She goes on holiday and get's engaged - Finally!!!

So on Monday we had a "hatch" at work, earlier in the month we had a "match" and to top it all off we have had one of our number at work get engaged to her long time fella.  Yes we all sighed in relief, but we were also all very pleased for her.

Here's the card I made for us all to sign (again).

Creative Card Crew - No designer papers
Fashionista - Wedding or Birthday
Lawnscaping - dimension/layers
CateredCrop - Diecuts
Penny Black and More - Clean and Simple



Follow @jax1369

To the proud Grandparents

The bloke I work directly with was made a grandpa yesterday morning, and this is the card I have made for him and his wife from all of us at work.

Cupcake Crafts - CAS no flowers
House of Gilli - Anything goes
Lawnscaping - Dimension/layers
Ooh-la-la Creations - Welcome little one
Stamp With fun - Celebrate


Follow @jax1369

A kick up the Mojo - Blogpost 100!

I was in desperate need of some inspiration so I asked for a challenge on twitter, Darcy suggested a 3 person prompt challenge and her prompt was Nursery Rhymes, Kirsten came up with flying and Helen came up with blue, so all I had to do was combine the three, here's what I did.

I used a PaperArtsy size 10 tag, and their fresco finish paint in Bora Bora, I stamped the shoe house in Salty Ocean distress ink and washed some of the ink into the image, I used the accountancy bit from the Eclectica stamp set (The woman is counting all the children) and the Balloon Rub-on is Tim Holtz.  The letters are from a very old set of Letraset ones.

Sugar Creek Hollow - mixed media
Crafting Musketeers - use a stamped image
Seema Crafts - Mixed Media
Challenges for Everyone - Anything goes



Follow @jax1369

Using your free papers to the best advantage

All those papers you get free with magazines - well make sure you use them, this is what I did with a few of mine.

Follow @jax1369

A Little titter on a card

The cards below were both made using La Pashe/Just Inklined Decoupage

The next card is from a sheet of decoupage I must have had for about 5 years!

Ladybug Crafts - for the men
Scribbles Design Challenge - Manly men
The Crafting Cafe - Here come the men
Jellypark Challenge - Masculine
Polkadoodles - for the men
DL.Art- for a man




Follow @jax1369

Carol Quance inspired Tag

I have no doubt you saw my post about failed crackle, well, I got my PaperArtsy order last night and after a half an hour's play had produced this.

I used concrete Fresco Finish for the base coat, then crackle glaze, then rose.  done in 5 mins as opposed 15 hours!!!!!!

The only non PA product was the stencil that I used the Grunge Paste through

Challenges 4 Everybody -anything goes
Lady Ann's Challenges - Anything goes
The Paper Shelter - Anything but a card
Stampboutique Designers challenge - Anything but a cars #105

LEJ Designs - add some texture

Follow @jax1369

PaperArtsy play along - talk about cutting it fine!!!!!!

This project was supposed to be a simple paint and crackle job, bit of stamping and Bobs you're Aunty.

WRONG!!!!!! I invested in some Kroma Crackle medium, it takes forever to dry and crackle and frankly - due to the amount you use to achieve an effect let alone decent effect is about the price of gold per ounce!!!!!

I had a box begging to be altered and France Papillon did a chest of drawers on PA, so the box was the nearest thing I had.  I used a very deep green undercoat, coloured as per instructions on Kroma in Fresco Finish Guacamole and layered it on, Kroma says to go at leas 1mm thick to get an effect.  The crackles are almost microscopic, so I used and ink wash technique used by model builders to try and tease them out a bit more.  I then used the script text from an Eclectic plate and the sentiment from a Hotpick of sentiments/words.

I couldn't find a metal frame so made one out of grunge board and Faux tarnish metalised it with treasure gold Gold and Patina and texture paste. I added the metal corners also tarnished with TG patina, which I'd used on the hinges and clasp.

The butterfly was stamped onto white card and the whole frame was added to the top.

Here it is!

I am entering this in PaperArtsy - France Papillon
Anything but a Card - challenge 21
Challenges for everybody - anything goes
The Squirrel and the Fox - Use something metal



Follow @jax1369

blogger making my life a headache again

So one of my twitter buddies has just informed me that my blog list on the dashboard will cease to be on 1st of July.  I don't want to use bloglovin as that is tied into facebook.  Any ideas?



Follow @jax1369

Steampunk Kilt pin

My OH had seen some Steampunk jewellery components in Debbi Moore's weekly newsletter, so one fine sunny Saturday we toddled down.  CLOSED - yes on a Saturday!!!!  So I decided to have a full hour for lunch on Friday and took myself across Darlington, which, on foot was far easier than by car I have to say.

I had been in Primarni/Pradamark on the Thursday lunchtime and found a lot of jewellery in there for 50p - many of which had steampunk components so I filled my boots knowing I could "strip them down" and reuse in lots of ways.

I also had quite a stash already of jewellery components, but whilst I was in Debbi Moore's I saw the watch - a working timepiece and "had to have it".  This is the only expensive component in the wholepiece, and as a first proper go at jewellery making not a bad effort.

Challenges entered: Punkyougirl - Anything goes
Simply Steampunk - Timepieces



Follow @jax1369

PaperArtsy inspired frame

Over on PaperArtsy this week Sue Carrington is reprising her role as guest designer, and earlier in the week she did some sewing themed items.  I don't possess PA sewing stamps, but used and eclectic plate's script and Songbird Hotpick flourish along with Pansy Fresco paint for this frame.

Challenges : Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge - anything goes
PaperArtsy - Sue Carrington
Crafting Musketeers - Use a Stamped Image





Follow @jax1369

Upcycling Twitter challenge stylee

Many of you that follow my blog also follow me on twitter and you are well aware that I can't keep my mouth shut and will volunteer for just about anything.  You will also probably remember that Paper Artsy challenged a number of us #PATwits to the #3UP challenge.

As you may have guessed we couldn't leave it at that and @LIN1923 decided we needed something to channel our crafting energies.  so she challenged us to upcylce some items of her choosing and posted them out to us.

This is what I received in my "kit"

The rules were as follows: Use everything, Make as many projects as you wish, must be shades of one colour with one accent colour used once and send one picture of the completed project/s.

I started by seeing which colour I could get the most tones/shades from in the inks etc I had, so went for browns, as I have distress inks, distress stains, alcohol inks and an archival inkpad in sepia.  I dyed eveything in various shades of distress stains and/or alcohol inks and Gesso'd the tin and the folder and left them overnight to dry (giving me thinking time).

Once everything was dry I backed the folder with 7 Gypsies papers and then embellished it within an inch of it's life

I then set about the tin, which to be honest, given the size and the embellishments could be nothing other than a sewing kit tin.  I covered it in papers inside and out and painted the base of the tin in brown acrylic paint.

The two finished items

You can see all the other projects made for this challenge here: Lin's blog

Challenges entered :C.R.A.F.T challenge - anything but a card
Happy Campers - Use metal (tin, zipper pull and brads)
Everybody Art Challenge, Refurbish

Follow @jax1369

Wedding card - 3 ways for one lady

A collaegue at work got married today and below are the cards I made for her.

The Card from me

From everyone at work

From a former colleague and manager

I would like to enter this into the following Sassy Studio - Spring Bride

Crafting for all seasons - wedding/anniversary

Through the craftroom door - anything goes
Oldie but goodie - wedding (gems and cardstock)

Follow @jax1369

Emergency Crafters DT Piece

This month on Emergency Crafters we are celebrating the Queen's Official Birthday, but the 2nd of June also marks 60 years since she was coronated.

For the card I used KanBan Cool Brittania Kit.

Follow @jax1369