Catching Snowflakes

There is still time to join in the celebrations at Phindy's Place group on PCP, we're partying after reaching a massive 1,000 members!  There are lots of competitions and challenges to take part in, I hope you'll join us.  This is a card I've made just for fun, to fit Tammy's Challenge which is to make a Christmas card using non-traditional colours.

First of all, apologies for the rubbish picture, DH is away gallivanting for the weekend and has the good camera with him, so this is a scan. :(
I've used one of the adorable Christmas Cuties, called Tasty Flakes, you can buy her here.  She's coloured with Copics and I've added Polar White Flowersoft for snow and for the trim on her boots.  The DP is Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  I've followed the Sketch Saturday Challenge layout.  I couldn't think how I wanted to put the thin lines in - until I looked at all the trimmings from matting and layering the image!  The little stars are peel-offs.
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday Challenge  - sketch
Bee Crafty Challenge  - Christmas
Mark's Finest Paper - Holiday cards
One Stop Card Challenge - Anything goes
Fussy & Fancy Friday - Winter wonderland
Creative Belli Challenge - Flowersoft or flocking

No stamping, no embellishments!

 

I've bought a very pretty cd from Joanna Sheen, it's called Times Gone By,  mainly for the gorgeous horse paintings on it by Glynn Williams.  Sadly none of his hunting scenes have made it to the CD :(.  There are also some lovely Christmas things on the second CD and I had a play with some decoupage.  When it's printed out as standard this pretty robin scene is too large for me so I halved it in size and put it all onto 1 A4 sheet, which is a bit too small, need to find a happy medium for me to work with... 

I'm entering it for the CD Sunday Challenge of No Embellishments - phew that is a tough one for me with no stamping either LOL!  So I followed the sketch from Midnight Madness Challenge and added some Papermania DP.  The background is more of the DP, embossed and with Vintage Photo Distress Ink sponged over the notes to make them stand out.  Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.
Here are the layers:

A bit of Christmas Bling

 

Tracey at Fred-she-said has begun to work on Christmas images and all I can say is WOW!  There are some wonderful bird designs, including a robin for us Brits :), but the first one I reached for was the ornament.  You'll see the fancy one with pine needles and holly berries in a while on another card from me, but first, here is the plain version! 

I've printed off two and coloured them with Copics and loads of Stickles, to match the Basic Grey Jovial paper.  After the Stickles had dried completely, I glued them together with some blue metallic thread between them and stuck my ornament into the aperture I made with my Nellie Snellen dies.  I punched some leves from the greeny-blue card, added some flowers and a sentiment and there you have it - Christmas bling!  The only time-consuming part was leaving the Stickles to dry overnight and you could choose to bling up your ornaments with glitter and gems instead...  lots of possibilities.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly - Sparkly and bright
Simon Says - Punch 'Em
Creative Card Crew - Let's punch it
A Spoonful of Sugar - Let's get punchy

Paper GardenProjects - Holiday cards
The Crafty Pad - Christmas

Get Well Wishes

I'm sneaking in a second card today; please scroll down if you're looking for my Cooking it up with Katie card:).  This is a Get Well card for a dear friend who is faced with the frightening diagnosis of a brain tumour.  Because of a shooting accident many years ago that has left tiny fragments of metal in his eye, he can't have the scans that will give a quick answer to his symptoms.  John loves his racing and, to date, his finest hour was as part of a syndicate that won the Derby, hence the horse theme.
I've used the sketch from Cute Card Thursday for my layout and again I've been persevering with my brayer.  The yellow green streak across the moon was not intentional but in the end I decided it was all part of the scene!  Mare and foal is the first stamp I ever bought, when I found Lavinia Designs at the NEC and fell in love with her style of working.  The tree stamp is also a Lavinia Designs stamp.  DP is My Minds Eye and there are peel-offs in the corners, something I don't make a lot of use of.

My card is also for Cards for Men - anything goes and The Stamp Man - cards for men.

Cooking it up With Katie #35 - a girly lilac bow

This week there's another fun recipe for you to follow at Cooking It Up With Katie:  your ingredients are lilac, girly and and a bow.  The DT had some fun images to use from Robyn's Fetish, the sponsor and I used the cute birdhouse image, colouring it with Copics and some Distress Ink.  The DP is My Mind's Eye and I Cuttlebugged and inked some grey cardstock.  The sentiment is Whiff of Joy.
I based my card on this week's Friday Sketcher's Challenge.

DT Posting - Fred She Said - Pink Blossoms Set

Every week the Fred She Says store has a 40% offer on a digi and this week I got to choose which one to put on sale!  I LOVE the flowers that Tracey produces, they are different from anything that is made by anyone else, as far as I know.  So it's no surprise that I chose some of Fred's Flowers:  here is the Pink Blossom set used in my card.  You don't like pink?  No problem LOL, the pink, blue and purple blossom sets are all reduced, you can buy them at this great price here.  You get great flowers to build up and use as well as 8 co-ordinating sheets of paper to print out.

I like the different effect I got with my flowers:  the main one has each petal folded, the ones by the senitment are softer and rounded.  I added a Papermaina clear stamp sentiment, lots of Stickles, a Cuttlebugged Nestie, some stitcihng and some gems.  It's very pink, very girly and fun!
I'm entering: Lexi's Birthday Challenge ,  Craft Your Passion's Glitter and Sparkles Challenge and Papertake's Sparkly & Bright Challenge .

Come and join the party!!!

 I hope you'll come and join the party over at Papercraftplanet, to celebrate 1,000 members of the Phindy's Place group.  Well that's what we're celebrating but at this rate we're heading fast to 1,100 LOL!  Today it is my turn to host a challenge, which is a sketch challenge.  The prize is a box of cards created by the DT to give you a head-start with Christmas - check out the slideshow on PCP for the awesome cards which could bbe yours if you enter! This is the card I've made for it using the freebie that Phindy kindly gave to the group, which is of course called Join the Party!  I've added lots of Stickles and Glossy Accents to my image and used MME So Sophie cardstock.

Yesterday's Challenge was a cardathon hosted by Cec at which we all created an easel card.  The deadline for both challenges is Friday 29 October, so you still have time to play along with both challenges!  Here's my cardathon easel, I've used the image Warm Friends and did quite a bit of paper piecing as I was short of time to colour!  The DP is Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather and the sentiment is Craftwork Cards.

I'm entering the following challenges with my cards:

Crafty Cardmakers - digi plus (paper piecing) - penguin

Cupcake Craft Challenge - sweet treats with a twist - that mouse is enjoying a rather alcoholic sweet treat!

Totally Gorjuss - sparkle - celebrating mouse

I'd love you to come and join in with the party and to enter my sketch challenge, see you there and good luck!

Time for something different...

I've like the look of the paper pricking and seen the digis with templates at Fred She Said but not tried it out before.  This is my first go at it, I've used the Fall Flowers set and coloured in some pink asters.  The pricking was pretty but didn't show up as much as I would have wanted (need to use a bigger tool next time!) and I sponged the background with Distress Inks then spritzed it with water, which shows it off much better.  Then I tried another new technique:  I sponged over a stencil for a very clean and simple background to my card, which uses no DP.  I stamped a couple of swirls (Personal Impressions clear stamps) over the corners and added a few gems.  The card is an 8" pre-shaped card from Craftwork cards, bought and never used before.  Nice big blank to play with, think I'll be getting them out again soon...

I'm entering the following challenges with my card:
Stamp Something - digi
Aly's Sunday Challenge - distressed
2 Sisters Challenge - anything goes
ABC Challenge - f is for flowers

Winter Wonderland

I've been practising with my brayer again, I do love the stunning work that people produce and I know that I have to keep at it to get better...
These are:  Top Left-glossy card and Distress Inks, Top Right-smooth card and Distress Inks, Bottom Left- smooth card and Adirondack inks, Bottom Right-glossy cards and Adirondacks.
The finished card is glossy card and, I think, Adirondack ink.  I found the inks work the same way but of course the colours are not identical.  As I have lots of Distress Inks I'm glad they brayer well:).
The deer are a Woodware clear stamp; Santa and the pine trees are Creative Expressions stamps.  I've added some Glamour Dust on glue pen for a sparkle and shine.
Found a great simple sketch for it at Eat, Sleep, Stamp
and I'm also entering it for:
Fussy & Fancy - Let's see your Winter Wonderland
Christmas Stamping All Year - something metallic (glitter)
Bah Humbug - Elegance
 Totally Gorjuss - sparkle
Delightful Challenges - beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Pumpkin Bouquet

Good Morning!  It's absolutely perishing here with lovely blue skies and frozen ground.  I've a beautiful card to show you this morning that uses a Fred-She-Said digi that is a freebie over on Crafters Digital Arts Centre.  The freebie is part of a purple, green and orange challenge, click here to find the challenge and the freebie.  It's such a pretty image, I didn't want to add harsh bright colours to it so I was pleased to find a few sheets of paper left in my Green at Heart Basic Grey pad - ideal!  Coloured with Copics and some Stickles, I've followed this week's Friday Sketch Challenge.  The leaves are cut with a Marianne Creatables set and the sentiment is Joanna Sheen.
My card is for the following challenges:
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Paper Pretties - green, purple and orange
Creative Belli - pumpkins
Crafty Cardmakers - use a freebie - great challenge idea!
Basic Grey - Autumn, harvest time - asters are always in Harvest Festival flower arrangements, aren't they!

ABC Challenge - F is for flowers

Hope to see you over at Fred She Said and playing along in the challenge, don't forget to grab your freebie!

Monochromatic Mice

I love this House Mouse stamp, which I think is called "Are we nearly there yet?".  I was lucky enough to win it after winning a challenge on House Mouse and Friends.  This week their challenge is Monochromatic and I thought this was perfect to make an Autumn brown monchromatic card.  I've coloured with copics and edged with Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy and Old Paper then further distressed the edges. The DP is from Joanna Sheen's Giordano Puppies & Kittens CD, I've added Distress Ink to its edges as well and the ribbed brown card is a recycled card from my local Craft Shop.  Flowers made with a Woodware punch.

After discovering CD Sunday's Challenge and entering something that wasn't totally monochrome, I'm having another go with something that does stick to the challenge:).  I'm building a collection of CDs and anything that makes me use them has to be good!

My card is for the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends - monochromatic

Midnight Madness - sketch

Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes

CD Sunday Challenge - monochrome

Owl always love you...

  This week at Top Tip Tuesday we are having two week open challenge with lots of great prizes on offer from our sponsors.  Be sure to check it out and enter! 

Our fabulous sponsors for this challenge are:

Daisys Digi Doodles

Joanna Sheen 

Squiggle Stamps

Sunshine & Giggles 

I've made an Autumn card using an adorable owl image from our sponsors Squigglestamps.  I printed my owls 3 times and used silicon glue to give them lots of dimension.  They are coloured with Copics and Glossy Accents for their eyes and edged with Distress Inks.  The DP is Basic Grey Indian Summer.

I'm entering the following challenges:
Card Patterns Sketch - sketch
Pink Elephant - brown and orange
The Shabby Tearoom - inspirational photo - you have to check out this photo - yum yum yum!
Basic Grey - Autumn/harvest
Crazy4Challenges - Autumn/fall
Totally Papercrafts - Autumn

No Stamping... just a lot of folds

After I made the double display card on Friday, using Paola's template (THANK YOU Paola!), I realised that these aren't difficult to make, just a bit fiddly.  On Joanna Sheen's forum she is challenging members to make a card using a new CD, Giordano Christmas and there is an image available for those of us who don't yet have the CD.  I printed it so that it would fit into the double display card and added a free downloadable paper from Summer Driggs called Believe.  I've added some silver glitter to the image and the DP with a glue pen as well as some silver ribbon.  I didn't decoupage anything in the image or the card wouldn't have folded properly, so I put a couple of them on the front panels with Pinflair glue.

I've found a new-to-me challenge blog called CD Sunday Challenge, which says it has lots of followers but few challenge entries.  But there are plenty of us using DP if nothing else!  This week's challenge is Monochrome and while I have to admit that I can't complain if they disqualify my card, it's main element is greeny/brown but with a couple of bits of colour...  so I'm entering it and wishing them lots of luck getting more entries:).

Back later with some stamping...

A Puppy isn't just for Christmas...

I think "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" is one of the best slogans ever.  Here's a Christmas puppy that is pushing its luck with its new owners :)!  I've followed a photo of a friends' dog, Tiffin.  Tiffin is far too well behaved to chew shoes but the puppy looked so much like her that I couldn't resist.  

I've used Christmas Puppy, a Phindy's Place image, you can buy it here.  The shoe was cut out a second time and popped on top of the image with Pinflair glue, colouring is Copics and lots of Stickles on the shoe and the poinsettias.  The DP is Basic Grey Jovial.
I've followed this week's Sketch & Stash Challenge. 
Ali Factory Challenge is animals

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge#27- Fancy Folds

Good Morning!  It's Friday and I'm so happy that it's nearly the weekend.  Friday of course means that it's time for another fun and fabulous Phindy's Place Challenge.  This week we are challenging you to use Fancy Folds on your creation, simple or complex, you choose.  I followed a link to Paola's blog and something called a Double Display card.  It wasn't as hard to make as it looks and it gave me lots of space to use some gorgeous Crafty Individuals DP that I bought recently.  Here it is stretched out so you can see all the folds:
I used Ice Dance, a beautiful Phindy's Place digi for my main image, coloured with copics and Distress Inks, with lots of Stickles added.  The snowflakes, also heavily Stickled, that I've scattered across my card are cut with a punch, the sentiments are from Craftwork Cards and the silver ribbon from stash.  I think I've just invented a new word:  have you Stickled anything lately? :)

My card is also entered for the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz - more than one fold
Simon Says Stamp - 3 embellies (snowflakes, ribbons, sentiments), 2 DPs, 1 image
A Spoonful of Sugar - Winter Wonderland
Gingerloft - glitter or bling
Ooh la la  - nothing floral
Paper Sundaes - change of seasons
Anything Goes - ribbon

Cooking it up With Katie #33 - Emboss a sticky leaf

Welcome to Cooking it up With Katie!  This week the challenge recipe is to use:  embossing, leaves and a sticker.  I've used an adorable House Mouse taking time to smell the flowers - a freesia to be precise:).  Something I don't have in my stash s stickers, but I remembered that there was a set of stickers a few months back as a magazine freebie...   The little corner stickers are cream with spots; I coloured mine with my Copics so they fit the colours I've used.  Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and DP is a Fred-She-Said digital you can buy it here. 

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #85- Sketchtime

 This week at Corrosive Challenges we have a fun sketch for you to follow.  Sadly I have decided to step down from the Design Team for Corrosive, life is getting in the way of my crafting a bit at present:).  Janet who runs the challenge is one of the first blogging friends that I made online and I'd like to thank her and all the gals at Corrosive for the fun times I've had being part of the team.

My card uses an image from this month's sponsor, Robyn's Fetish.  I've coloured using Copics teamed it with Basic Grey Indian Summer DP and a few Prima flowers.  Leaves are cut with a punch and sentiment is a new one that I bought from Elzybells, who have sadly closed down.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

The Stamp Man - Autumn

Charisma Cardz - Autumn Colours

Paper Romance - Halloween or Fall

A Big Wedding? A big card, anyway

This is a first for me:  DH asked me to make an A4 card, one of his staff is getting married and he asked for a card big ebough for everyone to sign.  I've never made a card bigger than A5 before.   He also asked for it to be fairly simple.  Thank heavens for digis that can be resized easily!  This is a Shirleys2Girls digi, coloured with Copics and Distress Inks and lots of Stickles for bling.  It's matted onto gold mirri and then bronze pearelscent card.  I've used a Martha Stewart punch on the RH side and trimmed the card back to expose a strip of gold.  Didn't intend to, but when I saw I'd put the image slightly off-centre I had to do something!  Sadly we can't go to the wedding, DH is away that weekend, but I hope she'll like her card...
I'm entering the following challenges:
Create4Fun - use a digi
Allsorts - song title (White Wedding, Billy Idol)
Sweet Stampin' - diamonds are a girl's best friend

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge#26 - Something Cute

It's Friday so it's time for a new Phindy's Place Challenge.  This week we have a super-easy challenge for you, to use something cute.  Phindy has plenty of cute designs to choose from, but even if you opt for one of her beautiful landscapes, for instance, just add a cute embellie and you're there!

I've used Big Hill, one of the totally cute and adorable Christmas Cuties and coloured her in pastels to match my Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses DP.  I've based my card on this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge, changing the main image to an octagon for a slightly different look.  Embossing folder is Papermania, as is the sentiment, snowflakes are a small Woodware punch and as I don't have a Winter border punch (yet!) I've turned Martha Stewart grass upside down to make icicles, do you think it works?  I've added Glamour Dust for snow and lots of Stickles to my snowflakes.  Images coloured with Copics and Distress Inks.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday Challenge - sketch
Cute Card Thursday - make your own embellishments
ASpoonful of Sugar - sparkle and shine
Basic Grey - sparkle
Fabnfunky Challenges - use a digi
Creative Cottage Challenge - bling it on

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

Oh Deer!

 I got my Tim Holtz Christmas stamps out to have a try at a Christmas card for a man, which is the challenge at Winter Wonderland.   First I used a textured card which I think looks a bit messy where the deer is overstamped.  The next card is on a regular, smooth card and I prefer it.  Background has Distress Inks in Weathered Wood and, I think, Stormy Sky.  Sentiment is a freebie from this month's Do Craft magazine.

One in a Million

My DH's birthday was last weekend.  Shamefully, I had not made a card for him in time as family events overtook us and I did not have the time or inclination for much crafting.  This card is not really a birthday card, but it is for him.  And yes, he is 1 in a million.

This was inspired by a card in this month's Craft Stamper.  I've used number stamps from Dimension Fourth that have been sitting in my stash and Basic Grey Sugar Rush DP, the stick-on letters and hearts come from the BG pad.
My card is entered for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - Something from your stash
Creative Belli - Numbers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Anything goes

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge#25 - Anne-Marije's Sketch

It's Friday and it's time for another Phindy's Place Challenge.  I love sketches and this week we are having our first sketch challenge, I hope you come and join us, just remember to use a Phindy's Place image and enjoy following the sketch.  We have a great sketch made by the talented Anne-Marije and I chose to use one of those adorable Christmas Cuties for my card, this is the adorable Delivery Man.  

My colourscheme came from the gorgeous Jovial DP by Basic Grey, LOVE this collection!  The sentiment is Joanna Sheen, gems are Hobby House and snowflakes are cut with Spellbinder dies.

I'm also entering my card for:
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Christmas  Crafting
Incy Wincy Designs - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September
 One Stop Craft - Snowflakes in September
Two Sisters Challenge Blog - Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - Christmas