Handmade Monday...

What have you been up to over the last week?

I've been busy this week getting stock ready for the Craft Fairs starting next weekend.

I have been making cards too, but at the moment most of them have been commisioned ones, only a few for challenges. Unfortunately at the first couple of fairs I cannot take and sell my cards as they already have enough sellers.

If you want to see what some other crafters have been up to, why not take a look at the links over at Wendy's blog 1st Unique Gifts.

A Micey Nice Birthday

Good evening all, hope you've all had a restful weekend. I've actually managed to get in my craft room this afternoon. Its not been the same since my hubby put his computer in here, I can't get a look in, he's always in, sat at the computer and as much as I love him, I like to craft alone, with the door closed and listen to music, not the sounds of him playing action games. Oh well rant over, I have made a card today.

I followed the sketch from Friday Sketchers #143 by Claudia. The papers are from a Papermania pad in shades of brown, cream and a little pink. I stamped some swirls on brown card using Versamark to get a watermark effect, for the first layer.

I used this adorable House Mouse stamp from the Ice Cream set and coloured with Promarkers.

I also stamped and coloured this cutie off the Dip set and cut him out to layer onto card. He's part of a larger image, but I used him as I thought he looked like he'd just fell in the tub of ice cream.

I made an easel style card and carried the sketch all through.

I decided to keep the embellishing to a minimum as I think there is quite enough going on, so I used a couple of strips of ribbon across the card and finished with a little ribbon bow.

These are the challenges that inspired this card;

Simon says Stamp - Coffee and cream

House Mouse - Favourite stamp

Cupcake - Cake and Ice cream

Spoon ful of Sugar - #140 Birthday wishes

Secret Crafters Saturday challenge - Sweet treats

Stamp Scrap and Doodle - Easel card

Ribbon girl - #5 Cream, pink and brown

Thanks for looking, I'm off to get things ready for school tomorrow. Bye x

Rock Chick

Good morning everyone. Woo hoo its Friday, comes round quick, doesn't it.

Here's a quick card I made for the Kenny K Krafty Girlz - Its all about R's, challenge. I've used Rock Chick, Red, Ribbon,and Rhinestones. Think that just about covers it.

I followed the Sketch over at Papertake Weekly challenge - #53

I coloured her using Copics, nothing unusual there. Finished the card with ribbon, rhinestones and some card candy from stash.

I would also like to enter it into these challenges

Charisma Cardz - Black, white and 1 other colour - (red)

Copic Creations  - use warm colours

Top Tip Tuesday - Bling it on

Another Fab Award

I have just received this fabby award from the lovely Donna.

Thank you so much!

The conditions of this Award are . . .

1. Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!

2. Share 7 random things about yourself

3. Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they've won the award.

7 Random Things about me

1. My favourite colour is deep red
2. I love German Shepherd Dogs
3. I have a Purple belt in Karate
4. I love high heel shoes, but get very little opportunity to wear them
5. I am a shopaholic
6. I hate housework, but love painting and decorating.
7. I love singing at the top of my voice when driving in the car alone.

I would like to give this award to these wonderful bloggers

Hanna

Beacarona

Plundis

Sari

Ruby

Clare

Clare -Distressed Miss

I made top 3 at Make it Colourful

I feel absolutely thrilled to be chosen as a Top 3 colour addict at the Make it Colourful, colouring challenge blog. Everyone over there is so massively talented, I can hardly believe that they chose my card as one of their top 3 in the Shadow and Depth challenge. Thank you so much, you've made my day.

 This is the card that was chosen.

A special day

I made this card for the LOTV challenge, this week they want you to use your favourite colour combo. Well mine change every day depending what mood I'm in. Today I'm in a shades of chocolate and pink, think this might be due to the fact that I'm on a diet and missing my chocolate and cakes, etc. I'll have to make do with nice yummy looking paper.

I followed this weeks sketch on Friday Sketchers - 142. Used papers from a Papermania pad, matted on chocolate brown card and I used a MS punch to make a border strip.

I love this image and sentiment from LOTV and I coloured using a mix of Promarkers and Copics. I glittered round the edge of the image, sentiment and the flowers with Stickles and added a bit more bling in the shape of pink pearl gems. A slightly glittery chiffon ribbon to finish.

I am going to enter it into Wags and Whiskers  challenge - Punches

Cute Card Thursday challenge - Shiny happy cards

 and also Dutch Dare - who want to see Sparkle, glitter and bling.

Getting messy with powders and inks

I've been playing with embossing powders, Mica powders and Distress inks. Thought I'd make a few flowers from pattern paper, then I got carried away, adding glaze and antique gold mica powder.

I also had a go at embossing on to patterned paper and decided to put them together to make a card. This distressed, grungy look is totally out of my comfort zone, but I do like playing around.

These roses are made using punched patterned paper shapes, sprayed with mica spray, then cut down into various size bits ,embossed and glued together. The little ones were very fiddly. I then added glaze and dipped them in gold mica powder. They look so much nicer in real life, like they've been dipped in molten gold, the photo makes them just look dirty.

Many of you probably already know how to make these, but if not, let me know if you want detailed instructions and I'll do a tutorial.

This stamp is Agapanthus Cluster from Stampendous, stamped on to pattern paper, K and Co, and embossed in white. The background is the same stamp not embossed.

Everything was distressed and inked to within an inch of its life, I always go a bit over board once I get started.

I am going to enter this card into these challenges;

Stamp with fun - sketch by Emmi41 - I flipped it though, hope you dont mind.

The ABC challenge - Team A - O is for Old fashioned

Simon says stamp - Make your own embellishments

Paperplay - Add shine

Secret crafter - A Stamped flower

Ever decreasing circles...

Good morning all, just a quick post today, I'm busy, busy today, got an appointment at the opticians and then taking my son to the orthodentist.

I have made a card for the Kenny K's Crafty Girlz challenge, this week they want to see circles. Think I might of over done it. I used a papermania paper for the background, then sponged some silkies through a template - retro bubbles by the Crafters Workshop, on to pink card. Cut 2 different size circles out of it and layered onto blue circles. Finished off with a bit of ribbon and even more circles, in the form of Craftwork cards, card candy.

I based the design on a sketch over at Mojo Mondays #178, although I did turn it sideways, as my image was so big.

This cutie is Devilish Donna and I thought I would colour her with Promarkers as I wanted to do it quickly and I always take ages when I use Copics. So not much shading today, just basic colouring.

I am also going to enter it into My Time to Craft challenge this week its - Going round in Circles

Thats it from me, I'm off. Hopefully catch up with a bit of blog hopping later, see what you all have been up to. TTFN

Make it Colourful challenge card

Here's the card I've made for the Make it Colourful challenge #6 - Shadow and Depth.

I used the Whimsical Log and Dusk which I had to combine using Word, as I dont have any fancy photo editing software. Its ok, but a couple of lines don't show up, so please make allowances.

I started off colouring her dress with Copics, but I haven't got a very pale colour. I did try tip to tip with blender, but wasn't happy with the results I was getting , so I switched to Prisma pencils to finish off the dress. I also used them on anything else thats blue, and used my Copics for everything else.

Oh how I wish I was rich and could buy lots and lots of Copics (she says, staring wistfully up at the sky)

Its my first attempt at colouring these images, and although there's always room for improvement, I'm quite happy with the final result.

Anya... I love you

This started out as "I'll just make a quick card", But three attempt later this is what I finally decided upon. I'm still not happy with it, but I've changed the papers twice, coloured 3 images and have decided thats it, I'm not spending any more time on it. I'm off to make something completely different.

I followed the sketch from this weeks Sketch and Stash challenge #55. The papers were free from a magazine, still sticking to my New Years resolutions, trying to use up all my patterned paper, not buying more. 

As you can see I stamped this lovely Anya, she is actually an oldish stamp that I've had for probably 12 months or more, but just realised I've never used it until today.  I cut her out and put her on 3d foam to raise her. I embellished with 2 strips of ribbon threaded through a little pearl buckle, and 4 foiled die cut hearts. I blinged it up with lots of gems and some liquid pearls.

I am entering it into these challenges;

Anyone for Anya - Colour challenge with a Valentines theme

Crafty Catz - #69 Valentine / Love

Stamp Something - For your Valentine

Totally Gorjuss - Love

Stamp, scrap and Doodles - Love is in the air

Cupcake craft - I (heart) you - inc a heart

Our Creative Corner - Cut it out

Creative Inspirations - Red, pink and white only

Papertake Weekly - Putting on the Glitz

Baby girl!

Good morning all, hope every one had a lovely valentines day.

I've not had much chance to craft over the last couple of days because I've been trying to catch up on the housework...boring! Wish I could find one of those cleaning fairies to do it for me. ;0) Anyhoo I did get chance late last night to make this, but as it was finished at 2 in the morning, I didnt get chance to post it.

 I made this card following the sketch from this weeks Friday Sketchers #141.

I used this cute Penny Black image, and coloured it using Copics.  The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley - Circular sentiments. The papers are a mix from Papermania. I punched two layers using a Martha Stewart border punch and added a strip of silk polka dot ribbon.

 

I finished with a cross loop of ribbon, with a flower button in the centre and some Petaloo flowers.

I would like to enter it into these challenges.

Friday Sketchers  - Sketch #141.

Penny Black - #138 - Pretty in Pink

Die cut dreams - #83 - Its a Girl!

Love mom..

Good morning, its the weekend, hooray.

Here's the card I made for the Sugar Bowl challenge #53. This week was a sketch by Marlene and a picture inspiration

I used just one patterned paper and white card that I embossed in my cuttlebug.  I cut the corners with a die and put one in each corner, as my circle was a bit small and I thought there was too much blank space. Everything was edged with a soft brown ink.

I coloured this beautiful young lady's clothes with Prisma pencils, as my blue copics were too dark. As usual I used Copics on her hair and skin.

I printed out the heart mom sentiment and embossed a heart shape around it before cutting it out and inking the edge.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the satin ribbon and pearls from stash.

I would like to enter it into these challenges also;

Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and Flowers (well I've used one heart )

Rainbow Lady challenge - It's all about love

Crafty Cardmaker challenge - Hearts ( again, just the one, hope thats ok)

The Stamp man - #16 Heart theme

Eat cake...

Afternoon everyone, well that week has just flown by, can't believe its Friday already and the children break up from school today for a week off. Thats my piece and quiet out the window then. ;0)

Here's a card I made for this weeks Colour Create challenge - Chocolate,Strawberry and Cream, with the option of using ribbon. This instantly made my mouth water, thinking of lots of yummy cakes. Then I saw the inspiration picture and started to drool.

I followed Dawnys sketch on the LOTV challenge #84 and used one of their wonderful stamped images -Hello Cupcake. 

I coloured her with Copics and used a Nestibilities die to cut her out, mat and layer. The sentiment and banner are from Whimsy Stamps. The papers are from a Papermania pad.

I finished off with red satin ribbon and red pearls.

I am also entering it into

Delightful Challenge - Who want us to get punchy - use punches or die cuts

Cupcake challenge - Seeing Red

Beige is no longer boring, it can be beautiful.

This is my first card as a member of the design team for the ABC challenge.

This week its Team B's turn for the letter N - Neutrals.

Our wonderful sponsors this week are Whimsy Stamps . I have used Chrissy's Little Angel available from them as a digi stamp. Isn't she just adorable?

 

 I coloured her using Copics and Prisma pencils in neutral shades, beige and browns. I always thought of beige as boring but not any more, I think shes just beautiful.

I used papers from a K and Co pad, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, some raffia lace, ribbon and felt swirls. Everything was distressed to within an inch of its life, I even added a bit of glitter to the edges of the flowers and swirls as well.

 

I carried the design onto the base of the Easel card, using a sentiment from Hot off the Press ( I think ).

I found this challenge hard at first as I'm not really a beige person, but once I found some papers and started to put it together, I really enjoyed making it and am quite proud of the end result. Hope it inspires you to try some thing out of your comfort zone.

I do hope that you can join us for the challenge and don't forget to pop over and see the rest of the DT's amazing creations.