Guest Bl;ogger - Vera Lynn

This months Member Blog showcase goes to Vera Lynn :D

My name is Vera, I have been crafting since around 1996
The first craft supply I ever bought was from the old "Ben Franklin store",
I wish we still had ours.
The first things I ever crafted were Christmas ornaments
back then with my husband,That same year made Christmas ornaments from Upcycled C7 bulbs I didn't do much crafting after that because, of work and our son came along in 1998.

I started up again around 1999 when I joined Stamping' Up!
It was such a waste of time because, soon after that pretty much the economy went to crap
None of my family, friends acquaintances could afford to buy anything, plus we just didn't have the space to make room for me to craft.
I stayed with it maybe two years but my second child arrived in 2001
and I said enough is enough... . 90% of the sales were to myself.

Once she started getting around good, I stopped crafting again and boxed it all up because,
she was getting into everything..
Finally when she hit 7 years old and both kids were less destructive and exploring less,
I pulled it out and started working in front of them,
she was so excited and it made my heart melt when she wanted to join in too.
She has been crafting with me since 2008.

I still have a whole heck of a lot to learn, when it comes to layouts, and coloring with alcohol markers.
Took me years before I could afford to buy my first complete set of alcohol markers
and another year before I bought the paper..
70-80% of my craft supplies are either from resale shops, yard-sales, free cycle yahoo groups and Cafe yahoo groups.
I am not ashamed that most of my stuff is used
My aunt is like your not supposed to tell people that you got that from a yard sale or used store.
To her I replied, "I am proud to be thrifty and that I save money whenever and wherever I can".
And it allows me to buy stuff I normally could not have bought..


Well, enough blabbing onto sharing my card.
I made this card using 2 cute digi stamps from Stamping Dragon Designs
Janette combined the couple and the scene for me because,
I needed them for a wedding card...  Romantic picnic

There were a lot of other things I wanted to add, but due to 3 people being sick on and off since the end of October in my family, I just don't have the time to make the card like my niece would have liked Never the less I love it

Pop along and Visit Vera Here

Scrapping Hideaway

Guest Blogger Of The Month - from the SDD Facebook Group

 Hi Everybody!

Time for this months Guest Blogger spot to find out something about a member of the Stamping Dragon Design Facebook group and showcase some of their work using SDD items.

This month we are featuring group member Gwyneth George.

Here is what Gwyneth has to say:

Some of you who are regulars to this blog may well be asking yourself - "How come she's doing a Guest Blogger Showcase spot on "The Dragons Den" when she's been posting to the "Pick of the Week" spot as Design Team Member, as well as doing a pictorial tutorial on the this blog, already?"

Well here's a little bit of background info. for you:

I've been a crafter of one sort or another for most of my life (a variety of crafts not just cardmaking as those of you who have visited my own Blog Crefftau MAES MIERI Crafts Blog will already have seen).  But being forced to take early retirement because ill health and worsening disabilities some three years ago meant I could give more time to my crafting, to plan ahead, and have fun and relax making things when I'm able, rather than have to rush projects because they were needed and weren't ready, because work and other considerations had got in the way.

Not being able to work also means that I have more time, (though quite often not the health or energy,) to sit in bed with my laptop and browse around, and get involved in crafting forums and groups on the Internet.  This contact with other crafters has been great because I realised that there were lots of crafters who, like me, had health/disability issues, and when I said that I was unable to craft because of aches and pains there were others out there who understood.  And of course all this browsing around means I could see all the wonderful crafting items that are available as well as gain inspiration from other very talented crafters. 

I joined the Stamping Dragon Designs Facebook group around 9 months ago - because I'd come across Janette Padley's lovely dragons, (and other digital downloadable items) on craftsUprint and then found out that there was this group on FB for dragon fans.

A short while after I'd joined, all the FB group members were asked if they would like to do a one off, Guest Blogger, showcase on this blog.  After thinking for a bit, and considering whether it would be something I'd be able to commit to and be able to see through to completion, I decided to put my name forward - after all, it was going to be far ahead in the future, and I could start working on it way before the date.

I was given this mid-November Guest Blogger slot! - and so I started thinking about what to do as a project for the blog with lots of ideas flitting through my mind - although I have to admit that it was only some six weeks ago that it actually clicked with me exactly how I was going to make my creations.

But then:

A few months ago, I was approached by Marleen and asked if I would consider becoming a regular member of a small Design Team on this blog.  Because of my fluctuating health issues I was rather reticent to do this - but after some persuasion (Marleen is very good at persuasion LOL - she explained that I would only need to post every few weeks, could take my pick of digi-stamps from a list provided to work with so could pick things that inspired me, and could prepare several projects and posts ahead of time, when feeling reasonable, so that if I was having a bad spell I wouldn't need to stress about not being up to doing a project and post) - I found myself agreeing.

So there you have it - I was scheduled to do a Guest Blogger Showcase posting here on The Dragons Den before I was approached to become a Design Team Member doing my regular "Pick of the Week" postings, and rather than shuffle everybody's slots around it was decided that we'd stick to the original "Guest" schedule and I'd take the opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself.

For my projects for this post I decided to make a "Christmas Recipes" box and matching Christmas card.  The box has cards inside for writing out favourite Christmas recipes on one side and putting photos on the other - though I haven't done this yet.

Stamping Dragon Designs Item Used:

Pennys Pudding digital stamp

Christmas Around the World digital kit

Christmas Recipe Box

I used the large sheets of cardstock to score, cut and stick together to make the box and lid.  I printed and coloured in the “Penny” image.  I also printed out the backgrounds and other elements I needed from the kit, at the right size for my box, and cut, matted and layered, and stuck these on my box and card, finishing off with holly leaves from my crafty stash and some glitter glue.

 "Rysetiau Nadolig" is Welsh for "Christmas Recipes" - one bonus of using digital stamps and kits like you can find in the Stamping Dragon Shop is the ability to make your creations in any language (being able to make Welsh cards when the Welsh ones in the shops were more expensive, and with less choice, than the English ones was one reason why cardmaking became one of my main crafts).

 Even the back of my box is decorated.

I've made little cards to go in the box.  This one is for "Pwdin Nadolig" - "Christmas Pudding".  I'll put a picture on the front of the cards and the recipe on the backs.

Christmas Card

After printing everything out, and colouring in the digi-stamp, I cut out and then matted and layered the pieces.  I used a Perfect Layers ruler to get an even, small, border.  I stuck everything together with a variety of sticky mediums to give different dimensions.  Some glitter glue was added for a twinkle, and a peel-off greeting “Nadolig Llawen” – which is Welsh for “Happy Christmas” was also added.

 I used a clear glitter glue on the sauce over the pudding and red glitter glue on the holly berries.

I hope that you've liked what I've shown you in today's post and will come back daily to check out future posts on various themes that are posted practically daily.

Gwyneth

Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know what you think

Guest Blogger - Marg Byatt

 Morning everyone..

Its time for this month Guest blogger. This month we are sharing a project made by our facebook group member Marg Byatt.
To see more of Marg's work, do pop over to her blog.

Marg had used the image called:

Tractor & Trailer - 3 stamp set.

And with that said, Ill hand you over to Marg..

 Hi, My name is Marg and I have the pleasure of being the Guest Blogger today for Stamping Dragons.  
I am a 52 year old disabled single parent to a 16 year old daughter, unable to work due to various, quite serious disabilities in my spine & various other ailments including a lesser known form of Muscular Dystrophy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, which is an inherited progressive genetic disease but is not life threatening. 

I therefore craft to keep my mind & hands creative.

  

I used to sell my craft at craft events but I have had to give up driving. Instead I now sell online alongside making for family, friends & of course DT projects. Crafting is my therapy, my life, and I craft as often as my health allows.

My creative streak has always been with me, (drawing, sewing, cross stitch) but only the last 5+ years have I been creating cards good enough to sell. I have got a lot more creative & better over the years... 

  

Creating a papercraft project now, I'm very lucky that I can pick up a piece of scrap craft material & put a card together using that one piece, equally though, I can follow a sketch &/or theme to the letter or diversify when needed. Even though I have no particular style, I do not like to cover the card with all shabby chic style/loads of people/lace/flowers stash, I do tend to edge more the Clean & Simple type..

I do love stamping & colouring with alcoholic pens (promarkers/flexmarkers/graph it pens) and occasionally with watercolour pencils.  

 

I mainly use a digi stamp but I do, sometimes, depending on the card I am going to make,

use a rubber stamp, both of which I have plenty to choose from.

 

The digi in the card I have made for you today is called Tractor & Trailer - 3 stamp pack

and is coloured in with a mixture of Promarkers, a couple of Graph It alcoholic ink pens & the fabulous Sakura Gelly Roll metallic pen to give the engine parts, wheel hubs etc a more realistic look. (I do prefer to be more realistic in my colouring). 

 

 

 The backing paper was just made from tearing handmade papers that I had in my stash. The letters that spell out "Have Fun" were cut with Memory Box dies. The card size is A5.

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading my post & looking at my car.

If you have, please check out my own blog HERE...

{{{hugs}}}

Marg

 And that is it from us for today. 

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments left behind.

Marleen DTL xx

Meet our Guest Blogger Fran Hancock..

Morning everyone..

A fantastic post today.. its guest blogger time :-)

This months guest blogger is our group member

Fran Hancock..

Here is what Fran had to say..

Hi, I'm Fran and I'm 38 with a lovely hubby and two lovely children aged 12 and 9. I've been making cards for seven or more years now. It all started one Christmas when I decide to make our own cards. It's all snowballed from there, and I am proud to say that in our house we never have to buy a shop bought card, ever again , well apart from when my husband is getting one for me !. I love crafting as it's so relaxing. Our 12 year old has severe autism, meaning life can be very stressful in our house, so crafting helps. I love having a go at most techniques, and am getting into Digi Stamps more. The image I was given for this blog post was ideal. I am a design team member for the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog, Emma's Crafty Challenge, Digi Sketch Challenge Blog and I have recently started a challenge blog with another crafty friend called the Crafting Musketeers.

I have my own blog http://craftyfran.blogspot.co.uk/ , which I mostly use for displaying my Design Team projects.

I was honoured when Marleen gave me the chance to do a Guest Blog spot as I love the designs from http://dragonslairdesigns.com/shop/ , Janette has some fab images on there especially the Dragons , they are my favourite.

Anyway here is my card made with the image I was sent which is http://dragonslairdesigns.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=403_404&products_id=3126 Hoppy Frog on Lily Pad .

Thanks for looking today

Fran xx

 

A HUGE thank you to Fran sharing her story and her stunning card.

Thank you for stopping by.

Janette & Marleen xx

Guest blogger of the month..

Hi everyone..

Time for this months Guest blogger..

This month we are featuring group member Debbi Taylor.

Here is what Debbi has to say:

I have been crafting for about 6 years and love most forms of paper crafting... I mainly make cards and tags but am trying to move more into scrap booking to take advantage of all the photographs that I take.
I have recently discovered altered art and I love where this can take you - the texture the layers and the different embellishments that you can add to it... I blog my makes and hope that this will inspire people to craft and share what they have created, but have been so busy recently that I have not had as much time to share!
http://taylor-madecards.blogspot.co.uk/
I am a stampin up demonstrator and have been for just over 4 years I love their products and love the fact that they colour co-ordinate EVERYTHING!
http://beecraftyandstamp.blogspot.co.uk/
this makes my crafting OCD feel so much better
I love steampunk and the Stamping Dragon image that I have used is perfect - I have kept my card very simple and not coloured her, as I did not want to take away from the detail...
I hope that you like the card that I have created!
happy crafting
Debbi

You can find the image Debbi has used HERE..

And that is it from us today. Hope you enjoyed.
Thank you for stopping by.

Janette & Marleen xx

Guest blogger of the month..

Hello Dragon fans..

Welcome to the Dragons Den..

Today we are starting a brand new feature.. Guest bloggers..

We are very excited about this. The idea is very simple. Each month we will show & tell about one of our Dragonettes.. Dragonettes you ask??? Well to become a Dragonette, all you have to do is to join in with the fun over on our Facebook Group..

Once you join in with the fun there you can add your name to the list and become a Guest blogger here on the Den..

All you do to be a guest blogger, is to make a project for us to show, and then just tell us a bit about yourself..

Here is our Very First Guest blogger:

Sharon King.

Hi my name is Sharon King and I share my life with my wonderful husband and 4 beautiful children.

I have been cardmaking for about 4 years although I have been crafting since the age of 4 when my mum taught me to knit with a little pair of red knitting needles and a ball of yellow wool. It seems like only yesterday.

I like all types of  techniques in my crafting. Decoupage, digital crafting,cd roms, and I am really getting into stamping both with rubber stamps and digital images which is where I discovered Stamping Dragons. The images are so cute and  easy to colour with whatever medium you choose. For my card I have used promarkers but would love to try watercolours with them as well.

Thank you for choosing me to be a featured guest designer I feel very honoured.

http://sharonshandmadecards-kingsharon1967.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/DreamCardsBySharon

 Here is what Sharon has made.

Thank You very much for being our very first guest blogger Sharon. 

We love you card. Its super cute.

Sharon has used the Image called "Penny with Bag" for her creation.
It can be forund in the STORE along with all the other fantastic images from

Stamping Dragon Design.

And that is it from us for today.

Have a good day.

Janette & Marleen xx