Totally Tilda

Morning all.

Yesterday was dry but the sun was a little hazy and there was quite a breeze. Hopefully we will have a bit more sunshine today.

Yesterday while messing around trying to write my blog I found out that the latest challenge at Totally Tilda was CAS so I just had to think up a design and enter! Looking through my stash of Tilda stamps I had a couple that I hadn't used but went with an oldie that would allow me to combine two challenges, the other being Addicted to Stamps and More - Holidays.

This Tilda stamp is Hello Tilda from the Easter2010 collection and it makes a great Easter card.

It being a CAS challenge I wanted to keep it clean and simple, so there are no embellishments just the odd rounded corner for interest and I stenciled in some clouds using Tumbled Glass DI. As it was an Easter card I used a daffodil yellow base card and mounted the backing on pads with a 5mm border all around. The image was die cut and mounted on a simple scalloped circle in the same yellow.

I coloured the image with Copics as follows:-

Egg - E50,51,52,53,54,57

Grass - YG 11,13,17,63,67

Skin - E000,00,11,13,R20

Dress - BG10,13,15,48

Daffodils - Y11,15,17,38

Hair - Y21,26,YR24,E25

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-
Totally Tilda - CAS
ATSM - Holidays
Charisma Cards Challenge - Keep it clean and simple
Sweet Magnolia Challenge - Girls Only
Crazy for CAS - Colouring

That's about it then, thanks for popping by.

Round and Round

Afternoon folks.

Just sitting down after lunch to do a quick post. Seems such a shame to be indoors when it's so sunny outside but I thought I could take a photo while the sun is in the right place as my daylight bulb popped last night and I can't find a replacement. I've had the lamp for donkey's so I could treat myself to a new one if my search for a bulb is fruitless!

I started this last night but because of the lamp couldn't finish. It's inspired by the latest Less is More challenge - Round and Round.

I think the flowers are a bit like wheels and were drawn freehand with an embossing pen as I couldn't find any suitable stamps in the stash. Note to self - need to buy!!!

The flowers were then embossed with white fine detail embossing powder and the colour added by stenciling through a stencil made by punching out some circles in some scrap card. I used a mixture of DIs including, Seedless Preserve, Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry, Dried Marigold, Tumbled Glass, Worn Lipstick, Peacock Feathers, and Tumbled Glass. The grass was similarly added using the leftover bits of a Martha Stewart grass edge punch as a mask. Sentiment is from Molly Bloom.

Thanks for stopping by.

Silhouette

Good morning all.
It's Saturday so it's time for a new challenge over at Fantasy Stampers. This fortnight it's-

SILHOUETTE

This topic more or less speaks for itself. This is my contribution to the DT inspiration.

I have gone down the CAS route again, I seem to be taking refuge in this style more and more. I have never been someone who throws everything at a design so the style really appeals. It does take a little more planning but once you have decided what you want you are away.

I started by making a mask by cutting a rectangle out of a piece of card to ink through. Having secured the mask over the white base I blended Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemonade, Weathered Wood and Black Soot DIs to create a soft sunset background. After removing the mask I stamped the images in Versafine Onyx Black, allowing some of the foliage to come onto the white border. The stamps are from a Sheena Douglas set A little bit Scenic - Silhouette Grasses. The greeting from LOTV was also stamped using Black Onyx. The card was trimmed to just shy of A6 then mounted with pads on a matching soft pink A6 easel card so that there is just a peek of pink showing.

Well now it's up to you to have a go. Why not visit the rest of the DT to see what inspiration they can give you.

Thanks to my new colleague Cindy for pointing me in the direction of  Fashionable Stampers Challenge which is also asking for Silhouettes.

Fishing

Good morning bloggers. 

It's Tuesday, so that means it's a new challenge at Cardz4Guyz.

This week we are on the riverbank or at sea with the topic of

FISHING

This is a great theme for a men's card, it being the most popular participation sport in this country.

This little fisherman is from LOTV and was coloured using Copics as follows:-

Cap - C7,5,3

Jumper - B24.28,29

Wellies + Grass - YG61.63,67

Bank - E53,55,57,59

Float - R27,29

Rod - C0.03,5,7,10,E11,13

Sky - B000,00,12

Water - B12,14,18,00

Skin - E000,00,11,13,R20

Hair - E41,42,44,35,YR31

I've no idea where the papers are from, they've been in the stash so long!

I used the latest challenge at Seize the Sketch as the inspiration for the layout and I've kept the whole card quite simple, not too many embellishments.

I rotated the sketch so it was in landscape format and used twine and a button from the stash for the banner embellishment. The greeting is from a Personnel Impressions set on a banner shaped piece of white card.

I shall enter this card into the following challenges-

Seize the sketch #16

Allsorts - All about the boys

Thanks for popping by and keep crafting.

On the farm

Good afternoon everyone.

The sun is shining, but it's very windy, good for the washing if I can keep it on the line!

Just a quick post as it's nearly dinnertime. Al has gone to feed the sheep as he didn't finish it all first thing as he had Max with him. The ewes don't like Max and try to mob him, poor thing.

I have had this card on the go all weekend but was at a loss as to how to finish it off. Finding the correct papers is sometimes a real pain, but having scanned through my NitWits collection I found some that went together.

The impetus for this design was the challenge over at Crafty Little Fairies - Down on the Farm. The layout was inspired by Sketch n Stash #135, I flipped the sketch 180 for the card.

I stamped the tractor then masked it off to stamp the image of the little boy over the top, both images are from Molly Bloom. I used my favourite Copics to colour as follows:-

Tractor - C0, 3,5,7,10, BV23,25,29,Y15,17, 100

Hair - E41,42,44

T Shirt - R35,37,39, C3,0

Cap - B12,14,18,C0,3,5,R35,37,39

Skin -E000,00,11,13

Gravel - W0,3,5,7,E71

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Sketch n Stash - #135

Crafty Little Fairies - Down on the Farm

ATSM - Make your mark

As you like it Challenge - favourite colouring medium- I just love colouring and you get much better results with Copics than any other media I have used

Have a good rest of the day and thanks for popping by.

Stampin Up Poppies

Good evening. 

Where has Spring gone? The wind has been biting and there was a sugar dusting of snow at 7 this morning.

Definitely a day to stay inside, so I got my latest treats out, my Stampin Up purchases from the party I couldn't attend 'cos of the shed builders. Di is confined to home because of her accident so couldn't get them to me until I got to her last week. What with one thing and another I didn't get the chance to play with them 'til now. I love the Pleasant Poppies stamp so thought I would play with that one first.

At 'Less is More', the theme this week is to use 3 of something in your design and to visit 3 new blogs and leave a comment. I immediately thought of my dandelion wishes card, so thought I would try a take on that one with the poppy stamp.

This is the first of my attempts. I stamped in Versamark then embossed with white and inked the card with Squeezed Lemon and Peeled Paint DI. I cut the squares using a square die and mounted them on slightly larger black squares. I masked off diagonally across the base card and stamped a text stamp in the same DI's. The squares were stuck flat and the sentiment from LOTV was stamped in Black Onyx Versafine.

Next I thought I would use red and black embossing powder.

The text this time was a Hero Arts Hearts 'Happy' definition stamp and I used Squeezed Lemonade and Festive Berries DI's and mounted the squares on foam pads. Greeting from the stash. Not sure which one I prefer.

I shall enter the green one at Less is More - Three

and the red one at CASology - Blush

Thanks for popping over and keep crafting.

Tag it!

Morning all.

Another week has gone and it's time for another challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week it is lovely Jan's turn to choose the theme which is -

TAG IT !

So anything with a tag or a tag itself.
I had a go at a couple of ideas but ended up reverting to my favourite CAS style. For my card I included tags on the presents.

I used a green top fold A6 base card which picked up the green in the Nit Wits/LOTV papers, Candles and Cake.
I used some off cuts from my Spots n Stripes challenge DT card and a strip of another from the set for the presents.
The bows are the tops off a Memory Box 'precious snowflake' die and thin strips of the same red cardstock cut on the guillotine as the die cut ones weren't long enough. The tags are cut down from a Woodware punch shape. The parcel at the back was glued flat but the other two were mounted on foam pads.
I think this is a very versatile design as just by changing the papers you can create a different feel, more feminine or Christmasy if you wanted to. I would perhaps personalise the card by writing the recipients name on the parcel tags when I send it but for design purposes I've left them blank.
Well that's about it for today so why don't you pop over to the website and check out the rest of the DT's inspiration and then join in.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-
Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Some of the more observant of you will have noticed a new GDT logo on my side bar. Yup I have been asked to be part of the GDT at Cards und More from April so watch this space, I am quietly excited (YEAH!).

Less is More

Good morning bloggers.

Think today may be the last sunny day for a while around here, so let's make the most of it. 

The latest challenge at Less is More asks for us to use a stencil. I don't have many stencils so in the end after much head scratching I decided to cut one myself. I kept it very simple, just a punched out shape using a Woodware punch. I'd seen another challenge over at Addicted to CAS so I thought I would combine the two with a Good Luck card. Here is my effort.

I inked through the stencil with Versamark and then embossed with a new product for me, Heat and Stick from Stampin Up. It's been in my box of tricks for over a year and not used, so I thought it was time!

I used three different glitters on top of the sticky layer to colour the balloons and used matching DI's Tumbled Glass, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserve to create an edge to the base card and the small stars around the bow. The greeting from a Docrafts Forest Friends set, was stamped in Versafine Black Onyx, the balloon strings were drawn freehand with a fine liner and finished off with a bow from cardmakers cord. The top layer just smaller than the base, was mounted on pads.

I shall enter this in the following challenges:-

Less is More - Masking or Stencilling

Addicted to CAS 

Well that's it for today, keep crafting!

100th Post - Fairy Wings

Good afternoon peeps.
I've just realized that this is my 100th post since I started back in July last year. I never thought I would get the hang of this blogging lark but I'm still doing and enjoying it even more than I hoped.

 It has been very sunny here, if a little chilly in the breeze, but we managed lunch under the overhang of the new shed. It was so hot my legs were burning as we were out of the wind, watching the latest crop of lambs bounce around the field. I've been sat in my craftroom later this aft, listening to Johnnie Walker 'Sounds of the 70's'. Brought back a lot of memories but I have produced a little something.

This is a departure for me as I don't usually do DL cards but I was inspired by the latest Sketchy Colours challenge. It's a sketch but it is a rectangle as a base. I know I could have made it into a square or a 5 x 7 but I went with the DL for a change and I'm glad I did.

The image is from LOTV, who else, and as some other challenges are asking for green as focus, I went down that route choosing Nit Wits 'Butterfly Kisses'.

I coloured the fairy with Copics to match the papers as follows:-

Hair - YR12,09,E07,09

Skin - E000,00,11,13 R20

Foliage and skirt - YG 11,13,17,61,63,67

Top, shoes, flowers - RV000,10,13,14,21,23,29

Wings - C0,3,5

I always choose the paper first as it's easier to match your pens to the paper than the other way around, and you end up with a unified card. The fairy is mounted on a Joy lace doily die in white card, ribbon, flower etc were from the stash.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Crafty Little Fairies - Anything with wings

The Ribbon Girl - Use Green

Love Rubberstamps - Use Green
The Paper Shelter - Fairies

Sketchy Colours - A Sketch

Thanks for popping by and happy crafting. x

PS You've only 24hours left to enter the challenge of WORDS over at Cardz4Guyz.

Rose Garden

Good Morning and welcome to my blog.

Today is the start of another challenge over at Fantasy Stampers. The theme of our new challenge is:-

ROSE GARDEN

Now bearing in mind we are a stamping (no DIGI's) challenge, I rummaged through my stamps to find something I could use. One or two ideas came to mind but I had already used my only large rose stamp on a recent card but I did have a couple of character stamps that would fit the bill. I played around for a bit choosing various DP's but decided on a different approach. I love making flowers and have used them in various projects in the past so why not use them as the focus of the design. How was I going to do this and still incorporate stamping?  This what I ended up with.

In the end I used 2 parts of a faux stitching stamp set from Hobbycraft and one from Molly Bloom. The acrylic set was far too soft to create a sharp border, so I used the Molly Bloom rubber one to create a crisp edge to my top background card in Momento London Fog. The pattern on the box was made using 2 different stamps alternately in Vintage Rose DI on a rectangle of plain white card. The top of the rectangle was then cut away to create the lid. The box was mounted on pads and stuck to the background with the lid at a jaunty angle having first attached some pink ribbon around the middle of the two pieces. This left a good gap to place my roses.

I selected a few sheets of coordinating papers to make the roses using two sizes of Woodware flower punch. I could go into how to do the flowers but here is a great clip that shows you how much better than me. 

http://in2crafting.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/tutorials-six-petal-rose.html  

I didn't like the stark nature of some of the white roses so edged them with some of the Vintage Rose.

I punched a few bits of foliage using various greens and punches and arranged  them and the roses in the gap between the box and lid. The design was completed by adding a bow in the same ribbon and a sentiment stamped on a Die'Sire tag. The arrangement was then matted onto some pink card and then a 6 x 6 square  white base card, Voila!

I shall enter this in the following challenges:-

Papertake Weekly - Bingo ( Ribbon, Free, punched shapes-flowers made from these)
Crafty Ribbons Challenge - Ribbons and Bows
Stamping Sensations - Pretty in Pink
Cards und More - Sewing (Faux I'm afraid)
Allsorts - Pretty in Pink

Thanks for stopping by.
Don't forget there's still time to enter the Words challenge over at Cardz4Guyz

Joe's Birthday

Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog.
 I am constantly suprised by all the lovely comments you all leave.

Today is Tuesday so that means it's a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This week it was my choice and I chose:-

Typography or Words 

Don't be put off by the title it just means that your project must have a word or words as your focal point.

I made this card for my Lego mad, Son- in -Law's, birthday.

I made his name out off fake Lego bricks and mounted them on pads onto a piece of paper made to look like a Lego base board.  Each brick was made using a 1/2" wide strip of card with corresponding punched circles topped with Glossy Accents. The circles were then mounted on pads and the' bricks' arranged to make the letters. 

Inside the card I printed out a picture of some Lego bricks and die cut a piece of white card with a greeting which I stuck on top.

I chose the colours to match the Lego bricks, but there is so much variety these days that you could use any colours you like!

Now it's your turn, so get your thinking caps on and join in the fun at Cardz4Guyz. Pop over and check out the DT's inspiration.

14/3 - Forgot I was going to enter it in the Clear it out challenge - Kids + bright paper , can't say more! Bright colours from the bit box and my Grandson loves it just as much as his Dad.

Bye

Spring Flowers

Good afternoon. 

It's a lovely day out there again, but not quite as warm outside. Still the grass has had it's first cut of the year. Still hankering after a larger sit on!

Feeling a bit whacked after a trip to the shops and a bout of hoovering, yes don't laugh I have got one, this sunshine shows up all the dust! So I'm having a quiet hour colouring in and relaxing. I made this one layer card to enter in the latest Less is More challenge.

The primroses and bluebells of this LOTV image just shout Spring. 

I used Copics to colour as follows:-

Primroses - Y11,15,17,24

Bluebells - B12,23,24,28

Forget- me-nots - B00.02,23

Foliage - YG 11,13,17,61,63,67

Shadow and jar - W0,2,5

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Less is More - One Layer ,Spring Flowers

Love Rubberstamps - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes ( option of make your own flowers)

Well thanks for stopping by, see you again.

Wembley here we come!!!!!

Good evening fellow bloggers. 

What a gorgeous spring day it has been in more ways than one.

My beloved football (soccer for my American followers) team, Sheffield United are through to the semi final of the FA Cup at Wembley. Quite a feat since at the beginning of the competition we were languishing at the foot of the 1st Division (3rd tier) of the Football League. But since Christmas we have won all 4 rounds beating higher placed opposition. Will face Hull City in the semi final also 2 leagues above us.

Right back to the crafting.

As it has been so gorgeous outside I haven't been stuck inside but I have been listening to the radio and crafting a little bit this afternoon.

I don't often use digi's but I won this Chloe with daffodils before Christmas from Pink Gem Designs so thought I would give it some air as the image is so suitable for the season.

I used Copics to colour as follows:-

Hair - YR31,24, Y26, E25

Top - RV000,02,04,06

Jeans - B93,95,97,99,

Daisies - C0,3, Y17,15,YR07

Daffodils - Y11,15,17,35,37,YR07

Shoes - C0,3,5

The papers are from Nit Wits - Bonnets and Bow ties, the flourish is from Marianne and flowers from my homemade stash.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Creative Inspirations-  Anything Goes with option of a Sketch #6 mirrored

The Paper Shelter -  Anything Goes

Bye for now and up the Blades!!!

Pink and Grey

Good afternoon everyone. 

Just a quick post as I am baby sitting tonight. Had a bit of inspiration about this card while dropping off to sleep last night, sad I know. So I thought I would create while I could remember.

I have seen some photos that have been photo-shopped to just show one element in colour so this is my take.

I used Copics to colour this Molly Bloom stamp from her Big Top collection as follows:-

Candyfloss - RV02,04,06

Molly and balloon - C10,7,5,3,2,0 blender

Sentiment also from Molly Bloom

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

CAS-ual Fridays - more than 2 shades of grey

CAS on Sunday - Colour me pretty

Addicted to Stamps and More - Photo inspiration

CASology - Carnival

Thanks for stopping by.

Nature

Welcome to another challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This week it Was Kim's choice of subject and she chose;-

NATURE

This is a subject open to wide interpretation, but for a fella's card I think it rules out the twee. I have decided to go down the greenery route with my DT card this week.

This is a montage of 11/4" squares punched from papers which I made myself with stamps and various inks.

The Dark green squares were made from card that had been stamped with a Clarity 'Leafy Swirl' in Versamark then heat embossed with white. When cool I inked the card with Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage Distress Ink and spritzed water on and left to dry, to create a bit of texture.

The cream card I stamped with Versafine in Vintage Sepia a text stamp, then distressed the card with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and over stamped in Peeled Paint using the Clarity stamp and some leaf stamps from the stash. 

The manuscript paper I made using a LOTV stamp in Momento Tuxedo Black softened with Bundled Sage then over stamped in Peeled Paint with some Artemio butterflies and dragonflies and some grass stamps.

The coloured squares were mounted on the same sized black one but off center to create a shadow line.

The greeting was stamped on a piece of the unstamped cream card torn to create a rough edge then finished with Vintage Photo. All elements were simply glued flat.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Creative Inspirations - It's a boy thing

Time to shop

Good afternoon peeps.

I know I posted this morning but I made this card for a couple of challenges on Friday and what with visits from Grandson, making extra cards etc I haven't got around to posting and if I don't do it now the entry date will expire and I wont have entered.

This card was made using DP's from Nit Wit's Perfect Pair, a beautiful set of gorgeous, yummy pink and green papers. Just the ticket for springtime. The image is from LOTV- Emma with presents which I coloured with Copics and paper pieced. Emma was coloured and the parcels were pieced except for the ribbons. The sentiment is also from LOTV. Lace, pearls and ribbon are from the stash.

I shall enter this card in the following challenges:-

Crafty Little Fairies - Shopping

Papertake Weekly - Sketchy free for all #81

Addicted to Stamps - Lace and Pearls

Thanks for stopping by.

Washi Tape

Good morning bloggers. The sun is shining and the lambs are jumping, even if there was a frost first thing.

While I was playing around yesterday I made another card, initially it was to be a get well card for Di but it morphed into a general 'anything' card. I saw on the Love Rubberstamps challenge that you had to use Washi tape, now I didn't think I had any but then I remembered some a friend gave me that her son got while working in Japan. I hunted it out but it didn't look like that used in the challenges. Then while shopping on Friday I found some in the bargain bin! I do like a bargain so for a quid I got 4 rolls. I played around and came up with this after a few wrong turns.

Kept the colour theme simple as the colours are quite strong. The Washi tape provided an aperture over which I laid the die cut background ( Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles). Tilda (Tilda with a small gift - You are so Special Collection) was fussy cut after colouring with Copics as follows:-

Hair - YR12,09,E07,09

Skin - E13,11,00,000,R20

Shoes - G00,02,05

Socks - C3,0, blender

Dress - Y11,15,17

She was holding a little tag but I didn't use that bit. Flowers and leaves from the stash and all on an A6 white base card.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Love Rubberstamps - Washi Tape

Hoping for a speedy recovery

Just heard that my best friend had an accident while skiing. She was on the last day of her holiday when she lost a ski and twisted her knee, and is strapped into a metal cage to hold her leg immobile and in quite a bit of pain. So I thought I would make her a get well card.

The colours of the card look a little muddy but are meant to be Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass, and Peeled Paint, blended through an oval mask. The seed heads are from a set I bought on Friday by Marion Emberson Designs stamped in Momento Tuxedo Black and the sentiment is from a Personnel Impressions set.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Less is More - Yellow and Green

Creative Card Crew - Get Well

Cheers for now, bye and thanks for stopping by.

Baby

Morning all.

Have my grandson here at the moment with his mum n dad. He's definitely an early riser. I woke at five to hear his voice in the distance but he didn't get us up until just before seven, Nich managed to get him to stay with them.

Nich has asked for another baby card for a boy but I only had a pink one in the stash so I rustled up this for her.

It's just a bit of blue gingham paper, a couple of buttons and some blue card all from the stash.

The blue square was cut using a Spellbinders 'Fleur de lys' square die and the pram was a 3/4 of a circle punch mounted on a white square. The detail was added with a black fine liner. Quite quick and simple once I'd found the bits n pieces.

I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Addicted to Stamps n More - CAS

Addicted to CAS - Baby

Spring Colours

Good Morning.

Hope you are all well and ready for another challenge over at Fantasy Stampers. 

This week the challenge is to create a card using

SPRING COLOURS 

We all need a bit of brightening up here in England as the weather this winter has been foul. Spring must soon be on it's way as the lambs are starting to arrive at our friends farm. Not long before the fields will full of bouncy springy lambs.

It is my sister's birthday soon so I made her a card for this weeks DT theme.

I used some papers from my stash which I've had for awhile, not even sure of the make but they could be from DoCrafts. I used the sketch from this fortnight's Sketch n Stash with a little tweek. I rotated it 90 and used a square on it's point instead of a rectangle and had Tilda create the vertical. The stamp is Happy Tilda from the Raising the Roof collection. Ribbon as always from the mountainous stash! The flourish is from a set of Marianne dies I got for Christmas and not used as yet. The flowers were from my stash of die cuts I like to keep on hand. If I have time I use all my odds n sods to make flowers as they always come in useful. The daisies are made by layering a white n pale green daisy die cut together then the center was Cosmic Shimmer glue sprinkled with yellow Fun Flock.

As usual I coloured Tilda with my Copics as follows:-

Hair- YR31,24,Y26, E25

Skin- E000,00,11,15, R20

Trousers- BG10,23,72

Top- RV000,02,13

Well that's about it folks.I shall enter it in the following challenges:-

Sketch n Stash - #133

Sweet Stamping Challenge- Cute

Allsorts - Spring

The ABC challenge - Girls