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Thank you for visiting. Please join me and also visit my Splitcoast gallery which can be found here

Monday 30 September 2013

FOSTV92 - Favourite Colours

I had to think hard about this challenge as I actually have quite a few favourite colour combinations and at this time of the year the autumn colours always "call to me".  I decided though to go with colours that I really feel are my favourites - bright girly colours of pinks, purples and turquoise blue.  The card I ended up with is all sparkly too as I used a watercolour paper and coloured with Twinkling H2Os.  I know Gladiolas are probably not found in these colours but I have used some creative licence! 


Now that you have seen my favourites why not hop over to this weeks FOSTV challenge and post a card showing yours.  There is a small stamp set on offer - just right for your Halloween creations.

The Marks Finest Papers set I have used is called Glad Glads and each flower was embossed with a different colour embossing powder prior to colouring.  The middle flower was masked.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog, please come back soon and please check out the FOSTV challenge.  We would love some new players.

Saturday 28 September 2013

Nephews aka Grandsons to my Mum

Hello sorry I have been so quiet.  Been busy with "real life" so not had so much time to play or indeed much mojo.  Had to get creating today as Mum needs cards for my nephews - two birthdays fast approaching.  Both are digital images and the second one is actually pre-coloured - I know it is cheating but as I also need cards for two other boys this was a quick option and I actually liked the look.  The first one was coloured with Copics.

If  you need a challenge our FOSTV animal challenge is open until tomorrow afternoon and we would love new players.  You can find it here.



Thanks for looking and have a great weekend.
Janine

Monday 23 September 2013

FOSTV91 - Animals

This week's challenge at Friends of Speedy TV is to use an animal.  Now the problem was what animal to choose - my selection of Marks Finest Papers stamps include quite a few animals.  Neither of my cards turned out as planned but I think they are both OK. 

My first card is inspired by South Africa and the elephants.  I used the set called Wild and Free on this one.


My second card is inspired by one Michelle Zindorf did some time ago but is nowhere near as good.  I used 3 stamps sets on this one North American Woods,Buffalo Spring,Marsh Silhouettes.

I did not get enough embossing powder on when I added the blue ink so the wolf got a little spoilt. 

I left sentiments off both cards as I am unsure where they will go and for what occasions.

If you find some time this week please pull out your animal stamps and join our challenge.  You will find it as challenge 91 on this page

Monday 16 September 2013

FOSTV90 - Decorated Corners

Another Monday, another new week and it is it time to decorate the corners!  I seem to have spent the whole weekend dealing with corners but more about that below.  First I need to share with you my card for Friends of Speedy TV challenge 90 which is to make a card with decorated corners.  They can be decorated in any way you like, but I chose to stamp mine and then add the poinsettias. You might want to check out what the others in the FOSTV team did with their corners too.

I started the card by spongeing with distress inks - Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint.  I then stamped the fern from Joyous Season in Peeled Paint and Pine Needles.  The centre Poinsettia is from Poinsettia Blooms and the small corners ones are from Christmas Selections - they were separately stamped, coloured with Copics, cut out and added.   The sentiment is from Poinsetttia Blooms and I used a Spellbinders die for this.


The card was completed amongst an awful lot of clearing and cleaning so I have checked corners of rooms, cupboards and appliances!  It was a physically and emotionally exhausting weekend.  We have been doing the clear and clean of my Mother in Law's house as it is has sold.  It has been empty since November when she went into a care home and we needed to sell it in order for there to be enough funds to keep her there and well looked after.  She has dementia so there was a lot of cleaning to do and in shifting things we found all sorts of odd bits - sadly no treasure!  We scrubbed, polished and cleaned and hopefully the new owners will be happy there.  The house belonged to Dave's grandparents and his Dad lived there from a baby so quite a lot of history.  We hired a carpet cleaner to use as part of the process so I need to find the strength this week for some others - 2 or 3 here and at least one for my Mum. 

Hope you all have a great week and get your corners sorted! The FOSTV challenge can be found here as challenge 90 from about 14:00 UK time on Monday.

Friday 13 September 2013

MFP September Blog Hop - Day 4 - Tailgate Party


Sept. Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are
Featured Sept 10 - Koi Fish 
Featured Sept 11 - Primitive Farm
Featured Sept 12 - What a Scream
Featured Sept 13 - Tailgate Party
Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on Sept. 14, 2013 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday Sept. 13, 2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is: "Holiday Tag"
The mini stamp set we have for you this month is:
"Nature's Brushstrokes"


Today's set is called Tailgate Party.  We don't have enough land near sporting events to tailgate so I don't know of anywhere in the UK that it happens.  We did have a tailgate BBQ though once with our friends when they lived near San Francisco when we went to watch Stanford Football.

My cards today are for men in the family whose Birthdays are soon.  Football in the UK is soccer so I added the extra ball to my second card!



I also have one further card made with the Nature's Brushstrokes set which I love with a sentiment from Birthday Mini

Thanks for visiting this week - I hope you have enjoyed the hop.  See you again soon and don't forget to check out my other team member's work.
 
Here's the Design Team:

Thursday 12 September 2013

MFP September Blog Hop - Day 3 - What a Scream


Sept. Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Featured Sept 10 - Koi Fish 
Featured Sept 11 - Primitive Farm
Featured Sept 12 - What a Scream
Featured Sept 13 - Tailgate Party
 
Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on Sept. 14, 2013 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday Sept. 13, 2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is: "Holiday Tag"
 
The mini stamp set we have for you this month is:
"Nature's Brushstrokes"
 

 
Many of you know I don't really celebrate Halloween but I do have a friend with a Birthday on 31st October and having recently "won" these cute little gravestones from Bibiana who works with Memory Box I just had to make these cards.  I think the little ghost with the pumpkin is so cute in today's set.  I also used the bats from MFP Halloween Selections.

This first card is for a Birthday and uses a sentiment from Birthday Mini.

This one uses the Memory Box die I won and I also used the icicles from Ice and Snow


This last one uses the cat from the set to make a simple Birthday card.  I used a Spellbinders die and threaded with ribbon.  I used Memento inks for the sentiments which are from the set called What a Fox.
Here's the Design Team so you can check out all the creations:
Janine (you are here)
An'Jenic (go here next)

Wednesday 11 September 2013

MFP September Blog Hop - Day 2 - Primitive Farm

Thinking of you all - stay safe and love your neigbours.
Sept. Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Featured Sept 10 - Koi Fish 
Featured Sept 11 - Primitive Farm
Featured Sept 12 - What a Scream
Featured Sept 13 - Tailgate Party
Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on Sept. 14, 2013 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday Sept. 13, 2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is: "Holiday Tag"
The mini stamp set we have for you this month is:
"Nature's Brushstrokes"


Today's Primitive Farm set has such a cute house and tree in it so it is those elements I have used on my projects.

My first simple card uses the tree with Memento inks sponged and then stamped.  The decorative corner element is made from a Spellbinders Die


My second card uses the cute house again with Memento inks.  The paper strip is Basic Grey (been in my stash a while) and the stripes beside it were done with Memento pens - my Sakura ones were playing hard  ball. The birds are from Scenic Selections.


 My last item is some Christmas tags with rather a lot of added Stickles - air travel doesn't agree with it!  I used the Holiday Tag set with the tree and a Spellbinders die. I haven't added ribbon yet as I am unsure whether to punch the tag and add it there or use the hole in the die shape. I put a punched white tag on the back to write on.

 
Thanks so much for coming by.
Here's the Design Team:





Tuesday 10 September 2013

MFP September Blog Hop - Day 1 - Koi Fish


Sept. Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are
Featured Sept 10 - Koi Fish 
Featured Sept 11 - Primitive Farm
Featured Sept 12 - What a Scream
Featured Sept 13 - Tailgate Party
Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All four winners will be announced on Sept. 14, 2013 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) The deadline for commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday Sept. 13, 2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is: "Holiday Tag"
The mini stamp set we have for you this month is:
"Nature's Brushstrokes"


My first card today uses the new set and also the lovely dragonflies set from MFP.  Images were coloured with Prismacolor pencils and Zest.  Inks are from Memento and some silver embossing powder was added to the dragonflies.  We saw some beauties whizzing around at Trillion Lake near Mount Hood so I wanted to add some to my card.


My second card is a Joy Fold (reversed!) with the flower from Lotus Blossoms as the "closure element" which was coloured with Copics.  Memento inks were used and the papers are from Papermania.


My last card uses the Nature's Brushstrokes, the mini set this month, simply with Versamark and Perfect Pearls and then two corners punched with a lovely punch I suddenly remembered I had.

 
Here's the Design Team:




Monday 9 September 2013

September Blog Hop starts tomorrow!

September Blog Hop starts tomorrow! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

Featured Sept 10 - Koi Fish 
Featured Sept 11 - Primitive Farm
Featured Sept 12 - What a Scream
Featured Sept 13 - Tailgate Party
 
The blog hop starts tomorrow so please come back then to check out all the new sets, the design team members use of them and chances to win new sets.  Some members will be showing the extra sets today so I have links below in case you want to check them out.


 The special stamp set we have for you this month is: "Holiday Tag"
 
The mini stamp set we have for you this month is: "Nature's Brushstrokes"
 
 
As many of you know we have been on our travels - San Francisco for a wedding, Redding, Crater Lake, Bend, Mount Hood, Lincoln City, Smith River, Fort Bragg and then back home. We have seen some lovely sights, had some fun and driven a lot.  Crafting on route wasn't as easy as I had hoped so my first full day at home was spent doing laundry and trying to get my blog hop cards done.  I had some images stamped and some coloured ready but it has been a bit of a rush.  I hope you like what you see over the next few days but please visit the rest of the team for some great work with the new sets each day this week.
Today I have some projects using Holiday Tags and one for Nature's Brushstrokes - the pretty mini set released this month.  I have some others for the mini later in the week.





 

Here's the Design Team:





Friends of Speedy TV Challenge 89 - Masculine Card

Another new week, another FOSTV challenge and this week I know some of you will be challenged as this week we are making Masculine cards.  Marks Finest Papers have some nice masculine stamps and I used some fishing related sets for my card.


The main panel uses Gelatos and an image from the set called Get Reel.  On the base card I used the sets called Oh Crab and On The Fly.

Please join in our challenge and have a great week.

Thursday 5 September 2013

September sets preview and holiday creativity.

As most of you know by now we are enjoying some time in the USA as we travelled over for a wedding.  Last night and tonight we are staying at a place called Casa Rubio which is located just into California if you are coming from Oregon at a place called Smith River.  It is right on the beach and this morning before the fog descended we had some lovely views of the ocean.  Instead of a guest book people leave notes on pieces of driftwood and pebbles.  As I have my new Marks Finest Papers sets with me I decided to try my hand at some real mixed media and rather freehand stamping.  I had so much ink on my fingers and knees sitting out on the deck trying to create these (sorry about the photo clarity - haven't found out how to do closeups with this camera!).  I don't have my current MFP watermark with me so I used an old one on one of the pictures.
The ink soaks into the stone so I need to do more with this before we leave in the morning.






Just so you can share the beauty of this place - here is the view through their garden down to the beach. The hummingbirds just love all their fuschias.


Thanks for looking and hope you are having a great week.

Monday 2 September 2013

Friends of Speedy TV Challenge 88 - Frame It!

Frame It!  That is what we are challenged with this week at FOSTV. 

I wasn't sure how to tackle this challenge but I found this pink piece in my stash which I decided would frame an image.  I then decided to cut a frame for my sentiment too. The image is from Holly Jolly Greetings and the sentiment is from Poinsettia Blooms.  Please head over to the FOSTV challenge page and check out challenge 88 - we would love to see your creations.

Another Christmas card for CCC13 but I could not keep to all pink!

Sunday 1 September 2013

A Few Holiday Photos

Another non crafting post showing you a few places we have been in recent days.  We have been blessed to see such wonderful places and such beauty.

San Francisco





Mount Shasta

Crater Lake
So deep and so blue

Cabins we stayed in
Mount Hood