Just For Fun " Distressed Him "

It was with much sadness that I read on Thursday Morning that Just For Fun had decided to call it a day. Theirs was the first challenge I nervously entered into a year ago when I started crafting and blogging. The lovely ladies Zoe, Von, Neet and Sam became great blogging friends and their endless support and humour was invaluable and still is. they even asked me to be a guest designer which was a huge honour for me. I would like to thank these wonderful ladies for all of their help and advice over the past year  and I have made some great friends here , Just for Fun will be greatly missed.

So one last challenge before they close their doors and of course I just had to take part,  their theme is " Distressed Him "  Now mine is a little of a cheat and do hope it qualifies. So here goes

I have actually taken some old tiles and bashed them about a bit, roughed up the edges, managed to break three in the process so they are definitely distressed. Crafty Individuals stamp stamped with Stazon black ink and that's it.

I really liked the effect so made a few more, stamps by Hero arts and Stamping up. I sanded the underside and added felt and will be using them as drinks coasters. They are also completely waterproof , I gave them a good once over with a rough sponge and everything stayed where it should !

I know it was a quick make but I have very little time at my disposal at the moment. Its a holiday here in Greece and I would be normally be going to my summer house but Rosy my French Porker bulldog is in heat and having decided I want to  be a grandma I have been put in charge of the breeding procedure. In other words every else  one has buggered off and left me in charge of two randy dogs and Bailey the Mini Pincher  ( male ) who has had the chop and is feeling decidedly left out of the proceedings !

Here is a rubbish picture of the young couple , for some reason they didn't want to pose for the camera !!.

I am also entering my coasters into DYSU challenge who's theme is  " Distress " hope these count.

Do pop over and see the fabulous inspirational pieces by both JFF and DYSU as for JFF its your last chance !

Right am off into the  " fray " again its awfully quite maybe they have both fallen asleep !

Take care 

Marie

Less is More " Die cuts and Punches "

Good morning from bright and sunny Greece ! The sun has finally decided to show its face after weeks and weeks of miserable grey cold and snowy days ! Actually it quite suited the mood of the country ! In honour of this beautiful weather my body has decided to give me a cold  am feeling a bit woozy ( no gin involved )  and am back off to bed .

Less is More this week have a great theme for us and one of my favourites. Mandi and Chrissie are asking us to use  " Die Cuts and Punches " on our cards I made a few quick ones and here they are

This card was inspired by the very talented Wendy who is in the same Silhouette Flicker group. I used my Cameo to cut out the hand , the paper is Basic Grey Wander Paper Pad and I cut out an oval of the same paper and adhered it to a glass cabochon with Glossy Accents. I really like the simplicity of this card. Do pop over to Wendy's blog to check hers out.

Both of these cards where made with my Cameo, on the first on I embossed the orange felt and on the second one I left the felt plain. I really enjoy using felt on my cards it gives a lovely feel to them. I do hope these are not too bright for LIM but if they are please feel free to let me know Mandi and Chrissie.

Do pop over to Less is More as once again the dazzling duo Mandi and Chrissie have created some beautiful inspirational cards  .

Right am off to bed, wishing you all a wonderful Sunday and will pop by later on to visit after I have had 40 winks !!

Take care

Marie

Once Upon A....Sketch and Get Creative February 14th Challenge

As its the 14th of the month its time for our second challenge over at Once Upon A .....Sketch and Get Creative. You may remember that at the beginning of the month OUAS and Get Creative  teamed up and both Design Teams swapped places , they following our sketch and we following theirs,  and what a great success it has been so far ! We have have had a bumper crop of fabulous entries for both challenges and are hoping that you will continue to play along  with us for the rest of the month.

This is the fantastic sketch that Nadia has asked us to follow and I will let her explain the criteria for it.

February 15th Challenge

Journalling criteria/theme: HOLIDAYS

Have you printed out all those photos from your last holiday or most favourite holiday? We would LOVE to see them and hear all about it. With the theme of holidays for this challenge, we would love to hear about: your favourite holiday of all time or a favourite place you would LOVE to holiday in . Or how about the last holiday you went to?  Maybe you have not travelled yet? Then tell us about your DREAM HOLIDAY. 

Remember that you are allowed to also create a card or altered project based on this sketch and theme and instead of the journalling criteria you need to use a quote. 

You must combine our journalling criteria/theme with this sketch.

 

Here is my take on the sketch

 

I chose Paris as my favourite holiday destination not because I  had my best holiday there but because it has potential to be so. Let me explain, Three times I have visited , twice in summer and once during spring only to have the most horrendous weather on all three occasions, bitter cold, ferocious winds and even snow ! So I am dreaming of returning and wandering slowly along its beautiful streets instead of running around with my up turned inside out umbrella under one arm whilst trying to keep my frock from  blowing up over my head and exposing my knickers ( it was really windy ) !

Please pop over to OUAS and to Get Creative to see the fabulous Design Team inspirational pieces and to find out about the prizes from our very generous sponsors, you have up until the end of the month to upload your projects in order to be eligible.

On another note, as many of you know Greece is and has being going through turmoil for quite some time now but it has been greatly heightened over the past few weeks . Everyone here has been greatly affected and there is a terrible sense of sadness and desperation in the air not very conducive for the old creating so  I do apologise for not visiting you all as often as I normally do but hope to put that to rites within the next few days.

Thought I would leave you with a couple of pics of Bailey and Rosy ( Rosy is the porker ! ) 

Don't they make a lovely couple !

Rosy exhausted after destroying Baileys favourite Toy !!

Wishing all of those who celebrate a very happy Valentines day !!

Take care

Marie

Crafty Cardmakers Callenge 61 Monochrome Magic !

Unaccustomed as I am........ ( sound like a speech from a wedding ) to posting twice in one day but I felt that the winner of my challenge over at Get Creative and the new Challenge at Crafty Cardmakers both deserved separate posts so anyone interested in  who my winner was please see today's earlier post.

Over at Crafty Cardmakers our new challenge for the next fortnight is up and running and what a great one it is too " Monochrome Magic " has been chosen by the lovely and talented Beth so please pop over  to see exactly what she is asking us do do.

I'm a little boring and immediately chose black and white for my DT card that and the fact that it is one of my favourite colour combinations, here's what I made

Now its not very often I actually like something I make but I really enjoyed making this card , even though I used a ton of UTEE and there where crystals everywhere for days after ( I 'm  such a messy crafter ! ) I used my Cameo to create the DP and cut the corner edges and flourishes which I tripled embossed with clear UTEE to give a glorious ( well I think so ) shine. On the central panel which I cut with spellbinders labels nesting dies I used the faux porcelain technique which I saw for the first time on Shelly Hickox blog,  it was my first attempt and I think it needs a little practice but I loved the outcome. I stamped the image using one of the Hero Arts flower engraving stamps.

A little close up so you can see the porcelain effect a little better,  in fact I liked it so much I detached it from the card and framed it !!!! and here it is in all its glory in my living room !

For this challenge we have two fabulous sponsors who are being very generous indeed in fact there was nearly a riot on the design team as we all wanted to win the prizes !!

 

and we have a fabulous prize on offer from them It's a two parter and for those of you who watch Create and Craft TV you will know what an absolutely fantastic prize this is as it has sold out each time it has come to air.

Part One IndigoBlu FlitterGlu Starter Kit

Starter Kit with everything you need to start using FlitterGlu

Contains: FlitterGlu Phat Foam Scoochy sponge Easy peasy stamp cleaner Mega-Flake Winter Dawn Plus - FlitterGlu Hints and Tips Sheet

Part Two The Gorgeous 'Love Is' Stamp

We are also sponsored by 

Digi Doodle Shop

Who are offering a $10 Gift Certificate for their Store to the challenge winner

Great prizes I think you will agree, why not pop on over to Crafty Cardmakers the DT have come up with some inspirational pieces and who knows you could be one of our lucky winners !!

Blogger didn't like me posting twice in one day  it's taken two whole hours to post this I must be on a one post a day limit !!

wishing you all a wonderful week

Take care

Marie 

Also linking this card to Challenge up your Life who's theme is " Tone on Tone Monochrome "

Get Creative " And The Winner Is ...................

Last month over at Get Creative we had another marathon month of challenges , twelve in total . Each DT member set their own challenge and the winner of each individual channel would be taking the respective DT members place for the month of March. My challenge was to use die cuts and or punches . Once again you wowed us with your fabulous cards and layouts and believe you me if was very difficult to choose an overall winner but there could only be one and here is the winning card

 

This fabulous card is by Anni from Stamps, Seals, Stamps I chose it because of its simplicity and even though she only used two colours I loved its Dynamism. Anni please pop over to the Get Creative blog for more details and congratulations.

I would like to thank everyone who took part last month and want to give a special mention to the following ladies in no particular order

Maria Bokari from Creativity

 

Despima from MY World

Ioanna Maria from Pieces of Me

 

Thank you once again for your continued support at Get Creative and to all who took part.

Right will be back shortly with my second post ... Dont go away.

Marie