CHNC challenge 10: embossing

It's hard to believe that we are already into March and today sees the launch of CHNC challeng 10 - you can read more about it here.

And this week there is a prize - one randomly selected crafter will win a Papermania snowflakes embossing folder and a Stampavie Rachelle Anne Miller clear Snowman stamp.

I've used one of these embossing folders and stamp on my card for this challenge (the winner will get unopened products, not the ones that I've used - lol!).

The card I used with the embossing folder has a sparkly sheen to it which isn't visible here. I used the same card to stamp the snowman and coloured with copics.

Having already chosen the topic of 'embossing' for my challenge 10 I was surprised to see that this week Bah! humbug 9 is also asking for embossing, so I'm linking my card there. And today's Die cut dreams Christmas 56 is 'inspired by a song' - so this is for 'Frosty the snowman' - also for Try it on Tuesday: inspired by a song. It's also for Winter wonderland: snowflakes.

Please click here to have a look at this my challenge 10 and, hopefully, join in - don't forget, there is a prize.

I'm also linking this to a new challenge on Stamping Vacation called: name the challenge challenge - so this is my challenge for my own CHNC challenge 10, which can also be found here.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here - only a couple of days to go now - you've got to be in it to win it!

A March resolution

New Year is usually the time for resolutions, but now I'm making a March resolution. When 365 cards first started I more or less kept up with every day's challenge, but last year I failed miserably. So I'm making a new start with their new year from 1 March (although, of course, I'm already three days behind - lol!).

So this card is for the white space sketch for 365 day 1 (I just turned it on its side):

As it's a 'white space' card it is, of course, clean and simple, using the lovely Leaping sheep border stamp by Inca, coloured with copics, and a PM sentiment stamp.



This is also for:

Stamp it crazy: spring beaver - use a spring animal
Crazy challenge 56: here comes spring
Incy wincy 83: spring is in the air
Crazy amigo: spring is in the air
Everybody art 131: spring
Oldie but goodie 13: spring is in the air (the oldie is the sentiment stamp)
Fab n funky 62: spring into action
Cute card Thursday 154: signs of spring
Delightful: welcoming spring

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here - less than a week to go now - you've got to be in it to win it!

Salt: Attitude

It was Stacy's turn to choose the topic for today's new challenge on Salt - you can read what she wrote here.

My LO is simple, using a piece of K & Co Urban Rhapsody as the background, superimposed with some cut out birds from another of the Urban Rhapsody papers. 'Attitude' was stamped using PM alphabet stamps and coloured with burnt umber copic (the paper for this and the other wording came out of my scraps box - it's one of K & Co papers).

The self-portrait photo is terrible, but that's just right for this project - I used the computer's built-in webcam (had to have a few attempts).

The writing says:

My attitude should be respectful, cooperative, accountable, humble, helpful, encouraging, loyal. Not resentful, defiant or disrespectful. (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 2:13-15)

Please go and have a look at what the rest of the DT has done for this topic - and we would love to see any crafting response you make - just leave us a comment so we can come and have a look.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here - less than a week to go now - you've got to be in it to win it!

Another simple thank you

Another simple thank you card, this time using scraps and stitched ribbon - this time the colours are for Stampin' royalty 61: wild wasabi, sahara sand, garden green.

This is also for:


Creative craft: thank you
Fun at fairy knoll: feeling a little green
Mami doodles 21: make it monochromatic green

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Moos and inchies

Postie has brought me the moos and inchies from the swaps for February on the BF forum.

Thank you, girls, for these lovely little works of art.

Love and romance inchies:

Sadly the love heart on Nicky's inchie got a bit worse for wear in the post - but perhaps it adds to the theme - sometimes, sadly, love and romance ends up with a broken heart!

Red for passion moos:

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Less is more

This is for Less is More week 4: recipe: three squares. How come such a simple card took me so long?

I can't tell you the number of times I faffed around with this little Magenta stamp! It is inked with dusty concord.

I then discovered I'd got an Anna Griffin 'Hello!' stamp that I thought would be just right, but when I tried using it with the dusty concord DI I couldn't get a good impression, so I had to resort to using vibrant violet stazon. By this time I'd managed to get the squares right, otherwise I would have stamped the squares with the stazon.

All that for such a 'less is more' card (and the photo isn't up to much - it does actually look better irl) - the purple surround is my stamping mat, not part of the card.

This is also for:

Res-Q 72: boxes - use a square
If the shoe fits 68: let your purple shine!
I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

DLO in Nicky's CJ

The month's go by quickly - it's time tomorrow to post the next CJ for the group on the BF forum and this time I had Nicky's to work on - 'view from my window'.

I used a snowy winter scene and a summery one, both taken from the window of my craft room. I used Laura Ashley contemporary papers because I have LA curtains in the same pattern as those I've used here. I pleated the paper and have only stuck it at the sides so that it can be lifted a bit to reveal a bit more of the photos.

I'm linking this for:

Let's craft and create 13: Anything but a card
I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February ATCs received

I received these fab ATCs from the group on the BF forum - the subject for February was 'stamping' - what a superb lot of ATCs - thank you, girls:


I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Bittersweet scraps

For Crafty Ho's challenge this week we could either choose to make a card from a photo inspiration and/or this sketch, which I chose:

This card is made with the scraps of BG bittersweet left from the cards I've been making earlier - this is for Delightful: use your scraps.

I used a nestie for the scalloped oval, stamped with a Stampin Up image and coloured with copics, distressing the edges of the scallops with a copic. So this is for:

Alota 53: using nestabilities
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Anything goes: distressing
CCEE 1108: distress
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops

It's also for:

Paper romance 39: anything goes
Flourishes timeless 106: birthday card
Spoon full of sugar 140: birthday wishes
Crafty Ann 35: birthday card
Stampin with the dragon: birthdays, birthdays, birthdays
The crafty pad 109: red, pink and black
Colour create 65: 3 fruits - strawberries, cherries and water melon
Stamp man 17: curls and swirls (plenty on the main paper)

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Yay for the pound shop

When I saw this week's DCM challenge was 'Pound shop pretties' I thought I knew straight away what I would use - the other day I got some lovely chipboard flowers with buttons in the centres and also some felt flowers - I thought they were such a good find.

However, I had to go into Bromley this afternoon for something else, so I strayed into Poundland (I needed to get some envelopes anyway) and happened to see that they had packs of self-adhesive button embellishments.

So I've used these instead of the chippie flowers etc that I bought previously - perhaps I'll be back with thosee later.

I've not only used some of the black and white pack on this card, but also used the black patterned background that came in the packete (the 'buttons' were stuck to an acetate sheet so the black patterned card was unspoiled. Papers are BG bittersweet (yet again - the paper pad was still out so I thought I'd use it).

I used the sketch for Papertake 53:


The buttons have a small square of foam adhesive on the backs, but I took these off and poked out the holes to make them look more authentic.

The coffee latte stamp is Stamps Happen by Tara Reed - with just red bits coloured with coral copic.

This is also for:

The crafty pad 109: red, pink and black
Charisma cardz 8: black, white + one colour (hope it's OK that it's varying shades of pink/red)
Totally Gorjuss 69: black and one other colour (varying shades of!)
Tellen's place: buttons, buttons, let's see some buttons
Pink gem challenge 15: buttons, brads, beads, bows - use one, two, three or all
Raise the bar 55: mug shots - hot drinks
Colour create 65: 3 fruits - strawberries, cherries and water melon

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

This must be a first!

I'm joining in this week's Totally Gorjuss challenge 69: black and ... on the day it's launched!

I've used the sketch for Priscillastyles midnight madness 92 (I chose the CAS one):

Papers are BG bittersweet and the image is another La Blanche foam stamp, with a little copic light pink colouring. The scalloped circles were cut with nesties and the vellum sentiment run through my little X xyron.

This is also for:

Charisma cardz 8: black, white + one colour
Ooh-la-la 74: pink, pink and more pink
One crazy stamper February: pink challenge
Lexi 34: flowers
Stampin' B 99: use a flower on a card
Stamp something: something with flowers
Simply create 38: power of flowers
Crazy4challenges 76: flowers
On stop craft 120: spring flowers
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops
Paper romance 39: anything goes
Aly's 36: get well
City crafter 45: nothing to it - one dimensional
Alota 53: using nestabilities

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

I've got the music in me

'I've got the music in me' is the theme for One-layer Wednesday 42.

This was an opportunity to use two more of my La Blanche foam stamps to make two very simple cards. The first one is stamped with memento rich cocoa and the second one is tuxedo black. These are lovely stamps that give an etched look to the images.



I'm thinking of making quite a few of these and putting them into packs of 5 notelets for my Tearfund sale.

These are also for City crafter 45: nothing to it

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CHNC challenge 9: let's get sentimental

Saturday morning comes round so quickly again - and it's time for another challenge on my Christmas blog - CHNC challenge 9: 'let's get sentimental'. Please click here to have a look at this week's challenge and, hopefully, join in.

My card is very simple (I confess that I didn't have much time to make this. I used a pre-shaped card and stuck on the Dovecraft snowflake paper, which, of course, I then had to cut round, which wasn't such a quick job as I thought! The embossed and foil sentiment is one that came in a kit last year. At first I wasn't sure about using it because it's oblong rather than square, but I think it still sits OK on the card.

It so happens that great minds think alike this week and the theme for Jingle Belles challenge is Text Me - SmilynStef said: ''We're asking that you incorporate text into your holiday creations ... it could be a book page, Christmas carol lyrics, a poem, or even a card that features a sentiment as the main focal point of the design.' - so I think my card qualifies for this.

I'm also entering this card for:

PaperPlay 8: let's get sentimental'
Stampin' sisters in Christ 76: use the colour green
Fun at fairy knoll: feeling a little green
Mami doodles 21: make it monochromatic green
Gingersnap GC92 colour challenge - jewel colours plus gold - I chose emerald plus gold
I did it 43: anything goes
One stitch at a time 50: anything but square
Mixed media Monday: shape up
Woodware USA 15: shaped card
DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Patchwork Pals with love and cuddles

Two or three years ago I bought a Patchwork Pals Christmas card kit and didn't use any of it that year. I did make some cards from it for last Christmas, but still have quite a few bits of the kit left, including these shaped cards. This was a very quick card to make, adding the bench, the cute little image and the 'with love and cuddles' sentiment.

I had to take the photo at a strange angle because of the flash reflection bouncing off the foiling on the sentiment.

This is for:

Secret crafter Saturday 122: fancy folds
Kaboodle 55: break tradition - a fold that is new to you or you rarely use
Mixed media Monday: shape up
Woodware USA 15: a shaped card
CES 24: spots & stripes
Winter wonderland: include an animal

Yummy

Thisis for Clean & simple 128:

Everything used for this card is from a kit purhased last year (I'm still trying to use it up).

The main cupcake is very glittery.

This is also for:

Fussy & fancy: sweet treats
Cupcake 130: cake 'n' ice cream
Iris' spot 13: I chose cupcakes and spots
One stop craft 119: birthay card (with a cake somewhere)
Creative stamp friends 19: checked
Totally Gorjuss 68: check it out
CES 24: spots & stripes
Pals paper arts 82: elements of style - scallops
Paper pretties 142: glittery challenge
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on
DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Faces

I had to be up very early this morning to go for a fasting blood test and then we had to go up to Guy's for a renal appointment for John, so there was no opportunity to do any crafting until later this afternoon.

I was in such a mess from yesterday's (and the day's before) crafting that I just had to have a tidy up. As I was about to put away the large foam music stamp I used yesterday I started looking through my La Blanche foam stamps and came across a few faces and remembered that this week's Sunday Postcard Art is all about faces. It's a while since I've done anything for this challenge, so this seemed a good opportunity to join in.

The background paper is 7 gypsies 'collections from the journey'. If you click on the picture you can read some of the text surrounding the faces.


This is also for:

DYSU 8: anything goes
Paper romance 39: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February inchies

Having spent ages on my moos for the BF forum swap - scroll down to see them - I needed to get on with my inchies, the theme for which is 'love and romance', so the theme was quite similar to the moo swap (well, I suppose it would be as February has Valentine's day in it).

I decided to get the shrink plastic out and have a play - I had to experiment at first to get the starting size right to achieve inchies. Having done this, I stamped each one with a section of the La Blanche foam music stamp using memento tuxedo black and then stamped Dawn Bibby's heart stamp using fired brick DI. I was aiming to create 'If music be the food of love, play on'.

I'm linking these for these challenges:

There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art
The lollipop ladies 14: hearts
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stamp magic 30: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Pear tree 37: one colour
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Dezinaworld: teeny tiny
Let's craft and create 13: anything but a card
Stamp insanity 47: the ABCs of an ABC - anything but a card
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
City crafter 45: nothing to it - simple one dimensional

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

BF February moo swap

Instead of a twinchies swap this month on the BF forum, Carol invited us to make moos to swap. I've made some of these before, but quite a while ago. The topic is 'red for passion'.

I certainly got inky and messy in a good cause this morning, but things that I tried didn't go to plan (not that I had much of a plan in the first place) - I just had to go from plan A to plan B and so on. I even got the melting pot out to cover some moos in UTEE, but abandoned that idea.

Eventually I hit upon the right plan. I made up a mist, combining water, raspberry red cosmi shimmer and a brush full of garnet H2Os and then sprayed on to white card. When this was dry I used the Anita's hearts stamp seven times with fired brick DI and then cut down to moo size. I then applied glue to the edges of each one and dipped in Art institute ultra fine retro red glitter.

This is supposed to show the shimmer of the misting, but, unfortunately, it doesn't really:
I'm linking these for these challenges:

Moxie stamp it technique week: stamping with shimmer sprays
Delicious doodles 13: shimmer
There she goes 95: stamp simply - only lined art
The lollipop ladies 14: hearts
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stamp magic 30: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Pear tree 37: one colour
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Stampin' B 98: monochromatic
Stampin' for the weekend 4: monochrome
Phindy's Friday 43: monochrome
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Let's craft and create 13: anything but a card
Stamp insanity 47: the ABCs of an ABC - anything but a card
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
One stitch at a time 50: anything but square
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on
Paper pretties 142: glittery challenge
Prairie fairy Fridays 46: it's all in the fine print

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

It's Wednesday yet again

I can't believe how the weeks go by - it's Wednesday already (although, strangely enough, even though I knew John would be picked up to go to bowls, I spent the first part of this morning convinced it was Thursday).

Anyway, it's time for WOYWW 90 (if you don't know what I'm talking about just follow the link, have a nose and join in).

Most of my visitors will know that I like to be tidy, especially for the start of a crafting day, but this morning I carried on where I left off yesterday, having made quite a few items then, which you can see if you scroll down.

So far today I've made one card, which was easy to do because the paper pad was out from making a card yesterday.


Now I feel the need to tidy up again before I get started on some moos and inchies for swaps.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Wagon tales Katie

This is for Create with Connie & Mary sketch challenge 138:

It's also for BLD5 (there is only a touch of green - hope this is OK):

I used Lori's digi - Puddle jumpr - Wagon Tales Katie. I decided to 'colour' her digitally - I put the image into Paint and then 'filled' in the colour - it left some of the image white in places - at first I was going to forget the idea, but I quite like it, so I left it like that (was tempted to reach for the copics once it was printed, but resisted).

The colour scheme is also for Colour create 64: chocolate, strawberry and cream; the colours are also good for Ribbon girl colour challenge 5: cream, pink & brown and Cutie Sunday 132: pink/brown.

Diva coffee break 216 is also asking for the same colour combo (it's obviously a popular colour combo atm):
The papers are BG bittersweet (this paper pad happened to still be out after making a card yesterday).

This is also for:

There's magic in the air: children's birthday card
My Sheri 45: all about girls
Stamps R us: for the girls
I did it 43: anything goes
Digi doodle 47: anything goes
Totally papercrafts 54: do it with digis
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CD Christmas card

Bah! humbug Challenge 7 for this week is to use a CD or DVD. And Sparkle creations 2011 Christmas card week 12 is a colour challenge - to use light blue, dark blue, white and silver. Rainbow lady's challenge 140 is to use omething from a CD or an old CD/case, so I'm also linking for that.

I dabbed denim and stonewashed alcohol inks on to the CD and just added a glittery snowflake in the middle and parts of another glittery snowflake cut for the corners of the card.

Because of the flash reflection with the CD it was very difficult to get a photo - this is the best I could do:

and I did manage to get a scan, but it cut off the corners and looks duller than it does irl, but you can see the effect of the alcohol inks a bit better, although these have more of a silvery look really:


This is also for:

PaperPlay 7: add shine
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
Top tip Tuesday 23: bling it on

As this card has white space and white snowflakes on it, it's also for my own CHNC challenge 8: the white stuff - if you haven't yet discovered my Christmas challenge blog, why not go over there and join in - I'd love to see your creations.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here