't forget to check out their fabulous square designs.


Dionne

The Little Golfer

What is going on with the UK weather? The BBC are predicting temperatures in the low 30s today, autumn is just around the corner and I would expect much lower temperatures ... and probably rain. Instead we are experiencing record breaking temperatures. What is the weather like where you live? I should love to know, why not leave a comment about your weather in the box below?

The current Crafty Boots Challenge is all about squares, big squares, small squares, one square, many squares, square cards, square canvasses, square scrapbook pages etc. The title of the challenge is called 'All Squared Up'.

I have chosen a square card for my project today, it features another of my Funky Kits rubber stamps from their Sugar Nellie range. This one is called 'Fore!' it is perfect for the golfer in my life. I love my Sugar Nellie stamps, the only problem with them is that they are quite small and it is difficult to inject a lot of shading into them when I colour them with Promarkers - it is hard enough to keep within the lines!

I mounted the image on silver mirri and some Real Red Card. The background papers are from a Timeless Textures paper stack. I made the sentiment on my computer.

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

Good luck.

Dionne

Manga Girl in Green

Good morning and welcome to my space.  It is a brand new week and time for a brand new Crafty Boots Challenge.  For the next two weeks we are looking for projects containing squares or which are square.

I have made a square card featuring Funky Kits 'Sugar Nellie Manga Girl # I'.  I coloured the stamped image with Promarkers and them cut the card into a square.  I then distressed the edges of the white card with Ranger's Vintage Photo.

I then cut several mats in silver mirri, yellow and lemon coloured card. The check backing paper is from a DoveCraft stash.  I made the sentiment on my computer.

The Design Team has been busy making cards to give you a few ideas, why not check them out on the Crafty Boots blog.

Have a great week.


Dionne

Little Princess

I have had so much fun making my sunny coloured cards for the current Crafty Boots Challenge.  Yellow has been such a cherrful colour to work with, it is quite uplifting.

This little cutie is a rubber Stamp from Funky Kits, Manga Princess is from the Sugar Nellie stable.  I coloured the stamp with Promarkers and then die cut both it, and the slightly larger card from gold mirri, using Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 17 dies.

The backing papers are from Studio Calico and the gorgeous paper lilies and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The sentiment and stars are from my stash.

There is still time for you to enter your projects into this challenge, just hop over to the  Crafty Boots blog and link your project using the little thingamajig.

Dionne

Fishing Boats

The current Crafty Boots Challenge is 'You are my Sunshine', or another way to look at it would be to use lots of sunny colours.  According to my research on the internet that would be yellows, reds and oranges ..... but it is mostly yellows!

My card today features Delicious Doodles 'In the Harbour' digital stamp.  I coloured it with my F&C polychromos pencils and then mounted it on some silver mirri and dark blue card.  The backing papers are from Stampin' Up.  The starfish and anchor are from my stash, as is the sentiment.

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

Good luck.

Dionne

Yellow Chrysanthemums

Our good weather has taken a temporary leave of absence, so I am hoping that the current Crafty Boots Challenge will generate enough sunniness to compensate the drop in temperature ..... and even inspire the sun to return.

My Design Team card today features one of my favourite vintage stamps by PSX (Personal Stamp Exchange).  They produced a fabulous range of floral stamps but this one is definitely one of my favourites, it has been in my collection for about 25 years.

I coloured the stamped image with Promarkers and mounted it on gold mirri and yellow card.  The backing paper is by Stampin' Up.  The sentiment is from my stash.

We have two wonderful Guest Designers this week Deanne Clarke-Saunders and Carole Jones, they have made two spectacular cards for this challenge, pop over to the Crafty Boots Challenges blog and take a look at all of the Design Team cards.

Have a great week.

Dionne

Gone Fishing

I got up this morning to find that the weather had completely changed during the night, gone the hot sunny days we have been enjoying recently and instead it is wet and chilly.  Let's hope this is just a temporary set back because the current challenge over at Crafty Boots is 'You are my Sunshine' and, for some reason, I find it is so much easier to make sunny cards when the sun is actually shinning (if this weather keeps up I shall be making Christmas cards next week).

Luckily I had already made this card, so I was able to channel the notion of hot, sunny afternoons, by a river or lake.  I confess that this would be my idea of fishing!

This image is from Teddy Bo & Co, I think it is called Teddy Bo Boat Trip but the Teddy Bo on-line shop seems to be off line, so I cannot check.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and Aquamarkers and mounted it on silver mirri card and some dark blue card.  I dabbed a little Glossy Accents on the jumping fish so they looked wet.  The backing papers are from Studio Calico and the card candy is from Craftwork Cards and the sentiment is from my stash.

There is still plenty of time for you to enter this fun Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.

Dionne

Up, Up and Away

No, not the first of the month again.  It seems it was only days ago I said 'A pinch and a punch, it's the first of the month' to Mrs Beez and it is time to say it to her again.

I hope your week is going well, we had a fabulous long weekend but the friends who were staying have now gone home and I need to get everything straight again.  Lots of bedding to wash and we have to push all those homeless items back into the spare room.  I sometimes think I need to either sign up for 'the life laundry' or to rent some storage space (only I worry that it will be all my craft stuff that ends up in the shredder).

The current Crafty Boots Challenge is 'You Are My Sunshine', we are looking for projects using lovey sunny colours.

My card today features a bunch of beautiful yellow balloons, I punched the balloon shapes with my Stampin' Up punch and stamped them with the matching stamp.

I swished the background with several distress inks, including Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers, Stormy Skies and Weathered Wood.  I mounted the whole thing on gold mirri and white card and the sentiment is from my stash.

I was rather pleased with how this turned out and I am very tempted to do it with red balloons .... or blue ones or maybe green, in fact, I can feel a whole set coming on!

Dionne