Home Sweet Home

There is a challenge over at Robyn's Nest on IDIC and you get a free image to play with too, how cool is that ?

The image is the 3 birdies in the nest called I Tawt I Saw a Pooty Cat by Robyn's Fetish. I already had the pooty cat image from Digistreet coloured in but hadn't got round to using it so this seemed like the perfect card to pair them up.

The base paper is part of a large 12" sheet from My Minds Eye Penny Lane collection. It has a huge tree with owls that is the height of the paper and then a great big area of pale green spots which is what I had used it for. The tree was so big I didn't think I would ever use it but I had the idea to take the lower portion and slice around the branch so I could slot the nest into it. Jules, I have used another snippet !!

The little house from Chi Chi memories was also already coloured in and it seemed that as the card was evolving it made itself in a collage style so I added a chipboard sentiment and some sequin flowers under the tree and job done!!

All images were coloured in using Promarkers and a full list of digis is as below.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size - A5

Images - I Tawt I saw a Pooty Cat by Robyn's Fetish, Foxy Feline by Digistreet, Sweet Home by Chi Chi Memories

Sentiment - Colorbok chipboard from QVC

Paper - Penny Lane collection by My Minds Eye

Embellishments - Butterfly brad by Papermania & small brads by Queen & Co

Tools - Promarkers and lots of 3d foam

Techniques - Decoupage

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

• Allsorts #111 - Free & Easy
• Aud's Sentiments #32 - At least 2 words in sentiment
• Charisma Cardz #27 - All about Flowers
• City Crafty #64 - Birds of a Feather
• Clear it Out Tuesday - Things With Wings
• Craft Garden - Feature a Bird on your project
• Crafty Pad #129 - Texture
• Cupcake Craft Challenge #150 - Old Challenge #18 Create a Scene
• Cupcake Craftroom - Polka Dots
• Deep Ocean Challenge #3 - Cards
• Digi's With Attitude #32 - Anything Goes
• I Did It Creations #63 - Floral
• Jules Crafty Snippets #27 - No new sheets of paper were harmed in the making of this card :)
• Kich N Bleus #4 - Summer or Outdoors
• Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
• Outlawz Paper A La Mode - 3 embellishments (chipboard, sequin flowers & brads)
• Paper Shelter #21 - Dots
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Pile It on #28 - Fave technique (digi's & Promarkers and decoupaging parts of the image)
• Poodles Parlour - Birds Eye View
• Pollycraft #101 - The Great Outdoors
• Robyn's Nest - I Tawt I saw a Pooty Cat
• Scrappy Frogs - Use Flowers
• Squigglefly #106 - Use some Brads
• Stampavie & More #146 - More than 3 layers
• Stamping For the Weekend # 12 - Wings & Things
• Stamp Insanity #66 - Anything Goes
• Stamp Something #8 - Bugs or butterflies
• Stamps R Us - Through the Garden Gate
• Truly Scrumptious #60 - Things With Wings
• Try It On Tuesday - Flower Power

CCM Spots & Stripes

Over at Crafty Cardmakers we have a new challenge today which is to use both spots & stripes on your project.

As I was making a card for another DT I am on I decided to work with the same base colours of Red White and Blue and coloured Mr Gnome but Digital Delights by Louby Lou with Promarkers. Although I take part in many challenges it is not often that I limit myself to such a small colour palette but there is actually something quite freeing about only using 3 colours and sticking to it instead of just colouring an image whatever colours you fancy. Who knew? Anyhoo I thought Mr Gnome would make a fab card to welcome someone to their new home, perhaps with a gnome gift tee hee!! (I actually quite like them but haven't got one yet....)

The base card is covered with Colorbok starry paper and not having any stripy red paper I used some red spotty ribbon and laid it down in stripes on white card. I added a red mat to the image and then used some paler blue striped paper by DCVW, this is ten mounted on 3D foam. The sentiment is by Tiddly Inks and has been matted onto red card and also on 3D foam. I was thinking about adding some toadstools on the side of the card but resisted the urge to keep adding things. Even though it is a large card at 8" square I am TRYING to learn that less is more in some cases and just because it will fit doesn't mean it should be there. (Now if I could only do that with my craft room, I know my hubby would be pleased LOL)

Having had a sabbatical from Crafty Cardmakers for the last month due to issues at home I know the girls have made some fantastic projects and I am so proud to be amongst a fabulous group of ladies with diverse crafting styles. I hope we will inspire you to take the plunge into this challenge and look forward to seeing your projects.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size - 8" square

Sketch -partly based on Sketches By Carly #34

Image - Mr Gnome & sentiment from Digital Delights by Louby Lou

Paper - Colorbok & DCWV

Embellishments - Ribbon

Tools - Good old scissors ;)

Techniques - Fussy Cutting

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

• Card Makin' Mama's #23 - Red White & Blue
• Cards For Men #13 - Stars
• Catch the Bug - Red White & Blue with Ribbon
• Craft Garden - Something Old (paper) Something New (Digi) Something Blue (promarker)
• Craft Us Crazy #11 - Red White & Blue
• Craft Your Passion #64 - Use red
• Crafty Pad #127 - Bold & Bright
• Creative Stamp Friends #28 - Dots
• Cupcake Inspirations #117 - Colours
• Daisy Doodles #36 - Stars & Stripes
• Delightful Inspiration - Red White & Blue
• Die Cut Dreams #92 - Red White & Blue
• Digi's With Attitude #32 - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley Challenges #10 - Ribbons
• Everybody Art #147 - Anything Goes
• Fairytale Challenges #18 - America
• Get Creative With Ann #136 - Red White & Blue
• Here Come The Boys #5 - Spots & Stripes
• I Love Promarkers #71 - Anything Goes with Promarkers
• Just Us Girls #90 - 3D Red White & Blue
• Meljen's Designs #64 - Stripes and/or Plaid
• Off the Wall Colour Challenges #56 - Red White & Blue (picture above)
• Outlawz Greeting Card Monday - Red White & Blue with a sentiment
• Paper Crafting Journey #13 - Anything Goes
• Paper Issues - Red White & Blue
• Paperplay #25 - Stars and/or stripes
• Paper Playtime #49 - Digi with Red White & Blue
• Penny's Paper Crafty #56 - Red White & Blue
• Scrapbook Sisters #41 - Anything Goes
• Scrappy Frogs - Use Red
• Sentimental Sunday #61 - Patriotic colours
• Shelly's Images TTT - Stars, Stripes or Patriotic
• Squigglefly #104 -Red White & Blue
• Stamptacular Sunday #117 - Stars & Stripes
• Stamp Insanity #64 - Stars & Stripes
• Stamp Something - Red White & Blue
• Totally Gorjuss #86 - Ribbons or Lace
• Totally Papercrafts #72 - Spots & Stripes
• Woodware USA #33 - Patriotic theme or colours

Polka Doodles & 365 Cards

This cute little birdy house was made for the Polka Doodles Sketch #4 with additional challenges to use the free downloadable paper and a stamp or digistamp.

The sketch was more of a traditional pentagram shape but is stretched it with some software to fill an A5 sized blank, the fold of the card being on the left hand side if the birdhouse.

I cut a hole in the front for the birdies to get in and out of their new home. I covered the whole of the front with the downloaded paper. It printed out really well, no streaky lines or anything! I used some brown textured card to cut a scallop edge and used a nestie die for the doorway. Lots of bling was added courtesy of Poundland. Every now and again they do some fabby packs of bling that are superb value. Please excuse the one that has shifted in the photo, I promise this has now been pushed back into the correct position!

The sentiment was typed in and printed. The little caterpillar who is edging along the front is part of a digistamp from Sweet & Sassy. I think it is lucky for Cindy the caterpillar that the birdies are looking the other way or she may become a little snackette. The bird sitting onthe nestie and the swirls around the sentiment are clear rubber stamps from Hero Arts. I have also used the swirl to provide the stem for the flowers. These are Prima's from Bitty Bags with green gems from Paperchase. The birdy in the centre is a digital scrapbooking freebie coloured with a Promarker.

I am so chuffed with how this card has turned out. It is going to be VERY difficult to give it away to someone!

I have also entered this card into the challenge for Day 24 of 365 Cards which was to create a nature scene. That will tick an old one from March off my list. Woohoo!!!!

Cuttlebug # 28 & 365 Cards Day 57

It's Day 57 Super Sketchy Sunday over at 365 Cards today and I have used the sketch as the layout for the Cuttlebug Challenge to make a 'home' orientated card.

The papers are from a free booklet that came with Simply Cards & Papercrafts magazine. I very rarely work with these sort of colours bur really liked how summery they were. The turquoise paper was embossed using the Cuttlebug Devine Swirls folder and then sanded to reveal the white core of the paper.

The 'house' is a Colorbok chipboard shape that  distressed. The sentiment is from a paper pack from Creative Cardmaking which I matted a few times on the backing papers and a scrap of navy blue card. This is nounted onto 3D foam.

The flowers are Prima Daisies and the brads are HOTP.

Eyelet Challenge

Chocoholic's Friday Challenge was to make a card using eyelets.

This card is a collage style, the whole idea stemmed from a card I saw on a blog where it was a huge tree with loads of eyelets. I thought it might work with my Sizzix die on a smaller scale and look like apples.

So, the tree and the house are a Doodlebug design Sizzix die, the 'sky' is a printed paper I bought in a sale ages ago. The grass is a handmade paper which has got real grass in it. The butterflies and stickers are various 3d ones from a box I have collated from various packs over the years and the sentiment is a rubber stamp.

I realy enjoyed making this card as it reminded me of making collages from boxes of Fuzzy Felt as a kid. I just loved having a box of tactile shapes and making pretty pictures from it.

Laura's Sketch #6

I needed to make a New Home card for my friend who has just moved in on Thursday and I used Laura's latest sketch over on 2 Sketches 4 You.

I used Doodlebug paper for the background along with some Cuttlebugged swiss dots card which I ran an inkpad over. The leather effect ribbon is from Docrafts, the sentiment a QVC kit and the house is a Doodlebug designs Sizzix die cut with a brad for a door knob.

The top section is layers of handmade paper and 7 Gypsies paper from a Zanzibar pad (1st time I have used it!) the little houses are cut out using a punch I bought ages ago from Art of Craft.

The new home sentiment is metallic and hasn't scanned very well unfortunately :(

Kazan Sketch #6

One of my forum buddies has just moved into a new home and I wanted to make a card to welcome her.

I used Kazan's new 2 Sketches for you sketch to base the design around.

The papers are from Dovecraft Masculine pack and the new home one is Doodlebug. The sentiment was from QVC ages ago as was the chipboard house 30 12x12 chipboard sheets for £15 ish Bargain !!!

The fence is a 3d fabric embellishment from home bargains and the pretty glittered butterflies are from my stash. There is a liberal amount of inked edges provided by my ever faithful tim Holtz distressing pad.

Love this card as it is so tactile.

1st Card of 2008 & Di Hickman Sketch January #1

It seems appropriate that the 1st card I make this year is also the first of Di Hickman's sketches ! In a first for me I twisted the sketch around, will wonders never cease.

One of our friends has just moved this weekend into a flat with her little girl so I made this little card for her.

The house is a Sizzix die cut mounted on 3D foam, the ribbons are Papermania as is the bling in the centre of the Prima flowers.

The sentiment is a ribber stamp and I have used a brand new Versafine inkpad and I am so impressed with it. It dried straight away and I got the nicest crisp impression that I have ever got with this stamp.

In an effort to re-organise my craft room I have packed all my Christams stuff away on top of the bookcases and have been switching stuff around to make the stuff I use most easier to get to. I have also condensed my flowers into less pots. I have a lot of Primas and various other flowers so I got 2 cookie jars from Asda (bargain at 99p each) and one now holds all my Prima Daisies, the other has various sizes of Primas. I still have 3 bottles of the tiny ones and I have used the other bottles to hold other bits and pieces. This has enabled me to empty 8 other containers and jars which can go to the recycling box. They looked pretty in their own containers but unless you have oodles of space they are not very practical are they ?

I have got so much stash that I need to be very careful about buying any more. I am going to TRY not to buy unless I NEED it. If I am not replacing something I have used up I think I need to seriously question whether I should purchase it or not and not impulse buy just because I see something I like. Paul will be very happy to hear that I have no doubt as he says I have too much stuff and he is probably right. (Don't tell him okay LOL)

New Home

This is a card I have made for a friend who has just moved into a new home.

The house and tree dies cuts are a Doodlebug designs Sissix die, the smily face on the sunshine was from a kids necklace which I took apart from Claire's Accessories and the ikkle flowers are Jolee's Boutique ones that I got as freebies from an Ebay seller in the USA. The sentiment is a rubber stamp and I have used Sakura Souffle pens for the the accents.