Friday 28 February 2014

Paint

Evening peeps, it's been a really lovely springlike day here. I suppose we shall now pay the price with a frost tonight. 
I have been thinking about the latest challenge at CASology this week which is PAINT. Now my initial thoughts had me rumaging in my stamp box but I didn't like what I thought was initially a good idea, so on the way home this aft I popped into the local DIY store and picked up some paint charts. You know the ones that allow you to have your choice made from a myriad of colours on display. When I was choosing last weeks challenge for Cardz4Guyz I saw a technique called 'Bargello' I think so I thought I'd have a go.




What do you think? I cut strips off the long side of the paint strips and stuck them together slightly off center and mounted them onto the card on the diagonal. The stars I cut from the same samples, the greeting is from a LOTV set. You can just see a little bit of writing from the paint chips but I think they add to the charm.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

week 84

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Music

Good Morning bloggers.
As it's Tuesday it means that there is a new and challenge at Cardz4Guyz.
Before I introduce the new challenge I must mention last weeks CAS theme.
There were some great entries but some sadly were not eligible as they did not follow the theme,
not enough 'white space' (an area of the card which has no image, layer or embellishment.) for a CAS card was the problem with many. However, it did not make the choice of the top 3 any easier and there was much deliberation about which ones to choose. Pop over to check them out and see the rest of the DT's inspiration for this weeks theme of:-

MUSIC

That could mean all sorts of different things so it's quite a broad theme, Musical instruments, singing, songs, or even just musical notes and notation. I made quite a few different cards before I came up with one that I liked. I decided on this one because it was a new technique for me and I enjoyed playing around with the background.


The stamps are all, except the swirls which are from NitWits, from a Marianne set, CS0860. They look quite vintage in the packet which isn't really my style, so I was quite pleased with how the card turned out, not really vintage at all.
The notes were stamped in red, green, yellow and blue ink as though they are tumbling around. The score was stamped at an angle on top. If I did it again I would have stamped the violin first and masked it before stamping the score, as it was I had to stamp it on a small piece of white then cut it out and mount on pads. The swirls were stamped off the edge at the side and bottom edge. I left a sentiment off, as I didn't want to spoil the effect.

I shall enter this project into the following challenges:-
Crazy 4Challenges - Inspired by Music

Well that's that. Thanks for popping over and please join in with us this week.

Sunday 23 February 2014

Cake

Good morning bloggers and welcome to my little bit of crafty madness.
Had a busy day yesterday as Al was moving sheep back and forward all day, helping his pal Joe. As I mentioned yesterday, some of the sheep in the field next to us started to lamb earlier than predicted. George, the farmer, thinks it was a young ram lamb that got a bit too frisky before it went to market but I'm not sure. Anyway, they decided to move these ewes back to the farm and bring the recently lambed ewes down here. Much tooing and frowing ensued. It is good to see the little lambs frolicking in the sun.

Now to all things crafty. As I was stuck indoors again with the dog, he loves the lambs but mothers get territorial, I had time to play. I was so pleased and suprised to be showCASed at Less is More this week, I thought I would have another go at their latest challenge - Metal. Rather tricky this one I feel. I sat and thought and decided it had to be brads or a charm as I don't have anything else metal in my stash but how to use them/it. I was surfing on Friday and found the Love Rubberstamps challenge - Funny Sentiment, so I thought I would merge the two. Here goes:-



This is a DoCrafts stamp from the Born to Shop series. I've had them for a while, they were free when I subscribed to a magazine a couple of years ago, and hadn't used them to date. The cake on the left is actually a brad from the stash. I was quite pleased how it worked out in the end. The image is a little small and is therefore tricky to colour and get the detail right but I used Copics as usual.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-
Less is More - Metal
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge - Funny Sentiment
Allsorts - Ladies Day

Thanks for stopping by. 
Don't forget you have up until Monday at 5pm(GMT) to enter the CAS challenge at Cardz4Guyz.

Friday 21 February 2014

Coffee

Good morning peeps.
Just been having my breckie and blog hopping over at LOTV while waiting for a John Lewis delivery. 
I made a card yesterday which was inspired by my good friend who ordered me some goodies from a Stampin Up party I couldn't get to on Wednesday 'cos I was stuck here with the builders.

This is it


The image is Coffee Time from LOTV which I stamped straight onto a 5" square white base card. I coloured  the image using coffee colours from my Copics as follows:-

E 40,41,42,43,44,47,49,71,77,79

The sentiment from LOTV was stamped using Rich Cocoa Memento ink as was the main image. The wriggly line was drawn freehand with a brown fine liner.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Copic Markers Norge - Anything Goes

By the way why don't you pop over to Fantasy Stampers and have a go at our latest Bingo Challenge.

Well bye now and have a good day.


Thursday 20 February 2014

Vintage?

Good afternoon. 
The sun might be shining but the wind is up and it's feeling a little chilly after the last couple of spring like days.
I'm still keeping the dog out of mischief and making steel erectors drinks as the shed emerges from the ground. So I've had lot's of time to play in my craft room as pushing a hoover pulls on my back. I pushed the trolley around the supermarket and tweaked it so I'm letting it get plenty of rest, LOL.

I don't  really do vintage style but this fortnight's challenge at Cards and More is Non Cute so I thought I would have a go as I had time on my hands to play.


The main image is an old rose stamp that I must have had for 10 years and had completely forgotten about 
as it's a wooden stamp from Rubber Stampede. I coloured the roses using Copics as follows-
Roses - RV95, R81, 85
Leaves - G82, 85, 99, BG96, RV95
I then took the brightness down by over inking in Tattered Rose distress ink. I stamped, coloured and mounted an extra two of the largest roses on pads. I then cut out the main image.
The background was made using a background rose stamp that was free in Cardmaking and Papercraft last month, inked in Milled Lavender and Tattered Rose. I over stamped three separate stamps from a set by Artemio in Momento Black Tuxedo. The sentiment is from my Dandelion set from Inkyliscious. The whole background was mounted on black card then a A6 white base card.
The rose image was set off to one side to complete the card.

Well thats my take on vintage and I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Cards and More - Non Cute


Wednesday 19 February 2014

Jump

Good morning, an extra post this week as I'm hanging around keeping the dog out of mischief as Al's man shed is being erected today.
Yesterday was the first day of CASology's latest challenge. I love looking to see what the DT have come up with to go with the week's cue card. This week's is -


Well that could mean lot's of things, I'm amazed by the way peoples minds work and their DT came up with lots of different takes on the word. This is mine:-


I thought of this little guy when I read the word jump, he's from a free Pink Petticoat set from a while back. I used the little fish in the same set for a card a month ago. It's not as original as some of the projects but I like him. I chose the sentiment from the same set, pretty broad in it's interpretation.

I cut a small square from a scrap which I had coloured using Peeled Paint, Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Ink Pads. The little frog was coloured with Copics, 
YG 11, 13, 17, 61, 63, 67, 91, 95.
The square was stuck to an A6 white card with the froggy sitting slightly off the bottom.

I shall of course enter it in the following challenges-
By the way there's plenty of time to enter our CAS challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. They are also looking to increase the DT so if you feel like joining us just put DT after your entry. 

All the best, come back soon.


Tuesday 18 February 2014

CAS

Hi folks, it's Tuesday so it's another challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This week it was my choice of theme and guess what I choose?

CAS.
(Clean and Simple)

What else could it be! 
Then it struck me that I had already created quite a few CAS cards for the DT so I was looking for something a little different. I thunk and thunk and came up with this.


This little bear is just so cute, he comes as part of a set from good old LOTV. The scrap of DP was sloshing around in the stash and the greeting is from a Molly Bloom set. I distressed the edges of the top layer with a distressing tool, to make it stand up against the base card and mounted it on pads. I used blue as the base 'cos a CAS card doesn't have to be white to have 'white space' if you get my meaning. Don't ask me the brand of the DP I used, it's been in the box so long, but I cut a circle slightly larger than the aperture and stuck it flat on the base card. As usual I used Copics to colour the bear as follows:-

Bear - E57, 55, 53, 51, 50, R20

 I cut him out and mounted him on pads in the aperture.

Well that's about it really, clean and simple.
Get your thinking caps on and join us in this week's challenge. Don't forget to keep it CAS.

I shall enter this project in the following challenges:-
CAS on Sunday - Masculine
Less is More - Masculine



Saturday 15 February 2014

Sailing

Evening folks, thanks for popping by. 
The weather appears to have calmed down for a while, just some heavy showers this dinnertime. Hope everyone is safe and sound after all the mayhem. 
I've been in the wars again, slipped down the last few stairs yesterday evening! Must take more water with it, LOL. Suffering a little today as I can't sit  or keep any position for long. A hot water bottle is the answer but working out how to keep it in the right place is troublesome.
But I have managed to make a card today that is not for a DT post. It's kept me busy and taken my mind off my sore back.


This effort was made using the sketch from Sweet Stamping and the image is influenced by LOTV's latest challenge, Name that tune. I have been wrecking my brains for a song to go with one of my stamps. I decided on 'Sailing' by Rod Stewart, a favourite of mine from way back.
The papers are from the Nit Wits 'Aye Aye Captain' collection, the brads from a Papermania capsule collection which have been sat in my drawer for a long time. The circular sentiment is from LOTV also.
The little boy and his yacht were coloured using Copics as usual, as follows:-

Hair - E30, 31, 33, 37
Boat - B000, 23, 24, B32 Y21, 26, 28
Sails, T-shirt - C0,3,blender
Shoes - E71, 77, 79
Skin - E000, 00, 11 R20

I shall enter it for the following challenges-

Allsorts - brads
ATSM - Make your mark
LOTV - Name that tune ( Sailing)

Well that's about it for today. Thanks for calling around, see you again sometime.

Bingo at Fantasy Stampers

Good morning everyone, another fortnight since our last challenge at Fantasy Stampers 
so a new challenge awaits. 
This Saturday the Challenge is a Bingo Board.

PINK
PEARLS
LACE
TAG
FLOWERS
CHARM
TWINE
BLUE
BUTTONS


For my card I chose the middle line, Pearls, Flowers and Blue.

I think I got the jackpot just with the flowers on my design!


My friend gave me a set of the new Papermania papers just after Christmas and this is their first outing.
With all the lousy weather we have had I thought this Tilda in the Summer Rain was a good choice to go with them. Hopefully we won't need the wellies this summer as well.
The sketch is from Sketch n Stash, and the ribbon, papers, pearls as ever were from the stash.
The flowers were cut from one of the papers using a couple of Sizzix thinlet flower die sets, then distressed using an emery board. The background paper was trimmed by hand to the printed lace edging then distressed also. The beige papers were cut and distressed then backed with white card, also distressed. Some stretchy open weave ribbon was wrapped around one end of each rectangle. The lacy border was cut  from white card using a Cheery Lynn Doily Die. It's a pig to cut out but the effect is worth it! Tilda was stamped on a die cut oval and coloured with Copics as follows:-

Skin - E000, 00, 11,R20
Hair - Y21,26,YR24,E25
Boots, umberella - B32, 34, 39, 95,97, C0,3
Dress - E40, 41, 43, C0, 3

Well that's that, thanks for stopping by, Why don't you pop over to Fantasy Stampers and join in the fun?

I shall enter this card in the following challenges:-

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make your Mark
Penny Black and More - Make it Sparkle
ABC Challenge - Flowers


Tuesday 11 February 2014

Truly, Madly Deeply

Morning all, it's Tuesday so it's a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz .
This week with it being Valentines Day on Friday what else would it be but:-

Truly, Madly, Deeply

Get those romantic stamps out of the drawer and join us in this latest challenge.

As I've said before I don't do Valentine's Day and this is the second one I've had to come up with. This time I took refuge in one of my favourite styles CAS, what do you think?


Tricky to create a card for a guy without getting too sloppy. Think this little Tatty Teddy fits the brief. I searched in the many boxes of stamps to find a suitable image and found this freebie stamp of some magazine or other from months ago, I think the paper may have been from the same mag. The card is a twist on a couple of other cards I've done recently but as it's for Valentine's Day I used a heart cut out. Has I haven't got a heart die I had to do it freehand. I used a lightly textured linen card as the top layer and cut Tatty out and placed him flat as the heart was on pads over the DP. I left the DP larger than the top layer as I liked the effect of the thin border. As he has a little label, I left it clear of any other sentiment. I used Copics to colour him as follows:-

Hearts and Pot - R32, 35, 37, 39
Tatty Teddy - C10, 7, 5, 3, 0  B000, 00, 02
Leaves - YG 11, 13, 17

I shall enter him into the following challenges
A Creative Romance - Show us some Love
Crafty Little Fairies -  Love
Addicted to Stamps - Hearts
Copic Markers Europe - Valentine
Don't forget you have up to Friday evening to enter the latest challenge at Fantasy Stampers
Love and Cherish.
Well have a good day, come back soon.

Monday 10 February 2014

Miserable Monday

Well the dry weather is a distant memory and we woke to a frost and then sleet!
My husband went to his shed and it took him 4 steps to realize that the sleet had frozen onto the ramp and made it a skating rink!

So after the hoovering, I thought I needed cheering up so here I am back in the craft room. 
Was going through my papers trying to find inspiration for a birthday card for my Sis, but none was forthcoming! So I sat with a cuppa and checked my challenge sites and fell onto the Less is More site. This week it is Anything goes on a single layer, always a tricky proposition. You really have to plan what and where you need to stamp. Well I thought I would get those gorgeous dandelion stamps out again and had to have a play. This is the result.


This time I used the same mask made for my Love and Cherish card with the Marianne (CR1254) Craftable die and stamped the flower heads and embossed them in white embossing powder. I used a mixture of Tumbled Glass, Broken China and Faded Jeans to colour the base card within the mask, which I moved around to create the tattered edge.
The greeting was from the same Inkylicious set stamped in Broken China.
 I shall enter it into the following challenges:-

Less is More - One Layer, Anything Goes
Creative Impressions - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Sentiments Only
Allsorts - Colours beginning with B - blues
Addicted to Stamps and more - Anything Goes
Well that's it folks, thanks for popping by.

Friday 7 February 2014

Baby Boy

Good afternoon, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. For how long I don't know, we better make the most of it!
Had a text from my daughter this morning, requesting a baby card for a friend of her's whose just had a little boy. I knew I should have made a boy card when I made the pink baby card a while back! Never mind, a good excuse to get into the craft room.



The card is based on this weeks challenge at Seize the Sketch . 



The stamp is the same DoCrafts stamp, this time coloured in blue. The image was double mounted on satin blue and white card. The panel is in the same satin blue card, embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The tab is part of the Marianne Collectable COL 1315 set stamped with a Personal Impression sentiment. The gingham backing paper is from Forever Friends.

Don't forget you can still enter our 
challenge over at Fantasy Stampers. It doesn't have to be a Valentine but could be a new baby or wedding or anniversary, or anything that you love and cherish!

That's it for today, so I'll sign off and thank you for popping by.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Nephew's Birthday

Good morning folks.
Today is Tuesday so it's another challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This week it's:-

Spots and Stripes

A good theme for a guys card, I think. As it was my nephew's birthday I decided to make a card for him.


I bought the papers from LOTV a few months ago and this is their first outing. The set is Nit Wits Candles and Cake, full of lovely bright papers great for anyone but probably most suited to boys. The stamp and circular sentiment are also from LOTV cut with a Fiskars circle punch. It's a good job I don't go over to Farsley too often as my stash would keep growing out the door!
The spotty paper was die cut using a Marianne die (COL1315) then mounted on red and cut around freehand. The little tag with birthday on is also from the same set. I coloured the image using Copics as follows:-

Carpet, shorts, wallpaper - B99,97,95,93,000,00,02
Jumper -  R22,27,29
Car - R22,27,29,Y21,28
Hair - Y21,28,YR24
Skin - E000,00,11,R20
TV - C5,3,2,0
Games boxes - YG11,13,17,C7,5,3,0, R22,27,29

Buttons and ribbon from the stash as always, it doesn't get any smaller!

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Cute Card Thursday - Something New (Papers)
Feeling Crafty - Dies and Punches
A Little bit Crafty - Man up
Cards and More - Men only
As you like it - My Style - 
Well plain and simple usually with a coloured image (usually LOTV) and no extra frills and frippery. Not too bulky as it needs to get it through the postal system!

Anyway thanks for stopping to read my ramblings, bye bye

Sunday 2 February 2014

It's Sunday so it must be CAS

Afternoon folks and thanks for calling around. 
The weather is so much better today but it looks as though we need to make the most of it before the deluge begins again!
Apologies if you need translator, it appears on template but not on the side bar! Any answers folks?
My Grandson and his Mum and Dad were here yesterday so not much crafting, except Ben 'made' a card for his Nanee in Wigan. Actually I cut the letters and picture out and he stuck them on the card with a little help. Hope Jill likes it.


He might be only 3 and a half but he knows his letters and is quite precise.

Anyway as its says at the top it's Sunday so it must be CAS.

This weeks card is an amalgam of various challenges, CASology -purple, CAS on Sunday -making the rounds and CASual Friday - over the edge.



I used a Mojo Monday sketch as the inspiration, a little bit of Ying and Yang.
Circular cards tend to fall over so I decided to make an easel card this time.



The bottom half of the card was embossed using a Swiss dot CB folder then flowers from a Sizzix thinlets set were die cut in purple with purple sequin centers and stuck along the edge of the curve. The smaller flowers were punched in white and had diamantes in their middles.
To hold the easel card up, I attached a purple flower to a strip of white card stamped with a LOTV sentiment on pads.

I shall enter it in the following challenges.
CASology - Purple
CAS on Sunday - Making the rounds
CAS-ual Fridays - Over the edge

Don't forget there's still time to enter this weeks Cardz4Guyz challenge - Horses , as it was Chinese New Year on Friday.

That's it for today then, thanks for stopping by.

Saturday 1 February 2014

Love and Cherish

Good Morning, thanks for stopping by.
Our new theme at Fantasy Stampers is:-

Love and Cherish

Love is in the air this week, with Valentines Day a week on Friday. Personally I don't bother with cards etc., and neither does Al. He always says that if he gave me flowers I would wonder what he was guilty of. I don't believe you need a special day when you have a 'special' relationship. Anyway I needed to make a card as my DT creation so here goes:-


As I said earlier I don't usually do Valentine cards so don't have many themed stamps. I had a couple of stamps but they were not quite right but then I had some inspiration. This little bear should be carrying a parcel but I managed to mask off the parcel and create a heart shape which fit in the space. I coloured him using Copics as follows:-

Bear - E30,31,33,35,37
Hearts - R39,37,35,32

This is a 5 x 7 base card which I stamped directly on. I found some small heart stamps and decided to create a tumble of hearts with them and drew some freehand to fill the space. The greeting and bear are Do Crafts. I drew some tiny hearts with an embossing pen where the pink rectangle was going to be then embossed them with white. I cut out a ragged square using a Marianne (CR1254) Craftable die to use as a mask to create the pink background. It was too large but I liked the uneven edge it left, so I had to move it around and mask off the rest when using it. Using a mixture of picked raspberry and tattered rose distress ink, I inked the area behind the bear. The bear was cut out and mounted on pads.

Well that's it, hope you could follow all that.
Thanks again for stopping by.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-
ATSM - photo inspiration
A Creative Romance - Show us some love
Sweet Stampin - Love/Valentines