Bitten by the ....

.... Tilda bug - I don't quite know how it happened, I've said before that I didn't like these stamps when I first saw them, but almost without me realising it, they've grown on me to such an extent that I've started a collection (yes, another collection - I'm doomed - again!) - and they are so lovely to colour!!

This card isn't for anyone in particular, I was at a workshop on Thursday night and began working on it, and then finished it at a crop today.  I used last week's sketch from Sketch Saturday, obviously can't enter it 'cos it's too late now - and I used the "Seasons" theme (mine being "Autumn") from Magnolia Down Under, only to find that I'm too late for that as well, curses!  Here's the card:

I'm entering it on Totally Tilda (chocolate), Just Magnolia (vintage), Basic Grey Challenges (stitching), The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (Fairy Tales) and Crafty Angels (shabby chic).

I have to thank Mina for telling me how to make the image have bits sticking out - I assumed she had some complicated Nestability trick I hadn't worked out.  Nope - it's simple!!  All I did was centre a roll of sellotape over the image, trace around it lightly in pencil and cut it out by hand, leaving the foot sticking out!!!  I used distress inks to colour the image, and added a few sparkly highlights with diamond stickles on the tiara and swirly movement bits and copper stickles on the hem of the dress.  They don't show up in the pics, though.  Here's a close-up anyway:

Recipe:

Stamps: Magnolia "Ballerina Tilda" from Fairytale Collection + Hero Arts "Three Designer Leaves"

Papers: Basic Grey Nook + Pantry, Archaic, Scenic Route "Grafton"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Doodlebug copper brads, copper + diamond stickles, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Nearly there ....

.... we get our school holidays on Friday at 12 noon - only 36 and a half hours to go (who's counting?!).

Another of the cards I had to do was for another work colleague who is getting married over the summer.  She and her Mum both craft (Hi Avril and Lauren!!) - and they made the most gorgeous, elegant invitations for the wedding.  They visited my craft room a while back and both were crazy about my Hero Arts heart stamp set, so I decided it would be only right and proper to use those on this card:

I kept to roughly the same layout (flipped 90 degrees) and style as I used for the other staff wedding card I made a few weeks back, but changed the colour scheme.

I'm entering this on The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (wedding/anniversary) and A Spoon Full of Sugar (good luck/best wishes).

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!

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!

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!

Big Girl ....

.... Colouring!!  I went to a workshop last week, where the lovely Mina was teaching how to colour with Distress Inks.  I've been itching to try this technique for a while, and I really enjoyed the class.

I sat down to make a card for yet another friend who is about to turn 50, and is a real girlie-girl, so I decided I'd do a Gorjuss Girl card for her, using the Distress Ink technique.  I had great fun colouring, and it's amazing what tiny quantities of ink are needed - very economical!!!  Here's my card:

I used this week's lovely sketch from Friday Sketchers - really nice to work with.  I'm also entering this into Totally Gorjuss (use a Gorjuss Girl!), Daring Cardmakers (Die-Cuts - I've used die-cut ribbon), A Spoon Full of Sugar (Happy Birthday) and The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (Distressing).

Here's a close-up of my colouring:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Urban Prairie

Stamp: Gorjuss Girl "Sent with Love"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks.

Other: BG Buttons, Needle + thread, ribbon sent to me by Elisa (thanks, hun!)

Thanks, Mina - I hope I've done your tuition justice!!!  Everyone else, thanks for looking!