Hearts and flowers ....

... I think it must be something to do with the date on Monday - Valentine's day - but there are a lot of challenges at the moment that want us to use hearts, lots of hearts, on our cards.  So this card has been made for three challenges:

1. Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Hearts gone wild!
2. Crafty Cardmakers - Hearts!
3. My Time to Craft - Hearts and Flowers!

I've gone wild with pink, lilac and hearts - and this card is for my gorgeous little girl.  I've made a special card for her Daddy, and I know she'll want one too!  I know that Kathryn claims to be a Goth Princess - but she's still quite taken with pink!!

I decided that I'd use one of my pre-printed card bases - it has lots of hearts on it!!  I printed off the lovely heart and flower tree by Pink Petticoat and coloured it with Promarkers.  I stamped a number of hearts onto vellum and embossed them with a variety of pink and lilac embossing powders.  These Petaloo flowers come with gems already attached - and I tinted them with inks to match the card.  Finally I made the greeting using the Fancy Tags die, tinted it with Distress ink and added the cutest greeting!  That's it! 

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Sweethearts;  Pink Petticoat - Heart and Flower tree digi-image
Spellbinders:  Fancy Tags (S4-235), Big Scalloped Ovals Lg (S4-251) die # 4
Inks:  Distress - Spun Sugar; Memento - Sweet Plum
Promarkers: Leaf Green, Bright Green, Oatmeal, Honeycomb, Chestnut, Amethyst, Pale Pink, Magenta, Cerise, Orchid, Mulberry
Accessories:  Papermania - Card base; Various embossing powders; Petaloo flowers

I've been very busy in my craft room making my card for the February Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz - the party starts on 17th February - so there's still plenty of time to join the fun.  Check here for all the details.  And I've been busy working on another project - but you'll have to wait until Sunday to see that one!!  Yes, I know - it's a tease :)  But I will be back later!

Just add water ...

... or at least something that requires water - paints, Twinkling H2Os, etc - that's the challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.  And the challenge at Flutter by Wednesday's is an open theme but we have to include an angel, fairy or butterfly.

I've made a sweet little card just 3" × 3" for a sweet little girl - don't tell Kathryn, but this is for her!  Just because I love her.

I sprayed the base card with silver Cosmic Shimmer - just love that effect!!  I stamped the fairy onto some card and colour her hair and skin with promarkers.  I painted her wings and dress with Twinkling H2Os - sadly the shimmer really doesn't show up in the photo, but in real-life it's so pretty.  I found this sweet greeting on one of my sets and added the little butterfly for fun!  I found these lovely pale blue vellum flowers in my stash - they come from a Dawn Bibby kit that I've had for years!!  But I thought the fairy would be sleeping in a flower patch.

Stamps:  Papermania - Snag 'em - Fairy Wand; Kanban - Spring Silhouettes
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Promarkers:  Blush, Satin, Vanilla, Primrose, Mustard, Raw Sienna
Twinkling H2Os:  Iridescent Blue, Wild Blueberry
Accessories:  Cosmic Shimmer - Silver Mist; Card and flowers from stash

Still cold and grey, but I'm feeling much better today and in a really good mood - love making cards!!  Just off to the shops for a bit - will be back again later.

Fun with flowers ....

.... that's exactly what I've been having in my craft room this morning.  I've been making and colouring flowers for the two cards that I made this morning. 

The first card is for three challenges:  Just Add Ink - JAI52 (sketch); Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - SSC95 where we have to use 3 papers, flowers, ribbons, etc; and Crafty Cardmakers - CC38 where we have to use flowers. 

JAI52 - Sketch

Edited:  Darn - I've just uploaded the page and discovered that the Just Add Ink has closed - shame, but never mind.  The link was open when I checked this morning!!  I wasn't quick enough.
I've used a lovely set of 6" x 6" papers from My Mind's Eye called Quite Contrary; I got this pack free with Cardmaking & Papercraft last year.  It has the most lovely colours.  I selected three sheets, used the green to cover the card base and then used my Spellbinders dies to cut out two layers.  I put some lovely green satin ribbon around the smallest layer.  To cut the flowers I used my Woodware flower punches.  I then made the flowers by layering up from biggest to smallest flower.  I added some lovely pink gems to the centre of each flower and finally, I added a greeting.  This card is going to my Mum - just because!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Spring Baskets
Papers:  My Mind's Eye - Quite Contrary
Spellbinders:  Labels 8 (S5-019) - dies #6 and #4
Woodware:  Flower punches
Accessories:  Ribbon and gems from my stash

The second card I made is also for three challenges:  Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge - WMSC31 (sketch); Little Red Wagon - LRW65 to add some lace to your card, and finally for Splitcoaststampers Clean and Simple Challenge where we were to use flourishes.

This card also features flowers - I think I'm trying to get in the mood for Spring!  My starting point on this card was the backing paper - it has some sweet cherry blossom like flowers and pretty flourishes on it.  I cut this to the shape in the sketch and attached it to the card.  I added a length of lace which I'd tinted blue with my inks.  I stamped the big flower and coloured it using Promarkers.  I added some faux stitching to the curve in the paper.  The greeting is made up of two stamps - sadly I can't remember the name of the company who made these stamps.  The glitter flourishes (which hardly show in the photo, but which are gorgeous in real-life) were drawn by hand.  Actually the whole card has a beautiful sparkle!!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Big Blooms - Chrysanthemums
Paper:  Papermania - Creative Tones - Venetian Skies
Promarkers:  Midnight Blue, Denim Blue, Pastel Blue
Inks:  Memento - London Fog, Summer Sky, Paris Dusk
Accessories:  Glitter, lace and gem from stash

I noticed just now that I've two new followers - so I'd like to say Hi and Welcome to Natalie and Queenie Jeannie.  Kathryn starts at a new drama/singing/dance club tonight - she's so excited, but it's a late finish, so I'm not sure whether I'm going to be able to play in my craft room again later.  So this is likely to be all for today.  Do drop by again tomorrow.

Old and new ....

.... and shades of orange and green.  That sums up this card; it's been made for three challenges.   The first is for Sketch 'n' Stash SSC53 - I used their sketch for the card design, then on Crafty Cardmakers their challenge is to use only pencils for colouring - no inks, paints, etc and finally the colours are from this week's challenge at The Play Date Cafe - PDCC65.  I am getting better at mixing and matching challenges!! 

This is a large 7" x 7" card and I've made the backing with silver-grey fibre paper, it has a metallic shimmer through it.  The orange paper comes from Papermania (new stash) and I've punched the border with a Martha Stewart deep-edge border punch.  The central tulip comes from a stamp set that I got from QVC.  I've coloured it using Prismacolour pencils - and this is my "old" stash.  I've had these pencils for ages, but I'm not very good at colouring with them, so they tend to stay in their tin box!!  And the Crafty Cardmakers challenge was perfect - it made me dig them out and have a go!  I've actually used two shades of orange (although it's hard to tell) and blended them with sansodor.  I edged the tulip with a very light grey pencil and pulled that out to create a halo effect.  My trusty Spellbinders dies were used to cut the plain and scalloped circles.  I made the pale green flowers from a sheet of vellum which has a subtle silver flourish on it; I coloured the back of the vellum with a few shades of green prismacolour pencil and blended.  When dry I used Woodware flower punches in three sizes and made up some flowers, with gems at the centre!

Stamps: Large tulip from QVC

Spellbinders:  Large Circles (S4-114) die #7, Classic Scalloped Lg Circles (S4-124) die #6

Papermania: Capsule Collection - Sunshine

Accessories:  Martha Stewart - deep edge punch; Woodware punches; Ribbon, gems and vellum from stash

I've had such fun today catching up on challenges.  And we still found time to go out this morning - got some books and craft magazines.  Jonathan has been working on some photos he took in Chester in December and Kathryn decided that the card making session could wait until tomorrow!  She's been playing on PC games instead!! The joys of technology!

That's all for this evening.  Don't forget to check in tomorrow for the new CR84FN challenge - more lovely colours and cards to see from the team.

Combined challenges ...

.... I've made this card for my friend Annette - it was her birthday on 16th January - and I missed it!!  How could I possibly miss her birthday?  Well, I did, so it's time for a belated card.  And it just so happens that I've used the themes from two challenges to make this card.  The first challenge is from Crafty Cardmakers and is to use a die and the colour red, the second is the Splitcoaststamper Clean and Simple Challenge - where the inspiration is a great card by Cindy.

I've taken the layout of Cindy's card and turned it on its side.  This is one of the quickest and easiest cards I've made, but I really like it.  Using my trusty Waltzingmouse stamps - I stamped one of the frames from Very Vintage Labels No 10 - one with lots of pretty flourishes - in Versamark.  I added plain red embossing powder and heated - voila - a beautiful red frame.  I then cut this out using Spellbinders Labels 10.  The greeting is plain and simple and comes from Waltzingmouse (of course) - Fancy Phrases.  I added a satin ribbon, tied a big bow and added two small black pearls.  Job done!!  Really pleased with this card.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Fancy Phrases, Very Vintage Labels No 10
Spellbinders:  Labels 10 (S5-0220 die # 3
Inks: Versamark
Accessories:  Red embossing powder, red satin ribbon and black pearl gems

I'm going to be spoilt this morning, but will be back later today.