UK Stampers Challenge

Just had chance to get some stamping done this week so here are my Inchies and ATCs for the UK Stampers Challenge on Facebook.  For both the theme is Anything Goes so I've gone wintery and Christmassy as they will be swapped come the beginning of December.

The Inchies were made with a set of stamps free with a magazine - the buildings, the boy with his sledge and santa with the reindeer were just the right size for inchies.  I've just added some blue sky and white snow.  I've also added these into the A Vintage Journey Mini Marvels Challenge where the project has to be less than 4 inches!

For the ATCs I've used my  Oak House Studio stamps - the fir branch, the sentiment and one of the firework stamps gold embossed to create a patterned bauble.  They are all finished with Stickles to add that Christmassy sparkle.

Hope you like and thanks for visiting.  I'm looking forward to seeing my swaps in return!!

Elaine xx

Dull November

I'm not sure where the year is going - November already but at last I've made my next postcard for The Craft Barn's Twelve Month Challenge based on Sara Coleridge's poem The Months.  

 
It mentions dull so what could be better than Tim Holtz's Brolly Man stamp on a dull bluey-grey distress background with rain drops.   Really mad too as I have a cheap clear stamp which I have used a lot but this time his brolly has torn...grrr!   Anyway to finish this off I've got my old leaf punches out and used up some odd bits of inked card.  He was supposed to be ankle deep but he is a little too big for the postcard so he's knee deep in leaves!!

Anyway hope you like and thanks for visiting.  I can't believe we only have one more month to go!!

Elaine xx

Woodland Agate Necklace

As well as getting inky and making cards etc I've now started making jewellery and opened a shop on Etsy called Kettle Courtyard.   Over the years I've amassed a selection of beads, and whilst some are definitely for me, I'd like to share with the rest of you!

Here is one of my latest creations made with some beads from Beads Direct - I was lucky enough to win their Woodland themed giveaway on facebook.  It features some brown agate nuggets teamed with shaded green beads and other rounds called Orange Tweed!

The question here is what to charge for such a necklace.  I decided on £20 - you may think this is too much when the beads were free but what you don't realise is how much design time and actual construction time this took.  To be honest it took me about 4hrs to decide what to do, get the length and balance right and make sure it was as perfect as possible.  That time doesn't include the photography and the long walk I took to find the right shaped twig as the prop.

I am not sure what you think when you look at an object and the price but please don't forget the time it has taken to get it on your screen and the amount of love that has been put into it!

Elaine xx