Birthday Bears Box Card

I have something a little different to share today...it's a box card, made using a Gemini/Crafter's Companion stamp and die set called 'Birthday Bears Box Card', that I picked up in a charity shop last weekend. I started by stamping all of the little bears and other images onto snippets of watercolour paper, then used their co-ordinating dies to cut them out, before colouring them using watercolour pencils. There were paper templates in the set for cutting all of the pieces of the box card, and I decided to cut the main card parts from light blue card, and the little strips for the images to 'stand' on from light green card. I added a piece of cloudy sky paper (from a magazine freebie pad called 'Let's Fly Away') to the back panel, then assembled the card. On the inside of the front flap, I added a snippet of lilac card, then the die cut from the 'window', with a stamped sentiment, using a stamp from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp.

Here's a close-up of the 'Birthday Bears':

They look to me, like they're throwing a surprise party, so I used my Paper Smooches 'Gaffiti Alphabet' stamps to stamp 'Surprise' onto a snippet of the blue card, then added it on top of a piece of lilac card embossed using an old Cuttlebug embossing folder:

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes Using an Embossing Folder
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Optional 'Square Card & Non-white Base'
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Butterfly Wishes

Happy Monday everyone! This is my last day of freedom before I have to go back into school :0(
I'm dreading the 6am alarm...but it's not that bad...I only have school tomorrow and Friday this week...the other school I work in doesn't go back 'til Thursday, so I don't start there 'til next week...yay! I do, however still have loads of arrangements to finish...eeek! Better get on to today's card then! lol

I've used another of the images I stamped when I visited my lovely friend Samantha for her wedding in July, this one is called 'Butterfly Wishes' by Penny Black. The papers are by My Mind's Eye - the brown & cream one is from the 'Wild Asparagus' collection, and the purple one is from the 'Penny Lane' glitter stack. The lace is from Hobbycraft, and the chocolate coloured pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafter's Companion - Sketch
• Penny Black Saturday - Purple, Cream & Brown (really wasn't sure about this combo...but I kind of like it)
• Raise the Bar - "URL"ooking Good! (Based on your blog - so I've used butterlfies & spots)
• Simon Says Stamp - Pearls & Lace

I have candy on offer at the moment...if you haven't already entered, you can find all of the info on this post.

Psst Dani & Taylor

I had a little play at the weekend with some of the fabby Stampavie stamps I received  in my lovely  prize package  last week. The one on this card is called 'Psst Dani & Taylor' by Mo Manning. I watercoloured it to match the My Mind's Eye 'Adore' papers. The sentiment stamp is from the CCSR set by Papermania, and the ribbon is from my stash. Of course there are a few challenges: I used the Crazy4Challenges sketch; the 'Friends' theme from Simon Says Stamp; Stampavie & More's 'Hearts' theme; and Crazy Challenge's 'Make it an hour' challenge.

Just Cute Bears - Happy Father's Day

This week's Just Cute Bears Challenge is to make a card for:

'Father's Day'

I've used yet another Lili of the Valley 'Busy Bear' on this card - I just can't help myself...they're soooo sweet! This one is called 'In the Shed'...perfect for those men in your life! lol The papers are from the 'Bloom & Grow' pad by My Mind's Eye, the raffia lace is from Hobbycraft, and if you look really closely, you might just be able to make the handwritten sentiment on the sign on the image.

 I'm also going to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Midnight Madness - Sketch (I chose the simple one)
• Creative Cottage - 'Happy Father's Day'
• For Fun - 'Men'
• Sew Many Challenges - 'Father's Day - NO Blue'
• Simon Says Stamp - 'Father's Day/Men'

You can check out the fabulous cards by my lovely teamies, and our guest designer for June Cherie, on the Just Cute Bears Challenge blog.

Nap Time!

I'm not really sure where the inspiration to make a new baby card came from...I don't know anybody who's expecting at the moment...but I just couldn't resist colouring this adorable wee hedgie ('Nap Time' by Penny Black). I followed the sketch from the Simon Says Stamp Challenge...and am also entering this card into a few other challenges: Penny Black Saturday - 'Flowers'; Crazy Challenge - 'Something New' (New Baby); and Stamp Something - 'Celebrate Something'. I decided to echo the polkadot pattern on the hedgie's hammock in my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossed background, and ribbon (from Hobbycraft). The flowers are from Poppicrafts.

Goal!

I've had a little play with another of the manga stamps which are exclusive to the Secret Crafter...this one's called 'Jake with Football'. I followed the sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches (flipping it, as it suited my image better that way around) to make a 'Child's card' for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge...I'm going to send this to a Post Pals child, as I haven't done any in a while. The papers are from the '29th Street Market' collection by My Mind's Eye, and I embossed the plain strip with my Cuttlebug 'Spots & Dots' folder. The letters were cut using the Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

Check this out!

I'm getting in early (well early for me anyway) with week's Penny Black Challenge...where the theme is 'Check it Out'. I followed the sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches, using 'Birthday Dog' and papers from the 'Archaic' pad by BasicGrey. I distressed all of the edges using inks and my distressing tool...so I'm also going to enter this card into Simon Says Stamp's 'It's so distressing' challenge. The sentiment stamp is by Inkadinkado, the stars were cut using Nesties, and the brads are by Papermania.

Rainin' Daisies

I had a little play last night, and made a card for a few challenges. I used the sketch from the Penny Black Saturday Challenge; and combined the themes of: the Simon Says Stamp Challenge of 'Vintage with Flowers'; A Spoon Full of Sugar's 'Distress Inks, Pearls & Glitter'; and Crazy4Challenge's 'It's all about texture'. The image is 'Rainin' Daisies', and the papers are all from the '29th Street Market' collection by My Mind's Eye. I don't have any distress inks, so I used chalk inks, and my distressing tool to distress the edges. For the textures, I used my 'Swiss Dots' and 'Textile' Cuttlebug folders, and added flowers (decorated with some Stickles) and some adhesive pearls.

Swiss Ribbon

I haven't entered the Sketch & Stash Challenge for a while...it's not that I haven't liked the sketches...'cos I have...or that I haven't had any new or unused stash to use...'cos I have mountains! lol But more a case of 'too many challenges...too little time'...so I thought it was about time I played again...and unearthed this gorgeous House Mouse image 'Swiss Ribbon', that I've had for ages, but have never got around to using. The papers are from the 'Ooh La La (for Him)' collection (by My Mind's Eye), as is the little 'ticket' embellishment, onto which I've stamped a sentiment by Inkadinkado. The brads and ribbon are from Poppicrafts.

I'm also going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts: 'Tag, Ticket or Label'
Papertake Weekly: 'Check this Out!'
Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential: 'Doing the Mess Around'
Simon Says Stamp: '3 types of embellishments (in my case: ribbon, brads, ticket), 2 papers, 1 image'

Long Stem Cuties

I've had this image ('Long Stem Cuties' by Penny Black) in my box of stamped images for absolutely ages...so long, in fact that I can't remember who sent it me...but thank you whoever you are, as it was just perfect for this card! I followed the Friday Sketchers sketch, and took inspiration from the gorgeous photo of the rose on Simon Says Stamp Challenge. I've made this card for my parents wedding anniversary...it's not 'til May, but I do like to be organised! lol Anyway, if I put it on my blog now, my Mum will have forgotten that she's already seen it by the time I give it to them! So I'm also entering it for: the Penny Black Saturday Challenge to make a card for 'Someone Special'; the One Stop Craft Challenge to personalise our projects (if you look closely, you'll see that I've hand written 'Mum & Dad' on the label on the rose); and the Papertake Weekly Challenge, where the theme this week is 'Love'.
The papers are by Mind's Eye ('Adore'), the sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddly, and the lace is from Hobbycraft.

It's Good News...Baby!

I won a prize from Toodles & Binks stamps on the Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge at the beginning of last month...and my fabby stamps arrived on Saturday...so I could resist inking one up straight away. I decided to use 'Clive Cockran'...to make a 'Baby' card for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge...not a typical image for that kind of card...but if you look closely you can just see the 'new arrival' peeking out of the chicken hutch...I've also used the sentiment stamp that came with the image as I thought it suited the occasion. I followed the Sketch Saturday sketch, using My Mind's Eye 'Ooh La La' (for Him) papers and a few Poppicrafts buttons...in 'Spring-like' colours...so I'm also entering this card for Pile It On's 'No Winter Colours' challenge.

Hot Chocolate Henry

Yes...I'm making an early start on my Christmas cards again this year...making at least one card a week worked so well last year...I ended up with some cards left over! lol
I'd used up most of my Christmas papers...so I had a bit of a splurge on some in the post-Christmas sales...well, I had to make sure I'd have enough to last 'til Christmas! ;0)
This combines quite a few challenges: the fab sketch from the Allsorts Challenge; the colour combo of 'Aqua & Red' from the Whiff of Joy Challenge; the 'Hot Chocolate' theme of the Simon Says Stamp and Quixotic challenges; Stamp with Fun's 'Snowflakes' theme; and Cute Card Thursday's 'All New' challenge.
I used 'Henry Mouse with Hot Chocolate' (by Whiff of Joy)...and was very brave, and cut into some of my new My Mind's Eye 'Colourful Christmas' papers...love the zingy colours on these...and they don't just have to used for Christmas either...I used some on a birthday card yesterday too...but you'll have to wait until later in the week to see that. I distressed all of the edges, and added some faux stitching too. The snowflakes were cut using a Cuttlebug die, and I couldn't resist adding some card candy in the corners.


I'll be back with another Christmas card tomorrow...with my DT card for the second ABC Christmas Challenge...if you haven't joined in with our first challenge...'A for Angels'...and our 'Say No' candy...it's not too late...but you'll have to be quick!

Party Time!

Whilst having a rootle through the stamped images at the bottom of my image box (it's an A4 sized Really Useful Box, so it's easy to lose track of what I've got! lol) I found this fab Penny Black hedgehog image (called 'Cake Dance') which is just perfect for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge where the theme is 'Party!'. I used the sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches...rotating it to fit the image. The papers are from the Papermania 'Sweet Nothings' pack, the sentiment stamp is by Inkadinkado ('Happy Birthday Ticket'), and the buttons are also Papermania.


There's still time to join in the fun of the ABC Christmas Challenge blog hop before the first challenge launches on Wednesday...click here for the first stop.

Caroling Chooks

Woo-hoo I finally made a card last night! I hadn't crafted for over a week...and I think I'd forgotten how to do it...it took me ages to make this...and it's so simple! lol
I followed the sketch from the Just Christmas & Birthday Cards Challenge, to make a card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, where the theme this week is 'Christmas for the guys'. I followed the Stampavie & More colour theme of 'Brown & One Other Colour' challenge (in my case blue), and I'm also entering this for the 'Animal Antics' challenge over at Simon Says Stamp. I've used 'Carolers' (of course by Penny Black), and paper by My Mind's Eye...ok so it's not overly festive but it is from a Christmas pack! lol I distressed the edges using inks and my distressing tool, added some faux-stitching and a few snowflakes cut using a Cuttlebug die.

Poppy Fields

I had a little play yesterday with one the Sugar Nellie's I won...and used my new stamp ('Poppy Fields') to make a card following the Sketch & Stash Challenge sketch. I'm also entering this card for some of the 'Thank You' themed challenges around this week: Cuttlebug Challenges; Cuttlebug Spot; Simon Says Stamp Challenge; and (I'm not sure if I've got this in in time...but they haven't put up the new challenge yet...) Pile It On. The poppy paper was a RAK from my lovely ABC DT buddy Fiona, so I'm not sure who it's by, but it was a perfect match for the image. I embossed the plain card with my 'Perfect Paisley' and 'Victoria' embossing folders. The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts (from the 'Anytime Messages' set), the teeny brads are from Poppicrafts, and I distressed all of the edges, and added some faux-stitching using a white gel pen.

Henry Christ-Mouse!

This gorgeous image 'Henry Mouse with Christmas Bauble' by Whiff of Joy was sent to me by my lovely friend Kaz - thank you...I love him! *U*
I followed the Midnight Madness sketch...stretching it to make a square card. I decided to go with an all white background, using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'Snowflakes' and 'Snow Dots' folders for some texture...perfect for the Charisma Cardz 'No Patterned Papers' challenge. I added some sparkly ribbon, and used a Sakura stardust pen on the little snowflakes (cut using a Cuttlebug die) and on Henry's bauble...and some Stickles on the fur on his hat...so I'm also entering this card for the Simon Says Stamp 'All that sparkles' challenge.