Tuesday 31 December 2013

Farewell 365 Cards




Goodbye 365 Cards, today is the last day of four years of challenges, Pam and the team have done an amazing job of posting a challenge every single day.  Thank you for letting me be a part of it for the last five months, it's been fab.
I'm re-posting the first card I made for my DT stint as it's the one that kick-started my crafting mojo again!







Saturday 28 December 2013

Paper, scissors and flowers





Today at 365 Cards it's time to play with sharp objects  :-)
The challenge is to make a card using at least two different sharp tools to create your card.

I hand drew out my birthday greeting and flowery border on a sheet of plain white thin card and very carefully cut it out with a pair of very pointy scissors.  I punched holes in the flower centres with a hole punch then glued it onto a sheet of pink paper before sticking it on my card base and adding the sequins.

I'm entering this into Pinspired's final challenge, I love the layer of white icing on those snowflakes and was inspired to use a white cut out layer on my card.












and also entering this into
Papertake Pick of the Year (I've chosen the challenge from 20th Aug - Flower Power)
and The Pink Elephant challenge 231 - Anything Goes

Saturday 14 December 2013

Keep calm and eat chocolate



If you're here for the Lawnscaping Blog Hop either scroll down or click here

Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is Mixed Messages, where you incorporate images, stamps and even patterned paper that already have lots of words on so there's no single sentiment on the card.
I started off by making my own background paper for this card with lots of birthday messages for my intended recipient.  On to this I stamped the Keep Calm instructions, and then managed to find some Happy Birthday paper in my stash.
Finished off with my flower, swirls (die cut in pink tissue paper) and sequins




Friday 13 December 2013

Winter Wishes



Yay, it's blog hop day!

Hello, here for the Lawn Fawn blog hop? (you should have come from Bev's Happy Dance.  If you're a bit lost, or want to know what on earth I'm talking about you can return to Lawnscaping here to find out all the details and the prizes on offer)



Hope you've got a comfy seat and a cup of something warm, if you've made it this far you're doing well, you're half way through!  I'll try and keep my post short ....

I used Lawn Fawn's Frosties stamp set













to make the cascading snowflakes down the card background, these were heat embossed in white, and then sponged over with light blue, pink and violet inks.

I typed my sentiment on the computer then used Photoshop to bend and angle the text which I put inside a white frame.  Next I added a colour gradient background in similar colours to the inks I'd used.  Then, the fun part - I printed onto white card and fussy cut away all of the background leaving just the text and frame which I stuck over the snowflake background.  I was a bit worried that I'd lost the dots over the letter i's so added some sequins to replace them, then, 'cos I like sequins stuck on a few more!  And ta daaaah, one winter card in softly muted wintery colours, hope you like it!

That's it, I'm done, don't forget to leave me a comment to say you've stopped by, and your next stop on the hop is Tamara.  Thanks for visiting!



Saturday 7 December 2013

Partially Pieced



Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to use paper piecing for part of a stamped image.
I'd been itching to use this guitar stamp since I won it on ebay recently.  I sponged the background in a few shades of blue and grey and stamped the music notes, fussy cut the guitar and swirls on white paper, then fussy cut the stamped guitar on polka dot paper.  Added the sequins and sentiment, then spent a little while trying to photograph it and get my sequins to shine!

Am also entering this into Papertakes Anything Goes challenge.

Saturday 30 November 2013

Simply gifted



Hello, wanna come and play at 365 Cards today?  The challenge is to make a card and include a present or gift on it.
I was initially a bit stuck for ideas, but when I got started I thought of more and more things to add.
So, I started with a square of patterned paper, then overlaid a smaller square of white card with a rectangle cut from the middle to make my gift.  Next I added my ribbon bow thing (I'm sure it's got a proper name but I can't think of it right now ...) I started with a glue dot on a piece of its backing paper and folded and glued down loops of the ribbon, then finished it with a pink gem.  After adding the length of ribbon around my gift, and the (8) sequins, I figured it needed a gift tag too and was delighted to find my teeny tiny tag punch, and even more delighted to find a stamp set with 'for you' small enough to fit on it!
I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment, then added a shadow to it by stamping again without re-inking just next to it.

I'm also entering this into
CAS-ual Fridays - Create with 8
CASology - Shop
Inkspirational - Anything Goes


Saturday 23 November 2013

Polka Dot background card



I downloaded the free digi stamps from Paper Smooches recently (they're available here) and have been rather keen to use them, so thought I'd enter their colour challenge this week













I've combined this with Lawnscaping's polka dot challenge too













I printed the owl and squirrel along with the sentiment (the font is a free download from here), then painted and fussy cut the critters out.  I hand drew (well, with a circle template) the polka dot background for the greeting before applying some watercolour.  I chopped the squirrel up a bit (no animals were harmed in the making of this card, honest) before sticking him and the owl on.

CAS pink flowers


This week at 365 Cards we've been setting our challenges on beautiful backgrounds, and today I get to join in with a white background card.

I took my inspiration from the Runway Inspired Challenge #48













I drew out an elipse shape and stamped my sentiment inside, then stamped (with a bit of careful masking) eight flowers around the edge.  All the stamping was done in grey then I went over some of it with a black pen.  The flowers were watercoloured with a light pink wash and a few pearls and gems added to finish it off.

Dare I say it, but for a CAS card I'm actually quite pleased with it  :-)

I'm also entering this into CAS-ual Fridays' Create with 8 challenge





Saturday 16 November 2013

Stamp and Stitch Chalkboard Cake Card


Today over at 365 Cards the challenge is to use two techniques - stamping and stitching

I used the chalkboard technique for the focus of the card and framed it by stamping some planks on brown packaging paper which I've sponged over with white and grey inks.  These were fussy cut out and then cut to length to make a rectangular frame.
This was mounted onto some plain red paper and then onto the patterned background paper.  I've done some faux cross-stitching to join the two red layers.
I stamped, water-coloured and fussy cut the leaves and cup cakes.
All finished off with a big spotty ribbon and a touch of gold glitter.

I'm entering this into The Shabby Tea Rooms Challenge #192 Holiday Baking

Saturday 9 November 2013

Pretty Printing Anniversary Card



Hello, welcome back and thank you to everyone who left me such lovely comments last week.

Today's challenge at 365 Cards is Pretty Printing - hand write your own sentiment, and make sure it's at least three words long.

I love sets of alphabet stamps so that I can print my own personal message on a card but handwriting a sentiment is a bit scary.  Still, in for a penny!

Last year I went to a big craft show and bought a set of foils and a glue pen.  Well, actually, I bought the big pack because the lady demonstrating it made it look so easy and I thought it would look really great on a card.  This is the second time I've used it and I haven't quite got the knack yet, hence it's all a bit bumpy!  And I have a bit of a confession.  I was concentrating so hard on making the letters look pretty that I made a bit of a spelling mistake.  Doh.  You're looking at version 2!

I found some pale blue background paper and wrote my sentiment with the glue pen.  Then waited a g e s for it to dry before rubbing over a dark brown glossy foil.  Meanwhile I die cut my flowers out of the Colour Q pallette and stamped my leaves before fussy cutting them.  I love the Runway picture with the flowers over the model's shoulders and the stripes at the bottom so thought I would add a few stripes of my own to the card.  Finished it off with the buttons, twine and glitter brads.

I'm entering this card into
Lawnscaping Challenge #69 Let a sentiment stand out
Runway Inspired Challenge #47 Alberta Ferretti












Colour Q #214

and
The Daring Cardmakers - All the other reasons

Saturday 2 November 2013

Life is better at the beach


I've heard that everyone can be split into two distinct groups - you either love the seaside or the mountains.  Well, I'm a beach girl, no doubt about it!

Today we're having a blog hop and give away over at 365 Cards.  We (the DT) are all making cards in our own favourite styles.  The challenge is to scraplift your favourite one of our designs. Take a tour around and see what you think...

Audrey
Carla
Letisha
Janice
Michelle
Pam
Rose
Ruth (that's me)
Wendi
Yvonne
Victoria

Once you've visited everyone (and left a comment on each blog), go to the 365 Cards site and comment that you've visited us all (and who your favourite was) and a winner will be drawn at random to win a prize package of crafting goodies.

I started with the beach background paper with that fabulous sentiment.
I tore a piece of paper to mask off the centre of the card before stamping the grid under the anchor paper strip.  The grid and chevrons are in perfect plum.
To give it a seaside feel I knotted some bakers twine into a rope and strung it in a wave pattern.  Then, I'm a bit proud of myself for the next bit, studied a book of knots to make a continuous ring hitching around some small split rings!
The seagulls are stamped and fussy cut, the pair of seagulls involved some more masking.  And I've added a little wooden button to finish it off.

I'm entering this card into
The Craft-Room Challenge - use stencils and/or masks
Just Add Ink #189 Colour Challenge (crumb cake, perfect plum, raspberry ripple and white)









The Friday MashUp #134 Got Chevrons?
Totally Papercrafts #191 Button It Up
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes



Saturday 26 October 2013

Leaves and woodgrain birthday card


I went out for a lovely walk earlier this week with my little girl and we collected lots of leaves together.  We then spent a happy afternoon inking the leaves and using a brayer to make leaf impressions on some brown paper.
I cut mine out to make a card.  She cut hers out to decorate the table.  And her chair.  Oh, and the floor.  But she had a good time!
I love the Trigger Tuesday picture at Moxie Fab World...


..and felt inspired to make a card with the woodgrain background, the brown of the bowl and those beautiful coloured leaves.

I watercoloured and stamped the woodgrain background, die cut the birthday boy's name and stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment.

I'm also entering this into
The Ribbon Girl - October colour challenge (brown)
and
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - make a card



Zentangle Christmas Trees



This week over at 365 Cards we're being sponsored by DRS Designs, one lucky winner will receive a gift certificate to shop in their store.

I've started with their Christmas sentiment as a digi stamp (I know, two weeks in a row that I've ventured into the world of digital design!), and the rest I put together in Photoshop.

I fell in love with zentangling when I first saw it but have never actually tried it before.  I zentangled my Christmas trees (well, I don't really know if this qualifies as zentangles or if it's actually just a bit of doodling!) and added a texture and colour gradient in the background.  I also added a light blue shadow to the text before printing it straight onto my card blank.

Am entering this into
Papertake Challenge - Oh Christmas Tree
Top Tip Tuesday #112  Black and White and a Splash of Colour
Aud Sentiments - Christmas Sentiments


Saturday 19 October 2013

Vintage Ephemera



Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to make a vintage style card using some ephemera.
This is what I love about being on a design team, being pushed to work outside my comfort zone - I would never have made a card for this challenge in a million years otherwise!

I printed the map, tore the edges and distress inked around them.
The sentiment was printed too, I liked the vintage style font.
Swirls were die cut, and the stars and hand were stamped and fussy cut.

Am entering this into
Daring Cardmakers - Digital Dare
Stampin' For the Weekend - Anything Goes
Kaboodle Doodles #193 Earth Tone or Colours
Inkspirational #41 Anything Goes




Saturday 12 October 2013

Pick A Tool



Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to use a tool that someone else chooses for you.  My son chose my circle templates for me to use.
I drew the overlapping circles and water coloured them using the pallette from this weeks Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  I tried to keep the diagonal stripes of colour in my work.




I stamped and embossed the swirl and little stripes of pattern in gold before sticking on my gold embossed sentiment.
As a final touch I added three little pearls.

I'm also entering this into
Stampin' For the Weekend - Anything Goes
Inkspirational - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Use a Rubber or Clear Stamp

And don't forget we're giving away a pack of fabulous Echo Park papers, just leave a comment over at 365 here to be in with a chance!

Sunday 6 October 2013

Woodgrain Wedding Card



I've been meaning to make this wedding card for ages and had a couple of ideas for it, but this week I've seen two inspiration pictures that together just fired up my mojo.
The photos I started with are Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger ...



and Inspired By #91...



I watercoloured a background of very light grey, brown and green wide stripes and let the colours run into each other.  While this was still a bit damp I stamped a woodgrain pattern over the top so it kind of blended into the background a bit for a softer look.  I like the way the knots in the wood echo the shape of the comb in the top photo.
The flowers around the edge of the frame are all from one stamp which was a bit too straight for my liking, so I fussy cut around some of the swirls and flowers to split the image into three pieces which I could then reassemble around the curved edge of the frame.  I stamped it in four different colours so I could add a few more flowers to hide my joins!

I'm also entering this into
The Pink Elephant 219 Wedding or Anniversary
and
The Friday Mashup 130 Let's Cut it Up!

and it would of course fit into 365 Cards day 278 - Fussy Cut and Paper Pieced too. We'd love you to come over and join us, we have a new challenge every day.



Saturday 5 October 2013

Paper pieced chevrons



Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to use a stamped image and fussy cut and paper piece it.

I started with my chevron background stamp and stamped it onto black, grey and aqua papers before snipping along all those zig zags and carefully glueing them onto a piece of white card.

The flower is from a Stampin' Up set (Pick a Petal).  I stamped so many of these petals onto all different colours of paper and cut them up in different ways, I just couldn't choose which method worked best, so in the end settled for two different types!

I had intended to cut the flower so it was level with the edge of the card but kind of liked it going off the edge.  It may be a different story when I can't find an envelope that it fits in  :-)

I'm entering this into
Runway Inspired Challenge #45  (I love the black and white stripes and the splash of bright rainbow on one side)














Friday 27 September 2013

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life



Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to include an uplifting sentiment... and who can go wrong with a bit of Monty Python?!

The letters were individually die cut, the 'o' s substituted with die cut buttons and a faux stitched border drawn around the edge.

Now all I've got to do is stop whistling this tune  :-)


Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And...

Always look on the bright side of life (whistle)
Always look on the light side of life (whistle)
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing

When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing
And...

Always look on the bright side of life... (whistle)
Come on!
Always look on the bright side of life... (whistle)

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow

So always look on the bright side of death (whistle)
Just before you draw your terminal breath (whistle)
Life's a piece of s**t
When you look at it

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you

And always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life (whistle)
Always look on the bright side of life (whistle)
Always look on the bright side of life (whistle)


Always Look On the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle

Am entering this card into

Colour Q #208












Kaboodle Doodles - Use Orange
TotallyPaperCrafts - Stitching
Fussy and Fancy - Punches and Dies



Saturday 21 September 2013

Tin Can Butterfly


Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to include a small item of altered art.  Come over and join in - we have a new challenge every single day!

My altered art addition is the butterfly - I die cut him out of the lid of a can of condensed milk!  It took a few goes through the die cutter but with a bit of wiggling and jiggling got it out eventually.  I played about with some pink sparkle embossing powders, then coloured in around the edges with a brown sharpie pen before covering it in extra thick embossing powder.

I stamped the sentiment and heat embossed in a light pink sparkly powder then redid in a much darker pinky-red colour to get a bit of a shadow effect on the text.  Then went over the top in water colours.  And then stamped over with a Stampin' Up wheel with teeny tiny flowers whilst it was still a bit damp to get it to all merge a bit.

The top pattern was die cut and the bottom pattern was punched with a hole punch and ribbon threaded through.

I'm entering this into
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Make it sparkle
Moxie Fab World - Metal, Wood and Cork




Saturday 14 September 2013

Cityscape



Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to incorporate a cityscape into your card.  I had an urge to use strips of newspaper to make the buildings.  After cutting them to size I inked them all over in white craft ink to reduce the definition of the newsprint.  Then, taking inspiration from Trigger Tuesday used my brayer to ink on the colours.  At this point I added another couple of buildings made from tissue paper right at the front to attempt to get the merging/fading colours.  After going off to scrub my very inky fingers clean  I drew on all those black lines, and added the sentiment which is die cut in gold card.

I'm entering this into Tuesday Trigger: In Transition

and also into Moxie Fab World All That Glitters Is Gold Challenge
Addicted To Stamps and More #62 Make Your Mark
Stampotique Designers Challenge #116 Try a New Technique  (first time I've used my brayer to get graduated colours!)

Sunday 8 September 2013

Red Rock




A friend of mine is celebrating the launch of her first novel and we've been invited to the party!  I thought I'd better make a card to take with me!
I've used the cover of her book as inspiration for this card.  I hand drew the rock before masking it off, stamping the grid in clear embossing powder, stamping over with watercolours on my grunge stamp and then colouring in the rock with water colours, before adding the splatters and sentiment.

I'm entering it into
Fashionable Stamping Challenge #56 Can-U-Resist
Less is More - use dark green and rust
Retro Sketches #80  (I turned the sketch on it's side)












Oh, and in case you were wondering, the book is Red Rock by Kate Kelly - order your copy now!

Wow!  This card was reached the top 3 of Fashionable Stamping Challenge #56 Can U Resist!  Thank you - you've made my day  :-)

Saturday 7 September 2013

Autumn Harvest



Todays challenge over at 365 Cards is to incorporate three things associated with the autumn harvest.  I've chosen a harvest moon, a wheat field and a tractor.
I got my watercolours out for this card and painted the moon, night sky and field, then drew on my ears of wheat in the foreground.  The tractor is stamped and coloured with watercolours too, it's been fussy cut out and stuck on to the card.
It would have been a very quick card to make if I hadn't had to have waited for all the paint to dry!

I'm entering this into Addicted to Stamps challenge - Anything Goes
and Papertake's Anything Goes challenge

Friday 6 September 2013

Dabbling in Watercolours



I keep trying clean and simple cards but there's always too much temptation to keep on adding  :-)
This one is for Less is More who are challenging us to use a rubber stamp and watercolours.  I've been dabbling with my watercolours a bit recently so felt it would be rude not to enter!

I painted the card with a light wash of colour before letting it dry, then stamped and painted the flowers with watercolours and some gold shimmer.

Saturday 31 August 2013

Bokeh Background Birds


Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to say goodbye to the summer by using sunset colours on your card.
I sponged an ombre background from pink through to orange and then yellow, then added a little bit of a bokeh effect over the top in the same colours.
Not having any circle stamps I punched a few different size circles out of craft foam to create my own.

I've seen lots of beautiful cards in blogland using the bokeh effect.  I wanted to get a pattern close to what's seen in a photograph, so added my final layer of stamped circles with white craft ink to get the highlights.

I'm entering this card into
 Moxie Fab World : Tuesday Trigger - Honoring Ombre



and
Aud Sentiments Challenge #88 : Any sentiment

Saturday 24 August 2013

Rainbow Colour Blocked Birthday


Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to use all the colours of the rainbow but without using a rainbow.  (Did you guess from yesterday's card?)  After warming up with the stamped card I thought some colour blocking might be the way to go!
I started off with the die cut sentiment on some rainbow stripes then had a go at colour blocked die cuts for the swirls.  Added a few little gems to finish it off.

Friday 23 August 2013

Round and Round


This weeks challenge over at Less is More is Round and Round.  Now it being the school summer holidays my children have been playing with all of their toys (more or less all at the same time!).  One thing they have is a big set of brightly coloured plastic cogs that all fit together and when a handle is turned they all start moving round and round ... and hence my inspiration for the challenge  :-)

I lightly sketched out a circle on my card, measured the area for the sentiment, dry embossed around it and then masked it off before stamping my cogs.

This also happens to be a bit of a sneak preview for tomorrows challenge at 365 Cards, don't forget to come back and find out what it is!




Saturday 17 August 2013

Front and back


Todays challenge over at 365 Cards is to decorate the front and back of your card.
I thought that having a swirly flourish that is kind of draped over the top might be one way of doing this so here's what I've made.
I water coloured the background in very wet red and yellow washes and then, when it was almost dry stamped the flourish in grey water colour paint to get a soft image.  When it was all dry I stamped over in white and then grey inks.  The flowers were stamped and water coloured then fussy cut out and stuck onto the card.  Here are the front and back views ....


I'm also entering this into Colour Q challenge #202







Saturday 10 August 2013

Staples


Today's challenge over at 365 Cards is to use at least two staples on your card, so here's what I did with exactly two staples!
My husband thought it would be a good idea to do some staple art and make a picture out of a whole load of staples.  He's obviously a lot more confident in my artistic abilities than I am!

The background paper has a layer of tissue paper over the middle part to allow the sentiment to stand out a little more clearly.  The birthday letters are from a Stampin' Up jumbo wheel, which I stamped and then cut out.  The staples are holding down some paper twine (I am rubbish at glueing that stuff down - it has a life of it's own!).  I put the staples through the background paper and the dark brown card base layer before I glued these layers to the card so that the sharp ends wouldn't be seen from the inside of the card

Friday 9 August 2013

Chevrons and flowers


I've had fun trying out lots of new ideas for this card.  I saw a fab new technique recently of cutting out a design from the front of a card and then putting another layer behind it (thanks Deepti!), this is my take on it - I drew out the scalloped square and the Zoe, then really carefully cut out all the bits with some super sharp pointy scissors.  I water coloured the frame then stamped lots of flowers all around.  The background is held on with some double sided foam pads to add some depth.  I punched holes inside the scallops and threaded some ribbon through to finish it all off.
I'm entering this into
Ribbon Reel #59 Chevrons and Flowers
Kaboodle Doodles #183 Anything with Scallops
Ribbon Girl August Card Challenge : Birthday Card



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