Loving Correspondence

Hi there and welcome to another blog post.

I'm really thrilled to announce that I've been invited by the super talented Elaine to join her Design Team at Eclectic Ellapu. Needless to say I am absolutely delighted and honoured to be asked and hope that I can live up to the challenge. Today is my very first design team slot as part of Eclectic Ellapu 'Pink Team'. The theme this week has been set by Dawn and is 'Black & White and Read All Over'. The quest is to use black and white only and to incorporate text into your project. Do pop over to Eclectic Ellapu to see the beautiful and inspiring work created by the rest of the team. We would be so glad for you to join in - go on - stretch those abundant talents of yours!

Here is my take on the challenge;

I've made an easel card. The black background of each 'half' is cardstock that has been embossed with my Cuttlebug 'Script' embossing folder. Both white coved rectangles have been cut using a Cheery Lynn die. The lovely stamp on the top part of the card is by Frantic Stamper (Stamp FRA-CLG-3801). (In fact I bought this stamp when I saw it as I thought it would fit well with the precious pen nib that Lynn sent me last year as part of a very generous candy win - I love that ribbon can be threaded through the nib). I stamped and embossed the image twice and paper pieced the parts that fit a) under the pen nib and b) under the metal frame that I've added around the lady's face. Both of these are then mounted on foam squares for dimension. The script stamp on the lower part of the card is by La Blanche (#1174). Next I cut a fleur de lis square with a Spellbinders die, formed an envelope and inserted a little letter (script stamp by Andy Skinner). Also stamped/embossed and die cut the 'Paris' label from an Artemio stamp set (Vintage Paris). I punched some little butterflies and gave them white roses for 'hearts'. Added some tiny black gem hearts running from the writing hand of the lady down to the letter below. All stamping done with black Archival ink and embossed with Stamp n Stuff EP (Detail Black). Some pearls, lace, velvet and organza ribbon added to finish.

Thank-you so much for spending time at my blog. I hope you like what you see. Don't forget to pop over to Eclectic Ellapu to join in the challenge as we would love to see your creations.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp & Show - What are you known for? (Embellishments)
Simon Says Stamp - Paper Piecing
Craft Room Challenge - Monochrome
Crafts & Me - Vintage
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Vintage
Polkadoodles / Studio 12 - Monochrome
Little Red Wagon - Text Me!
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Valentines Day / Love
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Show Some Love

Let's Ice Skate

Happy Sunday everyone! I am delighted to see so many visits, comments and new followers. I appreciate them all and thank everyone for hopping on board!

I saw and saved an ice skate shaped card some time ago (can't remember from where). I printed out the shape and cut templates for the skate and boot. I am forever bookmarking tutorials and was glad to put one of them into practice today - please see Shelly Hickox's tutorial on Faux Tarnished Metal here as it is so effective.

I cut out the skate shape from grungeboard and gave it a coat of Metallic Stain in Pewter. Following Shelly's tutorial I gave the skate a few coats of silver embossing powder heating each as I went along. I then sprinkled some UTEE randomly and heat blasted it. The whole process caused the silver to bubble and tarnish beautifully. Just lovely for a vintage ice-skate.

The boot itself is cut from faux leather paper - bought in the most va va voom of Stationers - Kate's Paperie in NYC. The top of the boot is white Bazzill CS stamped using french text stamp by Andy Skinner (Simply Angelic set). Also edged boot top with silver glass glitter. I tucked in 2 types of venise lace from Linda's Funkie Junkie Boutique. Just for shopping balance the lovely lace ribbon used for bow comes from another beautiful Stationer Daintree (in Dublin). I added 3 little heart brads and bow for faux lacing effect.

The background is a square of red velvet SEI Velvet paper (love this for Christmas). I painted glue across end of the velvet and applied a thick layer of Melissa Frances mica flakes. I spent forever trying to see what worked best to highlight the red leather of the boot and eventually settled on a band of white CS stamped and embossed with Stampendous Christmas Background stamp (CRR144). All the stamping on card is done with Versafine crimson and EP is Sparkle n Sprinkle Japanese Lacquer.

Took the shine from some Darice jingle bells by dabbing with pewter metallic stain and tied them together and stitched to the white lace bow. I recently got a fab stash of freebies with an order from Crafty Individuals so stamped and embossed their lovely free Jingle Bells sentiment and backed with strip of red velvet. I punched snowflakes from CS and vellum, coated them with glue and dipped them in Distress Dry glitter in clear rock candy. Also added same glitter to rim of boot and skate for sparkle aplenty.

Lots to do today - I wish I really could skate! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Nicola x

Thank-you to the many hosts, sponsors and DTs of the following challenges that I wish to enter card to:
Simon Says Stamp - Snowflakes
Crafty Mess Challenge - Vintage Christmas
Jingle Belles Rock - December to Remember
Craft Us Crazy - Its beginning to look a lot
Crafting Ireland - 12 Days of Christmas
Charisma Cards - Christmas
Stampin for the Weekend - Let it Snow
Glitter n Sparkle - Use Some Metal
Pixie Dust Studio - Sparkle and Snowflakes
Divas By Design - Let It Snow
Alphabet Challenge - V for Vintage
Sweet Stampin Christmas - Anything Goes
Just Us Girls - Embossing
Pile It On - Embellishments

Christmas Angel with Frills and Lace

Hello and a very warm welcome to my new followers. I have been so grateful to receive such lovely comments to my last post below (A Christmas Tree). It was a great deal of work but your encouragement makes it so worthwhile.

I spent last Saturday at a workshop with CropTarts in Dublin making a Beach House structure designed by the wonderful Dutch artist Lisa de Witte. It was lovely to try out new techniques and to meet new fellow crafters from Ireland.

I feel that I really should begin to build a stock of Christmas cards so here is my card for today;

Base Bazzill CS. Another layer of pink Bazzill is then covered with sparkling flourish vellum by Papermania. The beautiful angel stamp is by Crafty Individuals (C1-211) that has been stamped with Ranger black Archival Ink and matted on Bazzill. The gorgeous Wings from (Andy Skinner ASCSA5010) have been stamped on tissue paper with black Archival Ink and embossed with Judikins Black Diamond EP. I have added Ranger Distress Dry Glitter in Clear Rock Candy to the angel image and particularly built it up on angel's wings. I 'pinned' the frou ribbon by Melissa Frances with brads to stretch it out. Then topped with Venise lace and bows. Added velvet ric-rac across top and crystals to complete.

That's it. Wishing all a lovely week to come.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Crafty Individuals - Festive Sparkle
The Ribbon Girl - Add Sparkle
The Stamp Man - Emboss It
Unique Crafters - Sugar and Spice
52 Christmas Card Showdown - Colour Challenge
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Contemporary Colour Combo
Glitter and Sparkle - Things with Wings
Loves Rubberstamps - Anything Goes

Christmas Angel Tag

Hi all. Welcome to my blog and very many thanks to all my new followers and commentors who make my blog posts so worthwhile.

Today I'm posting my first entry to the Challenge that Linda is running called The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas. Linda's first tag is here and the challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Check out the challenge blog for further details of the challenge and fabulous work for inspiration. The challenge has been running for 5 weeks so far and I am way behind so without further ado here is my take on Linda's first tag.

I did start out with intention of doing solely a tag, but it morphed into a card along the way. I've taken lots of inspiration from Linda's first tag however in that I decorated the tag with a central charm (angel in lieu of heart) surrounded by wings and sentiment, stamped a lot of flourishes and embossed with distress dry glitter. My tag too has been inked with Distress Inks and Stain. I also included stars at base of tag.

Base CS is Bazzill that I have edged and sponged with Distress Ink 'Worn Lipstick'. The white sparkle embossed vellum layer is from Papermania. The tag is a #8 Inkssentials manila tag. I sponged with a mixture of Distress Inks (Worn Lipstick, Victorian Velvet, Festive Berries, Rusty Hinge) spritzed with water. I also used Ranger Distress Stain Antique Bronze for lovely metallic shimmer and colour. I versamark stamped the tag with various flourish and script type stamps and embossed some of the stamping with Judikins EP Sticky Stuff and then added Distress Dry Glitter in Clear Rock Candy. (The glitter is subtle in daylight but it sure sparkles fabulously in artificial light.) Also painted some stars and a metal Angel charm with Distress Stain Antique Bronze - the metal took the stain very well. I decorated these embellishments with the dry glitter also. I punched a heart shape (Woodware) from vellum paper and stamped 'Peace' sentiment with Brilliance bronze ink. I also stamped some 'wings', again on vellum, with Distress Ink Worn Lipstick. Both of these stamps come from Andy Skinner Stamps (Simply Angelic ASCSA5010). I centred angel charm between all the 'wings' having added a stamped doily as 'wings' too. Also stamped a second sentiment using Distress Ink Festive Berries - stamp from Stampington and Company (All the year G1068). I added the stars that had been decorated with distress glitter. Also stained a crushed velvet ribbon with some of the distress stains and added crystals at corners to complete.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by,
Nicola x

I'm entering card to the following challenges;
The Funkie Junkie - 12 Tags of Christmas
Crafty Sentiments - Bows or Ribbons
Top Tip Tuesday - Things with Wings
ABC Christmas Challenge - U for Up to You
Lady Anne's Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes
My Craft Spot - Emboss It
Ooh La La Creations - Christmas Sentiment
Crimbo Crackers - Pink
Create with Kate - Papercraft for Knit & Stitch Dublin