ABC challenge ... B is for

This week's ABC Challenge is a colour theme ...

B is for blue and brown

I love this Sugar Nellie - she always looks so thoughtful. I have tried to go for a vintage look on this so the blue is very muted and I have used lots of vintage style browns. I distressed the image and papers in tea dye and vintage photo distress inks and then added a darker brown to the very edges. I stamped scrolls using a set from TAC and the sentiment is PB - all stamped in Broken China. The flowers and ribbon are from my stash.

Why don't you visit the other DTs blogs and have a go yourself.

Recipe:

Image: Sugar Nellie Daisy, The Angel Company Scroll stamp set, Penny Black Transparents

Colouring media: Distress inks - frayed burlap, vintage photo, brushed cordruoy, tea dye, antique linen, tattered rose, broken china, peeled paint

Papers: Papermaina - Warm Nostalgic

Embellishments: Prima flowers, Papermania brads, organza ribbon

Sketch and Stash #4

Becky has come up with a fab sketch for this Sketch and Stash ...
When I saw this I instantly thought gatefold card. So I have made a thank you/wedding acceptance for a couple of friends who ar getting married in a couple of months.

I used Valentine Tilda and edwin from the winter Stamp club. I coloured them in distress ink and distressed the edges in antique linen and tattered rose. I matted them in contrasting colours, and repeated the distressing and matting for the sentiment.

The new bit is the heart charm - sorry if you have seen it on recent cards .. I made this as soon as I got these gorgeous charms, and have used a few since.

Inside the card I have done the acceptance text in gold pen on a nestie label (hidden as it is personal), and satamped hearts in versamark and gold embossed them.

I am really looking forward to seeing eveyone else's take on the sketch .. so go on have a go.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Edwin sitting, Valentine Tilda, freebie heart
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Papermania Warm Nostalgia
Embellishments: Prima flowers, papermania brads, Charm off ebay

PBSC sketch

This week Nat has desingned a sketch for the PBSC. I love sketches so just had to have a play will the girls warmed up in bed - it is really cold and murky today in the Lake District.

I do love this cat and thought I might use it for a couple of Easter cards - with the miserable weather I feel like looking forward to brighter, warmer days and ... chocolate!! I have rotated the sketch to suit the image. I watercoloured the image and cut it out using my nesties. I love these bright colours - very Spring like - and the armful of daffodils. This week's Secret Crafter challenge is Spring so this will also be entered for that.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Embrace
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Doodlebug, cardstock from stash
Embellishments: ribbon from stash, brads by Papermania, flowers by Prima

ABC Challenge - A is for ...

Wow I can't believe we are back round to A, so we are celebrating ...

A is for Anniversary

I have made a teardrop card, which opens like a concertina. The image is Penny Black and has been coloured in distress inks and cut out (carefully round the tail LOL!!) and matted onto paper that has been embossed using my Swiss Dots folder. I ran a large peice of green through my Divine Swirls folder and Swiss Dots folder and them embossed 2 lines using my score board. I added ribbon that ties the card together, cut some swirls and added a couple of these gorgeous Prima Hydrangea flowers.

Why don't you pop over to the other DT blogs to see what they have done, and have a go at this week's challenge yourself.

Recipe:

Stamps: Penny Black Lovely Bubbly

Colouring media: Distress inks - most of them!!

Papers: DCWV Christmas scrap stack 2007 , embossed using CB folders, Swiss Dotts, Divine Swirls

Embellishments: Prima flowers, sizzix die cut scroll, ribbon from stash, peel off

Sugar Bowl Love Tag

I have taken my time over this challenge and created it over a few days, adding bits and pieces. I used the theme Love and Romance and Tiets Tag Card tutorial to make this ... might give it to hubby ... if he is good!!

This is the front of the tag card. I hate trimming Sugar Nellies, but I had to in order for her to fit :(! I watercoloured her and used my nesties to do the wicked deed of trimming! As her flowers were cut off I have matted them onto the sentiment, which I wrote myself.

I cut the tag part out using a chipboard anchor as a pattern, and inked up all the edges of hte papers in order to hide the 'white' bits! I added an eyelet, ribbon and charm to add a bit of wieght to hold it down.

The inside looks like this - the frame is cut with my nesties and the sentiment finished ... suppose I better send it to hubby!LOL

This is the full inside ... Ellie helped do the embossed heart ... which is why it is RED instead of a raspberry pink!

What I did learn from the experience of making the card is not to use white cardstock and cover it ... the tag easily looks too messy.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Girl and Birdhouse, Heart - freebie
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Fancy Pants Crush
Embellishments: Prima flowers, spacers, ribbons from stash, charm, chipboard photo anchor/tag

1 stamp, 2 challenges

I am still trying to stick to the 'at least 1 Christmas card a week' resolution I set myself at the beginning of January. So I have used this gorgeous Whiff of Joy image to make 2 Christmas cards, while the girls have a sleep - Beth is teething and Ellie has a bad cough and cold, so niether are sleeping well at night, oh and neither am I!!

I have followed Donalda's fab sketch over at Whiff of Joy challenges for this card. I watercoloured Willow and the corners. The image is distressed using greeny gold ink. I have left it embellishment free, partly as I couldn't make my mind up what to add, and partly because it looks a bit busy. I haven't added the text yet - I am looking for some new Christmas text stamps, so the text will be added later.

I used JCBC's sketch this week for this card. Same image and distressing. I did some faux stitching, and added flowers, ribbon and gems. Again the text will be added at a later date.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Whiff of Joy Willow with Lantern
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Wassail
Embellishments: chipboard photo corners, prima flowers, ribbon from stash, Papermania brads and gems

Hearts and flowers

Another combined challenge for me ... crafting time seems to be slipping away from me during the week, so I have combined the Spoonfull of Sugar sketch with the Papertake Weekly Challenge, Hearts and flowers.

I watercoloured the image in and resisted the temptation to distress her!! So instead I did some faux stitching! The papers are all from a co-ordinating pack and come with the matching lace ribbon, so all I needed to do was raid my flower stash for some flowers! The dp does have rises on it, and the image has hearets on it to, so got both hearts and flowers in there! I wrote the sentiment myself.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penpal (Sugar Nellie)
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Fancy Pants
Embellishments: Prima flowers, Fancy Pants ribbon, brads from stash

Crafty Weekend

This is going to be a bit of a long post!!
I have spent the weekend with a fab bunch of crafty friends ... not partners or children ... just crafting! I can't believe how many cards I have made, and it was bliss crafting without having little fingers or paws fiddling, pinching or otherwise intruding!
For the retreat I did a demo on distressing and paper beads and these are the cards I made, using Sugar Nellie's gorgeous Bird house stamp.

I don't know who the papers are but I love them and have bought up the craft shop's supply!! I coloured and distressed the background using my distress inks, and distressed the papers using my paper distresser - a much coveted tool!! I stamped scrolls on the cardstock and added ribbon and Prima Hydraegena flowers.

I used the same image for this, but gorgeous brown dp (again unknown). I demoed making the paper beads that i put on this card. I love these paper beads - so quick and easy to make and a different embellishment on a card. No flowers on this one ... yet. I am pondering a couple, but not sure yet. I love my PB Duckling stamp, and haven't inked it for a while. I thought I would start on some Easter cards and combine a few challenges in the process. So I made this circle card for the PBSC this week, which is circle cards. I used my scalloped nestie to cut the circle and crop-a-dile to punch the holes. I used yellow cardstock and DCWV Pocketful of Posies papers. The duckling is distressed, and the ribbons are from my stash. I have scanned the card with blue cardstock behind so you can see the card.

For this card I used this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday - I used ribbon as well as papers for some of the elements. Its that fab duckling again, with cardstock and this cute little flowers and adhesive gems.

I have had these fancy pants papers for a while, but thought they would work really well with this gorgeous image by PB - Lazy Days, I added co-ordinating ribbon, brads and buttons to complete it.
The last three cards feature animals so all three fit this week's Secret Crafter challenge ... animals.

I can't wait for the next retreat!!

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

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

Friday Sketcher

Its another fab sketch over at Friday Sketchers this week, designed by Mumur.

I used my latest one Tildas, Valentine Tilda, and coloured her in distress inks. I distressed the background and some of the papers in dusky plum ink. I used the same ink to stamp the scrolls. The papers are by Making Memories and the tag and swirls are Sizzix dies. The flowers are Prima and the organza ribbons from my stash. I used Versafine Sepia to stamp the PB sentiment and flowers on the tag, which again has been distressed in dusky plum.

I am just loving my distress inks!! They are a dream to colour with, and I think I am getting better!!

Have a great weekend everyone.

LOTV sketch

This week's LOTV challenge is a fab sketch by Donalda. I have altered it slightly, as I have used an oval rather than a circle for the image.

I coloured my latest Sarah Kay in in Pro markers and used a white gel pen to add some highlights. The Papers are by making Memories and I have inked all the edges in a dusky pink pad. I added pink swirls to the corners, a prima flower and pink organza. The sentiment is by Penny Black.
I am really pleased by the overall effect for a change - I normally start picking my cards to pieces the minute they are finished!

This is a 'just because' card that I made the other night.

I coloured Tilda in using Distress inks and faux stitched her and the K and Co papers. The heart and patch on her dress are decoupaged. I added prima flowers and ribbon from my stash.

I am still on the use up my stash drive. I have decided stamps aren't included in this resolution as you can't use them up ... so I have bought a few from the Glitterpot sale ... just don't tell the Hubby!

Sketch and Stash Challenge #1

Becky, Chrissy and Lisa have launched a newly fortnightly challenge blog, Sketch and Stash, in which you follow a sketch and use something new/unused from your stash (there goes my resolution not to buy until I have used up my stash!!)


I coloured Tilda using my new (Christmas present!) promarkers and added part of a stamp from PB Transparent Salutations set in the corners using pink Papermania ink. The sentiment is from the same set. I matted Tilda on to Basic Grey Eva papers. Its the 1st time I have used this paper from the Eva pack - far to pink and busy for me, but perfect for my friend who will be getting it. I inked up 2 woodware corners and added ric rac and ribbon from my stash. The flowers are Prima (of course!).
There is a fab prize up for grabs so why don't you have a go?

Papertake Weekly Challenge sketch

For this Papertake Weekly sketch I used one of my favourite stamps, Sugar Nellie's Daisies. I coloured her using my Promarkers, and have used a selection of purple cardstock and papers by Papermania. The flowers are Prima with little gems in the centre. I added gems down the right hand side (not very clear, sorry), purple organza ribbon from my stash and a gold peel off for the text.
As the Cute Card Thursday is a card of our choice I am also using this for that challenge as it is one of the many thank you cards I will b e making for the girls to send their thank you letters in.

Friday Sketcher

I have had a few days off blogging and crafting as I have been to see my parents. It didn't stop me craft shopping mind!!

I have managed to do some crafting this afternoon while the girls have played quietly and slept 9in recovery from the grandparents!!)

This is my take on the Friday Sketcher.

I decided to used my Coredinations papers and emboss and distress them for a change. I love my new Sugar Nellie, Blossom, she is so cute and quick and easy to colour. I stamped her in Versafine Sepia to keep her quite soft. The embossing folders are Cuttlebug ones, and the ink I have distressed the papers is is by Papermania. I added Hero Arts corner swirls in Sepia, a Prima flower and oragnza ribbon. No sentiment yet, as I am not sure when I will use it.

Friday Sketcher

This is my interpretation of this week's fab sketch.

I had a bit of a problem as I knew the image I wanted to use, but to get this gorgeous Sugar Nellie Snowman to fit, I had to melt a bit of his feet away (hopefully not too painful for him!). I cut him out using my nesties and matted him onto holgraphic carstock. I used Basic Grey papers and prima flowers. The ric rac and brads are from my stash. I have decided it needs a sentiment so I will add one before I send it.

Thank you to all of you who have visited my blog this week. With Ellie being at home I have not done much blogging or card making, when my mum was here. I promise to get round to you all next week, after her birthday and the friends that are coming for the weekend have gone!

Have a good weekend.

WOJ Sketch

Heather has done another fabulous sketch for this week's WOJ challenge. I have struggled with the layering of the paper, so I have used a bit of artistic interpretation!!

I have used Willow and her umbrella, and watercoloured her. The papers are Basic Grey's Urban Priarie, and the ric-rac ribbon is from my stash. The flowers are Prima, the sentiment a PB and I used a gold gel pen to do the stitching. I would have used glossy accents to make the umbrella look wet, only I can't find them!!!

A few cards

I finally got round to some crafting yesterday and managed to make 3 cards for 4 challenges!

The first one follows the Saturday Sketch and uses Wassail papers by Basic Grey. I love these little Penny Black mice, they look so cute. I added braid, gems and flowers from my stash, and did some faux stitching in gold pen.

This card follows the Friday Sketchers sketch for this week. Again I have used Basic Grey's Wassail papers. The papers edges are inked in gold ink and I have faux stitched in gold. I added a couple of Prima flowers, gold scroll cut with my sizzix die, gorgeous velevet ribbons and some tiny gems. I have decided to use this as a birthday card for a relative who has a December birthday.

The last card I made was for the new Magnolia meets Stampavie challenge. The first challenge is a sketch, which I have rotated. I love this teddy bear. I watercoloured the image and added tiny red gems for the berries. The edges are inked in blue ink, and I decided on to matt the image, just leave it inked, as I didn't want a really fussy, busy card. The papers are Daisy D's Snowflakes and Holly, flowers are Prima and the braid is from my stash.

This is going to be Beth's Christmas card, and the lone flower has been added by Ellie, as in her words "it looks right". Who am I to argue with a 3 year old!!