Crafty Cardmakers Challenge # 24

For the latest challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers we have been encouraged to have inky finkers and uses ink in one form or another.

I have opted to used my tried and trusted Tim Holtz pad to do some distressing. I had been given a load of greetings cards to recycle and found this fabulous foiled tree and leaf border. I used the distressing pad to rub over the tree to help define the embossed texture and also on the edges of the papers and card blank. The Hampstead papers from Papermania are perfect for this as the colours are autumnal. The mat is a Nellie Snellen frame which has been edged in gold pen and last but not least I used 2 colours of ink to darken the Docrafts 'scrabble' letters as they were a bit too clean looking and didn't suit the card.

Some of the girls have done some amazing projects and I would really encourage you to go take a look at them. It would be great to see you join in our challenges and I look forward to visiting your bogs and seeing your work.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge # 23

It's challenge number 23 over at Crafty Cardmakers and we want to see a card made for a man.

The card I made for this challenge was to celebrate the 65th Birthday of a special friend. I have used the Hampstead range of papers by Papermania, cut mats using Nestabilities dies and used a new embossing folder by Indentz, distressed the text and inked over the top and around the edges with a Tim Holtz distressed ink pad.

The decoupage is a Forever Friends bear which has several layers. The chipboard numbers have stickles glue added for a bit of bling and the sentiment was recycled from an old greeting card. As the recipient is a gardener for his living I have used FF stickers inside to make it more personalised.

I don't tend to make as many cards for men as I do ladies so I'm very much looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your lovely creations. I hope you will join us in this challenge.

AWOL

Been a bit AWOL lately. Have been on holiday and had a fantastic time and then of course you have the post holiday blues and lots of catching up to do.

We had a fantastic time on a cruise around the Canary Islands with two fantastic people who showed us the ropes of cruise etiquette. Paul took lots and lots of photos which he is still sorting out, that'll teach him for taking so many. Hoping to get access to them soon so I can upload a few.

Have had absolutely no chance to do any crafting since before I went away, still don't feel like I have got back to 'normal' yet. Work has been totally hectic since I got back and that has taken up a lot of my time and energy. We had a container full of blinds and poles come from China yesterday and it all has to be unloaded by hand within 2 hours. I ache so much today and have got some really nasty bruises, especially on my arms.

Going to an airshow tomorrow at RAF Cosford, never been to one there before so really looking forward to it.