Christmas greetings to my lovely blogging friends

picture credit here

Wishing you all a very 

Merry Christmas and a 
Peaceful New Year

hugs from Gay xx

Windows and doors at the Craft Barn

Hello there everybody, just a very short post, for the Craft Barn this time, a small 10cm x 10cm canvas

More info over at the Craft Barn Blog on the new website. There is still Free UK postage at the moment at the Craft Barn woo hoo!!!! Enjoy!!!

This is what I used

Artcoe chunky canvas
Kaisercraft paper
PaperArtsy Grunge Paste
Kaisercraft stamp: Porcelain Rose
Tando Creative Tall house kit
PaperArtsy paints
The Crafter’s Workshop template: Cell Theory
Tando Creative – Andy Skinner mask: Baroque
Small padlock charm

Sorry I haven't been around much, I have been unwell but hopefully I am now on the mend and will be back soon. I will do my best to return your lovely comments left on my last post soon, so sorry for the delay :(
Hugs Gay x

Rudolph day :D

Hello there my crafty friends :D Hope you are having a wonderful day!
I finally made a card for Sandra's Rudolph Day, it's the last before the big day,

 The poinsettia was stamped and embossed in white then coloured with Copics, cut out and raised with foam pads, a few gems in the centre to finish!

Still finding it a little uncomfortable to sit at the computer or craft for any length of time  so it's quick and easy does it ATM Thank you for dropping in to see me :D Hugs Gay x
 I used
Tim Holtz die Victorian Carolers, Tim Holtz sentiment stamp and Penny Black stamp Christmas Star.

Tartan for the Craft Barn.............

WOAH! This was a real challenge for me this week, tartan? I have never used it on a card before but when I saw this beautiful ribbon all sorts of ideas ran around this little bonce of mine :D

I decided to go for my favourite Clean and simple design, check out the new Craft Barn website
more inspiring ideas from the Design team members all this week :D
Thank you for dropping in, I hope you're well and enjoying some crafty time, hugs Gay x
I used:

Cream Hammer card 

Tartan Ribbon

Kaisercraft Porcelain Rose stamp

Diamond Glaze (or Glossy Accents )

Metal Stickers Nail Head 5mm embellishments

Copics

Stampotique, yippee, one layer :D

Hi there  my crafty friends, Stampotique (SDC 125) this week is Samantha Read's challenge and she is asking us to make a one layer card and this is  right up my street, so here goes,

Christmas comes in all different guises :D Here I have stamped and masked a couple of unlikely Christmas characters!! The creepy little angels make me smile and I have used very different colours for me !!! LOL
Been a few health problems to deal with this week, sitting at the computer for long is out, so apologies for my absence, I will try to improve :D Hugs to all and thank you for your visit,  Gay xx
I used
Stampotique, O Joy and Daniel's Tree Topper
Tim Holtz, Stencil Splatter
Distress inks
Dylusions spray inks.

Hello there :D !!!!

Hi Everyone, I'm happy to be back from our travels! Hope things go well for you my friends?
We had a good break away and now I'm trying to get into my crafting groove.
I made a card for Less is More The challenge this week is for a dark background with a splash of colours...

this is my attempt! There are some really smashing cards already on the LIM blog and Chrissie and Jen have done some super inspiration for us!!
Go easy on me it's my first crafty play for a while :D Thanks for dropping in, Hugs Gay x
I used
Tim Holtz Die, Victorian Carolers,
Distress inks and Distress Stickles,
Kaisercraft stamps, Christmas sentiments.

Autumn

Hello my friends,
 I have a couple of cards for the Craft Barn week of Autumn Leaves! Autumn is a glorious time of the year I love the bright reds, greens and yellows of the leaves, the smell of bonfires smouldering away, winter is on the horizon, lets not think about that now though!!!
I have made two cards but only sneak peeks here today

More information on the Craft Barn Blog, check it out, if you have time :D Thank you for stopping by, hugs Gay x

I used

Dreamweaver Stencil Maple Branch.
Kaleidacolor Creole ink pad
Crafty Individuals Stamp CI 214
Spellbinders Ironworks Motives

 This post is scheduled, we are off gallivanting for just a little while longer :D

White Christmas :D

Hi Folks, I hope that I find you happy and well. Chrissie and Jen gave us a brilliant challenge this week, I love white on white although I need a bit of practice, and Christmas as a theme, well that's just lovely :D
So I'm here sharing my LIM offering, this is a quick post as it's all go here today :D

It's so much fun doing Christmas cards I really enjoy it!! This card is really simple, die cut snowflakes and using the die cut remains as a stencil I inked through it with VersaMark and dusted with mica powder. The snowflakes were treated in the same way.

I used
Memory Box Precious Snowflakes,
Joy Crafts Winter Wishes snowflake.

We are taking a break to see a bit more of this great big beautiful world, I will be back to see you soon :D Hugs Gay xx

My first Addicted to CAS!!

Hello again, today I made a card to enter the Autumn challenge at Addicted to CAS, I have been meaning to join in for a while now. My smashing friend Sylvia is hostess this time, check out her fabulous blog and makes, a really talented lady :D
This has been a week where I felt a bit arty inclined ( LOL!! ) it has been grand :D I love it when it comes together, time to play and the inclination. So here is my card, I do hope you like it 'cos it was fun!!

The leaves were fussy cut after I had embossed and inked the folder, my sentiment was inked in VersaMark and gold embossed. Here at home my silver birch tree is showering everything with seeds they're all over the house and garden so the little golden pearls made my last element, mimicking the seeds !!

I used

Crafts Too Embossing folder,  Leaves and my favourite sentiment stamps at the moment by Waltzingmouse, Big Day Today, fabulous detail on these stamps, some of the best I have ever used!!

Thank you for stopping here, Hugs Gay x

LIM Sketch!

Hi folks, I'm baaacckkk, I know just like that little ol bad penny, you can't get rid of me LOL
I made a quick card for LIM this week it's sketch time and here is the sketch

 And here is my effort in the last rays of the sun on a warm October afternoon,

I inked through the mask and then in Sakura gel glitter pen I drew the outline adding the sentiment last :D
I used
Artistcellar mask, Bodacious pods and Waltzingmouse stamps, Big Day Today

Thank you for stopping, have a wonderful week my friends, I'm working my way down your lovely comments! Thank you all, hopefully I will see you soon :D hugs Gay x

Harvest time!

Hello there my friends, Today I would like to share a card with you. I was really fortunate and won the CASology challenge with This Card with that came the privilege of being guest designer for this week Woo hoo !!  :D

 and the cue card for this week is

This was a considerable challenge as I have no suitable stamps, my fruit bowl had to do!!! Sometimes when you have a very detailed stamp colouring it in an equally detailed fashion can distract from  a clean and simple execution. So here I used the graded ink pad to suggest colour, hope it worked :D
Over at CASology I have really enjoyed getting inspiration and participating in the challenges, check it out Here (that's just in case it is new to you!)

For this card I used
A multi coloured ink pad by Dee Gruenig, (Marvy) Blending Blox Shades of orange, direct to paper and a Bravura stamp (eBay) and a new sentiment from Waltzingmouse, called 'Big Day Today'! really 'flourishy', I love this set!!! My white highlights are a Pentel Hybrid Gel, the best white pen that I have found and mine was a gift from crafty buddy Karen from Karen's Carry Ons Thank you so much  Karen!!
Thanks to you for your visit, hugs Gay x

Rudolph day :D

Hi Folks, I have a quick posting for Sarn's Rudolph Day Challenge :D

I fell in love with this beautiful image and just couldn't resist it!!! Hero Arts 'Snowy Night' I used ColorBox Chalk ink pads Blossom Pastels, yum!!
Papertrey Ink 'Signature Christmas' sentiments.
Hope you like it :D
Have a great weekend my friends, hugs Gay x
p.s I have a quick snap to share, it's of the crafty stash I got at Ally Pally last week. I visited with my lovely crafty buddy Valerie Cannonbury Creations is her great blog with gorgeous makes!!! We had a really good day :D

OOOh I'm a lucky lady :D xxx

Ho ho ho!!

It's time for Christmas crafting here today :D
Welcome here my friends, I am hoping all is good with you!
I have been busy making some Christmas items

More photos and lots more Christmas inspiration at the Craft Barn blog this week, do check it out if you have time, Thank you for stopping to join me, hugs Gay x
I used

 Hobby Art Stamps Christmas Robins

Sentiments by Dovecraft 'Tis the Season, clear stamps

Beads

Copic markers for colour

 Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents

At You Spica Pens

Slings and Arrows ?

Well not quite..... but definitely arrows :D This weeks challenge at CASology is to make something with Arrows, I made a card

 it has arrows and they aren't missing the subject, they're to the point and totally Clean And Simple  LOL
I used
Arrows stamp by Banana Frog sadly no longer doing business :(
Sentiment stamp by Paula Pascual for Personal impressions 'Essential Circles'

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend :D Hugs Gay x

Get well soon

Hello there, Over at LIM this week, Jen and Chrissie have asked for a one layer card that is a get well soon theme, here is my attempt, a Grumpy

 He is an injured Grumpy aaaaawwwww :D I stamped him and then painted with the watercolour pencils, easy peasy :D Hope you're having a great week and thanks for stopping by, hugs Gay x
I used
Smeared Ink Grumpy. Apparently they are now only available as unmounted if you join the club.
Edited to add, I bought mine from Make the Day Special but it was a few years ago. They seem to have one  similar sheet of these stamps available at the moment  HERE.
Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.

Silhouette peel offs?

Hi folks, I have a quick silhouette card for the CASology challenge. I have to be quick it's ending soon...

I retrieved a few of my under utilised peel offs for the image and I'm so happy to use them, they have been untouched for about 2/3 years. The background is a Crafter's Workshop template, Mini Stripes by Balzar designs. I sponged through the template with Distress inks. The sentiment is from Casual Fridays stamps, Only You!
Funny old weather here again but nothing like the poor folks in Colorado, what dreadful floods they're experiencing, my heart goes out to them :(
Hope your weekend is good, Gay x

Colours for LIM 136

Hello everyone, Today I am here with a card for LIM
Chrissie and Jen have chosen  colours for this one, check it out............................

The colours for this challenge are Dark Green and Rust.

I made a very quick card, although it wasn't quick for me, I have a very full bin with my efforts residing in it , it was fun though LOL 

Thank you for stopping by hugs Gay  :D xx

I used 

Crafter's Workshop template, 'Mini Week Circles'

Sentiment Hero Arts 'Live Life'

Layers and lots of luck!!

Hello and welcome to you this showery Sunday afternoon :D Lovely to see you!!
Over at the Stampotique Challenge this week it is all about Layers!!!!

Sue Davies is our hostess this week for our next challenge and here is what she says about her challenge:

I love to use layers on my projects, be it layers of paint and inks or layers of card, or both. I challenge you to use at least three layers on your creation. Have fun xx

This little cutie made it onto my tag ......










And this little one is there too

 Over at the Stampotique Challenge Blog I recently won the $30 gift certificate, WOOPHHEEE :D And here I've used two of my chosen stamps. Thank you so much Stampotique, my stamps are brilliant! How lucky was I ?? VERY!
My tag has FIVE layers in places, Black large tag, 3 layers of bright green vellum and Ghostie & friends! I absolutely love layers of vellum, the torn edges show how beautiful this luxurious paper is. Getting the right amount of layers and density took a while, I've been playing with this one for a few days!
I used
Ghostie, You Don't Say, 
Concentric Squares Border


Just a little loft update :D The work continues, (we're not fast :D )
This is what we found in the darkest reaches

It was almost invisible from inside the loft! No wonder my son was complaining about the wasps for the past few years! I think this one has been there for at least 2/3 years, little stinkers!! Clever construction though!
Thanks for stopping by, hugs Gay x

LIM A rubber stamp?

Hi folks, I've made it back again :D. Today I visited some of my lovely bloggy buddies, it felt good to see what you've been up to, such lovely creations and inspiration galore, thank you all so much for sharing, my turn now :D I made a card for LIM

We want you to use a 

RUBBER STAMP

In addition if you could use watercolours that would be wonderful!

My card is using a stamp by Impression Obsession, it is one of my faves but it is just a little bit large for what I wanted to do this time. So I trimmed it! Long ago when I started stamping I used to panic at the thought of cutting into a stamp, it seemed wrong somehow I would tremble with fear but now I cut with relish . You can always put them back together on the acrylic block!

This is how I trimmed the image. My sentiment came on a piece of velum and I can't remember where it's from :( I glued it directly to the card and luckily it doesn't show the glue. My background is painted with water colour and stamped behind then stamped again on the water coloured paper I decoupaged a few of the leaves just to add dimension. You can see more detail if you click on the pics.

 Thanks for stopping!  Hugs Gay xx

At last :D

Oh yes, at last I managed to get time to do a little post, my duties as nanny and house (retaining heat) improvements have taken so much time, I owe lots of visits! I hope to catch up soon but whilst the school hols continue, it's not easy. For today I did make a card for the CASology challenge where the cue word is

 

I used a stamp by Crafty Secrets unfortunately it seems they are not making clear stamps any longer. I love this little person, head deep in book :D

Coloured with copics and the sentiment cut into words to allow a little word cloud above the book!
Thank you for looking today, hugs Gay x

Lettering at the Barn

Hi there everyone,
Today I have made a couple of cards for the lettering week at the Craft Barn  just a sneak preview here though :D

More details on The Craft Barn blog! Pop over for a week's inspiration of lettering!
Thank you for dropping by :D Gay x

I used

Sweet Poppy Stencil: LOVE

Dreamweaver Embossing paste

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish 'Little Black dress'

Stampendous Small Typewriter Alphabet

Gold embossing powder

Treasure Gold: Ruby, Aquamarine and White fire

You turn me right round baby right round............

Afternoon folks, It's just started to rain here but that's fine, I'm making cards :D Should be making beds but hey ho! I know what I'd rather be doing!
Hope you're not out in the rain :(
This one's for LIM where Chrissie and Jen have made some brilliant samples for us and have asked us ...............

For our theme this week our challenge is 

ROUND AND ROUND

For this you may use any image which implies this movement...ie things with wheels or which move in this manner etc or in fact cards with some moving parts.

  

My card centre goes all the way round but other than that the only round things are the wheels on the cars! (Oh yes and the split pin and the stamped holes in the paper :S )

I used
Tim Holtz stamps Tiny Things and School Desk
Thanks for stopping by and check out all of the LIM cards , so much fun and inspiration
Have a great weekend!!! Gay x

Free postage!

Good morning everyone, this is just a quick heads up :D

                 It's FREE POSTAGE time over at the Craft Barn

From 6pm on Friday (16th August) to 6pm on Monday (19th August) The Craft Barn is offering

free P&P on all UK orders. 

For customers outside the UK shipping is free for orders over £30

YIPPEE !!!! 

How about a few Hexagons?

Hi Folks, Hexagons are really quite popular at the moment so over at the Craft Barn we thought we'd play along! Here is my card

Simply inked through a mask and a sentiment added, it really doesn't get any simpler :D
Check out the Craft Barn blog all this week for more hexagonal inspiration :D and a big hug for stopping by to see me :D Gay x
I used

Crafter's Workshop template: Hexagons
Tim Holtz Distress inks
Kaisercraft stamps: Proud