Sunday 31 March 2013

Cd Sunday GDT - Sugar and Spice


Well, today is my last day as Guest Design Team member for CD Sunday and I've loved every minute of it. Thank you to all the DT at CD Sunday who've made me feel so welcome.

This week's theme is Sugar and Spice and I had to have a good think about how to interpret that before going with the 'what are little girls made of...' angle. Having said that, I've got both a son and a daughter and don't truly believe that  little girls are always sugary and spicey!

This image is from Christine Haworth, Crisalis Classics by Crafter's Companion. I do think that these look like real little girls, although probably from the 80s. The papers are all from my scrap box and I added a little wooden ladybird and a sentiment, cut from a sheet that was in a magazine.

What does 'Sugar and Spice' make you think of? Have a look through your craft CDs and come and join the challenge at CD Sunday.

I'd also like to enter:
Wags n Whiskers Friendship
Crafty Cardmakers Friendship

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Inkspirational Challenges - March Sketch


It's time for this month's sketch challenge at Inkspirational Challenges . This month's challenges are sponsopred by 'Inspired By Stamping' and their DT has been contributing projects to the Inkspirational Challenge blog. They're stunning!

I went for a 1950s typing pool look (well I think that's what I was doing!) . The woman holding the notice is from Ken Brown Rubber Stamps and the sentiment is by Papermania.

Here's the sketch:

I think it's a really versatile sketch and I had loads of other ideas for using it. What are your ideas? Come over to Inkspirational Challenges  and show us.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Some Bunny Special


Well, I've got our annual Easter egg hunt scheduled for Saturday, but at the moment the garden is covered in snow, so might have to rethink. Last year, just as I was about to call the kids out to hunt, I spotted a dead bird lying in the middle of the lawn and had to quickly clean it up so no kids were upset. This year, we're more likely to find a dead penguin!

This card was made with a Jellypark digi image of a bunny, which I flipped and printed twice. I paper-pieced their clothes in slightly different patterned papers. The background is made with my brand new Hero Arts woodgrain stamp. I found the sentiment in a magazine and coloured it in with a promarker.

I'd like to enter this for:


Desert Island Crafts Challenge 1,2,4,5,6,7,9
Craft your passion Make it cute

{Pin}spirational Challenges - Challenge 50


Here's our inspirational picture at Pinspirational Challenges this week:

My card was made with a digi provided by one of our sponsors, Paper Crafting World.  I printed it out large to make a shaped card , and paper-pieced with patterned paper, to reflect the patterns in the photo.

How does the photo inspire you? Maybe the colours, the patterns or the elephants? Even the brick wall behind!  Come and join us at Pinspirational Challenges.

Sunday 24 March 2013

CD Sunday GDT - Bundle of Joy


This week's theme at CD Sunday is Bundle of Joy....so new baby cards...unless you have a different interpretation of bundle of joy. (A package containing jewellery perhaps?!)

For my card, I found an elephant on Crafters' Companion Boys CD. I printed out a big one and layered parts of it up with 3d foam. The framed sentiment was on Polkadoodles Sundae of Seasons. It had some 2d embellishments in the top right hand corner that I didn't want to use, so I flipped the elephant and added it to the sentiment before printing.

Wherever you are, I hope you are keeping warm in this unseasonally cold and snowy (UK) weather. Why not stay home today and join in CD Sunday's great challenge?

I'd also like to enter this for:
Divas By Design Babies and toddlers
Cas-ual Fridays CAS no stamps  

Saturday 23 March 2013

Inkspirational - End of the Week Encouragement


This weeks Inkspirational Challenge  is to CASE this fabulous card :

For my card, I tried to get a kind of CAS - steampunk effect . The humanoid dress form is by Non Sequitur, as is the text. The cogs are Papermania stamps and as I was taking them off the acrylic blocks, I dropped the little one and it fell onto the floor never to be seen again.

Don't forget that, this month, Inkspirational Challenges is sponsored by 'Inspired by Stamping'  and their design team have made some amazing projects for the challenge.  Why don't you have a go at CASE-ing (that's copying elements and changing others) this card and join in?

Friday 22 March 2013

1958 Buick


Is it distressed or is it just scruffy? I never can tell. The look I am going for is distressed of course!

This is a stamp of a classic American car, by BLine designs. I stamped it onto a background inked with Barn Door Distress Ink, and I stamped a Paper Artsy rings stamp over it and distressed the edges. The background paper is by Cosmo Cricket; the numbers, 7 Gyspsies; and I embellished with metal eyelets and a metal wheel shape.

I'd like to enter this for:

Artistic Inspirations Metal
Drunken Stampers Grease
Crafty Ribbons One for the boys
Creative Card Crew Masculine
Here Come the boys Picture Inspiration

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Pinspirational Challenges - Easter


This week's challenge at Pinspirational Challenges is sponsored by Paper Pretties, and I've used one of their sentiments here. The other images are from A Day for Daisies.


Here's the inspiration picture:



 
 
Your creation doesn't have to be Easter. You might be inspired by the colours, the shapes...anything. Come over to Pinspirational Challenges and join in.
 
I'd also like to enter :
Digi Haven Easter
Moving along with the times Spring is in the air  

Sunday 17 March 2013

CD Sunday GDT - Wonderful Wings

This week's challenge at CD Sunday is wonderful wings. I'm not too keen on bees buzzing round me in the summer, but I do think they make a pretty picture for a card.

The bees, hive and honeypot are all from Polkadoodle Sundae of Seasons CD. I wanted to add some home-spun effects to go with the idea of home bee-keeping, so I stamped a background pattern using bubble-wrap, and drew a wobbly line around the main image. (No honestly,it's intentionally wobbly!)

The great thing about the Wonderful Wings theme is that it covers so much - butterflies, planes, birds, steampunk contraptions......

Come over to CD Sunday , make a project using something from a Cd, and join in.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Inkspirational Challenges - March Photo


In the words of the great Rolf Harris : Can you tell what it is yet?

I'm really hoping that you can see that this is a pink rabbit, seen from behind, disappearing into a rabbit hole. Otherwise, it's just a very strange embellishment..

Here's our Inkspirational inkspiration photo :
I'm sure you've got some great ideas . Come over and join us at Inspirational Challenges - and be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize from Inspired by Stamping.

I'd also like to enter this for:
Jellypark Challenges Rabbits
Bearly Mine challenges Easter
Desert Island Crafts 1234  

Tuesday 12 March 2013

March Hares


It seems that green is the colour du jour ( well, colour of the month really, but I don't know the French for 'month'!) .

 Here I used a leftover scrap of a green alcohol ink background I made and stamped on it with the frame (Glitz I think) and the hares ( an old Craft Stamper Magazine freebie). The backing paper was a scrap - it has a very faint check on it. I stamped onto it in two shades of ink , using my Basic Grey Flourish Edges set  and heat embossed.

Then I fussed around  with embellishments for half an hour before deciding to leave it plain.

I'd like to enter this for:
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - swirls
Use your stuff - Our Four-Legged friends
Make My Monday - Heat embossing
Emergency Crafters Mad as a March hare

Pinspirational DT - Green


This week at Pinspirational Challenges we are sponsored by Crafty Sentiments , who kindly provided the digis used in my card. I've taken the butterfly, toadstool and flowers from another digi and sat the girl on top.

Here's the pinspiration picture:
What ideas does it give you? Please come over and join in!
 
I'd also like to enter:
The Pink Elephant Challenge- St Patrick's Day/ Green
Digi Haven Green  

Sunday 10 March 2013

Friends Forever

Out of a Hat Creations is a friendly challenge blog with great and sometimes quite original themes. I don't always get it together to to play along , but when I saw this week's challenge - friends /friendship - I was determined to take part.

This image is a digi from A Day for Daisies and I used random patterned paper to paper- piece the chair and the dresses. I stamped some clocks( Papermania)  on another scrap of patterned paper and cut a clock out of cream card, using a Marianne die.

As well as Out of a Hat, I'd like to enter this for:
A Day for Daisies - Anything Goes
Pumpkin Spice  Time

Guest DT- CD Sunday - Land of the Pharoahs


This is my second week as a guest design team member at CD Sunday  and everyone has made me feel really welcome. This week's challenge  is 'Land of the Pharoahs'.

I decided to make a pyramid box (geddit?!!). Years ago I bought one pyramid box blank and I've been using it as a template ever since!

For the box, I used black Coredinations with terracotta on the other side. I sanded the creases for an aged effect. I lined each side with scenes from Debbi Moore 'Egyptian Promise' CD , edged with gold pen.  I added two images from the CD, also edged with gold. To tie the top I used a Mizuhiki  cord. Remember them? I bought some when they were the latest thing and could never do the knotting thing!
So, what about you? Dig out your cds and come and join in at CD Sunday this week.

Saturday 9 March 2013

Inkspirational Challenges- End of week inspiration - Green


This week's challenge at Inkspirational Challenges is 'Shades of Green'. For my DT card , I tried to use as many shades and materials as I could.  For the central panel , I used some Windsor and Newton Emerald drawing ink, which ai stamps the butterfly over. I used border stamps that I stamped in two shades of Distress Ink.  The background is 3 shades of alcohol ink.  I used green mirror card, green thread and a pale green brad.

Why not join us at Inkspirational Challenges and enter your own green project? You will have the chance to win a great prize from our sponsors this month, Inspired by Stamping .

I'd also like to enter this for:
Artistic Inspirations  Things with wings
Crafty Creations Green

Thursday 7 March 2013

Earth, Air, Fire, Water


If you've visited my blog before, you might have noticed that I love a challenge!  I was really inspired by Crafting When We Can's challenge  'Earth, Wind,Fire, Water'. I decide to make a set of four tags, each representing one of the elements.

Earth -  Forest Moss Distress Ink, Main image - Non Sequitur, text stamp (unknown) , fern stamp (Penny Black) , gems.

Air - Stampin Up white ink, grey ink ( Colorbox) , numbers stamp (Hampton Art) , main image - Non Sequitur, bird (Crafty Individuals), music stamp (Prima) , 'I can fly' (PaperArtsy) , embossing powder, gems.

Fire-  Main image - Oxford Impressions (I think) , Spicy Marmalade and Barn Door Distress Ink, text stamp (unknown), 'passion' (Prima) , Studio Calico stencil, gem
 
Water - main image - Oxford Impressions or Non Sequitur - not sure! , 'Mermaid Dreams' (Non Sequitur) , Ranger Seashells ink Ocean Aqua, Salty Ocean Distress Ink, gems

As well as Crafting When We Can  , I'd also like to enter these for:
Come and Get it Challenges Anything but a card
Kaboodles Doodles Anything but a card
Crafts and Me Tag it
Papercrafting Journey Anything but a card  

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Robot


Can you spot me in the mirror card? I love shiny card but it's very hard to photograph!

Here I've used papers and stickers from October Afternoon Rocket Boy and I followed a great sketch from Delightful Inspiration.
 
I'd also like to enter this card for:
Here come the Boys No stamps allowed
Crafty Cardmakers Masculine Birthday with technology/gadget
 
  

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Penguins


Here's a Christmas card made with Echo Park paper and stickers plus glitter paper and glitter.

You can really tell from this photo, but there are three layers, divided by 3d foam, so the card has a bit of dimension.
I'd like to enter this for:
Crimbo Crackers Penguins
Weekly Christmas Card Challenges Anything goes

Pinspirational Challenge - Purple Cake


Here's my DT card for Pinspirational Challenges . The cake is a digi from Limited Runs - I've just noticed that this image is on special offer at the moment.

Here's the Pinspirational picture:
 
 

I bet that gives you some ideas! Come over to Pinspirational Challenges  and join in!
 
I'd also like to enter:
Use your Stuff - Embracing white space



Monday 4 March 2013

St Patrick's Day Wedding


My niece is getting married on St Patrick's Day, so she's got a bit of a green theme going on.

For this card I used car, hearts, bride and groom and sentiment stamps by Stampin Up, all stamped in Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. I heat embossed the card and popped it up on 3d foam. I used glitter glue on the bride's veil and dress. The chevron is a Lawn Fawn stamp. I used a spotty dry embossing folder and a banner die from Crafty Sentiments, cut 6 times.

The layout was from a sketch at Sunday Stamps.

I'd also like to enter this for:

Totally Papercrafts - Love is in the air
Simply Create Too - St Patrick's Day or use mostly green

Sunday 3 March 2013

Guest Design Team - CD Sunday


I'm delighted to announce that I'm the guest Design Team member for CD Sunday this month!!!

Before I found the CD Sunday challenge blog, I used to be seduced into buying CDs and never use them. Now I love entering the challenge every week and have got lots of use out of my CDs, having learnt to use them as a tool along with all my other crafty stuff.

Enough of me! On to this week's theme , which is 'Butterflies'.

These lovely butterfly images have been provided by our sponsor Caroline's Creative Stamps .
 
 
I coated the butterflies in 3d Crystal Lacquer and used 3d foam to give them dimension. I added stick-on gems to their bodies. The backing paper is from My Craft Studio Simply Silhouettes.
 
I bet you have a CD somewhere with butterflies on it. Why not join us at CD Sunday this week?  
 


Saturday 2 March 2013

The Sound of Music


This is an A Day for Daisies digi, coloured with Promarkers. I paper- pieced her dress with paper from a La Pashe CD. The piano keys were cut from a Prima 'Almanac' paper pad.

I'd like to enter this for:
Order of the Opus Gluei -  You Oughta be in Pictures ( Sound of Music and The Piano!)
Moving Along with the Times - Lovely ladies
Craft Ann's Challenge  - The Sound of Music
Drunken Stampers - The Sound of Music

Friday 1 March 2013

Another tag


I seem to be having a tag craze....probably influenced by seeing the fantastic demos at the Paper Artsy stall at Stamperama last weekend.

I bought this Joy Crafts koi die at Stamperama, and the stamps, which are by Hampton Art. I used this colour scheme for Fashionable Stamping Challenges Red,black and brown challenge.