Nail Polish backgrounds...

Good evening lovely people....how is your week going?

Well the weather here has been lovely, I do think Spring may just be around the corner....so much so that our frogs are back in our pond.....

The other evening the dogs were in the garden, Karl went to let them in and said he could here a funny sort of noise coming from under one of the bushes...he went to get a torch....so me and the dogs went to investigate...and there was a poor frog...stuck on it's back....screaming away.....

So I carefully picked it up , gave it a wash and took it to the pond....( sorry Mum...I know you don't like frogs!) and yesI did check the following morning and all was well...

Today I want to introduce you to a technique for making backgrounds using old Nail polish....

This is one of the cards from this months Creative Cardmaking magazine...and I am very proud to say it is the Editors favourite.....I am so chuffed...

Now if you want to know the method there is a step by step in the magazine....but be warned it is another one of those addictive techniques...

Thanks for looking in, and as always thanks for taking the time to leave a comment...

I am off now ...time for food....and I have been cooking again....the soup maker has been used again...leek and Potaoe this time....and Angela it is as good as the others...

Much love and hugs...

Jo. X

 

Happy Valentines Day...

Good afternoon all and Happy Valentines Day...I wish you a very , peaceful and contented day.

I must welcome another new follower, as you know I do get excited when another person joins our blog family here...

The morning ladies at my Wednesday workshop last week decided that we really need a chocolate Labrador and that a good name for the new puppy would be Cadbury...

So when I saw this ....I just had to share it with you all.....especially Denise...

Happy Valentines Day.

How cute...

This morning Karl and me took the dogs to one of my favourite places...Dunhem Massey....it was just perfect weather for a lovely long walk..look at this tree that I found....I thought it looked wonderful...

Eric was so funny...he was so excited...and he has grown....he is nearly as big as Tess...

When we got back he was so tired he feel to sleep straight away...and slept all the way home...

I must thank everyone for leaving such lovely comments on my recent post...I do appreciate them all...

Enjoy your evening....it is a film and a bottle of Prosecco for us..

Much love...

Jo. x x

 

Stencils....

Good evening and thank you for looking in today...how has your Friday been?

I do hope the week has been kind to you...we still have Adam quite poorly and at the moment he seems to be visiting the hospital and doctors on a daily basis...but I am hopeful that the Consultant will tell us more on Monday....kids!!! Good job we Love them....

Now for something crafty....as you regular followers will know I really love to use Stencils in my crafting....so when I saw the the Craft Stamper Magazine had a blog Challenge all about Stencils , I just had to join in....

http://craftstamper.blogspot.co.uk/p/february-2015.html

Here is my entry...I must warn you it was so hard to photograph...

So I have taken photos of each section....starting with the top canvas.

Then middle canvas...

Then the lower canvas...

I do love to use part of a Stencil rather than the whole design....

I started with 3 of the 4x4 flat canvas's...you can find these on the Clarity Website...and dragged some grunge paste through the desired part....then left it to dry...

I used three Clarity Stencils, Jo's Bubbles, Lantern Pods and Butterfly Tree.

This is how they looked.

Next I painted the whole designs with Black gesso, and let it dry. ( it really doesn't take very long )

Next came the gold gilding wax....

After some buffing, out came the eBrusher....and I added some colour...

This really is great fun and I am abit addicted to it!!!! The three together looked like this...

Then I added some highlights by scratching back the grunge to reveal white areas...I used a craft Knife...

I then mounted them onto some Black card, gold card and Mount board...

The words are stamped using black VersaFine ink and are from the Remountable letterbox word set of Clarity Stamps....I felt that they just finished off the design...

There is some great inspiration from the DT so why not pop over to the Take it Make it Challenge and have a look...

Thanks for spending a few moments with me today...I am off now to walk the dogs...and just my luck...it has just started to rain....oh well....good job I got new wellies last week...

Have a good weekend,

Stay safe...love and hugs ,

Jo. xxx

 

Workshop Wednesday....

Hi all, hope this post finds you well, especially at the moment when so many people seem to be suffering from one thing or another. So if you are unwell (and yes Wendy that means you too) please get better soon....

In the Rice household I am still in a lot of pain with my hand and Adam is still poorly...he had more blood tests today...and he is back at the hospital tomorrow...I must thank everyone for such lovely comments, good wishes and it has really shown me what true friends are...so Thanks...and you know who you are...

Back to today and it was workshop day in Hazel Grove...as you know I do love to meet up with this lovely bunch of crafting friends...and as always we had a laugh...

Today we concentrated on colouring techniques using Spectrum Noir pencils, blending stumps and blending solution...this was the first card using a lovely stamp from Clarity ..Bouquet...

Next we talked about colouring with Alcohol pens, what ink pads to use and different types of card stock...

Our next card was this one...

And we used the Alcohol pens scribbled on acetate and activated with blending solution...the butterfly stamp is from Clarity...

 

This is a great way of making a quick background ...so I had another play...and this is what I came up with...

Well I do love the Wee Folk stamps...

How cool is that?

Then to finish off with we talked about stamping using Distress ink and dragging the ink with water to give a watercolour effect...

And don't forget to clean up the ink from your mat using a piece of card or a tag and then you have a 'free' ready made background..

It is always good to have a stash of backgrounds when you need a quick card...speaking of cards...I made a card earlier this week for a special friend Jeanette ...for her 50th Birthday...I put it in an envelope , added her address and a stamp....then the mistake I made was to leave it on the chair ready to post....it only took a few moments and Eric..AKA Shredder...had it in his mouth and was adding the finishing touches of teeth marks and chewed corners!!!! ...but it had to go in the post...so ....sorry Jeanette...I just didn't have time to make another........well it certainly is an original....

Thanks for sharing a few moments with me tonight....

Take care and call back soon...

Much love and hugs,

Jo. xxx

 

Parakeets

Hi everyone and welcome to our new follower...I still get excited when I see that we have somebody new in our little gang...

How has your week gone ?

Well the good news is that Adam is home from hospital, and although he has to go back for more tests and follow up appointments..he is so glad to be home....

I had the steroid injection in my hand yesterday and yes Mum you were quite right when you said it may sting a little...thanks to Theresa who suggested painkillers before my appointment...good call....

So I am sat here today typing with my left hand...and yes it is taking ages...no housework for Two days..yah...no crafting for two days..boo hoo...

Enough typing...let's look at a photo..

 

I really love this new parakeets stamp....this is such a quick and simple card to make.

Gelli card, three Distress inks, mini blending tools and a Clarity blending mat...

And this is what you get...

Next spritz with some water and pat dry...

 

Stamp using black ink...

Add some colour.

Stamp again, colour in with Spectrum Noir Pencils....then cut out...and shape before gluing into place..

Matt and layer...

 

These little birds could be used for so many different occasions ...the stamp can be found on the Clarity website....

I had a lovely surprise today when I had some chocolates and flowers delivered....thank you Laura...you made my day...

 

I hope you have a good weekend. Thanks for looking in today...and for all your kind words, emails and support this week.

Much love,

Jo. xxxx

 

In The Country.

Good evening all, thanks for popping in , as always it is good to see you.

I am sorry that I have been quiet for a few days but you see Adam was taken ill at work on Saturday and then admitted to hospital on Sunday....so I have been busy the last few days with visiting, dog walking and generally spinning all those plates in order to keep everything going ...

I have just got home after another visit...oh my ...it is very warm in there...he is a little better today and for the first time is not attached to a drip...

Back to the weekend...did you see Barbara on C&C ? , I have record the shows but as you can imagine not been able to watch any yet....

So today I thought I would share one of my samples with you...I so love this stamp set...In The Country...

I hope you don't mind but for speed ( I need to make tea,Hoover and be back with Ad for 7pm!!!) I thought a picture tutorial would be good...

Gelli card and the stone wall stencil..

We have a wall...

And now we have hares..

These masks are brilliant..

And now we have trees..

 

And a dog.

Some sky..

And soon some sun..

And some land.

The Spectrum Noir pencils are fab to add colour.

And so relaxing too...( I could do with some colouring at the mo)

It really is taking shape now...

Some Charcoal pencil, just to add some shade...and we are done...

Here is a closer look....I do hope you like it...

Just before I go ...we have got a new name for Eric...he is now called ' Shredder' as yesterday he got hold of my kitchen roll and shredded it...and today ...when my back was turned he got my packet of wet wipes and yes shredded them....the taste didn't seem to put him off....

At least he gave Karl and me a laugh...

That's all from me today...

Thank you so much for keeping me company...

Much love and hugs...

 

Jo. xxxxx