Another colour challenge.

Look at these yummy colours, don't they remind you of spring!! I couldn't resist playing along with this challenge at CR84FN and using two new stamps that I have just received.

I found it quite hard to photograph this card so that you could see the embossed background, I have this new powder called "White Pearls" and I love the shimmery effect it gives.  The main image is stamped and embossed with white powder and then coloured with distress inks.  Quite a simple card but I am pleased with the result.

Back to work today after a week off and it has come hard, I am missing my crafting time :0(

Supplies Hero Arts Stamps. CG245 Classic Fabric, CG271Large Blossom. Distress inks. Bundled Sage, Worn Lipstick and Barn Door.

Hero Hostesses Colour Challenge 1

Emails have been flying between the Hero Arts Hostesses ever since we were appointed, we have been thinking of ideas to inspire you all and so  have decided it would be fun to run a few colour challenges over the next few weeks.  I am pleased to be the one starting this off and here is my colour inspiration photograph.  I wanted to have warm summery colours to cheer up all of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, we have been experiencing a really cold winter this year and at the moment can only dream of summer!!!  The first photograph was taken in my garden last summer and I can remember it being a beautiful hot summers day with a clear blue sky, the second photo is taken in my favourite wool shop, the colours of this particular wool really caught my eye aren't they yummy!

This is the card I have made using one of my favourite new stamp sets "Blossom Art" I have layered up the two paper pieced flowers with pop dots and added the pearls.  The background is just stamped with Scattered Straw Distress ink.

Here is a little close up of the flower.

 Please download your cards to the Hero Arts Flickr group here and use the "hostess challenge1" tag . The challenge will run till 11pm PST  on 27th Feb or 7 am 28th Feb GMT.  Hope you find time to enter.

Hostesses cooking up a storm!!!

"When the Hero hosties are selected everyone looks forward to what they'll cook up!! Heather, Anita
Sharon, Linda and I have taken this literally and are cooking something up for you this week - one of our favorite recipes!" We are each posting a card or project inspired by one of our favourite recipes  and we are hoping that you will play along to.  Pease post your projects here and add the flickr tag "cookingupchallenge"


 This is one of my families favourite cakes its called a Lemon Drizzle Cake and it never lasts long in our house!!  I thought it would be fun to make a gift of "Tea and Cake" so I have also created these little gift holders that actually hold one tea bag.  The holder is based on a tutorial here, I have just adapted the front of it to add a ribbon tie.


This is the inside of the holder, don't you just love this yummy paper its from Echo Park !  The tea cup image is from the Hero Arts sparkle clear set CL188 and I have paper pieced this with a scrap of chintzy paper from my scrap box.
This is the recipe that I use its really simple to make:-
Cake
175gm unsalted butter softened
175 gm caster sugar
finely grated zest of three lemons
3 med. eggs
175gm self raising flour
Pinch salt
little milk
Icing
200gm icing sugar
75ml lemon juice

Method
Grease and line a litre loaf tin.
Beat together the sugar and butter till white and fluffy.
Add lemon zest and beat in eggs one at a time with a little of the flour.
Sift in the remaining flour and salt, add a little milk if the mixture is too stiff.
Pour into tin and bake in pre heated oven 170C or gas mark 3 for 45 to 50 minutes.
Mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar.
When the cake is cooked remove from the oven and while still hot and in the tin prod with a fine skewer to make a few holes, but don't go to the base of the tin!
spoon over icing so that it seeps into the holes.
Cool completely then serve.

Hope you find time to try it out, it really is yummy!!
SallyX

Colour Challenge!!

Love this pretty colour palette for the challenge at CR84FN this week, as you know I love colour challenges so had to have a go at this one!

Lots of stamps used here and I am really pleased with the finished card, so soft and feminine.

Here is a close up of the dragonfly, as you can see I have added some shimmer to the wings.  Sorry another quick post but if you stop by tomorrow I can reveal one of the things I have been working on!!

Sallyx
Supplies: Hero Arts Stamps, CL383 Antique Engravings. S5507 Envelope Pattern, CG197 Old Letter.G4917 Dandelion.  Distress inks, Worn Lipstick and Milled Lavender.

Vellum Flowers!!

I have been really busy today with lots of projects that I need to finish so I thought I would show you one of the cards I made for the Hero Arts Hostess blog spot.  I made four cards and my family chose this one which was featured when my Hostess spot was announced.  This pink card was one of the rejects.  I love how the flower turned out, I found this piece of patterned vellum in my scrap paper box and after stamping and embossing twice in white with the large bloom stamp I then cut out the flowers and shaped the petals.
The background is made by stamping the Old Letter Writing stamp and the Paper Art stamp with Victorian Velvet distress ink and then distressing lightly all over the paper.
Must get back to my other projects now.  Have a great weekend.
SallyX
Supplies: Hero Arts Stamps  S4878 Old Letter Writing.  CG198 Paper Art.  CG134 Large Bloom.  Victorian Velvet Distress ink.

Cards from my friends!!

 No cards from me today as I am busy working on some cards for next week!!  Here are two stunning cards that I received in the post this week from two of my sweet blogging friends :0)
The first is from Brenda in Texas and is part of Deborah's February CCC.  This involves a whole list of ladies (I think it was 50 this month!) making and sending a card to the next person in the chain.  Its such fun to send and receive a hand made card.
Isn't this a stunning card from Brenda and she managed to follow both Deborah's sketch and the colour palette, that's more than I managed this month  :0(  She also included some beautiful die cut butterflies, I am sure you will be seeing alot of those soon!

The second card is from the lovely Jo and it arrived out of the blue, a stunning congratulations card for being chosen as a Hero Hostess.  Thank you so much Jo, I really appreciate it, the card is even more beautiful in real life, the butterflies are really glossy and the little green gems are sparkling in the sun as I write this.

Hope you are enjoying your Wednesday.

SallyX

Happy Valentines Day!!

Happy Valentines Day, hope you have all had a great day, here is a card I made using more masculine colours!  Although I love pinks and reds I wanted to try something a little different.  The heart is made using up more scraps from my basket.. A while ago I had a play with some distress inks, I put some inks onto my craft mat and spritzed with water then I placed my Antique Brocade stamp in the ink and stamped onto some paper.  This gives a really watery image which I love!   I then stamped the large heart from the Hero Arts Hearts Trio set and cut out the image.  The background paper is from Basic Grey.
Thanks for looking.
SallyX
Supplies: Hero Arts stamp CG160 Hearts Tri, CG102 Antique Brocade. Basic Grey Papers,Twine and lace

Another Valentine!!

 Another really simple Valentines card and another one that's perfect for a man!! This one probably only took 30mins to put together as the hearts and spellbinders shape was in my scrap basket so I only had to pop dot it all together add the ribbon, gems, sentiment and faux stitching and its ready to send!  I am entering this in the challenge over at sweet Jenny's blog this week which is to use up your scraps.

This week I have been lucky enough to receive two awards from blogging friends, the first is from sweet Dawn in New Zealand. Thanks Dawn !!  I hope your back gets better soon :0)

Now the aim of this blog is to bring unknown good blogs to light so please don't tag it to anyone with more than 3000 followers.

In accepting I had to sign up to a few little rules...

1) You have been tagged, do you want to accept? YES! then create a post on your blog and post the love blog photo.
2) Link back to the person who gave you the award and say if you accept.

3) Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your post too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.

My three blogs are: First Tina  she creates some really pretty cards, please take a look and see.
Second is Linda  she is a fellow Hero Arts Hostess and has only just joined the blogging world (her blog is just over a week old). The third is Brenda check out this project of hers isn't it beautiful!!

I also received this award from Tina and with this one you just have to state 8 things about yourself, here we go :-

1. I work in a local junior school and have been there 16 years and I can honestly say that I love my job.

2. I have been married for 29 years this year to Jeremy and have two beautiful children, Tristan and Francesca.

3. I am terrified of flying!!

4. I am vegetarian.

5. I love everything creative and have tried most crafts but card making and sewing are my favourites.

6. I am a keep photographer.

7. My favourite food is Italian.

8. My favourite holiday destination is Italy!!

Well thats enough about me!!!  There are so many wonderful blogs that I follow and I found it hard to choose three for the last award so if you would like this award on your blog please take it.

Hugs

SallyX

A Colour Challenge and more Stamp Kissing!!

Look at this colour swatch isn't it yummy, I love chocolate and pink together so I had to have a go at this challenge! Visit CR84FN's blog this week to see some amazing inspiration.

  The only brown card I had isn't really dark enough to be called chocolate but it is brown!  I have run this through the dots embossing folder to give it some texture. This card has my two favourite elements on it "Butterflies and Flowers"  you can't go wrong with those!! and I have used my new cling stamp Canvas Stripes I am sure you will be seeing alot more of this stamp I love it and its suitable for masculine cards!

I have also had another go at "Stamp Kissing" this months challenge at the Hero Arts Blog  this time using the Row of Houses stamp. I have used an old multicoloured ink pad from Tsukineko that I have had for years and then kissed the houses with the Antique Brocade stamp. I then clear embossed this.

I then distressed with Scattered Straw and Tumbled Glass.  The bottom section is from my scrap basket, I have lots of pieces like this left from experimenting with different backgrounds.
Hope you are having a good week, its my day off today and there is always lots to do.  Maybe I can get some crafting in later! :0)

SallyX
Supplies: Top Card. Hero Arts Stamps. CG196 Canvas Stripes. CL383 Antique engravings. Pink seam binding. Bright pink colourbox ink.
Bottom Card. Hero Arts Stamps: S4878 Old Letter Writing. S5213 Dots And Flowers. H5238 Row of Houses.  Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Scattered Straw.

Valentine

Just a quick post today, here is another really simple Valentine card using the Heart Trio from Hero Arts.  I have stamped and embossed the heart in gold and then coloured in some of the flowers with a gold Gel pen adding a gem to the centers. I then cut out the heart and adhered to a brown spellbinders shape with pop dots.  As I haven't a valentine word stamp I have just written it myself with a white Inkssentials pen.  The base card has been run through my big shot with the dots folder and then the heart piece is pop dotted on.

Hope your week is going well.

SallyX
Supplies: Hero Arts Stamps CG160 Herat Trio.Spellbinders label die. Dots embossing folder.

 Here is another card for the Hero Arts Blog , the challenge this month is "Love, Friendship and Stamp Kissing".  This is a Valentine card that I made yesterday, its a very simple design with a French feel to it.  I have stamped the background with the "Envelope Pattern"  in Worn Lipstick Distress ink and then stamped "The Old Letter " cling in Victorian Velvet on top.  I then distressed the edges.   The Lacy border is made using the " Lace Background " and stamped in black,  cut with a Martha Stewart Punch and then also distressed with Worn Lipstick.  The Hearts have been stamped and embossed with clear powder.
This card is also for the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room Blog, which is called "Sweet Hearts"

I also want to share with you this beautiful birthday card from lovely Sanne in Denmark , isn't it stunning!! I was so thrilled to receive it, Sanne has been very busy lately, she was lucky enough to visit America for CHA check out her blog to see her photos !
Well another week and more cards to make, I have a few orders from work to complete so busy, busy, busy.  :0)
hugs
SallyX
Supplies: Hero Arts stamps: S5341 Lace Background. S5507 Envelope Pattern. CG160 Hearts Trio. CG197 Old Letter. Ribbon, pearls and gems!

Apron inspired challenge.

All the new Hostesses have been announced now and after seeing all the pretty new aprons  the lovely Sarah has set the perfect challenge, to make a card using all the new colours. Linda (Purple) Heather (Green) Anita (Hot Pink) Sharon (Aqua) and me(Pink)  I was lucky enough to receive my prize package from Hero Arts this week for my Fab5 win in November.(I waited for the new catalogue to come out)
This included two of the new flower stamps S5482 Ruffled flower and CL495 Blossom Art,  I have been playing with them and making up layered flowers, so these were perfect for this challenge.  I have glued seed beads to the flower centers with Glossy Accents.

I spent a really enjoyable day yesterday at a patchwork class, its the first time I have tried patchwork and it was fun.  The class was all about making a bag, I haven't quite finished it yet but will post a photograph when I have.

Hope you are having a fun weekend and I just want to say Thank you for all the lovely comments, Flickr mails and emails I have received over the past few days, I really appreciate it.
SallyX

Wow, Wow, Wow I am a Hero Arts Hostess!!!!

Imagine my shock and excitement when Tami's email arrived in my inbox a few weeks ago asking me if I would like to be a Hero Arts Hostess.  I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Hero Arts team for three months along side Heather, Linda, Anita and Sharon. Its been so hard  keeping  our secret and at last I can talk about it  :0)

I have loved Hero Art products ever since I bought my first clear message set a couple of years ago, (you should see my collection now!!!!lol).  The company is so kind and generous and always listens to its fans, check out their blog here to see all the amazing prizes that they give out each month and check here to view all the fabulous cards in the HA Flickr group.  I love being part of this group, everyone is so friendly and all the work so inspiring.

The theme of our first card on the blog was "Friendship" very apt as I consider all the members my friend!!  I was nervous about creating my card and after lots of samples ending up in my scrap basket I eventually made four designs that I was happy with.  My family voted for  their favourite and this is the winner!!

You can get all the details on how to make it and the supplies needed here.

I am so proud to be donning my "Pink Apron" and want to thank Hero Arts for this amazing opportunity, I am still pinching myself "is it really true!!!!!"

Kissing with stamps!!

The new challenge this month at The Hero Arts Blog is "Love, Friendship and Stamp Kissing".  This is a card I have Made "Kissing Stamps"!!!

 I have masked the "Getting Ready" image so I just have the image of the girl I covered the stamp with black Versa mark ink and then kissed with the "Lace Background"  on the dress and tights area of the stamp.

I then stamped and embossed with clear powder. The effect gives the dress a pattern. I then distressed with worn lipsick and sprayed with perfect pearls to give a shimmer.(Difficult to see in the photograph) For the background I have also used  the Lace Background stamp with Barn DoorDistress ink.

 

I then added a homemade rose, some ribbon and pearls.

Sorry for the poor photograph but its taken at night.  This is such a fun technique I am really pleased with the finished card.

I am entering this in The Shabby Tea Room Challenge this week which is to make a card just with stamping and no backing papers.
SallyX
Supplies: Hero Arts stamps: CG265 Getting Ready, S5341 Lace Background, CL148 Happiness Message.  Worn Lipstick and Barn Door Distress inks. Black Versa Mark ink. Perfect Pearls White. Clear Embossing Powder.