Which way should I go?

Last week saw the start of a new challenge blog, Oh Alice! ... a serious little challenge blog where nothing is as it seems ... This challenge is 'Chapter two: running in a sketchy circle'.

So this is the sketch:
together with this excerpt from Alice in Wonderland:

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.

I used a copyright-free picture of Alice having this conversation with the cheshire cat. I made a few little additions to the sketch, but I think you can still see it clearly.

The card is also for these challenges:

Challenge up your life 15: 'striped & at least 3 buttons' - there aren't many, but there are some stripes
Stamp something: 'recipe somethings - designer paper, button(s), ribbon
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 24: 'colour combo: burgundy, lime green, fuschia'
Soartful: 'visiting Wonderland'
Wednesday stamper: 'Alice in Wonderland'
Frosted designs: 'handwriting'
Embellish magazine: 'colour challenge with borders - green, yellow, pink, peach' - I hope the stamped border is going to count, and the ribbons
Fussy & fancy 5: 'movies' - in anticipation of the new film about to be released
ColourQ 21:
Papers are BG lemonade and porcelain and there is a little stamping - the floral border stamp that was inked with three different coloured chalk inks and clear embossed.

A year of 365

Today is a milestone on 365 cards challenge blog - it is the last card for the past year. When 365 started I tried to make a card for every day, but between April and August John was in and out of hospital - one stay was for six weeks - so there were times when I did very little or no crafting.

However, I've thoroughly enjoyed the many challenges I've done throughout the past year and am looking forward to a new year with 365 - who knows, perhaps I'll do even more of the challenges than this last year.

Today, as is the case every Sunday, is Super Sketchy Sunday, so I thought I'd make sure I join in today. This is the sketch provided today by Pam:



The card is also for these challenges:

Crafty angels 23: 'au revoir/bon voyage'
Dollies colour challenge: 'orange, brown and a neutral'
Tuesday morning 34: 'light orange, dark brown & ivory'
Another for Paperminutes 102: 'polka dots'

The main background paper is My mind's eye pretty please spring paper and the striped paper is BG. The bottom circles and 'experience' are Kaisercraft rub ons.

A friend is a gift

For this card I used the sketch for Papertake 35:

When I looked this morning to see what the new challenge is on Stampin' sisters in Christ, I was pleased to see that it was just right for what I wanted to do. The verse to consider is Col. 3:17 and this is what Pamela wrote:

You have free reign of what you want to do this week. But here's the deal: I want you to actively do this as an act of worship to our God. Before starting, pray. Thank God for your gift. While working, feel free to pray more, or perhaps sing out to Him. Put your focus on Him and remember that it is He who gave you your gift (however good or bad you think you are at this) and remember that it makes Him happy to see you at work. Do this challenge, as if you were doing it for Christ himself!

It is pouring with rain here this morning and we were unable to get a lift to church, so we've stayed in, which isn't a bad thing because I'm not feeling too brilliant. So the 'sisters' challenge was just right for me to create something honouring to God while thinking of my friends and thanking God for them. The stamp that I've used for the focal point was given to me by a dear friend who is one of our faith challenge team at Salt, so I was able to think of her as well as many others as I made this card.

I deliberately didn't use any other image or flowers or embellishments, because I wanted the quote to be the central focus.

The card is also for these challenges:

The crafty pad 59: 'brown, blue, cream or white' - I realise I'm too late for this - the new challenge has just gone up, but thought I'd still link (been wanting to do something for this all week)
Rosie-Dee 65: 'friendship'
Cupcake 79: 'friends'
Hanna & friends 33: 'blue/brown'
Crafty calendar 5: 'love and friendship'

All the papers are from my offcuts box - I reflected upon this, that, just as all these bits have come together in this creation, so God can fit together all the bits and pieces of our lives to make something pleasing for Him.


This card is for all my friends - so many cyber crafting friends as well as those that I have the privilege to meet up with - I'm thankful for you all and for the many comments you leave me.

Poinsettia and white space

Fab's big Christmas challenge 7 was to produce a card with a poinsettia and/or white space.

I've used a ready-embossed card blank and layered up four different sized glittered and foiled poinsettia - a very simple card, but I'm quite pleased with the look of it (looks better than the flash photo can show).

It's another clean and simple card for Saturday spotlight 20: 'clean it up'.

It's also for:

Crafty creations 56: 'cut it out and pop it up'
Another for Incy wincy 31: 'touchy feely' - plenty of texture here
Another for Colour create 39: 'red, black and off white'

Ribbon-tastic

For this card I've used the square sketch on Mojo Monday 127:


The card is also for:

ABC Christmas B is for bells + glitter - I confess that you have to look carefully for the bells, but there really as some on the Dovecraft background paper - and the ribbon and the image are very glittery, although it doesn't show up well here.
Sparkle creations 5: 'buttons'
Christmas cards all year round February challenge: 'at least 3 hearts' - this is my final card of 5 for the challenge.
Christmas stampin' all year round 41: ' recipe: 2 layers, 3 buttons, glitter' - I've only just found out that this Christmas challenge blog has started up again
Ann's creative nook 79: 'how do you use your ribbon?'
Cute card Thursday 101: 'ribbon-tastic'
C.R.A.F.T. 39: 'ribbons and sparkle'
Crazy 4 challenges 26: 'it's all about texture' - at least three different - the glittered ribbon, the glittered Santa image and the buttons
Another for Incy wincy 31: 'touchy feely'

Christmas fairy

This card is for ABC Christmas E is for elf ... or fairy folk + red and green and also for this sketch on Sparkle creations 7:
As the card has some hearts on it, it's another one for Christmas cards all year round February challenge - the idea is to make five cards for the month's theme - this is my fourth one, so just one more to do (just realised that February ends tomorrow!).


Papers were free with magazines.

Charming angels

I'm still ploughing through the Christmas challenges (yes, Iknow that it won't be long to Easter and I should be making those cards) - so this is for the sketch for challenge 3 on Sparkle creations:

It's also for ABC Christmas: 'A for angels' - with the addition of a charm

Gingerbread people

It's only February and I'm still catching up with Christmas challenges - lol!

This card is a quick one for Susie & Vikki's Christmas club challenge 2: 'gingerbread' - which means that I've now caught up with all their challenges, so I, hopefully, will get this week's 'girly Christmas' done on time!

It's also for today's challenge 20 on Saturday spotlight: 'clean it up' - a clean and simple card.

Papers are English paper company (from a couple of years ago).

Red and gold Christmas

This card is based on sketch 62 on Lord have mercy:



It's also for Sparkle creations week 9 picture inspiration: I decided to use red and gold as my theme:

As there is a strip of holly paper, I'm also linking for Susie & Vikki's 5: 'holly' - I realise that I'm late for these challenges, but still wanted to do them as a way of keeping pace with making Christmas cards throughout the year (one of my crafting resolutions). It's also for Fab's big Christmas 5: 'bling it' (sorry, Fab, didn't do the 'punch it' bit!).

This also fits Bah! humbug 5: 'holly'

And today's Stamp, scrap & doodle calls for 'sparkle and shine' - there is sparkle on the image as well as shine with the mirror card.

Springtime birthday celebration

This card is based on the sketch for week 8 on Create 4 fun:


I've used a Penny Black stamp from the Critters selection for Penny Black week 89: 'colour combo - pink, green and yellow'.

The card is also for:

Loonies stampers 81: 'spring moss, smokey shadow, sweet blush'
Peachy keen 23: green and yellow, 3D element (the flowers/pearls, butterflies), stamped image
Copic colour 53: YG03 yellow green, Y17 golden yellow, C-7 cool gray No. 7 (I used No. 5) - the colours look paler on my image because the base card is quite shiny
Charisma cardz 8: 'birthday card with a twist - must include a candle'
Raise the bar 7: 'three's company' - 3 embellishments etc - butterflies, flowers, pearls, mice, designer papers
Flutter by Wednesday 98: 'open - include butterfly, fairy or angel'
Crazy amigo: 'insects'
Created by hand: 'things that fly'
Another for Belli 85: 'butterflies or dragonflies to celebrate the coming of spring'
Another for Inky impressions 30: 'think spring'
Another for CDM: 'flowers'
Another for Flourishes Timeless 55: 'flowers'
Another for Jacksonbelle: 'anything with flowers'
Another for Corrosive 52: 'wings'

Papers are Craft creations and Basic Grey, pearls are Prima.

Roses are red

I've based this card on Sweet stop 44 sketch, which also calls for flowers:

It's also for:

Alphabet: R is for red
Colour create 39: 'black, red and off white'
Another one for Tanda teaser 135: 'riots of petals'
ClearlyiStamp 8: 'it's hip to be square'
Another for Practical scrappers: 'stamps'
Pals paper arts 31: 'an inspiration challenge' - I concentrated on the four squares aspect:

Once again, I used the Magenta roses stamp with versamark and metallic red embossing powder.

Pink roses

This card is for sketch 52 on Card Patterns:

It's unusual, in that it asks for two images - so I used two of the four panels on a Magenta rose stamp that I had for Christmas. This is just right for Pollycraft 34: 'double up' - use two images.

It's also for:

Allsorts 40: 'a tag, ticket or a label'
Another for There she goes 43: 'birthday sparkles' - lots of glitter edging on the birthday tag
Another for Penny's challenges: 'birthday'
Gingersnap colour challenge GC43: 'three colours you love' - the combo of black, white and hot pink is one of my favourites
Twisted Thursday 45: 'hot pink'
Theme Thursday: 'flourish'
Another for Sophisti-Cat 23: 'embossing'
The treehouse 38:'bling it on' - the birthday tag is very glittered
Tanda teaser 135: 'riots of petals'
Pixie dust studio 10: 'think birthday'

Papers are DCWV and the images were stamped with versamark and heat embossed with hot pink powder.

Something completely different: keys

This is a very quick ATC for last Friday's Something completely different challenge: 'keys'.

I was going to use a die cut of a key or possibly a picture of one and play around with inks, but in the end I thought 'the answer is right in front of me - my keyboard!'

Vintage father Christmas

The next six cards are for the 25th club on Bubbly Funk forum - the idea is that each month we make a set number of Christmas cards (we choose how many to make) - and there is a theme for the month. This month the theme chosen by Tracey has been 'animals'. Until today I had only done 4 of my 10 cards, but now I've completed them.

This first card for BF 25th club uses the sketch for Sparkle creations 11:



The animal, of course, is Rudolph - papers are various offcuts and I'm stamped one of my favourite Christmas images - the vintage Santa is OK for Fab's big Christmas 8.

I've added three hearts for February's challenge on Christmas cards all year round - that means I've now made two cards for this challenge - another three to make.

The challenge on One powerful hour this week is 'faces' - 'This week use a face or a portion of a face in your piece.'

Btw, the card isn't crooked, it's the scan - and the little hearts don't look so purple and pink irl.

Clean & simple Christmas cards

The next two cards for BF 25th club use Clean & simple sketch FTL79:


As the sketch says, they are clean and simple - the background paper on the first one is English paper company and the second one is Craft creations.

As I've used images from a kit that I bought just before Christmas, I think this qualifies for Bah! humbug 2: 'using new/nearly new stash'

Skating fun

The next card for BF 25th club is based on the sketch for CPS 115:

Once again, the background paper is Craft creations and the strip across the middle is English paper company. The skating bear is a Forever Friends 3D element sticker, which qualifies it for Sparkle creations 12: 'use any winter sport related image'.

As this card has three hearts on it, it's another one for Christmas cards all year round February challenge.

Crafty catz 20 is 'charming bear' - the FF bear and the hearts charm.

Forever friends current challenge is 'hearts', so this is suitable for that.

Time to hang up that Christmas stocking?

This is another card for BF 25th club based on Sketchy Colors 12:

This is also for ABC Christmas: 'C is for candy' + pink

Papers are DCWV

Sweet Christmas bears

This final card for BF 25th club February is based on The sweetest thing sketch 57:

This was a good sketch for using up offcuts.

It's also another one for Sparkle creations 12: 'any winter sport'.

A prize

I've received this prize from Ann (Ann's Creative Nook) for her challenge 76, for this card.

Thank you, Ann.

What if ...

This is a card for Taylored expressions 101 sketch:

It's also for Divine diva inspiration 22:

I mainly picked up on the deep bright blue of the pool, with a hint of the yellow in the writing.

I used a piece of double sided paper from the K & Co rough and tumble pad - as I only used one piece of paper, it's good for ABC O is for one paper.

I'm also linking for:

Quixotic 15: 'one for the boys'
My Grafico 37: 'chipboard' - the car circle is chipboard edged with dark blue chalk ink
Creative inspirations 49: 'monochrome'

Where do the days go to?

It's Wednesday again - and that means WOYWW on Julia's blog.

Considering I made eight cards, a set of inchies and a set of ATCs yesterday, which involved lots of cutting, sticking, using the cricut, getting messy with inks ... perhaps my workspace isn't as bad as it might be. I try to put things back where they belong when I can, but it's inevitable that things get littered around me, including the floor.

So far today I've made one card (the only below this post), but I had three attempts at it and more rubbish went in the bin or on the floor!



Now I'm going to have a tidy up and then I can start playing again! But first I must go and prepare some veg etc for tonight's meal.

Oh Alice!

A new challenge blog has just started - devoted to Alice in Wonderland - Oh Alice!

The first challenge is Chapter one: down the rabbit hole: the beginning ...
'Alice gets glam inspiration challenge' - In anticipation of the upcoming Tim Burton remake, let's GET GLAM with Alice! Jessica recently scored this UBER fab makeup palette by Urban Decay (thanks honey!) and fell in love with the awesome colors, the NAMES of the eyeshadows (all after Alice, of course ;) and the pop-up mushroom mirror!

'We wanna see how YOU get Glam using this amazing little piece as your inspiration! Show us your style, put on the glitz, and GET GLAM!'

I looked up the make up set on the internet and printed out the palette of colours. I then found a copyright-free picture of Alice to put in the middle. Having printed this out, I then used four favourite mini stamps with versamark and then embossed with gold detail (I wish it showed up better on the photo, but it's a dull day again, so had to resort to flash). The first three stamps on the top row are Magenta and the righthand corner one is Stampendous 'african flower'.

It so happens that the new challenge launched today on Wednesday stamper is 'Alice in Wonderland' - what a happy coincidence! - so I'm linking for that.

It's another entry for Sophisticat 23: 'embossing'.

I really enjoyed this challenge (even though I had three attempts before I got it right - kept getting the wrong stamps in the wrong places).

Anya dressed up warmly

This card is for Paperplay week 7 - a sketch by Sandie:

It's also for:

Wild card Wednesday: 'paper piecing' - using Anya in autumn digi download from Greetings farm - I paper pieced Anya's boots and scarf - the rest was coloured with copics
Anyone for Anya: 'something completely different' - until a day or so ago I hadn't tried paper piecing (wanted to do it first for this challenge, but couldn't find Anya in autumn when I wanted to do it)
Another for Paperminutes 102: 'polka dots'
Copic creations 22: 'colouring embellishments with copics' - I coloured the flowers
Another for Penny's: 'birthdays'
Another for Tellen's place 6: 'birthday'
Daring cardmakers: 'winter birthdays' - I think Anya is dressed up warmly enough for winter
Stamping 411 colour inspiration 111:

The papers are out of my offcuts box.

Black and white flowers

For this card I've used Sweet sketch Wednesday 37 sketch:


I cut the circles on my cricut, so I'm therefore linking this for Just Buggin' 25: 'black and white'.

It's also for:

Pile it on 7: 'get well soon'
Another for Paper cutz 29: 'get well'
Another for Creative card crew 45: 'get well soon'
Another for Stampavie 82: 'get well soon'
Another for Hand full of stamps 17: 'sending you wishes'
Stamptacular 46: 'going in circles'
Another for Sophisticat 23: 'embossing'
Another for Flourishes timeless 55: 'flowers'
Another for Jacksonbelle: 'anything with flowers'
Paperminutes 102: 'polka dots'
Fun with shapes and more 41: 'spotted' - the cut items are the circles that were cut on the cricut

The middle was stamped and embossed with detail black using the lovely Magenta stamp (one of my favourite flower ones)