Pink and girlie because Spring is springing!

Pink and girlie because Spring is springing!

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while. I had a few projects on the go that I couldn’t put on here! I’ve got a ton of cards to make now so I need to get back in the groove.
This is a girlie card- Just one DP as it is so pretty I can’t bear to cover it up! I used pink distress ink on the edges of my card. I highlighted some of the flowers and the wings using pearlescent ink.

 I added a butterfly gem landing on her hand and then punched a butterfly from black paper and added pearls. I made the flowers by punching pink scraps, colouring with inks, layering and then I used glossy accents and seed beads to make the centre.

I also decorated the inside.

 I used a Martha Stewart punch and stamp kit for the flowers in the central panel. I used distress ink on the card for the sentiment and punched the edges with a MS flower punch.

I would like to enter the following challenges

Sweet Stamps – #57 Think Spring
Little Darlings Challenges – #19 colors of Spring
Crafty Purple Frog – Pink & girly
Paper Take Weekly – For The Girls Or Mum
Top Tip Tuesday – #72 make a really girlie creation!!
Flutterby Wednesdays – must include butterfly, fairy or angel – #194 card for a child
Crafty Sentiments – Things With Wings
Deep Ocean Challenge – #21 Butterflies 
Mermaid

Mermaid

My first use of my Goldie digi from Wee Stamps and designed my background paper on the computer. I added the Time to Relax sentiment stamp by Lili of the Valley to a pearl. I inked the edges of the card with China Blue Distress ink.

I’ve just got Flexmarkers so I decided to colour using only Flemarkers!!

I added stickles to the bubbles

I decorated the inside of the card to match.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Sisterhood of Crafters  – use a digi
Truly Scrumptious – All creatures great and small
There’s Magic in the Air – Critter in the image 
Paper Crafting JourneyMake it cute
Digital Tuesday – include a digital element – Make It Sparkle
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge – must use digi – “Color Your World” (no brown or black) 
Fab ‘n’ Funky – Green, White, Blue
TCP Tuesday – Colour
Turning envelopes to gift bags

Turning envelopes to gift bags

Although I’ve finished my stash ban I’m trying to stay on a stash diet!! I seem to have tons of envelopes left over from our wedding and they can be made into cheap gift bags that are perfect for small light items such as jewellry. I also tend to add so much to my cards I end up having to make a box with them so I end up with spare envelopes such as this pretty pearlescent one which became the bag on the right.

I used a paisley stamp to make a random pattern. I used a MS flower punch to make the top and then added some ribbon from stash for handles.  Just to prove it is the envelope I’ve shown the back as well!

My second envelope started life as a white envelope. I used lavender and pink distress inks to give a light background colour. Iused a butterfly border stamp in pink all the way across the paper and then added a lilac circular butterfly stamp. I used a MS butterfly punch to edge the top and tied a pretty pink ribbbon (from the inside of a jumper….you know the annoying ribbons they use to hang things up in shops!). I used a MS punch to make the butterfly on a bit of spare pearlescent paper, curled the wings and added adhesive pearls.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Stamp scrap and doodle challenge- die cut or punches
Delightful sketches- punches and dies
Pixie dust studio pixie challenge- Girlie girl
The hybrid chick- all tied up (use ribbon, twine etc)
CES challenges- Give me wings!

It’s classic!

It’s classic!

I made this card for a classics teacher. I wanted a masculine vintage look to match my classics theme. I used distress ink on the card edges and paper edges. The latin text, map and Roman coins paper were coloured using a photo editing package to give a sepia tone.

The map was a line drawing of Scotland in Roman times. Having recoloured it digitally I mounted it on Tim Holtz paper and added crackle glaze.

I used Martha Stewart punches on Tim Holtz paper to make the medallion and the backing for the coins paper. I used the Wishing You Happiness sentiment from LOTV stamped in brown ink on cream card that I had distressed with ink. I used a coin charm covered in versamark emboss and silver embossing powder to make it look like an ancient coin! I used garden twine instead of ribbon to make it more masculine.

I used distress inks on the inside of the card with the Tim Holtz paper with the corners punched. I added my message on the computer. I took a photo of the colliseum and used a photo editor to make a mosaic effect.

A close up of the mosaic effect photo.

I also made a box to put it in.
I would like to enter the following challenges
The Crafty Pad- something for the boys
Craft spot- lets hear it for the boys
Cards for men- boys and their toys (in this case the Roman artifacts are toys to the man in question!)
Digistamps 4 joy- One for the boys
Crazy challenge- vintage
Creative stamp friends- old fashioned or antique
Crafty bloggers network- distressing
Shellys images blog- text challenge

Love is

Love is

I’m still on my stash ban and doing my best to be innovative! I used the great photo from The Shabby Tearoom challenge for inspiration.


I used the colours, the sewing theme and also the vintage feel by using papers which remind me of vintage wallpaper.

The digi is from the Paper Shelter and is called the cute dressmaker. I recycled brown card packaging for my mats. I used distress ink around the edges of the card and image.

I used up some left over embroidery thread and buttons cut off clothes to add to my sentiment.

The back lacy ribbon was from Sew Sweet and was from a win on the wonderful Top Tip Tuesday. The green ribbon is from stash.

The inside of the card uses a heart from Nit Wits Threads and Thimbles.

Thanks for reading! The other challenges I want to enter are
My Grafico Crafts- love and valentines
Incy Wincy Designs- vintage
Crafty Cardmakers- no floral embellishments
Cards for men- recycling
The pink elephant challenge- hearts (anywhere in the card so I hope inside counts!!)
Theres magic in the air- from the heart

Pretty in pink

Pretty in pink

A friend is about to have an operation so this is for her.

 I used a LOTV die cut and distressed the background and added perfect pearls (doing the same to the edges of my card and layers). The background paper is Nitwits (as is the card inside) teamed with a flourish paper I made.

Used a lovely pink ribbon which I added glimmer mist and pearlescent paint to. I absolutely love the embellishment- very vintage. I used textured card underneath and a MS flower punch to make the border.

This is the paper and frame I used inside from Nitwits Beraly Mine

 This is the whole thing.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Lili of the Valley- anything but Christmas
Do you stack up challenge- ribbon
Victorine stamps- ribbons
Southern girls challenge- ribbon
Craft your days away- buttons or bows
House of Gilli- flourishes

A special sparkly birthday

A special sparkly birthday

I was asked to make this based on another card that I did but I’ve tried a couple of new ideas and techniques to make it even more special! I’m adding lots of pictures as it won’t be staying with me for long! Despite all the photos and most of the card being covered with perfect pearls I don’t seem to have caught the shimmer and sparkle with my camera.

 As you can see this is an easel card for a very special birthday.

I used distress inks and pink perfect pearls around the scalloped edges of my card blank. I then used the same effect on the lilac card. I used my MS butterfly border punch at the top of the card. I then took some small butterflies that I’d punched out and coloured them by dipping them onto pink and purple alcohol inks placed on my craft mat. I tilted the edges up and glued them to the top.

On the base of the card I coloured the edges of the lilac card and papers with distress inks and pink perfect pearls. I tried a new technique to colour my lace with purple and pink pearlescent ink. I then added pearls into a swirl pattern. I added flowers from WOC.

TIP: you can colour embellishments and ribbons using the following technique- put small pools of glimmer mist, pearlescent ink or alcohol ink onto a silicone or glass mat. Using tweezers dip the embellishment or ribbon into the ink. If there are any gaps when you are finished then used the inks as a pallete and brush them onto any areas that have been missed. This can help you to match up colours on your card and also adds some shimmer!

 I punched the butterflies with a MS punch. I coloured them by dipping them in pink and purple peralescent ink. I also added some texture to them by adding some perfect pearls in embossing powder in places. I coloured small pearls with Promarkers and placed then in the centre of the butterflies.
I also made my first decorative pin. I took a flower pin left over from my wedding (Miachel Dark) and threaded pearl and snowball beads along it. I then bent is to become more of a swirl.

I’ve added paper to the back of the card and I have another piece of card ready for a personalised message to be stuck here.

I used a single lily digi to make the frame and add my Wee Stamps digi on Craft Artist. The image was coloured with Promarkers. I added some WOC flowers to the frame and sentiment. I used corners from WOC and stickled the edges.  I dabbed clear ink over this and added shimmer with pink Perfect pearls.

This is the base with card when open. I hope the recipient feels it is special! I need to make a box for it too.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Charisma cardz- lace and pearls
2 sisters challenge- let it sparkle
Digital Tuesday challenge- sparkle and shine
Patties Creations challenge- burthday or thanksgiving
Crafting when we can- female birthday
Top Tip Tuesday- More than 1 fold (OMG- check out the amazing DT cards here!!)
More than favors- birthday
Southern girls challenge embellishment bingo- lace, 3 patterned papers and glitter
Just some lines tic tac toe. Two lines!! Punch, digi, glitter. Punch, lace flower.

Life is like a box of chocolates

Life is like a box of chocolates

I made this box to hold a couple of Thorntons Chocolate bars as a birthday pressie (testing out the idea for Christmas!!). Sorry I don’t have time to write much tonight!!

Gorgeous LOTV stamp was coloured with Promarkers. Image then covered with embossing ink and pink Perfect Pearls applied. I added some flowers from WOC. The textured card stock sleeve was sprayed with glitter spray.
I would like to enter the following challenges
Whimsy inspires- flowers
Clearly iStamp- flowers

Teddy wreath

Teddy wreath

Another Christmas card. I’ve succumbed to attempting a card with a holly theme!!

I’ve inked the edges of the card and holly/ baubles paper with distress inks (red and some green towards centre. The sentiment was a magazine freebie.

I coloured the digi with Promarkers. I added glossy accents on the nose and boots. The fluffy hat bits were stickled and then I added Polar flowersoft. The background isn’t showing too well here but I used embossing ink and clear embossing powder mixed with turquoise Perfect Pearls and then heated.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Paper sundaes- use a digi
Christmas card challenges- holly/ wreaths
Here come the boys- male cards, red, white and green colour combo

Sunday sketch and stamp

For a special boy

For a special boy

I bought this Lili of the valley stamp for Christmas cards and wrapping etc for some of the boys in my family. They are all into Harry Potter so I thought it would be appropriate. This is the first card I’ve made with the stamp.

I inked the edges of the card with red distress ink and added platinum perfect pearls. I made the papers and sentiment on the computer using owls and stars as themes.

I added glitter to the red card around the sentiment. I added some red star embellies.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and used stickles around the edge and on the image. I also used perfect pearls on the top of the colouring to give some shimmer.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Lili of the Valley- Christmas card for someone special
Cards for men- cards for Christmas
Bearlymine challenges- for the boyz
Shopping our stash- never been inked