STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge #4

Hi everyone - saw this great sketch challenge over at STAMPlorations and just had to join the fun!!!

Welcome to our fourth bi-weekly sketch challenge! Here’s the sketch for this challenge. It’s open to interpretation. Feel free to change the orientation of the sketch, use different shapes, add other elements to suit the type of paper craft you’re making, and so on — just make sure the sketch is recognizable in your submission(s). And you can use stamps by other companies to create projects that you enter to our challenges, although if you have our stamps in your stash, we'd be tickled if you use them!

I received a Tsukineko Delicata Golden Glitz inkpad in the post the other day and was dying to use it.  Here's what I made:

 

I have used Papermania stamps (the bottle, trophy and sentiment), the border is Kaisercraft Tic Toc and I've used Anna-Marie's white pearlised card to make a top folded 5x7 card and the toppers are mounted on some kraft card.

I can't get over the wonderful shimmer and shine of this Golden Glitz ink - absolutely no need to heat emboss it!

Christmas Card Club Challenge #2

Hello everyone.  I've been lucky enough to be invited to join in with the challenges at the Christmas Card Club which is made up of some lovely ladies (see details to the right) who wanted to make Christmas cards throughout the year.  I definitely need an impetus otherwise I end up panicing at the last minute - so here is my card for my first challenge which is "Cooking up a storm - anything to do with food".

I actually don't have much in the way of Christmas food but came across this cute Forever Friends stamp of teddies making the Christmas cake.  I stamped in Memento black ink and coloured with Flexmarkers.  Die cuts are Spellbinders Labels 28 and I've used Papermania b/p from my stash.  The sentiment is computer generated.  The felt holly flowers were a freebie gift in with a recent order from someone in America.  I've added a couple of pompoms to the hats and some Stickles glitter across the fur borders.

Hazel over at Craftyhazelnuts (fabulous name for a blog!!!) also has a Christmas card challenge on which runs for the month of January so I am entering my card into that as well.

Thanks so much for popping by - I really enjoy reading all your comments.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - #14 - CIRCLES

Hello Folks - hope you are all well and looking forward to our latest challenge at Addicted to CAS.  

This week our super Hostess is the lovely Marie and the code word she's chosen is:

Our Sponsor for this challenge is -

I've made two cards for this challenge, both of which are very quick and simple cards.

For this one I have taken a snippet of patterned paper and punched various sized holes in all the flowers.  I've popped this up with d/s foam tape onto a border of matching card which has been put across the centre of a 6" square white linen card blank.  The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted called Happy Days.

My second card is using a 5"x7" card blank.  I punched out the button border using my EK Success punch and left a small oblong piece of card attached.  This was placed across the centre of the card and I have used 3D Crystal Lacquer on it to give some dimension.  The button was in my button box and I've added a small piece of ribbon.  The partial stamped image is Papermania Urban Stamps Vintage Notes (Doily) using Stampin Up Taken with Teal ink.  The sentiments are from the same Clearly Besotted stamp set Happy Days..  To finish off I've added some gems.


Thanks for dropping by.  Can't wait to see what you come up with for this challenge.  Don't forget to pop over to the Addicted to CAS blog to see what the DT have done to inspire you.

 

Less is More - Week 106 One Layer

Still raining..........and it's freezing cold to boot!!!!  Best excuse for stopping in crafting that I know!

For those of you who follow and join in with the challenges at Less Is More will know that it's a bitter sweet time for Chrissie in that Mandi has decided to step down from the blog to concentrate on her newly set up business.  The good news is that Jen has agreed to stay on as regular designer.  It would be a disaster if the blog were to close so am sure everyone is as pleased as I am that Jen has agreed to stay on and that the two of them will continue to provide their wonderful inspiration for us all.

The new challenge over at Less is More is:

 It's that certain week once more where our challenge is to make a

 One Layer Card

This time we would like you include some reference to

MUSIC

Some people are still a little confused as to just what is allowed in this category, but if you look at our Guidelines at the top of the page it may clarify things a little for you.

Please don't forget that all important 'White Space' !

Had to have a root through my stamps to see what I had that matched the challenge and came up with a Papermania "Urban" stamp set.  Firstly I used a nestie to emboss a rectangle in my cream card and then stamped the music score using DI Frayed Burlap.  The sentiment is a stamp by Anita's and I blanked off the pen nib at the end of the sentiment.  The little bird is part of the Papermania set and I hand drew the branch to ground him to the music score.

Thanks for dropping by.  Happy crafting.

Nightmare 24 hours..............

Firstly can I offer a huge apology to all my friends who received an email purporting to be from me yesterday saying I was in Madrid and had been mugged at gun-point!!!!  My gmail account had been hacked into and they had changed my password etc so I couldn't access my emails or anything - it even stops you logging into your own blog.  Talk about frustrating.  But what lifted my spirits were the dozens of phone calls I received from friends checking that I was okay - they mostly realised it was a scam but wanted to check anyway - so a huge THANK YOU.  I must also say that Google have been great as I have now managed to recover my gmail account although every single email and contacts had been deleted........ what a way to have a spring clean eh?  I have managed to recover my email contacts but nothing else unfortunately but it has allowed me back onto my blog so I'm now going to post my challenge card for Bah Humbug which was what I was in the process of doing yesterday when all this blew up.

This week the lovely ladies over at HumbugHall have set the challenge as "Kiss-mas".  I've recently bought some lovely digi stamps from Teddybo and I thought the one I've used fits this challenge beautifully.  I am also entering it in the Teddybo Tuesday Challenge "Love is in the air".  The image is coloured using my new Letraset Flexmarkers and glitter glue has been added to their various "furry" bits!!!  lol  It was then die cut using a Spellbinder frameability set with the outside frame being cut from red mirri.  Paper is from Papermania Classic Christmas.  The sentiment is from the Stampin Up Punches Three set and punched using a SU scalloped square punch.  The corners are a Marianne's die and the twiddly bits on the border are waste from the same.  The addition of a bow and gems finished the card.

Thanks for dropping in and again, many thanks to all my friends xxx

Bah Humbug Challenge 17 - Pleats & Ruffles

It seems ages since I last posted but we've been busy with all these bank holidays, visitors and also the builders!!!  So many apologies.

This weeks challenge over at Humbug Hall is pleats and ruffles.  After pondering for a while I thought I would use my Tim Holtz mini paper rosettes die which I think would fit either with the pleats or the ruffles side of the challenge.  I have made three rosettes using paper from a Papermania Classic Christmas pad and have covered a square white card blank with the same paper.  I had some of the strips left so pleated one piece and backed with red mirri for another element across the card.  The two sentiments are digistamps from Sentiments4You which I printed out on the computer and used a 1" punch to cut them out.  I then edged them with a gold pen before attaching to the rosettes.  The centre rosette has a red mirri flower punched using a Stampin Up punch.  I've added some gems and a couple of punched snowflakes.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bah Humbug Challenge 16 - The man himself - Santa Claus

This week's challenge over at Humbugger Hall is Santa Claus.  As I saw that my friend Anne used the same Santa Claus image that I had in mind so then had to go hunting round for something suitable.

When I came across this stamp I thought what better than one Santa Claus - well, yes, four Santa Claus'!!!  lol  This stamp is from Crafty Individuals and features four images of the man himself in different poses - mind you I think they are four different people posing..................  I stamped using Memento ink and then coloured using Promarkers which was quite difficult as the stamp is quite dense in colour.  I then cut the image into four and backed with red mirri and then white card.  I edged a piece of red mirri using my MS snowflake punch.  The sentiment is from a clear stamp set but I don't know where it comes from.  It has been stamped onto white card and matted onto red mirri.  The stars are the waste from the MS snowflake edger punch.  The backing papers are from the Papermania Classic Christmas set.  The photo corners are an EK Success punch; the large snowflake is also a MS punch.  I decided on an easel card but cut it off centre so one side was for the main image and the other for the sentiment.  I also made the two stoppers at different levels to give more interest.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has had an eggstremely good Easter!!!  lol

Bah! Humbug! Challenge 15 - Christmas Stockings

This week's challenge over at Humbug Hall is Christmas Stockings.  I'm afraid that I'm siding with Max on this one - sorry Ann!!!  lol

I have used an image from a stamp set by Debbi Moore Designs and thought it would be something my DH would be delighted to see in his stocking this year.......... She's been coloured with Promarkers and I've added Stickles to her "furry" bits - hmm, that sounds a bit rude!!!  I used nesties labels to die cut the image and mat.  The backing paper and border of stockings is from the Papermania Classic Christmas pad.  The sentiment is computer generated and die cut using Fancy Labels 2 which is a lovely set.  I've added some gems to finish off.

Thanks for stopping by.

Die Cut Dreams - Christmas Tilda with flowers

This week's challenge over at Die Cut Dreams is Tilda with Flowers.

The image has been coloured with Promarkers and cut out.  Backing paper is from Papermania Classic Christmas pad.  Nesties were used for the mats in red and green and edged with gold marker pen.  Ribbon is from my stash as are the roses and poinsettia flower.  I used a narrow border in red cut from a Martha Stewart edger punch.  The sentiment is a digistamp from the lovely Lynne at Sentiments4You and punched out and layered using Stampin Up punches.

Thanks for stopping by.

CD card and matching card and tag

Hello everyone.

This week's challenges over at Bah! Humbug! and Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club are CD/DVD's and a matching card and tag respectively.

For the CD card I have chosen papers from the Papermania Classic Christmas set.  I checked the size of the CD I was using and then using my EK Success Circle Scissor I cut out the holly image and made my own pyramage.  It's so easy with the Circle Scissor as I can't cut a straight circle to save my life......... actually that doesn't sound quite right - how can you cut a straight circle!!!  lol  Anyway, I am sure you know what I mean.  I then layered the pyramage onto the CD using foam tape in various thicknesses.  I then cut a circle out of red mirri card to back the CD.  The backing paper is also from the same set and then I used my Xcut silhouette corner punch to make the photo corners.  I added some Stickles and the sentiment is a peel off.

For the matching tag I used nesties to cut out the main image and the backing mirri card and then added a ribbon.

Sorry the photo's not terribly good!

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More - One layer challenge

This week the 2nd challenge over at Less is More is "one Layer". This new website certainly makes you look at card making in a totally different light.  They have got a super tutorial on their website for this challenge on using your computer for the sentiments and it's brilliant.

I have actually made two cards for the challenge; one using the computer generated sentiment and the other using an aperture to stamp into.

For the first one I have used the same sentiment that was in the tutorial - If friends were flowers I'd pick you - and I omitted the L in the word flowers so I could use a stem of the flower for the L.  In this instance I have used a Stampin Up stamp "Love" as the stem of the flower and the head of a sunflower from a Papermania set.  The word "flowers" was printed as an outline image and I then used a Quickie glue pen and Art Glitter Monochromatic Brown to fill in.

On the second card I placed a nesties die on my card and passed it through my die cutting machine using the embossing plates so it just embossed but didn't cut the square.  I then used the same nestie to cut a square out of a piece of card which was then placed over the embossed square and taped down.  I used Distress Inks to colour inside the square and then I stamped a flower spray from a set I bought from Local King Rubber Stamps in Canada.  This was clear embossed.  The sentiment was also stamped in the same colour Distress Ink as the floral spray and clear embossed.  This was from a set called Birthday Words from Elusive Images - it comes as a one line stamp so I masked off the "come true" and stamped the first part above the main image and then masked the first part which allowed me to stamp the last two words under the image.  I think by embossing the square first it makes the image stand out more.

Thanks for stopping by.

An oldie or a goldie............

This week's challenge over at Bah! Humbug! us "an oldie or a goldie" and suggest we use something we've had for a while that needs dusting off or something we have been drooling over but haven't yet used.

Well I'm not sure if my card for this week's challenge comes into these categories but to be honest I've been rushed off my feet lately.  Anyway as I was looking through my stash I came across these lovely die cut cards from Papermania that I bought absolutely ages ago but didn't use as they got snowed under with other stuff!!!  I'm sure you all know what I mean............  Anyway they are very simple to complete.  I just cut a piece of red pearl linen card to go behind the cut out poinsettias, added some die cut snowflakes, some ribbon,  peel offs down the sides and a sentiment.  Very quick and easy this week...........

Thanks for stopping by.

Pink & Girly

The challenge over at Do it with Digi's is Pink & Girly.

I have used a digistamp from Di's Digi Designs.  The ticket sentiments are from the lovely Lynne over at Sentiments4You.  I have used a 5" x 7" card blank and covered it with papers from the Papermania Summer Bloom set.  The top paper was put through my die cutting machine in a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I used some pretty lace across the join in the two papers.  I coloured the image, which is called Maisie with Teddy, with Promarkers and cut her out using nesties - this was matted onto two other nestie shapes which have also been embossed.  The addition of some pink roses, some ribbon and gems finished off the card.

Thanks for stopping by.

My friend Anne over at Stamps & Paper posted a lovely card the other day using a Sugar Nellie design and I couldn't resist and had to go right over and buy some of their digistamps.

Here is Joy - she is so pretty that I thought she deserved a real girlie card.  I've coloured her with Promarkers and cut out using nesties labels die and mounted onto card from stash which has been put through my Joy cutting machine in an embossing folder.  The backing paper is also from my stash; the bottom one is a DCWV Luxury Stack which was also embossed with the same folder.  A piece of lace hides the join and I have punched out photo corners using my EK Success punch.  I've added flowers and pearls to embellish and the sentiment was lying on my desk and is from a Papermania 3D sticker set called "Memories".

Thanks for dropping by.

Bah Humbug - Favourite Medium

This week's challenge over at Bah Humbug is using your favourite medium.  What a challenge to set us - how could you possibly choose your favourite thing; whether it be stamping, embossing, die cutting etc etc - the list is endless and it's just an impossible task.

I suppose when it comes down to the nitty gritty my favourite medium is stamping and so I have made a very simple card using the Papermania holly & berries which I stamped onto white card and coloured using AquaMarkers.  I then used a VersaMark pen over the berries and embossed with Red Tinsel powder.  The image was cut and matted using nesties.  I have used a square white linen card as the base and it's a tent fold.  I have stamped Clarity clever corners on the base card.  The sentiment is from the free set of stamps in the Creativity magazine which has been stamped and embossed and then layered using my SU punches.  I have used a pin from Posh Pins & Charms and added some ribbon and three gems.

Thanks for stopping by.

Elf challenge

The challenge this week over at Die Cut Dreams is ELF............ not sure how common it is to have an elf stamp etc but I hunted around and found this cute image of an elf holding a present (mind you he doesn't look at all pleased to be giving it away........ lol).  It's from Little Scraps of Heaven Designs and it's a paper piecing design. 

I covered a 6" square card blank with paper from Papermania Silent Night and then got to work with my new nesties............... these are beautiful and the set I've used here is the Beaded Ovals.  I think you will be able to see from the photo that you can actually use an embossing tool and emboss the design from the back of the die which gives an additional element to them.  I have threaded some red ribbon through the main oval - all the papers used are from the Silent Night collection.  I have used a Martha Stewart punch for the central border, added some red lace, gems and photo corners which were cut with my EK Success punch.  The sentiment is computer generated - a bit cheesy but gave me a giggle!!  I added some cotton wool on the elf's hat and Stickles and ribbon on the parcel.  The final touch was some Diamond Glaze on his boots and eyes.

Thanks for stopping by.

Angels & Fairies and Vellum

This week's challenge over at Bah Humbug is Angels and Fairies and at Polka Doodles it is acetate or vellum.

I wanted to do something a little different and so thought I'd complete a parchment project that I've been wanting to do for a while - in fact I got the template and the Pergamano Magic Girl Vellum last year sometime.

I started off by tracing the star pattern onto white parchment with white ink and then embossed and pricked following the instructions.  I took a piece of gold vellum and layed the completed star on top and used a cutting tool to cut around the shape leaving a small border.  I then did the same with another piece of gold vellum for the scalloped circle on top of the white star.  I then die cut the Magic Girl image using my nesties, added some glitter to her wings and a few gems around the image.  Her star was also decoupaged.  The base card is an 8" square covered with gold card which was cut to size and then embossed using my Hougie Board.  The sentiment is from the Papermania Silent Night stamp set, gold embossed onto parchment and matted.  I then added a ribbon and some corner peel offs.  To glue the image to the next layer of vellum I used my Xyron 510 so no glue showed through.

Die Cut Dreams "Mistletoe Kisses"

The challenge this week over at Die Cut Dreams is Mistletoe Kisses and it is being sponsored by Roberta from Prairie Fairy Designs who is offering 5 of her brilliant digistamps to the winner.  Strangely enough I had been paying her site a visit a few days ago and found this wonderful image that I have used for my card (and it's also where I got the lovely polar bears image).  Roberta must have given all the Die Cut Dreams design team this image as all their cards use it but as I've only had mine a few days I just couldn't resist using her as well.........

I printed off the image and coloured using my ProMarkers.  For more interest I have used DecoArt Glistening Snow Writer for the pompom on her hat and the edging on her jacket.  I have also used Diamond Glaze on her glasses.  I used my Nesties labels die to cut out the image and then matted and layered onto gold mirri (which had been put through my Big Shot with a Crafts Too embossing folder) and matching card.  The background paper is from Papermania Silent Night and I added some lace to both edges of the text paper.  The sentiment is computer generated and punched with SU punches.  I then added flowers as a finishing touch.

Thanks for looking.

Bah Humbug Christmas Scene Challenge

The challenge over at Bah Humbug this week is Christmas Scenes.  For this card I have used the village stamp from Creative Expressions Create-a-scene set.  I stamped onto cream pearlescent card with SU Chocolate Chip ink and then used a water brush to drag in some of the colour.  When it was dry I used a Quickie Glue pen and Glamour Dust to the roofs, trees and bridge etc but I am not sure that this photo shows the glitter up that well.  I die cut some photo corners from a Sizzix die and then matted and layered onto matching co-ordinating cardstock.  For the punched border I used a Martha Stewart snowflake embossing die.  The sentiment is from a Papermania Silent Night set stamped onto the cream pearlescent card and clear embossed and I used my SU oval and scalloped oval punches to matt and layer.

Thanks for looking.

Die Cut Dreams "Santa" Challenge

This week's challenge over at Die Cut Dreams is Santa.  As I had just picked up a Papermania decoupage and pyramage kit (Silent Night) I thought I would make good use of it.

I actually managed to get three cards out of this kit so am entering them all into the challenge as I couldn't decide between them!!  The top one is an easel card and I layered the Santa decoupage on some pearlised card and then added Glamour Dust for some "bling".  I put some ribbon and a bow in the left hand top corner and used a Martha Steward corner punch.  The sentiment is from the kit mounted onto some mirri card as is the "stopper" for the easel card.

The next card was actually included in the kit so I just decoupaged the main image, added Glamour Dust, the greeting and a small bow.

The third card is made up from a square card blank with a strip of holy paper from the Papermania Silent Night pack.  I added a ribbon from my stash down the edge of the paper and then layered up the pyramage on the white card.  The sentiment was included in the kit and then I added some red Stickles as faux gems and to add some dimension to the holly berries.  I had a small piece of the holly paper left over so punched out shapes to make a flower with and added a red brad.

Thanks for looking.