Tim x 10 Grand Give-A-Way Challenge: Day Two

Yep, that prize is getting closer to being in someones crafty space. Over at Stampin' Dymonz Creative Space the challenge for day two is to make a tag using a masking technique. Today's theme is "Busy Bees" and your design must incorporate bees in the layout. The tag must also have some type of sheen/shimmer.
Well, I'm all out of "bee" items. The one piece of craftyness stash which have bees on it has gone walkies. So I substituted a quote "To Be Or Not To Be" stamp. Close.
The Tag itself was masked off around the outside with post-it notes, and using distress inks, I sponged mustard seed, rusty hinge, barndoor and spiced marmalade in the "hole". {Original idea from Craft Stamper (October Issue - Designer Joanne Wardle)} The stamp is a friends I borrowed, this was stamped on the tag with forest moss DI. The little quote is from a set from Cherry Pie, Plate 20, writers.
The swirl has been created by masking the tag with the offcut from a swirl die cut and sprayed with copper glimmer mist.
All finished off with some twine matching the colours of inks used.

Tim x 10 Grand Give-A-Way Challenge: Day One

Over at Stampin Dymonz Creative Space there is an AWESOME challenge started. The prize is a brand new Tim Holtz Vagabond. To be seen to be believed.
10 days of challenges. Full deets on the blog.
Day One is to make a vintage tag, Nostalgia being the theme.
This is my project.


The tag itself is from stash.
Onto this I stuck some vintage looking paper, torn on all edges and aged linen DI sponged on the edges. A scrap of old netting, some little flowers and to top it all is an old "Stampin Up" image. Stamped using Arondack Latte and slightly coloured with pencils, blended with m.o. Edges torn and again, aged with old linen DI. Three little cream coloured pearls stuck on the bottom.
A piece of old string as the tie.

This has been entered into the challenge over at
Crafts and Me - Vintage.distressed

Alone In The Dark

It's been too long since I indulged myself with a bit of Haunted Design House FUN. Well this week there's no work - part of my annual holiday leave, so I had me a playtime set aside.
Alone in the dark is the theme. I had an inkling of what I wanted to do before I went to bed. Bits of my brain must've been talking about it as I slept........ then woke me up with a start. Time to get to get up and make the idea become reality.
The image is from Wild Frog Creations. The plate came with 2 sizes. Just what I needed. The bigger image in the middle and 5 little ones.
All coloured in using different mediums. From plain CS to paint to promarkers to DI.

I forgot to take a picture of them before putting into the circular shadow box I made. Colours are purples, blues, black and greys. going from lights to darks.




The shadow box was constructed with black paper and CS from stash, different batches so different colours.



I added "The Watcher" from Delicious Doodles. Printed onto white and coloured with the same colour DI as before. This fitted my theme perfectly as well as being the sponser this week.









The words "Alone in the DARK?" and "Not with all the voices in my head" were computer generated and distressed with black soot DI.




I am entering this into the challenges

Haunted Design House - #86 - Alone in the dark
Delicious Doodles Challenges - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
Lexi's Creations - Anything but a card

Christmas in Black and Silver

What better way to spend those quiet times of Easter than making a few Christmas cards for the stockpile I will need. There're close to 100 that I will need to make between now and then so felt this would be a good use of my time.
The first two I have are simple in black and silver.
The secret slider was inspired by Tuesday Morning Sketches but I missed the closing for that. These things happen.

First up





















I stamped the tree images over at a friends house so am unsure of the origin. I think they were "stampin up" but forgive me if I'm wrong please.

The others, I picked up in our local knitting shop in the bargain bucket. They are not named.

The snowflakes were stamped and embossed in silver on black c.s. The backing is textured silver card.


Second card
Using the same tree stamp and following the sketch over at Christmas Card Challenges.
Using the off cuts of the card above with some silver ribbon for one layer. Some silver embossed vellum that was a charity shop find. Layered onto some silver flecked black paper, then onto a matt silver C.S. base.
The snowflake is an X-Cut cut and emboss punch. You can just make out the silver peeloff I used that says "Merry Christmas"



















There are a couple of challenges that these fit into
1st Card
Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - Fancy Folds
Winter Wonderland Challenges - Silhouette
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Emboss It
Creative Craft Challenges - Embossing

2nd Card
Christmas Card Challenges - Their Sketch

Play time for me

It's Easter sunday and most people have had family round. Eaten too many chocs and other sweeties. It's been very quiet here, thank goodness. I have a really bad cold (almost like flu) and could not raise the energy to do much. So I coloured in a few images, when the eyes weren't too runny, or slept or just wandered round blogland.
Sweet Pea Stamps Blog have been having a little blog candy easter give away. Today the challenge is to use "candy wrappers" on a card, as well as a Sweet Pea image. Well, not too many chocs have been consumed here today. But I did treat myself to a Mars bar. So used that.

The background is brayered and some gold foil (left over from Christmas I think) letters cut out. All stuck on red CS. Had to be red as Mars is "the Red Planet" after all.
The image was coloured with pencils.
So this is my effort for that mini challenge.

A child's tag for Easter

Well, Easter is almost upon us. Last finishing touches to be done. A simple tag done using an image from Just Inklined, Dusty Rabbit. It's a freebie right now. so hop on over.

Coloured with pencils and attached to an oval shape pale green cs base that had been previously adorned with 2 oval shaped papers from stash.

I made some "carrot beads" from strips of orange paper using some embroidery floss for the leaves. Some small lengths of ribbon to attach the tag with.

Even my 22 yr old son reckoned this is a "cool rabbit". So somethings done right.




A couple of challenges that I'm entering this into
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge - Recipe - 1 digi, 2 papers and 3 embellishments ("carrots")
4 Crafty Chicks - Easter
Papercrafting Journey - Use a freebie
Paper Romance - Tag It

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Anyone that has visited my blog in the last couple of weeks will have seen my projects for the Smeared and Smudged April blog hop. I mentioned there that there was one image from the Smitten Set left over. The card here is using that remaining image.

I followed the sketch over at Midnight madness this week because it just seemed to fit.

Plenty of distressing, some torn paper (from stash), stitching, some pleated old lace, taken from a dress I had once upon a time, and a length of ribbon looped up and held in place with a button. Some punched paper flowers and pearls.

The image itself is coloured with promarkers.
Distressed with tattered rose DI and stitched onto layers of lilac and biege that had also been "aged"

The whole thing layered onto brown cs to tie in with the stripe and then onto a cream cs base.

There are a couple of challenges that I will enter this into

Midnight Madness #100 - Their sketch
One Stitch At A Time - Make It Sassy
Truly Scrumptious - Vintage
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Crafty Purple Frog - Texture and Ribbon
Delicious Doodles - Anything Goes

A Special Birthday

My D.I.L. to be is to be 21 in a few days time. I thought I'd better knucjkle down and make her card. Well it had to be something a bit different. It's not every day one turns 21. I went for a square card with a difference. Nothing too flouncy, she's not that kind of girl. Probably why we get on so well. We have very similar tastes.
The "square" is not immediately apparent until looked from the top (or bottom).

The little boxes will be filled with some little pressies. A pair of earrings etc. They are origami folded boxes, made from pale blue paper, stuck on some white pearlised card. The card itself is so pretty when the light catches it, I didn't want to cover it. You can see here the small pieces of velcro I used to keep it shut.






The outside is a bit more ornate. Only a bit. I basically followed the sketch for the challenge over at the Outlawz forum this week.

I chose 2 SweetPea images. Coloured them both with sakura pencils and blended most of them with M.O.
A touch here and there with glamour dust for just that bit of sparkle.













It's difficult to show all 4 sides at once
But I hope you get the idea. When closed the "Happy" sits with the "Birthday" wording.
The wording and numbers are from stash. As is the ribbon.
Five seperate lengths stuck on. There are little flower buttons and pearls as well.


The leaves are stamped images. Stamped with green ink onto the same apple green c.s. used to back the images. A touch of green stickles for a bit more sparkle.


The challenges I am entering this into are
Outlawz - Their sketch
Flutter by Wednesdays - Open
The Paper Variety - Use a Number

Sassy Design

Ok, This was not on my agenda; but when a friend asks if I'd make a card for her daughter's upcoming birthday! What can you say?
I used the freebie over at Sassy Studio Designs over at Papercraft Planet a few days ago and the current sketch over at Midnight Madness to make this card for her. The sentiment might seem strange - but that's what Mum wanted. That's what Mum gets.
The colour recipe is from Wags 'n' Whiskers, pale Pink, Green and Black and White. Charisma Cardz Challenges have a very similar recipe of Pink, Green and Black.

Using papers from stash, bronzed black, dark pink and a mottled green. The back panel was punched with a MS punch and the top was cut using a LOTV template. The green stripey paper was a freebie in a recent mag.

A little bit of pink lace with a pearlised button up top and some swirls created with pink pearls and white "diamonds"

The image was coloured with promarkers. The background is grey promarker with fine green lines drawn on.


All this was backed onto pale pink CS base.



A couple of challenges I am entering this into

Midnight Madness MMSC99 - their sketch - Although I know it won't win - The DT don't seem to visit those people not in their "special club" that they pick the winners from.
Sassy Studio Designs - Use the image
Wags 'n' Whiskers - Colour recipe
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Colour recipe
2 Sisters Challenge - from bingo card - punch/diecut/lace/swirls
Bling It On - Digi and Bling

Purple Sweet Pea

Choose my favorite colour. Create using a Sweet Pea image. That's the challenge over at In A Sweet Pea Dream. Come back here mojo.
This card actually took less time than my previous card. I guess cute and girly is not going to be a regular thing.
An aperture card.
Purple and black are my favorite colours, so that's the colours chosen.

I followed the sketch over at Jac-Inks Papercraft
for this one.

The patterned paper is another from my charity shop find. Layered onto a plain purple paper. The hole cut out and some black organza ribbon to create 9 square panels. The aperture hole was edged with bronzed black c.s. that I had sewn some gathered lace onto.






inside, the design is mirrored, with the addition of some more black organza sewn on round the edges.
The circle behind the image is the same bronzed black as the front.
The image itself, coloured with pencils and the dress, hair and skin blended with m.o. The wings I left "feathered". A touch here and there with glossy accents to highlight. The border is promarkers in graduating shades of grey.






A couple of challenges that I am entering this into

Jak-Inks Papercraft - Their Sketch
In A Sweet Pea Dream - Their recipe - Favorite colour
Delicious Doodles - All stitched up - include some stitching
The Secret Crafter - Include some stitching
Crafty Purple Frog - Texture and ribbon
Crafts and Me - Use ribbon

LOTV

Out of my comfort zone ...BIG TIME.
Over at the Outlawz forum this weeks POM challenge was to do try a new technique or product. Well I had a couple of these LOTV images stamped up from a few weeks ago when I went to stay with a friend. Time to give them some colour. That part was ok. Then what to do with it? After a couple of ideas were slung on the back burner for another time, this card was eventually made. I could feel my mojo getting closer and closer to the door. Not a nice feeling.

Following the sketch over at Inspirational Card Sketches, some rainbow BP with two panels of acetate, came embossed with butterflies. Both sheets were in among a charity shop find, so no idea on the origin. If I were to guess, the acetate would be hunky dory. These panels were edged with narrow d.s. tape and some white glitter rubbed on. The pink organza ribbon and fibres are from stash. All this was mounted on a pale green c.s. base.
The image. Coloured with sakura pencils and blended with m.o. A dash of crystal stickles on the head band. Cut out using a LOTV template.
Backed onto dark pink then green papers from stash.

The sentiment also is LOTV . Again backed onto pink and green.
A MS punched butterfly to finish.

I hope the little girl this is destined for likes it.




I am entering this into the challenges over at
Outlawz - POM Challenge
Lili of the Valley - Birthdays
Inspirational Card Sketches - their sketch
Simon Says Stamp - Card for a child

It's Nearly Easter

Firstly, my apologies for getting this posted late. Issues with my pc are to blame.

Now onto this weeks challenge for Tellen's Place.
Time to put the finishing touches on all your cards and gifts. Tellen's Place is making it really easy this week. Some sort of Easter project is what we want to see. Something that depicts Easter for you.
The other Divas have made some marvellous projects, so don't forget to go visit. This is mine.
I borrowed the idea for the basket from Lauren over at CMLI group on "the CraftBubble". Thanks Lauren.



Isn't it cute?




































And inside .....





Who knows how many are going to be left by next week?

So come on people - get those projects linked up so we can come see please.

I am entering this into the challenges over at
Simply Create - All about Eggs
C.R.A.F.T. Challenges - Easter
Delightful Challenges - Easter

April Blog Hop for Smeared and Smudged

That time again. I squeezed in some time to be able to join in this month.
For anyone not in the know, Smeared and Smudged is a forum for those of us who like to work "out of the ordinary". Alternative, Vintage, and Gothic Art Rubber Stamping. The home of Smeared Ink stamps.
This is my offering. I worked with the digi set "Smitten" but didn't measure things up quite right and one image has been left, coloured in but no place to go, for the moment.
The challenge was to use Metal in there somewhere but not brads or eyelets.
My first project is an altered tin. It was a money box. Hubby broke into it when it was full to take the pennies down to the bank for my grandson's a/c to be topped up.

All images are coloured with pencil and blended with m.o. ink distressed with tattered rose D.I. and stuck on with and coated with mod podge. some old ribbon top and bottom.











Another image I used for a card. The metal here is some "hat pins" and a "lobster/crab pot" with a little metal peg to secure the sentiment. The images here are coloured with PMs. The winged hearts are from another Smeared Ink set, Heart Wings. Generous amouts of DI and copper mica spray to give that "fly spotted" look. Some lace on the hearts panel.


This card is to be offered into the Smeared and Smudged Card sketch challenge.

The rest of the gang will have some more fantastic eye candy for sure. the hop list is
Terra
Kelli
Lady Brayton
Black Dragon
Alison
Kapree
Alex
Sugar
Jane
Kymberley
Croms - that's me
Paula
Tori
Lisa
Tiffany
Diane
Steph
Judi
Don't forget to go visit them all

Challenges I am entering this into
Truly Scrumptious - Vintage
Smeared and Smudged - Sketch challenge
Digital Tuesday - Use a female image
Dream Valley Challenges - Things with Wings - a whole panel of winged hearts here on the card
Ellephantastic Challenges - Anything apart from square or rectangle = Does a round tin count?

getting long in the tooth

One of the guys at work has a birthday this week. It's my contribution to the kitty to make a card. I love it. This time it's for a guy that is actually older than me!!! I couldn't believe it either, lol.
He is the joker on the team and I know he'll appreciate this.


The image is from Bonibleaux Designs and the sketch followed is that of DudeTime Doodles challenge this week.
Hopefully here you can see the heavy use of glossy accents and silver gel pen for the chrome. The image was coloured with promarkers with a chalked background with just a couple of stamped trees to give dimension. This was layered onto red miri to match the bike.

There is an embossed panel in russet red.
The BP is from a RAK some time last year.
The teeth are left over from halloween last year and just seemed to fit. They were threaded on with waxed cord and knotted. The sentiment is computer generated by me. Ink distressed and backed on red miri to match. The whole thing on yet more red miri then a white leather effect CS base.

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Dude Time Doodles - Their Sketch
Make It Colourful - Coloured sky

Just 4 U

A tag. For a change. Using a Ching Chou Kuik Sweet Pea stamp. (Black Rose Fairy) coloured with promarkers.
Destined to go on an Easter pressie, hence the yellows.

The base tag was embossed with a flowery plate with the oval that had been ink distressed with spiced marmalade DI.
Yellow organza ribbon, some daisy flowers, glitter and pale green heart gems all on the main tag.
Some threaded homemade paper beads onto yellow embroidery silk with some sparkly filament and another little collection of beads together with more yellow organza and some sparkly gold ribbons and a 2nd little tag made from a punched flower using scraps of the paper I made for a previous card with some tiny padded flowers stuck on.

A couple of challenges that I am entering this into
Do You Stack Up - Follow the yellow brick Road - my 3rd and last entry
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Anything but square
Crafty Emma's - Monochromatic
One Stop Craft Challenge - Monochromatic

Sunflowers (with a difference)

The other stamp set I got from Wild Frog this month is the subject of this post. One of those "got to have" stamps. For me anyway. I luurve frogs (among other things). So this stamp was destined for my collection. I decided to go bright and colourful on these.

Coloured with promarkers with DI to highlight. Mounted onto gold miri. The sentiment from TLC. Again mounted onto gold miri. I followed this weeks sketch over at Outlawz this week.
The corners have been cut out with a MS corner punch, moved in a bit, to reveal the red base CS. Some gold fine line peel offs were used to give the illusion of more gold miri.

The second card features ladybirds. again bold and bright.

This time in the shape of a shaped easel card. The sentiment again from TLC.
I followed the recipe over at Desert Island Crafts. The challenge is to use at least 3 from a list. Challenge #5's list is

1. Ribbon
2. Glitter
3. Birthday theme
4. Bow
5. Dots
6. Pearls
7. Child image
8. Balloons image
9. Bright colors
10. Easel card technique

I have chosen ribbon, bow, bright colours, and easel card technique, so 4 of the options here.
The layers are a brayered paper using yellow into orange, orange CS onto green CS. The ribbon and bows are yellow organza. This also adds some glitter to the card! I covered the lone ladybird that is on the stamped image with a ladybird button to make it standout.

I am entering the following challenges
card 1
Outlawz - their sketch
Do You Stack Up - Yellow Brick Road - Use a lot of yellow

card 2
Desert Island Crafts - their recipe

Crafty Purple Frog - Shape up - anything except square
Do You Stack Up - Yellow Brick Road - Use a lot of yellow (3 entries allowed per challenge)
ABC Challenge - R for Ribbon

Just a little bit of Sparkle and Lace

Yep. Sparkle and Lace is the requirement for this weeks challenge over at Tellen's Place this week.
Eazy peazy. Right? Any sparkly stuff and of course we all have a bit of lace in our stash. Time to give it an airing and make some sort of crafty object for us. The other Divas have gone wild in their own way and have made some wonderful projects. Please go look. This is mine.

I made the background using my brayer. But now can't remember what colour inks I used. I rubbed over the whole sheet with a light gold ink and blended that in to give it some more sheen and sparkle. Then using green stamped some "seaweed" in (Lavinia Stamps) adding some glitter in small sections. The tag was cut from the same paper as the main body, so you can see how much sheen is on it. Some added beads and pearls with ribbon to decorate.
The images are from Tellen's Place of course. Both coloured with promarkers and fussy cut out. Some added sparkle on both. The tail of Nell was given the appearance of scales by cutting and sticking on tiny pieces of lace.
Top and bottom of the card - more lace (I stuck some d.s. tape under this and rubbed in yet more glitter) and sparkly gold ribbon. All mounted onto gold miri and white CS base that I rubbed just a touch of the same gold as on the front.
There we have it. Now I'd like to see what you can make please. Just add it to Mr. Linky over at Tellen's Place and we'll all come see and leave some luuurve.

I am entering this into the challenge
Outlawz - Promarker - used other mediums as well
CCEE Stampers - Use doily and/or lace - lace used here
Delightful Challenges - Sun Sea and Sand - well this is under the sea
The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Imagination

A few months ago I was visited by a lovely lady and fellow blogger, Shelley. She owns Wild Frog Creations. The stamps are quirky, like me. I finally had a few pennies "spare" to buy a couple of the stamps. It was such a hard choice, whittling down to just the two in my budget this month. This is one of them, made into a card.

I followed the sketch over at Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog. It is a lovely, uncluttered sketchy. Just right for this stamp.

I coloured it using pencils, blended with m.o. The colours governed by the colour challenge over at Outlawz forum of pale blue, purple and creamy white. This was mounted onto creamy white c.s. after smudging the edges with pale blue pastel and the very edge rubbed with purple.

The BP is purple flowers printed onto vellum, backed with a plain pale cream plain paper. The panel is the same design printed in pale blue onto more vellum. A creamy white frame added.
Some "birds" added made from pale blue and purple quilling paper. The sentiment from the same stamp set was stamped onto some plain pale blue vellum.

The whole thing mounted onto pale blue pearlised C.S.

I am entering this into the challenges over at
Simon Says Stamp - Their sketch
Outlawz Tuesday Colour challenge - pale blue, purple, creamy white

Embalmed Embossing

Terry over at Tellen'sPlace Designs thought she'd got this challenge all sewn up. Along comes Lynx aka Blackdragon and changes the goalposts. Now we're to feature embalming in our projects.
Well it is 1st April after all.
So embalmed embossing it was. In this cubbyhile at least.
Another page in my art journal. Lots of different techniques here.

Heat embossing for the question. Dry embossing for the tiled floor. The images of course are all Tellen's Place Designs. The Mummee image is printed onto fabric for more of that bandaged look, and coloured with promarkers. The doc is coloured with pencils, blended with gel pen for the chain.
The background is leather effect matt silver for that laboratory look. The bottles of embalming fluid and the old post mortum poster have been aquired from the 'net. Slightly distressed with DI for that aged look. The other posters are covered with crackle glaze. The rolls of bandages are made from gauze.
Now we're not really asking everyone to join in on the embalming, though it would be cool if you did, but we would like to see your embossed projects please. Don't forget we have that fab prize of Tellen's Place images for the winner.