Da vinci tag

It's a long while since I've done anything for the challenges on UKStampers - as a new series has just begun I thought I'd try and join in again. This is the instruction:

'Each week there will be 3 ingredients to include in your tag.
The first week include all 3, the next week 1 ingredient will be dropped and 1 new one added and so on.......... a rolling recipe.
Each week make a tag 8x16cm and post your finished tags on the blog..........until we get a gallery!

We'll start off easy! Here's this weeks ingredients

1 Any stamped image.
2.Lace.
3.Glitter.

I decided to incorporate the Leonardo stamp that I had for Christmas (I used it before here).

I chose a piece of beige cardstock that had a texture to it and brayered it using a couple of Ariondack rainbow ink pads. I then added a little distress tattered rose (I've discovered this needs to be re-inked or replaced), sanded it a bit and then stamped my image and heat embossed with black detail. I only had cream lace, so I brayered that a bit and then added strips of stickles gold - I wasn't really keen on adding the glitter, but it was in the recipe, so I thought I ought to!

I had to take the photo at an angle because otherwise the black embossed areas reflected the flashlight too much.

This also fits these other challenges:

Wednesday stamper: 'da Vinci' - this is why I chose this stamp
Tanda teaser 130: 'a touch of lace'
No time to stamp? 123: 'very vintage'
Another for Magical crafts 6: 'vintage style'
Another for Gingersnap GC38 spicy supply challenge: 'embossing powder'
Another for Lucy's cards 4: 'glitter'

Egg-cellent shot

This card is for sketch 52 on the sweetest thing:

The colour scheme is for challenge 7 on Sketchy colours: 'brown and turquoise' - I haven't used this combo for a long time, but I loved working with it again - the paper is DCWV (it's been lurking in my stash for a long while, waiting to be used).

It's also for:

House mouse 61: 'faux grid' (the first time I've done this) - the stamped image is HM 'egg-cellent shot' - one of the images sent to me by dear Gez
Another one for Pile it on 2: 'tie it around it' - use at least 3 ribbons
Alphabet: 'M is for mouse!'
Another one for Crafty pad 54: 'animals'
Another for Susie's sassy 6: 'card for a boy/option of an animal'
Paper cutz 25: 'farm animal' (perhaps it's a bit of a cheat, but I'm sure there would be some mice on a farm)
Paperplay week 3: 'handwriting' (despite my poor writing, I decided to handwrite the sentiment)
Glue, scissors, paper 13: 'love your own handwriting'
Stamp something: 'funny somethings'
The play date cafe 13: 'white, turquoise, brown, black
Cooking it up with Katie 9: 'recipe' - use a 'non human' image, add some texture (the three ribbons), use a product you;ve never used before (the HM stamped image)
Rainbow lady 87/88: 'fur'
Raise the bar 2: 'the gift that keeps on giving' - use something that's been given to you - the stamped image from Gez
Crafty angels 18: 'keep it simple' - one image, one piece of cardstock (the base card), one sheet patterned paper, one type of embellishment (ribbons) and one sentiment - no more, no less

Love

This card is for Paper Sundaes 1: sketch:

It's also for:

Pile it on 2: 'tie it around it' - use at least 3 ribbons
Anyone for Anya: 'black and white + 1' - I used the Greetings Farm digi 'Anya Valentine, coloured with copics
Corrosive 47: 'let's go digi'
Caardvarks: 'red heart challenge' - use red and incorporate hearts
Little paper shop 51: 'button it'
Pollycraft 32: 'fire and ice' - red and white
Jacksonbelle Tuesday: 'Valentine's day project'
Paper Maniac inspiration: 'texture, faux stitching and buttons - not a circle button'
Crafty creations 51: 'Valentines or love'
Creative Belli 83: 'hearts'
C.R.A.F.T. 34: 'colour challenge: red'
Crafty catz 16: 'love'
Dare U 2 digi 29: 'buttons' - the image is a digi
Allsorts 36: 'hearts and flowers'
Bee crafty 22: 'favourite colour combo' - black, white and red - one of my favourite combos
One stop craft 64: 'love and kisses'
Lily-boo too January challenge: 'Valentine' - I've used a digi image
Humble pie: 'love challenge' - red, pink and white and must include hearts
Kelly Jo colour chef 35: 'black, grey, red, white'
Ildi Co 8: 'colour combo - pink, red and white' (I hope it's OK that there's black as well)
Inky impressions 28: 'Valentine' - include pink and hearts
Another for Totally Gorjuss: 'dimension' - the ribbons, flowers and heart buttons

Winter inchies

These winter inchies are for the January swap on BF forum.

I started off with a piece of Fancy Pants dainty paper and spritzed it with my own home-made glimmer mist (a combination of water, drops of broken china distress ink and some perfect pearls). I then fused together (ironed) some angelina fusible fibres - crystal amethyst and astral blue, sprinkled with a few grains of Metal magic by Debbi Moore. I then ran the original sprayed piece of paper through the Xyron so that the decorated side was covered with adhesive so that the fibres stuck down. I stamped random snowflakes (Dovecraft clear stamps) with Elzybells sugar candy white pigment ink (this really is the best white I've discovered - I used to think Brilliance was the best until I tried this) and heat embossed with detail white. Lastly, I added some silver and aqua gems.

Because of the irridescence of the fibres over the 'glimmer mist', the inchies look different according to the light.

Now you see the snowflakes:



and now you don't:

I really had fun doing these, even though it involved using the iron (which doesn't get much use nowadays, lol!).

There are a few challenges current that these inchies are good for:

Sunflowers and dragonflies 24: 'winter wonderland'
Saturday spotlight 14: 'snowflakes gone wild'
Small world of inchies and twinchies: 'snow and ice'
2 red bananas: 'blue, white and silver'
Another for Apron strings: 'cardstock it is' - no patterned paper
Double dutch 35: 'baby, it's cold outside' - something frozen or frosty
Inchy by inch: 'B is for .... Brrrrrrrrrr (hope that's not cheating!)
Another for Kaboodle 22: 'anything but a card'
Squigglefly 32: 'clean and simple, plus blue'
Gingersnap GC38 spicy supply challenge: 'embossing powder'
Dollies elements challenge: 'favourite things' - choose three things from the Sound of music song - I chose (all three of these are incorporated in the inchies):

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs

Little red wagon 12: 'snowflakes'
Pals paper arts 26: 'anything but a card'
Penny's challenges: 'inchies'
Sunflowers and dragonflies 25: 'inchies and twinchies'
Lucy's cards 4: 'glitter'
Another for 3 clovers 47: 'baby, it's cold outside'
Another for Crafty Ann 6: 'embossing'
Another for Fussy & fancy 2: 'winter'
Another for Raise the bar 1: 'debut day!' - use something in your stash that hasn't been opened yet (the two packs of angelina fusible fibres)
Etsy inspired 72: 'sweetie pie tutus!' - I chose snowflak flurry tutu:

Susie & Vikki's Christmas club1: 'snow' (I know it's not a card, but when I get my inchy back from the swap I can use it on a card)

Brown and pink Tilda

This card is for Jay Jay's sketch on Just Magnolia:



It's also for:

Allsorts 35: 'brown and pink'
Nutty nutshells 7: 'colour challenge - pink and brown'- the tilda stamp qualifies for this as well as the Just Magnolia challenge
Treehouse 33: 'get well wishes'
Another one for Stamp, scrap & doodle 23: 'girly' and Dezinaworld: 'girly'
365 cards day 325: 'imagine this' - chocolate
Papertake: 'pretty pink'
Fun with shapes and more 37: 'chocolate'

The new Totally Gorjuss challenge has just been posted and it is 'dimension' - this is created here by the flowers and prima pearls.

The papers are Making memories, the flowers are a mixture and the pearly gems are prima.

I love purple

This card is for Friday Sketchers 85:

I love purple, but don't really use it often enough, so I took the opportunity tonight, playing for the following challenges:

Totally gorjuss 'all in one' challenge 13: monotone
ECP 4: 'lavender' - all shades of purple
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 18: 'shades of purple and grey' - there is a bit of grey within the band across the bottom
Etsy inspired 71: amethyst soap, particularly this picture:

Your next stamp 8: 'anything that sparkles' - the stamped image is mounted on glitter card
Cute Daisy May: 'flower and ribbon'
Stamp, scrap and doodle 23: 'girly'
Dezinaworld: 'girly'
Cupcake 73: 'going girly'
Incy wincy 26: 'colour me wonderful' - use your favourite colouring medium - copics
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'use scraps' - still keeping to one of my resolutions when I can
Tuesday taggers: 'left overs' - using the offcuts
Raise the bar 1: 'debut day' - use something in your tash that hasn' been opened yet - the flowers: I bought the pack a couple of days ago (Craftime colour connection)
Sew many challenges 2: 'purple, white and a splash of black' - there is black within the top purple paper (from BG wisteria) and also on the flowery one below it (HOTP)
Spoon full of sugar 87: 'lots of layering'

PS I've just changed the photo because I realised that I'd coloured one of the girl's feet as if it was part of the teddy - oooops! So I've now coloured her skin colour darker to fudge over the mistake. In fact, now that I've darkened her skin tone (and the hair as well), I'm linking for Copic creations 20: 'ethnic skin tones'

Simply ivy

This card is for FTL74 on Clean & Simple:

This was an opportunity to use just stamping and leave some white space - and, to make a change, an A5 piece of card folded lengthwise. The main ivy stamp is Whispers, coloured with copics and the sentiment was stamped too. This means that the card is good for day 287 on 365 cards: 'stamping' Saturday' - every aspect of the card must be stamped.

And Stampin' Royalty 3 as asked for a single layer project and Apron strings 'cardstock it is' - no patterned paper.

And, as this was coloured with copics, I'm linking for Incy wincy 26: 'colour me wonderful' - use your favourite colouring medium - copics.

And the new challenge blog Sew many challenges 1 is 'anything goes' as long as we use a digi or a stamped image (although I realise I'm late for this)

Lastly, Quixotic 10 challenge this week is 'ink up an old stamp' - I haven't used this ivy stamp for quite some time.

Thoughts of spring ...

If you've read my previous post you'll know that Kaz came to visit this morning and she has gone away thinking that she needs a cricut - yes, you do, Kaz. And, if you read this, you'll see that for this card I've used a free svg download (from Images by Heather) to produce edging around the yellow card very similar to that achieved with the punches you brought along to show me (which I was getting all set to buy - and then thought I'd investigate if there was anything similar available to use with Make the cut for the cricut.

I used Fiona's sketch for this week's challenge on Stampin' for the weekend:

My card has a 'spring' feel to it, which is good for these challenges:

Sophisticat 18: 'spring'
Artful inkables - think ink Tuesday 12: 'think spring'
Created by hand: 'waiting for spring'
No time to stamp? 122: 'mid-winter perk-me-up!' floral theme and some fresh spring-time colours
And perhaps it could also fit Papr Cutz challenge 24: 'summer'

The strips of paper are My mind's eye 'bloom and grow' - the dotty piece is embossed - and the stamped flower is a Magenta stamp coloured with copics.

I know that I didn't actually use a punch, but using the cricut for the triple dot scalloped edge has achieved the same effect, so I'm also linking for:

Creative card crew 43: 'punch it'
Simon says: 'punch it'
One stop craft 63: 'fancy edges or corners

It's also OK for Sunday stamper 87: 'birthday'

The spring colours I've used remind me of oranges and lemons, so it's good for Charisma cardz 3: 'fruity colours' and also Sweet stampin' 9: 'feeling fruity'.

A bubbly came to play!!

Kaz from the Bubbly Funk forum came round this morning for a coffee, a chat and a play, although I confess we did more chatting than playing - next time we'll get down to more crafting.

However, I did manage to convince Kaz that she needs a cricut and also an ATG tape gun. And Kaz has convinced me that I need some of the Martha Stewart around the page punches - so I might just have to have a nosey around the internet and buy some.

Kaz was very 'norty' because she brought me these lovely flowers and note book:



It was so lovely to meet Kaz and hope that she'll come round to see me again soon (her sister lives quite close to me) and stay longer next time.

Salt: Daily

It's Salt challenge day today and Tanis has chosen the subject - you can read what she wrote here.

For the cut off circle (which was torn around a dinner plate) I used Choices 'organized type stripe' paper which has a lovely pearlised sheen - unfortunately, making it more difficult to get a photo - it's such a dull day here atm that the white textured card background doesn't look as white as irl.

The strips of wording were produced on my Dymo letratag and the title letters are Thickers. The floral borders are rub ons.

It's a bit daunting seeing seven photos of me (one is more than enough!), but I wanted to convey the daily walk with God that Tanis is talking about.

As always, you can see the wording better if you click on the photo to enlarge it.



Please go over to Salt and have a look at the lovely crafting done by the rest of the team - and perhaps join in with our challenge - we'd love to see what you produce for this topic.

Not much happening for WOYWW

We're ready now to be collected to go up to Guy's for two appointments for John (we were up there yesterday as well - not sure why we bothered to come home!) - anyway, today is WOYWW on Julia's blog and this week I've remembered to take a photo early, although there's nothing much of interest happening in my space.


Perhaps there'll be more crafting activity later today when we get back from Guy's (well, I definitely have got to get my Salt contribution done for tomorrow).

Happy Birthday brother

It's my brother's birthday on Thursday and, until tonight, I hadn't made a card for him. I knew I wanted to make a golfing themed card, but was lacking inspiration as to how to get it started, until I looked at the sketch on Taylored Expressions challenge 98:

I decided to make a gatefold card - this is what it looks like closed (please excuse the paper clips top and bottom to keep it closed to take the photo):


The golf bag, clubs and ball are all raised on 3D foam and the main part of the bag is a textured material (I confess that I didn't make this, but bought it as it is). Papers are all BG archaic.

So the textures make it good for Crafty creations 50: 'textures' challenge. And, of course, it's a birthday card - Crafty catz 15: 'a birthday card' and Crazy 4 challenges 19: 'birthday'


and this is the inside - with a bit of texture and raised embellishments:

A night at the cinema

This card is quite different to the normal sort that I would make - and I haven't a clue what I'll do with it, but nevermind - it's good sometimes to make something a little out of the ordinary.

This was inspired by three current challenges:

ColourQ 15:
Ann's creative nook 74: 'be inspired by fabric' - from the Etsy site: KaraMia Sofia - I chose medium make-up pouch/clutch/(Amy Butler) Temple Garden Lime:

and lastly the 'ad inspired' picture on 365 day 315 (particularly the grey):

I'd seen a couple of challenges that are to do with dragons and I remembered I had some DCWV epoxy stickers that I got when I did Leigh's CJ pages on dragons - so I found the remaining ones and have used them together with part of a 12 x 12 K & Co paper, also cutting out the 'popcorn' and tickets from another part of the paper.

The challenges I'm referring to are:

KL stampin' n scrappin' 13: 'appreciate a dragon day' (apparently there really is such a day) - to use dragons/reptiles

Cinema Saturday 62: 'A night at the museum':
- add something miniature (the green dragon)

So here is my card:

It's also another one for Susie's Sassy 6: 'card for a boy with the added option of an animal'

Sweet treats for Christmas

Yet another Christmas card! - think at some point I ought to stop making them and get on and re-stock birthday cards etc.

Anyway, this card is for Georgia's Christmas card sketch for challenge 53 on Just Christmas and Birthdays:
It's also for the current challenge on Forever friends 'a cheerful/happy card, but with a twist! It must have 2 layers (which can include the base of the card), a ribbon and something that sparkles' - I think I might have cheated a little (I didn't mean to, honestly - lol!) because there might just be an extra layer and the 'ribbon' is a rub on (but it does look like a ribbon, doesn't it?). The teddies, of course, are Forever friends, as are the papers (Christmas Glow), not forgetting the important piece of mistletoe. The 3D FF embellishments are glittered and the Poundland bling in the corners provides a bit more sparkle.

As the teddies are carrying mince pies, it's another one for Incy wincy 25: 'sweet treats' (although I have to confess that I don't like mince pies, so I wouldn't consider them to be a treat); it's also some more bling for Jacksonbelle Tuesday.

It's also for:
Little red wagon 11: 'polka dots'
Hand full of stamps 12: 'polka dots'
Paperplay week 2: 'furry friends'
Susie's sassy 6: 'card for a boy/option of an animal'
Fussy & fancy 2: 'winter'
Creatalicious 6: 'no stamped images ...'
Crafty pad 54: 'animals' (I hope teddy bears count!)
365 cards day 320: 'tea for two' - tea party - I know there's no tea to drink, but I'm sure these teddies are all set for a tea party!

Bride and groom

When I was in Poundland recently (about the one day when we had some respite from the snow!) I saw some wedding favour boxes and got some, thinking they might come in handy one day for something crafty. This is what they looked like:



And then I saw the current challenge on Cuttlebug Spot: 'Let's party!' and I knew that I just had to use them. And it so happens that a few other challenges are covered as well:

Squigglefly 31: 'anything but a card'
Kaboodle 22: 'anything but a card'
Twisted Thursday 39: 'hugs and kisses' - ABC - anything but a card - twist: Valentine's day
Our creative corner: '3D challenge'
Magical crafts fortnightly 6 'vintage style'
One stop craft 62: 'a night at the movies' - plenty of wedding theme films, e.g. Betsy's wedding
Jacksonbelle Tuesday: 'bling in the new year'
Humble pie 3: 'at least two different types of bling'
Crafty Ann 6: 'embossing'
Cuttlebug challenge be inspired 65: 'basic white theme'
Diva coffee break designs 160: 'basic black, whisper white, basic grey or going gray'
Saturday spotlight 13: 'love without hearts'
Creative Belli 82: 'glitter or rhinestones - both here
By the cute and girly: 'something new' - new beginnings with a wedding
Polka doodles week 2: 'love'
Creatalicious 6: 'no stamped images ...'


I ran the front of the dress through the cuttlebug with the d'vine swirls embossing folder and then added gemstones, silver ribbon round the wait and Stickles crystal ice across the top of the dress. I just added a few gemstones to the 'groom', leaving the emphasis of altering with the 'bride'.

The first two of my ten cards for BF 25th club

I signed up to be part of the 25th club on Bubbly Funk forum - the idea is that each month, by the 25th, we make a number of Christmas cards - the number we make is our own choice. I decided to try to make 10 a month because I usually make a lot and it will spread the time of doing them.

Joanne chose the theme for this month's BF 25th club cards:

'I thought I'd give you a recipe challenge for the first go at the 25th club so for your January card(s) please include:

Turquoise (or blue) and silver swirl(s) of some sort (could be stamped, doodled, chippie, embossed, grungeboard, whatever)
Something sparkly or shiny (e.g. glitter, gems, metal)'

It was one of my crafting resolutions that I would try and make Christmaas cards throughout the year. My other crafting resolution is to use up scraps and offcuts, to avoid always reaching for a new 12 x 12 or whatever.

So today I've made my 10 cards for the club, using various challenge sketches to help me along. And I've also managed to make all of them using offcuts from my Christmas box, with the addition of a few bits and pieces here and there and some recycling.

And, of course, on most of the cards I've included the silver mirror card swirls that I cut last night with my cricut using the new Make a Cut software - you can read about it here.

The first two cards use the sketch for Fresh & Fun 110:


The papers are Craft Creations and the and foiled mirror card on the left of the second card is Kanban (doesn't show up well here - is a much deeper colour blue irl). The glittered 'images' are chipboard from Poundland. I've added gems to the swirls on the second card.

They are also good for:

If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 17: 'chipboard'
Lots to do: 'winter wonderland'
Incy wincy 25: 'sweet treats' - the second card
Sophisticat 17: 'doth the north wind blow': chill
Die cuts R us 21: 'leftovers' - I used scraps and offcuts of papers
Design dollies elements challenge: 'walking in a winter ... wonderland'
Everybody art 73: 'snowflakes'
3 clovers 47: 'baby it's cold outside!' - winter theme
Fab's big Christmas week 1: 'frosty colours'
Humble pie 2 flourishes
Play date cafe12: 'colour: blues'
Stamp with fun 41: snowflakes
Crafty calendar 4: 'keeping warm' - the hot chocolate and marshmallows on the second card
Paperminutes 96: 'relax' - the second card

The rest of my ten cards for the 25th club are shown separately below this post. Most of them also qualify for these challenges.

I'm also entering these cards and the following eight, making ten in all, for the Christmas cards all year round challenge for January.

Another card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here - using Get sketchy 20:

Once again, papers are Craft Creations, silver swirls cut on the cricut and the image is recycled from a card received.



This covers most of the challenges already mentioned on this post here and also:

Bah! humbug 1: 'recycling'

More winter for 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Taylored expressions 97:

This time the background is reflective mirror card which has silver swirls within it and the paper on the right is a piece of Basic Grey. Once again, the glittered chipboard is Poundland.

Winter wonderland continued for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Card patterns 46 - I turned it on its side:

The top paper was from a magazine and the bottom one is English paper company. Again I've used Poundland chipboard and the cricut silvery holly swirls.

Create4fun sketch for another 25th club Christmas card

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Create4fun week 2:

The background of this card was taken from the centre of a gatefold card we received and the picture of the child sweeping the snow was also recycled from a received card, so this is good for Bah! Humbug 1:'recycling' and also Glue scissors paper 12: 'going green' - incorporate at least 50% recycled products.

The piece of script paper is English paper company.

Another 25th club Christmas card - Secret crafter Saturday

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch for Secret crafter 65 - I turned it on its side:

The strip of paper across the middle is English paper company, the holidays sentiment is Poundland chippie, the snowman is a recycled tag. This time the glitter is on the ribbons and the holidays sentiment.