The New challenge is up over at The Stamp Man blog and the theme this fortnight is stitching. So show us some stitching on your project. the rest of the team has created some beautiful projects and as always The Stamp Man has a great prize for the winner so be sure to go to the Stamp Man Challenge Blog for all the details, inspirations and to link up your creation so we can stop by for a peep.

Now Lately I am obsessed with the Union jack print in the pink and blue floral prints. My daughter has decided to decorate her new room in a "International Travel Theme" and this is the bedspread and pillow pattern. so recently a friend gave her a pillow with this pattern as a going away present and the best part was that they all hugged it as they passed it around so she could take with her "Hugs from her friends in England" for anytime she is missing them.

How sweet was that?
Sorry the picture seemed to turn itself(Gotta love bloggers moodiness)

Now my other inspiration for this project was an Apron. I love aprons and bought this pattern to have a go someday when I have time. LOL yeah right.

Anyway it was inspiring today on a miniature scale.

So with this inspiration I thought with Sewing it would be a perfect tie in....Well this simple idea turned into an all day project and me as stubborn as I am will not let it go and had to see it through to the end. (finished card is shown above)

I started off with some white cotton fabric and died it using Old paper, Broken China, Fired brick, Peeled paint and walnut stain Distress inks. I then stamped on various dots and florals using Tim Holtz Urban Tapestry and Artful flight stamps. Next I cut the pieces up and stitched together with ribbon. I had to add tape in the back as I was working because the pieces were too small and allot of the stitching had to be done by hand. Finally I stitched on the lace at the bottom. Next I cut out the dress form using pink card and Tim Holtz Sewing die, using walnut ink to color the top and bottom part to look like wood. The sewn piece is then put onto the dress form and fastened.

The card background is inked in Old Paper and Broken China distress ink then stamped with Tim Holtz Haberdashery stamps. I then stitched various lines on the machine to give some texture. Finally the edges are inked, The card is layered on red card and the dress for added along with some extra little bits of the fabric and a scissor charm.

My materials list:

Tim Holtz stamp sets(Haberdashery, Urban Tapestry and Artful flight)

Tim Holtz Distress ink(Broken China, Old Paper, Walnut stain, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint)

Tim Holtz Sizzix Die - Sewing Room

White cotton Fabric

Red Twill

Red/white Ribbon

Red card

Lace

Scissor charm

Now off you go and lets see your creations here.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by. Angela

On a side note. I will announce the last 2 blog candy winners for my 2 year Bloggiversary on Monday August 1st. So there are still a few days left to enter. For full details please see sidebar. Thanks to all who have left me such wonderful comments. They are very much appreciated.

A new card.

Its a Recipe for week 25 over at less is more and the challenge is to use a button or ribbon. For my card I used a Martha Stewart on the border and Paper napkins for the flowers. My ribbon is a sheer purple from my stash.

I made this card for a friend of mine here in England as a thank you for a beautiful gift she gave me the last day of school.

Now I am off to to look at some more blogs.

Don't forget about my blog candy on the sidebar, there are still a few days left to enter.

Thanks for popping by and have a great day.

Try it on Tuesday Altered week

Its time for another Altered week challenge at Try it on Tuesday. This week we want you to alter something into a present. Above is my take on the challenge. I altered a paper Mache box and made it into a case to hold photos for a friend.

I made this one very similar to the one I did the other day only it was a bit larger to start with. Here is a picture of it next to the original.

I still need to add the photos before I give it to my friend as a going away present.

Each one has a tag to help pull it out of the box and a butterfly.

Here is the back of the case closed.

Now head on over to The Try it on Tuesday challenge blog to see the wonderful creations done by my team mates. We also have an amazingly talented Guest designer Beverly showcasing her amazing project. This weeks challenge is being sponsored by The Craft barn. So to be in the prize draw remember to add a link to the Craft barn in your post. For full challenge details and to link up your project visit the TIOT blog.

Have as great day and thanks for stopping in.

Angela

Blog candy winners

I promised to announce the blog candy winners for the past 2 weeks of prizes in my 2 year blog anniversary Giveaway this morning. But first here are the 2 final prizes for the last week of the Giveaway. First there is a pack of goodies filled with Halloween, Christmas and celebration Card making supplies and secondly is a Black and white pack including sticker strips, Prima felts and lots of black and white doodlebug glitter paper.

and now on to the winners from the last 2 weeks:

The first weeks winners are:

Jeannie --Jeannies Happy World

and

Carol --CMDesign

and for last weeks winners we have:

Vicky Hayes

and

Susan--Pieces of Fate

If you would please email me at scrapbookcafe2@yahoo.com with a mailing address I will get your prizes out to you.

Remember all you have to do is leave a comment on any post to be entered in the final prize draw. Thank you to all who have been leaving such wonderful comments so far. I apologize for being a bit behind in visiting blogs lately. The end of school term and getting ready for the move have gotten the better of me but I will be around soon. thanks again for stopping in and have a wonderful day. Angela

Over the hump

Sorry I have been MIA lately. This has been a very crazy week as it was the last week of the school term. There was so much to get done and of course the weather caused my arthritis to act up. So not much time for crafting or at least crafting for me that is.

Shown above is a picture the kids at school made for me as yesterday was both mine and Belles last day. All the kids in school and the teachers did a fingerprint in the tree and signed their names. I will really miss them next year. I was so touched by this as well as some of the other beautiful things I received. Yesterday wound up being a very emotional day saying goodbyes and all along with the leavers ceremony. Now there is just the final packing then the move to deal with and I am not looking forward to that.

Today my friend Anne came over and we did a bit of crafting together. A while ago we all took a trip and picked up the fab little paper mache suitcases.

Today we decided we would all work on them together. Here is mine . I used Gesso to start then layers of paint and ink along with crackle gloss , napkins stamped with Tim Holtz stamps and some accenting with Promarkers.
I still have to finish the decorating and final details But the frame is now complete.
Well that is all I have for now. I will post the final project when it is finished. Now I am off to do a major catch up on my blog reading and commenting. If you have left me a comment and I have not gotten to your blog yet it is because I was out of touch with blog land for a few days with everything going on. I should be popping by soon as I go through catching up. I will also be announcing the winners of my blog candy over the past 2 weeks tomorrow morning along with posting the final blog candy giveaway.

Thank you for your patience and for all the lovely comments I have been receiving. Hope to be around to see you soon. thanks for stopping in a have a wonderful day. Angela

Try it on Tuesday

Oh my where does the time fly to? The school term is almost up which means our move is only a few more weeks away and there is just so much to do. I have cupcakes to decorate, gifts to make, things to sort out and so much I cannot remember anymore, but in the midst of it is my crafting which at this time is the only thing giving me a tiny bit of sanity. Even if it is only in short spurts throughout the week. I do apologise for not getting around to all the blogs I normally do and all the new ones to leave comments. I promise once the school term is up this week I will get a bit more done and my blog candy winner for last week will be posted on Saturday along with this weeks. and now on to the new Challenge at Try it on Tuesday which is Steampunk. Now this is a hard one.You see so many different things out there but mostly they have to do with steam engines, ladies in corsettes, gears and such things. So I decided to go for a more whimsical take on it this week. Hope you like it. And not a stamp in sight oh my that is a feat for me. Well I really must ru now but I promise to return later in the week. There are some really wonderful designs by my TIOT team mates over at the Try it on Tuesday blog to help get you in the Steampunk mood. Just head on over then show us what you think Steampunk is.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in. Angela

New challenge over at The Stamp Man

**If you are here for the "Where Bloggers create Event" You can click here or scroll down one post.

The new challenge is up at The Stamp Many Challenge blog and the theme this time is Anything Tim! Now who doesn't like a challenge like that? I decided to make a Recipe box as a gift for a friend. I used a recycled candy box and trimmed out the aperture using TH ornamental Mover and Shakers Die. I then covered it with TH Seasonal papers and Tissue tape. The aperture is covered with acetate and stamped using TH Urban tapestry stamp set. The TH Grungeboard flourishes are inked using TH Distress walnut stain. The flower is cut using TH tattered florals die and then inked suing Papillion stamps and walnut distress ink. it is then inked again on the edges and scrunched into shape.

Inside the boy I cut more shapes using the TH Movers and shakers Ornamental die again and TH seasonal papers(backs shown). I used these for Recipe cards.

My ingredients list:

Recycled candy box and acetate scrap.

Tim Holtz Walnut distress stain

Tim Holtz seasonal papers

Tim Holtz Coordinations papers

Tim Holtz Urban Tapestry stamps

Tim Holtz Papillion stamps

Tim holtz Grungeboard flourishes

Tim Holtz Tissue tape

Tim Holtz Tattered florals Die

Tim Holtz Movers and Shakers Ornamental Die

Black Stazon

Now there is alot of wonderful inspiration over at The stamp Man challenge blog done by my wonderful team mates. Go on and have a look then show us your Tim Holtz creation by linking it up over there. We cannot wait to see them. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day. Angela

Where Bloggers Create

Wow! I cannot believe it has already been a year since the last "Where bloggers create" blog party. Well not too much has changed in the way of my creative space since last year although in a few weeks it will all be changing radically as we are moving back to the states for DH's job again. I have quite grown to love it here in England and will miss it terribly. We have made so many wonderful friends and had such a wonderful time. But as they say Life happens. So in about 2 months time I shall have a new craft room and new set up. I will miss my lovely view and have only one window but it will still be my space right! Now onto the tour. But first can I interest you in a cuppa or maybe a slice?

Now onto the tour.....First we need to hear up the stairs to the second floor. My crafting room is at the top of the stairs.

It has a window on the inside so I can see out of the room to the stairs. this is where I keep my diecut machine and dies. My easel also stands in this corner.

Now on into the room. As you walk in you can see my shelves for storage. Nothing fancy but it does the job.

If you turn to the right there is the sewing area. Both Belle and I use the machine and supplies there. In the back on the wall I keep the cards the class made for me. In the front of the sewing desk are some paper boxes to store my card, Basic grey and specialty papers.

On the shelves straight ahead I keep extra albums, 8X8 and 6X6 paper pads, My napkin art collage supples, Art supplies, magazines/books(for inspiration), card supplies and my Porcelain clay and miniature supplies. I also store most of my ribbons and lace on hooks that hang here. Sorted by colour of course.

And on the shelf next to it are my Primas(again sorted by colour), trinkets and gems(by colour/style), Buttons, Misc paint and inking supplies and Chipboard/grungeboard.

And next to that shelf is a smaller storage unit with my unmounted stamps(by theme), Masks and templates, All my paints, sprays, inks, glossy accents, Glitter, Pearls and stains.

Now My daughter and I share our crafting space. She sits across from me so we can talk when we craft. Here is a view from her desk. She is an avid crafter too and you can see her blog here.

And here is the view I get when I am at my desk looking in towards Belle.

Above is a picture of our fur baby sunflower(she is always around when we are crafting too) Thre is also a shot of my workspace with all the essentials close at hand. My paints and all are the the right also within arms reach.

And of course there are my TH scissors. Once can never have too many. And my promarkers are my new passion.

Here is the view from my window....I will miss this.

this is a spinny thing that holds some Embellies . It sits above my scrap paper draws(also sorted by colour how did you guess?)

Here you can see my scrap paper draws under the spinner and behind the door is a cabinet containing my stickles and chipboard/clear albums as well as alterable things. In the door hangs my coveted Stampers Anonymous canvas bag.

Also on the cabinet(I call it the green cabinet)are my wood mount stamps. Or at least the ones I have here with me in England. I still have allot back in storage in the states too.

Here is a closeup of my themed papers.

And in my window(with a view) hangs some cards I have received as well as some tags and such I have made.

It also hols my signed Tim Holtz on the edge die I won a ways back. (all the way to the left)

Now as for me I am an avid paper crafter who likes to alter things, make jewelry, miniatures and anything that requires glue, paint, inks or such. Here are some of my favorite projects.

This is a project I created for one of the DT's I am on "The Stamp Man" It is all done with stamping, vellum, tissue and acetate(except the chain and ribbon)

Here is one of my miniatures.....can you guess what it is.....
A scrapbook store. Everything is done to 1/12 scale. I still have to complete it.

And here is a scrapbook Layout using Utee.

and one of my paper piecings. I like to use thick mulberry paper and create paper piecings of pets for friends.
and finally some ATC's. This is probably one of my most favourite things to do because they are tiny and you can do so much but in smaller scale.
I have also managed to get into Journaling and have been converted by Dyan at Art from the Heart as a lover of spray inks and such. I even save the inky towels and make such things as purses from them.

This one used my inky towels and Stampotique stamps.
And here is the inside.

So that is all about me, my craft room and what I do. Now I cannot wait to go check out some of your creative spaces. If have not joined in from "Where bloggers create" and would like to see some fab creative spaces then pop on over here to the main blog. I tell you some of them are amazing. Now off to finish my DT work before blog visiting. Thanks for popping in and have a great day. Angela

A nice surprise...2 actually.

After a rough start to the week I came home today to a nice surprise. My layout was the 3rd most voted for in the Scrap Jacked challenge last month so I won a lovely Prima book. So today on my doorstep was this great book and fab postcard. Isn't it great! And here is my layout again...
Now my next surprise came when I went online and checked for the new Stampotique designers challenge. I won the random draw! How fab is that. I won a $30 GC for Stampotique stamps. That is awsome as I only get myself one as a treat every once in awhile. They are so weird and wonderful it is like an exotic treat. Here is the purse I made for the challenge. You had to use scraps so I used my inky paper towel scraps to make it.
Now I cannot wait to get crafty again. Unfortunately I have been so crazy busy this week running Belle to dance and back for her upcoming exam, sorting through things for the move, making teachers gifts and fixing up my craftroom for the upcoming "where bloggers create" blog hop this Friday. Oh yeah and Belle getting locked in the bathroom at Sainsbury's did not help either. They had to take the door apart to get her out. Hopefully I will get a bit of crafting time soon.

Thank you for stopping in and have a wonderful day. Angela