Use your stamp in three ways

It's my turn to host the challenge at Crafty Cardmakers this time and I would like to see you use your stamp three different ways. I think we forget how versatile stamps can be so this is a gentle reminder :)

I used the Swirly-Whirlies Poppies from Little Claire's one of the goodies I got at the NEC.

This is the whole collection of my creations so if you want to stop here and leave a comment then you can, if you want to see them all close up then carry on.
I cut this tag using a Cuttlebug die, I also cut the stamp so I could have just the one poppy. I only realised I had smudged the tag when I added the pictures but hey it's handmade after all!. I stamped onto the seam binding after taping it to my non stick craft mat, the ink has bled a bit but I can live with it. I coloured both the tag and binding with a promarker, a poppy one of course.
I rummaged in my stash for my shrink plastic as I knew there was some in there somewhere and I found it. I punched a circle from the shrink, punched a little hole, stamped the single stamp, coloured with my Sakura pen this time and heated it to shrink. I used a little lanyard to make the charm for a mobile.
I don't normally do Clean and Simple cards as I find them really difficult but I think this one may qualify for CAS. I used Versamark ink, clear embossing powder and some distress ink. I really like this so I may do some more of them.
The final piece on my collection, I used some tissue paper, stamped my image coloured it with promarkers, cut up the images and heated each of them separately to add them to the candle. The poppies go all the way round and I even made a box from card printed with poppies.

If your still here well done you, I love reading any comments you are kind enough to leave and look forward to seeing your take on my challenge at Crafty Cardmakers.

Embossing Challenge

This week at Crafty Cardmakers we are hosted by Josephine who has asked for heat embossing.

I always enjoy using my embossing powders and the heat gun but I don't think I use them enough. I was watching a crafting programme a while ago featuring embossing, I was very interested in the resist technique achieved by Versamark Ink and clear embossing powder.

For Christmas this year I decided not to do a present for the majority of people, they will get a handmade box filled with sweeties and a nice surprise at the bottom. After making the boxes I had lots of large scraps left and wasn't sure what to do with them, then I happened on a blog showing a corner bookmark, my scraps were just the right size to make them so I made 40 of them. Yes 40 of them, I did it in batches which was much easier and quicker.

The card is 9cm square, mark at 4.5cm on three points score and fold in the corners, I punched the bottom of the bookmark to give a nice edge, I added another scrap of card to the back for strength. I got a lovely alphabet set at Hobbycraft ages ago for 99p, I used this my Versamark and clear embossing powder to stamp the initial of each recipient. I punched out the letters and inked them in various colours of distress ink. I mounted this onto some shiny paper (more scraps I'm afraid!) and added it to the front.

I had put the majority of the bookmarks in the envelopes of the Christmas cards before I realised I hadn't photographed them altogether so I took a picture of the ones I had left.

We would love to see your take on our embossing challenge so break out those embossing powders and join us this time at Crafty Cardmakers.

Recycle or Upcycle Challenge

This was a container for hot chocolate by a well known chocolate manufacturer. After wiping out the inside I measured the circumference , cut my paper, punched the top and rolled it round the tub. I cut the letters from some silver paper and stuck them on. It really is foam pads in there I bought a huge wheel of pads at the NEC in the summer and when I opened them needed somewhere to store them all.

Pink Brown and Cream at Crafty Cardmakers

I used a template to cut this card on my Craft Robo, the papers I have had in my stash forever so I don't know who made them but I felt they fitted this challenge perfectly. I added somePrima flowers and a piece of spotty ribbon as embellishments. I had my friends birthday card in mind when I was making this and she seemed to really like it.

Some more cards

I've had a lovely day crafting with my friend, my house is a shambles but I have made six cards today so that's okay. When I was blog surfing I came across this cute little bear called Teddy Bo. Now as you know I have been making a few Thank you cards so when I saw this one I decided he would be fabulous to make a quick batch of cards. Sorry there are a few pictures on this post!

Dark Blue

Light Blue

The green ones

The purple one

I have left the cards as clean as I can, I coloured him with promarkers, used some card embossed the purple background and added just a few stones in the corners.

This little lady is Dancing Willow and to be honest I had forgotten I had her but I was rummaging through my stamps something I think I should do more often! I coloured her with promarkers, used some papers from a magazine freebie, used another hexagonal card as I want to use up things I've had for far too long, added some ribbon and some flowers I coloured too.

This is a new embossing folder I wanted to try out and I really like it, I used some Versamark to stamp the sentiment, clear embossing powder and some distress ink to get a resist effect, not something I had done before but I like the result so will try to remember it in future.

This is Travelling Tilda, I coloured her with promarkers, cut her out, used a sentiment stamp from LOTV, added a swirly embellishment and some more of the Kanban papers.

If you got here well done and thank you for sticking with it, as always I love to read any comments you are kind enough to leave.

I am entering the cards in the following challenges:

Teddy Bo Challenge - Clean and Simple

Whiff of Joy - Anything but square

Cardmad Fairy - Spots and Stripes

Just Magnolia - Pink

Lexi's Creations - Just a sentiment

I love Promarkers - Ain't it cute

Sunday Sketch and Stamp - Sketch

One Stitch At A Time - Embossing

Cards For Men - Animals

Critter Challenge Blog - Use three patterned papers.

A Christmas Card

Not a thank you card this time but a Christmas card.

I got this stamp from the show at Leigh, as soon as I saw it I had to have him as I thought he would make a good image for male Christmas cards.

The papers I've had for a long time and they are my unused stash for ABC Christmas Challenge.

I used the papers from the pack, stamped and coloured my image with promarkers. I wrapped some ribbon round the top panel as I felt it needed something else. I punched the snowflakes, stamped the sentiment and added some flowersoft for snow.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

Cards for Men - Make us laugh

Cardmadfairy - Spots and Stripes

One Stitch At A Time - Shaped Cards

Oh La La - Let it Snow

Top Tip Tuesday - Layer it up

High Hopes - Ribbon,Lace or Twine

Passion 4 Promarkers - Stars

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for Unused Stash

I Love Promarkers - Ain't it Cute

Jingle Belles - Softly Falling Snow

Bah Humbug! - With men in mind

Little Claire's - Christmas

Some things I've been working on

Before I start there is a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers from today Cute with a dark twist. I tried to do this one but couldn't get it right so maybe you will have better luck, pop across to the blog to see the fabulous inspiration from the design team.

This is a card I made for someone in my Mum's work as they are having a difficult time at the minute. I used the papers from the Flower Fairy cd, I cut various shapes with my dies, embellished the strip with my punch, inked everything using my distress inks, I used the Lavender Fairy stamp for the image, coloured her with Promarkers, glittered her wings and used my newest toy the little tiny tapestry stamps to create the border around the top section of the easel. My mum was really pleased with it and I had a great time making it.
This is one of the many thank you cards I will be making as we want to say thanks to all the people who helped us and took time out there busy lives while my sister was very ill. She is getting better but I wish her sight would improve for her. I used the papers from the Oxford Kanban paper pad. I quilled the flowers using a new die I hadn't played with yet, cut some leaves, butterflies and my new favourite die from Memory Box. I got this at the show at Leigh and I really like the effect two of them slightly offset gives.
This is a close up of my paper flowers, I think I will be playing with these again soon as I enjoyed making them.

This is another thankyou card, more Kanban papers and more dies, what would I do with out them.

Yet another thankyou card you will be fed up looking at them soon I think! A different style for this one I used the Forever Friends Black and Gold Stamp set, cut the card and the shapes, coloured the picture with watercolour pencils for a change as I wanted a softer look.

That's all for now, thanks for popping by and as always I love to read any comments you are kind enough to leave.

I am entering the cards in the following challenges:

One Stitch At A Time - Shapes

FlutterBy Wednesday - Fairy or Butterfly

Top Tip Tuesday - Use DP and make your own flowers

We're back and it's anything goes!!!

That's right Crafty Cardmakers is back and it's anything goes so I hope you will join us with your projects.

This card is made using digital images from Dustin Pike, I merged them together and added some shadows in my Scrapbook Software. I coloured it all in with Promarkers of course!

Some new cards

This is Oakley from Whiff Of Joy, I followed the sketch for the challenge this time using papers from a magazine freebie,I coloured him with my promarkers of course, I cut the shapes with my dies, used my punch, inked everything within an inch of it's life, added some ribbon and some glitter after all it is a Christmas card. I made the sentiment on the computer I don't know if you can see it on the picture but it says sending love across the miles.
This lovely reindeer and the trees in the background are from Whimsey Stamps, I coloured them with my promarkers, added some glitter, mounted it on to a card blank I cut using one of my bigger dies.

This is another Whiff of Joy stamp, I coloured him as usual, cut the shapes, used the punch, made a card blank, created the sentiment and added some glitter.
Now these are colours I wouldn't normally use but now I have I really like them, the papers are all from the Fairyopolis CD's, I paper pieced her clothes, coloured as usual, used my trimmer for the papers but cut the frame with my die. I used my distress inks to knock back the bright orange paper I've used, added some glitter and a butterfly in the corner.

I had a great two days making these cards and I know lots of you can make fabulous cards much quicker and better than me but I was just enjoying playing.

I'm entering the cards into a few challenges, thanks for popping by and as always any comments you are kind enough to leave are greatly appreciated.

Challenges:

Bah Humbug! - Reindeer

Winter Wonderland - Across the Miles

Just Magnolia - Autumn Colours

Cards For Men - Not Square

Oh La La - use punches and dies

Belles n Whistles - Used red, blue and yellow

Passion for Promarkers - Sketch

Digital Tuesday - People Images

Flutter By Wednesdays - Have a butterfly on project

Whiff of Joy - Sketch

ABC Challenge - S is for Shaped Cards

A challenge entry and an update

Wow it's so long since I did this last I feel like I'm starting again, thanks to all those who have left comments etc during my sister's crisis. Thankfully I can now report she has had the operation, the lump was benign and she is out of hospital. She has a long way to go yet as her sight is very poor but at least she is here and we are hopeful of a good recovery for her. I have been able to do some crafting this week in between looking after the grandchildren and this is the result.

The image is Holly Fairy but I'm not sure who she is by, the background is from Doodle Pantry, I coloured everything with my promarkers, added some flower soft and glitter to the trees, for the first time I used some lace on the bottom of her skirt an effect I quite like, I used my dies to cut the swirls and the layers.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Doodle Pantry- Use an image

Wags 'n' Whiskers- Use lace

Cardmad Fairy- Use lots of layers

ABC Christmas Challenge- Shaped Card, Swirls, Spots or Stripes

I was planning to enter it in a few others but I was too late, never mind, the challenge themes helped the card come together.

Thanks for popping by and as always any comments you take the time to leave are greatly appreciated.

Bah Humbug For a Girl Challenge

Firstly I would like to thank the lovely people at Bah Humbug for allowing me to join their Design Team this month and secondly to apologise for not checking sooner that the posts had published as planned.

i haven't checked as my sister has been told she has a growth in her brain. She has had two operations and is waiting for a third. So as important as I know crafting is it's not been my number one priority at the minute. I have found time to make this card though.

My friend had purchased the new embossing system from Cuttlebug and I got to have a play with the Christmas set. I liked the idea of the system a lot but the price tag and the oodles of other stash I have mean it's not something I will be getting soon, anyway my lovely friend says I can borrow hers!

I used two different colours of Core-Ordinations card, embossed with the same folder, some matt mirri card which after being through the embossing process so many times looks more like craft metal than card. I used another piece of card for the middle and to ensure nothing was wasted I cut and embossed some poinsettia's. I also cut a ribbon die to cover the join in the middle.

I mounted all these bits onto an 8 by 8 card and used a MS punch down the edge which I highlighted with some distress ink.

Thanks for popping by, any comments you are kind enough to leave are greatly appreciated.

One Layer Card for Crafty Cardmakers

This is the first time I have ever shown a one layer card I have made as I find this style really difficult, I always want to add things, I would normally have decoupaged the footballer and the ball but I resisted this time. This was for one of the men in the family who supports a team who wear red I used some ink to watercolour the red sections.

Alter/Recycle Food Container for Crafty Cardmakers

This time at Crafty Cardmakers we have been asked to alter/recycle a food container.

This was a box holding those little thin biscuit sticks covered in chocolate which my DD loves. She also loves painting and bought a set of the Paint Fusion Stamps, so we had a go together with no DVD to watch either. The daisy on the front of the box is my attempt so all you fab painters please don't laugh too much. I painted the box with a couple of coats of acrylic paint, painted the inside as well as I didn't like the grey cardboard showing. I took the lid and cut some holes for the new paint brushes to sit in. My DD loves it and I was really pleased with it when I was finished.
Altering things hasn't really been my thing but having done this project I can see the fascination for other people.

Parchment Challenge for Crafty Cardmakers

I have never done parchment craft before I mentioned to my friend I was wanting to try it and she loaned me a parchment grid. This is a metal plate with embossing sections and piercing sections. I took it to my craft group and mentioned I wanted to have a go and the lady sat next to me was able to give me some guidance on how to get the best from the template. I found it very therapeutic and when I was finished was so pleased with the results

When I was using the paint fusion stamps I thought how nice the daisy might look in parchment, so I stamped on some parchment, embossed the lines, cut it out and mounted it directly to a card for a different look with parchment.

Embossing Challenge for Crafty Cardmakers

At Crafty Cardmakers this time I set the challenge and I choose embossing, it can be heat embossing with ink and powders or dry embossing either by machine or by hand.
For my project I used one of the Glitter Girls boards, Dress to Impress it's called if I remember correctly, all you have to do is emboss the shape onto your card, cut it out and fold the score lines. I used bits of mirri to create the catches and add some shine. The flowers are also embossed using one of the boards from Crafters Companion, no I don't know the name of it as there are so many. I really like the leaf shape on this board and can see it being used regularly along with the flowers. I added some sparkly gems to the centre of the flowers and that was it job done.

As always thanks for popping by, any comments you leave are greatly appreciated and I hope you will take part this time at Crafty Cardmakers.

Inchie Challenge for Crafty Cardmakers

This time at Crafty Cardmakers the lovely Cazro has asked us to use inchies, three 1 by 1 inch squares. I've not used inchies before so had to think long and harda bout what image or images to use, I was looking through my stamps as you do and found this tree in a set of Kanban stamps and thought Oh that's big enough to do something with.
I stamped it and used my Micaboss to make it sticky, coloured it with my mica powders, repeated the process cut one out with a border and cut the other one up into four inch squares, then mounted the inch squares onto the intact image alittle like decoupage.
Although it took me a while to work out what I was going to do I enjoyed the process and I will be using inchies again.
As always thanks for taking the time to pop by and any comments you are kind enough to leave are greatly appreciated.

Steampunk or Machines at Crafty Cardmakers

The challenge this time at Crafty Cardmakers was set by the lovely Ei and she asked for steamunk or machines.


As you can see from my project I went with machines, this can also include typewriters, cameras anything mechanical. Steampunk for those of you who don't know (I didn't until this challenge) is a combining of modern with very old technology. I have seen a picture of a clockwork computer yes thats correct and apparently it works very well, so for those who like to mix things up a lot Steampunk may be just your thing. If you want to see some fabulous examples of Steampunk visit the Crafty Cardmakers blog where my teamies have excelled themselves.
My project uses a flowersoft bicycle topper I used two different colours of the Flower Soft on the main image, I used some angel hair I've had forever as a backing, I wanted something there but not distracting from the main image. I mounted the topper onto some rainbow holographic card and added a deep border of flower soft to create a frame, I like the way you just get hints of the holographic. I went for an easel card again as I really like this style of card, I used some more of my bargain flowers with some brads and fancy bead caps I flattened for the middle.

Bottle Top Challenge for Crafty Cardmakers

Before I begin I need to apologise for being late with my post, its been a bit mad here with all the sunshine, the dogs and looking after extra children, great fun but a bit mad all the same.
So Paula asked us to use bottle tops for this weeks spotlight challenge, I was sent some bottle tops by the lovely Lin and made this flower fridge magnet which I am sending to my niece as she has a little collection of them and I thought this would make an nice addition.
I used a fabric flower I got on the pier at Llandudno, filled the bottle top with glitter glue so the bits on show would be sparky, added a paper flower and a large gem for the middle. I added some magnets to the back and I was done. I would never have thought to make magnets with bottle tops without Paula's challenge and am planning to do some more.

Wedding Fever Strikes

Wedding fever seems to be taking over the world and it’s no different on Crafty Cardmakers. This time we are looking for a wedding project or a project containing red, white and blue. I used some Whiff of Joy stamps to create this card. I stamped them and then cut them out, coloured them with Promarkers, used some Glamour Dust for the sparkle and then I added some Flower Soft to create some texture on the bench and to hide it a little as I felt it was very brown and needed something extra. I used inks to watercolour my background on a pearlescent card and used the same card to create the letters, coloured with Promarkers and they also got the Flower Soft treatment.

A Tween/Teen Boy Card for Crafty Cardmakers

This time at Crafty Cardmakers we are looking for a card for a tween/teenage boy I think this has to be among the hardest type of card to make so I went for an older teenage boy with my choice. I used an image from Kenny K coloured her with Promarkers and Sakura pens as I wanted a metallic look for her outfit and a glaze on her lips. I made a spring card using black, red and silver to keep the colours quite strong.

I hope to be visiting your blog and seeing your creations, so please join us at Crafty Cardmakers.

My Mothers Day Card

This is Spring Leap from Whiff of Joy, I just loved the joy and happiness she seems to show and she felt perfect for my card to my Mum. I coloured her with promarkers, added some glamour dust on the lace, used some freebie papers and lots of sparkly stones to highlight the punching I had done for the base of the diamond card.

This was a play with a set of My Craft Studio templates I had bought, the image is from Designed to Delight and just seemed right for this project. I have saved the template with this on it now so will be able to produce it again as I like it so much.

They are for

Whiff of Joy -- Not Square(hope this counts)

Belles n Whistles -- Glitter and Sparkle

Designed 2 Delight -- Use image

Thanks as always for popping by and any comments you are kind enough to leave.

A receipe Challenge at Crafty Cardmakers

The challenge this time at Crafty Cardmakers is to use mainly yellow and three types of embellishment, ribbon, rhinestones and stitching which can be real or faux stitching so don't panic if your not a big stitching fan.

The lovely daffodils on this card were drawn by Eiglas I found them on her blog and for a mainly yellow card thought they were just the thing. I coloured them with my promarkers and cut them out. The paper is from an old Create and Craft kit but I don't remember which one. I punched the mat with a punch around the page set and created some faux stitching using a template I borrowed from a friend. I added some ribbon around the planter, a MS butterfly coloured with a gold metallic Sakura pen and added some adhesive stones to the body.

I am looking forward to seeing your creations and to visiting your blogs so come and join us at Crafty Cardmakers.