Sunday Stampers Week 296- Hearts - Wednesday 26th February 2014

Hello Friends!

Well not such a 'bright' card today! Thanks for all your lovely comments on my Fantastic Ribbons DT card...when I looked at the colours I had to work with, I have to admit I did sigh a little at first...now I love colour, I think it is so important to our happiness, self-esteem and even confidence. Most days when I go  to work, I wear black trousers and a sweatshirt or polo shirt with our logo embroidered on them. The clothes are black, the logo, though small, is deep yellow and purple and that little burst of colour makes all the difference to wearing all black! But I digress (again!)..back to the ribbons...

The colours felt so bright and summery and I looked out the window at the rain, but it's good to be given some materials and have to work with them and before long I was crafting away, feeling very summery and happy..and looking at your comments, that's how most of you felt looking at them, so phew, it worked!

Sunday Stampers

This week for the regular weekly Sunday Stampers Challenge (click for deets), Hels Sheridan set the theme of hearts and I came up with this card: it's one of those cards that looks simple and effectively is simple, but there is a lot of cutting and stamping, so it's not a quick make.

The card blank is 7x7 and I first of all covered it with a layer of dark red card. I then ran some white satin card through the GC using the Sue Wilson Heart Lattice folder by Creative Expressions. I stamped the hares using a Crafty Individuals stamp, which I have to say is one of my favourite stamp buys ever and last year when I bought it, I was in danger of wearing it out! I stamped them with black archival and then heat embossed. I left them white, except to add a little Worn Lipstick to give them a 'blush' and gave them gold crowns.

The sentiment stamp is by Tim Holz: when I saw it I had to have it..why? Because the lyrics are by Bernie Taupin from Elton John's first hit, 'Your Song'. It was the first 'single' I ever bought and remains my favourite song to this day. Where I grew up in Bristol, we were quite close to a main shopping road...all the old favourites - my uncle had the butchers shop, there was a fishmonger, newsagent, co-op, hairdresser, toy shop...well you can imagine I expect. There was also a record shop...I was about 10 (I guess) and went in with my Mum to spend my pocket money on this single. I'd never been in there before, it was somewhere the teenagers hung out flipping through the LP's (eek!!!) and listening to the loud music (something I was doing not too long after). I still have the single and all the others I collected....isn't it funny how one stamp can take you down memory lane.

I will say one thing though, when I looked at it I thought there was something wrong...it should read 'while your in the world'..so I got out my...iPhone...aah had you there, you thought I was going to say record...and listened and I'm right. Then I listened to Ellie Goulding's version and she has changed to lyric to the above.

To be honest, I think Tim should have stuck to the original as I think just that one word difference  gives it a wider use...but I'm not going to tell him that..:) and who knows, maybe it was a copyright issue? I do wonder if with the words 'now your in the world' it could even be used on a new baby card or adoption???

For the inside I mat and layered white on red, added some little hearts (a Sizzix die by the way) and a sentiment from a stamp by Brenda Walton for Inkadinkadoo, which I've had in my stamp drawer for ages. I added another little hare and there we have it.

Sorry for withering on today...thank you for stopping by!

Love and Hugs,

Carole Z X

Ribbons & Bows - Monday 24th February 2014

Hello Friends,

Before I start my post today, I would like to offer a big welcome to my latest follower,  1cardcreator. Thank you so much for choosing to follow me!

Today I have two cards which I made for this month's Design Team project for Fantastic Ribbons - we were asked to make a card/project where we have sewn the ribbons. I had these colours to work with (very Spring/Summer) and I chose to go for fun, colourful designs.

 For the first card I went OTT with the ribbons - sewing a running stitch through the orange ribbon and then gathering to form a ruched effect. With the yellow, I just stitched at intervals to overlap the ribbon lengthways.

I used papers from my stash and also stitched around the edge of the bottom layer.

I used the same ribbons for the second card - the pink ribbon is already stitched: although you can't see it, I sewed the little banners along the width of the card and then covered with the pink ribbon. I made the flower with the little bits left over, sewing them together in the middle.

That's it from me for today Friends, thank you so much for stopping by! Why not visit Fantastic Ribbons for a wonderful selection of ribbons, lace, Washi Tape and buttons?

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Sunday Stampers Week 295 - Birds - Friday 21st February

Hello Friends,

It's Sunday Stampers time again...this is a weekly challenge set by Hels Sheridan: all the deets can be found on Hels' totally inspirational blog - here -

The challenge this week is 'birds': now I like birds..a lot... and I have lots of bird stamps, but I decided on this Steampunk Owl stamp, by Stampendous, which I hadn't used in a while, for my card this week.

I stamped him with black archival and heat embossed with clear powder, before colouring with Promarkers..then I cut him out.

I created the background using a Memory Box Garden Birch Trees stencil, which I inked through with a mixture of Black Soot and Chipped Sapphire Distress inks on to white card. I then die cut a Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals die, lay it on the card and matched the stencil to the background, so that I could ink through again, just part of the image. This time I just used Chipped Sapphire to leave the die cut slightly lighter than the background. I attached this to the card with 3-D foam squares and then added the owl, again with foam squares.

The card is finished off with a tied blue ribbon and a steampunk clock charm.

A quick post today, after yesterday's rather lengthy and photo heavy Craft Caddy..but thanks for all the comments and for those who stopped by after Christine posted it on her Facebook page.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Craft Caddy - Thursday 20th February 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Since going to Stitches with Amy on Monday, I've had some holiday from work and I have no idea where the time has gone! But with Tom at work, being home alone (except for the hens), I did manage quite a bit of crafting time...

Tuesday (and about an hour on Wednesday), was spent making this craft caddy box and then decorating it. The box kit comes in pieces to be put together and I bought it as one of Christine Emberson's Charity kits, being sold in aid of Ronald MacDonald House and The Royal Marsden and is available from Christine's site  here.

Before putting it together I decided to give all the pieces a base layer of matt paint; there were a lot of pieces, so I mixed some ivory paint from a tester pot with a little Paper Artsy 'Mermaid' Fresco Finish paint. Although the paint dried quickly, it took a while to paint all the pieces. Once it was all dry (I left it all day to be sure), I started to glue it together. I used Cosmic Shimmer, but it was important to let each piece thoroughly dry so that the box was strong enough when put together - I am now really wishing I had taken photos along the way!

Once the box, which comprises a top opening box tray and two drawers, was put together and the glue had completely dried, I gave it a top coat of colour, this time using Fresco Finish: Blue Pacific. I chose these colours, because the papers I was using (by Teresa Collins and included in the kit) were a red/torquoise pattern.

I had measured and cut the paper sizes before putting the box together and had also inked the edges with Aged Mahogany distress ink. When the paint was dry, I stuck the papers to the caddy. 

Once all the papers had been glued on and left to dry, I gave it a coat of Mod Podge matt to finish and seal. I have been using this product for years and love it.

There were some paper pieces left over, so I decided to decorate the top of the box with die cut flowers, which I made using Spellbinders dies: Spiral Blososm One,Blooms Four, Bitty Blossoms, and Carnation Creations. I inked the edges of all the petals with Aged Mahogany.

The flowers were arranged on the lid of the box and I also added turquoise lace and pale pink beads to the edge of the lid in front of the flowers.

I didn't want to over do the decoration, after all this is to be a 'working' box, but I did decide to add some further decoration to the front. The gorgeous handles/knobs come with the kit, I love them!

Box from the side

I used a die,  Spellbinders Ironworks Accents (one of the first dies I bought and haven't used in ages!) and cut 6 corner shapes using craft metal. I then dipped them individually into embossing ink and dusted with some coarse embossing powder. It's a pot that has been in my drawer for years and is a bit like distress embossing powder, but a little finer. I chose it more for the colour than anything. I was really pleased with the die cuts once heat embossed: they look and feel like coloured metal.

with lid open

The lid opens at the top to reveal a storage tray; I added some floral paper from stash to the base of this and all the drawers. I am still trying to decide on the inside of the lid, a little bit late but I had thought of stamping a flower or sentiment on it..guess I still could!

So there it is! A new caddy for my craft room...but what to keep in it? I think it might be placed in the sewing part of the room for cotton reels etc, rather than for paper craft.

That's all for today, thank you so much for stopping by!

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Stitches.... Tuesday 18th February 2014

Good morning Friends,

Just a quick-ish post today...yesterday I had a great day with my friend Amy up at the Craft, Hobby & Stitch retail show at the NEC. We came away with new ideas 'overdrive', our heads were buzzing so much. So many fabulous examples of crafts and cards, especially from one of my favourite Companies, Paperartsy...but also Lavinia Stamps, Woodware and Creative Expressions to name but a few.

I'd arranged that we would meet up with the lovely Christine Emberson, who together with her fellow Spellbinders DT member Yvonne from the Netherlands, was still excited (of course) by the 2 awards they collected on behalf of Spellbinders at the previous night's ceremony. It was so nice to catch up with her.

We also had a nice chat with Julia Watts and I spent ages with Hels, being shown some of the lovely new paint and crackle medium products being brought out by Creative Expressions. Ali Reeve and Sue Wilson were busy demoing too and it was great to see Sue's new dies close up...as well as the beautiful cards she has been showing on her blog recently. Ali was chatting to some others all the time we were there, so I didn't get the chance to catch up on the lives of our hens!

We came away with lots of ideas for future workshops and of course, we wanted it all...but wanting and getting are two very different things!

Below are some very quickly snapped-with-my-phone shots from the Sizzix stand, which always has a lovely display (though we both thought last year's was better). The first two are Tim Holz's display (sadly he was in South Africa not Birmingham!)

A retro 50's feel with these new dies, which I liked a lot

Some lovely Vintage creations

Hels Sheridan demoing some lush new paint products for Creative Expressions

I have two days off now to catch up with some crafting, but first of all..yes..need to find some space to work in the craft room!

Before I go, thank you for all your comments on yesterday's 'white on white' - effectively a simple but time consuming card as there were a lot of die-cut elements and particularly as I also decorated the INSIDE, which I failed to add the photo of to my post! I have added it now..but to save you looking back, here, my friends is the inside of yesterday's card!!!

Bye for now and hope you get some crafting time today,

 Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Simple things... Sunday 16th February 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Hope you are all having a good weekend and at last today we have beautiful sunshine! The hens are in the garden clucking away happily, soaking up the sun.

 It has been a bit 'busy' here, out and about quite a lot yesterday and also Friday, when we had theatre tickets...it wasn't planned as a Valentine 'thing' but it was an opera so they only perform one evening. I got the bus into Bristol..what an awful day and a horrible journey; it should have taken 50 minutes but took a little longer and felt a whole lot longer!

I was due to meet Tom in the  City Centre at about 5.30pm (he works another 20 minutes out of town the other side), but my bus got in at 4pm, so I had a bit of a wait. I battled against the ever increasing wind and rain to St Nicholas Market, a covered market where there is a lovely little haberdashery shop. I don't get down there that much and I needed some cottons - whilst there of course, I also succumbed to ribbon. It is a real treasure trove of ribbon, once in, you just don't want to leave!

Having met Tom we went for a pre-theatre meal in one of our favourite restaurants, (that we don't get much chance to visit), on the Quayside. They serve locally/West Country sourced food and it is gorgeous..as we sat in the comfort of the restaurant we could hear the wind really getting up speed and the boats moored there were bobbing about frantically. Some of them are barges and people live on them, I was so pleased I didn't!

The journey home post theatre was very windy, pretty unnerving on the roads once we left town and that night it just didn't let up, was it like that with you? I think it's the first night this year that it actually kept me awake! But I'm mindful of not complaining too much, our neighbouring Counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, not to mention further South in the UK,  as well as where Tom's relatives live around Venice and across the pond in the USA, have been battered beyond belief for weeks now and I can't even begin to comprehend all that.

Anyway, less of my ramblings and on to craft...in case you missed yesterday, dear blog friend Patricia won my blog Candy, which I will be posting off next week. If you don't already follow Patricia, do hop over and take a look - Summerhouse Crafts - because she makes the most beautiful cards - and boxes!

Today's card is a white on white card that I made  as part of my 'stock' for an upcoming craft fair. It's a 7x7 card, a size I have got to like a lot lately. I really like small cards and generally make 6x6 as my usual size of choice, saving the larger 8x8 for commissions. At the moment, I am not generally taking commissions because I don't want to take on too much. However, at Tom's office I have a lot of regular customers, who have been ordering from me for a long time, so I am still making cards for them and others for whom I've been making cards for a while now.

Interestingly, I sent an email around those at Tom's office offering a slightly smaller 7x7 if they wished - the take up has been great.

I embossed a piece of white card measuring slightly less that the 7x7,  die cut the roses from Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms and the flourishes are a Sizzix die. The sentiment is  a digital by Pink Petticoat, (I've been buying digital stamps from here for years, they are really fresh and modern and right now a lot of the old images are being retired, so take a look!) die cut on a Labels Four Small Spellbinders die...so no stamping, inking, just simple embossing and die-cutting.


The inside of the card:

Thanks for stopping by and have a fab Sunday,

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

We have a winner! - Saturday 15th February

Good afternoon Friends,

Well as promised we did the 70 follower draw yesterday -it wasn't scientific but it was fair..all your names, whether in the UK or abroad were put into a hat and Tom dipped his hand in... and the name he pulled out is...drumroll.... my lovely blog friend from Scotland:

Patricia Duffy !!!

Well done  Patricia  and thank you so much for choosing to follow me! Please email me at wonder8art@aol.com with your address and I'll get a little prize posted off to you. I meant to take a photo of the big occasion put believe me, we finally did it about Midnight as we had been out all evening! 

Sorry to be so late posting, we've been out all day...I'll be back tomorrow with a card and to catch up with all your lovely creations...hope you are all having a great weekend,

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Sunday Stampers Week 294 -Diamonds

Hello again Friends..goodness twice in a day!

As promised I'm back with this week's Sunday Stampers challenge project. Sunday Stampers is a weekly challenge set by wonderfully inspirational crafter Hels Sheridan - to check out all the deets click here

This week Hels set the theme of Diamonds, so I as I'm not a particularly 'blingy' crafter, I immediately turned to my Harlequin stamp by Indigo Blu, but what to do? I decided to make a wall hanging and  return to the chalkboard technique I used on my 'Tom's Tag' this month.

I actually used the same stamp, again by Indigo Blu...

To begin with I painted the wooden plaque black, then I stamped the diamond pattern around the edges using Versamark ink, coated it with white embossing powder and heat embossed. I then stamped and embossed the main image in the same way. Once I'd finished stamping and embossing, I chalked all over the plaque and wiped off with the palm of my hand, leaving a chalkboard 'dusty' effect.

To finish I die cut flowers from Spellbinders various elements from Carnation Creations and Die-Lights Blooms Four

That's all for today friends, but later today I will be doing the draw for my 70 follower candy winner, so do drop by tomorrow..it could be you (anywhere in the world!)

Love and Hugs,

Carole  X

Happy Valentine's Day - Friday 14th February 2014

Happy Valentine's Day to all my blog friends!

I can't believe it's been almost a week since my last post! I had a bit of a 'dilemma' this week as there were quite a few crafty projects I wanted to get going with, but that meant no time for blogging! I have managed to keep up with most of your wonderful creations this week though and I do have quite a few makes to post over the next few weeks. Having not posted all week, there will be two from me today, as I will be back later with my Sunday Stampers project for this week.

As it's Valentine's Day, I thought it would be nice to share with you photos of some of the gorgeous wooden hearts decorated by the lovely ladies at our craft group last night. They were each given a heart to decorate - Amy and I had made some examples to give them ideas, but once they got started the creative juices started to flow...aren't they lovely?

That's all for now! Have a lovely day everyone,

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Tim's Tags 2014: February - Saturday 8th February 2014

Good evening Friends,

I hope you've had a good day! We've had  busy one, out this morning shopping and putting new curtains up this afternoon. I spent most of yesterday taking them up, not a job I relished :) No crafting for me today unfortunately.

Last year I started to take part in Tim Holz monthly challenge to make a tag following his tutorial...I was doing well until about July and then everything else got in the way - I resolved to try again this year, but January came and went so quickly! However, I was determined to make this month's tag. I enjoy this challenge because it encourages trying out new techniques and Tim's tutorials are very easy to follow.

This is the tag made by Tim for this month:

This is mine:

As is often the case I used different stamps and other materials to Tim, because I don't have everything he uses, but I did have the heart mask used on the original project. I won't explain how it was made, just click here and have a look at Tim's instructions.

When I was over in the USA last year, I saw the chalkboard technique used a lot and one of my friends showed me how she did it. I have seen it coming in quite a lot here lately, but had never tried it again, so was pleased to see it used in this project.

Tim uses  a different method to how I was shown and whether it was because I didn't have the same embossing materials that he used, I just couldn't get it right - so I went back to the way I was shown and was pleased with the result. I stamped on to black card and heat embossed with white powder. I then drew a line around the edge with white pen before chalking all over. Once the image was entirely covered I rubbed over it with my finger.

I didn't have the stamp Tim used or any Valentine/love stamps that were large enough for the tag, so  I improvised with this one by Indigo Blu.

These are the materials I used:

Tag made from kraft card

Tim Holz alterations layered heart stencil

Distress inks: Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, Worn Lipstick, Pumice Stone, Milled Lavender, Brushed Corduroy

Versamark ink

White detail embossing powder

Glossy Accents

Red Glitter

Glossy Accents

Cardboard for hearts

Sizzix heart dies

Chalk

Craft foil - silver

Spellbinders border die

The 'arrow' is a clock had from Chronology by Ideaology

That's it for today folks, I hope you are all managing to stay dry...the winds and rain have just arrived here as I type!

Love

Carole X

Crocodile Love! - Friday 7th February

Dear Friends,

Today is international 'Send a Card to a Friend Day' - I only know because I get an American craft magazine and they mentioned it in there, it's an annual 'event' - SO - friends, today is a fun card and I'm sending it to all of you! Thank you for following my blog and leaving your comments...I love to visit yours too, so much, and I love the community we have here: sharing ideas, tips and artwork - you are all amazing!

This card was made to be a bit topical down here where I live, which is about 12 miles outside the city of Bristol (about the same to Bath as well, I'm a lucky gal!)...now the talking point in Bristol all week is that a few people have reported seeing a crocodile in the river running through the city centre!

Well, the Zoo and animal park have confirmed that they aren't missing any and a film crew working close by in Somerset recently, making a horror film about escaped crocs (honest!) have also issued a statement to say that all the live animals they used were safely returned to the zoos from whence they came. I guess that there really isn't one lurking in the waters, but it has given people something to talk about, outside of the weather.

Our minds can play tricks -  some years ago we took Tom's parents and brother with us on one of our trips to my family in California. We were driving (in two separate cars) along the coast near Carmel, when I suddenly was sure I'd seen a whale...Tom pulled over into a lay-by, as did his parents and I rushed to look with great excitement - it was a large rock: the waves lashing it, made it look like it was spouting water. I've never lived that down!

I love this cute image - who ever thought crocodiles could be cute? It is a digital image from The Paper Shelter and comes both coloured and digi-stamp (this is the pre-coloured). I simply matted and layered on teal and kraft card..the sentiment is typed.

On a more serious note, I do want to mention the poor people who are suffering incredibly from the floods. Although we are warned of more heavy rain and winds over night and through the weekend, we are muddy but fine here and as I type, the sun is shining and the hens are enjoying it (I am so relieved we built their coop so high off the ground!) - but this week and last night especially, on both the national and local news (we are only 50 miles from all this devastation), I was totally moved by the plight of the people being evacuated from the Somerset Levels, especially the farmers, some of whom have farmed the land for generations, having to mostly sell on their livestock and leave their farms to be taken by the waters. One of them was in tears, sure that he had lost everything. My heart goes out to these people. 

That's all for today, keep warm and dry wherever you are!

Carole X

Sunday Stampers Wk 293: Black & Gold - Thursday 6th February 2014

Good Morning Friends!

Today it's time for my Sunday Stampers  card for this week - this is Hels Sheridan's weekly stamping challenge, all good fun! For all the deets hop on over to Hels'  blog -here-

This week the theme is black and gold and I have made a little card. I will list all that I used at the end of the post.

To begin with I made a 6x4 card blank and added a base layer of mat gold card that I'd embossed. I then matted and layered die cut black and gold card, the topper stamped  with a stamp by Crafty Individuals and heat embossed in gold.

I wound gold thread around the layers and added tiny die cut leaves. Finally I added a bird that I had made using a mould and air dry clay - this one by Martha Stewart is paper light and adds no weight to a card. I coated the bird with gold Rub n' Buff..I have been using this for years and love it!

 I also decorated the inside of the card, by adding a strip of left over embossed card and a thin strip of black to the bottom edge. I stamped the greeting and heat embossed in gold, then matted and layered. I had one dilemma, because the stamp (by Kirstie Allsop, free with a mag), had a floral flourish to the side, which wasn't very defined. I decided to add a die cut flower, but it couldn't be too 'full' or it would be squashed, so I chose this one, which is Spellbinders Blooms Four and a very useful die too!

Materials and Tools:

6x4 card blank
Mat gold card
Black Card
Crafty Individuals Flora Stamp CI-149
Versamark Ink and gold embossing powder, heat tool
M-Bossabilities 'Flora'
Martha Stewart Bird Mould and air dry clay
Gold Thread
Gold Rub n Buff
Spellbinders Classic Circles
Stamps by Kirstie Allsop
Spellbinders Blooms Four

Have a great day everyone, hope you get some crafting time...not for me as it's a work day!

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Nicecrane Valentine 2 - Wednesday 5th February

Hello Friends!

Goodness last night was pretty sleepless with all the wind and rain (should be used to it by now!); I hope none of you were affected by more flooding. Thankfully, a sodden lawn aside, we are very very lucky but I do really feel for those who aren't, especially considering so many are all around us in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Today I would like to  welcome my latest follower, Helen Phillips, who has her own blog: Helen's Corner. You really should pop over and visit for her gorgeous vintage style designs. Thank you Helen for following, I hope you enjoy looking at my cards as much as I do yours!
The link to Helen's blog is http://at-helens.blogspot.co.uk

Today's card is the second of my design team cards this month, for Nicecrane Designs. There are some gorgeous vintage  images available here - both pre-coloured and ready for you to colour yourselves. I have linked the logo picture at the bottom of my post to the shop.

Today's card uses another pre-coloured image, as did yesterday's but whilst that was muted and given extremely vintage 'treatment', this time I have (I think) given it an updated twist.

 The front of the card is a simple mat and layer on black and red to compliment the colours on the image sheet. Whereas yesterday I printed the image on a thin, linen paper, this one is printed on photo paper. All I added to the front is a ribbon and a glittered  3D foam heart from Scrapbook Adhesives.

It is inside this card that I had added a littler surprise! I covered the base of the inside, top and bottom with black card and used printed heart paper from a Pink Petticoat download as the insert.

I cut a  1in x 2in pop out from the centre of the card and adhered two hearts cut with Spellbinders Classic Hearts. The card was some left over card that I had embossed and used on another card.

I do like making little pop up's, but haven't done so for a while, so this was a bit of fun!

Next I used a digitally downloaded sentiment, cut on Labels 17 and matted and layered on red card. I inked the  edges of the hearts and  white label with worn lipstick distress ink and to finish I added red ribbon and a bow.

By the way, I haven't forgotten the blog candi I promised once I got to 70 followers, it was just that last month 'ran away with me' a little....I'm planning the draw for February 14th, just to spread a little love :)

That's all for today folks, stay warm and safe wherever you are!

The link to Nicecrane is 

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Nicecrane Designs Valentine - Tuesday 4th February

Hello Friends!

Today is a Design Team card and wall hanging for Nicecrane Designs... a world of wonderful vintage images..check out the website here....

I normally work with images that are digital stamps and require colouring, but I loved these pre-coloured St Valentine images so much I really wanted to create with them!

 For my first two projects (there will be another tomorrow), I worked with the same image to create a card and wall hanging. I printed the image on to quite a fine linen textured paper that I found in one of my paper boxes and I was quite pleased with the way it printed with a slight water colour effect. Next I die cut it using Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles and used this as the actual card. 

The edges were inked with Tattered Rose, as were the petals of the roses, which are from the Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms set and were die cut using the same paper.

 My wall hanging on wood painted with Indigo Blue English Cottage Pink Iced Gem Acrylic, uses just a part of the image, plus papers from a Fairy Belle Collection paper pad, which was free with a magazine, torn around the edges and fixed to the wood with Indigo Blu's "Slap it on'. I treated the wooden heart in the same way, making a collage of torn pieces from the same paper pad and the sentiment from the main Nicecrane image.

To finish I added some crackle glitter glaze by Mod Podge to the heart and some vintage pink ribbon The roses were again made from Bitty Blossoms.

Hope you like these, please check back tomorrow form my second Nicecrane card...

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Zentangle Valentine - with a twist! -Sunday 2nd February

Good Morning Friends!

I can't believe we have already said farewell to January! Not that I'm ever sorry to say goodbye to this month, because it means we are at least a little closer to Spring.

We had a lovely sunny, though very cold day here up until mid-afternoon when the wind started to howl and the rain came, but staying in meant some crafting time - I did some more sewing, cutting out  and sewing up some more ducks and hens for the Spring craft fair in March, that will come around very quickly!

My card today is a St Valentine's card and is my Design Team card for this month's Emergency Crafters challenge, where the theme for February is pink or red...so why not take part? The challenge runs for the whole month and your entry doesn't have to be a card or paper craft, all crafts are welcome. Pop over to take  a look and check the rules, there is a prize every month.

 I say this is Zentangle with a twist, because I didn't use my micron pens to create it - instead I stitched it!  I will admit that  I didn't hand embroider this, I did use my sewing machine. The thought did cross my mind, but I had so little time to make it!

The idea was one of those that come to you during the night and you usually forget when you awake - luckily I remembered this time. 

It's only a small 6x6 card and I used the Sue Wilson Heart Lattice embossing folder on the front of the card and die cut the heart aperture. I also die cut the felt with the same die and  I used the die cut heart to back the felt heart, once I had embroidered it, just to give it more stability.

I finished off the card with some heart ribbon from stash. Even with my very basic sewing machine, this was pretty easy and has given me the idea to make some little heart hangings for craft fairs..it looks quite Christmassy and Nordic, I think!

A few of your comments during the week mentioned that Zentangle looks difficult - believe me it's not at all, but stop by tomorrow and I'll try to give you a quick guide :)

Have a great Sunday,
Love and Hugs,
Carole X