Saintly?

Don't you just love a digi stamp... easy to use.... easy to get it in the size you want and if you are lucky, you can even buy ready coloured versions as part of your pack.

This is a digi that I bought from One stitch at a time and I coloured her myself.  I think she is ideal for this weeks "Sassy Christmas" challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge.  I have used a sketch from Friday Sketchers and will be entering this one for the "December Digi Day" challenge at Stamp Something.

Nearly all of the papers used are shiney.  I will have to try to remember how hard they are to photograph next time I think about putting so much shine on one card lol.  The back ground colour is navy blue and the rest is silver and lilac.

Doggone Xmas

I don't use a lot of shop bought toppers, but I really like this one... It is one of a set of six I bought earlier this year.  This card is based on the sketch for this weeks challenge over at Sketch and stash.  

The only new thing that I have used on this card it the topper.  Everything else that I have used was bought last year or even earlier (some of my stash dates back 5 or more years).  

I have covered the front of a shop bought card blank in lilac card and then embossed with snowflakes.  I have added glitter glue to the white bits on the hat for extra sparkle and dotted more around the image to represent snowflakes.  The ribbon and sentiment are ones that I have had for ages.

I am also entering this card for the challenge at Allsorts.  As it is a last minute commission card.  

Sorry for the poor colour on the pic, but I really couldn't get the lighting right :o(

Black and white xmas

I wanted to make a card which was outside of my comfort zone, so I decided to do a black and white card.

Choosing the stamp to use was actually the hardest part of making this card.  I wanted to add colour to all of the other stamps.  The black card is textured co-ordinations, the snowflakes are peel offs and I have added clear and black gems.  

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas card

Papertake Weekly - No red or green

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Christmas, but no red or green

Crystal Chocolate Box

I've been making gift boxes this year and this is a variation on the ones that I made previously.  They are really easy to make once you work out the first one and can be an effective way to give cheap gifts this year without them looking cheap.

This box is made from one A4 sheet of acetate.  I have fastened the flap at the back with brads, but eyelets would work just as well.  I have taken the colour scheme for this project from the challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge who wanted us to use tea or coffee as inspiration.  I have used coffee coloured ribbon and tea die distress ink.

I will also be entering this project for the following challenges:

Just Cute Bears - Anything but a card

Crafty Creations - A beary project

Xmas Vintage

Now I'm not really sure what I am doing when it comes  to vintage, but I love to have a go.  This is my first card for a while and it was so good to do some crafting for a change.

I went with a red green and cream theme as, to me, these are classic Christmas colours.  I bought the decoupage boy last Christmas and the papers were my one paper treat to myself this year.  I have 3 drawers full of paper and have promised myself that i will use some up before I buy any more.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Light up the night.  The little boy is carrying a candle lamp

My Time To Craft - Vintage Cards

Saturday Challenge - Christmas

Box of Love

One of my new years resolutions this year was to try to learn new crafting techniques each month and to push myself.  I've decided to try making gift boxes.

I like things that are a little bit different so this one doesn't fasten at what you would assume is the top of the box.

This box is made from one sheet of A4 thick card.  We had a photo inspiration challenge over at Everybody Art so I have taken the red and black colour scheme from there.  The card was originally black and white, so I have coloured a few of the hearts and squiggles in red to lift the pattern a bit.

I've used a circle punch to cut a notch near the opening and a corner punch on the flaps of the box.  I have added gems for some sparkle and a die cut chip board heart from last years stash.  The little flowers were originally  lilac, but I held them against my fired brick ink pad until they picked up enough colour to use.

I have eyeletted the two flaps and attached red ribbon to tie the box closed.  I don't actually have a use for this box yet, but I had one of those moments where a challenge puts a picture in my head and I know what I want to make for it.

I will also be entering this one for the Die cuts/ Punches challenge over at A spoonful of sugar.

Hidden Message

This one is a traditional red and green Christmas card with a twist.

I'm still using up last years stash.  The papers used on this one are all form the Daisy and Dandelion "Christmas Collection - A winters tale" paper pack that I bought last year.  I loved them so much that I bought 3 pads.  I ran out of crafting time before Christmas, so there is still some left over for me to use now.

My apologies for the quality of the pictures, but I had problems with getting the lighting right.

The image is a stamp from Penny Blacks "Jolly Follies" collection.  I have added glitter glue for snow and have added a few star shaped gems.  This is my first attempt at one of these cards.

I am entering it for the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September

Paperplay Challenges - Hidden Extras

Papertake Weekly - Sketch

Three Bears

Have you ever seen a sketch and been immediately able to see in your head how the finished item would look?  This card came from one of those sketches.  I got it close to what I imagined and I'm quite pleased with it. Thank you JUGs.

 This stamp has featured on quite a few of my Christmas cards this year.  I think it's so cute.  It was a freebie on a magazine last year and has had plenty of use since I got it.  I have edged the die cut circles in worn lipstick distress ink and have added silver string to the back of each to create the look of Christmas tags.  All three of them have been attached using 3D glue dots to give them a slightly raised effect.

I will be entering this cards for the challenge over at A Spoonful of Sugar - who asked us for spots and stripes and for the challenge at SCSC who asked us for an easel card.

Vellum Xmas

I love the fragileness of vellum on cards, but I don't use it as much as I would like.  I have set myself the challenge of using vellum in a new way on this card.  I have recently started die cutting vellum (don't know why I didn't think of it before) so I knew that I would be doing a bit of that.

I have covered a card blank in green and gold paper from a pack I bought years ago.  I added a strip of pink vellum that I border punched and then added my stamped topper.  I didn't like the way the two layers of vellum overlapped so I punched a couple of vellum snowflakes to cover the joins.

I've edged the stamped topper in tea dye and vintage photo to give it a bit of an aged look.   I'm quite pleased with how this one has turned out because I was worried about the colour combo.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:

Card Patterns - Sketch

BBCC - Pink, brown and green colour combo

Die Cut Dreams - Vellum

Plain and simple

Purple and silver is my favourite colour combination so being asked to make a card in that colour combination is no hardship.  I started off by embossing a pale lilac card blank with a Christmas tree design.  I then picked out the snowflake design in the centre with a silver pen and some gems.

The card didn't feel like it had enough on it so I used part of the recipe list on Moving Along With the Times to add glitter and a snowflake button.  I don't think that I am really cut out for minimalist cards as I keep thinking that I haven't done enough.  I reall like this one though.

This card will be entered for the following challenges:

Allsorts - Plain and Simple
Moving Along With the Times - To do list
SCSC - Purple and silver
One Stop Craft Challenge - Snowflakes

Sorry about the photo

Jolly Xmas

I've been wanting to make a stair step card again for ages.  This time I went for the traditional red and green, but I wanted to use them in a non-traditional way.  The basis of the card is red mirri board and I have raided the scraps drawer for the black and green papers.

I have punched silver and red snowflakes and stuck them onto black buttons.  I've had the reindeer topper since last year.  It is one from a pack that I bought in the pound shop last year.  I'm finding lots of great stuff in my stash.

This card will be entered for the following challenges:
JUGS - Green Red and Black
A Spoonful of Sugar - Anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Animal Magic

Christmas Corner

I was itching to make something today and I haven't had much time, so this one is a quick make.

The paper is from a pack that I bought last year. I also bought the ribbon, sentiment and charm for last years Christmas makes too. The image is from a stamp that was on one of last years magazines, so this is all old stash stuff. I'm trying to use up what I already have rather than buying new this year. Not doing too bad so far.



I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Just Cute Bears - Punches or dies
Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - Anything goes

All Tied Down

I really enjoy making Christmas cards in non traditional colours. I find it more of a challenge as the papers can be harder to come by (limited craft shop availability when I usually start in June/July) and I have to think a little bit harder about what I am going to use as a focal point.


This one started life as an ordinary rectangular card blank which I die cut to get the shape. I have continued on with the same set of dies through out the card.

I'm not sure where I am going wrong, but whenever I use glitter glue, my page warps. This time I decided to use this to my advantage and have curved the edges a bit before applying the glue. As a result none of the coloured pieces lay flat which emphasises the textures that I have used.

I've raised the topper with foam pads to help to give the cards some depth.

This card was inspired by:

Everybody Art - Different shaped cards

Moving Along With the Times - Christmas theme

Paper Play Challenges - Shaped card

Papertake Weekly - Photo Inspiration - I took the colours from this one.

Amber Fashionista

Allsorts Challenge Blog and Paperplay Challenges both asked us to use Autumn colours this week, so I went picking through my paper packs and found some paper that reminds me of 70s wallpaper.

The colours are very earthy, so I was originally going to go with a garden theme, but then I saw the Fashion Challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge and decided on this Charmed Digi instead, because lets face it...... what girl doesn't like to shop.

I've added amber gems to pick out the flowers and circles and the Digi has been edged with Tea Dye distress ink.

Prezzie Time

I love making Christmas cards...... who am I kidding..... I just like making cards. I don't often buy toppers but I couldn't resist this one. It is one of six on a die cut sheet by Kaban. They are all really cute.

I really enjoy making Christmas cards in non-traditional colours, so no doubt there will be more of those from me soon. I still have another five images from this sheet to use up after all.

The papers I have used are all from my scraps drawer. I backed the topper onto silver mirri card to give it a bit more umphf and have glued gems on to the lace. I have die cut and layered the snowflake and added gems for extra sparkle. I do like the snowflake, but I think I will add a different colour to one of the layers next time I do one as this one didn't quite match up to what I had imagined.

This card was inspired by:

CRAFT Challenge - Pastels

My Time To Craft - Jewelled

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Christmas Stripes

I made a couple of cards last night after the little one had gone to bed, but I had to wait to today to take the pictures.

I have always found stripes to be a bit of a challenge as I am always worried that they wont be straight on the card or that it will make the card look a bit busy. I have used stripes in the past, but I am still practicing a bit.

The angel is one I found last year and printed. These angels have been very popular in the past so no doubt they will pop up a few more times this year. I have decoupaged her and added glitter glue (the men at work complain about glitter, but not glitter glue as it doesn't end up on their faces)

This card was inspired by:

Creative Inspirations - Lace and Sparkle

Ooh La La - Stripes

Simon Says - Holiday Fun

Pearly Christmas

I'm so far behind on my Christmas crafting I don't know where to start. This is the card that I made today.

The image is printed on velum and is from a sheet that I bought last year. I've been good so far and have only spent a fiver on new Christmas Stash. I have promised myself that I will use up some of my old stash before I buy any more. I have used invisidots for vellum to attach the image to some cream textured card.

The pearls that I have use came from an old broken bracelet that I have been meaning to re thread for ages. The papers are from my scraps drawer. I have two of those to use up and they are quite deep. It is fun looking through them for my latest projects, but sometimes I get side tracked and end up making something else that was inspired by a piece of card or paper that I found.

This card was inspired by:

A Spoon full of Sugar - Sketch

Creative Inspirations - Pastel Green, pink and cream

Simon Says - Pearls and lace

Christmas pots of joy

I've had a late start to Christmas crafting this year. I've only just started. SCSC asked us for something Christmassy so I made a start on my Christmas gifts.



This one started life as a drinks container which I cleaned out. I've wrapped it in seasonal paper and some trim that I had left over from last year. I have decorated a paper tree with glitter and added a gold glittery star to finish it off. It will probably end up filled with chocolate, but some times I put vouchers in them and give them to family and close friends. (I'm not putting babysitting in this year lol). Totally Papercrafts asked us for something plain and simple and as I had to do very little to this to make it, I hope this counts.

All in the bag

JUGS asked us to use a template for this weeks challenge. I have a few that I bought because I thought they were a good idea and never used, so this was the perfect opportunity to dig one out of the drawer.




This one was made using a Papermania template. I have used two of the papers from a Christmas pad that I bought last year, gold ribbon and three ribbon flowers which was the recipe we were given over at Moving along with the times.

I think they would be great to put small gifts in (wedding favours, confetti etc) and would make a nice alternative to putting cash in a card. This template definitely turned out to be a good buy.

Purr-fect Friend

I fell in love with a sketch today. Well that's a bit strong, but I'm sure you get the gist. As soon as I saw it over at Creative Inspirations I could see the completed card in my head. Finding the time to make it was more difficult.



I have backed everything onto textured black Co-ordinations cardstock. The papers all come from a HOTP cardmakers paper pack which I bought a good five years ago. I think it is called Jewel Tones. The stamp is one of my many Penny Black collections (this one is from the Hugs collection) and I have added black pearls to the corners.


I don't use faux stitching very often as it is not something that usually springs to mind, but this weeks challenge over at the Corrosive Challenge asked us to use something faux and I couldn't think of what else to do.

I love it when a card comes together!!!

Garden Girl

I just had to squeeze in a quick card to keep me going until my youngest goes to bed.

I keep buying Digistamps. They are so useful and versatile. This one is part of one of the Holly and Madison Collections (there are a few). I haven't used it before and it is perfect for the "In the garden challenge over at Every Body Art.

I have coloured her with a combination of whispers brush pens and Sakura Gelly Roll pens for added sparkle. She is actually three layers deep to get a decoupage effect. It took bit longer than I thought to cut everything out, but it was worth it.

The leaves and flowers in the basket along with the skeleton leaves on the front go with this weeks theme over at Cute Card Thursday and the glittery effect coupled with the gems put this card in line with the challenge over at My Time To Craft.

With a bit more time there are a few changes I would make to this one, but I think I did OK for a kinda quick make.

Vintage Birthday

Hands up, who likes playing with distress inks?

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.

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Sorry, I had both hands in the air. I love them. I'm still working on buying the full set, but I have a good play as often as I can.

I've used every shade of brown that I have on this card. I actually made it last night, but had to wait until today to photograph it. I started with a white card blank to which I stuck some cream swirly patterned card. After a bit of ink play, I added a piece of die cut textured card (which I distressed and inked) and a card topper from my stash. I have added some Gems for interest and the flowers.


The design of this card was taken from the sketch on Friday Sketchers and as the card has what I think is a slightly vintage feel (still getting to grips with that one) I will be entering it for the monthly challenge over at Creatalicious Challenges.

Chocolate Charms

I have found my self surrounded by my crafting stash with out a clue of what to make for the last few months. Anything that actually got to the gluing stage ended up in the bin it was so bad, but making yesterdays card seems to have gotten me over the hump.

I now have so many ideas that I don't know where to begin. I've lost a bit of my confidence, so I am sticking to simple makes for a while , but I'm really please with this one.

Dotties World asked us to make something using our favourite Charmed download and I couldn't decide which one to use. In the end I used this one as it is from my favourite set. I have had the background paper for a while, but I added some bling with gems. The gems along with the dotty ribbon make this card eligible for the challenges at The Pink Elephant and Ooh La La.

I'm off to make something else and get some of these ideas out of my head. I have tried drawing my ideas, but they just hang around until I actually make them hehehe

Girly Oriental

Hi out there,

I've been away from crafting for a few months due to a hectic life and feeling a bit low and I have to say that I have really missed being creative and visiting all of my favourite blogs.


I did my first bit of crafting and it felt so good to be back. It's pretty simple, but it came together without too much stress.

The card blank is a soft lilac and I have embossed the front with a Cuttlebug folder. I have coloured Sookie with various shades of lilac and have used a silver leaf pen to colour her hair. I went over her hair again with a pencil before the silver dried to add definition. I edged the flower and the card blank and lightly gone over Sookie with Dusty Concord.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
CRAFT Challenge - Insects
Saturday Challenge - What are little girls made of?
One Stop Craft Challenge - Oriental Delights

Glamour in red

Long time no blog. College is out of the way, so hopefully I will be able to get more crafting done.

I love working with acetate, so finding glitter embossed actetate by Kanban required me to sit down for a minute ;-). I spent the train ride home working out what I was going to do with my new buy. I'm ashamed to say that no one got much attention from me for a good hour after I got home from work tonight. Sorry boys x.

I had to adjust the card a bit from the original idea as I got home to find out that I had run out of black eyelets. (More craft shopping needed..... oh the pain he he he).

I started with coordinations cardstock which is black on one side and red on the other. Perfect for this make. I have left a one inch over hang to attach the acetate to. the acetate is held in place with two red eyelets and a ribbon. the charm was taken from a necklace which I mentioned in an earlier post.

The sentiment has been attached with foam pads so that it stands proud and I have added an extra piece of red card on the inside to cover up the pads.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:
Die cut dreams - Words only, No stamped images
CRAFT Challenge - Birthday / Celebration
Ooh La La - Bright and cheerful

March

Another page for my birthday calendar. I know I have missed out February, but I printed out all of the months with 31 days, so I have decided to start with those.

I started the same way as I did on January, with a blank sheet of thick white card. This time I have edged with Milled lavender distress ink and stamped with Dusty Concord.

The center panel design was taken from this weeks challenge over at JUGs. I've kept it tonal once again. I think that this calendar is going to end up quite monochromatic on each page. Lets hope that I don't run out of colours :0).

The Corrosive Challenge asked us for something to do with birthdays, so i thought the birthday calendar would fit right in. Allsorts Challenge blog asked us for animals, and the hedgehog theme of the calendar fits in nicely there as well.

January

I have been following a brilliant blog belonging to a lady called Helen, since before Christmas. Back in February I noticed a page that she had made for a birthday calendar. I've been wanting to make one ever since and have only just started today. The decision was kick started by the challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge, who asked for anything but a card.

Crafty Creations asked us to make our own back ground paper. I started with a sheet of thin A4 card. I went round the edges with tattered rose and then stamped a swirly pattern in aged mahogany. I have edged and stamped the date panels in the same way. This also fit in with the "make your own" challenge over at Cute Card Thursday.

The center panel design was taken from this weeks sketch challenge over at Sketch Saturday and the colour scheme was influenced by the "Pastel" Challenge over at Paper play challenges. I'm not sure what happened to the ribbon that I put across the center. It was alright until I stuck it down. I've had a play with my paper distresser on most of the panels to give it a slightly vintage look.

I got a crop A dile big bite after having had it on my wish list for what seems like years. I couldn't resist adding some eyelets. I've also added some stick on pearls.

Two Butterflies

Normally I don't make repeat cards. Once I have used a design, I very rarely revisit it for quite a long time. Today I found a sketch that I liked so much that I made two similar cards, one straight after the other. Unfortunately I can't find where I saw the sketch to credit them with it.

Sorry about the poor quality of this picture, but I couldn't get the lighting right. I made the silver and white version first and followed up with the black and gold version. The idea to use silver and gold came from this weeks challenge at One stop craft challenge who asked us to use something metallic as inspiration.



Allsorts challenge blog gave us a picture of a butterfly bracelt to take inspiration from, hence the butterflys and Simon Says asked for things with wings.

Inked Oriental

I love using digi stamps and right now, the manga style ones are my favourite. I bought this one from Stitchy Bear. Manga is great because you can really go crazy with the colours and nothing needs to look natural. I can see this one getting used a lot :-)




The design for this card came from this weeks challenge over at Creative Inspirations. Paperplay Challenges asked us to use no patterned papers which is what inspired the colour choice. I enjoy embossing and using distress inks. I think that you get a really good contrast from dusty concord and broken china which are the colours that I have used. Every thing else has fit around that. Not a bad look considering I have only use black card and white card lol.




A Spoonful of Sugar asked for a birthday card, so this one fit in nicely.