Just for Ewe

I thought I would experiment with using background papers to suggest scenery.  It was a lot of fun and easier than I thought it would be.  I am quite pleased with the result.  I found it easier to use mainly one colour (soft blue) to work out what went well with what and then coloured the image after I had made the background.  The papers and the stamped image were all digital ones from Pink Petticoat.  I especially like the ribbon stripes papers which I have used on cards for any age or occasion and for both genders. 

I really like the example cards on Pink Petticoat.  They look simple until you try to replicate them and then you realise how complex and clever they are. 
There is a really good bow tying tutorial by one of the Pink Petticoat design team that has inspired me to practise.

I have entered this card in the Daisy Doodles #18 Challenge Critter Mad.

Striped background paper: Ribbon Stripes colour Collection
Flower background paper: Wild Blossoms Just Papers
Digistamp: With {Flowers} Image Stamps

New Beginnings

It is lovely to come back to blogland after a long absence especially when you have such a friendly follower like Scrappyjacky. She is always there with words of praise and encouragement. Thank you so much. You are appreciated. Do visit her blog for some brilliant inspiration.

A family member asked my to create a card for her friend for a special occasion.  It seemed like a perfect excuse to buy some new digistamps and invest in a digikit (all now safely backed up on separate media!).  I am so getting hooked on Pink Petticoat so I did a bit of buying in her boutique instead of my normal window shopping.  And here is the first of my creations with my new kits.  I entered the Pollycraft Monday Challenge for sparkly things.  The stardust pens are very sparkly, though not in a photo!

Digikit: Wild Blossoms by Pink Petticoat
Digistamp: With {Flowers} by Pink Petticoat
Colouring: Sakura Stardust pens, Lyra Aquacolours

Oval frame: Majestic Keepsake Board by the Glitter Girls

All Things Bright And Beautiful

Went a bit mad with the vibrant colours I think!  Well that must have been my mood, though there was some thought to the taste and age of the recipient.  The background paper was from a digikit, sorry I can't remember which one and since I made this card my PC crashed and I had to re-install Windows (sob, sob,sob) consequently, despite having an automatic backup service on my PC, I lost nearly all my digikits and some of my digistamps. I wont be recommending the backup service to anyone!

Digistamp: Birdie by Pink Petticoat (free)

Curved Cards

I so loved 'The Next Step' blog. I was so sorry to hear they wer unable to continue to to ill health. Anyway, I finally got round to using one of the templates that are still available to download. The instructions are excellent and easy to follow. Here are a couple of examples of cards I made using the template.

DigiStamps: Vase of Hearts & Perfume Bottles by Sketching Stamper

DigiKit: Peachy Keen free from Nana's Attic

Embossed Flower: Majestic Keepsake Board by the Glitter Girls

Colouring: Sakura Stardust pens, Lyra Aquacolours, Colour Box chalk ink pads

More Monsters

Hi, it's so long since I've blogged but I'm back and on a bit of an economy drive. So out comes my box of scraps of paper and I made another couple of monster cards. I put the monster on a bit of a diet so he would fit in this lovely oval frame on my Majestic score board.

It takes so long to find a couple of scraps that go together! It's so much easier to just print some new papers out!

Digistamp: Fred-She-Said
Colouring: Sakura Stardust pens, Lyra Aquacolours, Colour Box chalk ink pads

Oval frames: Majestic Keepsake Board by the Glitter Girls

Monster Birthday

My first project where I used my new Majestic board from The Glitter Girls (I made the green frame). I am really pleased with the board and my card smells very nice (not at all monsterish!) as I rubbed an old bit of dry soap on the back of the paper to make it emboss smoothly, as per the instructions. It really does work, embossing without the soap was very tricky.

So here is my monster card that I thought would be good for the Paper Play Challenge (Week 20). I had made my monster too big for the oval frame that I originally planned to use and wasn't going to enter the challenge. Then I noticed some of the Design Team cards didn't use ovals either. So I thought, what the heck, I'll enter. I had tried to follow the sketch! Best laid plans and all that!

I spent ages looking for a digistamp for the 13 year old recipient of this card. I eventually found this freebie monster but in the process discovered many more sites selling digistamps and have updated my list (see side bar).

One more thing to mention. I recently discovered the most amazing crafty blog by Yanitza Ramos called Papeles y Enredos. Do take a look, wow! So beautiful!

Have a great week, I am off on my hols and the weather forecast is horrid.

Digistamp: Fred-She-Said

Colouring: Sakura Stardust pens, Lyra Aquacolours, Colour Box chalk ink pads

Wool, Papers: from stash

Going Green

No, not a new environmental initiative on my part, just time for some green colour crafting. This beautiful digistamp from Sandra Dry keeps calling to me. I tried a bright colour combination previously and now thought I would try a green/lime green/black combination as I was inspired by the striped paper.

But I had a complete disaster, I smudged the base card because I tried to stick on the paper lace before it had dried (I coloured it with a black ink pad). OK, it wasn't a complete disaster but the small smudge kept glaring out at me so I decided to remake the card. I reprinted the green striped digi paper with a startling improvement in the results. This was all due to the new gentle gloss paper I bought from Joanna Sheen. The greens were so much brighter and the black was actually black instead of dark blue. The ink was also dry instantly.

I am entering the card in the Lace Challenge (#53) at A Spoon Full Of Sugar.

Lace Adhesive Borders: Lakeland (no longer available)

Digistamp: Sandra Dry

Colouring: Lyra Aquacolours

Digikit (striped paper): Two Peas In A Bucket (Rhonna Farrer)

Digikit (swirly paper): Funky Fairy Paper Crafts

Lilac & Lemon - What A Challenge!

There are so many great challenges for crafters each week and I could certainly never complete all the ones I would like to do so I usually pick one. This week I thought, (as I am often found bemoaning my penchant for pink and green), I would try the Lemon & Lilac Challenge Number 7 by Dare You To Digi Stamp. I even spent a bit more effort on the inside of the card after being inspired by some of you amazing crafty bloggers. I must update my list of Amazing Crafters as there are so many of you!

I so enjoyed this challenge and I even had a go at a ribbony/bows/button thing embellishment, not my forte but I gave it a go!

Digistamp: Lily-Boo's Boutique

Digikit (inside card): Funky Fairy - Simply Swirly Pack

Water Colours: Lyra Aquacolours

Inks: Color Box

Teddy Card - 2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

Well this was something new for me - I have to confess it took me ages to work out how to get the base card the correct shape for Kazan's Sketch 26 challenge! But once I'd managed that I was very pleased with the basic shape. I have been far too conservative with my card shapes in the past and it was great fun having a go at something new.

Digikit: Nanas Attic
Digistamp: Sketching Stamper
Water Colours: Lyra Aquacolours

Mothering Sunday Card - Sketch Saturday #42

For once I have completed my project a few days before it is due! I am usually hoping the paint/ink/glue is really dry when I am handing the card over to the recipient! Anyhow, here is the card for my Mum made with a new digistamp which I love. I based my design on this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday.

Digi Stamp: Watering With Love by Sketching Stamper

Digikit: Easter Blessing Part One by NBK Scrap

Water Colour Crayons: Lyra Aquacolour

Chalk Inks: Color Box

Baby Girl - Sketch Saturday #41

OK so I do seem to be going a bit overboard with pink and green at the moment, especially pink! Make mental note to use another colour palette soon! The gorgeous baby in pram is my first purchase of a digital doodle. I printed it out, coloured it with water colour pens and then used some chalk inks to colour the background. I am entering this card in the Sketch Saturday #41 challenge.

Digital Doodle: Grab-A-Doodle-Do

Background Papers: Digikit by Skrapping Alley