Wishi washi and needles and pins

This is for Allsorts 138: needles and pins. I've used print outs from a CD that I've just acquired, My Craft Studio 'tinkering with steampunk'. I used an element sheet, using some of it to decoupage, tearing off part of the image, so that more of the Tim Holtz tissue tape was visible, which is for today's Daring cardmakers challenge is to use washi tape. I've added a pin with beads, some flowers with pearls and a Craftwork cards sentiment. I distressed the edges of the white card blank with worn lipstick DI.

This is also for:

4 crafty chicks 74: pokin' fun - pins
Crazy challenge 103: vintage
Sugar creek hollow: go girly - feminine vintage
The artistic stamper creative team blog January: vintage
The craft garden January: monochrome
Desert island crafts 23: monochromatic, no designer paper, sentiment, distressing
Crafty bloggers network 10: distressing
Craft your days away 37: distressing
ABC: H for happy birthday
Crafty Ann 57: what's new pussycat - used a new CD
My Sheri 77: new things - used a new CD
Sparkles 28: new crafty goodies
Whimsy 23: pearls or bling

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Under the weather

This card is for the sketch on Sketch Saturday 191:

It is also for One stop craft 166: under the weather (or get well soon).

The background paper is BG Mellow and the panel on the left is urban prairie. The digital mage is Bugaboo rainy day coloured in Paint. The sentiment was generated on my dymo letratag. Flowers are Martha Stewart.

Colours are for Craft your passion 94: colour bingo (the bottom row):

This is also for:

My mum's craft shop 41: flowers

Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous

Paper-crafting journey 1: floral

Hotshot craft 3: flowers

Shelly terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me - sentiment

Deep ocean 17: sparkle

Lily pad: patterned paper challenge

The stamp man: embellish it

Bizzy Becs January: anything goes

Victorine: anything goes

Simon says: anything goes

Make it Monday 73

Inspire me Fridays 43
52 card pickup week 4

Happy Birthday, Faye

One of our granddaughters will be six on Monday, so I've made an easel card for her using English Paper Company papers. The oval fairy and surrounding frame were cut with nesties. If 'big sister' happens to come on here and see this, please don't show it to Faye!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Lexi 57:  fancy folds
I brake for challenges 17: fancy folds
Charisma cardz 3: pretty in pink
Crafty catz 117: things with wings
Phindy's Friday 90: birthday card for a child
Crazy4challenges 120: a child's birthday card
Mark's finest papers Speedy fox and friends 91: birthday card
ABC: H for happy birthday
Little darlings 16: polka dots
Fussy & fancy 55: polka dots

Christmas flowers

A couple of simple quick cards for 52 Christmas card throwdown - for their theme 1 challenge they are asking to see cards with Christmas flowers. These were made with Anna Griffin papers etc The green and white paper on the first card is very glittered, though it's hard to see that here.

These are also for:

Make my Monday 33: flowers and leaves (nature)
My mum's craft shop 41: flowers
Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous
Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Hotshot craft 3: flowers

Flashback Friday 19

For Flashback Friday 19 we've been asked to show the first clean and simple card that we blogged. These are two sympathy cards that I made and blogged in April 2007:

Get well soon

Scarlet's letter is still one of my all-time favourite Basic Grey papers - one of the first I ever bought. I've used some for this card, which is for the sketch on A la card monkey 92:

Colours are for ColourQ 121:

The flowers were cut with a Sizzix green die - they are for Totally papercrafts: make your own flowers. The sentiment is stamped.

This is also for:

My mum's craft shop 41: flowers
Moving along with the times 133: blooming marvellous
Paper-crafting journey 1: floral
Hotshot craft 3: flowers
One stop craft 166: under the weather - get well soon
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: text me - text and sentiment
Sentimental Sundays 86: die cuts
The stamping boutique 24: die cuts
Lothian crafts 22: die cuts
Alphabet: Y for your can choose
Stampin with the dragon 2: anything goes
Stamp and create January: anything goes
Bizzy Becs January: anything goess
Victorine: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Make it Monday 73

In the pink

Just add ink 102 is 'just add ... Kathy Tanner - to case one of her cards shown on her blog. I chose this card which is shown among Kathy's 2011 favourittes:

I've used scraps of card and paper, embossing some with Cuttlebug folders and inking with worn lipstick DI. The Happy Birthday sentiment piece was recycled from a card received ages ago, with the addition of the little punched dragonfly, some spotty ribbon and a couple of flowers with pearls.

This is also for:

4 crafty chicks 74: pokin' fun - pins
Samuel Taylors January: distress
Crafty bloggers network 10: distressing

Monochrome blues

This is for the sketch on Clean & simple 174:

Papers are DCWV, the best wishes sentiment paper was in my scraps box, plus part of a strip of flowered ribbon and the die cut flowers with a pearl in the middle.

This is also for:

Dilly beans: have the blues
Take time for you 59: blue and white
Creative craft: we're talking the colour blue
Crafting for all seasons 19: blue & white

Bright birthday greetings

This card is for Annabelle: say it in yellow, lime and turquoise:

Papers are all DCWV, flowers are Martha Stewart and the ric rac is from Hobbycraft. The ric rac is for Our craft lounge 101: zig zags.

This is also for:

Birthday sundaes 40: birthday
Make my Monday 33: flowers and leaves (nature)
Creative inspirations 147: anything goes

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