A Gem Of A Challenge

Good Evening!

Only just made it today!

Today's card is my entry into A Gem of a Challenge. I needed a bit of cheering up today so decided to go colourful!

The fairy and fairy dog stamp were some of the first stamps I bought. I stamped them both onto watercolour card, and coloured using brushmarkers and then added some Diamond Sparkles glitter to their wings.

The striped backing paper is from my stash. I cut and embossed the circle frame using blue pearlescent card and a Marianne die. The pink border is embossed using a sizzix die. The orange oval was cut using a Nellie's die, and the gems and peel-offs were from my stash.

Thanks for dropping in today.

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

Be My Valentine

Good Morning.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend.

Today's card is my entry into House Mouse & Friends Challenge Number 88 which is all about hearts. Full details of the challenge can be found here

I decided to use a gruffies image for this card, made with decoupage from Joanna Sheen. Let's face it, it must be love to push someone around in a wheelbarrow!!

The base card is a lovely white textured cardstock from Papermill. The hearts border was made using silver mirri board, which I embossed using the Glitter Girls Borderfold Embossing board, and then cut the inner hearts out of vellum. The sentiment is computer generated and matted onto a banner cut from silver mirror board using a spellbinders die. The decoupage is from Joanna Sheen. I felt it was lacking something, so added the narrow ribbon, which was from my crafty stash.

I do love making cards using any of the housemouse range, they always make me smile.

My stash diet is feeling more threatened today as I learnt that more SWALK stamps are being released very soon. It's good to know that Anne (Stargroves) is dieting at the same time, that knowledge may very well keep me on track :0)

Well, it's still blowing a gale here today, and there are some very big black clouds overhead, hopefully the wind will blow them away again.

Have a lovely day.

Jo

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

Grandma

Good Afternoon.

It's been another one of those days where it doesn't get light, and the wind - it's a real hold onto your hat day. I've not stepped outside the door!!!

Today's card is for the girls to send to my mum for her birthday next week.

This card is made using the new Faye Whittaker decoupage from Joanna Sheen. This is taken from the 'In The Garden' set. The other set called 'At The Seaside' accidentally fell into my basket too, so many more of these to follow. The quality of the decoupage paper is fabulous. I do enjoy cutting out decoupage, and these are an absolute joy.

This reminds me of when my eldest daughter was about 3 and she had her own special watering can at mum and dad's. She used to take great care watering the flowers.

The backing paper is printed from a Floral cd from Create and Craft. The letters are stamped out using the large Alphabet stamps from Dimension Fourth. The flowers are made using an x-cut embossing punch with a sprinkle of brown flowersoft in the centres, the leaves are an x-cut punch, and the stems/swirls are from a Marianne Die. I got a new EK Success Butterly border punch for my birthday, I used this to decorate the inside of the card and then used 3 of the little cut-out butterflies on the front of the card.

Catch up again soon.

Jo x

Another First

Good Afternoon

Today I have been having another play with my new goodies which resulted in this card.

The Marianne Frame I cut from pearlescent cardstock, and then taking inspiration from the fabulous Edna's blog, I inked the frame while still in the die, using Big and Juicy Hydrangea and cut and dry foam. The colour of my fingers now match the frame perfectly :) The stamps I have had for some time, and I inked it up with Versamark and then stamped the image onto double-sided silk art card. When the Versamark had dried, I applied the same ink to my new brayer and in turn applied this to the cardstock. I then trimmed down the cardstock to fit the frame, added a few pearls, and then added the frame to the card blank using 1mm foam pads.

This is the first time I have used a brayer, it was a surprise birthday present off hubby. He often watches when Barbara Gray is on C & C and was obviously inspired. I don't ever expect to attain Barbara's standard, but it was fun to make just the same.

I'm a bit mystified by the amount of colour that remains on her face. I have gone over it with a soft cloth, but cannot remove any more of the ink. Maybe I just need some practice!!!

Now I've got a real challenge!!! I've been thinking about getting some tree stamps for ages, and want them even more now so I can do reflections etc, but I'm on a 'stash diet' for February and it's only day 3. Please will somebody give me a good talking to!!!

I'm off to sit on my hands!!!

Jo x

Memories

Hello again

This afternoon I decided to have a try at something I haven't done before, which puts to good use some of my fab new crafty goodies.

I used the white coated card that I'd bought a while ago from Joanna Sheen. I had some ink dusters in my craft cupboard that I hadn't been brave enough to use yet, and a set of stamps from inkylicious. So I set to with the ink dusters and a selection of ink pads. For the sand I used 'Big and Juicy' Spice, and then applied a light dusting of Black Soot Distress ink to tone it down a little. For the sea and sky I used 'Big and Juicy' waterfall, and then ran through the sky a little of the pink from 'Big and Juicy' soothing sunset. The lighthouse I stamped onto Watercolour paper using Black Soot Distress ink and then went round the edges with a damp paintbrush. The grasses were stamped using Pine Needles Distress Ink, and finally the birds and sentiment were stamped using Black Versafine. I added the lighthouse with a small amount of glue gel to add a little dimension.

When I'd finished making this, I came back into my front room to find Murphy happily reading Joanna Sheen's craft forum!!!

Be interesting to see what he creates!!!!

Jo x

A New Arrival

Good Morning from a very dismal Manchester!

Today's card is made using the Popcorn Kids cd-rom from Crafters Companion.

I was really struggling to get started with this card, so had a look through the projects section of the cd. This is one of the projects listed, altered slightly. The sentiment is a LOTV stamp.

I had a lovely birthday yesterday. A big, big thank you to everyone for making my birthday so special. I had phone calls, visits, cards in the post, text messages, blog messages and forum messages. I feel very lucky to have so many kind people to share it with.

I also received some really lovely presents, including lots of new crafting goodies, so I can't wait to have a play!!!

For the whole of February (at least) I am going on a crafting diet, so no more craft buying for me. I am determined to start using all the lovely goodies that I've already got, so watch this space!!!!

Have a lovely day.

Jo x

Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

Good Afternoon.

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

Today's card is made using the fabulous new Faye Whittaker stamps from Joanna Sheen, this set is called Seahorse. I've always found seahorses quite fascinating.

The shape of this card was made using one of my fancy layering templates, this is my favourite one in the set of four.  The image was stamped onto watercolour card using versafine, and then coloured using Lyra Aquacolours.  The word 'Mum' on the stopper was stamped using the Crystal Tips Alphabet Set from Dimension Fourth, and embossed using Beachcomber embossing powder and does really look like sand.  The seahorses were again coloured with Lyra's, and then I applied some Glossy Accents to make them look wet.  The little shells were from my stash.

It's my mum's birthday next week, and I'm one of three girls, so this seemed the perfect card for her.

Thanks for having a look.

Jo x

A Bit Of A Change

Good Morning

I hope this Sunday finds you well.  Hasn't the week gone quickly?

Todays card takes me right back to my introduction to craft - cross stitch.  I used to cross stitch all the time, and have made lots of larger projects over the years, and then when I ran out of wall space, my mum suggested stitching smaller projects and turning them into cards.  And that was the start of it all really :) This card was made by special request.  It's one of a group of cards that was featured a while ago in Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine,  I just added the sentiment.  I stitched it on 14 count Aida, using DMC threads and seed beads.

I didn't have an aperture card that I thought it looked good in, so I made one myself out of A3 white linen card, and silver linen card for the aperture.  It took me an age to make but I'm happy with the finished result. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Have a lovely Sunday.

Jo x

Time Flies

Good Afternoon

As soon as I looked at this stamp set from Sheena Douglass I thought it was perfect for a calendar, so I made one!  This is going to sit on my craft desk (once I've cleared a space for it lol).

I stamped the main image onto watercolour paper, and coloured using Lyra's.  I think those dandelion clocks were made for flowersofting, so how could I not?  It doesn't show up as well on the photo, but in real life it looks great.

This is actually plan B.  Plan A had to be abandoned after a mishap with some glue, fortunately, the main image could be saved!

Thanks for having a look.  If you've time, please leave me a comment, I love to read them.

Jo x

CD Sunday Challenge Card

Good Afternoon.

The light has been appaling again today, makes it tricky for crafting and even more tricky for photographing crafting!!!

Today's card is one I have made for CD Sunday Challenge, Waters Meet.  I went straight to Joanna Sheen's Enchanted Dreams cd-rom for this challenge.  Every time I look at this cd I see something that I have missed before, and the use of colour in these images continues to have me enthralled.  I'm sorry that the colours don't show up as well in this photo as they do in real life.

The backing paper used on this card is from Joanna Sheen's Thomas Kinkade cd-rom, and the corners have been punched using a Martha Stewart Deco Fan punch, this punch always makes me think of shells, so I thought it quite appropriate to use it.  I've added tiny pearls at the base of the punched corners and then a few shells around the edges to add to the effect.

This afternoon my new Sheena stamps and Faye Whittaker decoupage sheets have arrived, so I'm going to have a good look through them now.

Thanks for having a look today.

Jo x