Coals to Newcastle

Well that's a bit how it felt when mum asked me to make a Halloween card to send to their friends in the USA.  I know we celebrate Halloween here in the UK but its not quite as big or well celebrated as in the USA, after being there on holiday one year at Halloween the UK celebrates Halloween like well compare say a pine branch to a Christmas tree and you have us the UK (pine branch) and the USA (Christmas tree). Now you see why I feel coals to Newcastle hope my card is up to scratch.

The card base is white and I added a layer of black paper with patterned circles on it ,I think it was a magazine freebie but as it was in my scraps folder I'm only guessing. The spiders web is the next layer , I used a Fiskars embossing board and white copy paper to dry emboss the web. I then cut out the gaps between the web using a craft knife and then added glitter for a bit of extra sparkle (only cos we had a heavy mist and I saw a cobweb outside covered in shimmering drops of mist).

The we witch was a freebie from a stamp swap many moons ago , the names and brands of stamps sent were suppose to be written on the backs of each but this one didn't have that information and try as I might I haven't found her as yet so sorry again.

The pumpkin is a stamp I got from Hobbycraft one of the first I bought when my son was in primary school and wanted to make some Halloween cards for friends. I coloured them as I did the witch with promarkers.

The sentiment is handwritten ,the card edged with promarker and another early primary school Halloween stamp spider added for extra fun.

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

Sugarpea designs - colour challenge

IDIC  - rectangle or square cards

Come and get it -clear it out

Glitter n sparkle -add lots of glitter or a charm

The pencil case - creepy or autumn colours

4 crafty chicks - sparkle/shine

get creative challenge - fantasy

Chocolate ,coffee,card - celebration

one sweet challenge - halloween or purple,black,green and orange

Dandelion magic

There seems to be quite a few challenges around that have an autumnal theme as everyone seems to be looking forward to autumn while I would rather cling to the last remnants of summer, even if autumn does officially start imminently and might even be today.

Anyway I thought I might start to replenish my male card stock and this new house mouse stamp seemed to be a good place to start. I only had one house mouse stamp so was a little bit naughty and treated  myself. I decided to go down the autumnal road as even though there are Christmas challenges around too I'm not into Christmas yet that has to wait till November at least.

I coloured the image with promarkers and added sakura glitter pen to the dandelion clock. I stamped and masked leaf images around the edge of a die cut circle and coloured them again with promarkers and then cut around the edges before laying over the house mouse image.I kept the rest of the card relatively simple using a kraft base card and a layout from everybody art. 

I added a wee bow and a tag made with a stamp from Lily of the valley which I stamped onto white card coloured with the same yellow promarker I coloured the dandelion in, and a dark brown promarker for the stamp itself.

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

House mouse challenge - bingo I used ribbon,yellow and flowers and leaves

stamping sensations -sew special (a bit of a cheat as the stitching is already on the ribbon)

Fantasy stampers - autumn leaves

cards und scrap - dies

A bit more time to craft - anything goes

the paper girls - sweater weather

fantastic Tuesday- anything goes/colour me autumn

everybody art- layout

city crafter - fall has arrived (photo Inspired) I chose the blue sky and imagined all the dandelions and mice playing in the rolling fields

OSAAT - leaves

order of opus gleui - birthdays

passion for promarkers-boys will be boys

IndigoBlu - autumn days

left of centre - no designer paper

fairy magic

I decided after seeing so many clean and simple cards around and after being really pleased with my back to school card that I made in a similar style ( here) I'd have a go with a girly card .

The sentiment is one I had made ages ago when I found somewhere that made acrylic stamps to your design but as all the info for the place is on my other profile that is still lost then I unfortunately don't know the details to share or reuse but I'm sure it will be on the internet somewhere.

The image is lily of the valley, I just think she is so cute and explains why my garden has so many dandelions in the lawns.

I used promarkers that I scribbled with on an acrylic block and then used a water pen to pick up colour and paint the image. It meant I could use quite strong colours and achieve a soft pastel colours effect and that the colours don't show through the card on the inside. Being a fairy there had to be sparkle and for that I used a sakura glitter pen on all the dandelion clocks , her hair band and of course her wings. 

When both are stamped on a white base card the card is finished. I did keep looking at it wondering if I should add something more but resisted , the only thing I might changed if I was to remake the card would be to use a different colour for the sentiment though I'm not sure what but think it might look better in softer hues.

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

Unicorn challenges - myth and magical

card mania - pastel colours

crafting with dragonflies- something magical

Kraftin kimme koffee krop - one sentiment,one image,one layer

Simon says Monday challenege - use favourite technique (mine is stamping and colouring)

artistic inspirations - anything goes twist of magic

crafty sentiments - anything with a sentiment

julia spiri - anything goes with a twist of girls ,girls,girls

Craft - bling

fussy and fancy - fantasy

Wags and whiskers - glitter and sparkle

My first mixed media

After I had finished my household chores this morning I was supposed to be making a start on decorating my bedroom so I can get my new carpet ordered but I got distracted as I thought IO would have a little play first and have a go at mixed media.

I have to admit I always thought mixed media was really complicated but as there are a few challenges out there for mixed media and many just appear to be using different things I guess its not really as complicated as I thought.

The media I decided to use are some moon-glow spritz inks and embossing powders. I decided first off to have a go at making a stencil by stamping some small leaves I have and cutting them out with a craft knife. That worked well until I decided to use the inks and spritz the leave cut outs. It seemed to work ok until I got impatient and tried to dry them a bit faster with a heat gun , they ended up looking like splodges not leaves.

My second attempt used the same stencil but just embossing powders but they all just seemed to blend together and not the effect I wanted.

I decided to ditch the stencil and use the cut out bits and spray on top of them and then add a sprinkling of embossing powders. My spritz inks are all autumnal colours so that was the theme I decided to stick with. Once the spritz and powders were heated they had a lovely shine and when the cut out leaves were taken off I was left with crisp white leaf shape spaces.I then used the original stamps I used to create the cut out shapes and stamped into the white shapes the appropriate leaves with cocoa memento ink.

I'm not sure what occasion I will use this card for but I definitely think its one for the boys.

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

That's crafty challenge - lovely leaves

Addicted to CAS - leaves

Little Claire's monthly challenge - autumnal theme

The corrosive challenge - mixed media

dream valley challenges-autumnal colours

creative card crew - fall

oddball stamps - fall

clear it out - autumn stash/leaves/foliage

cards und more - no designer paper

Heifer happy birthday

I was lucky enough to be given this fab penny black stamp quite a while ago and have never got around to inking it up. I wasn't quite sure what occasion to use it for but I decided it would make a fun teen girl birthday card.

I used scraps from my reds/pinks scrap folder, I'm never quite sure whether the papers I used are red or deep pink, but either way I thought it would be perfect for a teenage girl. I coloured the image with promarkers although there wasn't really a lot of colouring just really deep red/pink for the balloon and pale pink for the udder and nose and hooves, all different shades of course. I cheated a little on trying to keep to monochrome as I used green on the grass didn't think pink grass would work hope for the monochrome challenges I am entering will forgive me.

I used a Martha Stewart daisy border punch on the striped paper to form the borders to the base layer.The banner I used some paper with daisies on and after cutting a strip  hand cut the ends and then used sticky pads to raise the ends to add dimension. 

I added a couple of daises and a double hand tied bow and a button all pink of course. The sentiment is hand written around the edge of the image and I know its not spelt correctly but thought that just added to the fun pun and as so many teens talk by phone and short hand too I thought it would be ok.

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

Penny Black Saturday challenge - 3 or more patterned papers

Penny Black and more - anything goes

crafty ribbons - happy birthday 

If you give a crafter a cookie - photo inspiration

just us girls trend week - balloons

SLS lines - monochrome

 Suzy Bees - anything goes twist of monochrome

The stamping Boutique - banners

The ribbon girl - anything goes with a ribbon and an image

Krafftin Kimme Koffee Krop # 3 monochrome

crafty boots - monochrome

OLLCB - ribbons and bows

The cutie pie challenge - birthday and layout

quirky crafts - animal magic

Bunny Zoes september challenge - teens and tweens

We all need a special friend

I so love this image from LOTV , wrong kind of dog, but sums up my brother and his 4 legged canine friends from as far back as I can remember, our dogs and now his dogs have always been his faithful companions and friends. Growing up we had German shepherds,a poodle, and Heinz 57 breeds but not all at the same time and each and everyone was truly loved . My brother carried on with his dogs and he too has had his share of Heinz 57's and German shepherds too and all equally loved and when they leave for heaven take pieces of him with them but leave a little bit of themselves in his heart.

My brother has a birthday coming up and I thought this would be perfect. I coloured with promarkers and kept to a simple colour palette of blues and browns.

The papers are from my scrap folders and so am not sure who they are designed by(sorry). I mounted the image and the strips on scraps of pearlised blue paper so they have a bit of shine but not blingy as that wouldn't go down well with my brother.

The sentiment is cut using a Britannia word set from brown wrapping paper as I thought Kraft would work well only to discover I didn't have any Kraft paper so improvisation struck, well I guess its Kraft paper of a sort. 

The buttons are also cut from the same paper with my new favourite die which is by X-cut from docrafts and at £2-50 from the range I thought it was a bargain. Well that was my excuse and rationalisation for buying them anyway.I also used a corner pinch on the base card and image.

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

As you like it - favourite die and why(my newest and the buttons are just super cute perfect for buttons to match whatever I make.

Hanna and friends - cute animal/person and kraft paper

left of centre -dies/punches

sketch saturday - layout

crafty friends - B is for (buttons,blue,bench,brother)

Allsorts - buttons

simply papercraft - anything goes

613 Ave create - anything goes/love me do

krafftin kimme koffee krop #4 - use an animal

What do you put on a card for a 14 year old boy...

...who isn't into computer or console games or technology of any kind that much? This is my problem as one of my nephews is 14 real soon and he is into cycling and likes the outdoors as long as he's cycling in it but not much else. Now I hear you all yelling ,isn't it obvious use a cycle ...my problem is I've done this for as long as I can remember with different cycling stamps I have and in different ways too and I just wanted to make something different for him for a change.

I asked the men in my life son and hubby for insight as to what things can go on boys cards and they both said games machines .computer games  and all the usual ,then I said it was for Josh and they both said cycling right helpful NOT.

Anyway I had a rummage and found this stamp I bought from Simon says when I was lucky enough to be a winner ages ago and have never inked it up so I thought the sentiment looked a bit like a text message so decided to go with this. I coloured the image in promarkers and decided that the image lines weren't dark enough so went over the lines with black promarker. The close ups show I didn't quite stick to the lines but ordinarily it doesn't look noticeable at all.

I thought autumnal colours might make it a bit more grown up along with the blue for an autumn sky it might be like the colours he may see on his bike rides when he's out training or doing one of his road races.

The different layers are all made from bits in my scraps folders and don't tell anyone but most of them are not complete and although they look like full rectangles all but one has a chunk missing from the piece of paper but with a little clever layering I think I got away with making them all appear whole.

The sentiment 'Nephew'is a die cut from Britannia dies , I love being able to add things like this as I can personalise each card and make sure its the perfect colour too for what I want.

I rounded all the corners on the card and layers with a corner punch to give a softer look just for a change. I am still not sure whether its suitable for a 14 year old but its a change from cycling images and hopefully a little bit fun too.

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

Artbymiran - anything goes

crafty calendar - anything goes

southern girls - layer it up

crafty catz - autumnal colours

A blog named Hero - 'Happy' 

left of centre - die cuts/punches

A gem of a challenge - boys boys boys

HIMCR - super scraps saturday

The pencil case - B is for Bright

creative fingers - anything goes

Still in butterfly mode

Another butterfly card and how different can colours make things look. Same as my previous post randomly stamped freebie butterflies coloured this time with turquoises and lime greens and yellow.I again stamped extras and fussy cut them and once again using foam pads attached tow butterflies to add dimension.

Oops forgot to say I added dots again around the butterflies. I added a layer of green metallic mirricard onto a white base card. No sentiment this time so far and for now I promise no more butterflies well for a little while.

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

Glitter n sparkle - anything goes

craft your passion - always anything goes

crafting from the heart - anything goes

crafting with an attitude - anything goes

crafty girl creations - always  anything goes

little miss muffet - anything goes

kraftin kimme wonderful wednesday- anything goes

creative fingers -anything goes

crafting with friends - anything goes

not just cards - anything goes

flutterby wishes

I so enjoyed making my last butterfly card that I thought I'd try another. I stamped my magazine freebie butterfly randomly and coloured in purples and pinks . I stamped two extras and coloured them the same then fussy cut them out.

I added dots with a fine ink pen my new treat as the promarker I used I didn't think it was fine enough, and then added the two fussy cut butterflies adding foam pads beneath them to add extra dimension.

I layered the butterfly card onto a purple base card and used a pink peel-off and coloured it with the darkest purple marker that I had used to colour the butterflies with to co-ordinate it with the butterflies.

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

Beccy's place september challenge - anything goes

Julia Spiri - anything goes twist of something new

scrap and craft - butterflies

bizzy becs place september challenge - anything goes

The craft barn - stamping

Just flying by...

To wish you happy birthday. That will be the message I will write on the inside of this card for my brother-in -law. He flies model airplanes so I thought this might be appropriate. The background is stamped with a dotty stamp from stamp addicts stamped over a piece of card cut into a scalloped cloud shape.

The plane is actually a clear and silver peel-off ,I coloured the card underneath and also on the clear bits to give the different colour differentiation even though it was the same colour promarker I used.Don't look too closely there are bits I missed when guessing where to colour before I stuck the peel-off down and on my fussy cutting too.

The sentiment is simply hand written.

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

polkadoodles -  things with wings

seize the birthday - no toppings 

4 crafty chicks - birthday

auds sentiments - anything goes

creative knockouts -  CAS

incy wincy - for the boys

stempelgarten - up in the sky

ruby's rainbow - it's a mans world

Special friends

We all have a special friend and many are human but to me the best kind of special friend is one of 4 legs be it canine or feline as they give their love and friendship so unconditionally though I have to say dogs do tend to be a little more unconditionally loving than cats as cats often seem to have their own agenda but that doesn't mean they are any less loving. I can say this as I have had some of the most special doggy friends and my son's cat is very loving and attentive most of the time unless she is having her own agenda time and that's generally entertaining.

My card today reminds me so of the loving four-legged friends I grew up with the only thing is that each time one of these special friends goes to doggy heaven or I know it will be the same with pussy cat heaven when the time comes for my sons cat that they take a piece of your heart with them even though they leave a little bit of themselves behind with you.

I coloured this super cute image with promarkers,lily of the valley really do have some fab stamps and this one is no exception. I seem to be having a purple moment of late and seem top have done several cards in purple. The different papers I used to mat and layer are all scraps from my bits files so sorry but I'm not sure where of who makes any of them.

The roses are from my stash and were originally from JTF many moons ago I don't know if they still sell them as its been a while since I've been. The ribbon also came from there at the same time and I tied a cute bow just to finish the die cut shape that I think is spellbinders but again am not sure, I really will have to take more notice.

No sentiment as I think the image says it all special friends.

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

squirrels random challenge -friendship and purple

atlantic heart sketches - layout (but was too late to enter)

clear it out challenges - anything goes any stash

cards und scrap - flowers

crafting for all seasons - tic,tac,toe I used flowers ,die cut and patterned paper

crafts for eternity - children

allsorts - lots of layers

suzy bees- anything goes with a twist of toys

the craft barn - stamping

613 Ave create - anything goes/chart twist image/diecut/solid colour/flowers/ribbon

whopsi daisy - add embellishments

the ribbon girl - add flowers

OSAAT - anything goes /gratitude

Karleigh Sue challenges - ribbon and or flowers