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Wednesday 30 July 2014

How Old?


I made this card with two challenges in mind, Visible Image July challenge - anything goes using Visible Image stamps of course, and the DCWV July Stackaholic challenge for which there was a sketch.

This is the sketch which I turned upside down. I used the All About Boys DCWV stack for my card, and I thought the cowboy papers went so well with  Silverheels from Visible Image, which I bought from That Craft Place in the sale, bargain!
Tonto is coloured with Promarkers, his hair came out ginger in the photo, I was trying to go for darker but with a red tint and clearly failed! I also coloured the fire and hatchet with Promarkers.
How is cut in grey board from packaging to which I stuck copper slug tape, yes slug tape! Normally this stops the slugs from eating the plants in the pots is it around, not this year! Anyway I thought it was so pretty I could use it on cards somehow. I think it would emboss well too.
Old is cut from brown textured card, all letters are die cut with Sizzix Lollypop alphabet dies. I cut some smoke puffs using a speech bubble die from a Papermania set.
The train is punched from red card with a Martha Stewart punch. The card blank is an 8"x8" Card Craft scalloped blank.

Challenges entered:
Visible Image - July anything goes
DCWV Stackaholic challenge - sketch (Aug 4th for top 12)
Addicted to Stamps - #106 Anything goes (Wed - 10 challenges)
Art By Miran - #11 anything goes (winners 15th Aug)
Creative Fingers - #44 anything goes (Fri)
Fussy and Fancy - #119 Words (winners 15th Aug)
Graphit Markers - July, Hot Colours (Aug 8th)
That Craft Place - anything goes (Sun 3rd Aug)

Sunday 27 July 2014

Further down The Quirky Silk Road....reminder

For my first reminder card, at the Quirky Crafts challenge blog, I used Lucy Loo Fire Dancer from The East Wind. I printed her in two sizes and this was the largest, she is still very intricate to colour and I think she needs to be bigger still!
I coloured her with Promarkers, added a bit of Spica pen to the flames for sparkle then rough cut her out to go on the dark background. The paper is more (other side of red double sided) Papermania, and so are the stickers.

This card has burned its way into the following challenges:
Graphit Markers - wk#30 Hot Colours (8th Aug).
The Paper Shelter - anything goes (5th Aug)
Paula Holifield Crafts - It's Magic (July)

For this masculine birthday card I used Junk Boat from Squigglefly with Chinese Happy Birthday from Squigglefly also. Both are coloured with Promarkers and I added a few waves with a white Prismacolor pencil.
I die cut the Junk Boat after marking the part that came outside the die which I cut around manually afterwards.
Paper is Papermania, and it has a slightly metallic sheen. The sentiment is not straight but the Affixit tape is so instantly permanent that I daren't try and peel it off to straighten it! I added a Chinese coin charm, might be Woodware.

This card has sailed into the following challenges:
Creative Fingers - #44 anything goes (8th Aug)

I thought I should show you the first prize for this challenge, it is so good!

Just look at all the goodies you can win from That Craft Place!
If you come second or third you can win some digis from Squigglefly or The East Wind, both sponsors have highly desirable digital images.


Sunday 20 July 2014

A very worthy cause


I just found out that Victoria was doing the race for life today, despite her own physical problems she wants to raise money for Cancer Research having lost her father and brother to it.
As some of you may know Shaun had skin cancer and had it removed earlier this year, he was one of the lucky ones and will have to have checks regularly for years to come. So I was happy to help Victoria. 
If you donate by 11:55pm tonight you can enter for the candy as well.

The Silk Road - its Quirky oriental!

Monica set us the challenge to make something oriental. We have two sponsors at Quirky Crafts and they both have great oriental characters and sayings.
My first card is made with Mewshu Pork cat from Squigglefly, with Chinese thank you also from Squigglefly. I coloured them both with Promarkers and a gold Spica pen, and fussy cut them before sitting the cat on top of the sentiment box. The papers are a Make Me pack of Han-Ji papers of two designs. I added a doubled tassled cord to finish. When I tried to tie on the cord I found I had stuck the cat and sentiment on totally the wrong way round so had to cut the panel out again and mount it on another card blank, so easily done!

This little cat slurped his way into the following challenges:
Squigglefly - over the edge (closes today)
Incy Wincy Designs - strings and things (Mon/Tues)
Graphit Markers - #28 Christmas colours (ends 25th July, winners #30)



My next card features Lucy Loo Bookaholic by Unky from The East Wind. She has such beautiful hair, and it is so so long (and full of wildlife)! I coloured her with Promarkers and die cut her with Spellbinders long rectangles. The papers and embellishments are by Papermania, and the ribbon is Crafty Ribbons. Normally I would keep the two sponsors apart but the Chinese proverb about a A book is Like a Garden.. from Squigglefly, which I cut out with a Spellbinders book die, was so perfect for this image - I hope I am forgiven!

Lucy Loo has read her way into the following challenges:
Incy Wincy Designs - strings and things (Mon/Tues)
I love Promarkers - Girls, Girls, Girls - (Wed)
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - for the birds (bird and nest in her hair) (Fri)
Creative Fingers - anything goes #43 (closes Fri)
Charisma cards - anything goes (23rd July)
That Craft Place - anything goes (Sun 3rd Aug)
Open Minded Crafting Fun - vacation related (I always read lots on vacation) (Aug 9th)
I am thrilled that Pam picked me as her favourite, it means more to me than to be randomly picked for a prize!



Monday 14 July 2014

Crazy Quirky Christmas cat lady back again.

As promised, here are some more variations using Ike's Art Cracka Cat (see previous post). This time the cat is Siamese, and the papers are magazine freebies. Ribbon by Crafty Ribbons. Layers are die cut with 
Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers.

I tried to make this one a tabby cat, don't think it worked! Tinsel ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, Poinsettia is punched and embossed with Nellie Snellen punch and emboss sets and I added some tiny gold beads tothe centre. Layers are die cut with 
Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers. The papers were freebies with a magazine and the tree lights are Woodware embellishments.

I used more of the paper inside.

 Last one for now, and this one is supposed to be a black and white cat. Tinsel ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, freebie papers that came with a magazine, and punched silver bells. Layers are die cut with Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers. The papers were freebies with a magazine and the tree lights are Woodware embellishments.

So that is it for now, I have two more to colour - which colours I wonder?

Hop on over to Quirky Crafts and enter your Christmas cards with die cuts or punch outs now!

These beauties have purred their way into the following:


Art by Miran - anything goes (Fri)
Left of Centre - add sparkle (Fri)
A gem of a challenge - animals (Sat 19th July)
Glitter and Sparkle - anything goes (Sun)
Christmas Card Challenges - Colour/anything goes (Sun)
Charisma cards - anything goes (24 July)
Graphit Markers - Christmas colours (25th July)
Creative Fingers - #43 anything goes (Fri 25th July)
Polka Doodles - add a twinkle (25th July)
Crafty Boots - Christmas in July (July)

Sunday 13 July 2014

Christmas in July - that's Quirky crackers!

I'm turning into the Christmas cat lady I think! It's Quirky Reminder time, we are sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps and this is one of the great images that Stitchy gave me to use, and it is called Cracka Cat by Ike's Art.
I coloured the image with Promarkers and Trias, die cut it (well the challenge also requires die cuts or punches - or both, but I don't need an excuse to die cut), and the green card panel and paper panel. The papers are by Kaisercraft, I used the matching all over pattern inside the card.
The gorgeous ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. I die cut holly leaves and berries with a Sizzix die to finish the card.

This cat card is just one of 4 variations, I have run out of time for now, am late for the challenge post anyway - and I need to go walk the dogs, and cook dinner or the other way round, so check back later and my cat collection may have grown!

Now hop on over to Quirky Crafts because we are Die-ing to see what you can do!

This little kitty played with the following:
Cute Card Thursday - pretty papers
Christmas Card Challenges - colour challenge (Sun)
Graphit Markers - Christmas colours (Fri 25th July)
Creative Fingers - #43 anything goes (Fri 25th July)

Monday 7 July 2014

Bauble cat - take 2!

I was so ashamed of Bauble Cat card number one due to the awful highlights on the bauble and the too dark colours, it's below a couple of posts, I almost didn't post it and if it hadn't been for the challenge and if there had been enough time before it went live I would have ditched it and made another.
So here is my second attempt and I am really happy with this one, same as before Ike's Art Bauble Cat was supplied by Stitchy Bear Digital stamps who are sponsoring the Quirky Crafts Challenge this time. The challenge is Christmas in July with dies or punches (or both). 
I die cut the cat with a Spellbinders Heirloom Bauble die and coloured the image (made the cat Siamese this time) and bauble with Promarkers. The papers are DCWV, and gold card are also die cut with a 5" x 7" card maker die set, and the poinsettia is also Spellbinders. The pine branch is, as before, punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The Let it Snow ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. Finally I added a red bow and some flat back pearls.

Again I decorated the inside to match, the card blanks are poor quality so I am hiding that a bit with papers.
This card will be perfect for Mum and Dad who have a Siamese (called Katy, although she is a very slender cat not like Ike's cat), who loves watching snow on TV.

I forgot to say today is my birthday! Also I now have 100 followers, so I think I might do a little candy soon!

This card purred its was into the following challenges (max 10):

WINNER at Ike's World Challenge Blog - Christmas in June (7th July)

Tuesday Throwdown #207 - anything goes
Addicted to Stamps - Make your mark (Wed)
Pile it on - #27 add flowers (winners on Wed 16th)
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)
Art By Miran - anything goes (winners 18th July)
Bunny Zoe's - Layers (July 14th)
Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes (26th July - last Sat in month)
Cards Galore - use a digi (month of July)
Die Cut Divas- buttons and bows (month of July)
~~~end~~~

Sunday 6 July 2014

Sweet little robin.

I made this card for my Daughter-in-Law's birthday on Friday. The image is from a set by Digi  Stamp Boutique (called Pretty Garden Flowers available at £1.75 sale price at the time of blogging), and you can place any of the cute animals on either of the two backgrounds and you get a number of cute sentiments too. I coloured the image with Promarkers and die cut it, and the layers of purple and lime green, with Spellbinders labels one and scalloped labels one.

I mounted it on a 6" x 6" scalloped card blank from Craftwork Cards, then die cut a ribbon slider with a Spellbinders die and stamped the Hero Arts greeting in purple, before threading it onto purple polka dot chiffon ribbon. I kept it clean and simple because that is what she likes, and just stamped a greeting inside.

This little robin has flown into the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - things with wings (Tues)
Papertake Weekly - anything goes optional Christmas (Tues 8th July)
Addicted to stamps - #102 Make your mark (Wed)
Pile it on - #27 add flowers (winners on Wed 16th)
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)
Chocolate Coffee and Cards - Summer Days (Fri 11th July) 
Bunny Zoe's - Layers (Month of June, ends 14th July)
Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes (26th July - last Sat in month)
Cards Galore - use a digi (month of July)
Digi Stamp Boutique - use a Digi Stamp Boutique digi (31st July)
~~~~end~~~

Die-ing for Christmas in July is Quirky!

Lyn set us the challenge of Christmas in July at Quirky Crafts, with die cuts or punches, and then couldn't find her die cutting machine! I thought I was bad!
Anyway our sponsor is the great Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps and as soon as I saw Ike's Art Bauble Cat I thought of the idea of making the bauble cat into a bauble too, but my attempt at "lights" for shine have failed miserably and look like dirty patches that I forgot to colour. I used Spellbinders dies to cut the paper panel, bauble and poinsettia and a Martha Stewart punch to make the pine branch. Papers are some old Papermania ones, and the ribbon is from Crafty RibbonsI added a few flat back pearls to the centre of the poinsettia. The bauble and cat are coloured with Promarkers and I added some sparkly Mod Podge over the top. I am already working on another version, this time a Siamese cat!

Inside I die cut two panels from the paper and a smaller bauble in white to write on.

I know it isn't the greatest but I have entered my card in the following challenges:
Ike's World Challenge Blog - Christmas in June (7th July)
Tuesday Throwdown #207 - anything goes
Crafty Ribbon - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)
Pile it on #27 - flowers (Sun)

Tuesday 1 July 2014

I'm Quirky well late for the reminder!

I'm late for the reminder, but I will tell you why in a minute.
I decided to use Grafitti by Paper Pretties for my reminder card because the stencils I used went with her perfectly. I enjoyed playing with my new spritzer to achieve something approaching an air brushed look, or trying to, so I played with it again. It is funny that I ordered this from Create and Craft - first thing I have ordered for a couple of years - and they rang me afterwards and tried to interest me in joining their club at £80 per year on free 3 months trial, it was difficult persuading them I really didn't want to do this!
Anyway back to the card, I printed out Grafitti on white card twice, cut one out for a mask and applied spray repositionable glue, when it was dry I dabbed it on my arm a few times so it wasn't so sticky then stuck it over the image. Then I used a Creative Expressions "That special touch of..." mask of a scene with clouds, a sun and roof tops - perfect to go with a new rainbow. I taped it down and used my spritzer and three colours of blue Promarkers to spray the sky, then two colours of yellow for the sun, and a darker blue for the house windows.
Without removing the first stencil I put a Prima raindrops stencil over the top and spritzed grey through it - you need some rain and sun to make a rainbow after all.
Then I removed the stencils and masks to reveal the image (thankfully intact) and coloured it with Promarkers. I didn't colour it first in case the stencilling went wrong, I would rather throw it away without having done all that colouring (or rescue it maybe but that wasn't necessary). I cut it out and matted it onto dark blue leather effect card, added one of the sentiments that comes with the image and a piece of ribbon, sprinkled with glitter to mop up any stray DST!

Paper Pretties is one of our three sponsors at Quirky Crafts this time (the other two are Limited Runs and Robyn's Fetish), and all you need to do is use a stencil or mask or feature a mask or masked character on your project, or cheat like Lyn!

I have entered the following challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes

Creative Fingers - Anything goes #41 (Fri 4th July)
AllSorts - Summer Girls (paint a rainbow) (Sat 5th July)
Pile it on - outdoor fun (Sun 6th)
That Craft Place - anything goes (Sun 6th) with blog hop
Paper Pretties - follow your rainbow (Wed)
Coffee, Chocolate and Cards - Summer Days (Fri 11th July)
Ditzie Digi Designs - anything goes (Sun 13th July)
Fussy and Fancy - Summertime (closes 10th July winners 18th)
Graphits Markers - anything goes with an alcohol marker (Winners 18th July)
Crafting at the weekend - anything goes (Month of July)
Cards Galore - use a digi (Month of July)


So why was I late? We attended a fete for Canon's House in Devizes yesterday, I spent all week making Aunt Sally then getting stuff ready for my stall, and all day there yesterday. Canon's House is a short stay respite home for disabled children and is a wonderful place for them, and it really needs some funds to do parts of the garden up and buy equipment.
I think it was the 40th anniversary, I could be wrong, anyway the theme was the 70's and the scarecrow trail.
 These are a few quick cards I finished off, I had already done all the ribbons in the apertures and just needed to stamp them with the Doodlebug stamps I was using.
Shaun, Mum and Dad looking for jobs when we arrived.

Dad sweeping the front path, Mum supervising!

In the front room some of the scarecrows waiting to go to their places, I know this guy! 

 Princess Leia with Olive, the scarecrows were in pairs and people bought a form and went round trying to identify the characters to try and win a prize.
Batman with Fred and Wilma.

I have no idea who these two are, many people felt the same but one girl told me she was certain they were Torville and Dean, I was thinking Dolly Parton!

Darth Vader not wearing his helmet - just chillin'!

 The chainsaw carver who was at the fete, was here last year too and made this for the home from their own tree trunk, it is fantastic! (He will be there next year as well).
This is the back of it, it says Tree Pirate.

This was my stall set up, Mum supervising again!

I bought myself a wire card stand which arrived just in time, last year I borrowed some cardboard stands but I think they have gone from the shop now. I actually have my entire card stock here due to the committee not approving of any of it for the shop, although it has been selling in the shop until recently! I decided to have a special offer - buy 5 for the price of 4. As it happens I sold the grand total of 4 cards which was a big improvement on the 1 card I sold her last year! If I had had a 60th birthday card and silver wedding anniversary card I would have sold 6! But never mind - it was an enjoyable day and lots of people came to look and talk and loads of them liked my cards.

This was the surplus craft supplies side of the stall, I had a buy 3 for the price of two offer here but only sold a couple of things, and you can see Mum shopping - yes she bought £5 worth and got her freebies. I didn't really expect to sell anything much - I didn't last year and it isn't really the right place but it got me to sort it all out.

Aunt Sally joined Worzel Gummidge on the swings!

 These guys were behind us, Charlie Brown and Snoopy I presume.
 70's costumes were on display, this bric a brac stall had some real bargains - I bought a book, and a pineapple peeler, then a bag full of choo choo trains for Kenny, and a couple of books for Kenny too!
 Sonny and Cher snuggling on the tree seat in the front garden.Erny and ???? maybe, Sesame Street I think!

 Scooby Doo and Shaggy, bit spineless but then they were! They are sitting on the wheelchair swing.
 There was candy floss and sweets as well as a stall selling that awful slush stuff, and hot dogs and burgers, no hog roast this year. In the background you can see the fairground organ. Later on the Major Wrecks performed and there was a marshal arts group performing and marketing their classes.
 Winnie the Pooh and Piglet in front of the cream tea stand.
 Here is the Chainsaw Carver with some of his gorgeous creations, hard to believe that something so intricate can be created with a chainsaw!
 I'm Popeye the Sailor Man..... (with Olive Oyl).
 One of the chainsaw carvings, I love this!
 Do you think they are Torville and Dean???
Batman and Robin, Robin seems to be a bit bigger than Batman!
 Another 70's diva! This was the silent auction, there were some great things on offer including the hairy rug and child's desk set. We bid and won on two theatre tickets and something else. We bid and lost on a lot of other things!
 More disco divas, this time doing the raffle draw, amazing prizes here such as a trampoline, a Kindle Fire, and Chris won a Charles Wothington Big Hair thing, sort of hairdryer - well it could be a Christmas pressie for someone who needs one!
 Disco Diva Tina collects her rug from the auction.
I missed some of the scarecrows in the sensory garden, Miss Piggy was still here but Kermie had left at this point.
Look at the view behind!
 Are these those two cleaning ladies, Aggie and someone?? I think one of them looks just like Alan Carr!
 Miss Piggy making her way back to the house.




















This was a very friendly dog who was with the steam organ people.