I am here to live out loud!

 

Meet Nolan with Bullfrog, a new image from Fred She Said, you can buy him here , Tracey has included a coloured version too for those cards when you're in a hurry:).  I coloured him with Copics and added him to DP, stitching a border around it.  The sentiment is from Create with TLC, DP is Basic Grey Marjolaine.  I added some twine and some card candy, not too many embellies for a boy card:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday -sketch

Totally Gorjuss - it's a man thing

Some Odd Girl - stitching

Prairie Fairy - snips and snails and puppy dog tails

Poodle Parlour - animal antics

For Fun - children at play

Crazy Amigos - sewing

Crafting when you can - anything goes

One Stitch at a Time - anything goes

Pile it On - layers

Di's digi delights - anything goes

Less Is More - seeing double

 

This week's Less Is More Challenge is "Seeing Double" which is a great theme and I have lots of ideas for this one.  I wanted to have a go at a reflection card however and this is what I came up with.  The stamp is from Stamp Addicts' Rural Scenery Set and I inked it randomly with watercolour markers, stamping it out a second time below.  I used brushes for the background and just hope I've left enough white space for the Lady Limettes!  The sentiment is a Stampin' Up one from a gorgeous set that came yesterday via Mandi, I have some Seeing Double ideas for this set too:)

I'm also entering my card for:

Polkadoodles - setting the scene

Craft Us Crazy - Autumn Colours

Paper Play - 2 or more stamped images

Fresh Brewed Challenges - something new (ahem, both my stamps are new, don't tell DH!)

Tiffany Doodles 3 Day Blog Hop!

Before my card, here's some update from Tiff:
Greetings to all of my wonderful and loyal Tiffany Doodles fans out there! I can't believe the summer is just about over, seems like it only just started!  I for one am really looking forward to some falling leaves and cooler temperatures. Today we are kicking off a 3 day Blog Hop!  You will find inspiration along every stop!  And of course, I have tons of prizes in store for you!  Be sure to participate everyday by commenting on each post & following every blog to be eligible for all prizes.

The hop continues tomorrow starting at Tiffany Doodles!  In order to qualify for all prizes you must:

1. participate everyday
2. comment on every participants post
3. follow every participants blog
4. Special Note: Make sure that your Blog and Email are listed in your Blogger profile for notification purposes.  If your email is not visible on your profile make sure it is easy to find on your blog.  Thanks! 

While you're hopping keep in mind the SALE we are having this weekend at the store!! All Bird and Flower Digital stamps are on sale for 25% off!  No coupon necessary, discount will be taken at the register.  Your welcome!  =)  PS. Even more sales listed below!

By participating daily in our Blog Hop you will be eligible for prizes!  Lots of prizes! Total Prizes valued at OVER $220!!  All winners will be chosen randomly.  Everyday we will chose 3 winners.  Chosen from the main TD blog.  Your participation on the other blogs will be verified prior to announcement.  If you have won you will be notified by email, so make sure you email is easy to find either in your comment, your blogger profile, or on your blog.  All winners will be announced on the blog after the hop is over.  Prizes will be awarded as follows:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
3 winners *	3 winners *	3 winners *
* $10 Shopping Spree * 50 Doodle Soup Reward Points * Fall Leaves (png) Elements Pack for each winner

Even if you don't win on 1 of the 3 days - you still have a chance to win the Grand Prize!!  The Grand Prize will be chosen randomly from the main TD blog from all participants from everyday.

	Grand Prize
	1 winner *
* Level 5 Membership * $25 Shopping Spree * Fall Leaves (png) Elements Pack

On today's Hop we are featuring cards made with a lovely sketch made by Jenyfur at Torn Paper!   And of course, all stamps throughout the blog hop are featured by Tiffany Doodles!

 

There are 2 ways to earn extra entries!!

1) You can earn extra entries for today's prize if you make a card with this sketch!

If you would like too, link your card through inlinkz on the main blog post.

Enter as many times as you wish! One entry per card submitted.

2) If your not up for making a card, you can write your own post

about our Blog Hop & Tiffany Doodles Digi stamps!

If you post about us you can earn 5 extra entries!!

Also submit your post to the inlinkz on Tiff's Blog

 

I made a Christmas card using one of the ornaments from the set available at Tiffany Doodles, you can buy them here.   It's a very simple card following the sketch, with the ornament coloured, cut out and mounted onto the card with Pinflair Glue to give it lots of dimension.  The DP is Memory Box.

 

September Sales

Besides the Blog Hop sale we have going on, we are also having 2 other sales in the store!

 Design Team Member Call

We currently need someone who can make TD digis into Cut files! Video Tutor Details Here.    Position has been filled. Thanks. Cut File Maker Details Here.

Banner Spots Available

Tiffany Doodles blog gets an average of 5,000 to 7,000 visitors per month!

Would you like to get in on that action?  Now accepting banner spots for the blog!

Click here for pricing info!

Here are your blog hop links for today, Day 1....

1. Tiffany Doodles (start)
2. Kim Schofield
3. Vanessa Menhorn
4. Anne Ray
5. Dani Beckman
6. Judy Jung
7. Jessica Griffin

We will see you again tomorrow starting at Tiffany Doodles!  I can't wait to show you the beautiful cards we have in store for you!

Phindy's Place Challenge #72 - stripes somewhere!

 

Good Morning, it's Friday so it's time for another Phindy's Place Challenge.  This week, amidst the chaos of builders digging up the foundations and the floor and an 18th birthday for my younger son yesterday, I realised that it is time I got on with some Christmas cards, otherwise it will have crept up and there will be no cards ready to send!  The challenge this week is to use stripes somewhere on your creation, so I found a traditional stripe which I think is a Stampin' Up paper that I won in blog candy years ago, and used that as the colourscheme for my image, Ho Ho Ho from Phindy's Place.

It's topped by a Christmas light stamp that was a freebie with a new magazine that I stamped onto the completed card and then onto red card.  The lights spell out "Merry Christmas" but I think they are very small so I added a sentiment lower down the card too.

My card is for the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Crafty Ribbons - Festive cheer in September

Charisma Cardz - inspired by a song - not very inventive but this is We Wish You a Merry Christmas:)

Scrapbook Sisters - Ho ho ho

Here's progress to date in the sitting room...

 And the birthday boy at the champagne & oysters bar in Selfridges, looking a little underwhelmed!

Tiffany Doodles Stitching Challenge

It's the 7th of the month and that means a new challenge at Tiffany Doodles.  This month the challenge is one of my favourite techniques:  it is stitching, real, faux, hand or machine.  There's a $10 voucher to Tiffany Doodles Store for the winner, so make sure you get an entry in!

I used the gorgeously opulent Succulent Flower for my card, printing it out 4 times (some of the prints were cropped so as not to waste ink and card), colouring with Copics, cutting and decoupaging.  The colouring could not be simpler, I used 3 shades of RV:  10, 23 and 34.  I had only a few scraps left of a Basic Grey pad called Green at Heart so I went slightly mad and patchworked a background for my image by glueing it onto a grid then stitching a zig-zag over the seams.  The sentiment is from Pink Petticoat, I added a couple of rhinestones beside it and a tiny one as a dewdrop on the flower.    More stitching, MS string punch used on the corners.  Hope you like my stitching card:).

I'm entering it for the following challenges:
Cupcake Craft - patchwork quilt
Stamp Something - digi
365 Cards - 6 different patterned papers - I counted and I did!
Card Cupids - stitching
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi

Day 2 of the building work saw the final digging out of the chalk under the sitting room floor, levelling off and adding of sand, then the damproof membrane.  Today it's loads and loads of concrete.  Here's the foreman inspecting progress:

A Touch of Red

I really couldn't resist the new Christmas release at A Day for Daisies and this robin on a fence is gorgeous, isn't it?   I've used Copics, inks and Liquid Pearls to colour it, which sounds like a lot but really I just used a few colours.  The DP was a magazine freebie ages ago, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and I've used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the snowflakes on the white card strips. 

The builders are hard at work and there is little space in the house anywhere to craft, but hopefully they are on target and will be through by the weekend, though the floor has to dry out fully before we can carpet, so no sitting room for at least another month:(.

My card is for the following challenges:
A Day for Daisies - a bit of holiday & a bit of red
Stamp Something - digi (sorry to see this challenge closing)
Paper Sundaes - Lisa's sketch
Papertake - anything goes
Shopping our Stash - birds bugs or beasts (no people).  Hmm it's stash but I just got it at the weekend... hope this counts

Snowy Village Mark 3 (or is it four?)

I'm waiting for the builders to arrive, the sitting room is stripped bare and waiting for some floor destruction, time for a quick card to be posted:).  I realised that I hadn't yet played with the snowman stamp in the Snowy Village set, so I thought I'd better make a little scene using him, which grew into a card using the Papertake sketch.  Image is coloured with Copics, white gel pen and Distress Inks.  DP is Memory Box.  I used a marker pen t just ink Merry Christmas from the sentiment stamp included in the set, so that it fitted the space on my card.

My card is for the following challenges:
Papertake - Dawn's sketch
Cute Card Thursday - a pinch and a punch - use at least 1 punch
Crafters Companion - Christmas Wishes
The Paper Shelter - anything goes
Fab Funky Challenges - go mad with embossing

Less is More - metal

I don't feel my Less is More card this week is quite "there" yet, but since the builders we've been waiting on since Spring arrive tomorrow (I hope) to take up and dig out the sitting room floor I think this may just have to do as we have lots of furniture moving around to do today and then for some time we'll have furniture where it shouldn't be and crafting time may not be easily come by...

The theme is Metal and really embossing is my only way to achieve this, so I went for a very minimal gold look. I had a few attempts and came up with the very minimal card above, however the two elements on it have nothing to link them together , they look a bit plonked down, despite several attempts, different stamps and agonizing!  So the next step was to mask off a top and bottom border and unify them with some inking.  I like this better, but the top border looks as though it has a tiny slope.  I measured and checked and it is indeed straight, so it must be the trees that are on a slope!  It's still quite pretty and if I get the chance I'll have another go at it.  Oh, I've made it a one layer card again, my own challenge is to make more of these.
My card is also for the following challenge:
Stampin' for the weekend - holidays

Snowy Village gets the blues

Here's a quick card, very clean and simple, using the Snowy Village set   from Stamp Addicts again. This time I've embossed it and just used a little Distress Ink brushed onto the image.  The wide fibre ribbon works well with the chilly blue and white, the layout is from this week's Midnight Madness sketch.
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
For Fun Challenges - Christmas in August
Samuel Taylor - Christmas card using a rubber stamp (those amazing Prima pads for the prize!)
Crafty Catz - monochromatic

Phindy's Place Challenge #71 - anything goes using a Phindy's Place image

And now for something completely different...  the first challenge of the month at Phindy's Place is always Anything Goes, so long as you use one of Phindy's images.  This means there is always time to plan ahead so I did something I've been thinking about for ages, which is to use a digi image to make something in fabric.  It needed to be digi not rubber so I could get the size I wanted and chose Summer Bare which is one of my favourites from the new releases. 

I printed it out and traced onto Bondaweb, simplifying some of the detail.  The bikini strings were too fine to add in so I hand stitched on some twine.  I bought a lovely bag pattern at Festival of Quilts from a lovely lady on the Monkey Buttons stand, it's called African Basket.  I strip pieced the background and yes, all the panels are different and the stripes were not meant to match up!  I put together my applique image on one of the panels and followed the pattern for the bag which was straightforward to make.  It's ages since I've sewn anything other than a card, what do you think of my Phindy bag?
I'm entering my bag for the following challenges:
Paper Pretties - anything but a card
Die Cut Dreams - make a gift box or bag
My Craft Spot - sewing somewhere on your project - yup!
Victorine Originals - summer
Just some lines - anything but a card
Secret Crafter - in the sea
Totally Papercrafts - not a card
Charisma Cards - anything goes
Simon Says - anything goes hop

Santa in the sky

There's a fab sketch at Card Patterns this week, I had to give it a go and used my Snowy Village Set from Stamp Addicts, simply adding a little watercolour pen to the images and inking the sky and the snow.  I've used twine and moved it a little lower down the card so it can be seen.  DP is Memory Box and white pearlised card is embossed with snowy swirls.   Fairly simple but effective, I've used Pinflair glue to give it lots of dimension.
My card is for the following challenges:
Card Patterns - sketch
Crafty Ribbons - festive cheer in September
Samuel Taylors - Christmas card using a stamp (fab prize here of 4 - count 'em - 4 Prima pads!)
Divas by Design - Christmas in August

Diamonds and pearls

Today I've got another card made using the partridge in a pear tree set from Stamp Addicts, I've not put a sentiment on as this card uses just the tree and could be used for much more than just Christmas.  I've followed the sketch from Willow Sketchies, the tree is white embossed onto glossy card and I've brayered over it with pale yellow and green.  I've used that amazingly useful dotty stamp on my background.  Main background is white pearlised card that I have dry embossed into diamond shapes using a Scor-Pal board.  Each little junction has a clear seed bead glued to it, there are 3 dew drops in silver on there and I've added some tiny gems to the tree and then some Perfect Pearls snow, just in case it wasn't blingy enough already!  DP is Memory Box and ribbon from stash.
My card is for the following challenges:
Incy Wincy - pearls and diamonds (I have diamond shapes in my embossing)
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
Partytime Tuesday - anything goes
Totally Gorjuss - as you like it
Crafts4Eternity - Christmas theme
Lilypad Cards - a resist challenge
Charisma Cardz - glitter it
Willow Sketchie - sketch

Green Door

Here's that lovely Christmas Door set from Stamp Addicts used again, this time I've added nothing but the wreath to it.  I've followed the sketch at Cute Card Thursday, using Memory Box DP and a piece of embossed and torn cardstock.  In real life it's a lovely deep red,, will try to take a better picture later if the sun ever comes out, it looks brick coloured here!  I've added Stickles to the card candy and the wreath Glossy Accents to the fanlight.

My card is for the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - sketch
Aud Sentiments - anything goes

Doors and trees

Here's a card using the Front Door set from Stamp Addicts, designed for Christmas but also useful for new home cards and lots more...  I've used the sketch from Simon Says for my card.  Stripy DP is Basic Grey Jovial, dotty DP is Stampin' Up, punch is EK Success.  I've stamped and masked the topiary tree on the step, the wreath is decoupaged on to give dimension.  Fanlight has Glossy Accents on it.

And here is the topiary tree again, this time with no sentiment so I can add one when I need it.  It's a clean & simple card with an embossing folder to frame the trees.

My door card is for the following challenges (can't find any for the trees!):
Simon Says - use Dawny's sketch
Sparkles Forum - punch it
Creative Inspirations Paint - lots of layers
Polka Doodles - spots & dots
Sew Many Cards - edge punch

Creative Inspirations #67 - pick a set

Hi and welcome to what is sadly the last Creative Inspirations Challenge :(.  Both Jude and Cheryl have family issues they need to take care of and the blog will close after this challenge, which has been set by Bea.  The challenge is to pick a challenge:  #1 is distress, buttons and bows, #2 is shabby chic, pearls, lace and #3 is vintage, ribbon, flowers.  I've used set #1, my Partridge in a Pear Tree stamp is a set from Stamp Addicts.  I've embossed it in green, added gold embossed pears and sentiment and added a distressed background and painted my partridge with Distress Ink.  There's some stitching in gold thread, sheer gold ribbon and some green buttons.  I've only been with the CI girls for a few challenges, I'd like to thank them for being so friendly and welcoming and wish all of the team the best for the future.
My card is for the following challenges:
Crafts4Eternity - Christmas
Winter Wonderland - trim a tree - my tree is trimmed with golden pears!
CCEE Stampers - gold
Moving along with the Times - birds
Divas by Design - Christmas in August
Fresh Brewed Challenges - emboss it
Hooked on Craft  - things with wings
Kaboodle Doodles - ribbon

Less is More - take three challenges

 This week at Less is More we choose any three earlier challenges and combine them.  My card started out as based on Week 4 which was 3 squares as I remembered this framed tree stamp that I bought at Blade Rubber in London a couple of years back, which has not been used.  But it was larger than I remembered and using it 3 times didn't leave enough white space, so I changed direction and went with these challenges instead:
Week 12 off centre
Week 18 monochrome
Week 22 shades of blue
Trees are inked with Parisian Dusk Memento (I'd forgotten I had some little Memento pads, found them when I was emptying a drawer jammed with stash!), then Adirondack Stream and Denim inked through a mask.  Sentiment is Stampin' Up and I've matted my card onto a thin border of navy cardstock.  Think I might make another with a tiny white circle uninked for a moon, but I really like this one too...

My card is for the following challenges:
Less is More - combine three challenges
Just Add...  - something from your stash (stamp and ink)
365 Cards - buried deep (two bits of unused stash, stamp and ink again!)
Rubber Cafe - through the window - the stamp is like a window frame

Christmas Village

Good morning!  Today I've a fairly clean & simple Christmas card to show you, made with one of the sets sent to me by the girls at Stamp Addicts, called Snowy Village.  It has lots of extras to it  that you'll see cropping up on my blog over the next few days, snowmen, sleigh and reindeer in the sky, great fun to play with!  I've stamped it in grey here and coloured with a few Copics and lots of Prisma Glitter on Quickie Glue.  The stars in on the embossed frame have also been glittered.  OK, most my house has been glittered, the stuff certainly goes a long way!  The silver embossed sentiment is from the set, I used a MS punch on the ends of it.  Tree is from the Snowy Village set.
My card is for the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz - glitter it
Freshly Brewed Challenges - emboss it
Clear it Out - glitter it (stash is the embossing folder)
Deep Ocean Challenge - light blue
Paper Cupcakes - let's make a scene
Christmas Card Challenge - glitter
Christmas Inspirations - clean and simple

Phindy's Place Challenge #70 - make your own embellishments

Thank goodness it's Friday - and a long weekend too, can't wait!  Fridays are Phindy's Place Challenge days, and this week we are challenging you to make your own embellishments.  I've made my own flowers, using two different methods.  The image I used is called Summer Blossom, isn't she adorable?  Does anyone remember Holly Hobbie?  This little cutie reminds me of her...  The stamped flowers are a Stampin' Up stamp inked with two shades of Distress Ink, with punched suns added for centres and I tried something new and glued some tiny seed beads into the centres as well.  What do you think?  The other flowers use a Little Claire die, then they are rolled up.  I used 2 shades of blue but they look very similar in the photo.  DP is Memory Box Minuet, I paper pieced her little romper suit from one of the papers. 

My card is for the following challenges:
Digistamps4Joy - add a handmade flower
The Papershelter - diecuts and punches
Sisterhood of Crafters - flower power
Creative Card Crew - hand made flowers
Digital Tuesday - cute and girly
Papertake Weekly - dies to die for
Karen's Doodles - punch it out
Paper Creations Ink - show us your flowers
Victorine Originals - summer
Woodware USA - try something new (adding beads)
Corrosive Challenges - girly

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Hmm... it's time to start on the Christmas cards soon, I'm sure I had a lot more made this time last year!  This uses a lovely set from Stamp Addicts that I've been sent of a Partridge in a Pear Tree, complete with tree, partridge, sentiment (not this one) and solid and outline pears, making it easy to use in lots of different ways.  I brushed and brayered glossy card then stamped my tree in Stazon, with Distress Ink pears.  I decoupaged my partridge onto the tree, he's also inked with Mustard Seed Distress Ink to match the pears.  The vertical strips are embossed with snowflakes and the pear DP is Basic Grey from Nook & Pantry, couldn't resist combining it with the tree:).  The card is a large, shaped Craftwork Cards blank.  Lovely sparkly ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbons.
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch 'n' Stash - sketch with the DP being old stash and the stamps new
Basic Grey - anything goes
Hooked on Craft - things with wings
Mark's Finest Papers - emboss it (white strips)
Secret Crafter - make a scene
Bah Humbug - something new (stamp set)
Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenge - shaped cards
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Papercraft Journey - anything goes

Get all your ducks in a row...

 

Here's another card using the Crazy Birthday set from Stamp Addicts, an easel this time.  The text on the row of ducks is computer generated in a similar font to the sentiment stamps.  Now I look at the photo I can see that the eyelets are not totally level, they are meant to be bullet holes so perhaps my sharpshooter's aim wasn't perfect!

My card is for the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe - easel card
Craft your Passion - funny sentiments
Paper Playtime - anything goes
I Did It - sporting
Lollipop Crafts - make it masculine
Sparkles Forum - one for the boys
Designed to Delight - anything goes
Wee Memories - masculine
4 Crafty chicks - where's the metal (eyelets)