B is for Blue

A nice and easy challenge this fortnight on ABC Challenges which is:

B is for Blue

This card was made for one of Samuel's teachers who retired at the end of the summer teaching term and I offered to make the card from the Governors.

I kept the theme very simple (her favourite colour is blue) and added some twine (she also likes gardening!) along with some hat pins I made with seed beads and silver heart beads.

I've used a nesties die for the shape and raised it on foam pads, inked the edges and then added all the embellishments. The printed paper is from Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman.

I've used some off white felt effect card that I bought ages ago and has a really feel to it.

• Backing paper: Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Ballerina

The ABC Challenge this week is:

L for Layering

I've had a sort though some of my stash over Christmas and I'm making an effort to use up some of the stuff I've had for ages. I found this Forever Friends pre made sparkly ballerina topper and a pack of embossed cards, which I decided to use.

I've chalked the stars with pink and rounded and inked the edges of the card. The papers are off cuts from Funky Daze which I've cut with my nesties and inked the edges.

The gems were in the Forever Friends pack and the ribbon is from my stash.

• Pre made card and topper: Forever Friends Elements
• Papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities
• Ribbon: From my stash
  

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
  

B is for Buttons

The ABC challenge this week is:

B for Buttons

This did actually start of as the entry for the previous week which was A for Animals, however time was not on my side so I didn't get it finished, so adapted it to fit this weeks challenge!

As there has been a bit of a birthing explosion amongst the staff at nursery (two down, two to go!) and the last two will be girls, I thought I'd better make a start on their cards.

All paper elements are from Polkadoodles - Candy Doodles cd including the birdie. I cut the birdie out, layered the wings and added some fancy tail feathers with some little buttons I found in my stash.

The round button letters I printed as A5 size rather than the standard A4 so they would be small enough for the card.

I've added some wire legs to the birdie and that's it - all completed! I have made another similar card which I'll show tomorrow. The hardest bit was making the legs and gluing them to the card!

• All paperbased elements: Candy Doodles cd
• Everything else: My stash
  
  

Z is for Zero Embellishments

The ABC challenge has come to the end of another alphabet in it's challenges and this week it is Z, which is:

Z is for Zero Embellishments

Ha! Easy peasy! I do like using the chocolate cupcake decoupage sheets from Candy Doodles (I have used them a few times before!) and even though I have to carefully cut out each element I still really like the final effect. So out came the foam pads and glitter glue and here is what I created!

I've only added a bit of glitter glue here and there, layered it onto a background printed also from Candy Doodles then inked the edges a little and rounded them. I've handwritten the sentiment (can't you tell?!) onto an off cut of the backing card and cut using my nesties.

So no embellishments - easy!

• Cupcake and backing paper: Candy Doodles
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Sentiment: Handwritten
• Brown pearl card: From my stash

X is for X on a Sketch

The ABC challenge this week is upto X and the X is in the sketch:I had a bit of a printing session with my Candy Doodles and Sugar Birdies cd and decided to use up some scraps from previous projects. Quite easy once I'd decided what I was doing!

I've rounded and inked all edges (with exception to the chocolate brown backing paper). The fimo cupcake was sent to me but I can't remember who from (agh!) and I've glittered the card candy dots and the cherry on the cupcake.

Ribbon is from my stash. I think I'm on a bit of a cupcake mission at the moment, so don't be too surprised if you see more over the week!

• All paper elements: Sugar Birdies and Candy Doodles
• Cupcake embellishment: Made from fimo and can't remember who sent it to me
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  
  

Boo!

The ABC Challenge this week is:

W is for Windows

And because I treated myself to the bargain of all bargains (oh yes!) last week as Dustin Pike had a mega sale I am feeling the need to use his images a lot. Maybe not so far this week, but there will be more - I promise!

And because I found the fab £1.25 (half price) brush felt tips in Tesco last week and I am liking the effect they have (and also rediscovering decent felt tips and shading) I needed to use them!


So, I resized this image from Dustin Pike, printed it onto decent card stock and then coloured it in with felt tips, a little bit of watercolour pencils over the top and then a smattering of white gel pen over the top for extra highlights. I also used the pen for doodling a border around the edges of the card and for writing the sentiment.

The black card is from my stash.

And that's it! The claws actually hang over the edges of the card a little. Only because I cut the card too small. Me and measuring are not always on the same number......

• Cardstock: My stash
• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with felt tips, watercolour pencils and white gel highlighter
  
  

A Summery Thirty

This ABC Challenge fell neatly in with a commissioned card that I needed to make - I do like it when that happens!

This week the challenge is:

S is for Summer

All the papers are from Now That's Funky - this particular collection just screamed summer at me! This is not a word book cd - I've simply printed the letters off in wordart and cut them out, layering them onto the bright flower paper and then cut the pages to match. Mind you, the word book templates are a lot easier but I am never one to make my life knowingly easier!

I've used ribbons from my stash and also eyelets. The flowers have been cut with the Cuttlebug flower die and card candy added.

I've not taken a photo of the back but I've added a matching panel so that a message can easily be written on it.

• Backing papers: Now That's Funky
• Dies: Cuttlebug flower
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
• Everything else: From my stash
  
  

P is for Pearl

Back to doing challenges - yeah! The ABC challenge this week is:

P is for Pearls

This is based upon the cards I made for a recent swop and I thought they were elegant enough to be used for various occassions. Whilst I was on holiday, I learnt that a work colleague and friend had gone to live with the angels. Way too young and very tragic. So I made this card for her husband.

Although its a bit difficult to see, I've used a silver gel pen and dotted around the edge of the patterened card and also where it is layered. I've used some lovely thick cream felt card and printed from Patti Picklicious. The ribbon, pearl headed pin and seed beads are all from my stash.

• Backing paper: Patti Picklicious
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Pearl pin: From my stash
• Seed beads: From my stash

K Is For Keep It Simple

The ABC Challenge is up to the letter K, which this week is for:

Keep It Simple

And I have! I found the card blank whilst looking for something else - its a lightly hammered ivory card which I have inked the edges. The pink tag, sentiment square and card candy are all from Craftwork Cards. I bought the tag and square sentiment a while ago (and not only in pink!) but have not yet used them for anything. They are a lovely pearlescent finish and I've hardly done anything to them - just inked the edges and cut the corners off the pink tag.

The ribbon is from my stash, and you can just about see the glitter on the card candy.

A very simple and quick card!

• Card blank: From my stash
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Everything else: Craftwork Cards

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