You Move Me!!

Still staying with the Kraft card theme for the Hoedown Challenge at Hambo Stamps.... I have made this quirky card, the two chess pieces are taken  from a full digital image set called quite appropriately...CHESS SET!!! I think it is kinda cute, and a great card to send to some budding Garry Kasparov or Bobby Fischer. I must admit I am a rubbish chess player, always on the defensive, never take risks, don't think too far in front!! they say that chess brings out your true personality!!! they got that one right..LOL.

Oh... and I almost forgot....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL, I hope you all have a fabulous time, lots of turkey (mine is in the oven as we speak.....is that burning I can smell!!!! gulp) must dash...

Snow friend like you!!

Yippeeeee, It's time for a new challenge at Hambo Stamps and the Hoedown challenge this week is to use kraft card for your project!! Kraft card is fabulous stuff, rustic and fresh, I love it, it goes great with white, and as I am still enjoying using my acrylic paints I thought it would be a nice idea to have snowflakes with my winter scene, at first I was going to stamp them on, but as the trend at the moment is splatters and drips and splodges, I splattered the slightly watered down white acrylic paint onto my kraft card, I love the effect, so random, and perfect on the kraft colored background. I then printed off the SNOWMAN-BIRD digi image, colored his hat and scarf with promarkers and painted his body with the same acrylic white paint I had used for the snow, I know, he was already printed on white cardstock, but I wanted to add glitter to him, I then fussy cut him out.....cos that's what I do best!!!  I gave the torn paper snow on the bottom the same paint/glitter treatment, it is such a shame that you can't see how glittery it is in real life.

Sooooooo...get your kraft stash out and join in the hoedown fun. i would love to see your projects!!

Whee.............

I have made this card for todays CAS251 bling it up challenge. The photo doesn't do the blinginess of this card justice, it is really sparkly with all those gems on.... lovingly placed on one by one.... phew!!, the blue background paper has irridescent spray on it, the girls fur is glittered up, and the snowflake is silver glitter card, so.... Blinding!!, who doesn't love a bit of bling, especially at this festive time of year!!
I have used the SKATER GIRL rubber stamp by Hambo Stamps,
This is actually the first Christmas card I have made this year, what with my gorgeous Grandson being born last week, I have not been able to concentrate on much else, so I think it is me that is going to have to get my skates on!!!

And here is a photo of my beautiful Grandson, Jack Douglas France, having cuddles with his loved up Grandma ...Oooooooh I could just eat him up!!

"Life is a story"

The Hambo Hoedown is still on with the current challenge to make a bookmark, so I have made another one to show you this week using the READING BOY digi image. I got the sentiment from somewhere on the internet and thought it fitting for this.  The bookmark actually started offf life being a piece of kraft card, I went a bit crazy with the acrylic paint....mostly from covering up strokes I didn't like!! until i have obliiterated any sign of the kraft card. I have started using acrylics to stamp with, and love the grunginess of it all. I colored the reading boy with promarkers though. I hope you can join in the challenge, there are freebies up for grabs!!

Forever Friends!!

Today is the start of a new challenge over at the Hambo Hoedown, to make a winter bookmark. I used the SNOWMAN BIRD on one side, and the BOOKMARK-DISCLAIMER digi images. I am really getting into my acrylic paint effects at the moment so I decided to paint my own background, it is so much fun.  Here is a step by step of how I achieved this..

I started off by sponging Docrafts Lagoon acrylic paint onto my cardstock with some cut n dry foam.

Then I added some baby blue, blending it into the lagoon as I went down, then I sponged some white on the top and bottom, again blending lightly as the colors merged.

Next I stamped the TINY SNOWFLAKE with the pearl ice blue paint.

And finally gave it a spritz and a couple of flicks with the white paint,

I left my paper to completely dry then run it through the printer to print the bookmark disclaimer words, made my bookmark, added the painted paper to the reverse side, stuck on my colored snowman bird digi image, a die cut snowflake and some ribbon...et voila!!

Acrylics and paint effects are my new favorite..(this week!!)

SCS CC455

The colors for today's color challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is wild wasabi, daffodil delight, and gold, the dessert is to fussy cut something on your card....Well!!!.....right up my street, after all...I haven't got the "fussy cut Queen"  title for nothing!!! I have used the GERANIUM digi image from Hambo Stamps.

Under the Sea..

It is week two for the Hambo Hoedown interactive card challenge. I have used two digital images this week, Ocean Bottom and Snorkel Boy. Once again I have used an action wobble,......but I will give you a huge tip..... make sure that your image is bigger than the action wobble mechanism!!!! I went to put it on my snorkel boy, only to realise it was actually bigger than the image, so I had to make my own, two small pieces of card, make a spiral by winding some wire round a pencil, and adhere each end to the cards, done. not as effective as a real action wobble, but not bad, I dont have a video to prove it moves so you will just have to take my word for it!! but if you pop over to Lyn's blog you will see her video that demonstrates just how fabulously cute her wobble card is. So join in with this weeks challenge, I guarantee you it is sooooo much fun!!

The Cutting Queen strikes again!!...

....or as my lovely DT friend Lyn, called me "the cutting guru"!! ... and I think that I have earned the title after all the cutting out I did for this card!! This week is the start of a new hoedown challenge at Hambo Stamps and the challenge is to make an interactive card. I have so much fun doing these kind of cards and I have to say that I got my initial inspiration for my card from the very first Hambo image that I saw, I adored it straight away, the card was made by the uber talented Irene Rhodes (dandl93) using the very cute BOAT digi image, and so my love of Hambo Stamp images began there and then, I ordered the image, started joining in the Hoedown challenges and  not too long after I was beyond thrilled and very proud to be asked to join the DT,  and lovin it!!....so it is all down to Irene and her amazing card, and she still inspires me with her fabulous work, so thank you Irene, I owe you big time.
So back to my card for this week, I have made an interactive side stepper card, and just like Irenes card, the BOAT has an "Action Wobble" thingy on the back which makes it not only wobble but rock from side to side, I knew I wanted to put something else in the boat with him, so I stacked up all the possibilities, printed them off, and set about cutting them out......and in Judy's words "Jeez"!!, Yep... I went way "overboard" here,  I do love cutting out and I am a bit of a perfectionist in that department, I think it stems from when I was a little girl and in the magazines there would be a girl and you had to cut her out and cut out her clothes with tabs on, can anyone remember what I am on about???  so.... yes I am proud of this card, not just for the cutting out but for the fact that I used EIGHT separate Hambo images, fifteen in total....Pheww!! Great challenge, hope you can join in, I would love to see your creations.

The digi images I used are BOAT,  KANGAROO,  BIRD BALLOON,  BIRD EGG,  the two different fish are from the SNORKEL BOY set,  the ELEPHANT and BIG GIRAFFE are rubber stamps.

You Lift Me Up!!

Still on the Hambo Hoedown CAS Challenge this week I have made this card using the ever so cute BIG GIRAFFE rubber stamp and the BIRD EGG digi image, you might ask..."If it is called bird egg, where is the egg part of the image?"... well the bird is sat on top of the egg so I cut that part off and stuck the little fella on top of the giraffe. I stamped the giraffe image onto the blue cardstock first, then stamped him again cutting off his mane, colored him in then stuck him over the first stamped image, I know I am the cutting out Queen! lol, but there are limits!! so that way I didn't have to cut round his mane..or whatever it is actually called!.

NUN-conformist!!!

Todays SCS Try A New Technique Challenge is all about revisiting paper piecing, well, I'm all for that!! I am not the best at coloring so I welcomed this challenge, the added option is to use washi tape. As I was looking through my Hambo Digi Images I stopped at this cheeky NUN, I can remember using her before and being daunted by the huge area of her habit to color, so there my mind was made up, then I thought....mmmmm why not a flowered habit!!! and so that is where the idea of the "Nun-Conformist" sentiment came from. Yep, I can definitely get used to paper piecing....it's a doddle!

WHEEEEELIE!!!

Today starts a new challenge at the Hambo Hoedown, and this time the challenge is to do a CAS.. clean and simple card. Well CAS may mean "simple" as in simple design, uncluttered, not much embellishment!! but definitely not "simple" to do!! unless you are Debby Hughs.. the CAS queen!! I mean seriously!! can that girl ever make a bad card!! never been known yet!!
So, this week it is Tim Hunter's birthday, for those of you that don't know, Tim is the one who draws the Hambo images, you gotta love his sense of humor, funny guy, fun images.
For my card I have used the much loved and much used...SKYLINE rubber stamp, and the RACECAR digi image. I kept the coloring to a minimum. The sentiment makes me chuckle.
So, Happy Birthday to you Tim!!

9 MONTHS INSIDE

I have done another non traditional baby card this week, I have absolutely loved the challenge over at Hambo Stamps hoedown, maybe it has something to do with me about to become a Grandma for the first time at Christmas. I have used the PIG INMATE digital image. I love this new baby birth announcement card and may even use it to announce the arrival of my Grandson when he comes!!      I can't wait!!!!!



ps...Ashley is my Son, the expectant father!

A NEW BABY!!!

The Hambo Hoedown challenge to make a non traditional baby card is still ongoing, so I made this card using the THIEF OF HEARTS digi image, and the SKYLINE and CLOUD rubber stamps, all from Hambo Stamps. I love it!!! and very fitting for how I am feeling now!.....

I found out some time ago now,that I am going to be a Grandma, and I suppose it never really hit home until my Son and his partner Louise, came to my house with a 4D video of our little boy inside the womb....OH MY GOODNESS!!! nothing could prepare me for how \I felt watching my unborn Grandson laying there looking so peaceful and content!! I cant stop feeling so tearful with so much emotion and the amount of love I feel for him. So my card is very apt....HE HAS STOLEN MY HEART AWAY ALREADY. Here is a little glimpse of him....GORGEOUS!!

OH Bailey..You DEVIL!!

Monday is my Favorite day!....Why? you ask!, well firstly it is a day off work..hooooray!! and secondly I just love seeing what the challenges are at Splitcoaststampers, Mondays challenges are "Try a new technique" and "CAS", so I decided to go with the Clean and simple challenge where the title is "Candy and/or costumes". so I got to work on this cute little digi image called BAILEY DEVIL. Bailey is based on the Golden Labrador who belongs to Monica, the owner of Hambo Stamps, he looks such a cutie all dressed up in his devil outfit for Halloween.

Dr Needles I.V.F

Today starts a new challenge over at the Hambo Hoedown, and this weeks challenge is to make a NON TRADITIONAL BABY CARD!!!!......Fan-tas-tic!!! When I saw what the theme was, I thought "Bring it on"!! give us more of these whacky challenges that get the old grey matter working!  I love a challenge that forces you to think outside the box, something different instead of the normal cutesy baby cards...L.O.V.E it!!
It didn't actually take me too long to decide what I was going to do for this theme, because as I was looking through my collection of Hambo Stamps images I saw the DR NEEDLE digi image and it got me thinking of one of my clients who is about to undertake I.V.F treatment, I can appreciate that this journey is a worrying and stressful time for those involved,  but I couldn't help giggling at the idea of this image on a "good Luck with your I.V.F" card, I know that Kay is the kind of girl who is up for a laugh, and I am sure this card will make her giggle too.
You NEED to hop over to the Hambo Hoedown challenge to see all the other fantastic samples of non traditional baby cards that my Hambo design team mates have come up with, each one very different and all ah-may-zing!! seriously!!... and hopefully you will join in with the challenge too I can't wait to see what ideas you have.

I CAUGHT YOU!!

This week I am still staying on the vellum theme, continuing from last week where at the Hambo Hoedown the challenge is to use vellum on your project. As it is nearing Halloween I thought it would be appropriate do do something with that theme in mind. I have used the SPIDER WEB digi image, cut it out (yes thats me again Lyn!!! lol) and put it behind a sheet of vellum to make it more muted, I then printed off the bigger spiders, added some glossy accents to them, cut them out and added a strip of transparency film to one of them, I then curved the film so that it actually sticks out from the card and wobbles about, I then stamped a few of the smaller spiders with the SPIDER rubber stamp, cut them out and gave them the glossy accents treatment. The inside of the card reads..."Just in time to wish you a Happy Birthday".
Note to self....Why do I always do these Halloween cards this shape!!!!!!

VELLUM LOVE

The Hambo Hoedown challenge for the beginning of this new term at Hambo Stamps is all about vellum, it is beautiful magical stuff and it is my new love....(along with a gazillion other things!). So we have to incorporate vellum in our project with any hambo image. I chose the gorgeous delicate digi image called GERANIUM, it was a delight to color, I used promarkers, cut them out, then stuck them behind the vellum mason jar, made by stamping the jar from Paper Smooches crystal clear set. I then layered it onto the lovely spellbinders die cuts after doing a bit of sponging with pink ink, I then added the vellum "love" die cut. I love it, hope you do too. There are a few changes going on over at the hoedown, the challenges now run for two weeks, so.... even more time to make a gorgeous creation, hope to see you there!

I have also entered this card in the Paper Smooches anything goes challenge.

NEWS FLASH!!!!!

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news just in..........Jane Elizabeth France is staying on the design team at Hambo Stamps, she is delighted that they have asked her to stay on for the next term and is looking forward to all the new changes that are happening over at Hambo Stamps, and the Hoedown. Catch all the latest news and updates on the Hambo Blog Talk To The Ham"

A BIG FAT BAT!!!!

The Hambo Hoedown Challenge this week is a sketch challenge drawn by the talented teamie, Deborah. The frame represents the circle, the string represents the stripes across and the FAT BAT, which is the new digi image this week, represents the stripes going down, a bit of imagination I know!!!! but you have to get in my head!!
I have also used the WITCHES BREW, the SPIDERS WEB and the SPIDER, all Hambo rubber stamps, the spiders web and the spider are also available in digis.

BEST SWISSES!!

I actually started the idea for this card yesterday when I saw that the teapot challenge over at Splitcoaststampers was all about Switzerland, chocolate, clocks, cows, and of course cheeses. Well it got my mind thinking about the CHEESES digi image from HAMBO STAMPS, and as I was thinking about it I noticed the image that I used for my last card (see previous blog post) the wonderfully cute MAD SCIENTIST....who is obviously holding a brain in his hand.....well that leaves scope for me to have him holding lots of different things, hence, the cheeseboard!!! I am a genius!!!...lol :)  Well the idea is as far as it got, then I had a massively busy day, home late, bottle of wine, sloped off to bed. I woke at 3.30am, couldn't stop thinking about this damn card...I get excited when I have good ideas (which is not that often!), I looked on the SCS site for todays sketch challenge, so I have incorporated my card for that too. I told you that you would be seeing more of the Mad Scientist!!!! Dang Cauuuuuuute!!!

WELCOME TO THE 80s!!!!!

Squeeee!!!!! I am sooo excited, I just love Hambo's blog hops, and today they are having one with an 80s theme,... well, that was my era (even tho I wished I was a 70s chick!, T Rex, Ziggy Stardust...I'm a sucker for a man who wears heavy make up!!), but like I said, 80s chick me, Wham, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Erasure, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Margaret Thatcher, 1984 pit strike...etc.
 Todays blog hop is called  "Hambo's Time Machine".  Hambo friends and the Bacon Bits Design Team are bringing you fun creations using a Hambo stamps image that depict something cool from the 1980's! It might be a favorite book, something in the news then, a fashion fad, a song, or something that really stuck out to us in looking back.  If you arrived here from  Hetty http://craftchaos.blogspot.com  you are in the right place, If not, you can start back at the beginning at the Hambo blog to make sure you are eligible for a hopper prize! which will be awarded to one participant whose time machine creation tickles the Bacon Bits’ fancy, another prize will be awarded randomly to a hopper who comments on all of the blogs along the way. Winners will be announced on the blog, Talk to the Ham, on Wed, Sept 25, as well as at the Hambo Hoedown challenge blog. the deadline for prize entry comments is Sun, Sept 22 at 5 PM CST.

Anyway...onto my contribution...I was so spoilt for choice but I decided to go with the one film that comes to mind everytime I see the MAD SCIENTIST  digi image....can you guess which film I am talking about??....yes it is the 1983 film, The Man With Two Brains!! the fabulously funny Steve Martin plays the world's top brain surgeon, Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr  who pioneered the radical new cranial screw-top technique, but he grieves over the untimely death of his wife Rebecca. Thinking of her while driving home, he takes his eyes off the road and runs down the beautiful but deadly Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner). Hfuhruhurr performs surgery which saves her life, but as she recovers, he doesn't realize Dolores is a gold-digging vixen who has driven her latest husband to death by apoplexy. They marry, but Dolores denies her husband sexual favors, which frustrates Hfuhruhurr to distraction. He takes her on a belated honeymoon, where he meets a fellow brain surgeon who keeps an assortment of brains in his laboratory. Dolores takes the opportunity to have an extramarital affair, and when Hfuhruhurr finds out he dumps her. But in Necessiter's lab, Hfuhruhurr becomes attracted to Brain #21, Ann Uumellmahaye  with whom he communicates telepathically. At last, here is one case where a man loves a woman for her mind rather than her body, but Ann's brain is deteriorating rapidly; Hfuhruhurr needs to find a body and transplant the brain quickly in order to save Ann......and so the story goes on. I would highly recommend it. 

So now onto my creation.......

Here is my card,  I love it!  bragging I know, but I can't help it with this one!! don't you just love the cute but crazy scientist holding the brain in his hand, with all those blood splatters, I added some glossy accents to them so that they appear wet. He is my favorite and I am guessing you will see more cards made by me using him!!

You can purchase the digi image of him HERE

Now, after leaving me a bit of love, you can  swing on over to  Lisa's at  lisa-craft-blog.blogspot.com for another great trip down memory lane back to the 80's.

HENRIETTA HAMBO

Boy have I struggled with this card this week, and I don't even know why!! because the challenge is to use dimension or pop....well I have never been able to do one layer cards very well and most of mine have lots of dimension (which is a bummer when trying to post), so you would think this week would be easy for me....I think the problem is that I think way too much, and it is a classic case of  "over analysis causes paralysis". note to self...(which I will probably ignore!!) be more free!! take more risks!! and now I think of it....not just in papercrafting!!! thats enough now. This weeks Hambo Stamps digi image is called Wee Henrietta Popcorn and as you now know...the challenge this week is to use dimension. I decoupaged the popcorn and adding a bit extra, then popped Henrietta up too,  hope you will join in, there are free digis up for grabs, and dont forget to come back on Friday for the Hambo 80s Blog Hop.....yippeeeee can't wait :)

have a heart!

Just typical!!!!!!! This weeks challenge over at Hambo Stamps is to use decorative edge scissors on your project! well....it was only a month ago that I was tidying up my craft room, saw my decorative edge scissors and thought..."I have had these things forever and all they are doing is taking up precious space!!" so I gave half of them to Pete's grandchildren, luckily I still have a couple, so I have used the deckle edge for around the edge of my card,(sorry you can't see it too well), and victorian edge scissors to cut the pink paper.
 This weeks image is called HAMSTER HEART, the cupcake and present are separate so you can do lots of different things with them.

OH NO!!!! A Gray Hare!!!

Well..... in my case....ANOTHER gray hare!!!!, this weeks digi image from Hambo Stamps is called "headband bunny" and the challenge is to use the colors pink yellow and gray (or grey if you live in England!) I imagine this bunny with a black headband on giving someone a karate chop...hee hee. will be great for my partner Pete, he is a blackbelt 5th Dan and runs his own association, it keeps him from under my feet!!! lol. actually, him in his office, me in my craft room, we meet now and then on the landing!! if it wasn't for the fact that he pops into my room now and then to top up my glass of wine we would never spend any time together...love him tho!

PAPERARTSY PASSION!!

O.M.G... as I was looking through my stamps, desperately searching for any from England... (why are all the stamps I love from America!!!!) I came across one that I have had in my huge stash for FOREVER!!!! but as usual, I buy things, love em, put em away and never again see!! lol. The stamp is from Paperartsy called wings plate 5, I loved it the minute I saw it, the gorgeous angels look so adorable, I always loved the grunge look and have dabbled a bit with distressing and metal foil tape art but never knew how to get the grungey altered art type stuff......until I went onto the paperartsy blog, which lead me to their tutorials on youtube. Well I have studied Leandra,s techniques, I was inspired, ordered a couple more stuff from their shop, grunge paste, a couple of masks, treasure gold (gorgeous stuff) crackle glaze, this hanging chunky board....all super fast delivery I might add, and gave it a whirl, my paperartsy products are limited for now (that is why I have had to use stuff from other companies too) but I know I will be getting more. I love the technique of stamping onto tissue first, no mistakes, just place it exactly where you want it...AMAZING. anyway I hope you like my first attempt....got to rush to put it on their blog :)

BEAR FARMER

Nooooo.... don't get excited!!!! it's not a farmer in his birthday suit!!!! it's the cute and cuddly kind of bear. He is this weeks new digi image from Hambo Stamps called bear farmer, and if you played last weeks hoedown using any hambo stamps image you will find him in your inbox for free. if not then you can purchase him here.
 This week I have been playing around with corrugated card and texture paint, I looked at a a scrap piece that I was experimenting with and thought it looked like a ploughed farmers field, so I added it for interest. Please come and join in the fun of the Hambo hoedown, I would love to see what you create.

SCHOOLDOG

Hoooray!!!! only one more week and the children are back at school, not that I have any children of school age, but going shopping is a nightmare.... and it's not the kids that are annoying.... it's the parents, at the end of their tether, shouting and screaming and chastising their little rascals!!! roll on first day of school, peace and harmony restored!! And that brings me onto this weeks new digi image by Hambo Stamps called SCHOOLDOG. The challenge is to use anything to do with school, eg, pencils, primary colors, teachers gifts...etc. I thought it would be a great opportunity to try the blackboard technique, pretty simple really, black card, lightly sponge some white ink in circular motions, then with a white pencil I did a little sketch. I also incorporated the GLOBE rubber stamp there too.

HANDYMAN

I love this weeks new digi image for a good reason!!!!! my gorgeous man, Pete, is brilliant at D.I.Y. but trying to get him to do anything is nothing short of a miracle.....(I am sighing loudly), lol, so if I gave him the card I made for this weeks Hambo Hoedown I am sure he will think I am just skitting at him, hee hee. The new digi image by Hambo Stamps is CARPENTER and the challenge is to incorporate things that a carpenter would use, I chose drywall tape, a tape measure, screws, and I did the wood panels with an embossing plate, cut it up into three planks and added ink, I adore doing effects and stuff like that, the screws are made by using little black 3D foam tape circles, scoring the centre then adding some silver ink.
Yesterday was Monica's birthday so the DT made her a card for the birthday blog hop, see my previous post and join in the blog hop by commenting on each card, there is a prize in it for you

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONICA"

It's a Surprise Birthday Hop for Monica Hunter! Monica is the owner of Hambo Stamps and today  is her birthday. The Bacon Bits Design Team got together and decided to throw a little surprise party for her, and we would like you to join us! 

If you arrived here from Deborah's blog you are in the right place. Every birthday has to have presents, and this one has one for you! One random hopper that completes the hop and comments on each blog will receive a Hambo Birthday surprise! The winner will be announced at the Hambo Hoedown on Wednesday, August 21. 

Here is the hop order in case you get lost:
Deborah
Jane (me)
Jeannie

Judy
Kendra
Lyn
For my card I was going to put "Over the hill at ..... (then put Monica's age) but I decided against it for two reasons, firstly, and most importantly, I don't know her age!!!! and secondly, it is not polite to ask!!.  I have used the Hambo Stamps digi image called RACECAR and the SKYLINE rubber stamp in the background...( yes I have used it again Lyn!!! LOL). So, Happy Birthday to you Monica, hope you have a wonderful day.....whatever age you are!!!

"HI THERE"

Todays "try a new technique" Splitcoaststamper challenge is hosted by the fabulous Judy of Joy in a Jar, and of course the DT co-ordinator of Hambo Stamps, ... plus the numerous other roles she has, boy oh boy is that girl busy!!,  anyway today's challenge is called "external frame, internal greeting" having the frame on the outside, and the image and greeting on the inside. I have used Hambo Stamps rubber image called "ELEPHANT", masking each elephant as he climbed up. I love Mondays because the Splitcoaststamper challenges are two of my favorite, and usually if I don't like one, I have the choice of the other, but today.......I combined them both, the other challenge is a CAS  challenge, choose a card that inspires you from harriet's, (aka hskelly) gallery, I chose her "certainly fun elephants" card, it is a cutie, and here is my card....

Stop CLOWNING around!!

Hi all, I am still on a high after yesterday...(see previous post), and I just want to thank HAMBO STAMPS for giving me the opportunity to be on their design team, they have some fabulous images, rubber, clear, and digi images that I have soooooo much fun using, my other DT friends are a great bunch of people, talented, supportive and inspiring, I love em all!!. Anyway, enough of the gushing, it is Wednesday, so that means it is Hambo Hoedown time, this week it is team oink, (Deborah, Jenn, and Me) using the digi for this week, and it is all about the CLOWNS and the challenge is to use at least three different patterned papers, I'm not too into patterns but I really like how this turned out, I did a bit of decoupaging , adding about three layers, oooooh I do miss decoupage, I think it is one of the things I got into early on in my card making, it's all about the cutting that I love so much.

PUBLICATION SUBMISSION....SQUEEEEEEEEEAL!!

All day I have been on cloud nine!!!....WHY??, I can hear you asking, well, today is the day that my card was published in the Craft Stamper Magazine!! I could hardy believe it as  opened the mag and saw that it was a TWO PAGE spread dedicated to my metal foil tape art card, overwhelmed is an understatement!!! I feel as proud as a peacock! For this card I have used the totally cutest pig in the whole wide world "PIG INMATE" digi image by Hambo Stamps.

what a pile of CRAB!!

When I first thought of the idea for this card, it even made me chuckle, and....as usual involved a load of fussy cutting (good job I love doing it). The little crab  and big crab are both rubber stamps from Hambo Stamps, the wording is computer generated, the little eyelets at the bottom are meant to look like starfish... (ok, stretch your imagination a bit!), and as it is the Hambo Hoedown today and the theme is "eyelets" I thought this would be perfect for the challenge, and hopefully make you chuckle too.

you COLOUR my world

The Hambo hoedown challenge for this week over at Hambo Stamps is all about stripes!! well it is a known fact...(well...known to me, as I am probably the only one that reads my blog..boo hoo) that I hardly do patterns, I just don't have an eye for that sort of thing, I think I am a bit beige!!! my friend even takes the micky out of me because it has taken me 15 years to go from white emulsioned walls to.....wait for it!!!....magnolia!!! It's not that I dont like patterns, it's just that I cannot live with it,  but I really admire people that have a colourful imagination, my friend is loud and bold and her decor reflects her personality, I must be beige, predictable and well.... boring!!! (I'm not really, just too safe and careful sometimes). Anyway, back to this weeks hoedown, like I said this weeks challenge is stripes. I don't know why I chose to work with the MOUSE PAINTER digi image apart from the fact that he is a cutie, and I imagined him painting not in stripes but "tartan" !!! there is a standing joke at work when somebody new starts, we send them to the shop for some tartan paint....I'm giggling now thinking about it, other things on the list are, a long stand, a bubble for a spirit level, and the worse one... some clitoris mints (gulp). boy oh boy am I getting sidetracked today, back to the mouse painter digi image, so that is how my mind went from tartan paint to stripey paint, I also used part of the "you rock my world" rubber stamp, I just omitted the "rock" and replaced it with "colour" generated from my computer.  Please hop along and take a look on the Hambo Stamps site, they do rubber stamps, clear stamps, digi images, and lots of accessories and paper, they have the wickedest sense of humor and I just love them.

paint the town RED

The challenge this week at the Hambo Hoedown is a sketch challenge, drawn by the wonderfully talented friend and co design team member Deborah of  beadnstampn. I like doing sketch challenges because half the idea is already there for you, but "me being me" has to try and make it complicated by trying to put a bit of a different angle on it, when i saw the semicircle where the sentiment should be, all I could see was a huge sun. As I did not have any washi tape...wonderful stuff!! I considered making my own with tissue paper and double sided tape, but I went to the store to buy some insect spray to obliterate the little bugs feeding on my lovely chilli plants....Grrrrrrrr pesky things!!!! anyway, I saw some washi tape there so the idle in me bought that instead. I like the way this card turned out, the red SKYLINE, a rubber stamp by Hambo Stamps, in the polaroid frame has been sitting on my craft desk for a while thinking of how to use it...and now is the time, I loved doing the fake paint splats with a red stazon ink refill bottle I have, I considered using glossy accents over but thought it might resemble blood too much.

FOILED AGAIN!!

My friend and design team co-ordinator for Hambo Stamps, the very talented Judy from Joy in A Jar is featuring my metal foil tape art cards today at the "try a new technique" challenge, so I made this extra card to go with them. HERE is a link on youtube to give you some idea on how to do it. The only problem with doing this sort of thing is that I cannot stop, while I am doing it, my mind is racing onto what else I can do next, I adore this look, and although it is a bit time consuming, I think the results are soooo worth it, seriously, it is so much fun,  so head on down to the local hardware store, grab some metal foil tape, some self adhesive plasterboard (drywall) tape, and some black acrylic paint and give this fabulously fun and very addictive technique a go, I guarantee that after the first attempt, you will be looking around your home to see what else you can alter.............SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!!!!!!     The image I have used is the too too cute Thief Of Hearts digi image by Hambo Stamps.

"Over the rainbow"

As I was contemplating what to do with this weeks hoedown challenge over at Hambo Stamps, which is to incorporate office supplies with your project, I noticed a pink paper clip on my work desk, I remembered having a stash of brightly colored paper clips somewhere, so I dug them out and started playing around with them, and that is when I thought maybe a rainbow, (I was just missing an orange one) so I colored a white one with my promarkers, et voila!. Thought the rainbow would go well with the LEPRECHAUN rubber stamp, I also used the IRISH YOU sentiment, and the CLOUD rubber stamp. Well I must dash, I am taking my son to lunch for his birthday, he is 24 today, my... how time flies!

Red, White, & Blue and Priest Idol too

As it is Independence day in America tomorrow, Hambo Stamps have chosen a red, white and blue color challenge in this week Hambo Hoedown. I have used the very cute Bailey Liberty digi image, the much loved and very versatile Skyline rubber stamp, and the cloud rubber stamp for my 4th of July card. I only know one American personally, Father James McCaskill, he came to our village about 6 years ago to be priest at the local church, the BBC made a documentary of him, it was called Priest Idol, he is a wonderful and inspiring priest, he has moved back to pittsburgh now, I miss him. does anyone reading this know who I mean? I have added a photo of my baptism day with Father James.