Twit Twoo

Morning peeps.

Just sharing a card I made yesterday evening but didn't get a photo before it was too dark. I still can't get used to the nights drawing in.

I made this with a couple of challenges in mind -

Time Out Challenges - Birds of a feather flock together

Inkspirational - photo

Love these cute little crocheted owls, could be a great idea for key fob stocking fillers!

Like I said, it's a quick post this morning as I need to get some jobs done :( and make a special card!

If you like my watermark and would like one of your own, the lovely Kylie is offering her services, (for a price of course).

Thanks for calling round, call in again soon.

CAS @ATSM

Good evening or is it good day or morning?

I suppose it depends on where you are, LOL.

My the day's are flying by and the shops are filling up with Christmas goodies. Since we moved house this year I must get my Christmas cards done so I can send them a little earlier with the new address in so I took the opportunity of our new challenge over at ATSM to make another.

Here it is -

As the challenge is CAS, I kept it simple and followed the sketch over at Crazy4 for CAS.

The Brushos came out to create the background which I stamped with snowflakes and heat embossed in white when dry. The top panel had 3 circles cut out to match the sketch then embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Snow' folder and then I added the sentiment, a freebie from a mag last year. 

Behind this card there is a tale. Suffice to say I couldn't find my snowflake stamps. I had them in a drawer then decided to put them somewhere safe earlier this year. So safe in fact, I can't find them!!!!

I shall probably come across them next summer! It's a good excuse for a bit of retail therapy anyway.

The stamped  panel was stuck flat to the card and the embossed top was popped up on pads.

This week we are sponsored by

who are offering 3 digis to the winner, so come on and join in.

If you need extra inspiration please check out the rest of the very talented DT.

I shall also enter the following challenges -

Crazy for CAS - sketch

Allsorts - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by, see you again sometime.

Cardz4Guyz

Morning all, hope I find you well.

Its Tuesday so that means a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week we would like to see your take on the theme of -

METAL

Now I've gone a little off piste with this card as I was wracking my brains and craft room for inspiration, then at the back of one of my drawers I came across some metal leaf I bought years ago to do some canvases for the old lounge and together with inspiration from a couple of other challenges I was away!

I used the sketch over at Sketch Saturday for the layout and the recipe at Less is More -Newspaper to create this, and as everything I used came from scratching around my craftroom it also fits with the theme at Simply Create Too.

The leaf is one I made a while ago and then used a different one so it was in my bits to use later box. I inked it with Versamark then added SU heat n stick before adding the metal leaf. The newsprint is also from SU that has been sitting around for at least a couple of years. The top and bottom of the base card were edged in the leaf on top of some d/s tape, before burlap( from the stash) and newsprint panel distressed with Vintage Photo, were added. The button and twine were also from the stash. Even the card base is some card I've had for a few years!

Simply Create Too - Shop in your Craft Room

OK, its over to you now. Pop over to the main blog to check out the rest of the DT's inspiration and join us. 

Thanks for calling by, see you again soon. :)

Cards und More

Morning all.

Just a quick post to remind you that there is a new challenge over at Cards und More. This time the theme is -

GET WELL SOON

This is an extra card I made yesterday so apologies for the dreadful photo, I was going to take another but it went dark too soon! Not quite got my head around the clock change here in the UK.

This is based on the sketch over at CAS(e) this sketch.

I was immediately drawn to this by the butterfly shapes so decided to stick with the theme for my get well card. My son says that his old childminder is due to go in to hospital soon so I made this for him to give her. The butterfly die cuts are by Memory Box, the Dp is NitWits and the sentiment phrases are from STAMPlorations. Sequins and beads from the stash.

OK, see you back in a little while for the latest challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

Something Spooky

Good morning crafters, I hope I find you well.

As its Saturday it means a new challenge over at Fantasy Stampers. You didn't appear to be inspired by our last challenge so here's hoping your are going to prefer our latest challenge -

SOMETHING SPOOKY

Yep, its a Halloween theme this challenge. Now regular readers will know that I'm not a big fan of this 'celebration' and I don't have any Halloween themed stamps and as it's a traditional stamping challenge I couldn't use a digi, so I had to think laterally.

I started this card quite a while ago and it has changed quite a few times before I finally came up with this finished card.

I started off with a piece of white card which was embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder which I had inked with DI and spritzed with water before running it through my Big Shot. I wasn't satisfied with where I went next so I inked some white card around a circular mask with DIs to create a moon. I then stamped the bottom edge with a tree stamp from the Elusive Images Tall Trees set in black.  I tore across the panel and distressed the edges then cut a bat freehand and added a few freehand bats in pen. A little bit of Weathered Wood DI was smudged across the moon to give a bit of dimension. 

Voila, a spooky scene with no Halloween stamps!

OK, now its your turn, have a go even if you have no themed staps, let your imagination flow!

If you want more inspiration pop across to the main blog and check out the rest of the DT inspiration.

I shall enter the following challenges-

Love Rubberstamps - Warm Colours

The Make Room - Halloween

ABC challenge - V for Vibrant Colours

Creative Inspirations - Halloween

Thanks for popping by, see you again soon.

Sunflowers

Evening and thanks for calling round.
Had a couple of challenges in mind when I made this card with my new Bloom Sketches from STAMPlorations. The images are really crisp and are ideal for embossing then watercolouring. So I've been playing while the builders are laying concrete in the yard and outdoor activities are somewhat curtailed!
I have also finally managed to work out how to add the watermark that my teamie from ATSM, Kylie made for me last week, to my cards. I can't believe how talented she is! Thanks again Kylie.

I used DIs to w/c the 'sunflowers' then using a mask I painted the green background in more DIs.
The Vellum strip was embossed in gold detail after stamping with a freebie from years ago.
The w/c panel was then popped up on pads.

This was made with the following challenges in mind.

STAMPlorations - sketch 

Addicted to CAS - Vellum

Card Concept

Think it's CAS!

Thanks for calling by, hope you come back again soon.

Halloween for Guyz

Good morning.

Hope the after effects of Hurricane Gonzalo are not creating too much havoc where you are.

As it's Tuesday, it must mean a new challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This week we would like to see your creations for -

HALLOWEEN 

. Now I don't usually make Halloween cards and only really tolerate the whole whoha, but as its the season I suppose I should join in, bah humbug and all that!

Any way, here is my project for your inspiration -

This isn't a card but a goody bag for treats.

   

I used various die cuts to create the 'Dracula' front, then sandwiched the closed end of a poly bag between it and another piece of shaped black card then filled with sweets and sealed it.

Don't think we will get any doorsteppers as the house is down a long drive on the outskirts of town, but I am prepared!

OK, go on and have a play, see which monsters you can come up with.

If you want more inspiration pop over to the main site and check out the rest of the DT's fab inspirational projects.

I shall also enter the following challenges:-

The Male Room - Halloween

Simply Create Too - Halloween or use mostly orange

Thanks for calling around, why not leave a message to let me know you've been.

Stamplorations

Evening.

Just realized that if I didn't get a move on I would miss the sketch challenge over at Stamplorations. I've been meaning to join in since I received my stamp club stamps a couple of weeks ago.

Anyway better late than never. I love the daisies on the set I chose from Shery, so I have been itching to have a play. I thought the fates were against me as I smudged the last stamp on the panel and when I tried to start again my heat gun refused to work! So luckily I managed to trim the worst of it off so hopefully you can't tell. I was also keen to join the fun over at Fusion as the photo is of some gorgeous daisies and blue cornflowers. This is my card.

This the sketch

Now when I saw my fabulously talented teamie from ATSM, Dee's card over at Fusion, I was blown away so this is my homage to her fab card.

I used the angled daisy from the  Bloom Sketches set and heat embossed in white detail powder and then coloured it using DIs in weathered wood, squeezed lemonade and scattered straw. I added a wash of salty ocean and chipped sapphire then added leaves in mowed lawn. After trimming down I added a couple of pale lemon ribbon strips to match the sketch. I popped up the finished panel on pads then added the sentiment from the same Stamplorations set on a tab.

I shall also enter the ongoing STAMPlorations challenge - Anything goes

STAMPlorations - October Challenge -Stamps and embossing 

OK, I suppose I must get on with the tea - chilli duck legs with stir fry veggies,yum.

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon.

Muse #88

Good afternoon, just.

Its been a bit of a strange morning today, weatherwise. Went out in my fleece even though the sun was out its been chilly these last few days, but I was absolutely sweltered!! Weird weather we are having at the mo.

Anyway here is a card I made yesterday in between making table runners for my daughter's new kitchen/diner but it got too dark to take a photo by the time I finished it.

I made this with a few challenges in mind and the fact that Christmas is around the corner and I need to get a few cards made before the mad rush!

Over at Muse this weeks Muse card is by the fabulous, Therese Calvird

in which she hopes to encourage us to use our design papers.

I saw this and thought immediately of my Memory Box dies, Country Landscape and Calm Countryside. The latest challenge at the Cutting Edge also has an image using the cloud theme and 

coloured border,

and over at Merry Monday's  Silent Night is the theme. 

So as you may be able to see, I've taken a little bit of inspiration from all three images.

,I used the Calm Countryside die to cut an aperture then extended it with a Cookie Cutter square die.

I then used it again to create the back layer of hills and the Country Landscape for the two nearer hills. The papers were from the stash, just odds and ens in the Christmas paper box. I chose one's that suggested snow on grass. I cut the houses again in kraft and brown and coloured some paper with a Copic to create the lights in the windows. The sky was also from the stash, showing twinkling stars. The base card is covered in some textured green DP with diagonal stripes, but I can't get them to show on the photo! The frame was popped up on pads.

OK that's about it, thanks for calling by.

Make Your Mark @ATSM

Morning all. It's a busy week again and like London buses no posts for a few days, then three in 24 hours!

Anyway this activity means that it is time for a new challenge over at ATSM where the latest challenge is to -

MAKE YOUR MARK

Had to do a bit of head scratching as after all this making as I was beginning to run out of ideas! Anyway, I checked out a few challenges and then away I went. So here is my card for your inspiration.

This was my second attempt as I had earlier made another card that I wasn't sure about.

This one uses a digi from our sponsor this week who is -

who are offering 3 digis, upto the value of  $10 for the winner.

I used Copics to colour the image of this one layer card and a computer generated sentiment.

So why not pop over to the main blog and check out the rest of the fantastic DT's work and join in.

I shall enter into the following challenges-

Less is More -  One layer - two (pumpkins)

One Layer Simplicity - #10 Turning to Fall

Simply Create Too - Halloween or use orange

Thanks for calling by and come back soon.

Easel Card

Good morning and good morning again to you early risers!

First a little trumpet blowing. I don't usually do this but as I made the top 5 at LOTV with my little skier I had to do a little whoop whoop this time. Anyway back to business.

Its a double post Tuesday so it means a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. You didn't much like the theme from last week so I hope you will join us for our latest challenge an -

EASEL CARD

Simples, no theme, you only need to make a male orientated card in an easel format. Any format of image is acceptable but I've used a Micheal Powell stamp from the Harbour series for the focus of this card.

An easel card is really easy all you need to do for this card is-

1. Take an A4 sheet of card and cut it in half length ways. Use one half for the base.

2. Score at half way and then half way between the end and fold. This creates the shape to mount the decorated panel.

3. For this size card you need an A6 panel of matching card.( use half of the remaining half of the A4 sheet.) Put this to one side.

4. Use the last remaining A6 piece of card to stamp your main image.

5. Decorate the A6 flat inside of the folded card base and the separate A6 plain panel with some DP if you want. I used one of the NitWits Coastal set.

6. For this image I cut the stamped outline down to give a good all around border. On a separate piece of card I stamped again and cut a rectangular panel out of it.I chose the section around the lighthouse.

7. Colour the small rectangular panel, then mount over the same area of the uncoloured large panel. Mount onto the decorated A6 panel.

8. With an easel card you need to have something to prop the vertical panel against. So I cut a circle of white card and coloured it to resemble a life buoy adding rope around the edge. I cut a LOTV circular greeting out of another scrap and stuck it in the middle. The whole buoy was popped up on pads. 

9. Finally on the top side of the folded base put glue on the smaller end panel and then add the decorated panel. Voila!

Go on have a go.

For more inspiration go to the main blog for more fab DT inspiration.

I shall also enter the following challenges:-

Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes with option of a sketch

Crafty Little Fairies - only one DP

OK, that's it. Thanks for coming by, hope to see you back again soon.

Leaves @Cards und More

Good morning bloggers
Its been a whole month since my last post for Cards und More so it must be a month since we came back from our jollies, The weather here has certainly turned autumnal it chucked it down yesterday and with the wind from the east there was a definite chill in the air.
This time the challenge for you is to create something with the theme of

LEAVES

Well as the drive will testify, there are plenty of those on the ground at the moment but I suppose your project doesn't have to be autumnal in colour so long as there is some stamping and leaves visible.
Here is my card for your inspiration

Yep, you've guessed it, I've got the Brushos out again. Well actually I didn't as there was plenty of card left from my last couple of plays! See here and here.
I used a new die for this wreath Sizzix Holiday Foliage to cut out the oak leaves from the Brusho panel and the berries from red card. I used a beech leaf punch for the green ones.
I stamped some kraft paper with my SU woodgrain stamp in Versamark then heat embossed in clear and mounted it over a panel of Brusho coloured card. I added some vanilla twine and a die cut sentiment from Spellbinders to finish it off before mounting on an off white A6 base.

OK that's about it for the moment, so please check out the rest of the DTs inspiration and join us over at Cards und More.

I shall enter the following challenges -

Time Out Challenges- Case this card

I took inspiration from the colours and the leaves as well as the thank you.

Alphabet Challenge - Round or Rectangle (I did both!)
Clear it Out Challenge - Theme -Thanksgiving  Stash - Twine

See you back here in an hour for another new challenge, bye for now.

Time Flies

Good morning, hope I find you well.
Another Saturday dawns so it means another challenge over at Fantasy Stampers.
This time we would like to see your creations that have the theme of-

TIME FLIES

Now that had me thinking, clocks, reunions, lots of different sayings but eventually I settled on this.

Do you remember blowing dandelion clocks when you were little to try to tell the time depending on how many puffs it took to clear the seed head of spinning seeds? Well that is what inspired this card.

I used one of my favourite stamps, Dandelion Wishes from Inkylicious and a sentiment from a new set to me from STAMPlorations.

I'm afraid the Brusho's came out again for this, which I added to the base after embossing the seed heads in white on linen cardstock. I added the sentiment aferwards using the same white embossing powder. The frame was cut using a Spellbinders Romantic rectangles die but I kept the outer and put the actual rectangle to one side for future use, I popped the frame up on pads to create added dimension.

OK that's about it for today. Why not pop over to the main site and see what the rest of the fab DT have come up with for your inspiration, then join in, we'd love to see your creations.

I shall enter the following challenges-

STAMPlorations October Challenge - Stamps and embossing

Love Rubberstamps - Anything Goes

Time to Retire

Good morning folks.

Another Tuesday so time for another challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This week we would like to see your projects related to the theme:-

TIME TO RETIRE

Well I'm sure you can come up with a few interpretations on that theme but here is mine.

The card was made with the sketch over at The Male Room in mind, with a nod to my teamie over at ATSM, the wonderful Loll. This was her card which stuck in my mind.

This is quite a plain design and I thought that having the recessed vertical DP panel added a touch of interest and dimension. I kept the colours to the autumn palette in keeping with a few of the other challenges floating around at the moment. I used Copics to colour the image which is a LOTV stamp- Lazy Afternoon. This is an old one of theirs but I don't think it is being retired unlike some of their stamps, get them before they sell out! The DP is a scrap of a NitWits paper from the stash.

I added a sprig of foliage as I cut off the top of the stamp and thought it needed a little something. The sentiment is from a Woodware set - Small Greetings, I think which I picked up this week from Sir Stampalot.

OK, that's about it. Pop over to the main site to see what the rest of the fabulous girls have for your inspiration and why not join in.

I shall also enter the following challenges-

The Male Room 

Stamping Sensations - Autumn Colours

Crafty Little Fairies - Only one DP

LOTV - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon, leave a comment if you can it always brightens my day to read them.

Muse #87

Afternoon folks. 

Couldn't join in with National Cardmakers day yesterday as I was out shopping with Nich but I'm back in the craftroom after Ben and Co have returned up the M6.

Its great to have them over but he is an early riser and I'm a tad tired now. 

The cold front has arrived as promised and there is definitely a chill in the air. Better make the most of the sun though as rain is forecast tomorrow if not later on today. I shall be out to cut the grass after lunch or when Al returns from removing Crassula from the top pond. It is an invasive plant that came from New Zealand for use in aquariums but escaped and is now choking ponds across the country. It was so thick that Max could walk across it, so it has to go as sheep will no doubt try and they will end up stranded or drowned! Al has been researching how to get rid but not with much success. Its a type of succulent so any bit left will reshoot and start the process off all over again.

Anyway while he's up there I have been playing and here is the result.

I made it with a few challenges in mind especially the one over at Muse where the fabulous Kimberly Wiener is their Guest Muse. This is her fabulous card.

I made mine using a selection of Creative Expressions stamps, a SU sentiment and one from Personal Impressions, stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia. Spatters in coordinating colours.

As the challenge at AAA is watercolour I forsook the brushos for a softer w/c colouring effect. I do prefer the bold colours of Brusho but hey its good to play with other media.

I shall also enter the challenge at 

Allsorts - Autumn 

PS Almost forgot 

Less is More - Autumn Beauty

 OK, that's about it, thanks for popping by.

Owl I want for Christmas

Good morning peeps.

The Indian summer looks to be coming to an end by the weekend with threats of an advancing cold front. Still we can't complain after the driest September on record!

As I was checking through my blog links this morning I came across the latest challenge at 

Curtain Call. Appropriately it is 

SMOOCH

as they are sponsored by Paper Smooches!

Anyway I was inspired by this to use a new stamp set that was laying around on the desk and join in with this and a couple of other challenges. Here is my card.

It's a set by Lawn Fawn called Winter Owl. We don't see many Lawn Fawn items around here so it stood out for me and I thought the sentiment was cute. I coloured him with Copics and fussy cut him along with those teeny tiny hearts!

The heart is from my Little B hearts die set and the background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. Snow drifts cut free hand from a scrap of white card.

I will also join in with a few  more challenges such as -

TIME OUT Challenges - Stamping -with the optional twist of apples, I chose not to twist!

Less is More - Mostly Words - hope the owl won't count against me!

Addicted to CAS - Cuddly, I'll leave that link to your imagination!

Virginia's View - CAS

OK that's it, I better take the dog out and stretch the old legs.

Thanks for calling around and big thanks to you who leave such lovely comments, I really appreciate your kind words.