A Pocket or Two

Quite honestly I never thought I would get time to enter this weeks Challenge 211 over at Sunday-Stampers, but here I am with a tag that I really enjoyed and its given me a break too.
 I used a Digi-Image from Crafty-Ann's shop called Jeans & Pockets that I have had for a number of years and once again it came in handy. I cut out the jeans and pockets, Distressed them with Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans DI, and then stuck them onto my tag and put them through the dogstooth embossing folder. I added DI again in Crushed Olive & Picked Rasberry . I used a dabber to added some circles and finished it off with a dusting of pearl mica powder. If you look closely you will see a fine line of micro beads on the jeans,just above the button. To finish it off I added a zip flower and some inchie ribbon . I found this little block of wood and used TH crackle paint then added some distress stain.   I'm still sewing like mad, but this was a lovely break for a couple of hours at least.  Enjoy your week-end.  Hugs Rita xx.

Just a few lines...

Hello my friends, Just a quick post from me to explain my absence. Nothing more serious as life getting in the way of my crafting again. Its only 3 weeks before our holidays and I really have so many things to do before then, ie: Birthdays, Gifts to make and some needing finished and of course the usual chores before we go. I am succeeding, but I'm hoping by the week-end I will have most things done. Hope you are all well, and finding time to craft, and to those who are poorly I send my wishes for a quick recovery. Thank-You  for all the e-mails asking if I was ok.  Back to my sewing machine then. I was so good I did not go on-line at all somedays.   Enjoy your week-end and I'll be back soon.  Hugs Rita xxx

Making a list

Hello Everyone. I would like to welcome my new followers and hope you will return soon again.  I hope you all had a lovely week-end and managed to get some crafty time too. I have been trying to catch up with my promarker colouring as I really don't use them enough. However, I had a few digi's from Krista over at Saturated Canary and I used the Molly the Elf  image to make today's card.  my base card is white and I added some little bird BP that I stitched onto the card, I then layered some Purple card and stitch again using zig-zag. My image was coloured with PM and highlighted with glamour dust and added on to the main card.  Stars and Silver string gave it a finishing touch.  Thank-You for visiting as you know how much I appreciate it.      Hugs Rita xx

My Mini Journal

Hello Folks, Hope you all had a decent sort of week, with the change in the weather and those really strong winds.  Thank goodness for craft rooms .  This week the Challenge over at 'Out of a Hat Creations'  is for a Little Book measuring not more than 3"x 3".  Something I have never done before, but here was a challenge to have a go at,and something I have always admired too.  I had this piece of raw calico and thought that the cover would be nice done with it. So I got my heavy cardboard and cut it to size (2) 3"x 2.5" widths with a narrow piece for the centre to hold the paper. I stuck the pieces on to my calico using book-binding glue. and stamped some images on to my cover. I was able to use DI too as I like vintage. I then cut Joanna Sheen's Elegance Satin paper into 7 little books of 3 pages in each and stitched them down the centre. Again I used book binding glue to hold them in place on the front and back covers.  Every step was another milestone and now I can show my finished Mini Journal.  As you can see tutorials are not my strong point , but I did take pictures along the way to help if anyone wanted to give this a try.  Enjoy your week-end.   Thanks for visiting as you know how much I appreciate your visits.  Hugs Rita xxx

Altered Box

Hi Folks. After a busy day yesterday, here I am to let you see what can be done with an empty cheese box. The lovely Selma who creates the most amazing flowers and recycled art gave me the idea. You can see her work  Here.  I could never have envisioned how lovely it turned out. I have made a card to go inside it too. I also made Selma's roses from a Marianne die and they suited this box perfectly, the leaves were spellbinders. So simple to make and you can see the tutorial over at Selma's too.  I'm off to the hospital to-day for another appointment, so no crafting for me to-day. Thank-You for visiting and any questions you have I will try to help, says she still trying to help herself. hee hee.   Enjoy your Day.  Hugs Rita xx

From This to......

This.....

 Open version

 And Finally This.



WOYWW Week 159

Here we are again folks, our weekly browse to see what we have or have not been doing since last week. If you'd like to know more ,just pop over to Julia at Stamping Ground and all will be explained.  I have had a rather busy week, most of it crafting I have to say, before admitting to leaving other household chores to take care of themselves..  Hope you have all enjoyed your week and those of you who are not so well I  hope your feeling better. To-day is our 54th Anniversary and we wonder where all the years have gone.   I'm still working on the project that is on my desk, but all will be revealed on Thursday, says she hopefully.  Here is my desk for thisweek, not very tidy.   Hugs Rita xx

Sunday Stampers 210 Male Themed Card

Hello again, Yes another Monday, aren't they coming around so quickly. Hopefully everyone had a nice relaxing week-end and managed a little bit of crafting too.  My card to-day is a Book Card , because over at Sunday Stamper's  Challenge 210  its Male themed this week and that is certainly not my forte, I struggle with male cards unless its footie ot F1. LOL.  Anyway, here is my contribution. I made the box frame and used a couple of music embossing folders to make the centre and another frame that I distressed a bit with Fired Brick and Stormy Sky. The only image I had was a decoupage one and so that was my centrepiece.  I then made the card itself and for the front I used gold card and another music folder to enhance it a bit. I then stamped a piece of white card with stamps that are out of the ark stash. The Lattice SB die finished off the front cover.  Hope you like my Male Birthday Card.   Thankyou again for visiting and leaving your lovely comments.  Enjoy your Day.  Hugs Rita xx

                                                              Front of the Book Card

                                                                  Inside the Book Card

                                       

Wall Hanging

Hello Folks, Weather not too bad here to-day, at least the sky is blue and its not raining.  Well, apart from cross-stitch I have never done a wall hanging. So after my crafty daughter Annie gave me the holder, I needed to have a go with rubber stamps. I actually cut and fringed a piece of fine calico and then proceeded to stamp with Lynn Perrella stamps using Mememto tuxedo black. I then used some distress inks and promarker pens to add a bit of colour. The sentiment stamps are from Artistic Outpost.  It still looked bland at this point, so I had some fine gold cord that I couch stitched around the edge on all the stamped areas. I actually lined the back at this point and added some cotton lace from Wild Orchids crafts and also the tiny roses. Then some gems and of course a few buttons to finish it off. It actually hangs perfectly over the double dimmer switch, but as the wall is nearly the same colour I had to take a picture with a darker background.  With all this football just now, I'm in Crafty Heaven.    Enjoy your Day.  Hugs Rita xxx

Challenges: Out of a Hat Creations :  Theme is Buttons.

More ATC

Hello Folks, Its very Dull & Windy here to-day not at all like summer weather. Anyway, it keeps me busy in my Craft Room.  Just to show you my latest batch of ATC's that are now ready for posting.  The Thistle stamps are fabulous and are from Crafty Individuals. The quality of their stamps are really great to work with. I used the Spring Colours DI's to add my base colours, Thistles are coloured with Promarkers ( not my strong point I'm afraid ) and I added a thistle and heather for Good Luck, and finished it off with tartan ribbon. I also made the little holders from scrap card, so I'm doing my bit for recycling too.    Enjoy your day whatever you do and I'll catch up with you all later.  Lots of Hugs  Rita xx

Recycled Box for Stamp Storage

Hello Folks,  I have been saving up these strong cat food boxes for such a while now and my daughter  Annie said they would be good for holding your stamps. And so the seed was planted, I thought I could have my stamps in sets and it would make it easier for me to see what I had.  I did not want to use my lovely papers ,so came up with the idea of using a roll of brown parcel paper and covered the whole box, then I distressed the sides of the box with walnut stain DI, and stamped some images on to the front,added some bits and pieces and  a list of what stamps were in the box, hopefully as I acquire more stamps the list will alter. I am very pleased with how it turned out.  Now I'm on to my second box although I am doing other things inbetween.  I hope you enjoy visiting my blog.  Enjoy your day.  Hugs Rita xxx

 Entered in to the following Challenge:

  Altered Illusions.  ' Anything Goes '

Simon Says Stamp & Show : Anything Goes

This was the box before recycling

WOYWW Week158

Hi folks, Can you believe another week has passed, its just flying by.  However, its time to pop over to  Julia at the Stamping Ground and enjoy a peek at everyone's craft space. I need to spend to-day clearing up before I start my next project , so my desk this week is a Danger Zone and comes with a Public Health Warning.  I really have been busy, with so many different crafts going on at the moment.  Hope you all have a lovely day.  Hopefully I'll visit most of you this week, but no matter how hard I try I never seem to get round everyone.   Hugs from Scotland.  Rita xxx

Sunday Stamper's Challenge 209. ' Pink '

Another Monday morning folks, doesn't the week fly in ?.  Over at Sunday Stampers this week the theme is ' Pretty In Pink ' and beleive me our Princess Hels does not make it easy, she is such a hard act to follow, but I like a challenge and so I spent yesterday making a card that I think fits the challenge.    The stamp was a Christmas gift a few years back from a crafty friend and I had never used it at all, no idea why.  However, I embossed a piece of pink pearlised card with the rose pattern folder and a piece of chocolate brown card with the leather look folder ( sorry it does not show up very well ). I added them on to my base card not before adding some dotty ribbon & a bow.  I decoupaged the ladies hat and added on some lace & flower from WO.  The rest of the stamp was coloured using promarkers, not my strong point I have to say. The feathers on both hats were from the tails of my younger daughters bantams.  The top border was my trusty MS punch.  I love this sentiment from Artistic Outpost,  it was just meant to be for this challenge I think, it was layered on to a SB die that fitted to a tee.   The DI were Tattered Rose, Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint .  I hope you all know how much I appreciate all your lovely comments and I think most of us crafters feel the same.

Enjoy your week. Happy Crafting.   Hugs Rita xxx

Diamonds & Pearls

Hello my crafty friends, and welcome to my new followers.  Its been a wonderful day here to-day, lots of sunshine and very warm too. However, I did take time out to make a card. Mainly because I was too impatient to wait for new stamps to arrive, I'm sure you know that feeling too. Anyway, I decided to enter the June Challenge over at Crafty Individuals and the theme is " A Summer's Ball ".   Firstly I stamped some music and distressed it a bit , added some beautiful lace from my sewing stash and then used a negative frame from a Spellbinders Die, so that was my base card sorted out. After stamping a gown by Joanna Sheen ( a very old one too ) the stamp I mean not the gown LOL. I then glittered it and added some tiny diamantés.  I used  the CI stamps from Crafty Elements C1-335 set and gave the bag a bit of bling, I also used glossy accents on the perfume bottle. The sentiment is an old one I've had for a while along with the print. Finished of  my card with a little bouquet and some  pearls.  I really enjoyed using all the elements on this one, hope you like it too.
You know I appreciate all your comments.   Enjoy your Week-End.  Hugs Rita xxx

ATC

Hello everyone, Its a bit changeable weather wise to-day, one minute sunshine then some cloud. My washing is out anyway, so I'm hoping it does not rain.  This was the ATC card that was made for my swap partner on WOYWW and now thats she has it I thoughtI would give it an airing and let you have a look.  I used Alcohol inks and cling film to make the background and then added some gold mixative & blending solution to give it a bit of depth. I then stamped  Isobelle from Inkylicious , this is a fabulous stamp and you certainly won't be dissapointed. I then stamped an overlay on acetate, added it on to the card using Cosmic Shimmer glue.  I added  a few elements just to add interest.  
Thank-You for visiting my blog as I really appreciate it.   Hugs Rita xx

WOYWW Week 157

Well, here we are again, another Wednesday and back to Miss Julia's  Stamping Ground to show our workdesks tidy or not so tidy.   Like most of you probably I have watched nearly all of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of our lovely Queen.  I thought last weeks WOYWW was a great success and I'm sure that friendships made on Stamping Ground will last a long time. The ATC was a super idea, and I myself received three that I will treasure, as so much work was put into them.  Hopefully Erica received mine safely too. I thought it would be nice to show them  to-day as well as my work desk. Its funny how 24 hours can change your work area mind you.  Enjoy your day and Thank-You to Julia for last week.

This was the ATC's that I received. I have written the name of the sender on the cards .

Now my desk that is not too bad to-night as I just had to give it a tidy.

Diamond Wedding Book Card

Another gorgeous day here in the West of Scotland.  Anyway, apart from having my lunch outside ,I have been inside crafting and trying to play catch up with household chores. My card to-day is a Keepsake Card for the same diamond wedding as last week, so I felt that I had to do something a bit different.  Kept to white hammered card mostly with the second layer in a dull silver and a lovely diamond adhesive paper to the last layer.  The rest was mostly embellishments, ribbon, flowers etc. I still have to make the box and the stand, so hopefully in the next few hours I will be finished my orders and get some time to play.  Enjoy your day whatever your up to and Thank-You again for visiting.  Hugs Rita xx

Male Birthday Card

Good Morning Peeps, I hope you are all going to enjoy the Pageant on the Thames this afternoon, sadly I will need to watch from the comfort of my sofa, but I would love to be there in person.  My card to-day was a commission for a 40th Birthday card for a F1 fan. I started with a black base card  8X8 , matted and layered it with white & silver, then added the car image and decoupaged it. Added a few cut outs and made it an easel card.  As you will know silver card is not advisable for taking pictures on a sunny day as its brought out lots of other colours.  Hope you all enjoy your day. Thank-You for visiting as I really appreciate it.  Hugs Rita xxx