Tuesday 13 December 2016

CAS





Challenge 150 at Cardz4guyz chosen by Jan is CAS.  This is about as CAS as I usually can't resist adding extras to my cards.  This card is make with bits and pieces from left over Christmas cards , I liked the negative of the snowflake and there just happened to be the piece of turquoise card in the pile too, ran the white paper through with the snow embossing folder , stamped the greeting (a new Inkylicious stamp I haven't used before) and added a small snowflake in the centre.  Hope you will join us in our challenge 

Tuesday 6 December 2016

Reindeer




This week at Cardz4guyz , the challenge, chosen by Helen, is Christmas Animals. For my card I have used an image and papers from Making Cards Christmas Special magazine, a couple of die cut snowflakes and a stamped sentiment.  I don't often make cards with designer papers but as I had bought the magazine seems a shame not to use some of them, I do keep telling myself to stop buying all these magazines but they keep on falling into my shopping bag !  Hope to see you on our challenge , just remember your card must be masculine.

Sunday 4 December 2016

Floral Fancies






This month at Stamping Sensations the challenge is Floral Fancies so we are hoping to see some lovely flowers this month. There is a very generous prize from Sizzix for the winner of this challenge.
Don't forget we are a stamping challenge so your entry must have stamping as the focal point.
For my card I have used my home made sprays to make an iridescent  background and then stamped  the poppy collage and the verse directly onto it. The poppy stamp is Carabelle Studio and the verse stamp is Inkylicious.

Thursday 1 December 2016

Anything but a card


This month at Christmas Sparkles, Debs has chosen the challenge of Anything But A Card


Caz has provided this lovely prize of stamps and gems this month


  
I have chosen to make a small clock using a 6" square of MDF .  I painted the background with three colours of Paper Artsy Fresco paints and stamped the little scene with Tim Holtz Christmas Joy set.
I Had stamped it last night but when looked at it this morning the stamping had virtually disappeared into the paint, lovely misty morning look but far too faint to try and photograph so I've had to restamp the front trees and the reindeer, I had intended to stencil the clock numbers with embossing paste but found the strncil numbers were far too big, my numbers are a bit wobbly as I've had to go over them a few rimes to get them to show up.  


Hope to see your entries this month here at Sparkles Christmas Challenge

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Is it blogger again ?

I've just tried to link an image on my sidebar to the blog site and instead of it doing that it goes back to my blog and says the linked blog is not available, never had this problem before, anyone else experienced it ?

All is calm.............



All is not calm in this house!  I wanted to make an inky background for this card but found my favourite blue spray was empty, couldn't remember what I had used to make it so rummaging about in a cupboard I found seven pots of something called Viva Metallic paint, all new, unopened, no idea what they were for, opened one, beautiful irridescent blue paint,tried to read what was on the label while I already had the top off and dropped it onto the carpet !!!!! whatever it is it doesn't come off,scrubbed and rubbed and used half a bottle of concentrated carpet cleaner,still a very obvious blue patch.  Its not even in a place where I can put something over it LOL, Anyhow back to my card, this is my DT card for Cardz4guyz challenge for which Amy has chosen Something beginning with T. A not very original choice of Trees for me. More of the Tim Holtz die cut trees and a reindeer from Tim Holtz Holiday Joy set.The wording is a freebie from Creative Stamping Magazine a couple of years ago. Hope to see you playing along with a card for a guy in your life.

I'd also like to enter
and
Crafty Boots Challenge - See The Wood For The Trees

Saturday 26 November 2016

Rudolph Day



Last Rudolph Day challenge for this year, its been a great challenge , many thanks for Mo for running it. For my card this time I've used a lot of die cuts, I was thinking it would be a quick way to make a batch of cards but it took for ever to do all the die cutting for six cards and my room looked likes there had been a blizzard with all the dots out of the centre die, I have used four dies, one embossing folder and two stamps on here, I simply had to make some cards with this gorgeous Crafty Individuals Robin stamp, coloured quite simply using blending sponges and memento inks.

Allsorts Challenge              - Anything Christmas
Creative With Stamps Challenge - Use a bird stamp
Happy Little Stampers - anything goes with dies



Tuesday 22 November 2016

Snowy's here again




Well, here's Snowy making his first appearance this year, no doubt we'll be seeing more of him although he has gone walkabout with his owner. He really belongs to a friend but lives at my house most of the time but now he is off on holiday to warmer climes, I'm going to miss him !

This is my DT card for Cardz4guyz.  This week the challenge is Snowman and was chosen by Jane.  Background paper is a piece of very old Papermania, it is straight, just the picture is on a bit of a slant ! Tim Holtz trees ( I've got a bit of a thing going for them this year LOL ) and a bit of torn paper.
Hope to see you on our challenge this week.

Sunday 20 November 2016

Snowy Postcard



Although I've called this snowy postcard, I've only used part of the stamp for a change. This year I was determined to use some newer stuff but can't resist pulling out the old favourites and I love this Stampendous stamp. Stamped with Versafine crimson red onto a stitched oval die cut and then added to floral oval die cut. Tim holtz tree and Sue Wilson snowflakes, Stampin Up EF.  I usually add loads of glitter to this scene but resisted this time !  Might add a sentiment later.  I'd like to enter my card into some challenges

Addicted To Stamps - Die cuts/punches + a stamp 
Christmas card Throwdown - Old Fashioned Christmas 
Allsorts Challenge - Christmas Tree
Fantasy Stampers - Vintage


Tuesday 15 November 2016

Reindeer



This week at Cardz4guyz, Julie has chosen the theme of Reindeer. Now I know my gorgeous Lavinia stag is not really a reindeer but its the nearest I have.  Distress ink background, Inkylicious santa and reindeer and the small trees, Stampin Up Lovely as a tree fir trees and Hobby Arts rabbits, I just love the tiny ones ! bit if blue pencil for shadows and lots of Glamour Dust sparkle everywhere, Hope you will join us in this challenge

I'd like to enter my card in a couple of challenges


Just realised I never linked my card to the challenges DOH !

Sunday 13 November 2016

Dasher



Just spent ages trying to get a decent picture of my card, this is a scan, the photo was worse. I've just made six of these for my box, after I'd made three I remembered I have an ATG gun and the next three went together much quicker, its the matting and layering that seems to take for ever and its so boring! The colours haven't come out very well and dasher looks a bit near the edge but I need you to believe this card looks better in real life  LOL. In spite of this I'm entering my card in these challenges

Allsorts challenge - Feature a creature
and Christmas Card Challenges - Christmas card with option of glitter

Saturday 12 November 2016

Snowflake




I had to have this die after seeing a card somewhere made with it and then when I got it had no idea what to do with it.  I've also been searching everywhere for a Tonic snowflake die with no success, now been told direct by Tonic it won't be available again until next winter. Anyhow while searching about I found this cuttlebug die which I had totally forgotten about, used double sided sticky paper to cut it out and then applied glitter, I've been using JonesTones glitter recently and it is so beautiful in real life, doesn't show to advantage on here. The background embossing folder which was a freebie from a magazine was inked with memento summer blue ink. I really must settle down and start producing more Christmas cards as I am not even halfway to what I need. I'd like to enter my card on these challenges
Unicorn Challenge - snow?snowflakes
and Cardz4 galz - contemporary Christmas 

Thursday 10 November 2016

Penny Black Mouse




This is one of the cards I was making last Sunday when I completely forgot why I was making a card and ended up with this card which was totally inappropriate for the challenge I was doing it for, however I came across it today and finished it off. The Penny Black image is a stamp belonging to a friend and she also gave me the tree and corner die cuts, snowflake is memory box and the background is a piece of my inky sprayed ones, I did stamp snowflakes over it with white pigment ink but theyhardly show.  I would like to enter my card onto 

Penny Black and More  - anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Extra - Anything Christmas



Tuesday 8 November 2016

Oh Christmas Tree



The Challenge at Cardz4guyz this week chosen by Caz is " Oh Christmas Tree"  For my card I have spritzed some white card stock with a couple of my home made ink sprays , the blue one is made with Luna Lights paint and is very sparkly,the lilac one is just acrylic paint mixed with water .  Stampin Up Lovely as a tree Fir tree , red stickles baubles and a glittery star. The sentiment is an old Hero Arts wood stamp which comes out  every Christmas.  This is my third attempt at what should be a very easy theme, first card I changed directions half way through, really liked my card but  "oops" it didn't have a Christmas tree, second card did have a tree but by the time I finished adding embellishments I had forgotten I was making a Guy card.  11 pm saw me panicking and making this simple card. There are some lovely samples by the design team so hope you will visit and join in our challenge.

Sunday 6 November 2016

Do You See What I See ?



Couldn't get that song out of my head once I had stamped the polar bear, I was convinced I had a stamp with that on it and I spend an awful long time searching for it, finally found the words on a snowman stamp my sister sent me a long time ago, managed to mask of the rest of the stamp and just use the words. I wish I had not stamped the Merry Christmas as the bottom of th card, always have to gild the lily !  but other than that I am happy with my card.

This month at Stamping Sensations the challenge is Christmas Greetings and we are sponsored by Craft Addicts.

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Thinking of you



Nearly forgot my DT card for Cardz4guyz this week, the weeks go past so fast I'm always playing catch up.  I had made this card a couple of weeks ago and thought it fitted this weeks challenge, chosen by Cyndi, which is Sympathy/Remembrance/Thinking of you. Although this is a Thinking of you card I think it would work equally well as a sympathy card. The birds in the tree stamp is from Stampin Up Serene Silhouettes and the corner stamps are from Inkylicious. I'd also like to enter my card into Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Thinking of you

The Holly and The Ivy



Quite a CAS card for me this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge,  Sandra has chosen Holly and Ivy for this months challenge.  For my card I have used stamps by hobby Arts, bought last year and never used, I'm quite into Robins but I've always had trouble colouring them but now I've found using the small smoothy sponges with memento inks works quite well, better than my efforts with a paintbrush for sure.  Hope you will join us this month. We are sponsored this month by Sandra who is offering two lovely sets of Buzzcraft Stamps



Sunday 30 October 2016

Purr fect Halloween




Haven't really got into Halloween cards this year even though I do have new stamps !  Just made this little card last night using CTMH stamps that my lovely Sister sent me. I had saved some sample ideas for cards with these but blowed if I can find them.  I like the bat bow tie and I love the witchy hat too. The bats are from another stamp set that I haven't used either. I'd like to enter the following challenges

Cardsundmore  - Halloween
Fantasy Stampers - Halloween fun
My Time to craft - Autumnal colours or Halloween



Wednesday 26 October 2016

Winters song

Whay Hey ! it's time for my favourite challenge again at Scrappy Mo's Rudolph Day Challenge.  I have wanted this Penny Black stamp for a while but it was always out of stock and then I thought it might be a bit complicated to colour but anyhow finally got it from the US and found that with a bit of simple masking of the trees and a few bits of torn paper it was a quick card to make, I popped up the little robin to make him stand out more and there is a lot of glitter too.  I was going to add some puffy stuff to the branch but having ruined a card before by applying too much decided enough is enough!  I'd also like to enter

Merry Monday Christmas challenge - Birds
and
Christmas card challenge- anything goes
and
Fashionable Stamping - Trees

Tuesday 25 October 2016

Born To Ride







Well I have to say it's been more of a struggle to get this card onto my blog than it was o make it ! I'm used to just scanning my cards and also it's the first time I've tried to upload from my camera since I got Windows 10, took a bit of fathoming out.  This is my DT card for Cardz4guyz this week, the theme was chosen by Sharon and is Kinetic, I nearly bottled out of this one as I don't do fancy folds but I had seen a Top Panel card at Port Sunlight and was quite fascinated with it.  Found quite a few videos on Youtube and its a lot easier than it looks. I also saw one done with Stampin Up Born To Ride stamps and so I have sort of cased this although only saw a glimpse of it on the video, think the main part of the video was making a Christmas one.  Hope you will join us in our challenge with a card for a guy this week.  

Tuesday 18 October 2016

BOO !



This week at Cardz4guyz it's my turn to choose the challenge which is BOO its halloween or a Thank You card.  I've used various stamp sets for my card, houses are Lavinia as is the cauldron, cats and flying skeleton are Stampendous, toadstools are Inkylicious and bats are Crafty Roo,the Scary word is from Close to my heart,used an Inkylicious stencil for the moon, can't believe how much mess I made to make one card !  Hope you will join us is our challenge this week 

I'd also like to enter my card in these challenges

Try It On Tuesday - scary and spooky
Country View Challenges - All things spooky

Sunday 16 October 2016

eeek !

Just been into the bedroom to find three pairs of trainers which sit in a row near the door, scattered around the room and a very curious cat attempting to get her head in one of them, investigated to find a tiny little mouse cowering under the shoe tongue ! ,Now not too many years ago I would have been screeching and hollering but calmly got OH to take the poor little thing outside and release it, now if it had been one of the enormous spiders which seem to be coming in out of the cold ,that might have been a different story ha ha .  Back to my card making............

It's a kind of magic



This is a card I made for one of the great granddaughters birthday last week.  I'm a tad disappointed at how my card looks on here as it's got lots of glisten and shine in real life.  The stars are silver and the mount is silver hologram card. Jewel, the unicorn is painted with Imagination starlights paints in pearl and gold.  Jewel is an Indigo Blu stamp and the background castles are a very old Paper Artsy stamp.  I'd like to enter my card into

City Crafters - "Did I Make You Up Challenge" 
and
Critters and Creatures challenge - Anything goes with a critter/creature.




Tuesday 11 October 2016

Time Flies



Challenge 141 this week at Cardz4guyz and this week chosen by Jan the challenge is "Time Flies". Well true enough saying as I can't believe I haven't posted anything on my blog for a week, I do have the excuse of not being very well as I've had some kind of virus on top of ongoing health problems ,hopefully on the up now though, fingers crossed.  Had my third household disaster on Friday teatime when my oven glass door decided to explode ! Lucky to have a great son-in-law who went and got me a new oven on Saturday morning and came and fitted it for me.  Anyhow back to my card, background is an old Hero arts clock stamp, Cuttlebug happy birthday embossing folder,tag stamped with a B Line stamp.  Hope to see you at our challenge this week.

Tuesday 4 October 2016

Nature



This week at Cardz4guyz , the challenge is " Nature" chosen by Helen.  For my card I have used a new stamp I got at Port Sunlight on Saturday, its from Imagination crafts, very simple card to make,stamped the harvest mice with vintage photo distress ink and just pulled in a bit of colour,added some mustard seed DI to the corn stalks. Background inked with the mustard seed and dried marigold and the leaves and corn stamped with the same colours.Die cut leaves from some brusho scraps. Hope you will join us in our challenge this week.

Sunday 2 October 2016

Autumn Glory


This month at Stamping Sensations the challenge is Autumn Glory so we are hoping to see some lovely autumn colours, leaves, trees , flowers but do remember we are a Stamping Challenge so the main focus of your entry must be Stamping. Our Sponsor this month is Penny Black and there is this lovely prize to be won.


For my card I made an A4 master board using a brayer and Paper Artsy paints. There is some background stamping with white paint using some of the small stamps from the sets, the main flowers are also painted with the same colour as the background, love doing this technique as I never quite know what I'll end up with !


and this a second card I made with another piece of the masterboard



Saturday 1 October 2016

Show Me A Snowman




This month at Christmas Sparkles Caz has chosen the challenge " Show Me A Snowman" No probs there as I love making snowmen cards.  

Caz has also kindly sponsored this months challenge with a chance to win these lovely Winter Fairies goodies










For my card I have used a Penny Black snowman stamp, coloured with pro markers and some Christmas papers that were free with a magazine last year, memory box snowflake and lots of glitter.
Hope you will join us in our challenge.

Tuesday 27 September 2016

CAS for CI



Thought I would just make a quick card for Crafty Individuals challenge of CAS, things are never that simple are they !  This is version two, first one I decided to doodle round the edges, obviously doodling and me don't get on it looked awful, managed to get off the topper and find another piece of inky card to use as a base.  The piece that is stamped on is a wax paper resist piece and I don't know what the base piece is other than that its quite sparkly, must be some mica in there, all these bits and pieces are from a pile of stuff on top of my printer that I'm trying to use up. The stamp I've used is CI-224, I bleached out part of the bird and the hearts.Don't know what sort of bird he is but as its now black and white I've decided its a pied wagtail.

Autumn Trees



This month at Cardz4guyz ,  Amy has chosen the challenge theme of  Autumn Colours. I don't know about where you are, but here, up to now I haven't noticed much Fall colour, everything is still looking pretty green although we do have lots of berries on the Rowan Tree and the crab apples on my tree are starting to turn the lovely golden yellow that gives the tree its name. Nights are drawing in and I'm dreading the clocks going back next month,

For my card I have used Stampin Up Hardwood stamp for the frame and Crafty Individuals trees stamped onto a piece of brusho paper, leaves and acorns die cut from the same piece of card,background is an Inkylicious leaf stamped onto craft card with Morocco Memento ink.
Hope you will join us in this weeks challenge with a card for a Guy in your life. 

I'd also like to enter these challenges

Crafty Boots Challenges - Autumn is in the air


Monday 26 September 2016

No Patterned Paper



This weeks challenge at Make My Monday is right up my street as I very rarely use designer papers,find in harder than making my own backgrounds and can never seem to match papers up very well,plus all the matting and layering takes for ever LOL !  I laughed when I read Caz's description of making her card, mine is a similar tale, the white embossed and inked piece of card was a left over from making a resist card for a challenge a few weeks ago and the layered butterfly came from a little box I keep on my table containing all kinds of butterflies, flowers and other bits and bobs, it just happened to be a good match for the background, found the little flower in a tin with others made with Tim Holtz tiny flowers die and the ribbon was an oddment in my ribbon box.Nearly had a disaster stamping the verse as it slipped slightly on the block but doesn't look too bad. I'd like to enter my card into

Make My Monday - No designer paper

Snippets Playground - butterfly and ribbon

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Powder/power (embossing powder, not sure if my entry counts as I ironed off the embossing !)

Sunday 25 September 2016

It's Rudolph Day again !



I've been playing with Inkylicious snowglobe again, this time I added some snowmen to it.  It's looking a bit washed out on here, its a bit brighter in real life and it's also very glittery. The snowmen are a LC design stamp, first time of inking, they are rather cute !  If I make this card again I think I'll stamp the snowmen a bit further forward on the base but wasn't about to start all over again.  I'd like to enter my card into Scrappy Mo's Rudolph challenge ( I was lucky enough to win last month and received a lovely holly die, Thank you Mo )

Christmas card Challenges - anything goes as long as it's Christmas
Crafty Hazel Nuts Christmas Challenge - anything goes as long as its Christmas

Tuesday 20 September 2016

Old Classic

 

This week at cardz4guyz, Jane has chosen the theme of cars.  I have used a stamp from Viva Decor which I have had ages and never used, it made a quick easy card and I love the stamp, the only extra I did was to spritz the piece of card with some antiquing spray.  I seem to be in the mood for more simple cards these days which is a change for me.  I hope you will join our challenge with a card for a guy in your life

Monday 19 September 2016

Just Crazy



I've been trying to get ahead with DT cards but had a couple of birthday cards I needed in a hurry which gave me a chance to play with my crazies again, Very simple spritzed background and cat and balloons coloured with copics. Same again for the second card underneath. I think the crazy dogs have to be my very favourite crazies !


back to what I am supposed to be doing now.

Sunday 18 September 2016

Toby the cat



I picked up this cat stamp by Inkylicious at the Sincerely Yours Show in Harrogate in August and last night decided I'd see how it stamped, I have to say I am totally in love with it,  Its such a simple stamp but look at those lovely white whiskers and eyebrows ! their stamp are amazing quality given the very reasonable prices.  

I'd like to enter my card into a couple of challenges

Allsorts - Black and White + one colour

Friday 16 September 2016

Autumn Leaves


I know its September but it doesn't feel a lot like Autumn to me, we're having strange weather, extremely hot one day, cold and windy the next, hot again yesterday and today much cooler,very heavy rain overnight and this morning but brightening up now, weather report over ! back to my card, seems to be a lot of challenges for Autumn/leaves/ Fall etc so thought I'd make a card using my Inkylicious leaves and stencils but somehow ended up using Stampin Up French Foliage instead.The die cut letters and leaf are from Die Cutting Magazine which I've never bought before as I think it's too expensive but could not resist the dies and embossing folder as they surely are worth the cost of the magazine ? I'd like to enter these challenges

Fantasy Stampers - Fall
Make My Monday - Autumn/Fall Colours
Addicted To Stamps - Leaves/trees/branches
Fashionable Stamping - Autumn colours


Tuesday 13 September 2016

Ball (s)




Well the challenge this week at Cardz4Guyz ,chosen by Julie is Ball or balls.  I had been playing with my new Crazy Dog stamps so decided to use this little pup who is looking a bit bemused with his new lead and balls. Quite a simple card but not without traumas along the way, I  had carefully masked the dog, stamped the lead and balls and painted the dog with brushos, I painted the collar last and shock, horror ,the blue bled into the brown and then in sympathy the black on the nose decided to do the same!  I had to re-stamp the dog on another piece of card,cut it out and repaint, making sure this time that each colour of paint was dry before I added another.Hope you will join us in our challenge this week.

Monday 12 September 2016

Poppies



Been playing with Inkylicious poppy stamps and stencil, stamped the poppies and then coloured them through the stencil with spiced marmalade and festive berries distress inks, love the effect.  Now this is just a very simple one layer card but this is the fifth attempt!  I was using a new versafine ink pad and however careful I tried to be I managed either to get an edge on the stem or bit of black ink somewhere, one was fine until I stamped the sentiment and made a mess of it, this is my final one and I had decided it would be my last try! got it done and then noticed a tiny little yellow spot so thats the reason I had to add the butterflies, what would we do without them !  This is a one layer card, the black is the card I scanned it on so I'd like to enter it into

Simply Less is More challenge - favourite flower and one layer card.

Thursday 8 September 2016

Crazy Dogs



I kept telling myself that I really didn't need the crazy dog stamps as I already have the Hobby Arts funny dogs set but when I saw them at a really good price  I found myself clicking the buy button.  I'm just not getting much time to craft right now, seem to be spending half my time at the hospital or doctors and OH is not well either but I just had to have a little play with this cute dog. the striped background is an Impression Obsession stamp that I don't thing I've ever used. Not made this for anything special , just a bit of fun.



Tuesday 6 September 2016

One For The Boys




Another belated post.  Stamping Sensations challenge this month is " One For The Boys"
This is a card I made for my brother's birthday which is today but I gave him the card last Saturday at his birthday BBQ ( in the pouring rain but there was a marquee !) My card was made using Stampin Up One Wild Ride and papers from my scrap box.  We are a stamping challenge so we must see stamping on your entry for you to qualify for a chance to win these lovely Hero Arts stamps


Congratulations



Bit late with this post, my new computer arrived at 5pm this evening and I'm finding my way around it, may take a while !  This week at Cardz4guyz the challenge is Congratulations . I've had a very fraught week with one thing and another so my card is quite basic , I've used some free stamps from Creative Stamping and although the background looks inked it is in fact a piece of DP paper. Hope you will join in our challenge and make a card for a guy in your life.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Missing !

should have been my Stamping Sensations DT card on here but my computer died on me last week and then my laptop expired in sympathy, my fairly new TV is also playing up !  I've tried to upload photos from my iPad with no success. New computer is   being built and I'm hopeful it will be with me tomorrow , fingers crossed, then I'll have to learn a whole new system !


Thursday 1 September 2016

Christmas Blessings



This month at Christmas Sparkles, Brenda has chosen Angels or Fairies for the challenge. For my card I have used an old Inkadinkado Angel stamp, stamped with colourbox white ink and embossed with white detail powder.  The Sentiment is a new Inkylicious stamp embossed in silver, doesn't show so well on here but looks better in real life.

This month we have a lovely prize sponsored by Sandra