A couple of challenges

Hi There! I have been busy tidying my workspace and getting things sorted out, and I came across this tri -shutter card with the backing papers all matted and layered, but nothing on it. I made it some time ago and then went off it, because it was pink probably (I'm not a big fan of pink!) Anyway, I had the lovely penny black Hedgehog image that I coloured in with my promarkers whilst on holiday, and saw the colour of the flower matched perfectly! The large flower is a magnolia stamp, again coloured with promarkers and the sentiments are Elusive images. I finished it off with lots of punched flowers with a gem at the centre of each one, and stickles.

The Hedgehog fits perfectly with the 'By the cute and Girly' theme for this month which is Animal Antics. 

Now for a close up or two on the glitter and glitz, which is this months theme for Penny Black at Allsorts.

Hope it's glitzy enough! It would also fit perfectly into the Sir Stampalot Challenge this month where the theme is Bring on the Bling!

Edit: Instructions for making this tri-shutter are here.

By the Cute and Girly - something old, something new...

Here is my entry for this months By the Cute and Girly challenge, where the theme is something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I have used an old music stamp I've had for about ten years, I made my shutter card on my score - pal that I had for my Birthday in May and I used tumbled glass distress ink which is blue. Didn't manage the borrowed bit though!
I must apologise in advance that I'm not going to be visiting blogs quite so often as I'm having a few problems with my eyes at the moment and need to spend less time in front of a computer screen. I'm sure it will all get sorted out before too long, but bear with me. Tomorrow Lynne, Meg and I are off to Sir stampalot armed with a couple of cakes for a day of getting messy with our blogging mates. I am really looking forward to it and I've saved up quite a bit of my birthday money to take with me too. Shopping, cake and friends - what more can we ask for?

By the Cute and Girly - Celebrations

Here is my card for this month's By the cute and Girly challenge where the theme is 'Celebrations'. I've just made a wedding card for a workmate whose friend is getting married in the States. The groom is musical and the bride likes her roses so hopefully this will be okay. I've used Victorian Velvet Distress inks for most of it, with a touch of Pumice stone on the leaf flourishes (Hero Arts) and Pearlescent crimson Brilliance for the sentiments, both of which come from a clear wedding set by American Crafts.

I've used a Martha Stewart punch around the page set for the central square and the bottom edge. the central pendant is a shapeabilities die, as is the label. I bought the roses in Hobbycraft.
I'm also going to enter it into a new challenge for me - C.R.A.F.T.-  Where the challenge is Birthdays or Weddings. Thanks for looking!

By the Cute and Girly - Fairy Tales

Here is my entry for this months By the cute and Girly Challenge where the theme is Fairy tales, so my Fairy tale is the little Mermaid, although this one is not very Disney - like, and much more like those in Harry Potter. All stamps are from Lavinia stamps on an inky background made by swirling distress ink pads on a craft mat and spritzing with water. I've added a few 'bubbles' with diamond stickles too. Thanks for looking. This card also fits the theme of the first Sir Stampalot Challenge of fantasy, where there are just four more days to enter, and the prize is awesome!

It's Spring!

I've been out in the garden without my coat on admiring the crocuses, snowdrops and the lovely tête a tête daffodils that are just coming out. The sun is out and there are even a few bees around. I've also been putting the finishing touches to an easel card I started last night.

This lovely hyacinth, coloured with promarkers, is a Graphicus stamp and the papers are from the capsule collection by Papermania. I found the ribbon in my stash and sprayed the flowers with creative colour sprays to blend in. I'm entering this in three challenges - Allsorts, Rosie D's and By the Cute and Girly, Where the themes are Spring is in the Air and Think Spring. Thanks for looking and don't forget to check out the Sir Stampalot challenge blog!

Love, Love, distressed buttons and bows!

On Sunday I decided to make another wiper card, but this time a single wiper that would fit into a C6 envelope and be easy to cut from A4. I decided to follow the Allsorts requirements for this week, which is 'Get distressed with buttons and a bow'. I sprayed some crumpled paper with Moon Shadow mists in tawny turquoise and burnished bronze. When it was dry I tore it roughly to fit the front,  two side strips and wiper square. I attached some cream lace, a very old button and some 'paper string'. On the two side strips and wiper I attached some ribbon and some stamped and embossed hearts ( Elusive images).  the front has an image from a Crafty individuals book and more stamped embossed hearts from a CI stamp.
It is a very different colour scheme for me, but I like the grungy feel of it, and as it is about love I've decided to enter it into the 'By the cute and Girly challenge' for February too.
I am having a lovely week. I picked up my new car yesterday (new to me, but only thirteen months old and still looks and feels like new). It is a lovely drive and feels a bit posh! I'm looking forward to the weekend when I can take it on a longer run. I'll be back soon with other news! Thanks for looking x
P.S. was thinking of doing a photo tutorial for a double wiper card  - let me know if you are interested

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Let's go to the movies

Here is my entry for the December 'By the Cute and Girly' Challenge. The theme is 'Let's go to the Movies' I was having a flick through the TV listings and found 'The Little Polar Bear'. I bought this lovely digistamp yesterday from Delicious Doodles and thought it would be perfect. I stamped and embossed the background using Art Impressions T-2773 and layered onto silver mirriboard. The digistamp is coloured in places with just 3 shades of promarker - grey green, pastel blue and ivory. I  did contemplate using some stickles too, but decided to go with 'less is more'.
It is going to be a winter wishes card for a friend who didn't get her christmas card from me, thanks to the state of our road in the snow last week- I'm feeling rather guilty! Thanks for looking x

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Winter Wonderland

Here is my entry for this months By the Cute and Girly Challenge. Please check out this great challenge blog - there are lovely prizes on offer! I had been hoping to take photos of my project in daylight, but I couldn't wait! It has been such a long time coming, and I had planned it in my head almost as soon as the challenge was announced. Sunday allowed me about 3 hours uninterrupted craft time and then I put the finishing touches to it at about 11 last night! I made my own size exploding box (inspired by Elaine) and made the backing paper using versamark, Clear choice snowflake stamps, a whispers stamp and Tim Holtz faded jeans and dusty concord DI. The lid used my spellbinders shapeabilities snowflake dies and the other snowflakes were a variety of punches. I finished off with a few dots of stickles and a few gems. You slide off the lid and the snowflakes bob about! Cool! I think I've come up with something to follow my card last month...hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Wooohoo!

I won best card in the 'By the Cute and Girly' challenge for Autumn Glory!!!!!!!! Wow! First time I have won a prize! Thank you to all the lovely people who are on the design team! I am so happy I did a little dance!!! I'm off to ring my sister-in-law to tell her that her birthday card got famous!
I will try and calm down soon - Honest! In the meantime check out this great challenge blog. I just love the fact that there are so many different types of craft accepted and the themes chosen so far have been wonderful. The DT are all hugely talented lovely ladies! Thanks again!

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Autumn Glory

I know this stamp is getting rather a lot of use at the moment, but I do love it! This is my card for the 'By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Autumn Glory'. I think it is going to be my sister- in-Law's birthday card too.
I used:
Stamps: Lovely as a tree - stampin' up!, Fall Season - Inkadinkado, Maple leaf - Graphicus, Rounded leaf - Non Sequitur
Punch: Martha Stewart - Doily lace
Cuttlebug embossing folder - leaves
Ink: Kaleidacolor - Autumn leaves, Blue Breeze, Versafine Black
Brayer
Sari ribbon
Gold Tulip paint
White Gel pen
Corner stickers (not sure whose - been in my stash for years!)
Thanks for looking! Hope you like it!