Art book for Kathi

Hi

I bought a little sketch book for Kathi (mr son's girlfriend) for Christmas but never gave it to her as it was boring and black, THEN I found the perfect paper to cover it.  I made a secret pocket with a tag inside under the big butterfly. All the butterflies are raised, I added one of my favourite arty quotes and it was done! The biggest challenge was getting the paper between the binding, but scissors and patience and it was done!

Front

Back

At least now it is a bit different to everyone elses!

Love

Melissa xx

Purple moments

Back in my crafty heaven after a bit of a break. I have made this tag for a challenge and thought you may like a look.  It uses Lavinia stamps, versamark and yummy mica powder 

Anything goes!!

HI

I hope you all had fun over Christmas and New Year.  I had both boys at home Christmas Day so I was in heaven! and New Year we spent at the Grand Hotel Brighton waited on hand and foot!

These are my favourite challenges as you can let your imagination run away with you.  Bought this tissue box ages ago and didn't really know what to do with it, but then with all the different scenes that you can create with Lavinia stamps, and especially with the fantastic door stamp it was obvious!!

Wishing you all a happy healthy new year!!

Love

Melissa xx

Add a flower

Hi Everyone

What a busy time of year!! not too busy though to play with some Lavinia bits and bobs - especially her new range of dies!!  The theme this month is add a flower, and this is what I have done.  These dies cut like butter!  The dies are so intricate that they are the main focal point of the card, you really don't need to do too much else to it.  In the butterfly one I cut the die twice and snipped out the butterflies to give it a 3d look.  I've saved the remaining circle as it is so pretty - I am sure I will come up with a cunning plan to use it soon!

I hope you like both of them and I look forward to seeing your entries! Click here to be taken to the site

Love

Melissa

Snow and Sparkle at Lavinia

Hi!

So after scrubbing brush-gate I thought it best to stick away from household items for a little while, so for the Lavinia Stamps Snow and Sparkle Challenge  I  thought best to stick to crafty items.  However I still wanted to do something different from the norm.  I saw something similar to this in a magazine and as ever is my mantra "I could make that" I had a go!

I used crackle paste at the top and texture past with a hint of gold at the bottom.  Once these were dry I attacked it with some distress ink to get the colour down on the sky and then printed the images onto tissue paper, tore around the edges and glued them down with decopatch glue, otherwise there is no way you could have stamped over such a textured finish.  I then broke out the stickles and glittered it all up, which unfortunately doesn't photograph well - take my word for it, it does twinkle!

... but there again - ever doubtful of my skills, I thought I ought to do something more traditional as well, because this was a bit of a shock to the system even to me - I never to canvases!!  So I also did these two.  This first one was more to show off that Lavinia do some great sentiments as well as images

This second one was because Pauline Butcher makes so many cards with such fantastic colours in them I wanted to have a go - now this is no where near what Pauline does and it is well worth a visit to her blog, she is such a talented lady, but I am building myself up to using such fab colours!!

I hope that there was something here you liked, they area all very different and I can assure you I had hours of fun making them - if only I could learn to photograph sparkle!!

Love to you all

Melissa

Don't stand still in THIS house!

Hi!

The running joke is that if you stand still long enough in this house you will end up decorated! and there is only ONE person to blame for this and that is "Rhedd" herself.

There I was happily making my cards when she encouraged me to broaden my horizons and to look beyond paper.

So when there was a "MUM YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN" bellowed through the house, followed by number two son and a scrubbing brush I can only blame her! "How am I meant to clean my rugby boots with THIS" my answer was, the same way you did before I "got" to it :)  I explained that he was not allergic to florals and NO just because I altered it, it did not mean that i had to clean the boots for him!


Well I bought the brush from Tesco and it had been lurking all sad and ugly by the sink, and then I had an idea that involved a Lavinia designed stencil from Sweet Poppy Stencils a Lavinia bee stamp and some waterproof glue :) now it seems to be a talking point.

This is my entry into this months Rhedds Creative Spirit Challenge

Love to everyone, hope you are happy and well

Melissa xx

Autumn Colours at Lavinia

Hi all

This months Lavinia Stamps Challenge is "Autumn Colours"  Now for a Gal that likes her pastels this can be a bit of a challenge!  However with a bit of encouragement from my teamies to keep adding the colour, this is my contribution!

If you haven't already had a look at the new Lavinia Stamp range - what are you waiting for they are amazing!!!!

Love

Melissa xx