Sketch Saturday #74

For this week's Sketch Saturday challenge I have used some fabby papers from Crafts House called 'Cupcakes'. For the main backing I used a sheet with tiny coloured squares and then cut strips from a stripey piece to use as the 4 horizontal pieces as directed by the sketch - It looks like 1 patterened sheet - but it's not!

I coloured Henry with Promarkers and chalked the edges. From another sheet of the Cupcakes stack I punched the flowers and added giant gems. Finally I chalked and stamped a stationery tag.

Friday Sketchers #75

Claudia is the host this week over at Friday Sketchers and she has given us a great sketch to work to - thanks Claudia :) If you pop over and pay them a visit you'll find some gorgeous cards by the very talented DT.


My Manga boy has been coloured with Promarkers and some gorgeous foil for his dungaree's(not sure what it's called!!! It's the type you put onto almost dry glue?).


The coloured papers are from DCWV Kids stack and I finished off with some buttons, a brad and some glitter ribbon.



The backing paper used for this card is not what it appears to be; a fantastic geometric, multi textured glistening designer paper! It is in fact a sample of wallpaper I ripped from a roll in B&Q over the weekend! It is gorgeous wallpaper - but unfortunately I don't have any walls it would suit - but I couldn't ignore it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simon Says Challenge #26

'Get Well Soon' was the spec for this week's challenge over at Simon Says Challenge.

I'm afraid I'm not sure what the image is called as it was sent to me as a RAK quite a while ago! I used my Watercolour Pencils to colour it and went around the edge (a little too heavy handed!) with some brown ink. The backing paper is a thick hand-made paper picked up from the Range. The flower was made using 2 sizes of Woodware punches. Sentiment is a Cuttlebug die.

It doesn't show too clearly on the picture but the front of the card is folded back upon itself with the image attached to the then 'new' front. The flower and sentiment are attached to what would have been the inside.

Whiff of Joy #52

What a gorgeous sketch this week by Heather for the Whiff of Joy Challenge Blog. I loved using it - Thanks Heather :)

I've used Henry with his Hot Chocolate and coloured him with Watercolour Pencils. The papers are from last year's DCWV Rose Tinted Christmas. My gorgeous X-cut snowflake punch again and clear dew drops to finish.

I hope you're all enjoying these darker evenings. I am - it's great to come home from work, draw the curtains, put the heating on and sit and craft :)

Mo's Digital Challenge #3

'Anything but a card' is the theme that Bronte & Bella have set for this weeks challenge over on Mo's challenge blog.

I decided to do a candle as I'd not done one for ages! I do love doing these - but always get cramp in my hand from holding the greaseproof so tight whilst melting the image in!!!

I printed 'Kai in the Snow' onto a piece of tissue paper (taped to a carrier piece of card) then coloured it with Promarkers. I added some peel off snowflakes and wording before 'setting' it all with my heat gun.

I hope you're all having a good weekend and this awful UK Autumnal weather isn't getting you too down!

Allsorts #23

Just made it........again!

Only had time to make 1 card tonight so went through the Saturday Challenges that I like and the sketch on the Allsorts Challenge Blog grabbed me - along with the monochrome Christmas theme.

I had wanted to do mine in a less obvious monochrome than black & white - but couln't find enough elements in different shades of the same colour to do any thing else!

I've used a Lili of The Valley die cut from last year and paper from last years Classic Christmas Black Collection from Anita's. I also made a single stencil with my X-cut Snowflake punch and stenciled with silver ink to make the image backing.

I WILL be making some of next week's challenge cards tomorrow - I'm determined!

Simon Says...Whiff of Joy!

Thought I would miss out on these this week! WHY do I leave it so late???

I must make an effort to miss one week and start making my challenge cards as soon as the challenge is out - rather than playing 'catch-up' all of the time...............thing is I love doing them and hate to miss one out!

Simon Says Challenge have a great sketch this week - I've swapped the flowers for snowflakes tho :)

Whiff of Joy's challenge was 'Die-Cut', I'm afraid I've opted for the most obvious and easiest - good old Nesties!

My image is the gorgeous 'Henry with Bauble' from WOJ, coloured with Promarkers. The paper is from last years DCWV Christmas MultiStack.

I've used some more of the fab glitter embossed ribbon I found in my local haberdashery at the weekend - I bought a metre of all of the 6 colours she had - as well as loads of others!!!

I really need to find a new ribbon storage solution! At the moment I have them all wound neatly and clipped with a clothes peg - but they take up 3 storage boxes and as I'm rummaging around I'm starting to mess them up - I'd love to have them more specifically stored - but should I keep them together according to colour or material or theme or width or sparkle or.................................

Mo's Digi meets Sketch & Stash...

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #2 this week is to make a card that reminds you of Fall - obviously a Mo's Digi Image has to be used but it doesn't have to be an Autumnal image - the colours used could be enough to give the Fall feel! The other part of the challenge is to use just 2 other embellishments - I've used some printed and coloured acorns and some ribbon.


I saw this image called 'Winter Delivery', the day Mo put it out and had to get it straight way - isn't he the cutest ever???





Sketch and Stash have the perfect sketch this week and my NEW image and NEVER USED Papermania Flock Embossed Paper fitted the bill perfectly.





I have coloured my gorgeous little squirrel with Promarkers and highlighted his hat and sack with 3d Gloss. I've added a 'Ready-Brek' glow in pastel blue to give the illusion of the snow
(Here's a link to a picture for anyone not familiar with 'Ready-Brek'!)

Other bits used are: Papermanina 'Botanical Handmade Papers', Gemstones cardstock, Glitter flocked ribbon and some Holographic heat embossing powder for the acorns.

Hope you all have a fab rest of the weekend :)

Sketch Saturday #72

Isn't 'Bat Cat' gorgeous??? He's another fantastic Digi Image by Mo Manning and I've used him to enter Sketch Saturday Challenge this week.

This is the first Halloween card I've ever made - and I've only made this as a friend asked for it! However, I'm going to have to find some more reasons to use my Bat Cat now ;)

He's been coloured with Watercolour Pencils and I've highlighted the pumkin with Anita's 3d Gloss. Bat Cat's mask has been 'painted with Versamark and heat embossed with Holographic powder. The papers are Gemstones - I love the sparkle of these. As I have very few Halloween supplies I drew the web and spider!!!

Kai Playing In Leaves....

...isn't he the cutest!!!!



Another quick upload as by time I get in from work tomorrow I'll have missed the cut-off!


Again this card covers 2 challenges (given up on excuses now!) and is using a gorgeous image from Mo Manning - see my link at the top of my side bar :)





Truly Scrumptious Challenge this week is a sketch and believe it or I did work to the sketch - you may have to tilt your head to the side and screw yours eyes up a bit, but I do promise I worked to it!


The FAB Stamping For The Weekend Challenge is back this week - Yah! And their spec was Orange, Brown and Leafy Green.
Kimmi's gorgeous card inspired me to pop over and buy Kai - Thanks ;)



That's it for now - off to bed or I'll never get for work.....................why does work have to get in the way of having fun :(

SSSC meets Allsorts!

My 'excuse' for combining this challenge is simple - I don't do Halloween gifts, cards, etc and will probably end up eating this one myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My little darlings grew out of the 'trick or treat' phase years ago and I'm not spending ages on pretty little wrappers to give to the local children who'll probably tear it off and throw it to the ground before they are a few foot away from my front door!

So until I have grandchildren to entertain I'm happy to combine Halloween challenges ;) !!!


For this weeks challenges with Simon Says Stamp Challenge and the Allsorts Challenge I've used a KerryJo stamp (the only Halloween themed item in my craft room!) and paper from DCWV Glitter Stack.

The chocolate bars are Christmas ones from Tesco - 2 packs of 4 for £1.20! and I cut out the 4 new wrappers from an 8x8 paper with more than enough left for the panel behind the image.

The box/bag ..........does that make it a bog or a bax!!!......... is cut from acetate - the shorter side panels are folded over the top of the chocolate bars, hole punched and tied with ribbon. The front and back are simply stapled under the image.

Do you know the hardest thing about this little project - finding somewhere to photograph it!!!!!!!!!!
I've hung it on the back door handle as that was the best place with the least going on in the background - ideally I would have hung it on the ivy outside - like a lot of my cards - but it's gone 11pm and a little dark!

Cute Card Thursday #81

This week's Cute Card Thursday theme is 'So Charmed' - self explanatory really...use charms on your project and as there are so many gorgeous charms out there right now - and I have a few of them - this is an easy one :)

I've used a Digi download from Charmed Cards & Crafts - Girls About Town, and coloured her with my Promarkers.

The papers are an assortment of the ones I bought with no front cover from my local craft shop and DCWV Glitter Stack.

The sentiment is one of the magazine free gifts from a few months ago - FAB! Stamped in the green used for the edging and then heat embossed in clear.

The gorgeous Leaf Pin is from Tabby Crafts - she has a gorgeous assortment of pins over there! The handbag charm from Quixotic Paperie (link to blog as can't get onto shop!)

Have a good afternoon - and enjoy X-Factor tonight, I know I will :)

Mo's Digi Challenge #1

I just LOVE Mo Manning and her Digital Pencil! She is one of the most talented artists out there and shares her fantastic work with us for very reasonable prices :)

I bought my first Digital Pencil's a few months ago and Mo's range has expanded hugely since - you'll find an image for ANY occasion - I challenge you not to!!!

This week is the launch of Mo's challenge blog and is hosted by Bella & Bronte, they are the cutest couple! Bella's favorite colour is 'Perple' so that obviously had to be included in the card somewhere. I had no problem at all with this - as this is my favorite colour too. My only issue was deciding which perple idea to go with!

I have used a gorgeous image called Two tu-tu's It is gorgeous to colour - as you can see I have printed it out quite large - this is an A4 Folded card - and the detail is still fab!

I have used papers from Papermania Basic Pastels Colossal Pack, ribbon and lace from my local haberdashery, flowers from my stash, a flower centre and charm from Quixotic Paperie, and Liquid Pearls. The image is coloured with Promarkers and chalked.

Mo has become aware of some of her images being sold on World-wide auction sites. This is of course illegal - it is not only a breach of copyright it is down-right rude! Please be aware that buying any of Mo's image's this way is not right - the only person it benefits is the seller - WE will suffer in the long term if Mo decides she can't continue!

I am fully aware that images from numerous companies - digi and pre-stamped - are sold & bought this way, but please think about the artists who have created these pieces of work before you buy them and encourage this illegal industry!

Off my soap box now ;)

Pop over and enjoy Mo's artwork :)

SS Meets PB!

I've combined again! This is getting a bit of a habit me thinks!!! The fact that there's only 10 mins to get both of theses challenges in has nothing to do with it you understand!

The sketch this week for Sketch Saturday was paired with a 'Pets' theme and Penny Black had an Autumnal theme - hopefully my shades of browns & greens will work for this!

Allsorts #21

This week over at the Allsorts Challenge Blog there is a double challenge! The first part is to use the colour Kraft in the card and if you choose to use a digi by this week's sponsors - Pink Petticoat, you get an extra entry into the draw :)

My Kraft is from some fantastic craft cork I bought from Penrith Crafts (Leave Samantha a comment for more details). The backing papers are from PP's 'Tis the Season collection.

X-cut Snowflake punch, flower from stash and gorgeous flower centre from Quixotic Paperie.

Friday Sketchers #72

After my little stay in hospital for the day yesterday it took me a while today to 'come round'! I eventually did and managed to get another challenge card done - even if I do always seem to be playing catch-up!!!

Friday Sketchers sketch is fab and definitely one I will be adding to my file :) I've used my 'new' stamp ~ Penny Black: Frequent Flyer. I was lucky enough to buy some stamps from a friend and am loving them! I've used chalks to colour the image and add some more depth to the papers.

The paper is by 'October Afternoon' and is gorgeous!