Less is more - off centre

The new Less Is More Challenge  was a great excuse to use a new stamp I bought from Stamp Attic, by Prickly Pear.  I masked off top and bottom and made a background with Distress Inks, then stamped the painted pony 3 times without reinking.  The sentiment is by Elusive Images, it is straight when you check it against the card, don't know why it looks crooked in the photo!

Dream Big!

I've no newly completed cards to blog today, it has been such a busy week!  I made this card at a workshop with Sarah Anderson, at The Stamp Attic, in the Autumn but never got round to blogging it.  That warm gold is great to look at today, it's grey and rainy/sleeting, ugh.
The main image is Stampington, the stitching stamp and sentiment are Wendy Vecchi.   The background was made by spraying Distress Ink sprays and I've paper pieced the wings and the bodice, painting them with acrylic paint.  There's some random machine stitching and that's about it.  If you ever get the chance to take a class with Sarah, be sure to jump at it, it was a really fun day and we all created lots and learnt lots.
I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Totally Papercrafts - paper piecing
Gingerloft Challenge - distressing
Charisma Cardz - New Year celebrations - what a great New Year sentiment!

All through the city

A few weeks back I entered a favourite song challenge.  Having watched Oil City Confidential and rediscovered Dr Feelgood I had "All through the city" on the brain and made a watercolour card of a jetty.  Fast forward and I STILL have the same song on my mind, here is the same song, different viewpoint, for the Charisma Cards Challenge of favourite song.  "I've been searching all through the city, see you in the morning down by the jetty".  This is another card from the Sarah Anderson class I took at the Stamp Attic.  It's a Hero Arts stamp ( I need this stamp LOL!), image stamped onto card sprayed with Adirondack Inks, blended with a wet wipe.  Further images stamped onto paper coloured with the same wet wipe.  Sentiment is Wendy Vecchi.
My card is also for the following challenges:
2 Sisters Challenge - Monochromatic
Bunny Zoe - Distress It
Paperplay Challenges - In Stitches

Pearls and Lace from Sarah Anderson

If you have looked at my friend Val's blog today you may think that you are seeing double:).  We both went to a workshop at Stamp Attic with Sarah Anderson and we both used the very sweet Moon Girl stamp for our second card of the day.  This one was meant to be a quick card but I think mine took the longest to put together of all the cards I made:).   It was a really fun day and I came back with suitably inky fingers.  We went straight out to a concert and I got stamped all over again at the door.  Waste of time scrubbing all the Distress Ink off really LOL!  Great concert though... the one and only Wilko Johnson.

Anyhow, back to the card:  Adirondack ink sprayed in the corner.  Shrink plastic cut out roughly, shrunk and with many layers of clear embossing added, then text from an old book glued on to it and more embossing.  Moon Girl also embossed many times, music from an old book torn and added as well as lace and pearls.

My card is for the following Challenges:
Simon Says Pearls & Lace
Stamptacular Sunday - Distress It
Crazy4Challenges - Anything to do with Books
Fairy Fun Fridays - Lace & Pearls

Snowflakes inside and out

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

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

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

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

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

A Winter's Tale

I've put aside computer woes for a little while and spent some time getting inky, so here is my House Mouse Challenge card. This week's challenge is movies. I checked and yes, Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale has been made into a film, so I can get away with that for the title of my card. I've followed Claudia's sketch from Friday Sketchers Challenge, just adding in a round sentiment. Great sketch Claudia, thanks.

House Mouse stamp coloured with watercolour pencils, sentiment from Creative Expressions (trimmed down), Fancy Pants papers from Stamp Attic, ribbon from stash.

Happy Belated World Cardmaking Day!

World Card Making Day was yesterday; having looked around a few blogs it looks like everyone had lots of fun, there were all kinds of blog hops and challenges to join in with. However I didn't get to do any cardmaking at all, I was teaching quilting all day, to a keen bunch who rather over-ran the finish time and then went straight to an Oktoberfest party at my friend's house. We were back before WCM Day finished at midnight but I certainly wasn't fit to be unleashed on either the craft room or blog hopping :).

So here is my belated card to celebrate the day. It's using Donalda's sketch from Splitcoast Stamper's challenge, sponsored by Sugar Nellie, with chances to win FIVE goodie bags.

I'm also celebrating with the Simon Says Challenge Blog, which is asking for "girlie" cards to be made and sent, either to Erin's neighbour Paige (read about Paige here) or to Post Pals. I posted a card to Paige a couple of weeks back, but it's a while since I've sent to Alice, my Post Pal, so this card's for Alice.

Goodness there are a lot of layers on this sketch! The image is the lovely Diane Duda "It's a girl thing" fundraiser stamp, Pure of Heart, available from Funky Kits, stamped onto Crate Paper and coloured with Copics; I've paper pieced her dress. The wings are coloured with Copics, I see they look identical to the papers in the photo! Sentiment is from Elusive Images and I've added a little faux stitching around the layer with the sentiment. All papers are by Crate Paper, bought from the Stamp Attic. Instead of flowers, I've used hearts cut from the same papers and I've used Glamour Dust on the wings and the hearts. Purple brads from stash. Alice likes pinks and purples so I think she'll like this one...

My first House Mouse stamp - and doing the happy dance

Tonight I'm doing the happy dance :). Over a year ago I took on a large textile project that had all sorts of problems. The poor thing had been designed by a committee, started and stopped by several groups of people and one individual, all of whom had wildly different styles. A dear friend begged me to complete it as her last resort. I'm sure there are less appealing projects to work on, but I can't think of them off-hand. Anyhow, deadlines came and went and I kept finding every excuse not to work on it. This October is a major anniversary for the chapel it's destined for and for the past month I've been gritting my teeth and working, and working and working on it. When you're thread painting a background it's hard to know when to stop and I phoned for it to be inspected today. I'm so happy to report that it greatly exceeded expectations, luckily my friend understood the limitations and problems. She was delighted with it and took it away to trim it to size and complete it in time for the celebrations. Hooray! I forgot to take any pictures before it went, I was working on it until the last minute, but I'll get photos of it in situ I'm sure. I'm a happy bunny with a weight off my shoulders now it's completed :)

Now back to stamping... Anyhow, I've had a hankering for a House Mouse stamp (or two) and last week I managed to get Peppermint Tails on Ebay for a reasonable price. Since then I've found a couple more and look forward to them arriving. I wanted a soft effect and wasn't confident enough to use Copics on the image, so I used good old watercolour pencils, edging the image with Distress Ink. When I looked at the House Mouse Challenge site they are reviewing the year and you can choose one or several of the challenges they've had over the last year. I've combined their very useful sketch from Challenge #48 with #32, Something Sweet (peppermint tails) and #14 All About Christmas.

I bought the yummy Christmas papers at Stamp Attic last night (they're Fancy Pants), the velvet ric-rac came from Festival of Quilts and the sentiment is from Imagepac I think. Love the classic colours of the papers and the image :)

Papertake Angels meet Friday Sketchers

This is another of my new stamps from Lili of the Valley, isn't she pretty? I've used Heidi's sketch from Friday Sketchers challenge, flipped onto its side, to make a card that will also fit Papertake's Angels and Fairies challenge this week. I hoped that this stamp would arrive in time to use it and enter and I've made it - just :).

Image stamped in Cocoa Memento ink, coloured with Promarkers and Copics, Stickles added to holly berries and wings. Image mounted onto Bazzill Basics card, all other DPs Dovecraft, bought last year, Felt snowflake from the Stamp Attic, Noel is a clear stamp from Imagepac.

Four challenges, one card

I've made another card with the beautiful Elizabeth Bell image for Whiff of Joy - Willow holding baby - despite not knowing anyone who's about to have a baby, this image is just so gorgeous, it calls out to be used :).

The card is made for this week's Whiff of Joy challenge, which uses Jacqui's very pretty sketch. I've used double sided paper from Stamp Attic, with roses on it, which fits this week's challenge at One Stop Craft Challenge, to use roses. I've added lots of embellishments to the card and the paper isn't too visible, but it really does have lots of roses on it :). A Spoonful of Sugar's challenge this week is Floral Fantasy; I've used the roses paper and I've made lots of extra flowers from Bazzill Basics and a Cuttlebug die set. The die set has sat, barely used, since I bought it in Florida last summer, so it's use fits the "forgotten or neglected stash" challenge at My Time To Craft this week.

Willow is coloured using mainly Promarkers, with a couple of Copics as well. I used Rach's great tutorial to cut her "out of bounds" in an oval Nestie. Thanks Rach, it worked a treat! The two sided paper is flipped over to make the lower border, which is shaped with a Martha Stewart Flourish punch, the Bazzill Basics behind it. Ribbons came from my stash, the flowers die cut and have accents of Liquid Pearls. Sentiment is an old one with no maker's name on it.

Not even a mouse

Here's my second card using Mo Manning's digital art: Not Even a Mouse. Isn't it the most beautiful image? It's in three layers, decoupaged. I got really excited that I actually have the right colour Promarkers to enter the Passion for Promarkers challenge this week and used them - only to notice that I should also have followed a sketch! Oh well, off on holiday tomorrow so I doubt I'll get another card done for it in time :). Hoorah, I've used Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick) on the edges of the image and the scalloped shape, so I can enter it in this week's Simon Says Challenge!

I've printed the image three times, coloured and layered it and added Glossy Accents to the tiny dots on the china. Cut out and matted using Nesties, cardstock and brads from the Stamp Attic, sentiment is an old stamp I've had for ages. I love the image and the detail, it was lovely to colour, don't think I'll be mass producing this for Christmas somehow, with 3 layers ;).

I was a bit worried last night that I'm regressing in my craft life a bit. I began with knitting, then cross stitch, then discovered quilting and became very creative. I did a bit of dressmaking which was also creative and produced something original and then I sidestepped into stamping. So last night I realised that, if I was asked what I'd been doing all evening, all I could really say was that I was colouring in pictures. Hmm... maybe I didn't do it enough at nursery school :). Maybe the easy answer is that I was enjoying what I was doing.

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine...

This week's challenge at the Sugar Bowl is to follow a nice, usable sketch by Gayle, adding ribbons and bows. Ribbons and bows sounded like a good excuse to use Stitch, my gorgeous Leanne Ellis stamp. And just look at the paper I found at Stamp Attic last week - just had to bring it home to meet Stitch :).

I kept the card fairly simple, the image and the DP are both quite busy. Stitch is coloured with Promarkers and Copics, and a little yellow Stickles on her buttons and the knitting needles. The sentiments is Elusive Images, mounted onto Bazzill card and the ribbons are from stash.

Three Challenges - One Birthday Card

This week I have the exact match for one of the colours for Copic Colour Challenge this week and two others that are close - hooray! I have Pea Green and I used R32 Peach and YR02 Light Orange with the green.

I followed a very nice Sketch from this week's Simon Says Challenge, first time I've entered this one, though I've seen Dawny P's sketches all over blogdom, they're always good ones to work with. I'm also entering the card for Papertake Weekly's Challenge, which is a take your pick colour combi from any or all of: pink, black, white, yellow, green, grey and lilac, plus any other colours. I've used pink and green from the list.

On to the card: I chose to use one of my favourite Leanne Ellis images from Sugar Nellie - she's called Poise. As you know, I've coloured her with Copics. Other colours I've used are skin white, chamois and pale blue. When I'd coloured her, I didn't like the plain background so I coloured it blue. I was worried it looked uneven and went over it with the blender pen. It's still uneven but now it's in a nice mottled way, not a nursery-school colouring book way. At least I hope so :). I think I need to learn more about the blender pen, it doesn't work the way I think...

The sentiment is from Dimension Fourth and I've used pearl gems on the flowers and beside the entiment. The papers are lovely double sided papers by Crate Paper, from Stamp Attic, all edged with Distress Ink, and I've added some blue grosgrain ribbon.

Anita The Orphan Stamp Comes Home

I'm thrilled with the cards that I got back from the Stamp Attic Swap with my orphan stamp. I found that Judy, a very creative member of the group, had my stamp for the month. She really like it and took several images to use for herself, which I'm glad about. She obviously warmed to it more than I did the bunch of violets stamp I had :).

My orphan is a Stampington stamp called Anita. I bought it on holiday in Florida last year and loved it but had, shamefully, never inked it up. Judy's given me some great inspiration for using it, thanks Judy!

First one is matched with a lovely sepia backing paper and given a vintage feel, eyelets and ribbon are added to the card.


The second is a feminine pink card, the image is trimmed to a tag shape and mounted onto pearlescent card with gold brads and organza ribbon:


Just look at this b&w stunner: a Cuttlebug sentiment, deckle card and some torn black paper, looks like mulberry paper. I love them all but this is just so elegant and beautiful. Now I'd better play with the stamp :)

The Last of the Orphans and an ATC

Here's the third and last of the cards I've made with an orphan stamp for the Stamp Attic swap. I should get my stamp back with three cards, can't wait to see what has been made with it :).

For this card I've trimmed the image down to just over 1" of detail, stamped with Dusty Concord Distress Ink; I've drawn some of the colour into the violets.

The card is a pearlescent yellow DL, I've trimmed off the RH edge and used my new Martha Stewart punch on it, mounting Graphicus Guild paper under the shaped edge. I've cut a strip of the same paper and shaped it on each side with the punch. The images are mounted onto gold card and stuck over the paper strip, with an Elusive Images sentiment at the bottom.

I think this is my favourite of the three cards, I won't be sorry to give the stamp back to its owner :). It's a good swap idea though, it's made me think :)

Here's my ATC for the Stamp Attic July swap, which is holidays:

I won the Beachabella in a Challenge from my awesome Blogging Sister Janet. She's coloured with Copics and paper pieced onto Bazzill card and pearlescent yellow. Her sunglasses are highlighted with black Stickles, they really show up well in the flesh. I've stamped a sun and some seashells on there to make her feel at home :)

Saturday Challenge #40 - the orphan stamp

Jane has supplied this pretty sketch for this week's Secret Crafter Challenge. I still have two more cards to make for the Orphan Swap at Stamp Attic's Club and I decided to use the sketch for this. For the orphan swap, we each brought in a "wonder why" stamp - as in "Why did I Buy this?", "Why don't I use this?". We took home someone else's stamp, in a bag, without knowing what came from who, and need to make 3 cards to return with the stamp, to give its owner some inspiration.

I've stamped onto navy card with clear embossing ink and powder, then painted it with resist colour paints. The flower centres have Perfect Pearls in them. I stamped a spare image and added flowers and leaves to the card on 3d pads, for interest. I cut the navy card into a circle with Nestabilities, added a larger gold card circle and then a navy scalloped circle, hopefully giving it the look of a gold ring. The papers are Artylicious, from my Graphicus Guild membership. The sentiment stamp is also Graphicus Guild, an Elusives Images stamp and I've had the sheer ribbon for ever - well pre cardmaking anyway :). Two cards made, one to go...

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #11 - Christmas in July

This is my second try at this week's Truly Scrumptious sketch - the first time I forgot that the challenge uses black, white and one other colour! I know no one wants to think about Christmas yet, but I had an idea for a card using my Art Impressions stamp of Bethlehem and decided it would look good in black, white and silver.

Stamped on white paper using Soot Distressed Ink and the ink used to colour the rooftops, I've used a glue pen and some Hero Arts prisma glitter for the star. The circle is layered onto silver card, which I've also used the a Cuttlebug swirls folder on the card. The papers are from Craftwork Cards, I've added some black grosgrain ribbon and the felt snowflake came from, in think, the Stamp Attic. As always, the silver card is a challenge to photograph. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to photograph it without the distracting rainbow effect please?

Happy Bella Birthday!

I've been playing with my Promarkers again and used a Stampinbella image that I got in a swap, to make a birthday card. I used a great sketch from Truly Scrumptious, but neglected to read the challenge first, which was to use black and white and one other colour :(. Hey, it's such a pretty sketch that I'll do another one, just not tonight...

Papers from K&K, bought at Newbury Art Stamps, which is also where the pearlescent blue card came from. The birthday sentiment is a clear Hero Arts one. Prima flowers from the Stamp Attic.

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 :)

Twisted Thursday #16 - one challenge 2 cards!

I've run out of time for Shirley's2Girls Challenge the last couple of weeks and really didn't want to miss it again. This week the challenge is a sketch with the twist of adding something sparkly. I've made a card ready for this week and then made a second one. Why ever would I do two? OK, there is a reason!

This month I took part in an orphan stamp swap at the Stamp Attic group: we each brought a stamp that either we'd bought and not got used, or one we'd bought and used a lot and can't think of any more ideas for it. The stamps went into paper bags, anonymously, and we all took a different stamp home. We have to make three cards with the stamp, adding other stamps or whatever we want and give them back to the owner, complete with cards for inspiration. Of course we can stamp the images for ourselves if we want while we have the stamp.

I came home with a very uninspired stamp of a bunch of violets which actually works ok with S2Gs sketch, so that's one of my orphan stamp cards out of the way:).
The stamp is coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils and the background washed with colour from the pencils. It's mounted onto purple pearlescent card and then onto a larger circle. The main DP is the reverse of the strip paper used for the circle. To add the glitter I've put Stickles in the centres of the violets and onto the brads in the corners. Paper is from the Stamp Attic, I have no idea where the stamp came from!

Now onto the fun card, which was made with a Shirleys2Girls stamp called Domino's Amusing. Isn't it brilliant? I love the dog and I love the sentiment!

I've paper pieced Domino onto a blue circle and then onto a beige circle from the DP he's pieced from. The sparkle is in the main DP which has glittery bits all over it, I've also used some blue Stickles on his hat and Glossy Accents on his nose. Although it's not part of the sketch I've added the sentiment, it's too good to leave off :)