Little Boys and Their Dino's

The 2 Sketches 4 u challenge this week is the following sketch:




I was going to make a baby card - I'd picked out the stamped image and was looking through my papers when I changed my mind completely and decided to go for the dino stamp again (I love it!) I'd also found all the left over scraps from when I made samples of the papers Anice designed for the Craft4Charity cd


The actually backing paper has been printed onto vellum as I always think it looks more punchier than paper or card. The image has been painted with watercolour paints and the edges inked. The large circle was drawn using a compass and the stars were cut from spare papers and I've dotted around the edges with a white gel pen. Quite simple!

I really should make more boys cards as I do enjoy it and I don't have the dilema of where best the flower should go!

• Backing papers: All from the Craft4Charity cd - Funky Hand creations
• Image: Dovecraft Dino stamp coloured with watercolour paints
  
  

Penny Black Recipe Challenge

I've not managed a Penny Black challenge for a week or two so thought I'd better try this weeks!

RECIPE 3, 2, 1
3 Brads, 2 Ribbons, 1 Flower

And here is what I came up with! I did toy with the idea of using the brad in the flower as one of my allowance but it didn't look right. So the 'brads' are actually card candy because I didn't have anything that matched. The ribbons, which just happened to match (surprised?!) are from Blackburn market (grosgrain) and from a top (silly for putting ribbon loops inside but at least I benefit!) The beautiful flower is actually 3 layered together in a lovely deep purple and a chocolate brown and it came as a freebie a few years ago when I used to buy all my Sizzix dies from a lady in the USA. With every order she always sent me a little package with lovely embellishments, brads and flowers - I used to be more excited opening that than using the dies!

Anyway, the mouse and cork has been coloured with watercolour paints and I've chalked the background as it was a bit stark. The bubble has been glitter glued.

Backing papers are from the lovely 6 x 6 Elegant Dovecraft papers and one pattern that I've not used before. I really do like this card and am pleased with my little self!

• Backing papers: Dovecraft 6 x 6 Elegant
• Image: Watercoloured and chalked
• Flower: From my stash
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  

Using That Last Butterfly

The challenge this week on Tag! You're It is:

Wings

I mentioned on a previous post that I had one butterfly left over from the embellishment pack - and here it is! I still had the off cuts of paper lying around too and decided to be brave and did a bit of paper weaving! I made the tag shape from card and then made the weaving, stuck the finished part to the tag and then trimmed. And inked the edges in pink. Really simple. Surprisingly simple really as I thought I'd have bits of paper falling out all over the place!

The ribbon is part of the huge donation from Enfys (its organza and is rainbow coloured - not stripes but it changes colour along the length) and I've secured it with a brad from my stash.

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too and Huge Funky Love from Funky Hand
• Embellishment: Freebie Dovecraft embellishments from a recent Do Crafts magazine
• Ribbon: Generous donation from Enfys
• Brad: From my stash
  
  

Cupcake Alert!

The Cute Card Thursday challenge this week is:

"FOOD & DRINK"

Create a card with an item of food or drink on it somewhere - as simple as that!

I'd bought a few chipboard templates a while ago but not got round to using them (unless you count taking them out of the pack a few times and looking at them!) One of the templates was a cupcake which I thought would be perfect for this challenge. Plus I really should make more shaped cards as I really enjoy it!

The cupcake wrapper (is that the correct terminology?!) has been cut from pink corrugated card and the fondant iced top is from Funky Daze (Fun Daze collection). As I liked the dot pattern, I decided to layer it a little and randomly so it looks like the icing is slithering down the bun. Yum!


All edges have been inked in pink and I've added some tiny beads for sprinkles - I think they were a freebie from yonks ago and I'd just not used them before. I've used two ribbons around the middle of the cake (the organza was donated by Enfys - the spotty one I bought from Hobbycraft) and the daisy brad was from a lovely lot of stash as part of my camper van swop with Alex last summer.

Inspiration for the colours has been drawn from Molly and Izzie - but be warned - don't visit if you are hungry!

I think I could be making more of these as they look so good! And they passed the 'what is it test' - asked the boys what they thought it was. Slight pause before they both said CAKE!! Just need to watch Jacob as he will probably try and scoff it!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze
• Template: From Craftwork Cards
• Ribbon: From Hobbycraft and Enfys
• Brad: From Alex
• Gem sprinkles: From my stash
  
  

Glitter, Smirk Girls & Ribbon

The Sketch and Stash current challenge is:

And I have used one (I bought 4!) of my new fabulous Smirk stamps - I bought them a few weeks ago and they have been sat on the table just waiting to be used! I've used Whispers Chestnut ink on the stamp and have added a bit of glitter glue to the dresses and shoes. The sentiment is actually on the bottom of the stamp but I did a bit of masking (sellotape) so I could separate it from the image.

I've also inked the edges of the papers and card - the papers are again left overs from a previous project and are from Huge Funky Love (have you realised just how much I like these papers!)

Ribbons are from my stash - the pink is from a pack of pre cut and scored card blanks and the eyelets are from a new pack of Papermania metallic eyelets.

I am really pleased how this card has turned out - I think its the papers that makes it!

• Backing papers: Huge Funky Love
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Stamp & Sentiment: Smirk
• Brads: Papermania
  
  
  

Sketches by Tamara - Butterflies

The Sketches by Tamara challenge this week is:

And this came together so easily! Again, scraps and left over bits of card in my stash were used - the yellow / green strips are from It's Funky Too and the pink strips are from Huge Funky Love. They have sort of been randomly cut but not too much to look out of place. Edges have been inked with pink or green ink and then worn black as the colours were a bit too bright for my liking.

The butterflies were a freebie pack from the Do Crafts magazine an issue or two ago and I thought they were too pretty just to sit in the packet!

Get me with the fancy arty shot eh?! The lighting was a bit pants yesterday so I struggled a little - believe it or not, but these photos were taken in front of a huge french window at 1:30pm with white card reflectors and still the lighting is flat. Just can't win!

The sentiment stamp was a 4 block one from Mad About Cards - the sentiment is in 4 different fonts.

There was one butterfly left over from the pack and I used that on another challenge - will show that in a day or two!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too and Huge Funky Love from Funky Hand
• Sentiment: 4 sided stamp from Mad About Cards
• Butterflies: Freebie Dovecraft embellishments from a recent Do Crafts magazine

A Patchy Thank You

The Daring Cardmakers Challenge this week is:

"... a 'patchy' one.Yes, that's right - I want you to be inspired by patchwork and make a patchwork looking card. Great chance to use up scraps of off cuts - or buy some new papers if needs be! Any theme as long as it is patchwork inspired."

I made this whilst half watching Shameless that we taped so consequently I was not paying enough attention to the spacing nor how straight the blocks were! Well, they are not that wonky, and don't actually look too bad from this angle.

Anyway, the squares have been cut from left over bits from Funky Daze. I've rounded the edges and then inked them. The flowers have been cut with the Cuttlebug Flowers die and the centres are card candy from Craftwork Cards. The sentiment was from a pack of stamps and other bits - and I can't remember the manufacturer as it conveniently does not have it on the stamp.

I liked making this card, and think I will probably make some more using up the little bits of paper that I seem to have lying around...

• Backing paper: Funky Daze by Funky Hand
• Sentiment: Don't know manufacturer
• Dies: Cuttlebug Flowers
  
  

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 Elephant - Ribbons and Die Cuts

The Pink Elephant Challenge this week is:

To use Ribbons & Die Cuts

I have sort of used die cuts - the letters are from a word book printed from Funky Daze, however I'd printed it onto the wrong thickness of card (too wobbly) and it needed rescuing, so I've cut the letters out and added them to a card blank.

Various ribbons have been used along with card candy and eyelets. I've rounded and inked the edges of the card too.

• Letters: Funky Daze word book
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
• Eyelets: From my stash
  
  

Love To Shop!

This weeks Friday Sketchers challenge is:
And I made this card. Backing papers are from Funky Daze (oh how I like these swirls!) the image is a pre coloured one from my recent Holly and Madison purchase only because I liked the colours and they matched the papers!

The flowers and button are from Jozza, the heart stamp was one of three freebies on a recent magazine and I've just used a cheap small ink pad. The wording is my ever faithful Studio G mini alphabet wooden stamp set. All edges have been inked in blue and green. The papers on which I have stamped are also from Funky Daze. Oh how I love these papers and images!!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Image: Holly and Madison download
• Flowers and button: From Jozza