Curtain Call - Guest Designer!

Hi guys

Last month I was lucky enough to be the Lead for the Green challenge at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge.  And by winning the challenge I'm delighted to have been invited to be their Guest Designer for the next challenge, which starts today.

So, without further ado here's the inspiration photo...

And here's my interpretation...

I think it's fairly obvious which elements I used from the photo!  I started by stamping the tulips with a little masking for dimension.  I then cut a rough mask to cover the flowers before gently blending through a stencil to create the background.  I then took inspiration from the cracked paint on the chair in the photo and used a die to cut some patterned paper which was a great match for the flaking paint, and I then added a little shading to the edges of the jar die cut to add some depth.  I then stamped the sentiment, matted the panel onto some orange cardstock and then adhered it flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Spring Blooms, With Love
• Ink: Altenew - Sunkissed, Orange Cream, Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Frosty Pink, Cotton Candy, Forest Glades, Frayed Leaf; Distress Ink - Weathered Wood (stencil shading); Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: MFT - Checkerboard
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Spring Blooms (jar)
• Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants Designs - Country Boutique
• Coloured Card: Papermania

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #132 - Spring

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #272 - Spring Spectacular

Penny Black and More - April Challenge - Spring

Stamping Sensations - April Challenge - Anything Goes

Uniko - Challenge #40 - Spring with an Optional Twist of Easter

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  And a big thank you to the team at Curtain Call for inviting me to join them for this challenge.

Addicted to Stamps and More #110

Good morning crafters

Well, it's Wednesday again so there is a new challenge starting over at Addicted to Stamps and More, and this week we have a challenge for you in the form of a...

Photo Inspiration

You may take any element of the photo that inspires you, e.g. the colours, image, theme, etc.

We have a wonderful sponsor this week, QKR Stampede, who are offering a prize of 3 digis to one lucky winner.

Here is my DT card

I cut a strip of woodgrain patterned paper and stamped the bloom and leaf with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed with white powder.  The white powder is actually quite creamy so I opted for a cream card base instead of white.  I mounted the patterned paper onto some dark brown cardstock before adhering to my card base.  I then used the same brown cardstock to stamp the sentiment, again in VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  I then fussy cut this out before attaching with 3D foam.  

I think you can clearly see where my inspiration came from: the woodgrain, the skirt that looks exactly like flower petals and the ballerina's head was my inspiration for the round sentiment.

Materials used:

• Patterned paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique
• Cardstock: Bazzill Basics - Premium Cardstock (brown); card base from stash
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Flower Shop; Uniko Studio - Natures Treasures #1 (leaf); Sentiment stamp - unknown brand
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - white

My fellow members of the ATSM Design Team have some great projects showing how they were inspired by this week's photo so why not pop over and take a look and have a go at the challenge yourself.

Ok, that's all for now, thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again soon :)

Just a Wooden Note

Hiya

Yes, I'm still up!  I should be snuggled down in bed by now but I wanted to enter another challenge or three and I'm not sure I'll find the time after work tomorrow to get linked up.

So here's my next card to share with you today (apologies for the bad photography, had to grab the daylight lamp!)...

I used a cream linen effect tri-fold aperture card base that I've had in my stash for years.  I have loads of these but seem to have abandoned them.  They are quite handy for quick makes so I think I'll keep hold of them.  I found some wood-effect patterned paper so I placed some of this behind the ready-made aperture.  I then used a leaf die with some cream textured cardstock and adhered this across the aperture.  I stamped the sentiment in brown ink and finished with a wooden butterfly embellishment.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique 6x6 paper pad
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock; card base from stash
• Die: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Leafy Accents
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Many Messages
• Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Butterfly embellishment from stash

Challenge entries:

CASology - Week 101 - Wood

Butterfly Challenge #9 - Monochromatic

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #118 - Wooden It Be Loverly

Phew, that really is all for today!  I'm off to bed now before a busy week ahead at work. 

Nite all x

Bubbly Bears

Hi guys

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments left following my recent showCASe at Less is More for this card.  I was absolutely gobsmacked to be chosen for the Top 3 by Chrissie and Jen, so thank you SO much ladies for starting my 2014 with a big smile on my face! :D xxx

I've had lots in my diary this week so after a week of no crafting I've finally found the time this morning to make a card.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing a bit of colouring with my ProMarkers, its so therapeutic.  My colours are still a bit limited but I managed ok with what I had for this one.  I also inked up a stamp I bought a while ago but have never used.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampavie (Penny Johnson) - Bubbly Bears; Stampin' Up - Fabulous Phrases
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (brown); base card from stash
• Button: Creative Expressions - Wood Buttons
• Glitter Glue: Stickles - Star Dust
• Jute twine from stash

Challenge Entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #77 - Make Your Mark
CASology - Week 77 - Bubbly
Crafty Cardmakers - #107 - Bear With Me
Crafty Creations - Challenge #254 - Something to Drink
I Love ProMarkers - Challenge #201 - Add a Bow
Crazy for CAS - Challenge #35 - Chevrons
Passion for ProMarkers - Challenge 229 - Clean and Simple
Freshly Made Sketches - #118

That's all from me today.  Thanks so much for popping by.  There are so many great challenges around at the moment so I'm hoping to be back again very soon with more to share.

Have a great Sunday!

CAS(E) this Sketch #43

Good morning fellow crafters

I've got a horrible cold at the moment so got up early this morning as I couldn't breathe lying down!  So I had a little tidy up of my crafty mess that was left after making my last couple of cards and then made this card for the latest challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch.

Yes, its that Fancy Pants paper pad again but I love it and chose to team it up with a kraft card base as it works so well with the neutrals in these patterned papers...

 

And here is the challenge sketch...

 

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Card base - Papermania Kraft; cream cardstock from stash
• Patterned paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique
• Stamp: Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versa Color - Charcoal
• Button: Stampin' Up - Designer Very Vintage
• Ribbon from stash



That's all from me today but please pop back tomorrow when I will have some very exciting news to share with you ;)

Until then, take care

Congratulations on your Engagement

Hi guys

Well, until today my week off has seen very little sunshine, but today the sun finally came out so we made the most of it and got out and about.  We travelled up the coast to Seaton in East Devon and had a little trip on the Seaton Tramway where electric trams take you from Seaton to Colyton alongside the River Axe estuary and through the nature reserves in the Axe Valley.  A little later we drove along the coast to Beer and had a little wander around the shops.  Its a shame we had to use the cliff top car park, that just proved how unfit I really am!!  Phew, that was very hot and hard work!!

Anyhoo, getting back to some craftiness, I wanted to share a card I made last night ahead of an engagement party we are going to tomorrow evening, one of my chap's friends recently popped the question :)

This is only the second time I have used pages from this paper pad and I really love the neutral shades.  I scored double horizontal lines above and below the strip of patterned paper and then used some dies to cut out the hearts from other pages in the same pad.  I used two different stamp sets from Clearly Besotted for the sentiments and decided to use Charcoal ink on this one instead of black and I think it works much better with the neutral tones of the paper.  My only annoyance with this card is that the pattern can be seen through the ribbon, oh well, you can't win 'em all eh!  On the other hand, I love my bow, makes a change for me to create a half-decent one! :D

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Base card from stash
• Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants Designs - Country Boutique
• Dies: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Love Hearts collection
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Framed Sentiments and Baby Love sets
• Ink: Versa Color - Charcoal
• Ribbon and gems from stash

That's all from me today.  I have an afternoon and evening on my own on Saturday so hopefully I will be able to fit in some crafty time and therefore be back on Sunday to share some more creations with you.

As always, thanks for visiting and I hope you are having a lovely week whatever you're up to :)

Bye for now

 

Weight Loss Update:

So far I've managed to lose 7.5 lbs in 4 weeks, not bad considering July was a busy month for socialising.  I've been eating out a fair amount this week too, it is my holiday after all, but I don't think I've done too much damage, Monday morning will reveal all :-/

 

Less is More Week 125 - Happy Birthday

Morning lovelies

I woke up really early this morning and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get back to sleep so I ended up getting up and got stuck in to some more crafting.

It's Jen Nelson's birthday so the challenge at Less is More this week is to make a card that Jen would like.

'Happy Birthday, Jen, I hope you had a lovely time celebrating in Istanbul' :) xx

I tried to create something in a 'Jen Stylie' and here's what I came up with...

I recently purchased a paper pad by Fancy Pants and I love these designs, aren't they gorgeous, so I knew I wanted to use these for this card and I also chose a natural card base.  Jen loves butterflies so I incorporated these as well as a bit of matting and layering and, instead of stitching, which Jen loves to do (I don't have a sewing machine to hand), I edged my mats with some paper piercing. 

I love these neutrals combined with the kraft, I think this paper pad will be making lots more appearances!

Happy Birthday, Jen, I hope you like it! :)

Materials used:

• Design Paper: Fancy Pants Designs - Country Boutique
• Card Base: From stash
• Cardstock: Papermania - Kraftstax
• Stamp: BoBunny - Sentiments Stamp set
• Ink: Memento - London Fog
• Ribbon: American Crafts - Premium Grosgrain
• Pearls: Hobbycraft - 3mm White Pearl Gem Stones
• Tools: Stampin' Up - Paper Piercing Kit

That's all for now folks, thanks for popping by and see you very soon :)