Crafting Time DT ... newspaper

Here is my sample for the newspaper week ... I did find this a bit challenging to begin with!

I used a newspaper article on Vivladi as my inspiration.  I tore round the picture of Vivaldi and then tore the music up into pieces.  I used the serendipity technique to apply the music pieces to the card base.  I mixed some perfect pearls (from the patina set) with water and spritzed it over Vivaldi and the music collage once it was dry.  When that was dry I distressed the edges of the card base with broken china and pine needles distress inks.  I stained a piece of seam binding with pine needles distress inks and then stamped the music stamp from the 7 Gypsies Lille set over it.  I stamped the treble clef from the same stamp set over the music background using broken china and black soot distress inks.  Finally I added Vivaldi and his signature, and a Tim Holtz memo pin with an adage ticket in it, again distressed in pine needles and broken china distress inks.

And here was the work in progress ....

Make It Monday

Gingham and a heart

 Its a gorgeous frosty morning this morning so I am off in a mo for a walk with Ellie ... she is riding her bike, so it will be more of a jog for me!!

A Valentine card for a friend to give their lovely other half ... I used a panel of PP gingham cardstock (love me gingham!) and added some twine, a button and a die cut heart.  The sentiment is from PB.

 Challenges:
Less is More - sketch
CES - check it out
Allsorts - one or more hearts
The Kraft Journal - tie it up
Penny black and more - love and hearts
Totally Gorguss - KISS

Sweet Stampin' DT card

This week's Sweet Stampin' theme is animals and we are sponsored by Di's Digis.

I used this adorable bunny and coloured it using my promarkers.  The dp is Doodlebug and I stitched the layers using my machine.  Some satin and gingham ribbon to finish.

Challenges:
One Stop Craft - stitching
Secret Crafter - ribbons
Dream Valley - animals

Totally Papercrafts Challenge

This week Totally Papercrafts challenge theme has been choosen by Dora, and she has chosen a nice easy one - 

pearls and lace

I used this gorgeous image, Pricilla Pie, from Saturated Canary and coloured her in using my promarkers.  I added some teeny flat backed pearls to her hair, and some larger black ones to the image and the punched flowers.  The dp is Bo Bunny, and I punched the flowers out of white cardstock and stamped a swirl stamp over it.  Finally some black lace trim to finish it.

We are sponsored by Crafty Emma's Store

Challenges:
Saturated Canary - punches and dies
Moving along with the times - blooming marvellous
Paperplay - lovely lace
Winter Wonderland - Swirls and pearls

The Sugar Bowl #76

Our very own Sugar Mama, Gayle, has set the sketch over at the Sugar Bowl challenge this week, and the optional extra is paper piecing.

One lucky winner of this challenge will have their choice of 4 stamps (or 6 stamps, if we reach 100+ entries) either from the new release or any stamps from the Sugar Nellie range at

Here is the sketch ...

 And my card ...

I flipped the sketch and used this gorgeous Manga, Dressing Up Games. I coloured the image in using my promarkers and paper pieced the jumper.  The dp is MME Stella Rose, and I added some flat backed pearls that I coloured using my promarkers and some fab orange ribbon.  Orange isn't my colour of choice, but this canme in a bundle I bought, and it goes so well with these papers.  I added some teeny pearls from SU for the necklace.

It's Thursday ...

 and that means its nearly the weekend!!  It seems to have been a long week this week, and my mojo has gone walk about big time!

I have a real dislike, closer to a hate than dislike to be honest, of the colour pink.  Having 2 girls I wage a constant battle against pink - clothes, shoes, toys, bedroom(that was definitely refused!!) and then people 'help' by asking for cards with pink on them!!!  My Mum (love her to bits, but please WHY pink???!!!!) asked me to make a card for a farmer's wife in the village, just for her to pop a note in ... Custard instantly popped into my mind - what better image for a cheep farmer's wife???!!  She is coloured in pink, lilac, laendar and blue grey promarkers and flexmarkers.  The cardstock has been embossed using some of my embossing folders, the swirl is a Whimsey die and the flowers from Duckpond ... love Karen's flower packs. I added some purple gingham and some stickles to finish ... Custard's pink spots have had rock candy stickles applied just to make them sparkle, which they don't on the photo - typical!  I added a heart button off a top that Beth has grown out of to the centre of the flowers.
Challenges:
Papertake - Happy Highlights
Stamps+fun=creativity - sketch
Passion for promarkers - recycle something (the button)
Simon Says Stamp - anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
For Fun - farm animals
Crafts and Me - pink and sparkly (trust me for me this is PINK!!)
I love Promarkers - purple and pink
My mum's Craft Shop - Flowers
Everybody-art-challenge - swirls
Oldie But a goodie - have a heart (button)

And something more to my liking!!  I made a tag out of kraft cardstock and stamped the Hero Arts notebook stamp on.  It was then distressed using fired brick, aged mahogany and walnut stain distress inks.  The envelope and tag inside (created using a Memory box tag and stamp) were also treated to the same distressing. I spritzed the tag with Tattered Angels gold glimmer mist and heat dried it.  I stamped the envelope with BoBunny stamps, and added a heart and sentiment. The hearts and sentiment are from TH Hearfelt set and I added an adage ticket on a pin to finish.  The seam binding was stained using fired brick and aged mahogany inks.

Challenges:
Anything Goes - for the one I love
Try it on Tuesday - in the mail
Stampman - use red

WOYWW

 My little one has had tonisllitus for a week ... but will be back at school today ... either that or I will be rocking quietly in a corner LOL!!!

As it is Wednesday it is time to share my crafting space with blogland ans have a snoop at everyone else's courtesy of the wonderful Julia.

So this is my desk as I left it last night ...

 I altered a file folder a couple of weeks ago with the aim of using it as a colour reference.  I love Design Seeds palettes and have a board of them on Pinterest but I find it time consuming looking at them on the ipad ... I get slightly distracted by all the fabulous colour palettes and photos.  So I have printed out my favourite ones  to stick in the folder ... I just need to organise them into colour groups!!!  Let that fun commence!

And here are the things from the pat couple of weeks on my desk all finished ...
The bunting ...

- the sewing machine and cat survived the bunting making, and I had lots of fun decorating the flags with flowers and butterflies.

And Ellie LOVES it!!

And the wedding invites ...

We went with the organza bow, but off to the side, and larger pearls, and ivory (although they are more white to me!!).  All finished and ready to go when the envelopes arrive!  And I have been paid to make them as well as for the materials if you see what I mean ... NEC fund added to :)

Its My Party

With Beth on the mend from her bout of tonisllitus I have found a bit of time to get in my craft room and make a card or two!  I am still in the 'inking up the oldies' mode so ...

 here is a fab LOTV stamp that has been rather lacking in ink recently!!  I just love this little girl .. .so like Beth on a bad day!!!  You can really feel her strop!  She is coloured in promarkers and flex pens and the dp is from Stampin' Up.  I added glamour dust to her tiara and dress. I distressed the edges and to give them more of an aged feel, embossed them with old paper embossing powder, before distressing the edges with vintage photo ink.  The flowers are misted and inked to add some aging, and i added some seam binding and a ticket sentiment.  Finally some pearls for that vintage look.

 Challenges:
Craft your days away - distressing
Craft your passion - aqua, blue and brown
Creative stamp friends - old fashioned/antique
Stamp with Fun - cute vintage
Simon Says Stamp and show - song title (Its my Party)
 Sketch Saturday - sketch
2 Sisters - embossing
Papertake Weekly - Happy Highlights

And have you seen this amazing candy up for grab ... read all about it here.