my favourite highlights from 2010

Last year I picked out my favourite project from each month and this year I am doing the same. This year, for the most part I found it quite easy to pick a favourite, some months there were a few that I really liked but my favourite always shone through. Isn't it a nice feeling when you actually like the stuff you produce?! Although I do have some that I look at and never want to see again! LOL! My one regret this year is that I didn't produce as nearly enough as the year before. Must rectify that for the year ahead.

So onto my personal monthly favourites for 2010, just click on the month heading to go to the original post.

January ~ it's that ole devil called love again 

I just love this one, love the red, love the devil Tilda, love the song.

February ~ Happy Halloween

Halloween in February?? I just love how I enjoyed making this 'out of season'.

March ~ Vintage Bride

I just love this stamp. I remember waiting, chomping at the bit for her UK release. My fave CC Design stamp to date.

 

April ~ sweet one 

I just love the innocence of this sweet Sarah Kay stamp.

May ~ Pirate Princess

I love the layers and the crackle and the distressing on this one. It is one I go back to time and time again when I want to inspire myself.

June ~ Pretty In Pink

I think this was my first time playing with the Tim Holtz dies and I just loved it. 

 

July ~ Thank You for Being My Bridesmaid

I'm not sure why my favourites end up being red or pink as these are so not my colours, but I do remember this being one of my most favourite projects to make. Love the image and the vellum.

August ~ Hello World 

I was torn in August as to which to choose, but finally settled on this one. Love the Leanne Ellis image (must use more of her), love the envelope, love the tag, love the kraft paper, love the colours.

September ~ Ladies Loo Banner

Of course I had to choose this one for this month. As well as being one of my most visited blog posts it is also a favourite of mine and I still pull out the original piece from time to time to kick start my mojo.

October ~ NO. 25 Santa Baby

I so enjoyed colouring this one and adding the elements, that I had to include it here.

November ~ every child begins the world again

Again a dilemma to choose this month, but I loved the colours and I loved to emboss on this one.

December ~ Sweet Love 

Finally, December the month of Tim Holtz inspiration and this is the tag that I loved to create the most, so far although I've not yet finished them. My favorite of Tim's tags I have not yet attempted :)

So there you have it, a year's worth of creations in the blink of an eye. Which would you choose?

Thank you for looking and wishing you the healthiest and wealthiest of New Years!!

keeleyxx

WOYWW & my new toy!

Hello everybody, I hope that you all had a really lovely Christmas. Unfortunately the cold/flu lurgy stayed with me throughout, but fortunately, I managed to find enough energy to be able to join in the festivities, even though my nose was streaming!

Today I want to join in at What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday and show you one of the presents that my sweetie bought me for Christmas. Here it is on the kitchen table where I normally do my machine stitching, but now I have decided it is too good to leave here and have moved it into my craft room.

It is a Janome Computerised Sewing Machine ~ DC3050. I chose this one as I wanted a variety of stitches. My last machine was a Singer and I've had it for decades. I used to make all my own clothes with it, then furnishings such as curtains and then finally for card making. The poor thing can only do zig zag stitch these days though (not even straight stitch) and I was getting a bit bored of that!

In this picture, I have moved it to the floor in an effort to find some better light to photograph by! It is sooooo gloomy here today. I haven't had a chance to use it before today, as we have been away.

It can do 50 different stitches, which is what I love about it but I also chose this one as it is capable of going through several layers of thickness as it has and I quote 'extra needle penetration power'.

Finally, it has made it to my computer desk where it will probably stay as there is no room on my craft table, but as they are in the same room, it will make things easier for me. 

I've been having a practice with some of the stitches and now I think I'm about ready to make something for real!! It comes complete with 6 different feet and the extension table detaches if you want it to and you can store all the extra gadgets and spools inside.

Well, I'm having some holiday at home for a while, which means I get to play! Back soon to show you what I've been up to.

Thanks for looking.

keeley

head over heels: Day 5 ~ Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas 2010

Hello there, it's almost CHRISTMAS!! I can't quite believe that it is Christmas Eve tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit blah at the moment with some nasty cold/flu virus. I've had it for a few days now but hoping to recover in time for THE BIG DAY!!

I'm not even sure I like this one. This is my take on Tim's Day 5 Tag. I was quite liking the tag until I went to do the enamelled number thing, which is when it all went wrong. I was using the white pearl paint as I didn't have the colour he uses and it didn't quite have the same effect. I kept adding layers of UTEE and heating it and ended up in a right old mess, not to mention scalding my fingers a few times. Then when I added black paint dabber, it looked nothing like enamel. Sooooo, I heated it all up again and scraped the whole lot off. 

Then I pressed the numbers into a white ink pad and embossed from there and used brown ink to make match the rest of my tag more.

 

I've put a layer of spotty fabric underneath the numbers.

The image stamp is PaperArtsy ~ At Home: Plate 2. The papers are from My Mind's Eye ~ Lost & Found collection.

I'm going to enter this into the following challenges:

'anything goes': Papertake Weekly, Simon Says, Allsorts.

'something with a tag or pocket': Stamp Something.

I just want to wish everybody who visits my blog a Very Merry Christmas! I will be back again in a few days with my Day 6 tag.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

oh Christmas tree

I've come over all Christmassy and not before time! 

This is my entry for this week's Crafts 4 Eternity challenge, where we have this fabulous sketch and are also required to use shades of green. 

Although I'm a little late with my entry, there is plenty of time to play along as the challenge runs up to 6th January, so if you find yourself with some spare crafty time over the holidays, then why not join in.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

'Christmas embellishments/papers': Creative Belli.

'Christmas': Stamp with Fun; Cutie Sunday; Stampin for the Weekend.

'Tree': Stamptacular Sunday.

For my card I used Basic Grey ~ Eskimo Kisses: Evergreen and Finial.

The image is Magnolia ~ Tilda with Small Christmas Fir Tree which I've just realised is from the 2009 Christmas collection, so she's waited a long time for me to ink her up!! I coloured her with copics and added some stickles.

She is standing on a piece of white Bazzill and I just rubbed some green stickles around the edges to give some extra sparkle.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

sweet.love: Day 4 ~ Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas 2010

Well I've finally made it through to my 4th Tim Holtz tag, which is anything but Christmas themed. I've not had much time for crafting this week, what with Christmassy things going on! I am still determined to carry on working my way through the tags though and I've already done one more than I did last year!!

Now I should have learned my lesson from last year, that alcohol ink and me do not go. I didn't have any of the facets used in the project but did have the fragments and so used those. When I tried the alcohol ink technique, I either managed to dab away the whole of the ink, not just the image part or else the image left behind was not particularly exciting. 

So I contented myself with gluing my fragments to papers.

I used a piece of ruler paper with the number 14 on it and a clock image both cut from the Tim Holtz ~ Lost & Found paper stack and glued them on to the back of the fragments with glossy accents. I then embossed the edges with gold embossing powder and rubbed some rock candy stickles onto the clock face, before adding some game spinners and a little gem.

The tag was made out of Bo Bunny ~ Persuasion: My Sweet paper and the pink spotty paper is Making Memories.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

'show a Tim Holtz technique': Simon Says Stamp & Show.

'a self made present': Everybody Art.

'jewels & gems': ABC Challenge.

'tags': Theme Thursday.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

a little bird's tale: Day 3 ~ Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas 2010

Hello

Well this is my 'official' 3rd tag of Christmas, although of course it does not follow a Christmas theme ... again.

For my tree I used a Tattered Angels ~ Garden: Blossom Trees stamp. This image has a little bird's nest filled with eggs so I rubbed some Scattered Straw Distress Stickles into the nest and highlighted the eggs with Star Dust Stickles.

For the tag I used Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Pine Needles Distress Ink and Walnut Stain for the edges. The script stamp used was by Paper Artsy. I just love this technique and will use it time and time again ... so thank you Tim.

Here is a close up of the bird cut with the Tim Holtz ~ Caged Bird die.

Unfortunately, I cut off his branch before I decided that I wanted to keep it, so stuck it back on again but forgot to ink the edges. Ho hum. I used Pink Paislee ~ Anthology scraps for the bird which acted as a great resist for the alcohol inks.

The 'a little bird's tale' tag was cut from Heidi Grace papers of the same name and also used thes as my background papers.

The floral ribbon trim is Webster's Pages.

I'm popping this in at the following challenges:

'anything goes': Creative Card Crew 

'use a die cut': Little Red Wagon

'add texture': If the Shoe Fits

Thank you for looking.

keeley

Christmas! and Day 3 {part} ~ Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas 2010

I was actually working on my Tim Holtz Day 3 tag but decided that I 'need' that speckled stamp he uses, so managed to get most of the way through it before I had to stop. After waiting all week, the stamp finally arrived today, so I can now get on with finishing it.

Whilst I was waiting and having decided to get on with making Christmas cards, I decided to use the inking technique again that Tim used on the Day 3 ~ 12 tags of Christmas. 

So here it is. Please excuse the bad picture, my iMac blurs my photos when I rotate them and now it is too dark to take another. (If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong please let me know!)

Image Magnolia ~ Lucia Tilda. She is one of my favourites. I coloured her with copics and added some stickles. I have also used the Magnolia ~ Christmas text stamp on the tag.

 

 

The background music paper is Teresa Collins ~ Noel: Sheet Music, which is really good quality thick cardstock. Lovely!

I'm going to pop this in at the following challenges:

'show a holiday greeting': Simon Says Stamp & Show
'Christmas card': A Spoon Full of Sugar and Just Magnolia
'Christmas': Stampavie & More and Challenge Up Your Life
'tag your Christmas character': Something Completely Different
'glitz': Lots To Do 
'last minute Christmas': Allsorts Challenge
'Christmas embellishments/paper': Creative Belli 

Thank you for looking.

keeley

just a note: Day 2 ~ Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas 2010

Well here I am at my second tag of Christmas from Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas: Day 2. You may think mine looks nothing like Tim's and it is true. I've just used different stamps, different coloured inks but the general gist of his techniques is there. 

Also you might notice that I am not following the Christmas theme. Ho hum, that is me just contrary ...

 

This piece came together so quickly, the actual tag took just minutes to make, compared to my Day 1 tag.

All stamps used are from Darcie's Stamps ~ Just My Type. Oooooh , I just {love} these stamps. 

I must admit I didn't use the 'cut 'n dry felt method' on this piece as I didn't have the necessary felt (but it is on order  ..... sssssh don't tell OH!). For the vintage typewriter, all I did was ink directly to the stamp, using the darkest ink in the middle and working out to the lightest ink at the edges. So, from dark to light, I used Black Soot, Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters distress ink. Then I embossed it with clear embossing powder and just love the effect it gave. 

When I stamped the word stamp background I just created a cut out template to block out the paper coming from the typewriter.

 

I like to do something with my tags, and for this it seemed appropriate to create a notebook with my Bind-It-All.

I've added some layered wooden beads with a green pearl brad centre to add some texture to the final piece.

The background paper is Basic Grey ~ Dasher: Snowfall Pear.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

'words': Lots To Do.

'vintage hues': Gingersnap Creations.

'create a to do list or organiser' Paper Cubed.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

butterfly box: Day 1 ~ Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas 2010

Finally I get to show you by contribution to Day 1 of Tim Holtz' 12 tags of Christmas. Click the link to go to Tim's instructions.

I got a little carried away with my piece, because having made the tag I wondered what I could do with it, as it was a bit too cumbersome and delicate to be dangling around as a tag, so I decided to make a box and use it as a lid topper. The whole thing took ... FOREVER ... which is now why I am so far behind with the rest of my tags.

For the box I used the Sizzix ~ Box & Lid Bigz Pro Die and I cut the box with chipboard and painted all of the edges with white paint, before adding the paper layers.

The main paper is S.E.I. ~ Jolie Chocolat: Framboise. Luckily I had three sheets of this and only had a few scraps left by the time I'd finished!

I don't have the rickety house die used by Tim, so I used my Sizzix ~ Haunted House Bigz Die so ended up with a pretty large house! The distress ink that I used on it was Spun Sugar and Black Soot. I thought this was a fab method and a great use of the Notebook embossing folder. I want to see more use of these folders!

For the sparkly stuff I used Cosmic Shimmer ~ Glitter Jewels. I didn't really see the point of painting these areas with crackle paint first, only then to be covered up, I think there are cheaper and quicker ways of adding texture beneath the sparkle. 

For the tag I used Spun Sugar mixed with glimmer mist and inked some Pink Paislee ~ Butterflies with Red Lipstick Distress Ink.

The lacey flower is Prima.

For the fence I used Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ On the Fence die. I painted it first with pink paint dabber so that it would show through the cracks of the white crackle paint.

The flowers peeking over the top are from Hobbycraft.

And just to prove I really did do this properly, here is the inside of the box.

I am going to pop this in at the following challenges:

'A Tag': Simon Says Stamp & Show.

'Treat boxes & goodie bags': Creative Card Crew.

'Anything but a card': Fussy & Fancy Friday.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

bingo love

Today at Crafts 4 Eternity we have my favourite theme ... vintage, together with the sketch, which is nice and  simple, but ...

OMG! I really struggled with this one. We are now in week 2 of lost crafty mojo and it is hell!!! LOL!! I haven't even been blog hopping, because I haven't been able to bear to see you all enjoying yourselves getting inky. Anyway, I think salvation is now at hand, now that Tim has started his 12 tags and its reawakening my mojo.

So here is my piece (which is nothing to do with Tim's tags by the way).

I've used vintage colours and teamed it with bright colours, because they did use bright colours in days gone by, it's just that they've faded with time.

The background paper is Basic Grey ~ Wisteria. I've scuffed up the edges and embossed with gold embossing powder and then sat it onto some bright pink bazzill.

The bingo card is a Glitz Design ~ Love Nest Whatnot, which I sprayed with glimmer mist and scuffed and embossed the edges. 

I've added a scalloped edge with a Magnolia ~ Doo Hickey die which I then embossed.

I then made a flower with a lace doiley a Magnolia ~ Doo Hickey flower die, a pink velvet leaf and then I added a vintage button from my button stash.

I am also entering this into the following challenges:

'vintage': My Time To Craft.

'2 circles, 2 squares, plus buttons & bling': Stampin' For The Weekend.

'children': By the Cute & Girly.

OK, now I am off to finish Tim's Day 1 tag which I started last night. This one is taking forever, there is so much to it!! Hopefully I will be able to post it tomorrow when it's done.

Thanks for looking.

keeley