Do It With Digi's

This week's challenge over at Do It With Digi's is a sketch. I like these as it means there is a starting point, my only problem comes when I miss out vital elements!! I wanted to make an Easter card with a digi stamp that came from Pollycraft for my son who loves ducks! I've used backing paper from my stash and coloured the digi with promarkers. I stamped the corner with a flourish stamp and Spanish Olive  versamark chalk ink. I punched the leaves out and made the candy from the backing paper. The sentiment is computer generated.
Thanks for looking :)

Three squares

This weeks challenge at Less is More is to create a card with 3 squares. Sounds simple and so I thought until I sat in my craft room and no inspiration was forthcoming!!! I've looked at everyone else's entries and apart from plagiarism NOTHING :(
Finally I produced the following using white base card and squares of ribbed taupe card mounted on black. The flower stamp was a freebie from craft stamper and I stamped the petals of two images with small rose and butterfly from Stamp Addicts. The middle one I tried to zentangle. I added a strip of card folded over and edged with deco scissors and distressed with Frayed Burlap.A length of ribbon lies just above this although it's not showing up but the 3 black gems are sitting on it! I placed the squares on top and the sentiment was from my zyron digital printer.
                                               I was also playing around with a Venetian stamp from Darkroom Door trying

to highlight a couple of areas with different sized squares that had some colour. Not sure if it covers the brief but I quite like it and would appreciate some feedback :)
Thanks for looking.........

Bah humbug

This weeks theme at Bah Humbug is Things that fly! So I thought I'd use some stamps that I bought in Michael's when I was in Canada last year. The angel and the sentiment are from the same set. The background papers are matching from Debbi Moore and I used Christmas ribbon as a wrap.
I stamped the angel with versamark and embossed with gold and used a glue pen to add some glitter. The sentiment I stamped in black brilliance onto shrink plastic edged in gold krylon. A couple of glittery swirls completes the card. Thanks for looking :)

cr84fncolorchallenge 16

A very quick card this week for the cr84fncolorchallenge as we are off to Portsmouth to stay with my youngest son Keir and his wife Lara for a few days. They are taking me to see Anton & Erin (Strictly come dancing show). I used a square card and the backing paper was generated from CraftArtist

 cut to fit the corners and inked with a violet chalk pad. The small corners were stamped in pink using a Clarity corner stamp. I added a small pink knot to each corner. I inked white ribbon with violet ink and decorated with pink pearls. The topper is a Sheena Douglass stamp cut with a nestie to stand proud of the shape. Coloured with promarkers and glazed.
Thanks for looking :)

AWARD no 2!!!!!

Thanks to the lovely, creative Sylvie I have received the stylish blogger award! 
The conditions of this Award are.....
Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award! 
Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself
Step 3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award
Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award.


It's not difficult to nominate blogs for this award as there are so many inspiring ones out there, but random facts about myself for the second time in a week is more of a problem :)


7 random things about me...


1.   My eldest son is a writer (on his 2nd book)
2.   I'm married to a lovely Irishman for 40 years
3.   I have 2 cats, Miney &  Tulsa
4.   I love Italy, France and Spain
5.   I've had 2 trips to Nova Scotia,  LOBSTERS   mmmm!
6.   Love Mad Men (tv series)
7.   I had a Kindle for Xmas (lighter suitcase in future!)


Hope you enjoy my choice of blogs there are some beautiful cards to be seen:
Wendy's crafting times
Rubber Addict
Butlers Abroad
Ellies Keeper
Just for Fun
Kiss-Keep it sweet and simple
Hey There ...rosigirl

My first AWARD!!

I received this fabulous award from Stamps and Paper so thank you very much Anne! As with most awards comes a mini challenge so here are the rules! 

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!

Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself

Step 3 – Award 7  recently discovered bloggers with this award

Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award

7 random things about me...

1.                  I sing every week with Rock Choir, Hampstead.

2.                  I retired last year and am loving it!

3.                I'm addicted to my blog and all forms of card making!

4.                  Love going to the theatre.

5.             Serendipity Dragonfly is my sister!!

6.                 I'm  a hairdresser!

7.             I go to Aquafit 3 times a week

Please have a look at these recent blogs that I have come across and have a look at their lovely work:

Suzzannes stamping spot

bits and pieces

made in a muddle

Susan goetter

meggys way

Stamping for pleasure

Serendipity dragonfly

Bah humbug

The challenge this week at Bah Humbug  is to use a cd/dvd in any way, altered or otherwise. I layered a freebie download paper from Glenda Waterman onto gold mirri and covered my cd with free paper from a magazine. I enlarged a digi stamp from Createwith TLC and used the top and bottom of the bauble to attach to my cd and used gold glitter although it looks bronze in the photo! I stamped some holly leaves and attached them with foam pads. Thanks for looking :)

Spring

The 3rd challenge over at Less is More is Spring. I've enjoyed Mandi and Chrissie's tutorials on using fonts on the card so I thought I'd have a go using my Serif Craft Artist. Using font BD Engraved Black I typed the word Love and enlarged the "o" and printed it out on a folded A5 card. I stamped a flower image from Sheena Douglass in versamark and embossed in gold. I coloured the flowers with promarkers and ghosted some grass at the base to ground the image.  A dry embossed frame and some text in a fine black liner completes the card.
                                                                                  

Thanks for looking :)

cr84fncolorchallenge15

This weeks challenge over at cr84fncolorchallenge is using lovely spring colours

I chose to make a tri-fold card and used Anna Griffin backing paper to decorate the panels edged with gold ink.
I used faux pearls to create a flourish on the left panel and added some stamped butterflies and a dragonfly. The right panel has a stamped poppy image from Sheena Douglass stamped in Brilliance peacock and mounted on foam pads.The rose is a free stamp from craft stamper stamped 3 times and shaped into a flower. The sentiment was printed with my xyron runner onto the yellow BP that I stamped with peacock ink. The butterfly is from my stash. The lighting wasn't brilliant and doesn't show the true pastel colours.

Thanks to my sister Karen I have managed my first hyper-link!!!
Thanks for looking :)

Less is more Week 2 One Layer Challenge

This weeks challenge over at Less is More is to use a tree or flower image on a simple folded card.
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/02/week-2-one-layer-challenge.html

I used a ribbed pearlescent card in a taupe colour and stamped a papermania stamp from an oriental collection in black brilliance ink. I used cool aqua and sky blue promarkers to add definition to the flower heads and tulip yellow for the leaves. The base colour muted the true colours and I quite liked the effect. The sentiment is a Jenny Mayes one and I drew a wiggley line to pop the image.
Thanks for looking :)
Mandi thanks for the font tutorial, definitely be having a go!

bah-humbugDoilies

This weeks challenge at Bah Humbug is to use doilies, which was quite opportune as I had just got some on ebay!!
 http://bah-humbug-christmas.blogspot.com/2011/02/challenge-6-doilies.html
Rummaging through my stash I found some sticky backed fabric with poinsettias. I cut a border and an extra single flower and attached it to the top of the card and used silicone glue to raise up the flower. I inked the doily with gold ink and cut out a vintage image from a Joanna sheen cd for the centre. I added glitter to highlight the hats and peeloffs for the edges and the sentiment. Sorry about the glare in the middle!
Thanks for looking :)

Check out this fantastic doily tutorial!
http://scrapbookgirl.typepad.com/paper_scissors_and_superh/2010/08/build-a-doily.html

blog candy

Check out the fantastic blog candy that Mei is giving away! An amazing £50 worth of fantastic embellishments
http://meiflowerblog.co.uk/

Buttons and bows

This weeks challenge over at Bah Humbug is Buttons and Bows
http://bah-humbug-christmas.blogspot.com/2011/02/challenge-5-buttons-and-bows.html
The base card is dark blue and I matted and layered with white card and a Xmas freebie from a magazine. I cut a nestie frame and stamped around with Xmas foliage from a Jenny Mayes set. I coloured Tilda with promarkers and stamped out some Xmas presents, which happens to be the first stamp I ever bought!!!!
The sentiment is also from Jenny Mayes and the button detail is the middle of the freebie stamp from Craft Stamper.
I am also entering this for Diecut Dreams challenge The Gift of Love.
Thanks for looking :)

Oriental

The Stampman challenge this week is an Oriental theme.
http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/2011/01/challenge-15-oriental.html
The base card has bamboo on it and was part of a set from Create and Craft.  The toppers are card from DCWV Far East mounted on matt gold card and overstamped with foliage and flowers. The tree is a bonsai stamp from Papermania and the embellishments were created by stamping into gold Print magic from Debbi Moore. Stamps again are from the Papermania oriental set.

Thanks for looking :)

CR84FN Color Challenge 14

 http://cr84fncolorchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/02/cr84fn14
This week's challenge over at CR84FN is to use the following colour palette which reminded me of cakes and chocolate!                                              

                                                          

I chose light pink textured card from Papermania to make a square card. I embossed two hearts on the front and cut out the centre and used a brown promarker around the edges. The cupcake stamps I used were free with a DoCrafts magazine and the teacup was a freebie from Craft Stamper. Thanks for looking :)

Valentine

Having recovered from my senior moment of posting a card for Doitwithdigis challenge without using a digi stamp I am hoping this card will pass muster!!
http://doitwithdigis.blogspot.com/2011/02/challenge-3-valentines.html

I decided to use an asymmetric DL card and used backing paper from my stash on both sides and the inside centre panel. I distressed the edges with a Papermania pink ink and overstamped with a flourish and butterfly. The front lapels, for want of a better word, I distressed and stamped with a small floral image.
The love digi stamp is from Create with TLC as is the inside sentiment. I used silver stickles to highlight the word Love and matted it onto a beaded oval embellished with pearls.
http://createwithtlc-createwithtlc.blogspot.com/

Thanks for looking :)

Valentine

The new challenge over at Doitwithdigi's is Valentines, so very current!
http://doitwithdigis.blogspot.com/2011/02/challenge-3-valentines.html
I covered the bottom of the card with card that I embossed with swiss dots and the top half is from my stash. I chalked a heart shaped doily with mauve chalk and mounted a nestie frame on top with a Tilda image carrying a basket of hearts. The flower is made from the same backing paper and the sentiment from my Xyron digital printer. Sorry about the shadow at the bottom!!!!
Thanks for looking :)

Less is more

Chrissie and Mandi have set up a new challenge blogspot called Less is more:
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/
A refreshing change as it can be quite daunting to match entries in some other challenges with a plethora of embellishments! The colour brief is black white and pink and my entry hopefully meets the criteria.The pink card is core dinations and I'm not sure where the stamp is from. I stamped with black brilliance and the sentiment is from my Xyron digital printer.
I am also entering this card for the StampARTic challenge clean and simple:
http://stampartic.blogspot.com/2011/02/clean-and-simple.html
Thanks for looking :)
  

An oldie but a goldie

http://bah-humbug-christmas.blogspot.com/
This weeks challenge at Bah Humbug is to create a card using something that you have had for ages and not used or stash that you just stroke!! I have a cuttlebug but rarely use it although I love the effects you get. So I have used two cuttlebug folders that are pristine and used distress inks and promarkers to highlight the embossing.
Thanks for looking :)

I'm entering my card for three challenges CR84FNcolor challenge,
http://cr84fncolorchallenge.blogspot.com

 StampARTic sketch
http://stampartic.blogspot.com/2011/02/sketch-challenge.html

and Crafter's Companion Romance challenge.
http://ccmonthlychallenge.blogspot.com/2011/02/challenge-9-romance.html

The sketch was as follows:

I stamped my background papers with stamps from the Da Vinci and potpourri set from Stamp Addicts. I cut a beaded nestie and stamped the centre and applied pearls. I made the paper flower and coloured to match.Thanks for looking :)