One For The Boys

Our September Challenge theme at Stamping Sensations is one I often struggle with, as I'm sure do others, so coming up with an idea for this month's sample really was a challenge! It is, of course,

* * * * * ONE FOR THE BOYS * * * * *

We would like to see projects with a masculine theme, but please do remember that we are a stamping challenge, so your entry must include stamping as the focal point if you wish to be eligible for the prize or top 3 place.

Browsing for inspiration, I just happened to come across a tutorial for a card fold I'd never seen before - the Trapeze Fold - and thought I would try it out. It  appealed to me because it has plenty of potential for decoration, and it was easy to do! The tutorial can be found on the Trimcraft website.

Having completed the fold, I covered the card with papers from Craftwork Cards and made a topper using Inkylicious ink dusters, stencil and stamps.

Here's a view showing how it stands.

 And a close up.

This month we are sponsored by Hero Arts, who have been making and selling top quality stamps and accessories for an amazing 42 years! They have given us a fabulous prize!




If, like me, you find masculine cards tricky, then just pop over to the Stamping Sensations Challenge blog, where you will find gorgeous inspiration from my talented teamies. We can't wait to see your entries!

Celebrate Spring with Flowers!

Well, the nights are getting lighter, the daffodils are in bud, so it must nearly be spring, mustn't it?! We're still shivering in the cold up here in Scotland, there is snow on the hills all around us, but it can't be far away now, can it? One of the things I love most about spring is the appearance of all the spring flowers with their beautiful colours which chase away the gloom of winter. So what better theme for Stamping Sensations March Challenge than

* * * * * FLOWER POWER * * * * *

Anything floral is what we'd like to see, but please do remember that, being a stamping challenge, we need to see a stamped image as the focal element of your project if you want it to be eligible for the prize or a top 3 spot.

And it is a super prize this month! Making a welcome return as our sponsor is Be Creative (see all their details on the Challenge Blog), who have donated no fewer than six of their stunning top quality paper pads, and four packs of pearl and gem embellishments for the lucky winner! These really are the best quality, and the designs on all the paper pads are simply gorgeous.



I've used one of my favourite papers from the Be Creative pads for my card. I just love the colours on this design, and the roses and butterflies.

The Crafty Individuals bicycle stamp with its flower basket came to mind when I was thinking of what to put on the card, and the Be Creative bottle caps just fitted the wheels! Two Prima flowers became the spokes, with Craftwork Cards Candi as the hubs. The bicycle, Prima flowers and Candi were all coloured with Be Creative alcohol markers.

The bicycle was cut out with a Go Kreate die, and a butterfly cut from one of the Be Creative papers was added. The Hobby Art sentiment was, I thought, rather appropriate.

There's lots more inspiration over on the Challenge Blog, and I can't wait to see all your gorgeous floral creations!

Pink!

It isn't often that you'll see much in the way of pink from me, at least not as the dominant colour on a project, but it so happens that pink is going to feature very heavily in this month's challenge at Stamping Sensations. Our theme for March is

*****   PRETTY IN PINK   *****

As long as your creation fits our challenge rules (see them here if you need a reminder of them) you can interpret the theme however you like. Oh, but don't forget that as we are a stamping challenge, we do need to see some stamping on your artwork.

Our lovely sponsor is once again adhesive specialists Styx2Anything (though as you will see on their website they sell all sorts besides the sticky things!) who have given us a great prize, along with which the lucky winner this month will also receive some gorgeous goodies from the Stamping Sensations DT. Have a look at them on the Challenge Blog, and don't say we don't spoil you!

Anyway, here's my pink card!

The background paper is some I've had in my stash for years, ditto the braid which I've tied to the tag. The lattice diecut is from Memory Box. Unfortunately I can't credit the manufacturer of the butterfly punch as there is no ID on it so I've no idea who made it. If anyone knows, please advise me. The border and butterfly stamps are all by Chocolate Baroque. The tiny Happy Birthday on the tag was a magazine freebie.

The printed tag is from the Botanica collection by Craftwork Cards. I wanted to use it as the focal point on the card but at first it just didn't look right. Then I coloured the flower heads in pink with Promarkers and inked around the edge of the tag with pigment ink, and it was amazing the difference those little touches made. It became a part of the card instead of something just stuck on top.

Here's a close up of the tag. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the flower heads and the flourish at the bottom are foiled in silver. Very pretty.

My talented teamies have some absolutely gorgeous samples for you, so do go and check them out on the Challenge Blog, and I will look forward to see all your pretty pink projects!

Thanks for looking!

Altered Mirror

Still in altering mode. I've had some Ik*a mirrors in the cupboard for at least a few years but never got round to doing anything with them. However, when I saw the new Botanica collection from Craftwork Cards I just couldn't resist it and thought it would be perfect for a mirror.



I had prepared one of the mirrors ages ago by giving it a base coat of paint (which was as far as I got with it at the time!), so all I had to do was cover it with Botanica papers and add a few extra elements cut from the papers, which I attached with silicone glue to give them a bit of dimension.

I also stamped some sentiments (by Paper Artsy and Katzelkraft) over the paper, and inked around the edges with gold Brilliance ink. Finally I lined the inner edges of the mirror with some gold German scrap, which just happened to be exactly the right depth.

The large butterfly and the bird were cut from the toppers which are part of the collection, and the small butterflies from the papers.

The Botanica collection is so pretty, and with its nature theme of butterflies, birds and flowers it is right up my street! Might have to send for another pack so I can keep one just to admire!

PS. Just realised this is also eligible for the Butterfly Challenge, so I've entered it!

Thanks for looking!

Fluttering by!

I'm really busy at the moment, but just nipping in for a quick post. I rather liked the sketch for the May challenge at The Craft's Meow, so I thought I'd use it for a birthday card for a friend.

This is the sketch. 

 

And here's my card.

I used Craftwork Cards background paper and small butterfly stamp, K & Co paper for the semicircles on the right, Hero Arts/Sizzix Framelits (stamps and dies) for the two larger butterflies, and a Craft's Meow frame and sentiment cut with a Nestie die, as were the semicircles.

I'm entering this card in the Craft's Meow May Sketch Challenge (my first ever entry in their challenges, but hopefully not my last!)

Medals and Monarchs

Our Birthday Challenge and Blog Hop at Stampalot were a great success, and thanks to all those who took part so enthusiastically. But now it's May, and time for a new Stampalot Challenge. This month we're thinking about both the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, so we want you to come up with projects on the theme of

Medals and Monarchs

This will give you many options: you can go very patriotic, or use lots of 'diamonds' on your work or take the opportunity to celebrate your own country's involvement in the Olympics using your traditional colours.

I had no stamps in my stash which would suit the theme and I didn't want to spend money on something I would use only once, so I was delighted to find that the May issue of Crafts Beautiful magazine had a free gift of a collage stamp and papers which would fit the bill perfectly. This is what I did with them.

I decided to make a rocker card, which I covered with the papers. The main image at the top is the stamp. The bunting was made by cutting out the pennants from one of the papers, ditto the Queen's head.

The "E2R" banner is a Waltzing Mouse stamp cut out by hand, with a crown from one of the free papers, and peel-offs for the lettering.

The Olympic topper is a Nestie shape, and the rings were made from Craftwork Cards' Candi, with holes punched out of the middle, then coloured with Promarkers. A few suitably coloured pearls and jewels provided the finishing touches to the card.

I didn't start with a clear idea of how the end product would look. I kind of made it all up as I went along, and it turned out gloriously over the top, but I quite like it! I think this is going to be a popular theme, and there's plenty of inspiration from my lovely teamies on the Challenge Blog, so do go on over and check it out. Oh, and there's a rather special prize too!

I'm looking forward to seeing all your creations in celebration of this year's great events.

Just because

It's the first time for ages that I've had chance to make something just for its own sake, rather than for a particular occasion. Some of the ladies at one of the schools I work at are keen to set up a craft club, just amongst themselves to begin with, but with the intention of opening it up to parents and the local community once it gets going. They asked me if I'd like to join them. I said yes, of course!

They hadn't heard of teabag folding, so I made a couple of cards to show them what it is. I used to do a lot of teabag folding at one time, but that was a long time ago. I really enjoyed going back to it. There are many websites which have free papers to download, and one I really like is Derek's Teabag Tiles which has loads of lovely designs. The butterfly papers I've used here are from Derek's.

The first card has the teabag design backed with a Nestie Butterflies Circle.

I love the butterfly circle but it's very difficult to get it out of the die! I found that putting a layer of waxed paper between the die and the paper you're cutting works wonders! The butterfly corner is a punch I've had for years, in fact one of the first punches I ever bought.

The second card uses a simple kite fold, with the same papers from Derek's and a Nestie Lacey Circle. The corner stamp was from Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) and the centre message from Craftwork Cards.

Having made my teabag cards, I started to put my things away and noticed the Butterflies Circle cut from the wax paper, still on my desk. Loth to throw it away I sat and looked at it for a moment, wondering what I could do with it. Then I remembered the faux batik technique. Very carefully so as not to tear it, I crumpled up the circle and smoothed it out again. Then I ironed over it on to a piece of glossy card so that the wax was transferred to the card. Next I brayered over the card with ink from a Big And Juicy inkpad (Spice). The wax resisted the ink and the pattern was revealed.

I finished the card with a banner stamp by Waltzing Mouse, sentiment by Chocolate Baroque and two of the tiny butterfly cutouts from the punched corners.

It feels great to be back crafting again because I want to, rather than because I have to. I had got out of the habit, I think, with all the upheaval of moving house and settling in to a new job, and indeed a new way of life, but I'm pleased to say my enthusiasm is returning. Watch this space!

Origami Christmas Tree

Yesterday Jules posted a brilliant tutorial on how to make an origami Christmas tree, which had been taught to her by a lady called Jo Unwin (for whom unfortunately I don't have a link.) I couldn't wait to try it, and here's the card I made with it.

I used one of the big (8" x8") square cards from Craftwork Cards for the base and stamped it with an Elusive Images stamp from the Grungy Brocade set. The patterned papers, including the one I made the tree with, and the sentiment, are all from the Artylicious Season's Greetings CDrom from Graphicus. The three little snowflakes were punched with a freebie punch which came with the December 2010 issue of Papercraft Inspirations magazine. Now, one might suppose that magazine freebies are not usually of the best quality, until one realises that this punch is made by Tonic Studios, and it actually works really well, as you can see by the detail.

I was very pleased with how the tree turned out, thanks to Jules's clear instructions, so if you fancy having a go too, hop over to Jules's blog and try it out.

Sir Stampalot July Challenge

The theme for the Sir Stampalot July Challenge is Lazy Hazy Days of Summer. There's not much that says summer to me more than poppies, so when I found a pack of gorgeous poppy design napkins in S****burys I thought they'd be just right to make a card with.

As you can see, they are rather bold and bright, so a large size base card was called for, in this case an 8" x 8" one from Craftwork Cards. I wasn't quite sure what to do at first, as the large, bright flowers would overwhelm any image I tried to put with them. However, when I separated the layers of the napkin, I found that the middle layer had picked up some colour from the printed top layer, and was in effect printed with a ghost image of the poppies. Perfect! It became the background for my card, with a narrow border sponged around the edge with Barn Door Distress Ink.

Next I glued the top layer to a piece of thin card to strengthen it and cut out some of the flowers and leaves. These made a border down the side of the card along with a strip of paper coloured with the Barn Door DI and cut with a Martha Stewart punch.

The stamped image is the beautiful new "Poppy Field" by Crafty Individuals (currently free with orders over £30!) which I coloured with Distress Inks (Barn Door, Bundled Sage and Shabby Shutters).

A computer generated text on a Nestabilities label and a few punched butterflies were the final embellishments.

And here's the finished card.

PS. My lovely butterfly blog background from Scrappin' Blogs disappeared this afternoon! On investigating, I found that Scrappin' Blogs are having problems with Photobucket (basically it seems they are too popular!) and need to find a new server. I'm not sure what the situation is with their backgrounds at the moment, so I've found another for my blog for the time being from The Cutest Blog on the Block. Maybe it's time I had a change anyway.

Allsorts Challenge Week 35 - Brown and Pink

Really had to think about this one, as brown and pink is not one of my favourite colour combinations. A bit too sickly for my taste. So I opted for scenic rather than soppy, hoping it might tone down the sweetness a bit.

I managed to use up a bit of old stash - the Stampbord, which I bought a few years ago and never did much with. I don't know why, it's brilliant for stamping on. I've got 64 small squares put away somewhere to make a chess board - if I ever get round to it!

Anyway, the background on the Stampbord is done with alcohol inks, and then overstamped with Versamagic. The border is a Martha Stewart punch, and the greeting by Craftwork Cards, mounted on a Nestabilities scallop circle. Stamps by Stampscapes (lake scene, heron, small rushes and birds on brown background), Clarity Stamp (trees on brown background), Art Impressions (flowers bottom left) and Craftwork Cards (rushes top right).

Poppies

One of my crafting resolutions for this year is to try more non-card projects, and to that end I am currently working on altering a little photo frame like the one I gave away with my blog candy last month. However, I couldn't resist ordering one of the new Hero Arts stamps, the Poppy Background,  which was delivered yesterday, and I just had to make a quick card with it straightaway. I love poppies, and this stamp has lots of potential. I think it is going to become one of my all-time favourite stamps.

I stamped it with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate and clear embossed it, then coloured it with Promarkers. The sentiment, by Craftwork Cards, was also coloured with Promarkers. Before I stuck the picture to the card, though, I was tempted to use the back rather than the front! The Promarker ink soaked through the paper and it left an interesting image on the reverse, rather like pressed flowers (see below). I might have to do another one!

Hero Arts at one time was my favourite stamp company, but their style changed somewhat a few years ago and became a bit too cute for my liking. However, their new 2010 catalogue has some absolutely gorgeous designs. I foresee a sudden depletion in my bank balance!

Christmas things

Well, I managed to get everything finished in time to catch the last posting date. Phew! Now that I know that some of them have reached their intended recipients, I can post them here. The Inkadinkado Angel has been one of my favourite Christmas stamps this year. I've kept this card quite simple so as not to detract from the image, which I've embossed with kaleidoscope EP. The greeting is by Craftwork Cards

Here's the angel again, stamped over "Silent Night" by Magnolia. The printed picture is from CraftyIndividuals' Christmas Miniatures book.

Next a few cards inspired by one of the beautiful samples on Sue Nelson's HeartPrints gallery. I liked the simplicity of it. (I needed something quick to do!) The one on the left has a Cuttlebug background and Nestabilities frames, and the image is from Woodware. The one on the right uses a background paper from the Elusive Images "Season's Greetings" CD from Graphicus. Nestie frames again. The image is one I've had for years, by PSX.  Same details for the third card, except that the image is from Woodware. The greetings on all three cards are computer generated.

When we went to the Sir Stampalot demo day, I was really taken with Brenda's    little decorated tins. I bought some blank ones to have a go at doing my own. Here's the one I made for my daughter's mum-in-law. It's coloured with alcohol inks, then stamped and embossed on top. The stamp is by Craftwork Cards. Inside I've put little photos of her three grandchildren, two of whom are also mine!

We will be going up to stay with them for Christmas, so no food shopping or cooking for me to do! I'll be on grandma duties so that my daughter can get on with things, and that's just fine by me!

Anyway, this will probably be my last post before Christmas, so to everyone in Blogland, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a very happy and peaceful New Year.

Belated Bloggerversary - and blog candy!

(This candy is now closed)

This past year has been quite an eventful one for me, for various reasons, and it seems to have flown by. Thus the anniversary of the starting of my blog, in October 2008, passed unnoticed! Not to worry, though, I can celebrate it now! To do so, and to say a huge thank you to all the lovely people who have followed the blog, left supportive comments, and generally made life in Blogland such a pleasure, I'm giving away some blog candy.



It includes unmounted stamps from Crafty Individuals and Joanna Sheen, a Crafty Individuals "Christmas" Miniatures book, Christmas stickers, paper flowers, Craftwork Cards button messages, Woodware Tag Board Book, a Memento Tuxedo Black Dew Drop inkpad, a photo frame (to alter??) and a hand made notebook.

To win all of those, just leave me a comment. If you also become (or are already) a follower, that will give you a second entry. Linking to this post from your own blog, if you have one, will gain you a third entry. (ie. Comment = 1 chance, comment+follower = 2 chances, comment+follower+link= 3 chances.) I will post the candy to anywhere in the world. The closing date will be Monday the 7th December, and a winner will be drawn randomly soon after then, so don't forget to check back & see if it's you!

Thanks again to everyone for your support and friendship, it is much appreciated.

Paper Roses

Yes, I know, I should be making Christmas cards, but after seeing Brenda demonstrate her beautiful paper roses at the Sir Stampalot Demo Day on Saturday, I just had to have a go at making some for myself. I bought the required 1" flower punch at the demo, and made a couple with that. Then I remembered that I already had the matching tiny one, so I made a tiny rose too.

I couldn't resist buying another Sarah Kay stamp, and thought that she and the roses would go well together. The tiny rose became a perfect decoration for her hat. She seemed to be looking for something, and just then a butterfly alighted close by. I coloured Sarah and the butterfly with Promarkers. A few leaves and star flowers completed the picture. The background paper is by Papermania, and the butterfly is from Craftwork Cards.

Anyway, must go. Got an owl to shrink......

Oldie but Goodie

It's great to learn new techniques, and I am always on the lookout for new things to try, but sometimes it's good to revisit the old ones. I quite often go back to shaving foam marbling, simply because the results are good, and it's such fun to do. I like shaving foam particularly as a marbling medium because it is possible to have some control over your finished pattern. What you see in the tray is what you will get on your paper.

Thus, in the easel card shown here, I was able to make a landscape effect with more blue at the top and more brown at the bottom. The larger trees are from Clarity Stamp, and the deer and tiny trees in the background are by Stampscapes. The greeting is Inkadinkado. On the angel card I used a panel of marbled paper as a feature, stamped with  a Stampington stamp. The sentiment is also by Stampington. The angel is from the "Christmas" miniatures book by Crafty Individuals.

For the holly card, I revisited not only an old technique, but also an old stamp! It's from The Stamp Man. Having stamped it on the marbled paper, I embossed it with sparkle embossing powder & then coloured the leaves and berries with Promarkers to make them stand out more. I mounted it at an angle over a piece of printed paper. The message button is from Craftwork Cards.

The final card is very simple, just four squares of card, three stamped with a snowflake (Stampington), the other holding a Craftwork Cards message button, and strips of silver ribbon to finish it off.


Well, it was fun to go back to the marbling, but tomorrow Sally and I are off to the Open Day at Sir Stampalot, looking forward to seeing what's new, & also meeting Brenda. Can't wait....

Meadow

Taking the colour removal technique a step further, I made this.



Using encaustic art card, the background was sponged with Distress inks, then the honesty seed pods were stamped in black and clear-embossed. I was thus able to remove the colour from them using a damp paintbrush without the water overflowing on to the rest of the background. I did the same for the campion flower near the centre, but having removed the background colour I then painted the flower with Distress inks. The remaining elements were simply stamped with Versamagic inks.

The picture was mounted on to an 8" x 8" card from Craftwork Cards, from where also came the background paper and the butterfly greeting. The butterfly was coloured with a Promarker. All stamps are Elusive Images from Graphicus, except for the trees in the background. The tiny fir trees are by Stampscapes, and the other tree is from Lavinia Stamps.

Bowing to the inevitable

Well, I've been a bit out of touch lately, having been away for the best part of two weeks, so I decided that now I'm back I'd better show willing & get on with some Christmas cards. I really don't know why the prospect doesn't fill me with enthusiasm. Maybe it's because I'd rather not start thinking of Christmas before December and then don't have enough time to spend on them and end up with rushed designs that I'm not happy with.

However, whatever the reason, I've managed to make a start. I've continued with the colour removal technique using Distress Inks as in my recent posts, with brass stencils this time to produce the backgrounds.

The teddy & cat stamp was free with a magazine, so I thought I might as well try it. It's a bit too cute for my liking, but that's okay because I won't be sending it to myself. I cut it out with one of my new Nestabilities Labels 8 set and coloured it with Promarkers. I wanted a border around it, but the next size up Nestie was too big, so I went around the edge with a Promarker instead. The greeting is from Craftwork Cards. The snowflake stencil was also a magazine freebie.

The poinsettia on the second card is made from a couple of Craftwork Cards flowers, originally white but coloured with Promarkers. Likewise the greeting. I couldn't avoid the gold lettering with the Promarker, but I found that I could remove the ink from it afterwards with the Promarker blender pen.The all-over holly stencil is one I've had for several years, and I'm afraid I can't remember where it was from. The scalloped border around the Cuttlebug-embossed circle, and the outer red border, were coloured with Promarkers to match the flower. Can you guess I'm really into Promarkers at the moment?! I love being able to co-ordinate everything with them. I nearly got carried away and coloured some ribbon to match as well, but then I found some paper lace hiding at the back of a drawer and decided to use that instead. Of course, I could have coloured that too, but I thought I'd leave it as it was to go with the white circle.



Well, that's two done. I feel better now!

Metal embellishments

Some years ago I bought some art metal. At the time it was being used mainly for embossing, by stamping or tracing on to it and then marking out the image with various tools & cutting it out with scissors. I wasn't impressed with the results, & the remainder of the pack has been languishing in a cupboard ever since. Until now!

Now there is the Cuttlebug! I found I could cut the metal with dies, eg. Nestabilities or Cuttlebug, and emboss it with the Cuttlebug embossing folders. And then colour it beautifully with alcohol inks or Promarkers. Voila!



The butterfly was cut with a Cuttlebug die, embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, and then coloured with alcohol inks. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, and the plain paper I have had for so long I can't remember where I got it!


The metal used for the swirl background on the lady card was gold coloured. I embossed it with the Cuttlebug D'vine swirls folder and then carefully inked over it with Brilliance Graphite Black ink, which I then heat set. So long as you do not press on too hard with the inkpad, the recessed swirls do not take the ink. The lady and wording stamps are from Hero Arts. I've had them for years, but they just seemed to fit with the swirl panel. The flourish is by Stampington.

So I have managed to use up some more old stash!

On the second butterfly card, I did even better. The butterfly is cut from a foil yoghurt pot lid, so it was free! The foil has a lovely texture and takes the alcohol inks very well. The inside foil cover found on some brands of margarine also works well. The new Cuttlebug Victoria folder provided a background for this card. The agapanthus stamp is by Stampendous, and the Birthday circles on both butterfly cards are from Craftwork Cards. The base card is pearlescent and it was quite difficult to photograph, but if you click on it to get the larger version, I think the detail will show up better.

More from Harrogate

One of the stands on our "must visit" list at the Harrogate show was of course that of Craftwork Cards. They had plenty of new goodies on display. I bought some papers, including some glitter-infused in gorgeous colours which will be great for Christmas cards. Also got some messages and embellishments in various shapes. And I couldn't resist some of the "Colour- me" ovals and butterflies. They also had some yummy new colour combinations of Card Candy, one pack of which (red, purple & lilac) inspired this card.



The Card Candy just happened to co-ordinate exactly with some Crafty Individuals background paper (from their Background Papers Book 1). I coloured the "Colour-Me" owls to match with Promarkers. The scallop border around the message is a bit of the glitter paper. Unfortunately, you don't see the effect very well in the photo, but it really is pretty. The stamped fleur de lys inner border is from a set of Just Rite stamps. I've only recently discovered these stamps, and bought the set at Harrogate, from Once Upon A Stamp. They work really well with Nestabilities, and the 1 & 5/8ths inch size fits beautifully round the Craftwork Cards in-circle messages. A silver peel off border around the background paper put the finishing touch to the card.