Sparkly stars

Good morning one and all. What does the day have in store for you??

I didn't get a chance to create very much yesterday but I have been working on a card for a funky young lady who loves stars. This is my simple but sparkly design. I used glitter card to get the extra sparkly effect and found some paper with stars on in my stash. I also have quite a collection of stars in different designs so I have mixed and matched to get a more textured effect. The sentiments are pre-printed and again from my stash of bits and pieces. I've added a button and ribbon, a paper clip and small tag. Guess what her favourite colour is - yes it's pink.

I am including this in the Frosted Designs Star challenge.

I thought I would also add a photo of my gorgeous rose that I received on Valentine's day from my hubby. It is sitting in my craft room where I can see it whilst I am designing and creating. It was so lovely to receive this. Ta Darlin' xxxx.

Well have a great day, don't work too hard and happy crafting. Luv Bxx

Lady in Red

Well I've had great fun designing and making this card. I've taken inspiration from a couple of challenge sites and I used the recipe from 'Die-cut Dreams' - three different patterned papers, two different ribbons, two flowers and some gems if wanted and also the sketch and DT creations from 'Everybody-Art-Challenge'. I particularly liked the card by Nixe-Moni which really helped me put mine together. All the challenges I am entering are -
Die-cut Dreams Challenge Blog - Challenge #35 Recipe 
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #78 Sketch
Crafty Angels - Week 22 Fantastic Flowers
La-La's Weekly Wednesday Challenge - Red
Weekly Wednesday Challenge - Recipe
A Handful of Stamps - open challenge

I have used papers from Dovecraft, K&Co and a CD from Papercraft World. The distressed effect on the papers was obtained by using the Tim Holtz distressing tool. The stamp is from Hero Arts and called Gracious Lady. I've used a variety of sparkles including Cosmic Twinkles Aqua and Autumn, Martha Stewart glitter glue Garnet, Pearlidoodles Baby Pink and a Sakura Jelly Roll pen. The vellum was ink distressed using Distress Ink Worn Lipstick and torn using the Whispers layering templates. The ribbons are from my stash and I used Whispers Strokes, Copics and Promarkers for colouring in the stamp which was stamped in black Archival ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.
I am pleased with the colours and patterns and the way it all fits together. I love the distressing and I am experimenting with my colouring in and know I still have some way to go, but feel I am getting there.

The tag removes easily and I stamped it using four small stamps in my collection using the Aged Mahogany (I do love this shade) and the sentiment is 'Thinking of you'. The flowers are partly bought and handmade and I added Stickles to the petals, punched the stamens and covered them with the Pearlidoodles. I punched two flowers using the Nellie Snellen floral punch that also embosses and used underneath, again ink distressing them with the Aged Mahogany. Some gems and a corner finished it off.     

Thankyou so much for looking and for all the lovely comments I have been receiving, I really appreciate them. Have a great day. Luv Bxx

One Stop Craft Challenge

Good morning Tuesday followers. It's grey and miserable here but my crafting keeps me happy and I have been working on a card to submit to the One Stop Craft Challenge site. As some of you know this is all a new venture for me and I am relishing the challenges which make me think and are getting my creative juices flowing again.
This card has inspiration from the One Stop Craft Challenge and their sketch for the week. A lovely simple design but made me think about colour as well. ( http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-67-sketch-challenge.html )
I also found Totally Papercrafts challenge of 'Buttons and Bows' and think it will fit in nicely with that too.
( http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-3-buttons-bows-and-wags.html )

I used a 6x6 scrapbook paper by 'Papercraft 4 You' and distressed it with Adirondack Denim ink and then edged it with Waterfall Stickles. The stamp is from Personal Impressions and the first time I have used it. I used the Denim ink to stamp it but I only have a limited number of Promarkers for colouring (must invest in some more but spent so much money on bits and pieces lately, perhaps I could ask for some for my birthday he he) I used chalk pencils for the skin tones and for some of the shading in the coats and gloves. I then distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Antique Linen and edged again with Holly Stickles. On the border at the bottom I used a Martha Stewart punch, distressed it with Shabby Shutters and Denim and added a bit of bling. I have a reel of the blue and green ribbon and I cut down the edges and frayed it to give it a more distressed look, I also added the green and blue cotton knitting wool, which is great for some different texture. The buttons and thread are from my stash and I punched three flowers using a MS punch, used the Shabby Shutters and a glazing pen to finish them off. The sentiment is from a set of six I acquired from Ebay and on this one I used Peeled Paint with the Denim and edged using a Sakura clear sparkle pen.  Hope you like it. Have a good day. Love Bxx

Monochrome card

Good Monday morning everyone. Hope you had a good weekend and had a chance to do some crafting along with everything else.
I have made a card to enter the Sketchie Challenge on Craftbubble.com and have had a whale of a time. This challenge really got me thinking about what to do to be creative but I challenged myself with the monochrome as well. I think it turned out rather well and I am very pleased with it.

See the challenge sketch at  http://www.craftbubble.com/index.php?do=/public/forums/display_group_topic/id_14214/Sketchie-Challenge---13-February-2010/

The focus was to make a handmade embellishment as the central feature and stamping could be used for the backing and sentiment.
I stamped white card with a flourish stamp and used my new Stampin' Up Wonderful Words ll for the sentiment. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the central mount and matted it onto black and white, both have been edged with Sakura Jelly Roll pens. The ribbon across the middle was made by folding white paper and using a Martha Stewart punch which I then stuck onto black paper. I distressed the edges of the black and white spotted paper and the sentiment and then edged them with silver stickles. My central embellishment looks like a tag with another of my handmade flowers - but look what I have included here, just a little secret.

My gorgeous girls with beautiful smiles on their faces. In this photo Becca is twelve, Ella is three and Maddison is 1, taken last year on our way home from Lanzarote. It's wonderful having grand-daughters, they are such fun and an opportunity to spoil every now and then.

Here is the card with the phot tag out -

I think I will look for some other challenges to enter with this card. I hope you like it.

The card has been entered for A Handful of Stamps - open challenge

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If you are blog hopping today you might like to check out Sarah Wright's blog - she has some free candy

which will be available for entry until the 27th february  -   http://sarahwrightdesigns.blogspot.com/

Valentine

Happy Friday folks. Hope all is well with you and yours. Hi to Lauren, thanks for joining my blog, I shall be over to yours later to see what you are up to.
I am being impatient whilst waiting for my new mobile phone to arrive. Having got totally fed up with my current one that keeps crashing on me, I have ordered the i-phone and am joining my son, daughter and daughter-in-law as they all have one too. The door bell has gone twice already today so I am hoping it will be third time lucky.

I am posting my Valentine card today, which actually is card no:2 for my hubby. I made him one way back at the beginning of January but having looked at it again I am not so happy with it. So here is the one I have been working on. The photograph does not do the colours justice, but I have used red and grey with black and white. The distressed heart background is another from a CD by Papercraft World and I have edged it with silver stickles. The grey, mottled centre mount has been edged with a Martha Stewart punch and a matching one used for the two corners. The heart and key charms are silver and I have used a variety of hearts punched or cut on the Cricut.
I am entering this for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge - http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-99-in-name-of-love.html
This will be my second entry to a challenge, so lets see how this one goes.
I must say a big thankyou to everyone on Craftbubble who have sent me such lovely messages about my work. Thanks girls they have really made me feel good (much needed this week with Mum in hospital).
Yey my phone has just arrived so I need to go and set it up. Well I might get on here again over the weekend - we'll see, if not have a great saturday and sunday to you all. Bxx

14th February.   I have just used this card to enter the 'Simon says Stamp What's Love got to do with It!!' challenge. http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/simon-says-all-you-need-is-love.html
Also to Totally Gorjass Feel the lurve  http://totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/2010/02/feel-lurve-17.html
And ..... Crafty Creations Lotstodo challenge Love is in the air  http://inkythings.blogspot.com/2010/02/lotstodo-challenge-love-is-in-air.html
Also - Dutch Dare challenge Valentine Day card
And - Crafty Calendar challenge - Love and Friendship

I am so enjoying this!!!! Bxx

Peace

It's been a very busy week going up the hospital twice a day to see Mum. She seemed quite a bit better again yesterday but healing 2 broken ribs and a punctured lung is going to take some time.

In-between times I have been working on this card for my very first challenge. I hope to submit it on Craftbubble today as I used the sketchie challenge layout which also has a little twist of 'wings'. I wanted a distressed look and have tried out the Tim Holtz distressing tool which worked well, the stamp is one from my stash and I used the nesties labels to make the frame. The flowers were made from ordinary photocopy paper and aged mahogany and antique linen distress inks. Papers have been edged with gold stickles and vintage photo distress stickles. It's another different style for me - I am learning so much and enjoying all the experimentation. Thanks for looking. Bx

Free digistamp

This is just an adorable free digi stamp available from http://motivet.com/blog/?p=1724 . Have a look and save to use later on if you can't use it right now.

A Bookmark

Hope you're having a super Sunday. Today's post is of a bookmark and the idea came from an American friend of mine. Last year she suggested this was something I could make and I haven't got round to trying it out until this week. I think it's really cute and I have put her name on it and will send it to her for her birthday - so Joni if you reads this you know what will be winging it's way to you in the post.

                                   

 I have kept the embellishments flat so the bookmark will fit easily between the pages without marking them.

I hope you like the designs and colour pallettes. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Bx

My little work of art.

It's the weekend, another week gone and a whole week since I started the blog. My son Ben is in Newquay with a group of friends on Matt's stag weekend and they have just come out of the sea having had a surfing lesson. Apparently it was warmer in the water than out, but a great time had by all.
The card I am posting today has taken me all week to finish, admittedly I have been doing other things in-between, but it has taken a great deal of thinking time as well as time given to the details. I am really quite pleased with it now that it's completed.

I guess this type of card will have a name, but I needed a way of making the card larger than a straight A4 piece of card would allow for and this is what I came up with. I took time to decorate the inside as well.

I used a stamp I already had and having inked it up I then masked it to complete the distressed background. I have used the Nestabilities for the message (Justrite Stampers) and the mount for the stamped image. The papers are from sets I have already bought and from a CD by Papercraft World. On the creamy flowers I have used gold Stickles and Adirondack Espresso, the smaller centres I made and then put it all together with a red brad. The green flower I made using flower shapes cut on the Cricut, distressing with the Espresso and misting with Cosmic Shimmer Mist, Lava Red. The leaves have been punched and misted with Golden Mint Cosmic Shimmer Mist. The hearts were cut on the Cricut and I used Aqua Cosmic Twinkles and Baby Pink Pearlidoodle. I used silver liquid pearls round the edge of the paper. I really enjoyed making and putting this card together and feel that it truly is a piece of art.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Take care. Bx

Quick card for today

Good evening. Life certainly can take a turn so quickly can't it. Suffice to say I was almost ready to post a new card yesterday and then had to deal with a family emergency. As you can see from todays card it was Mum who needed some help having had a fall, so here is the card I made for her today.

My lovely daughter Maddie, who studied design at university, has already critiqued it and told me there are several different styles in there. However I needed a main picture quickly, and these flowers has already been done, really I should have used a different patterned paper for the main mount but I had already chosen it for Mum as I thought she would like the roses. I have used the Cricut and nesties, my new Justrite stampers and embellished with Stickles and Cosmic Twinkles. The front is actually cut shorter than the back so that when flat you can see the Mum border at the side.

Hope you like it. Have a great weekend. B xx