Ride a White Swan

This is my creation for The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC47.  I decided to go digital for a change (not sure why as it takes me forever!) and this is the result.  I started with a photo of a swan I took earlier in the year during a dog walk and it reminded me of a song by Marc Bolan and T Rex (my favourite band of the 70s).  The pretty gothic gal is from a digital image sheet by Itkupilli (love that hat) who also does some very colourful designs.  Speaking of colour, I do like the combination in this week's challenge and found the photo and PDCC team's creations particularly inspiring.  I have other ideas which I may just try out too.

September Bog Waltz - Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps - Halloween

Here is my entry for the Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps September Waltz, where the theme is, as you can see, Halloween!  I have spent hours trying to photograph my card and although not entirely happy with this particular photo, it is the best of the bunch. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any of the WM Halloween stamp sets so I had to improvise.  I used the tree from the Asian Gardens set as the main image, stamped with brown ink onto a brayered landscape background.  I created the lined effect on the tree trunk by pressing the inked up stamp onto the Cuttlebug branches folder, then heat embossed the image with clear powder.  

As I don't have a bat stamp either, I made the bat by turning the owls ears/head feather die cut upside down and adding a punched cat head!  (maybe I should have stuck the decapitated cat on there somehow as it is Halloween after all?)  The haunted house stamp at the bottom of my card is from the Waltzing Mouse Blessed by You set.  I just drew a little ghost, cut him out and added him to the roof.

The skull was made by adapting the owl die cut (bought the die at a craft show last year and only just used it) then shading with Promarkers, the pumpkin was hand drawn and cut out of a card scrap, as was the bloodshot eyeball and witches hat.  The letters on the tag were made with Cuttlebug alphabet dies and I cut a simple shape from foam to make my spider.    His body was covered with brown eyelash fibre to make him nice and hairy and his legs are inked raffia. 

The tag is hanging from a Tim Holtz swivel clasp and the leaves and candy corn papers are by DCWV.  I think that's everything described...oh, I also used two sets of nestabilities and the large label behind the tree was run through the branches embossing folder to add texture. 

Dance of Butterfly - Sweet Pea Stampers

This card is for the latest Sweet Pea Stampers challenge, which is the above sketch by Pascale.  I stamped

Ching-Chou Kuik's Dance of Butterfly on watercolour paper and coloured the image with Promarkers before adding the odd touch of glitter, glaze and gold liquid pearl.   My background is made up of blue and green Coredinations card embossed with various Cuttlebug folders. The embossed sentiment is matted onto a piece of card from the DCWV glitter stack.  The faux ribbons are scraps of pale blue embossed vellum and I finished it all off with various embellishments, including beads, gems (and a starfish as I wanted to create a watery theme). 

Black & White Blooms with a hint of Pink

I am entering this card into two challenges - The Play Date Cafe #46 (black & white with a splash of pink, copper or gold) and Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge #14.    

I tried very hard to get a decent photograph of this card but failed miserably, they all looked off white or pixelated so this rather blurry scan will have to do.  I have used a variety of Waltzing Mouse stamps here, the large and small blooms are from the Chrysanthemum set, the sentiment is from Blessed by You and the narrow strip separating the two backing papers I made uses the border stamp from the Say it with Style set. The scallop egde was made with a Martha Stewart punch and I threaded a length of  cerise pink organza ribbon through as one of my splashes of pink.  The black, white and pink flower die cut was made by my friend Beverley who runs the Chop o Holics card club.  I enjoyed making this card and am quite pleased with the result as I think a touch of another colour adds something to the monotone look.

Willow Tree

This is the first of two cards I have made for the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge #14.  I have used the lovely willow tree stamp from their Blessed by You set as the focal point.  It was stamped in black Versafine ink onto a background I made by brayering lettuce and denim Adirondack dye inks onto a piece of plain cardstock.  The flower and sentiments stamps are from the WM Asian Gardens set and the paper is by Hot off the Press.

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #13

I made this card for tbe Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #13 with 3 stamps from their Say it With Style set.   After stamping the just a note sentiment and frame I used a Nestie label 4 die to cut out, ran the shape through the Cuttlebug with the birds and swirls embossing folder and inked the raised sections with Ranger Stormy Sky distress ink.  The edges of my card base were embossed with the CB dots border folder.  The large flower was made using a Sizzix Bigz die and matted onto a Nestie label 2 mat.  The papers are Pink Petticoat and K&Co Addison.

Bright Birthday

I made this card just because I felt like going a bit mad with colour so not sure who the recipient will be, though they may need sunspecs!  The chrysanthemum stamps are from Waltzingmouse Big Blooms set and the sentiment is also by WMS.  I used Ranger inks for the flowers and also the stippled background.  It took forever to make the woven mat from strips of coredinations card as it kept falling apart but I got there in the end.  I finished my card off by adding a strip of teal coloured die cut felt, matching organza bow, red ricrac, orange buttons and a fabric covered brad.

Myth & Magic

This is my card for the I love Promarkers challenge #30 Myth & Magic.  The card is pink in real life but not quite as intense as my photo for some reason.  For example the 3 little hearts are irridescent and quite delicately coloured in reality.  I love fairy stamps and this Bubbles Fairy is no exception.  After colouring her in with my Promarkers I added a touch of stickles to her wings and the bubbles, plus gold Perfect Pearls to the flower centres on the cup. I finished the card off by punching a fancy edge and adding a couple of punched daisies, ribbon and buttons.

Anniversary Card

Here is my card for the Waltzing Mouse Sketch challenge #12. I really enjoyed playing with stamps and getting full of ink and embossing powder, though I do wish I had cleaned the purple ink off one of the stamps before using my Versamark pad and I could have done without getting my finger stuck in red hot melted embossing powder.

I thought I would combine a few challenges, a first for me, so I am also entering this into the following challenges: Die Cut Dreams #63 Soft Shades of Vintage, Crafts & Me Petals & Pearls, C.R.A.F.T #63 Anything Goes,  C.E.S #1 Anything Goes and Paper Cutz #56 ( metal embellishment), so 6 in total.

The stamps used are all by Waltzingmouse Stamps. I used the largest stamp from the Chrystanthemum set to make the crackle effect on the 2 nestie labels behind the sentiment by inking the card with various shades of green and purple inks then triple embossing with pearl and purple powders.  I used stamps from the Say it with Style set for the plum card background and the flower embellishments. I am pleased with how the main layered flower turned out but the photo doesn't capture the irridescent shimmer effect obtained by using the pearl embossing powder. I fastened the layers together with a fancy metal brad  but can't remember the make, which is a pity as I wouldn't mind some more of those.  The sentiment is from the same set, stamped onto shimmery brown card and embossed in gold.  

 I stamped the swirly border, again from the Say it with Style set, in green onto a length of cream satin ribbon before tying it into a bow and adding the pearls. I don't think Adirondack dye ink was a good choice however as the pattern more or less disappeared overnight but it has given the ribbon a nice green tint to match the embossed green card on the right so not a major disaster,  The co-ordinating paper strip was cut from an Anna Griffin sheet and edged with an ivory promarker to give a more vintage look. I also used a lavender promarker to shade the stamped purple floral background.

Colour Clash

Sarah Anderson, host of the Play Date Cafe "Colour Horribilis" challenge asked participants to use hot pink, navy blue and mustard yellow on their creations this week.  Here is my card using this particular colour combination, which isn't set to become one of my favourites any time soon, though it is fun to experiment with colour.  I stamped the PSX teddy image with Adirondack Denim ink and coloured it in with various yellow toned Promarkers, plus deep pink for the bow and heart.  The Autumn Leaves sentiment was stamped with Denim ink onto deep pink Coredinations cardstock and heat embossed.  The nestie label mat was made with a Martha Stewart background stamp using blue, pink and yellow inks and the round mats were made with nestie circle dies.  The cardstock is mainly Coredinations embossed with various Cuttlebug folders.

Card for Polkadoodles Aquamarkers Contest

I have just made this card for the Polkadoodles colouring competition.  They are offering a full set of Aquamarkers as a prize, how wonderful is that!  This competition is in addition to their regular challenges and I think it's an open theme, at least I hope it is, and the closing date is the end of August. I had actually given up trying to watercolour since buying Promarkers, as I don't rate my skills but was tempted into having another go after reading that the contest is open to everyone regardless of ability.  I have had the geese stamp for ages and have to confess that, with the exception of the image on this card, all previous attempts at colouring images made with the stamp have ended up in the bin.  I just can't get it right, which is frustrating.  Having said that, I am reasonably happy with this attempt.  Although it's not great compared to what most people can do with watercolours, it's the best I have acheived to date.   Perhaps Nikky's tutorials helped, plus I took my time for a change!  It took me a while to find my watercolouring media, as they were all consigned to the back of a cupboard, but in the end I opted for my hardly used Lyra Aquacolor crayons.  There isn't much else to say about this card, the papers are all from scraps and the sentiment is by Waltzingmouse Stamps.  I have no idea where those daisy brads are from but I'm glad I found them, as I think they are rather nice!

Oriental Easel Card

I have been playing with Waltzing Mouse Stamps' lovely Asian Gardens set and have made my first easel card to enter into Stampin for the Weekend's anything goes challenge.  As you can see I also went a bit mad with the Cuttlebug and Nestie dies, though the smallest circles were made with a Dovecraft punch, which I managed to break during the process, which is the second punch to bite the dust in a week!

Flower Power

I have just made this card for my sister's 50th and am entering it into the Fab 'n' Funky "Flower Power" challenge.  I used a blue art silk 8x8 card blank by Hunkydory, which was an extra challenge as I normally make A5 or small square cards.  Hopefully I have not overdone it but last time I tried this size card it looked rather empty.  The flowers were made with various dies in the Cuttlebug, a daisy punch and a clear stamp, which I think was free with The Craft Stamper.  My next challenge will be to find a suitable 50th birthday present to buy online, as I won't be able to get out and about for several weeks yet.

stash list:

Magnolia Tilda stamp & Promarker pens
Teal blue organza ribbon
Stickles & Cosmic Shimmer glitter glues
Craft Stamper flower & black Memento ink
Papers by Joanna Sheen, Coredinations, Crafty Secrets, HOTP, Pergamano parchment,red & silver card
Spellbinder Nestabilities dies - circles, scalloped circles, labels 2
Sissix Bigz floral dies
Cuttlebug embossing folders - birthday & swiss dots
wire & heart/pearls/star embellishments

long overdue post

It seems like ages since I last posted but I do have an excuse as I have had a foot operation.  Actually that's a pretty flimsy excuse isn't it, as I don't craft or type with my feet and, as I am off work recovering and unable to walk about without the aid of crutches, I have plenty of time on my hands to make cards.  I got my son to fill a large storage box with craft stuff and made a card yesterday, though I have to confess neither of the above are that card, as I couldn't manage to get to the PC to scan it in....maybe tomorrow!  Fortunately I have a laptop which has kept me entertained the last few days, hence this post which features two cards made  a couple of months ago.  One uses the gorgeous poppy image and backing paper from Joanna Sheen's Royal Horticultural Society CD with the addition of red ribbon and a stamped sentiment and the other a Tilda Magnolia stamped image coloured to match a rather bright card blank.  The sentiment was made with Cuttlebug and nestie dies.

MAGIC

Here is my entry for this week's Sunday Postcard Art Challenge "Magic" which
I created using Adobe Photoshop.

Promarker Pup

Here is my card for the latest Promarker challenge (Animals).  I love animals in general and dogs in particular so didn't have to think to hard to decide which stamp to use......one of Joanna Sheen's Best Friends.  The backing paper is My Minds Eye.

Baby Love

Here is my baby themed postcard for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge.

I thought I would have another try at digital and this is the result. 

I just wish I knew what I was doing with Adobe Photoshop as it's

all trial and error (mainly error!).

Seeing Silhouettes

Here is my card for the Daring Cardmakers challenge this week, which is entitled "Seeing Silhouettes."  It is a simple sympathy card made using Pink Petticoat paper and a foliage silhouette image from My Craft Studio Simply Silhouettes.  The sentiment stamp is by Anna Griffin. 

Flower Power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my latest card, a birthday card with a floral theme for Magical Crafts "Flower Power" challenge. I also challenged myself to use some items from my huge craft stash which has taken over the house including forgotten bits and bobs such as the floral sticky daisy ribbons, Petaloo flowers, dried flowers and even peel off sticker numbers and letters! I wish I could remember the brand of the papers but I can't I'm afraid, though the girl image is cut out of a sheet of giftwrap from Paperchase.

Eyes

Here is my entry for the Three Muses Challenge #56 "eyes."  I have been playing with Adobe Photoshop again and this is the result.  The owl image is from Karen's Whimsy and the words are a Helen Keller quote.

Sea Voyage Postcard

Here is my creation for this week's Sunday Postcard Art challenge.  The theme is sea voyages and it made me think of explorers in general and Sir Francis Drake in particular.  This is the first time I have taken part in this particular challenge but I was inspired to have a go by this week's host, Sandy, who always has some wonderful art on her blog.

Stamp Something Summer Bear

Here is my card for the latest Stamp Something challenge.  The theme is summer and I decided to use summer colours rather than a summery image.  I have had the little teddy bear stamp for ages, not sure of the make but it always stamps perfectly.  I just added a little shading.  The flowers are coloured with stickles and the centres are liquid pearls gold.  The base card is made from Coredinations and I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the sentiment.  The smaller flower layers are Coredinations and a scrap of card I stamped ages ago using the faux batik method.  The ribbon is Doodelbug...I think. 

My Time To Craft - Xtra Special

Here is my latest card which I am entering into the My Time To Craft Xtra Special challenge (make a card for a special occasion.  This card is for a baby girl's naming day and it's the first time I have made a card for that particular ceremony.  The only stamp I used is on the back, very unusual for me!  The bear was cut with a Sizzix die in the Cuttlebug and coloured with Promarkers.  I used a rose punch for the corners and a lattice punch for the mat.....really cross now as the punch has broken!!!!  I also used Nestabilities and Cuttlebug embossing folders.  There are a few gems on the front too, though it's difficult to tell from this pretty awful photograph.

Crafty Creations Challenge #70

Here is my entry (talk about last minute!) for the Crafty Creations black, white and a splash of red challenge.  The ladybird and frame image is something I made myself on the PC.  It is coloured with Promakers.  I can't remember where the black and white dotty paper is from but, as you can see, I have been Cuttlebugging again to make the sentiment.  Not the best picture of the front as it's a scan but probably better than my attempts with the camera!

Stamp Something - Digi Day Challenge

Here is my entry for the latest Stamp Something challenge which is a digital challenge.  The door image on the front of the card (top picture) is from the wonderful Itkupilli Shop (the same place I got my blog background).  The herald rabbit is also Itkupilli and both Alice images are by Tartx.  I used Adobe Photoshop to put the three images together.  The white rabbit backing paper on the front of my card is another Tartx image tiled in My Craft Studio.  The book text is from Mayang's Textue Library and all the embellishments are from Computer Scrapbook.  I printed my finished card onto white linen cardstock and rounded the corners.   This really was a challenge....very different!

CD Sunday Feathered Friends Challenge

This is my card for the CD Sunday Feathered Friends Challenge.  The CD element comes in the form of the gorgeous backing paper from Joanna Sheen's Eastern Treasures CD Rom which is rather lovely.  The swan and cygnet image is a photo I took, appropriately enough, last Sunday during a dog walk to a local lake.  Those cygnets are adorable, it was a beautiful sight. 

I have also used stamps from an American Crafts set on my card.  The tiny birds were stamped onto blue plastic, the flowers stamped in black onto blue and red cardstock.  The tassel behind the stamped sentiment is also from Joanna Sheen's store.  I used my Nestabilities label dies on the image and mat and placed white feathers behind.  This was a good opportunity to dig out my craft CDs and actually use them as opposed to oohing and aahing over the lovely images and never getting round to actually printing and using them! 

Stamp Something with a Birthday Recipe

I have just made this birthday card for a friend and am entering it into the latest Stamp Something Challenge (birthday recipe with designer paper, a tag, ribbon and a bow).  I used this cute House Mouse stamp with the bunny eating a carrot, coloured with Promarkers.  I used Nestabilities dies in the Cuttlebug for the mats and the papers are My Mind's Eye.  I added some green ricrac ribbon and a green bow, plus a button, small flowers and a couple of gems to finish off my card.

Play Date Cafe Challenge #31

I think it has taken me longer to photograph this card than it did to make!  That's a slight exaggeration but I am hopeless at photography.  I did try to scan it but it's too dimensional because of the flowers.  Here is my card for the Play Date Cafe Colour Challenge 31.

I used another of my favourite stamps on this card and coloured the little girl image with Promarkers.  The paper is Laura Ashley and the flowers I have had for years. 

Passion for Promarker - Anything Goes

Here is my latest card which is a last minute entry for the Passion for Promarkers Anniversary Challenge.  This stamp is one of my favourites and I always enjoy colouring it in, though this is the first time I have used Promarkers.  The backing paper is Laura Ashley with Distress Ink Tattered Rose round the edge.

Every Woman is a Star

I made this card over the weekend and although it is primarily for a friend's birthday, I am also entering it into the Stamp Something - 2 of something challenge.

The stamps I have used here are from a great set by Non Sequitur and I coloured the lady image with Promarkers.

I used 2 types of ribbon and 2 pieces of Coredinations cardstock. The gold ribbon was recycled from a gift and the gorgeous multicoloured sari ribbon is from Paddy's Stamping Place. I really love the rich colours and got a huge skein of ribbon for not a lot of money....perfect!

The deep turquoise card stock was embossed using the paisley Cuttlebug folder, then sanded and highlighted with Ranger Perfect Pearls in Gold. The mat behind the image was simply torn from gold coloured Coredinations and sponged with Stazon Pumpkin ink. I used a brush to apply the same Stazon ink shade plus Nick Bantok Rose Madder to my base card before stamping the sentiment in Stazon Teal. The wording at the top of the card was finished with a coating of Ranger Sepia Accents.

Finally, although it does not show up well in the scan, I have also used gilding flakes at the top of my card and above the stamped stars. I hope my friend manages to look at this without her shades as it is rather vibrant....I do love colour though!

Colour Create Challenge

I was amazed to receive some nice comments on my previous card as I imagined my blogging pals would have thought I'd dropped off the face of the earth, so thanks, it was a nice surprise! Here is a card I made yesterday for the latest Colour Create Challenge.

I decided to dig out the Cuttlebug and a flower die I bought ages ago but had never used. It was fun trying out the endless combinations after cutting out the various shapes and colours. I have used the stamp before but cannot recall the manufacturer.

Fairy Slider Card

I am seriously shocked to see that this is my first blog post for 8 months...where has the time gone!!!!!! Speaking of time I hardly ever seem to have the opportunity to craft these days but I decided mid week that I would definitely get my craft gear out and make something this weekend.

This morning as I turned on the PC I remembered the fun I used to have entering challenges and so, inspired by Rainbow Lady's beautiful butterfly card, I came up with this magic slider card which uses Joanna Sheen's wild rose fairy stamp set.

The image was stamped twice; once onto acetate with Stazon and then onto cardstock with Memento black ready for colouring with pro-markers.

As the challenge was to use ocean shades of blue and green plus an initial I grabbed several blue and green inkpads (Versacolor pigment and Adirondack dye) and set to work stippling the various shades onto my white card blank. I then inked up the rose stamp from the wild rose fairy set with mid blue Versacolor to make the frame and finished it with off with an inner section coloured and stamped with dark blue inks.

I used some of the leftover card pieces to punch out daisies and layered them up across the bottom of the frame, adding four cream dried flowers for contrast (I'm sure they have a name but I'm no botanist). I have had those flowers for donkeys' years, so long in fact it's a wonder they haven't disintegrated!

I think the little round letter embellishment is by Doodlebug and again I've had those for a very long time (the 'g' is the initial of the recipient). The plastic was pink so I coloured it with turquoise permanent marker and the last stage was to set an eyelet into the pull tab and add a punched daisy and some dark blue organza ribbon.

I really enjoyed getting covered in ink and won't admit to how long it took me to make the card! That was partly due to being out of practice and also because I made a total hash of my first attempt due to assembling it all wrong so it didn't even slide.....we live and learn!

RSS Challenge 3

Here is my card for the latest Ready Steady Stamp challenge. The ingredients this week were:


Monument
Blue
Metal Embellishment
Cuttlewax technique
Cork

At first I thought I was going to have to give this one a miss as I was pretty sure I wouldn't have any cork. Then I remembered the old cork coaster on my bedside table....managed to punch a little heart from it! I had to think about the wax paper, had a good look through my kitchen cupboard and voila! I knew the wax paper discs which came with an ancient burger press I never use would come in useful one day (well, no, didn't really think that, but come in useful they did!).

Anyway, back to the card itself....I used various Cuttlebug folders (about 10!!!!!) to make the wax patterns and once ready I inked the papers with various red and blue inks before stamping the Paper Artsy Eiffel Tower several times, cutting out and layering the images. I have no idea where the can-can girls stamp is from but the wings behind the clock face hanging from the Tim H idea-ology chain are part of an angel stamp and the lace stamp is by Kodomo (I used red spray inks on the paper first before stamping with black Versafine).


The red cardstock shape with the tower image was die cut with a Nesabilities label in the Cuttlebug. The swirly bird stamp in the background is by Stampin Up and I used a Castaway inkpad on plain red cardstock to create the bleached image. You can just about spot the cork heart on the layered label bottom left. I used an white gel ink pen to make the dots on the red labels. That's about it really, just finished it off by threading some red grossgrain ribbon through punched holes down the inner right hand side of my blue card base and added a dotty bow, or is it a butterfly?

Neglected Stash!

I don't make childrens' cards very often but on Tuesday, whilst looking for some cardstock I came across a huge stash of 12 x 12 papers I bought a few years ago and decided I really should actually use some of them. I went through a phase when I started making cards of buying any pack of paper that caught my eye but never got around to using it. The large card blank was another impulse buy consigned to the back of a drawer! This all fits in very nicely with this week's My Time To Craft challenge (neglected or forgotten stash). Although the hills/grass were just cut from some pieces of thin card and coloured with various shades of green ink, the sky is ready made, as it's a sheet from a large DCWV photo stack and the pink dotty paper is by Doodlebug. I went a bit mad with the Cuttlebug when I bought some Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies a year or so ago and ended up with enough diecuts to last a lifetime. The happy birthday circle was embossed using a folder I bought at the same time as my Cuttlebug machine. I even dug out my first ever cardmaking purchase ....peel off stickers for the name and age, something else I bought quite a few of, then wondered why, as they got dog eared and stuck together every time I peeled one off the sheet and tried to cram them back into the storage box.