Moooved

I've got all my Christmas card orders completed and delivered so thought it was about time I had a play with some images I printed some time ago but never had the time.  I've used the AKV Got Milk?  digi but omitted the question mark and text as I wanted to use it as a new home image, hence the sentiment I hand wrote.

I've used some freebie magazine papers from my stash, hence the pattern going different ways as the piece wasn't big enough as it was.  I flipped the sketch that I followed and added off-cuts of foam for the detail for something a bit different.  Image has been coloured with Promarkers and I used a die from my stash to cut it out.

I'd like to enter the following:

Stella Says Sketch (Bugaboo):  Sketch followed but flipped
A Gem of a Craft:  Anything Goes
Crafters Castle:  Anything Goes
Brown Sugar:  Anything Goes

Paint

A quick card using the Paint Can image from Dr Digi, coloured with Promarkers plus two key charms and some waxed cord from my stash.

I've embossed a line around the edges of the card for a bit of extra detail.

I'd like to enter the following:

Creates and Makes:  Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door:  Anything Goes
Pile It On:  No Patterned Paper
Crafting With Friends:  Anything Goes

Another New Home!

And here is another new home card made using the Simply Print - Mouse Key sheet from Lili of the Valley.  I printed it directly onto the card stock and added the sentiment on the tag with free text from Pic Monkey.

Papers are 6x6 Curiosity Corner from Dovecraft and I've lightly distressed the edges and then added a light faux running stitch around the edges,  Ribbons, half pearls and charms are all from my stash.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

The Ribbon Girls:  Anything Goes plus Ribbon
Glitter and Sparkle:  Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create:  Anything Goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday:  Sketch followed

Sweet New Home

I've been asked to make a few new home cards recently so I treated myself to a Lili of the Valley Simply Print Sheet - Mouse Key.  So this is one of three cards I made with the image!  I added the sentiment myself with Pic Monkey and one of the free fonts from it.

I've used some cream card from my stash and printed the image onto it plus used it also for the card blank.  Chocolate brown card from my stash along with the half pearls, twine and two key charms.

I'd like to enter the following:

Freshly Made Sketches:  Sketch followed
Gem of a Challenge:  Animals
Creative Fingers:  Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy:  Celebration

Simply Create Too - Challenge 91 - Anything Goes

We're at the mid way point of the current Simply Create Too challenge and the theme is:

Anything Goes

I've used Promarkers to colour the Tiddly Inks digi (which I think is retired as I cannot find it in the store) and then layered it onto the burlap with foam pads so it stands proud a little.

I've added two brass tiny key charms with gold and white bakers twine and doodled a frame around the edge of the card.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Sassy Studio Designs:  Anything Goes
Simon Says:  Tie It Up
Inky Chicks:  Use a Metal Embellishment

Polkadodle Challenge 16 - New Home

It's a busy Friday again!  The Simply Create Too challenge post is below and coming soon will be the Jellypark challenge post!  But for now its Polkadoodles and the new challenge theme is:

New Home

I've made a posh bottle tag for a change and used papers from Polkadoodles (I don't know which cd they are from but I found them in my Polkadoodle pile of scraps!)  I've used my fancy X Cut dies to make the shapes and added a dotted line around the edge with a black fineliner pen.

The tree and birdie image are from Sugar Birdies and I printed the sheet almost 4 years ago when I made samples for its launch!  I decoupaged the birdies and the tree and added stickles here and there.  I handwrote the sentiment with a Sizzix tag and the ribbons are generous donations from my cousin Claire and were left over from when she made her Wedding stationery!

Good luck with the challenge!  I'd like to enter the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks:  Trees
DRS Designs:  Bows
Hanna and Friends:  Anything But a Card
Crafting For All Seasons: No Stamps Allowed
Sisterhood of Crafters:  Animals

Papers:  Polkadoodles
Image:  Polkadoodles, Sugar Birdies cd
Dies:  X Cut fancy dies and Sizzix tags
Sentiment:  Handwritten 
Ribbons:  Donation

Polkadoodle Challenge 26 - Our House

Welcome to another Polkadoodle challenge! The challenge this week is:

Our House

I've used one of the Dragonfly Neighbour rubber stamps and coloured it with Promarkers. I've used a Nestie for the shape but used it as a template instead of cutting with it as I wanted a slightly different shape.The card I've used for layering is from my bits box and I've used a Kraft card blank and doodled a faux stitched line around the edge. The twine is from the kitchen drawer.

Hope you can join in with the challenge - its open until Sunday 10 July at 12noon GMT.

And if you've not already popped over to Fetch A Sketch please do so as our first sketch challenge is live!

My card also fits the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks: Stitching

Little Miss Muffet Challenges: Reds, Oranges and Yellows

Paper Pretties: Red, Orange, Yellow and Neutral

The Stamping Boutique: No Designer Paper

• Stamp: Dragonfly Neighbour stamp, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash

Polkadoodle Challenge 3 - There's No Place Like Home

It's Friday so it's time for another Polkadoodle challenge! This week the theme is:

There's No Place Like Home

And we want to see projects and cards suitable for a new house. I've used one of the fabulous house stamps, simply stamped it and then coloured it with Promarkers! Really quick and easy to do and if you are unsure of your colouring its not too difficult as there is not a lot of one area to cover.
I've used the two largest Nesties from the set to create the shapes - the image is raised up on foam pads and the ribbon sits neatly underneath. Edges have been inked and I've dotted a border with a blue gel pen on the bottom shape.

The Kraft card is a new addition to my stash and the ribbon is a left over length from making Christmas cards!

Hope you can join the challenge this week - its open until Sunday 30 January at 12noon GMT. Good luck!

• Stamp: Polkadoodle, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Moooved!

A fab challenge on Charisma Cardz this week which is:

Die Cuts

I've taken the theme literally and have dusted off my trusty Sizzix dies and have made this card! The cow has been layered with different coloured card to get the right effect, plus the two ovals are also die cuts from two different dies.

The grass is my own creation and I've added two chunky brads for extra effect. The sentiment has been stamped with a little wooden Studio G alphabet stamp directly onto the card blank.

• Dies: Sizzix cow, inner from scallop oval and oval tag
• Sentiment: Studio G alphabet stamp
• Everything else: My stash
  

Bird House

Inktegrity has launched a brand new challenge and their first ever is this sketch:

I've used the image from the 50/50 Stampers Group which was pre-coloured. I printed it three times and layered it up. All the backing papers are from my stash with the printed one under the image from It's Funky Too from Funky Hand.

The ribbon is from the Scrap Store and as I have plenty of it I was generous with the bow!

• Plain backing papers: My stash
• Printed backing paper: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Image: Inktegrity pre coloured
• Everything else: My stash
  

Lili Boo Too - September Download & Recipe Challenge

There is a new challenge blog! Lily-Boo Too Challenges - they are monthly and this is their first one! There is an image to download for the challenge which is also a recipe to use:

Two ribbons, 3 flowers and 4 brads

And here is my card! I've coloured the image with watercolour pencils, layered it twice onto some co-ordinating cardstock that I found in my stash and added the 4 brads to each of the corners.

The orange ribbon you may have seen before here (waste not want not!) and the red grosgrain is from my stash. The three mulberry paper sunflowers I've had for years and they worked better than any of the flowers I could find!

Apologies for the dark photos - it just seems to be dark all the time!

• Backing papers: From my stash
• Image: Freebie download from Lily Boo Too Challenge blog, coloured with watercolour pencils
• Everything else: My stash
  
  

New House

Another new challenge site for me - again found whilst looking at fellow Polkadoodle DT mate Saskia's blog (it's all your fault!) and I came across CRAFT challenges!

This week the brief is to:

make an unusual shaped card - no squares or rectangles allowed!

I was asked to make a new home card for a work colleague as her son and girlfriend have just moved house (he loves windsurfing, hence the board and strange shorts) and I was given a sketch of what their flat looked like - they are actually on the top floor and that's why I've only done three windows - it symbolises their floor.....!

I've used a template from Craftwork cards, and have used Fiskars embossing boards for the roof and bricks on the house, chalked and inked them and then added the windows over the top. The window frames have been cut with a concentric rough square Cuttlebug die with vellum added for the glass.

The little people are Sizzix die cuts and I've adapted some of the shapes so they would fit with the theme. The surfboard is my own template.

The sentiment has been attached with wire.

• Dies: Sizzix
• Embossing: Fiskars embossing boards
• House Template: Craftwork cards
• Ribbon: From my stash
  
  

New Home

The Sketches by Tamara challenge this week is: And here is my creation! All the printed papers are from a free cd in a current craft magazine (can't remember which one - sorry!) and I thought they looked so pretty. Sorry about the blueness of the photo - it was around 6am when I took it! I've layered the two images in the centre onto pale yellow card and then again onto a shaped square so they stood out a bit more.

All edges have been inked with chestnut Whispers ink. The sentiment has been cut with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set and the ribbon is from my stash.


These papers are so pretty and don't be surprised if you see them again!

• Backing papers & toppers: From a free backing paper and font cd in a current crafting magazine
• Sentiment: Cut using the Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
• Ribbon: From my stash
  
  

Mooooved!

My fellow Funky Hand DT mate Carol who is wonderfully apt at creating great sketches, has launched her own dedicated challenge blog! Its on a bi Monday rotation so it gives me plenty of time to get my act together and join in!

The first sketch on her new blog (well, actually it is challenge 7 as the 6 previous ones were on her own blog) is this: And here is what I've come up with! The cow is a new Sizzix die which I have cut 3 times in pink, black and white and then layered the relevant bits. I've added a tiny bit of doodling around the black splodges on the cow (there is bound to be a technical term for it, but splodges it will have to be for now!) and I've also chalked it too for definition. The bell has been cut from very shiny silver card and I've added a twine string bow and wobbly eyes.

I've hand cut the grass in two layers and also chalked this a little. Both the grass and backing paper are from Funky Daze the Son Day collection (I do seem to be using this one quite a lot at the moment!) sentiment has been cut with my lovely Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet dies. And to finish off the sketch, I've used card candy from Craftwork Cards.

• Backing papers: Funky Daze cd
• Dies: Sizzix Cow and Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet dies
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  
  
  

Polkadoodle Challenge #2 - Sketch

It's challenge two on Polkadoodles Challenge Blog - and here is some (I hope!) inspiration for you! This week it is another fab sketch. Sorry the pic is a little small - hop over to the blog and it should be there too. And once again, you can use what ever stash you like as long as the basics of the sketch is followed.

The entries for the first week were stunning and we were totally overwhelmed by the popularity of our launch - so thank you to all those who left encouraging messages and submitted a card based upon the sketch. The top three entries will each get a special little blinkie to wear with pride on their blog!

As part of the Design Team, I get to work with Nikky's fab papers. Which, I understand are due to be released soon on a cd so you too can drool at them!

I decided to make a card for one of my cousins who is moving house (should be right about now I think!) and I thought the birdies looked so cute and fitted perfectly!

Everything, with exception to the dark blue card, ribbon and buttons are from the Sugar Birdies collection.


The flowers have been carefully cut out, edges inked and then slightly ruffled. The sentiment backer has had the same ruffled treatment and the little letters have been added with 3d foam pads. The letters actually were a lot bigger but I reduced the size down so I could print 4 copies onto a sheet of A4 - great if you need smaller letters!

The image was pre-coloured and I simply cut it down to fit the card and then glittered the birdies wings and the little dangly hearts.

Better remember to post the card to her now!

Hope you can join in on the Polkadoodles second challenge - click here for more details!

Good luck!

• All backing papers and image: Sugar Birdies cd - to be released soon (honest!)
• Ribbon & buttons: From my stash

My stamp collection has grown!

Simple card made with backing paper from a wonderful freebie blog that I have recently discovered - Vicki's Blog. I can't remember which collection the backing paper is from but the downloads are primarily designed for digital scrapbooking but I've reduced the file size and printed them - they all print square.

Green ribbon from Hobbycraft bargain bin (it was wired but took that out!). Welcome house stamp another bargain from The Range - 99p and coloured with watercolour pencils and a bit of chalking around the edge. Sentiment from (wait for it!) the mini alphabet stamps for 99p at The Range - I think Dovecraft.

The sentiment was not supposed to be so wonky - I held all the stamps together to form the word and obviously did not hold them quite as straight as I thought but I think it turned out ok!!

I'm quite liking stamping at the moment - made some other cards but not photographed them yet - so they will be later in the week!

Using up the Green Ribbon - New House

Bought 22 yards of mint green 1.5inch wide organza ribbon a while ago. Actually, I bought two. Was to be used for some Engagement Invitations / Announcements but eventually wasn't used in the end as they went for a different design. So I have now got two reels of the stuff to use up! It was a bargain - approx £4 a roll (inlcuding p&p from the US) so it's not an expensive disaster!






So, what can I use it for? A neighbour had just moved house and I wanted to send them a New House card.... bit of thinking later, and this is what I came up with! The ribbon sort of represents the grass.

Again, available to buy!