Vintage lace

This card is for the colour challenge for City crafter 55:

It's also for the sketch for May on Sugar creek hollow, which also asks for the card to have a vintage or shabby chic feel to it:

I used a shaped card for Aly's Sunday 41: shaped cards and Some odd girl: get into shape.

Papers are BG marrakech, the flower stamp is unknown, coloured with copics, the ovals are nesties, with the edges distressed with firebrick DI. Lace, ribbon and pearls are from stash.

This is also for:

Bunny Zoe 12: lace

Double Dutch 68: vintage

Stampin' sisters in Christ 88: all things beautiful

Stamping vacation: Have you tried - ribbon over lace

Really reasonable ribbon 23: Double Dutch - two ribbons, laces or trims

Dream valley 6: flowers

Card cupids: flowers

Oldie but a goodie 18: say it with flowers

Let's craft and create 18: say it with flowers

Craft us crazy 7: moms and/or flowers

Raise the bar 65: flower power

Stampin with the dragon: May day - flowers

Crazy 4 challenges 86: April showers bring May flowers

2 sisters 38: distressing

Kaboodle 66: lots of layers

Make it Monday: 36

Crazy challenge 66: anything goes

Papertake weekly: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Green and black (no, not the chocolate!)

This card is for the colour combo for Cards & things 77:

and also for the sketch given for Everybody art challenge 140:

The papers are BG archaic and the image is one that I inked up ages and ages ago as part of a stamp swap - it was started on to black vellum and I've just coloured the dress, hat and shoes with copic moss.

This is also for:

Craft your passion 57: check it out

HLSC 21: green + birthday

If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 78: May goes green

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Incy wincy 93: mother's day/girlie

My mum's craft shop 4: cute & girly

Southern girls: let's hear it for the girls

Mami doodles 25: let's get girly

Prairie fairy Fridays 52: here come the girls

Make it Monday: 36

Crazy challenge 66: anything goes

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Papertake weekly: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

By the cute and girly (May): anything goes

Monograms

I'm surprising myself today - not only have I done my ATCs for the BF forum swap so early in the month, but I've just completed my inchies for the monogram swap this month. I used La Blanche monogram foam stamps, stamping with memeno tuxedo black on to Tutti Fruitti paper (scraps that have been in my box for ages) and I went over the letters with copic C-7, a bit less stark than using black. I stuck these to mountboard to make them more substantial. This is the second set I've made - I swiped the first set with versamark and heat embossed with UTEE, but lost the clarity of the letters - it's a pity it didn't work out.

This is also for:

Just for fun: size matters (inchies)

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - haven't used the stamp for a while

Totally stampalicious: kickin' it old school - stamp that hasn't seen ink for at least 6 months

Mark's finest papers speedy the cat 54: use paper, stamps and inks, but no embellishments

Rubber cafe: anything but a card

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Silences make the real conversations between friends

The ATC swap for this month on BF forum is Friends. I don't usually get my swaps done so early in the month, but when I was having my big craft sort out during the week I came across a paperbag studio stamp that I love, but haven't used for a while, and couldn't resist using it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit on to an ATC with the sentiment, but I still decided to use it because I think it still depicts friendship. I stamped with memento rich cocoa and coloured with copics.


This is also for:

Lexi 39: friendship

365 cards day 37: pure contentment

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - haven't used the stamp for a while

Totally stampalicious: kickin' it old school - stamp that hasn't seen ink for at least 6 months

Mark's finest papers speedy the cat 54: use paper, stamps and inks, but no embellishments

Sweet stampin': childhood memories

Rubber cafe: anything but a card

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

ATC challenges 1: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Christmas card club - pink + another colour

Yes, it's another Christmas card - getting quite a collection in my box now - think I've made about 60 so far this year.

This is for Sylvie's challenge for the Christmas Card gang - you can see who's in it on my sidebar - a group of crafters who are getting ahead with Christmas cards by challenging one another every other week.

So Sylvie challenged us to use pink and one other colour.

I based my card on the sketch for Double Dutch 67:

The green background paper on the pink card blank is Serif picnic in the park (a magazine freebie) and the patterned paper used for the squares is from K & Co secret Santa collection. I've used one of my favourite nesties for the scalloped circle, using another inside it to take away the inside circle. The sentiment was in a QVC kit either the Christmas before last or the year before (time goes so quickly!).

I used the colour combo for Picture perfect creations 57:

I'm also linking this for:

Crafty Ho's: pink, black (the text) and a splash of green

Cupcake: something beginning with C - Christmas

Paper romance: use your favourite die (scalloped circle nestie)

Wags n whiskers 53: use die or punch

Annabelle: say it with squares

Simply create 43: what did you say - sayings that either mums would say or someone else may say about or to mums

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - the sentiment panel has been in my box for at least eighteen months and possibly longer

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pear tree 47: free for all
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

CHNC challenge 19: photo inspiration ... with a prize

This week has been a strange one for me in some ways - in between other things I've had a massive craft sort out - and was determined not to make anything until it was all done -so it was a relief when I was able to sit down last evening and make my card for CHNC challenge 19, for which there is this inspiration photo:

I've concentrated on the stocking and the colour combo of red, green and gold - the circular sentiment is gold foiled, but it was difficult to get a photo. The stocking is one that was with a QVC kit two or three years ago. The strip of red and white paper is s.e.i winter song snow bubbles (the other side of the paper). I used little gold brads to secure the little candy cane charms. The flowers and the stocking top are very glittery.

I used the sketch given for the May challenge on Christmas cards all year round:


I'm linking this for these challenges:

Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 week 22: metal (the charms)
Winter wonderland: the colours of Christmas
Cupcake: something beginning with C - Christmas
Paper shelter 12: bling it up (lots of glitter on the stocking)

Stamp and create: charms
Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pear tree 47: free for all
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Although this post was scheduled to go live yesterday, somehow I didn't get around to finishing it in time.

BF purple and white inchies

These are the inchies I received for the BF forum April swap 'purple and white':

Not so many of us this time, but aren't they lovely?! Purple is one of my favourite colours.

Prize from Penny Black at Allsorts

I'm still here, despite my lack of blogging - I've been having a craft sort out for the past three or four days - in between other things - a more thorough sort out than I've had for a long time - I've come across things that I'd forgotten about and also got rid of some things that should have gone a long time ago. So I've done no crafting since Sunday - lots of ideas buzzing around in my head as a result of being reminded of some hidden supplies - now I just need to find the time and mojo to put them into practice.

Meanwhile, this morning postie bought me this lovely PB stamp and a card from Brenda, for winning Penny Black at Allsorts April challenge with this card.

Queen for a day

This weekend has been a very eventful one for the nation and particularly for the Royal Family as Prince William married his bride, Catherine. It was truly a very regal occasion and our future queen certainly looked at ease and happy. I'm sure that every bride feels like a 'queen for the day'.

The card is for the sketch on Cards & things 76:


Background paper is We R memory keepers Madame Royale Elisabeth, which is very glittered. The matching journaling paper is also W R MK, as is the rub on with the crown and wording.The lace, gems, pearls and flower are all from stash.

This is also for the following challenges:

Daring cardmakers: by royal appointment
Order of the opus gluei 99: the crown jewels
Spoon full of sugar 149: a right royal knees up
Creative Belli 116: royal (the lace, gems, pearls and flowers are 'forgotten' embellishments)
ECP 37: influenced by the royal wedding
Crafty pad 119: pearls & swirls
Stampavie and more 139: pearls
Totally papercrafts 64: glitter
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes
Sparkle forum 10: anything goes
Scrappekammeret 29: anything goes

Let's listen to the music and dance

Another sticky note holder, this time with music and headphones, with the colours purple, aqua and blue for Polka doodles 17 colour theme. I love making these little sticky note holders - they are so easy (once you remember the right measurements to score in the right places!) and make a nice handy little gift.

This is also for:

Craft your days away 19: music & dance
Lexi 38: anything but a card
Phindy's Friday 53: glitter, glamour and glitz
Totally papercrafts 64: glitter
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes

Celebrate

Yesterday was certainly a day of celebration - I watched all the comings and goings on TV and thought it was a lovely day for the marriage of William and Catherine. Didn't she look lovely in her stunning dress, as did her sister and the pretty little bridesmaids?

There are a few challenges around atm with a 'royal wedding' flavour to them, so I thought I'd share this celebration card - it would be suitable for a wedding or any other special occasion.

Because of the 'bling' on the card, it was very difficult to get a picture of it, particularly because there is also so much white, so the first picture is a scan with the card closed and the second is a photo showing the aperture when the card is opened.



This is for:

Die cut dreams 88: wedding
Freshly brewed 44: wedding
Pixie cottage: royal wedding
Tanda teaser 170: wedding bells
Crafty sentiments: royal wedding
ECP 37: influenced by the royal wedding
Phindy's Friday 53: glitter, glamour and glitz
Totally papercrafts 64: glitter
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes

Music and dance

Here are three simple sticky note holders I made - the glittery stickers on the first two are from Poundland.

The background card and the dancing couple are remnants left from a Music & Dance Kanban kit and the flowers are from stash.

These are for:

Craft your days away 19: music & dance
Lexi 38: anything but a card
Phindy's Friday 53: glitter, glamour and glitz
Totally papercrafts 64: glitter
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes

Fancy fold card

This is a 3D fancy fold card made from a recently acquired QVC Kanban kit. I love the colour combo of this (similar to my previous card shown here).



This is for:


365 cards day 43: fancy folds accordion card
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: multi-fold card
Crafty Ann 39: fancy folds
DYSU 17: make it pop (3D)
Crafter's companion 11 (April): aqua and brown
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes
Daisy doodles 32: May flowers
Let's craft and create 18: say it with flowers
My mum's craft shop 3: flowers
Charisma cardz 17: May flowers
Prairie fairy Fridays 51: April showes bring May flowers
Craft us crazy 7: flowers
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes

On this your special day

This card is curved at the side and the middle shape is a cut-out window, so the inside of this is inside the card iyswim!

This photo shows the 'window' and also gives an idea of the copper and gold foiling which isn't apparent on the scan:


This is for:

Crafter's companion 11 (April): aqua and brown
Ooh-la-la 78: aqua, bling & sentiment
Shabby tea room 59: butterfly wishes
CCEE 1117: butterfly
Sukkersott 122: butterfly
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 77: things with wings
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes
Sarah Hurley 39: butterflies/things with wings
Crop stop 17: nightgale - textured bird, birdcage or nest
365 cards day 60: sparkle and shine
Daisy doodles 32: May flowers
Let's craft and create 18: say it with flowers
My mum's craft shop 3: flowers
Charisma cardz 17: May flowers
Prairie fairy Fridays 51: April showes bring May flowers
Craft us crazy 7: flowers
Stamping vacation: get the music in your challenge: free bird (the bird has flown the birdcage)
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes

CHNC challenge 18: use a die cut

It's Saturday, so it's time for a new challenge on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog - and the weeks are going by so quickly - today's challenge is number 18! You can find details here - please join in if you can. It makes sense to make Christmas cards throughout the year to ease the pressure off those weeks beforehand. If you haven't started yet, why not start with CHNC challenge 18 - all you need to do is to use a die cut. - - it can be one that you have cut yourself using a nestie, a sizzix or other similar die, a craft robo or cricut shape that you've cut ... or even a bought ready-made die cut - how easy is that?!

I based my card on the April sketch for Create 4 fun (also for Cute card Thursday 162: use a sketch from another challenge blog


Papers are My mind's eye from the signature Christmas glitter collection. I used one of my all-time Christmas favourite stamps Rubber Stampede 'Santa collage' inked with Adirondack earthtones terra cotta - I also used this to distress around the Nellie Snellen die cut (ran through my cuttelebug) and the other papers. I used this stamp for Christmas stampin all year long: use your favourite holiday image.

The colour combo is for CES 34 with this inspirational picture:

The sentiment paper has been recycled from a Christmas gift bag - it was originally a light cream colour so I gently coloured with some of the terra cotta, wiping with kitchen towel so it wasn't too dark. So this is good for these challenges:

Creative craft: get recycling
For fun: green, no not the colour - recycle

This is also for:

Wags n whiskers 53: use die or punch
Little Miss Muffet 18: diecuts or punches
HLSC 19: Christmas
Totally Gorjuss 78: 1 2 3 - 1 image, 2 brads, 3 designer papers
Theme Thursday: vintage
Crafts and me 32: vintage/distressed
4 crafty chicks 35: distressing
Delightful: distressing
Stamp insanity 56: rockin' out heavy metal style
Simply create 42: time to rock the metal
Tuesday throwdown 46: brads or eyelets
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Crafts 4 eternity R17: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 34: anything goes

Bunnies aren't just for Easter

This card is for the sketch for the current challenge on Forever friends:

Forever friends, of course, are well known as bears, but this bear is dressed up as a bunny - the image and the sentiment are from their Spring time stamp collection. I coloured the image with copics, cut out the scalloped circle with a nestie and distressed the edges with fired brick DI. The background paper and flowered strip are Craftwork cards vintage rose. I added two spotted ribbons, a few flowers and gems and also a little pom pom for the bear/bunny's tail.



This is also for:

Pile it on 17: 2 or more ribbons
Created by hand: ribbons
The lollipop ladies 19: ribbons galore
Crafty pad 118: circles
Crafts and me 32: vintage/distressed
4 crafty chicks 35: distressing
Delightful: distressing
Moxie Tuesday trigger: a polka dotted hullabaloo
Cute Sunday 139: dots
By the cute and girly April: cute and girly
Let's craft and create 18: say it with flowers
My mum's craft shop 3: flowers
Just add ink 66: just add a flower
Craft us crazy 7: flowers
Secret crafter Saturday 131: pink, cream & brown
Cupcake 139: fluffy bunnies - the pom pom is fluffy
365 cards day 54: make a card for 'some-bunny'
iCopic lover 27: pastel challenge
Anything goes 39: colour challenge: pink and brown
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Paper cutz 89: anything goes
Crafts 4 eternity R17: anything goes
2 sisters 36: photo inspiration:

Blue and purple

I quite often use one or the other - blue and purple, that is - but not often together. For 'opposites attract' for day 49 on 365 cards we were asked: 'Do you find that you have two colors that you just DO NOT use together? They don't even have to clash, but maybe you've found that those are just two colors you don't like to use at the same time. Well now you have to use them for this challenge. And they must be the dominant colors on the card.'

And Annabelle's current challenge is 'say it in ... purple and blue:

I used some more more paper and the metal brads butterfly from the We R Memory Keepers twirl collection stamping it randomly with Papermania swirl stamps. The square sentiment (sorry about the glare of the flash - it's much more blue irl) is one that I've had for ages - originally from a Dawn Bibby kit. I stamped with dusty concord DI and also used it to distress the edges. I then added a few little white pearls here and there on parts of the swirls.



This is also for:

Crafts and me 32: vintage/distressed
4 crafty chicks 35: distressing
Delightful: distressing
Stamp insanity 56: rockin' out heavy metal style
Simply create 42: time to rock the metal
Claudia & company 80: clean and simple
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Sunday stamper 151: wind beneath my wings
Shabby tea room 59: butterfly wishes
CCEE 1117: butterfly
Sarah Hurley 39: butterflies/things with wings
Digistamps4joy 17: swirls and pearls
Pink gem challenge 19: pearls and swirls
Stampavie and more 139: pearls

Happy cupcake

Day 58 on 365 cards was 'subliminal messages - 'Your challenge is to use an image of food or beverage that looks good enough to eat/drink.'

I've used paper and Happy and cupcake brads (these have a couple of split pins to hold each in place as they are quite large metal brads - these are from We R Memory Keepers twirl range.


This is also for:

Stamp insanity 56: rockin' out heavy metal style
Simply create 42: time to rock the metal
Tuesday throwdown 46: brads or eyelets
Stampin vacation white space challenge: lots of white space and something attached with a brad
Claudia & company 80: clean and simple
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Digi doodle 56: anything goes
Moving along with the times 96: anything goes

Three of a 'kraft'y kind

Today's 365 challenge (day 59) is 'feeling 'kraft'y - with a nature theme.

I've used three kraft card blanks for this week's One layer challenge 51 'three-of-a-kind' on Styles ink - 'The challenge is to make three one-layer cards. Yes, three. Make three cards all using the same image stamp but vary the occasion by changing the sentiment and/or ink colour and/or card stock colour. You must use the same image stamp on each card.'

I used aother La Blanche foam stamps with memento rich cocoa and varied the position of the stamping and the Anna Griffin sentiment stamps.

I've got a couple more of these kraft card blanks, so I think I might make two more similar cards so that they could be used as a set of notelets.

I seem to have done quite a lot of CAS, one layer and white space cards recently - although there's no way I can abandon using lots of patterned paper because I love it so much.

This is also for:

Claudia & company 80: clean and simple
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Digi doodle 56: anything goes
Moving along with the times 96: anything goes
Sunday stamper 151: wind beneath my wings
Shabby tea room 59: butterfly wishes
CCEE 1117: butterfly
Sarah Hurley 39: butterflies/things with wings
Irish teddy's: no pattern paper
Crafty creations 116: white space

Ho ho ho

This card is for Sketch Saturday 152:

The 'jolly Santa' stamp is Hero arts, coloured with copics. I used label nesties for the die cut and the surrounding red blingy one, which was a piece cut from a Christmas cracker from last year - I chose this for Jingle Belles 'recycle' challenge, but, alas, I'm too late to enter there - ah well! I've gone round edges with copic lipstick red to give a bit of definition to the layers.

The Bo Bunny papers were free with Scrapbook magazine.

This is also for:

Bah! humbug 16: the man himself ... Santa Claus
HLSC 19: Christmas
Paper crafting journey 9: bling
Totally Gorjuss 77: bling it on!
Clearly inspired 26: it's all about the bling
Pals paper arts 91: CAS buttons
Polka doodles 16: 3 patterned papers
For fun: green, no not the colour - recycling
Digi doodle 56: anything goes

Salt: the great commission

It was Pauline's turn to choose the topic for today's new Salt challenge - you can read what she said here, based on the Great Commission of Jesus given in Matthew 28:18-20.

This is what it says in The Message version:

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

I've made a digi LO for this challenge, using these scripture verses. In my online travels I came across Internet Evangelism Day 2011, which will take place on Sunday 15 May. Until the growth of the internet, for most of us evangelism was restricted to the little corner of the world in which we live, but now it is possible to spread the gospel throughout the world at the touch of a keyboard. Of course, there are still parts of the more remote world where this isn't possible, but, with modern technology increasing, there are more and more opportunities for global interaction via the net.

For my LO I used some scrapbooking downloads that I've had on my computer for some while - and I confess that I should have noted where they came from - I don't think they were free, I think I must have purchased them, but can't remember, so apologies that I can't give credit for them.

Please visit our Salt Faith challenge blog to see what others in the team have crafted as their response - and we would love to see anything that you are prompted to make - please leave us a comment so we can come and look.