Authentic cutting edge

I'm late ... yet again ... for this week's Daring cardmakers challenge: tag you're it! sponsored by Tea house bridge.

For my card I've used Papermania capsule blue papers, a recycled kraft tag that was on a shirt I bought for John (I knew it would come in handy one day) with a sentiment added. The shirt is a Personal Impressions image stamped directly on to striped paper, with just the tie and buttons coloured with copic ultramarine.

This is also for:
Crafty boots: no girls allowed
One crazy stamper April: boy/men
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world
Catered crop: get krafty
Party time Tuesday 65: anything goes + kraft
Divas by design 32: buttons and/or bows
CES 82: button it
Papercraft star 94: polka dots
Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle

Suzie's 365 photos day 117: tradition

It's become a tradition for me to have breakfast sitting at my computer catching up with Suzie's photos, blogs, forums, challenges ... so this is for day 117: tradition:

WOYWW 151

We were at a funeral this morning and somehow the afternoon got frittered away, so I'm quite late in the day adding my post for WOYWW 151, the wonderful weekly opportunity for us to show our workspace and to have a look at everyone else's run by the wonderful Julia. I so enjoyed visiting everyone last week. I hope to be able to get round as many as possible this week.

So here is my space to the left of where I sit - a box of Christmas papers that are always nearby, one of my many boxes of ribbons, a box of ready stamped images, brads, sentiments, a stamp that should have been put way, a pack of skeleton leaves (not sure why they are there or why I bought them recently as I still have some tucked away from years ago). The Creative expressions masks were bought with a Joanna Sheen voucher that I won a while ago for a Rainbow Lady challenge.

To the right of where I sit there is a box of an Anna Griffin engraved botanica kit that I bought from QVC last week - just I gave in to the temptation again, but my excuse is that I make a load of cards to sell for charity and sometimes I need to make some quick ones. On top of the box are magazine papers and stamps waiting for more inspiration. You can also see some lovely Prima roses that I received yesterday as a prize from the Let's Craft & Create challenge and also a set of Aster flower topper shapeabilities that I bought with another Joanna Sheen voucher, this time won for a challenge on The crafty pad. Lurking in front are some images ready to be used.

I thought I'd also show the pull out drawers that are inside the cupboard to my right - very handy. They were built in originally to house a printer and my craft robo, but my robo was replaced with the cricut which now sits on top and my printer is now wireless, so is over the other side of the room out of the way.

And this is the keyboard shelf that pulls out where I sit - I don't use it for a keyboard, so it's so handy to house all those bits and pieces that then get pushed out of the way.

Sorry, this turned into a longer post than I intended!

I'm so grateful for all the visitors I had last week. Thank you to everyone who visits and leaves comments - I do so appreciate it.

Guest designer: For Fun

I'm privileged to have been asked back to join For Fun challenges as their Guest Designer for their 'Bunny but NO Easter' challenge. The challenge is being sponsored by K 'n K designs who sadly closed their digi doors on 31 March, but are still honouring the sponsorship by giving away three digi images.

I chose to use 'spring rain' that was kindly supplied by K 'n K, a sweet design that I coloured with copics and cut out with a scalloped nestie. I used WordArt in Publisher to generate the curved printing for the surround oval - printed on to a piece of Kanban blue sky card with clouds. The A5 card blank was ready printed with the design. With the addition of a few half pearls the card was finished.

This is also for:

Twisted Tuesday 4: for the funny kiddos - think this is suitable for a poorly child
Karen's doodles 10: something for the kids
Crafty sentiments: for a child
Die cuttin divas 62: pearls, pins and/or punches
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Lexi 63: use your punches and dies
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Stamp and create April: spring
Creative craft: let's see some animal antics
PaperPlay 16: animal antics
Di's digi designs: let's meet your animal friends
Crafter's companion 23: four-legged friends
Jellypark friends: little bunny foo foo
2 sisters 88: use a digital image
Raise the bar 101: cloudy skies
Sassy Cheryl 112: April showers
Hippity ippity 19: rain and/or showers
Use it Tuesday 30: April showers (using up a decorated card blank)
My mum's craft shop 54: the great outdoors
Creative Belli 142: animals
Digi doodle shops best 104: April showers
Little Miss Muffet 33: April showers
Mad for markers: April showers
Cardmadfairy's digi days: April showers
Stuck on u die cut challenge: April showers
Victorine 32: anything goes
Love to create 12: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

Suzie's 365 photos day 116: powerful

For Suzie's 365 day 116: powerful I've taken a photo of my good old heat gun. Having looked at the photo I realise how dirty it is -  it just gets used and put aside till the next time. It does get a lot of use and I've had it for ages, so it's not surprising. One of the crafting tools that I wouldn't want to be without.

Suzie's 365 photos day 115: tower

For day 115, Suzie said 'let's look for a tower'. Well, I wasn't going out today, so no chance of seeing a tower. I nearly resorted to showing a photo that had been taken previously, but looking to my left I saw a tower of boxes that need to be put away, behind which is a higher tower of paper trays:

Suzie's 365 photos day 114: cross

Suzie's day 114: cross: This is a stamp that is so handy for Easter cards, but also for sympathy, Christening and other occasions:

Baby card - a trip down memory lane!

It's a bit like a trip down memory lane today. I wonder how many of my visitors have supplies of handmade paper, angel hair (like I used on a card I showed earlier today) or mulberry paper (I'd almost forgotten what it was called) - I have loads of it - I remember that some years ago we used to use lots of it in cardmaking, but, like lots of other things, it's gone out of fashion. Even if I made a card with these supplies every day I'd be hard pressed to actually use it all up (not sure why I keep it all).

Anyway, here is a baby card that uses pieces of blue mulberry paper that has been wetted around the edge and torn (I remember when I used to do that quite a lot - brush the edges with a wet paintbrush, although a wet finger will do just as well). For some reason, shadow that's cast has made some of this look a bit pink, but it is all blue.

The little gingham teddy is one that I acquired ages ago with lots of other shapes (I've still got quite a lot of them and haven't used them for years) - and the same with the little transparent tag - I bought quite a lot of these years ago - perhaps I should use more of them in the coming days.

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 17: snippets of mulberry paper and other bits and pieces bought years ago
Lollipop crafts 77: baby, baby
Bearly mine 32: baby days
More than favors wacky Wednesday 69: baby theme
Crafts4eternity R68: something new - new baby
Here come the boys 25: tiddly peeps - toddlers/babies
4 crafty chicks 87: no stamping zone

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Snowflakes, snowflakes and more snowflakes

Three cards using some pre-cut cards that have the edges of the snowflakes cut out to reveal some of the inside of the card. And I still possess some Christmas peel off greetings!

This first card has a holographic strip inside the card which shows through the cut out pieces of the snowflakes. To give definition, I went round the edges of the halves of the snowflakes that are on the front of the card. The black-looking little sticker snowflakes are, in fact, silver.

On this next card there is a strip of holographic paper on the front and on the inside - they are actually the same even though they look different here.

And this card has some magic mesh on the inside of the card to show through the cut out snowflakes (yes, I still have some magic mesh - haven't used any for ages and ages).

These are for:

52 Christmas card throwdown theme challenge 4: snowflakes
Scrappy frogs: shape it up challenge - shaped card - the edges are shaped with the snowflakes
Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine (the first 2 cards)
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkles (the first 2 cards)
Moving along with the times 144: merry Christmas

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Columbia bicycles

A very simple card made up of a spare piece of background card (not a clue where it came from) and a topper that is etched with gold foiling with someone on an old fashioned bicycle, which, unfortunately, doesn't show to advantage here.

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'
My craft spot 53: things that go
Crafts and me 80: vintage
Bling it on April: monochrome
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Bright birthday

This is a quick and simple card made with a colourful card black with a square aperture into which I've put some sentiment paper with a Charmed card and craft download from their world tour set, Madison in China, a pre-coloured digi.

This is for:

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'
Crazy challenge 116: feminine/girly
Paper and such: just for the girls
Paper pretties 202: card for girls
Cardmakin mamas: getting girlie
Totally stampalicious colour challenge: red and yellow
Ooh la la 103: bold & bright

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Steaming ahead to retirement

This is a simple card using a jelly frame die cut from a Sizzix die (not used any of these in ages), a photo that I found in my recycled pictures and the sentiment, all mounted on to a black card blank.

This is for:

Crazy 4 challenges 133: make your card pop by adding black
My craft spot 53: things that go
Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle
Lexi 63: use your punches and dies
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

To have and to hold

Another wedding card, this time with a panel of the wedding vows, matted on to silver and then gold before putting on to the silver card blank. The little embossed square with the wedding rings was bought long ago at a craft show.

This is for:

Everybody art 190: wedding
Scrapbook sisters 80: wedding
Soartful: wedding/anniversary
Pixie dust studio 123: texting

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

On your wedding day

A quick and simply wedding card, using a couple of bought die cuts and some angel hair (haven't used any of this in a long time) - ran it through the xyron to stick it - on to gold card matted on to the silver card blank.

This is for:

Everybody art 190: wedding
Scrapbook sisters 80: wedding
Soartful: wedding/anniversary
Crazy 4 challenges 133: make your card pop by adding black

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Birthday tiger

A birthday card for an 11-year old boy, using a piece of tiger print card that I've had for ages and a recycled photo of a tiger taken from a magazine.

This is for:


Crafty boots: no girls allowed
4 crafty chicks 86: boys dig it
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world
Creative Belli 141: children - for a child - very old tiger striped card used

Creative craft: let's see some animal antics

PaperPlay 16: animal antics

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle

Do you stack up 68: stripes

Victorine 32: anything goes

Love to create 12: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Butterfly bling

This is for Flutter by Wednesday 199, which is to CASE this lovely card (sadly, this is the last challenge there):

I've used a favourite butterfly stamp, 'swirling wings' by Lindsay Mason, inking with versamark and heat embossing with silver detail powder. The embossing is for: Fashionable stamping 20: embossing and Kaboodle 116: emboss it.

The background black and silver foiled card is actually from a Christmas set, but I think it can be used at any time. I've added some rhinestones to the butterfly and also the lovely little white flower with pearls.

This is also for:

Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle
Stampin' for the weekend 8: sparkle and shine
Bling it on April: monochrome
Our creative corner: butterflies - I love butteflies - I think they brighten anyone's day
The paper shelter 60: wings and things
Crafty ribbons 17: things with wings

Spring with Nitwit

For this card I've used 'spring whimsy' papers etc by Nitwit which were free with Simply Cards & Papercraft.

I've used colours for Color throwdown 188 (unfortunately, this challenge had closed before I was able to blog this, but I still want to acknowledge that I used the colour combo):

Colours also for Paper pretties: pink and green with at least three layers.

and I've followed Aunty Sue's card for Creative inspirations 159: case it:

This is also for Cooking it up with Katie 93: make it a green, gorgeous garden.

I layered the bunny so that it went over the edge of the mat behind it for The crafty pad 167: live on the edge.

This is also for:

PanPastel UK 15: add a flower

Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day

My time to craft 178: gardening gems

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

Ladybug 59: birthday

Creative craft: let's see some animal antics

PaperPlay 16: animal antics

Monotone Merry Christmas

This is my monotone card for yesterday's Sunday's with Santa challenge - that means I'm now up to date again! Also for Bling it on April: monochrome.

I used the sketch for Always playing with paper merry Monday 17:

I've used a panel of white and silver that was rescued from a card received - The recycling is for Jingle belles: peace on earth (day), also Do more with less: recycling with Sonia Suprabha Venugopal, Tuesday throwdown 94: recycling, and Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle.

The circles were die cut with my cuttlebug - hard to see here, but the inner circles are silver and the outer black, with silver snowflakes in the middle. The snowflakes are for 52 Christmas card throwdown theme challenge 4.

The circles are for It's all about the vintage and beauty 17: circles, also for Little Claire 20: doing the rounds.

Christmas family

I'm behind with the challenges on facebook Sunday's with Santa - last week's theme was 'family', so I'm featuring the most special family at Christmas with the nativity digital image kindly supplied by Digi Doodle Shop, who are sponsoring my challenge this week, so this is another card for my CHNC challnge 69: lots of layers (there aren't 'lots' but there are at least three). I coloured the image lightly with copics.

I've followed the sketch for Creative craft for this fortnight (just getting my entry in at the last minute):

Colours are for Guylou's crazy cat lady colour challenge where this inspiration picture was given and we were asked to make a project using the color scheme of a Sealpoint Siamese, meaning brown, cream (or off white) and light blue (that's the eyes):

The My mind's eye Christmas glitter book papers are offcuts, so this is another opportunity to go into the playground at Pixie's craft snippets 17.

The ribbons on the right hand edge are adhesive backed DCWV, so they extend into the inside of the card. This is for the Crafty pad 167: live on the edge.

There are 3 brads from The Works, which is good for Willow sketchie this week.

This is also for:

Do you stack up 68: stripes
House of Gilli 32: oh pretty - ribbon and sparkles (the papers are more glittery than they look here)
ABC Christmas: H for hardware - metal - brads

On the lookout

The theme for the Bubbly Funk forum twinchies swap this month is 'hopping bunnies'. I've used a digital image by Delicious Doodles, which was originally in greyscale - I changed this digitally to a sepia colour and printed out on to a paper which was pre-printed with clouds (can't really see that in the photo). I then used some colouring pencils to go over the grass and a little bit of the bunnies, adding the little cottonwool tails.

Not a good photo, but wanted to get these done up for the post - still very dull, rainy weather here today.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Hooked on craft 19: Easter
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Stampavie and more 166: spring
Stamp and create April: spring
Aud sentiments 52: spring summer colours
Crafter's cafe blog 3: spring with pastel colours
Robyn's fetish 104: use pastel colours only
Stampin sisters in Christ 136: use soft pastels
Little darlings 21: pastels
LiaStampz 15: pastel
Raise the bar 101: cloudy skies
PaperPlay 16: animal antics
Di's digi designs: let's meet your animal friends
Crafter's companion 23: four-legged friends
Jellypark friends: little bunny foo foo
2 sisters 88: use a digital image
Crafty sentiments: use a digi
Oldie but a goodie: on the farm or in the garden - I've had this digi for ages - I have used it before, but a long time ago
Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day
For fun: I bet you make other wonderful things
Crafting for all seasons 25: anything but a card
Penny's 77: anything but a card
Victorine 32: anything goes
Love to create 12: anything goes
One stitch at a time 110: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

A set of ATCs

For the ATC swap for April on Bubbly Funk forum, Ali gave us this sketch to use:

which I turned round to the left.

I used some snippets of yellow paper, stamping with a Kanban background stamp - I used memento rich cocoa but didn't want the image to be too prominent, so I blotted it lightly first on some spare paper. I then used three little stamps from a set that I won a long time ago from Woodware USA, using some Poundland buttons in the centres. I generated the names of the recipients with my dymo letratag and added the light lemon bows and the paper clips before backing on to snippets of brown card.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Creative Mondays (always crafting) 6: yellow and sunshine
Crafty creations 166: yellow and your choice colour (brown)
Fun with ATCs 59: metal (paper clips)
Cute card Thursday 213: metallica
Craft your days away 43: metal
Totally papercrafts 113: all buttoned up
CES 82: button it
Freshly brewed 90: tie it up
For fun: I bet you make other wonderful things
Craft room: ink it
Crafting for all seasons 25: anything but a card
Divas by design 31: anything but a card
Penny's 77: anything but a card
I brake for challenges: I brake for anything but
Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Victorine 32: anything goes
One stitch at a time 110: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16