Hugs & Kitties

The main inspiration for this card came from Karen’s sketch at I Love Promarkers and the Easy Crafts Projects Challenges ‘Orange’ theme.

The image is a freebie from Pink Gem Designs and has been coloured with Promarkers.The background has been inked with Angel Pink and Cateloupe Memento.I coloured and cut out an extra hairband,arm and hand and raised them up using sillicone glue.The papers by K & Co have been inked around the edges and I’ve use the Tim Holtz Paper Distresser too.I’ve also pierced them and drawn in faux stitching with an Inkssentials white gel pen.The Gemstones card has also been distressed around the edges as well as being lightly sanded.The sentiment is from the Kiki Kitties set by Pink Cat Studios. This has been cut out with an oval slider tag die,inked using the previous colours and edged with a black Promarker for added definition.The ribbon is a piece that is supposed to keep clothes on the hanger – I think this is a much better use!! The flowers have been cut using my new Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Sizzix die and the middle part of Sizzix Flower Layers #4.The gems were originally pale yellow but to fit the orange colour scheme I changed them with an Amber Promarker. The challenges behind this card are:

I Love Promarkers : Sketch

Easy Craft Projects : Orange

Charisma Cardz Challenge : Girlie card with flowers

Cute Card Thursday : Make Your Own (flowers in this case)

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp : Flowers

Die Cut Dreams : Make Own Flowers

Quixotic Challenge : How Distressing

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge : Distressing

Stampavie and more : Distressing

A Spoon Full of Sugar : 3D Something

TFL

Lisa x

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A Fairy Happy Birthday

Over at Willow Sketchie Challenge this week Sharon has set this interesting  sketch:

There is also a recipe to follow:

1.Use a scrap of fabric (this can be anything from a tiny scrap to the size of the card)

2.Something green

3.Some checks

Us DT girls got to use another one of Sharon’s gorgeous fairy downloads.This time in the form of Making Magic.

So dig deep into your stash piles and join in the fun!!

I did make a new discovery when making this card.You can cut felt with Nestabilities!Not sure if it will blunt it but I can always get the tin foil out if needed.

For further inspiration head on over and see the fab creations from the rest of the DT.They’ve done a fantasic job this week.

I’m also entering these challenges:

Pile it on : Make it sweet (I think the sugar-sprinkle colours suit this challenge plus the image is sweet) 

Stamp,Scrap & Doodle Saturdays : Make it girlie

Daring Cardmakers : Die cut crazy

Lisa x

It’s Wednesday’s – so it’s time for a sneaky peek

It’s Willow Sketchie Challenge day tomorrow!

If you enjoy a challenge please drop by and have some fun!!Not only is there a fab sketch to follow there’s a really interesting recipe  to boot.

Lisa x

Double trouble

Over at the Let’s Get Stamping group at Craftbubble it was GDT Clare’s turn to set the challenge.Along with the twist of ‘ Seeing Double’ there was this lovely symmetrical sketch:

I kind of moved it around a bit to make it suit a portrait card.It’s also a card for my Nephew’s birhtday next week.

These absolutely fabulous digi-stamps are by a very talented lady who very generously allows crafters the use of her images for free.You can find them on her blog Sliekje digi Stamps.I’ve coloured them using Promarkers with added highlights of white gel pen.All papers are Making Memories and I’ve embellished the card using Gromlets (or Wallace and Gromlets as I like to call them – tee hee ) as I thought they could do with an airing as I haven’t used them since … well I don’t know when?!The sentiment is from Hero Arts Anytime Messages clear stamp set.I’ve also used  small corner rounder,inverted corner and Martha Stewart Traditional Scallop Edge punches.

I’m also going to enter this card for the following challenges:

My Time to Craft : Quick quotes

A Spoon Full of  Sugar : Happy Birthday

Penny’s Paper-Craft Challenge : Anything  goes

Charisma Cards Challenges : Quote me

Sew Many Challenges : Anything goes

TFL

Lisa x

My first Willow Sketchie Challenge DT card

Well here it is!My first DT card – and I’m still excited!!

This week the DT worked with the delightful Best Friends download,one of Sharon’s newest,and a fabby sketch set by Rosie.There is also a recipe :

1.Something Pink

2.A butterfly

3.Some fairy dust glitter

There is also some exciting news on the prize front too.So why not pop along to the Willow Sketchie Challenge and check it out!You will also get to see some great inspiration from the DT.

But don’t forget the main focus of this challenge is to have fun! 

This card is also an entry for the following challenges:

Stamp Something : Something layered

Simon Says Stamp : Things with wings

Totally Gorjuss : Charming

Creative Card Crew : Happy Birthday

Fab ‘n’ Funky Challenges : Get it all out – dust off your stash and use it!

Digital Tuesday Challenge :  April Flowers or April Showers (definitely flowers!)

The ABC Challenge : Sparkle

Belli Challenge : Die cut

Pile it on : Is Spring finally here? 

Lisa x

Some exciting news and a sneaky peek!

How excited am I?VERY!Sharon who runs the Willow Sketchie Challenge chose me to be part of her fab Design Team.I really can’t believe it!!

Sharon also has loads of lovely clear stamps and downloads available here.

The main focus of the challenge is to have fun!But there is also the added incentive of a randomly drawn winner who gets the chance to choose one of Sharon’s downloads for free!

A new challenge will be set tomorrow where it will be my debut.Hope you can join us.

But for now I will just leave you with a little taster of what’s in store!

Lisa x

Buttercup

This card was made using  new stamp I won as part of a very generous prize donated by Janlynn for a challenge at By the Cute and Girly.

She’s called Buttercup and is by Stamps Happen.I’ve coloured her with Promarkers and given her wings some magical fairydust sparkle with Diamond Stickles.Here’s a closer view:

I’ve inked around the edges with Scattered Straw,Dried Marigold and Broken China Distress inks.The papers are K & Co and the card is Core’dinations Gemstones.I created the flowers using Marianne Design Creatables Floral 1 Dies and added pearls to the centres.I stapled a piece of ribbon with a sentiment from a mini flower set I won in a forum challenge stamped with Walnut Stain Distress ink.I didn’t know ’til today you could do that.Although I have to say I prefer the results from Versacraft pads – it serves me right for being too lazy to dig them out!I’ve also added a length of jute ribbon to give added texture.I’ve used a mix of a Lip Pattern corner punch and a Large Corner Rounder.

Here are the challenges that inspired me to make this card :

Let’s Get Stamping group at Craftbubble:  with the theme ‘Spring Garden’

Cupcake Craft Challenges : ‘Make your own flowers’

Allsorts : ‘Petals and Pearls’

Totally Gorjuss : ‘Texture’

Flutterby Wednesday : ‘Sparkle’

Paperplay Challenges : ‘Shiny Happy People’

Pixie Dust Studio Challenge: ‘Things with wings’

Crafty Anns Challenge : ‘Let the sunshine in’

Pollycraft Monday Challenge: ‘Anything goes’

By the Cute and Girly : ‘Fairytales’

I really have to apologise about the quality of the pics.They are as clear as a bell on my camera and computer but I’ve had problems all this week with Photobucket.Once I’ve edited a photo and sent it back to the ‘puter  I seem to be losing the sharpness of it.If anyone has any suggestions of anywhere better to edit them I’d be most grateful.The only thing is I’m a bit stingey so it would have to be free. 

TFL

Lisa x

Keep on running!

Apart from being cute and quirky – just the way I like ’em – this image is apt for my DH.He completed a 10k run on Easter Monday that’s held in our village every year.He did himself and us,his family,proud by completing it in 55 minutes.He had some stiff competition as a lot of running clubs take part and he came somewhere in the middle.He also raised money through sponsorship for a local charity and for a local junior ruby team who are looking to buy some new kits.So a BIG well done to him!

Anyway back to the card.The delightful download is called Keeping Fit and is available from Willow Designs.Not only do you get a coloured image you get 2 papers included too!

I’ve used him to join this week’s Willow Sketchie Challenge.There is a sketch to follow along with a recipe of something shiny,something punched and some texture.

I started by printing both papers onto some Hessian card for some texture,printing the stripey one on both sides, and the main image onto some photo paper to add a subtle shine.I punched the striped piece along the bottom edge with an EK Success Dotted Wave Edger Punch and folded in half to form my base card.I punched the top strip of blue check card to match.I cut a thin strip of the same paper to fit the slots of the ribbon threader brad and adhered some star ribbon on top.I added three star brads at the top so there’s some more shine for you.I generated the wording on the computer and cut it with a Classic Scallop Oval Nestsabilities die.I applied a little Glossy Accents to his beads of sweat for a more realistic look :

But that’s not the end of the story:

Yay!Alfie’s made it to the finishing line.

I’ve used strips of card to hide the backs of the brads and another piece to layer him onto.I’ve printed him slightly smaller and added a Sizzix banner with stamped with a sentiment.

This ready coloured image plus these cheery papers make a great,quick way to create a man’s card or for anyone who’s a bit sporty without too much fuss.And with all the materials you can now print onto,including shrink plastic,the possibilities are endless.Just imagine him dangling from a mobile phone or a key ring – perhaps to the changing room locker!

This is also an entry for :

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp : ‘Metal’

Crafty Calendar Challenge : ‘April Fools’.We would like to see you make a fun or humorous card or project.

TFL

Lisa x

A little Gem

This stamp was a freebie in the April issue of Craftstamper magazine.Horace was designed by Pink Gem Designs and isn’t he adorable?

I’ve coloured the image with Promarkers.On the original stamp the head of the flower is solid so would be black.I decided to thread a wired flower in it’s place and decorated the edges of the petals with Diamond Stickles.I used a double embossing technique to create the frame within the embossed backgound.Here I’ve used Nestabilities Labels 3 and Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder.I’ve not done this in a while so I really had to think about it! The corners have been punched with a Martha Stewart punch from a recent TSV on QVC.This piece has been mounted using foam tape.A Deep Edger from the same set has been used on the bottom of the lilac layer of card.The tops corners have been punched with a Small Rounder.The card I’ve used is Papermania Textured.A length of organza ribbon has been tied around the top to finish.

This card was created with the inspiration of these challenges :

Allsorts : ‘No DP’s’

I Love Promarkers : ‘Animals’

Pollycraft : ‘Anything Goes’

Quixotic Challenges : ‘The joy’s of Spring’

Your Next Stamp : ‘Purple’

TFL

Lisa x

Let sleeping owls lie!

This is a bit different to the style of card I normally make but I thought I’d make this sleepy head somewhere to roost.

I created a sky for the background using the D’vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder then lightly sanded to give the impression of wispy clouds.I used the Distressed Stripes embossing folder on brown card to make the tree trunk which I hand cut then sanded and applied Tea Dye Distress Ink to.I stamped the branch from the Dawn Bibby Designs Twit Twoo set onto an extra piece and trimmed round.The owl, from the same set, was stamped onto white card.I coloured his face and feet with Promarkers.The rest has been paper pieced with some K & Co papers.I chose the brown and blue one to fit in with the colour scheme (plus it’s one of my faves).The thinking behind the script one on his tummy is that owls are supposed to be wise – right?I punched the strip at the bottom with a Martha Stewart Zig Zag edge punch to emulate grass.The words,from the same set again,have been stamped onto a piece of  blue card with Lip Pattern punched corners.I used the end of a Film Strip punch to make the holes either end so that I could thread a length of raffia through before tying in a bow.The whole panel was then adhered to the matting piece.All coloured card is Papermania Textured.

I wasn’t sure of this card at first.It looked so much better in my head – lol!But I think it’s growing on me.

The challenge inspiration behind this card is as follows :

Stampavie and more : ‘Green’ – use some green on your project.

Creative Inspirations : ‘Green,Brown and Blue’

Die Cuts  ‘R’  Us :’Stamped image and to include at least one bird on your project’

Crafty Creations : ‘Paper piecing’

The Pink Elephant Challenge : ‘Nature’

TFL

Lisa x