Fussy and Fancy Challenge #199 So Spooky

Hi there just cannot believe we are on F&F Challenge #199 and this time it is the Halloween Challenge 'So Spooky' hosted by the talented Sasha

We didn't celebrate Halloween over here in the UK when I was a child, or even when my own children were growing up but now it is quite a big event in our calendar. I had to search for what I had to meet this challenge and ended up using an embossing folder of trees which I highlighted with some coppery gilding wax. Then I made my pumpkin out of some very old Spellbinders flower dies I cut it out 8 times and folded each one across the centre then stuck them back to back to form a little 3D pumpkin, added some lime green vine leaves, I cut some extra vines to twist through the die cut letters.

It was all assembled but something was missing ..... googly eyes ..... I searched and searched but couldn't find them I think my grandchildren must have used them up years ago when we used to craft together, such Happy Days. I was just about to give up on the idea when I found a box of sequins and decided I could make spooky eyes peeping out of the darkness with them.

So I hope this is spooky enough, it would certainly scare me seeing all those eyes glowing in the dark behind the trees.

I hope you will join us in this challenge, it is  really fun one, we really would love to see what  Spooky means to you. Entering is easy details are here.

Right I need to get out in the garden we are expecting Hurricane Ophelia to hit us tomorrow 16th October so all the loose garden stuff and furniture needs putting in the sheds until the Spring.  So bye for now and Happy Crafting xxx Annie

Fussy and Fancy challenge #197 Shabby Chic

Oh my goodness where did September go here we are again with another Fussy and Fancy Challenge, this time our host is  Jules and she has chosen Shabby Chic as her theme ...... that is very good timing because on Monday my granddaughter Lorna has her birthday. She has just moved into her first ever house and it is very obvious her style is Shabby Chic. So here is the card I made for her using Crafters Companion Dies this time and some lovely shabby chic papers from one of their cds, I do like to mix it up and try various types of crafting .... Jack of all trades ...master of none as My old granny used to say...... back to the card:

I still love making my own flowers so the rose is one of mine but I did cheat and use some pretty bought ones too.

At the moment I am trying out something new, it's a steep learning curve for me and my waste bin gets very full but I do find Clarity's Groovi system so therapeutic, I get lost for hours at a time. I also find it satisfying as I have tried traditional parchment in the past but I was too heavy handed and too impatient, so groovi really fills the gap. Here is the card I made for Lorna's housewarming:

and a Get well card for my lovely Daughter in Law Wendy:

These are very basic some of the more expert ladies make exquisite work, but I am enjoying the process. Please enter our challenge we love to see what you have made you can find more details here

Bye for now Annie xx

F& F Challenge#195 Anything Goes Mixed Media

So another Friday another Fussy and Fancy Challenge #195, this one is hosted by my very dear friend Jo Rice whose work I have followed and admired for many years. Jo has chosen Anything goes Mixed Media.
Now this is a challenge for me, I admire Mixed Media artists and I love their work as a result I have dabbled in the past but not very successfully .....but I had to give it another go .....for Jo

I decided it was safer to keep it small so decided on a large tag. Like so many crafters I have bought many things and never used them, well for this challenge I had to crack them open .I started by giving my  tag a coat of white gesso, then a coat of one of Andy Skinner's beautiful  dark blue Deco Art fluid Acrylics and let it dry ... then applied a coat of Deco Art Crackle paste with a palette knife. The instructions said crackle would be larger and deeper the thicker you applied it,  so I tried to vary the thickness and let it dry ....then the magic happened and my mdf tag began to look like a piece of weathered old wood:

Then I made a dragonfly with Sheena's perfect partners die and stamp, used a stampendous sentiment stamp 'Dance like nobody's looking' and added some flowers and butterflies made with Tina Cox's flowers and butterflies groovi plate and suddenly I was done. Mixed Media 'my way' using some of my favourite techniques using stamps, die cutting and groovi parchment.

Fancy having a go ... it's good to challenge yourself sometimes ... Mixed media is what it says: mixing up all your tried and tested techniques in another way. You can find out more about how to enter here it couldn't be easier. We would love to see what you come up with, most of all have fun!
Bye for now xx Annie.

Fussy and Fancy Challenge #193 Favourite Colour

Hello Fussy and Fancy Crafters here I am still playing Catchup with my challenge Blogs, This is for Challenge #193 which is hosted by the lovely talented Gina, she has chosen a lovely theme for this time 'Favourite Colour' This was an easy choice for me because July is my one and only Sister's Birthday and her absolute favourite colour is Lavender  Blue.

I had already bought the stamp I used for the topper, it is a Sue Wilson 'Stamps to Die for' I chose it because we both share a love of Art Deco art style. Sue is a beautiful crafter herself and makes the most wonderful Clean and Simple cards unlike my usual Pizza ...everything thrown at it style so I wanted to attempt to keep it as uncluttered as I could. Using Iris coloured cardstock I ran it through an embossing folder which gave me a corner design, I cut out the aperture with the die that matched the stamp and then placed the topper in the aperture. I stamped and embossed my Art Deco sister sentiment, then I spent a wonderful afternoon making parchment dragonflies ..... yes you guessed it, again Dragonflies always feature on cards between us, it is a long standing tradition from when my dear Mam was alive, there always have to be 4 representing the 4 women of our family. 

I love family traditions, don't you.

So there it is a card full of favourite things for my Sister she has already received it and she told me she Loved it so that is all I need to know.

Right I better get on it is already time for me to prepare for our next Challenge and I think after trying to be so neat and tidy this time I am going to do something messy so watch this space. Till then, Happy Crafting xx Annie

Fussy and Fancy Challenge 191 Celebration

Her we are again another Friday, and Challenge #191 Celebration.....this is a very simple card I made in rather a hurry for a birthday I nearly missed oops!!

Dies are so useful when you are in a hurry .... I am just so pleased she will never know that I nearly missed her celebration. I have also bee a very naughty little Blogger, the Summer months are so busy what with having to keep the garden tidy and then of course my computer decided to throw a wobbly too so it is really 'Better Late than never' as I catch up for the last two months Love and Hugs Annie

Fussy and Fancy Challenge # 189 Pamper your Pets

Another Friday another challenge from Fussy and Fancy, this time our hostess is Diane she has chosen 'Pamper your Pets.
We have always been animal people, for the last 8 years we have have had our adorable Black Labrador, Jasper, I cannot imagine life without him. As a child we always had cats and I love their independent natures too , I have used a favourite Clarity stamp of a kitten together with it's verse

'The dreams of a kitten are gossamer things,

A slight hint of breeze

the faint rustle of wings,'

Here is my card:

It is a swing card which gives it some lovely movement, the verse is on the back of the image:

The whole card is based on a new die set from Crafters Companion for kinetic cards, you know how I love my shaped cards / different folds!

Talking of pets I couldn't go without adding a photo of my handsome boy:

Hope you will find time to enter our new challenge see here for details of how to enter.

Bye for today xxxx Annie

Fussy and Fancy challenge187 Pink, Pearls and Posies

It's Friday again and time for Fussy and Fancy Challenge #187 hosted by the lovely talented Darlene who has chosen 'Pink, Pearls and Posies' (flowers).
I was thrilled with this challenge because I have recently started using the Clarity Groovi system, a modern twist on ancient Parchment craft .Tracing the lineart from an acrylic plate makes it so much easier, one of my most recent plates is for making 3D flowers and butterflies. I have been enjoying playing with these and had a selection already made.

So really then it was just a case of making a simple die cut card to show  off my flowers. I have a long way to go to master all the lovely lacey techniques involved in Parchment but I am really enjoying  the journey. It also has the added benefit of being very therapeutic ... I can easily lose whole afternoons whilst playing with this system.

Please join us in this challenge whatever your craft of choice is you can find out more about how to enter and also see lots of inspiration from my design team mates just click here

Fussy and Fancy Challenge # 183 Springtime

I am very sorry I have not been able to blog my last 2 F&F Challenges because I have been having problems with my computer  however hopefully I have fixed it with the help of the younger generation!! ' Oh No Nana not again' they shout!

So it is Friday again and time for Challenge #183 it is my turn to host the challenge so I chose a very obvious but lovely one .... it is Springtime .... we have had a couple of Spring like days up her in Wales, so lovely after a quite wet Winter.

Anyway here goes, I have seen this shaped card whilst looking around for crafty ideas, it is so simple.... It started off as a 8x8 card blank, I folded the front back in half, then I cut 2" off the bottom edge

Then flip the cut off piece and make a zig zag shape against main card, this makes a box shape in the fold of your card, this reminded me of the popup box cards I used to make and that it how the whole idea came to me.

I used some of my favourite Clarity Garden Birds stamps and cloud mask to create the backdrop, I diecut a picket fence to follow the shaped band and decorated with some die cut flowers, I stamped a little nest with eggs in to put in the box shape and I was done

Amazingly the whole thing folds down to fit in an ordinary envelope, so this will be my 96 year old Mother in Law's, Mother's Day card. there is plenty of texture and movement to help her poor eyesight, bless her. (Just a reminder Mother's Day is March 26th in the uk this year.)

So that was my idea, I would love to see your ideas on Springtime ... it is so easy to enter just go here where you will find everything you need to know you will also see more beautiful ideas from the rest of my Fussy and Fancy team mates. Look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Crafty hugs and xxx Annie