Blue Stripe Florals

This one is also fresh from my craft desk, made for a Sketch/Layout Challenge on a Facebook group I belong to. Here is the sketch layout ( ©Maureen Merritt):

And here is my interpretation:

I made a splattery paint and ink background, cut it into strips and inked the edges in Chalk Eyes Blue Iris ink, glued them to embossed silver card and cut that into strips as well, embossed around the edges with a large ball tool to smooth them down. I stuck them at a deliberately random, wonky angle on the card panel, deliberately also hanging over the edges. The panel was then 3D'd to the main A5 card (UK size). The floral die is from Memory Box, 'Fresh Picked Flowers', ref: 99910, cut in silver mirror card (obvs), and just stuck down with random dabs of glue, so that it's not fully attached to give a kind of 'blowing in the wind' effect! I haven't added a sentiment, as you see, because it could be used for just about anything feminine, but if I were going to right now, it would probably be 'Friendship' or 'Blossom'.

Basic Grey ATC

This ATC was made for the second Basic Grey challenge (now defunct, very sadly).

What is an ATC?

ATC stands for Artist's Trading Card. Originally, these were used by fine artists to produce miniature versions of their paintings to promote their work. This still happens, but their use has been expanded to cardcraft. Cardmakers use them as another avenue for their creativity, and ~ rather than selling them ~ the idea is to swap them with other enthusiasts to build a library of ATCs displaying different techniques.

Most people who produced (still produce?) ATCs swapped them through clubs, at craft events and internet forums. Personally, I found it hard to part with them. My focus has always been on card-making, but I did enjoy the few ATCs I made. They all ended up as card toppers or fridge magnets, though!

The size of an ATC is 2½ x 3½ ins (or a standard playing card size). You can purchase blanks, or make your own. (Make up a template, and use it as the ‘master’ to save you measuring out every time.)

On the back, put your name, address and/or email address, and the title of your miniature piece of art, or a reference code. If you are going to use your ATCs for swapping, it might be helpful to keep notes on how you made each one, so that if anyone contacts you for details, you will have them handy.

Any kind of artwork goes.. have fun and be expressive!

Here is my ATC for that challenge...

I used beautiful blue paper from the Basic Grey Cupcake 6"x6" pad. The main image is a cropped section of a stamped image I received in a swap. To echo the butterfly in the image, I stamped another one separately, and mounted it on the ATC, wings akimbo. The button is also BG. from the Archaic range. The 'Hope' sentiment is actually a metal embellishment for extra dimension, although that's not clear in the photo. The scroll stamp used in the corner is by Rhonna Farrer from her 'Elegant Flourishes' set in the Autumn Leaves collection.

For my Scottish pals....

No matter how I try, I cannot get past my love for feathered mulberry. It just bubbles to the surface every now and then, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.

And yes, I know it should be a heilan' coo, but Penny Black don't make them, and as this was for a  Penny Black Saturday Challenge on a farmyard theme, I had to make do. (sigh)

Message on the inside reads: ".. to see what's moo with you?" (I know... grrrooaannn!)

Christmas Kraft #3: Elzybells Challenge #30

This is the one I am entering for the challenge, because I think it ticks all the boxes.. Glitter.. check.. Sparkle.. check... Shine.. check!*

All the elements required to qualify for the Elzybells #30 Challenge.

* On all my Elzybells cards, you'll see the glitter more clearly if you click on the pics to enlarge the images.

Other than the brads, gems, glitter and basecard, this is another Elzybells special.

Carol's Sketch Fun #15 and Penny Black Saturday Challenge #69: 'Autumn Breezes'

This is for two challenges. Actually current ones! I was determined to enter something ON TIME, for once! lol

I haven't done anything on the Penny Black challenge for probably a year, and I love this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, so it was a delight to enter their current challenge, which is:

AUTUMN BREEZES

And of course, the card layout is for Carol's Sketch Fun #15, here on the left. Great sketch! I loved using it.

I've used Penny Black's Xmouse Ornament stamp. Am loving that little mouse, and think I will get lots of use from him.. with ~ or without ~ his snowflake! ;o)

The leaf is from the PSX stamp I used for the border, watercoloured, as is the mouse, along with Distress Inks for the shading around the edges.

Bazzill cardstock, raffia, autumn leaf brads and punchies and a copper word embellishment, "Wish". The leaf is also touched with Decoart glamour dust.

Down By The Sea..

This was inspired by a DCM (Daring Card Makers) Challenge, but - as is often the case with only having limited time outside of work hours - I rarely get chance to complete a challenge on time! lol ~ Oh well. Still waiting to come up on the lottery! ;o)

I love all things nautical, so couldn't let this one slip by, and this is one of my favourite stamps, too, but rarely have the opportunity to use it.


Stamp by Stampland Chicago (great site.. loads of fantastic stamps! Go HERE to see for yourself).. plus Doodlebug rub-on lettering, Sizzix seahorse and part of a Sizzix scrolly border-type thing! And various embellishments and glamour dust.

This was one of those cards I started and hated for most of the time I was making it and almost scrapped it, but kept adding bits, and now I love it! I think the white dotty doodling was a mistake, though. Anyway, my lovelies.. hope you like it, too.

Basic Grey Challenge - Weeks 3 & 4

This one is for the current Basic Grey Challenge (Week 4), which is 'Embossing', but it was inspired by the picture from the Week 3 challenge (below), so qualifies for both.. aaaaanndd it is a good luck card for a colleague who will be moving on to a new job very soon. That's three ticks off my list of cards to make.. Love it when a plan comes together! :o)

If you look very carefully, you will spot the qualifying bit of BG kit... Yep.. the button! Couldn't tell you which collection it's from, though. The packaging was long since discarded.

The DP is pretty, don't you think? It's actually snowflakes, but I think it works as flowers. The paper is from Funky Hand's CD, 'Yule Be Funky'. Other bits used include Doodlebug rub-on lettering, and although it doesn't stand out much against the background, I quite like that.. it's subtle and doesn't fight with the design. Quite pleased with that. Three dew drops top left, and the Big Shot came into its own with the Nesties label, and the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing.

Only about three weeks behind on this one..

But not only that.. I have been back to check and find that I got the instructions wrong, too (because I did not read them, basically). Soooo.. I'm just going to chicken out of telling you which challenge blog it was for, in the hopes that you won't know about DCM... and just pretend that this was how it was meant to be all along....

The theme was inchies, but you were supposed to use five of them, and I only used one! Never mind.. the moment has well and truly passed anyway, as I said..

So what do you think? I originally intended it to be a portrait card, but I think I prefer it landscape. Anyway, my first Christmas card for 2009! Nice and quick and simple, I think I may use this for my 'batch' cards this year.

Uses Penny Black 3897H - starflake, Black Onyx Versafine ink, black Bazzill CS, Cezanne font on my 'puter, and a couple of gems and a dab of glitter on the inchie.

P.S. Apologies for being AWOL for a couple of weeks... Was extra busy leading up to my hols, and now I'm on my hols.. doing the 'Staycation', and I mean literally.. Not going away, but mum and I are zipping out for days out every other day. This week, we've done Burghley House, Bletchley Park and Woburn. Next week, it's the beach, 'Oliver' in London, and then shopping in Cambridge. Not everyone's idea of an exciting time, but suits me down to the ground. :o)

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Well.. a fairly important date, anyway! It's for a sketch that's past its sell by date, though, unfortunately, so I've missed my chance at the prize, but the sketch called to me, so I had to do it! It's for Carol's Sketch Fun #11 (HERE)...>>>

I upended the oval, but apart from that, it's true to the sketch...

Not sure where the DP is from.. I think it may be from a HOTP wedding book, but the sheet had become detached. Pretty blue roses, though, eh?

Liberal use of Cuttlebug embossing folders on the white CS (Divine Swirls and Swiss Dots), a long Sizzix border swirl, cut from dark blue Bazzill, with Martha Stewart punched butterflies, waxed cotton cord, dew drops and pretty rosebuds for a touch of contrast colour.

The ovals were cut by hand.

It's a hat trick! :o)

Hey hey! You can tell I'm really getting back into this challenge business... this card achieves three purposes...

Firstly, it achieves my long-held objective of joining in with Carol's Sketch Fun (HERE). This is a wonderful sketch (Sketch #12), and just perfect for the use I will put this card to (and sorry it's taken me so long to get with the programme, Carol! xx)...

Secondly, I wanted it also to meet the Colour Challenge for the Basic Grey Challenge #2 (HERE).. Errr... Brown (check), yellow (there is a patch of yellow behind the circle.. honest! You can just see it peeking out).. and - well - pink. (Does the circle not look like deep salmon pink to you? In a darkened room? If you squint a bit? lol ;o)

... And the third purpose (and most important, really) is a thank you for a chap at work. George - knowing my love of papercraft - gave me a beautiful present on Thursday.. a gorgeous heavyweight leather-bound album with leather thong wraps, made in India, and the lovely ivory linen-like texture paper inside is made from recycled cotton remnants from their garment industry. Each sheet has a fine glassine page protector in between. It's gorgeous!! Not sure what I did to deserve it, but it's lovely, and it's always great getting presents! :o)

(George is the one with the web design service that I posted about a little bit ago.. Shed 21. See link on my sidebar.)

And no.. before you start adding two and two.. he is a married man!! lol ;o)

Card Recipé

White cs from Madaboutcards.com

Black Bazzill

3 pieces of DP from the BG Ambrosia 6 x 6 pad

Inkadinkado 97632 Sketchy Flourishes stamp + Onyx Black Versafine

Dark Brown Chalk Eyes for edges

Waxed cotton thread

Making Memories mini square gold brads

Sentiment computer-generated

Basic Grey Challenge #1/37 ~ Sketch by Tara

This is my entry for the new phoenix-like Basic Grey Challenges blog. Welcome back, chaps! :o)

My entry just came together so easily.. just kind of 'flowed' naturally. I attribute that to the wonderful sketch by Tara.. Simply fab! How can you go wrong? I flipped it, only because that orientation appeals more to my 'comfort zone'.

I used three papers from the Basic Grey Euphoria collection, two Cuttlebug folders ~ Fantasy Flower and Swiss Dots, and a Hero Arts stamp, along with floral embellishments, mainly from Prima, plus gems, cord and a lovely embossed metal corner.

Basic Grey Challenge #10 ~ Glitter

DARK SNOWFLAKE

For the Basic Grey Challenge blog. Probably the simplest card I have ever made! Uses Ambrosia paper. Would be a great option for mass-producing a lot of cards, as it was very quick.

Cut paper to size, ink the edges, and stick down. Stamp two large snowflakes in Versafine Onyx black ink. Use a small paintbrush to paint Craft Planet silver glitter glue over the snowflakes.

Basic Grey Challenge #9 ~ Christmas

SNOWGOOSE

My card is for this week's challenge on the Basic Grey Challenges blog HERE. The theme this time is Christmas. Show us your festive creations with a BG twist! :o)

I came across a Lilykate sheet with a flying goose on, and thought how perfect for Christmas! You know the old rhyme.. "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat".. Remember that one?

For the holly leaves, I just drew them freehand on the back of some lovely blue BG Cupcake paper, and cut them out & inked the edges. The snowflake is a Sizzix one, and the flourishes are... hmmm.. can't remember.. Will check and let you know. If I remember. ;o)

Think I am regretting the positioning of the flourish on the left. Could have put that somewhere else to better effect, but on the whole, I think it works. No doubt 'Anonymous' would disagree, but they're history! lol ;o)

Basic Grey Challenge #8 ~ Shapes ~ Geometric Daisy

My contribution to the DT team for this week's challenge over at the Basic Grey Challenge blog, which is 'Shapes'. We're inviting you to 'get shapely' with squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, rhomboids, octagons.. you name it!

My card uses triangles for the daisy petals, squares and circles, and a plethora of different BG papers.. Two Scoops, Mellow, Archaic and the background is from an 8½ x 8½ pad of BG scrapbooking papers. The button is also BG.. Cupcake. Brads, twine and Stickles complete the picture. Oh, and the stem and leaves were hand-drawn/cut and also made out of BG paper.

Do hop on over to the blog to admire the rest of the DT's work, and take part if you can. We look forward to seeing you there. :o)

Basic Grey Challenge #6 ~ Colour Combo

Not my proudest moment, this one, I'm afraid. Tried to emulate a style I had seen in Simply Cards & Papercraft #44 by Hebe Ambler in her patterned paper masterclass, and made the alphabet out of Basic Grey Ambrosia papers. OK so far, but then I decided there was too much white space at the top, so added the Rhonna Farrer flourish as an afterthought. Not entirely sure it works, but I like the DP letters.

This week's Basic Grey Challenge is all about colour combinations...

• Green & Red/Moroon
• Brown & Cream
• Blue & Gold/Yellow/Orange

Why don't you pop over and take a look at the DT cards and have a go yourself? Would be great to see your creations! :o)

'Favourite Things' Challenge by Sassy Crafts

A belated entry to Emma's intriguing challenge on the Sassy Crafts blog to produce a card using favourite things from current stash. Ooohh!! Luvly!!

So... the story behind this one is that I love lots of white space on a card, I adore black & white (although there is a subtle shade of colour on the stamped image for the eyes and lips), I love flourishes, bling, flowers, ribbons and butterflies (although my ribbon insect is kind of a butter-dragon-fly!! lol), and I love this stamp, too. The image has been cropped for this design.

I have other favourite things, too, like Funky Hand papers, Basic Grey 'stuff', brads, for instance, and snowflakes, but - well - you can't put everything on one card, can you? ;o)

To make the wings, just make two bows the same size. Pinch each of them in the middle, and secure them with glue in the centre.