Tag it! at Digi Choosday

Hi all, just a quick post from me to show you a tag I've done.  As it's Tag it! at Digi Choosday I thought I'd enter it into their challenge.

I've used an digi stamp from the Dollie Daydreams  Girl Talk cd, I haven't had it long but have used it quite a bit already, it's got a lot of the things I love on it.  The backing paper is also what I've used to do the flowers, the girl is coloured with a multitude of things, I just kept going, I used Graph it pens but then used some coloured pencils too, the umbrella is done with the pencils as I don't have enough colours in the Graph it's yet.

Bye for now x

Kind and Caring Thoughts

Hi again, it's Sunday and that usually means a couple of things and one of them is a new challenge over at CD Sunday.  This week it's the turn of Christine to choose and her choice is Kind and Caring Thoughts, for my card I've used the Patience Strong cd from Joanna Sheen.

I embossed a line around the bottom layer of the card and used a small amount of ink to define, I printed the topper onto glossy card and finished it off with a ribbon.  Quite a quick card but sometimes it's just what we need.

Add a Twinkle at Polkadoodles

Good morning, it's another Friday and that means another challenge over at Polkadoodles. This week it's Add A Twinkle and our lovely Nikky has only gone and designed a new Christmas cd called Work and Play Festive Hollybobs, what a fab name for a truly fab cd!

For my card I used the cutest elf image but to be honest I was spoilt for choice, just look at the reindeer. As usual with Nikky she knows that we want it all so she has given us both digi stamps and coloured images on the cd, and papers, embellishments, postcards and sentiments, because I was a bit short on time I've used the pre-coloured images here.  I have just treated myself to a Shilouette and this is the first time I've done a print and cut, I resized the images within the software before cutting but to be honest they are really east to cut by hand too.
I've added lots of glitter to the tree and to the elf's hat, hope it shows up in the picture.

I wanted to use so many of the elements on the cd that I think I'll be showing you more cards in the near future even if I do think it's too early to be thinking about Christmas but I know we need to start so we aren't pushed nearer to the time.

Do come and join us and if you aren't up for making a start on your Christmas cards it doesn't matter because you can add twinkly bits to loads of things. 

Check out the rest of the teams makes as they are super, you will not be able to choose a favourite.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - A Winters Scene
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Crafting by Designs - Anything goes in July
Christmas Cardz Challenges - Anything Goes

'til next time x

Red, White and Blue at Polkadoodles

Hello, this is my first challenge post as team member over at the Polkadoodles Challenge blog, I am so excited to be part of the team and as there were a few new members who joined at the same time there is a lot of different inspiration for you now.

The challenge runs for two weeks and this is week two so get your skates on and join in with us, I have used the Dollie Daydreams cd Girl Talk which is available on the Polkadoodles website, it's full of stunning images, papers and digi's. I decided not use a main image and go for some of the accessories which as you can see are great to be used on there own, I printed off two sheets of backing paper which I then made the box with, I have seen lots of tiny boxes around but I wanted to go bigger so used the two sheets of A4 to make this. I then chose my shoes and took them into Craft Artist so I could turn some of them around so I had pairs, I printed them out and used a combination of Graph it, Promarker and Spectrum Noirs to colour the shoes. I wanted to give the impression of a shop window with all the shoes on display. (Hope I managed it) The sentiment came from the cd too, there are some really great ones on there so it really is a one stop shop, Nikky knows what we need as crafter's.  I have bought lots of pens over the years but I must say I really enjoy using the Graph it pens and I've added a link for you so you can check them out.

That's it for today, I hope you can join and also check out the other teams makes, they are a talented bunch.

Round again - recycling

Good morning it's very early on Sunday morning and the sun is shining which makes a nice change from yesterday.
This week over at CD Sunday Carol has chosen Round again or recycling, now I do use things that look like they may have a use but I am someone who throws things in the bin without thinking if they can be reused.  I thought I was going to struggle but I bought some new bedding and it came all wrapped up and tied with a ribbon.

I used the label as a mat and kept the ribbon on, I didn't think to use something  big enough to cover the wording and keep the gold border but I had two so the next one will be used that way.

The card I made is from the Card Creations + cd Crazy Cats by Linda Ravenscroft, I didn't have the right colour roses so I used an alcohol pen to colour them but the brown flowers were already that colour. The leaves are from a Tattered Lace die set and the sentiment is from a stamp set I bought recently, I've been trying to add more sentiments into my collection.

Digichooseday - Not a square card

Hi everyone, I've had a day off work so have had time to play and as I've got a bit of news for you I thought I'd tag it onto this post.

I applied for a position on the Polkadoodles design team and never thought for a minute I'd be accepted but I've got a place so I'm more than excited and will be joining in with their challenges from the beginning of July.

Now I also won some blog candy from Nikky as it was the first birthday of the Graph 'it challenge so I was over the moon when in the box with more stash than you can imagine was four - yes I did say four of the Polkadoodles cd's and even better I only had one of them in my stash so I've now got a pressie for someone too.

Anyway onto the Digichooseday challenge and as with all of Nikky's cd's there are digi images a plenty so I decided to use the Dollie Daydreams Goes East cd and this is what I came up with.

I took some of the images into Craft Artist and resized the background, I then copied and flipped it, joined the two pieces together and printed it out. I resized the little lady and printed her out, because I was in a bit of a hurry I used a pre-coloured image but it would be fun to print out the plain one and see how she develops.  I cut around the top of the flowers and slid her in so she looks like she is standing in the middle of them.
I'm going to enter her in to the following
Digi Chooseday - Not a square card
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
A Girl Who Crafts - Anything Goes
Scribble and Scrap - Anything goes
Paper Minutes - Asian

CD Sunday - Dies

Good morning, who stole my week? I can't believe it's Sunday again, mind you the upside is that there is another challenge over at CD Sunday for you to join in with.  This week it is my turn to choose a theme and I decided on dies, I have bought a few recently and I know how popular they are so thought I'd incorporate them into our challenge.

 I have been trying to persuade die in the wool stampers that cd's can be a useful tool so this week the element from the cd is the spotty backing paper, everything else is stamped and die cut. I have used a few dies in this card and just in case you are interested most of them are Spellbinders or Heartfelt Creations.

The spotty paper is from the Tom Meilko project cd/book that Joanna Sheen has put together and is on special offer at the moment @ only £6.99.  The little girl is a stamp that I have had for quite a while and can't remember where I got her from, sorry.
Now onto the dies, the curve at the bottom is a from Spellbinders set which is widely available but you can find them here.
The circle is from one of the Gold sets from Spellbinders, it is Gold circles one and is available from the same place but here is a link so you can see which set it is.

Finally the flowers and leaves are from Heartfelt Creations, the flower is stamped and cut from the Delicate Asters collection  I have put a link the a page where you can see the whole set.  The leaves are some that I use quite often and once again they were stamped and die cut, if you haven't found the Craft Clearance web site then you should go and look as they have some great bargains.  They have the stamps but not sure about the matching die.

Oh yes I almost forgot to mention that the little girl was coloured with Spectrum Noir pens and pencils, the pencils seem to be extremely popular at the moment and are out of stock in lots of places but you can usually find them on the Crafter's Companion web site.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:
2 Sisters - Make your own embellishments (Final challenge)
CMC Copic Challenge - Anything Goes - Use your markers/ pencils
Paper Crafting Challenges - In Summer
Sweet Stampin - Say it with flowers

Bleach Blocking

This month the Craft Stamper magazines, Make it, Take it challenge is bleach blocking, now this colour change is quite subtle because I didn't use Distress ink but Adirondack ink, and the colours are quite pale but I like the change and I will be having another go with distress to see the difference.

I used Willow and Mountain rose inks which I put on with brushes, I then used an applicator sponge to remove the ink and it was a lot clearer when it was first done but now dry isn't as obvious. 

I knew I wanted to use the quote as it must ring true for lots of people, in fact I put this inside my brothers birthday card.  Once I'd finished the background I stamped the two corners again in the Mountain Rose ink, this stamp and the green leaves are from the Dylusions set Doodle Parts, oh yes the quote is from Paper Artsy and is a Hot Picks set.  Now the flower is stamped with Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret and then die cut with the matching die set, I coloured it with the Mountain Rose and then pinched the ends to give it a bit of shape, I cut this out of Centura Pearl so it is a bit rigid but once stuck down not too bad but i think I'd do it n a lighter weight next time.  The leaves are die cut from an old envelope and coloured with the Willow ink, I do love to see the way the ink reacts with the different papers so we get the same tone but quite different colours.  Finally the butterflies are from Cheery Lynn, I bought a set of these butterflies and then saw them elsewhere a lot cheaper, I was a bit miffed until I realised that there are two sets and I had the larger ones, a friend of mine bought the smaller ones and this is what I've used on here.

Sun Kissed Fleur

Since these stamps were out thought I'd try out the basket, once again I've coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils, the background was coloured with Pan Pastels and the bow was made with my WRMK envelope board.

I reckon this is a girly card so will join in with Hels at the Sunday Stamper as she has decided on Girl Talk this week. I intend to join in every week but never get anything made on time.

At the Seaside at CD Sunday

Over at CD Sunday Caz has chosen the theme of At the Seaside so I have used both Craft Artist and Joanna Sheen's Tom Meilko cd to make this this. I have put it all together digitally and will add some gems once I need to send it.

I hope you can come over and join in with us and from this week we will be a fortnightly challenge so plenty of time to make something.

Sunkissed Fleur plaque

I've had this wooden plaque for ages and had only got as far as painting it green so today I decided to do something with it. I used the Sun Kissed Fleur background stamp which I stamped in Perfect Medium then embossed with sparkling snow WOW embossing powder, I then used the corner sun kissed stamp which I stamped onto a single layer of tissue then added it to background using Slap it On from Indigoblu, the colouring is done with Spectrum Noir pencils which worked well because it was onto tissue and not onto the painted area, I stamped extra onto card, cut it out and layered up the main flowers.

The centre is stamped and embossed with gold, coloured with Dried Marigold Distress ink andcut out with a spell binders die (labels 25).  The quote is from a Crafty Individuals stamp set which fits in quite nicely.

See you tomorrow with another project for CD Sunday. x

A bit of sewing

I've been promising my friend I'd make her a small bag which is just big enough to use for a lunch box and today I finally got around to making one.

I used some calico that I've had for ages and some fabric that I bought for something else, I used a contrast cotton and am quite pleased with it, in fact I was so pleased at how quick it was I made another for myself.

More stamping

I treated myself to this stamp recently and thought I'd give it an outing before it goes in the draw for an age before I remember about it again.  I stamped it in Versafine and coloured the flowers with Spectrum Noir pencils, I decided that I would use a die and once it was cut out it seemed the thing to do to use the background die to cut another piece to frame it. I used a piece of My Mind's Eye backing paper which I also used to cut the flower and the leaves but I sponged a little Stormy Sky distress ink on them.

I'm entering this into a couple of challenges,
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
Brown Sugar - Anything goes

Florals at Pan Pastel

Over at the Pan Pastel challenge blog this fortnight it's florals, so I thought I'd join in with something a little different. I saw a post on the Heartfelt Creations gallery showing a pretty bookmark so thought I'd give it a go and this is what I came up with.

It's so easy to do but pretty effective as I hate seeing corners folded over on a book, this is made from a four inch square of craft card. I used a die to cut the edge and stamped and embossed the flower and leaves, the flower is Sunkissed Fleur and I have had it quite a while but not used it to it's full potential so I'm now on a mission to get using this stuff I keep buying. If you like the flowers then you can get the stamps over at Craft Clearance at a bargain price so go and have a look. I would put a link on but the page is a bit temperamental and sometimes won't load and today is one of those days.  I'm quite pleased with this and think it would make a lovely extra gift for a book reader.

Tots to Teens with CD Sunday

Hello everyone, it's Sunday morning and that means another challenge over at CD Sunday.  This week it's the turn of Sue to choose the topic and, her choice of Tots to Teens threw me at first but then I needed a new baby card and one for a new grandmother so I thought a baby is a tiny tot so great that will fit.

This card is made from the Crazy Cats cd from Card Creations +  which I bought from C&C when they had another sale on so with postage it only cost me £11 which was a bargain.

The backing paper is from a pad that came in a lucky dip box and it's Born to shop but there are some useful papers in it. I ran the paper through the Sue Wilson tumbling hearts embossing folder to give it a bit of extra texture and the die behind the image which is cut with one of the labels dies from Spellbinders is a Tattered Lace, it wasn't big enough so I cut two and cut them in half which seems to have worked quite well.

There are a few changes on CD Sunday so do pop over and have a look and hopefully join us.

Sunday's playtime

I've been playing around with Pan Pastels and the Justrite stamps I bought a couple of weeks ago, I really like this background stamp and think it will get quite a bit of use.  I saw something similar to the centre bit on Pinterest and thought I'd like to try my own version.

I stamped the background in Perfect Medium and then used Violet Shade pan Pastel over it, I wanted a darker look to the edge so went around with Chrom.Ox. Green Shade but it doesn't really look green.I used the same violet on the die cut piece but when I stuck the topper on I managed to get some glue on it so that had to be covered so the perfect disguise is flowers and the leaves are Tattered Lace Ivy.

Hope you like it. 

I'm entering this into the Ribbon girls challenge which is a colour challenge of purple.lilac  

CD Sunday - Victorian Beauties

Hello again, time for another challenge over at CD Sunday and this week it's Wynn's turn to choose so she has chosen Victorian Beauties. At first I was a bit stuck and then, after looking through some of my cd's decided on this image. Now they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder so if you don't think this lady is beautiful then so be it.

The cd I used was Victorian Companion an oldie from Joanna Sheen which is not available any more but may be available on one of the auction sites.  The backing paper is from My Minds Eye and the die cuts are Tattered Lace.

Hope you can come over and join us.

Saturday playtime

I have been playing instead of doing the dreaded housey type stuff, I recently bought some new stamps by Justrite. They are older ones but were in the sale and try as I did I had to have them so gave in gracefully and bought Greetings from Paris, Bon Voyage and a background which is called Elegant Fronds.

This piece started off with me stamping the background stamp with Versamark and dusting it with Pan Pastels in Ultramarine blue Tint and Hansa Yellow Shade, I then stamped the Eiffel Tower onto the corner and an edge down the other side. I used the same ink pad (Adirondack Slate) to stamp the other images and again used the same Pans. I then went on the hunt for a backing paper and found this one in a HOTP pad.

Once I had laid out the items I decided to cut out the fence which is from a Memory Box die, once I'd laid that down I needed leaves so these are a Tattered Lace ivy die.

The butterfly is a free stamp from Craft Stamper which I've had for ages and the flowers have been sat in a box for a few years, I bought loads and stored them in a box which had disappeared so when I found it again they had to come out to play. I finished the whole thing of with some pearls but now I'm not too sure of the placement but it's tough as they are well and truly stuck.

I'm entering this into the following challenges;

Polkadoodles - Something Old, Something New

Brown Sugar - Pastel Colours
That's Crafty - Spring
PanPastels - Pick a Colour Palette (Blue, Green and Pink)

CD Sunday - For Someone Special

Good morning all, another Sunday and my last day off work so must make the most of it. Over at CD Sunday this week Beryl has chosen the theme of  for Someone Special, now most people we make cards for are special but for me this time it's for my brother and there isn't anybody more special than your family.

I recently bought the four day deal from C&C which was folders and a cd from Sheena but I also bought the stamps that went with it, well I've been playing and this card is one I've made with the folders, stamps and of course the cd. I wanted to use the tiger so stamped him out, I used a distress ink the first time but couldn't get it right so stamped it in black archival and just used the distress ink to colour him, I used rusty hinge and frayed burlap and found that I was quite happy with the look so didn't have to use another colour.

The background is the folder done with Kraft card but it was a bit dull even when I'd gone over to highlight the image so I used a pale wash of Silkies just to give the effect of a bit of light coming from the doorway. The backing paper is from the cd and I used the leaves embossing folder to give it extra texture, I cut out some leaves from the paper and used a gold embossing powder on them but I didn't want them solid so tried to make it look distressed which I think works.  I then stamped the edger a couple of times but didn't match it 100% so used the symbol which looks like a 30 (I do hope my brother doesn't think I've lost the plot it's quite a while since he was 30).
When I stamped the sentiment I I heat embossed in the same gold, not sure why it happens but now and again I get a bit of scorching when I heat from underneath so instead of redoing it I just used some antique linen distress ink to hide it.

So there we have it, I'm quite pleased with it and I hope that it is well received.

I'm entering this into the following challenges
Simply Create Too - Layer it Up
Wags 'n Whiskers - Lots of Layers
Jellypark Challenges - One for the Boys

Something new for me

This is what I've been playing with today instead of doing housework, well no contest really is there?  I bought a couple of canvas boards and didn't have a clue what to do with them so basically I have played with paint, ink, stamps, stencils, texture paste and Treasure Gold. I don't know what to make of it but as I've never made anything like this before it's not a bad start do you think?