Pamellia's travels are where we want to go!

Good morning everyone!

This morning we're joined by a guest and one who will be known, not just as a regular contributor to our challenges but also as a previous guest and one of our crafters carving their own name for themselves out there in Blogland.  She is admired for both her creativity and originality and we're so pleased she's agreed to join in and guest with us again today - Pamellia of My Little Craft Things...

---

Hello Everyone! My name is Pamellia Johnson and I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with my wonderful husband and our two little girls, Scully (a teacup Maltese) and Pebbles (a teacup black Pomeranian). 

I have been crafting in some form or another ever since I was a little kid, thanks to my very creative and talented Mom. I've dabbled in all sorts of crafts, but I think what I enjoy making the most is handmade cards, and I really love doing shabby chic projects with tons of lace, pearls and flowers!

I have very recently tried my hand at mixed media journalling and I am pretty addicted, so when I heard the theme "On Your Travels" I just knew what I wanted to do. I have put together a journal page using lots of different mixed media products. I built a mountain range out of gloss gel and added lots of postcards and stamps. For lots more pictures and to watch a video of how I put this together, please visit my blog at My Little Craft Things.

 

Thank you so much to Chris and the Country View Challenge team for inviting me to spend the day with them. I am thrilled and honoured to be here with such a talented group of artists. I do hope I have inspired you to join in this month for this amazing and fun theme.

---

Wow, this is fabulous Pamellia, you never fail to impress us - thank you!!

So folks, here is another inspirational piece to get you chomping at the bit and, we hope, ready to join in!

Gabrielle will be here on Tuesday - see you then!

Chris and the CVC team xxx

June's winners!

Hi everyone!

Tonight we announce not just the winners of last month's challenge but also the winner to our commenting 'spot' candy too!  We're delighted to see that you are all still crafting and joining in out there but we would like to see more - is that greedy of us?

Anyways.... here are your winners...

---

WINNER OF JUNE'S CHALLENGE

Our winner of the £20 shop voucher for June's challenge (as chosen by random.org) is....

#69 - Donna of Inky and Quirky:

Well done Donna, your prize voucher/email will be with you in a few days!!

---

TOP 3 Winners:

Our Top 3 winners are chosen by Astrid, these are her choices and comments in numerical order....

#10 - Tracey F of Today's Beautiful Moments, Tomorrow's Beautiful Memories

"This is a stunning card, beautifully created with a great lay out. I particularly loved the beautiful flowers and leaves."

#15 - Moira of The Altered Ego

"Gorgeous textured card in a wonderful colour combination and beautiful stamping."

 #23 - Olga of Building Your World

"I loved the originality of this piece with that super tea set and amazing background."

---

DT Member's Special Mention (for the most creative and original interpretation):

#5 - Asia King of Under A Creative Spell

 "I love the beautiful flowers she created and the way she arranged them around her sentiment."

Great work everyone, your blog badges and invites are winging their way to you all!

---

Our Magpie Day Commenter's Candy

Our candy competition was open until the end of the challenge.  The winner, as chosen by random.org is:

#27 - Karen Petitt

Congrat's Karen, please email us using the widget on the sidebar and we'll get the candy posted to you!!

---

Phew!!  There we go folks, so many prizes to be awarded!  Let's hope you get busy and join us for this month's challenge and you too could be a winner!

Have a wonderful evening!!

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Wow - a double DTMSM post today!

Hi there Crafters!

It's Friday, the end of the week and, for some of us, looking forward to the weekend off!  If you're not so lucky and have to work then what better than to cheer you up with a double post today.  It's not often that we award TWO DTMSM badges for a challenge bu this is what happened in April and this morning we are lucky to have both Linda and Liz here with us sharing their interpretations of our theme...

---

LINDA of Linda's Crafty Piece of Heaven

Hi, I am Linda Simpson, a mum to 2 sons and a step son.  I have to gorgeous granddaughters Alice and Florence. I was born in Malta and lived in the Far East and now live in the UK with my very understanding and supportive husband Rick.  I love to create and share my creations on my blog.  Thank you to everyone at Country View for asking me to be GDT this time.

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

I love Shabby Chic and don't do it very often.  My card was created using an array of beautiful papers and embellished with a doily, flowers and pearl heart gem.

I love embellishing my card and my love is lace, pearls, ribbons and flowers.

---

LIZ of Liz's Creative Corner

I have always crafted one way or another since being young, I was always found colouring with felt pens and still love to colour  now, though I use  copics or distress re-inkers, in my teens I did Tapestry, embroidery, and sewing and used to make my own clothes, when i was pregnant with my son my mum taught me knitting.

I am happily married and it is was our 35th Wedding Anniversary last month, we have two grown up children, a boy and a Girl and one Grand daughter which I look after 4 days a week, In my free time I love to craft, my style varies from Shabby Chic which is my favourite to grunge and anything in between, I love to add texture and embellishments on my projects too, some of which are 3D.

I am very lucky to be on some fabulous design teams including The Ribbon Girl and Sweet Lilac flowers, I have a blog http://lizscreativecorner.blogspot.co.uk where you can see more of my work.

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

I made my card base 17.9cm x 12.7cm, cut a layer of paper 17.5cm  x 12.3cm, then my designer paper 16.5cm x 11.9cm, these I edged with distress ink in vintage photo then distressed with my distress tool. On the top edge I took my Maja Design paper and used the wet paper technique to make folds in it, for the hint of lace to peek out of from  behind, I then used a  top stitch thread around the rest of the paper, I tore some corrugated card, lightly added white Gesso and layered this on top of a doily.

I added my large Lace on the bottom of my card, then added flowers, a Prima birdcage, Prima rusty type zipper, and some rose organza lace too, to finish it off I added some butterflies from maya Road and to these I added a Tim Holtz pen nib coated with a hint of white Gesso, a Bark heart, Cheesecloth and some pearl string.

---

Linda, Liz, both of your creations are gorgeous!  They are wildly different and such an excellent example of how 'Shabby chic' as a style can be added to any other, vintage or contemporary, to give it a wow factor.  These are both beautiful in their own right, thank you both so much for joining us and sharing your creativity!

Nikki will be back with us on Sunday so in the meantime, have a great weekend, whatever you're doing!

Chris and the CVC team xx

Announcing our winners AND...

Good evening all!

It's time to announce the winners of last months 'Simply scenic' challenge.  We had a splendid array of styles and interpretations so THANK YOU to everyone who joined in with us.

As you will be aware, we select the winner of the £20 shop voucher, kindly donated by our sponsor Country View Crafts, at random using random.org.  As Donna chose the theme for May, she has had the honour of choosing the winners of our Top 3 and DTMSM (DT Member's Special Mention) badge.  So.... here we go...

---

Our winner, chosen by random.org is...

#48 - Cass from Cass Creating Now

Well done Cass, Country View Crafts will be in contact with you shortly regarding your prize voucher.

---

Our Top 3 badge winners are...(in numeric order)...

#2 - Jenny/Buttons of Pushing The Right Buttons

Donna said:

"I love these journal pages that Jenny has produced, they're such fun! Just like taking a walk in flower border!"

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

#40 - Amanda of Treasured Moments Of Inspiration

Donna said:

" Love the gelli plate background that Amanda has used on her piece, reminds me of a print from an old book.....fabulous."

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

#65 - Hazel of Mellifluous Meanderings

Donna said:

"Such a pretty piece of completely original art created by Hazel; love the looseness of the scribbled trees and the lines around the edge framing the whole piece.....lovely."

Well done everyone, great examples of our theme and beautiful projects.  Emails and badges are on their way!

---

Our DTMSM badge winner is...

#75 - Hilda of Crafty Creations

Donna said:

"A stunning piece of real art, truly beautiful. The feeling of space and light is magical."

Great work Hilda, congratulations, your badge is on it's way!

---

A huge thank you also goes to those of you who stopped by, especially if you commented as it means so much to us to learn what you think.

We're also giving you a heads up for our next 'Magpie Day' which will take place on June 27th.  This month we'll be having another candy giveaway but you'll have to visit and enter to be in with a chance.  We hope you'll take part!

Have a great weekend everyone, Gabrielle will be with you in the morning.

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Ingrid Kristina is wowing us with colour today!

Hi there!

We're delighted to be joined by Ingrid Kristina this morning as our talented guest and a previous DTMSM blog badge winner.  There is no doubt in our mind that you'll love her project...

---

Ingrid Kristina V = a cardmaker, an amateur yet enthusiastic arstist and an explorer of all artistic :) If you visit my blog you will find anything from cards, journaling, fun tutorials, results of my experiments and wild ideas, but mainly mixed media projects. I love creating abstract art and mixed media is my most go to when I create. There is nothing more satisfying that creating various textures and patterns and adding colour with a dash of grunge. I tend to create rather organic patterns and love using anything naturally aged. Fabric and other materials are so much fun too! If you share my passion I would like to invite you to join my blog Ingrid's Crafts Corner. I also run a  mixed media challenge blog Mixed Media World where my dear talented friends and I share our creations organise fun challenges for you to join. If you prefer cardmaking then simply purchase an issue of the wonderful UK nationwide magazine Simply Cards and Papercraft where I share my projects as a Designer. 

A big thank you to Christ and her wonderful team for inviting me to share my project here with you today! It is always a pleasure and an honour. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Ingrid xxx

 

I spent so much time brainstorming and creating and chucking in the bin when I decided to stop brainstorming and trying so hard and embraced the simple play with colours. 

 

I got my beloved Brusho crystals out and started adding colours to my wet watercolour paper, sprinkled some coarse salt over some areas to create the blotchy effect and let it dry. I cut it to size and added the wording with the label embellishment to front, painted a couple of grey boards in black gesso, glued on top and punched holes adding some eyelets. 

I intend to add the rings when I can finally find them and put together as covers with some watercolour paper. This will now be my watercolour journal.  I look forward to filling it with pages of watercolour paintings.

---

How fabulous is this!!??  Such richness in the colours and yet another brilliant spin on the 'Simply scenic' theme.  Very creative and absolutely gorgeous Ingrid Kristina, thank you!

How are you doing with your entry?  Have you decided on your project yet, started it?  We'd like to see more of how you're interpreting this theme.  One entrant will be the lucky winner of the £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor Country View Crafts but we also have 4 blog badges to give away.  All winners will be invited to join us as guests for a future challenge too!

Trace will be here on Thursday so we hope you'll join us again then!

Have a great day!  >:o)

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Announcing April's winners...

Good evening everyone, we hope you've had a great weekend!

It's time to announce the winners of last month's challenge.  As usual we have left it to random.org to choose the lucky winner of the £20 shopping voucher donated by our Sponsor, Country View Crafts, and here is what the generator produced...

---

WINNER

 #71 Krafting Mum Louise  http://craftingmumlouise.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/meljen-cats-and-kittens.html

 As the challenge topic was chosen by our lovely Sue D last month it has been her task to choose her Top 3 projects and the one to which she would like to bestow a 'Special mention' for originality and creativity in reflecting the theme.  These are her choices and comments...

TOP 3

25 Jane's Journal Jane's Journal: My last birthday celebrations

"I love the natural colours alongside the Kraft card."

75 Becky Crawsome Creations: Getting in touch with my frilly side!

 "Great use of die cuts and rusting techniques"

86 Kristiina paperimajuri: Adventure awaits special delivery!

"Love the washi tape and the black and white images against the paint splatters."

DTMSM (DT Member's Special Mention)

 

 "My special mention has to go to 83 Pamellia http://mylittlecraftthings.blogspot.ca/2015/04/a-vintage-journey-guest-creative-guide.html this is an awsome piece of artwork, and it started life as a pizza box!"

---

Congratulations to all our winners, emails are on their way!  Commiserations to everyone else and a HUGE THANK YOU for joining in with us - better luck next time!

Don't forget, we'll be back in the morning with another fab project post, hope to see you then - nite, nite!  >:o)

Chris and the team xxx

Olga is sharing her floral card...

Greetings everyone!

Today we're joined by Olga Direktorenko from the Ukraine who was chosen as our Special Mention winner in February.  Olga, of Building Your World, has made a beautiful card to share how she uses kraft card her way...

---

Hi everyone,
My name is Olga and I am from Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine where I live with my dear husband, our three wonderful children and a dachshund. I have always been attracted to visual arts and when I got acquainted with paper craft about a year ago I immediately fell in love with it. It is also a great pleasure to realize there are so many talented crafters around the world that are ready to share their passion and experience.

 I love using kraft card in my projects, especially for fall and winter holiday ones. But this time I will try to make a spring kraft greeting card. 

I like how it turned out. I think there is something... well... British about it :)))) What do you think?

Thank you for looking and have a wonderful happy day!

---

A stunning card Olga and so cleverly put together - thank you!

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, you have just 7 days remaining to join in our challenge.  Although we're approaching the end, we still have more to show you, the DT squeeze every last day they can to post!  >;o)

Our lovely Jennie will be here on Saturday with another gorgeous make so we hope to see you then!

Have a great day,

Chris and the team xxx

BLOGAVERSARY WINNERS!

Good evening folks!

This evening we have great pleasure in announcing all the winners from our March Blogaversary challenge. We had an amazing response, thank you all so much for joining in!

Our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts, donated TWO £20 vouchers so we have two voucher winners as well as our Top 3 and DTMSM badge winners.

Here we go...

---

Winners of the £20 vouchers chosen by random.org are...

#73 - Paula of Just For One Day

AND

#264 - Becky of Crawsome Creations

---

This time it was my turn to choose our Top 3 and DTMSM badge winners so here are my choices and  comments...

Firstly, can I say that my job was an extremely hard and vexing one, not only because there were so many gorgeous entries but because the standard of the entries was so high.  I love all kinds of crafting, all genres and styles and that's what we encourage here so it was a pleasure viewing all the entries and seeing such a broad mix - thank you ALL!

Our Top 3 (in numerical order)

#48 - Karen of Cards & Other Crafty Bits

I love to see striking CAS cards! CAS is an art form in itself and this one hit me right between the eyes.  When I read Karen's post I had the added pleasure of learning that she had been playing with household items to achieve the striking effects she's created.  They say nothing is new in crafting and I guess that's so but I do love to see people playing around to achieve their own techniques.  Nice one Karen!  >:o)

#135 - Branka of Vintage Handmade - My Crafty Corner

Another striking make, this gorgeous art journal layout leapt from the screen and shouted at me. Artistic in both design and colour palette it is both beautiful and one of those eclectic treasure makes that lingers in one's memory. Stunning - well done Branka!

#393 - Linsey of Outside the lines

A clever, contemporary (pseudo vintage) make celebrating the birth of Linsey's friends' first baby.  Well designed, cleverly put together and a great little keepsake for her friend to put away to show her daughter when she's grown.  Beautiful - thanks for sharing this Linsey!

---

DTMSM (DT Members' Special Mention)

This selection has been especially difficult, I've managed to whittle down my list of 14 to just two and I cannot choose between them so there will be TWO DTMSM blog badges awarded...

#45 -  Liz of Liz's Creative Corner

Liz's dress form is gorgeous!  It is not the idea of the dress form itself that has won her this accolade but the way in which she has interpreted the dress and put it together!  If you haven't seen it, please hop over and take a look at the detail.  The pleats of the skirt, the shaping of the paper and the way it has been decorated, all brought together with such aplomb to achieve the overall effect - gorgeous!  A great make Liz, well done!

#360 - Linda of Linda's Crafty Piece of Heaven

This fabulous little stampunk piece has been made from.... a Pringles tube!  As a lover of recycling an upcycling I thought turning this mundane piece of packaging into such a lovely art piece is inspiring.  I can imagine using this for anything from storing spaghetti in the kitchen to being my button box in the craft room.  It would also make a great storage container for one of the guys too!  Great work Linda!

---

A HUGE thank you again to ALL of you that entered, it was such a joy to see so many of you joining in!  Another HUGE thank you goes to ALL of our followers and commenters, without your support we wouldn't be here.

Have a great month and good luck to all of you for this month's challenge!

Chris and the team xxx

January's winners

Good evening all!

Sincere apologies to you all, I seemed to have had a complete mental aberration and failed to publish our January winners! (Friends told me my age would catch up to my memory and it has - arrgghhh!)  A big thank you goes to Gail for pointing it out!   Here, late but just as worthy, are our January winners...

---

WINNER (Chosen by random.org) of the £20 Country View Crafts shop voucher is...

#85 - Margik of margikscrap

---

Our TOP 3 (chosen by Brenda) are...

#85 - Margik of margikscrap

(Congratulations Margik, this is only the second time that a randomly chosen winner has also been one of our Top 3 - well done!!  >:o)  )

Brenda said: "This layout drew me in with the repetitive use of one image. It is cleverly designed with lots of fabulous elements and layers."

#94 - Linda of Life in the Craft Lane

Brenda said: " I love the finished effects that Linda has achieved with her altered journal cover and that she tried a new technique to her."

#158 - Samantha of Craft Room Delights

Brenda said: "Samantha has created a fabulous 3D project using a new die. I love the whole shabby chic appeal to this bird cage."

---

Our DTMSM (DT Member's Special Mention) is...

#138 - Ingrid of Ingrid's Crafts Corner

Brenda said: "This is a very beautiful shabby card with lots of textures and layers. The glitter and crackle are gorgeous additions and I love the monochromatic look."

---

Well done to all of our winners, emails with badges and invites are on the way to you all!

Have a great week,

Chris and the team xxx