Neon Boa

Hello.  Welcome.   There is still uhhhh, an hour to join the Rubber Dance challenge for August which is black and white plus one colour.  OK, that's probably not much of a reminder.  But the good news is there will be a new challenge starting and there will be a whole month to join the fun and great fun it promises to be.  That said, I still needed a birthday card and decided to use one of my favourite sentiments from Rubber Dance Happy Birthday set

So I used the DCWV square card with the embossed square pattern again and added black ink to highlight the squares.  I stamped and embossed the Rubber Dance sentiment on green card, added a green glitter and a black frame and then some really cool neon green wooly stuff.  Awesome.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Twofers Challenge 26 - Stamped Sentiment as Main Feature 
Sweet Stampin Challenge - No Designer Paper
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Hip 2 Be Square 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 

Flip Flip Flip

Hello.  Welcome.  Over at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog they have a new challenge.  CASE the DT.  What fun.  So we are CASEing one of Chaitali's cards.  I decided to make a tag.  I wanted to use the lovely Unity Dream of Being.  She was facing the wrong way and I didn't want to mess around mirroring her so I decided to flip Chaitali's design. 

So I made a tag.  The girl holding the coffee cup (Unity Stamps Dream of Being) is in place of Chaitali's cup.  The sentiment is also from Unity but it originally read 'sometimes talking with friends is the only therapy you need'  

Chaitali's card to CASE

I cut my tag and used Stamplorations Swirly Blooms stencil and black archival ink.  I used Sizzix journal card dies to cut a layer of black card and then a piece that I had covered with polka dot washi tape.  I coloured the image with sharpies and watercolours.  I placed the stamped, fussy cut girl on the polka dot panel and did a bit of masking to get the bits of the sentiment I wanted.   I wrote the word coffee in and cut using Sizzix circle die.  Then I backed it with a sizzix die cut flower in black.  Doesn't show so well.  You can just see the end of the petals peeking out.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Coffee Loving Cardmakers CASEing the DT #1
Allsorts Challenge Week 378 - Use at Least Two Dies 
Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge
Sweet Stampin Challenge - No Designer Paper 
Scrappelyst Grublis for August - Ulike Medium 

Slangdingo

Hello.  Welcome.  Orange.  Squares.  NBUS.  Perfect.  

I had to check the spelling of this very annoying word.  I remember my nephew used to say it.  Again and again and again and again.  It used to drive me a little crazy.  But this evening it just seemed perfect for this cute little birdie (NBUS).  I swiped my embossed card with Ripe Persimmon distress ink.  Added Lost Coast Whimsical Flora stamped on patterned paper and coloured with sharpies.  Then I die cut the words using 5 of the Sizzix Ida Lou alphabet dies.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
NBUS Challenge #7 da bird is NBUS
Allsorts Challenge Week 378 - Use at Least Two Dies 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - It's Hip to be Square
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Hip 2 Be Square
MFP Stamps Challenge 35 - Saturday Challenge Orange 

Baby Blue

Hello.  Welcome.  So yesterday my friend says 'I'm coming in tomorrow to get a baby card from you'.  'For a boy.'   Uhhhhhhhh, right......   So I looks through my box.  Nope, no baby card.  So I looks through my other box!  Nope!!  Plenty christmas cards.  Didn't realise I had made so many already this year.  But no baby cards, and definitely no baby boy cards.  So, up with the cockerel today.   About 9am LOL.  My rooster likes his perch!!  Suits me fine.  Checked my blog for inspration.  1 label for baby!!  No!!  Surely I've made more than one baby card in the last 3 years?  Obviously the label maker has slipped up.  So I had a quick look around blogland and spotted a lovely sketch over at Verve Stamps.  Perfect.  So here we go, a baby boy card

I started with a DCWV square embossed square card base.  I added a torn pp strip vertically and Cheery Lynn Tiny Bubbles Border horizontally.  My topper is a Cheery Lynn Waltzing Matilda Doily backed with dark blue paper.  I cut the circles with Sizzix circle dies and backed with lace.  The teddy is from Stamplorations Heaven Sent coloured with distress ink.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz 

Joining the fun at
Viva La Verve Sketches - August #1
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 236 - Doilies 
Allsorts Challenge Week 378 - Use at Least Two Dies 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - It's Hip to be Square
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Hip 2 Be Square
Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge 

Getting Organised

Hello.  Welcome.  The craft room tidy continues and I may soon be in a position to invite some friends in to craft with me.  My desks have been buried for some time now and it's lovely to have a bit of clear space.  I am really trying to tidy up between one project and the next.  So, in the interest of being organised I decided to have a go at the other tutorial at MFP, Window Tent Card.  

What a cutie!!  I used MME double sided paper.  I cut my aperture with Crafts Too Frames 9 dies.  I decided to return the cut scalloped square to the back of the card, but there was a bit of a pattern clash, so I inked all the edges in black to give a bit of distance.  I used MFP Holiday Tags set for my little santa and the sentiment is from MFP Nutcracker set.  I was going to mount the sentiment on the outside and then thought it would be fun to add it to the mountain fold inside the card.  Gives great dimension.  

Thanks for dropping by.  I'm off to water the tomatoes.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP August Blog Hop Tutorials
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - It's Hip to be Square
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Hip 2 Be Square
Rudolph Days Challenge
Hjerteboden Juli/August - Alt Er Lov 

Me Ow

Hello.  Welcome.  MFP are having a hop and have added a couple of tutorial challenges as well.  Decided to have a go at making a Layered Embellishment.  This one basically uses scraps and I have plenty scraps!!

I started with a square of pale blue card and added a layer of printed paper that had tiger prints all over it.  Then I added a strip of painty paper that I embossed with Sizzix Cirque ef.  I stamped and embossed MFP Tiger, fussy cut and added the sentiment.  All ready to add to a card or tag as required. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP August Blog Hop Tutorials 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - It's Hip to be Square 
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Hip 2 Be Square 
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Blue 
SUYP Challenge #9 - Furrything Goes 

Best Boots

Hello.  Welcome.  Sometimes it's fun to just play.  I was feeling the need for some brights and Curious Corrin was just hanging around........

I made a big tag.  Usually Corrin loses her legs but I decided to go large and get her best boots on.  My background is neon paper and the strange black thing is a die cut negative scrap.  It is the result of cutting two Memory Box Loop Borders.  The letters are Rubber Dance Alphabet Uno and the mound she is standing on is the large heart from Rubber Dance Arty Hearty set.  

I paper pieced Corrin.  Layers on layers.  Then I added some metal feathers from Korthobby and attached them using tiny flower brads.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Korthobby August Utfordring - Alt Er Lov 
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge-Blue
Scrapy Land Challenge 48 - Use an Image
Stamping Sensations August Challenge -Anything Goes

A Surprising Outcome

Hello.  Welcome.  I have been wanting to try the Double Diagonal Pocket Card tutorial over at MFP, so here it is.  I thought I was making a birthday card for a boy but turned out to be a christmas card with hidden potential.........

Definitely christmas!!  Kinda cute.  Love the little santa and gingerbread man peeking over the top.

I stamped on my tags and added a extra little pocket so gingerbread man is holding a giftcard.  Quite a fun design and quite easy once I got my head around it.  My best tip is to not use a paper with text or directional design cos some of it will end up upside down LOL. All stamps are MFP - Dear Santa and Holiday Tags sets.  I cut my tags using Taylored Expressions Tags Stacklets 1 dies.  Inks - Archival and Distress

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP Stamps Challenge 34 - Saturday Challenge 
Scrapy Land Challenge 48 - Use an Image 
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Blue 
Amusing Challenge 35 - Anything Goes
Penny Black and More August Challenge -AG with Stamps

Mona Lisa Smiles

Hello.  Welcome.  Bright colours and strong women are the name of the game over at VLVS so I made a tag with some grab bag stamps.

What a sweetie she is.  

I started by stamping Bazooka Mona Lisa on my tag.  I masked Mona and used some found objects to stamps some thin blue circles and then some pink wide circles.  I clear embossed on each colour to keep the inks sharp.  Then I smeared on some Twisted Citron.  Duh! moment.  Forgot to mask Mona so had to stamp her again and fussy cut.  I added some black circles and some of the circular elements from Worn Clockface.  I added a second slightly larger tag behind, cutting the bazooka so it went over the edge.  I added the sentiment and some neon fringe.  All stamps are from VLVS.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
VLVS August Challenge
Scrappiness Utfordring 19 - Sirkler
Amusing Challenge 35 - Anything Goes
Dream in Darkness August Challenge- AG

Z is for Zombie

Hello.  Welcome.  Here's my altered playing card for the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary challenge.  Looking at the letter Z and I just had to use the new Zombie die from Cheery Lynn.   

Bwahahahahaha.  I made a painty background and then paper pieced my zombie and the grave stone.  I gave zombie red rhinestone eyes and when I took the photo they went all spoooooky!!!   Fab.   Then I realised I had forgotten the pearls!!!!

Added them to the gravestone but this photo lost the spooky eye effect.......

Close up, cos even without spooky eyes Zombie is pretty cool. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge - Z
Hobbygarasjen Utfordring 39 - Bruk Dies
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday July 2016 - Peridot he's an august baby bwahahahaha

Open Fires and Candy Canes

Hello.  Welcome.  A bit of Christmas cheer on my blog today.  We appear to have misplaced summer so I decided to craft.  One of this weeks MFP challenges is to make a stamped collage background so I decided to go wordy and chrismassy all in one. 

All stamps are MFP from the Holiday Tags, Nutcracker and Santa sets.  I cut a panel of my stamped, red-embossed background and mounted it on a blue card base.  I cut Cheery Lynn English Tea Party doily in white and the matching angel wing in red card and used it at the top of the card.  I cut and coloured three candy canes from the Holiday Tags set and 'hung' them from the doily.  Looking at it now I wonder if I should try and add a gold edge to the angel wing to match the gold bows.  Not sure I trust my pilot marker today!!  I think it might be getting empty and I had a couple of blobby moments earlier.  Hmmmm......
The sentiment is popped up and I added some red embroidery thread for interest.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP Stamps Challenge 34 - Collage Stamping Tutorial
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 236 - Doilies
Winter Wonderland - Embossed Background and a little gold LOL
Scrapyland Challenge 48 - Use an Image 
Stampotique Designers Challenge 254 - Text Background 

And Then The Sun Came Out

Hello.  Welcome.  I made a cute summer scene using DRS Jumbo and the Gang and the beyond borders tutorial at MFP.  

I was colouring my image in traditional colours with sharpies.  Then suddenly the elephant is blue and the monkey went a little pink.  Maybe monkey has had too much sun!!  

I used a Impression Obsession Landscape die to cut my curve after trimming around my animals.  Then I added some stitch detail with my craft knife.  I used a distress ink wash and the sun is a Sizzix die.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP Stamps Challenge 33 - Beyond Borders Tutorial
Stamplorations August Challenge - Stamps and Markers 
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Blue 
Scrapy Land Challenge 48 - Use an Image
Scrappelyst Utfordring for August - Sommer og Ferietid
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Summer Fun 

We All Make Mistakes

Hello.  Welcome.  So MFP wanted us to play with glitter.  This is actually my first attempt and I'm sharing it cos it's far from perfect and some of you out there think you have to be perfect to share your stuff.  Well, let me say, we all make mistakes.  That's how we learn.   It's what you do with them that counts.  Some people throw them in the bin.  Personally, I'm too thrifty to bin things so they sit on my desk, daring me to make them shine.   So this evening I decided to try and rework this one.  The journey was rocky but the result was worth the effort.  And I also have a few experiences that I won't be repeating....

This is where I ended up.  Quite pleased with this

This is my glitter background.  Go on, you can say it's ugly if you like.  I was actually aiming for a beach scene and a dazzling sunset.  I know, you need time to stop laughing.  So I had an idea.......

I stamped MFP Tiger on vellum and embossed.  I cut him out and left a piece of vellum to the rhs to mute the gold glitter.  I coloured on the backside of my vellum with an orange sharpie.  Then I decided sticking vellum on to glitter might be a challenge so I used glossy accents.  DON'T DO THAT.  I had forgotten that when vellum gets wet it curls.  My tiger curled like a cigar wrapper!  A cigar wrapper covered in glossy accents!!  It was messy.  But we are doing a save so I stuck with it ROFL.  I stuck him down and smoothed him out.  It took a while...........   Then I had to clean the glossy accents off my fingers.  LOL.  But I'm calling this a save.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP Stamps Challenge 33 - Glitter Background
Stamplorations August Challenge - Stamps and Markers 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Summer Fun 

Mellow Yellow

Hello.  Welcome.  Yeah!!  I am a happy camper cos I have managed all MFT Camp Create challenges.  Here's a simple card to finish my camp with some Divine Dry Embossing.

The challenge is to emboss with a die instead of cutting and I have used Memory Box Flower Vine Border die to emboss the detail at the top and bottom of my yellow card base.  The space in the middle was just crying out for a big, beautiful sentiment so I stamped this one from Rubber Dance Something Wonderful set.  I think that is something we can all dream of..........

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFT Stamps Camp Create 3 - Divine Dry Embossing
Memory Box Challenge 15 - Yellow
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make For The Border
Nordsalten Hobbyklubb 144 - Uten Bilde
Hobbygarasjen Utfordring 39 - Bruk Dies

Uncovering Things

Hello.  Welcome.  Trying to tidy the craft room again.  You are probably getting tired of hearing about it.  I know I am getting tired of the 'trying' and really should get onto the 'tidy'!  But I always find things that distract me!!  I did find a few things that I had promised to people so Becca, the card is on it's way, and Claire, a little something winging it's way in your direction.  I also almost dug out a whole desk!  I feel a sense of accomplishment.  So, as a reward, I decided to play along with MFT's Camp Create Stunning Shadow Stamping.

OMG!!  I'm in love with this technique!!!  So cool.........

Here's my card.  Isn't that just the coolest background!!

I started with a bazzill dots jade card base.  I stamped the tartan stamp from Inspired by Stamping Background Basics IV set multiple times across the card using white dye ink.  Then I repeated the stamping using Pine Needles distress ink and slightly offsetting the stamping.  Love the dimension.  

Then it all went a bit twilight zone and I coloured my Prima doll with many shades of green and added a VLVS sentiment.  

Thanks for dropping by.  And really, if zombies chase us I am tripping you...... Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFT Stamps Camp Create 3 - Stunning Shadow Stamping
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - Peridot
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Anything Goes 
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Anything Goes 
Creative with Stamps Challenge 5 - Geometric
Inspired by Stamping Customer Gallery 

A Giraffe Is For Life

Hello.  Welcome.  Decided to play along with MFT Camp Create again and try a little light resist.  

I stamped Hero Arts Word Pops (3) in versamark and clear embossed on Bazzill dots rust card.  Then I hit it with some ColorBox Alabasta Chalk to lighten the background and make those word pops pop.  I stamped Rubber Dance Giraffe on caramel card and embossed with black powder.  I cut a piece of the bazzill with Memory Box flowering vine border die and also cut the same die in green and paper pieced.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFT Stamps Camp Create 3 - Remarkable Resist
A Blog Named Hero - Pop of Colour
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make For The Border
Hobbygarasjen Utfordring 39 - Bruk Dies
Stampotique Designers Challenge 255 - Polka Dots

Happy Pumpkins

Hello.  Welcome.  Couldn't resist these cute pumpkins.  

I used Inspired by Stamping Pumpkin Faces stamps.  You get the pumpkins and you get an assortment of eyes, eyebrows, mouths etc to make em look so cute.  Love em already.  I stamped the fat pumpkin, masked and stamped the thinner one.  I masked that as well and did a little ink blending to get that lovely ombre effect.  I coloured the eyes with a white gel marker and the stalks with a green galaxy marker.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFT Stamps Camp Create 3 - Awesome Ombre 
AAA Cards Game 71 - Blending
One Crazy Stamper Challenge - Fall/Halloween
Double D Challenge - Neutrals
Inspired By Stamping Customer Gallery 

A Good Time For It

Hello.  Welcome.  An unusually lacy creation from me today.

Meet Unity's George and Scarlett.  I used the unity sketch and made a rocker card.  I wanted to keep it monochrome and I don't have much glitter, just a little silver, so I used the MFP tutorial to make just one wide strip of glitter on the background for George and Scarlet to stand on.  To match my colour scheme I decided to try and colour it with alcohol ink. 

Here's a picture of my silver glitter with some drops of raisin alcohol ink.  Was a bit afraid the alcohol ink would affect the sticky on the tape but the glitter stayed in place.  Some more drops of ink and the glitter is custom coloured.  Perfect.  

I added some drops of the alcohol ink in the background and gave it a wash with red brusho powder diluted with water.  I stamped G&S on Prima patterned paper and coloured with distress inks and sharpies.  

I added a bit of lace.  Then I added a bit more lace.    It's a rockin' wedding card.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
MFP Stamps Challenge 33 - Card Technique - Glitter Background 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Summer Fun  what's more fun than a summer wedding?
MFT Stamps Camp Create 3 - Monochromatic Magic
Twofers Challenge 25 - The Heat is on
Stamping Sensations August Challenge - AG
Scrappelyst Grublis for August - Ulike Medium 

Rarely Clean, Often Simple

Hello.  Welcome.  Here with another single layer card using a stamp set from Kort og Godt.  Fell in love with these cute kitties.  

I stamped the cat pair and the sentiment.  It translates from Norwegian to 'Good luck today and in the future, congratulations to the bridal pair'.  To colour my background I sprinkled a bit of red Brusho powder on an acrylic block, added some water and then did a rough wash across the diagonal of the card.  I edged the card with barn door distress and cos I am messy crafter I managed to get a smudge where I didn't want it!! So I put some more barn door on a piece of kitchen paper and lightly rubbed it on the white areas to disguise it a bit LOL. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Nordsalten Hobbyklubb #143 - Love is in the Air 
MFT Stamps Camp Create 2016 - Bonfire Single Layer Savvy
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge 27 - Water Color Background 
Dare 2 B Artzy August Animal Challenge 
SUYP Cats Challenge 9 - Furrything Goes