Am I Late or Early?

Hi there. It was very strange watching Barbara at the weekend, not being part of the team anymore. I still have a few DT samples to blog though.............

................and this is one of them. I had intended to blog it before Christmas but you could say that I'm getting in early for this year!

I probably made it more complicated than it needed to be but this is the sort of stamping that I love. It may be a bit of an epic post but for once I remembered to take photos as I went.

The stag is done with Grunge Paste. As I wanted to keep that clean I did that step last.......

.............so I started off by marking his place with a pale Distress Ink brushed through the stencil.

I didn't want the scenery showing through him so the next thing I did was mask him off.

I stamped the cabin in place and did the same with that...................

.............before stamping the trees...............

................and brayering the sky. I used Denim and Black Adirondack ink for this.

Next up was the snow. I kept the stag masked off and used Weathered Wood Distress ink on a make-up sponge for this.

It's getting there and I've not made any mistakes............yet!

I put the Stag mask back in position and added the Grunge Paste. 

When that was dry I added the colour with several shades of Distress Ink on a make-up sponge.

I was really chuffed with how it was going, so I went to wash my inky hands before I messed it up.

Unfortunately my cuff was still wet and I ended up with a mark from the ribbing. I won't say what I said but I wasn't happy!!!!!!

I couldn't exactly stick a butterfly on it but the word "Christmas did the job. Phew!

As it's Christmas some glitter and Frantage finish it off. 

Stamps and Stencil Used

Stag

Cabin in the Woods set

Letterbox Sentiments

Before I go, I've turned comment moderation on as I'm getting a lot of spam at the moment. This means that your comments won't appear straight away but I'll add them as soon as I can.

Thanks for visiting,

Lynne

x

Christmas Ornaments/Baubles

Hi there. I'm taking a break as I've just messed up yet another card. I don't know what's up with me lately. Anyway I thought I'd share one from yesterday's Claritystamp show on Hochanda that went more smoothly. It seems appropriate to be blogging it today as I started putting up my Christmas decorations yesterday. Have you got yours up yet?

I used a Spellbinders 2011 Heirloom Ornaments die to cut out the baubles then created a little scene  in each one.

The first one features the cat and the beautiful little bird in flight (I love this one and think it's going to be used a lot!) with the Wee Trees (I chose the ones that look wintery).

I used Cobalt Archival Ink for the stamping. The cat and bird are first generation and the trees are second. 

The edge of my A4 Clarity blending mat was used to tear a copy paper mask for the hills. 

Some glitter on the trees and a ribbon to hang it from finish it off.

The second one focuses on the tree. This time I added a little moon to the sky with a Post-it mask.

The third and final one is obviously my favourite - it has a Labrador on it! She's looking out for her owner coming over the hill, although if this was Maya she wouldn't be sat there waiting patiently!

Stamps Used

Animals from the Thank You Framer Set

Wee Trees Set

Letterbox Sentiments

Before I go I just thought I'd share a couple of my old Challenge Blog makes from 2013 and 2014 again as they were among the decorations I put up yesterday.

I do love getting my decorations out again each year. The posts on them can be found here and here.  

Since I started writing this Hubby has come home and figured out how to save my card. I'm off to my craft room to see if it works. Have a good evening.

Lynne

x

Santa and Star Corners

Hello. It's been a busy few days but I finally got my Claritystamp samples in the post yesterday. I therefore intended spending the day catching up on things - doing some housework etc. but somehow I ended up in my craft room ironing and cutting out some fabric for my next project. Fast forward a few hours and it's nearly finished. Oops! Still I had a lovely, productive day........just not in the way I intended.

I'll keep this post short as I'd better at least run the Dyson around before I start cooking dinner.

Today's card uses the new Santa and Star Corners Set. 

I masked off Santa and the moon then brushed on blue ink for the sky. Santa is coloured in with Spectrum Noir pencils. The Star Corners are coloured in with ProMarkers.

I then used some Sakura Stardust pens to add a bit of sparkle.

Stamps Used

Santa and Star Corners set

Don't forget - Paul Church is on Hochanda TV (Sky 663, Freeview 39, Freest 817) for 3 shows on Sunday 22nd Nov - 11am, 2pm and 6pm. 

Lynne

x

Holly Bauble

Hello there. What have you been up to? I've been a busy girl the last couple of days - I got my dress finished, so that's all ready for Sunday, and I also finished my overlocker cover (a project I started a couple of months ago). Now I can get started on a sewing machine cover for my mum. Hopefully I'll be able to get that finished before my next lot of Clarity stamps arrive. Then I'll go back into card making mode...............actually I have a couple of family cards to make for next week too.

Please forgive the dodgy bits on this card - I wasn't feeling too great when I made it and it's not as perfect as I would like it to be. Hubby had kindly passed on his Man Flu, although according to him I only had Lady Sniffles which isn't nearly as serious! Anyway it used up the last of my paste, so I was unable to do it again when I felt better.  I do like the design so I sent it in anyway. 

The stencilled background is done with Iced Spruce Distress Ink. I spread Forest Green Sparkle Medium by Imagination Crafts through the stencil for the holly leaves and the berries are Berry Red Cosmic Shimmer PVA. For the top of the bauble, I pressed a Versamark pad through the stencil and then heat embossed it with Detail Silver powder.

A narrow ribbon bow finishes it off.

I'm afraid that's it for this month's new samples but this is one of my old cards using the Christmas Jumper set that was also shown on the shows. The post about it can be found here. It is a fab set. Did you go to this year's Claritystamp Open Day in Colburn? Paul Church did some fab demos with it and Angelina Fibres -making the cutest little stripey jumpers. I really must have a go. I also love the idea of personalising them. It's so versatile.

I hope everyone going to the NEC has a great time. I will get there again one day.

Stamps and Stencils Used

Festive Stencil Set

Word Chain 13

Lynne

x

I'm Back!

Hello, is anybody there? I'm shocked that it's been three months since I last blogged. I lost my crafty mojo for a bit but I'm feeling more positive about things and I've decided to carry on blogging.

Hasn't a lot changed in those three months! The main thing being that there are two new craft channels and Claritystamp has moved to one of them - Hochanda. I do like their relaxed pace and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Barbara's demos and classes.

This is one of my samples from last month's Hochanda show.

I made shrink plastic baubles to go on the stencilled tree. They may look familiar as the scenes are all based on the ones I did for my Wee Folk Christmas Cards.

The bauble is cut with a Spellbinders 2011 Heirloom Ornaments die. I then stamped the scene with second generation Archival Ink. It doesn't matter if it's a bit blotchy as the colour really intensifies when it is shrunk.

As you can see here.

They also shrink quite a bit!

A sparkle paste gold star and a bit of glittered tinsel finish off the tree.

I'll be back soon with another sample and when I've done last month's I'll catch up with the previous ones. I also have some sewing to share as I've been really busy with that. That should keep my Crafty Little Blog going for a while.

It's great to be back.

Lynne
x

Stamps and Stencils Used

Festive Stencil Set

Wee Folk 7

Wee Folk 8

Word Chain 13

Word Chain 14

Merry Christmas From The Wee Folk

Good evening. I hope you've had a good day. I've spent the last few days sewing - I've finished my flapper dress for the Mess Summer Ball and had enough fabric left over to make a matching evening bag for me and a tie for Hubby (if he'll wear it - he's not convinced that matching clothes are a good look but I know it will look fab with his pinstripe suit). I'll blog some photos after the do. The tie may or may not be being worn!

Thank you for the comments on my last post; it was interesting to see which were your favourites.

Today's card is the other one that I made for this month's Claritystamp show.

I started off by stamping the Merry Christmas stamp in Jet Black Archival ink, then I added the Wee Folk to it. Merry Christmas is coloured in with a red Sakura Stardust pen so it has a lovely shimmer that doesn't really show up in the photo.

I added some Distress Ink with a Claritystamp stencil brush to tone down the white card so that it blended better with the backing card, which is from an old Kanban kit. I used the same card with a Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die to make the flower. The leaves are cut with a Joanna Sheen die - Ivy Flourish.

I'd better go and tidy up my craft room now. I thought it looked bad after I've been card making but it looks even worse after I've been sewing!!!!

Stamps Used

Merry Christmas Sentiments

Christmas Wee Folk 7

Christmas Wee Folk 8

Lynne

x

My Wee Folk Christmas Cards - July's Claritystamp Samples

Hello everyone. What a lovely show today. It was great to see Leonie on with Barbara again and I was blown away by the Groovi samples. Such talent and patience! It was also great to see Barbara and Carole's DT debut. Patience again with all that cutting out on Barbara's fab tree and talent all round. I do feel very lucky to be a part of such a talented team.

I was so pleased that my Wee Folk cards were shown as a set and I thought it only right that I blog them that way too. Unfortunately that will mean that My Crafty Little Blog is a bit quiet for the rest of the month though.

They were inspired by one of my favourite cards that I've made this year - the "Walkies!" one with the Wee Folk woman and dog. I later made another version as a Valentine's Day card.

When the Christmas Wee Folk arrived I couldn't resist revisiting them and making a series of little Christmas scene cards. I had such fun creating them!

The base card are 6" x 6" and the scenes are on a 3"x 3" square cut with a Spellbinders die.

In this one they're decorating the living room tree.

The Floral Circle stamp from the Floral Figures Set made great wallpaper. The curtain pole is the bar from the Best of the Classroom Set and the chandelier is from the Wrought Iron Dolls House Set. The stamps on the rest of the cards are all from the Christmas Wee Folk and Word Chain sets (I'll link to them at the bottom of the post) and have been stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink.

The children have had a great morning here; they've built a snowman and now they're having a snowball fight.

The trees are stamped in second generation Library Green and Olive Archival Ink. It doesn't show up that well in the photo but they've also been glittered. The snow is created with Weathered Wood Distress Ink (applied with a make-up sponge) and the hill section of an A4 Claritystamp blending mat.

This skating scene is my Mum's favourite. The shape of the pond is again created with the bottom of my Clariytstamp blending mat. It's coloured in with Slate Adirondack ink on a brush. I added a few blade lines with a really thin black pen and her shadow with a black Spectrum Noir pencil.

This one caused a bit of a disagreement here - Mum and Dad really liked it but Hubby thought that Santa shouldn't be out in such a heavy blizzard! I possible did go a bit OTT with the Frantage but Hubby was overruled on this one.

The trees are stamped in the same Archival colours as the other scenes but I used first generation ink on this one.

The Frantage is Shabby Blue Opaque embossing enamel. It's predominantly white but also has specks of gold embossing powder and blue glitter in it. I sprinkled it on top of the scene and heated it from underneath to melt the powder.

I think that Maya might be helping out the reindeer here as they seem to have run off and left poor Santa behind!

The sleigh does have Santa in it but by carefully positioning the stamp I was able to leave him out. Santa waving at himself would have been confusing!

The roof is drawn in black pen and coloured in with a black ProMarker. I added a few white dots with a Sakura Souffle pen for the stars.

In this one the elf is bringing in some presents for under his tree. I love how he's balancing them - I think they will all go flying any second now!

I hope you like them and I'd love to know which is your favourite. I think the elf one is mine.

I'd better get on now as I have lots to do today, including making some more Clarity samples. I'll be back soon with the other card that I made for today's show. The Wee Folk make an appearance on that too - I do love them!

Stamps Used

Christmas Wee Folk 7

Christmas Wee Folk 8

Word Chain 13

Word Chain 14

Lynne

x

Christmas Greetings and my final Christmas card of 2014

I'm just having a coffee break, so I thought I'd write a quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas and share my final Christmas card of 2014.

It's the card that I made for my in-laws.

It uses the Holly Wreath stencil with Forest Green Sparkle Medium for the holly and Berry Red Cosmic Shimmer PVA for the berries.

Before I go, it wouldn't be Christmas without a picture of Maya suitably dressed.

She was very excited to see herself on Create and Craft this morning - I'm loving all the pets on Dawn's Furry Wall.

I'll be back after Christmas with the rest of my Clarity samples. 

Stamps and Stencils Used

Holly Wreath

Merry Christmas

Lots of love,

Lynne

x

My 2014 Christmas Cards

Evening all. I've been a busy girl today and I'm now ready for Christmas. We hit M&S and did the food shop and I even sent out a second batch of my Christmas cards. Apologies to anyone who gets one as they may be a little late but they do have 1st class stamps on them so hopefully they won't be too long. I can now be avoid the shops until Christmas and the first few days of the sales are over. Phew!

This is my main card design for this year.

I got quite a little production line going and this is the first batch of 20.

I thought it would be quite a simple design, with just three stamps involved, but I rather under estimated the work involved in making them! I simplified the colouring of the window stamp as much as I could but they still took quite a while.

I cut the DL blanks out of A4 card and did the stamping on the spare piece. To lessen any mistakes with positioning, I cut sticky notes to the size of the verses and stamped the window in the gap. I then removed them and stamped a verse above and below. I did think about putting them all on one large block but I thought there was a good chance that they might not all stamp evenly.

I masked off the window frame, snow, robin and moon with Eclipse Tape before inking in the sky.

The window frame and robin are coloured in with Spectrum Noir pencils. I also used a grey one to add some shadow to the moon. A clear Sakura Stardust pen was used to create stars and Glamour Dust was added to the snow on the tree. You have to have a bit of sparkle at Christmas!

After all that work it was lovely to save a bit of time with my personalised stamp for the insert. Such a great idea.

Hopefully I will be more organised next year but I think if you read this blog back I probably said that the last couple of years too!

Stamps Used

O Tannenbaum

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree (window)

Lynne

x

House Mouse Christmas Card

Hi there. How are your Christmas preparations going? I did eventually get some personal Christmas cards made and this is the first of three that I have to share with you.

When I saw the Clarity Fairy Lights Wreath stencil I immediately thought it would look great with my House Mouse Light Wrap stamp and this is the card I made with them. It's for my Mum and Dad (Mum is also a big House Mouse fan).

I inked through the wire part of the stencil with green ink then stamped the mice inside. The light bulbs and mice were coloured in with ProMarkers. I then used Glossy Accents on all the bulbs to make them look like glass. Inspired by the stamp, I added a coloured glow around the bulbs with chalks. I wish I'd thought of that when I did my Clarity sample!

Don't they look cute, although I'm not sure that I should have given them even more lights to get tangled up in!!!

The Claritystamp "Love & Joy at Christmas" banner finishes it off.

Lynne

x