Tag cards

Just a quick update on some cards I made recently.

I used some tags to mop up some inks I was using and left them to the side until inspiration hit me!  Well, a few weeks later I suddenly remembered I had some purple flowers so decided to add them with a sentiment to the tags.  They then sat there for a few more days until inspiration struck again and managed to get 3 cards out of one sheet of backing paper so happy with that.

Slowly but surely I am getting through some of my older stash, seriously, it always amazes me how much I have!

kyla

Shaving foam card

I finally managed to get another few minutes after work to finish the card I started by adding a couple of flowers and attaching them with brads.

It is only a simple card but I do enjoy using up scraps and love playing with shaving foam and inks to create different one-off backgrounds.

One card down-an entire room of stash to use up!!

Kyla

Scrap box and maltese flowers

Now, I am sure I am not the only one-crafters are a resourceful lot and rarely throw things out.  I for one am often re-purposing items and this is another one of those occassions.

These cards are made with papers from my scrap box (which I swear is getting bigger each time I talk into the room-it's like the childrens story book of the Magic Porridge Pot!) and the poppies are made from the fabric petals that the hotel in Malta decorated our room with on our Wedding Anniversary!

I thought I would try selling them at work and see if I can raise some money for the British Legion. I am hoping I can sell some before they come round with the collection boxes (we often get the motorcycle branch of the British Legion call in at work, with all their huge motorbikes decked with poppies, it always looks great).

Happy crafting

Kyla

Sunflowers and nail art!

 I thought I would share with you a couple of summery cards I made recently using some free papers from a magazine that I have had hanging around for at least a couple of years!

 Once again I matted and layered the toppers onto scrap card from my now shrinking (and organised thanks to poundland 5x A5 plastic folders to separate similar scraps) scrap box.

Whilst I was in poundland buying the A5 plastic folders (they are clear so you can see what scraps are inside, perfect for organising my bits).  In the beauty section I spotted 5 containers of small caviar like micro beads (like the product you add to texture paste) in a selection of colours. 5 containers for a pound seemed like too good a bargain not to at least try!
 

 

I poured a small mound of glue in the centre of each sunflower and added the paler coloured microbeads first to build some depth then added the bronze ones on top to give the impression of sunflower seeds.

I think it works quite well.  I don't think I would ever put these products on my nails (their intended use) but on crafting projects, seems like a bargain to me.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

 

Gardeners learn by trowel and error

I have 3 loves apart from family and friends.  That is art/craft, music and plants.

Over the years I have had allotments, window boxes and front and back gardens. I was lucky enough to grow up in a house that had a massive back garden and parents that liked to grow their own fruit and veg.  

So, this weekend my Mum and I went on a coach trip (haven't been on one of those for many years-but handing the driving and organising over to someone else was a delight!) to Blenheim Palace, Gardens and Flower show.

I warn you that this is a photo heavy post and nothing to do with craft, but if you fancy a nose around then pull up a chair and grab a pimms (well, it is summer!).

 The show was not too big which meant we had plenty of time to wander round and take lots of photos.  The flowers were stunning.  This one is a fuchsia called Eternity. 

 This little maroon firework is Centaurea Sordy, I think it looks like a little catherine wheel whirling round.

 Persicaria Purple Fantasy reminds me of a snakehead.  A real vipers nest of a plant

 The lillies on this stall were HUGH (hence my hand for scale)

 This one was called "African Lady".  I did wonder if they were made of wax they were so big!

 No idea what these were.....I was in need of a coffee by now!

Coffee and maybe a shared cake (well, it was a day out!) later we continued round the show.

 I love these dew plants.  Hubby loves carnivorous plants so I took quite a few photos of these weird specimens

 

 This display won a gold, I could see why-stunning

 There were quite a lot of cacti stalls and I even bought myself a small trio in a china pot for the craft room window sill.

 This Hydrangea was called Kardinal Violet and was a beauty.

When my Dad was alive he was a keen Bonsai cultivator and spent several years growing and pruning several beautiful trees. So whenever I see some I always think of my Dad (particularly pertinent as in the UK this week end is Fathers Day).

 There were some fabulous alium displays

 The miniature flower arrangements were made with such precision.  This one in a broken egg shell!

 

 We were lucky enough to catch garden designer and TV gardener Joe Swift on his free talk about designing your back garden.  He was SO funny, a natural performer.

 There were several different poppies that I have never seen before, this deep wax like purple one particularly caught my eye.

 This tickled me!

 Once we looked round the show we had a look around the house and some of the garden (they are SO large there is easily enough to fill another visit).

 The ceilings are stunning

 Whilst everyone was looking up I spotted this dragon

 and the library was stunning, floor to ceiling shelves of old books in leather bound covers.

 The formal knot garden

 and finally there was a garden depicting the war, complete with some of the ceramic poppies from the Tower of London (I was lucky enough that last year my mum bought me one).

 

A great day out, now I just need to get out into my own small patch and weed!!

Happy horticulture!

Kyla

 

Valentines snippets

Hello peeps, just a quick update to show you one of the latest cards I have made.

I love this stamp (I borrowed it off one of the Coven members) and thought it would make an ideal Valentines card!

The flower on the bottom right is actually a large paper hydrangea (it was about 8 inches wide!) that I bought at a garden centre in the sales a couple of years ago and cut each set of flowers off.  I ended up with 2 chinese takeaway containers full of blooms - bargain!

The patterned paper is an offcut from my scraps box but I think it all ties in nicely.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

A regal card

Hello, I hope you are all well....its certainly getting colder here in the UK (they even had snow 'up north') and I have had to give in and put the heating on (best start counting my pennies now!!) AND get out the fluffy socks and thermals (its an attractive look, I know!).

I thought I would blog the latest card I made.

I darkened the edges of the patterned paper with brush corduroy DI and added some turquoise foil for a little 'bling'.  I did the same on the grungeboard numbers and added some roses, a wired ribbon bow and a crystal pin to finish it off.

I have not been making many cards recently and it was really nice to have a focus.

Happy crafting.

Kyla

 

A bit different and a sex pistol

I usually post photo's of my desk and the odd bit of craft.  I thought I would inject a bit of spice and variety and include some other shots for a change.

The first is of 2 HUGH blooms in my hanging basket.  I am really pleased with these, they were a small plug plant for £1.25 many months ago and after watering, repotting and feeding its now the most beautiful specimen-such a shame I threw the label out so I have no idea what the exact species is!
 

 The other side of the hanging basket has some lovely trailing petunia's, also a £1.25 plug plant.  The macro shot is hand held so not as sharp as it could be, but I do like the colour and back lighting.

These crocosmia 'lucifer' are in my back garden, I tried a low 'arty' shot, not sure if I like it or not, what do you think?

Now, if you are of a certain age you may recognise this one!  After all these years I finally got to see Public Image Ltd (PIL) in concert.  I was a fan before I met my hubby (and I have been with him 22 years!!) but never had the opportunity to see them.

For those that have no idea, the singer John Lydon used to be in the Sex Pistols.  PIL still have the punk sounds but with some reggae and dub thrown in-they were brilliant, I loved every minute.

After that diversion I thought I should end on a craft note!  Now I have a tidy desk I can actually craft again, this card is using one of the MANY tags I seem to have made over the past few months.  Is it me, or does making tags become addictive?  I seem to have SO many I thought mounting them on a card is at least one way to try and get the numbers down!!

I like the fact that it is a male card as these are notoriously difficult to make (mind you I would be well chuffed to get a card like this-even though I do say so myself, so maybe its not exclusively male!).  I used TH stamps and background paper, adding colour with distress inks.

I am chuffed it is nearly the weekend, after last week off work, this week seems like a VERY long one!

Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge
 
 

Stamp Man Challenge Bingo

Check me out, more than one blog a week...!  I have finally cleared a small amount of space in the craft room which allows me to have my netbook up with me, which makes things a bit easier (but means my hubby see's even less of me now!...not sure if that is a good or bad thing!!)

I thought it was time to start entering some challenges again, over at the stampman page they are playing craft bingo.  They have a bingo card with various craft items and you choose a line and make something using all the items.

So here is mine, I have chosen the line with Green, Flowers and Swirls to make this tag.

 

I have coloured the tag with with green acrylic, added some TH tape along the right hand side, applied gesso through some waste packaging (with holes in) stamping swirls and flowers when dry.  I added a stamped ticket which I coloured with DI and finished with a flower brad and some green ribbon.

There are some great makes over at the Stampman challenge so feel free to pop over and be inspired.

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge