once upon a time

Hello, I hope that everyone has had a lovely weekend. Today I have a spiral bound album to share with you.

This one kind of fell together all on its own, because of the paper I used: Webster's Pages ~ Magical Wishes: Prince Frog.

I added lots of flowers and lace trims.

I've used two Magnolia stamps. The first is Castle Stone Window Background. I painted a piece of card with crackle paint and then stamped the image on top. 

The second is Longing Tilda. I coloured her with copics and then added some crackle accents.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

'fairy tales': Creative Card Crew.
'faces': Wednesday Stamper.
'lots of flowers': ABC Challenge.
'lots of ribbons': Anonyme Scrappere.
'at least 3 different embellishments': Our Creative Corner.
'ribbons': Sweet Stampin Challenge.
'anything but a card': Simon Says Stamp & Show. 
'no cards allowed': Stamptacular Sunday.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

No. 25 Santa Baby

Well after my last post where I showed you my rather messy desk, now is the time to show you something that I've made. Yes I do finish things! Unlike my days when I stitched, I still have those UFO's!!

This is my DT entry for Crafts 4 Eternity.  Once again we have this fabulous sketch by the very lovely Michele and we are also to use white. I loved this challenge as I would never have thought to use white with these papers and I love how it turned out.

Here is what I made.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

'use some metal': Simon Says Stamp & Show. I've used REAL and FAUX metal ... read on ...

'3 of a kind': Papertake Weekly. I have three round buttons.

'show a number': Crafty Creations.

'a stamped project': Just Inspirational.

'distressing': Saturday Challenge.

'inspiration from a song title': Allsorts Challenge: Santa Baby.
'give it a vintage look': Winter Wonderland.

The image that I've used is Magnolia ~ Santa Handing Out Presents. I've coloured him with copics and of course added some stickles.

I've used one of those Nestie things to cut out the circle background, distressed the edges with ink and stickles, then added some buttons with a bit of stickles. This is the TOP of the chimney as you are looking down on it. (Bear with me here, I am old).

(Well OK, not THAT old).

The lace behind the circle depicts the reindeer flying through the sky (as they do). (I did say bear with me). You can see that I've been playing with my Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Ticket Strip Die. For the ticket on the lace, I added a Pink Paislee border. The 'Merry Christmas' ticket is a Tim Holtz stamp.

Papers: Basic Grey: Jovial: Pomegranate and Pink Paislee: Mistletoe & Co ~ Postcards. WOOHOO! I combined two paperlines!!

Now not everyone has a chimney for Santa to climb down, so he needs a set of keys for the keyholes in the doors.

For the keyhole I used Tim's rusted grunge technique from his book to create a rusty keyhole using the Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Hardward Findings Die (although I used different colours to co-ordinate with my papers) and added some of his brads which I bashed into place with a hammer. (I LOVE doing this, alternative aggression management!. Not that I'm aggressive, I hasten to add!!)

Now, when I showed OH the completed keyhole he was really impressed! He rubbed it with his finger and could feel it's rustiness texture! He really thought I'd used a real rusty keyhole!!!WOOO ... HOO ... HOO!!!

Spurred on, I made some matching rusty metal keys with the same Hardware Findings die.

He was impressed by these too, but said they should have been thicker. Oh well, you can't win them all!

Thank you for looking!

keeley

WOYWW ~ What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday

WOW!! This is my 200th Post!!! And there was me thinking I don't post very much!

Today I am joining in at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, not something I often do as my craft room usually looks a mess and today is no exception. It's not because I am untidy, but just because I am always 'in progress'.

This week I've been working on three different projects, two of which are complete..... yay!!!

One is for my c4e posting for this coming Friday and you will see the copics that I used in the top right hand of the photo (below the porcelain cat which every crafter should have peering over their windowsill and onto their stash!). OK, this project is complete and sits behind me so you can't see it in the photo, check back on Friday for some vintage feel.

Secondly, I have a little mini album which I completed in the wee small hours. Will take a photo of it when I have access to daylight photographing hours. In the meantime you can peek at an edge of it in the bottom left corner where you can see the layered flower with brad in the middle.

My third project is not complete and will take a while. I have  bits out from my stash which I have been using, but I guess there will be more. My lips are sealed!! Until later!

Of course, as you can see, I have barely an inch of space to craft in. It's little wonder I ever get anything done.

Thanks for visiting me.

keeley

always & forever

Here we are at Friday and another challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity.

Once again we have a sketch and are also required to include glitter.

I've fiddled with the sketch a bit as I don't really like making things in circles ... don't know why ... so I made mine bracket shaped.

Papers: Pink Paislee ~ Bayberry Cottage: Picket Fence. I also used one of their tags.

Image: Magnolia ~ Tilda as Bride coloured with copics and added some stickles.

I am also entering this into the following challenges:
'sparkle & shine': A Spoon Full of Sugar.
'shaped card': C.R.A.F.T Challenge.
'congratulations': One Stop Craft Challenge.
'use pink ribbon, lace or yarn': The Craft Garden.

Thank you for looking.


keeley

man's 50th birthday

Hello all! I hope that everyone is ok. It's been quite a while since I last blogged. I went away on holiday to the very lovely Spain for a few weeks. Took the rain with me and then brought it back home again it seems! 

We stayed here for a few days at the start of the holiday, with a friend who lives there.

6km from the nearest town, surrounded by olive and almond groves. Some just planted!

So peaceful and quiet. Bliss!! And the sun shone the whole time we were here!

After our stay here, we headed south to civilisation (and rain). Fortunately, I had my ipad with me so was able to have a quick surf of the net whilst topping up my non-existant tan! LOL! 

So, on to my card. I wasn't going to blog this, as I don't think it is as exciting as I wanted it to be! But as I've been quiet for a while and my mojo is scrabbling around for some inspiration, I thought I'd show this, as an example of how NOT to do a man card! LOL!

I've used papers from the Tim Holtz ~ Vintage Shabby pad.

The 'Happy Birthday' sentiment was stamped from individual letter stamps by Paperartsy, which I embossed.

The metal '50' numerals are Tim's of course. I enjoyed hammering those brads into place :-)

The birdcage stamp and die is also by Paperartsy. I embossed the image and added some of Tim's ball chain.

I just love birdcages and when we were on holiday we kept passing this shop which had a really old vintage brass birdcage in the window and I stopped and drooled down the window looking at it every day. I wanted it! It had no price tag on it though and I didn't dare ask! 

Then one day, we were in my favourite jewellery shop and I saw my OH buy a little charm. He said it was a Christmas present, but then on the last day of  our holiday he gave it to me! Woohoo!

It's a birdcage charm for my Thomas Sabo charm bracelet. The bottom opens up to reveal a little bird. So cute!

Whilst I'm here, I will enter the following competitions with my card:

'numbers': Simon Says Stamp & Show and Creative Belli.
'something to celebrate': Stamp Something.
'neutrals plus one colour': Gingersnap Creations.


Thank you for looking!


keeley

blueberry pie

Welcome to another Friday at Crafts 4 Eternity.

Today we have another awesome sketch, which is so versatile, I had many ideas for this so may well use it again. Also use autumnal colours. I decided not to go with the traditional autumn colours of oranges and browns. Instead, I was inspired by blueberries and upon choosing the papers also picked up on the yellows.

Papers: Sassafraslass ~ Woodland Whimsy: Blueberry Grove, including a section of the border, which I added to the side of the tag.

I distressed a tag, by crumpling it up a bit and inking the edges. Then I decided to stamp a script stamp on there.

I didn't wait for the ink to dry before I glimmer misted it, so of course the wording ran. I was going to throw it away, but quite liked the colours that ran out of it as it matched all my other pieces! I ran it by OH who said he liked it!!! Shock horror! I said, but you can't like it, look all the ink has run and it's distressed. I still like it, he said. Uhmmmmmm. So I went with it.

The image is Magnolia ~ Blueberry Tilda just knew I had to use her with these papers. I coloured her with copics and added some stickles. Those blueberries really sparkle!

The flowers and leaves are Prima, I inked the edges and glimmer misted them. I added some Tim Holtz film strip ribbon.

A couple of lace circles with hand stitched buttons.

The cork clock is Pink Paislee and I added a Tim Holtz game spinner.

I am also entering this into the following challenges:
'something yummy': Raise the Bar
'colours of autumn': Allsorts Challenge
'B themed embellishments': Creative Belli Challenge
'D is for distressing': ABC Challenge
'lace': Just Magnolia
'autumn/fall': Creative Card Crew
'polka dots': Wednesday Stamper
'use food on a project': Stampin' B's Design Team

Thank you for looking.

keeley

ladies loo ... banner

OK, finally I get to show you my ladies loo banner. If you missed the matching gents banner you can find it by clicking this link. Just click on any of the pics to see more detail close up. There are lots of pictures in this post.

For the base of each letter piece, I used Graphic 45 ~ Fashionista: En vogue.

I used Basic Grey chipboard letters. I painted them with black crackle paint. This had dried out a bit (again!) but I was able to add a bit of water and mix it up again.The result was that it painted thinly in some parts and thicker in others. I quite liked the different texture that this gave though. When dry, I embossed the letters with gold embossing powder and spritzed with a pink shimmer mist.

For the 'L' piece I distressed a mini tag, added some black lace, and a pink button embossed with gold. The eau de toilette tag is a Graphic 45 ~ Fashionista tag. I just embossed the edges with gold and added some eyelets.

The little circle face attached to the top of the tag is also from the tag sheet and she fitted perfectly on to the back of a Tim Holtz fragment. I embossed the edges of it with gold to distress it a bit, which melted the fragment a bit, but I like it!

For the 'A' I have again use a tag from the Fashionsta tag sheet. I added an eyelet and some gold lace.

The chipboard clock is by Heidi Swapp. I spritzed it with pink glimmer mist. You will find a hint of pink on each section of the banner. I then added a Tim Holtz ~ Game Spinner after embossing the tips with gold.

The letter 'D'. I became a bit frustrated going through all my chipboard alphabets  when first choosing my letters (and I have more than my fair share of chipboard alphabets!), that I couldn't have a consistent run of capital letters, so this banner is a mix of upper and lower case. Grrrrh!

Of course there had to be a domestic goddess in there, for aren't we all?? LOL! I cut her from Graphic 45 ~ Domestic Goddess: Lady of the House, embossed the edges with gold, added a pink button embossed with gold and sewn on with gold thread and then wrapped some pink fibres behind her and a bit of gold lace.

In the photo above for the letter 'I', you can see how I linked each piece together. There are gold eyelets on the each side and I threaded through some sheer gold ribbon and just tied it in a knot on the front of each piece so that it wouldn't fall through.

The housewife tag is from the Graphic 45 ~ Domestic Goddess tag sheet. I gave it the usual treatment and added some pink lace.

The 'asbestos sad iron' (uhhhhh???) is cut from the Domestic Goddess: Happy Homemaker paper and I curled the top corner and embossed with gold.

Bored yet?

The tag for this is from the Fashionista tag sheet. I've added a pink button embossed with gold, threaded through a Tim Holtz trinket pin and tied on a piece of black lace.

I made the last two letter pieces in the early hours of the morning on the day of the party. My OH and myself had spent a mad few days preparing for it and we still had lots to do, so on stumbling across me finishing this banner off, his comment was: Is that really a priority? .... uhmmmm yes?!

I've used a Fashionista tag for this piece, which I spritzed with pink glimmer mist and added some vintage gold lace. Not particularly exciting but I was running out of time.

After making the gents and ladies banners I want to do more! I love the spark of creativity that they inspire. Figuring out what to do with each piece is fun and I like the fact that I get to use up bits and bobs. So expect more from me.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

'shabby or vintage': Stampin For The Weekend.

'fashion through the years': One Stop Craft Challenge.

'distressed tags': Lots to Do.

'all distressed': Sir Stampalot Challenge.

'vintage': Bunny Zoes Craft.

'vintage tags': Our Vintage Affair.

Thanks for looking.

keeley

getaway ... destination unknown

Well here we are back at Friday again! That was quick!

The challenge this week at  Crafts 4 Eternity is the sketch and to include an aperture.

I am also entering this into two challenges:

'lace & sparkle': Creative Inspirations.

'all distressed': Sir Stampalot.

Here is my finished piece.

Papers: Sassafraslass ~ Dreamy. I've distressed, inked and machine stitched the edges.

I made an aperture with a Maya Road chipboard frame which I painted with crackle paint, inked the edges and rubbed in some stickles for good measure.

The image is Magnolia ~ Travelling Tilda Sitting. I coloured her with copics and added some stickles.

The little tags are Making Memories which I've had for an age, so it's nice to be able to use some up.

Thanks for looking.

I'll be back over the weekend with my ladies loo banner, I just need to sort out the pics.

keeley

angels

Hello, I've been a bit of a bad blogger lately. It's been a bit hectic round here to say the least. 

So firstly I am catching up by showing you my entry for this week's challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity. Why not pop over and join us? It's not too late.

As usual we have a fabulous sketch, plus the recipe calls for an angel or fairy image.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

'holiday fun': Simon Says Challenge.

'something cute': Stamp Something.

'shine or sparkle': Oh, Alice!.
 

Papers: Basic Grey ~ Eskimo Kisses.

I've machine stitched the edges, sewn on some buttons and the star is a Tattered Angels ~ Glimmer Chip which I misted with Glimmer Mist before adding some stickles.

I love these new cute Penny Black images. This one is taken from a set called Candy Cane Wishes. I coloured them with Copics and added some stickles.

Thank you to all those who left such lovely comments on my gents loo banner in my last post. I will get round to you all just as soon as I can. As a result of that I have been drawn to be this week's home page artist at Gingersnap Creations, woohoo!! and thank you!!

I will be posting my ladies loo banner in the next few days and it is much more exciting than the gents one, so keep your eyes peeled! 

Thanks for looking.

Keeley