Anything Goes Challenge #68 - Anniversaries

Hi fellow bloggers, time for another challenge over at Anything Goes and wow the DT have come up with some fab creations.

This weeks challenge is Anniversaries - to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee so it seemed only right to use my new  Pomp and Pageantry sheet  from IndigoBlu which I had bought from the Craft Den.

I haven't done a scrapbook page for ages and these Papermania Portobello Road papers were crying out to be used and they teamed up so well with the Pomp and Pageantry stamps - well I thought so anyway! I stamped the Pomp and Pageantry and Quintessentially English sentiment stamps randomly over the background paper and the Great Britain stamp was coloured with Distress markers and then stamped onto white card four times, cut out with a punch and glued randomly onto the background paper.

The lady, gent and lions heads were stamped and coloured with DIs, cut out and glued on with pinflair glue for dimension.  ER letters are chipboard which were painted with gold Eco paint and the crown was cut with a spellbinders die and I used felt and  gems to decorate it.

The flowers were made with coredinations paper and TH floral strip die and the bunting was made using some cocktail sticks with the union flag on which I got from a local discount shop. I made a mould from a rose shaped button and then used Fimo to make the red, white and blue roses. The photo was downloaded from the internet.

I am entering this project into the following challenges:

pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sunday-stamper-week-207-words.html Words

cateredcrop.com/ Add felt

joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.ca/ Remember When

panpasteluk.blogspot.co.uk/ Diamond Jubilee

unityopportunity-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/ Stamp on designer paper

thecraftypad.blogspot.co.uk/ Colours of your flag

craftyourdaysaway.blogspot.co.uk/ Red, white and blue

thehappyscrapperschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes

alphabetchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ H for handmade flowers

glittergeeks.blogspot.co.uk/ Diamond Jubilee

hotshotcraft.blogspot.co.uk/ Die cuts

happydazedesignteam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/may-challenge-may-queen.html May Queen

artwithnoboundaries.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ Always Anything Goes

thepapergirlschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ Get out your Chipboard

Anything Goes Challenge #67 - Colour Combo, Black with one other

Time for a new challenge from Anything Goes which is a colour combo of black with one other  (you can use colours for hair and skin). The Design Team have come up trumps with their samples and such diversity so lots of inspiration there.

My contribution uses some of the fab IndigoBlu stamps from the Sewing Mends the Soul sheet which I bought at the Craft Den's birthday bash. To be truthful I bought quite a few IndigoBlu sets so there will  be lots of projects using these fantastic stamps for future challenges

The sewing implements stamps from the set were clear embossed to create the backing card, the TH pattern and stitch embossing folder was using to give texture to the black card and the Winged Dress Form stencil was used to emboss some cordinations card which was sanded to highlight the design.

The mannequin is the TH die which was cut in black card and just the body in canvas. The bodice stamp was stamped on teal card in black and embossed, ribbon was added for the straps and suspenders. A button punch, ribbon, buttons, charms, pins, hooks and eyes, press studs and a sentiment from the set finished the card. 

I am entering this into the following challenges:

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes

ooh-la-la-creationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Ribbon

simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes

stampandcreateblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/may-challenge-for-ladies.html One for the Ladies

papercraftbliss.com/thejourney/ Black and one other colour

craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Punches and Dies

thepapershelter.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes

trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Five elements - buttons, ribbon, die cuts, charms, press studs

creativecraftchallenges2.blogspot.co.uk/ Distressing

lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ Layers

Anything Goes Challenge #66 Things with Wings

Time for a new challenge at Anything Goes and this time we want to see Things with Wings. The DT have designed some great projects - as usual, so do pop over and have a look.

Last week  was the Craft Den's fourth birthday so to celebrate Lynn held an open day and the lovely Kay from IndigoBlu was there all day demonstrating her fantastic stamps. In the evening those of the DT, past and present, who could make it were treated to a lovely buffet and a workshop courtesy of Lynn.

I opted to make a spool display and although I didn't complete it that night I finished it at home and this is my project for this weeks challenge.

The spool was made with a tin foil tube, circles of card cut with spellbinders and then covered in music score card. These were coloured, as was everything else with DIs, Aged Mahogany, Faded Jeans and Wild Honey, my favourite combo at the moment!

The large flowers were made with grungepaper and  Wendy Vecchi stamps and glued to bamboo skewers which I'd inked with DI Forest Moss. The flower in front was made using tattered florals and a spiral rose. Although they can't  really be seen there are also other two flowers on the base made from tissue and dictionary papers which had been cut with spellbinders, coloured with the inks and scrunched up to look like carnations.

The butterflies were EI stamps and TH movers and shapers butterflies all coloured with the DIs. I have used TH mini pins and pen nibs for the bodies of the butterflies, and some builder's scrim on the bases. All the products I used are available from the Craft Den.

I am entering this project into the following challenges:
craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Textures

heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/April Showers Bring May Flowers

hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Flowers

trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Handmade Flowers

corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.co.uk/ Tim Holtz

creativeinspirationspaint.blogspot.co.uk/ Inspired by Flowers

movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.co.uk/ Flowers

panpasteluk.blogspot.co.uk/ Spring Time
flourishes.org/category/challenges/timeless-tuesday/ Butterflies
sassycherylschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ Flowers
toptiptuesday.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything but a card
tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.co.uk In the garden
http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/flower-power.html

Birthday Card for hubby

It was my hubby's birthday yesterday and I made this card for him. He has a small yacht which is berthed up in Scotland and he likes nothing better than getting away from it all and taking her out in the Firth although he doesn't get up there as often as he would like.

I usually make him a card with a nautical theme and this year was no different and I used my new stamps from Creative Expressions to make it. The background was done with the distress stains I have just bought - resisted for a long time but after doing a workshop with Hels was totally sold!

On a sad note it would have been my Dad's birthday too - yes they shared the same birthday, but he passed away last year. Difficult time - celebrate one person's birthday and be sad that the other is no longer with us to  celebrate.

My Dad loved my cards and when we sorted through his belongings he had kept every card I had made him and I must admit I shuddered a bit at my early attempts, they seemed so primitive. I have come along way since then thank goodness but we all have to start somewhere I guess.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/?p=3044 Nautical theme
everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/ Card for a Man
paperminutes.blogspot.co.uk/ Use your newest stamp
mimchallegeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ Male sports or Hobbies
simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes
letsinkitup.blogspot.co.uk/ Distressing
panpasteluk.blogspot.co.uk/ One for the Boys
happydazedesignteam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/april-challenge-april-showers.html Watery theme

Anything Goes ~65 Tick Tock Goes The Clock

Hello fellow bloggers, its been a while since my last blog but have been poorly and unable to meet my DT commitments but I am on the road to recovery and ready to start crafting again. I have had severe withdrawal symptoms and am raring to go now.

My daughter was home from uni last week and we had a couple of days just crafting, getting inky and generally having fun. What a tonic! This is what I produced which was for the Anything Goes challenge which this time is Tick Tock Goes the Clock - anything Time related or Steampunk.

So enjoyed making this canvas. I used stencil paste and That Something Special masks, clock and steampunk, to create a relief on the canvas and  gessoed the canvas and then gave it a wash of watery red acylic paint. Using DIs, stamps and various stencils and sequin waste I created the background

The rectangles are mountboard pieces that I had cut and each was coloured using distress inks and stamped using Creative Expressions, Paper Artsy and Stampers Anonymous stamps all available from the Craft Den. The die cuts are Tim Holtz alterations as are the ideology again all from the Craft Den.

Its nice to be back in blog land and I hope you like my latest project.


I am entering this into the following challenges:

pinkleart.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sunday-stamper-week-201-man-of-world.html
artwithnoboundaries.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes
cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/challenge-40-from-past.html
ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ Always Anything Goes
simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes
letsinkitup.blogspot.co.uk/ Distressing
stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk Freebie week - anything goes
takeaword.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/take-word-challenge-time.html
dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Earthtones
craftyourdaysaway.blogspot.co.uk/ Metal

Commissioned Valentine Card

A colleague commissioned a Valentine card for his partner and he asked for it to incorporate a butterfly on the front which opened up to reveal a heart inside which in turn lifted up to reveal the verse. After consultation we decided how the end result should look and the colour pallet.

I have made numerous cards in the past for my colleague and those for his partner always have to incorporate a butterfly as she has a  soft spot for them.

I made two 8" black card squares and stuck one to the other and created a gate fold card,  then half a butterfly was cut out from each of the fold back panels. A smaller set of wings were cut from red card which were stamped and gold embossed with swirly stamps,  another set were cut from gold holographic card and a final set from black card also stamped and gold embossed with the swirls.

 Two pieces of the backing paper - a freebie from A Passion for Papercrafting, were backed with red card and gold holographic and affixed to the two front panels. Some gold ribbon, gold crystals on the butterfly body and corners and antenna made from beading wire and beads finished the front of the card.

 The inside

The heart was made using a Creative Expressions mandala heart stamp, I really like this stamp it is layers of frills and there is so much that can be done with it. I stamped it 3 times on red card but the first was a folded piece of card. The 3 layers were glittered with Pee wee glitters in gold, red and white and a tassel was added to the bottom of the heart.

Gold holographic card was mounted onto red card and adhered to the inside of the card. A row of cushioned heart ribbon, the die cut word 'Love', red oval crystals and the heart were added. The verse that had been chosen was printed out and cut to size to fit in the folded heart.

Opened heart

I must admit that I was a little apprehensive  when I gave this to my colleague because at the end of the day this was my interpretation of his ideas . He was delighted with it - big sigh of relief!!!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.com/ Love is in the Air

craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/ Valentine

diekreativenstempelfreunde.blogspot.com/ Valentine

hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ Hearts

lexiscreations.blogspot.com/ Love

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Always anything goes

ooh-la-la-creationschallenges.blogspot.com/ Be my Valentine

scrappersdelightspapercrafts.blogspot.com/ Love

http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

stampandcreateblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Challenge Valentines

addicted-to-stamps-challenge.blogspot.com/ Valentine/Love

dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/ Valentine

Whoopsi Daisy Sketch Challenge

Time for another challenge over at Whoopsi Daisy and this week we have a great sketch from Sande one of our Daisy Divas.

Please remember that to be in with a chance of winning you must use a WD image and there is a freebie here for you to use.

This week I have used this fab image from sheet 339, she just cried out to be steampunk-ed (is there such a word - well there is now!)

The teal card was stamped with versamark using a Paperartsy stamp from the clocks stamp plate and embossed with clear embossing powder, the cream backing papers are from Funky Hands Steamfunk set, all were distressed with a craft knife.

A piece of teal card was dry embossed with a cogs embossing folder which had been inked with versamark and  heat embossed with clear embossing powder, teal ribbon was tied around the card and finished with a knot. The image was coloured with promarkers, die cut 'out of the box' and matted onto teal card and mounted onto the embossed card. 

Die cut cogs were painted with teal paint onto which were attached brass cogs and topped with pearls were placed down the side of the image. A safety pin with a key was pinned to the ribbon knot. The metal corners and butterfly were coloured with espresso alcohol ink to distress them, the butterfly was adhered to the play ticket in a TH pin.

I really enjoyed putting this together as it was challenging to use a WD image and do something a little bit different with it.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

getfunkyandcraft.blogspot.com/ Use blue

onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

papersundaes.blogspot.com/ Sundae Bar - cream, blue, distressing and pearls.

thecraftypad.blogspot.com/ The letter "B" - blue, butterfly, brown

allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/ Free and Easy

paperprettiesblog.blogspot.com/ Add texture

incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/ Recipe 3 embellishments, 2 papers and 1 image

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

papercreationsink.com/ 3 embellishments, 2 papers and 1 image

simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

Bugaboo Featured Guest

Bugaboo Stamps are sponsoring Crafting for all Seasons for their latest challenge "Love is in the Air" and two of the design team were asked to create projects based on this theme for the Bugaboo blog., this was my teamie Carly and myself.

This is the card I made using the Bugaboo image Love Blocks - Two Hearts

This is a lovely image with lottle to colour , in fact it could be quite effective left as a black and white image which I may do another time however I decided to give it some colour. The obvious choice - to me anyway, was to colour the birds blue and pink, the background was coloured with antique whire flexmarker and the border lilac. The swirls were traced with quickie glue and dusted with gold and silver mica. The word 'Love' in the heart balloon was treated in the same way.

The bird and heart were made from Fimo. I have had this stuff in my stash for so long............... but now its out I can't understand why I haven't used it before now! The papers are from Papermania, the swirly pearls from creative expressions and the other embellishments are from my stash.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.com/ Romance is in the Air

hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ Hearts

lexiscreations.blogspot.com/ Love

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Always Anything Goes

stampandcreateblog.blogspot.com/ Valentine's/Love

stampwithfun.blogspot.com/ Love

stampsfun-creativity.blogspot.com Hearts

stampsruschallenges.blogspot.com/ Valentine/Love

Crafting for all Seasons #20 Love is in the Air

Time for another challenge at Crafting for all Seasons and as Valentine's Day is fast approaching we would like to see your "Love is in the Air" themed projects.

We have three generous sponsors for this challenge:

Bugaboo Stamps who have a prize of 7 digi stamps, 

Lily of the Valley who have donated a £10 gift voucher and 

Digi Doodle who have a £10 gift card

I have used this lovely wedding image from Lily of the Valley which came just at the right time as I have a commission for a wedding card!

The image was coloured with promarkers and I used the antique white flexmarker for the dress and veil which is quite subtle but just gave enough colour to distinguish them from the white background.  This was cut with a spellbinders die and I also cut a frame of silver mirri and used foam pads to mount over the image, strands of pearls were added to the frame. The two hearts were made by twisted beading wire adding a couple of pearls and rolling up the ends to secure the pearls.

Tha card is centura pearl with a silver mirri mat and a mat of the centura pearl which has been dry embossed in an embossing folder although it doesn't show up very well in the photo. A white flower with pearls, white leaves and an organza ribbon bow in the one corner and a sentiment were added to complete.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ love

cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.com/ White on white

papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.com/ Romance is in the Air

hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ Hearts

lexiscreations.blogspot.com/ Love

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Always Anything Goes

stampandcreateblog.blogspot.com/ Valentine's/Love

stampwithfun.blogspot.com/ Love

stampsfun-creativity.blogspot.com Hearts

stampsruschallenges.blogspot.com/ Valentine/Love

Anything Goes Challenge #60, Eyes Down - Bingo Board

We have a new challenge at Anything Goes  and its a Bingo Board challenge, choose any line horizontal, vertical or diagonal. There are lots of elements to choose from so let's see your creations.

My teamies have produced some fantastic projects so please do pop over and take a look at their blogs.

I have made a birthday card for a friend of mine whose birthday is later this month and as she is a secretary I decided to use my new vintage typewriter stamp set from Creative Expressions available from the Craft Den

My friend's favourite colour is purple and as I had recently downloaded a dp pack called purple fall by Jo Jackson which are shabby and vintage style it seemed apt to use these  lovely designs. They have been stamped on, torn, distressed and clipped together with a bull dog clip and paper clips and adhered to backing paper which was stamped with a Creative Expressions script stamp then clear embossed.  The typewriter, date stamps and ink bottles were cut out and mounted with foam pads for dimension. Some lace and twine topped with a flower were added to complete the card.

My Bingo line was Distress, my choice- stamps, embossing, and lace and ribbon (ok I used twine but call it artistic license lol)

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/ Monochromatic

ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Always Anything Goes

scrappersdelightspapercrafts.blogspot.com Anything Goes

smudgyantics.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

letsinkitup.blogspot.com/ Use lace and/or ribbon

panpasteluk.blogspot.com/ Happy Birthday

challengeupyourlife.blogspot.com/ Tone on Tone Monotone

drunkenstampers.wordpress.com/ Something new in your stash

Whoopsie Daisy Cute and Cuddly challenge

Time for another Whoopsie Daisy Challenge and we would like to see your Cute and Cuddly entries. 

Please remember to use a Whoopsi Daisy image, you can get a freebie to use here.

The image I have used is Rosie from the new CD of Linnie's images Daisy and Friends from Joanna Sheen. 

This image of Rosie is so sweet and cuddly with those chubby cheeks and legs! I printed the black and white version of her, coloured her skin, hair and the frills on her dress with flexmarkers and promarkers and paper pieced her dress with the pink gingham paper from the cd. The backing papers, also from the cd, gave me the idea to create a garden scene because it already had the grass, the stool and the well on it.

Rosie needed to be sitting on something and the perfect answer was the wall from the Pretty Tuff cd from Polkadoodles which has been coloured with flexmarkers and promarkers. 

The trellis at the side is a favourite technique of mine, good old plasterboard tape which has been embossed with brown embossing powder. The flowers climbing the trellis is ribbon from my local haberdashers and the concertina butterflies were made using gingham backing paper from the Daisy and Friends cd.  I finished the scene off with paper roses and leaves tumbling down either side of the wall.

If you would like the template for the butterflies please visit the lovely Shirl's blog here.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/ Free and Easy

crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/ Create a scene

catchthebugblog.blogspot.com/search/label/challenge Anything goes

quirkycrafts.blogspot.com/ Make a scene

sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/  In the Garden

Creative Expressions January Challenge winner

I heard yesterday that my Heart Strings card was chosen as the winner of the Creative Expressions January card of the month. The challenge was to use a Creative Expressions stamp and to include a sentiment and as Valentine's Day is looming decided to make a card for my hubby.  I used the rose frame from the Your Special Day plate and the sentiment is from their Love is in the Air stamp plate.

Here is my card that won.

Heart Strings

Soooo excited as the prize was my choice of 3 stamp sets so I have chosen some vintage plates which have been on my wish list for ages, can't wait for them to arrive as I have several projects in mind for them!