No time to craft.........

Hello bloggers/friends !!

Normally this time of the year you'd find me demonstrating all sorts of lovely new goodies at the SECC, unfortunately I am unable to do so this year as I just had knee replacement surgery in January & at present hobbling around with the aid of two elbow crutches!!! As if that isn't enough to contend with, my beloved Auntie Anne very suddenly passed away on 5th March at 2am and her passing has totally knocked the stuffing from me, above is a picture of my son Jamie & Auntie Anne taken in December.

The reason I've posted today is really due to a promise I made to myself to make a more concerted effort to keep my blog up to date. Thanks for dropping in, take care, have a great weekend and as always......

Happy Crafting

Ann xx

Just For Fun Challenge

It's been awhile since I took part in any challenges, mainly because I'm not long home from hospital & was recovering at a friends house. Now I'm back home with all my 'stash' to hand I thought I'd check out JFF Blog as they always have some fabulous DT inspirational items & great challenges!!!
I was so surprised to read this is their last challenge due to committments, it's really sad & hopefully they may return in the future??
Now for the challenge - Vintage Men, as the whole month of February has been about Men!! Lot's of people think making cards for men to be a bit of a challenge, so this was one I had to do.

Above is the first of the layers I built my card upon, I used a new embossing folder from Creative Expressions, ran it through my cuttlebug then aged it with tea dye distress stains - cool, don't you think? I was well impressed, lol :D
Almost the finished article above, I stamped out the ancient world map with stream archival ink them dried it with my heat gun, just to ensure the ink wouldn't bleed in the next step which was to crumple up my stamped image then add some distress ink & stains to complete the ageing process. I mounted all my layers onto Kraft cardstock with some lovely ickle brads that look like screws, added a small ship & saying, and that was that. However as I was having such good fun, I decided to make another wee card - just for good measure, using the same embossing folder & set of stamps - all from Creative Expressions.
Thanks for dropping by - hope you like my Vintage men themed cards, as I had great fun making them. Feel free to leave a comment - good or bad, I love to read what you think of my dabblings, and do come back again :D

Happy Crafting!!

Ann xx

Playing with Distress Inks

Today I thought I'd share a few cards I made whilst playing with my distress inks. A few months ago in the Craft Stamper magazine (Nov 2011) there was a fabulous article by Jo Capper Sandon creating backgrounds using DI's & a plastic food bag, the samples were just so amazing I had to give it a go myself!!.....My cards aren't remotely at all like Jo's brilliant cards, but I had a great time experimenting & creating a few cards! Hope you likee :D

This technique is so simple but very effect, as it gives the card a textured look, whilst the images are stamped directly onto white card stock. I also created a piece of background A4 size paper which I chopped up & used as a border, which I thought was very effective too!!!

In the above card I've just used a small border & a Penny Black stickeroo & greetings peel off for a quick & easy card. Hope you like my cards & why not give it a try yourself as it's so simple to do & so effective, not to mention fun & addictive!!! Watch out for more of this style cards!!

Thanks for dropping by, please leave a comment as I love to know what you think :D
Happy Crafting!!!

Ann xx

It's been awhile..........

........Since I last managed to blog any of my art work!! This was due to a combination of reasons, the most pertinent one being I was busy trying out lots of new crafts, I got so absorbed I forgot to take photo's & record anything!!! Then I had problems with my knee giving way & I was unable to get around for almost the whole year. This year started with a stay in the hospital & an operation to give me a total knee replacement.........I'm mobile once again with the aid of two elbow crutches & trying to get my crafting mojo back in gear :D

I found a few photo's of bits n pieces on my phone.so I thought I'd share them with you, and would love to hear what you think of them!!

A little felt pin cushion to get me back into having fun hand sewing!!A couple of handmade corsages, with buttons as a centre piece :D

Thanks for stopping by - Please do come back & hopefully the normal service will be resumed!!
Happy Crafting!!

Ann xx

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I'd just like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy,peaceful & prosperous New Year!!!
Mr Mojo sadly left me half way through the year, mainly due to illness, but I'm happy to say I'm determined to turn that around and return to regular blogging & crafting this year!! I hope you'll continue to support & follow me in my endeavours too.

Check this out.......

I decided this was just too good to miss by putting it in my sidebar, so here are all the details you need to be in with a chance to win some amazing blog candy!!!

To win the candy pop over to HELS Blog and follow the details to be in with a chance of winning everything in the piccy above!!!

I hope to return to my regular blogging real soon, until I do, Happy Crafting & Good luck with the blog candy!!

Ann xx

Naughty Blogger......

Have I really been AWOL for so long??? .........As they say time flies when your having fun!!!
Sorry I haven't kept you up to date with all my 'goings on'......some good, some not so good, but I'm back now & hope to make up for lost time!!!

Im just off to get my camera & will upload some of 'goings on' very soon..........More will be revealed later, LOL!! Have a great day everyone - Get Inky & Messy!!

Happy Crafting

Ann xxx

Tartan Day Blog Hop!!!

Welcome to the Tartan Blog Hop hosted by Gill at http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com.
Tartan Day is today, April 6th, hence the reason for our blog hop. This is the first time I have ever participated in a hop before, so I'm excited at the thought of meeting lots of new bloggers & hopefully making new friends too.........please join me on my journey & vist my fellow crafters who come from all over the world & have been selected to take part & create a project, or two, with an element of tartan on it!!
Oh and I also have to mention this is a hop with a difference as there is some lovely candy to be won.......keep reading to find out how :D But first onto my projects!!!


Above is my Tartan Day card, which I made using papers from Sharon Duncans cd 'Just Thistles', I also used my Martha Stewart border punch, ribbon & some gems......Hope you like it!


My second project is a candle to match the card, using the same topper from the Sharon Duncan cd once again.
Here is a list of all the participants in todays blog hop, please visit them to view their fabulous projects too :

1. Gill http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com
2. Linda www.thefruitofmyhands.blogspot.com
3. Lisa G http://lisagarrow.blogspot.com
4. Martha http://pattisscrappingtime.blosgspot.com
5. Vicky http://the-artful-codger.blogspot.com
6. Anita http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
7. Ann http://ann-icklehaggiscraftspot.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE!!!
8. Amanda http://www.scrapanddash.com
9. Debbie http://debbiescrafttime.blogspot.com
10. Haidee http://created2bunique.blogspot.com
11. Valerie http://canonburycreations.blogspot.com
12. Margaret http://diamondgirlcrafts.blogspot.com
13. Becky http://beckscricards.blogspot.com
14. Laura http://makinprettythings.blogspot.com
15. Jenn http://www.memorieswithjen.blogspot.com
16. Sharon http://craftyscot.blogspot.com
17. Beckie http://beckiedreyer.blogspot.com
18. Faith http://faithfulecreations.wordpress.com
19. Jill http://thescrapoholic.blogspot.com
20. Lisa P http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com
21. Alethea http://lilodesigns.blogspot.com
22. Nancy http://blog.fancywithnancy.com/

Back to the Candy........Some of the blogs listed above have a letter on their post, but not all of them, to enter the candy competition, you must gather all the letters together and then assemble them to create a Scottish word......then visit Gills blog & add your name to the Mr Linky at the bottom of her post (Don't reveal the secret word!!). When the hop is over, Gill will email someone from Mr Linky at random & ask for the word. If correct they will win some fabulous candy - SIMPLES!!!
Thanks for visiting - hope you enjoyed my Tartan project, please leave me a comment and also visit Amanda who is No 8 on the list to see her fabulous creations :D

Happy Crafting......and Hopping!!!

Ann xxx

Now for something completely different!!!

Hello Bloggers :D

I don't know about you, but I get fed up of doing the same type/style of crafting all the time & enjoy having a dabble at something new every now & again, well a few months back I discovered the art of Decopatch and I think I'm somewhat hooked, lol!!! I went a bit mad last time & covered everything I could get my hands on at the time..........well I'm off again, and last night whilst watching telly, this is what I got up to.....


The image at the top is the bangle all naked & bare.........and above is how it looked when I'd finished. I had lots of the black & white paper left, so I had a rummage around in my 'things to alter' box and found this ickle Disney box which I bought about 2yrs ago for a pound!! It was just crying out to be decopatched :D


Above is before, all pink & pretty and below, black & white .......a wee bit more grown up I think!!

And here's a top view of the 'before & after' shots





Thanks for dropping by - let me know what you think of my revamped & decopatched items!!
Happy Crafting!

Love n Hugs

Ann xxx

I do love ............

I really do love when the postman brings me parcels instead of my usual pile of bills to be paid!!!
And today was just so fabulous, because I received a lovely parcel from Australia........now that doesn't happen very often :D
The parcel came from my lovely blogging buddy Jane, who originally hails from Scotland but now lives in Perth, Australia......please visit Jane's blog as she is the most talented ''scrapper' I know, her designs & pages are just divine. Thanks Jane for my lovely blog candy, it was more than I expected and the postage you paid alone was loads!!

Love n Hugs

Ann xxx

The Sunday Stampers Challenge week 144

This week the lovely Hels has set the challenge of nature. My mum bought me the tsv from qvc when Tim Holtz was here on his travels, it's a teensy weensy stamp set of all his favourite images, some shrink plastic, glossy cardstock & alcohol inks..........so that's what I've used to create my card.
I made the background by swooshing my alcohol inks onto my craft mat, then dragged my glossy card through it until I gotmy desired effect, then stamped the larger bird image & branch from Tim's Visual Artistry stamp set with archival ink, then I stamped on some foliage from the Spring's Sprung stamps & the flock of birds are from theteensy set of stamps! Mounted onto card & added ribbon........Hope you like my wee card & thanks for dropping by!!






Happy Crafting :D

Ann xxx

February Christmas Cards.........just a wee bit late :D

February went past in a whizz and before I realised it, I hadn't blogged my cards for my Christmas challenge with Minxy whereby we make 5 cards every month. So here are mine just a teensy wee bit late, lol. A few of them are made using dreamweaver stencils as I was practising for the secc, I had a bit of an idea I would have to that as a demo & I wasn't wrong!! Just as well I had a wee practise :D


The top card is one of the dreamwearver stencils & embossing paste glittered....thankfully I'm a lot better at this technique now!!! And the card directly above is SU! stamps decoupaged & ickle gems to form the berries.



The last two images are on of the card full on & the next is a close up of the tree branches. This was a Hero Arts stamp which I stamped onto glitter card stock then added the gems to add a bit of dimension to the tree branches.

Another dreamwear stencil, the card shape was made using my Go Kreate create a card die cut and distressed around the edges using DIs.



And here I think I've saved the best for last.........this is my favourite, once again the card shape was created using my 6" Go Kreate die, inked up & distressed with my DI's is this gorgeous Crafty Individuals stamp & snowflake background stamp. That's my 5 cards for February and now I better get to work on the March ones!! Check out Minxy's blog to see her beautiful creations!!! Thanks for dropping by.......Hope to see you again soon!

Love n Hugs

Ann xxx

Candle In the Wind..?

I thought I'd share these two wee candles I made just before I started work at the secc, but just didn't have time to blog.




The candle above is of my good friend & blogging buddie Lorraine and the master of distress ....Tim Holtz. Lorraine was lucky enough to do a workshop with the Duke of Distress at a Paperartsy crafty day. And the candle below was done for a Take That friends Birthday present, as you can guess, she's a Mark Owen fan & the piccy was taken at their Circus Tour on the Glasgow gig at Hampden Stadium.



I hope you like my candles .............this is a technique I love to do, it makes gifts so personal & everyone I know loves to receive them too!! Thanks for dropping by.

Love n Hugs

Ann xxx

Stiches & Hobbycrafts at the SECC, Glasgow

Here are some more photo's from the show at the SECC...............Above is Leonie & Nancy on set up day at the Create & Craft stand


Above - me in action & having a bit of banter with the crowd, in that pic I was demoing some great new dies from Go Kreate which allow you to make beautiful shaped cards, as opposed to matting & layering dies.......I had great fun with those & they flew out the door!!



My lovely work mates at Samuel Taylors, Karen, Tom & Alfie.



Me & the lovely Lynda Chapman from Create & Craft fame........Lynda was demoing at Pondskipper crafts which was directly opposite us and we had such a good laugh with her throughout the show........sharing biccies, choccies and many laughs!!

I'll be back to normal participating in a few challenges, later this week! Thanks for dropping by & hope you've enjoyed having a glimpse into my mad few days at the SECC.

Ann xxx

Saturday at the Hobbycrafts & Stitches Fair

Well it's day three of the show and it's been another fun filled glitter & messy day!! Today I was demoing gilding flakes along with dreamwear stencils & embossing pastes, with a few splashes of glitter thrown in for good measure, lol!! I had a wee play with distress inks and the latest A4 die cutting machines too!!!................I even managed to grab a quick half hour for lunch and zoomed around the hall & got some piccies of various extremely talented demonstrators in action too!




Above is the lovely Barbara Gray from Clarity Stamps - just adore the amazing things Barbara does with her brayer & stamps!!


Above is Nancy Watt at the Create & Craft stand..........Nancy was so lovely to chat to and no question was too much for her.



Now for the troublemakers............Lynda Chapman, Lorraine Roberstson & Anni (from Damselfly).......these are my partners in crime, this is us before the start of the show having a laugh together before the hard work begins. Tomorrow is the final day & break down, I can't believe it's all gone so fast. Drop by tomorrow for some more updates, I'm off to have a bath now & get to bed.

Love n Hugs,
Ann xxx

It's Show Time

Hi Friends............I've not been around as I've been very busy at the SECC Stitches & Hobbycraft craft show. Set up was Wednesday and the show is open to the public Thursday to Sunday, if you happen to be visiting , drop by Samuel Taylor's stand where I'll be demoing and say Hello!!!






Just a few of the boxes for set up..........and above that Jamie & Lorraine hard at work!!!
Will be back in a few days with some updates. Have a lovely weekend everyone, and Happy Crafting.

Ann xxx

Another day.........another card!!!

This is a lovely little image I found whilst rummaging through my stamps and just perfect for the February challenge over on Penny Black @Allsorts challenge blog, which is Say It with Flowers.
I used manilla cardstock which I coloured with my DI's - Brushed corduroy & vintage photo, the large flourish stamp is by Tim Holtz & stamped with Barn door and my main image is the gorgeous Penny Black which is coloured with promarkers & mounted onto a Marianne die cut layer. I'm also entering this into Sir Stampalot February challenge which is All Creatures Great & Small!!!
Thanks for stopping by & hope you like my ickle card!!

Love n Hugs
Ann xxx

Love Is in The Air..........

This afternoon I've made a little card which I'm entering into no less than 3 Challenges.........which I have to say is a first for me, as I'm only getting back into blogging again. So this card I hope will cover :

Sunday Stampers Week 141 - LOVE

Rainbow Lady's Challenge 139 - It's all About Love
Sir Stampalot Challenge - All creatures great & small

I used a Penny Black stamp & coloured it with my promarkers & added some shading with my DI - tumbled glass to create the sky. I do hope it covers all three :D challenges!!
Thanks for dropping by
Love n Hugs

Ann xx