Toucan on a Surf Board

Note, I didn't say 'surfing toucan' ...he's just perched on the surf board!

I started out with a Concord and 9th toucan stamp (I broke the diet, soz), and to get a 'vintage' look I stamped him in brown on kraft card with lots of distess ink daubing. 

I used an SVG cutting file from Lettering Delights - it had the surf board and the palm tree set in a little scene. So I stripped it down, enlarged it, cropped it and cut out what was left on my Silhouette machine.  I decorated the surf board with stamps from the toucan set. 

I created a background using inks and stencilled some clouds - which was a waste of time because since I vintaged it up and put the die cuts on top, you can't see them! 

Finally, I created and cut the 'aloha' on the Silhouette and added some shimmer pen. 

I'd like to enter:

The Male Room

Pinspirational

Addicted to Stamps 

Hadgrid Bookmark

My son and I are currently reading the first Harry Potter book together, so when I saw the JK Rowling challenge at Sweet Stampin, I knew I'd join in. The Krafty Chicks challenge is to make a bookmark, so that seemed appropriate.

I used a cutting file by Lettering Delights - they call the collection 'enchanted' but there are several Harry Potter characters in there. I enlarged it and cropped it off so that only part of the character was showing. (Hang on a minute...didn't I do pretty much the same thing with the robot card I made on the same day. Hope I'm not becoming a one-trick pony!)

I made up the sentiment and printed it onto the tag, using a font called Hogwarts. Finally, I stamped some stars.

I'd also like to enter the Unicorn Challenge - for a child.

I AM a Robot

How could I resist entering the robot challenge at If you Give a Crafter a Cookie?  I used to have a really cute robot digi that had come on a Funkyhands CD , but in the Great Computer Crash of 2018 it was lost. So I had a look around for a robot image and found some freebies at Simply Cards and Papercraft website. 

So I printed the image wide and cropped it, coloured it with Promarkers, added shimmer pen to the silver bits, stamped sentiments from two sets and added a strip of stripy paper.

I'd also like to enter:
Creative with Stamps
Make my Monday  for a guy

Library Reminder - Gift from the Sea

Time for a reminder at The Library.

I scrapped a very old photo of my son throwing pebbles towards the sea and used papers from Crate Paper, acrylic paint and sea-themed embellishments, especially the shells, which were inspired by the book cover.

You can enter the challenge here. 

I'd like to enter:

CSI case file 290 - geometric patterns, ocean-themed elements, bird, wet medium and some of the colours.

Always Fun

As You See It

Inkspirational - Fold

Front

Our new challenge at Inkspirational is to be inspired by the word, Fold. 

For my DT card I was inspired by a photo on my niece's Instagram account , of her pet white rabbit, sitting on a cactus bedcover, and decided to make her a pop-up birthday card. 

I used a bunny ears SVG and designed and cut the pop-up with the Silhouette Cameo. 

I'd like to enter:
Cut it Up  critters 
Addicted to Stamps  

Rustic Glam Angel

Here I stamped and embossed a very old Non-Sequitur unmounted rubber stamp and coloured parts in with white gel pen. The sentiment is by Crafty Individuals.

I'd like to enter:
Christmas Kickstart wings
Jingle Bells 
Shopping Our Stash  xmas


Thanks to Jingle Bells for featuring this card. 

Daisy, Daisy

Combining some challenges together....

The Twofer challenge is 'Garden' and at Addicted to Cas , the theme is Daisy.  I used a very old Craft Stamper magazine freebie for my daisy.

For my first card I used a watering can stamp by Craft Consortium and then, masked off the area around it and partial stamped the daisy. I coloured in with Promarkers, adding white gel pen to the petals to make them stand out.  I stamped and embossed the daisy in white on the card base and stamped the sentiment. Then, to join in with Allsorts, I added a trowel charm.

I'd also like to enter this card at Stamping Sensations and Daisy Chain. 

For my second card I stamped a Papermania wonky frame(inspired by Handstamped Sentiments' picture of frames) , masked it off and again, stamped just part of the daisy stamp, colouring it in with Promarkers.

As these images are small, I'm also entering this at Less is More.

Flag Cakes

Lasting Memories  are challenging us to include our country's flag on a layout , so I thought I'd scrap this photo of cakes I made when England were doing well in the men's World Cup last year- the crossover strips of red icing are supposed to represent the England flag. I used two Simple Stories papers, adding splattering, stamping, lots of doodling and a red rose - England's national flower. 

Tribute to Tenia

I'm quite the fan of card-making blogger Tenia Nelson . I love her unique and contemporary creations and love that she has her own signature - all her cards seem to incorporate a bit of washi with some 'stitching'. I've been considering sneakily stealing her designs for some time ...but now I don't have to! Papercraft Crew are inviting us to CASE their Design Team...and guess who's on the team?

Here's the card I cased.

Using the colours from Color Throwdown , I made a base out of grey cardstock and stamped an Avery Elle butterfly in grey ink. Then I splattered it with Dylusions white ink spray - which totally disappeared! So I used a Paper Artsy splatter stamp with white ink, embossed. I stamped the Pink Fresh Studio sentiment (You are wonderful, brilliant and brave) in pink . Next, the washi - Tenia, I think normally makes her stitches with stickers but I don't have any. So, I used a stitching stamp by 49 Market, using the same grey ink.

I hope I've paid tribute to Tenia's fabulous original while still adding my own ideas...but I did enjoy stealing the signature washi.

I'd also like to enter:
AAA Cards 
Alphabet Challenge  insect

The Library Challenge - Gift from the Sea

The new book at The Library is Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh , chosen by Visiting Librarian, Heather . 

I'd never actually heard of this book before Heather chose it, but I've since discovered it's a well-loved book for many people. The cover is lovely - but I chose to make a very literal interpretation of the title! 

I used four different stamp sets and a bit of masking to create a one-layer card showing an old sailor bringing birthday gifts from the sea. I coloured with Promarkers and a few touches of shimmer pen (on the silver/grey).

I hope you'll join in the challenge and also, pop over to Heather's blog . 
I'd like to enter:
Cards 4 Guyz  transport
Watercooler 
Addicted to Stamps 
Moving Along with the Times  splish splash

Life's a Beach

I've been digging out some of my oldest stamps - from the days before clear stamp sets.

Here I used two from Personal Impressions - I pulled them off their wood mounts to use them in a stamping platform, which made it easier to use them together to create a scene. I coloured with Promarkers and used an Avery Elle sentiment.

I'd like to enter:
Shopping Our Stash  one layer
Addicted to Stamps 
Give a Crafter a Cookie
Challenge up your Life 
Creative Craft Cottage 

Bearing Gifts

glitter shot 

I'm getting ahead on the Christmas cards this week!

The woman image is a very old wood backed stamp - the branding says Stamp So Simple - can't remember where I got it from.

I stamped it in dark brown onto a background stamped with a Darkroom door text stamp and coloured with a Promarker and a gold glitter pen.

I'd like to enter:
Alphabet Challenge - Hats and Handbags
International Art and Soul  Christmas
Krafty Chicks  Christmas
Watercooler 

Inkspirational - Photo

Our new challenge at Inkspirational is to be inspired by the picture below. Easy!

For my DT card I went with the balloons and used a Pure Innocence image coloured with Promarkers and (for the dark pink on skirt and balloon) shimmer pen. I layered onto a smooshed panel and added a sentiment and enamel dots.

I'd like to enter:

Papercraft Crew
Cardz4Galz party time
Cutie Pie girls just wanna have fun
Sisterhood of Crafters birthday