More new goodies

Am I having fun with all these new goodies from the NEC and needless to say I have used one of the new stamps for this weeks Passion for Promarkers which has an open colour theme but with a sketch. I have also combined it with Everybody Art Challenges which would like to see "Distressing" this week.......yippee you hear me say, I so love getting a bit messy and Tuesday Taggers which has the theme "No Patterned Papers".

So my stamp...... code VA-1M-14 is from the Unmounted Stamp Company........ I have to confess the company is new to me but I am so glad I found them at the NEC as they have some absolutely wonderful images which stamp beautifully. I will certainly be visiting their on line store as I have my eye on some more which they had run out of on Sunday, no surprise really.

I have stamped my image with versafine sepia, embossed with detail clear, coloured with Promarkers then cut the mats with Nesties through the Bug. The background has been created by stamping JudiKins 6762I repeatedly with vesamark and embossing, again with detail clear. I then coloured and distressed with Tim Holtz Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade. The sentiment is a section of Penny Black 2695J. The swirls were cut with Cricut Home Accents and stippled with Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers Gold and Copper. I made the roses with some copy paper, glittering the edges with iridescent embossing powder.

Passion for Promarkes

Morning Peeps, wet and windy - again, so hope lots of you are using the excuse for some serious crafting activity.......or are you all counting your pennies out ready for the NEC ?

Over at Sir Stampalot central (stand H05) it's a hive of activity packing and loading ready for the big event, as it is at Stamp Addicts (stand H30) and I'm sure lots of other locations around the UK. And come next week those of us lucky enough to go to the NEC will be bursting with inspiration all rushing to show off our new goodies on our makes........but with empty purses what else will we be able to do ?

Three challenges here, a great sketch from Tina at Everybody Art Challenges, and Passion for Pormarkers who have the colour theme of 'Grass and Canary' and wow do these two colours look great together and Creative Card Crew who want to see 'Ribbons and Gems'.

On to my card, a bit of a busy one for me, but it's sort of growing on me. My image is Sarah Kay Rose Garden, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with the two required Promarkers. The DP is Doodlebug and Basic Grey and the border punch Fiskars Threading Water. I made the three roses from the same DP and for a change I added some pearl stamens which I think works quite well. Leaves are punched from my new L-Em Ashe Tree Family 2 punch which I told you about yesterday. The little birdie and butterfly are from Penny Black 30- 034 and the flowers next to the image are from the Tilda range but afraid I have no idea of the code.

Quite a collection

Morning folks. I have a day of 'proper' work today to try and break the back of a wedding invitation order I have been trying to get finished for weeks. It's been a bit of a nightmare as the ribbon I used on the original samples seems to have been discontinued in the width I need so have spent days searching the Internet to see who has any in stock and hey presto, Monday I found three 25m reels at Athena crafts. And I have to say I was impressed with their service, I was in contact with them lunchtime Monday and the ribbon was with me yesterday, now that's service.

But before I make a start on those invitations a quick share of my card that covers a multitude. Following the sketch at this weeks Cupcake challenge, I have combined Passion for Promarkers where there is an 'Open' colour theme but the requirement to include an 'Animal' on your project, Creative Card Crew would like to see 'Snowflakes' this week and Tuesday Taggers have a penchant for a 'Burst of Colour', so all in all very easy to combine in one card.

My main image is Penny Black 4015K Christmas Tree Ted coloured with Promarkers who is a bit in touch with his feminine side in order to blend in with this really pretty My Minds Eye DP. His boots and hat have been diamond glazed and snow added using JudiKins snow glitter - added to dries clear glue this really is great for snow as it is quire chunky and give good dimension. Border are all punched with Fiskars Threading Water.

Addedndum: Been reminded that I forgot to say how I made the snowflakes - a new - did I say new, oh dear yep new Martha Stewart punch that I really really 'needed' and the brad snowflake is in a pack of six I found at Stamplaot but afraid already thrown the packing so no name.

Penny Black challenge

No post yesterday I am afraid, it was normal manic Monday at work, it started off quiet but didn't last and I was still at my desk at 7pm and so far Tuesday's not looking much better. And the weather is dry, dull and cold so no incentive to go very far even if time permits.

Did manage to get a card done to share which is for this weeks Penny Black challenge using a quite unusual sketch which I have combined with Passion for Promarkers using the requisite colours of Poppy and Forest Green which to me yells Christmas. I think my penguins also fit this weeks challenge at Creative Card Crew which is "Babies and Children".

The penguin image stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear and coloured with the two Promarker colours is Art Impression T3055 - I don't seem to have too many stamps where the image is vertical as required in the sketch. So my Penny Black images are the scrolls on the circle using Penny Black 2636K and the sentiment from PB 30-036.

The DP is one of the double sided sheets from the scrummy new K & Co peppermint Twist 12x12 pad. The penguins and star have been liberally glittered and the tree baubles diamond glazed.

Three into one

Good day all and what a wonderful sunny day it is here in the Fens, hope you are all having a bit of the same. Beet harvesting is well under way now and this weather is ideal for them, always hate it when it's wet this time of year as our single track roads........oh yes, it's pretty rural where we live......become a mass of mud. So I always get black looks from the Polish car wash team at Tesco when I take my mud laden baby in for her wash.......being a sporty number it sits pretty close to the road so the mud just piles up.

Anyway, enough jabber, this is just a quick post in my lunch break with a card combining this weeks Passion for Promarkers where Gina has provided a brill sketch and you can use any colours on your project, Everybody Art Challenge who would like to see punches and shapes on your card ans Creative Card Crew who's theme is scallops.

My image is Sarah Kay stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Promarkers. I have stamped her hat again onto my DP which is from Best Creation and decoupaged it and also made three roses from the same paper. The scalloped border is using Fiskars threading water punch and the leaves are also punched with a new McGill punch. The sentiment is one of four on a skinny cube SK-LG-207 from Stamps by Judith. Not the best picture I am afraid as despite the bright day seemed to get shadow in every direction.

Passion for Promarkers

Over at Passion for Promarkers Denise has set the theme were you can use any colours on your project but with a recipe of "3 different shapes, 2 papers and 1 ribbon". This one I made at the weekend fits the bill perfectly.


The image is one I found as a free download here, I fell in love with it immediately, it is so cute. Inger's work is wonderful, do go check her out.


I coloured the image with Promarkers lush green, meadow green, berry red and sandstone plus ivory and pale pink for skin and cool greys for the hair. The border is using Martha Stewart embossed scallop and the DP's K & Co peppermint twist pad. Large snowflake was cut on Cricut Accent Essential and the small ones from a punch. The ribbon is from my stash and added Diamond Glaze to the flowers on the little girls dress and holly wreath and the shading round the image is Tim Holtz peeled paint.


In case it is not clear my three shapes are snowflakes, circle brad and tiny red stars in the centre of the small snowflakes.

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.

Passion for Promarkers and another Gray

Don't shout too loud, but the sun's shining this morning, first time since Saturday in these parts, mind you the wind is oh so cold. The horses are non to impressed either and think it's time to move indoors full time for another winter of pampering. Do you know, if us humans spent a whole season doing little more than eating and drinking apart from the odd hack out, we would take on the appearance of sumo wrestlers.......so what's so special about a horses metabolism that they don't have the same problem ?

After all the activity of the weekend, buckling down to crafting is tough.......think Jules and I talked so much that out energy levels needed to replenish, but it was a fabulous day.......and a little secret, we have another one planned for the NEC. I have never been there before, so going on a strict regime of no spending until then - as if.

On to my card, Passions for Promarkers this week wants to see 'Polka Dots with an open colour combo'.......gives those of us lucky enough to have the new colours the chance to try them out.......one major nightmare here though, guess what I discovered...... there is another gray - gray green. I am also combining this card with the recipe from the Creative Card Crew which is '2 DP's, 3 flowers, 2 brads, 1 button and 1 ribbon'.

My image is from Stampevia WDS410, coloured with a mixture of Promarkers including Tulip Yellow, Pear Green, Salmon Pink, Antique Pink and Gray Green - all new colours, along with a few of the originals. I stamped and coloured the flower three more times and glittered the centre. The DP's are My Mids Eye, the border punched with Martha Stewart Doily Lace and the leaves are also punched. I cut down one of the flowers and reassembled in the top corner as I felt it was too large. The circle greeting is Hero Arts A4981 and finally a button , ribbon and two brads - centres of two of the small flowers on my image. Considering I don't do cute too often I actually quite like this one.

Inspirational Card Sketches and Passion for Promarkers

Apple time in the fens...................

Good morning one and all, what's the weather like your way ? Here in the Fens we have our normal serving up of rain and cloud, even the dogs are non too impressed today and their early morning apple hunt didn't last too long.......they love this time of year with all the windfalls........Buffy, George and Abbey are cute cookies and roll their finds to push off the wasps, poor Bernie on the other hand learnt the hard way !! Here's some pictures of the gang this morning, although not Abbey, she's feeling her age with arthritis bless her and made a quick return indoors - with her apple of course.

And not forgetting the horses who enjoy the odd apple of four, checking here to make sure ones got the same as the other...... Big Ben (on the left) is a bit of a bully when it comes to food so baby (well 15.3hh) Heskey has to bide his time and grab them when he can.

On to my card for this weeks Inspirational Card Sketches which is another of Dawn B's fantastic sketches and Passion for Promarkers which has a colour combo of Sandstone and Blue Pearl.

My image is Sarah Kay Time for Apple Pie.......how apt is that I thought......and the tree Magnolia Swirl Gran. Both stamped with Memento black and coloured with the two requisite Promarkers. The sentiment is a skinny stamp SK-LG-207 from Stamps by Judith, DP's from stash, punched edge using Martha Steward Embossed Scallop and run through the Bug using Swiss Dots folder, then lace and pearls added to embellish. Edges were shaded with Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy.

Passions for Promarkers and Creative Card Crew

I got such a lovely surprise this morning when I went to look for the new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers - last week I made the Top 5 again with this card........will teach me to remember to check in future. So thank you girls for selecting my card, I will have a smile all day.

On to this weeks theme, there is an 'open' invitation on colours but with the emphasis on "Girly and Glitzy", how good is that. And at Creative Card Crew the theme is "Pink, Black and White" so I felt these two themes lend themselves to one another.

My image is the very chick Stamps Happen 80436 Paris Socialite which I stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear and of course coloured with Promarkers. Her fur stole is encrusted with diamonds courtesy of crystal glitter and her bag, hat and corsage have black Swarovsky crystal gems to decorate. I added lace and ribbon, a feather, hat pin and beads to embellish. The border is Martha Steward embossed scallop.

Passion for Promarkers & Everybody Art Challenges

OK then, Christmas done for now........all this seasonal activity gives me the heeby jeebies so early but needs must and all that. So back to my botanical comfort zone and this weeks Passions for Promarkers using lilac, lavender, amethyst and aubergine using yet another gorgeous sketch from Bea at Everybody Art Challenges.

My main image is this so oh versatile image from Magenta 14315-0 which I have stamped twice onto white linen cardstock with versafine and embossed with detail clear and a third time onto acetate using stayzon black. The flowers stamped onto the linen have been coloured with the Promarkers, one image cut with oval Nesties through the Bug, the second and acetate images have had the flowers cut out, decoupaged and fixed with pearl brads. DP is Daisy Bucket and the greeting Art Impression G3130. Ribbon, a corsage of flowers and pearl stems added to embellish.

And I need to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Lorraine a lovely blogging buddy for giving me this awad and such a pretty one at that.

Passion for Promarkers

Passion for Promarkers have given us a double whammy this week, to use Pumpkin and Prussian but with the twist of Halloween. Panic.......I don't have a single Halloween stamp, so it had to be done......a trip to Sir Stampalot, well what else was I supposed to do placed in that position ?

Actually I did have a bit of an excuse as they had goodies there waiting for me to collected. And when I got there it was like Christmas come early, a lovely delivery van was just arriving with a Hero delivery, so cream cakes at the ready as Andy set at unpacking. Soooooooo exciting they are all piled up ready for the big Christmas launch I mentioned earlier in the week 29 & 30th August 10 through 4 both days with lots of demo's, new products etc.

On to my card, a brand new Penny Black stamp 3716K stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured in with the two requisite Promarkers and they really do go very well together and cut on the Bug with Nesties. The little owls are Hero A4942, leaves cut on my L-Em punch and border with Martha Steward arch lattice. DP's are Doodlebug an finally ribbon, some star gems and a small charm which was silver, so I inked with brilliance blue and embossed with detail clear to match my card.

Passion for Promarkers

The colours for this weeks Passion for Promarkers are "Pastel Pink and Cool Aqua plus a sketch". The colours work really well together and the pink is almost a salmon colour.

I have gone botanical and used my new Magenta 14315.0 from Sir Stampalot a week or so back which I promised to do samples with.......well I did manage a couple and then sort of got sidetracked with more new goodies, so thought I should give it another airing.

I guess using Promarkers this way does not offer the opportunity to blend them in the same way as on a larger area, but I quite like the effect and they colours match this My Minds Eye DP so well. After stamping with versafine back and embossing with detail clear, I cute the circles out with Nesities through the bug, stamping the smaller flower several times more to cut out and decoupage.

The sentiment is from Hero CL288........yes I used one from the set yesterday as well after rediscovering the set filed in a wrong stamp drawer. The scallop edge was made using Fiskars threading water punch, some ribbon added, pearls here and there and I also diamond glazed the large flowers. Oh nearly forgot, leaves yet again using my new L-Em punch from the same source as the stamps.

Passion for Promarkers

The colours to be used at Passion for Promarkers this week are "Ruby and Gold with the added twist if jewels and gems".

This card is I admit, very similar to one you may have seen before, but it is different, just a style I like and find I return to ........ at least it's not Agapanthus Cluster yet again ! Seems every time I use my new promarkers I find out something new about them. When I do this block background using Hero 2545 I usually use either Marvy pens or distress ink then spritz it to give the watery effect I like to achieve. So as I wasn't sure if this would count as another colour, I decided to see how it would work with promarkers and it did ........ instead of adding the colour to the stamp first, I spritzed it with water first then randomly added gold promarker into the water, stamped quickly onto linen cardstock and hey presto - it worked !

My main image Penny Black 3815J was stamped over the background with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, then coloured in with the two permitted colours and diamond glazed.

To achieve the scallops round the edge I used a acetate template cut on Cricut plantin schoolbook and chalked. The vellum was punched with Martha Steward doily lace, ribbon added and a stick pin using beads etc., from Spellbound. Finally, liquid pearls and some gems to embellish.

Passion for Promarkers & Spoonful of Sugar

I'm combining two challenges together on this one, Passion for Promarkers there the challenge is to use Cocoa and Cornflower Blue and A Spoonful of Sugar which ask that you use hearts on you projects.

I have used Art Impression T3094 (Sir Stampalot) as my main image stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear. To incorporate the hearts I used a Stamps by Judith (Stamp Addicts) stubby stamp to decorate her dress, colouring the hearts with the cocoa and the cornflower blue for the main part of her dress. As I have said before, I have problems with solitary figures, so my little girl is walking across cobbles stamped with Art Impression L3297, has some chalked clouds above her and some little birds using part of Art Impression G3234. My DP's are Daisy Bucket and Doodlebug, the top panel was run through the bug using the hearts folder to carry the theme and finished off with three flowers and some swarovski crystals.

Inspirational Card Sketchers & Passion for Promarkers

Don't wish to turn this into a gory vamparian blog........isn't that a lovely word -checked it out and it's a real one......but so many of you have kindly asked what's happening with my little 'problem' though I should update.

The prognosis was not good, it seems at some point I've had a fracture in my upper jaw ....... no idea when, how or why it never showed up before, but me thinks it probably got lost or overlooked amongst other symptoms of TMJ and Trigeminal Neuralgia the last couple of years ........yes got both, part of my MS package, aren't' I the lucky one. They say that this damage in turn led to cracks in the roots of my two top front teeth, both of which had root canal treatment and post crowns fitted years ago. Three weeks ago one came loose and the dentist put it back in, along with an infection it seems........I'm not suggesting anything here, but........it's led to an awful lot of tissue damage, my speech is still not right and the pains not totally gone.

The immediate answer was to remove all front teeth as the repair work would be so extensive and financially prohibitive (to the NHS I figure and I don't have to pay normally because of my health issues)........I've asked for a second opinion and that's next week.

So on to proper stuff, this card follows another of Dawns great sketches for ICS - she's amazing coming up with something so different every week and a the first time for me Passion for Promarkers ........ where the requirement is to us "Moss & Poppy but there is a twist this week, you have to include something tasty". Well as they arrived yesterday, I've had a little play and Jules says's she expects no less what option do I have ?

The image is Sarah Kay with her picnic basket (I know it's got something tasty inside) stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I have no idea if this is how you are intended to use Promarkers, but as the restriction is two colours and my first outing with them I was struggling to get the lighter shades for the hat and basket, so I tried lifting colour from the pen with the blender (exactly the same method that works with Marvey le Plumes) and it seemed to provide the effect I wanted.

I also discovered ........ I know I'm probably teaching you veteran Promarker users to suck eggs ........ that if I inked the leaves and cherries (cut on Cricut storybook and Stretch your Imagination) with the thick end it was wet enough to dip into detail clear embossing powder so I got the nice shiny finish I get when I do this with brilliance ink. The DP's are The Paper Company and mat cut with Nesties on the Cuttlebug. Sentiment is Art Impression.

Think I've got a way to go with this Promarker technique, but I'm sort of happy with my first effort.