The Eyes have it

Nearly everything I've been making recently has been in preparation for my sale for Tearfund.

This time, I've done this ATC 'just because'.

I'm officially too late for these challenges, but on Think Monday think ATC last week the subject was 'the letter E', on Lots to Do challenge 8 was 'the eyes have it' and on Created by hand a couple of weeks ago the topic was 'letter of the alphabet'.

Even if it is too late, I still enjoyed doing this. The face image is a Judikins stamp coloured with copics. I'm not sure what the background paper is (it was in my offcuts box).

Blue and yellow card

This is my first card for Inspirational Card Sketches. This week is sketch 6:

As I used blue and yellow, I've combined this with this week's Arty Girlz challenge 75.

The check background is a Making Memories paper, but I can't remember what the blue and yellow paper is. The Tilda image has been coloured with copics.

Challenge 2 on 365 cards is to make a card using only two embellishments, so I added a flower (well, two together to be precise, but counting it as one) and a paisley shaped brad in the centre.


I got this image in with some others from a win on ABC recently - I think I need to get hold of this stamp.

Baby cards for 365 sketch 1

Having made a start earlier in the day on challenge 6 on the new 365 card blog, I'm now going back to challenge 1, which is a sketch: I've made two simple baby cards to help replenish my stock for next Saturday:

Birthday Box

You can see a birthday box that I made last year here.

The reason I'm showing it again now is because on the new 365 cards blog we were invited to make a card box or show one that we'd already made.

I'll just show the finished box, but if you follow the link above you can see how the box started off (laundry tablet box) and how it finished up, including the card inserts for inside.

Copics and Penny Black

This is the sketch on Copics Colour Challenge 3:

I flipped it to the left and made this card, incorporating challenge 38 on Penny Black Saturday blog 'something to eat'.

This is the first time I've taken part on either of these challenge blogs.

These are the copics I used:

0, E00, E02, E11, E21, E35, E37, R29, R59, RV04, RV23, RV29, Y08 and YR07:

Pink, orange and brown, hot chocolate

This card is for Mojo Monday 76 sketch: It's also for Dottie's World, where this week's 'Inspire me' is this picture:

I was going to make a card with cupcakes on it, but in the end I decided to use the colour scheme, which also fitted the 'pink, orange and brown, hot chocolate' on this week's Papertake weeky.

There is a similar colour combo on Kwernerdesign's colour inspiration 44 (a challenge I found on someone else's blog):

The papers I used are Ethan Kate Evening Wear 'tile check' and 'brush stripe' and the image is 'Juliet', a Charmed download:

I coloured the image with copics:

Bright and cheerful Easter card

This card is for Sketch Saturday 40:

I flipped the sketch on its side and made a few adjustments to fit the stamped image size.

I stamped the image quite a long time ago and couldn't remember whether I did it with Stazon - think I did - so didn't dare try to use copics on it, so I went back to Sakura glaze for the flower part and karisma colour for the leaves etc.

The theme on lili of the valley this week is 'bright and beautiful', so I'm linking for that - and also for March 1 challenge on JB set by Bex 'gems'. I have to confess that the gems on the edge of the image panel came about because I smudged a bit of yellow and had to cover it up!

I could find a matching 'Happy Easter', so I ran an orange pad over a cream one.


I found a new challenge blog site - 365 cards - and bookmarked it, but the days have gone by and I hadn't yet done anything for it. However, today (day 6) is 'flashy Friday': the idea is to make the card sparkle - I hope my gems make it sufficiently sparkly!

Pink Easter card

This Easter card is based on the sketch challenge this week on Our Creative Corner:


I flipped the sketch on it's side. I used two different sizes of oval perspex templates to tear round the edges for the Easter 'egg', using Papermania papers. The background check paper and stripey paper are also PM. I'm hoping that the 'egg' shape qualifies this for the challenge on Theme Thursday: 'eggs, nests or birds (I know it's stretching a point a bit!).

This card is good for a number of challenges.

Deanne's challenge 24 on Rosiedee is to make something pink.

ABC this week is on to D for distressing, so I've torn around the oval shapes, which is also appropriate for challenge 41 on A Spoon full of sugar 'torn edges'.

The topic atm on Caardvarks is 'critter caards', so there are butterflies and dragonflies.

And, last but not least, challenge CBCC087 set by Carlolyn on CBC is a recipe:

'So you must make a project with the following: 2 different ribbons checks flowers (more than 3) the colour green somewhere in your card' - I think everything's there for that!


That's another Easter card done for next Saturday.

The small world of inchies and moos!

This week's challenge on Small World of Inchies is 'dolls' and I have chosen to make an inchie featuring a Spanish doll. The background is a BG paper inked on the edges and the doll is a clipart photo:


I've then used this with the Spanish flag to make a moo for the Make a moo challenge: 'Spain':

Mother's day card

This card is based on Friday Sketchers 41: and also inspired by challenge 29 on Cupcake craft (this is the picture given there):



The technique on Saturday's Workout this week is: 44: faux leather with masking tape. I'd never tried this before, but thought I would have a go for this card. This is how my piece of card looked when I'd stuck pieces of masking tape all over it:

And here it is after inking it:

And here it is used as the main background on my card. The paper in the left panel is K & Co, with gold pen outline and Anna Griffin rub on MUM letters. The panel on the right is an acetate one - the flowers and leaves has been coloured in with Sakura Glaze pens. These have been neglected in favour of copics and other colouring media in recent times, so it was quite nice to use them once again. The swirl was cut on the cricut and I resorted to the addition of a peel off sentiment. A bit of inky round the edges and it was finished:

This card is good for quite a few other challenges:

Crafty Muse 'mums and girlfriends', Charisma Cardz 'pretty cards for mums', CBCC089 'Mother's Day', Scrapstars 'springtime' and February 6: 'keep it the same' on JB.

And now that's one Mother's Day card made - must make some more ready for the Tearfund sale next Saturday, although I don't usually sell many, but like to have some available.

Salt: New life in Christ

It was Lythan's turn to choose the topic for the Salt challenge launched this morning - you can read what she said here. You can also, of course, see the beautiful crafting of the rest of the team, including Lythan's moving LO of her daughter's baptism.

My LO is based around the song:

I am a new creation

No more in condemnation

Here in the grace of God I stand

My heart is overflowing

My love just keeps on growing

Here in the grace of God I stand

And I will praise You Lord

Yes, I will praise You Lord

And I will sing of all that You have done

A joy that knows no limit

A lightness in my spirit

Here in the grace of God I stand

I feel this really sums up 'new life in Christ'.

As we come up towards Easter, this is a thought that comes to the forefront of my mind - God's grace in giving His Son, Jesus.

I used Craft House papers, with the flowers and leaves cut out from various sheets:


Please have a look at Salt and see the wonderful creations of the team - and perhaps you would like to create something for this theme - a LO, or an Easter card perhaps.

Simply nautical

Another quick card - this time using the sketch on Sketches by Tamara 84: The papers are English Paper Company All Aboard, the die cut has been in my box for ages - has like a holographic sheen - and the sentiment has a satin sheen - both very hard to photograph without flash reflection.

The nautical element is for the challenge on Theme Thursday:

Easy peasy card

This is one of those 'put together' cards that requires no imagination and very little time and effort - just right for when you want to make something, but have run out of time and energy. Today has been a busy one, not helped by my back pain. It involved me joining mum on her home assessment visit (she's still in intermediate care following a fall over five weeks ago) and various other things that have taken up time today.

Anyway, the theme last week on Inspire me Thursday was silver and I never did get round to doing anything for it. This week it's moon - so I thought the two could come together in this quick card - it's part of a concept kit that's ideal for making some more cards for my Tearfund sale - I need to put together a few more tomorrow. I'd rather be stamping and creating from scratch, but sometimes some quick cards are needed to balance the time some of the others take.

The dancing couple are raised up a bit with 3d foam to give the card a bit of depth and variation:

Child's Easter card

The theme on ABC this week is C for child's card, so I thought I would start making some Easter cards for children (will need some for Saturday week). I used PM papers from last year, sticky ribbons, Poundland 3D shaker stickers and a couple of gems.

I followed the sketch on the new Truly Scrumptious challenge blog - their first challenge:


On Scrapstars forum we are also being asked to show a Springtime card, so this is appropriate for that.

Cuttlebug sketch

Just scraping in at the last minute with a card for this lovely sketch by Valerie, which is the inspiration this week on Cuttlebug:

The papers and chipboard pieces are all BG Boxer and the sentiments are rub ons. The strip with the scalloped edge has been embossed with a Cuttlebug folder:

Winter blues

'Winter blues' - no, I'm not referring to the way I feel, but to my ATCs for the February Tanda swap: 'blue'[.

I apologise to Tasha and the group that these are late.

I used the winter tree stamp from the Whispers four seasons stamps, with blue iris chalk ink on to DCWV textured card. The background paper is a stripey one from HOTP - I embossed with Cuttlebug swiss dots (still one of my favourites) and distressed with one of my BG files.



I'm linking these too for this week's challenge on Stamp Something - something with cold, winter wind.

Another wild card

This is another card made using the Cricut wild card cartridge - this time: the doiley card.

The main card is cut from Junkitz essential paperz earth geometric (the pattern is on the back as well) and the circles paper is also Junkitz, but I've lost the cut off strip, so I don't know which one. The plainer greeny paper used for the large scalloped circle and the middle one is BG infuse. The Happy Birthday was computer generated using wordart in Publisher and a brad put through the middle.

This is for Challenge 40: shape shifters on A Spoon full of sugar - asking for a different shaped card from the norm - and also for this week's DCM challenge: all things circular.

The diameter of the card is 6", so will go in an envie made for a 6" square card.

I'm loving this Cricut cartridge - would recommend it.

Blog Candy Celebration Winner

I used random.org to draw a winner for my candy and it picked

Number 21

Carol

Paperplay

Well done, Carol. Please let me have your details and I will get the goodies sent off to you.

Thank you, everyone, for your visits and comments. They are much appreciated.

I've now gone past 31,300 hits, so it won't be too long before the next candy give-away (at 40,000 hits).

Blog Candy Celebration

Celebrate with me

As this will stay on top until the end of 1 March, please scroll down to see normal posts (but don't forget to leave a comment here first)

All this could be yours if you leave me a comment and put a link on your blog so that people can come and look.

In a few days (from writing this on 12 February) I will have received 30,000 visits to my blog since I installed a counter at the end of April 2007.

This is a double celebration, because on 1 March I will have been blogging for two years.

This is my opportunity to thank all those who visit, whether once or twice or regularly, for your kind comments. I have made so many lovely blogging friends.

As you can see my blog candy consists of some sheets of Brenda Pinnick stickers, including alphabets, a K & Co Kim Hodges 6 x 6 patchwork paper pad, a pack of mermaid tears, two packs of crystal stickers elements, a pack of Craft House ribbons and two Anna Griffin brass stencils.

So, if you would like to win, please leave me a comment (please make sure that you leave me a blog link so that I can contact you if you win, or, if you don't have a blog, leave an email address)and put a link on your blog so that people can come and visit.

This post will stay on top until the anniversary of starting my blog - 1 March (until midnight GMT), after which I will use random.org to determine the winner.

Black and white Forever Friends Birthday card

Last week's theme on Forever Friends was 'general Birthday', but I missed doing a card for that. This week's topic is 'black and white', so I've combined the two in a very simple card. The black surround of the image and the sentiment are matted on to silver, which, unfortunately, doesn't show up on the scan:

Animal magic

This card is based on the sketch on challenge 4 on Sketch and Stash (well, I've used a bit of 'poetic licence'). Everything I've used on this card is new stash:
Cute Card Thursday (49: animal magic) and Charisma Cardz both have the theme of animals this week, so I've used BG marrakech rub ons and papers, which includes the one with elephants on.


Sorry that the scan is a bit crooked (why does this happen?)