Cards n Greetings

For Mum

2012-02-16T07:00:00.004Z

Oh My Goodness! Another 2 weeks have just flown by and here we are again; it's time for another Colour Create Challenge.

Well, Sabrina has picked a corker of a challenge for us this time. Such pretty items have been made by the DT.

The colours she picked are Lilac, Blue,Kraft and White - gorgeous!

The optional extra is a new thing for me - create a charm, but the charm has made of paper. What a great way to add an embellishment!

Items used:
Kraft Card blank
Parchment card wrap with sentiment embossed in white from Papertrey Ink
Distress ink re-inkers; Milled Lavender and Tumbled Glass
Dies: Marianne Design die "Frame and Leaves", Sizzix Sizzlitd die "Phrase Mother". Tim Holtz die "Festive Greenery"
Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz Alterations "Damask"
Flower: The Hobby House
Stickles: Stardust

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:
Crazy Amgo Challenge - Hearts
Drunken Stampers -Texture
Inky Impressions - Punches or Dies (I used dies)
My Craft Spot - A Girly Girl projects

Please stop by the Colour Create blog for some incredible inspiration from the design team.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Confession time!

2012-02-02T07:00:00.002Z

Okay, it's confession time......I've been a total idiot. I was so, so pleased with myself, thinking that I'd used the sketch over at Less is More in my Colour Create DT card. There I am, patting myself on the back 'cos I do love entering Chrissie & Mandi's challenge and it has been oh so long since I last made the effort.

Oh yeah! Real clever of me.......I didn't use the sketch properly! The sentiment is in the wrong place and I've committed the crime of turning the sketch by 90% too. Grrrr! Must read instructions properly in the future ;o) Ah well, the best laid plans and all that!

So, here's my Colour Create card. Our wonderful monochrome colours of White or Cream and Light Brown and Dark Brown have been picked by the fabulous Shanna this time. She's also give us the optional extra of hearts.

Items used:
Distress Inks: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs
Stamps: all of these are over 6 months old. The wooden one is positively ancient!! Basic Grey Love Blush (swirly hearts). Waltzing Mouse Text-it (Heat embossed on the vellum). Sentiment - and unmarked wood one (sorry)
Punches & Dies: Martha Stewart Lace Heart punch. Sizzix Sizzlets 'Flower Layers Set'
Diamonte floral centre is something I picked up at a craft show from the Hobby House

I'd like to enter this into:
Crafty Sentiments - Punches and/or dies
Cooking it up with Katie - Punch, Emboss, Heart
Oldie but a goodie - Hearts
The House that Stamps Built - Embossing
Whimsical Designs - Bringing out the old

I hope that you'll join in with use at Colour Create this time.The girls have made some super projects - take a look here.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Lady Victoria

2012-01-19T18:08:00.004Z

Hi everyone - sorry for the late post but this is the first chance I've had to write a post since I got back yesterday (been away for a few days for my father-in-law's funeral). So this'll be a quick post today.

Here's my card for the Colour Create Challenge No 88. The wonderful colour combo of Pink and Green has been picked by our talented Suzie this time and her optional extra is handmade flowers. The design team have made some really beautiful cards today.

We're sponsored by:

and they gave us some images to play with - I adore this image (Lady Victoria) because she is so sassy!
I hope I've done her justice.

Items used:
Image: Kenny K - Lady Victoria
Stamps: Creative Expressions - Vintage Treasures and Vintage Illusion, Waltzing Mouse text stamp (on the vellum flower)
Embossing folder: Tim Holtz Alterations Retro Circles
Distress inks: Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Fired Brick and Antique Linen
Papers: Tim Holtz pad - ColourCore Distress Collection (green), Brazzill Basics - Chandler (pink), Vellum (white and green)
Other items: Clear gloss, clear ink pad and white detail embossing powder. Ribbon, Beads, pearls and punched leaf from my stash

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:
Crop Stop - Distressed, vintage or shabby chic (Distressed for me)
Delightful Challenges - Distressed/vintage
Fab n Funky - Bingo (Handmade Embellishment, digi image and 2 different papers)Stamptacular Sunday - Texture Please
Sugar Creek Hollow -Embossing

I hope you have time to join in the challenge this week. Please hop over to the blog to see the brilliant cards by the design team.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

I'm late, I'm late....

2012-01-09T19:27:00.005Z

....for a very important date!

Oh dear, I missed posting my DT creations for the first Colour Create Challenge in 2012 (slap my wrist!). Actually, there are very good reasons for it; I won't bore you with the details - I'll just say that 2012 has not had a particularly good start for me so far - but at least things should only get better from here onwards. Anyway, a happy new year to all of you!

So, these are my items for the fantastic challenge that our wonderful Edna set for us. Using a fabulous colour combo of Sage, cream and red with the optional extra of buttons. I think I have been way too inspired by doing the Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas (didn't get round to posting all those either - but I did make them) because I have gone tag crazy ever since! This time it is a birthday tag.

I've gone crazy adding dimension too after making loads of 'flat' Christmas cards to save on postage costs. As usual, the backing paper is something I created myself using Bundled Sage and Peel Paint distress inks, clear embossing powder, some swirl and music score stamps. My favourite thing to do!

I'd like to enter these into a few challenges:
Paper Creations Ink - Die Cuts and/or punches
Birthday Sundaes - Birthday Card Challenge
Catered Crop - Buttons
Challenge up your life - Bingo (Ribbons, Buttons, Die Cuts)
One Stop Craft Challenge - Bingo (Distressing, Lace/ribbon, Flowers)

Items used:
Stamps: Hampton Arts Clear Stamps 'Flourish & Bloom', Waltzing Mouse Stamps 'Musical Backgrounds',
Inks: Tim Holtz distress inks in Bundled Sage and Peel Paint
Dies: Spellbinders 'Labels Four', Sizzix Sizzlits 'Flower Layers Set', Tim Holtz On the edge die 'Ornate', Tim Holtz Alterations die 'Festive Greenery'
Other: Red Liquid pearls, various buttons, ribbon and lace from my stash. Perfect pearls (Pearl) on tag, a feather.

The Colour Create Challenge is sponsored by Mo Manning this week and there is a fantastic prize of a gift certificate for one lucky winner.

Please take a look at the samples by the fab CC design team for more inspiration using this wonderful colour combo.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Christmas Projects

2011-12-15T07:00:00.008Z

Ahhhh! Christmas! You've got to love it. I spend part of yesterday watching my granddaughter being the Angel Gabriel at the Christmas play. Brilliant! That's what Christmas is all about - it's so lovely to see children play out the nativity.

I've been really busy this year making advent calendars. My first calendar was made with the Colour Create Challenge theme in mind. The challenge colours this time are set by the fantastic Sharon L and they are Blue, Silver and White. The optional extra is embossing. Unfortunately I forgot to do the embossing on the calendar so I made the card above to cover that option off.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Crafts and Me - Anything Christmas
Everybody Art Challenge - Blue and White
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Sparkly things (Don't look at the light)
Addicted to Stamps - Snowflakes
Gingerloft Challenge - Winter and Christmas
Lollipop Crafts - Happy Holidays

I almost wore my distress inks out with these creations - thank goodness for re-inkers. The blue one is in use with my grandson and my granddaughter wanted a pink and purple one....hey presto!

I think these bottom two are my favourites - the colours are so rich!

I'm entering the red and green ones into the following challenges:
ABC Christmas - Y for Yippee! It's almost Christmas
Heart Song Inspirations - Snowflakes and/or Doileys
Ooh La La Creations - Anything but a card
Let's Ink It Up - Christmas Projects
Paper Sundaes - Anything Christmas
Crafty Boots - Christmas
The Pixie Cottage -Anything Goes Christmas Style

The colour create challenge is sponsored by Michelle's scrapbooking and she has given a $30 gift certificate for the winner of this challenge.

I want to send a big thank you to Michelle for her fantastic monthly sponsorship.

I also want to thank all our other sponsors for their support in 2011.

And last, but certainly not least, a huge thank you to the fantastic design team, both past and present, for your sharing your amazing talent with us throughout 2011.

Thanks for looking - and don't forget to peek at the other incredible creations by the Colour Create design team.

Happy Christmas
Sharon xx

Day 2 - 12 Tags of Christmas

2011-12-07T07:00:00.001Z

Well, here is my version of Tag 2 from Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas.

Again, there was lots of improvisation but that was half the fun. I really wish I'd had some canvas because it'd be lovely to use that on the reindeer and distress it, but Hey Ho, all I had was a little wooden reindeer. I think it looks just fine and dandy as an alternative.

So, now that I've ordered my hammer texture kit before they all sell out because it has been discontinued (can see there will be oodles of things to do with that!) I'll be able to batter the brads around a bit to make them all distressed. For this tag I used my screw head brads, which gives it a bit of a manly touch.

For the gold paint I substituted a gold promarker and I must admit that it 'weathered' down really well.

This shot shows the colours on the background a little better. Sorry for the dodgy camera work but I did take these on a really overcast and rainy day.

I'd like to enter this one into the following challenge:
Our Craft Lounge - Tag - You're it
Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Lost the stabilisers! Tag 5

2011-12-05T22:36:00.005Z

Well, I had intended to learn the techniques Tim Holtz is giving us in his 12 days of Christmas event, by making tags as close to his as possible and then going back to 'do my own thing' with the technique.........but I was so blown away with today's technique for Tag 5 that I threw away the stabilisers and just went for it.

I still took inspiration from Tim's tag - the leaves from his wreath and the pearls, but that was about it. This is not as shabby or vintage as I wanted it to be, but I'm pretty pleased with the results all the same.

..........now, if only Santa would deliver some more Tim products........ ;-)

I really apologise for the rubbish photos but it is 10.30 at night over here in the UK, so electric light is all I can capture this by at the moment. Well, I'm off to leave a few comments before I head off to bed - work again tomorrow (groan).

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

12 Days of Christmas Tags (Day 1)

2011-12-05T07:00:00.003Z

As promised yesterday, here is another of the 4 tags I made over the weekend following the Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas. This one is for Day 1. I'm so glad that I found out about this event - it is wonderful to learn all these new techniques.

Part of the fun of joining in with this is learning the fabulous techniques as you craft along with the photos provided on the Tim Holtz Blog. The other bit of fun comes in the form of searching around your stash and getting creative when you don't have one of Tim's products. (There's plenty of that on this tag!)

For a start - I haven't got the NOEL die. Then, I don't have the tattered Pine cone die either (that's on my wish list now). On top of that, I don't have the festive greenery or tattered banners dies either (They are now on my wish list too).

So, what do I have of Tim's that I used on this tag? Distress inks, Tim Holtz Coredinations Distress Ink colour paper stack, and a Flourish die cut! But hey, I'm really pleased with my 'make do and mend' crafting using normal punches, sizzix individual letters, glue and a pair of scissors. Not a patch on Tim's gorgeous creation...but all the same, it's not bad, eh?

Hopefully this shot give you some idea of the dimension on these tags - amazing!

I'd like to enter this one into the following challenges:
Cooking it up with Katie - Anything Goes
Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Christmas Carols (The First Noel)
Just For Fun - Winter (no cute)
Crafty Ribbons - Make a tag
The Artistic Stamper - Christmas (A great place to get the items for the tags of Christmas - they have a link on their blog!)

Thanks for looking - I'll be back tomorrow with a tag for Day 2.
Sharon xx

Sheer Bliss!!!!

2011-12-04T19:11:00.004Z

Hello everyone. How has your weekend been? I've had THE BEST weekend for a very long time. I had the luxury of some spare time all to myself - what bliss! So I spent some of that time crafting for pleasure and tagging along with the Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas. Ha Ha...Tagging - Tag - get it? ((GROAN)).

As this is the first time that I've come across this event (I know - it's amazing that someone could have their head so far in the sand that they miss this!), I thought I'd give it a go and just try to emulate one of the tags Tim has done - just to learn the techniques. Well - FOUR tags down (will be posting the others during the coming week) and I am totally smitten. This one is Day 4's tag.

Even my hubby remarked:
"Those are a bit posh, aren't they? We'll have to use them again next year - make sure you don't write on them!"
Men! Honestly!

We get a whole month to post our tags, so I think I'll do one of each "a la Tim" and then go back and create a few of my own in some of the different styles over the Christmas break - yes...that is how much fun it is to make these tags.

While I'm here I'd like to enter this into a couple of challenges:
Sir Stampalot - Bingo (Pearls, Stickles, Ribbon)
Let's Ink It Up - Christmas Projects
Come and get it challenge - Anything Christmas
Craft Your Days Away - Buttons or Bows
One Stop Crafts - Let it Snow.

Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

Snowfall Snowflake

2011-12-01T07:00:00.014Z

It's December!!!! Only 25 days until the big man in the red suit has been to visit us all. Have you been good this year? Hope so.

Today is Colour Create Challenge day and the amazing Sylvia has set a wonderful Christmas challenge for us.

The Colours are
RED, WHITE and GREEN
with the optional extra of SNOWFLAKES.

Well, I didn't quite get the right shade of green on my first attempt because I was so excited at the Bo-Bunny snowflake stamp and the Tim Holtz limited edition Winter distress inks landing on my doormat that I had to use the Evergreen Bough ink straight away. It's a gorgeous, icy green colour (the lighter card) but it's just not the right shade for the challenge. So my second card used the Shabby Shutters ink.

Oooooh! I love this snowflake stamp. It's probably one of the best purchases I've made this year. I did a search a couple of nights ago and here are the links I found where they still had some of the items in stock:

Bo Bunny Stamp Set - Snowfall : available at Charmed Cards and Crafts, also at That's Crafty and Oyster Stamps

Tim Holtz Limited Edition Winter Distress Inks - available at Oyster Stamps and several other stores (but I've not ordered from those stores before).

Snowflake charm from Bunny Zoes

The bling is something I picked up at the Farnborough craft show earlier this year and the papers are freebies with Card Making and Papercraft magazine. It's been AGES since I used papers that I haven't made myself!

I fancied adding a small stick of cinnamon to my card and boy, does it smell Christmassy!

I'd like to enter my cards into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp! - Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl's - Winter
Craft Your Passion - 'Tis the Season
Crafty Cardmakers - Heat Embossing
Addicted to stamps - Christmas Card

The Colour Create Challenge is sponsored by:

And the wonderful prize is these stamps!

High Hopes are also offering a 25% discount on their dragon stamps in the first week of December. Read about the offer and get the discount code from the Colour Create Challenge blog, and then hop over to High Hopes Stamps to put your order in.

While you're at the challenge blog, don't forget to have a look at the fabulous creations that the rest of the design team have made.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

All that glitters.....

2011-11-17T07:01:00.004Z

Hello folks! How is everyone? Did you all have fun at the recent craft fairs? One of these days I'll get to one of the bigger ones, I hope, but I'm so scared of spending too much money at those events. Can you imagine how many things would leap into my shopping trolly? It's bad enough that they all fight their way in on a website! Perhaps a car trailer would be needed to go around the NEC ;-)

Anyway, its Colour Create Challenge time again and our wonderful Kerry has picked such a pretty combo this time
PINK, GOLD and WHITE
with the optional extra of
BLING
Here's the inspiration picture:

Now, normally I make all my own card blanks, but a set of gold card blanks launched themselves into my shopping basket on a recent trip to a well known craft store. So it would've been rude not to use one of them wouldn't it? I also fancied a little break from the Christmas card making, so I picked out some butterfly and a floral stamp to maka a base for a Birthday card.
My bling comes in the form of some gold gems and the gold embossing, as well as that blingy gold ribbon.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
ABC Challenge - D is for Dazzle
Heartsong Inspirations - Gold or Glitter
The Pink Elephant - Embossing
Just Us Girls - Ghosting Technique
Sassy Cheryl's - Stump the boss (Anything Goes)

The Colour Create Challenge is sponsored by our regular monthly sponsor and the winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to spend in store

Michelle's Scrapbooking & More is now carrying La Blanche stamps, La La Land stamps and have just released a new line from The Pixie Cottage. Stop by and see the wonderful selection of stamps, copics, dies, embossing folders and more. Check out their clearance section for some really great deals! They also offer gift certificates for the perfect holiday gift!

Don't forget to take a look at the wonderful items created by the Colour Create design team.
The winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to spend in store

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2011-11-03T07:00:00.003Z

Talk about an Arty shot! Anyone would think I'd been having photography lessons. I can't believe how dramatic I made my card look.

Today is Colour Create Challenge Day and we have some new design team members to introduce to everyone. So firstly here's a big warm welcome to:

Edna, Sabrina, Shanna & Suzie.

It's great to have you on the team. I'd also like to say a huge 'Thank You' to everyone else that entered the DT call; you made the choice hard for us.

Our challenge today has been picked by Julie and she has given us an awesome combination.

Turquoise, Deep Pink and Ivory

The optional extra is Glitter.

I was so inspired by the colours that I made a card I'm really pleased with!!!! I was going to leave the background just brayered but I'm so glad I took the chance and embossed it and glittered up the edge. It made all the difference.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges.

Ladybug Crafts - Non Traditional Christmas

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Stamp and doodle - Emboss it

Heart Song Inspirations - Embossing and/or 3 layers

Pollycraft - Anything Goes

Items Used:
Clarity Stamps: Ornate Star Stamp, Peace On Earth Stamp, Clarity Paper and Card
Inkadinkadoo Christmas Borders Clear stamp set
Inks - Adirondack
Stamp n Stuff Embossing Powders - Kaleidoscope, Stardust
Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzix Embossing Folder - Rays
Glitter and Bling gems

Please take a look at the fantastic inspiration that the design team at Colour Create have given us with today's colours.

The Colour Create Challenge is sponsored by:

and she's give a £10 gift certificate for the prize. Thanks Nikki!

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Take 2 stamps

2011-10-20T07:00:00.006+01:00

Today's set of cards are some quick and easy Christmas cards. They are variations on a colourway and all use the same stamps. The colours are taken from this weeks Colour Create Challenge - Burgundy, Gold, Green and Cream. The optional extra on the challenge is to add some dimension so I popped out the trees with 3d foam pads.

The first card uses burgundy as the main colour with stamping done in Pirate Gold embossing powder. I think this one looks rather rich.

The second card has gold for the card blank on which the swirl was embossed with clear embossing powder. The background behind the trees was made with alcohol inks.

The final card is a cream base that has been embossed once again and a little bit of glitter glue was added to the middle tree.

Stamps Used:
Papermania Joyeux Noel clear stamp set
Fiscars Continuous Stamp - Elegant VineSwirl
Papermania - PMA10038 Merry Christmas

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Top Tip Tuesday - Layer it up
Crafting When We Can - it's Christmas almost
Stamptacular - You Choose

Please take a look at the wonderful creations that the rest of the Colour Create Design team have created.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

I've been a bad blogger!

2011-10-06T07:00:00.002+01:00

........there's no excuse for it - apart from spending my time relaxing on holiday, knitting, cleaning the house and reading (amongst other things). In other words, I've allowed lots of other stuff to tear me away from card-making. Now I know that will seem really alien to most of you cardmakers, but I think I needed some time away to re-charge the mojo. Added to which, I can't actually get into my craft room very easily because we're shifting a lot of stuff around in the house since my daughter and grandchildren moved back home. Guess which room has some of the storage things in it? Yep, the craft room.

Anyway, I managed to get the brayer, a couple of stamps and some inks out so that I could make a DT card for this week's Colour Create Challenge. (To be honest, the stamps are new and didn't even make it into the craft room!) The challenge colours have been picked by Mina and they look terrific together. It's LILAC, GREY and WHITE with the optional extra of SNOWFLAKES.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Christmas Inspiration - Birds or Flowers (bird silhouetted against the moon)

Craft 4 Eternity - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with the option of something punched (snowflake on the ribbon)

Heart Song Inspirations - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking - and please don't forget to take a peek at the other DT creations,

Sharon xx

A DT Call !!!!

2011-09-22T07:00:00.002+01:00

It's time to do that DT call we mentioned over at the Colour Create Challenge a few weeks ago!!
Do you fancy joining our design team?
Can you create a project using challenge colours and an optional extra?
Are you willing to comment on a proportion of the entries to the challenge?
Are you willing to set a challenge by picking an inspirational picture?
Can you work to a deadline?
Do you have an active blog?

If the answer to the above questions is 'Yes' we'd like to hear from you.

To be considered for the design team, simply make a creation based on this week's challenge colours and optional extra.

Let us know you are interested in the DT call by either adding the letters 'DT' to your link in Mr Linky or, you can e-mail us at ColourCreateChallenge@gmx.co.uk (remember to tell us what your Mr Linky number is and please title your e-mail 'DT CALL').

As a DT member you will need to make one project for this challenge every 2 weeks. The project needs to include both the challenge colours and the optional extra. We are not aligned to any company so you'll be free to use any images or products that you like in your creations. We do have a rota for commenting so you will need to comment on the entries assigned to you.

The DT call will close on Wednesday 5th October at 6.00 p.m. GMT and it is open to everyone world wide. Please don't be put off if you don't normally make cards because this call is open to everyone and we'd love to see some other types of projects represented on our DT.

The final decision will be made by everyone on our design team and I bet you all make it really hard for us! ;o)

Good Luck!

Hop on over the the challenge if you'd like to enter!!!!

Medieval Knights

2011-08-25T07:00:00.006+01:00

Are you ready for a bit of medieval, masculine madness? Here's the olde recipe: Add a sprinkling of knights in shining armour, a splash of blood spattering, dollop in a wax seal, blend a fleur-de-lis, mix with a wonderful colour combination, bake in papers that you create yourself and this is what you end up with! I actually love this set of masculine cards!

These are the Colour Create DT items that I've created for today's challenge. Our fab Kerry picked the amazing combination of RED, KRAFT and WHITE/CREAM with an optional extra of CREATE YOUR OWN PAPERS.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Top Tip Tuesday - Masculine Cards
Cards For Men - Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash - Red or Ribbon or Roses
Sparkles Forum Challenge - One For The Boys
Lollipop Crafts - Make it masculine
Stamps R Us - Anything Goes

Card 1: Sizzix Bigz Fleur-de-lis die. Waltzing Mouse text stamp (on the fleur-de-lis).Kraft paper embossed with forever friends black and gold embossing folder. Red backing paper created by stamping and clear embossing various birthday sentiments at right angles. White embroidery thread. Fleur-de-lis wax seal and brass coloured brads finish the card off.

Card 2: Background: Waltzing Mouse text stamp in brown ink, a Crackle Background stamp embossed in white detail embossing powder and 'blood splatters' added by a paper artsy splatter stamp.
Main Image from Tanda Stamps medieval set - embossed in red. Brads and red ribbon from stash.

Card 3. Red Background: Watermelon, Cranberry and Gold Alcohol inks. Over stamped with a small Fleur-de-lis stamp embossed in detail white.
Kraft Background: stamped with Waltzing Mouse text stamp
Main Image: Tanda Stamps
Ribbon, Embroidery Floss and Wax seal.

Hope you can join us for the challenge over at Colour Create; the design team have made some stunning creations this time.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Catching Up!

2011-08-14T10:13:00.000+01:00

It's time to do a catch-up! My goodness, there have been no posts on here for over a month, so it's definitely time to correct that situation and add a couple of the items that have been made in the interim. There are some health reasons for the interruption in service but the details of that are not important; the important thing is that things should start improving from now onwards.

Anyway, let's start with a couple of Colour Create items. This first one is for the current challenge which has been set by Liz and has the amazing colour combination of Blue, Green, White, Brown and Red with the optional extra of Texture. What a fab combination that is!

This card was made for my daughter's birthday (on Friday 12th Aug) so as she has now received it, it is safe for me to post the image on here. She's nuts about Audrey Hepburn so I'm always on the look-out for Audrey stamps.

Next up is the little recipe holder that I made for the previous challenge. That one had the theme of Pink, Green and White with the optional extra of Cooking.

I couldn't find any 'cooking' stamps so I interpreted the theme with the recipe holder and then thought it'd be good to have one of these specifically for French cuisine. Hence the Eiffel Tower and the 'Bon Appetit' stamps

Inside there are little pockets for slipping the recipes into, and the whole thing wraps up small enough so that it can be stored. The template for this recipe holder is free from Papertrey Ink and you can access it by clicking HERE.

I need to say a quick Thank-you to Di who is stepping down from the Colour Create design team so that she can create a challenge for her own line of digi stamps. Good Luck Di and thank you so much for the inspiration and wonderful things you created for Colour Create.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Sweet of you

2011-06-30T07:00:00.004+01:00

Is everyone having a good week? It all seems to be going incredibly fast once more; one blink and here we are, almost at the weekend again.

Anyway, it's Colour Create day today and I had to pick the colours this week so I chose Fuchsia, Green and White with the optional extra of making your own flowers. Well, all I can say is I'm so glad that Fuchsia flowers cover a whole range of colours from pink through to purple because I just couldn't seem to colour match to the inspiration picture!

Time was tight so I've opted for a simple style again, but I did manage a card and a little treat handbag. I love the cute handbag template; it's a Lauren Meader timeless template one and is so easy to use. The little bit of embossing on the top is all that was needed (I felt)to offset the large handmade flower.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow Challenges - Flowers
Deep Ocean Challenge - Flowers
Scrap Creations Challenge - Anything but a card
Bows and Berries - Thank You/Appreciation
Digi Design House - Handmade Flowers
Hooked on Crafts - Show us your flowers
Secret Crafter - Embossing
Glitter Geeks - Handbags and gladrags

I hope you'll find time to take a look at the incredibly beautiful items that the talented design team made this week - they are super! And we'd love it if you found time to join in the challenge.
Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Queens Cutie on a Pixie Porch

2011-06-29T07:00:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone. What happened to the last 2 weeks? Where did they go? Did a little imp came along and steal the days when I wasn't looking? Well, there's some news to share today so let's make up for lost time.

We have some new design team members over at the Pixie Cottage! YAY! Welcome to all the new girls. If you take a look at the sidebar, there are links to all their blogs on there, so please pop over and leave them some love.

The challenge today is a sketch and/or 'Strawberries and Cream'. I've used the sketch and the colours I picked for my card are a muted strawberry and cream theme. The stamp I used today is PLEASANT PORCH by ARTish and it has been teamed up with a Kenny K image. Just goes to show that these Pixie Cottage background images suit lots of the character stamps and digis around nowadays.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Craft Room Challenge - Summer Birthdays
Creative Craft Challenge - Make your own backing papers
Creative Inspirations - Stitching (Real or faux)
The Shabby Tea Room - My favourite things (making my own backing papers)

Please take a look at the gorgeous creations from the design team by clicking HERE.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Vellum and Parchment Greetings

2011-06-16T07:00:00.004+01:00

Just one photo? That makes a change for me. Well you see, I only had a chance to photograph things last Sunday and it was bucketing down with rain at the time. I've been busy ever since, so this is the best of the bunch.

Today is Colour Create Challenge day and the amazing Mina picked the colours of Grey, Blue and White with the optional extra of Vellum. We all had loads of fun with these colours. I got out my Kars Bling, Bling Doodles templates and did a little embroidery on the grey card stock in white and pale blue thread.

For the vellum option I tore the edges of one piece and wrapped it around the card.
The main image (Greetings by ARTish available from our sponsor The Pixie Cottage) was stamped in white stayzon onto parchment, I added blue to the petals on the reverse of the parchment using a pergamano pencil crayon and the edges of the petals were feathered with an embossing tool. Ice cool clear gems, a piece of ribbon and a best wishes sentiment finished this card off.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Top Tip Tuesday - Open Challenge
Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenge - Parchment
Pollycraft - Ribbon & Flowers
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Distressed/Torn Edges
Magical Monday - Pick Two (Ribbon and Flower)
Frosted Design Fabulous Friday challenge - Stitching

There is some amazing inspiration on the Colour Create challenge blog, please take a look at the items the wonderful DT have made.

Last but certainly not least, we're saying a very sad farewell to our amazing Janiel. She's been a part of our little team for so long now and we will miss her so much! From the bottom of my heart I thank her for all the wonderful things she created for the challenge and for the incredible commitment and friendship she gave everyone. Take care hunni!
Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Party Straws

2011-06-15T07:00:00.009+01:00

Slurp, Slurp, mmmmmmm! Nothing better than a refreshing glass of lemonade in the summer, is there? It really helps to cool us down in the sunshine. So with that in mind, here's a fun way to add a little brightness to a kiddies summer party.

Challenge links are at the bottom of this post.

These are my DT items for the Pixie Cottage Challenge where the theme today is 'grab a glass of lemonade' and there's also a sketch challenge if you want to do that instead/as well. For once, I just used the theme.

I think I may have given poor Katie a heart attack with this little lot. She usually links to the specific images that we've used on the challenge blog. oops!

Well here are the links to the stamps I used on these straws.

Hannah on Stepping Stones by Sandra Hammer
Barney in Spring by ARTish

Pumpkin Molly by Elaine Gutierrez
Gone Fishing by Di Carubia

Baby Maisy by Di Carubia
Got Rabbits by ARTish

These were so easy to make. Use a standard circle nestability die for the image, the next size larger in the Lacy Circles nestability, and a size larger in the scallop circle nestabilities. The images were coloured using Promarker Pens and attached to a straw.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge - Here Comes Summer
Top Tip Tuesday - Open Theme
Creative Stamp Friends - Birthday
Hooked on Crafts - Anything Goes
KB Cute Mondays - Anything Goes
Stampin for the Weekend - Lemon & Lime
Totally Papercrafts - Summer
Moving Along With The Times - Anything But A Card
Do You Stack Up - Birthday

We hope to see you all entering the Pixie Cottage Challenge this week (don't forget to take a peek at the fab items created by the design team this week).
Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Just An Illusion

2011-06-12T20:45:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone. Hope you are all keeping warm and dry. It's like the depths of winter here so perhaps that's why I ended up making a Christmas card. I can't believe that we've had to have the central heating on today - it's 12th June! Crazy, huh? On the plus side, all my washing has got dried on the radiators!

Here's a quick-ish card for the Less Is More challenge where the theme is a One Layer Card and Frames. Notice the title of this post? This card is actually one layer but it has the illusion of being matted. (Well, it would have that illusion if I could get a half-decent picture {grin}).

For anyone that may be sceptical, below is a photo of the way I made the 'mat look'. It was just done with a few bits of low-tack masking tape and sponged with some ink pads. Then, the last thing I did was add stickles to both sides of the lines. Easy-peasy. It's similar to a card I made last year, but so much flatter to post and it weighs less too.

I'm also entering this into:
Annabella stamps - Say it with Sponging & Masking
Crafty Sentiments - Sparkle
Less is More - OLC and Frames

I'm not sure that I'll have a chance to make a second entry this week; it's a case of make cards and post them on here or blog hop and comment; so this week the blog-hopping and commenting HAS to be the focus. The only exception to that is a couple of DT items.
As always - feedback on how to improve this card is always welcome.
Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

Flying High

2011-06-10T07:00:00.004+01:00

Thank goodness it's Friday! The weekend is almost here and it'll be time to relax a little bit. Wow, this week has just flown by because things have been so busy. It's great being busy, but it'd be lovely to be able to keep on top of blogging too. Still - there will be time to catch up tonight or tomorrow.

The last two evenings have been fab because my grandchildren have been staying with us. What a joy they have been - certainly kept me in stitches with laughter. Oh to see the world in such simple terms ;o) I've loved walking in the door after work and both of them come running to me with arms wide open and a big cuddle when they reach me. Brilliant! It's been exhausting but such fun!

Anyway, to today's card. It's a simple layout and the colours of the border stamp I used remind me of the waves in the sea. I think this one is okay for the men.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Craft Us Crazy - Masculine colours/theme
Do You Stack Up - Birthday
Paperplay - Father's day/Mans card
Some Odd Girl - Manly
Crafty Creations - Over the Rainbow (this'll be the end where the Wizard flies off without Dorothy)
Fab n Funky - Magnificent Men
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Celebrate Dad/the Man in your life
The Paper Variety - for the guys

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

You are a star!

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

Cogs and clocks are usually found on steampunk cards. Well, I haven't had a try at steampunk yet and I really admire those of you that can make steampunk cards. But the way I look at it is........don't be put off, just use the stamps the way you want to. So I did. I teamed them up with some stars and a couple of other paper artsy type background stamps of splodges and lines and crackles. I only used one ink pad on this card - faded denim. I was scared of messing things up completely by adding a second colour. I added a different sentiment on the back of the tag; simple but it makes a point

I'm entering the card into the following challenges:
The Stamping Boutique - For Men Only
Bows and berries - Masculine
Crazy Challenge - Father's Day
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Tag
Magical Monday - Masculine
Come and Get It - Masculine
Creative Inspirations - Father's Day

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Shape it up

2011-06-08T07:00:00.006+01:00

I thought I'd have a try at a centre step card for today's make and I'm sure I'll be making more of these because it was fun to do. I had real fun with the image too and may have got a bit carried away! I stamped and coloured it 3 times, then I cut around the flower petals on 2 of the images. Now, instead of doing a normal decoupage or layered up image, I scrunched up the middle of the 2 cut-out images and shaped them into a 3d flower and glued them on top of the main image. I then dotted bits of clear glue onto the petals to represent the dew drops and added a few pearls to the centre.

This is my DT card for the Pixie Cottage Challenge where we have a sketch and a theme of shaped cards. The image I've used is Dew Drop Dahlia by ARTish.
.
I'm entering this into:
Bunny Zoes - Lace
Craft Room Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday - Embellish your main image
Make It Monday - Link Party
Paperplay - Summer Citrus Splash
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes (didn't do the optional extra)
Penny Black - Doodlebug (PB Sentiment used)
Sugar Creek Hollow - Paper Flowers, Vintage Lace & Bling - Flowers = made my own from the image. Lace = at least 25 years old! Bling = on the dragonfly charm
Top Tip Tuesday - More than One Fold

Stamps used:
Image: Pixie Cottage,
Sentiment: Penny Black,
Background: Anna Griffin
Distress Inks: Old Paper, Antique Linen, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Spiced Marmalade

The Pixie Cottage DT girls have made some fantastic shaped cards for inspiration this week; it's worth a visit to take a peek at them.
Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

One that almost got away!

2011-06-07T07:00:00.007+01:00

Am I really going to show you the mess that was on my craft desk at the weekend? Well, I was ..... but tidy crafters could have been scarred for life and have nightmares for weeks on end after seeing the shambles that I crafted in this weekend just gone. In my defence, time was limited and I only had the odd 10 mins here and there, and tidying up became a luxury, not a necessity. So, it's probably safest for all of us if I keep the mess to myself.

Why would I even consider showing my desk? Because this card is made from my scrap paper (which I will show you) and under normal circumstances that would be thrown away. So the card almost didn't get made, and it's a perfectly good card!

What's all this about then? Well, two things really:
Firstly - Jo Capper-Sandon and her article in Craft Stamper magazine this month ("Accidentally On Purpose") started it all off
Then Stamp, Scrap and Doodle came along with a challenge of "What's on your desk right now?" and the temptation to have a go was too much for me.

So the idea is to use what is on your desk, and in particular for me, that was the scrap paper I'd been using to protect things. Here it is, although it is partially obscured by some parchment paper.
Who would have thought it? I am now completely hooked on this idea! I actually made 3 cards from the scrap pieces on my desk. So thanks to Jo and thanks to Stamp, Scrap and Doodle. I won't be wasting any more scrap in future.

In time when I get a bit more comfortable with this idea I can see that I'll be adding all sorts of stamped elements on top of the scraps and resisting the urge to add lots of layers, stickles and flowers, but this humble start is a pretty good first attempt (I think)

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Stamp Scrap and Doodle - Use what's on your desk right now.
Stampin Sisters In Christ - Use something new (a new idea of using your inky scrap paper)
Card Makin Mamas - Use Your Scraps
Scrappy Frogs - Birthdays

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

More Acetate and Parchment

2011-06-06T07:00:00.006+01:00

Morning everyone. Well, here we are at the start of another week and I hope everyone is well rested and from the weekend. I have a card that I'm entering into 3 challenges today and it's another of those hard to photograph ones. Honestly, a health warning is needed on the packs of acetate - just to remind us that it's difficult to take a picture of the finished item. lol. Only kidding. Acetate looks so stunning that we just have to use it now and again, don't we?

For this card, I stamped the motif in white stayzon onto the acetate sheet and cut out a window in the card blank to set it into. The parchment wrap has tiny sentiments added to in white stayzon - hopefully the picture below shows those a bit clearer but in case it's hard to read they say 'together', 'ever after' and 'foreverness'. and then one group of flowers and a bow finish it off. I thought this would make a nice wedding or anniversary card.

Okay, so the inspiration for this card comes from:
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge - the fab sketch
Allsorts Challenge - All White
A second entry into:
Less is More - Monochromatic (can't get more monochromatic than all white!)

It's a busy week for me this week so I have my posts all ready to go and I'm going to be returning comments for those kind enough to comment on my posts when I get home from work each night - but I may not have time to do too much general blog hopping I'm afraid. Never mind, things will quieten down again in a couple of weeks or so.
Items Used:
Stamps Waltzing Mouse: Victorian Frippery and Say it Loud.
White Stayzon
White card, Parchment and Acetate.
Paper flowers and ribbon bow.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Thanks; you've been wonderful

2011-06-05T14:00:00.001+01:00

How's your weekend going folks? Are you resting? Spending time with loved ones? Enjoying good weather? I'm having to do some work through most of mine.........bleah! But I'm nipping up to the craft room every now and then for a 10 minute crafty fix. :o) That means a lot of my cards this week will probably be on the CAS side - but I am so enjoying this style that it's a joy to keep trying it out. After searching for a 'style' for a couple of years now, it's starting to feel like I'm 'coming home' so to speak. Don't get me wrong....there's still a long way to go and a lot to learn, but it just feels more comfortable than cute and fussy (still like doing those too).

Anyway, I digress.
These 2 cards are for the Less is More Challenge where the theme this week is 'monochrome'. Now, after a late entry into last week's challenge I thought I'd get my skates on this week. So we have a Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet sponged panel that's over-stamped grass and flower stamps. The sentiment is split across the left and right edges and a freehand wiggly line edges the sponged panel. Finished off with punched and glittered dragonflies and a ribbon (it does colour match - you can see the true shade a bit better on the bottom card as I used the same ribbon on both cards).

After making the cream base card I thought I'd try a pink base card. However, I used a bit of worn lipstick in the over-stamping which, in my opinion, is a bit too bright.
Would love to hear what you all think. Do you prefer the cream base too?
Thanks so much for looking
Sharon xx

A CASE Competition

2011-06-04T22:11:00.004+01:00

There's a CASE (Copy And Share Everything) competition going on at the moment and there are another 5 and a bit days left to enter. You can read all about it by clicking here.

The idea is to CASE one of the SOAP cards that the Design Team have made over the last 4 days. Now, I hope this card qualifies because I've actually been inspired by 2 of the Design team. The first one is a card by Niki Estes and you can see that card by clicking on her name. I loved the stamped musical background that she made. The second card is by Tosha Leyendekker and you can see that one by clicking on her name. It's the second one in her post (loved the diagonal part).

So, that's the copy part over and here's the share everything. I used Tumbled Glass and Dusty Concord distress inks and randomly sponged a piece of paper. I let this dry completely before going on to the next stage.

Once the paper was totally dry, I took the 4 stave music stamp from the Waltzing Mouse Musical Backgrounds set and stamped it up in versamark then heat embossed it with Silver embossing powder. I stamped on stamp the 'right way up' then underneath I rotated the stamp by 180 degrees so that the stamp was upside down - it just gives the impression that the music is different (for those that can read music and are not looking too closely!)

I cut the paper to size and added some stickles glitter glue to the edges.

Next I cut a piece of parchment and stamped the sentiment from the Say It Loud set in Momento Ink. To say that I'm LOVING this set is a real understatement - I just can't stop using those sentiments at the moment.

I then put the card together wrapping the parchment around the music paper with a little lace added to the top and bottom of the parchment. This was backed onto silver mirri board and put onto the card blank. The final touches were a Prima flower and some punched leaves that were lightly distressed with walnut stain distress ink.

Hope you like it, and that it does qualify for the CASE competition because I really had fun making this one.

This card also fits the following challenges:
Speedy the Cats - Flowers
Our Daily Bread - Sentiment Only
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Stampinsanity - Anything Goes
I'll be back sometime tomorrow with either my Less is More or my WMSC card.
Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

Pick a square for Less is More

2011-06-03T06:59:00.006+01:00

This card almost didn't get posted. I arrived home from work last night and suggested that hubby and I went out for a meal. Great idea! We never seem to spend enough time together, so off we toddled in the car and found a lovely pub that did food. Had a wonderful meal....but the portion size was so large I think I had to be rolled into the car to come home! lol. You know what it's like when you over-indulge...all you want to do is go to sleep. So, here I am, fighting off the urge to be a couch potato and shut my eyes. ;o) zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anyway, this card is for the Less is More challenge where the theme is 'pick a square'. Loved that idea ladies! Now, apart from it being a really busy week on this blog this week, I was a little stumped as to what to do until I opened one of my crafting drawers and found several of these flowers in different colours. I made them at Christmas time using a scallop nestie and put them away ....... and forgot all about them. So, long story short....I've only just made the deadline for the challenge even though this card was made last Sunday!

Items Used:
Scallop Nesties
Inks: Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Marvy Blending Blox Shades of Green
Individual Sentiment stamps Waltzing Mouse - Say it Loud set
Leaf Swirl Clarity Stamps

As always - feedback is gratefully received as I'm always looking to improve.
Thanks so much for looking and hopefully I'll be back with something else tomorrow (haven't decided which thing to post yet).

Sharon xx

Here come the boys!

2011-06-02T06:59:00.007+01:00

Never mind "Here come the girls", this week it's all about the boys, isn't it? Well, I suppose it is that time of year here in the UK and in the US too. Time to show our appreciation for our Dads.

So our fantastic Sharon L has set the optional extra over at the Colour Create Challenge of FATHER's DAY/MASCULINE. She's picked one of my favourite colour combos too: PURPLE, BLUE and SILVER.

I was inspired by one of the challenges this week, because they've challenged us to use a Faux Linen technique (link below and there is a link to a video of the technique on the challenge site). Wow! I loved trying this out and the finished result is fab (well I think so). Definitely something that I'll try again and I'd reccommend that everyone who likes stamping should try it too; you'll be amazed at what you can do. I think this one will make a good retirement card, so I'll keep it ready for when I need one.

I'm entering this into:
Come and Get It Challenges - Faux Linen Technique
Sparkles Challenge - Something metal
Sweet Stamps - Masculine
Craft Your Passion - What a Guy

I also made a CAS Father's day card.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Here Come The Boys - Father's Day/ Hubby/Partner
Craft Your Days Away - Father's Day/Special Man
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day / Man's card

This photo is a little darker, but it does show the silver.

We're sponsored by

and there is a £10 gift voucher to win.

Please take a look at the wonderful masculine creations of the design team, after all, we can always do with some more inspiration for creating that something special for the men in our lives.

Thanks for looking, and I'll be back with another creation tomorrow (busy week, huh?),
Sharon xx

Shrink Plastic, A Basket and Greetings

2011-06-01T06:59:00.007+01:00

This is such a pretty set that I hope that the photos on here do it justice. I've decided that I should just relax and 'go with the flow' so to speak when I sit down to craft. Been a bit guilty of getting stressed out about doing things the way that everyone else does and it's started to stifle the old creativity. So more of my hand made backing papers are a key part of the projects today - along with a first play at shrink plastic; now that was fun!

These are my DT items for the Pixie Cottage Challenge where there is a gorgeous sketch and a theme of anything but a card. As I wanted to make a set of things today, I've used the sketch on the card and made a matching basket for the non-card item.

The gorgeous stamp that I used as the main focus of the card is 'Greetings' by ARTish. These flower stamps that she created for the Pixie Cottage Store are amongst some of my favourites because they are really versatile. I also stamped the image up onto shrink plastic and made some matching embellishments. I wanted to create a bit of interest with the shrink plastic, so whilst it was still warm I made sure it curled like a flower rather than laid flat. I'll definitely be using this medium again because these are such sweet embellishments.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Two Sisters Challenge - Anything Goes
Creations by Gill M - Pink & Green and flowers
Crafty Catz - Pink & Green
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes plus your favourite...for me it's making DPs
Paper Play Challenge - Blossoms & Blooms

Items Used:
Stamps: The Pixie Cottage, Laura Ashley, Waltzing Mouse and My Minds Eye
Distress Inks: Bundled Sage & Tattered Rose

Please pop over to the Pixie Cottage Challenge to see the brilliant work of the DT. We'd also love to see you entering the challenge this week if you can.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Acetate, Glitter and Lace

2011-05-31T06:59:00.007+01:00

Isn't it funny, that when you are really pleased with something you've made and you know it looks incredible in real life, you proudly take a photo and add it to your blog, then you're on pins waiting for everyone else to recognise how wonderful the item is....and you wait.....and you wait.....and you wait. Ha ha! I think this may be one of those items for me. I LOVE this completely acetate box and it does look incredible, but it is SO HARD TO PHOTO so people probably won't comment on it. Never mind.

I do have a little CAS card to go with it with another of the acetate flowers I made on it.

This was made without any challenges in mind, apart from looking back at the Colour Create ones that I missed making a DT item for recently. So, I've scrabbled around and come up with the following challenges that'll fit these items.
Fairytale Challenge Everything BUT a card - so I'm only entering the box into that one.
Fun with shapes Sparkle and something punched or die cut (the flowers are die cut)
Fresh Brewed - Anything But a card (The Box ONLY is entered)
Delicious Doodles - Lovely Lace
Finally Off The Wall Craftiness - Who had the picture below for inspiration and the colours are blue, brown and white.

Hope you don't mind the little bit of pink to represent the flesh in the inspiration.

Okay, now for the confession. I punched the leaves using a normal lever punch....big mistake! I almost (but not quite) broke it! So, take it from me; it's not a good idea to use a punch for acetate.

Tha picure below will hopefully show all the glitz that the stickles I added to the acetate flowers and leaves brin. They really do look fab and well worth the wait for the glitter glue to dry.

Well, thank you once again for looking. I do hope this has inspired someone to make something really amazing with acetate.

See you tomorrow with something more pretty and romantic.
Sharon xx

Three Beautiful Maidens

2011-05-30T08:30:00.001+01:00

From the soft, delicate, romantic and pretty card of yesterday we're onto a contrast of a set of 3 CAS and more dramatic cards today. I made the first card and loved it so much that I decided to create a couple more. The dramatic red is just glorious!

Unfortunately, I think these Lilac Lemon design rubber stamps have been discontinued now. I adore Art Deco and Art Noveaux ladies but I don't often colour these particular stamps up; I really should use them more often.

Anyway, I'm rambling, so let's have a close up of the ladies showing the glamour dust added to the images and also get these entered into a few challenges.

The image above is one of my particular favourites.

I'm entering these into the following challenges:
Dream Valley Challenge - Stamp Something
Secret Crafter - Clean and Simple
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Crafting for All Seasons - First Challenge is Anything Goes
Divas By Design - One for the Girls
For Fun Challenges - Patriotic Colours (Red and White for England)
Paper Pretties Birthday Card

All the images are coloured with ProMarkers and they have some glamour dust added just to add a little interest and catch the light.

The gorgeous sentiments are by Papertrey Ink.

Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying their bank holiday weekend. I've heard it'll be raining when this post pops onto my blog so with a bit of luck I'll be making the most of that and I'll be squirrelled away in my craft room. {{Grins}}

Thanks for looking and see you tomorrow.
Sharon xx

Always & Forever

2011-05-29T10:30:00.007+01:00

Finger's crossed....is Mr Blogger behaving today? If this posts then that's a big, fat 'Yes'. Phew! It worked! Hope it got the spacing right too - I seem to have had a particular problem with that recently. This card is for fun; it makes such a lovely change to get the chance for some additional crafting time so that you can enter some challenges for fun. Kind of makes me wish we had an extra day as holiday at least once a month!

This card has been inspired by some new stamps, teamed up with some old stamps, added in a sketch and a bit of my favourite thing to do.....create my own background papers. This background is so pretty and subtle irl but the camera managed to pick up all the elements.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Things with wings
Speedy the Cat's - Ivory and Lace
Stamp Something - Use a Sentiment
Totally Papercraft - Pink and Girly
Waltzing Mouse Sketch challenge - The sketch

Items used:

Stamps: Musical Backgrounds, Say it Loud, Victorian Frippery
Distress inks: Antique Linen, Scattered Straw, Spun Sugar
Stickles: Stardust
Punches: Tonic Studios & Martha Stewart
Circle Nesties.
Ribbon, Beading, Sewing cotton, Feather, Pearls & Pearl spray from my stash

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Here Comes The Sun

2011-05-25T07:03:00.003+01:00

Now how did that happen? The counter of unique hits on this blog has tripped over the 35000 mark without me noticing! Looks like it's time to sort out some blog candy soon. Best get the thinking cap on for something to offer up.

Anyway, back to today's card. It's my DT item for the Pixie Cottage Challenge. The sketch this week was such fun to do, and the theme is 'Here Comes the Sun'.....so off I went to find a Pixie Cottage stamp that I could use in a different way and make it fit this challenge.

Ah Ha! How about using the Halloween stamp called 'Spooky Tree Background' by Sandra Hammer and changing the moon into the sun? Yes, that works a treat. All I did to show that this stamp can be that versatile was to colour the 'moon' yellow and add a pale blue sky so that it looks more sunny, punch some leaves out to add to the bare branches of the tree and add a bit of screwed up tissue paper to represent blossom. Job Done! I'm going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Bows and Berries - Blue, Bright Pink, Yellow, White and Black

Crafty Cardmakers - Embossing (Heat embossed white on the panels)

Daring Cardmakers - Inspired by the Snow Patrol song called 'Chasing Cars (I chose the line, "Show me a garden that's bursting into life")

Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes

Kaboodle Doodles - Distress, Rip, Tear, Crumple (Torn & Crumpled blossoms)

I make that 5 entries.

Please take a look at the rest of the DT items; the are fabulous.

Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

A Set of Sweet Treats

2011-05-19T07:02:00.001+01:00

I said it would be something different on here today, didn't I? I've made a whole set of things because I got so inspired by some new stamps.

I've dotted the challenges that I'm entering the different items into throughout the post but hopefully it's easy enough for everyone to follow.

Okay, the whole set are my DT items for the Colour Create Challenge

The Colour Create Challenge has been set by Sylvia and she picked White, Cream and Brown as the colours to use today. The optional extras are to use one other colour of your choice, flowers and buttons. Hmmmm, in my excitement, I forgot the buttons but I did manage everything else.

We're sponsored by High Hopes stamps and there is a fab prize of 5 stamps for the winner of this challenge.

I'm also going to enter the full set of items into the Truly Scrumptious challenge of Anything Goes

Now, how yummy does this choc chip muffin look? Such a shame it's just ink, acrylic paint, ribbon, card, beads and tissue paper! These two photos give a close up of the new WMS gingham & co stamps that inspired me so much; this set is brilliant and as you can see - it's really versatile. The gingham check is stamped up in Peeled Paint distress ink. The polka dot is stamped in brown Versacolour. I couldn't resist adding beads to the polka dots to make it a choc chip - see below for the half finished photo.

I've made this cupcake in honour of Waltzing Mouse Stamps 2nd birthday (because they are the stamps that inspired this whole set).

You can read all about the WMS Birthday Tea Party here and there's still a couple of days left to enter. There's a HUGE prize and you don't have to purchase any of the WMS items to enter because they do have some free templates that will fit.

I used the cuppie love template to make this cake - just changed the topping to suit what I wanted to do, then added 2 'candles' for the 2nd birthday.

Next up is a little box of cookies.

I've made this one for A Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes
I used masking with post-it notes to get the two colours of ink onto the label. I hope I managed to give it an aged 'thin wood' appearance because that was what I set out to achieve.

Now one of my favourite items; the tea cup. Who in their right mind would stamp it up in gingham.....me, that's who! Looks so cute though, doesn't it?

This was made for the Squigglefly challenge which is Anything but the usual.

This type of paper crafting is not my usual thing to do because as a rule I don't get enough time, but I must admit I love this type of thing and it is the 3rd time I've used this particular template. Here's a link to one I made earlier

I also made a matching card; once again mixing the sentiment from 2 labels in the Rescue Remedies set.

I'm entering this card into the Waltzing Mouse Sketch challenge because it is based on the sketch that they've created for this week.

And finally, the little Tea Baggie which has been made for the

One Stitch At A Time Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.

Again I did more masking with post it notes so that the label themes in with the rest of the items today.

I hope you'll take a look at all the amazing projects from our design team at colour create this week; they all made incredibly feminine cards this week and they are all gorgeous.

We're sponsored by High Hopes Stamps this time around and there's a brilliant prize of 5 stamps.

Thanks so much for looking and I do hope you enjoyed these items,

Sharon xx

Go Potty!

2011-05-18T07:00:00.004+01:00

Now, I'm not being rude....honest! That's the fun name of the cute little stamp that I've used today; it's so sweet, isn't it? I thought I'd keep this card fairly simple to show off the image. This card is my DT item for the Pixie Cottage Challenge today where there's another great sketch and the theme is pink and girly.

So, Go Potty by Precious Stamps by Lisa is available to purchase by clicking here. I used distress inks to colour the toddler, promarkers on the hair and then just glittered up the potty and booties.

I'm entering this into the following challenges.

Tuesday Throwdown - Card for baby/child

Craft Your Passion - Cutie Patootie

Crafty Cardmakers - Embossing

Magical Monday - Embossing

Dream Valley - Dig out the old to use with the new (Old = Potty stamp, new = gingham stamp)

Stamptacular - PINK-a-Licious

Hope you'll join us for the challenge this week.

Thanks for looking and I'll hopefully see you with something totally different tomorrow.

Sharon xx

Just a note....

2011-05-16T18:21:00.004+01:00

....to say that I'm back and will be blogging again this week. I've missed blogging so much! Has it really been over a month?

Anyway, before I start blogging in earnest, here's a card that should have posted last Wednesday. It was a DT item for the Pixie Cottage challenge where the themes were a fantastic sketch and 'Tags'. The bird stamp used on this card is called Hummingbird by ARTish and is available to purchase by clicking here.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Don't Colour It - Glitter It!

2011-04-13T07:00:00.006+01:00

It's Pixie Cottage challenge day today and we have a sketch and the theme of mother/special lady this week. I've used the sketch and the 'special lady' for this item would be the bride - well, every bride is special, aren't they?

Instead of colouring the image I chose to use micro fine glitter and it really sparkles in the sunlight. The colours I used are Black & Silver for the groom and the bride's dress is Pearl with Red Rose for the bouquet and her headdress. A simple, quick but really effective way to use an image.

The stamp I used is called For Ever and Ever by ArTish and it's available to purchase here.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Ladybug Crafts - Celebration

Oldie but a Goodie - Wedding or Anniversary

Pixiedust Studios - Lace it up

Tellen's Place - Sparkle and Lace

Tuesday Throwdown - Sparkle or Bling

My fellow Pixie Cottage teamies have once again made some beautiful projects for the challenge. Please pop over to take a look at them.

Thanks for looking, Sharon xx

Pretty Petticoats and Pins

2011-04-07T07:00:00.005+01:00

Well, after being late with my card yesterday I thought I'd double check that this post was written and scheduled. We're on a really feminine and girly day today full of corsets, petticoats and pins.

Today is Colour Create Challenge day and those DT girls have made me so proud again. They blow me away every challenge with the amazing projects.

Thanks girls, you're all one in a million!

The colours, as picked by Julie this time are PINK, BLACK and WHITE with an optional extra of TULLE. So incredibly feminine.

I didn't realise quite how much the inspiration picture had influenced my card until I posted a picture of this one on our admin blog....you'll see what I mean if you take a look at the challenge!

The Corset and 'feminine' sentiment stamp are from Clarity stamps. I added some embroidery sewing thread to lace the corset up, and because I only had white tulle, I got my black promarker out and altered the tulle.

I'm entering the card into the following challenges:

Creative Stamp Friends - Swirls

My Partner in Crafting Crime - Layer it up (more than 3 layers)

One Stop Craft Challenge - Spots and Dots

Sir Stampalot Challenge - Ladies & Fashion

Sketch Saturday - the Sketch

The Stampsmith - The Female of the species

So, I got even more inspired by the colours and ended up making all these pins too. I've used 3 of them on the card above, and I now have plenty ready for the next pink, black and white card (hope there's a rush of challenges using these colours soon. lol).

We're sponsored this time by Michelle's Scrapbooking and more. The awesome DT have made some incredible items so please take a look at them and we'd love to see you entering the challenge if you can.

Thanks for looking, Sharon xx

I'm late, I'm late!

2011-04-06T21:40:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the late posting....I completely forgot what day it is today. Doh! Anyway, this card is my Pixie Cottage Challenge DT card where are themes are a fab sketch (which I've used) and Paper Piecing (I have pieced the central flower with the same paper as the backing paper).

The stamp that I've used today is called 'Greetings' by Artish and it is one I love to use because it is so feminine and pretty. I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Anything Goes - Pearls

Crafty Pad - Flowers

Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes

Pattie's Creations - Flowers and pearls

Top Tip Tuesday - Thank you

I do hope you'll take a look at the fabulous projects that the amazing design team have created this week.

Thanks for looking, Sharon xx

A Touch of Red

2011-04-03T21:04:00.006+01:00

I loved this challenge from Less is More. A touch of red - fab. And loads of white space too - love that. Oh boy! It was hard to stop at just colouring the flowers red .... I so wanted to touch up the lips with red too but feared that it'd be that one step too far if I did.

I thought it'd be a good idea to photo this card against a red background so that the red on the card would 'ping' - not so sure now. Although it doesn't show too well, the image has a bit of sparkle added to it too. Anyway, I'm posting this at night so that maybe I'll get a chance to view and comment on a few of the entries this week. Life has been so hectic recently and crafter's block has hit again, so it's been difficult to come up with anything presentable. However......I'm looking forward to feedback so please let me know what you think (especially how this could be improved).

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Drama with Sparkle

2011-04-01T07:00:00.007+01:00

Hi Everyone. I'm slowly getting back into the crafting swing and today I have a bit of dramatic card to share with you all. This one was a bit of a surprise because I've managed to heat emboss a digi image with disco black embossing powder.

As it's the first of the month it means that it is time for the Bling It On! challenge. Thanks to everyone that entered into the first challenge last month. For our second challenge, the theme is to use a digi and some bling. My bling is sparkle in the form of embossing powder and glamour dust.

We're sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digi Stamps and I've been lucky enough to have been given one of their images to play with.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Cooking it up with Katie - Sparkle, Shimmer, Shine

Incy Wincy - Sparkle & Shine

Make It Mondays - Link party

One Stop Craft Challenge - Fairies & Angels

Paper Playtime - Anything Goes

Pixie Dust Studio - Fluttering Wings

Stampin' Royalty - Heat Embossing

Scrap Creations - Fairytales

Top Tip Tuesday - Inspired By Nature

Top Tip:

To heat emboss a digi image like the one I've used here you need to use a silk art card as a base for the printing and set your printer to print at 'best quality'. That way, the ink will be wet enough for embossing powder to stick to it.

Please pop over to the Bling It on Challenge to see the amazing creations made by the design team - it's well worth the visit.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Back again

2011-03-30T07:00:00.003+01:00

Had a bit of a break recently, haven't I? Still here though. Today is a Pixie Cottage day and the themes this week are a sketch and stitching. I think you can just make out the stitching on this card. The image I've used is called "Hoo Loves You" I'm entering this into the following challenges: 2 Sisters - Make your own embellishments Ladybug Crafts - Handmade flowers The Stamping Boutique - Handmade Flowers Gingerloft - Die Cuts or Punches Let's Ink It Up! - Die cuts or Punches Scrappy Frogs - Flowers and Lace Card Makin' Mama's - Animals.

The DT girls have made some lovely items today so please do pop over and take a look.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Two Hello's, One Goodbye, and a card

2011-03-10T07:00:00.007Z

I've been chasing my tail this week. Sometimes you get weeks like that, don't you? Last night I spent the whole evening doing the Colour Create post and then doing my own post on here. Why did it take so long; I find it hard to say farewell to a DT teamie, that's why. And that's exactly what we're doing today. Our wonderfully talented Dena has decided that it is time for her to move on and step down from the DT. Boo Hoo! We will all miss her. I've really appreciated everything that she had done for the challenge; all her time and those fabulous creations - Thank you Dena. Here's wishing you the best of luck in everything you do in the future sweetie.

I do have some good news too. I've been lucky enough to secure 2 new fantastically talented ladies for the Colour Create DT: SYLVIA from Norway and KERRY from Australia. I adore their styles and their blogs are a joy to browse around so I hope you'll stop by and leave them some love.

Our mega talented Di set the challenge for us and she picked this amazing inspiration picture!

Isn't it wonderful?

The colours this week are: GREENS/OLIVE GREEN, BROWN, CREAM and BLACK. The optional extra is LEAVES. (I loved using these colours)

So, the card I made uses one of my favourite Lili of the Valley images. I just adore glittering this one up.

I'm entering this into the following Challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - R is for Ribbons
Annabelle Stamps - Say it with love
Card Makin' Mama's - Something Green
Challenge Up Your Life - Fairy Tales
Crafty Pad - Use A Ribbon (it's the green bit in the centre)

Do You Stack Up - Layers

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday : Sewing

Lili of the Valley - Say it with flowers
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Sketch Saturday - the Sketch
Tellen's Place - Embellish, embellish, embellish
Tuesday Throwdown - Use Your Scraps (These all came out of my scrap box - you'll see some of the same papers on this card)

The sponsor over at Colour Create is Michelle's Scrapbooking and she's given us two fab embossing folders as the prize. Michelle is supporting a card drive for a very poorly little girl and you can read all about it on her blog.

Hope you join in with us this week and please take a look at the amazing creations that uber talented Colour Create DT have made. Please stop by and say hello to the new ladies.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Got Rabbits!

2011-03-09T07:00:00.007Z

Does anyone else have a huge pile of backing papers (as in it'll take you a month to sort through it because you stop every 5 mins to admire one of the pretty papers)? Mine desperately needs clearing out because I can never find the paper pad I'm looking for. Trouble is, all that admiring means I probably won't ever manage to get the whole stack tidied. I lost the paper pad I was looking for again this week; I swear that's why I have to make my own backing papers half the time! However, I did find another pad that I'd completely forgotten about and it is perfect for this time of year (it's full of daffodils and lemon colours). So, pretty lemony paper in hand.....I set about making my DT card.

It's Pixie Cottage Challenge time today and this week we have the sketch as usual and / or a theme of Easter. This little stamp by ArTish called 'Got Rabbits' is perfect for Easter. It's got the bunny and it's got the Easter eggs too. I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Alys Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes

Card Cupids - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Lexi's Creations - Easter

Papertake Weekly - Lemon, Yellow or Bright and Zingy

Polkadoodles - 3 handmade flowers

Totally Papercrafts - Pearls and Lace

Thought I'd do an 'arty close-up' of the punched and handmade flowers to give an idea of how layered and curled they are.

Okay; that's me done. There's loads more Easter inspiration over at the Pixie Cottage to please take a look at what the other fab DT girls made.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Quietly Fishing

2011-03-08T07:00:00.007Z

Recently I was asked to make a card for a man 'who likes fishing and golf so one of those themes would be good'. Well....couldn't resist that could I? A chance to play with the brayer again.... lovely jubbly. It makes me think I'm creating miniature pieces of artwork. To me, this little scene that I've created just oozes serenity, peace, quietness and a man content with the world!

See the tiny duplicate stamp that I have of the fisherman on the inside? How sweet is that!

Luckily for me, there are a couple of challenges that I can enter this into:

AIFactory - Drop In The Bucket (water related)

Cards for Men - Water

Craft Us Crazy - Nature

Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenge - Silhouettes

Creative Craft World - Card for a Male

Ooh La La! - It's a Man thing

All of the stamps used are Clarity stamps. I used Big 'n Juicy ink pads in Soothing Sunset and Waterfall. I also used black Versamark ink.

.......and my next card will be........cute and fussy!

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Less is More Challenge 5 - Take 2 and 3

2011-03-06T19:22:00.007Z

Well, I know deep in my heart that my first entry to the Less is More Challenge can't really be called CAS, so I had another try, and then a 3rd try (I will get the hang of this CAS style....eventually). Here are both those tries - and hurray! We have white space this time!

Take 2 - I stamped the LOTV image straight onto the hammered card stock, added some pastel in the form of promarkers (pastel green, blossom and pale pink). Added a touch of glamour dust to the veil, the feather in the bouquet and the ribbon band around the hat. I didn't want to overdo it by colouring too much of the image so I left it there.

All okay, so far.

I stamped the sentiment at the top. Still looking okay.

Then I go and spoil it all by colouring in the loops on the sentiment. Why did I do that? Anyway, when I realised I'd spoilt the card I also realised I'd made a one layer card again. Huh! That's next week's theme.

So, it was back to the drawing board. I cheated and cut the image out of the first card using a nestie. Well, "waste not, want not" as the saying goes. I coloured the second nestie shape with a blossom coloured promarker.

Now, does that wiggly MS punch overdo it and take it away from CAS again?

I tried laying some ribbon over the top but I didn't like that. I also tried pearls and crystals in different areas of the card but didn't like those either. I also think that a sentiment would be too much now it has the mat and the wiggly punch border.

What do you think?

Thanks for all those wonderful constructive comments last week, and all the lovely things you've said about my first card this week. I'm doing my best to have a look at all the entries and leave a little comment myself this week.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Sending You Peace

2011-03-06T00:01:00.001Z

I'm dedicating this card to a new-found blogging friend who sadly lost a close member of her family this past week. If I had her address I could send the card for real. Anyhow, you know who you are and this one is for you; I hope that you find peace, calm and serenity in the hectic whirl that must be going on around you at the moment.

I was almost finished making this card for the Less Is More challenge when I saw her sad news.

How poignient that I had actually been thinking how the word 'Peace' could be used for a sympathy card as well as a Christmas card and that these colours suited sympathy.

Anyway, as we 'met' through the Less is More challenge, I'm sure that she wouldn't mind if this card was still entered into it. The colour theme this week is 'Pastels'.

I'm not sure if this is actually classed as a CAS card (probably not enough white space and I may need to be disqualified for that) - but compared to my normal style, it sure is CAS for me.

Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

It's Goodbye From Me....

2011-03-05T09:00:00.011Z

... So Long, Farewell, Aufedersein, Goodnight.....

After almost 2 and a half years I've decided that it is time for me to step down from the very first challenge where I was a design team member. It's been such fun being with this challenge from the day it was born until now, but it really is time to step aside from the One Stop Craft Challenge team. Thanks so much to all the OSCC DT girls, both past and present, for making the time there so enjoyable. We have had some giggles! I'll miss you all loads.

So, I'm going out with something I love to do, and that is by making some 3d items.

The OSCC challenge as set by Shelley this week is Black, White and one other colour.

I'm entering these makes into the following challenges:

A Spoonfull of Sugar - Tags (on the teabag)

Aud's Sentiments - Birthday Cards, Gift Packaging or Gifts

Try It On Tuesday - Inspired by a song (Two for Tea)

Crafty Pad - Something Yummy for your tummy

Creative Cottage - Tag you're it (tag on teabag)

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Anything but square

Dream Valley - Anything Goes

Fairy Fun Fridays - Inspired by a song

Papercraft Star - Movie, book or song inspired (Song = Tea for Two)

Stamp Vacation - Create Your Own Challenge - "Make mine a...(drink theme)"

The Cheerful Stamp Pad - Anything But A Card

The Stamp Man - Curls and Swirls

Tuesday Throwdown - Tags

Wags n Whiskers - more than one fold

I was reminded last weekend of the teacup that I made for one of the OSCC challenges a while ago, so I thought I would dig the template out again and make another version of it. This one is far more vibrant than the original.....you can see that one here.

This time I've made it more obvious that the cup and saucer are paper crafted, by adding loads of pearls to them.

I've also made a little bag to hold some tea bags. If you're English you'll really appreciate the sentiment. We Brits seem to think a hot, sweet cup of tea will fix anything!

I've also made a little tag for the teabags. Aww how sweet!

Items Used:

Templates: Waltzing Mouse - look under digital items

Stamps: Victorian Frippery by Waltzing Mouse, Tag 'Compliments of the season by Waltzing Mouse, Sentiment on bag is Clarity Stamps

Inks: Spiced Marmalade distress ink and Black Versamark ink

Wild Orchid Crafts Roses

Mark Richards Pearls.

Please take a look at the wonderful items those talented OSCC girls have made.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Peace in Dusky Pink

2011-03-04T07:00:00.007Z

Another non-challenge card and there was no reason to create this apart from practicing my brayering. If I carry on like this I'll have lots of cards ready for Christmas, eh? Bet I don't! It all starts off well at the beginning of the year and then rapidly goes downhill as soon as the weather starts to get warmer.I don't claim that this design is my idea. I saw Barbara Grey do something really similar, if not the same (only hers would have been much better than mine), on Create and Craft in November or December last year. When I saw her cards I just knew I had to get these stamps for my 2011 Christmas cards.

The camera has made the ink on these look a little dark. In real life it's a lovely dusky pink colour.

After I took the picture, I noticed that I'd caught the gold on the right hand side of the central panel. That's fixed now because I went back over it with the gold pen I'd used to create that outline in the first place.

Thanks so much for looking,
Sharon xx

No reason.....

2011-03-03T07:00:00.005Z

...to post this card at all. It wasn't made for a challenge or with anyone in mind to receive it. I just wanted to have a play with one of the stamps I picked up at Farnborough last weekend. I know it's a simple card, but I really am liking this style at the moment. And of course, it gave me a chance to play around with sponging and masking. I quite like the wispy nature of the blue ink although I have to admit it came about as a complete accident. I couldn't find my sponges so I picked up a cotton wool ball instead. I was horrified when it sort of unravelled slightly when I inked it! But I kept on going and the end result is not too bad.

Well, that's me for today. Hope everyone is having a great week.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Spring in lemon and sage

2011-03-02T07:00:00.008Z

Phew! It's been a busy week so far, eh? CAS cards, Fussy Cards, a challenge launch and it's only Wednesday!

Today I'm back with my Pixie Cottage Challenge DT card where as usual we have a sketch and / or a theme to follow. This week the theme is Spring and my easel card also follows the sketch too. With a theme like that, I just had to use the image by Sandra Hammer called Spring Time Hannah with Butterflies. She's still one of my favourites to colour.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Bearly Mine - Birthday Card

Crazy Challenge - Here Comes Spring
Desert Island Crafters - Brenda's Itinerary. I used: 1. Make it Square, 2. Inspired by Nature,
4. Hand colored image, 5. 2 or more patterned papers, 6. Pearls, 8. No sentiment on the front (does that count as it's an easel card? and 10. Birthday Theme

Die Cut Dreams - Spring Garden Scene

Everybody Art - Spring

House of Gilli - use Green

Incy Wincy - Spring is in the Air

Make It Colourful - Light Source Top Left

Oldie But A Goodie - Spring Is In The Air

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Recipe; 1 image, 2 patterned papers (stripe & swirly) 3 types of embellishment (flowers, Pearls, diamante flower centres)

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Easel Card

Top Tip Tuesday - Favourite embellishment - gotta be those pearls!!

Wild Orchid Challenge - Anything Goes

I've used distress inks in Bundled Sage and Shabby Shutters to colour the doily. The image has been painted with Bundled Sage, Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed, with a tiny bit of tumbled glass.

The skin and hair are coloured with promarkers (hair is Primrose, Vanilla, Mustard and Raw Sienna. Skin is Oatmeal, Sunkissed Pink and Pastel Pink).

The sentiment is a Penny Black and the flowers are Prima.

The pearls are , of course, Mark Richards.

The papers are Bearly Mine and Do Crafts

I hope you'll all take a look at the challenge blog. The wonderful DT have made some gorgeous spring creations this week.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Bling It On - Challenge One!

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

It's the 1st of March so that means it's LAUNCH DAY for the brand new Bling It On! challenge. Yippee!

2 cards to share and a brand new challenge too!

For our first challenge we're sponsored by:

AND

with 4 prizes to be won from those stores.

On top of that.......
.......there is also some blog candy with prizes in the candy from

and

Wow! Lots to be won and you can see all the details on the challenge blog. Hope you'll come and join in the fun.

We're easing everyone in gently so the challenge theme for the very first challenge is

ANYTHING GOES

with the optional extra of adding a CHARM.

You can use as much or as little bling as you like. Bling for the purposes of our challenges is any embellishment - buttons, sparkles, pearls, flowers, card candy...............................

Okay for my first card

I've used a Kenny K image from the Glam Gang Set 2. She's called 'Spy Chick'. Isn't she funky? I've coloured her with promarkers and blinged her up with glamour dust (click on the picture for a close up to see the full effect). Just look at that golden metalwork of the engine....she must be a rich spy chick!

I'm entering this first card into:
Friday Sketchers - The sketch for the top card
Card Makin Mama's - Happy Birthday
Fab n Funky - I image, 2 embellishments and 3 papers
Frosted Designs Fab Friday - Use Metal (a charm)
Guylou's Inimitability Challenge - Anything Goes
I love Promarkers - Stitching
Paper Sundays - How Charming
Paper Romance - Anything Goes

My 2nd card is my LOTV card.

I just adore this 'It's My Party' image and as it was my granddaughter's 3rd birthday last Sunday there was no other image that I could use, was there? Moving from the terrible twos into the tantrum threes this sweetie depicts those little girls just perfectly! Actually, she's a really sweet and polite girl most of the time, with just the odd slip up like this image.

This one is coloured with distress inks and promarkers; skin and hair are promarkers. The sparkle on this one is from my beloved stardust stickles (yes....I did buy a job lot last time I purchased them)

I'm entering this LOTV card into:
Lili of the Valley - Circles
(Card Creations and more) So Saturday challenge - Simply Sparkles
Crafty Ann's - Happy Birthday
Paper Pretties - Glittery
Res-Q Challenge - Get Packing! (boxes - present on image and square cards & layers)
Stampin with the Dragon - Birthdays
Stamptacular - You've been framed
Sweet Stampin' - Oh So Girly
Whoopsidaisy - Let's get cute

Okay, I hope you'll come and join in our very first challenge. Please take a look at the incredible things that the awesome design team have made over at the challenge - it is definitely worth the trip.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

3 Squares - take 2

2011-02-28T07:43:00.005Z

Morning! I thought I'd quickly post the revisions to my Less is More challenge card from yesterday before I head off to work.

Now, aren't these 2 cards much better? Thanks to everyone for the feedback; it really was appreciated. I knew there was a decent card somewhere in the idea but it was just out of my grasp. lol - it was one of those Doh! moments when people started talking about the colour of the ribbon and adding crystals instead of pearls. Makes much more sense.

I love the idea of the white die cut letters - still think my alphabet set is a bit too large and curly. I also tried a small stamp in detail white, iridescent and stardust embossing powder but the die cuts look better than the embossing.

Shame the glittered dst didn't work out; I really liked that idea.

Okay, have a great day everyone,

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

The Hardest Recipe

2011-02-27T15:39:00.006Z

This card is published to help me learn.

(UPDATE: I have learnt and I have 2 more cards that I want to blog if I get some daylight photos - Thanks ladies!)

Do you know, sometimes I'm convinced that if I put a lot of preparatory thought into something before I start making it (instead of just going with my creative flow in the moment), it ends up being really, really difficult to make something presentable.

This is one of those occasions and I SO want to crack the idea I had that I need some constructive criticism, please.

The Less is More challenge is a recipe of 'take 3 squares' this week. Now, I'm pretty sure I could create something half decent if I coloured 3 images and played around until they looked 'right' but I want to do a technique too. I had this bright idea that 'take 3 squares' would look absolutely brilliant using the 'spotlight' technique. Hmm....I'm still convinced it would, but actually doing it is flooring me. Maybe I'm using the wrong images? Maybe it only works well with circles? Maybe I was using too much colour?

Anyway, this card is take 6.

Takes 1 - 3 were a 'three wise men' image - but it was way too ornate once I'd put the card together.

Takes 4 & 5 was some bamboo - again it was too fussy and I just couldn't get something to balance the card.

So here we are at take 6.

Likes:

I like the footsteps image - simplicity

I like the squares with the added glamour dust for the 'spotlighting' - again, simplicity.

My Thoughts on Things to improve:

I think the ribbon is way too thick (but I can't find a thinner Christmas ribbon).

I also think I need 3 horizontal lines. Maybe that's the 'symmetry' part of me kicking in again - thought process: 3 pearls, 3 squares so of course it needs 3 lines.

I think the squares are not quite straight (That bit is so, so difficult with this footsteps image)

Not really sure about the pearls either. Do they balance it?

Can I just say Thank You to Chrissie and Mandi for this particular challenge. It is fantastic to come across a challenge that really makes me sit down and think hard about what I'm doing. For me, a CAS card needs lots thought put into it.

Okay - over to you now. What could I do to improve this card? I'd love to come back with a mark 2, better version.

(I'll be back to comment on some of the other amazing entries into the challenge in a bit....but for now...I just have to give this concept/card another go.)

Thanks for looking,
Sharon x

Just Less Is More

2011-02-25T15:43:00.004Z

I've had a wonderful time today because I've been like the proverbial kiddie in a sweetie shop; I went to my very first craft fair, Make It at Farnborough. Way too much temptation there for me - but I did come hope with about 50p left in my purse so I did well, eh?

Whilst there I had the absolute pleasure of bumping into the 'Less Is More' ladies, Chrissie and Mandi and also the fab Julia from the Stamping Ground (woyww). Those ladies are a scream! I've been trying to get time to have a coffee with Chrissie for about a year and a half now, so it was wonderful to actually meet her!

Anyway, I felt so guilty at not having had time to enter the LIM challenge this week that I said I'd do something for their SPRING challenge when I got home, and here it is:

Hope it's springy enough - I ran out of money searching for spring stamps. lol.

I'm prepared to read a barrage of 'constructive criticism' in any comments I get from Chrissie or Mandi about this card. (You both know I just went for it and didn't really think about it, don't you? Firstly, it's got one of the stamps you caught me holding this afternoon at the craft fair and secondly I've been home for less than a hour!). Go for it ladies! But please note .... I'm unbalanced....Oh, strike that; I mean I tried to learn and made the card unbalanced - no symmetry. Hey, maybe I am unbalanced too. Who knows?

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx
Psst! I found the bling Mandi!!

Kenny K with Fruit

2011-02-24T07:00:00.007Z

I love the challenge at Colour Create this week; it's right up my street. It's a shame that I'm putting everyone on a diet after the wonderful calorie filled inspiration picture we had last time, but what the uber-talented girls on the DT and our surprise High Hopes Guest Designers have created this week is amazing! So, if I like the challenge, you just know it has to full of colour, right? I'm not often subtle with my colour pallets (wish I was).

This week I challenge you to pick 3 fruit colours from the fruity picture on the blog (there is a list of fruits) and the optional extra is to include fruit in your project. Even that is easier than you think. Bet almost everyone has a charm, button paper or image with a little bit of fruit on it.

The fruits I chose are: Orange, Apple and Cherry

I'm entering this into the following challenges (a few new challenges in this list!):

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Distressing

CardmadFairy's Digi Days Challenge - Use a Digi and Distressing

Creative Craft Challenges - Cards for a Teen

Creative Inspirations - Distress

Desert Island Crafter's Challenge - Use 3 or more items from an itinerary. I picked Buttons, Red and No flowers)

Fussy and Fancy - something sweet on or with your project

GuyLou's Inimitability Digistamps - Anything Goes

Make It Colourful - Smooth Gradients (Used ProMarkers)

My Time To Craft - Hats

Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Res-Q Challenge - Make a project with something that makes you happy (Colour!!)

Simply Create - It's Bright In Here (Bright Colours)

Sketch Saturday - The sketch I followed

Stamps R Us - For The Girls

Stamp Something - Something Funky

This week I used a Kenny K digi Image called All That and I think she is brilliant!

I hope you'll all take a look at the fabulous creations this week and let our designers and guest designers know what you think of their cards. We'd love it if you all joined in this week - there is a prize of 5 high hopes stamps for the winner!! (Thanks Bethany)

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Cute Baby

2011-02-23T07:00:00.004Z

My PC is on a bit of a 'go slow' as I write this post. Actually, I think it must just be me getting impatient because it only seems to go slowly when I'm trying hard to catch up with comments and write my blog posts. More haste and less speed!...as my Mum always says.

So here we are with another fab Pixie Cottage challenge where there is a sketch and this week the challenge is CUTE. Now what can be more cute than a baby card? Today I've used Baby Blake by Precious Stamps by Lisa. This is such an adorable stamp.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Do You Stack Up - Dots

Timbroscrapmania - Welcome

Lexi's Creations - Flowers

Papercrafting Journey - Anything goes

Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Show Us What You Got

Most of the items that I've used in this card came from my stash.

The design team have made some real cutsie cards this time and you'll enjoy having a look at them. Those girls wow us every week.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

A new little bundle

2011-02-21T19:28:00.004Z

It has been quite a few days since I last posted a card and I have no idea where the time ran away to. I have a couple of cards coming up later this week, but I was asked to create a baby card for a girl last night so I scurried off to my craft room and made a mess - again!

I'm entering this card into:

Waltzing Mouse Challenge - the sketch that I followed

Stampin' for the weekend - Monochrome

Ooh La La! - Pink, Pink and more Pink

My Time To Craft - Going around in circles

Drunken Stampers - Absolutely to Die for (use Dies)

Whoopsi Daisy - For Someone Special (any baby is special!)

Crazy 4 Challenges - Use Dies

2 Sisters - Embossing

Items Used:
Stamps: Waltzing Mouse 'Victorian Frippery', Papertrey Ink 'Signature Greetings', Personal Impressions 'Baby'.
Papermania Ink
Pink embossing powder
Pink Satin Ribbon
Mark Richards 3mm pearls

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

The Secret is Out!

2011-02-17T21:26:00.004Z

I've been like the proverbial cat on that old hot tin roof for the past few days. Keeping secrets is not something that comes easy - well, unless it's a secret bit of stash that needs hiding away before use! But now the secret is out, the sticking plaster over my mouth has been lifted and I can say.......

I made it onto the design team of the new monthly challenge:

How fab....using Glitter, Spritz, Gems, Bling and all that super shiny, sparkly stuff will be legitimate! Click on the blinkie and you'll be taken to the challenge blog where you can see who else made the team. Congrats to my new teamies and thanks to Shell and Pattie for asking me to join them. Hope you'll all join us for our first challenge....it's shaping up to be a real corker!

Hugs,

Sharon xx

What's in a name?

2011-02-16T07:00:00.005Z

Now here's a quote:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet "
W. Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

I'm always reminded of those lines when I use this stamp. It is clearly such a pretty stamp and when the cards are finished I can almost smell the scent and feel the velvety touch of the petals. The stamp is called 'Simply the Best' by ArTish. It is superb, and one of my favourite stamps at the moment!

Today is the Pixie Cottage Challenge day and our themes this week are a sketch and/or embossing. I've been looking forward to using this sketch for months because I love the symmetry of the elements. As a few of my recent cards have been heat embossed I thought I'd do some dry embossing on this card. I used parchment paper and hand embossed & pricked the corners (oooh, so relaxing and satisfying to do that) and I ran a second smaller piece through an embossing folder.

The image was stamped on watercolour paper with an Aironidack ink. I then water coloured the rose with the same ink. The deeper accents are actually a whispers stokes felt pen and the highlight around the rose is a ProMarker.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe's - Spring - Flowers Everywhere
Create4fun - Sketch
Drunken Stampers - A loss for words (no sentiment)

Incy Wincy - Colour Me Wonderful (min of 2 different colouring mediums - I used Ink, Promarker, Pen)

Little Claire's 1st challenge: Anything Goes

Lolipop Crafts - Use your favourite colouring medium (distress inks)

Just Add Ink - Just Add Love

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Spring

Secret Crafter - A Stamped Flower

Stamp and Create - Love
Stamping with the Dragon - Anything Goes
Whoopsidaisy - Free and Easy
Woodware USA - Embossing

You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep my hands away from the stickles....I just wanted to attack the rose and the paper edges with it, but the rose looks so pretty it didn't need the stickles and the edges are nicely ripped so glitter would have hidden that. My fingers are still twitching now....but I am resisting.

Please take a look at all the amazing cards the fabulously talented Pixie DT have made. They are so wonderful. Hope you'll find the time to join in with the Pixie Cottage Challenge this week.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Tutorial - Inked Background Panel

2011-02-15T07:00:00.001Z

Did everyone have a lovely Valentines Day yesterday? I do hope so.

Today I thought I'd post the tutorial that I promised last week on how I created my inked background panels such as on this card here.

Step 1. Take an A4 sheet of card, fold it in half and using low tack masking tape, mask off the edges of the card.

Step 2. Brush your card with a little talcum powder making sure to brush off all the excess. This ensures that the number of stray flecks of embossing powder is minimised.

Step 3. Stamp your background heart image and sentiment in clear ink, apply gold embossing powder, tap off the excess and heat emboss.

Step 4. Taking another heart stamp ink it randomly across the card using 2 light shades of pink ink. Make sure you stamp some hearts off the edge and onto the masking tape.

Step 5. Take a tiny heart stamp and again stamp it randomly over the card in a darker pink ink. Again. make sure you stamp a few hearts slightly off the card.

Step 6. Using a sponge or cotton wool ball and a red ink, sponge the edges of the panel.

Step 7. Carefully remove the masking tape and the card will look something like this.

Step 1. I inked another heart in red and then I covered it with iridescent embossing powder and heat embossed that.

The card was completed by adding gold peel-offs around the outside of the panel and to the edge of the card. 6 gold gems were added inside the panel. The red heart was cut out and stuck on with 3mm sticky fixers and a tiny red bow and gold gem on the heart finished it all off.

I hope you found this useful and that you try this technique out because it is easy to do. Please let me know if you do try it because I'd love to come and visit your blog to see what you made.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Speedy Gonzales......

2011-02-12T12:00:00.006Z

.....well, speedy for me, anyway. 2 hours + 2 challenges = 3 cards and a box! (and several false starts).

Mind you, it took another 30 mins to iron the black background for the photos and another 30 mins to photo and blog these. lol. Still, a least my duvet is ironed now - so that's a bonus.

The two challenges that inspired this little lot are:

Less Is More - A One Layer Card with the theme of 'Flower' or 'Tree'

Simplicity One Layer Wednesday - Two for the Show (2 image stamps and no sentiment)

I think I'd better enter this first card into those two challenges because it has the least decoration on it - just a few 3mm pearls on the bottom corner and a doodled border. I used a brilliance ink pad so the sheen may have been picked up in these photos.

After making that first card, I wanted to do one which had a bit more 'interest' so I removed part of the front and punched a border, then added some relief colour to the inside of the card (so, this one is not strictly a OLC)

Finally I spotted some lilac satin ribbon, so that just had to be used, didn't it? I wanted to make a simple box to go with the last card, so I found an origami box I'd made a while ago, copied the folds and voila! A little gift set.

Items used:

Stamps: Kanban Garden Vista clear stamps

Ink: Brilliance ink pad in Twilight

Punch: Martha Stewart

Lilac Satin Ribbon and Mark Richards 3mm pearls from The Papermill.

Okay, I'm off to change my bed now it's been ironed, make some wedding invites and try oh-so-hard NOT to open the package that the postman has just delivered before I've finished those 2 things. Yep, those stamps I was waiting for have just turned up.

................I must not open the package...I must not open the package....I must not open the package....I must .....

(tee hee)

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Love is a Wonderful Thing - CASEd card

2011-02-10T07:00:00.008Z

The fussy has been packed away again and I'm off creating something from single sheet of cream card. Just 2 shades of ink, 3 stamps, a nestability heart and a piece of ribbon were all it took...... oh and some awesome inspiration from one of my 'One Layer Card heroines'.

I've CASEd a card today for my Colour Create DT item. The challenge colours today were set by our wonderful Mina and she picked yummy CHOCOLATE, STRAWBERRY and CREAM with an optional extra of RIBBON. This was a dream to work with.

Okay, onto the CASEd bit. CASE means to Copy And Share Everything. Obviously it's not a complete like-for-like copy with the same stamps, and hopefully I've added a bit of my own spin to it with the ribbon. The original cards were created by uber-talented Sarita and you can see Sarita's cards here. Now, that's some inspiration, huh? I hope she's flattered by my attempt at turning her breathtaking Christmas cards into a Valentines card.

This is what I made.

I'm entering this into the following challenges
(and if by chance it wins anything, I'll share it with you Sarita!):

Cooking It Up With Katie - Show me your red ribbon corners (hope this qualifies)

Creative Card Crew - For A Loved One

Do You Stack Up - Ribbons

Easy Craft Projects - Love

For Fun Challenges - Hearts
The Sisterhood of Crafters - In Love with Valentines

Stamp And Create - Love

Stampin' Royalty - Heart, Hearts and more Hearts

Stamptacular - Hearts Gone Wild

Woodware USA Clear Stamps - Use Ribbon or Bows

So to share everything here's how I made it:
1. A Nestability heart placed onto a card blank. I'd recommend using removable or low tack tape to secure it - but I just held it in place with one finger.
2. I took a cotton wool ball and dabbed on a Fired Brick Distress Ink pad, then gently smudged all around the heart. Remove the hestability heart.
3. The swirls are from the Stempleglede Grunge Flourish Hearts stamps set and they were stamped in Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.
4. I dotted small red hearts around the flourishes (from the Basic Grey Two Scoops Heart Smudge Set). I added 3 more hearts in the bottom right corner for a little extra balance to the ribbon.
5. The sentiment, from the Crafty Secrets Cherish set, was also stamped in brushed corduroy ink
6. Finally I tied a bow and left 2 long tails The bow was glued to the top left corner of the card. When the glue on the bow was dry, I twisted the tails one at a time, dabbed little bits of glue onto the card where the twists touched it and left that glue to dry. You may need to put something heavy onto the end of the tail until the glue is dried.

Job Done!

The Colour Create Challenge is sponsored by our monthly sponsor, Michelle's Scrapbooking and More and she's given us a wonderful background stamp for the prize. It's perfect to match up with your Magnolia's, Whiff of Joy's, Kenny K's.

Please take a look at the awesome creations that the DT have created for inspiration this week and we hope to see you all joining in the challenge,

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Love in Pink

2011-02-09T07:00:00.005Z

I wonder....... if I leave enough of these Valentines cards lying around the house, do you think my hubby might even remember this year? (Huge guffaw...not a hope! Bless him - and I wouldn't have him any other way.)

There's a lot of romance in the air out here in blog land this week, isn't there? Well, it is that time of year after all. I'm still carrying on the love/romance theme with my card today and I'm back to my glitzy, sparkly and 'fussy' style. Hmmm, I may be flipping between the fussy and the clean and simple for a little while longer yet. This one is most definitely a girl's card (oooh! PINK!), but it could also be used as a wedding or anniversary card.

It's the Pixie Cottage challenge day today and the themes are a sketch and/or ribbons (oh yes! we all love our ribbons, don't we?) I've used both in this card.
I love this little stamp (May I Have This Dance - by ArTish); it looks fab coloured but I kept colour to the minimum this time around - just a few stickles for a glitzy shine.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Let's see some love

Crafty Cardmakers - Hearts

If the shoe Fits - Get Your Pink On!

Incy Wincy - Love

My Time To Craft - Hearts and Flowers

Ooh La La - For Someone Special

Papertake Weekly - Have a Heart

Sew Many Cards - Anything Goes

Stamps R Us - Valentine/love

Stamp with Fun - Love

The Pink Elephant - Be My Valentine

Two Sisters - The World is our Oyster (pearls)

Wild Orchid Challenge - Love Is

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you will head over to the challenge blog to see how the talented DT have got creative with their ribbons this week; lots of inspiration for everyone.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

A Trio of Hearts

2011-02-07T07:00:00.008Z

I was like a woman possessed this weekend. Hubby working, no kiddies or grandchildren visiting (awww missed them all) and I had the house completely to myself; I got inky all over - pure bliss! Actually, at some points my hands were so covered in red ink it looked like I had committed a crime!Loads of cards were made - just not all the ones I should have been working on - my order book still has a few items in it that remain untouched. Hey ho.

I think all this creativeness was born out of pure frustration as I've been waiting over 3 weeks for some stamps that haven't arrived yet. I have all fingers crossed that they will make an appearance some time this week.

Oh, the camera was playing up; sorry. All these photos were taken within a couple of minutes but you wouldn't believe it from the difference in each of them - some look like they were taken at night!

This little trio of cards came out of playing with my stempleglede stamps. I do love these and don't think I will ever tire of using them.

This first card was based on the sketch by Waltzing Mouse. If you look carefully you can see it. This angled shot, although not great in the lighting department, does show off the tiny 2mm gold bling gems around the heart.

I'm entering this first card into:

Waltzing Mouse challenge - the sketch

Passion for Papertrey challenge - Sweet Inspiration - a hearts inspirational picture (the bottom card is also entered into this challenge)

I'm entering all the cards into these challenges:

Bunny Zoe's - Love is in the Air (I got my stempleglede stamps from her)

By the Cute and Girly - Red is all around us

Crafty Calendar Club - Love

Crazy 4 Challenges - Valentine

Do You Stack Up - Red Hot

Gingerloft - Seeing Red

Moving along with the times - Red

Paperplay - Stamp It Out!

Secret Crafter - Valentine

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

Sisterhood of crafters - Anything Goes

Stampin' for the weekend - St Valentines Day

Stamptacular - Hearts gone Wild

Tellen's Place - Hearts

The Crafty Pad - Love is in the air
Whoopsidaisy - Give us your heart

I took photos as I created this card above, so I can post a tutorial on creating the background panel direct on your card blank when I get the time. Maybe towards the back end of this week.

I loved seeing the different ways these cards turned out with all the heart stamps. Each one is slightly different. I adore the glossy look of the heat embossed one below.

Hope you like these and thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Feel the Love - Papertrey Contest Day 2 - And inking direct to card

2011-02-06T09:59:00.006Z

Looks like I'm on a roll and full of creative juices at the moment. Ahhhh! It's such a lovely feeling to be out of that rotten old crafter's block. ((big grin)). I'm so fired up that I'm inking direct onto the card base. No master boards, background layers or papers for me at the moment. Just "going for it" and having the time of my life.

It's Day 2 of the Papertrey Ink Anniversary celebrations and Nichole has provided a set of anniversary tags as a free download.......so no excuse for people not to join in the contest today. Just download the tags and make a project using them. You can enter up to 9 cards today - don't worry, I doubt I'll make 9 so you won't be seeing 9 posts from me today. lol. You can read all about today's contest by clicking HERE

I can't miss the opportunity of entering this into a few challenges:

Allsorts - Love, Love, Love

Basic Grey - All Heart (Heart Smudge stamps from two scoops range)

One Stitch At A Time - Do it with a digi

Simon Says Stamp - Love is in the Air

Tuesday Taggers - Feel the Lurrrvvvveeee

Wild Orchid Challenge - Love Is

Items used:
STAMPS:
Papertrey Ink - free download anniversary tag digi
Basic Grey - Two Scoops Heart Smudge
Stempleglede - Grunge Flourish Hearts and Grunge Ornamental Circle
Crafty Secrets - stamp from the Cherish set
INKS
Distress inks - Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass and Broken China
VersaColour - Violet
Stayzon - Onyx Black
VersaMark
OTHER
Silver Tinsel embossing powder
2mm bling gems
Ribbon
Border peeloffs (Didn't think I'd be using those again, but they gave a nice finish to the card).

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Papertrey Customer Contest

2011-02-05T21:20:00.005Z

Here's the 3rd post today. Please scroll down for my other cards.

Happy 4th Anniversary Papertrey Ink!

I just spotted that Papertrey are really pushing the boat out and celebrating their anniversary in Big Style. Today is Day 1 of the festivities and they have asked their customers to share their favourite project from 2010. All the news about it can be found by clicking HERE.

Nichole has put up an Uber-prize (I nearly fainted when I saw how much crafting goodness is in that prize).

So, I've gone back a few months and found a project I had lots of fun doing. The sentiment is a Papertrey Ink one from their Signature Greetings range. Isn't it glorious!

I hope the Papertrey ladies have a wonderful anniversary month, and here's to the next 4 years!

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Less is more - Simplicity

2011-02-05T12:37:00.003Z

2 posts in one day! Sorry folks, but I couldn't resist doing a second post today for a card that I've just made as a bit of support for a brand new challenge blog that has started up today. Chrissie (who I've worked with on the OSCC) and Mandi (who I've admired for ages) have started their Less Is More challenge blog today. Go take a look - it is sure to be fun for those that like the CAS style.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Less is More - Black, White and Pink
Simplicity (OLW 39) - A One Layer Card with an image, a border stamp and bling

The whole point of these challenges is to make and enter CLEAN and SIMPLE cards - a style I'm trying hard to master at the moment (so you may see a lot of me girls as I bring you along on my journey to true CASness) ;o)

The theme picked buy Less is More this week is BLACK, WHITE and PINK. Yummy! Love that colour combo. Good luck with the challenge ladies. Those of you that know me also know I love doing the non-trad Xmas colours - so with these colours what could I do but make my first Christmas card for 2011.

The theme picked by Simplicity is a one layer card, No sentiment can be used - just an image, a border and some bling. Gulp! (but I did it!)

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Lots of numbers

2011-02-05T09:00:00.009Z

Three CAS cards and a Kenny K for you today. Yes, I'm still flirting with the CAS style and the more I try it, the more I like it. I know these are plain, but they look fab irl. Look at all that white space! That would have made me shudder a few months ago - but I'm getting used to seeing white now.

Now, this Kenny K card may look a bit strange. Is it really suitable for a 60 year old? You bet it is in this case. One of our friends turned 60 last week and he still behaves like he is still in his 20's. He loves music, so this drummer image was spot on for him.

So, what's with all the numbers? The One Stop Craft Challenge this week is all about numbers. I made the CAS style cards as DT items for the numbers challenge. There are a couple of changes over at the challenge. Not only will a top 3 be picked along with the prize winner each week, but there will also be a chance each week to become a guest designer. So lots of ways to win with the OSCC.

I'm also entering them into the following challenges:

Paperplay challenge - Stamp it out

My Time To Craft - Flourishes (the paper pricking)

Sew Many Cards - Anything Goes

These cards are so easy to do and they would be suitable for a birthday, or if you pick the right colours, they are also suitable for an anniversary card.

The paper pricked swirl adds just a hint of texture.

Items used:

Stempleglede grunge heart

Marianne Designs brass template

Prima e-line pearls

Various ribbons from my stash.

Sizzix alphabet die for the numbers (I think it is Curlz)

Please take a look at the cards that the rest of the amazing DT have made - they are brilliant.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Blue Butterflies

2011-02-02T07:00:00.011Z

There are new stamps on the way!!!! Woo Hoo!! Can't wait to get my sticky little mitts on some of these beauties. You can take a peek at the new stamps by clicking HERE. They are on pre-sale at the moment and there's also a chance to win some too.

Well now, here we are in the middle of the week again and it's time for another Pixie Cottage card. I was really busy making my own backing paper for this one and I think it turned our pretty well! The best thing about making your own backing paper is that it matches in perfectly with your image (if you used the same ink).

Today's Pixie Cottage Challenge is a sketch and/or Buttons. I used some teeny tiny star shaped buttons on the image (on Hannah's dress) and some more on the butterflies. I also used the sketch as a base...but for the diamonds, please imagine my butterflies.

I'm entering this into:
Craft Cardmakers - Flowers
Crafty Catz - Flowers
The Corrosive Challenge - button it up!
Fab n Funky - Chocolate and Blue
Little Red Wagon - Kraft
Moving Along With The Times - Spring
Oh La La Creations - Three of a kind
Pear Tree Designs - Flowers
Pile It On - Punches
Sketchy Colours - Blue Brown and White
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Punches
Stampin' Royalty - Colour Challenge
Stamptacular - Whateva!
Totally Gorjuss - As You Like It

The image I used is Springtime Hannah with butterflies. She's a peach isn't she?

The distress inks I used were: Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Faded Denim, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters. I coloured the hair with promarkers.

Hope you all had a look at the gorgeous DT work for this week's Pixie Challenge when you peeked at the new stamps. Didn't everyone make some gorgeous things? Hope you get the chance to join us this week.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Time Flies

2011-01-30T22:21:00.005Z

Hope everyone has had a great weekend. Mine was really productive because I managed to tidy up my craft room a bit on Saturday morning and it makes such a difference (yep - I can see the floor and my desk again!). I'm not the tidiest of crafters but when the craft room is tidy it is so much easier and quicker to make cards, isn't it?

Anyway, here's a non-dt card for a change. I picked out the Ching-Chou Kuik's 'Time Flies' stamp for this card. It has been coloured with Promarkers and the background was coloured with watercolour pencils. I made my own backing paper for this card with distress inks and a stempleglede grunge corner stamp. I've even done some sanding on the embossed section.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

In A Sweet Pea Dream - "Talk To Me" (a sentiment)

Little Red Wagon - Lace

My Time To Craft - Emboss, Emboss, Emboss

Oh La La Challenge - 3 of a kind

Oldie But A Goodie - Fairies, mermaids, dragons or other mythical beings

Paperplay - Layer it up

Passion for Promarkers - Let It Shine

Sisterhood of crafters - Anything Goes

Sketch Saturday - The Sketch I followed.

Stampin' for the Weekend - Getting Warmed Up

Okay - off to link these up before I head off to bed.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

An Easy, Peasy, Lemon-squeezy Card.....Not!

2011-01-27T07:00:00.007Z

Well now. Who'd have thought I'd make things so hard for myself without even realising it? I had to giggle when one of the Colour Create DT pointed out to me all the difficult things I managed to get into this one card.

1. Not only is this a masculine card (masculine = easy to do and a favourite type of card.....NOT!!)
2. ....but it's a masculine Valentine card ( = even easier to do.....NOT!!)
3. Now top that off with the oh-so non-traditional valentines colours that we have as the combo at Colour Create this week and you can see... it's an easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy card!
A Green and Yellow Male Valentine - had I lost my marbles? (quite possibly!)

Thank goodness the colour combo is so fantastic to work with (thanks for picking it Sharon L).... and topped off with a super-dooper Kenny K image, who could possible go wrong?

Anyway, I'm entering this into.....

A Spoonfull of Sugar - Valentine
Allsorts Challenge - Male/Boy
Bunny Zoe's - Love is in the Air
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Food for thought (Food or Drink)
Drunken Stampers - Sunshine (the rays behind the couple in the image)
Fab n Funky - Delight In Your Digi
Order of the Opus Glueii - Key to your Heart
Secret Crafter - It's a Couple Thing
Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything Goes
Sketch Saturday - The Sketch
Totally Papercrafts - Add a Heart
Whoopsi Daisy - Valentine and LOOOve

Card Recipe:
Image: Kenny K - Milkshake
Papers: Pink Petticoat - Washed Damask, Sweet Flourishes, Little Check
Sentiment: Papermania Mix n Match Scrolls & Sentiments
Coloured with Promarkers
Ribbon, Charm and bling from my stash.

I hope you'll find time to visit the Colour Create Challenge to see what the awesome DT have created with the colours this week. And if you join in the challenge you'll have a chance of winning a gift certificate for The Rubber Room.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Stargazers

2011-01-26T07:00:00.009Z

I really like today's card. It is a bit bigger than I normally make because it is 8"x 8" but I have made a few that size recently and they are such fun to do. So ...... embroidery, butterflies, lace, pearls, flowers and PINK.....what more could a girl want on her card?

Yes, it's Wednesday so it is Pixie Cottage Challenge day today and the theme this week is ..... Flowers. There's also a sketch if you'd like to use that, but just for once I've only used the theme this week.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

City Crafter - Sew Fun

Crafts and Me - Monochrome

Crafty Cardmakers - Flowers

Creative Belli Blog - P is for....(PINK of course!!) Forgotten embellishment is the embroidery stencil.

Do You Stack Up - Pink

Friday Sketchers - the sketch

Gingerloft - Things that fly

Papercutz - Anything Goes

Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

Stampinsanity - Shades of you

Top Tip Tuesday - Fabulous Flowers

Woodware USA - Anything Goes

I love the way these little butterflies stack up when you add 3, one on top of the other.

Isn't this image gorgeous??? It's pretty and oh so feminine and it just happens to be my favourite flower in the world. The stamp is called 'Star Gazer' and it's by the Pixie Cottage's own DT member, ArTish. You can buy this stamp by clicking here.

I hope you'll wander over to the challenge blog to see whose amazing cards by the fab DT again - and hope to see you all joining in the challenge this week.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Sailing off......

2011-01-23T23:00:00.001Z

.....into the sunset or the sunrise? I think this may be sunrise, what do you think?

I'm still tackling the things I find hardest to do in an attempt to shake myself into full creative mode again. This time I've tackled one of those dreaded 'male' cards. I don't know why most of us find these so hard to do - but I do struggle with cards for men.....probably because they need to be so non-fussy.

Luckily for me, there are a few challenges that this will fit into. So I'm entering it into:

Allsorts - Male/Boy

Crafty Catz - Forgotten Stamp (All my male stamps migate to the bottom of the drawers and cupboards - but I had completely forgotten I had this one)

Creative Card Crew - For Men!

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthday

Sweet Stampin' - Clear as Mud

Totally Stampalicious - Masculine Monday

Your Next Stamp - Let's make a scene

Well, I keep on trying that brayer out don't I? I think I'm beginning to get the knack of using it - I just can't wait for my coated card stock to arrive. Using normal card stock makes it quite difficult to brayer smoothly and not get lines.

I think the next time I use this stamp to create a scene, I'll use my inkessentials pen in the water section with lots more stickles to try to get sheen of reflected sun. (and maybe blot out the waves part of the stamp)

Right, I'd better post this now before I head off to bed because I probably won't have time to link the challenges up in the morning before work.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Updated: So Far Out Of My Comfort Zone.......

2011-01-21T21:10:00.005Z

........I feel like I'm in the North Pole.
I've really been struggling with crafter's block recently so, in a "kill or cure" moment, I've gone way out on a limb and created a one layer card!! That is the total opposite of what I normally do.

I just can't believe that a) I've used so few supplies and b) it's all on one layer!
Such a simple scene made of smudged ink and a stamped image inside an area I embossed with a spellbinders die, throw in a sentiment, smudge the edges of the card - and 'Bob's your uncle' as the saying goes.
OMG - no stickles either! Do you think I'm coming down with an illness? lol.

I'm entering this into a few challenges:

A Passion for Papertrey - Out of your comfort zone (sentiment stamp is from the Papertrey Signature Greetings set)

Little Red Wagon - One Layer Card

Paper Play Challenge - Use the word 'Love'

A Spoonfull of Sugar - Blue and Green

Order of the Opus Gluei - Make a scene

Bunny Zoe - Love is in the air

Update: I woke up this morning with the urge to try this card out in different colours and here are the results. I now have a set of 3.
The pink one looks so pretty irl and has a really misty quality about it.
Here's my personal favourite. Love the smoky blackness against the sunset.

Hmm.......maybe I've just started to bring the 'one layer card' into my comfort zone. I do hope so. Anyway, enough chat, now that the mojo is starting to flow again I'd better run off and make some DT items.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

It's sorbet all the way

2011-01-19T07:00:00.011Z

I'm having a raspberry and lemon sorbet day today I think. Well, the colours of this card remind me of sorbet anyway. Sweet.

This is my Pixie Cottage DT card where today we have a sketch and a theme. I've used the sketch and loosely embellished on it (just can't help myself sometimes) and the other optional part is a theme of LOVE. The image I've used is Whispering Maisy and Matt by Di Carubia.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

2 Sisters - Flowers

AI Factory - Anything Goes

Crafty Ann's - Ring in the new but don't ring out the old (New - Flowers, Old - Butterfly Punch)

Lexi's Creations - Say it 'With Love'
One Stitch At A Time - New (My new items are: New flowers, New cotton candy Stickles, new heart nesties)

Paperplay Challenges - Cutie Patootie

Paper Playtime - Use the word Love
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Polycraft- Pastel Colours
Really Reasonable Ribbons - Heart Theme

Secret Crafter - With Love

Simply Create - Use your punches

Speedy The Cat's - Use Hearts

SSDS - Anything Goes

Stamp Something - Anything Goes

Tellen's Place - Let's see some ribbon
W ags n Whiskers - With Love

Wee Memories - Use Ribbon

I still haven't found my real camera so I took some closer images in the hope that it'd pick up some of the detail on the card.

I'm afraid these may be a bit out of focus, but perhaps the impression is there of some of the glitzy bits and the dimension. I do hope so.

I hope you'll join in with the challenge this week. Remember you don't have to use both the theme and the sketch - one or the other is more than good enough to enter.

The talented design team have made some incredibly varied creations this week - all to an incredibly high standard and so beautiful to look at. Please hop over to view them all.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Willow, Cocoa and a Flower Stump

2011-01-13T07:00:00.010Z

Well, I was a bit of a dipstick two weeks ago, wasn't I? I've only just realised that I totally forgot to post my DT card for the Colour Create Challenge (blush). Luckily I only have myself to answer to on that - so I've given myself a serious talking to, and it won't happen again (I hope!). Phew! so glad there wasn't a 'boss' to answer to.

Anyway, two weeks on and here we are with a new Colour Create Challenge. Our wonderful hostess this time is Liz and she's given us a really dreamy set of colours to work with:

PINK, BLUE, GREY and CREAM

with the optional extra of flowers and/or gems (of course I went for all options.....what else would you expect from me? lol)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Ann's Creative Nook - Got Hearts? (the brads
Catch The Bug - Embossing
Let's Ink It Up - Anything Goes
Ooh La La Challenge - Bling It On
Secret Crafter - Tons of Texture
Speedy The Cat's - Embossing
The Lollipop Ladies - Add some Glitter or Bling
Sketch Saturday - The sketch
Totally Papercraft - Say Thank you (this is a thank you card
Totally Stampalicious - Mix It Up (Stamps from 2 stamp sets - I have Pixie Cottage and Whiff Of Joy)

I am enjoying mixing up my stamps at the moment, so I found another stamp that I could perch someone on (Pixie Cottage Stump and Bench) and I teamed this one up with an old favourite of mine: Whiff of Joy, Willow with Hot Chocolate. I think she perches really well on the little bench.

Well, I do hope you take a look at the awesome DT eye candy that is on the challenge blog; it's well worth a visit.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Apple bench and Berry Tilda

2011-01-12T07:00:00.008Z

There are 2 stamps guaranteed to make me want to grab my distress inks and water colour them in, especially when they have been masked together. They are a Tilda stamp and a stamp that is something for Tilda to sit on. Today's card has both these ingredients because I used Berry Tilda and The Pixie Cottage's Apple Bench stamps (they were just made for each other!).

This is my DT card for the Pixie Cottage Challenge where I have once again followed both themes: The brilliant sketch and colouring. Well, I hope I've followed both themes as my interpretation of 'colouring' was to make the image 'pop' by adding colour to it.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
2 Sisters - Gettin' Girly

Aud's Sentiments - 2 words
Card Makin' Mama's Challenge - Girls just want to have fun
Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes

Crazy For Challenges - Photo Inspiration
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Something New (the beautiful flowers!)
Delicious Doodles - Something New (the new flowers)

Fab n Funky - Let's Get Warm & Toasty
Incy Wincy - Go Dotty (dress and background paper)
Gingerloft Challenge - Celebrations
Polycraft - New Things (the beautiful flowers!)

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthday
Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Tellen's Place - Punches
The Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - new goodies or techniques (new goodies - the flowers)

Items Used:
Stamps: The Pixie Cottage - Apple Bench, Magnolia - Berry Tilda,

Sentiment Stamp: Papermania Mix n Match Scrolls & Sentiments

Punches: Hobby Craft small butterfly and a Woodware leaf punch (yellow)
Flowers: All RAKS and aren't they gorgeous! Most of them I received for Christmas.
Papermania Heart Brads
Lace - a RAK too - and I love it (thanks Secret Santa)
Mark Richards 3mm pearls
Distress inks:
Stardust Stickles

Don't forget to hop over to the Pixie Cottage blog to see the fabulous creations by the rest of the incredibly talented design team. Make sure you scroll down past the challenge post too because there is another new stamp by Faith Skrdla called BIG VALENTINE which is available to buy now - and it is sooooo cute! There's also a chance to win it as blog candy too.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Just because.....

2011-01-09T17:00:00.001Z

.....Not a card.....not a 3d item....not anything being entered for a challenge either.....this was created just for the fun of having a try.

I spent most of today watching Barbara Grey from Clarity Stamps on TV. What a superstar she is....so inspirational and such fun too. Barbara managed to achieve the impossible today. What is impossible? Getting my DH interested in anything to do with paper craft. My jaw was on the floor when he stood in the same room as me for almost half an hour watching Barbara create one of her cards. Well done Barbara!!

Of course, at the end of Barbara's TV sessions, I was totally inspired to get the brayer out and 'have a go' so I locked myself away in my craft room. I could do with investing in some silk card because all the card I have won't give a really smooth finish with the ink....but this little scene isn't too bad.

I used a couple of the Clarity stamps that I have the leafy swirl and hanging vines. I only have 5 Clarity stamps at the moment but I think that number will increase throughout 2011. I also used the hydrangea Big n Juicy ink pad.

Actually, I quite like this and I may even frame it and put it up in my craft room. However, I think it may still be a work in progress......maybe a bit of white highlight is needed on the vines and leaf swirls, a bit of shimmer on the top of the hills.... I feel like there is something missing from the foreground...... or maybe I just need to leave well alone because I might overdo it!

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Cassie Cuddles ...and a cringe worthy card too

2011-01-05T07:00:00.009Z

Happy New Year everyone.

I've had a long rest from making cards over the festive season and I actually really enjoyed it!

The most eventful thing that happened to me was that my camera has decided to take a holiday of its own....yes, it is totally missing from my house! I always thought that my i-phone camera was a better quality than my real camera....but, see for yourself; the picture quality has gone down somewhat. Actually it's about the same quality as the cringe worthy card photo I'm sharing with you all at the bottom of this post. Never mind.

Today's card is for the Pixie Cottage challenge where I've used the theme (punches) and the sketch this week (love the sketch!) (oh! love the theme too!).

The image I picked out was 'Cassie' by Di Carubia; she's a darling to colour up. I used distress inks to watercolour her (Clothes and background: Faded Jeans& Dusky Concorde. Hair: Walnut Stain. Skin: Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Spun Sugar. Kitten: Brushed Corduroy)

The image was then covered with watermark ink and sprinkled with iridescent embossing powder and heated up to give it that sparkly, glittery finish (thanks to Dena for that tip - you may have seen it when she was published in Craft Stamper magazine last year)

I used my MS Punch Around the Page set called 'Rings' for the outside of the card and the corner stamp from that set was used on the mat that runs across the card.

The papers are new - one free with a magazine, the other a prize for winning a card challenge. Yes - you did spot a homemade flower in there too.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Alota Rubber Stamps - Stamp, Ribbon, Bow

By The Cute And Girly - Bling It On (Blingy Image)

Crafty Cardmakers - First and Last - I'm cringing at the first one - see below.....

Crazy for Challenges - Celebrate Something (a birthday)

Drunken Stampers - Something New (new papers)

Flourishes - Just Add Flowers

Just Add Ink - Just Add Summer (Summer dress & summer flowers)

Kaboodle Doodles - Anything Goes

Moving Along With The Times - Birthday and Circles

Sew Many Challenges -New Things (New and free papers)

Simply Create - I'm the boss (embossing) - embossed shimmer on image

Speedy The Cat's Challenge - Use Something New (new papers)

Stamp Insanity #40 - Sparkle (Sparkly Image)

Stamp Something - Something with Glitter (Glittery Image)
Stampin B's - a celebration

Whoopsidaisy - Free and Easy

Okay, now for cringe ville!

The Crafty Cardmakers challenge theme (link above) is to show your latest, or greatest card - I've used my latest card above, and also show a photo of one of your first cards.....well, here's one of my first in all it's peel-off gloriousness! Oh boy, how things have changed since I found stamping! For a start it takes me much longer to colour an image that it did for me to make that whole card. lol.

Hope this brought a smile to your faces!

Please pop over to the Pixie Cottage Challenge to see how the rest of the amazing DT have used the sketch and/or the punches theme. As usual you won't be disappointed as their creations are fantastic.

Thanks for looking,

Sharon xx

Christmas Candle

2010-12-22T07:00:00.004Z

This is possibly my last post before Christmas....but today is my last day at work until the New Year, so maybe I'll find time to make a few cards now. I do hope so. I'm really looking forward to having some time off from everything and then taking a bit of time out to do some crafting too. Bliss!

This card is for the Pixie Cottage Challenge which runs for the next 2 weeks. There is a gorgeous sketch (which I used) and /or the theme of Celebrations.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

A Spoonfull Of Sugar - Christmas Cards

Alota Rubber Stamps - Bling It On

Crafty Ann's - Anything Goes
Drunken Stampers - Christmas Drunken Stamper's Style
Dutch Dare Challenge - Winter
Fresh Brewed - Merry Christmas
Little Paper Shop - Get a Little Square
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - Christmas
S2G Twisted Thursday - A month of cheer with the twist of flocking (on the hat)
Sew Many Challenges - Winter
Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas
Stamps R Us - Anything Goes
The Character Cafe - Shiny/Foil (Shiny bells and gems)
The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

Items Used:
Stamp: Hannah with Candle by Sandra Hammer
Sentiment by Waltzing Mouse
Distress Inks: Pine Needles, Dusty Concorde, Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Broken China, Walnut Stain, Mustard Seed
White Flocking on Hat trim and trim round dress
Stardust Stickles on the star
White card embossed with a snowflake embossing folder
Bells, Ribbon and Bling from my stash

Please take a look at the fabulous creations that the awesome Pixie girls have made.

Here's wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Have A Sweet Christmas

2010-12-08T07:00:00.006Z

I'm off on a bling-tastic, glittery, shiny and rebelling against traditional Christmas colours and images today. Oh er! Hope I'm not offending anyone. Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional stuff but I do like to push the boundaries every now and again. I'm glad I pushed them with this creation because I really like it.

This is my DT card for the Pixie Cottage Challenge where there is a fab sketch and/or the theme of sparkle and shine. I have used both, once again and really gone to town on the sparkle and shine (as well as gems there's lots of glitter too! You'll see that in the photo at the bottom.) I'm entering this into:

Just Magnolia - Anything goes with Sparkle

Christmas Stampin All Year Long - Anything Goes

PaperCutz Challenge - Christmas Card with 2 patterned papers and any colours.

Totally Papercrafts - Xmas Punches (Martha Stewart snowflake border punch

Wags n Whiskers - Snowflakes

2 Sisters - Sparkly Christmas

Sew Many Challenges - Snowflakes

Paper Romance - Winter Themed

Dutch Dare - Christmas

Challenge Up You Life - Advent and/or Christmas

Secret Crafter - Christmas

Cupcake Inspirations - The inspiration photo is a cupcake!!! Perfect!

The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

Here's a close-up showing the ultra fine glitter that I added to the cupcakes and cakes in this fantastic image.

The images I used are:

Sweet Shoppe by ArTish (what a clever bunny she is!)

Magnolia Princess Tilda

I know everyone is really busy at this time of year, but I hope that you'll find the time to join in with our challenge this week. Please take a look at the wonderful creations that the amazing DT have made.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

One for the Men

2010-12-05T16:00:00.001Z

Finally! A Christmas card that is suitable for the men in our lives. I have got so stuck in pretty, sparkly and cute that I was beginning to despair that I would ever make a male card this year.

Thank you so much to some challenges for giving me the inspiration that I needed to create this.

I was saving this card to post on here tomorrow but I've just realised that if I do, I'll miss a couple of the challenges that I made it for. So I'm posting it now. I'm entering this into (in alphabetical order):

A Crafty Little Place - Anything Goes

Cards For Men - Christmas

Crafty Ann's - Sketch and/or Christmas (I just did Christmas)

For Fun Challenges - Make a card that is not square or A2

One Stitch At A Time - Old Stash New Stash (Old is the bearly mine CD that I printed the stripy paper from and the Dovecraft Tag Templates that made the oval tag. New are the stamps - a combination of Waltzing Mouse, Stempleglede and Paula Pascale)

Polka Doodles - All About the sentiment

Speedy The Cat's Challenge - Red and Green

Stamp and Create - 'Tis the Season

Stamp Something - Christmas Colour Combo

The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge - the sketch

Wild Orchid - An Old Fashioned Christmas

This type of card is just perfect for layering up. The photo above shows the layers that it has been possible to create on this card.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx

Love you a Latte!

2010-12-04T09:00:00.001Z

I had my lovely grandchildren staying with me last night and they didn't sleep very well at all. This is so unusual for them as we normally don't hear a peep out of them all night long. However, Oscar was making a lot of noise rolling around his travel cot and spent most of the night sat upright, standing up or crying (for no apparent reason), and Amelia got upset every time I tried to get back to my own room and bed. Needless to say, I spent all night in their room and I am now totally exhausted! Think it might be back to bed for me for a snooze this afternoon. ;o)

Anyway, I could really do with one of these at the moment!

The theme at the One Stop Craft Challenge is 'Latte' so we're looking for tea and coffee related makes this week.

I've used the brand new stamp by Faith Skrdla called Love you a Latte. This was so easy to colour in; I can see I'll be using this one again and again.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Basic Grey Challenge - Recipe -3 patterned papers, 4 types of embellishment, 1-2 images or sentiments

Papers are from Basic Grey basics manilla and granola pads.

I've used Buttons, a Bow, Bling gems and Square Brads for the embellishments.

2 images of a cup of latte.

Moving Along With The Times - For Someone Special

PaperPlay Challenge - Monochrome

Stampin' for the weekend - Recipe (2 circles, 2 Squares plus buttons and bling)

Theme Thursday - Fun Images

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes

Please take a look at the lovely warming coffee and tea makes that the rest of the fabulous DT have made.

Thanks for looking,
Sharon xx