Crafty Ann's Challenge - 15 July 2011 - Dry embossing or de-bossing or both

Another fortnight has come around and it's time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's.  This fortnight the topic is "dry embossing or de-bossing or both on the same project".

For my card I have used Crafty Ann's Morning Glory image.  I love this one and it's one of my favourites of Ann's images.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers, used Tim Holtz Peeled paint distress ink for the background, used an X-cut hand-held cutter for the edge and then used distress ink again.  The backing papers are two shades of green and pink and they are all from the Polished Stone collection.  I have used a Creative Expressions swirl stamp to add some detail to the backing papers.  I have used my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on some green card for the backdrop of the image and used an X-cut die and cut/embossed this out of green mirri card.  The card is then finished off with some card candy, gingham ribbon, die-cut sentiment and die-cut flower shape.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

 

One Stop Craft - Summertime

Allsorts - Free and easy

I Did it Creations - Floral

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes

Paper Playtime - Summer

Whoopsi Daisy - We love pink

Crazy Challenge - Summertime

Passion for Promarkers - Gingham

Digital Tuesday - Spellbound

Simon Says - Anything goes

Craft Your passion - Just for you
Moving Along With The Times - Favourite things - digital images, distressing, ribbon, embossing
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Summer

Sweet Pea Stampers - 15 July 2011

We had a lovely selection of cards for the last Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge.  This fortnight the Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge is "anything goes".

For my card I have used Ching Chou-Kuik's Soft Goth Night.  She's one of my favourite Sweet Pea stamps I have thus far.  I got the following idea from a friend as I saw her use a jigsaw last year.  I have stamped the image with Memento onto a blank jigsaw and coloured the image in with Promarkers and colured the backing with chalks making sure I got a summery look to the background.  I used Tim Holtz Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord distress ink pads for distressing the edges of the jigsaw.  I have used various backing papers from my stash and kept to the colours of cream, yellow and purple.  The jigsaw image has been mounted on a Spellbinders frame which I have distressed with Dusty Concord distress ink.  The card has been finished off with mirri card, ribbon, card candy, Stickles glitter glue, mosaic gems, lace, K&Co pearl/gem swirl which I got in some blog candy recently and a foil sentiment.

It would be lovely if you pop over to the Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge Blog and look at the wonderful cards made by the Design Team.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays - Inky fingers
One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes
The Crafty Pad - Lots of texture
Gingerloft - Make it sparkle
Pile it on - Show us your favourite technique - distressing and stamping
Magical Monday - Use some texture
Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or wrap it in ribbon
Simon Says - Anything goes
My Mum's Craft Shop - Pearls and swirls

Crafts and Me - Summertime
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Some stitching
Crafty Sentiments - Use stitching
Pixie Dust - Girly, girly and ribbon/bow
Rainbow Lady's - A stitch in time
Moving Along With The Times - Favourite things - Sweet Pea stamps, ribbon, distressing, embossing, gems etc
Paper Cutz - The skies the limit
Pattie's Creations - Glitter or bling
Sew Many Challenges - Sparkle
The Stamp Man - Anything by Tim
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Summer
Totally Papercrafts - Girly girl
Bling it on - Anything goes

Marianne's Design Divas

A fellow Sweet Pea Stampers DT member Amy is starting up a new blog called Marianne Design Divas.  Here is your chance to use Marianne Designs goodies.  Well who doesn't like these eh?  

As a welcome to the Challenge Blog Amy is offering some wonderful blog candy donated by Bunny Zoes.  If you feel like entering the candy click here to go and have a look.  There is also a Design Team call as well.

Here's wishing you all the very best with your new venture Amy.

Birthday Card for my Husband

 

It was my husband's birthday yesterday.  I used a Flippin' stamp for his card and coloured it in with Promarkers and distressed the edges.  I kept the colours to various shades of brown.  The backing papers are from K&Co and I thought that they were quite manly.  I used my Tim Holtz embossing folders and some new X-cut circle dies to add some shape and texture to the card.  I used my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and used the two small die shapes and coloured one with Tim Holtz Mustard Seed distress ink pad and the other with Brushed Corduroy.  The card is finished off with some floral cigarette cards, raffia, brads and sentiment off the computer.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - A vintage look

Allsorts - Free and easy

A Gem of a Challenge - let's hear it for the boys

I Did it Creations - Floral

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes

The Crafty Pad - Lots of texture

Stamps R Us - Through the garden gate

Pollycraft Monday - The great outdoors

Crafty Creations - Boyz to men

Simon Says - Anything goes.
Digi Doodle Shop's Best Challenge - Make your own flowers
Moving Along with the Times - Favourite things - stamping, distressing, making flowers

Crafts and Me Challenge - Wednesday 6 July 2011

As you can imagine life is a bit up-and-down at the moment but on Saturday evening I had to have a big reality check that mum's house won't be clear before we go away in August and I need to accept that.  I also need to accept that everyday life still has to go on and I need to make sure I get some time for "me".  We will just do what we can beforehand but it's a large job.

 

I decided I needed a little "me" time and made a card for the Crafts and Me Challenge this time of "my favourite stamp/image".  Well I couldn't resist this one as this stamp certainly has a story to tell.  As soon as this gorgeous image called Pink Lightening came out from Crafts and Me by Jasmine Beckett-Griffiths I had to have it.  The only snag is every time I looked it was out of stock.  Thankfully my son managed to get her for me for Mother's Day and I love her to bits as she's so gorgeous.

My card is made with various DCWV papers in bright oranges/yellows as I thought it would be a cheery card.  The image I have coloured with promarkers and accented areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I distressed the edges well and then inked the edges.  The card has the come together with some flowers, butterflies, sparkly ribbon, doily, sentiment off the computer and faux stitching.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Penny's Paper Challenge - Happy birthday

Ruby's Rainbow - Happy birthday

Flutter by Wednesday - Open theme

Charisma Cardz - All about flowers

Ai Factory - Two of something - two pieces of ribbon and two butterflies for me

Digi Doodles - Butterflies

Stampin' for the Week-end - Wings and things

Stamp Something - Something with bugs or butterflies

I Did it Creations - Floral

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes

The Crafty Pad - Lots of texture

Pile it On - Show us your favourite technique - Distressing for me

Magical Monday - Use some texture

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Some stitching

The Crafty Purple Frog - Summer fun - I chose to use summery colours
By the Cute and Girly - Things with wings
Scrap-Creations - At least 2 design papers and at least 2 different embellishments
Papertake Weekly - Hot, hot, hot
Simon Says Stamp - A stitch in time
One Stop Craft - Summertime

Allsorts - Free and easy
Dream Valley - Summer theme
The Crazy Challenge - Summertime
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo inspiration
Clear it Out Challenge - Wing it
Creative Craft Challenge - Pretty blossoms

Aud Sentiments Challenge No 32

Please accept my apologies for not looking at the entries for the challenge for the last fortnight.

Our challenge this fortnight is that your card/project must have "at least two words" on it and we are sponsored by Digital delights.  Digital Delights have some gorgeous digital stamps but they also can do custom watermarks and custom blogs.

For my card I have used the image called Birthday Pippin.  I have coloured Pippin in with my trusty Promarkers.  The backing papers are from DCWV and the shiny glittery paper is from a friend.  The card has been finished off with some satin ribbon, pink/white fancy lace, card candy, gem stars and a foiled sentiment which I coloured with Promarkers.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Stamp Something - Digi day
Allsorts - Free and easy 
2 Sisters - Birthday
Crafty Emma - Woodland Creatures
Birthday Sundaes - Anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - Use a digi
Sentimental Sundays - Anything goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and option of buttons
My Time to Craft - A la carte

Crafty Ann's Challenge - 1 July 2011 - Get well/thinking of you/just because

At Crafty Ann's another fortnight has also come and gone and I apologise again for not commenting on cards.

 

The topic this fortnight for Crafty Ann's is "get well/thinking of you/just because".  I decided to use Crafty Ann's sewing set and carefully coloured in with promarkers and cut out.  The reel of cotton I thread real cotton onto it for an extra effect.  The backing papers are Crafty Ann's embossed dots.  The bird image is a material image which I stuck onto some card.

This card I am entering into the following challenges:

One Stop Craft - Get well soon

Crafty Pad - Bold/bright or soft pastels
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Get well soon

Top Tip Tuesday - T is for ............... - tape measure 

Sweet Pea Stampers 1 July 2011

Another fortnight has come and gone.  Due to what's happened in my family in the last fortnight I apologise for not commenting on cards that were posted.  I am sure you will understand.

The challenge this fortnight is WINGS.  For my card I have used Daphenes Dilemma Sweet Pea Stamp by Lisa Victoria.  I decided to use subtle colours on the card and therefore used paler Promarkers and some chalk pencils for the sea and sky.  I then used my Tim Holtz distressing tool to hack up the edges and then used a Pentouch gold pen on the edge.  The backing papers were given to me by a friend and were used in conjunction with some scraps from my box.  I have used a tiny flower punch and put Stickles glitter glue in the centre.  The card is finished off with some lace, ribbon, sentiment off the computer, die-cut butterflies and ribbon bow.

I entering this card into the following challenges:

Mark's Finest papers - Make it sparkle
Dream Valley - Ribbons
Crafty Pad - Bold/bright or soft pastels
Stamps R Us - There was a little girl ....
Stamp-n-doodle - Animals/nature
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A word
Crafts and Me - Birthdays
Flutter by Wednesday - Open challenge

My Mum

I know this isn't craft related but thought I had better post as I have been missing for quite a number of days and haven't posted my Design Team cards.

Well what an awful few days we have had.  A friend found my mum collapsed at home on Thursday morning and the paramedics were called.  After a few hours at the hospital we were told the devastating news that she'd had a massive bleed in her brain but it was too close to the brain stem so they could not operate.  My mum was on the organ donor register so we started the long journey of trying to see if her organs could be donated.  Late Friday evening a hospital in London said they'd have mum's liver so at 2.40am on Saturday morning mum's life support was turned off and she died five minutes later.  We are keeping our fingers crossed and will wait to hear in about a fortnight whether the final checks went OK in the hospital in London and there is someone there who may get another chance at a better quality of life thanks to my mum's liver.

The above photo was taken at the end of May when we went to Skegness.  We had a good laugh when I spied this ice-cream van as my mum was known as nan to her six grand-children so I made her stand and pose for some photographs.  We never imagined less than a month later she would be gone as she was only 61.  It is such a shock to us all.

I apologise for not visiting your blogs and also for not posting my Design Team cards.  As you can imagine, my cardmaking will be taking a back seat for a while as we have so many things to sort out and I need to take some time out with my family and friends who have been deeply affected by her death.

Crafts and Me Challenge - 8 June 2011

 

 Over at the Crafts and Me the challenge topic is stamp something.  I recently took part in their Blog Hop and got to pick two images and one of them I have used on my card.  The image is called Natalie - isn't she beautiful?  I have coloured the image with Promarkers, highlighted areas with Stickles glitter glue, cut out with a Nestabilities die and distressed the edges with a chalk ink pad.    I have used some DCWV paper, some paper from a friend and other pieces from my stash including a ripped piece of Papermania Henbury Lane glitter paper - well it's such a lovely piece of paper so tearing it into smallish pieces makes it go further.  I used my alcohol inks on a tag, then stamped with a Creative Expressions scroll stamp and embossed with gold embossing powder.  The card is then finished off with various elements including a ticket sentiment from Crafty Ann's Digi Store, lace, dotty ribbon (which was originally white but I coloured bright pink with my Promarker to match the image), flowers, pearls and pearl pins.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - English Country garden

Do You Stack Up? - Birthday

Meljen's Designs - Pink and pearls

Ai Factory - Something new on project - new digital image and papers

Crafty Purple Frog - Favourite things - these include digital images, Promarkers, Stickles glitter glue, flowers, ribbon, lace and alcohol inks

Inspire me Fridays - Anything goes

Deep Ocean Challenge - Anything goes

Totally Papercrafts - Summer

Totally Gorjuss - Flower power

Cupcake Inspirations - Photo inspiration

Birthday Sundaes - Wet or dry embossing

Pile it On - What's your angle?

Kaboodle Doodles - Flower showcase

Happileigh Scrappin' - Embossing

Pollycraft - Ribbon and flowers
Whoopsi  Daisy - Free and easy
Stamp with Fun - Pearls and flowers
Totally Stampalicious - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Your distressed/torn edges
Bling it On - Embossing
Top Tip Tuesday - Open challenge
Anything Goes Challenge - Here comes summer
Crafty Sentiments - Add some sparkle
Addicted to Stamps - Summertime
Shopping Our Stash - SOS - I've chosen the second "S" and gone for Stickles, spots, swirls and shimmer
Crafter's Companion Monthly - Here comes the summer 
Scrap-Creations - Anything goes 
Emerald fairies Garden Challenge - Petals 
One Stitch at a Time - Tag it

Another Father's Day Card

 

I was asked to make another Father's day card.  I used my new Joanna Sheen's Furry friends CD and used this gorgeous bulldog as I thought he was a very manly image for a Father's day card.  I printed off two of the topper sheets so I could do some extra decoupage as this card doesn't need to be posted.  The flag backing paper is from the CD and certainly makes a difference to the card.  I used two scraps of card - one white and one red mirri - and put through the Swiss Dots embossing folder to add some texture.  The card is finished off with some ribbon, sentiment off the computer and two HUGE red brads - these are the biggest brads I've ever seen!!!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - Celebrate dad/man in your life

CRAFT - Father's day

Craft us Crazy - Father's day and/or masculine colours/theme

Sew many Challenges - father's day

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Delicious Doodles - Father's day

Alphabet Challenge - F for Father's day

One Stop Craft - Father's day
Secret Crafter - Male card
Mark's Finest Papers - father's day cards

Crazy 4 Challenge - Masculine card

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Father's day

My Sheri's Crafts - Father's day

Little Claire's Designs - Cards for men
Creative Inspirations - Father's day
Sentimental Sundays - Father's day/masculine card
Dream Valley - Father's day 

Father's day card

 

I was asked to make a Father's day card.  I bought this car image from Crafts U Print.  What a gorgeous card eh???  I printed three copies of the sheet out so I could decoupage it a lot more seeing as it was going to be hand delivered and not put in the post.  The backing paper is a scrap from the scrap box.  The card is finished off with an insert and some fibres.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes

Crazy Challenge - Father's day

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes

Ambers Crafts - Special man

Sisterhood of Crafters - Celebrate dad/man in your life

CRAFT - Father's day

Craft us Crazy - Father's day and/or masculine colours/theme

Sew many Challenges - father's day

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Delicious Doodles - Father's day

Alphabet Challenge - F for Father's day

One Stop Craft - Father's day
Secret Crafter - Male card
Mark's Finest Papers - father's day cards

Crazy 4 Challenge - Masculine card

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Father's day

My Sheri's Crafts - Father's day

Little Claire's Designs - Cards for men
Creative Inspirations - Father's day
Sentimental Sundays - Father's day/masculine card
Dream Valley - Father's day

Commissioned Birthday Card

 

 

 Oh sometimes the topics of my cards repeat themselves for my customers.  The repeating topics can be tigers, broomsticks (don't ask), trains and buses.  So yet again it was a customer's husband's birthday and requested a bus card.  I am married to a bus driver and am constantly surrounded by buses but I have exhausted all the photos my husband has taken at events/sheets I have bought so I had to buy another sheet from Crafts U Print.  The backing papers I used from Joanna Sheen's Thomas Kincade CD.  I printed out the sheet three times so I could do some extra layers and even put one on the back.  The card is finished off with a personalised insert, card candy, fibres and sentiment off the computer.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT - Male theme

The Paper Variety - For the guys

Do You Stack Up? - Birthday

Craft us Crazy - Father's day and/or masculine colour/theme

Shelly's Images - Anything goes

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Secret Crafter - Male card

Crafty Emma - Inspired by a movie (one of my favourite films - Summer Holiday - where Cliff Richard stars and him and his friends take an old Routemaster like in this card for a trip across Europe)

Crazy 4 Challenge - Masculine card

Rainbow Lady's - Ticket to ride
Little Claire's Designs - Cards for men

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 9 June 2011 - Summertime card with sentiment

Another fortnight has whizzed around.  We saw some lovely entries and click here to go and have a look at the winners.

Our challenge this fortnight is being sponsored by Revi Devi.  Why don't you click the link and have a look at the gorgeous images Revi Devi has for sale.  The topic this fortnight is "summertime card with sentiment".  

I have used various garden orientated images and cut them out, coloured in with Promarkers  and decoupaged them onto a My Craft Studio background which I had to import into Word as I still can't print with My Craft Studio Standard or Professional.  I used various scraps of paper from my scraps box.  The flowers were made by a friend for me and I think that they add a good final touch to the card along with a sentiment off the computer.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - let's get sentimental

Crafty HO's - Summer

The Corrosive Challenge - Summer

Pear Tree Designs - Summer delights

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Use an animal

Digital Tuesday - In the garden/outdoors

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes

Creative Card Crew - Wings

Paper pretties - Summer

Scrapbook Sisters - English country garden
Do it with Digis - Animal magic
Papercrafting Journey - Our feathered friends
4 Crafty Chicks - Handmade flowers

Crafty Ann's Challenge #42 - 3 June 2011

Well we had some lovely entries for the Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog over the last fortnight.  If you entered please make sure you go over and have a look to see if you were the winner.

The challenge this fortnight for Crafty Ann's is to "use more than one image".  I decided to use Crafty Ann's iris digital image and wanted to use it twice.  I then had to go surfing the web to find out if irises came in different colours other than purple as I am not into gardening.  I then saw there were some orange/yellow varieties so that helped me pick the colour scheme.  Both images were coloured in with Promarkers.  They are both mounted on some corresponding Crafty Ann's abstract papers.  The card is finished off with some Crafty Ann's pre-coloured flowers and peel-off.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

2 Sisters - Anything goes

Catch the Bug - Bright colours

Cupcake Inspirations - Photo inspiration

Gingerloft - Tie a yellow ribbon

Ooh-la-la Creations - Happy birthday

Incy Wincy Designs - Nature

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Flower power

Top Tip Tuesday - Wrap it up with a ribbon

Divas by Design - Flowers
Inspire me Friday - Anything goes
Stamp Something - Digi day

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - 3 June 2011

Oh me oh my another fortnight has come and gone.  We had some lovely entries for the last Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge so make sure you go and check if you are a winner.

 

The topic this fortnight is monochrome.  I do love doing monochrome but decided to go away from the popular black-and-white.  Instead, I decided to go with tones of blue and decided to decorate a canvas rather than a card.  I used Tim Holtz's Faded jeans Distress ink pad to colour the white canvas.  The image I have used is a Sweet Pea Ching Chou-Kuik image called Dark Royalty.  Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?  I have coloured the image with promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  The edges have been inked along with all the scraps of backing paper/card that I have used.  I know I'm obsessed in inking the edges but I hate to see the white showing.  The mirri card I put through an embossing folder to add some texture.  The canvas is finished off with scrolls/flowers/tag sentiment/butterfly die-cuts, peel-off sentiment, card candy, pearls, pearl heart hat pins and a selection of gorgeous flowers highlighted with some Stickles glitter glue to add some sparkle and shine.

I am entering this canvas into the following challenges:

Crafty Emma - Embossing

Allsorts - Things with wings

2 Sisters - Anything goes

Cupcake Inspiration - Photo inspiration

Sentimental Sundays - Anything but a card plus sentiment

Dream Valley - Stamp something

Simon Says Stamp - Your favourite stamp

Pear Tree Designs - Sparkle

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Flower power

In a Sweet Pea Dream - Wings

Diva by Designs - Flower

My Mum's Craft Shop - Things with Wings 

I Love Promarkers - Sparkly bling

Flutter by Wednesday - Open challenge

Truly Scrumptious - Summer sparkle

Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or anything but a card

The Emerald Faerie Garden - Lots of bling

Cute Card Thursday - Embellishment it

Charisma Cardz - Something that flies
Inspire me Fridays - Anything goes
Delicious Doodles - Texture