Wednesday 30 October 2013

Tree of butterflies



   One of my niece's has her 21st birthday next month, so I have made this card for her.
   The image is from the 'Essence of Nature' set by Elusive Images, now Chocolate Baroque. I coloured it using Promakers and distress inks and then cut it out using  a Spellbinders grand scalloped circle die. I used another one of these dies to cut out matt gold mirri card onto which I mounted the image.
   I then layered some pink textured paper onto cream card and then fixed the stamped image to this. I re-stamped the image and coloured and cut out the butterflies and having sprayed them with iridescent spray and sparkle from Crafter's Companion I decoupaged them onto the main image and added a bow to the bottom of the tree.
   Finally I placed some gold peel offs in the corners.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Allsorts - treemendous
   The Crazy Challenge - b is for .... butterflies, bow, birthday peel offs
   Addicted to Stamps - colour palette
   Flutter By Wednesday - any winged creature
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes

Tuesday 29 October 2013

What's inside?




   For this I took a DL card and cut it to form the shape of a Christmas cracker. I then cut the middle section of the front away from the back and cut vertically down the centre of the card front. I then scored vertically through the half-way point of each half of the card. The two end quarters of the card I glued together and the middle sections folded back to form doors.
   I covered the front of the card with red paper, tied twine round each fold (the door hinge) and used buttons as door handles. House mice taken from Joanna Sheen's Happy Days House Mouse Designs set and coloured using Promarkers were used to decorate the front of the doors. Merry Christmas peel offs were added to the ends.
   The inside image is from Joanna Sheen's Christmas set of House Mouse Designs. Again I used Promarkers to colour it  and also scattered straw distress ink for the firelight. I then mounted it onto red mirri card before attaching it to the card.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Joanna Sheen - button it up!
   House Mouse and Friends - anything goes with twine
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Lisa B. Designs - Christmas theme
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
   Crafty Little Fairies - anything goes
   Stamping Sensations - all creatures great and small
   Crafting Musketeers - Christmas in October
   Craftyhazenut's Christmas Extra - anything goes

Saturday 26 October 2013

Anniversary



   It is one of my niece's wedding anniversary next month so I have made this card for her and her husband.
   I stamped the image from Joanna Sheen's 'Happy Days' set of House Mouse Designs stamps and cut it out using a Spellbinders lacy oval die. Masking off the moon, I used distress ink to create the sky and water background. I then coloured the image using Promarkers. This I attached to a square of black card and glued mini gems into each of the semi-circles.
   I matted a layer of light blue core'dinations cardstock onto white card and then fixed the topper to this. Buttons threaded onto twine were used to decorate the edges of the card and more mini gems were glued into the loops formed by the twine.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   House Mouse and Friends - anything goes with twine
   Joanna Sheen - button it up!

Friday 25 October 2013

Sunrise




   For this card I played around with lots of different coloured distress inks
   The image is taken from 'Lakeside Shore' by Sheena Douglas and I wanted to create a sunrise picture.       Before dusting the sky area with the inks I masked off the sun and clouds.  When I had finished 'playing' I removed the mask and coloured the image using Promarkers. I then matted and layered the picture, brown mirri card and orange mirri card onto white card. I then stamped and coloured a branch from the same stamp set, cut it out, shaped it and attached it with glue gel to the right hand side of the card. A sentiment finished the card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Crafting With Dragonflies - card with nature/trees/leaves
   Without Words - pumpkins ( I've taken the colours green, orange, brown and purple!)
   Crafty Little Fairies - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - halloween colours
   Scribbles Designs - shades of orange
   Kaboodle Doodles -  halloween colours
   QKR Stampede - seeing orange

Ooh La La !!



   The challenge this week at Creative Corner is Femme Fatale.
   The digi stamp 'Ooh La  La !!' from IKEsART was coloured using Promarkers and then cut out. I cut out black core'dinations cardstock and red mirri card using Spellbinders adorning squares dies and matted one onto the other. I shaped the image slightly before attaching it it to the squares with glue gel.
   The background of the card was formed by matting and layering pink lace patterned paper and black card onto white card. The corners were decorated with the 'waste' from the die cut square and red gems.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Creative Craft 2 - anything goes
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
 
 

Wednesday 23 October 2013

All ablaze!



   For this card I matted and layered 'flame' paper printed from the La Pashe 'Something for Everyone' CD ROM and black mirri card onto cream card.
   I then matted and layered pale purple paper and black mirri card onto green mirri card, each piece having been cut out using a Spellbinders die. Black ribbon was then wrapped round the bottom of the green mirri card. This was then fixed to the main card.
   The digi image, called 'Blair Blaze', form Kenny K was coloured using Promarkers, cut out and slightly shaped before attaching to the card with glue gel. A bow was added to the ribbon.
   Finally three gems were glued to the top right hand corner of the card.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   The Crazy Challenge - halloween
   Digi Sketch - 1 (image), 2 (colours of mirri), 3 (gems)
   Kaboodle Doodles - halloween colours
   Whoopsi Daisy - halloween colours
   Dream Valley - halloween
   Eureka Stamps - halloween colours
   QKR Stampede -halloween fun
   Digi Design - colours of halloween

Sunday 20 October 2013

Christening



   I have made this card for my youngest grandson's christening which is next Sunday.
   I embossed grey whitewash core'dinations cardstock using the Darice folder 'corner scroll' from Crafter's Companion. Having sanded it I matted and layered it onto grey blue centura pearl and white card.
   The image is 'baby christening' from Lili of the Valley and I have coloured it using Promarkers. I then cut it out with a Spellbinders lacy oval die and wove blue ribbon round the edge tying the ends into a bow. It was fixed to the card with double sided tape.
   I made three roses and, adding a bow and punched leaves, formed a posy in the bottom left hand corner of the card.


   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Crafter's Companion - baby
   Lili of the Valley - anything goes
   ABC - X is for extra special
   Paper Pretties - permission to embellish everything
   Allsorts -ribbon and bows
   Creative Craft 2 - anything goes
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
   Brown Sugar - blue, grey and white

Friday 18 October 2013

Dreaming?



   I have had this set of stamps called Bah! Humbug!1 from Sheena Douglas for some time but have never got round to using them, so I thought it was about time that they saw the light of day!
   Having stamped the images I masked off the edges and dusted the top half with distress inks (dusty concord, faded jeans and black soot). The chimneys and and roof tops were coloured using Promarkers and then I removed the masking tape. I then added lots of glitter (although it doesn't  show in the photograph) to the roofs. This was then matted and layered onto navy and dark violet mirri card.
   I stamped snowflakes onto the white base card before attaching the image to it. Finally a sentiment was added.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   I Love Promarkers - snowflakes
   Crafty Little Fairies - Christmas in October
   Crafting Musketeers - Christmas in October
   Addicted to Stamps - Christmas is coming
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes

Thursday 17 October 2013

Halloween



   For this card I began by matting and layering printed paper from La Pashe's 'Something for Everyone' CD ROM and dark orange core'dination cardstock onto white card.
   A black strip of core'dinations cardstock was sprayed with iridescent spray and sparkle from Crafter's Companion and fixed down the left hand side of the card.
   The image was printed from Joanna Sheen's 'The House Mouse triple CD collection'. I took a second image and cut out the mice, broom and pumpkin to decoupage the original image. This was then matted and layered onto pale and dark orange core'dinations cardstock before fixing it to the centre of the card with foam pads.
   I made a broom from a wooden cocktail stick, brown paper from packaging and some unravelled string.
This was fixed to the card with Collall all purpose glue. Finally I added a circular sentiment and three card candi.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   House Mouse and Friends - hey pumpkin
   The Crazy Challenge - halloween
   Incy Wincy Designs - halloween
   Crafty Catz - halloween
   Papertake - happy halloween hues
   Crafty Sentiments Designs- halloween
   Imagination Crafts - halloween
   Vs Sweet Ideas - halloween

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Presents



   For this Christmas card I thought I would go with colours not usually associated with the season.
   I embossed mustard core'dinations cardstock using a folder which came free with a magazine and positioned it four times across the cardstock. I then added glitter to the snowflakes before attaching it to white card.
   As another departure, instead of using my normal Promarkers I coloured this image, from Flower Soft, called 'The Gift', using Spectrum Noir pens. I then lightly dusted the background with distress ink and added glitter to the snow. Finally I added the banner which is from the same stamp set.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - getting ready for Christmas
   Addicted To Stamps - Christmas is coming
   Winter Wonderland - wrap it up
   Crafting Musketeers - Christmas in October
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - make it square
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Creative Craft2 - anything goes

Saturday 12 October 2013

Halloween birthday



   This is for someone who has a birthday at Halloween. I began with a square card and cut it so that a semicircle was formed on the part of the card that was away from the fold. The top of the card was then scored to form an easel card.
   I covered the base and the front of the card with a happy birthday designer paper and attached orange peel off around the edge of the base. A circle of co-ordinating patterned paper was matted onto orange card and fixed to the centre of the base. 'Best wishes' was cut in an arc and also matted onto orange card and then attached with foam pads to form the stop for the easel. Five card candi were added to the edge of the inner circle.
   The image from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse Happy Birthday set was coloured using Promarkers and then cut out using a Spellbiners scalloped circle die. A blend of distress inks were used round the edge before the die was removed. A similar shape was cut from orange mirri card and this was attached behind the image on a slight rotation. This was then matted and layered onto the brown patterned paper and orange card and attached to the lower half of the card front.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Joanna Sheen - so sweet
   I Love Promarkers - orange and brown
   Papertake Weekly - 2 by 2 ( 2 characters, 2 candles, 2 designer papers)
   QKR Stampede - anything goes with circles
   Stampin with the Dragon - circles
   Without words - pumpkins (the colour)

Friday 11 October 2013

Carol singers


 

   I sanded and sprayed with iridescent Spray and Sparkle from Crafter's Companion pre-embossed blue core'dinations cardstock which I then matted and layered onto mustard core'dinations cardstock and white card.
   The Flower Soft image called 'The Singers' was coloured using Promarkers and cut out using a Spellbinders floral oval die. I then matted it onto gold mirri card and cut around the edges so that the mirri card showed through the decorative edge. Glitter was added for falling snow and also to the snow on the ground. This I then attached to the card with foam pads. The banner is from the same stamp set and having coloured it using Promarkers I backed it onto thicker card and again used foam pads to fix it to the card.


   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Passion For Promarkers - snow is falling
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas -blue and yellow (from the inspiration picture)
   Inky Impressions - glitter and sparkle
   Crafting Musketeers - Christmas in October
   Papertake Weekly - 2 by 2 ( 2 characters, 2 main colours)
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - getting ready for Christmas
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything as long as it's Christmas
   Brown Sugar - anything goes

A quiet read




   This week's challenge over at Creative Corner is 'anything but a card'. I decided to make a bookmark.
   I began with a piece of Neenah card 6.5 cm by 18 cm. I rounded the bottom corner using a punch and shaped the top by using a Spellbinders label 6 die.
   The image from the Lili of the Valley stamp ' Times to Treasure' was coloured using Promarkers. The sentiment above the image is from the same set. I made a cloud shaped mask and brushed distress inks over the background. I then added some glitter to the cloud and a few 'birds'.
   I then backed this onto pale blue card onto which was stamped words from an an Elusive Image (now Chocolate Baroque) stamp. Using a hole puncher I punched a hole in the top and threaded through two pieces of ribbon.


   I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Creative Craft 2 - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Lili of the Valley - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - anything goes

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Frolics at sunset



   I had fun creating this card using all the individual mice on the various House Mouse Designs collections that I have from Joanna Sheen. What are they up to this time?
   The pumpkin part of the scene was done using stamps from Stamp Up! and using a masking technique. I then went over the stamped images with Promarkers to create some shading. The background was created by dusting ink from Big and Juicy pads over the masked design. I then matted it onto dark brown core'dinations cardstock and white card.
   The mice were coloured using Promarkers and then cut out, shaped and glue gelled onto the design.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Allsorts - autumn colours
   Addicted To Stamps - create a scene
   Kaboodle Doodles - pumpkins
   Without Words - pumpkins
   I Love Promarkers - brown and orange
   Paper Pretties - this is halloween
   House Mouse and Friends - hey pumpkin
   Eureka Stamps - anything goes
   Ooh La La - f is for fall frolics
   QKR Stampede - fall colours
   V's Sweet Ideas - halloween
   Send A Smile 4 Kids - bright colours 4 kids

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Free Fall



   I am a great fan of the House Mouse stamps and this is one of my favourites, although I find it more fiddly to colour than most of the others. The mice are having such fun!
   Quite often when I get a new CD ROM I will print off background papers that I think might be of use in the future or that I particularly like without alas keeping a note of which CD I used. The red/brown pattern paper I used for this card is one such paper. This I matted onto copper mirri card and then onto white card. The two strips of autumn leaves paper is another. These I also matted onto copper mirri card before fixing to the card at right angles to one another.
   A peel off sentiment was added to the bottom right hand corner, three peel off leaves to the top right hand corner and three buttons to the top left hand side.
   The image from Joanna Sheen's autumn House Mouse Designs collection was coloured using Promarkers and again matted onto copper mirri card. Due to the varying levels on the card I attached the image with glue gel.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Allsorts - autumn colours
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Crafty Cardmakers - cute and furry
   Dream Valley - buttons
   QKR Stampede - fall colours
   Eureka Stamps - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes

Sunday 6 October 2013

Bird flu



   Many people seem to be suffering from colds at the moment so I have made this card for a sufferer.
   Dark blue core'dinations cardstock was embossed with 'Just A Note' using a Darice folder which was then sanded. After two rows of ribbon bordering the embossing were wrapped round this it was attached to white the card. A bow was then attached to the lower ribbon.
   The image from Joanna Sheen's 'Get Well Soon' House Mouse designs was coloured using Promarkers, cut out using a Spellbinders label eight die and distress ink applied to the edges. This was then matted onto dark blue mirri card cut out using a decorative labels eight die and then onto pale blue core'dinations cardstock. It was then fixed to the card.
   A stamped sentiment was matted onto a piece of dark blue mirri card and attached underneath the image with foam pads.

   I would like to enter this card into the following  challenges:
   Inky Impressions - blue as the main colour
   Stamping Sensations - all creatures great and small
   Creative Craft2 - anything goes
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbons
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - favourite technique or colour (blue)
   Penny Black or More - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - signs of distress
   Passion For Promarkers -lots of legs
   Digi Design - show off those colouring skills

Thursday 3 October 2013

Feeling unwell



   For this card cream ribbon was wrapped round lightly sanded brown core'dinations cardstock which was then matted onto cream card. A bow and three card candi were then added.
   A sentiment border was made using two stamped mice and a sentiment taken from Joanna Sheen's 'Get well soon'  House Mouse Designs set. This was coloured using Promarkers and the borders shaded using frayed burlap distress ink. This was then matted onto darker brown core'dinations cardstock and fixed below the ribbon with tape.
   The main image from the same set of stamps as the above was also coloured using Promarkers and shaded with ditress ink. This was matted onto the darker brown core'dinations cardstock and the cream cardstock. It was fixed to the card at an angle with foam pads.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Joanna Sheen - coffee and cream
   Passion For Promarkers - lots of legs
   House Mouse and Friends - monochrome
   Creative Craft 2 - anything goes
   Scribbles Designs - pens, pencils, paper...
   Digi Designs - show off those colouring skills
   Crafty Cardmakers -cute and furry
   Cute Card Thursday - signs of distress
   Papertake - anything goes
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Box of cards



   I am lucky enough to have been asked to be a guest designer for this fortnight's challenge over at Crafting with Dragonflies. The challenge is - create a box with at least three cards.
   I wanted to make a box to take three A6 cards and matching envelopes. I have not made a box before, so I used Crafter's Companion boxer board (without their ultimate pro) and following the instructions  I used a piece of 16 cm by 21 cm eggshell blue centura pearl card for the base and a piece of 14 cm by 19 cm card for the lid to create a box 2 cm in depth and a lid 1 cm deep.  I was surprised how easily it all fitted together.
 

   To decorate the lid I used a stamp from Chocolate Baroque. I coloured the butterfly using Promarkers and then distress inked the edges. Once the image was fixed to the lid I bordered it with peel offs.








   To make the first card, I covered a base card with eggshell blue pearlescent paper. Onto this I layered pink floral paper. The lower half was covered with purple paper and the join covered with a strip of pink and white spotty paper. I mattered a rectangle of eggshell blue pearlescent paper onto dark mauve pearlescent paper and fixed ti centrally onto the card. The decoupaged butterfly from one of Le Suh's A5 booklets was glued to this and then card candi were fixed in each corner.



   The other two cards were made in a similar way.











   I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:
   Whoopsi Daisy - anything but a card
   Creative Craft2 - anything goes
   Flutter By Wednesday - open
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - favourite technique (decoupage)
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Ooh L:a La - F is for FLOWERS and FLIGHT
   Eureka - Wings and things

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Caroling Penguins



   My son is a fan of penguins, so this is a card for him.
   Green music paper from Kaisercraft was matted onto yellow core'dination cardstock and fixed to the base white card. A strip of postage stamps pattern paper, again from Kaisercraft, was also matted onto yellow core'dination cardstock and then fixed to the card. Red peel off stars were stuck onto white card candi which were then glue to the bottom of this strip.
   The main image, from the Penny Black stamp 'caroling penguins', was coloured using Promarkers and cut out using a Spellbinder postage stamp die. Distress ink was applied to the top part of the image before it was removed from the die. After fixing to the card I added frostings to the hats and glitter to the snow.
   Finally a red peel off greeting was added.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - use 3 main colours (red, yellow, green)
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything as long as it's Christmas
   Eureka Stamps - wings and things
   Digi Sketch - for the boys
   Creative Craft2 - anything goes
   Digi Design - show off those colouring skills