I can fly

I have made this for two purposes.
1) Scrolls Work stamps are currently running a competition on facebook where you can win $50 worth of stamps. you have to upload a card made only with Scrolls Work stamps to their wall today and tomorrow and then the cards will be voted on.
2 ) Wednesday Stamper has a "I can Fly" theme

I hadn't used Erica for a while and she's still my favourite, so I decided it was time she came out to play. The wings and words are also from Scrolls Work. And I have used my "paper sculpture" technique again

I am also going to enter this into less is more's spring theme, butterfly wings and blossom, very spring and lots of white space to satisfy the less is more principle.

theme thursday: hats or crowns

the theme at theme thursday is hats or crowns, I just received this newspaper hat stamp from scrolls work stamps, so of course I had to try it on Erica!!
The layout of this card started out much bigger, but I couldn't make it work so I went back to what I know: cramming it all into a 2 inch square!!
The bunting is the same stamp as the background, with freehand triangles. I have done the background with one of the new distress inks: victorian velvet.
All stamps are available from scrolls work

make a moo: sweet like strawberries

When I saw the theme at make a moo or two this week I didn't think I would be taking part as I couldn't think of any fruit or veg stamps, but then I remembered tihs strawberry stamp from craft stamper nagazine. I have used Gemstone card for the backgroud, which is a bit like bazzill bling, but from docrafts, I got a 6x6 pad today of 20 sheets, but each sheet is a different colour, which makes me afraid to use them up (how daft is that?) But as a moo card uses such a small amount I didn't mind too much. the background stamp is also something I got today, it's one of the papermania duo stamps. I like it, but you can hadly see it here as it's covered in sugary glitter. Erica and the word stamp are by Inka.

TMTA queen for the day

Two posts in one day, that's really good for me at the moment!
I love the theme at TMTA this week and I thought that it was about time that Erica got another airing. The background of this is an idea that I had as I was trying to get to sleep last night. I love using corrugated cardboard in my crafting, but sometimes I don't want brown, so I wondered if I could recreate the effect of torn corrugated cardboard with coloured cards and a paper ribbler. It's not quite how I saw it in my head, but it's a start!
I also wanted to distress the edges, but I don't have one of those fancy distressers (although I want one) but I've found that if I run it along the bit where my scissor blades meet I can get a similar effect.

All stamps are by Inka

One powerful hour

the theme at one powerful hour is spooky. I made this Hallowe'en banner quite some time ago, but for one reason and another haven't blogged it. All of the (many) stamps I have used are by Inka, but the important thing to note is that none of the stamps were Hallowe'en stamps.

I know it looks like a lot of work, but I actually think I did do this in about an hour .

I am also entering this for TGiF's hallowe'en theme! but I only just made it!

this one is for me!

I'm really into using fabric and stamping on fabric at the moment, so when I saw big art adventure's challenge theme of "fabric arches" I knew this is something I would like to try, and when I saw TGIF's theme of "favourite stamp" I knew I would be making something for myself. There are no prizes for guessing my favourite stamp. Erica, of course!
I have used various scraps of fabric to make a sort of random patchwork (I know nothing about patchwork)The images are stamped onto fabric and then sewn on. so it is all fabric (except the button of course)
I am going to use this as a book mark, so I had to keep the dimension to a minimum, but the button at the top will peek out of the top of the book.
The stamps are by Inka

Erica does Christmas

This is the latest instalment of the adventures of erica! I just received this Santa Hat stamp from Inka, and I knew where it was destined immediatley. And it fits her perfectly. The pinecone corner is also a new stamp I have received from Inka.
I thought the quote was pefect with Erica's pouty face.
I am entering this for Wednesday Stamper as I have used a harlequin pattern (done using a harlequin stamp and a music stamp.

Erica Pumpkin Head

The theme at make a moo or two is pumpkins. I couldn't resist giving Erica a pumpkin head!

all images are by Inka

One poweful hour- children

The theme at one powerful hour is children. I made these today with some new stamps, I just received from Inka.
the first is a tag, in which I've made Erica into a princess, as she deserves to be.
The second is a vest for a little girl and I've included a close up. I think I managed to do them both within the hour, and I sort of tidied up, although my pile of stamps waiting to be cleaned is getting quite scary!

Jackie's birthday card

I made this card for Jackie's birthday, amd on a quick trawl of the challenge sites I've found it fits three of the current challenges!
1. Theme thursday, the theme is hats
2. Arty girlz, the theme is a hint of pink
3. Created by Hand, the theme is fancy paper.

The girl is Erica from Inka stamps (look! she's not holding anything, I've been guilted into giving her little arms a rest) ,the hat is also by Inka. The "fancy paper" is my favourite papermania set- retro floral. This card all came about because I wanted to play with the circle cutter I bought back in march and hadn't used. I love it!
The dress and hat are stamped onto the same papers as the background and cut out.
I think you can tell from the photo that the main card is acetate. I am starting to get the hang of photographing acetate cards!

Dans ma maison il ya a la couleur verte

I have to say I am loving these Dans ma maison challenges, the shape has such versatility. The colour green made me think of leaves, so I decided to give erica (well, we haven't seen her for a while) some leaf wings, using a skeleton leaf stamp.
all stamps are by Inka Stamps and Papers are by Papermania.
I added the pink flower as a contrast to all the green.
I've used verdigris embossing powder on the edge and to fill in the leaves on the leafy swirl.I used a quickie glue pen to achieve this effect

oil pastel ATC

on the forum I visit, we were just talking about oil pastels. so I've used some to make the background of this atc, I've used blue, green and yellow, then rubbed it over with tattered rose distress inks.
The stamps are by Inka. I've used Erica, moth wings, large collage words and sequin waste.
I embossed the sequin waste with my new favourite embossing powder. I'm embarrassed to say it's a Heat-it-up one from docrafts, but I love it. the colour is silver pearl and it really does have a lovely pearl finish.

this is also my entry for Caardvarks, where the theme is Flight Of Fancy.

happy easter!!

Hope you all have a great easter. we have snow here, which is pretty cool!
This easter card is the very first thing I made for the Inka design team. it was another challenge to myself to make a easter card using no easter themed images. I made the background by stamping the harlequin image through an egg-shaped mask, then shading it.
I of course used erica!! and she's holding an egg!!!! yay!!! and I thought just to finish it off she could have bunny ears!!

Happy St Patrick's Weekend

and apparently St Patricks day too! according to sources St Patricks day has been moved this year to 15th March due to a clash with Holy Week.

I'm not Irish, and I don't celebrate st Patricks day (although I feel that I've read nearly enough Marian Keyes books to qualify as a bit Irish, lol) but I made this card for the Inka gallery. it was a little challenge to myself to make a st patricks day cards without any themed stamps, so I've used Erica (surprise, surprise) and I've used The vine background on the freehand cut hearts. I've embossed this with a verdigris powder, which I think you can see better in the close up.

make a moo or two :children

This week's theme at make a moo or two is children, so I thought I'd whip up a couple using some of my favourite Inka stamps. I used two of the lovely photo stamps, Erica (of course) and Athaya. I conbined these with some retro floral papers from papermania, and the new ringer stamp from inka.

The Inka Design Team

I am very proud to anounce that Inka has invited me to be on the Inka Stamps design team. Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that I have rather a fondness for these stamps, they suit my style so well, are lovely quality and due to the favourable exchange rate very affordable too!! You can visit the inka stamps site through the link in my sidebar. while you are there check out Inka's collage sheets, including some free printables, The gallery, where there are ideas for lots of occasions, and Inka's Projects. truly inspirational stuff.
If any of my UK readers are cautious of ordering from the states, don't be. email Inka and she will be able to answer any of your queries. I know it takes longer for them to arrive (about a week) but they are worth the wait.

To celebrate joining the Inka Stamps design team, my friends and blog
readers can get 30% off by mentioning my name (Joanne Wardle) this month
:) (The discount is not available on items already on sale, grab-bags or
items on the Vintage found items page). Inka will be offering other
discounts and specials offers for the design teams friends and blog readers
off and on through out the rest of the year.

Here are some pieces I have done for the design team


using some of Inka's gorgeous new stamps


collage images (this is a mothers day card for my mum)


and more of the new stamps

sneaking in a TMTA

talk about last minute!!
but I really wanted to take part in think monday think ATC this month, as I thought it was a great theme: children and birds. I haven't made an ATC ages, so it felt a bit like visiting and old friend. and although this was a quick one, I really enjoyed doing it.

and oh look! it's that girl again (she's called Erica by the way, and she's from Inka stamps- inka named her not me), and this time she's holding a bird.

all the bird stamps are from a Clear Arts set, and the background paper is more from the new vintage papermania set. I really do like that set.

She's back!!!

and this time she's holding a really big flower!!!

I needed to make a quick thank you card last night, so I thought I'd see what else this girl could hold. I found thse flowers in my local haberdasherers last week, aren't they pretty. in fact it's one of these flowers that is inside the jar in my last post.

I've stamped her in sepia this time (versafine) as it went with the background paper nicely.

The background paper is by papermania, and I cut out a flower for her to stand on so she didn't look like she was hovering in mid-air

This week I am mostly...

...making this little girl hold things! I love this stamp from Inka stamps. I think her hands are just crying out to hold something. so as well as this one and the flower one, I have also done an easter one which I will show another time.

This weeks wednesday stamper theme is keys. This made me think of two things
1) ooo I can make her hold a key! lol
2) I need to make a new home card for a very good friend who is moving house shortly.

There is also a bit of a trend going around the blogs of triangles, so not one to be left out I had to have a go!

The background paper is papermania with some silver embossing round the edges, nounted on silver card. The words are done with a dymo on white card and rubbed over with silver ink.

turning my creativity upside down

This card was a different way of working for me. I usually start with a main image and work from that but for this one I started with the background.

I wanted to create something simple and pretty as it is for my nine-year old niece Sasha. so I made a simple background by tearing a rectangle out of copy paper and using the frame as a mask. I stamped over this with a music stamp, but kept the frame in place and dabbed the same ink around the edges with cotton wool.

I then sat and looked at this background for a long time. I tried a few images and nothing seemed to work. then I felt I wanted to use a button and a punched flower, which I placed over the corner and sat and looked at it some more. then this little girl stamp from inka just popped into my head wearing a party hat, so I used that (I stamped the girl in grey to make it a little more subtle). then I saw it!!! I had to put the flower on wire! perfect for any little girl I think. The wire is cheap floristry wire, which is strong. I attached it to the back of the flower with silicone glue and made a hole in the girl and attched it to her back with more silicone. I then added Sasha's name using a dymo label maker and plain white card which I then rubbed over with the same ink I used for the background.