Wahooooo.... Prizes and Swaps!!!

With all that has been happening around here just lately....
I have been a

 LAZY blogger !!

I hope you all had a great Christmas Holiday time with friends and families...

 .....me getting a Merry 'Kissmass' from my Barney!!

 "What? No Turkey left!!"

Hope you all had been good girls (and boys!)

...and Santa brought you lots of arty, crafty goodies ;)

(I got a few nice bits to play with :) !!)

-oOo-

Well, not much craftiness going on in the Smifferoo Household over the Holiday Season, I did make a start on a Shabby Festive Configuration box, but didn't get very far with it!!

It's still sitting on my craft desk as I type!...and will most probably remain with my other un-finished (work in progresses!!) until next Christmas now!! LOL

-oOo-
I'm feeling a little sluggish in the crafting department, so am on the look out for some new creative challenges and Swaps for Inspiration in 2012.
Any good ones you know about?...Please tell ;)

.....
GOOD NEWS
It felt like Christmas morn all over gain today!

 I  received  some amazing artwork pressies in the mail to share with you all now....
All the way from the other side of the world in Australia....
A couple of weeks ago
I WON
some Gorgeous Gifties
from two lovely ladies...
Jen (Jenxo) and Jenny (A Simpler Life)
over at
Pink Possum

WOW!!

I entered into their
tricky guessing game
(..and boy, it was a TRICKY one!!)
...you had to guess what Jen was making from this here pic
..and I was so ever pleased and excited to win, has they are both amazing inspirational artists!!
-oOo-
Some close ups of the gorgeous gifts...

Paper Luminarie
This pic doesn't show the true beauty of this piece!
I admired these Luminaries on Jen's Blogs, Here ...(where you can see some of them beautifully lit up).
-oOo-
.a gorgeous  Shabby (Just my style!!)
'Scrappy doily Brooch'
'Swoon'!! (also created by Clever Jen).

and the fab card in the background is also handmade by Jen!!

-oOo-

and last but definately not least....

a fabulous tin altered (in her fantastic style)

by Jenny.....

WOW!!
So having these little beauties in my hot little hands today, I was not surprised to hear that you both had a fab selling day at market girlies!
-oOo-
..and meet
Prudence

she was also created by the talented Jenny of a Simpler Life.

I Love how Jenny paints her girlies eyes and sweet little blushing cheeks!....

-oOo-

I've been seeing a lot of wooden block artwork (Chunky atc's) in Blogland.

..and I marvelled at this little wonder on Jenny's Blog,

.... and feel ever so lucky and pleased when she agreed to do a swap with me for her first wooden block art piece!!

....and I'm so honoured to be the new owner of her first ever one :)

She looks great in my craft-room, fits in beautifully with my shabby style and colour scheme!
Thanks Jenny!

(If you adore this lovely style of artwork as much as I do, Jenny has a etsy shop here...where she has a few of 'Prudences' friends up for sale! Go over and take a peek...you won't be dissapointed :)
-oOo-
...Well, I've finally got my hand on some wooden blocks now...
just got to make some time to create my first chunky atc for Jenny...
So watch this space ;)
-oOo-
Thanks you both again Jen and Jenny...
for the awesome gifts
and a stunning swap!!
I adore everything!!
It's such a pleasure to have both your artwork in my home.

-oOo-

Now that just leaves me to wish all my Blogging friends
A Happy and Healthy
New Year!!
Heres to a creative 2012!!

Thanks for peeking
and for all your lovely comments!
Jan x

...a 'Shabby' Christmas

....for challenge #30 this month at

 Let’s get Shabby

It’s a

A List Challenge

 At least 4 of the items on the provided list  must be noticable on your Christmas project.(OR any other big annual Family/Religious Celebration project)

(to see the full list and challenge criteria hop over to Let's Get Shabby )

Here is my DT example....

I decided to alter a 7gypsies tray

from this...

to this...

I've been saving lots of little unique and rare trinkets for ages now, most of which I have received from lovely arty crafty friends in swaps/gifts etc...

Now these little treasures have been waiting patiently for the 'right' craft project...I don't know about you, but I sometimes find it hard to part with some craft supplies!!
...but what better to put some of them together in an altered tray so that I can put them on display.
I've also added lots of...
shabby lace, vintage buttons, old music paper,vintage  images and cheesecloth to my project.
The items from The list that I have used are...

some angels...

a wreath....

 bells...

 a dove...

snowflakes..

 and a clock...

I had so much fun altering this
-oOo-
.....So  go checkout let’s Get Shabby for

Challenge #30

....and some fabby shabby inspiration!

for the full details/criteria on this challenge

Click here

There is also a fab prize from this months sponsor
 Carol at Tattered Inspirations (etsy)

Can't wait to see what you do with this challenge Thanks for stopping by! 

Jan x

Simon Says.....Show some tickets

Over at

Simon says Stamp and Show

they want us to show some

TICKETS

Now, I'm soooo behind on my Christmas Card making

...and it will be December before we know it!!!

So I'm joining in some challenges to get them made!

... here's my second Christmas card of the year!! (and ticket!)....

 Tim Holtz journalling ticket, grungeboard letters painted with crackle effect paints

 'Simply Angelic stamp (Andy Skinner) Lurve this stamp!!
Stamped on brown card, with walnut stain distress ink and highlighted with a white pencil.

...distressed the papers with my Tim Holtz distresser tool

...added a little stitching.

lace, pom pom trim,
bakers twine,cheesecloth
 and buttons
(now, I'm not sure what is going on with the light in these pics, but these brown buttons are not so dark in real life!)

Now Hop over to Simon Says to see some lovely inspiration by their fab DT team
Thanks for stopping by....

Jan x

The Play Date cafe Challenge PDCC107

This weeks colours over at

The Play date cafe

are

 Black, White and splash of Orange

Now, I'm not usually an 'orange' person!!

...usually just left to the Halloween crafting!!

..But, I thought I would shake it up a little

and make a Christmas card (Wahoo..My first one this year!!)

using some non-traditional colours.

-oOo-

Anyway...

...Here is my take on this colour challenge..

 When, I saw this gorgeous free image of the winter girlies wearing the woolie orange and white hats (from  Magic Moonlight Studios)

I knew it would be perfect for this challenge.

 I put the letters JOY inside some TH pins, tickets,

white ribbon roses and mini orange pom-pom trims.

 Buttons, doily and cheesecloth.

Sizzix Angel wings die, with a little stitching!

-oOo-

Thanks again PDC for inspiring me to craft out of my colour comfort zone once again!

-oOo-

Make sure you hop over to the

Play Date Cafe

to see some more fab 

Black White and splash of Orange creations 

Thanks for stopping by....

Jan x

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC106

This weeks colours over at

 The Play Date Cafe

are...

Gray...Yellow...Pink

I'm really enjoying the colour challenges and fab inspiration over at The Play Date Cafe....

Anyway, here is my take on this challenge...

 Not only, was I inspired by these wonderful colours..

 ..but also the little button badge with the 'fun' lemon quote, it made me think of the original one...

'When life gives you lemons...

Make lemonade'.

I sketched one of my faces in my journal

and used water colour pencils, promarkers and gesso.

 

Stamped the quote with Alpha stamps using a grey promarker.

...and the circles are stamped with (Holiday Baubles stamp by Hero Arts)  with Gesso and tinted with watercolour pencils.

The lemons are an image cut from a magazine and gesso'd to lighten them up and to make them blend in more with my pages.

Well life is giving me lemons at the moment!!...

...So off to make some lemonade !!! LOL

Thanks for stopping by
Jan x

Don't Forget to stop by the

Play Date Cafe

to see more fab

Gray...Yellow...Pink.

creations.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC105

This weeks colours over at

 The Play Date Cafe

are...

Kraft/Taupe...Flesh...Cadet Blue

Loving these colours...

(Liking the look of the yummy beverages too!  ;)

Anway, here is my take on this challenge...

 ...a Layout

of my

Beach Boys!!

 Thanks again Play date Cafe for the fab inspiration,

and...

Thanks for stopping by....

Jan x

BOO !! Happy Halloween....

BOO !!

 Been busy carving pumpkins today!!
and this is my Halloween 2011 effort...

I know, I know....need to get out more LOL!!

Pumpkin inspired  (OK...'pinched' the carving idea from google images!!)

-oOo-

TRICK OR TREAT!!

Catching up here...on posting about some of the Halloween swaps I've been involved in....

This is the Halloween matchbox I made for Gail

over at the

Flickr Matchbox Group

Witches on  Fabric, buttons and charms...

 Inside the matchbox

My  Goodies for Gail...

-oOo-

Ready for more 'weenie' wonders!....

 these are the lovelies I receieved from my partner Karen....

Also over at the

Flickr Matchbox Group

How cool is this  Coffin shaped matchbox...

 ..and more witchiness on the inside

WOW!! Goodies from Karen...

Altered bottle cap, spoon, inchie booklet, card and a bag of choccy/candy :)

...And definitely more Treats than Tricks !!

Thanks again for a fabulous swap Karen!!

 Just peeking out the door, Not a witch in sight but did see this tonight...

No, it's not a spooky UFO

Just the Goodyear Blimp flying over Thurrock!!

-oOo-

Oh...another Halloween trade!!

Remember these?...

These are the crafty goodies that I sent to my lovely friend Linda

for our little (5 item) Halloween Challenge.

(Mmmm, there is actually 6 items there!!= not 5!!)

..... and this is the Halloween tag and matchbox that I altered for Linda.

...and this is the Halloween gorgeousness I received in return.

WOW...Linda is sooo talented, I just love our little swaps!!

How spookylicious is the little Halloween booklet inside the matchbox!

Thanks again Linda for another fab swap!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

Thanks for stopping by..

Jan x