Good things coming up!!!!

Hiya Stampers&Crafters alike, i truly hope you had a good Christmas! and if not, we've got a great New Year to look forward to, as crafters we have exciting things coming out every year, and this year is no different...........newer, bigger die-cutting machines, embossers, new stamps, nifty colouring pens, finer embossing powders, more dies, more gorgeous paper flowers, pearls and bling, i mean c'mon, as crafters, our lives are pretty great aren't they?
What hobby do you know of that changes everytime you sit to do something, everytime you turn on the craft tv channel of your choice you see something new! and everytime you check out your friends or favourite expert's blogs and websites they have something more exciting to show and/or sell you? or a new exciting technique to enthuse over and then in turn, master and show your fellow crafting buddies, via your blog or youtube channel!!! I love crafting, even when i'm not in the mood to sit and craft or well enough, there's always something on the box or on my pc to do with crafting, i may not make a card in a week or so but somehow i've done something relating to craft, i may have sewn something in my bed (as i am disabled so may spend days in bed at a time) or drawn something, or read a crafty book? I don't know about you but i take part in and have done, many different crafts, therefore cannot call myself a cardmaker or a rubber stamper, i absolutely love, love, love to paint in oils, acrylics, watercolouring, i do candle making, cross stitching, drawing, embroidery (which is where i started at about 6yrs old) cardmaking, stamping, jewellery making (one of my newest crafts) parching, etc etc..............i simply love creating things.........my aim for this New Year is to parch more (i said this last year, LOL) to make and learn more about making my own jewellery, as i think that is one of the greatest things about crafting, you can make things for you to wear and use in your home, it fascinates me that i can make things that are totally unique to me and my home and no-one can have one like it, maybe a bracelet, or a cushion cover, or set of beauitiful curtains for my living room? Why not make your new year's resolution this year about crafts you wanna do new, or get more involved in and/or learn further things about crafts you already do!!! I don't know about you but i can sit in my craft studio playing for ages and not actually finish a project, i've just been playing and experimenting, sometimes the experimenting's a great find, sometimes, a great mess, LOL!!! Anyway, like i said, make a point of learning more about a current craft, or try something new to welcome in the New Year!
I am currently working on new stamp sets from Barbara Gray and Sheena Douglass, all due out within the first 2wks of January.  Barbara's are featured on Create & Craft on the 9th for her fabulous and now awaited 2hr slots every fourth week! and Sheena's are to be launched on the 15th for 2 one-hour shows (as far as i am aware) so if you are a follower of these 2 fantastic stampers, you won't wanna miss these shows...........i'm not allowed to give you sneaky peeks until nearer the time, but i can say that Barbara's are very 'loving' and Sheena's will 'surprise' you! and thats all im saying for now............so there!!! lol............
I am also very happy to announce, that i am going to be the Guest Designer for the lovely Emma Wood of CESchallenges, for the whole of January, so that's 4 challenges in all so please followers check it out and try and take part if you can at HERE.  So this will probably be my last post of 2010, hugs to you all and see you in 2011!!!  Vick xxxxx

brush in hand!!

well Christmas Day is almost over for another year and i did actually use a brush today and do some glazing! But it turns out it was honey, a pastry brush and parsnips in the mix LOL instead of the normal suspects!! So if you bothered to do any crafting today, you're a better crafter than I.........Hope you all had a good day and see you in the New Year!!
Vick xxx

Season's Greetings!

Hello Stampers and Crafters alike, i just wanted to post a wish of A Healthy Happy Christmas to all my followers and here's to a Healthy, Happy, Brighter New Year and i hope to see you all in the New Year following and posting, here's to new friends too!!!!  Hugs and Good Wishes, Vick xxxxx

Too Ill

Hiya Friends,

I thought i would stop by my blog and apologise for the lack of posts recently, i have been very ill with a flu that just won't budge, but i promise i will be posting very soon again as i am currently working on designs for Barbara Gray for her show on the 9th January and am also going to be working on Sheena's shows on the 15th Jan, so plenty to keep my mind occupied and stop me feeling all the pain i have on a daily basis, needed this flu on top like a hole in the head, but what the heck! Im alive.......catch up soon guys, Vick xxx

CHALLENGE LACEY

I had to make my 5 year old Niece a card for her birthday today, Lacey, so i thought i would use one of Mo's Pencil digital stamps and enter it into a couple of challenges, haven't found any yet but will look after this post, hope you like it, any questions? comment me, hugs vick xxxxx

SNOW SNOW AND MORE SNOW!!

Like many others we are snowed into our house, good job i am used to being in all the time or i would be pretty peeved right now! It has been snowing here in South Yorkshire for a week now and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. It is 2-3 foot everywhere around us for upto 10miles away and 3-6 ft in snow drifts up against fences and walls. We havent had post for 4 days and havent been able to use the car for as long! the dogs are loving though everytime they go out into the garden, (pics below) and because they are small dogs we lose them everytime they go out, all you can see is their heads bobbing up and down, lol.........i wish i could tell you that i have been using this opportunity to stamp like a good'un in my craft studio, but i have somehow caught a flu bug and been in bed for the last 3 days , with the most horrible sore throat i've ever had and my nose and head are like cotton wool, my legs feel like they dont belong to me, oh well, never mind, i can look out the window at the children next door throwing snowballs at each other and building snowmen and igloos much better than i could at their age!!  the artist in me didnt extend to snowman building! but so wish i wasn't disabled cause the kid in me wants to play in the snow and throw as many balls as i could at John my hubby and he wish he was more agile so he could throw some back, lol!! Anyway, hopefully we will get some post come through and i will get my order of a new cricut mat and cartridge that should have been here 3days ago, as i paid for overnight delivery and citylink decided they couldnt get anywhere near us at the beginning of the week, so i am waiting, like everyone else for my goodies.

The first pic is of our back garden, the second of Barney, one of our Bichon Frise dogs who loves the snow, how can you tell? and the thrid is of our front gate and drive, rather obscurred and nearly completely buried by the snow and we are supposed to be getting even more, if thats at all possible!!!!

I hope to feel better over the coming days so that i can make some things in the studio and post them on here, well, whatever you are doing, working, crafting, playing in snow, stay safe and keep well. xxxx

THE ANTIQUED TAG

Hi All, today i haven't done any stamping, however last night i took an old cream coloured tag/label and made it look vintage with a few stamps from a stamp sheet by Sam Poole, that i bought from Crafters Companion.  I was drawn directly to this sheet as i love the vintage feel and wild flowers, and there is two very small stamps that i would have paid for on their own for what i paid for the whole sheet.......a 'cracked earth' look and a grunged dot like patch, they are so well worth what i paid for the whole sheet and i have used them on this tag as a background in a second stamping, by firstly stamping the initial on some scrap paper and then used the secondary stamp on the background, and then i have gone over the same area with the first stamping alternating the stamps direction as i go, i really do like the finished effect and this would look great on a card for male or female! for females you could pretty it up with some ribbon or lace, or use brighter colours, anyway, this isn't a finished card, its rather a finished technique, hope you like it xxx check back for more inspiration on this new stamp sheet from Crafters Companion (where i purchased it from )Who would have thought that this was a plain cream boring tag/label?

STAMPAVIE-MY SARAH KAY CARDS

Hi Crafters,
I don't know about you but i absolutely love Sarah Kay images, Magnolia and Elizabeth Bell designs, and i am slowly but surely collecting these stamps. I bought my first Sarah Kay by Stampavie stamp last week from CRAFTERS COMPANION and at £6.75, i could afford one a month to play with.  Anyway as most of you know i have been recently designing my cards for Sheena, so when the stamp arrived from Crafters Companion, i couldn't play with it. Boo hoo........anyhoo, after a rest over the weekend, (as i cannot craft too much due to illness)  i stamped and embossed it this morning..............i thoroughly enjoyed leisurely colouring it in this afternoon with my promarkers whilst watching tv from my bed, as my mobility became worse this afternoon so i'm bedbound at the mo! ......anyway, i finished the card 40mins later and thought i would share it with you, here on my blog......i do hope you like it, i love it and this stamp will definitely be used over and over again, it's gorjus!!!  hugs, Vick xxxxx

P.S   Don't forget, i love getting comments!!! Sorry if the card is darker than usual but the light nowadays isn't very good even in the afternoon!!

Ingredients i used to make this card

Stampavie Sarah Kay (clear) stamp 'Bernadette admiring the spring flowers' from CC HERE
A4 Centura Pearl card in 'Snow White' from C.C, HERE
Pink Coredinations card
Corner Rounder Punch (papermania)
MS punch around the page
Blueberry Hill DP
Ornate Circle Die from Spellbinder
Cherry Blossoms, pearl heart ribbon buckle, satin ribbon (orchid) pink/cream calla lilies, pink deep pikn and pink/white 25mm roses all from Wild Orchid Crafts, HERE
White embroidered rose ribbon trim from my stash
Lilac ribbon rose from stash
Lilac prima flower from Joanna Sheen, HERE
Irridescent Glitter spray from Crafters Companion
Versamark
Distress Ink (spun sugar and Victorian Velvet) around the ornate round
Black detail EP
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
Collall photo glue from Crafters Companion
1" wide DST from Poundland
Heat Gun
Heat Resistant/Non Stick craft sheet from Sheena Douglass, HERE
Promarkers used to colour:-
Jeans -Powder Blue
Jeans Patch - Orchid
Top and Hair Ribbon - Orchid and Amethyst
Flowers - Orchid and Lilac
Foliage - Leaf Green and Marsh Green
Skin - Satin, Blush and Dusky Pink
Watering Can - Cool Grey 1

Thankyou xx

DOWN THE PUB!!!!

So here is my final peek into my 'A Little Bit Sketchy, Vol2' range, i would have more but circumstances on this occasion slowed me down and prevented me from making more but i hope you like what i did make.......heres to the next sneaky peeks from my designed cards for Sheena!  In the meantime i will be posting cards that i have made for my private cardmaking and also some samples i will have made on Barbara's next live show (her last, before Christmas boo hoo) on the 5th December, so not too long to wait avid stampers!!! Hugs Vick xxx

Ingredients i used to make this card

Scene and sentiment from 'Cheers' stamp plate from Sheena Douglass HERE
MS corner punch
Black & White ribbon from my stash
Watercolour card
White base card
Beaded oval die from Spellbinder
Scalloped oval die from Spellbinder
Black card
'WOW' Black Glint EP from Sheena Douglass
Archival Inkpad (black)
Good quality tapered brush to draw out the colour with a little water
Distree Ink (black soot)
Border made by stamping from the curly flourish at the beginning of the 'C' in cheers
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
Collall Photo Glue from Crafters Companion
Heat Gun
Anti static bag
Heat Resistant Non Stick Craft sheet

BEAUTIFUL STREAM!!

Hi Crafters,
This is another card i made for the launch of Sheena Douglass stamps 'A little bit Sketchy...Vol2' i love this scene. and i think its clever how Sheena has drawn it to be open to suggestion, meaning it could be a spring summr card but with a clever use of colour and techniques, the scene could quite easily be turned into a wintery scene and adding snow! Hope you like the scene too and i hope i've done it justice! bye for now xx vick

Ingredients i used to make this card


Scene and sentiment from the 'stream' stamp plate available from here
Heat Gun
White base card
Coloured and stamped with various distress inks and aquamarkers
ferns embossed with a pine green embossing powder from my stash
'WOW' Black Glint E.P from Sheena
Archival Inkpad (black)
3d foam pads

CROCUS DOILY CARD

Hey there people, this is another designed sample card from the new "A little bit Sketchy"Vol.2 range from Sheena Douglass here.  I hope you like it, have a good Sunday evening.................x

Ingredients used to make this card


Sentiment and Crocus image from the 'Spring' stamp plate
Ivory pearlescent A4 card
Ornate Circle Die from Spellbinder
White flat backed adhesive pearls that i coloured Aubergine to match card with aubergine Promarker
Backing Paper and adhesive decoupaged lilacs from my own stash
All fabric flowers on this card are from Joanna Sheen
Doily is from Joanna Sheen
Lilac vellum from my stash
Aubergine Stardream card from Joanna Sheen
Sentiment stamped with Versamark and then embossed with Cosmic Shimmer (Blue Raspberry Aurora) E.P
Crocuses stamped and coloured with Big and Juicy (Hydrangea) embossed with WOW clear EP all from Sheena Douglass
Pearl brad from Papermania
spacer bead from stash
Collall Photo Glue from Crafters Companion
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
DST
Cut and Dry foam from Sheena Douglass
Anti Static Bag
Acrylic Block
UMount from Crafters Companion
Non Stick/Heat Resistant craft sheet from Sheena Douglass
Heat Gun from stash

any other questions relating to this card please do not hesitate on getting in touch with moi!!! xx

MY 8x8 "SNOWDROP" LOL.......... SNEAKY PEEK!!

Hello Everyone on this cold Saturday morning!!  Being Saturday, that could only mean one thing, Yes!!!!!.........Sheena is on C&C in 24hrs time, yippee.....cannot wait...........so to make the time go faster you could go around the DT's blogs and check out what they have made with Sheena's new stamp sets! and you could start here, on my blog! I stamped and embossed the snowdrops and i knew that everyone else would be leaving them white, but i thought i would do them whatever colour i wanted, that's the art of being a designer!!! LOL ........oh ok, you caught me out, i was so wrapped up in what i was doing, i finished the card and looked at it again to take my pics and realised that i had stamped the snowdrops and NOT the crocuses......"Oh No.....they are snowdrops!!! my card was ruined and then i thought......what is art all about? having the licence to interpret whatever, however you want.......so i'm sticking with my lilac snowdrops!!!  LOL..........., so what do you think? I hope it really doesn't matter...........and you like the card, hugs to you all and thankyou for passing by, see you tomorrow!! Vick xxx
P.S Don't forget to check out my fellow team mates blogs for their designs today, SHEENA, GILL and LIN xxx

Ingredients i used to make this card

'Spring' stamp plate from HERE
A3 Ivory Centura Pearl card from Crafters Companion HERE to make the 8x8 blank
Various flowers from my craft stash, Joanna Sheen HERE and Wild Orchid Crafts HERE
Silver mirri card from my craft stash
Bronze/Lilac paper from Crafters Companion
Butterfly from Marianne Designs
Fancy Ornate circle die from Spellbinders
satin ribbon in lilac also from Wild OrchidCrafts (link above)
clear diamantes from my own craft stash
Spun Sugar Distress Ink from Tim Holtz HERE at SD
Aubergine heavy weight textured card from Kameo Crafts
Lilac floral card from Hunkydory
DST
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
Collall Photo glue from Crafters Companion
MS punch around the page
foam pads
Snowdrops were coloured in using promarkers :- orchid, amethyst, lilac

NAUGHTY NAUGHTY!!! SNEAK

I know its only early, but technically it is the third day of previews even though it's barely Friday i knew i would be busy so thought i would post my sneak peek before i go to bed, i am naughty, but nice! Hope you like this card and check out my fellow teamies blogs of SHEENA, LIN & GILL and see what they're getting upto, feel free to post your comments on what you think of my cards, and i am thanking you in advance, lookout for my further postings! I am just about to start work on the next batches of Clarity stamps too so they will be on here first week in December too! Itssafe to say if you followme you won't miss all the previews and inspiration i'm hoping i am passing on to other crafters out there, cheers everyone and i hope you like this 3rd offering!! xx

Ingredients used to make this card

'Cheers' stamp plate from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
Chocolate brown & gold leather effect card
Ivory card for matting & layering
Gold 6x6 base card
WOW black glint E.P from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
WOW Gold E.P from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
Alcohol inks from Tin Holtz in Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain
Leaves (card) from spellbinders die
other leaves from craft stash
Roses from Wild Orchid
MS punch around the page
Collall Photo Glue from Crafters Companion
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
Gold Glitter spray from Crafters Companion


I used a good quality paint brush and took the colour back out of the pub image so it stands out more from the background colours

Thanks for taking the time out to read this and comment

SNEAKY PEEK No2

Hiya Folks, hope you are having a good day, i thought i would post my next sneaky peek of my designs this time using Sheena's new stamps due out on Create and Craft 9am and 12noon this Sunday, dont miss it guys!!!! hugs for the day, Vick xx

                                                                                                                                                                        





Ingredients used to make this card

Bird and Sentiment from 'Faith' stamp sheet from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
Ornate circle die from Spellbinders
Cappucino crocheted lace ribbon with satin ribbon threaded through
Vintage floral digital paper from Bearly Mine Crafts
Green Frame and Leaves from Marianne Designs
Distress Inks from Tim Holtz in Antique Linen and Vintage Photo
Cut n Dry foam
Aquamarkers to colour
Various leaves from craft stash
Various flowers inc roses of varying sizes and types, calla lilies & stamens all from Wild Orchid crafts
stamped and embossed butterfly onto acetate from my craft stash
DST
Foam Pads
'WOW' Gold E.P from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
MS Border Punch (doily lace)
Pearlescent light green card for matting and layering
Ivory A3 Centura Pearl card  from Crafters Companion
Gold Glitter spray from Crafters Companion
Collall Photo glue from Crafters Companion

MY FIRST SNEAKY PEEK!!!!

Hi There Stampers,

Today is the day we can start posting our sneaky peeks of Sheena Douglass' new stamps that are due on Create and Craft this Sunday!!! at 9am and Noon12pm......i cannot wait and i'm not on my own am I crafters?......check out my first sneak peek and then bob over to the lady herself  SHEENA and see what little gem she has to show you, i'm sure its gonna be a beauty, as always!!!  and my other designer friends have lots to show you too, one sneaky peek every day until Sunday, so there's plenty of inspiration for you, for when you get your stamps through the post!!!! and of course you are getting an idea of what goodies Sheena will be bringing to the shows as well so pop along and check out GILL (who eerily has used the same stamp as me for her first preview,lol)  LIN my other fellow teammate, a great designer after another, after another!!! Hope you like.......hugs, Vick xxxx

By the way, I will add a rundown of ingredients i used to make this card later! xx thanks


Ingredients used to make this card

A4 piece of 'snow white' Centura Pearl card from Crafters Companion
A5 piece of card printed with own wood effect print, however, any obscure background print or stamping with do
Bronze Mirri Board from Joanna Sheen
Corner Punch (corneradorner) from my local craft shop
Spellbinders Labels Die
Sheena's 'Believe' stamp plate (Alittle Bit Sketchy Vol2) for the church and sentiment from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
Distress Inks in Antique Linen and Walnut Stain were used to distress the card and colour the images with from Tim Holtz & Ranger
Cut and Dry foam from Ranger
WOW E.P Pepper Reg from http://www.sheenadouglass.com/
1" wide chocolate brown grosgrain which i made into what i call a chocolate box bow (now adopted by many)
DST (craftstudio)
Collall Photo Glue from Crafters Companion
Collall Glue Gel from Crafters Companion
 If you have any further questions about this card do not hesitate to ask them , Vick xx

MALE INFLUENCES

Well this stamp set screams 'MALE THEMED CARDS' at you and it would be pretty hard to make anything else from them cause they were so masculine that i thought to myself whilst working with them......."Great, something for men that are easy to work with!" A lovely large stamp in the shape of a 1st class stamp, that didn't occur to me until the shows, that it is an actual ATC size, "duh duh brain i am or what"? I could have done so much more with this, if i had only realised what it was intended for, but Hey! that's called suggestive and maybe being a designer i may have interpreted it differently anyhow, so it looks like i did.........even though i lost my lovely daddy when i was 15, i also tend to write DAD on all the male cards i have designed over the years for TV, i guess its wishful thinking, i don't have the need to make 'DAD' cards in my everyday life, as my husband's dad is no longer with us either, so i guess i indulge myself if i have to make male cards for TV, its got DAD on it!! Joys of being a designer, you can do what you want!!! LOL..........so thanks Barbara for letting me be a little indulgent! xx

I used in this card some alcohol inks on the gold mirri card that was then cut out from the beaded oval spellbinder frames. I stamped and embossed the 1st class stamp in black detail EP then coloured the stamped area in gold Sakura gel pens, i also stamped it onto an olde world map of the British Isles that i printed and also stamped the fob watch that also comes with this set to make my own background on the card, which gave me a great backdrop to the stamp and then i used the minature car stamp and embossed it in gold detailed EP as a travel aspect to go with the map, i thought it went well anyway! lol......maybe i have a different view on things to other 'normal' people LOL........i used male type colours but im female and i love the dark chocolate browns and burgundy's anyway, this is my 'DAD' card this year!!! hugs to all my followers xxxxx

THE SECOND SILVER/WHITE

This was the second card in these designs that i finished in Silver and White and its a lovely design of a snowdrops,birds and grasses round, with a clever corner and sentiment which is so true! hope you like it......it was heat embossed like the other card in silver sparkled EP i also added Stickles (Crystal) to the snowdrops themselves and added the few diamantes, this card didnt need anything else to make it special, the stamps did that for you!

SILVER AND WHITE

I really think there is something Classy and beautiful about Silver/White and Gold/Ivory designs and i seemed to get into the Silver and White this month very easily as i completed 2 very different designs in the same way, i loved working on them both and the wreath had a lot of cutting out as i used the initial wreath that came with the set to decoupage it but then stamped and heat embossed the single leaf too several times and added that to the already stamped and heat embossed wreath 3 times over and cut out, all onto mint scented white with silver cracked detail its gorgeous card, really special! And to keep that classical, elegant way about it i finished the easel off with the gorgeous, poignant verse from the great William Shakespeare that was cut and embossed with my spellbinders labels set and finished off with a round diamante buckle and black velvet ribbon! So Lush, i would be over the moon to recieve this at Christmas, hope you like it guys xxxxx

OTHER CLARITY DESIGNS

Another design that i thought would make a great male card was the tree and partridge, because Barb didn't have to state it was a partridge persay, it could have been any bird and therefore not a necessarily 'christmas' card, i feel that's why she probably left it open to suggestion, we don't all want to buy just christmas stamps, any stamper will agree, i presume, that we try to get as much out of a design as we can and if we can use it all year round, we will, its called value for money and crafters are very good at hunting out, 'value for money'!! so here it is, very moody, and not overly feminine with one bow that's chunky grosgrain in chocolate brown

I stamped around the card in versamark and used detailed clear EP and heated from behind to give that real glossy effect, i stamped the 'partridge' in versamark and used a bronze EP coloured it in with promarkers............i stamped the tree in Archival Black and embossed with a detailed black EP and that was stamped onto a masked off area that i brayered (speedball)with my foliage Big and Juicy Inkpad

DISTRESSED FEATHER

Well by now you know i loved this feather so i won't go on, here's the distressed, antiqued looking card, i just love this card, even if i do say so myself and it really would make a great male card too!! well i think so anyway.....................

MY CLARITY DESIGNS

Hiya Folks,  I'm a little upset as i didn't even see most of my creations on the show and the bottom of the pile was seen but hey! I guess they weren't right, but i loved them and other people who have seen them love them and might want to know how they were made so here is my rundown, thanks guys for always cheering me up on Facebook! without you there wouldn't be a point!!

so this is one of my favourites, i just adore that feather stamp its gorgeous and done in a dot matrix styley, which is (if you didn't know) a picture or form made up of tiny dots instead if brushstrokes or pencil lines, and i think that's why i love this stamp so much as it is very intricate and in the basic B&W the intricacy is very evident.  Well drawn by Barbara some years ago now, but one of those images that can never grow old, as it is natural!
I masked out a 1 inch border all the way around the DL card size and stamped out the smaller feather stamp that comes in the set of 3, i then stamped out the largest feather and did a complex crackle effect that took twice to make as i wasn't happy with the first attempt it wasn't cracked enough (does that tell you something about me? lol) anyhow here is a close up of the crackled effect on the card, this wasn't seen on tv so i thought i would showcase it here, this is my blog of stamped designs afterall!

Hope you like this one guys and thanks for stopping by, hugs Vick xxxxx

WOW!! SHEENA IS HERE

Wow.....I got some goodies via a courier from Sheena yesterday and will be designing this weekend and the best part of next week, for her show, date to be announced soon,  so stay tuned into my blog and i will let you know.  I will be posting sneaky previews of my designs in the days leading upto the shows, all i can say before then is they are fabulous, and very useable! Sheena's unique style of stamps are always easy to work with for beginners and still challenging enough for the old hand/advanced stamper such as myself! The stamps are sketchy and Sheena knows just what us crafters want and need and you will certainly NEEEEEED these, they are, in my humble opinion, suitable for any occasion across the board whether for a female or male there is something for all in these two sets of 3 stamp sheets, 6 in total, so watch this space for your previews and the finalised date for the shows! Hugs Vick xxx

DON'T MISS BARBARA

Hiya Stampers,

Just a heads up for people  so that they don't forget Barbara Gray is on our screens this Sunday, Yippee!!!! at 11am-1pm, so two hours of pure stamping indulgence. I have completed and sent Barb my designs and she has them safely tucked away ready for the show so i will be able to post them on here and my Facebook page on Sunday! I truly hope you like them and enjoy the shows as i know you all will, she is bringing some lovely sets of stamps, will be back on here soon with news of Sheena Douglass too! so keep posted, hugs to you, Vick

TIME IS MARCHING ON!!!!!!!

Oh heck! I've just realised how close we are to Christmas (sorry for swearing) and i haven't even thought about Christmas cards, luckily i don't have a massive family so thats all good but the ones i do have all know the calibur of my work and will be expecting out of this world cards, and why wouldnt they? they know me so well that i go overboard on family cards and nothing is too much for them so i'd better get my thinking cap on!!!
I did buy Sheena's Christmas stamp plates, the last ones she did for Creative Expressions prior to leaving in the hope that i would use them and only them for my designs this year and then whilst looking/scavenging for some glorious designer backing papers i came across some more christmas stamps i'd forgotten about, some embellies and papers and then thought, Hmm......maybe i will do something other than what was in my head earlier last month! Oh dear, ive rambled again, sorry guys......i will be putting a couple of cards up soon i promise, but in the meantime im sure you have plenty of your own things to craft for Christmas too.........if you have any ideas please leave me a comment, anything different this year that you might try? i am hoping to stick to one design idea that all my cards will be a classic White/Silver mix and/or a gold/ivory mix, anyhoo......bye for now then and stay safe folks, hugs, Vick xxxxx

WHAT I'M UPTO!

Hi Guys,  Well i know i've been a little quiet of late...yes me, quiet, shock horror!!! well its my darling husband's birthday today so we are spending some time together but i will be spending most of my time today in my craft studio, putting together some designs for the lovely Barbara Gray who is popping onto our screens very soon.....so watch this space as i will be putting my designs up on the same day, which should be a week today on Create and Craft, our two favourite hours of the month!!! Hope you are all well and ready for all the new things i have in the pipeline, lets just hope that they come from out of my brain onto YouTube and my website also this and my next blog which is swingin into action this coming week! its all go here, i just hope my disabilities allow me to have some fun with my stamps and inkpads!!! speak soon guys, stay safe, and keep well!!! love vick xxxxx

NEW BLOG COMING !!!!

Hopefully many of you will know what i do in regards to other cards separate to stamped imaged projects, and i recently said i was going to set up another blog that covered everything else i did, oil painiting, decoupage, cd crafting, scrapbooking, jewellery making, candle making, etc, i also have a website under this same name of The Artful Codger and this will contain videos of workshops, demos and one to one teaching workshops as after Christmas i will be teaching advanced stamping techniques at a local craft shop for a friend that owns the shop, so i am looking forward to that too. All the demos and workshops will be linked to my YouTube channel so you will be able to subscribe to my channel and save your favourite techniques. There is also lots coming on this blog too as i still design for Sheena Douglass and Barbara Gray, infact i am currently working on designs for Barb in between lieing down on my bed due to illness so i do a couple of hours of designing here and there and designing in bed as my previous post alluded to, LOL, listen........ crafty people never stop, you know what its like, you think you aren't designing etc until you have an idea whilst watching something and then desperately look for paper and pen to write it down, or is that just me, lol???I do that too with psychic visions and dreams i have,  so i guess i write lists for everything in my life, and anyone who knows me will be laughing there, as they know just how many times i make lists for things in a week! do i take notice of my lists? do i heck..........lol anyway so i thought i would just leave this post to let you know that these things are coming soon and after christmas as well, as they cannot physically happen all at the same time, i used to work 98hrs a week, im lucky if i can do 5hrs a week now, thanks to M.E and physical disabilities, so please bear with me friends, i will get the things done that i need to, as soon as i can, hugs to you all for sticking with me and hopefully more people will know im here soon too xxxxx Vick

Designing in bed!!

I'm sorry i haven't left a blog post for a few days but i have been stuck in bed due to long term disabilities i have flaring up, they have a habit of doing that nearly all the time now, however, i have been using this time cleverly by stamping my new Barbara Gray stamps onto an A4 jotting pad and then using each couple of pages on that one stamp as a mood  board and adding design ideas for the cards and colours/ribbon etc etc, as i am working on stamps only Barbara and the designers (thats me and my fellow teamies) have been privy to so i will have some goodies to show you around the same time they are on with Barbara on C&C, so looking forward to that 2hrs! hey stampers? so i will love you and leave you for now and i may post the odd thing besides my samples so to keep my blog topped up or you'll become bored and not visit me no-more! lol........i hope not.......if you can come and say hello on FB or leave me a comment on here
bye for now guys xxxx vick

MY LAST TEASE ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION!

Hiya Folks,
Well here you go, the last one to show you, before the shows tomorrow, Sheena has posted or rather Gopher has, posted her last sample before the show here and so has Lin my other fellow design teamie, here so hopefully you have had enough teasing lol and have loads of ideas about all the stamps coming tomorrow at 8am and 12noon and the techniques you can use! so here's mine..........hope its ok folks!
I will add a full rundown of ingredients used for this card and others however, i would like to welcome Bearly Mine Designs to my crafting arsenal, i bought some of Donna's designs a couple of weeks back and used some of her gorgeous designer papers in this creation for Sheena, and have passed on Donna's website to my crafty friends who have asked where i got this gorgeous backing paper from! So if you love designer looking, vintage,  shabby chic, which is my favourite...... pop over to Bearly Mine Designs to purchase some digi papers that you can print as many times as you wish, hugs stamping friends, Vick xxxxxxx

ANOTHER SNEAKY PREVIEW!!!

Well, less than 24 hrs left now to another Sheena couple of hours on Create and Craft at 8am and 12noon, if you cannot watch make sure you record! Here is another one of my designs from the poppies stamp which i have used Ultra Fine Flowersoft on in Strawberry, to add some texture, i couldnt decide between flock or flowersoft but i was hungry when making this sample, hence the 'strawberry' lol, hope you like...........x

THE CRAFTERS COMPANION BLOG HOP

Hi all,


Just thought i would say what a good hop i've just had and if you want to blog hop too and have the chance to win the new collection of SWALK stamps and CDRom to match you must go to every stop!  Click here http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/  at Jacqui's blog to start your hop, good luck everyone!  hugs Vicky xxxxx

WELL I'D GUESS I'D BETTER!!!

Oh dear, i am absolutely shattered. Been in London all day today ( i now remember why they call it the big smoke , my lungs are killing me, due to bumper to bumper traffic jam for 2hrs somewhere half way down Edgware Road, that road becomes longer than i remembered at 2miles an hour, i can tell yer!!!.).........set off 6am this morning, but i never went to sleep till gone 4.......went through my iternary for the day for about the 12th time, a list for this,...... list for that........lol....then finally called it a day 90mins before my alarm was due to scream at me..get up you lazy cow!!!.......i never realised there was 2 ....6o'clocks on a Sunday...........hehehehehe,    just kidding!....I was a nurse on night shifts for nigh on 8years i knew, honestly!!!.....
Not many people know this but i was born in London and lived there the first 13 and a half yrs of my life, i went back today to take part in an all day workshop within the other love of my life, my mediumship! but we won't go there at the moment, as i am pooped..........haven't had a journey like that for years, M1 or spiritually so its really taken it out of me and the old hubby! he's currently letting out a dull snoring sound to the tapping of my keys on the old laptop, we're making a weird sounding music together, it'll never reach Numero Uno!!!!!LMAO....anyway, enough of my rantings and snorings, this is my Sunday contribution to the brilliance that is Sheena 'distressed' Douglass!! I have to post or i may not be forgiven for being old and senile! So here it is folks, a little later than i anticipated as my lappie decided to die on me a few hours ago when i meant to post, so it needed to recharge its battery whilst i recharged mine with my favourite drink.........the old Gold Blend...i'm teetotal without the tee!!! its cof 'fee'......so here it is, hope you can forgive me........oh who am i kidding you dont wanna see mine, its just a teaser so you know what sort of stamps Sheena's bringing on, on Tuesday, and who can blame yer, so there you go, hope you like, and catch you all tomorrow with another tease.........well i have to have my fun somewhere don't I? its hard being this angelic all the time!!!LMAO!!! love you darlings xxxxxx vicky 'the angelic' mcclean.........

YOUR 3RD SNEAKY PEEK!!!

Oh i know, its early, you was expecting to see this, this evening but i won't be around so i thought i would treat you all this morning and post this a little earlier. Out of all my designs, this is my favourite one, probably because of the colours, i do like all of them but this one just makes me feel christmassy, even though its not a christmas card, its got a traditional, vintage feel about it, and that's the look i was aiming for, i just love vintage!  So here it is my 3rd contribution an 8x8 square card, my favourite shape.....They're going to be great shows, don't miss them....  This card shows the leaves and branches in the sets at there best, a real autumnal feel to it i think..........what do you think?     I do hope you like it!!

HERE'S ANOTHER SNEAKY PEEK

If you are as impatient as me, waiting until Tuesday will be doing your head in, so i promise to post my cards one a night and here i am for the second helping, hope you like it, and i've done Sheena justice!!



Items you will need to make this card

Centura A3 ivory card

DCWV Olde World 12x12 stack

Ivory Opalescent card

3D foam pads

DST

Collall Glue Gel

Good quality paint brush size6

Bronze Stardream card

Specialised Watercolour card 300gsm

Core dinations cardstock 12x12

Gold Mirri card

Heat Resistant Acetate

"WOW" E.P by Sheena Douglass in Pepper Regular & Brass Regular

Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain

Spellbinders Leaf dies

Spellbinders Sm. Scalloped Ovals

"A Little Bit Sketchy" stamp plates from Sheena Douglass "Twisted Tree" and the sentiment on same set

4 Large Antique Brass round brads

Antique Ivory Crocheted Lace with antique ivory ribbon threaded through it

Assorted paper flowers and leaves

Various Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints used from the 'Metallics' set

Obviously, you do not have to use everything i have as you may want to change colourways etc however, i have listed everything i used to make this card

Thanks for looking, i truly do appreciate it, so thankyou, hugs, Vicky xxx

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!!!!!

One a day keeps the guessing at bay, so that's what i intend to do, post a little something to whet your appetite until the big day, when the lovely Sheena wows us again with her unique style of crafting that has us, spending and begging for more!!! So here is a one of my designs from my samples, i do hope you like it and you come back tomorrow for another sneaky preview of what is going to be two Super Sheena Shows.....as Sheena has said on her blog, check it out http://www.sheenadouglass.blogspot.com/ there are 6 A6 stamp sheets altogether and 3 on each show on Tuesday Create and Craft.........in a style that has become unique with Sheena, arty, sketchy, brilliant!!!

Happy Stamping,
Hugs, Vicky xxxx

Items you will need to make this card

A4 Centura Pearl card in Snow White

Black 300gsm card

Silver Mirri Card

Brilliant White Stamping Card

Martha Stewart Punch around the Page 'Rings'

Memento Inkpads in Black and London Fog

"WOW" E.P by Sheena Douglass in 'Black Glint'

Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle in Silver

Black and White Polka dot satin ribbon

Collall Glue Gel

DST

3d Foam Pads

Spellbinders Leaf dies

Marianne Designs Leaf dies

You obviously can use other products, thats your chouce however, this is what i used to make this particular card

Happy Crafting and i hope you have a great time completing your own little masterpiece,

stick around, follow me, lots of goodies to come!!!

Hugs, Vicky xxxx



COMING SOON!!!

Well I have just finished some designs for Sheena Douglass' show that is on next Tuesday 19th October, and i really don't want anyone to miss these stamps! They are quite arty, and sketchy, designs we have grown to love from Sheena, so don't miss out and keep your eyes on this blog, as i am one of Sheena's chief designers and i will have some sneaky previews of stamps coming up in the show!! Please tell your crafty friends and follow me!
Hugs, Vicky x

Joy to the World is distressed!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed distressing this stamped image and its background, in my mind it makes it look like an old, golden, scroll...................

 Another version of Let It Snow, but a more antiqued look, how can you tell i love the distressed antiqued altered look!!!

Well i tried something here that i thought would never work, however, i truly believe it gets down to a good quality stamp, that i was able to stamp and heat emboss on glitter card, what elation that was when it came out ok, i was worried i had wasted good glitter card and i would have to stamp again on another surface but hey.......it worked.......wow!!!

And this last card was the first time i have played with Alcohol Inks.........I know.......where have i been.?......ive got most of what Ranger and Tim Holtz do but didnt go the the alcohol side of things yet, and i mean ink not the local bar! lol...........hope you like it, bye for nowHappy Crafting xxx