Card and a half challenge blog

There's a new monthly challenge blog starting soon - details are all here. There will also be some 'just for fun' challenges throughout the month - sounds good. Helen is Clare's sister (Clare is one of the Christmas gang - links in my sidebar).

Invertage and pyramage

These look almost identical, but the first card is invertage, the layers looking inwards, and the second card is pyramage, with the layers stacked up, on to A5 stardream card. These were part of a set purchased two or three years ago from Create & Craft.

The birthday greetings were made with my dymo letratag label maker.


These are for:

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday
Pollycraft 92: boyz to men
Cardmadfairy 8: for the boys

365 cards day 33: boy oh boy - masculine with a touch of pink (the pink flowers)

Kaboodle 66: lots of layers

Challenge up your life 43: travel

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

CHNC challenge 20: don't get stressed about distressing!

Can you believe it? It's Saturday again and that means there's a new challenge on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog - challenge 20, which is all about distressing - this could be inked/sponged edges, torn paper, sanded embossing ... anything that counts as distressing - I look forward to seeing what you come up with. To find our more about the challenge and to enter your card please visit here.

For my card I used half of a white shaped card and used a small Brilliance pearlescent poppy ink pad direct to paper, concentrating more on the edges. I then stamped with three different stamps from a Tanda Holly Doodles set designed by Sheila Oliver - Sheila is a clever and creative crafter who is such an inspiration. I coloured the holly with my newly acquired (arrived in the post this morning) Marvy le plume alcohol pens and dotted the berries with glossy accents.

I then mounted this on to a piece of Craft Creations paper, having torn the bottom edges and mounted on a red linen card. Just the addition of the sentiment and the card was done.

(Why are the berries looking more orange and red on the photo - perhaps it's the effects of the glossy accents!):


I'm linking this for the following challenges:

CES 36: holidays

Creative craft: distressed

Cute card Thursday 164: it's so distressing

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Divas by design 1: anything goes

Birthday garden

I needed to make another commissioned 80th birthday card (there seem to hav been a lot of them recently - 80th birthdays, that is).

The patterned A5 base card is by Dena designs, to which I added some DCWV stitched ribbon and the invertage garden design, a purchase two or three years ago from Create & Craft, with the addition of a computer generated sentiment, both mounted on to silver mirror card.


This is for:

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

My partner in crafting crime 26: incorporate numbers

Your next stamp 42: pop it up (I used foam tape for the invertage)

Kaboodle 66: lots of layers

Theme Thursday: garden

2 sisters 39: how does your garden grow?

Freshly brewed 45: beach or summer

PaperPlay 19: celebrating summer

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Creatures birthday party

This is the photo inspiration for Cupcake inspirations 110 this week:

so I have made this card, using some paper that was in a Poundland scrapbook kit ages ago and some rather lovely creatures from a Tesco go create set of stickers - the eyes move.


This is for:

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Ellephantastic 26 for May: birthday party
Cat's corner 50: very colourful birthday balloons (a cat needed to be included)
Ann's creative nook 134: anything goes with animals
Pollycraft 92: boyz to men (suitable for a boy's birthday)
Cardmadfairy 8: for the boys

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Blogger posts temporarily taken off

As most of you know by now, Blogger has had major issues for the last couple of days and have announced that posts made from Wednesday until earlier this evening were temporarily disabled. This means that my Salt challenge post isn't available. I'll wait a day or two to see if it is brought back before I do it again (didn't keep a copy, so would have to start from scratch again).

A fish called Wanda?

When I went into Ryman's a few days ago to get a couple more Really Useful Boxes, I happened to see some fish shaped cards - a pack of 5 - which I thought might come in handy.

I coloured the fish body with Caran d'Ache watersoluble neocolor II, scribbling the colour first and then wiping over with a wet baby wipe. The tail was coloured with a Caran d'Ache water resistant neocolor I (this has a more pearlised look). I added a bit of colour here and there with a copic pen. A copic was also used to colour the sea and turquoise stickles added.

This is for:

Aly's 41: shaped cards

Some odd girl: get into shape (shaped card)

City crafter 56: by the sea

Gingerloft: under the sea

The paper variety: lights, camera, action (A fish called Wanda)

Craft us crazy 8: use your favourite embellishments and/or something new - the shaped card is new

Creative inspirations 59: glitzy & bling

Use it Tuesday 7: bling

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: bling is

365 cards day 40: clever colouring - 4 different methods of colouring - watersoluble pastel, water resistant pastel, copics, stickles

Aud sentiments 28: no sentiment

Freshly brewed 45: beach or summer

PaperPlay 19: celebrating summer

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

CAS Lily of the valley

This week on Daring cardmakers the theme is Flowers for May - either hawthorn or lily of the valley. I used a clipart picture from Publisher and digitally tweaked it a bit. The base card is pearlised (haven't used any of this pearlised card for some time) and the dark green textured card is some that I came across when I had my sort out last week - no idea where it came from or how long I've had it - from my early days of cardmaking. The background paper behind the picture and the sentiment is from Dena. The sentiment was computer generated and printed, using one of my favourite fonts, Lucida Calligraphy.

This is also for:

Paper pretties 153: add texture to your card
Rainbow lady 152: let's feel it
I did it: monochromatic
HLSC 21: green
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 78: May goes green
Dream valley 6: flowers
Sunday postcard: April showers bring May flowers
Card cupids: flowers
Creative card crew: May flowers
Everybody art 141: flowers
Top tip Tuesday 33: flower frenzy
Delightful: flowers
Raise the bar 65: flower power
Crazy 4 challenges 86: April shwoers bring May flowers
Pear tree 48: spring
4 crafty chicks 37: spring has sprung
Stamp something: May digi day
Tanda teaser 171: get well soon
Paper crafting journey 10: get well soon
My Sheri crafts 56: get well soon
Penny's 53: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Flourish timeless 117: anything goes

Salt: a time for everything ...

It was Ruth's turn to choose the topic for today's challenge on Salt and she chose 'a time for everythin' based on the passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - you can read what she wrote here.

This turned out to be a very poignant topic for us at Salt because, after much discussion and prayerful consideration, we have decided to cease the challenges, although the blog will remain open - we hope it will continue to be a blessing to those who visit.

My LO is very simple because the K & Co paper I used is very 'busy'. I added some Hero Arts stamped cuckoo clocks and a few other clock faces. The passage from Ecclesiastes is The Message version - I printed on to an identical piece of K & Co (I so wish I had a printed that could cope with 12 x 12 - one day, perhaps) and used the stitched ribbon over the join. You can read the scripture verses if you click on the image a couple of times.

Please go over to Salt and see what the rest of the team did for this challenge - and join in if you can.

I'm linking this for:

Let's craft and create 19: sew lovely
Stampavie 141: ribbons
Allsorts 102: stamp a lot - use at least three different stamps
My partner in crafting crime 26: incorporate numbers
Crafty creations 118: anything goes
Creative Belli 117: letter S - stamping, stitching (my neglected embellishment: the ribbon)
Stamping vacation: No! No! challenge: no embossing of any kind
Stamping vacation: when I grow up: clockmaker
Crafty catz: give us a quote
Penny's 53: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Flourish timeless 117: anything goes

WOYWW 101

Well, it's Wednesday again - and the day has nearly gone already - we were up at Guy's this morning for a foot health appointment for John and somehow the time since we got back has gone very quickly - so, it's time for WOYWW 101.

Update: it's nearly Thursday now and I still hadn't completed this post! (I stopped to do my Salt LO for tomorrow - more about that then).

I didn't take part in WOYWW last week because I was in the middle of having a really good sort out of my craft stuff - on reflection, perhaps I should have shown what a muddle I was in then. Anyway, I've had the biggest sort out I've had since this room was fitted out - which, unbelievably, was nearly four years ago - it doesn't seem that long.

Every box etc has been sorted (and I was a bit ruthless with what I kept and didn't some for the grandchildren and some for the charity shop - and some for the recycling paper bin). Everything is now properly labelled.

So, my actual worktop is clear of any crafting atm - a lot of photos to share today, mainly because I want to keep them as a reminder of what this room can look like when it's organised - not that the workspace will stay clear like this - in fact it's already been covered with various items since taking the photos.

This is an overall view of where I sit to craft, including my new very comfortable chair (the old one I had was comfortable, but was bought about 25 years ago ... a new one was needed). This chair will go up a bit higher than the previous one, which gives me a much better position at the keyboard and for crafting, so you will notice there is now a box on the floor to put my feet on because they don't reach the floor with the chair at the right height. Because I don't need to use the pull-out shelf for the keyboard, I've got items on there that are in use a lot, so they are handy when I need them.

I needed to buy a couple more Really Useful Boxes for inside my big cupboard (photo further down) and while I was at Rymans I saw some little folding crates that are made by RUB - only 99p each - thought they would come in handy, but as yet I don't know what I'm going to use them for - you can see them here near my rotating 'lazy susan' with my copics and promarkers etc.

To the right of where I sit there is a couple that has two pull-out shelves - originally to house my printer and craft robo (which I'm going to sell because I don't use it now - have got the large cricut). Quite a while ago I got a wireless network printer, so that sits the other side of the room out of the way. This means that I can use the pull-out shelves for other things, so I've got my boxes of scrap offcuts and inserts at the top and boxes of flowers sorted into colours and types and envies on the bottom shelf.

To the left of where I sit there are four drawers - I've even sorted and tidied them:

And further to the left is a corner cupboard - the door is open in this picture - the space goes much further back in to the left, so there is a trolley and things I don't use often stacked away.

The inside of my big cupboard:

This room originally, of course, was the 'spare' room which housed a couple of put-you-up beds, so they are still in here, covered with a Laura Ashley throw that matches the curtains - this gives me another surface to use. The boiler is in the corner of this room, but I have my back to it while crafting, so I don't have to sit and look at it - and it does mean this is the warmest room in the winter, which I love. You'll notice I also have to give some space to our linen bin and cushions for our garden chairs.


I am very fortunate to have such a lovely space to craft in (especially as our whole maisonette isn't very big). Today I haven't shown much of the shelves above my workspace - where I house most of my wooden stamps. I've now ordered a couple of extra shelves so that will enable me to spread the stamps out a bit and/or get more!

I'm also sharing this on Shopping our stash, a new challenge blog that is asking for us to show our workspace.

Indigo, ice and inspiration

This card is for ABC Christmas challenge I for indigo, ice and inspiration - this photo inspiration was given:

It's also for the sketch given for Paper pretties 152:

The base card is stardream, which has a lovely sparkly look to it. The stitched paper is an offcut from long ago (no, I didn't stitch it), mounted on silver mirror card. The strip across the middle and the sentiment are from an old QVC kit and the snowflakes were rescued from an old card, with the addition of Poundland gems in the centres, so this is also for Bah! humbug 18: going green (the recycled snowflakes).



This is also for:

Crafts and me 33: swirls

I did it: monochromatic

Creative inspirations 59: glitzy & bling

The paper shelter 12: bling it up

Do more with less: stitching with Alice Wertz

Make it Monday: 36

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Flourish timeless 117: anything goes

Therapeutic colouring

I thought a bit of colouring in might be a good idea this morning - it must be a throw back to childhood, but it can indeed be very therapeutic to sit and colour in an image - I used copics, of course.

This is for the sketch given for Stampotique 29:

and I chose the colours from MME spring and summer papers for Stampin' royalty 70 colour challenge:

The stamp is a Stampotique one by Janet Klein. The strips with gold foil edges were left over from a recent Easter kit.

I'm also linking this for the 'home sweet home' challenge 40 on Anything goes.

Oscar

Sad news here last night - John's first guide dog, Oscar, had to be put to sleep - he was a very poorly dog in the end - he was 13 last November, so a good age for a golden retriever. He not only was so precious to John as a guide dog, but to us both as a pet - although he hadn't lived with us for some time now, we still felt an attachment to him and are very sad - he was so special. We are so glad that Bob brought him over to see us the day before his 13th birthday (we could tell then that he wouldn't last too much longer).

Vintage lace

This card is for the colour challenge for City crafter 55:

It's also for the sketch for May on Sugar creek hollow, which also asks for the card to have a vintage or shabby chic feel to it:

I used a shaped card for Aly's Sunday 41: shaped cards and Some odd girl: get into shape.

Papers are BG marrakech, the flower stamp is unknown, coloured with copics, the ovals are nesties, with the edges distressed with firebrick DI. Lace, ribbon and pearls are from stash.

This is also for:

Bunny Zoe 12: lace

Double Dutch 68: vintage

Stampin' sisters in Christ 88: all things beautiful

Stamping vacation: Have you tried - ribbon over lace

Really reasonable ribbon 23: Double Dutch - two ribbons, laces or trims

Dream valley 6: flowers

Card cupids: flowers

Oldie but a goodie 18: say it with flowers

Let's craft and create 18: say it with flowers

Craft us crazy 7: moms and/or flowers

Raise the bar 65: flower power

Stampin with the dragon: May day - flowers

Crazy 4 challenges 86: April showers bring May flowers

2 sisters 38: distressing

Kaboodle 66: lots of layers

Make it Monday: 36

Crazy challenge 66: anything goes

Papertake weekly: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Green and black (no, not the chocolate!)

This card is for the colour combo for Cards & things 77:

and also for the sketch given for Everybody art challenge 140:

The papers are BG archaic and the image is one that I inked up ages and ages ago as part of a stamp swap - it was started on to black vellum and I've just coloured the dress, hat and shoes with copic moss.

This is also for:

Craft your passion 57: check it out

HLSC 21: green + birthday

If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 78: May goes green

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Incy wincy 93: mother's day/girlie

My mum's craft shop 4: cute & girly

Southern girls: let's hear it for the girls

Mami doodles 25: let's get girly

Prairie fairy Fridays 52: here come the girls

Make it Monday: 36

Crazy challenge 66: anything goes

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Papertake weekly: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

By the cute and girly (May): anything goes

Monograms

I'm surprising myself today - not only have I done my ATCs for the BF forum swap so early in the month, but I've just completed my inchies for the monogram swap this month. I used La Blanche monogram foam stamps, stamping with memeno tuxedo black on to Tutti Fruitti paper (scraps that have been in my box for ages) and I went over the letters with copic C-7, a bit less stark than using black. I stuck these to mountboard to make them more substantial. This is the second set I've made - I swiped the first set with versamark and heat embossed with UTEE, but lost the clarity of the letters - it's a pity it didn't work out.

This is also for:

Just for fun: size matters (inchies)

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - haven't used the stamp for a while

Totally stampalicious: kickin' it old school - stamp that hasn't seen ink for at least 6 months

Mark's finest papers speedy the cat 54: use paper, stamps and inks, but no embellishments

Rubber cafe: anything but a card

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Silences make the real conversations between friends

The ATC swap for this month on BF forum is Friends. I don't usually get my swaps done so early in the month, but when I was having my big craft sort out during the week I came across a paperbag studio stamp that I love, but haven't used for a while, and couldn't resist using it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit on to an ATC with the sentiment, but I still decided to use it because I think it still depicts friendship. I stamped with memento rich cocoa and coloured with copics.


This is also for:

Lexi 39: friendship

365 cards day 37: pure contentment

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - haven't used the stamp for a while

Totally stampalicious: kickin' it old school - stamp that hasn't seen ink for at least 6 months

Mark's finest papers speedy the cat 54: use paper, stamps and inks, but no embellishments

Sweet stampin': childhood memories

Rubber cafe: anything but a card

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

ATC challenges 1: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Christmas card club - pink + another colour

Yes, it's another Christmas card - getting quite a collection in my box now - think I've made about 60 so far this year.

This is for Sylvie's challenge for the Christmas Card gang - you can see who's in it on my sidebar - a group of crafters who are getting ahead with Christmas cards by challenging one another every other week.

So Sylvie challenged us to use pink and one other colour.

I based my card on the sketch for Double Dutch 67:

The green background paper on the pink card blank is Serif picnic in the park (a magazine freebie) and the patterned paper used for the squares is from K & Co secret Santa collection. I've used one of my favourite nesties for the scalloped circle, using another inside it to take away the inside circle. The sentiment was in a QVC kit either the Christmas before last or the year before (time goes so quickly!).

I used the colour combo for Picture perfect creations 57:

I'm also linking this for:

Crafty Ho's: pink, black (the text) and a splash of green

Cupcake: something beginning with C - Christmas

Paper romance: use your favourite die (scalloped circle nestie)

Wags n whiskers 53: use die or punch

Annabelle: say it with squares

Simply create 43: what did you say - sayings that either mums would say or someone else may say about or to mums

Secret crafter Saturday 133: dust off your stash - the sentiment panel has been in my box for at least eighteen months and possibly longer

Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pear tree 47: free for all
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

Sentimental Sundays 54: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

CHNC challenge 19: photo inspiration ... with a prize

This week has been a strange one for me in some ways - in between other things I've had a massive craft sort out - and was determined not to make anything until it was all done -so it was a relief when I was able to sit down last evening and make my card for CHNC challenge 19, for which there is this inspiration photo:

I've concentrated on the stocking and the colour combo of red, green and gold - the circular sentiment is gold foiled, but it was difficult to get a photo. The stocking is one that was with a QVC kit two or three years ago. The strip of red and white paper is s.e.i winter song snow bubbles (the other side of the paper). I used little gold brads to secure the little candy cane charms. The flowers and the stocking top are very glittery.

I used the sketch given for the May challenge on Christmas cards all year round:


I'm linking this for these challenges:

Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 week 22: metal (the charms)
Winter wonderland: the colours of Christmas
Cupcake: something beginning with C - Christmas
Paper shelter 12: bling it up (lots of glitter on the stocking)

Stamp and create: charms
Craft your passion 56: anything goes
Pear tree 47: free for all
Pollycraft 91: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Top tip Tuessday 32: open challenge
Iris' spot 18: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Catch the bug: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 5: anything goes

Although this post was scheduled to go live yesterday, somehow I didn't get around to finishing it in time.

BF purple and white inchies

These are the inchies I received for the BF forum April swap 'purple and white':

Not so many of us this time, but aren't they lovely?! Purple is one of my favourite colours.

Prize from Penny Black at Allsorts

I'm still here, despite my lack of blogging - I've been having a craft sort out for the past three or four days - in between other things - a more thorough sort out than I've had for a long time - I've come across things that I'd forgotten about and also got rid of some things that should have gone a long time ago. So I've done no crafting since Sunday - lots of ideas buzzing around in my head as a result of being reminded of some hidden supplies - now I just need to find the time and mojo to put them into practice.

Meanwhile, this morning postie bought me this lovely PB stamp and a card from Brenda, for winning Penny Black at Allsorts April challenge with this card.