Working in Daylight

So many people ask me how to get good photo’s of their cards and every time I answer daylight. I find that normal home lighting just doesn’t fit the bill and leaves my photography with an orange cast. As some of you know I recently fitted a daylight tube light fitting into my craft room as it not only gives true colours but it also is kinder on your eyes and it makes you feel a little better in yourself too.

I wanted to show you what I work with now and show you some comparisons to why it is better.

below is the table lamp I use it has a lamp head that twists so I can dirct the light where I need it and it also has a magnifier which is brilliant.

Daylight™ Table Top Lamp, White from UK Daylight Company

Below is a couple of photos took through the magnifier the first is without the lens and the second is with the lense

As you can see there is quite a difference and I love the fact that I can just push the lens to one side when I don’t need it.

The next couple of picture will show you an amazing difference, I took the first picture withought using the Daylight lamp and the second picture with.

Without the lamp

With the Lamp

You can see it is a much clearer picture and truer colours by using the lamp

For me it is a must have, I do have a light box for my cards but to be totally honest it isn’t a patch on my lamp.

I also know that the UK Daylight Company supply the bulbs and some portable lamps especially for crafters.

More added to Giveaway

So many entries that it would be plain rude not to add some extras to this giveaway. I am adding a few of my cards and another 12 embellishments Click here to enter

Other embellishments added

Good Luck x

Big Guy Golfing Card

This happens to be a difficult card for me to make since losing my own Dad but I love this image by Mo Manning at Mo’s Digital Pencil it's called Big Guy Golfing and it is perfect for a few occasions, Fathers Day, a retirement of a general men's cards. I coloured the image with Copic Markers and teamed it with Stampin Up designer papers and used thickers for the lettering.

Tomorrow I’m going to share some information on how I get the best picture and true colours for my card.

Grandma's Knitting Basket

Well I don't know about you but my Grandmothers and my mothers knitting/ sewing basked was like a treasure trove and in fact my mother still is, I used to love playing with the button tin and a wooded mushroom thingy which I later found out was for darning socks eeek! I just buy new ones.

This little treasure of an image is a digital stamp called Knitting basket and is by Just Inklined and it will be perfect for you ladies greeting cards.it's coloured with copic markers and teamed with designer backing papers (Cosmo Cricket), some buttons, broaderie anglais. pins and twine and a bit of love to bring it all together.

Siren Of pearls - Make it Crafty

I splashed out with the Glimmer mists to get the base card in the colours I needed for my card, so I'm sporting inky fingers (love it)

Siren of Pearls is by Make it Crafty and coloured with copic markers I used open laced cotton lots of pearls, some ribbon and buttons and a big dollop of love to bring the card together.

Another view for you to see the base of the Easel card.

A close up of the Siren of Pearls she comes on her own but you cvan also get some fabulous background images for her, the rock that she is sitting on is one I drew myself before I realised that there were matching background digi's.

Letraset and Embellishment Giveaway

Time for some candy to show my appreciations for dropping by, Letraset, Add Some Sparkle and Craft Fairy have all given me some wonderful products.
Below is what you could win.
Names must be in by midnight on Saturday 28th May.

Ribbons, Bows, Blossoms, Pearls, Ladybugs, Stamens

Now if that isn’t enough Letraset have kindly given a pack of Safmat for the winner too

I will do the same as I did on the previous Blog Candy, the more names that enter the more embellishments I will add to the prize.
You do not need a Blog to enter just leave the URL blank

Swashbuckerling Beauty

This swashbuckling beauty is Alvida the Pirate from Make it Crafty and I fell in love with her lavish attire and treasure trunk. She's a real beauty yes?

Coloured up with Copic Markers and teamed with a rich satin material paper that I've had since my scrapbooking days. I wrapped this one up in a gorgeous golden yellow satin ribbon and added a gold buckle.

A close up picture of the image

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LetraTac by Letraset

I wanted to share a little piece on LetraTac, I find this amazing for those hard to glue pieces that you need to add to your projects, it is a couple of sheets with a layer of glue between and it comed with a handy tool to make sure you get maximum stick.

You open up the sheet and pop your pieces inside .

Close the backing paper back over the top of your pieces and give it a wipe with the special tool then you are ready to stick your pieces to your project.

As you can see in the next picture they stick beautifully.

It is repositionable until you burnish it with the tool.

Aloha - Hula Girl

"Rock a hula baby rock" come on sing along ha,ha.

A little sweetie from Make it Crafty Hula girl

Coloured with Copic Markers and teamed with Bo Bunny papers, The image was cut out using a labels die from Spellbinders and a double bow made with the organza lilac ribbon and wrapped over the matting and layering, some little lilac roses to finish.

Copics - skin E000, E00, E13,E21, R21 Hair W7,W5,W3 Flower BV000, BV11, BV08 Hula Skirt E97,E99, E11

Image can be purchase at Make it Crafty

Revert Back to IE 8 from Internet Explorer 9 Beta

Well to say I have been on a journey would be an understatement. I did what most of us do and when my computer asked me to update to Internet Explorer 9 Beta I jumped right to it.
I learned that blogger hated it, it wouldn't let me change colour of the fonts, add links to wording, spell check (believe me I need that one), centralise my posts or any of the usual editing tools. It hated downloads and when you are buying mp3 music or digi stamps it was a nightmare.
I tried Google Chrome and it was a little better but still hit and miss, Safari but it was a bit of a learning curve.
I soon realised that I needed to revert back to IE8, I thought that this could be done by re- downloading IE8 but no I couldn't.

So I started a google search of how to correct this problem I had.
I soon came across a site that helped me immensely and it was easy peasy lemon squeezy.
So if like me you are tearing your hair out and need to go back to IE8 this is what you need to do.

1. Go to your Control panel and find the Add and Remove Program icon and click on it.
2.when the new window opens look for the wording View Installed Programs and click on the wording.
3. This will bring up a list of all of the programs that you have updated.
4. Scroll down the list until you find Windows Internet Explorer 9 then click on the wording and then choose uninstall.
5. It will ask you are sure you want to uninstall this update Click YES
6. Once it has uninstalled it will prompt you to restart your computer, you must do this for the action to complete.
7. You may need to go through the process of set up for IE8 (it did it automatically for our 2 computers)

If you are still unsure here is the site that gives you step by step pictures to this.

Free Matching Twin Papers

New matching free papers to help with your paper-crafting.

I have designed them to work together.

Please abide by my Terms of Use

These are large files and are made to an A5 size so that you can print 2 out on one sheet.

I've added the sheets to Jak Heath designs you can get them by either clicking on the menu bar or just click the HERE to be took to the sheets.

Strongman - My Hunk

Talk about the perfect card for the perfect man in your life and this one just happens to be the perfect hunk too.

Coloured with Copic sketch markers to make those biceps pop lol! I used lots of matting and laying with this one using HOTP and Stampin Up designer papers and a strong red coloured card a masculine two toned material scrap and stamped HUNK down the side .

Strongman available from Mo's Digital Pencil

Well a girl can dream huh!

Project of the Month Blog Hop–Mo Manning

Its that time again and this Month's theme for the Blog Hop is use the colour turquoise on your Project and our host is Bea and that's is where the blog hop begins.

You should have landed on my blog from Kerttu We will hold this every third Thursday of the month , we aim to give you a little inspiration and hopefully a few Oooo's and Awe's along the way.

The Dream Team is made up with some of the most talented ladies so be sure to give them all a visit.

For my image this month I have used Melia on her Shell Phone and it can be purchased from Mo’s Digital Pencil Too

The background paper is from my own stash and I punched out the extra circles and distressed the edges of it and added them with dimensional foam pads to look like bubbles. Melia was coloured with copic markers then stickles added to the mermaid tail, I used nestibilities circles to cut out Melia and the scalloped circle and wrapped a pretty satin ribbon around the card to add a bit of elegance.

Next up on the Hop is Lori and she is raring to go after a short break so I know she will have created something special for you all.

This month Mo is giving away $5 shop credits as prizes to 2 lucky commenters, so make sure you leave a comment at each and every blog..

Tea Time

Would anyone cre to join me for tea?

Tea Time set by Just Inklined

Coloured with Copic Markers and teamed with Stampin Up Designer papers a pretty ribbon, button and a handmade teabag.

Recession-Busting at Imag-e-nation

Two HUGE Bargains...

Recession-Busting

BARGAIN 1

A BIG Mystery Bag of Lovely Craft Goodies

worth over £20....

....yours for only £10

Plus...one lucky bag contains a Golden Ticket for a Special Prize!

Get your Big Bag O' Craft here(and hurry, they have limited stock)

Recession-Busting

BARGAIN 2

Flippin' Christmas

DIE-CUT Decoupage

Full Set for £5

That is 16 sheets of DIE-CUT decoupage PLUS 16 backing sheets for just £5.

32 sheets of fabulous Christmas decoupage and backing papers

AND it is DIE-CUT for only £5

Unbelievable Recession-Busting Value for Money

Don't miss out....

Get your Flippin' Christmas

DIE-CUT set here for just £5

This is an offer you just can’t afford to miss.

Sneak Peek New Designs

Another sneak peak of the new Trinitage designs by La Pashe and don't you just love anything that makes men cards easier to make and this one just happens to be a beauty.

The perfect card for the swinger in your life.

FORE!!!!!!

New trinitage coming soon from La Pashe

Letrsaset and Add Some Sparkle Winner

Oh I have been so busy with editorials that I thought if I don’t draw this now people may come banging on my door ha ha!

The prizes were kindly donated by Letraset and Add Some Sparkle.

I used the True Random Number Generator to get a winner and the result is below.

Thank you to all that entered.

The Winner is

136. Rebecca Francis

Congratulations Rebecca, please drop me your address in an email and I will get your prize to you.