Waltzing Mouse Wedding

The cold weather has given me a push into the craft room and last night, as the roads in the village were gritted for the first time this winter, I came up with this card for the Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge.  I absolutely LOVE the detail of the stitches on their Nordic stamps and now I see from a sneak peek that they may be coming out with a quilt block style set - can't wait!  Don't know if you can see in the picture, the large white panel is embossed.  All stamps Waltzing Mouse.
I'm also entering my card for:
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
Allsorts - in stitches
CAS-ual Fridays - kraft
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - stitching
Do you stack up - embossing
Papercrafting Journey - ribbon or twine

Less is More Sketch

 I think sketches are great when I'm struggling a bit with my mojo.  This week there is a sketch to follow at Less is More Challenge.  When I checked back at the blog to add my entry I see that I have the sketch rotated and that I didn't HAVE to put the sentiment bottom right.  Oh well it works there for me lol!  First card uses Memory Box DP and dies, along with a Papermania sentiment. I drew in the string for the bauble.

Second card uses a Phindy's Place image called Big Hill.  Coloured with Copics and some icy Stickles, this is added to a dry embossed panel lifted from Chrissie's card for inspiration.

Kraft On

The CAS-ual Fridays Challenge this week is to use Kraft in your creation.  I've used my Snowy Village set from Stamp Addicts, giving it white highlights with a Koh-i-nor pencil and added a Memory Box diecut.  The sentiment is also from the Snowy Village set.

Less is More - Autumn

My card for this week's Less is More Challenge uses a piece of DP far too beautiful to cut up and hide in a card.  So I've matted a strip with the bird onto another DP from the pack, added a small strip under the punched border and added a sentiment.  Very quick, very simple, don't mention all the stamped, embossed rejects that came before!  DP Memory Box Blackbird, sentiment Wow.
I'm also entering my card for:
Allsorts - autumn colours
Charisma Cardz - clean & simple

A bit of glitz

Here's a simple easel card I made using the Stamp Addicts Wildflowers set.  It's stamped with Versafine Olympia Green and it has lots of Glamour Dust sprinkled across the flowers.  Very hard to see in the photo, it's really glitzy in real life!
I'm entering my card for Charisma Cardzclean and simple and Cute Card Thursday's Got Glitter.

Copycat Christmas Cards

 Went to my local stamp shop, Stamp Attic, on Monday and bought this lovely Woodware stamp.  I would like to say that my cards are inspired by the sample in Stamp Attic but in truth they are so close to it as to be pretty much the same!  All the cards are paper pieced, variations include twine, ribbon, card candy and a 3D ornament.  I'm entering my cards for Cute Card Thursday's paper piecing challenge.

Rescued from the bin

For some reason this week's one layer LIM Challenge of Wings gave me a real mental block.  I inked up this Sheena Douglass stamp for the first time but had a lot of trouble stamping it out without either an unclear image or dirty marks around the edge of the stamp.  I have rockerblocks to avoid this problem and haven't a clue what I was doing wrong!  This attempt, watercoloured with Distress Inks, ended up in the bin last night, however I decided it wasn't as bad as I thought and I rescued it.

This is the last piece of watercolour cardstock I had so my confession is that this won't end up a one layer card:  I like it as it is, but if you turn it over there is a reject stamped image on the other side!  Oh well, just a very simple mat will turn it into a useable card...

Hi (Ho) Silver

Sorry for the long absence, haven't felt at all creative lately.  Reading that today is World Cardmaking Day shamed me into action and here is a card I've made for this week's Less is More colour challenge - silver.  I've used my WOW silver embossing powder and stamped a Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree, adding a silver gem and white, then silver mirri mats.  The sentiment is Indygo Blue.  I'm also linking my card to the World Cardmaking Day celebrations at the WOW blog - pop over there for a chance to win some of their brilliant embossing powders.

Less is More - Fur or Feather

I'm bright and early with a card for this week's Less is More: this is an old Lili of the Valley stamp, coloured with Copics and with some Woodware Fluffy Stuff on his hat.  I love the Stampin Up sentiment.

Last minute Less is More

I've been struggling to get enthusiasm to craft lately.  But I didn't want to miss the Less is More Challenge, so here's my blue & green card, which has Bashful Blue inked in a strip.  The flowers are this month's free stamp from Craft Stamper - designed by Lady Limette Chrissie herself - and the sentiment is Stampin' Up, both inked in Versamark Olympic Green

Thank You and Farewell

Today I post my last card for the Phindy's Place Challenge - at least for now.  Phindy has family matters that need her time and is unable to find the time to draw her stunning images at present.
I have used Bountiful Bouquet to make a Thank You card for Phindy with a Penny Black sentiment.  I would like to thank all the Design Team, past and present, who have become friends, some virtual and some in real life.  I'd like to thank everyone who entered the challenges, but most of all I'd like to thank Phindy who gave me the chance to work with her beautiful images.

THANK YOU!

Fun in the Sun

I have lots of bags of decoupage cut out and ready to assemble, thought it was time I put one together!  I've added a couple of ribbons to this one, I'm entering it for House Mouse & Friends Fun in the Sun Challenge and Simon Says Anything Goes.

Less is More Sketch

This week at Less is More Chrissie and Mandi have challenged us with a sketch.  I've added a white panel and embossed sentiment to a Kraft card.  A couple of scored lines, a Martha Stewart punch and some seam binding complete the panel, sentiment is Stampin' Up.

Cover a Card

 

This card uses two Cover a Card stamps:  clouds and the branches.  The clouds were stamped in Versamark, then I used chalks rubbed on with a cotton wool ball to give it colour.  Saw someone demoing this at Newbury Art Stamps, really pleased with the effect it gives. 

I am entering my card for the Simon Says Anything Goes Challenge and Shopping Our Stash - Something new (the two stamps)..

Phindy's Place Challenge #114 - button it

This weeks' Phindy's Place Challenge is to use buttons.  I've added a good sprinkling of assorted buttons to my card, based on this weeks' Sketch Saturday.  The image is Spools and the sentiment from Pink Petticoat.

Less is More - Three

Sorry for an absence from Blogdom; I've not been feeling much like crafting.  However I don't like to miss the Less is More Challenge and here is my card for their Three Challenge.  The fairies stamp is Lavinia Stamps, the sentiment is Stampin' Up and I've brushed inks on to make a background.  The wings have a rather heavy layer of Stickles.

Less Is More - Gold

Today I had a fun day at Newbury Artstamps and met my friend Val.  One of my purchases was a set of Hobby Art clear stamps, here I've used Wow Superfine Gold and embossed them onto black for this week's Less is More Challenge. 

Less is More Lucky Dip

This week Less is More is asking us to take inspiration from their header.  Yikes I'm usually rubbish at inspiration challenges...   but this time my card came together in about 5 minutes.  I am taking part in an envelope swap on the Joanna Sheen Forum and I got the most sumptuous colour co-ordinated pack a while back that has been sitting on my desk.  I used two strips of the paper and a diecut, adding a Hobby Art sentiment.  If anyone knows who makes this diecut I'd love to know, gorgeous isn't it?

Phindy's Place Challenge #112 - inspired by song or movie

Good Morning and welcome to a rainy Friday.  This week at Phindy's we're challenging you to make a card inspired by a song or a movie.  I've chosen a very fitting song for this English summer that we're enduring:  Will it Ever Stop Raining by the Saw Doctors.  Check out the video, they are a brilliant band to see live, one of my all-time favourites.  I've coloured with Copics, Distress Ink and Stickles and I followed Sketch 8 from Sketch'n'Stash for my card, using some lovely new stash of a 6x6 paper pad from Stamp Attic.

My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch'n'Stash - free choice
Deep Ocean - welcome summer
LEJ Designs - summer's here
Sweet Stamps - patriotic or summer
Corrosive Challenge - summertime girls
Joanna Sheen - summer daze
Totally Gorjuss - something yellow

Digi Doodle Shop Challenge #114 - pink & purple

Here's my card for this week's Digi Doodle Shop Challenge, which is to use pink and purple.  I thought this lovely scene, Beach Babes, just cried out to have pink and purple swimming costumes - but I have ended up with other colours of course for the scene!  No idea where my DP came from, I've used lots of squares here.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Inky Impressions - beach fun
Scrapalicious - summertime
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Deep Ocean - summer
Sassy Cheryls - summer