Next Level Sketch

Woo hoo Andy Murray!!  What an amazing match last night.  I missed the middle 3 sets but I saw the final set and was screaming and cheering along with the centre court crowd.  I just hope he has enough energy left for tomorrows match.

I’ve finally made a card for the Next Level challenge.  There’s a fab sketch on the blog this week which was fun to work with.  I had planned to sand the embossed circle behind my image but realised that I had used Bazzil cardstock rather than Coredinations so I used Worn Lipstick distress ink on the edges and then gently sponged the same colour onto the raised image.  The brads are from the same BG range as the papers – I kept saving them and then used up all the papers so I justified buying some more papers so I could use the brads!!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Sugar Nellie (Papermania sentiment)

Colouring medium: Distress inks

Papers: Basic Grey Euphoria

Embellishments: BG brads, punched flowers

Tools: Oval nesties, Fiskars circle cutter, EK Success flower punches

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New stamps!

My new Whiff of Joy stamps arrived last week and I’ve been itching to use them.  But its Wimbledon fortnight which means the TV is on all afternoon except for yesterday as we had Centre Court seats.  They should have provided binoculars with the tickets as we were almost in the back row but we had a great time.

Andy Murray finished his match quite quickly this evening so I was able to finish this card.  One of my work colleagues is getting married next month so this card is for him and his wife-to-be.  I embossed the Coredinations strip behind the image and sanded it.  This is the first time I’ve tried this and I really like the effect.  And I had only intended to use my stickles on the brides veil but I wanted more sparkle so highlighted the carriage flowers as well.

This card is for four challenges:  Whiff of Joy (sketch), Spoon Full of Sugar & Sukkersott (wedding card), Cute Card Thursday (wheels).

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Whiff of Joy, Papermania sentiment

Colouring medium: Distress inks

Papers: Graphic 45 Baby 2 Bride collection

Embellishments: Cherry blossoms & paper roses, stick on pearls, lace from stash

Tools: Leone Em branch punch

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Truly Scrumptious Challenge #10

We’re into double figures on the Truly Scrumptious Challenge blog!  This week was my turn to design the sketch and the added challenge is to use some neglected stash – have a rummage through your drawers and use a stamp/papers/embellishments you’d forgotten you had.  And there are three fabulous stamps from Crafty Individuals for the winner of this challenge.

This is the sketch

And this is my card

I haven’t used this Sarah Kay stamp for AGES and I don’t know why because she is one of my favourites – her profile reminds me of my little boy!  The tag behind my image is cut from a Woodware tag shaped card from a pack that has been at the bottom of a drawer for over a year and I’ve stamped it with a Crafty Individuals script stamp.  The paper is so old I have no idea what make it is!  I have used some new stash as well – I love these large paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and I’ve added a couple of pins which I threaded with pink and ivory beads.

I hope you’ll join us in this challenge – pop over to the  blog and take a look at the rest of the DT fantastic cards.

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Bildmalarna DT card

This card was very nearly a disaster! I tried to cut all the way through my card to make a window for the sentiment and almost broke my Cuttlebug in the process! Note to self; don't try cutting through 3 layers of card all at once!! The nestie die did cut through the DP and mat card though so I stamped the sentiment on my base card and then created a frame for the window to hide the slightly torn DP!  The great sketch is from this weeks Inspirational Card Sketches blog.

I'm suffering with 'man flu' (ie. a cold!) at the moment so bending over my desk makes my sinuses throb! And I had to collect Thomas from nursery early today as they suspect he has chicken pox. Quite a few of the children at nursery have had it so I guess they're on the look out for it but I think his spots were heat rash as most of them had disappeared by bedtime.

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Mimosas Summer Flower from Bildmalarna, sentiment was a freebie from Sugar Nellie

Paper: Double sided sheet from Ladybug & Friends

Embellishments: Ribbon from stash & punched flowers

Tools: Oval, circle and scalloped circle nesties, EK Success retro flower punches, Leone Em branch punch

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Cheeky…. moi???

You’d think butter wouldn’t melt wouldn’t you?  Well I can assure you that this little man is a toddler tornado but he only has to give me these puppy dog eyes and I have to forgive him.

This weeks Friday Sketchers sketch was perfect for this card.  I tried to use it like a mini scrapbook layout and kept it simple.  And I knew my peel off pens would come in useful sooner or later – they colour my stick on pearls perfectly!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Flourishes are Inkadinkadoo (I think!)

Papers: Delish Bistro, Anna Griffin

Embellishments: Stick on pearls, Quickutz stars

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Roses on Paper

I’ve managed to combine three challenges on this card.  This week on the Roses on Paper challenge blog they’ve asked that you use flowers on your card and combine your card with another challenge.  So I’m entering this card in this weeks Just Magnolia challenge (paper piecing) and Inspirational Card Sketches.

I’ve made this card for one of the girls who works at Thomas’ nursery who has just passed her final exams.  She’s a lovely girl and Thomas is very fond of her so I thought I’d send this on his behalf!  I really like the effect of paper piecing and I should do this more often.

 

Here’s a close up picture of Tilda with her new wardrobe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Magnolia and Papermania sentiment

Colouring medium: Distress inks – Shabby Shutters & Peeled Paint (trousers and bows), Tea Dye, Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain (hair), Tattered Rose & Worn Lipstick (skin).  Tombow pen used for shade under Tilda

Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria

Embellishments: Prima Hydrangas, paper roses, button brads (Making Memories)

Tools: Nesties, Leone Em punch, retro flower punch

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A Gorjuss Friday Sketch

There’s another lovely sketch on this weeks Friday  Sketchers blog.  I bought this gorjuss girl a few weeks ago (I know, I’m way behind the times!!) and this is the first time I’ve used her.  I’m not 100% happy with the stamped flourish – it’s not as clear as I would like but I added a few pearls which has made it look a bit better.  Apart from that I’m happy with how this card looks – would love to know what you think.

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Gorjuss girl (Sugar Nellie), Inkadinkadoo flourish, A Muse sentiment

Colouring medium: Distress inks:- Faded jeans (dress), Shabby Shutters & Peeled Paint (stockings), Tea Dye, Brushed Cordroy & Walnut Stain (hair & bird), Tattered Rose (skin)

Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria

Embellishments:  Paper cherry blossom, roses & pearl spray from Wild Orchid Crafts, stick on pearls, eyelets, ribbon and charm from stash

Tools: Labels 4 nesties, Leone Em punch (leaves), Martha Stewart scallop punch, hole punch

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Truly Scrumptious Challenge #9

This week on the Truly Scrumptious challenge blog we have a great sketch by DT member Beth.

And the additional part of the challenge is to use altered flowers. You can use any flowers you like; Primas, punched, stamped etc., but you must alter them in some way (spray them, re-shape them, stamp them etc). And the prize for this challenge is a fantastic Whiff of Joy stamp.

I’ve used a lot of favourites on this card! My favourite WOJ image, my new favourite papers and my new glimmer mist which I absolutely love. I bought it at the Craft Barn this weekend and I don’t know how I’ve managed without it! For my altered flower I used my EK Success retro punches. I punched 3 large and 2medium flowers from my DP. I distressed then with shabby shutters and tea dye ink and then scrunched them up a bit. I’ve curled the petals and then layered the flowers, fixing them with a spacer and brad. I then put my flower (and my two paper roses) in a shoe box (great tip Kim, thanks) and gave them a spritz with glimmer mist.

Do visit the Truly Scrumptious blog and have a look at the rest of the DT’s fantastic cards.

Card recipe:

Stamps: Whiff of Joy, Papermania (sentiment)

Colouring medium: Distress inks – Shabby Shutters (trousers), Tea Die, Brushed Cordroy & Walnut stain (hair, top and basket)

Papers: Graphic 45

Embellishments: Paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts, Cuttlebug decorative corner die, Quickutz leaves, pearls & lace from stash

Tools: Labels 4 nesties

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Bildmalarna DT card

I am really enjoying making cards with these cute stamps. They are so easy to colour and the detail is fab. I had a few ideas floating around in my head for this image but when I saw Debbie’s fab Magnolia card I knew what I was going to do. Debbie kindly let me pinch her fantastic idea of using die cuts for waves and I then added some tiny shells and gold mica beads to create a sea bed. I wanted the frame around Mimosa to look like a porthole so I used my hole punch to score some circles and I’ve used some gardening twine to finish off the nautical look.

I'm going to enter this into this weeks CCT challenge which is to use punches and dies.

Card Recipe:

Stamp: Mimosas Boat from Bildmalarna

Colouring medium: Distress ink (Mimosa and boat), tombow pen (waves)

Cardstock: Bazzil and Bazzil Bling

Embellishments: Tiny shells (Create-n-Celebrate), mica beads, garden twine, stickles

Tools: Sizzix flourish die, Martha Stewart doily lace punch, circle nesties

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Guest DT call

There’s an exciting guest DT call on the Roses on Paper blog. Their challenge this week is to make a card using pink, green and yellow. Yellow is a scary word for me and I honestly think I’m allergic to it! I have a few odd bits of yellow paper and card but they’re leftovers from packs and I never use them. You’d be forgiven for missing it on this card but I have used a yellow button brad and fibres!!

The sketch is this weeks StampARTic challenge. I’ve tried to create a vintage feel with the card but I think I need lots more practice!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Magnolia, Papermania sentiment

Colouring medium: Distress inks

Papers: Basic Grey Sugared & Perhaps

Embellishments: Prima flowers, paper roses (Wild Orchid Crafts), Making Memories button brad, fibres (freebiesfrom Crafty Obsession), lace from stash

Tools: Woodware tag punch, circle nesties, corner rounder punch

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