Hi to all fellow crafters'

I have only recently started to blog more seriously than I did previously, hope you like what you see. :) If you would like more information on a particular project please ask and I will see what I can do. I have now started doing challenges, I will hopefully be doing one every month. To go direct to my challenges please click on the link from the right. Hope you can join in I would love to see your creations. x


PLEASE NOTE that new challenges, winners and previous winners can now be found at the top of the page.

Followers

Saturday 30 June 2012

Box and more

 I was chatting to my friend Helen recently and she was telling me all about her new downloads she has here I just had to go and have a look. I decided I wanted to make one, but knowing me I wanted to get the most out of the set so I decided to make the box and add the decoupage on top for more dimension. I also added border peeloffs, a little glitter and some card candi. I then made the easle card and the envelope including the decoupage, glitter, border peeloffs and card candi as for the box. Now I have a card with matching envelope and a box to put a little gift inside.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Seeds of kindness

My two friends Kandis, Kathy and myself craft regularly using skype. We always enjoy our craft time and take turns in setting challenges. This time was my turn, I chose two papers I knew we all had and a layout. While we all chatted we got started on our challenge. It's always nice to see our results, as I know we will all come up with something different with the elements we started with. I used a cream card for my base and placed a red matt which I first layered with one of the patterned papers and a little inking around the edges. I then cut two smaller cream matts and layered one with a contrasting paper and the other I stamped out a Faye Whittaker image. After colouring the image and inking the edges on both cream matts I placed them onto red card leaving a small border. Finally I used a small sentiment and a flower to finish of the card.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Today's dreams

I started off making this card as a 6x6 and hadn't realised the sentiment part of the card was too large. So I started again with an 8x8 base card. I first layered black card onto the base leaving a border, then layered white card onto the black before putting a piece of 6x6 patterned paper on top. I used one of my nestabilitie shapes to make the main image, I made two of these as it was easier when stamping the image to get the wording in the correct place. I drew around the outer part of the nestabilitie to make a faux shape for layering. Before placing the shape onto my card I stamped to lovely swirls in opposite corners. I then placed some patterned paper onto a strip of white card before matting it onto black card. This was the final piece to place on my card before adding a few gems. I have entered this card in Rubys Rainbow challenge x

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Mum and me

I have had the digital designer program by docrafts for a little while now and never really used it. Mum was asking me how it worked so I had to bite the bullet and have a go. So my mate Kathy and I tackled it together and we learned a few things between us. This was my effort, just a few clicks and it was done. It really was as easy as they show you on t.v. I used the boofle CD, the frame and backing paper was all one element so no measuring to line things up. The buttons and flowers were seperate so all I had to do was resize, add the shadow effect and then put in position. Last of all was to add my picture,hope you like it and thanks for looking.

Monday 25 June 2012

Simplicity

I recently purchased purple cows craft geek, and I am impressed. This card show my first attempt with it straight from the box. It is so easy to use and I got great results. To start with I used the little flower shown in red, I then used the crosses shown in black over the top and it looks really good. On the second layer I used one of the other stamps on its own, I just love swirls. The lady is a kanban stamp I bought a while ago, I thought the red accent colour just lifts the image nicely. The card was very simple to make hence the title for this card. Hope you like it and thanks for looking. I have entered this card into Ruby's Rainbow challenge wish me luck :)

Wednesday 20 June 2012

White on white

 I  have never done a one colour card before so I gave it a go, I am quite pleased with my first effort. I used some new edgeabilitie dies, two embossing folders and a flower stamp. I layered my die cut edges across the top and bottom of the 6x6 card, then placed the dotty embossed piece of card between the two edges. The embossed shape in the middle was the centre from an embossing folder. I used silver embossing powder to enhance the verse and placed a double bow in top left corner. To finish off I stamped two small flowers on parchment paper and embossed  the reverse to get look I wanted. I then placed pearls onto the card for that final touch of elegance.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Hide and seek

I made this card a little while ago but thought the image was so sweet I just had to post it. The image is from crafters companion summer adorable range, I just love all the images. I stamped the gate first onto some smooth white card and coloured with pro markers, I then layered it onto red card for contrast. After stamping the little girl again I coloured her with pro markers. I used a 6x6 base card and layered a piece of patterned paper leaving a small border. I placed the card with gate image in top left corner then used foam pads to layer the little girl. To finish off I added a sentiment, a flower embellishment and card candi for that extra touch. I have entered this cardinto Fab and funky challenge Fingers crossed I might win :)

Saturday 16 June 2012

Gift box

My daughter has recently moved house so I thought I would make her a little gift. I made a simple box out of one sheet of card, then I cut two shapes just slightly bigger than the the base and the top of the box. After decorating one of the shaped pieces of card I placed ribbon between the base of the box and the shaped base. I then created a stand for the back of the top piece so as to make it like an easle card. I finished off by placing the ribbon under the stand and attaching the decorated top piece and adding a few gems.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Father's Day cards

These are some quick cards I have made for Father's day. I know I have to make mens cards from time to time but I much prefer to make girlie ones. I posted previously about always wanting to add bling when doing mens cards and as bling is more girlie I had to source other embellishments. I had a few tips from ladies on the crafters companion facebook site on what to use so decide to give them a try. I do think it was worth the extra little embellishments.

Saturday 9 June 2012

Lilac and pink

This is definitley a girlie card and very simple to make. I placed a patterned backing paper leaving a border onto the base card. I took a piece of white smooth card ideal for stamping and stamped out the two outer images then masked them off before stamping the middle one. To give the images more interest I stamped them out again and cut out the dresses and layered them onto the main image. I simply added some peeloff strips before putting ribbon through the centre, then I placed some faux pearls and gems onto the card to finish. This is my entry for the stampalot challenge

Elegant

I made this card recently for my niece's 18th birthday. She was thrilled as it mainly pink and it had bling, two of her favourite things. After stamping corners onto the base card I placed a black then pink layer, followed by smaller alternate black and pink layers to build up the centre which I placed on an angle. I used one of my die cutting shapes to create the centre and then placed the stamped dress topper which I stamped onto the same card I had used for some of the layers.To finish off I added gems to the swirls on the corners, card candi and used some glitter embellishmetns. I have entered this card into the hookedoncraftchallenge blog and Ruby's Rainbow challenge

Friday 8 June 2012

Baby cot


 I am lucky enough to have a craft robo cutting machine, I must say though I had to bring it out of hibernation to make this cot. I have had a couple of these for orders recently so the robo is getting well used after it's long holiday. Once I have cut the cot shape I decorate (each one different) I then create a box which I cut by hand. Decorating is the bit I like best and can do as much or as little to suit. I sometimes personalise with baby's name, or even details of when born, weight etc it adds a nice personal touch.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Slugs and snails

I am more of a girlie card maker but as you see I do make the odd mans/boys card. My problem is I find I want to add bling all the time, it's just not the same on a male card. I was reading some lovely tips on the "I'm a crafters companion" facebook page after posting this card where some of the ladies have used twine, buttons and card candi, I will certainly give them a try. This card is simple matting and layering, along with a lovely stamped image and just perfect for a little boy. This card is entered into the creative inspirations blog challenge.

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Girlie chat

I made this card purely for fun, it will go in my box of stock ready for our village Gala where I will hopefully have a stall to sell some of my cards. I started this card with the stamped image, it's from the new Swalk range from crafters companion. I thought it would be nice to use for a friend. After colouring the image with my spectrum noir pens I matted the image onto a piece of card, I then placed pretty papers onto the same colour card in two sizes. Once my layers were done I used one of my cutting dies and placed it onto the small rectangle and placed my stamped topper on. To finish off the card I added some card candi and a couple of gems. A simple card that I'm sure any friend would love to recieve.

Sweet gift

I made this little box for my mum when she was a little under the weather. I will admit it took me a little while but I really enjoyed it. I hadn't done much distressing before but I will certainly be doing more in the future. I found the idea from a site while searching for that something a little bit special and this is what I found Tea light card instructions, it was just the thing. I started off with my stamped image, I coloured and placed the image on to a piece of shaped card which I cut using one of my dies from a piece of printed paper. I then cut all the pieces needed to make the project and layered printed paper onto the card pieces followed by distressing with a Tim Holtz ink pad. After stamping my sentiment topper and die cutting my embellisment shapes I was ready to put it together. Once complete I filled with a few of mum's favourite chocolates and sent it off in the post. Mum was thrilled and it certainly helped cheer her up. I have entered this project in the My time to craft challenge

Sunshine and Rain

When I made this card I wasn't sure what my idea would finish looking like, so I just went for it. I chose two backing papers from the Adorable cd, layered one on top of the other and folded the two opposite corners. I used a brush with a Tim Holtz ink pad to colour the turned down corners. After stamping out my image onto watercolour card I used my watercolour pens to colour and put it through my die cutting machine and finished off with stressing the edges with ink. I used some die shapes to cut the ribbon border and the rosette from white card and used the same Tim Holtz ink pad to colour to help tone things in. I placed green ribbon through the holes on the ribbon border and added green die cut swirls to the rosette. A sentiment and two little gems finished the card off nicely I thought. I have entered this card in the Crafters companion blog challenge

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Ocean and Waves

This card I made for my Dad for Father's day for this year. I am a little early I know, but I have lots to do in the coming month so thought it best to make sure it was done. I used a Kanban stamp and used a Tim Holtz ink pad to stamp it out so I could just highlight the outlines of the image.I then cut two shapes, one of which I embossed using one of my embossing folders and inked around the edges to add more colour. I placed the larger shape onto a card which I had layered with some backing paper I got from one of my many crafting cd's. I then placed the circle shape over the stamped image and placed it onto the card using foam pads. To finish off I used some card candi and a sentiment. I have entered this card in the Cards for men challenge

Friday 1 June 2012

Embellish delight

A card I made using a free backing paper download from Crafters Companion website. Embellishments I used from my craft stash.Finishing with a stamped sentiment, hope you like it.The free backing papers helped with my colour scheme as I am not very good with colours.