Happy Birthday Dad.

Dad's birthday is tomorrow, but he won't see this (because he is a technophobe) and spoil the surprise!

Remember the grumpy penguins card? Well this is the other half of the background I made for that one on watercolour paper. I stamped the Katlekraft water drops with Versamark then heat embossed with white embossing powder before spritzing the paper with water and sprinkling on Brushos.

These birds are also a Katzelkraft set which I bought from That's Crafty, I must be bird crazy because I have the Tim Holtz ones too - but these are half the price! I don't think there are dies for the stamps, so I fussy cut them.

Happy Birthday is a Hero Arts stamp and Dad is a Papermania stamp, both from clear sets and stamped in Indigo Versacolor ink and heat embossed with clear powder.

I got my Faber Castel Gelatos out, first time using them and the set I have is brights. I blended blue and yellow to make green mainly because I started with blue and realised the birds didn't show against the background so I added yellow and blended it (using my fingers and a sponge) - which is the beauty of Gelatos. I found it hard to use round the detailed areas, and the left hand bird ended up with a green eyeball which I went over with my Sharpie Paperwhite pen. I guess I should have masked the eyeballs in hindsight. 

I hope Dad likes it!

Challenges entered:

Brown Sugar - Spring (well we have had a lot of rain) (Fri)

Craft Stamper - March take it make it, stamps (Wed)

Crafting from the Heart - #104 anything goes (Mon)

Love to Scrap - #74 anything goes (Mon)

Creative Fingers - #105 anything goes (Fri)

Glitter and Sparkle - anything goes (Sun)

Delicious Doodles - Show us some green (March)

Happy Little Stampers - Mixed media challenge theme water (March)

Graph'it Markers - Spring Delights wk9 (1st April)

Love to Create - #6 anything mixed media (10th April)

NBUS #6 Quickly sneaking in!

With only hours to go I wondered how (with my lack of mojo) I could enter the NBUS challenge at Darlene's place. Then I remembered this NBUS that I had made a start on but not completed - voila!

I fell in love with the (NBUS) Katzelkraft Grumpy Penguins rubber stamps that are stocked by That's Crafty and while I was there the water drops set and some crazy birds also fell into my basket, well you have to get the free postage don't you?

The background is a technique I tried from Craft Stamper magazine, you stamp onto watercolour paper with Versamark and heat emboss it with white EP. Then you get messy by spritzing the paper with water then sprinkling on tiny buts of Brushos, letting some run and flicking water on it when it's dry - isn't it lovely?

The penguins were also stamped on watercolour paper in black Versacolor ink and heat embossed with clear powder, then I coloured them a little with Pan Pastels cut them out and mounted them on the background. How unusual, a totally hand stamped card!

The penguins are grumpy about the rain, they are all wet!

Happy Birthday is from a Hero Arts clear set, and Brother is from a Papermania clear set of stamps, both stamped in Indigo Versacolor and heat embossed with clear EP.

There are so many things I wanted to do but haven't got there yet. At least I made it for this one!

So that's my Brother's birthday card sorted for this month! Need one for Dad now.

Challenges entered:

NBUS #6 - Sunday 13th March

Tuesday Throwdown - create a scene.

Love to create - #6 anything mixed media (27th March)

Craft Stamper - Take it Make it for March, anything goes with a stamp.

Quirky January, we are celebrating!

It is the Quirky Crafts challenge reminder, for which I am late, and I am celebrating my Granddaughter's 1st birthday, for which I am very early! She is only 10 weeks old, but for once in my life I am prepared in advance!

We are sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet who provided this, and many more, cute images to the team to showcase. The image is called Baby and is by Beary Dust, isn't she cute!

I coloured Baby with Promarkers and die cut her and all the panels with Spellbinders dies. The background and stamped Celebrate ribbon are all Hero Arts stamps, there are three different definition stamps in the background - Celebrate, Birthday and Family.

Granddaughter is stamped with a Papermania clear stamp, 1 today is I think a Pink Gems stamp set, and Happy Birthday was hand written (with a Marvy's Wet Look pen and heat embossed) by me after searching for over an hour for a vertical stamp I don't think I have after all! I heat embossed the words with holographic embossing powder by Papermania. Finally I die cut the word Cute with a Die-version die.

If you want to see photos of me, the dogs and friends, a robin, ducks and a Kingfisher - check the post below and click the link to my crochet blog!

Hop on over to Quirky Crafts to see some more lovely examples and to play along to win Stitchy digital images.

Challenges entered:

Inspiration Destination - anything goes (Tues)

Fab n Funky - for a child (Wed)

A Gem of a Challenge - female birthday (22nd Jan)

Sweet Stampin' - things with wings (Sat)

Pile it on - #99 Use your first initial (C for Cute and celebrate) (24th Jan)

Simply Papercrafts - #21 anything goes (29th Jan)

Ribbon Girls - any image (30th Jan)

Creative Fingers - #100 anything goes

ABC challenge - Z for Zero embellishments (Jan)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stitchy Bear Facebook challenge for Jan.

Let's Quirky Celebrate everything crafty!

YAY It's Quirky challenge time again, it is my challenge and the first of our new monthly challenges this year!

My challenge to you is to celebrate anything you like, but you must include the word Celebrate, or Celebration. 

I am celebrating having a new team, new monthly format, and the New Year.

We are sponsored by the wonderful Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet who provided the team with images to use, and are providing three prizes to our lucky top three.

Here are the details:

The digi I used is called Craft Queen by BB Kakes from Stitchy Bear, her craft room is way tidier than mine!

I took one chocolate box and stuck the inside into the lid to strengthen it, then painted it with white gesso before painting it with Paper Artsy Fresco paints. I painted it with Ice Blue then sponged Beach Hut and South Pacific over the top.

I cut a piece of designer printed paper by Me and My Big Ideas to use for the background and adhered it to the box. The image was coloured with Promarkers and metallic pens (and now I see what I forgot, meant to add some gems to the crown - will have to do that and retake).

I found some ribbon sliders spelling celebrate and added them and their ribbon to the top of the frame. Quirky is stamped with an Inkadinkado stamp and heat embossed in gold. DoCrafts scrabble tiles spell out the words round the frame, and some shiny red mirror mosaic tiles are dotted inbetween them.

The die cut corner is a Spellbinders Heartfelt die, and the other corner features tiny buttons. I added real shells, tiny cork stoppered bottles of glittery stuff and some freebie metal charms, an odd peacock feather embellishement and an exercise book embellishment that I hand wrote in. 

To finish it off I rubbed some Treasure Gold round the edge of the frame where the lid edge is.

Here it is from another angle, I made some changes to it from the original below (where you can still see wet glue)! I added two legs made from wooden beads, and I really thought it would stand up - it isn't standing without help! So, as I type, a third leg made from two beads is painted and drying, and I had to paint the back of the box today - now you can only see the embossed chocolate bars and make if you really look. I think I might have to decorate the back, all that blue space!

I added some gems to the crown, and drew some images on the stamps on the shelf, and added another little bottle, who knows what will appear on this next!

This is the chocolate box, the chocolates were a Christmas present from my hubby, he knows what I like!

Challenges entered:

Crafty Gals - #52 anything goes end of year bash and hop (5th Jan)

Tuesday Throwdown - #274 anything goes

Simon Says - Lets Party (Wed)

Cute Card Thursday - #406 anything goes 

Left of Centre - all things new (Fri)

Brown Sugar - New Year (Fri)

That's Crafty - anything goes (11th Jan)

Allsorts - what's new? (Sat)

Glitter and Sparkle - #169 anything goes (Sun)

That Craft Place - anything goes (Jan 17)

Love to Create - anything mixed media (24th Jan)

Crafts Galore - #25 anything goes (Jan)

Catching up - cuddly snowman

I found these two Penny Black snowmen ready to go, and this Papermania paper seemed just right. I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment that comes with the image onto the paper and heat embossed it. One is done with silver pearl embossing powder, the other with gold. The images were coloured with Promarkers. Some of Crafty Ribbons' exclusive ribbon finished off the card.

I've entered the following challenges:

Sweet Stamping - Merry Christmas (26th Dec)

Penny Black Saturdays - Christmas (Dec)

Crafting by Designs - Here comes the Holidays (Dec)

Papertake Weekly - last ever challenge Let it Snow (Tues)

Crafty Cardmakers - #154 Snow (6th Jan)

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

Awards:

Cards Galore - anything goes (Dec)

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)

Quirky baby sketch

I need a baby card so I used Meljen's sweet little rag doll baby sleeping on a cloud. I can't give you a link to get this because Mel has closed the digi shop down to start something new.

I coloured the little cutie with Promarkers and cut it out with Spellbinders dies.

I have loosely followed the sketch over at Quirky, adding teeny tiny buttons. The sentiment is stamped with stamps from a Kars clear set, and heat embossed.

The challenge is to use the sketch or feature hats or both.

Hop on over to Quirky Crafts to see some lovely examples and to play along with us this time, we have three great prizes, from That Craft Place, Ditzie Designs and Meljen Designs, and it could be your last chance to win some Meljen images too.

This little baby has floated into the following challenges:

TTCRD - Anything goes (April 6th)

ABC - G is for Go Digital (Wed)

Crafting from the Heart - #53 anything goes (Mon)

Cute Card Thursdays - buttons and bows

Creative Fingers - #74 Anything goes (Fri)

Glitter and Sparkle - anything goes (Sun)

Pile it on - use die cuts (Sun/Wed)

Graph'it Markers - Springtime (10th April)

Ribbon Girls - pastel colours (April)

It is getting Quirky colder, and those leaves are still falling.

 To make a change from Ike's Art lovely cats, here is an Ike's Art lovely dog image. He is called Leaf Pooch, and is such a happy Jack Russell that I thought the Hero Arts Sending Smiles stamp was perfect to go with him and it is stamped in brown Versacolor and heat embossed with clear EP. I cut all the panels out with Spellbinders card creator and rectangle dies. I found some Autumn Papermania ribbon with more leaves on it. The paper is HOTP Artsy Collage. I kept this card monotone in shades of brown, apart from the green in the ribbon, and pink tongue, and it is coloured with Graph'Its, and Promarkers which blend together beautifully.

This card is made in the same way, paper from the same pad, and same sentiment (and I used another dog image). I just thought this was such an amusing scene it would make someone smile too. The image is called Standing Guard by Gingerloft from Stitchy Bear Stamps, the ribbon is also from the same pack.

This image is coloured mostly with Promarkers, with a little Graph'Its brown for the soil, they blend together beautifully.

Our sponsor is Stitchy Bear, and the challenge is happening at Quirky Crafts now, you have until Saturday 11th October to join in.

I have entered the following challenges with a woof:

Die cutting Divas - anything goes (Tues)

Addicted to Stamps - photo inspiration (Wed)

Left of Center - 3 or more layers (Fri)

One Stitch at a time - colour orange (Sat)

Open Minded Crafting Fun - Autumn (Sat)

Pile it on - Autumn colours (Sat)

ABC - U for Unique anything goes (Sept 15th)

Graphit Markers - autumn colours (17th Oct)

Pan Pastels - Autumn (18th Oct)

Crafty Little Faries - only one DP (6th November)

Rupert the dragon with tomatoes

This card was made for a challenge on the Stamping Dragon facebook group. You use the page above and post something you created. I used Rupert with tomatoes in the center of the frame, which is cut out to give it a 3d effect. I coloured Rupert and the tomatoes with Promarkers, after flipping the image. I decoupaged the tomatoes a little so that they were outside of the frame not hidden in any way. The frame is popped up with foam tape, the tomatoes too.

I stamped a sentiment with a Fiskars stamp and heat embossed it with Docrafts red tinsel EP, but I can't find my antistatic bag anywhere so there is a bit of stray glitter.

Rupert has munched his way into the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - anything goes (Sun)

Papertake Weekly - oh how cute (Tues)

Passion for Promarkers - Autumn colours (Tues)

Fussy and Fancy - #123 mainly red (ends 2nd Oct)

Thank you card for hubby

My hubby recently left his job of many years as carpenter handyman, to take a similar part time job and give himself a better work life balance. I made this card for him to say thank you for his generous leaving cheque and many cards and wishes.

I used Visible Image stamp sets inside and out to stamp the images. The letters were die cut with Sizzix dies, and I first stamped some kraft card with the wood grain stamp from the set, the other letters are cork. Behind the cork letters I stamped the metal manhole cover pattern, the wood stamps have a cork shadow. The drill, saw, hammer and paint roller are stamped, heat embossed and fussy cut, the paint, splodges (I like the splodges), lock, key, wrench and screwdriver are stamped directly onto the background.  They look quite sparkly I think, even with no glitter. I used brads on the letters, and made a mini post it note to go on the cork H like a notice board.

Inside the card the insert is stamped with more Visible Image stamps, and with Fiskars Thank You stamps. I added a piece of baker's twine to finish.

He just needs to deliver it now!

I have entered the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter - ribbon, twine or floss (Wed 24th Sept)

Darlene's NBUS - 25th Sept (my NBUS the Visible Image stamps, and the Fiskars stamps).

Creative Fingers - #49 anything goes (Fri 26th Sept closing)

Crafting at the weekend - #5 anything goes (Sat 27th)

We Do Doobadoo - something masculine (Sat)

Visible Image - make it sparkle  (Sept)

Cards Galore - make a card (Sept)

A very Quirky Fairy world.

Doris set us a challenge at Quirky Crafts, and it is a recipe challenge. In fact here is a fairy ring and you must choose 3 things at least, and feature a fairy or fairies!

Our lovely sponsor is Crackerbox Palace, they provided us with the images to use for this challenge. I decided to make a little scene with Sleeping Fairy Dreama, Clouds,  and Happy Sun, and I coloured this with Promarkers and a Flexmarker (I only have one of those). To get my sparkles I added Stickles glue to the fairy wings, hair and the clouds and gold eyeliner to the sun's eyes. The spots on the fairy's dress are enhanced with Liquid Pearls in Key Lime.

I die cut the scene with Spellbinders (labels 22 I think) grand nestabilities, and then cut a mat in sparkling purple card, and one in check paper. I matted this onto a square of green fabric effect paper, all paper is LOTV and came free with a magazine along with the Happy Birthday sentiment, which I stamped in purple Versacolor then heat embossed with Ranger Antiquities Frosted Crystal embossing powder. Again I die cut them with Spellbinders circles and a mat with scalloped circles. The other sentiment is by Digi Stamp Boutique and went so perfectly with my scene! 

Before attaching the sentiments I added the polka dot ribbon, from Crafty Ribbons who are having a sale right now, and found some wishing well charms and added one (it is in the centre of the ribbon), didn't even know I had them! The whole thing was then attached to an 8" x 8" card which was big enough for the scene.

So I have a fairy and more than three items, sun, clouds, sparkles and sentiment (x2)

Inside the card, more of the LOTV paper in blue this time, with a strip of the check.

As well as being able to win digital images from our sponsor, anyone who enters can have 10% off, and any stamp can be ordered as a digital image for just $3 each, then you get the 10% off!

My fairy has zzzzzz her way into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - anything goes, optional Summer (Tues)

Passion for Promarkers - mythical creatures (Tues)

I love Promarkers - Digi does it (Wed)

Fussy and Fancy - outdoors (ends 12th June)

Glitter and Sparkle - use a digi (Sun)

Pile it on - use patterned paper and enter loads of challenges (so funny) (Sun)

Stamping for the weekend - anything goes (Fri 20th)

Art by Miran - anything goes (winners 20th June)

Open Minded Crafting Fun - things with wings (28th June)

 The Divas that cut paper - colour challenge (June)

Bunny Zoe's - layers (June)

Quirky peacock theme reminder.

We only have two entries so far in the latest Quirky challenge, it ends Saturday Midday so get your peacock coloured projects or projects with peacocks, or peacock feathers in now, great chance of winning a prize from our sponsor Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps.

For my first card I used the gorgeous peacock by IKEsArt, which I painted with Twinkling h2Os and highlighted with Atyou Spica pens. I decided not to add backing papers with this stunning image, but I did cut a couple of feathers from a new Spellbinders die. Happy Birthday is stamped and heat embossed in gold, the stamp is from a Hero Arts set. MUM is die cut and embossed with a Sizzix Embosslit alphabet die set. The thin satin ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis and was some I got when getting samples for my son's wedding stationery.

Will she like it? I will find out tomorrow!

For this card I used a panel of paper from the Coosty Creations Mehendi Peacock pack, it is covered in tiny peacocks. The large peacock is by Delicious Doodles and is totally coloured with Atyou Spica pens, I tried to give the tail feathers a goldy green look.

I sat my peacock on some green grosgrain ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. Happy Birthday is cut out and debossed using a Spellbinders set of words, I felt the urge to fill in the debossing with gold stickles - did that work?

These cards have flown into the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Keep it simple (Sun)

Polkadoodles - things with wings (Sat)

Daring Cardmakers - Light as a feather (Fri)

As Proud as a Quirky Peacock

Monica set us a beautiful challenge this time at Quirky Crafts, and it is all about peacocks, feathers, peacock colours, and beauty! I decided to use the Mehendi Peacock Digital Stamp and Paper Pack by Coosty Creations, which contains papers and just one of the many peacock images that our sponsor, Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps, gave us to work with.

I think this is a fabulous challenge, and made this into a fabulous birthday card! I coloured the Mehendi peacock image from the pack with Atyou Spica pens to give it that lovely peacock shine, I keep finding bits that need touching up, and this stuff (like other metallic ink) seems to rough up my card stock. I will try either Prismacolor pencils, or Promarkers on it next to see what can be done.

I just happened to notice some peacock feathers in a box on my shelf a few days ago, and decided this was the perfect time to use one! They are from Crafty Devils and I can't remember if I bought or won them but they are in a box of stash I had long forgotten about that I think was a prize, so I might have won these.

I used three different papers on the front (all three and the image are cut with Spellbinders dies, had to hang that tail out), and I stamped the sentiment with a Brilliance Peacock ink pad, seemed appropriate! Originally I stamped it and heat embossed in gold onto the patterned paper, then changed my mind. 

(this was it in gold, I didn't think it showed up enough once I took the photo).

The stamp is a Hero Arts one from a clear set, this time I heat embossed with clear powder, and edged it with A Wink of Stella gold, that is a strange pen - I had to try one when I saw it at a show being sold by Little Claire, you keep it upright when not in use, squeeze the barrel to get the ink flowing (after shaking), and every time I squeeze it gold ink is coming out where it shouldn't be. Is that usual or is that just mine?

One of the papers in the pack is this ombre one with a 3d embossed effect, you don't see the effect on the front small panel so much, which is too small scale but you can on this size (the card is C5 size).

Every time I see a peacock I remember my friend's wedding reception. It was held in a barn which was converted to a functions room, and in the yard was a peacock which either got amorous or jealous of a bright blue car parked in the car park - it did a lot of damage!

As usual you can see more inspiration and a very funny video, and join in the fun if you hop on over to Quirky Crafts. 

My peacock card strutted into the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - use a digi (Sun)

Left of Centre - masculine colours (BH weekend Fri)

Creative Fingers - anything goes (Fri)

Country View Challenges - Nature's Glories (May)

Papertake Weekly - anything goes (Tues)

Polkadoodles - something old -peacock feather, something new -Images and digi paper pack(Fri 16th May)

I found a Design Seeds palette for this, so I can enter Pan Pastels  pick a colour palette challenge ends May 17th.

Mother's Day cards.

I made a batch of quick (ish) Mother's Day cards all using the mini hats, and all with a panel of handmade paper under a scalloped or plain rectangle (or both) cut with Spellbinders long rectangles, and a couple of ribbons. I stamped and heat embossed the Hero Arts sentiment, and each card has either pearls or blooms or both.

This non fluffly Mum's day card is made using a Marianne stamp and die set, I am not totally happy with it, this is the first one. I need to make the top panel a different colour, maybe the patterned paper, or put this on a larger card so there is a gap. Anyway I was being frugal, the gold cup is cut from the centre of the gold panel, and the shorts and shirt are cut from the centre of the pink panel.

I am going to try different colourways. The panels are all cut with Spellbinders Card Creator A2 B set (I don't own the A set). The stamping is heat embossed.