Karen's Doodles Scandinavia 14/4/10

Well it’s time for a sketch challenge on Karen’s Doodles Scandinavian Challenge.  I thought I’d have a go and have used one of Karen’s new doodles that I got in one of her blog hops recently.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers.  I have then used my new See D’s Morsel stamps around the edge using Tattered Rose, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Crushed Olive Tim Holtz Distress Inks to build up a frame with various flowers, leaves and swirls.  The backing paper is some scraps of papers I had left in various shades of orange.  The card is finished off with some card candy, a tag and a peel-off.

This card fits the following challenges:

Karen’s Doodles Scandinavia – Sketch

Creative Card Crew – Birthdays

Penny’s Challenge – Anything goes

Flutter by Wednesday – Open theme

The Creative Cottage – Things with wings

Stamp Something – Something Layered

Totally Papercrafts – Spring

Paper Cutz – Use a tag and any colour/theme

One Stop Craft – Things with wings

Our Creative Corner – Beautiful butterflies

Saturday Challenge – A day out

Stampin’ Inspirations by Maria – Orange and use up scraps

Stampin’ Sisters in Christ – Flowers.

Card for the Charity Stall

I recently won a Digital Tuesday Challenge and my prize was three Stitchy Bear Stamps that I could pick myself.  Well, what a time I had as there were so many wonderful creations.  In the end I went for one stamp called Edward and Bella.  It didn't mean anything to me as I know nothing about Twilight but I have some Forum friends who LOVE TWILIGHT so I thought I'd give this stamp a go as it might sell well for the charity stall.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers and highlighted areas with the Sakura Stardust clear pen to make areas glittery/sparkly.  The background paper which I cut into patchwork pieces was my own design as this is the topic this week on the Passion for Promarkers Challenge Blog  - to design a backing paper made solely with the Promarkers.  I used black and ice grey 2 to make the paper with a mixture of dots, zig-zags and thick lines.  I have finished off the card with some stamped flowers with ice grey brads in the centre, ribbon/flower/bow/pearl embellishment from my stash, some buttons, some card candy and a ticket sentiment from Crafty Ann's Digi Store (there are some on the sheet with words and some not, so one with no words I put on "Have a Twilight-y Happy Birthday").  I'm sure those of you who are Twilight fans will tell me whether I've got it right or not!!!

This card fits the following challenges:

Practical Scrappers - Glitter and bling

Penny's Challenge - Anything goes

Incy Wincy - Something Magical
Stamp Something - Layering

Crafty Angels - My favourite things

Passion for Promarkers - Make you own background using Promarkers

Creative Card Crew - Birthdays

ABC Challenge - S is for Sparkle

The Creative Cottage - Things with Wings

One Powerful Hour - Patchwork

One Stop Craft - Things with Wings

Everybody Art - Paper patch

Allsorts - In stitches

Sweet Stamping - In stitches

Stamp, scrap and doodle - Bow, buttons and bling.

Commissioned Wedding Card

I was asked to make a card for my son's colleagues to sign for someone getting married.  I used my new My Craft Studio for the image, backing paper and inserts.  I have adorned the card with some silver mirri card, Dawn Bibby's die-cut flowers, ribbon rose, two crystal hat pins, ribbon, pearls and a chain link and heart charm.  I have highlighted various areas of the car with Sakura Stardust clear pen to add a bit of glitter/bling.  The lady who asked for it to be made was so pleased with it which is such a relief when you make a card.  I have made a decorated envelope for the card to be given to the recipient.

This card fits the following challenges:

Crafty HO's - Pastel colours

Practical Scrappers - Glitter and bling

Crafty Angels - My favourite things - flowers, ribbon etc

ABC Challenge - S is for Sparkle
Stamp Something - Layering

Penny's Challenge - Anything goes

Cute Card Thursday - Touchy feely

Totally Papercrafts - Spring - a card for a Spring wedding next week

Totally Gorjuss - Charming.

Card for Eleven Challenges

I saw the topic for this weeks' Passion for Promarkers Challenge and thought yikes - like a lot of other people - but I thought I'd have a go.  The topic this week is to create a background for your project using Promarkers.  I deliberated on various different things but after I had coloured this gorgeous Ching-chou Kuik Sweet Pea stamp an idea came to me.  I did some swirls of three different blues (pastel blue, aegean and midnight blue) onto a piece of matt photo paper.  I then waited for it to dry and then put some dots on the mid blue lines courtesy of the blender.  It's a delicate effect and I might use it again.  The Sweet pea stamp has been coloured in with Promarkers and highlighted in places with the Sakura Stardust Clear pen just to add some glittery/sparkly accents.  The two different die-cut flowers are from Dawn Bibby and were a light blue but I coloured them with the mid and dark blue and finished off the centres with some card candy.  The raffia was light blue and I thought added some nice texture but didn't quite go so out came my Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress Ink Pad and hey presto the colour matches better.  I distressed the edges of the backing paper and stamped image to tie in and used the Tim Holtz applicator which I got with the QVC TSV a few months ago.  Personally I found this easier than the cut-and-dry foam so I shall need to get some more foam pieces.  I finished off around the card with some faux stitching.

This card fits in with the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Touchy feely

Passion for Promarkers - Create a background using Promarkers

ABC Challenge - S is for Sparkle

Your Next Stamp Challenge - Stitching

Penny's Challenge - Anything goes

Incy Wincy - Something Magical

Pink Elephant - 1 image, 2 dies and 3 different favourite embellishments (2 different flower die-cuts and my three favourite embellishments are flowers, card candy and the use of raffia/ribbon/fibres)

One Stitch at a Time - Torn, distressed or shabby

Totally Gorjuss - Texture

Totally Papercrafts - Distressing

Stamp Something - Stitching.

Passion for Promarkers Challenge - Tuesday 6/4/10

Well I am hoping by the "skin of my teeth" I am making the deadline for the Passion for Promarkers Challenge this week with the topic of "The Young Ones".  This is a cute little boy image from Dottie's World with him holding his teddy bear.  I can remembering my two boys doing this.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers, used papers from my stash (not sure of the makes as I was given these) and finished off with a peel-off.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Simon Says Challenge - A card for a child

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Challenge - Birthdays
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Childhood Memories

Dottie's World - Green, Pink and Turquoise (there is red and salmon pink in this backing paper and also salmon pink in the mount I used - it's not bright pink so I am sure I'd get away with it for a boy - especially as one of my son's favourite colour when he was young was pink!!!)

Creative Inspirations - Green, brown and blue.

Card made whilst on holiday

I couldn't go away a week without taking some of my crafting stuff with me and I did manage to get a little "time out" to have a colouring session and make some cards.  This card is made with a gorgeous Inky Impressions image.  I've had this little girl for sometime now but never printed her off and coloured her in which is such a shame.  I used papers that made their way from the dining room table - to my craft trolley on wheels - on holiday to Yorkshire - and out again from my craft trolley to sit on the dining room table again until I use them up!!!  I have used a new "toy" I got after winning a Cupcake Craft Challenge and had some money to spend in the Simon Says Stamp Store.  I bought some Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads and also a Tim Holtz distressing.  I'd normally used a nail file but wasn't really happy with the outcome.  This little tool is FAB and certainly distresses the edges and gives it a wonderful texture I could never get with a nail file!!  I have coloured the image with Promarkers and also some sparkly Sakura pens but no matter how I tried with the camera you can't really see the sparkle too much and you can't ready the wording on the sentiment.  It does say "Get Well Soon" and is from Dawn Bibby along with the die-cut/embossed butterflies and dragonfly.

I can fit this card into the following challenges:

Flutter by Wednesday - Sparkle

Totally Papercrafts - Distressing

Raise the Bar - Let's Spring for it!

Saturday Secret Crafter - Get Well Soon

One Stitch at a Time - Torn, distressed or shabby

Crafty HO's - Pastel Colours

Corrosive Challenge - Texture

Totally Gorjuss - Texture

Quixotic Challenge - The Joys of Spring.

Charity Stall - April 2010

Well we are just back away from a week in Hawes in Yorkshire.  We stayed in a lovely cottage and got to see some wonderful scenery.  I had forgotten on Friday that the charity stall needed setting up so I gave them a call and told them my son would come and set it up this morning which he did for me.  It's a while since he's had to set it up but I think he's done well.  I showed him before he left how to set up the easel cards to try and give some height to the stall.  I have also got a nice "fat" basket of cards that have been donated to me by friends in the crafting/blogging world and also a friend who now has got the contagious crafting bug!!!  Thank you.

I have got to the stage of getting a bit stuck for charities to help.  I try to alternate between local and national ones but as I've been doing this for four years now I sometimes struggle.  I saw Hazel's blog last night (Dido's Designs) and saw a post on there asking for old bras and to follow a link.  I duly did this and saw that Annie and her family have raised £1,300 so far for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  That's a wonderful achievement.  As we are just back from Yorkshire I think it is fate to pick this as my charity for the next 4-6 weeks or so.  

If you have a charity that is "close to your heart" please get in touch with me including some contact information for the charity eg a website and I will keep a list and work my way through donating to them.

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - Friday 9 April 2010

The time has come for another Crafty Ann's Challenge.  This fortnight the topic is "Let the Sunshine In" and you can interpret this in any way.

I have used one of Crafty Ann's digital images of some lovely daffodils.  I always think seeing daffodils popping their heads out means spring and then summer on their way and they need a little sunshine to do this.  I have used a 6x6 inch card and made it into an easel card and have used three different Crafty Ann's digital papers (Abstract 1) Crimson red, golden yellow and burnt orange.  The "stopper" for the easel card is one of Crafty Ann's flower blossoms in two different sizes finished with a brad.  The card is finished off with some card candy, some gingham ribbon, a Crafty Ann's ticket sentiment and some peel-offs.

Please click here and look at this fortnight's challenge.

This card also its the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - How does your garden grow?
Pollycraft Designs - Anything goes
The Pink Elephant - Nature
Raise the Bar - let's Spring for it it!!
Quixotic Challenge - The Joys of Spring

The Arrival of the Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog

Here is another card I have made for my next stall which is due again shortly.  I have used a gorgeous Sweet Pea stamp - I like these sooooooo much that I have ordered some more - naughty eh????  I have used some papers from off my table ie to be used up along with a mount I was sent by a blogging friend.  Yet again it is another one that lost out to the letter delivery service and was dog-eared in two corners thus the flowers I put in corners diagonally as I'd have felt it such a shame if I hadn't used them.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers.  I have aged the papers and images with Tim Holtz's distress inks.  I love the effect this gives.

This card fits the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot - Fantasy - Well the Sir Stampalot Challenge has started up and is raring to go with such a WONDERFUL prize this month.  Here's wishing you the best of luck with your new challenge blog and I shall look forward to having look at creations and will try to enter as often as I can

Sketchy Colors - Orange, turquoise and brown
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Open theme

Paper Sundaes - Photo as inspiration

Creative Card Crew - Vintage/aged

Crafts and Me - Fairies or wings.

Karen's Doodles United Kingdom Challenge - 31/3/10

Well it's week four over at Karen's Doodles United Kingdom Challenge.  It is a joint challenge with USA, Scandinavia, Netherlands and the UK BUT if you want to enter all four challenges it MUST be four different cards.  I have made a simple thinking of you card for the charity stall.  I don't like making these cards but this beautiful angel says more than words can say.  I have coloured her in with Promarkers and used some DCWV card from my stash on the table to complete the card along with a peel-off.

This card fits the following challenges:

Karen's Doodles United Kingdom Challenge - use the photo as inspiration

Crafts and Me - Fairies or Wings - Congratulations on your first Challenge by the way

The Pink Elephant - Pastels

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Open theme

Colour Create - Choice of pastels

For Fun Challenge - Anything goes.

Card for the Charity Stall

I have been trying to build up more stock of cards for the charity stall.  I am awaiting a supply of 8x8 ones so I shall see if these sell or not.  I have made this card using one of Mo Manning's Digital images coloured in with Promarkers.  That little dog is certainly hanging around for some titbits.  Yet again I am using up all bits-and-pieces of papers/cards and embellishments.  The paper isn't as wide as normal as it had got dog-eared at one corner.  I soon won't have that problem when I use up all my stash of paper/card and all the bits-and-pieces!!!  I haven't decoupaged the image like I sometimes do but this time I put the image on 3mm foam and also did the same for the flower embellishments.  I was also given the nice mount but unfortunately on its Royal Mail journey one end got battered beyond use - that is until I hid the bad bit under a large flower!!

This card fits the following challenges:

For Fun Challenge - Anything goes

ABC Challenge - R is for Red

Papertake Weekly - Open theme

Digital Tuesday - Use up scraps

Sophisticats - Raining cats and dogs

Cute Daisy May - Things for boys
The Pink Elephant - Pastels

Cute Card Thursday - Dimension

Colour Create - Choice of pastels.

Card for the Charity Stall

When it was a friend's birthday a couple of months ago she was sent some gorgeous die-cut mats from a friend in Holland.  She kindly shared them with me so I thought it was about time I made some into cards.  I have used various backing papers from my stash and on top of this place a white and gold vellum.  I've never put patterned vellum on top of patterned paper but like the effect.  I've attached the vellum with four brads I bought 1-2 years ago and have never used.  The butterfly is from Papermania and it is a build-your-own- butterfly.  I couldn't cut around the attenae so I made them out of wire instead.  The butterfly I have coloured in with Promarkers and added clear and green Stickles glitter glue to accent the butterfly wings.  I have distressed the edges of the die-cut mount to accentuate the cut area.

This card fits the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - Photo as inspiration

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Decoupage using a stamped image

Frosted Designs - Transparency

Flutterby Wednesday - Open theme

Crazy Amigo - Butterflies.

Prairie Fairy Challenge 26/3/10

Over at the Prairie Fairy Challenge Blog this week the topic is an easel card.  I had one of the Prairie Fairy images coloured in with my Promarkers and Copics so I thought I'd give her a new home on this card.  I have used various sheets of paper/card from my stash and distressed all the edges of the papers.  I then used my Wizard and embossed the tree for the little fairy to sit in front of.  I have used my Sakura Stardust clear pen to add glitter to the whole tree, the fairies wings and parts of her dress.  The part to make the card stand up is an archway from a card I was given - I thought it would make a nice tag - and it's adorned with some brads which I have had for 1-2 years and the butterfly I've had even longer than that.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Sassie Designs by Susie - Spring Garden

Cute Daisy May - Fairy, fairy

Simon Says Challenge - Easter or Spring with glitter

Stampin' Royalty - Get glittery

Flutter by Wednesday - Open theme

Lots to do - Vintage

The Cuttlebug Spot - If you had wings

Digital Tuesday - Happy Spring.

Karen's Doodles United Kingdom Challenge 24/3/10

Over at the Karen's Doodles United Kingdom Challenge this week they have a sketch.  I have used the cute picture of the tortoise and mouse having a cuppa in the garden.  Oh for Spring and then Summer to come!!!  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers.  For the border element I have used a piece of lace and coloured it with Tim Holtz's Faded Jeans Distress Ink Pad.  The card is finished off with some card candy, flowers, hat pin with bead and a sentiment off the computer.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Dimensions

Crafty Cardmakers - Spring into spring

Incy Wincy - Easter or Spring

Digital Tuesday - Happy Spring

Jacksonbelle - Easter/Spring theme

Simon Says - Easter or Spring and some glimmer

Stampin' Royalty - Get glittery

Fab n Funky - It's in the technique - I've chosen distressing along with using my new Tim Holtz distresser - very therapeutic - but try not to wear a black skirt when hacking up the card!!!

Cupcake Craft - Food and drink

Passion for promarkers - Springtime and an animal

Saturday Spotlight - Inspirational coffee

Paper Sundaes - Photo as inspiration.