Catching Snowflakes

There is still time to join in the celebrations at Phindy's Place group on PCP, we're partying after reaching a massive 1,000 members!  There are lots of competitions and challenges to take part in, I hope you'll join us.  This is a card I've made just for fun, to fit Tammy's Challenge which is to make a Christmas card using non-traditional colours.

First of all, apologies for the rubbish picture, DH is away gallivanting for the weekend and has the good camera with him, so this is a scan. :(
I've used one of the adorable Christmas Cuties, called Tasty Flakes, you can buy her here.  She's coloured with Copics and I've added Polar White Flowersoft for snow and for the trim on her boots.  The DP is Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  I've followed the Sketch Saturday Challenge layout.  I couldn't think how I wanted to put the thin lines in - until I looked at all the trimmings from matting and layering the image!  The little stars are peel-offs.
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday Challenge  - sketch
Bee Crafty Challenge  - Christmas
Mark's Finest Paper - Holiday cards
One Stop Card Challenge - Anything goes
Fussy & Fancy Friday - Winter wonderland
Creative Belli Challenge - Flowersoft or flocking

A Puppy isn't just for Christmas...

I think "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" is one of the best slogans ever.  Here's a Christmas puppy that is pushing its luck with its new owners :)!  I've followed a photo of a friends' dog, Tiffin.  Tiffin is far too well behaved to chew shoes but the puppy looked so much like her that I couldn't resist.  

I've used Christmas Puppy, a Phindy's Place image, you can buy it here.  The shoe was cut out a second time and popped on top of the image with Pinflair glue, colouring is Copics and lots of Stickles on the shoe and the poinsettias.  The DP is Basic Grey Jovial.
I've followed this week's Sketch & Stash Challenge. 
Ali Factory Challenge is animals

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #85- Sketchtime

 This week at Corrosive Challenges we have a fun sketch for you to follow.  Sadly I have decided to step down from the Design Team for Corrosive, life is getting in the way of my crafting a bit at present:).  Janet who runs the challenge is one of the first blogging friends that I made online and I'd like to thank her and all the gals at Corrosive for the fun times I've had being part of the team.

My card uses an image from this month's sponsor, Robyn's Fetish.  I've coloured using Copics teamed it with Basic Grey Indian Summer DP and a few Prima flowers.  Leaves are cut with a punch and sentiment is a new one that I bought from Elzybells, who have sadly closed down.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

The Stamp Man - Autumn

Charisma Cardz - Autumn Colours

Paper Romance - Halloween or Fall

A Big Wedding? A big card, anyway

This is a first for me:  DH asked me to make an A4 card, one of his staff is getting married and he asked for a card big ebough for everyone to sign.  I've never made a card bigger than A5 before.   He also asked for it to be fairly simple.  Thank heavens for digis that can be resized easily!  This is a Shirleys2Girls digi, coloured with Copics and Distress Inks and lots of Stickles for bling.  It's matted onto gold mirri and then bronze pearelscent card.  I've used a Martha Stewart punch on the RH side and trimmed the card back to expose a strip of gold.  Didn't intend to, but when I saw I'd put the image slightly off-centre I had to do something!  Sadly we can't go to the wedding, DH is away that weekend, but I hope she'll like her card...
I'm entering the following challenges:
Create4Fun - use a digi
Allsorts - song title (White Wedding, Billy Idol)
Sweet Stampin' - diamonds are a girl's best friend

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge#25 - Anne-Marije's Sketch

It's Friday and it's time for another Phindy's Place Challenge.  I love sketches and this week we are having our first sketch challenge, I hope you come and join us, just remember to use a Phindy's Place image and enjoy following the sketch.  We have a great sketch made by the talented Anne-Marije and I chose to use one of those adorable Christmas Cuties for my card, this is the adorable Delivery Man.  

My colourscheme came from the gorgeous Jovial DP by Basic Grey, LOVE this collection!  The sentiment is Joanna Sheen, gems are Hobby House and snowflakes are cut with Spellbinder dies.

I'm also entering my card for:
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Christmas  Crafting
Incy Wincy Designs - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September
 One Stop Craft - Snowflakes in September
Two Sisters Challenge Blog - Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - Christmas

Christmas Cutie - surprise

I'm not feeling very creative right now, for obvious reasons.  But I have a few cards to post on here and crafting is a great distraction from life, so I may have a few things to blog over the next few days - or I may not.  One day at a time and all that...
Here's one of those adorable Christmas Cuties from Phindy's Place, this one is called Surprise.  I wonder what's in her stocking?  She's coloured with Copics, there is Fluffy Stuff and Stickles on her stocking, which is paper pieced.  The papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses apart from the stripe, that may be Stampin' Up, not too sure.  The snowflakes are cut with Nesties, the tags are cut freehand and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.
I'm entering my card for:
Stampin' for the Weekend's Tag It challenge
Secret Crafter's Anything Goes theme
Stamp Something's digi challenge
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Sparkly and Glittery

Summer is not quite over!

We're back to sunshine and blue skies today, hurray!  I love Autumn but I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet...  To celebrate here is a summery image of a wheelbarrow overflowing with exuberant flowers, in fact the whole card is full of flowers:).

The wheelbarrow image is from Fred, She Said, and can also be bought as a coloured version.I've coloured with Copics and added some Glossy Accents to the flowers.  The DP is a gorgeous Prima sheet with large impressionist-style daisies on it.  The white background has been embossed with a Tim Holtz brick wall folder and the bottom punched with MS daisies.  The flowers and butterfly are punched and the tiny dotty buttons are Papermania.  I've added a wide piece of netting ribbony stuff, not sure what you'd call it:) 
This card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Gingersnap Creations - use punches
Pile it On - pile on the layers

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge #21 - Paper Piecing

Welcome to Friday and to another Phindy's Place Challenge!  This week the challenge is one of my favourite techniques, paper piecing.  I've used a fun back-to-school image called "Hurry up Heidi".  Heidi must be pre-teen, despite having just got up she still looks pretty cheerful LOL!  I have paper pieced the cat, the backpack, her skirt and jacket.  The papers are all Basic Grey, the bright ones are Sugar Rush and the notepaper and schoolbook are from their Basics pad.  Heidi is coloured with Copics, I've tried to CASE a background from Mary, one of the very talented Phindy DT; it's ok but not how I'd hoped,  better keep practising:).

I've used the sketch from Truly Srumptious with the added twist of knots.  I've added some bright stitching and also some string, didn't want to add too much, it's such a detailed image that it needs to be centre stage:).  Sentiment is computer generated.
I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:
Your Next Stamp - Anything Goes
Creative Card Challenge , Incy Wincy Designs , Fussy & Fancy , Pixie Dust Studio and Stamp Something Challenge - Back to School
Truly Scrumptious - Sketch
Cupcake Craft Challenges - Let's Get Digital
StampsRUs Challenge - Stitches

Be Sure to Hug a Snowman this Christmas...

...Just not too hard in case he melts:)
It must be something about the cold mornings (just 3 degrees first thing yesterday here) and the kids going back to school, but I am in Christmas mode at the moment.  At the Craft Barn last week I bought a stunning new 6x6 Basic Grey pad called Jovial, the snowman design looked made for my image, which is another Phindy's Place Christmas image called Back to Nature.   The sentiment came from House Mouse, it's part of the new unmounted rubber sheets and again, it's a perfect match for my image:).

I wanted to use my new Nesties again (thank you Simon Says!) and found this very pretty sketch at Sunday Sketch & Stamp, a new site to me.  I used some of my treasured red velvet ric-rac on the card, so I'm entering the Basic Grey "use fabric" challenge and Cute Card Thursday's Material Girl Challenge.    The flowers were also from Craft Barn, I coloured clear rhinestones and the scrolls were made with a Woodware punch.  Can't make a Christmas card without Stickles, lots of sparkly, snowy Stickles on the image too:)

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

Wild Orchid - Make it Sparkle & Christmas Card Challenges - Sparkle & Shine
Paper Sundaes and-Totally Gorjuss are both Christmas in August
Secret Crafter - Make a Start on Christmas

Winter Wonderland - All I want for Christmas - who could want more than friends?  They are what make Christmas special:)

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #79 - One for the Guys

Welcome to another Corrosive Challenge.  This week it's "One for the Guys" - make a masculine card or project.  I've used "Connected Boy", a perfect teenager image from Phindy's Place, you can buy it here.  Why talk to a human being when you can text them instead?!

I've cut out and decoupaged onto the background.  Umm... didn't intend to do this but the dark red from his shirt bled onto the background so this was a rescue job :).

He's coloured with Copics, the sentiment is a Joanna Sheen stamp and the cardstock is all My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market.  I've used this week's Inspirational Card Sketch for the layout for my card.

Come Back Summer!

Goodness it's turned really cold here, whatever happened to Summer?  I've made a summery, warm card to try and forget how chilly it is outside, this is a cute Belles & Whistles image called "Lemonade Anyone?", isn't she adorable?

I've based my card on this week's Friday Sketcher's Challenge,  I'm also entering it for the Belles & Whistles Challenge of Anything Goes, Dutch Dare's Vintage Summer Challenge as well as Charisma Cardz' Challenge of Hot, hot hot!

Image is coloured with Copics, with Glossy Accents on the jug and glass.  The background has Distress Inks on it.  The left hand piece of DP is a magazine freebie, the rest is Basic Grey Nook and Pantry.  Punch used is Martha Stewart Doily Punch, sentiment is by Elusive Images, and the flowers are Prima.

Paper Sundae Pansies

Double posting today - just realised that I'm in danger of missing Paper Sundae's Challenge otherwise:).  I've been shopping at Fred She Said, Tracey has a digi on offer each week and I've had my eye on this pansy digi for ages, they are my Mum's favourite flower and I think they work well for lots of occasions.

I've used My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market, really heavy cardstock weight, lovely stuff!  My image is coloured with Copics, some Stickles and Woodware gold stuff, it's decoupaged with Pinflair glue.  Sentiment is from Joanna Sheen.

I'm also entering Cute Card Thursday's no punch challenge and Creative Craft Crew's Sparkle & Shine challenge..

I do like to be beside the seaside

I started this card with the intention of entering Twisted Thursday last week when the theme was summer accessories, shamefully I didn't get it finished in time.  When I saw that this week's Twist was to use Red in my card I was really pleased that I had coloured the beach umbrella red and I finished up my card:).

I kept it pretty clean and simple, basing it on this week's Inspirational Card Sketches Challenge.  Image is coloured with Copics, striped card was blog candy, sorry don't know the make.  The sentiments are Joanna Sheen House Mouse.  The cocktail has some Glossy Accents giving the glass a shine, doesn't show up too well in the photo.

This card is for the following challenges:

S2G Twisted Thursday - Use some red

Inspirational Card Sketches - sketch

Totally Papercrafts - By the Sea

One Stop Card Craft - Summer Fun

Crafty Cardmakers - It's our Birthday

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge #17 - Happy Birthday!

Good Morning, it's Friday again and that means that it's time for another Phindy's Place Challenge!  This week we're making birthday cards (or gifts).  You can never have too many birthday cards, isn't that right?

I've used one of those irresistable Summer Cuties from Phindy, this little chap is called "Catch anything?", isn't he adorable!  This card came together when I found this giant ric-rac in the ribbon shop in Hay-on-Wye that we visited earlier this week, it looks very watery and I thouht it was perfect to go with this image.  In the photo it looks like there is a huge crease in the green ric-rac; in real life there is a very, very faint shadow.  Hmmm...  who said the camera never lies LOL?

Based around the sketch at Card Patterns, I'm also entering my card for "Whateva!" at Cute Card Thursday Challenge.

Image is coloured with Copics and Viva Pearl pen and edged with Distress Inks, sentiment is computer generated and the DPs are from a Bearly Mine Designs CD.

Are we nearly there yet?

Isn't this stamp adorable?  This is the first time my House Mouse Challenge win stamp has got inky.  It's a Moving Home card for my friend and colleague who is moving to Dublin at the end of the month, I will really miss her.   Charisma Cardz Challenge this week is Something with a Tail which really appealed to me as a theme, what a fun idea to work with and here are FOUR somethings with tails!  I worked with the sketch from Sweet Stampin' Challenge and aimed for Vintage which is the theme at House Mouse Challenge this week.  I like vintage but found it quite tricky to get it to work with a House Mouse image, think I've got it right though...  I've ended up with quite a bit of distressing going on with the vintage look:  the edge of the image and the piece of DP it's mounted on are both roughed up and also edged with Distress Inks, as is the sentiment.  Distressing is Cupcake Craft's Challenge this week.  Image is coloured with Copics, oh I sititched around it too, this card is my second entry for Paper Sundae's Stitching Challenge.

The DP is all Basic Grey Cappella; the sentiment is printed onto it as well but I've distress inked it and you can't really tell:).  I bought the lace today in Hay-on-Wye, we went for a day out looking around the bookshops and I found the most gorgeous shop called Bedazzled selling ribbons, lace and buttons.  This lace just said "vintage" to me so I bought a little bit...  Wild Orchid Challenge is Lovely Lace.  The flowers are Hero Arts, had them for ages and this is the last of them, the spacers under the brads are from Quixotic Paperie.

Mmm... cupcakes anyone?

I'm blogging a second card today because it's for a challenge that finishes tomorrow, please scroll down for the Corrosive Challenge DT card.

Belles'n'Whistles has a monochromatic challenge this week and I really liked using the soft colours on this stamp.  The colourscheme is brown which includes peach shades if you look at the colour wheel.  I've based my card on Papertake Weekly's sketch and I've added stitching around the image and the dark brown pearlescent card which is this week's teme on the Paper Sundaes Challenge.

Image coloured with Copics and is matted onto toffee coloured pearlescent card, cut out with a scalloped Nestie.  The peachy DP is Basic Grey from the Capella pad with a bit of Distress Ink sponged on and MS doily lace punch used on one side.  The main DP is Basic Grey from the Nook & Pantry set, again keeping up the doily lace theme which fits the cupcakes that I reckon she's baking:).  I made the roses with my Steve's Flowers die from Little Claire and sprayed them with some Glimmer Mist. 

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #75 - All About Babies

This week at Corrosive Challenges is All About Babies, we'd love to see your baby cards, your scrapbook layouts, gifts, anything baby!  There are some very cute projects from the DT, check out Janet's scrapbook layout:).  The theme at the Totally Gorjuss Challenge is Baby Baby, so I'm also entering my card for their challenge,

I've based my card on this week's Friday Sketchers Challenge   and used DP that came free with, I think, Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine this month.  My friend has just become a granny to Alicia, yesterday morning, so the pink colourscheme was ideal for a card for the new Mum.  I've used Contentment, a digi image from Phindy's Place that I really love, colouring it with Copics and Distress Inks for the background.

The ribbons are from the blog candy I won from Kath earlier ths week (thanks Kath, I'm loving going through the ribbons!) and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  The "bow" at the bottom is from the free DP and I should really tell you why it is there.  Late at night, when trimming a matted part to you card, if the rotary cutter is reluctant to go through the layer of card, do NOT continue.  This happens when there is so much stuff scattered about the desk that the main piece of the card is underneath the one you thought you were cutting, with the result that a large slice is taken out of the background.  Not good.  Luckily it's hidden under the bow LOL...

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #74 - Pink & Blue

This week at Corrosive Challenges the theme is to use pink and blue for the focus of your project.  My card started with the DP, which is from a Joanna Sheen CD, it is a beautiful jumble of quilts from a collection called Giordano.  As a quilter, I had to get the CD with this on :).  It also has very pretty toppers and decoupage of puppies and kittens, which is not really my thing.  Oh but wait, there is also a set of 12 stamps to go with it!  So...  I got three of the stamps and here is my first attempt with one of them.  I really like it but found both dog and kitten quite challenging to colour in.  This card is for my "Post Pal" Alice, if you have any spare cards then Post Pals is a lovely thing to do with them...

Coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks and cut out with a scalloped Nestie, I've matted my image and popped it up on 3D  pads.  The pink is edged with a Marthda Stewart lattice punch and the gingham check is stitched down onto it.  Flowers use my new gadget of a cutting die from Little Claire (more new stash!) and I've used a punch for leaves too.  The sentiment came with the stamp.

I've used the Sketch & Stash Challenge sketch for my card, my new stash is the stamp (never inked before) and the new CD with the DP.  I'm also entering Fussy & Fancy Friday's Stitches, scallops and sparkle challenge, and Cupcake Craft Challenge's Cats & Dogs theme. 

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #73 - Cartoon Time

Good morning and welcome to Sunday - with a not-so-welcome look ahead to Monday LOL!  This week on Corrosive Challenges we are using cartoons on our projects.  I've used a Stella cartoon from Bugaboo Stamps - don't you just love Stella and her attitude to life!  Stella is coloured with Copics and some Glossy Accents for her spectacles.  DP is Basic Grey, scraps from various different 6x6 pads, I've used a Cuttlebug folder on a blue bit.  The scrolls are cut with a punch and I've used a Marthas Stewart punch on the pink DP, with organza ribbon tied round it too. 

I've followed the sketch from the Create4Fun Challenge and the colourscheme is from One Stop Craft Challenge, who have the theme of pink, blue, green and a hint of red flowers and bling!  OK I think I've got that covered).  I'm also entering my card for Stamp Something's digital challenge. 

Summertime and the living is easy

Earlier this week I got an email from Little Claire stamps about their sale; I was lucky enough to get this Martha Stewart Grass punch for a very good price.  As I had new stash it seemed a good idea to enter this week's Sketch and Stash Challenge.   I was a bit stumped by the sketch, until I decided to use my design twice, cutting out as two circles, one smaller than the other and popped up on silicon glue. 

I used a flower design from Isabella's Sketchbook.  Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge this week is get punchy and I've used my new punch as well as a leaf punch on my card.  DP is Basic Grey Green at Heart, image is coloured with Copics and a bit of Stickles.  I've added Stickles to my flower and the sentiment is from Elusive Images.  I'm also entering my card for the Summer Days Challenge at the Allsorts Challenge Blog and the Summer Holidays theme at Secret Crafter Challenge.