#507 Baking/kitchen at Allsorts

Our challenge theme at Allsorts this week has been chosen by Mervi and is Baking/kitchen.

For my DT card I used this stamp from Crafters Companion and coloured it with promarkers then fussy cut out and used a whole sheet of an Afternoon Tea themed pad from Craftwork Cards. I've never attempted baking French macarons. There is some variation in whether the term macaron or macaroon is used, and the related coconut macaroon is often confused with the macaron. However, I have eaten them (both sorts) lots lol!

I made the sentiment using my hot foil machine with some multi coloured foil.

The winner (picked by random generator) of our challenge this time will receive these cute Gingerbread stamps.

#26 the Note - The Library Challenge

I'd been itching to use these stamps that came with Creative Stamping this month so the The Library Challenge of the book "The Note" was perfect. This is also a book that I have had on my TBR pile for some months now - one day!

I used a spellbinders die and cut through the base card as to use the outer die that comes with it would have been to big for the card size. I placed a piece of coloured card behind the aperture and then used one of the stamps on the same colour for the seal.

Winter Sparkle at Allsorts challenge

The new theme at Allsorts challenge this week is "Winter Sparkle". This was such a difficult card to photograph and I'm not sure I've done it justice!.

For my DT card I used a stencil to create a scene by putting sparkle paste through in a white sparkle. I then wanted to create a winter sky which I used some distress inks for. I added a little ink to the two buildings (yes, that is what they are lol!). The sentiment is from Crafters Companion magazine stamp set.

I hope you can join us over on the challenge this week. We have a really useful prize on offer which is this fab bundle........

#104 Love Your Men - The Male Room Challenge

Our challenge this fortnight at The Male Room is all about "Love Your Men". I've chosen to make this my valentine card for the OH. I used a stamp from an Indigo Blu set. For the background I used an Imagination Crafts stamp from a background set of theirs stamped in Clair Versafine Claret ink.

It would be lovely to see you over at the challenge with your male cards.

Anything goes and optional Tags - Penny Black & More challenge

Our new theme for this month at Penny Black & More is  Anything goes with the optional challenge of "Tags" which if you choose to accept it you will be entered into the draw twice.

For my DT card I used Penny black set Blooming tags which I stamped and embossed before colouring with distress inks using water. I created the sentiment by using part of the stamp from Penny Black 30-297 which normally says have a wonderful birthday. But I wanted to create a card to send to a friend "just to say hello". So I inked up part of the stamp and stamped it, then masked off and used the other part of the stamp. I also took part of the main stamp and used randomly over the banner.

To finish the card I decided to create a background just at the top of the card, again by stamping the centre of the tag stamp randomly over the card which I then attached to the base card.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over at the challenge blog this month, where as always we have fantastic prizes on offer. Our sponsors are Penny Black and Crafts U Love.

I'm also entering my tag flower card into the Penny Black Saturday challenge.

Love at Allsorts challenge

Time for a new challenge at Allsorts - don't forget to check who won my challenge of Friends last week on the blog.

Helene has chosen - LOVE. I used a digi download that I got from a Kit and Clowder event - it is from Power Poppy I'm not sure you can get it now - I think maybe it was just for the event.

I decided to colour the first one with my new polychromos pencils - just because I needed to try them out lol!. I left the flowers the bare so that is the white card you can see. For the second I just coloured the word with promarkers and then added a few punched butterflies.

Both are mounted using spellbinders dies. On the first one I inlaid all of the waste back into the die!!!!! Maybe not again!

I'm not intending to use these as valentine cards - I just thought they would be nice to send to friends.

Thanks for looking and this week we have this gorgeous Indigoblu stamp as the prize for a random draw entry.

Shopkeeper!

I was having a look through my cdroms for the CD Sunday challenge when I came across MCS Setting the Scene Shop Fronts cdrom. I haven't used this for a very long time and as the theme this week is Anything goes I decided to see what I could come up with.

I have a friend who adores vintage hats and shoes and so this shop seemed ideal for her. I superimposed a piece of the background over the shop name and renamed it for her! adding my greeting to the shop sign. I also superimposed the glass and added the number above the door and changed the layout of the windows, finally adding an extra topiary tree.

I used a piece of ribbon from CuddlyBuddly which I thought tied together the card with the colours. This is the first time I have let a piece of it go lol!

Inside of the card - I will add the greeting later.

My friend also loves vintage clothes and so this TL die seemed to fit nicely as she looks like she is heading for the shop. I made her and the ivy ( Joanna Sheen die) from snippets so it also seems fitting to use it for the blog hop Darnell has arranged for Di headmistress of the Snippets Playground.

Di's friend Darnell from across the pond has initiated a surprise Blog Hop to thank Di for the SEVEN years she has managed the Snippets Playground where we go to show off our snippets makes, enjoy bonfires, have hot toddies, jump rope, play on the Playground equipment, trade beads, horse-around in the tree house, ride bikes, play with Parsnip (and now Dudley the Havanese), and generally have an amazing and fun time!

I want to thank Darnell for organising this blog hop and also Di for running the challenge which is no mean feat with all the organising she has to do. But also for being a super friend who is always at the end of an email to help me out or give advice. I think I won the ivy die from the playground too - thanks for all the fab prizes Di.

Friends at Allsorts challenge

It's my turn to host the challenge over at Allsorts challenge blog this week and I've chosen the theme of "friends".

I used part of a tonic die for the basis of my card. I must admit that I bought it without having seen it in real life and was a little shocked at how large the whole die is! But I thought all the different elements would be useful for so many different cards.

I used a couple of stamp sets from Art Impressions on my card and coloured them with promarkers. The sentiment is from a magazine set and I added the "and cake" myself!

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you over at the challenge this week where I will try to visit as many entries as possible. We have these lovely set of stamps on offer for the winner this week.

Fabulously Feminine at Stamping Sensations

I've created this card for the Stamping Sensations challenge where the theme is Fabulously Feminine.

I've used some papers that were very kindly sent to me and an image I paper pieced from Rare Earth. In the background I used some stamps which are from a very old stamp set - I think that chair might have just had its first outing lol! The sentiment is a John Lockwood one from when he was with Creative Expressions.

Finally I added some pearls and a little bling to the chandelier.

#103 Nature - The Male Room Challenge

This time the challenge at The Male Room is Nature.

I was looking through my papers when I came across the one with the birds and clouds and thought of a Lawn Fawn Christmas stamp set I have which has a "Seasons Tweetings" stamp in it. I also found the outer brick effect paper that at some point had a circle cut from it. I thought the two went well together.

I cut a couple of clouds using a CC die and stamped the greetings, raising them up with some foam tape. Finally added some twine down one edge and a little distressing with ink.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over at the challenge.

Birds - Twofer card challenge

The current challenge at Twofer card challenge is birds.

You will have seen in my previous posts that Cuba provided me with lots of inspiration and I'm not done yet! Another hummingbird this time a stamp set I bought from Crafters Companion. They are large stamps meant also for fabric projects but I got them on a card lol!

This first one I made from snippets. I tend to make backgrounds and then keep them until I can't get anymore out of them (it's becoming as bad as designer papers!). I think this one has run its course now! I'm popping into the Snippets Playground to share this.

I thought the backgrounds worked well with the stamps and no colouring to do. I added a sentiment stamp from a recent magazine freebie and I did some dots around the edge of the die cut to make it pop from the card.

The next one was using a stencil and another stamp from the same freebies. This time I coloured the images using distress oxides inks with some water.

Thanks for looking.

Allsorts challenge 503 - Masculine

Our new Allsorts challenge starts today with the theme of Masculine chosen by Ellie.

For my DT card I was I admit inspired by all the wonderful cars we saw on our trip to Cuba and also in the city of Havana.

We actually got to ride in this one below!

I wish I had taken more photos of the cars now - but after a while they become so common place that you forget how wonderful they all are.

Back to my card! - I used a Marianne Embossing folder and die set for the background. I stamped the car which is an old wooden stamp then coloured with promarkers and Spectrum metallic pens then fussy cut out.

One lucky, randomly selected winner will receive our prize of the two stamps by Bee Crafty. 

                                               

. 

Bee Crafty is a card making, rubber stamping and scrapbooking supplies shop. We specialise in card and papers, and all associated supplies, inkpads, adhesives, tools, 100’s of scrapbooking papers and 1000’s of other supplies for your card making, scrapbooking and craft projects. We have an extensive range of products with new ranges are arriving all the time which we will be adding to the new site everyday, including weekly special offers, craft classes and crops.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over on the challenge blog this week.

Laserowe Vintage Gentleman for Swedish House Crafts DT

I'm here with you today to share a card made with the Laserowe Vintage Gentleman collection papers for the Swedish House Crafts Design Team. I also used this collection in issue 186 of Simply Cards and Papercraft for an article for Swedish House Crafts you can still get a copy.

I love the extra tags you get with a set of Laserowe papers, it makes them great value for money. I cut around this one of the motorbike for my card,  just adding a little ink to the edges. I used Gummiapan stitched rectangle dies to cut two pieces of the background papers.

As this card is for a younger male I used the darkest part of the backing papers. Then I put Gummiapan inksplats stamp over most of the pattern to grunge it up. I also used Gummiapan Mini worn ringed star stamp.

I used the Gummiapan film negative stamp and Happy Birthday Text background stamp to stamp over the background card. I masked the film strip so that the words look like they are on the film.

Finally I used the Gummiapan Stamp - Text - Happy Birthday (mini straight hand) at the bottom of the card. I just love this tiny stamp I used it a lot!

Links to products I used:

Laserowe Vintage Gentleman collection papers
Gummiapan stitched rectangle dies
Gummiapan inksplats stamp
Gummiapan Mini worn ringed star stamp.
Gummiapan film negative stamp
Happy Birthday Text background stamp
Gummiapan Stamp - Text - Happy Birthday (mini straight hand)

I'm also entering this card into the Library Challenge where the book is Absolute Beginners and I took the bike on the cover as my inspiration.

Anything Goes @ CD Sunday challenge

I printed this background paper from the CD Rom Mix it Up Fabulously from the House of Zandra. It was destined for a different project when I noticed that it had a lot of green in it. 

I recently went to Cuba and there is a hummingbird there that is green that is not found anywhere else in the world! You can buy many things with the hummingbird pictured like this wooden plaque below.

However, the hummingbird is not the national bird of Cuba! This little fella is, he's the Cuba Trogan.

Now we didn't see either of these in real life - but we did see a Pelican and also a cattle egret which I got a picture of.

So, back to my card. I bought this die as I knew I would want to have a reminder of the hummingbirds - this was before I realised they weren't the national bird lol! I had cut it out of this Creative Expressions gold card and laid over the green area of the printed paper when I decided it went rather well. 

I cut the die again and cut the hummingbird out and placed it over the top of the die to give some extra dimension and added a little clear sparkle pen to the bird. I also placed some of the "waste" back into the die. The sentiment is an old one from a Hero Arts set.

I'm entering this into the CD Sunday challenge - anything goes. I used the backing paper from the cdrom as explained above.