Home Sweet Home...

Home sweet Home after a lovely weekend away in The New Forest visiting family and enjoying a bit of down time.

After taking the children to see the new Jonny English film this afternoon, I cracked on with a card made for a few challenges, using the colours from this week's new Play Date Cafe Challenge. It made my morning when I checked the new challenge today and found my entry was picked as an honourable mention :-) and this week's new colours are one of my favourite combinations yet - Kraft/Taupe, Cadet Blue and, er, Flesh! Well, I am guessing that flesh colour is subjective - for me it's a hyacinth blue colour with a hint of lobster, if I get what is euphemistically called a 'suntan'. But I digress...

Here are the inspiration pics for the colour story and sketch:


The Play Date Cafe:



Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge:And here's my take:



I have been itching to ink up the little cottage from one of Claire's newer sets, A Cottage Home, and I finally got round to it today, which I coloured with Staedtler Soft Colour Pencils. I don't have any New Home cards in my stash, so this set is perfect!



Then using some kraft card, stamped some swirls from Waltzingmouse Stamps Flourishes - Scallops and Dots set and embossed with Papermania Seafoam White embossing Powder.


Then stitched around the edge with brown thread.

The sentiment is also from A Cottage Home, and has been cut with Spellbinders Shapeabilities Ribbon Tag Trio, and mounted onto the kraft card using ribbon from stash.



Finally I added some Glamour Dust to the gables and the little flourish Accents on the sentiment, and some pearls, a couple coloured with a Coral Promarker - for the 'Flesh' colour!

I was hoping that the Seafoam embossing powder would work for the 'Flesh' colour, cut it came out a bit paler than I anticipated.

I am also entering this into the following challenges:

The Play Date Cafe

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge

Less is More - Polka Dots

CES Challenge - New Beginnings

Supplies Used:

Stamps: A Cottage Home; Flourishes Scallops & Dots - Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Paper: Neenah White Cardstock - Crafter's Companion; Kraft Card Base - Papermania.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Summer Sky, Rich Cocoa; Colourbox Sky Blue; Versamagic Dewdrop Malted Mauve.

Spellbinders: Nestabilities Classic Squares Small; Shapeabilities Ribbon Tags Trio 2

Other: Ribbon from stash; Pearls Kaiser; Seafoam Embossing Powder - Papermania; Glamour Dust; Promarker in Coral; Brown Thread; Sewing Machine; Steadtler Soft Colour Pencils.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Special Card...

.... for a special person in our family. My husband's grandmother is going to be 89 soon, so I have brought her card and presents with us this weekend, as we will not be able to be with her on her special day.

I have used the inspiration colours from this week's Play Date Cafe, and the sketch from Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge.

For my purposes, I have flipped the sketch.

I have used an image from Hero Arts, a beautiful bloom that I have stamped in Tuxedo Black, and coloured with Promarkers and my lovely Staedtler Soft Colour Pencils. I think I love them more than my Promarkers! And, they can be used to great effect in conjunction with Promarkers too.

I have used a kraft card base and panel, and distressed the edges with Old Olive Distress Ink, then added a strip of patterned paper from Wild Rose Studios and stitched to the panel.

Then cut a kraft disc using my Nestabilities, distressed the edge with Old Olive and Frayed Burlap, and attached the flower with a couple of stamped and coloured leaves.

The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps Say it Loud set, stamped in Walnut Stain.

And I was going to leave it at that, as I am trying to flex this CAS muscle that is a bit flabby and weak - but, surprisingly, my husband said " What are you putting in the top left corner, it looks a bit bare?"!! Huh?!

Ok, I took his advice, and popped some green twill and tied a little bow in green twine, and it works! And as I was footering about, I thought I'd add some green dew drop gems for good measure!

I'm really hoping this measures up for a Clean and Simple design, as I was trying to keep it clean for CAS-ual Fridays, which this week would like to see added colour to your image. Well, there's certainly added colour to this - it may be a single flower, but I can't tell you the hours I spent colouring this in! And then when I realised the pencils worked on top of the Promarkers, well, there was another hour gone!

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - Birthday

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Anything Goes

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge

The Play Date Cafe

CAS-ual Fridays - Add Colour

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Say it Loud - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Blossom Art - Hero Arts; Layered Flowers - Hero Arts.

Inks: Old Olive, Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap Distress Inks; Memento Tuxedo Black;

Paper: Kraft Card - Woodware; Neenah Solar White - Crafter's Companion; Milton Papers - Wild Rose Studio

Other: Olive Twill - The Ribbon Reel; Olive Button Twine - The Ribbon Reel; Brown Thread, Sewing Machine; Green Dewdrops - Kars; Spellbinders Nestabilities S4-116 Circles Small.

Promarkers: Amethyst, Aubergine, Lavender, Lilac, Plum, Orchid, Lemon, Gold, Mustard, Sunflower, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Raw Sienna, Umber, Leaf Green, Holly, Lime Green, Marsh Green.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Less is More, WMSC 70, PDCC # 104, Top Tip Tuesday

Hi all, it's the weekend, and that means new challenges from some of my favourite places to play!

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge have a fab new sketch designed by the wonderful Kelly Schirmer, and Less is more would like to see a CAS design with Polka Dots. I've also been mulling over this week's Play Date Cafe challenge - the colours are wonderful, and I've prepped a couple of things, but I haven't inspired myself lol! So, I put my earlier preparations aside (to be used at a later date!) and started afresh.

Here's the inspiration:

The Play Date Cafe:




Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge:


And here's my take:





I've used a petal point card base by Craftwork cards, and stamped the flowers from Waltzingmouse Stamps Sewing Box Hugs onto 3 different coloured polka dot patterned papers from Craft Creations.




I then cut them out in a variety of sizes, distressed the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink, and layered them up alternating the colours.




The sentiment is from the same stamp set, stamped in Versamagic Purple Hydrangea.

Finally added some green gems along the card edge petal points and the flower centres.

I do struggle with CAS, I think my natural inclination is to throw everything at a card lol! It took a lot of restraint to NOT add any more bling, ribbons, stitching, glitter or flowers to this, but my husband likes it! He doesn't like my 'fussy' cards as he calls them!

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Less is More - Polka Dots

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge

The Play Date Cafe

Top Tip Tuesday - Layers


I'm really happy with this card, it has re-started my mojo which has been sadly lacking this past week!

We are off to my in-laws in the New Forest this weekend until Wednesday, so I may have to take some crafty stuff with me! Or, I may be able to wangle a little trip to Emerald Crafts in Lyndhurst, it's one of my favourite crafty shops to visit!

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

WMSC 69

Hi lovely peeps, a really short post from me today, I'm just getting this in under the wire for this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, which ends today!

So, here's the sketch:




And here's my take:




I've made an easel card, and stamped my own background paper using Waltzingmouse Stamps Text-it in Frayed Burlap ink. I then stamped some snowflakes from Season's of Love in Antique Linen over the Text, then stamped some scrolls on my cut to size panels, using the scroll image from Season's of Love in Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy ink. Lots of distressing using Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.



I then stitched around the panels in brown thread before mounting onto some red patterned paper from Basic Grey.

The poinsettia was made using a die from Marianne Creatables.


I then made a tree using the border stamp from WMS Very Vintage Christmas in Old Olive and Frayed Burlap Distress ink, stitched and distressed as the panels. The chiffon ribbon is from Marks & Spencer's Christmas range of wrappings, and I added a little gold Sparklet from Kaiser - it's so pretty and twinkly!



The sentiment is from Very Vintage Christmas and embossed with gold embossing powder, then cut using Spellbinders Fancy labels, the just cut the edges off, and added some red gems.

That's all from me today, my mojo has gone awol!

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

The Ribbon Reel Challenge # 13

* For my WMS Blog Waltz entry please scroll down.*


Morning all, today brings us another fresh challenge from The Ribbon Reel, and this week we have a beautiful inspiration picture set by Clare Buswell.



A gorgeous picture, I love the poppies here and the fresh colours.



For our challenge this week, I made a card, and started with a white linen card base, distressed with Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain. I really wanted a kraft base, but I ran out of my kraft card a week ago, and was finding it tricky to get some more! I have put in an order with a well known online U.K. store, but they're out of stock! Grrr!

Thankfully, my local craft shop, Flutterby Crafts came to my rescue this weekend - they have got some new stock in so I bought a whole pack!

But I digress..

So, a sponged kraft base, on top of which I layered some Core'dinations card in a teal colour.


Then I cut some Cosmo Cricket paper in co-ordinating colours, sponged with Distress ink, and layered some scalloped borders and some lace threaded with seam binding on top.


Topped off the corner with a little seam binding bow and peachy rose with some stickles added for some glimmer.


The label is from Papertrey Ink - Button Boutique, stamped in Frayed Burlap Distress ink, and topped with some buttons from stash threaded with some lemon yellow and orange baker's twine from The Ribbon Reel.



Finally added some gems from stash, and mounted the label onto some newsprint patterned paper from My Mind's Eye.

Do stop by my fellow teamies for some wonderful inspiration,

• Keilly Mulvihill - Keilly's Little Blog
• Debbie Marcinkiewicz - Simple Treasures
• Clare Buswell - Clare's Creation
• Pauline Pollington - Craft Obsession - That's me!
  
• Zuzana Obert - Jelly Welly
• Fran Westmoreland - Purple Peanut's Crafty Blog

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Button Boutique - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen Distress Inks.

Paper: Core'dinations in teal and dark peach; Cosmo Cricket - Salt Air;
Lost and Found Sunshine No 2 - My Mind's Eye

Ribbons: Peach Seam Binding, Bay Leaf Seam Binding, 25mm Apricot Tea Rose, Lemon Yellow Baker's Twine, orange Baker's Twine - The Ribbon Reel

Other: Stickles; Buttons; Gems from stash.


Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

WMS Blog Waltz!

Morning all, it's the 17th again, which means it's time for another Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz! This month, the theme is 'Thanksgiving', and although this is an American tradition, it seems to me that we should all stop and appreciate all we have to thankful for.




I have used a kraft card base, and stamped some leaves from Blessed by You, and Peace and Plenty in Frayed Burlap Distress ink.



Then I coloured the apple basket from Peace and Plenty using Promarkers in: Apricot,Gold, Raw Sienna,Poppy, Crimson, Burgundy, Grass, Forest Green, Pine and a blender pen.



Layered some ruffled green trim from American Crafts, and a little sentiment tag, also from Peace and Plenty.

Right, I'm off for a turn around the blogosphere myself, Happy Waltzing!

Pauline

CR84FN 40

Evening all, as Dixon of Dock Green would say! Oh dear, showing my age lol!

Today I've spent a bit of time tinkering about with my crafty stuff, in between ironing etc, and made a card for the CR84FN challenge which wants Brown, Kraft and Red.



And here's my take:




I've use a white card base from Craftwork Cards, and distressed it with Old Paper and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

Then I created a panel of kraft card, and stamped a pattern fromWaltzingmouse Stamps Picnic Patterns in Barn Door Distress ink. I then stitched around the edge in some gold thread, but, due to the coarseness of the thread, it kept shredding. So, my lesson of the day is - Do not use gold thread in your sewing machine lol!

Then stamped the focal image, from Hero Arts, in Vintage Sepia Ink, and stitched onto some patterned paper from October Afternoon.



The little sentiment label is Papertrey Ink, stamped in the gorgeous Barn Door distress ink.



I adhered a selection of flowers on one side, some from Prima, and some from Hobbyhouse, and a little kraft coloured bow in twine from stash.

The crochet ribbon is from The Ribbon Reel, and the little red pearls added to the decorative edge are from Kanban.



Inside, I added some more paper from October Afternoon, and a label using WMS Picnic patterns and Papertrey Ink.


Supplies Used:

Stamps: Picnic Patterns - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Friendship Jar - Papertrey Ink;
In The Garden - Hero Arts;

Ink: Distress Inks - Frayed Burlap, Old Paper, Walnut Stain, Barn Door; Versafine Vintage Sepia

Paper: Petal Point card - Craftwork Cards
Kraft card - Woodware; Neenah White Cardstock - Crafter's Companion; Patterned paper - October Afternoon.

Other: Sewing Machine; Platinum Stickles; Prima Flowers; Hobbyhouse Flowers; Spellbinders Labels 4; Crochet Lace from the Ribbon Reel;
Friendship Jar Label Die - Papertrey Ink.


Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

PDCC 103, WMSC 68, Sweet Stampin' Challenge

Hi all, it's been a while! I have had a bit of a creative block, but hopefully this will soon pass ggrrr!!

I've finally completed my entry for this week's Waltzingmouse Challenge, again, like last week, I've been mulling it over, and not gotten any inspiration at all! Well, this morning, I had a go, and I'm really happy with the results.




Here's this week's sketch:

And the colours I used, or so I thought.... Rust, Storm, and Deep Sea...



It wasn't until I uploaded the pictorial inspiration from The Play Date Cafe, that I realised my take on Rust was not as deep an orange it should be. Oh well, this is how it turned out!


I used a white linen card base, and cut a panel of a deep grey, pearlescent card stock, and ran it through a wood-grain embossing folder.




I then clear embossed some musical backgrounds from Waltzingmouse Stamps onto some orange Core'dinations, and stitched in grey around the edge.


The label is stamped in Weathered Wood Distress Ink, using Say it With Style stamps from WMS.

Then cut two grey felt flowers using a Mariannee Creatables die, and some leaves, which I then distressed with the Weathered Wood ink. The flower centres are called Sparklets from Kaisercraft, and they are sooo pretty and sparkly - I had to get some in all the colours they had in the shop lol! Underneath the sentiment I adhered some crystals from Prima in a deep blue.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

The Play Date Cafe

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge

Sweet Stampin' Challenge

Supplies used:

Stamps: Say it With Style - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Musical Backgrounds - Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Ink: Weathered Wood Distress Ink; Versamark Dazzle - Frost.

Paper: White Linen; Core'dinations; Pearlescent card from stash; Neenah Classic Crest White card from Crafter's Companion


Other: Woodgrain Embossing Folder - Craft Concepts; Prima Gems; Kaiser Sparklets; Grey Felt from local craft store; Marianne Creatables dies; Sewing machine; Clear Embossing Powder.


That's all from me for today, I may be back tomorrow with a little something, if my mojo plays ball!

Pauline

Less is More

Morning Limettes, well another week has flown by, and here we are again, with a fabulous challenge set by Chrissie and Mandi, for Less is More. As my daughters would say - 'Check it!'


"Being the second week of the month it is One Layer

An easy one for you it's

The ♥ can be singular, multiple, any colour, but, MUST be a one layer card, with no aditional layers stuck on, apart from the odd embellishment or ribbon!"

Woo-hoo! I can see a large number of participants this week, and here's mine:



A one layer card, stamped with a variety of hearts from Waltzingmouse Stamps Sweethearts set, in tuxedo Black and Ladybug Red, added a smidgen og glamour dust to the red hearts and wrapped some black bakers twine from The Ribbon Reel. The sentiment is from Inkadinkadoo.

Right, that's all from me as we are off to visit my in-laws in The New Forest, and won't be back til tomorrow, so will get round to all you lovely Limettes then!

I'm also entering this into CES Challenge.

Pauline xx

PDCC 102, and a Few More!

Hi all, today I have a bottle gift tag for a few challenges.

The tag is inspired by the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, which I have been mulling over all week - finally got round to completing it this morning using the funky colours from this week's Play Date Cafe Colour Story.

Below are the inspiration pics:

The Play Date Cafe:


Waltzingmouse sketch Challenge:


For Your Inspiration - this gorgeous picture of a Cathedral interior is echoed in the gothic arches and apertures on my tag.



Here's my take:



I have used Core'dinations Fuschia Fizz as the base, and embossed with a Cuttlebug script folder, sanded back to reveal the core, and then distressed with Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain inks.


Then cut a label using Nestabilities Labels 3, and black embossed the stars using the star stamp from Waltzingmouse Stamps Midnight Feast.





Then using a Nellie Snellen die, cut the green frame from some Wild rose Studios paper. Then Black embossed the Bat Wreath from WMS Hocus Pocus set, distressed with some more Frayed Burlap, and layered the frame on top. The Bat Wreath fits PERFECTLY inside the Nellie Snellen die cut frame, something I love about Claire's stamps - they don't just fit spellbinders!




The little sentiment label is the die cut centre from the frame, and the sentiment is from Halloween Party stamp set, using two different sentiments and masking off the bits I didn't want.



Finally added some black gems, a black felt flower and green brad, some green ruffled ribbon from The Ribbon Reel, and used a martha Stewart gothic arch edge punch along the bottom.

I will also enter this into Paper Issues, and Tuesday Throwdown which wants Halloween projects.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline