Posy Doodles - Lots of Flowers!

Polkadoodles are on Hochanda today at 10am and 2pm UK time and here is one of the samples I've made!  I've used one of the papers from the paper pack and the added some stamped flowers that have been coloured with watercolour paints.  The smaller flowers have also got liquid pearls doted on them and they've been added with foam pads for depth.

I cut out the centre square using an X Cut die and one of the toppers fitted perfectly in the centre - I've just added two stamped flowers but only coloured the centres.

I'd like to enter the following:

Crafty Catz:  Anything Goes Option of Flowers
Pattie's Creations:  Add Flowers
CCEE Stampers:  May Flowers
Sasayaki Glitter:  Flowers  TOP THREE
Moo Mania:  Flowers

Summery Daisy Friends

I do like making clean and simple cards and with using this stunning Daisy Friends stamp, then its so easy!  I first of all made the card blank with white linen effect card and cut the aperture with a circle die.  The Daisy Friends stamp was inked up and I stamped it directly through the aperture, coloured it with Promarkers and then used dry watercolour pencils for the background.  The sentiments were stamped on off-cuts of the same card and then added around the frame.

And to give it a bit more interest, I added some cute die cut LDRS Dotted Wings Butterflies, added some half pearls from the Magic Sparkles embellishment pack to their centres and five around the top left of the circle aperture.

I'd like to enter the following:

Crafty Girls Creations:  Anything Goes
Create and Inspire:  Anything Goes
Creative Ladybirds:  Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends:  Anything Goes

C is for Circles

The current ABC challenge is:

C is for Circles

And I have circles!! The card is actually 4 circles layered together with the letters cut from the top - it is a template on Jingle Jangle Christmas and I ran out of time to complete the card before Nikky launched the cd on Create and Craft in August, so I thought this challenge would be perfect to finish it off!

I've doodled over the stitched effect on the card and have added the white gel dots around the edges of the black borders. The three baubles across the centre are part of a lovely stamp set which will complement the Jingle Jangle cd - there is also one for Candy Doodles. Both stamp sets will be launched very soon on Create and Craft - so you saw them here first!!

The ribbon line is actually straight in real life - I've just taken a dodgy photo - I think it was the euphoria of realising it was actually daylight when I got home and not chucking it down and black clouds!

The NOEL template can be printed onto any card as it only prints the black lines so you could have it in much more traditional colours than I choose!

• Backing papers and NOEL template: Jingle Jangle Christmas from Polkadoodles
• Baubles: Stamps to complement Jingle Jangle Christmas from Polkadoodles
• Everything else: My stash
  

Cuppa Tea?!

I made these tags quite easily! I'd borrowed the cup stamps from Lynsey (Hero Arts) which I really liked and wanted to use them on something but thought that they may be a bit lost on a card as they are quite small.

I've used Chestnut Whispers ink to stamp them, inked the edges of the card and also chalked them too.
The ribbon is the lovely chocolate brown satin stuff that I bought a huge amount of but I just could not get it to look right or flat enough tied through the top of the tag, so this is what I ended up with - a sort of loose tie-ish look! The buttons were from a lovely bargain pack from B & M Bargains a while ago and the craft wire is from my stash and I've haphazardly curled it. Only haphazardly as I used scissors and couldn't get it the same twice!

And you'll never guess where the backing paper came from! Huge Funky Love download - these are off-cuts from a previous project!

• Backing paper: Huge Funky Love download
• Dies: Sizzix Scalloped Tags - middle sized used
• Stamped images: Hero Arts (stamps kindly loaned by Lynsey - thanks!)
• Ribbon: Ribbon Oasis
• Buttons: From my stash but originally B & M Bargains
• Craft wire: From my stash
  
  

Pink & Chocolate Cupcakes!

Sorry to disillusion you, but this is totally calorie free and will taste remarkably like card! This is a new challenge for me which I spied on Carol's blog (thank you!) and I had to make this in double quick time to meet the deadline.

The challenge blog is Cupcake Craft Challenges, and this week the challenge was to be inspired by the background colours on the blog.

The beautiful chocolate brown ribbon is just a small part of the almost 91 metres I have just bought from Ribbon Oasis (yes, I really do need that much as I'm making Wedding Invites in these colours too!) The stamp is a new one I've just bought from Katie & Co and I've used watercolour pencils to colour it in with a daub of glitter on the heart cherry as the card, on the whole, is very lacking in bling!

Martha Stewart punch used also and I've dotted the edge of the small square with a white gel pen. Brads from my stash.

• Backing card: Big a2 sized sheets from The Range (the pink one is pearlescent)
• Stamp: Katie & Co coloured with watercolour pencils
• Punch: Martha Stewart
• Ribbon: From Ribbon Oasis
  
  

Sketches by Tamara Card Sketch 73

How good am I keeping to my early New Year Resolution of using up what I have before printing off new stuff?!! The papers I decided to use for this weeks Sketches by Tamara challenge I'd printed a while ago as they were free downloads from Mad About Cards and I thought it was about time I used them!And what do you think of the photo styling?! I can only do this during daylight hours and if it is nice and bright. Otherwise, all my items will be subject to flash or camera shake!

I've layered all the squares onto perfectly matching brown card and highlighted the spot detail with some lovely pale green gems. The sentiment has been stamped with my little Studio G alphabet stamp (and yes, it was supposed to be a little wonky, honest!) and the heart clip is from Paperchase. I could well be using these papers again as I do like them!

• Backing papers: Free download from Mad About Cards
• Sentiment: Studio G mini alphabet stamp using Chestnut Whispers ink
• Embellishments: Metal heart from Paperchase, everything else from my stash
• Ribbon: From Blackburn market
  
  

Rock n Roll Elvis!

Friday Sketchers for this week is the following:


And I've been dying to use this image of George as Elvis along with the Funky Daze papers!


This image of George as Elvis is pre coloured which is great for quick cards! Both backing papers are from the new Funky Hand cd - Funky Daze and the colours just work really well together! The sentiment is a Studio G mini alphabet stamp and I've used Whispers Chestnut ink. The star is table confetti, which, in my opinion is far too good to be left on tables! Elvis / George has gold 3d paint for gems but you can't really see it in the picture!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Image: Pre coloured George from Dotties Downloads
• Sentiment: Stamped with Whispers Chestnut ink and with a Studio G mini alphabet stamp set
• Star: From my stash
  

Constructive Destruction

Yesterday was horrible weather wise. It had tried to snow overnight but left a sort of nasty wet slush everywhere. It kept raining, or rather hailstones on a frequent basis, the wind was howling. And it looked really cold. So we didn't venture out at all!

I had a special card to complete (more about that later in the week as its not her Birthday until tomorrow!) and I wanted to do some more examples for the new Funky Hand cd - Funky Daze, plus also to make a start on some challenges.

I did some stamping later in the afternoon and the boys wanted to join in. Samuel liked the robot I'd just stamped and he wanted a tattoo. So being the daft mother that I am, I obliged! (Fortunately, I'd only used a Stamp It Up water based pad and it all came off in the bath later!) Jacob wasn't too interested in the robot so he got a dog on each hand.

Samuel fell asleep on the settee and Jacob had mischief written all over his face so I asked him if he wanted to do some cutting. Gave him my fancy scissors and some scrap card and he was away!

He then wanted to stamp. Not with my precious things he's not! So I found some kiddie stamps that were hidden away. Thinking that there was a reason why the stamps were not particularly accessible, but not remembering why, I gave him the stamps.

The purple letter 'i' got used a lot.

And it didn't really come off in the bath either. That's why the stamps were hidden hehehe!!

The slogan on his t-shirt says 'Handsome is an understatement' - Primark's finest fashion and it washed well!

Stamp Something Challenge - Embellish!

Right back to the Christmas theme! The Stamp Something challenge this week is:

...embellish something.

It can be a card, a scrapbook page or something you altered; anything goes as long as it has a little something extra on it. (or a lot of something extra!)

I've gone for the understated 'little something extra'! Apologies for the poor quality picture but the days are getting shorter and I'm at work during daylight hours so have to resort to using flash in the evening. Anyway, I've had the reindeer die cuts for a while and they've been lying around just waiting for me to do something with them!

The backing panel is left over from the other day and is from It's Funky Too cd. The edges have been lightly inked (only because the ink pad is loosing momentum!) and also the sentiment which has been stamped in gold ink and is part of Anita's Cute & Cuddly stamp set (the little robin is from the same set but he's sad and not very cuddly!)

I've used chalks on the reindeer to give some definition as it was a bit flat to start with and the lights have been cut from shiny red card and attached with fine gold wire. The nose is a tiny red sparkly pom pom.

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Die Cut: From my stash, embellished with chalks
• Sentiment: From Anita's Cute & Cuddly Christmas Stamp set
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Die: Lights die from Quickutz
• Other Bits: All from my stash
  

Mr Postman!

Look what was sat waiting for me to open when I got home from work on Friday!

I'd been a winner on fellow Funky Hand DT mate Chris' recent blog giveaway and I'd actually won the Studio G clear stamp set, but look what else she sent me!

I don't have a huge amount of stamps yet (they and the ink pads fit nicely into a reasonable sized plastic lunchbox at the moment) so the stamped images are really appreciated! I think some of them will challenge my watercolouring skills though so may have to revert back to pencils!

And the card enlosed is beautiful! The photos don't really do it justice but there is some really nice glittery bits on it! It will be on my mantlepeice as soon as the boys' Birthday Cards come down!

Thank you Chris - you are too generous! And good luck for today!!

Quick Dino-Mite!

Some quick cards I've made recently with a new dinosaur stamp that I bought. Coloured with watercolour paints which is great for adding and building up layers and depth to the image. Both images have been layered and the edges doodled with gold gel pen.


I've used bargain ribbon (10p from Blackburn market) on both of the cards but I had to seal the edges with glue as it's the type that frays really easily! Both cards use backing papers from The Funky One cd by Funky Hand from the olive collection. The dotty background has been printed onto photo paper so its nice and shiny!

• Backing papers: Olive collection from The Funky One by Funky Hand
• Image: Studio G stamp coloured with watercolour paints
• Brads: Dovecraft brights
• Ribbon: Blackburn market

Carol's Sketch 3 - And Not A Thank You In Sight!!

Now be prepared - this one is very girly!! I recently won a challenge on the Funky Fairy Challenge Blog and I picked the Pinkie Pops download as my winnings. And what a download!! I spent ages going through all the different papers and eventually settled on just a few which I printed off as A5 sized (so I got 2 on an A4 sheet) as I wanted smaller patterns.

Carol's Sketch this week is:

And this is what I made!

I've used papers from the Funky Fairy Pinkie Pops collection including the flowers which have been layered and secured with a black brad. The handbag is a Hampton Arts stamp (which, was a bargain at £1.47) and is the first time I've used it. The sentiment is a Studio G one, and also the first time I've used it.

The edges of all the papers and sentiments have been inked with either pink or black inkpad (or both) with the exception of the flowers. I decided not to colour the image as I thought it looked fine as it was.

I think you'll be seeing more of these papers in the future!

• Backing papers: Pinkie Pops from Funky Fairy
• Stamps: Handbag - Hampton Arts; Sentiment - Studio G
• Brad: Making Memories

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 20 - Things That Grow

I really enjoyed the Cute Card Thursday Challenge last week and decided to go for it again! This week it is:

Things that grow!
The obvious things would be plants etc but really there are lots more things that grow, we look forward to seeing your own interpretations!

I think the image is a Penny Black one which has been coloured with watercolour paints and pencils. The background is paper from the Berry-licious collection from Vicki's blog and the layers are also from Vicki's blog but use two of the Rustic Walk collection papers. Each of the panels have been 'dotted' with 3d gold paint, with the outer edge of the card having the same treatment but with a gold gel pen. And I've hand written the 'for you' sentiment, added some perfectly matching (no way eh??!) silky ribbon.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 6 - Snow Much Fun

And here is the last challenge I'll be entering for the week! And this one is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge Number 6!

The challenge is:

Snow Much Fun
We would like you to make a Christmas card what features snow in some way,it can be papers, brads, embossing what ever you like as long as we can see snow and of course
at least one penny black image as always its entirely up to you what you make - card, atc, altered art etc..

I'd been mulling this one over all week as I'd already coloured the image with my watercolours but couldn't get the layout or background right. Anyway, I found the backing paper (which I think is actually posh wrapping paper!) in my stash and decided to use it. Added some little white eyelets through which the fluffy wool was threaded (stuck on the reverse with tape to stop them coming back through) and finally cut the word 'snow' using my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet.

I think the card is a bit flat which is a result of my wanting to use that particular image! Ah well, at least I know for next time! Sorry for wonky photo too!

Tilda & Co Challenge 29 'It's A Bugs Life!'

I promised some more challenge entries earlier in the week, and this post is the first of two. I now have some Tilda stamped images and after watching Samuel painting with his watercolours on Sunday, I thought 'I can do that'!! So I dug out my trusty watercolour set (last used when at college in errr, cough, 1990) and got going!!

So, the challenge is:

"bugs"

Please show us in your work insects, ants, ladybugs, you name it if its a little creepy bug then show it off this week!

I was really pleased with how this image turned out, and then decided to try and find some backing paper to go with it. Fortunately, I already had printed this one from Vicki's blog - from the Berri-licious collection, teamed it with a paper from the Dovecraft Charcoal Prints Paper pack and I had some left over laminated sheets which I trimmed, rounded the edges and also used.

The dragonfly brads are from Lakeland and hide the glue marks well (I was a bit cack handed with it!) and the perfectly matching gems also hide them at the bottom! Ribbon - 10p bargain bundle from Blackburn market!

Expecting

Ha ha! Not me! Here is a little something I created over the weekend. Backing paper from my recent candy win from Jozza, slightly chalked around the edges. And would you believe it, I had some ribbon that matched exactly! The tape around the ribbon said 54p and I think there was just short of 3 meters of it. Bargain eh?!

The stamped image is my recent 'is this 99p too' find from The Paper Mill Shop - I've been after a pregnant stamp for a while, and could not believe my luck when I found this! Its coloured with watercolour pencils and the edge has tiny gold metallic gel dots, as does the layered bit behind - just does not show up too well on the photo (for which I blame the lousy weather).

And because I was so pleased with the card, I did another exactly the same, but as a brunette.

PS Entered into the This Thursday, It's All About..... challenge 8

My stamp collection has grown!

Simple card made with backing paper from a wonderful freebie blog that I have recently discovered - Vicki's Blog. I can't remember which collection the backing paper is from but the downloads are primarily designed for digital scrapbooking but I've reduced the file size and printed them - they all print square.

Green ribbon from Hobbycraft bargain bin (it was wired but took that out!). Welcome house stamp another bargain from The Range - 99p and coloured with watercolour pencils and a bit of chalking around the edge. Sentiment from (wait for it!) the mini alphabet stamps for 99p at The Range - I think Dovecraft.

The sentiment was not supposed to be so wonky - I held all the stamps together to form the word and obviously did not hold them quite as straight as I thought but I think it turned out ok!!

I'm quite liking stamping at the moment - made some other cards but not photographed them yet - so they will be later in the week!

Stamp Something "In the Wild Somethings"

I've never really done any challenges, but quite fancied doing this one from Stamp Something.

"The challenge for this week is "In the Wild Somethings," show us your wild side! Make a project using natural materials, images of nature, or anything that you can think of that has to do with wildlife."

The elephant is cut from light corrugated grey card with added Anita's 3d paint glitter on the tail tip and trunk tip and to highlight the ear. A wobbly eye has been added and natural jute string tied in a bow - to remember something - on the trunk and also at the top of the tag. Tag, elephant and grass cuts using Sizzix dies. The small flowers are punchies, with the larger one from Shabby Saturday download by Funky Hand. The super scallop tag is cut from silver pearlescent vellum which has a lovely sheen and tiny silver dots have been added to the edges too. The card edges have been lightly chalked. The 'oops' (stamped double and offset in 2 places) is the See D's kids lowercase alphabet, and the cute mousey friend stamp is part of the Catti-tude stamp set from Lakeland.

New Job

Made a new job card for a friend who I used to work with. Actually she covered my maternity leave first time round and she was that good she stayed!!

Backing paper and and Lola Rose image stamp from Pink Petticoat. The image has been hand coloured with pencil crayons. I silver swirl doodled on the pearlescent lilac tag.

And dotted around the edge of the little tag. The letters are stamped (first time I've used stamps in 8 years!) and then gone over again with a cd black marker pen.

Hayley was suitably impressed with the card! Good luck with the new job!