Cutie Pies

Well January is drawing to a close already & February has almost crept in. So what lies ahead for us - Hearts, Pancakes & probably a lot more rain :-( So here is the 1st of my Valentine's Cards.

The layout is from this fortnight's Sketch N Stash challenge & I have to say I love this sketch. I have coloured this image from The ClipArt Fairy with Promarkers & layered onto some lovely vellum I found stashed in a drawer. I edged with Weathered Wood Distress Ink. The papers are Prima Botannical & Centura Pearl. I added 3 roses & the die flourish is from Pinflair. Here is a closer look at the image.

 

I have taken the sketch through the inside. Next time I think I will probably leave the lace & daisy braid trim off the inside as it has made the card quite bulky. I added lace down the spine of the card too. The hearts are from the Sizzix Lacy Heart Die x Clare x

Challenges I have entered.......

Sketch N Stash - Challenge #131

 The Pink Elephant - Love

Passion for Promarkers - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Love/Valentines

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Silly O' Clock Card

I was up in the early hours of this morning as I couldn't sleep & I had a birthday card to make so I headed into my craft room. This is the last of the birthday cards that I needed to make this month. I still have a birth card to make but then I can finally start to get some stock made up.

The image is by Design House Papercrafts & I just love the expression on the dog's face. I followed the sketch at Friday Sketch Challenge. The papers are We R Memory Keepers. I am sad to say I have 3 pads of this particular stack & I have nearly finished 1 of them. Just hoping that I can still pick it up somewhere when it has all gone.

Here is a close up of the image used. I added jute across the centre & the corners were made using my Martha Stewart corner punch.

 I twisted the sketch on the inside of the card but used the same papers. I added the corners to the opposite sides to the front x Clare x

Challenges I have entered

Friday Sketch Challenge - Challenge #61

Crafty Sentiments - Birthdays

Charizma Cardz - It's A Boy Thing

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Technique Challenge Decoupage

21st Birthday

Yesterday we went to a surprise 21st Birthday Party for a friend's daughter. This is the card I made for her.

I love making these champagne bottle cards as I tend to really let myself get creative & really add some bling. I used a Kanban card as the base & added peel offs on the cork area. The ribbon has a gorgeous jewelled charm brad. The 21 was done with transparent peel offs that I then added Ice Stickles to.

Here is a closer look at the flowers that I used. There is a mixture of flowers. I also added a Bo Bunny pearl flourish.

The box is made from matching centural Pearl card with an acetate centre. I have edged the window with peel offs & just added a couple more Bo Bunny pearl flourishes so the box isn't entirely plain. x Clare x

 Challenges I have entered

Incy Wincy Designs - Add Texture

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

PPCC - Embellishments

Crafty Creations Challenge - Something to Drink

MAWTT - Girly Cards

Totally Gorjuss - Lace &/or Pearls

ABC Challenge - D is for Dazzle

Bowling Glory

Today's card is for my Aunt who plays for the local bowls team. I thought I had better scour my flash drives in case I had something other than flowers to do for her & came across this fab image that I had purchased a couple of years ago :-)

The image was downloaded from CraftsUPrint & is one of Gordon Frasers kits. I just cut out 2 layers & layered them with foam pads.

 I followed the sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2. I have to say that I am so thrilled that they have carried on with the challenge blog as I find their sketches such a great challenge. The papers are 3 freebie stacks that I had - Sweet Wishes, Wild Rose Studio & Teresa Collins Fabrication. I added this great chain that I found in my ribbon box & created the Happy Birthday tag.

I decided not to add a smaller version of the image on the inside of the card but instead to make use of the flowers on the paper. Apart from omitting the chain the layout of the inside matches the front of the card x Clare x

Challenges I have Entered

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 - Challenge #3

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Delightful Challenges - Patterned Paper

SWTD - Anything Goes

Monotone Birthday

Well it looks like the wind & the rain have finally eased up for the moment which means I am no longer waiting for the fence to blow back down again. So I am slowly getting through the birthday cards this week, so here is the 2nd one for you.

I have used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches & they have an added twist of Tone on Tone/Monochromatic. I used this fab paper from Crate Paper called Random, but I have to say it really sent my eyes funny while I was trying to trim it lol! I am not one that's well known for cutting straight lines at the best of times so this was a bit of a trial lol!!

The image is a Kanban stamp & I added a bit of definition using my Cool Grey 1 Promarker. I used my Swiss Dots & Spellbinder dies. Then I added the gems & sentiment.

The inside was quite difficult this time as the stamp is quite large & I wanted to get a reasonable amount of the image without it taking up the whole of the message space. You will notice that I also turned the paper so the lines are in a different direction.  I again added gems. x Clare x

Challenges I have entered

     Tuesday Morning Sketchers - Sketch #232    

Incy Wincy Designs - Add Texture 

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes    

Delightful Challenges - Patterned Paper

 Charisma Cardz - Birthdays

Fussy & Fancy Challenge - Monochromatic 

SWTD - Anything Goes 

Totally Gorjuss - Manly 

 

 

Crafting & Tennis

I just love weeks like this. I have a load of cards to get made & the Australian Open has started so I will be toing & froing between my craft room & the tv :-)

My 1st card this week is a birthday card. It is for the wife of an ex-work colleague of hubbys. I have decided to shake the dust off one of my crafting cds.

I have followed the Sketch from Sketch N Stash. The teddy image is from Debbie Moore & I have added dots using the new Pinflair Brass Pearl Wand. I think this will be a very popular colour for me. Here is a closeup of the image.

It has been layered onto core-dinations cardstock & papers from We R Memory Keepers. I have added ribbon, a stamped sentiment, gems & a wooden flower embellishment.

 

As per my usual style I have decorated through to the inside & added a smaller version of the image in the writing space x Clare x

Challenges I have entered

 Sketch N Stash - Challenge #130

Crafty Cardmakers & More - Bear with Me 

Pennys Paper-Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes 

 Delightful Challenges - Patterned Paper

Charisma Cardz - Birthday 

 SWTD - Anything Goes 

Allsorts - Ribbon 

 

 

Pushing the Boundries

I have really pushed myself out of my comfort zone today with this card. The colours I have used are not my usual colours & I normally run a mile when I see a sketch that isn't straight forward. However, I am loving the result :-) I think I will need to take some better pictures in the morning though.

I have used this gorgeous Whiff of Joy stamp & coloured her with my Promarkers. I distressed round the edges with Milled Lavender. The papers are a mixture of Daisy & Dandelion, HOTP & Wild Rose Studio.

 Here is a close up of the image.I have added flowers, Flat Backed Pearls, Bo Bunny Pearl Swirls & a heart charm.

On the inside of the card I have continued with my duplicate image which I have stamped in Old Rose. x Clare x

Challenges Entered

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 - Challenge #1

Tuesday Morning Sketchers - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge - Anything Goes

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Birthday

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Anything Goes

Doggy Delight

Another birthday card again today. This one is using a gorgeous stamp that I have had in my cupboard for a while. I just love the cuteness of Whipper Snapper Stamps & really should use them a lot more than I do. I have followed the sketch from the Friday Sketch Challenge & coloured the image with Promarkers. The edges were distressed with Antique Linen. The spotty papers are magazine freebies.  Here is a closeup of the image.

I added Blue & Crystal Ice Stickles to the hat. The background was made using the Happy Birthday cuttlebug embossing folder & I added Blue stickles to the flower centres.

I took the layout through to the inside of the card & added a partial image of the dog which I stamped with Momento dewdrop in Toffee Crunch. Again I used Distress Inks on the edges & blue stickles on the flower centres. x Clare x

Challenges Entered

Friday Sketch Challenge - Sketch #60

Crafty Sentiments - Birthdays

Allsorts - Free & Easy

The Pink Elephant - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

2014 has Arrived!!

Well another year has passed & we have all grown a year older & wiser - well I think I have :-) 2014 I am hoping will be a turning point in my life. My youngest is almost an adult, my husband & I are reaching a milestone in our marriage & my business is at a tipping point. I just hope this year fulfills at least some of the dreams that I have.

Now enough of that. I have made a card!! January is always a busy time for me & birthdays, my own included. I have 8 I think in January & they start next week. So here is the 1st. My friend's lad turns 24 next week & I decided I could no longer get away with football cards so decided to go in a totally different direction.

The image I have used is called Take A Break & is by Di's Digi Designs & I have coloured him in using Promarkers.

I have followed the sketch from Sketch N Stash. The papers are by We R Memory Keepers & I have had to get this pack shipped over from Australia as it doesn't seem to be available in the UK anymore :-( The gems, rub ons & ribbon are all from my stash. The punch is EKSuccess.

 I have decided to try something new on the inside of cards & will see how it works out. I am still using the sketch on the inside but have also added a smaller version of the main image. x Clare x

Challenges Entered

Sketch N Stash - Challenge #129

Crafty Sentiments - Birthdays

Stamp & Create - Anything Goes