When is a Clock not a Clock?...

When it's a perpetual calendar!...
To celebrate this New Year's Eve I have made this calendar and am giving step by step instructions.
I also want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year and
Thank You all for your lovely support and feedback.
It is very warmly appreciated and means such a lot to me!
I look forward to sharing much more crafting and meeting up with old and new crafty friends.
Hope you've enjoyed this years festivities, we had a lovely family time and had the added joy of my great niece Holly being born on the 23rd, nearly two weeks overdue!
We were all thrilled with her safe arrival and relieved for her mum, my niece.
So my crafty friends I'll say say "Cheers" to you all and send my love and very best wishes, hugs xXx

Sweet Lilac Flowers New Challenge

Morning everyone,
It's a new challenge over at Sweet Lilac Flowers using the theme of their flowers and this time their lace and or buttons.
Last months challenge saw some gorgeous entries and the lucky winner receives a hamper of their gorgeous flowers, how fab is that!
Thank you to everyone who took part and congratulations to the lucky winner, who I'm sure will enjoy their prize.
So for my DT inspiration for this month I took the idea of the ATC's I'd been making for my Christmas cards this year.
I cut a piece of card which is a bit larger than an ATC for this one because I wanted to stamp the Designs by Ryn Bauble Fairy.
I stamped her in Plum Archival and blended the background with distress inks.
I added some Platinum Stickles to the fur trim and the bauble centre and then edged the small card with the lovely cream lace.
The shaped background card is stamped with Designs by Ryn Sea Kelp in Tea Dye distress ink and this is also blended around the edges.
Two Sweet Lilac flat backed pearl accents and three of their gorgeous blooms complete this design.
I think keeping it simple brings elegance and the lovely stamp doesn't need much fuss so the flowers and lace compliment it beautifully.
I do hope you can join in the challenge this time and pop over and take a look at the wonderful inspiration from my DT friends.
Hope you like what we've all come up with...xXx

Quick Christmas gifts

A crafty friend I met recently Suz from Surrey Crafts had made some great tags with calendar tabs attached.
I asked her if I could use the idea for my own designs and here are a couple I came up with.
The first uses Hero Arts stamp sets Brushstrokes and My Notebook, I love these journaling stamp sets!
I stamped the brush stroke image alternately with Purple Twilight and Citrus Adirondack ink then stamped in Black Archival the Flower and just the Wish from the I Wish stamp.
Add the calendar tab and finish with seam binding coloured by spritzing with Dylusions, Fresh Lime and Crushed Grape.
I just love the colour combo!
The next tag I made as part of my DT inspiration makes for this months Lavinia Blog Challenge.
This time I used the same colours but stamped the large Climbing Ivy across the background then stamped in black the Daydreaming Silhouette Fairy and the Zentangle Angelic Words.
Finished off with spritzed seam binding and liquid pearls with ultra fine glitter.
Same colour ways but two completely different looks.
Hope you like these, they make a great little gift, bookmarks?...xKx

Lavinia Zentangle with Dylusions Sprays

I've received such wonderful feedback for this clock I made to give inspiration for this months challenge over on the Lavinia blog, thank you so much!
It was a lovely design to create and here's how I did it -
Firstly I used the negative of a punched round circle mask to create the sun and sprayed through Lemon Zest Dylusions.
I then lightly spritzed Bubblegum Pink and Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions and stamped the Lavinia Zen Leaf 2 and some Lavinia Butterflies before adding the black candi digits.
I was so pleased with this colourful clock face and it's bright zesty sun and I'm thrilled you like it too.
It would be great if you could join us for the blog challenge over at Lavinia Stamps Challenge Blog
Thanks for popping by xKx

Make and Take Christmas Party at The Artistic Stamper

Oh my word, long time no blog!
Time is flying by!
I do have so much blogging to catch up on...I'm going to share with you the lovely time I spent at The Artistic Stamper on Saturday with Jennie, her lovely team of helpers, Georgina and all the lovely people who attended.

It was a lovely atmosphere and we were all spoilt with lots of festive treats and goodies.
We were doing free Christmas themed make and takes, Jennie did wonderful Christmas brooches, Georgina did lovely cards and brilliant gift card/voucher tags and I did ATC's which many were going home to make into cards as they were then already to go on to!
I was honoured to be asked to join Jennie and Georgina and thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots of new crafty friends who I know I'll stay in touch with and Auntie Ruth! :-)
I'll leave you with the ATC's I designed with Jennie's stamps for the make and take and I'm thrilled that the ladies who recreated them felt so inspired...xKx

Randomly choosing a winner for the clock from my November blog post

Will the lucky winner below please contact me on Facebook via a PM or email craftyk@hotmail.co.uk with your address so I can send you the clock, congratulations! Very many thanks to everyone who took part by commenting and leaving such lovely feedback, it's always extremely appreciated, crafty hugs xKx

Anything Goes - New challenge over at Lavinia Stamps

Happy Sunday and 1st Dec, have you got your decorations out or even up yet?
There's a lot of lights up and around and ours will be in place later today and we'll have our Advents to open later too.
I've been pretty busy so still have Christmassy things to do but I will concentrate on those when my work projects and events are finished after next weekend... eeek!
Today we have started the new challenge at
Lavinia Stamps Blog and a simple theme of "Anything Goes" so why not go for it and the chance to win a £40 Lavinia Stamps Voucher.
The DT have come up with some gorgeous and inspirational ideas to get you started.
We had some lovely entries last month, wonderful work and, many thanks to those who entered.
Congratulations to the lucky winner too!
Here's a showcase of the ideas I came up with for this month, I hope you like them and feel inspired.
I will blog each one in more detail over the next few days.
I hope you enjoy your Sunday, I'm off to exhibit my crafts for sale at at a local Christmas Fayre with lots of entertainment and treats in store so I'm looking forward to that.
I will be announcing the winner of my "Clock Giveaway" in my next blog post xKx

Christmas Events and ATC's

What's coming up next...
Two busy weekends!
This Sunday I will be at the South East Dance Studios for their Christmas Fayre, lots going on that day including great entertainment, mince pies and mulled wine so really looking forward to a fab day! 
Plus I'll be selling my clocks and more! 
Then on Sat 7th I'll be at The Artistic Stamper in Faversham with the lovely Jennie and Georgina for their Christmas Party day, how exciting!
I'll be doing Free Christmas ATC make and Takes.
Not sure what makes Jennie and Georgina will be doing but they're bound to be great!
Hope you can join me at one or both or these events if you're free! :-) xxx

Simply Stamps and Stencils

Happy Monday Crafters,

I thought I'd start the week with another simple idea for the men in our lives!
This uses a variety of stencils with Distress Inks to create the random background.
The stamps are from Tim Holtz, Travel Ways including the tire track which I stamped in second generation ink and I think looks fab!
I then personalised using numeral and letter stamps - simples!
Hope you like this offering xKx

A bit of colour on a grey morning...

I can't believe another week has gone since I last blogged!
I've been busy with DT work and packing clock kits and Christmas is approaching way too fast now!
I have a Christmas fair next weekend and the following weekend I'm with the lovely Georgina and Jennie at the Artistic Stamper in Faversham for their Christmas Party.
Anyway I've been using a lot of alcohol inks lately and I saw this idea that kept the colours separate and thought how great it was.
I managed to gets each colour applied in its own space with some botching and swirling effects going on in each area.
In the top area I masked off a circle for the sun while I added colour around it.
I then remove the mask and carefully added the yellow for the sun and then blended the outer area until I achieved the desired effect.
I was pretty pleased with this result.
I used glossy card and then the stamping was done carefully in black Archival.
 The butterflies are punched from glossy black card and hey presto lots of vibrant colour going on.
Hope you like it and this little masking technique.
Have a lovely Sunday whatever you're up to xKx

Christmas Season

Happy Weekend crafter's,
This afternoon I'd like to share with you my DT card for Sweet Lilac Flowers.
If you'd like the chance to win a hamper of their gorgeous flowers all you need to do is make something using the current theme and incorporating some of their lovely flowers, easy!
I blended some Stonewashed Adirondack ink around the edge of the scallop card.
Then I cut the Country Landscape die from Memory box using blue card and added torn Washi tape, a blue dot and a script design, in between the two layers I'd created.
The Geese, Follow Me stamp is from Hobby Art which I stamped in Momento London Fog and water coloured with distress inks.
Finished off with the flowers with the addition of Glamour Dust.
I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to create and was pretty chuffed with the finished design.
Hope you like it to...xKx

Baby Boy Clock

Happy Friday Bloggers,
It's lovely and bright here today, rather chilly though!
I'm off to do a bit of "C" shopping later ;-) and grab a bite to eat with my daughter who's had another exam to sit this morning.
Then I'll be catching up on craft work all weekend, what have you got planned?
I thought I'd share this commission clock I was asked to make, I used Tatty Button Toadstool Retreat stamp.
The design and composition work well for the clock and I decoupaged the toadstool top.
After stamping with Sepia Versafine onto cream card I water coloured the image using distress ink.
The green Flower Soft  was an after thought but I really like how it works.
To personalise as requested I wrote the name one with a gel pen.
It's mounted into a contrasting base and finished with contrasting Candi and peel-offs.
Mount onto the CD then assemble into CD clock.
Hope you enjoy this post...xKx

For the Men

Morning Bloggers,
I thought I'd blog these tags that I'd made for last Sunday's workshop samples.
I used Ranger Manilla Tags, how lush are they...
For the far right tag I used Charlie Chaplin from Deep Red stamps, I looked at these stamps earlier in the year and purchased just recently, they are fab!
I simply finished this tag with torn Washi tape.
The images on the other stamps are from Tim Holtz Warehouse District and Travel Ways.
For the backgrounds I used Hero Arts sets Brush Strokes and My Notebook which have fab stamps for splats and brush stroke effects, I stamped these in distress ink.
The second tag from the left also uses Dylusions spray London Blue and a black fine liner for the writing.
I finished the tags with raffia which I opened up to stamp on and some string.
Really quick and easy tags for men's cards.

Thanks so much for popping by, have a lovely day...xKx

Laminated clock workshop and more!...

Hi De Hi Blogworld,
I'm having a bit of a restful day today after a busy weekend.
A lovely craft market on Saturday selling my wares, met up with some regular and new customers which was lovely.
The weather was pretty horrendous with all the rain but thankfully dry for unloading and packing away, always the worse part.
I was then home to turn myself around for yesterday's workshop and catch up on the usual Saturday evening TV, I'd heard about the John Lewis Christmas TV advert on the car radio and was pleased to catch this premier too.
So onto the workshop with the most lovely group of crafting ladies, Eileen and her bessie Karen, Marianne, Rosemary, Kim, Liz, Kim, Maureen and Christine.
It was fab to meet old friends and some lovely new faces from the world of Facebook and put faces to names, what lovely ladies they all are too!
It was a tall order yesterday as we had a shorter time to work in but never the less we made a CD clock using the kit I put together, this was the main project for the day.
These kits were also available to buy on the day at a special discounted price.
The technique uses alcohol inks and laminating and once the method and technique clicks in boy oh boy do we have some fun!
Then we moved on to simple Tags, as samples I'd made some male themed designs using Hero Arts stamps sets, Brush Strokes and My Notebook, which have some fab stamps for Art Journaling designs including brush stokes and splats!
Along with a combination of stamps from Tim Holtz, Travel Ways, Warehouse District, Umberella Man, and Audrey Hepburn from Deep Red.
Then we made a start on a Poppy card using Hero Arts Poppy background which is a negative impression clear stamp and the Friend Definition word background.
I'll leave you with a few pictures from the day below, my next class will be in January where we'll be doing Altered Art with an Ikea Malma mirror, if you're interested in attending please email me - craftyk@hotmail.co.uk as spaces are limited but if enough interest I'll hold two separate classes.
Any questions about products or techniques please feel free to contact me.
Have a good day xKx

New Challenge over at Lavinia Stamps and as promised a Clock GIVEAWAY!

Happy 1st November Friday folks.
Did you have a scary Halloween and many
Trick or Treaters?
We put our Halloween decorations up last Sunday,
some bunting, pumpkin decorations and Halloween tea light holders.
We also have a lovely pumpkin tea light holder which we got when we were in Disney for Halloween celebrations
a few years ago now.
Next it will be the Christmas decorations!
As some of you know I'm now part of the
Lavinia Stamps DT which I'm absolutely thrilled about, exciting times!
Today is the launch of their new challenge
Bright Hot Colours and I made my samples during the past month which have been kept under wraps until now.
I'm excited to share these with you now and hope you will join us in the challenge at
Lavinia Stamps Challenge Blog
and take at look at what the rest of the DT have made to inspire you, amazing work and lovely blogs from them all too.
It was only appropriate that as the first CD clocks I made used Lavinia stamps that I made a clock for this exciting new chapter!
I used the Zen Tree and one of the three Zen Houses and the design was created using the Gelli plate technique with ink pads, brayering and stamping.
I will try to blog this clock in step by step stages this month but please bare with me it's very hectic at the moment.

For the next make I've used the large Zen Mushroom House, alcohol inks and laminating technique which we're doing at my workshop on the10th Nov.
This is such a simple arty thing to do and I absolutely love it!

and lastly I used the beautiful Zen Butterfly with some distress stain ink splats, how cool is that!
I did have a few splats around the kitchen when I'd finished as hubby pointed out!

So I hope that all the DT's hard work will inspire you to have a go and you are in with a chance of winning a £40 Voucher for Lavinia Stamps!
Now I promised a Clock Giveaway and here it is

All you need to do to have a chance of winning this very clock is to leave a comment on this post any time during November and subscribe to or follow my blog, simples!
Then at the end of the month I will randomly select a winner!
I've added the Subscribe to buttons at the top right hand side of my blog under the heading and labels.
The follow this blog link is further down the page on the right so you can select either option.
That's it, as always thank you for visiting and good luck with the GIVEAWAY!
Crafty Hugs xKx

My Workshops

It's a lovely sunny day here and I'm just about to have my hour walk with Frasier.
I've been busy preparing for my next workshop on the 10th Nov.
We are going to be making an Arty CD Clock, Remembrance Poppy cards and Male themed Tag Toppers.
I thought I'd share with you a bit of info about my workshops.
They will be a mix of technique and ideas based and will include a mixture of Clocks, Altered Art Projects and Cards.
I want to be able to share with you ideas for card designs and layouts as well as everything I've learnt about clock making over the last three years.
We all struggle with ideas for cards so I hope I can inspire you to be imaginative and creative with the stamps and products that I am able to source.
For this up coming workshop the clocks are very simple free art projects.
The poppy and verse stamp can be used so many ways and for so many occasions and the simple art journal male tags are just fab for quick and easy men's cards and I know we all struggle with these!
I won't be having a December workshop but I am doing two make and take sessions, details to follow and I will be back in Jan with the workshops.
So I'll leave you with a last taster of the Poppy card, enjoy the rest of your day xKx

November Workshop Samples

It will be Remembrance Sunday on the day of this workshop and I thought it would be nice to commemorate it.
So apart from doing the Arty Clocks with Designs by Ryn Stamps we will be using the Hero Arts Poppy background, resist technique, and the Friendship Definition background.
I use to use Hero Arts Stamps years ago and I'm still a massive fan so it's great to be using them again.
Here's a couple of samples to whet your appetite in the mean time.
I do hope you love them, I thoroughly enjoyed making these.

Tick Tock don't forget to change your clocks!

Yay! An extra hour as the clocks go back.
What will you do with yours?
I'll be having a lie in and avoiding the storms that are due.
As a reminder of the time change I thought I'd just preview these two samples I've made for my upcoming workshop on the 10th Nov.
I hope the ladies will enjoy making one of these, I certainly loved creating them.
Stay safe and warm and enjoy your extra hour xKx

Love Potion No 9

Happy Friday Crafters,

What have you got planned this weekend?
I'm meeting up with my bestie tomorrow for coffee and lunch, we've a lot to catch up on and always have a great time.
Today I thought I'd share this card using Sheena's Magical potion bottles along with Designs by Ryn, Water Droplets and the lovely swirly Sea Bubbles and as it was made for Sweet Lilac Flowers DT there's a few gorgeous blooms in the mix too.
I really hope you like this as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Have a good day...xKx

Long time no blog!

I can't believe how I've neglected my poor blog lately!
It's been one thing after another, mum being so poorly, busy with my craft work and I've spent the last week nursing a horrid cold.
Somewhere inbetween all that I visited Ally Pally, hosted my first workshop and was absolutely over the moon to be asked to join the Lavinia Stamps DT!
Never a dull moment eh!
Many followers taking an interest in my clocks had asked if and when I was going to hold a workshop, it's something I'd mulled over for a while and finally decided to take the bull by the horns!
Anyway I had a blast amongst friends old and new and massive thanks to my lovely neighbour Sue and my daughter Jennifer, who kept everyone supplied with tea and coffee and a rather delicious victoria sponge that Jennifer baked especially for the occasion.
I have to say a big thank you also to Tracey from Lavinia Stamps for the demo and inspiration that decided the theme for this workshop.
We used the lovely new range of Zentangle stamps, inks and the Gelli plate.
It was a pretty intense project but I was so thrilled and proud of what everyone achieved.
Photo's below starting with the design I came up with for the workshop.
Lots more blogging to catch up on so cheerio for now and crafty hugs xKx

Busy at work!

 

A bit of a cake break!

 Enjoying the fun!

     Work in progress

    Completed projects!