Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps - New release

 There is a new image in the Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Etsy Store:

 This image is called "Summer Kimono".

In this set you will get a black-and-white image and a partially coloured image by Ching-Chou Kuik herself. 

 It is available at a special introductory price of $3.00 (original price of $4.00).

Hurry as this offer ends on 3 August 2020.

Congratulations

We heard recently that my niece had got her two final results and she has passed and will graduate as a Nursing Associate. This is an amazing achievement as she works full-time as well as studying as well as having to work through COVID-19. We are so very proud of her and thought she deserved a very special card.

I have used an image from one of my Hunkydory Little Books and chose this graduation owl. I used two of the images so I could do some decoupage.

I have used a backing paper from The Works and red card stock. On the green patterned paper I used a Sentimentally Yours chrysanthemum stencil and a dotty stenciland inked through with Tim Holtz's Fired Brick and Brushed Corduroy distress inks. 

The flowers have been made using my John Next Door cornflower die and inked the edges of the flowers with the Fired Brick distress ink.

I have finished the card off with the die-cut flowers, gems, organza bow, coated wire ribbon made into a twirl, John Next Door branch die-cuts and a die-cut sentiment.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option of to make it funny

Polkadoodles - Anything goes

Penny's Paper - Anything goes
Creative Moments - Anything goes with the option to use pink

Crafting Happiness - Anything goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Creative Crafters - Anything goes
Ally's Angels - Anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Favourite embellishment (one of my favourite embellishments has to be ribbon whether this is grosgrain, organza or satin.  I think it is just a nice finishing off touch to a card/project)
Aud Sentiments - Things with wings and sentiment
Always Fun Challenge - Use stencils (a Phill Martin chrysanthemum stencil and a dotty stencil were used on this card)

Colour Crazy Challenge Blog - Friday 24 July 2020

  It is time for another challenge over at the Colour Crazy Challenge Blog.

The weekly topic is always "anything goes".

 This week we are lucky to be sponsored by "Createful Heart Design".

For my card for a special friend I have used a Createful Heart Design called "Latte Love".  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and used pearlescent chalks for the background.

The cocoa bean backing paper is from a Robert Addams CD called "Sugar and Spice" which I've had for a very long time.

I have used a Sizzix swirl die for the feeling of coffee rings and I have finished the card off with some grosgrain ribbon, die-cut hearts and stamped sentiment using my Lisa Horton ticker tape sentiment stamps.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

Crafty Calendar - Add a ribbon

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the option of the sentiment as the focus

Jan's Digi Stamps - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
Crafting Happiness - Anything goes
World Wide Open Design Team - Anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
I Love Promarkers - Anything goes with the option of colour inspiration
Penny's Paper - Anything goes
Creative Moments - Anything goes with the option of Pretty in Pink
Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option to make it funny
Polkadoodles - Anything goes

Ching-Chou Kuik's Digital Stamps Inspiration Post - Wednesday 22 July 2020

  Here is my weekly inspiration post for the Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Monthly Challenge Blog.

Before I do I'd like to remind you that our challenge this month is:

 "DIE-CUTS OR PUNCHES OR BOTH".

This week the Design Teams were challenged to "PEARLS OR GEMS OR SEQUINS"

Here is my inspiration post with that theme. 

 Here is a little 12.5x18cm canvas I have made to go in my craft room.  I do not do gardening and if I lived on my own I wouldn't be worried if I had no garden.  That said I do have two all time favourite flowers, poppies and sunflowers.  

I wanted to make a bright and cheery canvas so I decided to go with the Ching-Chou Kuik digital image called "Keep in Faith" but before I could finish my canvas a new image was released in the Etsy Store "Keep in Faith - Greyscale" so I had to colour that one and use that image instead.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and distressed around the edge with Tim Holtz's Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint distress inks.

The background for my canvas took a while as there were so many layers done with my gelli plate and Tim Holtz's Peeled Paint, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade distress inks along with various stamps, stencils and bubble wrap.  I have tried my gelli plate with acrylic paints but it gets too messy with me so at this stage I prefer to use inks.

For Christmas I got some MDF sentiments.  I thought because sunflowers are such a cheery flower I would use the word "Smile" and inked with Spiced Marmalade distress ink and then stamped with a freebie leaf stamp from a crafting magazine with peeled Paint distress ink.

Then I made a sunflower using my Susan's Gardens sunflower die.  They take quite a while to make so I always make three when I do them ie enough for three projects.  I printed off some yellow paper from my Creative Crafting World CD and made sure I printed off onto both sides as I hate seeing flowers with white undersides but that is just me.  For the centres of the petals I used a gold Pan Pastel.  Once the whole sunflower was dry I dipped a small embossing tool into my Cosmic Shimmer Glistening Gold Shimmer Lustre Polish and added dots to the centres of each little bit in the centre of the sunflowers.

I have finally finished off the canvas with some Marianne Designs die-cut swirls which were one of the first dies I got when I started die-cutting, gold thread to hang my canvas and some sequins.

 Here is a picture of my canvas hanging in my craft room.  At least you know now why there was a bit of random thread showing in the first picture!!!

I am entering this altered art canvas into the following challenges: 

Creative Craft Cottage - Add a flower/flowers
Let's Craft and Create - Anything goes with the option of stars and stripes (USA/red, white and blue)
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the option of the sentiment as the focus
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Love to Craft - Anything goes
Through the Purple Haze - Anything goes with the option of planes, trains and automobiles
Classic Design Challenge - Anything goes
Morgan's Artworld - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option of fairies
Polkadoodles - Anything goes
Crafting Happiness - Anything goes
Digi Choosday - Anything goes
World Wide Open Design Team - Anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
I Love Promarkers - Anything goes with the option of colour inspiration
Penny's Paper - Anything goes
The Paper Shelter - Anything goes

Happy 29th Wedding Anniversary to my Wonderful Husband

 Today is a special day for hubby and myself as it is our 29th wedding anniversary today.

 I have made hubby a special anniversary card but it's for a Design Team creation for the 1 August 2020 so you you will have to wait to see it.  

Not sure what my husband will think of it!!

Ching-Chou Kuik's Digital Stamps Inspiration Post - Wednesday 15 July 2020

 Here is my weekly inspiration post for the Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Monthly Challenge Blog.

Before I do I'd like to remind you that our challenge this month is:

 "DIE-CUTS OR PUNCHES OR BOTH".

This week the Design Teams were challenged to the topic "SHABBY CHIC OR DISTRESSED OR VINTAGE".

Here is my inspiration post with that theme. 

For my shabby chic style card I have used the Ching-Chou Kuik image called "Hydrangea in bow".  I have coloured my image in with Promarkers, chalked the background, then separated the fibres of all four corners and inked around the image with Tim Holtz's Vintage Photo distress ink and especially the corners and then stuck the corners down.

The backing papers are from my stash alongside kraft card.  All of the papers and card have been distressed with my Tim Holtz's distressing tool and then inked with Tim Holtz's Vintage Photo distress ink.

I have finished the card off with some lace, grosgrain spotty ribbon, flower made by a crafty friend in Canada, some sentiment wooden tiles and finally a cameo.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

Through the Purple Haze - Anything goes with the option of planes, trains and automobiles

Crafty Calendar - Add a ribbon

More Mixed Media - Anything goes with the option of pastel
Crafter's Castle - Anything goes
Jan's Digi Stamps - Anything goes
A Place to Start - Flowers

The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes

Creative Moments - Anything goes

Creative Craft Cottage - Add a flower/flowers

Polkadoodles - Anything goes

Ally's Angels - Anything goes

Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option of Christmas

Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes

Digi Choosday - Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes

Fab n Funky - Creative free for all but you need to add pink

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes

Happy Birthday Dad

I have used various images/decoupage/mini toppers/buttons/sentiment from a Debbi Moore Inspirations Magazine for my son's birthday card for his dad.

I have used some backing paper from my stash which I have stamped and colours little bangers (sausages) on a cooking fork and little camp fires.

I have used a die and some stamps from Phill Martin's Sentimentally Yours Box 3 kit to make the banner.

I have finished the card off quite simply with a the stamped sentiment, stamped sentiment on a banner, buttons and little toppers with pegs.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything goes

Paper Funday - Anything goes with the option of outdoors

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the option of the sentiment as the focus

Crafter's Castle - Anything goes
Fab n Funky - Card for a man or boy
Crafting Happiness - Anything goes

Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option of Christmas

Allsorts - I spy my my little eye something beginning with "B" (blue, "bangers", birthday and buttons)

Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps - New release

  There is a new image in the Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Etsy Store:

 This image is called "Luxury Purple".

In this set you will get a black-and-white image and a partially coloured image by Ching-Chou Kuik herself.

 This image is available at a special introductory price of $3.00 (original price of $4.00).

Hurry as this offer ends on 19 July 2020.

Happy Anniversary

 Here are two happy anniversary cards I have made using Phill Martin's Sentimentally Yours Box Set 3.  I had to have this set as I love anything nautical and you get the magazine with some papers/embellishments, stamps, die and stencil.

 I have used the backing papers and lots and lots of stamps to design my own background for the two cards.  I also used scraps of card and stamped out the shells and compass images to stick onto the card.

I Used the die in the kit and used the stamps to add the sentiment.

Yes these took quite a while to make trying to get lots of layers and with all the fussy cutting of the lighthouses, shells, compasses etc but I think it was worth it.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft Extra - Anything goes

Through the Purple Haze - Anything goes with the option of planes, trains and automobiles

Let's Craft and Create - Anything goes with the option of stars and stripes (USA/red, white and blue)

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the option of the sentiment as the focus

More Mixed Media - Anything goes with the option of pastel

The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Ally's Angels - Anything goes

Crafting Happiness - Anything goes

  

Happy Birthday Husband

Today is my husband's birthday.  When he is not working he likes to read, do gardening and do DIY so when I saw this CraftsUPrint image by Gordon Fraser called "DIY Carpenter/Joiner Dude A4" I thought it was perfect for him.  I was using an 8x8 card so I reduced the image down and printed the image off twice so I could do some decoupage.

For Christmas last year a friend bought me some DIY dies so I had to use them.  It took a while cutting them out so I could paper piece some of the items but I think it was well worth it as they help to make the card.

The backing papers are different wood effects that I have used and they are from The Works.

I have finished the card off quite simply with some thread and a stamped sentiment.

Tomorrow I will be sharing the card that I have made for my youngest son for his dad's birthday.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Creatalicious - Anything goes with the option to add texture
Crafting Happiness - Anything goes
Creative Moments - Anything goes
Digi Choosday - Anything goes
Fab n Funky - Card for a man or boy
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
Polkadoodles - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper July Challenge - Anything goes
CD Sunday Plus - Anything goes
Ally's Angels - Anything goes
Crafty Catz - Anything goes with the option of Christmas

Ching-Chou Kuik's Digital Stamps Inspiration Post - Wednesday 8 July 2020

  Here is my weekly inspiration post for the Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Monthly Challenge Blog.

Before I do I'd like to remind you that our challenge this month is:

 "DIE-CUTS OR PUNCHES OR BOTH".

Here is my inspiration post with that theme. 

 For my thank you card I have used the partially coloured Ching-Chou Kuik digital stamp called "Poppy Fairy".  For anyone that knows me I love poppies and just had to have a play with this image.  I printed the image off onto Crafter's Companion Neenah Desert Storm A4 Kraft Card for a change.  The remainder of the image I have coloured in with Promarkers.

I have cut the image and a piece of The Works backing paper out using a Lisa Horton tag die.  I also cut the sentiment strip, backing paper and glitter card out of the banner dies you get in the same set.

I have stamped and die-cut a Sheena Douglass poppy, die-cut some leaves from a Tattered Lace poppy leaf die, used a "thank you" stamped sentiment, did some doodling (not too sure if I am happy with it) and finally added some blue Nuvo drops.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
Creatalicious - Anything goes with the option to add texture
QKR Stampede - Anything goes
Cute as a Button - Anything goes with the option to use your favourite sketch
Let's Craft and Create - Anything goes with the option of stars and stripes (USA/red, white and blue)
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes with the option of the sentiment as the focus
More Mixed Media - Anything goes with the option of pastel
Crafter's Castle - Anything goes
Jan's Digi Stamps - Anything goes
A Place to Start - Flowers
The Corrosive Challenge - Anything goes
Crafting Happiness - Anything goes with the optional twist of things that fly
Creative Moments - Anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - Add a flower/flowers
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Digi Choosday - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge Blog - July 2020

  Today sees a new challenge over at the A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge Blog.

The topic is always "ANYTHING GOES" and you are allowed unlimited entries into the challenge.

This month we are lucky to have two sponsors:

 Bugaboo Stamps

and

Charlie's Stamps.

 For my male card (as they are notoriously difficult cards) I have used the Charlie's Stamp called "Cool French Bulldog with glasses" - now who could resist him?

I have coloured my image in with Promarkers and added a stamped heart to each side of the sunglasses.

The backing papers are nearly 8 years old as I bought them just after the London Olympics in 2012!!  One of the backing papers also had little mini postcards so I used two of those as well as a Union Jack die-cut topper from the same paper pad collection.

I have used my Creative Expressions Lisa Horton Ticker Tape Sentiment Stamps.  I have used a mix of the everyday set and the Christmas set to say around the image "Wicked Cool Smile" (which this dog has) and "Happy Birthday Wishes".  I love these ticker tape sentiments as you can make you own words up.

I have finished the card off with a twine bow and a decorative button.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything goes

Allsorts - So cute

Cardz 4 Guyz - Red, white and blue

Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes

Passion for Promarkers - Make us smile!
Digi Choosday - Anything goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
Creatalicious - Anything goes with the option to add texture
QKR Stampede - Anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything goes
2 Crafty Critters - Anything goes with critters
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra - Anything goes
Paper Funday - Anything goes with the option of outdoors
Crafty Creations - Anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper July Challenge - Anything goes
Classic Design Challenge - Anything goes
The Paper Shelter - Use a sentiment
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
Morgan's Artworld - Anything goes
Simon Says - Bright and cheerful
Cute as a Button - Anything goes with the option to use your favourite sketch
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Love to Craft - Anything goes

Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps July 2020 Facebook Challenge - DIE-CUTS OR PUNCHES OR BOTH

Today also sees the start of the new Ching-Chou Kuik Digital Stamps Facebook Challenge.  

This month the topic is "DIE-CUTS OR PUNCHES OR BOTH".

Here is my inspiration post with this theme.  

 For my card I have used the Ching-Chou Kuik image called "Fall Squirrel".  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers.

No designer papers for me for this card.  The mount under the image is a scrap piece from a gelli plate image.  The bottom layer I used a sunflower stamp and also a greenery stamp, both of which were magazine freebies.

I have finished the card off with lots of die-cut leaves, stamped and die-cut sunflower with some parts of each layer cut away for layers for dimension, Debbi Moore glitter used for the centre of the sunflower (I shall be seeing glitter everywhere for weeks after using this!!), glittery gold/pink ribbon and a die-cut sentiment.

I am entering this card into the following challenges: 

World Wide Open Design Team - Anything goes
Sweet Stampin' - Create your own background

Crafting Happiness - Anything goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Digi Choosday - Anything goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
QKR Stampede - Anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything goes
2 Crafty Critters - Anything goes with critters
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra - Anything goes
Paper Funday - Anything goes with the option of outdoors
Crafty Creations - Anything goes
Classic Design Challenge - Anything goes
Fab n Funky - Sunshine colours
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes
Morgan's Artworld - Anything goes
Cute as a Button - Anything goes with the option to use your favourite sketch
Love to Scrap - Anything goes
Love to Craft - Anything goes
Simon Says - Bright and cheerful