Willow Sketchie Challenge

The challenge for this week over at Willow Sketchie Challenge is a sketch with the optional theme of using your favourite colouring medium.  I have gone with both and here is my card:

My favourite colouring medium is coloursoft pencils which I blend with baby oil.

8 x 8 card blank

Stamped image from SWALK range be Crafters Companion

Backing paper from SWALK 2 cd-rom

Card from Papermill embossed with a Darice embossing folder.

Spellbinders label 22 used for the mat the image is sat on.

Mini fanciful flouish die.

Gems from stash, purple ribbon from Meiflower.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Forever Friends Challenge - Use ribbon and/or twine

Creative Card Crew - Anything goes

Papertake Weekly - Ribbons and/or pearls

Time To Have Fun

The appearance of the sun today put me in the mood to make a summery card.  I chose one of my newest SWALK stamps which hadn't been inked before and followed the great sketch over at Sketch N Stash and the theme at The Crafty Pad which is At The Seaside:

6 x 6 card blank

SWALK image stamped in Memento ink, coloured with Spectrum Noirs and coloursoft pencils. Tumbled glass distress ink used for the sky.

Mat cut using a Spellbinders label die.

Backing papers from Making Cards magazine, matted onto turquoise card from PaperMill.

Sentiment LOTV stamped with Big 'n Juicy waterfall ink.

Clouds created using a Darice embossing folder and then the required section cut out.

Boat charm from ebay, along with the jump rings.

Gems from my stash.

My card is also for the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Summer

Pile It On - It's a Shore Thing

Willow Sketchie Challenge - Summer Holidays

Digi Doodles Challenge - Summertime

Craft Punked - Summertime

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Photo Inspiration

My Valentine

Good Afternoon

My card for today uses one of the lovely SWALK stamps, this is its first inking!

I coloured the image using promarkers and coloursoft pencils.  I printed the heart pattern directly onto card from a Crafters Companion Popcorn cd-rom.  I printed onto both sides of the card.  I cut an aperture using a Spellbinders die to create a shaker card.  Here is a close up of the shaker:

The sentiment is computer generated, the label is a spellbinders die.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafters Companion - Share the Love

Cupcake Craft Challenge - All You Need Is Love

The Poodles Parlour - Love Is In The Air

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge - Love Is In The Air

Allsorts Challenge - Hearts

Anything Goes Challenge - To The One I Love

Paper Sundaes Challenge - Valentines

The Crafty Pad - Valentines

Thanks for stopping by today.

Jo x

Forty Winks

Good Morning

My youngest daughter has gone back to school today, she is now in Year 6!!!  She was so excited, really looking forward to her new class.  I'm finding it way too quiet here!!!

I have decided to have another go at the current Crafty Calender Challenge, and also to  put my name forward to be considered for their DT.  If you don't try you don't know!

Here is my card:

I don't think the caffeine is working for him :0).

My card uses one of the gruffies decoupage papers from Joanna Sheen, and the backing paper is printed from a SWALK cd-rom from Crafters Companion.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafty Calender Challenge - Let Sleeping Bears Lie

The Poodles Parlour - Animal Antics

The Crafty Pad Challenge - Blue and Brown

Cards For Men Challenge 18 - G is for Gruffie

Have a lovely day.

Jo x

Groovy Granny

Good Morning

This is the card I made for my friend who has just become a Grandma for the first time.

This is one of the images from the Crafters Companion SWALK range. The shape of the card was created using a Marianne die, cut 3 times. Then I had to create a hinge as I don't have a large die cutting machine. She was coloured using Lyra's and her dress paper pieced with the same paper that I used for the background. Since taking the photo, I have glazed her glasses with glossy accents.

The stopper for the easel was cut using a spellbinders die and then some mulberry flowers and punched leaves arranged into glue gel.

Thanks for taking the time to have a look.

Jo x

Crafty Calendar Challenge - April Showers Bring Forth May Flowers

Good Morning

and what a lovely sunny morning it is too.

Today's card is my entry into the Crafty Calendar Challenge.

The image is one from the SWALK range, which I stamped onto watercolour card and coloured using watercolour pencils. I added some glossy accents to the puddle, rain drops and top of the umbrella.

The oval she is sat on is cut using a Nellie Snellen die, cut out of gold pearlescent card. The papers used are printed from the SWALK cd-rom. I cut four corners using a Marianne die and added a tiny pearl to each corner. I punched the centre strip with a Martha Stewart border punch. A few mulberry flowers (May flowers :o) ) and punched leaves were added to complete the card.

I hope you have a lovely Saturday.

Jo x

Never Underestimate The Power Of A Hug

Good morning

The sun is shining here once again and the primulas are flowering away in the garden, adding some much needed colour.

My card for today is made using one of the fabulous SWALK stamps. This is the first stamp I inked up when I bought the first set, and it is the one that I have used the most. It is suitable for so many occasions. Today I am using it to send some hugs to a friend of mine who has had to have surgery this week.

The shape of the card was made using my favourite Get In Shape template. The backing paper is from the SWALK cd-rom, printed onto centura pearl paper. I stamped the main image, and the flowers, onto watercolour paper using versafine ink. I then coloured them using watercolour pencils. They were attached to the card using foam pads, and then a little gem was added to each of her hair bows. The sentiment comes on the same stamp sheet, and was stamped using a brushmarker pen.

I am entering this card into the TotallyPaperCrafts Challenge

I am waiting impatiently for the postman to arrive in the hope that her brings some of my new goodies! During my stash diet last month, I had a refund from a returned item and a £10 Joanna Sheen gift voucher that I won, woohoo :0). Sooooooo, I have ordered some new fab Spellbinders dies, some Marianne dies, some Nellie Snellen dies and a couple of cuttlebug folders. Ok, so I may have spent a teensy bit more than the value of the refund and gift voucher, but I really did need these items :D

Have a super weekend.

Jo x

Two To Share

Good Morning

I've two cards to share with you today.

The first one is a birthday card for a friends dad, she particularly likes paper embroidery. I hadn't done any for a while and really enjoyed making it.

The pattern was from stitching cards, and it was stitched using metallic threads.

The next card is made using an image from the SWALK range of stamps from Crafters Companion.

I coloured her using Derwent Watercolour pencils and put her onto some white glitter card using 3d glue gel. I cut four corners using a Marianne die, and then inked through the die using Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset. The corners remind me of a tiara, so were just right for this card. The backing paper is printed from the accompanying SWALK cd-rom, printed onto Centura Pearl paper.

The flowers are made using the same backing paper and a Marianne Die, and the centres cut onto white glitter card. A pearl was then added to the centre of each of the flowers. A couple of flourishes were cut, again using a Marianne Die, and added behind the flowers.

The Princess and Heart charms were from ebay, and attached using narrow ribbon. The sentiment is from LOTV, stamped using silver ink and then embossed with clear detail embossing power. A few pearls in the opposite corner completed the card.

I'm sorry about the quality of the photos, very dull here again today, so I had to use a flash and it bounces off the centura paper.

This card is being entered in the following challenges

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge

Raise The Bar Challenge

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge

Yesterday was my lovely mum's birthday. She loved her cards.

Thanks for your visit today.

Jo x

A Sweet Little Girl .... and a Prize

Happy Saturday!

Don't they come round quick? My body is complaining very loudly this morning, so I'm going to have to take things even slower this morning.

Todays card is made using another of Sheena's new stamps - Busy Doing Nothing. Isn't she gorgeous? She reminds me of my little niece, she's cute as a button too.

I stamped the images onto watercolour card using versafine ink, and coloured using Derwent Watercolour Pencils and Lyra Aquacolour's. The backing paper is from SWALK 2 cd-rom. The butterfly border was punched using an EK Success punch (another birthday present), and one of the little punched out butterflies was then added to the main image. I decided to leave it without a sentiment.

I'm very excited to tell you that I've won a cd-rom in the lovely Edna's blog candy draw. Thank you very much Edna, it will be put to good use :-D

Enjoy your weekend whatever your plans.

Jo x

Lili Of The Valley Challenge 81

Hello again.

I can't believe I forgot to enter last weeks LOTV Challenge!!  So as not to make the same mistake again, I am posting this now.

The image used on this card is one of LOTV's cute squares, the sentiment is made using one of their stamps.  The backing papers were printed from the SWALK 2 cd-rom from Crafters Companion.  The flowers were made using Nellie Snellen punches, I spritzed some left over backing papers with some mica, but unfortunately that doesn't show up particularly well in the photo.  Finally, I added some pearls to the top right corner because it looked a bit bare without!

Details of the challenge can be found here.

Thanks for having a look.

Jo x

Enchanted Birthday Card

Good Evening!

Didn't think I was going to manage to post today, but just about made it.  The temperature has dropped dramatically here today and I've had one of those 'can't get warm' days!

My card for today is for a friends imminent birthday.  I made the card using the latest cd-rom from Joanna Sheen - Enchanted Dreams.  To begin with, I didn't think this cd would appeal to me, but then I saw the fabulous samples!!  Even so, when you actually sit and look at these designs on your own pc, you really are wowed by the amazing use of colour, not to mention the immense detail in each of the images.  As you can gather, I am delighted with this cd!!!

This image is taken from the zodiac section as is the backing paper.  I ran some gold linen card through my big shot using a cuttlebug folder, and then die-cut a couple of swirls using a Marianne die.  I printed out the matching insert from the cd to complete the card.

And...... you'll be very pleased to hear that today I completed the last of my calendar cards!  They are all now on their way to the recipients.  This final one was made using a SWALK image, stamped on to a die-cut circle cut with a Marianne die, and coloured with Lyra's.  The backing paper I printed from the accompanying cd, and made a ribbon strip from silver paper punch with a Martha Stewart punch.  

Have a lovely evening and I'll catch up with you again soon.

Jo x

SWALK Calendar

Good Afternoon

The card I was planning on posting yesterday, which took me hours to do, I very cleverly forgot to photograph before it went to my customer!!!  I've had another increase in my medication and I feel even more 'out of it' than usual.  I'm hoping that the effects will lessen some when my body gets used to the higher dose.  So no post yesterday!

I am still making my thank you card calendars, I just can't seem to craft at a decent speed at the moment!!  I am thoroughly enjoying making them though, so I suppose that's what counts.

This one is bigger than the others I've made.  It's for my mum and dad and I wanted to used the Grandma and Grandad images from the SWALK range, these images really make me smile, and I know they'll make mum and dad smile too.

I die cut a couple of ovals onto some white card, stamped with Versafine ink and coloured in using Lyra Aquacolours.  I added some colour to the edges of the ovals using cut and dry foam and hydrangea big n juicy inkpad.  The backing paper is printed from the SWALK 2 cd-rom.  I punched both edges of some silver paper with an x-cut border punch and placed the calendar tab over this.  I felt it was lacking something, and drawing inspiration from a top that a friend was wearing, I ran some running stitches along some organza ribbon using invisible thread then roughly gathered it up.  It proved a bit of a challenge attaching it to the card, but I cracked it in the end using a combination of double-sided tape and collall glue gel.

I think that the temptation is going to be very great this weekend.  Both Joanna Sheen and Sheena Douglass are on Create & Craft over the weekend and I love their products.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Jo x

My Sister, My Friend

Good Morning!

It's a bright and sunny morning here today, but very, very cold.  

My card for today is the card I made for Emma from her big sister.  Turquoise is Emma's favourite colour.  The finished card was 8 x 8 which is quite a large card for me, but I wanted to fit her name on and also use the lovely die-cut circle which a friend sent to me.  I love the effect of the die-cut, and when Santa brings me my new die-cutting machine, it is quite likely I'll order this die.  This image is from Crafters Companion Swalk Set 2, and the backing papers are from the accompanying cd-rom.  I love this range, they are such fun to colour in.  The image is coloured in using brushmarker, and the ink around the die-cut is from Big and Juicy hydrangea applied with cut n dry foam.  The cardstock is pearlescent white from PaperMill and is such a lovely quality.

Now Emma has had her birthday, I need to get cracking towards Christmas, not least of all with my Christmas cards!!!

Thanks for stopping by today, and a huge thank you to everyone who has left me comments - they really make my day.

Have a lovely day.

Jo x

SWALK Get Well Soon

Hi

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.  We're all very tired here today.  My daughter had 4 of her friends round for a birthday sleepover.  They were all still chatting at 1.30am, and then got up at 7.30am.  How do they do it??????  Even my poor dog is shattered today!!!

Today I am going to try and post my entry for Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge.  All this linking business is confusing me no end, but I'm determined to keep trying!!

This card was made using the Get Well Soon stamp set from SWALK Volume 1.  I coloured the image with brushmarkers.  The backing papers are printed from the SWALK set 1 cd-rom, but unfortunately I cannot get them to show up very well on the photo.  The flowers are Prima flowers which I bought from Joanna Sheen and the leaves are punched from silver paper using a Nellie Snellen punch.  I've used organza ribbon across the bottom, threaded through a spellbinders buckle which was included in some goodies sent to me by a friend.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Jo x