May Rudolph Days

Two more Christmas cards for my stash!

These are quite simple cards and I kept trying to add snowflakes and card candy etc. but decided I liked them better left as they are.  The Snowman and papers are from Lili of the Valley and the sentiment is from the Huge Snow set by Woodware.  I coloured the images with Promarkers and the die is from Spellbinders Pot Pourri set.  A bit of Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Sparkles and I was done.  I love the image, its so cute!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

May Rudolph Days - Anything Goes as long as its Christmas
Craft Barn - Holiday - to me 'holiday' always means Christmas cause I love it!  I have never really been a big holiday person when it comes to going away but the whole Christmas season feels like a holiday to me whatever we do (or don't do)!  I hope this qualifies ok as an entry!

Both these blogs are full of awesome stuff and definitely worth your time to take a look!  I haven't joined in with the Craft Barn for a very, very long time so I am glad I managed it at last!

Thank you for visiting me - I really appreciate it!  As usual, I have not been posting or visiting as much as I would like - with both my husband and I having health problems its not always easy so thank you so much for sticking with me!

Have a fabulous day and take care!  Christine xxx

Just one Layer in Hot Pink and Orange.

Thought I would go vibrant with this one and a fair bit of sparkle too!

It actually looks more vibrant and sparkly in real life!  The background is Picked Raspberry and Ripe Persimmon Distress Inks which I have pounced on to the background with my Distress tool in a kind of checker board pattern for something different.  I sprayed the whole background with water, let it sit for a few seconds then dried it with kitchen roll.  The stamping is all done with black Versafine ink.  All the stamps are by IndigoBlu and are from Nature 1 and Nature 2 except the dragonfly which came free with a magazine but is still IndigoBlu.  I added Gold stickles on the flower heads and Turquoise and Eucalyptus to the dragonfly.  There is a little Black Soot Distress Ink around the edge then I mounted the piece on a black card base to make it pop.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Artful Times - Hot Pink and Orange
IndigoBlu - Just One Layer

Please pop over to both of these fabulous blogs, you will be so glad you did!

Thank you for visiting me - I am so grateful to you and really value your comments and visits!  Have a lovely week - Take care - Christine xxx

My First Canvas

I have wanted to have a go at a canvas for ages and have finally done it!.  It wasn't until I had finished that I realised I had not included any stamping - I think that is a first for me!

I used a very cheap 7 x 7 canvas which was pre primed with gesso.  I then painted it with Waterfall, Lilac and Periwinkle Eco Green paints cause they match the gorgeous Lavinia Stamp image that came with a set from QVC a long time ago. The background is also dabbed with some Spun Sugar Distress Paint which is really subtle then I used the 7 x 7 Grunge Star mask by Splodgeway to add Diamond Sparkle Medium, which I coloured with the Waterfall paint, for a sparkling texture.  The frame for the image is made using Spellbinders labels One die, the large flowers using Cheery Lynn Die, Chrysanthemum Strip - I just used two layers for each flower, and the teeny tiny flowers are Impression Obsession Die 14 O-D (its a fab die that is just loads of these pretty little flowers.  I used metal corners, large metal flower and metal brads for the flower centers from my stash.  The white sparkly letters I have had for ages - I think they came with a Die Cuts With A View kit.  The metal corners and flower, the frame, all the die cut flowers and edges of the letters have had Patina, Amethyst (or both) Creative Expressions Gilding Wax added and everything has been sprayed with a coat of Crafters Companion spray varnish to give it a bit of protection.  The die cut flowers are all purple with patina gilding wax - they look quite dark in the photo but they are really pretty and the stars and image has lots of sparkle too!

I really enjoyed making it and it was nice to do something for myself!  Its hanging on the wall in my craft room.  Next time I will perhaps be more adventurous but I am pleased for my first one.

I would like to enter it into the Artful Times challenge which is 'A bit of Finnabair' (metal, flowers, lace).  My canvas has metal and flowers.  I think its more 'Chris' than 'Finnabair' but I tried!  Neet and Wendy have done wonderful canvases and I am sure all the other entries will be fabulous too!  Please pop over and have a peek.

Thank  you so much for visiting me - I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate it!  Take care. Christine xxx