So distressed...

...the card, not me!  Hi everyone, I have something completely different from  my usual style today.  I decided to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone to create a card for Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge, in a vintage/distressed style!  The theme for this week is Take Your Pick...London, Paris or New York, so I had to go with good ole Britannia and make a London themed card...

...I thoroughly enjoyed making this card (although it did take a while), it was great to get my hands inky and think out of the box for a change - there is some fantastic DT inspiration over at Simon Says, which helped get me going! The papers I used are from the Serif free digi kit, British Street Party and I inked everything with Vintage Photo DI!  I don't normally do shabby/distressed, so was almsot hyper-ventilating as I took the edge of my scissors to the paper to grunge it up! ...

...I used some narrow DST and gilding flakes to highlight the union jack paper in the background, which I had overprinted with a shadow image of Big Ben and randomly stamped over the background and bunting with a My Mind's Eye stamp (looks a bit like a heradic ribbon)...

 ...I added the word 'crafting' to the sentiment in PS and made some bunting from another of the Serif papers...

...I cropped and resized one of the crowns from the blue crown paper, then cut out and added plenty bling...

...I finished with a union jack pin badge that I found in  my button box (amazingly!).  The best bit about this card is the fact that I so enjoyed making it and had a go at something new - my fingers are now brown from Distress Inks and I have lost a couple of hours, but I am happy! :)  Hope you like it!  Thanks for dropping by, Lisa x

I am entering this card into the following challenges :

Simon Says Stamp and Show

London, Paris or New York

ABC Challenge

J for Jazz it Up

(I have jazzed u woth diamantes and goilding flakes)

Southern Girls Challenge

#38 So Distressed

Allsorts
Free and Easy February

TV card

Good evening, everyone!  Can I just say another big HELLO and warm welcome to my newest followers Rach and Carolyn - thanks for joining my little blog ladies and I hope you find some inspiration in what I do!

So, onto tonight's creations...First I have a short tutorial for a TV card that I concocted today - well, I say short, it depends how much I waffle on!?!  Without further a do, here's the finished card...

...side view...

...and back...

...and here's how I made it :- To start, you'll need 2 pieces of cardstock measuring 12 x 21cm, one for the front and one for the back panel...

...place in a landscape orientation on a score board and score A4 half fold...

...move this score line to DL and score A4 half fold again, repeat with the other piece of cardstock.

 For the front of the TV, cut a piece of scrap card to 10cm square and round the corners using a punch.  Place on the left hand side of the front panel, as shown above and draw around, then cut out...

...you can attach acetate behind the aperture if you want to, then place adhesive on the left hand tab and attach the front and back panels together, as below...

...decorate the inside of your TV...

...(I know, the picture has magically changed into a golfing image from the original rugby one - this is because I made 2 cards, photographing the bits of one and the completed card of another!)  I decorated my card with papers and decoupage images from my Boys2Men CD-ROM.  After decorating the inside,  fold all score lines, place adhesive along the right hand tab and attach to the front panel side, creating the TV box card...
...I added an aerial made using my circle nesties and some strips of silver card, buttons made form large half pearls coloured with Promarker Black and a round of the same base card with black peel offs to look like a speaker.  I finished with a sentiment and there you have it...

You could take the card as far as you want, adding wood effect embossed panels to the sides and front, and maybe even adding a photograph as the programme?!  I just thought it was something fun and different from a square card.

Next I made a trophy card using another image from the Boys2Men disc...

...I thought this could be for any congratulatory (is that even a word?!) occasion, birthday, well done, you passed, etc.  You could add a sentiment to either side of the base and a plaque to write on (I wanted to keep the wood effect embossing visible, as it's just for a sample card.)  So, there you go, 2 more samples to add to my collection, which is looking rather depleted, I have to say!  Hope you like them and thanks for popping over.  See you soon, Lisa X

Big shoes

Hi everyone!  Firstly, may I say a big hello and thanks to my new followers, Elaine, Janet and Sue - it means so much to think that you like my creations enough to follow my work!

Secondly, I must apologise for my absence - little man has had some awful bug that has him coughing like his chest if full of feathers and the only foods he can keep down are bread and crackerbreads!!  On a positive note, I was so chuffed to see that I have won Mariska's blog candy!  Woo hoo!!!  Her work is what inspired me to have a go at 3D paper piecing and if you haven't seen her creations, hop over to her blog here to have a look, you will be amazed!  Thank you so much, Mariska!

I have a little project to share today, using Mo Manning's Big Shoes - she is adorable!!...

...the gift bag had my birthday present from Mum in and I thought it was perfect to go with this little lady!  For once, I remembered to colour my image after knowing the colour scheme - most times, I colour my image first, then try and find papers to go with it!?!  That's the kid in me wanting to get the colouring pens out!!..

...I have 3D paper pieced my image, though forgot to take a photograph of all the layers, sorry!  Here's a side view...

...I was brave with this image and did my shadows in black, which just gives the image more dimension...

...I added some silk flowers taken from a stem from Dunelm Mill (think they were hollyhocks, there was quite a few on the stem - not cheap, but lovely!) orangey roses from WOC, feather and crystal spray and a metal shoe charm.  Here's the sentiment...

...Who knows, Mum might just get her bag back for Mother's Day...though I'm sure she won't be disappointed!!  Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing my creation!  Lisa x

I'm entering this project into the following challenges :

Fab n Funky Challenge #108

Try something new...

(altered art instead of my usual cards)

The Ribbon Girl Challenge

Pink, brown and cream

Crafty Catz

Favourite things

(Digi images, 3D paper piecing, pearls and flowers)
(I forgot to add shoes, one of a girl's favourite things!!)

Allsorts Challenge

Anything goes in Free and easy February

Shy Valentine Nessa

Good afternoon, everyone, from a cold, damp and grey North Wales!  (At least we haven't got the snow!!)  Hope you are all coping with this Arctic weather that we're having...I wonder if this means that we'll get a summer this year?!!

The card I have to share with you today has been a bit of a nightmare to colour!  I wanted to enter the Passion for Promarkers Challenge this week which has a colour scheme of purple/lilac and grey - not colours I normally use, so thought it may be a bit of a challenge....boy was I right!  I obviously do not have enough shades to blend nicely and so am not entirely happy with the way my image had turned out...
on the plus side, I suppose this will mean a Promarker shopping trip!! ;-D

...I had to root around in my paper stash to find some papers that would go with the theme, so can't even tell you what they are!  What I can tell you is that the image is one of Mo Manning's beauties called 'Shy Valentine Nessa' - I would give you the colours, but I don't think you'll want them!...

... I cut Nessa with my oval nesties, then layered onto a couple of Marianne Creatables doily dies (don't think I'll ever tire of these) and the purple paper behind was punched with my Zutter.  Satin ribbon in lilac and silver and a lovely WOC tea rose (which I tinted with Dusty Concord DI), with some Promarker coloured silk flowers to fill, added some embellishment, plus 2 diamante pins and a few sprigs from my MS leaf punch...

...I added an insert with a black and white version of Nessa and printed with a soft lilac digi paper.  In the end, I am quite happy with the overall look, especially as I was really out of my comfort zone working with these colours, but you do have to challenge yourself sometimes!  Thanks for dropping by and seeing my creation, Lisa x

I am entering this card into the following challenges :

Passion for Promarkers

Purple/Lilac and Grey

I love Promarkers

Love is in the Air

The Sketchy Challenges

Sketch #16 Sandra's Sketch

S.W.A.L.K

Hi, everyone!  Hope the weather is not being too unkind to you, we've been lucky enough to miss the snow, just have cold, damp and pretty grey weather - not great for taking photos (get my excuses in now!)

Anyhow, I sat at my crafty table and made a card to enter into a few challenges.  I have been umming and aahing over whether I needed one of Krista Smith's Saturated Canary images (seeing as they are all over Blogland) - after visiting her blog and shop, I got my answer...I need lots of her images!!  She is one very talented lady and puts so much detail into her images.  With Valentine's Day looming, it seems a lot of challenge blogs have the Love theme, so my card followed that theme....

...I just had to have this SC image called 'Love letter' as it is quite grown up and sophisticated and the letter could be anything from just to say hi, to happy birthday, so versatile, too!

I coloured my image with Promarkers - Skin: Coral, Dusky Pink, Almond & Sunkissed Pink; Top : Ruby, Antique Pink, Dusky Rose, Pale Pink & Muted Pink (FM), Cool Grey 3,2 & Antique White (FM); Trousers : Khaki, Pastel Beige & Antique White (FM); Hair : Walnut, Cocoa, Caramel, Sandstone & Vanilla...
...I often find that I colour my character images with brown hair, maybe because that's what colour I am, and in my head I was colouring her as me (if only I had her looks and figure!!)  The papers are Actually a Christmas Pad by Papermania called Henbury Lane, but there's quite a few generic papers in it, the only problem being that there's only one of each design!  Aaah!  The large rectangular frame is the Sizzix die that came with my Big Kick many moons ago and I have also used Go Kreate Fancy frames #2, nestie Ovals and my new Marianne Sign Board die, which I just love the ornate ironwork design.  The bow was made from netting in my stash, velvet flowers, pink gingham ribbon and red glittered ornate pins to embellish...and there you have it!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Saturated Canary Challenge #10

Red, Pink & White

Sweet Stampin' Challenge

The One I Love

Dream Valley Challenges

Valentine

Crafting When We Can

Valentine/Love

Allsorts

Free & Easy February

Just hangin' around...

Good morning, everyone!  What a beautiful crisp February morning!  Got a bit on the chilly side here last night, down to minus 10 degrees, but the sunshine that's streaming into my craft room this morning makes up for it!

Today I have another 2 similar cards to share with you, using the same digi image - this one is one of my favourites, it's Hang in There from Chrissy's Digis at Whimsy Stamps...

...I love colouring these little critters, so easy and fabulously cute when they're finished!  Although it is another square card, the rounded corners give it a retro feel...a bit funky!?  Papers are one of my faves, too, Up, up and Away from First Edition - so versatile!..

...The image was coloured with my Promarkers - Skin : Cinnamon, Tan, Antique White (FM); Shell and Pads : Moss, Khaki, Pastel Biege, Cornflower, Arctic Blue, Blue Pearl; Leaves : Olive, Pear Green, Lime Zest; Flowers : Gold, Mustard, Tulip Yellow; Branch : Walnut, Cocoa, Caramel and Sandstone.

I added an outline of the image to the insert and Many Happy Returns sentiment.  I really like the simplicity and layout of this card, so made another in pink...

...this one has to be my favourite, just because it's pink and I love pink in my crafting!  Papers are another 6x6 pad from First Edition called Desert Blooms...yummy!..

...I coloured the skin, branch and flowers the same, just changed the blue to pink shades on the shell and pads using, Antique Pink, Dusky Rose and Pale Pink.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Simon Says Stamp

Animal Antics (2nd entry)

Sweet Stampin' Challenge

Let's see those Animals

Fab n Funky Challenges

Use a digi

Hope you enjoy looking at my work and thanks for dropping by, have a great day!  Lisa x

Happy February!

Can you believe it?!  February already!  It's another chilly start here in North Wales, but at least the brighter mornings give me the motivation to do a bit more!  I struggle through the winter months in a state of concious hibernation and look forward to mid March when the clocks change and I suddenly wake up again!  Thoughts of summer....if we get one this year!?!

Anyway, enough waffle, I actually have 2 cards to share with you today!  I need to stock up on simpler cards for when local people ask for generic cards, rather than personalised ones and so had a colouring day on Monday - oh, what a joy that was, 3 hours of colouring in...who says we have to grow up?!  I created 2 similar cards using the Birdie Friend digi image, but changed the colourways...

My first card, I'm entering into Fussy and Fancy Friday's Challenge, which requires Polka Dots - I have used Polka Dot ribbon

... I went for a blue and yellow colour scheme, using First Edition Up, up and Away and Summer Breeze papers (the yellow was something I found a piece of in my scrap drawers)...

...The image was coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, and my desk was covered in colours by the time I'd finished - it's surprising how many different pens you use for one image!
The second card I made was a richer colour scheme...

I'm entering this card into the following challenges : 

Simon Says Stamp - Animal Antics

Dream Valley Challenges - Animals

...I have wanted to use orange for a while, but don't seem to have enough colours to blend, but I persevered and am quite happy with the result...

...I used First Edition Desert Blooms and Animal Antics papers and again coloured with Promarkers.  I would list the colours, but there were just so many!  ((If you would like to know any combinations, leave me a comment and I'll try to tell you).  The gold swirl is a new Memory Box Die that I got...think I need some more of these ;-)  That's it for now, but I'll be back soon to show you the other cards that I am completing. Thanks for dropping by and if you have the time, leave me a comment and I'll try to visit you, too!  Lisa x