Crafty Catz #287 ~ Anything Goes

Good morning, well over at Crafty Catz it is the turn of our esteemed leader Carol to choose the theme and she chose ~ Anything Goes ~ You favourite, and we have a fabulous sponsor for you too

FITZTOWN

PRIZE.....3 digis of their choice. 

The DT were given fabulous images to play with too and they have come up with fantastic inspiration for you so be sure to check it out.  I have used 'dog4' and I thought he looked quite sad, even blue, so that is the way I went with my card!  When I first started colouring the image I wasn't to sure I'd made the right decision, but he has certainly grown on me,  I used copics and spectrums, the papers are from Bearly Mine Designs, the cs, flower and build a brad are from my stash and the sentiment was generated on the pc and is actually printed in blue too even though it looks more black here.  Well I hope you like it and I hope you can squeeze in some crafting time and join us over at Crafty Catz this week.

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

Robyns Fetish #239 ~ Use a digi

Creative Card Crew #75 ~ Stripes

Ruby's Rainbow #93 ~ Just because

The Paper Shelter #184 ~ Metal somewhere

TFL

Nice 'n' Easy

No I'm not dying my hair, well not just yet anyway! lol  Been playing in the craft room this evening and came up with a nice 'n' easy quick make.  (would have been quicker but had to update the Cricut!)  Anyway I started off by die cutting 2 sets of ivy leaves (beautiful JS die borrowed from my mil) I cut them out of green mirriboard and was going to put them straight onto card base but decided instead to have a green mirriboard mat and to emboss some white cs with snowflakes, so attached the ivy leaves to the white cs then using the Cricut cut the sentiment, stuck it down and tah dah done!  Must admit that while the Cricut was updating I was puching the leaves around somewhat and have several other ideas bouncing around in the space where my brain should be, so you could see a few more cards with these leaves before I have to give it back! lol  Unfortunately you can't really see the effect of the mirriboard in the pic to well :(

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

Sister Act Card Challenge #84 ~ Anything Goes

Allsorts #286 ~ No designer papers allowed

Come and Get It ~ Winter theme

Everybody Art Challenges #302 ~ Snowflake

Lets Crafte & Create #99 ~ Christmas

TFL

Crazy Friends

The good thing about rotten wet weather and not being up to top physical health means I can ignore some of the housework and play around in my craft room.  I've been signed off by the Doc until Jan 6 so I am going to make the most of it! lol  So playing around today I made this card for a good friend of mine, I have kept it flat as it will be going in the post, and we are definitely a bit crazy when we are together and we've been through a lot so this is just a way of saying thanks for her friendship.  The fab image is from Bugaboo and I changed the sentiment from Best to Good, coloured with copics and pencils with a touch of stardust on their necklaces. the ribbon is little offcuts I found in my stash, found the red first then couldn't find the right blue but there was a little piece right at the bottom of the drawer lol.  I added a spotty cupcake doily which I folded in half and then concertina folded and opened up again.  I was playing actually and didn't have a specific idea for the doily but when I added it I liked it so it stayed!  finished of with some blue gems.  The papers are First Editions Neroli pad and the darker red is pre gemmed, really pretty and sparkly but it doesn't really show in the picture. 

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

Delightful Challenges ~ You're a Gem

4 Crafty Chicks #221 ~ Make it Sparkle

Creative Fingers #57 ~ Anything Goes #2

Sister Act Card Challenge #84 ~Anything Goes

Art by Miran #19 ~ Anything Goes

Sketch Saturday #337

Robyns Fetish #239 ~ Use a digi

Love To Create #143 ~ Colour inspired 

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Friendship

TFL

colouring practice

Ok today the weather has been pretty damp and overcast, so not a day for getting out and about so what better to do than some colouring practice.  I haven't been happy with my colouring for a while but just can't seem to 'get it', so I thought today I'd try something I had watched recently on YouTube by the fabulous Unky and you can find it here.  So I printed off a freebie image from The East Wind from the pen of Unky.  It was a Mothers Day image but as I didn't want the balloons I removed them before printing so just had the main image. Then I chose my colours which took a while, I wanted to try and get a good red head combo as I really struggle with that.  So in the end I chose Copics R 02, 05 & 17 and Spectrum pencils 024, 026 & Black and then I set too, following the guidance of the video and wow was I surprised at what a difference it made, mind you it took me absolutely ages but I love the end result and I'm sure in time I'll get quicker, I decided that as the hair looked so good (for me, still room for improvement) even as a first attempt that I'd colour the rest of the image, trying to improve my skin and clothing colouring too.  After I'd coloured the flowers I was really stuck for what colour to do her dress and decided to opt for white so as not to detract from her hair! lol

So here she is ...

So it seemed such a shame to not put her to good use so used some wonderful papers from First Editions Blank Canvas pad, some ribbon, an excut die cut of trees, a tag and some card candi.

Love how this turned out, I'd like to to enter this card into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly ~ Soooo Girly

Everybody Art #301 ~ Circle on your card

Little Red Wagon #264 ~ Layer it up

Fab 'n' Funky ~ Birthday Celebrations Week 2

Crafting for all Seasons #90 ~ Birthday

Brown Sugar #121 ~ Use 2 or more colours

Creative Fingers #57 ~ Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' ~ Birthday

Robyns Fetish #239 ~ Use a digi

TFL

Crafty Catz #286 ~ Winter Theme

Good morning it's time for a brand new fabulous challenge from the awesome team that is Crafty Catz and this week our wonderful Dianne is the host and she chose 'Winter Theme' so you have lots of scope there and we are sponsored by

Sami Stamps 

PRIZE
Sami Stamps will provide a 12$ gift card to the shop at www.samistamp.blogspot.com (that's equal to 3 images of  choice) to the winner. 

Wonderful prize and the DT were very lucky as they were able to choose an image from Sami Stamps to play with so be sure to check out what the other Catz got up to this week. The image I have used is 'Winter Cocoa' I have coloured her using spectrums and added glamour dust, paper is from First Editions New Bloom and I teamed it up with some coredinations cs for the die cut sentiment and the embossed panels, nice and simple and I love the colours.

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

Love to Create #142 ~ Make it for Christmas #3

Crazy Challenge #184 ~ Favourite Technique ~ embossing#3

Lets Craft & Create #99 ~ Christmas

Papertake Weekly ~ Soooooo Girly

Emerald Faeries #61 ~ Christmas ~ Non Traditional Colours #3

Little Red Wagon #264 ~ Layer it up

Ruby's Rainbow #92 ~ Non Traditional Christmas

TFL

Crafty Sentiments - November's New Release - Blog Hop - Day 1

Welcome to the “Crafty Sentiments Designs’ blog hop”!

We are so excited to have you join us today!

At each stop of the hop we hope you will be inspired by the creativity of the design Team from “Crafty Sentiments Designs”. You are sure to find many wonderful projects that will be at the top of your crafting lists! If you happened across this post out of order, please head to the Crafty Sentiments Designs Inspirational blog to start at the beginning of the hop.

Here is the project I created for this hop using the fabulous Rose are Red:

From this

Now how about some blog hop prizes??

3 of the new rubber stamps release will go to 3 different hoppers In order to win you will need to leave a comment each day on all the blogs.

What do you need to do to be eligible for these amazing prizes?

1. Become a follower of each blog in the hop, if you aren't already for the 4 days “Blog Hop New Releases”.

2. Leave some comment love at each stop for the 4 days “Blog Hop New Releases”.

3. If you do both of the above, check back here at the “Crafty Sentiments’ blog” for the winners on 28^th November !

Now for the blog hop lineup:

- Craftysentiments Blog

- Lady-Ann

- Jac  (you are here)

- Cathy

- Valou

- Aunty-Sue

- Deborah

- Agnieszka

I hope you enjoy the first day of our wonderful hop! Be sure to head on over to the other stops for more inspiration, comment and become a follower to be eligible for the prizes!

Good luck!

Black & White

Starting to think about small handmade gifts and calendars are quite handy for that so thought I'd make one today.  I used a cover for a book that I never got round to making up for the main piece and for the lower piece I used a freebie Red Cross coaster. (have several of these now and always knew they would come in handy!)  Covered both pieces with digi paper from Raspberry Road Designs printed at different sizes.  Coloured the fantastic Kenny K image with spectrums and added black glitter to her boots (its sparkle in the pics not bits of white fluff! lol)  Mounted her onto black cs with an edge of cogs which is a TH sizzix die, added a starburst die cut and a clock die cut then a few gems, the calendar piece is decorated with a cog die cut and label die cut which is from Crafty Sentiments Designs and onto that I stamped Celebrate Today which is a PTI stamp, finished off with black and white stripey ribbon, if I don't find a suitable recipient it will just have to stay hanging in my craft room, oh what a shame that would be! lol  Hope you like it.

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

Creative Fingers #56 ~ Anything Goes #3

Allsorts #285 ~ Anything but a card #2

Kenny K's Krafty Krew #184 Black & White

Not Just Cards #6 ~ Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon #264 ~ Layer It Up

TFL

Let it Snow with the Divas

It's certainly turned cold here in the UK and damp, but no sign of the white stuff yet (thankfully) but over at Divas by Design we'd love to see your 'snow related' cards.  This weeks sponsor is

For my card I have used a fabulous Bugaboo image coloured with spectrums. Kraft cs and papers from Bearly Mine Designs, I've added copious amounts of glitter, some snowflake eyelets and a little metal snowman.

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

Totally Gorjuss #262 ~ Show us a snowman

Sister Act Card Challenge #83 ~ Anything Goes

Art By Miran #19 ~ Anything Goes

Love to Create #142 ~ Make it for Christmas #2

TFL

2 or more Designer Papers at Crafty Sentiments

Good morning it's time for a brand new challenge over at Crafty Sentiments and this week we'd like to see you use 2 or more designer papers on your project, nice and easy for you.  The fabulous prize this week is

For my project this week I have made another recipe tag (yay that's 2 I have now!) I have used the cute stamp 'Let's Bake Kitty' and coloured using copics and spectrums, my papers are all from Bearly Mine Designs (I used 3), the little gingerbread folks are a quikcutz die that I've had for a few years now, I bought it when I was part of a recipe swap and I always manage to bring it out at least once each Christmas! the gems, tartan ribbon and heart and bead string are all from my stash.

 

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

Crafty Creations #276 ~ Recipe #2

Crafty Little Fairies ~ November ~ Not a square

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards #78 ~ Favourite Holiday ~ Christmas #2

Art by Miran #19 ~ Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' ~ To die for #2

Allsorts #285 ~ Anything but a card

Love to Create #142 ~ Make it for Christmas

Not Just Cards #6 ~ Anything Goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge #81 ~ Festive Furry Friends

TFL

(Pssst, just before I go, a quick heads up that Crafty Sentiments will be having a 4 day blog hop, starting 20 November to celebrate our last release of new stamps for this year and they are gorgeous and cute just what you have come to expect from a great company. See you there!)

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Ok I'm back today with another Christmas card and it is using more old stuff.  The fabulous image is Dottie & George 50's from Charmed Cards and Crafts and although not strictly a Christmas image again I thought it would work as one!  I started off by colouring them with copics and spectrums in very traditional red & green, at this point all I knew was that I wanted to make an easel card and I wanted a Christmas tree.  So once I'd finished colouring I needed to find the rest of the components for my card! Hmm really should have thought this one out better! lol, so I'm sat here this afternoon going through ALL my paper pads to see what would work when jokingly I put the tree die against the bottle top paper and I loved it, really quirky but some of the sayings on the bottle tops are just so perfect such as 'daddy cool', 'lady luck', 'cool cat' and 'with love'.  I know not very Christmassy but they fit with the image.  I printed the sentiment direct to my cs and then remembered some very old bottle tops that I had added little Christmas tree stickers to a very long time ago but just thought they finished the whole thing off.  So yes it is a bit quirky but I love how it turned out, I hope you like it too.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Crazy Challenge #184 ~ Favourite technique ~ Easel cards

Love to Create #141 ~ Anything Goes #3

Papertake Weekly ~ 2 or 4 legs

Ruby's Rainbow #92 ~ Non traditional Christmas

Brown Sugar #120 ~ Anything Goes #2

Creative Fingers #56 ~ Anything Goes #2

Sister Act Card Challenge #83 ~ Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy #127 ~ Pairs or 2 of a kind

Sweet Stampin' ~ To Die For

TFL

Jingle Bells

Thought I'd better crack on with my Christmas cards!  Remembered this fab digi image from Charmed Cards and Crafts which I have had for several years, it is originally some song birds but I thought with a bit of red they would become perfect little winter robins!  Papers are (old) MME (scraps!) with some red cs.  I embossed the side panel and finished off with some little bells, red snowflake, red gems and a stamped sentiment. Off to see what other old bits I can find!

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

Crazy Challenge #184 ~ Favourite technique, I have several and embossing either dry or wet is definitely up there

Love to Create #141 ~ Anything Goes #2

Papertake Weekly ~ 2 or 4 legs #2

Let's Craft and Create #98 ~ Animal Antics

Brown Sugar #120 ~ Anything Goes

Creative Fingers #56 ~ Anything Goes

Friday Sketch Challenge #82

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards #78 ~ Favourite Holiday ~ Christmas (especially this year as I'm not working! lol)

Open-minded Crafting #23 ~ Fowl of all kinds

TFL

Crafty Catz #285 ~ Christmas is coming

Oh yes Christmas is coming and I am so not ready! lol  Still, nothing new there, then! lol  Ok so wonderful Nina has chosen the theme of 'Christmas is Coming' for the challenge this week over at Crafty Catz and we have 2 fabulous sponsors

Marianne Designs

surprise gift

AND

RICK ST DENNIS 

PRIZE......3 IMAGES OF WINNERS CHOICE

The DT were given some wonderful images from Rick St Dennis to play with and they have created a wonderful array of festive jollies for your inspiration so don't forget to check them out.  For my card this week I have used 'North Pole sign', coloured with a mix of copics and spectrums and I've added plenty of glamour dust.  Papers are Bearly Mine Designs teamed up with Kraft cs, the tree is a die cut which has been embossed and inked and the sign is cut on the Cricut and I coloured the white cs to echo the sign in the image, the seasons greetings is a little wooden stamp from a collection I purchased years ago when I first started card making, never really used them much as they are really small but it was perfect for this card!  Oh and I used a wavy ruler to rip the paper another item rarely used! lol

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

OSAAT #223 ~ Anything goes with distressing

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Stripes

Love to Create #141 ~ Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly ~ 2 or 4 legs

Bearly Mine Challenges ~ November ~ Christmas Card (#3)

Creative Card Crew #74 ~ Christmas Joy

Crafty Creations #276 ~ Recipe

TFL 

Sparkle like you mean it!

I seem to be going a little bit glitter mad at the moment, now I like glitter but have never really used that much of it but this card uses it to full effect!  The card is fairly simple but that's because I wanted the image and glitter to speak for themselves.  This image always makes me smile, I've coloured with spectrums and copics then added glamour dust and 3d crystal gloss enamel (which I actually bought by mistake!  I just wanted clear 3d gloss, my own fault for buying in a hurry but I'm sure I'll be making use of this lol)  I did actually colour this image and had a pink bauble which I added the gloss to but I think I may have added too much as when it had dried it had caused the pink to bleed out of the bauble just glad I hadn't attached it to the card first which I very nearly did! lol.  The stripey paper is glittered too and the pink snowflake paper is from Raspberry Road Designs finished off with 3 little pink gems.  For the photo I used the flash this time as I really wanted to show that sparkle!

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

Totally Gorjuss #260 ~ Non traditional Christmas colours

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes (option of glitter/sparkle) (#2)

Creative Card Crew #74 ~ Christmas Joy (#2)

Emerald Faeries #61 ~ Christmas non traditional colours (#2)

Creative Inspirations #288 ~ Choice of either Stripes or Easel 

Sister Act Card Challenges #82 ~ Anything Goes

Creative Fingers #55 ~ Anything Goes

TFL

Crafty Catz #284 ~ Ribbon and Lace

Good morning, well it's Friday again, seems to come around so quick, frighteningly quick!  This is a quick post from me today as feeling a bit under the weather, think it's a bit of a cold so dosed up on cold & flu tablets to combat it.  Today it's time for a new challenge over at Crafty Catz and this week our fabulous Naomi has chosen the theme of Ribbon and Lace and our sponsor is 

BUGABOO

prize...7 images of winners choice

And Bugaboo Designs was kind enough to give the DT some fabulous images to play with and I chose 'Deacon Candy Cane' coloured with copics and spectrums with some stardust pens added to the bells and buckle and glamour dust to his hat.  Papers are Bearly Mine Designs, red cs and gems are from my stash and the gathered ribbon, lace and gems are one piece, I bought it some time ago thinking this will come in handy and it sat in my ribbon drawers, obviously waiting for the perfect challenge for it! lol  Finished off with a little stamped sentiment.

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

Sentimental Sundays #231 ~ Anything Goes (#3)

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Inspired by movie, book or song ~ Elf

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes (with glitter/sparkle)

Creative Card Crew #74 ~ Christmas Joy

Emerald Faeries #61 ~ Non traditional colours

Delightful Challenges ~ Patterns (patterned paper)

TFL

Bonfire colours with Divas

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November!  Well what better way to remember the 5th of November this week than with an appropriate challenge of Bonfire Colours with Divas by Design this week and the prize is from

Now for my card I went a little bit sideways with this and went down the road of fireworks on bonfire night!  I cut out a stencil using the Cricut and PaperLace cartridge which I placed over black cs which was cut on the Cricut using the shadow facility and using a versamark ink pad inked it up then I got my mica powders and a brush and went mad! I very raely use these but must remember I have them.  The quote is from a book of quotes that I have had for a very long time and I typed it onto white cs, mounted it on black cs and added some tiny iridescent gems.  A bit different from me but I think I like it! lol

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

4 Crafty Chicks ~ Anything Goes (#2)

Sister Act Card Challenge #81 ~ Anything Goes

Creative Fingers #54 ~ Anything Goes (#3)

Sentimental Sunday #231 ~ Anything Goes (#2)

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes

TFL