Birthday Pennants

What a weekend, I am recovering from a very hectic few days helping out at Jo Channon's shop Let's Create. It has been a fab weekend with several guest demonstrators, Steve (Little Claire's), Karen Lines (Creative Expressions) and Sheena Douglass (sheena.tv). Unfortunately Leonie Pujol (leoniepujol) was unable to make it as she had been struck with the cold bug going around (hope you get well soon).  Will hopefully put some photos on soon.

Couldn't  post my card before as I had made it for Jo and I didn't want her to see it before I gave it to her.

I used a card blank by Craftwork Cards for the base card,which I distressed with Dusty Concord Distress and then Seedless Preserve Distress on top. I then spritzed it with Ranger Pearl Spray Mist in Bubblegum.  The card layers were cut using Grand Nesties in Mirri, 2 layers of white centura pearl card - distressed using the same 2 distress inks, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Vintage Shabby Paper Stack (use a mask and distress through) , mirri again, the last layer in centura card.  The main image was stamped with a the lovely cupcake tree from Little Claire's and coloured with promarkers and light distressing in Dusty Concord to soften the image.  I placed a little bit of lace with cosmic shimmer ribbon under the main image topper.  I cut individual pennants which were stamped with small alphabet stamps and slightly distressed.  Bakers Twine was distressed with Dusty Concord and used to thread all the letter pennants,  Little bit of pinflair under to lift them.  I used a flower punch and made a rose, distressed again the with 2 distress inks then a little bit of twinkles on top.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Pennants
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Anything Challenge - A Real Sweetie
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Little Claires Designs - Shaped Cards
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Punches & Dies
The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Borders & Flowers

As always thanks for stopping by, your comments are very much appreciated.
Thanks for joining me in my little venture

Hugs xx

No Matting or Layering (& Top 5 with Allsorts Challenge)

I had a lovely surprise today, my Black & White Christmas Card was chosen as one of the Top 5 in the Allsorts Challenge last week.  Many thanks to Nicola and the rest of the design team for their lovely comments. 

Entering the challenges certainly starts to make you think more about different designs, styles and stretches you to do something that you wouldn't normally do. 

This week I have done something which is certainly out of my comfort zone.  I normally have lots of layers or 3d elements, so decided to go the total opposite to this. 
The base card is Centura Pearl Snow White with the illusion of layers - hope it comes across as this in the picture - but is in fact completely flat. 

To achieve this effect I started with masking the base card with low tack stencil tape at various widths on all 4 sides then started with the picture first.

I have used a combination of Creative Expression Stamps from Christmas and Vintage Christmas Stamps, stamped the tree and people first - I stamped the same images again onto Eclipse Masking Tape - the masks were placed over the original images and then I stamped  the manor house images over the masks to produce the background.  I stamped with Stormy Sky Distress Ink and also the light distressing around them. Did a little bit of watercolour with distress inks to highlight certain areas.
I then removed some of the masking tape to leave the pearl card 'layer' to form a frame.  On the next blue 'layer' I used Faded Jeans and tried to make the colour a bit darker.  Again I removed more tape and then finally used Faded Jeans again for the last 'layer' making sure that this was darker than the previous 'layer'.

The corners were embossed with Aurora Crystal Sparkle Embossing Powder and then over stamped using True White Embossing Powder.

Finally I used Fluffy Stuff with a sprinkle of glitter - decided not to heat just leave to try overnight -  to give the trees and ground the effect of snow.
Twinkles was dabbed onto the roofs of house.

On the second picture I used a silver metallic pen-touch to give the impression (hopefully) of mirri card with a deckle edge.

I am entering this little creation into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - One Layer Card
ABC Challenge D-for-Dazzle
Divas by Design Challenge - Monochromatic
Stamptacularsundaychallenge - Anything Christmas
Papertakeweekly - Christmas Cracker, Not Literally

Hope you like this effect.

All always thanks for stopping by, all your comments are very much appreciated and welcomed.

Take Care

Hugs xx

Classic Black & White

I say it everytime, where does the time go.

I have fully recovered from my little outing to the NEC on Thursday.  It was lovely to meet up with friends again and have some crafting fun.  Actually did behave (a little bit) and didnt go mad with my pennies although there was lots to see.

Thought I would have another go at some challenges and here is my little offering.  Not a drop of distressing in sight, thought I would try and keep it simple and hopefully elegant as well.

Purchased these lovely Heartfelt Pointsettia Ornament Stamps which fit nicely into the Spellbinders Heirloom Dies and just had to use them.

Stamped and embossed the images with Cosmic Shimmer Black Sparkle.  Cut them out using the dies.  Stamped the pointsettia images a couple of times with Stazon onto Mirri Card and decoupaged them onto the main images.

The background was created using a cuttlebug embossing folder and black card, matted and layered onto silver mirri card then onto black.  Before placing the mats onto the main card attached some silver thread to the ornaments and attached them to back of black card then mounted it all onto embossed snowflake card.

I have entered this card into the following challenges

Allsorts Challenge - Black & White Plus
Cards For Men - Its Nearly Christmas
Papertake Weekly - First Christmas
Sweetstamps - Non-Traditional Christmas Colours
Stamptacular - Punch It
The Pink Elephant - Embossing
Make It Monday #63

As always thanks for stopping by

Hugs xx

First Blog Challenge Card

Hi there, yet again another busy week.  However I am now off work for a couple of days as I am going to the NEC tomorrow(thurs) and getting very excited, looking forward to meeting up with old friends and hopefully meeting a few new ones. My sister has come to stay and this is her first time at the NEC, is she in for a shock.  I have warned her that Friday should be a rest day as she (and I) will need it.

As I wasnt sure what to put on the blog I thought I would bite the bullet and do my first blog challenge.  So here goes.

Decided to have a play with the Christmas House Mouse Stamps and could 'nt resist these two.
I used a BCE Octagon template.  Covered the base card with Kaisercraft paper - Wish Upon Twinkle, then used the reverse side and placed onto mirri card for the stopper.
Cut octagons from nestabilities.  On one octagon I stamped the image (walnut cradles) coloured with promarkers, highlighted the dripping wax using Crystal Lacquer.  Distressed the edges with Pink Taffeta Paris Trunk then twinkles.  The second octagon I used Marianne Pine Leaves and Spellbinders Poinsettia on card from my stash.  Coloured the leaves with Shabby Shutters distress ink and then used black soot on edges of leaves and poinsettia. Used tweezers to shape the poinsettia and a black pearl accent was used for the centre .  The message was off the walnut cradles stamp plate and the cut using Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Accents.  All edges were distressed and twinkled as the first octagon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts - Christmas Easel Card
BahHumbug - Diecuts
Ribbon Girls - Jingle All The Way
Papertakeweekly - Anything Goes

Well I hope you liked my first attempt, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks for stopping by

Take care for now

Hugs xx