Yellow Flower

It seems ages since I actually made a card and I seem to have lost momentum so I'm planning a bit of a tidy up in my room and then really must get down to using up some of my stash.  For the moment I've decided I don't need to buy anything more and have managed so far to resist all the offers which arrive daily from the various companies I deal with - not sure how long that resolution will last!!  This card was made before the Christmas rush began and I used a Marianne die set which really didn't need  much more to finish it off apart from the flower in the centre which was layered up using three ready-made flowers with a large brad in the centre (all from Papermania)..  A simple greeting produced on the computer and layered onto Cuttlebug die cut shapes and a piece of toning background paper completes the layout.

This will be another fragmented week with a Bank Holiday in the middle and I'm looking forward to normal weeks which start and finish on the right day.  Wishing everyone all the very best for 2014.

Steampunk Theme

The STEAMPUNK theme this week on Make My Monday has been chosen by Suzi - well chosen for me at any rate because this is one of my favourite genres. I've used a backing paper from Papermania Chronology range; an embossing folder called Uber by Couture Creations and a stamp from Chocolate Baroque Steampunkery set - this is the first time this particular one has been inked.  The quotes are also from this stamp set and have been cut to resemble the 'chit-chat' stickers. The stamped image was cut out and the clock face has been layered for a bit of dimension. If you like this theme why not take a look at what the design team have made and perhaps take part yourself this week.

Elegant Ladies

The theme this week for Make My Monday is ELEGANT LADIES and I've used an Art Deco image to make my card. The image is from a Card Creations CD, as is the backing paper and the border.  The embossed panel was made with a Papermania embossing folder and the sentiment is a Papermania stamp.

Swirls and Pearls

The challenge this week for Make My Monday is SWIRLS AND PEARLS and I've used one of the lovely  images from Katy Sue Fabulous Shoes.  The swirls are within the image and pearls have been added to the ribbon.  Backing paper by Papermania has been in my stash for ages; border was cut using a Tonic punch; sentiment from the computer on a couple of Cuttlebug diecuts.  Lots of inspiration from the MMM design team as always.

Childhood Memories

This is the theme for the week on Make My Monday challenge and I'm reminded of many trips into town with my mother where we would visit the library or some of the many small shops in the town for supplies - no supermarkets in those days!  Each shop had a counter and one or more assistants who would serve us with items specific to their particular trade.  The buses were double deckers and of course we just had to climb the stairs to ride 'on top' and a conductor used to toil up the stairs to collect our fares. A double decker is a rare sight these days - around this neck of the woods anyway.  The stamp used is a Papermania one from the Forever Friends Nostalgia collection, coloured with Coloursoft pencils and I used papers from my stash to complete the card.

 

Challenge Card

Today's challenge card is for the House of Cards CUTE AND FUN theme and for September we have been given this colour scheme to use - they would like us to use at least three of the colours shown.

I've chosen a scarecrow image from Polkadoodles Seasons CD, coloured with Copics.  Backing paper is from an old Papermania pad and the central borders cut using Spellbinders dies.  Image was cut out using a Nellies die and I've added some flowers from my stash and a sprig of ivy cut with tattered Lace die.  A simple computer greeting was popped onto a stampin Up punched label.  Do take a look at what their design team have come up with and maybe take part yourslf.

Men Only!

There is a new challenge called The Male Room which launched today in which everything has to be male orientated - it seems male projects are the ones which people struggle with so it will be great to see lots of inspiration from the design team and of course the people who join in. For the first one they've eased us in gently with an 'anything goes' theme and for my card I've used a free stamp from Docrafts (Papermania) which has been stamped three times, embossed and layered for dimension.  I designed the background paper using various blend modes in Craft Artist so I didn't want to cover too much of it with lots of embellishments. I simply added a computer greeting with a couple of die cuts which I 'found' when tidying my work space.  I really enjoyed making the backing paper and was prompted to do this because Michelle has been on Create and Craft this week with Craft Artist pick of the week and seeing her demonstrations always fires me up to use the programme more. It is a shame really that there has to be so much 'waffle' in these shows rather than 'wall to wall' demonstrations but sadly that's the nature of shopping channel shows - after all they are there to sell!!

Bubbles

Some cool bubbles is what we all need at the moment although they do say that drinking bubbles (or any alcohol) isn't good in the heat.  This lady is relaxing in what I like to think might be a cooling bath anway.  Image and papers all from Papermania and I did some pen doodling to define the edges.  A Sizzix framelits die was used for the shapes and that's it - another card for the box.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever you may be doing.

Balloons

The theme this week on the Make My Monday challenge is BALLOONS  of any type so I have chosen to go with an olde worlde hot air balloon using a stamp from Crafty Individuals.  It was stamped twice and the balloon layered up after colouring the white card by 'mopping' up some mixed Distress Stains from a glass mat. Background paper is from the Papermania Chronology range and I've raided my bits boxes for other items to include - luckily I had this die cut clock, the scrap of card stamped with cogs and the ticket so was able to colour them with distress inks to match.  I stamped the words and cut them out to resemble the chit chat stickers so apart from the backing paper the rest of the card has utilised things I already had around - they just needed finding and putting together.

I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather although I must say that when you get really hot just sitting still it is a bit too much for me and I would prefer it slightly less warm - fussy aren't I??

New Challenge

There is a new challenge starting at The House of Cards and you can read all about it if you follow the link.  There will be opportunities to try out various techniques as we go along which should be great fun I'm sure.  This week they are asking for a cute and fun entry to include certain colours and I've used a cute pirate image from Polkadoodles which would make a great card for a boy - I've followed the colours as closely as I could without going out to buy any more coloured card. Backing paper is from my stash (Papermania) and the dark panel was embossed using a mask and then rubbed with metallic gilding wax.  Some lines were doodled around the edges for interest and a couple of buttons added in the corners. Take a look at what their design team have come up with and maybe have a go yourselves.

Home to Nest

I have to confess to being tempted to buy this set of tiny birdhouse stamps from the new Papermania Home to Nest range and they really are quite tiny especially the birds which are smaller than my small fingernail so I will have to be careful that I don't drop any of them into my waste bin - don't ask.  It happens!!  The colouring was done with Promarkers and Copics; background paper was from my stash overstamped with Tall Trees from Chocolate Baroque; Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder was used (inked with Distress Ink) for one of the layers and I punched a strip of daisies and the other bits and pieces from scrap pieces of matching card.  The daisy border is a punch from EK Success.

Sunday Stamper Challenge Week 250

This week is the 250th one on the Sunday Stamper Challenge - Ink on My Fingers blog - and the lovely Hels is offering some wonderful blog candy as a prize to a lucky winner.  Just look and see what is on offer. The theme always seems to be based on song titles, quite loosely so never a problem, and this time it is 'shiny happy people' so something shiny has to be incorporated, plus of course some stamping.  I made a shiny panel by embossing a piece of black card with a cuttlebug folder, spongeing it lightly with some acrylic paint and once dry it was rubbed over with Treasure Gold (actually copper), a Papermania Chronology urban stamp was used on card sponged with Distress inks.  Another panel of toning patterned paper was added along with some die cut cogs, also rubbed with the copper and finally some shiny gems were added for that extra touch of bling. The whole thing was layered onto a piece of Tim Holtz shabby vintage paper.

 and here is a photo of the brilliant blog candy

Good luck everyone

Spellbinders Gold

Well I was tempted to get just one set of the new Spellbinders Gold dies and went for the one which matches up with the original Labels Four.  Getting a perfect result was a bit of an adventure to say the least but I think I got there in the end.  These dies are quite intricate and they cut, emboss and deboss which seems to be what was causing me some problems.  I found I was having to put them through twice in different orientations to get the cut but my first attemps resulted in some of the  sections being only partially cut.  When I looked closely at the packaging I realised that these partially cut areas were in fact deboss sections (I think) and ought not to have cut at all.  I'm not sure I will invest in any more of these intricate dies - they seem to take ages to produce by the time the little cut areas have been pushed out and the little bits of silicone paper removed from the deboss areas.  I use silicone baking parchment when cutting some of the more intricate dies as I find it helps to release the card from the die once cut.

Anyway I eventually made a card with a couple of them using backing paper from Papermania, a stamp from Stampin' Up and two of the intricate die cuts.

Heat Embossing

The challenge this week on Make My Monday is to use heat embossing and there are some great examples on their blog and a wonderful mid week motivation project by Suzi B. For my card I took some text paper from Papermania and some of their urban stamps on the same theme along with a Marianne die cut leaf spray and built up a monochrome collage to which I've added some ladybirds - also an Urban stamp recently released.  The ladybirds were stamped in black and embossed, then coloured with alchohol pen; a Versamark pen was used over the coloured areas which were then clear embossed before cutting them out and adding them to the collage.  Words were produced with a Dymo label machine.

Make My Monday Challenge

I can hardly believe just how long it has taken me this morning to make a card - the elements here (and others) have been shuffled around so many times they must be dizzy!!  The challenge at Make My Monday is to use ribbon and buttons and I decided straight away to use the Memory Box die cut tree and some tiny Papermania buttons but it was the rest of it which seemed to cause me problems.  Eventually I settled on Nestabilities and some die cut corners combined with punched ones and a piece of spotty paper from my oddments box.  All I can say is that it is a good job I'm not paid piece work - come to think of it I'm not paid full stop!! I do this for fun.

Cheery Get Well

This is another bright card made using the free owl stamps which came with a recent magazine purchase.  Again I've raided my scrap boxes to come up with all the bits to die cut the layers and the striped backing paper is from a Papermania pad which I've had for quite a while. Luckily I was able to pick scraps to match the colours in the stripes.  Have a good weekend and I hope that the threatened snow doesn't materialise.

Inspired by Literature

I must say I really didn't like the look of the challenge on Make My Monday this week where they are asking us to make something inspired by a literary classic by Jane Austen.  English literature was my absolute least favourite subject at school and although I read a great deal I must confess that  I'm never drawn to any of the 'classics'.  However, as I was working on a card this morning it occurred to me that maybe this 'sit up and beg' bicycle is maybe reminiscent of a gentler era with its slower pace of life so maybe it will fit in with the challenge.  If I have a better idea later in the week I may try again just as long as I don't have to actually read the book!!

 Background paper is from Papermania capsule collection, a Couture Creations embossing folder has been used, the bicycle is a Memory Box die, mounted onto a Nestabilities label.  Sentiment produced on the computer and the bow was cut with a Die-namics die and embossed.

Make My Monday

Having completely missed the deadline for the Make My Monday challenge last week I was determined to get my card made in time for this WHITE ON WHITE Christmas card theme.  I used a piece of seasonal music backing paper - Papermania I think from a few years back and then embossed a tree using a cuttlebug embossing folder.  A piece of ribbon and a simple sentiment from chocolate Baroque stamped in grey and there it is - the adornments on the tree are in reality clear irridescent but they look pink on the scan, however we did have the option of adding one colour so maybe this will be OK. Do follow the link and take a look at the lovely cards from their design team.

Art Deco

This Art Deco lady stamp came free with the Docrafts Creativity magazine and of course I just had to have the deco embossing folder which went with the range - such a shame really that the stamps weren't sized so that the images fitted nicely into the frames!!  I had to resort to cutting the embossing through the middle and adding a strip of black card so that the image didn't completely hide the top and bottom of the frame.  That said I do quite like the effect of the black strip so nothing lost.  For some reason the scan has brightened the yellow colouring on the dress whereas in reality it is a more muted gold shade which tones well with the backing paper.

Stitching

The autumnal theme continues on Make My Monday blog and this week the topic is STITCHING - REAL OR FAUX.   I've employed a bit of artistic licence here and gone with the mellow creamy browns of the season and I'd say this Wellington Bear from Papermania has reached the autumn of his life!!  A touch fanciful maybe??  I went for the faux stitching with a stitch stamp from Creative Expressions - keep meaning to actually stitch onto a card but just don't get around to it somehow. Background and various layers are all Papermania papers and there is a layer of decoupage on Wellington (I try to keep cards fairly flat these days because of the postage costs.  Often people won't buy a card if they think it will incur extra postage.  There are some great Design Team cards on the MMM blog - well worth a visit.