Monday 17 December 2018

Bell Mask

Hi All

How is everyone are you ready for Christmas? 
Here is another Christmas card to share with you today.

 Using a bell mask I brushed various shades of green  oxide inks through the aperture. I stamped one of Phill Martin's verses in the centre of it. Then cut one of Sue Wilson dies and added Phill's paper pad behind it. 

I complete it by using green PVA as pearl with glitter sprinkled over them while still wet to add a bit of sparkle.

Its my daughters birthday today I cannot believe she is 27. We all went for a lovely Chinese on Saturday to celebrate, and she has gone to be pampered at a spa today. 

If I do not blog again before Christmas have a wonderful Christmas and peaceful New Year. 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
alphabet challenge- S for season greeting
the holly and ivy #42 ATG
crafty hazelnuts christmas challenge 416 - ATG

Monday 26 November 2018

Chevron Throw

Hi All

Well I have finally finished my throw that I have been crocheting. 





My first big project it has taken a few months to complete but I have loved doing it. 
It has definitely kept me occupied during the evenings.
It is so warm and I really like the colours. I have used Stylecraft DK wool. 

I am now trying my hand at knitting a matinee coat for our first grandchild .. wish me luck it's been a few years since I have done anything like it.
One completed I will post a picture - Unfortunately I have golfers elbow at the moment so progress is slower that what I would like.

I need to crack on and make some more Christmas cards but the weekends seem to just whizz by.

I have the evening by myself tonight so I can catch up on some of my crafty programmes that I have recorded. 

Take care everyone and thanks for popping by and your comments on my last post.

Monday 29 October 2018

Inky Snowflake Background

Evening all

I hope you are all well. 
Here is another Christmas card.


I had a play with my TH distress  oxides inks and created the snowflake background. Then I used the waste aperture as a stencil from SW bold snowflake die and ink through using the same colour inks and then just popped the sentiment on the top . I used one of my old Spellbinders border dies to create the edge. 
I think it looks sort of a vintage style. I am thinking of doing more along this design but in different colours.  

Well we gave in and put the heating on this weekend as it was freezing. Woke up to a frost this morning, but I know there has been snow on the highlands... brrr. 

The cats want to be indoors all the time now although they do wake me up to go out at stupid o'clock in the morning.

Have a good week and thanks for stopping by.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
the holly and ivy christmas challenge #39 ATG
abc christmas challenge - V is very quick
CHNC # 49 ATG Christmas


Monday 22 October 2018

From Our House to Yours

Hi all

How has your week been. I must say the autumn sunshine has been wonderful.
Another Christmas card this week using the lovely Luna Paste. I really like this product and will buy more colours in the future.


 I even used the sentiment to mop up the waste paste from when I put it through the mask 

I hope you can see the shine in the photographs.

I bought some pale yellow wool at the weekend in preparation for knitting a matinee coat for the new baby when it arrives. It's been a long time since I knitted anything like this .. so it may take me a while .. well I have until the end of January to complete it.

I am entering this card in the following challenges :
CHNC 408 - ATG optional theme: sentiment as the focal point
crafting from the heart #225 ATG
crafting with an attitude #44 ATG
12 months of christmas #47 Gear up for Winter

Monday 15 October 2018

Negative Snowflakes

Hi all

For today's card I have used the waste from the snowflakes I have been die cutting. I mounted it over a piece of red glitter card and added a sentiment. 

 A quick and easy card and I love not wasting the what is the scrap.

I hope everyone is keeping well and dry as the rain has been awful here. We had a massive puddle (well it was more like a mini lake) outside our house. It has now subsided thank goodness. Still not put the heating on - we are doing well.. 
It will my eldest daughter's birthday next Sunday- she will be 29 - where does the time go !! We are all going out for a meal on Saturday, it will be nice to see her.
Thanks for stopping by .. 

I have entered this card in the following challenges:
the holly and ivy challenge 38- ATG
Allsorts challenge 49 - Christmas
crafty hazelnuts Christmas challenge 407- ATG
C.R.A.F.T Challenge # 486 Christmas

Monday 8 October 2018

Simply a Snowflake

Hi all

Thank you for your kind comments on my last post I really do appreciate you taking the time to stop by.

I have another Christmas card for you today.
A simple card but quite effective I think.
 Simply the snowflake from Sue Wilson's Bold Snowflake matted and layered up on to the Falling Snow embossing folder 
Great for batch making.

Isn't is getting cold at night we haven't put the heating on as yet but I did succumb to popping the fire on tonight.
My step daughter and her partner came over for dinner in Saturday it was lovely to see her she is 5 months pregnant and has a very small bump so far. She loves the blanket I crocheted for her. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week.

Monday 24 September 2018

Christmas Tree

Hi all

Well it's been a long time since I posted anything. Since we lost Basil my mojo had disappeared as he would always be in my craft room with me. But I decided that it was time to knuckle down and make some Christmas cards, which to my surprise I have enjoyed creating.
I have been wanting to get a tattoo in memory of Basil for quite a while and when we went away for a  few days the other week  for our wedding anniversary I found a great tattoo shop in Weymouth and they turned my idea into a design. I will post a pic of it at the end of this post.
We are also going to have our first grandchild early next year so I have been busy crocheting a baby blanket which I have now completed and included a picture of that too.

So on to my card created using a Tree mask and Polar white texture paste which I sprinkled with Pixie powders while still wet. 




 I was rather pleased with the way it turned out. The texture paste has a sparkle to it. I hope you can see it in the picture.

Below is a the pic of my tattoo - just a day after it was done. I love it. 
 This is the blanket I crocheted. The wool is super chunky and very soft great for the new baby. 
 I am also 3/4 of the way through creating a throw for myself - I will post a picture once completed but I have started on another baby blanket now -so mine may go on the back burner for a while.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. 
I have entered this card in the following challenges:
crafting from the heart #221 ATG
CHNC challenge 404 ATG

Wednesday 23 May 2018

Flowers on black card

Hi Everyone




It seems an age since I have posted anything. Life has been busy and I have not had a great deal of time for card making. 
I made these two cards using a Honey Doo stamp. I stamped it twice and added distress oxides to the flowers and fussy cut them out. I added Nuvo drops to complete the cards. I think the colours really pop when put against black card.

I hope everyone is ok and enjoying the sunny spell we are having. Fingers crossed it will be a nice bank holiday.
Thanks for popping by.




Update EU GDPR regulations

FOR ALL BLOGGERS
There has been a big discussion on Facebook about the new EU GDPR regulations and it appears that blogs do require a privacy policy. Some very helpful bloggers have written theirs and were happy to have them copied. 
I have accepted the use of the words from   https://mariannescraftroom.blogspot.co.uk/p/privacy-policy.html    
and you will find this above in my tab bar.

many thanks
Maria

Thursday 12 April 2018

Red snowflakes

Hi all

 Well I have so much stuff in my craft box waiting to be used it was overflowing -and to be honest I couldn't remember what I had in there. 
I found a piece of acetate that I had previously spread red glitter paste through a snowflake mask, (who says you cannot  have red snowflakes , right !!) so I decided to make a Christmas card out of it. 
I also found some lovely snowy glitter card that that I popped behind the acetate. I had bought SW Twinkle Star frame die but again had never used it. I placed this over the top of the acetate added a sentiment and matted and layered it. To complete the card I added CS pearl glue to each of the star sections on the background die and then three berry red ones on the frame



It was so hard to photograph so that you could see the sparkle but it looks lovely in real life. 

I hope everyone is keeping well - I have a medical issues at the moment and tests to be had - so I should know the results in a few weeks and then it will be next steps

Thanks for popping by I really do appreciate it, and if you wish to leave a comment that would be fantastic.
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Monday 19 March 2018

Ella Ella

Hi everyone

First of all I would like to say thank you for your kind comments on the loss of Basil. We now have him at home with us - so I am a little more at peace. He was always by my side when I was at home and he was a great listener. For mother's day my daughters presented me with a Pandora charm with the letter B - it is beautiful and it is now on my bracelet. 

For this weeks card I wanted to use a piece of card that I had for a while in my craft box that I covered with Pixie Powders. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it but this card sort of made itself. 



I  used SW Ella die that I really like but again I think this is the first time I have created a card with it. 



Thanks for stopping by.
I am entering this card in the following challenges:
crafting-with-friends #63 ATG
lil patch of crafty friends #78 ATG
happy little stamper - ATG with dies



Saturday 10 March 2018

Basil - My little man

It is with a heavy heart I write this post.



Our beloved Pomeranian - Basil was taken from us very suddenly on Monday 5th March at 8.15pm.
He was such a character and we were so blessed to have him on our lives. He was the center of our universe and he has left such a massive void in our family. We all loved him so very much and not a day will go by without us thinking of him. He will always be in our hearts.




Sleep tight my little chicken pie xxxxxx

Monday 26 February 2018

For Mother's Day

Hi Fellow Crafters



I hope you are all  keeping safe and warm in this cold weather we are experiencing in the UK at the moment.
I spent the whole day in my craft room yesterday. It was so nice to have the day to myself and I made this card for my mother in law. 

I choose a yellow and a soft pearlised white card in the hope that spring will soon be here.
I made the yellow card by using a smoothie and CS Lemon Meringue colour cloud on a piece of white card. I then used clear embossing powder over the top. I did this twice to create a lovely gloss finish. I hope you can see the shine on the flowers. 


I am entering this card in the following challenges:



Monday 19 February 2018

Peacock and Pixies

Hi all 
 Well another week has whizzed by.
This card began when I create a Pixie Powder background, which I then embossed - not sure where I got this folder from. I then cut an aperture in it to frame the peacock. The stamp was a freebie from a card magazine. I coloured the image in with the pixie powders too. I have left room to put a sentiment on the card - but I'm not sure who I am going to give this too yet, so until I decide I have left it sentiment free. 
We went to London on Saturday to a place called Flight Club in Bloomsbury where you played social darts- it was brilliant we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves it was great fun. Of course my husband had to win -well he is in a darts league. We then went on to Convent Garden and had a meal at Flat Iron- a great steak restaurant. It was a great day out and we are already planning to go back there in the summer.
Thanks for taking the time to pop by.

Monday 12 February 2018

Beautiful Peony

Hello all
I hope you are all keeping well.
For this weeks card I decided to go with a yellow/orange theme - inspired by my lonely daffodil that is in flower in my garden.
Yes its actually in flower- which I am so surprised about, as the weather has been so cold and we had hailstones here yesterday afternoon. 
I am sorry-  but I have used my  my Altenew stamp again, I know I have used it a lot recently - but hey ho I really like it.   I even used the same stamp to create the background panel, which I think is so pretty.  The embossed background is from Creative Expressions Dotted Daisies pin point folder, and the sentiment is from Honey Doo crafts. 
All of my wool has now arrived so I can start to crochet my throw. I have been doing some practice samples. I am going to do a chevron design. Well I had better go and make a start on it ... 

Have a great everyone  and thank you for stopping by.
I have entered this card in the following challenges:
Crafting from the heart # 194 ATG
Eclectic ellapu - ATG
Dragonfly dreams challenges - Flowers

Monday 5 February 2018

Flower Flourish

Hi all
How are you.. I hope you have had a good week. I cannot believe we are now in February.
I have been playing with the Honey Doo stamps I bought the other week from the craft show.
I stamped the  main image on to white card and then heat embossed it in white. I stamped the sentiment in black and heat embossed this too.  I then used 3 colours of oxides and applied them using smoothies across the card. I really like the oxides they blend so well together. I stamped the main image again in the same way but this time I cut the flowers out and shaped them and glued them on top of the base flowers. I added the Nuvo drops to the centre of the flowers. Another product that I have just bought and I really like .. so more of them will be  going on my wish list. 
I mounted it on to black card which really makes it pop. 
Well are you are ready for the cold weather we will be having this week. Our cats and  dogs would rather just stay inside and sleep - well I don't blame them I would if I was them.   I am hoping to give the dogs a bath this week- wish me well as I get as wet as what they do ...lol. 
I am still knitting the bonding square and this has now lead me back into crocheting - it must be 12 year plus since I have done this but I have ordered some yarn and I hope to start crocheting a throw very soon. Not sure how long it will take me to complete but I will post a picture when it is. 
Well I had better sign off now the other half is shouting at the football on the  TV ... 
I have entered this card in the following challenges 
Stamping Sensations #Feb Anything with Flowers
Dragonfly Dreams - Flowers
lil patch of crafty friends # 75 ATG


Monday 29 January 2018

Using Altenew stamps... again

Hi all

Still playing the the Tim Holtz platform with my stamps and  I must say I am loving it so far. 

Another card using my Altenew stamps. I am enjoying exploring all the different colour combination and this red one looks beautiful in real life.  I am keeping a list of the colours I have used once I decide I like a colour combo, as I know I will forget what I have used  lol.
On the embossed background I  added a some Frosted glitterbitz to the center of the embossed flowers but it was quite hard to catch this in the photographs.
I went to a craft show at Sandown Park on Saturday.. well what a busy show that was. Create & Craft were filming there and there were a lot more exhibitors there this time round. The last time I attended was about 2 years ago it was ok but quite limited. I was very good and didn't spend too much. I added to my TH oxide collection and bought a SW die and some stamps from Honey Doo.    
I hope you all have a great week, thank you for stopping by.
I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty friends challenge ATG
polkadoodle -week 4 ATG
Altenewblog #January-2018

Monday 22 January 2018

To Someone Extra Special

Hi all
I hope you all have had a good week. What a day yesterday with the weather I don't think it stopped raining all day.. plus we had snow.
For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive Tim Holtz stamping platform, and I have been having a play with it using my Altenew layering stamps.
This is the first card I created using the beautiful day stamp set.

 A very simple and clean card using a variety of purple inks. I added some glossy accents as pearl drops and the sentiment is from Phill Martins chalkboard collection.

Well I am another year older today... although I still feel 21 lol... 
Yesterday I celebrated with the family and we all went out for a lovely lunch. I met my friend for lunch today it was great to see her and catch up.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
MAWTT- # 63 CAS
Cardz 4 galz - # 63 anything but square
lil patch of crafty friends # 74 ATG
seize the birthday - ATG

Monday 15 January 2018

Playing with inks and stamps

Hi all
I had a play with with some inks and stamps and I then created this card for my friends birthday.

 I had die cut an oval and used the aperture to ink through with  Colour Cloud Frosty Aqua ink. 
I then used a Woodware script stamp that I had for a while but never used. I stamped it in a grey ink and then over-stamped this with a Kanban rose stamp in black archival. 
I created a frame for the rose image from Sue Wilson dies in black gloss card. 
 The background strip was made from the inner die from SW Jennifer die. I backed this with a piece of aqua card that had self adhesive on it which I then spread glitterbitz over. ( i am not sure if you can see the sparkle in the photos) I mounted this in to the embossed card which I completed with my pearl PVA glue
I hope every one is keeping well. The boiler has blown up at work so its freezing  - we have blowers and heaters but it is still cold. It is being replaced on Thursday and I have just seen the weather and its predicting SNOW !!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
allsorts challenge Week 450 - No Patterned Papers
lil patch of crafty friends CHALLENGE #73 ATG
brown sugar challenge #274 Birthday
QKR stampede Challenge #278 Anything Goes




Monday 8 January 2018

Weaving Card

Hi all
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. 
Here is my first card of the year using Sue Wilson Intermediate die, which I purchased just before Christmas.





This is my first attempt at using this die and I must say I am quite pleased with the result.
I framed the weave with SW noble die collection and made a flower with Spellbinders cinch and go flowers, which I then sugared in Glitterbitz. 
I was lucky enough to receive Tim Holtz stamping platform for Christmas - I have yet to use it, I hope to have some time at the weekend.
I have had my knitting needles out the last few weeks, which haven't seen the light of day for over 10 years lol.. my sister in law has me helping her knitting bonding squares for the local hospital. I must say I am really enjoying it and had forgotten how much like to knit. My daughter has already asked me to make a tea cosy for her..  Once it is completed I will show a picture of it.. but I have to start it first hopefully it will be this month.
I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafting from the Heart - #189 ATG
Allsorts -#449 Something New
Moving along with the times #62 Flowers
Dream valley challenge #170 ATG