Summer Fun (for some)

Here it is ... the last Tellen's Place Challenge before the summer break. On the normal blog that is. They have a site over on CADC - so don't forget to check out there as well. This time I have chosen a scene in the garden with dad burning the BBQ and the kids oblivious to all except doing their own thing and wondering when the food is going to be ready. The images are all Tellen's Place except the BBQ which was lifted from google (a copyright free clipart) with Pukele playing the fire imp.

Heart and Soul

Over on Dragon'sDream Tag It On challenge we're still in a very romantic mood. Frankie and Freddie are on their honeymoon, and my warmest congratulations and best wishes are being sent via cyberspace. In keeping with her mood, Frankie has asked us to dream a tag to symbolize "Heart and Soul".
I had two thoughts immediately pop into my head, and rather than decide which to do - put them both on opposite sides of a tag.
The first side is a patterned paper with little flowers and dragonflies onto which I stamped in red ink, hearts within a heart shaped stamp. I think was from C&C. Pieced onto which is an Autumn wreath from Sunshine stamps, with an image from Tanda stamps in the centre. The colours silver and gold being the happy couple. The little picture is a downloaded image of the heart and soul nebula. The obverse side I used a piece of black imitation leather that I found in the attic, onto which is stuck three interlocking hearts from Soft Pencil.
The explanation of the colours used can be found on my "Handfasting" post so I won't go into all that again. The ties are lengths of embroidery silk.

Christmas in June

Yes, have to start early to avoid the rush. Well over on Digital Tuesday Challenge are thinking along those lines and have asked for a card with a Christmas theme and of course Christmas Cards All Year Round start early as well and they have asked for at least one bright colour in theirs and a favourite embellishment. This collection is going to be entered into both challenges.
For my cards - all 5 of them, I have used bright red and bright lime green and ribbons. The images are all from Dustin Pike from the end of last year, coloured in promarkers and matted onto shiny red card.

The Beer Monster

Another of those sketchies from Let's get stamping had a few of the girls in a spin... had to have movement. Spinner, waterfall etc. Well just as I'm reading the deets, son comes in and asks if I have a fathers' day card he can give to my OH. Not yet... but it can be made before tomorrow. So armed with a digi from Pollycraft of a beer monster and a barrel from Dustin Pike, the beer glass I can't remember - sorry, I set to work. OH supports Hearts footie team so using the team colours of grey and maroon, I layered up the little toppers on a grey sliding mechanism fastening with silver brads from stash and added 3 little resin stars for a pull. The main image was again layered onto maroon and attached with foam pads for dimension with a little computer generated fathers' day sentiment. The little gems from crafty feelings as a finishing touch. All colouring in done with promarkers. Well there we have it, another fathers' day card from a gal that doesn't do them, lol.
I'm entering this into One Stop Craft Challenge this week - One for the boys and the Polka Doodles and CAS-tastic challenges challenges for Father's day.

Handfasting

Congrats to Frankie and Freddie on their upcoming handfasting. This ancient rite has many differences depending on the religion. I may have taken a liberty in assuming it's the old british Pagan ceremony that is to take place, please forgive me. Paganism is, like so many religions, steeped in lore and symbology. It's on this symbology that I have based my card with tag. Frankie from Tag It On requested a theme inkeeping with where the vows are to be exchanged.....the garden. I'm not surprised - it's a gorgous garden.
Using a BP from Crafters' Companion as the main garden, matted onto gold for the male energy. I have added a few little extras.
Decoupaged Magnolia to symbolise "Love of Nature" backed onto silver which signifies the female energy. The magnolia is pieced so it links with the gold - Frankie and Freddie together.
The tag slips into a little pocket at the top. I used a tulip "Fred she said" digi stamp coloured red with PM's to symbolise "Declaration of Love". On the back I added an image from Tanda Stamp's fantasy and dragon range. This of course is Frankie. I plaited some red, green and black ribbons for the tie. There are a few meanings for the colours and I thought these colours were apt.
Black signifies: strength, empowerment, wisdom, vision, success, pure love, negation without reflecting, unlocking when stuck, banishing evil or negativity.
Red signifies: will, passion, strength, fertility, courage, health, vigor, lust, danger,
Green signifies: finances, fertility, luck, success energy, charity, growth, rejuvenation, prosperity, nurturing, beauty, health, ambition, counteract greed and jealousy, plants kingdom including herbal healing.

Nearly done....

The white and red roses on the base of the card signify togetherness and unity. This was a donated stamp from a friend and the origin is no longer visible. I inked the roses in red and the tendrils in black. Tendrils themselves signify ties, added a splash of colour with PM's.
The base is circular with a semicircle cut out for the stand. The circle itself being highly symbolic in many religions. One of the meanings is unity.
There you have it, complete with my ramblings. At least the reasoning behind my choices should be a little clearer though.











I am also entering this into this weeks Tellen's Place challenge "Going to the Chapel"

TIO Dragon's back

Acetate and Alcohol - that's the challenge this week over on Dragon's Dream, Tag It On. Our poor Dragon is at the moment sporting some impressive bruises c/o her recent knee op. So to welcome her back I thought a little celebratory tag would be in order - bottle of champagne, flowers and a slice of cake. Well I can't be there in person to give them so stuck them on a tag so she can at least see them.
On a piece of purple card I heat embossed a dragon (Tanda Stamps) in gold to represent Frankie herself. I roughed up a piece of thickish acetate and, after spraying with mica and painting some bubbles on, I stuck some appropriate bits taken from the papermania mens' celebration decoupage set I had given to me, and a couple of flowers and raffia to keep it all together from Crafty Feelings. I chose bruise colours to match the knee pics.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Frankie......

fathers' day

That time of year ...... fathers' day coming up. I always have found this kind of celebration to be hard, mothers' and fathers' day that is. Both my parents have been estranged to me several times in the last 35 yrs for various reasons so this is probably why. Nevertheless, I have managed to produce a card for Tellen's Place and Pear Tree Designs challenges this week. It's maybe a bit different from the "norm" - but then I like to do that. I won't bore you with any more of my life.....
I have used images from Tellen's Place , Murdra from the dark images selection as a "story teller" and one of the freebies that get given away. All other bits from stash with computer generated sentiments.

Pear Tree Designs and Flowers

There I was, happily putting together a card for Pear Tree Design's current weeks challenge when I realised it wasn't just flowers they required but a sketchy as well to go with it. OOPS. Luckily, nothing was actually stuck down. A few of the elements will do for another card, waste not want not, eh? Anyway, after a bit of moving about, changing this and that, THIS card was made.
I used a freebie image from Tellen's Place, paper from papermania and some from a mag freebie from aaaaagggeeesss ago, a couple of the flowers from Crafty Feelings, and other bits from stash. Bit of a rush job to get it done before work, but it's done.

Buttons and more Buttons

Here I am just waiting for any excuse to use my new Tanda Stamps from the Dragons and Fantasy range. One of the little groups I belong to has a twist to this weeks sketchy of "EASTERN PROMISE". Out comes this chinese dragon stamp which I heat embossed with pale blue powder onto pale coffee cardstock to compliment the colours of the digi BP I had. Then layered up (5) alternating pale blue and coffee card. - I did the same with the sentiment. The ribbon, buttons and flower are from stash.
I am entering this into the Allsorts challenge this week as they have a craving for buttons and/or lace. I'm hoping they like my buttonfest, and into Crafty Catz weekly challenge as there they are having an embossing week.

Don't mess with the Faerie

Alison over on Friends Having Fun has asked all the friends to make a card using the colours Hot Pink, Lime Green and Plum. These colours are great to work with and as I was asked to make a 21st birthday card by someone ...... might as well combine the two.
Using an image from that wonderful fantasy artist Selena Fenech, blooms from Crafty Feelings May kit, some digi papers and other bits from stash, this card was born. It's coloured using promarkers, with my new favorite - two toned voile - pieced onto a second set of wings and pieced on then to the faerie to give a bit of extra dimension. this was then layered onto plum coloured card, but with the light as it is on this dreary day, it doesn't show up very well. The sentiment is computer generated by me.
Also entering this into Bee Crafty's challenge for their "Blooming Marvellous" challenge and Tuesday Taggers for their "All That Blooms" challenge.

Tellen's Place

This is a bit of a rush job for my Tellen's Place entry this week I'm afraid. Had a bit of a disaster at home last night. The ceiling just outside my crafting room came crashing down covering EVERYTHING in dust. But if there is one challenge I do my hardest not to miss ... it's this one. The team are great and it's like one big family. Any way - enough of my misfortune - on to this replacement card.
This week I chose Auresha to be one of the stars. She is playing the part of hand maiden paying homage to the dragon - an image from Tanda Stamps Fantasy range. He's keeping his stash of skulls very close. These were cut out of the Tellen's Place Gorgon image (printed several times) and pieced on. With little Edward and Jessica having a rest on the hill side wondering what the noise is. The other world of fantasy being invisible to them being on another level.
The 2 patterned papers used are very similar but they are different. Edward and Jessica's level having pink petals floating down and the dragon's layer has been photoshopped to get the sky pink from blue.

Sleepy Hollow

Tim Burton and his films have long been a major source of enjoyment in my family. The kids were dragged up on them. The Burtonesque Dolls blog has been one of the blogs I have followed since it was first "on air" because of that. Unfortunately though, for one reason or another, I haven't always managed to enter their challenges. This week I am in time to enter my little offering because it's only sunday night. This week the highlighted work of Mr Burton is the film "Sleepy Hollow". The Dolls are teaming up with Tiddly Inks this week for their gothic challenge so am entering this card into both.
Using the odd digi stamp from Digital Doodling and silhouette images sourced from google, all pieced onto cardstock covered in two-tone voile. Depending on the light source the background is either black or red. I felt this would add to an eerie feeling.

Water Coloured Image

I am now a member of a couple of forums for crafters. The first, Craft Bubble, have helped me get to the level I am at now with my crafting. From a complete novice in Jan this year to being able to win a couple of challenges on merit not just a randomy thingy. The girls have highlighted various products and through the various challenges each week, I have expanded on techniques. This week's sketchy has a twist of "concentrate on the edges".
Well I don't yet own any distressing tools or ink so that technique is out. I didn't want a glittery card. Thinking cap comes off the shelf... I have this 2 tone voile fabric... and used it to cover the matting layer and then a 2nd layer folded back onto top layer of paper. All stitched and then stuck together. Depending on the angle of the light hitting the fabric it looks either red or purple - shimmery but not glittery. The image, 1 of my new Tanda stamps, I watercoloured for a change. The ribbon comes with the little beads and bobbles attached.
Keeping the sentiment off for the mo until the right time.
The other forum I have just joined is Smeared and Smudged. They cater for that side of me that keeps coming out ... the dark, Gothic, alternative side. Their guest DT for June, is Jennifer. She has tasked members to create using a water coloring technique. Well the image here is watercoloured so I might just go post it over there as well.
Also going to enter this into BBCS where the challenge is "Anything Goes" and into Tuesday Taggers for their "Touchy Feely" challenge.

Fairy Tale

Over at Rosie-D's this week they challenged us to make an item with a fairy tale theme. What better fairytale has been written (well Elf tale really) than the awesome "Lord of the Rings"?. OK it's for adults, but we have to have some fantasy in our lives sometimes. Using a couple of the images from the fantasy range from Tanda Stamps, I hope I have depicted Gandalf the Grey and Galadrial as recognisable. I apologise to the purists out there for giving Galadrial a crystal ball and not a bowl, but it was the nearest I had. She is in her little arbour of flowers ( mostly from Crafty Feelings). I stamped Gandalf in grey and coloured with promarkers, Galadrial is heat embossed in silver with just a touch of PM's for added colour. The trees have just a light dusting of glimmer mist for that magical touch. All mounted on pearlised green paper. Added some more rings round the edge just for good measure.





I am also entering this into Pear Tree Designs challenge as the request there is for flowers. There are just a few on here.

HDH Vile Vintage

This week over on Haunted Design House, Barb has asked for our creations to have a Vile Vintage theme. This got me thinking into our family past for some unknown reason. One of the ancesters is actually quite well known round this neck of the woods even though she died in 1704. Her name was Lilias Adie. There have been several articles published on the'net regarding her and some of her remains are kept in the local museum. She is known as the "Last Torryburn Witch". Well you can't get much more "vile vintage" than that. OK - I haven't got a real piccy of her but I used an old photo of some witches to symbolize her and her friends, Elspeth Williamson and Agnes Curie.
The other pics are from Art Freebies that I aged with a water colour wash. The rats are digi's from somewhere, sorry can't remember. All put together as a scrapbook page.

Birthday boy

It's coming up to that time of year again when I get to feel just that bit older. My eldest son is nearly 22. Where have the years gone? Well this year because I have started making cards instead of buying them - he gets one specially designed round him. He's been a skinhead for about 4 years now. The red DM boots, Ben Sherman shirts, rolled up jeans and close cropped hair look. He is also no angel, as many mums will identify with. When I saw this digi stamp from Cuddly Buddly, it reminded me so much of him I had to use it for his card. Had to be red, white and blue. He even has the union flag design for his bedding.
Dragon from Tag It On challenged us to make a tag with what ever was on our desk this week. Well among all the bits and pieces was the making of the card. I made it all smaller to fit on a tag. So we now have matching tag and card.
Tuesday taggers are requesting "cards for men" this week so I thought I might as well enter into their challenge as well. I'm also entering this into this weeks PolkaDoodles challenge as top and bottom of the card has been sewn and that is the wish of the team this week - to see some sewing on a card.
The beer glass stamp is on the back of the tag as it's just a bit big and I couldn't fit all the elements on to one face of the tag. Also found one of his old boot laces to thread through the hole.
Had to get a little fallen halo in there as well didn't I.