I is for ivy

    The stamps I have used on this clean and simple card are from Elusive Images, now known as Chocolate Baroque. They are from the Christmas foliage set and the ivy has been coloured using Promarkers.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

   Beccy's Place - holiday cards

   Crafty Catz - anything goes with optional party time

   Digi Choosday - anything goes

   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - anything goes with optional button

   Christmas Cards All the Year Round - family and friends

   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes

   Lemon Shortbread - anything goes

   We Love Chocolate Baroque - Christmas

   Colour Crazy - anything goes

   Createful Heart Cards - anything goes

   Through The Craft Room Door - anything goes

   

A trio of flowers

   I began this card by rubbing distress ink over white spotted core'dinations cardstock. I then wrapped three rows of narrow ribbon round the centre of the cardstock before matting and layering it onto coloured core'dinations cardstock and white card.
   I stamp the same design from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) Fresh Florals set of stamps and coloured them using Promarkers and Spectrum Noir pencils. After colouring the edges of each using distress ink I matted each onto the coloured core'dinations cardstock. I attached each to the card using foam pads, raising the middle image higher than the outer two. I finished with a bow made using the two colours of ribbon.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Chocolate Baroque - colour challenge
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
   Whoopsi Daisy - anything goes
   Imagination Crafts - anything goes
   A Little Bit Crafty - anything other than Christmas
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Monday - anything goes
   Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything other than Christmas
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

Poinsettia

   I have boxes of narrow ribbon so I took the opportunity to use some of it on this card. I wrapped two lengths of green and one length of red ribbon round white card. This I then matted and layered onto green mirri and then white card. I stamped the image from Chocolate Baroque twice. The first image I coloured with distress ink and matted onto red mirri card. The second image I coloured using Promarkers. I cut out the poinsettia, shaped it slightly and decoupaged onto the first. After attaching to the card I added glitter to the centre of the flower and a greeting.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Dream Valley - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - red and green
   Stamping Sensations - Christmas
   Crafty Catz - Christmas is coming
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - no patterned paper
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Crafthazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes
   Fantasy Stampers - red alert
   Beccy's Place - holiday cards
   Creative Moments - anything goes
   Clear It Out - anything goes

Christmas prayer

   We are getting there - another Christmas card done. Using a stamp from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) Christmas foliage set I stamp the ivy trail onto a square white card and then stamped it a second time on a strip of card. I coloured both using Promarkers. I cut a larger square and coloured the edges with one of the Promaker pens I had used to colour the leaves. I then matted and layered the white stamped square onto this then onto another square of white card. I cut out the leaves from the second coloured image and decoupaged them onto the square card. I added a few dots of white Liquid Pearls to form ivy berries.
   Using the same Promarker pen I coloured a strip of white ribbon and added this as a bow to the base of the ivy trail.
   The prayer is from the same set of stamps and I matted this onto card, again coloured using the Promarker pen and attached it using glue gel. Finally I cut a ivy motif using a Marianne creatables die, coloured it using the Promaker pen and attached it to the top corner of the card.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - keep it flat
   The Crazy Challenge - your favourite technique (stamping/colouring)
   Christmas Cards All the Year Round - no patterned paper
   Craft Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Love to Create - anything goes
   Addicted to Stamps and More - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes with the twist add some ribbon
   Beccy's Place - holiday card
   Make My Monday - berries and foliage
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes

Poppies

   Today we remember the dead of the two world wars as well as those who have given their lives in other wars, so I was mindful of making this card which uses the poppy which reminds us of these events.
   I began by stamping randomly over a piece of green square card using a small stamp from Elusive Images (now Chocolate baroque) summer poppies set. I then dusted distress ink over the card, wrapped a red ribbon round it and matted and layered it onto black and then white card.
   The vertical panel is also using a stamp from the same set. I coloured it using Promarkers, dusted distress over it and matted it onto black card
   The main image is from the flora and fauna set of stamps. I coloured this using Promarkers and went over the poppies using pencils. I cut the image out leaving a narrow margin around the edge and then matted it onto black card, cutting this out and again leaving a edging. I attached it to the card using glue gel. Finally I added a bow.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Allsorts - poppies/remembrance
   Crafty Catz - ribbons and/or lace
   Imagination Crafts - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Delicious Doodles -  remembrance
   Crafting When We Can - use your markers
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes with the twist add some ribbon
   Fantasy Stampers - red alert
   Sweet Stampin' - poppies or red for remembrance

Bird on rose

   It is a long time since I have used mulberry paper, so I thought I would dig it out again. I roughly tore the larger sheet and randomly stamped dog roses over it using one of the stamps from Chocolate Baroques 'Pretty birdcage' set. After lightly colouring the rose petals using Spectrum Noir pencils I matted it onto white card, attaching it with invisible glue dots.
   The main image is stamped from another stamp in the set  and I coloured this using Promarkers. I then cut it out and matted it onto the darker mulberry paper before fixing it to the card.
   I cut anoyher piece of white card in the shape of a tag, stamped it, coloured using Promarkers, threaded a ribbon through a hole I made and attached it to the card using foam pads. I then attached copper peel offs for the sentiment.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Whoopsi Daisy - add a sentiment
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Crafty Ribbons - tags and ribbon
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Glitter n Sparkle - anything but square
   Chocolate Baroque - colour palette
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Monday - good ol days
   Penny's Paper-Crafty  - anything goes
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes

Bookmark

   The challenge this week at Creative Corner is anything but a card. I decided to make a bookmark.
   The image from Chocolate Baroque's March Fairy set was stamped onto a rectangular piece of card and coloured using Promarkers. I then dusted the background using distress inks. I took another wider piece of white card and cut the edges using the Tattered Lace over the edge flourish border die. The floral image was then matted onto this and this in turn was matted onto grey core'dinations cardstock which I then trimmed. I then cut a triangle from core'dinations cardstock and attached this to the back to form a corner pocket.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Chocolate Baroque - colour chart
   Crafting When We Can - no designer paper
   Inky Impressions - anything but a card
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes
 

Musical wishes

   A few months ago I was invited to be a guest designer for Chocolate Baroque. I used some of their older stamps to create this card. 

            I cut  a square of Neenah card and about 4cm in from the edges in pencil lightly drew a square of side 8cm. Around this on each side I stamped the floral spray image from Chocoalate Baroque's floral bouquet set judging where the end leaf and the beginning of the spray were. I then rubbed out the pencil lines and cut out a square around the image. This had a side of about 13.5 cm.

         I then stamped the violin, from Chocolate Baroque's music fanfare set in the centre of the design and coloured it using Promarkers. Using distress inks I added colour to the background and then matted and layered the design onto lilac mirri card and white card. Finally I added the dry transfer lettering in a wavy line to imitate floating musical notes.


   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
     Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

       Crafty Catz - birthday celebrations
       Creative Fingers - anything goes
       Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes/use your favourite colours
       Vintage Stamping - anything goes
       Crafting When we Can - no designer papers
       The Pink Elephant - anything goes
       Alphabet - Q is for quadruple

Irish Blessing

   My daughter is about to start uni and is a little apprehensive so I have made this card to send her on her way. The images are all taken from various stamp sets from Elusive Images which is now known as Chocolate Baroque as listed below.
   The poppy seed heads is from the flora and fauna set
   The cut out butterfly from the just butterflies set
   The Irish saying from the patchwork butterfly set
All were coloured using Promarkers and the finished sheet was matted onto core'dinations cardstock before attaching it to a scalloped card.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Chocolate Baroque - colour chart
   Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
   Lisa B. Designs - butterflies and flowers
   Ooh La La Creations - clean and simple
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Butterfly - butterfly with a sentiment
   Suzy Bee's Bloomin' - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes

Seagulls

   This is another one of the stamps in the seashell collage collection I used yesterday from Elusive Images now known as Chocolate Baroque. I have coloured it using Promarkers, edged it with distress ink and matted it onto core'dinations cardstock. The wood patterned paper is from DCWV and the main design paper is from the 'All aboard' paper pack collection from the English Paper Company. Each has been matted onto core'dinations cardstock.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

   Papertake Weekly - anything goes

   Love to Create - anything goes

   Creative Fingers - anything goes

   Creative Moments - anything goes/sketch

   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes

Summer evening

   Thought I'd have a go at creating my own background using distress inks. I inked the card first using a sponge and then randomly stamped shells from the seashell collage set from Elusive Images, now Chocolate Baroque, using distress inks. I then coloured in the shells with distress inks using a water brush. When dry I matted and layered it onto black card and then white card.
   The main image is from the seashore scene set of stamps, again from Elusive Images. I coloured it using Promarkers, apart from the sky where I used distress ink. I also matted this onto black card.
   The sentiment is stamped using one of the stamps from Flowersoft's second floral sentiments set. This I dusted with distress ink before again matting onto black card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Ooh La La Creations - scenic
   Whoopsi Daisy - B items (blue, black, boats)
   Stamping Sensations - anything goes
   Crafty Catz - lazy days of summer
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - add a sentiment
   Scribbles Designs - sea, sand and surf
   V's Sweet Ideas - anything goes
   Chocolate Baroque - blue, green, red and yellow
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Our Creative Corner - summertime
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Lacy Sunshine - summer
   Tuesday Throwdown - yellow mellow
   Crafting At The Weekend - anything goes
   The East Wind - beach theme

Butterfly on flowers

   I printed this butterfly paper some time last year and it has been lying in my stash box ever since. I matted it onto dark green mirri card. After colouring a ribbon using a Promarker pen I wrapped it round the matted layers before attaching it to white card.
   The image is from one of the stamps in Chocolate Baroque's briar rose butterfly set and was coloured using Promarkers. I cut it out using a Spellbinders scalloped oval die and while still in the die I dusted the background with blue and green distress inks. I then offset it on another piece of dark green mirri card cut out using the same die.
   Finally the sentiment stamped using a Flowersoft floral sentiment was matted onto gold mirri card and attached to the ribbon.

   I would like to enter thhis card into the following challenges:
   Lisa B. Designs - butterflies and flowers
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Stamping Sensations - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - add a sentiment
   Chocolate Baroque - blue, green, red and yellow
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Creative Moments - anything goes
   Butterfly - summertime butterflies

Briar rose butterfly 2

   I have had this paper in my stash for some time. I believe I printed it from one of Joanna Sheen's House Mouse CD ROMs. It struck me that it was perfect as a backdrop to this stamp. So here is yesterday's image again but in a different colourway and at a slightly different angle.
    Both the paper and Promarker coloured image were matted onto blue core'dination cardstock. I also stamped the butterflies a second time and decoupaged them onto the design. Four card candis were added to the corners.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   I Love Promarkers - things with wings
   Digi Sketch - in the garden
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Tando Creative - come fly with me
   Crafting At The Weekend - anything goes

Briar rose butterfly

   I love butterflies, so when I saw these stamps and the set I used in yesterday's blog I just had to collect the pennies together for them. This is from another Chocolate Baroque collection and is called  Briar rose butterfly. We have a couple of 'bushes' which have self seeded themselves in our front garden and later in the year produce large bright red rosehips.
   I coloured it using Promarkers and matted and layered it onto pink core'dinations cardstock and white card. The stamped sentiment is from Flower Soft's Floral sentiment set 1.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Crafting With Dragonflies - CAS style card
   I Love Promarkers - things with wings
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Love To Create - clean and layered
   Catch The Bug - anything goes
   Fab 'n' Funky - feels like summer
   Crafting From The Heart - anything goes
   Fantasy Stampers - clean and simple
   Crafty Catz - flowers

Harebell butterfly

   I have some blue bell shaped flowers in my garden at the moment and this image reminds me of them, although the butterflies around here are not quite so bright!
   The backing paper has been in my stash for sometime. I'm gradually using the paper up but it has a habit of growing twice as fast. I cannot understand why! I matted and layered it onto dark blue mirri card and white card.
   The image is from Chocolate Baroque's harebell butterfly collection and I coloured it using Promarkers. I cut out the shape to reflect the design on the patterned paper and then matted it on core'dination cardstock before fixing to the card with glue gel.
    I finished the card with red gems.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges;
   I Love Promarkers - things with wings
   Stamping Sensations - summer blooms
   Digi Sketch - in the garden
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Paper Pretties - red, green, yellow, blue

Relax - it's you birthday!

    I don't have many male cards in my stock of finished cards which is sometimes a problem when my husband asks if I have a card he could send to one of his friends, so I thought I'd better make one or two. Here is the first.
   On white card which had some sort of woven surface I used the "ink, blot, plot" method to create a faint background. The stamps used were two of Chocolate Baroque's landscape edges and I used distress inks. This I then matted and layered onto black mirri card and white card. A further strip of black mirri card was added to the left hand side.
   The main image is Lili of the Valley's lazy afternoon and I coloured this using Promarkers and distress ink. I cut it out using a Spellbinders postage stamp die, coloured the edges with a black Promarker pen and attached it to the card using foam pads.
   I made a banner and two mini labels from peel off letters, white card, black mirri card and thin ribbon. Finally I added some card candi.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Lili of the Valley - birthday card
   Without Words - gentlemen only
   I Love Promarkers - hats
   The Paper Shelter - for the boys
   Digi Designs - birthdays
   Pile it On - no designer paper
   Sweet Stampin' - no designer paper
   Dragonfly Dreams - make it for the boys
   Sweet Pea Stampers - birthday
   Cute Card Thursday - blue and green
   Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes
   Challenge 4 everybody - anything goes
   Vintage Stamping - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes/bingo (die cut, image, ribbon)
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes

Birthday wishes

   I made this card for a female relative. The floral bouquet stamped image from Chocolate Baroque was coloured using Promarkers. Two of the flowers were restamped, cut out and decoupaged onto the original image. I cut out black card using a resplendant rectangle die from Spellbinders and used it to frame the image. This was then matted and layered with grey card and black card onto white card. I added brushed pewter stickles to the circles on the design. Finally I matted a sentiment onto black card and attached it to the card using foam pads.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - blossoms and blooms
   Lisa B. Designs - flowers
   Crafting with Dragonflies - special lady
   Digi Sketch - floral
   Imagination Crafts - anything goes
   Catch the Bug - bingo (die, players choice - monochrome, flowers)
   Fab'n'Funky - flower power
   Addicted to Stamps and More - anything goes
   Crafty Creations - white and one other colour (black)

Bluebells

   I have had the stamps from Elusive Images, now Chocolate baroque, for some time. When I look back at my first use of them I wonder how I could have been satisfied with the resulting card - so there has been some improvement in both layout and colouring!
   I matted bluebell coloured paper onto white card and edged it with thin strips of green peel offs. The border of repeated mini bluebells was coloured using Promarkers. I then dusted the lower half with distress ink before matting it onto green spotted core'dinations cardstock..
   The main image was also coloured using Promarkers and the edges dusted with distress ink. I then went round the edges with the ink pad. I cut out a piece of the spotted core'dinations cardstock the same size as this image and fixed this at an angle on the card. I then attached the border and then the main image was attached with foam pads so that it mirrored the green square.
   The butterfly, from the same set of stamps was attached using glue gel. Finally I finished the card with a sentiment cut from core'dinations cardstock using tattered lace dies.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Eureka Stamps - spring flowers
   Crafty Catz - spring time
   Penny Black and More - blossoms and blooms
   Stampin With the Dragon - spring time
   Sweet Pea Stamps - distress
   Digi Designs - welcome spring
   Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
   Ribbon Girl - spring
   One Stitch at a Time - flowers

Easter bunny

   Well, I thought I had better get at least one Easter card made this week. This one, with the bunny hiding amongst the daffodils,  is for my step-daughter and her family - I think her three girls will appreciate the mini eggs especially if the card is accompanied by the genuine article!
   The daffodil and tulip background paper for this card is printed from Jane Shasky's CD ROM 'From the heart of the garden' and I used gold peel offs to border it. The strip of eggs is stamped using one of the mini stamps in the Happy Hoppers set of House Mouse design stamps from Joanna Sheen and are coloured using Promarkers. Again I used gold peel offs to border the strip.
    The rabbit in the basket is stamped using a stamp from the same set and after colouring it I cut it out, shaped it slightly and stuck it to the card with glue gel. The daffodils were stamped using the daffodil script set from Chocolate Baroque and were again coloured using Promarkers, cut out and shaped and applied to the card with glue gel.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Send A Smile 4 Kids - pastel colours
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - no square cards
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Brown Sugar - easter
   Stampin' For the Weekend - spring colours
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Creatalicious - easter wonderland
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes
   Lacy Sunshine - anything goes
   Challenge 4 Everybody - anything goes
   Party Time Tuesday - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - floral delights

Spring birthday

   March is full of female birthdays in my family. I thought that I would try something a little different and make a card without using any designer paper. I have had a stamp from Elusive Images (now known as Chocolate Baroque) for some time and never used it. It is from the daffodil script set. I used it to stamp daffodils randomly over white card and then coloured the images using Derwent Coloursoft pencils. I then attached two horizontal strips of shiny green stripes to the card.
   The main image is from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse Designs spring set of stamps and is a favourite of mine. I used Promarkers to colour this and then dusted the edges with distress inks, matted it onto yellow gold mirri card and glittered the falling rain drops.
   The peel off sentiment  was adhered to green mirri card which was mattered onto yellow gold mirri card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Oldie  but a Goodie - spring has sprung (old stamps)
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Fantasy Stampers - spring colours
   The Pink Elephant - birthday
   Ribbon Girl - birthday
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Catch the Bug - anything goes
   Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Alllsorts - spring is coming
   House Mouse and Friends - anything goes
   Whoopsi Daisy - lots of flowers
   Passion For Promarkers - flowers
   Cute Card Thursday - springtime
   Sweet Stamps - spring flowers
   Lacy Sunshine - use spring colours
   Animal Friends - mouse
   I Love Promarkers - one for the girls
   Gruffies and Guests - fit for mum or special female
   Crafty Calendar - animal antics