Jayne Nesterenko Workshop - Project 1

Good evening fellow crafters and followers.  Hope you are all well.
Well was Sunday a brilliant day or what?  I and my friend Wendy went to Rugby to Jayne Nesterenko's workshop and we have a brilliant and fantastic time.  Mind you this is not my first and all of them have been brilliant and well worth it.
This time was even better for me because as I said earlier my friend Wendy came with me.  I usually have to go alone because none of my friends who live close are crafters.  Wendy is a cross stitcher and we met through work some 7 years ago, although she has moved on to pastures new we have always kept in touch.  You know when you meet someone and you just click - well that is Wendy and I. 
For about 5 years we have attended the NEC Hobbycraft show and Wendy has stuck to her cross stitch until that is last November when she asked what she needed to begin stamping.  She bought the basics and started practising then I asked if she wanted to accompany me to Jaynes and to my surprise she said yes. 
I tell you folks I had so much fun just watching the wonder on Wendy's face as she learnt how to emboss, distress, diecut etc etc.  Jayne was absolutely wonderful, as usual, and gave her some private tuition on embossing.  Helene gave a wonderful mini workshop on distressing in a 'braying' fashion.  We both finished our two projects and Wendy's enjoyment was there for all to see.  She sat with a large smile on her face at the end of the day and turned to me to say, 'I now know why you get so engrossed and lost in this'.  
I always enjoy Jayne's workshop but this time was extra special. 
Oh I forgot to mention the card - this was one of the projects there will be another one tomorrow.
Hope you are still awake after my essay and thankyou for stopping by. Take care.

Edwin Riding

Good day crafters, hope you are all well.
My card for today is a Magnolia stamp coloured in with a mixture of copics and spectrum noirs.  Some matting and laying has gone on and then I have finished it off with some buttons and a sentiment which is unusual for me as I do not normally put sentiments on the front of my cards unless they are specific orders.
I do hope you like this and thanks for stopping by and checking me out.  All comments are welcome.  See you all soon.

Shopping Galore

Hi folks, it's Sunday again which means the weekend is almost over - yuck.
If you are reading this then my scheduling has worked as I will be at Jayne Nesterenkos workshop having a brilliant time.  I usually go on my own as my crafting chums are on skype but this time my friend Wendy will be with me  which is great.  Wendy is a cross stitcher but I have eventually got her interested in stamping - she has only just began but it great to have someone to go to workshops etc with.  She bought her starter pack essentials and some stamps at the NEC in November and is progressing really well.  She will learn loads today with Jayne who is so patient and knowledgeable. 
Right onto this card - it was made for my mate Sheila's 2nd challenge which she is running.  The challenge is a sketch so why not pop along to her blog and have a go.  The prize is a £10 voucher courtesy of Joanna Sheen and remember, you have to be in it to win it, so the best of luck.
Speak soon and thank you for stopping by.  Take care.

Clematis

Hello crafters and followers, hope your Saturday has been a good one.  Sorry for posting later today but I went to my sister-in-laws today to see her new cottage.  Her and my brother-in-law bought the land, and rebuilt the cottage - it really is lovely and in a gorgeous little village.
Well, today's card is another simple layout.  I started with an A5 white card, put some lemon backing paper on and then embossed some white paper.  The topper is a stamp is, I think, from Circa Design, and it has been watercoloured with whisper pens.  Distressed around the edges very lightly.  The sentiment is stamped and embossed onto  another spellbinders die.  I do hope you like it and thank you stopping by and viewing my blog.  Any comments are always welcome.  You take care and see you soon.

Enya in her Dress

Hello crafters and followers hope you are enjoying the sun at the moment.  Today I have posted another scrapbook page.   My poor girl is not actually in a dress but she is in a t'shirt of her dads.  I don't normally dress my dogs up but she had been spayed and had quite a few stitches in her tummy which we had to stop her licking.  The t'shirt worked a treat and everything healed up beautifully.  She was really not amused when we first put it on her but by day 3 she had got used to it and she was holding her paws up to go into the arm holes bless her.  Needless to say she is extremely well now as this was back in April 2011.  This page was created in Serif Craft Artist of which I am now officially addicted too as you may have guessed but my card displays.  Hope you like this page.  Thank you for stopping by and thank you all for your lovely comments on all of my cards and pages I really do appreciate the time you take to leave the comments.  You all take care and I will see you soon.

Flower Girl

Hello crafters, how are you all today?  Gosh these Thursday's do come around quick - get today over and I am into another weekend - yippee.
Today's card is another one I designed from the project papers with Sheila and Kathy.  This time I used the other two papers Sheila chose and another layout.  As you will see I have also been playing with my nesties and other die cuts and thought I would mix and match in this card.  The image is a digi stamp but I'm afraid I can't remember whose as it is one I have had for a while, so sorry.
Well hope you like this one and thanks for stopping by.  Take care and see you soon.

Chloe

Hello crafters.  Hope you are all well.  As it is Wednesday and I am at work I am keeping my fingers crossed that my scheduling has worked and you are looking at this card!
This is Chloe, another sweet little girl from Patchwork Polly stamp range from Jayne Nesterenko.  I think this one is possibly my favourite.  The backing paper I made using  a screwed up polythene bag to stamp onto white card with distress inks - peeled paint.  You can tell I have been watching Aly from Stamps Away can't you.  Hope you like it.  Thank you for looking at my blog and you take care.

Diva Babe

Hello fellow crafters and followers, hope you are all well today.
Tuesday is usually my day off and I usually can be found crafting with my Skype chums Kathy and Sheila. (sheila's blog link if you would like to view her project card).  You can see Kathy's card here. Today was no exception and today we had decided to do a project together.  Sheila chose three backing papers and two layouts.  This card is my first.  The image is from Saturated Canary stable and was a freebie, isn't she lovely.  A definite little Diva.
I started with a C5 plain white card, did some matting and layering with navy card and then one of the backing papers Sheila has chosen.  Because I have taken this card into Serif Craft Artist to display it you cannot actually see the navy.  I then coloured my digi stamp with a mixture of spectrum noirs and copics, die cut it and inked around the edges with antique linen distress ink.  I then matted that onto some more navy card.  The brick wall behind is a piece of white card, embossed with a brick embossing folder but I also inked the raised side with Fired Brick distress ink, placed my die cut card in and embossed.  I matted that onto some more navy card.  I am really pleased with the effect.  I then finished it all off with some gems, flourishs and a diva stamp onto another little die cut.  I do hope you like it.  Thank you for stopping by and viewing my blog.  You take care and see you soon.

Enya's Scrapbook Page 2

Hello folks.  Hope you are having a good Monday.  Well as good as any Monday can be.
Today I thought I would post page 2 of Enya's scrapbook.  This is also my 2nd scrapbook page in Serif Craft Artist.
This photo was taken in some woods nearby the Clent Hills and it was the first December after she had come to live with us.  She had started to settle down really well and she had a brilliant time investigating all the smells etc in these woods plus falling off a small bridge into a small stream so, although you probably can't see it in this photo, she was actually filthy but happy.
Thanks for stopping by and you take care.

Birthday Girl

Hello folks, hope you are enjoying your Sunday.  I must admit I am in shock a little, the weather is absolutely brilliant here.  I was beginning to forget what the sun looked like!
Hope you are having good weather too.
Today's card is one I made last year when the Humphrey stamps were launched.   This is a simple design and you will notice with no flourishes etc but I did put some gems on which is good considering I am a complete scrooge where gems are concerned is good for me - hee hee.  Little birthday girl here was coloured in with spectrum noirs.  I had just received my spectrums at that time so I was concentrating on the colouring side of this one.  Hope I got it right.  I do hope you like her.  Thank you for taking the time to drop by and you take care.

Polly in the Summer

Good afternoon crafters.  Hope your Saturday is good and the weather is good too for you.
Today's card is from Jayne Nesterenko's range of Patchwork Polly stamps.  There are 6 little girls in the range with all the usual embellishments and some gorgeous squares.  This little lady is Polly, she has been stamped and embossed then coloured in with a mixture of spectrum noirs and copics.  I started with a C5 card, put some backing paper I had from my crafty stash although you may not be able to see that as I have take this card in Serif Craft Artist to display.  I then embossed some paper with m-bossibilites folder but I inked the inside of the folder first and then embossed.  I finished it off by distresssing around the edges - the distress ink I used was squeezed lemonade.  I then diecut a piece of the backing paper and the stamped image with spellbinders.  The flourish is a cheery lynn one and I cut it out twice once with plain white and once with blue/purple glitter card and layered those up.  I have to entererd this card into Jayne's challenge on her blog - Brighten My Day.  Hope like little Polly and I hope she brightens your day.  Thank you for stopping by and looking. Take care.

Introducing Enya

Good evening fellow crafters.  I have been blogging for a couple of months now and if you have been following me or just popping in to have a look you will have realised I am a card maker and stamper first and foremost however, I have really enjoyed taking my cards into the Craft Artist Professional so I decided to follow some advice given to me by one of my chums which was to start a scrapbook so here is my very first page.
I have done a couple before but they have been solely handmade and small - 6x6.  Plus they were for someone else. Enya's breeder actually.  I have also designed a couple of christmas cards too which I will put on here nearer the time.
Enya is our briard and she will soon be 5 years old.  She came to us at 3 yrs as a rehome and she is our 2nd briard.  Our first one was also a rehome, Stroller, but sadly he only lived with us just over 2 years and passed away at the ripe old age of 10yrs old. 
Stroller left such a big gap in our lives we got in touch with his breeder about a puppy.  He had a litter due which was going to be ready in the September 2010.  When we visited them to meet the puppy, in August, Enya took one look at me, jumped up, put her paws on my shoulder and proceeded to give me a really good wash.  Well the rest is history - she had completely won me over hadn't she.  She then took one look at Rob, my husband and decided she had better get him wrapped around her paw.  Needless to say we came home with her instead of the puppy.  She couldn't have anymore pups because she had had an emergency cescarian and had not been very well at all after that.  Turns out she would always have to have one of those so to carry on breeding from her would have been completely irresponsible so she decided to come home with us and luckily her breeder thought it would be a good idea too. He is, luckily for us, a very responsible breeder who considers his dogs first and foremost. We had to wait until she was back to good health and a good weight but she joined our family on the 8th September 2010.  She now rules the roost completely.  And she is absolutely gorgeous and my baby girl.
Sorry about the essay and I do hope you like my very first scrapbook page.  There will be more in due course but without the long essay, I promise.  Thanks for looking at my blog.  You take care.

Clematis Galore

Good day to all you lovely fellow crafters.  If you are working hope you are not working too hard and if you are crafting I hope you are having a brilliant time.
Well it's Friday and my weekend has begun.  Hairdressers this morning with mom, lunch out with hubby and now it is time for weekend crafting with me chums on Skype.  Only one of me chums this afternoon as it's Kathy's birthday today so she will be enjoying her day with her family.  Happy Birthday Kathy.
Well, down to my card of  choice today.  It is a little C6 one.  I am hoping to do my first craft fayre in the new year so I thought I had better do some smaller cards for choice.  The backing paper is some I had in my crafty stash - a left over I think.  C6 cards are really good for using those leftover bits of backing paper.  The image is stamped and embossed with versafine green ink.  I have then coloured it in with my spectrum noirs.  Four little gems on the corners as a finishing touch and also I distressed around the edge of the diecut with antique linen distress inks.  Hope you like it and thank you for stopping by and taking a gander.  Take care.

Shall we Share?

Good day on this Thursday morning.  At least I hope this has been posted on Thursday.  Another working day - roll on tomorrow when my weekend starts.  Hopefully the weather will be less wet too.
Today's card is one I again made last year and the image is from one of the first set of Humphrey Corner range from Crafters Companion.  This one is watercoloured - I was into my whisper pens big time last year.  The background was embossed and then distressed with distress inks.  The flower is a marianne die and the flourish is, if I remember rightly, a sizzix one.  I do hope you like it.  Thank you stopping by.  You take care.

Dolly Gardening

Good day to you all.  Hope you are all well?
Wednesday is one of my working days so hopefully the scheduling has worked fine today.
This card is one I made last year, I think my style has changed slightly now - ofcourse if could be that I just have more crafty stash!  Anyway the image is watercoloured with whisper pens and she is a Faye Whittaker stamp from Joanna Sheen.  The backing paper is also from a Joanna Sheen CD rom but I cannot remember which one - sos.  The flower is marianne dies and then sprayed with glitter spray from crafters companion.  Lovely stuff but make sure you do it by an open window because it does smell something terrible but the effects are worth it.  Hope you like.  Thank you for stopping by and looking. Take care.

With Love

Hello all.  Hope you are all well.  Today's card is another simple little card.  The card has been taken into craft artist to display - yes I am officially addicted now to that programme.
The flower is a stamp from a company called 'Stamps by Chloe' and is quite biggish stamp.  This one was coloured in with spectrum noirs and I have decoupaged the actual head.
Hope you like it and thank you for stopping by.  Take care and see you soon.

Charley Sitting

Hiya crafters,  hope you are all well.  Today's card is not a christmas card but I would call it an 'autumn going in to winter' card because that's what the weather feels like at the moment.
This lovely little lady is a digi stamp from Cuddly Buddly. She has been coloured in with copics and spectrum noirs.  The backing paper was a freebie from the Making Cards mag.  The embossed strip is from crafters companion and is actually an A4 strip.  the embellishments are spellbinders and marianne dies. 
You may have guessed I have taken this into craft artist too.  Hope you like it and take care.  Thanks for stopping by.

Thinking

Hello fellow crafters.  Hope you are all well and enjoying your crafting.  Today's card features a stamped image from the Paintbox Poppets range from crafters companion.  Little Tommy here was stamped onto watercoloured card as I fully intended on colouring him in but he looked so right as he was I left him.  (he just looks like a Tommy)  
As you can see I have been playing with my serif too - I think I am getting seriously hooked on that programme!
Well folks, enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I do hope you like this card.  Thank you for looking at my blog and you take care.

Coffee For One

Hello folks.  Hope you are all well.  I won't be writing an essay today - this card was made sometime ago and was actually a mothers day card.  The stamp is from Wild Rose Studio.  I was coloured in with spectrum noirs and was stamped onto clarity card.   The diecut is a spellbinders nestie and the flourish is is a cheery lynn die I think.  Hope you like and thank you for taking the time to view my blog.  Take care.

You're In My Thoughts

Hi crafters, hope you are all well today.  Well I did say I would be doing my crafting today and here is my first card of the day.  The layout was based around a Sue Wilson card but where Sue used stamps I have used diecuts.  Hope Sue doesn't mind me poaching her layout!
Well I had better go off for my tea now. Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Wishing you Well

Hello crafters.  Hopefully this has been posted whilst I am working hard on a workshop in Manchester.  Be back tonight and will be seriously crafting tomorrow.
I know I have mentioned before that I craft with a couple of chums on skype and quite often we each pick a project.  This was one of those projects and the backing papers were actually freebies from crafters companion member website.  The diecuts are from Xcut.  The ribbon border is a marianne as are the flowers.  The leaves are the same as I used yesterday.  Not sure where the stamp was from but it was from a set.  Hope you like it.  Happy crafting and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Dream House

Good day fellow crafters.  Hope you are all well and enjoying your crafting today.  I envy you all because I am at work today so cannot craft and as I am in Manchester working I can't craft tonight either so folks - craft for me too!
Today's card was actually made for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law when they moved into their new cottage however, this stamp, which is a Pilkington Lane one, seems so idylic when I saw it I just had to have it.  I actually live on the outskirts of a city and it is my dream to have enough money to move to the country and this house seems ideal.  I stamped in on watercolour card and the watercoloured it with my whisper pens.  The dark purple circle is co-ordinations card, embossed and sanded a little.  The leaves are spellbinders and are absolutely gorgeous and so useful they are from the Damask Accents. The flower is a marianne die.  Leaves and flowers have been inked with distress inks.  So I will go back to my dreaming and I hope you like this card.  Enjoy your crafting and see you soon. This scheduling is a wonderful thing isn't it?

Sweet As Candy

Hi fellow crafters.  Oh dear am I in trouble now.  I haven't made a card all weekend.  So what have I been doing you may ask yourselves - playing with the Serif Craft Artist Professional programme- that's what.  I make my mom's christmas cards every year and as you all know christmas is a busy time for us crafters what with my cards, my moms cards and any orders.  Plus mom said she wanted to keep the postage down this year on her cards so I decided to have a major play and I completed her card for this year - a sample of which you will see later on in the year - yes I know I am teasing.  Ofcourse her special cards will still be 'proper handmade' but her regular ones will have been designed by me on the serif craft artist and all printed out.  Well after all of that it is a good job I have made lots of cards this year so far otherwise my blog would be a little slim on the old cards!!!!!
Today's card is also being presented in the craft artist format.  The image is a stamped one and is from Sugar Nellie stable - I have used her a few times for orders as I think she is so cute especially for young girls.  She is coloured in with copics and spectrum noirs.  The embossed cream backing is an m-bossibilites folder.  The flowers and leaves are all marianne dies. I do hope you like today's card and do take care - happy crafting.  Thanks for looking.

Make a Wish

Hi fellow crafters.  Hope you are all well.  This weekend I have been playing with Serif's Craft Artist Professional.  I bought this from create & craft when it was a member price of £2.99.  Have to admit I probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise.  Well, I am seriously glad I did buy it now.  I only have a basic photo editing programme on my PC and it has been playing up for some reason so it will only let me upload my photos but it will not let me crop etc so I upload with that then go into craft artist to edit.  Well today I decided that as I had recently purchased some digikits from c&c I had better start using it, plus I felt I could do better to display my cards.  Well hopefully you will agree because since Friday I have produced my display in craft artist professional. 
The card is a 6x6 white card and the backing paper was from a crafters companion cd rom.  The image as you will have guessed is from crafters companion Humphrey's Corners range and coloured in with spectrum noir pens and inked around the die cut with distress inks.  The flowers and leaves are spellbinders.  Hope you like it and take care. 

Humphrey's Wedding

Good afternoon fellow crafters.  Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday.
I have gone all 'weddony' today as you can see.  Don't ask me why, it's twenty odd years since my wedding day, but I just felt like making a wedding card. 
I started with a C5 white card, matted some more white card on but before I did that I pricked it around the edges, a tip I picked up from the talented Sue Wilson.  I then took another piece of white card, and embossed it with my m-bossibilites after I inked the inside of the m-bossibilites so you get a hit of spun sugar distress ink in the actual embossing and then I distressed the edges with some more spun sugar.  The topped is from the Humphrey Corner range as you can see and it is coloured in with spectrum noirs, cut out and matted onto a die cut hexagonal scalloped shape which has again been distressed around the edges.  That was matted onto a large hexagonal scalloped pink die cut.  The flower is the spellbinders astor with more spun sugar distress inks.  The leaves are marianne dies, both have been cut twice once in pink and one in white and layered.  I do hope you like it.  Take care and thanks for looking.

Hugs For You



Hi, how are you all today?  I have gone all 'humphrey' today with an image from Humphrey's Corner.  The stamp is called 'Hugs for You' and is from Crafters Companion.  It is my usual 6x6 but I used co-ordinations whitewash card as a backing, embossed it and sanded it down - lovely card that is and has some real texture to it when embossed.  My image is coloured in with spectrum noirs, diecut and inked around the edges with distress inks.  I know, boring now, but I do like the effect!

The flowers and leaves are spellbinders.  The leaves were coloured with spectrums and the flowers were inked with distress inks and the finishing touch was card candi.  I do hope you like and thanks for stopping by.

Wee Fairy

Hi fellow crafters.  Well this Friday is a good day to craft me thinks. Dull, raining and miserable outside.  Hopefully this card will cheer up anyone who needs it- a little anyway.  The layout is quite a simple layout and this time I did find my glitter card - well she is a fairy after all.  The image is a stamp I had as a freebie from Papercraft Essentials magazine issue 82.  This was just one of the images together with the sentiment.   The magazine was quite good too but I have to admit I did buy it solely for the stamps which are from Whimsy Stamps.  She has been coloured in solely with copics.  Diecut with a spellbinders die and inked around the edge with shabby shutters distress ink.  The flourishes are from marianne dies.  She is lovely to colour and I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it.  Take care and see you soon.

Indian Chief

Hello crafters, how are you all today. 
Been very busy at work today still catching up from two weeks off. Still after today my weekend starts again.  These weekends come around very quickly, which in one way is good but then you stop and realise how quickly time is going and I still have sooooooooo much crafting yet to do.
This card I made earlier this year for my husband's birthday - 62 years old - I keep reminding him I am married to an 'almost' old age pensioner!  As you can see the layout is quite simple and I am so sorry but I cannot remember where the backing paper came from.  The Indian Chief is a stamp from creative expressions as is the dream catcher.  I stamped and embossed the image and coloured it in with Spectrum Noirs.  The border is actually a martha stewart punch which I keep forgetting I have. 
I know, you may be saying, Kandy you obviously have too much craft stuff and you would be right but what the heck - you can't take it with you can you so I may as well spend it.  Probably why I will never be rich - hee hee.
Well I hope you enjoy this card as much as my hubby did.  I also put a photo of our briard baby Enya on the looseleaf which he also liked.  (Enya is a dog for those of you who are not sure what a Briard is). Thanks for stopping by and you take care.

The Snowman

Hi crafters. 

These will be my two only Christmas Cards until at least October, I promise, but as The Snowman is a POTD on Create & Craft I thought it would be ideal.

Both images were from the stamp set which was a DL rubber stamp set.  The CD Rom had loads of decoupage on and beautiful christmas papers plus snowman scenes which were perfect for quick cards or batch making.
Hope you like these two samples.  Take care and thank you for stopping by.

Forever Friends

Hi, you can tell it's my day off can't you, two cards in one day. This card is one I made on this afternoon whilst crafting with my chums on skype and it will be on Craft Creations as a sample for Sheila's blog challenge.
The stamp is from a set I bought called Wellington and is from Do Crafts.  I think I am addicted to buying stamps.  I completely forgot I had bought this set, either that or I need to start keeping my craft room tidier.  Oops, sorry for swearing - hee hee.
Right, the card, this little lady is coloured in with a mixture of copics and spectrum noirs.  The large die is Xcut and the smaller ones are Nellie Snellen.  I am not completely happy with the hair but you know what they say, practise makes perfect, so I need to keep at it.  Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.  Take care.

First Steps

Hello crafters,it's a lovely day today, weather is awful, but it is my day off so that's why it is lovely.  I know, one day back and I am having a day off, that's the beauty of working three days a week I suppose.  Mind you when I got to work and saw my 175 emails I wished I was still on holiday.  8hrs later I still have 88.  Still, I have a job and I enjoy it so I consider myself lucky.
Well, today's card is a Humphrey Corner card, as you can see.  This one was coloured in using solely spectrum noir pens.  The three strips of white are matted onto navy and they have been embossed.  The die cut is an Xcut one and the swirls are from marianne designs.  I do think these Humphrey stamps are versatile and I do like cutsie stamps.  Anyway, hope you like this one.  Have a good day and thanks for stopping by.

Dreams

Hello all.  It's Monday and I am back at work after a two week holiday unfortunately but hey ho.  I know you are probably wondering how I am posting whilst being at work and am I sciving off - well no I am not, but I had worked out the scheduling facility so I can now post daily - well that's the plan!  This card was one I made a couple of months ago.  I started with a white DL card and matted some maroon and then the backing paper which is actually a freebie from Crafters Companion.  You have to sign up as a member but once you have done that as a member you will have access to free monthly downloads which include backing papers and embellishments.  The verse I stamped and embossed and it is from a creative expressions set of verses.  I used labels 20 to die cut and then inked around the edge with distress inks - spun sugar I think.   I then matted that onto the next sixe up of the labels 20 die cut.  The flowers are marianne dies and again inked up with distress inks and the little leaves are spellbinders again - damask accents and they are lovely especially good for inking.  I do hope you like this and thank you for looking.

Patchwork Polly

Good day fellow crafters.  Hope you are all well.
Today's card is a project I did with my friend Sheila yesterday.  She chose the backing paper and nestie and I chose the layout and the stamp.
The layout is from Jak Heath, so thanks for that Jak.  The nesties are spellbinders floral doily accents.  The image has been coloured in with a mixture of spectrum noirs and copics and is from Jayne Nesterenko's range called Patchwork Polly, this little cutie is Polly. I also inked the nestie with distress inks - squeezed lemonade. Hope you like this one as much as I enjoyed making it.  Thanks for viewing my blog, I appreciate your interest. Have a good day.