2014 In Review

I've been meaning to do a review of 2014 and suddenly it's nearly February and I've missed the linky parties!  So in the spirit of New-ish Year, here's my year in review.

It's been a big year for me, blogwise.  In January I joined my first design team, STAMPlorations (woohoo!):

This card was my favourite from February:

In March I got to join the Craft Stamper Take It, Make It design team (yay!).  I won the Winnie & Walter Playdate challenge where the prize was to play the whole of the Third Release (heaven!), and I made my first (and probably only) video tutorial (on encaustic wax).

Oh, and I organised a linky party for Maria's 50th birthday ;)

In April I joined the design team at Seize The Birthday (whoop!), and started sloshing Distress Inks around.  It was hard to just pick one favourite!

May saw the Winnie & Walter release; lots more Distress Ink sloshing; stencilling, and a (successful) bid for a place on the Mixed Media Card Challenge (whee!):

I started playing with my new stamp-making machine in June (that was the start of something big!):

July was lovely and warm ;)

This card from August is the most-viewed card on my blog:

August was also the month of playing with Brusho:

September was poppies and watercolouring:

I was invited back to Winnie & Walter for their October release.  October also saw the start of my stamp range for STAMPlorations, The Bee's Knees.  How exciting was that?

In November I was well into making Christmas cards for design team commitments - in previous years I would only start them in November!

We're round to December - ho ho ho!

I've had the honour of being guest designer for regular challenges, and also been invited to a couple of special ones:  Loll's Twelve Tags of Christmas and A Sprinkle of Imagination.

It's been a special year, made so by all you lovely people!  I'm truly grateful for all my blog followers and I love reading your comments.  I've been really poor lately at getting round to everyone and commenting, but it's one of my New Year's "resolutions" to get better at that!

Here's to a fabulous 2015 everyone!

STAMPlorations Release Week - A Girl And Her Shoes

It's the final day of the STAMPlorations Release Week and we've got another fabulous set for you, called A Girl and Her Shoes:

Just look at all those fabulous heels!  I stamped my image onto a prepared background (shimmer mist and Brushos) and added some dotty ribbon.

Pop along to the STAMPlorations blog to see the fabulous creations from the rest of the Design Team, and don't forget to comment.  Here's a reminder of what's on offer:

Six (6) commenters randomly drawn from the Design Team's blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate, and one (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $30 gift certificate.

Come back on Sunday 1 February - we've got a new game for you!

Seize The Birthday - No Toppings

This is my second post of the day.  For the STAMPlorations release and blog hop, scroll down or click here.

It's time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and this time there are no toppings, just birthdays - easy peasy!

I inked one side of an embossing folder and ran white card through the Cuttlebug so that the colour transferred to the debossed areas, stamped the sentiment then added the burlap and rose ribbon which is attached to the burlap via a mini brad in the centre of each rose.

Have a look at the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team, then join in with your birthday creation!

STAMPlorations Release Week - Newlyweds Extras and Sentiment Builders: Love

It's Day 4 of STAMPlorations Release Week - what do you think of it so far?  Today we've got two sets for you, one of which I designed.  But first, we've got Sentiment Builders: Love:

I stamped the heart in Versamark and white-embossed, then sloshed some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink across, then added some highlights with Pickled Raspberry.  I added a swipe in either colour, then stamped the sentiment, then finished off with some splatters.  Chickenpox, anyone?

Here's the set that I designed for The Bee's Knees range, Newlyweds Extras, which complements yesterday's Newlyweds set.  I stamped some images in black and added shading with Black Soot Distress Ink (well watered down).  I stamped the background using the Sentiment Builders: Love set in Versafine Smoky Grey.

 

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see the fabulous cards from the rest of the Design Team and our guest designer, Laura Bassen.  Don't forget to comment on each of the Design Team's blogs and the STAMPlorations blog for chances to win.

Six (6) commenters randomly drawn from the Design Team's blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate, and one (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $30 gift certificate.

Pop back tomorrow for the final day of our release.

STAMPlorations Release Week - Newlyweds

Welcome to Day 3 of STAMPlorations week.  Today we're featuring another set in The Bee's Knees range, designed by moi, Newlyweds:

I stamped the couple onto spare white card, then stuck crumpled tissue paper on her dress, and used flowered tissue paper for the bouquet and his handkerchief.  I cut out the coloured flowers from the tissue paper, scrunched them up and stuck them on, then cut out the couple.  Allowing the tissue to overhang gives the impression of extra layers.

For the background panel, I sprayed gold shimmer mist through the ARTplorations Hearts All Over stencil.  It's actually two different shades combined because one of the bottles was clogged up and I didn't really like the shade of the other one, so I mixed them together.  Here's a close-up:

Don't forget to comment on the STAMPlorations blog, and on all of the Design Team's blogs for chances to win!

Six (6) commenters randomly drawn from the Design Team's blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate, and one (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $30 gift certificate.

See you tomorrow :)

STAMPlorations Release Week - Hashtag Authentic

It's Day 2 of STAMPlorations Spotlight week and today we're featuring Hashtag Authentic:

Look at that fabulous grungy font!  I teamed it with CityGirl.  That girl has the most amazing wardrobe of raincoats.  Today she's wearing her scribbly white raincoat (!).  But enough about her, let's talk about Hashtag Authentic: I love it, and I've already used it on loads of cards that I'll be sharing with you over the next few weeks.

Pop over to the STAMPlorations blog to see the fabulous creations from the rest of the Design Team, and our guest designer, the one and only Laura Bassen!  And don't forget to comment on our blogs as well as the STAMPlorations blog for more chances to win.

Six (6) commenters randomly drawn from the Design Team's blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate, and one (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $30 gift certificate.

Pop back tomorrow for more fabulousness!

STAMPlorations Stamp Release Week - Houses

It's Spotlight Week at STAMPlorations, and every day we'll be shining the spotlight on a fabulous set of stamps.

And we're starting off today with a set for The Bee's Knees range designed by moi: Houses

I've used the little cottage and given it a thatched roof.  I drew a fence, village green and pond with coloured markers, then scribbled over them with a 0.05 pen to define them.  I used one of the new ARTplorations stencils for the clouds.  Larkrise to Candleford, anyone?

ETA: the sentiment is from Sentiment Builders: Christmas & New Year

My teamies have created some fabulous cards with this set - I'm bursting with pride!  Not only that, but we have none other than Laura Bassen guesting designing for us.  With. My. Stamps.  Someone. Pinch. Me.

Go and check out what they've made, and leave comments at each blog for your chance to win.  Six (6) commenters randomly drawn from the Design Team's blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate, and one (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $30 gift certificate.  Get commenting!!

Mwah!

Been playing with my new STAMPlorations toys: ARTplorations stencils.  This one is called Hello & Company.  I used Worn Lipstick (of course!) to stencil the lips and the You, then stamped 'love' from Sentiment Builders: Love set which is being showcased next week on the STAMPlorations Release Week (prizes to be had!).

I'm entering this into CAS on Sunday Stencils

The Card Concept, Love (I'm being clean and simple today)

Fusion

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Heave a Heart

Time Out, Valentine's

And Uniko Studio, Love and Friendship

Phew, bit of a marathon!

If you've got to the end of this, you deserve a prize!  And if you're lucky you could win one on the Craft Stamper Blog Hop - only 4 days left to comment.  And for a mega-humungous prize, how about entering a stamped card into the Craft Stamper Take It, Make It challenge?  Again, you've got 4 days left to enter....

Love Hearts

STAMPlorations is sponsoring the new challenge at Time Out where the theme is Valentine's Day with the optional twist of hearts.  To coincide with the Time Out post, the design team at STAMPlorations have got together with some inspiration for you.  Add your card to the Time Out challenge for a chance to win a $15 STAMPlorations gift certificate, and leave a comment on the STAMPlorations post for a chance to win an ARTplorations stencil pack.

I stamped the Distressed Damask Background in Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick and Pickled Raspberry, spritzed lightly and stamped onto white card.  I gradation between the Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick wasn't smooth enough so I placed my gold cord strategically to define the break more. I stamped the hearts and love in black and fussy cut them, threading them through the gold cord, then mounted the panel onto black card.

I'm entering my card into The Card Concept Love (clean and graphic?)

Fusion Two Hearts

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Have a Heart

and I'm also linking it to Time Out Valentine's.

ETA:  I'm also adding it to Inkspirational where the theme is Ombré

and Uniko Studio - Love and Friendship

Thanks for the prompts, Sandie!

Baby Bunting and Some Reminders

Popping in with a card that I was asked to make for a new baby called Rose.  I stamped and coloured the matinee jacket and fussy cut it, then rummaged in my stash for the wire coat hanger.  While rummaging I found the letter discs which have been in my stash forever.  One of my New Year's resolutions is "Don't Hoard It - USE IT!", so I'm using it.

I've used a layer of tissue paper behind the stamped lace panel, and threaded the letters onto cord, finishing off with two lace roses.

I'm entering this into Papertake Weekly Get In Shape (use 3 or more different shapes on your card - square, circle, flower, hanger, jacket)

and Inspiration Emporium Fresh Start.

A few reminders for you:

You've still got a few days left to enter the Mixed Media Card Challenge, where the theme is NEW with an optional element of tissue.

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Challenge has got a fabulous prize package for the January challenge: Take A Stamp.

There's also a blog hop with 12 chances to win a substrate package AND some original artwork from the design team.