A smile is a curve that.....................................

Hi
It's my sisters birthday today and this is the card I have made for her. All the family are going out for a meal tonight at my favourite restaurant so I am really looking forward to it and it gives me an excuse to dress up a bit. It will be nice to get out of my scruffs for a while as I have spent the last few days sorting the garage and the garden out, with several visits to the tip inbetween. How cleansing is it to get rid off all the rubbish that we hold on to?
Anyway back to my card.

I have made the card using Stampotique rubber stamp Karin and they have been colured using distress inks - Squeezed Lemonade, worn lipstick, peacock feathers and vintage photo.


Canvas Corp cardstock pad


This is how the background paper started off, I then coloured it with
distress inks squeezed lemonade,worn lipstick & peacock feathers. I then added further dimension by adding newsprint candi coloured with the same coloured distress inks into some of the swirls.
Behind this I have embossed cordinations pink cardstock with a cuttlebug swirly embossing folder.
I stamped the sentiments  with versamark and heat embossed with Ruby Blush Blaze Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder (loving that pink). I stamped stampotique ink splat stamp onto book paper and punched out hearts to form a border. The whole card has been matted and layered using black cardstock and more of the pink cordinations which have had the edges sanded.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
anything goes challenge where the challenge is make your own background
chocolate coffee cards  where the challenge is embossing
craft your days away     this is their final challenge which is anything goes
fashionable stamping challenges where the challenge is Ice Cream Colours
no matter which challenges   Where this is their very first challenge with the theme anything Goes
and finally
simon says stamp and show where the challenge is No Rules.

Thanks for visiting my blog I really appreciate it.
Love
Amanda X

Chick Production Line............

Hi
For those of you that follow my blog you will probably be aware that other than crafting my other passion is Jetskiing. Most of my summer is usually spent on the water with some great friends, I say usually as the weather has really put paid to my time out this summer. As you can imagine this is quite a male dominated sport but there is a group of us that "do it for the girls" lol. We get called "the jetski chicks" so I thought I would celebrate our title with a matching Tshirt for us all. Call in my Silhouette Cameo........ I treated myself recently and all I can say is that I love this machine. I have had a cricut expression for a couple of years now but never really bonded with it, I cannot say the same about the silhouette, I just can't stop playing with it. I have plans to vinyl decor, rhinestone & Tshirt transfer to within an inch of my life, given half the chance, watch this space!!! For me it is just so much more flexible than my cricut expression.
Anyway the tshirts

 These Tshirts have be made using silhouette Tshirt transfer paper (light fabric), my first attempt. The great thing about tshirt transfer on the Silhouette is that it cuts just the image out so you get a really neat finish of just the image, no blank space.The image is from the silhoutte store and I have added the text on, the fact that you can use any text you have on your PC is for me a huge plus in the silhouette V's cricut war. The girls don't know that I have made these so I will hopefully get chance to give them out over the weekend. I'll have to post a picture of us all wearing them!
Hope you all have a lovely weekend
Amanda X

Making use of a Freebie!

Hi
Well what a let down today is following the end of the Olympics, I have got quite emotional throughout the last few weeks, we couldn't have wished for them to go any better. Well done Team GB roll on Rio!!
Anyway it does allow me to get back to a bit of crafting, and I have made a card using a Teddy Bo & Co rubber stamp set that came free with Simply Cards & Papercraft some months ago.

Image has been coloured with Copics

Base card and matting Kraft card

Papers V&A Hanoverian linen paper pack, distressed on the edges with a little vintage photo DI.

Sewing machine

Nesties - Circle, scallop circle. decorative edge circle

Cosmic shimmer pearl glue to add the pearls

Stars - Studio Calico wooden embellishments

pink bakers twine finished with pink button.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

allsorts challenge week-167-going-around-in-circles

and

crafty anns challenge blog challenge-71 Circles on your project.

Thanks and be back soon

Amanda X

July nearly gone..........

Hi
Well another summer (lol) month has nearly gone by here in the UK and July has been a poor month in terms of posts for me. I can usually put that down to the fact that I have spent all my spare time out in the sunshine, on the water, jet skiing, but sadly that (due to our dreadful weather) is not the case. I just haven't had any crafting mojo this month, simple as that. I am not working this weekend and still can't get myself motivated, some of that I think can be put down to getting up yesterday at 5.30am for work and staying up till 1am Saturday morning watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, which I thought was absolutely fantastic. Well done Danny Boyle, what a year we have had for showing off, lol.

Whilst I am just lounging on the sofa, and to show that I haven't fallen off the planet, I thought I would post a couple of cards I made for my two nieces birthdays recently. Both are quite removed from my usual style, but they are for a 5 and 8 year old.

A dabble into decoupage CD crafting courtesy of Linda Ravenscroft. I have to admit that I found the whole cutting out process very therapeutic. I have highlighted the water in her hands and on the petals with glossy accents. I have also added diamond stickles tot he wings and around the edges of the card and fairy topper.
The 8 has been cut several times on my cricut and decoupaged for depth with a touch of bling added.
Tag has been die cut. Happy Birthday sentiment came free with a magazine.

and the second card using craft artist professional, again cutting the number, this time a 5, several times with my cricut to again add dimension finished with some bling. I have matted and layered my craft artist project several times and happy birthday sentiment is with cork scrabble tiles,

sometimes I really enjoy creating something different from what I normally do, it's good to try new things.
Hopefully see you all soon with a fully workable Mojo.
Love Amanda x

A Day Out!

Hi
It's been a few weeks since I last posted as I just haven't had any spare time. Don't ask me what I have been doing because I don't know, time has just gone. But with a day off work today, and the usual British summer weather, rain....... it had to be a crafty day as I was getting withdrawl symptons.
I have made a birthday card for a friend of mine using one of the new "Girlfriend Stamps" - Picture perfect, I just love this range of stamps and nearly have them all now in my collection (a few more to go).

I am entering this card into simon says stamp and show where the theme this week is "No Rules"
and
Try it on a Tuesday where the theme is "So very British"


Art Impressions Girlfriends - Picture Perfect



Close Up of the Girlfriends

I have also decorated the inside of the card



Made with

Art Impressions Girlfriend Stamp Set - Picture Perfect coloured with Distress Markers

Sentiment "Were still Hot" part of girlfriend stamp set

card blank 8"x8" Papermania cream

Papers - Portabella Road papermania

Kraft card and Red card from my stash

London scene postcard - Kanban Steampunk collection

London Underground printed from internet onto 160gsm cream card

Day out ticket stamp Crafty Individuals

Postcard Stamp - Portabella Road Papermania

Birthday Wishes sentiment Whimsey Stamps

Tim Holtz film strip ribbon

Tim Holtz alterations film strip die

Tim Holtz Alterations vintage camera die

Wooden camera embellishments Studio Calico

Sizzix Bigz film strip (inside card) 

Finished with a little vintage photo distress ink

Thanks and see you all soon

Amanda X

Celebrate with Elegance

Hi
I don't know where this week has gone, but it's just gone... Thursday evening already. Following last week, when I had a lovely crafty week off work, this week I just haven't been able to get any time to get into my craft room. Last night my partner had to run to the mercy of a friend who had dropped their only set of keys (house and car) into a canal, and I thought I could be careless, needless to say it was a thankless task. However it gave me a great chance to nip into my craft room and make this card which I am entering into this weeks challenge over at Anything Goes Challenge Blog where the challenge is to make a birthday themed card using polka dots, in my case big dots. I am also entering this as my second entry into this weeks challenge over at Sweet stampin' Challenge Blog where the theme this week is ribbon and bows.

Stamped images are Clarity Stamps - Boudoir collection

stamped with sepia versafine ink pad

Mat and layered with Kraft card andblackcard stock

Polka dot paper is American crafts and recent purchase from Create & Craft (lovely collection)

Creative Expressions beaded swirls

Vintage lace ribbon finished with an old button from my stash and a couple of hat pins from stash.

Thanks for looking and I hopeyou all have a lovely thursday evening

Amanda X

Silly moo!

Hi
Well this is my last post before I return to work tomorrow having had a lovely crafty week off, thanks mainly to the disastrous weather we have had this week here in the north west of England, but I have made the most of it lol.

I am entering my card into this weeks challenge over at Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog where this weeks challenge is Ribbons & Bows. I also (a few posts back) set myself the challenge NOT to use vintage photo distress ink and on this card I have succeeded. I am also going to make my 2nd entry into the fortnightly challenge over at the Fashionable Stamping Challenge where the theme is nature.



Sheena Douglass Silly Moo Rubber Stamp

Main image has been stamped using "Silly Moo" stamp by Sheena Douglas. I have coloured it with 3 tint colours of Pan Pastels, mostly pink. The cow in the foreground I have further coloured with the pink to intensify the colour slightly (photo doesn't really show the colour that well). I have then removed some of the main image to reveal the white card underneath, the great thing about pan pastels is that you can just rub it away with a normal cheap rubber/eraser. The crown I have coloured with promarkers to make it stand out. It has been matted and layered with black cardstock and pink silk art card. The ribbon is East of India pink gingham which I have double bowed (on a bow maker as I can't make bows without it) and finally finished off with pink candi.

thanks for looking
Happy crafting
Love Amanda X

Any Die Will Do

Hi
Well thankfully the rain has stopped here in the north west of England, it has been torrential for hours. Whilst my garden was mostly under water, that is nothing compared to those around Lancashire and Yorkshire who have had their homes flooded. You really feel for those people and the aftermath that they are all dealing with today.

This is my garden whilst it was still light, things got progressively worse as the night went on as the rain just kept on coming!!!!

Well onto to todays crafty posting, and I am entering into this week challenge at Allsorts Challenge Blog where this weeks challenging is using dies on your project. This is a 21st card I made for my very good friends son Tom.

Tim Holtz Umbrella Man die



Tim Holtz Umbrella Man Die

I have made my card using Tim Holtz Umbrella Man Alterations Die, I have cut the die 4 times and layered it up to add dimension to the card, the final layer has been sprayed with perfect pearl mist in pearl. I have then recut the umbrella part with Inky Antics Honeycomb paper pad using a technique as demonstrated by Tim, video from Tim can be seen HERE. So now the card really does have dimension. I have stamped the background using tim holtz "bitty grunge" stamps using a pastel kaleidacolor rainbow inkpad and then cut into 4 squares, lightly dusted with vintage photo distress ink and mounted onto black card. The card is embellished with a Tim Holtz word band, text on it has been highlighted with snowcap paint dabber and tied with bakers twine. Sentiment is T.H. alpha parts and a dymo gun. Final touch is some black candi.

Have a great weekend and lets hope the rains have gone.
Love
Amanda x

Simples.......

Hi
Well as I have already mentioned this week, in my previous posts, I am off work this week and have set myself the personal challenge of posting everyday (mon-fri). Well this is thursdays post and is my entry into the challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge where this fortnight the challenge is Nature. I have chosen animals for my take on nature and in particular meerkats. I have had this stamp for ages, and I mean ages, and it has never seen as ink pad, until now.

Stamp is joanna Sheen Meerkats

coloured with Prismacolor pencils

distress with tonic distress tool and loads of vintage photo DI

Map of africa I found and downloaded from the internet.

Papers from my stash

Embellishments from stash - I think wooden button is Prima.

Sentiment Whimsey stamp

"Simples" statement will only mean something to those of us in the UK 

 Right that's Thursday sorted, I have no idea what I can post tomorrow so I might fail in my quest. I have however set myself another personal quest and that is NOT to use vintage photo on my next few post. That is like being taken into a sweet shop and being told that you can't eat anything lol. So lets see how weak willed I am. What this space!

Thanks for looking and crafting now the rain has come (again).

Love Amanda X

WOYWW 159

Hi
Well it's Wednesday and that can only mean one thing, a good look round at what all of you are up to in craft land, thanks to Julie's wonderful blog Stamping Ground  (that I don't join as often as I would like).
I am off work this week, a well earned break and a bit of me time, but with my washing machine woes (see previous post) that hasn't happened. In between the havoc that has been the past few days I have been colouring away in snatched moments, I am sure that many of you, like myself, find colouring in very therapeutic. I remember as a child sitting for hours with a colouring book and a packet of crayons, if I was taken to a toy shop and told I could pick anything I want, I am told that I would always go for the colouring books. I am sure that my enjoyment stems back to my childhood.
Anyway onto my desk

As you can see I have been colouring with different mediums. Whilst I have been having a play with all of them I cant seem to get to grips with colouring using distress markers I ended up using them as watercolour by scribbling the colour on a tile, which I could use my ink pads for the same effect. As far as distress markers for colouring in goes the jury is still out. (I have still to try direct to stamp technique)

Images using distress markers

Art Impressions girlfriends - picture perfect &

Mabel Lucie Attwell - Friends

Kenny K stamp in cool grey copics (first attempt at mono tone)

and finally

Joanna Sheen Jayne Netley Mayhew collection - Meerkats

coloured in prisma pensils

thanks for looking. I hope to get round many desks today and see what you are all upto. Have a lovely wednesday

Amanda X

Friends......

Hi
Hope you are all having a lovely tuesday. I am currently stranded at home due to my incompetence at purchasing a new washing machine, I really thought I had measured correctly! but we had it delivered sunday, unpacked it, slotted it into the space where a washing machine goes and shut the doors that hide the machine, well I say shut, there lies the problem, the doors don't actually shut! So I am currently making copous cups of tea for for the lovely Paul who is currently moving electrics and plumbing to enable the washer to fit in. Note to self "dont buy a washer with a large knob on the front again" lol if I did at least it would now fit.

Anyway onto the card I made yesterday to enter into the secret crafter saturday challenge where the challenge this week is RED, WHITE & BLUE following the Jubilee celebrations, oh we do do Pomp and Ceremony well here in the UK.

I have just recieved 3 of the Mabel Lucie Attwell stamp sets, I had to get them as they remind me so much of my childhood when her books were my favourites. The stamp I have chosen to use first is the "Friends" stamp set.

I have made the card using a Kraft card blank to add that vintage feel.

Papers are Portabello Road

Image has been coloured with Copics then totally covered with vintage photo D.I. with an ink duster to again give that vintage look (love those ink dusters for more subtle effect) 

Doo Hickey bunting die

Whimsey circular sentiment

buttons from my stash

As I am off work this week I hope to get plenty of crafting in but usually my plans go haywire so we will see.
thanks for looking
Amanda X

Fathers Day

Hi
Well Fathers day has been and gone but it has left behind some sunny weather here in the north west of England, it probably wont last though as I am off work for a week!! But I will make the most of it whilst it lasts. Here I can now show the Fathers Day card that I made (couldn't blog it earlier as my dad sometimes reads my blog). I was running late with it and didn't have time to take it to the post office to be weighed, so in order to get it there in time I just put 4 1st class stamps on the envelope, thinking "that should do it".
anyway I rang my dad to wish him Happy Fathers Day and he had received my card which he thought was very nice!! However he seemed more thrilled that the 4 stamps I had put on the envelope had not been franked so he could steam them off and use them again!!

So that is my Fathers Day Card which I am also entering into this weeks challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity where the challenge is dashing dads. My Dad is a huge model railway enthusiast, hence the train theme.

7 Gypsies Papers

loads of vintage photo Distress ink and Stain

Tim Holtz type charms

charm lettering Graphic 45

Stamp? had it ages with my Dad in mind.

see you soon

Amanda X