Beccy's Place April Challenge

I've used a lot of Beccky's images but didn't realise she has a monthy challenge on her blog until the post today saying one day to go. Obviously I'm not very observant!

For this card I've used a free image from Beccy's Place called Gardening items. It's actually under Male Designs but it's useful for a ladies card too. I've coloured it with Promarkers and used some papers by Wild Rose Studio but I can't remember what set they were from. The flowers are from a Papermania kit and the greeting is a Craftwork Cards metallic circle but it doesn't show too well in the picture.

Sketch N Stash Challenge 86

I've had a busy and enjoyable day in my craft room. I've made 4 cards for challenges and even put inserts in them ready for the charity shop. I've got so many waiting for inserts and bags that I'm going to try and do them as I go from now on - yeh right!

I've also been having a sort out today and found some old Forever Friends stickers so I've used one of these for this weeks Sketch N Stash challenge. The papers were new last week and a bargain too - 99p from the Range. They're from a Forever Friends Pink Parfait pad and go nicely with the bears flowers. The flower "ribbon" is years old too and the greeting is by Craftwork Cards.

Time or Steampunk at Anything Goes

That age thing is catching up with me and I've decided I need to write lists and keep a note of things so I bought some cheap notebooks and I've decided to cover them. This one is going to be a sort of to do book and is my entry into the Anything Goes Time or Steampunk challenge. I covered the book with a K&Co paper called Golden Poppies. I've used distress inks and stamps to tone down the colour a little. The stamps I've used are Cogs Background by the Artistic Stamper and a Sense of Time by Stampin Up. I've also used a sequin waste mask by Tando Creative.

The main image is Phineas Pinchbeck by Artistic Stamper which I've stamped in Gathered Twigs and coloured with Rusty Hinge distress inks and then embossed with clear powder. The Tick Tock is  from Carnival Sizzlit strip embossed once with clear powder to keep the mottled effect. The clock charm is from another jewellery piece I bought in the sale at Claire's.

 I've also added some cog-like sequins that I bought in Poundland. There are loads in the pack and they come in several different colour ways

Less Is More Week 65 - Sketch

There's a choice of sketches for this weeks Less Is More Challenge and I've gone with the square one. I've used some Inchies by Inkadinkado called Dog's Life. It was difficult to chooses which ones but I think these go well together and the Loyal one goes well with the friend sentiment from the same set. The four inchies are matted onto white then black card - very simple.

Polka Doodles Week 17 Shabby Chic/Vintage

I love this image from the Pretty Sweet cd. She's called Amelia and I thought the colours would go really well with the vintage theme of this weeks Polka Doodle challenge. The three papers are from the same cd and the card is designed in Craft Artist. The lace, flowers and frame are from Craft Artist kits and all have been recoloured to match the Polka Doodles papers. Looking at it now, I think I should have used cream paper to print the image as the white is a bit bright. Unfortunately, I've not got time to change it as football is calling - Come On You SAINTS

Polka Doodles Week 16 - Red & White

This is my card for this weeks Polka Doodles Red & White challenge. I've used the Pretty Tuff CD again - there is just so much on here and some lovely papers too. I've designed this in Craft Artist again as I love the way you can play about without wasting anything until your happy with it. The background paper is the same paper as in the frame but just resized. The image is Casey and the layout is based on last weeks Sketch n Stash  blog.

LIM 64 - How Charming

I was sorting through my stamps trying to find a photography set that I know I have but couldn't find anywhere. I came across an old set by Stamps Away called Expressions (doll). I think it was made to fit on the old Sizzix die cut dolls. I've put this set in the "get rid of" pile a number of times but always relented and when I saw them today, I immediately thought of a fun card for this weeks Less Is More challenge called How Charming.

The sentiment is computer generated with Travelling Typewriter font. The film strip is a Tim Holtz alterations sizzlet stuck with silicone to give it a little lift and I've stamped the faces in the frames. The camera charm is from my stash

And I still haven't found my photography stamps!

Polka Doodles Week 15 - Pretty In Pink

This is my card for this weeks Polka Doodles challenge which is Pretty In Pink. It would also have fitted well for last weeks Big Birthdays challenge. I've used papers and an owl from the Sugar Birdies CD and taken them into Craft Artist to design the card. The 50 and the owl are printed again and decoupaged and I've added some Stickles to the bow and some of the flowers. I really love using Craft Artist with my cd's as you only have to print what you need.

Sketch N Stash Challenge 85

This is my entry for the Sketch N Stash challenge 85. I've used Fergus with Bouquet by Wild Rose Studio and coloured him with Promarkers. I've dotted Fergus with the blender pen over the green to give him texture. The papers were a bargain I got in the Range on Friday. Their from an Pink Parfait  Forever Friends pad which was reduced to 99p. I really needed more paper so thought I'd better use some to justify the purchase.

Cheeky Monkey In The Garden!

Well, OK , not a monkey but a cheeky squirrel. We've had to buy squirrel proof feeders as the poor birds weren't getting anything after Mr Squirrel had visited. We don't mind him having a little bit but he was running off with half a fat ball each time.

Yesterday I caught him climbing up the pole of the bird feeder

He then sat in the food tray and pulled the feeder towards him

And proceeded to scratch bits off the fat balls

So these feeders aren't quite squirrel proof but at least he had to work for his food. And there was a blackbird waiting underneath for the bits that he dropped

Less Is More Week 64 - How Charming

I had a good day in the craft room yesterday, organising a few things and even creating. As I've missed a couple of weeks on Less is More (where does the week go!) I decided to get straight down to it this morning and have a go at this How Charming challenge. The sentiment is from a Stampin Up set called Just Believe and cut with a Nestie label die, stamped in Pretty In Pink and matted on the same colour cardstock.

The fairy charm is from a pair of earings that I got in Claire's sale. They were originally £5.50 reduced to £3. But if you wait until the end of the sale you can usually choose 3 items for £5. I was lucky enough to go in early one morning at the very end when they bag up 10 items into a bag a sell it for £5 and she let me choose my items (normally the bag is sealed and you take pot luck) so I've got lots of little charms and chains for my cards. I just need to remember to use them.

The card blank is by Craftwork Cards. I've love the scalloped edges but the top always seems unfinished so I was going to emboss a border but can't find my tan mat so I've punched some tiny daisies instead.

Cutie Pie Challenge 15 - Favourite Stamp

This is my entry for the Cutie Pie favourite stamp challenge. I love my Wild Rose Studio stamps and this one is called Gardening Millie. I've coloured her with Promarkers and cut with Nesties. The sentiment is by Lily of The Valley.

Anything Goes Challenge

I've made this card for the Anything Goes Challenge 64 which is Anything Goes at Anything Goes. I bought this stamp at De Stempelwinkel in Amsterdam when I was there in March. They had some lovely samples using it so I just had to have it. It's by Hero Arts called ruffled flower. I've stamped it 3 times with Versamark on vellum and embossed with WOW white opaque powder and cut out the three layers. I've then used a Versamark pen around the edges and the middle and covered with heat and stick powder then Stampin Ups Dazzling Diamonds. The greeting is from Curly Cute by Stampin Up and the tag is from the Tiny Tags set.

The vellum looks yellowy in the picture but it is white.

Polka Doodles Challenge 14 - Big Birthdays

This is my card for the Polka Doodles Big Birthdays Challenge. I've used Wade from the Pretty Tough cd and decoupaged him. I've made the base card in Craft Artist using backing papers from the same cd. I love how you can use the colour picker to match the colour of the sentiment to the papers.

Sketch N Stash Challenge 84

This is my entry for the Sketch n Stash challenge 84. I've used my new Wild Rose Studio Bella papers and the Bella Sleeping stamp which is just so cute. The greeting is from a Personal Impressions set and layered onto Stampin Up punched card

Less Is More Week 61 - Lucky Dip Take 2

This is my second entry for the Less Is More Picture Inspiration challenge. I've used the Stampin' Up Hopeful Thoughts set inked with Pretty In Pink and Wild Wasabi markers and layered onto the same coloured cardstock. A little bit of ribbon to finish off a very simple card.

Less Is More 61 - Photo Inspiration

I haven't entered the Less Is More challenge for a few weeks as other things have taken over but I do look at it every week. This weeks challenge was to use the picture for inspiration.

I'd forgotten about it until I was using Craft Artist Professional and came across the bird I've used in my card and the colours of it seemed to be just perfect. I know you can recolour things in the programme but I didn't even need to do that. The bird is from A Mothers Love set and I've added a flower swirl from Swirling Memories. I copied this three times and picked out colours from the Inspiration Photograph to give three layers

Polka Doodles Easter Challenge

I love the spring colours of  green and yellow so that's what I've used on my card for the Polka Doodles Easter Challenge. The backing paper is a free download on the site called wallflowers. The owls are from the Sugar Birdies cd coloured with promarkers to match the papers The three small flowers are from the same cd. Some ribbon and gems finished the card.

As well as the challenge, there's a lovely blog hop with lots of Easter inspiration from the design team and some great candy available too. Well worth a visit to Polka Doodles