First one ....

.... of 2013, and it's a last-minuter!!

This is my DT sample for PaperPlay - sadly it's our last challenge for a while.  Sandie has decided to close the challenge blog for a while, to hopefully reopen some time.  This week's challenge, ironically, is called "Celebration".  I had to make a card for a teacher at school who has just moved into a new home, after a difficult few years, so it's certainly a move to celebrate.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch, and I'm also entering the following challenges: My Time to Craft ("All about the new"),Stampin' for the Weekend and Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes"), Simon Says Stamp ("New Something") and Cute Card Thursday ("Something New").

I used some very old papers from Cosmo Cricket called "Mr. Campy" - I love that line, but have only scraps left at this stage.  I made the little scene using a couple of different Hero Arts stamps and cutting a little grassy knoll!  Here's a closer look:

 

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Mr. Campy"

Stamps: Hero Arts "Design Block Clouds Background" and "From our House to Yours"

Colouring Medium: Sky - Hero Arts Hues, house and trees Prismacolor pencils

Font: computer generated

Other: buttons from stash, hairy string, glossy accents

 

 

Thanks for looking - and a very happy 2013 to everyone!

 



Sort of the same ....

.... made another card with just words in the middle.  It's a Golden Wedding Anniversary card, and it's also my DT entry for this week's PaperPlay.  Our sponsor this week is Inky Impressions and the challenge is called "Use 2 or more Stamped Images".  Some of the DT girls have done magnificent things with masked and merging.  I just used four stamps from the one set!!  Here's what I made:

Only when I looked at the photos did I realise what a truly disgustingly bad knot I'd tied in the ribbon, but I'd already handed it over so no way to redo.  The stamps are a Papertrey Ink set that my lovely friend Anne brought me from a trip to Cinncinati recently.  I've used two sizes of sunflower, stamped on patterned paper, and then stamped two sizes of centres, cut them out, liberally covered in gold stickles and popped up for dimension.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Papers: Pink Paislee "Queen Bee"

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Simple Sunflower" set

Ink: Distress Inks

Other: Gold stickles, metallic rub on stuff, Doodlebug brads, ribbon from stash, needle+thread

Thanks for looking!

And now for something ....

.... completely different!!  We are sponsored this week on PaperPlay by Craft Brulee - and the DT got some lovely ribbons, lace and handmade flowers to play with.  My pack had the most lovely emerald green flower and green and cream lace.  All good so far, until I checked the challenge for the week.  Blue and cream.   Hmmmm, blue and cream and emerald green.  What a combination!!  I just couldn't get my head around it, and eventually I decided to do something very different to my normal style.  Here it is:

It's a lot blingier in real life, as I took the photo early this morning.  The dark blue paper is Basic Grey Granola distressed, stitched and edged in emerald green, the stamp is a Hero Arts one, heat embossed with black ep, and I have lots and lots of Prima crystals, both the swirl and then lots stuck onto the chandelier.  I was going to do a sentiment on the lines of "have a luxurious birthday" or "birthday bling", but it just wouldn't fit and blocked out the crystal swirl, so I left it out.  I don't know what to think about this card - it's so unlike what I usually make.

Thanks for looking!

Had another go ....

.... at digi-stamps this week for my PaperPlay DT card.  Sandie set the challenge with a lovely sketch to follow, and we were sponsored by Meljen's Designs.  I had a bunch of crafty friends round at my house yesterday - we had a super-productive day chat-wise and eating-cake-wise, but not so much craft-wise!!!!Here's the sum total of my day's hard work!!:

I'm also entering it into the new Wild Orchid Challenge (say it with flowers - I'm saying it with flower!), Paper Sundaes (lots of Layers) and ABC Challenge (You + Me).

That poor little girl - I initially coloured her face with Antique Linen Distress Ink, it picked up some of the printer ink and she ended up looking very very queasy.  I salvaged her as best I could by adding tattered rose, it took away the worst of the green tinge, but I think she looks like her face (and ears!) need a good wash!!!  But I do like how the jeans and shoes turned out.  Here's a close-up (errrrrr - not sure I really want you to see it!!!):

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Max + Whiskers"

Stamp: Meljens from Whimsy Stamps

Punch: Fiskars "Threading Water"

Other: Ribbon and flower from stash, distress inks, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!



P.S. I got a package of stuff in the post today, part of which completes my blog candy.  Just have to put it all together and photograph over the next few days - watch this space!

Your Number's ....

.... Up!!  My turn to set the challenge this week on PaperPlay - I'm asking entrants to feature a number prominently on their work.  We are sponsored this week by Simon Says Stamp, who are offering at $15 voucher for this week's winner.

I used this week's sketch on Totally Gorjuss (rotated a bit!), and the photo inspiration on this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges - an icy fruity dessert picture that immediately brought to mind the lovely new BG Olivia papers, which have my favourite dusky pink and green colours.  I can't believe my friend's daughter, Ava, is nearly one already - it seems no time at all since I was making a card to welcome her arrival.  Here's the birthday card:

I'm also entering this into Bunny Zoe Crafts (nice and girly), Creative Card Crew (die-cuts), and Totally PaperCrafts (one for the girlies),

I coloured my Tilda with Distress Inks - I love this little one - she's called "Summer Time Tilda with Bow", only I cut the wings off her, didn't like them, and the funny lumpy bits under her skirt, I think they were the bottoms of the wings, didn't like them either!!!  I glossy accented the bottoms of her shoes and the dots on her bow and stickled the smock bit of her top.

I made the big Number 1 out of cardstock, then painted with cream acrylic paint, slathered in stickles and then when it was dry I slathered it again with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.  I think they reacted a bit badly to each other, 'cos when the crackle paint dried it was trying to peel away from the stickles, but I shoved it back with my fingertips and it seems to have stabilised!  Here's a close-up of the image and number:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Olivia" and "Perhaps"

Stamp: Magnolia "Summer Time Tilda with Bow"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Diamond Stickles, Glossy Accents, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, Needle + Thread

Thanks for looking!

A week of ....

.... silence and nothingness!! Bliss!! I can't believe nearly a week of the holidays has already passed.  I knew I was tired from the craziness that was the month of June, but I didn't know just how tired.  I spent pretty much all of last weekend asleep and I've been sleeping 10 or 12 hours every night this week too.  What a luxury!!!

I did this week's DT card for PaperPlay a few weeks ago, for one of my son's friends.  The theme is a card for a child or teenager, and we are sponsored this week by Stitchy Bear Stamps - they are giving away four digi images to the winner.  We've also got a load of new DT members (welcome girls!), there are such a lot of samples to see.  Here's my card:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Cogsmo"

Happy Birthday Letter Stickers: October Afternoon

"Colm" Letter Stickers: Printed from computer

Other: Eyelets from stash, needle & thread

I couldn't find any other challenges to add this to.  Internet has been down all day today and only just back now - isn't it funny how completely dependent we are on it, I kept wanting to google things or check things, had intentions of making a card, but since I couldn't check what challenges to do it for, I decided not to!

Thanks for looking!

15 hours to go ....

.... until summer holidays, yippee!

Made a thank you card for my son's teacher for this week's PaperPlay.  The theme this week is "It's sunny here" and the prize is a €15 gift certificate from Bunny Zoes Crafts. Here's my card:

The title of challenge may be "It's Sunny Here", but this morning when I took the photo, it wasn't!!!  So the card is a good deal more vibrant looking in real life!!

I used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday, and I'm also entering it on ABC Challenge (X-tra dimension - mine is the popped up sun), Cute Card Thursday (reuse, renew, recycle), and Crafty Creations (shine - again, the sun).

I really like that happy sun.  I cut it off a carrier bag from Daisy & Tom some years back and almost threw it out lots of times.  Glad I kept it now.  I cut out the round part, slathered it in glossy accents, popped it up on the card and drew the rays with black zig marker.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Row of Perky Flowers"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Glossy Accents, needle & thread

I've just realised I've passed 10,000 hits on my blog.  Time to organise a candy, I think.  I'll organise something next week (when I'm on my .... summer holidays!).

Thanks for looking.

Still working ....

.... my way through the to-do list of cards.

This one is my DT entry for PaperPlay this week.  I set the challenge - it's called "Something Old" :

"It's easy to be seduced by all the lovely new products, but this challenge is to use something very old from your stash. Could be the first papers you loved and didn't want to cut into, or what were cutting edge embellishments. Drag them out and use them!!!". 

Our prize this week is €10 credit from The Scrapbook Store.

My card is a retirement card for our school Principal (who is also my boss!), and I originally intended to make something utterly different.  I was going to colour an image in distress inks and use some very old papers, but somehow this happened:

The "old" is the postman hairy string, and also the corrugated card that I rescued from the packaging of a garden heater.  The stamps are, I suppose, getting quite old and the paper is from last year (yes, I know that's pushing it!).

I'm also entering this on the following challenges: Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (include a quote), Totally Gorjuss (one for the boys), A Spoon Full of Sugar (enjoying the sunshine), Crafty Creations (it's a stitch-up) and Creative Inspirations (another one for the boys!).

Before I made it, I wasn't thinking of having a quote on the card, just something like "on your retirement", but when I spotted this rub-on in the paper pack, I just thought it sounded so apt for a retiring principal.  He doesn't have to worry about all the big issues that crop up while working in school anymore!  Here's a close-up of the image and sentiment:

Recipe:

Papers and rub-on: Cosmo Cricket "Earth Love"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Three Designer Leaves"

Colouring Media: Hero Arts shadow ink and colouring pencils

Other: Distress ink, string and corrugated card from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

One down ....

.... I'm not counting what's left to do 'cos I don't want to think about it!

I've got a deadline of the week after next to get quite a few cards done, so last night I made one of them as my DT entry for this week's PaperPlay - the theme is "home" - and it's quite a loose interpretation, e.g. new home, something from your home that inspires the project, etc.  I was thinking about this during the week while looking out at the back garden, and I saw rather a lot of dandelions on the lawn.  "Bingo - a dandelion wedding card", thought I.  I had intended to post a picture of these inspirational dandelions, but husband cut the grass in the meantime!!!  So here's the card:

 

Sorry about the abysmal lighting - another November in June day here today!!! 

I've used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday and I'm also entering it on Create 4 Fun  (black/white/one other colour - mine's silver).

This card is a rariety for me, because I didn't use any patterned paper - just cardstock.  And I'm really annoyed, I carefully measured up the centre section before I stuck it down - normally I just go by eye - and after all my sums and adding up on my fingers - the piggin' thing is off-centre!!   Grrrr!

The black bit down the middle is a gorgeous black velvet ribbon I've had forever, with a narrow silver ribbon on top.  I stamped the image twice, first in Tuxedo Black, then overlapped with Versamark and heat embossed with silver - might be easier to see in this close-up:

Thanks for looking!

Clean and Simple ....

.... and QUICK!!

That was my motto this week.  It's exam season (and yes, the sun is shining!).  Most years, I make a few cards for those friends' kids, neighbours' kids, etc., that I know who are doing state exams.  But this year, my daughter is one of those candidates, therefore so are all of her friends, and also seven or eight kids of staff at school too.  So I have had to be ruthless or else it would have been like doing the Christmas card production line in June!!  I've made one for my daughter and her cousin, both doing Junior Cert, and one for her "godbrother", doing his Leaving Cert, and that is it!

DD's card is my DT entry for this week's PaperPlay Challenges - "Flowers and Sparkle Galore".  We are being sponsored this week by Stitchy Bear Stamps, who are offering 4 digi images as a prize.

Here's my card:

I used Scenic Route "Appleton" papers - great for school themes (shame they've gone out of business, though).  I found the big old flower in my stash and covered it with stickles - it doesn't show up in the photo, but it is very very sparkly.  I'm also entering this into The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge "Buttons and Blooms".

And here are the boys' cards:

I had decided from the start not to use any of my usual distressing and stitching and stick to a clean style.  I found it very very very difficult indeed!!!  Although on the plus side, it took a fraction of the time!!

Thanks for looking!

Back in action ....

.... I had no choice, I had a lot of cards to make this week.  Some of my son's classmates are having their first holy communions on Saturday - he was invited to two of their parties, but sadly for him, his great-grandmother's 90th birthday party is on the same day and he has to go to that.  He is not one bit happy and I don't blame him, what 8 year old boy would pass up on bouncy castles and mountains of sweets to go to a meal with a bunch of geriatrics and an accordion player?!!!!

Anyway, this is what I made for his friends, and it's also my PaperPlay DT entry for this week.  Set by the lovely Deirdre, it's called "Up in the Air"  - "We want to see things that fly. It can be butterflies, fairies, aerplanes or even balloons."

I don't have any religious-y stamps or embellishments, so I went with a Hero Arts dove that I've used before for communions.  I also stitched a little cross beside the name.  Here's my card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Archaic" and "Basics - Kraft"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Holiday Doves"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour Pencils and Sansodor

Other: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Tea Dye Distress Ink Needle + Thread

I've used the sketch from this week's Double Dutch Challenges, and am also entering it into A Spoon Full of Sugar (celebration), Creative Inspirations (distressed), and Quixotic Challenges (Emboss it).

Thanks for looking!

They do exist ....

.... baby boys that is.  I know because my brother-in-law and his partner just had one!!

It's my challenge this week on PaperPlay and I've called it "Brown and ? - I don't wear brown, I have no brown in my house, but my goodness, I use it a lot in crafting!!!  Easy challenge, you must use brown and another colour (or colours)."

So I made this card for the new baba:

I've used the sketch from this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge and the colour scheme of khaki, aqua, brown and cream from this fortnight's Colour Create Challenge. I'm also entering it into SFTW (card for a male), The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (3 embellishments, two papers, 1 image), and Cute Card Thursday (someone special).
 

I really need to invest in some new baby stamps, I have only three - and in my current phase of colouring mania, this is the only one that will do!!!  I've coloured with Prismas and glittered with stickles - and I made the chipboard letters.  Here's a close-up of the detail (hmmmm, the embossing seems to have disappeared in the photo!!)

 

 

Recipe:

Stamp: Penny Black "Cat in the Moon"

Papers: October Afternoon "Weather Vane"

Colouring Medium: Prisma Pencils and Sansodor

Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder, nestabilities, BG Bittersweet buttons, stickles, ribbon, needle + thread

 

My daughter's ballet show was wonderful last night.  It's on again tonight, tomorrow, Sat afternoon matinee and Saturday night.  What a long week!!

 

Thanks for looking!

Oh my, all my friends ....

.... are turning 50, and policemen are definitely looking younger - does this mean I'm getting old?!!!

I had another 50th birthday card to do this week, and have used it for my PaperPlay DT entry, which this week is to "use a stamp and some bling".  We are sponsored this week by Stitchy Bear Stamps, the prize being 4 of their digital images.  Right, on to business, here's my card:

Excuse slightly blurry image, I took the pictures in a wild hurry before leaving for school, and had to hand the card over there so couldn't re-take.  I've used the sketch from Sketch Saturday (lovely to work with it was too!), and I'm also entering this on Crafty Angels (1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 flowers - my papers have at least three flowers!), Simon Says Stamps (Birthdays/Celebrations) and Bunny Zoes Crafts (3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 ribbon or lace).

The lady who is getting this card, although she's Irish, lives in Finland, so I went with a slightly Scandi vibe with the colours on this card.  I did try to put three actual flowers on it, but the papers are so very busy, they were practically invisible, so I didn't use them, and decided that there are enough flowers on the papers to fulfill any flowery requirement!!!  The tag has Happy 50th Birthday on one side, and "Marion" on the other with some blingy bling.  I've also blinged the image, put stickles on her collar and gems on the little sticky-out bits of her dress - here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Stamp: "Poinsettia Girl" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Ribbon, Stardust Stickles, Hero Arts Gems, Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, needle & thread

Thanks for looking!

My first ....

.... Tilda card - what took me so long?!!!

This week's challenge on PaperPlay was set by Mandy and it's called "Pretty Pastels".  We are sponsored this week by Card Mad Fairy, who are offering a prize of some of their digi images, and also our old DT member, Kate, has put together a lovely prize package.

This was another challenging one for me, I'm not really a pastel-kinda girl!  But one of the images I coloured at Mina's workshop last week has a pretty pastel blue dress, so I decided to use it on my card.

I'm also entering this in the following challenges: A Spoon Full of Sugar (3D something - I've popped up the image), Creative Cottage (circles), Quixotic Challenges (distressing - I always do!), and, for the first time Just Magnolia (anything goes).

As far as I can remember, I don't think I liked Tildas very much when they first came out.  But I think I've got used to them, 'cos now I do like them, and have recently even bought a few!!!  I really enjoyed colouring them, it's very easy to decide where to put shading, as all the lines are already there in the stamped image!  Here's a close-up of the image - this is the one without the bruised face!!  I put stickles on her lacy underskirt, very cute in real life, invisible on the photo!!

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Dasher"

Stamp: Magnolia "Tilda Writing Diary"

Colouring Medium: Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Other: Nestabilities, MS Doily Lace punch, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

A very challenging ....

.... challenge on PaperPlay this week, well it was challenging for me anyway!!:

"We would like you to create a project without using any patterned paper. Cardstock only can be used.. however you can ink it, emboss it, stamp on it, rip it.. whatever you fancy doing!"

We are delighted to have been sponsored this week by Whiff of Joy, and they are giving one of their gorgeous stamps to this weeks' winner.

Some friends have had a baby, of course it's a girl!!!  So I made her a card and it's my DT entry:

As anyone who knows me (or reads my blog) will know, I am awfully fond of patterned paper, so this was a definite challenge to me.  I stamped my dotty white background using Versamark and heat-embossed with white e.p.  The main image stamp I've had a while, I originally bought it to use on baby cards, but ended up using it for the first time on a Hallowe'en challenge - I made it into a Salem's Lot card, altered to look like a vampire face peering through a window.  The stamp consequently creeped me out for two and a half years.  I like it with this soft ink, though - I think I've broken through that particular phobia at last!!!  I used my MS punch to make a border for the double layer of circles - I think it makes it look like a flower. 

Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Cardstock: Bazzill Swiss Dots, Coredinations and Bazzill.

Stamps: Hero Arts "Raindrops", Inkadinkadoo "Moon Baby"

Punch: MS Valentine Lace

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Victorian Velvet

Other: Ribbon, needle & thread

I'm also entering it in the following challenges: Crafty Creations (Distressing), and Creative Cottage (Green - the ribbon on my card was taken off a toiletry gift box!)

Thanks for looking!!

Shiny Happy People ....

.... is the name of my challenge on PaperPlay Challenges this week, - use a "person" stamp/image, but it must have gloss, shimmer or sparkle on it. We're very excited to have Simon Says Stamp on board as a sponsor for this week's challenge (and the second Thursday of every month), they're offering a gift voucher as this week's prize, great news!

Here's my DT entry:

Recipe:

Stamp: "Blossom" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Colouring Medium: Pro-markers

Other: Ribbon, Glossy Accents, Antique Linen Distress Inks, Nestabilities, needle & thread.

I've used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers, and this week's Stampin for the Weekend challenge is called "Ribbons and Bows".  Simon Says Stamp are looking for a card for a child, and Quixotic Challenges is "The Joys of Spring". Check!

I think I'm starting to get the hang of the pro-markers, although I still haven't bought the good non-bleed Letraset paper - all in good time!!  I tried to challenge myself not to distress the edges, in the end I had to use distress ink - can't bear white edges!!!

Thanks for looking!

Mmmmmmmmm ....

.... choooccccoolaaaaaaattttte!!!

Yup, Easter is nearly here - so this week's challenge on PaperPlay is exactly that (Easter, not chocolate!!!).

I made a little basket/box thingie, using a tutorial from the Spring Magnolia Magazine, and filled it with chocolate eggs:

I'm also entering it on Stampin for the Weekend (Easter),  Simon Says Stamp (Easter),  Totally Gorjuss (ribbon - my second entry this week), and Fussy and Fancy Friday (Easter).

I used one of Elisa's cute digistamps from her site, Mamidoodles, for my image.  Have discovered that my printer is not digi-stamp friendly, I tried colouring with promarkers, then prismas with sansodor, then finally prismas on their own and this was by far the best way (until I get a laser printer some day!!!).  Here's a not-so-close up!!!

Recipe:

Stamp: Mamidoodles

Colouring Medium: Prismas

Papers: Basic Grey Sultry

Other: MS Border Punch, Distress Ink, Shimmerz, ribbons from stash, chocolate eggs from Sainsburys!

I finished the horse card last night and gave it to the customer today - she loved it, thank goodness.  Will post a pic tomorrow.

Thanks for looking!

In between watching ....

.... paint dry, I managed to get to PaperPlay Challenges.  This week's challenge is to make a project with "Good Luck" or "Thank You" as the theme.  Our own Elisa is sponsoring the challenge, giving three of her gorgeous Mamidoodles digi-stamps to this week's randomly chosen winner.

Here's my card - it's a "thank you with all my heart" card!!  I've photographed it three times at this stage, the light was so terrible last night that the original version looked yellow rather than turquoise, this is much better:

I used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers, and I'm also going to enter Creative Inspirations challenge, this week is to use "White, Yellow and Green".  I'm a bit cheeky, 'cos I've used turquoise (GREENy-blue, yeah?!!!), yellow and white (with a bit of kraft, brown and red for good measure!).

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon Weathervane

Stamp: Basic Grey Heart Girl

Colouring Medium: Pro-markers

Other: Label 1 Nesties, Hero Arts Flowers and Pearls, Old Paper distress ink, ribbon from stash, needle + thread.

Here's a little close-up of the image - she's so cute.  It's a Basic Grey stamp that I bought a while back - I just had to have it because she looks so weird with her hypnotised eyes!!!  There's also a boy one and he is very odd too!!!  I love them!!

I coloured her with my pro-markers. Happy with the overall effect but I think it was a mistake to use blue on the shadow at her feet - I think she might possibly have wet herself!!!  I highlighted the heart with Glossy Accents and also those little blobs hanging off her dress - they are even blobbier now!!!

My craft-room is coming along slowly but nicely.  The carpenter was here all last weekend, and the storage unit is looking great, although not finished yet.  We are the slowest decorators in the world, but two walls are completely done, another half done, I'm about to start edging the fourth after finishing this post.  Two of the walls are cream, and the other two are a darkish greeny-yellow that I have chosen to call "Cow-pat Green".  Anyone who has ever stood in a cow-pat will know exactly the colour I mean!!!

And finally, it's my 100th blog post!!!   Waves arms around in excitement!!  Really, I should have a blog-candy or something, but since everything is packed away, it'll have to wait for a while.  Maybe 120th post or something of that nature.  Watch this space (but don't hold your breath or anything!!).

Back to the paint-brush.  Sigh!