Simple Doodles Challenge 23 - Out Of The Box

It's time for another Simple Doodles challenge This fortnight the challenge is:

Out Of The Box

And I have taken it literally (to be honest I didn't consider anything else!) I've made these three cute exploding boxes. Not sure if they are proper exploding boxes but they are using my own template and sizing and worked fine for me!

I've used Funky Hand - Funky Daze papers and three different collections but the same patterns for each - Funky Hand papers have different collections of papers with different colours but the same patterns so if you like the pattern but wanted it in blues - no problem!

The top of the boxes show off 4 flowers on each corner made with my Cuttlebug flower die plus matching Card Candy from Craftwork Cards.

The boxes are quite dinky and they each have an inner layer which shows off yet more scary photos of Jacob! These three have been made for his three main people at nursery as a thank you for when he leaves at the start of September prior to starting school. I've got one more to make for Karen the cook but that one will be from both boys as she's been the cook from the nursery being built and her creations are always well received by the boys!



This one is for Rachel who was Jacob's key worker for the last 2 years and she's recently been promoted to full time Manager to cover maternity leave. Various photos of Jacob and some of him with Samuel from being less than 24 hours old (far right) to mid June (pic in middle with Rachel). The devil photo was taken at nursery when he was 2 and he had his face painted and it lasted all day - he didn't smudge it at all, and it was all glittery too! Mind you, it stayed for a few days after too! The very bottom photo is from a Farmer Ted's trip 2 years ago with nursery when all our kids wore wellies and no-one else did.....!!

Anyway, a bit of corner rounding and some doodling and they are complete - really quick to make once I got going!

Hope you can join us on the Simple Doodles challenge this fortnight - pop over to the challenge blog for more details on how to enter! Good luck!

• All papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Dies: Cuttlebug flowers
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  

All Green

This is part two of Tales from Pollycraft and Flash Your Freebies! I entered the challenge last time and received this very sweet image in return so I could then continue with the progressive challenge.

The theme for the freebie is:

Green

So I've used my Promarkers and added papers from Funky Hand - Funky Daze, and yes, the bestest collection - Son Day!


A little bit of inking, faux stitching and dotting around the edges, plus a Papermania sentiment stamp, ribbon from my stash and three snaps from We R Memory Keepers.

I'm a bit tired today - took the boys to get their final bits of school uniform (except shoes - those will be nearer the start of term) in Blackburn today, and it was rude not to go in the very brand new Primark that has opened in the new shopping centre. It is HUGE and quite fantastic! I did have a good browse of the jewellery mainly for cutting down and using on projects but there was nothing that took my eye this time!

And this afternoon was the nursery party for the kids who are leaving to start school. Jacob is not normally there on a Friday so I had to stay with him (and Samuel) so that was a couple of hours of fun - it really take it out of you though!!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Image: Pollycraft progressive freebie coloured with Promarkers
• Snaps: W R Memory Keepers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 30 - Generic

It's Friday again so time for another Polkadoodle challenge! This week, the designer and brains behind Polkadoodle, Nikky has set the challenge and she wants to see cards that are:

Male and Female Generic

So basically a card that you could send to either a male or female! I made this cute monkey card using the layered template and papers from Paper Boutique Vol 1 along with the sentiment backer from Candy Doodles (which I coloured with Promakers to match the colour scheme)

I've added a die cut shape using my Nesties plus some doodling, ribbon and die cuts from my stash and the card is complete! And it was for a cheeky monkey who recently celebrated his first Birthday!

Good luck in entering the challenge - you have until Sunday 8 August at 12noon GMT to enter.

• Layered template and backing paper: Paper Boutique Vol 1
• Sentiment backer: Candy Doodles (coloured with Promarkers)
• Everything else: My stash
  

Sweet Summertime!

A quick card made with scraps from my box and an image that I coloured over the weekend. It's for the Bugaboo challenge which asks for a:

Summer Theme

The image is from Bugaboo and I've coloured it with Promarkers. All the papers are scraps from previous projects and are from Now That's Funky from Funky Hand.

I've added some brads and ribbon from my stash. A bit of corner rounding and inking and the card is completed! I've not added a sentiment as I could not be bothered looking! How lazy am I?!

• Backing papers: Now That's Funky from Funky Hand
• Image: Bugaboo coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Caterpillar

For some bizzare reason I've not yet blogged this card for the Lily-Boo Too challenge which asks for a

Summer Theme

I made it earlier in the month and its just slipped down my draft posts!

Anyway, I don't know what the backing papers are as they do not have a name on them and they are physical papers rather than digital. The ribbon and brads are from my stash, along with the flowers.

The image is a Lily Boo too freebie which I've coloured with Promarkers. A bit of doodling and that's it!

• Backing papers: Unknown
• Image: Lily Boo freebie coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: From my stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 23

Welcome to another installment of Craft Juice Tuesday! Brought to you direct from Craft Juice listings! Please click on each photo to be taken directly to Craft Juice!

This week, I've gone for a tea theme. Well, these mugs from are actually for coffee, but who's checking?! Buy from LittleWrenPottery

Hehehe! Isn't this fab!! Mini ring that you just cannot do the washing up when wearing, available from Souzoucreations

Wonderful hand painted tea pot - just right for tea time! Buy from Lou Peajeux

Hope I've not made you too hungry or thirsty! See you next week!

Space Boy

A really good challenge this week on CRAFT -

Out Of This World

This is a card made with digital images by Gordon Fraser, coloured with Promarkers and bought from here. I've added a cut of paper to look like a planet from Funky Fairy.

A bit of doodling around the edges and that is it! With the image, there are two other space children, another sentiment and other space related stuff too! A bargain for 80p!

• Backing paper: Boys and Girls from Funky Fairy
• Images: Gordon Fraser, coloured with Promarkers and bought from CraftsUPrint

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
  

Football Match!

On Saturday me and the boys attended our first ever football match! Jacob has an hour once a week football coaching at nursery provided by Preston North End football club and we were lucky enough to be given tickets for their pre season friendly on Saturday against Everton.

Could not resist this photo!

It looks like the ground was nearly empty, but it was just this stand that was! We sat in the family area and only a few rows from the front too so we had a really good view.

Number 8 Everton player was Jacob's favourite because he had orange hair.... Everton played in blue and in the second half Samuel asked if it was France playing.....

It was a good close first half, but it seems that PNE had gone home in the second as they let 3 goals in - PNE 0, Everton 3.

Jacob was fascinated by the game and I found myself trying to explain substitutes and why one went off injured and what the players did at half time (toilet, sit down and an orange).

Jacob was also quite taken with the mascot and he wanted his photo taken with him, but at full time he was no-where to be seen!

Warm Pink, Chocolate & White

The Colour Create Challenge is to use

Warm Pinks, Chocolate and White

So I have! The image is drawn by Lee Jacobs and can be bought from here; I've coloured it with Promarkers and layered it onto some pink card that I had in my stash.


The chocolate brown pearlescent card are offcuts from some Wedding Stationery that I made last year. The sentiment is computer generated and has been layered onto the same card. The organza ribbon is from my stash and the heart buckle slider is also left over from making the Wedding Stationery.

A few dots of liquid pearls on two of the corners and the card is completed!

• Image: By Lee Jacobs, bought from CraftsUPrint and coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Summer Bookmarks

The Dotties World challenge is one with a twist! The theme is:

That Summer Feeling

But to make something different to what you would normally make. I've been thinking about making more bookmarks, so this was an ideal opportunity!

I've used three different collections of Charmed images to make the bookmarks and coloured them all with Promarkers.

Around the edges of three of them, I've dotted a fine black line, but all have been inked with a colour and then black too.

The reverse papers are from Funky Daze from Funky Hand - I printed them off at A5 size for a smaller pattern, used a prit stick to add the two sides together and then laminated them.

All five bookmarks used one sheet of laminating plastic and then I cut round them to give a better shape (as they went in the laminator not quite straight!)

Because the images are quite small, they were quick to colour. Not sure which one is my favourite as I like them all!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Images: All Charmed Cards and Crafts downloads, coloured with Promarkers then laminated
  

Altered!

A fab challenge over on Incy Wincy this week and it is to:

Alter It!

I altered this boring tin of twine a while ago in preparation for the launch of the Colour Me Happy cd by Funky Hand. All the paperbased elements you see are from the cd and I've laminated the name plate on the front of the tin then added the wording (otherwise it would not go through!)

I've used my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet die set for the lettering and have coloured the name plate with Promarkers.

The ribbons are from my stash and I've used a Nesties die to draw around to make the band around the centre.

A bit of inking and it's completed! I bought the tin of twine from Poundland - similar item in Sainsburys was nearly 4 times the price! I think next time I'm in Poundland, if they have any more I'll get some to alter for Christmas presents!

• Papers and name plate: Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand, coloured with Promarkers
• Tin: Poundland
• Ribbons: My stash
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities and Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
  
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 29 - Christmas in July

It's Friday again so time for another Polkadoodle challenge! Now I suggest you hop right over (and then come back to me!) to see what the big fuss is on the Challenge blog!! Just let me say that it is a very well known brand beginning with L and the prize is fantastic!!!

The challenge for this week was set by the very lovely Kris who is asking us to do

Christmas in July

Now this is easy peasy as Nikky has recently launched Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas and with so many projects on the cd we have been spoilt for choice!

I've used the A5 sleigh for my card - all the pieces are printed off and you layer them up how you want to give each element different depth. I've simply added some glitter glue, a gem and added the tag to the sleigh.

The card backing is also from the cd, so its a half shaped card! This really is a fantastic cd - I've gone through it and printed off loads of the shapes ready for when I am in a cutting mood so I shall be making my shaped Christmas cards as I go along! The cd is versatile enough so that you can print the images off and colour them yourself!

Deadline for this challenge is 12noon GMT on Sunday 1 August -good luck!

• All paperbased elements: Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas
• Everything else: My stash
  

Octopus

I'm really liking the sketches on challenge blogs at the moment! Here is the current one from Sketch Saturday:
I've used papers from Funky Daze from Funky Hand (this must be the best collection colourway ever!) which I've rounded the edges and inked. The image, coloured with Promarkers, is from Stamping Dragon Designs and was one of the July images I got for being part of the Special 50/50 Digital Stamping Group.

The sentiment tile is a magazine freebie from a long time ago and the colours matched perfectly, and the three little fishes are beads and I've also had these a long long time!

Such a cute octopus eh?!

• Backing papers: Son Day collection from Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Image: Stamping Dragon Designs, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

A Tree of Apples

A lovely sketch to work with from Friday Sketchers this week:


I used it to make three of these cards - one for each of Samuel's teachers as he finishes school this week. Where has the last two years gone?!

I couldn't trust him enough to write neat enough or small enough for the sentiment, so I've converted that to a button. He did write on the insert inside the card which you'd have thought I'd have asked him for War and Peace he protested so much!

I've used a green card blank and then added papers from Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand. The digital image, is also from the cd and I've coloured it with Promarkers. The red organza ribbon is from my stash and was too wide, so I folded it in half before I tied it, and then added the red button.

Nice and clean and I know that they won't get another one like it!

• Backing papers: Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand
• Image: Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Bug-eyed Ladybird

Now this was one quick card to make! I've got quite a few bits of off-cut card this shape and I need to make something with them and, well, this card just happened!

The Allsorts challenge this week is:

Summer Days

The image is from Soft Pencil as I won a gift certificate last week and I chose this one along with some others. Lovely to colour - used Promarkers for this and have added two tiny wobbly eyes to the ladybird.

I've used my Nesties to create the shapes and have dotted a fine black line around the edges. The ribbon I got from Fantastic Ribbons (and yes they are!)

I think I'll make more of these cards and put them into a gift set of perhaps 5. Mainly to use up the off-cuts of card that I have as they are seeming to take over my spare card box!

• Image: Soft Pencil, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Nestabilities
• Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
  

Ornaments

It's getting more like Christmas!! Another one to add to my box that is sort of nicely growing, so by late September (when I have my first event) I should be sufficiently stocked!

This is for the ABC Christmas challenge which is:

O for Ornaments

I've used a Penny Black stamp which by default must have been sent to me by Kath and I've coloured it with Promarkers. I've used DCWV Christmas Multistack 6x6 and have layered it all onto what feels like thin glossy paper which is burgundy in colour and I picked up a few sheets from the Scrap Store last time I was there.

I drew around my roll of double sided tape for the circle so it is a little wonky in places - just don't look too closely, and have finished it off with some card candy. The silver snowflake I bought in the New Year sale at Matalan and it came in a lovely wooden box along with a number of other snowflakes and I think it was intended as a parcel fastener.

• Backing paper: DCWV 6x6 Christmas Multistack plus plain papers from my stash
• Image: Penny Black coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash

Santa and Rudolph

A great simple sketch this week from Moving Along With The Times, plus the challenge is also to use animals.

I'm attempting to be organised with my Christmas card pile this year, so this wonderful image by Lee Jacobs - bought from CraftsUPrint is perfect! I've coloured it with Promarkers and have added some glitter glue to Santa.

The papers are from the pesky 8x8 stack by Dovecraft Ho Ho Ho collection that is just siting there waiting to be used! I'm still not sure if I like the papers but this one seemed to fit quite well! I've added a matching brad (bottom corner) plus a square one just above plus two more in the top corner (good colour match so difficult to spot!) The organza ribbon and bit of red card are from my stash.

A bit of doodling around the edges and its completed!

• Backing papers: Dovecraft 8x8 Ho Ho Ho stack
• Image: Lee Jacobs, coloured with Promarkers and glitter glue, bought from here
• Everything else: My stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 22

Welcome to another week of Craft Juice Tuesday! It's certainly been raining a lot here in the North West of the UK, so I've gone with a water theme this week!

Click on each photo to be taken directly to the Craft Juice listing.

Ooohh - plump cushion! From mustlovehomedecor

This is a little wall vase and made from glass - buy from bprdesigns

Lovely funky bag! From NOfantsCurios.

See you next Tuesday for more!

Vet

Another image bought from CraftsUPrint that I have been meaning to use for ages! It fitted nicely with the sketch from Paper Play:

The image has been drawn by Lee Jacobs and I've coloured it with Promarkers and used plain card from my stash to make up the layers. I've also used my Swiss Dots embossing folder for one of the backing panels plus some off cuts from a previous project - Funky Daze papers from Funky Hand.


Added two eyelets to the corners and a bit of edge doodling, and that's it!

• Image: By Lee Jacobs, coloured with Promarkers and bought from here
  
• Backing papers: Printed by Funky Hand - Funky Daze, plain ones from my stash
  
• Dies: Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

The Football Fan

A really quick one from me now as I know this is my third post of the day! Whilst blog hopping last night (a fatal past-time!) I spotted that Pollycraft had a little challenge:

Flash Those Freebies!

Basically to make a card using one of their freebies. Last week was this football fan and as me and the little boys are off somewhere special (and I've never actually been to one before apart from an empty one!) then this was quite apt! More of what it will be will revealed next week!!


I've coloured the image with Promarkers (I was multi tasking and watching a Dirty Harry film at the same time!) He's attached to the football (made by me with shading by the Promarkers and black card layered) with a strip of acetate so he boings around very happily!

Sentiment is computer generated and I've doodled around the edges and added some brads.

I'm so looking forward to 'the surprise' next week, and no doubt the boys would. If they knew hehehe!

• Image: Pollycraft freebie coloured with Promarkers
  
• Football: Made by me with Promarkers, white card and black card
  
• Sentiment: Computer generated
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

In The Pink!

Yeah - I won last week's Charisma Cardz challenge and got to pick $15 worth of digi stamps from Soft Pencil - so thank you to Elizabeth and to the girls at Charisma Cardz!

I've used a freebie Bugaboo stamp for the current Charisma Cardz challenge which is:

Pink!

The image is from Bugaboo and I've coloured her with Promarkers. She actually looks a lot like Jacob's little friend Isabel at nursery and if I remember, I'll keep the card until her Birthday (September!)

I've used bits from my stash to make the flower in the top corner and used a Nestabilities die for the aperture. The sentiment is computer generated which has been layered, along with the image onto some papers from Polkadoodles - Candy Doodles cd.

The ribbon is from Fantastic Ribbons (I won a recent Penny Black challenge!) and they were on a freebie sample that Keith sent me along with my winnings! How very generous!! You must check out Fantastic Ribbons but be warned that you may drool!

• Image: Bugaboo coloured with Promarkers
  
• Backing papers: Candy Doodles cd from Polkadoodles
  
• Dies: Nestabilities
  
• Sentiment: Computer generated
  
• Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Super Bloke!

I've been on a roll this weekend and have made, or are in the process of making (I cannot simply start one card and see it through to completion in one go - I have to have at least 5 or 6 projects on the go!)

I've used the current challenge sketch from Digital Tuesday to make this card:


I've used an image that I bought a while ago from CraftsUPrint and is by Gordon Fraser. I've resized it then printed onto white card and coloured it with Promarkers. I've layered it onto some card from my stash which I put through the Swiss Dots embossing folder (one backwards and one the right way round!)


The backing paper is from Polkadoodles - Not For Girls cd and I think it works perfectly with this image! A little bit of doodling around the edges and some gold table confetti stars and the card is complete!

• Backing papers: Not For Girls cd from Polkadoodles
  
• Image: By Gordon Fraser, coloured with Promarkers
  
• Dies: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Back On Your Feet

This is the sketch from Inspirational Sketches this week which I've combined with an image that I bought from CraftsUPrint a while ago.

The digital image, drawn by Lee Jacobs has been coloured with Promarkers and I've simply used bits from my card box to make up all the layers. I've not got a clue where the patterned paper has come from, but have a feeling that it was part of a paper pack download from a crafting magazine.

I've added faux stitching around most edges and added card candy to keep with the sketch. Sentiment has been computer generated.

• Backing papers: From my stash
  
• Image: By Lee Jacobs, bought from here, coloured with Promarkers
  
• Sentiment: Computer generated
  
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  

Reindeer

The challenge set this week by Passion For Promarkers is a theme and it is:

Animals

I've used this cute Stamping Boutique image which I got as part of the Special 50/50 stamping group. I've coloured it with Promarkers and layered it onto red and green base card.


The printed backing paper is from an 8x8 stack from Dovecraft - Ho Ho Ho - that I've had a number of years and I'm not sure if I like it or not so it doesn't get used too often! The organza ribbon is from my stash and it actually matches the dark green layer perfectly! The jump ring and bell are also from my stash.

I'm slowly beginning to make a dent in all the Christmas cards that I need to make for the events I have coming up from late September onwards. In my opinion, you can never have enough Christmas cards anyway!

• Backing paper: Dovecraft 8x8 Ho Ho Ho paperstack
  
• Image: Stamping Boutique, coloured with Promarkers
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Simple Doodles Challenge 22 - Sketch

Welcome to another Simple Doodles Challenge! This time it's a sketch:
And here is my sample! I've used a Simple Doodles image and coloured it with Promarkers. The backing paper is DCWV Text Print 6x6 stack which I bought ages ago (it was half price!) but hadn't even used it! I've inked the edges after adding it to the card blank.

I've used a Nestabilities die to cut the shape behind the turtle and added ribbon from my stash.

The snaps are WRMemory Keepers and because the card blank is not thick enough, and I didn't add a shim behind, they spin round. Which is obviously intentional!

The lettering is cut using my Baby Face Cuttlebug alphabet set. I've added a wobbly eye to the turtle - the boys helped me decide which size was best. He did at one point look slightly scary with a huge eye!

Good luck in entering the challenge! Pop over to the challenge blog for more details and how to enter, you have until Thursday 29 July to enter!

• Backing paper: DCWV Text Print 6x6 stack
• Image: Simple Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet
• Snaps: WRMemory Keepers
• Ribbon: My stash