Hi folks! Recently I have wondered to myself why I don't seem to make as many cards as I used to - now I seem to only make one card a day when I craft, if I am lucky as sometimes it is only part of a card! For a while I couldn't figure out why, then realised that a) my crafting style has changed over the last few years and b) I do a lot more colouring of images than I used to do which I guess takes a lot longer than taking a printed / foiled kit and putting cards together. I still buy some of those kits now and again, but they don't seem to get to the top of my "to craft" list that often anymore - I guess that is because I enjoy the colouring more, oh and using my die cutting machines (manual and electronic) and CDs!
Now sometimes we don't have the time or crafty mojo to spend time colouring an image for a card, so today I thought I would share a card that I made using pre-coloured elements from a fab Polkadoodles CD - its from the first Work and Play Collection which is a really fun set of images and papers (and more) to craft with!
I am adding this card to:
Crafting At The Weekend - #3 Anything Goes
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes
Materials Used:
Polkadoodles - Work and Play Collection 1 CD
Core'Dinations - brown card
Brother Scan N Cut - to cut the image out
Craftwork Cards - white square card blank
It's
time for a new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge, and
this week its Embossing - heat or dry embossing, whichever is your favourite, you could even use both!
I chose to use dry embossing as I have a bit of a stash of embossing folders and I really don't use them often enough!
There are two great prizes up for grabs this week, so pop on over to http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ and join in:
StampArt Design by Kathryne - 5 digi images
Sassy Studio Designs - 4 digi images
I am adding this to the following:
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes 24/06 - 30/06
Materials Used:
StampArt Design by Kathryne - Mermaid Pearl that you can buy here
Copics - E000, E00, E01, E02, E31, E35, E50, E51, E53, BG70, BG72, BG75
Spellbinder - nautical frame and accents set
Brittania Dies - large and medium multiflower rose dies
Core'Dinations - blue card
The Hobby House - sea charm pearls
My Craft Studio - crystal glitter
Creative Expressions - Sue Wilson Art Deco Fanfare A4 embossing folder
Craftwork Cards - white square card blank, white card
Its time
for a new challenge over at Lacy Sunshine, and for this challenge the
theme is Anything Goes, and we are celebrating Eleanor and Pickles 2nd birthday! So please pop on
over to Lacy Sunshine and join in the fun for the random draw - there will be 2 winners: 1st prize - 5
digi images, 2nd prize - 3 digi images of choice from the Lacy Sunshine Crafters Candy Shoppe.
We have a gorgeous Challenge Digi for you - Eleanor and Pickles Birdie Fun which you can get for a
special discounted price of $2.00 for the duration of the challenge from
the Lacy Sunshine Crafters Candy Shoppe. Read all about our loyalty program on the challenge blog, as you could receive a free image every new challenge!
I am adding this to the following:
Copic Spain - June Tags
Really Reasonable Ribbon - #97 Anything But a Card
The Paper Shelter - #163 Anything But a Card
Crafting At The Weekend - #2 Anything Goes
Materials Used:
Lacy Sunshine - Eleanor Skateboarding
Copics - E000, E00, E01. E02, R81, R83, R85, B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, YG61, YG63, YG67, C1, C3, C5
Ranger - Stormy Sky Distress ink
Die-namics - Wonky scallop border die
Crafters Companion - Scruffy Little Cat paper pad
DoCrafts / XCut - Speech bubbles die set
Blue ribbon from stash
Hole punch
Now, I don't know about you, but I have a huge selection of rubber / clear stamps which I have been collecting over the last ten years or so. Recently I have found myself using digi stamps more and more, and that my physical stamps haven't had much attention. So, I decided to find myself a blog challenge to enter and pick some suitable stamps. I love Clarity Stamps, so the June challenge (masculine) seemed a perfect opportunity to get stamping!
I've kept this card very simple as I didn't think it needed much adding to it. I've used an espresso ink, though I know the photos make it look black - but it is brown I promise!
I am adding this card to the following:
Clarity Stamp - June # 16 Masculine
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments - Two Word Sentiment
Try It On Tuesday - One For The Boys
Mema's Crafts - June - Only Men Allowed
Materials Used:
Clarity Stamps - Word Chain set 2 and 3, Jazz Man, Journalling set
Adirondak espresso ink
Die-Namics - Fishtail flag stax
Core'Dinations - brown card
Craftwork Cards - white A5 card blank
It's time for a new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge, and this week its Use Your Favourite Embellishment - so I had to use my "dotz" and my new favourite flowers using the Britannia rose dies!
There are two great prizes up for grabs this week, so pop on over to http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ and join in:
Bugaboo Stamps - 7 digi images
Eureka Stamps - 5 digi images
Materials Used:
Bugaboo Stamps - Pig Vacation digi
GraphIts - 1110, 1150, 7220, 7240, 9502, 4115, 4120, 5110, 5115
Copics - B000
Fancy Pants Designs - Beach Babe paper pad
Spellbinders - classic circles
Die-Namics - leaf filled flourish
Britannia Dies - large and medium multiflower rose dies
Hole punch, embossing tool and mat - to make the "dotz"
Craftwork Cards - white square card blank
Well here I am at the end of my challenge. So how did I do? Well.... I did make some purchases, but nowhere near as much as I would have normally, and it has definitely made me think about what I am buying and using more - I have even been challenging myself to get stuff out that I have had for a while and not used - and have been having fun using it all!
So, what did I buy...
Britannia Rose dies
Crafters Companion Halcyon Days CD and an exclusive card kit
Tatty Twinkles CD
Pets in a Mess CD
Polkadoodles Rose Budd CD
Now, although I had intended not to buy anything for the month, I guess I would have to admit that I was probably setting myself way too hard a challenge... But all in all I am pretty pleased! :-)
Happy crafting!
Mandy x
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! My Dad is no longer with us, but always thought about - so Happy Father's Day Dad! I needed to make a cad for my OH to send to his Dad so thought I'd try this project in the Cricut Explore Design Space. I have to admit its a very quick and easy card to make, but quite effective don't you think?
I am adding this card to the following:
Moving Along With the Times - Keep It Clean and Simple
Materials Used:
Cricut Explore - Design Space project
Core'Dinations - blue card
White and black card from stash
Hello my lovely crafty friends! Well I have to admit that I have not checked in on this challenge over the last week and a half - oops sorry! And I also have to admit that some purchases have been made...
Tatty Twinkles CD - sorry - I just had to get this!
Pets in a Mess CD - again I had to have it!
Polkadoodles - Rose Budd CD - irresistable! Sorry!
So, I guess I have not done so well in the last week and a half - though I have definitely thought about any purchase more! So surely that is a good thing?!
I have a few days left of the challenge, but right now I can say although I have ordered some craft goodies, it has definitely made me think about it a lot more!
Hope you all have a good weekend, and I will be posting my final "1 month no craft spend challenge" results in a few days time!
Happy crafting!
Mandy x
I love this fun little "spidy" image and thought it was a great choice for this weeks' Anything Goes challenge!
There is a fab prize this week, so pop on over to http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ and join in:
Pink Gem Designs - 2 digi images
I am adding this card to the following:
Polkadoodles - Men on our minds
That Craft Place - Men
Digi Tuesday - All about the men
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Materials Used:
Pink Gem Designs - Spiderman Andy
GraphIt - 5215, 5220, 7125, 7130, 4115, 4155, 3120, 4120
Core'Dinations - blue card
Hunkydory - white square card blank
I just love the Polkadoodles Work and Play CDs, and have all 4 that have been released so far! :-) Am hoping there will be more too! I wanted to make something suitable to enter a couple of challenges with a "for men" type theme, so chose this cute Handyman Dave digi stamp from collection 1. I also used one of the backing papers and a sentiment from the CD, and added some DIY tool die cuts.
I am adding this card to the following:
Polkadoodles - Men on our minds
That Craft Place - Men
Digi Tuesday - All about the men
Materials Used:
Polkadoodles - Work and Play CD 1
GraphIts - 5215, 5220, 4115, 4125, 4155, 9101, 9102, 9103, 9401, 9403, 9502, 9504, 9505, 3110, 3125
Memory Box Dies - handy man tools, crafts man tools
Core'Dinations - blue card
Craftwork Cards -circle cut easel card
Cricut Explore - to cut the background card and paper for the easel
Brother Scan N Cut - to cut out the digi stamp
Hole punch, embossing tool and mat - to make the "dotz"
Its time
for a new challenge over at Lacy Sunshine, and for this challenge the
theme is Goth and / or non traditional hair colours, so please pop on
over to Lacy Sunshine and join in the fun for the random draw - there will be 2 winners: 1st prize - 5
digi images, 2nd prize - 3 digi images of choice from the Lacy Sunshine Crafters Candy Shoppe.
We have a gorgeous Challenge Digi for you - Maddie and Clover which you can get for a
special discounted price of $2.00 for the duration of the challenge from
the Lacy Sunshine Crafters Candy Shoppe. Read all about our loyalty program on the challenge blog, as you could receive a free image every new challenge!
You will see that I HAD to use my new favourite embellies - these lovely little flowers made using the Brittania multiflower rose dies!
I am adding this card to the following:
Little Miss Muffet Challenge - #87 Funky Hair
Materials Used:
Lacy Sunshine - Pearl Sunkissed Mermaid
Graph'Its - 4115, 4155. 8110, 8240, 8110, 8240, 8220, 8250, MixIt Fluid
Copics - BG000
Hunkydory - Boys 'n' Men paper pad, 5" x 7" white card blank
Core'Dinations - gree card
Die-namics - leaf filled flourish
Brittania Dies - large and medium multiflower rose dies
So here we are, the 7th June! So time for a new Kraftyhands Challenge! This month its Floral Fancy, and I decided to use the gorgeous new Retro Roses papers as I just love them, and this idea seemed a perfect time to share them with you!
I took a piece of card and drew a curve shape to make the grand piano design (ok so it took a few goes to get the shape I liked), and I now have that as a template to draw round to make a card. I also scanned the shape on my Brother SnC and reduced the size to give me the patterned paper layer which I inked around. I also inked around the flowers, sentiment and keys.
I am adding this card to the following:
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Materials Used:
Kraftyhands - Retro Roses 12" x 12" papers, Kew Floral CD (sentiment)
Copics - G94, G99 (to colour the calyx on the roses)
Die-namics - leaf filled flourish
Brittania Dies - large and medium multiflower rose dies
Ranger - brushed corduroy distress Ink
Brother Scan N Cut - to cut out the backing paper and the piano keys
Core'Dinations - pink card
Craftwork Cards - 8" x 8" white card blank, white card
Waco - cream pearl maker pen
It's
time
for a new challenge over
at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - and the theme this week is Bears and Mice.
There are three prizes up for grabs this week, so pop on over to http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ and join in:
Meljen Designs - 4 b/w digi images
Crafty Sentiments - 3 digi images
Di's Digi Stamps - $12 gift voucher
I am adding this to the following:
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Materials Used:
Meljen Designs - Camera Mouse digi
Copics - C1, C2, C4, C6, R81, R83, V09, V15, V17, YR61
Hunkydory - All Occasions paper pad
Sizzix - Tim Holtz filmstrip frames
Spellbinder - classic circles, snapshot
Cricut Explore - to cut the background card and paper for the easel
Core'Dinations - purple card
Craftwork Cards - circle cut easel card
Hole punch, embossing tool and mat - to make the "dotz"
Day 16 in the 1 month no craft spend challenge - and a challenge it is proving to be! I just HAD to order a couple of dies yesterday... I have become a bit hooked on making these pretty little roses lately, and one card that I made I could have definitely done with some bigger flowers (you will see that one on the blog at the weekend as its a DT challenge card). Now while I was looking for a video tutorial on how to make the roses, I also discovered that there are a couple of larger dies with just a single flower and single calyx on (rather than 4 and 2) - so I'm afraid that was that!
Now of course I could have waited for them... sigh... I would still say I am doing pretty well as that is my second purchase in two weeks (oh and another £16).
Meanwhile I have resisted buying any of the new Crafters Companion vintage range embossing folders, and a few other bits from Create from Craft, so lets see what the next two weeks brings!
Mandy x
Happy Sunday! Today I'd like to share a card I made using a really sweet Sugar Nellie digi image, and of course she had to be pink!
I've been having fun making these gorgeous little roses for my cards recently. The Brittania flower dies have been in my collection for a while, but I hadn't really used them properly until now. So I watched a video on making flowers using these dies on the Joanna Sheen website, armed myself with some round nose pliers and some glue, and voila! Here you have some pretty flowers that you can make is any colour you like!
I am adding this card to the following:
Party Time Tuesdays - #174 Anything Goes
The Squirrel and The Fox - #70 Lets Hear It For The Girls
The Pink Elephant - #252 Anything Goes
MarkerPOP Blog - #44 Pinks
Materials Used:
Sugar Nellie - Return to Fairy Glen A Little Bit of Gossip digi
Copics - E000, E00, E01, E02, E11, E15, E18, B000, C0, C2, C3, YG61, YG63, YG67, R81, R83, R85, R89
Quitckutz - photo corners die
Spellbinder - classic circless
Die-namics - leaf filled flourish
Brittania Dies - large and medium multiflower rose dies
Hunkydory - Fairy Sweethearts paper pad
Craftywork Cards - white scallop edge card blank
