Thursday 22 December 2011

A shocking week...

Hello All!

So this week I had to give the Simply Stampin' Challenge a miss :(
BUT I have a great reason why...
...the guide dog puppy electrocuted me!

Honestly it is true. I made my entry for the design team, and needed to upload it to the laptop. The laptop was nearly flat and needed a battery charge... get the cable to plug it in..  ...FLASH BANG! 
The little trouble maker had chewed through the bit of the cable that actually plugs into the laptop! It was all a little alarming. I phoned my husband who insisted I phone NHS direct; and they decided to dial 999 for me... honestly it all seemed such an overreaction, but as the emergency doctor told me as I was linked up to an ECG machine, better safe than sorry.

Suffice to say that I am still here, whole and well, but as is obvious, the laptop could not be charged - so no photos. We have ordered a new cable, but as it is Christmas the post is rather delayed...
I can still enter text using the notebook, but images will have to wait.

Oh, and just so you don't worry - Odelle was totally fine, only a tiny little red mark on her gum (a small burn about the size of a pin head), and was cleared as in perfectly health by my supervisor when checked out the next day.

Anyway, enough from me!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Best Wishes,
Bx

Saturday 10 December 2011

Simply Stampin' Challenge - Sketch 13

It is sketch week over at Simply Stampin' Challenge and below is the outline to follow: 

Sketch 13.jpg

I have rotated the sketch 90 degrees anticlockwise, and kept the rest as it is because my design is fairly loose and messy in style... Originally I wanted to use these colours and layout to record my husband's entry into the 'grim challenge' - a race through mud! Hence the crumpled paper and earthy colours... However one of my cats then walked across an ink pad and the page leaving paw prints - and the subject of this page was decided!




A close up of my torn paper 'flowers', which are picked out in copper glitter. I have cut out one of the butterflies from the woodland walk designer series paper to contrast with clean and precise lines.


 Finally a close up of the butterfly I stamped in crumb cake ink, then lightly spritzed with some mica pigment mixed into water and again highlighted with copper glitter. You can also see one of my cat's paw prints just to the left of the butterfly!


I hope you like my work - I am still in 2 minds about this one... maybe it will grow on me! I have also entered this into a few challenges:

Color throwdown - Soft Suede, Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy and Creamy Caramel (for which I have substituted a blend of So Saffron and Crumb Cake)
Flutterby Wednesdays - anything goes
Charisma Cardz - no cards
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Please do leave me a comment as I love to read your feedback!

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Sanded (retired), All A Flutter.
Card Stock: Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive.
Papers: Woodland Walk DSP
Inks: Soft Suede, Old Olive, So Saffron, Crumb Cake.
Punches: 2-step bird, Scallop Border.
Other: Bronze mica powder, Copper Glitter, letter stickers (All non SU)

Saturday 3 December 2011

Simply Stampin Challenge - Snowflake Sparkle

So this week is a theme - Snowflake Sparkle! I love theme challenges as you can let your imagination run wild and break away from doing cards the whole time... I chose to make a perpetual advent calendar:


The calendar is on the other side of the base, attached with book rings decorated with fluffy ribbons:


A close up of the detail on the bauball, which I have partly picked out in glitter


Finally I wanted to show how the calendar can fold flat to be posted as a gift...



Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Baroque Border, So Swirly, Soft Holly, Tags til Christmas
Card Stock: Elegant Eggplant, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Inks: Bashful Blue, Perfect Plum
Punches: Ornament
Ribbons: non SU
Other Dazzling Diamonds glitter, cuttlebug & dies (non SU).

Check out the other designers' work by clicking HERE - why not have a go yourself?

Bx