Happy Holidays !

Good morning lovely followers and thank you for popping in today.

I do hope that your week has gone well, all I can say is that I am so looking forward to Karl coming home on Saturday and then having Sunday off work....

Today we have a new challenge over at the Fussy and Fancy Challenge blog....

Our theme is .........Happy Holidays! .....

And is hosted by my lovely friend Theresa.....

And sponsored by Sherri Baldy designs, My Besties and Sweet Lilac Flowers.

This challenge will run for four weeks, so that gives you plenty of time to enter.....do pop over and see the wonderful creations from the rest of the DT....

http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk

Here is what I came up with....

I started with a piece of stencil card and the oval aperture stencil, oh and my two favourite Adirondack ink colours.

Next came this wonderful bauble stamp...( one of my most favourite stamps of all times )

And then one of my new stamps....this lovely little cat....

I just added some shadow under him with my charcoal pencils.

Some matting and layering and ribbon.

Followed by those gorgeous Sweet Lilac Flowers, with a few berries from my stash.

I added a little Christmas bell, which caused some perplexing looks from Tess as she was trying to find out where the noise was coming from...

Notice how unbalanced the design looks...

There , that's better....

I do like to use diagonal lines on my designs.....

Here is a closer look at the flowers....how would you like to win some....???

Well if you enter our challenge you could....

Right I had better love you and leave you as I am actually typing this at 11pm Thursday so that it is ready to go Friday morning...

Better get some sleep....

Have a lovely weekend , I am off to Edgeley for our monthly workshop on Saturday , then Paul Church is on Hochanda on Sunday...

Thanks for visiting.....and call back soon...

Hugs...

Jo. Xxxxx

 

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Counting our blessings.

Good afternoon all and thanks for joining me for a few moments today.

How is your week going and did you have a good weekend? I must say my thoughts and prayers are with my lovely friends and family in Cumbria and the surrounding areas...what a terrible time they are having with the floods...have you seen the news and the photos ? ....

One of our Cumbria ladies had to leave her home but it safely back now...I have to say I was blown over with all the text messages, emails, Facebook posts and phone calls from you asking how my family are ....and checking up on our crafty friends .....so good to be one big family...

Did you manage to catch Barbara on TV on Sunday? Two wonderful shows as always. I had to record the shows and catch them later as Karl and me went into Manchester to visit the Christmas markets.....

Oh it was so lovely to spend some quality time together...we have both been so busy this year, and I feel we really do need a holiday at some point. Karl is in Rome this week and I have such a busy week to get through...

On the plus side I have made my samples ready for Paul on tv on Sunday and have just got them in the post....so that is one job ticked off that long list....

So onto something to look at....

This is one of my samples from last Sunday....and yes...I did get a kick out of seeing it ....( sorry ...but I am still such a big kid!!!)

It uses the new Wee Trees and Wee Foliage stamps.....and oh yes...I do love them.....and I just had to use them all....

I started by cutting my card and blending using some distress inks....this is such s good way to use all those wonderful new colours that Mr Tim of Holtz has brought out this year..

Some spritzing with water and then stamping with black Archival ink....

As usual I had to add some charcoal pencil work....

And then I had a great time playing at border work....I do love to just doodle.....

This is such a great way to just look at new stamps....also if you are having MoJo problems it really does help.....

Right, I had better get on , nearly time to walk the dogs...Tess and Eric are sat besides me , they just know what time it is don't they.........and Eric loves walking down the fields at the moment ....he tries to swim and roll in all the muddy puddles....then he just sits in it and smiles....

Sometimes he just makes me laugh so much ....and that is just what I need....

 

Have a good afternoon.....and stay safe....

Much love and hugs...

Jo. Xxx

 

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A Christmas Scene...

Good afternoon all and thanks for popping in today. How has your Week gone ?

Good I hope. Mine has be busy...no change there , Wednesday was workshops in Hazel Grove and as always it was great to spend time with such lovely friends.

Today I have been making Christmas cards, I thought I had better make a start, especially after two of my special friends, Mandy and Fi have made so many.....I really am playing catch up....

Now the other day another lovely friend of mine Rachel pointed out that there is a Challenge over at the Country View Crafts Challenge Blog.....

http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk

...so I thought I would join in...

The theme is ' make a scene '

So I had a wondeful time playing this afternoon....and this is what I created....do hope that you like it...

I started with a piece of Stencil card and the Clarity Leafy Swirl stamp.

Some repeat stamping and I made a wreath. ( I know ...one of my favourite techniques )

Nearly there.

I decided that this was going to be the frame for my scene.

Next some more stamping and some masking, I used VersaFine Smokey Grey ink for this part.

Then using a moon mask, and Adirondack inks I created the sky.

And then the snow...

Next I added the little bird....

Some snow flakes and some dew drops.

Then some Stickles glitter glue. ( I always add this to my craft mat and then paint it on my design)

And the sentiment...

So I am off now to enter this into the Challeng....do pop over the dt have made some wonderful designs....

Have a lovely evening all, and a great weekend.....

See you soon,

Love and hugs

Jo. xxx

 

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Proud Stag,

Good afternoon all and thanks for popping in.

Do hope that you week is going well...I have just got back from the post office after sending the next batch of samples to Barbara ready for her shows on Sunday. Just wait until you see the new stencils....you will see just why I love them...

I thought I would share a card with you that uses a technique with the Color Burst powders. Now regular readers will know that I love these wonderful powders and have been teaching them for a while now..

This technique uses placement of specific colours and I have to say I have been thrilled how many crafters have been using it...and as a designer and teacher it is such a thrill when you see a card that resembles one of your designs and has been made by someone else...... ( also means that I am doing my job correctly....) phew.....

The stag is created using VersaMark ink and white embossing powder.

( notice the new ink pad!!!)

 

This then creates a resist and then I was able to add the colour burst powders, starting with the yellow, ( where I wanted the sun to be)....using the powders one colour at a time, and then spritzing with water...

Followed by some blue in the sky, green land and some purple tones to create the look of heather.

When dry , I had this, and just drew around the stag with a black fine liner pen.

Next came the trees and shrubs using stamps and some charcoal pencils.

That's better, I do think he looks at home .....here is a closer look...

Oh and some liquid pearls just added the finishing touches to the shrubs....

Perfect design for a male....birthday....even Christmas or New Year....

Speaking of which I can't believe we are in December .....

I must get on , workshops in Hazel Grove tomorrow...and pyrography orders to finish tonight.....

Good job Karl is away as I fear it will be a late night....( good job I have Tess and Eric for company )

Take care everyone...

Love and hugs ( extra big hug for you Wendy S. X )

Jo. xxx

 

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To Craft or Dream. ....?

Good afternoon, thanks for looking in on the cold, wet and windy Sunday. Hope you are having a good day and that you are ready for the new week....and the new month......

So much to do and so little time to do it in.....

Yesterday it was Clarity Cumbria and we had a bit of a party....lots of yummy food, Christmas crackers and party hats....a wonderful rice salad which soon became everyone's favourite and so Rachel has promised to share her secret recipe with us...

We crafted and chatted.....ate, drank and chatted....and some of us ate more cake and yes chatted some more....

We decorated MDF letters with various techniques including paint, crackle glaze, gesso, grunge paste, some stencilling, stamping, using gilding wax, gilding flakes, glitter , well just about everything we could...

And here are some of the finished words...

 

 

 

I think you will agree that they are all fabulous....

Well done ladies and gentleman...

It is always such a pleasure and privilege to spent time with such lovely, kind and genuine crafters....

And yes I do count my blessing...so thanks you all...

Today has been a day of catching up with, ironing, paperwork....a few more pyrography pieces and a couple of dog walks..

Just having a brew whilst I chat to you...oh yes and some special cake ....from a special lady...

Then time to feed the family...

Another busy week ahead so early to bed tonight ....

Enjoy your evening....

Love and hugs

Jo. xxx

 

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