Another Commissioned Birthday Card

Now you will know why I've been a little quiet of late as I had these two cards to put my thinking cap on for - the one posted yesterday and the one posted today.  They both had to be big enough for 30-40 people to sign - yikes!!!

  

  

   

   

   

For this card I turned to Debbi Moore's Venetian CDs and decided to make a book-style card and also it's matching box.  Yet again I made up the box and worked out the size I could go for the card.  Unfortunately this meant the toppers wouldn't fit on so I had to reduce them in the size.  The one printed off didn't go to waste as I put it on the inside of the box after I printed off a backing paper from the CD to the other side of the card.  This card involved lots and lots of matting and layering, using a green backing paper from the CD and a plain brown polished stone backing paper from Crafty Ann's Digi Store.  I reduced the size of some other toppers and used the snapshot tool for the bottom layer of the pyromage so that I could put a topper on each page to avoid the pages looking bare.  As per the norm I lost count on how many pieces of paper/card I distressed the edges with ink.  It's something I started when I made cards for the TV and I kept going.  The card is finished off with lots of flowers, leaves, sentiment and verse off the computer, die-cuts (including one embossed in a vine embossing folder), gems, Stickles glitter glue, ribbon and tissue paper stamped with an Artylicious stamp.

This card and matching box I am entering into the following challenges:

Sparkles Forum - Anything goes

Craft Your Passion - Show us your layers

Moving Along with the Times - Anything goes

Papercrafting Journey - Bling

Ai Factory - Anything goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - Anything goes

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Mami Doodles - Let's get girly

Stamptacular Sunday - At least 5 layers

Scrap-creations - Flowers

My Mum's Craft Shop - Flowers

Scrapbook Sisters - Distress

Delightful Sketches - Distressing

4 Crafty Chicks - Distressing

Craft us Crazy - Moms and/or flowers

Totally Papercrafts - Glitter

Paper Cutz - Anything goes

Commissioned Birthday Card

 

 

 

I was asked by my son to make a card for his "old" colleagues from where he used to work.  I thought when he left there I'd get no more orders for cards but it's nice they still remember to get cards off me especially as 50% I receive always goes to charity.  The remit for the card was ladies so I opted to use my Debbie Moore Art Deco Glitter and Glitz CD to make the box and card to go in it.  I had to wait for the box to be made up to work out the size of the card that could go in it and decided to make a concertina card for this one.  I did lots of matting and layering with matching cardstock and paper from the CD.  The card is finished off with sentiment and verse of the computer, die-cuts, peel-offs, lots and lots of gems, ribbon, mirri card and some tissue paper stamped with an Kay Carley Aspects of Design stamp.  Obviously I glitzed up the box as well and added images inside the box after putting the card back in to print on the inside of the card as well inside of leaving it plain white.

This card and matching box I am entering into the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Bling it on

Paper Sundaes - Sundaes bar - Pick at least 2 toppings - I have chosen sparkle and die-cuts

Sparkles Forum - Anything goes

Pile it On - 2 or more ribbons - spotty satin ribbon on the card and a purple organza to keep the tissue paper around the card together

Craft Your Passion - Show us your layers
Moving Along with the Times - Anything goes

Papercrafting Journey - Bling

Ai Factory - Anything goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - Anything goes

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes
Mami Doodles - Let's get girly
Paper Cutz - Anything goes
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge Blog - Fashion

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 28 April 2011 - Happy Mother's Day

Well what an eventful fortnight we had with the last challenge and the Blog Hop. Thank you to everyone that took part and made it a success and a special thank you to all the wonderful sponsors.

The challenge for Aud Sentiments this fortnight is "Happy Mother's Day".  It seemed very strange making this card when we've actually had Mother's Day here in the UK.  Our challenge this fortnight is Paper Garden Projects Store and here is a little bit of information about them:

"We are a friendly little paper craft store specialising in clear, cling and unmounted stamps and digital images.  We also carry a large variety of stamping supplies and tools to make crafting fun and easy.  Everything we carry are things that we actually use and love.  Check out our tutorials and join our fun challenges."

For my card I used the peony flower image of the whole flower and also the head.  I printed off the whole flower once and the flower head four times and coloured in with Promarkers.  You'll never believe it but I used five different shades of yellow and three of orange.  I cut away about a 1.5inch edge from an A5 card so that I could place the peony heads down the side.  The backing paper is from K&Co.  The main image after colouring I die-cut, edged with Tim Holtz's Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint and a tiny smidgen of Black Soot Distress Ink Pads.  I did the same with the green frame which I embossed with a Pampered Pets embossing folder and cut out.  The flowers down the edge of the card have been decoupaged to add some dimension.  The card is finished off with some card candy, sentiment off the computer and ribbon bow.

As part of the Blog Hop each member of the Design Team had something to give away.  The winner of my $10 to spend at the Digi Doodle Shop is ............................... Pinky.  Congratulations Pinky.  Please go to the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog to find out how to receive your prize.  Congratulations Pinky.

Please visit the Aud Sentiments Design Team Blog to find out the details of the new members of the Design Team but if you want to know now these are the new additions - welcome!!!

Carolina from Carolina's Creative Pad 
Piali from Touch Of Creation

Gemma from Handmade By Gem 
Amy D From Paper Trails Leaver

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - Y is for yellow

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Springtime

Crafty Emma - Spring colours/image

2 Sisters - Photo inspiration

Paper Sundaes - Sundaes bar - choose at least 2 toppings - die-cuts and colour yellow for me

Pear Tree Designs - Colourful

Craft Your Passion - Show us your layers

Scrap-Creations - Flowers
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Mother's day
Crafts and Me - Vintage/distressed
Scrapbook Sisters - Distress
Delightful Sketches - Distressing
Charisma Cardz - April showers/May flowers
Dutch Dare - For mom
4 Crafty Chicks - Distressing
Ai Factory - Anything goes
Craft us Crazy - Moms and/or flowers
Digi Doodle - Anything goes
Hand Stamped Sentiments - Mother's day
Utah Divas International - Diva Inspiration Challenge #145
City Crafter - Mother may I?

Flashback Friday 10.0

Over at this month's challenge is to find the first card/project you blogged with stitching on it ie real or faux.  Well it's taken me ages to trawl through - must be an easier way - but it might come to me soon.  Here is my first Trapunto card that I made back in March 2008 and put on my blog here.  Click here to visit the Flashback Friday Challenge.

Craft for Life Appeal 2011

 

 

Another 22 cards made for the Craft for Life Appeal.  I shall take them to our local Marie Curie Shop next Tuesday.  I just wish they did bags for A6 cards and also some for A5 as I think they'd get more people take part in this with different sizes being able to be made.  This is the only time now that I use A6 cards.  Still got plenty of bags so I can make some more.  Watch this space!!!

Thank You Card

I needed to make a special Thank You card and couldn't decide on a Sweet pea Stamp or a Crafty Purple Frog image so went for both and created a concertina card with 5 Crafty Purple Frog images and a new Sweet pea Stamp that I received to include fairies and mermaids.  As my card bases were 6x6 inch cards I was able to use many scraps of papers and use others from DCWV, Crafty Ann's Digi Shop and Artylicious Essence of Nature CD.  I used many different embellishments including different ribbons, Sakura Stardust clear pens, gems, gem/cherry blossom/roses/flat flowers, sentiments off the computer, sparkly mesh given to me by a friend, peel-offs, brads, epoxy corners/sentiment, lace and some chipboard flowers which I coloured with my Promarkers and then inked with blue Memento using a spotty See D's stamp.

I going to enter this card into the following challenges:

The Crafty Purple Frog - Touchy feely

Ai Factory - Flowers in bloom

Shelly's Images - Show us what you got

Delicious Doodles - Anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - Bling it on

Paper Sundaes - Sundaes Bar - Pick at least 2 toppings - I have used sparkle, die-cuts and yelllow

Stamptacular Sunday - Pile it on

Sparkles Forum - Anything goes

Pile it On - Two or more ribbons

Craft Your Passion - Show us your layers

Whoopsi Daisy - Fairies

Tuesday Throwdown - Brads or eyelets

Everybody Art - Fairies

Scrap-Creations - Flowers
Top Tip Tuesday - Squares - I used 2 6x6 square cards for my concertina - hope this is OK or just delete my entry

On a personal note, thanks for all the messages wanting to know if I was OK.  It's now 6 weeks since my surgery to remove the infection in the root canal at the front of my mouth and two weeks since more work to three more teeth by my dentist.  He said I'd have some grief from my teeth as he'd had to go so near my roots - boy was he right.  I am still struggling now and still am unable to bite into any food and have to push everything now to the back right hand side to chew as I am banned on going anywhere near the two teeth that were filled to give the roots time to settle down.  Come the second week of May it will have been 5 months that I have been unable to bite on any food/have to chew on the back.  I've got a 3 month review at the hospital in June and thought that I'd be better well before then but it might not be the case.  I've already been told it can take up to 2 years to get over the surgery - yikes!!!  

Crafty Ann's Challenge #39 - Fancy Folds

Well we certainly had a busy fortnight looking at your lovely creations.  I am glad I don't have to pick the Top 3 this time.  The challenge this fortnight is "fancy folds".

For my card I used one of Crafty Ann's new digital images called Morning Glory.  I coloured the image and the extra flowers with Promarkers and added glossy accents and yellow seed beads to the centre of the flowers.  The main image I cut with my tearing ruler and distresses the edges.  I used a pre-made fancy fold card I had and used two of Crafty Ann's abstract papers in yellow and bright pink.  The card is finished off with some peel-off sentiments and stitch peel-offs in all the corners (but they've not shown up well on the photo as most of it is transparent).  

Click here to go and visit the Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog so you can see the wonderful creations from the Design Team.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Birthday Sundaes - Anything goes

Kaboodle Doodle - Thoughts of spring/Easter

Cupcake Craft - Lots of layers

Top Tip Tuesday - Open theme
Scrap-Creations - Create with digital images

I Love Promarkers - Anything goes

Pixie Dust - Spring forward

Ai Factory - Flowers in bloom

Shelly's Images - Show us what you got
CRAFT - Flowers

Delicious Doodles - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Springtime

Prairie fairy - April showers bring May flowers

Alphabet Challenge - Y is for yellow (the backing paper and the criss-cross colouring are all in bright yellow although my photo makes them look totally different.  I thought bright pink and bright yellow would make a bright and cheerful spring-like combination)

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - 22 April 2011

Well this fortnight seems to have flown by and we have seen some gorgeous entries for the Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge.  Onto the challenge this fortnight.  The topic is "recycle".  This is quite appropriate as it is Earth day on 22 April 2011.

  

the plastic CD with alcohol inks

My finished card

I was a little stumped at first with what to do for this challenge but then I watched a few shows I recorded when Tim Holtz was over here in the UK and can't bear to delete them.  When I recently bought some blank CDs to store back-ups of my photos the pile of CDs came with a clear plastic disc on top for protection so I decided to bring out my alcohol inks and have a play.  When I saw Tim on QVC and he used the metallic colours I had to go and buy a gold and it gives it a lovely effect.  As Tim gave me the inspiration I decided to cut into a piece of paper from a Tim stack my eldest son bought me for Christmas (well I have had it for four months and looked and looked at it so it was about time it got used - boo hoo).  I cut a large scallop on my Cricut and inked the edges with Tim Holtz's tattered Rose distress ink pad.  I distressed the edges of the paper with my paper distresser and inked these edges as well.  The image is from the Sweet Pea Stamps Ching Chou-Kuik's Collection Sheet 14.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura pens for a bit of sparkle.  I cut around the edge of the image with my deckle edged scissors and inked the edges with Peeled paint distress ink pad.

The card is then finished off with some stitching, some stars cut from my Cricut and coloured in with a Rose Pink Promarker, glittery butterfly which I have had for a few years, two buttons from an old top that had seen better days, lace, raffia ribbon, card candy, feather, some flowers from my Artylicious Essence of Nature CD (but I got my printer to print two sheets to a page and therefore they are a lot smaller than on the CD) and the card is finished off with three flowers I made from cutting shapes with a Nestabilities flower die from an old book, colouring with Rose Pink Promarker, cutting round and round the shape to make a spiral, rolling up, sticking together and adding some Stickles for some sparkle.

Well I hope you can pop over to the Sweet pea Stampers Challenge Blog to have a look at the other wonderful entries.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

2 Sisters - BINGO - flowers, glimmer/shimmer and punch/die-cuts for me

Sugar Creek Hollow - Monochromatic

Sentimental Sundays - Celebrate Spring/Easter

Let's Ink it Up - Stitching

One Stitch at a Time - Make it sassy

Paper Sundaes - Texture

Pile it on - Smells like rubber

Craft Your Passion - You've been spotted

Simon Says Stamp and Show - a Lord Tim of Holtz Technique (using alcohol inks, used distresser on paper and inked edges, inked edges with Tattered Rose on scallop shape and also image)

Incy Wincy - Bright and bold

Tuesday Throwdown - Polka dots

Creative Card Crew - Recycle (I have recycled the plastic CD and also the buttons)

Crafts and me - Pink and sweet

I Love Promarkers - Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Open theme
In a Sweet Pea Dream - Favourite colour Sweet Pea 
Cooking it up with Katie - Flowers, for a lady and lots of pink

ABC Challenge - S is for sparkle

Moving Along With the Times - Recycle (I have recycled the plastic CD and also the buttons)

Pixie Dust - Spring forward

Ai factory - Flowers in bloom
Digi Doodle Shop Best - Glitter and glitz
Shelly's Images - Show us what you got
CRAFT - Flowers
Crafty Purple Frog - Touchy feely
Cupcake Craft - Lots of layers
Delicious Doodles - Anything goes
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Springtime
Stamp Something - Recipe Something - Flowers, buttons and sparkle
Prairie fairy - April showers bring May flowers

Friday 22 April 2011 - Sweet Pea Blog Hop

On Friday 22 April 2011 at the Sweet Pea Stamps Blog they are having a Blog Hop to celebrate two years of business.  I only found Sweet Pea Stamps a year ago but what a journey I have been on with them.  I love them soooooooooooo much and love seeing all the creations that come out and seeing what everyone does with them.  I wish them all a continued success.

Click here to go to the Sweet Pea Stamps Blog to read more about the Blog Hop.

Ooh La La Creations Challenge - Guest Design Team Card - 18 April 2011

 

Well another fortnight has sprung around rather quickly and it is time for my last Guest Design Team card for the Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog.  I have enjoyed my time the last two months and it has been lovely to see all your lovely creations.

The challenge this fortnight is "aqua, bling and sentiment".  I have used an image called Grace from the All Dressed Up CD- just wish I had a figure for a dress like that!!!  I have used the matching backing paper from the CD along with some pearlescent grey.  I have the two flowers from the backing papers, cutting out shapes with my Nestabilities dies, scrunching, inking the edges and then adding some Stickles to the edges and sequins/brads to the centre.  The card is finished off with a peel-off sentiment and Papermania Glitterations.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - Sparkle and bling

Papertake Weekly - Truly Dimensional

My Time to Craft - On the spot (lots of Papermania Glitteration spots for me)

Paper Romance - Paper flowers

Pixie Dust - say it out loud

Pals Paper Arts - Flowers

Card Making Mamas - Spring colours
2 Sisters - BINGO - I have chosen punch/die-cut + glitter/glimmer + flower

Cupcake Inspiration - Photo inspiration
Cupcake Craft - Lots of layers
Craft Your Passion - You've been spotted (use dots)
Whoopsi Daisy - Free and easy

Pollycraft Challenge - Monday 11 April 2011

Over at the Pollycraft Challenge the topic this week is Easter.  I was checking through my box of pre-coloured images ie ones I coloured some time ago and came across these chicks from Pollycraft so I thought they'd be perfect for the Easter challenge.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers, Sakura Stardust clear pen and chalks.  I then die-cut the image and cut a shape out with my Cricut.  I have used two gorgeous Basic Grey papers and because of the quality of these paper they were perfect for using Tim Holtz's distressing tool on and then inking the edges.  The plain orange/yellow paper I have used the same mango chalk ink pad that I used to distress to stamp from V&A flowers in the corner.  All the papers/card have had the edges inked.  The card is finished off with two different ribbons, East egg peel-offs and an Easter brad embellishment.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - 2 of anything - 2 different ribbons for me

Die-cut Dreams - Easter

Kaboodle Doodle - Cute and cuddly animals

The Crazy Challenge - Easter

Top Tip Tuesday - Spring has sprung

A Spoon Full of Sugar - All creatures great and small

Papertake Weekly - Truly dimensional

Creative Card Crew - Spring
For Fun - Pink, blue, green and yellow

Penny's Paper Challenge - Easter

Sisterhood of Crafters - Easter

Little Red Wagon - Easter

ABC Challenge - S is for Sugar and spice

Cooking it up with Katie - 1 image, 2 design papers and 3 embellishments (peel-off eggs, ribbon and brad embelishment)

Delightful Sketches - Easter

Crafts and Me - Ribbon
CRAFT - Easter
Rainbow Lady's - Springtime
Pixie Dust - Say it out loud
Fun With Shapes and More - Animals
Card Making Mamas - Spring colours
Digis with Attitude - Spring has sprung
Daring Cardmakers - Spring or Easter
Totally Papercrafts - Springtime
Easy Craft projects - Easter
Craft Your Days Away - Easter
Basic Grey - Easter/spring (two papers used from the urban prairie paper pad)
Catch the Bug - Easter
Little Claire's Challenge - Animals
Stamping Vacation - Monochromatic Colour Challenge - Yellows
Stamping Vacation - Special Month Challenge - April
Stamping Vacation - Occasion Oasis Challenge - Easter
Stamping Vacation - Start here Challenge - Nestability - for my card I started off with cutting the image with a Nestabilities die
Bling it On - Digi and bling
Freshly Brewed Challenge - Cute and sweet
Sentimental Sundays - Celebrate spring/Easter
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo inspiration
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Use Versamark or tone-on-tone ink on paper ie purple ink on purple paper (I used a yellow/orange paper and used a Versa Magic mango chalk ink pad on the corners to add the flower details)
I Did it Creations - Easter
The Crafty Pad - Easter
Dream Valley - Easter
Sparkles Forum Challenge - Easter

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 14 April 2011 and Design Team Call

Well we were treated to a wonderful array of cards/projects for the challenge for the last fortnight.  Click here to the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog to see details of the winner.

The challenge this fortnight is ANYTHING GOES.  We are also having a Design Team call so if you are interested make sure you go and have a look at the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog for requirements/instruction.  For the challenge this fortnight we are sponsored by Sassy Cheryls.  Here is a bit of information about Sassy Cheryls:

"Hi everyone!  Sassy Cheryl here and I'm so happy to be sponsoring the Aud Sentiments Challenge this fortnight.  I have been creating graphics and have licensed my work to companies such as Kohl's, Hobby Lobby and Shopko, among others, for over six years.  I started creating digital images about ten years ago.  I absolutely LOVE to draw and always carry a small sketchbook for those times when a bit of inspiration hits.  It's been a lifelong dream to become a working artists, and besides deadlines, I LOVE everything about what I do!  It really helps that I have a very supportive husband and son (they also can be my biggest critics!).  Through the digis I create I have met so many wonderful talented ladies.  The projects they make using my images make it all worth it.  I can't wait to see what you will create with my Sassy images"

I have coloured my Sassy Cheryl image with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I cut the image and then inked the edges with a chalk ink pad.  The backing papers are all fro my scrap box, one of which I have used a deep Martha Stewart punch to the edge.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer, doily, lace, pearls and blog candy.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Mami Doodles - Use a punch or die-cut

Pile it On - Say it in style
Blog-a-Doodle - Let's get girly

Pear Tree Designs - Lace

Digital Tuesday - Little Women

Sassy Cheryl - Think spring
Paper Pretties - At least two different design papers
Crafts and Me - Ribbon

Aud Sentiments Birthday Blog Hop - 14 April 2011 to 26 April 2011

The time has come for the Aud Sentiments Blog Hop.  Click here to go and see more details about the blog hop on the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog.

If you have already done this and are on your Blog Hop journey, you should have come to my blog from Dee's blog.

Each one of the DT members has picked one of their favorite sponsors to make a project with on their blogs.  The sponsors are giving away prizes on each of the blogs so there is a lot of wonderful prizes to be WON.  All you have to do is:

1.  Visit each of the blogs and leave a comment

2.  Become a follower of the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog

3.  Leave a comment on this post about what you like about our challenges or any ideas that you would like to see in the future.

That's all there is to the Blog Hop and you will have until the challenge ends on 26 April 2011 to do the Blog Hop.

I decided to choose a recent sponsor but one I have had images off for some time now - Digi Doodle Shop.  The prize to win on my blog is a $10 gift certificate for the Digi Doodle Shop.  Here is a little information about the Digi Doodle Shop:

Digi Doodle Shop is the results of a mother and daughter’s love for the arts and crafts.  It was started just a couple of months ago with a little more than 100 stamps, and has since then grown to over 250 stamps - now available.  Joy (the mother of this team) designs realistic images, while I (Judy aka/daughter) love the “fun side of life”, and create images with cartoon flair.  Having these two complimenting styles have enabled Digi Doodle Shop to offer just about any type of stamp.  Plus, we also offer “custom made stamps”, and blog designs.  Our best work comes from request, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for just send us an email and before long you’ll see it in the shop. "

For my card I chose their pansies image.  I certainly don't have green fingers and can't look after a plant in the house no matter what I do but I do love to have flowers/see flowers.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I had to get my sewing machine out to mend some trousers so thought I'd try sewing on card.  I certainly need a lot more practice and just like sewing with material I can't keep it straight so please excuse my wonky sewing.  The card I was given in some candy so I don't know the make.  I have used some other papers from my stash to mat and layer and to do a border.  The lace was white but I coloured it purple with my Promarkers to match the pansies.  Likewise I did this with the flower shapes I cut from my Nestabilities, spritzed with water and scrunched up and then highlighted with Stickles.  The card is finished off with a die-cut sentiment and some card candy.

It would be lovely if you continue with the Blog Hop.  Your next blog to visit is Tammy's blog.


I would like to enter this card I have made into the following challenges:


If the Shoe Fits Scrap It - Spring is in the air
2 Sisters - Spring
The Crafty Pad - Spring is in the air
Stampin Sisters in Christ - Purples and/or use wood paper or elements
Pear Tree Designs - Lace
Incy Wincy - Flower frenzy
Passion for Promarkers - Make your own embellishments
Top Tip Tuesday - Spring has sprung
Flourishes - Flowers, flowers, everywhere
Paper Pretties - At least 2 different design papers
The Paper Variety - Flowers
Paper Romance - Paper flowers
Pixie Dust Studio - Say it out loud (the card says best wishes but no matter how I tried the camera wouldn't take a good photo of it as it is a mirri card sentiment)
Pals paper Arts - Flowers
Rainbow lady's Challenge - Springtime
Paper Play - Photo inspiration