Inkspirational Challenge 31 - Ocean's Children

This week it's 'anything goes' at Inkspirational Challenges  so there is really no excuse for not joining in!

For my DT card, I used three merchildren images from my own (extensive) collection from A Day for Daisies, who are sponsoring us this month.

I imported the merchildren into image editing software, cropped them and layered them over a seascape from Debbi Moore, Under the Sea CD. I printed it out and coloured the merchildren with markers and glitter glue.  I layered the image onto shiny turquoise paper and added die cuts and pearls. The shells were stamped, coloured and cut out and I finished up with flowers and a key. 

So, I'll see you over at Inkspirtational Challenges  later - I can't wait to see what you do! 

I'd also like to enter:

Crafty Calendar Challenge   Colours 

Shabby Creek  Water, water, everywhere 

The Squirrel and the Fox  Nautical/sealife 

A Day For Daisies Challenge  Add some shine 

Going Grey with Scrap Creations Anything Goes 

Inkspirational Challenge 30 - Sketch- Kite Flying

It's sketch challenge time again at Inkspirational Challenges  and here's the sketch:

As you can see, for my DT project, I flipped the sketch upside down. The girl is a digi-stamp from our sponsors this month, A Day for Daisies  and I coloured it in with markers and paper-pieced the dress.  I created a border with patterned paper and border punches and cut out a kite.

This sketch is so versatile. Why not try using it yourself and join us at Inkspirational Challenges? 

I'd also like to enter:
Papertake Weekly Die-ing for a punch
Crafty Creations Challenges Summer
Divas by Design Anything goes  

Pinspirational Challenge 67 - Gingerbread Man

Here's my Design Team card for this week's Pinspirational Challenge and hears the inspirational picture:

I used a sentiment image provided by one of our sponsors, Inky Impressions. I paper pieced the baubles in two different patterned papers, and coated them in Glossy Accents. I added a chipboard trim to the bottom of the card. 

Come over to Pinspirational Challenges and join us. 

I'd also like to enter:

Sentimental Sundays Christmas 

Cards for Men  Christmas

Lexis Creations Christmas

Dragon Dream

The theme at CD Sunday this week is Dreams and Dragons, and this stumped me for a little while. The only dragon I could find on any CD was a Chinese dragon on Debbi Moore Oriental CD and this didn't seem right. So instead, I used a dragon and child digital image from A Day For Daisies. I coloured it with markers, cut it out and then paper-pieced it with green spotty paper from Polkadoodles All Around and Everywhere CD.  I stuck the image onto a street background from the same CD and stamped a Docrafts sentiment.

As well as CD Sunday, I'd also like to enter:
Love to Create Hugs and wishes
Polkadoodles Challenge Let it fly
Kaboodle Doodles Anything Goes

It's that time of the year again - Part Two

As blogged about here , I'm making thank you cards for my son's teacher and TAs . (Why so last minute? Didn't I realise the school year was due to end??!!)

This lovely digi is from Mo's Digital Pencil and the teachers will immediately spot that he is a) cleaner and neater, and b) keener on books, than my son. Actually, my son does like books, just not school ones!

The number paper is a scrap from Echo Park and I die cut the banner.

I'd like to enter:
CASual Fridays Count me in
Creative Craft Challenges Numbers
My Heart Pieces Favourite fruit colour ( apples - red and green)  

Octopus's Garden

This week I'm delighted to be a guest designer for Quirky Crafts Challenge, for their challenge 'Octopus's Garden' - inspired by The Beatles' song.

This great image was provided by their sponsor, Squigglefly . I coloured it with Distress ink and stamped it with a Creative Expressions bubble stamp.  I made the sea background the same way. I did three layers of decoupage on the fish and I used Glossy Accents on the bubbles.

As well as Quirky Crafts, I'd like to enter:
 CCEE Stampers Sing, sing a song
Digi Haven Any animal  (hope fishes count as animals!)
One Stop Challenge Make your own background  

It's that time of the year again....

Schools out for summer on Weds afternoon and it's a last minute rush to make thank you cards for my son's teacher and teaching assistants. I believed I had three cards to make but my son's just informed me of a hitherto unheard of TA so that's four.

This is actually card number two, as my first one will be used as a  Design Team project. This one has less of a 'school' theme than the other, and I've gone down the 'apple for the teacher' route.

The apple stamp (with separate stalk) and the sentiment  are by Stampin Up and were stamped in Distress Ink. The boy is a Molly Bloom stamp and is coloured mainly with Promarkers but I watercoloured his top with Distress Ink. The paper is October Afternoon.

I'd like to enter this for:
Craft Your Passion Thank You
Jellypark Challenges Giving Thanks
QKR Stampede Fruity Fun

Travel Girl

The photo inspiration at Inspired By  this week set me off to look for some stash I bought weeks ago but had not yet used. The stamp is from October Afternoon 'Travel Girl' and I also used sheets from an 8x8 paper pack from the same range.

I stamped the woman onto the typed text background and coloured with alcohol markers. I matted it onto pink and then onto a background from the paper pack. The sun is a die-cut (coloured with markers)  and I added a button , and a text die-cut from Papermania.

As well as 'Inspired By', I'd also like to enter:
Seemacrafts Holiday
Going Grey with Scrap Creations Vacation
Get Inky  Summer Sun Fun

Inkspirational Challenge 29 CASE

Firstly, let me apologise that this photo is a bit shadowy. I thought I'd  take it again in better light but when I went to get it from where I'd left it (lying around in the spare room) someone had touched it with dirty fingers! I think it's time to get some of those cello bags and actually put things away safely.

Anyway , this is my DT project for Inkspirational Challenges and this week we have a CASE for you and here it is:

The original is by Ellen Parker  the co-owner of  Inkspirational Challenges.

For me, this is quite representational of the gorgeous cards that Ellen makes and I wanted to steal some of her style on my card, although it's quite a different look for me.

I used a butterfly digi by this month's sponsors , A Day for Daisies and I inked it, layered it twice and added glossy black enamel to the body and gold glitter to the edges of the wings. The doily was cut on the Silhouette Cameo. Both sentiments are stamps by Papermania (I think) .

Come and join us at Inkspirational Challenges! 

I'd also like to enter:

Incy Wincy Designs Things with wings

Pink Elephant Challenge Feminine Birthday 

Rhedd and Rosie Challenge Anything goes

A Day for Daisies Challenge Use a die cut 

Queenly Collage

Is anyone watching the TV serial 'The White Queen'? (UK)  It's my new favourite TV programme and my influence for this card. Although the programme is based on fact, I wanted to add a more fantasy feel.

CCEE Stampers  have a challenge to make a collage using at least 4 stamps. I made a background by repeat stamping a text stamp over cardstock inked with Distress ink pads. I stamped the 'queen' , masked her and stamped over with the 'perspective background' (Lost Coast Designs) . I stamped the moon with birds ( Cherry Pie stamps) and then stamped it out on paper coloured with silver and lilac, cut out the circle, and paper- pieced it.

As well a CCEE Stampers, I'd also like to enter:
Love to Create Challenge - Fairytale or fantasy
Make My Monday Uninked stamp - although not new, I've not used the perspective stamp before.
Anything Goes Challenge Anything Goes
LEJ Designs Challenge Anything Goes

An Australian-style Christmas?

Maybe this is what it feels like to have Christmas in Australia, because I'm melting in an English heatwave and making Christmas cards. We got released from work at 3.45 today, as it was 30 degrees in the staffroom , even with all our desk fans going. I'm afraid my quality control has over-heated and I'm not sure if this actually looks like a Christmas card.

This woman is a digi-stamp from My Craft Studio (MCS) Fab Glam Fifties CD and I coloured her with Promarkers and paper-pieced her with holly paper from MCS Setting the Scene Christmas CD. I recoloured the paper in red for the background. I stamped  the text (Darkroom Door) and cut it with dies. I cut some holly with a Marianne die. I dotted the dress with glue and sprinkled it with silver glitter.

I'd like to enter this for:
CD Sunday  Christmas in July
Papercrafting Journey  Christmas In July
Crafting when we can  Christmas in July
CRAFT Challenge  Christmas

Pink Sparkly Elephant

My (grown-up) daughter asked me to make a card for her friend and gave me this brief : pink , glitter, having party at a zoo.  I hope this fits the bill.

The elephant is a Wags and Whiskers rubber stamp and I coloured it with Promarkers. The paper is from a magazine, long ago. The sentiment is a Papermania stamp. Before I paper-pieced the elephant, I sprayed it with adhesive and covered it with fine 'Glamour Dust' glitter, so in real life, it's very glittery.

I'd like to enter this for:
Quirky Challenges Daddy's taking me to the zoo (Bday girl's party is at the zoo, although I suspect it's not her daddy that's taking her!)
Use it Tuesday Birthdays (patterned paper)
Sarah Hurley Challenge Pink Sparkles
Wordplay Saturdays Birthdays

Inkspirational Challenge 28 - Ladybirds

You say ladybug; we say ladybird ...it depends on your side of the Atlantic,I suppose.

This week at Inkspirational Challenges  we have a photo inspiration and here it is:

I made the bag on the Silhouette Cameo - sadly only one of a handful of successful projects out of dozens of failed ones on this machine and I have had to send it back for repair. The cutting file is a fabulous freebie created by Bird. .The ladybird is made from a very old Accucut die. It's all very simple but I think it would be fun to put a small gift or treat inside.

Come and join in at Inkspirational Challenges!

I'd also like to enter :
Oldie But Goodie In the Garden  (the ladybird die and the spotty paper are very old!)

{Pin}spirational Challenge 65 - Purple Fairy

Here's my DT card for this week's Pinspirational Challenge  and here's the inspirational picture:

The fairy I used is from Bugaboo Stamps , who are one of our sponsors this week.

I coloured the fairy with Promarkers and added buttons and glitter glue.

How does the picture inspire you? Come over to Pinspirational Challenges and join in!

I'd also like to enter:
Wags  n Whiskers - Cute as a Button
Lady Anne's Challenge Monochrome
Cardmaking Mamas - Monochromatic

Rain Big

I've been looking for an opportunity to use this water droplets stamp by 'Designs by Ryn' since I got it , a few months ago.

The woman and the ducks are by Stampin Up. I coloured the backgrounds by sponging white card with 3 colours of Brilliance ink pads. I used a frame die, border punch and two embossing folders.

I'd like to enter:
Artful Times  Come rain or shine
No Matter Which  Anything goes
4 Crafty Chicks Dry embossing
Penny Black at Allsorts  Dies and Punches

Boutique Bag

It's not fair! I've put up with months of dismal weather and then, a soon as it gets warm, I develop some strange runny eyes and nose thing that starts whenever I go outside! Thank goodness I've got my crafty hobby.

Today I've decorated a gift bag and themed it around my fantasy exclusive boutique.

I used images from Crafter's Companion Frou Frou CD and the papers were magazine freebies from long ago.   I added the 'boutique' text to the framed hat mannequin and printed the image onto acetate. I cut an aperture from the pink spotty paper and attached the acetate to it with white brads.  I added a gem to her flower and a strip of black spotty paper and a button.

I printed off a smaller version of the hat mannequin and layered it onto a die-cut frame,into which I punched a hole. Then I attached spotty ribbon and another button.

I'd like to enter:
CD Sunday  Hats
Fab n Funky Challenges Anything but square
Paper Creators Crafts Think Pink
Creative Fingers Challenge Anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey  Anything but a square card

Here Comes the Scottish Bride

I made this for a wedding but I've not decided yet whether to actually use it for that - I'm worried it's not wedding-y enough. It's for a mature couple , who have been together for ten years, and are having a registry office wedding. The bride is Scottish - hence the tartan.

The main stamp is by Unity and I used a sketch  from Delightful Inspiration .

I'd also like to enter it for CRAFT challenge  Here Comes the Bride. 

Inkspirational Challenge 27 - Colour Challenge - Garden Fairy

It's time for another colour challenge at Inkspirational Challenges , and here's the palette:

This month we are sponsored by A Day For Daisies , and they sent me this lovely retro fairy digi. I also used a mushroom digi and the sentiment all my extensive collection of ADFD digis - I'm a big fan.

The images were coloured in Promarkers and I added a few touches of Stickles glitter glue, especially on the wings.

Please do come over to Inkspirational Challenges and share your own creation using this delightful colour combo.

I'd also like to enter:
Drunken Stampers Enchanted
Sentimental Sundays All things digital
Divas by Design Cute
Addicted to Stamps Markers   

Everybody wants to be a Cat

I've been singing the song with this title for over a week now, ever since I saw the challenge at Quirky Crafts.

I made a wall, using a Stamposaurus mask and a Promarker pen.  The cat sticker, heat, background and border ( actually a cut off bit of a card) are all Hunkydory. The sentiment is a Stampin Up stamp.

As well as Quirky Crafts, I'd like to enter
Papertake Weekly Anything goes (with animal)
Bearly Mine  Anything goes