Can't see the Trees for the Wood?

Have had a bit of a card making frenzy over the last few days - mainly because the weather has been too bad to do anything else!
Looking at the ever growing stash I have a plentiful supply of cards suitable for women and not a lot of anything else! So after a friend who has her own salon offered to take some from me to offer to her clients (proceeds to my charity) I thought I had better make sure I had a good selection.
I made a list and of course the dreaded men's cards (as well as babies, wedding anniversaries, lovey-dovey ones) were in short supply.

I started off with men cards - (cos I don't like doing them) and had to go mooch round Pinterest for some ideas.
I now have a few cards done which I will share in due course, but here's one to be going on with.

Background hardwood stamp on a piece of leftover pale blue card. Stamp inked in Versafine Smokey Grey.

Little bit of inkiness on a scrap of white card for the panel - a moon mask and Tumbled Glass DI.
Tree stamps from Inkadinkadoo, embossed with WOW Metallic Platinum.
Teeny scrap of blue card with the sentiment embossed and a silver button. 
Some silver matt card to edge it all with.

Sharing over at
Addicted to Stamps - It's Cold Outside
Cardz 4 Guyz - January Blues
Sweet Stampin - Men's Cards
SOS - Birthday
Gem of a Challenge - Cool in Blue
One Crazy Stamper - A/Goes + Blue+Buttons
and of course as there were a few scraps used up I am away to the Playground.

We have some terrible high winds here at the moment - hoping it eases a little as tomorrow OH and I are travelling to Leicester to say a final goodbye to my crafting buddy and good friend Maureen.  We met a long time ago through DoCrafts, at one time had our own group called Art N Soul, where we delved into the world of Mixed Media and other crafty stuff.
Our jaunts to the Craft Shows and the annual picnic with the husbands in Trentham Gardens I shall miss very much  - she encouraged me to try so many different things and was so very talented -  I will miss the fun we had.
Thanks for stopping by today - I hope all is safe and well in your part of the world.  x

Flying High

Had a bit of a re-jig in the craftie space and a good tidy this morning - bet now I won't be able to find anything......

I've been messing about with inks again - this time Pine Needles and Weathered Wood with a bit of Fossilized Amber.
And am feeling quite pleased with myself as I have today (round of applause please👏👏👏) used two NEVER BEFORE USED Dies!!!

So after inking the main panel, I randomly stamped the cogs using Tea Dye DI and used the wire honeycomby stamp from SU Butterfly Basics inked in Versafine Smokey Grey along the bottom and right side edge.

The sentiment was a rectangle, but used the MISTI to re-position into a straight sentence. Looks a bit light here but is OK in real life!

The balloon die was rubbed with Pine Needles DI, then I applied a liberal helping metallic rubs in verdi gris and gold. Cut a piece of green vellum to sit behind it.

Finished off with the Never Before Used cogs die, and pewter, rust and gold rubs applied here too!
Matted and layered onto dark brown then Bermuda Bay card stock.

Challenges -
Stampin' Royalty #362 - Dies
OLLCB - Use Die Cuts
Cardz 4 Guyz - No patterned paper
TIOT -  Let's Get Messy
and I am also entering into this into #430 at Color Throwdown who have this gorgeous inspiration pic!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today. Appreciate any comments you might leave - have a great week! x

One for the Boys - and finally in my own bed!

The summer months have quickly passed and here we are in September already! Time for another challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month the theme is 'One for The Boys'. Our prize is shown at the end of this post!  
PLEASE REMEMBER WE ARE A STAMPING CHALLENGE AND HAVE TO SEE STAMPING AS THE FOCAL POINT OF YOUR PROJECT.

For my card this month I opted for a vintage nautical look.
The papers are from a pad called 'Character' and I thought they were perfect for my travel theme.
I used neutral tones throughout layering the DP onto some kraft cardstock before adding it to the base card.
All stamping was done with Vintage Sepia Versamark ink.

I stamped the compass onto a text sheet from the same stack and fussy cut then stuck into the right top corner.

The left over sheet was used to stamp the sentiment and also to create the banner which I ran through my really old crimping machine. A couple of punched holes and some thick twine knotted at the top.

After stamping the image onto the hand made tag I added a little colour to the sea with 'Salty Ocean' DI. Inked the edges with Antique Linen. Same thick twine through the tag top.

Our prize is this selection of goodies  -  

Hope you will join us!

Other Challenges -
Pixies Playground
Gem of a Challenge - Twine
Just Us Girls - Travel

So - those of you who follw me will know I have been AWOL for a ridiculously long time - 32 days to be exact!
Arrived home yesterday from the National Championships - we were really lucky with the weather - just 2 bad days. I collapsed into my own bed last night - LOVED IT!!
Only two more nights home then am off again this time to Elgin in Scotland for the Under 25 Mens Internationals... home next week but will have time whilst here to come and visit you all. Coffee, biscuit and blogland - all a girl could dream of!
Thanks for staying with me - missed you all. x

Peacock Goose!

The sunshine has deserted us so far today although it is still very warm and humid. We had a big storm last night and likely will get another today judging by the sky!
I have a free day (as long as I ignore the housework!) so have a bit of time to go into the craftie space.
I have made another 'man' card. (Feel free to applaud - LOL)

The second one I have done like this and not my original design!

But I needed something to get me back into making after all the travelling and I appear to have left Mr Mojo at a bowls club somewhere - cos he deffo ain't here with me.

All the card is from SU. Mr Goose stamped onto a scrap of white card and the oddments from the main card layered behind. I painted his chest with a little Peacock Feathers DI!
Banner made with the rest of the card and three brads added.
Woodgrain background and the sentiment also from SU.

I might again have to have a look into my 'Inspiration' folder and case something as I am sat here with a blank desk and an even more blank mind!! I am really angry as for the first time in weeks I have a day where I can create and 'create' has disappeared!!

Challenges -
Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark
TIOT - All about Him
Tueday Throwdown - Man's World
Crafty Boots - Masculine
OLLCB - 1 for the Boys.

Thanks for having time to call by - if you find Mr Mojo please can you send him home?
Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

TEN DAYS????????

Cannot believe I have been away from my blog for 10 days! Are you all still out there???
I am really sorry that I have not come calling - real life has caught up with me. Situation not made any better by dear husband deciding to injure his back last Thursday. We were supposed to be going on the current President's tour to Cornwall this week - but here I am at home having to do most things as he is laid up. Chiropractor Monday, again on Thursday and then we hope he will be feeling a bit better and able to get about.
So consequently, no time to craft but in true 'Blue Peter' tradition here is one I made earlier!

I didn't have a lot of man cards in my stash and am not very bright when it comes to layouts and designs so I say a big thank you to Beverley who provided the inspiration for this card.

I have been trying to use up the coloured cardstock and be a little more adventurous with stamping in colours other than black and brown. I am still not 100% sure I like using coloured card as bases but have to use it up somehow!

The stamps were all inked with Adirondack 'Stonewashed'. It's that long since I used this ink pad it has now nearly dried up - I only just managed to get a decent impression with it (as you can tell from the sentiment stamp) and it has now been firmly placed in the bin.

I used a lot of snippets for this card too so will be away to the Playground as it's been such a long time since I visited.

I think if I did this card again I would stamp in a darker blue - although it looks OK in real life.

Challenges -
PB & More - Anything Goes
Fussy & Fancy - Birthdays
Stamps + Fun - Male
OSAAT - Vintage

I intend to spend tonight visiting you all and getting on with a commissioned card - in between seeing to the 'patient'!
Thanks for coming to see today - appreciate it. x

Blues

Everywhere here stark white this morning! Quite a lot of snow last night and it's still here!
A 'Man' card to share today as the 'man' stash is really low so made a couple of train/boat/plane themed ones this week for the card box.

A blue colour scheme for this one as the ship's wheel background paper I have had for a long time and never used.
The other paper was just an odd leftover bit but was big enough to use to cut a circle and a couple of banners.

The stamp was inked with Versafine Majestic Blue and I lightly sponged round the edge of the white card before distressing and layering onto the blue base.   

The charm secured with some blue/white twine and the sentiment stamp just tucked behind.

Challenges -
Fantasy Stampers - All About the Boys
Just Us Girls - Light/Dark Blue and White
Sparkles Monthly - January Blues (Monochromatic)
Glitter n Sparkle - Mono
Craft for the Craic - January Blues

Used up a few bits too so over to the Playground with my woolly hat and furry boots to make a snowman!
Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Down Time!

It has just been utter madness this week - lots of dummies being spat out (all by the same person I might add) and so those left have had to turn to and get stuck in to sort it all out! Never rains etc etc!! LOL
So that explains my absence - will have a visit to you all hopefully either today or tomorrow too - need some down time and blog trawling is VERY therapeutic!
Onto today's offering -

Those who know us know that Dear Husband is a lunatic gamer (Friday night is Game Night - Do Not Disturb under Pain Of Death) and this is just HIM... although sometimes the red mug is replaced with the bottle of beer....
Image was coloured with promarkers, a little DI added round the edges and mounted onto a scrap of card.
All the papers were from my stash and popped on a couple of metal brads.

Whilst rummaging about for something else in a never used box I found a plastic container packed with these Scrabble Tiles - purchased a long time ago and hardly ever used - come to think of it, I really don't know why I bought them in the first place and probably now I've used them on this card they'll just get stuffed away again for the next 5 years.
Away now to get the papers sorted for yet another meeting- hopefully the last one in the sorry saga- then all can just go back to normal! (Or as normal as my life ever was! LOL)

Challenges
Fab n Funky - Masculine
The Male Room - Letters
Paper Shelter - For the Boys
SOS - Lost and Found
Crafting Musketeers - Mans World  
Creative Card Crew - Sentiment

Thanks for paying me a visit today - appreciate it. 'See' you all soon. x

Fly

If you managed to get a look at the eclipse this morning in your part of the world I am envious - we had lots of very thick cloud here so all that happened was it went a little darker!
Quite cool too which is such a contrast to yesterday when I had an hour out minus a jumper and in a 't' shirt!

A man card to share done in super quick time.
Blue cardstock randomly stamped with a really old diamond background stamp inked in Versafine Majestic Blue.
Image is from a 'man' set of Vintage transport by Flonzcraft, same ink and layered onto the offcut of the background card.
The banner is a piece of ribbon -  I wanted to use it as it was the only piece of bright coloured dark blue ribbon that I had in my stash - but it was too thin so I simply stuck some double sided tape down one edge and joined two pieces together to make a wide piece!

Challenges -
Crafty Catz - No Designer paper
Crafting by Design - Masculine
Crafty Creations - Stripes or Chevrons
Cardz 4 Guyz - CAS
Time Out - CAS
Southern Girls - Boys

Thanks for looking today - it's raining here now so a perfect reason to sit in the craftie space and have a little trawl through blogland! xx

Debby's Fave 5 and a time to reflect

Following from the Fave 5 Christmas Cards as always there is Debby's Fave 5 of the Year. If I thought choosing 5 from Christmas was bad choosing 5 from the year has been worse!! But here they are (and there's a special message from me to you all at the end of the post).
Am also joing Mynn over at 'On a Stampage'.

First up had to be this baby card (original post here) - am not a 'baby' person really but do like frilly and fancy (sometimes LOL) so when I was asked to make a card for a special arrival I turned to Pinterest (again!) for some inspiration and this was the result

Next is another fussy one! I love this sentiment - think it's so true-  original post here

Ok - so this one isn't a card - but it does rank amongst my faves so have included it! - original post here

A 'man' card - unusual for one to be amongst my faves - cos let's face it, we all hate making them! - original post here

  I have this year made quite a few CAS cards - out in blogland many have perfected this art of CUSP ('Completely Understated and Strikingly Perfect'!!) and I have become an avid follower of several blogs who make these gorgeous cards. Here is a 'case' from one - original post here

So that's it - another year has gone past. I hope 2014 has been good to you but if it hasn't may 2015 be better. For me it has largely been a good one, some lows but many highs. 

Sad today as it would have been my darling Mum's birthday - I miss her every single day and it's particularly hard when you can't share the 'highs'  - maybe that's why the sentiment on the second card means so much to me - it IS the little things (like sharing a cup of tea with your Mum) that make life so big.

Thank you for visiting me this year and I wish you all a 2015 filled with the 'little things'. xxx

Wonderful Day

The 'Wetlands' set from Stampin Up is one of those rare sets that I own and feel like I spent my money wisely -  I have lost count of the numerous stamps I've bought and only ever inked once or even worse, never used at all!
This has to rate amongst one of my better purchases and it's a set I am not yet tired of.
So here's another card!

Stamped onto plain white cardstock and coloured lightly with Distress Inks.

Matted the image onto grey cardstock and then layered onto a black off cut strip.

The background paper is I think a Kaisercraft one - but I might be wrong! Like it tho - has a lovely woodgrain textured look to it in real life.
Also layered onto grey and black.

Stamped the sentiment, cut out into a banner shape, added a grey pearlised button with some twine and done!

No nonsense quick card for the 'man' stash.

Challenges -
Inky Impressions - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything with Wings
Stamps and Fun - For a Man
Creative Card Crew - Black Cardstock

Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Penny Farthing - Vintage Stamping DT Post

Just another 3 days to go before I am unleashed back in the craft room! Actually it's likely to be at least 4 as I have a mound of paperwork to do for forthcoming AGM's and other meetings but still am sure I'll squeeze in a little bit of inky stuff!

-
got a stamp set of vintage transport images from Flonzcraft, all which are great for male themed cards - airplanes, trains, balloons, ships and the like. I had a bit of an inking session with all the stamps using different ink colours and then just made them up into cards, using up scraps of card on the way so am also calling in at the Snippets Playground this week too.

 And this time our challenge over at Vintage Stamping is a colour choice - you can use one or ALL of the following colours! Green, Orange, Black, Purple, Red - which of course 'scream' Halloween but I don't do Halloween so my offering is - as with most of my 'Cards for Men' - a CAS one. (Yes I know ANOTHER CAS and a basic card but it  pads out the numbers in the box which really are very low at the mo!  )

Having stamped the image in Forest Green Stazon,  I cut it out with a circle die then layered it onto another circle cut from dark green cardstock.
I embossed a piece of white card (the folder I think is from the Oriental Cuttlebug set) then layered it over the same green.
Cut out two banner shapes from oddments of paper and finished off with a scrap of green grossgrain ribbon and a button!

Challenges -
Addicted to Stamps - White plus one
STAMPlorations - Stamp and Embossing
C.R.A.F.T. - Embossing
Crafty Ribbons - Buttons and Ribbon
Crafting when we can - No Designer paper

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Old Plane

A man card to share today! (this is a scheduled post so hope Mr Blogger behaves himself - and will try to link up the post to a couple of challenges if I can get a good enough internet connection!)

I had some odd bits of card left over and remembered a layout seen on Pinterest so adapted it a little for my odd scraps.
The cardstock is all Stampin Up.

Embossed one large piece with a Houndstooth Check folder, then layered it onto white and blue.
Another scrap of blue was stamped with a background stamp which is so old I have no idea who's make it is (was originally on wood but now on EZ mount!) - I only stamped it because it looked a little 'flat'!

Layered a piece of dark red, added a sentiment and a couple of large black pearls.
The circle (another scrap) was embossed and then on the final bit of krafty coloured card I stamped the old Bi-plane using Raspberry pigment ink (which was the nearest colour I had to the red card) then fussy cut it and glued it on.


Quite pleased with this - a basic man card and another for the stash box!

Challenges -
Pixies Snippets Playground
UPDATE - Absolutely no internet at all whilst I've been away - back home and playing catch up now!
So am a little late with my linking -
Creatalicious - Up to the Sky
Sweet Pea - Embossing
That's Crafty - Man's World
Red Rubber Insp - Wing It

Grungy?

Second offering from me today (the first is my Crafty Cardmakers DT post below - which doesn't really count as a post as it was scheduled!!)
My ardent followers will know that I've been making a mix of card styles recently but particularly some CAS cards for the 'pink box' because of high postage costs. I've been following the CAS challenge blogs and managed to enter a few - this is another.

Addicted to CAS this week has a challenge of 'Grunge'.

I don't think I'm a  CAS Grunge person! I really struggled as in my mind this theme is for canvas and stuff where you can chuck lots of mixed media bits at it!
 Anyway I gave it a go so any comments/tips/criticisms you have I will gratefully accept!

Just a mixture of splatter stamps inked with Adirondack Stonewash and Latte Inks and the wheels were Brushed Cordorouy DI.
Stonewash also used on the sentiment stamp
Matted onto co ordinating coloured paper before mounting onto the card.

Pleased with the overall look of it and don't think it looks too bad and with the added bonus of it being unembellished it will fit the bill of 'not too expensive to post'!!

Other Challenges -
Lexis - Masculine
Eclectic Ellapu - Birthday
Sentimental Sundays - CAS
OSAAT - Anything Goes
Without Words - For a Man
Sweet Stampin - No DP
Pile It On - Stamping

Thank you for taking the time to look at my card today and if you've left a comment I appreciate it! x

The Greatest Game Ever Played

We have a lovely day here so it's off out for me in a little while - as the rain is set to supposedly set to return tomorrow!
Am carrying on making the odd 'man' card and here's another for my 'show and tell' today.

Amongst my collection of images was this one of the vintage golfer - when you look at how he is dressed , shirt, tie and jacket, it makes you wonder how he could hit a golf ball!

I printed the image out on linen embossed card then distressed running 'Tea Dye' round the edge. Then matted it onto a dark brown card.

The papers were from my stash and although I think I've been using them up the piles are not getting any smaller - I think the Paper Fairy is coming in and secretly adding to them....

The plaited twine I have had for absolute years (and I MEAN years) - wrapped it round the matted card and stuck it on the top with a button 'golf ball' .
The crossed golf clubs are from the same button set.

Finished with a stamped sentiment (a freebie from a magazine) which I just tucked underneath the golf ball.
Inside decorated to match.

Challenges -
Penny's Paper Crafty - Masculine
Paper Shelter - Masculine
House that Stamps Built  -Repeat Impressions DCC423 ~ For the Guys.
Divas by Design - Movie (The Greatest Game Ever Played - which is about the 1913 US Open)
Seemacrafts - Vintage
Crafting Cafe - One for the Boys
Fantastic Tuesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for taking the time to come and see me - I'll be back later to catch up with you all - have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Anything Goes at Vintage Stamping!

Today our challenge at Vintage Stamping is 'ANYTHING GOES' so you can make anything you like as long as somewhere on your creation there is some stamping!
I made a 'Man' card!
Aren't I good??? LOL I am not a maker of 'man' cards really - I cannot make something and not put a ribbon, bow, flower or sparkly on it somewhere........... and 'men' don't like all that 'sort of stuff' do they??? LOL
But this one was something that I actually enjoyed doing for a change! 
 The papers are almost as old as me.. well not quite - but I've had them for years - so I dusted them off and used them!
The vintage hot air balloon stamp is from our sponsor and can be found here - the plate is full of brilliant male themed vintage machines so maybe now I will do more man cards!
I stamped the balloon image three times then  decoupaged. I thought about adding Glossy accents - may still do- undecided!
Matted the image onto black card and added a metal corner which I had rubbed over with 'Olive' metallic rub as it was a very shiny silver to start off with.
The script is from an embossing folder which has a large butterfly on it - Just tore off the butterfly and again rubbed over the card with some 'Gold' and 'Olive' metallic rub (as the black card lacked any depth), then sealed it.
The two Edwardian gentlemen is an old stamp which may be from Paperartsy but can't remember - likewise I have had the sentiment stamp for ages and again don't know whose it is.

Thanks for taking the time to visit today - and as you can make anything you want why don't you enter the challenge this time - you may be able to have a spendie on some new stash if you win!

Other Challenges-
Dragonfly Dreams - For the Boys
Ecletic Ellapu - For the Boys
Sentimental Sunday - Vintage/Steampunk
Corrosive Challenges - Metal
Fussy & Fancy - All about travel
Crafty Bloggers - Embossing
Simon Says Stamp - Journey
Incy Wincy - 3/2/1 - (3 stamps, 2 papers, 1 embellie)

Beer and Alcohol!

Some time ago I surprised OH by telling him he needed to drink more beer...... he obliged for a short while then decided that even for art's sake consumption had to be curtailed. No matter - I had enough beer cans by then.
The challenge at Less Is More this week is to use metal. My carefully stored stash of flattened and washed beer cans has been systematically used on various projects but there was the remains of one can left which was just big enough for what I wanted.

 Cut out the beer can with a leaf shaped nestie die.

Out with the Alcohol Inks! I thought about using shades of green but decided that although hopefully Spring is on it's way, I like Autumn colours better.

I used Butterscotch, Caramel, Sunset Orange and Red Pepper.

Leaf duly coloured, I turned it over and began to emboss the back with a metal embossing tool. Most of it was done freehand and I'm happy with the way it turned out.
Even the small bits of can left were utilised by cutting out the sentiment and two tiny corners -  not a scrap of can left!

I dyed the string with Distress Inks Dried Marigold and Tea Dye and used an Embossabilities folder for the woodgrain background.
As this was made using a scrap of a beer can I am joining in the fun at the Snippets Playground this week!

Other Challenges -
Cuttlebug Mania - Add Texture
SOS - Heavy Metal
CAS on Sunday - Masculine
Crafting Cafe - Embossing
2 Sisters - Embossing

So that's it from me today. Not quite 100% but feel much better than I have done and thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes. Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Bicycle

Had a productive day yesterday - intended to go out for a long walk but the weather defeated me - put coat on -hail, sleet, rain took coat off. Then a patch of blue sky - put coat on only for the rain to start again. Took coat off and gave up 'cos whilst the rain doesn't really bother me the path round the beautiful reservoir near where we live gets really muddy so went into the craft room instead!

Found these papers and thought they would make a good 'man' card!
They're what my Mum would have described as 'sludgy green' with shades of brown - no idea who's they were although think the script background was from a Papermania pack called Regency?
The other piece was a 12 x 12 scrapbooking sheet which happily for me had varying merging designs and shades with quite a large shaded area with nothing on it at all - perfect for stamping the image onto!

The Penny Farthing man is an old stamp which was from a set of Edwardian Gentlemen and I used Adirondack Espresso ink.
I sponged the edges of all the paper pieces with Brushed Corduroy DI and matted them onto dark brown card.
Added the sentiment and finished it off with a dark brown button and some string.
Quite an uncluttered design but enough I think for a man!

Challenges -
MAWTT - Birthday Boys
Digi Sketch - 1 for the Men
OLLCB - Man card
Creative Inspirations - Stamping
Allsorts - Vintage
Totally Papercrafts - 1 for the Boys
Gem of a Challenge - 1 for the Boys
Enjoy your day whatever you have planned! x

Man card!

Am still toiling away with Christmas Cards! It is so unusual for me to be organised I am beginning to get a bit worried!!
Today's share was made with a man in mind, inspired by something I saw last year on Pinterest
and uses a stamp I won in a challenge.

Blue base card layered with white linen textured card which had been given the treatment with a snowflake embossing folder!
Blue snowy patterned  paper at the bottom and a strip of punched snowflakes over the join.

The 'Old Truck' stamp comes with flowers and grass so this posed a bit of a problem - not a lot of floral greenery here in the Winter!
I used some tinselly twinkly white embossing powder  - and held my breath as I wasn't sure it would cover all the floral fancy round the base and in the back.... but it did!
Then put some more onto the body of the truck in an attempt to make it look like it had been snowed in for some time - was quite pleased with the result.

Added some glossy accents on the windscreen and headlamps which doesn't show up very well inj the pic.
Cut it out with a nestie and popped it onto a blue scalloped nestie oval. Finished off with my fave snowflake die and some blingy gems.

Challenges -
Nat and Amy's - For the Boys
2 Sisters - Christmas (no red or Green)
Crafting Cafe - Winter Blues
WOW - Christmas
Tok Bobok - Christmas
Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's #149 - Christmas
CRAFT - One for the Boys
Christmas @Sweet Stamping - Card for a Male

Thanks for taking the time to call in today - and if you've been able to leave me a comment I really appreciate it. Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Born to be Wild?

My man stash is seriously low!!!!!!
And the cards stash is as well........ LOL

Made this earlier in the week and it kind of just evolved with lots of bits which needed to be used up as they were getting moved about and no doubt would have ended up dog eared and tattered and then in the bin!

The stamp is one which I bought some time ago as I thought it would be useful for man cards - it's never seen ink until now!
I stamped it onto some dark yellow coredinations cardstock and matted it onto black.
The whole card is made on black cardstock - the hounds tooth backing paper is from an old paper stack which has long lost the front so have no idea who made it - wish I did 'cos the more I look at it, the more I like it... and perhaps may have bought another pad the same!
The cogs and wheels were all cut from black card.
The embossed piece was a scrap left over from another project and found it's way onto here for no other reason other than it looked a bit like a tyre tread??
(Well I thought it did anyway!)
I put two square black metal brads in the top corner.
The 'Route 66' sign was a download, topped off with glossy accents and I finished it with a metal spanner charm which has been in my stash since the year dot!
Now all I need is someone who likes bikes to send it to........

Challenges -
Delightful Challenges - Make it Pop (Lots of Layers)
Paper Playtime - Lots of Yellow
Cards for Men - Heavy Metal
Top Tip Tuesday - Dry Embossing
The Male Room - Anything Goes
Penny's paper Crafty - Dry Embossing
Oldie but Goodie - Boy/Male
LOC -  Use something Metal and/or LOC

Hello to my latest followers - thank you for following me!
Am off for a trawl through blogland now - and wish you all a great weekend whatever you're doing! x

Crafty Cardmakers DT - New Challenge

As it's April Fool's Day, our latest challenge over at Crafty CardMakers is being hosted by Suze, who has chosen the theme of Humour. 
Suze says perhaps a use funny image or sentiment, or you might just want to add some googly eyes. Remember, laughter is the best medicine - so have fun! 

On offer this week is a $10 GIFT VOUCHER from DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS and a fab prize from HOBBY ART
Please make sure tho' that you read and follow the rules for our challenges so that you can have a chance of nabbing one of these prizes!
 
I confess to scratching my head a bit with this challenge - mostly because I was bothered that what I found funny might not be someone else's idea of humour....... in the end I had a 'light bulb' moment and came up with an idea.

I settled on a monochrome colour scheme and opted for quite a CAS design.

The stamp set came from somewhere in the USA and I have had for absolute ever. I had intended to put it into the 'charity' basket last year (as with most of my 'never used' stash over 3 years old!) but am glad now that I forgot!!

All stamped with Memento Black onto white textured linen card.  

The spotty paper was a freebie download from I think Jak Heath (again a long time ago!) and I layered it and the stamped images onto black card.

The three different sizes of black buttons were from my Button Box and I threaded some black and white twine through them.

Someone else shares my sense of humour anyway, cos this card went into the 'Pink Stash' and was there about 5 minutes before it was bought!

Please pop over to my teamies blogs and check out their creations - they'd love to see you.
Have fun with this challenge and I can't wait to visit you all - 'cos there's nothing like a smile and giggle to brighten up your day is there?  

Other Challenges - 
Creative Card Crew - Masculine
Top Tip Tuesday - Funny
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Funny
Cards For Men - April Fool
Craft It Up Linky Party - Buttons
Digi Darla - Laughter is the best Medicine
Created with Love - Funny 
Paper Playtime - Use a Pun