Bittersweet scraps

For Crafty Ho's challenge this week we could either choose to make a card from a photo inspiration and/or this sketch, which I chose:

This card is made with the scraps of BG bittersweet left from the cards I've been making earlier - this is for Delightful: use your scraps.

I used a nestie for the scalloped oval, stamped with a Stampin Up image and coloured with copics, distressing the edges of the scallops with a copic. So this is for:

Alota 53: using nestabilities
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Anything goes: distressing
CCEE 1108: distress
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops

It's also for:

Paper romance 39: anything goes
Flourishes timeless 106: birthday card
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
Crafty Ann 35: birthday card
Stampin with the dragon: birthdays, birthdays, birthdays
The crafty pad 109: red, pink and black
Colour create 65: 3 fruits - strawberries, cherries and water melon
Stamp man 17: curls and swirls (plenty on the main paper)

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Yay for the pound shop

When I saw this week's DCM challenge was 'Pound shop pretties' I thought I knew straight away what I would use - the other day I got some lovely chipboard flowers with buttons in the centres and also some felt flowers - I thought they were such a good find.

However, I had to go into Bromley this afternoon for something else, so I strayed into Poundland (I needed to get some envelopes anyway) and happened to see that they had packs of self-adhesive button embellishments.

So I've used these instead of the chippie flowers etc that I bought previously - perhaps I'll be back with thosee later.

I've not only used some of the black and white pack on this card, but also used the black patterned background that came in the packete (the 'buttons' were stuck to an acetate sheet so the black patterned card was unspoiled. Papers are BG bittersweet (yet again - the paper pad was still out so I thought I'd use it).

I used the sketch for Papertake 53:


The buttons have a small square of foam adhesive on the backs, but I took these off and poked out the holes to make them look more authentic.

The coffee latte stamp is Stamps Happen by Tara Reed - with just red bits coloured with coral copic.

This is also for:

The crafty pad 109: red, pink and black
Charisma cardz 8: black, white + one colour (hope it's OK that it's varying shades of pink/red)
Totally Gorjuss 69: black and one other colour (varying shades of!)
Tellen's place: buttons, buttons, let's see some buttons
Pink gem challenge 15: buttons, brads, beads, bows - use one, two, three or all
Raise the bar 55: mug shots - hot drinks
Colour create 65: 3 fruits - strawberries, cherries and water melon

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

This must be a first!

I'm joining in this week's Totally Gorjuss challenge 69: black and ... on the day it's launched!

I've used the sketch for Priscillastyles midnight madness 92 (I chose the CAS one):

Papers are BG bittersweet and the image is another La Blanche foam stamp, with a little copic light pink colouring. The scalloped circles were cut with nesties and the vellum sentiment run through my little X xyron.

This is also for:

Charisma cardz 8: black, white + one colour
Ooh-la-la 74: pink, pink and more pink
One crazy stamper February: pink challenge
Lexi 34: flowers
Stampin' B 99: use a flower on a card
Stamp something: something with flowers
Simply create 38: power of flowers
Crazy4challenges 76: flowers
On stop craft 120: spring flowers
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops
Paper romance 39: anything goes
Aly's 36: get well
City crafter 45: nothing to it - one dimensional
Alota 53: using nestabilities

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

I've got the music in me

'I've got the music in me' is the theme for One-layer Wednesday 42.

This was an opportunity to use two more of my La Blanche foam stamps to make two very simple cards. The first one is stamped with memento rich cocoa and the second one is tuxedo black. These are lovely stamps that give an etched look to the images.



I'm thinking of making quite a few of these and putting them into packs of 5 notelets for my Tearfund sale.

These are also for City crafter 45: nothing to it

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CHNC challenge 9: let's get sentimental

Saturday morning comes round so quickly again - and it's time for another challenge on my Christmas blog - CHNC challenge 9: 'let's get sentimental'. Please click here to have a look at this week's challenge and, hopefully, join in.

My card is very simple (I confess that I didn't have much time to make this. I used a pre-shaped card and stuck on the Dovecraft snowflake paper, which, of course, I then had to cut round, which wasn't such a quick job as I thought! The embossed and foil sentiment is one that came in a kit last year. At first I wasn't sure about using it because it's oblong rather than square, but I think it still sits OK on the card.

It so happens that great minds think alike this week and the theme for Jingle Belles challenge is Text Me - SmilynStef said: ''We're asking that you incorporate text into your holiday creations ... it could be a book page, Christmas carol lyrics, a poem, or even a card that features a sentiment as the main focal point of the design.' - so I think my card qualifies for this.

I'm also entering this card for:

PaperPlay 8: let's get sentimental'
Stampin' sisters in Christ 76: use the colour green
Fun at fairy knoll: feeling a little green
Mami doodles 21: make it monochromatic green
Gingersnap GC92 colour challenge - jewel colours plus gold - I chose emerald plus gold
I did it 43: anything goes
One stitch at a time 50: anything but square
Mixed media Monday: shape up
Woodware USA 15: shaped card
DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Patchwork Pals with love and cuddles

Two or three years ago I bought a Patchwork Pals Christmas card kit and didn't use any of it that year. I did make some cards from it for last Christmas, but still have quite a few bits of the kit left, including these shaped cards. This was a very quick card to make, adding the bench, the cute little image and the 'with love and cuddles' sentiment.

I had to take the photo at a strange angle because of the flash reflection bouncing off the foiling on the sentiment.

This is for:

Secret crafter Saturday 122: fancy folds
Kaboodle 55: break tradition - a fold that is new to you or you rarely use
Mixed media Monday: shape up
Woodware USA 15: a shaped card
CES 24: spots & stripes
Winter wonderland: include an animal

Yummy

Thisis for Clean & simple 128:

Everything used for this card is from a kit purhased last year (I'm still trying to use it up).

The main cupcake is very glittery.

This is also for:

Fussy & fancy: sweet treats
Cupcake 130: cake 'n' ice cream
Iris' spot 13: I chose cupcakes and spots
One stop craft 119: birthay card (with a cake somewhere)
Creative stamp friends 19: checked
Totally Gorjuss 68: check it out
CES 24: spots & stripes
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops
Paper pretties 142: glittery challenge
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on
DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Faces

I had to be up very early this morning to go for a fasting blood test and then we had to go up to Guy's for a renal appointment for John, so there was no opportunity to do any crafting until later this afternoon.

I was in such a mess from yesterday's (and the day's before) crafting that I just had to have a tidy up. As I was about to put away the large foam music stamp I used yesterday I started looking through my La Blanche foam stamps and came across a few faces and remembered that this week's Sunday Postcard Art is all about faces. It's a while since I've done anything for this challenge, so this seemed a good opportunity to join in.

The background paper is 7 gypsies 'collections from the journey'. If you click on the picture you can read some of the text surrounding the faces.


This is also for:

DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February inchies

Having spent ages on my moos for the BF forum swap - scroll down to see them - I needed to get on with my inchies, the theme for which is 'love and romance', so the theme was quite similar to the moo swap (well, I suppose it would be as February has Valentine's day in it).

I decided to get the shrink plastic out and have a play - I had to experiment at first to get the starting size right to achieve inchies. Having done this, I stamped each one with a section of the La Blanche foam music stamp using memento tuxedo black and then stamped Dawn Bibby's heart stamp using fired brick DI. I was aiming to create 'If music be the food of love, play on'.

I'm linking these for these challenges:

There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art
The lollipop ladies 14: hearts
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stamp magic 30: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Pear tree 37: one colour
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Dezinaworld: teeny tiny
Let's craft and create 13: anything but a card
Stamp insanity 47: the ABCs of an ABC - anything but a card
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
City crafter 45: nothing to it - simple one dimensional

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February moo swap

Instead of a twinchies swap this month on the BF forum, Carol invited us to make moos to swap. I've made some of these before, but quite a while ago. The topic is 'red for passion'.

I certainly got inky and messy in a good cause this morning, but things that I tried didn't go to plan (not that I had much of a plan in the first place) - I just had to go from plan A to plan B and so on. I even got the melting pot out to cover some moos in UTEE, but abandoned that idea.

Eventually I hit upon the right plan. I made up a mist, combining water, raspberry red cosmi shimmer and a brush full of garnet H2Os and then sprayed on to white card. When this was dry I used the Anita's hearts stamp seven times with fired brick DI and then cut down to moo size. I then applied glue to the edges of each one and dipped in Art institute ultra fine retro red glitter.

This is supposed to show the shimmer of the misting, but, unfortunately, it doesn't really:
I'm linking these for these challenges:

Moxie stamp it technique week: stamping with shimmer sprays
Delicious doodles 13: shimmer
There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art
The lollipop ladies 14: hearts
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stamp magic 30: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Pear tree 37: one colour
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Stampin' B 98: monochromatic
Stampin' for the weekend 4: monochrome
Phindy's Friday 43: monochrome
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Let's craft and create 13: anything but a card
Stamp insanity 47: the ABCs of an ABC - anything but a card
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
One stitch at a time 50: anything but square
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on
Paper pretties 142: glittery challenge
Prairie fairy Fridays 46: it's all in the fine print

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

It's Wednesday yet again

I can't believe how the weeks go by - it's Wednesday already (although, strangely enough, even though I knew John would be picked up to go to bowls, I spent the first part of this morning convinced it was Thursday).

Anyway, it's time for WOYWW 90 (if you don't know what I'm talking about just follow the link, have a nose and join in).

Most of my visitors will know that I like to be tidy, especially for the start of a crafting day, but this morning I carried on where I left off yesterday, having made quite a few items then, which you can see if you scroll down.

So far today I've made one card, which was easy to do because the paper pad was out from making a card yesterday.


Now I feel the need to tidy up again before I get started on some moos and inchies for swaps.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Wagon tales Katie

This is for Create with Connie & Mary sketch challenge 138:

It's also for BLD5 (there is only a touch of green - hope this is OK):

I used Lori's digi - Puddle jumpr - Wagon Tales Katie. I decided to 'colour' her digitally - I put the image into Paint and then 'filled' in the colour - it left some of the image white in places - at first I was going to forget the idea, but I quite like it, so I left it like that (was tempted to reach for the copics once it was printed, but resisted).

The colour scheme is also for Colour create 64: chocolate, strawberry and cream; the colours are also good for Ribbon girl colour challenge 5: cream, pink & brown and Cutie Sunday 132: pink/brown.

Diva coffee break 216 is also asking for the same colour combo (it's obviously a popular colour combo atm):
The papers are BG bittersweet (this paper pad happened to still be out after making a card yesterday).

This is also for:

There's magic in the air: children's birthday card
My Sheri 45: all about girls
Stamps R us: for the girls
I did it 43: anything goes
Digi doodle 47: anything goes
Totally papercrafts 54: do it with digis
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CD Christmas card

Bah! humbug Challenge 7 for this week is to use a CD or DVD. And Sparkle creations 2011 Christmas card week 12 is a colour challenge - to use light blue, dark blue, white and silver. Rainbow lady's challenge 140 is to use omething from a CD or an old CD/case, so I'm also linking for that.

I dabbed denim and stonewashed alcohol inks on to the CD and just added a glittery snowflake in the middle and parts of another glittery snowflake cut for the corners of the card.

Because of the flash reflection with the CD it was very difficult to get a photo - this is the best I could do:

and I did manage to get a scan, but it cut off the corners and looks duller than it does irl, but you can see the effect of the alcohol inks a bit better, although these have more of a silvery look really:


This is also for:

PaperPlay 7: add shine
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on

As this card has white space and white snowflakes on it, it's also for my own CHNC challenge 8: the white stuff - if you haven't yet discovered my Christmas challenge blog, why not go over there and join in - I'd love to see your creations.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Simply thank you

This card is for Daily bread 49: sentiment and overstamping - stamping an image over a sentimentm also for Our creative corner: getting wordy - sentiment stamp to create a background, stamping it repeatedly.


It's also for:

Less is more 3: theme challenge - spring - the little Magenta stamp very much reminds me of spring
Crafty creations 106: thank you challenge
City crafter 45: nothing to it
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Blue blingy buttons

This is for Sweet sketch Wednesday 89:

It's also for Cooking it up with Katie 49: I need some blue blingy buttons - use a little blue, add a few buttons, finish with some bling.

Papers are BG marrakech, the blingy oval is actually holographic silver, although it has a bluey look here. I dabbed some silver sheet metal with denim, stonewashed and stream alcohol inks and cut the buttons with a thin cuts buttons die - so this is also for Simon says: make your own embellishments.

The rose stamp is an unknown one that I've had for ages, inked with fired brick DI.

I'm also linking this for:

Sweet stampin: red, white and blue
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on
Incy wincy 82: use punches or dies - the die cut buttons
Crazy4challenges 75: use dies to create your card
Drunken stampers 55: absolutely to die for
Going grey (Scrap-creatons): they say it's your birthday
For fun: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Simplicity Christmas

This is for challenge 43 on Simplicity one layer Wednesday: 'it's Christmas' - using green and red on white or cream.

The Magenta Christmas tree image was stamped with Brilliance pearlescent ivy and heat embossed with detail clear. The random Inkadinkado snowflake stamp was done with fired brick DI.


This is also for:

City crafter 45: nothing to it - simple one dimensional
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Freshly brewed tag card

This card is for the sketch or Freshly brewed 35:

I've used the tag that was converted from one of the ATCs I made this morning.

Papers are BG bittersweet - the label shape was cut with a nestie. I added a few flowers with pearls in the centres, distressing the edges and also the label edges to tone with the tag.

This is also for:

Going grey (Scrap-creatons): they say it's your birthday
For fun: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
Ann's creative nook 125: it's a celebration - vintage style
Sunday stamper 142: route 66 - numbers
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Anything goes: distressing
Incy wincy 82: use punches or dies - the nestie label shape
Alota 53: using nestabilities
Crazy4challenges 75: use dies to create your card
Drunken stampers 55: absolutely to die for

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Spring tag

When I made the ATCs for this month's swap on the BF forum this morning I made more than I needed (I wasn't sure if they would all turn out OK), so I've taken one of them and rounded the corners and added a piece of ribbon for Dragons dream tag it on 68: pay spring forward. I won't repeat how I made this - it's all in the earlier blog post here.


I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Simply green and blue

You can't really call this crafting, because the piece of paper (from the Paper cellar Men 2 pad) does all the work! Just the addition of the Happy Birthday sentiment.

This is for Color throwdown 129:

This is also for:

Craft your passion 46: male card
ECP 32: something for the boys
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
Creative craft: cards for a teen

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Boy blue birthday

A very quick boy birthday card using a couple of pieces of paper from my offcuts box - I know that the script paper is DCWV, but not sure about the one with sporty squares (think it might be English paper company, but not sure). Shame that the birthday sentiment panel looks the wrong colour on the scan.

This is for Color dare 97: night of navy, marina mist, river rock (not much of this, but touches of it).

I've also used the colours of the inspiration challenge photo given for Sentimental Sundays 43:



It's also for:

Created by hand: shades of blue
Phindy's Friday 43: monochrome
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Craft your passion 46: male card
ECP 32: something for the boys
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
Cardmaking mamas 15: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Flourishes timeless 106: birthday card
Going grey (Scrap-creations): they say it's your birthday
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
Creative craft: cards for a teen
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February ATCs

The topic for this month's BF forum ATC swap is 'stamping'. I love stamping and had a hard job choosing what to do.

Last night I had a play with one of the Tim Holtz eclectic collection: 'fairy garden, experimenting with inking up with various distress inks.

This morning I spritzed two A4 pieces of white card with a mixture of perfect pearls, water and a couple of drops of broken china distress re-inker. These then had to be dried with a heat gun.

I then inked up the stamp with shabby shutters, aged mahogany and a touch of spiced marmalade on the butterfly and stamped lots of them - I did more than the nine that was needed for the swap because I wasn't sure how the end results would be.

I then distressed the edges firstly with stormy sky DI and then very gently with aged mahogany (to hide where the stamp hadn't quite gone far enough to the edges).

I'm pleased with the results - I ended up with 14 ATCs, so I'll be able to use the spare ones on cards.

While making these this morning I had QVC on in the background, with Tim Holtz demonstrating. When I'd finished these they showed the eclectic set of stamps and things that had been made with this particular stamp.

It's difficult to get good photos because of the subtle sheen of the spray, but you can get some idea:


On this close up on an individual ATC, the spray looks more exaggerated than it really is:

I'm linking this for these challenges:

Little red wagon 68: use your mist
Moxie stamp it technique week: stamping with shimmer sprays
Delicious doodles 13: shimmer
There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art
Let's craft and create 13: anything but a card
Stamp insanity 47: the ABCs of an ABC - anything but a card
C.R.A.F..T. 90: not a card
Sunday stamper 142: route 66 - numbers
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Anything goes: distressing
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
City crafter 45: nothing to it - simple one dimensional
Crafts and me: time to spread your wings
Just for fun week 3: on the wings of a bug
4 crafty chicks 25: butterfly
Oldie but a goodie 13: spring is in the air - the Tim Holtz stamp is quite an oldie, but I still love it
ColourQ 73: I used the colours given (there is still a little white left in the middle of the backgrounds):

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here