Time to start making Christmas cards

Every year I think I better start early with my Christmas cards, you know in summer. Make 2-3 every week and by the time Christmas comes round you're sorted. But it never works like that does it?
I have only just started with my xmas cards and this is the first design for the year. I picked up these cute little wooden reindeer in John Lewis. The card design is very simple but I find the browny/kraft distress style works well.

I am entering these into the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge where the theme is "So distressing".

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 5

And here we go again with another calendar. This week the theme at the Craft Barn Calendar Challenge is PINK AND BIRDS. So I got one of my favourite Alterations Dies out and some pink spray ink and voila another calendar.

The calendar itself is a day to day one, I'm not sure if these are available in the UK but my sister got me some in Germany. I remember when I was little we used to make my grandma a calendar every year for Christmas using one of those calendars. You tear off each day and on the back is either a saying, a recipe, a soduko etc.

I am also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - Things with wings.

Halloween ATC's and the new Stampotique Flickr Group

I said only a few days ago that I don't really do Halloween, but with so many Halloween and Atumn Colour Challenges around at the moment I can't not get into a slightly spooky mood.

These ATC's have been created with various challenges in mind. I used some of the new Distress Inks and LOVE them, I mean, how can you not?! Can't wait for the wintery seasonal release ones next month - www.timholtz.com.
Also I am still rather attached to my Stanpotique stamps at the mo, maybe that's because they are ALL sitting on my desk taking up valuable crafting space. I really have to get that shelf made I want for my wall to display all my woodmounted stamps.

Also, I wanted to tell you about the new Stampotique Flickr group I started, with permission of course. It's a nice way of gathering all Stampotique creations in one place and to browse when you need some inspiration. So join us HERE and add your creations or just browse and chat.

These are going to be entered into the following challenges:

Playdate Cafe - Colour Challenge
Artistic Stamper - Autumn Colours
Happy Daze - Halloween
Tando Creative - Spooktastic

And last but not least - Grungy Mondays - it has been aaaaaages I have entered one of the lovely Linda Ledbetter's Challenges. Life has just got in the way and one can't enter all challenges in the crafting world (although this week I'm trying bloody hard!). So I hope time will allow me to take part in more Grungy Mondays from now on!!!

Wendy Vecchi Clock for Simon says Stamp and Show

I've made a clock similar to this before, using the other 3 flowers out of this Maya Road chipboard album and I have been meaning to make a 2nd clock for ages to give to my Mum. So as it's Wendy Vecchi week at Simon says Stamp and Show I thought now is the time.

I used loads of Maya Road mini chipboard shapes and cut flowers from grungepaper. Some idea-ology, plenty of colour and background stamps. It's easy but takes time to colour each piece and figure out what goes where. Well worth the effort in the end though. And I love the concept of the 2 decorated flowers with the clock in the middle.

I also wanted to mention the Wendy Vecchi Flickr Group that I started a while back with Wendy's permission. Slowly people join and add their creations but I'd like it to be more for more great Wendy art to admire. So if you are a regular on Flickr then come and join us here.

Abstract Canvas inspired by Dyan Reaveley

Sometime this summer (if you can call it that) I was browsing some blogs and one post stood out. It was Dyan Reaveley's blog post about a canvas class she tought. Here is the original post.
It inspired me so much that I wanted to try out my own large canvas. I had until then only stuck to smaller canvases and used photos and collage sheets to fill it out and I was a little scared of tackling the big white canvas.
But with the help of the post and loads of peeking at the student's canvases I worked out this canvas here.




I liked that one very much but thought I could have done some things a little better so I made a second one. So this is the new and improved version.

I won't give you any instructions as Dyan is teaching these as classes and I don't want to give away her secrets. If you're clever work out your own or maybe take part in one of her classes. My time off if very limited and as I'm always working weekends I can't get to as many workshops as I'd like otherwise I would have loved to go to this one.

As these were painted in the summer holidays my boyfriend's daughter was here too and she joined in as well. She is 13 and this is her canvas.... this one is a bit work in progress and not entirely finished but almost there.

Thanks to Dyan for letting me post these and for the inspiration.

Dyan's Blog

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Humorous Birthday

Yeah it's time for another Stampotique Challenge and the theme is Humorous Birthday.
I didn't have a plan when I made this card, I just started inking and splattering some water and then grabbed this foliage stamp and so on and I ended up with this card. The inside reads "they get better with age".

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge..... Week 4

Another week, another Craft Barn Calendar Challenge.
Most people in this challenge create a page each week and then have a calendar at the end of the 12 weeks. I thought about it but couldnt come up with a concept of how to make that calendar and have a page each month and also have all the pages in a style that they fit into one calendar. So I just make a whole calendar each week. I hope all my friends and family like calendars cause they will all be getting one for Christmas this year. Haha.

This week the theme is yellow and masking.
I used a strong card backing for this and sprayed with with various spray inks, then kept layering over it with more sprays using masks and stencils either sraying more colour or water for a ghosting technique.
This is in the same style as last weeks calendar with more sewing and splatters and all that. I used an image from Lisa's Altered Art Sheets and a little quote I stamped out on white card.