Friday 31 January 2014

Form February Fancies with CFG

Read all about it, read all about it….ok so I’ve got your attention. What’s up this month is the following:

There are two swaps. The first is a swap which will be run by Dawn from 4th Feb to 25th Feb which is an altered Swap Diary/notebook and the second, a Teeny Tiny Mini/charm, is brought to you by the letter ‘J’ ooops I mean Joy.

These lovely ladies will also be bringing to the CFG table a challenge in the form of a tag inspired by the letter ‘G’ (1st Feb to 13th Feb) and later on in the month the letter ‘W’ (14th Feb to 28th Mar) will be putting in an appearance. I swear this place is starting to remind me of Sesame Street lol and if that’s the case can I be Elmo please.

Elsewhere in the group a mini album project running weekly from 3rd Feb to 13th April. Then of course there’s Debs who is challenging us to make a meandering mini (7th Feb - 14th Feb) and the lovely busy bee Heather will be inviting us to make yet another three scrapbook pages (1st Feb to 28th Feb).

So ladies if you aren’t too busy making valentine’s for your loved ones or if you think valentines may inspire a make or two these lovely ladies would love you to spend time this February and be inspired by their creativity that comes directly from their hearts to you.

Oh I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it ;) – Happy Crafting

Helena

Saturday 4 January 2014

Challenge: A One Layer Card

If you look at my calendar here on the well known social site Facebook you will see that it is crammed full of loads of crafty makes to create during 2014. CFG is no exception to this in fact it is hard not to find a tempting challenge drawn up by one of the admin during the month of January. For me I am particularly drawn in by Heather Bees delightful scrapbook challenges and this month she has not one, not two but three layouts/sketches to entice you with. Another enticing tutorial is the one given by Joy below.


For the first card challenge I would like you to make a one layer card. This tutorial is only one idea. There are lots of options with the technique so be adventurous! 

You are likely to need some inks, I used Tim Holtz distress ink in vintage photo and walnut stain, Some stamps, maybe an acrylic block some post it notes and a card base. Mine is ivory and A5 so 14.5cm by 10.5 cm.



Oops I forgot to say you will also need some sponge for blending ink. I've just used a cut up dish sponge but use a blending tool if you have one. 

First mask off about one third of the card using your post it notes. Be careful to make sure they're straight. I used some sticky tape to make sure they didn't peel up again. I've got some plastic below my card. You will want to have something smooth to protect your work top and to work on. Now get some ink on the sponge and using circular movements beginning at the edge of the card begin to add some vintage photo ink onto the area of card still showing.


Here it is all inked. Keep the post it notes on still. We've more to do to this. 


Using a background stamp ink it up with walnut stain and stamp over the sponged area. Here I'm      using a music stamp and will have to stamp 3 times. I need to re-ink my stamp each time and I make sure it is the right way up! 


Here you can see I've inked the whole area. My stamp goes onto the post it notes and sometimes     onto the plastic sheet. This is why you need to protect your surface. Don't worry if you have little gaps where the stamp hasn't come out completely. It adds to the vintage feel of the card. 


I decided to add a sentiment to my card and at this stage I made a couple of mistakes. First my         stamp wasn't completely straight in the block and secondly I pressed too hard when stamping so got a blurry result, but I left it this way so you could see what NOT to do! 


Finally I used the walnut stain ink to sponge around all the remaining edges of the card. 

This is a good technique if you're posting cards as it's flat. I hope you will join the card challenge. I've just used two toning colours but you can use whatever colours, stamps etc you want, just as long as it's only one layer! Have fun, 

Wednesday 1 January 2014

2014 
A new year and exciting swaps & Challenges.

Welcome, and Happy New Year.

2013 was a mixed year for the godmothers, I wanted to close it all down, I have health issues, but with gentle encouragement from Naomi Dawn Adams I have kept at it and now the group is going from strength to strength, we have some amazing people on admin, one a talented gentleman from Australia, has re-inspired me to come out of my comfort zone and try some new things.

We have myself Dawn Omar, lovely and bright Naomi Dawn Adams, the talented Deborah Hemsworth, a scrapbook goddess Heather Bee, Helena Rodger Ashworth is keeping this Blog runningnew comers but no less talented Joy Ferguson and Kim Williamson.  And our very own godfather Mr Andrew Roberts, Andrews in Australia and is an awesome crafter

A lot of us  here are in other craft groups but I am honored to have them working with the groups to move us into the upper echelons of craft groups.

Each of us are working in area's we enjoy and we are trying to bring you some great SWAPS & CHALLENGES in 2014.

Starting Friday 3rd January is a weekend Swap across all groups (see below for links)

WEEKEND PRIZE CHALLENGE 

This is new for 2014
HOW IT WORKS: This will run for 6 months, and will have points given as follows:

Everyone taking Part 1 Point (each weekend)
Third 3 points
Second 5 points
First 7 points.

The Challenge is split into 3 challenges as I know a lot of you like different things so it will be: A scrapbook Layout or something to make or Alter or a Card. You need only choose one thing to make, or do.(however if you enter more than one challenge piece 1 point will be added to your running score.)

You do not have to take part every weekend, and at the end of the 6 months the person with the highest points will win a CASH PRIZE.

Every Friday at 6pm we create event for the weekend challenge. Every one taking part
needs to post their item by Sunday 7pm.

Everyone can take part even admin.


In CFG Mini's the Talented Naomi Dawn Adams and with a little help from myself is working on Build a Mini Challenge, this is for us all to build a mini together - I'm working on videos and Naomi is designing the whole thing, 8 pages of mini goodness.


In CFG Scrappers Heather Bee has set up this months Challenge, 3 layouts, 1 for beginners, 1 for intermediate & 1 for Advanced scrappers.  You choose what your comfortable with.



In Crafty Fairy Godmothers, we have so much going on that Helena is putting a dairy up each month so that you know whats happening.

Each time an event is published a copy will be posted here, but you need to be a member of Crafty Fairy Godmothers to take part.

Links to CFG Groups.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftyfairygodmothers/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/173366689496478/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1378827182360724/

Well a cuppa called for and some other work to catch up on.

Dawn Omar.