Colour Me...! is One!

Hi guys

I was lucky enough to be a Guest Designer over at Colour Me...! last month and today I'm joining in with their celebrations as they have just reached their First Anniversary!

They are celebrating with a new challenge and the challenge they have set today is to use any of the colour combos from the previous 51 challenges.  So there's certainly a colour combo for everyone.  The previous challenge colours can be found here.

I chose the colour combo from Challenge #12 and created this card...

I cut an angled piece of white cardstock and stamped the images in the three closest colours I had to the colour palette.  I framed this with some co-ordinating cardstock and adhered to the card base.  I finished by stamping the sentiment and adding a few pale blue gemstones.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Eastern Delights
• Ink: Versa Color - Bamboo, Celadon and Baby Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Coloured - Papermania; white from stash
• Gemstones: Papermania

I am going to link this card up at the following challenge blogs:

Crazy for CAS - Challenge #60 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #104 - Anything Goes

Why not drop by at Colour Me...! here.  Current and previous Design Team members, together with some past Guest Designers have created projects for the challenge so there is tonnes of inspiration there for you, just in case your craft mojo is still in holiday mode! 

It would be great to see you there.

Bye for now

My Favourite Five Christmas Cards of 2014

Back again!

I've just been having a look around blogland and thought I would join in with Debby over at A Scrapjourney by choosing my five fave Christmas cards from this year.

So, here goes...

Starry, Starry Night

Kylie's Christmas Card Challenge

Black and Gold Christmas

Winter Glow

Let It Snow

So there you have it.  Apart from one I've got a bit of a snowy theme going on here!  

Bye for now x

Hugs & Kisses at Christmas

Hi there

Here is the last of my Christmas cards to share for this year, this is the card I made for Matt.

I bought this stamp about a week before Christmas from Hobbycraft for £1!

I stamped the image and coloured it in with ProMarkers.  It's not a Christmas stamp but I gave the birds red breasts to make them look like Robins.  I used a heart die to cut out the image and used the same die to cut a piece of snowflake patterned paper.  I offset these and adhered them to a white linen card base, the white heart being popped up for dimension.  I stamped the sentiment, which was made up from two different stamp sets, in the bottom corner and then added some clear Wink of Stella to the birds and the heart, and then covered the heart with Glossy Accents.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Hobbycraft - Love Birds; Clearly Besotted - Holiday Sentiments and Many Messages
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: Xcut - Nested Hearts
• Patterned Paper: Doodlebug - Santa Express
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accented with Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents

I would like to link this card up at the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #134 - Anything Christmas

Without Words - December Challenge - Christmas (Modern Look)

Dream Valley - Challenge #97 - Christmas

I Love ProMarkers - Challenge #250 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #294 - Christmas/New Year

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #77 - Anything Goes

Crazy for CAS - Challenge #60 - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #209 - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #353 - Anything Goes
Passion for ProMarkers - Challenge #277 - Bingo (I used 'die-cut/free/glitter')
CAS on Sunday - Challenge #49 - Christmas


Thanks as always for popping by.  I may have more to share later, I'll see how the day goes.  I am working on a few projects at the moment but I'm unable to share those just yet, the wait won't be long ;)

The Cutest Little Reindeer

Hi there

I'm back with another of my Christmas cards.

When I got this set from My Favorite Things I couldn't resist inking up this little deer, he's just adorable!

I cut a panel of white cardstock slightly smaller than the card base and die cut a large circle.  I then adhered some holly patterned paper to the card base in the area that would fall behind the aperture.  I used the circle that remained from the aperture to cut a smaller circle and stamped the deer image.  This was then coloured in with ProMarkers.  Next I stamped the sentiment before popping up the panel and the circle on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Doodlebug - Santa Express
• Dies: Xcut - Nested Circles
• Stamps: My Favorite Things - Christmas Cuteness; Clearly Besotted - Christmas Sparkle
• Coloured with ProMarkers

I would like to link this card up at the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #134 - Anything Christmas

Without Words - December Challenge - Christmas (Modern Look)

Dream Valley - Challenge #97 - Christmas

I Love ProMarkers - Challenge #250 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #294 - Christmas/New Year

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #77 - Anything Goes

Crazy for CAS - Challenge #60 - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #209 - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #353 - Anything Goes

Be back soon!

Get Your Santa On!

Hi guys

I'm finally back!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families and friends and are looking forward to seeing in the New Year later today (or not too much later for some of you that may be reading this!)

With all the Christmas madness and having to work either side of the break I haven't managed to post any projects so I'm back this morning with a few posts to share the last of the Christmas cards I made this year.

Here is the first...

This was super easy to make.  I had the snowy background paper already printed for use on a previous card so I adhered this to the top half of the card base.  Next I took a white cardstock panel and used a snow drift die to create the curve and then adhered this to the bottom half.  I stamped Santa onto some white card and coloured him in with ProMarkers.  I then fussy cut him out and went around the edge with a black pen to make the edges crisper.  I popped him up on 3D foam and added some clear Wink of Stella to his beard and hat.  The card was finished by adding the sentiment,

Materials used:

• Digi Paper: Pink Petticoat - Falling Snow
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Snow Drifts
• Stamps: MFT - Christmas Cuteness
• Coloured with ProMarkers and Wink of Stella

I would like to link this card up at the following challenges - finding these took almost as long as making the card! :)

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #134 - Anything Christmas

Without Words - December Challenge - Christmas (Modern Look)

Dream Valley - Challenge #97 - Christmas

I Love ProMarkers - Challenge #250 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #294 - Christmas/New Year

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #77 - Anything Goes

Crazy for CAS - Challenge #60 - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #209 - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #353 - Anything Goes
Passion for ProMarkers - Challenge #277 - Bingo (I used 'die-cut/free/glitter')

Thanks for looking, I'll be back shortly with my next card.

Let it Snow

Hi guys

Well, now that I've finally managed to complete the bulk of my Christmas cards it was really nice to sit down this evening and make a card specifically for a few challenges.

I decided to go for a very simple card.  In real life the colours are slightly more purple but as usual with my camera, the colours appear more blue.  No matter what lighting I try I always seem to have this problem.  Anyway, here it is...

I started by masking off the central panel with post-its before blending three different pigment inks of the same tone.  With the masks still in place I overlaid a snowflake stencil and spread over the design with embossing paste.  After removing the stencil I stamped the sentiment, and it was a stroke of luck that the sentiment nestled quite happily between the snowflakes at the bottom :)

Materials used:

• Ink: Versa Color - Lavender, Imperial Blue, Neptune
• Stencil: Memory Box - Winter Tiny Snowflakes
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Stamp: Uniko Studio - Stunning Snowflakes

Challenge entries:

Less is More - Week202 - One Layer 'Snow'

CASology - Week 126 - Snow

Simon Wednesday Challenge - Winter Inspiration

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #134 - Anything Christmas

Just a quick post for me tonight.  I'm now off to bed to try to finally get rid of this horrible bug that's been with me for the last week.

Hopefully I'll be around a little more now that the manic Christmas card production line is over!  Thanks for popping by.

Addicted to Stamps and More #126

Hi there

It's time for another challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Whether you're still creating those last minute Christmas cards or if you're super-organised and just creating in general there's no excuse not to enter as this week we're back with everybody's favourite challenge...

Anything Goes

Go mad...create whatever you like and we'd love you to share it with us!

This week's fab challenge sponsor is QKR Stampede and the prize up for grabs this week is 3 free digis from their store.

This week I have two DT cards to share with you.  The first is a creation using a digi from our Sponsor called 'Snowy Cabin'...

I printed the digi image onto white card and used my Inktense pencils to watercolour.  For the trees I used a wet brush to pick up the colour directly from the pencil tip, then for the rest of the image I watered down the colour onto an acrylic block before washing the colour over the sky, cabin and foreground.  I then die cut the image using a flag die, but ran it through my Big Shot twice, flipping it over to create a long rectangle.  On the card base I randomly stamped some snowflakes and temporarily positioned the panel so I could stamp the greeting.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam before adding some Stickles for lots of snowy sparkle.

Materials used:

• Digi Image: QKR Stampede - Snowy Cabin
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Stamps: Uniko Studio - Stunning Snowflakes; Clearly Besotted - Modern Christmas
• Ink: Versa Color - Silver; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stickles - Star Dust

I am linking this card up at the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #134 - Anything Christmas

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #129 - Christmas

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Challenge #259 - Last Minute Christmas

Merry Monday - Challenge #139 - Winter Wonderland

Dream Valley - Challenge #97 - Christmas

Love to Create - Challenge #146 - Create a Scene

Now onto my second card...

Those of you who follow Addicted to Stamps and More should be familiar with the wonderful creations of my fellow teamie, Marina.  Sadly, Marina has now stepped down from ATSM and we are going to miss her heaps :(

But Marina is getting married at Christmas so we couldn't let her leave the team without marking this fabulous occasion.  So, Marina, this card's for you and I wish you a fantastic day and a lifetime of happiness with your new hubby...

I stamped the rose in pigment ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  This was then die cut with a heart die.  Next I took a strip of deep pink cardstock, one edge was die cut with a small scallop edge die and the other with a dots die.  I them stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  The strip was adhered across the card base and the heart was popped up on 3D foam before adding some tiny clear gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Happily Ever After
• Ink: Versa Color - Rose Red, Evergreen; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear; Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Dies: Xcut - Heart Nesting Dies; Clearly Besotted - Scalloped Edges Die Collection; Paper Smooches - Dots & Dashes
• Gems: Glitterati

I am linking this card up at the following challenges:

STAMPlorations - December Challenge - Choice (October Challenge - Stamps and Embossing)

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - Challenge #278 - Something to Die For

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

So, if you have some time free in the manic run up to Christmas why not create something and link up at ATSM.  My teamies have also been busy creating and there's lots of inspiration over at the challenge blog should you need it.

Thanks as always for popping by, I hope to be back again soon.

Phew, I Think I'm Done!

Hi guys

*Warning* - picture-heavy post - a nice cuppa may be required to accompany this one!

Well, it may have been quiet here for quite a few days but behind the scenes it certainly hasn't!

After a few more evenings of printing digis, colouring, accenting, die-cutting and adhering I think I've finally finished this year's Christmas cards.  And I even managed to fit in a visit to our local theatre for Panto last night!

So, here goes...

All of these cards were created using digi images from Pink Petticoat.  I printed them off on A4 sheets, coloured them in, added some accents and used some dies to cut out the images.

These first two batches I quickly shared in my last post but I thought I'd include them again, together with some detail too...

Pink Petticoat - 'Frosty Friends'

'Frosty Friends' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Cool Yule'

'Cool Yule' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Sugared Spice' (there were 4 images but I made a boob on one of them! haha)

'Sugared Spice' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Treeos'

'Treeos' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Jolly Reindeer'

'Jolly Reindeer' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Dear Santa'

Pink Petticoat - 'Dear Santa'

'Dear Santa' - detail

Pink Petticoat - 'Tiny Christmas Treasures'

Pink Petticoat - 'Tiny Christmas Treasures'

'Tiny Christmas Treasures' - detail

'Tiny Christmas Treasures' - detail

Phew, well if you're still with me, thanks so much for taking the time to look.  These digis have been absolute lifesavers for me this year, I had no idea how far behind I was until I added up how many cards I had last weekend.  

Here is the short list of materials used:

• Digi Images: Pink Petticoat
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Accented with Clear Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax and Stitched Rounded Rectangles Stax
• Card bases and card for printing: Anna Marie Designs
• 3D foam

I realise these may be too simple for some peoples' tastes but I love how CAS they are.  The detailed die cuts and the shimmer and shine accents add interest and there's tonnes of yummy white space, just how I like them.

Thanks so much for visiting.  Hopefully, once I've got these written and mailed I can get back to creating for challenges, I'm sad to have missed so many over the last couple of weeks.

Hope to see you again soon.

Chrismas Card Panic!

Hi guys

I thought I'd just pop by and say a quick hello.  Although I haven't posted on here for over a week I have in fact been crazily crafting.

Last weekend I realised I didn't have nearly enough Christmas cards made for the amount I had to send this year so I got sent into panic mode!  All of a sudden we are into the second week of December and until now I've just been plodding along thinking I had heaps of time....how wrong was I?!  I swear I must have slept for a fortnight, where did that time go?

So last weekend I concentrated on the cards I needed to send overseas and managed to get them in the mail, so now I can work on the remainder I need to create while I still have time to send within the UK.  

Somewhere within the panic that was last weekend I took a few very quick (and completely rubbish) photos of some of the multiples I'd made so far.  And thank you to Pink Petticoat for these fab digi images.  They print four on an A4 sheet, so a bit of colouring, a few accents and die-cutting and I was on a roll!

I'll share some of these in more detail another time but until then, I'm off to get more made before the fun task this weekend that is writing them all! 

Hope to see you soon, thanks as always for visiting.