Vintage Seaside

Today's card is another decoupage from Joanna Sheen, this time it's a Faye Whittaker seaside scene.  I enjoy cutting these out if I'm watching tv, but the last stage of making them into a card often gets missed out and the peices sit neglected in their bag:).  I've added some wide ric-rac, My Mind's Eye DP and based my card on this week's Sketch Saturday.  There is no stamping at all on this card, very unusual for me!
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Paper Sundaes - birthday
Incy Wincy - birthday

Going to the Ball

This gorgeous Day for Daisies image is from the CDAC Progressive Freebie challenge, which I bought into last week; I'm going to try to play along each week for a while. All the folds in the dress colour like a dream, I loved making this card.  The DP is Crafty Individuals and I made it very girly with lace, ribbon and pearls, as well as some dry embossing.  The Swiss Dots are at an angle of the card, this was deliberate, honest lol! 
My card is for:
Pixie Cottage - sketch
Totally Papercraft - ribbons & bows
Paper Sundaes - birthday
Incy Wincy - birthday
Creative Inspirations - inspired by polka dots (embossed dots)
Squigglefly - bright & sunny yellow
Truly Madly Crafty - ribbon & bling
Victorine Stamps - lace
Totally Gorjuss - lace
Card Making Mamas - happy birthday

Red roses in winter

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

Traditional scene, non traditional colours

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 - a bit of bling

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 81 - Thankful

 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!

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

Autumn Tree

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

Birthday bike

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)

Diamonds and pearls

Today I've got another card made using the partridge in a pear tree set from Stamp Addicts, I've not put a sentiment on as this card uses just the tree and could be used for much more than just Christmas.  I've followed the sketch from Willow Sketchies, the tree is white embossed onto glossy card and I've brayered over it with pale yellow and green.  I've used that amazingly useful dotty stamp on my background.  Main background is white pearlised card that I have dry embossed into diamond shapes using a Scor-Pal board.  Each little junction has a clear seed bead glued to it, there are 3 dew drops in silver on there and I've added some tiny gems to the tree and then some Perfect Pearls snow, just in case it wasn't blingy enough already!  DP is Memory Box and ribbon from stash.
My card is for the following challenges:
Incy Wincy - pearls and diamonds (I have diamond shapes in my embossing)
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
Partytime Tuesday - anything goes
Totally Gorjuss - as you like it
Crafts4Eternity - Christmas theme
Lilypad Cards - a resist challenge
Charisma Cardz - glitter it
Willow Sketchie - sketch

Father's Day Scene

I found it surprisingly hard to make this Father's Day card.  Last year Father's Day was on my Dad's birthday and we met for lunch, knowing that chances were it would be his last birthday.  Dad died in Spetember but I know my two teenage sons will still want cards without going to the shop and paying for them :) and of course DH still needs one for his Dad.  I think now I've made one the others will be easier... 

I used various Hobby Art SceneIt stamps to create a small picture which I'm quite pleased with.  I followed Sketch Saturday's layout, DP is Stampin' Up, I used a Martha Stewart punch and some garden twine.  The sentiment is Joanna Sheen.

This card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Simon Says - Father's Day
Incy Wincy Designs - nature
Craft Your Days Away - Father's Day
Totally Gorjuss - string's the thing
Here Come the Boys - Father's Day
Crafting for all Seasons - Father's Day
Fresh Brewed Designs - for the guys
The Paper Shelter - glad for Dad
Craft Your Passion - what a guy
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day
Karen's Doodles - Father's Day
Crafty Ho's - twine

A Duo of Decoupage

 I've not got much in the way of cards to show you this week, I have been so busy at work and at home too.  When I have had a quiet moment the good weather and the garden have called me!  I have finished up another couple of decoupage cards, both use Joanna Sheen's Faye Whittaker seaside designs.  The first one has a cloud DP from Joanna's House Mouse backing papers CD, with some card candy and a ribbon.  The second one has a Stampin' Up sentiment, a shell edged tape, and some ric rac on a My Minds Eye stripy card.

Challenges to enter my cards for:
A Spoonful of Sugar - let's celebrate! (1st card)
Crafty Cardmakers - red white and blue
Cupcake Crafts  - lots of layers
Incy Wincy Designs - bright and bold
Karen's Doodles - lots of layers

Forsythia for Spring

It's nearly Spring when the forsythia is laden with its bright, cheerful, acid yellow flowers, which is just what I've used this stunning digi image from Tiffany Doodles for, it comes as a pair with Pussy Willow in a jar.  I based my card around Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge this week, which is a recipe of:  main colour yellow, ribbon, stitching, gemstones.  Some challenges at present aren't, how shall I put it, very challenging, so this made a refreshing change!
Image is coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents, punched leaves added.  Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbons, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, DP is Basic Grey and Bearly Mine, corners punched, lots of stitching and some gems.  Card is based on the sketch from Stamp with Fun
My card is for the following challenges:
Stamp with Fun - sketch
Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge - yellow, ribbon, gemstone, stitching
Amber's Crafts - my favourite things - Basic Grey, stitching, digis, Copics, ribbon!
Creative Card Crew - Spring
Crafts and Me - ribbon
Cooking it up with Katie - 1 image, 2 DP, 3 types embellishments
Timeless Tuesday - flowers everywhere
Incy Wincy - flower frenzy
Quirky Crafts - sparkly, punchy Spring

Phindy's Place Challenge #47 - Hot Stuff

I hope this scheduled post works as I will be at the Cheltenham Festival for a fourth day's racing today, Friday:)  At Phindy's Place Challenge this week we're anticipating a lovely long hot summer to make up for the hard winter so many of us have had, with our theme of Hot Stuff.  You can interpret this with warm colours, summer image cards, it's up to you.   I've taken the opportunity to use Mr Brown On Vacation, this image is available in the shop here.    It's such a fun image that I wanted the card itself to be very simple, this week's CPS layout is perfect!

Image is coloured with Copics (do you like the touch of sunburn on Mr Brown's nose and legs?) and I used some Stickles on his fishing line and beercan.  The string lace is from Bunny Zoe's, DP is My Mind's Eye and the sentiment is a Joanna Sheen House Mouse one.
My card is for the following challenges:
CPS - sketch
Incy Wincy Challenges - for the boys
Paper Pretties - masculine card
Ooh la la Creations - It's a Man Thing

House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge - multi fold card

Here's my second card as a Guest  Designer for House Mouse Challenges, the challenge this week is to make a multi-fold card.  I decided to have a go at a spring card which was easier than I expected and I found this great fun to make, using Sandy Hulsart's great tutorial from Splitcoaststampers. I used My Mind's Eye cardstock which is very heavyweight and I made it slightly taller by adding a circle cut with a Marianne Creatable die and then embossed.  There are Glossy Accents and Stickles on the flowers and yes, I have used peel offs in the corners of the card, hardly anyone uses them these days but they fitted the space perfectly!  The mice are from a Joanna Sheen unmounted sheet, aren't they adorable!

I've really enjoyed the chance to be part of the HM Challenge Team, they are a very friendly bunch.  If you get the chance, be sure to hop on board:).

My card is also for the following challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs - Spring is in the air

Cupcake Crafts - anything but square

Card Cupid - shaped card

Paper Cutz - Spring 

New stash...

I've broken my stash diet over the weekend, but I made this tonight, using the new stash so maybe that mitigates it:).  I've combined making a "Less is More" card with the make your own embellies that Simon Says Challenge calls for this week.  Embellies and C&S don't necessarily go together but I think I've pulled it off, what do you think?

Embossing folder with sentiment is Papermania.  Flower is a Hero Arts stamp, stamped onto scrap DP and with a touch of green Copic colouring it in.  Yellow and green are what Spring is all about, to me.  So what's with all the grey blah weather outside??  I've added some Glossy Accents and beads to the centre.  The leaves are made with a Woodware punch and I've scored veins onto the leaves.

If anyone can suggest how to minimise the lines at the edge of the embossing folder I'd love to know, however they look less prominent in real life:)

My card is for the following challenges:
Simon Says - make your own embellishments
Less is More - Spring
Incy Wincy - punches or dies
Charisma Cardz - Spring has sprung
Spoonful of Sugar - birthday wishes

Guest DT Posting for House Mouse & Friends Monday - your favourite stamp

I was really excited to be chosen as a Guest Designer for February at House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenges, it's been very hard not to to let the news slip:).  Thank you so much to the HM & Friends Team for their friendly welcome:).  I found the theme really challenging; it is to use your favourite stamp.  Deceptively simple and yet so tricky LOL!  I looked over my stamps and coloured several images (you may have seen them blogged recently) and ended up with one of my new stamps as my current favourite.  This is from a Joanna Sheen unmounted Spring set and it is just adorable!

It's coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents.  The sentiment is also from the set, the green DP is Basic Grey Sugar Rush and  I've embossed white card, sponged Mustard Seed Distress Ink over it and stitched it down.  Add in a bit of bling, a bit of sunny yellow/orange ribbon from stash and that's my card!

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:
Woodware - embossing
Incy Wincy - colour me wonderful - favourite colouring method is Copics!
Simply Create - bold and bright
Aly's Sunday sketch - bling bling
One Stitch at a Time - make it pretty

I missed your birthday...

 Here's another card I made using Fred She Said's Empty Pocket Shrugger Set, this card uses the girl image, you can buy the set here.  They colour like a dream and I do love the sentiments that come with them :).  I followed the Friday Sketchers layout, used Basic Grey Sugar Rush DP and stickers and added stitching to my card.  The embossing is good old Swiss Dots folder.  This is for a friend's little girl, we never did get to meet up to exchange gifts (she has a Christmas Eve birthday) due to all the bugs and sickness that we had and they had!

My card is for the following challenges: 

Friday Sketchers - sketch

Basic Grey  - spots and dots

Incy Wincy - go dotty

One Stop Crafts - card for a child

The Crafty Pad - happy birthday

Pile it On - cute children

Kaboodle Doodles - do it with digis

Charisma Cardz - birthdays and celebrations

Teacup Pansies

I escaped to my craft room for an hour this morning, in between all the bouts of sickness from various family members:).  I made a card using the Cute Card Thursday sketch, with Fred, She Said's Teacup Pansy image coloured in with Copics and Stickles.  The background is pearlised lilac card, cut with a Marianne Creatables die and run through an embossing folder, then Inked with Distress Ink.  I've embossed a border around the large square of pearlised card too, it shows up better in real life!  All the DP is Artylicious from CDs, the thread is hand dyed.
My card is for the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - Lisa's sketch
Digital Tuesday - anything goes
Incy Wincy Designs - distressing
Simon Says - anything goes
Paper Sundaes - cut it out

Emma the Carol Singer

 

Carol Singing Emma is a new digi I've just got my hands on from Fred-She-Said, I'm really liking these, you can have pre-coloured as I've used here or digis to colour.  Also there's a carol singing version AND an angel singing, so lots of bang for your buck!  I wanted to try my hand at less traditional colours for my card, so I've used blue and green, adding lots of sparkle.  I have decoupaged Emma, giving her lots of dimension with Pinflair glue, I've added green Stickles to her dress and cap, and lots of sparkly Stickles for snow.  There is sparkly ribbon and a row of felt snowflakes and the DP is Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses.  The blug card is embossed with a music score.

My card is for the following challenges:   

Midnight Madness - sketch

Digital Tuesday - ribbons, buttons, bling

A Spoonful of Sugar - sparkle and shine

Anything Goes - Christmas has come early

Incy Wincy Designs - sparkly glitter

Basic Grey - sparkle