A Special Day

I have been so behind with everything recently that I decided yesterday to get ahead of myself for once! So I sat down and made card for my oldest friend, who will turn 50 on December 8th. I think I'm quite safe publishing it on here though, as she isn't a cardmaker or blogger (I sure hope that's the case right now!!)

I had been thinking vaguely about this card for a while and had already decided that I would just have to use this darling LotV image "Thomas with Champagne", but when I received my new LotV calendar stamps last week it struck me that one of them is also perfect for milestone birthdays such as this. Here's the result of my efforts ....

Recipe:
Main image: LotV "Thomas with champagne" coloured with Promarkers and Copics;
Sentiments: LotV "calendar stamps" and Penny Black transparent set "Salutations", both heat embossed with detail gold powder;
Papers: make unknown;
Supplies: large rose from Hobbycraft; cherry blossoms, small roses and lace from Wild Orchid Crafts; pearls from The Hobby House;
Tools: large cicrcle and lacy circle nestabilities; numbers cut using Cuttlebug "Hippie Chick" alphabet; Cuttlebug "Floral Fantasy" embossing folder.

I used Bev's excellent sketch from this week's Lili of the Valley Challenge #75


and would also like to enter this one for

Charisma #47 - One for the Girls
Cute Card Thursday #140 - Blast from the Past
(I have chosen Challenge #112 - Someone Special)
Passion for Promarkers #79 - Old & New
(I have had Thomas + my embossing folder for a while, but my calendar stamp is brand new)
I ♥ ProMarkers #42 - Anything Goes
Fab 'n' Funky #50 - Going with the Flow
Craft Your Days away #9 - Texture
Alphabet Challenge - E is for Embossing

Have a good Sunday and keep warm!

Rather late .... PBSC #129

Just a very quick post from me today, as I am shockingly late with my DT card for this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge. I was really thrilled to see everyone's entries last week using my first ever sketch, and thanks to veryone who said they liked it :-) Don't forget to check out the main challenge blog to see if you have won last week's prize, and for inspiration from the other DT members and prize details for this week's challenge.

This week we have a theme for you ...

Monochrome Christmas
This means shades of one colour - doesn't necessarily have to be black and white. The only "black and white" rule is that we want to see a Penny Black image, large sentiment or stickeroo as the focus of your project in order to be eligible for this week's prize.

I decided to go for shades of silver and grey this week ... there is actually quite a lot of silver embossing on this card (tree and sentiment), but it all looks rather grey in this dull winter light!!

Recipe;
Main image: Penny Black "Fantasy" (3880K) heat embossed in silver, and decorated with silver gemstones;
Sentiment: LotV circle sentiments;
Papers: Craft Creations;
Supplies: silver gemstones and white /silver ribbon from my stash;
Tools: large and small classic circles and lacy cirlces nestabilities; Martha Stewart "eyelet lace" PATP.

Challenges:
Totally Gorjuss #58 - Oh Christmas Tree!
Allsorts #80 - Monochrome
Totally Papercrafts - Untraditional Christmas
Creative Cottage #28 - Untraditional Christmas
Crafty Catz #60 - Christmas
Crafty Sentiments #45 - Christmas

Crafty Creations #95 - Christmas is Coming
Penny Black at Allsorts (November) - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Papertake Weekly - Cut It Out
Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club #45 - Use A Die Cut
Paper Play #47 - Stars (gem and tiny stars on paper)Spoon Full of Sugar #131 - Anything Goes
Christmas Stampin' All year Long #72 - Anything Goes

Gotta go .... need to try to make a bit of a "batch" of Chrimbo cards whilst I ahve got all my stuff out on the table! Hope you can join in with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week, and stay warm!

Penny Black Saturday #128 - Sketch by Me!!

Blimey, where did the last 9 days go to?? I blinked and I missed a week of the Penny Black Saturday Challenge ... but before I know it another week has flown by, it's the weekend again and time for another new challenge :-) Thanks as always to everyone who entered last week's challenge - although I didn't manage to make a card due to massive workload commitments, I did manage to sneek a few peeks at the entries and they were fabulous! So don't forget to check out the main challenge blog to see if you have won last week's prize. Anyway, onto this week's challenge .... and I am disproportionately excited, because not only do we have a sketch for you, but also it is the first ever sketch by li'l old me !! So I really do hope you like it!

But whether you like it or not, you're sure to love this week's prize for a lucky randomly drawn winner - we have a gorgeous stamp from our teamie Carole "You're the bestest"

AND

a set of promarkers from Letraset, as used in her tutorial by our brilliant guest designer Debbi.

I've been really thrilled to see my fellow teamies' efforts with my sketch and hope you will check them out. Here's mine for this week. I brought trusty old "Snowy" out to play, and also had to have a little play with my new LotV calendar stamp - I love it as I think it is going to be so versatile. I also have to admit that having missed out on the first rush to grab LotV sentiment circles, I rushed to buy them this morning when they came back into stock ... so I can't wait for the postie to call!! This card is actually very sparkly as I gave Snowy a good sprinkle of glamour dust; and I have also used glitter blue and white card on my matting and snowflakes. Alas the winter light doesn't really do sparkle any favours when it comes to photography - but here's a closeup. Recipe: Main image: Penny Black "Snowy", coloured with Promarkers, decorated with glamour dust and edges distressed with Colorbox Q ink; Papers: Craft Creations; Supplies: silver gems by Papermania; Tools: large classic scalloped rectangle and larce classic circle nestabilities; "Fancy Tags" shapeabilities; Martha Stewart "Arctic Snowflake" punch; Cuttlebug "Snowflakes" embossing folder. Being as I haven't made a card for so long, it's pretty lucky for me that there are so many challenges around right now that this card can enter. I ♥ ProMarkers #41 - Snowmen Paper Play #46 - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow Totally Papercrafts #43 - Snow & Snowflakes Stampin' for the Weekend #51 - Winter Wild Orchid #10 - Blue Christmas Fussy & Fancy Friday - Christmas With No Red or Green Wee Memories #32 - A Little Bit of Pink Totally Gorujuss #57 - Not So Traditional Creative Inspirations #47 - Anything Christmassy Penny Black at Allsorts (November) - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Pollycraft #70 - A Glittery Christmas Crafty Pad #97 - Christmas Sparkle Simon Says - Sparkle! Crafts and Me #17 - Glitter Oldie But a Goodie #6 - Glitter (my PB "Snowy" is a very old friend who has appeared on here the past 2 years!) ABC - H is for Holidays ABC Christmas - X is for Xmas Paper Sundaes #44 - Pick Your Sundae Toppings (I used punches, embossing and the colour blue) Spoon Full of Sugar #130 - Distressing Phew! Hope you will be able to join in with this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge and I really am looking forward to seeing all your interpretations of my sketch. Have a great weekend whatever you're doing.

Going Gothic!

And now for something completely different, as they say .....

Usually my cards fall into either one (or both) of two very distinct styles ... cute or pastel floral ... but it occurred to me that was never really going to cut it when making a birthday card for the lady who sits opposite me at work ... because she is a goth! I think she would probably be quite happy with a card in my usual styles as she does compliment them when I take them to work to photograph in daylight, but clearly it's not really where her heart lies.

So I decided to exit my comfort zone and enter the Twilight Zone, with an arty image, scripty writing and plenty of black, silver and a dash of red (eek!)

Now I didn't really think this card would be suitable for any blog challenges, but as luck would have it a couple of appropriate challenges have popped up with perfect timing :-)

Cute Card Thursday #138 - Anything Goes
Lili of the Valley #73 - Anything Goes & Blog Hop ...

I actually feel extremely naughty entering the LotV challenge with a non-LotV card ... but hey!! the special rules (for one week only) allow it, and seeing as my previous 4 cards were all LotV I can't be accused of not pulling my weight in the LotV fan stakes. And OMG what a set of prizes ... I totally NEED those stamps lol!! Truth is I will probably also sneak in a LotV card before the week is over ;-)

Recipe:
Main image: Stampington "Pressed Profile" (C8408), heat embossed with detail silver onto black/silver card;
Sentiment: Penny Black;
Paper: Anita's "Classic Black Christmas";
Supplies: silver and black pearls from The Hobby house; silver lace from Bunny Zoe's Crafts; red gems from my stash;
Tools: Martha Stewart "eyelet lace" edge punch.

That's all for now ... I've been working really long hours this week so I'm totally shattered and ready to flop down with a cup of tea!!

Papertake Weekly - and 2 for the price of 1!

Happy Tuesday everyone, and welcome to another Papertake Weekly Challenge - my last as a Guest Designer. The past four weeks have fairly flown by, and I've had a brilliant time having a go at the fab challenges this blog has to offer and visiting some of your fabulous creations.

For my last challenge on the team we have this fab sketch by Dawny for you to follow.

I really enjoyed working with this, and I'm sure you will too. Don't forget to visit the main challenge blog to check out the other DT members' gorgeous samples, details of this week's prize, and to see if you are last week's lucky winner.

Here's my card for this week. Sadly I've been suffering from a bout of "winter-itis" in the photography department, as there was no real daylight to speak of yesterday ... but I did my best!

Recipe:
Main image: LotV "James Bear - Wrapped in Tinsel", coloured with Copics and Promarkers, and decorated with green Stickles glitter;
Sentiment: Elzybells;
Papers: Bo Bunny;
Supplies: large pearl brad and spacer from The Hobby House; lace from my stash;
Tools: Cuttlebug "Ice Crystal" die cut.

Challenges:
Pile It On #44 - Furry Holiday Cards (animal images)
Paper Sundaes #43 - Let It Snow!
Crafty Ann's #27 - Christmas in non-traditional colours
Top Tip Tuesday #9 - Use an Image / Sentiment

Now my post title refers to 2 for the price of 1 - that's because whilst I had the teddy stamp, pens and paper out, I made a second card which is very similar to the one above but a different layout.

The details are very similar to the one above, except that I used gold Stickles on teddy's tinsel, and also used some yummy Wild Orchid Craft lace, and pearls from the Hobby House.

I would like to enter the second one for the following challenges:

Fussy & Fancy #23 - Sketch
Spoon Full of Sugar #129 - Snow/Snowflakes
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #92 - Glitter

That's all for now - hope you can join in with the PTW challenge this week, and can't wait to see what you create.

All White Now

I really love a challenge to make an "all white" card .... it makes me feel so Christmassy!! I love the challenge of adding interest through texture rather than a lot of colour, though it's not easy to come up with anything "different".

I have only ever made one "all white" card before and the slightly unusual elelment I used was a feather ... I was so pleased with my own (rare) inventiveness I decided to do it again this time lol!! A feather very quickly suggests to me using an angel image ... so for a Christmas card there was only one way for me to go, and here it is!

I used the sketch from this fortnight's Sunday Sketch & Stamp #40


and would also like to enter

Simon Says - Are You All White?
Craft Your Days Away #7 - All White
I ♥ ProMarkers #39 - Snowflakes (my background embossing folder)
Flutterby Wednesday's #129 - open theme (angel, fairy or butterfly)
LotV #72 - One for the Girls (2nd entry)
CRAFT #75 - Dry Embossing
Crafty Cardmakers' Spotlight - Embossing
One Stop Craft Challenge #105 - Embossing
Thoughtful Thursdays - J is for Jewels

Recipe:
Main image: LotV "Christmas Angels - Praying", coloured with Promarkers & Copics, wings and edging decorated with glamour dust; and headdress decorated with tiny pearls;
Sentiment: Elzybells;
Papers: none - pearlescent white card embossed with Cuttlebug folders "Snowflakes" and "Christmas Stars";
Supplies: hellebores flower from Wild Orchid Crafts; feather, gems and small roses from my stash;
Tools: large scallop circle nestabilities; Martha Stewart "eyelet lace" edge punch.

That's all for now .. back tomorrow with my last GDT card for Papertake Weekly :-)

A Traditional One for the Girls

I had a rare day off work on Friday so I had time for a bit of a play ... and I inked up another darling LotV Christmas stamp which I have actually had for quite a few weeks but naughtily neglected to ink up until now (shame on me!). I decided to go for a traditional colour scheme in order to comply with this week's Wild Orchid Challenge, so I was also able to play with some more of my yummy new WOC flowers ... I think I am developing a serious addiction!! Recipe: Main image; LotV "Dropping the Shopping" coloured with Promarkers, decorated with plenty of glamour dust and Stickles, and edges distressed with "Antique linen" distress ink; Sentiment: Craftwork Cards, coloured with "Antique linen" distress ink; Papers: Papermania "Silent Night"; Supplies: flowers (decorated with gold Stickles) red pearls and lace all from Wild Orchid Crafts; other pearls from The Hobby House; ribbon from my stash; Tools: small classic circles and lacy circles nestabilities; Marianne D Creatables "flower swirl" die. I followed the sketch for this week's Stamp Something; .. and also made this card to fit the following: Lili of the Valley #72 - One For The Girls Wild Orchid Challenge #9 - Classic Christmas (red, green & gold) Paper Play #44 - Circles I think I'm definitely going to have to speed up my production rate as Christmas gets nearer as I only managed to make three cards in the whole day on Friday (eek!), but for now I'm still enjoying talking hours fiddling around with various ribbons and flowers for each card lol! Hope you're having a great day and thanks for dropping by.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #126 - Let It Snow!

It's Saturday again already, and that can mean only one thing .... it's time for another Penny Black Saturday Challenge. Thanks as always to everyone who entered last week ... it was wonderful seeing all your ziggy-zaggy creations ... don't forget to check the main challenge blog to see if you have won last week's prize.

Hopefully you have all started gearing up for Chirstmas by now; but if not, now's the time ... this week our theme is

Let It Snow!
..so it's custom-designed to help you with the Christmas rush (we do like to be kind lol!).

As always we have got a fab prize this week, sponsored by the wonderful

.... this gorgeous PB Chirstmas stamp "Exhilarating" ...

... and a set of 5 Promarkers.


Lovely!

The Promarkers are inspired by the fact that we have a guest designer for November - the lovely Debbi - who will each week in November be providing a tutorial on her blog on how to colour PB stamps with Promarkers ... this week she is kicking off with how to colour hedgies - check it out!

The rest of the DT have been busy producing some stunning seasonal cards - here's mine for this week.


I decided to go with this woodblock-style scene called "Snowy Park" which I always think looks pretty much like a vintage photograph when it's inked up. My background is fairly plain, using a self-coloured snowflake patterned paper. To give the image some zing I covered it in sparkle by layering on some double-sided adhesive sheet and then sprinkling liberally with Peewee Fine Art glitter... not very easy to photograph on a dull day like today but here's a closeup.


Also I couldn't resist having a little play with my newly delivered hellebores Christmas roses from Wild Orchid Crafts - they really are beautiful for seasonal cards, and I edged them all with stardust Stickles. I cased one of Dawny P's fab creations to get the idea of the double flourish using my Marianne D Creatable "Flower swirl" die.


Recipe:
Main image: Penny Black "Snowy Park" (3231K) inked with black Brilliance ink and covered in white Peewee fine art glitter;
Sentiment: Pink Gem Designs;
Paper: from Edwin Allen (local craft shop);
Supplies: Hellebores Christmas rose from Wild Orchid Crafts; blue and glittery white roses and iridescent gems all from Edwin Allen;
Tools: Marianne D Creatables "flower swirl" die.
I would like to enter this card for the following other challenges:

ABC Christmas - W is for Winter Wonderland

(with option of lots of white)
Charisma #44 - With Love at Christmas
Penny Black at Allsorts (November) - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
The Stamp Man #9 - Christmas

Crafty Calendar #14 - Winter Snowflakes

Kaboodle #43 - Make it Vintage;
Spoon Full of Sugar #128 - Relish to Embellish;
Caardvarks - Holiday Die Cuts

Hope you can join in with the penny Black Saturday Challenge this week ,and look forward to seeing all your snowy cards :-)

PTW GDT card - Penny For The Guy

It's Tuesday again already, which means it's time for another Papertake Weekly Challenge, and it's also time for my third GDT card :-)

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's sparkly & bright challenge - sparkles were certainly blinging out all over - and don't forget to check out on the main challenge blog whether you have won last week's prize.

This week of course we have Bonfire Night here in the UK on 5th November, so our theme this week is

Penny For The Guy

(ie a male card)

Now I don't really have any male occasions coming up amongst my family and friends in the near future, but Christmas is coming ready or not ... so I figured that guys need Christmas cards too, right? So my interpretation of this theme is my best attempt at a masculine Christmas card.

I decided to use another new LotV stamp which I won recently on their challenge, and my main reason for using this particular image is that I think it is cute but not TOO cute and actually quite suitable for a man. I also hunted out an old pad of black & silver Christmas papers which I thought would provide a suitable masculine colour combo, and used silver holographic card to give the whole thing a bit of zing.


Recipe:
Main image: LotV "Mr. Snowman", coloured with Promarkers, and decorated with Stardust Stickles for the snow;
Sentiment: Stampendous;
Papers: Anita's "Classic Black Christmas" pack;
Supplies: black, grey & silver pearls from The Hobby House; silver ribbon from my stash;
Tools: large classic scallop rectangles nestabilities; Martha Stewart "Arctic snowflake" edge punch; Cuttlebug small snowflake dies;
Of course I had to tie my card up to a few challenges ...

LotV #71 - SketchThe Stamp Man #8 - Cards For MenPaper Sundaes #42 - For the Boys
Top Tip Tuesday #8 - Christmas Inspired

Everybody-Art-Challenge #115 - Untraditional Christmas

Pollycraft #68 - It's Chill TimeBah! Humbug! #42 - Presents Simon Says - Punch 'Em (2nd entry)Wee Memories #29 - Free For All

Hope you will check out the other fabulous efforts by the rest of the DT, and look forward to seeing your creations this week.