One Man Went to Mow

This week's scrapbook challenge was to use the lyrics of a song for journaling. Couldn't think of anything I could use for this until these photos of JT were posted. This is more of a rhyme than a song but I think it still works. Jacob loves this wee mower so it's a good record for my cube of photos - another side done.

STVSCR 31

STAMPS: GKD - Autumn Beauty

PAPER: KandCo

Cosy Snowman

This card was made for a colour challenge to use red, brown and sand. The stamp is from Just Rite but I only used the centre without the frame. I coloured with Tim Holtz distress inks and added bling to the centre of the snowflakes.

STVCC31

STAMPS: Just Rite

PAPER: HOTP

INKS: Ranger - TH Distress Inks

Sarah Kay Memories

Waltzingmouse Makes has a competition to make a card with a favourite stamp and use lots of green.

My choice is this stamp from Sarah Kay range and although I'm nominating it my favourite this is the first time it has been inked. I bought it because of the memories it holds. Our oldest child's first bedroom was wallpapered in this Sarah Kay design and when I saw the stamp that's what I thought of. C won't have any memory of it because we moved house only a few months later and she was too young to remember the room. I loved how that first bedroom for a child had been decorated and I enjoyed the process.

As for the green in my card - I was happily trying out my copics, just about to reach for the blue whenever I remembered something about green. Had to do a quick change and this is the result.

STAMPS: Sarah Kay - Best Friends Forever
NESTABILITIES: Labels 4

COPICS

PUNCHES: MS - Doily Lace

The Sweet Stop SSS22

This is my first card for The Sweet Stop's weekly challenge.

This week as well as following a sketch there was a twist in that you had to use black, red and tan in your card.

It gave me a chance to try out some new stamps.

SSS22

STAMPS: Just Rite - Thinking of You

PAPER: HOTP

PUNCH: MS -Doily Lace

A Mixed Bunch

Paper Weaving -Scandinavian Heart

Completing last week's selection of challenges on Stamptv was the Potluck Friday challenge.The instructions were to make a card using some form of paper weaving on the layout. Some time ago I saw something called a Scandinavian Heart made by weaving and so decided to base my card around this. I started off with two co-ordinating papers, just like a tag in shape, and when you weave them together you form a heart shape. The weaving itself wasn't difficult, the problem was choosing colours to stand out. I had originally planned to make a baby card with gingham papers but it just didn't work out. Anyhow here's what I came up with. The jury's still out.

Stamptvpf30

I added some bling to the flower heads but I think the heart itself still needs something. I might come back to it later. Feel free to make a suggestion.

STAMP: GKD -Thanks a Million(Signs of Autumn Kit)

PAPER: Green Patterned - Sizzix: Plain Pink stamped with Autumn Beauty vine.

A New Week

The other week I won a stamp set in a Stamptv challenge and I chose Theresa Momber's 'Autumn Beauty' set.

I know these may be geared towards 'Thanksgiving' but I plan to use them with Harvest in mind. Anyway with a scarecrow and an American mailbox in the set it made the choice easier. Just right for the stamptvcc30 challenge. The selected colours were orange, yellow and green to represent harvest.

I also bought my first Copic markers. There are some good tutorials for colouring with Copics but I find the theory is easier than the practical. Still I'll keep trying. A friend, Mandy, who used to have a craft shop was terrific at colouring with any medium and extremely helpful and patient. I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention whenever she was demonstrating Copics. However Theresa gives step-by-step tuition on her website for her cards and I'm trying to take that on board. As you will see from my card I started small.

STVCC30

You might wonder why I uploaded two images of the same card but if you look closely there is a slight difference. I had stamped the mailbox on to glossy card just to play around and coloured the flower heads pink. When I decided to use the image on the card I thought it looked a little bit off and so went for a more autumnal colour. I just went over the pink with a different coloured Copic.

By the way the buttons are actually green although they look blue in the photo.

STAMPS: GKD - Thanks a Million (Signs of Autumn Kit) , Autumn Beauty

INKS: Ranger- Archival Black, Brown; Copics; Marvy Blending Blox -Shades of Olive

CARD & PAPER: GKD - Signs of Autumn Kit

Broken Window

The technique challenge was a 'cracked glass' look achieved by using ultra thick embossing powder. You can find the tutorial here. The hardest part was getting a good print in white ink. I actually went over the impression with a white pen.

STVTC31

I bought this stamp at the craft show in Glasgow two years ago and this is the first card made. It seemed a good choice for this challenge. It's was only mounted on EZ Mount (no wood,) and in a small clear plastic bag (no label) so I have no idea who made it. Claire Brennan posted a 'cracked glass' card the other night that's worth looking at. You should also check out her homespun Christmas decorations.

STAMP: unknown; Sentiment - Hero Arts
PAPER: DCWV

Home is where....

STVSC30

These stamps are from a set called 'Primitive Beginnings' from Cornish Heritage Farms (CHF). I stamped and coloured the main image with the intention of using it for my technique challenge but then decided to use it for the sketch. I love the folk arty style of this set. Really need to do a lot more with it. The background paper has a delicate blue on yellow pattern but you can't really see it in this photo.

STAMPS: CHF - Primitive Beginnings

INKS: Ranger Archival Black; Marvy Watercolour Pens

PUNCH: MS - Arch Lattice

CARD /PAPER: Anna Griffin

Anyhow that's the posting for now. It really is easier if you do it more regularly but the week just seemed to disappear. Ironing is next and then a lot of preparation for Sunday School craft. Then I have some new stamps I want to try out.

Playing Catch-up

Where does the time go? My intentions to keep this blog up to date seem to be continually slipping away and so today I'm playing catch-up. The Mojo Monday challenge is viewed through the blog so it has to be posted. It's so easy to put anything else aside until later.

Monday: a colour challenge of brown, yellow and ivory.

stvcc29

The sunflowers were coloured with watercolour markers. Then I went over the image with a versa mark pen, applied clear embossing powder and heat embossed. This allowed me to sponge the background blue without marring the colours of the flowers. I didn't have nestabilities big enough for the yellow mat so I drew around the outside edge of the one I used for the brown mat and then cut it by hand. You don't get the embossed edge this way but for a mat it works ok.

STAMPS: GK Signs of Autumn, Thanks A Million

INK: Ranger archival black, Marvy watercolour pens.

Tuesday: a scrapbook sketch challenge.

This was another chance to do a page for my photo cube of Jacob.

stvscr29

I know that I am biased but when Jacob smiles his whole face lights up.

PAPER: K&Co Hopscotch

STAMP: Lizzie Anne Designs

Wednesday:

This was a 'soot stamping' technique challenge which I wanted to but couldn't take part in because I couldn't get any candle (or oil lamp, or hob) to create soot. But I will keep on trying.

Check out the technique here. http://stamptv.ning.com/video/soot-stamping

Thursday:

Today's was a card sketch challenge. Only at the very last minute did I decide to try something for this and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

stvsc29

.

Although they look black in the photo the card base and the matting are actually a very very dark brown. As an after thought I'm thinking some paper piercing might have worked on the right -hand corners but I can do that next time.

STAMPS: GK So Grateful

NESTABILITIES: Labels 4

Lately I've been using Autumnal colours and stamps. This is because I got great new stamp sets from Gina K Designs and also because I'm planning Autumn / Harvest craft for Sunday School and the Harvest. After that I can concentrate on Christmas.

Mojo103

Finally got around to trying the Mojo Monday challenge again. My intentions are to try this every week but I never find the time. Even now I am pushing towards the deadline.

MOJO103

At first sight it looked a fairly reasonable sketch but try as I might what was in my head didn't seem to translate to the paper. Eventually a card.

STAMP: Papertrey Ink
PUNCH: Woodware mini daisy punch

More Christmas Cards

Green and Pink Christmas (sc28)

These are not colours I would usually think of using on a Christmas card but I did like the snowflake paper and so decided to run with it. Happy with different elements of the card but I'm still not sure about the overall result. A bigger stamp might have been better. Could be just down to the fact that pink and green aren't my colours.

STAMPS: Hampton Art - Snowman window HOTP-sentiment

PAPER: DCWV

PUNCH: Stampin'up Scallop circle, Woodware circles

EMBELLISHMENTS: snowflake brad, adhesive gems

Quick Christmas (sc 26)

This is a good card for mass production. The snowflake with the red gingham is actually a wire edged ribbon I salvaged from last year's presents. I think someone out there might recognise it. Keep my cards in mind when you are buying your ribbon this year. To make the snowflake detail stand out I placed a strip of blue card underneath. Where I have used ribbon a strip of patterned paper works just as well.

STAMP: Hero Arts - Winter's Butterfly

PUNCH: EK Success corner rounder

Cuttlebug Christmas (colour challenge 27)

There is no quicker, more effective card than the one made with a CB embossing folder. If you haven't already tried it give it a go. You'll be hooked.

STAMPS: Stampin'up - Flaky Friends

CUTTLEBUG FOLDER: Snowflakes

There are now 4 new Christmas cards in my stash. That's really good because I don't usually get started until December.

Does anybody notice a trend? I like snowmen.

Brighten Someone's Day

Today's posts are the Stamptv Technique challenges for last week and this. Unusual for me both cards are uncharacteristically bright but the I am trying to broaden my collection.

Shaker Card

Last week we were challenged to make a shaker card. I eventually decided that I would use a Tilda stamp with the shaker bits representing raindrops.

The problem I faced is that Tilda is quite a big stamp and so requires quite a big frame. There is little room left for anything else on the card front.

For some reason this background paper (dp) reminds me of water. I think it's the distress lines through it suggest ripples. Anyhow the paper determined the colours used on the stamp.

It doesn't seem quite finished to me and I would like to put a sentiment on the front - something I quite often avoid. It could be a birthday card or any number of cards but I see it as a Get Well wish with something quirky like 'Sorry you're feeling under the weather'. Just can't decide where to put it. All suggestions welcome.

STAMPS: Magnolia - Tilda in Spring Rain

PAPER: DCWV

PUNCH: Fiskars -Threading Water

Patchwork Pieces

This week's challenge was to do some sewing on a card. Have actually wanted to do this for some time so this was the perfect opportunity. I really enjoy patchwork so to me this was the way to go. It's a great way to use up leftover pieces of card-just as a quilt is intended to use up scraps. Anyhow I got the machine out and once I got past the point where I thought I'd broken it (way too long since last sewed) the card started to take shape. I didn't think to photograph it a the time but the difference before and after the stitching is amazing -I could hardly believe it. Anyhow here's the result and I really enjoyed making it. Put me back on the notion of sewing.

STAMPS: Gina K - Thanks A Million

Good news for me - my posting of JT and Mother Hen won me a stamp set in the Stamptv scrapbook challenge.

New Challenges

I seem to be behind with my blogging lately and although I've made a few cards I never seem to get them posted. For this reason I've decided to update with this week's challenges for Stamptv and add the others as and when.

Grey, Black and Pink Colour Challenge

I toyed with the idea of what I could do for this colour scheme for most of the week and had in mind to use the CB Hound'stooth embossing folder but as seems to be the way lately time ran out. It was nearly the deadline, I had just about given up taking part this week whenever I remembered some paper I had in just these colours. Believe it or not they were actually in a Christmas collection.

Anyhow I gathered the papers and resorted to one of my tried and tested designs. It never seems to fail. Some bling and a lacy border I was quite happy with the result.

the front view the open view

STAMPS: Gina K Inspiration Mosaic

PAPER: DCWV

PUNCH: MS Doily Lace

JT and Mother Hen

I don't usually do the scrapbook challenge because it takes me a long time to decide just what I want my page to say. I did think though that this would be a good way to get started again as I haven't scrapbooked in a long time. To date I have always used a 12x12 layout as I find this the easiest. However for today's challenge entry I used 6x6. The reason for this is that I plan to cover a 6x6 cube to display on a coffee table or sideboard. Hopefully the weekly challenges will help me get it finished.

The subject of this cube is a very very special young man who puts a big smile on my face every time his mum sends a photo. He's so precious.

This week was a sketch challenge

Who says friends have to be just like you?

I've got to admit that I wouldn't go as close as Jacob.

STAMPS: Gina K Signs of Autumn, Thanks a Million

PAPER: K&Co Hopscotch

Wiper/Birthday Card

The problem with giving a handmade birthday card is that you never really get to go back to store bought. Each year you try to come up with a different idea or style. This is where SCS helps. You can go through past ideas and usually there is something that can be adapted to suit the recipient. You just try that little bit more to whenever the card is for a family member.

A couple of weeks ago SCS did a tutorial for a 'wiper' card. There is a great step by step written tutorial or at the end a video tutorial. These are really helpful. For my daughter's birthday I decided to make the wiper card. However I decided to make this one a double-wiper ie. back and front decorated. She could choose which side to display.

my choice for the front

the back

open views

upright view

I loved this designer paper from My Mind's Eye.

This was a fun card to make and could be used for many occasions. Worth giving it a go.

STAMPS: Gina K Designs, Lizzie Anne designs, HOTP

PAPER: My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow

RIBBON: Making Memories

FLOWERS: Prima

NESTABILITIES: Classic Scalloped Rectangles, Classic Rectangles