Ooh La La Challenge - card for a child

This week's Ooh La La Challenge is to make a card for a child.  I've made an adorable Christmas pyramage card that uses an image from the Shawn Jenkins collection.  I've printed a matching DP for the background and added some Card Candi.  Aren't the bears adorable?
I'm also entering couple of other challenges:
Crafting When We Can -  for a child
My Time to Craft - Beary Nice

A bit of sparkle for Mothering Sunday

I made a few cards yesterday as a bit of therapy, as I've been dealing with a lot of ghastly paperwork recently.  Here's a CAS card for Mum for next week.  It's ok, she is a technophobe and has no access to a computer lol!  Isabelline background and sentiment are both from Pink Petticoat.  I've added lots of  glitter with a glue pen.

I'm entering my card for a few challenges:
Simon Says - glitter
Ladybug Crafts - spring is here
Seemacrafts - something for Mum
Cupboard Trilogy - mothers
Hiding in my Craft Room - let's get digital

Less is More - Week 164 - use three of something

 This is my last week of guesting and commenting at Less is More and this week we have a brilliant theme - which is to use three of something, but also to comment on at least three fellow participant's blogs.  It's maybe a bit of a gardening thing, but I do love using things in threes and I found it hard to narrow my ideas down into - you've guessed it - three cards!  LIM gives a lot of emphasis to supporting those who join in and commenting is a big part of this, please don't feel you need to stop at three comments :)

First one up uses Clearly Besotted stamps and dies, stamped in grey onto scraps of Bazzil bling.  Feathers were stuck down with Pinflair and some raffia tied around them when this was dry.

 Next card uses three Spellbinders circles to cut from the top layer, sentiment is Stampin' Up.  I added 3 pearls as I felt it looked a bit sparse...

Third card uses the trimmings from beside my guillotine!  I tried this first with washi tape but found it too flexible and hard to keep straight. 

Looking forward to more amazing cards to enjoy from all the lovely LIMettes out there - you won't forget the commenting bit will you?

Ooh La La Challenge #152 - To a special lady

As we are approaching Mothering Sunday in the UK, Ooh La La has a great challenge to join in with:  to a special lady.  Of course this doesn't have to be a Mother's Day card, but I have chosen to make one using an image from the Shawn Jenkins Collection CD.  I've added in an embossed panel, some of the matching paper from the CD, a fair bit of bling and a few extras, sentiment cut with my Portrait.

I'm entering my card for:
CD Sunday Challenge - Mums
Simon Says - Mother's Day
Papertake Weekly - for a Mum
Make my Monday - beautiful butterflies
Eclectic Ellapu - Wings and Flowers & Butterflies

Guest Designer - Christmas Fun Challenge

I am pleased to say that I've been picked as a Guest Designer for the Christmas Fun Challenge Blog.  I've been playing along there to try to keep the flow of Christmas cards coming, do pop on over there if you can.  This fortnight's challenge is Green Christmas Tree - or anything goes.  I chose to make a tree with bakers twine wrapped around a sturdy bit of card.  Sentiment is an old Hero Arts stamp.

Less is More - Week 163 - Masking or stencilling

Here I am again after a ridiculously busy week!  There were some totally stunning one layer cards for LIM this week, I'm getting very into Pinterest and have pinned quite a few for future inspiration.  This week at LIM we would like to see you use Masking or Stencilling on your card, not forgetting that all-important white space.

My card is very straightforward, I have used Post-Its to mask off my card, leaving an off-centre panel which I inked with Adirondack Lake Mist.  I overstamped with the same ink, using a JOFY stamp, then added a Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree Christmas tree in Versafine Olympia Green, stamped a second time without re-inking.  The tiny sentiment from Inkylicious has ended up in the bin after this card, there's a mark across the "h" as though a hair is stuck on the stamp :(.  Hmm...  could have left a bit more white space on this one...

Christmas Fun

Here4's a quick card for the Christmas Fun Challenge, which now has an Anything Goes option.  My card fits the baubles and bows theme, it is an image from the Shawn Jenkins CD by Ooh La La, with some pearls, a Martha Stewart border and Perfect Pearls added.

Less is More Week 162 - Spring Flowers - One Layer Cards

 Looks like Chrissie is having an amazing time in Australia, lucky beggar :).  I'm still stand-in commenter for LIM until her return and my word the green and yellow challenge kept me busy!  This week we have our one layer card week and the theme is spring flowers, so I think a few of us may be dusting off the same stamps!

My first card  uses a Paper Artsy stamp onto kraft card, using Whisper White Stampin' Up ink and coloured with Koh-I-Noor pencils.  I'm really pleased with this card, turned out just how I hoped.  My second card is rather less adventurous, it uses Hobby Art stamps, the primroses were masked to add the flowerpot.  These are coloured with Distress Ink markers and a frame is embossed around the image.

Thanks so much to those of you who have visited my blog and commented :)

Wynn's Easter Parade

I always have good intentions of joining in with CD Sunday Challenge :).  Often my good intentions print out an image and even start a card, only to miss the deadline!  This week I've got there, with a card from Holly Pond Hill CD by Joanna Sheen.  Image is popped up on Pinflair, Embossalicious folder (I think) used and ribbon and card candi (which match in real life) added.

CAS(E) this sketch

I've seen so many fab cards using this sketch out in Blogdom that I just had to play along!  This card is inspired by one that has, again, been all over Pinterest this week.  Being fairly new to Pinterest I've tried to find who made it to credit them, but without success so far.  If you know, please let me know!

Bunny cut with my Silhouette, sentiment computer generated, lines drawn in and card candi tail added.  And that's it!  So simple...

Card is for the following challenges:
CAS(E) this sketch - 66
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - spots or dots
Created with love - think spring
Great Impressions - spring celebrations
Corrosive Challenge - animals
Allsorts Challenge - spring is coming
Crafty Calender - animal antics
Ladybug Creations - spring is here

Ooh La La Challenge #151 - Happy Anniversary

This week's Ooh La La Creations Challenge is Happy Anniversary.  My image comes from the gorgeous Shawn Jenkins Collection CD, as do the DPs.  I cropped the image down and reprinted the butterflies a couple of times and decoupaged them, adding pearls to their wings.  There are more pearls on those rather antennae-like wires behind the lace.
I'm also entering my card for:

Simon Says - pearls
Crafting when we can - anniversary
A Gem of a Challenge - anniversary

Less is More 161: green and yellow

 What do green and yellow mean to you?  All I came up with were John Deere tractors and cheese and onion crisps :).  Not ideal for a c&s card!  After some thought I used some green scraps Die Cut with a Memory Box and layered over yellow card.  A Technique Tuesday sentiment completes the card, stamped in Versafine Olympia Green.

Second card is made using Inky Doodles stamps, with Versafine Olympia Green, Stampin' Up Pear Pizazz and Melon Versachalk inks.  The sentiment, also from Inky Doodles, sits at a jaunty angle to conceal a couple of stray bits of ink.

Butterflies and Blooms

I am trying to cut down on buying DP as I have enough to decorate the whole house!  However I gave in and got the yummy new Craftwork Cards pad and tags which have dreamy birds, butterflies and blooms.  Made this, based on the sketch at Sunday Stamps to make myself start using it not just admiring it!  In real life the Card Candi and ribbon are a good match for the pink in the flowers and butterflies...

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Sunday Stamps - sketch
Crafting Musketeers - butterflies
Paper Minutes - on the fly
Eureka Stamps - add a butterfly
Make my Monday - a grown up card

If Santa didn't deliver the goods...

... Grandma would  :) 
Great sentiment but an even funnier one is included in the set!

I've been trying to keep up with the challenges at Christmas Fun this year, to keep those Christmas cards coming, but the theme this time had me stumped for a while - Baby's First Christmas.  I just don't "get" cards for babies lol, oh well.  I reached for one of my Acid Drops and What-Nots stamp sets and came up with this card.  The DP is Basic Grey and I've added a bit of ribbon.

I'm also entering:
Kaboodledoodles - use ribbon
Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes
Sweet Stampin' - humour

Lots of lovely layers

I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging some of my cards.  This was made with the Angelica and Adam CD, which I have been really taken with.  The image is decoupage with six layers, stripy mat is Craftwork Cards, who of course also make the dotty card candi.  Sentiment is Hero Arts.  Fairly c&s, don't want to overpower those layers with too many distractions!
I'm entering my card for:
Quirky Crafts - pile it high
A Gem of a Challenge - spots and stripes
A Little Bit Crafty - man up
Crafty Little Fairies - one for the boys
Penny's Paper Crafty - lots of layers
Lacy Sunshine - lots of layers

Less is More Week 160 - Metal

I'm standing in at Less is More again this week and the challenge is to use METAL on your clean and simple card.  Chrissie, Mandi and Jen always come up with really innovative ideas and I've been racking my brain about this challenge!  On Monday night I happened to be rummaging through the clearance bin at Stamp Attic and found some HUGE brads. Sorted!  I've no idea what they are meant to be used for, but they make fab wheels for my little car :).  Car was cut with my Portrait, sentiment is Simon Says, IRL the ink on it is a very good match to the brads.  I cut the road freehand from a scrap of card.

My second card uses snowflake charms in a fairly standard way.  The IndygoBlu border stamp and the sentiment have been silver embossed with WOW detail onto mottled blue card.  Charms are attached with Glossy Accents.

Fashionista!

This week the Ooh La La Challenge theme is Fashionista, which gives you lots of scope to design a fabulous, feminine card.  Very apt for London Fashion Week too!  I've used an image from the Ooh La La CD Yesterday's Memories, called French Chic.
It's very elegant with clean lines so I've tried to stick to that with my card.  The background is embossed with a Roses folder, I've added flowers from Craftwork Cards, some dotty ribbon, purple matting and card candi and a Katy Sue sentiment, also coloured with a touch of purple. 

Hope you like it and look forward to seeing lots of fashionable cards!

Less is More - Week 159 - Masculine

I'm standing in on Less is More  this week, sending best wishes and hugs to Jen who has a few things going on in her life just now.  This week's challenge is to make masculine cards, C&S of course.  I tend to prefer masculine cards to be clean and simple and enjoyed making a few for the stash.  Can't wait to visit all your blogs and see what you come up with :).

My first card uses Stampin' Up Wetlands stamp and some Distress Inks.  Cardstock is textured and I've added some string.  Looove this stamp, made this card at Chrissie's a few weeks ago on my birthday, think I may have to get this set sometime!


Second card is bright and bold, it uses a cut file from Silhouette called Quaking Aspens.  The "Dad" is part of a lovely Woodware stamp with surrounding words which I covered up when I inked it.  It's coloured with Copic and the red buttons added for interest.

 
Final card uses Acid Drops and What-nots image, swirls and sentiment stamps from various sets and has been coloured with Copics.  I can't think what you call this shape of card, if indeed it has a name, anyhow the fold is off-centre!

Thanks for looking, hope you play along too.

Happy Heart Day

Ugh!  Valentines Day is no fun when you're single :( .  However, I made this for an old friend who keeps Highland cattle and I hope it will raise a laugh.  Image came from Googling, hearts cut with my Portrait, sentiment computer generated.  The inner mat of kraft card has been embossed.
I'm entering my card for:
Crafter's Cafe - must have hearts
Simon Says - get krafty
The Male Room - valentine
Crafting by Design - anything for love
Fab 'n' Funky - love/ valentine
Paper Crafting Journey - love is in the air
Papertake Weekly - with a heart
Cardz4Guys - truly madly deeply
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes/use red

Keep Cosy...

Keep Cosy sounds like a good plan, we're surrounded by floods and now it is going to freeze :(.
This is my entry for the Christmas Fun Challenge, which is Christmas Cuties this week.  Joanna Sheen House Mouse decoupage with some embossed Swiss Dots and a Portrait cut snowflake border.  I'm also entering the blue and white challenge at Christmas Cards all Year Round and Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas  Challenge.

Over the Edge

The theme at CAS-ual Fridays this week is Over the Edge and after a bit of thought I came up with this card.  I love the look of over-the-edge but find it impractical to post/give as it's difficult getting an envelope to fit.  So my snowflakes hang over the edge of the central panel :).  All made from white pearlised card, "strings" are dry embossed, snowflakes cut with my Portrait.  Card candi, seam binding and an Inkylicious sentiment complete the card.
I'm also entering Stamping Boutique's CAS challenge.

Ooh La La Challenge Blog - Use a Heart

 I've been playing with my Ooh La La Faithful Friends CD and used it for this week's Ooh La La Challenge, which is to use a heart.  Not really into valentines and no one to send one to lol!  But "love me, love my dog" is a fitting phrase for me.  This totally adorable puppy image has a postage stamp border, which fitted perfectly with a couple of files for my Portrait.  The backing paper is also from the CD and I've added some twine too.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Simon Says - anything goes with twine or string
Crafting from the Heart - use red
Craft your Passion - love is in the air
Cutie Pie - my cute valentine
Through the purple haze - love is in the air

The Yorkie was a quick card made for a dear friend - nearly forgot her birthday but managed not to!

 

Happy Third Birthday to Less is More

 

This week Less is More Challenge celebrates its third birthday with a rainbow colour challenge.  I've seen some lovely feather stamps lately, which all seem to be sold out at present.  I found this stamp as a magazine freebie and used it for my one-layer card.  It doesn't show up too well, but there is a double embossed line above and below the feathers.  I've not got round to mastering my stamp positioner and I used my Inkadinkado stamping gear to line up the stamp, took several attempts and a lot of time to get one I was happy with.  So the air turned many colours of the rainbow, but mostly blue, when I got a smudge below the sentiment!  After a bit of thought, some card candi came to the rescue, which gave me another idea...
 
I was lucky enough to get a fab Penny Black stamp set from Chrissie for my birthday which contains this gorgeous border.  I added a Woodware sentiment and card candi to it.  This card took maybe 5 minutes at most - rather different from my first effort :).  Congratulations to Chrissie, Mandi and Jen for starting and keeping up such an inspirational challenge blog.

I'm also entering my card for One Layer Simplicity's repeat challenge.

Less is More Challenge - Sketch

I spent a wonderful birthday playing with crafty things at Chrissie's (Lady LIMette herself)  on Wednesday and when I heard that Jen might not be able to make her cards for this week's challenge I jumped in and asked if I could do some for Less is More.  Chrissie kindly agreed and let me see Jen's fab sketch for this week's challenge, this is what I came up with.

First card is a slavish copy of the sketch:  the sentiment is computer generated, I've embossed Swiss Dots on the star, used my sewing machine to pierce a border round the card and added a simple mat.  The cardstock is White Laid, really interesting texture in real life.

 
Second card  is a little more adventurous, the shape is now a rectangle and my star has become a 3D flower made using my Portrait.  The lime green mesh came from Stamp Attic, the card candi and sentiment are from Craftwork cards.

Hope you like my cards and I may add some more using this great sketch...

Stashbusting for Christmas

Here's a card I made using papers that came with a Debbi Moore magazine and based on the Sketch Saturday layout.  I'm sticking to my resolution to make a Christmas card a week - so far - as well as enjoying the stash that I have.  I'm also entering my card for Christmas Fun's non-traditional Christmas colours challenge.

DT Card - Ooh La La - Man Card

Today we have a really useful new challenge from Ooh La La Creations, which is to make a card for a man.  I always seem to have lots of feminine cards and not enough man cards, so this is a great time to redress the balance!  My Golden Retriever image comes from the Ooh La La CD Faithful Friends, which has gorgeous dog images and some fab masculine papers too, I've used plaid and a woodgrain for my card.  The sentiments are Joanna Sheen stamps, corners die cut with Memory Box die and ribbon from Stampin' Up.

Oh Deer!

I treated myself to the Pollyanna Pickering papercrafting kit for Christmas and yesterday night sat down to make a couple of cards instead of just stroking the papers...

My card is based on Jen's layout at Sketch Saturday, though I opted to move the banner down as it didn't look right when it was across the image.  Very clean and simple, this card uses DP from the kit, image matted onto silver mirri which was also used to punch the snowflake.  The banner is made from a scrap of dotty embossed card.

I'm entering my card for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Christmas Fun - anything (Christmas) goes
Simon Says - ice inspiration
Cute Card Thursday - cold and frosty
Totally Papercrafts - winter wonderland

Less is More - one layer hearts

I used this week's Less is More Challenge as an excuse to buy a new stamp on Saturday, as I didn't think I had any heart stamps.  Of course when I got home I found an Inkadinkado Stamping Gear one as well as a freebie from Craft Stamper!  Oh well, I love JOFY stamps and this is so pretty.  I stamped 3 times, coloured with Pan Pastels and added Glossy Accents to the hearts.  The background was meant to be a distressed, old book page kind of colour; not sure it has worked too well...  Kisses stamp is Hero Arts.
I'm also entering:
Pan Pastels - anything goes
A Gem of a Challenge - something new (stamp)

New card, old stash

Continuing my New Year theme of enjoying the stash I have, here is a very pink, very pretty card made using the Precious Petals CD by Joanna Sheen.  Bought it on Ebay last year, but never used it until now...
Butterflies and Cand Candy are Craftwork Cards, paper is very very old from my stash and sentiment computer generated.

The butterflies are there as cover-up because my printer has left a dirty mark on the paper, happened a couple of times lately when I've been printing for craft.  I've had stern words with it, watch this space...

I'm entering my card for:
CD Sunday - pretty in pink
Feeling Crafty - butterflies
Just Inspiration - girly
Use Your Stuff - new beginnings
Crafty Sentiments - new

Ooh La La Challenge - Easel Cards

Hmm... that was an interesting weekend.  Both sons now back at uni, older son evacuated multiple times from various halls of residence on the seafront at Aberystwyth, not the best place to be just now!

Anyhow, today is the first challenge of the New Year for Ooh La La, to make an easel card.  I have opted to use artwork from the Carnival of Colour CD, which has gorgeous images from Beverly Morgan.  I've added punched and diecut poppies as well as backing paper from the CD.  My sentiment says "Happy Birthday" - I never seem to get a good photo of both base and topper on easel cards, but really it does look great IRL :)

Love the stash you have

I've a few good intentions for my crafting in 2014 - not resolutions as they never seem to last past January :).

•  I plan to make a Christmas card each week, how did Christmas catch me out last year, did they move the date or something?!  I was still making cards on the 23rd, rather stressful...

• Love and use the stash that I am lucky enough to have.

 

My entries for this week's Less Is More Challenge - Winter Blues - fit the bill for both.  I have a vast stock of card candy and I am in awe of those who create clever things with it.  Used it to make a tree; I found it quite challenging enough to keep my tree from leaning at a drunken angle!  Note to self:  all candy candy is not equal (in size that is).  Pot stamp from Inky Doodles, sentiment from Stampin' Up.

  


Second card uses pattern stamps by Inky Doodles that I fell for at the NEC last year.  These make the most amazing and varied backgrounds.  Yesterday they were featured on Create & Craft which reminded me just how much they needed to be inked up and played with.  They do match up to repeat but I needed just one strip of pattern on my LIM card.  I had several attempts at this, but the problem was not caused by the stamps, my inky fingers on the pristine white space were the problem :).  Inks used:  Versafine, Memento and Stampin' Up.  Sentiment from Inky Doodles.

I'm also entering my cards for:
Allsorts - free and easy
Keep it Simple - anything goes
Gem of a Challenge - something new (new stamps)
Open Minded Crafting - new toys or technique

Hope to bring you some more 2014 "enjoying my stash" cards soon.

New Beginnings

 It's a new year and new beginnings, with this in mind I've two rather ornate new baby cards to show you today.  Both are made with CraftsUPrint downloads and each has a tag with it, though I've only shown it for the boy card.  I've decoupaged, added lace, ribbon, gems, embossing...  between them the cards have most embellies!

I'm entering my cards for:
Simon Says - something new
Little Red Wagon - new beginnings
Allways something creative - something new
Ready teddy go - new beginnings (the teddy is in the baby's arms)

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends and I hope that 2014 brings you health and happiness. 

Last Minute Christmas

This is from the last batch of cards for Christmas this year, a paper pieced JOFY stamp which is almost a one layer card :).  Colour added with Copics to the star the pot.  I thought there was almost too much white space and stitched a border around one tree, but really I prefer it without, what do you think?  I'm entering a favourite theme of mine, Trees, at Less is More, where you can pick any of the previous challenges; trees are Week 142.

I'm also entering...
Stampin with the Dragon - last minute Christmas
Copic Marker Europe - CAS
House that stamps built - last minute Christmas card or tag
Baffie's Creativeladen - last minute Christmas

PS Both trees are stamped onto the same paper, the colour difference in the photos is down to the bad light, one is with flash and one without, and neither looks that much like the real thing!

Ooh La La CD Challenge - Winter Wonderland

There's a super new challenge at Ooh La La, Winter Wonderland.  You don't have to use the CDs to enter the challenge, but we love it when you do.  My card uses a gorgeous wintry image from Carnival of Colour, which has stunning artwork from Beverly Morgan.  I really like the artwork tha Wendy tracks down for Ooh La La, it is a little different from the run of the mill images that can be found everywhere.The backing paper is also from the CD.  I've used lots of blingy silver mirri card to mat and to punch out some Spellbinders snowflakes, adding a few white ones as contrast.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Simon Says - Bling it on
Brown Sugar - winter
Card Crafters Circle - home for the holidays
Sweet Stampin' Christmas - snow
Ladybug Crafts - Christmas/winter
Card Mania - winter wonderland

Seasons Tweetings

This  8" card uses Jayne Netley Mayhew decoupage from Joanna Sheen, added to an embossed background and with a couple of feathers and decorative bits added.  The fab ribbon came from Stamp Attic at Wantage.
I'm entering my card for:

Simon Says - make your own background
Creative Card Crew - holly or poinsettia
Cuttlebug Mania - anything goes Christmas
Papetake - Christmas Creatures
Bunny Zoe - wings
C is for Challenge - traditional Christmas

Swan Song for my Big Shot...

This is the last finished card that my much-loved Big Shot will ever make with me :(.  Having cut the dies for this card I tried to run a very intricate Cheery Lynn through with shims and the handle has sheared off, with the die and plates wedged inside.  I will have to dissect it to get my die out.  My Big Shot has been a great servant and doesn't owe me anything, I got it free when I was starting out crafting - at the NEC with two magazine subscriptions.  It weighed a ton as I lugged it back to the car park but it was worth it.

Expensive day today, a contact lens tore this morning and now I'm waiting for the third calamity...

Anyhow, my card is for Less Is More, where the challenge is metallic with one other colour.  Dies are Memory Box, sentiment is Kaisercraft.  The metallic is the silver card and also the beading wire that the baubles are hanging from.