Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - It's a Couple Thing

This week, it's Kate's turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she has chosen:

'It's a Couple Thing'

I've used a Sarah Kay stamp from Stampavie called 'First Kiss' on my card...just perfect for a Valentine's card. The papers are all from the 'Lemonade' pad by BasicGrey (available here at the Secret Crafter)...I love this pad...I only have a few scraps left now! I embossed the plainer paper with my 'Flower Fantasy' Cuttlebug folder (available here at the Secret Crafter), then sanded over the raised design to reveal the white core. I used one of my 'Deckled Rectangle' Nesties (available here at the Secret Crafter) to cut out the image, then inked the edges, and used my distressing tool on the papers, before adding some faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I cut the heart using my Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' die, and the sentiment is a stamp from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp.

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

• Fussy & Fancy - Sketch
• Crafty Cardmakers - Pencils (I used watercolour pencils)
• Paper Sundaes - Revisit an old challenge (I chose #3 - Valentine's)
• Simon Says Stamp - Bingo! (I've used the bottom row: Punches/Die cuts - Embossing - Ribbon)
• Totally Papercrafts - Add a Heart
• Wild Orchid Crafts - Sentimental

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous cards by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Cluck, Cluck, Cluck...

It's a really dull day here today...so I have a bright and cheerful card to share. The image is 'Cluck, cluck, cluck' by Penny Black, which I coloured with watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Ooh La La (for Her)' collection by My Mind's Eye, and I distressed the edges using my distressing tool. I punched a strip of orange card with my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' border punched, and tied a piece of rainbow ribbon (from Hobbycraft) around it. The flowers are by Prima, and the buttons are Papermania.

Challenges for this card:

• Sweet Sunday - Sketch
• Penny Black Saturday - Card Buffet (I used: papers; ribbon, 3 flowers; & 3 buttons)
• Crazy Challenge - Buttons
• Cute Card Thursday - 1,2,3 (1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 flowers)
• Oldie but a Goodie - Bright & Cheerful (I've had this stamp for at least 2 years...but am ashamed to say, I can't remember the last time I used it)
• Pink Elephant - Pink, Orange & Aqua

ABC Christmas Challenge - B is for...

If you read my post last Wednesday, about our 'New Year makeover' at the ABC Christmas Challenge, you'll know that we have a really exciting challenge for you this time...but before I get on to that, I have a winner to announce. Sadly, the winner of my 'Z for Zero' blog hop candy has not contacted me to claim the prize....so, I've drawn another winner using Random.Org from the comments on my blog:

#57 - Lisa

Congratulations Lisa! Please email me with your address (helenbrammer@hotmail.com) by next Wednesday to claim your prize :0)

Ok...so on to our new challenge!

Carissa is our host this week, and our theme is:

'B is for Black & White'

We are sponsored this time by the one and only Dustin Pike...not only is he very generously donating not one, but two prizes...but he has designed a special freebie image for you to use on your cards! As this challenge is a little bit special...and to say thank you to Dustin for drawing a new freebie just for us and our challengers...we have some extra rules. In order to qualify for a prizes, you must not only follow the theme of the challenge...use only black & white on your card...(you may add more colour to your image if you wish)...but also use a Dustin Pike image - either one of his digi images from his store...(there are some older Christmas freebies on his blog too)...one of his High Hopes rubber stamp designs...or the fabulous freebie...which you can get from the ABC Christmas Challenge blog...oh and don't forget that your project must be Christmas themed! All entries regardless of the image used will of course still be eligible for the Top 3.

I couldn't resist using the freebie that Dustin created especially for this challenge...isn't it just perfect for a black & white theme with the zebra and penguin!? I coloured it with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Ice Crystal' Stickles for the snow. I didn't have any black and white papers, so I created my background using my 'Swiss Dots' Cuttlebug folder, and spotty ribbon (from Poppicrafts). The sentiment stamp is from a Lili of the Valley set, and the snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug dies, and then sprinkled with Glamour Dust.

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

• Sketch Saturday - Sketch
• Glitterbabes - Anything Goes
• Sundays with Crissy - Ribbons
• My Time to Craft - Spots & Dots

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddies...and if you do choose to download and use Dustin's special freebie...remember to stop by and say thank you :0)

Cuttlebug Spot - Inspired by a Children's Game

This week at the Cuttlebug Spot, we're getting inspired by:

'A Children's Game'

Hmmm...had me stumped too...until I looked through a list of traditional children's games on Wikipedia...and spied 'Cats Cradle'...I used to love playing that! If you're not sure what it is...you can find out more here. I did start out by thinking that I could incorporate some string wrapped around my card...but when I stumbled across this image in my box ('Cat in a bra' by Penny Black)...I knew I'd found my cat's cradle! lol 

I coloured it with watercolour pencils, adding some shimmer with a Sakura Stardust pen. I used my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' and 'D'Vine Swirls' to emboss the purple card, then distressed all of the edges. The flowers are a mixture of Prima & Poppicrafts, the jewelled brads are from Craft Obsessions, and I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch along the bottom edge.

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Pile It On! Challenge - Anything Goes!

This week at the Pile It On! Challenge:

'Anything Goes!'

Our sponsor for this challenge is the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store.

I've used another of my new stamps on this card...he's called 'Birthday Beagle' by Whipper Snapper...awww...so cute and ready for a party! I've not used any designer papers on this card...kept it really simple, embossing plain card with my 'Swiss Dots' and 'Spots & Dots' Cuttlebug folders. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts, and I used Nesties to cut out the circles and stars. The spotty ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - Anything Goes!
• Allsorts - Teal & Brown
• CES - No Designer Papers
• Crafty Ann's - Old & New (Old - my 'Swiss Dots' folder, New - the stamp)
• Creative Inspirations - Celebrate
• Incy Wincy - Go Dotty
• One Stop Craft - Card for a Male
• Prairie Fairy - Happy Birthday
• Stamp Something - Anything Goes
• Stampin' for the Weekend - New & Blue (the stamp is new)
• Sweet Stop - Sketch & Dry Embossing
• Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes
• Totally Gorjuss - Cuddly
• Totally Papercrafts - Happy Birthday
• Winter Wonderland - Paws

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous cards by my lovely Pile It On! DT buddies.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - With Love...

This week it's Jane's turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she has chosen:

'With Love'

I've used an adorable Lili of the Valley fairy image on my card called 'On Tiptoe', which was sent to me in a RAK from my lovely friend Pauline. I coloured her with watercolour pencils to match the BasicGrey 'Kioshi' papers (available here from the Secret Crafter). I distressed all of the edges with my distressing tool, and added a sentiment from Cuddly Buddly. I used my Nesties (available here at the Secret Crafter) to cut out all the circles.

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

• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch
• Lili of the Valley - Things with Wings
• Paper Sundaes - Circles
• The Stamp Man - Distressed
• Wags'n'Whiskers - With Love

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Coming Your Way...

...well, maybe not for quite a few months...but this stamp is called 'Coming Your Way' (by Penny Black)...and it's another of my post-Christmas sales purchases. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils, to match the glittery papers from the 'Countdown to Christmas' pad by My Mind's Eye. The snowflakes were cut using a mixture of Marianne Designs Creatables and Cuttlebug dies.

Challenges for this card:

• Simon Says Stamp - Sketch
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes (Card 5)
• Creative Cottage - Something New (the stamp)
• PaperPlay - Cutie Patootie

ABC Christmas Challenge - Makeover & Sneak Peek!

We've had a New Year makeover at the ABC Christmas Challenge...the lovely Samantha has created us a new header using each DT member's favourite card from last year's challenges:

Isn't it fab??? 

Can you spot which one's my card??? 

It's the one in the top left corner.

And if that wasn't enough...she's made us new DT blinkies...winner's badges...Top 3/5 blinkies and one for all our lovely ABC Christmas Challenge followers:

Feel free to snag that one and add it to your blogs :0)

And the sneak peek???

Can you tell what it is???

It's a brand new drawing by the wonderful Dustin Pike...created especially for us and our challengers to use for our challenge...'B is for...'...which Dustin is sponsoring...how fab is that!?!? He's making this freebie available exclusively for those entering that challenge...so...if you want to see the whole image...make sure you check out the ABC Christmas Challenge next Wednesday...but in the meantime...we still have another week left on our 'A is for Anything Christmas' challenge.

And before I go...this is the final call  for the winner of my ABC Christmas Challenge blog hop candy...Katarina...please contact me by 9am (UK time) next Monday (17th January) to claim your prize...otherwise I will re-draw my winner.

Doggy Pile!

Today's card uses another of the stamps I bought in the sales after Christmas...it's called 'Doggy Pile' by Whipper Snapper...and I'd been hankering after it for ages! :0)

I've kept this card really simple...I stamped some 'muddy' paw prints , using a stamp from the Hero Arts 'I love my dog' set on to the card blank, added a strip of checked paper from a Paper Cellar pad, and a piece of 'bone' print ribbon from Hobbycrafts. 

Challenges for this card:

• Totally Gorjuss - Sketch
• CES - All Creatures Great & Small
• Crazy Challenge - Animals
• Cupcake - Something New (The stamp)
• Pollycraft - New Things
• Totally Stampalicious - Mixed Up (Use stamps from two different sets)

Cuttlebug Spot - Inspired by a Song

This week at the Cuttlebug Spot we're getting:

'Inspired by a Song'

I think it's fairly obvious which song I took my inspiration from...but just in case you haven't guessed...it's 'Lady in Red' by Chris de Burgh (can't actually stand the song, but it was the first thing I thought of! lol)

The image is 'Ginger' by Penny Black (although I've made her blonde), and the papers are from the '365 Degrees'  pad by Pink Paislee. I used my Cuttlebug 'Kassie's Brocade' folder to emboss on some of the plain red paper, sanding the surface to reveal the white core. I added a sentiment (from the Hreo Arts 'Anytime Messages' set), some Prima flowers, and some spotty ribbon.

I have a little confession to make...I originally got the theme totally wrong...eeeek...for some reason when I transfered my lists of DT project themes into my diary, I somehow managed to write the theme of today's challenge as 'Inspired by a Film'...ooops! Anyway...after I emailed it to Nilda, she pointed out that it should have been a 'song' and not a 'film'...but not to worry...just pick a song from the film...and that's fine...well...the film I took as my inspiration was 'The Snowman' based on the Raymond Briggs...and there is a song in the film, a very famous one in fact...called 'Walking in the Air' (I'm sure you must have all heard it a million times over Christmas...which would have been fine, except...this was the card I made:

Not exactly flying are they? lol

The particular scene I took my inspiration from was the one where the little boy wakes up the morning after his adventure with the snowman, to find him melted on the lawn....only a hat and scarf to mark where he'd been...

Anyway...in case anyone's interested...the image and sentiment on my snowman card are from the 'Meting Snowman' set by Woodware...it's the 'after' image from the 'before' one on the card I posted on Sunday. I stamped some little snowflakes (from the 'Bubble Tree' set also by Woodwaare) in Versamark on the card blank, and then added some more kraft card embossed with my beloved 'Snowflakes' folder.

For more inspiration...on the correct theme! lol...please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Baby Girl

Today's card is for a baby girl...makes a change from Christmas! The image is 'In a nutshell' by Penny Black, which I coloured with watercolour pencils. The papers are from the Papermania 'Sweet Nothings' pack...thought it was about time I tried to use up some of my old papers! I distressed the edges, then added some faux-stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The flowers are a mixture of Prima and Poppicrafts, and the raffia lace is from Hobbycraft.

Challenges for this card:

• Friday Sketchers - Sketch
• Crafty Calendar - New Beginnings
• Creative Card Crew - New Beginnings
• Penny Black Saturday - New Beginnings
• Simon Says Stamp - New Beginnings

Jolly Snowmen

I've used some of the goodies I bought in the sales on this card...the snowmen and sentiment are from the 'Melting Snowmen' set by Woodware...this is the 'before' image...you'll be able to see the 'after' on Tuesday. I coloured them with watercolour pencils, and combined them with papers from the 'Countdown to Christmas' glitter pad by My Mind's Eye. I've kept it really simple (flat for posting too!), just adding a piece of ribbon and a couple of die cut snowflakes (cut using Marianne Designs Creatables and Cuttlebug dies).

Challenges for this card:

• Sweet Stop - Sketch
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes (Card 4)
• Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes
• PaperPlay - Clean & Simple
• Stampavie & More - Snowmen
• Winter Wonderland - Let's Go Dotty

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Tons of Texture

It's my turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week, which is:

'Tons of Texture'

I love to make my cards look tactile, with Cuttlebug embossing, distressed edges, ribbons, buttons, pearls, gems, flowers, glitter and lace...and I've managed to cram most of those on this card!

The adorable image is a House Mouse stamp called 'Birthday Cupcake', which I coloured with watercolour pencils, before giving the icing a generous coating of 'Crystal' Stickles (available here at the Secret Crafter). The papers are a mixture of My Mind's Eye (from the freebie 'Quite Contrary' pad) and Heidi Grace. I used my Cuttlebug 'Happy Birthday' folder on one of the plainer papers...sanding the raised areas to let the white core show through. I distressed all of the edges, and then added some faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I added some paper flowers, in place of a sentiment...threading some organza ribbon through a button (from this Woodware pack at the Secret Crafter) for the centre. For some finishing touches I added a few adhesive pearls (available here at the Secret Crafter) and a simple bow.

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

• Cooking it up with Katie - Button me a Ribbon Animal
• Crafty Catz - Food & Drink
• Creative Friday - Let's Have a Party
• Totally Stampalicious - Cupcakes
• Wild Orchid - Sketch

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous cards by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Marley's Bauble

I know...another Christmas card and it's only January 6th...but I love making Christmas cards...and I have lots of lovely new Christmas themed stash to use :0)
This stamp is called 'Marley's Bauble' and is by Pollycraft....I won it in a challenge a couple of months ago, but this is the first time I've used it. I coloured him with watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle with Glamour Dust. For the background, I used my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'Snowflakes' and 'Ice Crystals' folders on plain white card, adding definition to the edges with more Galmour Dust. I've tried to keep this card as flat as possible (for posting)...so thought the sparkle would help make it look more interesting! The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies....then sprinkled with more Glamour Dust...I love the stuff!

Challenges for this card:

• Sketch & Stash - Sketch (the digi stamp is my new stash)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes (Card 3)
• Crazy Challenge - All Things New (the digi stamp is new)
• Creative Craft - New Year's Resolutions (One of mine is to make roughly half of my Christmas cards 'flat' this year...I hand deliver quite a lot of my cards, but the ones I posted last year cost me a fortune...so my aim is to not have to use 'large' stamps on the one I post this year).
• Cupcake - White is White
• Fab 'n' Funky - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Scrapbook Sisters - Anything Goes

Today is my last day of freedom...*sigh*...back to school tomorrow...am really not looking forward to the 6am alarm! I'd love to be able to spend the day playing with some more of my lovely new stash...but unfortunately I have lots of music to finish preparing for the term ahead...oh well...better get back to it...I'll be back on Saturday with my DT card for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for...

Before I get on to our first ABC Christmas Challenge of 2011...I have a little bit of house-keeping...for our last challenge & blog hop, there was some candy hidden on my blog...which means I have a winner to announce. I picked the winner using Random.Org from the comments left on my challege post:

#52 - Katarina

Congratulations! Please contact me at helenbrammer@hotmail.com with your address by Monday 17th January, so that I can get your prize in the post!

Ok, so on to our new challenge...we know that you may be thinking that it's a little early to be starting on this year's cards...but we believe it's never too early, and to help you get a head start, we've made it a nice easy theme for you:

'A is for Anything Christmas'

We are sponsored for this challenge by our lovely regular sponsor:

 

And the prize is a $15 shopping spree in their store!

I've used an adorable Stamp Fairy digi stamp on my card of Al the penguin...that I won with one of the items I made for our last challenge :0)

I coloured him with watercolour pencils, and added Glamour Dust to the snow, and around the edges of the lacey scallops. The papers are new...from the My Mind's Eye 'Countdown to Christmas' pad...they're all gorgeous and glittery! The sentiment is a Penny Black stamp, and the ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

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

• Unscripted Sketches - Pick any old sketch ( I used #3)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes (Card 2)
• Crazy4Challenges - Celebrate Something (I'm still celebrating Christmas!)
• Paper Sundaes - Something New (The papers & the digi stamp are new)

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddies!

Cuttlebug Spot - Inspired by a Book

This month at the Cuttlebug Spot we're getting inspired...and this week we're taking our inspiration from:

'Books'

I really didn't know where to start...but decided I'd take a look through all of my stamped images, to see if anything came to mind...and when I fsaw this adorable Penny Black stamp 'Feeding Frenzy', I knew I had it...'One Hundred & One Dalmations' by Dodie Smith...lol
In keeping with the 'spots' idea I used my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'Spots & Dots' and 'Tiny Bubbles' folders on plain grey card. I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch on the edges of the strip across the centre, and added some spotty ribbon from Hoobbycraft.

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Happy New Year...

...to me! Well...I liked the easel card calendars I'd made for other people so much, I thought I make one for myself! lol
The image is 'Champagne Thomas' by Lili of the Valley...which I coloured with watercolour pencils, adding a little sparkle to the bubbly with a Sakura Stardust pen. The papers are from the 'Oh La La (for her)' collection by My Mind's Eye, the ribbon is from Poppicrafts, the calendar tab is by Anita's, and the numbers were cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

From the side:

And a close-up of the front:

Challenges for this card:

• Crafter's Companion - Sketch & New Year
• Creative Stamp Friends - New Year's Cards
• Dutch Dare - New Beginnings
• For Fun - New Year
• Lili of the Valley - New Beginnings
• One Stop Craft - New Beginnings
• Prairie Fairy - New Beginnings
• Sew Many Challenges - NewThings

Pile It On! Challenge - Brand Spankin' New

The theme of this week's Pile It On! Challenge is:

'Brand Spankin' New'

You can interpret this in any way you like...use some new stash...try a new technique...or make a card or other item celebrating a 'New' occasion.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the Technique Junkies, who have very generously donated a Fancy Fancy Folds and Motion Paper Crafts CD (Value $17.95) and a one year on-line subscription to the Technique Junkie Newsletter for the lucky winner.

I've used some of the stash I got for Christmas on my card...to make a...yes you've guessed it...a Christmas card...my first of 2011! lol

The image is a digi stamp I won a while ago called 'Robin Hello' by Pollycraft, but this is the first time I've used it...I coloure it with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Crystal' Stickles to the snow. The papers were a Christmas present...they're from the 'Countdown to Christmas' glitter pad by My Mind's Eye...and are all lovely and sparkly! I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the strip accross the middle...then tied some spotty ribbon from Hobbycraft over the top. The snowflakes were cut using dies by Marrianne Designs Creatables & Cuttlebug dies, then coated with a generous layer of Glamour Dust...and finally I added a couple of adhesive green gems, which were also a Christmas present :0)

Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - Brand Spankin' New (The digi stamp, paper & gems)
• Anything Goes - The Letter C (Mine's Christmas)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations (Sunday) - Use Something New (The digi stamp, paper & gems)
• My Time to Craft - Brand Spanking New! (The digi stamp, paper & gems)
• Pollycraft - White Christmas (I went for the snowy winter scene option)
• Sketch & Stash - Sketch #33

• Stamp Fairy - Let's Celebrate (I'm still celebrating Christmas...lol)
• Stamp Something - Glitter

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Pile It On! Challenge DT buddies...including our new members Corinna, Crystal, Julie, Melissa, and Sharon.

Shimmery Butterfly

Today's card was made for one of my parents' neighbours who will turn 90 soon. All of the stamps I used are from the CCSR 'Doodles' set by Papermania, which I stamped and embossed in pearl violet on lilac card, before colouring them with Cosmic Shimmer pigments (one of my Christmas presents). I used my Cuttlebug 'Floral Fantasy' folder to emboss some pearlised card, and cut out the mats using various Nestie shapes. The numbers were cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

Challenges for this card:

• Mojo Monday - Sketch
• Moving Along with the Times - Birthdays & Circles

I'll be back later with my DT card for the first Pile It On! Challenge of 2011.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Buttons & Bows

Before I get on to this week's Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, I'd just like to say:

 Happy New Year to all my lovely visitors!

It's Bridget's turn to choose the theme...and she's easing you gently into 2011 with a nice simple challenge of:

'Buttons & Bows'

I've made an easel card calendar, using the fab 'Bee Costume' stamp by Penny Black, which I coloured using watercolour pencils, and then cut out using my Labels 1 Nesties (available here at the Secret Crafter). The checked paper is from the 'Kioshi' pad by BasicGrey (available here at the Secret Crafter), and I embossed the plain yellow card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder (available here at the Secret Crafter). The flowers are by Prima, the ribbon is from Poppicrafts, the buttons and brads are by Papermania, and the calendar tab is by Anita's.

Here's a view from the side showing the easel card shape:

And a close-up of the front...you can just about see the sparkle on his wings I added with a Sakura Stardust pen:

I used the sketch from the Truly Scrumptious Challenge for the layout of this card.

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Secret Crafter DT buddies.