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Thursday 31 December 2009

Warm wishes for Whiff of Joy


I'm still in Christmas card making mode here, this uses a stamp I got from the Whiff of Joy Christmas sale and didn't get a chance to use before Christmas :). For some reason I had a struggle with Bev's sketch for the Whiff of Joy Challenge and I'm not sure I've really nailed it...

Papers are DCWV, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. Image coloured with copics and Glossy Accents for the candlelight. Ribbon from my stash.

Warm wishes and a Happy New Year to everyone :)

Birds Go By


We all need "thinking of You" cards and I've made a card that will work for most people, using Phindy O'Neill's tranquil digi image, Birds Go By. I've more-or-less followed Dawny's sketch at this week's Papertake Challenge, within the limitations of the size of paper scraps I was using up :). The PDs are both Papermania, as is the sentiment. The brown cardstock was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and I've gone over it with chalks to highlight the script. The image was paintedusing Distress Inks and a watercolor pen.

Charisma Cards Celebrate!


Charisma Cards Challenge Blog is one year old today! To celebrate they have a theme of Celebrations, with FIFTEEN prizes to give out - count 'em - FIFTEEN! There is also a fun blog hop with prizes along the way and some great projects from the DT to enjoy :). I've hopped and now I need to make a Celebration card - don't forget to join in!

Wednesday 30 December 2009

Mojo Monday meets Shirleys2Girls


I made this card with the intention of making it as colourful and cheerful as possible on a grey, rainy day. It's a bit too busy, but hey, it's cheerful :). It uses Maizie at the Beach, a clear stamp from Shirleys2Girls. S2G is relaunching as all digi and you can buy Maizie at 45% off. Be quick, when the stamps are gone they're gone :). Flowers are Prima, a Christmas present from my DH, DPs are old stash, can't find a name on them. Blue flowers stamped around the sentiment are from Stamps by Judith. I've followed the fun sketch from Mojo Monday's Challenge .

Tuesday 29 December 2009

Woo hoo! I'm on the Shirleys2Girls Design Team!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm no longer a Guest on the Shirleys2Girls DT - I'm part of their new Design Team along with a dozen other creative Ladies With Attitude. Here's the list of blogs for the DT:

Ann English
Anne Ray
Carlie Mays
Cat Darling
Deanne Burton
Debbie Daniels
Georgia McDonald
Gina Lindsay
Jana Mays
Jane Wetzel
Jeannie Thomas
Jennifer Scull
Judy Applegarth
Lisa Futch

I'm so looking forward to working with this talented group and I can't wait to see what new delights Shirleys2Girls have for us to work with. I've made a quick celebratory card but it can wait until morning ... it's late here and I'm at work in the morning :)

Wintry Holly


Here's a quick blogging of a card made for a Challenge at Papercraft Planet on Michelle Perkett's group. The image is Holly, the Christmas friendship fairy, from Michelle's Etsy shop. Jana provided a fun sketch to use and I chose wintry colours for my card. Both DPs are from Artylicious CDs, they are edged with a silver pen. The pen blotched all over the place when I was edging the large piece; I decided it was a great effect and left it alone :). The sentiment is from Elusive Images, silver embossed onto vellum. Fairy is coloured with Copics and has Flowersoft "fur" edging her robe. The background uses the palest shade of purple in Copic.

Mrs Comfy has a fantastic day


Mrs Comfy is a digi character created by Phindy O'Neill; here she is taking her dog Pogg for a walk. I bought the image before Christmas but have only just had a chance to use it, there are a lot of lovely details to highlight and play with in the drawing.


I used the sketch from Truly Scrumptious, which is ideal for an image like this that needs to be the main part of the card. The challenge is to use the sketch and include vellum somewhere in the card; I've added an Elusive Images sentiment on vellum to the card.

The image is coloured with Copics, Stickles and lots of Glossy Accents for the rain and the puddles, the background is coloured with Distress Inks. Papers are Que Sera from K&K. I hope you like Mrs Comfy as much as I do :)

Monday 28 December 2009

New Year Resolutions

At last, back into my craft room :). It's been fun having visitors but it's also nice to be just the four of us. Today is my free day, the last visitor left yesterday, tomorrow I have to go back to work. I'm hoping to get a few cards done, we'll see how the day goes... Here's a bright, cheery card that's based round a New Year's Resolutions Challenge, which takes in a few other challenges at the same time.

Corrosive Challenges is asking for a creation that has a connection with New Year's Resolutions. My only formal resolution will be to continue with last year's resolution, which is to pick up a piece of rubbish from the street each day and put it in the bin. It does make a difference, please think about doing this :). But that doesn't make a very pretty card, so I came up with this: 1.Being thankful for what I have, 2.Flowers because I want to get the garden really looking good this year; the hard landscaping is mostly done but I need to weed and to plant; 3.Enjoying and using the vast amount of crafting stash that I have.

Papertake Weekly's Challenge is a great one for this time of year - Thank You cards.

I've used the sketch from Sketch & Stash, for which I need to tell you what new, never used or neglected stash I've used. The stamp is a lovely new one I got for Christmas (Hero Arts), the MS punch is also new Christmas stash. The papers are old stash and the Big Shot die used to make the flowers is neglected stash. The picot lace is very old stash from my sewing days...

I added the lace in, just the right shade for the card, which means the card is eligible for the Quixotic Challenge, to use lace.

Dutch Dare's Challenge is to "make it happen" - using home made embellishments. I've made the flowers for my card with a die and a small punch.

Hero Arts stamp was stamped in Kaleidoscope blue inks onto glossy card. Sentiment is Elusive Images. Papers are K&K.

Thursday 24 December 2009

Guest DT - Cute Card Thursday - Happy New Year

This is the second and final week of my Guest DT spot for Cute Card Thursday, it has been great fun being part of Caz's talented bunch of crafters, thank you :). This week's Challenge is Happy New Year. I'm also entering my card for the Simon Says Challenge of Simon Says - Party! Lili of the Valley Challenge with the theme Happy New Year and Cupcake Craft Challenge us to make a celebration card.

The stamp I've used is by Rubber Romance, it's one of the first stamps I ever bought and she's ideal for lots of celebration and party cards. Martini Girl is coloured with Copics and seriously blinged up with gems, Stickles, silver ribbon and Glossy Accents for her cocktail. Cut out with Nestie Labels 4, she's matted onto a piece of brayered cardstock and layered onto K&K paper.

I have today off from work and go back on Tuesday so that's 5 days off -hoorah! I hope to get some crafting time after Christmas Day but in the meantime I am so behind on everything, the 18th birthday party at the weekend rather took over from Christmas and now I have to catch up :) - the bad weather hasn't helped things either. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

ABC Christmas Challenge Blog Hop

ABC Challenge is launching a new blog challenge - the Christmas Challenge Blog - here's why:
"After speaking to many people it seems to be a common problem that Christmas creeps up on us every year! So this challenge will run on a fortnightly basis, on alternate weeks to our Sister blog ABC Challenge. The Idea is to have fun and create 25 cards or Projects in time for Christmas 2010 your projects will be based on a theme or technique using the letters of the alphabet in turn. We ask that you create a new piece of work for the challenge,Please do not add items published before the challenge date."

To spread the word about the new Challenge there is a blog hop, starting at the Challenge Hop and open until 29 December, with lots of prizes to be won. Check out the Challenge blog for all the details :)

Wednesday 23 December 2009

Bling - or why is mirricard so camera shy?

I think mirri card must be the hardest thing ever to photograph - this card looks a lot better in real life, I promise. I took loads of photos and these two poor pictures are the best I can do :). No chance of another try, this is the final Christmas card (I hope) and went through a letterbox tonight...

The image is an exquisite digi freebie from Fred She Said that I have decoupaged and glittered. Background is papers from Dovecraft matted onto navy card and that dratted mirri card that looks so good until you try to take its picture. Sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

This card is for Corrosive Challenges' Bling theme and also for Digital Tuesday's Let it Snow challenge - lots of snowflakes in the DP and the digi could be a fantasy flower, or it could be a snowflake - what do you think?

Tuesday 22 December 2009

Last Minute Gift

You know those clever people who make "one card, ten challenges"? This is the opposite - ten cards for a last minute gift, which fits Secret Crafter's Challenge for the next fortnight. All the images are by Elusive Images, the sentiments are Elusive Images, Hero Arts and Papermania.

I made a circle mask and sponged Distress Inks in the circle for all the cards. The first 3 images are all from the Retro Vases themeplate, left sentiment is Hero Arts, other two are Papermania.

More Retro Vases...











Then there are a few bird images from the Let Your Heart Sing themeplate.










The cards are for a friend who always give home made chocolates for Christmas and who enjoys receiving home made presents. I've made her quite a few bags and this year is time for a change.

The last couple of cards are from Retro Vases again; the last one with the teazles on the soft yellow background is my favourite. All 10 cards took just over an hour... sometimes simple is good.

Monday 21 December 2009

Nearly there!


I finished the first Christmas card list and now I'm finishing the second list - the ones I forgot first time round or got cards from someone I didn't expect to - am I the only person disorganised enough to have two lists? LOL! This is a quickie card for our new neighbours, the stamps are Artemio clear stamps that I bought from Made by You in Swindon. Papers is DCWV and the sentiment came from Craftwork Cards, as did the scalloped card.

There are a few last minute Christmas challenges around so this is entered for:

Friday 18 December 2009

Happy 18th Birthday Will!

Happy Birthday Will! All of a sudden my baby boy has grown up! All the way up to 6'3" or is it 6'4"? Anyway, while stuck for a card idea I had the mad idea of stamping 18 champagne bottles. Now these would have been ideal as a digi so I could re-size them but I don't have a digi and I do have a very good champagne bottle stamp from Elusive Images, so I cut out 18 of them, coloured them, stamped some on the card, glued some down and popped some up on 3d foam pads. The green bottles are coloured with H20 paint and the red and gold are Promarkers. With a few foam pads under corks and the number stamps from Dimension Fourth the card was finished.

I had an idea there were lots of challenges around at the moment for birthday cards but I could only find Charisma Cards anything but Christmas challenge :)

Thursday 17 December 2009

Cute Card Thursday Guest Design - Aperture card

I'm really excited that I've been picked to be on the Cute Card Thursday Design Team for two weeks as a guest. For my first week, the challenge is to make an aperture card, something I've not done very much before. I reached for one of my favourite images this Christmas, Christmas Colt, drawn by the up and coming Phindy O'Neill who I predict will be the next big thing in digi artists for 2010. Phindy has a group on Papercraft Planet, a blog and an Etsy shop so there are plenty of places to keep up with her new designs :).

I broke into one of the gorgeous Magnolia papers that I bought at the NEC for this card, it was time it got cut rather than stroked:). I added a frame to the aperture that I wanted to cut and tried to cut it with my Nesties. Disaster! I'd upset the Big Shot with too many layers and it just wouldn't play ball when I asked it to cut matting card, DP and more card. At least it had left an imprint of the oval so I cut it out with a craft knife and let the Big Shot put its feet up with a cuppa - LOL!

I made a label and added a sentiment (Papermania), gems and a ribbon to it. With a few more gems the front of the card was done.
The inside of the card showcases the colt image with that Papermania sentiment again. Isn't the colt just beautiful? The card is for a friend who looks after our horses when we are away, he'll certainly appreciate it:). Coloured with Distress Inks as well as Copics for the wreath. Stickles and tiny gems added to the wreath.

Twisted Thursday #37 - Happy Holidays!

This is the last Twisted Thursday Challenge until the New Year. Shirleys 2Girls are taking a break for the holidays and the Challenge will be back in the New Year. Sadly this is the end of my Guest Designer term too, I'm so sad it has come to an end, it really has been fun being part of the team and getting to work with one of my favourite stamp lines. I'd like to thank all of the team, and of course Deidre and Kristine but especially the lovely Debbie who has been so welcoming and kind, answering all the silly questions I come up with :). THANKS!!!! There is still time to apply to be part of the team in the New Year when S2G leaps into the new decade and becomes digi only. Check out the blog for details of how to apply - deadline is 20 December.

The last challenge for the Noughties couldn't be easier - just post a link to a holiday card (Christmas card if you're this side of the Atlantic :) ). And what's the twist? Well Shirleys2Girls know just how busy we all are at this time of year and that it really it - there is no twist! A link to your Christmas card could win you your choice of stmap set from S2G!

You are not required to use Shirley’s 2 Girls stamps, but if you've got them, we'd love to see you use them! If you don't yet have any of these wonderful stamps, they are currently having a sale - there is a
MASSIVE 45% off everything other than digi stamps and those already reduced in the Turkey sale. This has to be a great reason to get shopping!

Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC37 AND shirleys2girls. Post a direct link to your card using Mr. Linky on the Challenge Blog, here. The deadline for uploading your card is Wednesday, 23 December, 2009 at midnight PDT.The winning card will be chosen by Random.org, the lucky winner will get to choose a stamp from the Shirley’s 2 Girls product list, and their winning card or other project will be showcased on the Shirley's 2 Girls Challenge Blog Please do visit the other Ladies with Attitude, check out their amazing creations and leave them some love, we're joined this week by fabulous Guest Designer Deanne Burton. Don't forget to check out Deanne's blog, I'm looking forward to seeing her card.

Deanne

Debbie

Erin

Joy and

Justine

So here's my card, which uses the techniques I love: paper piecing, stitching, a great image - Waiting - available from the S2G shop and my favourite DP from this Christmas by Fancy Pants. You've seen the card before, I think it's worth a second look, I hope you do too :)

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Owl Miss You - My Grafico Challenge #29

This is my last card for the My Grafico Design Team, we've had a great team for the last six months and I wish the new team well for the future :).

This week's Challenge at My Grafico is to either follow Mary's sketch or to make a card using red and green that isn't a Christmas card. The winner of the Challenge recieves the set Zoom Vroom from the site and the Design Team was each given an image from it to work with. I've followed Mary's sketch and used red and green for the owl balloon. Image is cut out and popped onto foam pads, it's coloured with Copics. The main DP came from Stamp Addict's sale last January, no idea who made it, the other red is Basic Grey. Computer generated sentiment, Martha Stewart punch for the borders.

Tuesday 15 December 2009

Snowflakes inside and out

Well tonight it's snowing a little here, not settling but I had to make a quick snowflake card!

Last night I went to Stamp Attic's Christmas party and succumbed to Tim Holtz stamps at 10% off. Wendy tells me she also has free p&p until 18 December so if you're after Tim Holtz stamps now is the time to get them:).

This week has been real madness but I had a quick play this afternoon with the snowflake stamp and made a card following Papertake Challenge's sketch for this week. Basic Grey's Challenge is to use the colour combo of cream, pink and blue, which fits the Eskimo Kisses papers to perfection. I'm also entering Stamp Something's Winter Wonderland themed challenge with it.

Snowflakes were white embossed onto white card and Memento, Adirondack and Distress inks applied with a sponge over them. I've added some pearl gems to some of the snowflake centres. The lovely felt snowflake border comes from Stamp Attic, it stands out better in real life.

Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses papers and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. Looking forward to playing some more with the stamps :)

Monday 14 December 2009

Stop global warming - burn a penguin today

It's not too late to submit your name for Shirleys2Girls Design Team call - the closing date is 20 December. I decorated this candle as my altered item for the DT call. It uses the free digi that is available until the end of today on the SNR Cardiverse group for Shirleys2Girls, you can download the digi for free if you join the group by this evening (Mon 14th December).

I printed the digi several times onto printer paper, then I used 505 temporary spray adhesive to attach tissue paper. I printed the penguins out first so I knew to avoid them with the spray :). I ran it through the printer again, coloured with Copics and cut out closely around it. Then I used the standard method of wrapping the candle tightly in baking parchment with the image where I wanted it and used my heat gun until the wax melted just enough and changed colour. With so many digital designs available now it's good to know that you can still print them onto tissue paper and decorate candles.

Sunday 13 December 2009

Digi the Penguin

Shirleys2Girls had a fun Digi Day Party over at SNR Cardiverse, it's not too late to join in the fun. If you join the group there's a free digi image available until Monday night of a cute penguin. I've used him to make this quick card which I'm entering for the Secret Crafter's Saturday Challenge which is SNOW this week. I'm also entering Mr Penguin into Corrosive Challenge's Walking in a Winter Wonderland Challenge.

I've printed him out once onto card and once onto Glimmer Misted paper and popped the coloured image up on foam pads. I've added Flowersoft snow to the ground and to the background as big snowflakes. The papers are Basic Grey and Craftwork cards, image coloured with Copics and cut out with Nestabilities, velvet ric rac and brads from stash.

Friday 11 December 2009

Sparkly reindeer

Yesterday I got virtually nothing done from a long list of plans including card making. My friend had a special outing to London with her visually impaired elder daughter and, once up there well out of reach of home, got a call from school to collect her younger daughter who was unwell. So I picked up Miss Suzie and tucked her up for a short nap, from which she emerged full of beans and ready to colour :). Suzie was with me until quite late in the evening and I promised her that I'd put one of the cards she made onto my blog. So if you scroll down you will find a very nicely coloured House Mouse card :). We both had a great time but Suzie definitely won the crafting session, with a big batch of cards while I'd finished about half of one:)

I've managed to finish up a card using the adorable Whiff of Joy of Wee the gnome with reindeer, which is based on the sketch at Corrosive Challenges this week. The reindeer has black Stickles for sparkle on his hooves, a sparkly Stickles red nose and more Stickles on his antlers and on the snowflake, as Sparkle is this week's Whiff of Joy Challenge. I'm also entering the card into Cupcake Craft's Challenge of a Christmas Carol. Now I'm never sure that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is a carol as such, but I'm hoping it will be accepted for the purposes of the challenge!

Card recipe: Whiff of Joy stamp coloured with watercolour pencils and Stickles. Background has Distress Inks sponged on. Paper from Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses and spotty DP from stash. Sttiched with sparkly rayon thread, snowflakes cut from Nestabilities dies, sentiment from Craftwork Cards.


Suzie's card:

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Twisted Thursday #36


It's Twisted Thursday Challenge time again! Shirleys2Girls challenge you to follow a sketch - with a twist! Here's what you have to do: Create a card, following this week’s sketch and then “Twist” by using glitter or bling somewhere on your project - how easy is that! You are not required to use Shirley’s 2 Girls stamps, but if you've got them, we'd love to see you use them! If you don't yet have any of these wonderful stamps, they are currently having a sale - there is a
MASSIVE 45% off everything other than digi stamps and those already reduced in the Turkey sale. This has to be a great reason to get shopping!

Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC36 AND shirleys2girls. Post a direct link to your card using Mr. Linky on the Challenge Blog, here. The deadline for uploading your card is Wednesday, 16 December, 2009 at midnight PDT.The winning card will be chosen by Random.org, the lucky winner will get to choose a stamp from the Shirley’s 2 Girls product list, and their winning card or other project will be showcased on the Shirley's 2 Girls Challenge Blog Please do visit the other Ladies with Attitude, check out their amazing creations and leave them some love, we're joined this week by Guest Designer Jane. Jane creates some wonderful work, I can't wait to see what she comes up with for the Challenge!

Jane GD

Debbie

Erin

Joy and

Justine


Before I tell you about my card I have another couple of bits of S2G news to share with you:

SALE!! Don't forget that S2G has ALL their clear stamps on sale at 45% off. Grab them while they last, when they're gone they're gone. Why not head on over and do some shopping. The sale doesn't include the digis.

Sunday December 13th is our Free Digi Day over at SNR, why not come on over and join in the fun. We'll start at noon PST (that's 8pm UK time) on Sunday the 13th for about two hours. We've got a wonderful holiday game planned with soem chit chat and of course that free digi to play with. Go to SNR Shirleys2Girls Group to find out all the details and updates. You just might walk away with one of the prizes - good luck!


OK now on to my card :). I used the Snowwoman image, which is available as either Digi or clear stamp from Shirleys2Girls. She's coloured with Copics and been blinged with Glamour Dust. Image, mirri card frame and mirricard snowflake all cut with Nestabilities, silver card candy from Carftwork Cards. DPs are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses.

Monochrome Christmas


This is a quick posting of a card for Spoonful of Sugar's monochrome challenge. I learnt how to make cards with a swinging centre a few weeks back when I went to a class at Made by You in Swindon. It's a tricky card to take a good photo of but essentially it's folded so that the centre square hangs as though it's suspended, you can decorate the front and the back of the square. I opted for a clean and simple card, using clear Hero Arts stamps for the image and the border. They are stamped in Versamark and embossed with crimson powder.

The picture below isn't for the monochrome challenge; it's another of the swing cards, this time experimenting with a circle centre. The image is a digi from Shirleys2Girls and I used Paint to change the image so my reindeer had a back view as well as a front one :).

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Magical things come in tiny packages

Michelle Perkett has opened a Challenge Blog, with the first challenge to follow a sketch made by Carlie Mays. I've made a very quick and simple card with a free image that Michelle kindly made available on her PCP group.

This is a totally digi card, the background snowflake DP is from a CD by Artylicious, the stripe is from a Bearly Mine Creations cd. I originally coloured the image with Sakura Gelly Roll pens but didn't like the colours so I cut out another tiny packages, coloured with Copics and popped it on top with foam pads for dimension. Ribbon and gems are from stash.

Monday 7 December 2009

Christmas Fjords

A couple of days ago I posted a card made with a digi image from Phindy's Place of a foal, which became a Norwegian Fjord foal with very little tweaking. Having seen how well Phindy drew the Christmas Colt, I begged her to think about drawing a horse and sleigh for Christmas, preferably drawn by a Fjord and was joined in this by Tammy, who also wanted a horse and sleigh image. Within a day, just look what Phindy came up with, listed on her blog as "by request"! This beautiful image is all that I could have wished for, how Christmassy is this!

The card is based on Jeanette's sketch from Sketch Saturday, which hasn't got too many other distractions and allows the image to be the star. I've coloured with copics and Glamour Dust, the DP is Magnolia, one of five sheets I bought at the NEC and have only stroked until now, it was waiting for a very special card and here it is :). ; Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, snowflakes cut from Spellbinder dies, ribbons and buttons are from stash.
I'm also entering it for Dare U2 Digistamp's red, green and a neutral challenge. The Christmas Colt image had my name all over it, all I can say is that this image has my name, height and shoe size on it, it really was made for me (and Tammy) and is even getter than I could dare imagine. ; Phindy is officialy a digi-genius!