Saturday 22 February 2014

HELLO LOVELIES....

Thanks to Sid and Netty and all of you for your very uplifting comments concerning Malcolm and his eye trauma (Malcolm sends his personal thanks too), - they must have worked in his favour as he is at home and a lot better in himself now, thank goodness.  We even managed a little trip to the seaside today, which was lovely, although a bit cool and breezy!  Monty Moodle loves running around on the wide open space that is the beach - off the lead and totally free.  Although his eyesight won't return for a while Malc enjoyed being out and about again, so it was a great afternoon.

Tonight I am going to concentrate on showing you some more romantic challenge inspiration.  We now have 22 fabulous projects linked up, which you will find HERE - and there are just 6 days to go to get your entries on our blog!  Then five lucky participants will receive a stamp of their choice, and don't forget to claim your 25% discount code when you have displayed your entry.

Lynne has been very romantically creative with the happily loving couple from CI-402..





Love how this has been assembled and the key is divine!





Stunning - thanks Lynne!

I used the same stamp to make a card...



I die cut an oval and covered it with old dictionary paper and tape, then gave it a light spray with white paint, for a faded effect, before adding the cut out image (stamped onto our smooth ivory card) and parts of the die from the Floral Branch.

Joanna too loves using the Floral Branch die, and I adore her flowery makes....


 
Both makes very romantic indeed, I'm sure you will agree?!

Brenda used CI-402 again to make a clever scenic project, with a great storyline..


And Gio has made a fashionably romantic triptych affair with the lovely ladies from  CI-401 (and a little help from some very pretty Silver Filigree Corner Charms)..



Plus she has created a perfect fairytale romance with the help of CI-137, and the mask 'Floral Frame'...



Such pretty colours!

Finally I have two fun and romantic projects.  The first from Effie ...



With a little Tea for Two (CI-391), and the second from Helen (nice Stampbord project on there too Helen!)...



Check out the Alice Palace range of stamps to find these little 'romantic' beauties.

Many thanks ladies,

Back soon,

Jean x

Sunday 16 February 2014

A DIFFICULT WEEK, BUT WHAT BEAUTIES WE HAVE TONIGHT....


It has indeed been a difficult week - Malcolm had problems with his sight and ended up having emergency surgery for a detached retina in his left eye - but then had even more problems and is now back in hospital with raised eye pressure from the surgery.  This caused severe sickness and dizziness.  We are hoping he will be home tomorrow at some point - but it was all very scary at the time I have to say!  And we experienced the worst and the best that the NHS has to offer - or at least how they struggle with A&E and lack of resources (especially on a Friday night!)

However it is lovely to see him now much improved, due to some excellent medical intervention, although he won't have sight in the offending eye for a while yet.  In celebration I am back here with some more little beauties to show you.

Firstly many thanks for leaving such a lot of kind comments on my last post, and so pleased you are enjoying the new rubber releases, and remembering my Craft Stamper project.  I have lots of images to show you both incorporating the new stamps (to follow), and also celebrating February and 'A Fine Romance' (below).  And our current Challenge which you will find still running on this Post: http://craftyindividualsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/a-new-challenge-in-month-of-romance.html,
with 12 days to go to 'link in' your project.

Here we go with some further Challenge inspiration starting with a really pretty heart by Daniele, with various images and Daniele's step by step instructions below...





....

Steps..
I have used a heart shape from Aspire but this will work with any chip board shape.
I stamp the clock image CI-354 with Versamark and then embossed with fine gold embossing powder by Wow, I masked off the clock and then using Archival Potting Soil ink to stamp the tulip image CI-388, then I coloured the images and background of the heart with Pan Pastels.
I stamped CI-139 onto a piece of card suitable for water colouring with Potting Shed again and coloured in the image using Tattered Rose, Tea Dye and Victorian Velvet, the background of the stamp was coloured in with Prismas pencils.
I used a diamond stencil and stencilled parts of the heart with Imagination Sparkle Medium paste. Dry with a heat gun.
Fray a piece of cheese cloth fabric and arrange on heart.
Using your finger or stencil brush to add Treasure Gold (I've used white fire) to the edges of the heart and stamped image.
Stick pearls around the inside edge of the image
I've used white seam binding for the bow which I coloured using Tattered Rose Distress ink spritzed with water fir a softer look, add a heart button.
Stamp three different size flowers from CI-206 with versamark and emboss with gold, snip into two of the petals and glue slightly behind each other, curl the edges the flowers and stick below the image.


....

I love the way Daniele has given the flower stamps from CI-206 a dimensional look.  The 'love lady' stamp has now been discontinued but I'm sure many of you still have it, but if not we have many other stamps that would fill the romantic niche.  All other stamps mentioned can be found at www.craftyindividuals.co.uk 

I now have a very romantic decorated box to show you, by Sylvie.  Loving how Sylvie has incorporated our newest die onto the top of the box, and all the CI stamps around the sides ..





All other dies used can be found HERE, and the pretty filigree corners (top centre), and box feet are in the 'Must Haves' section HERE.

Next I have a simply adorable 3D 'love' project by lovely Gio...



CI background papers and silhouette stamp CI-377 feature on this pretty pedestal.  Gio has also used the oh so useful box feet to complete her project!

Just time now to finish with two more luscious romantic themed projects - a perfect Valentine's heart in all the right colours by Laury..



With CI-258 in the centre, and a touch of CI-253 around the edges!   And a very pretty hanging by Lynne..





With background hearts from CI-342, plus a CI main image, and a very useful Parisian postmark stamp from CI-122.

Now its definitely time for sleep, so thanks for checking us out, and I will be back with lots more very soon,

Jean x 




 

Monday 10 February 2014

NEW RUBBER AND AN ONGOING CHALLENGE...

Yay we have new rubber stamps now in stock!!  You may be on our mailing list and have already seen these, but just to make sure you know about them I am going to pop the images and links below..

We have 3 chunky new tags, CI-403, CI-404 and CI-405..



And you will find them HERE on our website.

Then we have CI-406, a Medieval Manuscript..


Plus a new Elements plate, CI-407 - Words and Pictures..

And finally we have a new special offer, which is the very cute stamp below CI-408, that will come to you for FREE when you place an order over £12 on our website..


Now I have some images to show you of crafty items made with the new goodies - lovely!

This absolutely fabby card by Sylvie..



And this lovely yummy one by Daniele..


I decorated a little canvas (in kind of Hels Sheridan style) and featured the Wishes stamp as focal point..



Plus I reinvented a project of mine that once appeared in Craft Stamper - updated with new images and new stamps.  To make this I cut out and assembled an envelope shape which I glued to the front of a folded card, I then 'filled' the envelope with goodies including a die cut frame, with image, from an A4 sheet which can be found HERE.  Plus I added the 'Medieval Manuscript' stamped piece and a sentiment from 'Words and Pictures', embellishments, and a butterfly cut from our 'Nature's Beauty' image book..





Now onto the Challenge of the moment and some more inspiration for you from the Team!

The theme is 'A Fine Romance' and Effie has made a couple of cool, fun and quirky romantic items using the Alice Palace rubber stamps..








Plus the little bird and teapot (from CI-391) has made an appearance here too - loving them!  And one of our newest team members Coco has also been busy with the Alice stamps too, and made this adorable box of greeting cards.

The cover..


And the contents...




Hope you love all these great projects as much as I do (please leave a comment), and thanks so much to the ladies of the Team for their beautiful works of art, love and commitment!  Much more from the Team to come soon!

Bye for now,

Jean x