Christmas cards

I thought I would start (again!!) making Christmas cards, and have decided to use some of the sketch challenges for them, and to make 2 at a time. I have used the sketch over at Stamp with Fun and combined it with the Pollycraft challenge 5 S's (snowflakes, sparkle, spots, stripes, swirls) and I have got all 5 on both cards!! It also fits A spoonfull of Sugar's Christmas theme, and the sparkle theme over at Creative card Crew.


I coloured both Henry's and added fluffy stuff to the hats and stickles to the berries, and then cut them out. I matted them onto spotty dp and matted all the dp onto green cardstock. I used stickles to pick out the swirls in the corner and some of the red dots. I punched the snowflakes and added stickles to them. I used my Cuttlebug bauble diecuts to make the sentiment, which I tied onto the ribbon.

Right off to make bread rolls for lunch!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WoJ Henry Mouse with Lantern, Henry Mouse with hot chocolate; Cuddly Buddly sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: DCWV Christmas stack
Embellishments: punched snowlfakes, ribbon from stash

Sketch and Stash #20

Here we are at another Sketch and Stash, and another brilliant sketch by Becky.
I love this House Mouse, one of the latest acquisitions to my stamp collection! I stamped the image in sepia nad watercoloured it. I added ribbon to the stripe of dp, and a bow. The flower has a wire swirl round it, and I added wire to the edge of the ribbon. A bit of card candy finishes it off. Everything is new except the very neglected wire!
Do go and have a look at the DT's latest/neglected stash - you're in for a treat!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Stampabilities Pop-ular fun
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Romani
Embellishments: Poppicrafts flower, ribbon, card candy, gem and wire from stash

The results of my weekend

What a busy weekend!!! It was hubby's birthday yesterday, and he had arranged to collect his new car ... very nice, just a bit RED!!!! We went to Southport to see the Red Arrows at the air show there. They were really good, and although they didn't do their really big loops, the girls loved the show. Today we have been to Bury to by his birthday present .. a camera for him, so he doesn't need to nick mine all the time!
I have found some time to do some crafting, but my back is really painful (thanks to a small child swinging on me and twisting it!!) so I haven't spent as long as I would like to in my craft room.

The first card is for the Allsorts Challenge, Autumn Days.
I adore this Tina Wenke image, Opossum Pals, and coloured it using my promarkers and copics, all available at the Secret Crafter. The papers are Basic Grey Mellow and I used organza brown ribbon and orange satin ribbon from my stash.

The next card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, pink, brown and yellow, and I used the Saturday Sketch, which I rotated.
I coloured this cute mouse (Penny Black Gifts for you) in using my distress inks. I inked the edges and matted it onto the dp. The dp is Basic Grey Sugared. I added brown ricrac, and punched the scalloped edge with my Stampin'up punch. The flowers are punched and should have pearls in the centre but I think small fingers have had them away whilst i was finding the camera! Please imagine pink pearls! The sentiment is from Pollycraft Sherbert Dreams and is stamped in sepia.

Finally I used the Friday Sketcher sketch and this week's Just Magnolia pink and grey challenge to make this card.
I coloured Dala Tilda in using my promarkers and then inked the edges in pink and black soot ink. The papers are Basic Grey (Boxer and Eva) and I stamped swirls from a TAC set I have. I added grey organza from my stash and a layered flower using prima flowers and a rose bud.

I have another busy week ahead of me ... but am hoping to get back in my craft room in the evenings.

Its a new Sketch and Stash challenge tomorrow, and I LOVE the card I have made for it, partly because Becky's sketch is a cracker ... do pop back to take a peek.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #51

This week's challenge set by Jill is Animal Antics.
I adore House Mouse stamps and am slowly beginning to collect them ... so many to choose from LOL! I love this one, those meeces look sooo contented! I watercoloured the image using distress inks and added stickles to the icing. I kept the layout simple, using these gorgeous Basic Grey papers, available from the Secret Crafter, and added some ribbon and pearls.

Do take a look at the other Design team's creations.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Stampabilities Cupcake
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Bittersweet
Embellishments: ribbon and pearls from stash

Henry and his bauble

My Henry Mouses arrived and I couldn't wait to get the mounted up and inked up!! Whih to choose first though?! I adore this little cutie, he looks so pleased with himeself!!
I watercoloured him and cut him out using my nesties, then inked up the edges. I distressed the papers and used a gold pen to faux stitch them. I punched a couple of snowflakes and added some green ribbon. The bauble is glossed and then gold stickles added, and I added fluffy stuff to Henry's hat.

I have used this week's Papertake Weekly sketch, the recipe over at WOJ challenge, Stitching from Simon Says Stamp and as I have used my favourite Christmas papers I am also entrying it for this week's Stamp Something.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry and bauble
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Daisy D
Embellishments: punched snowflakes, brads, ribbon from stash

DDCC challenge 61

The Dutchdare Card Challenge this time is So Charming. We want to see charms on your cards.
I coloured my image using promarkers and copics, and then cut her out using my nesties. I inked the edges of the image, and faux stiched all the dp. I punched flowers and added pearls and the charm. I stamped the corner detail using distress ink.

I have used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketcher.

Do check out the other design team's fab creations.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Gorguss Girl Flower Girl; Kiasercraft scroll stamp
Colouring Media:Promarkers and copics
Papers: Kanban
Embellishments: punched flowers, pearls, charm and ribbon from stash

Pollycraft cards

I got back into my craft room last night and made a couple of cards using my promarkers.
The first is for the Pollycraft Challenge, Black White and 1 other colour, and I have followed the Everybody-Art-Challenge sketch.
I chose blue as my other colour and coloured Sherbert using my Promarkers. I have kept it simple, using this fab BG paper, black cardstock for the mat and white brads and flowers. I stamped the sentiment straight on to the dp.
The second card used the A Spoonful of Sugar sketch and the Stamp with Fun and My Time to Craft autumn theme.
I coloured this gorgeous elf in using promarkers (not overly happy with the top, but it was quite dark!), and I think he looks autumnal. I followerd the sketch apart from mis-placing the image, and I wasn't brave enough to take him off! Instead of flowers I used buttons and brads.

Right off to do breakfast, the school run, Mums and Tots ...!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s):Pollycraft Sherbert Daydream, Woodland Elves Innocence
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Periphery; MME Bloom and Grow
Embellishments: Poppicraft flowers, gems, buttons nad brads from stash

Snowflakes

A Christmas card ... it really does feel too early to be making these!! I have used the Just magnolia sketch by Bev, and Allsorts challenge Snowflakes in September.
The image is one sent to me by Becky, and I coloured it in using promarkers and copics. I spent last night sorting them all into colour groups .. sad or organised ... hmmmm!! I cut the image out and matted her onto white cardstock embossed with the snowflakes cuttlebug folder. I added the vellum sentiment and have to confess to adhesive ribbon stolen from Ellie's craft bag as I forgot to add it before I stuck the matt down!! I layered the snowflake dp onto white cardstock and used my fiskers threading water punch for the scalloped edge.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia
Colouring Media: Promarkers and copics
Papers: DCWV
Embellishments: punched snowflakes, adhesive ribbon, vellum text

Maddy's card

One of my friend's had a baby earlier this week, Madeline Jean, and I have made this card for the happy parents.
I used the sketch from Trully Scrumptious (and 3 stamps), and as it has a hidden message I am entering into this week's Cute Card Thursday. The flowers mean that it also fits Charisma Cardz Flower Power theme, and the lace and pearls fit Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

I used three of my large flowers from Poppicrafts (I so miss their flowers!) and layered them on to a circle cut from the dp. I followed the sketch, just skewing some of the dp slightly. I added some smaller flowers and put pearls at their centres, and used both vcotton and raffia lace. The Tim Holtz ticket is attached by a brad so it moves, and stapled to the circle.
I love using this cute baby hedgie for baby cards. I watercoloured her and cut her out. The flower circle moves to cover the sleeping hedgie.
I stamped the sentiment on the inside and added the cute mices, again watercoloured. I can't wait to see Maddy, hopefully mum and baby are out of hospital today.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Hammock and Daisy Chain; WOJ Baby sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: DCWV Nursery stack
Embellishments: flowers, lace, brads, pearls from stash.

I've made a card

I have been a terrible blogger and crafter this week. I had two new children start with me this week so been doing lots of settling in and paperwork. I now have a 4yr old and an 18 month old as well as Beth during the day - all girls!!! And Ellie is not overly happy at school. According to Ellie PINK now officially rules in this house ... yuk!!!

Anyway, having not crafted for three days I sort of cobbled this together while cooking tea (roast lamb as I had to take Ellie shopping ... she loves lamb!!!).
I have used this week's WOJ sketch, and Basic Grey's embossing, and Simon Says Stamp recipe ... have to admit to interpreting 3 embellishments as three types LOL!!! Hope you will forgive me!!
I watercoloured and stickled Henry and his cake (Beth helpfully shook the card so the stickles errr ran a bit!!). I used two 12x12 sheets of Basic Grey Periphery and matted them on to yellow cardstock. I distressed all the cardstock and papers with a moss green ink pad. I added brads and butons, according to the sketch and a piece of organza ribbon. The yellow panel is distressed with frayed burlap and faded jeans distress inks and run through the cuttlebug using the heartsd folder. The blue dp has also been subjected to hearts embossing, it just doesn't show too well!!


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry Mouse
Colouring Media: distress inks and stickles
Papers: Basic Grey Periphery
Embellishments: brads, buttons and ribbon from stash

SCSC challenge 50

It's Donna's turn to set the challenge and her theme is One for the girls. Now girly cards are not my speciality, but I think this is girly!
I coloured Anya in using a mixture of my old and new promarkers, got from Wendy at Secret Crafter. These are some of my favourite papers, and I think they are girly enough. I added some punched flowers and a swirl, and this gorgeous lime ribbon, that actually changes colour in the light (can't really see that on the photo though :()

Do take a peek at the other DT members cards, and join in if you can.

Recipe:
Stamp(s):
Colouring Media:
Papers:
Embellishments:

A card for a few challenges

Finally I got in my craft room last night ... just had to wait for hubby to return my camera to get the card photographed! I am really missing my Tuesday and Thursday morning craft sessions, but it is a good job I am working now as I popped over to the Whiff Of Joy shop (thanks Samantha!!!!) and spent a 'bit' and then had a browse for a stamp I wanted ... couldn't find it, but 3 House Mouses just 'fell' into my basket!!!

Anyway onto the card. I have made it for the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Faking it
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Autumn
Creative Card Crew - recipe - 2 papers, 3 flowers, 2 brads, 1 button
Friday Sketcher - sketch
My Time to Craft - Polka Dots
Passion for Promarkers - any colours and polka dots
Everyboady-art-challenge - shabby
I dug out this fab autumn stamp from last year's Autumn kit and masked her onto the log. I coloured her in greens and the hat, flowers and socks are coloured in sandstone and ruby. I cut the image out and matted her onto the circle. I fauxed stiched, distressed and tore the papers (I think its shabby!!) and added three Prima flowers, 2 with brads and 1 with a button.
Here's a close up of the image - not as happy with the shading on the trousers, but like the hat, flowers and socks!
Hopefully I will get some crafting done later tonight - just got to tidy up after the whirlwinds, do the ironing and feeed me and hubby!!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: MME Wild Asparagus
Embellishments: Prima Hydrangea flowers, button and brads from stash

Sketch and Stash #19

Wow I can't believe we are upto the 19th challenge ... and Becky is creating fantastic sketches for us all.
Here's this fortnight's ...
And here's my interpretation ...
I used my new Tilda from the Autumn stamp kit, and coloured her with copics (some new!). I cut her and the mat out using my new nestie labels and inked the edges. I took a deep breath and cut inro another sheet of my K and Co Charlotte paper. I added ric rac, a pollycraft flower and stamped the sentiment straight onto the paper.
I hope you have time ot join in and I will get round to visiting you all this time ... life is calming down and Ellie is finally in school fulltime, although I am gaining children a bit like the pied piper. One starts tomorrow and I,ve got a visit today ... when am I going to craft?!!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia autumn Stamp kit; sentiment Pollycraft Sherbert Dreams
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: K and Co Charlotte
Embellishments: flowers, brads, ribbons from stash

Teal and Orange

This week's Whiff of Joy challenge is to use teal and orange. EEEEEKKKKKKK! So out of my comfort zone! I am not a fan of orange!

Any way here is my attempt.

I watercoloured Charlotte and distressed the background. I used my deckled nesties to cut her and the matt out. I have kept the dp subtle, I did ponder the brighter sheets ... but had second thoughts! I layered up some flowers and added a charm and some lace. Finally I added stickles for the buttons and details on Charlotte's outfit - well princesses need sparkle!

I am going to enter this into Katharina's GDT spot ... more subtle than the other entry LOL!!

Karen has passed this fab award onto me:

Thanks, hun. I have to tell you 5 things about me:

1. I don't like chocolate ... except for malteasers!
2. I'm a closet Take That fan (love their stuff since re-forming)
3. My favourite band of all time is The Vapours
   
4. I hate ice-cream
   
5. I'm not good at telling people things about myself LOL!
   

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Princess Charlotte
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Marrakesh
Embellishments: punched flowers and leaves, lace, charm, brads, spacers and prima flower from stash

Just Magnolia embossing

This week's Just Magnolia challenge is embossing, and I have used the Create4fun sketch as a layout.
I have to confess to struggling with the layout as the image is so large and I really didn't want to size my card up. Anyway I coloured my image and inked all the edges with purple ink. I stamped some fancy bits in the corners as I didn't want flowers, and Iembossed the cardstock panels.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Tilda with Blueberries
Colouring Media: Promarkers and copics
Papers: BG Wiateria
Embellishments: none (gulp)

Question ...

Is it bad to let your children have homemade chips for supper, having given them them for tea???!!!!

For the first time in over a year I did chip pan chips ... and then did more for supper .. am I a bad mother!!!!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge sketch

Domi has done a fab sketch for this week's PBSC. I have combined it with the colour challenge over at Cute Card Thursday (pink and green). As it has my favourite embellishment, punched flowers, on it I am entering it for this week's Stamp Something.
I watercollured this cute teddy and cut it out. Imatted the dp up and distressed the edges. I added white ric-rac and white organza ribbon, some punched flowers, and brads.
However, I am not a fan of round cards as I can never get them to stand up properly. So ...
I put it onto a card.
I embossed the white panel using my Swiss Dots folder.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Unwrapped
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: DCWV Nursery stack
Embellishments: punched flowers, ric-rac, brads, ribbon from stash

Neon green and black!

The Colour Create challenge this time is neon green and black. I had to think hard about what stamp would look good coloured in these colours ... and Willow with her hot chocolate sprange to mind. I have used the sketch from Allsorts, and they also ask you to use just two colours.
I coloured Willow in using promarkers and copics. I embossed the green cardstock and sanded it off. The panel of black cardstock is also embossed. I added some green ribbon and punched the flowers and added black gems to the centre.

Katharina is doing a GDT call so I thought I would enter this for it ...


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Willow with hot chocolate
Colouring Media: promarkers and copics
Papers: carddstock
Embellishments: punched flowers, gems and ribbon from stash

Oriental

Oriental is well out of my comfort zone ... in fact this is the first oriental card I have made!! Simon Says Stamp challenge is oriental, and I used this week's Sketch Saturday sketch and Stamp Something's theme, favourite embellishments. My favourite embellishments are flowers (especially punched ones!) and ribbon, both of which are on this card.
I stamped the image using versmark and then added gold embossing powder. I matted it onto an embossed panel of gold and then black cardstock. I stamped the stamp using versamark round the edges of the red cardstock, and then added the ribbon, a couple of large punched flowers with gold brads, and smaller punched flowers with gem centres. I was going to add a sentiment but it didn't look right ... so that went in the bin!
I am hoping to get more crafting timer this afternoon, but the girls have invited me to a barbeque ... barbequed conkers and holly leaves are on the menu ... can't wait!!!!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Lavinia Cherry Blossom
Colouring Media:
Papers: cardstock
Embellishments: punched flowers, ribbon, brad and gems from stash

SCSC challenge week 49

It's Gina's turn to set the challenge, and its a card for a teenage boy!
Eek I said when I saw that, well out of my comfort zone!!
I have used Hamish and coloured him in the local rugby team's colours. Can anyone guess the team (give you a clue its a rugby league team!)? I used my favourite boy's papers and the rubgy balls as embellies.
Do have a go and check out the other DT's fab creations.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Rugby Hamish
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: K and Co Hopscotch
Embellishments: stamped rugby balls