Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all you lovely crafty people.  I'm hoping that 2013 will be a healthier year for me and that I will be able to craft more and add to my blog frequently.  I'm not going to make them new years resolution, as I'd only be sure to break them!!!!

I have returned :)

Hi All

Unfortunately I have had a quiet period due to illness, but now I am back and can't wait to show my crafty goodies again.  I have been undertaking seeral different crafts as I can't sit still without doing somethng craft and so i will be showing some of my creations in the next few days - I've missed my crafty world :)  So please look out for my blogs over the following days - glad to be back :)

Happy Easter!

Haven't blogged for a little while as I have been busy at work and all sorts of other things too! I am glad to say though that I have managed to squeeze some crafting in at last.  I made a Wedding Card for our relatives in the USA but I am gutted that I forgot to take photos of it before we sent it - but I have taken photos of the Easter Cards that I made in the 'in-between' times. (photos taken with my mobile though and so they are not very sharp)

I made nine in total and I have used the following recipe:

Pink and Green Gingham Paper

White Card for sentiment and first nestie layer

Suitable co-ordinating card for the birds and branch - your choice

Nestabilities - Labels One & Edgeabilities

Stampin' Up Bird Punch

Ribbon to contrast

Tim Holtz distress inks, Spun Sugar and Forest Moss

Sponge/ink blender tool

Pinflair glue

I think the pictures show how all the elements were assembled and I inked the edges of the base card, first nestie layer (white) and the sentiment layer.

I am sending gift vouchers for easter this year, easier than eggs in the post!

So here's the inside to hold the vouchers

and for the close-up

I am entering these cards into the 'Crafty Designs Challenge Blog' competitions  and I hope that they will also give some inspiration for a spring or summer card to crafters by changing the sentiment and colours.

Happy Easter To You All 

for this weekend

I shall be enjoying my daughter Kimberley's 20th Birthday

* YAY * 

Magnolia - Make a Tag

Oh boy, enjoyed this challenge as I was able to incorporate one of my new mini Tildas - yay!!!

OK so here's the recipe......

• ColorCore Cardstock - Tim Holtz & Ranger Distress Collection
• Centura Pearl Cardstock - Snow White
• Mini Magnolia Stamp - Tilda with Tulips
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Blossom tags and Accents
• Magnolia DooHickey - Heart Swirl Branch
• Stampin' Up - Decorative Label Punch
• Copics & Promarkers
• 3 Nesting Flower Punches
• Grosgrain Ribbon - Primrose Yellow
• Mini pearl embellishments
• Small eyelet inserted with use of Crop-a-dile

So here is how I put it together...........

I stamped Tilda onto the Centura cardstock and coloured her with a combination of Copics and Promarkers.  I cut the base and the second layer from the ColorCore Cardstock; 'Scattered Straw' and 'Barn Door', using the Nesties.  The Heart Swirl was die cut from 'Peeled Paint'.  I assembled the tag by placing the heart swirl on the reverse of the Tilda label, to the point that I was happy where it would show and glued this to the back of the tag.  I then layered the pieces up as above.  The flowers were punched from the same colours as the  main part of the tag and swirl to keep the theme running through.  I wanted to chose spring colours but with a bit of vibrance.  

I moulded the flowers by rolling them with a pergamano ball tool on a piece of sponge and curled the petals back to give more dimension.  I assembled them and added a pearl embellishment to the center of each.  I added a pearl to the scallops of the base layer to add further dimension.  I added a co-ordinating  eyelet by using a crop-a-dile and threaded through some primrose grosgrain ribbon.

I was pleased with the outcome and will be making some more for my Easter Gifts :)

I am entering this Tag in to the Magnolia Challenge

Magnolia Challenge No. 144 - Make  A Tag

Pink, Pearls & Lace - Magnolia Challenge

Oh boy, how busy we've been, I can't believe that it is already half-way through February.  I've been loom knitting lately and made a few requested 'calendar girls' to make so hadn't had anything new to put up on the blog, but once I find some more time and a little space to work in, I'll be putting up all my makes :) 

Well I just love my Magnolias and couldn't resist this challenge, even though I think may only just make it before the deadline!  So here she is: 

Pink, Pearls and Lace

I used my Tilda with butterflies, bought for me by my gorgeous daughter.  

I have coloured her with a combination of my Copics and Flexmarkers. Skin colours of Copics, being E21, E00 and E000.

 I cut her out using a circle Nestability and then used a corresponding scalloped Nestie for the mount.  The backing paper and the mount have been cut from a pack of First Edition Papers called 'Sweet Owl'.  The lace is antique lace from a small boutique near to where I live and the pearls are hat pins.  I have used the Magnolia DooHickey die, Swirl Butterfly as my embellishment.  this was cut from a Coredinations card stack and the 'stickled' for the sparkly effect.

Hope you like her and I'm entering her in to 

the Magnolia Challenge 143 - Pink Pearls and Lace

Magnolia Gift for a Special Friend

For Christmas my family spoilt me with some fantastic crafty goodies including some beautiful Magnolia stamps, they know what I love, some Nesties and a Zutter Bind it All.

So one of my first projects was to make a little note pad, I was so pleased with the outcome that I then made one as a New Year gift for a very good friend of the family and my eldest daughters best friend.

I hope you like it.

I bought a small block pad from a local store and used some of the pages from this to form the inside of the pad, the covers are cut from 'Spring Feast' First Edition Papers.  Magnolia has been stamped on to Neena card stock and coloured with a mixture of Copic Markers and Flexmarkers.  The edge of the Nestie shape has been edged with 'Spun Sugar' Distress Ink.  

Our friends name is Vicky and this has been cut, from the same set of papers, using my Cricut Create and Jasmine Cartridge and then covered with glamour dust.  The top of the mini pad has been embellished with an assortment of pink, green and yellow ribbons, all colours taken from the papers and Magnolia.

I hope you like it - I'm planning to make another for another friends whose birthday is very soon - after all who wouldn't just fall in love with Magnolia :) 

I am entering this into :

Week 138 - Simon Says Stamp Special Monthly Challenge - anything goes

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY, HEALTHY & PEACEFUL 2012

HAPPY CRAFTING :) 

Hugs Kaz Bee x 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Well it's Christmas Eve and soon to be Christmas Day

Here's wishing everyone a 

Peaceful, Healthy and Happy Christmas 

with all good wishes for 2012

Mince Pies and Jam Tarts

Next bout of cooking, a few Mince Pies and Jam Tarts

(for those in the household who do not like mince pies).  

I have only made a few so far, as I like them fresh and warm from the oven,

but mmmmmmmm delicious

Sausage Rolls next on the menu and maybe some Oreo Cookie Balls :)

Mars Bar Cake

Christmas is nearly here and one of my first makes is a Mars Bar Cake; only trouble is, it didn't last long enough and so will have to be making some more!!!

This was all tht was left about an hour after making it!! LOL

  It's really easy and quick to make and tastes delicious.  There are various methods, which include some with Digestive Biscuits and some with Rice Krispies, others use golden syrup and some margarine or butter, melted with the Mars Bars.  The Mars Bars and Golden Syrup/Butter/Margarine are melted together and then the 'Krispies' or crushed Digestives are added till the mixture is evenly coated and will hold together when set. The Topping is solid chocolate and that again is a preference with either plain or milk chocolate; melt the chocolate and then pour over the base and allow it all to set; if you can wait long enough.

Enjoy!

Dorcas Designs Candy

Have a look at Dorcas' website - stunning cards and colouring and Dorcas also has some delicious candy at the moment too! Until 30th December 2011.

Yipee!!!! I'm a Winner - Just Magnolia

WOW - I can't believe it, what an early Christmas present, I'm been picked as a winner in Just Magnolia's Challenge for 'Pink.White or Red' and this was my entry...... my little calendar girl

I am extremely pleased to say that I have won a fantastic voucher from 'Crafts U Love' and boy is that true, I do love to Craft.

Thank you to all the DT member's of Just Magnolia for all their inspiration - I'm as proud as punch to have won this challenge.

STARCARDS AUCTION for GREAT ORMOND ST HOSPITAL

I am very happy to promote and support the auction below, in raising funds for children who require treatment from all over the world, at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.  Fantastic gift ideas for Christmas, totally authentic and supporting a good cause at the same time, a gift that keeps on giving :)

Starcards Chrity Auction is now live at: http://www.starcards.org

Featuring hand signed items from Michael Crawford (Wizard of Oz), Brian May (Queen) , Alfie Boe (Les Miserables), Kerry Ellis (Wicked), Lee Mead (joseph and his Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat), Amanda Holden (Shrek)

StarCards are delighted to support and promote worldwide, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. We hope that as a result of our involvement it will be possible for children of all nations who are suffering from the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions, to receive the best medical care that money can buy. With help from our friends and sponsors StarCards organise fundraising events, celebrity visits and charity auctions dedicated to the wonderful work of GOSH.

Calendar Girl - Magnolia

Well here's my little calendar girl

This Magnolia is one of my favourites and as I had not been feeling well lately, I sat with a stamped image (on watercolour paper) and coloured her in with my Prisma Pencils, blending with Sansidor.  It's one of my first projects with these pencils, and even if I say so myself, I was pleased with the outcome.  I did layer her with some Crafter's Companion 'Spray and Shine' afterwards so as to protect her.  She is mounted on a mini wooden spoon which I had picked up in a local store months ago.  

CLOSE UP OF THE FLOWER

 I made the flower by using eight 'foundation white blooms' from Wild Orchid Crafts.  I coloured these with Promarkers and dried them with my hairdryer - LOL, anything is used in the name of craft.  There are two layers for the base and the other layers are folded and glued to the center, I used a pearl brad also from WOC for the center.  (If anyone is interested in how I did them with more info, just let me know and I will put a tutorial together - they are very effective and sturdy, whilst still being flexible).  The calendar came from a local stationery store and the ribbon is from my stash.

I kept the project clean and simple so that it would be appropriate for any setting

and finally

MAGNOLIA

JUST 'COS SHE'S SOOOOO SWEET

Hope you like her and the project too - please let me know

I am entering her into the following challenge:

Just Magnolia Wk 134 - Challenge Pink/White/Red

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

WISHING ALL OUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING, HOPE YOU ALL HAD A WONDERFUL TIME YESTERDAY

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

OK, so I know it's November today, but here are some photo's of our Halloween efforts at our house last night, there were a lot more but we were too busy decorating to take more photos - LOL

THE TREE DECORATIONS

HENLEY IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT WITH RACHEL

And here are just a few of the sweets that we put together, there were loads more, but we made the bags and labels for these and covers for the lollies.  We had trays of other sweets and some in bowls of the slippery balls that you put in vases, brilliant for Halloween.  We also made 'Frankfurter Mummies'.  These are frankfurters wrapped with strips of croissant dough, made to look like mummies swathed in bandages.  Cooked in the oven and were yummy, hence no photo, all been eaten :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Playing with my Winnings - YEAH :)

Well I've literally just download the My Memories Suite which I won from Dorcas Designs, thank you again Dorcas, and I'm 'chuffed to bits'.  What a fantastic and easy programme to use.  Here is my very first creation and this is within minutes of installing it.  This is my hubby by the Trevi Fountain in Rome, where we went last year.  beautiful City and I can now do the photos and memories justice!

Bit of fiddling around needed I know, but as this was within minutes of downloading but I am absolutely thrilled with the results.  This suite is so easy to use and I'm so glad that I have it.  I'm looking forward to creating lot's of Memory Books now and experimenting with all the features that you can use.

Oh boy am I a happy bunny :)

OH MY STARS - I'M A WINNER - THANK YOU DORCAS

OH MY STARS - I'M A WINNER

I'm so pleased to announce that I'm a winner. 

Dorcas of Dorcas Designs held a Giveaway of the fantastic MY MEMORY SUITE and I'm soooo pleased to say, I'm the winner.  I never win anything and was so surprised and so very pleased.

The software package is amazing and you can visit Dorcas' Blog and find out more about the software by clicking on this link

http://dorcasdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-memory-suite-giveaway.html

Oooohhhh I'm so happy and can't wait to start playing with it.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Dorcas for offering the chance to win and also for her very inspirational blog.  Do pop over and have a look, there are all sorts of projects and I just love having a browse.

Sweet Magnolia and Copics

I was soooo pleased when I saw the theme from Pops for the Magnolia - Anything Goes with Coffee and Cream as an option and also the Copic CMC Challenge of 'Vintage or Distressed' with Copic or Promarkers.  So here's my design.

I love this stamp and just knew I had to have her when I first saw her.  There are so many possibilities with her, Birthday's Christmas, Wishes, all sorts.  

Anyway enough drooling over my stamps, I coloured her with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers, using an assortment of coffee, cream, beige and brown hues.  I ummed and arred over whether to distress the edges of the image, but as I liked her just the way she was, I decided not to and so I layered her onto a matt gold background to give an antique feeling and to keep it in line with my design.    The backing sheet is actually from a card cut down, I liked the vintage edge and the 'Olde English' text that runs across it - yep it's definately 'Olde English' and nope, I'm not that old!!!!!!  

The lace is actually vintage cream lace, which I picked up from a lovely store in Bexhill-on-Sea on the Sussex Coast, it's not a craft shop, just a store that sells all things divine (decadent chocolate for one - LOL).   To blend with the cream lace I topped it with a dark brown grossgrain ribbon, giving the coffee effect, more your espresso than your latte look.   The sentiment is from my stash, had them ages, and love them and the flowers are a mixture from Wild Orchid Crafts and I believe The Craft Barn in Lingfield.  

The flowers are actually cream and brown, although the photo has made the brown ones look red, they're not I promise you - I hope my daughter sorts her camera out soon so I can pinch it off her, the colours come out much better on her SLR than my little point and shoot - oh well. 

Hope you like her - have a great day :)  

I am entering this card into the two challenges then:

Just Magnolia - Pops - Anything goes with the option of Coffee and Cream

CMC Copic Challenge 28 - Vintage and Distressed Colouring

LOTV Challenge 115 - Let it Snow

Back to my favourite stamp but with a twist.  I've used all sorts of techniques on this card so I hope you like it! camera's playing up so sorry for the dark piccies :(

The card base is pearlescent with backing paper from my favourite stack at the moment,  First Edition Festive stack.  The ribbon paper is from Papermania and is self adhesive, and I love it.  

Now for the technical bits (LOL); 

The Faded Jeans backing is from a Tim Holtz Coredinations stack and it has been run through my 'Big Shot' with a Sizzix Embossing folder.  I then sanded the card to expose the core.  I made the sentiment in the same way.  I put a silver eyelet through the tag and added a piece of white organza. This has been added tot he card with 3D foam to add dimension.

The image stamping was a little more involved! 

I stamped the image onto Clarity cardstock with Tim Holtz's 'Faded Jeans' Distress Ink, to blend with the Coredinations backing.  I then masked the image with the blotted copy of the stamp and I punched a circle to create the moon, which I positioned on my cardstock where I wanted the moon to appear.  I then used my brayer to roll across the image to create the night sky.  Snowflakes have been stamped onto the main image plate and the tree and snowflakes have been 'Glamour Dusted'.  The corners of the image plate have been punched with a decorative snowflake, and I punched further snowflakes to embellish the backing paper.

The final design was finished with a lovely wooden reindeer embellishment from Wild Orchid Crafts. 

I hope you like my interpretation of 'Let it Snow' for the LOTV Challenge.

I am entering this into;

LOTV Challenge 115 - Let it Snow