it's a girl thing

Halloween Altered Art Project

2011-10-11T15:28:00.003+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all well and enjoying Autumn as much as I am. I found these microslide holders on the 'Imagination Crafts' website and used some Halloween downloads from 'Made by Janet'. I also used Inkadinadoo Halloween stamps and some MME 'Blackbird' paper. All papers used were off course distressed with Vintage Photo distress ink by Tim Holtz. Apologies for the poor lighting. I am entering this into the Grungy Monday Challenge

Colette x.

Craft Fair Prep!

2011-09-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

Hello Everyone,

My friend and I have decided to try to make a bit of crafting money this year by taking part in a local Christmas Craft Fair.

Here are a few samples of fabric baubles and cones and a few of the cards we are in the process of making. I also make little paper heart gift bags. The patterns from the baubles, cones and giftbags are from Tilda's Christmas Ideas by Tone Finnanger. It is a gorgeous book and I want to make everything!
The paper for the little gift bags is from http://www.pinkpetticoat.co.uk/index.php and the pompom trims, lace and jingle bells are http://www.ribbongirl.co.uk/catalog/, fabric is from Pelenna Patchworks.co.uk
The Christmas trees are decopatched ( The Decopatch Place ) and glittered.

Colette x.

Anything but a card

2011-08-17T15:28:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,

I have made these flower brooch/hairclips for a fair I am going to on Saturday. I thought I would also enter them into this weeks Allsorts challenge 'Anything but a Card' http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/.

They have been made from scraps and super sticky contact tape (the red liner sheets) and the roses are from wired ribbon

Bye for now,

Colette x.

Commenting on other peoples blogs, aaargh!!!

2011-08-12T08:57:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,

I don't know if anyone else is having problems signing into their google accounts when they are commenting on other peoples blogs? I have been so frustrated for the last week or 2 as I can't leave comments on everyones blog that I would like to. I want to say a particular apology to Lisa-Jane, I hope you are reading this! You leave so many lovely comments for me and I can't do the same for you.

I am not very techno savvy but it seems I can leave comments where there is a Name/Url option if I am asked to sign in to my google account I just keep encountering problems.

Anyone know anything about this let me know please,

Thanks

Colette x.

I've started early for a change!

2011-08-11T13:45:00.001+01:00

Hi Everyone,

This is a card I have made to get me kick started with my Christmas Cards. I have used Dreamweaver stencil and Bronze embossing paste for the main topper on the card and sprinkled it with Martha Stewart 'orange sorbet' glitter while it was still wet. I distressed the edges of the topper with a combination of Vintage Photo and Spun Sugar Distress Inks and then mounted this on to Garnet cardstock.

The Reindeer is a grungeboard element which I inked, sanded, stamped, embossed and distressed. The stamp is a snowflake stamp but I am not sure which collection it's from. The gingham paper is from craftwork cards and the ribbon is a scrunched paper ribbon which I got on ebay forever ago, I knew I would use it someday!
I am entering it into the Make it Monday Challenge http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/. ,Wags and Whiskers 'Sparkle' challenge http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.com/2011/08/challenge-60-sparkly.html and Totally Papercrafts 'Holidays' http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/.
Hope you are all having a nice week,

Colette x.

Vintage Crazy!

2011-08-03T22:34:00.003+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to share a card a created tonight, I just love this little girl, she looks so sweet. It comes from a printable download called 'retro squares' I bought on Etsy from 'madebyjanet'. I swear I want one of everything she sells, lol! The paper is Cosmo Cricket 'Something New', the laser cut paper is from pinflair, the 'Congratulations' stamp and green crystals were from a Hero Arts stamp set and the rose I made with cheap lining cut into circles and synged with a heat gun. I used a paper rose from Wild Orchid in the centre and then sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Old Lace. The ditsy floral fabric was a scrap I had lying around!

I would like to enter this into this weeks Polka Doodles Challenge 'English Country Garden' http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/2011/07/week-30-challenge-in-english-country.html

It's a slight cheat in that I have used 2 patterned papers and a fabric as opposed to 3 different patterned papers but I would also like to enter the 'Shabby Tea Room' 'Mix and Match' challenge as well http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/

I am also entering the Allsorts 'Free and Easy' Challenge http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/

I have also taken part in 'Make it Monday' http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/

I am entering this card into Crafts and Me Challenge 'Anything Goes' http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by,

Colette x.

Pretty in Pink

2011-07-27T22:19:00.004+01:00

A card for my Auntie from my Mum, I hope she likes it! I have used gold embossed vellum (have it too long to remember where it's from), my beloved grosgrain, pearl stick pin and flower from Wild Orchid. The sentiment is Craftwork Cards,

I would like to enter this card into the http://trulyscrumptiouschallenges.blogspot.com/
'Buttons and Bows' challenge.

And the http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/ Ribbon challenge.

Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Wedding Card

2011-07-25T09:01:00.000+01:00

Hi,

Just a quick post to share a card with you. I have made it for a friend of a friend on her Wedding Day. The flowers are from Wild Orchid, I just love her range of paper flowers, they are stunning. I have used a cream pearlescent card stock and some gold mirri (something I rarely use but can come in very handy for these occasions).

Have a good day,

Colette x.

Another Birthday!

2011-07-23T21:50:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Just coming down after a manic day of hosting my little Charlotte's 6th Birthday party. The only time my kids get to drink fizzy stuff! It was a great day and as always on my daughters birthday the sun shone. Everyone seemed to have fun. The card is from her brother. I have also included a frame I did a while ago with scraps of silk. This is us when my son was born. I hate photographs of me but I just love the closeness of this little shot. I think the Happy Birthday paper is Bo Bunny, I also used Cart-Us glittered alphabet stickers and some grosgrain ribbon.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Colette x.

Frame revamp

2011-06-03T11:36:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,

I revamped this plain old photo frame with some Vintage Decor papers from Calico Crafts and some gardenia's from Wild Orchid Crafts. I distressed the paper with some rock candy stickles and inked the flowers to coordinate with the papers. I also sealed the paper with Mod Podge.

Thanks for looking,

Colette.

Monocrome and Polka Doodles Challenge

2011-05-20T11:25:00.006+01:00

It is such a long time since I have posted properly so I am back with a card that I am entering into 2 challenges, hope you like it.

For the Polka Doodles challenge http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/2011/05/week-19-challenge-menu-choice.html I chose turquoise, ribbon and fairies and gemstones. The second challenge is for The Shabby Tea Room 'Monocrome' challenge. http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/

The products used are all Elusive Images but since they are now relaunched as Chocolate Baroque I am not sure if any of the products are still available.

I have also used irridescent glitter on the wings and toadstool, I am not a big glitter girl but sometimes it is just essential!

Colette x.

A fab site you might like!

2011-05-04T18:31:00.000+01:00

Hello Everyone,

It's the lazy blogger here, the one who never 'gets round to posting' these days. I plan to rectify that but in the meantime I wanted to share a link to Ikea Hackers http://www.ikeahackers.net/search/label/craft. If you have already discovered it I am sure you love it as much as I do. If you haven't and you love to 'alter' stuff I urge you to check it out,

Colette x.

AndySkinner.org: Its Time!

2011-04-07T19:30:00.000+01:00

Check out this link for a fantastic competition with amazing prizes!!! AndySkinner.org: Its Time!: "The stamps are in the shops, so to celebrate it’s …Competition Time!Details of where you can purchase my stamps can be found HereThe wo..."

ABC Challenge

2010-09-29T14:13:00.002+01:00

I am entering this card for the ABC Toys and Crafts Challenge Inspiration http://abcdesignblog.blogspot.com/. This is the picture that is to be used as inspiration, I have picked up on the use of pink and red, a colour combo I love, and the gingham. I have used silk to cover the Maya Road Envelope.

Bye for now,

Colette x.

I came 2nd!

2010-09-27T14:07:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

Just a quick post to thank the Nicky and her team at http://www.polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ for placing my card second in their design challenge:

All for now,

Colette x.

Plain and Simple

2010-09-25T18:35:00.001+01:00

Evening,

I am posting this card I made for this weeks challenge over on Allsorts http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/, the brief being plain and simple.

I love fabric and have a huge stash of scraps from the days when I sewed a lot, I can never throw even the titchiest piece of a beautiful fabric away. I have decided to use fabric more in my cards so here's a start. This is one of my more recent fabric purchases and it comes from a designer called Jeanean Morrison, its called Picnic Parade. I just love the colour combo, its so vibrant.

Hope you like it,

Colette x.

More Halloween crafting.

2010-09-22T10:34:00.002+01:00

I love Halloween and Autumn in general. Its the colours mainly that appeal so when I saw this challenge http://ribbongirls.blogspot.com/2010/09/colour-challenge-1.html I couldn't resist having a go.

It started out as a card and morphed into a little wall hanging. I mounted the card onto a piece of grungeboard that was part of a bracket book. I have also used some grungeboard Halloween shapes (the cats and the lantern) which I painted with black metallic paint and the pumpkins come from a Polka Doodles digi kit. I used some Rock candy crackle paint which ended up curling the paper which I hadn't expected but it adds to the whole shabby look. I tied on some black and white fibre to create a little hanger.

Thanks for looking,

Colette x.

Challenge Entry for Oldie But a Goodie

2010-09-21T09:06:00.002+01:00

Morning Everyone,

I spied this challenge on Fleur's blog http://fleurapassionforcraft.blogspot.com/ and decided to enter it with this card. I made it for my daughters Birthday and it features 'Rose' from the Flower Fairies. It just sums up my little Charlotte, very tiny and delicate and with the sweetest little nature possible!

The link is http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.com/

Colette x.

Craft desk is a mess but...

2010-09-18T15:50:00.001+01:00

....2 posts in one day! I am on a roll so don't want to stop in case the creative juices stop flowing. The card has been created for http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-27-fresh-living.html challenge.

The brief was to use green and or the theme of Nature. I have combined both, I used elements from the 'Sing your Song' stamp set from Elusive Images, Cosmo Cricket papers, 2 M.S. punches (what did we do before they came along!) and a Basic Grey rub-on.

All for now,

Colette x.

Halloween card

2010-09-18T13:00:00.000+01:00

I have created this card for the Polka Doodles challenge which is a sketch. It was originally going to be a Christmas card, the origins of which are still on my desk. Somehow it managed to become a Halloween card. The cat is a grungeboard shape and is just the best halloween cat shape ever. I painted with metallic black paint and then some stickles over the top, which kind of negated the point of using metallic paint but no matter. I have also used an M.S. punch to create the 'ribbon' which the brief specified was not to be fabric. The sentiment comes from a download from the http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ website. Three brads completed the brief, which aren't straight but hopefully they won't hold that against!

Thanks for stopping by,

Colette x.

Holding on to Summer

2010-09-14T08:46:00.000+01:00

Although I am more of an Autumn/Winter person I am finding it hard to make the transition to more seasonal cards just yet! I have been eyeing my Christmas stamp sets but have yet to make a start.

I like to keep a few cards on standby for Birthdays and such so I came up with this. I love the bright cheerful papers and of course the M.S punch that never seems out of place on a card, I love the sentiment too which comes from a seemingly never ending Cosmo Cricket kit!

Bye for now,

Colette x.

Don't you just love Ikea?

2010-09-13T19:27:00.001+01:00

I have been absent from blogging and crafting for a while now. I have been focusing my attention on something in my life that whilst I don't want to discuss here has been a major hurdle for me. I feel I am finally coming out the other side and can get back to having fun. Suffice to say I have overcome a massive and I mean massive fear in my life and I feel truly excited about the future now. If anyone following this blog has a challenge in their life that they feel is insurmountable I am here to testify that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. I used to think that was such a corny thing to say but it really works.

Anyway back to the title of my post, I went to my beloved Ikea yesterday and bought amongst other things a set of 3 cork pot stands or whatever they're called. I decided they would make cute little noticeboards.

I have used a range of Cosmo Cricket, Anna Griffin and BoBunny products plus some handmade grosgrain ribbon flowers and Prima pebbles.

I'll be back with a few other projects later in the week,

Thanks for still following,

Colette x.

Indian Summer card

2010-08-12T10:47:00.001+01:00

I love hot pink and orange together, somehow it balances the sticky sweetness I sometimes associate with pink. I am entering this into this weeks Polka Doodle challenge. I have used Sticky back canvas to create a transfer using Bo Bunny paper and some Amy Butler paper as a backdrop. The stamps are Banana Frog 'Hiya Chick'. I saw Tim Holtz making rosette flowers on his blog the other day using a die cutter. Well I have yet to own one of these babies (sniff, sniff) so in the meantime I just cut some long strips from a 12 x 12 and concertina folded them. The smaller the folds the better the effect. Glue or tape the ends together and push into a rosette shape. Probably not explained very well but quite easy when you actually do it,

Laters

Colette x.

It's for charity mate!!

2010-08-11T10:18:00.000+01:00

I never thought I relied on the internet so much, but a week without was a real eye-opener! When our laptop did finally get fixed I actually found using it again quite strange.

Anyway I saw this link on a blog I follow http://notesonpaper.blogspot.com/2010/08/sewing-for-good-cause.html and decided it had been too long since I had used my sewing machine and what better way to get back into it than for a good cause.

This is what I came up with

In total I made 12 hats and a few scarves with what I had left.

Colette x.

Design challenge and a new bedroom!

2010-07-21T15:27:00.006+01:00

What better way to be creative than to combine a challenge and revive what has become a sad bedroom. We are planning to sell our house soon, so the obligatory 'lick of paint' started in earnest a few weeks ago. Our bedroom was the most in need and is still a work in progress but so much better than before. I went shopping last weekend to my favourite house nik-nak shop. It occured to me that I could probably make some of the things I was lusting after, so off I went to buy some blank canvasses. This is my first one. It started out as napkin art and developed into something totally different but I have to say I am glad. It reminded me that I have artistic ability, something I seem to overlook these days with all that life throws at us. I used some delicious Julia Andrus acrylic paints, some mica sprays, bubblewrap to print with and a gorgeous crafters workshop stencil. A collage I suppose, it was great fun because I freed myself from being too restrained and just let it happen. I am entering it into the stampman design challenge 'Anything Goes' http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/ and http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/ 'Canvas' with a prize sponsored by http://www.afth.co.uk/

Thanks for looking

Colette x.