Friday Sketcher's Challenge

friday sketchers is a new challenge blog - it is their first challenge this week. Up for grabs is a fabulous stampset called Gretchen.

This is the first sketch. And I love it.

I got carried away last night and did several cards using this sketch.


As the cards are in pink they also qualify for this week's Pink challenge at thank god its friday


I used a Penny Black stickeroo for this card. The cardstock is all from The Papermill Shop. I used a Cuttlebug ebossing folder for an extra layer on the background. I used Anits's sticky ribbbons and finished it off with Papermania's adhesive gems.



I then had a go at rotating the sketch onto a DL card- again in pink (my SBS sister Sue with be very proud of me!!). I have used papermaina papers and cardstock, Anitas Sticky ribbons and Papermaina flower gems. The image is Tilda and present.
Hope you like them.

Cute Card Thursday

Challenge 9

Gems and Jewels

This week our challenge is to use gems or jewels on your card, it's as easy as that!

This is my entry for this week's challenge - I love using gems so it was a good one for me.

The image is Penny Black's Sweet Slumber - that mouse is such a cute little thing! I have watercoloured the image and matted it not red and orangy-yellow card. I have used a larger piece of the red and layered everything onto spotty papers by the English Co.

I added a sticky ribbon to the red card and finally 7 star gems.

I have used the adapted Ismaki Sketch that I have been playing with.

I am pleased with the result (particularly as I am sleep deprived as older daughter has tonsillitus!).

Got some mo-jo back!

Thank you very much to my SBS 17 sisters for their kind words and advice. I have had a go tonight at adapting some sketches that I have seen and am really pleased with the results.
I have used some images given to me by Vicky.


This is Dala Tilda - I wasn't sure about her to start with - I think I expect Tilda to have long hair!! However having coloured her I think she's lovely.

I have never mounted an image onto an aperature before - but have seen it done lots, particularly with Tilda so I thought I'd have a go.

Tilda is sat on the edge of the circle and I used foam pads to lift her off the background.

The green backing is from Papermania's Colossal pack and the flowered papers from DCWV's Pocketful of Posies matt stack.

Having done it I'm not sure the 2 floral papers work together, but I'm pleased with the overall effect.


I went well out of my comfort zone for this one and used PINK! I have adapted an Ismaki sketch slightly.

This is Tilda in a heart dress - the overskirt is coloured a very pale pink.

I mounted her onto pastel pink cardstock and then pink daisy paper. I used the same pink cardstock for the matting panel and placed all of it on Papermania Colossal paper.

The fringing is from a ribbon I got in a swap - I tried to be clever and stick it with DST - spent about 20 minutes peeling all the fronds off the DST!!!

The flower and button were also freebies.

The pink panel looked a bit lonely so I added 3 pink gems (Papermania).

I can't believe how many shades of pink I have used and yet there doesn't seem to be any clashing - phew!

Just a note on my last posting - the brown ribbon has been banished to the box.
Hubby thinks the pussy cat in the black bra is a bit saucy and suggestive - not sure which planet he's on!!

Lots of inspiration - but lacking mo-jo

I am spending a lot of time browsing everyone's fantastic blogs and getting ideas from all over the place - however I am just not translating them into anything. For example I had a go at Katharina's tutorial on a fancy border using Fiskars shape cutter and punch - its in the bin!!

I seem to be producing the same types of cards - I need and want to step out of my comfort zone.

I have tried to do this tonight and I have produced these 2 cards. Both use backing papers in a bolder or different way to which I generally do.



I love this Penny Black stamp - Uplifting Occasion. That pussy cat is soooo cheeky. I have done the bras in loads of different colours.

However in honour of the "lovely" little pussy cat that chooses to use my prize flower bed as her toilet (!) I have used a black and red scheme for the bra. I have coloured the cat as close as to my furry "friend" as possible.

I have matted the image onto red and black card stock and used papers from Papermania's black tones to finish. The ribbons are Anitas sticky's.



I love this Tilda stamp - I have watercoloured her and matted her onto three layers of Papermania's Retro Floral papers. I have used Papermanaia metallic brads in the corners.

As a different aproach to the backing papers I have used Papermanias Retro Floral papers to create a large stripe effect.



I am tempted to add a thin strip of brown ribbon to the bottom - not sure yet.




What do you think??

Tilda and Co Challenge Card

This week's challenge is:

Decoupage Tilda & Co
Now for this week..... I would love to see you decoupage with your magnolia stamps.
This could be as simple as having a Tilda or Edwin, that is holding something, you then stamp that image out twice, cut out the item he/she is holding and then layer it up with foam pads or silicone glue, to give a 3d effect
Or you could go totally wild and build up lot’s of layers.

I am not very keen on decoupage - but have been experimenting with some of my stamps over the last couple of weeks, so I was quite inspired by this challenge.

This is my offering:

I have used 3 images of Tilda and heart parcel and watercoloured them.

I have given her dress and face 2 layers and her hair 3 layers. I have used foam pads - I hate them with a passion as I find the backs really difficult to get off!!

The backing papers are from the Papermania Retro Floral pack.

The ribbon is from a blouse!!

I have added plasters to her knees as I think she has that tomboyish attitude that means she'll have plasters on her knees!!

I hope you like it.

Faux stitching

Mand xxx (http://mandxxx.blogspot.com/) has got some blog candy up for grabs -

Anyhoo, what i want to see is your cards with some faux stitching on them. I'm loving faux this style o decoration at the moment but am very new to it and therefore, not very good. Add to that, the fact that i have little to no imagination, and you can see why i'm stuck in a rut with it already. I want to see how everyone else uses them.This coming Sunday night, we'll put all the names of the entrants into a hat (metaphorically speaking) and my hubby will pick out the name of a winner. By Monday morning, the winner will be announced here.So, if you'd like to enter, just comment on this post and leave a link to your card so I can view it easily.

Well I have had a easy go already, but have decided to up the anti so to speak with this card. I am going to use this card as my DoCrafts Friendship swap card this month.

I have used Tilda holding a bouquet and wwatercoloured her.

The backing papers are all from Papermania's Retro Floral pack.

The faux stitching was done using a tapestry needle and hammer to make the holes (painstaking but I like the look of the candy!!) and then a fine marker to make the stitching.

The gold peel off is an unknown!!

Hope its given you an idea or 2 Mands and that you find the buggy things easier than a tapestry needle!!

Papertake Weekly Challenge

This week's challenge theme is "Elegant Embossing".

I have gone for a minimalist theme with just a few colours and simple matting.

The embossing folder is Provocraft's Allegro and I have matted it onto black cardstock. The image is Penny Black's Ode to Joy, which I have watercoloured and matted onto black cardstock. I added chrome brads to the corner. The black glitter paper is from DCVW's Glitter matt Stack. I added that for a bit of glitz and sparkle.


Hopefully the result is a stylish, simple card.

Tilda & Co challenge card

The Tilda and Co challenge this week is:




For this week's challenge it's a bit of a double up, I Would like to see you use Eyelets if possible ( if you do not own them, then you can leave that part out or use brads)Along with anything Natural, Could be fibres, Leaves, Straw, Twigs, Papers etc as long as it is Natural with Eyelets ( if you have them )

I don't own eyelets (yet) so I have used brads for that part of the challenge.

I have used mid brown mulberry paper which I have torn to fit on the card. Tilda is watercoloured, and I chose complementary colours for her top and hair.

The matting and layering papers are all from Papermania's earth tones pack. I added a cream and a green skeleton leaf to add to the natural theme. Four mid brown brads (papermania) are used to fix Tilda to the papers.
The faux stitching is done using a brown marker - its not the best I can do but I've lost my paper piercing tool so I had to do it with a needle - more realistic I suppose!!
I have modified the sketch from this week's My Paperworld Challenge for the layout.


I am pleased with the overall effect, although there is one error due to a sneaky sneeze.

My Paperworld challenge

I love this sketch. I have had a couple of tries at it.

This is my favourite. I love this Tilda, and have resisted the temptation to add plasters to her knees!! (yes I have done a few with plasters and she does look cute!)

I have matted her onto orange and cerise cardstock and then onto DCVW's Pocketful of Posies. The flowers are diecuts in cersie and yellow.

Cerise (in fact any shade of pink) and orange are not colours I tend to go for.

I love this card - really bold and colourful.

This is my first go at the challenge and colourwise more within my comfort zone!!!

The stamp is a Penny Black from their transparents range. The paper is a mix of the English Co and Papermania, and the die cut flowers are homemade.

Its a more subtle card, but I do like the result.

What do you think?

Ode to Joy!

My mum loves this stamp so much, she has asked me to make 16 postcards for the children she works with (she plays the piano for them). I have finally finished them this morning - however there are only 14 as my beautiful younger monster "helped" me by scribbling all over 2 of them!! So back to the stamping for me later.

But here are four of them.

The stamp is Penny Black's Ode to Joy and I have watercoloured it, mounted on black card and then hammered white card cut to postcard size.
Some have been mounted straight, others at an angle - I couldn't decide which I liked best.

I hope the children like them