Shows

Had a fabulous day at Grange-over-Sands with the Prom Art show.  It was really busy - all the artists spaces were taken - and there were loads of people out enjoying the warm day.  A bit over cast - so not much sun - but that's just as well stood out on the seafront all day.  Got a beautiful bit of wind burn though ;-)

Special thank you to all who stopped by my stall to chat - and to buy of course - and a big thanks to the people who came especially looking for me - it's so wonderful when people are pleased with what you make and come back.  I was very good and did not bring any treasures home this time - got my eye on a ceramic penguin though for next month.

Good news is the lady loved her wedding vow scroll and they fly out on Tuesday to get married - phew - that was just got under the wire.

I have done nothing in the office for next week - so I will be holed up in there for a few days to catch up. 

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Shows

I have been on The Westmoreland Showground all day with The Lune Valley OBEDIENCE dog show.  The obedience shows are very different to the agility ones - not as big - about half as many dogs and people about - and much more sedate - - - just as many doggie kisses though!

I had just my card stock - did not take a lot of money - but I had both the guys with me and it's such a fantastic day out for them - they learn so much (and get so tired - both fast asleep now).

The old goat was drawing cartoons on the dogs doing silly things and he was kept busy with people queuing.

It was just glorious in the sunshine - you could not wish for a better day out.  This is the best summer we have had for a couple of years - worth all that ice and snow in the winter to be so warm again - wonderful.

I am on the prom on the seafront at Grange-over-Sands tomorrow for the art festival - keep your fingers crossed I can sell a bit.  Then 2 days in the office to catch up

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

my office

You can tell I  have been very busy and it's all got out of hand - I can't even get in to my office this morning, never mind find my desk!

Opps - I spent all morning clearing and sorting and putting away and throwing out - almost there now.  I don't know how I get so much muddle into such a tiny space.

I am out all weekend - dog show tomorrow - and Art on the Prom in Grange-over-sands on Sunday



Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Do You Stack Up - #30 Orange, yellow and brown

Hi everyone! We're so happy to have you for this week's challenge! We have a color combo for you this week - we want to see your creations using Orange, Yellow & Brown.

This week's Sponsors:

Stretch ‘n Bubbles Winner’s Choice of 4 Digis

Stitchy Bear $10 Gift Voucher for Stitchy Stamps, Floppy Latte Designs and Sylvie’s Stamps

Gingerloft Winner’s Choice of 3 Digis

Odds & Soxlets

This lovely chappie is Corbin - isn't he a sweetie?

He is part of the Summer Friends collection, and available as a digi image HERE.



One thing I love about digis is that you can fiddle about with the size.  This card is fairly simple in layout - what makes it special is that I have created a background of tiny Corbins to set it off.

All you do is add the digi image to your blank page, make it quite small, and copy it loads of times.  Scatter the timy image all over half of the blank page so that when you print and fold the card - it will cover the front page area.  Tilt the images this way and that so that you don't have it too uniform.  Put your card blank into the printer and print directly onto the card

You can see that I have used 2 different sizes of image in the back ground - the only thing to remember is to enlarge the view before you print - and check you havent chopped off any tails under another image.  I have gently shaded Corbin a bit and matted him with a really strong blue

Hope you like him

Join our facebook group - Odds & Soxlets - Create and Craft
Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Stretch N Bubbles

Sometimes we can be to neat you know.  We fuss and obsess over every spot and line - sometimes it's good to just chiil out a bit

This dear little chap is in the shop HERE


And - shock - horror - I did not colour it.  It is such a pretty little sketch that I thought it would look much nicer left well alone.

I made a boy's version as well as a girl's version.  I found lots of colour matching papers and tore the edges - there is no atempt at being neat and tidy - just loose and fun.  All piled up together

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Work

I am working on some wedding vows for someone at the moment - so I can't really show you what I have been up to.  It is quite a rush job so I must concentrate on that before I play with any more pony images

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

New card

Could not find my slippers this morning - never mind my brain cell.  Had to pop down to the church office to check on a couple of things - think I have left my best pair of specs there - grrr.

Did manage to fumble through one card today - for a friend who specialises in embroidering on horse supplies ( http://equestrianembroidery.co.uk/ ) and wanted a few horse card ideas

This image was on a free digital image database - it's amazing what is out there.  The image was just the outline - all the colouring is mine - and I found some light flowery papers to keep it delicate and pretty

I am quite pleased with it - don't do much pony type stuff - but I think the shading works well(Copic inks)

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Do You Stack Up - #29 Wings

Welcome back to another challenge at Do You Stack Up?! Our challenge for you this week is Wings. From angels and fairies, to butterflies and bees, to penguins and chickens... if it has wings, we want to see it!

This week's Sponsors:

The Stamping Boutique Winner’s Choice of 5 Digis

TLC Creations $10.00 gift certificate

Pixie Dust Studios Winner’s Choice of 3 Digis

Please Welcome our Guest Designer!
Katrine Larson

Now get inspired by our Design Team!

A FEW RULES

• our DT would love to leave comments on your blogs, please remove word verification to make this process easier (see right side bar for a how-to guide).
• only 3 entries per person per Challenge
• make sure to link back to this challenge and mention it on your blog in your blog post
• no back linking
• entries that do not fit the requirements will not be eligible for Winner or Top 3
• Mr. Linky closes at 2pm on Wednesdays

I just love this image from The Stamping Boutique, the whole 'Enchartment' range is gorgeous - I really enjoy detailed designs. As the image is so detailed - and the backing paper is so striking - I coloured her fairly plainly with just a couple of red shades, the skin colours and some silver twinkle. I did layer up the image though - there are 4 layers. The costume is a second layer and all the wings are piled up high. If you use silica glue you only need a tiny spot at the base of the wing and you can angle it up at the tip. When the silicon sets it is rock solid and stays in the fanned shape.

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

New project

I wanted a new sewing basket - you know I almost bought one - how silly it that!!!!  Dozy mare

I used one of my display baskets from the stall and lined it with some fabric I had lying about.  The fabric was oraginally a wrap from the top of a skirt and I have been saving it for something special.  I fixed the lid on with loads of matching ribbons and put a big wooden bead on as a clasp

I need to make a matching pin cushion, scissor keep and needle holder to put in it

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Stretch N Bubbles

I am deffinatly in a soppy mood lately - perhaps it's the sunshine?

This is a brand new image from Stretch N Bubbles - lovely and summery - in the shop HERE

I love the there is a big open space in the sun to play with.  I printed the image twice - then I cut out the big sun part - coloured it and embossed it.  Then added a bit of glitter on the raised parts.  It looks really great - you could also cut the sum shape from patterned paper - that would look super

Sharing with
Dream Valley - summer
Ginger loft - Sparkle - my sun is covered with glitter
Kenny K - Anything - Birthday special
Allsorts - Free and Easy
Designed to Delight - Beach - sunshine is what a beach is all about right?
Crafty Anne's - distressing or embossing
Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

 

going to have my nails done

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

New cards

I have been working with my Inktense pencils for the Pencil museum today

I am very pleased at the progress.  There is loads to learn and they are very different to Copics.  These are going to be made up into 5" square cards with some coloured backing papers - but no calligraphy.  The whole point is to showcase the Inktense range and what people can do with them.  The idea is that people will buy a card (or two!) along with their pencils either to copy or send.

These are ONLY going to be available at the Pencil Museum - not on my stall or website.  It is very much a try it and see what happens - it's a totally new sideline for them as they have only ever worked with fine artists before - and by no stretch of the imagination do I come near the work they are doing.  But my theory is that my stuff is more achievable for anyone who likes to colour in to copy and get good reaults.  All the other artists have cards of their pictures printed - mine are all going to be one off handmade originals.  You never know - if it works I may end up taking a workshop

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Bugaboo digials

It's graduaion time again.  I only do a couple each year and since I had a bit of free time to experiment I used of of the fab Bugaboo images.  I must remember to sent a copy to them too

I really wanted the card to have a text background of some kind.  So I had a good old rummage and found this one - the blue is part of the reverse pattern - and matched everything else to that

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Something different

I am gradually getting over this flare up - I did get a few things done and the pain is starting go go down.  Not taken any painkillers today, and managing to cope.  I have just been pottering along with a couple of things

I picked up the prettiest trug at the Rose Show - hand made of course - and I want to use it to keep what ever stitching project I am currently working on in.  It was a bit rough on the inside because it was made to collect garden stuff in - and I was worried that it would snag my threads.  So I covered the inside.

The old goat bought me the papers when he was in America a few years ago - so it's a bit special to me.  I used spray glue (in a aerosol tin), because it is less wet than PVA.  I lined it all first with thin card
A - so I could make a template to cut the side patterns without wasting my paper
B - just to make it smoother and strengthen the paper
Then I tied 2 thick ribbons together in a big bow

I so love it


Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Do You Stack Up - #28 Sew: faux or real

Hey everyone! Welcome to another challenge at Do You Stack Up! This week we have a fun one for you... Stitching! No worries if you're not a seamstress... we would love to see your faux stitching too.

This week's Sponsors:

Mami Doodles: 4 Digital Images

Robyn's Fetish: The winner’s choice of EITHER 5 digital stamps OR 4 digital stamps and 1 paper pack

Special Appearance

This week we are excited to have one of the Robyn's Fetish Design Team members playing along with us! Please welcome Jeanette Waters of H2O Creations:

Now get inspired by our Design Team!

A FEW RULES

• our DT would love to leave comments on your blogs, please remove word verification to make this process easier (see right side bar for a how-to guide).
• only 3 entries per person per Challenge
• make sure to link back to this challenge and mention it on your blog in your blog post
• no back linking
• entries that do not fit the requirements will not be eligible for Winner or Top 3
• Mr. Linky closes at 2pm on Wednesdays

I used the cutie from Mami Doodles - she has loads of adorable little children - and soem super boys too (on my kick to get more boy's cards out there!).  I just cut some petal shaped out of felt and stuck then behind the oval centre - all the other pattern in on he paper

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Life

I am a bit fragile at the moment - 3 weekends in a row out at shows plus loads of other work on through he week - throw into the mix 2 visits from 'mother nature' in the past 6 weeks (going through the 'change') and a grotty show last weekend - all adds up to a huge fibro flare.  I am totally wrecked and needed to get a break.

So I  sneaked off for a couple of days in my flat to rest.  Sounds very grand - but it's only a tiny little 1 bed flat that was my mums, tucked away in town, behind a pub.  She lived bought it 8 years ago, since then she has died.  It has been rented out for a pittance since she died and has been empty for a year now, so I have been decorating it - and it's a wonderful hidy-hole from the world.
We have 3 or 4 empty houses in our street and I have always though it was such a shame - to be honest it's cheaper and easier to leave a property empty empty than to rent it out! - how crazy is that.  You don't really get a huge amount for renting - and you have to pay all the insurance, and inspections and fees - so I ended up with very little.  If I  leave it empty you don't pay water - there is no TV or phone - the gas and electric are on  a pre-pay meter - and you can get up to 50% off the council tax.
Basically - I can go and do a bit of decorating (which I love) - and get a god rest - for a couple of days every so often - and it's cheaper than most people spend on a big foreign holiday.  How nuts am I - who has a holiday home 1 mile down the road!!!!!

It's a absolute life saver at the moment I can tell you

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Odds and Soxlets - Erica Martin

Today I am going to share a card made with 'Dotty' - A plain digi from Erica Martin's new Summer collection of Odds and Soxlets.

You will need

 A square card blank
A 1/2" punch
A strip for the back of the card
A scrap to mount Dotty on to
And you Dotty image

plus Double sided tape
odd scraps of matching coloured papers
bit of ribbon or Baker's twine which is such fun

First of all - punch out loads of dots from your matching scraps of paper

 Cut your strip 5cm wide - I inked the edges to make it look neater - and stick it 3cm from the fold side.

Then start to scatter your punched dots over the plain sides of the card.  There is no pattern to this - just scatter then about - and let a few hang over the edges.

Use a spot of pva in a fine line applier to stick them and keep it neat

 Colour your Dotty how ever you like!!!!

Cut round her tightly - and mount her.

I cut a diamond shape - then embossed it - wrapped it with Baker's twine - and set it slightly off centre to the background stripe - then added Dotty - on raisers slightly the other way.

The greeting is part of the Summer collection.

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Stretch N Bubbles

I must be in a soppy mood lately - I really (really (really) ) hate spiders - and when I saw this little chappie in the shop - I thought - aww how cute - fluffy legs!


He is in the shop HERE


I wanted to keep the black and white look - with just a pop of colour.  And I was very strong with myself and resisted the hot pink look which I love so much - and went bloke's blue in my quest to make cards more male friendly.

The body is copic coloured, legs are black flower soft (which makes a lovely fluffy look) - the dots are 2 copic coloured - I added think black outlines and matted silver then black and raised - and the edge punched with a cobweb and backed with black

Next year's valentines cards (in red) I think!!!

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Life

I have had a really tough weekend guys - give me a couple of days to recover and get my head sorted and I have some fab new sites for you - and a nibble or two of gossip - but right now I can't think straight

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

shows

I am at the Lakeland Rose show all weekend (with the old goat)

If you are about do drop in and say HI

It is all undercover - well most of it - they have those huge great big marquee thingies -  we don't have to worry about the rain - so do come along

So there will nothing to show you over the weekend - but I do have a new dog poem to work on next week ( A dogs 10 commandments) - and a new 'purse' template


Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

New Idea

I have fancied some of those big chunky letters that you decorate and put on the wall to spell a word for ages - have you seen the price of them!  Bit too much for me to justify really.  So I drafted up what I wanted on paper and gradually worked them bigger.  Then I found some foam board in the old goat's studio - and swiped it!  Foam board is a think foam sandwiched between light weigh card - so it is dead easy to cut and does not weigh much.

I started out thinking I would paint the letters plain gold with just a few lines of gems - you know all plain and elegant

Yeah - guess that plan didn't work - can't do plain and elegant ;-)

It is to go over the kitchen entrance in my flat - I will put it up when I go over next week and take a pic of it in place

I am sharing this with my mate Helen's Elephantastic blog - who are having a big birthday bash.  The theme is celebrate - and as far as I am concerned decorating my little flat is always something to celebrate!
Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

do You Stack Up - #27 Chipboard

Hey everyone! It's that time again.. DYSU challenge #27.. wow the time has just flown by.. well we have a special treat for you this week.. not only is our challenge use chipboard which I think is fun in it's self..

we have a new sponsor..

My Minds Eye..

We are so excited to show you what we created using the products they let some of our DT create with for this challenge.
Look what you could win at DYSU we have 3 amazing sponsors this week...

-My Minds Eye

Prize package for one lucky winner

Copic Marker Scrapbooking:

6 copic ciao marker (North/South America), Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)

Lili of the Valley: £10 gift voucher

Please welcome our Guest Designer!
*Note from Heather: My apologies to Hannelie, our Guest Designer this week. I posted her info a week early last week! The old noggin just ain't what it used to be! So, here she is again where she is supposed to be!

Hannelie Bester
Desert Diva

Hi, my name is Hannelie. I am a South-African, living in the United Arab Emirates (that is in the Middle East) for almost 3 years. I am married to Hannes, my best friend, and have two lovely teenage daughters, Jolize and Danielle. I've been making cards for 10 years, but started blogging 5 months ago. If I should say... I think I've learned more in the last 5 months than in the previous 10 years! I'm always on the lookout for ideas and inspiration, and eager to try out new techniques. Thanks DYSU for this great opportunity to be guest designer!

Look what our other DT members created for this week..

A FEW RULES

• our DT would love to leave comments on your blogs, please remove word verification to make this process easier (see right side bar for a how-to guide).
• only 3 entries per person per Challenge
• make sure to link back to this challenge and mention it on your blog in your blog post
• no back linking
• entries that do not fit the requirements will not be eligible for Winner or Top 3
• Mr. Linky closes at 2pm on Wednesdays

My Project -
I LOVE patterned papers - especially really good quality, printed, patterned, papers - yum.

Today I have 3 backgrounds created with the seriouly wonderful My Mind's Eye - range

This one I cut in strips and added the stars and the frame - the baker;s twine and the lettering are from the same My Mind's Eye set

Then I thought - 'patchwork' - so I punched inch squares and made a pattern - the swirl in painted white with loads of gold glitter wrapped in baker's twine

This one I really love - strips - but with the bottom corners rounded.  The heart in painted with crackle paint and inked

I have never worked with My Mind's Eye stuff before and I have to say - it is just wonderful.  The paper has fantastic solid colours, and is a good heavy weight - but still cuts clean and folds crisply (yeah been playing!!) -  the bakers twine is so soft and supple, not seen it yet in the UK shops

 Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

life

I am paying the price for all the work I have been doing lately!!  I am so wrecked!

The old goat is at the Pencil Museum most of this week - and we are both at the Lakeland Rose Show at the weekend, in the big craft tent

off to nap and do a bit of knitting - - amazing just how relaxing knitting is

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Stretch N Bubbles

I found this lovely cup in the SHOP HERE - it comes as a pair - with or with out cream (yeah right as if 'without' was an option!!).

- and I really liked the big spots.


The cup is made quite big and cut out - copic coloured - the fairy paper and brad have been in the office about 3 years.  The cup is layered and shaped to give depth to the cream

Sharing with -
Allsorts - free and easy
Bugaboo - Anything goes for July
Digis With Attitude - Anything
Inspire Me Fridays - Are having a Linky party - new to me - but I think it means you can share anything

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk