Quirky Dark and Bright and don't be square challenge set by me - catchy don't you think?

I used Little Tiggy Tiger from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps who are providing first and third prizes in the Quirky Crafts challenge starting today, Digital Delights are providing 2nd prize.

I coloured Tiggy with Promarkers and cut her out (I nearly forgot the challenge I had set as far as shapes go, and almost used rectangles - eeek - not allowed!). The card is cut with a Quickutz Lifestyle set which has different shaped cards, and lots of blooms, an alphabet and much more, everything you need to make a card!

I typed this sentiment into Serif, played around with it until I was happy and then die cut it (with an oval die of course, no rectangles allowed), then added some Prima blooms and a Dovecraft clear brad which I coloured with my Bright Green Promarker pen. The final touch was to add some flat backed pearls which I recently purchased, they are mixed colours so I had fun trying to pick out the green ones with tweezers, a lot flipped off somewhere on the floor! I love this bright green card which was from Papermill.

If you want to see some more lovely examples and join in the fun head on over to Quirky Crafts.

I have entered the following challenges:

Creative Inspiration Paint - Anything goes ends Saturday.

Quirky reminder

You still have one week to enter the Quirky Crafts Challenge and win a great prize from Crackerbox Palace.

I made this card from Crackerbox Palace stamp Sea Breeze and the Woman of Many moods sentiment. You could choose these stamps and a whole lot more (or any other stamps you like) with the very generous voucher prizes from Crackerbox Palace.

Prizes are:

1st place $20 worth of stamps

2nd Place $ 15 worth of stamps

3rd place $10 worth of stamps

and Cazzy's special prize of two of the sentiment stamps (and maybe more if we get lots of entries and one I love), the one used on this card and the one on the card below which I posted last week.

If you pop over to the Crackerbox Palace blog you can see some of the gorgeous new stamps and have a chance to win some more!

I looked everywhere for Sea Breeze, spent hours looking in wood mounted boxes and unmounted folders and began to think I imagined that I had it, then I checked my old invoices and sure enough there she was in 2009. So I looked in the box of stamps waiting to be sorted out with laminated sheets to go in folders and there she was! Not only that the cowboy stamp Riding Away was there too, which means I liked it so much I bought it twice! So I may be adding that to the little special prize if we get lots more entries and there is one I really like the best (or maybe if you comment here as well to tell me what you think I might do an extra draw).

Quirky Rainbows

Caro set the second challenge of the year at Quirky Crafts, the first was incredibly popular with 97 entries and it took us ages to decide on winners.

The new challenge is "Rainbow Bright" and Caro wants to see rainbows, rainbow colours or both on your project. 

The challenge is sponsored by Stitchy Bear and Digital Delights, all images provided to the DT were from Stitchy Bear.

I used Strawberry House with Garden Gate and Stained Glass Snail together to make a little scene. I added a Hero Arts Rainbow and Sentiment from a clear set called Sky's the Limit, which has some very cute clouds, sun, and a star and more sentiments, my favourite is a cloud sheep which I hope to use soon.

I also added another bigger rainbow but I have no idea who made the rubber stamp. Ribbon was from WH Smiths in a sale a couple of years ago, and buttons from stash. I hope you can read the sentiment, it says "wishing you rainbows" and I stamped it with Kaleidoscope Baby Rainbow colour ink pad, it is a little pale. Nestabilities used to cut out the image, the frame and the sentiment and background. All images were coloured with Promarkers and Trias.

I am going to make a second card so pop back later to see that one.

I have entered this card in the following challenges:

I love Promarkers - Layer it up (Wednesdays)

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)

Whoops forgot the title again!

Sometimes I make a card and I am not happy with it, sometimes I think a card is OK, and sometimes I am very happy with what I have achieved, and this is one very happy card!

I used the Doodle Dragon Studios Xray cat image, this is so funny, coloured with Promarkers and Trias, and die cut with Nestabilities, I was trying a partial die cut, well I was trying to just emboss it so I could cut round the head but cat got decapitated so I had to print another image and colour another head to attach.

The stripey paper is DCWV, mounted on Kraft card with fish eyelets. Greeting is from a Hero Arts clear set, heat embossed in gold.

Inside my easel card I added a panel of Kraft Card and some Papermania ribbon, I stamped Dad using a Papermania stamp from a clear set and heat embossed it in gold, die cut it with a Nestabilities label die, and added a couple of metal buttons. I used leftover bits to make a matching tag.

This is a reminder that the current challenge is Come to the Dark Side, no cute images, and runs until 1st December at Quirky Crafts.

Come to the dark side - we have cookies!

It is my turn to set the Quirky challenge and it is: Come to the Dark Side - no cute images! I want to see dark themes, un-cute images and/or dark colours.

We have two sponsors this time, and these images are from Doodle Dragon Studios and are called Grave Dolly and Rotten Apples. I coloured them in with Promarkers though there are both coloured and uncoloured images in the file in case you don't have the time to colour them yourselves. I found this DCWV paper which is so funny, it says nothing is crazier than family, perfect!

Scaredy Cat is also from Doodle Dragon Studios, and don't believe what Lyn tells you - he is not cute!

I feel he should be attached to a car window, but today he is on my card coloured with Promarkers. I had some cat patterned card which I think is Payperbox, cut that out with Nesties, and the backing paper is DCWV. Ribbon is by Crafty Ribbons, sentiments are Papermania (Nephew) and Hero Arts (Happy Birthday).

This is Zombie Girl from The Stamping Boutique who are also sponsoring us, and who have a non cute blog called Poisoned Peas. She is coloured with Promarkers and Trias and I mounted her on a Spellbinders fancy square, then on DCWV papers, and I added some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons from my gold edged taffeta bag. What sentiment should I use? Lets have Tea, Time for Tea or something else?

I have entered this card in the following challenges:

Poisoned Peas - The Walking Dead Nov challenge.

This is Medusa also from The Stamping Boutique and she has caught our imagination as there are three versions on the challenge post at Quirky Crafts. Coloured with Promarkers and cut out with Nesties, then mounted on some holographic black card (I think it is the last sheet sadly) and then some DCWV Rockstar paper with the gold edged taffeta ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. Again there is no sentiment yet, I was thinking of Bad Hair Day? what do you think?

I have entered this card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursdays - Starry Starry Night 

I love Promarkers - Moon and Stars

I hope to have at least one more card later but I decapitated the other character and now the printer won't play with me but as soon as I can get it going I will reprint and finish the card.

Your Quirky mission, if you choose to accept it, is anything but a card!

It is Caro's challenge, and as well as anything but a card you must use Autumn colours! I choose Beautiful Bow digi image from our sponsor who is Robyn's Fetish this time, and decided the bow should be Autumn coloured, there could be some holly around now, couldn't there? Anyway this is an "It's Nearly Christmas, so Lets Make Lists" binder. I was going to use the Bind it All and make a book, then I remembered I had this Sara Binder tall binder (by HOTP) that came in a mystery box a long time ago from the USA, along with some dividers.

I seached through my paper stash and found this striped paper by Autumn Leaves called Foof a La, which is nicely distressed looking, and used it on the outside of the binder. I attached the bow which was first coloured with Promarkers, and I typed the title, stamped over that with a Unity stamp from the Blossom Stacker set, and die cut it with the matching Spellbinders die from the Blossoms Tags and Accents set.

I punched holes with the Cropadile Big Bite back and front to add some brown slub ribbon with gold edges from a Crafty Ribbon bag called Cookies and Cream.

I spritzed the image, and then the whole binder with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in bronze.

Inside I used some Payperbox script paper, and I painted the middle of the spine and edges of the cover with copper acrylic paint.

I have decorated the first of the dividers with a stamped Unity tree, some Nellie Snellen punched and embossed leaves and the Beautiful Bow image. The tabs read: "Presents/Gifts","Cards", "Itinery", "Menu", "Shopping" and I have 3 spare. The great thing about this binder is the mechanism appears to be the same as Filofax use, so it fits the personal size pages, or you could cut and punch your own if you have the right punch.

Entered in the:

 Joanna Sheen  Autumn Breeze challenge

One Stitch at a time - use a digi.

Anything but a Card challenge - fall colours.

DT and GD call at Quirky

We are looking for a new Design Team Member at Quirky Crafts, as well offering 2 month Guest Designer slots to a pool of people.

If you are interested in either position hop over to the Quirky blog to check out the 10 Demandments now!

Quirky Magic

O.K. I know - it seemed like a good idea at the time! The challenge this time is Quirky Magical Moments, and the sponsor is Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps. I used an image supplied by them called Fairy Moon which is so pretty.

I had a great idea for using this image, I knew I had some inkjet film in silver and gold and I printed her onto that, then matted her on black glitter paper and silver holographic star card. I heat embossed the brads with silver tinsel powder.

I decided that the image should be glazed as it damages very easily, so I got out the Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Glaze and sprayed it last night. When I looked this morning it was nice and shiny but not all over, there were patches that looked dimpled. So I sprayed the patches, when it dried the patches were nice and shiny and the rest dimpled! So I sprayed it twice more and gave up, it will have to do. Where did I get that glaze I wonder? I need some more. If it was the USA I won't be able to get it from there again!

Then I attempted to take a good photo, I tried with lights all on, only main light on, box on the floor photo from above, out of the box on a stand in the room, that was bad - it reflected me! Finally I tried scanning it, total disaster! So I am showing you the first two photos I took, and you can see the reflections of the inside of the mini photo studio in the silver printed panel.

If you want to see more great examples and join in the challenge hop on over to Quirky Crafts right now.

I have entered this card in:

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything goes to celebrate their birthday, ends Monday 8th or Tues 9th I guess.

Number crunching challenge

Quirky Challenge time again, and Diane picked numbers.

I picked out this Paisley Peacock image from one of our sponsors, The Stamping Boutique. I love this image but it is very detailed and tricky to colour (so don't look too closely). I wanted it to be sparkly so I started off painting it with mica paints then I couldn't do the tail part, you would need a very fine brush and steady hand for that. So I got out my Sakura Gelly Roll metallic set and used that, with a mica paint background. I think I need some metallic Promarkers! Cut the peacock out using a Nestabilities label die. The embossed panel is using a folder I bought at a show and Coredinations Whitewash paper sanded, I am not sure who it is by now. Happy Birthday is a Stampabilities stamp, heat embossed in gold, cut out again with Nestabilities long rectangle die and scalloped die. Gold edged ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, and letters and number cut out with Sizzlet alphabets to spell Bel8ted (belated for those not into text speak and I am not a big fan but it works for this card).

Stamping Boutique are giving 3 images away so you too could own the Paisley Peacock or other images of your choice!

Our new and exciting sponsor this time is Doodle Dragon, who will be giving $10 to spend in the store.

Just pop on over to Quirky Crafts Challenge blog for more great examples and to enter your project (which must contain numbers) now.

Quirky is recycling on the farm

Caro's challenge over at Quirky Crafts is called "Recycling on the Farm.

You have to make a farm themed craft project with at least one recycled element. The sponsors this time are Crafty Ribbons and Digital Delights by Louby Loo, therefore there are prizes for first and second. 

I used Claudia Cow from Digital Delights (I was going to make a card with more characters but my printer has chosen this week to give up printing, if I can get it going again in time I will make another card). I coloured the image with Promarkers, cut it out with Nestabilities and the sentiment stamps are by Penny Black. Moo ribbons by Crafty Ribbons of course, and my recycled elements are: pink holographic card (tissue box), patterned green card (tea bag box), leather flowers (furniture sample I found when clearing out some paperwork yesterday) and finally pink and black ribbons threaded through the large flower, black from a dress and pink was tied round a gift. I added a polka dot brad and Papermania gem to the flowers to finish them.

To see some more great examples and to have a chance at winning some of the fantastic Moo Ribbons or some fun digital images hop over to Quirky Crafts and add your project, runners up will be invited to be Guest Designers (which means you get a digi image to use so everyone wins).

Quirky Christmas in July

Our sponsor at Quirky this time is Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps, the challenge has been set by Lyn who is clearly having a crazy week - Christmas, in July?!!!** Honestly what next!

I have been sitting colouring Ruldolf in at my Mum's today where we were for lunch, and singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer loudly over and over  - everyone loved that I could tell!

The background is made using Snowflake from Stitchy and hand coloured with a pastel blue Promarker, then I applied Ice Stickles to the snowflakes. Rudolf's head is decoupaged, and both he and Holly Bough images (both from Stitchy) are coloured with Promarkers. Background cut with my favourite Nestabilities label set, and ribbons by Crafty Ribbons of course!

So quirky well late!

The sponsor at Quirky for the challenge ending on Sunday is Bugaboo, who do some great humourous images just right for the challenge which is called Make Us Laugh chosen by Caro. I used Bugaboo image - Ruby, Will Work for Chocolate, which is me apart from Ruby being a lot thinner! I thought this would make a great new job card. Coloured with Promarkers, gorgeous sheer polka dot ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, bow made using Bowdabra from Crafty Ribbons. Sentiment is from a set which I think was by Dimensions Forth, but I am not certain.

I am so late with this, mainly due to a bad reaction to some eye drops over challenge weekend, and then being away last weekend but I thought I would post this and it might remind people to join in (I might get my second one in later), you still have a  day and a half to play and maybe win some of these great images from Bugaboo.

Quirky Flowers (and ribbons)

Don't you just love this cute kitty from Paper Pretties, one of our Quirky Crafts Challenge sponsor this time round, yes there are two prizes this time and the other is a great Bev's Bag from Crafty Ribbons. The Ribbons I used on this card are from the Bev's Vintage Bag that I bought from Crafty Ribbons. You have to make your own flowers for this challenge as well as use ribbons and I punched my flowers then embossed them with a couple of Nellie Snellen punch and Emboss sets in two sizes. I added K&Co gems, I love the smooth glassy gems and I must get some more. Image coloured with Promarkers and die cut with Nestabilities. The dark coloured card is actually plum and matches the ribbon well though it doesn't look like it in this photo.

So hop on over to Quirky and see what everyone else made, and join in with this easy peasy challenge this time round.

Seeing spots (and stripes) before my eyes!

Quirky Challenge time again, and the lovely Lyn picked her favourite spots and stripes with ribbon this time.

Our generous sponsor is Robyn's Fetish and I have used an image from them called Five Little Froggies. I coloured the image with Promarkers and Trias and I decoupaged the roof of the well, some stones and the middle froggies though it is hard to tell from the photo. I painted on some Artists Iridescent Medium to add a sparkle.  The image is die cut with Nestabilities labels, the papers were free with the new issue of Card Making and Papercrafts magazine, spotty ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, sentiment is Hero Arts with Kaleidoscope ink, buttons are Papermania and froggie eyelets from stash.

So a nice easy challenge for you all to enter over at Quirky Crafts Challenge blog, and you could win some images from our sponsor.

One for the boys

The latest Quirky Challenge is masculine with brown and blue as the colour combination. The sponsor is Paper Pretties, and I used Boat and the sentiment in the circle which is from the Zzzzzz set both from Paper Pretties.

The frame and circles are cut with Nestabilities, the sky and sea papers are by DCWV, sun is cut with an Accucut die. Striped card was some I got from Payperbox. Ribbon from stash is double sided and wired. The waves are cut with the wave blade on my Fiskars rotary trimmer. Finally if you decide to try stamping and embossing on ribbon it is probably best to try before you have the card fully assembled (and not as I did, afterwards)!

The Quirky team are expecting a wonderful response to this challenge, and you could win 6 digi images from our sponsor if you are picked as our favourite.

Happy Easter Sunday and new challenge day

It is my turn to set the challenge at Quirky Crafts and in honour of my soon to be born Grandson, I called it a Quirky Happy Event.

This card is made using two images from the challenge sponsor: Stitchy Bear Stamps, called Baby Sleeping and Toy Bunny. I paper Pieced my images with blue and white gingham, you have to use gingham in any form, and added novelty buttons - another must. The theme is either a soon to be happy event or a new baby. The background paper is by Dovecraft, the nursery rhyme ribbon was from Crafty Ribbons I think. Die cuts by Spellbinders, and coloured with Hero Arts Shadow ink. The gingham paper is some from a pick an mix merchant, I think Payper Box, and it is strange with a backing that looks almost waterproof.

I may manage another example soon, there is one more image to be shown that the DT didn't use.

To see more wonderful examples, see the full details and to join in with the possibility of winning a $10 voucher from Stitchy, hop on over to the Quirky Crafts Challenge blog.

This card is not what I started out making, I was going to make my first ever word book cut out by the ecraft, and use several images and sentiments, and I cut the card book but then came to cut the paper letters to decorate it. Well - I bought the ecraft when they first arrived over here, and at first there were a lot of teething problems, then there were software updates and it seemed to sort the problems out. Still I didn't really use my new toy, I tried it out a couple of times, wanted to design on it and just didn't get round to it when I was working full time.

Recently I decided that there are so many good cutting files out there to buy that I would buy a few and get started with those, then when I got more confident decide on some new software and get designing. The problems started when I tried cutting paper, it tore, it got all rucked up, it was terrible! So I thought I would check out the Craftwell site and there are some great video tutorials there now that weren't around when I first got the machine and one was on cutting paper. So I watched it and tried again, with a little more success, I needed to add a "mat" or stabliser in the form of a piece of card and change the tab settings. My file with letters A and B partly worked, both letters were cut out but the centres of the B were not. Then I turned the paper and tried on the unused part, disasterous effect, the paper all screwed up and got into a mess.

So I watched the video again, and saw that the paper was not the full width of the card mat, so I trimmed my paper to make it narrower. Now it feeds in perfectly and out again, and the ecraft traces the letters but doesn't cut them one little bit, oh dear. I posted for help on the forum and then started thinking what else I could make, and this was after waking yesterday with small migraine that became a large migraine and one I couldn't shake off all day despite taking co-codamols and trying to sleep which was impossible, we had a houseful for the weekend, and there was just too much noise even after they all went out in the afternoon, just as I was getting off to sleep (and I really needed to sleep to shake it) the phone rang and woke me up!

At least today my migraine was gone, maybe I should have gone for the Zapain right away yesterday but I feel so awful after I have taken them.

We had a lovely big family barbeque on Friday afternoon, the sun had gone by then unfortunately but everyone sat out in their coats and all enjoyed it. Today we had a nice roast lunch and mid afternoon all of our visitors departed leaving us alone again. So after making my card ready for the challenge we took the dogs out round the fields for a long walk.

I have entered this card in the Kaboodles Doodles Monday challenge - New Life

A sketch challenge by Quirky Lyn

Yes it is one of Lyn's sketches this time round, and the sponsor is Bugaboo (Lyn's personal favourite).

For my first card I used Lilies from Bugaboo, a hand drawn image which is lovely. I wanted to keep the delicate blooms as the focal point so hunted for some papers to do this, the striped paper was a freebie with Crafts Beautiful magazine, the butterflies are an English Paper Company paper. I coloured the lilies with Promarkers and Trias and then painted the petals with Artists Iridescent Medium for a sparkly finish. I added some organza ribbon and some pretty pearl brads and stamped For You o the paper, the sketch is flipped for this one.

 My second example is an Easter card featuring Eggbert Bunny  from Bugaboo- so cute! Again coloured with Promarkers and Trias, and cut with Nestabilities ovals and scalloped ovals, and the papers are freebies from Crafts Beautiful magazine. Blooms, ribbons, bows, pearls and Happy Easter stamp are by Papermania. Eyelets from stash.

 My third card is a masculine doggy one, and I used Oz Toto  from Bugaboo on this one, with papers and stickers by Boxer Scrapbook Productions, and the Papers are called Woof Words.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on a bone sticker, and the stamp is from a clear set by Hero Arts of birthday greetings. I searched everywhere for the bone eyelets only to find them in the first place I looked. Do you like the bone shaped paperclip? I don't know who it is by (It might be Queen and Co but I can't be sure). Toto is coloured with Promarkers, and I particularly like him because he is just like Alfie dog.

If you want to see some more lovely examples and join in to try and win 7 (yes 7) digi's from our generous sponsor Bugaboo, then hop on over to the Quirky Crafts Challenge blog right now.

I have entered the Dog one in Pollycrafts Monday challenge - mmmmmmm Choklit!!

I have also entered him in Cute Card Thursday (or take your pick of the two cuties) -Anything Goes.

I have also entered the dog in   I ♥ ProMarkers  - use three different papers, a Wednesday fortnightly challenge.

I have entered the Thursday challenge at MAWTT - Easter Wishes (hmm all coming out choklit coloured I see).

I have also entered the Easter card in Joanna Sheen's monthly challenge - Spring is in the Air.