Papremakeup Challenge

As I bleat all too often, cutsie and I just don't seem to go together, but determined not to let this impediment stand in my way, I've just returned from Stampalot with some new goodies including some Sarah Kay stamps. Also in my new stash is a stapler with super coloured and patterned jumbo staples, so I had to use it on this card didn't I.

So Dawn, this is to compliment your super sketch for this weeks Paper Makeup challenge. My Granddaughter picked out this little elephant image by Rachelle Anne Miller which has been simply stamped, embossed and coloured with Marvy pens. The DP's are Basic Grey. Circles cut on the cuttlebug using nesties. And finally, apols to all that I've not used PMU stamps again, but as Katie can confirm they are over the pond as I write.

Messy techniques

I'm all behind, no post yesterday and it's afternoon already, but the sun's been shining and I did spend an hour or so in the garden.

Anyway, I did get down to work eventually and here's a couple of a new batch I've come up with for Sir Stampalot using some new goodies which came from them the other day.

I enjoyed the grungy foil and alcohol ink technique I posted up last week so the first card follows exactly the same process.

The lovely leaf stamp is a new one from Hero S5154 and the background mat is stamped with Hero H2365, which I'm so pleased is back in their 2009 catalogue after being discontinued a while back.

My second card is another version of the card I did for this weeks Sketch and Stash challenge again following the same technique explained there.

I added some lace and a bird cut on Cricut Home Decor to carry the theme through.

I am also linking this post to the DT call from Funky Hand.

Sketch and Stash challenge 9

The latest challenge for Sketch and Stash is to create a card based on Lena's sketch. Goodness knows why because it's a super sketch, just my sort of layout, but I struggled from the start, probably because I wanted to use a new sheet of DCWV paper and couldn't decide what to put with it.

In the end, I ran a piece of card through the cuttlebug using birds and swirls folder, brayered over it with a multi coloured ink pad which left a nice highlight round the images. Next I brayered again using a glue pad and then added ultrafine iridescent glitter to the whole piece. Added ribbons, flowers and brads, stamped greeting with Hero CL278 across the bottom using a matching green emboss powder and a butterfly stamped on vellum with PB 3819D which I then glittered. I love the main image, but not entirely sure about the finished card, although the colours seem to run through OK.

Cupcake challenge 57

This weeks Cupcake challenge set by Caryn is a real fun one - "5 different embellishments - you can use more than one flower or brad for example, but it will only count once!!".

Hopefully I've got enough, I've tried counting it all ways and think I'm there. The main image is Hero H5143 stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Sakura glaze pens. The circles are cut on the cuttlebug using nesties and just one the birdies stamped and coloured. Scallop cut on cricut PS and patterned paper is Prima, plus oddments of ribbon and lace.

I am also linking this post to the Funky Hands DT call.

My furry friends

I thought I would share a few piccies of my four legged friends as I don't think I'll get round to much card making today.

The three amigos Buffy (left) Abbey (right) and foreground young George, only four months old and a lot to learn from the senior girls.

Ben at the beach with Anysia and Heskey, another big baby with lots of learning still to do.

My time to Craft 58

My time to Craft Challenge 58 is Metallica and gives me a perfect opportunity to try out a new technique I discovered this week using acetate, crumpled foil an old book and inks which you can find here. It's super messy and I added my own slant by using Glimmer Mists along with the alcohol ink so you get some extra glitz - remember, glitter makes the world go round - doesn't it ?

Both stamps are PB, the main image 2407K stamped with black stayzon, highlighted with an Inkssentials opaque pen and the swirly one 2636K stamped with versamark and embossed with detail clear. The edges of the card have been distressed with TH antique linen, rubbed with versamak and dipped into detail gold to highlight them as has the black mat. I have added some punched out butterflies from another piece made up using the same foil technique.

Secret Crafter DT call Saturday Challenge

My "DT call" and card for this weeks Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge which is SHAPED CARDS is a cottage cut on the cricut. The climbing ivy, wisteria and flowers are all stamped with Art Impression stamps using Marvy pens. The pigeon on the roof and bunnies are also stamped, cut out and coloured and diamond glazed. I masked the little flower pot to create a stack of pots and then decoupaged them. The cottage eaves and curtain are paper oddments from my stash.

Penny Black challenge 46

This weeks Penny Black challenge is 'Anything Goes', so I am using a card I created for an upcoming Penny Black class I'm taking at Sir Stampalot called Shades of Summer - the class is being repeated several times and I think there may still be a couple of spaces left if anyone is interested (contact Stampalot to book).

Stamp used are PB 3819D, 3645K, 3948K, 2945H, 3878F, plus one from Hero and a few from Art Impressions to create the top borders. The arched panels were cut on the cricut and the panel with the sentiment has been sprayed with GM's. Bottom border strip is My Minds Eye paper and the buckles cut on the cricut.

The edges of each arch panel have been embossed using versamark and detail gold embossing powder. Finally, embellished with gems, stickles and diamond glaze.

Two challenges in one

Well, anyone who knows me can have a good giggle because they will know just how hard I found this one. I struggle with busy and cutsie and like nice symmetrical cards. Challenge 57 for Cute Card Thursday is "Getting Edgy - tear, sand, distress or sew the edges of your card". That on it's own wasn't a problem but time being short I wanted to try and combine it with this weeks Friday Sketcher which has a nice sketch by Murielle from France, but quite busy which is where I have problems.

Anyway, I started with a GM'd background (gold, terracotta and sunkissed peach) and tore the edges and distressed with TH vintage photo, then stamped all over with a crackle background stamp from Magenta 32090M using brilliance cosmic copper and as usual if in doubt rely on good old favourite Stampendous P107 stamped with versamark and embossed with detail copper. Then my problems really started, lots of embellies needed to fit the sketch, so flowers, buttons, gems, ribbon and so on. Finally a greeting from Stampsmith and background paper is Daisy Bucket. Done !

Crafty homework

One of my granddaughters who is twelve loves to craft and spends hours in my craft room and often finds ways to draw it into her school work.

For the last month or so she has been working on a history project based on Oliver Cromwell which seemed to be taking forever - and an awful lot of cardstock !

An inside page layout.

Although she need only have written an illustrated essay, she decided to create a book which she bound together with the Zutter. She also used the cricut to cut envelopes and other elements to build up the content.

But it's all been worthwhile because this week we saw the results of all her hard work as she received an amazing mark and comment from her teacher.

So naturally I had to share it ! Good works deserves reward, so looks like it's going to be a costly weekend !

Three Clovers challenge 10

This weeks challenge on Three Clovers is It's a Zoo around here!! And it was a challenge as I could not think of a suitable stamp as most of my animal stamps are of the domestic variety. Then my husband remembered a JudiKins cube (African safari 67271) I've had for years, not strictly zoo, but zebras can be found in zoos cant they ?

The background was brayered using a multi colour ink pad and two of the safari scenes repeat stamped with Stayzon. I stamped extra grass using Art Impressions AAA1374 greeting is also AI G3130. The circles cut on nesties and stamped with another side of the cube.

JudiKins princess

Today I am sharing another card made with the new JudiKins stamps featured on Stampaddicts latest show, Stamped in black stazon and coloured with Marvy and Sakura pens onto mats cut on the cuttlebug with nesties.

Three Clover Designs challenge 9

Good morning and the sun is shining ! This is a new challenge for me from Three Clover Designs - have to confess is was their lovely logo which caught my eye. The task: "It's Technique Time!! Use an old favorite that you haven't done in awhile or try something new!".

So I decided on masking. A very similar card to one I did as a Penny Black sample a while ago. The stamp is PB 3949H, masked and stamped three times on to mats cut on Cricut Storybook, coloured simply with Marvy pens. The greeting is also PB 3940F all from Stampalot.

Papertake challenge 13

This weeks Papertake weekly challenge is to follow Dawny's sketch, mine is a bit of a loose interpretation but hope it fits the bill OK. I needed a male birthday card so created a countryside scene with Art Impression stamps and Marvy pens. The swirl was cut on Cricut storybook.

Cup Cake chellenge 36

My second card today is for the Cup Cake challenge 36. The main image is Hampton Arts 4523 and the three greetings Kanji cube from The Stamp Barn. All stamped with versafine black and clear embossing powder, coloured with Marvey pens and lightly distressed round the edges with TH tattered rose.

Excitement when the postie came today as my blog candy arrived courtesy of Kath - do visit her as she has some wonderful artwork on her blog. The candy is a selection of oriental themed goodies from Craftworks. The Misaki stamp set has some great images and I really like the floral border which has so many possibilities. Here are three fairly simple cards which I have come up with.

The first one using the potted flower has been stamped in black and embossed with detail clear onto a piece of 'leftovers' from some inking techniques using chalk eye inks. The black mat has been heat embossed using one of the small flowers with versamark and detail clear again. All matted onto bazzil dots.

The next uses the border, stamped in black and embossed with detail clear to create corner elements, the middle mats also part of the candy and the centre cut on nesties, stamped three times with the fan to create a circle and a flower and brad to finish. Sorry about the picture on this one, whichever way I tried I got glare, not that I'm moaning about the sun which eventually arrived in the fens today !

My final one today uses the little Japanese girls 'dressed' in My Minds Eye papers and the background papers are more from my candy pack as is the scallop card. The ovals cut with nesties on the cuttlebug and the corner flowers on Cricut Storybook with some little florist stamens added.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge 28

In anticipation of an early start tomorrow to go to Ally Pally, I am posting tomorrows card this evening. The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is to create a scene and as I was planning on doing some more samples for Stampaddicts with the new JudiKins stamps that featured on their latest C&C show, I have used the rainy day girl as the main feature. Stamped with Stayzon and the park scene built up with Art Impression stamps inking with Marvy pens. The greeting is Woodware FRCL128, the circles cut on nesties and the girls brolly, hat and coat stamped onto Daisy Bucket paper.

Penny Black challenge 47

Glimmer mists yet again for this weeks Penny Black challenge, yes they are still my favourite new toy six months on. This time terracotta, key lime, sunkissed peach and gold and Basisgrey papers which match the GM's really well. The main image is PB3939K stamped with brilliance thyme, rust and crimson copper embossed with detail clear. The image has been inked up again, stamped off and then stamped offset against the main image to give a very feint shadow effect. The scroll is PB 3878F and greeting Art Impressions F3143. The butterflies have been embossed with detail clear to give them a gloss and the buttons threaded with raffia.

I am also linking this card to the Funky Hands DT call.

Sketch Something and Cute Card Thursday 56 challenge

The Cute Card Thursday Challenge 56 is called Floral Fantasy, so I just had to take part. It asks simply that you use any type of flower on your card. I am combining my card with this weeks Sketch Something challenge where the theme is green, blue and yellow.

I have created a glimmer mist background using linen card as this picks up the mica elements of the sprays so well, using midnight, key lime and pineapple and a top coat of iridescent gold. The stamp is American Art Stamps Field of Daisies stamped in black and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Sakura pens and ultrafine glitter added when still wet. Birthday wishes from Woodware FRCL128, flowers, buttons, ribbon, gems and bazzil run through the cuttlebug using Swiss dots.

Very purple Friday Sketchers 48

This weeks Friday Sketchers challenge seems to have taken me out of my comfort zone. It's a lovely sketch but more layers and elements than I would normally use, but I couldn't resist the challenge anyway.

The paper is from Kaiser, the background stamp PB 3868J which I stamped with brilliance Violet and embossed with detail clear and then bleached parts of the flowers. That's one of the things I like about bleaching, you're never sure what you will end up with and this time I got this pretty pink from the purple cardstock so used this as my second colour. The main image is Magenta 14573L stamped onto bazzil cardstock with versamark and a pink embossing powder. Stamps and paper from Stampalot. The corner greeting has been handwritten using an Inkssentials opaque white pen onto an acrylic slide sent to my by Stampaddicts.

Sketch and Stash Challenge 8

My second card today is for the Sketch and Stash challenge 8. The background for the main image has been sprayed with GM's lemon zest, key lime, honey dew mist, oversprayed with iridescent gold and the edges distressed with TH peeled paint. The main stamp and spotlight is Magenta P0542 using versafine back and detail clear emboss and the corner flourish Hero F4514 from Stampalot.

The gorgeous green paper is a new Best Creations design and the stick pin has been made up in coordinating colours with materials from Spellbound also new goodies.

The colours on the card are quite a vivid green but the light is so bad today getting a good image has been almost impossible.

My Time to Craft challenge 57

My card today is for My Time to Craft challenge 57 following a set template layout. The main image is using Creative Expressions HH269F. Two layers are both stamped with versafine black and clear emboss powder, then glittered and gems added for the thorax and wire for the anteni. The two white bands have been embossed on the cuttlebug and the mats with nesties.

Cricut and a little stamping

A very quick and easy card today. The frame is made on the Cricut using DS to weld it all together. The outer frame from Home Decor, the inner circle Plantin and the scrolls joining the two together from Storybook which have been used as corners as well. The greeting is Hero CL278, the decoupage a die cut one and the cardstock Bazzil.

Two challenges in one

Today I am combining two challenges using one card - Papertake Challenge where the theme is pastels and Paper Makeup which requires ribbon must be used on the card. Yesterday I saw the first irises in the garden so this stamp came to mind, Great Impressions K47 stamped. The background has been stamped with an old Hero block stamp inked with Hero Lilac and spritzed. The main image is stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Marvy pens and a light cover of stickes. The vellum is stamped with Art Impression AA3384 embossed with holographic. All simple matted with bazzil.

Cricut Cuttables to play with

I was recently given some of the new Cricut Cuttables products to try out which include stencil material, stamp making kit and Cuttlebug folder kit. All are designed to be cut on the Cricut and with the exception of the cuttlebug folder material which still needs some practice, I have to say I am impressed with the quality of the finished project, plus it opens up a whole new ball game to create exactly what you want.

In this card I have used the stencil material to cut the stencil from Home Accents and used with Glimmer Mists (kiwi, honey dew mist, lily pad and irri gold) to create the lilac and green background. The bird and branch image was cut from the latex type stamp material using Home Decor and Storybook, welding the images together on the DS. As the branch was a bit delicate I mounted the cut material onto easymount and was amazed at the quality of the stamped image. Here I used Brilliance lightening black and clear embossing powder and I like the way the slightly less intense black of this ink allows a shadow of the GM's to show though making the bird look thrush like.

The greeting is Woodware FRC128 cut with nesties and diamond glazed. I have stamped around the top with Art Imression F2044 and the bottom with Hero F5042 and the paper is My Minds Eye. All products from Sir Stampalot.

Penny Black Challenge 44

The Penny Black Challenge this week is a bit different and really did set a challenge - a gift, but of course a Penny Black stamp must still feature on the project. I decided to do another version of the Easter basket I made earlier this week (make up details can be found in my post Good Friday) and fill it with luxury spa products. The glittery paper this time is from KandCo. The stamp is Penny Black 3949H from Sir Stampalot and has been simply stamped in versafine black onto bazzil cardstock and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Sakura pens and covered with diamond glaze with stickles in the centre. The circles were cut with nesties. I ran a double line of matching ribbon round the bottom of the basket to finish.

Saturday Challenge 27

Chocolate Orange was the theme for the Saturday Challenge this week applied to a set template layout. The stamp is one I've had for years - Chapel Road B21which came from Stamp Addicts. Stamped in versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear and chalked to add definition. The same process with the dragonflies from the stamp but onto vellum, lightly glittered and decoupaged. The paper is My Minds Eye.

Stamp Something Challenge

This weeks challenge for Stamp Something is 'Shapes' using a minimum of two different shapes. The card I have created is a design I have used several times before which uses up lots of scraps of paper, ribbon etc., - unusual for me given that I'll be the first to admit I'm not a thrifty crafter. The design is always popular at demos as it offers people lots of ideas of how they can use their stash in their own way. In this one I have used one of my favourite colour combinations of yellow and blue. All stamps are Hero Arts unmounted with the exception of the Penny Black butterfly, all stamped with versafine majestic blue and embossed with clear detail onto Bazzil and Sandylion.

Friday Sketcher Week 47

This is my first card for the Friday Sketchers Challenge. I quite like the idea of having a template sketch as the thinking is done for you and all that's left to decide is what stamps and elements to use. On this one I have gone with Poppies a favourite from Penny Black 3949H (Sir Stampalot), coloured simply with Marvy pens, diamond glazed with a touch of stickles in the middle while still wet and lightly chalked. The background paper is Daisy Bucket, the corner swirl Magenta 1205C and greeting Woodware FRC128. Oval mounts are cut on the CB with Nesties.

Happy Easter

I made this for my chocoholic Granddaughter. In case you wonder why I've made only one when I have four granddaughters and a grandson the answer is simple - two will be away for Easter sailing on the Broads, two live some distance away so these four have opted for "the dosh" as one so eloquently put it.
The four sides of the box were cut on the cricut machine using Wild Card and Plantin Schoolbook welding various elements together on the DS to achieve four pieces with side flaps and bottoms for joining. I scored lines where I wanted the joins and stuck all pieces together with Art Institute dries clear glue which gives a strong, almost instant weld. I then cut out for pieces as the outer sides using the same cartridges and Crate Paper (SirStampalot) and stuck them in place leaving a small white border at the top to give definition. Finally I added a handle fixed with gem brads, flowers and ribbons on each corner and gems in the centre of the flowers.

Three pooches

Two cards using this cute dog H197 by Stamps by Judith (stampaddicts). The first card has been masked and stamped three times with Stayzon black and coloured in with Marvy pens. The greeting is a favourite of mine Penny Black 3419D (SirStampalot). The background paper is from Daisy Bucket which I have overstamped around the borders to give a bit more dimension to the card with JudiKins 3345F using Versamark and embossed with gold detail. The dogs noses and collars have been diamond glazed to make them shine which shows up better in the close up picture.

The second card has been very simply stamped and embossed with versafine black and clear powder. The mats are cut using nesties labels as is the greeting which is stamped with C98 also by Stamps by Judith. The ballons are cut on Cricut Stretch your Imagination and the base card overstamped with a paw stamp (afraid no ide of origin) and the dog image coloured in with Marvy pens.

Glimmer Mists again

I've been at the Glimmer Mists again and created an oval to stamp on by masking the cardstock and spraying GM's honey dew mist, rose tea over a base of key lime and a top coat of iridescent pearl. I stamped over these sections with Hero H2367 in brilliance beige. The main stamp is from Stamp by Judith as is the flower which is one of their stubby stamps and the greeting a Skinny Stamp SK-L6-207. Main image and greeting stamped with versafine black, flowers with Brilliance orchid and all embossed with detail clear. Embellished with flowers and pearls. The background paper is Laundry Line from My Minds Eye.

Just cricut

The inspiration for this card comes from a blogging friend who spent hours on her Cricut creating a beatifully delicate frame. I don't have the exact cartridges she used, but this is my take using Accent Essentials (frame) and Wild Card (circles) which are all welded together so the frame is cut as one. The butterfly was made on the Cuttlebug and embellished with stickles and gems. Afraid the pictures not brill and the gems don't show up too well - I'll blame the wet dull weather providing insufficient light rather than my lack of photography skills !