More Glimmer!

Here is another card using glimmer mists and the Harlequin rose stamp by Elusive Images. The frame on the sentiment is also an Elusive Images stamp, I just added the words. The embossing is courtesy of my Cuttlebug and the green cardstock is Coredinations. I think the ribbon is by Anna Griffin. This card is for a friend's birthday and I must make the insert NOW! (hate doing inserts).

GLIMMER MIST ROSE

Today I was bored and fed up to say the least so I got out the papers I sprayed with glimmer mist last week and used some of them to make cards. Here is one I made from paper sprayed with Creme de Chocolat and thanks to Wendy for reminding me to enter the new Craft Stamper Challenge - Get Glam with Glimmer!

The image is stamped in Sepia Versafine and it is from the lovely new Elusive Images Harlequin Rose themeplate which I believe will be generally available soon (this was a Graphicus Guild member's offer).

I used a very weak solution of pink and green glimmer mists to paint the petals and leaves, matted the image onto purple cardstock and tied matching ribbon around and used foam pads to stick it to my cream card blank.

The coffee coloured cardstock is Coredinations run through the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and I used the same coffee and purple card for the sentiment, simply cutting the lower edge with scallop scissors and adding 3 lilac gems. Sorry that I haven't done a very good job of capturing the glimmer mist shimmer in this photo (hence the 2 shots)!

New Baby Card

Here is a card I've just made for someone who has had a baby girl which is a good excuse to make a pink card! I used markers to colour in the stamped image, Glossy Accents, heart punch and various ribbons to make the bows, oh and Safmat for the sentiment!

CHRISTMAS WISHES

Wishing all my friends a very happy and peaceful Christmas whatever your plans are, whether you are surrounded by family or spending time alone. My thoughts are particularly with anyone who is missing a loved one at this time of year.

Baby Boy Card

Just made this card with Louly's wonderful new Girls About Town collection . I used the ready coloured image for the shop and coloured Adele, her pram and the punched teddies with Promarkers. The blue dotty paper is by Anna Griffin and the sentiment was made with one of the tags from Artylicous Damask Delights simply by typing in the sentiment and colouring over it with the pastel yellow marker.

Late As Usual!!!!

I do it every year.....leave my Christmas cards until the last minute as I really find it a chore making and sending them out, don't know why, I just do! Most of my cards this year were made either using the same vintage Santa stamp (black ink embossed in clear on white card or Versamark embossed in white on black cardstock), I really love this stamp!!!! or with the Cuttlebug tree folder, heat embossed with holographic powder. The black and white papers are by Kanban and the green & red is HOTP.

The odd one out isn't a Christmas card at all.....it's a birthday card for my brother in law made with Glimmer misted paper, Cuttlebug maple leaf die and Anna Griffin papers.

Arty Girlz Challenge - Favourite Medium

Here is my take on the latest Arty Girlz challenge #64. My favourite medium is definitely ink and I used it both direct to paper and to stamp onto this little house.

The chipboard house is by Crafty Secrets and, inspired by Helen Chilton's decorated house in Craft Stamper earlier this year, I decided this would be a fun thing to make for friends who have just moved house.

I used various shades of yellow, green and blue ink on the outside of my house (Colorbox cats eye chalk & Versacolor) and stamped over the top with black using an unknown tree stamp, text by Lost Coast Designs, and swirls by HOTP. The flower stamp was free with Craft Stamper and the leaves are from a set by Sassafras Lass. The house number sign was made with a bottletop, number stickers on a circle of inked cardstock covered with Ranger Glossy Accents.

I used the same stamps inside on top of a background created with shades of pink, yellow and lilac inks (Ranger Nick Bantock and Colorbox chalk inks).

Hearts

Today I made a card for the latest Cute Card Thursday Challenge which was to use hearts on your card. The cute stamp is from Sugar Nellie and it's from the new Leanne Ellis range entitled 'choose.' I used Versafine Purple ink to stamp and various Sakura and marker pens to colour in. I cut round the image with stamp edge scissors and matted it onto a slightly larger piece of purple card. The card and foam hearts were made with the Cuttlebug, as was the butterfly and the sentiment is by Papermania. I couldn't decide whether or not to add some gems to the hearts but thought maybe less is more!

New Pink Petticoat Papers

I recently bought the gorgeous new Pink Petticoat Big Swirls papers in the cream option and couldn't resist using the Milk Chocolate and Mocha on this card for a friend's birthday. It was also an excuse to submit another entry for Liz's prize draw to win a new Slice die cutting machine!

You also get the plain colours in this download so it's an easy way to get perfectly co-ordinated papers on a card. I used the plain Mocha paper as a frame for my fairy image, which is from Joanna Sheen's Pamela West CD. I printed it out in Sepia to go with these papers, added Doodlebug alphabet tiles in pink and a matching organza bow and finally edged the card with a gold Permatouch pen.

Family Birthday Cards

Here are my 2 latest cards. The woodpecker card is for my son's birthday (he is 28 today) and the red and white doggy card was for my husband's birthday yesterday.

The woodpecker image is a Joanna Sheen stamp coloured with lyra crayons. The tree pattern paper was made using Glimmer Mists over a Glimmer Screen.

The dog stamps are by various companies (2 unknown but the two on the right are by Magnolia and Penny Black). The only colour I used on the images was black marker and red Stickles as I wanted to keep it fairly simple.

Anniversary Cards

Today I made 6 cards and here are 3 of them, took ages as everything that could go wrong did go wrong!!!!! I am happy with these but there was a fair bit of waste due to stamping and embossing problems.

The cute little hedgehogs are from a set of Penny Black clear stamps and the celebrate stamp is from a Stampin Up set. The red dots were created using a small roller stamp. It was the first time I have used the wheel and oh boy did I make a mess, just couldn't get a straight row of dots without patchy bits for the life of me ....maybe there's a knack to it and I don't have it yet!

Awards!

I am feeling lucky as I have been given 2 awards this week from my crafting friends. I have received the Kreativ Blogger award from Beryl and Ann W who are very talented ladies so it is an honour, thanks!

The rules for this award are as follows:

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I would like to pass this on to the following people who inspire me as creations displayed on their blogs are wonderful:



Cazz
Annie
Jane
Deby
Jen



I hope you will accept ladies.

I received the Proximity award from Sue, Ann, Beryl, and Suzanne but I am really struggling to find anyone who doesn't already have this award so I will say if anyone on my blog roll/SBS Group would like the award, please do take it and pass it on!

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger’s aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight blogger’s who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Pink Petticoat Christmas Card

Here is my latest card using Pink Petticoat products which are lovely and always print out perfectly with true colours. The image is from the Lola Rose Occasions set and the papers are from the Doodleicious Christmas Rainbow download kit. The pretty colours I used are Duck Egg Blue and Milk Chocolate.

I coloured the image with markers and Sakura glaze and stardust pens. I used a Hot Off The Press snowflake stamp inked with Stampin Up brown ink in the background and on the blue card mat behind the sentiment. The words were cut from the brown PP paper and mounted onto card.

I cut out one of the larger flowers from the blue snowflake paper and layered it with a larger shape cut from the brown cardstock (Coredinations) and a tiny punched flower from the brown text paper, all fastened together with a Poppicrafts brad. I think the brown ribbon was off a present last year. I attached the finished embellishment to my card using Fastenater staples.

Competition Entries

I haven't been in the mood for crafting this week (again!) but quite miss blogging so I have decided to post pictures of 2 items I made recently for competitions.

The arch is for Sugar Lump Studios "Yuletide" Gothic Arch Contest at Gothic Arches. I think the closing date for entries is this weekend. I used Glimmer Mist for the background plus a vintage santa stamp and the cute little boy is from a collage sheet by Lisa's Altered Art.

The card was made using stamps from Elusive Image's Madonna themeplate (madonna & child, star and trees for the corners of my triangular shaped card. I also used sparkly embossing powder, irridescent spray inks, my Cuttlebug embossing folder, jump rings, rub ons and Glossy Accents. This particular card was my entry for the Graphicus Website October Card Competition and although I did not win a prize I enjoyed entering and the winning card is just gorgeous. Here is a link so you can see it.

Silhouette Arch

Here is my arch for the latest Gothic Arches challenge, where the theme was silhouette. I have used the same stamp for the large embossed image and the small image inside the heart - Elusive Images 'Let Your Heart Sing' themeplate. The large image is heat embossed in gold and the small one is stamped with black Stazon and embossed with clear EP. I then rubbed over the heart shape with a stylus inked with gold and blue inks. I finished the arch by threading blue and gold feathers through a gold eyelet.

This Thursday, It's All About Marvelous Metallics

Don't worry it really is Sunday (all day!) not Thursday but this latest card is for This Thursday's challenge (to use metallic elements on your project).

I started with a cream card blank, stamped the image (Chapel Road Stamps) and swirls (HOTP), then added copper Stickles to the hair ornament. I rubbed the card with some Versafine Sepia ink, added a strip of DCWV paper and Dovecraft metallic ribbon down the left hand side.

I stitched round the image with metallic thread to make a frame and finished the card off with a style stone embellishment which was made by rubbing Autumn Gold Rub N Buff onto the frame. I stuck a leftover piece of the DCWV paper inside, which I covered with Glossy Accents.

I have had those style stones for ages but never got round to using them until now!

Owl Get Well Card

It seems like ages since I made a card, just not been in the right frame of mind but OH asked me to make this for someone he knows so it had to be something simple......lovely owl graphic from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD mounted onto Anna Griffin Sierra cardstock with a Sierra bird sticker down the right hand side. I added the words in Photoshop. I have lots of cards I need to do so I hope I get the motivation from somewhere very soon!

Shabby Chic Tilda Card (Joanna Sheen Forum Challenge)

I really enjoyed making this card today for the Joanna Sheen Forum Challenge where the theme this week was 'shabby chic.' I am not sure why but that always makes me think of muted blues and creams so those are the shades I chose for my card.

All the papers and cardstock are Anna Griffin except for the blue ovals behind the frame and Tilda, those are Coredinations which have been embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, then sanded. I found it quite difficult to distress the lovely blue dotty paper but it was too bright so I got stuck in and found it quite therapeutic! The finishing touches were Anna Griffin gold ribbon and bow to which I added some tiny gold beads, a tiny blue organza bow for Tilda's ponytail and a Poppicrafts daisy and brad. I then added a rub on sentiment and added clear glaze to parts of the flowers on top of the frame.

I watercoloured Tilda with Lyra crayons and some pearly paints.

Mojo Surfing!

When I came across another challenge site which is new to me - This Thursday It's All About - I was intrigued to see their latest challenge was Mojo surfing. That mystified me initially but I read the explanation and clicked on one of the blog links on the challenge site 'Altered Art & Stuff' and followed 5 further blog links, ending up at Dutch Stamptramp's blog. Nellie has some wonderful colourful work on her blog covering a wide variety of styles so I thought I would take my inspiration from her and try to create something using various techniques.

My main image of the vintage lady with Christmas presents is from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique CD. I mounted the image onto a handcut tag made from green cardstock spritzed with Black Cherry Glimmer Mist over a Glimmer Screen. I also added some purple paper embossed with the Cuttlebug Script folder to my tag after inking it with Versafine Purple ink. I used my Cropadile to punch and set the eyelet and threaded through some burgundy ribbon.

I then inked a rectangular piece of cardstock with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tattered Rose and Versafine Purple, rounded the corners and stuck on a piece of patterned paper I made by spritzing it with Green Glimmer Mist. I distressed this paper with the Tattered Rose inkpad and randomly stamped snowflakes with Versafine Purple ink. I mounted my tag onto the 2 colour mat using foam pads and attached it to my deep purple base card with foam tape.

I stamped the sentiment onto a leftover piece of card I had used for the tag using Versamark heat embossed in Copper to finish off my card.

That Natural Feeling

Here is a birthday card I made for the latest House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge, which was to create a project with a natural theme, either by using neutral colours and/or adding a natural embellishment. I used 2 neutral shades of cardstock from the wonderful Coredinations range and HOTP paper on my natural card blank, the image being stamped in Stampin Up brown ink on the paler of the 2 coredination products. The sentiment stamp is by Anita's and the sunflower is from Cuddly Buddly.

The letters spelling out my friend's name are by Crafty Secrets and the 2 natural elements are the string behind these letters and the raffia bow.

Magic & Mystery

I have finally finished the card I have been struggling with for Rainbow Lady's Magic & Mystery challenge. This has been a saga as I have found the stamped image difficult to colour in!!! Finally managed it with a mixture of Lyra watercolour crayons and H2O paints. The backing paper was a lot easier as I used blue and green Glimmer mists which are a joy to use and create lovely shimmery effects. The butterfly was made with a 2 part Cuttlebug die and I just added peeloff borders, blue and green gems and a length of green sequin ribbon. Hopefully the photo isn't too blurred!!!!

Sympathy Card

I don't think anyone likes making sympathy cards and I always struggle, though I do seem to be struggling to create anything I like at the moment! I tried using my one and only cala lily stamp at first but hated the results so I decided to go for simple and cut a cross from cardstock, twisted some lilies around it and mounted it onto a card covered with punched Laura Ashley paper.

I think I need a nice new lily stamp though, might sell the one I am bored with on Ebay!

Large Card - Joanna Sheen Fashion Boutique

Here is a card I made this weekend at the request of a friend who wanted a card for a 50th birthday. The lovely art nouveau image is from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique CD. I chose the backing paper (Artylicious) as the colours matched those in the main image. I embossed the silver mirricard with a Cuttlebug swirls folder and added a matching organza ribbon and bow.

Initial Reaction

Here is a card I made for the latest Caarvarks challenge which was to make a monogram themed card. My base card has been embossed with Cuttlebug leaves and branches folders. The leaves are also cut and embossed with the Cuttlebug. The main images are stamped with birds from Elusive Images and a tree stamp I cannot remember the name of. I used various Ranger, Stampin Up and Sticky Fingers spray inks on both the cardstock and the chipboard letter B. I matted the birds onto a piece of turquoise mirricard and mounted it to the base card with foam pads after glueing on a strip of torn inked and stamped cardstock. Finally I threaded natural raffia through the We R Memory Keepers eyelets then added 2 large eyelets and one bradlet to the bottom of my card.

JS No Patterned Papers Challenge Card

This week's Joanna Sheen Forum challenge was to make a card without using any patterned papers, which was fine by me as stamping is fun!!!! I randomly stamped the yellow card with little bloom stamp by Sassafras Lass using Black Versafine ink. The scalloped mat has been stamped with a Wordsworth paisley stamp. The little birds are from Papermania's Sweet nothing set and the yellow grosgrain ribbon was stamped with a background stamp from their Secret Garden collection. The birds are coloured with Sakura glaze pens and the buttons are from Poppicrafts.

Rainbow Lady's Ribbon Challenge

Here is my simple card for Rainbow Lady's challenge this week 'Ribbons.' The cute teddy image is from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew Collection, attached to a white square card with gold eyelets and spotty ribbon in red and green. The greeting was made with the Cuttlebug and it is gold mirri card, hard to tell from my scan I know!

Acetate/Pink Challenge

Here is a card I made today for the latest Dottie's World challenge (to use acetate and pink). It is probably hard to tell from this photo but the card blank is entirely acetate...the back is acetate embossed with Cuttlebug swiss dots and the front is plain acetate. I punched holes down the right hand side and threaded various ribbons through. Dottie is coloured with Sakura pens, matted onto white embossed cardstock (swiss dots again) and I fastened that to the front of the card with a couple of large pink eyelets from We R Memory Keepers.

Get Doodling!

I haven't kept up with challenges as much as I would have liked but here is a card I have just made for My Time To Craft Challenge 33: Get Doodling! I decided to really challenge myself by drawing the main image instead of stamping and here's scruffy hiding....not sure anyone will understand my sense of humour though! I have used various pens to watercolour the image and the scallop mats were made with Nestabilities in the Cuttlebug. The words and corners are hand written. The blue backing paper is by Papermania and the flower stickers were a freebie on a craft mag.

Blog Candy - Edna's Place

To celebrate her first blogging anniversary Edna is offering some wonderful blog candy.....the chance to win a £20 Joanna Sheen voucher in return for leaving a comment and a link on your blog so what are you waiting for!!!!!!

House Mouse Halloween

Here is a card I have just made for House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge. The theme was Halloween and as I don't have a House Mouse Halloween stamp I used this cute cologne stamp, though I have changed the label to read 'eau de pumpkin.' Not sure which mouse this actually is, Mudpie????

My mouse is coloured with marker and stardust pens. After colouring the bottle orange to resemble a pumpkin I used crystal glaze to make it more dimensional and shiny. The Halloween cat and pumpkin lantern papers are from Joanna Sheen's Cardmakers Year CD. The black background was embossed using a Cuttlebug folder and to finish off my card I added punched cats and 2 large staples coloured with an orange marker.

Card for Dottie's World 'Love Is' Challenge

Today's card was made for the latest Dottie's World challenge (love theme with a message or journalling on the front of the card). Probably because I love chocolate I chose this fun image of Dottie caught in the act with some empty chocolate wrappers! I coloured Dottie with Lyra crayons and used wool for her hair. I used diamond glaze over the chocolate bar wrappers then added some kitchen foil and a hand written message/saying. I made the backing paper by tiling a picture of a box of choccies.

Belated Birthday Card

I made this card last night after realising I was about to miss someone's birthday, in that it's today, so a bit late as it has to be posted....ooops! I love this little mouse stamp, just coloured him with markers and stardust pens, not that you can tell from the scan. I am having trouble getting photos which aren't blurred at the moment, not sure if it is me or the camera, hence the scan!

Victorian Collection

Here are 4 simple cards I made using the same image from Joanna Sheen's Victorian Romance CD as I thought I would have a change from stamping. It's depressingly cold here, not to mention pouring with rain....hard to believe it was lovely and sunny only a week ago. I think winter has well and truly arrived!