Magenta 2010 new releases and challenges

Good Morning everyone, firstly thanks to all of you for your kind messages about my health and entering my candy at the top of my blog.

I have been very good this week, followed doctors orders, had lots of rest and this is my first posting for days. But beings it it, I need to make the most of it and it's a bit of a long one so you might want to grab a coffee, a bar of Cadburys or even better both !

I have been doing a bit of crafty dabbling, just the odd hour indulging in some of the new Magenta stamp releases which landed on my doormat from Sir Stampalot this week. They have the stamps on line and ready to buy and there are some gorgeous ones, a mix of Christmas and others, so do take a look and there a few samples below.

As it's Saturday it's time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week it's yours truly's turn to set the theme and I am going very seasonal with the theme "Colours of Autumn". And as I love working with the rich Autumnal colours, two DT cards from me this week.

For the first card above I have used one of the new stamps from Penny Black 40-037 autumnal gifts, I have probably said this before, but this stamp totally sums up this time of year to me and the Harvest Festival celebrations that will be happening in Churches everywhere. And perfect for a man as well, my Dad who was a farmer would have adored this image, so this is for you Dad.

I stamped the image onto ivory linen cardstock using versfine sepia and embossed with detail clear before colouring in with Copics. I used the top element of the stamp to add corn to the corner's of the card. I have no idea of the name of this shape of card, but it is so easy to make using just a scoreboard and Nesties and quite effective I think. Finally, I punched some leaves with the lovely new Xcut punches which also emboss the leaves so you can highlight with inks, I used a selection of brilliance. This card is also for the following challenge:

Penny Black Saturday - Male card

My second card used the clever stamp set from Lavinina where you stamp first with the solid leaf shape then overstamped with the skeleton. I used Tim Holtx frayed burlap and rusty hinge. I then covered the leaves with Diamond Glaze, allowed to dry, then inked the whole piece, which is cut from Nesties, using TH sage, wild honey and barn door. I then overstamped the whole piece with Hero Arts H2365 old French writing, rubbing up the leaves afterwards to remove any ink. The leave have a lovey raised sheen, but it difficult to pick this up on a picture. Finally I tied some cord and added buttons and mounted onto a piece of Kaiser DP. This card is also for the following challenges:

Fab and Funky - Whatever

Raise the Bar - Orange, brown, green

Paper Play - Autumn is a coming

Next my card for this weeks challenge over at Polkadoodles where the boss Nikky is in charge again and has given us a sketch with a recipe and hidden twist.

I turned the sketch sideways and created a flap at the side with a greeting beneath using a Fairy Flutterby stamp. The paper is all from Paper Boutique and the flower made from the same papers using the Tim Holtz tattered floral die.

Now a couple of cards using the new Magenta stamps I mentioned above. The first one is a Christmas stamp Magenta 43032L Seasons Greeting which I think has a real Victoriana feel to it. A bit unusual having a rose on a Christmas Card, but perhaps it's a Christmas rose ! I stamped it with stayzon sepia and coloured with Aquamarkers. I stamped Hero Arts CO222 Music Background on the actual card using Tim Holtz frayed burlap. The DP is from stash and punched with Martha Stewart cornice border.......a little indulgence I could not resist, it's so elegant and I think goes with the theme of the image wonderfully. This card is for the following challenge:

Simon Says - Holiday Fun

My final card is using Megenta 95276N Field of Poppies.....I have always loved poppies so this was was a must have. I created a background with TH distress inks and water, then stamped the image with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I added extra colour to some of the poppies with Copics then covered them with Diamond Glaze. The DP is Daisy bucket, I used the same MS punch as he card above and made a flower with my Tattered Flowal die.

Cupcake challenge

My second share today is for this weeks Cupcake challenge who have a sketch from DT Caryn. As it's such a great sketch I decided to keep my card fairly simple using this very pretty DP from K & Co's Peppermint Twist Christmas pad as my base colour. Plus an outing for a new Martha Stewart punch from Sir Stampalot.......they have a huge selection of these punches so if you are in 'need' of one as I was when I got this, you know where to go. And of course they will be at the NEC - Stand H05 with lots of goodies, inspiration and live demos, so do go say hello to the gang.

The image is Penny Black 3997K Majestic stamped with versafine blue and embossed with detail clear and shaded round the edges with Hero shadow ink soft pool. The sentiment which I absolutely love is Hero Arts C2604. The snowflakes are punched with Martha Stewart single snowflake and the butterfly is an X cut punch......I know it's a bit unconventional having a butterfly on a Christmas card, but with that sentiment I somehow feel it's right. The gems are Swarovski, so this card will be for someone rather special.

Friday Sketchers

I'm so thrilled as I won the candy at Friday Sketchers, $30 of stamps - my choose - from Verve stamps, so a big thank you to all. And this week Heidi has given us another super sketch to follow.

The finished article is a bit busy compared with my norm, but I think it has a sort of Victoriana feel to it and it's growing on me. I used a stamp I have had for ages but rarely used, it is Great Impression H133 which I stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear, then coloured the butterflies with Promarkers. The DP is from Kaiser and the butterflies made using my Xcut punch using some scraps of checked vellum which seem to be made for this DP as the colours match so well. I added some lace, made wire antenna for the butterflies, layered them and added Distress Stickles for the thorax. The greeting is from a clear Hero set, but afraid I don't have the code.

Cupcake challenge & Creative Card Crew

I was so pleased to discover today that Cupcake challenge is going to continue after all ........ last week Lisa announced she was closing the challenge due to time restraints but Donna has stepped in so it is to continue, which is great news. Their challenge this week is Black and White and I am combining this card with Creative Card Crew challenge which this week is to use Ribbon on your project.

I love monochrome and have selected a tiny stamp from Impression Obsession B5179, which I have stamped several time on black card using versamark and detail white embossing powder and white card using versafine black and detail clear. Each square has been mounted onto a tiny silver scalloped mat cut on Cricut storybook which has then been mounted onto black gloss cardstock and then the whole piece onto a white card. The centre butterfly has been cut with an XCut punch, one in black vellum and one white, layered with silicone, wire antenna added and black swarovski crystals, plus some black spotty and white ribbon.

Rosie Dee's challenge

My third card today is for this weeks Rosie Dee's challenge which I have to confess I missed last week what with all that was going on, so sorry girls I know how hard you are working to get your challenge moving forward. The girls have a DT call and a wonderful theme this week of Turquoise and Chocolate which really is one of my favourite combinations and strangely enough I had done a card in those colours yesterday morning before I checked in with them.

I was itching to use my new Magenta CSEC29 set again and stamped the same image four times using Tim Holz broken china and brushed corduroy, distressing the edges with the same colours. I then inked each section with versamark and embossed with detail clear to give the squares a nice gloss finish. The diamonds down the side are Hero G3316 stamped off a couple of times to give a weathered effect, again using brushed corduroy. The little butterfly in the centre comes from a punch which I think is XCut, punched twice from vellum which I coloured very lightly with the blue ink and layered adding wire antenna. The ribbon on the side is some I've had for ages which fitted in just right.

A Spoonful of Sugar 45

Managed to create another one whilst the watchful eyes are diverted ........ I am resting really I am ........ but I'll go stir crazy if I do nothing so figure a little crating is good for the soul.

This one is for this weeks A Spoonful of Sugar which has the theme "Butterflies" so you know I just couldn't miss this one and had to take part. My main image is Chapel Road 11B, they have such wonderful stamps and so unusual. My background is Glimmer Misted - vanilla, gold, copper and creme de rouge and the images stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear.

The card itself has been stamped all over with Hero H2365 (not again I hear you say ........ but I do so love this stamp as it fits so many themes) in versamark and dusted with Prefect Pearls in a mixture of bronzes and golds. The leaves and flowers were cut on Cricut storybook and home decor and also glimmer misted. Butterflies were cut from the same GM'd piece of cardstock as the main image with a new punch which appears to have no name on it and I've destroyed the packaging, but I think it's by XCut.