I'm back!!

I can't believe it is almost 2 months since I have posted on my blog.
We have been away on a fantastic cruise, which went through the Panama Canal. It was so interesting.
But, now it is back home to reality!!

The background of my card was done with Colour Burst - yellow ochre, on a pearl finish card. I then embossed it with a dragonfly folder through my Cuttlebug, and lightly sponged the edges. I stamped the flower in black Memento on a snippet of white card, and coloured it with copics and promarkers, using Autumn tones. I finished off with a scrap of organza ribbon, and tied the bow with some bakers twine.
Challenges -
Graphit Markers - Autumn colours
Scrap-craft Inspiration - Autumn colours
Cuttlebug Mania - black and orange
Rubberdance - Autumn
Craft Dream - Autumn
Fantastic Tuesdays - Autumn
Pixies Playground - use snippets

Thanks for looking, and have a great weekend

Lace!

I have used a piece of Kaisercraft dp for the backing of this card and sponged the edges with a green ink. I have used a scrap of crochet lace to accent the word Papillon, and then added a vellum butterfly which I diecut from a scrap of vellum, ran it through my 'bug with a texture folder and added some liquid pearls for the body.
Challenges
Modsquad - lavender or lace
Creative Crew - lace
Tuesday throwdown - texture
Pixies playground - snippets

Ellie the elephant

I printed a gorgeous doodle pattern from the web, sorry I have lost the designer's name to give credit to.
I have coloured in with a mixture of copics, promarkers, sakura glaze pens, and added a few highlights with a wink of stella pen.
The card design is one from the Cardmaking Paradise site (link is on my sidebar) and I cut it out with my cameo. The ear is raised a little with a faom square.
Challenges - We love to Create - a/g
                      Paperbabe - a/g
                      Sweet stamps - a/g
                      Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - a/g

Summer Colours

I had some spare time this morning, so made this card which qualifies for several challenges.
The background is randomly stamped with assorted circle stamps from Stampin Up. I used DI in scattered straw, spun sugar, and evergreen bough. The main image is an old Stampendous one which I stamped onto a snippet from my scrap box, coloured with Sakura Jellyroll glaze pens, and then trimmed it a bit smaller using a scalloped rectangle die. I edged it with a black sharpie, and also lightly coloured the card background with pink chalk.

Challenges -
Paperbabe Inspiration - (inspired by the circles)
Rubberdance - pink, yellow and green
Stamping Sensations - use a stamp and die
Artistic Stamper - a/g with a stamp
Southern Girls - a/g
Pixies Crafty Workshop- snippets

Red, White and Blue

The challenge for Memory Box this month is 'use red, white, and blue'

I layered a piece of textured blue card onto my white card base, first placing a red spotty ribbon around it. I then attached the bow.

I cut the die (Flutter Vine) twice on a white snippet from my scrap box and glued them together, so that they really stand out against the blue.

I would also like to enter this at
Pixies Crafty Workshop

Face Value!

This month's challenge for Crafty Individuals is 'Face Value'
I have stamped the image on to a separate card, and coloured lightly with Promarkers
The background was stamped with Distress Ink, and some vintage lace added. The border was made using just a piece of another stamp, I also added the little message and the bee.
I can also send this one over to Pixies Playground, as I raided my snippets box to stamp the image and the message on

I hope you like it

Time

I was so inspired by Keren Baker's post on the Paper Artsy blog, that I dug into my stamps and found this one by The NZ Stamp Art Co, of a lovely pocket watch. I stamped with versamark, and then rubbed over with my chalk pastels. I used to love this technique, thanks so much for reminding me of it. I finished off with a couple of word stamps.
For the challenge at
Paper Artsy

Tweet Tweet!

I was very taken with a post by Becky Fleck on Scrapbook and Cards Today, so this is my attempt following her instructions.
2 pieces of DP for the background with a piece of braid covering the join.
4 scraps from my snippet box trimmed to size and foam mounted.
1 plain circle and 1 scalloped circle layered.
1 pink button.
Sharpie pen to draw the beak, feet and tail.
another scrap to cut the wing from which I coloured pink and then covered in pink 'Kindyglitz"
I am sending this one over to
Pixie's Crafty Playground

and another ....

Another very CAS card that I will be sending to a friend who recently lost her Mother.
I coloured the background with a mixture of DI's, Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, and Mustard Seed, I then sprayed with Dylusions through two different stencils in opposite corners. The simple dandelions were stamped in Memento black, as was the sentiment.

Challenge:-
Paper Artsy - stencils
Happy Little Stampers - CAS

CAS

This is the third Sympathy card I have had to make in the last few weeks.
The bird is from a stampin up set, while the words are from a clear set by Hero Arts which I won some time ago.
I have added a little colour to the bamboo and bird with my Promarkers.
Challenges -
Passion for Promarkers - CAS
Happy Little Stampers - CAS

Happy July 4 to my American followers - have a great celebration

wildflowers

Today's card features a beautiful stamp from Crafty Individuals. I stamped and embossed with white detail ep. I first tried colouring the background with distress ink, but it looked a little pale, so I then sprayed the image with 2 shades of Dylusions, and I am much happier with the result. I layered onto black and then onto a white square card. I used some scraps of a dictionary page and sprayed with Dylusions too. I then die cut Memory Box 'flutter vine' which I cut up to add to the bottom left to resemble some of the wildflowers. I punched 2 butterflies for the top right corner.

Challenges - Memory Box Challenge #1 - butterflies
Addicted to Stamps - photo inspiration (turquoise colour and flowers)
Pixies Crafty Workshop - snippets
Butterfly challenge - f for flowers

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