Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 85

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 85  calls, as usual, for a sketch to be followed. As my daughter's 16th birthday is coming up on Sunday, I thought I would incorporate her birthday card with their challenge.

My printer isn't printing out too good right now, so I'm sorry for the quality of the photos which I've put on the card. I  hope my daughter will like it.

I've put an up to date picture of her on the inside of the card with a very sentimental sentiment lol.

I used a white pearlescent A4 piece of card, folded in half for the card blank. Then I  used a magenta piece of card for the back ground of the card, and a purple piece of mulberry paper.

On the piece of card which I stuck the pictures of her, I edged this with a gold holographic border peeloff. I finished it off with a "Wonderful Daughter" peel off, as this summed her up completely. Of course, I had to add a 16 in there somewhere, so I put that on the top centre of the card.

I hope you like my card.

Crafty Sentiments # 34 & Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge # 100

I was asked to make a card  for a friend who is mad on pink and purple, but I was stuck for a design or what to put on it, then I saw a couple of challenges and decided to combine making a card with doing a couple of challenges at the same time.

The people over at Crafty Sentiments are asking us to "use a digi", well that was simple! The other challenge from Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge  is that we follow their sketch design. Again, pretty simple!

I used a plain white square card blank which I bought from my local craft shop, then I added some lovely purple  mulberry paper which I have had in my craft box for ages, waiting for the right moment to use it. Today was the day! Then I added some pink card to the left hand side, and out of the same card, I punched a butterfly to use as part of the design instead of a second smaller circle. I added a felt glittery piece of ribbon and 3 gems for embellishment and topped it all off with a digi stamp which I won 2 weeks ago on another challenge!

As the card is for quite a young person I kept the card very simple, and I tried to make it "touchy feely" as she has learning difficulties and she loves feeling different textures. I thought with the smoothness of the card, the suede feeling of the ribbon, and the fact its glittery would attract her, and of course the mulberry paper is very tactile too.

My card is pictured below, I hope you like it.

Creative Inspirations Challenge # 42 & Alphabet Challenge Blog

I've entered this card which I've made, into 2 different challenges this week. The first challenge was to make a card for Creative Inspirations Challenge # 42 which isn't square or rectangular, and the other challenge was the Alphabet Challenge Blog , the theme for this week is "S for Scallops". 

I found a design for making a cross shaped card, which you could use for Christmas or Easter, so I based my card on this. I cut it out of Lilac coloured card, and used 3 of my scalloped Nestability dies, cutting different coloured coordinated cards and layering them up to create a centre piece for the cross. I used some silver large and smaller gems to embellish the cross' centre, and then I placed gold border peel off's, which had a scalloped design to it, to border the card. I then stuck some straight border edging  peel off's to decorate out from the centre of the design, then  placed a pink gem at the end of each of these.

I have photographed my card, and this is pictured below. I hope you like it.

Friday Sketchers Blog Challenge # 118

I had intended to enter this card into 2 challenges, then I realised that the image I used wasn't correct for the other challenge, so this is just being entered into the Friday Sketchers Blog and the challenge was to follow the sketch, which this week was pretty complicated as you can see below.

First of all I found some papers in my craft stash which matched each other, and then I laid out the papers  and cut them and layered them into the pattern which was asked for.

I mounted all the designer papers onto a gold mirror card.

Rather than adding another piece of paper onto the design, I stamped the design onto the top piece of designer paper and coloured them in coordinating colours to match the  colour.

I hope you like my card, which is pictured below.

Thank you for taking time to view the card I've made. 

ABC Challenge, Promarker Challenge, Belli Challenge, Crafty Creations Challenge, Truly Scrumptious Challenge & Penny's Challenge

Wow what a lot of challenges I've entered for today's cardmaking challenge. This is, by far, the most I've entered one card into for quite a while, so here goes, here's the challenges which I have entered my card into.

1) Penny's Challenges # 37 - Happy Birthday Challenge

2)Truly Scrumptious Challenge # 40 - Use sketch & added option of adding a knot to the design

3) The ABC Challenge - C is for Charms

4) Passion for Promarker Challenge Week 67 - Teddy Bear's Picnic

5) Belli Challenge # 99 - Old Stamps

6) Crafty Creations Challenge # 83 - White plus one other colour

I've used a white card blank, and added various brown papers and card from my craft stash to the front, to fit in with the sketch design. 

I used a few different brown promarkers also, and with the white ribbon which is knotted, plus the white birthday banner and the white background on the stamp, this also fits in with the white plus one other colour challenge too. The stamp is a digital stamp which I've had for ages, so this fits in with the "old stamps" challenge. The charm I've used is a teddy bear charm, though you probably can't see that on the photo, but take my word for it, it is!

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm mad about Teddy Bears, so this card was a delight to make, I hope you like my card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks for taking the time to view my card!

xxx

Flutterby Wednesday's Challenge # 120, Creative Inspirations Challenge and Simon Says Stamps Challenge

I have made a card today to fit in with several challenges.

I used a pastel green card blank, and found some lovely pink card to use. I love this pink, it's so vibrant.

I've had an angel digital stamp for a while and as one of the challenges  calls for angels, I decided to use this, plus the colours I needed to use fitted in with the stamp too. I used some antique lace which I've had in my storage box for ages, and this in fact was from my mum's sewing box from many years ago. I finished it off using some pearls for decoration along the bottom.

The challenges I have entered this card into are as follows:

1)  Flutterby Wednesday's Challenge # 120 - Follow Sketch & use a butterfly, fairy or angel on it

2) Creative Inspirations Challenge - Pastel Green, Pink & Cream

3) Simon Says Stamps Challenge - Pearls & Lace

The sketch image is below along with the photo of the card I made.

Thanks for looking! 

xxx

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge # 48

The card I made today was one I made by following the recipe and sketch given by Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge # 48.

The recipe is: 

1) Use the sketch (pictured below).

2) Use your favourite colour.

3) Use your favourite image.

I used papers in my craft stash, and I used  a heart border peel off to edge the card. I used one of my SWALK stamps, which I love so much right now. I backed this with silver mirror card and I used one of my favourite combinations of colours, which is pale blue, and pale pink.

I put all of this onto a Cream Pearlescent C5 Card.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge

I made a card today to fit in with the Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge.

The sketch they gave is below, and I've photographed my card for you to see.

The stamp I used is one which I got as a free gift on a magazine last week, but he's soooooooo cute. 

I cut 2 oval shaps with my nestability dies, the 2 larger sizes. 

I also stamped Happy Birthday sentiment  from the same set as the hedgehog stamp, and stuck this to the card with foam pads.

I used some decorative papers, which I've had  for a while, and mounted this onto a square Lilac Card blank.

Though the sketch design shows different shaped circles on the right corner, I thought I'd change it by putting stars on it, but in the same pattern.

I hope you like my card.

I Love Promarkers # 28 & OCC Sketch Challenge OCCSC29

I  made this card this morning to fit in with 2 challenges.

The I Love Promarkers # 28 challenge blog has a theme this week, entitled "The Seaside", so I found a digital image from my images stored on my PC, and coloured them in using pale yellow, dark blue, poppy red, brown and ivory promarkers. 

The OCC Sketch Challenge Blog gave a sketch to follow, which I have put below.

 I stuck them onto a pale blue card, which I die cut using a nestability die. I used a blue ribbon and some paper from my craft stash to back it all off, and added a sentiment and a button for decoration.

I hope you're all having a good day xx

Crazy4challenges C3C50 Blog Challenge

I just had to enter this challenge when I saw it. Anyone that knows me personally will know that I love Elvis Presley's music, and the man himself, so when I saw Crazy4challenges C3C50 Blog's challenge for this week, and I saw that the theme was "music somehow on your card", also saying that if you used an Elvis stamp I would get double points, I couldn't resist entering it!

I have had an Elvis stamp for ages, which I bought on Ebay from someone in America, and though I have used it to make cards for friends, I haven't had chance to enter it into any challenges, but now is the time for it to make it's challenge premiere!

The backing paper I used was Hollywood Greats, which also depicted an image of the man himself. I used some dark paper, cut from the Hollywood Greats pack, to back the white card which I stamped the Elvis image onto. Then I sprinkled some Clear Glossing powder onto the stamp, and heat embossed it with my heat gun.

I finished it off with a Black and Gold Happy Birthday peel off.

 I hope you like my card.

A Thousand Sheets of Paper Blog Candy!

Amy over at A Thousand Sheets of Paper is giving away some  candy which can't be missed, she is giving away sooooo much!

To start with, she is offering 200 sheets of 6 x 6 paper to 5 lucky people! (1000 sheets in all)

Also she's giving this lot too!

• Sweet November Coral Reefweaver, Chanter Heartsong, Coriander Fairy and Darby & Penelope
• CC Designs Lil Emma Bug, Cherry Emma and Halloween Hansel
• The Greeting Farm Miss Anya Dressy set, Fairy Chloe and Fairy Eva
• Tickled Pink Lil Lolita Ivy and 60's Mod Ivy
• Simply Betty Stamps Lola and Miller
• Stamping Bella Maisy Ketto
• Christy Croll Appley bowl Huggabug (since I couldn't include one of her fab Tiddly inks digis)
• My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Fairy Girl
• Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl "Just a girl"
• Kraftin' Kimmie Drucilla and lots of little extras
• Lili of the Valley Tiptoe fairy

The closing date for this blog candy is 3rd September.

Good luck everyone!

Picture of both the cards and the stamps on offer are pictured below!

Love, 

Karen 

xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge Blog # 40, Sir Stampalot Blog August Challenge & Dutch Dare Card Challenge # 83

I made this card this morning to fit in with 3 different challenges.

All card I bought from The Paper Mill and Hobby Craft, I used some gold peel offs and I used a Sugar Nellie Image on it as well to fit in with one of the challenges. I used a patterned circular template to cut out the aperture on the front of the card by hand, and instead of putting an insert into the card, I  put used another piece of coordinating card, and I stamped the image onto that, so it shows through the aperture.

For the bling, I used a sparkly card but this doesn't show up very well on the photo, sorry about that, I also used a pearl brad on the centre of the flower, which I cut out for embellishment.

On the sketch which Sugar Bowl Challenge have given us to follow, it shows a pattern around the image, instead of using card and laying it into a pattern, I re created the pattern by using peel off's and laying them on the front of the card in the same pattern for a more subtle effect.

The Challenges I'm entering are as follows:-

1) Sugar Bowl Challenge Blog # 40  -  Do It Yourself!

2) Sir Stampalot Blog August Challenge - Bring on the Bling

3) Dutch Dare Card Challenge # 83  -  Anything Goes

I hope you enjoyed my card as much as I enjoyed making it.

JUST CUTE BEARS CHALLENGE # 28

As anyone who knows me will know, I absolutely adore bears, so I had to have a go at the challenge this week which Just Cute Bears Challenge Blog have set for us.

The challenge is "anything but square ... AND include a tag".

They also don't mind if you include decoupage, and I've been dying to use this decoupaged bear which I bought a while ago.

First of all I cut a piece of white cardstock to 10" x 5" and I made a Spring Card out of it. 

I had some delightful pink mirriboard with a lovely pattern on it which I cut down to use on the base. Then I had some silver card and I used that as a base on the diamond part of the card, embossed it a little,  then stuck  the bear decoupage over it. This has hidden some of the embossing I did, but never mind.

I attached a brad to a sentiment tag saying "birthday" and added that onto the card, then added a few silver gems for a finishing touch.
As the bear was metallic, from Dufex, the flash from the camera bleached out the bear's image a little bit, so I'm sorry about that. I tried to take a picture without flash, but it came out too dark.

Thank you for taking the time to view my card. I hope you enjoy it as much  as I did making it.

Paper/Card advice needed please

I need your help and advice please people.

As most of us do either stamping or digital stamping for our blog challenges, I would like to know which paper/card you print/stamp onto. 

The reason I ask this is because the paper I have used up till now isn't available at the stationers anymore.

The paper I have used up till now is made by IQ Mondi smooth white paper, 160 gsm.

This was perfect for my stamping/printing/colouring needs.

They have another 160 gsm paper there, but it doesn't seem the same as what I was using, in fact it feels much more flimsy than the previous paper I used.

Could you give me an idea what paper/card you all use please? And where you get it from?

I would appreciate your replies and advice please.

Thank you.

Karen

xxxx

Inked Inspirations Blog's Birthday Candy

Jodi over at Inked Inspirations Blog is celebrating her birthday today, and so she is offering some blog candy.She's not just giving ONE prize away, she is giving FIVE away!

Pictured below are all 5 of the candy's on offer, this can't be missed. It's such a wonderful offer!

This offer is open until the Midnight, 31st July 2010 (PST).

Crafty Sentiments Challenge Blog # 25

I'm a keen follower of the Crafty Sentiments Challenge Blog # 25, and their challenge this week is to follow a sketch, which is pictured below.

I coloured the images in with Promarkers, and the backing paper is the Papermania Capsule Collection - Red Hot Paper Pack.

I picked a pack of 30 sheets  up at my local Staples store.

I hope you like my card.

Pollycraft Challenge # 51, Forever Friends Challenge Blog, Passion for Promarkers # 59 & The ABC Challenge

I wasn't feeling too well this morning, so all in all, I'm quite pleased with how this card has turned out.

I've followed a few challenges and fitted them into this card so here goes:

1 Pollycraft Challenge # 51 - follow sketch given (pictured below)

2) Forever Friends Challenge Blog - Stitching Challenge

3) Passion For Promarkers # 59 - Give us a Laugh"

4) The ABC Challenge - Y is for You and Me 

I made this a large card, as I accidentally printed the image out a little bit larger than I meant to. I used quite a few promarkers to colour the image, baby pink, pastel yellow, peach, buttercup, baby blue, berry red, terracotta, pastel green, lilac, ice grey 2, yellow and satin for the skin.

I used some bronzed effect pearl gems to adorn the corner of the image and I drew in some stitching around the backing papers and the image itself.

The backing papers and card I bought from The Paper Mill.

To include it in the "Give us a Laugh" challenge, I typed out a sentiment saying "you don't have to be mad to live here, but it helps!"

I added some satin effect sticky ribbon at the bottom and either side of the ribbon I added a gold peel off.

I found some X peel offs, which are supposed to represent kisses I think but I thought they may also represent cross stitching so I placed a few of those on the ribbon.

I hope you like my card. Thank you for looking.

Friday Sketchers # 109 & Just Cute Bears Challenge # 24

The 2 challenges I am entering this card into are:

1) Friday Sketchers # 109 - follow the sketch

2) Just Cute Bears Challenge # 24 - decoupage 

This card I made using the Gingham Vase papers by Design House, I've not seen these used that much on people's blogs but I think they're lovely colours. The cardstock which I used is from The Paper Mill. The decoupage is one I got from Hobbycraft. I love doing decoupage so it was nice to be able to use one for a challenge.

The card and sketch I followed are pictured below. I hope you like my card. Thank you for taking the time to look.

Sugarbowl Challenge # 38, Pollycraft Monday Challenge # 50 & Alphabet Challenge Blog

I made this card with a few different challenges in mind, and I must admit I'm really happy with how it's turned out.

The challenges I'm entering my card into are:

1) Sugar Bowl Challenge # 38 - follow sketch

2) Pollycraft Monday Challenge # 50 - Pinkalicious

3) Alphabet Challenge Blog - J is for Jewels

As I had an image which was "portrait", I turned the sketch  90 degrees clockwise. I used  gems, papers and card which I bought from The Paper Mill and Hobbycraft. 

The image I used was Sugarnellie Belle and I coloured her in mainly pinks, to fit in with the pinkalicious theme. I coloured her in with Baby Pink,  Rose Pink, Magenta, Sunkissed Pink, Forest Green and Buttercup Promarkers (sorry for the green and buttercup colours but I didn't think pink would go too well for a flower stem or for hair)

The sketch and the card I made are pictured below. 

Thank you for taking time to view my card.

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 57

The Craft Challenge for this week, Number 57, is to follow the colours Purple and Green with Gems.

I got my new Hougie Board yesterday so I sat having a play with loads of embossing techniques on different spare pieces of card to see what came out with, like you do, and I found myself with the background to this card.

I used a cream pearlescent card, which I bought from my local Hobbycraft, then I cut down the card so it was exact inches and then scored the lines an inch apart. After that I got some green holographic  mirri board and scored a grid pattern 2 cm apart then cut these out, and then used my corner punch to snip the corners off the squares, and stuck them in the squares between the embossed lines.

After that, I coloured in the lovely Miss Evie Patches image, which is from the wonderfully talented  Squigglestamps, and I coloured it with Grass Green, Olive Green, Pale Green, Forest Green and Purple Promarkers, and cut it out, then stuck on purple gems in her hair and on her shoes, flower, buttons, and added a couple green square gems onto her pocket,  then with 3d sticky dots I stuck it to the card.

I used a purple happy birthday banner and stuck 2 green gems onto that.

My card is pictured below, I hope you like it!

Thank you for taking time to view my blog.

Woohoo I've just won!

WOOHOOO! WOWWWWWWWW!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! 

I JUST FOUND OUT I'VE WON A CHALLENGE I ENTERED LAST WEEK AT FOREVER FRIENDS CHALLENGE BLOG! I'VE WON A £10 JOANNA SHEEN VOUCHER. I'M OVER THE MOON (CAN'T YOU TELL? LOL)

I thought I'd announce it to all you lovely people, so if you're feeling pretty low and haven't won anything for a while, don't give up, your next win could be just around the corner!

Secret Crafter Challenge # 89 & Truly Scrumptious Challenge # 35

Secret Crafter Challenge # 89  has a theme to follow, and this week it's Strawberries & Cream, which also happens to be the theme for  Truly Scrumptious Challenge # 35, but they ask that we follow a sketch of theirs too ( which is pictured below)
All the card stock which I used was from the Paper Mill and  the digital image i got from the pc (sorry offhand I cannot remember which site I got it from). I added a few extra things to "pretty" it up a bit, and I ordered a  "Birthday Girl"  peel off. I also added a present  embellishment and some dark red gems.
I kept to the strawberries and cream colours, in order to fit in with the challenges.

Just Cute Bears Challenge # 23 & Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 75

I entered these challenges as I thought the image I had of a bear would fit into this particular sketch.
The challenges I've entered this card into are as follows:


1)  Just Cute Bears Challenge # 23 - Open theme 
2) Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 75 - Follow the sketch (picture below)


I didn't have any square cards and so I thought I'd take the chance and put this onto a rectangular card instead. I know I could of cut it down, but I liked the look of it on a longer card.
I used card from my cardstock and gems from my gem stash. The stamped image I coloured with promarkers and then I cut it out with a large circular punch (ok I know it gets rid of some of the lovely image but I got the main elements of the stamp in it).  Due to me not having a slightly larger or smaller circular punch and not being very good at cutting out freehand ones, I wasnt able to make a border around the bear, and I realise it doesnt look very much like I've cut out the circular  bear image  but I have.
I have  a new border punch, and so I used this to partially border the backing card, for a little more decoration.
I hope you like my card.

One Stop Craft Challenge # 86 & ABC Challenge

I tried to make this a bit fancy, with doing the extra dimension on the card, by double embossing  the card to give it an "art deco" look. 

I found an image of a baby in a pram which I thought was cute and I coloured this Pink and Brown to fit in with the colour scheme which One Stop Craft Challenge # 86 called for. I also stamped onto the image  2 butterflies which I also coloured Pink and Brown, and I placed a pink dragon fly onto the creased effect part of the card, then added in 4 bronze (which I think look like a mix between pink and brown) pearl gems.

The ABC Challenge  week 86,  has got to X which this week they have asked for "X is for Xtra Dimension"

I hope you like the card I made. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

C.R.A.F.T Challenge #56 & I Love Promarkers Challenge

I loved doing this challenge as I loved the colours given by  the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge  # 56 which asks us to use the colour combination of black, lime and lilac.

I also incorporated it into the sketch for I Love Promarkers Challenge # 20.

I used lilac, lime and black cardstock, and I also cut out some flower shapes from the lilac card as well.

As I didn't have any lime green ribbon, I cut some paper out a similar width to the lilac ribbon which I used on the card, and coloured it with a  Lime Green Promarker pen.

I hope you like  my card as much as I enjoyed making it, thank you for looking at my card.

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge # 39

The Crafts4eternity Recipe Challenge blog this week have given a recipe as follows:

1) use the sketch

2) use a nursery rhyme theme

3) add a charm

I used mainly card stock which I've had for a while, as these blue colours went so well with the blue which I used on the image. The image was found on the PC, and depicts Incy Wincy Spider, thus following the Nursery Rhyme theme.

I added some gems from my craft box, and I cut a fleur de lys  pattern out of silver card (though in the picture it does not look silver at all, I think it must of reflected back at something)  and used it upside down to create the pattern at the top. The very top piece of card, I embossed with a cuttlebug embossing folder.

I found a metal charm depicting a birthday cake and the words happy birthday and I stuck this onto the top part of the card with a foam pad so it stood out a little from the card.

The stripy pattern at the bottom of the card was created using some sticky ribbon which I found in my ribbon stash.

I hope you like my card. 

My photo of the card I made and the image given, are below.

I Love Promarkers Challenge & Friday Sketchers Challenge #107

There were a couple of  challenges which I wanted to enter with this image of a bear, though it's a simple picture,  I think it's pretty cute, and I combined  it with the pretty backing papers, which had part of the elements of the sketch on the papers already, I just had to use them.

The challenges I've entered my card, pictured below, into are as follows:

 I Love Promarkers Challenge - Theme this week is "Bears" and
 Friday Sketchers Blog Challenge # 107who have given a sketch to follow, which is pictured below. On the scalloped part of the image, I used the scalloped pattern on the backing papers, which I've just noticed I've placed the wrong way round to follow the pattern, oops, I hope that will be ok.

The promarkers which I used are Grass Green, Poppy Red pastel pink, black, vanilla  and blue. Though the sketch did not ask for a sentiment, I felt it needed one, so I placed it underneath the image. 

Thank you for taking time to visit my blog.