Keep it Simple: Deck the Halls

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple is Deck the Halls and sponsored by the fabulous Whimsy Stamps. For my card I used 2 Whimsy images, coloured with pro-markers and accented with a sakura glitter pen. Love this brand new little angel image, aint she cute!! Tho I have to admit I needed to look up what a Cardinal bird looked like! Pop over and join in the challenge, you could own her too.

Keep it Simple: Joy

This weeks Keep it Simple challenge is Joy and sponsored by the fabulous Delicious Doodles shop. For my project I whipped up a Christmas tree decoration.

Paper, sentiment and hanger all came from a Christmas kit made by Anna Griffin. Edge was punched with a Martha Christmas Punch. Enjoy!

Keep it Simple: Wonderland

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple is Wonderland. For my design team card I used the sketch from Sunday Sketch & Stamp and the Theme from A Pocket full of Posies.

Enjoy the weekend!

Keep it Simple: Shape Up Challenge

This weeks Keep it Simple Challenge is sponsored by me!! and look at the fab prize I am offering up.

I am sponsoring this prize in memory of both my Grandparents who sadly both passed on to cancer within the last 15 months.

My project for this challenge: Shape Up, is a little christmas tree ornament. Made in printed vellum from stash (no idea who made it, it was a 12x12 sheet) Poked through holes following the pattern and then filled it with pot-pourri. Smells divine and will be hanging on my tree this year.The pattern for this is from PaperTrey inc and available HERE.

Keep it Simple: Ooohhh Spooky

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple is: Ooohhh Spooky. For my design team card I have decided to make a tag. Items used: Dylusions paint and stamps available at Art from the Heart. Posca paint markers. Very simple and easy to make lots of for those Halloween goody bags.

Keep it Simple Challenge 7 - Seeing Stars

Well its Sunday morning so that means its time for Keep it Simple!! This weeks challenge is ''Seeing Stars'' and what a fab challenge too especially so close to christmas.

I went with a traditional scene but slightly modern being a collage stamp. Decoupaged it up in two places and made my own background with book page and distress ink, as the challenge says ''keep it simple''. I am also entering this into the fab Winter Wonderland challenge which is ''Jesus is the reason for the season''

Thanks for visiting me

Keep it Simple Challenge 6 - Thank You

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple is a theme: Thank you and sponsored by the fab Whimsy Stamps. These stamps are great, if I had enough money I would have them all...... and theirs alot to choose from!!

I am also entering this into the I Love Pro-Markers challenge which is a fab theme of pearls & swirls.

Thanks for looking

Keep it Simple Challenge 5 - Gold Dust

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple has a fab sponsor, Emma an independent Stamp'in Up Supplier. She is offering up a fab prize!! The challenge is Gold Dust, so I decided to make a quick Christmas card with gold metal flake. Hope you will join us in our 5th challenge

Keep it Simple Challenge 4 - Bling it

This item is ⓒClare Horner. If you wish to make this yourself I am happy for you to do that as long as credit is linked back if published. Thanks.

This weeks challenge over at Keep it Simple is ''Bling it''. This was actually a really hard challenge for me as I am not very comfy with ''Bling'' and either go over the top or not at all. So for my Design Team project I decided I would try go a subtle as possible and make a very simple pair of earrings. Punched out a piece of paper with the Martha Stewart daisy punch drew it out onto shrink plastic then cut it out, shrank it and this was the hard part, one went totally wrong and broke, so if you choose to do this then be careful. For the bling I have added some Papermania flat backed gems. I am real happy with the result.

Winter Wonderland Challenge

Sorry for the bad picture but the light here today is terrible.

This week over on Winter Wonderland they have a great theme of ''A-One layer card'' For this I have taken a square card and added some simple stamping and a couple of blobs of stickles.

Keep it Simple Challenge 3 - Give us a Swirl

This weeks challenge at Keep it Simple is a great theme - Give us a Swirl. For my card I raided my scrap paper box did a bit of ripping and tearing dry brushed on some gesso and stamped the sentiment. Very simple and took less than 20 mins to complete. Sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts. Pop on over and join in this weeks prize is a fab stamp from Sassy Designs.

Multiple Challenge Card

(I am not on my own computer as it is in the shop being repaired so sorry for the image quality I have no way to edit it correctly, the image will be updated once I get my computer back)

Been having a play with the Letraset AquaMarkers that I won from Passion for ProMarkers, I must admit at first I thought these are rubbish, but I made the fatal mistake of trying to use them like ProMarkers. Once I used them as they are intended (after e-mailing and watching a video done by the lovely Kirsty Wiseman)I have changed my mind and decided they are actually quite fab, still not as good as ProMarkers which are 5 mins and your image is done, they take time and effort to use but have wonderful results.

So this card I am entering into a few challenges.
Just magnolia week 71
Stampin for the weekend challenge 46
Sunday sketch and stamp challenge 36
A pocket full of posies week 6

Image is brand new Japanese Magnolia, coloured with AquaMarkers: for the skin I used eggshell with rose blush for the cheeks, hair is lamp black, dress is storm blue and periwinkle and the flowers are rose blush. Papers from Papermania and ribbon from stash with tumbled glass distress ink edges. Sparkly parts are from a Sakura gel pen.

Keep it Simple Challenge 2 - Take a Leaf

Challenge 2 over at Keep it Simple is a great theme - Take a leaf. My card for the design team is a pre printed Papermania card from a very old goody bag (I think). Coupled with a rub-on that was not in a packet so I don't know the brand sorry and 3 skeletal leaves, again were not in a branded packet so I don't know where they are from. To adhere them to the card I used Japanese Washi tape that I found on Etsy. As a whole the card took about 10 minutes to think up and create. Hope you join in the fun we have a fab sponsor this week!!

Keep it Simple Challenge 1

Hi everyone, I am very pleased to announce that I have been chosen to join the Keep it Simple Design Team!! Whooop whooop. Keep it Simple is a new challenge blog with the aim of keeping it simple!! So for my first official design team card I have used a Whiff of Joy image coloured with Pro-Markers, a double sided sheet of paper from Anna Griffin and an already die cut tree also from Anna Griffin. As in the rules for the design team the card took me under 30 mins to create, to be sure I watched Friends and it was finished before the episode was.

Keep it Simple will have prizes, a top 3 award and lots of fun. Join us every Sunday for a new challenge.

Sunday Sketch & Stamp 34 and Passion for Pro-Markers 65

This weeks Sunday Sketch & Stamp is a great sketch which I have combined with the Passion for Pro-Markers challenge ''Blue Christmas''.

And he is gone.

Today my Grandad Peter Jones lost his battle with cancer. Rest in peace finally.

Tuesday Tagger theme & A Pocket Full of Posies Challenge

This weeks Tuesday Taggers Challenge is Sunshine, and I am combining this challenge with A Pocket Full of Posies which is all that glitters. I have made a little tag with some cosmic shimmer paint for the background, dreamweaver crackle embossing paste for the sun rays and shimmery paper to stamp the children on the bench on, then coated with crackle paint in  rock candy. Love how this one has turned out but it doesn't look as good in the photo as it does in real life as the crackle detail hasn't photo'd well. The stamp is an old Prima one.

Just Magnolia 67 & Passion for Pro-Markers 64

This card has been created for 2 challenges, Just Magnolia 67 - Acetate and Passion for Pro-Markers 64 - Music. Card is made of acetate from a fill your own box at the Kanban outlet shop in Bradford, Music paper from stash, Image is Magnolia coloured with Pro-Markers, flower is made with the new Magnolia die. Sentiment is Tim Holtz. The little bling gem pins were from the lovely Anne.

Passion For Pro-Makers week 61 meets Sketch Saturday 133

This weeks Sketch Saturday is a really nice and clean and simple sketch, which is exactly the style that I love working with, so being so clean and simple I decided to team it up with this weeks Passion for Pro-Markers challenge which is ''Distress''. The image used is one I choose from winning the Weekend Workshop a couple of weeks ago that is hosted by Passion for Pro-Markers, the prize I won was provided by Fred She Said and has some totally cute didgi images, the delivery is instant too so no waiting for an e-mail to use your purchases. Papers from a really old K&co stack and Old Paper Distress ink.

I Love Pro-Markers Meets Whiff of Joy

This weeks Whiff of Joy Challenge is a great sketch provided by the lovely Bev. I am also entering this card into the I Love Pro-Markers Challenge which is buttons. Lastly I am entering this into Katharina's Design Team guest designer bi-monthly call.

Image's: Whiff of Joy Willow with floral wreath decoupaged up onto the tree stump stamp. Coloured with pro-markers and a little angel dust glitter added for fun. Papers from Papermania and flowers and buttons from Crafty Feeling monthly bloom club kit. Ink used is Tattered Rose Distress ink.

Just Magnolia week 63

This weeks challenge at Just Magnolia is a recipe, 3 flowers, 2 patterned papers and 1 ribbon. Not sure i like how it turned out and the picture is awful due to the bad light and rain today.

Sunday Sketch & Stamp 32 and I Love ProMarkers 22

(sorry for the bad photo, its raining and their is no light at all today)

This weeks challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp is a fab sketch which I have combined with the I Love ProMarkers challenge, distress. I didn't want to go over the top with distressing as I thought it looked a little odd so only the main image has its edges distressed with a neat little gadget from Heidi Swapp simply called edge distresser. Image is Magnolia coloured with ProMarkers, Ink is distress ink in Tea Dye and papers are the Once Upon a Time stack from DCWV, I love this stack and its almost gone :(

Check this out!!

I do have the odd occasion where I go nutz for all things cute and girly, well.....

Check this out

And then tell me what you think..... wonder if she does class's on it.....

Image Transfer With Packing Tape Tutorial

If you like this tutorial please feel free to link it on your blog, but please do not take any of my images or directly copy/paste my tutorial onto your own blog. Thanks.

I cant say that I invented this technique and I really dont know who did but I think its fab!! So I thought after a few people asked that I would do a mini tutorial.

Items required: Printer, Piece of card that will go through the printer, Packing tape, Bone folder, Scissors (maybe a plaster).

Step 1: Cover the card in packing tape. I found it easier to go the shortest distance, you want to keep it wrinkle free and smooth it out flat as you are placing it down. If you have really good coated card and really crap packing tape this process is really simple.

Step 2: Cut the excess off and then burnish it down with a bone folder, don't be tempted to fold the tape round the back, you will have problems with your printer. I left an area at one end with no tape on it as my printers annoying and won't pull it through with tape on it.

Step 3: Find copyright free image/bought downloads and do the usual manipulation to get them to the size you want. Please note: If you print words they need to be backwards!!!!

Step 4: You do have a little play time as the ink wont dry on the packing tape but don't wait too long. Carefully place the images face down onto your intended transfer surface and hold them in place, don't let go until you are done. Burnish the back and presto you have your image transfer. If you hold it all together at one end you can carefully lift the none-held end to check how the transfer is coming on, as you can see on my lady transfer I didn't burnish enough where the line's of tape meet but for this example I am leaving it to show you how not to do it!!

Here's the 3 examples together. Left printed on plain paper, Middle the end result transfer, Right the transfer. The good part about this is you can just wipe off the remaining ink with a baby wipe and use your image transfer card over and over or until in my case the printer chews it up and wont spit it out!!

Winter Wonderland & Sunday Sketch & Stamp

This card is a combination of Winter Wonderland Challenge - Strawberry's & Cream and Sunday Sketch & Stamp providing a really simple and elegant sketch. I must say the whole strawberry & cream theme had me stumped for quite a while this morning and I was almost going to give up, but rummaging through my Christmas stamp box the idea sparked and here it is. Cream card, Fired Brick Distress Ink, Anna Griffin Holly Leaf stamp and a really really old collage stamp from Hero Arts. Ribbon I think is Papermania, again really old.

Just Magnolia Week 61

This weeks Just Magnolia Challenge is a fab sketch. I just love this horse image and havent had it out in a long while neither have I had my prisma pencils out so I thought I would wipe off the dust and play. Ribbon is from Crafty Feeling, papers by Papermania. Sorry for the dark picture but its poor quality light outside right now so no natural light.

Passion For Pro-Markers Week 57

This weeks Passion for Pro-Markers challenge is a theme of ''your favourite things'', anyone who knows me will probably say ''cat's'' would be it. This also fits in with the theme over at Tuesday Tagger's of shoes, well slippers!. So here it is, image coloured with pro markers and background created with distress ink and a Tim stamp.

Whoop!! I Made the Top 3 at Winter Wonderland!!

Whoop whoop!! I made top 3 at Winter wonderland with this card.

Fathers day Card

The theme over at stampin for the weekend is ''Summer/Travel'' So while making this fathers day card for my mom to give to my Grandad I thought it would fit in perfectly, what better thing to do than visit the Moulin Rogue in summer!

Ink: Brushed corduroy distress ink
Stamps: Tim Holts, 7 Gypsies

Tuesday Taggers Challenge - All That Bloom's

This weeks challenge over at Tuesday Taggers is :All that bloom's. So I decided to drive myself to distraction and nearly take my eye out with flying tigertail wire and make the above brooch.

Gems: Plastic mixed bag from random Chinese e-bayer
Flowers: Crafty Feeling

Shameless Copyright Theft

I am very disheartened to read that the lovely Mo Manning has had to suffer a serious copyright theft of her digital artwork by a very new to the market company ''Paper Popsicles''

Read the full story here.

Shame on you Paper Popsicles, if you haven't learned your lesson from this, theirs no hope for you.

Sketch Saturday 106 & Just Magnolia Challenges

This card has been made for the Sketch Saturday Challenge 106 and the Just Magnolia Challenge - Lace Borders. The lace is hard to see but it is pleated and goes down the middle. Image is from Magnolia coloured with Prisma pencils and the lace I got in a 50p grab bag from a fab fabric shop in Liverpool yesterday when I went out with some crafty friends.

Sorry for the dark picture, its raining and pretty grim outside.

Friday Sketchers & Winter Wonderland Challenges.

Phew haven't been around for a week!! Its been pretty hectic, the kind of hectic where you do loads but actually look like you have done nothing at all. So I sat in bed last night watching Dirty Dancing on the telly and coloured this lovely image I bought from the Harrogate show ages ago.

I am entering this into 2 challenges, firstly Friday sketchers challenge 105 which provided the fab sketch, love simple clean elegant ones like this and secondly the Winter Wonderland challenge which is love at Christmas. Image is coloured with pro markers and papers I have no idea where they came from. Not sure who makes the stamp it doesn't say on the side, but I think I bought it from the stamp addicts stand at the show.

Jigsaw Piece

Janet asked if anyone would like to decorate one of her huge jigsaw pieces for her with a theme of ''home''. I love this sort of challenge so jumped at the chance, but when it actually arrived I was abit stumped and did just look at it for a couple of days. While trying to get a box from the top of a cupboard a stamp set hit me on the head, annoyed at first but then the light bulb went off. The plate was full of owls and little houses and tree branches so tah-dah!! Coloured with ProMarkers and 3D'd the branch and house, background actually has loads of layers starting with a book page, gesso and loads of stamping. Stewart Gill yummy byzantia paint to edge it and then covered with distress crackle paint in rock candy - now here's where the trouble began. The crackle paint smudged all my green ink that were leaf stamps and sucked the colour of the pro-markers up into the layer of crackled then once dry the crackle fell off where the pro-marker colouring was so I had to put on another layer very thinly and prey it stuck, which it did. Very odd indeed I shall remember this next time I use the crackle paint.

As I used ProMarkers for this I am entering it into the Passion for ProMarkers anniversary week challenge.

Janet very kindly made me this little plaque as a thank you for decorating the jigsaw piece, isn't it gorgeous!!! It currently has pride of place on my wall.

Sods Law strikes!!

So last week the other half announces ''oh I booked 2 weeks off im not in work monday'' Oh that was nice to tell me the day before - internal panick starts!! I havent got him a birthday pressie (which is tomorrow) I havent done any crafting at all (no birthday card) so they messed up his shifts and hes ended up working this morning. Perfect I thought time to go into town and make a card, well he let me sleep in so I didnt get up till after 10, then Mom needed me for an hour then I finally got started on the card. By this time it was 12 and he phones as the bus went past him so he needed to be picked up. Rushed card i'm not happy with it but nothing I can do about that and no pressie - I think I officially fail as a girlfriend tomorrow!! (writing this while hes making a coffee! thats the only time I get on my own!)

Just realized this fits into the Tuesday Taggers Theme this week ''Its a mans world'' Sponsored by The Craft Barn, so I am entering it into the challenge.

Friday Sketchers & Just Magnolia

Cutting it real fine here but I have had a manic week!! This card is being entered into Friday Sketchers and Just Magnolia. Image Magnolia. papers Papermania. Short and sweet!!

Its that time again!!

Its that time again!!! Katharina is holding her bi-monthly guest designer call. This time the challenge is to use orange, red and one other colour (black and white being allowed). So I chose to use orange as the predominant colour and red with green as background colours.

Papers: My minds eye
Ribbon: Doodlebug Designs
Flower: New stock in from Crafty Feeling (these are awesome)
Image: Whiff of Joy, coloured with ProMarkers
Ink: Wild Honey Distress Ink



This was my little helper today, Woddewick eating sticks while I took the photo of the card, isnt he cute! well he was for about 30 seconds then he bit me!

I made the top 5 at Passion for ProMarkers!!

I made top 5 at Passion for ProMarkers with this entry!!! WHOOOP WHOOOPP!!!!

Passion for ProMarkers & Sketch Saturday Challenges

I have combined this card with 2 challenges today, firstly Passion for ProMarkers Challenge 51 which is a theme of ''Strawberries & Cream'' and Sketch Saturday Challenge 103 which provided the fab sketch. I am really happy with how this one turned out but have struggled to get a good photo of it. Image and papers are from Magnolia. Lace from a local sewing shop and the felt strawberry is available here.

Sir Stampalot Monthly Challenge

This months Sir Stampalot Challenge is ''Butterflys & Blossoms'' I really liked the theme and had a good idea for it so I thought I would give it a go. Papers from DCWV Once Upon a Time stack, Ribbon is Papermania and image is from the Tracey Coates collection at The Stamp Man. Stamped with distress ink onto watercolour paper, I really like this effect.