Aud Sentiments Design Team card - Thursday 8 December 2011 to Tuesday 20 December 2011

Well it's now week two of the Aud Sentiments Challenge with the topic of "anything holiday".  We are being sponsored by Prairie Fairy and TLC.  It's now Team B's turn to show you their cards and as I am on Team B here is mine.

For my card I have used the Prairie Fairy image called "Mistletoe Kisses".  Isn't she a cutie?  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers, added Glossy Accents to the lenses of her glasses and added Polar White Flowersoft to her pom-pom, cuffs of her coat and collar to add some texture and dimension.  The papers and card were from my scrap box, some of which I have embossed and sanded.  The card has been finished off with some red wide satin ribbon, Craftwork Cards sentiment and Crafty Ann's Digi Store poinsettias.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity - Red, green and cream
One Stop Craft - Traditional Christmas colours

Crafty Emma - Traditional Christmas

2 Sisters - Christmas

The Squirrel and the Fox - Christmas
One Stitch at a Time - Use a digi

Lollipop Crafts - Happy holidays

Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

Divas by Design - Merry Christmas

Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas - Celebrate the holidays

Crafting for all Seasons - Christmas
Delightful Sketches - Anything goes
Paperplay - Christmas
Do You Stack Up - Winter
4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas card
Cute Card Thursday - Stripes
Crafty Ribbons - Traditional colours for Christmas
Papercrafting Journey - Christmas

Kenny K's Challenge - Sunday 11 December 2011

Over at the Kenny K's Challenge this week the topic is "hues of blues".  It is very sad that Donna has had to step down running this Design Team due to her health but my fellow Sweet Pea Stampers Design Team/Crafty Purple Frog Design Team is taking over running the blog.  Wishing Donna all the very best and also wishing Sarah-Louise all the very best in her new role.

For my card I have used various papers from my stash, some Papermania, some DCWV and the others I have no idea but one has gorgeous sparkly glittery dots all over it.  The Kenny K image I have used is called "Mistletoe".  I have coloured the image with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen, die-cut the image and then inked around the edge with my Brilliance ink pad.  The card has been finished off with some My Craft Studio flowers (some of which I have coloured with the same Brilliance ink pad) held together with tiny brads, a doily inked with the same ink pad giving it a bit of shine, gingham ribbon, sentiment off the computer and gems.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Kenny K's Challenge - Hues of blues
Crafts and Me - Christmas
I Love Promarkers - Blue and white

Inky Impressions - Winter fun

Everybody Art - Blue and white

Paper Sundaes - Anything Christmas

The Squirrel and the Fox - Christmas

Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas - celebrate the holidays

Passion for Promarkers - Celebrations

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge - December 2011

Over at the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Blog the topic this month is "new beginnings".  This can be a new baby, new house, wedding, new day at school etc.

For my card I used my new Popcorn CD that I got free from Create and Craft with just paying for the P&P.  There are a nice selection of images to use on here.  I chose a little decoupage image of baby Popcorn with his blanket.  It did come on a topper but I decided to cut around the image.  The backing paper is from the CD as well and the brown card is from my stash.  I decided to go for brown tones as I thought that this would be suitable for a baby girl or baby boy.  The card is finished off with a die-cut sentiment, gingham ribbon, plastic teddy bear charm, metal charm hand and foot and a flower held together with a button.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge - New beginnings
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and option of something dangly
Ruby's Rainbow - Monochrome

Crafty Creations - A card with a sentiment

Cute Card Thursday - Anything goes

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Little Miss Muffet - Button and ribbons

Totally Papercrafts - Anything but Christmas

Secret Crafter - All creatures great and small - I've picked a bear

Corrosive Challenge - Anything except Christmas

One Clever Lady

I received an e-mail this morning from Lynn of Lynn's Designer Creations with a gorgeous Christmas banner to use.  I have to admit I've always hated the colour green - even so much that for years I would never even eat green sweets!!  The colour green though was my mum's favourite colour.  The banner made me shed some tears as it will be the first Christmas without my mum and she would have loved to have seen this green banner and I love it too in memory of my mum.  Lynn is such a clever lady making these banners.  

Thank you so very much xxx

Anyone for Anya? - Sunday 4 December 2011

Over at the Anyone for Anya Challenge Blog this week the topic is "something Christmasy".  For my card I stamped little Anya i her lovely fluffy coat and muff - could have done with these today as it's cold and blowy here - and coloured the image in with promarkers.  I then die-cut the image but then inked through the Nestabilities die with Tim Holtz's Tumbled Glass distress ink.  I have used up all the last of the blue scraps of paper - so no more blue cards unless I print stuff off the computer.  The card has been finished off with flowers with sequin and brad centres, ticket sentiment from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop and some lovely snowflake/glitter wire edged ribbon given to me by a friend.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Anyone for Anya? - Something Christmasy

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas - Mainly monochromatic
I Did it Creations - Flowers
The Cheerful Stamp pad - A Christmas greeting
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes and glitter

Kaboodle Doodles - Colours of Christmas

Heart Song Inspirations - Christmas and/or red, green and white
Ruby's Rainbow - Monochrome
Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

Fresh Brewed Challenge - Christmas

Delightful Sketches - Blue Christmas
ABC Christmas - Y is for yippee
Hot Shot Crafts - Promarkers
Prairie Fairy - Beat the winter blues

Crafty Calendar - Cold and frosty

Cute Card Thursday Challenge - Thursday 8 December 2011

Over at the Cute Card Thursday Challenge this week the topic is "anything goes".  I thought this cute little Willow Sketchie card fitted the bill.  I have used the same Tim Holtz pricking ruler and Marianne's Designs dies but totally different shape of card and image.  The image is a pre-coloured image from Walter and Winnie CD.  The card has been finished off with the die-cuts, clear Stickles glitter glue, ticket sentiment and card candy.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Di's Digi Designs - All white bar image

2 Sisters - Punches and/or die

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes and glitter
Kaboodle Dooles - Colours of Christmas

Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

Fresh Brewed Challenge - Christmas

Cute Card Thursday - Anything goes

Frosted Designs - Glitter
Alphabet Challenge - W for white Christmas
Moving Along with the Times - Last minute Christmas

Marianne's Designs Divas - Sparkle and shine
Card Making Mamas - Christmas

Mami Doodles - Make it sparkle

Crafty Calendar - Cold and frosty

Hot Shot Crafts Challenge No 1

Over at the Hot Shot Crafts Challenge Blog it is their first challenge.  The topic is "Promarkers".  Well that's a nice one for me as I loveeeeeeeeeeeee my Promarkers.

For my card I decided to go with a white-on-white theme.  I coloured the Karen's Doodles image in with Promarkers and die-cut.  I have used various Marianne's Designs dies to add some dimension to the card.  The first layer I pricked with my Tim Holtz ruler and then scored two lines.  The card has been finished off with some white clear Stickles, ticket sentiment and card candy.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Hot Shot Crafts - Promarkers

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Di's Digi Designs - All white bar image

2 Sisters - Punches and/or dies

Pile it On - Bling it up

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes and glitter

Ooh-la-la Creations - Lots of sparkle

Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

Fresh Brewed Challenge - Christmas

Crafting for all Seasons - White-on-white

Cute Card Thursday - Anything goes

Frosted Designs - Glitter
Alphabet Challenge - W for white Christmas
Crafty Catz - Anything goes
Stampin' for the week-end - Christmas
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Photo inspiration
Card Making Mamas - Christmas
Mami Doodles - Make it sparkle

Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - 8 December 2011 - It's cold outside

It's time for another challenge over at the Crafty Purple Frog Challenge.  This fortnight the topic is "it's cold outside".

For my card I have used an image from the Flights of Fancy CD which should hopefully be on sale soon.  There are some gorgeous goodies on this CD.  I have used an image called "Serene Winter".  It's certainly a wintry image and fits in perfectly with the challenge Topic.  I have decoupaged the image and then highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen and also with some Polar White Flowersoft to look like snow and give it some texture.  Whilst it was still wet I sprinkled in some white glitter to give some extra sparkle - well it is Christmas.  The backing papers are all from the scrap box and include some embossed vellum.  I have finished the card off with some wintry snowflake wire edged ribbon, snowflake 3D stickers, two Marianne Designs scrolls, sentiment and some buttons.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Raise the Bar - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Totally Papercrafts - Let it snow

Mark's Finest Papers - Favourite embellishment - well I have quite a few but one of my favourites is ribbon
Come and Get It - Anything goes Christmas
Quirky Crafts - Snow

The Pink Elephant - Snowflakes and sparkle

Hooked on Craft - Winter Wonderland

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT - Snowflakes and sparkle

Crafty Sentiments - Snowflakes

Top Tip Tuesday - Let it snow

Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and option something dangly
The Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or last minute gifts and cards
For Fun Challenge - Christmas sparkle
Penny's Paper - Merry Christmas
Fresh Brewed Challenge - Christmas
Crafts and Me - Winter (snow and snowflakes)
Crafty Creations - A card with a sentiment
Delightful Challenges - Delightful blue Christmas
ABC Christmas - Y is for yippee!!
Papercrafting Journey - Christmas challenge

Aud Sentiments Design Team card - Thursday 8 December 2011

Another fortnight seems to have whizzed by and it's time for another challenge at the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog.  This time the topic is "anything holiday".  This fortnight we are being sponsored by Prairie Fairy.

As I am in Team B I will be showing my card next week but please visit the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog to have a look at all the wonderful creations by Team A.  

Please come back next week to see my creation.

Joanna Sheen Challenge - December 2011

Well last week saw the start of the Joanna Sheen Monthly Challenge.  The challenge this month is "Christmas Wishes" so as I love Joanna's Cds, stamps and her website it would be rude of me not to take part in the challenge!!!

For my card I have used an image from the Joanna Sheen Nostalgia CD.  I have used one of the topper sheets, sheet of backing paper and co-ordinating insert.  The topper sheet has two images the same size so I decoupaged it up one layer.  I have used Flowersoft Polar White over the snow on the buildings.  The card has been finished off with some organza ribbon, two die-cut flowers held together with brads, seam binding and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.  I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Christmas wishes 
I Brake for Challenges - Vintage
Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes

Do You Stack Up? - Ribbon or anything you can tie

By the Cute and Girly - Let it snow

Raise the Bar - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Photo inspiration

The Poodles Parlour - Christmas

Pattie's Creations - Christmas

2 Sisters - Punches and/or dies

Heart Song Inspirations - Christmas and/or red, green and white

Try it on Tuesday - Father Christmas

Quirky Crafts - Snow

My Time to Craft - Vintage Christmas

Creative Card Crew - Tis the season

City Crafter - Home for the holidays

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and option of something dangly
Totally Papercrafts - Let it snow

Simon Says Challenge - 30 November 2011

Over at the Simon Says Challenge the topic is "anything goes" and over at the One Sweet Challenge (formerly In a Sweet Pea Dream) the challenge is to make a "Christmas themed card with a non-traditional Christmas image".  The card is made with scraps of card and paper but includes some sheet of lovely quality paper a friend gave me that was free in her cardmaking magazine this month.  Two pieces of card I have embossed - one with Swiss dots and the other with an ornate design.  The image is a Sweet Pea Stamp called "Dragonfly Fantasy".  I have coloured with the image with Promarkers, highlighted areas with Sakura Stardust clear pen and added Glossy Accents to the flowers.  The card is finished off with some flowers with Adirondack acrylic paint centres, lace and sentiment off the computer.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
One Sweet Challenge - Christmas themed card with a non-traditional Christmas image

Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Holiday card

Let's Ink it Up - Anything Christmas

Come and Get It - Anything goes Christmas

One Stitch at a Time - Be square

I Did it Creations - Flowers

Crazy Challenge - Anything goes

Heart Song Inspirations - Christmas and/or red, green and white

Stamps R Us - Emboss it

Tuesday Throwdown - Celebrate the Season
Inspire me Friday - Anything goes
Artistic Stamper - Christmas

Commissioned Birthday Card

I was asked to make a card for a customer's sister-in-law.  I have used a My Craft Studio (MCS) CD and took the images and backing papers into Word to print off but thankfully I'd made a backing paper and added the scrolls and printed out before I had the problem of not being able to print from MCS CDs so I used this up.  The card is finished off with some handmade flowers die-cut from a book and distressed with Tom Holtz's Fired Brick distress ink pad, sentiment off the computer, brads, fibres and a personalised inside.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Fab n Funky - Anything goes
Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes
Do You Stack Up? - Ribbon or anything that you can tie - fibres around the card for me

4 Crafty Chicks - Birthday

2 Sisters - Punches and/or dies

I Did it Creations - Flowers

One Stitch at a Time - Be square

Crazy Challenge - Anything goes

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Crafteezee - Envelope boxes for sale

Tracy, aka Crafteezee, has come across some boxes that are perfect to save time on measuring, cutting and scoring envelope boxes to fit her embellished cards so she has had some made.  You can e-mail Tracy for orders at:  t.payne@homecall.co.uk for a quote.  She is able to ship worldwide.


To celebrate Tracy is offering a pack of 25 boxes as candy.  All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is:


1.  Write a post on you blog about the boxes and link back to Tracy's blog
2.  Add the picture to your blog sidebar and link back to Tracy's blog
3.  Add your name to Mr Linky.


To be in with a chance of winning you have to enter by 2 January 2012.

Saturated Canary Challenge No 5 - 24 November 2011

Over at the Saturated Canary Challenge this fortnight the challenge is "anything goes".  The ever so talented Krista recently had a special offer on her digis so it would have been very rude not to have a little splurge.  One of the ones I bought was called "Christmas Angel - A Ragamuffin".  Isn't she such a darling?  I have coloured my image with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I have die-cut around the image and then used a chalk ink pad around the edge.  The backing papers, card and embossed vellum were all in the scraps box.  The card is finished off with some raffia ribbon, die-cut swirls, pearls and pinwheel flowers I made with scraps of the paper, inked the edges and added button with thread in the centre.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

The Pink Elephant - Photo inspiration 

Crafty Boots - Anything goes
Craft Room - Make your own flowers

Creative Card Crew - Monochromatic

Digistamps4Joy - Christmas digi but no animals

Divas by Design - Anything goes

Paper Shelter - Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes

Raise the Bar - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Photo inspiration - I got inspiration from the decoration on the tree

Come and Get It - Anything goes Christmas

I Did it Creations - Flowers

Saturated Canary - Anything goes

Crafts and Me - Pearls and swirls
Bearlymine - All my favourite things (buttons, Promarkers, ribbons, gems/pearls, chalk ink pads and die-cutting)

Commissioned Birthday Card

 

 

I was asked to make a special card for a lady's mother. I decided to use Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD and also the matching kingfisher stamp I had.  I have coloured the image with Lyra watercolours.  The backing papers are from the CD.  The card has been finished off with brads, flowers, decorative pin and skeleton leaves.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:  

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Card featuring a bird

Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes

Simon Says - Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Birthday

Art Impression Stamps - Flowers or paper piecing or both

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Last Monthly Charity Stall of the Year

It's the last monthly charity stall this coming week.  Sadly a lot of businesses have left the complex over the last four years.  Yes, I get very sad when maybe only 1-2 cards sell but my husband reminds me that the charities wouldn't even get that if I didn't do anything.

For this month I have continued my charity as SCOPE who have the vision that the world is "where disabled people have the same opportunities to fulfil their ambitions as non-disabled people".  If you would like to have a look at the work that Scope does please click here.

I have been lucky this year to win some blog candy and also some challenges.  All that I win I put towards my charity work.  I also feel truly blessed that I have friends on forums and in Blogland that send me items that they no longer use/what to help me with my charity work so that I can put it to good use.  You are such wonderful people.  THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.

Flashback Friday 18.0 - Friday 2 December 2011

Over at the Flashback Challenge this month the challenge is to show your first owl card that was put on your blog.  Do I have to?

This is a commissioned card I made back in August 2008 for a colleague whose boss was retiring.  He was a Consultant and he loved music and gardening so that was the logic behind this card.  My original post on blog in August 2008 can be found here.

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - 2 December 2011

Welcome back for another challenge at Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge Blog.  This time the topic is "non-traditional Christmas colours".

I have to admit I really struggled on this challenge as I am a traditional Christmas kind of girl ie red, green, blue, white, silver and gold.  For my colour scheme I decided to look through my scraps box to give me some inspiration and I decided to go with lime green and purple - yikes!!!  

The Sweet Pea Stamp image I have used is called "Holly Fairy".  I have coloured her with Promarkers and Sakura Stardust clear pen, chalked the background, added Glossy Accents to the holly berries, distressed the edges around the image with my Tim Holtz distressing tool and then inked the edges with a green chalk ink pad.  I was naughty recently and bought a new Marianne's Designs die with a gorgeous square but also inside the square are various sized flower shapes.  As I make a lot of my flowers it was another shape to use and cost-effective - well that's my excuse.   The square die cuts beautifully although a bit of a pain to push out all the holes but certainly worth it.  Hope I might get a few more of the shapes for Christmas.  I have made up the flowers with various layers, added a clear sequin flower (which I have had for many years now) and brad to hold it altogether.  The card has been finished off with a TLC sentiment left over from my Aud Sentiments challenge card yesterday as I always print off two in case I make a mess when die-cutting, some dark purple ribbon, faux stitching, K&Co bright green teardrop gems and some tiny circle gems.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Stamptacular Sunday - Anything Christmas

Stempeltraume - Christmas

Gingerloft - Christmas or winter

Addicted to Stamps - Christmas

Totally Stampalicious - Non-traditional Christmas colours

Stamp +Fun = Creativity - Distressing
Craft Room - Make your own flowers
For Fun - Christmas card
Simon Says - Anything goes
Cooking it up with Katie - Anything goes
Croft Crafts - Christmas
2 Sisters - Holiday

Sweet Stampin' - Punches and dies
One Stop Craft - Christmas Fairies
Lollipop Crafts - B is for ........... bling and berries
Marianne's Designs - Sparkle and shine
Stamp with Fun - Stitches
Totally Gorjuss - Sparkle
Dream Valley - Sparkle
Pile it On - Sugar and spice
The Artistic Stamper - Christmas
Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes
Creatalicious Challenge - Christmas and sparkle
Raise the Bar - It's starting to look a lot like Christmas
Papercrafting Journey - Anything goes
Daring Cardmakers - Holly and Narcissus
The Poodles Parlour - Christmas

Crafty Ann's Challenge #55 Tic-tac-toe

The time has come for the last Crafty Ann's Challenge for 2011.  I hope you have enjoyed the year of challenges as much as the Design Team have.

This fortnight Crafty Ann has challenged us to this tic-tac-toe board.  What you have to do is make a card or project using three items in a straight row horizontally, diagonally or vertically or the four corners.

For my card I chose to use the right vertical column with ribbon or bow or both; bauble and gold or silver.  For my card the gold backing paper is from Crafty Ann's digi store.  I have then printed off and cut out two of the gold baubles and one with a snowman in along with one of the gold frames.  I accented the snow with a white Sakura pen.  They have all been edged along with the papers with my gold Pentouch pen.  I have attached some swirly cord to the baubles and kept the gold ones flat but the the snowman one on 3d foam for dimension.  The frame has a Happy Christmas and two star peel-offs on it.  The card is simply finished off with some gold card candy and two gold ribbon bows.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

2 Sisters - Holiday
Crazy 4 Challenge - Snow

Crazy Challenge - Stars and/or snowflakes
Gingerloft - Christmas or winter

Craft Your Passion - Tis the season

For Fun Challenge - Christmas card
Digistamps4joy - Christmas digi but no animals
Divas by Design - Anything goes
Cooking it up with Katie - Anything goes
Croft Crafts - Christmas

Delightful Sketches - Let it snow
Do You Stack Up? - Ribbon or anything you can tie
Creatalicious Challenge - Christmas and sparkle
Raise the Bar - It's starting to look a lot like Christmas
Papercrafting Journey - Anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - Let it Snow
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Photo inspiration
Crafty Catz - Colours of Christmas and option of sparkle
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days - Winter wonderland
The Poodles Parlour - Christmas

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 24 November 2011 - Anything holiday - TEAM B

Well you might remember me posting last week that the new challenge was going "live" on the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog and the topic was "anything holiday".  

We were being sponsored by Nikki Hall from Polka Doodles.  Make sure you have a look here at the CDs and stamps that Nikki designs and has for sale along with lots and lots of lovely other crafting goodies.

The Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog has been lucky to gain a regular sponsor to the challenge blog.  Create with TLC will provide regular sentiments for the Design Team to work with.  make sure you go and have a look here for sentiments to buy but there are always often freebies as well.

The Design Teams have now been split into two groups and one group will reveal their cards on the first week of the challenge and the second group will reveal their cards on the second week of the challenge.  As I am in the second group, Team B, it is now time to reveal my card for the challenge.

Oh isn't he just the cutest little snowman?  I have coloured him with Promarkers and then added Polar White Flowersoft to the fur trim of his hat for some dimension.  The backing papers and foiled vellum are all scraps from the scraps box.  Along with the image I used the lovely Create with TLC sentiment.  The card is finished off with some brads, ribbon and a gorgeous 3d snowflake.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Snowmen

Pattie's Creations - Christmas 

Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Deep Ocean - C is for ....... - for me I have chosen Christmas and cute

Totally Papercrafts - Christmas

2 Sisters - Holiday
Stamptacular Sunday - Anything Christmas
Always with a Heart - Use up snippets
Crazy Challenge - Stars and/or snowflakes
Gingerloft - Christmas or winter

Craft Your Passion - Tis the season

Scrap-Creations - Christmas
For Fun Challenge - Christmas card
Digistamps4joy - Christmas digi but no animals
Divas by Design - Anything goes
Cooking it up with Katie - Anything goes
I Love Promarkers - Snowmen and snowflakes
Croft Crafts - Christmas