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

Quick & Cute

The challenge at CD Sunday this week is Quick & Cute and I'm combining it with the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Embossing. When I see these challenges come up on Bloglovin, I get an idea of what to do and often print the images and then get distracted by something else and the card doesn't get made. So this week, I've got down to it again and made the card straight away.

I've used this cute image from the Quilt section on Giordano's Puppies & Kittens CD and cut and layered it with Nesties. The backing paper is from the pile of loose sheets on my desk which is finally getting a little smaller. I've embossed the lower card with the Boofle Patchwork folder to match the quilt in the picture. Some flowers, flourishes and gems to finish a very quick card.

Technique Time Tuesday - Chalkboard

The challenge this month at Technique Time Tuesday is to use the Chalkboard Technique. I've only tried this once and forgot how much I liked it and I've gone for a similar card as before as it seemed to work well. I've use two stamp sets - Amazing Family by Stampin Up and The Journey by Tim Holtz. For the main image I've stamped in Versamark and embossed with WOW Opaque White powder. I've then over-stamped with Ink It Up White ink to give a shadow. My border is done with a Picket Fence Distress Marker and a ruler. I did think I had a dud pen as it didn't show straight away but gradually appeared and I think it has a chalky effect. I also used my finger on the ink left on the stamps to add a few smudges. The background is just stamped with the stamps on the Tim Holtz set with Versafine onyx black. These are really great sets when you don't have the right backing paper.

If you've not tried this technique before, be sure to pop over to TTT to see the video as it's really clear. In one of the magazines this month there was a tutorial on the chalkboard technique but it actually used chalk which seems a little bit of a cheat to me.

I'm also entering this into the Joanna Sheen challenge which is to make a Father's Day or Male card.

I do have another idea for this technique but I'm not going to get time to try it until I get back from holiday but I will definitely have a go.

Blockbusters

Remember the old television programme - give us a B Bob? Well I picked up this pack of game cards in a charity shop

Someone had just returned it as there were some cards missing and the manager said to put it in the bin. I'll have it I said and paid the princely sum of 10p. I wanted it more for the idea than the cards and when I saw this weeks sketch at Sketch Saturday, I just knew what I was going to do

I've used one of the playing cards for the background. The hexagons were cut with a Die-namics die. Now I must admit I was caught out by this die as it cuts 3 each of two different sized hexagons. I didn't realise this until I had stuck some down and they just wouldn't fit so I had to start again. It worked out well though as it meant that I could do the two tone green for some of the hexagons. The letter were cut from scraps of black card with a Quickcutz alphabet dies in the Squeeze. And this is the final card

Now to find something to do with the other 30 odd playing cards!

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

My Mum's Craft Shop - Dies, Dies Dies

Joanna Sheen - Fathers Day/Male Card

The Crafter's Cafe - Father's/For A Male

Cards For Men - Boys Will Be Boys

Heck Of A Challenge -Bingo - middle line - Yellow, Die Cut or Punch, Green

and of course, Pixie's Crafty Snippets Playground

Heavy Metal

That's the challenge at Anything Goes and I think I'm just in time to enter. I've used the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches

It's not quite heavy metal as it's the bottom of a foil container. I went to a Plant & Cake sale at the village hall yesterday and although there were some lovely cakes, I only came away with some shortbread fingers and they were in this container (yes I have eaten them all!)

I cut the bottom out and smoothed it with the edge of my bone folder then cut the cars out with Marianne dies. I'm really pleased at how they came out

I've added quite a bit of sillicone glue to the back of the card so it won't crush. The bottom backing paper is from my stash and the top one is from a Wild Rose Studio pack. The sentiment is from an Inkylicious set called Journey. I've added a strip of mirror card which has been through the Cuttlebug in one of my favourite embossing folders for men. I've sanded it lightly and added some blue alcohol inks to take most of the shine off it. I'm also entering this into the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Recycle and the Cards For Men challenge which is Anything Goes

Summer By The Sea

This is a gorgeous image from the Faye Whittaker CD by Joanna Sheen. I've made a simple layout using Pan Pastels to make my background. The pigment in these is very dense and for most of the blue I only used what was already on my sponge. The sentiment is by Stampin Up cut with a ticket die and the shells are from  some earings - I used one on an earlier card here.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Pan Pastels Anything Goes challenge (does that include mistakes)
Joanna Sheen Come Rain Or Shine challenge
Without Words - April Showers in Blue

I made this card last night and when I came up to my craft room this morning to take the photograph, I could see the obvious - the background is upside down! Everything is stuck down too well to undo it so I'm saying the sky is a reflection in the water - does that work :)

April Showers

Well it's the second day of April and here on the South Coast we've not had a shower yet. In fact it's been a beautiful day. For my card today, I've used this sketch from Seems A Little Sketchy

The theme this week at Cuttlebug Mania is April Showers and the girls there have come up with some beautiful cards. I've used an image from the Mabel Lucie Atwell CD which is so cute. I was going to triple emboss the image to give a glossy look but once I'd put the first layer on, I really liked the mottled look as it reminded me of rain so I have left t at one layer.

The clouds are from a Stampin Up embossing folder which gives a really sharp image. The paper is left over from another project but the colours went so well with the image, I couldn't have found anything better in my stash. I've used a Joy Craft border die across the middle and a Stampin Up die for the greeting. A few gems and the card is finished. I'm also entering this into the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Come Rain Or Shine

Cuttlebug used for embossing clouds, sentiment strip and border die

Mum's The Word

That's the current challenge at Joanna Sheen. For my card I've used the layout at Tuesday Morning Sketches

The image and papers are from a Forever Friends kit called Wedding Bliss but I thought this one was OK for a Mum card. The corners are from a Sizzlit Photo Corner die and the MUM is from a Tattered Lace die. The flower is made with two Tonic punches punched from the same card and one of the papers. I'm also entering this into the Forever Friends monthly challenge which is Lots Of Flowers

DAD

I'm trying to get ahead with charity cards for Fathers Day. I saw this sketch on Cally's blog and thought I'd give it a go. It's from Friday Sketch Challenge and this is the sketch

I've used a sticker from Forever Friends New Arrival set and I thought this one would be great for Fathers Day. The backing papers are from the New Arrival Ultimate Die-cut pack as are the letters for DAD. I've added a few Card Candi to finish. I'm also entering this into the fortnightly Forever Friends challenge which is Bears (you can  use any bears but I always like to use a Forever Friends image - well I do have a lot of them) and the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Layer It Up

Black Cat

When I was making my chocolate card below I looked through the other mini stamps I had and there was a very sweet cat but that reminded me of the Gem Stone Cats set I had which is also by Inkadinkado. I've stamped one of these cats in black and used clear powder to emboss. I've cut and layered it with some Nesties and added some clear gems. The backing paper is another old paper pack called Ivory Black by Papermania. The flowers are cut from black and white card scraps with a Marianne die. I've brushed the black ones with Versamark and added some holegraphic embossing powder. The corners are a Sizzlit die. T
 and the sentiment is from the Inkadinkado mini set called You're Purfect. I'm entering this into the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Black & White and the challenge at Stamping Sensations which is Fur & Feathers

Cosy Christmas

I packed up all my Christmas stash at the weekend but hadn't actually put it away. Then I realised that I hadn't made OH's Christmas card but I know he still has the Prague one I made him a couple of years ago  in his study so I thought I'd just pinch that and put it in a new envelope - job done. However, today I went to put the boxes in the spare bedroom cupboard where they live most of the year and found another box full of Christmas stash that I hadn't even opened this year! Of course I had to go through it just to see what I had missed. I can't believe I actually bought more papers this year.

I found a lovely Forever Friends set so I've used a topper from that to make him a card. I'm quite pleased as I haven't had to cut into any new papers as these are just scraps from other projects mounted onto mirror card I've added some Craftwork Cards poinsettia flowers and some heart gems which are always left on the sheet! So this will be us this Christmas, sat in front of a log fire with a glass of wine but I'm sure there will be a ginger and white bundle of fur between us.

I'm entering this into the Anything Goes - Traditional Christmas Colours challenge, Joanna Sheen - With Love at Christmas and the Forever Friends  - Christmas Cards challenge

Anything Goes Excluding Christmas

That's the theme for the current Joanna Sheen challenge. For this card I've used an image from the Digi Garden called Emily Paints. I coloured her with Promarkers and used a section from a Wilkinsons paint chart  on the left. The paint pot, brushes and sentiment are from Cathie Shuttleworth set called DIY Bits. I've used the Sunday Sketch and Stamp layout for my card although I've moved the paint pot to the right.

SNOW

This is my second entry into both the My Mum's Craft Shop Winter Wonderland challenge and the Joanna Sheen Cold & Frosty challenge. This is a retired Inkadinkado stamp which I got in Totnes in 2008. Unfortunately the shop called Finishing Touches has since closed down which is a shame as it was a lovely shop. I've stamped the image with majestic blue Versafine and added some glamour dust for sparkle. The snow word is from a very old kit from Lakeland - when they used to sell craft stash. The backing paper is from a DCWV pack

Country Landscape

I just love this die - it's so easy to make cards with it. It's called Country Landscape by Memory Box. For this card, I've cut some glitter paper with the die - I had to run it though several times as the paper is quite thick. I've layered it onto blue mirri card. I wasn't sure what to put on the top so I ended up running it through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder to add texture. The greeting is by Stampin Up and layered with Stampin Up punches. I'm entering this into the challenge at My Mum's Craft Shop which is Winter Wonderland and also the Joanna Sheen challenge which is Cold and Frosty.

Autumn Breeze at Joanna Sheen

When I saw the theme on the Joanna Sheen challenge blog, I had just been sorting my Inkylicious stamps into DVD boxes and remembered this sentiment stamp. So I've stamped that with Vintage Sepia Versafine and embossed it then coloured the card with Pan Pastels. The rest of the stamps used come from a set called Autumn Harvest by The Paper Company Studio. I've had this set for years and it always comes out at this time of year. I just wish I knew of a stockist in the UK.. So a very simple card but I do love these colours. I've added some gilding flakes to the leaves at the top and a little at the bottom but it doesn't really show in the picture

Totally Sentimental

I've made a tag from scrap card and coloured it with Pan Pastels. The sentiment stamp is by Inkylicious called Scatter Seeds and the foliage is from their Prickly Shrubs set and both are stamped with Versafine. The backing paper is from a Papermania stack called Regency and I've added some Pan Pastels to the corners to tone it in with the tag. The fibres are from a box I found stashed away. We did a swop on the old Imag-e-nation forum years ago and I didn't get around to using many so they'll probably be appearing on lots of my cards now

I'm entering this card into the Joanna Sheen challenge which this week is to use a sentiment as the main focus and the Polka Doodles challenge which is to use a tag on your card

Try Something New at Joanna Sheen

This is my card for the Joanna Sheen challenge this week which is Try Something New. I've decided to have a go with my new Pan Pastels. There are some lovely colours available and it's difficult to choose but I'm very pleased with the colours I got and they are so easy to use. The image is from the Silhouette Sunday Morning set by Stamp Addicts which I've stamped in Versafine and embossed before adding the Pastels. The image is trimmed and layered up with a simple ribbon added. I'm quite pleased with the results and can see me becoming addicted to these pastels.

Animal Crackers at Joanna Sheen

I made this very quick card for a friend and thought I'd enter it into the Joanna Sheen Animal Crackers challenge. The horse is an old Anita's stamp that I got in a sale for £1. This is it's first inking and all I've done is ink it with Gathered Twigs distress ink and moved some of the colour with a water brush. I've used a Crafts Concept embossing folder for the top of the card. The ribbon was rescued from a chocolate box. As I said a very quick card - I'll be making some more of these for my animal charity.

Joanna Sheen - Going Round in Circles

This is a very quick card for the Joanna Sheen Going Round in Circles challenge. I've used  the Furry Friends CD and thought this little dog was perfect. I printed the spotty paper straight onto card and cut a circle out for the rocker base. The image and mat are cut with Nesties with lots of round gems added. The card is finished off with a Craftwork Cards greeting and another gem. It will make a great card for my animal charity.

Sketch n Stash Challenge 55

This is my entry into the Sketch n Stash challenge 55. I've also entered it into the Crafters Reunited February Inspirationals. The Crafters Reunited challenge was to use a CD. I've not used any of mine for ages so this fitted both challenges well.

I've used Joanna Sheen's Ivory Cats CD. I'd forgotten what beautiful images there are on this set. I've printed the background in two sizes. Matted the smaller one on some coredinations punched with Martha Stewarts Doily Lace and finished with a Joys butterfly die and some gems