HO HO HO!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

These are a few of the very few Christmas cards I have made this year, I always run out of time and end up buying them. I don't feel bad about that, no point getting stressed over it, can't be helped by now!!!

Hope everyone has a lovely few days, best wishes for the New Year.

SHOE TREE HANGINGS

The theme on Wednesday Stamper this week is shoes. This is my entry................not shoes exactly but the thingies you put inside them to keep their shape (does anyone really do that anymore??)

These were one of those things that you see and think "mmm I could do something with those, don't know what yet but I'll buy them anyway!"
They were eventually decorated and used in Craft Stamper mag, they now hang from drawer knobs in my work room.

KRAKOW

Just got back at the weekend from a few days away in Krakow...........what a lovely place!! Great scenery..........a view up the river on a cold frosty morning..............weird and wonderful installation art, I have no idea what it is as could not read the sign but I like it anyway!

Fantastic architecture...........just look at that mixture of domes and spires!! This is the cathedral where a lot of the kings of Poland are buried in the crypt.......bit spooky even for me!!

And just look at that stained glass window!!

Beauty and inspiration everywhere ...................................and oh yes, there was shopping too, perfect break!!!!

CRAZY AMIGOS HEARTS

This weeks challenge on Crazy Amigos is hearts...........how could I resist!! I like hearts as a theme and use them where I can in my work.

This is a box a made a while ago, I like the way it opens and has two seperate compartments inside

DOMINOES

The challenge on One Powerful Hour this week is to alter a domino. Great challenge, haven't altered a domino in ages and it was fun re-visiting the technique!

Here is my entry, two heart themed ATCs.

STAMPBORD ATCs WITH METAL CORNERS

Over on the Wednesday Stamper challenge site the challenge this week is to use metal somewhere in your work.

Here is my entry; not loads of metal just the corners on these Stampbord ATCs.

12 TAGS OF CHRISTMAS

Tim Holtz is doing the 12 tags of Christmas again this year!! One tag every day for 12 days starting today; this is a pic of the first tag (used with permission from Tim) and I can't wait for the next 11........... like last year they will be packed with loads of ideas and techniques using all his fantastic products including his new Christmas stamps of course (I just love the reindeer!)

The stamps, masks and Distress Stickles plus lots of other Tim products are available here from The Stamp Attic

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

This altered bird house is my entry for this weeks challenge on Mixed Media Monday where the theme is "Home Sweet Home".

The bird house sits on top of a box which has a wooden heart box hidden inside.

SNOW ARCH

The theme this week on Gothic Arches is "snow". Here is my entry.

The houses are from a stamp by Stampotique and the trees are made using twigs from the garden and circles punched from old book pages, glued together and then the edges burned a little.

RECYCLED

This weeks theme on One Powerful Hour is "recycled". As this is something close to my heart I just had to take part. My contribution is a note book made from this weeks Radio Times mag which usually goes into the recyle bin but this time the pages were torn up and then glued back together, painted then rubbed with metallic rub-ons and inks from Nick Bantock ink pads.

The pages are bound with a piece of rusty wire I picked up somewhere and has been lying around waiting to be used ever since.

GOTHIC ARCH

This week I have decided that I am going to join in with some of the challenges that are out there at the moment. This piece is for Gothic Arches silhouette challenge.

The owl section is cut from black paper; it was an old Victorian postcard image that I scanned and then altered the size, transfered to card and then cut out.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

These Christmas decorations are made from old radio valves! When I saw this box of valves I knew I could do something with them so I bought them and waited for the inspiration to strike!

The challenge on Mixed Media Monday challenge site this week is Christmas decorations so these fit in perfectly!!

Tami asked what the valves looked like to start with......good point!! Here they are!

BOOKMARKER

I really like bookmarks! They are a cheap way of remembering a visit to a place or an event and I try to but one whenever I can on holiday, I now have a drawer full and I use a different one for each book I read......sad I know but there you go!

The latest theme on the challenge site One Powerful Hour is bookmarks so I couldn't resist joining in. Here is my entry.

NATURAL ART

Don't forget the fantastic natural art that is around us all the time, especially at this time of year. I took these pics while out walking this morning, this is just a few miles from where I live.

Lovely avenue of trees to walk through.







Leaves floating on a pond with the
tree they fell from reflected amongst them.


I love this time of year, although it always strikes me as strange how decay can give such beautiful colours! These are my favourite colours, earth tones, especially the burnt oranges and burgundy mixed with browns and a few bits of green.



Beech trees always seem to give the most spectacular show!

LINO CUTTING

I was down in Suffolk over the weekend and while there my friend and I took a lino cutting workshop. It was great fun and so I thought I would share some of the pics with you.

Here are my prints hanging up to dry!

These are my two favourite lino blocks.

And these are different colour versions of the blocks printed. We used proper printers ink to make the prints which I don't have at home so I am going to have to experimnent with various pigment inks and see what results I get!

DECEMBER CRAFT STAMPER

The December issue of Craft Stamper is out today and I have an article in it using new Stampotique Christmas stamps. I know these stamps aren't everyones idea of Christmas images but I love them, they are certainly a change from the traditional Christmas!!

So, here is a sneak peek of the two cards featured in the mag (publishing rules don't allow showing the complete cards) plus an extra card that wasn't used in the magazine.

MIRROR CARD AND STAZON

I have to say that mirror card is not one of my favourite things, too bright and shiny! But I do like this effect with it, it looks like metal!

Emboss the card using a Cuttlebug folder, colour the card using Stazon inks (I used Mustard and Ultramarine) and then sand lightly to remove some of the colour from the raised sections.

Stamp St Nick onto another piece of the mirror card and mount over the top.

Another couple of examples using different embossing folders and different colours of Stazon.

PS. I have added a link to the new Craft Stamper blog in the "links to see" section.

I have an article in the December issue of Craft Stamper that is due out on Friday November 7th; watch this space for sneak peek of the article on Friday.

HERE COME THE GIRLS!

I would like to introduce Champagne Charlotte, Cocktail Kate, Knickerbocker Gloria and Jerez, they are the Sassy Glassy Witches!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

PARIS CANVAS

I thought I would share with you what I made when I went to a workshop recently given by Rachel Jackson (of Craft Stamper and Somerset Studio fame) at Paddy's Stamping Place in Prestwich. Rachel approaches things from a different point of view than me so it was really interesting to see how she works. While I managed to keep my canvas background quite pale and muted with guidance from Rachel I had to give in to my natural instincts on the tags!! I find pastel and pale really difficult! I was pleased with the results though.