Surfer dad

   This is a freebie digi stamp for those who subscribe to Make It Crafty. I coloured it using Promarkers to match the designer papers that I had and then cut it out using a Spellbinders label eight die. I then shaded the background getting lighter from left to right using distress ink in an attempt to give the impression that the dad was walking from inside to outside, but I don't think it has quite worked. I'll have to have another go sometime.
   The 'bubble' paper was printed using La Pashe's 'something for everyone' CD ROM and the flowery paper was printed from a Crafter's Companion CD ROM. Both were matted onto black mirri card. The sentiment was a take on a famous advert.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   The Pink Elephant - anything  goes
   Word Art Wednesday - anything goes

A present for you

   Well a Christmas card made amongst all the birthday cards of which I still have several to make for this month, but it made a change.
   This is a Kim's digi stamp called 'Especially for you' from Cuddly Buddly. I coloured it using Promarkers and coloured the edge using distress ink. Many years ago my aunt gave me a box of embroidery threads in which there were lots of small amounts of one die number. I used one of these to embroider the edges of the image with twisted button stitches. The designer paper is Christmas paper from Kaiser Craft and I sprayed it with iridescent spray and sparkle from Crafter's Companion. I edged this with red and gold peel offs. Finally I added a sentiment.

   I  would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Send a Smile 4 Kids - anything 4 kids
   Fab'n'Funky - for the kids
   Christmas Cards All the Year Round - sparkle and shine
   Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - gifts galore
   Crafty Creations - use something old (50+ years old embroidery thread)
   Allsorts - early Christmas makes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Completly Christmas - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes

Country walk

    This week's challenge at Creative Corner is a nice easy one - anything goes.
    As the weather seems to feel more like autumn at the moment I chose to do a card with perhaps an autumnal feel about it. The leafy designer paper was printed using Joanna Sheen's House Mouse CD ROM and I matted it onto grey core'dinations cardstock. The blue designer paper from English Paper Company's siesta collection was also matted and layered onto grey core'dination cardstock and white card.
   The stamped image 'In the country' from Lili of the Valley was coloured using Promarkers and again matted onto grey core'dinations cardstock, as was the stamped sentiment. I finished the card with grey card candi.

   I would like to enter the following challenges:
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Bearly Mine - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Tando Creative - lovely layers
   Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Butterfly dress

   This is a birthday card for one of my nieces. I matted black card onto gold centura pearl and wrapped a ribbon round on corner. This was then matted amd layered onto brown mirri card and white card. I then added a bow and a tattered lace die cut gold mirri card butterfly to the ribbon strip.

   I cut gold mirri card using the tattered lace die 'red carpet dress' and backed this onto cream centura pearl. The little 'waste' butterflies I then used to decorate the background of the card.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

   Whoopsi Daisy - girly

   Cupcake Inspirations - party time

   Glitter n Sparkle - use some butterflies

   Tattered Lace - decadence

   The Pink Elephant - anything goes

   Through the Purple Haze - anything goes

Happy times

   Birthdays at the moment are like buses. We have lots in our family in September including three of our own children. This card is for the husband of a second niece (the sister of yesterday's post) and there is a new baby in this family also, so they are not going to have much time to relax!
   I chose another Lili of the Valley image and this one is called 'happy times' which I thought was rather appropriate. I coloured it using Promarkers and used distress ink round the edges while it was still in the die. I matted it onto silver mirri card which had been cut out using a Spellbinders classic scalloped circle die.
   The newspaper backgound paper was also matted onto silver mirri before being matted onto white card. The sentiment is a peel off attached to white card which has been inked using distress ink, again while still in the die and then matted onto silver mirri card which was cut out using a Spellbinders classic scalloped rectangle die.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Pile It On - best wishes/celebrations
   Inky Impressions - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - to die for
   Addicted to Stamps and More - clean and simple
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday -anything goes
   Suzy Bee's Bloomin' - anything goes
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Clear It Out - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - clean and simple

Last of the summer sun

   The husband of one of my niece's has a birthday at the end of this month. They have two small children, the youngest a babe in arms, so I don't think he'll get much chance to relax, but he can dream!
   I coloured both the Lili of the Valley stamp 'Take it easy' and the Personal Impressions seagull stamp using Promarkers. Using masking I then created the sky, sea and sand using distress inks. I then matted and layered it onto yellow mirri card and white card and added a sentiment.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Little Claire's Designs - a man's birthday card
   Inky Impressions - anything goes
   Allsorts - sunny colours
   Stamping Sensations - anything goes
   Stamp and Create -anything goes
   Vintage Stamping - summer days
   Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
   Fantasy Stampers - by the sea
   Open Minded Crafting - last days of summer
   Bunny Zoe's Crafts - summer colours
   Animal Friends - summer

Woman at work

   The challenge at Hobby Cutz this week is being sponsored by Kenny K and we want you to show us your projects without using any white.
   Both the design papers I have used are printed using Crafter's Companion CD ROM 'Occupations'. I matted both onto black card before attaching them to the cream base card. The Kenny K digi image was coloured using Promarkers. I then cut it out and fixed it with glue gel onto black card which had been matted onto yellow card. The peel off sentiment was fixed to another piece of this yellow card which was then offset onto a piece of black card. Finally I added some wooden laser cut pieces from Hobby Cutz.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
   Whoopsi Daisy - no square cards
   Crafty Calendar - anything goes
   Digi Sketch - sketch
   V's Sweet Ideas - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
   Crafting At The Weekend - anything goes
   Clear It Out -anything goes
   Alphabet - N for natural

Sunbathing

   This card is for my step daughter who has three girls. I can just imagine them all lying on the beach under a parasol.
   I mattered and layered the design paper, which was printed using Joanna Sheen's House Mouse CD ROM, onto black and then white card. The image, stamped using one of the stamps from Joanna Sheen's summer House Mouse set was coloured using Promarkers. I cut it out using a Spellbinders scalloped circle die and then matted it onto black card which was cut out by hand following the contours of the die cut image. I finished the card with a peel off sentiment, card candi and a handmade card bow.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   The Crazy Challenge - cute little animals
   Digi Sketch - summer fun
   Scribbles Designs - animal planet
   Pile It On - by the sea/beach
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Monday - anything goes
   Crafting from The Heart - anything goes
   Gruffies Guests - anything goes
   Our Creative Corner - summer time
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Vintage Stamping - summer days
   Fantasy Stampers - by the sea
   Sweet Stamps - anything goes
   Open Minded Crafting - last days of summer
   Clear It Out - anything goes

Heptagons

   I thought this might be a fun card for a child - there is a spider on the web!
   I drew concentric heptagon shapes in white pencil on black card to form a spider's web and then went over them with a glue gel pen and glitter. I then added drops of glossy accents and Stickles to form dew drops. With black Stickles I tried to form a spider! I then matted and layered this onto silver mirri and whhite card.
   The digi image from Stamping Dragons Designs was coloured using Promarkers. Having cut it out in the shape of a heptagon I dusted the edges with distress ink before matting it onto silver mirri card.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Send a Smile 4 Kids - anything goes 4 kids
   Cute Card Thursday - clean and simple
   Paper Pretties - boys cards
   Inky Impressions - animal friends
   Incy Wincy Designs - colour pallet
   Scribbles Designs - animal friends
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Addicted to CAS - geometric
   Sparkle N Sprinkle - anything goes
   Suzy Bee's Bloomin' - anything goes
   Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything goes
   Creative Moments - anything goes/animals

Penguins

   Another Christmas card done! I coloured this stamped image called 'Penguin Pals' from Lili of the Valley using Promarkers and matted it onto silver mirri. I then added Stickles to the falling snow and ground and a peel off sentiment.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Cute Card Thursday - clean and simple
   Lili of the Valley - Christmas in August
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - things with wings
   Winter Wonderland - anything Christmas
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Loves Rubber Stamps - out of season
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - a few of my favourite things (Promarkers, Stickles, mirri card, penguins)
   ABC Christmas - p is for penguins
   Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in August
   Creative Moments - anything goes/animals
   Inky Impressions - animal friends

Fantastic Mr Fox

   This week the challenge at Creative Corner is 'Autumn is coming' and is being sponsored by Scribbles Designs. I decided to focus on the changing colour of the leaves at this time and used greens and oranges in my design.
   The background paper was printed from Peerless Designs Woodland Treasurese CD ROM and I matted it onto deep orange mirri card before fixing it to a scalloped card blank. The digi image from Scribble Designs was coloured using Promarkers and the backgound dusted with distress ink, although this does not really show up in the photo. I matted this onto the deep orange mirri card which was cut out using a Spellbinders grand scalloped oval.
   Finally I cut out some green and deep orange foliage from mirri card using a Tattered Lace die. I fixed two in each corner along with a card candi which I had coloured using Promarkers.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Crafty Little Fairies - cute and cuddly
   Incy Wincy Designs - colour pallet
   Crafty Calendar - anything goes
   Love to Create - inspired by a song, book or movie (Fantastic Mr Fox)
   Fab 'n' Funky - inspired by a movie (Fantastic Mr Fox)
   Creative Moments - anything goes/animals
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Dragonfly Dreams - inspired by a child's book (Fantastic Mr Fox)
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes

Gnome from home

   I have combined two digi stamps from Make it Crafty to make this scene. The background is using the digi 'mushroom house' and I coloured this using some new Spectrum Noir pencils that I recently bought. The digi used for the foreground is 'gnomey - Harry' and this I coloured using Promarkers. I then dusted distress inks around the edges and matted the whole onto navy mirri and white card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Ooh La La - scenic
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Imagination Crafts - create a scene or summer holiday
   The Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes
   Pile It On - primary colours
   Crafting from the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Make It Colourful - atmospheric perspective
   Suzy Bee's Bloomin' - anything goes
   Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything goes

Santa's helper

   This is a quick and relatively inexpensive card made using the free digi stamp provided by Digi Stamps 4 Joy for their challenge. I coloured it using Promarkers and matted it onto red mirri card. The background paper was free from a magazine last year or the year before and the stocking border was a piece left over from making last year's Christmas cards.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Christmas
   Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything Christmas
   Winter Wonderland - anything for Christmas

Summer picnic

   This is a simple card apart from cutting out the teapot shape. Getting the front, back and insert the same size was a bit tricky. Oh for a cutting machine! I used a template from a My Craft studio CD ROM and printed it onto scrap paper. I folded a piece of card in half and drew round the template on the front, cut the front out first and then with the card closed cut the back. For the insert I just used the central part of the template.
   I covered the front with pale pink centura pearl paper and added highlights to it using a coloursoft pencil from Derwent. I then added a happy birthday peel off strip where the lid joins the pot body.
   The image is from the Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Teddy bears picnic' and I coloured it using Promarkers and distress inks. I then edges it edged peel offs.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   The Cutie Pie - teddy bears picnic
   Inky Impressions - shaped card
   Crafty Catz - lazy summer days
   Send a Smile 4 Kids - cleans and simple
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Addicted to Stamps and More - make your mark
   Animal Friends - summer
   Open Minded Crafting - summer food
   Crafty Little Fairies - cute and cuddly
   Penny's Paper-Crafty - 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

Dressing up?

   This week's challenge at Hobby Cutz is 'fancy Folds, and is being sponsored by Iva Nova Chest.
   I began by matting green whitewash core'dinations cardstock onto deep pink mirri card. I then coloured white ribbon using a promarker pen. One piece I wrapped round the matted layers and the other pieces I folded to form a bow and then fixed to the band of ribbon. This was then attached to a scalloped white card blank. I cut out a sector of a circle from designer paper, pleated it and fixed it to the card using glue gel to form the skirt of a dress. The bodice I cut out adapting a template from a My Craft Studio CD ROM. I attached narrow ribbon to the lower edges three mini gems to the neck edge. This I also attached to the card using glue gel.
   The birthday wishes sentiment was cut from the deep pink mirri card using tattered lace dies. the shoes and the handbag were peel offs.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Crafty Calendar - anything goes
   Crafting Musketeers - 1(dress), 2(types of ribbon), 3(peel offs)
   Crafty Cardmakers and More - fancy folds
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Love to Create - anything goes
   Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
   Fantastic Tuesday - 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

Summer ices

   This digi image from The East Wind is called Aurora 'bubble gum and mint chocolate'. I coloured it using Promarkers And then dusted distress inks round the edges whilst it was still in the Spellbinders die that I had used to cut it out. I then matted it onto some pink designer paper which I had cut out using a long classic scalloped Spellbinders die. The background paper was printed from a House Mouse CD ROM from Joanna Sheen. I used various peel offs which I coloured using marker pens on the yellow core'dinations cardstock.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   The East Wind - beach theme
   Creative Inspirations - here comes summer
   Allsorts - favourite things (Promarkers, distress inks and ice cream)
   Imagination Crafts - summer holidays
   The Paper Shelter - make it digital
   Addicted to Stamps and More - make your mark
   Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes
   Lacy Sunshine - summer
   Open Minded Crafting - summer food
   Creative Moments - anything goes/sketch

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

On the beach

   This decoupage is from Joanna Sheen's silly summer set of House Mouse sheets and is matted onto deep yellow core'dinations cardstock which in turn is layered onto cream core'dinations cardstock matted in two pieces onto the front of an easel card. Using a Spellbinders grand labels twenty three I cut out two strips of blue core'dinations cardstock to represent waves.
    The base of the easel was covered with blue mirri card. Onto this I matted deep yellow core'dinations cardstock which had been embossed using the grassy swirls folder from Sheena Douglas. I sanded it before attaching. The stop is a sentiment from the decoupage sheet.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Creative Inspirations - here comes summer
   House Mouse and Friends - relax and enjoy life
   Scribbles Designs - sea, sand and surf
   Imagination Crafts - summer holidays
   Love to Create - anything goes
   Gruffies and Guests - anything goes with the option of boys
   Our  Creative Corner - summertime
   Animal Friends - summer
   The East Wind - beach theme
   Through the Purple Haze - sweet summer

Sea view

   This week the theme for the challenge at Creative Corner is Something Summer and certainly here in the south of England we have been experiencing some really summery weather.
   The digi stamp I have used is from Pickled Potpourri and is called 'Day at the beach'. I coloured it using Promarkers and then cut it out along the horizon. I then matted and layered it onto some printed cloud paper and yellow core'dinations cardstock. I decoupaged onto it a little printed hot air balloon and attached a happy birthday peel off to it to look like a streamer.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Little Claire's Designs - summertime
   Creative Inspirations - here comes summer
   Scribbles Designs - sea, sand and surf
   Love to Create - summer lovin'
   The Pink Elephant - anything goes
   Catch the Bug - photo inspiration
   Open Minded Crafting - vacation related