From our house to yours

This card is for challenge 111 on No time to stamp - the instruction was to make a 3 panel accordion card.

I had five Christmas tags with houses on them, so it seemed ideal to use them on this card. The background papers are BG figgy pudding and the wording is computer generated. The papers have been distressed a bit and inked with blush rose chalk ink.

This is also for Gingersnap Creations 29: chestnut theme: 'cozy home'.

And Kraftin' Kimmie challenge 4 'tag you're it' calls for a tag or tags to used on a card.





The inside can be displayed either like this:



or like this:

Girls just wanna have fun

This card is for sketch challenge 89 on Taylored Expressions (I turned it on its side):



It's also for Stampin' for the weekend challenge 22: 'back to the 80s with a twist' - 'orange, blue and purple' and Use one of the following Song Titles from the 80s for inspiration
Girls on Film - Duran Duran
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

You can see which I chose - I felt that this girl was certainly having fun.

And, talking of the 80s, reminds me that day 249 on 365 is 'do the decade': the 80s - '
So how do the 80's inspire you? Or rather, how will they inspire your card?' Definitely 'girls just wanna have fun!'

The BG marrakech and june bug papers were ideal for the colour combo. The image is one I received in a swap - coloured with copics. 'FUN' is a DCWV chippie.



I think my scanner needs a clean again - sorry for the marks on the card (not irl).

Blue Christmas

This card is for the sketch on Clean & Simple challenge FTL66:



It's also for these challenges:

Cute Daisy May: 'blue Christmas'
Colour Create 31: 'blue, silver and white' (inspirational picture) optional: winter and glitter (both here)
Roses on paper 24: 'a Christmas card' - must use a qualifying stamp - I've used Magnolia 'party Tilda'
Creative Craft 2: 'Christmas fun' (I think Tilda is having fun! lol!)
Just Magnolia 29: 'monochrome' - blue
Stampavie and more 68: stars (plenty on here)
By the cute and girly 2: 'winter wonderland'
Penny's paper-crafty: 'winter' theme - 'but... your project MUST include either glitter or sparkles AND somewhere on there I want to see some ribbon!' - there's stickles glitter glue, sparkly gems and ribbon here
Copic Creations 15: 'red hair'
Creative card crew 35: ribbons and gems (the glittery stars are stick-on gems)

The snowflake paper is Frances Meyer and the foiled strip across the bottom is from a recent Christmas Kanban kit. The ribbon across the bottom is K & Co. I coloured Tilda with copics, glittered her wings with Stickles and highlighted the stars with Sakura silver pen. Silver star gems were added on the corners of the image and the sentiment.



The photo isn't as good as the scan in some respects, but does show the glitz and glitter better:

Art creations Friday 46 and 47

It's been a while since I particpated in Art creations Friday - I meant to do something for challenge 46, a lovely background:



but somehow time went by and I didn't do anything. This is the pictur for 47:



So I decided to digitally merge and play around with the two pictures and this is what I ended up with:

Joyeux Noel

Last night I tried out a technique using alcohol blending solution to wipe away excess alcohol ink on metallic sheet that had been run through the holly Cuttlebug embossing folder - you can see it here.

The theme for Tanda Teaser 122 is 'metallize!', so I thought I'd dig out the silver metal sheet that I've had stashed away for quite a while and see what I could come up with. The embossed metal sheet also qualifies the card for Try it out Tuesday 41: 'metal musings'.

I've used the sketch on Moving along with the times challenge 19:



The paper is scrapperdashery 'the holly and the ivy - without the ivy', which, being double sided, seemed perfect for making the fold back frame - I cut a cross in the paper, folded back and tore the edges. 'Borders and frames' is the topic of challenge 27 on Fun with shapes and more and The digi kitty Meow Monday challenge this week is 'framed', although I'm not sure whether this card qualifies because I haven't used a digi image. Theme Thursday today is 'borders'.

Challenge 40 on Paperplay is 'parlez vous' - 'French or Spanish, Greek or Japanese, Irish or Catalan, use any language other than English.' - I used an Anna Griffin sentiment stamp for the 'Joyeux Noel'.

As the main colour of the card is green, this is good as another link for the ABC challenge 'G is for Green'.

Alcohol blending solution technique

A couple of days ago I happened to tune in to Create and Craft TV just as someone was giving a demo on using blending solution to get rid of areas of alcohol inks.

I thought I'd give it a go, so I used the holly cuttlebug embossing folder with silver metal and dabbed with meadow AI. I then went around the areas I didn't want inked with some blending solution, using a piece of lint for the bigger areas and cotton buds for the more fiddly bits.

I then stuck on lots of red gems of various sizes. I was intending on using this on a card for the Moving along with the times challenge 19 - I'll probably try and do this in the morning.

I haven't made a good job of this - please remember that it's my first attempt at doing this (I've used AIs quite a bit before, but haven't tried to get rid of some of it around an embossed image like this) - I think I should have tried an easier embossed image first - anyway this is the result:

WOYWW - a bit late in the day!

If I'd remembered this morning that it's WOYWW day on Stamping Ground today, I could have shown you just have crowded and messy my space was. This evening it's not too bad, although there's still evidence of having made a couple of cards earlier.

Someone expressed concern last time that they couldn't see a chair in the photo - I had moved it to get a better shot.

Today I sat on the chair and took a picture to the left of me.



I also thought I'd show the area behind me (where things tend to get dumped until they are put away).

Anyone for cocktails?

This card is for this sketch for challenge 39 on Lili of the valley:



It's also for
2 red bananas colour challenge: red, yellow, orange and brown
Pink elephant 39: brown, yellow, neutral (white) and colour of your choice (red)
Cute Card Thursday 84: 'midnight margaritas!' - drinks/cocktail theme
Treehouse 21: fall color challenge
Kaboodle 17: 'fall splendour' fall colours
365 day 247: 'ad inspired' - autumnal colours
Mixed Media Monday: 'opposites attract' - well, the ladies are sitting opposite one another!
Another one for Gingham Girls WOW 10: chinwag

The papers are BG Indian summer and lime rickey.



I'm not sure what the stamped image is - I received it a while ago in a swap - would be grateful if someone could tell me the source of it (would quite like to get it).

Yummy chocolcate

The Wednesday stamper challenge last week was 'chocolate' (I prepared this card last night, but didn't scan and blog it). I was going to make a card with yummy chocolate on it - and then decided to go with the colours of papers and also to colour a stamped labrador chocolate - I absolutely love chocolate labradors, although, of course, I loved Josey, John's ex-guide dog (she is a yellow lab).

I'm not sure where the background paper came from - it was a download - if anyone recognises it please let me know so I can give credit to whoever produced it. The other bits were from my box of offcuts.

The card is also for Sketch and Stash 22:



Inspire me Thursday this week is 'dark', so I think it's good for that - dark chocolate is my favourite!

This is also good for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday 40: 'Our challenge is to combine a colored image, texture or textures, and any shades of neutrals we want. You can pack on the layers and textures just make sure you include an image to color and use only neutral cardstock. Just so you know you can us any combination of whites, creams, blacks, browns, and grays!' Well, some of the card is a bit textured - and the dog's coat certainly would be!

Lastly, the Saturday challenge on My creative clutter says: '
Todays challenge is a color challenge. BUT....there is a twist! I want you to think of your favorite Halloween Candy. Then think of the package that it comes in! I want you to use the colors off the package as your color for inspiration!' Well, I don't do halloween, but my favourite 'candy' is dark chocolate, so this card is appropriate for that.

A truly scrumptious card?? d'oh!!

This card is for the sketch on Truly Scrumptious challenge 19:



I've just realised that I did the card for the sketch, but forgot that there was a recipe that went with it - d'oh! Oh well, I still give credit for the lovely sketch and will try to do another card that incorporates the recipe as well.

I've used the colours purple, cerise and gold, which are those given for challenge 23 on My Grafico.

Funky Fairys challenge 40 is 'touchy feely' - to use texture on a card, so I embossed with d'vine swirls cuttlebug folder and one of the birthday sentiments - and also the flowers are 'feely'. I used one of the freebie Funky Fairy downloads 'birds', changing the colour and turning one of the birds to face the other, which I thought would be OK for Gingham Girl's 'word of the week' 10: 'chinwag' - I thought that these two birds must be having a tweeting chat.

Today's challenge on 365 cards (day 248) is :Imagine this: 'feathers' - well, birds have feathers, so I think this is OK for that.

I used 'nesties' for the scalloped circles and embossed sentiment, so I'm linking for Die Cuts R us 14: 'nest something'. And digital Tuesday 31 calls for the use of flowers as well as a digi element, which are both here. Bee Crafty 16 also calls for the use of a digi image and also 'distressing' - plenty of sanding of embossing here. And the scallops are right for My time to craft 84: 'so many scallops!'

No backing patterned papers have been used on this card, just textured cardstock that's been sanded, so this is another one for Charisma Cardz 43: ''no backing papers'.

Also: Mixed Media Monday: 'opposites attract' - well, the birds are standing opposite one another!

Sweet friend

The digi images I used are from the Pink Frosting download I bought from Nutcrafters. The challenge this fortnight on Nutty nutshells (a new challenge blog to me) is to find a sketch challenge from another blog and use an image stocked by Nutcrafter's - hence the girl and cupcake digis from Pink Frosting. I coloured them with copics and mounted the girl on the cupcake (after a bit of fiddly cutting out). The sentiment is also from the Pink Frosting digi sheet.

For my card I chose the sketch from My Grafico challenge 22:



It also uses the colours on this week's Color throwdown 66:



The papers are BG wisteria, a couple of sticky ribbons and the mat surrounding the image is from DCWV far east collection. The use of ribbon makes it suitable for La La land 10. And the cupcake is suitable for Die Cut Dreams 21: 'food and/or drink'.

Pile on the thankfulness

This week challenge 22 on pile it on is to make a 'thank you' card. This challenge blog encourages us to combine as many challenges as possible with this one.

The first one I've chosen is the sketch for Crafty Catz challenge 6:



The main background paper is imaginisce Go for Baroque Rendez vous who? - this is double sided, so the ripped piece across the middle is the reverse side. I stamped part of a DB stamp with vibrant violet Stazon and then stitched round the leaves with green and the centres of the petals with purple thread. I went over the dotted swirls with Sakura metallic purple and also put in some more 'doodling' dots of my own. The piece of green patterned paper behind the orange scalloped card was from the inside of an envelope (never throw anything like that away). I ran a black Core'dination piece of card through the cuttlebug using the swiss dots embossing folder (one of my favourites) and sanded to show through the purple.

In the group of flowers, the purple one is felt and the green one material. The brads and gems add some sparkle to the card.

You can see the hand stitching clearer if you click on the pictures.




These are the current challenges covered:

365 cards day 129: You have me in stitches: 'Stitch an image on your card. Not just around the outside of the card, but an actual image. A flourish DOES count, since these are typically quite detailed.'
Paper Maniac Inspirations: die cuts (the orange and purple flowers and the sentiment)
Cafe Mojo: purple, orange and green
Creative Inspirations 20: doodle-ing (the dots added to the image)
The cuttlebug spot 55: give thanks (used the swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder)
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: bling - the brads, gems and Sakura metallic dots
Kelly Jo 26: black, orange, purple, green (white if needed)
Sophisticat 9: buttons and ribbons
My time to craft 83: rip it up (the piece of paper across the middle)
Papertake weekly: spots 'n' stripes - no stripes, but plenty of spots
Try it out Tuesday 41: metal musings - brads
Card*a*licious 30: handstitching, buttons and felt
Crafty creations 39: thanksgiving/gratitude
Cuttlebug challenge 'be inspired' 55: something that has your favourite on it - swiss dots is one of my fav embossing folders
Flutter by Wednesday 81: open theme, to include a butterfly or fairy
Gingersnap spicy 26: brads
Gingersnap random redhead 28: thankfulness
La la land 10: ribbon
Simon says: all that sparkles - brads, gems and Sakura metallic dots
C.R.A.F.T. 23: orange and black (without the Halloween option)
Elzybells 30: glitter, sparkle and shine - brads, gems and Sakura metallic dots
Ildi Co 3: in stitches
Theme Thursday: favourite colours - purple is high on my list of fav colours

It'll be all white on the night

This is a card for sketch challenge 41 on the sweetest thing:



Colour Create 30 calls for 'all white' and Penny Black 73 is 'white on white' - and I've used a gorgeous PB stamp, just colouring the back of the music book with orange and the stand and flute with C1 grey copics.

I think the card also fits the bill for day 214 on 365 cards (a bit of a stretch of the sketch there, but I think it's just about recognisable!).

My heart is full of thanks

Pile it on challenge 12 this week is a colour combo: blue, green and yellow (just to explain that the card is definitely yellow - it's been sprayed with 'lettuce' colorwash). The idea of 'pile it on' is that you see how many challenges you can combine with theirs. If you have a peep further down my blog, you'll see that I've done a lot of that already this week!

This card is also for sketch 139 on CPS:



and also for Get Sketchy challenge 12:



With this sketch we were also asked to use spray ink, so I've used Adirondack lettuce colorwash (I tried to use stream, but the nozzle was blocked, which is why there is a different patch of colour - and I decided to leave it).

These sketches are so similar that even one of the DT members went for both of them, so I know it's OK for me to do so.

Stampin' Sisters for Christ challenge 10 this week says: 'Make a card that expresses your thankfulness for someone or something they have done, or that encourages someone to be thankful.' - so this is it! Crafty Creations 39 also has the theme of 'thanksgiving/gratitude'. Gingersnap Random redhead challenge 28 is 'thankfulness' too.

'Thank you' seems to be a common theme atm because it's also challenge 22 on My Grafico - and to include dry embossing - mine was done with d'vine swirls cuttlebug folder.

Day 145 on 365 cards was an 'ad inspired' challenge with a picture supplied (you can see it if you click on the link) - I was inspired by the colours and also the butterflies. And talking of butterflies, this is another link for Flutter by Wednesday 81. It's also another one for My time to craft 83: 'rip it up'.

After all that, here is my card (which looks more 'busy' on here than irl for some reason!):

In my thoughts

This card is for sketch 65 on Cutie Sunday this week:



I've used red paper, sentiment (both HOTP), a square image and three buttons, the ingredients for the recipe this week on 2 red bananas.

It's also one for 'kind thoughts' Tanda Teaser 121.

It's fall y'all

The challenge on Stamptacular this week (it's just still this week - last minute one) is 'it's fall y'all' - use fall colours and stamping.

I used an orange base card, I can't identify this brown paper (it's been in my box for a long while, unknown), Dovecraft ribbon and the ATC that I made for the October swap on BF. The idea is that we make an ATC for everyone in the swap, which means we also get one of our own back, so I decided to use it on this card. There is stamping on the ATC - you can see my original post about it here.

Tropical bouquet

I used to take part in HS:MS and show photos on a fairly regular basis, but I haven't shown many photos for a while. I thought I would just share some pictures of a tropical bouquet that I got yesterday with my online grocery shopping:

Skateboarder 'whoosh'

The image on this card is a download called 'whoosh' from Mo's Digital Pencil where challenge 4 is to make a card with a different fold - I hope this gatefold is different enough.

I coloured the image with copics, mainly keeping to shades of grey, C1, C3, C5 and C7, which is OK for Copic creations challenge 14.

The Secret Crafter Saturday challenge is 'orange + 1 other colour' and 'orange and black' are the colours for challenge 23 on C.R.A.F.T. (I chose not to do the halloween option). The colours also fit day 216 on 365 which was an 'ad inspired' challenge (more details if you click on the link).

There is a 'male' theme for Crazy Amigo, Die Cuts R us 'the boyfriend challenge' and on Polka doodle , where 3 brads are also asked for. 3 Clovers 37 asks for a card suitable for a teenager.

The punched corners make this suitable again for DCM 'getting punchy with it'.
The papers used are BG ambrosia.