"Roses are Red" the dress is blue

At last I have finished my February tag for Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2013, if you have not joined in yet follow the link to find out more, there are lots of techniques and tips from Tim Holtz and some lovely tags posted each month.   Today has been a good day I have managed to get quite a lot done.  This is my second post today so here is my February tag.  I didn't have very many Timmy things but managed to find some lovely alternatives in my stash.

The tag was coloured with distress inks in berry red and fired brick and a little black soot (I didn't have the stain).  I chose a PaperArtsy Young Love stamp and stamped it in black Stazon and bleached out some of the red to add a little colour as the tag was much too red.  A piece of co-ordinate card (lucky I found a small piece in with my card bits) was embossed with the word Love and sanded then attached to the tag.  The metal tag (another lucky find in my bits box) was coloured, words added and covered with glossy accents then tied to the tag with string.  The ribbon was made with tissue paper which I stamped with words, stuck two pieces together for strength then scrunched them up, I was quite pleased with the results it does look like ribbon.

A special thanks to all you ladies who have left comments recently they are much appreciated.  

Getting messy for the Artful Times Challenge

Good morning followers, friends and blog ladies, again I am at the last minute with my entry for the Artful Times Challenge which is"Colour Technique". 

 
 I have been putting it off because I wanted to use some Dylusion Ink Sprays which I bought last year and never got round to using, to my surprise it was not too messy and the inks did spray where I wanted them, although I now have multi coloured hands.

Inspiration was taken from the PaperArtsy site and a tag created by Linda Cain.  I started by spraying the Dylusions Inks, sunshine yellow, turquoise and lime green, directly onto the tag until I had the colours and finish I wanted.    Dylusions Around The Edge leaf stamp and circles were stamped in black Stazon, I drew a few circles and added some black splats then highlighted areas with a white  pen. The tag was backed with black card and decorated with white dots.  Stamped tape, ribbon and cords were attached along with a word tag which had been doodled on and backed with black to match the main tag.

For my first effort with the inks I am very pleased with the results, must find time to play around more and try other techniques.  Now to crack on with Tim's 12 Tags of 2013, it is nearly the end of February so I only have a day to get this done and posted.  Will be back soon.

Liebster Award

Good evening all you lovely blogland ladies, what a wonderful surprise I got today,  I am over the moon to receive the Liebster Award from two wonderful crafters Zoe at http://zoeblingcards.blogspot.co.uk/  and Craftfields at http://craftyfield.blogspot.co.uk/, do check out their blogs they have some really inspirational cards and ideas.

The Liebster Award is awarded to 5 blogs that you love to visit that inspire you, but they must have less than 200 followers, it is designed to get more people visiting, commenting  and hopefully following.

Here are 5 fabulous blogs that I love to visit, thank you ladies for the inspiration, snag your badge for your blog ladies and pass it on to 5 other lovely blogs you admire!

Craftyfields   -   http://craftyfield.blogspot.co.uk/
Gail             -   http://craftynomad.blogspot.co.uk/
Elaine           -   http://wavesofcreativity.blogspot.co.uk/
Pauline         -   http://paulinescraftyhaven.blogspot.co.uk/
Marina         -   http://myperfectlifeuk.blogspot.co.uk/

It wan't easy picking 5 inspirational blogs as there are so many of you out there in blogland, lots of very talented ladies (and I am sure some gents!!), click on the links above to visit and follow the 5 inspirational blogs I picked.

 Have a good evening ladies, I am now going off to work on some tags and get messy!!

One Layer Card - one for the boys

A one layer card with a masculine theme. There are two challenges I want to enter this card for the Addicted to  CAS Challenge where the cue card is Masculine and the Charisma Cardz Challenge which is a one layer card.

The birthday greeting was printed directly onto the white linen card using a computer font.  The background was created by stamping directly onto an acrylic block, spraying with a mist of water then stamping directly onto the card.  The lighthouse was stamped in black Stazon and elements of the stamp coloured with metalic distress inks.  A doodled line was drawn round the colour block to finish.

This is a stamp I use regularly  for male cards, it can be samped out a few times and the elements cut out to create a 3D effect card, or just used on a one layer card as above.

In the pink - Inspiration Monday

Good afternoon followers new and old, friends and blogland, here's my DT card for this week's Inspiration Monday at The Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge Blog, why not pop over and take a look at the other fantastic DT cards and maybe join in our challenge.  The challenge is open until the end of the month and the winner gets some lovely digi images from Elisabeth Bell.

For my card I chose to use this cute Elisabeth Bell digi image 'Summer Daze'.   The backing papers, which were a freebie with a magazine, were attached to a  white linen square card, the image was printed onto white linen card, coloured with Promarker pens, cut out and mounted onto craft card then placed in the center of the page.  The sentiment was stamped in brown Stazon on cream card and mounted onto craft card before attaching to the card.  A flourish was added (Magnolia Doohickeys) and some crystals.

That's all for now, lots of work on the drawing board but the crafting is going slowly I hope to get into the craft room later today as I have so many cards I want to make before the end of the week.

 

25th Anniversary Invitations - Sorted!

Hello everyone, it's been a busy week but not much crafting being completed.   I have been working on some 25th wedding invitations which were requested a few weeks ago and have only just got into the swing of designing them. 

As this is for a Silver Wedding Anniversary a light silver grey was used for the main colour with the addition of silver or white embellishments on a white card blank.  This is what I have so far, I didn't add any ribbon to the cards as postage is always an issue, but a nice light silvery grey ribbon would probably look nice on the flourish card.

I do have some other designs, and some wedding invitations which can be adapted to an anniversary card,  but they will have to wait for another day to be shown.

Digging around for inspiration

Good morning friends, followers and blogland.  Here I am again dashing to post my altered pages for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge letter "E".  Family matters have overtaken me over the past three weeks and "E" has had to wait until this week to be worked out.  On Wednesday I sat down and flipped through "E" in my dictionary and came up with Egyptology.

 

Got to be quick only a few hours to post this at the Craft Barn, I used five stamps Judikins Carol's Cube, Artifacts Cube and Egyptian Cube, Tim Holtz Bitty Grunge,  distress inks in peacock feather, scattered straw, fired brick, pumice stone and spiced marmalade and a blue ink pad without any info!  The artifacts hieroglyphics were stamped and embossed in gold onto coloured squares and also under the definition.  The leaf was also stamped and embossed with gold.  The lotus, eye of Horus and scarab were stamped in black, parts embossed in gold and coloured.  The "E" was coloured and stamped and added to the page.

The sun ray and bricks were stamped to represent Ra and the pyramids, a picture of an Egyptian fresco was coloured and edged with pumice stone ink and attached to the page.  I finished by adding the definitions printed on velum and coloured to look like papyrus

 

If  I was starting again I would stamp the lotus and the eye and emboss them with gold as I did with the leaf, but otherwise I am pleased with how the pages turned out.

2nd Anniversary Blog Candy at Donemark Crafts

Hi ladies, there is Blog Candy up for grabs over at donmark.blogspot.co.uk,

It will be the blogs 2nd birthday on the 16th of this month so they have blog candy to give away, a small thank you to all  friends old and new out in blogland.

If you would like to win this candy then the rules are simple, follow the blog, post a pic of the candy in your sidebar with a link back to the blog, leave a comment.  Simple!

Why not pop over and join in at donemark.blogspot.co.uk.

Oriental - Hay Fat Choy to you all

 

Good morning blogland ladies and gents (I know there are a few of you out there) I have been busy with other thing over the past three weeks but can now pick up where I left off with my crafting..  It was the Chinese New Year yesterday and the challenge at the Artful Times Challenge Blog is "Asian",  the challenge is about to close so I have to be quick. 

 

As time is short I chose to make an ATC, I rummaged through my stash and found some lovely Japanese papers, Chinese coins, tassells and other oriental bits and pieces, all bought years ago from The Stamp Man.  The stamp was from the Non-Sequitur - Samurai plate (67C).

I started by attaching the black and gold paper to an ACT, layered black card and a gold aperture stamped with a marble effect stamp from the Judikins Artifacts Cube and glued it to the ATC.  I stamped part of the Geisha stamp onto an ivory plastic disc with black Stazon, clear embossed it and attached it in the aperture.  Some of the little bits of  paper were used to make three paper beads which I threaded onto a tassel which was fastened through a small Chinese coin, this was attached to the edge of the aperture.

ATCs are so addictive I couldn't resist making another, glossy card brayered with Brilliance pigment ink in peacock and the butterflies overstamped in black Stazon,  a butterfly attached in 3D to finish. 

Hay Fat Choy to you all.

Crafty Bloggers Network Inspiration Mondays

It's inspiration Monday at The Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge Blog, why not pop over and take a look at the DT cards and maybe join in our challenge with the chance to win some lovely digi images from Elisabeth Bell.

For my DT card I chose to use this cute Elisabeth Bell digi image.   The greeting and imaged were printed directly onto a white linen square card, the image was printed again onto white linen card, coloured with Promarker pens, cut out and mounted over the printed image on the card.

This is a second card using another Elisabeth Bell image.  Using a soft textured card I printed the image and greeting directly onto the card.  The beach huts were stamped onto the card and coloured with distress inks, the sky and sand were coloured using a blending tool and more distress inks.  The little girl in green was cut round using a craft knife and the card folded in half to make a square card and then the front folded back on itself  to make a Z fold card with the little girl popping out as if walking towards the huts.

You can  pop over and take a look at what the other DT members have done with these stamps HERE, there will be another inspiration Monday on the 18th and 25th of February and the challenge is open until  the end of the month so why not and come join in the challenge.

Scribbles Designs First Challenge

Good morning all you lovely blogland ladies, this is my card for the very new Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog, you have to use a Scribbles Design image to enter but for this first challenge they have a digi stamp you can download.

As Mothers' Day and Easter are on the horizon I thought I would make an appropriate card.  The digi is the free Scribbles Design and the sentiment is a Pink Petticoat digi sentiment.  The image and sentiment were printed onto white linen card and the image was coloured with distress inks.  An oblong of white linen card with a half circle cut out was edged with distress ink, a ribbon and button tied round, and then attached under the flower pot. 

 

  Not a good photo it looked better before I added it here

I was going to colour the oblong using the waxed paper resist technique but  it didn't turn out very well so left well enough alone!  Will try it again when I have more time to play about.

Love is in the air for your Twinchies

Another month, another challenge at Show Us Your Twinchies there is a prize this month as well as a badge for the winner to display on their blog.

For you who do not know yet a twinchie is a 2" x 2" piece of artwork and this month's theme is "Love Is In The Air.  These are a few of my DT twinchies, I did get rather carried away and it was a difficult decision which Twinchies to go with, to see the other DT twinchies, enter the challenge and find out more click here.

This cute little bear was stamped, coloured with promarkers and the heart paper pieced, the bear was masked before 1 applied a red DI background.

 
Dotty about you with this dotty embossed twinchie and metal heart with a beautiful red ribbon.

Stamped heart with 3D wedding cake (well you could have candles if you wanted, it's your wedding) coloured with promarkers and decorated with crystals.

Hearts and Flowers, stamped and embossed twinchie with vellum

 

Double Heart with gilding flakes.  Two hearts stamped with glue and covered with gilding flakes, sewn together finished with beads and diamonds and added to a distress Ink background.

Looking forward to visiting all of you who enter the challenge to see what you come up with, so come on ladies "Show Us Your Twinchies".

Kraft and Cream and a Sketch

Good morning blogland, and a big welcome to all my new followers.

"Kraft and Cream" (a gorgeous combination) is the subject of the challenge over at Simply Less is More, check it out there is a fab prize to be won from Pink Petticoat and some super DT cards on show.   CAS(E) this Sketch have as you will have guessed a sketch, as time is short I thought I would combine the two challenges and this is what I came up with.  

The cream oblong was cut out using  a Spellbinders Nestabilities die and then a round die was used to cut out the half circle.  I Stitched round the edges and tied string round the narrow middle section. This was stuck to the card with Sticky fixers.  The  Memory Box Chloe Stem was cut out in cream and kraft card and part of the cream  flower overlaid with part of the kraft flower.  The flower was placed in the cut out section, and a greeting stamped at the top.

I have come up with one or two variations on this card, may let you have a peek later.  I have had a request for 50 invitations for a 25th Wedding Anniversary and want to do something in this style.

Cute as a button Valentine

Lots of challenges to catch up with after my absence from  blogging for over a week (my life is a rollercoaster post explains why).  This week we have "Lets Get Cute" as the theme, over at the Allsorts Challenge blog, and "Add Sparkle" at the Passion for Promarkers Challenge blog.

This was a card I started for another challenge but had to put it on hold.  I picked it up again and Completed it with a cute LOTV stamped  image.  The hearts were cut out using my Silhouette machine,   the open heart was backed with kraft wrapping paper. The image was stamped onto paper and coloured with promarkers then attached to the kraft heart.  The two hearts were layered onto the card and embellished with flowers, beads and lots of glimmer dust for sparkle.

Just bought a photography light box for my birthday so am going to try it out and see if I can crack photographing things in this dull miserable weather.

A quick thank you to all of you who have been commenting on my posts, and to my new followers.  I will be back looking at what you are all getting up to and leaving you some comments very soon. 

Life is a Rollercoaster - lots of ups and downs

It's been a rollercoaster few weeks, ups and downs, hence the reason I have not blogged for a while.  My father passed away last week so things have been on hold while I helped mum (who is 89) sort things out. The up was an invitation to join the Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge Blog on their Design Team.  This has helped me focus and get back to a little bit of normality. 

 

The Crafty Bloggers Challenge is a monthly challenge running from the first Monday of each month, there are three inspiration days, guest interviews and  a techniques post once a month, and there are prizes for the winner.  Pop along and check it out, and maybe follow us on Facebook or your blog.  

This month is "Anything Goes" and the the winner will receive two digi images from the Elisabeth Bell Digital Collection of enchanting, whimsical digital images.  Here is a card made using one of her images, check out the Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge to see more Crafty Bloggers Network DT samples using Elisabeth's digi stamps. 

I will be back again soon with the Show Us Your Twinchies Challenge details and later in the month with some more Crafty Bloggers Network DT cards and hopefully find time to enter a few challenges.

Thank all you lovely ladies for your comments on cards and other thing posted last month I will get round to leaving you comments over the next few weeks once I get back to blogging regularly.