A couple of sketches ... and several parties!!

What a day ...I haven't been working during the day as Beth is under the weather again and we have been back to the doctors ... again. Now she needs urine and blood tests as they are not sure what is going on - great!!! Doing the urine test won't be too bad, but they are talking about sending her to hospital for the blood test and she is very aware of the hospital having had a few visits there.
Anyway it has meant that I have been able to make a card and get two I made last night uploaded!
I'm not sure what was going on when Ellie and Beth were born ... but lots of their friends are celebrating birthdays in the next 6 weeks!!! So far we have 9 party invites ... so that 9 cards, 9 presents!! I thought I would get started on the first two, one on Thursday and one on Sunday so I am not rushed at the last minute LOL!!
This is for a little girl called Molly who both Ellie and Beth have been at pre-school with. She is very into pink (and ponies, but not going there LOL!!) and candles!
I used the Sunday Sketch and Stamp for the layout.
I adore these Tina Wenke Critters (available from Secret Crafter) and have coloured this cutie in using distress inks and stickles. Its a bit pink isn't it - hopefully the yellow tones it down a bit! The dp are Making Memories.

This card is for Madison and she is very girly so this is PINK!! I followed the Friday Sketcher sketch for this one, and used DCWV Nursery Stack.
Again another Tina Wenke Critter image and its been watercoloured and stickled. As the papers are rather busy I didn't put any flowers on it.

Finally after a day and half this morning I decided to get creative with the Stamp with Fun sketch, and as I love the colours, another go at Stampin for the Weekend.
I watercoloured Tilda and distressed the image using antique linen, dried marigold and vintage photo. I stamped the swirl stamp down the edges using sepia ink. I stamped the design papers using the same stamp. The papers are patterned, just very delicately (MME Everyday Tango). I distressed both the papers and cardstock and inked the edges. To add a bit of texture I used natural raffia (Bunny Zoe's shop) and added flowers that I spritzed with walnut gold glimmer mist. The bracket is coloured using vintage photo ink and then spritzed with walnut gold glimmer mist ... here it is close up ...
Its come out really well, but not the colour I expected!!!
I have used the colours and a sketch so I am entering this into the Roses on Paper challenge, and don't forget they do have a DT call at the moment.

Promarker night!

I had a play with my promarkers last night and did a couple of challenges.
The first challenge was the Sunday Sketch and Stamp layout, and Passion for Promarkers challenge. This week you need to use Prussian and Pumpkin, with a halloween theme. Not two colours I use much ... and not a theme I make cards for so here goes ...

I added a bit of spice to the pumpkin on Lulu's hair and broom stick, and coloured the hat using warm greys and black. I used my spider's web embossing folder for the background and rubbed some black distress ink over the embossing. I cut a circle and rubbed black ink over it to make it look a bit like the moon.

Charisma Cardz challenge this week is a colour challenge, pink, lemon and green.
I love my little pixies, they do look a bit like my little girls when they are trying to be good!! I coloured them in promarkers and copics and the cut them out and stickled their wings. I coloured the mulberry flowers in with promarkers. I kept the layout simple as the papers are a bit on the busy side!

Do remember that Letraset are bringing out 56 new colours ... already pre-ordered some (can't afford all of them in one go :() from the Secret Crafter.

Finally I have been given this award from Val over at the Crafty Pad - thank you so much.

I'll be back later with who I am going to pass it onto - got to go as I've got children to entertain ... and a stinking cold:(!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Downloads - Lulu Witch (Dinky Dots); Heidi and Gretel (CC Designs)
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Urban Prairie, cardstock
Embellishments: flowers, ribbon from stash

waterskiing mouse!!

I didn't do any crafting yesterday - Ellie announced at 6.30am that she wanted to go to an areroplane museum ... now where did that come from?!? So we met up with Vicky and her family at RAF Cosford's Air museum and spent the best part of 4 hours looking at planes and helicopters ... her are my two tomboys!

Today Dave has taken the girls out on some erands so I can do all the housework and cleaning ready for work tomorrow. I have to confess to sneaking into my craft room to make this card for a few challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Summer
Allsorts - recipe - 3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 ribbon
Sunday Sketch and Stamp - sketch
I love this ickle mouse and really should stamp it up more often. I watercoloured the image and the cut him out using my label nesties. I love these papers (given to me by Vicky) and think they have a fresh, summery feel to them. The ribbon is one piece wrapped round the dp. Finally I layered up a flower and spritzed it with gold glimmer mist.

I'm going to do a bit more tidying up and then crack on with some design team cards.
Do pop back tomorrow to see my Sketch and Stash DT card - its another cracking sketch by Becky.

There is an ew challenge blog starting soon - Bizzy Becs - Creatalicious Challenge. The Challenges will start on 15th August 2009 and a new Challenge put up once a month thereafter. They have a Celebration Blog Candy on offer to celebrate this new challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Water lily skiing
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: K and Co
Embellishments: ribbon, pearl and flowers from stash

I love Tuesday mornings!!!

Oh and Thursday mornings!! Both girls are at preschool so I craft!! No housework, just up to 2 hours of crafting. I love it!
So I have knocked challenges on the head this morning and made a bit of money as both cards are commissions for twin girls - both very different! I have used the same colours and papers, but am surprised at how different they look.
The first card uses Stamp with Fun's sketch, buttons and bows (The Next Level) and ribbons (Creative Card Crew).

I coloured my Gorguss girl and the matted her onto brown and blue dp. This sketch is lovely and simpl so I kept the dp simple, and again matted it onto corresponding blue and brown dp. I added a big organza bow to it. I used blue organza for the side pieces and added brown buttons. A big blue flower with button centre finishs it off.
Sister number 2 is less fussy so I used the Sunday Sketch and Satamp sketch, and combined it with A Spoonfull of Sugar's hearts challenge.
Again my image is coloured in promarkers and I added some tiny pink heart gems to the dress (she does token pink unlike her sister!!). I matted the image onto brown and blue dp, and matted the patterned dp onto brown dp. I added brown ribbon and stamped the sentiment using sepia ink. Strictly no flowers, bows, fuss!!
Both images really do reflect the girls!! Hopefully mum will like them.
Well I've got time for a coffee, then its get the girls, and they are having a friend for lunch so teddy butties are on the menu!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Gorguss Girls Flower Girl, Miss Attitude; Pollycraft Sherbert sentiment
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: My Minds Eye Everyday Tango
Embellishments: ribbon, buttons, flowers from stash

Wings

I ma slowly getting back into card making and challenges and have made this card for three challenges, Sunday Sketch and Stamp, Allsorts (1st go at this one!!) which is wings, and Stampavie which is flowers.

I coloured my image in using promarkers and inked the edges of the image and dp. I cut both the image and the sentiment out using my nesties. The sketch is quite simple and so I kept the papers and colours quite simple (I blame the SCSC challenge for having pink out!!!!) I punched some flowers and inked the edges. I layered some up and added adheshive gems to all of them. On the sketch the flowers would be in a straight line, but they wouldn't fit like that so I offset one.

Ellie went to 'big' school for the afternoon ... I think she enjoyed it ... would like to know what she did ... but that is Ellie!!!

Beth has been back to hospital today for an out-patients appointment following her little episodes over the last 6 weeks. The consultant can't find anything physically wrong and so is putting it down to Beth's "uniqueness" - very reassuring!!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Stampavie Dragon Flower
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: MME Kate
Embellishments: punched flowers, adhesive gems from stash

Lazy Days

Ellie wanted to help me make a card, so we have started making thank you cards for the staff at Pre-school as she leaves at the end of July. So this is a joint effort (more mine than hers!)!

I watercoloured the iamge and Ellie helped cut it out using my nesties. Ellie chose the papers and wanted the butterfly to show, so we have decoupaged it. Ellie inked the edges of the image and chose the ribbons, the yellow organza doesn't show up brilliantly. We added clear buttons with pink ribbon tied through. Finally I stamped the sentiment.

We followed the Sunday Sketch and Stamp sketch, and the PBSC of buttons.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Lazy Days; Papermania sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Urban Prairie
Embellishments: buttons and ribbon from stash

Gone fishing

Its week 2 at Sunday Sketch and Stamp (and I won the ribbons last week, how excited am I, I LOVE ribbons!). I have used the sketch and combind it with this week's Colour Create, blue and green, to make a male card.

I watercoloured the image and distressed the background. I used my nesties to cut out the image and matted it onto the dp. I inked all the edges of the dp with green and then blue ink. I added a couple of photo anchors and put on the sentiment placed at a jaunty angle.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie To catch a big fish; sentiment Papermania
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Archaic
Embellishments: Woodware chipboard anchors

Happy Mail

This week's Cute Card Thursday is Happy Mail, and there is a request to send a card to Postpals, which is a charity that helps children in hospital.
I have made 2 cards for the challenge using sketches from other challenges. I used the sketch from this week's Sunday Sketch and Stamp, which is a new challenge blog. I coloured in Tilda and cut her out (the sketch uses an oval) and sat her on this stripey dp. I have kept it all quite simple as I think children like simple. I added little pink and purple flower gems to the swirly vine detail in the left hand top corner.

For my second card I used this week's Charisma Cardz sketch. The dp are the same as before and again it is relatively simple. Tilda is coloured and cut out, then mounted in the oval with her feet resting on the sentiment. I kept embellishments to a minimum, a bit of ribbon and three gems.
Now the hard part - to pick which children I will send the cards to.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Ballerina Tilda, Giggling Tilda
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: K and Co Sweet and Sparkly
Embellishments: ribbon and gems from stash