Spring Colours at Crafting by Designs

Oh I was glued to the TV this past weekend! And nothing to do with the winter Olympics - I was freezing just looking at the slalom Skiing a few days ago, and my daughter insisted on watching Dancing on Ice the other night - shivering with the cold! No, I was watching the fabulous Julie Hickey on Create & Craft here in the UK on tv demonstrating a new kit for Craftwork Cards. Lots of lovely inspiration projects from their design team and the only problem I had was a lack of cash to spend! So, to remedy that, I got out an older paper kit from Craftwork Cards and made a wall hanging to show you today for Crafting By Designs.

We have a new challenge starting today and we'd love to see your spring colours! I have used an image from Lia Stampz of a Muffin with two cute little mice! I dug out the Craftwork Cards 'Sweet Pea' in Pink paper pad from last year and coloured my image in pinks and lilac promarkers to match the papers. I decided on an 8x8 wall hanging - this was some A4 chipboard packaging that I cut down to match the size of the papers! I made up some of the matching Sweet Pea paper flowers and cut a sheet of the paper into 4 smaller 4x4inch squares. Julie had demonstrated a fabulous flower at the weekend and I had a go! This is the big flower you see on the bottom left.

The background paper is embossed with different patterns on each coloured square - I used an emery board to distress these, revealing the white core of the heavy paper. I added some of the small flowers from the kit, some paper ribbons from the first paper ribbon pad from Craftwork Cards and a sentiment from one of the newer sets. Matching 'Sweet Pea' candi finishes the flowers and corners - some coated with stardust Stickles, and others with glossy accents. There's also some Worn Lipstick distress ink around the edges and on the large flower, more glitter and some liquid pearls on the sentiment!

Phew! That took a bit of time, haven't had a chance to sit and just enjoy something so detailed for a while - hubby had the kids occupied so I got a bit of me time!

I hope you like it, I hope you can join us in our challenge this week!
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Another Christmas Card!

I've decided that I will get a head start on my Christmas Cards for this year and figured a good way to do that is to gleam inspiration from the miriad of sketch challenges out there in blog land!

This next card is based on a sketch from Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #100!

 

I have used Craftwork Cards Christmas Papers, sentiment and die cut flowers to make this card. The flowers have been shaped and layered to give dimension with rolled rose centres.

I added some Gold Stickles to the flowers for a bit of bling and Fired Brick Distress Ink round the edges of the papers. 

As well as entering the Saturday Sketchbook, I'm also entering the following challenges with this card -
Simply Create Too - Christmas in July
Paper Crafting Journey - Christmas in July
My Craft Creations - Anything Goes
Eclectic Ellapu - Flowers

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Saturated Canary - Patches the Fairy

Wow! This heat just wont let up and hubby informs me its to stick around for a bit longer!! Crazy to think that the bottle of factor 50 we are using has lasted the past 3 summers!! Looks like i'm going to need more!

Well onto today's card. This uses a digi stamp from Saturated Canary called Patches the Fairy which i've coloured with promarkers and Lavender Stickles!

I've used a selection of lilac papers from an old Hot Off The Press paper pack and made tattered flowers with my Tim Holtz die using the Bohemian papers from Craftwork Cards - the sentiment is also from them. 

I've finished this with some mulberry paper flowers, lilac organza and lilac head pins - and more lavender glitter on the paper flowers. 

This is my entry for the Saturated Canary Challenge #47 - Celebration.
Also I'll submit it to the My Craft Creations - Anything Goes challenge and the Crafty Ribbons Challenge - Anything Goes with Ribbon.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Simply Betty Stamps June Facebook Challenge!

I have fallen in love with Simply Betty Stamps!
You might remember the posts I had last week with lots of cards for their month long challenges in June - well, my wall hanging using the Emo Lola image was a winner and i'll trying to decide which digis to buy with my $10 gift certificate!

Now onto today's challenge! As a Facebook fan, we had the privilege of getting 'Summer' the fairy digi stamp to work with for this challenge. The brief being to not use designer papers but to create our own backgrounds for the digi.

I have used watercolour paper and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists in Purple and Black Cherry to create a coloured background, i've ripped and torn my paper and ran one of the layers through the Cuttlebug swirly embossing folder for a bit of texture. I've added some matching ribbons and paper flowers.

I coloured my image using promarkers and added lavender, platinum and star dust stickle accents. Some platinum liquid pearls around the edges finish off my card. 

I've not put a sentiment on there so I can use it next time I need a quick card for something and match the sentiment at the time!
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Simply Betty Stamps Birthday Challenges!

Today I apologise but I have loads of photos to show you! 

Simply Betty Stamps are having a month long birthday celebration and have posted several challenges which I plan on entering today right at the end of the month before they finish! So, each card I've made, has a SBS digi stamp on it, coloured mainly with promarkers with lots of added extras depending on the theme of the challenge.

June 16th Challenge - a Smart @rse Card! Something sassy, nothing sweet! I have used Emo Lola and although she seems sweet with her 'have a nice day...' she makes it sassy with a 'somewhere else!' I've used papers from the DCWV Rockstar Matt Stack, ribbon, paper roses, card candi and bling. 

June 8th - Something for Love or out of this world. I've gone with Emo Lola again in blacks and reds with mulberry paper, more flowers and ribbon and roses, and Valentine sentiment on top of heart embossed black card.

June 9th - Glitz up your grunge. I've used the Lavinia Framed digi with pearlescent paints and added lavender and platinum stickles to the girl. There's lilac diamantes around the frame, star dust stickles around the bottom of the frame and on the mulberry paper roses. Some lilac lace and feathers and some free damask papers from Pixel Scrapper which have been distressed around the edges and inked with Dusky Concord distress inks.

June 15th - Rock n Roll. - This is Emo Lola again with more of the DCWV Rockstar papers, a printed sentiment and EK Success punched border. I've kept this simple with just some black and purple liquid pearl accents.

June 18th - Anything Goes with any Emo. This is a tag I've made with EmoLola. I've coloured her with purple hair and a red and black emo/goth outfit. So, the tag is purple, red and black with black soot distress ink around the edges. This is finished with some bling and rolled roses with star dust stickles.

June 20th - Favourite Technique. Well, here is Belladonna on a wall hanging with rolled roses! As you will have noticed from the other creations on this page I love making rolled paper roses! They are so simple and effective and I love that I can have them to match anything that I make by using the same papers. I use a Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose die to curl spirals and then roll with my pokey tool using Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic glue to keep them from unrolling. Here I've adhered them to a wall hanging - another of my favourite things just now!

Well, that's a lot from me today, might go back to bed now!!!
Thanks for looking
Mo xxx

Craftwork Cards June Goodybox has arrived!

I got the most decadent box of goodies in the post a few days ago! I had signed up for the 6 month deal on Goodyboxes from Craftwork Cards and the first did not disappoint! 8x8 papers, sentiments, flowers, ribbon, banners and candi in gorgeous pink, black and white with silver foiling. So here are the first two cards I've made with the kit!

This first card uses the black and silver heart paper with white foiled flowers which are also from Craftwork Cards. I've added the black candi from the kit to the side of the card and crushed some for the centre of the flower. The black and silver sentiment is from a previous kit.

This second card uses the same black and silver paper with a pink damask banner, pink candi and white sentiment from the kit. Some of the fabulous die cut flowers from the goodybox have been shaped and layered with some Star Dust Stickles.

I am entering the black, silver and white card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door: Always anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays: Anything goes

thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

A Baptism Card

My daughter's friend Stacey, turned 8 this week - her card lent itself beautifully to the Dilly Beans Challenge this week and is a few posts below here. Her eighth birthday also meant another milestone for Stacey. Her family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - you might know them more commonly as 'Mormons' - and when a child in The Church turns 8, they can choose whether or not to be Baptised and Stacey made the decision to step into the water and take on the covenants that go along with becoming a member of The Church - there's a couple of links above if you're intrigued by this!!

I knew I had to make her another card! I started with a vision - Stacey and her father who would perform the baptism would both be wearing white and I really wanted to do an all white card.... with flowers on! 

I dug out some Safmat to print a sentiment and my XCut Posey dies to make the flowers, Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose to make the rolled roses and a Cuttlebug swirly embossing folder for the background.

I added some sticky gems to the flower centres and tiny heart gems within some of the swirls from the embossing folder. There's some Star Dust Stickles on the rolled roses. And some blingy flourishes to finish.

I am entering this card into the current challenge over at My Craft Creations entitled 'Special Occasions'.

Mo xxx

Happy Birthday Carly!

I took a stall at my kids primary school Christmas Fayre last December and a young girl, upon seeing my Gorjuss Girls Christmas cards showed such excitement that I gave one for however many pennies she had left in her pocket - not many!
So, roll on last week. My son comes home from school with a birthday invite for this very same girl! I knew right away that I would have to do something Gorjuss for her and so here it is. If you've been here recently you'll already know that not only do I love my Gorjuss, I am also loving wall hangings just now so i've combined the two for Carly.

This is her card. For all the items I've used the DoCrafts Gorjuss range of papers, die cuts, ribbons and washi tape. Here I've just done some simple matting and layering, using two images, and have added black lace, mulberry paper roses and rolled black roses. 

I added some washi tape to the inside of the card and to the envelope as well.
 

My wall hanging is 6x6" and uses the same papers, rolled roses, lace and i've added beading and bling. I used the Gorjuss stickers to spell out Carly and have sprayed the whole thing with Silver Spray and Sparkle.

And finally, I made a tag to match for the gift bag.

 

I hope Carly has a lovely party tonight and can find room on her almost teenage girl bedroom wall to display her wall hanging.

Mo xxx

Dilly Beans Summertime Challenge

Today I'm going to show you my second ever 'Dilly Beans' card. Last week I made a black and white 8x8" card and showed it on the blog entering it into the Dilly Beans Challenge.... Well, I won!!! I got the first place and am loving my wee prize - thank you Dilly Beans!

This week's challenge is entitled Summertime and can be found here.

For this challenge, I have used Dilly Beans image #444 Desi Framed and coloured her with promarkers. I have gone with browns and lilacs to match the flowery, summery paper that I decided to use.

My paper is a Dolly Mixtures pad from Craftwork Cards and I've used a frame and sentiments from them too. I used my x-cut posey flower die to cut layered flowers from some of the papers and used die cut banners as tags on the side of the image.

Here's a close up of my colouring - I feel like after a week or so of playing about with the pens i'm definately getting better, working out how to blend and which colours work together... I still have a limited palatte but working on that!!!

I am entering this card into the following challenges -
Dilly Beans - Summertime
Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes
Created with Love Challenges - anything goes.
Left of Center - 2 or more designer papers. 

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Tsunami Rose Designs Challenge #24 - Sketch Challenge

Time for another challenge over at Tsunami Rose Designs Blog -  this week it's a sketch challenge and again we're using samples from the new Polished Lackluster printable journal kit. All the links you need for the TRD Shop and other chances to win are at the bottom of this post! 

 

My card today i've used a black card base, A5 size and matted all the elements onto pearlescent red paper.

I made some rolled paper roses from the red pearlescent paper and the same in the black with matching organza ribbons. Lots of layering with 3d foam! I've got with simple for this card - i tend to get stuck with sketches, sticking rigidly to the design and really need to get thinking outside the box!!

Well, hopefully you'll like the card anyways! Why not join us over at Tsunami Rose, take a look at the sketch and see what you come up with - you dont have to use Tsunami Rose papers!!

Mo xxx

 Tsunami Rose Designs Links  

•  TRD Sponsor DK Crafts Shop
  • 600 Blog Follower Giveaway
  
• "Like" our Facebook Page
• Facebook Group- Join us for daily inspiration!
• Zibbet Shop
• Etsy Shop

PunkYouGirl Challenge Blog is live!!! Join us!

Well, its the moment you've all been waiting for!!! Or at least, the moment I've been waiting for!!! 
Brand new Dark Themed Challenge Blog, PunkYouGirl, launches right now - come on over and have a look. The very first challenge is 'Anything Goes' - as long as its dark! So whether you like Goth, Emo, Fantasy, Vampires, Monsters, Punk, Steampunk, Horror, Halloween, Creepy, Scary, Supernatural.... whatever your imagination stretches to, come and see what the design team have for you - and show us what you can do too!!!


This is my DT Project for June. This month we are being sponsored by Ike's Art and my digi image is Witch1 which I have coloured with watercolour pencils and a water brush.

I've added purple stickles on the dress and black stickles in the hair - I might have overdone the glitter but i've always been a bit of a glitter goth so I'm happy with that! I've used free papers and flower elements, added black lace, black card for matting and liquid pearls in black and purple.

I hope you like my sample for June, I'm already working on July's project but in the mean time, come and see us at PunkYouGirl and get in touch with your Dark Side!

Mo xxx

Dilly Beans Black and White Challenge

Hi!! Thanks so much to everyone who joined me for the Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop on Tuesday this week! Thank you for all the wonderful comments, I'm thrilled that you all liked my projects! It was a wonderful hop, chock full of inspiration - fabulous day!! 

This is just a quick post with a challenge entry for the Dilly Beans Challenge Blog. This week's theme is 'Black and White' and they have changed their rules slightly in that you have to use a Dilly Beans image on your entry.... so of course, I popped over to Megans Dilly Beans shop blog and bought a few to play with!!!

This has been coloured using the cool greys and black Promarkers with a hint of vanilla on her face. The embossed frame and B&W papers are from Craftwork Cards Black Magic Goodie Box and I've added some pearlescent black and white papers for matting. 

My trusty Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose die was used for the flowers, a double ribbon and some crystal head pins finish the card.

I'm still fairly new to 'proper' colouring and I think with a good bit of practice I'll become far more confident and competant at this. No doubt many of my upcoming projects will be coloured digis!!! I do have another couple of Dilly Beans to show you too!!


Thanks for looking today. Remember to join me on Friday for the launch of the brand new PunkYouGirl Challenge Blog!!!! I'll be showing you my project here on Friday morning and you can find more inspiration and challenge details on the blog at the same time!

Mo xxx

Tsunami Rose Designs Challenge #23 Romance and Love

I cannot believe it's Wednesday again already!!!
Here is this weeks DT project for Tsunami Rose Designs. This month we are showing you the Polished Lackluster Printable Journal Kit which you can purchase in the Tsunami Rose Zibbet or Etsy Shops - you can find all the links you need at the bottom of this post!

This week is an anything goes challenge based on the theme Romance and Love. With the ephemera and papers being from a Journal kit I decided on a journal page. I have kept it pretty basic but jazzed it up with a few touches.

I have used the beautiful samples from the journal kit and added black lace, beading and bling. Some mulberry paper roses finish the page.

Hope you like today's project - here are the links you need below!
Mo xxx

 Tsunami Rose Designs Links  

•  TRD Sponsor DK Crafts Shop
  • 600 Blog Follower Giveaway
  
• "Like" our Facebook Page
• Facebook Group- Join us for daily inspiration!
• Zibbet Shop
• Etsy Shop

Tea Dance Candles and a Card

Just a quick post from me this gloriously sunny evening!
It was my aunt's birthday a few days ago and she too is a cardmaker so I figured something crafty would be a great present for her and maybe get pride of place in her craft room!


For both the card and the present i've used the new Tea Dance collection from Craftwork Cards. The kit includes papers, sentiments, bunting, flowers and banners/borders and free mannequins! I love it and i'm sure you'll be seeing more from me using this kit!

For the card, i've covered the base in the polka dot paper and fussy cut a doily from another sheet and adhered using 3D foam. The doily has this gorgeous flower image in there which I've added some star dust Stickles and White Opal Liquid Pearls. A sentiment and some of my fabby poundland bling finish the card!

For her gift, I have decorated some pillar candles using the kit. I wrapped some paper around the candle and added ribbon and beading to them with the hot glue gun. I then cut some flowers using my Tim Holtz tattered floral die and layered them with some of the die cut flowers from the kit for both candles. The large flower being the main embellishment for the first candle and a decorated mannquin with flowers on the second one. 

The wraps will come off if need be and can be put on another candle, but i'm assured these will go in my aunt's craft room to be admired!
Hope you like them too! thanks for popping in,
Mo xxx

Tsunami Rose Designs Challenge #22 Friendship

Hi everyone, i'm back today with my latest creation for Tsunami Rose Designs. This was the first 6x6 mini wall hanging that I created. You might remember that I had a blog post last week with three other mini wall hangings - this is the one that started the craze!

This has been made with a page from a 6x6 chipboard album that has been covered with birdcage paper from the Victoria Park paper pad by LilyBeeDesign. All the printed ephemera is from the Tsunami Rose Shop - you will find all the links you need below!

I have used printable ephemera from the sample sheets in the stop this month and adhered to the board. I've also then added lace trim along two sides, some paper flowers and some bling along the other sides.

The bingo card was printed twice, the flowers fussy cut and attached using 3d foam and then covered with Glossy Accents.

I hope you like my project this week - I can see many more of these in my future!!!
Why not join us over at Tsunami Rose for the new challenge and see what my design team mates have created too!

Thanks for visiting
Mo xxx

 Tsunami Rose Designs Links  

•  600 Blog Follower Giveaway
  
• "Like" our Facebook Page
• Facebook Group- Join us for daily inspiration!
• Zibbet Shop
• Etsy Shop

Down the Memory Lane 1 Year Anniversary Celebrations!

Exciting blog post today! My Tsunami Rose Design Team mate, Nupur Patel is celebrating the first anniversary of her own blog - Down the Memory Lane!!! She has a whole fortnight of celebratory posts and has asked crafters from across the world to create something to help her celebrate - and I am honoured to say that she asked me to contribute!

I decided that it had to be something special - more than just a card - and when I opened a drawer I found a chipboard plaque! I decided on a wall hanging and then decided on a Gorjuss theme! The plaque is approx 12"x6" and has black organza tied on for hanging. There's a tag on there so I can personalise this later - possibly for my daughter once we get her room organised!

I have used the DoCrafts Gorjuss Ultimate Die-Cut pack and 12x12 papers pack. I used black acrylic paint to cover the edges and Mod Podged some papers on the plaque. I've used the die cut decoupage of the girl known as 'I found my family in a book' - one of my favourite Gorjuss Girls! Some other tags, frames and images from the die cut pack are also included on there.

I've used some ZVA creations adhesive bling and purple mulberry paper flowers. The Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose die allowed me to make rolled roses from a printed vintage french book page which was then sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists in Fully Purple and Black Cherry.

The whole thing was then coated in Silver Spray and Sparkle to finish.

Many many congratulations to Napur and her blog! Why not pop over and have a go at winning some amazing blog candy while browsing the other featured artists!

Mo xxx