Alter It

Polkadoodle day again and this week Ruth would like us to Alter It.

Now before I go any further, I have to explain the odd picture and the fact my project looks a bit distant. Have you ever tried to photograph a long zigzag project ? Believe me it was difficult trying to show all of it and in the end I decided the only way it worked was to lay it over a dish, but it does fold down into a square when closed.

I have used the back card pages from a couple of old spiral notebooks, cut them into 6x6 squares and covered with a mixture of Bazzil cardstock and papers from the new All Around and Everywhere Polkadoodle CD. I pounced holes with the Zutter, used co-ordinating ribbons to tie it together and decorated with flowers and hearts from the CD, plus brads and punched borders.

A box of Spring flowers and butterflies

This week at Allsorts it is the turn of our new teamie Fleur to host her first theme which is "In Stitches". The DT have all been given images from this weeks sponsor Fred she Said, there were some lovely images and as I could not make up my mind used all four of the spring flower, one on each side of the box I made from bazzil cardstock.

I repeat stamped inside and out of the box with one of the floral images from Penny Black 30-048 using Memento lettuce. I printed off two of each of the images, coloured with Copics and decoupaged, adding glitter to the snowdrops. I was a bit stumped where the stitching would fit at first, but decided to chain stitch down some of the flower stems which adds definition.

Each image has been matted onto a coordinating piece of Bazzil cut with a Nestie through the Big Shot. I stamped three butterflies from the same Penny Black set, coloured them with Marvy pens, and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl and stuck them to some acetate strips so they bob when the lid is removed. Finally, added some punched flowers over the base.

Spring Blooms

Really sorry this is so late folks, what with all that's going on right now and being at the hospital so much blogging has fallen by the wayside.

The last five days seem to have lasted forever and I can't begin to explain how traumatic it has been for the whole family, but most of all our lovely Anysia. But she is stable now and we are just taking things a day at a time. It's going to be a very long road to recovery, but we are so thankful that we still have her, things were nearly so different and does not bear thinking about.

The following blurb was prepared last week, but for whatever reason did not publish yesterday for our new challenge at Allsorts. I have to admit to a certain amount of plagiarism with my card, it's a take on one created by my mate Chris, but as it was her who insisted I 'needed' this stamp Hero Arts CO141, I figure we are quits.

The background was created by randomly stamping the flower with versamark and embossing with detail clear, then distressing with Tim Holtz Wild Honey. I coloured the main flower with Prismacolor pencils, cut the mats with Nesties through the Big Shot and a border using Fiskars threading water punch. The squares are punched out of Bazzil cardstock then buttons and thread added.

Have you added your name for candy ?

Well folks, just four days to go until lift off.........of course I mean your chance to win some of the mega candy on offer in the Special One Off Challenge and Blog Hop.......all prized of course coming from the challenge sponsors Sir Stampaot.

The last week or so seem to have flown by with all this organising and I appear to have turned into a very bad blogger missing so many of your posts, so apologies but I should soon be back to normal because on Monday I will be officially posting the challenge and introducing you to my very talented Honorary Design Team........we rather liked the sound of that and it has sort of stuck.

So I hope we will be seeing lots of you entering and myself and the DT are so looking forward to visiting all your blogs to see what creations you come up with for the great theme that Andy and Janice at Sir Stampalot have chosen for us.......no, I'm not telling what the theme is until Monday.......I know I'm a real spoil sport. And don't forget there is still time to enter the candy on offer on the post at the top of my blog which will drawn by Random Org on Sunday night.

So on to a card that I have made for this weeks Everybody Art Challenges which has a colour combo of 'Brown, Blue and White'. A chance to use some more of my new Hero stamps, this time CL375, Big Flowers and CL278 Great Flourishes. I stamped the flowers and leaves onto a piece of brown Bazzil cardstock, using versamark and detail clear embossing powder, masking some of them as I stamped, then bleaching out the flowers and leaves.

I coloured with Twinkling H2o's and added punched circles to the centres which I glittered with crystal glitter. The sentiment is stamped with versfaine blue and embossed with detail clear.

Stamping for the Weekend

Good afternoon and a quick share of a little item that seems to have made it's way home with me from Stampalot yesterday. But before I get into crafty things.......I know that's what this is all about really, but we need a bit of social interaction as well......what's the weather like your way ? Sunshine seems in short supply around here this week, it's not one thing or another. What is for sure these cold nights have put paid to most the beautiful Autumn leaves and there are more off than on the trees now and a thick carpet everywhere you walk.

My card is for this weeks Stamping for the Weekend where there is a colour theme of 'Orange, Blue and Purple' but with a twist of an 80's song title with three to choose from: Girls on Film-Duran Duran, Dirty Laundry-Don Henley, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper, which is the one I have opted for. This also my entry for DCM who want to see use of your newest punch.

My image, a wood mounted stamp, the origin of which I have no idea, looks like a lady that definitely has fun and does not give a damn what anyone thinks. I stamped her with versafine black, embossed with detail clear and painted with Brilliance inks, adding a bit of purple foiling to the flowers and her dress. The really gorgeous DP is from Prima. I ripped the edges of the main piece and shaded with Tim Holtz Dusky Concorde.

The flowers are made from the same DP which is double sided and the leaves are also cut from that and Bazzil using my new L-Em punch from Stampalot which is called 'Ash Family 2' which cuts three matching leaves in varying sizes in one cut. I think this one is a real 'need' and so useful with the different sized leaves, especially as it coordinates with my other ash leaf punch by the same manufacturer. Finally, some lace, punched butterflies and pearls to embellish. The words are printed on the computer using 'Folio Girls' font.

Allsorts challenge 23

Welcome to week 23 of Allsorts challenge and this week it my turn to host the theme. I have come up with a sketch with the added twist of a monochrome Christmas. I think many of us think shades of black and white for monochrome but according to the ancient Greeks "μονόχρωμος" means "a picture done in different shades or a range of tones of a single colour".

You would not believe the problems I had following my own theme her and ended up making the card three time, the first time a lovely card, but then Oh dear.......didn't I do a sketch to follow ? That just about sums up my week.

So here is what I finally ended up with. The main image is Penny Black 3997K Majestic stamped onto Bazzil cardstock using Versafine satin red and embossing with detail clear. I used this stamp for a sample board for Sir Stampalot a few weeks back and they tell me is has been oh so popular, I think it's the pure simplicity of the image which lends itself to so many card designs.

I used the same ink and embossing on the three panels stamping with one of the flourishes from Inkadinakdo 97632. The greeting is that favourite of mine Penny Black 3995F. The corner was created using Martha Stewart embossed scallop and the holly and leaves from punches. I added a spotlight to the tree to add interest and distressed the edges of the mats and DP's which are from K&Co's Winter Wonderland pad, using Tim Holts worn lipstick and fired brick. Pearl gems added to embellish here and there.

A card at last

Progress indeed, a completed card ! I really don't like to combine more than a couple of challenges into one project, but to utilise my crafting time while I feel semi human I confess to four in one here.

I have followed another of Dawn B's great sketches for this weeks ICS challenge and combined it with this weeks Passion for Promarkers which asks us to use "Apricot and Cool Aqua plus Flowers", Creative Card Crew which requires "All that Glitters" and ABC which this week is "E" for "Embossing".

So what did I do.......this is where it gets difficult, remembering through the fog.......only two more days of pills then hopefully normality will return. The main image is Penny Black 3979H - Simplicity, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear then coloured with the two Promarker colours, going over some leaves several times to gain depth of colour. The sentiment if from one of my new Verve stamp sets which I won from Friday Sketchers challenge earlier this month.

DP's are My Minds Eye and the piece of Bazzil across the card was run through the Bug using my new daisy folder, then flowers, leaves and buds cut on Cricut Storybook which I coloured lightly with Tim Holtz inks soft pool and peach and glittered. Finally I added Diamond Glaze to the vase.

I also want to say thank you for Kari for kindly sending an award my way. Kari makes some beautiful cards so do go pay her a visit.

Allsorts challenge 19

This weeks Allsorts challenge chosen by Kirsten really reminds us that perhaps we should be thinking about making those Christmas cards as her theme is Snowflakes in September. Endless possibilities here to get your creative juises flowing.

For my DT card I have used a new set of clear stamps Penny Black 30-035 In a Pear Tree, together with some new double sided DP's from S.E.I. called Winter Song which really have to be stroked to appreciate the flocking and foiling. I stamped the little birdie twice.......I figure he is actually the partridge from the pear tree......with brilliance red onto Bazzil cardstock, decoupaged him added diamong glaze and Swarovski crystals for his eye and tail feathers. The snowflakes have been cut on Cricut Christmans Cheer and Accent Essentials from the same colour bazzil and acetate then crystal glitter added to the acetate ones. The sentiment is from the same PB set. The border is punched from Martha Stewart Embossed Snowflakes.

Stamping for the Weekend

Sunday morning and it looks and feels distinctly like Autumn, so guess no Indian summer for us this year........despite Nasser bigging it up on behalf of the BBC weather men when he was talking about the ODI's over the next couple of weeks - sorry folks, I am talking cricket here. And to think we lost out by just four runs Friday, that old saying should try harder comes to mind.......but lets not forget we won the Ashes, so figure we need to let the Aussies have a little something to ease their wounds.

On to crafty things and my card for this weeks Stamping for the Weekend, with Mr Mojo on go slow the last few days I confess I found this one tough and this is in fact my third attempt, no idea what my problem was as it's a gorgeous colour combo - "Orange, Teal and Pink".

Eventually I settled on this one using a piece of My Minds Eye DP which carries all three colours as the base onto an orange card. The next layer is a piece of my favourite linen cardstock stamped all over with Hero Arts CL2365 French Writing using Tim Holtz scattered straw, which I also used to distress the edges after I had given them a good 'duffing up' (that's one our Fen sayings). The leaves are stamped in versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear are from Hero CL338, as is the sentiment in the corner.

The three flowers and acetate overlays were cut on Cricut Home Decor from Bazzil cardstock, shaded round the edges and then I stamped the three acetate flowers with Hero H3317 Delicate Weave using Stayzon timber brown. To finish I added buttons and raffia and some 'curly bits' with the offcuts from the main card.

Stamping for the Weekend & Cupcake

The creative juices seem to be flowing back slowly and actually had quite a productive day or so after Fridays go slow.

Stamping for the Weekend has a colour combo this week of pink and grey. This is not a card is the strict sense of the word, more of a hanging decoration although I figure it could be given as a card......their blog does not say if anything other than a card is acceptable, but I am hoping it is, if not apols all, at least it was fun to make. It is also my entry for this weeks Cupcake challenge which asks for a shaped card.

As with my earlier cards I have made this with the new release Penny Black stamps for Sir Stampalots Christmas Launch next weekend. I have used my little goose stamp again Penny Black 4008J, stamped onto pale pink bazzil three times and cut out with Nesties on the Bug in graduating sizes. The mats have been cut the same way from grey bazzil and My Minds Eye DP's from their new Christmas range.

The images have been lightly coloured with Promarkers and the geese glittered with crystal glitter. A couple of leaves cut with my L-Em punch, a button and ribbon added to the largest circle to embellish and all mounted onto ribbon and the reverse also has circles backed on to the front ones to give a neat finish.

Allsorts Week 15

A huge thank you to everyone who entered Allsorts challenge this week for my English Country Garden theme which many of your kindly told me you really enjoyed.

Now we move on to week fifteen and it's the turn for our new teamie Jules to select the theme where she asks us to follow her sketch plus some torn edges - it can be just one edge or lots of edges - just tear your paper as much as you dare. Wow, now there's a challenge, are you up to tearing your beloved DP's I wonder ?

I have started with a dark geen card which carries the background colour of my DP of which I do not know the make as I purchased it last year for a rather special card and this is the leftover. My image is a swirl from Inkadinkado 97632 stamped with Stayzon olive, dusted with chalk to tone the cardstock down and cut out with Nesties through the Bug, along with the mat using Bazzil. The roses are Magenta Tilda range stamps (they came as a set of two) wich I stamped onto vellum with Memento ink and coloured in with Promarkers. The greeting stamped onto vellum again with the olive ink is Art Impressions E3145 and held in place with two pearl brads. Finally three pink pearls to fit in with Jules sketch.......in a different place as this seemed to fit my layout better, hope you don't mind the alteration Jules.

Allsorts challenge 14

And this week it my turn to choose the theme at Allsorts and surprise surprise it's got a botanical theme entitled "In an English Country Garden". And a fab prize of a gift voucher to spend at PDA card and craft, do go check them out, they sell the most exquisite cardstock, great value envelopes, card packaging, beautiful vellum's and so much more including a whole range of other craft goodies.

Now this doesn't have to be flowers and butterflies you know, it can be afternoon tea, teddy bears picnic, cuties playing tennis on the law, you decide what it means to you, that's what makes challenges such fun. And hopefully, if the Bay is kind I'll be back home and along to check out all your creations on your blogs. And I also want to say thank you to Chris at Craftings Cosy Corner, I love her style and her inspirational use of flowers.

Now, aplos in advance, this is going to be a bit lengthy me thinks.........I based my card around Shakespeare's Sonnet "Shall I compare thee to a Summers Day" ........ yes I love poetry as well and created a myriad of colour, fauna and of course butterflies starting with colouring a piece of carstock with Tim Holtz inks. I used dusky concorde, worn lipstick, mustard seed, spiced marmalade and shabby shutters, working them with a blending stick then drenching with water to make the colours bleed. When dry I spritzed with pearl Glimmer Mists.

Lots of stamping using dusky concord again - flowers - Penny Black 2666K, 3379H, Stampendous N152, diamond block Hero G3318 and Art Words G2678 which I stamped with versamark and dabbed over green chalk.

The poem is Hobby Art GR1341F again stamped with dusky concorde anf the tiny butterflies intermingled are from Penny Black 3--304 stamped with versamark and dabbed with pale pink chalk. The swirl is from Inkadinkado 97632 and butterflies made using a punch. The border is bazzil punched with Martha Stewart doily lace. Finally a corsage of flowers and pearls tied together with cord and garden twine and words printed on the computer.

Sir Stampalot classes

More classes at Sir Stampalot tomorrow using My Minds Eye DP's, Hobby Art, Hero Arts, Penny Black and Inkadinkadoo stamps. Here are a couple of the samples I have designed for the class and which the girls will be making.

The main image on the top card is Hobby Art FL1910E, stamped with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The flower at the bottom left of the card has been made up using the smaller flower stamped out three times and layered up to create the single bloom. All flowers have been lightly coloured with Marvy pens and glittered using a quickie glue pen and crystal glitter. The buds have been cut on Cricut storybook and the dots on the main image traced with liquid pearls.

The second card uses the large bird stamp and buds from Hero Arts CL3318 and again stamped with Versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The buds were stamped onto he same My Minds Eye DP's and cut out - a bit time consuming but will keep the girls awake !! The frame is cut from Bazzil using a nesite frame run through the bug and the edge the reverse of the PD punched with Fiskars threading water.

ABC Challenge

It's turning into a bit of a flutterby week as I've gone wings again for this weeks ABC challenge which is "V for Vellum".

My butterfly which is Creative Expression HH269F is stamped onto vellum twice then glittered ........ I often make up batches of butterflies and explain in more detail here how I make them up for anyone who is interested.

My DP here is My Minds Eye, the scrolls were cut from bazzil using Cricut home decor and the two little 'dots' are the bits that came out of the scrolls when I lifted them from the mat, I thought they sort of added a bit more interest and carried the colour.

Paper Makup Challenge

The PMS challenge this week has been set by Kim and is entitled "Bookworm Style" - the clue's in the title - make a bookmark.

I have used a design that always goes down well in demos and class and at the risk of being boring have stuck with the same stamps as they lend themselves to the project. Stamps are PB 3868J and 3948K, Hero H2365 (no I don't use this on all my cards, well not quite anyway !) and Hobby Art GR1830B.

The card and bookmark are a very pale lilac pearlescent. The script has been stamped with hero soft lilac and the images with brilliance Victorian violet and detail clear emboss powder. The 'with love' greeting has been stamped with versamark and embossed with detail white.

The bookmark is cut from a darker bazzil, scored and folded double so the back element can be slotted through slits cut in the card the width of the bookmark. The decorative element with the ribbon and flowers has been matted onto the front section and the greeting stamped onto the inside of the bookmark where it slots through the card so it's visible when in place and lifted.

The bookmark simply slides out for for use or left as the case may be - as Nigel May so innocently said when he showed one I did for a C & C programme screened last week "oh look, one with a little flap", bless him - we all love you really Nigel.

Finally, stickles have been added to the flowers to give them some lift and sparkle. Please check out this post and I'd love to hear from you if you have one or two spare.

Three into one does go

I've eventually managed to combine three challenges into one (only because I've been shopping and have new goodies I'm desperate to get time to play with). And.... to share some of our lovely weather and garden, my main photo was taken amongst the lilacs.

The three challenges are Stamp Something where we have been asked to "CASE one of Cindy's fabulous creations as inspiration for your own card". I've opted for the one you will find here where the theme was yellow, green and blue and it is also my DT call. The second challenge is the Secret Crafter with the theme "FLOWERS" and finally the Penny Black challenge where the theme is "Shapes - include at least three different shapes, excluding card and backing paper".

I have used two PB stamps 3948K and 2695J. The first has been repeat stamped and just the last two lines of the sentiment, both with majestic blue versafine and detail clear emboss onto pale yellow bazzil. The flowers have been highlighted with green stickles, green and blue ribbon tied across and a stick pin made with blue green and yellow beads, a button and finally three Swarovski crystals - they only go on very special cards.

Please also check out this post and help me raise funds for MS.

Excitement when the postie came today as my blog candy arrived courtesy of Kath - do visit her as she has some wonderful artwork on her blog. The candy is a selection of oriental themed goodies from Craftworks. The Misaki stamp set has some great images and I really like the floral border which has so many possibilities. Here are three fairly simple cards which I have come up with.

The first one using the potted flower has been stamped in black and embossed with detail clear onto a piece of 'leftovers' from some inking techniques using chalk eye inks. The black mat has been heat embossed using one of the small flowers with versamark and detail clear again. All matted onto bazzil dots.

The next uses the border, stamped in black and embossed with detail clear to create corner elements, the middle mats also part of the candy and the centre cut on nesties, stamped three times with the fan to create a circle and a flower and brad to finish. Sorry about the picture on this one, whichever way I tried I got glare, not that I'm moaning about the sun which eventually arrived in the fens today !

My final one today uses the little Japanese girls 'dressed' in My Minds Eye papers and the background papers are more from my candy pack as is the scallop card. The ovals cut with nesties on the cuttlebug and the corner flowers on Cricut Storybook with some little florist stamens added.

Cricut and a little stamping

A very quick and easy card today. The frame is made on the Cricut using DS to weld it all together. The outer frame from Home Decor, the inner circle Plantin and the scrolls joining the two together from Storybook which have been used as corners as well. The greeting is Hero CL278, the decoupage a die cut one and the cardstock Bazzil.

Two challenges in one

Today I am combining two challenges using one card - Papertake Challenge where the theme is pastels and Paper Makeup which requires ribbon must be used on the card. Yesterday I saw the first irises in the garden so this stamp came to mind, Great Impressions K47 stamped. The background has been stamped with an old Hero block stamp inked with Hero Lilac and spritzed. The main image is stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Marvy pens and a light cover of stickes. The vellum is stamped with Art Impression AA3384 embossed with holographic. All simple matted with bazzil.

Stamp Something Challenge

This weeks challenge for Stamp Something is 'Shapes' using a minimum of two different shapes. The card I have created is a design I have used several times before which uses up lots of scraps of paper, ribbon etc., - unusual for me given that I'll be the first to admit I'm not a thrifty crafter. The design is always popular at demos as it offers people lots of ideas of how they can use their stash in their own way. In this one I have used one of my favourite colour combinations of yellow and blue. All stamps are Hero Arts unmounted with the exception of the Penny Black butterfly, all stamped with versafine majestic blue and embossed with clear detail onto Bazzil and Sandylion.