No images again ....

.... I've been doing a lot of sentiment only cards lately, I wonder is my style changing?  Only time will tell, I suppose! 

This card is my bit-late-again DT sample for this week's PaperPlay.  Our challenge is called "Wooden it be Nice", use something to do with wood, could be woodgrain paper, wooden embellishments, tree image/stamp.  I used lovely woodgrain paper.  We are sponsored this week by Whiff of Joy.

This card is for the family of a very elegant and stylish elderly lady who died last week.  At her funeral, we were told how she had a different coloured umbrella for every ensemble!  She always had hair, makeup and nails impeccably done and, indeed, on her way down for MRI tests in hospital, made the porter wait until she had her can of hairspray with her!!  So with all this in mind, I wanted to make a card fit for a lady.  Here's what I ended up with:

I used the lovely sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: The Shabby Tea Room ("Rustic Elegance"), Fussy and Fancy Friday ("Anything Goes" and The Crafty Pad ("Distress It").

Here's a side-shot of the card, showing the distressed, inked and rolled roses:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Capella" and MME "Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks"

Other: Ribbon from stash, Hero Arts pearls

Thanks for looking!

A day of contrasts ....

.... we were over at my in-laws' house yesterday - it was my husband's grandmother's 92nd birthday.  She used to have parties on the 5 year marks, but since she turned 90 (had a BIG celebration that year!), she's insisting upon having a "do" every time - and rightly so!!  All her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there, she ate more food than she normally eats in a week, and all had a nice time.  Then we went in to a pub in town to see my husband's nephew's heavy metal band launching their first album.  Wonder what next weekend will bring!!! 

Here's the card I made for "Granny Susie":

I used the sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Bunny Zoes' Crafts, Party Time Tuesdays, Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes"), Crafty Cardmakers ("Distress It") and Shopping our Stash ("May Flowers").
Here's a closeer look at the cute Sugar Nellie image I used (first time inking this one!):

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Capella"

Image: "Miss Tulip" by Mary Hall for Sugar Nellie

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Die Cuts: Nestabilities Ovals and Scalloped Ovals

Other: Hairy string, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Break out the yellow ....

.... because the sun is shining!!

It's been a very dank and grey spring here in Dublin, bar one sunny week way back in March (not that I'm complaining, as such - as I've said before, I like our weather). But today, the sun made a surprise appearance and it's to be fine for the whole week. My, what a good mood everyone is in!! And we've got Sports Day in school on Friday - it is so strange to hear people talking optimistically about the weather a whole 5 days in advance! Normally, we'd be hedging our bets and waiting until Thursday before deciding whether or not it can go ahead!

So when doing a commissioned card for a confirmation, I included a colour that I almost never use - YELLOW!! Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Sunday Sketch + Stamp and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Paper Sundaes ("Pretty in Pink"), Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes" - my third entry!), Sugar Bowl ("Free for All" using Sugar Nellie stamp), The Ribbon Girl ("Pinks and Creams") and Simon Says Stamp + Show ("Summer Holiday").

I used this cute Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl image - but masked out the heart and envelope seams and added a cross so it looks like a prayer book.  I was told that Róisín, the girl who the card is for, has reddish-blonde hair - so I had a go with the distress inks - quite pleased with the result.  Here's a close-up and then a pic of the distressed, inked and rolled flowers.

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Ambrosia", "Kissing Booth", "Nook + Pantry" and "Capella"

Stamp: Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl "Sent with Love"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: MS "Branch"

Other: Ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Knew I'd forgotten ....

.... something, I meant to put glitter on this card, but as I've given it to the customer, bit late now!!!

It's for one of the teachers in school, for her mother's 50th birthday.  She said her Mum loves flowers and cooking.  I immediately thought of a cute little Tilda stamp that I've had for a while but never inked.  Here's what I ended up with:

I used the sketch from this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges, used BG Capella and Sugared papers, and Sugared brads.  I'm also entering this into Magnolia Down Under (make your own embellishments - mine is the lollipop flower), Little Red Wagon (Do it in 3s - I have 3 papers and 3 brads), Cute Card Thursday (anything goes) and Stamp Something (Digi Day - OK this is pushing it a bit, but my sentiment is computer generated - does that count?!!).

The colours are very slightly off, I took the picture two or three times in different areas, either ended up too yellow with artificial light or too blue with natural light. Ah, the pleasures of winter!!  Having said all that, the adjust contrast thingie on photoshop made a massive improvement, how did I ever work without it!!

I coloured the image with distress inks, still loving this technique.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Capella and BG Sugared

Stamp: Magnolia "Baking Tilda with Wooden Spoon"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS "Branch" punch, BG Sugared brads, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - I'm off to make apple crumble now as we have a guest for dinner.  The weekend plans include making a start on my Christmas cards - production line here I come!!!

Rush rush rush ....

.... I started the card for DH's grandmother yesterday morning, thinking we were leaving for the party at about 3.30 and I had loads of time.  The kids were at the cinema with DH, nice quiet house, no hurry on me.  So I changed a few bits as I was going along, experimented with things, broke out the crackle paint and the rock candy stickles, until they came home at 1.30 and he said we needed to go at 2.45.  WHAT?!!!  So I put it all together in a massive hurry, photographed it, got changed, into the car, painted my nails one at a time every time we hit a red light, and now as I look at the photos, I realised I forgot to stick pearls on the image.

I've used Martine's lovely sketch on this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges, and broke into my gorgeous new BG Capella papers, which are my absolute favourite of their recent releases, I love the colours.

I'm also entering this card on A Spoon Full of Sugar (celebrations), Crafty Creations (use your favourite stamp - I do love this set), Creative Inspirations (Distressing), Quixotic Challenges (Emboss it), Simon Says Stamps (pink/blue and green and brown - all here I think!) and ABC Challenge (Vintage).

I was faffing about with three of the set of these Hero Arts stamps, two with leaves, trying to get them to look like a bouquet, and it wasn't working - so I cut the leaves off two of them and just used them with the one single flower.  And I had meant to put tiny pearls on those little circley bits, but ran out of time.  Here's an image close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Capella

Stamps: Hero Arts "Peeking Posies"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour pencils and sansodor

Other: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Crackle Paint, Distress inks, Maya Road Pins, lace from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!