Tickling the ivories

'Tickling the ivories' is the name of the House Mouse stamp I've used for this card - I love this stamp, but haven't used it for a while, but when I saw that House mouse 111 was to make a black and white card I thought of it. It was simply stamped with memento tuxedo black and mounted on black card. The background music paper was taken printed My Craftwork Studio tinkering with steampunk CD, changing it to black and white. I then used a couple of strips of Tim Holtz tissue tape mounted on to black card across the top - this is another card for this week's Daring cardmaker's wishi washi challenge.

It's also for:

Crafts4eternity R56: clean and simple
Card and scrap 24: clean and simple
Crafters cafe blog: CAS challenge
Totally gorjuss 116: K.I.S.S.
The craft garden January: monochrome

Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Simply thanks

This is a simple card using scraps that were still out from making previous cards - they didn't even make it into my offcuts box (although there are still some scraps left that will). Anyway, it's for the sketch for Mojo Monday 225:

 As I used scraps this is my first card of the week for Pixie's Crafty Snippets 5:

It's also for:

Take time for you 59: blue and white
Creative craft: we're talking the colour blue
Crafting for all seasons 19: blue & white
Kaboodle 103: thank you
Challenge up your life 60: thanks
Crafts4eternity R56: clean and simple
Card and scrap 24: clean and simple
Crafters cafe blog: CAS challenge
Totally gorjuss 116: K.I.S.S.
The craft garden January: monochrome

Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

In the pink for Christmas

Today's challenge on Facebook's Sunday's with Santa is to use unconventional colours for our Christmas cards. Christmas cards all year round for January are also asking for non traditional colours, so these are also for that.

Paper is DCWV plus Kanban topper, for Catered crop: print, also for Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me :

Paper is Basic Grey eskimo kisses plus Kanban topper - colours for Dancing in pajamas TCP 193:

:

These are also for:

Crafts4eternity R56: clean and simple
Card and scrap 24: clean and simple
Crafters cafe blog: CAS challenge
Totally gorjuss 116: K.I.S.S.
The craft garden January: monochrome
Dare to be sassy Thursday 109: Christmas/winter

Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Christmas critters

It's time for a challenge among the Christmas Card Club girls and this time Pinky has asked us to include a critter on our card. Mine is a very simple card, using a Kanban topper. The background paper is another delightful one from Websters Pages (I'll be really sorry when I've used the last of these ... although it will be a good excuse to buy more).  Please click on the links on my sidebar to see what the rest of the CCC girls have been up to with this challenge.

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursday 109: Christmas/winter
Dream valley 24: animals
Blog-a-doodle: include an animal
Freshly brewed 80: snow/winter
Little red wagon 117: winter wonderland
Jellypark friends: winter wonderland
Gingerloft 32: let it snow
Crafty boots: inspired by a song title: We wish you a merry Christmas
Cutie pie 20: favourite song (for Christmas)

Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Brown and blue butterflies

This is for sketch on Stamps + fun = creativity 83:

The card blank is a dark brown. I've used a strip of scrap paper across the middle and a couple of bands of some blue/cream lace that I bought at a local market quite a while ago - this is for Pile it on 4: add lace, also for Scrappy frogs: lace and PaperPlay 4: lovely lace.

I used a Kanban stamp, stamping the butterflies again on to some blue paper, so that they were paper-pieced - this is for Paper sundaes 104. The butterflies are for Fashionable stamping 13: butterflies or bugs, also for Lollipop crafts 64: wing it.

Lots of sparkle with the blue gems on the flowers and butterflies for Deep ocean 17: sparkle.

Colours are for Sassy Cheryl 99: light blue & brown, also for Sugar creek hollow: cream, blue & brown

Male birthday card

This is for the sketch on Technostamper Monday lunchtime 205:

This is also for The crafty pad 154: let's see something for the boys

And I've used pictures for Order of the opus gluei 122: take a picture, it will last longer.

Papers are offcuts from a Kanban Gentlemen's journal kit, plus the sentiments.

It's also for:

My craft spot 42: let's hear it for the boys
Celebrate the occasion 47: masculine birthday
ABC: H for happy birthday
Cards for men 2: boys and their toys
Soartful 2: Georgia O'Keeffe inspiration - sepia and dark tones
The craft garden January: monochrome
Crazy challenge 103: vintage
One stitch at a time 97: round and round - circles
Pixie's crafty snippets week 4

Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Steampunk eyes

Having just got the Tinkering with Steampunk Craft studio CD I thought I'd use it to make a card featuring eyes. I combined the eye image with a quote that I found on the internet: 'You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus' an then printed them out on a panel cut from DCWV Mariposa paper featuring a Shakespeare sonnet with a glittered butterfly.  The panel on the left is an offcut of Basic Grey paper stamped again and again with the Judkins face stamp with memento cocoa bean. The panel on the right is from one of the steampunk backgrounds from the CD.

This is for:

Sunday stamper 189: my eyes adored you
Soartful 2: Georgia O'Keeffe inspiration - sepia and dark tones
Desert island 23: monochromatic, no designer paper, sentiment
The craft garden January: monochrome
Catered crop: print (the sonnet doesn't show up too well here, but it is there)
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me
Fab n funky 105: it's all in the eyes, where there is this photo inspiration:

Brand new

A courier knocked at the door a little while ago with a box of Kanban card blanks, some of which have a pattern already on them - good for making quick cards for when I have a sale to raise money for Tearfund. So I couldn't resist making a card straight away ... so this is brand new!

I've used Donna's sketch for Sunday sketch and stamp 90:

And I used some blue spotted ribbon for Ribbon girl 15: blue and pink. Colours are also for Cupcake inspirations 144:

The pink edged card blank is the same on the back, which gives an extra nice look to the card. The blue edged oval is out of an A5 aperture card. I covered the edging by placing an oval template mask over it and stamping the Penny Black sparklers inked with Stazon blazing red (I always think this should be called pink rather than red) - having the template mask in place avoided the stamping going into the already decorated area.

This is also for:

Crafts4eternity R56: clean and simple
Card and scrap 24: clean and simple
Crafters cafe blog: CAS challenge
Totally gorjuss 116: K.I.S.S.
Outlawz: CAS challenge: something new
Sparkles 28: new crafty goodies
Stamptacular 148: seeing spots
Little darlings 16: polka dots
Fussy & fancy 55: polka dots
Heart song 32: red and white and/or ribbon

Secret crafter Saturday 170: ribbons
Do you stack up 56 ribbons
Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

CHNC challenge 57: just make it square

It's time for a new challenge on my CHNC blog:

Challenge 57

This is an easy challenge - all you have to do is make a square Christmas card. Please go over to CHNC challenge 57 for further details and to enter your card. And there's a great sponsored prize up for grabs too!

For my card I've followed the sketch for CPS 252:

 For Jingle belles 'a banner holiday' I've used the colours of their blog header and lots of glitter.

I've used Craftime red glitter paper, some lovely sparkly organza aqua and silver ribbon in the centre and a recycled image from a Christmas card received that was too good to put in the recycling bin.

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursday 109: Christmas/winter
Crimbo crackers 7: for a child
Stamps R us: just kidding around
Whimsy 23: pearls or bling

Deep ocean 17: sparkle

Heart song 32: red and white and/or ribbon
Dream valley 24: animals
Blog-a-doodle: include an animal
Pollycraft 124: warm it up
Freshly brewed 80: snow/winter
Little red wagon 117: winter wonderland
Jellypark friends: winter wonderland
Gingerloft 32: let it snow
Secret crafter Saturday 170: ribbons
Do you stack up 56 ribbons
Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Wishi washi and needles and pins

This is for Allsorts 138: needles and pins. I've used print outs from a CD that I've just acquired, My Craft Studio 'tinkering with steampunk'. I used an element sheet, using some of it to decoupage, tearing off part of the image, so that more of the Tim Holtz tissue tape was visible, which is for today's Daring cardmakers challenge is to use washi tape. I've added a pin with beads, some flowers with pearls and a Craftwork cards sentiment. I distressed the edges of the white card blank with worn lipstick DI.

This is also for:

4 crafty chicks 74: pokin' fun - pins
Crazy challenge 103: vintage
Sugar creek hollow: go girly - feminine vintage
The artistic stamper creative team blog January: vintage
The craft garden January: monochrome
Desert island crafts 23: monochromatic, no designer paper, sentiment, distressing
Crafty bloggers network 10: distressing
Craft your days away 37: distressing
ABC: H for happy birthday
Crafty Ann 57: what's new pussycat - used a new CD
My Sheri 77: new things - used a new CD
Sparkles 28: new crafty goodies
Whimsy 23: pearls or bling

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Under the weather

This card is for the sketch on Sketch Saturday 191:

It is also for One stop craft 166: under the weather (or get well soon).

The background paper is BG Mellow and the panel on the left is urban prairie. The digital mage is Bugaboo rainy day coloured in Paint. The sentiment was generated on my dymo letratag. Flowers are Martha Stewart.

Colours are for Craft your passion 94: colour bingo (the bottom row):

This is also for:

My mum's craft shop 41: flowers

Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous

Paper-crafting journey 1: floral

Hotshot craft 3: flowers

Shelly terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me - sentiment

Deep ocean 17: sparkle

Lily pad: patterned paper challenge

The stamp man: embellish it

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Happy Birthday, Faye

One of our granddaughters will be six on Monday, so I've made an easel card for her using English Paper Company papers. The oval fairy and surrounding frame were cut with nesties. If 'big sister' happens to come on here and see this, please don't show it to Faye!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Lexi 57:  fancy folds
I brake for challenges 17: fancy folds
Charisma cardz 3: pretty in pink
Crafty catz 117: things with wings
Phindy's Friday 90: birthday card for a child
Crazy4challenges 120: a child's birthday card
Mark's finest papers Speedy fox and friends 91: birthday card
ABC: H for happy birthday
Little darlings 16: polka dots
Fussy & fancy 55: polka dots

Christmas flowers

A couple of simple quick cards for 52 Christmas card throwdown - for their theme 1 challenge they are asking to see cards with Christmas flowers. These were made with Anna Griffin papers etc The green and white paper on the first card is very glittered, though it's hard to see that here.

These are also for:

Make my Monday 33: flowers and leaves (nature)
My mum's craft shop 41: flowers
Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous
Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Hotshot craft 3: flowers

Flashback Friday 19

For Flashback Friday 19 we've been asked to show the first clean and simple card that we blogged. These are two sympathy cards that I made and blogged in April 2007:

Get well soon

Scarlet's letter is still one of my all-time favourite Basic Grey papers - one of the first I ever bought. I've used some for this card, which is for the sketch on A la card monkey 92:

Colours are for ColourQ 121:

The flowers were cut with a Sizzix green die - they are for Totally papercrafts: make your own flowers. The sentiment is stamped.

This is also for:

My mum's craft shop 41: flowers
Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous
Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Hotshot craft 3: flowers
One stop craft 166: under the weather - get well soon
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me - text and sentiment
Sentimental Sundays 86: die cuts
The stamping boutique 24: die cuts
Lothian crafts 22: die cuts
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create January: anything goes
Bizzy Becs January: anything goess
Victorine: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Make it Monday 73

In the pink

Just add ink 102 is 'just add ... Kathy Tanner - to case one of her cards shown on her blog. I chose this card which is shown among Kathy's 2011 favourittes:

I've used scraps of card and paper, embossing some with Cuttlebug folders and inking with worn lipstick DI. The Happy Birthday sentiment piece was recycled from a card received ages ago, with the addition of the little punched dragonfly, some spotty ribbon and a couple of flowers with pearls.

This is also for:

4 crafty chicks 74: pokin' fun - pins
Samuel Taylors January: distress
Crafty bloggers network 10: distressing

Monochrome blues

This is for the sketch on Clean & simple 174:

Papers are DCWV, the best wishes sentiment paper was in my scraps box, plus part of a strip of flowered ribbon and the die cut flowers with a pearl in the middle.

This is also for:

Dilly beans: have the blues
Take time for you 59: blue and white
Creative craft: we're talking the colour blue
Crafting for all seasons 19: blue & white

Bright birthday greetings

This card is for Annabelle: say it in yellow, lime and turquoise:

Papers are all DCWV, flowers are Martha Stewart and the ric rac is from Hobbycraft. The ric rac is for Our craft lounge 101: zig zags.

This is also for:

Birthday sundaes 40: birthday
Make my Monday 33: flowers and leaves (nature)
Creative inspirations 147: anything goes

Guest designer slot for Friendship's Garden

I was invited to join Frienship's Garden as a guest designer for their Valentine sketch challenge 8. It's such a privilege to join the DT there this week. Here is the sketch:

The blue background paper is BG sugar rush, the red paper with text is DCWV (from quite a long time ago), papers to frame the image are BG bittersweet. The pre-coloured image is called 'Anniversary' from Dottie's World by Charmed cards and craft, padded hearts, flowers, gems and sentiment are all from stash.

This is also for:

Basic grey 61: favourite things - hearts, flowers and gems (and, of course, BG papers!)
My time to craft 171: your favourite embellishments
Fairy-tale 33: cinema/at the movie - 'Valentine's Day' starring Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Anne Hathaway
Whimsical: love is in the air
Anything goes 59: to the one I love
Use it Tuesday 24: all about love (using up old papers)
Robyn's fetish 91: love
Cupcake crafts 176: all you need is love
Paper creations ink 17: love/romance
There she goes 140: love is in the air
Aud sentiments 46: we want to see the word love
Craft us crazy: Valentine/love
The poodles parlour: Valentines/love
Simply create too 5: love is in the air
Wags n whiskers 71: Valentines/love card
Craft room: Valentines
Drunken stampers 81: love
The pixie cottage 105: love and kisses
Corrosive 141: I {heart} you
Stampin sisters in Christ 123: heart
Alota 75: hearts
Stamp, scrap & doodle: have a heart
Inky impressions: heart you
Creative card crew 2: seeing red
The stamp man: use red
Daisy doodles 51: anything goes
Do you sttack up 55: patterned paper
Heart song 32: red and white
Hooked on craft 16: something bright
Paper pretties Monday challenge: create a Valentine's day project
Ruby's rainbow 20: something for Valentines
Let's craft and create 37: Valentine
Digi doodle shops best 92: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goess
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

WOYWW 138

It's Wednesday again and time to show what's on my workspace - this is for Julia's WOYWW 138 - click on the link to see what it's all about and to have a nosey at other people's craft areas ... and perhaps join in the fun!

Last week, Julia commented that she didn't realise how much I had in my 12 x 12 paper rack - well, actually, the photo I showed then didn't show the full height of it. It used to be 10 trays tall, but last year I added another 5, so it is quite a bit taller (and I have to confess that I also have some 12 x 12 in a shelf in my bedroom wardrobe).

This is the area to the left of where I sit. You can see some cards that I made yesterday (they are further down on my blog), some BG paper pads, stamps etc that need to be put away.

 
And to the right of where I sit there are a few bits waiting to be used - a chipboard dinosaur waiting for inspiration to strike, a print out of a digi to make a get well card (sorry to hear that you are under the weather - hope to make that one today), a flower that was made with chipboard and UTEE with a stamp pressed in while it was still molten ... and a few other bits and pieces.

And I still have a nice space to work in even if I don't manage to put the other things away. Do you see the tall tin with my brushes, rulers etc - I got a half price tin of shortbread biscuits the other day - I didn't eat the biscuits though because I'm trying to be good and get rid of the weight that I've put on over Christmas.

Oh - and the box on the floor houses lots of Christmas stash and it also acts as a nice little footstool!

Just for you

This card started off for The house that stamps build J1112 sketch, but, unfortunately, I got side-tracked from making the card and am now too late for linking, but still acknowledge using the sketch:

Papers are BG blush. The scalloped square was cut with a Sizzix clear bigz die. I've used the same little flower stamp as I've used on the last couple of cards (it was just handy) and I used the balloon from a Penny Black stamp. The teddy is die cut from a lovely velvety felt.

Colours are for Dancing in Pajamas TCP 193:

I've used pink, pearls and posies for Cooking it up with Katie 87: show me some pink posies with pearls.

The combination of using a teddy bear and pink is also for Ready teddy go 6: in the pink, the teddy bear is also for Card crafters circle 6: bear with me.

This is also for:

Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73