Hello Sunshine and a 28 Lilac Lane Blog Hop

Hello everyone and welcome to the 28 Lilac Lane blog hop!

Are you ready for a lot of gorgeous inspiration? Well, if you love buttons and embellishments, then you will love today's hop and I am so proud and honoured to be working with May Flaum and her beautiful new embellishment range, sharing my love of these wonderful products!

At the end of this hop, Buttons Galore & More will be having a give-away ~ so, be sure to pop on over and also, don't forget to visit all the other talented designers who are taking part in this hop!

Order of blog hop: 

May Flaum

Ashli Oliver

Audrey Pettit

Chari Moss

Emma Williams (YOU'RE HERE)

Nina-Marie Trapani 
Buttons Galore & More

So, you should have arrived here from Chari's blog and I'm thrilled to be sharing a project where I've used the Hello Sunshine Embellishment Bottle to create a focal point on my canvas panel, showcasing all the gorgeous buttons!

I chose to use a yellow colour palette for my project but with so many to choose from, you can colour match the embellishments with your home or image to make it personal to you. Also, the embellishment bottles contain so many buttons, sequins and pearls, you only use a small amount to create this wave of embellishments across the canvas and there are plenty left for further projects! 

To create this project, I took an 8" square canvas panel and added a wash of Antique Linen Distress Paint watered down and mixed with a small amount of Gesso. I then applied a small amount of Scattered Straw Distress Paint directly to the canvas, spritzed with water before allowing the paint to run and drip to create paint effect behind the frame.

Once the paint was dry, I applied Texture Paste through two Tim Holtz Layering stencils ~ Dot Fade and Flourish before flicking gold and black paint across the surface. Once everything was thoroughly dry, I added some lace from the Attic Findings Kit and then used a Tim Holtz PhotoBooth image which I placed behind a Baroque metal frame.

Now for the buttons and gorgeous embellishments ~ and for this, I chose a selection and just adhered them using 3D Matte Gel, adding them in a swathe across the canvas.

To complete my canvas, I added a Small Talk sticker below the frame.

28 Lilac Lane is available to buy now from Buttons Galore.

 All Tim Holtz products available to buy from Simon Says Stamp!

Thank you so much for stopping by today and your next stop on the hop is...Nina-Marie Trapani
Happy Hopping!
Love Emma xx

Botanical...

Hi everyone!!

Hope you've all had a fabulous day!! Mine? It's been one of those frustrating days...you know the sort when you have a design firmly fixed in your head and the colour scheme is just perfect and everything is coming together?? Then, you start work and it all goes downhill from there!! I must have more papers in my cupboards than all the craft stores put together and all I wanted was yellow and blue but do you think I had the right shade???? No!!! Luckily, after two days of hunting down exactly what I wanted...I found them! Now, I just need to receive the papers, make the cards, write instructions and do it all by Monday!! Eek.... 

At the moment, all I can say is...I'm looking on the bright side!!

In the meantime, here's another of my Clarity samples that I made for Barbara's shows at the weekend and as always...I hope you like it!!

For this particular card, I wanted to create a very soft, water coloured effect to showcase the wild flower stamps and give a vintage botanical feel to the card. Once again, I used my beloved Distress Marker Pens to hand paint the images and aged the edges of the card with Distress Inks.

Right, time for me to fly because I have a 1001 things to do and tomorrow, I'm spending the day at QVC, working on some cards for future shows!! So, without further ado...I shall bid you goodbye and see you all tomorrow, or maybe the next day if it's been a long day...lol!

Bye for now...love Emma xxx

A Special Delivery...

Just a quick post to say hello to you all and to thank everyone, especially my new followers *waves* for all your lovely comments on my last post. You all know how much I appreciate them and even though I am a bad blogger lately and don't always get around to visiting as much as I would like...it's lovely to know I have such great blogging buddies out there!!!

As promised, here it the third and final card from my Bunting With A Difference card set that I made for Making Cards Magazine. I hope these cards have inspired you all to have a play with different ideas and I would love to hear about any cards you create based around my creations!

 As in the previous cards ~ products used are from Graphic 45 and Sizzix

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, whatever you have planned and I will see you next week!!

Bye for now...love Emma xxx

Special...

To be honest, I'm not sure what happened to this week...where did it go?? One minute, it was Monday...the next, it's Thursday and in between times...my "to do" list is still as long!!

...but whilst I've been beavering away on some new projects which I will be able to show you all very soon, this week saw the new issue of the Making Cards Vintage Special hit the shops and...woohoo, I have all seven of my card projects featured plus one one the cover!! *happy dance*...and celebrations!! :)

...and here's one of the cards that I was asked to make to promote the issue...I hope you like it!!

The card features papers and toppers from the Vintage Special...and I used one of Craftwork Cards' gorgeous card blanks and then, added some seam binding, an embossed background which I created using a Crafter's Workshop Template and, buttons to complete it.

Okey dokey, time for me to catch up on all your blogs and watch some footy...hope you all have a lovely evening and thank you so much for stopping by and having a look at my lil creation...as always, I really appreciate all the comments and love to read each and every one!!

See you all soon and bye for now...

Love Emma xxx

Viva La France

Hope you're all enjoying this slightly damp and soggy, Bank Holiday Monday! When I woke up this morning to find the sun streaming through the blinds, I actually had high hopes but, then the heavens opened and to be honest, let's face it...this is the UK and Bank Holidays and rain, seem to always go hand in hand! lol.

So, I'm sure the Barbara Gray fans amongst you all couldn't help but notice that she was on Create and Craft over the weekend and that means that I get to finally reveal what I made for the shows...starting with this one!! Which couldn't have worked better to share on today of all days and seems quite topical ~ I hope you like it...

I created this card, using Distress Inks to colour my French flag and then, I just used the Eiffel Tower stamp on the middle section. I then added some seam binding to create a shabby feel to the overall look of the card.

...and this card, using all the stamps that were in the set, was one that I made roughly a year ago but it's still going strong and see's the light of day on TV!

Right, I'm off to work on a magazine commission...all work and no play, today!!

See you all soon and thank you so much for leaving such wonderful comments...I really do appreciate them all and I'll be round to see all your blogs, later tonight when I sit down with a glass of Pinot Grigio!

Bye for now...

Love Emma xxx

Santa Claus Is Coming...

Hi everyone. Hope you're all having a wonderful week.

I'm just dropping by to let you all know that there's a new challenge starting today over at the Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog and the theme for this fortnight is:

BUTTONS

All we want you to do is use buttons somewhere on your creations and we can't wait to see what you create and if you should need any inspiration, then here's my card that I've made. You can also see all the fab projects over on the blog that the rest of the DT have come up with.

To make this card, I used papers and elements from Sarah's fab Tinseltown CD and made a handmade rose with the papers, added some Baker's Twine around the postcards and popped on a few buttons, some punched holly leaves and finally stamped a message onto the postcards.

So, that's it from me for today and I really hope if you have time to join in, you will ~ it would be lovely to see some familiar faces!

Bye for now!

Love Emma

xxx

The Colour of Love

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all having a wonderful evening, so far! It's just a flying visit from me today...I'm absolutely mad busy tonight, packing up my samples for the Clarity Stamps, Pick of the Week shows on Create and Craft, putting the finishing touches to my samples for QVC and the Christmas issue of Making Cards Magazine and last but not least...working on a little project featuring some stunning Kaisercraft products from the lovely Chrissy at Merly Impressions! These are absolutely...GORGEOUS and I can't wait to show you what I've been up to!

Anyway...here's my Clarity shares for today and as always ~ I hope you love them!! My followers and friends from Blogland are simply the best and it's all of you, that keep me going!! I love to read all your comments and thank you, to each and every one of you, for all your support!!

Time for me to love you and leave you!!

See you tomorrow with some more of my creations!

Love and hugs

Emma

xxx

*counts to 10 and....breathe*

lol

Waiting...

Another weekend has flown by and I don't know about you but even though it's been a lovely day, today...there's definitely a feel of Autumn in the air. Yesterday, as I was driving along, there were leaves being blown from the trees and a very watery sunshine...if I didn't know, I would think we were in mid-September rather than August. 

Anyway, I'm not sure where August has actually gone and except for one post, I know I was M.I.A. last week but I promise, I have been making lots and lots of cards! The living room and dining room have now been taken over and resemble John Lewis' greetings card department!! I can't wait to show you what I've been up to but until I can, I'm having to sit on my little hands and tease you with the fact that...there's some lovely things coming this way soon!! So, watch this space... hehe!

But for now, here's a card I can show you and another one using those lovely Gorjuss stamps...I hope you like it!

The one thing I always tend to do with these images, is not make them cute and I love the fact that these stunning little girls can lend themselves to a bit of distressing and shabby chic!

Once again, I made one of my "famous trademark" HUGE flowers and used that stripey paper, which I think is fab!! I also added some rosettes, vintage ribbon and a Spellbinders die cut to complete the card.

The image was painted with Art and Graphic Twin pens from Kuretake.

I'll be around later to comment on all your lovely creations, after I've tidied up the crafty bombsite that used to be a family home! lol

Thanks for stopping by to take a look at what I made. See you soon and hope you all had a lovely weekend!!

Love Emma

xxx

Autumn Leaves

Good evening, everyone and hello to more lovely new followers...thank you for following my blog and I can't wait to get to know you all and hear all your comments on the things that I lovingly create! :)

First of all, I just wanted to say that I hope everyone is safe, today...it's absolutely dreadful to see what's happening in the UK and especially London, at the moment. My heart goes out to everyone affected by these troubles. Last night, was a little too close for comfort as there were reported disturbances only five miles away from my house and I must admit, I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm keeping everything crossed for tonight.

And now, as promised, here is my next card that I made for the Clarity Stamp shows at the weekend. I hope you like it... 

The main image of this card was made using Distress Inks, blended together to give this wonderful burst of colour. The one thing that you probably can't see from these photos, is the texture on the bark of the trees which I created by stamping with Distress Inks and using Distress Embossing Powders, which give that wonderful rough textured feel to your finished stamped image.

I added some die cut leaves, in autumnal colours and arranged them, up the side of the card and finally, as a finishing touch added a button and some twine.

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at my card and I'll be back tomorrow, with another share...hope you'll come and say hello and take a look. I'll be coming round to see all your blogs, asap!!

See you tomorrow, everyone and wherever you are in the UK...stay safe and strong!!

Love Emma

xx

Wishes Do Come True...

Hello to all my lovely blogging buddies...hope you're having a great week, so far!! Me? I'm so excited and I just can't hide it because....it's my birthday tomorrow!!! Keep your fingers crossed that I get to eat copious amounts of cake and the sun stays shining all day long!

But before I burst with anticipation of the big day...lol, I thought I would pop on to share my latest little creation and here it is, hope you like it!

This card was another one that I made using the watercolour technique that I featured in my previous two posts but this time, I overstamped the flowers with one of Tim's quotes, to make that the focal point of the card. I must say that I am loving Jenni Bowlin's ink pads. They are so rich in colour and are an absolute joy to use. I might even treat myself to the whole set because these are some of the very best ink pads I've used.

To complete the card, I made a handmade flower using the Tattered Florals die and some Fired Brick Distress Ink. The paper is from an old paperback book, I think it was Oliver Twist if anyone recognises the text!! lol I added a die cut branch flourish, some vintage ribbon that I hand dyed with some Distress Ink and finally, last but not least...a button!

Thanks for stopping by and looking and I'll see you all tomorrow!

I'll be around as soon as possible to visit all your lovely blogs and creations!

Love Emma

xxx

Added to The Sunday Stamper ~ Week 156 Red Red Wine Challenge