Challenged!- Travel Tag

Thanks Dragons Dream for getting me to do something that's not Halloween , Christmas or autumn!

Doing the Docrafts – Spot the Difference

Earlier in the week I used this stamp to make a birthday card for the Less is More Polka Dots challenge. I thought I’d try it again for a Christmas card.

As part of my ongoing (self-set!) challenge to use my Docrafts stuff, everything here, except the tag, is Docrafts.

Thank you to Mojo Monday for the sketch I used to put this together.

Challenged! - The First Noel

I hope you can see the vellum embossing I did on the wings, robe and scroll! I find vellum quite nerve- wracking as you can spend hours on it only to wreck the whole thing at the sticking stage. I used the Xyron and this time it worked fine. The stamp is from Non-Sequitur. This was one of the first Christmas stamps ( part of a sheet) I ever bought and it's still going strong after ten years (?) , despite me never having made the same card twice.
I'd like to enter this for these challenges:
So Artful Challenges Angels
Winter Wonderland Clean and Simple Christmas Card

Challenged! - Mellowed Out

A few years ago I bought the large Basic Grey Mellow collection. They’re beautiful autumnal papers and die cuts and I’ve used them on a couple of layouts, but I’ve still got loads left and I thought...what better time of the year to start using some of this up?

So here is my card using nothing but BG Mellow and a card blank.

I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Pink Elephant Challenge sketch
Basic Grey Challenges autumn
Shopping our Stash fall colours

Challenged! - Winter Woollies

This stamp is from Lili of the Valley - among the cute kid stamps available these are some of my favourites because I don't have to draw any features ( mouth, nose)  onto their faces!  I've added sparkle with a mix of liquid pearls and flower soft; and a mirrored snowflake. I've just noticed that, since taking the photo, my snowflake has fallen off! It came with a dimensional sticky pad attached and I think there's not enough grip on the embossed card. I'll have to experiment with some other adhesives.
I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge Wrap up warm
Christmas Stampin All Year Long  Spark-ka-lay

Magazine Addict - Cardmaking and Papercraft Issue 97 November

This issue there's an article, by Hazel Conboy, on using Core'dinations card . I've had some of this kicking around for a while (Docrafts Goody Bag again) and so I thought I'd get it out and have a go. I was a bit stumped for a while as I've been doing mainly Halloween and Christmas cards lately. Coincidentally, I was also stumped for an idea for this week's  Less is More challenge - polka dots. Kaboom!

I stamped the Papermania image onto the Core'dinations and tore the edge. Then I stamped it again onto two different colours of Core'dinations, embossed with a polka dot embossing folder, sanded the dots and paper pieced onto the image.

As well as Less is More, I'd also like to enter this into the embossing challenge at Charisma Cardz.

Also in the magazine, is a great bird mobile project , using the Sizzix Scoreboards Bird die. I knew I had to get that die! To be honest, the die does everything for you. In fact, one of the above birds was made by a four-year-old - can you tell which one? (Tip - it's the one with the googly eyes!)

Challenged! - Vintage Christmas

This decoupaged girl came from a Crafter's Companion CD that was free with Simply Cards and Papercrafts magazine! After printing it, I rubbed it with ink and stamped with a crackle stamp to make it look older. I trimmed her shoulders to get her to fit in the stamped frame. I found this olive green ruffle in my tangled ribbon box and thought it would add the the Victorian look - apparently the Victorians liked to put skirts on everything.
I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Moving along with the times Vintage
Winter Wonderland Vintage Christmas
Clear it out challenge Trims

Challenged!- Out on the wily, windy moor....

There's something about this Non- Sequitur stamp that reminds me of Kate Bush singing 'Wuthering Heights'. I've put her with this spooky raven paper from Memory Box and stamped some clocks (don't know why really) to make it all Halloween-y.

I'd like to enter these challenges:
Gingersnap Creations Ravens
Dreamvalley Challenges Halloween
The Stamp Man  Night time
Allsorts Halloween

My Perfect ............ October

Halloween 2010

A homemade Halloween – bobbing apples, witches’ hats and food labelled ‘eyeballs’ and ‘bat’s droppings’.

Seeing (and hearing) geese fly over the house; squirrel activity; leaves turning colour.

Forever Autumn, by Justin Hayward.

Challenged! - No Sentiment

I love this image from Mo's Digital Pencil and think it's perfect for a birthday card for a friend who seems to be constantly tweeting and facebook-ing.

I'd like to enter it into the No Sentiment challenge at Lollipop Crafts

My Perfect...Cushion Cover

Sewing is not my natural talent! But I like patterned fabrics and I enjoy making things, so I keep having a go. It always takes me ages to thread my sewing machine. Measuring is a challenge.

The other night I had managed to jump these hurdles and was ready to start sewing a cushion cover from some fantastic Kokka fabric : 'Little Tug Boats'. It was a present for my friend's birthday and I had left it so late that I had one evening to make it. ( Not very challenging for a proper sew-er, but daunting for me.)

So, I'd measured and cut (twice, as first time it didn't match) and I'd threaded the machine up, and I was alll ready to pin and sew when there was a crashing and wailing from the bathroom.....

One bucket and mop and cleaned up and put back to bed four-year-old later....I get back to the cushion cover and had only sewn three sides when I realised I'd pinned it together wrongly......!!!

Hours and some unpicking later I had a cushion cover. My friend loves it!

Magazine Addict - Papercraft Inspirations Issue 92 November 2011

In this issue there are fairy cards made with digi- stamps you can download from the magazine website. I coloured it with alcohol markers, stickles and patterned paper. I enjoyed making this!
I'd like to enter it for the following challenges:
The Paper Players  Clean and Simple - Red and Green Christmas
Christmas Stampin' Seeing Spots

Challenged! - Alice in a teacup

Oh I spent hours on this...can you tell? I found the cup shape on the internet and printed it out and cut it out. I stamped Alice and the Cheshire cat, coloured them, masked them, inked and stamped the cup. I inked the doily and made the background with alcohol inks and stuck everything down on a card blank. Then I realised it wasn't quite as wonderful as I'd thought it would be ( more dog's dinner than Alice's teaparty) and stomped off to bed.
Coming back to it this evening after work , I've decided it's not too bad after all and so I've decided to enter it for these challenges:
Sugar Creek Hollow Vintage Tea
Gingersnap Creations Alcohol Inks

Challenged! - Xmas Bird

I wanted to get a nice snow effect on this card and I tried out the Flower Soft that came free with Papercraft Inspiration magazine , issue 92. I've never used Flower Soft before and I wasn't very happy with the result  - not enough coverage. Maybe I used the wrong glue ( just used PVA). So I went over the flower soft with Stickles and then chucked the Flower Soft on again. I'm much happier now with my sparkling snow.

I'm entering this for:
Christmas Inspirations : Christmas card with bird or flowers.
Stampin' B's: use a bird on a card.

Challenged! - Love Tatoo

I really wanted to do the one-layer card challenge at Less is More (Heart theme) but it took me ages to think of this idea! I just used one stamp (Kanban), coloured the heart, wrote LOVE on the banner, smeared the wings in Distress Stickles and made faux stitching round the edge.

Added Mon eve: Thanks for your kind comments! At Chrissie from Less is More's suggestion, I've put a photo , as well as the scan. I often use scans because I mainly craft at night and find it hard to get photos without my shadow on them! But tonight , when I got in from work, I was able to use the last of the daylight to take this.

Daring to Digi - Welcome Baby

I was asked to make a card for someone whose baby is soon and who doesn't know the gender. I was a bit bored with all my pram stamps so I looked online for a nice digi stamp. I got this from Pink Gem Designs and had to print it out lots of times onto different papers to get the look I wanted.
I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
The Stampman Challenges Circle it
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays Things that are round (the moon!)

Challenged! - Bewitched

Who knew you could have so much fun with the X Factor, a few glasses of wine and a collage sheet? My favourite challenges are ones where you are confined in some way ( a particular material, colour etc) as these seem to bring out the creativity far more than 'anything goes'.  So I loved the challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow, where you have to use a free collage sheet from Plumrose Lane . As well as the collage sheet I used: black card, adhesive gems, alcohol ink background that I had leftover and stamped with text, scrap of patterned paper. My beautiful witch was just an innocent woman on a free My Craft Studio (I think) CD.

As well as the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge, I'd like to enter this for:
Challenge up your life Halloween
Charisma Cardz Black and Orange

Challenged! - Skeletons

Look at this quick and easy card! Well...it wasn't quick or easy! You wouldn't believe the amount of positioning, trimming, shifting around that took place. And I had to use a stamp positioner (gasp!) to increase the number of skeletons.
I'm entering this for these challenges:
Come and Get it challenges  Happy Halloween
Try it on Tuesday Make it minimal
Clear it out challenge Halloween
Kelley Kid's Black and White
Sarah Hurley Halloween Horrors

Challenged! - Beware the Vampire

After all the clean and cute cards I've been making lately, it was a nice change to get all smudgy and inky again. The woman in this stamp looks like she can expect Dracula to turn up pretty soon.

I made this for the following challenges:
Dragonsdream The whole of the moon.
Gingersnap Creations Horror Stories

Challenged!- Woodland Swing

I seem to have gone all cute lately and the trend continues.......

I made this for the following challenges:
Moving along with the times Autumn Leaves
The Paper Variety Forest Friends
Gingersnap Creations Crimpers ( the back two pieces of paper are crimped, although you can't tell on the scan!)
Stamptacular Sunday Photo inspiration

Daring to Digi - Santa Spotting

I made this card using decoupage from the Crafter's Companion Adorables Christmas CD. The window , with the scene digitally layered behind it, came from the CD with Complete Cardmaking Magazine, and I inked it to blend it in better. The paper and sentiment were from a HOTP pad that came free with a mag.

Actually, this was my second attempt. The first time round , I used a narrower card and a different window frame. When I'd finished I wasn't happy with the window frame and started sticking foiled holly and stockings round it. Mistake! It looked rubbish! Tried to peel stickers off and ripped the background paper. In the end I managed to remove the decoupage and started again!
I'd like to enter this card to the following challenges:
Make it Dimensional at Delightful Challenges
In the misty moonlight at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog
Resist the temptation at Christmas Stampin'

Challenged! - Another Xmas Card

This one actually looks better in real life.. the die cut is made from silver mirror card , that I embossed. I painted the stamped image (Lili of the Valley)  with Pearl ex paints and Sparkiling H20s .

I'm entering this for these challenges:
Die cuts/ punches at Paper Crafting Journey
Dress up at My Mums Craft Shop

Challenged!- Card for a boy

The challenge at Oldie but a Goodie is 'one for the boys' . I thought I'd make a card for my own little boy , who, at four, isn't too worried about things being too'masculine'.  I've had the little boy stamp for a while , it's part of an October Afternoon stamp set. I thought I'd give it a new lease of life with the Molly Bloom birdhouse stamps.

I did a bit of experimenting with positioning and masking to get the birdhouse right. Then I stamped the T-shirt, birdhouse trim and birds onto the gingham paper,cut them out and stuck them on. After finishing the colouring in, I stamped and cut out the sentiment  and layered it all onto the paper. I looked through the challenge blogs for inspiration to fill the gap on the right ...thank you Dream Valley Challenges for your button challenge.