Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 14: add some flowers

This is my design cad for Suzy Bee's Blooming' challenge 14: add some flowers. This is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps who kindly supplied the 'live laugh love rose block' that I've used, colouring promarkers and flexmarkers.

I used a mix of papers and Hunkydory card pieces from my scraps boxes, die cutting the image and surrounding papers using Spellbinders marvellous squares.

I was all set to add some shop-bought flowers, when I thought I'd had an inky play and make my own. I found some pink paper that had some light script on it which was perfect for using some of my favourite Hero Arts stamps, inking them with memento tuxedo black and then using promarkers/flexmarkers to decorate, curling the edges and mounting the inner flowers with silicone to stand out a big. Finally I added some gem flowers.The card blank that I've used is a bit of cheat (but I don't like to waste anything) as it was originally a gatefold card, but the edges of one side got dog-eared, so I cut it off to make a different kind of card.

I used two pieces of Hunkydory offcuts inside linking with a piece of sticky stitched ribbon from Hobbycraft.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Nadia 74:3D homemade flowers
Addicted to stamps 74: flowers
Going grey with Scrap-creations: favourite embellishment - flowers and ribbons
The squirrel and the fox 62: use embellishments
The ribbon girl: anything goes
Creative card crew 53: recipe: 1 ribbon, 2 designer papers and 3 gems/pearls
Crafter's cafe 48: use ribbon and/or lace
Digistamps4Joy 84: add real ribbon
Creative inspirations 250: stamping

My first card for Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge February

This is a very simple Christmas card covering my card blank with Hunkydory card, on to which I've matted a Lili of the valley art pad picture and a Craftwork cards sentiment circle. This is my first card for Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper February challenge - if you haven't yet discovered this challenge blog please click on the link and join in.

This is also for:

Fab n funky 201: Christmas
Christmas card challenges 9: anything goes
ABC Christmas: B for bare essentials - minimum embellishments
Crimbo crackers 57: Christmas happiness
The 12 days of Christmas card link up
Little red wagon 222: child's play
Totally papercrafts 204: clean and simple
Stamp-n-doodle 4: anything goes
4 crafty chicks 179: anything goes
Sister act 42

Sweet pea stampers challenge: Valentine's day/love

This is my design card for the Sweet pea stampers challenge: Valentine's day/love. I've used Helena Reis' 'follow my heart' digital image, cutting this out with a labels die and mounting on to the card with foam tape to raise it up. The card blank was made from a Craftwell eBosser embossing folder called 'fanciful flight', which included embossed butterflies on the inside of the card. I brushed the embossing with a mix of dusty concord and fired brick distress inks.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
CRAFT 244: love/Valentines
MilkCoffee: Valentine's/love
Little miss muffet 78: luuuuuurve
A creative romance: show us some love
Jellypark friends: lots of love
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 214: make your image pop
Deep ocean 70: fantasy
Paper-crafting journey: emboss that
Bloggers challenge: embossing
Penny's 162: spots and dots
Delicious doodles 73: die cuts and/or punches
Winter wonderland: digi days
Come and get it: butterflies or dragonflies
Hobbyhome 3: butterflies
Feeling crafty 24 butterflies
Graph it markers: anything goes/different coloured hair
Oozak 30: anything goes/love
Eureka 74: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 157: anything goes
Polka doodled digi choosday: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Dazzling divas 10: anything goes
Rhedd and rosies 25: anything goes
4 crafty chicks 179: anything goes
Crafty catz 216: anything goes
QKR stampede 73: anything goes
Digitally sweet 73: anything goes
Dream valley 74: no designer paper
613 avenue create 56: anything goes
Sister act 42
Inky linky 42
DL.ART January
Make it Monday 176

Postcard swap

I've taken part in a postcard swap on the Bubbly Funk forum, sending my postcard to Tracey.

The theme for the postcard swap was 'new' - we could interpret this in any way. I decided to go totally digital and used a couple of free images from the internet and played around with them till I got 'the world' in the 'eye' of the camera. It was originally a rectangular image with a black background, so I created a cut out circle and then faded the edges so that the black was only showing in the middle.

I'm entering this for these challenges:

Facebook A card a day
Scrapping4fun 9:  Start by using a colour with the first letter of your first name, add one more colour of your choice. Lots of colours were shown, but with a name beginning with H I didn't have much choice - so mine is Heliotrope + aqua
Tuesday throwdown 180: one layer
Papercreators crafts 19: anything goes
Word art Wednesday 117: anything goes
Eureka 74: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 157: anything goes
Polka doodled digi choosday: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Dazzling divas 10: anything goes
Rhedd and rosies 25: anything goes
Digitally sweet 73: anything goes
Dream valley 74: no designer paper
613 avenue create 56: anything goes
Inky linky 42
DL.ART January
Make it Monday 176

Cheerful stamp pad 78 week 2

It's time for some more inspiration for the Cheerful stamp pad challenge 78: a snowy day. Please click on the link and see the beautiful crafting of the rest of the team and join in the challenge which is being sponsored by Vintage Image Crafts - you can link your entry here.

For my design card I have used an image kindly supplied by Vintage Image Crafts on their facebook page - mounting on to a shaped piece of patterned card that was then matted on to a pearlescent card blank. The glittered layered snowflakes and holly are from an old Anna Griffin kit and the glittered ribbon is the final piece (shame there's none left now).

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Pixie's snippets 109: the last snippet of that ribbon (unless there are any bits lurking that I haven't seen)
The ribbon girl: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 156: ribbon
Digistamps4Joy 84: add real ribbon
Inky impressions 143: ribbon
Cupcake inspirations 245: snowflakes
The sisterhood of crafters: winter snowflakes
Kaboodle 208: baby it's cold outside
Glitter n sparkle 69: bling it up
4 crafty chicks 178: bling
Card and scrap 68: use bling
Robyn's fetish 196: lots of glitter
Stamp dreams 29: winter time
Crafty creations 255: seasonal - winter
Christmas card challenges 9: anything goes
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
Eureka 74: anything goes
The 12 days of Christmas card link up
Sister act 41
DL.ART January
Make it Monday 176

Thinking of you at this time

I needed to make quite a few sympathy cards recently and ones that let folk know we are thinking of them. This is another made with paper similar to that shown for my new Craftyhazellnut's Patterned Paper challenge for January (I'm giving away a pack of the paper as the prize for the month, so it's worth entering ... you've got to be in it to win it!), simply stamped with the sentiment by Lyn Lockwood (Inca stamps) and the rose stamped randomly, inked with memento rich cocoa.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Creative creations: less is more
Squigglefly 3: CAS
Little red wagon 221: clean & simple
Frilly and funkie: the warmth of winter - to warm the heart of someone dear
Come and get it: butterflies or dragonflies
Feeling crafty 24: butterflies
Challenges and candies 26: monochromatic
Crafty catz 215: monochrome
Country view crafts January: monochromatic
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
Sister act 41
DL.ART January

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 13: anything goes with ribbon

This is my design card for today's Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 13: anything goes with ribbon. This challenge is being sponsored by Stitchy Bear. I used one of their digis that were kindly provided, called 'bonnet day' and coloured with spectrum noir pens.

For the A5 card base I used a piece of pearlescent A4 card that I've had for years - bought loads at the time, used some and then the rest has been in a drawer.

Other papers and bits and pieces (mainly from Papermania kits) are offcuts. I found the ribbon in a box - haven't a clue where it came from or how long I've had it.

I followed the sketch given for Feeling sketchy 78:

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Artistic inspirations 75: use ribbon/anything goes
Party time Tuesday 156: ribbon
Really reasonable ribbon 87: love and ribbon
Digistamps4Joy 84: add real ribbon
Inky impressions 143: ribbon
Delicious doodles 72: must use a ribbon
Craft-Dee BowZ January: anything goes and include a handmade bow
Jellypark friends: buttons and/or bows
Fairytale 85: bows
One stitch at a time 196: use a digi (I used a Stitchy bear image)
The paper shelter 142: digi image + sentiment
Crafting by designs: get your girl on
Crafting for all seasons 69: for the girls
Pattie's 84: for the little girls
Crafty sentiments: birthdays
Deep ocean 69: birthday
Polka doodles digi choosday: anything goes/bithdays
Seize the birthday: who likes to colour?
Stampin' for the weekend: happy birthday
Simply create too 53: use hearts
Kreativeinkauf 11: hearts
Crafts and me 144: use a heart
Di's digi designs: spots and dots
MilkCoffee: monochromatic
Challenges and candies 26: monochromatic
Crafty catz 215: monochrome
Country view crafts January: monochromatic
Sentimental Sundays 190: more than 3 layers
Hobby cutz 32: lots of layers
Papercreators crafts 19: anything goes
Creative fingers 21: anything goes
Craftitude 57: anything goes
613 avenue create 55: anything goes
Divas by design: anything goes
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
4 krafty girlz 10: anything goes#
Inky linky 41
Sister act 41
DL.ART January
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

Another tree for CHNC challenge 161

This is my second card for CHNC challenge 161. This has only one little tree in the corner. The backing paper and the cut out panel of Rosie in her Christmas outfit are from my Daisy & friends CD, designed by Linnie the owner of Whoopsi Daisy, one of our sponsors for this challenge. The sentiment circle is from Anna Griffin and the silver stars from stash.

This is also for:

ABC Christmas: B for bare essentials
Order of the opus gluei 175: trees
Little miss muffet 77: what a fuss - fussy cutting around the shape with the girl
Little red wagon 221: clean & simple
One stitch at a time 196: use a digi (I used a Stitchy bear image)
The paper shelter 142: digi image + sentiment
Crafting by designs: get your girl on
Crafting for all seasons 69: for the girls
PumpkinSpice 56: something shiny (the sentiment circle and the silver stars)
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
Sister act 41
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

CHNC challenge 161: trees

The theme for today's CHNC challenge 161 is 'trees' - tall or small, just one of many ... as long as there's at least one tree on your Christmas card it's good to enter - I'd love to see you there.

For my first card I cut up three trees from a card received and panelled them on to matching mirror card. The trees are on a hammered card, so I used a white hammered card as the blank, on to which I also matted the sentiment that had been created on the computer and printed.

As is always the case, very difficult to get a photo of a card with so much mirror card, but in real life the trees as well as the surrounding mat are very shiny.

This is also for:

ABC Christmas: B for bare essentials
Order of the opus gluei 175: trees
MilkCoffee: monochromatic
Challenges and candies 26: monochromatic
Crafty catz 215: monochrome
Country view crafts January: monochromatic
PumpkinSpice 56: something shiny
Little red wagon 221: clean & simple
As you like it: favourite C & S style & why: a symmetrical pattern using an upycled card in a new way
Creative fingers 21: anything goes
Craftitude 57: anything goes
613 avenue create 55: anything goes
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
4 krafty girlz 10: anything goes
Inky linky 41
Sister act 41
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

Roses for sympathy

A simple sympathy card (I never think they should be elaborate), using a piece of paper similar to that shown for my new Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge for January on to which I've stamped the sentiment and added some stickers from Poundland.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Creative creations: less is more
Squigglefly 3: CAS
Addicted to stamps and more 79: CAS
Little red wagon 221: clean & simple
Frilly and funkie: the warmth of winter - to warm the heart of someone dear
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
Sister act 41
DL.ART January

Christmas snow through a window

I created this window effect by cutting up part of an upcycled Christmas card into nine equal squares, mounting these on to a piece of dark brown card that matched the card blank, mounting this on to a piece of pearlised card before finally mounting on to the dark brown card blank.

I've followed Christmas cards with sketches 107 - please click on the link to see the sketch - also for Top tip Tuesday: favourite sketch challenge - I love this sketch because it is so versatile and could be used to upcycle a few cards. The picture is glittered in places, but, unfortunately, this doesn't show up on the photo.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Craft a scene January: make your own theme
Card 4 guyz: monochrome (think this is suitable to send to a male)
Digi sketch challenge: one for the men
Ooh-la-la 148: a man card
Let's craft and create 86: masculine
Fussy & fancy 105: monochromatic
MilkCoffee: monochromatic
Country view crafts January: monochromatic
Robyn's fetish 195: winter cards
The sisterhood of crafters: winter snowflakes
Christmas fun: non-traditional colours
Jingle belles: have yourself a merry little Christmas (each square is 1.5" x 1.5")
Crafty creations 255: seasonal
Scribbles designs 13: sparkle it up
Hobby cutz 32: lots of layers (four)
Sentimental Sundays 190: more than 3 layers
The 12 days of Christmas card link up
613 avenue create 55: anything goes
Crafting with dragonflies 18: card only - anything goes
Divas by design: anything goes
Paper pretties 294: anything goes
4 krafty girlz 10: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 10: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Sister act 40
DL.ART January
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

With deepest sympathy

It's sad that this kind of card is often needed - the older one gets, the more they are needed.

Anyway, this is a simple card using a piece of paper similar to those in the pack I am giving away for my Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge for January (if you haven't discovered this yet, please click on the link and join in the fun). I used a little stamp that I've had for years, inking with memento rich cocoa and also stazon blazing red, sometimes stamping this on a piece of  paper first so I got a faded image. The sentiment is Anita's.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day

Creative creations: less is more

Squigglefly 3: CAS

As you like it: favourite C & S style & why - involving stamping, because I love stamps!

Hiding in my craft room 133: clean & simple

Addicted to stamps and more 79: CAS
Nutcrafters 60: CAS
Little red wagon 221: clean & simple

Just like fine wine ...

... you grow better with the years.

It's my brother's birthday today and this is the card I made for him using a mixture of Kanban and Hunkydory supplies (a similar card to the one I made for John's birthday and showed here).

The bottle and glass on the front both have a holographic look with colours varyng according to the light -difficult to get a photo that shows it at its best.

The white square on the inside has just been added digitally to hide the message I wrote:

This is for:

Daring cardmakers: what's your tipple?
Deep ocean 69: birthday
Crafty sentiments: birthdays
Scrappers delights 14: let's celebrate
A little bit crafty January: celebrate
Crafty calendar January: let's celebrate
Digi sketch challenge: one for the men
Ooh-la-la 148: a man card
Let's craft and create 86: masculine
Crafting from the heart 5: anything goes/fancy folds
Lexi 108: fancy folds
Crafts 4 eternity R159: fancy folds
Scribble and scrap 10: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Sister act 40
DL.ART January
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

Clean and simple sympathy

This is a clean and simple card made with a piece of paper from the pack similar to those that I am giving away as the prize for the randomly chosen winner of my Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge for January - if you haven't yet discovered this new challenge blog, please click on the link and have a look and join in. I'm showing this card there.

'The monthly challenge will always be 'anything goes' as long as you cover your card blank with patterned paper or card, using any size or shape of card that you wish - there are no other rules! You can add embellishments if you wish, stamp, emboss etc - but you must cover your card blank with patterned paper or card. The card can be for any occasion.'

I've stamped on the paper with a sentiment stamp from Hobbycraft and one of my favourite Penny Black stamps which is so versatile, sparklers, stamped randomly, both inked with stazon vibrant violet.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day

Creative creations: less is more

Squigglefly 3: CAS

As you like it: favourite C & S style & why - involving stamping, because I love stamps!

Hiding in my craft room 133: clean & simple

Through the purple haze 25: pick your favourite colour - I love lots of colours, but purple is a definite favourite for crafting

Feeling crafty 24: butterflies

Created with love 73: winged things

Fantasy stampers 2: anything with wings

Cheerful stamp pad challenge 78

Today sees the start of the Cheerful stamp pad challenge 78: a snowy day. Please click on the link and see the beautiful crafting of the rest of the team and join in the challenge which is being sponsored by Vintage Image Crafts.

For my design card I have used an image kindly supplied by Vintage Image Crafts on their facebook page  - mounting on to a shaped piece of patterned card that was then matted on to a pearlescent card blank. The glittered layered snowflake and holly are from an old Anna Griffin kit and the knotted ribbon is almost the last snippet of some that I've loved using.

This is also for:

The 12 days of Christmas card link up
Pixie's snippets 108
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Stamp dreams 28: snowflakes
Paper makeup 124: snowflakes
Everybody art 261: snow
Digi haven: baby it's cold outside
Melonheadz: winter fun
Crafter's cafe blog 46: bling it on
Card and scrap 68; use bling
Digistamps4Joy 83: glitter n sparkle
Scribbles designs 13: sparkle it up
Divas by design: use ribbons
Artistic inspirations 75: use ribbon/anything goes
Fairytale 85: bows
Craft-Dee BowZ January: anything goes and include a handmade bow
Cuttin and stampin 14-2: anything goes with winter
Delightful: brrr (anything winter)
Dare to be sassy 212: shabby chic or vintage
Paper-crafting journey: vintage
Polka doodles digi choosday: anything goes
Hobbycutz 32: lots of layers
One stitch at a time 196: use a digi
My Sheri 125: delightful digis
Robyn's fetish 195: winter cards
Scribble and scrap 10: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Brown sugar 77: anything goes
Inky linky 40
Sister act 40
DL.ART January
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 175

The Glory of Christmas challenge 15: clean and simple

This is my design card for the Glory of Christmas 25: clean and simple.

I've used an offcut of Hunkydory card and a tree image cut from a card received, mounted on to red mirror card - simples, as the meerkats would say!

This is also for:

The 12 days of Christmas card link up
Hiding in my craftroom 133: clean and simple
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Cuttin and stampin 14-2: anything goes with winter
Creative inspirations 248: anything goes
Sister act 40
Crafting by designs January: anything goes

Cooking up a storm

It was Lizzie's turn to pick the theme for the Christmas Card Club for today's challenge and she asked us to 'cook up a storm' - anything to do with food.

So I've gone with the ever-popular gingerbread men (or should I say 'people'?!). I've used snippets of left over bits from magazine freebie papers top and bottom and snippet strips from Echo Park Winter Wishes by Michelle Coleman in between. Gingerbread ribbons are by Crafty Ribbons (some that I bought with a voucher I won quite some time ago). Felt gingerbread people and little sprigs of holly from Poundland.

Colours are for Just us girls 224:

And lots of gingerbread houses for Festive Friday 23:

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
The 12 days of Christmas card link up
Pixie's snippets 108
Open-minded crafting: warmth (food or clothing)
Pink gem 111: for the boys (suitable for a young boy)
Pile it on 2: holidays/celebrations
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Divas by design: use ribbons
Alphabet: Y for young card for a little one
Cuttin and stampin 14-2: anything goes with winter
Come and get it: food, glorious food
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Brown sugar 77: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Inky linky 40
Sister act 40
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 174

More shades of blue for CHNC challenge 160

This is my second card for today's CHNC challenge 160: shades of blue.

Once again, I've used a ready printed card blank and Hunkydory supplies:

This is also for:

Pile it on 2: holidays/celebrations
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Creative creations: anything goes
Through the purple haze 24: anything goes
Creative inspirations 248: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Sister act 40
Crafting by designs January: anything goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 12: sketch

Today's Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 12 is a sketch (I turned the sketch to the left for my card):

The challenge is being sponsored by Broken Box Stock and I've used their 'sunscreen snowman' digital image on my design card for this challenge. It's also being sponsored by Digi Darla - so there are two chances to win a prize.

I've used offcuts from Hunkydory kits, cutting off a piece of the front of the card to reveal card that I'd put on the inside. Buttons were from stash.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Crafting from the heart 4: anything goes/use pearls or buttons
Flourishes timeless 254: button up - button as embellishment on a winter card
Jellypark friends: buttons and/or bows
Pixie's snippets 107
Merry Monday 91: snowman or snow people
Pile it on 2: holidays/celebrations
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Kaboodle 206: winter wonderland
Collage obsession: frozen
Everybody art 261: snow
Going grey at Scrap-creations: snowmen
Aud sentiments 98: any sentiment you would like
Crafty boots: anything goes
DL.ART January
Sister act 40
Inky linky 40
Crafting by designs January: anything goes
Make it Monday 174

CHNC challenge 160: shades of blue

Saturday has come round quickly again and that means it's time for CHNC challenge 160: shades of blue.
I'd love to see any Christmas cards that have plenty of blue on them, although other colours can be used to.

This is a simple card using a pre-patterned card blank, a pre-die cut mat on to which I put a Hunkydory topper, with a piece of band and sentiment also from a Hunkydory kit.

This is also for:

Pile it on 2: holidays/celebrations
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas
Aud sentiments 98: any sentiment you would like
Creative creations: anything goes
Through the purple haze 24: anything goes
Creative inspirations 248: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Sister act 40
Crafting by designs January: anything goes

The sweet pea stampers challenge: flower power

Today's new challenge on the Sweet pea stampers blog is 'flower power'. Please click on the link to see the wonderful creations of the rest of the team and join in the challenge - we'd love to see you there.

For my design card I have used Elaine Cox's Thumbelina stamp inked with memento tuxedo black and coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers.

Papers are Dovecraft Back to Basics IV, brushed with broken china distress ink. The fishtail shapes were die cut with Die-namics run through my cuttlebug and once again the papers brushed with the distress ink. Flowers are some that I won quite a long time ago from Hooked on Craft (sadly, only a few left now).

I based the card on the sketch given for Sweet Sunday sketch 202, turning this to the left:

The die cuts aren't crooked - it's the photo - honestly - lol!

This is also for:

Passion for promarkers 230: just a fairytale
Graph it markers: anything goes/springtime inspired/yellows and blues
Cuttlebug mania: distressed
Sunday stamper 290: on the wings of love
Emerald faeries 51: things with wings
Crafting by designs: flowers, flowers, flowers
Penny's 160: embellishments - flowers (one of my favourite embellishments)
Cute card Thursday 304: warm it up - summary days
The rubber buggy 15: anything goes