Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - 25 February 2011

Over at the Sweet pea Stampers Challenge Blog the topic this fortnight is your favourite Sweet Pea image.  Yikes - that's a challenge and a half in itself to try and choose.  I have chosen one of my first Sweet pea images called Forest Blue which I bought nearly a year ago when I first started my Sweet Pea addiction.  I just think that she's just got such a magical look about her don't you?  I have coloured her in with Promarkers, die-cut the image and then edged with Stickles glitter glue.  The backing papers are a mixture of plain paper, a magazine freebie, K&Co, Basic Grey and DCWV.  I kept the papers to look very spring like as this is when we have Mother's day here in the UK.  I distressed the edges of the papers with Tim Holtz's Broken China distress ink pad and a forest green chalk ink pad.  I have distressed the doily with Tim Holtz's Vintage Photo.  The flowers I have made out of a book and die-cut the shapes, scrunched them up, distressed with Broken China and Faded Jeans distress ink pads, Stickled the edges, re-scrunched and then put a decorative button in the centre instead of a brad.  The card is then finished off with some lace, swirls, flower button, sentiment off the computer, butterflies, gems and a ticket sentiment.

It's that "time of the month" and my regular charity stall has to be set up on Friday so i thought this card could go on the stall in case someone wants to buy it for Mother's Day.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday - Bling it on
Oldie but a Goodie - Spring is in the air
Anything Goes - Distressing

Tuesday Throwdown - 3D

Creative card Crew - Fantasy

Crafty Creations - At the bottom of the garden lives

Crafts and Me - Time to spread your wings

In a Sweet Pea Dream - Warmer weather

Do You Stack Up? - Anything goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Photo inspiration

Southern Girls - Brads, gems or dewdrops

Paperplay - Let's get sentimental

Paper Romance - Anything goes 

Tellen's Place - Buttons, buttons, let's see some buttons

Frosted Designs - Metal on your card - metal centres to the buttons

Paper Cutz - project for spring

Stamp Something - Flowers

The Stamp man - Curls and swirls

Chicken Soup - Ticket challenge

Crafty Emma - Flowers and flutterby's

Flutterby Wednesday - Open theme

Sweet Stampin - Oh so girly

Allsorts - Make your own flowers

Crazy 4 Challenge - Flowers on card/project

Catch the Bug - Green with envy

Corrosive Challenge - Distressing

I Did it Creations - Punches/dies

One Stitch at a Time - Card for mum

Dream Valley - Anything goes - wishing the Design Team all the very best with their new challenge blog

Incy Wincy - Spring is in the air

Craft Your Passion - Girly girl

Die-cut Dreams - Spring garden scene

Crazy Challenge - Here comes spring

Lollipop Crafts - Think spring

Wild Orchid Challenge - Anything goes
The Crafty Purple Frog - A touch of magic

Less is More Challenge - 26 February 2011

Well, the moral of tonight's posting is don't post when you are very tired and don't have too many blogs open at once as you end up putting the wrong title on the wrong post with the wrong links - yikes!!!!

This will be three weeks on the trot that I've entered this challenge.  6-12 months ago I would never have even entered as I wouldn't have had the confidence but a New Year brought some new things for me to try and to try some things out of my "comfort zone" I include taking part in this challenge one of these such things.  

This week for the Less is More Challenge the topic is three squares.  For my card I have used my Flowers and Friendship See D's stamp set for the three squares and also the sentiment.  I have stamped all the images and sentiment with Versafine Crimson Red.  I have highlighted areas of the flower and hearts with my Sakura Stardust clear pen for some sparkle.  The only embellishment used is one gem for the centre of the flower.  The sentiment I would normally have put in the centre but I have tried it at the top on this card - not sure whether I like it "all the way up there"!!!!

This card also fits the following challenges:

Pear Tree Designs - One Colour

Crazy 4 Challenge - Flowers on card

Simply Create - Power of flowers

The Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - 17 February 2011

The challenge over at The Crafty Purple Frog this fortnight is "a touch of magic".  I have used The Crafty Purple Frog Caribbean Treasure decoupage sheet.  I love the two pirate-style sheets that Amy has designed.  I have decoupaged the image and then highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  The backing papers are from my scraps box so I am not sure where they are from.  The card is finished off with some cord, skull charm, paper ribbon and some dew drop messages.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Pile it On - Childhood dreams

I Did it Creations - Anything goes 

Creative Inspirations - Stripes

Frosted Designs - Use metal on your card/project

Pear Tree Designs Challenge - 21 February 2011

Over at the Pear Tree Designs Challenge the topic this week is "one colour".  I have used my Flowers and Friendship See D's stamp set for the three squares and also the sentiment.  I have stamped all the images and sentiment with Versafine Crimson Red.  I have highlighted areas of the flower and hearts with my Sakura Stardust clear pen for some sparkle.  I have added a clear gem to the centre of the flower to add a tiny bit of dimension.  The sentiment I would normally have put in the centre but I have tried it at the bottom this time.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Pear Tree Designs - One Colour
Lexi's Creations - Flowers

Stampin' B's - Use a flower

Ai Factory - Monochromatic

Paperplay - Let's get sentimental

Alphabet Challenge - Quotes and sayings

Stamp Something - Something with flowers

Stampin' for the Week-end - Monochrome

Crazy 4 Challenge - Flowers on card

Simply Create - Power of flowers

I Did it Creations - Anything goes

Crafty Ann's Challenge # 35

Another fortnight has crept around and the Design Team have had some lovely creations to look at/comment on.  The topic this fortnight is "happy birthday".  For my card I have used two of Crafty Ann's backing papers, a green abstract and a gorgeous tartan.  The image is one of Crafty Ann's as well which is of music, violin and roses.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers, highlighted the roses with glossy accents, torn around the image and then distressed with Tim Holtz's Brushed Corduroy ink pad.  The card is then simply finished off with some ribbon and a sentiment off the computer.


This card also fits the following challenges:


I Did it Creations - Anything goes
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Colour green
Paper Sundaes - Masculine colours
Craft Your Passion - Male card or project
Passion for promarkers - One for the boys
Anything goes - Distressing.

Sweet Pea Stampers Design Team Call

Over at the Sweet Pea Stampers Blog they are having a Design Team Call.  To take part in the DT call you have to put a post of your blog (which I am doing), mention why you would like to join the DT and show 2 of your cards.

I came across Sweet Pea Stamps last year and all I will say that it's become an addiction to look at creations made with these stamps and also to buy some stamps and make some creations myself.  I haven't got as many stamps as I would like - as to be honest there are only a few stamps that I haven't bonded with - but I have managed to give some a lovely home here in the UK and give them as much love and attention with Copics, Promarkers, distress inks and watercolours that I can.  Being part of the Design Team would mean that I could get to use more of the lovely stamps, make lovely creations to share and be able to spend time looking at other creations made by people entering the challenges.

Here are my two favourite cards:

If you would like to try out for the Design Team there are still four days left to go.

Less is More Challenge - 19 February 2011

The challenge this week at the Less is More Challenge is "spring".  I can't say I find these challenges easy but I am trying to have a go each week.  I think we get too much in a comfort zone of adding layers of papers/embellishments etc and it is difficult to take things back to basic.  For my card I have used a 5x5 card blank and worked out the centre point.  I then used my purple Memento ink pad and made the four petal shapes with  it.  I have outlined the edges with faux stitching with a purple Eddy pen.  The card is then simply finished off with some peel-off's for the corners, a stamped sentiment and a button for the centre of the flower.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Allsorts - Inspired by nature
I Did it Creations - Anything goes
Lexi's Creations - Flowers
Paper Romance - Anything goes

CD Sunday Challenge - 20 February 2011

I was asked to make a card for a customer for a very special friend of theirs.  The topic this week at CD Sunday is "get ahead - get a hat" so this card was perfect for this challenge.  It is from my Deco Follies My Craft Studio CD.  The card turned into quite a nightmare to make as I still don't have a fully functioning version of either My Craft Studio Standard or Professional - despite swapping our XP computer with my son's Windows 7 computer which leads us to believe it's not talking properly to our HP printer as everything will look fine and fitted in print preview and when it prints out it's a lot bigger and therefore doesn't print onto the page no matter what you do.  As I use the package for most of my cards I am deeply disappointed and frustrated with what's happening and still haven't heard back from My Craft Studio.

As the image for this card is so stunning I didn't think it needed much or it would detract from this.  The card.  I simply finished it off with some pearls, sentiment off the computer and a little ribbon/flower/pearl embellishment.  I printed off two of the same A5 images so that I could do some decoupage.


This card also fits the following challenges:


If the Shoe Fits Scrap It - Happy birthday
I Did it Creations - Anything goes
My Time to Craft - Hats
Do You Stack Up? - Anything goes
Moving Along With the Times - Fashion
Paper Romance - Anything goes
Paperplay - Let's get sentimental

Top Tip Tuesday - 22 February 2011

The topic for this weeks' challenge at Top Tip Tuesday is "bling it on" so this card I have made I thought would be suitable as I've used some mirri card and some gems to add some sparkle.  The image and backing papers are from My Craft Studio Fab Glam Fifties CD.  In the end I nearly had to abort making the card as I now have the use of my son's computer and cannot use My Craft Studio Professional properly on that (with my computer it wouldn't work at all) and now my My Craft Studio Standard is also playing up and everything fits on the page in print preview and then if I send it to print it either prints out tiny or is too big and only certain bits print on the screen.  My son who is in IT and myself have come to the conclusion that it somehow it is incompatible with my printer but others I know use HP printers - albeit not the same model as mine - so I am tearing my hair out.  Virtually most of my cards I would use My Craft Studio for and even when printing out digital images and I feel really lost and upset it's not working properly and I have no idea what to do.


I thought this image that Nancy watt has drawn was so beautiful.  The card is finished off with some lace, buttons, homemade flowers with corded brads, sentiment off the computer, ribbon and some gems.


This card also fits the following challenges:


For Fun - Happy birthday
Fab n Funky - Make your own embellishments
Dutch Dare - Sparkle/glitter/bling
Paper Romance - Buttons, ribbon and lace
If the Shoe fits Scrap it - Happy birthday
Shabby Tea Room - Buttons and bows 
Ooh-la-la Creations - Pink, pink and more pink

Get Well Soon Card

My husband came home from work on Friday saying he'd been asked by a colleague if I could make a card for them to sign as a fellow Bus Driver was off after suffering a heart attack.  As there are 250+ drives it has to be an A4 card with lots and lots of space for people to sign.  I decided to go for a concertina card this time.  As the card gets passed around a lot I have to make sure there's not many embellishments on it or they'll end up falling off as they are never as gentle as people that make cards - as we know what time and effort went into making them.  Yes, it took about four hours to complete in all but thankfully I found the football theme on my My Craft Studio Celebrations CD and this included the backing papers, images, tag etc.  The card has been simply finished off with lots of matting and layering, inking the edges of the card to give illusion of extra layers and to replicate the grass for the football field.

This card fits the following challenges:


Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Use a CD
Crafty Catz - One for the men
Easy Craft Projects - Something for the boys
Secret Crafter - Fancy folds
Paper Sundaes - Masculine colours
Aly's Sunday - Get well or give support
Stamping Vacation - No No No No Challenge - No flowers

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 17 February 2011 - A trendy sentiment

It doesn't seem possible that another fortnight has come-and-gone and it's time for another challenge over at Aud Sentiments.  This time the topic is to use a "trendy sentiment".

For this challenge we are sponsored by Kenny K's.  Click here to have a look at their wonderful images.

Here is the card I have made for this challenge.  I have shown you a picture of the front and the inside.  I have used the "Milkshake" image from Kenny K and it is available here.  I have used some pink card from my stash and some pink/white/red striped paper that I got in some blog candy.  The Kenny K image I have coloured with Promarkers and cut with deckle-edged scissors around the heart.  I made up the sentiment, printed off on the computer and used a die-cut to cut it out.  The card is finished off with some raffia, gems, peel-offs and some ribbon.


This card will also fit the following challenges:


ECP Challenge - Love
Frosted Designs - Use the word love on project
Allsorts - It's all about the sentiment
Crazy 4 Challenge - Hearts
Totally Gorjuss - Love
One Stop Craft - love is in the air
2 Sisters - Hearts
Wee memories - Live, laugh, love
Our Creative Corner - Cut it out
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Love is in the air
Craft Your Days Away - Photo inspiration
One Stitch at a Time - Bling it up
Sentimental Sundays - Red, pink and white
The Crafty Pad - Hearts
Cupcake Craft - I love you and at least one heart
Craft Your Passion - Use pink
The Crazy Challenge - Weddings and Anniversaries
Digital Tuesday - Use a die-cut
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Going sentimental
Papercrafting Journey - Anything goes

A Happy Accident

I was a little naughty yesterday and just had to buy some more Teddy Bo images and I thought this of Teddy Bea sitting would look perfect on a frame so I printed her off and started to colour.  That's when the happy accident came to light.  I have three light pink coloured lids of Copics and so I just picked up one to use but didn't read the label.  To my horror it was V95 light grape and I wasn't sure what to do so I continued colouring in her dress etc.  All of a sudden the light grape colour grew on me and I thought it was certainly an unusual colour for a bear but I liked it so that's how she stayed.  The card has been completed from papers I have been given, handmade papers I won in some blog candy last year, sentiment off the computer, ric-rac ribbon, seam binding ribbon, organza ribbon, gems, flowers, heart pins and lots and lots of love and attention to detail.  I have highlighted areas of the papers, Bea's pom-poms and the flowers with some Stickles to add some glitter and bling.


This card fits the following challenges:


Teddy Bo Challenge - In the pink
Crafty Emma - Cute and cuddly
Crazy 4 Challenge - Hearts
2 Sisters - Hearts
Paper Sundaes - Choose two or more toppings - flowers and pink for me
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Bling, bling
Craft Your Passion - Use pink
Totally Stampalicious - Use bling
Copic Creations - Warm colours
Papertake Weekly - Putting on the glitz
Paperplay - Just add shine
Charisma Cardz - Spring has sprung
Dutch Dare - Sparkle/glitter/bling
Do You Stack Up? - Dots
Stampin' B's - Monochromatic

Less is More Challenge - 12 February 2011

Over at the Less is More Challenge this week the topic is a one layer card.  I haven't made many of these cards in my time of crafting but that's part of a challenge isn't it ie doing things you don't normally do.  I have used an Elusive Images stamp and stamped with Black Memento and coloured in with Promarkers and highlighted the centre of the flowers with Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I have finished off with a peel-off sentiment and four peel-off circles for the corners.


This card also fits in with the following challenges:


Lollipop Crafts - favourite colouring medium - Promarkers
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - KISS card
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - A stamped flower

Wee Stamps

Just thought I'd let you know that there is a new range of digital stamps called Wee Stamps.  Click here and go and have a look at Sylvia's blog.  If you hurry and become a follower and put a post on your blog you could get a free image to have a play with and give a new home to.

Secret Crafter Challenge - 12 February 2011

 

Over at the Secret Crafter Challenge this week the topic is a stamped flower.  I decided to do a one layer card to enter some other challenges.  I nearly didn't enter this as I struggle with cards like this as I hate stamping onto the actual card as things always seem to go wrong.  Thankfully things didn't seem to go wrong this time.  I measured the size of the stamp, folded a piece of copier paper in half and drew out a square shape for half the stamp and then used my tearing ruling to get a distressed edge to it.  I then used a mixture of Tim Holtz Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade ink pads and my ink dusters to make the background.  I then made the square a little bigger again using the tearing ruler and this time used my Fired Brick distress ink pad.  The stamp I used was from Elusive Images and I stamped with Versafine and coloured in with Promarkers.  I then doodled around the edge of the distressing with my fine liner pen.  I'm still not convinced I like it.

This card fits the following challenges:

Digi Doodles - nature

Alphabet Challenge - O for orange

Totally Papercrafts - Clean and simple

Drunken Stampers - Loss for words - no sentiment

Creative Inspirations - Distress

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - KISS card

Incy Wincy - Colour me wonderful - at least two colouring mediums - distress inks and Promarkers for me

Lollipop crafts - Favourite colouring medium - Promarkers but closely followed by distress inks.

My Craft Studio Fab Glam Fifties Card

Here is my first time of using my My Craft Studio Fab Glam Fifties CD.  I could only do basic things as since I installed this CD I cannot run MCS professional at all.  It seems to be conflicting with my printer.  My previous CD I installed with MCS Professional would allow me to go into it but would stop me doing certain things and would always hang before going out - but now with this CD I can't even get into the package so I have to use the standard version.

I have used this image along with the dotty backing paper from the CD and mounted it onto silver mirri card and pink and purple card, edging all the papers/card.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer, lace, pearls, buttons tied with ribbon/cord and finally some gorgeous organza ribbon.

This card fits the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - Buttons
Crafty Creations - Three little words - mine are "just for you"
Do You Stack Up? - Ribbon
One Stitch at a Time - Bling it up

Kenny K's Challenge - 13 February 2011

The topic for the Kenny K's Challenge this week is circles.  I have used various DCWV papers and other scraps (to make the circles), inking the edges to distress them a bit.  The Kenny K image is Queens Cutie and I have coloured her with my Promarkers and cut her out with the die-cut and I have used the outside the frame technique to cut her out so that her boots are "out of the frame".  The card is finished off with a ticket sentiment, card candy and peel-off.

This card fits the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Cut it out
Stamping Vacation - No No No Challenge - No flowers

Teddy Bo Challenge - 8 February 2011

Over at the Teddy Bo Challenge this week the topic is "in the pink".  When I made my Teddy Bo card last week I always tend to print off two of the same images in case I go wrong.  I coloured in this image and put the faux stitching around the edge but then didn't think it fitted in so I saved it.  Obviously it's come in handy of this challenge.  I have used various pinks/red papers from my stash, some from blog candy so I don't know the make, and distressed the edges.  Some red card I have embossed.  The card is finished off with some card candy, flowers, cord brad, heart charm and a little "love is you" sentiment that I was given but hadn't used.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes
The Shabby Tea Room - Photo inspiration and hearts
Crafty Cardmakers - Hearts
Lexi's Creations - Bears
Incy Wincy - Love
Passion for Promarkers - Let there be love
Spoon Full of Sugar - Let's see some love
Digital Tuesday - From the heart
My Time to Craft - Hearts and flowers
Papertake Weekly - Have a heart
Creative Card Crew - For a loved one
For Fun - Hearts
Gingersnap Creations - Charms
Crafty Creations - Three little words - mine is "love is you"
Fab n Funky - Tempting texture
Rainbow Lady's - It's all about love
Paperplay - Hearts and flowers but no valentine
Crafty Sentiments - Valentine's/love
Dutch Dare - Red/white/pink
Do you Stack up? - Ribbon
Ai Factory - Valentine's Day/love
Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and flowers
Frosted Designs - Use the word love on your project
Tellen's Place - Stripes
Crafty Emma - Cute and cuddly
Crazy 4 Challenge - Hearts
Totally Gorjuss - Love
One Stop Craft - Love is in the air
2 Sisters Challenge - Hearts
Wee Memories - Live, laugh or love
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Love is in the air
Paper Sundaes - Pick your Sundae toppings - Choose 2 or more toppings from flowers, lace, distressing and pink - I've chosen flowers, distressing and pink
Sentimental Sundays - Red, pink and white
The Crafty Pad - Hearts
Freshly Brewed Challenge - Use a charm
Creative Craft Challenge - Hearts and flowers
Craft Calendar - Love
Teddy Stampers - Love bears
Magical Monday - Love
Fun with Shapes and More - Hearts
Craft Your Days Away - Photo inspiration
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Bling, bling
Bee Crafty - Hearts
ECP Challenge - Love
Guylou 's Inimitability Challenge - Hearts
Paper Crafting Journey - Love is in the air
Created by Hand - Queen of hearts
Stamping Vacation - Get the Music in You Challenge - Love of my life
Stamping Vacation - Name That Card - You are in my heart

Flashback Friday 8.0

The topic this time on Flashback Friday is first 3D project.  This challenge is totally different to others as it has to be your oldest projects.  It's scary going back in time in some respects but I think everyone must find it amazing to see how far they have come.

My first 3D project was posted on my blog on 29 August 2007 and it showed my first try at a star card.  I didn't do things by half as I made two virtually identical cards for the two people that ran a birthday list/form I was a member of.  If you want to have a look at the actual post click here to go and have a look.