Funky Hand June Challenge

The Funky Hand challenge this month is to use the sketch provided to make something incorporating their products.  I always find sketches a useful sourceof ideas when inspiration disappears as it does for all of us from time to time.  This time I've used an image, sentiment and papers from their Wishes and Kisses range to make this anniversary card.  It's worth keeping an eye on their blog because members of the design team regularly post projects throughout the month.

Simply Stampin' Challenge 64

We've been given a sketch for the challenge this week on Simply Stampin' and I've used the Bright Blossoms stamp set which was a gift from Jenny at her recent SU Extravaganza Day (a fabulous day with so many inspirational projects).  Everything used on this card is from SU apart from the Nestability die used to cut out the embossed central panel and a dotty embossing folder used on the scrap of card across the centre.  Having a set of tiny stamps like this has helped me in my campaign to use up scraps too.

Make My Monday week 54

Well I have to say the theme from Make My Monday this week really has been a challenge for me - it is MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM but luckily they qualified it by saying that anything fairy/fantasy/dream related would be acceptable.  I'm not really 'into' fairies so don't have much in my stash which is appropriate but I did remember I'd bought a Polkadoodles CD called Sugar Plum Daisy which has quirky fairy images so this is what I've used.  One of the images was printed onto pearlescent paper and mounted onto a Nestability diecut; background paper was from my stash and I put a piece of whitewash Coredinations card through an embossing folder and sanded to show up the pattern.  Butterflies were cut from scraps using a Stampin-up Sizzix die; the ticket sentiment was printed from the CD and a few bits of sparkle added here and there.  Take a look at the MMM design team work as there some lovely fairy cards to see.

A Mystery

The final effect of this quilt was a mystery until recently because our quilt group had decided to go for another challenge where we receive the instructions piecemeal over a few months.  I must say this one was much simpler and didn't take as much fabric as our previous one but was enjoyable to make.  In fact I had the majority of it already in my stash and only needed to buy something to match for the backing and binding. It has finished up at 40" x 48" so not too unweildy to handle when quilting.  The greens and blues were a selection of batik fabrics which I've been wanting to use for a while - I also have batiks in other colours so might make another one at some point in a different colourway but first I have the quilting to complete on a small lap quilt made from fabric scraps.  This one is to be for the Linus Appeal and many of us make quilts for them during the year.

Sunday Stamper week 210

What I should have been doing this morning was mowing lawns because all the wet weather has made the whole garden explode into growth and the grass has reached haymaking proportions.  However I spotted the challenge today on Sunday Stamper and was sidetracked into making a masculine style card instead (no contest really!!).  The theme this week is 'This Boy' and anything male themed should fit the bill.  I started by preparing a piece of background card using Distress Stains and then overstamped with some stamps from Creative Expressions and the natty gent in the hat and quote are from the same sets, all with a vintage/steampunk/inventor style. The numbers were produced using a Sizzix embossing folder on a scrap of card and then sponging with Distress inks; the typewriter (remember those?? - I used to use one very much like this!!) was cut using a Sizzix die and the squashed bottle top embellishment which I made using a Tim Holtz sticker has been glazed with glossy accents but unfortunately being shiny it hasn't photographed too well - sorry.  Again I've managed to use up some of my smaller scraps for the details on this card.  If you check out the link you will see a brilliant male themed project by Hels.

Forgotten Friday

If you pop over to Judith's blog you will see she has made two wonderful nostalgic cards for Fathers' Day.  My contribution for her Forgotten Friday challenge is this card using more items from my oddments boxes.  The image was printed with matching backing papers from a Joanna Sheen CD and had been 'extras' left over from a project made months ago so it is good to see them used up.  I normally print whole sheets of backing papers and put several images onto a page to fill up the paper and then inevitably some of them get left neglected, sometimes for too long. The die cut border and the shape behind the sentiment were cut from scraps too and the Top Note diecut shape was one of several given to me by a friend (cut from some of her scraps) and with luck it went very well with the colours in the image.  I've had a brilliant crafting day out today at a Stampin' Up Extravaganza with Jenny (Stamping Moments) who produced some wonderful projects for us to complete - what better way to spend a cold and damp Saturday??

L is for Love - and Lace

Well it's time to post off my Alphatags for the swap this month and this is one of the months when we need to do three so as to fit all 26 into the year.  L for Love isn't the most original theme but I've used a stamp from the Chocolate Baroque Harlequin Rose set and coloured it red using Coloursoft pencils. The tag was cut using a Sizzix die from a sheet card which I printed with a love letters download (also from Chocolate Baroque).  The word was a CB stamp as was the strip of lace stamped onto vellum and white embossed before cutting out. Again apart from the printed A4 sheet, the rest of the elements on this tag started from my scraps boxes - of course I also now have a partial sheet of printed love letter to use up sometime!!