Sheena Douglas World Launch at the CHA!!

Good evening crafters!!! well what an exciting week we have for you!! This Monday the 12th of January showing on Create and craft at 3pm  Sheena Douglass will be bringing you live from the CHA in California BRAND NEW stamps and dies!! woo hoo! Oh my days they are just totally amazing!!, I am an extremely lucky crafter at the moment to be joining the very talented Inkoids for a while and when I heard what was coming up I just couldn't wait to see! the day my parcel arrived with all these fabulous goodies was just like Christmas!! I had no idea what the range was going to be so you can just imagine my excitement when opening it up! 

 beautiful beautiful!! stamps and dies that work together just perfectly! and what makes them even more amazing is you don't need to use one with the other as the dies work simply fantastically on their own! I have so many ideas with this range, my mind went into a crafters EXPLOSION! seriously...where to start! so many options my mind just raced!, so ..I thought calm down Nic...take a deep breath your a tad excited here! so I started by stamping everything out quite roughly on to plain white copier paper and spread it all out in front of me so I could truly take in the whole range! look to see what stamp sets could go with another stamp set...how I could build up scenes etc, then I jotted down my design ideas and set to work...I havent even half got through what I had planned! it goes on forever, and if there was ever a complete stamp and die set i would say crafters had to have...it would be this one without a doubt!, so for now I will share just 3 samples I made 11 and each day I will share a couple more to lead us up into the launch day.

and heres my first one!

I created a beautiful muted background using my Aquatints, which I adore! you can check the range out on line just HERE! they blend together seemlessly giving the most amazing effortless backgrounds, I use a wash brush to create the background and chose the same paintbrushes Sheena uses which are Royal and Langnickel Crafters Choice brushes, 

I then added a little distress ink to the edges for a little extra depth.

 Then for this card I used the Tree stamp and the hanging bird house stamp, these are two seperate stamp sets  the bird house I stamped twice and I think you can just see it is decoupaged which gives a lovely effect, then using one of the new die sets "Hedgerow corner" I cut a large and smaller corner piece to finish, 

Onto the most adorable Squirrel stamp!

how irresistible is he!! so to start with I stamped him out and covered him up with Pebeo Drawing gum ...this stuff is amazing!!! you can pick it up on line just HERE! its truly fantastic! I've only recently discovered this stuff and its changed my crafting, I LOVE it, so once dry I set to creating my background, using my Aquatints and wash brush I created an Autumn pallet background then whilst still wet I sprinkled a fine sea salt over and left to dry, once dry I rubbed away the salt and then went over the edges with a distress ink pad, It gave a worn kind of leathery look to the paper which was great! I then distressed my edges inked a bit more and curled two opposite ends. Then using the Oak leaf and acorn stamps that BOTH have matching dies I created the corner embellishments, the photos don't really do these cards justice as these leaves once die cut and curled really look fantastic on your cards!

ok and last one for this evening...

even though this card may not be the most fancy....or have lots of embellishments and die cuts etc, I have to say it is my favourite. This card is quite a large long card that I created using a few different stamp sets, and by covering up my layers with drawing gum, I was able to add extra layers of hills to create my beautiful countryside view, I kept it all covered in drawing gum while I created my sky and clouds using the bleaching effect. once dry I simply rubbed the drawing Gum away and coloured my hills and fields, a simple fence in the fore ground that is cut using the matching die and a simple sentiment in the corner. Once I had finished this piece I just looked at it for soooo long, I loved it....simple but the stamps are so beautiful, I could really imagine myself standing right by that little fence looking out...silence...beautiful...is is sun set? or sunrise...I'm not sure but I do know I will definitely be creating this again and popping it on my wall in my craft room . 

I do hope you have liked what I have created so far!! Please do check out the rest of the Design Team as they have come up with some beauties! .. I will be sharing more tomorrow!

As always thank you so much for stopping by it really does mean a lot and I would just love it if you left me a comment..

Love

Nicole

xx

CRafting MUsketeers Challenge 21 Hats/ Valentine

Hey crafters!!! BRAND new challenge has gone live over at Crafting Musketeers !!
now I thought I had blogged this a couple of days ago...mmmm seems blogger didn't publish! eeeek so I'm re doing now, oops!!
 get out ya stash and come and join us this month!!

Once again we have a fabulous sponsor this time around in the ever so lovely Lacy Sunshine Digis !! and the prize will be some of the lovely digi stamps! perfect!! the theme is Hats or Valentines! The Design Team were all lucky enough to be sent some fabulous images to work with, and I had Matilda, very cue little image  and even though...wearing a hat I chose to make her into a Valentines card, here you go....what do you think?

A simple CAS card with my image as main focus this month, so now it's YOUR turn... you know the drill but here's a reminder of our rules

1. One entry per person

2. your project must follow the theme

3.You must be a blog follower to win the prize

4.Please claim your prize within 7 days or the winner will be re drawn

5.We are happy for you to link our challenge with as many others as you wish to enter

6.You do not need to have a blog..simply enter over at our face book page just ...HERE!

once again I look forward to seeing all your creations this month so please  do come and join us!!!!

Love n Hugs

Nicole

xxx

Makey Bakey Mice Anniversary Card

Hi everyone!!! Well what a crazy few busy weeks its been!! so ...HAPPY NEW YEAR!! and I hope you all had a fabulous one!! it's been far too long since I last blogged but its been a whirlwind month! so new years resolution...BLOG more! 

Tonight I'm sharing a lovely card I made a few weeks ago. 

I was asked to make a special 30th wedding anniversary card, and all I was asked was pretty..include some pearls, didn't mind if cute etc, totally up to me! so straight away I headed for my Makey Bakey Mice every day Cd rom from Crafters Companion

 that you can pick up just HERE! I TOTALLY adore these little mice! and just perfect for so many different occasions!

I decided on a large A4 pop open card that was made super duper easy using my BIG score from Crafters Companion. This is the first ever card I learnt to make way back when I started crafting. Sara demo's it in one of her CD roms that accompany the Ultimate Pro, I have made it so many times and truly love it! It definitely gives the wow factor for me once all decorated up and folds nice and flat.

 As the 30th anniversary is traditionally pearls, I decided on a lovely Ivory linen card stock for my base, I love tone on tone cards and used the same card stock for all my die cuts too!

 After looking through all the fabulous images I chose the cutest of cutest little mouse perched in a pretty poppy

 I simply flipped the image to give me the matching right sided design and chose a lovely verse for the centre

then added some highlights of glitter, pearls and some die cut flourishes, bows and butterflies to decorate.

I was really pleased with the finished card, and have been told the recipient LOVED it FABULOUS!!
I hope you like it too and would love to know what you think!!
Thank you so much for stopping by!!!
Hugs
Nicole
xx

More FABULOUNESS with Sheenas new Launch

Hi Guys , sooo... are you ready for the shows on the 11th December!! eeek i'm so bloomin excited! you are going to LOVE what Sheena is bringing you, and i'm thrilled to bits to be joining the Inkoids on this , so i have showed you a few samples to whet your appetite and now to share with you the rest of my samples

so first up Highland Dinner! a fabulous rubber stamp, that stamps with such beautiful detail!!l coloured up with my spectrum noir pens, popped a sentiment above, also one of Sheena's new stamps, now I've chosen to make a big tag with mine, but check out the rest of the DT samples as they have made some gorgeous stuff with this one! 

Castle Ruins next, this one is beautiful, i chose a warm summer fresh day for my colours, but would love to try this as a night scene in blues and rich purples, add a bit of atmosphere!, fabulous!

now for a SPOOKY scene! I stamped my spooky tree first and covered up with drawing gum, then set to work creating a dark and mysterious background! i used a black Aquatint to simply darken some of the colours from the bright and beautiful Aquatints set, then added clouds using Sheena's cloud stencil and some hills in the background with the "As the land lies" stencil, i decided a fence was needed, so used the "landscape stencil next, flipped the stencil over to create the right side fence, then a fine fine pen for any extra definition. ...time to rub out the drawing gum! it worked! this stuff always amazes me. but because my background was so dark, i opted to keep my tree white, why?, 

just because i can :)

lastly the wolf stamp! this was me playing from start to finish! i had no idea where i was going or if i would use the image to make a card. i just wanted to play around so i did, and this is whats great with all these products, no right or wrong way to use them, just play and create YOUR own art work. i stamped my wolf, coloured him with Aquatints, i didn't have a brown so made one up! the colours blend and mix beautifully together. mmmm but where next, so i just randomly starting flicking black around his face, and thought..ooh hello, i like that! so i flicked some gorgeous juicy raspberry colour next, so easy and simple!, liked it so much i created a simple background in the same way

so are you ready for the shows!? check out Sheena's facebook page right  HEREto see a bit more! And don't forget the show times, its a ONE DAY WONDER so don't miss out :)...

11th December 8am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm!

catch you soon!

Nix

xxx

Sheena Douglas One Day Wonder 11th December

Well good evening you crafty lot!!,

  and do I have some FABULOUS news for you! well..... fabulous for me too! so last week, I spoke to the OMG amazinglytalented draw dropping sensation that is the one and only....drum roll please SHEENA DOUGLAS!!! .........................................................................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................( me being speechless!...ANY one who knows me...knows this DOESN'T happen!)

I haven't been that excited in a long time, and was smiling like a Cheshire cat for the rest of the afternoon!

 Sheena has a fabulous one day wonder this week, 11th December on Create and Craft with some totally amazing new products, stamps and stencils, and I was asked if I would like to hang out with the brilliant "Inkoids" and help with some samples! err YES please! Now these girls on this DT turn out some amazing work, if you have Sheena's products then you know the quality, just beautiful beautiful! so the pressure was on!!

 I'm a newbie to using stencils,  I have to say my first try was using some of Sheena's last stencils released and they are on my blog I LOVED working with them, and that's when I got the bug , I cant wait to get inking stamping, and digging deep into the pot of working with mixed media! but its a learning curve, right!? part of the fun, and if I can learn it then anyone can, so, I will stop waffling and share with you a sneaky peek of the gorgeous new products that will be winging there way to you...

be gentle with me guys , remember I'm learning lol, so here i have used a new stamp with Red Riding hood on! , the most fabulous tree stamp, and 3 of the new stencils being launched, that depict, landscapes, trees and  clouds...AMAZING! The top one I used the tree stamp, to stamp at different angles around my image, popped the image of Red in the centre, coloured up with my spectrum noir pens and then added lashings of distress inks to create some spooky atmosphere! I have to say you wouldn't catch me walking through there! and number 2, well..... this was a work in progress as it was my first time using a stencil to create a landscape... well any landscape actually lol, i thought i had lost it at one point and it nearly headed in the bin! but i ploughed through and persevered, got covered in more ink ( was fab!)  and kept working it! I had the best couple of hours ! honestly i kept thinking what i hear Sheena say on telly...its just a piece of card! it can be quite scary when your throwing lots of colours at it, but it was great fun! This one i coloured in Aquatints and then used distress inks to define my landscape.

now for a SPLASH OF COLOUR!

Here i have used the most luscious of lush colours!! Aquatints Bright and Beautiful!....and they are definitely that!, there was a stamp of just two Wolf eyes, and i just loved it, didn't want to use anything else, just that and my Aquatints, 

Simply by wetting some watercolour colour card then adding droplets of juicy colours i created the most amazing background

a touch of gold frantage to the corners, and using one of Sheena's sentiments that come with the stamp...voila! quick, simple and FUN!

right, the shows! Create and Craft 11th of December, show times 8am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm and 7pm

get yourself a lovely cuppa and get your feet up ready, and watch Sheena bring you some dazzling new products! 

I will be showing the rest of my samples tomorrow! the Highland Cow is just superb!!!

thank you for dropping by!! would love to now what you think!

Crafty hugs

Nicole 

xxx