Papertake challenge

I have made this card in anticipation that my friend will finally have a girl. She has 4 boys 6 and under and is expecting her 5th baby anytime now. Here's hoping. I used the lovely basic grey papers and distressed the edges. I used a free stamp from craft stamper for the image and chipboard for the text.

Arty girlz, Mixed Media Monday and Craftaway a sunday challenge ATC

Well I managed to combine 3 challenges into one! Arty girlz challenge is to use red, Mixed Media Monday is Harmony and craftaway a sunday is birds. I used a fabulous quote by a fabulous artist to link to the harmony aspect and as inspiration for the whole piece. I used a red sunset and red birds for the red challenge and simply birds for the bird challenge. Phew!

Think Monday think ATC - Coffee

A great theme my favourite morning pick me up is coffee. I also absolutely adore the song by squeeze "Black coffee" so this is my little ATC in admiration of coffee! Those are such true words for a knackered mum of four!

Kaboodle Doodle challenge - Use free download

I used this lovely free download from Kaboodle Doodle to make a coaster photo frame for a picture of my youngest. He was about 2 months old in this picture and he is now nearly 7 months. Time just flys by. I laminated the covered coasters and picture. It is all made using the paper. I used eyelets to hold it together. It is a really simple but effective way to frame photos.

Basic Grey challenge - sketch

Yes another christmas card....one to be batch produced i expect as I love it. Three christmas cards made using basic grey papers today. On this one I used the boxer 6x6 pad. I also used an ornamental stamp on top of the papers to add some interest. I added an image of Mary and Jesus and some embellishments too. I loved the sketch very easy to play with. Sorry about the visible glue in the pictures, it was still drying.

Sarah Kay challenge - True Blue

I have made this card for the Sarah Kay challenge -True Blue. I have made another christmas card as it is a great way to get them done and enjoy a challenge. I have kept it very plain as it may be sent to a male too and they don't always appreciate the flouncy bits.

I brought the basic grey papers and Sarah Kay stamp from Sassycrafts online and can i just say what an excellent service Emma provides.

I have had a lovely morning making some christmas cards as my lovely partner has taken three of the babes to the park and the other big babe is still at brownie camp .... boo hoo ...... A rare moment!

penny black/ sketch Saturday challenge - seasons

I have combined the 2 saturday challenges that I do. My gorgeous niece had been very poorly for a few weeks so I have made this card to cheer her up. She is only15 months old but I am sure she will enjoy the texture of the ribbons and the cute penny black images. I think it is bright enough to be a summer card!

Cute card Thursday - sparkle and glitter

It had to be a christmas card. The theme is sparkle and glitter for cute card Thursday. I sourced a colouring in image from the internet. After downsizing and printing, I coloured it in using stardust pens so it is very glittery. I then added a few borders and added a sentiment PEACE and some gems.

Daring cardmakers - Kings and Queens

I have made this christmas card for the Daring cardmakers challenge which is to include a crown somewhere in your design. I sourced a colouring in image from the web and coloured it in having downsized it. I then framed it and matted and layered it. I added some ribbon some jump rings and a handmade tag with a crown cut using my sidekick. I am very pleased with the results. A great challenge.

Kaboodle doodle challenge = Unusual embellishments

I made this card with left over photocopy paper and some pens. I also used a lace stamp to create the lace effect background. I had a great time doodling for this challenge.

Papertake weekly children in need / 2 sketches 4 you

I have combined these 2 challenges. Papertake weekly is to create a card in yellow, for children in need, Steph will donate 25p for everycard received. The idea is to produce a giant Pudsey Bear with yellow cards. It is a marvellous charity so have a go! I used the sketch from 2 sketches 4 you.

Arty Girlz challenge #53 = Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season. I cannot resist crunching in those shrivelled leaves. I am inspired immensely by Autumn. I love the colours ( rich rusts and bronze browns), the sounds, the crisp mornings, the smell of bonfires. So this is a great challenge for me. My dream is to travel to Canada in the fall as the trees turn amazing shades of red, orange and brown. I also have a passion to see wild bears. Anyway back to the subject in hand Art. Here is a bag charm made from my old faves acrylic and polymer clay. I got some Basic craft stamps arrive from Sassycrafts today so I used one on the clay and this is what happened. I added chain, beads and some fibres too. Thanks for looking!

Mixed Media Monday - Show us what you love to do

This is simply what I love to do. I love to design pendants from polymer clay for necklaces. I have made this using white premo sculpey clay which I stamped using elusive image stamp and a lace stamp by sculpey. I added a bead as the centre of the flower. When cooked I added some acrylic paints and some glimmer mists and some gloss. I then made the jump ring using wire and a bead that matched the centre of the flower. The picture is not as great as i would like but I hope you can see my passion for this technique in the piece.

Craftaway a Sunday - Water

I made a polymer clay bag charm for my daughter. It is a dolphin. I accented the stamped pattern with acrylic paint and glimmer mist. I also added some gems and my own swirls. I varnished it added a hole and eyelet and added the keyring, ribbons and chain. My daughter loves it!

Penny Black Challenge - decorate the inside of the card!

For this challenge I have used my new dovecraft papers "abstract prints". I missed last weeks challenge so I made the card quite manly to test myself. I added these cute hedgehogs from my penny black stamps. I also used an embossed Happy birthday sentiment on the outside of the card. The triangles on the inside are pockets to put in vouchers or money for the recipient.

Sketch Saturday

I have made this card for the Sketch Saturday Challenge. I have a thing at the minute of making things using minimal papers and other materials. I have used some papers from dovecraft, a flower stamp free with craft stamper magazine, another material flower and some ribbon. I stitched the centre of the flower that I created using the free stamp. I have left it free of a sentiment so it is generic but I may add a sentiment when I use it.

Daring Cardmakers - All Mixed Up

I have made this card for the Daring Cardmakers challenge. The theme is All mixed up they want you to make a card that you usually wouldn't for a man or woman. I chose to make a football card for a lady. I played with a photo on my graphics program and added some embellishments. Hope you get it!

Cute Card Thursday - Food

This is a christmas card I made for the Cute Thursday challenge they want us to use food in our cards. I made my christmas pud with paper and glimmer mists, added some holly leaves made with paper and sakura pens, i added buttons as berries. I then cut out some co-ordinating papers from BG and Dovecraft. I added a mouse from the cute companions range. I then made sentiments to co-ordinate.

Arty Girlz First Birthday challenge # 52!!!!

Hey, Congratulations to Crissi and Julie at Arty Girlz challenge blog on their first birthday. They have a fantastic challenge blog! To celebrate they are giving away a great prize so go check them out. I have been meaning to make this mini book for my gorgeous niece Katie who celebrated her first birthday this year too. It contains photos from her big day. The challenge gave me the kick up the whoopsee to do it. I blagged the coasters, that i have altered, from a stall at the Thames festival on Sunday. They are from the coastguard campaign to not drink and drown. I said to him, "are these free? Can I take a couple" and he gave me a whole stack. Touch! Talking about firsts my youngest daughter had her first day at nursery today too!

2 sketches 4 you - A mans christmas card

I have made this christmas card for the 2 sketches 4 you challenge this week. A great sketch from Karzan. I used the awesome basic grey boxer paper pad, a stamp I had in my stash some chalks, some pen and a greeting printed on word. I like to make slightly alternative christmas cards. Phew anyone know how many shopping weeks to go!

Papertake Weekly

Here is a christmas card I have made for the papertake weekly challenge Kathrina's sketch.

Henry the VIII, I am, I am

I have done this ATC for 2 challenges. Inspired by Year 4's history topic The Tudors I created this ATC for both TMTA (handwriting) and Monday Mixed Media (someone famous). My daughter is also learning about mechanisms for Design and technology so I practised making a flap so I can share it with her sometime this week.

Sarah Kay challenge - trio of papers

http://sarahkaychallenges.blogspot.com/2008/09/week-11-trio-of-papers.html

I have used some scrapbook designer papers for this challenge by Sarah Kay, which is to use only 3 papers. I stamped the image on 2 of the papers to create her outfit and then I used the third paper to create her work of art. I cut out images from one of the papers to embellish the card and I chalked and stamped a flower for another one. I think I may send this to my sister-in-law for her birthday.

Aubergine lady for Saturday sketch and This Thursday it's all about

http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/

http://thisthursday.wordpress.com/

I am entering this for 2 challenges the saturday sketch and this thursday it's all about stashraiders. I used somepapers I found in my drawer and co=ordinated the stamped image with them. I used acrylic paints to colur in this crafty individuals stamp. I made the embellishments to co-ordinate too. I love this stamp so I am glad I got to use her. Check out her fairy wings they are made with the papers I found.
It has been one of those days today. Knee high in washing, cleaning, clearing away. Jimmy took the kids out, so I could craft in peace and Harry managed to hit him in the face with a golf club, so he had to go to a&e whilst I dealt with Mayhem at home. Nevermind he's all fixed up now, Thank the lord.

Daring cardmakers challenge -|The same but different

http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/2008/08/same-but-different.html
I made this using acrylic paints,stamps, embossing powders and the quote. I usedthe words in the quote to inspire the background and kept a simple colour pallette. The challenge was to use the same quote as everyone in your design.

Thank God it's Friday and TMTA

http://thankgoditsfriday.wordpress.com/

http://tmta.wordpress.com/

Thank God it is Friday! Stumped a bit this week, about what to do for the Think monday Think ATC challenge, which has a dance theme. Thought about it and thought Autumn colours influence me quite a lot, the backgrounds have a middle eastern feel to them and I came up with this set of ATC's. I am going to submit this for Thank God it's Friday aswell as I got the idea today and their challenge is a free theme.

Here is a bit taken from Wikipedia to explain belly dance technique and the reasoning behind my backgrounds that I created using acrylic paint and stamps. I kept the collage very straight forward.

Most of the basic steps and techniques used in belly dancing involve circular motions isolated to a certain part of the body. For example, a circular movement "drawn" parallel to the floor by the hips alone, or by the shoulders alone. Accents such as "pop and lock," where a dancer either shimmies or makes a striking motion with their shoulders or hips, are common, as are feats of flexibility, rolling one's belly muscles, balancing various props like baskets, swords or canes, and dancing with chiffon or silk veils.

Sounds like hardwork! I am a bit shy so I wouldn't like exposing my belly.

Cute card Thursday cats and dogs

This is my card for Cute card Thursday challenge blog. I used a graphics program to create the image and the textured feel of the background I then added the button embellishment and greeting embellishment. I think that real cats are the cutest thing especially my cat "Cassie" who died a long time ago. They are especially cute when playing with things ,that is why I added the ball of wool when constructing the image.
We had Cassie for over 18 years she had a good long life. She had one litter of kittens when she was still very young, herself. We kept one and called him "Zilch ". He however disappeared at 9 months old. We never found out his fate. We gave away the other 3 who got named "Tom", "Ziggy" and "Zach". They were all very beautiful and cute. I remember them climbing up my legs when they were about 2 weeks old. They used to suck on my Dad's beard too
http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/

2sketches 4 you Lauras sketch #8

I love this sketch so easy to work with. Inspiration from DT excellent. I had the most fun making this card. I used card stock, leaf embellishments and papers from a lets make cards magazine. I made the butterfly papers using chalks, glimmer mists a stencil and pen. I then added some ribbon. I beaded some wire for the antenne of the butterfly.

Arty Girlz Challenge #51 Inspired by something in the home

I love this mousemat I designed recently and had printed by bonusprint. I made this paper mache bowl and have been waiting for my new acrylic paints to arrive so I can paint it. I have painted it using antique copper. I designed a backing paper using the motif on the mousemat. I then printed the backing paper onto vellum and then attatched it to the painted paper mache bowl. I added a layer of PVA glue to seal the bowl and then a glaze of varnish. I am not sure if I want to add a chain or not so for the moment here it is without the chain. I am also going to add some pot pourri. Great fun and a big mess doing this challenge!

Papertake Weekly challenge- Autumn Haze

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com

I have created this card for a friend. I love the warm rusty colours of Autumn. I designed the papers myself and added a Sarah Kay image. I made a matching Tag for the greeting.