Bella & Skipper

As I took part in the progressive freebie last time from Imagine That I got this brilliant image Bella & Skipper to play with which came with a sentiment ‘Hello My Friend’. I loved the little froggy and decided to use the Toadally Awesome sentiment, corny I know……

I used a sketch from Sketch n Stash for the layout and selected papers from the Animal Antics First Edition pad. The image is coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers. I actually can’t believe how much green I used on this card. Regular listeners will know that it isn’t a colour I use much and this really is quite a lot for me. Maybe it is growing on me finally!

I used a Quickutz Cookie Cutter die set to trim down the sentiment and my Martha Stewart butterfly punch on the last oddments of paper to cut some butterflies. I quite liked the effect of layering the striped ones on top of the plain and folding the wings up. I must have seen that somewhere recently as I haven’t done that previously.

After adding a few gems in the centres of the butterflies and flowers I declared this card finished.

Materials Used in this Project are as follows:-

Card size – 5” square

Image – Bella & Skipper from Imagine That 

Sentiment – Toadally Awesome by From The Heart

Paper – Animal Antics First Edtion pad by Dovecraft

Tools – Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, Quickutz Cookie Cutter dies, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Embellishments  - Self adhesive gems

Techniques – Diecutting & Punching

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Bearly Mine - #84 Anything Goes
• Craftin Desert Divas - #5 Use a Pun
• Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes
• Crafty Boots – Stamped Character
• Creative Card Crew - #35 Bling
• Creative Craft Challenge – #9 All About Animals
• Critter Sketch Challenge – #162 Flowers
• Cutie Pie Challenges – #43 Lots of layers
• Die Cutting Diva’s - #113 Anything Goes
• Get Inky - #3 Floral Fun
• Going Grey With Scrap Creations – Animals
• Imagine That Digis by Kris - #5 Progressive Freebie
• Party Time Tuesdays  – #118 Anything Goes
• Passion For Promarkers - #196 Dies and / or punches
• Pause Dream Enjoy - #9 Outdoor Critters
• Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes
• Sketch N Stash - #112 Sketch for Layout
• Squigglefly – #17 Odd Numbers of elements, (3 butterflies, 3 DP, 1 Sentiment, 1 image)
• There She Goes - #205 April Showers, May Flowers
• Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday - #77  Anything Goes

Camera & Little Bird

Birdie Brown has a monthly challenge and is very generous with her freebies. This month we get to work with Camera & Little Bird and we have 2 matching sentiments.

I chose a sketch from Can You Digi It which I thought was perfect as it reminded me of an old photograph. I covered the card blank in spotty paper from Papermania and cut a photograph shape from some black card.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers keeping the camera in quite masculine colours. My hubby is a Canon man so the red ring was a nod to him. I created decoupage layers for the flower, the birdie and the ring on the camera. However somehow between colouring it and cutting it out downstairs and then making it to my craft room the ring totally disappeared, goodness only know where it went to. Believe me I looked everywhere! I am hoping It will come home and I can then stick it on, here’s hoping….. J

To finish off I used one of the sentiments, trimmed it into a banner shape as mounted on 3d foam. I distressed the edges of the card and the banner with a small inkpad and that declared it done (minus one decoupage layer…..)

Thanks Torico for running these challenges and for the gorgeous freebies you give us J

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – 6” x 4”

Image – Camera & Little Bird by Birdie Brown

Sentiment – Find Joy Everyday by Birdie Brown

Paper – Licorice Sherbet by Papermania

Tools - Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, 3d foam

Techniques – Decoupage, Distressing

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Birdie Brown – April Challenge
• Can You Digi It - #34 Sketch for Layout
• Challenges 4 Everybody  – #19 Anything Goes
• Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes
• Creative Craft Challenge – #9 All About Animals
• Digital Tuesday – #208 Distressing
• Lady Anne’s Sentimental Friday – #9 Anything Goes With Sentiment
• Pause Dream Enjoy - #9 Outdoor Critters
• Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday - #77  Anything Goes

Janey's Digi Designs Daylily Beth

Okay get your sunglasses on because this bright beauty will burn your eyes if you look at your screen for too long! It may be cold and possibly piddling down, but you will soon warm up when you have colourful flowers around you J

I have used Promarkers & Flexmarkers to colour this fabulous image Daylily Beth from Janey’s Digi Designs in bright orange colours and coloured them both differently. The one on the left has a yellow line in the centre of the petal which I have added glitter to. The one on the right I am most proud of as I have used a darker pen to draw lines on and then use glossy accents to raise them up. I’m pretty sure I have seen real lilies that look like that….. I cut around the image and mounted it on 3d Foam.

I have used the sketch from 2 Sisters Challenge for the layout. The papers are from the Boho Chic and Blank Canvas First Edition pads. I loved that there are so many orange shades of papers to choose from in these pads. Lots of them have encapsulated glitter or glossy effects on them too, they are lush J

The flowers are mounted onto a diecut using the Crafters Companion Grace Die’sire die. I love the intricacy of the shape and distressed the edges with a small inkpad.

The sentiment is part of a free digistamp from Michelle Perkett’s blog. She is very generous in giving away special blog freebies as well as full digi’s that are for sale on her Etsy store.

Janey’s Daylily Beth image can be purchased from the Etsy store. For inspiration please pop over to the blog and Facebook page where our very talented designers will be regularly showcasing these amazing images. There are cards featured which are from customers who have purchased the stamps too which must be an amazing feeling for Jane to see her images being used to create some fabulous cards.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – A5

Images – Daylily Beth by Janey’s Digi Designs

Sentiment – Freebie from Michelle Perkett

Paper – Boho Chic & Blank Canvas First Editions pad by Dovecraft

Tools - Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, Dies from Nestabilities and Die’sire,

Techniques – Diecutting, Distressing

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• 2 Sisters Challenge - #141 Sketch
• Artistic Inspirations – #39 Lots of Layers
• CDAC Seasonal Fun – Spring
• Crafter’s Companion – Flowers
• Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - #15 Spring
• Critter Sketch Challenge – #162 Flowers
• Die Cutting Diva’s - #112 Flowers (Grace Die’sire Die)
• Get Inky - #3 Floral Fun
• Inklings & Yarns - #12 Anything Goes
• Love To Create – #63 Punches and/or dies
• Party Time Tuesdays  – #117 Tic Tac Toe (glitter, Flower, die cut)
• Penny’s Challenge - #124 Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes
• Sisterhood of Crafters – Free For All
• Sparkle & Sprinkle – Use a Digi
• Stamp n Doodle – No Embellishments
• Tammy Scrapin’ Corner - #60 Lots of Layers
• There She Goes - #205 April Showers, May Flowers
• Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday - #77  Anything Goes

From The Heart Flowerpot Chick

The digi this month from the Progressive Freebie Challenge at Delightful Inspiration {From The Heart} is a cute little chicken in a flowerpot called Flowerpot Chick. He also comes with a sentiment Just Chicken In.

I am very lucky that there is a farm shop a couple of miles away from where I live and I go there every week to get all my meat and some of my veggies. On Friday I was treated to the site of a cockerel having a dust bath in a huge flowerpot and it so totally reminded me of this image. I love going to the farm, I am supporting a local business, the produce is a lot tastier. I see animals every week and sometimes if I am very lucky I see the 2 cute little doggies that the Farmer’s wife owns.

Anyhoo, back to my card…..I coloured my image using Promarkers and Flexmarkers and matted it onto some green cardstock. The cardblank is partially covered with some  paper from a bright paperpack. This remnant has been on my desk for ages and I declared it a perfect compliment to the image. I added the lower panel recycled from  some packaging, a scrap of red that has been treated to a Fiskars punch and a layer of yellow ribbon from my stash.

The sentiment I used I think came as a freebie from Scrap N Fonts and has been cut out with the Quickuts Cookie Cutter dies. The yellow flowers came from a Colorbok kit at Costco, sequin flowers and some Queen & Co brads I have had in my stash for many years.

That’s another card made for the progressive freebie and I am looking forward to seeing what we can play with for the next month. Thankyou  Faith for running these challenges again, they are so much fun J

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – 5” Square

Image – Flowerpot Chick by From The Heart

Paper – From a Brightly coloured butterfly pad by Artoz and lots of scraps

Sentiment – Scrap N Fonts

Embellishments – Ribbon, flowers, sequin flowers, brads by Queen & Co

Tools – Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, Fiskars Punch, Quickutz cookie cutter die

Techniques – Punching, Diecutting, Recycling

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• CDAC Anything Goes – Any Handmade Craft
• Delightful Inspiration – April Free Stamp of The Month
• Die Cutting Diva’s - #112 Flowers
• Eureka Stamps  – #36 Animal catwalk
• Forever Friends - #60 Lots of Flowers
• Going Grey With Scrap Creations – Animals
• Love To Create – #62 Bingo (Flowers, Diecut/punch, Ribbon)
• Paper Makeup Stamps Digi Makeover – #85 Animal Friends
• Passion For Promarkers - #195 Animals
• Sketch Saturday - #256 Sketch for layout
• Squigglefly – #16 May Flowers

OSAAT #161 For a Mum/Mom

There's a new challenge today at One Stitch At  A Time 

For a Mum or Mom

Our sponsor this week is Stitchy Bear’s Digi Outlet and there is a fabulous prize of $9 to spend in the store for the lucky winner who uses a Store image

 

Please head on over to the NEW LOOK  & REBRANDED Stitchy Bear’s Digi Outlet to check out all the lovely digis on offer from our great designers. There are some freebies available and there is a selection of cut price Monthly Specials that change often, there really is so much to choose from thanks to our very talented designers. There is also a weekly free image with a purchase of over $3.

Also, to keep ahead of all the latest news you can sign up to the newsletter & become a follower at the

Stitchy Bear Store Blog

 You must use a store image to win the main prizes and all other entries will be in a draw to win $3 to spend in the store

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As it is Mother’s Day in the US on May 12^th we have had a challenge to give you some ideas for Mother’s Day gifts and cards but they could be used for the special Mum in your life all year round.

I decided to make a gift tag for a bottle of Molton Brown shower gel/bath bubbles. I used the colour of the Heavenly Gingerlily to guide me towards my colour choices of bronze, brown and cream. The image is called Relax and is from BB Kakes.

I coloured the image in using Promarkers and Flexmarkers, fussy cut and added 3d foam for dimension. Please note that the wine of choice is red. Nothing like having a long hot soak in the bath with some quality reading material and a bottle of plonk J

For the tag I used the Grace Die from Crafters Companion which produced the pretty frame from some pearlescent bronze cardstock. The gold mat is cut from metallic card using a second part of the die which also embosses the panel. I tied a near perfect bow from some spotty ribbon and used some rustic textured string which is recycled from a gift package. I added lots of stickles glitter to make the bubbles pop and added a tag sentiment from When The Scrap Hits The Fun.

I don’t make tags very often but had fun making this and really ought to do more. Afterall when we go to so much trouble to make a gorgeous card it is such a shame when the gift packaging lacks that special something too.

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 Please pop over to OSAAT to see the fab cards from my colleagues on the DT. I look forward to seeing your entries for this challenge

Materials Used in this Project are as follows:-

Project – Gift Tag approx. 5” x 3”

Image – Relax by BB Kakes

Cardstock – Metallic & pearlescent

Sentiment – When The Scrap Hits The Fun

Tools – Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, Crafter’s Companion Die'sire Grace Die, 3d foam pads,

Embellishments – Stickles Glitter glue, Ribbon, Recycled String

Techniques – Diecutting & Recycling

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Bearly Mine - #83 Digi Days
• CDAC Anything Goes – Any Handmade Craft
• Challenges 4 Everybody  – #19 Anything Goes
• Crafty Ribbons - #44 Anything Goes With Ribbon
• Crafty Sentiments – Monochromatic
• Cupcake Craft Challenge - #239 Monochromatic
• Dare to be Sassy  – #174 Mother’s Day or Special Lady
• Di’s Digi Designs – Anything but Square
• DL Art Thankful Thursday – #108 Mother’s Day
• Inklings & Yarns - #12 Anything Goes
• Inspire Me Fridays - #100 Anything Goes
• Inspired By Stamping WHW - #98 Homemade Tags & Boxes
• Lacy Sunshine - #7 Monochrome
• Love To Create – #62 Bingo (Sentiment, Ribbon, Bling)
• My Sheri Crafts - #109 Mother’s Day
• Natalie & Amy’s Challenge - #8 Monochromatic
• Outlawz Friday Copic & Promarker – CPC042613 Anything Goes
• Pattie’s Creations – #66 Anything But A Card
• PCW Tags n’ ATC’s – Glitter
• Penny’s Challenge - #124 Anything Goes
• Really Reasonable Ribbon - #70 Mother’s Day & ribbon
• Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes
• Sisterhood of Crafters – Free For All
• Stampavie & More - #192 Lots of Die Cuts
• Stamping For The Weekend – Die Cuts/Punches
• Tammy Scrapin’ Corner - #59 Bling It Up
• Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday - #77  Anything Goes

Simply Betty Stamps Elaine

On the Simply Betty Stamps fan group on Facebook Betty runs a monthly competition where you can request the ‘free’ image and you have to make sure you enter a card or you won’t be allowed request any more.

The image above is Elaine and it is part of a larger image of a lady wearing the most fabulous gown. However, when I saw it the only thing that was running through my mind was the kitty song that Penny & Sheldon sings from the Bing Bang Theory. I am not a complete lover of the show but a number of my FB buddies are and they kept mentioning this kitty song so I did a bit of searching on YouTube and found this video. It is quite cute and inspired me to make a sentiment to go with the image. I have included it below in JPG and PNG if you would like to use it

   

If you do download it please give credit back to me if you use it and do not claim as your own. I would love to see any projects you make with it so please leave me a comment and I’ll hop on over

Anyhoo, Back to the card….. The pretty paper is from a new paper pad New Bloom. It is all purples and turquoise, really pretty papers. The purple ovals are shiny and metallic, very pretty but awkward to photograph! It did however give me the perfect excuse to use the lurex ribbon from my stash J

I used a sketch from Chocolate Coffee & Cards for the layout. The sentiment I used to replace the 3 dots, it just wouldn’t fit anywhere else. I used Quickutz Cookuie Cutter dies to cut he image and the matting layer. Finally I added some die cut swirls embellished with glitter and this allowed me to enter the card into the challenge onto the Simply B Blog too.

I had a lovely chilled out day in my craftroom yesterday making cards and catching up on Once Upon a Time. It was nice to make cards for the end of the month challenges and to be able to watch the awful rain and not have to go out in it J

Materials Used in this Project are as follows:-

Card size – 5” Square

Image – Elaine by Simply Betty Stamps

Paper – New Bloom First Edition pad

Sentiment – Freebie from Made By Mandy (me!)

Tools – Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, 3d foam pads, Quickutz Cookie Cutter die, Crealies Creative Swirls die

Embellishments – Stickles glitter glue, lurex ribbon

Techniques – Diecutting

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Artistic Inspirations – #38 Card for a Lady
• CDAC Anything Goes – Any Handmade Craft
• Chocolate Coffee & Cards - #37 Sketch for layout
• Eureka Stamps  – #36 Animal catwalk
• Going Grey With Scrap Creations – Insects or Animals
• Love To Create – #62 Bingo (Sentiment, Ribbon, Bling)
• Make It Monday –  #137 Anything Goes
• Natalie & Amy’s Challenge - #8 Monochromatic
• Paper Makeup Stamps Digi Makeover – #85 Animal Friends
• Passion For Promarkers - #195 Animals
• Simply Betty FB Fan Page - #2 Elaine
• Whoopsi Daisy – Use Circles

TSC Bittersweet

 The Stamping Chef has a weekly progressive freebie competition on their Facebook page TSC Recipes.

You email for the image, which is this case is Bittersweet, you upload a card in the folder, you get lots of lovely comments from some very nice people and the chance to win a free image. If you ask for the freebie you MUST make a card with it though or you will not be allowed to get freebies again, it’s only fair J

I coloured the image with Promarkers using predominantly pink and red but adding orange and yellow for flowers and gold gel pen accents for the watch fob  and key.

I used the latest sketch from I {Heart} CardSketches for the layout of the front of the easel card and used papers from the Birdsong First Edition pad throughout.  I used a scrap of red card to make the Fiskars punched border and added a fabric glitter butterfly.

The inside or the easel is covered with a pink paper and I added a die cut section mounted on 3d foam to hold the front behind. I used a gold gel pen to draw the deckled edge and added a sentiment panel. I am normally very good at giving credit but for the life of me at the moment I cannot find the digi on my computer. I will of course add the information when I find out who dunnit!

Now I have to be honest and say when I first saw this image I panicked a bit as I just couldn’t see how to use it but I am really pleased with how it has evolved. I think she looks a big like Lady Ga Ga and we all know she has her own style.

If you don’t take part in the challenges on Facebook you are missing out on some lovely free images so I hope you will pop over there and join in the fun.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – 5” Square Easel

Image – Bittersweet by The Stamping Chef

Paper – Birdsong First Edition pad by Dovecraft

Sentiment – Freebie from Don’t know at the moment L

Tools - Letraset Promarkers & Flexmarkers, 3d foam, Gold Gel Pen, Fiskars punch, Nestabilities die

Embellishments – Fabric Glitter sticker from Hobbycraft

Techniques – Diecutting, Punching, Shaped card

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• 613 Avenue Create – #16 Anything Goes & optional colours
• Artistic Inspirations – #38 Card for a Lady
• Catered Crop – Add Glitter
• CDAC Anything Goes – Any Handmade Craft
• Creative Inspirations Paint – Anything Goes
• Di’s Digi Designs – Anything but Square
• Dream Valley Challenges - #55 Things With Wings
• I {Heart} Card Sketches – Sketch 015
• Inspire Me Fridays - #100 Anything Goes
• Make It Monday –  #137 Anything Goes
• Melonheadz Friends – Fancy Folds
• Ooh La La Creations  – Easel Card
• Paper Playtime - #8 More Than 1 Fold
• Scribbles Designs - #4 Easel Cards
• Sparkle & Sprinkle – Use a Digi
• Whimsy Inspirations - #58 Pretty in Pink