A new month and a new challenge!!

September is here and in the UK the children go back to school next week , that means I am back to work too.  I have had a fabulous summer and this week things have changed alot at home.  My daughter Francesca moved out on Tuesday, she is going back to Uni to do her teacher training and I am missing her already!!  Tristan has started as an apprentice joiner so he is also back to college one day a week.

A new month means a new challenge at Hero Arts,  I have made this card with Autumn in mind, its been a lovely day here but the evenings are beginning to get a chill in the air and some of the leaves are changing colour.  I am really short of Autumnal stamps so had to make do with the ones I have got.  This card is also a window card so fits two of the challenge requirement's.

I am looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow and hubby is taking me out for a pub lunch, Lovely!!

Emboss Resist!

The Lily Pad Blog has a new challenge using one of my favourite techniques "Emboss Resist" so I had to have a play!  I made up a few of these circles in different colours but this Autumnal one was so pretty I had to use it first.  As you can see I have used up lots of scraps of text paper in the background and some Hero Arts stamps on the main image.  CG107 Old Letter and CL383 Antique Engravings. 

Hope you are having a fun weekend.

Back To School

This Fridays new release over at Tiffany Doodles is this fabulous "Back to School" digi, perfect timing for all the children going back to school after the summer holidays.  Although my card is for my DD Francesca, she is of to live in Taunton next week ( that's about a 3 hour drive from us) where she is doing her PGCE.  For my American friends it stands for Post Graduate Certificate of Education, in other words a teacher training programme.  I am really going to miss her as I have got used to her being back at home, we are moving her in on Tuesday so there will be lots of tears I'm sure!

I really enjoyed paper piecing this little school house!

Its a holiday weekend here in England and we have a big party to go to on Sunday,  My Godson Lee is 30 and all his friends have been arranging a mini music festival in a field near us.  Tristan's band as well as 5 other bands are playing so it should be fun, lets hope the weather holds!

Before I go while surfing the net my son found this amazing site, how about those fabulous wood block stamps, so intricate and so much work involved in making them.

Lavender Bags

 After my holiday in France I was inspired to make some Lavender Bags but didn't have the right stamp for the job, after sending a plea out on the Hero Arts flickr group for ideas of where I could get one the lovely Judy came to my rescue.  As you can see I have the perfect stamp now and have been busy making bags.
I have stamped the image with Memento Black ink and then coloured with my Copic markers. Then after stitching the bag I have tied with some gingham ribbon.

Here is another bag using some Hero Arts stamps. As Jacqueline rightly said the bags can have any design so I made some more using my Hero Arts stamps.

Hope you have a great weekend

Polka Dots!!!

 This weeks challenge theme at The Shabby Tea Room is "Polka Dots", I love polka dots and the paper I have used is a digital paper freebie from Chubby Birds.  I have had this kit for ages and am not sure if its still available, I have done a quick search on 2Peas but can't find it!

Its a very simple card for me but I have resisted adding anything else as I like the end product.

This is the inspirational photograph from The Shabby Tea Room, I think it must be soup but I am not sure!!

I Love the School Holidays!!!!!

 Oh how I love the school holidays, even though the weather is not brilliant, it means I get to sit in my craft room and create!!! As you know I do love a colour challenge and the colour inspiration photograph at CR84FN36 this week is so sunny and bright, I love it!!

I was really inspired by Suzanne's lovely card and this bird cage stamp is a new purchase that I couldn't wait to ink up.  The text background is a page torn from an old book that I found in a second hand shop, I love how the pages have aged!

After a days fun I need to get the tea on, hope your week has started well.




Supplies: Cage stamp from WoodWare.  Hero Arts CG245 Classic Fabric, S5341 Lace Background.  Martha Stewart Butterfly punch. Tim Holtz Bird Die.

Another Crafty Day!!!!

 Woo Hoo I have made my first Christmas card,  challenge 15 over at the CAS-ual Friday blog gave me the perfect opportunity to dust off my Christmas stamps. An unusual colour scheme for Christmas I know but I am pleased with the finished card!

I managed to get two cards made today and this second one is for the current Hero Arts Challenge of creating a scene, not my usual style but I had fun with this one.
I am really loving the school holidays! long may it last !!!



Supplies:- Top Card. Hero Arts Stamps CL459, Ruby Red embossing powder, pearls and wool.
Bottom Card:-Tiffany Doodles Sailboat image. Hero Arts stamps, CL479 Dictionary Greetings, S5215 Clouds, CL497 Find Joy.  Blue colorbox ink, Chipped Sapphire Distress ink. Fiskars Cloud Die.

Felt Flowers

 Another entry for the "Fabric or Felt" challenge over at the Lily Pad, this time I have made some felt flowers using the rolled method.  This card also qualifies for this months Hero Arts challenge as I have a butterfly on my card.

Here is a close up of the flowers and leaves, I have also added a small chain stitch to the leaves.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.



Supplies:- Hero Arts stamps, S5435 Graph Background, CG211 Magical Background, CL488 Congrats, CL383 Antique Engravings, Distress inks Scattered Straw, Crushed Olive, Pearls and felt.

Fabric or Felt

The Lily Pad have set a new challenge today to use "Felt or Fabric" on a card, I have been playing with this canvas fabric for a few days now, trying out various inks ready to make my Lavender Bags so this challenge came at the right time!!
After much experimenting with various inks I have found that Memento Dye based inks seem to leave a really crisp image.


As you can see I have used my favourite "Hydrangea" image from Hero Arts and the background is "Old Letter"  I added a few seed beads to the flower to give a little sparkle, the lace is all the way from France.  I picked up a few bits in the Antique Market in Nice and thought it finished the card perfectly. 
Just a quick post today.


P.S. My new blog header is inspired by my holiday!!

Shabby Tea Room Challenge

 I have been wanting to try out some more digital images from the Tiffany Doodles Shop and when I saw this inspiration photograph on The Shabby Tea Room challenge blog I decided to have a go.  The theme is Tea and Green and Blue.  Although the image I have used is really a coffee pot it really reminded me of the pots in the photograph.

I have paper pieced the coffee pot with some blue and white paper from Prima  and then coloured in the flower images with distress inks used as water colours.  The Camellia flowers are coloured with copic markers.

Its been a beautiful sunny day  and I have spent lots of time in the garden, hope its sunnny where you are!