Thursday 31 March 2016

Floating by...

Today's card is for the birthday of a friend. My starting point was wanting to feature some balloons...I'm not sure how it ended up with a floating pig! The pig is a digi stamp from Hambo...I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then fussy cut him out (removing the balloon and flowers from the image). I created the background scene using simple coloured card and my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies, and my Memory Box 'Puffy Clouds' dies. I cut the balloons using my Die-namics 'Party Balloons' dies, added some numbers cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet dies, then tied them around the pig using some rainbow twine. I popped them all up using 3D foam pads, then added a little mouse (from the Penny Black 'Hello Friend' set & coloured using watercolour pencils) and a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by  Hero Arts.


Challenges for this card:


Wednesday 30 March 2016

ABC Christmas Challenge - G is for...

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lorraine C is the host, and the theme is:

'G is for Green and/or Gold'

Our sponsor for this challenge is The East Wind:
Prize - 3 Digital Images!

I went with green...and picked papers from my 'Bundled Up' pad by Crate Paper, and a cute Lili of the Valley James the Bear stamp called 'Present Pile'. I coloured James using watercolour pencils...then added some shimmer to his presents using a Wink of Stella pen. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitches using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Jolly Christmas Sentiments' set by C C Designs/Pollycraft.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Rainbow Celebrations

I have another rainbow coloured card to share today. I used the same stamping technique as yesterday's card (colouring my Prima oil pastels directly on to the stamp, then spritzing with water before stamping), but this time used my Hero Arts 'Magical Backgound' stamp. I got several impressions out of just one 'inking' (I just spritzed the stamp with a little more water each time)...this is the second one, and there was a patch in the centre that didn't stamp as cleanly as the rest, so I used one of my circle Nesties to cut it out. I added a panel embossed using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder behind the aperture, a die cut sentiment (by Clearly Besotted), some adhesive pearls, then popped my stamped panel up on 3D foam tape.


Challenges for this card:


Monday 28 March 2016

Rainbow Meadows

I have a bright and cheery card to share today...I'm hoping that it will help encourage some better weather! I stamped my Hero Arts 'Blooming Meadow' stamp using Prima Oil Pastels by colouring directly on to the stamp with the pastels in a 'rainbow' pattern and spritzing with water. As the pastels don't really 'set', I inked over the whole thing using a Versamark ink pad, then heat embossed it all using clear embossing powder. I simply attached the panel to my card using 3D foam, and added a sentiment from the 'Handwritten Borders' set by Simon Says Stamp.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday 27 March 2016

Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken!

Happy Easter!

I have one last Easter treat bag to share today. This time I used a couple of Penny Black stamps...'Totally Excited!' (the chicken) and 'Hello World! (the little chicks)'. I coloured the images using watercolour pencils, then fussy cut them out. I made a little background scene using papers from the 'Here + There' pad by Studio Calico and dies by Lawn Fawn (Stitched Hillside Borders), Die-Namics (Picket Fence & Grassy Edges), and Memory Box (Puffy Clouds). The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by AmyR/C C Designs.


Challenges for this bag:

Saturday 26 March 2016

Sprinkled with Fun!

I have a simple little birthday card to share today...featuring some of the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' stamps. I started by stamping the cupcake in the centre, then masked it before adding the cupcakes on either side. I coloured the frosting, hearts and flower using watercolour pencils, then paper pieced the cupcake cases using some polka dot papers from the 'Now & Then' pad by My Mind's Eye...adding some shading to the paper folds using a watercolour pencil. I used some Glamour Dust to make the frosting sparkly, then coated the cupcake toppers with some Glossy Accents. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, and I doodled the border using a black gel pen.


Challenges for this card:

Friday 25 March 2016

Fluffy Wabbit

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...this one uses 'Fluffy Wabbit' by Pollycraft, which I coloured using watercolour penils, adding some googly eyes. The papers are a mixture of Crate Paper Farmhouse' and Stdio Calico 'Here + There' snippets...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by AmyR?C C Designs.


Challenges for this bag:


Wednesday 23 March 2016

A Little Birdie...

The lovely Less is More ladies are challenging us to show them what is outside of our windows this week. The view from the windows on the front of my flat currently features roadworks which have been there for just over two months...so I decided to take a look out the back. Right by my bedroom window is a tree which is popular with the local bird population...including green parakeets (I live in Ealing in West London,  and there are thousands of them round here...rumour has it that they escaped from a film shoot in Ealing Studios in the 1950s). I picked a couple of stamps from a stamp set by Marion Emberson Designs called 'Birds & Trees', and stamped the tree in black ink, then heat embossed the bird in verdigris powder - it was the only green-ish shade of embossing powder I have! I doodled a simple border around the image, and added a sentiment from the same stamp set.


Challenges for this card:

Monday 21 March 2016

Penguins - Peace, Love & Joy

I'm sneaking on before bed to share a Christmas card...using a Bugaboo Stamps image called 'Peace, Love & Joy Penguins' which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Bundled Up' pad by Crate Paper...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The ribbon is by American Crafts, and the adhesive pearls are from Hobbycraft.


Challenges for this card:


Sunday 20 March 2016

Pile It On! Challenge - Stitching

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today, with a theme of:

'Stitching'

Our sponsor this month is the fabulous Bugaboo Stamps:
Prize - 7 Digi Stamps!

I used faux stitching on my project...I used my CutterBee Bug to pierce holes in the papers, then drew in the stitches using a black gel pen. The image is 'Bun Buns' by Penny Black...I coloured the bunnies using watercolour pencils to match the 'Charming' papers (by Michaels). I distressed the edges of the papers a little, and added a sentiment from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by AmyR/C C Designs.


Here are the challenges I've piled on:


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

Saturday 19 March 2016

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Reminder - Easter

It's the third Saturday of the month...so that means it's time for some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Easter'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I decorated another Easter treat bag...this time using a couple of the bunnies from the 'Bunny Friends' stamp, and paper from the 'Farmhouse' pad by Crate Paper. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and white gel pen. The flowers are by Prima, and are held in place using BasicGrey brads and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Eatser Sentiments' set by Amy R/C C Designs.


I'm also entering this bag into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Thursday 17 March 2016

O' Christmas Tree

I have a couple of CAS Christmas cards to share today...using a Clearly Besotted die (Modern Christmas) to cut simple triangle tree shapes from snippets of white card. I spritzed the 'trees' with some Cosmic Shimmer in 'Baby's Breath', then added some sequins. I mounted the trees on to the card blanks using 3D foam pads, and added a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set (by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous).


It's so tricky to get the shimmer to show in a photo...below is the best I could manage!:


Challenges for these cards:


Wednesday 16 March 2016

ABC Christmas Challenge - F is for...

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Dorte is the host, and the theme is:

'F is for Frills or No Frills'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Sweet Stamps:
Prize - $10 Gift Certificate!

Despite being a 'no frills' kind of crafter, I decided that I'd try to incorporate some 'frills' on my project, and folded some strips of patterned paper (from the 'Bundled Up' pad by Crate Paper) concertina style to make my frills. Then (after much faffing!) I settled on turning them into a rosette...which was far too big to put on a card...which I mounted on to a plain kraft gift bag...then added a die cut snowflake (cut using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die and a large adhesive pearl.


I'm also entering this bag into the following challenges:


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Monday 14 March 2016

Celebrate!

I have a couple of simple watercoloured cards to share today that I made to send out to the winners of my candy with their prizes. I started by painting Distress Inks on to dampened watercolour paper (Broken China, Salty Ocean & Cracked Pistachio for the blue one, and Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet & Seedless Preserves for the purple one)...I laid down a few layers of colour, allowing each one to dry before adding the next, then added some splatters over the top. I then simply added a die cut word (cut using a Clearly Besotted die), and some sequins, then mounted the panels on to my card blanks using 3D foam.


Challenges for these cards:


Sunday 13 March 2016

Candy Winners!

I'm just popping on to announce the two lucky winners of my candies. Thanks so much to everyone that took the time to link and enter my candy draw - I really appreciate it! I used Random.Org to pick the winners...so here goes:


The winner of the every day candy:


#10 - Liz Cavill

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and the winner of the Christmas candy:


#13 - Regina

Congratulations Liz & Regina!

Please email me (right click here to copy and paste my email address if the link isn't working for you) to claim your prize.

If the prize/prizes are not claimed by 8pm next Saturday (19th March) I shall pick another winner/winners.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Honey Bunny

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...featuring an old Pollycraft image called 'Kiki - Honey Bunny', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Farmhouse' pad by Crate Paper...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by AmyR/C C Designs, the flowers are a mixture of Papermania and Prima, and are held in place using a BasicGrey brad.


Challenges for this treat bag:

I have candy on offer at the moment...you can find it here...you'll need to be quick though, it ends tonight.

Thursday 10 March 2016

Dog-gone!

Today's card features three little pups from the 'Man's Best Friend' set by Penny Black...I doodled some grass then coloured the scene using watercolour pencils. There's a cute little paw print stamp that comes in the set, so I stamped those across my card blank in black ink, then added the dogs matted on to a snippet of red card. The sentiment stamp is also from the same stamp set.


Challenges for this card:

I have candy on offer at the moment...you can find it here.


 

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Dream a Dream

This is the Mother's Day card that I made for my Mum...it's safe to blog it now! I used a Penny Black image called 'Dream a Dream' which I coloured using watercolour pencils, and papers from the 'Indie Chic - Nutmeg' pad by My Mind's Eye. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CuterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts, the flowers are from Poppicrafts, the brad is BasicGrey and the adhesive pearls are from Hobbycraft.


Challenges for this card:

I have candy on offer at the moment...you can find it here.

Sunday 6 March 2016

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Green and Two Other Colours

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today, with a theme of:

'Use Green and Two Other Colours'

Our sponsor this month is the fabulous Bugaboo Stamps:
Prize - 7 Digi Stamps!

I picked turquoise and brown as my two other colours, and made an Easter treat bag. I created a little scene using papers from the 'Here + There' pad by Studio Calico (the sky) and the 'Farmhouse' pad by Crate Paper (the grass). I used one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve, and a Die-namics 'Grassy Edge' die. I added a fence cut from brown card using my Die-namics 'Picket Fence' die and a sentiment (from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by Amy R/C C Designs stamped in a speech bubble cut from a snippet of kraft card using a Sizzix Thinlit/Craft Asylum die. The cute bunny is 'Bun Bun' by Penny Black...coloured using watercolour pencils, then fussy cut and mounted on 3D foam pads.


Here are the challenges I've piled on:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

I have candy on offer at the moment...you can find it here.