Lots to do Challenge - Alter it!!!

I have altered a room freshener for this weeks challenge. I used alcohol inks to colour the freshener and added butterfly peel offs which I made 3d. Really easy to do and I think it looks much better with colour now instead of the boring white.

Before

After

Recipe Swap - February

I am hosting a recipe swap once again on the Lots to do forum.

The recipe for this month is
1 ATC
1 Gothic Arch
1 Skinny

You must use:
2 squares
1 image
1 button
and some green must be on the piece.

I found an image and printed it out onto photo paper. I then cut around the outline of it. I covered my card with tea dye distress ink. I then added stamped a flourish in Olive Green Staz on and glued a button within the flourish. I then used some peeled paint distress ink lightly on the remaining card. I stuck my image on the card and then punched out 2 squares with one of my craft punches.

Lots to do challenge - Wings

This weeks challenge is "Wings".

I found an image of the mona lisa and printed it twice onto photo paper. I used distress inks lightly wiped across the card. I stuck my mona image to it and coloured some chipboard wings with gold ink. I then added the cut out mona to it.

Lots to do Challenge - metal

This weeks challenge on Lots to do is to use metal in your work.
I was doodling with a piece of metal this week and decided to use it as my background for this ATC. It doesn't show up too well but I used alcohol inks on it. I then used the excess ink from my pad on the card. I added brads in the corners and added an image and a word.

Lots to do Challenge - In stitches

This weeks challenge on Lots to do is "In Stitches".

I altered a beermat for this and made a wall hanging.
I covered my mat with white card that had been coloured with distress inks.
Next I added my image.
I then added the faux stitching to the outside edges.
I added 3 buttons to the side.
Finally I made 2 holes with my crop-o-dile and added some ribbon which has stitching running through it.

Pennant Swap - Lotstodo

Sue is hosting a pennant swap over on lots to do. I liked the look of them so decided to give them a go!

The theme is distressed

I cut my card to a triangle and used distress inks to colour and then added some of Tims stamps - scratches, splatters and rings to the card.

I added some ribbon to hang it up with and then added a few eyelets.

Party Invitations

I've been a bit busy recently making party invitations for my sons 21st in March.

They are pretty simple ones using the cuttlebug "You're Invited" embossing folder.

I used cream card and then put it through the machine and simply chalked all over the embossing with a brown colour. I then added my wording which was put on safmat and then inked all around the edges.

18th pull out birthday card

I have been asked to make a special card for one of my hubbys workmates.
Its for his daughters 18th next week. He asked if I could make something that she could keep.

I decided to make a pull out card - if thats what you call them :)

I asked for some photo's of her through the years as it were.

I simply matted and layered all the photographs.
I was told that she liked the colour pink and animals, so I used lots of pink and some animal embellishments on the corners of the photo's.

I also made a vellum envelope and a tag to go with it so that mum and dad could write that something special to Claire.

Really hope she likes it!

The front

Opened

Opened out to reveal all the photographs

a different view of it!

Soot technique

This is my very first attempt at the soot technique.
Don't think I've got it quite right yet. I think I need to be a bit braver and keep the card in the flame a bit longer to make it a little darker.

Don't have glossy card so I used photopaper instead.

Recipe Swap

Over on Lots to do I am hosting a recipe swap

You have to make:
one ATC
one Fat Page
one Skinny

the ingredients for the recipe are:

a stamped image
one word
a piece of ribbon

the colour is your choice as is any embellishments you want to put on.


I am really busy at the moment so haven't had time to do any proper crafting so I have cheated a little and made identical(ish) pieces.

Mega Challenge

I have finally managed to take a piccy or two of the box I altered in the Lots to do Mega Challenge.

My stipulations were:

A box
must have red on it
two words
some ribbon
NO stamps!!!!

I used adirondak dabbers all over the box.
I then used peel-offs coloured red for my two words
and added rub ons of some flourishes
then finally added my ribbon.

This was made for Angie - hope she likes it!

Gothic Arch - Family

Sam is hosting a gothic arch swap on Lots to do this month. The theme is family. One arch must contain a woman, one must contain a man and one must contain a child or children.
I found some images I liked and then used tea dye distress ink all over the arches to "age" them. I then added some flourishes around the edges and stuck the image in the middle. I then added some bits of calligraphy (from Crafty Individuals) and edged the whole arch with brown ink.

Colour ATCs

Sam is hosting an ATC swap over on Lots to do. The only stipulation is that one ATC has to be brown, one has to be purple and one has to be green.
I had my images already stamped and decided to do the same for all 3. I used distress inks and a background stamp from Crafty Individuals and then put two eyelets into each ATC.

Lots to do challenge and Technique zone swap

Over at the technique zone they are giving away blog candy and also doing a technique swap.
You have to send one of the techniques to Sam and as well as getting your item swapped your name will be entered into the draw for the blog candy.

One of my favourite techniques from the blog is the bandana technique.
I made a skinny and it fits in well with the lots to do challenge this week. The theme is time.

Its a man thing

Andrea is hosting a fat page swap on Lots to do. The title of the swap is "Its a man thing"

There was a stipulation for this swap. One page had to be blue, one page had to be green and the other was free choice.
I used images of motor racing and edged my pages with co-ordinating ribbon.

Brown Skinnies

Over on Lots to do we have a monthly swap with the theme of colours. This month the colour is brown.

Lots to do Challenge blog - week 41

This week is the final challenge for the lots to do challenge site

The theme was set by Hilda and she chose trees or leaves.

I used my crafty individuals stamp and stamped it several times and coloured them all in with whispers pens.
I then cut out bits off each one and made a decoupaged frame and picture.

Lots to do Challenge - Week 40 - Snowmen

This weeks challenge has been set by Mags and she chose Snowmen as the theme.
I made a skinny.
I got some blue card and cut it to size.
I then cut some snowflake paper and matted that on.
I used one of the stitchels range of snowmen and stamped a few of them and made my own decoupaged snowman.
I used whispers pens to colour them in.
I made a small snowy hill with pearlised card and stood the snowman on.
I finally added the wording let it snow.

Lots to do Challenge - week 39 - Music

Over on Lots to do the theme for this week is Music and has been chosen by Alison.

I made a fat page for this.
I used a minky coloured pearlised card and cut it to size. Luckily for me the card is reversable with a dark brown back so I cut another piece of card smaller and matted it on. I then cut a smaller piece of card and ran it through the cuttlebug with the music embossing folder. I slightly distressed this piece with some sandpaper and then lightly went over it with tea dye distress ink. I then found an image of lots of musical instruments and added that to the centre.

Lots to do challenge - Week 38 - Christmas

This week on the lots to do challenge the theme is Christmas and has been chosen by Andrea.
I decided to alter a CD for this challenge.
I used my crop-o-dile and cut a 2cm border around the CD. This was really time consuming and the little bits of CD went everywhere!
I then covered my cd in snowflake paper front and back. I then tied invisible thread around the CD so that my snowman could "float" in the centre.
I used the crop-o-dile again and added a silver eyelet and finally added some sparkly ribbon.

Lots to do challenge - week 37 Canvas

Its my turn once again to think of a theme for the Lots to do challenge. At the moment I am into canvasses in a big way so I thought I would choose Canvas as my theme.

I used adirondak dabbers in butterscotch and watermelon on my canvas and then got some stampbord and covered them in different distress inks. I stamped my images on in black staz-on and then had fun scraping away at different bits of the boards. I then added the words which were stamped onto tissue paper and then stuck to the canvas with mod podge.

Lots to do Challenge - week 36 - Quotations

Hilda has chosen the theme for this weeks challenge and it's Quotations.
I have made a canvas for this week.
I used adirondak dabbers in lettuce, butterscotch and watermelon all over the canvas.
I stamped my flower image onto tissue paper. I found the quote on my pc and printed it onto tissue paper.
I covered the canvas with mod podge and then carefully added the tissue paper. I then added a second coat of mod podge.

Lots to do Challenge - week 35 - Envelope Art

This weeks challenge has been set by Andrea, she chose Envelope Art. I had to do some research as I had never seen any of this.

I decided to try a bandana style for the envelope so I stamped images all around the edges of the envelope and added a postage stamp in the corner. In the middle I stamped some dotted lines. I then used tea dye, peeled paint, mustard seed and tattered rose distress inks all over. I then got my white pen and added highlights to some of the stamps. I finally added some small gems to the flowers in the postage stamp.

Lots to do Christmas Auction

Over on Lots to do we are all busy making bits for one of our charity auctions. We have to make christmas decorations to auction off.
I decided to decorate some curtain rings.
The top row are all covered in ribbons and then a snowman figure was glued to the centre.Finally some holly was added to the rings.
The bottom row are all covered in foil and then covered in alcohol inks then they have some sticky snowflakes added to them. Finally some snowflake embellishments were added to the rings.
The snowmen and snowflakes come from an old christmas decoration I had.
Unfortunately they haven't scanned too well.

Lots to Do Challenge Blog - Week 34 - Remembrance

It is my turn to choose the theme for the Lots to do challenge blog this week. I have chosen Remembrance as today is Remembrance Sunday in the UK.

I was over in Belgium in the summer and had a chance to go to Ypres. This is one of the things on my "to do list" so I jumped at the opportunity to go.
As we were heading towards Ypres we saw lots of war cemeteries, we stopped off at one and was told that it is where the author of the poem "In Flanders Fields" worked as there was a field hospital at the site. We later went onto the Menim Gate and heard the last post. The whole experience was so moving and it made me think a whole lot more about what people did for us years ago.


I have made an 8 x 8 canvas for this challenge.
I covered the canvas in acrylic paint and them added other colours of acrylic to the edges.
I then printed onto tissue paper the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae.
I covered the canvas in mod podge and then added the poem to the centre.
I covered the poem with mod podge and then left it to dry.
I bought some poppies and added them around the poem.

Lots to do Challenge - week 33 - Black and White

This weeks challenge has been set by Alison and she has chosen Black and White.
I have made a shadow skinny for this week.
I covered my card with different black and white papers and then added a sillouhette image of a couple dancing.
I finished it off by adding black gems to each corner.

Lots to do Challenge - week 32 - Nature

Mags has chosen the theme for this weeks challenge and the theme is Nature.
I have made a skinny for the challenge using the bandana technique.
I stamped my skinny with various leaf stamps using black staz-on and then coloured the skinny with distress inks in scattered straw, mustard seed, peeled paint, shabby shutters and tea dye.
Then I used a white pen and drew round some of the images.

Friendship Beermats

Over on Lots to Do, Bridie is hosting a beermat swap with the theme of friends.
All of the images have been embellished with either ribbon, gems or glitter.

Lots to do Challenge - week 31 - Stone

This weeks challenge has been set by Hilda. The theme is Stone.

I made a skinny for the challenge.

I covered the skinny with a background of stones and then added a stone arch image and a stone flower.These have been stuck with 3D foam.

I edged the skinny with black ink.

Lots to do Monthly Fat Page Draw - October

These are my pages for this months fat page draw over on Lots to Do.

Ros chose the theme and its Musical Instruments.

I have used my cuttlebug embossing folder for the backgrounds and added images of instruments.

Lots to do Challenge - Week 30 - Embossing

This weeks challenge has been set by me and I chose Embossing.

I have made an acetate birthday card and used a cuttlebug embossing folder the script one.

I stamped an image I liked and added that to the front and using the same pearlised card I stamped Happy Birthday and added it to the bottom.

I finished it off with some ribbon tied at the side.

This card id for my MIL - she is 70 today - hope she likes it.

Hope you can join in with the challenge this week - we have some blog candy to give away.

2inch squares - Winter

On Lots to do Mags is hosting the final part of the 2 inch squares swap - the final season is Winter.

I used inks in blues and silver and added stamped images of snowflakes and snowmen. And to add a bit of sparkle some glamour dust on some of the squares (doesn't show on the scan)

House and inchies swap - Lots to do

Over on Lots to do Sam is hosting a house and inchies swap

Not sure if I have done mine right or not.

I have cut a house shape and used distress inks in brushed corduroy and fired brick. I made my roof tiles with a small stamp I have and added a curly stamp for the guttering. I added some vines going up the wall and coloured them in with whispers pens. I then cut my inchies and coloured with distress inks and once again used my line stamp to creat a window frame effect.

Lots to do Challenge - week 29 - No Stamping!!!

Steph has set the challenge this week and as asked for us Not to use any stamps!!!!!

I have made a skinny and found an image of some stylised flowers I liked and matted and layered it onto cold card and then onto the skinny. I then added gems to the flowers and finally added a rub on greeting at the bottom.

Lots to do Challenge - week 28 - Vintage

Alison chose the theme for this week challenge and it is Vintage.

I decided to make an arch for this challenge.

Firstly I used brushed corduroy distress ink all over my arch to age it and then found an image I liked.

I then stamped a script background and tore some co-ordinating papers and stuck them on. Lastly I added my image.

Why not join us this week at Lots to do Challenges

Gothic Arch - Ladies

I made these arches for a swap on Lots to do hosted by Andrea.
I used backing papers which I tore and stuck onto the card and added images of ladies.
I finished the arches off with ribbon and a buckle and eyelets.

Halloween ATCs

I made these ATCs for a swap on Lots to do hosted by Andrea

All started life out as white card and I used black soot distress ink to age the cards and give a spooky night time sky effect. The top left ATC has silver glimmer mist all over it.

I then added the images and decoupaged the bottom ATC.

Week 27 - Lots to do Challenge - Red and White

Andrea has chosen this weeks theme and its Red and White.

I have made a skinny for the challenge.

First I edged the skinny with red ink then ran some card through my wizard with my cuttlebug hearts embossing folder. I trimmed the card to size then stuck it on the skinny. I added some red heartshaped gems underneath it. I then made 2 eyelets and threaded through some red ribbon and tied it in a bow. I then added some white roses and finished it all off with a white bow.

Trinchies swap - Lots to do

I have made these trinchies for a swap on Lots to do hosted by Sam

I used my cuttlebug embossing folders and some metal foil.

I coloured the cards with distress inks and coloured the foil with alcohol inks.

Week 26 - Lots to do Challenge - numbers

This is my piece for the challenge this week.

I made a skinny. I ran some metal through my wizard with my cuttlebug embossing numbers folder. I then wiped different coloured alcohol inks all over the metal. I wiped the excess onto my card. I then attatched the metal to the skinny with brads. I then stamped some paper artsy images and distressed them a little with the ink I had used previously.

I am really pleased with the way it turned out.

Why not give it a go this week

Distress ink skinny swap

Sue (Monalisa) is hosting a skinny swap where you have to use distress inks or re-inkers.

I have used distress inks and once again had a go at the bandana technique.

Bandana Technique - Tags

These are the tags I have made for a swap on Lots to do.

I have used the bandana technique for them.

Sam has made a tutorial for this technique you can find it here

Lots to do Challenge - week 25 - A Recipe

Its my turn to set the challenge for Lots to do this week.
I decided to make a recipe,

You had to use:

striped paper
two buttons
one brad
a piece of ribbon
a stamped image

Here is my creation, I altered a beermat.
I covered the mat with blue paper and then added some striped paper to one side. I then stamped my Edwin image and coloured him with whispers pens. I then added him to the centre of the mat with 3d foam. I added a large blue brad to the bottom left and stuck 2 blue buttons to the bottom right. I them made 2 holes at the top with my crop-o-dile and threaded the ribbon through.

Why not give it a go!!!!!!