Little Presents, my guest designer entry, a card and small choc box ....

for Stamp with fun Challenge. I'm so excited to be a guest designer for this weeks challenge - Little Presents. I made a little chocolate box and card to match.
I just couldn't resist using this House Mouse stamp it just seemed to fit the bill.


For the card, I stamped it twice, water-coloured the main image and coloured the background with Distress Ink refills, using a sponge technique and added snow with a Sakura white gelly roll pen. I cut out all the main images of mice and presents and layered them over the second coloured background image.


I layered a couple of patterned papers onto blue card and added a blue ribbon down and across the card trying to give the impression of a wrapped present.


For the choc box, I got the instructions from a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers for Peek a Boo box here. I adjusted the size slightly and used just the small mouse wrapping a present, portion of the stamp. The same papers and ribbon were used to decorate the box. Inside some homemade chocolate truffles. Mmmmm yummy!
Hope you all like them! I really enjoyed my first guest designer spot.

Snow globe card

Here's my card for the Cupcake Challenge - 65 -Snow much fun.
I think I over did the snow abit, what with the papers, snow globe, die cut and punched snowflakes and snowflake border, not forgetting the snowflake embellishment and charm.

This easel style is my new favourite and there will be alot more to come.
I used patterned card to make the base, from a range called Patchwork Pals, I got it from QVC. I layered paper with all different snowy sentiments on blue pearl and punched a snowflake border - Fiskars border punch.

I stamped the empty snow globe on to acetate ( not sure of the make) and stamped a small snowman, from Crafters Companion Christmas stamps by Jayne Nestorenko, inside. I glittered the image and added glitter snow.Unfortunately this doesn't show up very well in my photos. The acetate was attached to the card front with star brads

I die cut and punched the large snowflake embellishment and attached the charm with a blue gem brad, this was attached to the sentiment tag, (Papermania stamp).
I am going to enter it in to the following challenges as well;
Colour Create- 31 blue, silver and white.
Lili of the Valley- Recipe - 3 papers, 2 stamps and 1 type of embellishment
My Time To Craft- 65 -Tags so much

A new card style and 4 challenges in one

I've seen load of these new style of card lately, think its called an Easel card. I couldn't wait to try one, I love it, can't wait to do another, they're so easy and a great way to display the card. Here's a view from the side.

I followed the sketch from the Saturday Sketch #74.

The papers are called Plum Pudding not too sure who makes them, I have to say I do like these traditional colours for Christmas. I picked the papers with spots and stripes so that I could enter it in this weeks Papertake Challenge - Spot and Stripes. Also I'm going to enter it in the Whiff of Joy Challenge This week they want you to use the colours Red, Cream plus 1 of your choice. Of course I needed to use a Whiff of Joy stamp, which is no problem at all they're all gorgeous. I chose Melinda Christmas Angel, she's so beautiful and I coloured her using Promarkers and Zig Brushables. I coloured her wings with Sakura Gelly Roll - clear pen, which leaves them covered in glitter, without colour. Around the edge of her gown I added Art Institute glue and crystal glitter. To finish her off and make her even more glitzy, I use Sakura gold pen over the snowflakes on the front of her dress and more of the clear on the ones on the back part.

For my embellishment I cut various snowflakes, using Sizzlits dies and a punch, I sprayed them all with gold glitter spray from Crafters Companions and layered them up with a gold brad.

As there is glitter everywhere on this card I am going to enter it in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - All that Sparkles

Anyone for Cocktails

Please don't adjust your screens, this is supposed to be black, white and shades of grey. Not quite sure how it came to be, the image I chose and coloured first was a pink poodle sipping drinks. Then I changed my mind and I stamped out Charlie 007, unfortunately my colouring makes him look slightly tatty and not at all 007.

Still I'm going to enter him into this weeks Cute Card Thursday challenge - midnight margaritas.
I followed the sketch on the Cupcake challenge- #65. Then coloured him in using Zig Brushables, I added a few sparkle bubbles above his glass with stickles. The papers are from Papermania, layered on black gloss card.
I didn't think that proper flowers really went with this card, so I made
the embellishments myself from a piece of the paper that had circles in different sizes on it, I cut them out sprayed them with water, scrunched them up and gently opened them out, then sprayed with a little silver glitter spray from Crafters Companion. Next I layered them up and put a silver faux brad (card candy from Craftwork Cards) in the centre.

I finished the card with a piece of ribbon and black gems from stash, and some wording. Not sure which company the wording stamp was from, it was just an unmounted one I picked up at Port Sunlight earlier this year.
Sorry but my photos aren't very good and although they look quite dull in my pictures, the card in real life looks pretty good and quite glitzy.

Halloween challenges

I had originally made this for the Stamp with Fun Challenge - #29 Halloween, but I think that I may be too late, so I will enter it for the Stamp Something Challenge which is Halloween Somethings.
Unfortunately I don't own any halloween stamps, and the only thing I could find that was slightly halloweenish was a small piece of this spider web paper. (I don't half challenge myself.)

I used this image because I absolutely adore this cat face stamp from Inkadinkado (I think) as it reminds me of a little black cat I used to have and witches usually have them too.


I cut it out in a circle using nestibilities and cuttlebug and cut a couple more circles in black and orange. I layered the spiders web paper onto black, then layered some dotty black paper ( a sample from craftwork cards )with the circles and image. Three black brads along the edge to finish off.


On the left hand side I altered some card candy to look like pumpkins, I doodled the wording and added a cat charm.
Hope you like it.

I am also going to enter this card into the Crafty Angels weekly challenge - week 7 - Charmed I'm sure and the Allsorts Challenge - Furry Friends. I know I'm pushing it, but the cat in real life really was my furry friend.

Heres a couple of pics, wasn't she just gorgeous.

Sketch and Stash Challenge

I don't often get chance to do much crafting during the week, but as one of my collegues at work is leaving on Friday, I had to make her a leaving and good luck card. I decided to follow the sketch from the Sketch and Stash Challenge, but I twisted it around.

I knew that I wanted to use my Anya stamp, and I coloured her with Promarkers. My stash were the papers and card candy that I bought from Craftwork Cards at Harrogate in May this year and completely forgot about. I haven't put a sentiment on yet, not sure whether to or not. I might just finish it off with wording on the inside instead.



Recipe;
Stamp - Anya from The Greetings Farm
Inkpad - Memento Dew Drop Tuxedo Black
Promarkers
Papers and card candy- Craftwork cards
Flower layers - Punched and Flora Doodles
Punches - Ash leaves and medium flower

Baby boom

Today I have made 2 new baby cards, one is for the very talented illustrator Alison Acton and the other is for one of my neighbours.

The first one is going to be sent to Alison and I am entering it into a special Whiff of Joy Candy Challenge.

I used an A4 piece of pearl blue card, which I cut down into a square card.
I used the extra piece as a wrap around the center and to hide a congratulations message. I coloured this cute Penny Black image with Promarkers.

The papers were free with a magazine and I finished it off with a pull bow ribbon, a button and a couple of charms.


The one for my neighbour is very similar using the same image and patterned papers. This one however is just a plain square card, that I covered with some paper that I painted myself using Starburst Stains from the Stampman. I followed the sketch on the Penny Black Challenge, although I did flip it. I used a Martha Stewart punch to create a layered look and finished with a flower, button and charms from stash.

Autumn Anya

I made this card to enter the Roses on Paper Challenge - Choose a sketch and use orange, brown and green. They are also on the look out for a guest DT spot on the new Belles 'n Whistles team. For more details check it out here.
On to the card, I followed the sketch over at Stamping with Fun

This gorgeous Anya image is from Greeting Farm, I coloured her with Promarkers. I have only just got them and already I'm hooked, just love the effects and shading you can achieve. The papers are Kay & Co ( I do tend to use this range alot) and the embellishment is various flowers layered and held together with a brad. The leaves are punched from a sheet of vellum, that I had to shade to the right colour. Ribbon and gems from stash.
I am also entering this card into the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge as it fits the theme of Autumn Colours perfectly.

Two cards ....four challenges

This card I have made for the Stamp Something Challenge - Brown plus something. I followed the sketch over at Saturday Sketch #72, but turned it around. The image is Anya from The Greeting Farm which I coloured with Promarkers. The papers and embellishments are all Kay & Co.



This card I made to enter in the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Buttons and Bows. I followed the sketch over at Friday Sketchers #73. I coloured the image with Marvy Le Plume and Sakura Gelly Roll Pens to add a touch of sparkle.

The paper is actually card from the Patchwork Pals range. The ribbon, snowflakes and buttons are from stash. Where are the buttons? I hear you ask, well if you look closely, the snowflakes have tiny red star shaped buttons in the center.

Whiff of Joy Challenge

I have followed this gorgeous sketch for the Whiff of Joy Challenge.

I coloured my image using my new Promarkers. Layered papers from a Kay & Co pad - Classic K Bailey, on to card. Some flowers from stash with metal embellishments from Papermania and the sentiment is a peel off coloured with peel off pens.

Snowman challenge card

I made this card following the sketch for the Stamp with fun challenge. I have used my favourite stamp of the moment, Herb with cup, a Whiff of Joy snowman. I coloured him with Distress Inks and layered up pattern paper from the Joy set from Craftwork Cards.
The snowflake embellishment is made up of sizzlets and punched snowflakes layered up. I finished off with ribbon and gem from stash and the sentiment is from Papermania. I am also entering this one into the My Time to Craft challenge #79 - Snow Buddies.
Also A spoonful of sugar Christmas challenge #71

Autumn Popcorn

I have made this card following the sketch over at the Lili of the Valley Challenge.
I stamped Popcorn bear lazing in the garden and coloured him using Distress Inks and Zig Brushables The papers are from the K & Co - Hopscotch pad and the flowers are a mix of prima and craftwork cards, with a wheelbarrow charm from stash to finish..
I thought I would carry on the design inside too. Hope you like it.

I am going to enter it into a few challenges that are asking for an Autumn theme.

Stamp with Fun - Autumn
My Time to Craft - Autumn Fest
Allsorts Challenge - Autumn Days

Saturday Sketch

I decided to join in the Saturday Sketch Challenge this week. This is the first card I've made for a challenge in ages. The papers are 'Joy' from Craftwork cards. I stamped the Whiff of Joy image using Staz on and coloured it with Distress inks, unfortunatly when I edged the oval with ink I think I spoilt it, but I can't be bothered starting again. I added some sparkles glitter glue to finish and try to disguise edge, but only ended up making it look worse. Never mind I'll post it anyway.

What have I been doing lately?....Here's a brief update

I must be the worst blogger ever, I am still finding it difficult to update my blog. I managed to go to the papercraft show at harrogate last weekend, and bought quite a bit, (just don't tell the hubby). I have been making a few cards over the last couple of months, teacher thankyou cards, retirement, stationary set and anniversary card for dear hubby. Here's some of them.....















Recently I've made some birthday cards, but forgot to photo them before I gave them, silly me, also i've made loads of Christmas cards, Patchwork Pals and Forever Friends, hopefully I'll get round to photographing them and uploading them onto here. Thats all the time I have now for a quick update I promise not to leave it as long next time. Goodnight all. xxx