Stargroves

Phindy's Place Challenge #92 - round & round

2012-02-13T11:55:00.001Z

Again I am late posting my card for this week's fabulous Phindy's Place Challenge, which is to use circles this week. The only good thing about being late is that I saw a fab layout at Sketch Saturday that uses lots of circles and was able to use it for my card!

The image is called My Baby and I chose to use it for Easter though it also makes a brilliant new baby card. It's coloured with Copics, Distress Ink and Glossy Accents, the DP is Basic Grey, mostly Marjolaine with a background from the Neutrals. The lacy ribbon is from Stamp Attic.

My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Allsorts - free and easy February
Simon Says - love. I've not entered the multitude of Valentine challenges, but this shows a mother's love, at least I think so!
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes
Scrappy Frog - diecuts - lots of diecut circles here!
Drunken Stampers - texture - love this ribbon for texture

Charisma Cardz - things with wings
Moving along with the Times - cute critters

Waltzing Mouse and the Nice List

2012-02-09T15:12:00.001Z

I'd like to show you a card made with Waltzing Mouse stamps and I'd like to tell you about Claire Brennan who owns it, and her "Nice List".

Claire asked people to leave a comment on her blog before Christmas for a giveaway of stamps, asking for the person who would be top of your Nice List. She told us about her lovely neighbour who has done a great job of restoring a kitchen dresser. I'm having a sad time at the moment and was moved to leave a comment about how helpful my friends have been, especially my friend Morag. Claire picked her random winner of a prize but also picked my comment for a spot prize. The twist with this giveaway was that it was for both the commenter and for the Nice Person. I am so lucky to have beautiful sets of WM stamps and also a sumptuous treat for Morag who is not a stamper.

So this card is saying a big THANK YOU to friends everywhere, all my kind crafty friends who read my blog and a Thank You to Claire who I have never met but who is clearly a generous and kind person. Oh and by the way her stamps are pretty amazing too!

Card uses Large Dainty Doilies stamps and sentiment from Say it Loud. I've based it around this week's Waltzing Mouse sketch challenge. Lace, gems and white heat embossing.

My card is for:

Waltzing Mouse - sketch

Shopping our Stash - lace

Craft your Passion - no patterned paper

Stampin' for the Weekend - embossing

Allsorts Challenge - free and easy

Drunken Stampers - something new (my gorgeous new stamps!)

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #61 - monochrome magic

2012-02-06T15:34:00.000Z

Welcome to a new Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge, this is one of those weeks when you almost wish you weren't on the DT when you see the fab sponsorship prizes! This week we are challenging you to make a monochrome project. The sponsors are Digi Doodle Store with a $10 gift certificate for their lovely images and IndigoBlu who are offering up an amazing prize of a Flitterglu starter kit AND one of their superb stamps!

I made a blue winter scene using the Here Comes Santa stamp set from IndigoBlu. I masked off a moon and used a mixture of inks on brushes to make a background, giving it a little spritz of water to blend. The snowflake border at the top is white heat embossed, it shows up far better in real life. I then added the sentiment and trees, stamping twice before re-inking for the trees. I really didn't want to add much more to it, so I matted it a few times, added a ribbon and a few gems on the snowflakes. Brr... chilly card for a grey chilly day:).

I'm also entering my card for:

Paper Sundaes - clean & simple (not much white space but I hope it fits their criteria!)

Crazy4Challenges - make a scene

Winter Wonderland - blue & white

Challenge up your Life - monochrome

Craft a Scene - winter scene

Pollycraft - chill out

Craft your Passion - no patterned paper, anything goes

Phindy's Place Challenge #91 - photo inspiration

2012-02-05T18:19:00.001Z

Sorry to be so late posting this card, I have been unwell. This week at Phindy's Place Challenge we have a gorgeous photo to inspire you. Do check out the DT's cards, we also have a very talented Guest Designer this week, Katja. There is a $5 gift certificate to win for Card of the Week as well as for a randomly picked winner. While you don't have to use one of Phindy's images, there are some fabulous images that we love to see made into cards and don't forget you get two entries into the draw if you use one!

I've side-stepped the valentine potential and used red and green to make a Christmas card with Done Shopping, an image that doesn't have to be for Christmas. My card uses #8 from the Sketch'n'Stash back catalogue of sketches, with ribbon, card candy, poinsettias and a sentiment added to Echo Park Season's Greetings DP.
My card is also for:
Sketch'n'Stash - free choice stash
Christmas Inspirations - anything goes
Craft us Crazy - anything goes
Do you Stack up - anything goes
Pixie Dust Studio - girly girl
Rainbow Lady - wear red

Cradfty Cardmakers- Challenge #60 - use beads on your project

2012-01-23T12:26:00.000Z

The new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers is to use beads on your project. We have two fab sponsors, The Stamp Man and Di's Digi Downloads, so there are some great prizes to be won. I thought about showing some of the beading that I have made but decided to use beads on a card instead. My rose is a Fred, She Said digi coloured with copics. I added some Glossy Accents and dropped some crystal seed beads into it in the centre. The rose is popped up with some Pinflair glue onto a couple of diecuts, the pearlised card has been dry embossed with Swiss Dots. The DP is Basic Grey Out of Print and the sentiment is Stampin' Up. To finish up I embossed a grid onto the background card and used Glossy Accents again to attach pink seed beads.

Take a walk on the wild side

2012-01-22T16:53:00.000Z

One Layer Wednesday is challenging us to make a birthday card for a guy. This Darkroom Door stamp set was bought back in November and put away as a Christmas present, it doesn't say Happy Birthday but I would be happy to give it as a guy card. I first tried it unadorned, but it needed the rusty brown brads. I did a lot of faffing about to make a mask for the inking and match it with the stamping, I really must learn how to use my stamp positioner!

My card is for:

One Layer Wednesday - odd birthday

Charisma Cardz - clean & simple

Crafty Pad - something for the boys

Craft a Scene - anything goes

Let's Ink it Up - anything goes

Combination Headache

2012-01-21T17:52:00.001Z

This week's CAS-ual Fridays has a black & white challenge with the very stern admonition "no other colours will be allowed, not even a speck!" lol! I thought it would be fun to see if I could combine it with this week's Less Is More challenge, which turned out to be an aperture card. Hmm... it would have been far quicker to make two cards, but I got there in the end.

I have a Memory Box Christmas tree die and I remember Mustavacoffee, a LIM regular, making a gorgeous card where she had cut the aperture with her die and then added the swirly bit. So I faffed and fiddled about and cut numerous trees with my die to no avail. In the end I cut an aperture through the card and then through black card and lined them up and attached the tree to the inside so you can see it. The false start here was when I sprayed the tree with glue but no matter how hard I tried it would not line up how it should. Note to self: if something is not totally symmetrical, always check which side you should be spray glueing...
I've added some punched snowflakes with black or white gems, a piece of lacy net and an Indigoblu sentiment.

I'd like to show you a couple of LIM related photos. This week I was lucky enough to win the December prize from Lots of Lovely Ribbons, thank you to Mandi and Chrissie and also of course to Lots of Lovely Ribbons for this brilliant prize that came this morning.

Also, Chrissie came to see me on Thursday and we enjoyed some retail therapy, she brought me these beautiful roses. I love all flowers, but I do particularly love yellow flowers, these are really brightening my day. Thanks Chrissie!

I'm entering my card for:
Less is More - cut it out
CAS-ual Fridays - penguin day (b&w)
Charisma Cardz - clean & simple

Not quite done with Christmas yet...

2012-01-20T18:30:00.000Z

I don't think I'm quite done with Christmas yet and here is one for the next one, it's a last minute entry for Sketch Saturday. This is a LOTV stamp that belongs to my friend Val, who kindly let me play with her stamps. I often have trouble finding papers to match an image I've coloured, but the Memory Box DP and the browns and ribbons seemed to work well here and I'm pleased with the overall look.

My card is also for:

Fussy & Fancy - let it snow

Colour Creations - pink & green

Moving Along with the Times - things with wings

Crafting for all Seasons - snowmen/snowflakes

Sisterhood of Crafters - winter card

Phindy's Place Challenge #89 - Shaped Cards

2012-01-20T08:53:00.001Z

Good morning and welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, this week we want you to use a shaped card: no straight edged squares or rectangles please! This threw me into rather a panic but I found a Go-Kreate die and cut my card with it, using the same die to cut the DP to by cutting it down and fiddling around. I used the image Big Girl's Class, which is one of my all-time favourites for making a girly card, beautiful isn't it! There was little room for embellies, so I added a couple of gems and a dotty ribbon. Sentiment is Personal Impressions.

My card is entered for:

Cute Card Thursday - music and dance

Pixie Dust Studio - going dotty (ribbon)

Creative Inspirations - birthdays

Stamp'n'Doodle - birthdays

Red roses in winter

2012-01-17T11:46:00.000Z

I've another card from that gorgeous Engraved Flowers set to share with you today. I've kept to a restricted palette of red, white and black. The flowers are stamped at random with Versamark and red embossed for the background. I've added the sentiment from the same set, a bit of matting and layering, some lace, spotty flower and stripy ribbon. This was a very quick card, I do like this flower as a background. Keep warm everyone, it's bitterly cold here today:(.
My card is for:
Simon Says - spots and/or stripes
Incy Wincy - bold and bright
One Stop Crafts - on the spot and ribbon
Sentimental Sundays - ribbon
Totally Papercrafts - spots and stripes

Fair Isle and Bling

2012-01-15T13:57:00.000Z

It was time that I inked up my Nordic Winter stamps with something other than red, so I decided to follow this week's Waltzing Mouse Sketch and make an icy blue card for it. The vertical stripes are some paper I won from Paper Temptress, a lovely satiny paper. I just meant to put the larger bling in the corners and maybe a scattering on the snowflakes, but the card told me it needed more and I used up my small bling:). There's a lot of sparkle in real life...

My card is for:

Waltzing Mouse - sketch

Shopping our Stash - glitters, sparkles or shines

Stamptacular Sunday - texture (twine, gems)

Use it Tuesday - all about winter (used up gems)

Tuesday Throwdown - baby it's cold outside

Sweet Stamps - hearts (middle border)

I Brake for Stamps - clean & simple

Secret Crafter - anything goes with blue

Simon Says - spots and/or stripes this one is stripes:)

Something different

2012-01-14T14:12:00.000Z

Here's a second post from me today as I've tried something a little different and wanted to share it: stamping onto fabric. I used the Stamp Addicts Engraved Flowers set again and wondered how well all the intricate detail would show up. It worked perfectly and all the detail is there if you click on the picture. I left it uncoloured and like the vintage look of brown ink, frayed edges and stitching. It's stitched on to Kraft, matted onto brown and a couple of rows of scallops added as well as the ribbon. What do you think?
I'm entering my card for:
CAS-ual Fridays - scallops
Sir Stampalot - monochrome
Simon Says - spots and/or stripes
Moving Along with the Times - spots and/or stripes
One Stop Craft - on the spot and ribbon
Cupcake Craft - something new (stamping on fabric)

Less is more - one layer birds

2012-01-14T12:12:00.003Z

Here is my entry for this week's Less is More. I used a Crafty Individuals stamp that is perfect for long thin cards, with a Stampin' Up sentiment. Worn Lipstick and Wild Honey Distress Inks were brushed on over a Post-it mask and I embossed a single line either side of the inked panel. Looking through my stamps, I seem to have quite a few birds - some of which haven't yet seen ink - so I may be back with another card later in the week!
Other challenges entered:
Sarah Hurley - thank you
I Brake for Stamps - simple

Phindy's Place Challenge Challenge #88 - Tic Tac Toe

2012-01-13T08:53:00.000Z

Good morning and welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge. Cec has devised a tic-tac-toe challenge for us and I have used the diagonal line of embossing, ribbon and sewing. I had planned to stitch along my ribbon but forgot until it was stuck down and too late. I've used a sewing theme so I thought about trying to claim that was my element, then I gave in and stitched round the image:).
I used Spools, one of the two-seven-oh designs from Phindy, adding in some Cosmo Cricket themed papers, yellow ribbon, embossed red card, buttons and a Pink Petticoat sentiment. My card is based on this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge.

I'm also entering:
Paperplay - in stitches
Pixie Cottage - stitching and/or sketch
Gingersnap Creations - ribbon

Engraved flowers

2012-01-11T09:59:00.000Z

This card uses one of the new Engraved Flowers set from Stamp Addicts, gorgeous detailed stamps that are right up my street. I've gold embossed the rose 3 times, watercoloured it and layered it, adding some beads to the centre. Then I stamped the rose at random onto kraft card, using brown Memento ink, which makes a lovely co-ordinating DP. The other papers are Basic Grey Indian Summer and I followed a sketch from Sunday Sketch & Stamp.

I'm also entering my card for:

Crazy4Challenges - something new

Basic Grey - something new

Bearly Mine - anything goes

Cardmaking Mamas - new goodies

Simply Create - layers and layers

Delicious Doodles - all things new

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #59 - No floral embellishments

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000Z

Good Morning, I am excited to be able to tell you that I have been picked as part of the Design Team for Crafty Cardmakers and here is my card for this week's challenge, which is sponsored by both One Stop Crafts AND Digi Doodle Shop. The challenge is to use no floral embellishments on your card or project; I have still made a very flowery card but with no floral embellies. I used a stamp and sentiment from a new set I've got called Engraved Flowers by Stamp Addicts, the lily is coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents. I've embossed the border with Swiss Dots after I punched it, the DP is Basic Grey Sweet Threads and there are little pink pearls accenting the card. Oh, the ribbon is recycled from a box of chocolates:) I do hope you'll join us and play along with the challenge.
I'm also entering:
Basic Grey - something new (new stamp set)
One Stop Craft - Bingo (embossing, diecuts, flowers diagonal)
Cute Card Thursday - what's new (stamp set)
Crafty Emma - anything goes

Predominantly Purple

2012-01-07T11:37:00.000Z

Here's my card for this week's Less is More which uses one of my favourite stamp from last year, a gate by Stamp Addicts. The background was brushed with a mixture of purple inks and then heavily sprayed with water; the moon was masked off. I inked my dotty stamp with the same purples and added some texture to the background. The foliage either side comes from a branch stamp and the sentiment is embossed with Adirondack Eggplant. The mirri layer is silver, it looks more gold here!

Phindy's Place Challenge Challenge #87 - Colour Quartet

2012-01-06T10:22:00.000Z

Welcome to the first Phindy's Place Challenge of 2012, we have a lovely fresh looking colour challenge for you this week: brown, teal, celery/moss and white. I've used an image called Snow Buddy, who is one of the Winter Cuties, I don't seem to be quite done with Christmas yet. I've followed Sketch Saturday's layout and used papers by Basic Grey and Stampin' up, along with some dry embossing, punched snowflakes and some twill tape. I do hope you join our challenge, it's a lovely colour combination to work with:).
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Gingerloft - Christmas and winter
My Craft Spot - winter wonderland
Sweet Stamps - winter
Everybody Art Challenge - snow
Creative Card Crew - snow day
Divas by Design - Christmas
Creative Belli - snowflakes
Christmas Challenges - punches or dies (snowflakes)

Finally, some of you may know that we have all had a horrid time over Christmas as my husband left whch has been a dreadful shock to me and to my sons. On Wednesday I came home to find these beautiful flowers had been delivered - from Phindy herself. They came with a lovely message and I was very moved by her kindness, especially as she is going through problems herself as her son is treated for a serious injury. Thank you Phindy.

Lots of layers

2012-01-04T09:55:00.000Z

I bought some new House Mouse decoupage from Joanna Sheen and have been cutting out while my mojo is missing. There is a lot going on with the image so I've kept the rest of the card pretty simple, with a couple of layers, a border punch and some ribbon.

My card is for:

House Mouse & Friends - something new (the decoupage pack)

Charisma Cardz - anything goes

Simon Says - new something

Papertake Weekly - anything goes (option of new)

Nordic simplicity

2012-01-02T09:53:00.000Z

My mojo seems to be missing at the moment and I can only hope that it returns when things are easier. In the meantime though, I have been playing with my new Nordic Winter stamps from Waltzing Mouse, making regular, geometric patterns with them is something I'm enjoying. Those of you who look at my blog will know that my favourite stamps are tree stamps, followed by more tree stamps followed by yet more... but this set is fast overtaking them with its simplicity. Need to break away from just read and white though.

I followed the Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge and, at first, used a freebie Craft Stamper stamp on it, but didn't like it, so I changed it for the snowflake. Here it is with the star, what do you think? Hope it doesn't look too different to the sketch! I have added one tiny piece of bling to the snowflake, matted it three times, with a thin strip of card across it, and that is it.

My card is for the following challenges:

Waltzing Mouse - sketch

Mark's Finest Papers - use a snowflake

Winter Wonderland - red & white

Creative Belli - Merry Christmas

Simon Says - anything goes

Fashionable Stamping - anything goes, new stash

Pile it On - anything goes

Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes

Just One Word

2011-12-27T18:56:00.001Z

This week's Less is More Challenge is to use just one word. Thank You cards are always useful at this time of year, however it's no good masking off the "you" on a sentiment when it needs the S adding. I found this very chunky Elusive Images stamp and gave it quite a gentle inking so that it isn't too dominant. Then I used the same ink and pearlised card with white embossed trees on it. I added a dusting of silver and one piece of bling. Sorry for the rubbish picture, will try again in daylight...

Jolly Holly

2011-12-20T21:11:00.001Z

Here's a pretty holly fairy from Phindy's Place, she looks like she is making magic with her holly sprig, don't you think? She's coloured with Copics and Stickles and the holly DP is Papermania, the holly berries are embossed on it. The ribbon is coloured with Copics and I've based my card on this week's sketch at Simon Says.

My card is for:

Simon Says - sketch

Papertake - last Christmas card of the year (it may be or I may still make some more!)

Party Time Tuesdays - use ribbon

Top Tip Tuesday - anything Christmas

Craft your Passion - things with wings

Mark's finest papers - make a Christmas card

Less is More Music

2011-12-17T11:37:00.000Z

I have been colouring an image from Mo Manning this week, all in E tones, and realised that it works for this week's Less is More. I don't often use colored images for LIM but the colours are restrained and I like it on the white card. I have no idea if the music is right way up or not, all I can say is that it is the way it is shown on the stamp:). Main image is Mo Manning, music is Prima, sentiment is Indigo Blu.
My card is for:
Less is More - music
Heidi's Hobbystuggu - Christmas
Fairy Fun - Holly Jolly no red or green
ABC Christmas - anything goes

Phindy's Place Challenge #86 - Scraps

2011-12-16T08:30:00.003Z

Welcome to the last Phindy's Place Challenge of the year. The DT is having a well deserved break and this challenge will run until 6 January, so you have plenty of time to get your entries in. We are asking you to be frugal and use up all your scraps of paper and anything else you have lying around your craft space. Now I accidentally cheated, as the bits of paper are meant to be no bigger than 3" square. I got carried away followed the Saturday Sketchers layout and found one of mine is bigger, oops! The snowflakes are punched from the leftovers when I used my Nestie circle on the main image, both bits of ribbon are short lengths that I've finished and used up on here. The DP is My Mind's Eye, which was out on my desk.
The gorgeous image, great for a teen card, is called Snow Glory.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Digital Tuesday - winter wonderland
Papertake Tuesday - favourite colour Christmas (purple!)

One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Charisma Cardz - last minute Christmas make
4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas
Creative Stamp Friends - Christmas
ABC Christmas - yipee anything goes
Crafting for all Seasons - Christmas
Bearly Mine - non traditional Christmas colours

Fred She Said Christmas Challenge

2011-12-16T08:00:00.004Z

Fred She Said is having a funlittle Christmas Challenge! The theme is " Make a Christmas Tag OR Share afavorite Holiday Recipe " How do you enter? You have lots of choice here: you can make a Christmas Tag, a recipe card, or share a favorite Holiday recipe on your blog, linking to our challenge. You don't have to use Fred She Saiddesigns, but we love it when you do!
The PRIZE is a $25 GC to the FredShe Said Store. There will be one winner chosen randomly. Entries will be accepted until Friday DEC 30th midnight EST. ... moredetails at the Fred She Said BLOG:)

I used a lovely snowflake medallion from Fred She Said, which is pre-coloured, ideal for a quick and easy tag for a gift. It really sparkles and shines; I gave it two coats or iridescent sparkle before I assembled the three layers and added Stickles and Perfect pearls to it. You can find the snowflake here on the Fred She Said Blog - it is a freebie!

I also have a holiday recipe to share with you, which was given to me by a lady who took a quilting course with me. I don't know where Barbara got the recipe from, but I do know it is delicious!

Lemon-frostedpistachio cake.

250g butter

250g caster sugar

3 eggs

100g shelled pistachio nuts (un salted)

100g ground almonds

1 orange

1 teaspoon rosewater

60g plain flour

Crystallized rose petals and shelled pistachio nuts todecorate (optional)

Preheatthe oven to 160 C Gas 3 and line thebottom of a non-stick 22cm/ 9 in. cake tin.

Cream thebutter and sugar in food mixer until very light and fluffy.

Add theeggs one at a time, beating between additions

Blitz the pistachios to fine crumbs infood processor and then add them with the ground almonds, to the butter andsugar.

Finely grate zest and squeeze orange and thenstir in with rosewater.

Lastly fold in flour with a large metal spoon.

Scoop mixture into lined baking tin and bakefor fifty minutes, covering top lightly with foil for last 10 minutes.

Check thecake by inserting metal skewer into centre. It should come out fairly clean,without any wet mixture stuck to it. Leave to cool in the tin and thenturn it out.

To makethe icing

100gunrefined icing sugar.

2tblsp lemon juice.

Mix sugar and lemon juice till smooth.Pour over the cake and decorate with rose petals and pistachio nuts. Leave till icing is set.

I'm entering my tag for a few challenges:

Drunken Stampers - glittery holiday

Designed2Delight - tag you're it

Whimsical Wednesday - tags

Heart Song Inspirations - snowflakes and/or doilies

Cupcake Craft - look at the light (sparkly, shiny)

Everybody Art Challenge - blue & white

Digital Tuesday - winter wonderland

Shopping our Stash - tag it krafty

Do You Stack Up - winter photo inspiration

Try it on Tuesday - gift tags galore

Anything Goes - anything but a card

Craft Your Passion - tag you're it
Colour Create - blue, silver and white

Simple Scene

2011-12-14T09:25:00.000Z

Here's a very simple Christmas card, using a non-UK Stampin' Up stamp belonging to my friend Val. I inked the sentiment part of the stamp with gold Versamark ink and the rest with plain black, stamping it onto some paper that I'd brushed with Distress Inks. The gold cord and mirri card mat echo the sentiment.

My card is for:

Bearly Mine - Christmas, no red or green - hope Donna is feeling better

Deep Ocean - let it snow

Paper and Such - clean and simple Christmas

Paper Minutes - clean and simple

Karen's Doodles - clean and simple

Gingerloft Challenges - Christmas/winter

Paper Sundaes - anything Christmas

Tagged

2011-12-13T12:20:00.000Z

The Nordic Winter stamp set from Waltzing Mouse was love at first sight for me, unfortunately I'm waiting for a full set of the stamps as the supplier sent out a faulty batch, including my set. However Claire the owner of WM emailed all who had bought the sets to track down and make sure that any faulty stamps were identified and replaced. Mistakes happen, to me it is how they are dealt with that shows the quality of a business. Full marks to Claire for reacting like this, it certainly gives me faith in her as a customer.

Anyhow, I used the stamps that were ok, or short lengths of them, to make this tag for the Waltzing Mouse Challenge. The white on red sentiment is a better match to the ink in real life! I stamped 3 little squares and made a 3D shape for the bottom, attached with a jump ring, also added some red gems. Beautiful, detailed stamps that really don't need anything adding to them.

My tag is entered for:

Waltzing Mouse - Christmas Tag Challenge

Craft Your Passion - tag you're it

PanPastel UK - gift tags

Designed to Delight - tag you're it

Shopping our Stash - tag it crafty

Snow and skis

2011-12-13T09:35:00.000Z

My card today uses a Lili of the Valley stamp belonging to my friend Val, love the jumper on the dog. The knitting DP is Nordic Christmas? Winter? and the check is My Minds Eye. I followed the sketch at Paper Pretties.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - anything Christmas

My Mum's Craft Shop - traditional Christmas

Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas

Colour Create - red, white, green, snowflakes

Simply Create Too - embossing

Crafts & Me - winter snow/snowflakes

The Pink Elephant - snowflakes and sparkle

Victorine Stamps - Christmas

Crafty Calender - cold and frosty

Less is More let it snow

2011-12-12T10:11:00.000Z

I had a real attack of random smudges with my one layer cards for Less is More this week, this is my final attempt which has a little cut off the bottom to remove some red ink. Red? Haven't used red for ages... When I then got a blue smudge at the top right I could have either wept about it or covered it up. In the end I did both and it is at least finished. If you look closely at the ornaments, the stamp is made up of lots of tiny snowflakes, you may need to click on the pic. They are white embossed and I drew in strings for them. Do you think I should have extended the string to the ribbon?
My card is for:
Less is More - let it snow
Addicted to Stamps - snowflakes
Kenny K's - Christmas hues of blues
Let's Ink it Up - Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - let it snow

Phindy's Place Challenge #85 - clean and simple

2011-12-09T08:30:00.003Z

Welcome to this week's challenge, a great one for those of us who are struggling to get last minute cards made for Christmas! I have made an almost one-layer card; I embossed the card with a Nestie and then die cut my image and placed it inside the embossed lines. The image is called Winter Bird and it is really quick to colour, so effective too. There's some Glamour Dust on the snow and some Glossy Accents on the robin. I added a sentiment from Butterfly Kisses in red and some red twine to accent the red in the image.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Shopping our Stash - lights, whites or Meljen - I chose white
Simon Says - Christmas photomontage inspiration
Stamp, scrap & doodle - holiday card

Kraftin' Kimmie - embossing
Designed2Delight - snow
Crafty Calender - cold and frosty
Dream Valley - sparkle
Truly Madly Crafty - Christmas images & colours
Hooked on Craft - winter wonderland
Crafty Bloggers Network - shades of winter
Craft your Passion - anything goes + glitter
Top Tip Tuesday - let it snow
Celebrate the Occasion - Christmas no green
My Mum's Craft Shop - traditional Christmas
Crafts & Me - winter snow
Creative Belli - winter & Christmas
Pixie Dust Studio - glitter and bling
Papercrafting Journey - Christmas
Crafty Purple Frog - it's cold outside
Aud Sentiments - winter holiday sentiments

Traditional scene, non traditional colours

2011-12-08T16:19:00.000Z

This is a Stampington stamp on loan from my dear friend Val. I've gold embossed it and inked the background. It is mounted on some scrap card that has been edged with embossing ink all round and then embossed with the same powder, which makes a perfect match. I've moved away from traditional Christmas colours but I realised as I added some green contrast it doesn't fit some of the non-trad challenges; oh well.
This card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Sarah Hurley - Christmas
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Joanna Sheen - Christmas Wishes
Crimbo Crackers - embossing
ABC Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Crafty Cardmaking - heat embossing
Kraftin' Kimmie - heat embossing
Incy Wincy - non traditional Christmas colours
StampsRUs - emboss it

Less is More - green

2011-12-03T17:25:00.000Z

This week the Limettes have given us a green challenge. This is a Memory Box die called grape wreath that isn't necessarily Christmassy but which I think can be. Carrying on with making two cards at a time with whatever I pull out, the first card has the wreath off the edge with pearls for mistletoe berries, sentiment is Indigo Blu. Second card is very conventional, wreath dead centre (I hope), red berries and red Papermania sentiment. You know there's almost too much white space here...

Phindy's Place Challenge #84 - anything goes

2011-12-02T07:40:00.001Z

This is the first Friday of the month, which means we have our Anything Goes Challenge at Phindy's Place - anything goes as long as you use a Phindy's Place image that is:). I'm very behind with making Christmas cards so I've used the gorgeous In the Winter Field image, colouring with Copics and a bit of Glamour Dust. I used my blender pen for the snow in the sky and the markings on the deer's back. I've loosely followed the Sketch Saturday sketch for my card, which has a Craftwork Cards sentiment and a Nestie frame, snowflakes are also a Spellbinders die. I do hope you'll join us at Phindy's Place this week!
My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Hooked on Craft - winter wonderland
Gingerloft Challenges - Christmas and winter
Shopping Our Stash - digital image
Whimsical Designs - layers
Delightful Challenges - let it snow

Some More Less is More

2011-12-01T07:49:00.001Z

Susan has one of the best C&S blogs out there, she is part of the One Layer Wednesday team. To get going on her Christmas cards, she has resolved to try to make at least two cards, each different, with every stamp set she pulls out. I have hardly any cards made so I thought this was a really good idea. So I got my Indigo Blu stamp set that had not yet been used and made a couple of one layer cards. The small square one is my favourite, the bling and the ink match much better in real life, the light has been dreadful for taking photos lately. Second card is silver embossed on pale blue cardstock. Two more cards for the pile...
My cards are for:
Less is More - a bit of bling
Simon Says - anything goes
St Luke's Charity Cards - let it snow (will try to make another couple for them)

Less is more - a bit of bling

2011-11-29T15:14:00.000Z

Sorry to be MIA a while, I am dealing with some unpleasant stuff just now and finding anything creative a struggle. This card is a variation on one I made before for Christmas and it's for Less is More's a bit of bling challenge. The Stampin' Up tree is embossed with dark green, the sentiment is also embossed. A narrow strip of red on the inside highlights the border of the card and the bling is on top of the tree.
My card is also for:
StampsRUs - emboss it
Incy Wincy - trees ,trees and more trees!
Stamptacular Sunday - anything Christmas
Crafty Cardmakers - heat embossing

Phindy's Place Challenge #82 - Christmas Cards

2011-11-19T10:55:00.000Z

I'm sorry to be late with my card for this week's Phindy's Place Challenge. I've a fairly simple card showing off the fabulous Power Nap image. This would work great with a paper pieced armchair, I chose to simply colour using my Copics. There's a charm of a sleigh hanging from the twine.

Fred She Said Wonderful Winter/Christmas Blog Hop

2011-11-18T06:01:00.004Z

Welcome to our Fred She Said Winter Blog Hop! We are having a hop with some great prizes, if you have arrived here from my friend Val's blog you're in the right place, if not you'll want to start from the beginning at Tracey's blog. I've a card using the new Christmas poinsettia lantern to show you, isn't it beautiful. I've printed it twice, coloured it with Copics and layered it and added lots of stitching, the sentiment is included with the image. I have a very short hidden word for you to collect for the hop: my word is "and".

Now it's time for you to continue hopping on over to the lovely Debbie's blog to find some more hidden words.
My card uses the sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday

Santa Tag

2011-11-15T08:02:00.001Z

I'm enjoying a visit from my mother, not much time to craft but last night I sneaked a few minutes to play with new stash from the NEC and made this tag. I'm very into red and white for Christmas at present, what do you think? The top is shaped with a new label Nestie, the white embossed Santa and sentiment are from a Butterfly Kisses stamp set, again bought at the NEC and unused till now. The tag was a little flimsy so I added a white back, punched a border to show the white, punched a few snowflakes and gave them red gem centres and added some baker's twine.
My tag is for:
CAS-ual Friday - tag you're it
Stamptacular Sunday - punch it
Cute Card Thursday -reds for remembrance
Pile it On - traditional Christmas
Fabulous Friday - embossing
Christmas Stampin' All Year - stamp never seen ink
Shopping our Stash - never been inked
Pink elephant - embossing
Hooked on Craft - something punched
Bows'n'Berries - tags

Double embossed

2011-11-14T08:23:00.002Z

You can't get much more simple than today's card: sentiment by Butterfly Kisses is silver embossed in the space left by the embossing folder, I used pearlised card. I toyed with gems on the snowflakes but in the end I left well alone. Busy week coming up, hope to come up for air at the other end of it!
My card is for:
Kenny K's - emboss
Fabulous Friday - embossing
Floweret - Christmas
Mami Doodles - Christmas
Wags'n'Whiskers - Christmas
Delightful Challenges - snowflakes
Little Miss Muffet - simplicity
Papercrafting Journey - embossing
Fab'n'Funky - alright on the night
Papertake - first Christmas
Make my Monday - c&s, emphasis on the sentiment

Have a purrfect day

2011-11-13T09:50:00.000Z

Here's a quick card from me before we head off for a second day at Cheltenham races; we both had a winner yesterday so we have paid our way so far, hopefully we can better that today:).

My card uses the new Purrfect Day stamp set from Stamp Addicts, you can buy it here . The cat was stamped and cut with a Nestie, the sentiment, fishbones and paw prints are all part of the set, I've white embossed them. The DP is My Mind's Eye and some Kraft, I used a MS punch on that strip card.

My card is for:

House that Stamps Built - sketch

Papercraft Journey - embossing

Dutch Dare - punches

Glitter Geeks - humorous

Frosted Designs - embossing

Craft Barn Blog Candy - not to be missed

2011-11-13T09:35:00.000Z

I wish I lived nearer to the Craft Barn - or at least that I didn't have to sit on the M25 for hours to get there! Great shop, fab classes and today they have amazing candy - click here for the details.

Less is More - one layer and leaves

2011-11-12T09:39:00.000Z

A very quick Less Is More posting here as we are off to the races in a few minutes, I have yet to get changed and dry my hair and now my fingers are all inky! The theme is a favourite of mine, leaves, and I have a longing to CASE some of Chrissie's cards, but for now I've used my No More Shims with a stencil I bought last year at the NEC and couldn't get to work. The NMS makes it really easy! I've sponged some ink on, added a Butterfly Kisses sentiment bought this year and coloured the berries. Not much empty space here, may try half the wreath only but then will need a different sentiment... bye for now

Phindy's Place Challenge 81 - Thankful

2011-11-11T08:30:00.001Z

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, which is all about being thankful. My Thank You card uses an old favourite, Mrs Comfy and Pogg. Here Mrs Comfy is being careful to keep Pogg dry as they go for their walk:). I really wanted my image to be a good size so I could enjoy colouring it without agonising over tiny bits of image, so I chose to make it an easel. Image is coloured with Coics and Distress Ink. The DP is Basic Grey Sweet Threads, I added a computer generated sentiment, some stitching, some buttons, a Martha Stewart punch and a bit of glitter for the puddles.

My card is for:
Basic Grey - anything goes
Pile it On - give thanks
Incy Wincy - stitching
iCopic - thank you
Digital Tuesday - anything goes
Creative Card Crew - thankful
Sisterhood of Crafters - giving thanks
Penny's Paper Crafty - give thanks
Digistamps4Joy - with gratitude
Paper Pretties - buttons
Aud Sentiments - thank you

Don't be gnomeless!

2011-11-10T08:24:00.000Z

Today I have a monochrome card to show you, using the Gnome Sweet Gnome set from Stamp Addicts, I've decided tto leave the sentiment off for now, really he could be used for all kinds of things. As usual, he's coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks. The DP is, I think, My Mind's Eye for the large square and some Stampin' Up in front of it. I've stitched round all the DP and added a MS punched fence in kraft paper, with some twine around it. And that's it, this little chap doesn't need too many embellies...

My card is for:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch (new stamps, old DP)
Ooh la la - stitching
Totally Papercrafts - stitch it
Anything Goes - stitch it
Bearly Mine - one for the boys - Get Well Soon Donna!
Craft Your Passion - anything goes + brown
House of Gilli - monochromatic
Incy Wincy - stitching

Treed!

2011-11-09T07:59:00.000Z

Yes it is still a tree stamp but not one of my usual trees:). Here is another card using the Purrfect Day set from Stamp Addicts. The tree image is for half the tree, split lengthways so it is really easy to match up and make the tree as long as you need. I stamped some extra leaves and added them on Pinflair glue for a bit of dimension and I masked the tree so my smaller cat could hang from the branches. Coloured with Copics, background inked with Adirondack Denim. Sentiment is from the set too. I've followed this week's Sketch Saturday, the gold panel uses a Tim Holtz embossing folder, the bright colours are meant to pick up on my ginger cat:).
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Cheerful Stamp Pad - trees
Let's Ink it Up - favourite technique - mine is masking
Penny Black & More - all creatures great and small
Just Some Lines - light blue and orange
Crafty Catz - anything goes

Have a purrfect day

2011-11-08T16:53:00.000Z

Here's a second posting from me for today, this time using another new Stamp Addicts set - Purrfect Day. I'm not a cat lover, but this set was fun to play with, here I paper pieced the bins, masking them as I stacked them up. The bin lid is popped up on Pinflair glue. Sentiment and fishbone stamps are both included in the set. The background is inked with Distress Inks, DP is an old one I've had for ages; I used a Martha Stewart punch on the corners, and added twine and tiny buttons.
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Simon Says - buttons
Paper Sundaes - rectangle
Allsorts Challenge - anything but square

All together now...

2011-11-08T08:23:00.001Z

I have a lot on my plate just now and making cards with random images that I see is not one of them! However, when I saw Happy Howlidays at Phindy's Place it just whispered "make me, make" and kept getting louder So I gave in and made a quick card to get it out of my system for the time being... Love that feisty little Chihuahua at the front:). DP is Bo Bunny, I added Woodware Fluffy Stuff to the hats, think I'll leave it out next time. Dis cut flourishy thing is Memory Box.

My card is for:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch

Forever Friends - something old (DP from last year) something new (image)

Sweet'n'Sassy - Christmas Holiday theme

Christmas Stampin' All Year - favourite sketch - ok I don't really have one, it depends on the sketch! But I do always try to do Sweet Sketch

One Stitch at a Time - use a digi

Catered Crops - recipe (ingredients used: Christmas, green, Distress Ink, die cuts,)

I Did it Creations - Christmas

Christmas Inspirations - bows - mine are on the dogs!

Gnome Sweet Gnome

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000Z

I've been using a new stamp set from Stamp Addicts called Gnome Sweet Gnome which is very different from the Trees and Scenics I've been working with, they are really fun images and here's the first card I have to show you. I love the way he's putting his feet up on a toadstool! Chair is paper pieced with some Basic Grey from Sweet Threads, the last scrap of it is in a strip across the card. Mr Gnome is coloured with Copics, some Glossy Accents on his spectacles and Distress Ink in Pine Needles on both backgrounds. I've gold embossed toadstools from the set to make the background and embossed the sentiment too. Hope you like my Gnomie:).
My card is for the following challenges:
Squirrel & the Fox - hats and flowers - not a Melbourne Cup hat but definitely a hat!
Aud Sentiments - make us laugh
Charisma Cardz - cutesy
Sarah Hurley - use more than two images - gnome + lots of toadstools
The Paper Variety - laughter is the best medicine
Whimsical Wednesday - anything goes
Stamp'n'Doodle - emboss it

Tag, you're it!

2011-11-06T11:40:00.000Z

More NEC stash, this time two stamps from Inkylicious, the cityscape and the Santa. I will admit this needs a bit of work, the stamp is clear and not deeply etched, I've ended up with some lines across my scene while trying to get it to stamp cleanly... Inked with Versafine Majestic Blue, second and third stampings behind one another. Ink brushed onto the background and some Glamour Dust added for snow and around the moon. This is a tag for One Layer Wednesday and I'm also tentatively entering it for CASual Fridays as the bow is an over-the-edge element. But is it clean and simple with little or no white space? Hmm I'm not sure:)

Less is More - red & orange

2011-11-05T10:18:00.000Z

Woo hoo, for the first time in I don't know how long we have a weekend at home to catch up on things and I can play for the LIM Challenge straight away. The first card uses new stash from the trip that Chrissie, Lady Limette herself and I made to the NEC, I have long drooled over the Stampscapes stamps, but they are even more enticing now you can buy them as unmounted, not just on woodblock. By the time I returned to the stand I had spent, umm, a lot and I just bought the two stamps I used here. They are stunning and this is my third inking of it, one I messed up by not being patient while the black ink dried on the glossy card. Background is brayered with Kaleidoscope spices and I have added and Adirondack Currant Red ink sun. Sentiment is Stampin' Up, using a bit of the one I messed up.
I restrained myself from grilling Chrissie about this week's theme during our shopping foray, had I done successfully I would have bought some orange embossing powder from WOW for the next card which I admit is a rather brownish orange... This is my first set of Darkroom Door stamps, the detail on these is stunning and like the Stampscapes, it stamped perfectly. This is a one layer card, embossed with Apple Red and Nutmeg, sentiment is Stampin' Up. It's hard to see but I embossed two parallel lines beneath the leaves, they seemed to need something to stop them drifting!

And lastly a photo of two happy shoppers:)

Phindy's Place Challenge 80 - Anything Goes Using a Phindy's Place image

2011-11-04T07:50:00.001Z

Morning everyone! First Friday of the month is time for a Phindy's Place Anything Goes Challenge - anything that is as long as you use a Phindy's Place image! I've made an easel card using Looking Good - one of the Plump 'Uns series of images - she does look great, doesn't she? Comfortable in her own skin...
I've coloured her with Copics, used a sketch from The Sweet Stop and added a sentiment from Create with TLC. The DP is Prima and the diecut is by Tim Holtz. I love this image and I love the sentiment too; enjoy your Friday everyone.
My card is for the following challenges:
The Sweet Stop - sketch
Heartsong Inspirations - embossing and/or 3 or more layers
Dream Valley - anything goes
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - fall colours
Crazy Amigos - time
Little Darlings - not square
My Mum's Craft Shop - with thanks - this is not a thank you card, but it IS all about being grateful for what you have and living life not just existing
4 Crafty Chicks - die cuts

Nautical Knots

2011-11-02T07:50:00.000Z

Here's one of my cards using the new Stamp Addicts set On the Water, which also uses the dotties for the clouds. Image was coloured with watercolours, the red sail was coloured directly to make it as bright as possible, I also reflected the red in the water. I tied what I hoped look like nautical knots on my cardstock on the front panel of this stepper card. This set was really fun to use, though DH says the perspective is all wrong on my scene, never mind I like it!
My card is for:
Papertake - anything goes
Shopping our Stash - sports
Try it on Tuesday - unusual card shapes
Card Cupids - more than one fold
One Stop Craft - no sentiment
My Sheri Crafts - sports
Our Creative Corner - fancy folds
Sweet Stampin' - anything goes
Poodle Parlour - let's hear it for the boys
Crafty Sentiments - more than one fold
Craft Room Challenge - for a man
Stamps R Us -masculine theme

Red Robins in the Round

2011-11-01T07:50:00.002Z

This pair of robins from Fred She Said is a favourite traditional Christmas image for me. Here it is coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks and added to Memory Box DP and a couple of scrolls from my Memory Box die. This card is for the following challenges:

Sketch'n'Stash - sketch

Corrosive Challenge - with a flourish

Scrappy Frog - something that flies

One Stitch at a Time - Christmas

Little Claire's - Christmas

Bah! Humbug - diecuts

Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas

Simon Says - anything goes

It's all falling into place - I don't be-leaf it - no trees!

2011-10-31T17:38:00.000Z

This evening, instead of trees, I have leaves to show you:). By good fortune this card fits the challenges for several of my favourite blogs, where I try to play along as often as I can. Midnight Madness has a fab prize of House Mouse stamps this week and since the lovely America is also part of House Mouse Monday she suggest combining the sketch with their Fall challenge. This little chap is a Joanna Sheen stamp, never seen ink before and I think I've had him for about a year - shameful! Cupcake Craft is where I won my first ever blog hop candy; I also one one of my first ever Top 3/5 awards from them so I love to join their challenges and this week they have leaves as their theme. Add to that Anything Goes at Basic Grey and Simon Says and I cover almost all my favourite challenges in one here.
About the card: coloured with Copics and Distress Inks. DP is Basic Grey, border punch EK Success, leaf and button punches Woodware. Sentiment is Dimension Fourth, strip ribbon from Stampin' Up.
This has been the strangest autumn for weather, we had that lovely sunny hot Indian summer, now it's mild but damp and we have a second bumper crop of mushrooms in the field where we keep out horses - unheard of so late in the year! Tonight I took my hat off and filled it with mushrooms in the absence of a clean container!
Challenges for my card:
Midnight Madness - sketch
House Mouse Mondays - Fall
Cupcake Crafts - take a leaf out of my book
Simon Says - anything goes
Basic Grey- anything goes
Creative Inspirations Paint - inspired by Fall
Quirky Crafters - autumn leaves
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Fall colours
Craft Your Days Away - autumn
Pattie's Creations - Halloween or Autumn colours
Whimsical Wednesday - Fall cuties
Shopping our Stash - autumn colours
Crafty Creations - fall and leaves

Chocolate, coffee and cream sounds like a perfect Christmas!

2011-10-31T07:30:00.002Z

Don't know what's happened to the colour on this card, IRL the background is cream and the trees are gold embossed onto dark brown card. No matter what I do, my photo seems determined to be black and white!
This is another c&s Christmas card using the Stamp Addict trees, as well as the dottiness stamp in the sky. The lacy ribbon is from Stamp Attic, sentiment Elzybells and image was cut out with a deckled edge Nestie.
My card is entered for:
Come & Get It - anything goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - coffee, chocolate and cream - colours not favourite things I mean!!
One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
Simon Says - anything goes

Phew that's better!

2011-10-30T10:54:00.001Z

My second posting today is a Less is More card that I'm much happier with. This is a mixture of stamps: Bethleham is an Art Impressions stamp I've had for some years, my Wise Men are from Stamp Addicts and the hillside is a Hobby Art from one of the Scene-It sets. Oh and the sentiment is Kaisercraft. I tried inking my desert and didn't like the look, so I stamped just the village onto my card and then put it again onto textured sandy-brown paper, adding the dunes and the wise men. Cut it and and stuck it down, trimmed the card and added some gold glitter to the star. Not quite a one layer card but still not going to need more than a standard stamp, another Christmas card done:).

I'm also entering the Simon Says - anything goes challenge.

One Layer Wednesday - red and white

2011-10-30T09:33:00.001Z

Susan's simply stunning OLC inspired me to play along at this week's OLW Challenge, to use only red and white or cream. I have longed for the Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree set ever since I saw it and finally treated myself to it; ironically it arrived a day after the gorgeous Stamp Addict trees, so it has been waiting for an airing. As I found I didn't have a bright red ink I took the scary option of red embossing onto white cardstock, this is the second attempt:). Sentiment is Elzybells, the shaped card shows a narrow strip of red card under its border.
My card is also entered for:
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - monochromatic
Krafting Kimmie - monochromatic
Crafty Ann's - clean & simple
Prairie Fairy - wet embossing
Floweret - Christmas again
Winter Wonderland - clean & simple Christmas card
Simon Says - anything goes

Less is More - stars

2011-10-29T20:02:00.000+01:00

This is a first attempt at today's Less is More challenge and I am the first to admit it does not look great. I'm full steam ahead on Christmas cards, preferably one layer, and wanted a star for my Wise Men to follow. So far, so good. Then I stamped and masked the Artemio star before inking the background. I found the little stars and wanted to add them in gold, made the mistake of using an embossing pen to fill in the big star, which now looks like a potato print. We were down at Mum's today trying to sort out lots of little niggles for her and just got home, I shall ty and turn in a better card tomorrow:)
Wise Men stamp from Stamp Addicts, little stars a magazine freebie, sentiment Elzybells, big star Artemio, a bit of a mixed bunch!

Winter whites

2011-10-29T07:30:00.002+01:00

I can't seem to leave my new tree stamps alone, this is a clean and simple Christmas card based on this week's CPS sketch. I started off wanting to keep it as Kraft and white but decided I prefer it with the red added in. Don't know whether to top the trees with a tiny gem, what do you think?

Stamp Addict Trees are embossed in white, as is the sentiment. White card has Cuttlebug embossed snowflakes. I've distressed the edges of the Kraft card with a bit of Brushed Corduroy.

My card is for the following challenges:

CPS - sketch

Crimbo Crackers - anything goes

Craft Your Passion - let's get crafty

Meljen's Designs - Christmas

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps - no colouring

Karen's Doodles - emboss it

One Stitch at a Time - emboss it

Simon Says - anything goes

Phindy's Place Challenge #79 - Paper Piecing

2011-10-28T08:00:00.002+01:00

Thank goodness it's Friday, this week has felt like painting the Firth Bridge at times:). Nearly the weekend and this morning I'll be glued to the telly watching Stamp Addicts at 10am... Friday of course also means a new Phindy's Place Challenge and this week our challenge is an old favourite: paper piecing. I used Flower Top Fairy Violet, her dress and her wings are paper pieced. It's hard to tell under that thick coating of Stickles but the wings are the same soft yellow as the flowers I added! DP is Basic Grey Wisteria, sentiment is LOTV and the punch added to the lines in the layout is Martha Stewart Pansy.
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Charisma Cards - anything goes
Crafty Purple Frog - sparkle
Digi Doodles Shop - anything goes
Hannah and Friends - glitter
Paper Crafting Journey - use a digi

Some skeins for Sketch Saturday

2011-10-27T19:16:00.000+01:00

I usually try to enter the challenge at Sketch Saturday and I found the shapes on the layout were best cut from 2 squares of DP, which left me with two sets. I have a card for tomorrow that uses the first set, but I made a second card which I am blogging tonight. The DP is Basic Grey Wisteria, I have just a few sheets of this beautiful DP left to play with. The image is one of Phindy's new Two Seven Oh series, called Skeins, I coloured with Copics and used Distress Ink for the background. The sentiment comes from Paulette at Create with TLC, I've added yarn and some buttons. I began with adding buttons the corresponded to the sketch but they looked very lonely so I kept adding them till it felt right:). I'm happy with the look but know I need to give this card to someone rather than post it, it is quite heavy now!
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Digi Doodles - anything goes
Papercrafting Journey - use a digi
Simon Says - anything goes
Whimsey Stamps - button it
Digital Tuesday - buttons & twine
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - going digi
Nettie G's digital gems - anything but a rectangle

Looking out onto Autumn

2011-10-27T08:22:00.002+01:00

Autumn has arrived with a vengeance, the rain is coming down heavily and the leaves are falling this morning. I have a rather sunnier autumn scene to show you today: I used the new window stamp from Stamp Addicts, masked, to frame a watercolour autumn scene using the Scenic stamps and a tree from the new Trees set. I've put a lot of Glossy Accents onto my window panes. Not sure what you'd call this shape of card: I've made a zig-zag fold and then added a card blank to it for my image, attached to the first and last fold, along with some pearls and ribbons. I've had this DP forever and I though it looked a bit wallpapery for my window:).
Tomorrow, my sample cards including this one will be on telly, Stamp Addicts have 2 programmes, at 10am and 1pm. If you're around I hope you'll watch, the rest of the DT have come up with some awesome projects:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz - anything goes

Simon Says - anything goes

Paper Shelter - anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters - anything goes

Celebrate the Occasion - fall

Shopping our Stash - autumn colours

Crafters Cafe Progressive - fall, brown, yellow, orange, leaves (on my tree) fancy folds - phew think I got 'em all!

Crafty Boots - autumn/Halloween

There she Goes - autumn/Halloween

Victorine Originals - Fall

A wreath for Wednesday

2011-10-26T08:12:00.000+01:00

Today's card is a fairly simple Christmas wreath, I wanted to keep things fairly plain to show off the gorgeous DP (Memory Box) as well as the stunning image. Image is from Fred She Said and available as a digi or pre-coloured. I chose to colour mine, adding Stickles to the berries, and perched a Christmas chickadee, pre-coloured this time on the wreath. My birdie is less than 1" high, pre-coloured was definitely what I needed here! The leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch, the sketch is from Papertake.

Enjoy your Wednesday and remember, we're over half way through the week, not long to the weekend...

My card is for the following challenges:

Papertake - sketch

Partytime Tuesday - anything goes

Christmas Stampin all Year - sparkly

Christmas Inspirations - punches/diecuts (branch punch, scalloped and circle dies)

Flourishes - trees and leaves

Up up and away

2011-10-25T08:22:00.000+01:00

Today I have a simple watercoloured card of an Autumn scene to show you. For once, I have no tree stamps in it, instead I've used a hot air balloon from the new On the Water stamp plate, combined with an older set, Scenic stamps. The image was too long to use my brayer to mirror it in the water so I stamped it onto acetate and pressed that to the card. I've added Glossy Accents to the balloon, oh and a bit of that dotty stamp in the sky. DP is Memory Box, I have scored my card 1/2" outside the angled mat.
My cad is for the following challenges:
Corrosive Challenge - flying things
Scrappy Frog - something that flies
Stampin' B's - score on a card
Little Red Wagon - fall project
Wags'n'Whiskers - fall colours

Black & Gold

2011-10-24T13:56:00.000+01:00

Here's one more card using those fabulous Tree stamps from Stamp Addicts; today I posted all the sample cards of to Sarah and Vicki to hopefully appear on this Friday's TV programmes at 10am and 1pm on Create & Craft. This is extremely simple, I think I spent longer trying to take a decent photo of this than I did making it!

The trees are gold embossed onto mountboard, the edges of the tiles embossed too. They were then sponged with Soot Black Distress Ink. The gold mirri card has an EK Success border and some ribbon with knots in it. I think this could be a Christmas card or something else again, whichever I like it:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - sundae bar I used black, distressing (ink) and sparkle

One Stop Craft - no designer paper

Fussy & Fancy - black, border punch and bling

Charisma Cardz - embossing

Paper Play - use black

Prairie Fairy - wet embossing

Simply Create - shades of black

Wintry treescape

2011-10-23T11:18:00.000+01:00

I was driving north yesterday and enjoyed a glorious wintry sunrise, this easel card is an attempt at the stunning colours, all using Distress Inks in Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Worn Lipstick, Weathered Wood. Trees and Dottiness stamps are from Stamp Addicts, I used the dotty cloud to create the card base. Sentiment is from Pink Petticoat and lacy ribbon from Stamp Attic. I drew in the birds with a permanent marker - even I can draw these!

My card is for the following challenges:

One Stop Craft - no designer paper

Bearly Mine - easel does it

Raise the Bar - orange and black

Aud Sentiments - sentiment and a winter theme

Tuesday Taggers - taking to the skies

A bit of dottiness

2011-10-22T20:36:00.000+01:00

I'm a bit late with my Less is More card for this week as I had to take younger son to look round one last university open day today, at Leicester this time, I think we've covered the length and breadth of the country this October! OK home to find the challenge this week is polka dots. I decided to use my rainy day little girl, from a set called April at Stamp Addicts and paper piece her coat in a lovely dotty DP from Memory Box brioche, which I thought would look very "mini Boden". It didn't work, it looked just too dotty so, not to be deterred, I paper pieced her hat and brolly from it instead. The underside of the brolly is shaded with W1 Copic and the rest of April is coloured with Copics. Having paper pieced her, I just had to use another matching DP from the set for the background. The sentiment is from Stampinbella and I think it goes perfectly with this image.

I'm entering my card for:

Less is More - polka dots

CAS-ual Fridays - just add colour

Crafty Ann - clean and simple

Whomping Willows

2011-10-21T19:05:00.001+01:00

Here's um, a rather different card I made today:). I love the new willow stamp in the Tree set from Stamp Addicts, however having read Harry Potter with the boys as they grew up I remembered the Whomping Willow and somehow the willows took on a sinister new look. I made a background with Distress Ink, a misting of water and the Dottiness stamp, added my willows, a die cut bat and letters. It needed something else - yes - googly eyes!

I'm entering my weird willows into the following challenges:

Crazy Challenge - Halloween

Addicted to Stamps - Halloween

Corrosive Challenges - flying things

Paper Sundaes - Halloween or Fall

Creative Stamp Friends - Halloween

Crafty Boots - Autumn or Halloween

Hooked on Craft - something spooky

Do You Stack Up - trees

Papertake - spooky hues

Divas by Design - something spooky

Phindy's Place Challenge #78-Blue Christmas

2011-10-21T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, this week our challenge is "Blue Christmas" - a colour challenge, we hope you will not be blue this Christmas! I'm thrilled that Phindy has produced a winter version of her In the Field image and rushed to the shop to buy it for this challenge; isn't it gorgeous? You can buy In the Winter Field here. I coloured with Copics and went a bit mad with Sparkle & Shine iridescent spray, it has taken a day for it to really dry out! I've had the DP for years, I think it's Dovecraft. The scroll dies are Memory Box, I added some seam binding, dotty buttons and a beautiful blue lace braid that came from an embellie shop in Hay-on-Wye that I visited when we took older son back to uni.

My card is for the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts - buttons & bows

Bunny Zoe - lace it up

Forever Friends - anything goes animals

Ooh La La - let it snow

Lollipop Crafts - no sentiment allowed

The Crafty Pad - monochromatic

Catch the Bug - animal antics

Little Claire's - Christmas

Crafty Ribbons - ribbon & lace

Southern Girls - stripes & polka dots (dotty buttons, stripy DP)

Christmas Kitty

2011-10-20T08:14:00.000+01:00

Today I have a Christmas card to show you, using a new image Kitty & the Ornament from Fred She Said that is available pre-coloured or as a digi. I chose to colour mine to match some soft, pastelly Memory Box DPs. Kiity is coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents, I put lots of Glossy Accents on the bauble and dropped 3 tiny red gem stars on for even more sparkle. The sentiment is on the Papermania ribbon which I turned wrong side out lower down the card. The flower centres are eyelets that I set in to make them look like poinsettias - I hope!

My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Stamptacular Sunday - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - shape up (shaped card base)
I Did it - animals
Crafting Whenever- Christmas
Christmas Inspirations - die cuts or punches
Forever Friends - anything goes animals
My Time to Craft - punches and dies
ABC Christmas - unused stash - unused image, and eyelets, and the card blanks!

Autumn Tree

2011-10-19T08:24:00.000+01:00

Today I have another card made with those stunning tree stamps to show you, a fairly masculine card, I never seem to have enough cards for men:). I've followed a many-layered Sketch Saturday layout, with Stampin' Up DP, embossed card, Kraft card with a stamp from the Scenic set stamped onto with, with just the trees coloured, some recycled raffia from a present and a few gemstones.

Main image is stamped onto glossy card and coloured with Distress Inks. Background uses masking, inking with dottiness stamps, I drew in my birds with a permanent pen.

My card is for the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Cute Card Thursday - tree-mendous

Sweet Stamps - lots of layers

Top Tip Tuesday - layer it up

Incy Wincy - recycle (raffia)

Paper Sundaes - Halloween or Fall (Fall colours)

Lia Stampz - use 2 stamps

O Christmas Tree

2011-10-18T08:28:00.000+01:00

I've a quick Christmas card to show you today, again it's using Stamp Addicts new Tree stamp sheet with the dottiness stamp for shadows. Trees and sentiment stamped in Olympic Green Versafine, background has Distress Inks brushed onto it, I've added some silver glitter with a glue pen. Matted onto mirri, a bit of a Memory Box die cut added and a MS punched border.

My card is for:

Stamps R Us - nature's gifts

Crafting Whenever - Christmas

Christmas Inspirations - Christmas die cuts/ punches

Bling it On - no patterned papers

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Christmas song

The one that got away?

2011-10-17T08:25:00.001+01:00

Another card using new stamps from Stamp Addicts, this time a masculine one that uses the background and the boat from the On the Water set, with a tree from the new Tree set sneaked in as well. The detail fisherman at bottom left is also from On the Water. The scene is mounted onto brown card embossed with a Tim Holtz tree bark folder, the edges are torn. DP is from a Joanna Sheen CD Rom, Times Gone By I think.
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Kenny K's - autumn colours
Pile it On - Fall is for fun - my fisherman is having fun, but it must be an early Autumn, I think salmon fishing finishes 1 October!
Sweet Stampin' - go masculine
Stamptacular Sunday - anything goes
Creatalicious - distressed edges

Tree-mendous stamps

2011-10-16T10:37:00.000+01:00

There are new stamps at Stamp Addicts and, as a tree stamp addict I was so excited to get the tree set, among others, to work with. This is the willow, I've brayered the reflection onto the water and used the dotty stamp to extend the bank of the river. Ink is Olympia Green Versafine and Distress Inks were used to coluor the tree and brushed on to the background. Used the dotty stamp again in Memento Sand on hammered card for the background paper. Sentiment is from Pink Petticoat.

My card is for:

Cute Card Thursday - Tree-mendous (great challenge name!)

Dutch Dare - sketch

Wags'n'Whiskers - Fall colours

The Artistic Stamper - Autumn colours

Stampin' for the Weekend - colours of Autumn

Less is More - cocktail

2011-10-15T10:42:00.000+01:00

Mandi and Chrissie are challenging us to make a cocktail today at Less is More and I've played along with this girly happy card which is intended for an amazing young lady, Alice P who, as well as her sister Milly won an award at Inspirational Awards for women, they have raised a HUGE amount for charity and raised awareness of the bone marrow donor list. I've been writing to Alice via Post Pals for a couple of years, please Limettes check out the link and think about sending some of your cards to children who are ill.

Anyhow, getting off my soap box, my card started with a DP, Basic Grey Out of Print. Normally I avoid patterned papers when I'm trying to do LIM cards, but this paper reminded me of cocktail olives so in it went. The image is matted and framed as I wanted to colour with Copics, it is a Stampinbella. The sentiment is from Elzybells. The ribbon and bow (colour matches fine in real life) just seemed to find their way on to the card, hope it's not too much for a LIM card:). I've played along with the cocktail quiz and I am made up of uniqueness, wit and magnetism. I only hope that is unique in a good way.

Finally, thank you everyone for their good wishes for Red-dog. I'm sorry to say that yesterday we took the difficult decision to have him put to sleep; he had responded to treatment for a spinal cord infection at first but things then deteriorated from Wednesday and he went downhill by the hour until it was clear it was not fair to him to carry on trying.

Phindy's Place Challenge #77 - Halloween!

2011-10-14T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge; this week we are challenging you to show us your spookiest cards and creations for Halloween. I've used a couple of fun images from Phindy's shop: the main one is Trick or Treat and I've added Boo in front of it just for fun. The tin man has Glossy Accents on his costume, colouring is Copics, Distress Ink background and Stickles. The little fence is a Memory Box die, the DP is My Mind's Eye. Hope you like my Halloween scene:)
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Sarah Hurley - Halloween Horrors
Shelly's Images - show us your layers
Crafts & Me - orange - lots of orange in here:)
House that Stamps Built - Halloween
Simon Says - Halloween /goth
Stamps & Fun = creativity - Halloween
Victorine Originals - Halloween
Come and Get It - purple, orange, black
Quirky Crafts - something spooky
Sparkles Forum - Halloween

Happy Howl-oween!

2011-10-13T08:26:00.000+01:00

There are so many Halloween Challenges around this week, I thought I'd better join in and picked this very cute and rather un-scary Halloween Rosey from Fred She Said, you can buy her here. Rosey is also available pre-coloured but I chose to get my Copics out and do some colouring, then cut her out and gave her some dimension with Pinflair. The DP is mostly Memory Box, I've sponged a background for Rosey and used Stamp Addicts Dotty stamps in the background. Some brads and lots of stitching finished off my Halloween card, which is based on this week's Sketch Saturday. Sentiment is computer generated.

My card is for :
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Charisma Cardz - in stitches
Simon Says - Halloween/goth
Shopping our Stash - Boo! spooky or orange/black
Cupcake Craft - Halloween
Fussy & Fancy - fall or Halloween
Scrapalicious - black, purple, orange
Paper Pretties - Halloween
The House that Stamps Built - fall/Halloween
Clear it Out Challenge - Halloween (DP and image both from last year!)
Everybody Art Challenge - Halloween

National Chocolate Week

2011-10-12T07:59:00.000+01:00

Did you know this is National Chocolate Week? I shall of course be attempting to eat my own weight in chocolate this week but nothing new there:). I have a suitably chocolately card to show you today, which was started months ago but didn't look right as it was. I had die cut a scroll that was too large for the space below the image and trimmed it down which ended up with it looking unbalanced. Last night I rescued the card by gently prising off the scroll and adding card candi, also I decided to add a little colour to my image with Copics. Darkroom Door stamps were used with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, sentiment is torn and distressed a little, DP is Basic Grey I think. I'm much happier with the card now:)

My card is for the following challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown - think pink
Woodware USA - anything goes
Truly Scrumptious - distressing
Cute Card Thursday - time for cake
Stamptacular Sunday - so distressing
Paper Sundaes - favourite colour combi - LOVE pink and brown together

Red robins

2011-10-11T08:04:00.001+01:00

I was lucky enough to win a random draw at A Day for Daisies' PCP group this month and I chose this stunning scene - trees, robins, landscape, it could have been made for me:). If you enlarge the photo you can see I used my blender pen to give a snow falling look to the sky. The Day for Daisies Challenge this week is texture and I added embossing, raised the image above the card with Pinflair Glue, added Card Candi and twine. DP is Basic Grey Jovial. The robins have Glossy Accents to give them a bit of dimension and to make them stand out.

My card is for the following challenges:

A Day for Daisies - texture

Card Patterns Sketch - sketch

Floweret - Christmas again!

Crafty Ann - Christmas song (Let it Snow)

Little Claire - Christmas

I Did It - anything goes

Creative Inspirations Paint - embossing

Crafty Cardmakers - anything goes

Card Mad Fairy - too early for Christmas

Have a heart

2011-10-08T09:17:00.001+01:00

After a grotty week I was hell bent on having a quick Less is More fix before I went out today. Ack the LIM ladies chose hearts! Didn't think I had ANY heart stamps for one layer week and Mandi's card even showed you don't need heart stamps so that was no excuse! I had a quick look round and got out this gem of a stamp which, after my first foray to a stamping show that saw me come home laden with Lavinia stamps, was the first one I ever bought. I went to a free taster class at a shop that is now sadly closed, had a wonderful time and loved this Hero Arts stamp, which we used with another spiky one. I still have both stamps but they have been uninked for ages. Can you see the heart shaped petals? Sentiment is Hobby Arts, I stretched one layer by adding some tiny pearls to the flower centres.

I'll be back later to hop around and check out the other heart cards, in the meantime our beloved greyhound, Red-dog is very poorly with a spinal infection and your positive thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Phindy's Place Challenge #76 - Anything Goes Using a Phindy's Place image

2011-10-07T07:40:00.001+01:00

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge. As this is the first Friday of the month, this is an Anything Goes image - however you MUST use a Phindy's Place image, which is no hardship given that fabulous images that Phindy draws:). I've added to my Christmas card pile with Christmas Kitten, which is perfect for our cat loving friends. Image coloured with Copics, Glossy Accents, Distress Inks. DP is Basic Grey Jovial, flower and sentiment from Craftwork Cards and leaf punch is Martha Stewart.
My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Crafty Boots - zoo or animal
Papertake - anything goes and Happy Birthday to them!
Crazy Amigos - animals
My Mum's Craft Shop - all creatures great and small
Crafts and Me - use a digi
Paper Crafting Journey - dies and/or punches - leaf punch, scallop die for sentiment
Delightful Challenges - make it dimensional - layered flower
Forever Friends - use a sentiment with your animal

Black and White Bling

2011-10-05T15:57:00.000+01:00

It's ages since I played along at Mojo Monday, but I happened to see this week's sketch and really liked the look of it, so decided to think about combining it with Cupcake Craft's black and white Christmas challenge. I bought these black, white and silver sheets of paper some years back, very early in my cardmaking and thought they would be great for this. I just hope all the silver is allowed! I stamped the Mini Snowy Village from Stamp Addicts and brushed a bit of Black Soot Distress Ink onto the sky. Then I sprayed iridiscent glitter spray and left it to dry. Following that I added some Viva white pearl to rooftops and snowdrifts.
It's interesting that the papers, the cardstock, the ribbon, the sentiment and the pearl pen are all slightly different whites though you have to look closely to realise.

I'd like to enter my card for the following challenges:
Mojo Monday - sketch
Cupcake Crafting - black & white Christmas
Kelley Kids - black and white
Simon Says - sparkle and bling
Little Claire - black and white
Sparkles Christmas - Christmas song - In the Bleak Midwinter, my favourite carol fits the stark colouring
The Ribbon Girl - Christmas
Paper Sundaes - lots of layers
Dream Valley - monochrome
Papertake - anything goes and Happy Birthday to them!

Finally please can I ask for your positive thoughts for Red-dog our much loved greyhound who is very ill with what is thought to be a spinal cord infection. Here he is patiently wearing a paper crown:)

Indian Summer

2011-10-04T07:40:00.000+01:00

We've been enjoying lovely hot sunny weather and a beautiful end to summer, something that certainly keeps going into autumn is the weeding, everything is growing like mad! With this in mind, I've made an autumn card using Flowertop Fairy Dandelion Puff from Phindy's Place, I've seen a lot of gorgeous cards made with this image but not used it before myself. I was aiming for deep, saturate colours after reading some of the links from this week's Copic Colour Challenge, but I'm not sure if I've achieved it - or not - what do you think? The DP is Basic Grey Indian Summer, sentiment from Stampin' Up and punch is EK Success.
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Stamps RUs - autumn/fall
Stamptacular Sunday - photo inspiration
Copic Creations - saturated colour - I think I got it for the hair, not sure about the dress?
Simon Says - anything goes - trying for 1,000 entries
Rainbow Lady - autumn flowers
Crafty Catz - things with wings
Basic Grey - nursery rhymes and fairy tales - anyone remember the rhyme when you blow the seeds from a dandelion clock?
Woodware USA - anything goes
iCopic - all about Fall
Daisy Doodles - fall colours
Creative Stamp Friends - autumn colours

Pink Peony

2011-10-03T08:27:00.001+01:00

I love using the pre-coloured Fred She Said images for decoupage and the Peony works so well, I printed the sheet out, cut out the 5 layers and added them to a Marianne Creatables die. The sketch is Midnight Madness, the DP Basic Grey and I've added some brown pearls and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.

My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Crafter's Companion - pink & green
The Emerald Faeries - punches & dies
My Sheri Crafts - think pink
Deep Ocean Challenge - happy birthday
Everybody Art Challenge - pink & brown
Paper Sundaes - lots of layers
Simon Says - anything goes - trying for 1,000 entries

Less is More - eye colour

2011-10-01T14:02:00.000+01:00

Happy World Cardmaking Day! This week's Less is More theme caused some consternation; I never can decided what colour my eyes were. In the end, OH and I agreed on greeny-blue - or was it bluey green? The red tinge is only temporary after a late night, I've left that one out:). This card is not particularly original, I have partly CASED a card by Chrissie like this before, but it is such a useful one to have that I've done it again. The text background makes it a bit different from when I made it before. I've masked and inked a 4" card with Bundled Sage and Chipped Sapphire DI, overstamping it with my Impression Obsession big text stamp, using the Sage ink again. Then Artemio trees, in Pine Needle and Olympia Green Versafine were added after removing the Post-it notes. The Craftwork Card sentiment, added to a Nestie scalloped circle in green, hides a sentiment that did not stamp clearly.

My card is for:

Less is More - colour of your eyes

Simon Says - anything goes

One Stop Card Challenge - just for men - I think this is a great masculine card

Oldie but Goodies - one for the boys - tree stamp is at least a year old if not two!

Partytime Tuesdays - anything goes

Oh deer I'm falling! Phindy's Place Challenge #75 - Autumn

2011-09-30T08:40:00.001+01:00

It's Friday and time for a new Phindy's Place Challenge, this week along with many other blogs our challenge is Autumn/Fall. In the Field is an image I've not used before, I really like it now I've coloured it up and I can see some snowy, Christmas deer coming up too:). I printed the image twice, colouring with Copics and lots of Distress Inks, then decoupaging my deer so they stand proud of the image. If you're wondering about the very dramatic dark sky, it was first coloured with blue DI and then I saw it didn't work with any of the autumn colours I wanted to use for DP:). I used my blender pen to get the dappling on the deer's backs, really like the effect. The card is based on this week's Sketch & Stash, though I have left off the sentiment for now and in fact have no room for it in the right place as I added a load of punched leaves across the bottom:).
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Woodware USA - happy Fall
Hobbystuggu - autumn
Stempels onne - autumn is here
Stamping with the Dragon - autumn is here
Crafts 4 Eternity - autumn days
Just Some Lines - fall colours
Corrosive Challenges - punches or dies
CR84FN - fall colour challenge photo
Scrapbook Sisters - leaves
Little Darlings - fall or autumn
Inky Impressions - punches or dies
The House that Stamps Built - animals
Fresh Brewed Challenges -autumn/fall
Crafting for all Seasons - fall colours
Simon Says - anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - autumn

This robin is an imposter!

2011-09-29T07:30:00.001+01:00

Fred She Said has a lovely image of a pair of robins, sitting on some festive holly, so I'm not quite sure why I felt the need to disguise the chickadee as a robin, with the berries matching the red breast, it must be a contrary streak somewhere in me lol! Here's a link to the winter bird series, so you can see both the robins and the chickadee, as well as a cardinal, all available as digis or pre-coloured. I matched my undercover chickadee with Memory Box DP, a MS punch and some traditional red and green ribbons, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.
Don't forget, you've one more day to do the Fred She Said Fabulous Fall Blog Hop, with great prizes, closes midnight tonight (Thursday).

My card is for the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly - sketch
Raise the Bar - things with wings
Critter Challenge - anything goes
Crafty Boots - things with wings
Paper Makeup Stamps - resize your digi
Simon Says - anything goes

Ten minute make

2011-09-28T17:06:00.000+01:00

This card was so easy it feels like I cheated, it came together in moments:). I'm really getting into my clean & simple cards, but for me they involve lots of agonising, and usually several rejects before I am happy. Today, I saw that Shopping Our Stash have a black white and one other colour challenge and remembered some stash that has been sitting unloved for ages and put it to use with Less is More's sketch...

Craftwork Cards had a sale earlier this year which included mystery boxes or goody bags, whichever it was I am a sucker for it lol! But have I used my stash? Have I heck, it's still sitting on the desk where it landed. Included was a set of flowers printed on to pearlised white card, saying that they just needed colouring. Well if you look there's not a lot needs colouring either! I love black, white and red so I coloured the flower with my Copics, matted it twice and added some ribbon and a gem. The sentiment is from Pink Petticoat, love the font. Ten minutes, card finished!

My card is for the following challenges:
Less is More - sketch
Shopping Our Stash - black, white and one other colour
Allsorts Challenge - clean & simple
Simon Says - anything goes
Celebrate the Occasion - must use ribbon

Tangled up mice

2011-09-28T08:18:00.000+01:00

This week's challenge and House Mouse & Friends is Christmas Sparkle and I found this image stamped for me by a friend ages ago to use, as I don't have that many Christmas mice. As I wasn't sure what it was stamped with I opted for watercolour pencils to colour but disaster struck when I added Stickles to the lights, which somehow bled around the lights. I added lots of Distress Inks and some Copic dots to try to disguise it, hopefully the background doesn't look too much of a mess:). I followed the layout from Sketch Saturday, adding some twine and some tiny punched stars that I also glittered with Stickles, though now I wish I'd kept them red not used clear... DP is Cosmo Cricket and Memory Box, used a MS punch on the centre strip.

My card is for the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends Monday - Christmas Sparkle

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Simon Says - anything goes

Paper Sundaes - anything goes

Stampin' for the Weekend - what a cutie

Kenny K - Christmas

Sparkles Forum -something that sparkles

Clearly Inspired - glitter

Card Making Mamas - punches

Bows 'n' Berries - glitter

Netty G - anything goes

Birthday bike

2011-09-27T08:31:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was DH's birthday, we had a quiet supper at home as we went out to celebrate last week while older son was still here. He loves his old motorbikes, not sure how many we have in the garage (I don't want to know!) so this image of a Norton looked like a good choice for him, it came from Stitchybear. It's a detailed image and I gave it minimal colouring, mostly greys. The sentiments are Joanna Sheen and the clock cogs around the base of the easel are from Stampin' Up. MS bubble punch got an airing as it's not too feminine, DP is Basic Grey.

My card is for the following challenges:

One Stop Craft - easels

Cards for Men - sports

Incy Wincy - fancy folds

Pile it On - fancy folds

Ooh la la - punches or dies

Victorine Originals - easel cards

Come and Get It - easels

One Stitch at a Time - favourites (Copics, Distress Inks, punches, Basic Grey DP)

Less Is More sketch

2011-09-24T20:52:00.000+01:00

We're home from delivering older son to University and, of course, I had to check out LIM and the 1,000 card challenge. Well we didn't quite get there for the 1,00 entries on Less is More but it wasn't far off:). This week there is a sketch to follow and my card is almost a CASE of Mandi's inked square. I used an Inkylicious tree stamp and sentiment, with a Clarity maple leaf. The backgrounds are Distress Inked (spiced marmalade, mustard seed, barn door) and I used Sepia Versafine for the stamping. After several goes at stamping the sentiment perfectly level and not stamping it too hard (it's a clear stamp) I can only refer to the wording on it lol! Incidentally the square is flat on the card, the shadow in the picture taken after dark makes it look like it stands out proud of the surface...

My card is for the following challenges:

Less is More - sketch

Stamptacular Sunday - just sayin'

Allsorts Challenge - keep it simple

CAS-ual Fridays - mostly monochromatic plus brown

Crafty Catz - autumn

Phindy's Place Challenge #73 - Opposites on the colour wheel

2011-09-23T08:00:00.003+01:00

Good Morning, it's Friday and it's time for another Phindy's Place Challenge. This week we have a colour challenge, we'd like you to use opposites on the colour wheel, here's a colour wheel to refresh your memory:).

I've chosen to use blue and orangey-yellow for my card, which uses the adorable flower frock image. She's coloured with Copics and I used Distress Ink on the background, image is cut out with a Nestie Labels die. The DP is Memory Box, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, as is the card candy. I've stitched round the squares of DP and stitched around the image, with no thread, to give an easy paper pierced look

My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch #7
Digital Tuesday - people images
Simon Says - dies to die for
Crafty Sentiments - happy birthday
Crafts & Me - stripes
My Sheri Crafts - sew simple
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - birthday

Fred She Said Fabulous Fall Blog Hop!

2011-09-23T06:01:00.006+01:00

Welcome to the Fabulous Fall Fred She Said Blog Hop! You should have arrived at my blog from Darsie's fabulous blog, if not you might want to go back to the Fred She Said Blog at the start, we have some fabulous projects to show you and one great prize of :

£15 Gift Voucher to BearlyMine Designs

$10 Prize Package of yummy goodies chosen by Judy from Pizzazz APlenty

$30 Gift Certificate to the Fred She Said Store

Instructions on how to enter are on the FSS Challenge Blog.
Entries close on Friday September 30th at midnight EDT and winners will beannounced Saturday October 1st. .

Now, on to my card... My card is very clean and simple, I love the hollyhocks design that Fred brought out recently. You may wonder about my sentiment, but my garden has been full of hollyhocks for several years now and I have never planted them:). They obviously love the soil and thrive in it, so they are welcome to stay! I have simply added two precoloured image, given dimension with Pinflair Glue, in front of some punched trellis which in turn sits on top of Coredinations card, distressed and inked. There are some yellow Stickles in the centres of the flowers and that is it, one very effective card, thanks to the images. Thanks for looking at my card and now I'm sure you want to know the secret words, which are "Eyes And", before you leave me and visit the uber-talented Michelle who is your next stop on the hop.

I'm also entering my card for a few challenges:
Shopping our Stash - no colouring allowed
Less is More - anything clean and simple
Wee Memories - no patterned paper

Blue Birdie

2011-09-21T08:08:00.000+01:00

Here's a 4th card for Less is More - we need lots more people to join the Anything c&s goes challenge if we are to get to 1,000 entries - come on we can do it! This is Birdie, a Phindy's Place image that I printed in blue onto watercolour paper. She is coloured with Weathered Wood Distress Ink which I also used to stamp the Stampin' Up sentiment. She's been languishing on my desk for a while, I find c&s hard to do for DT stuff, it seems wrong somehow:). Anyhow I'm pleased with the way she looks, cut out with a Nestie label and added to a Nestie circle, a bit of grosgrain ribbon and some gems.
Birdie is for the following challenges:
Less is More - anything c&s goes
Truly Scrumptious - clean & simple
Simon Says - dies to die for
Digital Tuesday - people images
Anything Goes Challenge - anything goes

Less is More - anything goes - take three

2011-09-20T07:43:00.001+01:00

Good morning and on with the quest for 1,000 entries at Less is More! This is nearly a one layer card:). I wasn't happy with the colour of my moon so I stamped it again onto a scrap of glossy card had been brayered for another card. Memory Box stamp is called Autumn Tree Landscape but here I've used pale bluey-green watercolour marker and some Prisma Glitter to make a Christmas card, the sentiment is a magazine freebie and I also glittered the S and G of it.
My card is for the following challenges:
Less is More - anything c&s goes
Totally Papercrafts - clean & simple
Wee Memories - no patterned paper
The Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes
Bows & Berries - glitter

Less is More - anything goes - on the way to 1,000?

2011-09-19T19:51:00.001+01:00

This week the Limettes are trying for 1,000 entries to Less Is More and they have helped us by making it an Anything Goes (clean & simple) week. Here's a second card from me to add to the total. It's a masculine card using a Stampin' Up set that has just been discontinued and I think it's fab for masculine cards. Mandi, Lady Limette herself, runs a Stampers 6 Club and my Stampin' Up fix arrives really quickly each month, great fun, if you're thinking of joining don't hesitate:). Both images are stamped off the page, I stamped the inner dial a second time (well ok it came off a reject lol!) and gave it a brad and then some silicon glue to raise it up. I wasted some time trying to add wide stripy grosgrain ribbon which just didn't work, so I abandoned that and used a punch instead, also SU and to be discontinued. Matted onto dark brown to show the punch then on to a Kraft card.
My card is for:
Less is More - anything c&s
Wee Memories - no patterned paper
Prairie Fairies - masculine
Totally Papercrafts - clean & simple
Cards for Men - anything but square

Best Friends

2011-09-19T08:21:00.001+01:00

Well that weekend did not go to plan! I had a fun day at the Berkshire Show on Saturday, though I thought it wasn't as good as it has been in previous years. Sunday was scheduled for garden tidy up, watching Stamp Addicts on TV and lots of crafting to get ahead. So it was not helpful to trip over a low piece of trellis and fall - hard- onto the stone patio around the pebble fountain. In the end, all I get done was the TV watching and some pruning before I fell :(. Nothing is broken but I am bruised and very sore...

Anyhow back to cards and I made this for my Mum, Friday was the first anniversary of Dad's death. The ribbon is navy and the DP pale blue, can't seem to get the colours quite right on this one. The boy and his dog are an image from A Day for Daisies, DP is Memory Box.
I'm entering my card for;
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Aly's Sunday - add a bow
Card Cupids - anything goes
Crafty Emma's - embellish me more (ribbon & bow, button, twine, brads)
Papercraft Stars - anything goes
Bearly Mine - button it up

Less is More - anything goes

2011-09-17T08:00:00.001+01:00

This week Less Is More is trying for a thousand entries now it has a thousand followers and with this in mind the theme was announced early - it's anything c&s goes. I'm up for the challenge and here's my first card, which is a Christmas card. I'm making a real effort to make clean & simple Christmas cards, preferably one layer, as adding all the embellies really puts the postage up.

So this is a one layer card, I've embossed an oval and brushed inks into it to make a desert style background for my three wise men, a Stamp Addicts silhouette stamp. The sentiment is from an Impression obsession clear set and shock, horror, I've used a peel-off to add the star, first time in years. I didn't want to risk my OL card warping if I embossed a star:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Less is More - anything goes

Simon Says - Sing it (We Three Kings)

Samuel Taylor - Christmas using a rubber stamp - FOUR Prima pads for this challenge!

I'm sure I'll have more entries for LIM later this week... back later to comment, we're off out to the County Show for the day:)

Phindy's Place Challenge #72 - Christmas is creeping up on us...

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000+01:00

It's feeling very Autumnal right now and I have realised that I need to get cracking on the Christmas cards, you may have noticed a few being made over the last week or two:). This week's challenge at Phindy's Place should help you out, we want everyone to make a Christmas card or creation and share it with us. You don't have to use one of Phindy's images but if you do you get two chances to win the random prize of $5 to spend in store.
I've chosen Sleigh Ride, which is my all-time favourite image and those of you who follow my blog are probably bored of seeing this one lol! Before I became a member of Phindy's DT she drew a gorgeous Christmas Colt and I begged her to draw a horse and sleigh, preferably pulled by a Fjord horse as I own one of these beautiful animals. Phindy came up with this amazing image and I have been her biggest fan ever since:). It is simply coloured with Copics here, the DP is by Memory Box as is the die that cut the snowflake border.
My card is for the following challenges:
Simon Says - Sing It - Jingle Bells with a bit of poetic licence, this is a two horse sleigh but close enough lol!
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Digital Tuesday - celebrate the season (winter)
Woodware USA - happy holidays
Paperplay Challenges - punches & dies
Creatalicious - anything goes
Crafters Companion - Christmas wishes
Christmas Cards all year round - something at least a year old (3rd year I've used this image!)

Hydrangea Bouquet

2011-09-13T21:30:00.001+01:00

Our neighbours are getting married soon and I needed a card to say that we will be coming to the evening reception, I don't have a sentiment for this and I decided that "Thanks" would do fine and I can write on it that it's an acceptance Thank You:). I made a step card that is something a little different for Tracey and Nev to keep, I embossed and Distress Inked cardstock, adding pearls and a bow (the bow is on the back section, doesn't show too well in the photo) and a beautiful Hydrangea image from Fred She Said which is popped up on Pinflair glue to give it dimension. I found the blooms not as bad to colour as I thought, might really challenge myself with white ones another time:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Simon Says - make a multi fold

Stampin' for the Weekend - tickled pink

Shopping our Stash - vintage, distress, shabby chic

Magical Monday - shaped card

House of Gilli - embossing

Tuesday Throwdown - pearls

Everybody Art Challenge - flowers

Copic Creations - pretty in pink

Stamp Something - anything goes final challenge