MrsBeez

All about the snow including house number 4

Posted on December 29, 2014 by MrsBeez

Before I share today’s projects (for there is more than one!)I have to let you know that voting is open for the 24 tags of Christmas over at the Gecko Galz. All you need to do is email geckogalz2014@gmail.com with your favourites. You can check out all the entries over on the blog, I have two tags that you can see here and here.

Now for the projects that I have to share with you today and both reflect the weather outside. They are also a little reminder that over at Crafty Boots Challenges our “Winter Wonderland” theme has reached the halfway point which gives you a whole week to come and join in the fun. First up I have today’s little house:

I would also like to show you my little snow fairy that I made as one of my Gecko Galz DT projects. She’s certainly been busy if the weather is anything to go by!

I’ve used an old jam jar and given it a coating of glue and glitter around the lower outside edge and then added some faux snow to the inside base.

The image is from the Sugar Plum Fairies collage sheet. I’ve layered two images together to give her wings dimension and added planter of crystal clear glitter. In her hand she is holding a string of tiny snowflakes and stars.

I covered the lid of the jar with a paper doily and muslin and wrapped some starry wire trim around the edge. The label was printed on my computer. On top there are some more stars and white roses that have been dry brushed with white paint and glittered.

There’s no fairy like a snow fairy! :):):)

Thanks for buzzing by.

Joy – 12 Houses of Christmas Day 3

Posted on December 28, 2014 by MrsBeez

Well my prediction that the snow would soon melt proved entirely wrong and it’s still holding fast and is just as deep as it was. By all accounts there has been panic buying in the village store with supplies of bread and milk being snapped up. This is pure hearsay, I haven’t ventured out in it choosing to cosy up inside instead!!

Without further ado here is today’s little house:

Very quick and simple to whip up, this little house has given rise to a whole host of new possibilities! I’ve used a left over gift tag from last year to cover the chipboard base and then added the word and the roof which have been cut from some red glitter card. I’m now thinking of digging out all my old gift tags, and recycling some of this year’s, to create another set of houses for 2015. Can’t wait to get started! Of course that will be right after I’ve got next year’s Christmas cards sorted super early

Thanks for buzzing by.

Snow House – 12 houses of Christmas Day 2

Posted on December 27, 2014 by MrsBeez

Happy Boxing Day Boxing Day! Apologies, we spin this joke out forever in my house, similarly, Christmas Eve. It’s a riot I tell you! I know some people will today be putting Christmas away for another year, in fact I know some people will have done that yesterday. But in our house I make sure we squeeze every last drop out of Christmas and enjoy each and every one of the twelve days to the full. To add to the festivities the snow has also arrived and how?! It seems that my part of the UK, Sheffield, took one of the biggest hits – enough to make it to the national news. (Snow is generally only reported on the national news when the softies in the south of England get a few flakes) This is the scene this morning:

P1090793

It seemed only right and proper that today’s house, number two in my “Twelve Houses of Christmas” should echo the weather outside:

I don’t think any more snow is forecast and what we have will probably melt away quite quickly once it gets going.

Keep warm and thanks for buzzing by.

12 houses of Christmas – Day 1

Posted on December 26, 2014 by MrsBeez

Happy Boxing Day! I hope you had a great day yesterday and that Father Christmas rewarded you well for making it to the nice list! I had some fabulous surprises and hope to share some of them with you over the next few days.

If you buzz by here regularly you will know that I have a BIG thing about little houses. I should warn you now that my love affair with mini-dwellings is likely to become more intense in 2015! For the past couple of years my projects for the post-Christmas period have been variations on the “Twelve Days of Chistmas.” If you seek out these past posts on my blog I apologise if there are many pictures missing – I am doing my best to restore the damage that was done when I had blog issues back at the start of the summer. Anyway, I decided to continue the trend this year and thought 12 little houses would be fun to do. Originally I intended that I would have had the first half dozen or so all ready to go and to have scheduled the posts. Unfortunately, that is not the case! So, whether this ends up being a random series or linked in some way I have no idea but here’s the first I have to share with you:

This is for a special blog friend of mine who has had a tough 2014 but managed to come through it all with stoicism and a smile. She was a little robin to her grandfather and this was the inspiration for house number one.

Thanks for buzzing by

Merry Christmas from Mrs Beez

Posted on December 25, 2014 by MrsBeez

Just buzzing in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a happy and enjoyable day. I created a little something to share, but I also have to show you the fabulous e-card that my friend Dionne sent me:

Thank you Dionne and to Friends of the Earth for an inspired design!

My creation is a variation on the same theme:

Supplies

Chipboard shape (Altered Dwellings die with base cut off)

Wild Honey & Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink

Dylusions Holly stamp – stamped in black Memento and coloured with Promarkers.

Bee stamp – paper pieced

Red Stickles

Green Stickles

White gel pen

Thanks for buzzing by.

St Nicholas

Posted on December 24, 2014 by MrsBeez

So here we are, the night before Christmas – are you ready? Things feel in control here which means of course that I am worrying I have overlooked something important!! I am the worst at putting pressure on myself!

Today I have a little altered canvas to share with you, I made this quite some time ago as one of my Gecko Galz Design Team projects.

To make this, I used the reverse side of the canvas as the aperture is the perfect size and shape for the image, which is from the Santa Claus Jewel it set.

I covered the entire frame with paper from the Botanical Christmas pack

The wax dries almost immediately so not too long to wait before I could brush on some gold mica powder. The wax gives the mica a base to cling on to without the need for any additional mediums.

Once applied, I gave it a buff with a soft cloth.

I’ve used a glue on bail to create a hanging hook and then added lace and some holly.

I did intend to make a whole series of these but, as usual, time ran out!

Now, time to search out those stockings and prepare the mince pie, carrots and nip of whisky …he’s coming!!!!

Thanks for buzzing by.

Get your skates on

Posted on December 23, 2014 by MrsBeez

Today I am sharing my second tag that I made as part of the Gecko Galz 24 tags of Christmas. This is the penultimate day of the posts so be sure to buzz over and check out the inspirational projects the other DT members have created for each day in December.

I used a piece of chunky card for the base of the tag and covered it with fibre paste, building up some snowy peaks around the edge. Once dry, I coated it with white acrylic paint (fibre paste dries grey) and a mixture of fine and chunky crystal clear glitters.

The main image is from the Gecko Galz Winter Wishes collage set and I’ve layered it on to some music manuscript paper from Grandma’s House digital paper pack then added a border of silver glitter. The music paper has been distressed around the edges and inked with Walnut Stain distress ink.

I curled the edges over at the corners using a cocktail stick.

The holly leaves are die cuts using the Tim Holtz Holiday Greens Thinlets dies and I’ve given them a dry brushing of white paint and a frosting of white glitter. White glitter is becoming a firm favourite for wintery projects, this particular one is by WOW. The red berries were created with Stickles.

At the top I used some white seam binding and topped it off with another sprig of holly.

This tag would also be perfect for the new Winter Wonderland challenge over at Crafty Boots.

Snow is falling

Posted on December 22, 2014 by MrsBeez

No snow here as yet just gusty winds and lots of rain. The outdoor lights are holding their own so far but the weather certainly isn’t making it easy. A white Christmas seems unlikely but I live in hope!

It is time for a new challenge over at Crafty Boots and the theme for our final challenge of 2015 is Winter Wonderland.

You will recognise the background for this card from yesterday’s post but actually this is the card that I made first. I used the Tom Holtz “Snowfall” Texture Fades embossing folder and inked it with Tumbled Glass distress ink before running it through the Big Shot.

The snowy foreground was cut with a stitched border die from Lawn Fawn and the trees and house are dies from Simon Says Stamp. I was going to cut the trees in green but decided that as the theme was Winter Wonderland I would keep them white.

I added a small piece of yellow card behind the house so there was a warm and welcoming glow from the windows.

Buzz over to the Crafty Boots Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful inspiration from the other DT members and don’t forget, you have a fortnight to come and join in the fun with a chance to win a guest designer spot. Hope to see you over there.

Now today I shall mostly be baking and of course the natural partner for that activity is tasting and eating so I shall be doing quite a lot of that too

Thanks for buzzing by.

Winter heart

Posted on December 21, 2014 by MrsBeez

There’s a colour challenge over at City Crafter Challenge Blog this week and you are asked to use this particular palette:

CCCB colours

Now I love the combination of aqua and red, especially at Christmas time, but must admit I was a little thrown by the grey. However, it’s not a challenge if it’s not challenging so I got my thinking cap on and came up with this little card:

I’ve used the Tim Holtz “Snowfall” texture fades embossing folder and inked it with Tumbled Glass distress ink before running it through my Big Shot. The branchy frond was cut using grey card and one of the Tim Holtz “Holiday Greens” dies. The heart was punched from red card and I added the string tie by hand. I’ve added a little white glitter to the branch to give it a frosty finish.

Although I’ve added a Merry Christmas sentiment, stamped in red, I’m wondering if this might make a nice Valentine card for a certain someone I know!

Thanks for buzzing by.

Blue Agatha Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2014 by MrsBeez

Finally back safe and sound from our mini-break down south, having had a fantastic time. We crammed an awful lot into our few days and now we’re back, the pace hasn’t slowed as we make those final preparations for Christmas. At this stage, I’m not entirely sure what is going to fall off the ever growing “to do” list but I think I’ve reached the point where it won’t be the end of the world.

One of our main reasons for our trip away was to go to the wedding of an old friend. It was held in a barn, Cooling Castle Barn, nr Rochester in Kent. It was an idyllic locatio and had the most amazing decorations. Take a look at the arch over the altar:

The reception décor reminded me of Narnia:

If you peer closely, you can just make out me and Mr Beez sitting on that table nearest the camera. I was very happy to be seated on this particular table:

There was much merriment and dancing and it was a truly happy day. We had an overnight stay before moving to London for a couple of nights. Last Christmas, my brother very kindly gave us a voucher for afternoon tea at the Ritz and part of our visit was planned we could use it. Now if you haven’t experienced afternoon tea at the Ritz it is certainly something to put on you “to do list.” Banish all ideas of it being too grand or scary, they really couldn’t have done more to make us relaxed and ensure that we had an enjoyable time. You are not allowed to take photo’s so instead, take a look at the Lego sculpture that is currently on display at Covent Garden:

So today’s project and once again, as close to the wire as I could possibly be, I have a project that I will be sharing over at Sunday Stampers, where the theme is books:

I have used a photocopy of a page from one of my favourite childhood books, “The Christmas Book”, by Enid Blyton.

The book tells the story of English Christmas customs through the eyes of a family and, when I was small, my Mum used to read me a chapter of this each night by the light of an Advent Candle. It was one of our own Christmas customs. The book is now quite dated, not to mention being very un-PC (mother cannot answer any of the children’s questions and tells them to wait until Father gets home) but I still love it.

Anyway, I used pages from the chapter all about the tradition of the Christmas Tree and inked it with Stormy Sky distress ink (at least that is what I did once I realised that the lid had been swapped with Faded Jeans!), masking out a circle for the moon. I tore some strips and applied these over the top to create a snowy foreground. I’ve brushed on a little Iced Spruce over to add shade to the moon and foreground. I stamped Stampotique’s Agatha Christmas onto the scene and then stamped her second time on to plain card. I used Promarkers to colour her before cutting out and paper piecing over the original stamped image.

I added a stamped image across the moon and then snowy highlights. First I used some white ink and a splodgy stamp and then, because this ink soaks in and fades, added extra dots with a white gel pen.

To finish, I added the die cut “believe” which is from the Tim Holtz Holiday Words set. Neither black or blue looked right, but red seemed to add a nice contrast.

I feel as if time is running out in terms of getting my Christmas craft on and I haven’t done nearly enough projects with this stamp yet. I hope all your Christmas preparations are going well.

Thanks for buzzing by.