Squirrel inspired

This is a commissioned card for my mum to send to my sister in law. My brother told mum that she wasn't to send cards withloads of 'crap' on as he called it meaning flowers and 3D embellishment mainly because mum in a rush thinking it would be ok sent a card for my nephew that was thicker than 5mm so my brother had to go pay extra postage and he wasn't a happy bunny. This is the card I came up with. I do love the cards Squirrel(shirley) makes and think her painting in distress inks is something I envy greatly one very talented lady - well I think so anyway.

I used this cute teddy from forever friends and used my promarkers as paints  by scribbling on a poly bag and using a watercolour pen, not as beautiful as Squirrels distress re-inkers but I think it worked.The daisies are coloured with  sakura pens .

I finished the card with a peel-off it almost felt like I'd cheated but I was quite pleased with the finished result.Thanks for the inspiration Squirrel.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Stampavie and more-use a bear

addicted to CAS-one layer

paper nest dolls-anything goes

created with love-anything goes

fetch a sketch-layout

lexi's creations-birthday celebrations

craftin desert divas-anything goes

crafty sentiments-anything goes

MAWTT-no papers

As you like it-case your favourite designer

A gift wallet

I always find it challenging to make giving money or gift vouchers as a gift and making it different and a little bit exciting for the recipient.

I know you can put them in a card with a pocket but I guess that's what people expect to receive money or vouchers in so I decided to challenge myself and came up with this. I know it doesn't seem an exciting wedding gift but its what the happy couple asked for so they can get the things they need for their new home together.

I used another freebie paper from Debbie Moore and covered a cardboard wallet I made . I guess the most challenging bit was the fastener but have to say I don't think there was another like it.

Closed

Opened out outside

Opened out inside

I added a blank so I could write our message.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:-

A creative romance-add metal

totally papercrafts-no squares allowed

613 avenue- anything goes optional paper piecing

challenges 4 everybody-anything goes

craftitude-anything goes/spooky

stampARTic -anything goes

stamp+fun=creativity-3D

For anyone who has followed the last few posts here is a piccy of the happy couple and I wish them all the luck and good wishes for their life together.

wiccan wedding card

Here is the card I made for my niece and her now husband. A good time was had by all and there are some wedding pics below for anyone who's interested.

Jess and Alex are wiccan and so I wanted to make a card that was more in line with that than a traditional wedding card. I did some research and found not only bits about different flower symbology in wiccan following but loads about the wedding ceremony and that many of the traditional christian rituals have basis from within the wiccan traditions, all very interesting.

Anyway to explain my card, the wedding couple have their hands bound together by a cord that is made up of 3 cords which can be different colours depending on what they want and the different coulours all have different meanings. This is why I have 3 ribbons interwoven around the edge of my circle. Circles are also very symbolic and the couple stand in one as they exchange vows. The 4 cardinal points which are each represented by one of the 4 elements are also involved but I couldn't work out how to use them or represent them on my card either.

I did use the lovely green paper from Debbie Moore as wiccans are very caring of nature and I felt this was representative of that too. The flowers are also significant. One of the things that is hung around the wedding venue are kissing knots which are rosemary and red roses tied with string which encourage harmony and love to those who walk beneath them. I liked this idea and so decided that along with lavender I which represents luck I would used these flowers on my card. The rosemary and lavender I cut from my garden and pressed then sprayed with mount spray to stop them falling to bits . The roses are fake as I don't have any miniature roses in my garden and have found in the past when I press roses they tend to lose their colour and don't really look much like roses any-more.

The words on the base of the card are some from the ceremony words itself , hope they are the same ones they used but either way I thought they were perfect for the card as the text of the ceremony is quite lovely and would fit into any romance novel, unfortunately it wouldn't all fit on my card. If you have 5 minutes to spare have a squizzy on the tinternet.

I can only hope I've got all my symbology correct and that the card didn't offend them and that they will hopefully think of it as a wonderful keepsake but I guess only time will tell.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges-

stamp+fun =creativity-3D

stamp Artic-anything and everything

totally papercrafts-no squares
craftitude-anything goes/spooky
scribble and scrap-anything goes
613 avenue-anything goes optional paper piecing
crafts for everyone-anything goes
a gem of a challenge-more than 1 fold
the corrosive challenge-tic-tac-toe (bling hearts,flowers and die cuts)

wedding card box

This post and the next couple are all projects I made for my niece who got married yesterday, obviously couldn't post it before today. The card I made in the next post wouldn't fit in an envelope and I thought the box might help it stay protected should she decide to make it a keepsake.

I used a magnolia wedding couple stamp and customised it by adding glassed for the groom as he wears specs and as Jess is having a red dress as there are rumours there will be a wiccan ceremony too I coloured the brides dress red. The flowers I added purple as a while ago they were asking if I could think of any purple flowers that would be seasonally in bloom now so I'm just guessing really.                                                                                                                                                Have to say I was quite pleased with the colouring of her dress as I am really trying to improve my colouring skills with folds and pleats but don't always manage to achieve the look very well.

I kept the box decoration quite simple limiting decoration just to the lid . I did co-ordinate the paper with that I used on the card and as its a Debbie Moore

 freebie download I could always print more. It has a lovely brocade pattern and is in a nice earthly green shade with tonal effects( unless that's just my aged printer that printed funny) .                                                                                                                                                                                    I mounted the fussy cut image onto a spellbinders die cut fancy circle in white and on a smaller die cut from the same set using sakura glaze pen wrote 'Mr and Mrs'.

The arty pic of the box from the side.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges;-

creative fingers-anything goes optional inspired by the movies

craftitude-anything goes/halloween
magnolicious-anything goes
613 avenue-anything goes optional paper piecing
scrap and scribble-anything goes
challenges for everybody-anything goes
penny black and more-anything goes

and your point is?

Firstly sorry about the picture quality the autumnal sunshine -not that I'm complaining doesn't help when taking piccies well that's my excuse anyway.

Just love this image so reminds me of my sister as she has for me anyway a real spunky attitude.

I coloured he in autumnal colours as I love the richness they offer and thought it would make a change for a girly card. The image is of course a saturated canary simply sassy which I got from sugar nellie. The papers and flowers ,ribbon and pearls are all from my stash.

Sorry this is such a short post but we have loads to do today ( more about that tomorrow) so best get on and sadly no crafting today either.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

bearly mine-layout sketch

creative corner-femme fatale

crafty catz-spots and stripes(hope the spots on her top are enough)

brown sugar-autumn

hanna and friends-anything goes
penny black and more-anything goes

medallion christmas

I love the effect medallion stamps can give  and for Christmas cards they are perfect as they have an opulence and richness. In the past I have made Christmas bauble decorations attached to cards for my mum in law which she hung on her tree each year before they moved to Tenerife.

I used three colours , the two graphit markers I own, turquoise and bouganville along with prussian  promarker which I'm never sure if its more blue or purple.I had embossed the medallions in gold razzle embossing powder and used liquid pearls to add highlights.

The sentiment I decided needed to be simple but still ornate and this stamp seemed to fit the bill. I embossed again with razzle gold glitter powder.

The card was finished by adding some gift wrap ribbon for the bauble to hang on.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

sister act-anything goes

craftin boutique-anything goes

party time tuesday-glitter

paperminutes-use a big ornament on your card

The stamping boutique-bling bling

graphit marker challenge-alternative christmas colours

passion with promarkers-something with a P ( mine is purple)

seize the sketch-layout

mousey mousey weeeeeeeeeeee!

I'm always on the look out for something new to try so when I saw a challenge for a centre step card I thought I'd have a go. Now I did get in a bit of a muddle and it took me a while but I got there in the end. 

I decided to use my one and only house mouse stamp I really should get some more they are on my wish list along with some gruffles and many others but short on pennies due to a run of things breaking down.

I coloured the image with promarkers , the flowers I wanted to tone with the red on the twine but didn't want it to be too bright so I put some on acetate and used a water brush to paint the flowers I'm quite pleased how it turned out.

The buttons are some I had in my stash and I thought the leaves looked similar to those the mice were using and I just had to use the glitter buttons.

The twine is from whiff of joy and I thought some bows just added the finishing touch.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

The crafty cafe-anything goes

House mouse and friends-anything goes with twine

sweet stamps monthly challenge-centre step card

a little girl with Attiude

Over at the sugar bowl they have a challenge to use your first sugar nellie stamp ,not sure if this gorjuss girl will count but along with daisy which I fell for when I found their website this was the stamp that led me to them. I just love her attitude as it reminds me of photos my mum has of me when I was little, she always says I was a proper little busy boots always mothering and protective of my baby sister who is only 15 months younger than myself, don't know what she means lol.                                                                                                                                                                 This card I have left the tag blank as of now as I have some small sticky sentiments and peel offs which will fit the tag when I decide who or what the card will be used to celebrate. 

 The papers are from a paper pack I got from costco several years ago, the ribbon from my stash as are the roses. The tag is cut with a spellbinders die and the image is from sugar nellie and coloured with promarkers and sparkle with sakura glitter pen..

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;- 

The sugar bowl-use your first sugar nellie stamp

Allsorts-ribbons and bows

make it monday-anything goes

the stamping boutique-bling

alphabet challenge-R is for roses

This was just for fun I made a charm with this image using shrink plastic.

A stitch in autumn

This is a card I made a while ago when I fancied doing some sewing and thought these buttons added a bit of extra interest.

Not sure how I came up with the design or sentiment, I probably saw something that led to the design but think it will make a good male card for an autumnal birthday or retirement or even a thank you card.

Buttons are from a kit not sure where from

silks and fabric from my stash

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

creative inspirations-fall/autumn colours

paper pretties-permission to embellish

crafts4 eternity-leaves

opus gluei-male card

joanna sheene-button it up

scribble and scrap-always anything goes

Robins fetish- autumn/fall

OSAAT-anything goes

blue daisy ted

This card is to add to my stock of cards as its getting low as most of what I have left are ones I've made from kits which I've had for ages and although they are ok for last minute cards or for peeps that I don't know very well I still don't really like sending them but it was a good way to start crafting.

This card is made using;-

LOTV stamps

spellbinders fancy oval die

papers from magazine freebies and oh la la men's CD.

Gems from asda

white card from my stash

coloured with promarkers

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

fairytale challenge-bingo I used blue and white,flowers and gems

Quirky crafts -favourite things, blue and white , gems and my spellbinders favourite things of the moment

The stamping boutique-bling it up

Penny's -anything goes

crafty creations-sparkle and shine

fussy and fancy-celebration

brown sugar -grey,blue and white

autumn teddy

I am back to building my stock of cards so thought for every girly one I make I will try and make one with a masculine slant.

This one I guess could double as both as it has a teddy on (artful stampers) it much like the grey teddy previously. I used some small leaf stamps I got in a scrapbook set from Costco some years ago and the papers are a mix of k and co and basic grey. The base card is a standard cream card that I used a fiskars board to emboss wood grain onto it. The ribbon is one of the first ribbons I bought on a spool from JTF. The button is from a box of odd buttons my gran gave me before she died.

The image and leaves are coloured with promarkers.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

ready teddy go-autumnal colours

creative belli-leaves

the ribbon carousel-fall/halloween

little blue button-fall theme or colours

chocolate coffee cards-autumn

delicious doodles-golden brown 

make my monday -texture

kaboodle doodle-earth tones

craft your passion-add some embossing

stamp+fun=ceativity-autumn

paper playtime- ribbon and buttons

seems a little sketchy-layout

love rubber stamps-pumpkins or leaves

stempelmagic-golden october

crafty cardmakers-shabby chic

ladybug ink-anything goes

Really reasonable ribbon-autumn leaves

delightful challenges-frame it

whimsy-shabby chic

inky impressions-fall/autumn

nutcrafters-lots of layers

ruby's rainbow-button it

50 shades of grey...

Well not quite 50 nearer 15 and some black and silver and a really cute teddy.

hope you are all fit well and more importantly happy or can at least smile about something today.

My card this time is actually quite simple but think it will be quite versatile as the colours and design will mean i can add a sentiment that will make it suitable for all manner of celebrations from male or female birthdays to weddings or even an anniversary silver in particular or even a christening or new baby and at a push a retirement so I'm quite happy.

I used a cute popcorn the bear image and coloured it in all the 15 different promarker shades of grey and a little bit of black too. I added a bit of bling using sakura glitter pen just for good measure but not too much so it stays suitable for a man if needs be. The image as its so big doesn't need much embellishment so a simple mount on silver mirricard and a silver ribbon and bow and it was done.When I add a sentiment it will sit nicely at the top right of the card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Bearly mine-anything goes

Creative craft challenges 2 -anything goes

LEJ designs-celebrate

bunny zoe cards-use ribbon

colour me creative-anything goes

Graphit challenge-greys

Stampin for the weekend-anything goes

cute card thursday-neutral zone

cards and scrap -celebrate

pumpkin bear

Well I said I'd be making more of these boxes but I'll only share one more with you otherwise it will be boring. This is very similar to the last (see post below) the only real difference is the image. 

The cute bear on this box is a freebie from dustin pike which I seem to have had ages but is just so cute and cuddly. nothing much else to say really.

I would like to enter this box into the following challenges:-

incy wincy -halloween

c is for challenge-halloween

papermakeup stamps-CAS

created with love-sewing real or faux

victorine-lets get spooky

passion for promarkers-spooky

oldie but goodie-spooky(the image I've had ages)

bastel-traum-halloween

crafty boots challenges-halloween

papertake weekly-halloween or fall colours

trick or treat pillbox

Afternoon all well so far we have only had one rain shower and its not freezing just a little cool, just as well as we are having a new boiler fitted so the engineer keeps going in and out as he drains and flushes the system and we will have no heating or hot water tonight or tomorrow morning. I can see that will be fun explaining to hubby and son when they come home that its boiling kettles for good old fashioned strip washes before work. Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run as we seem to be having a run of things breaking down of late. First the computer, I'm now using sons laptop whilst he's at work (still can't get use to that), then the boiler started playing daft and stopping altogether and then on Sunday as I took the roast out to rest and turned the oven up for the roasties it went bang and now I need a new oven poorly beyond repair. They say things come in 3's but why did it have to be a costly 3. Definitely no new crafty stuff for me for a long while.


Ah well less of my moaning but thanks for listening I feel a bit better my project for today is a wee pill box that I've made for the little girl next door for Halloween, have a feeling there may be more to be made along the same lines. I kept it quite simple and used the fun freebie scarecrow from birdie brown which I fussy cut and just added some faux stitching in black and orange sakura pen around the edge and a hand written sentiment on the back or reverse of the box. now just got to get something to fill it, not decided yet if it will be sweets or a homemade cookie.

I would like to enter this treat box into the following challenges:-

without words-CAS +pumpkins

creative knockabouts-happy fall

polkadoodles and studi 12-halloween

simply create too-halloween

CAS-ual fridays-stitches

come and get it-anything faux

glitter n sparkle-add some orange

birdie brown-use freebie

fairy bobbles

Hi all hope this evening finds you well and that the weather isn't too wet and windy where you are. 

My card  is another pink card, I'm working hard to overcome my anti-pink inclination, which is becoming hard as I don't have that many pink papers and card as its not something I tend to buy as I'm not a pink kinda girl.

I used this cute bugaboo fairy and coloured her with promarkers and sakura glitter pen for extra sparkle. The papers the strippy one was a magazine freebie and the other is a docrafts daisy and dandelion paper. The ribbon is some my mum in law sent me from tenerife and the circle backing is a spellbinders die and the swirl a memory box, I like my new toys still the novelty hasn't worn off. I do like the look and idea of the grand spellbinders to make fancy shaped cards but they won't fit into my sizzix bigshot and I'm not sure which would be the best a4 die cutter to get as value for money. All suggestions gratefully received.

The sentiment is on another spellbinders die tag and is from a qvc kit I got when I first started crafting . The backing card is one of only 2 sheets of pink card I had lucky it was the right shade.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

Love to create-sketch

whoopsi daisy-spots and dots

totally gorjuss-wings and things

challenges 4 everyone-anything goes

Oh la la -things with wings

cutie pie-use a tag

613 avenue-anything goes

scribble and scraps-anything goes

catch the bug-think pink

QKR stampede-circles

brown sugar-anything goes

2 sisters-anything goes

stamping with the dragon-circles

crafty little fairies-pretty in pink

stampavie and more-pearls and swirls

inky impressions-glitter and sparkle

the squirrel and the fox-things with wings

papertake weekly -2 by 2 ( 2 pearls,2 papers)

guest designer for lexi's creations

I was lucky enough to be chosen as a guest designer a couple of weeks ago over at Lexis creations for this weeks challenge. I was given the choice of digis from the shop to follow the theme of Halloween and I chose this cutie teddy vampire. I can't imagine anyone not wanting a cuddle from this cutie so I guess we'd all be teddy vamp super.                                                                                                                                 The image is a complete scene in itself with the moon and bats so I decided to keep the card pretty clean and simple. I colored my vamp with promarkers and used sakura black glaze pen to enhance the bats and using versamark I embossed the moon with moonglow magic moonbeams embossing powder. I thought the die cut frame completed the look when mounted on a black card , all topped off with a hand-written sentiment using sakura white gel pen.

I do hope the team at Lexi's creations are happy with my interpretation using their fab digi image, they have several other fab Halloween images and I did find it hard to decide but I do like this teddy so thanks again to the team.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

my mums craft shop-halloween

crafty calendar challenge-halloween

paper pretties-halloween

CRAFT-halloween/autumn/thanksgiving

MAWTT-spooktastic times

charisma-animals

hanna and friends-halloween

stempelgarten-halloween

craftin boutique-halloween

crafty catz-halloween

Halloween colours

What makes a colour a halloween colour ? I know what everyone thinks of as halloween colours but when you think of the vast array of costumes now worn for halloween nolonger just witches , ghosts, dracula and pumpkins but any costume you can think of are there any colours that don't belong to Halloween so to speak?

Anyway enough of my ponderings and onto my crafting. This card and envelope I have made with one of my neighbours daughters in mind as she is 5. I don't actually own many kraftin kimme stamps in fact I own only one that I won in a challenge a couple of years ago, but when looking through my box of images , some digi some stamped and any I've been sent in image swaps I found this one along with those I used on the envelope. The stamping wasn't perfect and there was nothing written on the back but after some investigation I think it is a kraftin kimme stamp which meant I could enter the challenge.

I decided to go with the 'traditional' colours of halloween and tried to make her bright and cheerful , well 5 year olds aren't going to want a dark and mysterious witch are they?

I know Grace likes girly thinks and definitely sparklies so glitter paper and mirri card had to be the backing topped off with a bit of green ribbon for good measure, nice and simple so the image is centre of focus.

Now kraftin kimme was having aWCMD celebration with 5 challenges which ends today hopefully I'm not too late to enter as one of the challenges is to decorate the inside of a card or an envelope so I made an envelope to match using the bat and cat that was on the image I had. Hope Grace likes it.

I would like to enter these challenges with my craft projects.

The card I will enter into the challenges at;-

the corrosive challenge-dress me up

my sheri crafts-night time

crafting when we can-make it sparkle

kraftin kimme-back in black

crafts 4 eternity-CAS

disdigidesigns-colour challenge

papercrafting journey-halloween colours

TPE-colour challenge
kraty hands-colour challenge

The envelope

kraftin kimme WCMD challenge#6-decorate the inside of a card or envelope

2 sisters -anything goes

LOC-loc or halloween

what makes a card shabby chic?

I have to admit I really struggle with this term and steampunk come to that and I guess my definition of clean and simple is a little confused too. I know vintage is using images of things that are old like old cars and fashion but how old is old is it 50 years or does it have to be over 100. My son would say the 50's rock and rollers were from a vintage era whereas I think turn of the century to the 20's.

Steampunk I think is clockwork mechanical spin on things and CAS I interpret as single layer and no embellishments, but I would also say a card with a single rose on it and a ribbon bow on the stem would also be CAS ...see my confusion?

Any way I have had a dabble at shabby chic but if anyone can give me definitions please feel free I'm always willing to learn. I interpret this as looking older than it really is by roughing up the edges of the papers used or distressing the edges with ink or making the images look aged by using cream backing, if I'm wrong then so is my card, so all help great- fully received PLEASE.

I used a fab LOTV image of a wee girl pretending to be an elegant lady from a bygone era playing dress-up -older than she really is..lol, is this a good start? I used scraps of papers which I roughed the edges with scissors (though from the photo not very well) from various designers I think on is a freebie from a magazine , the check I think is papermania and the gingham is a downloadable from bird house.

The ribbons are from my stash. I used brown ink to stamp the images and sentiments also from LOTV and the stampman( the granddaughter), to add to the aged look.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

LOTV-anything goes

craft bloggers network-anything goes

make my monday-elegant ladies

whoopsi daisy-vintage/shabby chic

shabby tea room-sketch

delightful challenges-distressed

milk coffee challenge-spots and dots

love rubber stamps -polka dots

simon says wednesday challenge-use a rubber or clear stamp no digi's

a gem of a challenge-3 designer papers, 2 types of embellishments,1 image
 ALBC-a little bit shabby
a creative romance-pink