Hi-De-Hi Campers!,

well it's been a horrible week so far. I would have posted on Sunday as usual but I've been so full of cold for the last four days, today is the first day I've felt well enough to do anything.

I've made this card as a new home card using a wonderful Steampunk house digi download from Make It Crafty, some paper from Graphic 45 and as I have used my distress inks on the front panels and the 'Home Swet Home' mountboard square, I am going to enter this card into the I Love ProMarkers challenge #85 - Get Distressing.

I have a really cool Christmas card lined up for Sunday, again using Make It Crafty, so keep an eye out for that.

Jo and I are hoping to go to the Odeon on Sunday evening to watch a live broadcast of "The Phantom Of The Opera" from the Royal Albrert Hall. I tried to get the tickets on line today but to no avail so fingers crossed they haven't sold out already. It's a special performance to celebrate the show's 25th Anniversary and Jo and I saw it in the West End years ago, it's the only musical I've seen live that actually moved me to tears!

Watched an amazing film this week too. Nicholas Winding Refn's new film "Drive" starring Ryan Gosling is an absolute masterpiece of european sensibility married to a Hollywood action movie, it was spellbinding (and a little bit violent) with stunning performances from everyone in it. If you only get to see one film this year - make this it!!
Also entered into 4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog #63 - Anything Goes

Scrapalicious Challenge - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

Let It Snow...this early in the year!

So this week I was amazed to get a top three in the I Love ProMarkers
challenge Blog with my Val Ventura card. After checking out the site this weeks I saw that the new challenge was Travel and Transport. Instantly I knew which stamp I was going to use, I have a new Fizzy Moon stamp and he's on a sledge - well that's travelling isn't it?

The down side is that it really has to be a Christmas card and I really only like making them under panic rules - I normally wait until november and then start to panic.

The card has been put together using some really old papermania paper which i've had forever and along the runners I used something new to me this year, it's called diamond dust and when it dries it has a lovely crusty feel, like proper ice. It also has a beautiful reflective value which is more sparkly than glitter.

I will be entering this into The I Love ProMarkers Challenge #83 Travel/Transport

Also entered into Di's Digi Design Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Also entered into The Squirrel & The Fox- Anything Goes

Also entered into Make It Monday #55

Top 3 @ I Love ProMarkers Challenge!!!!

O.M.G. (as they say these days!), I made the top 3 at the I Love ProMarkers Challenge blog this week with my Val Ventura card. I am so happy, it's a real honour to get recognition for what you do, especially when you do something just for fun!
It is going to spur me on to enter into more competitions I think because this was only my second competition entry so I must be doing something right.
Already working on this weeks theme (which is Travel/Transport), so keep your eyes peeled on sunday for a new post.
'til then,
laters
x

What A Weekend!....

So, where to begin! We spent Saturday at our monthly craft club and then I had to go to work!
Yesterday was spent getting the car valeted (thank you Lincoln Ford), shopping, eating out and getting our new shower installed.
Our old shower died in the week (we held a small ceremony, family only!) and I envisaged a bill running into the hundreds. Well it goes to show that it's not what you know that counts as one of the girls at out club (the lovely Tina), when asked if anyone knew a decent (and by decent, we meant cheap!) plumber. Tina pipes up with "I've got a brand new shower in the loft you can have for £30". So after snapping both of her hands off, she then tells us her husband Mark can fit it for an extra £20 - fifty quid for a brand new, fitted shower, I'll say!
So now Jo and I are all clean and sparkling agin it's time for the reason you're really here. This little lady is called Val Ventura and she is one of Kenny K's new Steampunk Burlesque girls. The tent is from Make It Crafty and both images were coloured using my lovely ProMarkers. The embellishment is a Tim Holtz and the backing paper is Magnolia.
The sentiment is courtesy of Pat at the craft club and is from Stampin' Up.
I wanted to make something a little different to the standard plain folded card and came up with this off-cente Z-fold creation.
I've included a second card this week as:

a) it's my first official xmas card and b) I wanted to make a simple one layer card and I's really pleased with the finished result. However, if anyone knows how you cover up the back of your colouring, please let me know. Pro Markers bleed through pretty much everything and it kind of ruins the inside of the card.

Val Ventura entered into the I Love ProMarkers challenge #82 Metal Embellishment or charm.

Meet Scarlett West

So this is another Kenny K design, coloured using the old faithful ProMarkers and done in a Steampunk style using the new papers from Graphic 45 which are so easy to work with. The whole Steampunk thing has got me really excited, I especially love the new Chocolate Baroque stamps (Steampunk Christmas), which once I get my grubby little mitts on, I guess a lot of people will be receiving really funky cards this year!

I have taken my sister's advise and have decided to enter this into an on-line competition. I am entering the I Love ProMarkers challenge - Anything Goes. She assures that this is the only way I am ever going to raise my profile on the web. Join some competitions and then hopefully people will be interested enough to come and have a look at what else I am doing. I am even considering having a go at applying for some Design Teams myself!

Jo (my beautiful wife) keeps telling me my cards are good enough to enter comps, etc. but I look around me and all I see are mile after mile of REALLY talented ladies, producing some amazing creations, so to be judged alongside them is a real honour.

Anyway, hope you like it and wish me luck.

Take Care

Andy

x

Entered into I Love ProMarkers challenge - Anything Goes