Passion for ProMarkers Challenge

It's time for another challenge over at Passion for ProMarkers and this week it's time for a Teddy Bears pic nic ! That's right we would love you to get out your teddy bears ! The sponsor for this challenge is Joanna Sheen and the prize is a £10 voucher.

The teddy bear stamp I've used is from my stash and I don't know who it's by as I've had it for years ! I've shaded him with Aquamarkers ( did I mention that I love these pens ! ) I then cut him out with Labels 3 Nestabilities and used some Tea Dye DI around the edge. The background pieces are made with Shabby Shutters DI then I've stamped with the polka dot Stampin' Up background stamp with the Cocoa Stampin' Up ink.

The flower is made using a Stampin' Up punch and the swirl is a Shapeability.

I'm keeping everything crossed that this post will appear as I'm actually on holiday at the moment somewhere in northern France.

Thanks for looking

A bientot !

Sue

I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge

This week over on I ♥ ProMarkers we would like to see a charm on your work. The challenge is being sponsored by Digi Doodles Best.


The image I've used is called Country Flowers and has of course been shaded with ProMarkers ! I've used Labels One to cut the image out and rubbed some DI around the edge. The background panel is a made from a Tim Holtz Sizzix die and which I've then put through my Cuttlebug using a Quickutz EF then I've rubbed Shabby Shutters DI over the top.

The sentiment is from a Papermania stamp set and the background paper is Basic Grey. The butterfly charms are from my stash.

Hope you get chance to join us this week.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Isabella Sketchbook last challenge

It's time for another challenge over on Isabella's Sketchbook, but this week is to be the last one. Isabella has had to finish the DT as she needs to concentrate on things at home for a while. I know I speak for the whole team when I say that we've enjoyed working with Isabella's images and I'm sure you will see them again. So on to the challenge for this week which is quite an easy one of hand made flowers. The image I've used is Watering Can Garden and I've shaded it with ProMarkers and then cut it out with Labels 5 Nestabilities. I've blended some Spiced Marmalade DI around the edge. The background is made with Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade DI and I've stamped with a stamp from the Baroque Motifs set by Stampin' Up.


All of the flowers, the swirls and the moth are all made from Grunge paper which I've coloured with DI. The swirls are a Tim Holtz Sizzix Die, the large flower is made with a Bigz Sizzix die and the moth is a Paper Artsy stamp which I've cut out and added some pearls. The gorgeous brad is a Marah Johnson, which I'm still on the hunt for some more!

I hope you're able to join us for this last challenge.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Passion for ProMarkers challenge

This week over on Passion for ProMarkers we have a fab sketch for you plus a theme of Autumn colours.

The sponsor for this week is Stampeezee and the prize on offer is a £10 voucher !


So, onto my card ! The image I've used is a Sugar Nellie stamp called The Artist which I've stamped with black Stazon onto water colour paper then I've used my Aquamarkers (I love these pens !) I've then cut it out with Labels 3 Nestabilities and rubbed some Bundled Sage DI arund the edge. The two green panels are made using Bundled Sage and Forest Moss DI and I've also stamped a leaf onto them which you can't really see on the photo.

The centre panel is a piece of Basic Grey paper that I've put through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots EF. The background paper is also Basic Grey and I've paper pierced the opposite corners and drawn in the stitching.

The green ribbon is Stampin' Up grosgrain and the brown is from my stash. The flower is a Stampin' Up punch and the centre flower is a Woodware. The leaves are a Martha Stewart punch.

I hope you get chance to join us this week and look forward to seeing all your Autumn creations.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Cherry on the top Award !

Just a quick post to share an award I've been given by the lovely Clare. Thank you Clare! I love blogging (as we all do) and it's made even more special by the lovely people that I come into contact with and receiving an award always makes me smile :0)


So enough of the mushy stuff, onto the rules that go with this lovely award :

1. Thank the person who gave the award (I've already thanked Clare).
2. Display the award proudly on your blog.
3. List 3 things you love about yourself.
4. Post a picture you love.
5. Finally tag 5 other people to receive the award.
   

So, I've covered off the first 2, now onto the rest of the list:

• I love being close to all my family
• I love my creativity, and sometimes amaze myself where the ideas come from !
  
• I love being easy going, I find life is less fraught this way !
  

The photo that I love I can't post as it's not digital and I don't have a scanner, but it's a black and white photo of my Dad, who we lost several years ago. It always makes me smile when I look at it as he's smiling back at me.

So onto the 5 people I want to tag, this is really tough to narrow down to only 5, but here goes :

• Victoria - Blue Jelly Too
• Linda - The Funkie Junkie
  
• Lindsey - Loopey Lindsey's Crafty Corner
• Zoe - This little place
• Annika - Another Messy Crafter

Look forward to reading what you ladies have to share !

Sue
x

I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge

This week over on I ♥ ProMarkers we want you to think about the seaside as the challenge this week is to use a seaside theme for your creation. The sponsor for this week's challenge is Simon Says Stamp.

The main image is another one of Mo Manning's fabulous collection. The background is made using Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and I've then used another freebie Craft Stamper stamp and stamped it around the edge with black Archival ink.

The ribbon is Stampin' Up grosgrain and the pin is from my stash. Quite a simple one for you this time but once I'd stamped the background I didn't want to add much more !

It will be great to see your seaside creations, being as the Summer seems to have left us !

Thanks for looking
Sue

Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge

This week over on Isabella's Sketchbook challenge we want you to hide something on your creation. Whether that's in a pocket or behind a flap, you choose ! When I saw the challenge my mind when completely blank and I had to leave my craft room and think about something else until inspiration struck ! I've heat set the main image then used my Aquamarkers to shade it.



For the front panels and the inside panel I've used Broken China Distress Ink then stamped the Baroque Motifs swirl stamp using the same ink. I've then highlighted some of the swirls with a white Inkssentials pen. For the pocket I've used Labels 3 Nestabilities and cut the top part off. The bookmark is made from Grungepaper and I've inked it with Broken China DI then put it through my Cuttlebug using a Tim Holtz EF. The shells on the pocket are made using a freebie Craft Stamper stamp which I've stamped with black Archival ink onto some scrap pieces of card left over from the panels.



I hope you get chance to join us this week and look forward to seeing what you hide on your creations.

Thanks for looking
sue

B is for Blue...

It's time for another challenge over on The ABC challenge and we're now on the letter 'B' so for this challenge we want to see blue creations. The sponsor for this challenge is Secret Crafter and the prize is a set of digital images of her second Manga release.

For my card I used my new set of Aspects of Design stamps. When I saw the freebie stamp on a recent Craft Stamper magazine I knew I had to get the full set ! I've made the background with Distress Inks, Chipped Sapphire, Broken China and Weathered Wood. I've then stamped with black Archival ink. The word 'Visage' was mounted onto black card and then onto foam pads. The swirl is a Tim Holtz die and I've added some pearls and I've paper pierced the corners.

For the flower I stamped some white paper with a Stampin' Up polka dot stamp I cut out 2 flowers using the Paper Artsy Grunge Flower die. I then sprayed them with Medici Mixed Media spray in Wedgwood, scrunched them up and stuck then together with Glossy Accents. The brad is a Filligree from Stampin' Up. I quite liked this when I'd finished !

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Craftalicious - Pearls and Swirls
• Allsorts - Paper piercing
• Fab 'n' Funky - Flower Power
  

I hope you're able to join us for this 'blue' challenge.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Passion for ProMarker Challenge

This week over at Passion for ProMarkers we want to see some Winterblue Christmas cards. The sponsor for this week is Secret Crafter and the prize is a £10 voucher.


For my card I've used an image that I found on Imagenation, and is one of their Inklined images. this one was actually a freebie ! I've kept the shading to a minimum on this card as the snowman speaks for himself.


The papers are all Basic Grey, and are some of my favourites for Christmas. I've then zipped around the edges with the sewing machine.


The sentiment is from a Tandastamps set and the snowflakes are a Martha Stewart punch.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Little Paper Shop - Stitching
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas in August
  

I hope you are able to join us this week and I look forward to seeing all your Winterblue creations.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Wedding bells !

No not mine......lol.........this is a card I've made for an order. I always struggle with wedding cards for some reason so was quite pleased with the finished article ! The image and the sentiment is from Squigglefly and I've shaded the cake with ProMarkers. I've cut it out with Labels 3 Nestabilities and rubbed some more Victorian Velvet DI around the edge. The background is made using Victorian Velvet DI then I stamped with the same ink using my favourite Crafty Individuals stamp.


I've whizzed around the edge with the sewing machine and added some pearls. The dots on the cake are small blobs of Perfect Pearls.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Sew Many Challenges - Stitching (real or faux)
  
• Sentimental Sundays - Ribbon or Lace (plus a sentiment)
  

I feel quite spoilt today as I've spent the whole day pottering in my craft room. I've managed to catch up with my DT cards and orders so feel quite relaxed at the moment ! Don't suppose it will last though ...lol... Hope you're all having a relaxign week end.

Thanks for looking
Sue

I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge

It's time for another challenge over at I ♥ ProMarkers and this week we want to see some acetate on your creations. We are being sponsored by Digital Delights and the fireplace I've used is one of their fab images. The armchair is hand drawn and cut from some My Minds Eye paper. The holly is from an Artemio set of stamps and the greeting is a Clarity stamp, both stamped with black Stazon.

The image has been shaded with ProMarkers and then I cut it out. The background papers are Basic Grey and the ribbon is gros grain from Stampin' Up.

I've added some tiny pearls to the stockings hangin over the fire and some red gems to the arm chair for a bit of sparkle.

This worked out better than I thought, I don't use acetate very often so this was most definitely a challenge for me ! I'm also entering this card in the Basic Grey challenge which is to use some pearls and the Creative Cottage challenge which is to use acetate.

Look forward to seeing what you do with your ProMarkers and acetate !

Thanks for looking
Sue

Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge

This week over at Isabella's Sketchbook we want to see you use your scraps ! Let's face it we've all got loads of those little pieces laying around that we don't want to throw away. So gather them together and see what you come up with ! None of the pieces can be larger than 3" x 3" except the card blank. When I saw this challenge my mind immediately went to patchwork ! The very background layer is made from 4 pieces of card stuck together and then the next layer is 9 squares that I've stuck down then sewn zig zag around the edges.


I've shaded the image, which is called Fresh Flowers, with ProMarkers and then cut it out using Labels 3 Nestabilities. The swirl is also cut from a scrap piece of Stampin' Up card using a Tim Holtz die.

I quite surprised myself with this card as I didn't use any Distress Inks !

I hope you get chance to join us this week.

Thanks for looking
Sue

Passion for ProMarkers Challenge

It's time for another challenge over at Passion for ProMarkers and this week we want to see creations with the theme of music. The sponsor for this week is Whiff of Joy and the winner will have the choice of 1 stamp.

For my card I used a fab image from Mo Manning, I just love the way the dog has his head back howling ! I've actually used Aqua Markers this time and have painted the image. As I've used a digi image I heat set the ink before I started so that the outline wouldn't run.

I've distressed the edges of the image and used some DI too and added some faux stitching. The music is an old stamp that I picked up in a sale years ago and I've stamped it with Vintage Photo DI and also blended it over the card and distressed the edges.

The flower is made using the Paper Artsty Grunge Flower die which I've used to cut out two flowers from some card that I've stamped with the music stamp and then rubbed Vintage Photo and Victorian Velvet DI over it. The centre of the flower is a rolled flower and I've rubbed Vintage Photo and Victorian Velvet DI over the top. I've cut some pieces of organza ribbon to sit the flower onto. The swirl is cut using a Tim Holtz die and the paper is Basic Grey which I've stitched around the edge.

I had lots of fun with this card as there was plenty of ink and distressing !

Hope you get chance to join us this week and look forward to seeing your musical creations !

Thanks for looking.
Sue

Distressed Birthday !

I've made this card for my other half's birthday, I had the house to myself this afternoon so took the opportunity to make it as he has a tendency to look over my shoulder ! I've used a set of Darkroom Door stamps which I haven't used in ages. The text is stamped with black Stazon and then cut out with an oval deckle edged Nestabilitty. I've used Brushed Corduroy DI around the edge before and after removing the die. The embossed panel was made by inking a piece of card with Brushed Corduroy DI then embossing it with the Mosaic EF. I then inked it with Versamark and then used clear embossing powder.



The background piece was made by using Tea Dye and Vintage Photo DI and stamped with more stamps from the Darkroom Door set in Vintage Photo DI. I've distressed around the edges and curled one corner.

I'm also entering this card for the following challenges :

• Truly Scrumptious - Sketch and use a neglected stamp
  
• Cupcake Crafts - Distressing
• Cute Card Thursday - Whateva'
  
• Our Creative Corner - It's Embossable !
  
• Secret Crafter - It's a Man's World
• Challenge Up Your Life - Celebrations
  
• Alota Rubber Stamps - Distressed
  

Thanks for looking.
Sue

I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge

This week over on I ♥ ProMarkers there's a fab sketch for you to follow with a twist of not using more than 3 colours.


For my card I used a Rubber Romance stamp which I shaded with ProMarkers then cut out with Labels One Nestabilities. I rubbed Victorian Velvet DI around the edge.

The background paper is from a pad of Papermania papers and I double stitched the corners and added some pearls. The punched medallions were made using the right angle punching technique with a Martha Stewart corner punch.

The word 'daughter' is a peel off that I coloured with a peel off pen and the sentiment is stamped with black Stazon and cut out with a scalloped circle Nestability.

This was the last birthday card I made for my niece who was 16 last Friday. Like all girls that age shopping is very high on her agenda !

I hope you're able to join us this week at I ♥ ProMarkers and look forward to visiting you !

Thanks for looking
Sue

Isabella's Sketchbook Challenge

The challenge this week over at Isabella's Sketchbook is buttons and bows, as well as using an Isabella image. I've shaded the image, which is called basket of twigs, with ProMarkers and cut it out with a deckle edged Nestability. I've sponged some Scattered Straw DI around the edge before removing the die. The background is made with white card stock then I've blended Wild Honey DI over it and then stamped the swirl from the Baroque Motifs Stampin' Up set with Wild Honey too.


The sentiment is also a Stampin' Up stamp which I've stamped with Brushed Corduroy DI. The organza ribbon is actually an olive green but against the Wild Honey is looks golden. The little heart button is from my stash.

Quite a simple card, which is unusal for me, but I quite liked it in the end !

I'm also entering this card into the Sweet Stampin' challenge which is a sketch.

Thanks for looking
Sue

ABC Challenge - A is for August

It's time for another ABC challenge this week and as we're back to the beginning of the alphabet, we want you to think about what August means to you, so A is for August. The sponsor for this challenge is Simon Says Stamp.

I apologise for the photo of this card but for some reason I couldn't get it so the right hand side wasn't over exposed. I'm not one for fiddling with camera's either, very much a point and press girl ! I had the idea for this card when I saw Linda Elbourne's fabulous creation in the August Craft Stamper magazine. August means flowers and sunshine to me (though not necessarily in this country !) The flowers are all made from Grunge Paper and Distress Ink. The large flower is a Sizzix Bigz die and I stamped over the smallest flower with a Stampin' Up background stamp called En Francais and added a brad to the centre. The smaller flowers are stamps from a My Minds Eye stamp set and I've added an eyelet to the centre of them after cutting them out. The 2 large leaves are made using a Paper Artsy die and the swirl and smaller leaves are another Sizzix Bigz die.

For the embossed panel I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder then I blended Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade and Barn Door DI over it.


The sentiment is a rub on and I've cut it out with Labels 4 Nestabilities and blended some Brushed Corduroy DI around the edge. The background card is white card stock that has had Brushed Corduroy blended all over it.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this card, and you should have seen my fingers after I'd finished ! Good job it comes off in the shower ! I have to say that Grunge Paper is becoming one of my favourite crafting materials, the smell of it alone is wonderful !

I'm also entering this card for the following chalenges:

• C.R.A.F.T - Hot and Spicy colours
  
• Craftalicious - Make your own flowers
  

I hope you get chance to join us for this challenge and show us what August means to you !

Thanks for looking
Sue

Passion for ProMarkers Challenge

This week over at Passion for ProMarkers we have a fabulous sketch for you. The challenge is being sponsored by Joanna Sheen and the prizie is a £10 voucher.


This is the wonderful sketch that we're looking forward to seeing what you come up with !



For my card I used a gorgeous image from the Sketching Stamper. This little fella is exactly what I wanted for my other half's birthday next month. He's a keen amateur photographer and the kingfisher is his number one subject at the moment. I've cut the image out with a square Nestability and sponged some Broken China DI around the edge before removing the die. I've used the same ink on the background piece of card and then stamped with Paper Artsy stamps with the same ink.



The embossed panel is a Tim Holtz embossing folder and I've rubbed Broken China DI over the top of it. The circles are a PaperArtsy stamp which I've stamped onto Grunge Paper then rubbed Broken China DI over the top and cut out then added an eyelet in the centre.


The poppers are Tim Holtz Ideaology and the ribbon is from my stash. The mosaic paper is a scrap piece left over from a Cricut paper pad, how lucky was that, it was just big enough !

I'm also entering this card in the By the Cute and Girly challenge of Animal Antics.

I hope you get chance to join us this week and look forward to visiting you !

Thanks for looking
Sue