Oh no, it's a Christmas card!...

Good morning, Bloggers!  Well, as you may know, I would not call myself a stamper, but I love to have a play now and again and try new things.  So I set myself a challenge to create a card using only plain cardstock and without the use of my computer!  I do admire the many cards created, by the likes of Sue Wilson, that use their Spellbinder dies to full effect and decided to have a go myself...

...Amazingly, I created every patterned element myself...

...the base card I stamped with Stormy Sky DI and Versamark embossed with Psychedelic glitter powder, the white Swiss dot embossed layer has a Parisian Accents border frame, the lilac scalloped square is inked with Dusty Concord DI and stamped with Versamark embossed with Psychedelic glitter powder and the blue scalloped square is inked with Stormy Sky DI and stamped and embossed with MicaBoss powder, then brushed with Mica Powder...

...As I don't have a snowflake die (scandalous, I know!)  I created my own using the accent die from the Parisian Accents set (with a bit cut away) and an accent die from the Renaissance Hearts Pendant set.  I added a stamped sentiment cut with a Beaded Oval and some white satin ribbon with MFT Buckle die in silver...

 Although a very different style of card to my usual, I was amazed at what you can make from nothing, well, blank card anyway!  Sometimes it's good to challenge yourself and try new things, you never know what you might create...and you might even like it!  Why not challenge yourself to something new today?!  I hope I've inspired you and thanks for taking the time to drop by, Lisa X

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Papertake Weekly

Anything Goes

(Happy 5th Birthday Guys!)

CRAFT Challenge 174

Make your own embellishments

Totally Papercrafts

Pretty Pastels

Fab n Funky

No patterned papers
Crafts and Me Challenge
My Sentiments Exactly!

Halloween frame card...

Hi, guys!  I decided to have a play and create something for the Craft Us Crazy Challenge blog - the theme this fortnight being Halloween and/or anything goes and this is what I came up with...

...I decided to make a Halloween wall hanging using one of the box frames that you can find on my tutorials page and the October digistamp sheet from A Year in Cards CD-Rom.  I coloured the front of the frame with Dusty Concord DI and Black Tuxedo Memento, then rubbed on some Versamark around the edges and brushed with black Mica powder...

...I used the October dotty paper as a backing for the frame and then added 4 Parisian Accents border strips around the edges - I used the waste from the border strips to create the points on the wrought iron fence!  I used Stromy Sky and Dusty Concord Distress inks to ink the moon scene and added a large black glittered bat to the frame...

...I coloured Frankie with my Promarkers and gave him a few glitter highlights, the colours used were :

Skin : Moss, Khaki, Pastel Beige,

Top : Slate, Purple, Amethyst, Orchid, Lavender, Olive, Pear and Lime Green

Trousers : Walnut, Cinnamon, Spice, Honeycomb

Shoes and Hair : Black, Cool Grey 5, 4, 3, 1 (because I've lost my number 2!)

I mounted the image onto Black card using foam pads and cut around, leaving a border, to make the image pop more.   I added a purple polka dot ribbon hanging loop and 4 MFT corner die cuts to finish.
I can't believe that it is October already, time really is flying by! Thanks for droppping by to see me and I hope you like my little project!  Lisa x
I'm entering this project into the following challenges :

Craft Us Crazy

Halloween and/or Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp (2nd entry)

Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter

Anything Goes

Fab n Funky

Starts with F

(Frame card, Frankenstein, Fence)

Charisma Cards

Something for the guys

Ha, ha...two posts in one day!

Well how about this?!  I'm back again to share a card with you (at last, I know!)  I decided to sit at my crafty table and have a play, to make a card to enter into a couple of challenges and this is what I came up with...

...I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, though it took a while (about 2 hours) and I thoroughly enjoyed colouring this pretty Saturated Canary image - Jules.  The background is embossed with Love Letter Sizzix Texturz Plate and inked with Victorian Velvet DI, then I added 4 of the Memory box Madera corner dies, highlighted with diamantes.  I mounted the image onto an oval nestie with scalloped oval behind and added 2 of my new Joy Crafts Floral Flourishes Heart...Cotton lace, pink satin ribbon and double bow, a touch of Glamour Dust and a simple sentiment finished off.  I used a Martha Stewart Punch around the Page punch to create the card base...I love Mandy's cards done like this over at A Sprinkling of Glitter, the only pain is that they're too big for a standard envelope, so I'll have to make a box...though I think it'll be worth it!  I coloured the image using Promarkers and Flexmarkers :

Skin : Coral, Sunkissed Pink, Dusky Pink, Satin (as usual!)

Hair : Walnut, Cinnamon, Spice, Honeycomb (I went for a change and went Auburn with this one!)

Clothes : Antique Pink, Dusky Rose, Pale Pink, Pale Blossom FM

Olive Green, Pear Green, Lime Green, Lime Zest, Ivory

Shoes : Walnut, Cinnamon, Tan, Light Fawn FM

Cat : Cool Grey 2, 1, Soft Mauve FM, Blossom

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Raise the Bar

Damask or Swirls

(I've used swirl embossing and swirl corener dies, plus theres swirls in her petticoat and hair!)

Simon Says Stamp

Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show

For the Love of Sparkle

(I have Glamour Dust glitter on her petticoat and diamantes on the background)

Ribbon Girl

Colour Challenge #23 Pink and Green

In the Pink

#4 Embossing

(There is dry embossing on the background)

Christmas is coming...

...whether I like it or not!  It's not that I don't like Christmas - I love all the twinkly lights and atmosphere, it just seems to come around so quickly!  Unfortunately, here in Wales we never really had a Summer (a couple of weeks of sunshine, and not consecutively, does not warrant a summer in my book!) and now the nights are drawing in and the days getting shorter, I start to lose my motivation!  BUT, I decided to try and plan ahead (yeah right!) and get some projects made for our church Christmas Fair, which is on the 1st December this year - I always try to make some sort of contribution and run a little craft stall with all proceeds going to the church, so need things that won't cost the earth to make or for people to buy.  So here's a couple of the things I've started...

...firstly, I made a couple of wine bottle labels - I will be making more of these and different styles...

...The flower is made from different sized daisy punches and I love these Marianne leaves.  A nice plush ribbon, a wire twirl and some red Stickles give a festive feel (I hope!)...

...Next, I picked up a pack of small notebooks to cover.  The first one I covered and attached to a piece of covered mountboard with a string hanging loop and a piece of magnetic tape on the back, so that it can be hung or attached to a fridge.  I wrapped a pencil in coordinating paper and attached with a small paper loop, then decorated with Love News Tilda, coloured with Promarkers...

Colours used :

Skin : Coral, Sunkissed Pink, Dusky Pink, Satin

Hair : Henna, Cocoa, Caramel, Sandstone

Top : Marine, Duck Egg, Cool Aqua, Tea Green

Trousers : Shale, Khaki, Pastel Beige, Ivory

Shoes, Shale, Caramel, Sandstone, Soft Fawn FM

Papers : Vanilla, Ivory

...The other 2 I covered and added Judikins Praying and Peeking Angels coloured with Promarkers...

...I'm hoping to get the sewing machine out and make some fabric projects, too, but we'll see how they turn out!!  Hope everyone in the UK isn't too affected by this terrible weather we've been having and that you're all safe and well.  Thanks for dropping by to see me!  Lisa x

New blog...

...After his five minutes of fame, my little man decided he wanted his own blog, so Little Man's Crafty Place is born!  His first post is titled 'Things to make you go mmm....' as he's been in the kitchen this morning, baking (with a little help from Mum, just the oven stuff mainly)  Be prepared to drool a little and yes, they are as good as they look...better even!  Lisa x

Five minutes of fame...

I am sick of this stupid cough!  It's been hanging around for weeks now and just won't go...it's the sort of cough that leaves you alone for a while, giving you a false sense of security, then grabs you round the throat and irritates until your gasping for breath!! The doctor put me on antihistamines to see if they would help, but so far, no joy!  Hubby and little man seem to have it too, so we're like a coughing choir, especially at night!  Anyway, moan over and onto something to share from a special little man...

...We had a workshop last Saturday and as hubby was taking big man to his footie match, little man had to come with me - this is no bad thing to little man as he loves to come and 'help' and join in.  So, he decided he wanted to make a card along with everyone and as I had a pack spare, I let him have a go.  The first card, he followed along with us, making it exactly the same...well, nearly...he put his bats on the opposite side to us - artistic license!

inside

...For the second card, he decided to 'do his own thing' and though he had the same ingredients, his card turned out completely different...

... He is very strong when it comes to his design ideas and would take no direction from me or anyone else and I was pretty amazed at the result!  The spotty paper was double sided with the stripe on the reverse, so he cut the strip in half ad turned one piece over to get the two patterns.  I love the jaunty angle that he put the first layer on, but the way he wanted the ribbon parallel to the card base - he even solved the dilemma, after putting the orange layer on, as to how his card would stand up straight, by cutting off the bottom corner...not bad for a 9 year old?!  So, I promised him that I would give him five minutes of fame on my blog and enter his creation into a challenge or two..

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Dream Valley Challenges

Celebrations (Birthday)

Creative Craft Challenge

Anything Goes

Divas by Design

Lovely Layers

The Crafty Pad

Autumn Colours

Well done and GOOD LUCK, my little man! XX

Getting messy...well, a little bit!

Good morning, everyone!  Well, after my post yesterday I thought, 'What the heck!' and decided to have a go at a Sheena style background...I have to admit I didn't get anywhere near as messy as she does, but I had a play and really quite enjoyed it (I know!?!)  I saw her use a bit of cereal box on Paper Clinic yesterday and liked the look of it, so went for a rummage in the recycling bin...of course, yesterday was bin day, so not a cereal box in sight! (This is called Sod's Law!)  Near the bottom (thank goodness it is only a paper recycling bin) I found a Southern Style Mini Chicken Breast fillet box (what a healthy lifestyle I lead) the sort that has the chicken in a bag inside the box, so not the plastic coated ones and got to work...

...I started by splodging (this is a Sheena technical term) Distress Inks on the background - I used Rusty Hinge, Peeled Paint and Stormy Sky.  I then got my Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder and inked the inside top of the folder with Versamark, ran it through the Big Kick, then chucked (another technical term) gold and then copper embossing powder over the top...I inked the edges with old faithful, Walnut Distress Ink and the result was the picture above.  I found the quote online and realy liked it, poignant, but not mushy or cheesy.  I printed it onto printable acetate and attached it over the top, securing the top half with 2 metallic brads...

...I then printed off the watch decoupage from the January folder of A Year in Cards and decoupaged up with acetate behind the final layer.  The ribbon across the card hides the DST that secures the bottom half of the acetate, but you have to have a bit of ribbon anyway!  I matted onto gold and dark brown cardstock, then onto a white card base to balance the lightness of the image, et voila!

A, really, quite simple card apart from the background - I thought it would be nice as an Anniversary card for a man.  So there we have it...I now have to go and make 5 card orders for the same person...aaaaghh!!  Enjoy your day, whatever you are doing and thanks for dropping by to see me, Lisa x

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Papertake Weekly

Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday

Autumn Gold

The Squirrel and the Fox

Anything Goes