Challenged! - Fashion!

I made this card for the Ceil Chapman / pink, black and silver at So Artful Challenges.  The image was cut out from one provided - from a dress pattern cover - and I printed the dress onto silver and cut that out and paper pieced. Unfortunately, I don't think you can tell it's siver in the photo! The photographer stamp is by Ken Brown Stamps.
I thought I'd make this a thank you card as, hopefully, I'll be needing some of these soon! So I'd also like to enter it for the Thank You challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow.

Magazine Addict – Craft Stamper January 2012

This month’s free stamp is a cockerel with ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ written under it. The first thing I did was to cut the writing away from the image , to make it more versatile.

I punched a circle out of paper and used this as a mask while I inked glossy cs with ‘Old Paper’ distress ink. Then I used the paper with the round hole as a mask to spray ‘Sunflower’ Glimmer Mist for the sun. I stamped the Molly Bloom fence on top and coloured it in. I stamped the cockerel onto a leftover piece of alcohol inked paper.

Regular viewers of My Perfect Life may notice that this same piece (A5?)  of alcohol inked background paper has been employed on a range of projects! I believe this really is the last scrap now. What great service!

I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Secret Crafter All Creatures Great and Small
Cas-ual Fridays Clean and Simple Misting Technique
Gingersnap Creations Livestock

Challenged! - Dressmaking and Accessories

It's nice to do something non-Christmas! Thank you to Fashionable Stamping Challenges for this challenge.
The big headdress stamp is BLine Designs and the dress form is Claudine Hellmuth.  I matted the big stamp onto a leftover alcohol ink background. The backing card (complete with border) and die-cut sewing machine are Hunky Dory.

I'd also like to enter this into The Crafty Pad Challenge  - Send someone a smile - no birthday or Christmas.

Magazine Addict - Papercraft Inspirations Issue 93 December 2011

This issue has a 'Masterclass'  on digital crafting, and there was one project, by Mel McCarthy, that I just had to try. I even went and bought the same 'A Day for Daisies' image and a copy of Photoshop Elements. ( I bought an old version so it was cheaper.)

I couldn't manage the digital paper piecing technique from the instructions in the mag but it said there was a video tutorial on their website. It wasn't easy to find so I'm linking to it here.

My finished card looks quite different to the original project and not just because of the less professional finish! I've used different colours, digital papers and layout on the card, so I feel it is my own work heavily inspired by a great  project and tutorial.

I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:

Green at Digital Tuesday  ( the background paper is actually olive green although it looks more grey in the photo)
Santa at Crimbo Crackers

Challenged! - Ring a ring of Roses

I saw this digi stamp from A Day for Daisies and knew I had to have it. They remind me of my brother's children, although he has 2 girls and one boy. After colouring with Promarkers,I chose a mix of Basic Grey papers from their paper pads - Eva, Obscure, Pyrus and Nook and Pantry. I liked the combination of rich pattern and colour.
I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Digital Tuesday Anything Goes
Do you stack up? Inspired by a song. (Ring a ring of roses)
Basic Grey Challenges Mix n Match

Challenged!- Christmas with a flourish

The reindeer is a Bo Bunny rub-on and the flourish is a free stamp from Simply Homemade magazine. I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:
Corrosive Challenge  With a flourish
Papertake weekly First Christmas

Challenged! - More Molly Blooms

I continue to try and get my money's worth out of my new Molly Bloom Christmas stamps. This week's challenge at Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog is paper piecing, which is my favourite technique. I used more than 2 images - Molly, the postbox and a LOTV sentiment - so can enter the challenge at The Crafty Pad. All the papers I used were from the Basic Grey Figgy range - that qualifies me for Basic Grey Challenges, Anything Goes.

Challenged! - Shaped Christmas Card

I used my two new Molly Bloom stamps and played around with the shape of the card. (I had to draw a little nose on Molly of course.) I’d like to enter this for the following challenges:
Try it on Tuesday Unusual shaped card
Dreamvalley Challenges Anything Goes

Magazine Addict – Papercraft Essentials Issue 74

This issue has some fabulous Polka Doodles Christmas stamps. There was also an article, by Su Pennick, on resist techniques. I tried ‘resist stamping using alcohol inks’  - ( you stamp on alcohol inks with Staz On inkpad and wipe it off) – but it didn’t work , maybe because the alcohol ink background I used had been hanging around for a while.  So I reverted to an old favourite, resist with clear embossing , and paperpieced onto her hat and boots. I had intended to paper-piece the coat too but the cutting around the hair was too complicated!

I’d like to enter this for the following challenges:

Pink Gem Challenges Cold and Frosty
Come and Get it Anything Goes

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.

Daring to Digi- Winter Scene

More of my self-imposed challenge to use some of my craft CDs and digi images. I used two freebie CDs here.  The background was from Winter Wonderland (My Craft Studio?) and the woman from Deco Follies.  The woman's dress was a different colour and when I changed it in the editing package, her skin became blue too. So I printed the woman twice, one original and one blue and then cut out the dress and stuck it on. I then stuck her onto the background , using dimensional pads. One thing you can;t seee in the photo, that makes a big difference in real life, is that the image is sprayed with glitter. I also put some jewels in the trees.

Now, you may be thinking that it looks a bit chilly for her to be out in that dress. I'm thinking that she's some kind of mystical character, a snow queen or something. Or perhaps she's been at a party and drank a bit too much. The alcohol is blocking out the cold but she's feeling a bit dizzy and decided to have a little sit down....

I've used a couple of challenges to help me get started on this digi lark. They are Winter Wonderland at CD Sunday and Blue and White at Digital Tuesday.

Challenged! - Christmas Wishes from London

The 'Across the Miles' challenge at Winter Wonderland got me thinking about what I could put on a card to remind faraway friends of us at home. The red double-decker is often seen as a symbol of London. I inked some white card and put it in my printer to print out the santa sleigh and saying. Then I stamped the Artemio bus in 'Barn Door' distress ink. I know it will not be to everyone's taste but I quite like this card!

Challenged! - Vintage Children

Thanks to the challenge blogs, I'm gradually getting a few Christmas cards done. This one is for the Vintage Children theme at Sugar Creek Holllow. The Stamp is by Personal Impressions .

Challenged! - Cousins

I really loved the sketch at Scrapbook Challenges  and this is my layout.

Daring to Digi - Wizard

I've decided to challenge myself to use some of those digi images/CDs that I've been amassing. Easing in gently with the 'people images' challenge at Digital Tuesday Challenge, I used an old Create and Craft Mystical CD for this image. I brayered the background, stamped the star (free with Craft Stamper this month!) and stuck on the wizard with silicone glue. Then I faffed about for a considerable time looking for embellishments, trying them out in different places and then deciding to keep it as it is! I know this is a bit plain for some people's tastes and I really do admire beautifully embellished cards, but often decide to keep it simple myself.

Challenge!- School Uniform List

I wanted to scrap these photos of my son in his new school uniform and the  Studio challenge gave me the idea to use a list. The coloured papers and the title and journalling spot are from  Echo Park. The background paper is Basic Grey and the ruler is from 3 Birds.

Challenged! - Girly Christmas

Almost everything here came free with a magazine. The central image was cut out from some paper's from a Crafts Beautiful from last year.  The other papers and the robin were from a recent Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. I think the ribon was a freebie too but can't remember where and when. I made this card for the 'Girly Christmas' challenge at Winter Wonderland.

Challenged! - Steampunk

Confession - I made this ATC for Make my Monday's Steampunk ATC challenge two weeks ago...but by the time I got over to their website to upload the link, I was too late. So when I saw this week's challenge, Steampunk Metal, I thought, as it has lots of metal on it, I'd enter it this time. Hope it isn't considered cheating!

Doing the Docrafts - Shabby Birthday



Remember my quest to use all the stuff I’ve got in Docrafts Goody Bags? The challenge at  Daring Cardmakers - How many Candles? – had me grabbing an unopened acrylic stamp set – ‘Build a cake’. I really didn’t know what to do with it so I looked to other challenges for ideas : Shopping Our Stash – Vintage/distressed/shabby chic; Stampin B's – use 2 border punches; Sugar Creek Hollow – Fancy borders.

Daring Cardmakers have a random draw to win a Funky Hand CD . To be in with a chance you need to leave a link to Funky Hand ...finger crossed!

The Happy Shopper : Hart and Bloom

I raided the garden to take this photo!

I saw a little acorn necklace pictured in a magazine and just knew I needed it for my ‘autumn wardrobe’. When I went onto the website  http://www.etsy.com/shop/HartAndBloom , I got waylaid into also ordering a feather pendant.

They arrived quickly ,cutely packaged in little boxes topped with vintage seed label stickers and tied with red ‘string’.

When I opened the boxes, one contained the feather necklace and another contained this little necklace of a bird and postcard. I loved them both – but I still wanted the acorn.

I emailed Hart and Bloom and told them their mistake and guess what? I was sent the acorn and told to keep the necklace sent in error. What great customer service! I’ll be going back to Hart and Bloom .

Challenged! - Back to School/ Pencil lines 251

Pencil Lines have been offline for a few weeks and I’m glad they’re back as I wanted a sketch to use to scrap this photo.

I’ve used Papermania Kraft paper; Autumn Leaves / Rhonna Farrer patterned paper and epoxy sticker ; stickers and diamond pattern paper from Piggy Tales; and the ribbon and button were just wallowing in shoeboxes. I’ve used real coloured pencils as an embellishment.

I’d also like to enter this for http://clearitoutchallenge.blogspot.com/   Back to School.

Challenged! - Koi

My Out-Laws are koi carp enthusiasts, so I have several stamps on this theme. They're very good at having my son to stay for a few days, for which I always make a thank-you card.

The Thank You stamp is by Hero and the Koi stamp has no brand name, but I think it is Once Upon a Stamp. I cut an oval with my die-cutter and sponged the shape with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink. I highlighted the fish with Papermania Metallic Pencil in gold.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Less is More Seeing Double
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays  Thank You

Magazine Addict - Handmade Living October 2011

We made the Berry Bakewell from this magazine. My son and I went out first to pick the blackberries - it started to rain but he was happy to get wet while blackberry picking!

Our tart didn't look much like their picture - and not just because it lacked the professional finish! The filling was purple because the recipe tells you to stir half of the berries into the 'Bakewell' mixture. It didn't look like they'd done that!

It tasted absolutely gorgeous- very sweet - next time I might use less sugar.

Here's the recipe(my notes are in italics):

Ingredients

300g shortcrust pastry

3-4 tablespoonsjam ( we used strawberry)

100g berries, e.g. blueberries, raspberries, blackberries ( blackberries of course)

150g butter ( used a bit less than this)

150g caster sugar

150g ground almonds

30g flaked almonds (we omitted these)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4.

2. Grease a round tin or dish (24cm/91/2in diameter).

3. Roll out the pastry and line the tin/dish.

4. Spread the jam over the pastry base.

5. Sprinkle half of the berries over the jam.

6. Make the filling mixture by combining the eggs, butter, caster sugar and ground almonds together. Now stir in the remaining berries.

7. Pour the filling mixture over the berries.

8. Sprinkle the almonds over the cake mix.

9. Bake in the oven for 30-40 mins, until firm to the touch and golden. (In fact mine was in there for an hour and was not overcooked ....it got neglected while we retrieved our rabbit from next door’s garden).

Challenged! - Fairy Wishes

I buy craft CDs, then never use them! I am going to try and rectify that... or give up and chuck them all out.  These images were from My Craft Studio Flourishes CD. I printed onto acetate and brushed tha back of the image with mica powders. It is for the Fairy Wishes challenge at http://digitaltuesdaychallenge.blogspot.com/.

Challenged! - Anniversary card

This card is for my friend's silver wedding anniversary next month. Is it controversial that I didn't use silver??? A few challenges inspired my decisions - paper piecing, the umbrella ( 'inspire by a song' - Rihanna's Umbrella-eh-eh-eh). The tree is papermania. The couple is Unity Stamp, as is the sentiment , although I only inked part of it. The papers were Nancy Watt freebies from a magazine.
I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
Charisma Cards Inspired by a song.
Stampin' B's Anniversary card
Secret Crafter Inspired by a song
Challenge up your life Paper Piecing