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

Bear with a Glittery Mug

That's right - the mug (that looks so insignificant in the photo) is actually gold and glittery. I stress this because I actually made it specifically for Christmas Kickstart, where the theme is  'hot beverage' and I wouldn't want you to miss my beverage!

I'd also like to enter the Christmas challenges at Little Red Wagon and The Male Room. 

Snowflakes and Buildings

Here's a very cas Christmas card using stamps from several different sets, a dark blue ink and some clear gems.

I'd like to enter:
Winter Wonderland - buildings
Less is More
CAS Christmas 
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps 

Tropical Thanks

Has this worked? I'm not sure. It's not quite as I envisaged it but I do like that it's colourful.

I used stamps from lots of different sets but the bird, leaves and flowers in the foreground are all Flora and Fauna and the thanks is Happy Little Stampers.

I'd like to enter:
Addicted to Stamps  cas summer
Double D
My Time to Craft seaside
Addicted to Cas 
Make My Monday  thank you

The Library Challenge- Five Weeks in a Balloon

The new book at The Library is Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne , chosen by Visiting Librarian,  Martina.

I've not read this book - I've heard of some of his other books and they seem to be old-fashioned (maybe not at the time!) adventure stories. I did think of making something vintage travel-themed but in the end just went with the balloon - I do love hot-air balloon images! 

This image is by A Day for Daisies and I added a sentiment, paper-pieced the balloon, stencilled the clouds and coloured with Promarkers. 

I hope you'll join in the challenge and also, pop over to Martina's blog.

I'd like to enter:
Papercraft Challenges stars
Fab n Funky  stars
AAA Birthday 
Watercooler 
Simply Create Too pattern paper

Identity Crisis

I created this one-layer-card to send abroad to a blog friend - I thought she'd like the little hamster on the front but it seems her own hamster thought it was a mouse!  Isn't a hamster just like a mouse without a tail??!!

Joking aside, I stamped and coloured the 'hamster' and house (Heffy Doodle) and then gave him a balloon to hold.

I'd like to enter:
Shopping Our Stash one layer card
Crafty Animals