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

A Truly Scrumptious Scene

I'm home from the Quilt Festival but have found it hard to get going again with my crafting, 3 1/2 days of partying, children's classes and quilt gazing have taken their toll LOL! 

I've a few of the Hobby Art Scene-Its stamped out into little pictures so I watercoloured a simple one of two yachts at sea, so at least I've made something!  Watercoloured using Distress Inks, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, DP is a digital paper from Bearly Mine Designs.

The card follows the sketch at the Truly Scrumptious Challenge, though not the optional extra of Brads, buttons and bows.  It's blue & green for Cupcake Craft Challenge's theme this week and it's another man birthday card for my stash so it fits Create4Fun's birthday card theme.

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.

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 - Twisted Thursday #62 - Something New

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... Over at Shirleys2Girls Challenge we're still enjoying the joyful June bride images and for this week the challenge is to use something NEW on your card. We've used a wedding theme but you can make any card or proect you want to, as long as it has something new on it. I've made a very clean and simple wedding card, using the adorable Bride & Gifts image which you can buy here. I'm entering my card for the Sweet Stampin' Challenge theme this week, which is Clean & Simple and also for Cupcake Craft Challenge's Strawberries and Cream challenge. Secret Crafter's Challenge for this week is Weddings and Anniversaries, I'm entering their challenge too.The image is new to me, and I used a pretty bird and bloom new Cuttlebug folder. My pretty in pink bride is coloured with Copics and Stickles, love that pink champagne she's drinking :). Image is matted onto Bazzill Bling and added to a scalloped card with just the embossed card and a pink rosebud.
Please check out the challenge blog for full details and be sure to visit the other Ladies with Attitude, check out their amazing creations and leave them some love, here's the team: Ann, Anne (me), Carlie, Cat, Debbie, Georgia, Gina, Jane,Jeannie, Judy and Lisa.

Life's just beachy

I love this image from Isabella's Sketchbook, I have a couple of these vintage-style beach ladies, this is how a trip to the seaside should be:). It's for Isabella's Challenge this week, which is based around Memorial Day for those who celebrate it and patriotic colours for those who don't. I've used the red, white and blue theme and, instead of Memorial Day, we have the Spring Bank Holiday which should be glorious sunshine and picnics. You'll note that I said should, LOL, it's grey and chilly here and all that you can say is that it's not raining - yet!

I've used a sketch from the Pixie Cottage Challenge for my card, haven't come across their site before. Charisma Cardz has a Going in Circles Challenge, Stamptacular Sunday has Life's a Beach as their theme this week, Cupcake Craft Challenges' theme is Summer Delights and Cute Card Thursday wants us to use no designer papers.

Image is coloured with Copics and cut out. The backgound is made from paper that has been Glimmer Misted. Sentiment is Elusive Images. I've set eyelets into the red circle - woo hoo - finally worked out how to use the setting tool, the white card is dry embossed with a CB folder.

Dogs... make our life whole

This is the second card I've made with the same digi image from Phindy's Place, for the multi-tasking challenge over on PCP, I hope you can join us and play along.

I've used the sketch from Saturday Sketchers Challenge for my inspiration. There is a lovely quotation on it that is a free download from Ann at Raindropecho, I'm entering my card in the ABC Challenge Q is for Quotation. Pile it On's challenge this week is Furry Friends and Cupcake Craft Challenge's theme is Food and Drink.

Image is coloured with Copics, Peeled Paint and Tattered Rose Distress Inks around the edges. All papers are Basic Grey porcelain, sentiment from Raindropecho's blog.

It's the Elf and Safety reindeer

I've ended up making two Christmas cards for this week's ABC Christmas Challenge as the first time I didn't read the challenge properly and I forgot to use red and green:). The Challenge is E is for Elf, but happily Whiff of Joy gnomes are allowed too! So here is version 2, for the Challenge.

I've based it on Claudia's pretty sketch from Friday Sketchers and I'm also entering it for Cupcake Craft Challenge, who have the theme Round and Round, I've got lots of circles on my card and although they're not true circles, the DP looks quite rounded too.

Whiff of Joy image is coloured with Copics and Stickles. DP, card candy, sentiment and ribbon are all Craftwork Cards.

Spring is on the way - I hope!

This clean and simple card uses Phindy O'Neill's digi image Birds Go By, which is an autumnal scene. I've changed it around by adding some spring buds and foliage to the tree, it's coloured with watercolour pencils. The DP is an Artylicous CD paper, the sentiment is Craftwork Cards and ribbon from stash.

I'm entering my card in the Spring is in the Air Challenge at A Spoonful of Sugar, Cupcake Craft's Keep It Simple theme and the Creative Belli Challenge to use ribbon.

Domino the dog does a dozen challenges!

Meet Domino, he's an Airedale terrier (I think) from Shirleys2Girls, he's a Christmas digi with a wreath and sentiment included, but I've used him along here for a "With Love" card. I was so pleased to get this digi, he's lovely and useful for lots of occasions, with the gift bag in his mouth. This card has the alternative title "A Dog Is Not Just For Christmas", in view of the Christmas digi :). I think I've broken my own record here, with a DOZEN challenges from one card! OK with all the "Love" themes around this week it wasn't as tricky as it sounds!

I don't really *do* Valentines cards, so a With Love is as close as it gets :). I've based my card on the sketch from Mojo Monday's Challenge and am also entering it for a few other challenges, including Papertake Weekly's Love Actually Challenge - great name for the theme! Cupcake Crafts has the theme Four Legged and Friendly and this is another entry for this theme, which is certainly a popular one with me. Stampin' for the Weekend's challenge is "love is in the air"and the ABC Challenge is N for New (the digi is new). I hope Dareu2Digistamp will accept this as a Valentine's card for their challenge, Charisma Cardz has I Love You as its theme, Stamp Something has Love Somethings, Double Dutch and Creative Card Crew both have Valentines for their theme, the Belli Challenge is to use ribbons and Pile It On's theme is "To the one you love".

Domino is simply coloured with a couple of shades of Copics, his present is paper pieced from Artylicious paper which is also used behind the Prima flower in layers. The sentiment is Elusive Images and the ribbon came from a box of chocolates. He's cut out with a deckle edged Nestie and the DP is also Artylicious. Isn't he gorgeous and adorable?

Thinking of You

This card is made with an image that my very kind and uber-talented blogging friend Debby sent me. It is almost a cheat a it's black embossed on Kraft and I have done nothing at all to the image, it needs no more adding to it.

I've followed the Saturday Sketcher's sketch and made a sypmathy card for a friend whose father died this week; he was a Master Saddler, hence the image. I'm also entering it for the Basic Grey Challenge to use their products with an animal image. All the DP is from the Infuse collection. Cupcake Craft Challenge is also four-legged and furry.

Sentiment is Papermania, flower is Prima. It's not a standard bereavement card but it works for the particular occasion, hope you like it too.

Wings of Hope

Whimsy Stamps have recently launched a stunning set of stamps of carousel horses that I coveted. However, even better, they have produced a one-off digital carousel horse that is available almost instantly and, of course, costs less. All of this sounds like a good reason to buy the stamp, but the most important one of all is that the stamp is a fundraiser with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Haiti Relief. You can buy the image here.

I've followed Jeanette's sketch from this week's Friday Sketcher's Challenge, which is a great one for a large image like this. I'm entering this week's Cupcake Craft Challenge, which is four-legged and furry and also Basic Grey's Animals Challenge.

My carousel horse is coloured with Copics as well as lots of Diamond and Gold Stickles, the edges of the image are sponged with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. The gorgeous background papers are Basic Grey Wisteria, a pad I got for my birthday and haven't broken into until today. I used the first Martha Stewart punch I ever bought on the border, which is called Flourish and the gold embossed sentiment is from Elusive Images.

Sparkly reindeer

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

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

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


Suzie's card:

Bronte & Bella get glittered

Last week's challenge over at Mo Manning's blog was a glittery, blingy one. I didn't get time to take part, but this week I've managed to make a card for this week's Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge, which is to follow a sketch by Caryn. I've made up for missing last week with lots of glittery bits on it :). This is also a card for Charisma Cards' Challenge, which is "Merry & Bright" this week, which is even the sentiment on this card. Digital Tuesday's Challenge this week is Holiday Wishes, Papertake Weekly's Challenge is Digi Sparkle and Cute Card Thursday Challenge has has Glitter Me Silly as it's theme. Allsorts Challenge is to Bring Out the Bling and Cupcake Craft Challenge's theme this week is Snow Much Fun. Crafty Creations also has Snow for it's challenge this week. Whew that's eight challenges in one card!

Image coloured with Copics, Stickles and Perfect Pearls. Snow falling was added with Liquid Pearls, which had Glimmer Dust added for even more sparkle. Snowflake was cut with a new Spellbinder set I got at the NEC last week, it has Liquid Pearls and Glamour Dust added. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon from stash. Papers are Basic Grey. Glue pen and more Glamour Dust are on the snowflakes and around the edges of the image and the sentiment. Bellan and Bronte are certainly glittered and so am I now:)

Spread the Love - A Card for Jaimie

There can be few cardmakers who haven't heard the sad story of Jaimie Cates from New Hampshire, who was the victim of a shocking crime when her mother was murdered and she was left for dead. Denise and Erin have set up a Stamp Something for Jaimie blog, asking their cardmaking friends to join together and send a card to Jaimie.

I've used a Lili of the Valley stamp that I think works well for this. I've based my card on the sketch from this week's Cupcake Crafts Challenge and I've followed the recipe from Lili of the Valley's Challenge to use 3 papers, 2 stamps and 1 type of embellishment.

The image is coloured with Copics, edged with Pine Needles Distress ink and some tapestry stamps of leaves. The second stamp is a sentiment from Papermania, the 3 papers are also Papermaina. Flowers are Prima.

Jinx is haunting a magical ten challenges!

There are an astonishing number of Halloween Challenges to play along with this week and I thought it was time to use another of the fab-boo-lous Jinx stamps from Shirleys2Girls. You can buy Jinx here, all the Halloween stamps are currently on sale at 25% off.

• I started with Domi's sketch from this week's Simon Says Challenge
• Corrosive Challenges has the theme Spooky Times
• Papertake's Challenge is The Dark Side
• Cute Card Thursday has a Spook Fest challenge
• Cupcake Craft Challenge this week is Things That Go Bump In The Night
• One Stop Craft Challenge this week is Boo!
• ABC's Challenge is F for flying
• StampArtic is another Boo! Challenge
• Creative Friday is a Halloween Challenge
  
• Pile It On has a Ready for Halloween Challenge which makes it a magical TEN challenges. Now I know lots of people manage to fit many more challenges than that into one card, but it's a lot for me :).

Jinx is coloured with Copics, the moon and sky are painted with Distress Inks. Image and scalloped mat cut out with Nestabilities, purple lace, brads and flowers are from my stash, the flowers are coloured with Copics. The background paper is from Summer Drigg's free downloads.

Meet the Fab-boo-lous Jinx the Minx

Here's my first card using the new Shirleys2Girls stamps for Hallowe'en. Hallowe'en is not something I'm into in a big way, but Jinx the witch is simply irresistible, love her bat necklace:). I've also used one of their "Spookies", a small stamp with a pumpkin on.
I've used Jinx for several challenges:

• The sketch is from Sketch & Stash Challenge. Old stash is the purple buttons and new stash the new stamps which you can buy here.
• This week, Simon Says Boo! Make a Halloween Card
  
• A Spoonful of Sugar's Challenge this week is also to make a Halloween card
• Just discovered a new-to-me challenge blog, 2RedBananas has a Halloween theme as well
• Cupcake Craft Challenge is to use stitching and buttons.

Jinx was stamped onto white card and onto DP. The white card was coloured with Copics and paper pieced onto the DP. Image was mounted onto pearlescent card and layered. Ribbon and buttons were from stash, I've stitched around Jinx and around the outside of the card. Spookie was coloured with Copics and cut out. Papers are free downloads from the generous Summer Driggs, apart from the spotty purple paper which is from Crate Paper. I've used Glossy Accents on the Spookie and on Jinx's hatband.

Yum, yum, yum

Good Afternoon, I've only one card to post for the weekend, I'm at the international Festival of Quilts, living it up, looking at the quilts, meeting old and new friends and teaching Young Quilter workshops.

This card is made to celebrate Cupcake Craft Challenge's 1st birthday. The theme is "Something Sweet", I've used cupcake stamps from Hero Arts in their honour :). There's a great blog hop and some amazing prizes to be won, make sure you enter! Happy Birthday CCC!
CPS Card sketches, I love cards with multiples of three on them, don't you think cardmaking is like gardening, when in doubt work in threes of fives?

The card is fairly simple: cupcakes are paper pieced from plain pink and a stripe, with Stickles blinging up the hearts. The papers are all K & Co, purple gems added and all put onto a Kraft card. Blue grosgrain ribbon is from my stash.

Cupcake Craft Challenge #47 - no longer the last time!

Cupcake Craft Challenges had announced that this week was to be their last challenge, but happily DT member Donna is to take it over and it will continue. Hoorah! So here's my card for Lisa's Challenge to use only black and white. I was very taken by the landscape stamps by Creative Expressions that were being demoed and sold at Newbury Art Stamps on Saturday.

With superhuman strength I resisted the 3 for £25 offer and just bought one set :). I've stamped with Soot Distress Ink and used a watercolour brush to drag some shading around, then used the ink on the edges too. The sentiment is an Elusive Images one and the DP comes from the Stamp Attic. The card is for a geography teacher at college who is being so helpful with Will and the dilemma of which universities to visit. I really like the way this stamps out, maybe I should have yielded to temptation and bought more of the landscape sets :)

Sweet Summer Sun - and 8 challenges!

It's been a lovely hot day today, in fact it's been hot for a few days and I've been drawn to making a hot summer sunshine card. I've begun with the very simple, very usable sketch from the CPS Challenge blog this week. I've used some lovely images from My Grafico, a set called Garden Elements and I've coloured them with Koh-i-Noor pencils in hot pinks and oranges to match Michelle's Summertime theme on the Digital Tuesday Challenge. This is also the theme at Cupcake Craft Challenges so I'm entering it for this Challenge too. Sadly Cupcake Craft is closing down as a challenge, it will be their last challenge next week. A Challenge blog is a big commitment and a lot of work, thank you to all the Cupcake gals for running their challenges for so long :). There's yet another Summer Challenge to enter at A Spoon Full of Sugar this week!

The challenge this week at One Stop Craft Challenge is to use Fruity Colours, so I'm entering my orange and raspberry card, though it has no actual fruit on it, it still fits the bill. Charisma Cards has an open challenge that you can enter up to four times, that they've called Rubbernecker Week after their sponsor, so here's entry #2 to their challenge. And last but definitely not least, my blogging friend Danni has a Flutterby Wednesday theme of creating an outdoorsy card with a butterfly of fairy. OK I make that SEVEN challenges in one card - yippee! :).

PS My Grafico has a Summer/4th July challenge which Martha has reminded me about (see my post below). So that makes it a record EIGHT!

Now, on to the card...

Digi images from My Grafico were printed twice and coloured with Koh-iNoor pencils. Flowers were cut out and added to the image with 3d sticky dots. The image was edged with Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick and matted onto pink card. The DP is an Artylicious printed paper from my Graphicus Guild membership. The Hero Arts sentiment is stamped onto orange Bazzill card and the whole of it matted onto pink. The butterfly from the set was then stuck down, some Glossy Acents and Stickles blinged it up a bit and I added two butterfly brads from a special offer pack I bought at Made by You. Enjoy the summer and I hope you enjoyed looking at the card!