Snow in August?!!

...ish!

 Morning everyone!

The weather hasn't been great lately, but thankfully it's not quite that bad! lol!

Maybe it'll make a bit more sense when I tell you that it's time for a new challenge at the Creative Card Crew challenge blog and you'll never guess what the challenge is!  For the next fortnight we want to see lots of creations featuring...

Christmas!

Our challenge is being sponsored by the fabulous Bugaboo Stamps

and they're offering the lucky winner 7 digi's!  So come on over to the challenge blog and join in - you have to be in it to win it!

Lucky us as the DT were each given an image to make a card with and here's what I did with mine

As I said already, the image is by Bugaboo and is simply called "Snow".  I coloured it with Copics - Letters; B95,93,91. Hat;100,B39,37,R39,37. Nose; YR07,04,02. Shading; C3.  I then coated the letters with glossy accents, using a toothpick to spread it into the fiddly areas and then smothered it with glamour dust and left it to dry before tipping off the excess.  It's really extra sparkly in real life!

The papers I used are Kars from the X-mas Collection - I got it a few years ago and didn't want to use it cos it was so lovely but I thought this image suited it so much that I had to be very brave and cut it up!  I gave the edges of the blue mat a coat of Clear Rock Candy distress crackle paint, you can't really see it in the photo's but it gives a nice subtle effect.  The ribbon is from my stash and the snowflake is a Christmas table decoration I bought in a sale a couple of years ago.

The inside is simple - I usually always keep the inside of Christmas cards simple cos of needing so many of them.  I used a Memory Box snowflake corner die and attached at the corners so it give a bit of movement in the card.  The Merry Christmas sentiment is a Papermania stamp.

I hadn't made any Christmas cards this year yet and as I used up the whole 12x12 sheet I now have a grand total of 4!

So let me see who is more organised than me and are making Christmas cards already!  Come and join in the fun with the Creative Card Crew and check out the rest of the DT's fabby cards while you're there!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Craft Your Days Away; Anything goes farewell challenge
Creative Inspirations; Sentimental
Cute Card Thursday; Bling it up
Divas By Design; Anything goes
Joanna Sheen Challenge Blog; Totally sentimental
Paperplay Challenges; Sentiment as main image
Christmas All Year Round; Kids Christmas

Thanks for looking!

Vintage?

Good afternoon all!

I'm a little late today posting my card for the Alphabet Challenge Blog - I've had an awful migraine for a few days now and it just won't shift!

So another new challenge is up and for the next fortnight we want to see...

O for Only one colour + white!

I had another challenge to fulfill on the Kraft Krazy forum as we were having a card swap with the theme of vintage.  In my head the Alphabet Challenge Blog theme screamed "Clean & Simple" to me and I wondered if I could combine CAS with vintage.  So here's my effort:

I'm not good at CAS and I'm still contemplating adding some pearls - I added some to one - what do you think?

I still don't know!

The paper I used (that sort of looks cream in the photo, but is actually green!) is "Vintage Rose" by Pink Petticoat in Pistachio.  The ribbon (I think it's my most used ribbon!) and lace is from my stash.  (As are the pearls!)

I stamped around the green mat with the leaf "Confetti" stamp from Stampin' Up! using Versamark.  The sentiment is computer generated.

I loaded the pistachio Pink Petticoat paper into Powerpoint (that's a lot of P's! lol) and fiddled about til I got an oval in the centre and added a sentiment, then I printed it out and matted it up for the inside.

And here they are all together:

I still can't decide on the pearls!
So take the challenge and join in with us over at the Alphabet Challenge Blog!  Check out the rest of the DT's fab work while you're there!

I'd like to enter these in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenges; Anything goes
Charisma Cardz; Lace
Delightful Challenges; Fancy & frilly
Divas By Design; Anything goes
Fab & Funky Challenges; Use leaves
The Paper Shelter; Anything goes
Partytime Tuesday; Colour/photo inspiration
Whoopsidaisy Challenge; Include a sentiment

Thanks for looking!
 

Another Graduation Card

Evening all,

Hasn't the weather been weird lately?!  I was all trussed up in a cardigan and coat when I left to go to work this morning and then this evening turned out to be really warm!  One day last week I thought it seemed like a nice day so didn't bother taking a coat to work and it was one of the wettest days I've seen in a long time!  I wish it would make it's mind up and just stay nice! :)
 
Here's the other graduation card I made for my cousin:

That's it closed up and then you open it and it's like this:

I know there's a name for this type of card but I can't think of it at the minute!

I made the diamond in the centre into a graduation hat/mortar board with a LOTV sentiment stamp and a tassle that I got from Joanna Sheen years ago - I'm not sure if they still do them.  The diamante swirl is one I've had in my stash for ages too and I've lost who made it - it used to be a bigger swirl and this was all that was left!

The papers are Basic Grey - Scarlet's Letter.  The sentiments were computer generated and punched out with Stampin' Up! punches.  I added some Swarovski crystals to the corners including some large square crystals.

I was asked to add a pocket to the card and after some deliberation I decided to put it at the back/inside.  This pic also shows the folds involved in this card.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:


Craft Your Days Away; Anything goes farewell challenge
Cute Card Thursday; Back to school
Moving Along With The Times; Anything but square - I know my card is technically square when it's folded up but as it sits it is not square.  If you think it doesn't fit the challenge then please delete my entry - thank you!
Stamp With Fun; Bling
Whoopsidaisy Challenge; include a sentiment

Thanks for looking!

Trying To Catch Up!

Good evening!

I thought it's about time I tried to catch up blogging the cards that I've made but haven't uploaded yet.  I usually like to have 1 or 2 extra's but my pile is starting to grow!

I made this card for my cousin for when she graduated from Queen's University in Belfast - it was a proud day for all involved!

Here's the card:

The image is Gradgirl2012 by Saturated Canary which I coloured with the following Copics: Skin; E21,13,00,0000,R20. Dress & Socks; B45,95,41. Robe, Mortar board & Shoes; B39,37,34. Scroll; YG97,95,93. Hair; E49,39,35,33.  Lips; R37,29. Plus some black prisma pencil.
I decided to make the image into a bookmark, saying as the card was for a smarty pants - I mean an intellectual!  So I attached the computer generated sentiment onto the bookmark on a Stampin' Up! tab punch.  The other sentiment is a Wild Rose Studio stamp.  I threaded the ribbon through a fancy paper-clip before I added it to the bookmark and then I attached the whole lot to the card with just the paper-clip so as it can be removed for use.

The papers are Basic Grey, Out Of Print and I also made a scroll out of the paper and tied some ribbon around it too.  A few swarovski's finished it off.

The inside was done to match the front.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks; Circles
Craft Your Days Away; Anything goes farewell challenge
Cute Card Thursday; Back to school
Delightful Challenges; Punches & Dies
The Poodles Parlour; Die cuts
The Pink Elephant; Back to school
Whimsy Stamps Challenge; Lots of layers
Whoopsy Daisy Challenge; Anything goes
Saturated Canary Challenge; Photo inspiration - Green, blue & brown

One of my Creative Card Crew teamies, Elaine, is starting up a new challenge blog and she's looking for some creative types to join her design team, so as all my followers are such a talented and creative lot, I thought I'd help put the word out.  So go over to Eclectic Ellapu and sign up!

Thanks for looking and a big wave to my new followers!!
 

How Arrrrr Ye Doin'?

Morning everyone!

Can you believe I'm on to my second challenge as a DT member on the Creative Card Crew challenge blog?!
And can you believe the Olympics are over?!  A thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks and I can't wait for the Paralympics!  I'm looking forward to seeing the yummy Oscar Pistorious again anyway! lol!  That's not the only reason I've loved the Olympics though.  I think it's amazing what some people are able to do.  I watched the women's mountain biking on Saturday and it's astonishing how fit they must be to be able to go non-stop, on that terrain, for an hour and a half - and still have the energy to lift the bike over their head at the end!  Amazing!  I can only imagine how astonishing the Paralympics are going to be!

Now, back to the challenge...
We're being sponsored this fortnight by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp! 

They're offering a $20 gift voucher to the lucky winner!

And to win that fabby prize all you have to do is create something using...

Maps/Newsprint or Sheet music!

So I'm looking forward to seeing some gorgeous works of art this fortnight!

Here's what I did;

The image is by Kraftin Kimmie and she's called Alicia Strawberry Pirate.  I coloured her with my promarkers (which are available at Simon Says Stamp): Skin; Sunkissed pink, Oatmeal, Blush, Pastel pink. Dress; Midnight blue, Petrol blue, Marine, Henna, Terracotta, Cinnamon, Mulberry, Fuchsia pink, Rose pink. Hair & Sword; Black, Warm grey 5,4,3. Skulls; Morning mist.  And some clear stardust pen to finish.

The papers are DCWV, "Treasure Map" from the Once Upon A Time set, a Daisy D's paper and "The Spiders Web" by MME.  I used a distressing tool around the map to get it well worn looking and used Walnut Distress ink around it to dirty it up (also available at SSS)  The sentiment is computer generated and the font is "Black Adder".

The ribbon, charms, gems and metal corner are all from my stash.  The image was cut out using a Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles die.

And the inside looks like this:

And thar's me carrd!  I hope's ye be likin it.  Arrr!

Ahem...Go and have a look at the rest of the DT's fantastic work and join in with the challenge at the Creative Card Crew.

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

By The Cute & Girly; Fruity
CRAFT Challenge; Add a charm
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge; Anything goes
Creative Inspirations; Anything goes
Daring Cardmakers; Get knotted
My Heart Pieces; Use designer paper
No Matter Which Challenge Blog; Anything goes
Southern Girls Challenge Blog; Water Play
The Squirrel & The Fox; The sea
Whoopsie Daisy; Anything goes

Thanks for looking!
 

You Float My Boat

Good morning!

It's that time again, Friday morning and we're back round to another new challenge on the Alphabet Challenge Blog!
 I've been so caught up watching the Olympics that I almost forgot to finish my card for this challenge!  Aren't the games just brilliant!!  I'm loving every minute of them!  I think Usain Bolt is fantastic!  I got so excited for the 200m final last night and the 100m a few nights ago, he's some boy!  And I was delighted that Katie Taylor won Ireland's first gold of the games yesterday too, although I was still at work when it was on so didn't get to enjoy it as much.  And of course the brit's are doing so well!  It's all very exciting!  And what brilliant role models to be featured on or screens every night instead of the usual rubbish!

Anyway, the new challenge for this fortnight was chosen by me!  We're on to the letter N and the challenge is...

N for Nautical!

Very fitting for this week as I waved my parents and little sister off on their happy holidays - they're away on a cruise!  But I'm not jealous.  No, really.  Not at all!

Anyway, I'm giving you fair warning of a major photo overload! -  Here's my card:

Ben Ainslie is hiding behind the sail! lol!

I used Dangling Sea Tilda by Magnolia and coloured her with the following copics: Skin; E21,13,00,0000,R20.  Suit; B39,37,34,W3,1.  Hair & Rope; E49,44,43,41.  Hat peak; 100,W9,7 Anchor & buttons; YR24,23,21 Boat; E39,37,35 Sail; W3,1.

It's an easel card and the papers are from the Pinstripes set from Pink Petticoat and I printed the Navy version.  I drew the the boat shape myself (got a bit of help for the curves with an old CD) and used another Magnolia stamp on the side of the boat.  It's probably not where that's supposed to go, but I had a bit of space and it filled it nicely!  The sail was made out of a triangle of white card which I dirtied up with copics and added eyelets to the corners.  It's attached to the card with the string at the bottom and the top eyelet is hooked onto a wooden skewer which I coloured with E39 and attached to the back of the boat after trimming to size.

I was at the beach last Friday evening with my sister and niece and nephew (we all had to wear coats with our hoods up cos it was so cold!) and I took the opportunity to collect some shells which I put to use on the card.  I also used some more string and some net type lacey ribbon (which I'm sure there's a name for but I can't think of it!).  The sentiment was computer generated and punched out with a Stampin' Up! punch.

 This is the card folded flat over the top of the shells.

And this is the inside.  I used a Spellbinder die to cut the shape for the message and added some more eyelets and string.

And there's a wee surprise at the back when it's opened up!

The cute pelican is also a Magnolia stamp.

So that's it.  Pop over to the Alphabet Challenge Blog to see the rest of the DT's fabulous work and then leave a link so we can go see yours!!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges;
Creative Belli Blog; Vacation/Travel
Creative Inspirations; Anything goes
Jackson's Digital Expressions; Eyelets
Joanna Sheen; Try something new (I've never made a background like this before or an easel card like this)
No Matter Which Challenge; Anything goes
Paper Play Challenges; Shaped Card
Papertake Weekly; Anything goes
Party Time Tuesday's; By the sea
Southern Girls Challenge Blog; Water play
Stamp With Fun; Maritime

Thanks for looking!