TIO Challenge #40 What's on your desk

Frankie over on Dragons Dream has challenged us to use what is on our desks, well if your desk is anything like mine I could keep going for a week! However I have chosen to use the Lavinia stamps and because I recently bought some ink dusters have used them to create the background colour. This was done using a small amount ofAdirondak Cranberry ink and some butterscotch, I used the cranberry to stamp the tree, toadstools and fairy, I then used lettuce to stamp the vines and the stars. I wasn't 100% happy with it so used wild honey distress ink around the edges. To finish it off I have sprayed the tag with spray and sparkle in gold, added a bright orange ribbon and it's done. Hope you like it!

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #19 Ribbons

The ladies over on Bah! Humbug! this week are being kind to us and are asking us to use ribbon, most of us use ribbons and for christmas cards is ever so easy so here is my card for the challenge. The stamped image is from a stamp I bought earlier in the year in a sale and coloured with both promarkers and copics, the backing paper is one I have used in a challenge before but don't want to waste it and the bell on the ribbon is off a Lindtt golden bunny which were selling for £1 each shortly after easter, loads of yummy chocolate and a little something for my stash!

CD Sunday Challenge No.6 Elegant Ladies

Over on CD Sunday challenge blog this week the challenge is Elegant Ladies, so I have used Glamour and Glitz cd from Debbie Moore, the card template is on the cd so saves you having to measure yourself and when folded it fits in a c5 envelope. I have used one of the backing papers from the cd and used a flower die to make up the flowers so everything matches, put a bit of glitter on the folds of the dress and the headress and it's finished.

A couple of wedding cards

I have had a few orders for wedding cards and these two are for the same people, not wanting to waste anything I have used the same image as I have used on my CD Sunday card for one of the cards and the other image is one that was requested after making another card for the same family for a previous wedding. I have used my templates to add the swirls in the gems and the flowers are from some dies I have only recently bought by Joy Craft and the leaves are from a woodware punch.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #18 Punched borders

Over on Bah! Humbug! this week the challenge is punched borders, now I wasn't sure what to do and decided not to use one of my MS punches because that would be an easy option. I have used a punch I bought very cheaply thanks to one of the ladies from Bah! Humbug! quite a while ago, I have used a green paper with a circular pattern so thought this punch went really well with it so not really christmas things but I hope they work, I stamped the the greeting with a stamp I bought as part of a set at Port Sunlight by Penny Black, I used perfect medium and then swished some perfect pearls over and lightly sprayed with hair spray to fix. Hope you like it.

CD Sunday Challenge No. 5 Days gone by

This week over on CD Sunday we are challenging you to make a card with the theme days gone by, I need a few wedding cards (must be the season) so I have based my card on that. The image is from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique, there are a couple of these images on the third disc in this set and I have used this particular one several times and it always goes down well. I have cut a couple of hearts and put them through the cuttlebug in the script embossing folder, I've finished the whole thing off with a feather and a couple of flowers, the card came from a visit to Kanban and has the word wedding around the outer edge. Hope you'll join in with us this week.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #17 Christmas food

Over on Bah! Humbug! this week it's Christmas food so I have gone for gingerbread men, I cut everything out on the Cricut and the greeting is from a set of stamps I bought at the stamp show I went to yesterday. The background is sprayed with Glitz Spritz which is something I have had for years and not really used this particular one is called royal crimson fire.
The gingerbread people are coloured with promarkers and the icing is done using frosted lace stickles.

CD Sunday Challenge No. 4 - Country Charm

A bit late posting today but this is my card for the CD Sunday challenge, I have used another Joanna Sheen cd this time it's Cottage Garden. The pink backing paper is slightly marbled but you can't tell as it doesn't show up in this picture, I have edged it with a Martha Stewart punch this time and put some stones where the holes in the pattern are, finished it off with a bit of ribbon and the flower cut from some dies by Joy Craft.

Welcome baby

My friends baby is due next week so I decided that i'd get the card done in advance, I saw this image from Mo's digital pencil and just had to have it and it's been coloured with promarkers. I printed the backing paper from the Baby Love cd and used my MS punch to do the edges of the top layers. The flowers have been made with Joy Craft dies and I'm really pleased with them, the leaves have been punched out using a Woodware punch. I have yet to add a greeting as I do want to put the baby's name on and although they have chosen a name it could change once he arrives so I'm playing it safe.

Spring Thaw

Lynne over on Stamp-n-doodle has very kindly given us this lovely image to work with and share with everyone. I chose this image as soon as I saw it as it reminds me of the area my mum lives in, hence the word home on the side of the card.

This is coloured with promarkers but I made the mistake of printing onto photopaper as I didn't realise it was in the printer so not as easy to work with but I think presentable. Hope you like it.

Fantastic Blog Candy up for grabs

Over on Karen's blog Crafty Going's on she is giving away this fantastic candy, it is really easy to enter so get on over and have a look.

CD Sunday Challenge No. 3 - Baby Talk

Well it's back to Sunday so this can only mean one thing and that is CD Sunday, this week we have got a lovely easy one for you and it's Baby Talk.

I have used an image from the Joanna Sheen cd Baby Love, I decided not to use the backing paper that comes with the image on the outer of the card so used it as an insert, it is pale enough to put the verse over and still be able to read it clearly. I have used one of the Martha Stewart border punches and embellished with ribbon and a small rhinestone buckle.

Pop over to the blog and have a look at what the other team members have done, some great stuff there and hopefuly it will inspire you to have a go and join in with us again this week.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #16 Snowflakes and ABC I is for ice

Over on Bah! Humbug! this week it's snowflakes so a bit of an easier challenge this time. Any kind of snowflake will do so I have used a background with some on and the ribbon has silver ones printed on and finally I coloured some white ones with a silver pen to tie everything together.

I printed the image out using MCS and also matched up the oval to put the topper onto, I cut both of these out with a craft knife after the first lot looked like a dogs hind leg by the time I'd finished with the scissors, I edged the oval with the same silver pen I used on the small snowflakes, the smaller square is matted onto glitter card and what a nightmare that is to get anything to stick down. I decided that the only thing that would stick was pinflair gel and the only thing that did was to lift all the glitter off the base card, I wasn't going to be beaten so scrapped all the glitter and glue of the back of the top mat and started again with the pinflair and this time it worked.

Oh I forgot to say that I sprayed the topper with the spray and sparkle in silver because it looked a little dull. Seems like a lot of effort for a five inch square, this time I've made this a tent fold. I am also entering this card into the ABC Christmas Challenge which this week is I for ice.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #15 Pretty in Pink 2nd card

2nd attempt at the Bah! Humbug! challenge pretty in pink, this time the whole card is stamped with versamark and dusted with the perfect pearls. It seemed like a good idea while I had them out. I tried to take a picture instead of scanning but the reflection against the flash just meant you couldn't see the image properly, so it was back to the scanner and that is why there is a bit of shadow.

The stamp is a papermania one that people seemed to go mad for last year and it was selling for stupid money on ebay, I paid the princeley sum of £6.99 but I did hear of someone who managed to pick one up for 99p so if you like the stamp don't pay silly money for it. The stamp around the outside is one that I got from Clarity as the monthly stamp for March, I think it compliments the main image quite well. This card is an A5 landscape and just to finish it off I popped on some pearls that I bought from Hobby House while I was at the NEC in March.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #15 Pretty in Pink

This weeks challenge over on Bah! Humbug! is pretty in pink, so I have used quite a few different things on this card although it does look a bit flat on the scan. For the background I stippled tattered rose distress ink using a large stencil brush, then I stamped the snowflakes with versamark and dusted them with berry twist perfect pearls. The stamped image is coloured with promarkers and the spellbinders snowflake die is also covered with versamark and dusted with the perfect pearls. As I cannot find any of my christmas greeting stamps I have had to resort once again to a peel off.

CD Sunday Challenge No2 - Artfully Asian

Over on the CD Sunday this week we are challenging you do do something under the heading of Artfully Asian, this is my take on this theme and to be honest although I love this style of cards I really struggle to make something I'm happy with. This week I have used another Joanna Sheen cd, Oriental Dreams. I have used a bamboo stamp to do the edges and then matted the backing paper on to gold mirri card, the ribbon is velvet and the tiny buckle I bought when Joanna had them on special offer.

I wanted to bring the colour of the bird out so used a bright blue card to mat the topper onto and again used gold mirri, the lantern and vase stickers were given to me a long time ago so can't tell you who makes them or where to find them.

I do hope you will join us again this week and look forward to seeing your creations.

Glenda's giveaway

Glenda is giving away some fabulous stamps over on her blog and some of them will be a real must have rather than a want. I have chosen to show you the Royal Fleur de Lys but there are a few others that will inspire you and one sheet that will be invaluable and that is the sympathy sheet. The crosses and words are just beautiful and so very useable, so go on over and take a look.

Bah! Humbug! Challenge #14

Over on Bah! Humbug! this week is Santa Paws, the ladies have requested we use something cute with paws.

I have used a stamp that isn't really a christmas stamp but have made it into one by the colouring and adding the words. It is a bit plain but when I tried to add a few other bits it just looked wrong so this is how it is staying, I've used a spellbinders die and mounted that onto foam pads and then put the stamped image on with pinflair glue added a sticker greeting and it's finished. A quick one this week as time seems to be running away with me.

Sheena Douglass Workshop #2

This is the second card I'm showing you today from my day yesterday, this is done with cosmic shimmer paints directly onto the stamp and then once on the card misted to blur the image, the same image was then stamped onto the card and embossed and painted with the same colours. Do you see a theme with the flowers, there were other stamps available but I just loved the lupins! Sorry I can't remember which set of paints they are but are quite a prety range.

CD Sunday Challenge No1 - Wings and Things

Good morning all, today is the launch of the new challenge blog CD Sunday, the theme this week is Wings and Things so this has loads of scope to ease you in gently, what do you think you will do? Well I've chosen a fairy but it could easily be birds, butterflies, or even aircraft if you have to make a man card.

I chose this image because it is the first image I printed from the Victorian Companian cd from Joanna Sheen, the backing paper is from a bundle I got quite a while ago at Costco and was such a bargain, approx 200 double sided sheets for about £20 so if you have a card I know they still have them. I punched a strip with a Martha Stewart punch which seem to be everywhere at the moment but they are such good quality it's not surprising and coloured a ribbon with promarkers to tie it in with the colour, finally I used some Flora Doodle flowers which I have been keeping for the right thing and what better event than the launch of a new challenge!

I do hope you can support Wendy and dust off those cd's which tend to sit on the shelf half forgotten and if you need insiration have a look at what the rest of the design team have done, it will have you reaching for your cd's we hope.