MrsBeez

Feeling crabby!

Posted on June 15, 2015 by MrsBeez

Do you ever come back from holiday feeling like you need a holiday to get over it? After a lovely break away, the two days back at work at the end of last week seem to have wiped me out and feeling the need to get away from it all again!! It hasn’t helped that the weekend was another cold and wet one. However, we didn’t let the miserable weather stop us from celebrating Mr Beez’ birthday – I for one ate more than my fair share of cake!

We’re half way through our Father’s Day/Masculine challenge over at Crafty Boots so today I am sharing a birthday card that would make a great “man card.”

The colours aren’t showing up terribly well here, probably the result of the black clouds and rain outside whilst I was taking it, but I started with two of the new Distress Inks – Fossilised Amber and Mermaid Lagoon. I swept them on to some cardstock using an Ink Duster, blending them together where they met in the middle, and then spritzed with water.

Once dry, I added the crab stamp, part of a Stampin’Up! set.

I created a mask for the crab, to cover him up, so I could add some background stamping and stencilling. The script is another Stampin’Up! stamp and the two stencils are by Wendy Vecchi.

Finally, I stamped the birthday sentiment and a couple of dew drops. I love playing with inks in this way but my heart is always in my mouth as with each addition the risk of ruining it increases. I was certainly holding my breath whilst I placed that last stamp down!!

Hope you’ll find time to share your projects with us all at Crafty Boots Challenges. Wishing you a happy and sunny week and thanks for buzzing by.

Tagging it

Posted on June 13, 2015 by MrsBeez

Hi there and happy Saturday. I’m back and feeling refreshed from my holiday in Seville. After the cold and rain we had been experiencing in the UK before I left, the constant sun and temperatures up in the 30s (one day it was 41C) was just what was needed. And now I’m back, guess what the weather outside today is doing…yep…raining!!

Seville is a beautiful city with everything in easy reach. Major sights aside, and there were many, one of my favourite things was seeing the orange trees. I suppose it’s because it’s something that we just don’t have here.

So on to today’s post, a tag that I shall be sharing over at City Crafter Challenge Blog for this week’s tic TAG toe challenge.

I used a tag image from the Gecko Galz High Tea Kit and added an image from the Pretty Vintage Portraits collage sheet. There’s a pinch of glitter on the scarf.

Around the edge of the tag I used some Frantage embossing powder from a Stampendous Encrusted Jewel Kit. If you haven’t discovered these embossing powders do check them out. They come with all sorts of sparkly additions that you add to the embossing powder before heating.

The butterflies were stamped and punched.

I used a scrap of ribbon and added some words as the finishing touches.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Manly moustaches

Posted on June 8, 2015 by MrsBeez

Clearly I should take a holiday more often! I seem to have blogged far more in my absence than I have done when at home over the past month or so! I’m back with another scheduled post as a new challenge kicks off over at Crafty Boots. Our theme for the next fortnight is an old favourite for this time of year – “Father’s Day/Masculine.” Don’t we all just struggle with “man” cards? For me, June is all about man cards – last Friday was mine and Mr Beez’ ‘wedding anniversary, next Sunday it will Mr Beez’ birthday and the following Sunday it is, of course Father’s Day. I’m pleased to report I am well prepared for the last two thanks to the Crafty Boots Challenges. Here’s my DT project for this week:

I’ve used papers and a die cut from Craftwork Cards Suits You set, breaking up those patterns with some mats and layers of coordinating cardstock from my stash.

Over the years we have been married, Mr Beez has toyed with losing the moustache. But as soon as I have given my consent I get cold feet and tell him to leave it just where it is!!!

Can you believe that grosgrain ribbon is not part of the paper set? It is in fact from all the way across the pond at Really Reasonable Ribbon. What a match!

Buzz over to Crafty Boots and check out the rest of the DT’s creations. I’ll be back in the UK tomorrow and will catch up with you all then.

Garden shrine

Posted on June 7, 2015 by MrsBeez

Whilst I am out and about in Seville there is a new challenge getting underway over at Anything But A Card. The theme for the next three weeks is “Out and About.” Celebrate nature, your favourite place, World Environment Day, seasonal colours, or having fun outdoors – the possibilities are endless as long as it is anything but a card!

I am not a fan of gardening, but I do like a nice garden, especially one that has lots of treasures and secrets – statues, sculptures, gnomes, fountains, mazes, follies, mirrors – I love them all! My DT piece for the ABAC challenge, a little shrine, reflects that love:

We are lucky to have the fabulous house and gardens of Chatsworth just a short drive away from where we live. The gardens are endless an include a maze, a squirting willow tree and a spectacular cascade that you are allowed to paddle in. This little shrine is just the sort of thing that you might find tucked away in corner as you wander round on a sunny summer’s day.

I created the shrine from chipboard using my Sizzix Alterations dies – Altered Dwellings and Rectangles – and building up the sides with extra strips of chipboard cut by hand. Once assembled, I gave everything a coat of gesso and then acrylic paint, using sage green, chocolate brown and black to create a stone effect. I inked all the edges and added a delicate spritz of Picket Fence distress stain for good measure.

The green man is a bead that I picked up from Ebay. I cut lots of fronds of ivy from some card that was coloured with green distress inks – Crushed Olive, Mowed Lawn and Shabby Shutters. The die is by Marianne Creatables.

I’ve added little wisps of gauze, tiny berries and some little yellow flowers. The latter were once big paper flowers that I crushed up to make small!

To enable the shrine to stand, I added some olive green beads to act as feet.

As you know, I am currently on holiday and last night Mr Beez and I were due to visit the gardens at the Alcazar Palace where I believe some of the scenes were filmed for Game of Thrones. Although not a fan of the show, I am hoping there will have been lots of secrets and treasures to discover. I will let you know when I get back!

Thanks for buzzing by.

Waxing lyrical

Posted on June 5, 2015 by MrsBeez

Today, Mr Beez and I are celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, we will have landed in the Spanish sunshine as we are taking a mini-break in Seville. As part of the celebration I thought I would share a little ATC that sums up how I feel about the man who is not only my husband but my very best friend:

The base of the ATC is an MDF 3D one that comes from Fernli Designs. I added the image, from the Gecko Galz Fables collage sheet.

Then I built up layers of beeswax, adding more around the edges to create texture and dimension.

Once dry, I brushed on some gold mica powder and then buffed with a dry cloth.

The heart is cardboard that I coloured with a Promarker and then added a layer of crackle glaze. The words were printed from my computer and inked around the edges.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Nice cup of rosey

Posted on June 2, 2015 by MrsBeez

Over at Sunday Stampers, Hels has introduced a rare old twist for this week’s theme. As you may know, she always links the theme to a song which this week is “Breaking the Law.” She is asking us to break the law by flouting the usual rule of always including some stamping. Yep, no stamping allowed – at all – whatsoever. So, I thought I would share one of my Gecko Galz DT samples, this cute little tea cup gift holder:

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This is just the easiest thing in the world to create, there are lots of tutorials over on YouTube, I followed the one here. You can get two out of one piece of A4 cardstock and once you have the hang of where to score they take but a matter of moments to make.

I used some double sided designer paper and added some domino tile collage images from this month’s Tally Ho jewel it set from the Gecko Galz.

I used two paper doilys for the base and added a circle of card underneath just to make it a little more sturdy. Then all it needed was few embellishments – a bejewelled, punched butterfly and some paper roses to finish it off. Actually it was fine without anything extra but you know how it is sometimes.

I made up a little gift bag containing some chocolate finger biscuits and different flavoured teas. Can’t wait to make some more of these little beauties, one of the tutorials had some that were Christmas themed, perfect for gifting some of my favourite Betty’s Christmas blend and maybe a macaron?!

We have a new customer challenge over at the Gecko Galz and the theme is Tea for Two. Buzz on over and check out the rest of the DTs amazing samples and find out how you can win yourself a prize.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Sketchy Bird

Posted on June 1, 2015 by MrsBeez

Pinch and a punch, for the first of the month, to you all 🙂 We’ve reached the halfway point of our sketch challenge over at Crafty Boots. I love seeing how people interpret sketches is different ways and the entries we have had have been fabulous. Why not buzz over and take a look and you can also see some new samples from the DT and our guest designers? Even better, why not create your own project and link up with us? Here’s a reminder of the sketch:

And here is my new sample:

Two beautiful ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon, a tumble of roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and a little punched birdie and voila! If only it had been that simple!!!

I lost count of just how many combinations of ribbons and flowers I played with before I ended up with the one that you see here!

The bird and branchy fronds were all punched using a Stampin’ Up punch that combines both. The word was printed from my computer.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Moody Cube

Posted on May 31, 2015 by MrsBeez

It’s a five Sunday month which can only mean one thing – it’s time for another fun “5” mini challenge over at Anything But A Card. Create anything you like, except a card, that links to the theme of five. Here’s my DT piece:

Yes, a cube does have six faces but, craftily, as an artist’s trading block, only five are on display. And each face is decorated with a …er.. different face.

These moody looking misses with attitude are from a stamp set by AHA and I’ve coloured them with Polychromos.

I used some white coated grey board to make the cube itself. The white coating meant I was able to colour it with distress inks – Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick. I then used the ghosting technique with a stencil to create circles.

I used the other stamps in the set plus some background stamps and a white gel pen to create the rest of the background.

Once the girls were stamped and coloured, I added them to each face of the bloc. I created the words on my computer.

Mardy, is a word used a lot in my part of the world, and means sulky. If you are a fan of the Arctic Monkeys, who come from Sheffield, you will be familiar with their song “Mardy Bum.”

Be sure to buzz over to Anything But A Card and see what the rest of the DT have created and hope you will have time to join in with the fun this week.

Thanks for buzzing by.

Bird talk

Posted on May 30, 2015 by MrsBeez

If you live in the UK then, like me, you will be wondering if it will ever warm up. Even on the sunny days, which have been few and far between, it has been decidedly chilly. I’m hoping the card I’m sharing today, with it’s feel of “spring is here and summer is just around the corner”, might just help!

Don’t you just love those little birds perching on their branch? It looks like they are having a right old gossip. The image is from the Gecko Galz Freebirds digital kit and I’ve used only a portion of it here.

The pretty blossom paper is from the same kit whilst the yellow paper is a scrap from my stash. I used some of that fab chevron ribbon is courtesy of my favourite cake shop, Betty’s, and was wrapped around a simnel cake that I received as an Easter gift!

Have a great weekend and thanks for buzzing by.

Sequins dancing

Posted on May 29, 2015 by MrsBeez

Sorry about the bad pun for the title of the post, sometimes I just can’t help myself. I’m also a little giddy about squeezing in a second post this week after my recent blogging dry spell. City Crafter Challenge Blog are asking us to use sequins in a project for this week’s challenge. Here’s my card:

Now for a self-confessed magpie, I am very pleased with myself for managing to be quite restrained with the sequins. I have always admired how CCCB DT member Ros Crawford’s manages to always add just the right amount of perfectly placed sequins to her card and tried to take a leaf out of her book.

I started by smooching on some Cotton Candy distress ink through my Memory Box honeycomb stencil. I added some extra detail with a splatter stamp. Using Frayed Burlap and second generation stamping (blotting on scrap paper before stamping for real) I added the script and some more splatters.The butterfly was stamped, using Frayed Burlap, onto cardstock that had been coloured with Cotton Candy.

After matting and layering onto coordinating cardstock I made a rash decision to stamp the Happy Birthday. Fortunately, on this occasion, my gamble paid off! The final task was to add the sequins and I’ll be honest and tell you that this was the bit that took the longest. Gold looked too brash, silver added a nice sparkle but not quite the look I was after. After a ratch through my sewing basket I found these, evidently some spares from some garment that I must possess, which are just perfect.

I am also sharing this over at Sunday Stampers for this week’s “free” challenge.

Thanks for buzzing by.