A VERY Exciting Day!!!

It is Friday again and a VERY exciting day!!

Recently Nikky Hall asked people if they wanted to be Guest Designers over at the Graph'it Challenge.  I entered and I was amazed that I was offered a Guest Design Team position for two challenges.  I have chosen the one today and another at the end of June.

I have to say I never thought anything would replace my beloved Promarkers.  I kept seeing people using Graph'it pens but I resisted.  My cardmaking funds are very limited so I have to source items carefully.  In the end I tried a few and I was amazed at the depth of colour, how well they blended and the cost.  I haven't got as many as I would like but because of the cost of them you can buy a few here and there.  They also sell a gold sparkle pen and a silver sparkle pen and they are nice to use.  Don't get me started on what I think of their white pen.  I love to add highlights or faux stitching to my cards.  I have tried so many white gel pens but nothing compares to the Graph'it white pen.  You must try it.

Right onto the challenge for this fortnight.  The challenge is entitled "fancy and frills".

I saw this title and decided on a very summery theme.  I have used my Polkadoodles Fredericka CD for the image and the backing papers.  My colour scheme was mainly pink and brown/craft with a touch of yellow and orange thrown in.

I have coloured the image in with my Graph'it pens.  The colours I have used are as follows:

Skin - 4125, 4150, 4170, 5110 and 5120

Dress - 5120, 5110 and 5140

Flowers/Basket - 1150, 1170, 2110, 3210, 8150, 8280 and 8240

Hair - 3255, 3210 and 3245

Outlining of image - 7105.

I have cut around the image and then used a Creative Expressions cloud stencil and a light blue Pan Pastel to add the clouds.  Around the edge of the image I used my magenta Pan Pastel.

I have die-cut fences, sentiment holder, Joanna Sheen die-cut banner and the butterflies out of kraft card and edged them with a burnt sienna Pan Pastel.  I have used my Tim Holtz butterfly on-the-edge die ad cut out of kraft card, inked over with Versafine and then added my white Frantage and heat embossed.

The card has been finished off with some Tim Holtz die-cut border flowers, brads, Craftwork Cards die-cut sentiment, pearls, Hobby House pearl embellishment and some ribbon.

It would be lovely if you could pop on over to the Graph'it Challenge and see all the wonderful creations by the Design Team.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

We Do Doobadoo - Lace
Sweet Stampin - Sparkle and shine
Totally Gorjuss - Buttons and/or bows
Pan Pastel - Floral
The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes
Sentimental Sundays - Things with wings
Crafty Boots - Butterflies and bees
The Crazy Challenge - BINGO board - I have chosen lace, digi and die-cut
Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes with a twist of things with wings
Digi Choosday - Spots and stripes
Simon Says - Anything goes
Inky Impressions - Anything goes
The Crafter's Cafe - Use 3 flowers
The Stamping Chef - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything goes
Aud Sentiments - BINGO board - I have gone for lace/4 word sentiment/flowers
4 Crafty Chicks - Crazy Egg (Anything goes)
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Embossing
Craftitude Challenge - Anything goes/Pop it up (add dimension)
Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes
The Stamping Boutique - Use dots
Left of Centre - Girly
Crafty Catz - Anything goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - Tic-tac-toe (I have chosen spots/yellow/die-cuts/diecutting

House Mouse and Friends Challenge

Over at the House Mouse and Friends Challenge Blog this fortnight the challenge is "splish splash".  I love my Happy Hoppers and Bears (but my stash of decoupage of these is definitely dwindling) so I thought the mice had to come out to play for this one.  I have used my Joanna Sheen House Mouse Project Book 1 with CD and picked the topper sheet of this cute little mouse sailing around in a lily pad.  The sheet comes with two large toppers, two medium toppers, two small toppers and two circular toppers - not bad from one sheet of card is it?

 For this blue card I have used the matching backing paper from the CD.  I have put a piece of card through a large dots Embossalicious folder and inked over with Tim Holtz's Salty Ocean distress ink.  With the second large topper I cut around the image as used 1mm foam pad for a layer of decoupage.  I have used my Wink of Stella clear pen over the water to add some sparkle.

I have finished this card off with a ribbon bow, little flowers (these were printed off a CD.  I normally put them in a bag with a name of the CD on them but this time I didn't.  If you recognise them let me know so that the CD can be mentioned) and die-cut sentiment.

Instead of putting the remaining toppers away for another day I decided to use them on another card.  This time I have used the Lili of the Valley papers that came free with the Simply Cards and Papercraft Magazine.  I used a large Woodware flower punch and punched flowers out of the remaining backing paper and inked around the edge of these and the backing papers with Tim Holtz's Picked Raspberry distress ink.  Underneath the topper I have used purple/blue/yellow alcohol inks to make a very bright background.  Again I have cut around the image and decoupage it up a layer and added highlights to the water with my Wink of Stella clear pen.

I have finished this card off with the flowers with gem brad centres, die-cut sentiment, brads and ribbon (and despite taking about 15 photographs I cannot get both ribbons to look the same colour but they are!!).

I am entering these cards into the following challenges:

Glitter n Sparkle - Add some metal (brads)

Pile it On - Metal (brads)

Lexi's Creations - Happy birthday

House Mouse and Friends - Splish splash

Fan-tastic Tuesday - Anything goes

Simon Says - Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything goes

Papercrafting Journey - Perfect in pink (second card entered for this challenge)

Aud Sentiments - BINGO board - I have gone for 2 word sentiment/flowers/bling or glitter (Wink of Stella clear sparkle pen used on both cards and gem brads used on second card)

4 Crafty Chicks - Crazy Egg (Anything goes)

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Embossing (first card)
Craftitude Challenge - Anything goes/Pop it up (add dimension)
Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - Birthday 
Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Delicious Doodles Challenge - Friday 30 May 2014 - For the love of animals

 It is the start of another challenge over at Delicious Doodles.  This week the challenge is "for the love of animals".

It is Team A's turn to show you their creations.  

Pop on over to the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog to look at their wonderful cards/creations.

I am in Team B so I will be next Friday with another challenge and my card/creation to show you all.

The Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog is here.

The Delicious Doodles Shop is here.

The Delicious Darkness Shop is here.

Gruffies and Guests Challenge Blog and Gruffies and Guests Facebook Group

Every month there is a new challenge over at the Gruffies and Guests Challenge Blog.  

To enter the challenge you must use a House Mouse, Gruffies or Happy Hoppers image.

Pop on over to the Gruffies and Guests Challenge Blog to see the topic of the challenge and to see inspiration from the Design Team.

The Design Team on the Gruffies and Guests Challenge Blog is split up into two teams.  Team A will show you their creations on the 1st day of the month.  Team B will show you their creation on the 15th day of the month.  This means that there is a good excuse to pop on over to the Challenge Blog at least twice a month to see the inspiration from the Design Team.

If you use Facebook why not pop on over to the Gruffies and Guests Facebook Group.  Here you can have a good natter and show your House Mouse, Happy Hoppers and Gruffies creations.

Delicious Doodles and Delicious Darkness

Just a reminder

Delicious Doodles images can be found in the Delicious Doodles Store.  There is a vast array of wonderful images there.

If you prefer images that are on the darker side these can be found at the Delicious Darkness Store.

There is also a weekly Delicious Doodles challenge.  Pop on over to the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog EVERY FRIDAY to see what the new what the new challenge is and to see the Design Team inspiration.  You don't have to use a Delicious Doodles image to enter but you get an extra entry to win the weekly prize if you do so that is a good incentive!!

If you use Facebook then there is both a Delicious Doodles Facebook Group and a Delicious Darkness Facebook Group where you can add the creations you make using Delicious Doodles images and there is sometimes competitions as well.

Bearly Mine Design and the Bearly Mine Inspiration and Challenge Blog

Just a quick reminder to say that Bearly Mine Designs digital papers are available from the Bearly Mine Designs Store.  Here you will find a wonderful selection of papers.  If you look there are also some freebies so you can "try before you buy".

Every month there is a challenge over at the Bearly Mine Inspiration and Challenge Blog.  If you pop on over to the challenge blog you will find out details of the challenge and see inspiration from the Design Team.

If you want more Bearly Mine Designs inspiration, every two days you will get an inspiration card/project from one of the Design Team members.  So this is a good excuse to keep on popping over to the Bearly Mine Inspiration and Challenge Blog.

Another New Technique - Colouring a no line drawing

Over on Create and Craft this last week-end they had their Spectrum Week-end which was to try to get people to try new things/try new techniques.

As you will see from my previous post I tried colouring with markers and then highlighting with pencils.  On Sunday I saw a card that the ever so talented Nic (aka Coops) made using the no line technique.  I popped on over to the Crafting When We Can Blog and saw that Ang had done a wonderful tutorial on how to change the image in Word so I followed, printed off and started colouring.  Yikes!!!  I wanted to bin the image many times.  I certainly found it a lot harder than with the normal black lines.  Hey ho what is a challenge if it's not a challenge sometime to do?

Please be very gentle with me.  It's my first attempt at the no lines technique.  I'd do a few things differently next time.

The image I have used is called "Emo Valentine Fairy" and is available from Delicious Doodles.  If you would like this image as a rubber stamp it is available at Sweet Pea Stamps.  I have coloured the image in with my Graph'it pens, highlighted areas with my white Graph'it pen and silver sparkle Graph'it pen.

  

The backing papers I have used are Bearly Mine Designs Mini Dots and Black and White Essentials.

I have finished the card off with some ribbon, web punched border using a Martha Stewart punch, metal skull charm, Craftwork Cards die-cut sentiment and some black gems.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafting When We Can - No lines technique

Sweet Pea Stampers - Things with wings

Stampin' for the Week-end - For the girls

Left of Centre - Girly

Pile it On - Metal

New Technique - Using pencils over markers

Here is a card I have made using a new technique - using pencils over an image coloured with Promarkers.  A new Hobbycraft Store opened at the week-end and I managed to get the Spectrum Noir paper stumps, sander and blending solution.  I don't do well at all with strong smells.  I struggle with the Crafter's Companion sprays (sparkle/shine/stick away) but the worst smell craft-wise is the Creative Expressions gilding wax.  I love the effect of the gilding wax but the smell made me so poorly.  I was therefore worried that the Spectrum Noir blending solution might smell.  I've smelt Zest It and that made me cough and cough but I am pleased to say that I got on fine with the Spectrum Noir blending solution and certainly did a good job along with the paper stumps.

The image I have used on my card is by Delicious Doodles and is called "Kingfisher in the Rushes".  As I have said I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and highlighted with pencils.  I then fussy cut around the image and layered on a die-cut shape to act as a frame for the image.

The backing paper I have used is from the Bearly Mine Designs Mixed Media 2 Collection.  I love these papers as add texture/interest has been added by Donna the designer and therefore one piece of paper adds so much interest to a card.

I have finished off the card with some grosgrain ribbon, Craftwork Cards die-cut sentiment, buttons, flowers and some pearl dots.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Little Miss Muffet - Anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

Polkadoodles - Things with wings

Allsorts - happy birthday

Totally Gorjuss - Buttons and/or bows

Scribble and Scrap - Anything goes

Robyn's Fetish - Add 3 buttons

The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes

Sentimental Sundays - Things with wings

One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes

Lexi's Creations - Happy birthday

The Crazy Challenge - BINGO board (I have used pearls - digi - button)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes

Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes with a twist of things with wings

Craft your Passion - Frame it

Paper Makeup - Flowers

The Pink Elephant - Anything goes

Fan-tastic Tuesday - Anything goes

Craft Room Challenge - Things with wings

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes

Simon Says - Anything goes
Inky Impressions - Anything goes
The Stamping Chef - Anything goes
Nutcrafters Challenge - Animals or insects
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

To a Special Dad on Father's Day

Here is a card I have made using my new Crafter's Companion Camden Town Male CD.  I have used one of the toppers as I wanted the whole image and not one with the sentiment.  I have used a backing paper and notepaper for the insert (as I hate to see inserts with a totally white "dead side").   The first time round I printed I hadn't changed the page orientation so I had the verse the right way up and the bus upside down!!!  

I love the grungy colours of the paperwork and image and made it a bit more grungy by using Tim Holtz's Black Soot distress ink through a metal effect mask and also the burlap mask from Doobadoo.

I have finished off the card with some border strips and sentiment off the CD and a sentiment off the computer.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge - Masculine

Simon Says - Vacation/travel

Rhedd and Rosie - No flowers/nothing floral

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

Simply Create Too - Father's day (or for a male)

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge - One for the guys big or small

Just Keep on Creating - Anything goes

Scribble and Scrap - Anything goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes

Whoopsi Daisy - Lots of layers

Eureka Stamps - Masculine or grungy

The Pink Elephant - Anything goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes

Fan-tastic Tuesday - Anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes

REMINDER - Bearly Mine Designs Spring Savings Bank Holiday and New Digital Paper Releases

Just a reminder that you have until Tuesday 27 May 2014 to grab a bargain over at the Bearly Mine Designs Shop.

Here you will see some new release that Donna has designed:

 "A Load of Ole Bricks" is a collection of 28 papers with a brick background in gorgeous colours.  

"Wooden Wonders" is a collection of 31 papers with a wooden background. 

"Black and White Essentials" which us a selection of 30 papers in black and white patterns. 

Visible Image Challenge May 2014

Over at the Visible Image Challenge this month the topic is "anything goes".  It's two months until our 23rd wedding anniversary but I thought I'd get ahead and get my card made.  As it's not being posted I could obviously "go to town" with embellishments!!!

For my card I decided to use a Visible Image sentiment called "The One" as one of the main focal points of the card.  I love the words.

For my card I have used a brown plaid, from the Bearly Mine Design "Just Plaids" paper set.  I have also used a freebie burlap paper from Bearly Mine Designs as a backing paper and to stamp the sentiment onto.  I have distressed around the backing papers with Tim Holtz's Rusty Hinge distress ink.

An image I have used on the card is by Delicious Doodles and is called "Steampunk Heart" which I have coloured with my Promarkers and fussy cut around.

I have used the number and cogs die from the Visible Image stamp set called "Clock stamp - time after time" around the edge of the main backing paper with my Rusty Hinge distress ink.  I have stamped the pocket watch image from the same stamp set with black Versafine and fussy cut.

I have finished the card off with some X-cut die-cut cogs, dotty ribbon, Tim Holtz die-cut rosettes with buttons and twine in the centre, sentiment off the computer and some wooden heart embellishments which were coloured with my Rusty Hinge distress ink.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Created with Love - Lots of layers

Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes/punches and/or dies

Paper Makeup - String/ribbon/twine

Ooh-la-la-Creations - Quotations

Passion for Promarkers - Use your die-cuts

I Love Promarkers - Anything goes

Creative Moments - Anything goes and optional twist to use twine

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

Simply Create Too - Father's day (or for a male)

Rhedd and Rosie - No flowers/nothing floral

Alphabet Challenge - H for handmade embellishments (handmade rosettes)

Natalie and Amy - Rubber stamping

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything goes

Creative Fingers - Anything goes

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge - One for guys big or small

Di's Digi Designs - Make it masculine

Just Keep on Creating - Anything goes

Visible Image Challenge - Anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - Buttons and/or bows

Stamping Sensations - Anything goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything goes

Just for Fun - Ribbon or lace (ribbon)

Scribble and Scrap - Anything goes
The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes - congratulations to all those involved with The Corrosive Challenge as this is their 200th challenge!!
One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes

Happy Christmas

I have used the Sweet Pea Stamps image by Elaine Cox called "Christmas Bird".  It is available as a digital stamp and rubber stamp set (the set comes with a larger image and a smaller image, perfect for use on the inside of cards, on the back or on the envelope).  

I have used a turquoise/teal Bearly Mine Designs insert and my Promarkers.  I have embellished the card with some Marianne Designs die-cut trees and snowflakes which I have brushed over Imagination Crafts Diamond Sparkle Medium, peel-off, sating ribbon and some glitter dotted around the insert that I got at the NEC last November.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with optional twist to add 3 shapes from the list
Created with Love - Lots of layers
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes/punches and/or dies
Passion for Promarkers - Use your die-cuts - congratulations to the Passion for Promarkers DT for your 5th birthday
The Stamping Chef - Anything goes
I Love Promarkers - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Moving along with the Times - Snow cute
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything goes
Creative Fingers - Anything goes
Sweet Pea Stampers - Things with wings
Completely Christmas - Anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything goes
Open Minded Crafting - Fairytale and fantasy
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Baby its cold outside
Just Keep on Creating - Anything goes

Delicious Doodles Challenge - Friday 23 May 2014 - On the darker side

It is Friday and therefore time for another challenge over at the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog.  This week the topic is "on the darker side".  Well that was certainly a challenge for me.  Teri designs such wonderful images, some more "run of the mill" and some "on the darker side".  The darker side images are the ones I normally stay away from as I don't have anyone that likes things like this/things like this don't sell even if it's to make money for charity but a challenge is a challenge.

 I decided to make a pop-up card suitable for a teenager/male and to fill the box I used loads and loads and loads of different images (I'll name them below for ease in case you want to purchase them).  I printed off all the images, spent about 2 hours in total cutting them out, inked them over with Tim Holtz's Old Paper distress ink and my Inkylicious brush and then finally went round the edge with my Tim Holtz's Black Soot and blending tool to eradicate all the white edges.  

 The backing papers I have kept quite plain and simple and are from my Perfect Papercrafting Companions CD.

I should imagine this creation maybe took about 4 plus hours to complete but it does look very effective.  It is just finished off with a Craftwork Cards die-cut sentiment and a piece of ribbon.

Images used:

Horrorscope - Taurus

Angel of death

Horrorscope - Capricorn

Horrorscope - Virgo
Horrorscope - Ophiuchus

Hungreeee!

Dodgy Digits

Evil Skully

Eyeball Wormetti

Grim Reaper

Tombstone 1

Tombstone 4

Tombstone 3

Tombstone 6

Gargoyle Corner

Skull

I am entering this pop-up card into the following challenges: 

Glitter n Sparkle - Cards for men or male colours
CD Sunday - One for the boys
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the optional twist to add 3 shapes from the list
Robyn's Fetish - Shaped cards
Paper Makeup - String/ribbon/twine
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Eureka Stamps - Birthdays
Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
The Stamping Chef - Anything goes
Divas by design - Anything goes
Creative Moments - Anything goes with an optional twist to use twine
A Step in the Dark - Use some purple on your projects/anything goes
Brown Sugar - Anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes
Creative Fingers - Anything goes
Left of Centre Challenge - Girly or anything goes if it meets the criteria - think this definitely meets the criteria!!

Bearly Mine Designs Spring Savings Bank Holiday and New Digital Paper Releases

Today is an exciting day over at Bearly Mine Designs.  Here in the UK we have a Bank Holiday on Monday 26 May 2014.  Donna over at Bearly Mine Designs has decided to have a Spring Savings Bank Holiday but instead of it just running on Monday 26 May 2014 the offers run from Thursday 22 May 2014 and ends on Tuesday May 27 May 2014.

Make sure you pop on over to grab some bargains.

When you do pop over you will see some wonderful new releases:

 "A Load of Ole Bricks" is a collection of 28 papers with a brick background in gorgeous colours.  These papers will be a useful addition to any cards/projects but will be especially useful for those difficult male/teenager cards.

"Wooden Wonders" is a collection of 31 papers with a wooden background.   These papers will be a useful addition to any cards/projects but will be especially useful for those difficult male/teenager cards or for any nautical cards. 

The final release today is a long awaited one for me.  It is called "Black and White Essentials".  I do love to do black and white cards or black/white/touch of colour cards so these papers will be perfect and I know I shall certainly get a lot of use out of them.

I decided to make you a card to show how I've used the new Black and White Eseential papers:

For my card I have used the cog and newspaper style paper as I thought they'd be perfect for this male card for Father's Day.  The image I have used is called "Vintage Norton Motorbike" by Delicious Doodles.  I have printed it out, torn around the edges, rubbed over the edges with a black Pan Pastel, used a Visible Image cog stamp from their stamp set called "Time after Time" and finally added some tiny little buttons to the centres of the cogs.

I have inked around the edge of the papers with Tim Holtz's Black Soot distress ink.

The card has been finished off with a sentiment off the computer, washi tape, ribbon, die-cut cog coloured with my black Graph'it pen and buttons.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge - Father's day
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes
Glitter n Sparkle - Cards for men or male colours
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the optional twist to add 3 shapes from the list
Created with Love - Lots of layers - wishing all the DT all the very best as this is their last challenge
Paper Makeup - String/ribbon/twine
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday - One for the guys
Creative Card Crew - Chic/vintage
Simon Says - Vacation/travel
The Stamping Chef - Anything goes
Divas by design - Anything goes
Rhedd and Rosie - No flowers/anything floral
Creative Moments - Anything goes with an optional twist to use twine
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - Drive time
Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper May Challenge - Anything goes