Bright & Funky Floral Card- Kanban 'so feminine' & WRMK

I was inspired by the latest challenge from 'The Paper Shelter' http://thepapershelter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/challenge-94-flower-extra-vaganza.html to make something really bright and fun- perfect for a female birthday.

I started with an 8x8 Craftwork Cards scalloped edge card blank which, for once, I left exactly as it was (no inking, stamping or embossing!). I chose the topper that I wanted to use which is from the Kanban 'celebrate in style' sheet from the 'so feminine' kit. It already had a foiled edge that is a silvery/lilac colour. I then trawled through my vast collection of 12x12 papers to find something that would match the colourway. My 12x12 'Tiffanys' scrapbook pad by We R Memory Keepers was perfect. I chose 4 matching papers, some that used glitter and some that were plain. I cut a 9cm square from each one and joined at the back with double sided tape. I wanted to try something a bit different so I then used some pearlescent tape to go over the joins blending them but also emphasising them too!

I attached my paper square to the card blank using double sided tape and then attached the word topper with 3d foam. I then used my xcut flower punch to punch out 12 flowers from 4 more papers from the WRMK pad- this time I chose plainer papers as patterned ones would get lost on the background. I punched 3 green, 3 pink, 3 blue & 3 brown and used an embossing ball tall to shape them by pushing in the centre of each flower. I attached to flowers to the corners of the paper using PVA glue and then added a glittery centre using 'Star Dust' stickles glitter glue.

This is my first entry into a 'Paper Shelter' challenge but hopefully not my last- I do not yet have any of their beautiful digi stamps but hopefully if I win the challenge then that will change! Wish me luck!

Saturated Canary challenge #34- song inspiration! 'Star Girl' & '5 Colours in her Hair' card

When I found the Saturated Canary blog http://saturatedcanary.blogspot.co.uk/ just last week, I opened a whole new world of ideas and fell in love with the design style. I then found the challenge blog http://saturatedcanarychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ and the current challenge seemed perfect for me. The only rule was to use a Saturated Canary digi stamp and link to the theme of 'Song Inspiration'. As soon as I saw one of the design team had made a card inspired by a Take That song- I was hooked!

I had a look at the Saturated Canary shop and ended up buying 8 digi stamps which came to just over £20 which I think is excellent value. These are the first digi stamps I've bought over the internet and can see that this will be something I'll be doing again. They are much cheaper than rubber/acrylic stamps and, I think, more versatile as you can print them off at whatever size you need.

Out of all the stamps I bought, I chose to use the 'Starla' image as it reminded me instantly of the McFly song 'Star Girl'. Here is the card I have made for the challenge http://saturatedcanarychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/challenge-34.html

As well as 'Star Girl' I have also been influenced by another McFly song '5 colours in her Hair' and used this inspiration in the colouring of the image.

I started by colouring the image using my spectrum noirs and promarkers. I then added the star shaped self adhesive pearlescent & sparkle gems. I carefully cut out the image and set aside for later. I then got a 6x6 scalloped edge card blank and inked the edges with 'Peacock Feahers' & 'Picked Raspberry' distress inks. I then layered a Making Memories 8x8 paper that I randomly cut the edge of onto the card base. I then got a Kanban pre-cut white mat and embossed it with a star stencil using my grand calibur. I then used the same distress inks to emphasise the embossing. I layered the mat onto the card with double sided tape and then attached my 'Starla' image using 3d foam pads. I also used one of the messages that came with the didi stamp.

Craftwork Cards- Julie Cassidy's 'girly-girl-pink-cards' challenge

I really am loving my new year resolution of entering some card making challenges. It's had exactly the effect I was hoping for and, so far, I've been inspired to try some new things and use some of my crafty stash that has been sitting around unused for ages.

My latest challenge entry is for another Craftwork Cards challenge http://craftworkcards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/girly-girl-pink-cards.html. This time the brief was 'girly-girl-pink-cards' so here's my effort

I started with a piece of dusky pink A4 card that I folded in half using my ScorPal board. I then used my cricut Flower Shoppe cartridge to cut out a large flower template which I drew round onto the card. I then found out lots of different card candi all in shades of pink and used my candi fix to attach it to the drawn line.

The completed card is quite simple and was quick and easy to make and also shows off the beautiful range of card candi.

DoCrafts online store- update

I promised that I'd post a picture of my docraft goodies when they arrived and they finally turned up at the end of last week. I got an email to say they were on their way and the next day they were delivered so despite the christmas holidays, the service was pretty good.

The box wasn't quite as big as I expected when it was handed over to me and I began to feel a little disappointed

I shouldn't have done- when I got it open, it was very well packed inside. All of this came out of that little box and all for about £30 including postage

Definitely a website I'll be keeping an eye on in the future- especially as they will soon be having some Gorjuss new products!

Teal & Brown RockStar birthday card

This is another card that I've made to enter into a challenge but this time I'm entering 2 challenges with just 1 card!

I am entering this card into the Daring Cardmakers challenge http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/january-colour-challenge.html and Creative Inspirations challenge #195 http://cinspirations.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/challenge-195-celebration.html

The Daring Cardmakers aspect is the colours I have used and the Creative Inspirations aspect was the theme of 'Celebration'.

I started with a piece of A4 brown card that I folded into an easle card using my ScorPal score board. I cut a piece of DCWV Rock Star cardstock to act as the stopper at the base of the card, attaching it with foam pads. The toppers all came from a Card Creations Plus cd-rom 'Garden Sheds' that I printed out in the 'monochrome' format so that I could colour them to match the colour challenge. I used both Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers to do this. I then cut out the toppers, decoupaging the man image, and then attached them to the easle part of the card using 3d foam pads.

Craftwork Cards Jan 2013 challenge- Let It Snow!

So, this is my first challenge entry and it is for the Craftwork Cards blog- Craftwork Cards 'Let it Snow' challenge. The rules are that you have to stick to the theme and use mostly craftwork cards products- not too tricky for my first go I thought.

So here's my first entry-

I took my inspiration from the challenge theme but also from a commercially bought card that I was sent over Christmas. I was initially worried that I wouldn't have enough Craftwork Cards products to complete the challenge but then remembered that I had some lovely stamps that I hadn't had a chance to use yet- they were perfect.

I started by choosing which Card Candi I wanted to use as I knew this would affect the colour scheme that I was working with. I wanted to go for something a bit unusual so chose a chevron stripe card candi in pink, green & blue. I matched these card candi colours to my distress inks, choosing 'Stormy Sky', 'Shabby Shutters' & 'Spun Sugar'.

I used the 3 distress ink colours with some small snowflake craftwork cards stamps (designed to fit the top of plain card candi) to stamp the background of a 6x6 scalloped card blank. I had used my old 'Stormy Sky' inkpad to create a faded look. I then used my new 'Stormy Sky' inkpad to stamp the 2 large snowflake images both laying slightly off the edge of the card.

I then used my Quickie Glue Pen to go over the stamped design and glittered it with a silver holographic glitter- I tried to make sure that I could still see the stamped outline. I then added the card candi to the spaces in the stamp.

I finished the card off with the 'Let It Snow' message that is another Craftwork Cards stamp that I again inked with the 'Stormy Sky' distress ink. Being a Craftwork Cards stamp, it again had a perfect space for me to add another card candi as the o of snow.

It's a very simple card and is exactly my style- a good starter for my first challenge I think.

New Year- New Challenges!

I have decided to make a New Years Resolution this year (not something I normally do) but as it's a crafty one, I'll hopefully be more likely to stick to it.

It should probably be to stop buying more crafty stash but that would never happen so there's no point! My New Years Resolution is to start entering some crafty challenges from various blogs & websites. My hope is that it will inspire me to try something new with my cards and give me a focus as I sometimes lack inspiration. I might win some prizes too which would be fab (and help me to spend less!).

I will, of course, try to post my challenge entries here too so that if other people want to enter too then the links will be here (if I can work out how to do that!).

Anyway, I have completed my first challenge so I'd better get on with blogging it...