And there's more...

Here is another card I made with the Inkylicious Christmas tree flourish, this time in black and cream with red highlights.

I also used the Inkylicious damask background on the base card. The red glitter is applied over red tulip paint, so is 3d. The poinsettia on the corner is a Marianne Die and is just the right size to disguise an inky fingerprint! I am entering this into this week's Allsorts challenge where the theme is 'Oh Christmas tree' and this months Joanna Sheen challenge where the theme is With love at Christmas.
I also made a card for a dear friend who is leaving her job very soon.

  For this card I took my inspiration from the very talented Cath Wilson who made this card a few weeks back. I fell in love with it and had to have a go. The stamps are from Inkylicious set called Moonlight foliage, and the Music Background behind the plants is also an Inkylicious stamp, stamped in versamark before creating the background with adirondack inks and ink dusters. I managed to mount it on two Fleur de Lys squares which I cropped to make fit together as a rectangle. the embossed panel is made with a cuttlebug folder. Thanks so much for looking and for the lovely comments you leave. Only two more days before we break up - woohoo!

More Traditional Christmas at Stamping Sensations

Whenever I think of Christmas I think of robins... I think of robins all year round as well, but they feature very heavily on many of our Christmas cards. I thought I would make a CAS robin card for our Traditional Christmas card theme at Stamping Sensations.

The stamp is from Sheena Douglass and I can see I will use it lots! It may well feature on some gardeners birthday cards too, but with a different background! I used tumbled glass DI and my ink dusters to create the snowy background. The aperture was cut with labels 10 nesties and the sentiment was from Craftwork Cards. I used pinflair glue gel under the robin and the frame to add some depth. There is still time to get your entries in to the challenge blog, and I look forward to visiting you. Thanks for looking!

Age cards

I have been busy this week working on a few orders.My First card is for a colleague's son who turns twenty-one next weekend. He is a mechanic, so I went for a cogs and tools look. All of the images on this card were free clip art from the net, as was the font.

 The tools are novelty buttons that I've had in my stash for years.
My next card is for a lovely student I have in my class two days a week. She will turn Eighteen on Friday. For this one I used a computer generated number and then a Waltzing Mouse stamp for the fancy circle.

The roses and leaves were made with Marrianne dies, the border was made with my new Martha Stewart Doily lace punch (I wore out the old one) and the circles were cut with nesties. I used the Victoriana embossing folder on this one.
One of our lunchtime supervisors is fifty at the end of next week, so this next one is for her.

I cut out some numbers and used B&J soothing sunset, my ink dusters and a Fun Stamps paisley stamp to decorate them. The flowers and leaves were punches and the background was embossed with a paisley cuttlebug embossing folder, and the background paper is some I had printed out from an Artylicious cd, and just used a corner of it. The sentiment is a Waltzing mouse stamp. 

Finally I have a card for which I pieced together a selection of scraps and finished off with a little scene using Hobby art Scene it Tuscany stamps and coloured with Distress inks. I was rather pleased that you can't tell the backing paper was in five pieces and the corrugated card covers a big jagged gap!

The more I look at it the more I think I made a bit of a faux pas, as there is only one glass and two bottles of wine partially drunk! Apart from the first one I made all of these from scraps and snippets, so they are all eligible to be entered into Jules's Crafty Snippet Challenge.

Less is more - One layer Sentiment

Here is my card for this week's Less is More.

I used labels 17 and labels 4 nesties to make a mask, sponged with memento cantaloupe  then stamped with some tiny stamps from See-Dee's whimsical garden collection and tropical collection. The sentiment is from an Inkylicious collection called Sentiments 1. I couldn't decide whether to put it straight or at an angle. I went for the angle in the end, because it was easier! What do you think? Thanks for popping by x

Infrequent visits

Well, It has been nearly a week since I last posted and my visits to blogland have been sporadic to say the least. That's because I've had another week of late nights as our school panto did go ahead (despite the plummeting temperatures) a week later than it was supposed to, Commitments at Meg's school and shopping for parents/inlaws/ us. Anyway, now I've explained my absence, I'll show you what I've been up to when I have eventually got home.

 This first card is a variation on the one in my last post. I used distress inks (bundled sage, Victorian velvet and wild honey and then stamped over with a Woodware clear holly stamp in versafine black. This time I embossed with kaleidoscope embossing powder. I used stickles on the berries and added a sentiment (Paula Pascual) in a nestie circle with a punched border. I'm entering this into the Stampman challenge where the theme is Take 3 colours on a Christmas theme.

Yet another variation on the same theme I used broken china, chipped sapphire and dusty concord distress inks this time. I also used silver creative colour spray (Crafty Notions) which helped to blend the colours and give it some sparkle. I'm entering this into the Lots to do challenge, where the theme is Glitz

 The finishing touch on this one was a Marianne design flourish and a paper flower made using flower creations 3 shapeabilities (and more stickles!). I do like this colour combo!

Next is my 'simple card' for this year. I used a Marianne designs poinsettia die from Sir stampalot and a Crafts too embossing folder loaned to me by Lynne. I did use a bit of distress inks around the edge of the poinsettia, but there is no stamping  - not my usual thing at all, but okay I think! As it is so simple and quick I'm entering it into this week's Allsorts challenge where the theme is last minute Christmas, which sums me up! They are being sponsored this week by the Stampman and have great goodies on offer from Kay Carley .
I'm aiming to well and truly sort Christmas this weekend, so hopefully I can start visiting some more of your lovely blogs by next week. Have a great weekend and thanks for looking!

Valentine's Day

Here's my Valentine's card for Steve. I saw the Digi image on Fred She Said and had to have it! It comes with the sentiment You are better than chocolate... but to be honest it was a tough call! It's probably a bit girly but I really liked the humour.
I coloured it with promarkers and did the background with the Hero Arts Leaf Flourish (again!). I really must put it away and use something else!

A very quick one

I made yet another following the Allsorts sketch and using up more Laura Ashley papers - the contemporary collection this time. The stamp is another of the graphicus Big Flowers. I think the rest of these papers will be going into a future blog candy along with the LA stamps I bought to go with them. I've not used them at all and I want the space!

Allsorts Challenge - Pearls and swirls

Hooray! I've finally made an easel card! I must be the last person in Blog Land to make one! My friend asked me to make a birthday card for her Mum who is 91 at the end of December. She had seen my nesties frames card and got hold of a picture of her Mum aged 18 to use in the centre. I was intending to use my Crafty Individuals flourish and some flat backed pearls, so it fitted perfectly with the Allsorts theme for this week. the two later pictures I managed to take in daylight, but wanted to add a sentiment and didn't manage it until much later, hence the varied colours! The script stamp is also Crafty individuals. The Sentiment and small damask block are from Graphicus. The lace stamp is Impression Obsession. Most stamping was done with antique linen and tea dye distress inks. The papers on the frames are K & Co and DCWV. I managed to include more roses a la Brenda and used my Martha Stewart punch again! I'm rather pleased with the result. Why is it I have most mojo when I have least time?!
Thanks for looking!

Where did this week go?!

Here is my card for this week's Tuesday Taggers (no patterned paper) and it follows the sketch for this weeks Passion for Promarkers. I used marsh green and burgundy(again) with cool grey 1, 2 and 3, blossom, ruby, cinnamon and pastel blue. The digistamp is from Digistamp Boutique and there was much use of my nesties and cuttlebug. Not my best colouring, and I think it is something to do with the card I printed on. I can't seem to get the 'In 2 crafts' stuff any more. Wilkinson's have stopped selling it and are now doing the stuff from create and craft which is thicker and allows more 'bleeding'.
This week has been completely mad. There has been lots of staff absence at work, with those of us that were there  having to cover. There were three trips besides the usual swimming. We are rehearsing for the school panto and I've had two new children start in my class. I haven't seen the house in daylight all week and my craft table looks like a bomb has hit it. I've made three cards this week and none are up to my usual standard. I would love a three day weekend so I could just catch up a bit! Off to do some tidying... I might make a better job of that!
Thanks for looking!

Wonderful!

Yesterday Lynne, Megan and I went to Harrogate to the Great Northern papercrafts extravaganza. We had a wonderful day. The weather was glorious, the shopping was fab, we met up with a couple of blogging friends and we had a lovely picnic in the sunshine! It was lovely to meet Debbie and Lisa for the first time. I hope they are both getting some 'playtime' with new goodies today. I have spent a bit of time playing with my new stuff and have come up with two cards. The first features 'Funky Flowers' stamps I bought from the Stampman. I stamped onto the base card with versamark and brushed over with pearl pigments from Blonde Moments. I coloured the main image with my promarkers and added some diamond stickles
I'm not sure about this second card, but I am so in love with my Martha Stewart Doily lace border punch I wanted to try it out straight away! I did a happy dance when I found it! The 'Graceful Grasses' stamps are by craftwork cards. They are stamped onto paper that I coloured with adirondak colour washes.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what people make with their lovely goodies. Does anyone fancy an ATC or tag swap made with their latest goodies? Leave me a comment if you do.

Inspired by Robert

Last Friday we visited Once Upon a Stamp. Meg wanted some scrapbook supplies and I was interested in trying out the new Justrite stamp range. Needless to say I bought some, and this first card is a very simple make using the friendship set. The backing paper was from K & co. As you can see they fit beautifully into the nesties. On the walls and the counter at OUAS were some of Robert's works of art using Nesties as frames, and I had been meaning to have a go. Here is my effort.
The papers are from K and co, the sentiment is from Graphicus, The picture is from a Crafty individuals book (People and places) and the lace stamp is by Impression Obsession. I used antique linen and tea dye Distress inks to stamp with and to age it all. Thanks for the inspiration Robert!

A quick wedding card and look what arrived!

A workmate asked me for a wedding card on Tuesday- for this weekend! I had bought these lovely swirls and flourishes stamps(Personal Impressions) from hobbycraft last week, so decided to use them with gold embossing powder and some flat backed pearls. The sentiment was computer generated and cut out using labels 2 Nestabilities. I won't be doing any more heat embossing until the heatwave is over, as I had to have a shower afterwards!
I've been all excited twice this week - once when I won some super blog candy from Glenda (will post something as soon as it arrives!), and again when my parcel from Joanna Sheen arrived. I now have super organised promarkers. Before this I had a box that was rather noisy and I had wrecked two pencil cases by forcing the zip! At Joanna Sheen they sell the best value promarkers I have found at £1.59 each and P&P is free! I ordered on Sunday Night and they arrived at work on Tuesday - how good is that? It is so good to know I can find the right colour without tipping them out on the floor!

Still More Babies!

A good friend and workmate is on maternity leave and was due at the weekend. I prepared four images ready for putting on cards (2 boys and 2 girls), not knowing what she was going to have. Last night I stayed up too late, knowing her waters had broken and she had gone in to the hospital. This was the card I was going to circulate at work if she had a boy. However, contrary to what she thought, she had a beautiful little girl, 7lb 5oz late last night. They have called her Anna, and this is the card we are sending to her. I'll probably make another just from me, but not tonight. I need to get to bed earlier!

The stamps are from Pink Gem Designs coloured with promarkers and mounted on a variety of 'cuttlebugged', 'nestied' shapes. The sentiment is a See-Dees stamp and the 'baby girl' is a sizzix sizzlet. The peachy paper is from canon creative park (free download).

Ten lots of Ten - part 3

Here is my latest addition to the 10 lots of 10 project. This little owl and his branch (sizzix sizzlet) consists of 10 separate pieces of card. I used it with my cuttlebug. I wanted to make him a background (nestabilities), so used a brayer over a circle of paper. I sponged ink over the moon and stamped the trees (Artful Stamper). This too will be amongst my give aways, so feel free to leave a comment!

Ten lots of Ten - part two

Here are my next two additions for my 10 lots of 10. The first features 10 punched flowers. I stuck them on to a panel stamped with a couple of lavinia stamps and applied stickles for the centres. The card had been cuttlebugged and lightly brayered with shell pink Adirondack. My second card has 10 flat backed pearls along the left hand punched border panel. The stamp is a Lavinia stamp, stamped in Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze. I added a bit of diamond stickles to the stamped images. The card had been cuttlebugged with the Swiss Dots folder, and the papers on both cards were from the Butterfly bliss Artylicious cd. I also used my petite oval nesties - scalloped and plain.

These are very gentle on the eye compared to my first three offerings, but I'm aiming to meet all tastes! As I said before, all you need to do is leave a comment or become a follower and I will put your name into a draw to win the artwork featured and some blog candy (Rubber stamps, rainbow drops and whatever else I can lay my hands on!) Read more about my project here. Well, that makes 50 so far - 50 more to go!

A couple of birds and an owl

I spent yesterday evening assembling more pieces I found on my table. The brayered ink is Kaleidacolor Fresh greens, applied to the cuttlebug birds and swirls embossing folder. The bird stamps are from Graphicus, stamped in the same ink and brayered with only a hint of ink.

Both cards used my Nesties - labels one and circles for the first card and petite ovals for the second. This middle one is my entry for the Sunday Stampers Challenge 54 - Chirpy, chirpy cheep cheep!

The final card uses Kaleidacolor Calypso ink and the Owl stamp from the Graphicus triple birds plate. I used the paisley cuttlebug folder and brayered over with black ink. The greeting is Little Claire Designs using my petite oval nesties and a couple of flat backed pearls to finish it off. Thanks for looking!

What a week!

It has been a very eventful week at work, with governors meetings, work scrutiny (we looked at every child's English books right across school) and lots of staff succumbing to the tummy bug going around. I have been working late and not managing to do much, craft-wise. I was getting stamping withdrawal, so last night I stayed up too late, stamped this and have just finished putting it together. It uses 3 stamps from my mother's day present, the ISC Friendship plate. I coloured the whole thing with Distress inks in worn lipstick, broken china, tea dye and antique linen. I didn't quite get the shading right on her face, but I think she will do. Thanks Megan, I love my present! The frame was made using my labels 1 nestabilities. That face makes me feel so serene and destressed!

Birds and Flowers

I took my cuttlebug in to work this week so the children could make their Mother's Day cards. I was feeling quite jealous by the end of the session, as I hadn't had the chance to have a go myself! Here are the cards I put together yesterday evening after I'd got it out again at home. The top one uses the swiss dots folder, some paper I bought from Lakeland a few years ago, and my nesties (plain and scalloped circles).

The second uses stamps from Graphicus (triple birds plate), Nesties (circle and labels 2) and the birds and swirls cuttlebug embossing folder on a gate fold card.

Seed heads at sunrise...

I made both of these cards at the weekend and have been waiting to photograph them in daylight. The stamps on both are all Lavinia Stamps, except the butterfly on the base card of the first (Crafty Individuals) and the Greeting on the second (See-D's). The seedheads on the main image on both were clear embossed and then dotted with a little glitter.

I had brayered each circle with adirondack inks first, then stamped the background plants after the embossing. Not sure the top one works... Used my nesties again.

A couple of birthday cards.

I sat down to make a card for a colleague's birthday this afternoon. This is the finished article, which I'm pleased with. I used the cuttlebug to cut the nestabilities and emboss the circle. The flowers were from 'A bit more than...' at Edwinstowe and started life looking like this.

I made three flowers from two on the card. The background behind the nestie was stamped using Lavinia Stamps and Peacock Brilliance, using the blue and turquoise parts. Initially I stamped a background using my Versacolour Icicle pad, but it was the wrong shade of blue. I put it on one side, and used it to make this card. All stamps on this one are from Lavinia stamps and I used my 'nesties' again.