Corked badge holder

 My son has cerebral palsy and finds it extremely difficult to walk more than a few feet with a walking frame on a good day, but at present as he is waiting to have his baclofen pump (medication that reduces spasms and severe pain in his legs ) revised as the first time round (last July) the tube that delivers the drug in his spine didn't stay where it should have after 3 weeks , but hopefully he won't be waiting too much longer.

Consequently he has a blue badge so we can park in disabled bays and have extra room to get him in and out of the car and he can use his wheelchair to access places.

I made a case for his badge some years ago but it had become a little worse for wear and he said it needed replacing.

I thought something a little more masculine was in order well he is nearly 22 now, so used some craft cork sheeting I bought ages ago but was never quite sure what to use it for. It feels really squidgy and smooth so used this for the outer cover and hinged the two sides with some craft foam in brown.

The inside has 2 windows made from recycled packaging acetate which I scored and folded and stuck to some silver mirri-card so the lips were on the back of the card before I sandwiched them between the card and the cork. I should say the foam was also part of the sandwhich.

My son says the silver card is a bit much as it will reflect when the sun shines on it but I had to have a bit of bling.

I decorated the front of the holder with a die cut from a poppystamps die and a stamped image of a pussy cat coloured with promarkers in colours similar to his cat.

I am loving these Itty bitty bumblebees from memory box so simply had to add one especially as his cat loves to chase bees in the garden when she sees one, I'm sure she will get stung if she ever catches one.

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

the stamping boutique -masculine

fantasy stampers -in the springtime

eureka -spring is in the air

shopping our stash- for the big and bigger boys

a beautiful mess- anything goes

613 Ave create - anything goes

kraftin kimme march krafty skrappy -anything but a card

crafting with friends - anything goes

2 creative chicks-anything goes

creative craft cottage - anything goes

Floral breeze

Simple card, two die cuts of floral breeze (memory box) in a white base . I cut again in more water based mica ink pigment painted card this time using blues and golds, and used the negatives to inlay into the white base cut.

I decided this would make a lovely base card for a thank you so added a  jumbled thank you from poppy stamps.

I added the white card to a blue base card and the card was done.

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

Deep Ocean challenges- favourite colour combo 
( you guessed I love blue and white together)

Addicted to CAS- delicate

crafty catz-stitching real or faux

fussy n fancy - pastel colours

fairytale challenges- spring cards

less is more -polkadots

Happ-Bee birthday

I recently bought  Itty bitty bee die by memory box and they are just super cute, I had such fun making a whole swarm and you are likely to see them on many of my projects now. I coloured them with promarkers black and gold and used white iridescent glitter on their wings and they must look good as my son's cat kept trying to pinch them.

I found a card by 

sylvia-anne-poppyspapercraftpatch.blogspot.co.uk

 shown below which is now on my pintrest board inspiration from others and wanted to do something similar and came up with this card below.

I used some purple pearlised card and embossed with die'sire flower folder and used this as a base.

I die cut letters using a sissix alphabet die and assembled the card using a bee instead of a Y in the word happy.

I know its simple but I think it has a fun element and although I used purple the same concept would be perfect for a guy too .

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

OSAAT- embossing

crafty girls creations - anything goes

Seize the birthday - birthday optional toppings water

CRAFT - add some bling

Little Miss muffet - anything goes

4 crafty chicks -less is more

cute card thursday - to die for

Simply papercraft- anything goes

Happy Little stampers facebook celebration -birthday

crafty time -birthday

crazy 4 challenges-purple

Honey blending

An experiment for me and definitely out of my comfort zone. I am trying to combine my stamps and new love affair with dies. The dies are from Memory box and I love these Itty bitty bees and the honeycomb too.                                                                                 I have been seeing a lot in blog land about distress inks and though I don't have any I have some dye based inks that have almost dried up but tried blending them (never realised it was so messy) to age the card. I added some sheen using some blending gold chalk that I have had for ages ,it was a magazine freebie and I never got around to using it.

I used a brown promarker to add depth to the honeycomb by drawing around 3 sides of the hexagons. 

I completed the front of the card  by stamping a Graphicus stamp (again neglected for some time) in cocoa memento ink and used burgundy promarker to water colour the petals.                                                                 The background to the honeycomb I used sleigh bells promarker on another piece of card and again used the gold blending chalk to add a sheen.

I wanted more depth so used thick sticky tape to allow for a gap between the two layers before adding to a white base card.                                                                  The finishing touches a hand tied bow and burgundy ribbon and two Itty bitty bees.

Again no sentiment as yet and although I thought it was just a pretty card my son says its a nice man's card even with the bow that adds to it.

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

Hiding in my craft room - blending

RRR - welcome spring

Chocolate coffee cards - use ribbon

The ribbon girl -any image

IDIC -square or rectangle cards

Craft your passion - always anything goes

crafting from the heart- anything goes

lemon shortbread - anything goes

Aurora wings - anything goes

Spring time teddy

Love this cute LOTV stamp and thought he would make a fab centre piece for a spring themed card, I coloured him with promarkers and used a teddy my sister had as a child as the colour inspiration. The sky looked a little bare after I had outlined the bear with blue and I felt it needed something so after cutting some cloud curves on a piece of scrap card I used that as an edge to add dots to make a cloudy filled sky.

I finished the card using  the stamps+fun=creativity layout , I think the  papers are K and company but not 100% sure as the front cover has disappeared so appologies if I am wrong.

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

stamps+fun = creativity - layout

cardz 4 gals - cute and cuddly

Whimsy - spring colours/easter

polkadoodles - spring

city crafter - cloud nine

passion for promakers -Spring has sprung

fantastic tuesday - anything goes/cute and cuddly

little red wagon - Easter/Spring

crafty gals corner-Easter/Spring

Simon says -rain or shine

Make my Monday - something fluffy

you can learn something new every day

Still revisiting my neglected stamps , its really worth doing as you fall in love all over again. 

I love this society lady and had real fun colouring her in trying to achieve more than just a black blob for her clothing. Coloured with promarkers and used the blending pen quite a bit too. A simple palate of black grey and magenta pink with some sparkle added to her jewellery with sakura gel pens.

The rest of the colour pop comes from the new something I learned from a tutorial on MFP for a layered mountain card and one I will be reusing as its a great way to add a colour pop like here or an extra dimension too. Not sure my photos do it justice though but you get the idea.

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

Try stamping on a Tuesday- layout 

(I know my sentiment isn't separate or on top of my image but hope artistic license is ok)

always playing with paper -photo inspiration

 (I chose the colours and fashion books)

The paper girls- paper girls

MFP -layered mountain card

Kraftin kimme wonderful Wednesday -anything goes

Addicted to stamps and more - anything goes

Penny's -anything goes

Old stash new die mash

I have been experimenting and revisiting my stash as decided to use my water based mica ink pigment paints. I love the sheen these give and couldn't stop there so I spritz gold on top .

I wanted to try something different so used a die cut as a stencil. The die is floral breeze from memory box and I used a white sakura gel pen to draw through and add the pattern to the painted card.

I finished off the design with some die cut letters to spell the words imagine and create and thought it would make a perfect front to a journal I am planning to use to note down challenges i may wish to enter.

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

Art Impressions - water colour mediums and white gel pen

CAS on Sunday - stencil it

Glitter n sparkle - anything goes

Come and get it - stitching

TTCRD - anything goes

Everybody Art - anything goes

Apple blossom fairy

 I am so trying to make more use of my stamps , all of them especially those that have been neglected for a while. I coloured this Apple blossom fairies stamp with promarkers. I'd forgotten just how pretty they are and I have quite a few different ones too. 

I wanted to showcase the image so another clean and simple card. No sentiment as I've not yet decided what to use the card for but I can always add a sentiment at a time I use the card, it could be birthday, get well or even just a hello card.

I added the panel to a bright green base card and think it finishes it perfectly.

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

The cutie pie challenge - fairy cute

Creative card crew - CAS

Paper players - CAS celebrate Spring

Less is more-what's outside your window

Rainbow butterflies

I am experimenting with my new dies and was inspired by a post on outside the box using butterflies though not this die.

I used fairyland butterflies by memory box and drew around the butterflies once they were cut in pencil, I then used promarkers in the colours of the rainbow to colour each of the butterflies in turn. There are 6 butterflies on the die so I cut an extra one so I had 7.

I added some sparkle using sakura glitter gel pen and attached each butterfly to the coloured areas cutting them from the one die separating them .
I think it gives a totally different look to when they are all joined together.

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

Southern Girls -Nature

Graphit markers- spring delights

Wags n whiskers-wings

Alphabet challenges-B is for butterflies

Curtain call -rainbows

Oddball challenge-watchin' rainbows

Craft rocket-anything goes

Jades crafting butterflies- anything dies/use die cuts

Tears of Laughter

 I'm not good at fussy cards perhaps that's why I find guy cards easier apart from awkward teen cards always hard when they are no longer a child but not yet an adult.

Anyway my  card is for an older lady who celebrates her birthday in a few weeks, I hope she sees the humour and doesn't take the sentiment too personally.I just think these Art Impressions stamps and sentiments are great.





I coloured the image with promarkers and edged the mount card with the navy pen. I kept my palette simple and used the same promarkers to stamp the background on the base card too using a darkroom happy birthday stamp.

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

CAS colours and sketches- colour challenge

4 crafty chicks- humorous

Simply create too - be funny or make a joke

Art by miran-anything goes

QKR-add a sentiment

Creative fingers - anything goes

Suzy Bees - anything goes/friendship

Not quite 100% pastel

I love house mouse even though I don't have many but I try to think outside the box when entering their challenges with the few I have. This time was easier as it was pastels though I did deviate with my ribbon as I don't have any pastel ribbons and I wanted something a little different so hope they don't mind too much.

I coloured the image with promarkers choosing pastel shades in hindsight I perhaps should have used a paler ink than black as I think the outline is a little harsh.

The paper I used for the base is pastels and I distressed the edges. The ribbon i just thought added that little pop and apologies as I don't have any patterned pastel ribbon. The flowers are from my stash and the centres are new , I saw them on amazon and thought they made perfect flower centres even though they are classed as flowers in their description.

I didn't add a sentiment but thought when I do it would look perfect on a tag dropping below the flowers.

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

Gruffles and friends-flowers

kraftin kimme sat challenge-layout and

Addicted to stamps-any shaped card and a stamp

house mouse and friends - pastels

cards und more- use ribbon

fab n funky - spots and stripes

In the pink -spring flowers

creative knockouts - spring is on its way

Springtime blossom

Another of my new toys this one from poppy-stamps. I was inspired by the tree I can see from my craft room window, and although we have had some miserable days Spring must be here as the tree is in full blossom,and I found some frog spawn in our garden pond too so there's hope I guess.

I die cut the tree in white card and decided I would try something with the negatives first. I used the frame to ensure placement and stuck the negatives in place before removing the die cut pieces on a piece of kraft card.

I randomly dabbed diamond glaze onto the branches and sprinkled with pale pink seed beads.

Once the beads had dried I mounted onto a jade green card overlaying on a piece of twine ribbon and finished with a Britannia die cut happy birthday in gold mirri-card.

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

Quirky crafts - masculine with ribbon or twine

Paradise of stamps-Spring

TTCRD-anything goes

Stempelmagic - Spring

Fantastic Tuesday - anything goes twist of spring is in the air

Crafty creations - spring

Penny's -anything goes

The Paper Shelter - Birthday boy

Poppy stamps - Spring

Star in my pocket - think Spring

MAWTT - in the garden

Seize the birthday- the great divide

A touch of green ships

I decided to use some of my old stamps, and these were some of my oldest and are from the stampman. I stamped and powder embossed with moonglow emerald obsidian powder. Lover this as changes colour when tilted. I cut the 3 images close to their edges. 

I then used moonglow pigment inks also an early purchase when I ventured into card making and I am surprised they haven't yet evaporated, to paint areas on the stamps. I used mint sea green and cocoa brown.I love the sheen they have and works so well with the embossing powders.

I seem to have a run on male cards at present but they always come in useful. I used a layout from try stampin' on a Tuesday and finished the card off with a few square gems, and a peel-off sentiment.

I know its not strictly CAS but I think it definitely has a clean and fresh look to it.

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

Try stampin' on a Tuesday-layout

Whoopsi daisy-green and a sentiment

Glitter n sparkle-use some green

Eureka stamps-anything goes

Shopping our stash-use charms/St.Patrick's day/green

Creatalicious - St.Patrick's day or green

Stempelsonne - anything goes

Penny's -anything goes