Critter sketch challenge #2

This is another quick post that I'm running late for.....seems to be the story of my life lately, LOL!

This Critter Sketch Challenge included using a minimum of 2 eyelets or brads somewhere on your creation. I used one flower eyelet on the greeting and one brad on the flower. The greeting stamp is by Flourishes, the branch is by Stampin' Up.

This is just an easy card using Heidi Grace designer paper and some felt ribbon and some paper flowers.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend! It's chemo for me again tomorrow so I'll be a bit scarce for a few days. I'll be back when I can!

Two Oriental challenges.

Just a quickie post tonight, I'm a little late getting these done, but here they are! The first card is for OSA's theme challenge, 'Asian Vases'. I used an old Inkadinkado stamp, which I coloured with Sakura Souffle pens. The pink and white background is another of the Technique Junkies 'Simple Whitewash' technique.



The 2nd card is for OSA's card layout challenge #59. The butterfly and quote stamps are by Darkroom Door, the Oriental calligraphy is by Stonehouse Stamps and the blossom branch is by Cards Unlimited.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Metallic Madness!

The February theme for Inkurable Stampers is METALLICS! Create something (anything!) using metallic colours or metal in your design.


I think I went a little nuts with all the metal I used for my card! I started with the Cuttlebug embossed piece of plumber's weatherproofing tape I've had sitting on my desk since I did this heart card a few weeks ago. I'd already coloured it with alcohol inks, so I built my card around this piece. FYI, the weatherproofing tape is like thick aluminium foil with an adhesive back.

I started with a cream card and sponged Tim Holtz Antique Linen ink on the edges. Next, I sponged the same ink onto an old dictionary page and distressed the edges. I also stamped the damask stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Friends 24/7' set randomly over the page, but you probably can't see the stamping as it's mostly covered up. I sewed this to a green piece of cardstock and distressed the edges, then sprayed the sewn piece with Bronze Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. I attached my Cuttlebugged piece of weatherproofing tape to the left side of the sewn piece and added a strip of silver metallic braid along the top.

I stamped a Scrappy Cat bird silhouette stamp onto white cardstock, then sponged it with Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters ink and added a Making Memories green gem brad to the large flower. Stamped the Prima frame stamp with Versamark ink onto black cardstock, then silver embossed it, cut the frame out and layered it over the bird image using dimensional squares. Added a metal hanger to the top with a green brad and tied a scrap of ribbon through the hanger. Stamped the EK success greeting and sponged it with Shabby Shutters ink and glued it into the metal frame, then attached it to the bottom of the Cuttlebugged weatherproofing tape with green brads.

Lastly, I layered 2 Prima flowers and sprayed them with the Bronze Glimmer Mist and added a tiny pearl and a metal thingy (sorry, forget what it's called...something used for beading!)to the centre!

Whew, that's it I think! Scroll down to see some more close-up pics.

Hope you like my card, I enjoyed using all the metallic elements and had fun with a more vintagey style for my card. Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think of my card, I always enjoy reading your comments!

Simply Saturday Sketch.

Here is my card for Andrea's Stampin' Moments Simply Saturday Sketch SS200210. I've used the 6 x 6 Design Papers and stamps from Kaisercraft's Lilac Avenue range again, I'm really liking these colours together!

My green background cardstock uses a technique called 'Simple Whitewash' from the Technique Junkies August/September Newsletter, it's a very simple technique and perfect for toning down the very bright lime green cardstock! The background shadow squares behind the flower image is a stamp by Handprint Stamps, I'm not sure if this company still exists anymore though.

I've just added one Kaisercraft rhinestone to the flower centre and a tied scrap of ribbon for embellishments.

I'm not sure what happened to my watermark, it just disappeared while I was editing a photo in Photo Elements, so I've made a new one with a more elegant font this time. Thanks for visiting today, hope everything is well in your part of the world!

Rose card.

I recently discovered a new sketch challenge blog called, 'Critter Sketch Challenge Blog', and this week is their very first challenge! The sketch challenge also included using the colour red anywhere on your card or layout.

I've been trying to use up stuff that's been sitting on my desk for way too long lately, so used this image by Penny Black. I water-coloured it with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and sponged the edges with TH Antique Linen Distress Ink. My RED element is the Stampin' Up Ruby Red cardstock, also used SU Always Artichoke cardstock, the cream folded card is from Pedigree Paper.

Other supplies: Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder, Kaiser cream pearls, cream crocheted trim, Nestabilities dies, greeting by Stamp-It.

Second post today!

Here's another card that I've managed to finish off today! I did this one for Andrea's Stampin' Moments Simply Saturday sketch challenge...and hooray, I've got it done in time for once!

I've used the 'Best wishes and more' set from Stampin' Up, which I've had for a while and used for the very first time! The cardstock is all Stampin' Up and the ink, except for the green (VersaMagic Tea Leaves). The ribbon is also Stampin' Up.

Thanks for looking!

Two cards today!

Hi everyone! I've just finished another Chemo cycle, so I'm back in action again. I actually made these 2 cards on the weekend, just haven't had a chance to post them to the blog yet.

I've had both of the stamped images, coloured, and sitting on my desk for weeks now! I thought they would both fit the bill for the Get Sketchy card challenge #25, and the Toile Blossom card below also fits the criteria for Papertake Weekly's gingham or checks challenge.


I used a stamp from Stampin' Up's Toile Blossom set (retired now), and water-coloured the image with Tim Holtz Distress inks. The background paper is by Basic Grey and I've added some pink gingham ribbon.

This 2nd card is more male oriented. I used a pheasant image by Viva Las Vegas stamps, also water-coloured with Tim Holtz Distress inks, added a bit of raffia and the striped DP is by Kaisercraft, which I've pierced around the borders.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Not only is today Valentine's Day, but it's also the start of the Chinese New Year! This year it's the year of the Golden Tiger, so here's a card to celebrate the occasion!

Stamps are by Art Neko.

So, Happy New Year to those who celebrate it, and Happy Valentine's Day to all the romantics out there! Hope everyone has had a great day!

Torn Flower card.

Just a quickie post today, I'm running late again with my card for Andrea's Stampin' Moments sketch challenge. The challenge included using a monochromatic colour scheme.

The DP is by Kaisercraft, as is the rhinestone flower. The greeting is from Stampin' Up, green cardstock is Bazzil Parakeet.

Thanks for looking and hope you are having a great weekend!

Lilac Anniversary.

I used this week's CPS 153 sketch for this anniversary card. I've also used Stamp Simply #126 colour challenge - purple and green. The design papers are from the Kaisercraft Lilac Avenue 6 x 6 paper pad, take a closer look at the lovely lilac paper - it's embossed and all shimmery! The flourish stamp behind the greeting is from the Kaisercraft Lilac Ave clear stamp set - I used Hero Arts Shadow ink for it. The cardstock is Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant, and the greeting uses Justrite Stampers upper case Special Occasions alphas and lower case New Times Roman alphas.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Seeing Spots!

It's taken me a few days to get this card posted, too many distractions lately, but here it is at last! I decided to kill two challenges with the one card -
Saturday Spotlight: the challenge was for "teeny tiny" interpreted how you want. I used tiny spotted Heidi Grace designer paper, tiny flowers stamp and tiny bling.
Annabelle Stamps: Bling Sketch challenge. Not a lot of bling as I changed what I was going to do with the swirls - I traced the swirls onto tracing paper and then pin pricked the pattern onto the DP...I was going to use the black gems over the pin pricks, but discovered I didn't leave enough room between them for the size of my gems, so decided to just sew black embroidery thread through the pin pricks instead. It took a lot longer to do it that way too, but I'm pleased with the overall look.

My flower stamp is from a Darkroom Door set and my technique for this piece is called Burnt Edges from one of the Technique Junkie Newsletters.....this has to be one of my favourite TJ techniques!

The greeting stamp is by Hero Arts, I used some Nestabilities shapes, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, spotted organza ribbon, black Kaiser gems and a bit of Tim Holtz distress ink on the card and Heidi Grace DP borders.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Love is in the air!

Here's my card for this week's OSA Card Layout Challenge #56, an Oriental Valentine theme. You'll have to forgive my awful photo, my camera wouldn't play nicely with the red and black colours!

Are you wondering what I used to make the heart die-cut? I used plumber's weatherproofing tape, it's called 'Bear Flashtac weatherproofing tape' and comes with adhesive already on the back of it. It's quite thick though, so had to use the C plate in my Cuttlebug with the heart die, it was too thick for the B plate. The surface is like aluminium foil, so I used some alcohol inks on it for a polished stone look. I used one of my Asian Bundle embossing folders for the black background and added a strip of black and gold washi paper and some spotted black and white ribbon.

Oops, just realised there's no stamping on the card!

Sparkling blooms!

I just managed to do this quick challenge for Andrea's Stampin' Moments Simply Saturday challenge. I think I've managed to scrape it in for the deadline! Andrea is giving away some blog candy this week, so if you have time join in!

I used an Autumn Leaves flower stamp, coloured it with Copic Markers and added some Kaiser rhinestones to the centres. The greeting stamp is from a Stampin' Up set, used a Nestabilities die to cut out the flowers, layered to some corrugated card and green shimmery paper. That's about it!

Hope you all have a creative weekend!