Back to crafting- finally!

I haven't posted (or crafted for that matter) for about 6 months as work has been manic! Things have finally slowed down a bit so I'm back to crafting, posting & challenges- yay!

Thankfully, lots of the challenge blogs I take part in have 'anything goes' challenges at the moment which is great as a starter for me again.

I am posting a Christmas card that I made for someone at work-

It was a quick & simple card to make perfect as I was last minute (surprise surprise!).

I started with a 6x6 white card blank that I covered using Craftwork Cards paper from one of their recent Christmas packs that include papers & sentiments. After attaching the backing paper to the card using double sided tape, I used a Sheena Douglass stencil and gold Buff It paste to add extra detail to the background. I took one of the message toppers from the Craftwork Cards kit that matched the backing paper. I wanted to create a gold mirror border for the topper (to match the stencilled design) but didn't have the right shape so I used one of my die-cut shapes to firstly cut the topper and then to make a mat to match. I used foam pads to mount the message topper to add a little extra height and interest.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

CRAFT challenges 'anything goes' 31/12

Christmas Card Challenges 'anything goes' 3/1

Crafty Hazlenut 'anything goes' 2/1

Crafty Hazlenut Extra 'anything goes' 31/12

Creative Card Crew 'anything goes' 4/1

Creative Inspirations 'christmas' 6/1

Papertake weekly 'anything goes' 6/1

Penny's papercrafting challenges 'anything goes' 6/1

That Craft Place 'anything goes' 3/1

Paper Shelter 'anything goes' 6/1

Muddy Mess

I made another card today using lots of old goodies but some of them haven't been used very much!

It's a card in my usual CAS style and was quite quick to create (apart from the colouring of the digi stamp). The digi image comes from an Angelica & Adam crafters companion cd-rom that I've had for a while but not used all that much. I coloured the image with a mix of promarkers and spectrum noirs. I then used walnut stain distress ink to dirty up the edges of the topper. I took two different colours of camouflage print paper from DCWV 'boys'A4 stack and cut them to mat the topper. I used a Sheena Douglass embossing folder to add muddy splats to the green paper and then inked it with the same walnut stain distress ink as the topper. I scrunched up the brown paper before teaching it to the card to add the dirty scruffy look and add another texture. I layered everything up onto a khaki green A5 card blank folded from a sheet of A4 card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
A blog named hero 'embossing' 28/5
Catch the Bug 'photo inspiration' 31/5
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes' 30/5
Crafty Catz 'embossing' 29/5
Digi Choosday 'day out' 3/6
Papertake Weekly 'cute' 27/5
Cutie Pie 'embossing' 7/6

DJ love

Only 1 card made this weekend as I've finally started my Harry Potter scrapbook and while I seem to be in the mood, I want to get as much done as possible!

Here it is...

A nice simple card using a fab Saturated Canary digi stamp.

I started by colouring my digi aiming to use the colours to emphasise what I see in the image- a very confidant woman and a shy man. I used very bright colours for her and quite muted tones for him. When I had finished the colouring of the digi, I mounted it onto some silver mirror card just to help it stand out.

I chose a piece of bright orange A4 card to make into the A5 base card that matched the orange colour used on the digi. I then took a piece of turquoise chevron patterned paper from DCWV Girlhood Stack and embossed it with Sheena Douglass 'splat' embossing folder. I then inked the paper with Spiced Marmalade distress ink to highlight the embossing.

I used double sided tape and 3d foam tape to attach all of the pieces together before finishing off with the turquoise jems.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
cards galore 'use a digi/stamp' 30/3
Daring Cardmakers 'colour challenge' 14/3
Graph'It 'male colours' 21/3
Paper Shelter 'DT call' 20/3
Penny's paper crafty challenges 'not square' 11/3
Paper shelter 'anything goes' 11/3
Creative Inspirations 'anything goes' 11/3
Craft room challenges '20th Century' 17/3 (records being used on the turntable)
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes' 4/4

Sunny Sunflowers

This is my final card of the weekend and one that I'm really pleased with. It uses some new stash and some new ideas that I've not tried before but now I know it works, I'll definitely be using it again.

This card is made using another new Sheena Douglass embossing folder.

I wanted to create a distressed background but didn't have a core'dinations cardstock in the colour palette I needed- so I made my own!!! I started with a piece of brown A4 card that I painted with yellow emulsion from a tester pot (it even had its own brush so no mess!). I then embossed it using the sunflower embossing folder and then used fine sand paper to sand back the paint to reveal the brown paper underneath. It works really well and I'vegot hundreds of tester pot colours that now have a new use!

I trimmed down my backing paper, tied a brown organza ribbon around the spine and attached it to an 8x8 white base card. I then embossed the same sunflower design onto gold/yellow mirror card and then went over the top of the raised aspects of the design with a brown promarker. I cut them out and used various levels of 3d foam to mount them onto the card.

I finished the card by using the remainder of the painted cardstock to cut a small mat (using a Kanban one as a template) and then attaching it to the card backwards and adding the peel-off message.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
Country View Challenges 'paint' 28/2
Totally Gorjuss 'sunny colours' 7/2
Cute Card Thursday 'new' 5/2
A Blog Named Hero 'flowers' 14/2
Daring Cardmakers 'belt & braces' 7/2
Crafty Catz 'anything goes' 6/2
Crafters Cafe 'ribbon' 4/2

Flower Power

I've been busy crafting again this weekend and have managed to make a few cards. Here's the first...

I've used all manner of new things on this card today- some of which are completely new (as in arrived on Thursday from C&C) and some which are new as in had for ages but not used yet!

This card started with the flower design embossing folder which is from the Sheena Douglass range which was a Pick of the Week/4 day deal on C&C last week. I inked one piece of white card using both Picked Raspberry & Peacock Feathers distress ink and then embossed it with the folder. I then sanded back the top of the card to make the flower design stand out as white against the coloured background. I had to join the design as it is an A5 folder so I placed a purple ribbon across the join and attached the 2 pieces to the outside panels of the card. To provide contrast, I wanted the middle panel to be embossed in the opposite way so I embossed it first and then inked it using the same distress ink colours, so that the debossed side was used.

I then coloured the Ebony digi stamp (from The Greeting Farm) using a similar colour palette of pink, turquoise & purple and some gems for her headband. I cut out the digi leaving a small white border and then attached her to the central panel of the card with 3d foam pads. I then added the peel-off message.

To complete the card, I used the same floral embossing folder and three different colours of black core'dinations cardstock to emboss more flowers which I sanded back before cutting out and using as toppers across the card.

This is the first time that I've made a card in this 3 panel style but I really like it and it was quick to put together (although the sanding took ages and made a lot of mess!)

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
Catch the Bug 'anything goes' 8/2
Polkadoodles 'anything goes/oriental' 9/2
Cards Galore 'bling' 28/2
Graph'It 'anything goes/different colour hair' 9/2
Cute Card Thursday 'something new' 5/2
TGF Farm Fresh Friday 'layers' 7/2
Creative Inspirations 'stamping' 4/2
Digi Choosday 'anything goes/in the pink' 3/2
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes' 28/2
Daring Cardmakers 'belt & braces' 7/2

Autumnal Oak

This weekend there don't seem to have been enough daylight hours for me to do everything I want to! I love winter and the dark nights but there are lots of jobs I want to do that require daylight and it's just gone too soon at the minute. My Hogwarts crest cross stitch is not going to be finished any time soon!

Anyway, no cross stitch but plenty of card making. Here's my first card made this weekend

I've been busy on Pinterest looking for some winter themed art for an activity with the kids at work and that partly led to the inspiration for this card. It combines lots of different techniques and products.

I started with a 6x6 white card blank. I inked the edges with 'spiced marmalade' distress ink and then added 'gathered twigs' to some edges. I trimmed a piece of DCWV autumn leaf paper to fit the card and then mounted it with double sided tape. I stamped my Sheena Douglass 'majestic oak' stamp with a brown memento ink onto some plain white cardstock. I then brayered the background using 'squeezed lemonade', 'spiced marmalade' & 'barn door' distress inks. The stamp is simply the branches of the tree so I used a mix of promarkers (named) and spectrum noirs (numbered) to add the leaves. I worked on a small area at a time as I wanted the alcohol inks to blend. I put down my lightest colour GB1 down first and then added dots of GB6, GB10, OR2, Crimson & Burnt Orange. I used the GB1 ink to blend the colours in. It looked a little odd at the beginning but after sitting for a while, blended well. I then mounted my tree onto some brown mirror card and added it to the card.

Here's a close up of the tree so that you can see the blending now it has settled

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
Love to Create 'autumn colours'
Creative Inspirations 'favourite stamp brand' (Sheena Douglass)
Crafty Little Fairies 'autumn colours'
Graph'It 'autumn colours'

Truly, Madly, Deeply- Songbird Challenge Blog DT call

When I saw that the Songbird Challenge Blog was looking for some new DT members, I knew that I had to give it a go. I love music and I love crafting so it's a blog I love! Here's the card that I've made for the DT call... (I've even managed to sneak a song title into it)

This card reflects my crafting style in many different ways. It has a broadly CAS style, includes stamping & colouring, has a little bit of sparkle and isn't your run of the mill design. It also has a technique that I'd not tried before today. I love to try out new things & always have a wide range of crafting projects on the go (at the moment it's cards, scrapbooking, cross stitch (picture & phone cover), wax crayon melting & shoe decoration)!

I started with a square of black card that I had cut from an A4 sheet to 19cm. I used my Inkadinkado circle stamping gear and my new 'Halloween' stamps to create the skull design around the card. I stamped using Indigo Blu 'Flitterglu' so that I could use my gilding flakes on them. This is the first time I've used the Flitterglu even though I've had it for a while. It worked brilliantly.



I then stamped the goblet (from Sheena Douglass' 'a little bit magical' stamps) onto card using a memento ink (so I could Promarker it) and onto acetate using stazon. I used 3 green promarkers to create the liquid inside the glass on the card version and then painted silver stencil paint onto the back of the acetate goblet so that when I layered them together, it looked more like a realistic glass. I stamped the potions bottles onto card and again coloured them with a range of promarkers before adding glossy accents to the glass areas. I attached the goblet & bottles to the black card with double sided tape and then stamped the 3 word sets to look as if they were coming out of the goblet. I stamped them in a Versamark ink and then used silver & green mica powders to colour them.

I am entering this card into the following challenges (as well as the DT call):-
Songbird Challenge Blog 'DT call'
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes'
Love to Create 'Clean & Simple'
Creative Inspirations 'Clean & Simple'
Graph' It 'no characters'

T'wit T'woo

We've got a new challenge over at Card Makin Mamas for August and it's a nice simple one (I think)! All you need to do is make a card using just 3 colours- BLACK, WHITE + 1 OTHER and link it up to our challenge here. The prize is a mystery box of goodies from head mama Jess so come and take a look. Here's my DT card using BLACK, WHITE & BRONZE.

It's a really simple card starting with a sheet of A4 white card that I folded to make an A5 base card. I used different sized feather stamps from Sheena Douglass to stamp the base card to create my own design. I used a black VersaFine inkpad, double stamping to get the grey tone as well as the pure black, and a bronze VersaColour inkpad. The main owl image is a beautiful Indigo Blu stamp that I got at a show recently- it has amazing detail and stamps beautifully. I stamped it and embossed with black embossing powder and then coloured the image with 3 different shades of bronze Cosmic Shimmer iridescent watercolour paints. I cut out my Owl image as close to the embossing as I could and then used 3d foam to mount it onto a double layered Kanban mat.

This card shows that with a beautiful stamp, it's easy to make a fantastic card. Now show us what you can do!

New CMM challenge- Washi Tape

There's a brand new challenge over at the Card Makin Mamas blog and this time it's Washi Tape. I'm not a huge fan of washi tape so this was most definitely a challenge for me! I had a look around pinterest to try and find some inspiration and this is what I created...

I started by placing stripes of the tape onto the card in both vertical & horizontal directions. I then used a Sheena Douglas butterfly stamp, with black stazon, straight onto the top of the tape giving me the gappy image (technical term!). I then added the 2 small stamped butterflies using a black versafine ink basically to prove that I can stamp properly when I want to! Really simple and not my most favourite card ever but still pretty effective I think.

If I can manage a washi tape card then so can you so come & join in- you might be a lucky winner!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
MayzyArt 'rainbow'
Pink Elephant 'washi tape'