Simple Doodles Challenge 34 - Embossing

Welcome to the last Simple Doodles challenge of 2010! We've also had a name change and will be called Simply Create Challenges! The challenge this fortnight is:

Embossing

I've used one of the images from Robyns Fetish that the DT were given for the last challenge and yes, I have made a very early start on my Christmas cards for 2011! How organised will I be come next December?! I've used the There's Snow Place Like Snow Home digi image which has been coloured with Promarkers.


I've layered it onto some black and red card that I had in my stash along with some off-cuts of white card stock that I ran through the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The red organza ribbon is from my stash.

I am feeling quite virtuous in making such a good start for next year! Probably won't last though!

The challenge is open until 13 January and good luck! Hope you have a wonderful 2011 with lots of good surprises along the way!

• Image: Robyn's Fetish, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Swiss Dots embossing folder
• Everything else: My stash
  

Dude Time Doodles - January New Release & Blog Hop!

It's time for another new release preview for Dude Time Doodles and as always we celebrate this by having a Blog Hop! There is lots going on this month - the new store is launched and as a very special offer to celebrate the New Year there is 11% off your entire purchase! Use the code HAPPY2011 at checkout to get the discount - only one per customer and its good from now until 2 January 2011. Go - what are you waiting for?!!

And there is more! Some of the digi's offered in the store are being turned into clear polymer stamps later in the year! So if you prefer the motion and feel of real stamping, then stay tuned!

Right, onto business! During the Blog Hop you'll see a selection of images used which are the January new releases and all are the quality and humour you'd expect to see! Plus some sentiments and sayings from Sassy Say'n's by Marlooney! If you've never visited her blog, then please do so, but make sure you're not of a nervous disposition and that you are alone as I howl with laughter!!

For my card, I've used Revenge of the Nerd Ned, coloured him with Promarkers and used papers from DCWV - 6x6 Retro Paper Stack. And if you notice he is looking a little odd in colour, that is down to the fact that we'd used a new energy saving bulb in a lamp that has not been switched on for a fair while and it sort of made the colours look different than they did in real life..... hehehe! Poor chap looks like he's not seen the light of day for a while anyway!

You can join in the Blog Hop at any point - just keep going until you come back to your starting point! Leave a comment on each of the Design Team blogs as you just never know which one of us will be the Mystery Hostess this month and one commenter will win one of the new release images!

If you've arrived at me from Cleota then you're doing good! From me you need to hop over to Hetty. And on your way through, make sure you wish Lynn a big warm welcome - she was our recent Guest Designer and we enjoyed her company her so much, we asked her to stay! If you want to start right at the beginning then go to the Dude Time Doodles challenge blog! Good luck! And don't forget to leave a comment as you are passing by!

• Papers: Retro Stack 6x6 papers from DCWV
• Image: Revenge of the Nerd Ned, coloured with Promarkers
  

Pink Winter Birthday

The Lexi's Creations challenge is:

Pink Winter Birthday

So, in my quest to use up all the scraps in my overflowing shoe box (and its a big box as my husband takes size 13!) I managed to find these offcuts which I am sure are from a Funky Hand cd (or maybe two!) The image is from Simple Doodles and I've coloured it with Promarkers. I chopped the loopy bits off the top of the image and added some random bits of black and hot pink ribbon instead to make it more tactile.


The spotty organza ribbon across the centre was a perfect size for the card! I didn't have any more and it was a shame to waste so it had to be used!

I've used a sheet of acetate as the card base which was another light bulb moment - two in one week!!

• Backing papers: Funky Hand
• Image: Simple Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash

Small, Cute and Bright Thanks!

Be warned as this is a bright post! I've decided that I really do need to use up all the bits of printed card that I have in the large shoe box instead of printing more, so when I saw the current Cupcake challenge which is:

Thank You

And after remembering that I had several sheets of this hot pink fuchsia card in my stash and some small envelopes perfect for making some Thank You cards, I got to work and made these:

Each card is 90cm square, so quite dinky (I'm using envelopes from a budget range of 10 Christmas cards from Asda at 10p a pack - no, I'm not kidding (the cards were naff, but envelopes good!) and that is before they are reduced!) I've used paper from Funky Daze (sale on at the moment plus the cd is permanently reduced!) which was left over from a previous project and fitted in well with the hot pink colour scheme!

All the buttons were donations from Lynsey (thank you!) and I've glued them on after tying string through and making a bow. I've glued the centre of the bows too.

I've used a Nestabilities die to cut the shapes and the sentiment (wonky in places but adds to the effect!) has been stamped with a little wooden Studio G alphabet stamp. A little bit of inking around the edge of the die cut shapes and the cards are complete!

I need to make some thank you cards from the boys as they got a lot of presents for Christmas, however I'd have to change the colour theme as I don't think they'd be too impressed sending these!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Dies: Nestabilities
• Sentiment: Studio G alphabet stamp
• Buttons: Lynsey
• Everything else: My stash
  

Cupcake

I found a new challenge site last week whilst blog hopping, well, its a new challenge site to me anyway! It's called CD Sunday challenge and basically you have to use something from a crafting CD. And as I own a fair few, I thought I'd give it a whirl!

The current challenge is:

In Stitches

And I have slightly cheated by making faux stitching around the edges of the card and also one of the Nesties layers. Which is probably neater than if I tried it on the sewing machine! I've used an image from Candy Doodles and the backing papers from Love and Cherish both by Polkadoodles. The cupcake I've printed at A5 size and its layered too, so one full cupcake can be printed onto one sheet of A4 card.

I've added some glitter glue to the bow and also around the Nesties layer. With a bit of inking, the card is completed! I was going to add a sentiment, but could not decide what to add or where it should be placed. So one will be added before I use it. Probably.

• All paperbased items: Candy Doodles and Love and Cherish CD's from Polkadoodles
• Everything else: My stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 45

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! If you want more details of each item that I have featured, just click on the picture and it will take you to the Craft Juice listing.

Now I am a BIG fan of hot chocolate. Especially with whipped cream and chocolate on the top! Yum!

So here are three delightfully miniature offerings from SouzouCreations!

Hmmm - I want one!!!

See you next Tuesday for more Craft Juice Tuesday!

Happy Christmas 2010!

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

Simple and Cute!

I've missed so many of the Lili of the Valley challenges, mainly due to lack of time! But I'd been sent some of the lovely die cut images by Enfys some time ago and I liked the look of the current sketch challenge, so I went for it!


And made two cards! It seemed a shame not to make both a girl and a boy card! The images are Lili of the Valley and are just so sweet! For both cards I've used similar elements - for the girl card I've used papers from Tinker and Co - Shabby Quilt along with a Martha Stewart punch which I've threaded the ribbon through via another punch I had plus ribbon and seed beads from my stash. The brad was also sent to me by Enfys an age ago!

The matching boy card again uses papers from Tinker and Co but this time Spring Fresh along with a Fiskars border punch, ribbon from Stampin' Up (Tempting Turquoise) and again seed beads and brads from my stash. The large sentiment brad is from Enfys too!

So there you go! Two pretty quick and simple cards to add to the baby box!

• Images: Lili of the Valley
• Papers: Tinker & Co Shabby Quilt and Spring Fresh kits
• Punches: Martha Stewart, Fiskars and one of mine
• Boy ribbon: Stampin' Up - Tempting Turquoise
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 51 - Sketch & Colouring

Welcome to the Polkadoodle challenge! This is our last challenge of 2010 and it will run for longer than usual, and will close on Sunday 9 January 2011 at 12noon GMT. On behalf of the Design Team, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This is the first sketch I have ever created and I'm very pleased with myself too! The challenge this week is to follow the sketch - it can be flipped or rotated - and to use either a stamped or digital image that you have coloured yourself.
I've used the very cute Nellienoo Elephant stamp, coloured them with Promarkers and used papers including the flowers from Candy Doodles. There seems to be a lot of babies either arriving or on the horizon so I decided to make a boy and a girl card (plus I enjoyed my own sketch!)The ribbons and gems are from my stash and I've added some blobs of liquid pearls around the edges of the images.

Good luck in entering the challenge - it is open until Sunday 9 January at 12noon GMT so you have loadsa time!

• Image: Nellienoo elephant stamp, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Candy Doodles cd
• Everything else: My stash

Football Star

I've got a thing about making door hangers at the moment! So when I saw the Forever Friends challenge which asks for

A Door Hanger

I couldn't really resist! I've used papers from Sugar Cookie Christmas digital scrapbooking kit by Alison Sloan (her Scrapable store has 50% off until the end of December!) The Forever Friends image is from an Elements pack and is ready assembled decoupage. I've made the rosette myself by punching hearts from silver paper and slightly ruffling them. It's got added height as I've made a smaller layer in the centre then added the die cut number 1.

All lettering has been cut with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet dies plus other bits from my stash including card candy.

• Papers: Sugar Cookie Christmas kit from Alison Sloan
• Image: Forever Friends Elements
• Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
• Everything else: My stash
  
  

Karate Christmas

This will be my very last Christmas card for 2010! The boys asked me (nothing like last minute!) to make a card for their Martial Arts instructor, so not wanting to disapoint, here it is!

I've used the Friday Sketchers sketch as inspiration:


Papers are from Papermania strips Ho Ho Ho collection (the long thin strip pack) and I've layered them onto some red card from my stash. I've used Sizzix original dies to make the little person complete with karate kit and black belt, and to show he's festive, a Santa hat!

Samuel wrote the sentiment in his smallest handwriting and I've added the red ribbon from my stash. Lets hope he likes it!

• Papers: Papermania Ho Ho Ho
• Dies: Sizzix original dies
• Sentiment: Handwritten by Samuel
• Everything else: My stash
  

Oriental

A lovely sketch on Delicious Doodles this week and it's my first time entering the challenges too!

I've used a freebie Delicious Doodles image that I got ages ago and coloured it with Promarkers. The main backing paper is from the huge pack of 12x12 double sided papers that I got from CostCo a while ago - I think the brand is MemoryStor.

All other papers are from Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman and I've added some tiny red prima flowers, brads (that actually matched!) and some red ribbon (cut off loops from my jumper!)

After a few successful events towards the end of this year, my box of female cards is looking a little sorry for itself so this will go towards replenishing it!

• Image: Delicious Doodles freebie, coloured with Promarkers
• Main paper: 12x12 double sided from MemoryStor (CostCo)
• Other papers: Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman
• Everything else: My stash
  

For You

A great sketch from Carol's Fun Sketches this fortnight and a welcome return too!! I've been checking virtually on a weekly basis to see if they were up and running again but somehow I managed to miss the last one! I've kept the card simple and have used papers from Alison Sloan - Forever Autumn kit (her Scrapable store has 50% off until end of December!) and have created the central flower by printing on both sides of the card, cutting increasingly smaller circles, inking the edges and then screwing them up and unfurling slightly, securing with a brad in the centre.

The sentiment has been created with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set as all attempts at cutting an oval were terrible!

• All papers: Forever Autumn digital scrapbooking kit by Alison Sloan
• Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
• Brad: My stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 44

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! It's getting closer and closer to Christmas and colder and colder too, so this week the theme is snow!

For more information about each item, please click on the picture and you will be taken to their Craft Juice listing.

Beautiful handmade bone snowflakes with antique lace impressions from hodgepodgearts

A cheeky snowman keepsake pendant which has been embellished to be more sparkly - from Silent Theatre
An intricate shadow box with handcut imagery from rtisan


More next Tuesday!

Dude Time Doodles Challenge 4 - Photo Inspiration

It's time for another Dude Time Doodles challenge and as its the 20th it is an inspiration challenge:

I've chosen to use Armchair Arnie (and we all know someone just like him!) who I've coloured with Promarkers and by pure fluke, managed to match up the colour scheme with the inspiration photo! The papers are from my stash and have not got a clue where they came from but have a sneaky feeling that they were freebie downloads from a magazine. I've handwritten the sentiment.

I've corner rounded, inked and added a brad from my stash that I've had for simply yonks and fitted in perfectly!

So, fancy entering?! Great, you have until 4 January to enter, follow the inspiration photo and you must make a male themed project with any digis you may have. Link it up with the challenge blog and the Design Team can stop by and see your work! Good luck!

PS Sorry if you were looking for this earlier - my mistake - set the post to schedule for 2011...!!

• Papers: I think freebies downloaded from a magazine
• Image: Armchair Arnie coloured with Promarkers
• Sentiment: Handwritten
• Everything else: My stash

Sledging and Snow Angels

Pictures from yesterday when we went sledging with one of Jacob's classmates who lives just down the road from us. We are lucky to have this decent hill a few minutes walk from us.


The snow was a bit rubbish for snowballs and building snowmen as it was too powdery and stuck more to us!
And Jacob was insistent on making a snow angel!

We lasted an hour and half!

Let It Snow!

I know I said that the Christmas cards were over. Well, they nearly are! I have this one as I could not resist it plus another one basically because I was asked to make one last minute!

This one is for the Tiddly Inks challenge which asks for

Let It Snow

Plus I've used the freebie image on offer (it seemed such a shame not to!) So this is a quick and simple card as the image was pre-coloured. I've used one of my Nestites as a part template for the image and then layered it onto some shiny silver card from my stash.

Jacob picked the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (I was trying to distract him from a right grump!) for the background, so a bit of corner rounding and inking plus a section of fab black and white ribbon I found in my stash along with a confetti snowflake and a gem: the card is complete!

It's not my usual Christmas colour scheme but I like it and I think it works, plus it uses up some of the off-cuts of card I have!

We went sledging yesterday along with a classmate of Jacob's who lives further down the road, so pics of those to follow!

• Image: Tiddly Inks freebie, pre-coloured
• Dies: Nesties and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
• Everything else: My stash
  

Simple Doodles Challenge 33 - Tag It

Welcome to another Simple Doodles challenge! This fortnight is extra special as we have a sponsor - Robyn's Fetish has provided the Simple Doodles design team with some lovely images to help provide you with some inspiration for the challenge:

Tag It!

I've used Lucy Angel on my tag and have coloured her with Promarkers plus a little glitter glue on her heart. She is then layered onto a Sizzix Super Scallop sized tag that has been embossed using the Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls folder and inked.


The brown and pink (it is honest - the photo has a blue cast!) is from a 12x12 sheet from my stash and it does not have a maker name on it. The pink tag is from Funky Daze from Funky Hand and I've dotted liquid pearls around the edge. The edge of the card has been faux stitched.

The ribbons are from my stash. Good luck - the deadline for the challenge is 30 December via the Simple Doodles challenge blog!

• Papers: From my stash and Funky Hand
• Image: Robyn's Fetish coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 50 - Age Related

It's Friday so welcome to another Polkadoodle Challenge! We have another challenge for you next Friday so make sure you check back then!

This week, Lou has set the challenge and it is to

Make an Age Related Card

I've made a sparkly 18th Birthday card for a family member who has recently turned 18. I've used the cake template from Paper Boutique Vol 1 but only used the front part of the card and I've used one of the A4 sheets as the backing.

It was a really quick and easy card to make with minimal extras to add. The numbers have been cut with a Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet set which have then been glittered and I've glittered the icing too.

Good luck in entering the challenge - you have until Sunday 26 December at 12noon to enter. Please follow the theme and also remember that you have a limit of 10 challenges to use with your creation. Thanks!

• All paperbased items: Paper Boutique Vol 1
• Dies: Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet set
  

Last Christmas Card (I Hope!)

A great simple sketch for a last minute card that I was asked to make. I've used the Sketch and Stash sketch and have made this:

The papers are DCWV Christmas Wishes 6x6 stack - the ribbon hides the join! I've inked the edges and then added a fine black line border also. The image is from Bugaboo which I've coloured with Promarkers and its layered onto off cuts of card.

The ribbon is from my stash and its one that I've had for ages but have only used once before, and I've had to tie a fancy bow as it was quite wide and wouldn't do what I wanted it to do! The sentiment I found along with the button.

Hopefully that will be the last Christmas card for this year - all mine have been written and sent and now just need to finish the Christmas present shopping. I'm sure I've lost a week somewhere!

• Papers: DCWV Christmas Wishes 6x6 stack
• Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

The Donkey Who Thinks He is a Camel

Following on from last week's Reception Nativity and Angel Jacob, here is Samuel dressed as a donkey who thinks he is a camel! The Infant classes at school performed Ooops A Daisy Angel (some 60+ kids!) with identical twins playing the leading role! This was not revealed until the very end!

Samuel had to say that he was a camel with two humps on his back so he could be let into the camel park on the way to Bethlehem. Sounds a bit mad explaining it, but it worked - you had to see it to understand it!

My Karate Kids

Here are the boys with their medals after competing on Sunday in the Aspire Martial Arts Winter Champions Competition. Both boys were knocked out in the early stages to the eventual winners - Jacob competed in both hand drills and sparring rounds, with Samuel in just sparring. Hence why Jacob has two medals!

They did really well despite some very fierce and tough competitors.

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 43

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! The Nativity season (have a look at this post for cuteness!) is well and truly upon us and in honour of this I'm showing some cute reindeer's!

To find out more about each item, click on the picture and it will take you to the Craft Juice listing.

Jingle reindeer's from Mushymakes

Fab red and white reindeer's from crafteamakes

And look at this cute little reindeer - he needs a new home! Buy from GiftsByJenny

See you next week!

Birthday Owl

I made the top three last week on Sweet Sketch Wednesday! Thank you! And as I like the sketches, here is my entry for this week's Sweet Sketch Wednesday!


I've used papers from Polkadoodle's Paper Boutique Vol 1 along with the cute layered lady owl image. I've used my second set of Nesties (I treated myself a while ago!) to create the aperture through which the owl sits.

The sentiment is computer generated and the ribbon is some lovely velvet chocolate brown fabric edging that was given to my by Lynsey!

Had a pretty busy weekend just gone hence the lack of posts, more about that tomorrow though!!

• All paperbased elements: Paper Boutique Vol 1 from Polkadoodles
• Sentiment: Computer generated
• Dies: Nesties
• Ribbon: From Lynsey
  

Baby Sleeping

The Moving Along With The Times challenge this week asks for:

Lots of Spots

And as I've now finished (I hope!) Christmas card orders, I can now make something that is not Christmas related! I've made these two doorhangers using papers from Alison Sloan called Sweet Cookie Christmas which is actually a digi kit with lots of papers and elements although I've only used two of the papers. The kit is due to be released very soon!

The images are stamped Forever Friends, coloured with Promarkers and I've added letters cut with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set. The ribbon is from my stash. I've edged the hangers with ink and then doodled a fine line with matching gel pen around the edges to give a bit of definition.

I quite like making doorhangers - makes a change from cards!

• Images: Forever Friends, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Sweet Cookie Christmas Digi Kit from Alison Sloan
• Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 49 - To Hold A Gift

It's Friday and welcome to another Polkadoodle Challenge! This week, Dee has set the challenge of to make a project to:

Hold a Gift

I've used part of a 12x12 sheet of brown card plus ribbon and a brad from my stash to make a hot chocolate holder!

I've used two Spellbinder Nestabilities to layer the image on. I printed off a few of the little digis from Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas and then layered them, adding glitter glue to the cookies and also marshmallows.

I punched holes at the side of the slot to stop it from ripping - the brad holds the bottom flap in place so that the top can be tucked inside.

A nice and quick project to make which can be adapted to hold any sort of pouch.

• Image: Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash

Angel Jacob

It was Jacob's Reception class Nativity play this afternoon at school and he was an Angel! And doesn't he look angelic?! He was also a narrator with two parts to speak and he learnt his lines very quickly!

Next Tuesday is Samuel's Christmas play - so check back then for pics of him!!

Love Is Patient

I nearly squealed when I saw the sketch and theme for the Charisma Cardz challenge! The sketch is:

And the twist is not to use an image but just a sentiment. I knew the perfect sentiment to use! I'd just bought one of the Wedding digi stamp sheets from Digi Sparkle and it had a passage from Corinthians which I've printed off for the focal point of this card. I've used my Nesties for the shape and the papers were a Craftwork Cards freebie pack from a craft magazine ages ago that I'd forgotten I had.
I've inked the edges with chestnut Whispers ink and some faded pink ink then added a chocolate brown organza ribbon and two stemmed flowers from my stash. On the sentiment panel I've added some little dots of liquid pearls just to finish it off.

The digi stamp sheet that I bought from Digi Sparkle has other verses on plus a very cute Bride and Groom so watch out for me using those!

• Sentiment: Wedding Bible Verses digi stamp from Digi Sparkle
• Papers: Freebie pack from Craftwork Cards in a magazine
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
  
• Everything else: My stash