Artful Times Challenge 19 - A Recipe

At last all the visitors are gone and I can sit down and use some of my wonderful Christmas presents.  The Artful Times Challange is A Recipe - Blue, Female, Silver and a Ribbon.  This challenge is due to end in three days so I pulled my finger out and played about with a new stamp (Aspects of Design "Butterfly Beauties" from The Stamp Man) and some ribbons and came up with this tag (couldn't think of anything else that I could complete quickly).

 

The tag was coloured with broken china and stormy sky distress inks, the image was stamped in blue and clear embossed, butterflies from the same stamp set were stamped in silver.  Areas were highlighted with silver glitter and a blue butterfly attached over the butterfly in the stamped image. I bleached out the face and center of the flowers as I thought the tag was too blue.  One ribbon was gathered and stuck along the bottom, another gathered and added to the top with a silver ribbon and one I dyed blue with broken china distress ink.   

  

Loved doing this, it seems like weeks since I sat down and made something, will have to see what else is out there for me to have a go at.  I am working on twinchies for the Show Us Your Twinches DT so I will be busy for a few days, pop on over and take a look, the first challenge of the New Year will start on 5th January and you have a month in which you can submit  three twinchies, or keep an eye out for my post showing how I made my DT twinchies.

Passion for Promarkers week 178 - "HAPPY"

Peace and tranquility at last, but for only a short while, I am trying to catch up on some of the challenges I wanted to enter but put aside due to Christmas.  The theme at the Passion for Promarkers Blog  is "Happy" in the sentiment, I had this card ready but just couldn't find the time to write a post and enter it!

This is a narrow tent fold card, printed with a star pattern, the sentiment and the coloured word Christmas.  The large "C" was printed and cut out and 3D mounted over the printed "C". The penguine, a Digi Stamp Boutique character, was printed and coloured with promarkers, cut out and attached to the card with 3D sticky pads.  The holly leaves were printed, cut out and attached to the"C".

The cards were for children in the family, the penguine digi stamps are used a lot for childrens' cards, the children love them and think they are so cute.

The Craft Barn Calender Challenge, all twelve pages

What a lovely twelve weeks the Craft Barn Challenges were, I thoroughly enjoyed completing the twelve pages and look forward to more challenges in 2013.

Here are my twelve pages photographed together, a difficult job because of the size, I had to put them on the floor and go up a ladder to get them in the frame.

I started my calender pages with October and November 2012, the rest I made up as 2013 once the penny dropped and I realised  the calendar would be used next year!.  October and November will be completed with the correct year before I put my calender together,  below is a picture of  the calendar front and my replacement October page,  I will have to rush on with October as the New Year is quicky approaching.  The 2012 pages will be put at the back of the calendar so I can take a peek now and again.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas

 

 

Well everything is cleared away for Christmas, visitors arriving in two hours, and I am sitting having a well earned rest.

The crafting will recommence next week when things have calmed down and life gets back to normality.  I will be joining the "Show Us Your Twinchies Challenge Blog" Design Team from January and will have to get cracking with the January Challenge twinchies.  I hope some of you lovely blog ladies will come over and join in the challenges next year.  The New Year monthly challenges commence on 4th January so pop on over and take a look.   Twinchies are so much fun to play about with and the end products can be used as toppers, can be kept in a folder for inspiration when you need it, or even swapped (why not start a new trend for 2013) like ATCs. 

Here's one I made earlier!

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year and lots of different challenges for us all to enter.

Craft Barn Challenge week 12 - Embossing

Well Christmas is nearly upon us and we have reached the last week of the Calendar Challenge over at The Craft Barn Blog Challenge.  The theme for this last task is "Embossing".  My month is August and my theme is holidays, sun, sea and sand.

  

As I have used dry embossing on 5 of my calendar pages so far I decided to use heat embossing on this page, and didn't have a suitable embossing folder for  a "seaside" theme anyway.

I started the page by stamping the Michael Powell Beach Hut stamp in black Stazon and clear embossed.  The beach huts and lighthouse were stamped onto masking paper and cut out to mask the image once it had been coloured, a circle was used to mask the area where I wanted the sun.  The background was coloured with distress inks in china blue, scattered straw and a mix of china blue and evergreen bough.  The sun was coloured and double embossed with a little two tone pigment powder added, the beach hut detail and flags were clear embossed using an embossing ink pen, alternate flags were embossed with yellow two tone embossing powder.  Bleach was used to highlight some of the areas covered by the background colour.

  

The calendar itself was coloured with distress ink and sea creatures stamped in the same colour and embossed with clear powder, the ticket was made on the computer and coloured with distress ink. 

A bit rushed, and not a very good stamped image due to the card I used, should have highlighted the edges of the calendar a little better, but I am quite pleased with the end result.  Pohotos are a little iffy but you can see the detail.

Well until the next challenge at the Craft Barn, thanks to all of you who gave such lovely comments on my pages, and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and exciting New Year.
     

Show us your Twinchies Challenge 12

 

 

The Show Us Your Twinchie challenge for the next two weeks is "Let it Snow".  This is my take on the challenge, I thought it appropriate as we have the new puppy and it was trying to snow the day we brought her home.

This is a three stage twinchie, the puppy is watching a snowflake fall as the snow gets heavier as you can see below.

 

  

Firstly I cut out three twinchies (a 2" x 2" square), stamped the puppy in the bottom corner and coloured her with Pro Markers.  I stamped the puppy onto masking tape three times, cut out and covered the puppy.  The snowflake  was stamped at different places on the twinchies with clear embossing ink then using The Field of Sky stamp (I love using this stamp for all sorts) I did the same.  The stamping was heat embossed using white powder.  The background was created using distress inks in antique linen and tumbled glass.  The mask was removed from the puppy and the collar covered with glitter.

I wanted to add a small white pompom to the hat but only had two so had to improvise with cotton wool, very fiddly but I got there!

Three finished twinchies in no time at all. 

Dashing off now to the hairdresser but hope to be back soon with my entry for the last week of the Craft Barn Calendar  Challenge. 

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - Week 11

The penultimate week for the Craft Barn Calendar Challenge, we have been warned that next week's challenge will not be as easy.  This week we have circles, my calendar has August and September left so I have decided on September and hope next week's challenge will fit with August!

 I thought of cogs for the page, thinking of September as a time scholars go back to school/Uni etc. and the brain gets back into gear.  Well I got my brain into gear and started by embossing the backing page with the Sizzix Retro Circles folder, cut some cogs from silver and copper card and cut out the calendar with a spellbinder circle die and embossed it with dots.

 

 The background was coloured with distress inks and more texture added by heat embossing some of the detail with gold, copper and silver powder. The calendar was coloured and attached to the background, the cogs were arranged round the calendar and sprinkles of copper and silver embossing powder were heat embossed to give more texture.

My calendar has been waiting to be posted since Tuesday when we had to zoom over to Sussex (5 hours drive) to pick up our new puppy, stay overnight and back again yesterday.  I am determined to find time to complete the challenge next week so hubby will have to look after the pup as it is HIS Christmas present! 

   

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 10

Only three months to go in the Craft Barn Calendar Challenge, I have July, August and September to go.  This week we are to use the theme trees, I have decided on July using a digi stamp in the same style as the cute/children challenge page.

 
The "Blossom Tree" digi image, which is from Pink Petticoat, was run off and cut to size, the flower petals were partly cut out with a craft knife and curled to enable colour to show through when backed with pink paper.   The leaves, birds, blossoms and tree were coloured with  promarkers and crystals applied to the center of the tree's flowers.  I added a bird and a little verse to the calender just to bring in something more relating to trees.  Both the picture and the calendar were edged with blue and green distress inks.

I had difficulty thinking what to do for the background, I decided to emboss with a sun ray and colour with distress ink in lilac, a little sprinkle of water then the picture and calendar were attached. 

Only two more weeks and two more months to go, I have really enjoyed taking part in the challenges and hope the next few week running up to Christmas will not be too hectic so I can find a little time to craft (and de-stress!!).  I am off up north today to spend a few days with my crafty cousin, i'll have to put the blogging on hold as I don't have a tablet or modern mobile to take with me (another hint there for hubby!).

Allsorts Challenge "ADVENT"

 This week's challenge over at the Allsorts Challenge Blog is "ADVENT".  Plenty of choices here from calendars to the Nativity.

The Nativity came to mind for this challenge as we tend to go for the Victorian Christmas images or a modern take on Christmas.  I always like to make at least one batch of cards with the nativity in mind.
 

Last year I bought some digi images of the nativity from The Digi Stamp Boutique hoping to use them for childrens' cards, or for mums who have small children appearing in a nativity play.  I thought I would do a simple card using these images adding the words Hope, Peace, Love and Joy.  I made a card using half an A4 sheet (10.50cm  x 29.70cm) and printed the Nativity scene and the wording.  Another Nativity image was printed and coloured and pieces cutout to stick to the image on the card.  The background was coloured with chalks and snowflakes covered with glitter.

A very simple CAS card but I am sure it fits the challenge theme.  The photos are not too good, we have a very dark showery day here.

Crafty Individuals Are Giving Away.....

Crafty Individuals have a Mega Blog Candy prize up for grabs, £150 of goodies including some wonderful stamps, more details can be found here just follow the link.  Good luck everyone!

Anything but a card Challenge 7

The challenge at Anything but a Card is "From or By the Sea or Inspiration Picture" which you can find here.  My entry is a tag in blues and greens with a red/orange sea horse and sandy coloured net.

 

The tag was cut from pearl card and coloured with Ranger distress inks in evergreen bow and broken china, the shells were stamped randomly over the tag in evergreen bow.  The seahorse  was stamped onto a small piece of pearl card, coloured with promarkers and clear embossed and the background coloured with broken china distress ink. 

I had some beaded net from an old blouse which I used to decorate the tag, hoping to make it look like a fishing net.  The net is covered in shell buttons and copper beads in the shape of what I think look like starfish (I do have a wild imagination).  The seahorse was placed near the net and extra starfish added to the net.  The ribbons were twited to give the impression of seaweed.

Stamps Used: Crafty Individuals Treasures of the Ocean Stamp

Show us your Twinchies Callenge No 11

Traditional Christmas colours is the theme for this fortnights Twinchie Challenge.  I am sure everyone will have lots of Christmas bits and bobs to run off lots of twinchies.  My twinchies evolve while making cards for other challenges.  I find the twinchies are great for trying your ideas before actually stamping them onto a card.

 

One of my favourite stamps at the moment is a plate with Father Christmas flying through the sky on his sleigh, I took part of this stamp to make my twinchie.  The stamped image was coloured with Promarker pens and the background rubbed with a light covering of festive berries distress ink.  The whole twinchie was double embossed and edged with gold when cool.  There are little areas of white which must be some white embossing powder mixed with the clear, I thought it looked like snow.

I am hoping to post another twinchie later when I have decided how to finish it off, hope I get time to do so!

Red and Green and a Bauble

The challenge this week at Simply Less is More is a colour challenge,  Red and Green.  Well as I am in full flow designing Christmas cards (for next year this year's are all done) it has to be a Red and Green Christmas card.

As a change from square cards I have decided to go for a tent fold half A4 and have had some fun playing around with some new ideas.  The Addicted to CAS  fortnightly challenge theme is BAUBLE so I am entering this card into their challenge too.

The finished article is a plain white card with a greeting printed in the bottom right hand corner, or thereabouts.  The bauble stamp (freeby from Craft Stamper) was stamped towards the top and masked, I also masked the card top and bottom with torn paper and stamped the Papillon word stamp (Stampers Anonymous) in red Whispers dye ink.  The masking was removed and the baubles covered with red and green fine glitter, another freeby I found in my draws. I fastened red and green ribbon to the top of the card to finish. 

I have done a few cards using different colours for the baubles and string rather than ribbon I am very pleased with them and myself for being so well organised this year!  I am visiting relatives next week so the crafting will go on hold and Christmas will be put aside so I can concentrate on next year's run of birthday cards etc.

 

Artful Times Challenge 18 "Anything Goes"

 

I am submitting a picture for the Artful Times Challenge, again something new for me.   I was very pleased with the finished article it looks great now it's on the wall.

The Craft Barn Calender Challenge was to use Teal, Rust and White,  teal is the colour I am bringing into the kitchen so following the theme used for the calendar I made a picture, the colours work really well with the white walls, terracotta floor tiles and my new crockery.

I stamp randomly on a circle of card with various stamps  in teal, rusty hinge and embossing ink and clear embossed the stamping.  The background was coloured using rusty hinge and stormy sky distress ink.  Crackle accents was applied to areas of the circle and distress inks added to the edge of the circle.  The flower was cut with Sizzix tatty florals die from 2 baby wipes which had been coloured teal and tan with a little glimmer mist added.  A blue button was added to the center of the flower before it was mounted on the stamped circle along with the stamped  coloured and crackled butterfly.

For the main backing  the Agapanthus cluster was stamped at either side in Memento teal zeal ink, the butterflies and bees  in brown Stazon and embossedwith clear powder.  Rusty hinge distress ink was lightly applied over the back ground.  Bleach was applied to the butterflies and bees to lighten.   The frame was stamped with text in brown and covered with picket fence distress ink, I didn't want anything too fancy.

The colours are deeper than those in the photo, they came out too dark or not dark enough!

Stamps used:

My Paper World Flowers and Butterflies (the bee)

Artimeo (Butterfly)

Stampers Anonymous Papillon (Words)

Stampendous (Agapanthus)

Charisma Cardz Challenge Week 47

This week we have "Christmas with a twist" over at the Charisma Cards Challenge, no red, green or gold! 

My card is blue with silver, no red, green or gold in site.  The backing paper is a Pinkpetticoat download, the greeting was printed on the computer, the stamp is a very old one I am not sure of the make but it is a blue rubber unmounted stamp from a set, I also used a Sizzix embossing folder and snowflake dies.  I have used the stamp set  quite a lot this year for cards and a calendar challenge over at The Craft Barn, I added a red scarf to the previous cards  but left it out for this one as no red is allowed.

I backed the card with pale blue snowflake paper, added a piece of navy embossed card which I ran a white ink pad over and curled the edges.  The greeting was edged with blue ink (Colourbox chalks) and crystals added and placed on the card.  The stamped image was clear embossed and coloured with the blue inks and Glamour dust added to the snowflakes.  The girl on the sledge was stamped again,coloured and cut out and added to the stamped image.  The snowflakes were then added to finish the card.