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)

Easter Bunny

 This Easter Bunny is a Spyder Lyn digi called Bob the Easter Bunny, and I coloured him with Promarkers (I don't know why he looks so orange in the photo), and a little bit of Spica on the egg for shine. The papers are DCWV Spring stack, I cut two pieces and adhered them to a panel of blue, then covered the join with grosgrain ribbon and zig zag stitched round the panel. I mounted this onto a white card blank, then added some tiny Papermania Capsule buttons. The sentiment is also a Papermania stamp.

Inside the card.

This little bunny will be hoping into the following challenges:

Pink Gems - Spring is in the air (Sat)

Chocolate Coffee and Cards - stripes (Fri 18th)

Creative Card Crew - Spring (Tues)

Cute Card Thursday - Easter

Feeling Crafty - for a child (April)

Papertake Weekly - Easter (Tues)

Passion for Promarkers - All creatures great and small (Tues)

That Craft Place - Easter (Tues)

Ali Craft - Spring (2nd May)

Bicycle

I love the Sizzix and Hero Arts collaboration sets, and finally got round to playing with them, and this is the result of my first play with the bicycle Framelit and stamp set.

I stitched DCWV paper to the card blank, and the ribbon was attached before I stitched so that it is stitched on the ends too. The bicycles were stamped with black and Paris Blue Memento ink, so was the bunting which is part of this set. I just had to use the tiny bicycle on the background and inside, and on the flap of the envelope. I think this is fairly unisex, despite pink bunting.

I have entered my card in the following challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs - Monday challenge Things With Wheels

One Stop Craft Challenge - Saturday challenge - Anything goes

Baby boy cards

This is the sum total of two days crafting, though there are a couple part done, and all of these need an insert, bagging up and pricing. I have used these Spellbinders die cuts before but on a 6"x 6" card, 145 x 145 cm? and it was a challenge using these 135x135cm cards. I have to use these because I am out of the larger cello bags!
This was the last card I made, ribbon from Crafty Ribbon, button teddy.

It took 3 cards to realise it would be easier to stitch a panel off the card and attach it afterwards!

 This was the second card I made, and I used two different DCWV papers, and an acrylic etched tag which I have had for ages, no idea if you can still get them. I also added a nappy with pin and Boy, and I don't know where they came from either, but I would like to get some more if I can, or maybe I can make them up myself.

This was the first card I made, DCWV Boy, a noise with dirt on it paper, I love this paper! Added some baby buttons, shanks removed. Another acrylic tag and some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

This was the 3rd card I made this time with Dovecraft paper, another nappy pin and ABC buttons, and Baby die cut and embossed with Pink Lemonade embosslits by Sizzix.

All die cuts have been coloured through the die with Denim Promarker. Right - back to work!

What's that coming over the hill? Is it a monster?

My turn to set the Quirky Crafts Challenge, and I chose Quirky Monsters. Our two sponsors both have some great monster images.

This card is made with a Bugaboo "Pretty Please" monster and sentiment on the front, she clearly wants some cake! Monster coloured with Promarkers and Trias and cut out with a Nestabilities label die, freebie paper from a magazine stitched to the card front, cake ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and birthday sentiment and cake stamps from a Debbi Moore set.

Inside the card I you can see my sad monster is now in a temper so she didn't get her way! You are looking at "temperamental "monster from Bugaboo which I coloured with Promarkers. Freebie papers as before, and all nicely corner rounded as you can see!

Our other sponsor is Doodle Dragon Studios and Dustin Pike provided us with his very latest monster set.

 I used some of the great monsters from Dustin's brand new set available from Doodle Dragon Studios now. I made a tri-fold card and hand cut the hills, and used some freebie paper on those, and some DCWV sky paper. I printed the monsters I used in varying sizes for perspective as I had that song in my head (see post title), and stamped happy birthday with the same Debbi Moore set. I wrote on the monster sign, and all monsters are coloured with Promarkers.

So hop on over to Quirky Crafts Challenge blog to see some more great examples and join the fun, you never know you could win one of the two great prizes on offer!

I have entered the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad - inspired by a song (had to do it) ends Saturday 29th Sept

Allsorts - inspired by a song also ends Friday 28th I think.

ABC - X for xing, crossing cards, well my mountains sort of cross ends Sunday 30th Sept.

Cute Card Thursday - a different shape, mountain shape? Ends Wednesday 26th Sept.

Joanna Sheen challenge blog - So sweet - top card, ends 27th Sept.

Little Miss Muffet - anything but square, ends Weds 4th Oct I think.

Moving along with the times - girly, girly pink and prim and proper girly ends Wed 26th Sept. 

Well that is a lot of challenges for me!

Anyone for Tennis 2

Another version of Anyone for Tennis, this time the House Mouse image is on straight and I used happy birthday paper by DCWV stitched onto the card blank and turquoise ric rac from Crafty Ribbons. I stamped and heat embossed the word Celebrate to complete the card, and there is a matching tag.

First Quirky Craft Challenge of 2011

The first Quirky Crafts Challenge of 2011 is Something New - New Year, new house, new baby - a celebration of anything new this year.

I have taken the plunge and attempted my first ever canvas. I bought the canvas with the small easel because I wanted the easel, now it just may have to stay on display like that! I primed the canvas with white gesso, first time I have used that. Then when it was dry I inked the canvas with Ranger alcohol inks, Sir Tim would be proud of me. I used Cranberry and Lettuce with Pearl and Copper mixers and just swirled it around on a felt pad. Then I tried to ink the word Quirky directly onto the canvas, this took three attempts and I had to find an acrylic block the right size to wedge into the back of the frame so that the inkpad had a firm surface. Not bad I think. I dabbed over that with a Distress ink pad, which didn't work out as I planned.

Then I die cut copper sheet letters, oh I stamped the copper first with Stazon and a Hero Arts background stamp, and stuck those on. For the 2011 I die cut some chipboard packaging with Shadow Box Sizzix alphabet dies, and painted the numbers with gesso. I inked the shadow part with two colours of distress ink and stamped over the top numbers. I also inked the top numbers a little with Denim distress ink. I stuck on some Tim Holtz tissue tape that I got for Christmas from my son, he brought it all the way back from NY. I sprayed the whole canvas and lettering with Perfect Pearls turquoise mist spray, I can't find my glimmer mists anywhere. Then I stuck the numbers together and on the canvas with DST.

Finally I inked up some grunge paper with some Paperartsy stamps, and inked the flowers with Distress inks which were not drying so I added Denim Distress powder and heat embossed. Then I sanded off the powder. I scrunched up the flowers and added a brad through them and the canvas.

My New Baby card is made using a Stampavie stamp that I think I won. It is so sweet, and I decided it was really for a baby card. I coloured the image with Promarkers, cut it with a Nestabilities die. I cut a panel of Papermania paper slightly smaller than the card, and stuck it in the middle before stitching round the edge with my mini sewing machine. I added a piece of paper lace then the image. I also used some paper daisies and a foil panel I found in my stash. I decorated the inside of the card to match, but left it blank so someone can add their own words as desired. I don't know any pregnant ladies at the moment.

I have entered the card in the:

I Love Promarkers anything goes challenge

 Lots to Do New Beginnings challenge (spooky that).

My time to Craft Brand Spanking New challenge.

Better late than never!

I am late with my Design Team card for Quirky Crafts challenge 35, which is my recipe and had to include stitching (faux or real), Lace, at least two buttons and the colour teal or turquoise. So not good I am late but I did have a lot of family issues going on. You have a week to join in, so hop on over to see what the rest of the DT have done and the lovely entries we have so far and if you win you will join us on the DT for one of the future challenges and be able to display a winner's badge. Challenge 34 was won by the lovely Padster, who will be Guest Designer on challenge 36.
The card is from Papermill, the paper and stickers are by Papermania from a set called "Touch of Teal. The lace was from Lakeland when they were selling craft stuff but it took me years to work out it had a peal off backing like DST, I was trying to lick and stick which didn't work of course and then just gave up! The pink blooms are Prima and were part of a great blog candy, the teal blooms are made using an amazing new stamp and embosser duo by Nellie Snellen which I bought at the Exeter Show last week at Westpoint and I think I will be buying the other sets.
Image is a Sugar Nellie stamp by Leanne Ellis, coloured with Promarkers and Trias. Buttons and half pearls from stash. I also made a matching tag with the leftover card that I cut off to make the card blank square.
Finally the stitching which was done with my newest toy which arrived yesterday:

I am so pleased with this, it did cost £50 but is fantastic for a mini sewing machine. It only weighs 2.3kg and has 10 stitches, reverse and a compartment to hold the spare bobbins and needles. It holds a proper spool of thread and has a drop in bobbin. You can do light sewing with it too, and listed on the box the uses include scrapbooking and papercrafting. It also comes in a range of colours. (Please excuse messy work bench all around it but the scale of it can be seen from the punches next to it and the handle of the big shot). So much easier to get out and use than my big sewing machine, and takes up less room too. The only thing I would say to John Lewis is please include a little matching screwdriver to fit new needles. Also a little light would be good, but maybe that is asking too much of a tiny machine like this - there are tiny light bulbs out there JL!

We did have a few days away last week in "Sunny" Torquay, and considering the time of year I guess the weather wasn't that bad, it was quite mild until Friday. We managed to go into Exeter shopping where himself bought a few things, and I bought a watch the same pink as the sewing machine. We also went to Trago Mills where I bought a few crafty bits, Forever Friends stamp sets, vellums, and some pick and mix card and other bits. We also visited the Otter Sanctuary and Butterfly Farm, and Totnes where we went round the castle - that is an expensive game at £7 or more for 10 minutes round a ruin but we have done it now. Lots of photos, despite my new camera lens not arriving in time. The hotel food was superb, we had a special deal including evening meal, have probably put on even more weight now despite walking along the sea front. When we got home I just didn't feel well, perhaps I had a virus.

The Exeter show at Westpoint was the best ever, so many stalls. I didn't go to any demos or classes as himself was waiting patiently in the car but was still in there over 2 hours, I sold his ticket to someone who was queueing and they got it at the price I paid and saved £2. Sometimes himself comes into the show, so I normally buy two tickets. I went in with one shopping bag and came out with the same, not bulging even, so he didn't blink an eyelid or ask how much I had spent or if I had the money to spend! I bought a punch around the page punch set by Martha Steward, two sets of Nellie Snellen punch and emboss flower punches (two sizes for nesting) and this was after deciding I would not buy any more punches but as soon as I saw the awesome flowers being made I had to have these. I also bought some material from Pinflair with Christmas panels on to cut out and make cards or other great items, they made bags, advent calendars, Christmas garlands - I hope I do use them. I also bought two sets of Paperartsy stamps, and two pads of Laura Ashley patterned papers, the papers were on the £1 stall, bargain. I also bought an ink pad and stamp of a lady exercising, I asked the stall holder to keep them and a Nellie Snellen die then had problems finding the stall again, the show was heaving by then. The issue was that they didn't have a card machine and I didn't have much cash to start with or any cheques, and the lovely lady on the Pinflair stall had let me have some cash back, but I had to go buy the Nellie Snellen punches (from Craft Habitat who never take cards) first to see what I had left and I didn't have enough for the die too when I finally found the stall again. I am sure the stall holder lost out by not taking cards, I heard someone else complaining about it who had gone elsewhere for her goods.