Catching up - Penny Black tree

I had stamped this Penny Black tree and heat embossed it, then die cut it with a Spellbinders oval die a number of times. I found this gorgeous die cut sentiment using a new die I bought earlier this year which is an IO die. Decided they were perfect together - but then I couldn't find the die to cut some more! I spent hours looking until the early hours, resulting in only two complete cards that evening.

I searched for that die again the following night, and gave up and used some Xcut dies instead. Not as pretty but another 6 cards ready!

I have entered the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturdays - Christmas (Dec)

Vintage Stamping - Trees (Dec)

Simon Says - make it sparkle (Wed)

Pile it on - Winter/Christmas (9th Jan)

Polkadoodles - anything goes (15th Jan)

Awards:

Crafting by Designs - Here comes the Holidays (Dec)

Life's too short.....

I love the sentiment that comes with this Itty Bitty red rubber stamp from Unity. I've often been tempted to start a blog called the lonely sock club, in which I would photograph all the odd socks that end up on my dressing table waiting for a friend, some wait forever - where do those odd socks go?

Anyway I wanted to enter the Unity Challenge (and I have) and this fortnight there is a choice of layouts or/and colour combo - see below. I know I have used green too, but the other colours are from the combo, and I used the sketch. This is much brighter than my usual cards I think. The socks were coloured with Promarkers, Happy Birthday is cut with an IO die, the panels are cut with Spellbinders dies. Papers are by DCWV and were chosen to fit the colour combo and the twine is Tim Holtz paper string.

Inside decorated to match.

I have entered the following challenges:

TTCRD - anything goes Aug 4 - 10

Glitter and Sparkle - anything goes (Tues)

Papertake Weekly - anything goes (Tues)

Inspiration Destination - #45 anything goes (Wed)

Addicted to stamps - #156 anything goes (Wed)

Unity - Be Inspired Jul 9th - Aug 13th (winners 18th)

Creative Fingers - #89 anything goes (Fri)

Chocolate coffee and cards - #87 frame it (Fri)

Fantasy Stampers - lots of layers (Sat 15th Aug)

Our creative corner - Mexico moods (4th Sept)

Do you have a guardian angel, maybe a Quirky one?

Two cards for the Quirky Crafts reminder today. My first has a Sweet Pea image by Molly Harrison called Orchid of the Night , it is so beautiful. I spent several hours colouring it with Promarkers and drawing (doodling) in the veins on the wings, then going over them with silver Prismacolor pencil, and the stamens. Then I die cut the image and mounted it on silver mirri card. Only then did I spot a huge streak of purple (well huge for the tiny face) on her face just above the chin!!!! I tried the ivory I had used to blend it away but she ended up with a very rosy face. In the end I used white pencil on top and hope it looks ok now.

The card blank is folded from sparkly glittery purple card, I added fibres and two star charms to the fibres. The sparkle sentiment was a freebie from Sweet Pea Stamps, and Birthday Wishes is cut with an IO set. I added gems for the dots this time.

My second card uses Strength Fairy from Bugaboo, and this sums up what I have been going through lately. It would be good as a canvas to put on the wall too, or a door hanger. I had a lot of trouble with ink bleed on this one, and her tummy had ended up looking bruised sadly. She is coloured with Promarkers, die cut with Spellbinders dies. The tag is also a Spellbinders die. I added a bow eyelet and fibres. The paper is DCWV cup cake stack.

To see more fabulous examples and to play along with us - hop on over to Quirky Crafts Challenge blog.

These two angels have flown into the following challenges:

TTCRD - anything goes May 12-18 (Mon)

Tuesday Throwdown - add a doodle (veins on wings)

I love Promarkers - flowers (Wed)

The Paper Shelter - charming (Wed)

Little Miss Muffet - many layers (Thurs)

Creative Fingers - #80 anything goes (Fri)

Polkadoodles - things with wings (Fri)

Allsorts - No squares allowed (Sat)

Sentimental Sundays - cute or funny sentiment (hope the sparkle one is cute)

Pile it on - not cute (Sun/Wed)

One Sweet Challenge - things with wings (30th May)

ABC challenges - J is for Jewels (31st May)

Top 3/4/5 or won:

Blue and Purple challenge at:

with the Sweet Pea angel.

Have you seen a Quirky Angel?

It is Quirky Crafts challenge time again, and Monica set us the theme of Angels  among us because our two sponsors have such a lot of beautiful angel images.

Our sponsors generously provided the team with all the images they can use.

My first card is made with an image from Sweet Pea by Rachel Anderson called Angelic. 

I kept it delicate with pale colours using Promarkers and turquoise Graph'it markers, and used pale pink and blue pearlescent card stock. The pretty panel behind the angel is cut with a Spellbinders die, as are the image, layers and sentiment and layers.

The sentiment was a freebie from Sweet Pea, part of a set of four. I found the perfect pink ribbon in my Crafty Ribbons box, and even found an odd angel charm (thought I had some but could only find this one which is perfect).

I think this card would work as a birthday card and in dark gothy colours - I might have to try that now!

Our second sponsor is Bugaboo, and I chose to use Christmas Words - Angel but to make a girly birthday card for someone's "little angel"! Everyone thinks their little girls are "angels" - right?

Have you ever used a digi or stamp for something other than it's intended purpose?

Again I coloured her with Promarkers and the same colours pink and turquoise, this time adding in purple and some Stickles for some glitter. The papers I used are Tatty Teddy papers by Papermania.

The chiffon polka dot ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. Words die cut with IO die set and I lost the dots again so used some gold star beads instead which go with the image.

Pssss .... want to see some more angels? Hop over to the Quirky blog now, and I hope you will come and play along with us.

These cuties have flown into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - anything goes, no patterned paper (Tues)

Passion for Promarkers - relaxing (Tues)

Simon Says - lets get sentimental (Wed)

TTCRD - anything goes May 5th - 11th

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)

Graph'it Markers - something square (Fri)

Inspired by Stamping - IBSIC #93 (Fri 15th May)

Left of Centre - Bling (Fri)

The Stamping Boutique - die cuts (Fri)

Allsorts - more than one die cut (Sat)

My Time to Craft - Sympathy (Sat)

Sentimental Sundays - Really Girly or Mother's day 

The Ribbon Girl - anything goes/shaped cards (Sun)

Little Miss Muffet - lots of layers (Thurs 21st)

Polkadoodles - things with wings (Fri 22nd)

Crafts Galore - anything goes (May)

One Sweet Challenge - things with wings (May)

Are we there yet? Still on the Quirky journey!

This is my card for the Quirky Crafts reminder, you have until Saturday 9th May midday to come on a journey with us. Any sort of transport will do, and a horse is transport too!

This is Buddy Time by Coosty Creations available from our sponsor Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet. I coloured the image with Graph'its (browns and turquoise), and Promarkers then die cut it with Spellbinders label 1 matted onto the scalloped and grand versions. The charms are the only ones I have like this, I took the loop off the bottom of the horseshoe. The sentiment is cut with an IO stamp set, I always loose the tiny "dots" for the i, so added one with red Stickles.

The ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons, the horse silhouette ribbon is exclusive to them.

Inside the card I punched out horses from around the panels, the white panel has a punched out horse in the top corner.

Mum has a birthday soon and she used to go riding until a few years ago, so this will be perfect for her, and she is the "Special Lady" for Pile it on and One Stitch at a Time!

Come on a journey with us at Quirky Crafts.

This card is trotting into the following challenges:

Crafting from the Heart - anything goes 57 (Mon)

TTCRD - anything goes May 4th

Addicted to Stamps - Make your mark (Wed/Fri)

Crafty Ribbons - 118 anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)

Cute card Thursday - use a sentiment (Thurs)

Graph'its Markers - ribbon or lace (Fri 8th May)

Pile ít on - for a lady (Sun/Wed)

One Stitch at a time - anything goes with a special lady (Sun 17th)

Cards Galore - anything goes (May)

Challenges won/top 3:

Sentimental Sunday - work it out 

We are going on a Quirky journey today!

 Myriam has challenged us with a transportation theme this fortnight, any sort of transport will do and it doesn't have to have wheels. Our sponsor is Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet, and they have provided the images the team used. I used the Designated Driver pack, which includes the main image, two or three different papers, and a few different tickets with sentiments.
I thought I could make a thank you card for my Dad who has driven us to hospital a couple of times which was quite stressful for him at his age to deal with city roads and traffic, and diversions! It is not alcohol related but I wanted to use the Designated Driver ticket because it is cute.
I coloured the image with Promakers and cut it, and the mats behind it, out with Spellbinders card creator dies.
I used the background paper from the pack that didn't feature bottles or glasses, but it has the driver image repeated all over and is coloured already. I added some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, and some cute car buttons (with the shanks cut off) to the inside because this is an easel card. The glasses were in a button pack too.

The word thanks is die cut with an IO die. I used more of the paper inside the card.

Fully open you can see the map fragment I added.

If you want to see some more great examples or if you want to play along with us, hop on over to the Quirky blog now, and you could win some great images from Stitchy Bear.

This card has motored into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - cute as a button (Tues)

TTCRD - Anything goes 27th April (Wed/Sun)

Coffee, chocolate and cards - use a die cut (Fri)

Graph'it Markers - ribbon or lace (8th May)

I was honoured to be asked if this card could be featured on Crea8tive Cindy's Manly Monday post.

A Quirky sketch

It's Doris' turn to set the Quirky Challenge and she has given us a sketch to use, or you can include hats - or both!

I used Sugar's Doggies from Ditzie Designs for my card - 50% of the profit goes to the Manchester Dog's home, and is an image I purchased a while back. I coloured her with Koh I Noor pencils, first time using them. I vaguely remember buying them and they must have been in a sale. I only have limited colours but I found that I can blend them beautifully with Sansador. I don't normally colour the whole sky but this image has cloud paw prints so I really felt I had to show them up, the blue was a little dark so I tried to lighten it by added white and blending it in. Sugar is a rag doll so she can have green hair if she wants to. One of the little doggies looks like one of mine, the one in her arms is like Alfie the Mini Schnauzer.

I think I need more colouring practice with these wood free pencils.

I die cut the panels with Spellbinders and the word with Impression Obsessions dies.

I don't have a hat so I followed the sketch. The paw print ribbons are a Crafty Ribbons exclusive.

Here is the sketch.

Now hop on over to Quirky Crafts to join in the fun, and maybe win one of the great prizes from our sponsors: That Craft Place, Meljen, and Ditzie Designs.

I have entered the following challenges:

Crafting from the Heart - anything goes #52 (Mon)

Darlene's NBUS - NBUS (31st March)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)

Allsorts - feature a creature (Sat)

That Craft Place - Easter/Spring (Sun)

Double birthday

It was Dad's birthday as well as my brother's at the weekend. I had to make some quick cards because we are still dashing around to hospital appointments in between emergency call outs to Mother in Law in the night, and sorting out her carers etc, and not telling her all that is going on so we don't worry her.

We bought my Dad a couple of duck sculptures from the National Trust shop a few weeks ago, it is hard to know what to get him really, but I had this stamp in mind. Oh Duck is by Sheena Douglas, I haven't used it before on a card but I remembered I had stamped sheets of it (I hoped I remembered correctly - I did phew!), and after searching through 3 boxes of stamped and printed images I found it (might have been quicker to stamp it again lol). I added a bit of colour with Prismacolor pencils, a bit of manly ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and die cut Dad (Spellbinders) and Happy Birthday (Impression Obsession). Unfortunately the words ended up decidedly crooked and the the permanent Xyron sticker adhesive was unforgiving so they had to stay wonky!

My Brother's card, he asked me if this was because he lives in S Wales (hadn't even crossed my mind, it was a toss up between this and the Silly Moo image). This is also a Sheena Douglas stamp, again the words are wonky and you can see the adhesive - I did rub a bit more off before I gave it to him. I used more of the masculine ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, and die cuts by Spellbinders and IO dies as before.

I have entered the following challenges (rubbish entries but you have to try):

Creative Card Crew - Easter Critters (Tues)

TTCRD - anything goes week of 24th March (Tues)

Addicted to Stamps - make your mark (Wed/Fri)

Crafty Gals - anything goes (Wed)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)

Creative Fingers - #73 anything goes (Fri)

Stamping Sensations - for the guys (March)

More Quirky Inspiration

 Just a quick reminder and a couple more cards, the first one is a Sweet Pea image called A Maiden and her Unicorn, by Concetta Kilmer. You know that thing - you spend hours colouring an image then your paperwhite pen blobs a huge blob all over it - yeah that! Tried to recover it but it can still be seen. I see a green nose, and I have no idea how that happened (doh - it's the watermark).
Coloured with Promarkers. Die cuts are Spellbinders and IO. Ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

This card has magically entered the following challenges:

My Time to Craft - Fantasy (Sat)

This is a Bugaboo image called Kidz Boy Puppy again coloured with Promarkers. DCWV paper and ribbon from stash. Die cut with Spellbinders.

This card has woofed into the following challenges:

Creative Fingers = #69 Anything goes (Fri)

Quirky CAS reminder time, with a cute doggie.

I can't resist a cute critter, and this Bassett Hound by Crafty Girl from our sponsor Stitchy Bear is the cutest new addition to the dog basket!

I coloured him with Promarkers, cut him out (still using my new Spellbinders Grand Labels 1 dies) and mounted him on a die cut panel which is embossed with Creative Expressions clouds and coloured with blue chalk.

The sentiment is die cut with an IO die set.

This card has snuggled into the following challenges:

Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes (Tues Jan 13th)

ABC - A for anything goes (15th Jan) 10 only

Pink Gems - something new (16th Jan)

Allsorts - new and cute (Sat 17th)

Cute Card Thursdays - Something new 

Coffee Chocolate and Cards - no circles (Fri)

Creative Fingers - #62 anything goes (Fri)

Creative Card Crew - for a child (Jan)

This card is a copy of the one I made last week, except that I printed the two images on kraft card and coloured them with Prismacolor pencils this time. If you want to find out how cross this made me - read the previous post! Following some great tips by fellow WOYWWers Nikki C and Shaz in Oz I know there is a possible solution to the breaking leads, and that the splintering wood is due to quality of manufacturing! I need new pencils, different make I think.

Anyway, I die cut the panel and card out with my new Spellbinders Grand Labels 1 again, I am having fun with these. I love the end result, despite the Prismacolor pencil problems.

The images I used are Blue Tit 4 by IkeSart, and A Sign of Spring by Lil Diva both available from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps.

This little bird has flown into the following challenges:

Divas by design - anything goes (Wed 14th)

Simon Says Wed - something new 

Ike's Art World - something old (Prismacolors) Something new, dies and images) (Tues 20th)

Pan Pastels - clean and Simple (25th Jan)

Choo choo - BANG!

I made this card for my eldest, his birthday is just before Christmas and he was in bed ill with the flu on the day.

He didn't get this until today when visiting for Christmas. I used Stampendous Tim Holtz cling rubber stamps, not used these before, I stamped the train and tracks on kraft card in brown Memento ink, then added white highlights with my Sharpie white paint marker and added a bit of green with a Prismacolor pencil. Son is stamped with a clear stamp from a Papermania Set and Happy Birthday to You is die cut with an IO set. The three panels are cut with Spellbinders 5"x7" card maker die set. I added square antique brass brads to each corner. 

Oh and Christmas day - just as we were preparing the food to cook our dinner - the cooker blew up! Well the electric part of it, the gas hob still worked but required matches to light. So we had roast potatoes and parsnips cooked in the Actifry in three lots, veg in the steamer, and the boys went round to Richard's house with the meat (apart from the beef which I had cooked for a couple of hours before the cooker went "BANG") and stuffing and cooked it there, then brought it back. We had 10 people to dinner, and the table all set up.

We went through a few options for cooking, including the barbeque before doing what we did in the end! It was all a bit exciting really, and everyone enjoyed their dinner even if some of it wasn't as hot as it could be - and it was really healthy!

This card has chuffed its way into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - take your pick - one for the boys (Tues)

Simon says stamp - Wednesday challenges, anything goes.

Paula Holifield - anything goes except Christmas (Dec)

Less is More - family (Sat 3rd Jan)

Stampotique - anything goes (Jan 5th)

Singing a Quirky song - yes it's a reminder to come and play Quirky Charades

With a little help from my friends by John Lennon of course, and the quote comes with Pierre and Ernest, among other sentiments, from Paper Pretties and when I spotted it I knew I had to do it! We have two sponsors and three prizes, so come and play!

I coloured the image with Promarkers, die cut it with a Spellbinders label and the orange mat is cut with 5"x 7" card creator dies, the quote is cut with a Spellbinders nesting book die, the treble clef (musical note) is a Marianne die, and Thanks is from a new set by IO (Impression Obsession) which I bought as a bargain from Crafts U Love in their weekly bargain corner, I often find that the thing I would have bought was out of stock, but not this time.

I added some Tim Holtz paper string in black and white and orange and white (there is a definite orange and black theme going on here) and can you see the guitar charm tied to the twine?

Anyway hop on over to Quirky Crafts to play Charades or just to see the rest of the team playing!

This card has cycled into the following challenges:

Vintage Stamping - colour challenge (Mon) withdrawn due to no stamping,sorry I forgot when I entered this one, please discard.

Allsorts - Masculine (Sat)

My Time to Craft - charmed I'm sure (Sat)

Crafty Cardmakers - cut it out (Sun)

Bunny Zoe's - animals (10th Nov)

That's Crafty - hot and spicy (13th Nov?)

Wags and Whiskers - Let's be thankful (13 Nov)

Cards Galore - anything goes (Nov)

Crafty Boots - music (Nov)