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.

All you need is love ...

Here's the Valentine's card I have made for hubby ... very simple (not like him at all!!!).  I used the frebie stamp off this month's Craft Stamper, and stamped it onto red card and cut it out.  I used the heart as a template to make the aperature and then stamped the heart again inside just in black.  The sentiment is from Penny Black.

Challenges:
Cupcake Craft - All you need is love
Simon Says Stamp and Show - song Title (All you need is love)
Less is More - aperature (alot less now Beth isn't helping me :))
Oh Lala Creations - seeing double
Make it Monday

Crafting Time DT ... Buttons and Bows

 This week's theme over at Crafting Time this week is buttons and bows.  I instantly thought of haberdashery and sewing ...

 I covered a square peice of white cardstock in Tim Holtz tissue tape and then distressed it using aged mahogany and vintage photo distress inks.  The elements from the Tim Holtz stamp set were stamped onto cardsock using black archival ink and distressed using spiced marmalade, fired brick and aged mahogany distress inks before being cut out.  I added this fab ball trim ribbon, a button that I stained in cranberry and red pepper alcohol ink, and some little bows to finish.

I also made a collage tag using the same stamp set.

Having stamped some of the elements in brushed corduray and fired brick distress inks, I distressed the tag using tea dye, vintage photo and aged mahogany distress inks.  I stamped the manikin in aged mahogany distress ink and added a bow.  The wooden button was roughly stained with aged mahogany distress ink and some twine threaded through and tied into a bow.  Finally I added some of that fab ball trim ribbon, and some seam binding stained in aged mahogany distress ink.

 And as I am thinking about buttons and bows ... I love simple, quick, embossed cards ...

 I used my sizzix embossing folder to create the texture for this card.  The mannikin is a freebie stamp from a craft magazine, and I cut it out.  I added some flat backed pearls, black gingham, a big bow with a button at the centre and a pin.  Very simples.

Challenges:
Make it Monday
CAS-ual Friday - black and white
Allsorts - needles and pins
Crafty Catz - buttons and bows

Alice

Well we survived last night ... 3 highly excited little girls camped out in the front room ... and talked and giggled until well past my bedtime!!!  So we are all up and slightly less than bright and bushy tailed this mornin, and off to Knowsley Safari Park.  But before we go here is a card to share ...

 I used Alice from Krista's fab Saturated Canary range of digis, and coloured her using my promarkers and flexmarkers.  The dp is MME Stella Rose and I used my nesties to cut the circle mat out.  I cut the image out and added her offset onto the circle. Finally some ribbon and punched flowers with flat backed pearls at the centre. 

Challenges:
Saturated Canary - dies and punches
Do you stack up - patterned papers
Stamp with fun - sketch
For Your inspiration - photo
Winter Wonderland - easel card
Alphabet- y for you choose
Addicted to Stamps - Summer in Winter

OMG ... its pink!!

 Beth is still struggling with her tonsillitus ... and I may have made the fatal mistake of saying "yes" to her pleas ... "can I craft with you Mummy?" ...

 She wanted pink ... and ink ... in fact lots of both!!!  So we have created this card!  We cut the aperature in the card blank and the cardstock together (I placed, she turned the handle on the CB).  Beth inked up the WMS pattern up and I stamped it.  I inked up the aperature in spun sugar, worn lipstick and festive berries DIS and Beth went round the outside of the card blank in festive berries ... she likes using the TH tool!  I was allowed to stamp the fairy and foliage (phew) but she insisted on glamour dusting and stickling ... perhaps a bit too enthusiatically - fortunately most tapped off!!  Finally some pink cardstock with the red ribbon Beth insisted went on.

We have Ellie's best friend coming for a sleepover later and a trip to Knowsley Safari park tomorrow so I have a baking session to do now and some organising of the front room so they can camp out there tonight ... oh and I need to find the paracetamol ... just in case!!!!!

 Challenges
Less is more - aperature ... not so much of the less (but Beth is only 5!)
Just Us Girls - red, pink and white
Waltzing mouse sketches -sketch (sorry I forgot the sentiment!)

Basic Grey Challenge

 The theme for the Basic Grey challenge this time is favourite things ... ohhhh I have sooo many!!!!

The favourite things I picked were Sugar Nellie stamps, distress inks, Basic Grey papers, flat backed pearls and seam binding, oh do I LOVE seam binding!!

 I coloured Best Day Ever from Sugar nellie in using disttress inks, before layering her up on to my favourite Basic Grey pad EVER ... Wisteria.  I love this pad, all my favourite colours in one place!!  I added some pale blue seam binding, and some flat backed pearls to finish it off.

We are really lucky to be sponsored again this year by Simon Says Stamp ...

Who are offering a $25.00 voucher.

(PP charges apply)

Challenges:
ABC  - H for Happy Birthday
Crazy4 - a child's birthday card

Pom pom

 Having got fed up with wedding invitations last night I made a quick(ish!!) card. I am trying to ink up stamps I haven't used for a while, as well as inking up those ih ave bought and not inked yet!!  Might be stamping for some time LOL!!

I coloured this cute, and very neglected LOTV fairy in using promarkers and flexmarkers, and cut it out using my nesties. The dp is DCWV and I added some organza ribbon, some flowers and stamped the sentiment directly onto the dp.

Challenges:
Paper Pretties - glitter
I love promarkers - anything goes
Try it on Tuesday - do you believe in fairies
Moving along with the times - things with wings
Charisma Cardz - CAS
Creative craft - blue
Little Miss Muffet - blue and cream
For Fun - get well soon
Everybody-Art-challenge - sketch
PaperPlay - ribbons every which way
Wishcraft- neglected stash

Totally Papercrafts Challenge

 Friday ... oh I do love Fridays!!!  This week's Totally Papercrafts challenge is to make your own flowers, no shop bought ones!!! 

 Our sponsor this week is the lovely Melissa from Meljen Designs and she will be giving one lucky entrant a choice of 4 Digi images !! Woo Hoo ! :-)

 

 I made rosettte flowers using my TH sizzix dies and some Tilda and Co paper.  I layered the largest and smallest up to make  raised flower.  The fancy edge was made using TH bracket die, and the off cut was added to the blue cardstock to make a border. Finally a PB sentiment and some flat backed pearls ... very simple and easy this week.

Positively pampered

 My baby is off school with a high temperature and a sore throat, so I have sneaked a little crafting in while she has had a sleep ...

 I adore this LOTV image, just love her wings! This is only her 2nd inking *hangs head in shame ... she needs to be loved! She is coloured using my promarkers and flexmarkers.  The dp is DCWV, and the flourish is TH, everything else is from my stash.  I glamour dusted her wings and stamped the sentiment straight onto the dp ... feling brave!!

Challenges:
Lili's little fairies - lavendar and lace
Simon Says Stamp - sketch
Creative Inspiration - favourite colour and white
Paper Pretties - glitter
I love promarkers - anything goes
Try it on Tuesday - do you believe in fairies
Moving along with the times - things with wings
Fab n Funky - neglected stamp, flourishes and lace
My Mum's craft shop - favourite colour combo

Whats on your Workdesk ... bunting!!

Its that time of the week .. .the ritual snoop across the crafty blogs of blogland, led and guided by the amazing Julia.  You know when you see something and think "I'm not paying that for that, I can make it for half the price!"?  Well I had one of those moments ... And this frosty, cold Wednesday morning finds me clearing up my desk after making bunting ... yes you read that right ... bunting!!! 

This was my desk last night after pilates and before a glass of wine ... See lots of bunting, made out of felt!  We went to the German Market in Manchester before Christmas, just after having done the girls' room up and saw this gorgeous bunting ... but it was £25 for about 2 metres, way to expensive for what we would need to do.  And that irriating voice in my head said ..."I could make that for half the price"  Well its cost me £20 for 8 metres so alot cheaper really!!  I ordered the felt Sunday morning from Sew Sweet and it was here Tuesday morning ... how quick is that, and its a lovely thickness and quality.

 There is just rather alot of it to sew!!  And it keeps wrapping round the machine and pins fall out, and the cat tries to sit on my knee!!!!!  But it is now done and folded neatly ready for stage 2 ... decoration!!  I am gonig to use the off cuts to make flowers and birds and butterflies using my dies and sew them on ...this could be quite a long term project LOL!!!

The machine has now been returned to its shelf and my desk is ready for a bit of crafting this morning after the school run and before I start work.  I have quite a few wedding invitations to crack on with ...!!

Tuesday's offerings

 Here are a couple f creations made last night and this morning ...

First up, a tag I started yesterday morning and finished last night.  The tag is inked in distress inks and glimmer mists, before being stamped all over with the Love definition from a TH set.  The hearts are also a TH stamp, from Heartfelt.  I stamped them, distressed them and cut them out, before crackle painting them.  The tag, hearts and grungepaper letters (distressed with DIs) have all been swiped with a gold dabber.  I inked up the charm using alcohol inks, and then stamped part of the heart over it and wiped the ink off.  It doesn't show as well as it could, but it looked daft with white gloss paper behind, and didn't show up at all on black ... so peer closely!!!  Finally some seam binding stained with black soot DI.

Challenges:
The Stampman - red
Simon Says Stamp n Show - anything but a card
Creative Card Crew - seeing red
Grungy Monday - Tim Holtz Technique Challenge, August 2008

 And onto a House Mouse card ... I haven't played with my meeces for ages ... think I might have forgotten how to colour them!  The image is coloured in warm and cool greys and black. I embossed the white cardstock using my sizzix embossing folder (must find its name!!) and then added lots of black and white embellishments and a big bow.  I wrote the sentiment myself.

Challenges -
House mouse and friends - black and white
Passion for Promarkers - humour
Ladybug Ink - bows
Tuesday Throwdown - neutral colours
Papertake weekly - buttons, bows, bling and blooms