A few cards from my Craft retreat wekend

I am part of a select group of girls that shared a Penny Black fondness and have a couple of retreats together each year. We love Penny Blacks but can step out of the box ... so this retreat I didn't make a single PB card ....eeek!!!! I had a fabulous time and the girls are a great laugh .. and I learned so much again"

I did have time to make these for a few challenges:
The first id for the Sugar Bowl , another fab sketch by Judy and handmade flowers.
I coloured and distressed the image and then punched flowers using my EK success punches. I matted the dp onto beige cardstock and used punched flowers for the corner detail.
My second card uses the Charisma Cardz sketch.
I watercoloured Henry and added stickles to the cake.
Finally ...
Colour Create
No dp, just cardstock, lots of distressing, homemade flowers - I think I like it lol!!

Well I am recovering tonight before working again tomorrow. Hoefully I will have time to catch up with all the weekend challenges.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #45

This week's challenge has been set by Claire and its Fancy Corners. I don't have corner punches or dies so I have gone for stamped corners.

Here's another stamp I haven't inked up for ages - so she's been inked up and watercoloured. I distressed the background using peeled paint, tattered rose and aged mahagony and used my nesties to cut it and the matt out. I have kept the layout simple and embellishment free as flowers looked too fussy.
For the corners I stamped the corners in peeled paint and then brushed gold perfect pearls over it. I spritzed them and then dried them so they have a gold shimmer.
Do take a look at the other DT members cards.
While you are reading this I am in Penrith at a craft retreat for the weekend! hopefully I'll get some cards made ... but might shop and chat more LOL!!

I am offering someone the chance to get their hands on some surprise crafting goodies - check out my this post for details.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sarah Kay Roses Garden; Hero Arts scrolls
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: MME Wild Asparagus
Embellishments: ribbon from stash

Cute Card Thursday Guest DT card

I am doing a two week Guest spot at Cute Card Thursday - I am really honoured to be a part of it.
This week's theme is Life's a Beach.

I don't have many beachy stamps (two to be precise!!) so used Beach Tilda and masked her onto the beach fence from the summer kit. I watercoloured the images to make it look like she is sitting on a breaker with her feet in the water. I spritzed gold glimmer mist over the sand and added Glossy accents to make it look like water - left the bubbles in as well!! The dp were a freebie download from Shabby Princess I think, I think they look watery and have beach colours. I made my tag using distress inks and matted Tilda onto it. Ribbon, raffia, flowers and starfish charm complete the card. Hopefully its beachy - did notice something after I had finished it - Tilda has no feet!!!!

If you want a chance at a surprise crafting parcel ... check out the previous post!
Recipe:
Stamp(s):
Colouring Media:
Papers:
Embellishments:

Dutch Dare Card Challenge and a little give away ...

This week's DDCC is Christmas in August. I have found this challenge sooo hard - really not into the Christmas spirit yet and haven't made a Christmas card for ages, although I did say I was going to make 2 a week in January!! I am going for the simple, elegant look in cards this year!

I used this neglected Santa collage stamp and stamped it using black soot distress ink. I brushed gold heirloom perfect pearls over it, spritzed it and dried it. I matted the image onto gold cardstock and then black cardstock. I embossed the gold cardstock using my baubles embossing folder. I used a strip of black cardstock under the gold angel hair, used some fancy braid I found whilst rummaging, and coloured the peel-off black using a promarker.

Hree's a photo of the image covered with perfect pearls.
Do take a peek at the other DT cards and I look forward to seeing your Christmas cards.

OK a little teaser for you ... what have I made this masked panel for?

The first person to guess correctly before Sunday lunch time will win a surprise parcel of crafting goodies from me. If no-one guesses correctly I will send the parcel to the person who is closest or most original!!

I will give you a clue ... I have made two as identical as I can get them.

I will post what i have used them for and the winner on Sunday evening ... happy thinking!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Santa Collage
Colouring Media: distress inks and perfect pearls
Papers: cardstock
Embellishments: braid and peel-off from stash

A paper bag!!

One of my friend's is going through a rough time as her father has just been admitted into a hospice to die. He has had cancer for nearly a year and sadly is losing the battle with it. I have decorated this paper bag to hold a book, chocolate and a book mark for her - something to take with her when she goes to sit with him.
I used this week's Papertake Weekly sketch, WOJ's colour challenge (pink and brown) and the Stamp with Simon challenge Anything but a card. I have kept the layout simple - no flowers. Here's the back (posh side) of the bag. I have watercoloured Willow and cut her out using nesties. I threaded organza pink ribbon through the raffia to act as fastener, and added brown ribbon to the top.
The other side looks like this ...

I watercoloured Melinda and used the same nesties to cut her out. The layout is the same as the back and I added an extra panel of the dp. The bag ties with the ribbon from both pieces of organza ribbon.

Here's how I did it ...

The paper bag! I folded the top over and trimmed a tiny bit off to get rid of the rough edge.

On the back I added dp and the raffia ribbon which goes over the fold and fastens under the dp on the flap.
On the front of the bag I repeated the dp and raffia

Here's how it looks at the top where the flap goes.

And it fastens like this.

Simples!!!!

Now to fill it with the goodies and go and visit.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WoJ Melinda Reading a book; Willow with umbrella
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: MME Every day tango
Embellishments: raffia, ribbon from stash

ABC Challenge ... A is for ...

Wow

we are on our third alphabet and to celebrate we are being sponsored by

and the prize is this Zoo Vacation Animal set

So A is for ...

Anything Goes

with the optional extra of animals.

I love this cheeky monkey!! I coloured him and distressed the background in peeled paint and brushed corduroy. He is cut out using my nesties labels 3 and I matted him and then trimmed the cardstock to match the label. I have kept the layout simple ... it going to be for one of Ellie's
friends who is finally four next week. He is the youngest in her year group and has been desperate to be four for months!!!

Can't wait to see what you come up with, and do check out the other DT creations.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Monkey and Liane
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: K and Co Hopscotch
Embellishments: brads from stash

An award

I got this fabby award off Scott - thank you Scott. He is only 13 years old, has a great blog and is responsible for designing two ickle mices for the Dandelion and Daisy range of stamps.

Who to pass it on to - I follow so many blogs and am inspired by so many people ... I'll get back to you!!

Gorguss Princess

I've my gorguss little Beth her birthday card today ... and used the sketch from A Spoonfull of Sugar, the Passion for Promarkers colour challenge, and Creative Card Crew's Princess Party challenge.
I love this image and I'd like to say it is so like Beth ... but she's not this cute LOL!!! I coloured the image in using my promarkers and cut it out using my nesties. I rotated the sketch and only used 1 dp - I want it to be quite simple as Beth has a tendency to de-construct her cards!! I stamped the sentiment dream and folded two of the corners back.

Now I need to buy the gorguss one her birthday pressies - ELC online here i come!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Gorguss girl
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Blush
Embellishments: ribbon and brads from stash

Purple Manga girl

What a morning - I had to drop the car off for a service, do some shopping and the ironing. Managed to get this card finished that I started last night before hubby arrived home and wanted conversation!!!
I have used the sketch from Trully Scrumptious and this week's Stamp with Fun theme, Birthdays.

I've made this for a friend's daughter's birthday (she's leaving her teens!0. The image is coloured using my promarkers and I cut her out. I inked the edges of the cardstock and dp. I added ribbon and tied two ribbon knots ... definitely no flowers for this girly!!

I am going to initiate myself to afternoon daytime telly later - hopefully it won't be too painful!!Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Manga Girl
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria
Embellishments: ribbon from stash

Manga children

I've been having a play with my Promarkers and Sugar Nellie's Manga images this afternoon.
The first card I made is for the Sugar Bowl, and its Marlene's sketch with doodling.

I coloured the Manga Boy with Promarkers and the cut him out. I matted all the dp (MME Wild Aspargus) onto olive green cardstock. I did dots round the mat circle and crosses and dashes in the corners of the dp. I think I am going to use this card for my hubby's birthday.

The second card is for Sketch Saturday - I forgot the sentiment off it - doh!!
I coloured my image in using promarkers, enjoyed having a play with the hair colour!!. The papers are MME Bloom and Grow. I punched slots to thred the ribbon through and punched flowers.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Manga girl, Manga Boy
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: MME Wild Asparagus' Bloom and Grow
Embellishments: punched flowers, buttons and ribbon from stash