A surprise and finally finished 2015 book

I had a lovely surprise this evening. My Believe card was selected as one of the top five at The Allsorts Challenge Blog.Thank you so much, there are so many very talented ladies taking part I was lucky to have been chosen!

Today I finally finished my 2015 em err do I call it a scrapbook,or a diary or a journal? It's certainly not an Art Journal, that is something I want to eventually try my hand at, it's too small for a conventional scrapbook.... Em...oh well I will just call it a book recording 2015.

I covered my book in a cloud fabric and I cut out Classic Pooh and Piglet from some other fabric and stitched them on. I added a little bit of stuffing to Pooh to make him stand out. I cut out and then stitched on lots of wild poppies. I don't have a sewing machine and my hand stitching is not too wonderful so please don't look too close!

The Front Cover

Inside the front cover.

 

One of the inside pages.

Another page.

Thanks so much for looking. Have a nice weekend.

 

Believe

I tried my hand at making a Bokeh background ! I am going to share my discoveries in my attempts at creating Bokeh backgrounds soon....

I added some sentiments and of course a fairy. There is also lots and lots of glitter, but I am not sure that it shows up.

Thank you so much for flying by.

I would like to enter this into

Country View Challenges create your own background

All Sorts Challenge Circles

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day !

Thank you for looking.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges

Artistic Stamper Heart Art

Try It On a Tuesday Fine Romance

 

Guess who I saw flying over London!

I thought I caught a glimpse of Mary Poppins flying over my rooftop recently, so I made this little picture!

I created the background with bleeding art tissue. I searched on google images for a solid silhouette of London's skyline. When I found just the right one I printed it onto card. Then I took my time to very carefully cut it out to create a stencil. There are many skyline images of Paris, New York etc, so you can travel the world in your pictures!

I placed the stencil on the bottom of the card, using masking tape to hold it in place. I swept black ink into the stencil using a make up sponge. Then I lightly added a calligraphy text stamp to the background.

This background was the result.

The background was quite dark in places, and I wasn't sure if the Mary stamp would show up very well. So I stamped her onto a separate piece of card and then cut her out.

The stamp is Silhouette Lady with Umbrella from Lost Coast Designs

The calligraphy stamp is from Artisitic Stamper

Thank you so very much for taking the time to look.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges.

Craft Stamper Take a Technique Text Me

Country View Challenges Make Your Own Background

 

How long is forever?

This months Challenge at Mixed Media Mojo is

Theme of Hearts and Twist of Paper Piecing

I love Alice in Wonderland and one of my favourite quotes is

“Alice:How long is forever?

White Rabbit:Sometimes, just one second.”

I originally created something different for the challenge, but I was not too happy with it. So the White Rabbit jumped forth and told me how to create him in another project - and here he is!

I would like to enter "How Long is Forever" into the following challenges

Creative Artiste Challenge Blog Anything goes with Mixed Media

Tuesday Taggers A Fine Romance

Thanks so much for looking.

 

World Cancer Day

 

#WorldCancerDay for my best friend Marty - I miss you so very very much.

 

Bleeding Art Tissue

I have recently been playing with bleeding art tissue, so I thought I would share my discoveries with you.

It is an easy, quick technique which gives really nice results. It stains your hands very prettily too! (It washes off ok)

The first thing I discovered is not all tissue bleeds, the packet has to say "Bleeding Art Tissue" I found this pack quite inexpensively online.

I started by randomly tearing small pieces of tissue, and laid them on my card. I used 250gsm card, it did buckle a little when I went a bit mad with the spray bottle, otherwise it held up quite well.

After laying the tissue I spritzed with water until I could see the colours bleed from the tissue. I found that the pastel shades did not give such a good result but the brighter, darker ones did. I then lightly brushed over the tissue, and then eagerly removed the tissue leaving a wonderful mix of colours.

If you crinkle the tissue up before applying, it gives a different textured effect.

I ended up with lots of different backgrounds, which I will use to create various pictures.

Fairy Wishes

I created the background using bleeding art tissue.It is an easy and quick way to make colourful backgrounds. If you would like to give this technique a try, I will be writing a little article on the Mixed Media Mojo blog on the 27th January. I ve been playing a lot with bleeding art tissue recently, so I will be sharing my discoveries.

I added a good sprinkling of glitter to the dandelions and the fairy wings, but it does not show up very well in the photo. I also added some flowersoft to the flowers in her hair.

I would like to enter my Fairy Wishes into the following challenges.

Craft Stamper Take a Stamp

Artistic Stamper Anything Goes

Try It On A Tuesday Silhouettes

All Sorts Challenges Girly and Sparkly

Penny Black One For the Girls

Below are more backgrounds which I created with the bleeding art tissue technique.

 

Aloysious

I love Teddy Bears, and I recently rediscovered this adorable stamp of Aloysious in my stamp box. He was the famous bear from Brideshead Revisted. He is made by Indigo Blu, and is still available to buy. The Happy Birthday sentiment came with him.

I made a colourful background, and edged it with a pink sparkle pen, and then matted him onto gold card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges.

Indigo Blu All That Sparkles

Craft Stamper Take a Stamp

Artistic Stamper Anything Goes

Thank you so beary much for looking.

 

Here's to LIFE !

30 years ago I was in a coma, and I was not expected to survive. When I did the dr told my parents that with the problems I had/have I could only reasonably expect to live for 2O years.

So today for a special treat myself and my mother went to Thats Crafty. It was our first visit there. We spent 45 mins in a traffic jam just trying to get onto the M25, it was quite a journey! It also turned out to be very tricky to find as its on a industrial estate!

Luckily we also took my portable ramp as there was a high step at the entrance. They are thinking of having a ramp put in soon, so that's really good .It was a nice shop with lots of quality goodies to tempt me.

Here are the lovely goodies I treated myself to.

A round gelli plate, a non stick craft mat, and some stamps and a stencil!

Afterwards we had a pizza, and I had a Prosecco and made a toast, I did not die and I have outlived the Drs prediction.

We toasted LIFE

 

Happy 2016

Yesterday I received a surprise invite to join the Design Team at Mixed Media Mojo ! I of course accepted, and I am looking forward to it, the ladies there are all so talented. Thank you so much for the invitation.

Now I must put my creative thinking cap on !

 

Snow Storm

Oh dear the little hare has been caught in a fierce snow storm. He doesn't mind though as it is Christmas Eve, and he is excitedly looking up to the sky for a first glimpse of Father Christmas and his Reindeer!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I would like to enter this into Lavinia Stamps Let it Snow

 

Christmas Shopping Card

This card is for my Mother, we enJOY going shopping together. Unfortunately nobody makes a stamp of a lady in a wheelchair, so on the card I am walking along! I could of course draw a lady in a wheelchair, but these stamps are so cute I had to use them!

Thanks so much for looking.

I would like to enter the card into the following Challenges:-

Country View Challenges Create a Scene

Artistic Stamper Christmas

Craft Stamper Sharing the Season

That's Crafty Seasons Greetings

 

 

Bah Humbug Card

My sister does not like Christmas so I made her this Scrooge Bah Humbug card. I used the Graphic 45 Christmas Carol Stamps

I would like to enter it into the following challenges:-

Mixed Media Mojo sentiment twist not to use red or green.

Country View Challenges Create a Scene

Artistic Stamper Christmas

Craft Stamper Sharing the Season

That's Crafty Seasons Greetings

Thank,you so much for looking

 

Downton Abbey Card

Oh dear, it's the last Downton Abbey ever this Christmas! What will we do..

I made this wintery Downton Abbey scene in tribute to the long running show. I am going to make several more of these scenes, so I can turn them into Christmas cards for friends who I know love Downton Abbey.

I think Edith is going to marry Bertie in the last show, don't you?

Sorry I think I may have taken the photo a bit askew.

Thanks so much for looking.

I will like to enter this into the following challenges:-

Craft Stamper Sharing the Season

Country View Create a Scene

Artistic Stamper Christmas

That's Crafty Season Greetings

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes

 

Christmas Mug

 

 

I made this Chirtsmas Mug as a gift. I just added tea bags in the mug to take the picture. Later I am also going to add one of those spoon stirrer thingies, you know the spoons which have chocolate on the end with embedded marshmallows in.

I will then wrap it in cellophane.

I used

Lavinia Stamps, dye inks, card, and glossy accents to make the mug.

Thanks so much for looking.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges

Lavinia Stamps Christmas

Craft Stamper Take a Stamp

Country View Challenges Colour Blue

 

Country view Crafts Design Team Special mention

Thank you so very much Country View Crafts for the Design Team special mention.

 

Reaching for Wishes

 

I used dye inks, white acrylic paint on a cocktail stick! a punched butterfly- oh dear that does not sound good but you know what I mean!

And some pretty flowersoft for her to stand in.

 

I would like to enter this into

Craft Stampers Octobers Challenge ink, stitch paint

And Country View Crafts add some texture

All of the cards I have shown for the last few challenges were made months ago, but I had never put them on my blog before. I am still unwell and I have not been able to do hardly any craft since August. I miss it very much.

 

 

 

Winter Fun

 

To make this card I used dye inks, white acrylic paint, stickles and a scrap of fabric which I coloured with ink for the snowmans scarf.

 

The children look like they are having lots of fun whizzing along on their sled!

I would like to enter this into

Craft Stampers Octobers Challenge ink, stitch paint

And Country View Crafts add some texture

 

Winter Whispers

 

I used dye inks to create the background and stamped the cute deers on a separate sheet of card. After colouring them with spectrum noir pencils I cut them out and attached them with 3D pads.

I added some white paint to the trees, and then added lots of glorious glitter for a snowy sparkly effect.

 

Thank you for looking.

 

I would like to enter this into Craft stampers Challenge Ink,Stitch,Paint,Collage Challenge

 

For Marty

 

My dearest friend Marty died one year ago today.

I miss you so very much Mart. I will always love you all the way to the moon and back a gazillion times.

 

Witch's Hovel

I was honoured to be asked to be a Guest Designer this month at Mixed Media Mojo. The theme was Halloween with a twist of wings.

I decided to create this Witch's Hovel. I included an artificial tea light inside the house to give it a spooky look after dark.

I used old book pages to create the house. I cut the pages into strips and wound them around a thin skewer stick, followed by a dab glue on the edge to hold them in place. Then I carefully slid them off the skewer.I built up these little rolls to make the house. You could make all sorts of wondrous houses, the possibilities are endless. You just need to make the appropriate length rolls to fit your design

For the spooky tree I used a thick wire as the trunk and twisted strips of the book pages around it to form branches.

The witch always washes her best hat and stockings before Halloween, so they are hanging on the washing line. I used some twigs for the posts and thread for the line.

I tried my hand at drawing a few bats, and attached them to thin wires to go up behind the house to give the impression that they are flying around.

I used a signpost stamp from a Wizard of Oz stamp set by Crafty Secrets , and I also stamped a crow to sit on top of it.

I assembled it all on some thick card and then covered the ground in black flowersoft.

I hope that you like my Witch's hovel and will be inspired to make one for Halloween.

©JannetBlay

 

Crisp Autumn

As I haven't been well enough to make any crafty things recently I thought I would add some which I made in the summer.

Crisp Autumn

If you would like to know how I created this, you can find the details in the November issue of Craft Stamper Magazine.There are lots of lovely autumnal projects in the magazine this month. I am delighted to be included among them.

I Believe in Unicorns

This is a fun mystical creation ! The unicorn is by Lavinia Stamps

 

Challenges

My health has not been so good for the last month or more, so I have not been able to take part in any of my usual monthly challenges.

Happily I have now started creating for my October Guest Designer Spot at Mixed Media Mojo. Even if it is on a lap tray on my bed. I always have to do all of my crafting on a lap tray, so I am used to trying to do it that way!

Thank you so much to Mixed Media Mojo for selecting me, it is a privilege.

I miss my crafting very much but I have been able to do some pastel painting. I have not done any painting for decades, but pastel painting was something I could do when resting. I don't really care for the pastels I have now as they are very waxy. I remember the ones I had years ago were more chalky.

I tried to paint my friend Marty, she died last October and I miss her so very, very much. We had the same and similar health and disability problems.

 

Here is my first attempt at painting Marty. Hopefully I will get better.

I love you my dear friend for always.

 

New Craft Stamper Design

My Craft Stamper arrived today, and it has had a revamp. The new style title is really good with the delicate swirls and splodgy font. I am going to enjoy discovering all the new things inside.

It came at just the right time as I am still not over my infection, but I've finished the antibiotics now, so hope I hope to feel better soon.

Happy Bank Holiday weekend everyone.

 

Butterfly Tree

I was originally going to make an apple tree for my fathers birthday, but I decided that a butterfly tree would look nicer. But I have since decided to buy him a cherry tree for his birthday. So I am now going to remove some of the butterflies and make some cherries to replace them.

I made the tree from old book pages. I punched out a flurry of butterflies from some pretty Dovecraft paper, and glued them carefully onto the branches.

I coloured the lovely Phyllis Harris little girl stamp with spectrum noir pencils. I placed her underneath the tree and onto a card base which I then covered in flowersoft.

Thank you so much for looking.

I would like to enter my Butterfly tree into the following challenges

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge Pens and Pencils

Artistic Stamper Anything Goes

Country View Challenge Summer Time

Mixed Media Mojo Anything Goes

 

 

 

 

New Lavinia Stamps Arrived!

Look what has arrived today! They are gorgeous, I am inspired with all sorts of ideas to create with them. I love the little toadstool, they have a few tiny stamps which are just £1.

I've just got to get rid of another infection, and then I can play.

I have something ready made to put in for the Craft Stamper challenge so I must blog that soon, or August will be over before I know it!