What's the point in lilac?

This card is for this week's DCM 'what's the point?' challenge thought up by Kathy.

I decided to use the points of stars and layered some lilac and silver ones and chipboard ones that I'd triple embossed with silver UTEE. I xyroned a piece of Christmas greetings vellum that I've had for a couple of years on to an unknown piece of starry lilac paper.

So it's a very simple card, but, with the large star and the embossed vellum, it seemed a shame to add anything else.

I'm also linking it for Alphabet L for lilac, Sparkle Creations 8: 'no colouring in' - inks are allowed, so the triple embossing is OK - and frosted designs: 'chipboard challenge'.





Having bought the 'flower frogs' with the spikes to try and display my cards to take photos, I managed to get a little easel this morning in Hobbycaft, so am trying using that (still haven't put my stamps back on the shelf though).

Visit to Hobbycraft

I've been out this morning. John was having a car to take him to a bowls committee meeting, so I went with him and was taken on to Hobbycraft at Crayford and then was collected after the meeting. So I had a good time to wander around - I did manage to spend some money (would have been rude not to), including some nice Bo Bunny papers. It really made a change to go somewhere like that ... and now I'm feeling cream crackered.

So this is what I bought:

BF January inchies

The theme for the inchies swap on BF this month was 'winter' - I've received my inchies today and they are so cool - thank you, girls - you are so creative.

Sorry, it's not a good photo because the light has faded now - much, much better irl.

Fashion

This is another gothic arch, this time for last week's SCD (yes, I'm going backwards!) on fashion.

It's also for If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 19, which is this inspiration ad:

The background paper is HOTP from my scraps box and the images are fancy ladies collage rub-ons that have been in my box for ages (I knew they would come in handy one day).

Something complete different

This is a gothic arch for this week's Something Completely Different theme 'angels' - and for me it is definitely something completely different because it's the first time I've made a gothic arch. The background is Imaginisce go for baroque rendez-vous-who. The little girl angels are from a picture on Art freebies, cut out and inked with chalk inks, as were the edges of the arch. A touch of stickles crystal ice on the wings and a piece of lace and it's done. It's simple, but it's a first - I can only get better!

A couple of prizes

I've received the stamp set that I won for the 'let it snow' rumble on 'In the Cottage Studio' - you can read about it here.


I've also just received the goodies I ordered from The Craft Barn with my £15 gift certificate for winning the Cuttlebug Spot 'let's party' - details here. I really enjoyed altering the wedding boxes that I bought from Poundland - such a good buy when you consider that I've still got the rest of the packs left and they gained me £15 worth of prizes - my original post is here.

Today's WOYWW

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

I only made one card yesterday, so there's not much evidence of doing anything on here, except a pile of wooden stamps that I took off the shelf. I'd like to find a better way of taking photos of my cards to blog. Recently I've been standing cards on my printer because it's often the only place that is available, but I have to squat down to get a level photo (and often don't achieve that anyway).

When blog hopping I've noticed that some people put their card on a spiky thing to take the photo so I did a bit of research and came up with the idea of a 'flower frog' and I found two for sale on ebay and won them. I've worked out that the shelf that houses the wooden stamps is just about the right height to stand up and take a photo of a card in the spiky thing, so now I'm thinking I might leave a space for that purpose ... but where do I put the stamps then?

And have you noticed a non-crafty item to the left of my keyboard? - a DVD that arrived yesterday - one of my all-time favourite films, 'A Touch of Class'.

Postie has just arrived with some prize goodies, so I'll be blogging about those in a while.

All that scraps

This card is for the colour challenge on All that scraps: 'pink, chocolate and red'.

It was made with various scraps from my newly sorted box. The stamp is a Dawn Bibby one - I stamped it three times so I could decoupage the cupcake - coloured with copics. And just the addition of a few little gems and sentiment.

Nowadays, I tend to make square cards most of the time, but I need to bear in mind that some people who buy my cards to raise money for Tearfund prefer the A6 sizze (they are a bit cheaper), so I need to make more of these (must discipline myself!).

Warm wishes

This card is for the sketch on Digital Tuesday 40:
It's also for:
ColourQ 16: 'colour challenge'
and:
Pile it on 3: 'warm wishes'
Dottie's world: 'leaf it' - I've used the Charmed download Sugar and spice 'windy day'
Pink elephant 51: 'recipe: polka dots (on the ribbon), a bow and pink
Incy wincy 27: 'buttons, bows, ribbon and lace (the lace is under the paper with squares)
Another for Dare U 2 digi 29: 'buttons' - the image is a digi download
Mixed media Monday: 'the games people play'
Sunday stamper 88: 'hip to be square' (don't know whether this counts really because it's not a stamped image, but a digi, but there are squares!
Another for Spoon full of sugar 87: 'lots of layering'

I used BG Indian summer papers and an unknown strip with squares from my scraps box, three buttons, three bows, a piece of lace, some sticky polka dot ribbon and the 'warm wishes' sentiment was computer generated.

Trying to organise scraps

One of my new year crafting resolutions was to use up the leftovers, the offcuts, the scraps ... I've tried various 'systems' to store them and none of them have worked - I tried using separate folders for separate colours, tried sorting large and small pieces ... you name it, I've tried it ... and I've ended up with boxes with papers all higgledy piggledy, as you can see here:



So, I emptied the boxes today and have 'sorted' (mmmm not sure that's the correct word really, because perhaps they still need further 'sorting') them into broad colour ranges, so that the black and whites are together, followed by the blues, followed by the reds, pinks and purples etc etc ...

I confess that the large box doesn't really look much different, but at least there is some colour sorting and it has reminded me of all the paper treasures that I have, which might just encourage me to continue to use some of them. And, you will notice, that everything's in the one box now, having got rid of some of the stupid bits that were lurking in the boxes.



On the other hand, there's nothing quite like cutting into a brand new piece of paper! - which, of course, produces more offcuts!

Sweet template

This is for another challenge on CBC, this time for CBC CREW CHALLENGE - CBCC106 - template - Carolyn provided this lovely card as a template:



I've made another card with a gingham cupcake theme, similar to the ones in the last post, but following Carolyn's template:

Sweet gingham

It's quite a while since I played along with the challenges on Crafts by Carolyn, so I thought it was about time I did.

I've made four cards for the CBCcrew challenge - check it out - CBCC107 - Carolyn said: 'how about using an old favourite, dust down your ribbon box and find those ginghams, or you can use paper, fabric or anything else that has gingham check.'

A while ago I bought Dawn Bibby's cupcake kit (Kanban) from QVC, mainly because I wanted the acrylic stamps, but, of course, I got lots of glittery cupcake die cuts etc and background card.

So these are four quick cards that each feature gingham.

Sweet peas

For this card I've used copics for the Copic Colour challenge 48:

Because I chose to stamp and colour on a pink background and blended the deep pink copic with the blue, the blue looks more purple.

The base card was a white one that was ready embossed, from the Forever Friends range, so I'm linking for FF: 'quick and simple'.

I've used the Penny Black stamp 'sweet peas', stamping only a portion of it, which is right for 365 cards day 277: 'just a fraction' - use only part of an image, and the stamp itself is my take on Penny Black 85: 'something sweet' (I was going to use cakes or whatever, but thought sweet peas was a bit different).

This is also for:

Kraftin' Kimmie 14: 'no embellishments'
Stamping sisters in Christ 23: 'use the colour green'
Another one for Incy wincy 26: 'colour me wonderful' - use your favouring colouring medium (copics)
Paperminutes 97: 'colour combo: green/rose'
Glitterbees 2: 'colour challenge: bashful blue, positively pink, certainly celery'
Crazy4challenges 21: 'pretty in pink'
Divine Diva inspiration 20: this is the picture given for inspiration:

I swiped the bottom half of the card with chalk ink and copic, and copic'ed the top half:

Da vinci tag

It's a long while since I've done anything for the challenges on UKStampers - as a new series has just begun I thought I'd try and join in again. This is the instruction:

'Each week there will be 3 ingredients to include in your tag.
The first week include all 3, the next week 1 ingredient will be dropped and 1 new one added and so on.......... a rolling recipe.
Each week make a tag 8x16cm and post your finished tags on the blog..........until we get a gallery!

We'll start off easy! Here's this weeks ingredients

1 Any stamped image.
2.Lace.
3.Glitter.

I decided to incorporate the Leonardo stamp that I had for Christmas (I used it before here).

I chose a piece of beige cardstock that had a texture to it and brayered it using a couple of Ariondack rainbow ink pads. I then added a little distress tattered rose (I've discovered this needs to be re-inked or replaced), sanded it a bit and then stamped my image and heat embossed with black detail. I only had cream lace, so I brayered that a bit and then added strips of stickles gold - I wasn't really keen on adding the glitter, but it was in the recipe, so I thought I ought to!

I had to take the photo at an angle because otherwise the black embossed areas reflected the flashlight too much.

This also fits these other challenges:

Wednesday stamper: 'da Vinci' - this is why I chose this stamp
Tanda teaser 130: 'a touch of lace'
No time to stamp? 123: 'very vintage'
Another for Magical crafts 6: 'vintage style'
Another for Gingersnap GC38 spicy supply challenge: 'embossing powder'
Another for Lucy's cards 4: 'glitter'

Egg-cellent shot

This card is for sketch 52 on the sweetest thing:

The colour scheme is for challenge 7 on Sketchy colours: 'brown and turquoise' - I haven't used this combo for a long time, but I loved working with it again - the paper is DCWV (it's been lurking in my stash for a long while, waiting to be used).

It's also for:

House mouse 61: 'faux grid' (the first time I've done this) - the stamped image is HM 'egg-cellent shot' - one of the images sent to me by dear Gez
Another one for Pile it on 2: 'tie it around it' - use at least 3 ribbons
Alphabet: 'M is for mouse!'
Another one for Crafty pad 54: 'animals'
Another for Susie's sassy 6: 'card for a boy/option of an animal'
Paper cutz 25: 'farm animal' (perhaps it's a bit of a cheat, but I'm sure there would be some mice on a farm)
Paperplay week 3: 'handwriting' (despite my poor writing, I decided to handwrite the sentiment)
Glue, scissors, paper 13: 'love your own handwriting'
Stamp something: 'funny somethings'
The play date cafe 13: 'white, turquoise, brown, black
Cooking it up with Katie 9: 'recipe' - use a 'non human' image, add some texture (the three ribbons), use a product you;ve never used before (the HM stamped image)
Rainbow lady 87/88: 'fur'
Raise the bar 2: 'the gift that keeps on giving' - use something that's been given to you - the stamped image from Gez
Crafty angels 18: 'keep it simple' - one image, one piece of cardstock (the base card), one sheet patterned paper, one type of embellishment (ribbons) and one sentiment - no more, no less

Love

This card is for Paper Sundaes 1: sketch:

It's also for:

Pile it on 2: 'tie it around it' - use at least 3 ribbons
Anyone for Anya: 'black and white + 1' - I used the Greetings Farm digi 'Anya Valentine, coloured with copics
Corrosive 47: 'let's go digi'
Caardvarks: 'red heart challenge' - use red and incorporate hearts
Little paper shop 51: 'button it'
Pollycraft 32: 'fire and ice' - red and white
Jacksonbelle Tuesday: 'Valentine's day project'
Paper Maniac inspiration: 'texture, faux stitching and buttons - not a circle button'
Crafty creations 51: 'Valentines or love'
Creative Belli 83: 'hearts'
C.R.A.F.T. 34: 'colour challenge: red'
Crafty catz 16: 'love'
Dare U 2 digi 29: 'buttons' - the image is a digi
Allsorts 36: 'hearts and flowers'
Bee crafty 22: 'favourite colour combo' - black, white and red - one of my favourite combos
One stop craft 64: 'love and kisses'
Lily-boo too January challenge: 'Valentine' - I've used a digi image
Humble pie: 'love challenge' - red, pink and white and must include hearts
Kelly Jo colour chef 35: 'black, grey, red, white'
Ildi Co 8: 'colour combo - pink, red and white' (I hope it's OK that there's black as well)
Inky impressions 28: 'Valentine' - include pink and hearts
Another for Totally Gorjuss: 'dimension' - the ribbons, flowers and heart buttons

Winter inchies

These winter inchies are for the January swap on BF forum.

I started off with a piece of Fancy Pants dainty paper and spritzed it with my own home-made glimmer mist (a combination of water, drops of broken china distress ink and some perfect pearls). I then fused together (ironed) some angelina fusible fibres - crystal amethyst and astral blue, sprinkled with a few grains of Metal magic by Debbi Moore. I then ran the original sprayed piece of paper through the Xyron so that the decorated side was covered with adhesive so that the fibres stuck down. I stamped random snowflakes (Dovecraft clear stamps) with Elzybells sugar candy white pigment ink (this really is the best white I've discovered - I used to think Brilliance was the best until I tried this) and heat embossed with detail white. Lastly, I added some silver and aqua gems.

Because of the irridescence of the fibres over the 'glimmer mist', the inchies look different according to the light.

Now you see the snowflakes:



and now you don't:

I really had fun doing these, even though it involved using the iron (which doesn't get much use nowadays, lol!).

There are a few challenges current that these inchies are good for:

Sunflowers and dragonflies 24: 'winter wonderland'
Saturday spotlight 14: 'snowflakes gone wild'
Small world of inchies and twinchies: 'snow and ice'
2 red bananas: 'blue, white and silver'
Another for Apron strings: 'cardstock it is' - no patterned paper
Double dutch 35: 'baby, it's cold outside' - something frozen or frosty
Inchy by inch: 'B is for .... Brrrrrrrrrr (hope that's not cheating!)
Another for Kaboodle 22: 'anything but a card'
Squigglefly 32: 'clean and simple, plus blue'
Gingersnap GC38 spicy supply challenge: 'embossing powder'
Dollies elements challenge: 'favourite things' - choose three things from the Sound of music song - I chose (all three of these are incorporated in the inchies):

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs

Little red wagon 12: 'snowflakes'
Pals paper arts 26: 'anything but a card'
Penny's challenges: 'inchies'
Sunflowers and dragonflies 25: 'inchies and twinchies'
Lucy's cards 4: 'glitter'
Another for 3 clovers 47: 'baby, it's cold outside'
Another for Crafty Ann 6: 'embossing'
Another for Fussy & fancy 2: 'winter'
Another for Raise the bar 1: 'debut day!' - use something in your stash that hasn't been opened yet (the two packs of angelina fusible fibres)
Etsy inspired 72: 'sweetie pie tutus!' - I chose snowflak flurry tutu:

Susie & Vikki's Christmas club1: 'snow' (I know it's not a card, but when I get my inchy back from the swap I can use it on a card)

Brown and pink Tilda

This card is for Jay Jay's sketch on Just Magnolia:



It's also for:

Allsorts 35: 'brown and pink'
Nutty nutshells 7: 'colour challenge - pink and brown'- the tilda stamp qualifies for this as well as the Just Magnolia challenge
Treehouse 33: 'get well wishes'
Another one for Stamp, scrap & doodle 23: 'girly' and Dezinaworld: 'girly'
365 cards day 325: 'imagine this' - chocolate
Papertake: 'pretty pink'
Fun with shapes and more 37: 'chocolate'

The new Totally Gorjuss challenge has just been posted and it is 'dimension' - this is created here by the flowers and prima pearls.

The papers are Making memories, the flowers are a mixture and the pearly gems are prima.

I love purple

This card is for Friday Sketchers 85:

I love purple, but don't really use it often enough, so I took the opportunity tonight, playing for the following challenges:

Totally gorjuss 'all in one' challenge 13: monotone
ECP 4: 'lavender' - all shades of purple
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 18: 'shades of purple and grey' - there is a bit of grey within the band across the bottom
Etsy inspired 71: amethyst soap, particularly this picture:

Your next stamp 8: 'anything that sparkles' - the stamped image is mounted on glitter card
Cute Daisy May: 'flower and ribbon'
Stamp, scrap and doodle 23: 'girly'
Dezinaworld: 'girly'
Cupcake 73: 'going girly'
Incy wincy 26: 'colour me wonderful' - use your favourite colouring medium - copics
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'use scraps' - still keeping to one of my resolutions when I can
Tuesday taggers: 'left overs' - using the offcuts
Raise the bar 1: 'debut day' - use something in your tash that hasn' been opened yet - the flowers: I bought the pack a couple of days ago (Craftime colour connection)
Sew many challenges 2: 'purple, white and a splash of black' - there is black within the top purple paper (from BG wisteria) and also on the flowery one below it (HOTP)
Spoon full of sugar 87: 'lots of layering'

PS I've just changed the photo because I realised that I'd coloured one of the girl's feet as if it was part of the teddy - oooops! So I've now coloured her skin colour darker to fudge over the mistake. In fact, now that I've darkened her skin tone (and the hair as well), I'm linking for Copic creations 20: 'ethnic skin tones'

Simply ivy

This card is for FTL74 on Clean & Simple:

This was an opportunity to use just stamping and leave some white space - and, to make a change, an A5 piece of card folded lengthwise. The main ivy stamp is Whispers, coloured with copics and the sentiment was stamped too. This means that the card is good for day 287 on 365 cards: 'stamping' Saturday' - every aspect of the card must be stamped.

And Stampin' Royalty 3 as asked for a single layer project and Apron strings 'cardstock it is' - no patterned paper.

And, as this was coloured with copics, I'm linking for Incy wincy 26: 'colour me wonderful' - use your favourite colouring medium - copics.

And the new challenge blog Sew many challenges 1 is 'anything goes' as long as we use a digi or a stamped image (although I realise I'm late for this)

Lastly, Quixotic 10 challenge this week is 'ink up an old stamp' - I haven't used this ivy stamp for quite some time.

Thoughts of spring ...

If you've read my previous post you'll know that Kaz came to visit this morning and she has gone away thinking that she needs a cricut - yes, you do, Kaz. And, if you read this, you'll see that for this card I've used a free svg download (from Images by Heather) to produce edging around the yellow card very similar to that achieved with the punches you brought along to show me (which I was getting all set to buy - and then thought I'd investigate if there was anything similar available to use with Make the cut for the cricut.

I used Fiona's sketch for this week's challenge on Stampin' for the weekend:

My card has a 'spring' feel to it, which is good for these challenges:

Sophisticat 18: 'spring'
Artful inkables - think ink Tuesday 12: 'think spring'
Created by hand: 'waiting for spring'
No time to stamp? 122: 'mid-winter perk-me-up!' floral theme and some fresh spring-time colours
And perhaps it could also fit Papr Cutz challenge 24: 'summer'

The strips of paper are My mind's eye 'bloom and grow' - the dotty piece is embossed - and the stamped flower is a Magenta stamp coloured with copics.

I know that I didn't actually use a punch, but using the cricut for the triple dot scalloped edge has achieved the same effect, so I'm also linking for:

Creative card crew 43: 'punch it'
Simon says: 'punch it'
One stop craft 63: 'fancy edges or corners

It's also OK for Sunday stamper 87: 'birthday'

The spring colours I've used remind me of oranges and lemons, so it's good for Charisma cardz 3: 'fruity colours' and also Sweet stampin' 9: 'feeling fruity'.