Simon Says Stamp and Show, so I have.

Well, I really can't believe how long it is since I last wrote anything on here...................
.............July!, crikey! where have the weeks gone?

I haven't been doing nothing, I just haven't been telling you about it, but it's about time I got serious about having fun, so I'm seriously going to try to blog more often (I know, you've heard it said before)

Having spent some quality crafting time with a lovely lady who has fast become a firm friend, I have been nudged into thinking it's time for some Christmas makes.
Debbie (the name of the afore mentioned lovely lady) brought a Chritmas tree to my house which she had made from a folded paperback book. She was looking for inspiration on how to decorate it. I fell in love with it immediately and had to have a go.
I looked out a long forgotten book, which I didn't think twice about re-cycling and got to work.

I made a stand for the tree out of an old ribbon spool, which I decorated with some broderie anglaise lace coloured with "peeled paint" distress ink, some stamped and coloured holly leaves from the new stamps by Jo Channon and Maria Maidment for Let's Create, and some ribbon and pearls.

I added colour to the tree with more peeled paint, and stuck on some stars and a bow.

 Having made  this, and being thoroughly pleased with it, I decided to have another go, this time with only half a page (to make a tiny tree only 3.5" tall)

I had spent a fun filled day at Let's Create in Coningsby where Hels Sheridan was demo-ing the fabby Studio 490 Art Parts etc by Wendy Vecchi, and thought that this little frame would be perfect for the job.

So, I printed out the words for "Oh Christmas Tree", stuck it to the back piece and distressed it with peeled paint. For the frame, I used some hot-of-the-press paper which I sanded and stained (again with peeled paint).

The little shelf is a small piece of scalloped Art Parts with pre-made holes. I threaded some fine chain through the holes and added beads buttons and pearls for interest. 

The tree, once again is coloured with peeled paint, and decorated with some little hand made bows with flat backed pearls.

This will be one of my entries into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this week.

Another of my makes this week is this Art Parts frame.

I used milled lavender and dusty concord to add clour to the blue paper, stamping the swirly design from Wendy Vecchi's Botanical Art stamp set in dusty concord.

The wording is an Irish blessing from the Creative Expressions stamp set "Garden Sayings", and the butterflies are from Maya Road, coloured with dusty concord distressing ink and covered in stickles glitter. A few flat back pearls finish the job.

This will be my second offering at Simon Says Stamp and Show.

Well, that's enough waffle from me for now, but I will be back very soon - I promise xxx

Shelliex