Happy Holidays - scary ....

... Good morning!  I hope you all had a super weekend - mine was fab!!  I was able to spend lots of time in my craft room and I also managed to edit quite a lot of the outstanding photos!!  Today's card is a bit off the wall.  Rick St Dennis, who draws the most amazing images, is having a Design Team call for his Facebook group as well as for his blog DT.  You have to create two projects using his images - one cute (done yesterday) and one darker.  I think this one is much darker:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Creepmas Tree; My Favourite Things - Christmas Banner Builder; WMS - Warm Fuzzies, Frosty in the Meadow
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Shaded Lilac, Evergreen Bough, Tumbled Glass, Broken China; Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Wisteria Wonder; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brushes; Clear Embossing Powder

I printed the tree on white card and coloured it with Copic markers.  I fussy cut it out and lightly added a touch of Tumbled Glass to make the tree blend with the card background.  I created the background by stamping the large snowflake in grey, and the smaller ones in Versamark and heat embossing with clear powder.  Then I blended the distress inks which revealed the snowflakes (I love this technique).  I adhered the Creepmas Tree directly to the card and finished with a simple sentiment.  The inside has a mat layer of lilac card and a white panel, left blank for my message.  I'm submitting this card to A Step in the Dark Challenge - ASID#12 - Anything Goes. 

I think this is a very particular holiday card, but I've a good idea who it will be going to!!  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Merry Christmas - cute ...

....  Hello again!  I've been having such a fun day - all on my own and playing in my craft room.  I've been colouring lots of digi images and have made a couple of Christmas cards (I still need lots) - they are very different cards!!  Here's the first:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Christmas Turtle
Inks: Distress - Antique Linen
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kaisercraft DP - Christmas Carol; Copic Markers; Glitter

This is one of a series of turtle images from Rick (I used the Halloween one here) - I like this one, so cute!  Rick has a Design Team call on at the moment details here, to enter we have to make two projects - one cute and one darker - and you must use Rick's images.  What fun!!!!

I coloured the turtle with Copic markers and cut round it, letting the Christmas tree hang off the edge.  I layered the finished image on some green design paper.  I used glitter for the Santa hat to give some texture.  I covered the card with this fun dotty paper.  I finished the front with a sentiment from the paper pack.  On the inside I cut a mat layer from more design paper and added a greeting from the same pack.

For the second card  - check in tomorrow - it's much darker!!!  Bye for now.

Twins birthday cards ....

.....  Good morning!  I hope you're all enjoying a good weekend.  Kathryn is away at her friends for a sleepover.  Her friends are twins and are celebrating their birthday this weekend.  Kathryn asked me to make special cards for them both - one likes Dr Who (doesn't everyone?) and the other likes Batman.  So I had lots of fun making them these cards.

The first is the Batman themed card.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Perfectly Penned, Endless Birthday Wishes
Inks: Distress - Black Soot; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black, Daffodil Delight; Wink of Stella - Black; Cameo - Batman Logo

When Kathryn asked for a Batman card, I had to really think about it.  I have lots of Halloween type bats, but I knew that she wanted the "proper" Batman logo.  Then I remembered that I had the logo in my selection of cut files for the Silhouette Cameo.  This is only the fourth time I've actually used my Cameo (a situation which I'm going to fix).  It was so easy to find the image, set it to the appropriate size and then send it to cut!  I cut some yellow card, adhered it to the card base and distressed the edges with black ink.  Then it was simply a case of adhering the logo and a bold birthday greetings - which I over stamped several times to give a slight offset shadow.  On the inside of the card I cut a mat of yellow and used the negative space of the cut file and stamped a greeting inside.

The next card has a Dr Who theme - in this family we are big Dr Who fans, so this wasn't difficult at all!

Stamps: Viva Las Vegas Stamps - Plate 925; Dare 2B Artzy - Live Life; Craft's Meow - Typically Teen; SU - Endless Birthday Wishes
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, So Saffron; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Night of Navy; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Blue

I had so much fun colouring in the Tardis.  I used lots of the tips that I picked up while doing the Online Card Class - Copic Markers for Cardmakers.   I coloured the whole Tardis in light blue, then added some darker blue shading.  I used a grey marker on the shadow side - I love the effect that this gives.  I stamped another Tardis, coloured the windows and cut them out.  I used a white marker to add the writing around the top of the Tardis.  I added a touch of sparkle to the Tardis using a blue Wink of Stella brush.  I stamped the background to look a bit like Gallifrian symbols (see below).  I finished the front with a simple greeting.  On the inside I cut a panel of white card and adhered a big bow tie (from Matt Smith's incarnation of The Doctor) and a birthday greeting.

I hope that Kathryn's friends like their very individual birthday cards!!  Below is a photo of some Gallifrian symbols from inside the Tardis (the new version).

Photo credit

I have most of the day to myself - so I think I'm going to be playing in my craft room!  Jonathan is off out to a photo shoot and I'm not expecting Kathryn home for ages yet!!  That's all for now.  See you soon.

WMSFC - Halloween ....

....  Hello again!  I'm back with our new challenge at Waltzingmouse Fanatics.  Before I get to that though, I'd like to say thank you to all those who played along with our last challenge - it was so nice to see such fab cards - the thumbnail display was so, so pretty!!  Anyway, it's time to tell you our theme this time - and you already know it:

HALLOWEEN

You can go vintage, scary, cute, clean and simple, shabby chic - whatever takes your fancy, just make a Halloween themed project.  You must use at least one Waltzingmouse stamp, sentiment or digi.  I love Halloween and have made a couple of cards.  Here's the first:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - All Hallow's Eve, Text-It; Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: SU - Smoky Slate, Concord Crush; Versamark; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Smoky Slate, Concord Crush; Ribbon; Copic Markers

I used the colours from this week's Inspirational - INK#67 challenge and the layout is based on the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#158.  I think the colours are perfect for a Halloween card.  I made the card base from grey card and stamped the text in grey for a tone-on-tone look.  I found the ribbon at my local craft shop, but it's actually cream, so I coloured it with my Copic markers.  I stamped the raven onto some white card and cut it out.  I decided to colour the raven with very pale purple markers as black birds often have a purple or blue cast.  I stamped a grunge border on the purple panel.  I finished with a sentiment stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in white.  The purple panel was adhered with dimensional tape.  On the inside I cut a white panel, stamped a spooky church ruin and simple sentiment.  Both the inside and purple panel have distessed edges.

My next card has a much more contemporary feel and is quite clean and simple too.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Great Big Owl; Stampin' Up! - Making Spirits Bright
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Archival - Jet Black
Dies: WMS - Big Owl Dies
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Bermuda Bay, Early Espresso; Clear Embossing Powder; Copic Markers

I used the layout from the current CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#96.  I think I've mentioned that I love owls and when Claire released this set I just loved it.  However, this is the first time it's actually been inked up!  I stamped the owl and circles in Versafine, hear embossed with clear powder and cut them out with the matching dies.  I decided to go for a funky owl using lilac and turquoise.  I cut the branch from brown card and adhered the owl and branch directly to the card base.  I lined the circles along the edge of the card and then cut away the bits between each circle.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the sentiment along the circles.  I decided to add a fun sentiment to the owl's belly and it is attached with dimensional tape.  On the inside I covered the base with turquoise card and on the white panel stamped a fun greeting and added some more circles.

In the photo below you can see what I mean about cutting out the card between the circles.  For more Halloween inspiration - check our the projects from Kathy and Tara. 

 You have plenty of time to play along, deadline is Thursday 30th October 10.00pm BST (5.00pm EDT).  That's all for now - see you soon.

52CCT - Recipe ....

.... Good morning all!  I hope your stash of Christmas cards if building, but if you still need to make some more (and I need to make quite a few more) why don't you join in with our challenge.  This week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown we have a recipe for you - make a ONE LAYER CARD.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Alpine Christmas
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Island Indigo, Soft Sky, Crisp Cantaloupe
Dies: Spellbinders - Petit Ovals Sm (S4-140) #6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Crisp Cantaloupe

I'm submitting this to a couple of challenges; Colour Me Card Challenge - CMCC#42 and Merry Monday - MM#130 where the theme is "Silent Night".  The Merry Monday graphic was the inspiration for this card, I thought that an Alpine Village would be very quiet on the night before Christmas.  I created a mask and then stamped the mountain range several times using first and second generation impressions.  I stamped the village using all three colours and then embossed an oval frame around the whole image.  I finished the front with a simple sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat of pale peach and on the white panel added another small village, some snowflakes and a Christmas greeting.

I had lots of fun with this card and, as it's only one layer, it will be very easy to mail.  For more inspiration with one-layer Christmas cards, check out the cards from the rest of the Team.  See you soon.

Perfect pear ....

.....  Good afternoon!  It's been a glorious morning, warm, sunny and just fab!  I've a fun card to share with you today:

Stamps: Craft's Meow - Fruity For You; PTI - Wet Paint
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Mossy Meadow, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Squares #1
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Mossy Meadow; SU DP - Calypso Coral; Cuttlebug EF - Love Language; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Glossy Accents

I was going to submit this to Less is More, but I've just realised that this week they have a one layer card with two of something.  My card has more than one layer, but the two pears is inspired by their challenge.  Oh well, never mind, I can still submit it to CAS - Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#96.  I think the colours are perfect to colour the pears.  On the heart pear, I put down a light layer of green and then coloured over with the light peach.  The heart is coloured with coral and I added some glossy accents for definition.  I added some shimmer to the patchwork pear with Wink of Stella.  I cut a mat layer in green and layered on a white panel which I'd embossed with tiny hearts.  I finished the front with a pun!  Inside is a mat layer of coral design paper and with a bold sentiment on the white card.  The card is for our friends who are getting married soon. They're not having formal occasion, so I think the fun card is just perfect!


I found out that my coffee cup card had been picked as one of the Top 3 winners at CAS-Colours & Sketches. 

Thanks ladies, it was was a brilliant start to my day!

TMR - Halloween ....

.... Hello all!  So much for the sunshine yesterday!  It was certainly warm, but it was really wet! Come back cold, crisp and sunny!  Anyway, it's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  This time we have a theme for you, and it will come as no surprise that the theme is:#

HALLOWEEN!!!!

Here's the card I made - it's not at all what I'd planned, but it's a fun one!

Stamps: CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Spooky; Sweet Stamp Shop - Haunted House; Impression Obsession - Is the Moon out Tonight?; Stampendous - Halloween Diamonds
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow; White Embossing Powder; Vellum; EK Success - Cobweb Punch; Wink of Stella Brush - Clear

I've used several challenges to make this card and they are:

• Mojo Monday - MOJO#367 - sketch
• House of Cards - HOCOCT - to use a die or punch
• Colour Throwdown - CTD#313 - last week's colours are just perfect

I cut four panels (all the new in-colours from Stampin' Up!) and adhered them to the card base.  Next I punched the cobweb border and adhered.  I stamped the ghost, pumpkins and skull in Versamark on vellum and heat embossed them with white powder, cut them out and added some colour to the back of the pumpkins and skull.  I stamped the fence on black car and then fussy cut it out.  I finished the front with a fun spider hanging from the border.  On the inside I cut a mat layer in black and added a big, bold sentiment.

For more masculine style Halloween cards, check out the blog to see what my team mates have made - they're all great!!  See you soon.

Autumn glory ...

.... Good morning!  It's suddenly got warm again!  Yesterday, was warm, wet and grey, but today looks like the sun is out.  My card today is all about autumn, the warm rich colours, the falling leaves, the pumpkins (plenty in evidence on our sub) and the frosty mornings!!

Stamps: Serendipity - Quilted Pumpkin
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up - Mossy Meadow
Dies: Spellbinders - Leafy Squares (S4-332) #4, Squares Lg (S4-126) #6, Squares Sm (S4-128) #7
Accessories:  White Lustre Card; SU Card - Mossy Meadow, Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

• The Paper Players - PP#217 - the colours
• Serendipity Stamps Challenge - SSCB#36 - theme Autumn/Fall
• Time Out Challenge - TOC#16 - to CASE Heather's card with but your own twist

I thought the falling leaves in Heather's card were beautiful,  so I decided to have some little one on my card.  I stamped this gorgeous pumpkin onto white card and coloured with Copic markers.  I covered the entire image with Wink of Stella clear to suggest a coating of frost - you should have seen the frost here on Sunday morning!  I layered the completed image onto some orange card and on green which was die cut with the leafy squares.  I used the "waste" leaves to accent the image.  On the inside I cut a mat of yellow and stamped the sentiment in green.  This is for my Thanksgiving card stash.

You can't really see the sparkle in the main photo, but if you blur the image when you take a photo, the sparkle is really visible!!

That's all for now.  See you soon.

Girl time ....

....  Hi!  I hope you're all having a good weekend.  We're having a girly weekend.  Jonathan has gone to Traverse City with a group of photographers to take photo of the autumn colour.  The weather looks good, so hopefully he'll get lots of super photos.

While Jonathan's away, we girls are going to play!  Kathryn's friend, Alyx, came over yesterday evening, we had a nice tea and then I didn't see the girls for the rest of the evening (well most of it).  So I was able to get lots of photo editing done.  I've been working on some photos from our summer road trip - I finished editing photos from New Orleans and Atlanta.  Here are a few, but if you want to see more, visit my Flickr account.  You will find all the albums there.

The French Quarter - Jackson Statue and St Louis Cathedral

Oak Alley Plantation - with Kathryn too!

Holocaust Memorial on the riverfront

Alligator in the bayou!

Centennial Park in Atlanta - the quilt of flags - all the countries competed in the 1996 Olympics.

Jonathan and Kathryn with the Dr John Pemberton - the guy who gave us Coca-Cola!

Inside the Coca-Cola museum - who knew that such a place existed!  It was lots of fun.

Today we're off for some retail therapy.  Kathryn has been invited to a friend's Bat Mitzvah party and needs to have a posh party frock!  Should be lots of fun.  See you tomorrow!

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Hello!  It's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown; this week we have some gorgeous colours for you to use - a blue, two shades of pink, teal and green.  You only have to use three of them, but it would be great if you could try to use them all.  Here's my take:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge, Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU DP - Rich Razzleberry

I'm submitting this to CASology - CAS#116 where the cue word is SPLATTER.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the card and then stamped on the splatter images.  I restamped the word Merry on some scrap card and coloured the letters with Copic markers, cut them out, edged them with a black marker and then adhered them directly to the card.  On the inside I made a mat from dark pink design paper and added a simple greeting.

For more inspiration using these fabulous colours, check out the cards from the rest of the team.

While I had the Stampendous set out, I decided to make another card .  This one is for Merry Monday - MM#129 to use neon colours, and the layout is based on the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#96.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! -  Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark; Hero Arts - Neon Pink
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU Card - Night of Navy; SU DP - Night of Navy; White Embossing Powder

I stamped the word "Merry" on some white card and coloured each letter with a neon Copic marker.  I cut way some of the white card to leave the top of the letters free and then adhered the rest of the panel to the card base.  I cut a dark blue panel of card and adhered that to the base too.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the word "Christmas" and stamped it and the snowflakes in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder.  I carried the neon through to the inside by edging the white panel with a neon green marker and stamping the sentiment in neon pink.

That's all for now.  We're off to a cider mill today - should be lots of fun and a great opportunity for more photos!!  See you soon.