In the Garden mid month reminder for Penny Black & More Challenge

Time for a little mid month reminder of the challenge over at Penny Black & More. We are "in the garden" this month so lots of scope there.

For my DT card I used this cute Penny Black stamp 2301F Garden slumber and a greeting from 30-103 ...wishes. The papers were a freebie from a magazine earlier in the year and I thought they went well with this stamped image.

I also used a Penny Black die for the lattice work and a tiny heart from one of our sponsors Swedish House Crafts. We also have of course Penny Black sponsoring us and Crafty ribbons.

Still plenty of time to enter, so hope to see you over on the challenge.

Trees at Twofer card challenge

The new challenge over at Twofer card challenge is "Trees".

I've used a Sheena Douglass tree stamp for both my cards. For the first one I used Versafine Clair ink in claret to stamp the tree a couple of times. Then I went over the middle tree with oxide inks in shades of green. I sponged colour around them to create a scene and cut out with an old paper die from Swedish House Crafts. I thought the Sheena stamp sentiment went well with "Get Well Soon" which I used from another stamp set.

For my second card I used sparkle pens and spritzed the stamp before using it. I again sponged around the tree and then cut out and put a faux stitched line and glitter pen line around the image.

Second time around at CD Sunday

I have a box of odds and ends that one day I will use of a card. I also have some old Christmas cards, not too many but just ones I really think I could use again. When I saw the challenge at CD Sunday was for second time around I decided to actually do something with one of the cards I had been saving!

I used this cdrom and printed the nordic backing paper. 

I've had this watercolour panel die for a while now and I decided it could also look like snow, so I used it over the paper I had printed out. A few of the images from the old card were added and some fake glittery snow. I also used the backing paper to cut out the sentiment.

Whilst I was in the swing of it I made another card, this time the backing paper is in full force and I just added some mirri card.

There are still some images and paper left over but I ran out of steam!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

When I saw the book for the current Library Challenge was Breakfast at Tiffany's I was rearing to go.  But then I got bogged down in what to use. There are national collections for plants and I think I may have the national collection of "New York"/fashionista items!

Finally I settled on the Audrey with quote from Stamping Bella, part of a Penny Black stamp for 5th Avenue and the books are from The Ton. If you look closely you will see there's even a copy of the book!

I read this book many years ago and found it to be dark compared to the film. I've also seen a stage adaption too which focused more on the book portrayal. I decided to keep it light and just go with the iconic images from the movie.

As I have stamped the images I am entering into the Stamping Sensations Challenge also which is "anything goes" this month.

Little Boys at The Male Room Challenge

There's a new challenge over at The Male Room and this time it's "Little Boys".

I've made this card for one of the Grandchildren using some paper I printed out from a magazine website. I used this for the die cut too. The elephant and cute mouse on the balloon along with the "wishing you tons of fun" sentiment are a set from Swedish House Crafts called Animal Kit Sheet B.

The metallic papers are from a 6x6 pad by Docrafts and I used stamps from Clearly Besotted and tiny Gummiapan Happy Birthday stamp which all fitted perfectly between the stripes.

Don't forget to check out what inspiration my teamies have for you.

Published in Craft Stamper July 2018

Here's my card that appears in this month's edition of Craft Stamper. If you want to know exactly how I made it you will need to get the magazine!

I used products from Tim Holtz, The Artistic Stamper and Crafty Individuals. The alcohol inks are on transparent Yupo paper to give a different feel to the usual Yupo paper.

This was the colour palette and imagery we were asked to work with .

In the Garden at Penny Black & More June challenge

Our new challenge over at Penny Black & More is "In the Garden". Our sponsors this month are
Penny Black, Swedish House Crafts and Crafty Ribbons. As always we have fabulous prizes on offer and the chance to be a GDT if you use a PB image to enter. You don't have to use a PB image to enter but we do ask no digs please.

For my DT card I have used Penny Black 1649K Surprise! with the sentiment and other stamps from the set Wonderful Day 30-045. I used a background of kraft card and stamped directly onto it. Colouring the image with distress crayons. Adding a little sparkle here and there with a sparkle pen.

To finish the card I added some hessian and some ribbon fibres.

Beautiful Blooms

This card is for the current CD Sunday challenge of Beautiful Blooms. I printed this paper a while ago and was originally intending it for a completely different look but came across it yesterday and decided it would work for this theme.

I had printed it twice and so I decided to layer it up with a little spotlight-lighting over one of the blossom edged with the red card. I also added a little clear sparkle pen over the flower to set it apart from the rest of the design.

It took me ages to decide what colour to use for "Happy" - this is a new die from Lawn Fawn and comes in three scripts - I'm just a little unhappy that the Y does not have a cut out at the top - maybe when I use it next I will put one in myself. I decided to be really "happy" I needed to use red and placed the black die cut behind as an offset.  Edited to say that the die is to cut out a stamp set and so that is why it is like this - pity as I don't have the stamp set!

The flowers are a SU punch and some JND flower stamens. Then I added a few sequins and used DI peeled paint to edge the pattern piece which was cut using an Old Paper die from Swedish House Crafts.

Of course because it is for CD Sunday I have to say which CD I used - it has taken me an hour or so to find out! When I printed the paper I thought I was going to make the card right away and didn't make a note, as of course I would remember. I've been through a number of cdroms when it hit me that the unlikely MCS Opulent CD Rom could be the one - and it was! So this was back in February - how time flies......

Sneak peek - Craftstamper

I'm delighted to be able to share with you another sneak peek of work I had accepted into Craft Stamper Magazine. It's the July issue out this Friday 1st June.

This time I got to play with alcohol inks and transparent Yupo paper - I had a lot of fun. Check back to see the full card.

The magazine is due out on Friday 1st June. You can get a copy of the magazine at www.craftstamper.com to buy subscriptions, www.mags-uk.com for single print copies, digital copies from www.pocketmags.co.uk

Overseas subscriptions are available too!

Fixer Upper Wallpaper Tilda by the sea for Swedish House Crafts DT

Hello, I'm here today with my Swedish House Crafts DT post and a little wallpapering project LOL!

I just love this Tilda (she's called Fixer Upper - Wallpaper Tilda & Wallpaper)with her cute dungarees and hair updo so much. I decided not to use the wallpaper sheets that come with her - so I still have those to play with! Instead I decided to use the Maja Life by the Sea papers as I wanted to create a little view out of the window in the room she is wallpapering.

To make the window frame I used one of the  Gummiapan stitches nesting dies. Because these dies do not cut it was perfect for the frame but I did need to cut away inside the frame for the window. I then used two very thin strips of the paper pad to make the cross bar of the frame. I used silver and bronze gilding wax to highlight the frame.

To reach the wallpaper Tilda needed a ladder and I found the perfect one in Suha's shop! It is actually one of my favourite stamps the Gummiapan Film Negative stamp. I just drew in some extra rungs to make it look like a ladder. I also heat embossed it so that it stood out from the backing paper. She shouldn't really be tiptoeing on them like that - so from a health and safety point of view I don't recommend doing that lol!

Have you ever written messages on the wall before you wallpaper for others to find in later years? I have and this reminded me of doing that - so Tilda has written Happy Birthday all over the wall before papering over. To do this she's used the Gummiapan Text Happy Birthday background stamp.

I stamped Tilda several times on different papers from Maja Design - Life by the Sea - 6x6" Pad. I then paper pieced her together using promarkers to colour just her hair, hands and feet. Then I cut around her and used foam pads to place her onto the card.

Finally I used the Gummiapan lineart Happy Birthday stamp. I cut it three times, twice in white and once in blue paper then I layered it up. Each time creating a little shadow by offsetting it.

A last look at Tilda in her little room that I created for her. Thanks for looking today. 

Links to products I used:

Fixer Upper - Wallpaper Tilda & Wallpaper 

Maja Design - Life by the Sea - 6x6" Pad

Gummiapan Dies - Stitches Nesting dies

Gummiapan Film Negative stamp

Gummiapan Text Happy Birthday background stamp

One Sheet Wonder Rudolph Day

Something a little different for my Rudolph Day challenge entry this month. Firstly I managed to use the TH stamps I won from Mo a few months back - thanks Mo. Secondly I wanted to try the one sheet wonder technique, which is the challenge at the moment on Back to Basics and Beyond. I must have had this sheet of paper 12x12 paper for a good few years and yes, when I came to use it I began to think - but what if I need it for something else!

I haven't followed the cutting guidelines for the sheet to get the maximum amount because I don't like measuring - so I just went with it and only had a few tiny slivers of paper left. I wanted to stamp in something that look like gold and found the perfect Inkz stamp sitting on my desk which was just free with a magazine.

My final make was because I had the TH die set out and thought I could make the mountains using it and then I just added some of the trees and a CE sentiment die. Finished off with rose gold stickles.

All in all I enjoyed making these cards and I achieved designs which I would not otherwise have thought of without the one sheet wonder technique. I have lots more 12x12 that I could do with using this technique on too.

I'm also sharing with the Snippets playground as all the mirri card was from my bits box and of course as the sheet got smaller it meant I was using snippets.

The last of the Art Deco!

It's very rare that I enter more than once into a challenge, but the one for Art Deco at CD Sunday Challenge really got me creating and so this is my third and final entry. There would have been more but you are only allowed three!

Once again I have used MCS software to design this card and the MCS Deco Follies CDrom. I combined two figures from the cdrom and then placed then onto one of the frames on the cdrom - colourizing it to match the edging on the lady's dress. I then printed and cut it and out and this time used the TL die as it was meant to me used as the scale fitted. I cut out from an Art Deco TL paper the various elements of the die, however, I chose to back the main die rather than cut the individual triangles.

Finishing touches - a CRM style flower from a memory box die and Woodware sentiment which is in a block format but I stamped twice side by side to fit the space.

Twofer Butterflies

Finally I managed to get around to entering the current Twofer challenge of butterflies with a day to spare!

I had seen a new die that covered the whole card with butterflies - I decided (several weeks ago!) that I could do that look with my Martha Stewart punch. So I set about punching butterflies from my snippets. I didn't think too much about it just punched away. I then set about putting them all over a background and quite frankly it looked awful. Time for a rethink and a need (want) to use this new cover die I got with a recent gift voucher win. I decided the butterflies placed on this made a much better card. I also had this snippet of yellow card - it appears to be the last piece of yellow card I own!!!

For my second card I had already decided I was going to use this sentiment stamp from a set by Christina Griffiths. I stamped it and just added some green with a fine liner around it. I had lots of those butterflies left so I arranged them over the card and added a few sequins.

I used the same die on both cards so I guess that will satisfy the Twofer challenge rules, but I must admit despite Darnell explaining it a few times I am still not sure how much of the card can differ. Obviously if it is two different occasions the sentiment will be different - but do all the other elements have to be exactly the same as some I see this is not the case?

I'm also popping into the snippets playground if anyone there remembers me - as all my butterflies were made without the use of any new pieces of card.

Challenge #86 Gardening at The Male Room

It's time for a new challenge at The Male Room and this time the theme is Gardening.

For my DT card I used a selection of things from my gardening stash. Sheena Douglass seed packet die with co coordinating stamps, trug and gardening tools stamps which I cut out by hand. I used a metallic silver pen for the gardening tools. From Clearly Besotted the vegetables in the trug. The background paper is from a Hunkydory kit and finally I made my fence panels from a Concord and ninth stamp using kraft card.

I do hope you will be able to join us over at the challenge.