Back again and a May challenge ;o)

Well I am back again after being MIA - I have been struggling to keep my head above water health wise so just don't seem to manage any blog posts which makes me quite sad ;o(  Anyway I am not here to moan but to share my little card for this months challenge over at Ladybug Crafts blog challenge ;o)

This month the theme is Get Well Soon (very apt for me right now) and the chance to win a £10 voucher to spend online.

I have used a cute Tatty Button stamp along with some Boho Chic design papers from First Edition both are available HERE

I used a Kraft card base and matted the papers onto some brown cardstock.  The papers are distressed around the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink.  Tatty is coloured with watercolour pens to match the papers and then cut out.  The flowers are made using some of the patterned papers cut with Crafter's Companion Die'sire flower dies, which are rolled up and have a little pearl added to the centres.  The fence is a Spellbinders Die D-Lite in brown card.  The sentiment is also Tatty Button and is stamped and embossed in orange pearl powder.

It's ages since I used Tatty stamps so I hope you like her - I think she's a sweetie ;o)

Don't forget to join in the challenge!

xxx

Spring has Sprung!!

Spring is here - not that you'd know it here in the UK as it's pretty cold here.  However, it is the 1st of April and it is time for a new challenge on my store blog Ladybug Crafts and the topic this month is Spring!!

I have made a card which uses Springy colours and a really funky Cockatoo by La Blanche - 

I stamped my image in Gathered Twigs distress ink and embossed with some holographic powder to give it a twinkle.  I added just a little colour with some distress markers. I used an 8 x 8 card base and matted and layered brown cardstock and some patterned papers which I had distressed and inked around the edges.  I added a piece of hessian behind the image and some silky crush brown ribbon which I twisted and looped along the bottom of the card.  I finished by doing the inside of the card to match.

Unusually for me I haven't added a sentiment yet as I can't really decide what suits the card, but I probably will add a sentiment before it goes for sale ;o)

I hope you love my laughing parrot and that you'll come and join in our Spring challenge this month 

xxx

Disappearing post and Craft Us Crazy challenge

Hi everyone - well I posted on Thursday with the new blog challenge for Craft Us Crazy and my post has disappeared- I am sure it was there but it's gone now!!!  So I'll try again.

This weeks challenge is;

Anything but a Card!

I just don't seem to have the time to make all the mixed media/home decor/art projects I want to do so it's nice to have a challenge which takes you away from cards etc.

We have a brand new sponsor for you this challenge....

owned by the lovely and sweet Sonia Kertznus

and please check out the SKDigis Blog

Sonia is offering a $6 VOUCHER for our winner!!!!!

I have made a little book type decoration wth some digi papers I have had for sooo long and I can't remember the name of them but I will scour my folders and find out and let you know (my computer is stuffed to the gunwhales with digi stamps and papers).

Anyway here we go;

I took the base card and made a book spine and added a concertina piece to give the display window.  I distressed all the edges and inked with Walnut stain ink.  The stamped sentiments are both Stamper Anonymous Tim Holtz.  The pretty birds on the inside cover were on the papers so really easy just to distress the edges ;o)  I added punched edges at the front to frame it and the little bird and butterflies were cut from the papers and then I added rock candy crackle paint.  When they were dry I went over with walnut stain (it doesn't show up great on the photos) which sank into all the little cracks.  I added a clasp at the side with a hitch fastener.  The ribbon was just some cream seam binding scrunched up and made into a triple bow.  Finally I added a dragonfly onto the front which is cut from a formable plastic - you just heat it and it goes soft so you can shape it.  I really like this and it is really quite simple to do but looks effective.

I hope you join us in our challenge this week

xxx

Ladybug Crafts March challenge

Happy 1st of March to everyone ;o)  The 1st of the month means that there is a new challenge over at Ladybug Crafts .

This month the challenge is - The Colour Blue.

Blue isn't a colour I use too often which was really the inspiration behind the challenge.  So I have got my spray inks out and my salt and I played to make some backgrounds and I have to say I really do love getting inky.  

Anyway, this is what I ended up with for this challenge;

I used radiant rain dabbers and also some dylusions and splodged (technical term!) them around on some white linen cardstock.  I then added lots of chunky sea salt and put them aside to dry.  Once dry I rubbed all of the salt away and was left with some amazing backgrounds - I really love this salt technique - the trouble is I run out of room to dry all the pieces of card that I have inked and salted so they end up all over the house!!  

I used an Indigo Blu Happy Birthday stamp and heat embossed it with black powder which had interference micas in it so it has a bluey/green sheen to it which I'm not sure is picked up in the photos.  I took some more of my backgrounds and made some little paper roses.  I added some silky crush ribbon and glued the roses on top and added some die cut leaves.  Really quite simple but I love it ;o)  Because there is mica in the inks I used there is a real glimmer to the background.

I hope you like my salty background too.

xxx

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes!!

Hi everyone - well this is the last day of February so on to March and a really early Easter - talk about time flying!!  Anyway it is time for another Craft Us Crazy challenge.

Our challenge theme we have for you is everyone's favorite... ANYTHING GOES!! So come and color us inspired or let us celebrate your holiday with you!!! And don't forget to check out the awesome prizes being offered by the ever so talented....

owned by the lovely and sweet Krista Smith

and please check out the Saturated Canary Challenge Blog

Krista is offering TWO DIGI STAMPS to one of our winners!!!!!

I have used one of Krista's stunning images for a shabby, distressed type of card but I kinda like it!!

I have used the beautiful 'Isabella' stamp and coloured her in with Copic markers.  I have used some papers from my stash that I had in a bargain bundle and added some Core'dinations card to the background too.  I distressed the edges and added ink in Barn Door and Gathered Twigs.  I made the flower with the Tim Holtz tattered florals die after spraying my paper with Dylusions spray so it matched and layered them up and used a hitch fastener as the centre.  I used a Blossom Bucket heart by Studio 490 to hide in the flower ;o)  The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.  I added a few pearls in the corner and did the inside of the card to match.  

Please pop over and join in on the challenge for a chance to win a couple of fab digis (You can't have enough Saturated Canary!!)

Back soon

xxx

Craft Us Crazy challenge

 Hi everyone, well it is time for the Craft Us Crazy challenge again!

Our theme for Challenge 37 is USE YOUR FAVORITES!!! Be sure to let us know what your favorites are!!

We have a great new sponsor for you this challenge...

well, it is a difficult one to choose my favourite as I have so many and they tend to change on a daily basis!!  So I have used a few of my favourites on this card including using dies and making faux flowers;

I used a black 8 x 8 base card and cut out a large circle aperture and added acetate to cover it.  I then used patterned papers from Kanban to cover the card front.  The butterfly is a Tim Holtz alterations die (Fanciful Flight) which I cut out in black and for the stained glass effect I used some clear packaging and added alcohol inks to make a mottled pattern.  I stuck the butterfly onto the 'glass' window of the card so that the light will shine through when the card is standing open.  I used spellbinders to cut the foliage and also the flowers which I covered with microbeads before rolling them up. I heat embossed a sentiment and added this to the top of the card set on some more Spellbinders shapes.  I did the inside of the card to match including sticking some foliage over the back of the aperture to cover up and glue.  I then added a few gem swirls on the front.  Finally I added some faux stitching with a metallic marker.   just love the contrast between black and purple and I really love the butterfly ;o)

Don't forget to join in our challenge this week, we love to see what you make too!

xxx

Using up my stash!

Hi all, well it's a pretty dreary day here and I am still recovering from some horrid flu type bug so am feeling a little fragile.  Anyway, I thought that i should probably start to use my mountains of craft stash rather than just keep adding to it!  My favourite thing is rubber stamping but I also have lots and lots of other paper crafting things that I have bought in the past thinking 'well I could use that', and 'oh I love that' and my favourite 'well it's too good a bargain not to buy' LOL. As a result I can barely move in 2 craft rooms and with all the other crafting things I do (knitting, sewing, painting plus a multitude of other things I have on my to do list) I really need to use some of it - plus I think my husband may divorce me if stuff piles up too much more!!

So I thought I would share a couple of small projects using some Tilda stuff that I have had for an age (although it was really hard as I just love the paper pad LOL).  The first thing is a card;

Different for me as there is absolutely no stamping, plus there is no matting and layering - just the papers which I edged with an alcohol marker.  I just love the floral brad in the corner (that was difficult using that - I really don't want to use the others I have now - what if I need them for something in the future and they're all gone????).  Anyway, I love these colours so thought I would do a little gift bag along the same lines;

Again no matting, just the edging with a marker.  I really liked these but they've been bought now so I won't get to keep them (am I the only one who finds it hard to part with the things they've made?  It's not that I think they're amazingly brilliant - I think it's just because I spend so much time on some projects that when they get given away, or sold etc it's hard to think that someone may just throw it away).

I hope you like my Tilda things - However, I still have mountains of stash to use so have lots to do!!

xxxx