Happy New Year!

Something has been troubling me for days, it didn't take me long to figure it out - (withdrawal symptoms from crafting), so here is something I whipped up for Katharina's holiday sketch for fun and you never know someone could win a cute stamp.This creation is on a 6 inch square base card with some taupe/beige textured paper i found in my stash, turquoise paper which was a scrap download can't remember from where, used Anna Griffin clear border stamp with clear inkpad and kettle copper embossing powder and heat embossed. This is so shiny in real and enjoyed using it after so long. I had a pack of six from QVC so long ago and couldn't get the hang of it. Then I'd seen somewhere to heat the BACK so the powder doesn't blow away and hey presto! it does work!
It's very shiny, raised well and works! See below

I had to match it to make the corner. The main image is from Pink Poison which is now renamed the Greeting Farm, fab company run by Marie and the stamp set is called the Wishing Tree. To achieve this look is simply stamped with clear ink pad and brown chalked all over (see first pic), birds are h/emb too and they come with this set. The sentiment is from below as I don't have a new year stamp and wanted to use this font.

I took only the part I needed and h/emb it!

Parts are raised onto f/pads, brown gel pens to accent, red gems for a bit of bling, copper cord from stash and finished with matching bow. Hope you like, sorry it's a long post but I got away with some tricks & wanted to explain how it was achieved. I've accumulated alot of stash bought from QVC so I will sort out and start to use next year. Hopefully try to get my other creation on here but if not would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!!!

Hi all! Does anyone want candy? No not me. Tanja has 2 blog candies to giveaway in celebration of reaching 10,000 hits on her blog. WOW!

1st candy - 3 Magnolia stamps, clear stamp with doodling,3 kinds of ribbons and bling! And if that isn't enough then there is...

2nd candy - Quickcutz revolution die Birthday Penguin, some flowers and leaves!

This is mega huge candy, go and see here

Kaboodles 16 'male cards'

I wanted to take part in this challenge so I could use up some Kaboodles downloads papers but realised as yet I don't possess a decent male stamp. So I went into my freebies file and found this 'lil footballer' from
Kerry Steptoe ( a really talented lady who does these wonderful drawings for some stamp companies). Go and see her blog, you won't be disappointed and Kerry gives away freebies as long as you respect her copyright. So here it goes...
The papers are from the Kaboodles Halloween download, black card from stash, the sentiment is from one of the See D's stamps Boys Toys, and also the football image which on one I've lifted with a foam pad, fine black liner pen for accenting and also white sakura gel pen which i can't do without these days. The cute image is coloured with copics YR07 orange, YG06 green , haven't got a clue which team he belongs to as I went with the colours of the papers but it was fun! I've used decorative scissors to clip the corners. I like to give my images 'ground' so they're not floating on the white card so I've used pencil watercolours and for his hair too as I don't have the correct brown in my copics but soon hoping to add to my collection. I've left his socks white not dirty as he's been good and saving his mummy a job from trying to get the mud stains out! An orange button from stash with a tiny bit of raffia to embellish. No glamour dust this time, it was hard to resist though. Thanks for looking and I'd like to wish everyone a very happy christmas and a bright and crafty 2009!!!

Friday Sketchers Challenge 32

Today I'd like to show this creation which I'm quite proud of and thanks for this sketch. The paper is from the new E-shop Making Handmade Cards free download I got when I joined the newsletter subscription, the green is from DCWV cardstock neutrals, tilda at the sea-side coloured in copics YG06 green, BG09 blue green, ROO skin. The puddle and hair is watercoloured as I didn't have those colours in copics. The flower embellishment is cut from the backing paper and mounted onto scrap card and lifted with foam pads, the text is a tiny wooden stamp I bought ages ago from town craft shop (perfect for small tags) and a piece of fabric which was originally a label price tag on some trousers.Sakura white gel pen and my fine black liner pen for accenting, glamour dust for sparkle, limey coloured flat gems from Josey Rose Boutique and 3 small blue stones from stash for a bit of bling. Finish ... I think. Hope you like and thanks for looking.

Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge 29 'Happy New Year'

Hi there, and thanks for looking. I've used some DCWV papers on this new year card along with a new Rachelle Anne Miller stamp, Lily and Milo 'for you' which is heat embossed and mixture of glittery gel pens used. Red blingy ribbon which I thought would round off the old year and bring in the new one and a round sentiment off one of the Studio G clear stamps mounted onto the black. Stitching from the sewing machine is added and white sakura gel pen for accenting around. I'm still finding my feet with my camera hence the light box trial with this pic. I'm not sure if I've done it right this time but there's room for perfection still anyway just like to wish everyone a happy christmas and a crafty new year!!! Thanks for looking.

Sketch Saturday
This is a new challenge blog I found the other day and I thought would be great to try out my new stamp from Sally.Thanks so much! So this is for Sketch Saturday Sketch 28.
The paper is from Forever Friends 'with love' pad and I've attached a piece of lime dotty off-cut from Kaboodles christmas paper range, placed a thin piece of co-ordinating ribbon from stash and sewn with my machine in black thread, stamped 'maggie with patch' with stazon and a bit of watercolouring, copics skin R00 for face etc, silver gel pen for head band, sentiment from old QVC kit foam stamps, 3 of my white crotchet flowers and pink brads to finish with silver glitter glue and pink glitter gel pen. Thanks for looking.

Magnolia meets Stampavie Challenge 6 'xtra tags'

I have missed taking part in these challenges for a few weeks now but I hope this one will do.So for
Magnolia meets Stampavie the stamp is Sarah Kay 'joy of giving', see last post for matching card. Handcut the tag .The dusky pink paper is off-cut from the Vintage HOTP, the image is subtly watercoloured as I didn't want to ruin this gorgeous image with my inexperienced colouring. I'll get there one day. My crotchet flower with small pink brad from old QVC kit straight through the silver ropey thing from stash. No need for hole punch or eyelet.Crystal dust added for a touch of sparkle and accented with gel pen. Finish! Hope you like, bye for now.

Friday Sketchers

This is my little effort for this challenge, I've not taken part in this one for weeks now and thought what better to use Claudia's candy that I won for her own sketch. I chose the Stampavie ones and they are too gorgeous. Obviously I'm nowhere near to all those talented creative people out there and trust me Claudia and one or two others have real talent, well...maybe a few others too!

So my card for Friday Sketchers is 10cm x 21cm and was near perfect, as it was from an old QVC kit. The papers are from HOTP Vintage 8 x 8 papers.I've added ribbon/lace from own stash and machined it with white thread as glue dots or double tape would simply have not held it.Sentiment is from See-D's from QVC mounted onto silver mirri card, image is Stampavie's 'joy of giving' if I'm correct, slightly watercoloured as I didn't want to ruin this beautiful image and wanted to do justice to the wonderful people who have created her, i can see so many possibilities like birthdays that I would use this stamp. Mounted onto mirri, a bit of doodling around edges with brown gel pen and crystal dust on parts and lastly but not least added my hand crotched flower with mini brad from stash to finish!

I've been doing another batch of flowers with some 2 ply wool I found up in the loft, nicely wrapped and tucked for when I had a craving to knit. So maybe you'll see a bit of my flowers on my creations. Hope you like and tomorrow there will be something matching to this card. Bye for now.

Thankyou!

Claudia sent me these gorgeous stamps all the way from America! Thanks so much Claudia, I really didn't think I had a chance with all the entries for the blog candy but i was picked as one of the ladies didn't come forward to claim her prize a few weeks ago. There's a few that I've forgotten to claim but all is well in the end!!!

Anyway Claudia's work is outstanding and her creative talent is one of the best I've ever seen. And in case you've been on another planet and don't know who i'm talking about click on her name for a wealth of creativity. You'll be in another world as I discovered back in July this year! See you in a bit as I've used one of these for the Friday Sketchers challenge.

One card, three challenges

Cute Card Thursday this week is 'hearts', Kaboodle 15 is 'embossing' and Penny Black challenge is 'sketch 4 by Beth' and of course I've used a PB image.

The pink papers are from the E-shop Making Handmade Cards, the purple is DCWV cardstock that came in Juliets candy which I've ran through the cuttlebug and embossed with stylized flowers embossing folder. Stitching is done by machine, the sentiment was from a QVC TSV See-D's kit which is stamped with lilac ink and then I've used Melissa Frances clear round stamp on top to give a round sentiment and cut it by hand. I've used RV04 pink copic for heart and lightly coloured the cute hedgehog with my soft metallic pencils. Ribbon is from own stash, gem from Josey Rose in corner and crystal dust around sentiment, heart and flowers to finish off! Hope you like, bye for now!

I have redrawn a winner for the runner up prize as the previous winner didn't get in touch with me, so...

Karen

Congratulations!

please would you email me at r.dosanjh1@sky.com

A Spoonful of Sugar 28 'Thank you'

Well, I've been browsing around a few blogs and seeing valentines creations so I thought I would make this Wishing Tree from Pink Poison into a love tree (if that makes sense).
The card is only a small one the usual size I go with is 13cm x 13 cm, so I was quite surprised when this gorgeous stamp nearly fitted my blank except I had to cut off the stump at the bottom of it. I don't like to do that but I did on this occassion. So there we have it in black stazon and edged with red ink, the papers are downloads from Summer Driggs (summertime designs) free, I just love her designs and what better when it's for free, brown is accented with sakura white gel pen, red stitching with my new machine and I can't wait to show you all the different stitches it does,(it's my bestest friend at the moment).
The love letters come with this set and so much more. Stamped them 5 times and coloured with my red copic, small scrap of ribbon wrapped round the trunk and silver gem, added glamour dust to the hearts on the letters. I've left one off the tree as if it's falling or just landed (sounds like an aeroplane). And lastly but it was the first thing I did was the sentiment foam stamp from an old QVC kit. Love their kits, like to buy something that I can use over and over again! Thanks for looking and have a great Sunday even though it's freeeeeezing!!!

Kaboodles 14 'scallops' and ABC 't is for threes'

This creation has been combined for 2 challenges. Kaboodles would like you to have scalloped edges any where, and ABC would like to see you use items in threes, hence 3 snowflakes and 3 different sheets of paper, 2 of which are Kaboodles own Contemporary Christmas range and one little bit left from my last card which I couldn't see go to waste. So here we go...

This is only a small card 13cm x 13cm. The scallop edged strip which was hand cut guided by plastic stencil has been attached to the dotty paper and sewn with red thread by machine, used a compass cutter to cut circle from swirly paper which is from Lets Make Cards download for Crafts Beautiful free download, again cut another circle onto white card and stamped the cute little mouse with black stazon and gently watercoloured. This image is from a rubber plate with some other stamps on and is from Crafters Companion, I don't know what he's called but I'm sure he has a name. Lovely character and could be used for beautiful wintry cards not just for christmas, then with a glitter red pen accented around. ( click to enlarge).
I've punched snowflakes from the x-cut punch and adhered some crystal dust and red gems to all three, the one the mouse is touching is raised onto foam pads as was the circle with mouse on to meet the same height. The beautiful sentiment which i thought was so appropriate is from Chris's Sweet n Sassy stamps range, so easy to work with and clear. Chris has so much inspiration on her blog too,so do check it out! That's it for now, have a good weekend and thanks for looking. :)

Papertake Weekly Challenge 'recipe'

Well, for this week it is a recipe challenge - 1 ribbon, 2 rectangles, 3 embellishments.
I 've used the Wishing tree set from Marie for this challenge, just couldn't wait to use it. Now I mainly do small cards, not much of a large card fan but somehow as this gorgeous tree was crying out to me I just had to make a large card (A4 folded in half) as it is a large stamp . The set actually has a lot on it see the previous post. So here we go...

The swirly papers are a download from Lets Make Cards which gave them away on Crafts Beautiful online giveaway last weekend, stuck down on some good heavyweight cardstock, and faux stitching with my black pen, the 2 reddish rectangles paper is from stash, it's not a true red but a little on the orangey side so it went well with the red in the swirls and I layered some more of the backing paper and stitched with my machine in black. The tree is stamped with black stazon and faux stitched in black pen, 3 embellishments are the baubles which are included on the set coloured with copics YG06 green and R29 red and lifted with foam pads. The 1 ribbon was difficult to find as initially i wanted a red to go but didn't have the correct shade so i remembered I had some pale limey grosgrain ribbon in an old QVC kit so that was that. Finished off with a greeting from the same set and crystal dust added to parts of tree and baubles. Hope you like.. thanks for looking!

Thankyou's

Maria sent me this, I was chosen from her October draw. Thanks!

Crafters Companions, brilliant and very polite people, good service. This is what they offered to the first 500 who answered in the Papercraft Inspirations November issue. Thanks!

Sally sent me this, I won in her one-a-day giveaway. Thanks!

Marie from Pink Poison sent me this, I won in her Splendid Spree giveaway some time ago. Thanks!

Maureen sent me these 12 Studio G packs plus two more and a SU paper pad, i won in her candy. Thanks!

All these blogs are so inspirational in so many ways with individual styles, I love visiting them!!! You know what they say:- you've got to be in it to win it! :) Have a good day!

Penny Black Challenge 25 'No Patterned Paper'

I've been away for a little while playing with my new toy (sewing machine). So what perfect way to show it off, I mean my stitching. I had the last one for 23 years and these new ones have so much in them that yet again it's more reading to how does it do what? Well any way this isn't what my creation was suppose to look like but as the lilac/ purple thread was already in the bobbin i thought i would go with that colour way. So here we go...

Base card is heavyweight and slightly textured and I've zig-zagged down both sides, then also same round the stamped image which was sent to me by Sheila but did this on a tighter stitch, (sorry don't know what it's called), coloured with metallic colouring pencils as they are much softer and the green and yellow are done with glitter pens.Crystal dust is added to accent parts of image, found a co-ordinating yellow piece of card from stash and layered it, embossed dots are done with old brass stencil and light box only on areas where I needed them, sentiment is a stamp from Tesco's and hole punched, doodled around and threaded through some posh ribbon, yellow paper flower and brad from stash to finish!!! I think it will do, thanks for looking and have a nice day!