Exciting News!...

OK... I can FINALLY tell you my exciting news that I have kept to myself for the last couple of weeks (I am very proud of myself for managing it!) I have been accepted as one of the Design Team for The Crafty Pad. I am so excited as there are some great images - here is a link to the challenge blog where you can see my bio along with the new design team members... I hope you will play along with us - there are some great challenges coming up!
I said at the end of last year that I was going to make a better year for both me and my family and I meant this in terms of everything, but where my paper crafting was concerned I decided that I would dedicate more time to crafting and make sure that this was constructive!
So here is to an exciting and crafty year!
Debbi

shabby chic...

I have had the stuff to make this card on my desk all week and I have only just got around to it this morning... I decided on the colour scheme before anything else and then I picked the stamp set, I didn't really know what I was going to create so just sat down and began with a card blank and as a crafter this is something that I very rarely do - I always have an idea of where I want my creation to go... However I was very pleased with the result.

I made two panels one in craft and one in baja breeze distressed the edges and then inked them. I then made a whisper white panel and added the image from Just Believe stamped in versamark on which I sprinkled heat and stick powder and then added dazzling diamonds I love a bit of sparkle!- I then sealed this with the heat gun again - once I had sprinkled lots of glitter over my desk, myself and the floor.

I added binding ribbon in craft t the left hand side of the card with a knot detail and then added the sentiment from close as a memory and this also had distressed and inked edges... I also added a button to the sentiment

I am not sure if this is really classed as shabby chic - but I loved making it...

Thank you for taking the time to look at my card - Debbi x

shabby chic...

I have had the stuff to make this card on my desk all week and I have only just got around to it this morning... I decided on the colour scheme before anything else and then I picked the stamp set, I didn't really know what I was going to create so just sat down and began with a card blank and as a crafter this is something that I very rarely do - I always have an idea of where I want my creation to go... However I was very pleased with the result.
I made two panels one in craft and one in baja breeze distressed the edges and then inked them. I then made a whisper white panel and added the image from Just Believe stamped in versamark on whicj I sprinkled heat and stick powder and then added dazzling diamonds I love a bit of sparkle!- I then sealed this with the heat gun again - once I had sprinkled lots of glitter over my desk, myself and the floor.
I added binding ribbon in craft t the left hand side of the card with a knot detail and then added the sentiment from close as a memory and this also had distressed and inked edges... I also added a button to the sentiment
I am not sure if this is really classed as shabby chic - but I loved making it...
Thank you for taking the time to look at my card - Debbi x

with sadness...

There seems to be such sad news about at the moment - I found out this week one of the girls that I grew up with has passed away also younger than me and another victim of cancer... So sad it makes you think of those closest around you and makes you cherish loved ones... It has also made me think about the people that try to cause trouble around you and that if you give them any reaction this is what they are looking for... So I have been thinking a lot this week and I am sure that it is not good for me! ;-)
I had a email this morning that did make me smile - I have been made the blog of the week by Crafty Bloggers Network ( I have linked to their blog so you can take a look!) So if you are new to my blog - welcome and I hope you like my craftiness!
The card that I have made this morning is a sympathy card for my friend's family and something I found quite difficult... I have used the main stamped image from Just Believe - you will have guessed that this is one of  my favourite stamp sets! However I feel that the silhouette suited what I wanted to create. I stamped the image in basic black and inked the edges of the layer. I stamped the sentiment from a retired stamp set from Close as a Memory. Again inking the edges. For the background I used a piece of whisper white card and stamped the background. I added two brads for detail and 3 card candy on dimensional to the bottom left of the card.
Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog and I hope you like my card! Debbi xxx

trying something new...

A few days ago one of my new facebook friends and also a fellow crafter asked if anyone would like to try out a digital design that she and her daughter had been working on. I emailed her and she sent me a picture - I am very new to using digital designs but I have to say I love this. The size of the flower is perfect for colouring and creating depth and there is also a butterfly that adds great detail too... Here is the link to Rachael's blog I think that you will agree she is very talented.
So to create this card I was thinking bright... I decided that I would use my polychromos to colour the image although the effect that this gave was not up to its usual standard as the card that I printed this on was not as glossy as the card that I usually use...
I tied to match the colours that I have used to my Stampin' Up! card stock - and they are not far off! I chose the colours melon mambo and wild wasabi... Inking the edges of the card stock on every layer I stapled a piece of white ribbon to the right hand side of the image and to the right I added three pearls. In the bottom right hand sde of the card I stamped friend to friend as the sentiment.
I attached the layered image to a white card blank and off set the to the left hand side. I then added three pearls to the card blank and also inked the edges of this too.
I hope you like my card and thank you again to Rachael and her daughter for letting create something with their image - loved it!
Thanks for taking the time to look at my card - Debbi xxx

and I have just realised that I have stuck the image on upside apologies I could say that it was intentional but I would be lying! So please pretend that the butterfly is flying off into the sky as she should be! *blushes* xxx

POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012! the postcard...

This week we find ourselves in Wales and I know I have said this nearly every week but again I did struggle - as mainly a card making and a stamper it is sometimes difficult to come up with a suitable image that represents the country in which we should be... So I did find a magnolia stamp where the girl was holding some flowers and for the purpose of this post - the flowers that the girl is holding are DAFFODILS!
I decided that I would use a simple image and create a background on the card that kind of went with it. I coloured my image using my polychromos and sansador I am loving this technique I love the depth of colour that you are able to create relatively quickly.
Once I had finished the colouring of the image I then inked the edges of the image using daffodil yellow from stampin up and mounted the image on wasabi green and then again onto daffodil yellow card.
I mounted this onto a plain white background and then used the large stamp from Just believe to create the background and luckily some of the flowers on this stamp look like daffodils! I then stamped off the stamp in wasabi green fill in some of the gaps where needed. I am pleased with how my card turned out but didn't really get inspired by something to create it... I think more research is needed this week...
However onto the story... Annie is replying to Teddy it says 'I am in Wales. The flowers the girl holds are daffodils still my favourite... They say time is a great healer but the hurt you caused doesn't, the lies don't go away - Annie

pink and blue...

I love these colours together - so here is a card that I have made with the combination where I have again used my pro markers... This was an image that I coloured last week at craft group and having not picked up pro markers for over a year I was kind of pleased with the results - one thing I know I was using incorrectly was the blender pen, so I picked up tips on how to use it more effectively and also the shadow line in grey around the whole image I had seen this before but never done it I was surprised aat how different it made the image! I have mounted the image on rose red card and marina blue card. I have added a strip of white satin ribbon to the left hand side of the card and also used a stampin up sentiment.
I hope you like my card and thanks for looking x
Debbi x