2 cards 1 stamp

Charisma Cardz Challenge this week is white, black and one other colour. I chose my favourite colour at the moment, purple. I have made a DL card for a change, and kept it clean and simple.
I ran white cardstock through my CB Swiss dots folder, and purple cardstock through the Divine Swirls folder. The image is coloured in balck and purple and matted onto the black. The ribbon is fab - it is clear with a lovely black pattern on it. I have left a space at the top for the sentiment, when one is needed.



The 1st image I coloured for the above card ... her hair was blond DOH!! So I have used that image for this week's Friday Sketcher.

I love this dp but have no idea what it is as I bought it as loose sheet. I cut the image out with my nesties and then distressed the papers with a variety of distress inks. The embossed paper is put on upside down (ie the raised bit facing down), and rather than ribbon I have used co-ordinating dp. I added scrolls to the corners and flowers - the flowers were an after thought to hide the smudge caused as a cat walked over my acrylic block!

As I have used a CB folder and distressing I am going to enter this for this week's Cuttlebug Challenge.

I am off to a craft retreat tonight with some friends for the weekend, so I am going to pack my tote now ... no more crafting for me today.

See you all on Monday.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Rope Swing Sugar Nellie, TAC swirl set
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: cardstock, dp unknown
Embellishments: Prima Hydrangeas, brads, ribbon from stash

A pink Valentine

... well red and pink, but as slushy as I can get ... just for you Becky and Alison!!
Love really does seem to be in the air at the moment ... every challenge is love or Valentine's!! Either hubby is going to get lots of cards or I'll just have to find someone else to send a few too!!
So both Cute Card Thursday and Whiff of Joy have Valentine's as their challenge, so another combined challenge, using Lili of the Valley's sketch this week. Bit of a cheat combining them but I have a stinking cold and don't feel very crafty.
Anyway here is my effort...

I coloured and distressed Melinda and matted her onto that fab stripey paper, found at the bottom of my 12x12 stash. The heart is stamped and heat embossed using red tinsel powder to give it a bit of sparkle, and again matted onto the stripey paper. On the other side of the paper was ..pink heart paper!! So that is the backing, hopefully reasonably well covered with velvet ribbon, flowers, scrolls and a sentiment!

OK I really don't do pink, hearts, slush!! But I have tried!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Melinda blowing Kisses (WOJ), heart was freebie, scroll TAC
Colouring Media: distress inks, heat embossing
Papers: Fancy pants Crush
Embellishments: prima flowers, adhesive gems and hearts from my stash

DDCC challenge 33

The Dutchdare Card Challenge this week is to make a thank you card. I decided to go for something that wasn't too fussy, so I have kept it quite plain.

I used my Swiss Dots and DiVine Swirls folders to emboss the card, then added a band of purple ribbon. I matted this onto purple cardstock. I coloured the Heros Stamp image in using Whispers pens and then cut out the image with my mesties. Cut the swirls, scalloped oval and thanks out using my Cuttlebug and various dies.

Recipe:

Stamp(s): Hero Arts Flourish flower

Colouring Media: Whispers pens

Papers: cardstock

Embellishments: ribbons from stash, swirl cut using Sizzix die, embossing folders Divine Swirls, Swiss dots

ABC Challenge ... Y is for ...

I can't believe we are almost at the end of the 1st set of challenges!

This week's challenge, Y, is for Yesteryear - you need to use your 1st, or on of your 1st stamps.

The challenge for this one was remembering which were my 1st stamps!!! In the end I have chosen to use the 1st Penny Black stamp I bought, Spring Air.

I coloured the image in using distress inks and the added Anita's gloss to add a gloss to the wellie.







I decoupaged the image up to add depth to the card. I used distress inks to colour the Woodware photo anchors and corner. Finally I added brown organza ribbon and green ribbon which I tied in a bow.








A view of the decoupaged layers.

Thanks for looking and I am looking forward to nosing at all your 1st stamps!

Oh I found a photo of one of the 1st cards I made with this stamp - I can't believe how much my cards have changed!!

Recipe:

Stamp(s): Penny Black Spring Air

Colouring Media: Distress inks

Papers: Basic Grey Mellow and Archaic

Embellishments: ribbons from stash, Woodware chipboard photo anchors and photo corners, Anitas Gloss

News and Tag!!

No card just a bit of news, a tag and a pic.

First - Becky, Chrissie and Lisa from the Sketch and Stash team have invited me onto the design team - well I thought about for a nano second ... and said YES!! Who wouldn't with Becky's fab sketches, the team's great cards and ... oh the excuse to shop at least twice a month!!

I am really excited and can't wait to show you all my 1st sketch ... less than a week to go!

Secondly I have been tagged by Pauline - for this no gory or embarrassing details ... just the 6th pic from your 6th photo folder ... not too bad I hope ... so here goes this is the pic ...

Phew!!! I didn't check before I posted this. This is my beautiful, terror of a second daughter Beth. She was about 7 months old and the photo is taken on Ainsdale beach (between Formby and Southport) in April 2007. It was her first experience of sand and ice-cream ... and she loved both. Here she is beginning her epic dig to Australia ... it is amazing how deep a hole a 7 month old baby can dig when left to their own devices. Oh and the pile of sand out did not match the volume dug out .. it was in her mouth, tummy, nappy, pockets ... well I'll leave the rest to you!

If you want to explore your photo folders and share a possibly embarrassing photo with us - please feel tagged and make a comment here so I can come and look.

Red and black love

I don't usually make Valentine's cards but one of my friends (?) asked me this morning at preschool if I could make a Valentine's card for her husband.
So the remit ... no flowers, no pink, no fuss and no cute cuddly image ... hmmm.
So following my CAS post and effort yesterday I thought I would do another CAS using Blossom.

I used red, black and white cardstock, and embossed the white using the flowers CB folder. The image, sentiment and white panels are matted on black, and a simple red organza ribbon to finish it. My lovely friend wrote the sentiment herself. I actually like the result - don't often use red or black on my cards, but I think I'm going to start now!

I used this week's PTW sketch (and its a fab one again Dawny!) and as the theme is love I am using this for the Spoonfull of Sugar challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Blossom
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: cardstock, some embossed using CB folder
Embellishments: ribbon from stash

Framed ... finally!

I pushed the PBSC challenge of frames around yesterday and didn't like what I got. So I combined it with this week's JCBC sketch and am happier with the results.

I cut the image and frame out using my nesties. I have tried to create the idea of looking through a telescope . I coloured the image with distress inks and washed ink over the bckground to create the sky and sea. The details are cut out from co-ordinating papers and I doodled the sentiment.
Recipe:
Stamp (s): Penny Black Fishing
Colouring media: Distress inks
Papers: K and Co Hotchpotch, navy blue cardstock
embellishments: Papermania brads


For my second card, and Christmas card of the week I used the same sketch.

I adore these little mice and coloured them in distress inks. They are cut out using my nesties, as is the frame. I chose very plain embellishments as I like less fuss cards, and so do most of my family and friends.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Christmas Love, Sentiment - unknown
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: DCWV Christmas Scrap Stack
Embellishments: Papermania brads, ribbon from stash

Blossom

Over at the Sugar Nellie blog there is a thread about clean and simple cards ...

I am still learning things in the world of forums, and over at SCS there was a thread about clean and simple, CAS, cards with the minimum on them, sometimes only a stamped image, no colouring, nothing.I like it.For some time now I have been thinking that a lot of the Sugar Nellie cards we have featured are advanced, these are beautiful cards but very scary if you are just into stamping. With my teachers hat on I would like to request a little homework from all you sugar babes, CAS cards, I feel that we all started somewhere and I often say in class, "keep it simple but do it well". I would love to see your CAS cards, post a link if you are happy for me to copy & paste, I believe that these can be as stunning as the very layered cards and a lot less expensive to make.

I have to agree with some of what is being said - whilst I love all the really layered, decorative cards, they really aren't me or the people I make cards for. But sometimes you feel pressured to make this style of card as everyone else seems to be doing them! I like to make a wide variety of cards, not all of which get on here.

As I have been commissioned this morning to make a card for someone I thought I would do a comparison of the 2 styles using the same stamp, colours and where possible the same papers. The only remit for the card is no paper flowers (gasps in horror!!) and little if no tatt, oh and has to be a C6 card ...

So this is what I have come up with ...

Clean and simple ... cream card blank and cream to matt. Dusky pink Coredinations that has been embossed. Blossom is stamped in Versafine Sepia and coloured in Antique Linen and Tatter Rose distress inks. The sentiment is Penny Black and again stamped in Versafine Sepia. A bit of organza ribbon just to balance the corners.

As some of my friends would say ... the more fussy option (but not as fussy as it could be!!) Same image used and stamped and coloured exactly the same. I distressed this one in the Antique Linen and Tattered Rose inks, and ran a darker pink round the edges. I matted the sentiment rather than stamping straight onto the card. I had to add extra papers, and distressed the embossed panel. Goldy brown organza and a bow finishes it off.

I know which one will sell and which I will be keeping to send to a friend!! Do you??

This card that I made for Friday Sketchers is far too fussy for most of the people I make and send cards to ... I love it as I love distressing papers. But it is certainly not clean and simple! (Nor was I clean by the time I had finished that distressing!!)

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Blossom, Penny Black Transparent Sentiments
Colouring Media: Distress inks, Versafine Sepia, Color box Dusky plum
Papers: Coredinations, Papermania Nostalgic Warm
Embellishments: Ribbon from stash

First Love

Another combined challenge for me. I have used the Sketch Saturday sketch, the recipe from Secret Crafter (1 image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments) and the Charisma Card challenge theme, love, to create this card.

This is one of my new acquisitions from the Glitterpot sale. Rather than do the traditional pink/red colour theme, I chose these lovely blue and purple papers, and I think they go so well with these Rachelle Anne Miller stamps. And I managed to get the scallops right this week!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Lily and Milo First Love
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: DCWV Adhesive papers
Embellishments: ribbon, buttons and heart gems from stash

Rope Swing Friday Sketcher

I can't believe it is already Friday and another weekend is upon us! I got a little time this afternoon to have a go at this week's fab Friday Sketcher. I have to confess I went a bit made with the distressing!!
I used distress inks to distress the papers and the cardstock is distressed with dark brown Papermania ink. I stamped the blue scrolls on and added an adhesive gem to each.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Rope Swing, TAC scroll set
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Papermania Warm Nostalgic
Embellishments: Prima flowers, Papermania brads, ribbon from stash, swirls cut with Sizzix die cut, adheshive gems from stash

Create a scene

This week's CCT challenge is to create a scene, and I thought I would combine it with LOTV's Valentine challenge. I thought the idea I had was good, it just hasn't come together very well, and I am blaming feeling terrible with a flu like bug. The idea was to have Tilda pondering Edwin's feelings.

I doodled the phrase "loves me loves me not" round the edge in gold pen.

While I was huffing and puffing over this ... Ellie created this:

and she has obviously been taking note of the decorated insides ...

and backs!!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia window, Edwin, Tida, wooden bench
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: from my stash
Embellishments: papermania adheshive gems

Another Christmas card

One of my very few New Year's resolutions was to make at least 1, preferrably 2 Christmas cards a week so I didn't have the mad panic in November. So far so good, three weeks in and 3 cards made.
I have not joined in the Just Christmas and Birthday Cards challenge before, but have decided I am going to, only just make Christmas cards with the sketches, so hopefully I'll get 2 a week done.

I do love my Sugar Nellie stamps and couldn't resist getting Snowflake out again. I distressed her (there's a suprise) in Fired Brick and Peeled Paint. I added the flowers as I felt that corner was a bit bare with the pale background.

Just thought I would share a couple of pics with you of the delinquent cat AKA Miffy. She is a little obsessed with the bath, particularly if one of us is in it!!! So here she is last night watching the girls playing - she's braver than me as if I sit that close I am usually sopping wet very quickly!!
Hopefully she will calm down now as she is allowed out - so we did the ritual lputting on of the collar, Frontlining her and letting her out ... only to watch her go straight to the top of our holly tree!! She did make her way down eventually, having harrassed the local bird population who seemed surprised to have to share their tree with a cat!! When Miffy came in Ellie gave her a lecture on the dangers of climbing up trees ... Miffy paid lots of attention ... NOT!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Snowflake, Sentiment Cuddly Buddly
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Wassail
Embellishments: Prima flowers, adhesive gems, Papermania brads

WOJ challenge - Katharina's sketch

Katharina has done a fabulous sketch for this week's WOJ challenge.

I love Willow with her umbrella and have decided to go for a lilac theme this week (still using up those papers so a bit of an iffy background!). Distressing is my favourite technique at the mo, so lots of it here. I used distress inks round the image and papermania ones round the papers and cardstock. The scallop edge is cut using my Stampin up punch, and Willow using my nesties (where would I be without them?!).

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Willow with Umbrella, sentiment Penny Black
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: K and Co
Embellishments: ribbons from stash, tag cut using Sizzix die

Dutchdare Challenge 32

My heart sank when I read what this week's challenge was going to be ... mosiac. However I decided to use a technique called serendipity and make a tiled background.

I used scraps from my overflowing scrap box to do a sheet of serendipity (collage to some of use - you stick little bits of paper on a larger sheet so they overlap) and cut out 16 squares using my nesties (lazy!!). I coloured in this gorgeous iclke mouse by Rachelle Anne Miller and matted it onto brown cardstock. I mounted the tiles onto brown cardstock, added the image and some gorgeous bo bunnny ribbon. Finally I added square brads to the image.

Do look at the other DT members interpreatations of Mosiac.

Sketch and Stash challenge 2

Its the second Sketch and Stash, and another fab sketch by Becky. I have had 2 goes at this as I wasn't overly happy with the first - not sure why.

The new part is the stamp (a sale purchase from the Glitterpot!). I haven't used these papers for ages - I am loving using stash as I am finding stash I had forgotten I have!

Recipe:
Stamps: Lily and Milo - I love Shopping
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: DCWV adhesive stack
Embellishments: Prima flowers, organza ribbon from stash, papermania brads

This is my 2nd attempt - I prefer this one, but I am back into doing the more vintage, lace, floral cards at the mo. I used 2 of the paper beads for two of the corner embellishments.
Close up of the beads - tutorial can be found here.

The new bit for this is my Tim Holtz blending foam - I was using a make up sponge, but the delinquent cat shredded it so I just HAD to buy a tool to distress backgrounds with (the cat does have her uses!!)

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie, Reflective
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: K and Co McKenna
Embellishments: Papermania brads, ribbon and lace from stash, paper beads.

Shapely preschooler!

Its a combined challenge again for me!! I combined PTW's challenge to use 3 shapes on your card, and the Spoonfull of sugar challenge, Baby or Preschooler. One of Ellie's best friend's at Preschol is 3 soon so I have made this card for her. Ellie chose the stamp (one of my new ones as they were in the Glitterpot's sale!) and the papers. I did the rest.

The shapes are square (patterned flower paper), rectangle (spotty paper), and diamonds (in the corners).

I have also been given a couple of awards ...

Thank you Benedicte

Thank you Madge and Heather.

Thank you so much ladies and i will have a think about who to pass them on to.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Lily and Milo - Teddy's travels, sentiment - Penny Black
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: Papermania Retro Floral, cardstock from my stash
Embellishments: ribbon from my stash

ABC Challenge ... X is for ...

For this week's ABC Challenge you have to have an X somewhere on your card. I thought romance ... but didn't fancy making a valentines card, so I have made this card that could be used for an anniversary or wedding.
The X part is the stitching and the bow has made a X shape (tenuous!!)
I used these gorgeous PB hedgies from a transparents set and coloured them using distress inks. I cut them out using nesties and inked the edges. The papers are K and Co, which I inked and faux stitched. I added some pink lacy net ribbon and pink organza ribbon, and the sentiment is by Making Memories from a Defined set.

I haven't added any flowers as the papers is flowery enough for me, and the hedgies are holding some beautiful roses!



Have a look at the other DT members fab cards.