We are Sailing

I haven't joined in with CD Sunday for the last couple of challenges - I've meant to, but somehow not met the (extended) deadlines!  This week I'm in nice and early for the 'We are sailing' challenge. I used an image from Joanna Sheen Cardmaker's Year CD which I matted onto blue and then kraft card. I added patterned paper (Tilda) , die cuts, a button and some washi tape saying 'all aboard'.

As well as CD Sunday, I'd also like to enter:
Allsorts Brown with blue
Kaboodle Doodles - Anything Goes

Boxes and Bags

Being totally unable to measure accurately, the Silhouette Cameo has transformed my box-making. Here are three boxes/bags I have made recently:
1) (picture above). This box was made to put homemade biscuits in as a gift. It's not a cheap packaging option as I used the best part of 3 12x2 cs and 2 Basic Grey patterned papers!

2) I've used the cutting file for this tote bag before but this time I did it Christmas style and put inside a gift for my niece.

3) This little seed packet is one of three I made for the kids. This Christmas, I have overused this reindeer cutting file which I created  from a digi stamp and this time I used the negative cut into the seed packet and covered it with acetate. Colour-wise I went rustic rather than Christmas.  The packets were filled with oats and glitter that they sprinked outside for Santa's reindeer on Christmas eve.

I'd like to share these with:
Little Red Wagon  Anything Christmas
Just Add Ink  Christmas Project

Inkspirational Challenge 46 - Anything Goes

So while I've got all my Christmassy supplies out, I thought I'd scrap some old Christmas photos.

These are of my son in 2009 at nearly 3 years old. I used papers from Papermania and Cosmo Cricket. I die cut some Christmas trees and drew lots of wobbly borders. The title I used is also the title of one of the books he's 'reading'.

This is my DT project for this week's Inkspirational challenge, and the theme is Anything Inkspirational Goes .

Whatever you're working on, why not link it up at Inkpirational ? 

I'd also like to enter: 

Craft Your Passion Anything but a card

Crafting for All Seasons Anything Christmas but a card 

{Pin}spirational Challenge 87 - Reels

Here's my DT project for the latest Pinspirational Challenge  and here's the photo:

I made a card shaped as a reel, using my Silhouette Cameo. The bear was supplied by our sponsors Bugaboo  and I coloured him with Promarkers and paper-pieced.  I think I could add a scrap of felt inside and use it as a needle case.

How does this photo inspire you? Come over to Pinspirational  and join in.

I'd like to enter:
Crafting from the Heart Anything Goes
Created with Love Anything Goes
Craftitude Button up

Star Boy

Just as I finished making this card I had a stunning realisation: I've made enough Christmas cards! Any I make now are a bonus. I thought I'd never make it!

This card uses a Jellypark digistamp that I coloured with Promarkers and paper-pieced.

I'd like to enter:
A Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
Here come the boys Anything goes
Jellypark Challenge Christmas
Cards for Men Anything Goes

Inkspirational Challenge 45 - Rockin' Robin

It's challenge time at Inkspirational and we have a photo inkspiration :

I believe that's a cardinal but we don't have them in the UK and I think many non-crafters wouldn't know what it is. So I went with the British Christmas bird - the robin redbreast.

The robin with the cage were cut out from a paper by My Mind's Eye.  The sentiment is glittered chipboard (also by MME I think, but a different range) . I stamped some musical notes and flourishes around the border of the backing paper (origin unknown) . I also die cut a corner.

If you visit the challenge blog at Inkspirational  you'll see the the DT (and Pia, our
GDT) have come up with a whole range of different ideas - not just birds.  Please join us.

I'd like to enter:
Bearly Mine Christmas Sentiment
Clear it Out Challenge Anything Goes
Wags n Whiskers  Things with wings
Stampin for the Weekend Use some red

Polar Reindeer

The circular die- cut behind my reindeer is called a polar grid - I was thinking ...polar bears/ north pole...but when I looked it up it seemed to be all scary and mathematical! I sprayed the grid with irridiscent glitter spray - it shows up in real life but not on the photo - and nearly knocked myself out with the fumes!

The grid and the reindeer were both cut on my Silhouette Cameo. I embossed the reindeer with silver powder and stamped and embossed the sentiment.

I'd like to enter :
Lollipop Ladies Reindeer and grid
Artful Times Die cuts
Fab n Funky Challenges A touch of frost
Shopping our Stash holiday or winter
Kaboodle Doodles winter

Lost in the Woods

I had a bit of trouble when making this card. I stamped the kraft card with my Hero Arts woodgrain stamp and then put it aside while I made other elements. When I went to stick it all together, I couldn't finds the kraft layer. I spent ages searching for it until I gave up and cut a new piece, and just as I was inking up the stamp I noticed the original piece was right in front of me .....the stamping was so realistic it had 'disappeared' into the wooden table!

The reindeer was an image from a CD that I brought into Silhouette Studio, traced, cut and stamped with the woodgrain stamp. The white trees and 'noel' are also Silhouette cuts and the clock dial is a Tim Holtz die which I spray with gold mist.  I used snowfall acetate over the top.

I'd like to enter:
City Crafter Wood and Frame - this challenge was my original inspiration - the clock dial as the frame and the woodgrain stamp for the wood. As I was linking up I realised that I might have slightly misinterpreted and sorry if I got it a bit wrong.
Our Creative Corner Very vintage Christmas
The Squirrel and the Fox winter
Hobbycutz Make a scene
QKR Stampede It's starting to look a lot like Christmas
Pink Elephant winter

Reindeer in a Sweater

Here's another one I made during my (failed) self-imposed Christmas card challenge recently.  The stamps and matching die are Hero Arts.

I'd like to enter:
Divas by Design Use some red
Addicted to Stamps Holidays
Shopping our Stash Holiday or winter
Pink Gem Challenge Winter wonderland

For the Vets

Sadly, my daughter's guinea pig died recently. She'd had an operation but she was very old and never really recovered. My daughter asked me to make a 'thank you' card for the staff at the veterinary surgery. 

I kept it clean and simple, using a digistamp of a guinea pig from a Craft Artist disc, colouring it with Promarkers, adding a sentiment and matting and layering. 

I'd like to enter:

Crafty Cardmakers Clean and simple

Crafty Creations Thank you

Fab n Funky Cute critters 

Addicted to CAS Pet (Thanks for alerting me, Kylie!) 

Festive Fairy

For this card, I combined four elements from Papermania Enchanted Christmas CD for my image, then matted it with pink. The star banner and the mistletoe are die- cuts and I punched a cluster of snowflakes.  I added lots of gems and pearls.

I'd like to enter:
CD Sunday F is for
Creative Craft Challenges Non traditional Christmas colours.
Make my Monday contemporary Christmas

{Pin}spirational Challenge 85- Thank You

Time for another Pinspirational Challenge and here's the picture:

For my DT card I used two digi stamps provided by our sponsor, Eureka Stamps.  I paper-pieced the pumpkins, coloured the rest of the image with Promarkers and rubber-stamped a sentiment.

I guess it's last orders on the lovely autumnal challenges, as we move into winter.  Do come over to Pinspirational Challenges and share your project with us.

I'd also like to enter:
The Pink Elephant Be thankful
Card Crafters Circle Thankful
Desert Island Crafts list 1 - 1,2,10
Craft your Passion  Give thanks.

Vintage-y Xmas

I've had this vintage image a few years..not sure where it came from.  The papers were all 'scraps' - the spotty paper was in my scrap box with the border already punched.  I stamped the background paper with a Basic Gre flourish stamp and brown ink.  I also used die cuts ( all extras I had put aside), self adhesive pearls and a Teresa Collins brad.

I'd like to enter:
Nonni's Challenge  scraps/ old stash
Charisma Cardz Christmas
Crafty Creations Ready for the holidays
Lexi's Creations  Christmas

Winter Wind

Meant to post this before but been really busy...The weekend before last I went to my fantastic local crop, but instead of doing the class kit etc, I set myself the target of making 20 Christmas cards. Fellow crafter, between 10am and 5pm , do you think I met my target? No! I only made 10 cards - 50% of my target! Rubbish!

Anyway, here is one-tenth of my achievement. I used an A Day for Daisies digi, paper scrap, embossed die cut, Promarkers and liquid pearls.

I'd like to enter:
Crafting when we can Winter
Come and Get it Challenges AG/use a digi
Stampin for the Weekend Feeling Festive

Inkspirational Challenge 44 -Bearing Gifts

Here's my DT card for this fortnight's Inkspirational Challenge - Anything Goes.

I've had some difficulty taking good photos lately as it's dark when I leave home in the morning and dark when I return!

The woman is from Joanna Sheen Fashion Boutique CD. The patterned papers are by Basic Grey and Kaisercraft. I used some holly, die cuts, stick -on gems,  a Teresa Collins brad and a Stampin Up sentiment.

Please come over and share your latest project at Inkspirational Challenges. 

I'd also like to enter:
CD Sunday - Simply Square
Bearly Mine Traditional colours and die cuts
Clear it out Challenge Put a snowflake on it Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Anything goes
Digitally Sweet Anything Goes

Ice Skater Boy

Will I manage to get all my Christmas cards made in time? Or will I have to cross someone off the Christmas card list this year? !!

This stamp is by Marianne (free with mag last year) and I coloured it with Promarkers and paper-pieced his jumper. The papers are all Bo Bunny and the sentiment is another (different) mag freebie.

I'd like to enter:
Papertake Weekly- Snow and Ice
C is for Challenge Winter is coming
Crafty Cardmakers paper-piecing
Addicted to Stamps Anything Goes

The Cruelty of Christmas

Cruel? Well, Christmas seems the ideal time to make over-the-top sparkly creations with a sleigh-load of embellishments, jingle-bells and all . Yet..... what I'm actually making is quick and easy, make-as-many-as-you-can, FLAT cards , that can be sent in the post.

This card wasn't quick and easy, to be honest, but it IS pretty flat. You can't see it. but I painted my white cardstock with Pearl -EX paint before stamping, to give it shimmer. I coloured the angel (Non-Sequitur, very old and well-used) with Promarkers and Pearl -Ex paint. I made the background using stamps, white embossing powder and distress inks. I added a brad and a final glitz of glitter spray (which again, you can't see!) .

I'd like to enter:
Nonni's Challenge Stamp a Happy Christmas - sorry it's taken me so long to enter!
A Creative Romance Blues
Vintage Stamping Challenges Traditional Christmas

{Pin}spirational Challenge 83 - Monkey Baby Card

Time for another Pinspirational Challenge , and here's the Pinspirational photo:

I know loads of pregnant women at the moment, so it's a good opportunity to stock up on new baby cards. This monkey digi was provided by our sponsor's Bugaboo and I kept it simple with layers of pink and grey, Promarkers and a button. 

Why not join in our challenge at Pinspirational Challenges? We have great prizes on offer. See you there. 

I'd like to enter:
Corrosive Challenges fur and feathers
Squirrel and the Fox animal antics
Cute Card Thursday animal magic

Inkspirational Challenges - All White on the Night

It's time for another colour challenge at Inkspirational  and here it is:

I kept my card very white, adding variation with texture - crimped pearlescent paper, embossed layered die-cut tree. I encased my card in a dome of snowfall acetate ( as included in the Inkspirational prize draw ) and added 'noel' cut from white vinyl on the Silhouette. 

Come and join us at Inkspirational. We have the challenge, a fabulous guest designer , and a prize draw. See you there. 

 

 

I'd like to enter:

 

Christmas Card Challenges dimension

Crafty Calendar Challenge All things Christmas

Crafty Bloggers Network   Christmas

Brown Sugar Anything goes

Allsorts White Christmas

My Children

Last weekend I had a great time at the 'retreat ' , organised by June who runs my local crop group. There were lots of challenges which, as you know, I love.  For the layout above , we were given a 'goody bag' and had to use 3 items on a layout. I used five - the 3 papers, the border ( which was shocking pink till I coloured it) and the slide frame ( which I coloured and stamped with Staz-on.) I gilded two corners of the patterned paper , die cut some butterflies and put gold glitter on their wings.

The photo is of my two children. They were born 23 years apart, so have a special relationship, and I'm very proud of them both.

I'd like to enter:
Scrappy Friends November Challenge Family theme.

Christmas Eve

This bunny in pyjamas is a pre-coloured  image from Polkadoodles Cherry Blossom Lane CD.  The sky , window-frame and santa are all from My Craft Studio Setting the Scene- Christmas CD. The presents are from the same CD, but are digistamps that I coloured with Promarkers. I added a sentiment (magazine freebie) and glitter.

I'd like to enter:
CD Sunday  Stripey
Polkadoodles Anything Goes Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge  Christmas is coming

The Lollipop Ladies GDT - Cookie Monster

Recently I won a Guest Design Team spot at The Lollipop Ladies challenge .  They have a sweet-inspired theme with an extra element and this time it's an 'off the page' project inspired by a Cookie Monster Cupcake.

  I made a bookmark for my little boy, using an A Day For Daisies digi, coloured with Promarkers.  I cut a tag from navy cs and from some scrap patterned paper and added lettering, 6 googly eyes and some pompom trim.

Why don't you join in the challenge at The Lollipop Ladies?

I'd like to enter:
Daring Cardmakers colours
Paper Make up use your scraps
Papercraft star photo
Charisma Cardz anything but card

Diwali Card

This is the first time I've made a card for the Hindu festival of light, Diwali. It's for a work colleague. As it's not my culture, I had to do a bit of research into what would be appropriate - not the best occasion to try anything too cutting edge, I felt! I was lucky enough to find this blog by Chaitali who has created Diwali electronic cutting files and shared them freely.

I cut the lamp with Coredinations cs and embossed and sanded the base. I added glitter to the flame. a scalloped circle, lilac pearls and some paisley patterned paper printed from a Docrafts CD.

I'd like to enter:
Crafty Cardmakers Monochromatic Purple
Die Cuttin Divas Anything Goes
Twisted Tuesday Free for all
Dynamic Duos Wisteria and plum

Paris in a Sports Car

 

 

"At the age of 37, she realised she'd never ride through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair'" went the depressing song by Marianne Faithful.(The Ballad of Lucy Jordan).  Well, I'm rewriting those lyrics and giving Lucy some fun!

This image is from the Crafter's Companion CD ' Frou Frou'. I didn't like the colours so I took it into editing software and changed them. Okay, so her hair is now green, but I think she's the kind of funky chick who'd do that.

I'd like to enter:
CD Sunday  Travels Abroad
Moving along with the times Shape up
Pink Gem Challenge More than one fold.
Crafty Catz Spots and stripes

{Pin}spirational Challenge 81 - Mary Poppins

It's time for another pinspirational picture at Pinspirational Challenges and here it is:

I used a digi of Mary Poppins, supplied by our sponsors, Sassy Studio . The image was coloured with alcohol markers and the backgound was made with Cosmic Shimmer sprays and copper Brilliance ink. I added a die-cut skyline.

Now, I know what you may be thinking. Mary Poppins was set in Edwardian England and that skyline is definitely not Edwardian. Well, I like to think Mary is still around. Maybe that's your city and Mary is just about to drop in and take the kids off your hands. Wouldn't that be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

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

I'd also like to enter:
Eclectic Ellapu Inspired by a film
Creative Fingers Inspired by the movies
 

Purple and Orange Witch

This is my final Halloween card for the year. All my previous ones were for the children in the family but this one is more grown up (not too grown up though!) .

The image is a digital stamp from a Craft Artist kit. I added the word Halloween before printing and then coloured it with Promarkers. The background is patterned paper and embossed mirror card, and  I added a die-cut flourish and some flowers.

I'd like to enter:
Divas by Design - Spooked
Papercraft Star - photo
Stampin for the Weekend Something spooky
Red Carpet Studio Hocus Pocus
Alphabet Challenge S for scary ( don't be fooled by her smile!)

Vampire

For this Halloween card, I cropped part of a background from a Craft Artist digi kit. The vampire is a pre-cooured image from Polkadoodles' Sundae of Seasons' CD - I cut him out and stuck him on with 3d foam.  The sentiment is a Docrafts stamp.

This should have been a quick and easy card but as usual I spent so long messing around with ideas that it took just as long as it I'd done all the colouring etc myself!

I'd like to enter
Crafty Creations Halloween characters
The Sisterhood of Crafters Trick or treat
Stamping with the Dragon   Halloween

Little Ghost

Another Halloween card. This digi is a freebie from Dearie Dolls. I coloured it with Promarkers and paper- piecing.

I'd like to enter:

Pink Elephant  Trick or Treat
Shopping our Stash Halloween
Cute Card Thursday Spooktacular
Digi Haven Orange and black
2 Sisters Challenge Cute and spooky

Inkspirational Challenge 42 - Wreath

We had a very busy fortnight at Inkspirational with our Anything Goes challenge and now it's back to our regular 'photo inspiration' challenge. Here's the picture:

For my project , I made a circle out of an old cereal packet.I covered it with different die-cut leaves and flowers, made from Basic Grey 'Figgy Pudding' paper , and edged with Distress Ink. I added centres to the flowers using gems, brads and buttons, and finished with glitter.

I hope you'll join us at Inkspirational. Our prize draw is still open.

I'd also like to enter:
Polkadoodles Christmas anything but a card
Winter Wonderland Check/tartan
Festive Friday wreath

Passsport Control

I was inspired by the photo at Inspired By, to make this aqua , white and grey card.  The camera and the passport control stamps were free with Get Stamping magazine, and I used a Lawn Fawn chevron stamp on the aqua mat, and a little adhesive gem.

Mr Fox's Travels

Okay, I know this is a bit weird!

I did wonder if I'd be able to play along with CD Sunday  this week . The theme is 'Fox and friends' and I was pretty sure that I didn't have any CDs with a fox on them. although I did conduct a search to check. 

Short of ideas, I googled for images of foxes and brought up a few of foxes dressed as Victorian/Edwardian gentlemen.   ( Anyone remember Basil Brush?). 

I copied the photo from the internet and brought it into the My Craft Studio programme , where I digitally punched it into an oval. I added papers and images from MCS Tinkering with Steampunk and A Very Important Date.  I inked all the papers and added cogs, the title and 'tape' and a feather.

As well as CD Sunday, I'd like to enter:
Corrosive Challenges Dress me Up
Red Carpet Studio Bicentennial Man (metal cogs)
Pumpkin Spice Dress up  

Trick or Treat

Here's a card with a pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern - but honestly, I think I was well grown up before I ever saw a pumpkin. As a child, in Scotland and then the north of England, we made Jack-O-Lantern's out of swedes (called turnips in Scotland). I think they were uglier and scarier!

This card uses a free Dearie Dolls digi, which I paper- pieced.  The papers were freebies from a magazine, except the spotty black, which is from a Docrafts CD. The sentiment is a Docrafts stamp, the web in the corners is a Stampin Up stamp and the spider was die cut.

I'd like to enter:
Eclectic Ellapu Halloween
Wags n Whiskers Paper piecing
Papercraft Star Photo inspiration
Simply Create Too Halloween
Clear it Out Challenge Halloween/ orange    

{Pin}spirational Challenge 79 - Anything Goes

This week's Pinspirational Challenge is Anything Goes!

 We're sponsored this week by Fresh Brewed Designs and they kindly provided the digi I've used - Wonky Christmas Tree. The papers are Prima North Country and I used Promarkers and an acrylic sentiment stamp.

Whatever you're working on, why not come and share it with us at Pinspirational Challenges? 

I'd like to enter:
Addicted to Stamps Christmas is coming
Scrap Creations Cut it out