TGF Heart Journal

Well this again is something new to me and I'm not even sure its really for me but I thought I'd give it a go anyway!  Ria was off on a school trip when I decided to join the 'classes' over at TGF but when I was telling her about it she really liked the idea so we have decided to work together on this over the next 23 weeks and put together a little journal of joint crafting!  I bought a Maya Road file (its only a small one) but decided on that so that I can add my pages and try using different papers as well as different art mediums (not that I have a lot in the way of paint! mainly inks!)  anyway the first prompt/theme to get us started was 'Spread Your Wings' now immediately this brought to mind one of my fave lyrics by John Denver 'I am the eagle, I live in high country, in rocky cathederals that reach to the sky' and thats how our page came about and the image that we added is from a manga book by James Patterson called Maximum Ride that Ria has which is about a group of kids who have had their DNA mixed with avian DNA and as a result they have wings and can fly, I have yet to read it btu we are huge JP fans.  The background has been acheived by tearing some cloud shapes (Ria) then I inked over them and when we took the shapes off I was able to add some of the lyrics inside them.  The green was added by dragging the corner of the inkpad down off the paper, we are really pleased with the end result, I could get to like this! lol  Looking forward to the next prompt now which is on Friday.

Thanks for stopping by. xx

Christmas in July

I have just made my first tent card and have to say it wasnt as hard as I had imagined!lol  For this card I trimmed the card blank to fit in my bricks embossing folder then after embossing ran 2 ink pads over the embossing before cutting out the the aperture with a nestie, both images I have used have been coloured with copics and stardust and are Primrose Winter Wishes and Billy Dressing the Tree which are available at the Crafty Sentiments Store and then at the bottom I added some presents which is actually a digi stamp from the Dottie & George bumper Christmas collection from Charmed Cards & Crafts.

I would like to enter this card in to the following challenges:

Challenge Up Your Life #48 ~ Tent Card

Crazy Challenge #76 ~ Christmas in July

TFL

Something a bit different

Well I've done something a bit different for me and whilst I was getting ready in my head I really liked the idea but now that I've completed it I'm not quite so sure but here goes anyway!

So this is what I started with, a very old wooden game of noughts & crosses been hanging around for ages (have another slightly larger one too!)

After some very sticky fingers this is what I have ended up with!

Papers are from a freebie pack called Honey & Hugs by Papermania, images are TGF dressy Ebony and dressy Joyce coloured with copics.

I would like to enter my project into the following challenges:

Mad for Markers ~ Pink & Yellow, copics I have used are E00, 11, 33, 35, 37 G000, Y02, 08, 11, 15, YR23, 31, RV02, R00, 11 (and Sammi if you happen to stop by your rubiks cube gave me the idea! lol)

Quirky Crafts #15 ~ Very Puzzling

Anyone for Anya? ~ Interactive

TFL

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Crafty Sentiments ~ Weddings

Gosh Thursday is here already and that means time for another fantastic challenge over at Crafty Sentiments and today also sees the 'Happy Ever After min release over at the Crafty Sentiments store.  So the DT have all got some wonderful inspiration for you using these amazing images.  I have used Billy the Groom and Primrose the Bride together by masking them, they are coloured using copics, I have made a gatefold card and inside I have added the Happy Ever After banner.  For embellishments I have used some funky fibre to which I tied the key and heart locket charms then I coloured some white pearls to match the colours in the image and some flowers.

So thats what I made with the new release, now its over to you, we love seeing your projects and this week we are being sponsored by Robyns Fetish so go check out the rest of the wonderful DT work then jump on in and join the challenge 'Go on You know You want to!'

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Allsorts #112 ~ Free & easy July
Just Us Girls #93 ~ Colours Coral, Blush & Grey
PaperTake Weekly ~ Getting Cute

TFL

Steampunk?

Well I keep hearing 'steampunk' being mentioned and had looked it up a couple of weeks ago which is just as well as while out shopping with Ria she said something about some jewellery being steampunk and I surprised her by knowing what it was!  Anyway I won some images from Tickled Pink so I decided to get the steampunk Lil Victorian Lilith (& Luca) and when I was checking out the challenges found that Try It On Tuesday had Steampunk for their challenge so decided it was time to give it a go.  LIlith is coloured with copics and a touch of stardust, my paper is Raspberry Road Designs - Artclass 100, I tried a little bit of machine sewing with my new £20 sewing machine!  It still didnt feel very steampunk so I found an old silver earring and altered the colour using meadow & currant alcohol inks then I decided to go all out and try using a coke can which I used a Nellies Nesting die to cut out then I lightly sanded it added drops of alcohol inks and swiped them around and finished it off by embossing it with the text embossing folder.  Added a couple of flowers and a button and it was finished - not sure if it is really steampunk will have to check with Ria tomorrow as she is away on a school trip tonight.  Like the effect of the can though.

I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:

Sunday Sketch & Stamp #64

OSAAT #71 ~ Flowers

Tuesday Throwdown #58 ~ Something metallic

Crafts and Me #44 ~ Add a flower

TFL

Sentimental Sundays #63 ~ Inky Fingers

Well this weeks challenge over at Sentimental Sundays was Inky Fingers and they wanted us to use our inks in a different way and I certainly got inky with this one!  I chose my image which is a pre coloured image of Mikey from Charmed Cards and Crafts and to this while it was in PSE5 I added the sentiment which is a previous freebie from Sentimental Sundays and I decided to keep with the musical theme for my inking and using my brayer I inked up an embossing folder and then added my cs and ran it thru the Big Shot and the little panels are the end result.  (my inky fingers came in the cleaning of the folder!  one of the best ways I have found after removing the majority of any ink left is to sandwhich a baby wipe in the folder and run it thru the BS a couple of times and it cleans it a treat.) I layered these onto brown cs turned down the corners and held them in place with some brads, the background paper is a digi piece which was in my scraps drawer and I really dont know who designed it sorry.  Kept it quite simple (mainly coz I really didnt know what else to add! lol)

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sketch and Stash #65 ~ all old stash

Crafty Creations #127 ~ Boys to Men

Creative Inspirations #120 ~ No flowers allowed

Totally Gorjuss #89 ~ All about Boys

Sweet Stampin' ~ Its one for the boys

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are all having a good weekend. x

Crafty Sentiments ~ Stitching

Oops I'm a day late, so sorry but unfortunately work delayed my card getting finished on time but its here now and this week at Crafty Sentiments the challenge is to use stitching, real or faux, mines faux!   I used the gorgeous digi image of Evie which is available at the Crafty Sentiments Store.  Now I've been meaning to get adventurous with hair for a while, I see so many gorgeous card out there in blogland and the hair colours are awesome so I decided to be brave with my hair colour today, actually I dont think my mum would have been surprised in the slightest if I had come home with hair this colour when I was younger!  I have paper pieced her outfit and added some tiny tots flowers to match, the sentiment is by Raindrop Echo Designs at Whimsy Stamps.  The lace is from my stash, The glittered border is actually s\a paper lace fixed to cs and then glittered and the strip across the black cs is also s/a paper lace coloured with copics to echo colours in her hair and my faux stitching is done with a white gel pen.  The music paper is a digital from Raspberry Road Designs.  I'm glad I tried out the hair!

So thats what I have done, go and check out the rest of the amazing cards by the fabulous DT over at the Crafty Sentiments challenge blog - you wont be disappointed and then join in our challenge 'Go on You know You want to!'

I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:
Sketch Sataurday #163
OSAAT #70 ~ Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes #77 ~ Paper piecing
Digital Tuesday #119 ~ Spellbound
Totally Papercrafts #75 ~ Girly Girls
TFL

Life's a Beach!

I really liked the sketch at the moment over at Fussy and Fancy Friday and I had another image I'd won from Whimsy Stamps by Crissy's Designs called Beach Baby Jane and its such a fun image and I wanted to go with some fun and bright papers, which are all papermania scraps along with some cs from Lidls.  Image coloured using copics with a touch of stardust, papermania bling, pink organza ribbon, flower from stash coloured with copics and peel offs for the sentiment.  Hope you like it - I do.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Digital Tuesday #118 ~ Bling it up

Try It On Tuesday ~ Card week ~ Flower Power
Creative Inspirations #119 ~ To the Seaside

Totally Papercrafts #74 ~The Beach

Totally Gorjuss #88 ~ Summertime

One Stop Craft #139 ~ Summertime

2 Sisters #47 ~Summertime Fun

Crazy 4 Challenges #95 ~ Summer themed card

Crazy Challenge #75 ~ Summertime

Thanks for stopping by, it seems that summer is a popular theme this week!  a bit of wishful thinking! lol

Less Is More #23 ~ one layer card with legs!

Ok last week I joined the Less Is More challenge for the first time and was quite pleased with the result so thought I'd try again and this week they are asking for a one layer card and to include legs!  Sounds alright but actually it took me ages to decide on what image to use then I found out that half my embossing powders don't want to work anymore and some of my pigment inks (black!) have given up the ghost too! So I just went with ordinary dye ink and used a papermania christmas image and sentiment stamps from I think about 2 years ago, the only other addition I made to my card is the top and bottom punched borders of holly which is a Tonic Studios mini punch.  I think I like the end result! lol  If it grows on me I could do more as it will make for a quick christmas card when I'm rapidly running out of time! lol

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown #56 ~ Christmas in July

Simply Create #47 ~ Silhouette

TFL

A little wall hanging

I recently won some images from Whimsy Stamps and I loved this image by Crissy's Digis and I also got the sentiment pack that goes with it by Raindrop Echo Designs which I have used here too to make this little wall hanging.  The cute turtle is coloured with copics. the papers were a gift from a blogging friend, the ribbon, pearl strands and flowers are all from my stash.  I put the 2 brown flowers in my melting pot with copious amounts of UTEE and then finished them off with a little button.

I would also like to enter this wall hanging in to the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays #62 ~ Anything Goes + Sentiment

Sunday Sketch & Stamp #62 Emma's sketch

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything goes (+ use buttons)

Stamp Something ~ Bugs &/or Butterflies (dragonflies on my ribbon)

Allsorts #111 ~ Free & Easy July

TFL xx

Crafty Sentiments ~ Craft with or for a child

Did you know that yesterday (6 July) was Childs Art Day so as  a way of celebrating that the theme for the challenge this week over at Crafty Sentiments is Craft with or for a child.  So Ria and I managed to combine both, we crafted together and put a gift box of crafting goodies together for a friend at work who has a daughter who enjoys making cards.  For our project we had a good solid box, Ria chose and coloured the images of Flopsy and Primrose (available at the Crafty Sentiments Store) while I decorated the top of the box and raided my stash for bits and pieces.  I tried to incorporate lots of different crafting techniques to give the girl some ideas.  I'm pleased to say that the gift was very favourably received. 

our starting point

Ria colouring Primrose

Our decorated box top

and here it is filled and ready to go.

So thats what Ria and I did for this weeks challenge, now be sure to visit the Crafty Sentiments Challenge blog and check out the rest of the amzing DT work and that of our junior crafters, you'll love whats there and then join in the challenge for yourself, either with your own junior crafters or with a project for a child to be in with a chance of winning a prize from our wonderful sponsor this week 'Gingerloft'

I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:

Allsorts #110 ~ Free & Easy July

One Stop Craft #138 ~ Tag you're it

Stamp Something ~ July digi day ~ Flospsy rabbit is a digi stamp

TFL

Cupcake Crafts #149 ~ A single layer

This weeks challenge over at Cupcake Crafts is a Single Layer card, now I'm never really sure about these type of cards and dont do them too often, not that I always have lots of layers but I usually have some!  Anyway I sat here racking my brains and then decided as my starting point I would use a Nellies multi frame and emboss it in the centre of my card and that done I needed to find an image.  Well just the other day I received my prize after winning the challenge over at Sunday Sketch & Stamp which was an adorable set from Paper Pretties so that is the image I went with, coloured with copics some stardust pens and some glitter, the corners are stamped and glittered too with stamps from the set and the sentiment is a papermania stamp.  I like the way it turned out and Ria is trying to claim it to put on her cool wall so it cant be too bad (she is dragon mad and has 2 bearded dragons living in her bedroom!).

This one is taken with out the flash (the cs is actually cream and not white)

Just added this one taken with the flash to show how much it actually sparkles in the light

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Quirky Crafts #14 No patterned papers (make your own)

Less Is More #22 ~ Colour ~ Shades of Blue

TFL

Anyone for Anya? ~ colour challenge or August calendar page

Well after cutting it fine with my card for Anyone For Anya? last week I decided to get a move on with it and so I have made my calendar page for August using the delightful 'Sing' from the Hope & Grace collection of TGF stamps.  Coloured with copics and matted onto a background that has been inked to give the impression of sand and sky, this was in turn matted onto some bright orange cs and then a flower for her hair coloured with copics and finished off with a bikini die cut which was also coloured with copics to match Sing's outfit.

I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations #118 ~ Summer

Crafty Catz #89 ~ Colours of summer

SCSC #141 ~ Here comes summer

MAWTT #105 ~ Here comes the summer sun

TFL

Anyone for Anya? ~ A Sketch

Well this is really cutting it fine but I had a couple of hours to spare so a card I had to make and I decided to go with the sketch challenge over at Anyone for Anya?  I have used Hope & Grace ~ Peace and I coloured her to match the paper which is from the DCWV glitter stack.  I also took this opportunity to have a go at colouring her hair red as havent done that before.  Sentiment is also TGF then I added some pucnched flowers coloured with copics and some little yellow buttons.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Mad for Markers ~ Red Hair ~ I used YR61, 68 R17,37 & 46
Crazy Challenge #73 ~ Beautiful women
Pear Tree Designs #55 ~ Stamp something
Crafty Creations #125 ~ Thank You
TFL

Birthday Book

Well shortly I am off to a friends 40th birthday bash and she is having a big party and lots of family and friends have travelled to be here, her husband asked if he bought a book for everyone to sign could I possibly cover it for for him, so I said I'd make the book as that way it would be easier to cover and decorate so here it is.  I have used the baby giraffe image from Digi Doodle Shop that I won ages ago but hadnt yet used, giraffes are my friends favourite animal.  He is coloured with copics and then I have inked the edges of the image piece and the mat piece.  The background paper I downloaded a long time ago and I really cant remember where I got it from sorry.  The flowers are all from my stash.  I then used various sentiments from Sentimental Sundays and printed them on several of the inside papers and then bound it all together with my Bind-It-All.  I'm very pleased wth the way it turned out and so is the husband

the front cover

inside front cover

one of the printed pages

I would like to enter this into the following challengs:

Digital Tuesday #117  ~ Flower power

Crafts and Me #41 ~ Birthdays

Stamp Something ~ July digi day

2 Sisters #46~ Birthdays

TFL

Crafty Sentiments Release Day & Blog Hop

Well we have had 5 days of wonderful previews and now today you are all out there buying your stamps, so just to finish off the week and as it is now release day we will be celebrating with a weekend blog hop starting today. The DT have ben showcasing some lovely creations and will be showing you some more today.  One lucky winner will be chosen on Monday the 4th at the end of the hop to receive all 5 christmas images. So make sure you leave a comment on all the DT blogs and then leave a comment on the Crafty Sentiments main blog to let Suzette know you have done so.  You should have arrived here from Heather's blog

So on to my card, today I have used Billy 'Gone Sledging' and this time I went for a monochromatic look and used both warm and cool grey copic and just a touch of sakura clear stardust for his trim.  My background cs was embossed using a fiskars texture plate then I patted a versamark ink pad over the cs and then used irridescent mica powder to highlight the snowflakes and give them a sheen, add some organza ribbon and a sentiment which is available over at the Crafty Sentiments Store - along with all those wonderful new stamps.

Now you should be hopping over to Hazel's blog.  Just incase you've got lost the full order is:

Shell

Heather

Jac (ME!)

Hazel

Kim

Rebekah

Suzette ~ Crafty Sentiments Design Blog

Happy Hopping

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Totally PaperCrafts ~ Lets play bingo ~ I used the bottom row