Father Christmas Owls

Every now and then there are 5 Saturdays in a month and at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown we like to do something a bit different.  We have had Anything Goes (but a card, tag or ATC) for a while so we're ringing the changes with a new type of challenge.  Now we will ask you to do a 'Previous Challenge' BUT not any old previous one, a particular type, chosen by that month's hostess.  For June it is a previous sketch, so you can use any one of our sketch challenges -there are about 20 to choose from. I've gone for one that was before my time on the DT so I've never actually done it before, way back it's sketch #2!

and I've made a fun little card with it

I used some textured DP from the Holly Berry Bouquet range again and then some ivory and red cs to make my little owls in their Santa suits. The Santa hats and gold mirriboard buckles I cut out freehand and then I stuck on some googly eyes. I heat embossed the sentiment and popped it up on a banner I cut and scored. I've just noticed that one of my owls looks a little bit tipsy as his hat and belt aren't quite straight, too much egg nog I fear!

The other members of the DT have all chosen their favourite sketches so have a look at the blog and we'd love to visit yours, so do join in with us this week.

It Must Be Wimbledon!

Strange title?  Well, it's Wimbledon time and for me that means...no, not tennis - strawberries!
I love them, I especially like picking them at the fruit farm, or if I'm very lucky from my garden, all warm from the sunshine, sweet and juicy...yuuummm.
Next best thing to eating them is making a card with a strawberry theme and that's just what I've done for the sketch challenge this week from CAS-Colours and Sketches. This is the sketch -it's a beauty, isn't it?

For the main image on my card I used two stamp sets - Fruit and Flowers and French Foliage (closest I had to strawberry leaves)

I stamped some leaves onto the card blank, then layered up fussy-cut fruit and more leaves. The inside is stamped with more strawberries and leaves, but you'll have to take my word for it as I forgot to photograph the inside. The sentiment stamp is from Friendly Phrases. Here's a close up of those strawberries- I finished them off with some Glossy Accents to make them even more dimensional

I hope you enjoy the tennis, if you're a fan, and have a strawberry or two (I especially like mine dipped in dark chocolate!).
I've found a couple of challenges out in blogland into which I'm going to pop my card. Kreativeinkauf -The Challenge Blog -a German site where the theme is Strawberries (perfect!) - I love that this whole craft thing is worldwide, and A Little Bit Crafty Challenge Blog  where the challenge is A Little Bit Sweet

Christmas Greenery with pearls

It's week 4 at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and that means it's an embellishment challenge.  Jacqueline has chosen pearls and/or sequins for us to play with this time and on the blog you will see that the girls over there on the DT have really come up with some fab ideas to help you get started (as if you need any help!).  Unfortunately, I think I've just run out of steam.  This is the best I could come up with ....

Luckily, I had the inspiration from Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge to work with too this morning, Christmas greenery- well you can't get much more Christmas greenery than holly and ivy. The pearls are the mistletoe berries. When I looked in my stash I didn't have any white pearls left, so I've used very pale green ones.  The mistletoe image is from Easy Events and the DP is Holly Berry Bouquet (I think!). I made the red card base from Real Red card stock.

Just for Robbie!

Oops! I was a little bit late posting this one - it's my DT card for the challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches, this week it's back to a colour challenge and we have these three lovelies for you....

Don't worry if you don't have the exact Stampin' Up shades, use your closest. Here's my card

I used my aqua painter to dilute the Primrose Petals into a beautiful pink sky.  When it was dry I stamped this image from a new set called Best Of Flowers, using the Gumball Green. I have been trying for a long time now to buy the original (retired) stamp of this image, called Upsy Daisy. I believe that it was only released in the USA and I love it so much, so when I saw this new mini version I just had to get it, and I'm glad I did!

I layered the image onto Cajun Craze card, then more Primrose petals.  Finally, I added cajun gems so that I could enter my card in the challenge at The Paper Players - for CAS with bling -just my thing!. The sentiment, from Perfectly Preserved, is bent to give more dimension and I've tied cajun raffia onto the two ends. You can see it all a bit better here

Must just tell you why I'm so late with this post.  My daughter and I went to see Robbie Williams last night in Manchester, about 3 hours from where we live - we got home very late (3am!) and so it was never going to happen this morning! The concert was AMAZING! We had so much fun, singing, dancing and he played all the best tracks from the past...brilliant. 

Fathers' Day and a New Blog!

This is a card I made for my Dad for Fathers' Day.  I haven't shown it before not because he would see it ( he has no clue about computers let alone blogging!) but because I was waiting for my friend Jacqueline to launch her DT call for a brand new challenge blog.  As soon as she told me her plans I wanted to be on the team, so I hope this card is upto scratch. The blog is called The Male Room and it's a man-card only challenge. Isn't that a brilliant idea?  We are always bemoaning the fact that we don't make enough cards for the boys, now here is a challenge to sort that out. Also, I love the fact that it's going to be a fortnightly challenge so I think I can manage that alongside my other DT commitments. All this talking....I need to show you my card!

I've used a grey pearlised card blank and some DP that reminded me of a shirt.  I stamped the ties from Best Dad Ever in 5 different colours on some more DP and added a tiny coordinating gem 'tie pin' to each one. Finally I stamped the greeting and cut out a tie shape, inking the edge slightly to add definition.
Dad loved it!  It's sitting on his mantelpiece right now.
While I'm here, I'll show you another card made with the same set, this time I made it for my son to give to my husband. Usually I let them loose on my stuff and they make their own cards but he's been doing his exams so I helped him out (the other two did make cards, although it was nearly midnight on Saturday when we finished!)

For this one I used the chalkboard technique, which is the featured technique this month over at Technique Tuesday Time.  I found another DP that reminded me of a shirt, made the chalkboard, using white ink to stamp and then sponging more over the top for that rubbed-out look.
Why not have try out for the DT too, it would be great working with you!

Tumbling Blossoms

A second post from me on a Saturday! Only because, as I hinted before, I was working on an idea for the CAS Flowers challenge at Make My Monday. I made my first card and had stamped and cut out a whole load of blooms from Stipples Blossoms, only to end up just using three.  Well, I couldn't throw all those others away could I?  So, I made this card with the 'rejects'

It reminds me a bit of an Art Deco style, don't know why. I embossed some white card with a Swiss Dots folder, two-step stamped some leaves in Pool Party (again - loving this shade of green at the moment) and popped up the blooms on dimensionals.  The sentiment is stamped in Basic Grey and is from the set Best Dad Ever (don't think this card will be heading my Dad's way!). I think it's more CAS than my first entry and I like the way the flowers are tumbling off the front. Hope any Dads out there have a great Fathers' Day tomorrow!

A string of Baubles

Yes, this is the other easel card I created earlier this week. This time it's for the theme challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, where Jacqueline is our lovely hostess and she has chosen one of my favourite images on a holiday card- baubles/ornaments.
I used one of the small bauble stamps and die cuts from the Ornament Keepsakes set, stamped in Gumball Green and Raspberry Ripple.  I used some DP and matching cardstock for the matting and layering.  The sentiment is from Sassy Salutations. You will see that this is a twisted easel card and that my baubles have been embellished with gold coloured tops using a mettalic marker and strung on some bakers' twine.  Here's a better view..

Do have a look at the other cards from the DT over on the blog - they are awesome!

Inspired by Vicky

There's a blog which I visit almost every day because the lady there, Vicky, is so amazingly creative- she always inspires me with her fantastic stamping and brilliant ideas- if you haven't already, check out her blog  here.  Anyway, when I was over there yesterday I saw a beautiful card made for the challenge at The Paper Players and I so loved the colours that I thought I'd have a go too.

 Aren't they gorgeous! Combined with the challenge for CAS flowers at Make My Monday this is what happened

I love the idea of Pool Party to make leaves and Calypso Coral is a favourite of mine.  This two-step stamping set, Stippled Blossoms allows you to use a stamped off lighter shade of your colour for the base, adding the details in the full colour.  I've die cut two nesting ovals in the other two colours and added a button which is has So Saffron check and I dyed a piece of bakers' twine with my Early Expresso ink (very messy!).The sentiment is stamped in the same ink and comes from a set called Whacky Wishes. There are a few gems in the centres of the flowers.
I've added another flower stamped inside the card.  I am so taken with the combination of Calypso Coral and Pool Party that I think I might be back later with a slightly more CAS card for the Make My Monday challenge, depending on how much time I get later.

Get Whale Soon

I had a really nice day yesterday, crafting at a friend's house.  To be honest, it's taking me a while to get back into the swing of things regarding crafting.  Since my holiday I've been so busy catching up with other things my card-making has taken a back seat. I hope my mojo is back now.  The card I needed to make was for the challenge at CAS -Colours and Sketches, which is a sketch this week...this sketch

 And this is my card...

 As you can see it's an easel card (I will have another one to show you soon as I made two today!) and I've used a stamp set which is not mine, but is very sweet. Can't see the sketch? Have a closer look

 I used Baja Breeze ink and stamped off for the lighter shades, and Basic Grey for the whale.  I love these sticky circles- they look like brads but there's no messy bit behind as they're self-adhesive. I added the sentiment and a couple of gems.
It's such a classic CAS sketch - give it a try! Pop over and see the cards from the rest of the DT We love visiting blogs and leaving comments!

Serene Circles

A day spent with my good friend Jacqueline has kick started my crafting after a break and, spotting this challenge on the blogs I decided to have a go.  The challenge cue is circles and the blog is Addicted To CAS. This is my card - full of colour, I think you'll agree

I started off thinking about what circles I had and remembered this image from the Serene Silhouette set. I had seen a card made with these stamps in bright colours arranged vertically  and so I started to think how I could adapt the design.  I chose different colours of course, and in laying them across the card came up with the idea of cutting away half of the card so that the circles become really prominent.

Then a combination of sentiment stamps from Sassy Salutations and Whacky Wishes, a couple more circles in the form of stick on brads and a coordinating mat on the inside of the card and it was done. Still lots of white space and some very eye-catching circles!

Shades Of Green

The colour challenge that Jacqueline has devised for us at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown this week is a little bit different - we want to see shades of green on your Christmas cards.  One neutral is allowed - either for your cardstock or for stamping outlines

For my neutral I chose cream card stock, and I have used three shades of green, I've also gone long and thin (I wish!!)

 I've used Contempo Christmas stamps.  First I used Lucky Limeade (my all-time favourite green) and sponged a piece of card all over, then I waterstamped the tree image on top, adding a few splashes for effect.  Once dry I added the three trees, stamped in an olive green shade onto the cream card and an organza ribbon.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment in 'Christmas tree' green (I don't have a proper name for it)
Here it is, a bit closer up

Quite arty, I think.  Very happy with the way this turned out.  Do visit the blog to see the fab cards from the rest of the team.

Proud as a Peacock

I'm back from my holidays!  Turkey was fabulous - great hotel, very friendly people, delicious food and lots of sunshine.  Cruising down the river, watching the turtles and herons, catching crabs and sipping on a cold drink-my kind of fun! Can't quite get into my crafting yet though,still enjoying the good weather and everything is tidied away.
But, duty calls and so I've pushed myself tonight to create a card for CAS Colours and Sketches using  these three colours -

Just before I went away I saw a magazine and the freebies were a stamp set and coordinating embossing folder.  I liked them so much that I was persuaded to buy the magazine and so when I needed a card and I didn't have much of a brain in gear I decided to give them a go. It's exam time here and I think I will need a card like this

I used the three stamps in the set.  I love the little peacock -here's a close up

The quality of the stamping could be better - sometimes I find that with the freebie acrylic stamps, but the embossing folder is gorgeous.Hope you are inspired to give the challenge a go, keep it clean and simple and stick to the colour combo (as near as you can!) and I look forward to leaving you a comment!

Christmas Chalkboard

Back from my jolly hols just in time for a brand new challenge at Technique Time Tuesday and this one is bang on trend with the chalkboard technique.  Over at the blog you will find a step by step tutorial to help you if you've never tried this before, and it really is so simple and so effective.  You can do it two ways, one using a heat embossing technique and the other stamping white on black.  It depends which one you like best -bold and bright, or subtle and shabby.
Guess which one I've used here....

I chose a Christmas theme (again!) and used a variety of stamps to make up my board. I stamped in white and then smudged it up with sponged white ink- I used Adirondack Snow Cap. I've used some SU paper, with a gem in each corner and a couple of bows. I'm very plaesed with this card and, as I said already, it's very simple to make.

Christmas Silhouette

It's June and I'm not actually here!  By the time you read this I will be at the end of a week long holiday with my son and my Mum and Dad in Turkey. We are in a very special town called Dalyan, it's such a fabulous place, this is my third visit. We will be cruising on the river, watching the turtles and swimming in the lake as well as visiting some of the local sights and markets. Going to squeeze in a trip to the turkish baths too!
But, you don't want to hear about that, you want the latest challenge from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown! A new month means a new hostess and this time it's Jacqueline.  She's come up with a brilliant sketch to get us all started

 This is my card, as you can see I've used kraft as a card base and I have heat embossed three snowflakes in place of the circles. The panel is stamped onto cream CS and is from Serene Silhouettes.  To give it a wintery feel I have added some red berries with a Promarker.  I have layered this onto some red mirri card.  I did use the same mirri card for the 'banner, but it proved to be overpowering, so I replaced it with plain red cs.  The fabric ribbon adds the sentiment.  The whole card has quite a homespun feel to it, if you know what I mean.
Do visit the blog and have a look at the other DT creations, as soon as I'm back I'll be commenting on all your lovely entries too!