Friday 25 February 2011

Syn Free Cupcakes


No I haven't misspelt syn - I'm using the slimming world spelling as I'm trying to lose weight and at least these cupcakes are zero calories, they didn't hurt the bank balance either as they were a free set from the front of a magazine! I've coloured them with my promarkers and I've used glossy accents on the red cherries so it has a little bit of zing. The only thing I'm not happy with is the way I've stamped the 'for you', that's the only problem with stamping directly onto the card - you can end up ruining it with just one tiny mistake. To me though, this little mistake doesn't look so bad that I would not give this to someone as a card.

Sooo looking forward to this weekend - I'm supposed to be having friends over to craft with and I may finally get to sit down with my two new Cricut cartridges. Hopefully I can enter a few challenges too.

TFSB

Thursday 24 February 2011

Chocolate


Well, this is an old card as I've been having trouble making cards recently, hopefully I will get a proper play this weekend.

The sentiment is from a book of quotes by Hot off the Press, the papers were from a freebie set in a magazine and are by My Mind's Eye (Pretty Please), the lace was given to me, the flowers were made and the leaves are a punch I bought at Just Tracys. I distressed the papers using my Tim Holtz distress inks - it was either brushed corduroy or tea dye (these are the only two browns I have).

It is one of my favourite cards, it isn't really for an occasion, but I'm sure I will find a time to give it to someone.

Anyway, hope you like, and I will try and get something new up soon.

Sunday 20 February 2011

Oriental Themed


Well, I actually found a bit of time today to make a card, and wanted to use a challenge, so I went to Clare's Inspiration challenge on the DoCrafts website, she had the most beautiful picture of the sky through some gorgeous red acer leaves, which really spoke to me of the orient (not that I've ever been there!). So I had a rummage through some old stamps of mine and found some oriental designs, which I've had for years (sorry they don't have a brand name on them), and a really nice Hero Arts leaf stamp - okay so it's not an Acer leaf but stamped in red I think it looks quite dramatic, and by using the image more than once without re-inking, it gives a lovely depth.

The lanterns at the top of the card were stamped several times to give them all in a row using my Stampin Up 'Stamp-a-majig' to line them up. This is a really fabulous tool and I really don't use it nearly enough. The lanterns were coloured in using a cheap version of H2Os and watercolour pencils.

The geisha was stamped with red pigment ink and then clear embossed, this was on white card, but when I cut it out using a nestie, I left the nestie in place and then chalked in a pale blue around the edge.

Anyway, enough waffle, hope you like.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

An oldie


I am working on some new stuff honest, but I have so many old cards that still need to be shown off too, so I thought I'd post another card made some time ago. The image is a single Penny Black snowman, which is just stamped and masked to produce a lovely little line of snowmen. This card was sort of a copy of one from a magazine, but when you're preparing for Christmas you take your inspiration where you can! The papers are from my extensive stash of Christmas papers and I did a little bit of doodling round the edges - the lettering was produced using a quickutz alphabet - as that lovely little meerkat would say 'simples!'

Anyway, hope you like, back soon!

Sunday 13 February 2011

Cheating today


Today's card is not a new one, but it's one I've not uploaded yet - I made it ages ago using a sketch on a challenge blog. The girl is a stamped image I was given by a friend and she was coloured using Koh-i-nor pencils, they work the same as polychromos (I only have a set of 24 so was quite limited in my colour scheme) the flowers were punched and shaped using a ball tool and then I added some foliage (sorry can't remember who makes the punch). The net came from a big sheet which I've had for a very long time & keep trying to find ways to use (got to get rid of it somehow). The backing papers are all from my stash so I couldn't tell you who they were made by - sorry.

Anyway, hope you like - I did make a card yesterday, so hopefully I will have that uploaded soon for you.

Saturday 12 February 2011

Bird-day


I created this card to enter into the Get Funky challenge blog - they even give away a free digi backing paper for you to use, which is really great, it's not my usual type of thing, but then hey, that's the challenge!

The base was created using my nesties, so this is a really dinky card, but I quite like that (gone from 8x8 card to 3.75 round!). The image was one of the Bugaboo stamps freebies from a while back and seemed to sit quite nicely with the backing paper, funky and bright. You can't see it from the picture but the cherry on the top has had glossy accents added. It's probably not one of my best cards, I keep looking at it and thinking there is something missing, but it's so bright and busy already I don't want to play with it and mess it up.

Anyway, it's Saturday, I've tidied the kitchen and so it's time for me to be off and craft - still need to make my three cards to enter to try and get on the Just Tracy's Challenge Blog design team - fingers crossed!

Thursday 10 February 2011

WOYWW - late


Yes I know it's Thursday, but only just (as I write this it's 7.50 a.m.), the picture however, was taken last night so not so bad. I would have blogged this last night but I was busy knitting a teddy bear for a friend, it's not quite finished and I've just realised he doesn't have any ears so I will have to go over the instructions again to make sure I've not missed anything.

The stamp on the table is the freebie Molly Bloom which was free in the current issue of Simply Cards and Papercrafts.

Anyway, supposed I ought to go and get ready for work, so I'll be off for now and hopefully will be able to get back on later.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

On a Roll Now!


Yay, I finished the card with little miss cute ted - although I have to say that the card did not end up that small!

I decided to use the sketch from Friday Sketchers for this, but Miss Ted is quite big on her own, so by the time I'd matted & layered and found a circle big enough (used my xcut, now Tonic Studios circle cutter) I ended up needing an 8x8 card blank, which I didn't have so ended up making my own from two sheets of A4 card - this would be fine were it not for the fact that I now don't have an envelope to fit! (it's a great excuse to visit Tracy's again, well I think it is anyway!).

I'm very proud of the pink backing paper, as it started life as a sheet of pink copier paper, which I then stamped on using a Viva background text stamp with pink chalk ink, then I inked the edges of the paper with the same ink, and then went over again with a slightly darker pink, just on the very edges - I think it looks quite expensive but the only real cost was a bit of time and effort.

The flowers were made using one of my newest purchases from Tracy's (got on Sunday) they are the new Tonic Studios petals pairs punches. These are great, you get two punches for £10.99, you can mix and match them but basically they interlock so you get a lovely dimensional flower.

Now it's finished I'm not sure I like this card, but it was great fun to do & I do love the Kanban teddies, well I love all the Kanban stamps, they really are a fabulous range, very versatile and stamp beatifully!

Well, lets see if I can keep this up and be back tomorrow for another amazing instalment!

Monday 7 February 2011

Woo Hoo, I made a card!!!!


Yay, this card was so easy to make, though getting the inspiration somewhat more time consuming. I went to Just Tracy's yesterday and bought another lovely Kanban set, which included this lovely heart stamp, and as I drove from the shop home, the idea for this card just planted itself in my head. I'll have to go back and buy some chocolate coloured card as I used my last piece for this! The sentiment is from a Waltzingmouse set, and the lovely dots round the sentiment are from a Viva paper pen, think I may really start to like these, but will have to build up my collection slowly.

Anyway, I'm off to make another card with this cute little teddy who you can dress up - like the dolls you used to get in magazines (showing my age!), and with the added advantage that it uses up your scraps of paper!

Saturday 5 February 2011

OMG where did all the time go!

I didn't mean to be a bad blogger, really I didn't, but you know what it's like - I spend so much time browsing the web & the rest of the time making stuff, I never quite got round to updating my blog.

Anyway I'm back now & will try and be a bit more regular in my updates.

Well, to kick off, I thought I'd show a card I made for a friend who wanted to give a special card for a baby's first Christmas - I EARNED £5 FOR THIS CARD!!!!. The ornament on the front comes off and can be used on the tree, but only cost 80p in Wilkinsons, underneath is a bauble from a Waltzingmouse set - the tree branch is from another Waltzingmouse set, and the lettering is all from various Cricut cartridges. I ended up having to make another one in Blue for another work colleague who wanted one to give to a nephew for Christmas.

I only get a couple of commissions but they are always nice (well, when they're done & the recipient is happy the are!).

Hope you like the card, anyway, will sign off for the mo, but hope to be back tomorrow with a bit more of a catch up and maybe a new card if I get the chance to make any (in between shopping, washing, cleaning and ironing - thought the weekends were supposed to be an opportunity to rest!).