week #538 Trees and Leaves at Allsorts challenge

Our new theme at Allsorts challenge for this week is Trees and leaves - very seasonal so you should have lots of inspiration.

For my DT card I got out my gelli plate and had a play with my distress inks to create the background. I then cut out the circle shape as my gelli is square!. I used Lavinia stamps to create the trees and leaves scene (and sentiment) and snook in a fairy too!

For the background I inked my card and used some die cut leaves from the left over background created by my square gelli plate. Then added some more of the leaves. I did add some sparkle to the wanted and her wings but it's not showing too well in the photo.

Our sponsor this week is Tattered Lace and their new range of cut and emboss Ferns and Leaves for the winner chosen by random org.

#120 Use Embelishments at The Male Room challenge

Our new theme at The Male Room is "Embelishments".

I was a little stumped for embellishments for a man's card when I remembered these scrapbook plastic stickers of coke that I bought in the USA in 2005! I had used the rest and just had these three - perfect for a certain someone who likes the drink. I also had a piece of card that a friend had embossed and sent to me. I used different inks to add some colour to it and with the addition of the Lil Inker bithday die I was good to go!

There is lots of inspiration over on the blog from my teamies too.

mid month reminder for Animals challenge at Penny Black & More

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A little reminder of our animal theme challenge over at Penny Black & More this month.

For my DT card I used Penny Black 1448E Garden Gossip and the sentiment from 40-225 tune up. I coloured the image with TH distress crayons and a little water.

The papers are from a Penny Black paper pad. I simply fussy cut around my image and popped it up on some foam tape. I used a banner die and a tiny die cut bow.

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

I'm also entering this card into the Penny Black Saturday challenge where it is anything goes or "neglected stamp". I don't think I have ever used this stamp before!

week #537 Anything Goes at Allsorts challenge

A nice easy theme of "Anything Goes" this week for our challenge at Allsorts.

For my DT card I've used the cd rom Mix It Up Fabulously, layering and resizing the images and some I recolourized to fit my colour scheme.

I went over the "New Home" with a glitter writer pen, then for a finishing touch added some physical buttons.

I'm also entering this into the CD Sunday plus challenge.

The winner of this weeks challenge as chosen by random org will receive this set of Rare Earth stamps.

White snippets for the playground and a trip to Belfast

If like me you save offcuts of your white card from sentiments etc you end up having quite a few. I decided to make a card using dies and those offcuts and as I layered up each die a couple of times I got through at least a few of the many I have lol!

I used various dies and stamps from Penny Black to make the card and a few die cut buttons too.

It's been so long since I played along at the Snippet challenge at Pixie's Crafty Workshop that I thought I would show my face with this card.

We had a lovely break in Belfast last week. Main reason for the visit was to to to the Titanic exhibition centre but with the help of a friend who has been before we found much more to do as well.

The height of the building is the height of the bow of the Titanic! It was fascinating but also a little sad at times too.

The bath toy we bought for one of the grandchildren - it's been tested and met with approval.

The Ulster Folk and Transport museum was a great day out, in fact we didn't get to see everything.

of course I loved the ladies shop the most.

I did think this is the smallest slice of cake I have seen for the price!!!!

We also had a tour of Belfast City Hall - which is free!

week #536 Autumn colours at Allsorts challenge

Helene has chosen our new them for this week at Allsorts challenge and it is "autumn colours". We are sponsored by JMC Designs and I have used the digi Bonnie Brollie from them on my card.

I coloured her with sparkle pens and a few promarkers. I fussy cut around her and used some autumn coloured backing papers. I also cut some leaves from the papers and placed them at the foot of the card and falling down in front of her dress. A few sequin leaves added too. 

I do hope you can join us over at the challenge this week.

The winner chosen by random org will receive a store voucher from JMC Designs  our sponsor this week.

I'm also entering this card into the CD Sunday Plus challenge for their anything goes theme, as the new title suggests, you can now use digital images usbs etc.

#119 Autumn at The Male Room

Our theme is Autumn at The Male Room challenge. I was sorting through my stash when I found this printed image that a friend had sent to me. The colours were exactly right for the theme.

I used a die to cut some autumnal card and also the leaves. I used an Anna Griffin stamp for the sentiment - embossing in clear powder.

Thanks for looking and we would love to see you over at The Male Room challenge.

Animals at Penny Black & More challenge

Our new challenge at Penny Black & More begins today and the theme is "animals".

For my DT card I used two stamps that I thought went well together. They are Penny Black 2362J Dazzling and 2068K party pooped.. I coloured them with TH distress crayons and a little water.

The sentiment "wish big" I thought also fitted the card and it comes from the Penny Black 30-028 Micey Day set. A few candles cut using a TL die add to the theme.

The card design is one I have seen around blogland and also a friend sent me a card made this way so I used that as a template. I used the longer side of an A4 piece of navy card and then scored twice to make the long and short sides of the card. Then a thinner strip the same length which you score the opposite way and then attach just to the front of the card and half of the back section.

Our sponsors this month are Penny Black and Clever Cut.

Sina Fairy Surprise for Swedish House Crafts

Hi I'm here today to show you how I used the digital stamp from Hi Cookie called Sina Fairy Surprise. These stamps are exclusive to Swedish House Crafts.

I printed the digi out onto Crafter's Companion Printable Light Card. I used promarkers and a wink of stella to colour the image. It was such fun to colour.

For the main base of my card I used one of the Peaceful Christmas design sheets from the Roxstamps. This one features Santa.  I used the Maja Design Monochromes Shades of Christmas papers for the matting and layering and for the greeting across the top of the card.

I used the Roxstamps nesting round dies pierced to cut out the digital stamp and to make the other circle too. The stars are cut from the little star you get with the Roxstamps nesting square dies pierced.

The finishing touch is to sprinkle some sequins around the card.

Links to products I used:
Hi Cookie Digital stamp Sina Fairy Surprise.
Crafter's Companion Printable Light Card.
Roxstamps Peaceful Christmas design sheets
Roxstamps nesting round dies pierced

Roxstamps nesting square dies pierced.

Maja Design Monochromes Shades of Christmas papers

sequins 

Thanks for looking.

Weeks #534/535 at Allsorts challenge - Feminine

It's time for the new challenge at Allsorts challenge blog today and it's my turn to chose the theme. So I have gone with a favourite of mine "feminine". The challenge will run for two weeks due to the summer holidays so everyone has time to enter.

For my DT make I chose to make a little journal. I have so many sewing inspired items and lots of them are embossing folders. I used the Faux leather technique, which if you search for Faux leather You tube you will find lots of videos on how to do it.

Basically it is kraft card soaked in a mixture of water and glycerine and then dried and embossed. Then wipe over with distress inks, I chose to use browns and blues. Then spray with a clear varnish.

The photo above shows the back of the journal. Below is the inside. I glued some sewing themed fabric to the inside cover. 

Then stitched the paper inside with the sewing machine. The finishing touch and to keep it closed is the button attached to some elastic thread.

I'm also entering this journal into the Time Out challenges blog where the theme is Fashionable.

I've been saving the photos from my trip to the Dior exhibition at the V&A for this post as I thought it would be the most fitting to combine it with. 

All I can say about it is that it was magical. I felt like a little girl at Christmas when I saw all the miniature Dior gowns (see one below with the full size version)  and then the final room - I thought I had died and gone to heaven! A laser light show made the setting of the gowns go from evening through the day, including a painted ceiling. It was just amazing.

Thanks for sticking with it if you made it to the end of this post! Hope to see you over at the challenge.

#118 Flight at The Male Room Challenge

Our latest challenge at The Male Room Challenge is "flight" - with an "l" not fight lol!

I had this topper and the DP's with planes on but wasn't sure how to put them together. Then I saw my Spellbinders confetti cover die and it all seemed to come together. I also used a set of stamps and the die that came with them from a magazine.

Thanks for looking and hope to see your Flight cards soon.

mid month reminder for Boys and Men at Penny Black & More challenge

I'm here with a reminder of our challenge this month at Penny Black & More - which is "boys and men".

For my DT card I took a sheet from the Penny Black paper pad Gentle Whisper and used it as a background. Using some round clear stamps I created the background by stamping into oxides inks and spritzing the stamp before pressing to the card.

I then stamped Penny Black 40-225 "tune up" onto my background and paper pieced the overalls. I used a piece of grey card behind the image and then tied some twine around the corner. Finally I used the sentiment that comes with "tune up".

Foxy

As rain is coming down in bucket fulls here I thought I would make my entry for the CD Sunday challenge where it's anything goes. 

I've used the cd rom that came with the last issue of Crafter's Inspiration - when I looked at the collections this little fox from Autumn days really caught my eye.

I used a graphics programme to make the card. First the backing paper and then using a digital punch for the circles. How I got the second circle to be translucent I do not know lol! But it looked good so I kept it.

Finally I added a die cut sentiment (cut twice for some depth)  and a little bit of the design that was left over I put inside the card.

weeks #532/531 Sun, Moon, Stars or Baby Allsorts challenge

We are still running the Allsorts challenge fortnightly for the summer. This time the theme is to include Sun, Moon, Stars or Baby, so a wide choice there.

For my DT card I went with Baby. I used a layered Teddy bear stamp set from BeCreative. I just used three shades of brown and all from different companies - I'm sure if you had one of the ombre sets it would look different again. I then used just the top layer to add some embossing powder that glistens.

The stamps are all from the same set as the Teddy bear and I added a Roxstamps Congrats die from Swedish House Crafts cut from white card. The background paper is part of a 12x12 paper from my stash and I thought it would suit the theme nicely.

The winner chosen by random org will receive this lovely Holly Pond Hill cdrom.

#117 Celebrating 6 years of The Male Room Challenge

We are so pleased to be celebrating our 6th Birthday at The Male Room challenge this fortnight. So what better way than to make the challenge "birthday" - nice and easy!

For my DT card I decided to go for a time travel theme by using lots of stamps and time die cuts. The NY stamp is because I based the idea on one of my fave novels by Jack Finney - Time and Again in which the time travel takes place in New York.


We are so very pleased to be sponsored for this challenge by...

 Funky Fossil Designs

the prize will be the winner’s choice of 3 stencils.