Sall the Crafty Baker

Well I do like a Christmas theme, well as long as it doesn't involve yet another ***** Christmas Card I do. On that note it's probably obvious why I made an art journal page for the  Ikes Aart Challenge .  All images can be found in the  Ikes Art Store .

Welcome to anything with a bow at  International Art and Soul .  There was only one way I was ever getting a bow onto a creation and that was with one appearing on an image.  I've chosen Snow white from  Ikes Art  to make an art journal page.  

 Welcome to anything with pink in December at  International Art and Soul .  Pink, I mean why? What on earth?  It really isn't my colour.  I had to work VERY hard to get the bits to make this.  I've tried hard to keep to pink but had to use black, silver and white as I just didn't have enough shades of pink to make it stand out.  I've used a die cut tree and a winter jumper style embossing folder.

We are midway through the challenges at  Ikes World  and this one, well I know it's supposed to be a challenge BUT really white?  What kind of crafter can keep their page white? It goes against everything I have ever done when crafting.  This was almost impossible and I had to add some colour. SORRY! I've used the bridal images from  Ikes Art .

International Art and Soul  have a theme of Grattitude for their challenge this fortnight.  There are lots of things to be grateful for and my first instinct was the Thanksgiving image from  Ikes Art  but when I sat down to create I just wasn't happy with it on it's own so I added a couple images from  Hobby Art  as well. I am entering this in the  Crafty Calendar Challenge

 I've been making an effort when crafting now to include an hello card for a friend who needs a smile or just because I haven't been in touch for a while.   For this card I have used the Star of Bethlehem stamp from  Hobby Art  and coloured them using  Derwent ProColour Pencils .  I've fussy cut them and used  WOW Earth Glitters  to decorate the details.   The Die Cut Hello is from really large die cut letters and the dies came from Amazon.  I've used gems to decorate the letters. I am entering my card into the following Challenge: A bit more time to craft

 This is a really simple card I made using the quilted hearts 3d embossing folder by Sue Wilson, a thank you die from Britannia and a stamped image from Hobby Art.  The person who received this had noticed I needed a helping hand and offered it.  I couldn't have been more grateful and their help made things immeasurable better for me.   In keeping with becoming braver and more confident in sharing my craft I am entering this in the following challenge: Crafting Happiness Challenges

IT's fairies and elves over at  International Art and Soul  this fortnight.  It's also the first page in my new art journal.  I am ridiculously excited at this and have had great fun creating this page.  I've used fairies from  Ikes Art  and nature stamps from  Hobby Art . I am entering this in the following challenges: Pattie's creations  Fall/Autumn.  WEll there's few leaves and mushrooms mainly grow in autumn so hopefully it counts Scribbles designs challenge  Animal.  I've got a mouse sleeping on the mushroom and some birds in the tree.

This month the theme over at  Ikes World Challenges  is vehicles.  I have a passion for vintage cars and tractors etc.  So my choice of image was an obvious one. I've used the old car...it looks around 1910 in era to me, from  Ikes Art  and added the woman stood on a clock to symbolise both life's journeys and the vehicle we use to take it.  Then I added a quote I wrote myself. As I'm trying to be brave I'm going to enter this in the following challenges: Crafty Sentiments Designs Through the craft room Door

  Welcome to anything with Halloween at  International Art and Soul .  I quite like Halloween so this was a relatively easy piece and I enjoyed using a bit of fun with the quote and the opportunity to use some marble paper for the pumpkin.   For this piece I've written the quote myself so copyright is my own.  I've used a stencil for the tree, die cut for the pumpkin and the witch from  Ikes Art I haven't entered any challenges in months, time has been one issue but also I lost my nerve.  I'm not a natural card maker and I much prefer relaxed messing around in my art journal to the stress of will the recipient like the card I am making.  However, I have a few minutes and for some bizarre reason I'm feeling a little more confident so I am going to enter my Halloween theme art journal page into the following the challenges: Crafty Calendar Challenges Digi Design Challenges

 Welcome to autumn colours at  International Art and Soul .  I've used a variety of stamps from  Hobby Art  to create the cover of my journal page. 

 I loved this theme from the moment it came up, I always knew I wanted to do something that involved meterology rather than euphamisms but it wasn't until I was sat dreaming of havin time and energy to craft that I knew what the words were going to be. As ever they are my own and thus copyright goes to me.   If you want to participate in this challenge please pop over to  Ikes Art Challenges  and drop us an entry, we would love to see what you create. My quotes are: "Let the sun warm your body while the grass tickles your feet" "Splash in the puddles during showers" "Feel the damp ground beneath your feet and the fresh dampness on your skin during the rain" "Walk in the snow and let snowflakes dance around you as they fall around you"

The theme this week is Tic Tac Toe over at  International Art and Soul , I must say this is one of my least favourite challenges.  I find this so difficult, I don't use buttons or bows because they are too bulky so my options beyond that were very limiting, I'm afraid I like stencils but don't use them half as much as I should.  If your a more versatile crafter than I am feel free to grab this tic tac toe grid and get crafting. I hit the jackpot in the end, simply by going through photos of what I had made and hadn't blogged in a bid to sort myself out I stumbled across the perfect Christmas Card to fit this Challenge.  So I've used, an image from  Hobby Art  a Britannia dies die cut greeting and an embossing folder from Crafters Companion for this card.

Hello, This fortnight at  International Art and Soul  the theme asks you to include an animal.  This challenge rather plays to my comfort zone of crafting and use nature images.  I chose to use this Tortoise image by  Ikes Art  to make a "hello" card for a friend whose been incredibly helpful lately.  

This month the theme over at  Ikes World Challenges  is Three of a Kind.  Anyone who knows me would have guessed where my mind immediately went....Shakespeares Macbeth aka the Scottish Play. I've used three witch images, the cauldron, the hand and eye ball from  Ikes Art  and created my own spell.

It's a theme I am mega excited about over at  International Art and Soul  this fortnight.  BOOKS.  We are asking that your creations are inspired by a book.  I have chosen Erin Gruewell's The Freedom Writers Diary.   This book really touched me when I read it, I could identify with some of the entries as well as finding it an easy read. I've used the cake images from  Ikes Art  to make diary covers and having created them like a book I made sure they opened to be able to read the entries. Dear Diary 060520 I should have written this on a bad day, well okay most days are bad days but I mean a really bad day when things are going spectacularly wrong.  You see I’m deaf, or Deaf or Hearing impaired or I’ve even once heard it called aurally challenged.  In this PC mad world it’s all about getting the names right and nothing at all to do with trying to support or make things accessible for those who cannot hear.  I suppose I c...

This week my theem is embossing, I'm struggling rather a lot now with these Christmas Cards and I need someone to shout at me next year and say SIMPLE cards only please? I've used the Crafters Companion 3d embossing folder of snowflakes and Xcut die cut stockings with some ribbon tape for this card.  I die cut the greeting too.

The theme this week is O Come All Ye Faithful.  I've used a crafters companion 3d embossing folder that has the sheet music {I think/assume} of O Come All Ye Faithful.  I've simply matted it and added a greeting.

The theme for the challenge over at  IAAS  this fortnight is tea party.  I've used this image from  Ikes Art  to create this art journal page about imagination. 

Well I'm still ploughing on with the Christmas cards, what can I say I don't think they will ever end.  The theme this week is "The stockings were hung".  I've used a crafters companion 3d embossing folder for the top followed by a piece of glittery ribbon but it's not ribbon if that makes any sense whatsoever.  I've die cut my stockings from an Xcut die. The greeting is die cut too but I can't remember where from.    

We are midway through the new challenge at  Ikes Art Challenges  with a theme of anything goes wtih the option of Snow.  I've decided to go away from the Christmas theme and use these amazing images that are available in  Ikes Art store

The theme at  IAAS  this fortnight is Christmas Songs.  I remember some from my childhood, not a lot I admit and other than Silent Night, O little town of Bethlehem and Hark the Herald Angels Sing I doubt I know more than the odd word in them.  I've loved how challenging song themes are but at the same time no idea if I'm actually showing the song in what I'm making. I chose Happy Xmas War is Over for my song and created yet another art journal page.

This week my theme is Seasonal attire.  I've used the wellies for my attire on this stamp from  Hobby Art

This week the theme for my Christmas Card Challenge is The Jolly Postman.  I've used a penny black stamp for a mailing image. 

The challenge at  International Art and Soul is all about Tiny Things.  I've chosen to use the Seed image from  Ikes Art .  The seeds are being scatter to bloom into something beautiful.

The theme this week is Kittens.  A friend got a new kitten this year and I thought a card with a kitten on would be appropriate.  I've used the cat image from  Ikes Art

It's another Holly/Robin theme card using  Hobby Art  stamps and Crafters Companion embossing folders.

The theme at IAAS this fortnight is Blue as the main colour.  I tried I REALLY tried and it's okay I admit it has some blue.   You can find the challenge on the  International Art and Soul blog . I've made yet another scrap page {sorry} using some photos I absolutely love of Axmouth.

It's another Robin theme card with a stamp from  Hobby Art  this week.

Welcome to the challenge of Circles and dots over at  Ikes world challenges .  I could have gone literal but my first thoguht when I saw the challenge theme was the wonderful merry go round image from  Ikes Art .  They go in circles.  All I knew when I started this peice was that I wanted to use it, so I printed and coloured it.  Then when I sat down to use it I was originally going to use an embossing folder but changed my mind and at the last moment when I spotted my gelatos.  I used a scrapbooking template that had lots of different size circles and gelato'd them in various colours to make a bright background.  It was only whilst I was gluing the merry go round down I thought of the quote.  It reads: The bravest thing we can do is to step off the  merry go round of life to forge our own way and embrace what is best for us and only us!  ⓒSallie Baker 2020

The theme this week is cats.  I've used this image from  Ikes Art  to create this simple topper card.  I have no idea where the embossing folder came from but I do like it.

International Art and Soul  have an easy challenge this fortnight or at least I think it is.  Their theme is under the sea, something I love.  I've chosen to make a porthole into the sea depths.  I got the MDF port hole from  Hobby Art  and the images are a stamp set from  Bumbleberrys .  I've used nuvou mousse for the silver work of the porthole.  The ocean is made using brushos and the stamps are coloured using Derwent pro colour pencils.  I've added some silver/clear gems to the porthole screws. 

I am getting lax with the themes in order to do some postable and easy Christmas Cards.  The them this week is Holly.  I've used the stamp from  Hobby Art  and the embossing folder from Crafters Companion to make a quick easy topper card.

I recently came across a tweet that I just couldn't shift from my nagging brain.  It spoke of a world where deaf people were included, respected and had opportunities to contribute to society, a dream or a hope you might call it, which ever it is something has been nagging at me, not quite fear but a worry if you like about what will happen when this person realises there is no hope.   Expereince tells me that even today in a world where deaf advocacy is on the rise that being included is something that will never happen.  In my almost 40 years of being deaf I've NEVER once been included.  Everywhere I turn I find people complaining it takes too much effort to communicate, that it spoils it for them if extra things like subtitles have to be used.  I can write a list of ways in which society things it's too much effort and not fair on them to include a deaf person: Subtitles and captions...you tube: it's unfair on the you tuber to have to give up thei...

This weeks theme is simple...snow.  I have used this wonderful stamp from  Hobby Art  to create a very simple card.  I think the embossing folder is Crafters Companion but I cannot be certain.

It's all about humour over at  International Art and Soul  and I've created a scrapbook page about a crocodile I saw at the zoo.  The infortmation tag also has some Crocodile jokes on it.

This weeks theme was to use Poinsettia colours.  I absoluetly love this card I cannot believe how well it came out. I've used a 3d embossing folder of a cable knit sweater in gold and then added some poinsettias. 

Welcome to the challenge at  Ikes World Challenges  this month they are challenging entrants to use this Quartz pallete.  IF you ask me it's a NIGHTMARE I mean of all the colours that could be chosen Pink was the colour of choice? ARGH.  I really struggled and ended up with a pink death scene.

You will be pleased to know that I am feeling like I am progressing again with the Christmas Cards so although I fear they will never end at least I know there is an end to them.  This weeks theme is Let it Snow. I've die cut some snowflakes and stuck them on and used die cut words "let it snow" from brtiannia dies.

Well I've liked the way this looked for a long time but oh gosh the mess, it's just NOT for me.  I'm afraid!  Anyway as I'd made a mess creating the papers I thought I'd use them for some birthday tags.  The photos will show what I've done in step by step form for the shaving foam and paint.  Followed by the finished tags.