Crafty Cardmakers 22

Time for a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers - this fortnight our challenge is 'least & most', we'd like you to use your favourite colour and your least favourite colour together, it's a good one isn't it? The first challenge for me was deciding which colours to use... I often think I must be a bit odd because everyone seems to have favourites or colours they hate and I really don't. I just like using colour in general, all of them! So, in the end I went for black as my 'least' as I hardly ever use it, and pink as my 'most' as I use it quite a lot. Then for some bizarre reason I made it even harder for myself and decided not to use any patterned paper - strange decision seen as I have some perfectly lovely black and pink dp in my collection that's never been used!

Stitchy Stamps are sponsoring us for this challenge - there are some fab images to choose from, and they also provided some lovely images for the DT to use. I've used the gorgeous little Butterfly Love image, and I've coloured her with promarkers and used LOADS of glamour dust on her wings. You'll have to excuse her dodgy hair, I think I've only tried colouring black hair once before and she's ended up more grey than black, poor love! I've used coredinations cardstock, one piece embossed with a sizzix folder (sorry not sure what it's called) and the oval embossed with the cuttlebug divine swirls folder, and then sanded it all down. The border strip was cut with the MS doily lace trim punch, with a strip of bright pink ric rac ribbon. Used the MS doily punch for the bottom edge, added some flowers punched with an x-cut punch and some pearl centres, and finished with a craftwork cards sentiment (coloured with a promarker).

I'm entering my card for the following challenges (lots this time!):

• Sketch Saturday - fab sketch (and it's their birthday!)
• Totally Gorjuss - wings
• Allsorts Challenge - black, white + 1 other colour
• One Stop Craft - swirls & pearls
• Cute Card Thursday - no designer paper
• Delightful Sketches - texture
• PaperPlay Challenges - up in the air
• Cooking It Up With Katie - wings, petals & pink
• Flutter By Wednesdays - open challenge (+ butterfly, fairy or angel)
• Quixotic - emboss it
• Creative Inspirations - distressed
• Passion For Promarkers - anything goes (2nd entry)
• One Stitch At A Time - use something new (the image and the sizzix embossing folder)

Ooooh, I nearly forgot - we're having a DT call at Crafty Cardmakers at the moment, if you'd like to join our mad little group. All skills and styles are welcome - full details on the blog here.

Princess bear

Aww isn't this little bear cute? This will have to be a super quick post because I've got about 5mins left to enter Just Cute Bears lol - I usually miss the deadline completely so hopefully they'll let me off with this! The image is one I treated myself to last week from Pollycraft, coloured with promarkers. The papers are also new, they're Brenda Walton K&Co (I have been very bad indeed lately lol), with coredinations cardstock. MS doily lace punch for the border, MS butterfly border punch used to cut the little butterflies. Ribbon from stash, bow tied with my bow-easy, and papermania buttons.
I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Just Cute Bears - fab sketch
• Stampavie & More - happy birthday for a girl
• Everybody Art - fairy tale
• Pollycraft - buttons & butterflies

Karens Doodles 12th challenge

It's time for a new challenge at Karen's Doodles UK and this week it's all about buttons & bows. This should have been easy, but it was sooo hot when I was making my card I just couldn't think and couldn't create a thing - I ended up nearly in tears trying to make the bloomin' thing, how silly is that?! I can't believe I got myself in such a state over such a simple card! I do quite like it now it's done though, and thankfully it's now cooled down and is actually a bit chilly today - I bet most of you think I'm mad wishing the sun away don't you lol?

I've used this adorable little sailor boy available here, coloured with promarkers. The paper is printed from the new Bearly Mine 'just plaids' download, onto linen card again, with brown coredinations and blue linen card from my stash. Papermania spotty buttons, ribbon from my stash, bow tied with my bow-easy - it still looks messy, I'm rubbish at bows! The sentiment is a Papermania stamp.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Passion For Promarkers - anything goes
• Digital Tuesday - cute people
• Creative Craft - ribbons & bows
• My Partner in Crafting Crime - happy birthday
• Easy Craft Projects - buttons
• Daring Cardmakers - boy zone
• Dare U 2 Digistamp - one for the boys
• Sew Many Challenges - anything goes

A card at last!

Ok, I know I shouldn't complain about the lovely sunny weather we're having, but I'm hopeless in the heat - it's sooooo hot in my craft room and it's sapping my mojo! So I haven't made anything for a few days, and now that I have it's really not my best effort.

This super cute image is from Di's Digi Downloads and is available here, I've coloured it with promarkers as usual. The pretty checked paper is a new download from Bearly Mine that I've printed out onto linen card, cardstock is coredinations. For a change I've lightly edged everything with Tattered Rose distress inks - I don't normally do this unless I absolutely have to for a challenge, but I felt like doing something different. The image is mounted onto a nellie snellen die cut, the craftwork cards sentiment is mounted on a nestie circle and then another nestie I can't remember the name of... blossom 2 maybe? Butterfly cut with a MS punch, pearls and tiny flowers from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Everybody Art - sketch
• Charisma Cardz - 3d (the butterfly)
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge - birthday or celebrations
• Flutter By Wednesdays - flowers (+ a butterfly, angel or fairy)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - cute & girly

Karens Doodles 11th challenge

Time for a new challenge at Karen's Doodles UK and this week we're 'making it masculine'. Yes, it's all about those dreaded male cards... although to be honest I'm a bit strange and I like making them! There are some fabulous male images at Karen's Doodles so I hope you'll have a go :o)

I've used one of Karen's fab new male images available here, coloured with promarkers. Now I must admit I HATE my colouring on this card! I was really happy with the layout - I'm always pleased when I come up with one myself and it works, and then I went and ruined it with horrible colouring. Oh well! The papers are a download from Sweet Shoppe Designs (printed onto linen card from the Papermill), with coredinations cardstock. Star cut with nesties, button and ribbon from my stash and Doodlebug letter tiles.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Creative Cottage - one for the boys
• Our Creative Corner - masculine birthday (2nd entry - hope that's ok, I couldn't see anything about entering more than once)
  

Crafty Cardmakers 21 - inside out

Time for a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and this week we'd like to see you decorate the insides of your cards as well as the outsides. I generally do this for special cards, but I wish I had time to do it with them all - it really finishes them off nicely. Your inside can be as simple or as complicated as you like, as long you've decorated it in some way that's fine :o)

I've used a sweet image from Pink Cat Studio that I bought a few weeks ago - the flower image on the inside of my card was a freebie with any purchase that day. I've coloured my images in with promarkers, papers are Making Memories (at least I think they are, forgot to check the pad!), with coredinations cardstock. I've cut all the shapes with nesties (plain circles, blossom, plain & scalloped ovals) apart from the largest circles which were drawn with a compass and handcut. Added some MME flower buttons and a Craftwork Cards sentiment to finish.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Truly Scrumptious - fab sketch
• Stamp With Fun - stripes
• Prairie Fairy - flowers
• Creative Inspirations - punches or die cuts
• Totally Gorjuss - round and round
• The ABC Challenge - U is for unused stash (the paper - had it ages & think I've only used it once)
• Crafty Calendar - the great outdoors (+ optional insects - there's a ladybird on the image)
• Pollycraft - summer blooms
  
  

40th birthday card

I've done it again - started a card for Just Cute Bears 'multifold' challenge and missed the deadline, oops! Oh well, I needed to make this one anyway. I got the idea for the fold from Kerry's blog. Apologies for all the photos, but it was a bit tricky getting a decent pic of this one.

I've used a new and fabulous image from Di's Digi Downloads, available here - just when I think the images can't get any better or cuter, Di draws something even more gorgeous! I've coloured the image with promarkers, papers are Papermania with Papermill cardstock. The numbers were a free template from imag-e-nation, printed onto cardstock and then covered with matching paper. Sentiment label cut with a nellie snellen die, letter tiles are Doodlebug, blue fibres from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Cute Card Thursday - someone special
• Creative Cottage - fancy fold
• Stamp Something - celebrate something
• One Stop Craft - summer breeze
• Allsorts - birthday
• Our Creative Corner - masculine birthday
• KL Stampin 'n' Scrappin - show our animal friends some love
  
  

Karens Doodles 10th challenge

This week's challenge at Karen's Doodles UK is a lovely sketch designed by Elaine. Sketches are always fun to work with aren't they, so I hope we'll see lots of you joining in with us :o)

I've used a cute Herbert Turtle image available here. Actually it comes in a set with candles and things that you can add to your main images, and I've (somehow!) merged the candle image with my cupcake one - I was very impressed with myself because it's the first time I've managed to do it, but as I'm not entirely sure how I did it, I probably won't be able to repeat it lol! I've coloured Herbert with promarkers with a touch of sakura clear stardust pen. The papers are MME, with pink linen cardstock from my stash. Pink jute ribbon from Bunny Zoe's, flat back pearls from stash and the sentiment is a Craftwork Cards one.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Dare You To Digistamp - anything goes
• My Time To Craft - too cute
• KL Stampin N Scrappin - 1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 embellishments
• Totally Gorjuss - pink & green
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge - weddings or birthdays
  

Very bright card!

Ooh I had fun with this one! I wanted to try the colour challenge at Creative Inspirations but I haven't had chance until today - the deadline is in a couple of hours I think, so it should be ok. My card has turned out VERY bright, but I like it :o)

I've used a gorgeous image from Di's Digi Downloads available here, and I've coloured it with promarkers with a touch of sakura clear stardust pen. I actually bought this image the week before I found out I'd made it onto Di's DT, but haven't had chance to use it until now. The papers are unknown from the depths of a drawer, with DCWV and papermill cardstock. I've used my new MS monarch butterfly punch and covered the butterfly with glamour dust and added some purple flat back pearls. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and I've coloured it with a promarker and cut a shape with a blossom nestie to mount it on. Jute ribbon from Bunny Zoes.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Creative Inspirations - orange, hot pink & purple
• Papertake Weekly - shiny, sparkly & special
• Crafty Angels - one for the girls
• Pile It On - cute & cuddly
• Stamp Something - birthday somethings
• Flutter By Wednesdays - open challenge (inc butterly, angel or fairy)

A quick male card

Well it should have been quick... what actually happened is I started it a couple of weeks ago, got side-tracked and finally finished it today. It's not for anyone in particular, it'll probably just end up in my box at hubby's work.

The image is from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers. Papers are DCWV with coredinations cardstock. The buttons are MME and the sentiment is computer generated - I was trying to come up with something witty and tennis related, this was the best I could do!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Cards For Men - monochrome (yay, I finally managed to join in with my old DT!)
• Stampin For The Weekend - card for a male
• Cute Card Thursday - boyz to men
• Digistamp Boutique - monthly competition

Tomorrow I'm off to the Max Papercraft show with a friend - it's only a small one but we always seem to spend plenty. So hopefully I'll have a few new goodies to play with - I usually come back with loads of paper that I don't really need!

Age improves with wine

(My second post for today - scroll down for my Karen's Doodles project) I've made this card for my hubby's step-dad, and it's also my first DT card for Di's Digi Downloads. I'm still getting used to my new camera, so excuse the slightly wonky pic - I'm taking much clearer photos but I can't seem to get them straight lol!

Isn't this image great for male cards? I love it :o) It's available here. I've coloured him with promarkers and added 3d gloss to the glass, wine bottle, nose and the pads of his feet - it doesn't really show up in the photo but it looks quite good in 'real life'. The papers are Cosmo Cricket, cardstock is coredinations. I've used the MS zig zag border punch, added some Papermania buttons and a fab sentiment that I think was a freebie from Create With TLC.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Papertake Weekly - fab sketch (rotated)
• Paper Sundaes - red, yellow & green
• Fab 'n' Funky - show us your fancy edges (zig zag border)
• Digital Tuesday - A toast to you (inc food/ drink)
• Corrosive - birthday celebrations
• Allsorts - animals
• Crafty Catz - spots
  
  

Karens Doodles UK 9th challenge

It's Wednesday (already?!) so it's time for another Karen's Doodles UK challenge, and this week it's an 'anything but a card' challenge. Now I'm very much a cardmaker and I don't normally attempt much else, but I've recently treated myself to the Martha Stewart score board and so I've been hunting around the internet for ideas and templates and I'm going to try and be a bit more adventurous. So this challenge was an ideal start for me really. I'm hoping lots of you join in so I can pinch all your ideas lol :o)

Today I also have 2 different pics of my project - the one above is taken with my old camera, and the one below is with my new camera. What do you think? Anyway, onto my creation! I've made 4 post it note covers and a little gift box that holds them all - I used a template from The Cutting Cafe (I cut the templates out by hand as I don't have a fancy machine for that!). I've used this cute little 'puppy with her bone' image, available here, coloured with promarkers - her bone is ideal for popping little messages on, and I've added 'notes' to mine. The papers are Papermania capsule collection with cardstock from my stash. The flower is also Papermania, pearl and lace from stash and some little pins from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I'm also entering my set for the following challenges:

• A Spoon Full of Sugar - furry friends
• Incy Wincy - anything goes
• Lexi's Creations - animals
• Pile It On - boyish colours
• One Stop Craft - anything but a card
• Cute Card Thursday - make your own
  

Crafty Cardmakers 20 & fab news!

Time for a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and this fortnight we'd like to see your distressed creations. I'm a bit late putting this on my blog because we've been camera shopping at last, yippee! I finally have a lovely new camera, so hopefully this will be the last slightly blurry pic on here - I just have to work out how to use the new one now! We were going to go out for the day here but it's one of those silly weather days when it's sunny for a few minutes followed by hail or rain, so we'll have to go another time. So hubby treated me to the camera as we didn't get to go out, and Morgan's happy too because we've said he can have the old one - he loves taking photos.

The cute image is from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers. The papers are K&Co sparkly sweet with coredinations cardstock. I embossed a piece of coredinations with the 'julie's jewells' embossing folder and then sanded it back, sanded all the edges of the coredinations and distressed all the paper and cardstock edges with my scissors. Then I added stickles to all the edges for a bit of sparkle. Added a piece of jute ribbon from Bunny Zoes, some tiny butterflies (used punched out pieces from MS butterfly border punch) and a computer generated sentiment.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Digistamp Boutique - monthly competition
• One Stitch At A Time - to or from a child (made to order for my friend's little girl to give to her nana)
• Sir Stampalot - blossoms & butterflies
• Crafts & Me - sparkle
• Creative Craft - blooming marvellous
• Dare You to Digistamp - flowers

And now onto my fabby news... Last week I was feeling a bit sad that my DT term with Prairie Fairy had come to an end, then at the weekend I found out that the lovely Diane had chosen me for her new DT, so soon you'll be seeing some creations here using her gorgeous images that you can see here. There were so many talented people applying for the DT I didn't think I stood a chance, so I was very surprised and excited to see my name :o) Right, off to try and figure out the new camera!