Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 55 - Colour

This week at Crafty Cardmakers we have a lovely colour combination for you to use.  It's Pink/Cream/Brown.  These are the only colours you can use (apart from colouring faces).  Let's see what you can come up with.  We are sponsored this week by the fab One Stop Cards who are offering one lucky winner a £10 voucher for their store.

I've gone a bit 'Ooh la la' for my card this week.  I used the fab PaperArtsy Vintage Nudes Plate 1 which I've stamped in Stampin' Up Early Expresso onto cream card.  I've matted the image onto a deep pink paper.  My card blank s cream and I've matted and layered brown and dark pink card onto it and then some lovely flowery paper from K & Co Classic K Bailey pad.  I've added a cream strip cut with my Martha Stewart Garden Trellis punch and then some little flowers with bling centres.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Dream Valley Challenge 19 - Anything Goes

This week we have decided to have an 'Anything Goes' theme at Dream Valley Challenges.  So, let's see what you can come up with.  The lovely Melly will be offering one lucky person a £10 voucher to use in either Crafty Emma's shop OR Sauarated Canary's Digi Image Esty store.

    I decided to make a Christmas Card.  I had promised myself last year I would get my cards made nice and early but somehow this is the only card I've made.  Must do better, lol.  I started with a large white card blank and added some lovely blue, then on top of that I added some white that has been run through my Cuttlebug using the Snowflakes folder.  Then I stamped the fabulous Paper Mania A Christmas Carol Bauble stamp in Versamark onto more blue card and embossed it with White embossing powder.  I found some white and silver peel-offs to frame the image, and there you go.  Simples.

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Little Claire's Monthly Challenge - Christmas

Winter Wonderland - CAS Christmas card

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Winter Blues

Simon Says Stamp - One Colour

 

Rare Bird!

I'm not sure what type of bird this is but I'm certain it's a rare one, LOL.  I started with a lovely blue card blank and stamped bird cages on the top and eggs on the bottom from Stampin' Up Nature's Walk in SU Cake Crumb.  Then I stamped the bird and eggs (same set) onto SU Lap of Luxury DP and cut them out.  I placed the eggs randomly (well randomly for me - I appear to be turning into a neat freak when it comes to cards although unfortunately not when it comes to housework!!!).  I added a strip of a different Lap of Luxury DP for the bird to stand on.  The Thank You is from SU Cute and Curly in Not Quite Navy punched out with Modern Label punch and Designer Label underneath.

I'd like to enter my card  in Crafts and Me - Winter Blues Challenge

I needed sunshine so . . .

We have had some very grey days and I felt in need of sunshine so I made this Thank You card nice and bright and cheerful.  I started with a white card blank and layered on some brown card.  Onto that I added some Stampin' Up Greenhouse Gala DP to the bottom half and orange card stamped with SU Ornate Flowers in Pumpkin to the top half and hid the join with a strip of green card.  I stamped the large flower from Ornate Flowers and the 'Thanks' from Scrappy Cat onto white card in SU Old Olive and tucked some scraps of ribbon behind this.

ATC Challenge 13 - Vintage or Anything Goes

The theme for this fortnight over at ATC Challenges is Vintage (or alternatively anything goes).  We are offering a pack of Papercraft Frames and Panels as a prize to one lucky winner.

I covered my ATC with some lovely paper from K&Co Isabella pad.  It reminds me of the wallpaper my Gran used to have in her bedroom.  Then I stamped some needles, scissors and buttons directly onto the backing paper using stamps from Crafty Secrets Clear Art Material Girl set.  I stamped the thread, sewing machine and dressmaking dummy onto some cream card before mounting them on the ATC and added a touch of colour using whispers pens.

I love Autumn

I was worried we weren't going to get a 'proper' autumn as we seemed to be getting our summer at the beginning of October (!) but it's here.  The leaves are all changing to the most glorious colours, there is frost on the ground and the fields are being ploughed.  I love it, lol.  So I decided to get out my Stampin' Up Autumn Days set and make a birthday card for my BiL.  First I stamped the lovely pheasant which I had coloured with just 4 Whispers pens by scribbling on him (red for his eye, teal for his neck and some bits on his body, and light and dark brown).  Then I masked him (cutting his tail was sooooo hard!) and stamped the background using SU inks More Mustard and Crumb Cake.  I added some tan coloured card to the bottom of the picture then cut it into a square and rounded the corners, mounting it onto a piece of dark brown card with, again, rounded corners, then added a leaf brad.  I wanted to use my large corner rounder from Woodware but have never achieved a great corner with this as the card won't go right into the guide and you always end up with a funny edge!  So it was back to my small, perfect, corner rounder.  Then I matted and layered brown and a sort of greeny/gold card onto my cream card blank after first wrapping round some SU twine, and popped my pheasant on the top.

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Boots - Autumn Challenge

Get Hippity with {ippity} - Fall colours

Paper Sundaes - Fall

The Artistic Stamper - Autumn Colours

CES Challenges - Forever Autumn

I think I've finally got it . . .

I have some lovely Photo-real stamps and I have had so much trouble not just stamping them, but also photographing them that I have nearly given up on them.  Then I discovered it wasn't them . . . it was me, lol.  I had been using photo-paper to stamp on and apparently that's not what you use.  You use GLOSSY card.  Oh what a difference.  I still need practice but the results are so much better.

So, I stamped my Flapper (from The Stampsmith Flaper 3 plate) onto Glossy card using Saddle Brown StazOn, then cut and mounted her using Nestabilities Ovals.  The bg paper is from K&Co Isabella pad (so pretty) and I added some eyelet lace across the middle.  Behind my image I've added some postcards (Aspect of Design in Stampin' Up Soft Suede) and then on top a little frame (again SU - Four Frames coloured with whispers pens)  with a greeting, and a flower.  Finally I've added some pearls.

I'd like to enter my card into the Vintage challenge at Moving Along with the Times.

Everything's coming up roses . . .

For a recent parchment swap the theme was gridwork and roses.  I went with a pattern from Aileen Childs which was published in Parchment Craft Magazine in February 2010.  The rose was coloured without tracing first by using Derwent Studio pencils on the front, then highlighted with embossing from behind..  Then as I do not own any PCA grids I used a Large Straight Pergamano grid put put it at an angle to get the diagonal lines for the large heart and the heart-shaped borders.

Quick Birthday Cards

I have loads of birthday cards to send in November so I thought I'd get ahead by making some reasonably quick cards.  I used stamps from Stampin' Up - Nature's Wonder and Heard from the Heart.  I stamped the images in different SU inks - Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist and More Mustard.  Then I matted and mounted each image on 2 shades of card.  The main background was made by using one of the shades of card, stamping the sentiment and running it through the Cuttlebug using either the Swiss Dots folder or the D'vine Swirls folder.  I added a ribbon in a matching colour before adding the image over the top.

A Couple of Cuties

I have been busy (for a change) and have made a batch of different cards.  These two use stamps I haven't played with for a while and are from Penny Black.

For this card I chose these cute mice from Penny Black Micey Day.  I stamped them onto watercolour card and then painted them using Whispers Pens and a little bit of Sakura Stardust.  They were then cut and matted using Nestabilities Ovals.  The main card was cut using a GoKreate Large Frame - Frilly #2 and I cut the bg paper (from PaperMania Creative Tones in Amethyst) with the same die.  I added a couple of swirls (QuicKutz Flourish), some flowers and bling and stamped the sentiment directly onto the bg paper.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Ch. 173 - On The Move

One Stitch At A Time Ch. 84 - Shape Up

Totally Gorjuss Ch. 102 - Bingo (Flowers/Swirls/Bling)

My second card using the stamp set Hugs!

Aren't these hedgehogs gorgeous!  Again they are stamped onto watercolour card and painted using Whispers pens.  Then they are cut, matted and layered using Nestability Square and Scallop Square dies.  The bg paper is from Basic Grey Boxer 12x12 (which I've had for ages cos there is only one sheet of each and it's sooooo hard to cut into, lol).  I edged the corner with my Martha Stewart Scallop Dot punch, added a sentiment (Stampin' Up Warm Wishes) and some bling using my i-rocks tool.  Finally I got out the much underused Flowersoft to add round the bottom of the flower pots.  I used Heather and Christmas Green mixed.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Stampin' For The Weekend Ch. 18 - Colours of Autumn

Creative Belli Blog Ch. 128 - Flowersoft

Delightful Challenges - Colours of Fall

Penny Black at Allsorts - Picture inspiration

Sketches by Carly - Sketch 42

Going round in circles

Cherry Cobbler/Old Olive/Pumpkin Pie/Early Expresso

Riding Hood Red/Basic Black

Early Expresso/So Saffron/Soft Suede

Baja Breeze/Wild Wasabi



Old Olive/Certainly Celery/Garden Green

 

Ages and ages ago (at least a year ago) I saw a card made with circle stamps that I really liked.  So I bought this set of stamps by Hero Arts (Circular Designs) and they have sat in my drawer unused all that time.  I finally got them out and went mad making five cards.  I started by cutting strips of white card and stamping various circles on them in various colours (all Stampin' Up ink - see captions), then stamped a smaller circle on spare card and cut it with a Woodware circle punch and popped it on top using foam pads.  I matted the strip onto coloured card with one edge punched (Martha Stewart Scallop Dots) and added a piece of ribbon.  What made me get these stamps out and play with them after all this time???  Well it was The Stamp Man challenge, Circle it.  So I'd like to enter my cards in their challenge.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 54 - Cute with a Dark Twist

At Crafty Cardmakers this week the theme is Cute with a Dark Twist.  We are sponsored this week by the lovely Joanna Sheen who is offering a £10 voucher to one lucky winner for her on-line store.  What is Cute with a Dark Twist, I hear you say?  Well, some of the team (but not all) have gone for a cute Halloween theme.  My own twisted sense went for something different! 

I started with a tag from Crafty Individuals which I coloured by inking through sequin waste with ColorBox Chalk ink in roughe and pigment ink in Robins Egg and Glacier Ice.  Then I sprayed over the top with Silver Sugar and Kiwi Glimmer Mist and mounted the tag onto burgundy card.  I stamped the little girl (from Tim Holtz's The Girls set) and paper pieced her dress with paper from Basic Grey Hello Lucious pad paper.  I also used some of the paper on the tag.  The 'alternative' Little Miss Muffet rhyme was printed on my computer (ending written by myself) and matted onto burgundy card.  Then I added some bling and fibres.

The box was made out of the same Basic Grey pad and lined with Doodlebug Crushed Velvet card in Ladybug, then a brad and fibre to make it easier to open the box.

The lovely spider is made from beads and wire.  I used a flower bead for her (definitely a her) body, a round crystal for her head and then silver bugle beads and clear seed beads for her legs. 

Dream Valley Challenge 18 - Halloween

This week over at Dream Valley the challenge is to make something with a Halloween theme.  So you can be as spooky as you like.  We are lucky to be sponsored by Robyns Fetish Digital Stamps, who are offering digital images as the prize for one lucky person.

I started with the cute Sugar Nellie Manga Girl and watercoloured her with Whispers Pens.  Then I sat her on some Stampin' Up pumpkins (Fall Whimsey).  The background is a free download from Grandmas Scrap 2 (thank you Grandma).  I added a peel-off border and some holographic stickers.

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Orange

Paper Sundaes - Halloween

Sparkles Forum - Halloween

Birds and Bookmarks

I've been making more parchment things this week as I have been out and about and parchment is something I can take with me.  First up is a card I made for my Mother-in-Law who has just had a big op.

The pattern for the Blue Tit came from Parchment Craft Magazine April 2010 and is by Lauren Berry.  I coloured the little bird with my Derwent Studio pencils, then mounted it on blue card, adding peel-offs round the edge and decorative corners.  The background paper is from Create and Craft.

Next I made a bookmark for my Daughter-in-Law.

This pattern was from the Pergamano Parchment Craft book by Martha Ospina.  I traced the pattern using a Pilot Gold Gel pen and Tinta Pearl White ink.  Then I added colour by putting dots of felt pen where I wanted it darkest and spreading it with a damp brush.  The gridwork was done on both a large and small straight grid and embossing was added to the flowers and borders.  Finally it was mounted onto some pastel rainbow parchment which I had cut with decorative scissors.

ATC Challenge 12 - Girly or Anything Goes

This fortnight the theme is either Girly or Anything goes over at the ATC Challenge blog.

I decided to dig out my Mad Tea Party stamp by Ching-chou kuik from Sweet Pea stamps.  I love this image.  I stamped it in black StazOn onto watercolour paper and then painted it using Whispers Pens as paints (I scribbled them onto an old tile and picked the colours up with my brush).   I made the background by wetting the paper and then dropping splodges of 'paint' onto the wet paper.  When it dried I added the trees.  I also added a little bit of Sakura Stardust pen for that little bit of bling.

Pop-up flowers

I joined a swap for a Pop-Up card and while searching on the computer found this fab card - http://1cardcreator.blogspot.com/2009/02/pop-up-card.html complete with instructions.  So here is my version.  I started with bright orange card for my inner and outer card and as I own a Stampin' Up Word Window punch I used that to make the slots for the step as instructed, lol.  It certainly made life easier as I was able to get the slots the same size.  Next I got out a favourite paper pad (DCWV Pocket Full of Posies) and used 4 of the pages to stamp flowers in various sizes from SU's Playful Petals set adding a tiny bit of bling with Sakura Stardust pens.  Then came the cutting out!  Before I added my flowers I decorated both the outside and inside of my card - outside sentiment from Paper Makeup stamps; inside sentiment unknown, both cut with Nestabilities Labels Four.  Then I added my flowers and some little bees (Anita's stamp) stamped onto yellow vellum with their wings blinged.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 53 - Anything Goes

Well, after a short break Crafty Cardmakers is back with a nice easy challenge - Anything Goes.  We are really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.  We have a new team so go check them out on the blog.  There is some wonderful inspiration on there.  We also have a slight change to our rules in that we will accept anything that has been entered into 15 challenges (that's 14 plus our own).  And as usual we have a lovely prize (Two Clear Stamp sets by Pink Paislee).  We are really looking forward to playing with you again.

 

Well, Anything Goes, so how could I resist.  I just had to get my parchment bits out and have a play.  I chose a pattern by my favourite designer, Judith Maslen, which was printed in the September 2009 edition of Parchment Craft Magazine.  It's called Autumn Fairy.  Isn't she gorgeous.  I used Derwent Studio pencils for her upper part and for the acorns and leaves.  Then I embossed her skirt and wings and added embossed highlights to the pencil work.  I made the border using a semi-circle tool and a sun tool and behind that, on the reverse of the parchment, I coloured blue using a pencil.  The edging of the parchment was made using the semi-circle tool again and a cross tool, then adding some gold pen. 

Dream Valley Challenge 17 - Monochrome

This week at Dream Valley our challenge is for you to use Monochrome tones on your creation.  This fortnight's winner will receive a £10 voucher from the fabby One Stop Card Crafts. 

I went with shades of brown and was inspired by my friend Cath who is a real artist.

I got our a new stamp set to play with - The Girls from the Tim Holtz Collection at Stampers Anonymous.  Isn't she gorgeous.  I stamped her in Timber Brown StazOn onto cream card then matted and layered her onto two different tones of brown card.  The background is made using the Polished Stone technique with Alcohol Inks in Butterscotch, Mushroom and Copper.  I stamped the word 'Giggle' directly onto the background in Saddle Brown StazOn and the little words at the bottom and 'Be Happy' at the top (from PaperArtsy Stage Lights 4) in Timber Brown.  Then I added a hand cut heart from a dictionary page which I had edged with felt pens.