Jellypark Challenge - So Sweet

Phew - hope you are managing to keep up! This is my third and final post for today! And its time for the new Jellypark challenge and the theme this fortnight is:

So Sweet

I've gone for a new baby theme and used the fab tag with ribbon digi which is available to buy in the store for £1.25!  I've made two little cards using the tag which I've coloured with Promarkers plus liquid pearls.

For the card base and also the tags I've used some card that was donated by my cousin Claire as its left overs from her Wedding Stationery from last year.  And she knows me so well that I couldn't pass an opportunity like that!

I've layered the tag onto the card with foam pads and used a Nesties for the shape of the card the added a line of dots around the edge with a gel pen.

The little feet I made from fimo and I managed to get them made before our oven decided to blow an element although it was a bit touch and go if they would 'cook' properly!  I've not used a template to make them, just made it up as I went along, which to be fair, happens with most of my creations!

Good luck with the challenge and hope you can join in with us!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Moving Along With The Times:  Only Girls Allowed
Whimsy Inspiration:  Fancy Edges 
Bearly Mine:  Anything Goes
Craft Room Challenge:  Make Your Own Embellishments
Papertake Weekly:  Anything Goes

Tag:  Jellypark, coloured with Promarkers and liquid pearls
Card base:  Donation from Claire
Embellishments:  Made myself

Baby Blue

I made the little fimo feet ages ago and they had originally been attached to another card, but I'd never liked it, so they have been recycled for this card which is for the Pattie's Creations challenge, and this week asks for:

Make Your Own Embellishments

I've used various digital papers that were in my box of bits from previous projects and I'm sure the blue check background is from the Candy Doodles cd by Polkadoodles, but the rest I am just not sure of!

The organza blue ribbon is also recycled! The image, a Pattie's Creations, has been coloured with Promarkers and I've dotted the edges with a blue gel pen. I just love this image and its such a joy to colour each time!

• Image: Pattie's Creations - coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Main blue backing - Polkadoodles Candy Doodles cd
• Feet embellishments: Made by me
• Everything else: My stash
  

Baby Feet

A very simple sketch this week on Card Positioning Sketches which fitted perfectly with a new baby boy card that I needed to make:

I've used white linen effect 300gsm card to make the card blank, rounded the edges and then added a blue vellum petal envelope (Sizzix die used) with some little cute fimo baby feet that I made. The ribbon on the envelope when undone reveals the baby feet.

I've added silver and blue seed beads to complete the sketch and used a tiny silver bead heart that was in my stash. The card will be on it's way to the new Mummy in tomorrows post!

• Dies: Sizzix petals envelope (large red die)
• Embellishments: Fimo feet, made by me
• Everything else: My stash
  

It's Officially Summer!

Yes! It is officially summer!! And not yet the end of January! No, I'm not loosing my marbles - I've just heard the chimes of an ice-cream van. So it must be summer, right?!

And Valentine's Day has not yet been! This is my entry into the current CRAFT challenge which is a colour challenge of:

Red

Which currently equals Valentines! I've made this (please excuse the very dodgy photo - it was early this morning and I had to use the halogen lights in the kitchen - don't know what happened with the card being lop-sided but I will blame me being tired!) from odds and ends from my stash.

The two red felt hearts are cut with a Sizzix die, there is a red fimo sparkly heart made by me, a punched heart and general buttons, beads and another fab Asda earring just right of centre! The musical heart is punched from music printed vellum.

I think it needs a sentiment, but don't yet know so will add it later. I have Jacob to thank for the buttons on this as he sorted them out for me and picked his favourites! Watch out Lynsey!!!

• Dies: Sizzix Primitive Hearts
• Fimo heart: Made by me
• Everything else: My stash
  

Help! Mummy!!

I had been very good and not bought any new stash for quite some time. Until this week that is. And I blame Dottie's World Challenge blog for it. Oh yes I do! Their challenge this week is:

Halloween-ish

And I clicked on the link to their download shop and saw the Halloween stuff... and well, I just had to buy (but got some freebies too along the way!)

So, after a shaky start and not really knowing what I was going to make, I had a little eureka moment and went on a mission. Well, not me really, the husband did for some bandages.

And I made this!

I covered the card blank with black card and dabbed silver ink around the edges and across the card. I then embossed some torn squares and then inked them before adding to the card. The orange ribbon is from my stash as I thought the card needed a bit of colour.

I used the mummy image from the download, enlarged it and then cut it out and then added the bandages. It's attached to the card with a piece of acetate so it boings around. And in the top corner I've added my last fimo spider!

• Image: Halloween download from Charmed Cards and Crafts
• Embossing: Cuttlebug folder
• Spider: Made with fimo by me
• Everything else: My stash

Polkadoodle Challenge 16 - Spots & Stripes

It's Friday again and we are already upto week 16 on the Polkadoodles challenges! And for the duration of September, I am setting the challenges. Yes, Nikky has let me loose!


So, I set the Design Team a challenge of

Spots and Stripes

And they could use any of the Polkadoodle cd's or downloads to interpret the theme. Pop over to the challenge blog to see what the DT made!


I've used the Halloween download - purely because I liked the grungy feel to the papers and also because I had the brainwave of using spiders for the spots!


I printed the papers off at A5 size so I retained the text and roughly tore the strips, inked the edges and added them to the front of the card. I've added a doodled line around the edge of the card and the sentiment as well as the usual inking.

I made the spiders from fimo - really easy to make - a squashed ball for the body and then I rolled some thin strips to make legs and then added them to the top of the body by squishing the middle down. Then after I'd baked them in the oven (closest I ever get to cooking!) I added the wobbly eyes.

I hope you can join in with my challenge - click here for more details. You have until 12noon on Sunday 13 September to enter - so what are you waiting for?!

For the remainder of September, the challenges that I am setting will be accompanied by a little tutorial on how I made my item, so watch out for those! You may see a little helper that I acquired during the making of one of the tutorials!

• All paperbased elements: Halloween download from Polkadoodles
• Spiders: Made by me from Fimo
  
  
  

Razzle Dazzle

It has been a while. A long while, really, since I took part in a Dottie's World Challenge (so sorry!) and well, I'll be honest as I've cheated a little this week.

The current challenge is:

Razzle Dazzle

And you would have thought with cheating I'd have got my act together sooner and entered the card! Anyway. I'd made the quite large tag with Holly in her fancy underwear some time ago for the Tag You're It Challenge and its been sat in my 'need to do something with it' box since. I noticed it last night and decided to add it to a silver card blank and enter it in the Dotties World challenge.

The red card is from my stash (its a lovely slightly textured card) as too the silver pearlescent card on which the image (pre coloured) has been layered. A little bit of glitter glue has been added to Holly's feathers with corners rounded and lightly inked. I've added two of my fimo hearts with ribbon tied through and two flowers with ribbon tied over the brad.

And this is one of those cards that I'm not going to want to send!

• All plain card: From my stash
• Image: Holly and Maddison from Charmed Cards and Crafts
• Fimo hearts: Made by me
• Everything else: From my stash
  
  

Hey! Cupcake....!

Sometimes, when I see a sketch, I know just what I'm going to use! And this one was no exception! It's Carol's (my very fab fellow Funky Hand DT mate) Fun Sketch:The image I've used is actually one inserted into a joke email that I received, so have not got a clue where it originated from, but I thought it would be a good one to use!

Starry backing paper is the same one I used on a previous post - from Funky Daze, just my ink was running out so it's not really supposed to be this colour! The blue is from The Funky One. Edges have been inked in either pink or blue and then black, some edges have also been rounded with a punch.

To make the loops on the sketch, I've threaded ribbon through some holes - the ribbon I used specifically wider than the holes so it would bunch up.

I've had written the sentiment (can't you tell?!) and the little fimo cupcake was sent to me a while ago along with lots of other little makes by someone I can't remember their name! So sorry!

I think I may be using this sketch and image again!

• Backing papers: Pink & stars - Funky Daze, Blue - The Funky One from Funky Hand
• Image: Don't know
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Cupcake embellishment: Can't remember!
• Sentiment: Handwritten
  
  
  

Pink Cat & Spotty Paper

This is a new challenge for me which I found whilst blog hopping - Sketch Saturday - and here is the sketch:


I've flipped it round as I really wanted to use the Inka image (sent to me by Anice in a recent Funky Hand DT image swop!) I've coloured it with watercolour pencils to match the paper (I think is Naughty but Nice Christmas paper from Dovecraft) and the ribbons and buttons.

And I know that cats aren't really that colour, but its nice to have a change every now and again!

The buttons I made from fimo and pushed seed beads in before they were baked - the ribbons were tied through the holes for extra detail. Not too sure why the doodled line looks wonky on the photo - it isn't in real life!

• Backing paper: Naughty But Nice Christmas papers by Dovecraft
• Image: Inka stamps, coloured with watercolour pencils
• Ribbons: From my stash
• Buttons: Made by me
  

More Fimo Buttons

I made all these a few weeks ago but just not got round to blogging them yet. Although a few have found a new home and I've used a few on this card this is as far as they have got.


They were actually supposed to be blues and greens but decided to go with pinks, purples and reds, plus I've still got some left from the ones I made when I did the button swop last month.

These odd shaped ones are made without moulds and I've pushed seed beads into the fimo before baking. I think I should have been a little more forceful with the seed beads as some have worked their way loose.

The heart shaped buttons have been made with a shape cutter - I'd have never got them so uniform and straight without it!

So, that's it. Hope to do some more soon. At some point....

Pink, Spots and My Buttons

The Challenge on Pink Elephant this week is to use

Buttons

I'd made the little flowers (used one of the free templates from Simply Cards and Papercrafts magazine) with Funky Daze backing papers, inked the edges and then cut the petals deeper but then decided that the buttons I was originally going to use just did not look right. The pink was too pale and the buttons were too small.

Then I remembered I'd made a batch of fimo buttons a few weeks ago (I've not yet got round to blogging the photos I took of all of them - how bad am I?!) so used those!

They are a bit rough and ready but I like the quirkiness of them plus I'd pushed some pink and silver seed beads into the fimo before I baked them.

The flower stems are a swirly flourish set of clear acrylic stamps from Studio G. And that's it! Really simple - and I do like cards that happen that way!

• Backing paper: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Buttons: Made by me
• Flower template: From Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine
• Stamps: Studio G acrylic stamp set
  
  
  

How To Use Denim!

Another week and another challenge on Dotties World! Now I liked this challenge as it meant I could use the freebie from the new collection - Holly and Madison's World Tour! The challenge is:

Get the feeling!!!!!

I would like to see some kind of fabric incorporated in the card or item, it could be felt, ribbon, lace, cotton etc and of course a Charmed Cards and crafts download.

The backing papers are from the recent Crafts Beautiful magazine - I downloaded them and the 4 papers printed onto 1 sheet of A4 card but I've only used two of them. To be honest, I could not resist the gaudy paisley pattern but knew that the Holly image would look good with it! The image is pre coloured and Ive inked the edges and also chalked the background to soften it a little.

And I've used some denim off cuts and stitched them to the card, slightly randomly, as you can see! The button is made by me from fimo and has seed beads stuck into it.

• Backing paper: Freebies from Crafts Beautiful
• Image: Holly freebie pre coloured
• Button: Made by me
• Brads: From my stash
• Denim: Samuel's old worn jeans
  

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - February Challenge

Now pink Christmas cards I don't really 'do' - so this Christmas Cards All Year 'Round challenge really took me out of my comfort zone, but I plodded on! After I'd made the first card, I had some inspiration, and the rest, they say, is history!

So, for February the Challenge is:

... get out your PINK, RED and WHITE papers....and let's see a Christmas Card come of it.

I'd also like to see you throw in a heart or two

• Dies: Sizzix Stocking and Sizzix Primitive Hearts
• Sentiment: Studio G acrylic stamp
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Brad: From my stash
• Felt: From the scrap store

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

• Backing paper: Funky Little Christmas from Funky Hand
• Dies: Sizzix Sizzlits snowflake and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Brad: From my stash
• Charms: B & M Bargains

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

• Backing paper: Free papers from craft magazine
• Snowflake: Hobbycraft
• Beads & Gem: From my stash
• Sentiment: Free with craft papers

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

• Backing paper: Funky Little Christmas from Funky Hand
• Dies: Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder
• Topper: Made from fimo by me
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Fibres: From the scrap store
• Sentiment: Computer generated
• Gems: From my stash

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

• Ribbon: From my stash (donated by Lynsey!)
• Heart embellishment: Part of a handmade button swop from Jacqui
• Holly: Dovecraft stamp coloured with watercolour pencils
• Sentiment: Studio G acrylic stamp
• Seed beads: From my stash
• Wire: From my stash

My Buttons

I can now reveal the buttons I made for my swop partner Jacqui as part of Phatsheeps handmade button swop!

These are the ones I made Jacqui so she can incorporate them into something she makes - all made from fimo with the blue ones having seed beads stuck into them. All lightly stitched onto an off-cut of denim.

And I also made a card with three other buttons (I was on a roll making these!) with some left over backing papers - again Mily Designs.

Jacqui said that she liked blues, the sea, glass and tactile things and I hope I've managed to achieve this!

I am quite pleased with my little self after making these, and I think, time prevailing, that I will be attempting this again as I do like the wobbliness of them and that each one is slightly different. These were actually my second attempt - the first lot were rubbish and looked odd. So you'll only see those if I sneak them onto a card at some point!

Thanks to Phatsheep for organising this - I really enjoyed it!

A Cheeky Little Number!

The Tag You're It Challenge this week got me thinking. The challenge is:

Love and Romance

I've done with Valentine cards for the year but still wanted to do the challenge and I wanted to use my new downloads from Charmed Cards and Crafts. So this is what I came up with!


The backing card is really lovely - its sort of grained but not really noticeable. The silver card is also from my off-cuts box and I thought it went really well with the theme. All edges have been inked and rounded. I've dabbed a bit of red glitter glue to give a bit of sparkle - cos a girl needs sparkle! The image was pre coloured not because I'm being lazy this week - I'm just busy!

The hearts are made from fimo at the same time I was making the buttons for the handmade swop (my makes will be revealed later in the week!) and I've threaded some ribbon through.

The flowers are two layered together with a brad which has been tied with ribbon. So, what do you think? Does it qualify for love and romance?!

• Card: From my stash
• Image: Pre coloured Holly and Madison download from Charmed Cards and Crafts
• Ribbon: From my stash (donated by Enfys)
• Flowers: From my stash (bought from Mad About Cards)
  
  

Button Swop

I took part in Phatsheeps button swop. Well, to be honest I've just got to post the buttons that I have made and to take photos of them in daylight as I hate using flash or the halogen lights in the kitchen as they give strange shadows (as you can see below). Anyway, my swop partner, Jacqui is very understanding about my tardiness.

So then, this lovely package was waiting for me when I eventually got home from work yesterday. And I was very good and waited until the boys were in bed before I opened it (so I could take photos along the way!)

I'll be using the ribbon again - thanks Jacqui! Two bubble wrapped packages inside...

Hiding these beauties - not six buttons but eight!! And two themes!

The fabric buttons are made with linen and a hand stitched heart and the big chunky red hearts are made from fimo.

And I've already used one of the fabric heart buttons on my Dottie challenge for this week, so check back on Sunday for the reveal. Great timing Jacqui and wonderful buttons - I shall use them all!

Thank you so much!

I'll blog my make when I've taken the photos and when Jacqui has received them.

And thank you to Phatsheep for organising the swop!

DCM Challenge - Scrumdiddlyumptious!

Just had to do this challenge over at Daring Card Makers Challenge:

Scrumdiddlyumptious
All things foodie - feature a food you associate with summer and sunny days (just to remind us of those summer feelings)

Specially made fimo lolly wrapped in cellophane and tied with hot pink grosgrain ribbon. Backing papers printed smaller than default setting and they are from the Chocolate Drinks collection on Funky Seasons (I just love stripes!) The tag sentiment I've written, and it has been inked with pink as has the backing paper and the edges of the card (be prepared to see more of this inking thing as I've just discovered it (about a year after everyone else!)) Funky foam flower made by myself and will be available to buy from my website from September. And the wording is cut from bright pink card courtesy of Lynsey and it uses the Round-a-Bout alphabet dies from Sizzix.


The lolly must look fairly real as Jacob wanted to eat it.....! And I think the stripes of the backing paper add a bit of a 'deck chair' feel to it heheheh!!

• Backing paper: Chocolate Drinks collection from Funky Seasons cd, with pink inked edges
• Embellishments: Handmade by me - lolly made from fimo and the flower from funky foam
• Ribbon: Hot pink grosgrain from Blackburn market
• Alphabet: Sizzix Round-a-Bout

Baby Lilly

And here is Lilly's card who arrived yesterday at 5am. Little fimo feet inside the envelope just as Matthew's card. And of course Anita's 3d glitter paint around the edges.

The Fimo Disaster!

Ok, I'll share The Fimo Disaster with you! I decided to make some little tiny baby feet from flesh coloured fimo - no mixing involved as I bought the correct skin tone, and thought that I'd make a right pigs ear of mixing anyway.

I'd read the instructions at least 5 times on how to 'cook' the fimo and had done some research on t'internet. So I thought I was totally prepared. Made the little feet and was chuffed how well they looked. Then did the oven thing.

I'm not in the least bit domesticated - I very rarely do any cooking (except tea on a Saturday but that's with a wok and I can see what's happening!) but I thought I'd be ok this time as I'd done my research.

I got a little worried when I could smell something strange. Checked on the fimo and this is what I found.......
The fimo had been over cooked!! Husband thought it very funny and said the oven was too hot as it was a fan oven...... Some of the little feet had bubbled and were hollow on the reverse ......

Anyway, I did the process again the following evening and voila!! It all worked!!

Used fimo quite a few times and never burnt it since!!