Faith

Another gorgeous Sugar Nellie image - this little lovely is called Faith and I adore her hat! This is a bit of a different colour combo for me - but I had the lovely lemon backing paper from Summer Driggs and wanted to use it, so thought I would couple it with a lilac colour cheme for a change.

The yellow cardstock is from DCWV and blended in well with Summer's 'Golden Sunshine' paper. I colured Faith with promarkers (and am a bit annoyed cos I was real proud of my shading and blending and it hasn't shown up very well on the photo!), cut her out with a nestie and then matted her on to some lilac paper. I used the same lilac paper for the trellis (Martha Stewart) and the organza ribbon was the last of my stash which was just about enough to make into the bow.  The flourishes were a present from Maureen (who has a new toy and is busy cutting out all sorts of things - lol) and I coloured them with a promarker to tone in with the colour scheme. The butterfly, flowers, pearls, heart and gems were all from my stash.

Oh and almost forgot.................. LOOK.............................. I stitched again!! LOL

Challenges -  
Southern Girls - Brads or Gems
Sweet Stampin - Oh So Girly
One Stop Challenge - Spring Flowers
Crazy for Challenges - Flowers
Crafty Emmas - Flowers and Flutterbys

Vamp!

I have been enjoying the challenges set by Chrissie and Mandi over at Less is More and when I saw today's I knew what I wanted to do....
this week we had to use 3 squares and I have had these 'vampy' stamps for a long time and I think have used them twice!
However, knowing what you want to do and actually doing it are two completely different things! 
I can honestly say this is the first card  where lots of 'white space' doesn't please me - I am desperate to add something else (have no idea what or where to put it) but I just feel that something is missing! Maybe it's because I just used plain white card instead of my usual textured linen? Think I should have been brave enough to have used a strong colour as the base for the card - but hey ho - I've done it now so I shall (reluctantly) submit it!
Have no idea who made the three stamps - they were a set I bought in a sale somewhere. I coloured them with promarkers, then simply matted them onto dark red then black chevron designed cardstock.
I shamelessly copied the sentiment from a stamp set (I don't own them - they were sent to me by Maureen!)- but the stamped image I had wasn't the right shape so I printed this out on the PC using the nearest 'roaring twenties' style font that I could find.
Am still thinking about an appropriate greeting for the inside - maybe something like - 'Go On - Get Yourself Remembered!'  

Joy

Here is yesterday's make - made using a Sugar Nellie favourite called 'Joy'. She has such a pretty face.  And..... big drum roll please......................... look at the STITCHING!!!! Can you believe it? Me?

(Note for Maureen.... LOOOKY HERE!!!!!)

Now then before I get too excited over conquering my fear of putting a needle through paper, I should point out that the stitching IS very basic and wasn't done using the big monster machine currently gathering dust under my desk, - instead I used a small battery operated tiny table top effort designed for quick small repairs purchased for the princely sum of £10 at my local Dunelm Mill about 3 years ago! (That too has been gathering dust under the table!)

So, onto the creation. Background papers are from K and Co (Madeline and McKenna stacks) stritched onto DCWV textured cardstock. 'Joy' was coloured using promarkers then cut out with nesties and layered onto the same cardstock. I put a cream skeleton leaf behind the image. The cream vintage lace is from my stash as are the flowers and pearl/gold embellishments. The two ribbons were coloured with promarkers to tone in with the papers. Finally I just popped on some paper pieces from a Kand Co embellie pack and put a small pearl in the middle of the one top right of the project.

Challenges -
I Love Promarkers - Stitching
The Creative Cottage - Flowers
Freshly Brewed - Ribbons and Bows
Cute Card Thursday - Sketch challenge 

Week 3

My internet speed is driving me to distraction! For three days we have had less download speed than 'dial up'. The air here is peppered with expletives and uploading is taking FOREVER!!

I am still working outside my comfort zone and taking part in the third week of the Less is More Challenge. I was overjoyed to find the card I submitted last week was selected for their showcase - it's a great feeling when someone who you consider to be so expert at a technique selects your effort as being worthy of recognition. This week, over on the blog Chrissie and Mandy have posted some tips on printing direct onto card and I for one welcomed their advice as this is something I have wanted to try and perfect.

It was a pity then that whilst reading the blog comments someone has seen fit to sumbit what can only be termed as 'less than flattering' comments about the technique used this week. Even more irritating as far as I'm concerned is this person did not have the courage of their own convictions and chose to post Anonymously. I have no problem with people posting their opinions about anything, but surely if you feel strongly enough about something then at the very least have the decency to use your name! Anyway enough of that.

Here's my card for this week's theme of Spring. I am just raising the bunting as I finally managed to position the text where I wanted to! I printed direct onto my favourite textured linen card and I am really happy how it turned out. The quote is attributed to Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson, First Lady of the USA and wife of Lyndon B. I think it is beautiful!
The image was a digi freebie which I printed out again on a separate piece of card and cut out with my nesties. I also cut out a slightly larger circle for mounting it onto. The background circle and the image were coloured with watercolours and I mounted the image using 3D pads. To finish I couldn't resist using a wee dusting of the usual 'Spun Sugar' distress ink around the card edges.
Thanks to Chrissie and Mandy for helping me overcome my reticence for printing direct onto card.
Am entering this into the challenge at Charisma Cardz which also has the theme of Spring and at Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge which has barred us from using any designer paper!

New Toy!

I have FINALLY taken the new toy from the box! And cut out lots of large labels! (Only because at the moment the labels are the only large nesties I have - but am sure that will be rectified soon.... lol)
So here's a wee bit of fluffiness made with a couple of the said labels.
I haven't mounted this onto a card yet and am not sure I will - might try and find a frame instead... will think about it.

I used white pearlised paper throughout. After cutting out,  I embossed the dots onto the smaller label and embossed round the larger label. I used Spun Sugar (which is quickly becoming one of my favourites) distress ink round the edges and then brushed over both labels randomly. The flourish is a Sissiz one which got the same distressed brush treatment! 

The LOTV stamp is one I have been promising myself for eons.... and I finally bought it when I had the recent mad spendie. I coloured it with promarkers and distress inks and added a teeny dabbing of stickles on the dress for a bit of sparklie girlyness...!

The flowers were from my stash - I like the pink pearl stamens especially and need to buy some flat backed pink pearls to match them (any excuse to spend some more). To finish off, I popped on some pearls, a couple of tiny fabric butterflies (these were real fiddly - don't think I'll be using them a lot despite having an entire string of them!) and finally added a small metal heart charm with a pearl top.

The love theme challenges are still ongoing so (takes a deep breath) here's a few challenges -

Craft Catz - Hearts

Craft Your Days Away - Photo Inspiration (and the photo made me think of weddings)

Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and Flowers

Paper Sundaes - Choose 3 toppings and I chose - Flowers, Distressing and Pink

Totally Gorjuss - Love

2 Sisters - Hearts    

Crazy 4 Challenges - Hearts
Paper Cupcakes - Shaped with embossing

In the Wind!

Well it's a lovely day here today (for a change).. usually I am away playing on a Saturday but I have a problem with my shoulder/neck/arm (again) so no bowling for me until further notice I'm afraid.... and even more annoyingly is I KNOW I'm going to feel guilty for being in the craftie space when I should really be outside doing some more tidying in the garden (one of the downsides about trying to sell your house is you have a ridiculous notion that it has to look like it's in the pages of Ideal Home ALL the time... which is impossible... well it is for me anyway!!!)
But I promised myself I would spend today catching up on posts and looking at everyone's blogs, doing a wee bit of crafting ... oh and I HAVE to tidy the work desk (cos I ain't got any space left...lol).
I treated myself to some new Lili of the Valley stamps. I know everyone rushed to buy them when they were released last month and I promised myself I would have the gorgeous Dandelion Clock if nothing else.... such good intentions.... several stamps later I finally added Dandelion cutie to the basket!
So here she is! She's coloured with a mixture of chalks and distress inks and some stickles. I have recently discovered 'Nitwit' designer papers - love them! Have used some from the 'In the Meadow' collection for this, the 'dream' text is from Inkadinkadoo and the lace, ribbon and flowers are from my stash. I discovered the sparkly blue flower charm in the embellie box and just HAD to put that on it too!
The LOTV  Challenge Blog had a fab sketch to follow this week!
Charizma Cards challenge is Mythical or Fantasy - and little fairy here has been entered!

Less is More (2)

Week 2 at Less is More has given us a challenge of a 'one layer card' with a theme of a flower or a tree.
Some time ago, I posted a similar card to this and the technique of using post it notes as masking and applying distress ink is one I like!
This stamp is also one of my favourites. I have used it for everything from sympathy cards to birthdays - and now I've made a thank you card with it!

I used Spun Sugar and Weathered Wood distress inks and the stamp is from Elusive Images.

The thing about these cards is they can be made in a hurry (!) and are so versatile - they also look so pretty for their simplicity -(well most people's do anyway...LOL)if you've never tried the 'less is more, clean and simple' look, give it a try - promise you'll soon be hooked!
Pop over to the blog and have a look at some of the fab creations from last weeks challenge -there's also some fab tips on positioning and how to make your cards look stunning with minimum effort!
I am also entering this into the Totally Papercrafts 'Clean and Simple' challenge this week.

Love

First of two from me today - have been playing about with embellishments and ribbon and stuff and this is what I came up with.
'The Kiss' just makes me smile every time I see it! I love the stance on the little boy - tentaively bent forward, holding her arms before he plants a smacker behind the hat! And her feet - one on tiptoe and the other off the floor - she is taken completely by surprise... or is she???!!!!!
Anyway - I coloured with promarkers and cut out using a Nellie Snellen die which I have had for a while and only used once before - I mounted it onto the same backing paper as I used for the background of the card. The pale blue paper is by K and Co and the design doesn't show up very well on the photo - it has flourishes on it in a slightly darker shade of blue.
The lace etc all came from my stash and the flowers are also things I've had for ages and am now deciding to use! I added a small chipboard flourish (coloured with Spun Sugar distress ink), a silver butterfly charm, some pearls and a pink metal heart and finally placed a metallic 'Love' sentiment in the top corner.
Lots of challenges this week, not surprisingly mostly Love or Valentine themed!
Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and Flowers
Painbow Lady - It's all about Love
Penny's Paper-Crafty- Hearts a flutter
C.R.A.F.T. - Valentines
Spoonful of Sugar - Show some Love
Passion for Promarkers - Have a Heart

Wishes

In complete contrast to Less is More, here's an attempt at 'tons of stuff'!! LOL
Am not sure wether this is another style I can add to my repertoire or not - whilst I love the large flowers am uncertain at how practical they are on a card- suppose I'll now need to make a box for this one to ensure it stays in one piece!

Anyway, I confess to quite enjoying letting the 'girly' side creativitity to come to the fore although I have no idea who is going to want this card!

The backing paper is from the Basic Grey Sultry collection and I distressed the edges before mounting it onto white then pale green cardstock. The image is from the Mary Hall 2010 collection by Sugar Nellie and is called Fairy Dust. After colouring her with my promarkers, I lightly glittered her wings and dusted a few stickles onto the starduse from her wand, then cut her out with a nestie and distressed the scallopped edges with Spun Sugar distress ink.

Challenges -

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. - In the roll of a Die

Delightful Challenges - Wings

PaperPlay - Stamp it Out

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Less is More

After practising with the violet card to get the 'frothy fluffy adorn to death' creation out of my mind, (which I still haven't posted but promise I will later),  I remembered the new challenge blog which has just started - called Less is More and this is my first card for their first challenge.
Colours had to be pink, black and white.
I sponged the top of the thistle head with 'Spun Sugar' distress ink, matted and layered onto pink, then black card, a bit of ribbon and a sentiment stamp.... oh and couldn't resist the three tiny sparklies....LOL
Am also entering this into the Clean and Simple challenge at StampARTic.

I've had both a 'frothy' and 'clean and simple' day today! Frothiness will be posted a wee bit later!

This card is for the challenge over at 'Daring Cardmakers' which this week asked us to take inspiration from 'February flowers', namely primroses and violets.

This stamp is one of the very first I ever bought and is by Hampton Arts.
I remember the reason I bought it was because it reminded me of my grandmother - and no it's wasn't because she smelt of violets (LOL) but it was because when I bought my very first home she arrived on her first visit armed with an 'African Violet' house plant.I had never had to look after a houseplant before and I was terrified that it would curl up and die!
Happy to say, it sat cheerfully on my window sill in the kitchen for over 5 years - and gave me so much pleasure in feeling it's velvety texture and watching the lovely deep purple blooms flower. After almost six years I moved house and plant came too - it didn't like it's new home as much as I did unfortunately and went off to meet it's maker. I have never bought another one as it didn't seem right! 

Anyway back to the card. Textured Linen cardstock, cuttlebug flower folder, matted onto pale lilac card. Stamp coloured with a mixture of promarkers and watercolours and finished with a lilac organza bow.
I resisted any temptation to add a sentiment to this card or any further embellishment to try and maintain the 'clean and simple'!

Baroque and Bling!

Have set a challenge this month on the Art N Soul Flickr group to make a fan. The template is for a folding greeting card but it can easily be adapted for a mixed media piece of art. Looking through the Flickr site the possibilities are endless - there are fans made from paper, fabric, canvas, tin and all are uniquely beautiful. I have a couple of favourites which are Marie Antionette themed - all pastel pink and blue with lots of froth!

    For my fan I reverted back to the 'Paris Night's paper - flocked and embossed and strokable! I thought on reading the instructions that the fan would be really difficult to do, but this was a project that as you made it, all things became clear! I was really bothered about openoing and closing but it works just fine!

I cut some of my precious lace into single pieces and stuck onto the paper and added a bit of bling in the centre of each. On the top fan blade I glued some pearls. I am a wee bit disappointed that the small lace doesn't form a perfect circle when the fan is opened despite me trying very hard to align it. I cut into the black version of the white lace and popped a pearl brad in the centre for the bottom of the fan.Finished with some ribbon and pearls. 

Crafts and Me have a theme this week of Monochrome,
Crazy 4 Challenges' challenge is 'Vintage or Shabby Chic'
Stamping Vacation - Use paper that resembles cloth (and I think the flocked paper would make terrific curtains!)
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Girlie
The Three Muses - Black and White