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Tuesday 31 May 2011

Offbeat violets

The current challenge for ABC is V for violet. I've recycled some stamped flowers from a card I received, mounting on a couple of nestie label shapes, the yellow paper being BG offbeat.


This is also for:

Make it colourful 20: yellow & purple

A life on the ocean wave ...

There are a few challenges around atm asking for us to use the colours of our country - so, being in the UK, the colours are red, white and blue:

For fun: patriotic colours
Kaboodle 69: show your colours
Daisy doodles 34: red, white, blue
The stamping boutique 7: red, white and blue
Stamp insanity 60: red, white and blue
Fun at fairy knoll: Memorial day - red, white and blue

I used the sketch for Pixie cottage 71, which has the optional theme of 'here comes the sun':

Papers are English Paper Company 'all aboard', the printed ribbon has been in my box for ages (I think it came in a scrapbooking kit) and the photo was in a Kanban 'men's collection.

This is also for:

Polka doodles 21: male theme
Scrapbook sisters 37: row, row, row your boat

Just for you

I've used a collage stamp - 'timeless memoirs' by Stampendous - one that I love using from time to time. This time I stamped a pen from an Inkadinkado stamp that actually has three pens on it - I stamped with brilliance galaxy gold and embossed with detail gold powder. I coloured with copic cardinal and gold for the nib, cut it out and placed it over the original pen that was part of the collage.

I think this card would be equally suitable to send to a male or female - I'm always being asked for male cards. The gold embossing looks much richer irl, as does the pearlescent card blank.


This is for:

Charisma cardz 21: boy oh boy
Aud sentiments 29: for a male
Stamp something: something sentimental
Stampin' B 112: make a collage card

Pastel rainbow

I wanted to use up some scraps of Tutti Frutti papers (bought these long ago and they have seemed to go on forever - not that I'm complaining, because I really like them).

I also had this lovely rainbow tag with an organza overlay - it was originally a label with a top I bought - far too good to get rid of -and the manufacturer's name is on the reverse. I printed out the Happy Birthday on my dymo letratag. This is for C.R.A.F.T. 104: alter/recycle - and Challenge up your life 44: recycling.


The flowers were cut with nesties and the 'buttons' stamped with a lovely little button stamp from the PM Clare Curd set. You can't really see it here, but I lightly distressed edges with Victorian velvet DI.

I made sure that I had six layers altogether, which makes the card OK for Shabby tea room challenge 54 '2-4-6', which has this inspirational picture:

and there is a recipe to use 2 patterned papers, 4 buttons and 6 layers.

And on Inspiration Avenue this week the theme is 'over the rainbow', so I'm linking for that - also for Papertake weekly 'pale, pretty pastels'.

This is also for:
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: let it all hang out - over the edge
HLSC 24: lots of embellishments
Ladybug: make your own embellies
Tuesday throwdown 51: DIY embellishments
Use it Tuesday 8: flowers - with a stamp you have not previously inked (the button)
Oldie but a goodie 20: lots of layers (the button stamp is over 6 months old, but this is the first time I've used it)
Let's craft and create 20: dies to die for
Ooh-la-la 81: happy birthday
Paper pretties 155: birthday card
PaperPlay 21: blossoms and blooms
Party time Tuesday 18: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Monday 30 May 2011

Perfume - just for you

This is for Everybody art challenge 143 sketch:

It's also for Going grey with Scrap-creations challenge to use at least three different design papers - the papers are all Basic Grey marjolaine, with the edges sponged with bundled sage DI. This is also for Basic Grey 45: shabby chic, Paper sundaes 71: vintage or shabby chic, and Amber's crafts and stuff 11: vintage.

The background paper is just right for Alota 59 'check it out'. The next layer was cut with a nestie label and the image paper was torn around a rectangle.

The stamped image is a Kanban stamp, coloured with copics. I added the flowers with the gemstone - the outer flower was an odd one that I've had for ages and it seemed to be just right for this card - I added some bundled sage DI to that.

This is also for:

Paper romance 52: distressing
My time to craft 142: use a die cut
Let's craft and create 20: dies to die for
Paper players 49: anything goes

Restful colours

This week on Creative craft the challenge is to use 'restful colours' - blue, brown and cream.

I used the sketch for ICS 116:

And the colours are for ColorLab 42: soft suede, crumb cake and baja breeze.

I stamped the PM Clare Curd flowers with memento rich cocoa and coloured with copics aqua blue and frost blue, taking some of the colour out of the larger petals with a blender - this is for iCopic lover 32: translucent colouring. The sentiment stamp is from Hobbycraft.

Unfortunately, the photo makes the base card look more grey than cream - definitely cream irl (light is so poor as it's raining now - typical Bank Holiday weather!).


This is also for:

Stamp something: something sentimental
Dream valley 8: stamp something
Use it Tuesday 8: flowers - with a stamp not previously inked - I haven't used any of this PM set until now (although I bought it a while ago)
Top tip Tuesday 35: use two or more stamps
Nightshift stamping 68: clean & simple with flowers
Sukkersott 126: show us your style - I love stamping and flowers
Clear it out Tuesday: colors: any colouring medium
PaperPlay 21: blossoms and blooms
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Framed with acetate

The current challenge on Stampotique 31 is to use acetate, so I found up some that I bought long ago that has 'best wishes' foil embossed all over it and put this behind a die cut frame (this is for City crafter 58: I've been framed) , having stamped the Janet Klein butterfly stamp directly on the pale pink card - also the corners using Penny Black corner piece, all stamped with memento rich cocoa. The PB stamp was one that I received as a prize for April challenges on Penny Black at Allsorts. The flowers are Martha Stewart.

It was hard to get a photo without reflection on the acetate - but at least it shows that it is actually acetate!

Stamp man challenge 23 is a recipe to choose a line from a grid - I chose: die cut, homemade background and sparkle & bling (the flowers are glittered in the centres and the acetate shines).


This is also for:

Penny Black 153: one for the girlies
Use it Tuesday 8: flowers - with a stamp not previously inked (the PB corner piece)
Dream valley 8: stamp something
Top tip Tuesday 35: use two or more stamps
Word play 4: scallops
Stamptacular 113: bugs or boys
Flutterby Wednesday 156: CAS, including butterfly
Spoon full of sugar 153: things with wings
Allsorts 105: things with wings
Crazy amigo: insects
Nightshift stamping 68: clean & simple with flowers
Sukkersott 126: show us your style - I love stamping and flowers
Inky impressions 16: shine on (the acetate and glittered flowers)
Let's craft and create 20: dies to die for
My time to craft 142: use a die cut
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Corner-wise

I was prompted to make this card by this week's Less is more challenge 17 to 'pick a square'. The idea is to pick one of these squares for the placement of your image.

So I chose to stamp in the bottom left hand corner.

I've used the colours for Cards & things 80:

The base card is slightly greener looking irl. I used a La Blanche stamp 'fence with roses' and am therefore entering this into the SCAD friends with heart challenge 8 (this is a stamp that they stock) 'anything goes'.

The stamp was bigger than the space I wanted to fill and this time I didn't want to stamp it off the edge, so I put some strips of masking tape across two sides of the stamp before inking it with memento tuxedo black, taking these off before stamping, to reveal the smaller inked image. As I've never done this before, I'm linking for Spotlight 'challenge yourself' to try something new.

Because it wasn't an acrylic stamp, the hardest part of making the card was placing the image in the right place.

This is also for:

Nightshift stamping 68: clean & simple with flowers


Sunday 29 May 2011

Christmas buttons and bows

This is another card for my 'use some ribbon' challenge 22 on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog - just click on the link for further details.

I used the sketch for challenge 1 on the new Card and a half blog.

It's also for a couple of other Christmas challenges:

Winter wonderland: blue and white
Corrosive 118: oh Christmas tree
Creative inspirations 113: Christmas in May

Papers are Debbi Moore designs, including the image and the snowflake strips, buttons and ribbon from stash.

This is also for:

One stop craft 133: buttons and bows
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Hobbycraft now in Orpington

There are very few places locally to buy items for crafting which is why I tend to buy most of my supplies online, but there's nothing like a wander around an actual shop to tempt me.

Anyway, yesterday I managed to get along to the new Hobbycraft store at the Nugent retail park just beyond Orpington and had a little crafty spend - having sold some cards at the summer fair where mum lives I figured it was OK to splash out (although actually by the time I'd given profit to their funds I spent double the takings).



Bah! humbug prize

I was the winner of the prize for April challenges on Bah! humbug and received this lovely Santa stamp set:



I hope to use this very soon. Thank you to the team on Bah! humbug.

Top 5 to do

I enjoyed doing my DLO in Di W's circle journal for the group on the BF forum. Papers are K & Co Hannah and I used my dymo letratag for the wording. I added a few Craftwork cards candi here and there. The stamped flourishes are from a Papermania set and the ribbon has been in my box for ages - think it might also be PM.

I found it difficult to choose five things that I'd like to do because now that I'm older and neither of us are in the best of health there are things that we would have liked to have done, but will now probably never get the chance.

My biggest wish is that we will be able to celebrate a Silver Wedding Anniversary. When we married I knew that John's life expectancy wasn't great, so never expected that we would reach a 20th anniversary - but we have just celebrated that! So now we are daring to hope that we might well celebrate our silver wedding in five years' time.

The other four things are achievable, but if and when is still maybe a dream - but it's good to have dreams.




I'm linking this for these challenges:

Dream valley 8: stamp something
Top tip Tuesday 35: use two or more stamps - 4 different flourish stamps used
Creatalicious 22: flourishes
Sentimental Sundays 57: anything but a card
Freshly brewed 48: anything but a card
Fairytale 16: everything but a card
Sunday stamper 156: red red wine
Jac-inks 9: warm colours
Kaboodle 68: distress, rip, tear, crumple ... (the paper is torn)
Paper romance 52: distressing
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Saturday 28 May 2011

And another little silhouette

Another card made yesterday - another tall card (this is because the box was out and it was easier to continue the trend!) - this is similar to a wedding card I made recently, but this time it was for a birthday, with the embossed top, some sparkly ribbon and another of the scalloped toppers with the silhouette - and the scallops are holographic silver which has caught the light to look pinkish.

365 cards day 85: Tuesday prompt: hat
Divas by design 2: one for the girls
Shopping our stash 1: ribbon rewind (I've had this ribbon for ages)
Secret crafter Saturday 136: clean and simple
CES 38: embossing
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Woodware USA 28: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Posh hat silhouette

This is another card that I made yesterday - for a birthday.

The base card - a 'small tall' one has embossed edges. I cut down a matching piece of pink pearlescent card and wrapped the burgundy ribbon around it, finishing off with a ready made topper that I bought from a little stall in Maidstone - the scalloped oval is actually holographic silver, but that doesn't show on here. The background behind the actual silhouette is just white.

Sorry for the poor photo, but I needed to be quick and get the card into the post.

This is for:

365 cards day 85: Tuesday prompt: hat
Divas by design 2: one for the girls
Totally papercrafts 68: pink and girlie
Shopping our stash 1: ribbon rewind (I've had this ribbon for ages)
Secret crafter Saturday 136: clean and simple
CES 38: embossing
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Woodware USA 28: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Gorjuss pyramage

When we got back from Maidstone yesterday I needed to get some birthday cards into the post ... and then remembered that my entire stock of cards was over at mum's ready for selling at her summer fair today, which, incidentally, went quite well.

So I had no alternative but to make three cards before going over to catch the final post collection of the day.

So this is a card for our sponsored child. I used the paper and pyramage from a Gorjuss set that I bought in Maidstone, mounting on a sparkly pink card and adding the DCWV pink stitched ribbon and a few Craftwork cards candis.

I admit that the card was made in a bit of a hurry in order to get it into the post - fortunately, when I was putting it in the envelope, I realised that the paper at the bottom lefthand corner had turned up a bit, so I was able to stick it down (didn't realise this when I took the photo).

This is for:

Claudia & company 82: birthday card for a girl
Whoopsi Daisy: birthday
Paper pretties 155: birthday card
Scrappy frogs: happy B-day
Little red wagon 82: use a number
Divas by design 2: one for the girls
Ribbon girl 8: pinks and lilacs
My mum's craft shop 7: favourite colours - I love using pinks and purples
Totally papercrafts 68: pink and girlie
Shopping our stash 1: ribbon rewind (I've had this ribbon for ages)
Kaboodle 68: distress, rip, tear, crumple ... (the paper is torn)
Paper romance 52: distressing
Theme Thursday: texture and/or layers (pyramage layers)
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Woodware USA 28: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

CHNC challenge 22: use some ribbon

It's time for challenge 22 over on my Christmas challenge blog - you can find details here - I'd love you to join in if you can - I love seeing all your entries.

The swirly black and white Debbi Moore paper is from a Creative cardmaking Christmas cards special magazine that I bought in Maidstone the other day. The cute little penguin was bought from a little stall in the Chequers shopping centre at Maidstone. The striped paper is a piece left over from a Gorjuss kit and the orange ribbon with black spots is from one of my boxes - haven't a clue where it was from, likewise the greeting.

I'm linking for these challenges:

My time to craft 142: use a die cut
Ladybug: animals
Shopping our stash 1: ribbon rewind (very old ribbon)
ABC Christmas: K is for kids
Creative inspirations 113: Christmas in May
Crafty sentiments: special occasions: Christmas
Party time Tuesday 17: animal themed
Creatalicious 22: flourishes
Inspire me Fridays 8: anything goes
Woodware USA 28: anything goes
Creative card crew: anything goes
The paper shelter 15: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
2 sisters 41: anything goes

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Your next stamp prize

Just before we left home postie brought me this stamp from Your next stamp - my prize for winning challenge 40.



I've got an idea for using this, but it will have to wait, of course, till we get back.

Monday 23 May 2011

BF ATC swap for May

A few days ago I received my ATCs for the 'friends' swap on BF forum. Thank you, girls, for these lovely works of art:

Saturday 21 May 2011

On the wing

'On the wing' is this month's topic for the twinchies swap on the BF forum. I stamped with memento using Dawn Bibby woodland butterflies and sentiment stamp, masking the smaller butterfly behind the larger. I coloured with a mixture of copics and promarkers and inked the edges with dusty concord DI.

Sorry the photo is poor (will try and replace in better light tomorrow)


This photo isn't much better, but the colours are probably nearer real life:



I'm entering these for the following challenges:

Delightful: masking
The paper shelter 14: distress to impress
Pear tree 49: stamped images
Pattie's creations 22: no, no, no cards
Paper romance 51: anything but a card
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 37

All aboard for steampunk

I was hoping to get something done this week for Order of the opus gluei 101 'get steamy' steampunk challenge (I'd only made something the day before the challenge was announced, but didn't want to cheat and link that). Anyway, today's challenge on Soartful is also steampunk and this is the picture that was given:

So I used this as my base on which to add digi pictures that I'd got saved on computer - changing each one to black and white and/or negative and then fading the edges so that they fitted on to the given frame. This is what it looked like at that stage:

I then superimposed one of my favourite digital pictures of the clock with the railway line over the top of everything else, changing it to negative/black and white and fading to make it semi-transparent. So this is what I finished up with:

Sorry that you can see a bit of pink in places - that's not actually on the digi, it's because those parts are transparent enough to let the blog background show through (nothing I can do about that).

This is also for:

Scrapbook sisters 36: black and white
Altered Alice chapter 4 week 3: time
Stamps R us: goin' digital
2 sisters 40: use a digi
Digistamps4joy 19: boys! boys! boys!
Pattie's creations 22: no, no, no cards
Paper romance 51: anything but a card
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 7: anything goes

A bit of a cheat ...

It will be our 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and we're celebrating by going to the Hilton at Maidstone (we've booked the suite). Time is running out and I hadn't yet made a card for John (isn't it typical that we tend to leave the 'important' ones till the last minute - well, I tend to, anyway).

I remembered a card I made a couple of years ago that I've never used and never sold. I can remember when I made it thinking it would be a good anniversary card to give to John, but our anniversary had just been and gone at the time, so I just put it in the box. I came across it earlier this afternoon and thought I would use the front of the card to mount on to an A5 stardream card with added sentiments. So, there you are - I've cheated and recycled one of my own cards!

You can see the original card here.

The gold embossing on the butterfly doesn't really show up here, but it did on the original version:

I'm entering this into a couple of 'recycling' challenges:


also:



CHNC challenge 21: let's see some scallops

It's Saturday again and that means another challenge on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge blog - can you believe that we're now on challenge 21? How the weeks fly by. If you''d like to take part in my challenge please just follow the link and you will find all the details.

I'm being a bit cheeky with this card and doubling it up for the Christmas gang challenge set by Margaret (Dutchess) - please see the list of names in my sidebar and visit the others in the gang - if you'd like to join in just get in touch with one of us - the idea is that every fortnight one of the gang sets a Christmas card challenge so that we are all encouraged to build up our stocks. I enjoyed Margaret's challenge, but didn't find it easy incorporating all the elements, so I cheated a tiny little bit (I'll leave you to judge whether it's actually 'cheating' or not).

Margaret asked us to use:

1.Glitter
2.Snow
3.Berries
4.A christmas tree
5. Anything but square

I cut the base card from 'doiley card' on the cricut wild card cartridge (that ticks No. 5) - I just love this template. I then used one of my favourite nesties (yes, I've used it a lot recently) to cut a piece of GCD studios 'chill out' collection (that ticks No. 2). I stamped Christmas trees and greeting from the PM Joyeux Noel stamp set, stamping with Brilliance pearlescent ivy and embossed with clear detail powder and very lightly gave a bit of colour with a couple of pastel copics (that ticks No. 4).

So that just left No. 1 and No. 3 - although the actual base card paper was shiny on the polka dots, but I suppose you wouldn't actually call it 'glitter'. So I used crystal ice stickles glitter glue to dot on every outer circle of the scalloped nestie shape - not only does that cover No. 1 glitter, but (bit of imagination here) they are mistletoe berries, so that also ticks No. 3 - phew!!


So, as well as submitting this for Margaret's Christmas gang challenge, it's also my card for CHNC challenge 21: let's see some scallops.

I really had hoped to get a separate card done for each challenge, but it's been quite a difficult week - I had a cold last week and it has left me with painful sinusitis - had to go and get some ABs for it and just hoping it will clear up before we go away at the beginning of next week for a few days.

This is also for:

Winter wonderland: give us a P ... polka dots
Phindy's Friday 56: Christmas in May
Simply create 44: special day/event
Gingerloft 17: plant a tree
Little red wagon: use a tree on your project
Jac-inks 8: heat embossing
Digi doodle 59: embossing
Mami doodles 26: sports and/or stripes
Lexi 40: spots and/or stripes
Creative card world: anything but square
My mum's craft shop 6: anything but square
Totally papercrafts 67: don't be square
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes
Crafty catz 83: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 7: anything goes

Thursday 19 May 2011

Birdie wishes

Using more AG papers etc, this is for Cupcake inspirations 111, where this inspiration picture was given:



It's also for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays
C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Sew many challenges 53: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Black, white and pink

Once again, Anna Griffin papers, 3D flowers, sentiment and ribbon - this time I've used one of my favourite colour combos for Creative stamp friends 25: your favourite colours.

This is also for:

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow
Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon
CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Sew many challenges 53: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Pink and green birthday wishes

This is another Anna Griffin card - as before, there are some 3D flowers on the main floral paper although these don't really show up here. This one is pink and green for Crazy challenge 67.

This is for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays
C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday
Papertake weekly: bloom & grow
Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon
CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Sew many challenges 53: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Sincere thanks

This is another Anna Griffin card - the coloured flower is a 3D sticker.

This is for Crafty Ho's colour challenge: pink, black and a touch of green.

It's also a 'thank you' card for Fun at fairy knoll,

It's also for:

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow
Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon
CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Sew many challenges 53: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

A floral birthday wish

This is for the colours for Crafts 4 eternity recipe 19:

It's one of the cards I made yesterday with some of the Anna Griffin papers etc. The background of the central paper is very flowery and there are additional 3D flowers dotted around this.

It's also for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays
C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday
Papertake weekly: bloom & grow
Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon
CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers
Penny's 53: anything goes
Scrappy frogs: anything goes
Sew many challenges 53: anything goes
Crafts and me 35: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes