Guest designer slot for Friendship's Garden

I was invited to join Frienship's Garden as a guest designer for their Valentine sketch challenge 8. It's such a privilege to join the DT there this week. Here is the sketch:

The blue background paper is BG sugar rush, the red paper with text is DCWV (from quite a long time ago), papers to frame the image are BG bittersweet. The pre-coloured image is called 'Anniversary' from Dottie's World by Charmed cards and craft, padded hearts, flowers, gems and sentiment are all from stash.

This is also for:

Basic grey 61: favourite things - hearts, flowers and gems (and, of course, BG papers!)
My time to craft 171: your favourite embellishments
Fairy-tale 33: cinema/at the movie - 'Valentine's Day' starring Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Anne Hathaway
Whimsical: love is in the air
Anything goes 59: to the one I love
Use it Tuesday 24: all about love (using up old papers)
Robyn's fetish 91: love
Cupcake crafts 176: all you need is love
Paper creations ink 17: love/romance
There she goes 140: love is in the air
Aud sentiments 46: we want to see the word love
Craft us crazy: Valentine/love
The poodles parlour: Valentines/love
Simply create too 5: love is in the air
Wags n whiskers 71: Valentines/love card
Craft room: Valentines
Drunken stampers 81: love
The pixie cottage 105: love and kisses
Corrosive 141: I {heart} you
Stampin sisters in Christ 123: heart
Alota 75: hearts
Stamp, scrap & doodle: have a heart
Inky impressions: heart you
Creative card crew 2: seeing red
The stamp man: use red
Daisy doodles 51: anything goes
Do you sttack up 55: patterned paper
Heart song 32: red and white
Hooked on craft 16: something bright
Paper pretties Monday challenge: create a Valentine's day project
Ruby's rainbow 20: something for Valentines
Let's craft and create 37: Valentine
Digi doodle shops best 92: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goess
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

WOYWW 138

It's Wednesday again and time to show what's on my workspace - this is for Julia's WOYWW 138 - click on the link to see what it's all about and to have a nosey at other people's craft areas ... and perhaps join in the fun!

Last week, Julia commented that she didn't realise how much I had in my 12 x 12 paper rack - well, actually, the photo I showed then didn't show the full height of it. It used to be 10 trays tall, but last year I added another 5, so it is quite a bit taller (and I have to confess that I also have some 12 x 12 in a shelf in my bedroom wardrobe).

This is the area to the left of where I sit. You can see some cards that I made yesterday (they are further down on my blog), some BG paper pads, stamps etc that need to be put away.

 
And to the right of where I sit there are a few bits waiting to be used - a chipboard dinosaur waiting for inspiration to strike, a print out of a digi to make a get well card (sorry to hear that you are under the weather - hope to make that one today), a flower that was made with chipboard and UTEE with a stamp pressed in while it was still molten ... and a few other bits and pieces.

And I still have a nice space to work in even if I don't manage to put the other things away. Do you see the tall tin with my brushes, rulers etc - I got a half price tin of shortbread biscuits the other day - I didn't eat the biscuits though because I'm trying to be good and get rid of the weight that I've put on over Christmas.

Oh - and the box on the floor houses lots of Christmas stash and it also acts as a nice little footstool!

Just for you

This card started off for The house that stamps build J1112 sketch, but, unfortunately, I got side-tracked from making the card and am now too late for linking, but still acknowledge using the sketch:

Papers are BG blush. The scalloped square was cut with a Sizzix clear bigz die. I've used the same little flower stamp as I've used on the last couple of cards (it was just handy) and I used the balloon from a Penny Black stamp. The teddy is die cut from a lovely velvety felt.

Colours are for Dancing in Pajamas TCP 193:

I've used pink, pearls and posies for Cooking it up with Katie 87: show me some pink posies with pearls.

The combination of using a teddy bear and pink is also for Ready teddy go 6: in the pink, the teddy bear is also for Card crafters circle 6: bear with me.

This is also for:

Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

Purple is the colour

This is for Creative inspirations 146: favourite colour + white - I love crafting with purple. Little darlings 15 is also asking for our 'favourite colour'.

I used the sketch for this week's Willow challenge:

The background paper is BG wisteria - another of my favourite BG papers, linked for Basic Grey 61: favourite things (and stamping is also one of my favourite things - the other papers, including the floral strip are from my offcuts box, so this is another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 4.

I used the same stamp as I used for the previous card I've shown, this time stamping it twice - this is for Glitter geeks 3: two images, also for Ooh-la-la 97: seeing double - using the same image twice.

This is also for:

The craft garden January: monochrome
Charisma cardz 2: clean and simple
Card and scrap 24: clean and simple

Favourite things

I love patterned papers and have loads! One of my favourites that I never get tired of is Basic Grey - I have loads of their 6 x 6 pads. I decided to use cappella papers for this card and also a die cut shape from a bag of cappella pieces - I simply stamped this using an unknown stamp that I've had for ages - since I first started cardmaking. So this is for Basic Grey 61: favourite things - and I just had to include a Craftime bloom because flowers are among my favourite things too. This is also for Gingersnap GC135 random redhead - use your favourite paper.

I used the sketch for All kinds of cards 45:

 The tag is one that has been recycled from a card I received a long time ago - this is for Squiggle stamps: recycle!! upcycle!!, also Timbro scrap mania 41: recycling.

The monochromatic look is for Sir Stampalot January: monochromatic.

Happy baking!

This week's challenge on Daring cardmakers is 'kitchenalia', so I've used a digital image, part of 'kitchen-set' that I downloaded quite some time ago, but can't remember where from. I've also used the digital image of Lottie the cook by Marjorie Ramsay, which I've cut out and stuck on to the kitchen picture.

I used the sketch for Skipping stones 112:

Papers are Basic Grey granola. The sentiment was generated on my dymo letratag.

This is also for:

Secret crafter Saturday 169: food and drink
Sew many challenges 78: circles
Raise the bar 88: ring in the new year - we want to see circles

Simply a heart

This card is for Less is more 51: cut it out - an card with an aperture. I suppose I've cheated really because I remembered that I had some cream cards that already had a heart aperture with embossing on them. Would you believe that such a simple card could go wrong? Well, yes, it did the first time, so this is the second one - and I have to admit that the stamping of the Happy Anniversary on the inside of the card to show in the aperture could have been done much better. The distressing of the embossed area (and lightly on the whole card) was done with victorian velvet DI.

This is also for:

The paper players 79: clean and simple
Charisma cardz 2: clean and simple

Motion photo

Suzie's prompt today is 'motion' so here is my photo for Suzie's 365 day 24 - I had to go over to the post box, so I went armed with my camera. I took a few shots that just look as if the traffic is standing still, but I think this one has about captured motion:

Flora and fauna inchies

The theme for the inchies swap on the Bubbly Funk forum this week is 'flora and fauna'.

I inked an Inkadinkado stamp with memento and stamped several times on a piece of gloss white card. I then cut three of the tiny flowers from the set by cArt-Us and stamped those (a very fiddly process, but worth it).  I then used stream, butterscotch and meadow alcohol inks toned down with some blending solution for the background before cutting out the individual inchies.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Creative craft world mini challenge
Quirky crafts 2 2012: silhouette
Lollipop crafts 64: wing it
Moving along with the time 132: things with wings
The squirrel and the fox 9: critters
Incy wincy 130: anything but a card
CES 69: anything but a card
Little Claire 17: anything but a card
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

A for Asian

For the twinchies swap this month on the Bubbly Funk forum the theme is A, so I've used A for Asian. And, of course, Chinese New Year has just started and it's the year of the dragon, so I've used a clipart picture of a dragon that I found in Publisher.

I covered a piece of gloss white card with a mixture of terra cotta, butterscotch and red pepper Adirondack alcohol inks, also using a little blending solution. I then printed the dragons spaced out on the card before cutting into twinchies which I then stamped with the HOTP writing stamp using archival ink.

Unfortunately, because it's a dismal day, I've had to resort to a flash photo and it was impossible to get one without some glare because of the shine of the gloss card. The colours look much richer IRL.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Creative craft world mini challenge
CCEE 1203: dragon
Rainbow lady 188: the year of the dragon
Creative card crew 2: seeing red
The stamp man: use red
Daisy doodles 51: anything goes (the dragon is digi)
Incy wincy 130: anything but a card
CES 69: anything but a card
Little Claire 17: anything but a card
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

Photo catch up (again!)

The days go by so quickly. I really intend to keep up with Suzie's 365 photos day by day, but yet again I've got a few days behind, so here is my little catch up.

20: sign - this is where we sign:

21: fire - this is the nearest I could get:

22: glowing - I love this container lit up with a tealight - some of the glass if clear, some a copper colour and some a golden colour:

23: hot - I wish I'd looked at the prompt before I cooked an apple crumble earlier this evening - now I've had to settle for cheating and putting the oven on, so you can see that it really isn't that hot!:

Scraping in at the last minute ...

This is a quick card for Critter challenge 98 sketch which is closing very soon:

I've used up scraps of DCWV papers and used the lovely snowman Stampotique stamp by Jo Capper-Sandon, with a bit of promarker colouring. The snowflakes in the top corners were punched using a Woodware punch and the star with bling, beads and wire is from stash.

This is also for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 4
Gingerloft 32: let it snow
Crafting for all seasons 18: snowmen/snowflakes
Fussy & fancy: let it snow
Allways something creative 22: ice and snow
Creative Friday 53: it's cold outside
Clear it out: baby it's cold outside
House of gilli 24: winter fun
Scrap-cards 19: winter
Stampavie 160: winter
Delicious doodles 11: winter wonderland
Stempelsonne 54: winter
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 11: punches/dies
Deep ocean 17: sparkle
Crafty cardmakers 60: beads
Crafter's cafe blog: CAS challenge
Craft room: clean and simple
ABC Christmas: A for anything goes
Crimbo crackers 7: for a child
Art impressions 48: a card for a child
I love promarkers 100: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Victorine: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 73

White on white

This white on white card is for the sketch for Anyone for Anya:

It's so hard to get a photo of white on white, especially with flash in the evening, so this is the best I could do (will replace if I get a better one). The main background is a creative expressions crackle embossing folder and the inner embossed fancy frame is Forever Friends. Various flowers and sentiment from stash.

The white on white is for:
Heart song inspirations 31: glitter and/or white on white (I used both)
Southern girls 36: white on white
Mami doodles 41: white on white
Sweet stampin: white on white

and for Our creative corner: oh baby inspiration challenge (I've concentrated on the white and peachy colours):

also for Moxie fab world Tuesday trigger winter blossoms inspiration photo:

I coloured Anya with copics - E000, YR31, R20, RV95 and RV02 - I rarely use these particular copics, so this is for iCopic 65: unloved colours. I added crystal ice stickles glitter glue to the coat.

This is also for:

Clearlyistamp 44: pastels
Creative belli 136: frames (the flowers are old stash and the stamp is well over two years old)
Cardmaking mamas: something old
Farm fresh TGFM16:  let's get sentimental
Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Hotshot craft 3: flowers
The pixie cottage 104: embossing
2 sisters 75: embossing
Desert island crafts 23: I chose embossing, no designer paper and sentiment
Cupcake 175: born on a winter's day - wintry birthday card
House of Gilli 24: winter fun
Stamp n doodle: it's all about birthdays
Crazy4challenges 120: a child's birthday card
Art impressions 48: a card for a child
Stamps R us: just kidding around
Mark's finest paper speedy fox and friends 91: birthday card
Paper pretties 189: glitter
Chocolate, coffee & cards 4: glitter latte - show some glitter
My time to craft 171: your favourite embellishments (flowers)
Stamptacular 147: texture please
ABC: H for happy birthday
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create: anything goes
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Gingerloft 31: anything goes
Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 72

CHNC challenge 56: have a heart

Saturday has come round again and that means a new challenge on my CHNC blog:

Challenge 56

For this challenge I'm asking you to 'have a heart' -  - feature a heart on your Christmas card - it can be part of the image, a brad, a sticker ... any kind of heart. And for this week's challenge Digi Doodle Shop are generously giving a $10 gift certificate to the randomly-chosen winner. Why not hop on over to CHNC challenge 56 and find out more ... and get out your Christmas stash and join in - it's never too early!

For my card I've used the digital image 'Christmas heart' which was kindly given to me by Digi Doodle Shop, just one of the Christmas images that they stock.I've kept to a simple design, printing out the digital image quite big - I coloured with promarkers and added the text in the circle using Christmas is love by tlc creations 'Christmas is love with all the trimmings'.Papers are K & Co Secret Santa.I then added the epoxy hearts in the corners.


Colours are for Just us girls 120:

This is also for:

Stamp, scrap & doodle: have a heart
Alota 75: hearts
Paper creations ink 17: love
Aud sentiments 46: we want to see the word love
I love promarkers 100: anything goes - I used 'grass' and 'magenta'
Drunken stampers 81: love
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Gingerloft 31: anything goes
Lexi 56: anything goes
Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 72
52 card pick up week 3

Santa and stockings

This card uses the colours for 52 Christmas card throwdown colour challenge 1:

Papers are K & Co Secret Santa - the scalloped circle was cut with a nestie, the image is Hero Arts jolly Santa and the glittered and foiled stockings were in a kit I bought two or three years ago.

This is a card suitable for a child for Crimbo crackers 7: for a child, also for Art impressions 48: a card for a child.

This is also for:

Facebook Sunday's with Santa week 4: Santa
Deep ocean 17: sparkle
Ruby's rainbow 20: red & black
Creative card crew 2: seeing red
Lothian crafts January 22: die cuts
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Bizzy Becs January: anything goes
Gingerloft 31: anything goes
Lexi 56: anything goes
Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Inspire me Fridays 42
Make it Monday 72

Vintage pink and brown

For this card I've used the sketch for Techno stamper Monday lunchtime 206:

The background paper is Papermania pink collection, the sentiment is Craftwork cards, the images are glittered rub ons by La Blanche, buttons from Poundland (much more pink IRL than on the photo), ribbon and lace from stash. The panels behind the images were run through my cuttlebug with a Crafts too embossing folder - I then swiped a memento rich cocoa ink pad over the raised dots.

This is also for:

Crop stop 54: a bit old you said
Delightful: vintage/distressed
CES 68: vintage dahling!
The artistic stamper creative team January: vintage
Catered crop: button up
Papertake: buttons, bows, bling and blooms
Penny's 71: ribbons and buttons
Crafty catz 116: buttons and bows
Cutie pie 9: ribbons & lace
Scrappy frogs: lace
One stop craft 165: on the spot & ribbon
Celebrate the occasion 46: any occasion - must use polka dots
Pixie dust studio: we're going dotty
Sentimental Sundays 85: ribbon
Gingersnap GC134: spicy supply challenge: ribbon
Sugar creek hollow: embossing
The pixie cottage 104: embossing
Stamp n doodle: it's all about birthdays
ABC: H for happy birthday

Alphabet: Y for your can choose

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Gingerloft 31: anything goes

Lexi 56: anything goes

Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes

One stitch at a time 96: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Inspire me Fridays 42

Make it Monday 72

No need for clock-watching

This is a card to congratulate someone on their retirement.

My Sheri crafts challenge 76: time for a change was asking for a clock to be included on the card.

I've used the sketch for MFTWSC55:

I used old retro DCWV papers, using up offcuts and a print out of a digi clock (can't remember where it came from - it's just saved on my computer as 'clock') with a retirement sentiment.

It's also for City crafter 92: pretty inside and out, where this photo inspiration was given:

The message on the inside of the card was generated on computer:

This is also for:

Polka doodles 2: vintage/retro
Digistamps4joy 35: monochromatic - aquamarine and turquoise
Crop stop 54: a bit old you said - hope retro 60s is old enough!
Raise the bar 88: ring in the new year - circles
Pixie's crafty snippets 3
Hiding in my craft room 29: super scraps Saturday
Crafty sentiments: anything goes

Just a note

When I saw the sketch for Card Patterns 148 I just knew it would be a good one for using up scraps (I never get to the end of that resolution - lol!):

I've used snippets of various papers (now I know that it is worth keeping those pieces that are under 2 inches wide!), some of which are DCWV, inked the Donna Dewberry all night media stamp with memento tuxedo black and coloured lightly with copics - this and the surrounding paper were cut with nesties. Just the addition of the lace and stitched ribbon and the card was done.

This is also for:

Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Challenge up your life 60: bingo - I chose the top line of flowers, lace and purple, but have used some of the other elements too
Pollycraft 123: bingo - I chose die cuts, lace, pearls
The pink elephant 131: favourite colours - I love working with shades of purple
My time to craft 171: your favourite embellishments
Little darlings 15: favourite colour
Going grey with Scrap creations: die cuts
Lothian crafts January 22: die cuts
Cutie pie 9: ribbons & lace
Scrappy frogs: lace
Sentimental Sundays 85: ribbon
Gingersnap GC134: spicy supply challenge: ribbon
Pixie's crafty snippets 3
Hiding in my craft room 29: super scraps Saturday
Make all with love 20: stitches

Alphabet: Y for your can choose

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Gingerloft 31: anything goes

Lexi 56: anything goes

Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes

One stitch at a time 96: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Inspire me Fridays 42

Make it Monday 72

Bejewelled

When I saw what Daring cardmakers were asking us to do this week - Miraculous Social Networks - 

Zuzanna said: I would like to see Facebook, Twitter, Skype, You Tube ... on your cards. You can use funny sentiments, colour scheme, fonts, style, layout or PC image - I didn't think I could take part this week because I couldn't think of a way to represent social networking.

When I did Suzie's 365 prompt for today, I chose to feature a photo of Bejewelled Blitz, the facebook game that I love - you can see here what I said about it - I suddenly thought that I could use that image on a card for DCM's challenge for a friend who also loves playing Bejewelled.


I love working from a sketch, so I was pleased to find Come and get it had a sketch for their challenge this week:

All card/papers used were from my offcuts box - the background is some old Papermania card from their teal collection, the foiled holographic strip has been in my box for ages; the ribbon is from a piece left over ages ago. The bejewelled photo and the surrounding frame were cut with nesties and the sentiment generated on my Dymo letratag.

This is also for:

Going grey with Scrap creations: die cuts
Lothian crafts January 22: die cuts
Incy wincy 129: bold and bright
Sassy Cheryl 98: bright & cheery to chase away the winter grey
Ladybug 52: bows
Sentimental Sundays 85: ribbonGingersnap GC134: spicy supply challenge: ribbon
Stamp n doodle: it's all about birthdays
Party time Tuesday 51: happy birthday
ABC: H for happy birthday
Pixie's crafty snippets 3
Hiding in my craft room 29: super scraps Saturday
Creative belli 136: frames
Papercraft star 80: use a frame

Alphabet: Y for your can choose

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Gingerloft 31: anything goes

Lexi 56: anything goes

Sew many challenges 77: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: anything goes
Paperminutes 200: anything goes
Whimsical designs: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes

One stitch at a time 96: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 72

An urgent request

John went to a bowls club committee meeting this morning and came back with the request for three cards for members of the club who will soon be celebrating their 80th birthdays - fine by me, but ... one of them needs to go in the post today!!

So I was grateful for the sketch for Sketches by Carly 47:

The background is Kanban green grass card. The chevron piece of card and the little triangel in the bottom left corner is an offcut I've had for ages from when I made some background card with alcohol inks. The personal impressions bowler stamp with inked with memento and coloured with copics and promarker. The sentiment was generated with my Dymo letratag.

This is also for:

Stamp n doodle: it's all about birthdays
Party time Tuesday 51: happy birthday
Card crafters circle 5: happy birthday
ABC: H for happy birthday
Winter wonderland: birthday wishes
Cards for men 2: boys and their toys
Pixie's crafty snippets 3
Hiding in my craft room 29: super scraps Saturday
C.R.A.F.T. 138: use numbers

Photos catch up

I've missed taking part in Suzie's 365 for a few days, so this is a catch up.

15: generous: this is a photo I took at the Christmas Fair where mum lives - jams and cakes donated by generous folk:

16: snack: as I'm trying to lose weight yet again (having got to target weight nearly a year ago), this is the only kind of snack I'm allowing myself (but I'd rather be eating a bar of dark chocolate):

17: naughty: I sneaked up on John and took a picture while he was happy a nap - naughty me!:

18: pleasurable: I love my craft stuff - it gives me pleasure, especially my copics, promarkers and other pens - it's very therapeutic and pleasurable colouring in:

19: bad for you!: I love playing bejewelled blitz on facebook and have just discovered that there is now an app to play on my iPad - but it can be bad to spend too much time playing when I should be getting on with other things (or getting to bed!):

I'm up to date now - thanks, Suzie, for these great prompts - I had to really think about some of them!