Gilding

This was not the easiest card to get a good picture of. Photographing did not turn out well so I scanned it instead. It really does not show the beautiful shimmer of the gilding flakes.
The stamp is 'leafy vines' from Hero Arts stamped onto black card, which I edged in silver pen. The wee butterfly is from a pack of broken jewellery, which I added some colour to with a copic marker. I think gilding flakes could be my latest favourite product (for this week anyway)

Challenges

The Craft Barn - butterflies (2nd entry)

Noor Designs - here comes summer

Simon Says Stamp - favourite product

Pretty Flowers

This was an experiment using a few different things. I used a stencil and distress ink to colour the background, and die cut the leafy flourish in green. For the flowers, I used some scraps of blue shaded DP and stamped my Elizabeth Bennet stamp several times using different shades of Brilliance ink. I cut out the flowers and one butterfly, shaped the a little and glued them to the flourish. I finished off the centres with a Wink of Stella in a yellow colour.

Challenges entered

Indigo Blu - a pocketful of posies
Craft Barn - butterflies
Stamping Sensations - dies/punches
Pixies Crafty Workshop - snippets

Bottles and Paint

I have been following with interest the Paper Artsy blog, the present theme is bottles. I decided to follow Anneke De Clerks inspiration, and this is the result.
I used a mix of nougat and space cadet to paint my bottle and gave it 2 coats. I then stamped my flowers onto a piece of vellum with Brilliance pearlescent sky blue. The letters are rub-ons, and I used a piece of yellow string to tie around.  I should have made some paper flowers too but this has been a busy week - however I may add them in the future

Paper Artsy bottles challenge

Classic!

I bought these stamps recently in a sale as I thought they would be great for men's cards. They did not have a label, so I don't know the make.
I stamped onto a couple of 'leftovers' that were on my desk, then layered onto black, and then onto an embossed orange piece which I wrapped with a spotty ribbon. I have added some bling in the corners with enamel accents.

Challenges - Craft Barn - transport
                     Pixies Crafty Workshop - snippets
                     Cuttlebugmania - bling
                     Sweet Stamps - polka dots

Christmas

I have made a start on my Christmas cards as I was given this lovely holly flourish die for my birthday. I die cut the front of the card, and filled in the space with another die cut in green, attaching a sheet of paper at the back to hold it all in place. I coloured the leaf veins and the berries with 'Smooches" then added a stamped and embossed greeting.

Challenges
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas - use diecut or punch
Rudolph Challenge - anything goes Christmas

Music

Today's card features the lovely music stamp from Crafty Individuals. I have placed it into a decorative card blank which I coloured with Promarkers and a Sakura glitter pen. The dancing couple is a very old stamp by PSX, and I computer generated the words.
Challenges
Crafty Individuals
Little Miss Muffet
Mema's Crafts

Thanks for looking

oh boy!

Today's card is for a new baby boy. I have added the piece of dp to the top section, and used my 'tied together' embossing folder on a scrap of matching blue for the bottom section. (it matches better IRL)
I stamped the Docrafts image, and coloured with copics and promarkers, then fussy cut and layered it with mounting tape. The scrap of blue ribbon covers the join nicely.
Challenges - Craft Stamper - use a stamp
Mema's crafts - anything goes
Cuttlebugmania - use a ribbon
Southern Girls - animal crackers

Lots of Love

Today's card uses an interesting technique that I came across somewhere on 'blogland' I swiped my ink pad (Brilliance pearlescent lavender) across the raised part of the embossing folder, and the ran it through my cuttlebug, which then left a coloured image on the card. I then stamped my butterfly with the same ink onto the card and also a wee snippet of velum. I ran the velum through with my swiss dots folder and cut it out and attached over the image. I added some wee 'diamantes' to the body, and stamped the message in the same ink.
Challenges - Cuttlebugmania - stamping
                     Pixies Crafty Workshop - snippets

Quick Post

I have made a little wall hanging from a coaster. The background is painted with Fresco Nougat and the dabbed with picket fence stain. I stamped the words on a scrap of card and cut them out and edged with walnut stain DI. The flourish is an old stamp (unknown brand) and the little butterfly is coloured orange and then gone over with Wink of Stella pen. I have then added glass fragments to the edge.
Challenges
Sweet Stamps - anything but a card
The Craft Barn - words
Pixies playground - using snippets

Top Bloke!

Today's card features a cute golfer from one of the Sullivan's sets. I have coloured him with a mixture of Promarkers and Copics.
The golf ball and the message are from the same set
I layered them onto a piece of dp from my snippets box and I sponged the edges with walnut ink DI

Challenges -
Craft Barn - masculine
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - use snippets

I am back again

....after a long absence - life got in the way of my crafting time.
This card uses up some scraps from my 'snippets' box. The strip was an experiment with 2 colours of paint and 'smooshing' 2 pieces of card together. I rather like the effect it gives. The flower image is stamped twice, with the main flower trimmed and layered to give a 3d effect. I have used copics and promarkers to colour it.
Challenges

Sisters of Craft - anything goes
Noor design      - anything goes
Graphit markers - Flower Power
Fussy and Fancy - Springtime flowers
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - using snippets

Birthday

I am slowly getting back into cardmaking again, and had a little play this afternoon.
I cut a circle card, and applied some DP to the front. I then layered a band across, added a diecut flourish, a felt flower with a tiny button, and stamped the birthday message in a toning colour. Both DP's and the card for the flourish were from my snippets box

Challenges
Sweet Stamps - Happy Birthday
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - snippets
                                                                    Creative Card Crew - Birthday with a                                                                       sentiment
                                                                    Whimsy - use a sentiment

Amour!

I have been away on holiday, so my blog has been very neglected!
For this card I used a damask style dp on the background, and a piece of brown dp, which I embossed and rubbed with Treasure Gold. I cut the Eiffel tower on my Cameo, and also added a snippet left over from my "Bonjour" pad.
  I would like to enter this in
Pixie's Playground

Happy Valentines Day. Did you all get some lovely flowers?

Birds on a wire

I was having a tidy up in my stamp drawers and came across this one which I haven't used for some time.  I needed to make a birthday card, so found a snippet of the jade paper in my scrap box, used a piece of it for the layering, and stamped on the remaining piece for the vertical strip. I have used a peel-off for the message which I coloured with a black Sharpie

I can enter this at Scribble and Scrap for anything goes, and also share it in the playground at Pixie's Place

vintage

Today's card uses a lovely Kaiser image that I bought recently, and this is the first time I have used it. I stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' onto DP from "One Moment in Time' I have sponged the edges with DI walnut stain, and used copics for the colouring. The lamps are highlighted with 'Wink of Stella' pen The bow is made from a muslin bandage, and the flower has been re-assembled with a brad added.
Challenges
Craft Stamper - take a stamp
Paper Creators Crafts - anything goes
Vintage Stamping - New Year new stash

Christmas candle

Here is a lovely glass bowl that I have decorated with blue vinyl snowflakes (cut on my cameo),  holly leaves punched from a snippet of green card, and  edged with a gold pen, and red gems for the berries. I have placed a battery operated tea light in it.




Challenges
Electic Ellapu - anything but a card
Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - a/g
Not Just Cards - a/g
Pixies Playground - use snippets
Southern Girls - festive

Arty reindeer!

The lovely Sara at Cardmaking Paradise (link on my sidebar) designed this cute reindeer, so I just had to make it for my grandchildren. I have cut the base  in a textured brown card, and used some DP for the top layer which I made a little smaller than the base, and sponged around the edges with Walnut Stain DI. I coloured his nose with a red copic, then added some Dimensional Magic to make it nice and shiny. A silver bow around his neck, and some Wink of Stella on his antlers are the finishing touches.

Challenges entered -
Penny Black and More - Special occasions (Christmas)
We do doobadoo - Festive Spirit
Little Claires Designs - Shaped Card
Challenge up Your Life - Christmas, but no Christmas stamp
Pan Pastels - Christmas

Fairy with wings

I was delighted to be asked by Mrs A to be her guest designer for the month of December.
I have chosen to make a 'fairy with wings' card.
The background is from a lovely DP pad by The Scrap Cake, called 'One Moment in Time'
I then stamped the images from the set in black and the stars in the top corner in silver. I stamped the wings again on some pink vellum, and attached them so they stood off the card a little. I finished off with some pink "KindyGlitz" as though she is scattering fairy dust over the flowers. I rounded the corners and layered onto a black card.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Scribble and Scrap  -  Anything goes
Penny Black and More  -  Anything Goes
ALBC  -  Anything Goes

Inspired by Anneke de Clerck

I loved the look of this design by Anneke, so here is my version. I cut some scraps of Christmas papers, and adhered them onto blue card in the shape of a tree. I added a little stamping and some gold stars. The wee bird is raised with mounting tape, and the words were computer generated.

I would like to enter this at
Paper Artsy
and also Inspiration Journal for happy holidays
and Pixie's Playground too

Poppies

I have used a lovely stamp from Crafty Individuals for this card. I distressed the edges and only coloured the poppy itself with promarkers and copics. I layered it onto some (unknown) DP, then navy card, then white card base, and added a red bow

I am entering into Allsorts for Poppies

Sweet Stampin for Poppies

\Fantasy Stampers - red alert

Sorry for the text on this post - I think blogger is playing games with me!!

Butterflies

This weeks challenge at Mrs A's Butterflies is for embossed butterflies, so I thought this one fitted in nicely. The DP is from Kaisercraft 'Bonjour" which I have sponged the edges with green DI. I added a little colour to the lace (it is a little more green IRL) I coloured my butterfly, and cut a matching piece of printed velum which I embossed with the 'Textile" folder. I layered the 2 together and formed a body with pearls.
I would also like to enter at
CraftHazelnuts patterned paper challenge, and because I used a velum snippet I can also enter at Pixie's Playground

Tinted Grunge paste

I was inspired by Sara Nauman's post on the Paper Artsy blog, using tinted grunge paste. It was a really cool technique to try. My card is similar, but different from hers. The scan does not show the texture of the 'blobs'

As well as entering at Paper Artsy, I will also pop it into Pixie's Playground as I used the orange card from my snippets box.

Blue and White Christmas

It seems quite a while since I did a blog post. It has been rather hectic here with extra people for a month or so!!  They are out for the day so I took the opportunity to make a Christmas card.

The stamp is Crafty Individuals CI 303 which I have stamped twice. I coloured only the lady (using promarkers), cut her out and raised up with mounting tape. The word stamp is by Tim Holtz, and I have outlined it with a sakura pen, and also filled in with a glitter pen. The bow is quite sparkly IRL!! The background is blue and white striped DP (dn't know who it is by)
I will enter this at Crafty Individuals - Christmas
                              Crafty Hazelnuts - head or hat (this has both)
Have a great week, and thanks for looking

Autumn Colours

I had trouble cropping this so just ignore the dark background. I have been making little notepads as gifts, and thought this one would fit in a few challenges. The base is embossed through my cuttlebug, I added a heart (cut from a piece in my snippets box) which has some light stamping, and the flower is cut in my Cameo from some paperwhich I coloured with Dylusions. I added a decorative brad for the centrepiece.

Challenges

Premium Craft Brand - Autumn

Great Impressions - Autumnul Elegance

Stamping Sensations - Autumn

Kraftin Kimmee - Fallin into Fall

Craftroom Challenge - Seasonal Colours

Stamp and Create - Fall/Autumn

Pixie's Playground - snippets

Have a great week

Frank's Christmas card

This card was made by my grandson Frank, who is staying with us.
He used the cuttlebug to make the background, and cut out the tree from another Christmas card, punched out the gold stars, and added some red glitter. We are entering this in the challenge at

We Do Doobadoo for the Christmas challenge

Joy to the World

My inspiration this week came from the post by Wanda Hentges on the Paper Artsy blog.
I have used a credit card to scrape the 3 shades of paint onto my paper, and used the edge to add some lines.
The holly flourish is stamped and embossed, as is the message, and the 2 lines. I have added some kindy glitz to the lines, and popped in some berries with a red copic. I would like to enter this at the September challenge at Paper Artsy, and also at ABC Christmas challenge for 'something festive'

Wedding Season!

This is a lovely stamp from LOTV, which I have stamped 3 times so that I could layer the dress and then the flowers.  I used a die to make a frame around the image and then layered onto spotty paper, rounded the corners and adhered to a plain white card.
Challenges:
Pan Pastels - frame it
Sweet Stamps - wedding
Divas by design - anything goes
Pixie's Playground - I used snippets to stamp on

      Have a great weekend, and thanks for looking.

Another one for Christmas

Yeah!! So pleased to see Cuttlebugmania is back with their challenges.
I have used a Christmas folder, and a pretty blue Basil card (it shows up on here as purple though!). I have sanded it back a little to show the design, and coloured in the two doves, and also used "Wink of Stella" clear on them. I edged the piece lightly with silver ink and then layered onto white card after wrapping with silver thread.
Challenges
Cuttlebugmania - embossing
Southern Girls - winter blues
Lets Craft & Create - anything goes

Primula's

This week's card is made with a beautiful image from Chocolate Baroque. Their challenge was to use the colours tan, brown, blue, and white.
I stamped the image on a snippet of white and tore around it and edged with walnut stain DI. The blue background was painted with Fresco paints and the word stamped and embossed with detail white ep. The flowers were coloured with copics and promarkers

Challenges -
Chocolate Baroque - colours
Vintage stamping - anything goes
Kraftin Kimmee - flowers
Suzi Bee's - anything goes
Pixie's playground - snippets

How does your garden grow?

With pretty hydrangeas like this one?

I stamped the image (Rubber Stampede) directly onto my card with memento ink and coloured with copics. I thought it looked a little flat, so stamped again on some scraps and layered them on, shaping them to be a little more realistic. I added some 'wink of stella' to the flowers, and dabbed the centres with gold 'Smooch' Finished by rubbing a little blue chalk around the edges.
Challenges
Creative fingers #46 anything goes
Addicted to CAS - Luxury (Smooch & Wink of Stella)
 Pixies Playground (I used snippets)
                                              Lets Craft and Create - anything goes

Fashion!

First of all - welcome to my newest follower Kevmac, thanks for joining

This weeks card features a lovely stamp from Crafty Individuals, sorry I don't have a number for it. I have paper pieced the dress in a printed paper, and the hat and brolly in a plain colour. The paper has the edges sponged with Dried Marigold DI. The background is another CI stamp done in 2 different colours, randomly torn and placed behind. The lovely paper flowers have been in my stash for a number of years, and they do match better IRL. Sometimes scanners manage to change colours!!

Challenges -
Crafty Individuals - Autumn Fashions
Sweet Stamps - Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom door - Anything Goes
Try It On Tuesday - use your stash (I used flowers)

Vellum

Just sneaking this one in at the last minute at
Sweet Stamps.
Their challenge this month is parchment or vellum. I stamped my flower 3 times on some vellum scraps and embossed in white. I cut out the layers to make this pretty flower, and added it to my background of brayered Fresco paints, and a piece of sheer ribbon which is coloured and heated for that lovely 'crumply' look
I will also pop into Pixie's Playground with this as I used up some scraps of vellum
Stamp and Create for anything goes

A little bit shabby chic!

I couldn't wait to try out my new stamp set that I won from Paper Artsy.
I stamped it onto a slightly linen finished card, and then stamped again onto kraft. I cut out the 3 elements, sponged all the edges, and adhered with mounting tape. Finished off with some toning baker's twine.
Challenges
ALBC - sew what
Artistic Stamper - anything goes
We Do Doobadoo - shabby chic

Birthday Celebrations

My card this week is a sweet little decoupaged fairy holding a flower. I have used a snippet of a patterned paper along the left side and added a birthday sentiment. I have glittered her wings with Kindy Glitz.

Challenges
Pixies Playground
My Craft Spot #146 - just for little girls
We Do Doobadoo #11 Celebrations

Christmas in July

I am very 'last minute' with this card before the playground gates close!!

I have used a scrap of card which I embossed with the holly folder and then added some red sparkle for the berries. The image has been upcycled from one of last year's.

Challenges -
Pixie's Playground for snippets
and Xmas in July at -
Hiding in my craftroom
My Sheri Crafts
Sparkles monthly

Paper Artsy challenge

I loved this weeks sample from Joanne Wardle, at the Paper Artsy blog and this is my attempt.

I printed the sentiment (sorry I don't know who it is by) on kraft card

Added the splatters from the
HPXT01 set and lightly sponged the edge with walnut stain DI

Paper Artsy inspiration

I was inspired by the lovely card by Jan McGregor  on the Paper Artsy blog this week, so decided to try it out.
I used
Fresco paint - Nougat, tinted with a little Space Cadet
Stamps from Jofy set 09 coloured with Promarkers
Sharpie pens, black and white
Bakers twine
Sequins
Paper Artsy challenge
Stamp and Create (birthdays)

Flowers

A boring title I know, but it is late, and I have to work tomorrow.
The stamps are both from a Creative Expressions set called "Festive Florals" I stamped the flower 3 times so that I could 3d it. I coloured it with a mixture of copics and promarkers, and added white Sharpie pen for the stamens.

Challenges - Stamp and Create - thank you

Flonzcraft - Summer blooms

Happy Birthday!

Allsorts are celebrating there 5th Birthday this month, so I thought I would pop this into the challenge.
I stamped the flowers on a scrap of orange card and cut them out, then layered onto some washi tape. The centres are Candi. I then stamped the sentiment and layered onto matching orange card and then onto white base card. I would also like to enter at
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
and Pixies Playground

Congrats

I have had great fun creating this box card. I cut the large stars and balloons on my Cameo, and also used vinyl to cut the 'congrats' and adhered it to acetate.
The smaller balloons and stars were cut with punches. I ran the background paper through my cuttlebug and swiped them with an inkpad to highlight the pattern, then used a red 'Kindyglitz' to outline.
I would like to enter in the following challenges

Southern Girls - Sparkle and shine and bling 

My Craft Spot - Congrats

DRS Designs - Feelin punchy

Flower Power

Today's card is inspired by one of the projects at the Paper Artsy blog this week, by Joanne Wardle. I really like her style of cards. I have stencilled my spots, and stamped the branch with an old foam stamp, then added a crochet flower and 2 paper flowers. The sentiment is a stamp from Darkroom Door.

Challenges
Paper Artsy  - Inspired by Joanne Wardle
My Craft Spot - Inking

Back Again!

I have been missing from my blog for about six weeks, and this lovely vase of flowers was started before we went away. I have now finished it, and ready to enter some challenges.
The design is from my favourite site - Cardmaking Paradise (the link is over on the right) I cut it on my Cameo, and stamped the flowers and the band with a purple ink, and ran them through my cuttlebug with the swiss dots folder to give some texture. The little leaves are a Memory Box die, and I added the label to finish it off. Of course it folds flat for posting!
Challenges:-
Craftroom Challenge - roses/romance (is a gift of flowers romantic?)
Artistic Stamper - in the garden
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Country View Challenge - nature's glory
Southern Girls - spots and dots
Paula Holifield - flower power
Feeling Crafty - one for the girls/ladies

Art!

The Q and L challenge at
the Craft Barn is to use  Art and/or Road. I have chosen to use Art for mine. This is the first time I have managed to get an entry in on time!
The background was created with the ink from a multi-coloured pen that I could no longer get to write. I opened it up and spread it over the page. The colours blended beautifully and have a lovely metallic sheen IRL.
I then added some texture paste through a dotty stencil, added silver EP and heated it. They bubbled up nicely! I used the art stamp from Stamp-It in the top left and some circles using a lid. The capital A is actually a shiny silver but shows up as black in the scan.
The quote "Imagination without skill gives us modern art" is by Tom Stoppard - I am not sure that I agree with him though

Friends Forever!

This beautiful stamp is the one I chose as my prize at Crafty Individuals. I have used it as a very CAS style for the challenge at
Inspired By Stamping #80 white/sand/coral
I stamped the message in coral and also sponged around the edge to give it a slight frame. The card is actually white!

Other challenges
The Crafting Cafe - C A S
Addicted to stamps - anything goes
Stamping for the weekend - anything goes

Love the inspiration!

I was inspired this week by the post on the Paper Artsy blog, by Joanne Wardle. I love her quirky one-layer cards, and this is my take on hers. I used the splatter stamp from HPXT01 with chalk blackboard marker for the blue, and made a wee line stamp from some leftover rubber trim for the pale lime line. The flower is from Darkroom Door, and buttons from my stash. The card is really a rectangle - it is my rubbish photography that has made it look like that!
Challenges
Paper Artsy
Creative Corner challenges - buttons
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes

Simple Christmas

This is the start of my Christmas card box - I hope to do some every month so that it is not such a rush in December.
I have stamped my 2 images with Emboss It clear, and embossed with Detail White EP.
I found a little snippet of silver foil and punched some snowflakes, then added a little turquoise Kindyglitz for a touch of colour

Challenges :-
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas - use a sentiment
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - use snippets

Time for tea!

I thought I had posted this last week, but it was still waiting!
The background is 'tied together' embossing folder, and I trimmed it to be a little smaller than the card base. The stamp is an unknown brand that I have had a number of years. I have trimmed with a couple of snippets from my ever-growing box, and a pale mauve ribbon.
This is my second entry for
Pixie's Crafty Workshop

With Love!

This is one of my favourite Crafty Individuals stamps. I used Memento Tuxedo black to stamp with, and stamped the hearts again in red, which I cut out and layered. I slightly tinted the edges and then added a snippet of some pretty red & black lace. The 'danglies' at the bottom are coloured with Smooches and I finished with a peel-off which I tinted to match.
Challenges:-
Crafty Individuals - A fine romance
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - use snippets