Crimbo Crackers Challenge 120 - Anything Goes

Time for a new Crimbo Crackers challenge and the theme for the fortnight is

Anything Goes

I've made a simple card with my Memory Box die - snowflake wreath cut out of white linen effect card and added gold half pearls here and there.  Beads and wire are from my stash along with the wooden snowflake / flower and I printed the sentiment before using a Sizzix die for the tag.

Good luck with the challenge!

I'd like to enter the following:

Cardz 4 Gals:  Contemporary Christmas  TOP THREE
Craft Rocket Challenge:  White on White
Cute Card Thursday:  Christmas
Live and Love Crafts:  White Christmas
Crafty Sentiments:  Snowflakes

Polkadoodle Challenge Week 3 - Sketch

It's Friday again and another Polkadoodle challenge! This week Nikky has given the Design Team this sketch and we were able to use any Polkadoodle product!


I've used Back To Nature stackie flowers which I've cut out and then curled the petals, either inwards or outwards and then layered some of them.

I've also added buttons from my stash to the centres and curled some wire for added interest. The black organza ribbon is also from my stash.

Remember that you can combine your entry with upto 10 other challenges including the Polkadoodle entry and you can use any product you wish (although we would like to see Polkadoodle products if you have any!) and you also need to follow the brief for the week - for more details go to the Polkadoodle Challenge!

Good luck and you have until Sunday 31 January at 12noon GMT to enter!

• All paperbased products: Back To Nature from Polkadoodles
• Everything else: My stash
  

I'd LIke A Real One Of These!

Now a real one of these would be fab!! Not sure about practicality but it would look good anyway! This handbag card, complete with wire and seed bead handle is for the Tuesday Taggers challenge which is:

Black and White

I've used my own template and the handbag opens up although does not stand up too well! I've used Clare Curd Signature Range The Big One papers which I've stuck to thick card - one tip is to stick each section at a time and then fold the paper over the fold (if you see what I mean) before gluing the next bit, otherwise it will all pull and perhaps tear.

I learnt that just in time!

I've made the flower from off cuts of the black paper and a scrap of black dotted paper from the same pack that I had. The centre has seed beads to match the ones around the edges of the handbag.

This is a fairly quick card to make once it gets going - the hardest bit is sticking all the beads on!

• Handbag template: My own design
• Papers: Clare Curd Signature Range, The Big One
• Wire and Seed Beads: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 13 - Two Folds

It's Friday again! And it's another Polkadoodle Challenge! This week the Design Team were challenged to make a card with two folds.

I've printed directly onto my cardstock - white double sided hammered white card, and I've used Sugar Birdies for the lovely swirly leaf design. I decided to be a little monochromatic and then realised it needed some colour so along came the big bloom!


I've used my own template for the handbag - it actually opens out fully so that a message can be written inside. I lightly inked the edges with my trusty yet fading black inkpad and then added tiny seed beads around the edges for some interest.

I added more to the centre of the flower which has been made from printing the flowers onto paper (the bottom layer) and then vellum (subsequent three layers) and slightly curling the edges.

The handle has been made from thick silver wire which I curled around a pen. To make it the right length, I carefully stretched it, making sure I kept the curl. I've added seed beads again but they are loose and move around on the wire.

Are you upto the challenge? Click here to be taken to the challenge blog where you can see the rest of the DT's examples and also enter. You have until Sunday 23 August to enter!

• All paper based elements: Sugar Birdies cd
• Template: My own
• Wire and beads: From my stash
  
  
  

J is for Jagged Edge

I found a new challenge site whilst blog hopping last week - ABC Challenge and this week the challenge is:

J for Jagged Edge

I took the jagged edge very seriously as you can tell! All the papers are from Funky Daze, and I've traced a template and then ripped close to the line. The flower is layered with the edges inked and then ripped again towards the centre.

There is an eyelet holding the flower to the card, through which I have pushed lightly coiled wire through. I enjoyed making this, so expect more flowers like this in the future!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Wire & Eyelet: From my stash
  

DIY Flowers

The challenge this week on Stampin' Chic is a technique one:

DIY Flowers

Sort of been a bit lazy this week with this challenge! However, I've used some of my very new stash - the clear doodles stamps and the huge big one paper stack. And Clare Curd, if you read this post, you need to put a health warning on these paper stacks - my goodness they are huge! And it weighs a ton! Not that I am complaining - the 200 sheet stack is a bargain as it works out at around 7.5 p each for a 12 x 12 sheet!

Anyway, I liked the black swirls on white so decided to go with that for the background - its been layered onto some very hot pink card from the scrap store - the flowers have been stamped onto it too.

As luck would have it, I had some perfectly matching satin pink ribbon in my stash! I've cut round the stamped flowers and layered some of them. I've attached the heads to thick crafting wire and then shaped the ends.

• Backing paper: CCSR 12 x 12 paper stack - pink from my stash
• Stamps: CCSR doodles
• Ribbon: From my stash
  
  
  Updated: The flowers are attached to the card with ribbon - the flowers are tied together - simple!

Gold Wire and Bead Wedding Heart

One of the members of staff at Nursery, Leighanne is getting married next Saturday and I wanted to make her a card. As that is what I do! She told me on Thursday that the theme was gold hearts, so I decided to go with just that for this card.

The Creative Card Crew challenge is:

Warm Colours

And gold is a warm colour! Just that I've not used any others! I wanted it just to be this heart and bead embellishment that I made. I did think about layering it up onto gold vellum and white embossed card, but decided against it.

I made this heart with thick gold wire for the shape, and it is double thickness and then threaded some gold buggle and seed beads onto some thinner wire which was then wrapped across the heart shape. It took me about half an hour to make it and I had to make sure that the actual shape of the heart didn't distort. It is attached to the card with wire - I made holes with a pin and then threaded the wire through, twisted the ends on the reverse and then glued to secure them.

Simple card but I think it works!

• Heart embellishment: Made by me

I Am Loving This Paper!

This is a new challenge site for me and I thought I'd give it a go! So the challenge this week on the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is the following sketch:

Which I have flipped round, only because I'd bought some cute wire and bead house embellishments and wanted to use them! This was quite a quick card to make, generally because it all fell together very easily and I really like it! But I think that has a lot to do with the backing paper - Simply Elegant (again). I've hardly trimmed anything off the 6x6 paper to fit on the cardstock as I didn't want to lose the fab flourish. The embellishment has been mounted to a square of white card which I have chalked to tone it down. This has then been layered onto some lovely A7 sized notepaper (I bought one of the pads for each of my DT members as I liked it so much!) then distressed, inked and chalked the edges.

I've also used the notepaper for the sentiment, which has been handwritten and I've added some little white highlights here and there. If you look closely, you will still be able to see the pencil lines I originally drew. Then forgot to rub out! And the jute string was added to complete the sketch.

• Backing paper: Simply Elegant 6 x 6
• Embellishment: Card Candy brand bought from Mad About Cards
• Notepaper: A7 notepad
• Sentiment: Handwritten
  
  
  

Laura's Sketch 9

I do enjoy sketch challenges and this was no exception! It's my Mum's Birthday on 3 October and I always always leave the card to the last moment and I'm never that happy with it. As soon as I saw this sketch over at 2 sketches 4 u challenge I knew what I was going to do!


Again, sorry for the poor quality of photos - I took this one at around 7:15am this morning and was determined not to use the flash! The backing paper is a free download from Vicki's blog and from the Citrus Berry collection. It has been layered onto pale lemon backing card as I didn't like the white edge of the card stock. The fancy bracket has been cut from vellum (lightly inked in black around the edges) and is actually two leaves - there is one underneath too but I've not decorated it.

The ribbon has been added by punching holes at the top two sides of the brackets and threading the ribbon through (eyelets from Kath) and then simply tying together. I decided to keep the ribbon long as it such a beautiful colour! The gold wire has been pushed and glued through the knot on the ribbon and the flourishes occurred naturally as the wire came off the spool.

Two Prima flowers have been layered and then glued to the wire with a greeny pearly gem added to the centre that I found in my box of brads and eyelets - I enjoy finds like that! And to finish it off, the sentiment is from my ever growing collection of Studio G stamps (I think I have 10 of the acrylic sets now!) but they are so versatile and very good value for money at 99p!

• Backing paper: Free download from Vicki's blog - Citrus Berry collection
• Sentiment: Studio G stamp
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Flowers: Prima Esprit
• Other Bits: From my stash (eyelets from Kath)
  
  

Friday Sketchers Challenge 14

The challenge for Friday Sketchers #14 is the following layout:

Because I liked the twistiness and the layout, I decided to give it a go (any excuse eh?!) And I realised I could continue the Christmas theme too! So here it is:

Both backing papers, image and sentiment are from Pink Petticoat - the layered paper was actually printed smaller so the pattern wasn't too overwhelming. The transparent vellum has been embossed with the snowflake Cuttlebug die and then randomly ripped.

And for once I resisted the urge to use ribbon! Instead I've curled some wire and added pink and silver seed beads which fall from the Sizzix Snowflake die (which I forgot I had!) The snowflake has been cut 3 times - silver shiny card, pink vellum and translucent vellum and layered after the vellum has been inked. The seed beads in the centre actually hide the big daub of glue that I accidentally splodged!

I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, which actually looks a bit wonky in the photo!

• Papers: Pink Petticoat Doodle-icious Christmas and inked with pink and black
• Image & Sentiment: Pink Petticoat Newsletter Giveaway from December 2007. Image coloured with watercolour pencils
• Embellishment: Made using Sizzix snowflake die, seed beads and wire
• Embossing: Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder
  
  

Funky Fairy Challenge 29 - Celebration!

Ok, so I've slipped this one in, plus its a fortnightly challenge! But it was so easy to make! Sort of knew what I was going to do and then 'things' took over and it turned out quite different. But, I am pleased with it, especially the funky foam flower!




Funky Fairys Challenge 29 is:

The fortnightly challenge was set by THE FUnkY faIRy herself . . . Shaz.

The theme that Shaz choose was celebration . . .

The next challenge falls on the week of what would be *is* Daniels 17 th birthday, so I would like that weeks challenge to be CELEBRATION which could be birth, life, wedding, birthday, party . . anything at all to do with celebration.

And here is mine
Doodlementals add on pack 2 backing paper, printed at normal size and then smaller - the smaller panel has been layered. I did a bit of doodling (Jozza inspired!) around the edges and also copied the flower design to make it stand out a little by using black gel pen.

The celebration sentiment was a freebie from yonks ago (and one of the FF DT has also used it!) and its attached to the card with some thin acetate. To stop it springing back up, I've added a little flower brad to give it some weight. Mint green organza ribbon has been tied around the card too.

The funky foam flower is one of my creations and will be added to my website next month - its layered flowers with a flower brad centre. I've also added some swirls of wire and two lilac star pony beads (which I bought on a whim ages ago and knew I'd use at some point!)

• Backing paper: Doodlementals add-on pack 2 from Funky Fairy
• Sentiment: From my stash
• Ribbon: From my BIG stash box!
• Embellishments: Made by myself from funky foam, pony beads, brad and wire. Available to buy from my website in September
  
  

It's Funky Too - some creations!

I made these over the weekend from It's Funky Too cd. This is the second cd Anice produced and it was really nice to go back and rediscover old friends!

The first card is my favourite. Not colours I usually go for but the paper just screamed at me to be used! It is first printed onto card which is cut slightly smaller than the actual card and then the same printed on vellum laid over the top - that's why it looks slightly out of focus. It's all attached with 4 little eyelets (see - I'm using it!) and lemon ribbon threaded through and tied on the spine (I've made little slits in the spine so the ribbon will go through). Bling added to the centres of the larger flowers.


Now, I'm not too sure about this next one. It lacks something, but I don't know what. The edges of the card has been dotted with a silver gel pen. Two ribbons used around the centre - a lovely organza piece which matched the main colour perfectly, and a darker maroon satin ribbon to set it off. I made the wire swirly thing. And nearly punched holes in my thumbs in the process. My intentions with the card was to produce something simple that even the least experienced card maker could replicate.

I've used the football paper before, but not got photographic evidence! The keyring is from a party bag that one of the boys got a while ago. And I thought the keyring would come in for something one day! It is attached to the card via lovely satin blue ribbon through an eyelet (although you can't see it). Silver letters cut with my new Sizzlitts Round-a-Bout alphabet.

I've got some more ideas swishing around in my head for more examples, but got a few orders to complete this week, so it may be next week before I share anything!

This Thursday, It's All About………Challenge #1

Oh no! I do one challenge and think it's a one-off, and look what happens! Here is another I'm trying! This one is from This Thursday Challenge Blog. Basically, a new challenge is set every Thursday - easy enough to remember! And this is the first one! The brief is:

FRESH. Whether you use the word, the definition, fresh colours, fresh products, or fresh techniques. However the word Fresh inspires you, and whatever it inspires you to create we want to see it.

This is not a new creation (for those eagle-eyed blog viewers!) but it makes me think 'fresh' when I see it.

Made with Shabby Saturday backing papers from Funky Hand, printed onto both card and vellum, along with the printed sentiment. I've added silver 3d paint as tiny dots around the edges of the vellum and handmade the silver wire swirls to complement the centre of the flowers. The ribbon holds the vellum in place via punched holes.

More for Funky Hand!

Some more designs sent to Anice in preparation for her forthcoming TV slot on Ideal World at 11am on 9 May.

From one of my own templates and using paper from V Funky. The silver stars are plastic, but look quite good layered onto off cuts of the backing paper and then white card.

This one is made with the Now Thats Funky papers and backing sentiments. Quick and simple! Ideal for a male birthday card or for Fathers Day.

Again, Now Thats Funky papers with chalked edges and beautiful chocolate organza ribbon. I made the wire flower as I felt the card 'needed' something! This card did not turn out anything like the idea I first had for it!

I actually liked these cards that much, I made extras!