Travels Abroad for CD Sunday

I was stuck at first for the CD Sunday Travels Abroad challenge this week but then I remembered the little bear that has travelled the world - Paddington. The image and backing papers are from the Paddington's Day Out CD. I've followed this sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches

House Mouse - Anything With Twine

The current challenge at House Mouse is Anything Goes With Twine and there's a great blog hop too.

I've used a cute image from the celebrations section of the CD - these cute little mice eating love hearts. The Cuttlebug folder I've used for the background is called Conversation Hearts from the Love Is In The Air set. I did originally emboss onto pink card but found it looked heaps better on the pale yellow. The pink and white bakers twine is by American Arts and I've wrapped it around the card and the cut a small heart from double sided sticky tape and wound the twine into a heart shape

Don't forget to pop over to the House Mouse blog as there is still time to play and there are some fabulous prizes on the blog hop 

Cuttlebug Mania Tuesday - Autumn Is Coming

It's Cuttlebug Mania Tuesday so we have another challenge for you and this time it's Autumn Is Coming. There are so many things that this could cover so get your thinking caps on and don't forget you have two weeks to enter

For my card I've gone with Autumn berries and this cute House Mouse image. The berries in our garden are providing some lovely colour and they will be a good food source for the birds this winter.

I've used the Tim Holtz Winter Berries folder for the background. The strip of backing paper is from the same House Mouse CD. The sentiment is computer generated and cut with rectangle Nesties as is the image. The berries are cut with a Marianne Design holly berry die to finish the card

Happy Everything

I stamped this earlier for the Technique Twist Double Embossing challenge but wasn't sure how to use it so I put it to one side. I used Stampin Up's Medallion stamp and 3 powders - Heat It Up Copper, Personal Impressions Gold Sparkle and Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Lustre Ultra Thick

And then from a link on Mynnette's blog I found the House Of Cards challenge. This week you have to use this sketch to make a Classic & Elegant card

So I cut my embossed image with a Nestie (which means I have the outside piece to use as a frame) and layered it onto a gold mirror scallop. The embossing is done with a Cuttlebug folder from the Preserves set on cream card then cut into four before layering onto a square of mirror card. The greeting is by Craftwork Cards again layered onto a Mirror card die cut.

Too late for the Technique Twist but I've just squeezed into the House of Cards :)

Sunday Sketch & Stamp #180

It's time for another sketch at Sunday Sketch & Stamp and this week it's Francesca's turn to design the layout

I've used a couple of stamps from Lindsay Mason's Build a Snowy Scene set and stamped them with Vintage Sepia Versafine and lightly coloured with Promarkers. The tree backing paper is from a Craft Artist kit which I've changed from blue to brown and printed twice. The centre square is also a backing paper from Craft Artist. It actually has snowflakes but they don't show up very well. I've cut two trees from one of the backing papers to make the vertical lines on the sketch. I found some Glistening Snow Writer which is years old but once I had un-bunged the nozzle, it was fine so I've added some snow to the image and the bottom of the trees on the backing paper

I'm also entering this into the challenge at Here Comes The Boys which is Christmas in Cream & Brown

Brother

I haven't played along at Less Is More for a couple of weeks so I had a look today and the challenge is to use String or Twine on your card. I've had this little car on my desk for about a week and it's another thing that came to light in my clear up this morning. I made it for the challenge at Technique Time Tuesday which is Faux Cloisonne. I wanted to try a masculine card so I stamped it onto this magazine page with Versafine and embossed with detail black powder and cut it out - you can see the hair on the car

I'm not sure if there is a limit on the number of times you can enter the Technique Time Tuesday challenge and as Ive already done three cards this one may get deleted but I thought I'd try anyway. It's one of those things that when you find a new technique you want to keep playing with it

. I've embossed the base of the card front with the Cuttlebug Diamond Plate folder and stamped the word Brother from Stampin Up's Amazing Family set with Black Versafine. The bakers twine is tied around the middle of the card - not very original but it's there

Don't forget to pop over to Technique Time Tuesday to see the Faux Cloisonne tutorial

Fox & Friends Take 2

When I did my card for the CD Sunday Fox & Friends I printed off two images from the Giordano's Christmas Creations CD so this little chap has been sat on my desk all week gradually getting buried by other things. He came to light this morning while I was clearing my desk so I decided to do a quick card with him following this layout at Seems A Little Sketchy

The backing paper is from the same set and I love the mix of soft blue and peachy brown on the design. It looks like a cold and frosty morning. The blue panel is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder from the Give A Hoot set and the peach one is embossed with Couture Creations Bon Jour folder. The three leaves are punched from snippets of card with n X-Cut punch which also embosses. The little acorn is from the Tim Holtz Autumn Gatherings decorative strip and I thought it made a good centrepiece for the leaves. A few gems to finish. I'm also going to put this over to the Snippets Playground as the gates are still open this week and entering it into The Male Room challenge which is Nature

Tilly Daydream

I bought the Tilly Daydream Ultimate pack last month and I think it s one of the best value packs. For this card I've used the layout at Friday Sketches and I may just get it posted on time

I've cut the image slightly smaller with Nesties. The semi circle on the left is cut with the X-Cut doily punch and the leaves are with 4 different X-cut botanical punches from snippets. I'm also entering this into the Docrafts Autumnal challenge and Pixie's Snippets Playground

Lindsay Mason

I seem to have aqquired quite a few Lindsay Mason stamp sets (and a couple more are on their way). This card is made with stamps from 3 different sets. When I saw the new challenge at Pan Pastels was Autumn Colours, I wished I had left my Fairy Dust post until today but then I remembered that I had stamped three images from the same magazine cover. This is the cover

I've followed this months technique from Technique Time Tuesday again. It's such a great idea, I'll be using this a lot. This is the smaller image from Fairy Scene and I stamped it to include some of the green and the topping and embossed in black powder. The background is again done with Pan Pastels - brown, green, yellow and white. I've then used the sentiment from the Wonder Filled Day set and some foliage from the Gwendoline set which were all stamped with black Versafine.

Dare To Dream

The current challenge at Technique Twist is Double Embossing. I wasn't sure about a twist to this technique so I've used two standard embossing powders and added some ultra thick although yiu can't really call Cosmic Shimmer powders standard. The butterfly is from Chocolate Baroque's Tangled Garden set. These are all large stamps and make great focal points for cards. I've stamped it on black card with Versamrk and then sprinkled it with Burnt Red Lustre, Lapis Pearl Lustre and Tropic Yellow Ultra Thick all by Cosmic Shimmer. These work so well on dark card but I also tried the same mix on cream card and the difference is amazing

Once I had the main image, I wasn't sure how to use it so I went back to the last Technique Twist challenge - Bokah. I didn't have time to enter this one so my twist is that I'm two weeks late :)  It's probably not a good example of the technique but at least it gave me the background for my card. I've distressed the edges with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink  and then used a small butterfly from Stampin Up's Papillon Potpouri using Tumbled Glass and Fired Brick. The sentiment is from Stampin Up's Loving Thoughts stamped in the Fired Brick.  I've stamped the antenae onto the background with Versamark and used the Burnt Red Lustre before sticking on the cut out butterfly

It's very difficult to get a picture that shows the beautiful colours but this is the result

And this is is how it looks using the same powders on cream card

Spots & Stripes

When I saw this sketch at Feeling Sketchy I thought it would be ideal for a new stamp I bought last week

It's Fiskars Circles of Fun which is meant to be used with their continuous Stamping system but I've used them before on an acrylic block. However, when I stamped this one the circles are more ovals. It could be that the stamping wheel it is supposed to be used with stretches the design so they would be circles but hey ho, I'm not going to buy it just to check.

Anyway, I've stamped it onto pink card with Versamark and used some turquoise embossing powder. The striped backing paper is from the Papermania pastel Capsule Collection pack so I'm entering this into the Docarfts Spots & Stripes challenge. The three buttons are from the brights Capsule Collection but they go well with the embossing powder and the backing card. These were part of a prize from a previous Docrafts challenge. The sentiment is from Stampin Up's Itty Bitty Banners set and cut with the matching die

Joanna Sheen Buttons

It's been a really wet day here in Sopley so I've spent the day in my craft room. The intention was to do inserts and bag up the box of cards sitting on the side so that they are ready for the charity shop but that's boring and it's so much more fun playing

This card is for my Aunt who has had a few health issues recently but she has just knitted me a couple of owl cushions so this is to say thank you. I've printed out some House Mouse images from the triple CD pack so I decided to have a play with these. This one is so cute but then aren't they all! The backing paper was from the CD too and the wool and needles are cut from snippets with a Marianne die. The buttons are from my newly sorted button stash and the wool was in a box from when I tried to teach myself to crochet - it didn't work but I may have another go when OH is away next week. The sentiment is by Craftwork Cards and matted onto a Nestie die-cut

I'm entering this into the following challenges

Joanna Sheen - Buttons
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Snippets

CD Sunday Fox and Friends

The challenge at CD Sunday this week is Fox & Friends and I've chosen a cute little fox from Giordano's Christmas Creations CD. I've used this sketch from Sketch Saturday

The backing paper is from the same CD and I love the muted colours of both the paper and the image. The strip of card is embossed with the Cuttlebug Holly With Berries folder. I usually highlight the embossed berries with Stickles but thought it would be too bright for this card so I've left it plain. The holly leaves and berries at the top of the image are cut with Marianne dies. I had intended to stamp the sentiment directly onto the backing paper but I'd already put the image on with foam tape so even my smallest acrylic block wobbled too much so I've added a sentiment form the Forever Friends Ultimate pack

Sunday Sketch & Stamp

It's Sunday so it's time for a new sketch at Sunday Sketch & Stamp and Sam has come up with this layout for us to use

Now I've played about with it a little for my card but I think all the elements are there even if they're not quite in the right place! The image is from Stampin Up's Fabulous You set. I've stamped it with Versafine and embossed with black WOW powder then coloured in with a Stardust pen/ The sentiment is from the same set and embossed with the WOW powder too. The middle band is cut with a Martha Stewart punch and the embossed corner is done with a Cut n Emboss die. The backing paper is from Papermania's Elegance pack - I think I need to source another of these as the papers are gorgeous. A few gems and the card is finished

Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog and see what the other girls have come up with

Fairy Dust

This is another card for the Faux Cloisonne challenge at Technique Time Tuesday. I started with this front cover of the Vegetarian magazine

The stamp I've used is from Lindsay Mason's Fairy Scene set. I've stamped with Versamark an used Ebony WOW powder. The background is made using white, yellow, brown and black Pan Pastel and then I've stamped the sentiment (from the same set) with Versamark and embossed again. I wanted to use the "sprinkles" from the set but they looked odd so I've added a ribbon and bow and this is the result

I'm also entering this into the Kaboodle Doodles challenge which is Earth Tones/Colours

If you want to try this technique, pop over to the Technique Time Tuesday blog and see Mynnette's great Tutorial

Faux Cloisonne Technique

This months challenge at Technique Time Tuesday is Faux Cloisonne. If, like me, you've never heard of this technique pop over to the blog and Mynnette has done another great video tutorial for us to follow.

Although this technique really lends itself to leaves and flowers I wanted to try something different so for my card I've started off with an advert on the back of an old craft magazine

I've used the Woodware Huge Sorry stamp and WOW ebony embossing powder and then cut it out. I just love these big stamps as they're especially good for male cards. The backing paper is from my stash and the sentiment is from the same stamp set and embossed with the WOW powder

You can see the sheen of the magazine page in this picture

This is definitely a technique I'll be playing with again and again

Cosy Christmas

The challenge at Docrafts this week is Spots & Stripes. I made a bunch of very quick Christmas cards for the charity shop yesterday afternoon using the A Christmas Tale Ultimate pack from last year (or was it the year before?) Anyway, this one just happened to have spots and stripes so I thought I'd enter it into the Docrafts challenge

CD Sunday Butterflies

It's a butterfly challenge at CD Sunday this week. I've used this layout from Seems A Little Sketchy for my card

I had in my mind straight away what image I wanted to use for this challenge but couldn't remember what CD it was on. As soon as I opened the Moorehead CD I knew it was the right one and this little cutie popped up. The backing paper is one I got in a swap but I love the subtle colours. I've used a butterfly embossing folder which was free with Papercraft Essentials on the orange card and the Darice Paw Print border folder on the white piece. The butterfly sentiment is by Craftwork Cards and I've coloured it with Dried Marigold Distress Ink to match. Some gems and the card is finished

Cuttlebug Mania Tuesday - Black & White

Yes it's Cuttlebug Mania Tuesday again and we have a great challenge for you this week and it's so simple - Black and White.  We are sponsored by the fabulous Kenny K Downloads this week so do pop over and see the fantastic images that are available

I've used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder for the top and the bottom is a folder from the Cuttlebug Preserves set. The letters are cut with the Tattered Lace Circus Alphabet dies and the black cat is a memory Box Curious Cat die

Some ribbon and a bow to cover the join and the card is finished

Don't forget that the challenge runs for two weeks now so there is plenty of time to get your thinking caps on and enter

Pumpkin Pie

I may have cheated a little with this image for the House Mouse Hey Pumpkin challenge as the image doesn't actually have a pumpkin on it. But when I saw these little cuties eating this pie from the Sweet Treats section of the CD, I immediately thought it was pumpkin pie. The pumpkin backing paper is by Pink Petticoat from the Happy Hauntings set. The pumpkin die is by Sizzix and I've added some shading to it with Dried Marigold Distress Ink and I've added a Marianne spoon die cut

I'm also entering this into the following challenges
Stamping Sensations - All Creatures Great and Small
Quirky Crafts - Quirky Pumpkin Pie (thanks Lyn)

To The Moon & Back

The theme at this weeks CD Sunday challenge is To The Moon & Back. The image for my card comes from The Pamela West Collection CD. I just love the cats on this CD and this is one of my favourites. The backing paper is from a Beautiful Blues paperstack that I got in The Works. It's great value as you get 32 sheets for 99p and I was surprised at the quality for that price. The  flourishes are from the Tim Holtz Elegant Flourishes die and the sentiment is by Craftwork Cards. A few flowers from my stash to finish. I'm also entering this into the C.R.A.F.T. challenge which is Cats & Dogs/Pets

Sunday Sketch & Stamp Week 177

This is the lovely sketch Anne-Marie has given us to work with this week

For my card I've used the Stag Cliffhanger stamp by Indigo Blu. I wasn't struck by this stamp until I saw some samples by Kay at Jendenink and then I had to have it. I've masked the bottom half and inked the deer and tree with Majestic Blue Versafine. I didn't want anything to take away from the image so I've used some white and silver glitter paper as the background. The sentiment is from Paula Pascaul's Square Essentials which is a strange name as half of them are circles! I've added some Stickles to the ground and tree, and some gems to finish

Nuts About You

The theme at House Mouse Challenge this time is Monochrome. There are so many cute images on the House Mouse CDs that it's difficult to choose one but this little chap really appealed to me. I've used the decoupage elements to make a peanut backing paper to match the image. The flourish is a Marianne die and the greeting is computer generated and some paper flowers from my stash.

A True Classic

This weeks challenge at CD Sunday is the 1950's. I was tempted by Joanna Sheen's Viva La Diva CD but wanted something other than fashion and then I found this image on The Best Of La Pashe 2012. I'm not sure if it's truly 1950's but it looks it to me. I picked out lots of different papers for the background but none of them seemed to work without distracting from the image so I've used some Pan Pastels onto white card. I used Ultramarine Blue, Chromium Oxide Green, Dairylide Yellow and black. As I only wanted a light dusting of colour, I just used what was left on my sponges from previous projects so it is quite subtle but shows more in the flesh than the picture. The panel on the left is embossed wit the Cutttlebug Diamond Plate folder. I actually made the card yesterday but was stuck for a greeting and the I found the "A True Classic" in the Forever Friends Good Life Travel Set. It was a bit lost on it's own but fitted perfectly in the Happy Birthday circle from Paula Pascaul's All Year Round set and I used my Fiskars Stamp Press to line them up. I'm also entering this into the Pan Pastels Anything Goes challenge.

Clockworks

I think I'll get this just in time for the Docrafts challenge this week which is Anything Goes. For my card I've used the layout at Friday Sketch Challenge again

I've used the Papermania Urban stamp Looking Glasses which I think may have been free with a magazine. I've stamped it on cream card with Vintage Sepia ink  and clear embossed one of the clocks so it stays cream. I've then added some Tea Dye and Antique Linen distress inks and matted it onto a scrap of card. I've stamped it again and cut out the arms and binoculars, then added some colour and some clear powder to the lenses and added it with some silicone. The backing paper is from the Chronology pack and I've gone around the edges with Tea Dye ink. The panel is done on another scrap and embossed with the Cuttlebug Clockworks folder and the embossed parts are brushed with Tea Dye. Some bakers twine brushed with Tea Dye  to take the whiteness off and the card is finished