Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper May challenge

It's already time for a new challenge on my Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge blog - please click here to enter my May challenge - anything goes as long as you cover your creation with patterned paper (not plain cardstock/paper) - you can leave a bit of a border if you wish.

So this is my first card for Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper May challenge. Some years ago now, I was given a Far East stack of printed textureed paper by DCWV (I had put this on my Christmas list because I loved the look of it) and I used a fair bit of it, but there's quite a lot left and it's been in a box for some time now, so I thought it was about time I got it out and used some.

I found a sketch that I wanted to play along with this week - originally I'd thought it would be a good one for using up scraps, but as I decided to use up some of my Far East stack I actually cut into new sheets for each part of the card.

So this is the sketch I used: Sketch Saturday 307:

The sentiment is a DCWV chipboard piece that I purchased long ago to use with the Far East stack (I still have lots of these chipboard pieces). I decided to stamp some Eastern symbols on to the ends of the strips because it looked too plain without them. In order starting from the left they mean Patience, Dream, Awesome, True and Beautiful (I only know that because the words are on the wooden part of the stamps) - I inked these with memento rich cocoa.

I thought I would show the card on top of the Far East stack:

This is also for:

Allsorts 256: oriental
Sentimental Sundays 204: clean and simple
613 avenue create 69: anything goes
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Scribble and scrap 17: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 16: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Going grey with Scrap-creations: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Simon says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
Word art Wednesday 130: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
Crafting by designs May anything goes
Inky linky 52
DL.ART May

CHNC challenge extra for May

I can't quite believe how quickly the months are going by already this year - it definitely seems true that the older you get the faster the time seems to go. As it's 1 May, it's time for CHNC challenge extra for May - please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and our guest designer.

Here is my design card using Bugaboo Stamps snowman bells. As ever, the challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and anything goes as long as it's Christmas. I coloured the image with spectrum noir pens.

Background card and the strips are from my offcuts box (Hunkydory) and the large snowflake consisting of die cuts using nesties was rescued from a card received.

I based the card on the sketch given for Through the purple haze 39:

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 16
Christmas card challenges 22: anything goes
Fab n funky 214: Christmas
That craft place: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
Crafting by designs May anything goes
Inky linky 52

Christmas robins

These two cards each feature a robin, but they have something else in common - they both have elements recycled from old cards received. For the first card I used a greyscale picture and just added colour to the robin's breast.

The backkground papers are Echo park 'very merry Christmas' - the papers are double sided, so there's more choice from the pad. On the first card I added some lace and a greeting. The second card has a gingham ribbon bow and the addition of the sentiment.

These are for:

Sarn's Rudolph day (just scraping in at almost the last minute!)
The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 16
Christmas card challenges 22: anything goes
Sentimental Sundays 204: clean and simple
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Simon says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
Crafting by designs May anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes

Happy purple birthday

The background is an offcut originally created with an Embossalicious folder purchased on Crafter's Companion with pearlescent card that was llightly brushed with dusty concord distress ink. The torn piece of vellum across the middle was left over from making a previous card (generated from the computer and printed). Flowers are from Hobbycraft.

This is for:

Pixie's snippets week 122
Eclectic ellapu: birthday
Aud sentiments 105: use a birthday sentiment
Seize the birthday: anything goes birthday
Bunny Zoe April: distress
Come and get it: spring flowers
Use your stuff 133: flowers
Fan-tastic Tuesday 33: floral
Pause dream enjoy 9: flowers
Crafters companion April: floral (Embossalicious folder purchased from CC)
4 crafty chicks 191: embossing
Hanna and friends 195: favourite colours - lilac/purple
Cards galore April: creating with colour - include your favourite colour - lilac/purple
Clear it out: purple + stash: purple things
Creative moments 40: anything goes/spring
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 17: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
613 avenue create 69: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 16: anything goes
Crafting at the weekend 1: anything goes
Dazzling divas 22: radiant orchid or anything goes
Fitztown 32: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April

Cheerful stamp pad challenge 85: use embossing powder

This is my design card for today's Cheerful stamp pad 85: use embossing powder. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely embossed creations of the rest of the team. This is being sponsored by Stamp on it.

I was asked to make a sympathy card using  one of my favourite stamps -  this Penny Black sparklers one. I inked with Brilliance pearlescent purple, randomly stamping around the edge with just parts of the stamp, then using the whole stamp off centre. The sentiment stamp was from Hobbycraft. I used clear embossing powder to heat everywhere, then brushng in from the edges of the card and lightly over the main image with dusty concord distress ink.

This is also for:

Red carpet studio 68: the heat - inspired by the movie - heat embossing
4 crafty chicks 191: embossing
Sweet stamps monthly technique: embossing
Simon says Wednesday challenge: clean and simple
Hanna and friends 195: favourite colours - lilac/purple
Cards galore April: creating with colour - include your favourite colour
Lacy sunshine 32: use your favourite colour combination - lilac/purple
Aurora wings 2: monochromatic
613 avenue create 69: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Crafting from the heart 16: anything goes
Dazzling divas 22: radiant orchid or anything goes
Word art Wednesday 129: anything goes
Fitztown 32: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April

Peace on earth

Karen P set the challenge for this fortnight for the Christmas card club and she asked us to use black and white and one other colour.

I make no apology that this card is very similar to the previous one that I made for my design card for the Glory of Christmas 32: bows. I just wanted to use another felt bird, this time a turquoise blue one. I used some black and white twine that I've had for some time, sticking a bow on the place where it joins. The stamped sentiment is once again the Personal Impressions stamp, this time inked with memento tuxedo black.

As for the previous card, apologies for the quality of the photo - always difficult to capture a white card.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Christmas card challenges 22: anything goes
Fashionable stamping 71: flying things
Take a word: wings
Artistic inspirations 88:  CAS/anything goes
Eureka 86: clean and simple
Simon says Wednesday challenge: clean and simple
Faith hope love 5: anything goes (Luke 2:14)
Word art Wednesday 129: anything goes
Fitztown 31: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes

The Glory of Christmas challenge 32: bows

It's time for another challenge on the Glory of Christmas, so challenge 32 is all about bows - just include one on your Christmas creation. Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team.

For my design card I kept it clean and simple - no designer paper in sight. I used some supplies that I bought  yesterday from Tiger in Bromley (I couldn't wait to use them and was glad that I hadn't made a card earlier for the challenge) - some lovely purple string, bows and a self adhesive felt bird. I inked the Personal Impressions sentiment stamp with memento grape jelly.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Christmas card challenges 22: anything goes
Dazzling divas 22: radiant orchid or anything goes
Fashionable stamping 71: flying things
Take a word: wings
The sisterhood of crafters: things with wings
Sweet stampin: no DP
Artistic inspirations 88:  CAS/anything goes
Eureka 86: clean and simple
Simon says Wednesday challenge: clean and simple
Hanna and friends 195: favourite colours - purple all the way!
Cards galore April: creating with colour - include your favourite colour
Faith hope love 5: anything goes (Luke 2:14)
Word art Wednesday 129: anything goes
Fitztown 31: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April

More festive food and drink for CHNC challenge 174

For my second card for today's CHNC challenge 174 I used the 'for Santa' digi kindly supplied by  The Stamping Boutique (one of today's sponsors). It so happens that challenge 14 this week on The Stamping Boutique is 'food' so I'm entering this on there.

I coloured the image with spectrum noir pens and matted on to an offcut of kraft cardstock. The background paper is from Anna Griffin (from a kit I bought three or four years ago ... and there's still some left) and the striped piece is an offcut from My Mind's Eye. A piece of spotted ribbon was wrapped around the kraft cardstock because there was a crease there ... disguised it well!

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets week 121 

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Jingle belles: all bundled up (three or more layers)
Simply create too 60: stack 'um up (at least 2 layers)
Everybody art 275: cute card
Fairytale 90: cute only
Robyn's fetish 208: square cards
Fan-tastic Tuesday 32:: anything goes (square)
Fitztown 31: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes

CHNC challenge 174: festive food and/or drink

This is my first card for CHNC challenge 174: festive food and/or drink - please click on the link and join in if you can (no, it isn't too soon to start making your Christmas cards ... it will be May before this challenge has ended ... the months are going by fast.

I used digital papers and decoupage elements from Poinsettia Teapot from the Yuletide Wishes CD-rom - a free sample from Ooh la la Creations (one of today's sponsors). The middle square and teapot are decoupaged.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Jingle belles: all bundled up (three or more layers)
Simply create too 60: stack 'um up (at least 2 layers)
Little Claire 44: lots of layers
Robyn's fetish 208: square cards
Fan-tastic Tuesday 32:: anything goes (square)
Fitztown 31: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes

Completely Christmas 9

This is my design card for Completely Christmas 9 using an image kindly supplied by the sponsor - Sparkle n Sprinkle 'Noel Angel'. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the team and we would love it if you would join in the challenge the theme is 'anything goes' as long as it's Christmas.

I coloured the image digitally using Microsoft Paint (love doing this when the image is drawn so cleanly) and stuck it on to the yellow card blank. I printed the sheet music on to a piece of acetate and attached this with brads, adding flowers.

It was very difficult to get a photo because of the shine of the acetate, despite taking this in daylight without a flash.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Jingle belles: all bundled up (three or more layers)
Hobbyhome: flowers
Take a word: wings
The sisterhood of crafters: things with wings
Crafty calendar April: things with wings
Sweet stampin: no DP
Fitztown 31: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 169: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Brown sugar 91: anything goes
Crafty catz 228: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes

Suzy Bee's bloomin' challenge 26: wings

Suzy Bee's bloomin' challenge 26 'wings' is being sponsored by Sparkle n sprinkle who kindly supplied the lovely Enchanted slumber fairy image that I've used on my design card. I coloured this digitally in Microsoft Paint and mounted on to a square of digital paper from the Steam Funk range by Funky Hand, digitally making it a bit more pink. The lace and daisies are digi element freebies. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the team and join in the challenge.

This is also for:

In the pink 42: digital delight
Delicious doodles 85: pink and girly
Lacy sunshine 31: make it feminine
Creative card crew 60: girly
Take a word: wings
The sisterhood of crafters: things with wings
Crafty calendar April: things with wings
Kreativeinkauf 14: winged messengers of spring
Robyn's fetish 208: square cards
Fan-tastic Tuesday 32:: anything goes (square)
Fitztown 31: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 169: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Creative moments 40: anything goes/spring
Dazzling divas 22: radiant orchid or anything goes
Little miss muffet 84: anything goes
Brown sugar 91: anything goes
Crafty catz 228: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 15: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April

Biker boy for the Sweet Pea Stampers challenge

Today sees the start of a new challenge on the Sweet Pea Stampers blog and the theme is 'birthday'. Please click on the link to see the lovely designs by the rest of the team and join in with our challenge.

Right, the second challenge this month is another easy peasy one... Birthdays.
please remember , we need a stamped image on your card and there is a bigger prize for using a Sweet Pea Stamp :)
Those who entered the last challenge using a sweet pea stamp, remember to do the same for this challenge to be in with the chance of our GRAND prize for April - see last challenge for details.
Good luck!

For my design card I decided to make a boy's birthday card, using Karen Middleton's Biker Boy - DIGI coloured with spectrum noir pens. Background papers, two of which have torn edges were from my offcuts box (the main one is an old 'English Paper Company' paper) and the birthday sentiment panel behind the image was rescued from a gift card that John received. The 'Have a wonderful day' sentiment is a Creata textured rub on.


I'm sharing this on my Patterned Paper April challenge - if you haven't yet discovered this, please click on the link, get out some of that hoarded patterned paper ... and join in the fun - I'd love to see you there.

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets 121
A creative romance: scrappy cards (papers from offcuts box and recycled gift card)
Crafts4eternity R173: use up some scraps
Seize the birthday: anything goes birthday
The stamping boutique 13: birthday
Cardz 4 guyz 15: wheel fun
The paper shelter 155: for the boys
Penny's 174: one for the boys
The house that stamps built DCC423: for the guys
Art impressions 134: anything goes - masculine
Eclectic ellapu: one for the boys
Jellypark: one for the boys
Moving along with the times: transportation
Crafty hands 13: travel
Woodware UK: blue
Cute card Thursday 318: blue and green
Inky impressions 156: recycle
As you like it: favourite item to recycle and why - bits of cards received  (including gift cards)
Cardmakin mamas 85: earth friendly - reuse, recycle
Wags n whiskers 127: lots of layers
Sweet stampin: lots of layers
Little Claire 44: lots of layers
Simply create too 60: stack 'um up (at least two layers)
Everybody art 275: cute card
Fairytale 90: cute only
Open-minded 8: easter or pastel colours
PumpkinSpice 68: colouring
Fan-tastic Tuesday 32:: anything goes (square)
Crafty catz 228: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 15: anything goes
613 avenue create 68: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 54: anything goes
Spectrum noir April: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April

Cheerful stamp pad challenge 84 week 2

This is my design card for week 2 of the Cheerful stamp pad challenge 84: use 3 designer papers. Please click here to see this week's inspiration from the rest of the team - and here to enter the challenge. The winner this time will be invited to be a guest designer.

My 5 x 7 card is based on the sketch given for the current Nightshift stamping challenge, using three offcuts of Hunkydory patterned card which were just right for the sketch. I stamped the DeNami glamour dress with stazon black - I used stazon as the card is shiny ... and then realised I wouldn't be able to use any alcohol pens, so I lightly coloured the dress with a colouring pencil and added some tiny gems for the necklace. I found other bits and pieces in my stash that were just right for the sketch, although I did add another Hobbycraft flower.

Nightshift stamping sketch:

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets week 121
Lacy sunshine 31: make it feminine
Ruby's rainbow 77: ladies
Baffies creative: for a woman
Fab n funky 212: flower power
Scrappers delights 20: bloomin' lovely
Delightful: bloom
Inspired by stamping April: I chose flowers
Hobbyhome: flowers
Hiding in my craft room 146: flowers
Penny Black and more at Allsorts April: blossoms and blooms
The stamping boutique 13: birthday
Wags n whiskers 127: lots of layers
Sweet stampin: lots of layers
Little Claire 44: lots of layers
Craft your passion 210: pretty pastels
The shabby tea room 215: pastel goodness - pastels, flowers and polka dots
LiaStampz 63: pastel colours
Open-minded 8: easter or pastel colours
PumpkinSpice 68: colouring
One crazy stamper April: anything goes
Whimsy 70: anything goes
Vintage stamping (flonz craft) 19: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 15: anything goes
Kreativer bastel 45: anything goes
613 avenue create 68: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April

Kraft fantastic birthday

This is a card which features a gift card recycled, matted on to black cardstock and then on to a kraft card blank, adding some prima spacers.

This is for:

Seize the birthday: anything birthday
Time out 3: happy birthday with optional twist of a masculine birthday (think this would suitable for a male)
Eclectic ellapu: one for the boys
Cardmakin mamas 85: earth friendly - reuse recycle
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 208: use kraft card stock
Lexi's creations 114: focus on the sentiment
Crafty sentiments: use lots of white
4 crafty chicks 190: sentiment only
Incy wincy: clean and simple
Crafter's cafe 59 clean and simple
613 avenue create 68: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafty hands 12: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April

'Chill day'

'Chill day' is the name of the super Penny Black stamp that I've used for my second card for CHNC challenge 173: if you want to get ahead, get a hat! - use a hat on your Christmas creation.

I coloured with spectrum noir pens and added glue with a quickie glue pen to the furry parts of Santa's outfit, sprinkling with Art Institute glitter, adding the foiled ho ho hos and matting on to red mirror card. Background paper is Papermania and the triangular pieces are from my Christmas offcuts box.

I used the sketch for Sunday sketch and stamp 202:

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Sparkle n sprinkle April: anything goes - use loose glitter
Simon says Wednesday challenge: animal antics
PumpkinSpice 68: colouring
Spectrum noir April: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
613 avenue create 67: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafty girls 16: anything goes
Craftitude 63: anything goes (or spring/Easter)
Crafty hands 12: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
Inky linky 51
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April

CHNC challenge 173: if you want to get ahead ... get a hat!

It's time for CHNC challenge 173: if you want to get ahead ... get a hat! - use a hat on your Christmas creation.

For my first card I used the 'cat in hat' digital image kindly supplied by Eureka Stamps (one of today's sponsors), colouring with spectrum noirs, tearing around a perspex oval template to give a torn distressed edge. I found some foiled 'ho ho ho' pieces to add and used quickie glue pen with Art Institute glitter on the white parts of Santa's hat. The background paper was from a magazine and the piece across the middle from my Christmas scraps box.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Sparkle n sprinkle April: anything goes - use loose glitter
The male room: man's best friend/pet: cat
Simon says Wednesday challenge: animal antics
Bunny Zoe April: distress
PumpkinSpice 68: colouring
Spectrum noir April: anything goes
613 avenue create 67: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafty girls 16: anything goes
Craftitude 63: anything goes (or spring/Easter)
Crafty hands 12: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
Just keep on creating April

Suzy Bee's bloom' challenge 25: frame it

It's time for Suzy Bee's bloomin' challenge 15: frame it. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the team and join in with you entries.

For  my design card I used Bugaboo 'frame it - one day at a time', kindly supplied by the sponsor of the challenge.

I coloured digitally in Microsoft Paint and framed the image with one of the Spellbinder's marvellous squares dies. I printed out a slightly bigger version of the image and cut out clocks to stick top and bottom to give a bit more variety. The backgrounds were created with embossing folders run through my cuttlebug (although I have an eBosser and love it, it's sometimes quick to grab the cuttlebug for smaller items).

This is also for:

Party time Tuesday 168: die cut challenge
Sentimental Sundays 202: embossing
Sweet stamps: anything goes - technique: embossing
Natalie and Amy 19: embossing
Artistic inspirations 87: monochrome/anything goes
Get inky 12: die cuts
Totally Gorjus 232: die cuts/punches
Paper pretties 306: masculine card
Scribble and scrap 16:  anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
Just keep on creating April

Completely Christmas challenge 8: sketch

This is the sketch we were given for Completely Christmas challenge 8 - you will see from my card that I turned it to the left.

Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely designs of the rest of the team - and I hope you will be able to join in the challenge.

Completely Christmas challenge 8 is being sponsored by Di's Digi Downloads and I've used their 'Christmas carols' image, colouring with spectrum noir pens. All card and papers used are from  my Christmas offcuts box. I didn't have a sentiment that matched, so I used a light green one and coloured it with one of he pens. I finished off with some Craftwork cards gingham candi.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Simon says Wednesday challenge: animal antics
PumpkinSpice 68: colouring
Spectrum noir April: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Craftitude 63: anything goes (or spring/Easter)
Crafty hands 12: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
Just keep on creating April

Racing to wish you a Happy Birthday

This card was made using a Hunkydory background and bunting pieces to spell out the greeting.

This is for:

Time out 3: happy birthday with optional twist of a masculine birthday
Eclectic ellapu: one for the boys
Paper crafting 7: masculine
Paper pretties 306: masculine card
613 avenue create 67: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Everybody art 274: anything goes
Pause dream enjoy 8: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Crafty girls 16: anything goes
Craftitude 63: anything goes (or spring/Easter)
Crafty hands 12: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 53: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April

More sparklers for sympathy

I quite often get asked to make sympathy cards and sometimes am asked to use the Penny Black sparklers stamp, which I've done on this card - inking with memento grape jelly (a lovely purple colour) and I shadow stamped just the seed heads again at the top. I stamped the Hobbycraft sentiment stamp on a piece of card and distressed the edges with dusty concord distress ink to tone with the distressing I did around the edge of the card. The ready made card blank front was mounted on to a textured lilac card base.

This is for:

Incy wincy: clean and simple
Crafters cafe 59: clean and simple
Artistic inspirations 87: monochrome
Cards galore April: creating with colour - include favourite: purple
Sparkles 55: favourite colour combo - purple/lilac
Fashionable stamping 70: favourite technique - stamping and distressing
Bunny Zoe April: distress
Addicted to stamps and more 91: anything goes
One crazy stamper April: anything goes
Through the purple haze 37: anything goes

Simply with sympathy

I never think that sympathy cards should be fussy - I like to make them quite simply. This was made with a card blank that already had a feint design as a background on to which I stamped one of my all time favourite Penny Black stamps, sparklers, inking with memento rich cocoa. (Regular visitors to my blog will have seen many cards with this stamp) I distressed the edges of the card with brown corduroy distress ink and added the stamped sentiment.

This is for:

Incy wincy: clean and simple
Crafters cafe 59: clean and simple
Tok bobok 11: clean and simple
Addicted to stamps and more 91: anything goes
Scrapping 4 fun 15: use a stamp/digi image
Stampin' for the weekend: your favourite stamp
One crazy stamper April: anything goes
Through the purple haze 37: anything goes
ABC: J for just as you like
Glitter n sparkle 80: anything but a square

Crafting musketeers mid-month inspiration

As part of team B it's our turn to provide some inspiration for this month's Crafting musketeers challenge 12 which is 'monochrome'. Please click on the link to see the other lovely creations made by members of team B and click here to join in the April challenge.

The challenge is being sponsored by Funky hand - the winner will receive a £10  download voucher.

So this is my design card. I used Steam Funk digital papers and sentiment kindly supplied by Funky Hand, adding some Tim Holz tissue tape, a piece of glittered trim and a tag that I made digitally with components from The Craft Studio 'tinkering with steampunk' CD.

This is also for:

Sandee & Amelie's steampunk challenge April: your favourite technique goes steampunk - I enjoy playing with digital papers and images 

Artistic inspirations 87: monochrome/anything goes

Bunny Zoe: monochrome

It's all about the vintage and beauty 66: shabby chic
PanPastel UK 11: pretty shabby chic
Tuesday throwdown 191: vintage/shabby chic
The stamping boutique 12: distress it

CD Sunday: something old, something new - 'Tinkering with steampunk' CD is old, as are the prima spacers, glitter strip and Tim Holtz tissue tape, but the Steam Funk papers and sentiment by Funky Hand are new
Lacy sunshine 21: make it feminine
Nutcrafters 66: go girly
Ruby's rainbow 77: ladies

One stitch at a time 208: use a digi
Digi choosday 15: use 2 papers (digital papers)

Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 207: the letter T - time, tag
Bastel-traum: tags

Make something Monday 15: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 52: anything goes
Inky linky 51
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party Apri
Just keep on creating April

More inspiration for CCAYR poinsettias

This is another design card for Christmas cards all year round April 'poinsettia' challenge - please click on the link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the team and click here to join in the challenge.

Once again I've used Holly Hobby papers, cutting out hearts from another HH paper, paper piecing the poinsettia on to the striped hearts and adding a sentiment from stash.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Chocolate, coffee & cards 62: yipes, stripes
Top tip Tuesday: paper piecing
Make something Monday 15: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 52: anything goes

CCAYR mid-month inspiration

It's time for some mid-month inspiration for Christmas cards all year round April 'poinsettia' challenge - please click on the link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the team and click here to join in the challenge.

This is my first design card for mid-month, using Holly Hobby papers, Paper cellar glittered silver strips, a sentiment from stash and a stamped poinsettia using an Anit'a stamp (one of the first I ever bought), coloured with spectrum noir pens.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
My perfect life festive 48 week 14
Sweet stampin: flowers
Lisa B designs April: flowers
Penny Black and more at Allsorts April: blossoms and blooms
Chocolate, coffee & cards 62: yipes, stripes
Spectrum noir April: anything goes
Make something Monday 15: anything goes
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs April: anything goes
Sister Act 52: anything goes
DL.ART April: anything goes
Just B linky party April
Just keep on creating April