Froggity blog hop!

Hi all

It's that time of the month when the froglets leap from their Lilypads and share some work with you on the Banana Frog blog hop. You can start at the beginning from the frog blog if you have just happened to visit, if you're here on the hop I hope you're having fun :)

This months theme is Summer so I made some summery cards to share with you ...


I like the clear fresh look of the acetate and love adding a splash of colour to acetate stamping with some alcohol inks.


Happy Days card


This is super simple. Using the Totally Tropical stamp set, add some different coloured stayzon to the large corner stamp and stamp twice onto your acetate. I really like mixing inks on my stamp to get a shaded, multi coloured image. Top tip, when stamping onto acetate get right over the top of your work and stamp straight down positively but not too heavy handed as the stamp will slide!


Stamp two title blocks from the Tropical Taste tadpole stamp set, again mixing the colours and then stamp the greeting from the Sentimental Style stamp set on to one of them. I have stamped two sentiment blocks so the one with the greeting will be for the front and the other one attaches to the inside behind it to cover up the glue marks, obviously it shows just plain white on the inside as the stamped side goes against the front block, but, as I have used gel glue to attach the sentiment for dimension it is quite nice to see the double stamped image. Hmmm I keep re reading this last bit .. does it make sense?? LOL


You are my sunshine card


Again another simple card but I think it has added impact with the alcohol ink. Using the Scribble Flowers stamp set, I stamped a pattern using black stayzon down one side of the card front.


Flipping the card over I then dropped on some alcohol inks in different colours and let it do it's own thing! While it dried (it doesn't take long!) I stamped the little sentiment block from the Build a Daisy stamp set, again I did this twice attaching one to the front and the other behind it


Flowers in Nature


And finally, a card that mixes a bit of all of them! I stamped the flowers from the Super Dreamy stamp set using several stayzon colours, Stamped the sentiment from Build a Daisy and finally added some butterflies from the Swirls and Butterflies stamp set. I then added some alcohol ink to the back of the sentiment area, letting it do it's own thing again and that was it, a striking card made simply :)

I hope you've enjoyed your visit with me on the blog hop and feel inspired to do some simply clear summer stamping, I feel inspired to take this to a larger project and am cooking up a layout for my Project of the Day on the 4th August so please check back then!

A lot of the froglets are very busy at the moment with summer holidays etc so this month is just a short hop, I will direct you back to the Lilypad to catch up on those you've missed or to peruse for added inspiration and don't forget to check the shop link to grab a sale bargain while you're there! thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon, until then Happy Crafting
Love
M x

A Huge thankyou!

Hi all

So this is weird ... this is me blogging without having a Team project to share, this is me blogging, well, just as me really!

I just wanted to post a Huge thankyou to everyone that tuned in to Create and craft for the aazing POW shows I had with Serif Craft Artist and the American crafts bundles last week. Thankyou for all your support and lovely messages and the over whelming amount of Birthday wishes you sent me .... It really means a lot when you take the time to contact and to all those that managed to grab the POW before it sold out I hope you enjoy it!

I thought I would share a few pics that were taken in the studio, it really can't be called work it's too much fun!




Me and Nigel May being visited by 'super hero' magic hands




Having too much fun on set!


And this is one of my favourite digi layouts I did for the show .... it is on my studio door now :)


There is a lot of prep for the TV shows and Stan and Ollie do get a little fed up with me sitting on the computer for days


luckily as it is digi crafting I can set my lappy up on my little table and sit on the settee comfy creating but it also means the boys can get to me


and they got so fed up they kept sitting on the mouse mat on my knee LOL And yes I am in my dressing gown, it was about 2am! (honest it was LOL)

Well I quite enjoyed my little catch up, maybe I should do more of this chatting thing LOL, I'm off now to post for the frog hop tomorrow, Project of the day on the 4th and to create some Layouts for Glitz. I hope you're well and happy, thanks for stopping by and until soon Happy Crafting!
Love
M x

Happy July with Glitz Designs

Hi all,
Well it’s that time again to share some Glitzy goodness with you with some Glitz Designs loveliness.

July is one of my favourite months, it holds so many memories for me as it’s the month that the long school holidays start and it’s my birthday month so I wanted my projects to sum up those feelings ....


40 years on

I hardly recognise this little person, but it is one of my favourite pictures of me and makes me smile, I realised it is now 40 years since it was taken, oh my life!! And I thought it would be interesting to see what I would say to that younger me knowing what I know now so created this layout with some hidden journaling to hold my message.

I have mixed up the collections for this one and this is what I used
Glitz Designs Love Games papers; score card and polka
Glitz Designs Laced with Grace papers; polka, floral and stripe
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse paper; polka
Glitz Designs Teeny alphas; apple green block, pink block, yellow block and burnt orange
Glitz Designs Laced with Grace Whatnots
Glitz Designs Laced with Grace paper layers
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse peek-a-boo
Glitz Designs Love Games clear stamp set
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse clear stamp set
Glitz Designs Save the Date clear stamp set


I started by laying down a rough block of colour in the centre of the score card paper with some distress ink to create a base to lift my design...


...Then built up a collage of distressed circles to reflect the circle of the date stamp and to introduce all the happy colours from the papers. I also put my photos through a cartoon effect and printed them onto some mat paper, a fun effect that lends to the retro story I am telling.


I added some foam tape around three edges of my ‘now’ photo to adhere it to the page, leaving the right side open to slip in my hidden journaling.


I love the sentiment on the Laced with Grace paper layer but it was too big for my layout in its entirety so I cut some word strips from it ....


.... then added in the missing words with the teeny alphas. I love mixing up typesets and these teeny alphas are not only one of my favourite Glitz products but quite possibly one of my most favourite products ever! I love the colours.


Finally I stamped the Hello stamp at the top of a strip of card and fold it concertina style to slip in behind my ‘now’ photo. This is where my hidden message to the younger me lives.


This layout will live on an easel on my side for a while, I love its happiness with all the colours and I love the message it speaks to me.

So with the summer holidays round the corner over here in the UK and all my memories of long days playing in the back garden with the paddling pool and trips to the seaside I really smiled when I saw this photo of my cousins two little ones sitting in their sandpit in the sun, I love the candied shot.


Happy Life

I used;
Glitz Designs Laced with Grace papers; stripe, polka and plaid
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse papers; block, stripe and banner
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse paper layers
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse cardstock stickers; titles
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse Whatnots
Glitz Designs Afternoon Muse Glitzers
Glitz Designs Laced with Grace cardstock stickers; titles


I took some bright yellow paint and splattered the middle of my base paper, adding ‘sunshine’...



....And started building up layers of paper as a base for my photo. I created a paper ribbon with some of the Afternoon Muse block paper by folding a strip backwards and forwards along its length and when adhering allowing sections of it to stand free.



The clown from the what not was perfect as an accent at the corner of my collage so I cut him free and adhered him to the end of the follow your bliss title sticker.

The Glitzers were perfect for finishing off my layout as was one of the banners cut from the banner paper, while the ferris wheel cut from the paper layer finished of the happy fun fair feel of my page.

I hope July is a happy month for you too, thanks for stopping by and until soon Happy Crafting
Love
M x

Happy Scrappy stamping!

Hi all.

I cannot believe how fast time is going again and that we are already in July! I've also been rubbish at keeping in touch with you all I know, life is super busy but very exciting though. I WILL get into a better routine and pop into my little corner of blogdom a bit more often .... honest :)

Ok, so today is my project of the day over at Banana Frog, inspired by a glorious summer morning I made a 'happy card'


As ever the step by steps are over on the Lily pad and all the stamps I have used are in the sale so why not grab yourself a bargain treat or two while you visit!

Talking of projects of the day I had a lovely email from a lovely lady from across the pond the other day. She owns a FAB website called All free Holiday crafts, there are loads of great projects over there and lots of inspiration for all manner of holidays and celebrations and all free! (I spent far too long having a happy trawl around over there!) Go and check it out, and while you're there see if you can spot this


My Project of the day that went live on the Lily pad on Xmas day last year. I was thrilled skinny (oh there's a dream way to lose weight LOL) and very flattered when she asked permission to use my project on the site, maybe some more will pop up :)

Things are good at Mogford towers, busy as I said and full of craftiness that I hope to share soon!

The boys are good too


It's been a while since they made an appearance here hasn't it, haven't they grown!

Plans are afoot to take my website off line soon to give it a much needed face lift and update and I really want to re decorate here too .... now if only my old nemesis Mr time would slow down a little maybe I'll actually get there!!!

Thanks for popping by, I hope you're all well and happy and until soon Happy Crafting

Love
M x