Butterfly sketch

Wow what a busy weekend! We were in Portsmouth helping my son and his wife decorate their bedroom before baby Nolan arrives:) We've already done the nursery and Lara is obviously in nesting mode as she is decluttering and tidying everywhere. I spent the weekend going between B & Q, Homebase and Sainsburys, buying tiles, curtain tracks, wallpaper and grocery shopping. They are also having a new kitchen next week! Hope this baby doesn't arrive early:)
Anyway back to crafty things, I decided to combine both challenges over at LIM and MMM.                                                    
For the LIM challenge this week we have a SKETCH and we have a few basic ground rules.

We would like the card to be

• rectangular
• in landscape orientation
• with the band remaining in a vertical position 

As it's a very simple sketch,  we would like it to remain as is without any rotation of either the card or the vertical band.

Sounds a doddle doesn't it? That's always a bad feeling:)

The challenge over at MMM is still following the NATURE theme but this last week we must use Butterflies and or Dragonflies.

So this is what I have come up with and I hope you like it.

My base card is cream and distressed with Tattered Rose DI and shadow stamped with random butterflies and dragonflies. The panel is a piece from DCWV Far East collection and I stamped a large double butterfly stamp from Creative Expressions and decoupaged the large one. A little glitter and a few pearls complete the card. The sentiment is from my xyron printer.

Thanks for popping by and I hope you'll come again:)
Forgot to say congratulations to Mandi and Chrissie for the 1st anniversary of their amazing challenge blog!

One-Layer Wednesday 76: Color in Winter

I'm always fascinated with the fabulous CAS cards that Susan creates on her blog and thought I had to have a go at her OLW challenge.
This week's OLW is to make a one-layer card that uses white, gray, with a pop of one bright color of your choice. (If you must, you may use black for the sentiment.) This is what I have come up with and hope I have not gone overboard with the pop of colour but it's difficult with blossom not to leave any out!!

My base card is white pearl and I stamped the blossom branch(Sheena Douglass) and Little Vermillion(SU) with grey Versafine. I added a pop of orange to the blossoms and a pearl bead. The sentiment is from the same Sheena set but I'm not happy with the placement:(
 We're away for the weekend in Portsmouth, finishing off a few bits before baby Nolan arrives so I haven't got time to do another one:)) I do love both these stamps though! Apologies for the poor photo quality.
Thanks for visiting me it's much appreciated.

MMM week 33 Flowers and leaves

Hi everyone, what a miserable drizzly day it's been here! Been to aquafit this morning and decided to spend the afternoon crafting:)
Over at Make my Monday the continuing theme is still NATURE but this week they want to see Flowers and Leaves. I shouldn't have posted my last card so quickly as it would have been just right for this challenge! Anyway this is what I came up with.

The base card is pearlised and stamped with a Darkroom Door image in Victorian Velvet DI and distressed with Spun Sugar and Pumice Stone DI. The frame is a cut and emboss frame that has just been embossed, the centre removed and Victorian Velvet and Pumice stone sponged on top. The flower is a Papermania build a flower stamp set that I stamped in Versafine grey ink and coloured with the same DI inks.The centre of the flower I put a blob of silicone glue and pushed lots of yellow seed beads into it. The leaves are from the same set and coloured with PM's, shaped and attached with silicone glue. The sentiment is from the same set as well and matted on card inked to match. I added some pink pearls within the frame.
I'm also entering my card into the Crafty Cardmakers challenge which is to use beads on a project.
Thanks for taking the time to visit it's much appreciated and a big welcome to my new followers:)

52 CCT Theme Challenge #1

Hi everyone, I thought I would enter the 52 Christmas Card Throw down challenge as I haven't made a Xmas card for ages!!
I'm hoping my card will pass muster with Mynnette and Jacqueline, they are asking for Xmas flowers and I have used an Amaryllis stamp as they always flower around the festive period! Actually I don't appear to own a poinsettia stamp, something to be rectified before next Christmas!

I matted green pearlised card over the spine of my white base card and stamped with black Memento ink and coloured in with PM's. I decoupaged some of the petals and the leaves were stamped separately, moulded and attached with silicone glue. I added some faux stitching and a sentiment . Hope it fits the challenge, it is Christmassy colours anyway:)
Thanks for taking the time to visit, please leave a comment so I can visit you too!

Less is More week 51 Theme

Evening all and a very special welcome to my new followers, I'm delighted that you have decided to follow me:)
Well here we are, another week over and time for a new challenge over at Less is More. It's theme week and the theme is "Cut it Out". So I need to produce a card with a hole or aperture. 

I decided to use my Silhouette and cut an abstract swirls and flower scalloped circle. The base card is white and I punched out a fancy circle and stuck down some patterned paper inside with the cut circle on top. The sentiment was created with my xyron printer.
I also wanted to share with you a card wrap that I cut which I think is absolutely beautiful but definitely not Less is More!!!

Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment on my work, it's much appreciated!

Glitter and BLING!!

Hi everyone and welcome to day 1 of the Glitter and Bling blog hop hosted by Gill McCall. If you have arrived from  Linda - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/ then you are on the right track but if you have just come across my blog and want to start from the beginning cross over to
 Gill -.http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/

For my first card today I have used images from Debbi Moore and created an A6 easel card. I added silver glitter and feathers to glitz up the beautiful lady and the base card is covered in some of Debbi Moore's papers which came in one of her inspiration magazines.

 

My second card is also from the magazine.  I cut out the main image and glued it onto a base card overlapping at the top so that when I cut around it left a hinge at the top and allows it to open. Glitter added to the gold filigree and her dress and mask.


I hope you will visit all the blogs in the hop as Gill will be offering blog candy to one lucky person.


Thanks for visiting me today and the next crafter in line is 
Becky-http://beckscricards.blogspot.com/

Birthdays

Afternoon all, just a quick post to show two cards for friends with birthdays today and tomorrow.

The first one was inspired by the amazing Marianne, do check out her blog and is a napkin card within a book folder. The second one uses a digi image from Pamela, Vintage digital stamps, Loads of lovely images and beautiful papers!              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Using my new Darkroom Door stamps and DI and SU inks

The napkin fold, think how we used to tell fortunes!! stamped with clarity corner stamp and inserts are shagreen paper. The centre is two punched circles and the ribbons are vintage ribbon.
My friend Jean was quite impressed when she opened it:)

This card is for Wendy who is an amazing dressmaker and also makes fabulous cakes! The image is a free dig from Vintage digi stamps where Pamela posts wonderful free images and papers. I coloured the image with PM's and matted on black ribbed card. The BP's are from my stash and the rosette was made with the leftovers with buttons added.

Thanks for looking and sharing your thoughts and a welcome to my new follower, Ephemera:)

Make My Monday week 32

The challenge this week at MMM is to:

CREATE A SCENE

We want to see land scapes, sea scapes, garden and lakes - all containing trees, plants, animals, birds or insects.

can I please draw your attention to the overriding theme this month which is

NATURE

I love the MMM challenges and wanted to try something different. I'm always inspired by the collage projects that Yvonne(Meggysway) creates and so I have used a small canvas this week.

I've never worked on canvas before so that alone was definitely a challenge!!! It's a small canvas and I covered it with a layer of acrylic paint in buttermilk. From then on it was a case of stamping to create a scene and adding DI. I quite like the finished collage but don't think it's up to a challenge standard:) I'm already working on another scene, this time, a card, so I may be back! 

I'm also entering it into the challenge over at Fashionable Stamping where the theme is Butterflies or Bugs.

Thanks for taking the time to visit I love to read your comments:)

Less is More week 50-one layer

This weeks challenge from Chrissie and Mandi is a one layer card and the subject is 

  

So no layers and minimal embellishments. For once I had a couple of ideas that came together quickly and are definitely CAS!

My first image is from Vintage Catnip and it was a sheet of various birdcages from which I chose one I liked and digitally added a little bird to it. I then shaped the sentiment around the handle and coloured the image with PM's. I added the little bird from SU Everything Eleanor. I punched the opposite corners and added a contrasting paper behind to give definition to the card. I added three silver dots to the other corners.

This one was a freebie from Cuddly Buddly crafts which I coloured with PM's and added a sentiment. I embossed lines top and bottom and marked some faux stitching. Chrissie and Mandi have some wonderful ideas on their blogs and there are lots of submissions on the challenge site to whet your appetite, so why don't you have a go:)

Many thanks for visiting, your comments are much appreciated.

MMM week 31 Animals

Oooh goody it's a new challenge over at MMM and with the continuing theme of NATURE the challenge is to use ANIMALS. 

I created 3 cards but wasn't happy with them and then I found this cute raccoon and the rest is history, as they say!

 He's a digi image, not sure where from, and coloured with PM's. I used a clarity corner stamp inked in Spanish Olive around the edges, cut it out with a labels die and matted with black card. The embossing is a Tim Holtz folder inked with Pumice stone DI and the base card is pearlised charcoal cardstock. The sentiment is stamped on a freebie ticket stub from KLdezign.

Thanks for visiting, you know I love to read your comments and return the compliment.

Less is More week 49 Colour

Evening all,  Chrissie and Mandi over at LIM towers have set us a colour challenge this week and it's 
                         Predominantly Purple
Now I don't possess much in the way of purple card or even ink! Most of my inks are verging on lilac so I hope my card will pass muster.

My topper is a window die that I cut in half and cut the shaped piece off the waste and added it back to create a smaller window. I inked it with a Marvy ink block which gave it a slightly distressed look. Using the square waste pieces of card I stamped the water scene,(Canadian stamp) attached them to the base card and used foam squares to put the frame on top. The shell embellishments are shrink plastic stamped with a freebie from craft stamper and glossy accents for highlights.
The sentiment is printed with my xyron and punched out using half of the SU label punch with ribbon inked to match.
Thanks for visiting and please leave a comment so I can visit you:)

Decoupage

Hi everyone and a very Happy New Year to all my blogging friends! This is our first challenge of the year at Creations by Gill McCall and this year we are doing monthly challenges which gives you plenty of time to create some wonderful projects.

Our theme this month is 

I have chosen some new Darkroom Door stamps with images of Paris. I love these stamps and LB Crafts were closing down and all the DR stamps were less than half price! Well what could a girl do but BUY them :))

My base card is pearl and I made an easel card with it. IRL the card looks all the same shade of white but the light is not good and has given the topper a strange shade!! The side view proves my point!
The top I scored around to create a double frame and stamped the postcard image in the centre. The Arc de Triomphe is stamped with black Memento several times and I cut out the pillars and the statues to create the decoupage. The topper is matted onto black card and mounted on foam pads. The corners are peel offs and on the inside I stamped the corners with a Clarity stamp and the stopper is the postcard image again punched out in a scallop  and the edges distressed with black soot DI with one little black pearl added.
Hope you like it, please check out the rest of the DT cards for inspiration. Good luck with the challenge and thanks for visiting me:)

Make My Monday week 30

Another post this evening, I love the MMM challenges and this one has let me play with all my new stamps:)
There is always a monthly theme and January's is NATURE and the challenge this week is BIRDS. 
I got a bit carried away and used my favourite bird, the SU Little Vermillion and my SU Everything Eleanor stamps and French Foliage!

 My base card is pearl stock which I scored to fold halfway across. I covered the inside with shagreen paper with a blue tinge. The left side I stamped with the Everything Eleanor flourish and the little bird using Crumb Cake. The main image started with a Prima mask sponged with Stormy Sky DI and then overstamped with French Foliage using Bundled sage and Soft Suede inks. The gate is printed on acetate from Joanna Sheen's Country Garden cd and has been languishing in my scraps waiting for a suitable moment. The birds are Little Vermillion with the bottom one punched out from the SU punch so that I could use the leaves. The label was stamped and folded around and a flower stamped with Bashful Blue and distressed with Crumb Cake and mounted with a brad. I used my new Memory box die for the top left corner and sponged to match. Finally I matted onto pale green card and attached to the left hand side of the base card. The sentiment is printed onto freebie ticket stubs from kldezign using my xyron digi printer.

Thank you for persevering with my long post but I kept on adding to my card, definitely not a CAS card this time:)

Less is More week 47 Just one Word # 2

Evening all, just a quick post with a 2nd card for LIM as I am loving my new Darkroom Door stamps. This one is again from Lovely Ladies. I have a DT post coming up on Saturday using another of the sets I bought:)

Again stamped with black Memento ink and SU Crumb cake. Matted onto Kraft card and mounted onto white pearlised cardstock between embossed lines. Two little brads added to make the tassels appear to be hanging from the card. The sentiment is one that came in a C & C goody bag.
Thanks for visiting me your comments are always appreciated:)

Less is More week 47 Just one Word

Well that's Christmas over for another year and just the New Year festivities to survive:-)
The challenge this week from Chrissie and Mandi is JUST ONE WORD. So basically anything goes but the sentiment has to be one word. I was tempted (not difficult) just before Christmas when I saw that Linda Brown of LB Crafts was retiring and selling loads of stock off at mad prices! Linda stocked Darkroom Doors stamps which I love and so I had a browse and found they were less than half price OMG! So I bought 4 lots :-) Sadly the shop is now closed but Linda's blog lives on.
                                                                                           

 This card I made using one of the stamps from The Lovely Ladies set. I liked the film strip effect, it is stamped with black Memento ink,  matted onto black card and mounted on foam strips to a white card base.
The sentiment is also matted onto black card and I added black pearls.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and I'd like to wish my lovely followers and blogging friends a very happy and healthy 2012.

Lilac and blue sketch challenge

This is our last challenge for 2011  at Creations by Gill McCall and this time it is a sketch using the colours of lilac and blue. I hope you'll join us and check out the other DT creations on Gill's blog.

I have made a tent card and covered it with a paisley paper by Anna Griffin which I took over the back of the base card. The doily was inked with mauve marvy ink and the circle of BP was punched out. The strip of lilac paper is by Debbi Moore and the topper is courtesy of Jacki Daniels!! She sent me a beautiful birthday card with this image on and I just had to reuse it:) The ribbon is vintage binding that I inked to match.






Thanks for visiting and I hope you will join in our challenge this time, good luck!

Less is More Week 46

Afternoon all, running a bit late this week, in fact I nearly forgot to do a card for Chrissie and Mandi! Eeeeek!!

Well it's nice to make a card other than a Christmas one:) It's theme week and it's MUSIC

                                    

Well here is what I made and I hope you like it. Actually there's two, can you spot the difference:)

Not sure which I prefer but both will come in handy for birthdays coming up.

I used a pearl base card and scored two lines vertically and stamped with black Memento ink a set of stamps from Stamp Addicts vintage range. I added some black peeloffs along the scored lines and to accentuate the black piano keys, it was less messy than EP! The sentiment is an old CD one.

It is my husband, Jim's, birthday today and I made two cards, one from me and one  for Dominic to give him. They show the different aspects of Jim's character!! He's been doing lots of decorating lately.  Apologies for the poor photo quality but I only thought to film them late this afternoon when they were on the mantlepiece!!! Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends and followers xx

Mine:

Dom's

Make My Monday

Morning everyone and welcome to my guest spot on the DT over at Make My Monday. I was delighted to be asked to create a card for this weeks challenge which is continuing the SEASONAL theme but with the addition of a tag.
 I have chosen to create a tag in a box card, which is a design I found on the very creative blog of Marianne. There is a tutorial on her side bar showing how to make it.

1.I have used green card stock covered with Bo Bunny paper and over stamped with soft suede SU ink using the Young Vermillion stamp from SU and a Clarity corner flourish. I punched out a label to use as a background to pop up my little bird and the waste made a frame for the other image.
The sentiment is a metal embellishment that I coloured with alcohol inks to match the card. You can just see the punched edge of the tag poking out of the top of the card.

2. Gently pull the tag sideways and the holder for the tag appears. This is made with Bo Bunny card and is attached to the inside of the box card with a brad to allow it to move. I have added a stamped label, punched out and popped up with foam dots.

3. At last here is the tag!! More Bo Bunny paper, a strip of gold leaf and a stamped label which was a freebie from a magazine waiting to add the the recipient's name. I punched the edge and added a gem to ease it out.

Thanks you for visiting and putting up with such a long posting but I wanted to create something special for my guest spot:)
Do check out the MMM blog for the DT cards which are always inspirational.

National Cupcake Day blog hop

Today's hop is hosted by Gill McCall and is to celebrate National Cupcake Day! What a great day to celebrate. I thought of making some cupcakes but with Christmas just around the corner and all the excesses I decided to stick to a card!!
If you have arrived from..Becky.. you are on the right track for this hop but if not and you want to start from the beginning go to Creations by Gill McCall.

I created my card and decoupage in Craft Artist and finished it off with some paper pricking around the edge.
To continue with this hop and see what everyone has made the next person on the hop is..Ashley


Check out all the blogs as Gill will be giving away some blog candy to a lucky person who collects all the hidden letters around the hop.

Hope you have enjoyed visiting me and please leave a comment so that I can visit you:)

Make My Monday

This weeks challenge over at MMM, still in festive mood, is to use red ribbon. The DT cards are fabulous and worth checking out.
I have used a pale green pearl card and scored a fold 1" in to create a spine. I stamped with the pine cones from SU pines and poinsettias with soft suede ink and only re inked on the 3rd stamping. I  matted the oval topper onto some embossed BP from my stash and pleated some red organza ribbon around the back. I added a bow as well. I punched 4 holes in the spine and threaded through some more red ribbon. The pine cone on the topper is glittered as are some of the berries around the card.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and leave a comment so that I can visit you:)

Less is More week 45 one layer

Wow it's very cold and frosty over at LIM Towers with a new challenge of a one layer card and the theme is:

Actually I think I like the graphics better than my card:)

The base card is pearlised and I inked up my stamps with SU Bashful Blue and added some tiny pearls and 3 clear gems for the large snowflakes. The alphabet stamps are from Docrafts but the snowflakes were freebies from a magazine. I sponged ink onto the edges of the card and although the top right hand corner looks green I can assure you it's not!! I may have another go later this week.

Just thought I'd show you the word book card that I made for Dominic's ( my eldest son) friend Pat who is the proud father of baby Dylan. I used the cd Funky Daze and some embellishments from Craft Artist.

 Thanks for visiting and coping with a longer post than usual! Please leave a comment so that I can visit you:)