Dream Cake

   This is a birthday card for someone who loves cake for her afternoon tea. I matted and layered designer paper from a Forever Friends paper pack and pink core'dinations cardstock onto white card. I then matted paper from another Forever Friends paper pack onto the pink core'dinations cardstock and fixed this centrally down the card.
   The image is from a birthday set of House Mouse stamps from Joanna Sheen and I coloured it using Promarkers. After cutting it out using a Spellbinders large octagonal die I lightly dusted the edges with distress inks. It was matted onto pink core'dinations cardstock which had been cut out using a large scalloped octagonal Spellbinders die.
   The sentiment is stamped from Flower Soft's floral sentiments design set one. Again I matted it onto core'dinations cardstock. I stuck a gem in each corner and attached it to the card using glue gel.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   House Mouse and Friends - HMFMC175, relax and enjoy life
   Inky Impressions - anything goes
   Allsorts - time for tea
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   In the Pink - animal antics
   Whoopsi Daisy - two or more dies
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Addicted to Stamps and More - anything goes
   Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
   Fantasy Stampers - animal magic

Elegant friends

   To make this card I began by wrapping cream satin ribbon round the middle of navy card before matting it onto cream card. From cream centura pearl card I used tattered lace dies to cut pieces for the border. The corners are cut from one of the victorian corner dies and the side pieces are pieces cut from the over the edge flourish border.
   The stamp used for the image is the Frou Frou two of a kind stamp from Crafter's Companion and I coloured it using Promarkers, inking the edges with distress ink. I matted this onto cream centura pearl card.
   Finally I added a bow.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Tattered Lace - elegant
   Whoopsi Daisy - 2 or more dies
   Dream Valley - favourite colour combo
   Cafty Catz - anything goes
   The Pink Elephant - anything goes
   The Crazy Challenge - die cuts and punches
   Cupcake Inspirations - ribbon
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Inky Impressions - no designer paper

Sleeping baby

   I began this baby card by matting and layering Lili of the Valley paper from the bonnets and bowties pad (given away with a magazine) and pink core'dinations cardstock onto white card. I then cut a narrow strip of centura pearl card, coloured it using blue Promarker and attached it horizontally to the card. Using the smaller bow tattered lace die I cut out a bow from centura pearl card, coloured it using a blue Promarker and attached it to the horizontal strip.
   The stamped image called 'All our dreams' from Lili of the Valley was coloured using promarkers. I dusted the edges with distress ink and then matted it onto blue core'dinations cardstock and attached it to the card with foam pads.
   Finally I punched five hearts from centura pearl card and coloured them using a pink Promarker.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Lili of the Valley - take two
   Penny Black and More - dies and punches
   Digi Designs - dies and/or punches
   Digi Sketch - pastels
   The Squirrel and the Fox - inspired by a song (Hush a bye baby)
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Pink Gem - spots and stripes

Summer garden 2

   This week the challenge, 'buttons galore', at Hobby Cutz is being sponsored by All Dressed Up and this is one of their digi images called 'I love my puppy'.
   I matted and layered paper from the Forever Friends Summer Time paper pack onto green core'dinations cardstock and white card. The image which is also matted onto green core'dinations cardstock was coloured using Promarkers. The flower embellishments are made from florist's wire, paper flowers and buttons. The fence along the bottom of the card is from Hobby Cutz.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Whoopsi Daisy - lots of pink
   Creative  Inspirations - here comes summer
   Passion For Promarkers - summer lovin'
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - hand coloured image
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
 

Bang the drum

   For this birthday card I matted and layered paper from DCWV and soft green core'dinations cardstock onto white card. The stamped image called 'Bang the drum' from Lili of the Valley was coloured using Promarkers. It was also matted onto the soft green core'dinations cardstock which had been cut out using a scalloped circle Spellbinders die. The sentiment from another Lili of the Valley stamp was created in the same way.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Lili of the Valley - take two
   Penny Black And More - dies and punches
   The Crazy Challenge - die cuts and punches
   Digi Sketch - pastels
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Brown Sugar - for the boys
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - hand coloured image
   The Paper Shelter - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Vintage Stamping  - face the music and dance
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

Christmas cats

   This is a Christmas card for one of my step daughters and her family who have house cats. The digi stamp is from Digi Stamps 4 Joy and I have coloured it using Promarkers, Stickles (for the lights and tinsel) and a gold gel pen (for the connecting chain on the baubles). I also added glitter to the tree branches. I matted it onto green mirri card and added a glittery peel off.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Christmas monthly
   Clear It Out - theme: Christmas in July, stash: glitters and sparkly things
   ABC Christmas - O for obscured
   Animal Friends - dog and/or cats
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes with the option of Christmas in July
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - hand coloured image
 

Summer garden

   Using green and blue distress inks I coloured a white square card to form the background for this card and then matted and layered it onto two different green squares of core'dinations cardstock and white card.
   From snow white with a hint of silver Centura Pearl card I made two cuts using the double delights tattered lace die, reversing the card for the second cut. Using pieces from these two cuts I formed an arch. The centre design was cut using another tattered lace die, summer pasture. this I coloured using Promarkers. The larger of the butterflies was cut using part of the Tonic butterfly boutique rosea die and the smaller ones were punched using an X-cut punch. All were coloured using Promarkers.
   The sentiment  is a peel off mounted onto distress ink coloured card and matted onto core'dinations cardstock.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Dream Valley - summer
   The Crazy Challenge - die cuts and punches
   Digi Designs - dies and punches
   Imagination Crafts - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday -anything goes
   Tattered Lace - elegant
   Through the Purple Haze - distress those makes
   Creative Moments - anything goes/use a flower
 

Summer shower!

   With the hot weather that we are having at the moment wouldn't I just love to join in with these mice!
   I matted paper printed from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse CD ROM onto dark pink core'dination cardstock and then wrapped maroon and green ribbon round it. I then matted this onto white card.
   The image is from the House Mouse 'Fun and games' decoupage sheets. The leaves and berries proved quite tricky to cut out. I matted this onto green core'dinations cardstock before attaching it to the card.
    I also matted the sentiment onto green core'dinations cardstock. I finished the card by attaching pink and green card candis to the ribbons.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   House Mouse and Friends - all about summer
   Dream Valley - summer
   Cute Card Thursday - fun in the sun
   Crafty Calendar - summertime fun
   Crafty Catz - hot summer
   Glitter n Sparkle - happy birthday
   Pile It On - summer fun
   Gruffies and Guests - anything goes with the option of summer

Happy Snowman

   Another Christmas card completed! I matted purple designer paper from an old Papermania pack onto silver mirri and white card. I then attached at right angles to one another two strips cut from the same paper pack which I had matted onto silver mirri.
   The digi image from Crafty Sentiments Designs was coloured using Promarkers and Derwent coloursorft pencils. I used frostings on the snowman's hat and stickles on the snow and tree and matted the image onto silver mirri. Finally I attached a peel off sentiment.
 
   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Send A Smile 4 Kids - Christmas in July 4 kids
   Passion For Promarkers - Christmas in July
   Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas in July
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - layer it up
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - non traditional colours
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - Christmas in July
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Crafting From The Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Crafting At The Weekend - anything goes

Thanks a bunch

   This week at the Creative Corner challenge is the love of ribbon.
   The dark patterned paper was matted and layered onto yellow core'dinations cardstock and white card. I then cut two strips of yellow patterned paper and wrapped yellow ribbon round each before attaching one to the top of the card and one to the bottom. A yellow bow was glued to the top ribbon. 'Thank you' was cut from orange mirri card using tattered lace dies and attached to the bottom ribbon along with random 'stars' which were waste from another die cut.
   The Lili of the Valley image, called 'Thomas - big bunch of flowers', was coloured using Promarkers and cut out using  a Spellbinders oval die. This was then matted onto orange mirri card which had been cut out using a Spellbinders scalloped oval die. Once I had fixed this to the card I attached a quilled flower to the lower yellow strip.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Without Words - cute and fluffy
   Stamping Sensations - summer blooms
   Ribbon Girl - thank you
   Animal Friends - dog and/or cat
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Pink Gem - animals
   Penny Black and More - dies and punches
   Glitter n Sparkle - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Pile It On - monochromatic

Note for the teacher

   My daughter is leaving school and thus shall no longer take flute lessons with her current teacher, so she asked me if I could make a thank you card for her. I had not got a stamp of any flute player but I did have this one of a recorder player. The stamp called 'A little note' is from the S.W.A.L.K. collection of rubber stamps from Crafter's Companion. I coloured it using Promarkers and used distress inks round the edges. The 'Thank you' is a peel off which I coloured using a black marker pen. Once coloured I matted the image onto black mirri card.
   The background music is printed from the La Pashe CD ROM 'Christmas with the wrinklies' and was matted and layered onto gold mirri and brown card. The vertical strip was also from a La Pashe CD ROM and I brushed distress ink over it before matting it onto gold mirri.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Creative Inspirations - distressing
   I Love Promarkers - girls, girls, girls
   Glitter n Sparkle - anything goes
   Oldie but a Goodie - schools out (old stamp)
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Vintage Stamping - face the music and dance
   Make My Monday - end of term

Magical Christmas

   I began by forming an easel card base from shimmery green card.
   The digi image called 'Snitch with holly and wild rose' is from Stamping Dragon Designs and is being offered for their July facebook colouring challenge. I coloured it using Promarkers. I then brushed distress ink around the edges and added flowersoft to the centre of the flowers and matted it onto red core'dinations cardstock before attaching it to the front fold of the easel.
   The base of the easel is covered with designer paper from Kaisercraft  which came from an old magazine. I attached red peel offs to the front edge of this and filled in the open red stars with green peel off stars. The easel stop is made from a combination of Spellbinder dies. The left hand part is made up of red core'dination cardstock and green mirri card using the poinsettia set of dies. The right hand part was made using one of the holiday tags. The yellow circle from the waste of this was used as the centre of the poinsettia. The sentiment on the tag was stamped using one of the new vintage Christmas sentimentals stamps from Crafter's Companion. Finally I added a bow to the tag.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Ooh La La Creations - easel card
   Passion For Promarkers - Christmas in July
   Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas in July
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - Christmas in July
   Stampin With the Dragon - easel card
   Imagination Crafts - anything goes
   Glitter n Sparkle - anything goes
   The Cutie Pie - use a cute digi
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Sweet Stampin - Christmas in July

Fuchsias

   A little bit of a change does you good. It is a long time since I have made a card using decoupage, but I have so many sheets just waiting to be done and I also love fuchsias, so this was just crying out to be made up. They are also coming into flower in my garden now.
   I have cut centura pearl card using the tattered lace chantilly petal die to make the background for this card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Crafting Musketeers - summertime
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes

Santa's coming

   The challenge at Hobby Cutz this week is 'white on white'. I decided to use different white core'dination card to make my card.
   The sky is core couture embossed using the Darice folder 'snowflake background'. The hills have been created from gemstone and I wrapped a ribbon around the top layer.  I also used gemstone for the Santa and flying reindeer which were made using a Cottage Cutz die. The trees were cut from glitter silk using Spellbinders holiday trees dies.
   I painted the Hobby Cutz lazer cut snowflake using white acrylic paint and attached peel off letters to it.
Here is a close up of the sentiment

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

   Creative Inspirations - your favourite occasion (Christmas)

   Whoopsi Daisy - white on white

   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes

   Nutcrafters - Christmas in July

   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes

   Creative Moments - anything goes/celebration

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

Christmas story

   Here is my next Christmas card which I made in order to use up some bits and pieces. The starry backing paper, which I printed a few years ago, was matted and layered onto red mirri card and white card, having first wrapped three rows of thin ribbon round the bottom. I bought a box of this ribbon in various colours several years ago but don't use it that often because I think it is too narrow. The mirri card stars attached across it are waste from die cuts.
   The stamped image is from Crafter's Companion Bebunni Christmas collection and I coloured it using Promarkers, gel pens and distress inks. I cut it out using a Spellbinders labels eight die and matted it onto red mirri card. The sentiment is from the same set of stamps and is again matted onto red mirri card.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - make your mark
   Christmas cards All the Year Round - non traditional colours
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Catch The Bug - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Fab'n'Funky - christmas
   The Squirrel and The Fox - christmas in july
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Pink Gem - animals

By the light of the bulb

   Well the festive season is less than six months away now so I really must get a move on with making my Christmas cards as I have fifty or so to send. For this one I thought I would go for non traditional colours and also try the 'no line' technique with the image.
   I wrapped two strips of yellow ribbon round paper I had printed from one of Joanna Sheen's House Mouse CD ROMs and then matted and layered it onto orange core'dination cardstock and white card.
   The image is from one of Joanna Sheen's Christmas House Mouse sets of rubber stamps and I have coloured it using Promarkers and distress inks. it was then matted and layered onto a dark and then medium orange piece of core'dination cardstock before attaching to the card. the sentiment was also matted onto orange core'dination cardstock.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   The Glory Of Christmas - lights
   House Mouse and Friends - anything goes
   Crafthazelnut's Christmas - make your mark
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - non traditional colours
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Fab 'n' Funky - christmas
   The Squirrel and The Fox - christmas in July
   Completely Christmas - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes with the option christmas-ey

Cat and bird

   This week the theme for the Creative Corner Challenge is outdoors and is being sponsored by Beccy Muir. This silhouette digi is called 'Garden fork'.

   I embossed white core'dinations cardstock using the die'sire embossalicious folder 'Make a wish' and matted and layered it onto black card and then white card. I then cut the black card picket fence twice using a Sizzix die and stuck this across the lower portion of the card. I matted the digi design onto black card and fixed this across the fence pieces. 

   The trailing leaves in the bottom left hand corner are again die cut from black card, this time using a Craftables from Marianne Designs. The flower is made from black card candi with a clear gem in the centre. 

   The sentiment is from Flower Soft's floral sentiments design set 2 of stamps. I cut it out using a Spellbinders labels 10 die. I drew round this die on black card to create the mount for the sentiment.

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

   Crafty Sentiments Designs - no designer paper

   Bearly Mine - let's go digital

   Animal Friends - dog and/or cat

   Beccy's Place - use a Beccy's Place digi

   Imagination Crafts - anything goes

   Crafting From The Heart - anything goes

   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes

   Lacy Sunshine - anything goes

   Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes

   The Pink Elephant - anything goes

Birthday relaxation

   I do like these Lili of the Valley stamps. This one is called 'Put your feet up' and I coloured it using Promarkers and cut it out with a Spellbinders large deckled rectangle die. I matted it onto some orange falling snow (!) paper which I had designed last Christmas and only partly used. The strip of candle paper is also matted onto the same orange paper. The main backing paper is from a DCWV stack and is matted and layered onto orange mirri card and white card. The LOTV image was placed so that the words 'the candles', 'present' and 'blow out' were visible. The sentiment is a white peel off coloured using marker pens.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   ABC - O is for orange
   Cupcake Inspirations - celebrate
   Addicted to Stamps and More - make your mark
   Love to Create - three or more design papers
   Creative Moments - anything goes/celebration
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

 

Fairy magic

   I have often seen the Lavinia stamps advertized in magazines. This one was given away with a recent Papercrafts Essential magazine, so I thought I would have ago at creating a card using the stamps.
   I cut a square of pale blue centura pearl card and using masking and distress inks created the background and also very messy fingers! I stamped the fairy, mushrooms and sentiment using black memento ink and then sprayed the fairies wings with iridescent spray and sparkle from Crafter's Companion. Once this was dry I stamped the fairy dust using distress ink and added Stickles to most of them. I also stamped the foliage using distress ink but had to leave these overnight to dry as the ink 'puddled' on the centura pearl, but it did create a more natural look of dark and light shades. I think I shall have another play with these stamps trying out different card and ink pads.
   I matted the design onto Glitter Silk core'dinations cardstock and then onto white card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Lisa B. Designs - Lavinia stamps
   A Little Bit Crafty - it's magic
   Crafty Creations - things with wings
   Dragonfly Dreams - anything with wings
   Inky Impressions - anything goes
   Crafty Catz - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - no designer paper
   Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes