On Trend: The Colour Purple

I'm noticing various shades of violet popping up here and there. It's a tricky colour to decorate with but always looks fresh when mixed with green or metal.

These examples are from the new Bloomingville range and a purple paneled room via Plush Palate.

Musical Notes

This CD gift box was created for the Nutshells Blog.  It is Challenge #21 Anything but a card!!

To create this gift box I used Stamps: Nutshells Music Mac.  Card stock: White hammered, black.  Papers: DP DCWV Grade School.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black.  Colourings: Copic markers Skin E000/E00/E11/R20.  Hair E29/E25/E31.  Clothing YG23/YG25/C00/C1/YR16/YR18/Y06/Y08.  Sakura gel pen Stardust 749.  Dies: Sizzix Sizzlit Music Notes.

 

Hints and Tips

To create the template for this box I simply drew around the CD case and used a score board for the folds.

That Zebra Chair

‘Iam only good for two things in this world,” Valentino once told me, “designing dresses and the decoration of houses. I am not capable to do anything else.” Valentino in August Vanity Fair.

Just had to show you this photo from Vanity Fair of Valentino's New York apartment. That Zebra chair is fabulous is it not?

Apparently Jacques Grange was called in to spruce up Valentino's fifth Avenue pied-a-terre, transforming it from '1980s ode to czarist-Russian opulence' to an all-white, lacquered wall gallery for his enviable collection of modern art.

God love him.... at 78!

Blue

This card was created for Die Cut Dreams Challenge Blog.  This weeks challenge is #58 Tilda in Blue.

To create this card I used Stamps: Magnolia Loves me Tilda, Blooming Flowers.  Card stock: White hammered, blue.  Papers: DP Papermania Inspirations Cool Tones.  Blue mulberry paper.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Summer Sky.  Colourings: Copic markers Skin E000/E00/E11/R20.  Hair E29/E49/E53/E59.  Socks and laces C00.  Flowers YG63/YG67/B95/B97.  Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.  Dies: Nellies Multi Frame Square.  Sizzix Sizzlits Flowers and Branch  Punches: Woodware flowers.  Small flower.  Embellishments: Blue flock.  Papermania Shimmer Dots.

Hints and Tips

To make the flower centre in the large flower I used a pop up dot then covered it in the flock. 

Ideas Between The Covers

Thanks everyone for such thought provoking comments on blogs vs magazines.To me, this interaction is the most rewarding aspect of blogging. I often wonder about what people think of the stories I do for magazines. You send it off to the editor, it gets published and that's that. It's as if it goes right out into space...

Yesterday Simon and shot a great place down here on the South Coast which I might talk about next week when he processes the photos. We have a really nice story coming out in the next issue of House & Garden magazine, which I will write about shortly. House & Garden is looking really good these days and their website is a handy source for ideas - one of the better magazine sites, I think. The images above are some of my picks from H&G for inspiration for the farmhouse.

These top two rooms are going into my file for how I am going to deal with the huge space of the church hall which will be our kitchen, living and ding combined. Having photographed endless houses with huge open plan living areas, I have to admit I feel more inclined to make the space more cosy. How great is this day bed "box" inside a large space? This will go straight into my scrapbook!

This bedroom and bathroom combo is something I have been thinking about for our attic bedroom. I can see this will probably become my daughter's room when she approaches teen age. It has tented, boarded ceilings which would be a shame to break up with a bathroom wall. Should be the ultimate teen pad.

Under the Christmas Tree

This card was created for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  Week 111 the challenge is It's Christmas in July.  I know a lot of people do not want to think about Christmas just yet but me I just love it, any excuse to get the glitter out.  I am also entering this card for the Diecut Dreams Christmas Club.  It is challenge #27 Sweet Christmas Wishes.  I wasn't quite sure if they meant sweet as in cake and candy or sweet as in cute. So I decided to go with cute.

To create this card I used Stamps: Penny Black Wishing.  Card stock: White hammered, green.  Papers: Doodlebug Designs Inc Christmas assortment.  Green.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black.  Colouring: Copic markers Tree YG63/YG67/R24/R27/Y06/Y08/BV04/BV08.  Dog C01/C03/C05/R27/R29.  Snow BG01/BG000.  Sakura gel pen Stardust #744, Medium #50.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large.  Sizzix Sizzlit Christmas Tree with Ornament #2.  Punches: Martha Stewart Pine branch.  Embellishments: Deco Art Glamour Dust Crystal.  Anita's Mini Dimensions Decorative Baubles.

Hints and Tips

If you want your shading to stand out more when colouring with the Copics add the darkest colour to the edge and don't blend it. 

Rose Garden

I've been very busy this week.  It was my daughters birthday and we had a party in the house for her. The theme was Alice in Wonderland she was Alice, my husband and son where Mad Hatters and I was the White rabbit.  All her friends and relatives also came dressed up as all the various other characters.  I had to make a lot of cakes as we decided to go with the Mad Hatters tea party as a theme for the party food, so some of the drinks had drink me labels on them and some of the cakes had eat me on them.

Now on to this weeks challenge.  This card was created for Just Magnolia Challenge Blog.  It is Week 65 Vintage, to be honest I am not a lover of vintage because I don't always know what to do.  So I chose some DP papers that where quite muted in their colours.

To create this card I used Stamps: Magnolia Strawberry Tilda.  Card stock: White hammered, green.  Papers: DP Papermania Rose Garden, green.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black.  Colouring: Copic markers Skin E000/E00/E11/R20.  Hair E29/E25/E31.  Socks C1.  Blouse C00.  Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.  Punches: Fiskars border punch.  Embellishments: Green ribbon, wirework butterfly.  Papermania Adhesive Stones.

Hints and Tips

When trimming around the Tilda image I kept some parts of the flower attached to the main image to keep it stiff to make it easier to mount onto the card. 

Blogs Vs Magazines

Am I really that old? I remember as a young designer in the art department at Vogue LIVING, we were shown this new American magazine that we all supposed copied OUR name. It was called Martha Stewart LIVING. We scoffed politely. These were the early days of the light and bright lifestyle magazines and the Aussies, perhaps because we live like that, nailed the look first. That was 20 years ago!

Martha was very clever. She took that look and made it her own in a market that was, and still is, about 15 times bigger. It's ironic to think that the girl at the helm of MSL magazine nowadays is an Aussie girl who was the creative force behind Donna Hay magazine.

What I am getting at however is what does the future hold for printed magazines in a world where blogging is catching on in a big way? The mags feed the blogs, but the blogs also feed the mags.

Do you still like the feel of paper and having a magazine on your coffee table to pick up and flick through ? Do you blog and read magazines as well?
What do design blogs do for you that magazines don't?

I'd love to know your thoughts.

Girls love to shop

This card was created for the Die Cut Dreams DT Call.  The Theme for this challenge is Pink & Girly.

This card was created using Stamps: The Greetings Farm Miss Anya Collection.  Card stock: White hammered, brown, pink.  Papers: DP Doodlebug Designs Inc Love Spell.  Pink, brown.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Angel Pink, Rich Cocoa.  Colourings: Copic markers Skin E000/E00/E11/R20.  Hair E29/E25/E31.  Shadow C1.  Sakura gel pens Stardust 709/720.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Petite Ovals Large.  Sizzix Sizzlits medium branch w/leaves.  Punches: Woodware flower.  X-Cuts flower.  Embellishments: Papermania Adhesive stones.  Doodlebug Adhesive stones.  Brown cross grain ribbon, buttons, flower brad. 

Hints and Tips

Choose your background paper first, then colour your image in to co-ordinate with it. 

Last Post

This card was created for the Die Cut Dreams challenge.  This challenge is #57 Acetate. 

I had already made this card to take with me when I went to visit the girls at Creativity! TV.  They liked it that much that I was filmed holding my design.  I was wondering what to do with this card when I brought it home because I had not entered it for any challenges.  This weeks challenge gave me a perfect excuse to put it on my blog.

To create this card I used Stamps: Daisy and Dandelion Penelope and Percy clear stamps.  Card stock: White glittered.  Papermania Mini aperture box card kit.  Papers: DP Daisy and Dandelion Penelope and Percy paper pack.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue.  Colourings: Copic markers Letter Box R22/R29.  Beaks Y21/YR12.  Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.  Sakura gel pens Souffle 950, Glaze 849.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large.  Embellishments: Art Deco Glamour Dust Crystal.  Flower soft polar white.

 

Hints and Tips

When cutting the frame out for the front of the box use the cut out for the inside of the box.  I used Flower Soft Polar white inside the box as it is thicker than glitter and makes a lovely snow fall effect when you shake the box. 

California Dreaming

I am getting nervous as the day Simon Kenny comes down to photograph my beach cottages is drawing near...

I submit other people to the terror of having their houses photographed for magazines regularly. And to the torture of being grilled on their decorating decisions... but hate having the cameras turned on me. I'll admit it.

In the meantime I am loving these photos from House Beautiful of a 1938 beach cottage in California. The all white backdrop with hits of green and pink is a nice change. The odd piece of vintage furniture is always fun at the beach.

My day at Creativity! TV studios

I have just got back from a few days in Bath.  I won a competiton in the Docrafts Creativity magazine some time back.  The prize was a to meet Clare Curd and watch the filming of Creativity! TV.

Well I have to say Clare and all the team are such lovely people.  I had such a lovely fun day I also had a chance to be filmed with Clare for one of her episodes on Creativity! TV.  This will be aired some time in the future.  And if that wasn't exciting enough I also got to come home with a crafing goody bag worth over £100! cool or what.

Here is my winning card

I'll get off for now so I can make some more cards, love Linda

The Original Vintage Girl

The second in the series of women who have influenced my views on interior design is Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic.

In 1989, when most of us were thinking modern, she was recycling and upcycling old and discarded decorative items, showing us that there was a certain laid back glamour we could all attain, with a bit of elbow grease. This English woman, transplanted in California, took up where Laura Ashley had left off, mixing that shabby, very british aesthetic with a touch of faded French je ne sais quoi.

Ever since then, I have been painting furniture white, moving on more recently to bolder colours. I have mixed unmatched chairs, planted old fashioned roses and re-invented old chandeliers. Well worn Louis chairs in faded colours are still in the top ten and vintage linen is still doing the rounds.... I think even Martha Stewart owes a lot to this stylish girl.

I had wondered what had become of her until recently when I saw her (now not so) new book at the gift fair. All I can say is the last copy I had left in the shop - that I had hoped to take home - was stolen. By a very style-conscious thief!

Congratulations!

This gift card holder was created for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  Week 110 the challenge is anything but a card!  I decided to make a pop up gift card holder the template can be found on Paper Garden Projects.

To create this card I used Stamps: Penny Black Bubble of Joy.  Dovecraft clear stamps Sentiments.  Magnolia Bubbles.  Cardstock: White hammered.  Papers: DP American Traditional Design Blue Bubbles.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Summer Sky.  Colourings: Copic markers Mouse E21/E34/E000/E00/E11/R20.  Cork YG25/YG67/C3/C1/E53/E35/E25.  Dies: Cuttlebug embossing folder Tiny Bubbles.  Punches: Martha Stewart border Scallop Dot.  Embellishments: Deco Art Glamour Dust Crystal.  Papermania shimmer dots.  Peel off border sticker.

 

Hints and Tips

Decorate the gift card holder before you assemble it.

Shutters in France

When I think of shutters I think of France. These traditional style shutters I photographed on the Ile de Re, which is just off the west coast. I love the pale colours, a palette that is prescribed by the local government.

Ocean Wave

This card was created for Just Magnolia Challenge Blog.  It is week 64 Bev's Sketch.

To create this card I used Stamps: Magnolia Beach Fence, Edwin with a Paddle.  Cardstock: White hammered, blue, red.  Papers: DP Doodlebug Designs Inc 4th of July.  Sizzix Little Sizzles Rainbow.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Paris Dusk.  Tim Holtz distress ink Broken China.  Colouring: Copic markers Fence C1/C3.  Sand E31/E34.  Skin E000/E00/E11/R20.  Hair E35/YR23/Y23.  Oars, rope E29/E53/E25.  Sakura gel pen Stardust 738.  Dies: Sizzix extended cuts Waves, Summer Fun embossing folder.  Embellishments: White peel off border sticker.  Papermania adhesive dots.

Hints and Tips

To make the waves stand out, I have rubbed an ink pad over the embossed area, then ran a stardust pen around the edge of each wave.

 

Shutter Bug

These shutters in "Sirena", above and below, have fabric inserts which let in filtered light and fold back on themselves.

These shutters in the new Seafarers Cottages are painted paneled pine and are designed to block out the street light at night.

My favourite window treatment would have to be the shutter. In our two small beach houses we chose to have shutters made for the windows instead of curtains because they create such a wonderfully coastal vibe.