New Baby Zig Zag Card

I was asked to make a baby card as the baby, when it arrives, will be their first Grandchild! So no pressure on me! The baby is due any time now and it's this couple who are expecting!

The current ABC challenge is up to letter Z and it is for a:

Zig Zag Card

So here is my zig zag card! Made using almost a full sheet of A4 card, scored to create mountain and valley folds with white vellum overlay that has been embossed with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder.

I've used papers from It's Funky Too and used word art to create the letters and then cut them out. They've been added with foam pads to create a slightly raised look.

All the little die cut embellishments are from the Sizzix Sizzlets baby set with exception to the bundle of joy tag and that came from my stash box.

The flowers are Prima and I've layered them and added a pearl headed brad to the centre. I didn't have enough eyelets in the right colour so I've just left the holes as they are - so it's more natural looking.

The ribbon is from my stash. And I now need some more of this colour and width!

I'm checking my phone for a text every few hours, just in case the baby has arrived! Mind you, I've yet to make a card for it, but think I may wait until I know what it is!!

• Backing papers: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Dies: Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls embossing folder, Sizzix Sizzlets die cuts
• Everything else: My stash
  

Strawberries and Cream

Hmmmmm! The challenge over on Secret Crafter is:

Strawberries and Cream

I've been asked to make a number of word books and although the actual word is the customers' choice, I have free reign for colour schemes etc. So I thought this word book fitted in nicely with the challenge!


I've used papers from It's Funky Too from Funky Hand and printed the letters using Word Art and resized them to fit two width ways on a sheet of A4. I've used a black Sharpie marker around the inside of the letters plus added buttons and beads. The flower has been made with a Cuttlebug die and a blingy gem has been added to the centre.


The hat pins are my own creation with wooden beads and seed beads. Red organza ribbon from my stash.

Watch out for more word books over the next week - I have at least 2 more to make!

• All papers: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Dies: Cuttlebug flower
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Show A Little Green!

I was so pleased to be offered a Guest Designer spot for March on Simple Doodles and this is my first offering for the month! The challenges run alternate Saturday's so you have plenty of time to get creating!

As the name suggests, they are lovely simply drawn doodles - all digi - which are a joy to colour in! There are lots of freebies that you can collect along the way and the one I've used below is one of the freebies.

Anyway, the challenge for this fortnight is:

Show A Little Green

And I've tried to be 'green' also by using up bits from my stash rather than cracking open a new paper pack or printing more! I've even used a green card blank! The big spotty green paper is from It's Funky Too from Funky Hand, the circle star paper is from Kelly-Jo Scraps, the metallic green (used my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on it) is from my stash, and the smaller green panel is from Patti Picklicious.

The image has been coloured with felt tips, and I've used some jute string to finish it off. I am liking this little dino so don't be surprised if you see him again!!

Pop over to the Simple Doodles Challenge blog for more details on how to enter - and if you do - good luck!! You can use any digi image but it would be nice to see some Simple Doodles ones - and there are loads of freebies!

• Backing papers: Various
• Image: Simple Doodles, coloured with felt tips
• Dies: Nestabilities and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing
• Everything else: My stash
  

Bird House

Inktegrity has launched a brand new challenge and their first ever is this sketch:

I've used the image from the 50/50 Stampers Group which was pre-coloured. I printed it three times and layered it up. All the backing papers are from my stash with the printed one under the image from It's Funky Too from Funky Hand.

The ribbon is from the Scrap Store and as I have plenty of it I was generous with the bow!

• Plain backing papers: My stash
• Printed backing paper: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Image: Inktegrity pre coloured
• Everything else: My stash
  

Hot Stuff!

Well, whilst blog hopping I found a challenge blog right up my street! Doodle Dragon Studios now has a fortnightly challenge which is great news as I have probably a few million of the images! I actually bought them in a digi bundle sale a while ago and they are too fab not to use!

So, the very first challenge is:

Love / Valentine

So here I've gone for a slightly quirky valentine for the non soppy male! The image has been coloured with felt tips and a bit of white gel pen highlighting and I've used papers from Funky Hand (the coloured spotty one - printed onto photo paper for a different finish) and Kirsty Wiseman (the red spotty ones).

The tiny alphas which read 'hot stuff' are also from the Kirsty Wiseman cd - Patti Picklicious. Everything has been layered onto black card after being swiped with the good trusty black inkpad.

I did think about adding a ribbon or something to break up the horizontal of the card but was a bit engrossed in watching Tremors.... Yep, its so bad it's good!

• Backing papers: Red dots - Kirsty Wiseman, coloured dots - Funky Hand
• Image: Dustin Pike coloured with felt tips and white gel pen
• Black card: My stash
  

Another Dinosaur!

I do like Dustin Pike's dinosaurs and this challenge was no exception! The Dare U 2 Digi Stamp challenge is to use a digi image and also:

Punched Shapes or Die Cuts

The image is Dustin Pike coloured with watercolour pencils and I've chalked the background to make it less white. The yellow and orange papers are from It's Funky Too - the orange paper and the green have been textured with a Fiskars texture plate (frantic minutes rubbing the image on!) and then I've pulled an ink pad across the top so that the stones stand out more.



The sentiment was a freebie Papermania stamp set from a magazine a while ago and I've also inked this to tone it down a little. The die cuts are the bones from a Sizzlit dog set. And although I know that this dinosaur is a herbivore, well, I didn't have any die cuts or punches of leaves, so I've had to go with the bones. Just pretend you don't know that!

• Backing papers: Printed - It's Funky Too, dark green card from my stash
• Image: Dustin Pike coloured with watercolour pencils
• Sentiment: Papermania sentiment set
• Dies: Sizzlit bones from the dog set

Get Funky! Challenge 3 - Halloween

It's the first of October so it means another Get Funky! Challenge! Thank you to all who entered my Two Little Boys Challenge in September - there were some great entries! To find out who I picked as the winner go to Get Funky!


This month it is Allison's turn to set the challenge and she loves Halloween, so the theme this month is:

Halloween

Rules are simple - simply use one Funky Hand product on your creation to be in with a chance of winning a very generous £20 gift voucher to spend on Funky Hand products! You have the whole of October to enter!

The Design Team have made some wonderfully spooky creations - pop over to Get Funky to have a look!


For my sample, I've made a gift box. The template was a free download from Papercraft Inspirations (this is the small box and it prints out over two sheets of A4). I've used papers from It's Funky Too - and I've printed a different pattern on both sides.


The outside of the box has been decorated with various die cuts - Sizzix ghosts, Round-a-Bout alphabet set and a Sizzlit tombstone. Edges have been inked in either silver or black ink for a bit more spookiness.

I've attached the ghosts to the box with strips of acetate so they jump out!

The ribbon is from my stash and just the perfect shade of orange too! The little black bats are confetti, and I'm sure I bought it from the pound shop a few years ago. Or probably Tescos in the post Halloween sale!

And inside the box -

I've filled it with spooky pumpkins and ghoulish eyes - a net of each £1 from, yes, the pound shop!! They make the box quite heavy, so I think I'm going to have to eat a few.....!!

• Papers: It's Funky Too
• Dies: Sizzlit - Tombstone, Sizzix Yellow die - Ghosts, Sizzix alphabet - Round-a-Bout
• Everything else: From my stash

Good luck with the October challenge and remember to link the actual post of your blog in your comment on Get Funky - this makes it a lot easier for the Design Team to visit you and to leave you a comment. Can't wait to see what you create!

I Should Concentrate More!

I'm just about on time with the current challenge sketch from the wonderful Carol! I've just been caught up with lots of other things (making up party bags, wrapping pass the parcels - who said kids parties were easy?!) so this sort of went by the wayside. However, an early start on Sunday made sure I got to grips with the sketch!

I've used printed papers from It's Funky Too (I'm pretty sure it is!) which I have lightly inked and then doodled a line around. The red card is from my stash. The image is Dustin Pike which I have coloured with my trusty Tesco felt tips and a little white gel pen - the clouds got the glitter glue treatment!

The sentiment stamp is from my stash and I cut the number 4 with my Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet dies. I'm fairly organised with this card as its is for a friends little boy who will be 4 at the end of the month - we were both pregnant at the same time and work together too!

So why should I concentrate more? Well, I'd completed the card and then came to open it out, and realised I'd stuck it all on upside down...... so had to trim it down and stick it all on another card blank.... in my defense, I was up rather early and was only on my second cup of tea!

• Backing papers: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with felt tips and white gel pen
• Sentiment: Stamp unknown from my stash
• Dies: Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet dies
  

Get Funky! Challenge 2 - Two Little Boys

Is it really September already?! The year has flown by and September is always a busy month for me as both boys have their Birthdays in the first two weeks. And this year is even more special as I am the Guest Designer for September on Get Funky! challenge blog!

So, in honour of Samuel and Jacob's birthdays, I set the challenge which is:

Two Little Boys

Both my boys have their Birthdays in September - Jacob will be 4 and Samuel will be 6.

So my challenge is to make a boy themed card, layout, project or what ever you fancy as long as it is aimed at a boy and uses a Funky Hand paper or extra.

For Samuel's card I have used papers from It's Funky Too. I used a football template from an old issue of Papercraft Inspirations and cut the white parts from hammered white card and then layered it over the black card. A bit of chalking and light doodling and it looks like a football! I've inked the edges of all the papers before doodling a fine outline on them.


Samuel's name has been cut from black card and I've dotted the edges of the letters with white gel pen - the alphabet is Sizzix Round-a-Bout. Not sure if you can see, but the silver card has been embossed with a Cuttlebug folder - I think it is the brick one (well, I don't keep the packaging and the name of it is on that!) Samuel really enjoys football, however his school trousers and shoes disagree and I'm hoping that Year 1 will be kinder on his uniform than Reception year!

For Jacob's card I used Now That's Funky. I'd already printed the papers off a while ago as I had the idea of making a robot, however, I made a slight error and stuck the backing paper to the card blank and then realised that the robot was going to be a little bigger than it should be! I've used a corner rounder for all the edges and layered the printed papers onto some shiny silver card (made it a bit more robotic!) Basically, I made it up as I went along, adding bits of wire here and there and punching silver circles with a hole punch.

I used Pritt Gel glue for the wire as it sticks anything I've ever tried and dries virtually clear (unless you dollop the glue too much). Of course the robot had to have wobbly eyes, and is it me, or does he look a bit scared?!

The tiny nuts came from the Scrap Store a while ago and are perfect for little projects like this.

And because I'd made the robot a little too large for the card, I decided to give him jointed legs so I've used some silver jump rings. The lower part of the legs I went a bit flashy and made them concertina style but the silver card was having none of it so they just got stuck on as they are now.

Hope you liked my cards and pop over to the Challenge blog for more details on how to enter and to see the rest of the Design Team's creations - you won't be disappointed! Don't forget, you have the whole of September to enter - as long as you've linked your creation back to the challenge post before the end of the month, you stand a chance of winning a £20 gift voucher to be spent on Funky Hand products!

Good luck and I look forward to visiting you to see how you've interpreted my challenge!

• Backing papers: It's Funky Too and Now That's Funky
• Template: Football from Papercraft Inspirations
• Dies: Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet set and Cuttlebug embossing die (I think bricks)
• Tiny nuts: From the scrap store
• Everything else: From my stash
  
  
  

Sunglasses At The Ready!

Now even though this is a relatively simple, straightforward challenge, it had me stumped! I have only a few large blooms - the turquoise one you see here, a few bright yellow ones and one white so was rifeling through my pre printed paper box to see what would match, and would you believe it - I found this!

The Daring Cardmakers challenge this week (set by fellow Funky Hand DT mate Lythan) is:

Supersize me! Big blooms required!

Now, I must have printed this backing paper (It's Funky Too) ages ago when I went through a phase of printing everything off on thin glossy photo paper. So quite pleased that I knew, way back then, that I would need this paper for today!

All I have done (after taking 20 mins to arrange the flowers and settle for the final colour combination..) is rounded all edges, inked them and bunged the flowers in the centre. The two turquoise ones and button are from the lovely Jozza (yes that bag of blooms is still going, but dwindling now!) and the yellow one is a pre layered thing that I bought when Samuel was a baby from Topaz Crafts but had not used....

Did think of adding a sentiment, but didn't!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too printed onto glossy photo paper
• Blooms: From Jozza and Topaz Crafts
• Button: From Jozza
  

Dinos Again!

The Friday Sketchers challenge this week is the following sketch:

And I made not one but two cards based upon the sketch. It happens to be more Birthday parties for Samuel to attend so I need more quick boy's Birthday cards!

I really do like using my little dino stamp and its so easy to colour it with watercolour paints! All the backing papers are from It's Funky Too - the dotty one has actually been printed onto glossy photo paper for a different finish.

All edges have been inked in green and then black ink and the images have been gently chalked around the edges as the card was a little stark!

• Backing paper: All from It's Funky Too by Funky Hand
• Image: Dovecraft coloured with watercolour paints
  

Sketches by Tamara - Butterflies

The Sketches by Tamara challenge this week is:

And this came together so easily! Again, scraps and left over bits of card in my stash were used - the yellow / green strips are from It's Funky Too and the pink strips are from Huge Funky Love. They have sort of been randomly cut but not too much to look out of place. Edges have been inked with pink or green ink and then worn black as the colours were a bit too bright for my liking.

The butterflies were a freebie pack from the Do Crafts magazine an issue or two ago and I thought they were too pretty just to sit in the packet!

Get me with the fancy arty shot eh?! The lighting was a bit pants yesterday so I struggled a little - believe it or not, but these photos were taken in front of a huge french window at 1:30pm with white card reflectors and still the lighting is flat. Just can't win!

The sentiment stamp was a 4 block one from Mad About Cards - the sentiment is in 4 different fonts.

There was one butterfly left over from the pack and I used that on another challenge - will show that in a day or two!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too and Huge Funky Love from Funky Hand
• Sentiment: 4 sided stamp from Mad About Cards
• Butterflies: Freebie Dovecraft embellishments from a recent Do Crafts magazine

Spring Has Sprung - Simply!

The Secret Crafter challenge this week is:

Spring Has Sprung!

So, I got out my left over papers to see what yellows I had, and I found these - all I think are from It's Funky Too. So after a bit of faffing around with layering and when I was happy with what I had, I doodled a running stitch around the edges of the card and papers. The image is one sent to me by Anice as we did a Funky Hand DT image swop and its been coloured with watercolour pencils. I've slightly inked the edge of the image with a running out black ink pad and the wide grosgrain ribbon is from my stash.

Yeah, and the lighting is the halogen kitchen lights again....

• Backing papers: It's Funky Too
• Image: Anita's Stamps and from Anice
• Ribbon: From my stash (originally Blackburn market)