DT Posting - Phindy's Place Challenge #13 - embossing

This week at Phindy's Place we're challenging you to use embossing on your card: dry or heat embossed, it's up to you so long as you use a Phindy's Place image.  This totally adorable image is called Birdie, she is one of a series called Summer Cuties and you can buy her here.  I'm also entering Birdie for the following challenges:  Cute Card Thursday's School's out for Summer ,  Flutter By Wednesday's open theme (sentiment is a butterfly) and for Charisma Cardz Watch the Birdie.   I've coloured her with Copics and edged the image with Distress Inks while it was still in a scalloped Nestie.  The embossing is done with a Cuttlebug folder and the DP is a Christmas Basic Grey (!) called Eskimo Kisses.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon is from stash.

Life's just beachy

I love this image from Isabella's Sketchbook, I have a couple of these vintage-style beach ladies, this is how a trip to the seaside should be:). It's for Isabella's Challenge this week, which is based around Memorial Day for those who celebrate it and patriotic colours for those who don't. I've used the red, white and blue theme and, instead of Memorial Day, we have the Spring Bank Holiday which should be glorious sunshine and picnics. You'll note that I said should, LOL, it's grey and chilly here and all that you can say is that it's not raining - yet!

I've used a sketch from the Pixie Cottage Challenge for my card, haven't come across their site before. Charisma Cardz has a Going in Circles Challenge, Stamptacular Sunday has Life's a Beach as their theme this week, Cupcake Craft Challenges' theme is Summer Delights and Cute Card Thursday wants us to use no designer papers.

Image is coloured with Copics and cut out. The backgound is made from paper that has been Glimmer Misted. Sentiment is Elusive Images. I've set eyelets into the red circle - woo hoo - finally worked out how to use the setting tool, the white card is dry embossed with a CB folder.

Sukkersott Sketch #6, Penny Black Week 30 - Embossing

Sukkersott has a very pretty sketch this week which I used to make this very mauve card :).  I also dry embossed it, making it also eligible for Penny's Black's embossing challenge.

The Penny Black stamp used is called Rainbow Flower, it was a Christmas present from my older son (Ithink they were both force marched to the craft shop by my DH :)).  It's coloured with Marvy le Plume markers and some Stickles added at the centre of the flowers.  

It's mounted on a piece of pearlescent purple card that has Swiss dots embossed on it, using my friend Janet's Cuttlebug folder - let me know when you want it back Janet! - the card has torn edges inked with Tim Holtz tea-dyed ink and then pink chalk ink. 

All the papers are from Graphicus Guild.  The butterfly crystal was given to me over a year ago after a card swap.  His trail is marked with a Pigma pen and holes put through the paper with my prongy tool to make faux stitching.  The other crystals came from my DH.

ATCs - something from nothing

On Friday, I finally changed over from my old, slow computer to a shiny new one.  At least, my younger son, who was IT consultant for the day, did the changing over.

As I needed to stay out of his way, I made some ATCs from the ice cream tub that has bits and pieces in it that didn't quite work for another project or weren't quite right.  Also, I have bought images from http://www.lisasalteredart.com/ and will sit and cut them out when I'm watching TV and add them to the tub.

So, in no particular order, we have:

 It Was Her Destiny - leftover piece of Glimmer Misted paper that I decided to  emboss with a Cuttlebug paisley folder.  I added a painted Bella image that I bought in a batch of images from Ebay, mounted it on a scrap of cardstock and added left-over flowers punched from scraps.  Message was from a page of one-liners from Lisa's Altered Art.

Hoot - background was a reject experiment:  Glimmer Misted background with a Clarity Stamp from stamp of the month stamped on it, repeatedly clear embossed to make a thick, cracked glaze.  Owl was clear embossed using assorted pigment inks to give him shading, he was a try-out for Mum's birthday card.  Leftover Hallowe'en ribbon and some brads finished this off.

Autumn - a spare Willow with hot chocolate (Whiff of Joy) painted image was mounted in front of an oval I cut from a Glimmer Misted tree scene that didn't quite work (Elusive Images stamp).  Buttons were bought nearly a year ago, ribbon from my stamping "sister" Janet.

Odd Man Out - experimenting with the Paper Artsy stamps I got for renewing my Craft Stamper subscription.  French script gold-embossed on bronze paper, image of man and pen decoupaged on beige cardstock, torn around the edges.  The ribbon that doesn't show up well is Laura Ashley, the other is from Janet again.  Sentiment from Lisa, as before.

Chocolat - same background as Destiny.  The oval image is from an Obsession Impression stamp set, I spent ages colouring and glittering it to decided I didn't like the colours I used!  The Hotel Chocolat ribbon is from Christmas chocolates, the flower ribbon behind I bought on sale in the US last summer and the little flowers came from my DH for Christmas.

In the bag - I spent ages last year masking off a white margin and brayering over Versamarked handbags (Hero Arts stamp) only to reject it for whatever project I had in mind.  I think the Clarity stamp handbag was from the same project.  I combined them with the image and message from Lisa and at last they worked!  Used Stickles around the margin.

Lesson learned:  sometimes a part-made, reject project needs to mature.  When in doubt, put it away for another day :).  Until of course you are disappearing under a landslide of paper!

Secret Crafter Challenge 10 - Embossing & Stamp Something Snow Somethings Challenge

Secret Crafter's Challenge for this week to to emboss a card. I'm also entering Stamp Something's Challenge for this week: stamp something with snow. The only stamping on here is the sentiment at the bottom, but there's plenty of snow here :).

This Cuttlebug folder has been sitting in my drawer since I bought it at Ally Pally. I thought it would be great for super-quick cards. But if I use one colour of card then either the sky or the snow is wrong. I cut very pale blue snow and glued it to the foreground, used an opaque white pen then Stickles on the snow falling and Marvy le Plume pens to give some emphasis to the buildings and trees.