Happy Little Stampers, ATC Challenge, Bling

This is my last post for a while as I'm moving!

Not only to a new house, but to a whole new town and a whole new way of life...  

The house is a renovation project so we'll be busy for a while, but my priority will be getting my craft room up and running smoothly just as soon as I can.

It's just that it's going to take a long, long while!

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My post for today shows a theme I'm less than comfortable with...  'Bling' just really isn't me at all!

So I've opted for a subtle style of bling that still heavily relies on lots of shimmer and shine.

A fair compromise in my book!

Do head on over to Kylie's blog and click on her challenge pages.

ATC's are just one of her many, many  challenge options... 
so you are sure to find at least one you enjoy!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today...

https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/?hl=en

Donna

Tag You're It, 25 Days of Christmas, Guest Designer Post

Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags is in its final week.

Have you had a chance to play along?

I'm Guest Designing for today using this pretty 'Morning Bird' die from BirchPress Designs, who are today's sponsors.

I've used half the bird die, layered it up and then inked using Holtz 'Hickory Smoke' before adding some touches of Silver gilding wax.

Foliage stamps and sentiment are by Memory Box (Sister company to BirchPress).

Some ink splattering, red enamel dots and touches of Texture Paste for snow complete this simple tag.

(Embossing Folder from my own personal stash).

Head on over (using the link above) for your chance to join in...

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https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/?hl=en

Donna.

Craft Consortium, Over The Hedge, 'Swatch Style' Notebook

Notebooks come in all shapes and sizes, so why not create a 'swatch style' version using every paper available from the Craft Consortium 'Over The Hedge' collection..?

That way you'll never forget which paper pad you are looking for when searching for a particular pattern!

(Label the back so you don't forget)!

Here's mine...  just to give you an idea of what I mean...

I'm not going to show you each and every single page.  

Just a few so you can see what I've done!

...  and don't worry.  That big rectangle on the left isn't upside down.  I've just twisted the tag on itself to take the photo!

Do you like this idea?

I know that some people find it difficult to cut into their paper pads and was thinking that perhaps if they made something like this they would always have a keepsake from it?

Want to have a go and making one for yourself?

Click HERE to be taken straight to the 12x12 premium paper pad.

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Stay warm!

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Donna. x

https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/?hl=en

Craft Consortium, Grunge Papers - Light And Dark Tones, Decorative Hanging Mobile

I wanted to make something a little bit different to showcase at least some of the gorgeous new Grunge Papers that are now being sold by Craft Consortium.

I also had an old indoor hanging mobile that used to belong to my mum that was in need of a massive overhaul of some kind.

This is what I ended up making...

Exceptionally difficult to get any decent photos of this that do it justice, but here goes..!

Would you believe that this started off as a heap of cereal box offcuts?

I'ver simply used Tim Holtz Collage Medium to glue these gorgeous papers on and have four glued and die cut layers per shape.  

Finish with some Varnish spray and these become both durable and protected.

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Craft Consortium

The Essential Craft Papers

Grunge

Light Tones

Dark Tones

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Thanks heaps for stopping by today...

Donna. x

https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/

Tag You're It, Be Mine... Or Else

I'm so glad to say that Tag You're It is back!

Yay!

I have missed it...  even more than I thought I would.

Not my usual 'pretty' style today, but I just had to use these little birds - 'Love Is In The Air' is the theme, after all.  

(And this is just so my sense of humour)...

Will you join us over on our challenge blog?

(Link at the top of the page).

I would love to see what you decide to make...

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Donna. x

https://www.instagram.com/roominacupboard/

Craft Consortium, Bird/Bauble/Gift Box, Mixed Media

The beauty of The Essential Craft Papers (sold by Craft Consortium) is that they do mix and match together so well with the existing Premium Paper Pad collections...  which opens up a whole new world of craft possibilities.


Here's one idea on today's craft project...

I've combined die cuts from the Vintage Emporium collection to decorate a paper covered MDF bauble...  which in turn becomes the decoration for this gift box (made using one of the many papers from the Little Fawn And Friends collection).

Silver Gilding Wax has been added to the gift box lid.

I've also dry brushed white Gesso on to the paper covered bauble and added ink to some of my die cuts...

...  which in turn creates this mini 'nature inspired' scene.

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Christmas Bauble and Stencil Kit

The Essential Craft Papers

Vintage Emporium

Little Fawn And Friends 

12x12 Paper Pad

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Hope I've inspired you in some small way...

Donna. x

Cherish The Memory, Wall Plaque, Mixed Media

I'm sharing a very simple Mixed Media project with you today...  but it's one of those ideas that has a multitude of uses.

A simple pairing of some images that can be layered up combined with that most gorgeous Feathers Frame creates the basis of a panel that can be equally at home as a piece of wall art, a card front, a notebook cover, the cover for a lever arch file - just to give you a few ideas!

I've simply sandwiched a piece of hessian between a few layers of very thick card - making sure that my hanging loop at the top stays nice and secure with some red liner tape and copious amounts of strong glue.

Once dry, I've added a piece of Gems and Peacock Paper that's been cut to size.

 I've slightly distressed the edges with a Distressed Paper Tool and added just a hint of Texture Paste to the top right and bottom left corners. 

Then I've added the image that I've layered up with the Feather Frame die cut.

 Did you see the hessian string that I added that's been woven in and out of those tiny perforations that you get on this particular die cut sheet of images?

 A piece of cord at the top for it all to hang from, plus two tiny staples in the
'Fly Away With Me'
quote at the bottom... 

and this mini work of art is complete!

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Supplies Used...

Cherish The Memory

StudioLight

Summer Feelings Gems and Peacock/Double Sided 12x12

Summer Feelings Die Cuts on A4 Sheet

Summer Feathers/Beach Frame - Metal Die

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I hope I've inspired you with my 'out of the box' thinking for a wall art project.

Can you imagine just how fabulous these could look in your craft room?

I hope so!

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Donna. x

8x8 Display Piece, Wedding, Birds & Butterflies

It's a warm/hot sunny week here this week.

Our garden is playing host to several sparrow families right now.

We saw the same last year...  

The gathering of nesting supplies, followed by what feels like a very short time later groups of young all sticking together as they learn to fend for themselves.

What we find most comical is the 'fluttering of feathers' that fledglings do as they display their "I'm hungry" signals to their parents.  Some of these 'fluff puffs' (as I like to call them) look so much bigger than their parents that it's quite obvious they are just taking liberties.  

They really should just jolly well go feed themselves!

My easel backed display piece also echoes a nature theme...

It's a style I'm learning to adjust to, but it doesn't sit well in my comfort zone - and it certainly doesn't photograph very well!

But commissioned work is paid work - so if I'm asked to do this style then that's what I'll do!



Wherever you are, I hope life is treating you kindly...


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Donna. x

Corrugated Bird Tag, Christmas, Ornamental

 As soon as I saw the inspiration options for today I knew exactly which die of mine I was going to use.

So here it is...   My tag for Day 24 of Tracey's 25daysofchristmastags2017 event...

(I had absolutely no idea how it would turn out though)!

Here's the inspiration for today...

One kraft bird, with a green felt wing...  and a bell.

Ditto!

Only I swapped the smooth kraft for corrugated kraft stock, added texture paste and silver glitter spray varnish!

Thank you so much for stopping by...

Donna. x

Christmas, Tag, Bird House Scene

I've made a mini bird house scene for Day 16 of Tracey's 25daysofchristmastags2017!

My inspiration?   This trio of tags...

Thanks for stopping by...

Donna. x

Bird/Heart Tag Card, Missing You, Muted Colour Palette

I have noticed that many in Blogland are suffering from what I'm going to refer to as 'Lost Mojo-Itus'.

It does seem to be reaching pandemic proportions, doesn't it?

I think that the cold and a lack of sunlight affect many of us far more than we realise.

So with that in mind, perhaps my tag card for today's new Tag You're It challenge is paying homage to what so many of us seem to be missing...

It's a simple offering that shows just how easy it can be to make a tag into a card.

A bird stamped on vellum, some sparkle from the ink used (and a pen) plus a tiny gem and clear embossed sentiment just give this a little something extra to add visual interest whilst still keeping to a clean look.

Where did my inspiration come from?

Let me show you...

I was inspired by the colour scheme but wanted softer, gentler colour tones for my design.  As you can see, I also stuck with the heart and animal theme but swapped out the cute critter for a bird.

And for those of you who haven't seen it (inspiration can be a funny thing like that.  For some it's obvious, yet for others it's anything but) Lisa's 'tag on a tag' has become a 'tag on a card'.

Supplies Used:

Die:

Paper Smooches 'Gift Tags'

Memory Box 'Heart Delights'

Stencil:

Creative Expressions 'Birch Tree'

Stamp:

Inkadinkado 'Luv Ya'

Inks:

Holtz/Distress 'Pumice Stone'

Brilliance 'Starlite Black'

Tsukineko/Memento 'Gray Flannel'

Ranger 'Perfect Medium'

Other:

Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear Overlay

Vellum

Emboosing Powder - Clear

Raffia - White

Tiny Gem - Clear

Sentiment stamp from stash

Challenges I'm Entering...

That's Crafty

(I Heart You)

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge

(Tag, hearts and vellum bird all from Snippets)

Time Out Challenges

(Inspired By Words...  Friends are connected heart to heart, distance and time can't break them apart').

Simon Says/Monday

(Young at Heart)

Make My Monday

(Challenge #39    'Shimmer and  Shine')

Wherever they may be hiding, I hope that Mo and Jo come back soon for those of you who can't seem to find them! 

Stay warm...

Donna. x

Winter Tag, Owl on Branch, Christmas

I went for something a little fiddly to make for 

Day 15 of Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags...  but boy, did I have fun.

Here it is.  A tag with a bit of 'movement'...

The fiddly part was attaching those threads to the baubles and then tying them around the branch so that they hung where I wanted them to.  

But I like the effect of the baubles having some movement to them, so I can't complain!

If you look at the inspiration tag I chose for today, you'll see that it's blatantly obvious where I got my ideas from.  Owl on branch.  Easy to spot, isn't it?

(If you aren't someone who stops by regularly, you won't know that I quite often take design 'detours' that make no sense until I explain my things to you). x

Supplies Used:

Dies:

Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Circular Tags'

MFT/Die-namics 'Stitched Circle STAX'

Penny Black Creative 'A Pocket Full'  

Poppystamps 'Christmas Baubles'

Punch:

McGill Dimensional 'Tree Branch'

Stamps:

Stampin' Up 'Forest Friends'

Penny Black 'Berry Bevy'

Memento Marker Pens:

Olive Grove

Tuxedo Black

Expresso Truffle

Rich Cocoa

Ink:

VersaCraft 'Tangerine'

Embossing Folder:

Cuttlebug 'Distress Stripes'

Other:

Sequins

Twine

Patterned Paper

Hope you are enjoying your day...

Donna. x