Flashback Friday Challenge No 7

I came across this challenge blog last week and thought I'd have a go at this weeks' challenge.  You have to find a picture of a card/project you've previously made - the older the better.

This weeks' challenge topic at Flashback Friday Challenge is glitter.  It's taken me ages to find a card made with glitter.  Well I am in the minority that I severely dislike glitter as I hate getting messy.  This card was posted on my blog in May 2008 - nearly three years ago - and my feelings about glitter hasn't changed.  I am a bit more into getting messy but I haven't become good friends with glitter apart from my Stickles bottle.

If you want to look at my original post click here - you'll have to scroll down to find the cards as that was my early years of blogging when I'd put quite a few different cards in one post - we live and learn.

If you fancy showing cards/projects that you've made many moons ago please go and have a look at the Flashback Challenge.  It's fun but also scary thinking "did I make that?".

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Monday 24/1/11

Over at the Cupcake Craft Challenge this week the topic is "food for thought".  I've had this image printed out for a while from a My Craft Studio CD - but it's been so long I couldn't tell you which CD as I have a lot of the MCS CDs!!!  I have just done some simple matting and layering and added a sentiment off the computer as I think that juicy bit of cake is talking enough - yum, yum!!!

This card also fits the following challenge:

Pixie Dust - Who's the chef?

CD Sunday Challenge - Sunday 23 January 2011

Over at the CD Sunday Challenge this week the topic is "where waters meet".  I have used an image from Joanna Sheen's Floral Fantasy CD that hadn't seen the light of day for a while - that's what I like about challenges - it gets us to use bits and pieces, CDs, stamps etc that we've not used for a while.  The image I printed out three times so I could decoupage the flowers.  The I have used various scraps of papers from my stash (not sure of whose they are - sorry!!), simple matting and layering, fibres, personalised insert and a sentiment off the computer and the card is made.

This card also fits the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - Floral
Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything goes
Alphabet Challenge - M for men

Crafty Ann's Challenge No 33

Well the Crafty Ann's Design Team had some lovely creations to look at this fortnight.  Thank you so much for entering.

It's now time for another challenge and I am playing host as I suggested the colour scheme "silver, gold and white".  Even though I suggested it I struggled a bit and struggled even more to get a decent picture due to mirri card and glitter!!  I have used a grey Crafty Ann's abstract paper and the yellow gold hearts backing paper as I wanted to make a male themed card that could be used for Valentine's Day/anniversary etc.  The Crafty Ann's bow frame I printed onto some silver mottled stone backing paper and then found a verse.  I simply did matting and layering, added some ribbon and fibres, glittered the bow with gold Stickles glitter glue and added some card candy.

I would love for you to take part in the challenge I am hosting.  Click here to go and have a look at the wonderful creations from the Design Team.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts - male/boy - I thought this would make a good Valentine's Day card for a male
One Stitch at a Time - As you like it
Pile it On - Love is in the air
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything goes
Fab n Funky - Delight in your digi
Delightful Sketches - Have a heart
Paperplay - Layer it up
Charisma Cardz - Valentines/Love
Alphabet Challenge - M for men
Tellen's Place - Male - make it for the guys
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Valentine with no red or pink
Stamping Vacation - Name that card - You are in my heart
Stamping Vacation - Occasion Oasis - Valentine's Day
Stamping Vacation - What a Guy Challenge - Masculine Valentine's card
Stamping Vacation - Home Sweet Home - Romantic style
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - no tags

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Thursday 27/1/11

Over at the Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week the topic is "beary good".  I don't really need an excuse to make a card with a cuddly bear.  This time I chose to use some Popcorn the bear and his wife decoupage that I was given.  It was freebie in a magazine but I was given it for my charity work.  I cut the image out and decoupaged it - aren't they cute and used the backing paper and border strip that was in the magazine as well.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer and some gorgeous pink gems.

This card fits the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - As you like it

Paper Cutz - Any theme and any colour

Craft Your Days Away - Love
Secret Crafter - It's a couple thing
Pile it On - Love is in the air
Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything goes
Paperplay - Layer it up
Charisma Cardz - Valentines/Love

Commissioned Birthday Card

I was asked to make a card for a little boy but very plain and with a bear on it.  I used my Forever Friends die-cut decoupage I won last year, some paper from my stash, sentiment off the sheet and some blue gems.  Too plain a card for me but I had to go with what the customer wanted.

This card fits the following challenges:

Forever Friends - Spots and dots
Allsorts - Male/boy
One Stitch at a Time - As you like it
I Did it Creations - Card for a child
Cutie Sunday - Anything goes
Rainbow Lady's - Beary good
Ai factory - For the boys

Commissioned Birthday Card

Well this was the last card I had to make for my son's workplace as he's left there now.  It was one of his colleagues birthday and that was all the guidance I was given for the card.  I used Debbi Moore's Venetian Moments CD for this card and used the black and white theme throughout.  Lots of matting and layering, gems, Papermania Glitterations, feather, ribbon, beads and verse/sentiments off the computer finish this card.

This card fits the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Monochrome
Penny's Challenge - Anything goes
Stamp N Doodle - Dress it up
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Alphabet Challenge - L for ladies

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Thursday 20 January 2011

Over at the Charisma Cardz Challenge this week the topic is "magic numbers".  I had to make a card for a 50th birthday so this card fits the bill.  I decided as it was a special card to use an 8 x 8 card blank as I do love using this size now.  I have used Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew Cd for the backing papers and images, Crafty Ann's Digi Shop for some backing papers and Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew kingfisher stamp (which I've had for some time now and it's never been used) which has been coloured in with Promarkers.  I used my Cricut for the words and numbers.  The card is finished off with flowers, skeleton leaves and brads.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Pile it On - Anything goes
Flourishes - Oversized card - 8 x 8 card
Penny's Challenge - Anything goes
Stampin' Royalty - Anything with wings
Fab n Funky - Animal magic
Fuzzy Wuzzy - Anything goes and animal stamp
Paper Cutz - Any theme or colour
Crafty Catz - A forgotten stamp
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - No tags
Stamping Vacation - Embellish Challenge - Anything animal orientated

Aren't I a very lucky girl??

Recently Lynn from Lynns Designer Creations held a draw to win one of two Magnolia Blog Headers.  I was soooooooooooooooo excited to see that I had won one of them and I am now the proud owner of my new blog header and I love it.  I have changed my background so it blends better with my gorgeous header.  What do you think?  Lynn is certainly one clever lady.

Make sure you go and have a look at Carol's blog as she was the other winner.  Another of my Blogland friends, Lorraine at Cold Waters 2,  has a Magnolia Blog Header designed by Lynn and that is wonderful as well.  make sure you go and have a look.

Stamp Fairy Challenge - Monday 17 January 2011

Over at the Stamp Fairy Challenge the topic this week is paper piecing.  I love paper piecing so it would have been rude not to have a go.  I have used a little image of Kasi - ahhhhhhh - and have printed off onto some dots backing paper from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop.  I have then printed the image out again onto a lighter dotted brown and cut out Kasi's paws, nose and ears and decoupaged them up.  I have cut the image with my Nestabilities and chalk inked the edges.  For some reason I decided to put googly eyes on Kasi - what a nightmare - I could barely see the eyes let alone pick them up and stick them on but I got there in the end!!!  The card is then mounted onto two papers from Bearly Mine (I printed these off onto card so the outside piece I could distress with my Tim Holtz's distressing tool and then used a chalk ink on the edges), a piece of card embossed with script and another Nestabilities mount.  The card is then finished off with some fibres, sequin flowers and sentiment off the computer.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenge - Tis a recipe - 3 flowers, 2 design papers and 1 image
Totally Gorjuss - Cuddly
Pile it On - Anything goes
My Time to Craft - Spots and dots
Paper Pretties - Paper piecing
Penny's Challenge - Anything goes
Raise the Bar - NEW - Nestie, embellishment and white
Paper Cutz - Any theme or colour
Chicken Soup - Photo inspiration
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - No tags
Stamping Vacation - Embellish it - Anything animal orientated

Glitterbabe's Grand Opening - 31 January 2011

Stef over at Glitterbabe is moving her digital images to a new home on 31 January 2011.  She is asking for help to promote this which I am doing here.  Anyone that helps will be put in the drawer to win this:

Someone will certainly be a lucky person winning this.  Click here to go and have a look at Glitterbabe's new home.  Her new website is fab - go and have a look.

Allsorts Challenge - 15 January 2011

Over at the Allsorts Challenge this week the topic was teal blue and brown.  I recently won some nice paper in some candy that I thought would be ideal so I set to work.  I don't know the makes of the papers but the spotty one has raised spots with glitter and is very yummy and no messy glitter to contend with!!  I have used my Sugar Nellie Manga image I got recently and coloured her with Promarkers.  She's mounted on some kraft cardstock and some brown Crafty Ann's digital paper that I had in my scraps box.  The card is finished off with some raffia ribbon (which was originally light blue but out came my Promarker pen and hey presto it matches the image perfectly), flowers, brad, gems and a sentiment off the computer.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Stamp Something - Anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - Happy birthday
Stampin' for the Week-end - New and blue (new paper and gems)
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Anything goes
The Crafty Pad - Something new (new paper and gems)
I Did it Creations - Blue
Pile it On - Anything goes
Pear Tree Designs - Free for all
My Time to Craft - Spots and dots
Penny's Challenge - Anything goes
Simon Says - BINGO - I've chose punches/die-cuts and flowers and gems

Aud Sentiments Challenge #20 - My First Design Team Card

Well the time has come for me to post details of the Aud Sentiments Challenge # 20 - which I hasten to add is when the new members of the Design Team, Paul, Tammy, Amy, Denise and myself, officially join the existing Design Team.

Thank you for all the wonderful entries to the challenge for the last fortnight.

The challenge for this fortnight is  to use the word "LOVE" on your card/project.  Our sponsor is Squigglefly

Here is a bit about Squigglefly:

"Squigglefly is a digital stamp company that offers quality digital images for the card maker and scrapbooker.  There are many artists who design for Squigglefly so the images are very varied in style.  The great thing about this is that there is sure to be something there for everyone!  Squigglefly has a rewards program that once you sign up for lets you earn a free image for every $15.00 you spend.  Another great thing about Squigglefly is that your download links never expire, so if your computer crashes and you lose your images, you can get them back by simply downloading them again!  Browse through their Idea Gallery if you're stuck for ideas - there are thousands of cards that will inspire your creativity!"

The winner of this challenge will win 3 Squigglefly digital images of their choice!

***********

Here is the card that I have made for this challenge.  I have used the Shy Bear:  Hi Bella image which is available on the Squigglefly website as a freebie.

I have used some Basic Grey backing paper, embossed swirls card and some lace to back the image.  The image has been printed onto card and coloured with Promarkers.  Both the image and the verse have been cut out with die-cuts.  The card is finished off with a homemade flower and some gems.

I would love for you to come and join in with my first challenge for Aud Sentiments on their Design Team.  I shall look forward to seeing all your wonderful creations.

My card also fits the following challenges:

Mark's Finest Papers - Hearts on your card
Totally Gorjuss - Cuddly
Secret Crafter - With love
Pile it on - Anything goes
Paper Playtime - Use the word love on card/project
Incy Wincy - Bears, bears, bears
Pear Tree Designs - Free for all
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - No tags
Stamping Vacation - Home Sweet Home Challenge - Romantic Style
Stamping Vacation - Embellish Challenge - Anything animal orientated
Stamping Vacation - Clear as Mud - Cupid
Top Tip Tuesday - All sentimental
Passion for Promarkers - All you need is love
Penny's Paper Challenge - Anything goes
Freshly Brewed Designs - Spread some love
Bunny Zoe's - Love is in the air
Tuesday Throwdown - Valentine
Lexi's Creations - Say it with love
Phindy's Place - Valentine or for a loved one
Wags 'n Whiskers - With love
Craft Your Days Away - Anything goes
The Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or who do you love?

Bearly Mine Challenge - Tuesday 18 January 2011

It's time for challenge No 2 over at Bearly Mine Challenge Blog.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a card done in time for challenge no 1 to support Donna and her Design Team in their new venture.  I wish them luck though.

Challenge No 2 at Bearly Mine is "tis a recipe" - 3 flowers, 2 backing papers and 1 image.  For my card I have used two papers from the Bearly Mine Country Collection, one with two halves of different pink and then a patterned pink/green one, distressing the pink sheet with my Tim Holtz's distressing tool and highlighting it with a chalk ink pad.  A blogging friend/fellow Design Team member had some stamps for sale recently and I jumped at the chance of buying some more to add to my collection.  I have coloured this Manga Sugar Nellie stamp with Promarkers, cut her out with a die-cut, distressed the edges with a chalk ink pad and then thread thin ribbon through the holes in the die-cut.  The card is then finished off with some flowers from the Bearly Mine Country Collection with brads for their centres, three gems and a Happy Birthday sentiment I was given.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthday
Paperplay - Cutie Patootie
4 Crafty Chicks - Show us some metal - brads
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Digi Doodle Shop - Pink and green
Raise the Bar - Oh to be a kid again
Stamp Something - Anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - Happy birthday
2 Sisters - Flowers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Anything goes
The Crafty pad - Something new - new stamp for me
Ribbon Girls - Pink and green
Pile it On - Anything goes
Whoopsi Daisy - Pretty in Pink
Top Tip Tuesday - All sentimental
Sundays with Crissy - Ribbon
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - no tags

Stamping Vacation - Clean and Simple - three of anything - 3 flowers on this card

Thinking of You Card

I have made this very simple thinking of you card using an A6 card blank I was given.  The image is from The Crafty Purple Frog and is called the Night Rose.  Isn't she just gorgeous.  I just thought she was perfect for a thinking of you card.  I have decoupaged her up with a small amount of Pinflair glue gel as a lot of customers nowadays are conscious of the cost of postage let alone when the cost of stamps goes up.  I have used some paper from my scraps box and some I was given.  It is finished off with a sentiment off the computer and some pearls.

This card also fits the following challenges:

The Crafty Purple Frog - New Year, new techniques or new designs - new decoupage sheet and card blanks for me
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - All sentimental 
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - no tags
Stamping Vacation - Clean and Simple - three of anything - 3 pearls on this card

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Monday 17 January 2011

Over at the Whoopsi Daisy Challenge this week the topic is "pretty in pink".  Well I had already coloured this little beauty in in pink so it would have been rude of me not to enter the challenge wouldn't it?  I have coloured the image with Promarkers, cue out with my Nestabilities die and then edged it with Stickles.  When I made my card for the Sweet Pea Challenge - all white apart from the image - see card below - I played around with some extra pieces of white card in case things went wrong.  As they didn't instead of putting the white bits into the stash box I made another white card with embossed card pieces, one distressed with Tim Holtz's distressing tool and edged with Stickles, ric-rac ribbon, card candy, flower/feather arrangement and some die-cut flowers.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Ai Factory - Anything goes
Hodge Podge - White on white
Glitterbabe - Anything goes
Crafty Emma - No designer papers
Pile it on - Anything goes
The Shabby Tea Room - White and bright
My Time to Craft - Spots and dots
Sundays with Crissy - Ribbon - ric-rac ribbon used - hope that's OK
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - no tags

Sweet Pea Stampers - 14 January 2011

Over at the Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge Blog the challenge this fortnight is "all white apart from the image" - yikes - every time I see an all white card I run a mile and don't enter - sorry Sweet Pea Stampers.  I was though talking to a friend yesterday and she was going to do a card to enter so I decided to do one too.  I even made the challenge even more difficult for myself as I made it fit on a A6 card.  I don't use this size any more on a day-to-day basis but it's that time of the year for us here in the UK when the Docrafts Cancer Research even will take place when crafters make A6 cards, put them in the special envelopes provided and either send/take into a Marie Curie shop and these are sold at £1 each to raise funds.  Last year I made 100 cards.  Not sure how many I'll get done this year but I've made my first now!!!

For my card I have used my Forest Blue Ching-Chou Kuik Sweet Pea stamp and coloured it in with Promarkers, highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen, cut the image out with my oval scallop Nestabilities die, distressed the edges with a purple Versamagic chalk ink pad and then highlighted the scallop area with some Stickles.  The backing pieces are plain white card stock, one put through my scroll Cuttlebug folder and the other put through my script Cuttlebug folder.  I have distressed the edges with my Tim Holtz distressing tool and edges with Stickles.  The card is then finished off with some lace, flowers/leaf/butterflies die-cuts all highlighted with Stickles, white card candy and some white fibres.

I am pleased how the card came out although I have to admit that I wasn't going to enter this challenge due to the all white.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Ai Factory - Anything goes
Stampin B's - Use a die-cut on your card/project
Do You Stack Up? - Distress it
Glitterbabe - Anything goes
Moving Along with the Times - Dreams - this image is very peaceful and I (a) dream that this year is a lot easier for me and my family and for so many people who had an awful 2010 and (b) dream of being able to make lots and lots of cards for the Docrafts Appeal.
Some Odd Girl - Let's get embossed
Hodge Podge - White on white
Stamp Something - Anything goes
The Stamp Man - Distressed
Crafty Emma - No designer papers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Anything goes
Our Daily Bread - Wing it
Kort o Mania - Fantasy/adventure
Shelly's Images - Use lace
Pile it On - Anything goes

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge - 11 January 2011

Over at the A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge this week the topic is "thank you".  For my card I have used some white/grey papers I was given and edges each with my silver Pentouch pen.  The smaller piece I have edged with a wire edged silver ribbon.  The little character from my Docrafts Woodland Folk clear stamps has been stamped with Versafine and then coloured with Promarkers and I have distressed the edges of the image with my Big and Juicy Sunset ink pad.  I have done the same with the "picked just for you!" sentiment.  I then cut out three different shaped flowers with my Cricut, distressed them with the Big and Juicy and then edged each layer with the silver Pentouch pen.  I've not done this before but quite like the effect.  It's held together with a gem brad.  The card is then finished off with a "thank you" sentiment off the computer and some gorgeous gems from Simon Says Stamp in the USA.

This card fits the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers - Use red and a die-cut
Paperplay - Cutie Patootie
4 Crafty Chicks - Show us some metal
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Stampin B's - Use a die-cut on your card/project
Do You Stack Up? - Distress it
The Crafty Purple Frog - New goodies or techniques - my new Docrafts Woodland Folk stamps have come out for their maiden voyage
Pattie's Creations - Anything goes
Stamp Something - Anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenge - Thank you
2 Sisters - Flowers
Totally Gorjuss - Cuddly
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Anything goes
Stamping Vacation - Embellish It Challenge - Anything animal related
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - No tags
Stamping Vacation - Special Month Challenge

In a Sweet Pea Dream - 12 January 2011

Over at the In a Sweet Pea Dream the challenge this fortnight is "under the sea".  For my card I have used Ching-Chou Kuik's Koi image.  Oh I so wish I could draw like this as the image is beautiful.  I have used various scraps of backing paper from my stash including some from magazine freebies.  The stamped image has been coloured in with Promarkers and highlighted in areas by my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I have then cue it out with one of my Nestabilities dies.  I have raised the image on a purple alcohol inks background.  When I first got into stamping just over a year ago I would NEVER have dreamed of using alcohol inks but I quite like having a play with these now and then.  I used my Adirondack Blending Solution to try and get some wavy shapes in the ink to replicate the waves of the sea.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer, ribbon, card candy, star brad and three fabric flowers which I bought from our Woolworths when it was shutting down over two years ago.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Let's Ink it Up - Anything goes
Incy Wincy - Go dotty
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Thank you
I Love Promarkers - Punches
Crafty Sentiments - Thank you
4 Crafty Chicks - Show us some metal (metal brad)
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Stampin B's - Use a die-cut on your card
Pattie's Creations - Anything goes
Stamp Something - Anything goes
Fairytale - Flowers
Crafty Catz - Thank you
Paper Sundaes - Circles (circles on backing paper and circular card candy - hope this is OK)

Crafty Ann's Challenge No 32

Another fortnight has come and gone and it's time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's.  We had some lovely entries for the challenge last fortnight using one of Crafty Ann's digital image.  This fortnight's challenge is entitled "ring in the new but don't ring out the old" so Crafty Ann is asking us to use something new and something old on your project.

Well I decided to use a new technique that I saw over Christmas.  I saw Sue Wilson doing a Spellbinders show and she heated up some Cosmic Shimmer on glue and it made bubbles, dried and made a lovely backing.  A copy of her card is here.  Well, I thought I'd use Flowersoft glue which I have had for a year or so, put on the Cosmic Shimmer and heated up.  "Yes" I did get some wonderful bubbles like blowing bubble gum but no matter how long I kept going with the heat tool on the front or back it wouldn't dry.  I then resorted to laying the different coloured pieces on paper in front of the fire and that's where they've been for three days - yes three days!!!!  The orange/yellow backing paper is from Crafty Ann's Funky Collection and the crackle stamp is from Creative Expressions and the harlequin is by Tim Holtz.  The daffodils image is from Crafty Ann's and I have coloured it in with Promarkers and decoupaged it up for change.  The card is finished off with ribbon, Crafty Ann's ticket sentiment and card candy.

New item - using a glue/Cosmic Shimmer technique and trying different things with stamping on coloured backgrounds and trying some bolder colours out/different colour schemes I wouldn't have really used last year and using my new colour of card candy.

Old item - ribbon that I've had for quite a number of years and the crackle stamp I've had for a while as well.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' - Try something different

Secret Crafter - Tons of texture

Craft Your Days Away - Anything goes

The Crafty pad - Happy birthday

Craft Your Passion - Let's tie it on

My Partner in Crime - Something new

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthdays

Ai Factory - Anything goes

Stampin B's - Use a die-cut

Do you Stack Up? - Distress it

Crafty Purple Frog - New goodies or techniques
Stamp Something - Anything goes
The Stamp Man - Distressed
Totally Papercrafts - Happy birthday

The Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - 6/1/11 - Card No 2

As I said in my previous post the challenge this fortnight over at The Crafty Purple Frog is new goodies or techniques.  Well I couldn't decide which of the two sheets to use so of course I had to make two cards and this is my second entry into the challenge.

Papers:  Crafty Ann's Digital papers, scrap silver card and some blue paper I won in some candy recently

Image - The Crafty Purple Frog decoupaged up and highlighted with Sakura Stardust clear pen

Embellishments - Card candy, sentiment off the computer and what should be a wheel off the ship which I cut with my Cricut - but to me it looks a bit like a slice of orange/lemon!!

This card fits the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes

Sweet Pea Stampers - Anything goes

Craft Your Days Away - Anything goes

The Crafty Pad - Happy birthday

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes

Crafts and Me - Paper tearing
One Stop Craft - Card for a child