Quirky's still all white - alright!

It's reminder time at Quirky Crafts Challenge blog, and our sponsor is Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet who kindly provided images to the team to work with.

I chose to use this wonderful Snow Deer Scene by Ike's Art, and this is a set containing the main image that I used above, the scene with no deer, and both deer separately so that you have a lot of options for using different elements of it, or even decoupaging it.

I coloured the deer with ProMarkers, and as the challenge is everything white except for the image, this image is perfect! I added a little Ice Stickles glue to the snow on the trees and bushes and the ground to give that icy sparkle effect. The image is cut out and mounted on a scalloped panel die cut with Spellbinders Grand scalloped rectangles, then mounted on a white card blank made from textured white card. I used a Papermania Christmas Words set of dies to cut Christmas and Greetings from glitter card, and that is simply it.

My second card features the beautiful New Baby image, also by Ike's Art, which I die cut with an oval die then mounted it on to a die cut pearlescent frame both dies are from the same Card Maker set by Spellbinders. I coloured the image with ProMarkers. I added a small bow of pretty white ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, and die cut the word "Love" (with a Spellbinders die), which I think is all you need.

Please come and see the other gorgeous examples from the team and play along with us at Quirky Crafts, you could be a winner and win some of these wonderful images from our sponsor. Any CAS cards which have a lot of white space will work fine too.

I have entered the following challenges:

Snow scene

Tuesday Throwdown - Christmas in July

Papertake Weekly - build it up (Tues)

Addicted to Stamps - #154 CAS (Wed)

Cute Card Thursdays - pets/animals 

My Time to Craft - Christmas in July (Sat)

Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes #34 (Sun)

New Baby

Crafty Gals - To Die For #29 (Wed)

Inspiration Destination - #43 anything goes (Wed)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon #124 (Thurs)

I love Promarkers - CAS (Thurs)

Glitter and Sparkle - use something beginning with B - baby's feet image (Sun)

One Stitch at a Time - children #242 (Sun)

Moving along with the times - baby baby (Jul)

Fab n Funky - no patterned paper (11th Aug)

Christmas in July reminder time

I was late again, I am late again - but here I am at last. It has been a hectic week, (It was my Big Birthday Tuesday and we went out last weekend and on the actual day in the evening, and have still been driving to visit mother in law then sorting things out for her return home tomorrow, and making a late card for my Daughter in Law) they all seem like that recently. How did I have time to go to work?

Over at Quirky Crafts we are playing Christmas in July, and we have three lovely sponsors, Crafty Ribbons, Bugaboo and Limited Runs.

My first card features an image from Limited Runs called Trees on a Cupcake, I thought I would coloure these in modern colours with my Promarkers - I think my bright green is running out because I use it so much.

I die cut the image and panel behind with Spellbinders card creator dies. The ribbon is one of the exclusive ones from Crafty Ribbons.

I added some Ice Stickles glitter glue which is still wet here.

 This cute image is called Puppy - enough reindeer from Bugaboo, he comew with the sentiment and together they make a very cute card. Just look at the tears welling up in his eyes because he can't be a reindeer!
 I coloured the image with Promarkers and a gold pen for the bells. Again this is die cut with Spellbinders Card Creator dies. The paper was a freebie with a magazine. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

From Bugaboo comes Stella - Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays, I find Stella (and Gus) so very amusing, I hope the recipient of this card does too! This is an 8" X 8" scalloped card blank, but all the images for all 4 cards were cut out the same size with Spellbinders card creator dies, and yet they are all on different size card blanks. I coloured Stella with Promarkers, the papers are by My Mind's Eye (the top paper with little house scene) and Papermania, and the "Keep Calm" ribbon is a Crafty Ribbons exclusive which seemed perfect with the sentiment.

My last card features another of the Limited Runs cupcakes, this one is called Snowman on a Cupcake lol. Again I coloured it with Promarkers, die cut it with Spellbinders card creator dies and added Ice Stickles which are still wet here. There are 3 different ribbons from Crafty Ribbons on my card. The spotty paper is by My Mind's Eye.

I added three buttons to the side, I just thought I would, maybe I need some the other side too.

Come on over to Quirky Crafts Challenge blog to see some more wonderful examples and to play along and maybe win some great prizes.

I've entered a few challenges, different cards into different challenges so none of them breach the numbers rule:

Papertake Weekly - Christmas in July (Tues)

Passion for Promarkers - fancy that - Snowman on a cupcake (Tues)

Tuesday Throwdown - no patterned paper

Addicted to Stamps - make your mark (Wed)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - furry creatures

Creative Fingers = #87 Anything goes (Fri)

Daring Card Makers - no black, no neutral Trees on a Cupcake (Fri)

Creative Card Crew - die cuts (Tues 21st)

Digi Chooseday - Christmas in July (Jul 28th)

The Ribbon Girl - any image (Jul)

Challenges won:

Catch the Bug - Christmas in July Jingle all the way 

You better be good, you better be nice....Santa Claus is coming to town - Quirky style

I am so late, it is gone 1:00 in the morning and I really really need my bed now. I was late to bed last night 2:00 in the morning in fact, and had to get up at 7:00 and all because we were helping at the Cannon's House fete and having a stall which I really needed to prepare cards for - not that I really sell many, normally only 2 or 3 but I felt I had to get as many ready as possible, and take display racks etc.

Anyway it is challenge time again at Quirky Crafts and we have three great sponsors, Crafty Ribbons, Bugaboo and Limited Runs, what a great combination! The challenge set by Lyn (we are so pleased she is back with us) is her favourite Christmas in July and it is a great time to start on those Christmas cards - if only I can keep it up!

So I started with Stella Note to Santa, it was too funny and I couldn't not choose this one! I know a few Stella's, maybe I am one!

I coloured the image with ProMarkers, die cut it with a Spellbinders postage stamp style die with matching ribbon slider which I hand wrote on. I added two ribbons from Crafty Ribbons amazing range of Christmas ribbon, much of which is exclusive to them. I added a bit of Ice Stickles glue to the white fluffy bits of Stella's outfit, and added gold gel pen to the baubles. The paper is by My Mind's Eye.

My second card features one of Limited Runs great cupcakes, from a set of two called Penguin Set Cupcake, the other cake has a blank sign. I coloured the image with ProMarkers and die cut it with a Spellbinders die, mounted onto a die cut rectangle of red. The Singing Penguin ribbon (which I really love) is a Crafty Ribbons exclusive. The snowflakes are all Spellbinders die cuts, and again I added some Ice Stickles in Star Dust to the image. I can't eat cupcakes but I can never resist the wonderful Limited Runs ones!

So now I can go to bed, at 1:30am hope I get a lie in! You, on the other hand, might like to hop over to Quirky Crafts to see some wonderful examples by the team and play along with us to maybe win great prizes.

Now to enter some challenges:

Inspiration Destination - #40 anything goes (Wed)

TTCRD - anything goes (June 30 - Jul 6)

Addicted to Stamps - anything goes (Wed)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes (Thurs)

Coffee, chocolate and cards - seeing red (Fri)

Creative Fingers = #86 anything goes (Fri)

Crafting from the Heart - #67 anything goes (Fri)

Winter Wonderland - all that glitters (Fri)

Crafty Cardmakers - Sentiment  (Sat)

Sketch Saturday - sketch #368

Christmas card challenges - colour combo or anything Christmas (July 20th)

The Ribbon Girl - anything goes or stars and stripes (July)

Challenges won or top 3 etc:

Cute Card Thursday - we love cake 

Snowing round in circles.

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas - just like the ones we used to have.....

My last card for the Quirky Crafts reminder for the Quirky going round in circles challenge.

I won the gorgeous Winter Cottage stamp from Crackerbox Palace a couple of years ago, and thought I would use it because I need more Christmas cards! Can you see the little snowman with his ear muffs and scarf?

This first photo shows the shine on the acetate on my shaker card. I saw something on shaker cards in a recent magazine article, and one method was to cut out 6 frames and glue them together, then you don't need foam. I thought I would try it. The size of the image dictacted that I use the Grand Nestabilities scalloped circles for this.

The stamped image was first coloured with Promakers and Stickles Ice Diamond glitter glue, then cut with a scalloped circle die.

You can probably see that I haven't managed to line up the 6 frames perfectly. I added acetate which was also cut with the scalloped circle die, to the top of the glued frames then added the Papermania paper cut to a frame on top.

Then the frame is turned onto its face and sequins, glitter and beads added. Then the image is glued onto the frame and seals the material in.

I made a card base to add to the back, then punched a hole through the top of the frame to thread some glitter "ribbon" through so that it can be hung on the tree or a wall if required, and kept for years maybe.

The sentiment is die cut with Xcut dies, they are quite large words.

This is how it hangs.

Inside the card, I used the middle part cut from the paper frame to add to the card, the blank side (well blank for now) is for writing on although it might not be necessary as I could have written on the back and not made a card. This way it can stand like a card, or be hung, and the back part could be cut off for future use.

This is the shaken up effect. Pretty I think.

Now all I need is a big enough envelope - or maybe I will make a box as it is quite thick.

I'm going to shake my way into a few challenges:

Stamping Sensations - Simply Christmas

I love Promarkers - #247 Frosty the Snowman (Wed)

Simon Says - anything goes (Wed)

Addicted to Stamps - Holiday (Wed/Fri)

Bunny Zoe's - snow (Fri?)

Winter Wonderland - dies and punches (Fri)

Sparkle Creations Christmas Cards - anything goes

My time to craft - snowmen (Sat)

Pile it on - Sprinkle it (Wed)

Glitter n Sparkle - 113 Use some Snow (Sun)

Vintage Stamping - #27 A Christmas song, White Christmas (Mon)

ABC Challenges - Y is for Yuletide (Mon)

Cards Galore - anything goes (Mon)

Creative Fingers - #58 anything goes (Fri??)

Bearly Mine - Christmas Ornament, anything but a card (mine can be) (Dec, last ever challenge).

Country View Challenges - nostalgic Christmas (Dec)

The Artistic Stamper - anything goes (Dec)

Die Cut Diva's - snow (Dec)

Kraftin Kimmie - bling it on

Last one for Kraftin Kimmie, challenge 1 bling it on, and now I really must go to bed.

I can't remember this fairy's name but she is pretty. The Stickles glitter glue was still very wet when I took this, and she is coloured with Promarkers and die cut with Nestabilities.

I have entered the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas - washi tape or birthday card or both.

Quirky Tags, and a change of Design Team members

There are two sponsor for the latest Quirky Challenge, which is set by Diane and is Christmas tags. The images I have used on this set of tags are all from Paper Pretties, and called Cocoa, Claus and Oh Tiny Tree. I cut the tags with the eCraft, once I had unburied it and dusted it off, and given it a shock by turning it on. I thought I would see if there were some nice tag shapes and there were! I cut some small ones to begin with to test for the size I needed, and that gave me the idea of bundling the main tag with a small one (or two for Claus) to use some of the sentiments and Claus's bone that come with the images. I die cut long rectangles with Nestabilities dies.

I used several different ribbons from Crafty Ribbons on the tags, and the images are coloured with Promarkers.

The other sponsor is Doodle Dragon Studios and I will be adding a set of tags with Dustin's images on later.

We have just announced that Diane is Leaving the Quirky Team and who her replacement will be in the New Year, over at Quirky. So hop on over and find out the latest news!

I have entered the tags in the following challenges:

 Crafty Ribbons Challenge - use two or more ribbons.
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Tags. (Ends Wednesday 12th)

Quirky Cupcakes

I haven't posted for two weeks, how awful of me! The hot weather didn't help me, I just don't function well in sweltering conditions!
Well here I am now and it is my turn to set the Quirky Crafts challenge, which is all about cupcakes, and any project must have cupcakes on it somewhere.

This card is made with Swordfish Cupcake from Limited Runs, they have some wonderful cupcakes which inspired me to set this challenge and it was hard to choose which one to use. I coloured the image with Promarkers and Trias and added Ice Stickles to the icing and Artist's Iridescent Medium to the water on the cup under the cake. I cut a doily with a Spellbinders die, and used some paper free with Card Making and Papercrafts magazine that arrived Friday, and this was great for my tablecloth. I used some pretty pastel grossgrain polka dot ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and a stamped embossed greeting with a Stampabilties stamp.

We have two sponsor for this challenge, so two prizes, and Paper Pretties supplied the two images I have used on this card, Party Hat Cupcake and Sprinkles. Doughnuts are allowed - as long as there is also a cupcake somewhere!

Again free papers from Card Making and Papercrafts Magazine, and I was going to use the other side of it but by happy accident flipped it over and liked this side better with my design. Promarkers, Perfect Pearls and Ice Stickles were used to colour the images. I had three attempts at Sprinkles, he got bigger each time until I had him the perfect size which is one of the advantages of digi images!

Grossgrain cupcake ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, and it works perfectly with the paper and images.