Paper Makup Challenge

The PMS challenge this week has been set by Kim and is entitled "Bookworm Style" - the clue's in the title - make a bookmark.

I have used a design that always goes down well in demos and class and at the risk of being boring have stuck with the same stamps as they lend themselves to the project. Stamps are PB 3868J and 3948K, Hero H2365 (no I don't use this on all my cards, well not quite anyway !) and Hobby Art GR1830B.

The card and bookmark are a very pale lilac pearlescent. The script has been stamped with hero soft lilac and the images with brilliance Victorian violet and detail clear emboss powder. The 'with love' greeting has been stamped with versamark and embossed with detail white.

The bookmark is cut from a darker bazzil, scored and folded double so the back element can be slotted through slits cut in the card the width of the bookmark. The decorative element with the ribbon and flowers has been matted onto the front section and the greeting stamped onto the inside of the bookmark where it slots through the card so it's visible when in place and lifted.

The bookmark simply slides out for for use or left as the case may be - as Nigel May so innocently said when he showed one I did for a C & C programme screened last week "oh look, one with a little flap", bless him - we all love you really Nigel.

Finally, stickles have been added to the flowers to give them some lift and sparkle. Please check out this post and I'd love to hear from you if you have one or two spare.

Cupcake challenge 38

What a lovely theme this week for the Cupcake challenge set by "Claire, better known as CraftyC who would like to see Numbers on your card/project".

I have used a stamp which I really love and had for years, but not used that often, but as it's a bit arty to my mind and I need a '27' birthday card for an art student, thought this was ideal. It's from Rubber Stampede 3729H and has been stamped onto acetate with stayzon and laid over a GM'd background using lilac, gold and bubblegum. The card itself has been repeat stamped with another good old favourite Hero H2365 using versamark dazzle champagne and then chalked. I then stamped over the edges with Hero F5042 using brilliance crimson copper then heat embossed with detail clear.

The DP is Sandylion which I have also used to punch out butterflies which have then been diamond glazed and gems added plus ribbons to finish.

I'd be thrilled if you take a look at this post on my blog to see if you can help.

I'm collecting cards for MS charity fun day

** If you are an anonymous poster asking where to send cards, I can only reply to you if you provide an e.mail address. If you prefer not to leave this in your comment, please e.mail me from my profile**

If you are like me, you make far more cards than you know what to do with, so I would be delighted if you could spare a card or even more, so they can be used to help raise funds at a National event which is taking place this summer.

The MS society are holding a series of "Wheel and Walk" events during June where branches will joint together to raise funds for Professor Compston's MS Research at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge and local MS groups. Details can be found here.

This cause means a lot to myself and family as I was diagnosed with MS almost twenty years ago. At the time I had a very young family, so much in life I wanted to do and saw no future. MS is a horrific disease and Professor Compston has and continues to do some incredible work and I have been more than happy to be one of the 'samples' used in his research. Doctors tell me I am an anomaly as despite spending some years virtually housebound and in a wheelchair, things improved for me and apart from sight and pain issues which you can live with, I consider myself very, very fortunate to enjoy mobility and reasonable quality of live.

I have always tried to add my small contribution to MS fundraising in whatever way I can and two of my sons' run the London Marathon for MS. I really do believe that with your help, a substantial volume of cards can be drawn together to be sold and raise funds on 28th June 2009.

I am still in the process of trying to establish if it is possible to have some localised collection points, perhaps craft stores. But in the meantime I would be delighted to hear from anyone via e.mail (this can be done if you follow my profile) so I can give you an address to post your card/s to. Sir Stampalot and Stamp Addicts both have collection boxes for cards in store.

I'd be thrilled if you feel able to help spread the word. Just copy and paste the flower image and text from my bog (the flower has the html link embedded to take people to my post).

Thank you pockets

7/5/09 - update: These little pockets have really captured peoples interest and I have received lots of requests for more detailed instructions. I should really have posted them up at the time, but have now done so and if you scroll down to the end of this post it's all there.

Good morning everyone, weather's a bit dodgy today, not as warm and had to close my craft room doors as the winds a bit blustery. Buffy's not a happy camper as she likes the best of both worlds and had to make a choice, in or out.

Yesterday I visited a new store to me Capture the Magic. Have to confess I'd heard about it but was told, quite incorrectly as it turns out, that it was just a scrapbooking store - how wrong that info was and I'm kicking myself I never went before as it's not that far away. I went for some lilac DP but naturally it turned out to be an expensive piece as there were so many temptations including some gorgeous ribbons that as yet haven't got beyond the admiring stage. Why change the habits of a lifetime ?

Anyway, Lisa was there demoing and she inspire me to buy some chipboard shapes and come home and try out one of her creations. My daughter who is a secondary teacher asked me the other day to make something suitable to give to her students who are leaving school in a few weeks after exams, so following Lisa's idea this is what I came up with.

I think Lisa's scalloped sheets were pre cut, but I did mine on the cricut (home decor), slightly more scallops but do the same job. I cut the DP's slightly smaller. Each pocket card is a half circle, so you get two from each cut. Sides are scored and turned in to the middle and decorated with ribbons etc. The flowers and circles are the new chipboard shapes, inked highlighted around the edges, then inked again and embossed with deep impression powder.

She wanted somewhere to write a personal note to each student so I have cut a large tag on the cricut (plantin schoolbook) to tuck into the pockets. I stamped each with "just for you" using Art Impression F3143 which was one of the stamps we used for the samples in Sir Stampalots Summer Watercolour C & C show.

Instructions for making these pockets: I cut the scalloped circles on Home Decor at 11.6" and the so-ordinating inserts slightly smaller. Each cuts in half so you get two from each cut. Lay each half circle out flat, measure equi distance from each side and score down the line. This provides the two flaps which sould just slightly overlap at the front. Use a strong d/s tape right across the very the bottom and fold both flaps to the middle to seal the pocket. Decorate with card, DP, ribbon or whatever you like as shown in my picture, this covers the front join. The tags were curt on Plantin Schoolbook and I made mine about 3.5" x 4" and stamped a greeting.

Please also check out this link and help me raise funds for MS.

Three into one does go

I've eventually managed to combine three challenges into one (only because I've been shopping and have new goodies I'm desperate to get time to play with). And.... to share some of our lovely weather and garden, my main photo was taken amongst the lilacs.

The three challenges are Stamp Something where we have been asked to "CASE one of Cindy's fabulous creations as inspiration for your own card". I've opted for the one you will find here where the theme was yellow, green and blue and it is also my DT call. The second challenge is the Secret Crafter with the theme "FLOWERS" and finally the Penny Black challenge where the theme is "Shapes - include at least three different shapes, excluding card and backing paper".

I have used two PB stamps 3948K and 2695J. The first has been repeat stamped and just the last two lines of the sentiment, both with majestic blue versafine and detail clear emboss onto pale yellow bazzil. The flowers have been highlighted with green stickles, green and blue ribbon tied across and a stick pin made with blue green and yellow beads, a button and finally three Swarovski crystals - they only go on very special cards.

Please also check out this post and help me raise funds for MS.

Three Clover Designs

I'm on a roll here, another challenge sorted, this time Three Clovers following a nice sketch and I've used another of my new cuties, this time a Sarah Kay design, a sweet little girl on the farm (this takes me back more years than I care to remember).

The image has been stamped and embossed in black and detail clear then pained with Brilliance ink pads and more detail clear added (you need to add the powder as you go, otherwise the ink is too dry and will not hold the embossing powder) to give a nice gloss finish to the image. DP's are My Minds Eye (again I know), the greeting Woodware FRCL28 stamped onto circles cut with nesties. Mat for image also run through the cuttlebug using Swiss dots folder.

Friday Sketchers 50 and Cute Card Thursday 58

Good Morning everyone, it's a beautiful day here in the Fens, hope it's as good where you are and lets hope it lasts for the weekend !

I was up with the birds today and already completed my first card combining two challenges: Friday Sketchers who have a lovely sketch by Beatrix which is right up my street and Cute card Thursday which is entitled Mirror Mirror. And to share the lovely morning with you all I took my card into the garden and photographed it next to a Cytisus which is just bursting into an abundance of yellow flowers.

My main image is a brand new stamp (yesterdays jolly to Stampalot) Magenta 26032P. It has so many possibilities, but that's for another day and here I have kept it very simple stamping with versamark and embossing with detail gold on a background sprayed with GM's (gold and patina) onto a glossy card. DP's are My Minds Eye and the stick pin made up with beads, pin etc., from Spellboundbead. Pin, gold embossing and gold mirri card for the 'Mirror' element. Sentiment is Woodware FRCL28.