The Library Challenge - The Hobbit

Today is the second challenge on my new challenge blog - The Library Challenge. The book is The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien  and you can take inspiration from the cover or the title or the story. 

Despite having had this book on my shelf for many years, I have never finished it! I was given a copy by my Auntie - it was one of  her favourite books and for years I felt guilty that I just couldn't get into it. Recently, I spotted it in the audiobooks section of my local library online service so I thought I'd give it enough try, this time, just listening. But no, beyond the description of The Hobbit and his house that I'd read many times, I just did not enjoy the story enough to finish it. And yet, every time 

I think of The Hobbit, I think of my lovely Auntie (now gone) , so perhaps I should stop feeling guilty and just enjoy the memories. 

For my first card I was inspired by the woodland setting . I stamped a Stampscapes wood onto watercolour paper and coloured it with Brushos. Then I used gold watercolour paint to colour parts of the bark., to give it a magical gleam. I mounted it on a green card base which I'd embossed with a folder.

I'd like to enter :

Craft Stamper  Take it , Make it 

Happy Little Stampers  watercolour / home - the woodland was the Hobbit's home. 

QKR Stampede  anything goes 

Simply Create Too  use green 

My second card, unfortunately , looks better in real life than in the photo, and was inspired by the book cover. The background was made with Distress Oxide Inks . The mountains and sentiment are Pink Fresh Studio and the shooting star is Concord and 9th.  The mountains and star sparkle with shimmer pen.

I'd like to enter:
Make My Monday  messy backgrounds
Dragonfly Journeys  green
Through the Purple Haze anything goes

I've been so delighted by the wonderful entries in the first challenge and I hope you'll come over to the blog and join in this one.

This will warm you up

So how are all you fellow Brits coping with the Beast from the East? I know people from colder climates think we make a terrible fuss...but it's freezing!

I don't like coffee myself, but I do think this little coffee cup looks cute - I spotted it on a Paper Smooches Christmas set I was using yesterday and thought it deserved an inking.

I stamped a row of  the coffee cups and coloured them using markers. The sentiments are by hero Arts and Avery Elle

I'd like to enter:
Color Throwdown 
Naughty or Nice  drink up
Addicted to Stamps  have a heart
Cards in Envy  heart
Little Red Wagon  hot beverage

For a Cruise Fan

My next door neighbour loves to go on cruises and this is a birthday card for her.

My panel is a vintage-style boarding card by Docrafts and I stamped the woman image onto it - I don't know the brand, it's a very old wood-backed stamp. I've used it before on cruise-themed cards but actually it's got no particularly nautical connection - apart from in my head!

I covered the dress with several layers of shimmer pen and added a die-cut cloud with a Flora and Fauna sentiment, and an enamel heart.

I'd like to enter:
Always Fun  travel
Use Your Stuff  at the movies - Titanic
Crafty Chicks  add a sentiment

Wheely Great

The mouse and wheel stamps (and the sentiment) are from a new-to-me brand, Heffy Doodles. I used a MFT stencil to give the effect of a cage (well , that was the idea!).

I'd like to enter:
Casology fit -the mouse is getting some exercise!
Shopping Our Stash  stencils
Craft Rocket  something new - the stamps
Aud Sentiments 

Racoon

Here's a simple card that I made, after a more complicated card (including texture paste!)  using the same stamps came to an abrupt end when I dropped a juicy inkpad onto it!

The racoon is by My Favourite Things, sentiment brand unknown.

I'd like to enter:
Double D   woodland creatures
Tuesday Throwdown  black and white - I hope this qualifies as the base card is off-white
Addicted to Stamps  anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters  cas

Snowing Again

It's snowing again...we seem to have had unusually frequent snow this winter; we're not used to it in my part of the world! But it does put me in the mood for making Christmas cards.

Here I used a Paper Smooches snowman, Promarkers, Distress Inks, white gel pen and a sentiment by Woodware.

I'd like to enter:
Winter Wonderland  anything goes
Christmas at Sweet Stampin 
Merry Christmas  snowmen
Watercooler Wednesday  Christmas

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Die Cuts

This week, at City Crafter,  Lucille is challenging us to use a die cut.

I used die-cuts I already had hanging about. The circle- heart die cut was 12 inches wide and I'd cut it on my Silhouette to use on a scrapbooking page...and then not used it! And leaving it around , I'd somehow managed to damage it, so I decided to cut it down to card size. The banner was also a left-over die-cut and I stamped it with an Avery Elle sentiment. I added gems to the hearts.

We look forward to seeing your projects for this challenge but please first go over to the blog and see wonderful projects  the rest of the DT have made.

I'd like to enter:

Tuesday Throwdown  black and white 

Cards in Envy  heart 

Just Add Ink  h for heart 

Cut it Up  anything goes 

Donut you Know

These donuts - including limbs, faces and the donut pun - are by Lawn Fawn. I coloured them with Promarkers and added gel pen sprinkles and 'sugar' with a shimmer pen. The other two sentiments are by Hero Arts.

I'd like to enter:
Casology - pun
Watercooler  masculine
Papercraft Challenges  sweets for my sweet
Crafty Catz  birthdays

Inkspirational - Photo Challenge

For our new challenge at Inkspirational, we'd like you to be inspired by this photo:

For my DT card I focussed on the coffee cup. I found a scrap of yellow textured card and I stamped it with a Penny Black image.I coloured it with coloured pencils, adding highlights with white gel pen. The sentiment is Hero Arts . I added some stitching effects around the edges using a metal wheel thingy. 

We have a wonderful Guest Designer, Lula , so please come over to Inkspirational and see what she and the DT have made and enter your project.

I'd like to enter:
Mod Squad animal fun
Craftaholics r us  anything goes
Allsorts  b is for beverage
Sparkle Forum  cas 

New Kennel

This evening I made a card inspired by some great challenges.

The dog is a new stamp by My Favorite Things, coloured with Promarkers, I cut the banner and the kennel, from white card, on the Silhouette and coloured them with inks and white gel pen. I used a Tim Holtz stencil and the sentiment is by Hunkydory.

I'd like to enter:
Color Throwdown 
Sisterhood of Crafters banner
Shopping our Stash  home
Dragonfly Journeys dog
Mod Squad  animal fun