One Stitch at a Time Challenge 22 (Again!)

(Second post of the day - scroll down for more from One Stitch at a Time.)

I suppose I could've put this card on the last post, but I decided to keep them separate because it's easier for those checking and commenting from challenge blogs if they're separate.

Remember, One Stitch at a Time is sponsored this week by Craft Brulee.

So, I made a second card for this challenge due to someone being unavailable, and this is it. I'm so lucky to have had two images from two talented artists to work with!

I used an image called Lady Klmt Esq. by Hope Jacare which is available from the Stitchy Bear shop, and there's still 30% off almost everything in the store. Isn't she amazing? I loved the swirls and flowing lines, and immediately thought of my Divine Swirls Cuttlebug folder and my new swirl punch. To make the most of the embossing, I used Coredinations card - some Black Magic which I sanded to reveal the pink, and some Gemstones which has a lovely lustre to it. I coloured the image and Prima flowers with Promarkers, and finished the flower with a jewelled brad. The image and green swirls have been raised on foam tape to give a little more dimension to the final result.

I think I'll be using that image again - I love that style of image to start with, and it's really fun to colour!

Don't forget to watch out for news of the exciting changes coming at Stitchy Bear stamps!

I'd like to enter the card into the following challenges:

Totally Stampalicious which is calling for a splash of red. (Her collar and dress detail),
Wild Orchid Crafts where they want to 'Say it with Flowers'. (I hope one flower with three layers counts,)
One Stop Craft Challenge which is looking for pink, blue, green and a hint of red (collar and dress detail), and flowers and bling (jewelled brad in the flower) are also welcome,
For Fun Challenge whose theme is 'Favourite Colouring Technique' (Promarkers),
and Crazy Challenge whose theme is 'It's Cool to be Square'. (Square Card)

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 22

The theme at One Stitch at a Time this week is Digi-Madness. A nice, easy challenge then - just use a digi-stamp somewhere on your design. And this week we're sponsored by Craft Brulee who have the most gorgeous lace and ribbon! Go and take a look.

I used a gorgeous digi from Robyn's Fetish called Daisy Days, available from the Stitchy Bear store, and don't forget there's still a 30% off sale on almost everything in the shop. 

Isn't she cute? And fun to colour too. I added the background before printing the image using a pastel blue/green gradient, then coloured with Promarkers. I also took the flower element of the image and repeated it on a border, and again coloured with Promarkers. The border punch is from Martha Stewart, and the flowers and leaves were punched. The striped backing paper was designed in Photoshop Elements to match the image colours, and the plain is from a magazine.

I hope you're able to join us this week at One Stitch at a Time.

And things are due to change again at Stitchy Bear stamps - no details for now, but watch this space - there'll be news soon.

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot whose theme is 'Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer',
Crazy Challenge whose theme is 'It's Hip to be Square' (square card),
Polycraft whose theme is 'Bold and Bright',
Papertake whose theme is 'In the Garden',
For Fun Challenges whose theme is 'Favourite Colouring Techniques' (Promarkers and digital),
AI Factory which is looking for flowers,
My Partner in Crafting Crime whose theme is summer,
Allsorts whose theme is 'Summer Days'.

Exciting News

One of the stamp creators at Stitchy Bear - Hope Jacare - is having some of her images brought out in rubber by Polkadoodle creations. And to celebrate, she's offering some candy. Go to her blog for more information.

Interlaced Gatefold Card

I spotted this idea on the Spellbinders Yahoo group and had to have a go.

(Excuse my thumb!)

I used one of my nestibility labels sets - cutting a full set of frames in both pink and brown (which means I've got another set ready for a second card.) The backing paper is from Personal Impressions. Inside, I've used an image from Ching Chou Kuik which has been coloured with Promarkers, and mounted on some Coredinations Whitewash card which was Wizarded with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then distressed with sandpaper.

The finishing touch was a couple of Prima flowers coloured to match the image.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Colour Create which calls for warm pinks, brown and white,

Incy Wincy Designs who are looking for distressing and

Creative Card Crew who are looking for die cuts.

A Card for my Sister

My sister is moving house at the weekend, sharing with her new partner for the first time. I've never met him, so it's hard to know what he might like, and for various reasons, I didn't want to go for a traditional 'new home' card - because it's as much a wish for luck for the relationship as the house, if you see what I mean.

I looked through my collection of digis - which are much more versatile than my rubber stamps, and spotted one of the freebies from My Grafico, and off I went!

 Isn't that a pretty silhouette? I framed the image first, then put a green/peach gradient behind it and added the wording. For that I used a very useful bit of software I bought a long time ago. At that time I was doing some web page design and I bought a package called Namo WebEditor. Along with that package came something called Web Canvas which is a vector graphics programme. Among the things it can do that my usual Photoshop Elements can't, is fill any shape with any gradient or pattern, including text. So, I filled the text with the same gradient, and I had my sentiment.

Due to the size of the printed image, the card can't have a lot of embellishment, so I just added some paper from my collection and a bit of lace.

I'm just worried that when my laptop falls over, my next computer won't be able to run this rather elderly bit of software which was designed to run on Windows 98 and XP. Because I won't know how to live without it!

I'd like to enter this card for this weeks challenge on Daring Cardmakers which asks for silhouettes.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 25

The challenge on Crafty Cardmakers this week is to be inspired by a photograph.

Who could fail to be inspired by those gorgeous greeny-bluey shades? And then there are the hearts too!

And this week, we're sponsored by Joanna Sheen.

                           

I chose Red Hearts  by Ching Chou Kuik/Sweet Pea Stamps, and coloured her with Promarkers - Duck Egg, Cool Aqua, Pastel Green, Soft Green and Meadow Green with just a hint of Crimson for the hearts themselves. I made the papers using Photoshop Elements and chose colours to match the Promarker shades (from my chart) and then decided it needed black and white for matting. The black is some sparkly paper I've had for several years, and I used a Martha Stewart border punch. Two flowers were a gift from a crafty friend while the 'rose' was coloured with Promarker and made from scratch. The leaves were punched and coloured, and they were all given a hint of Stickles. The butterfly is one I bought in a local bookshop.

I hope you'll be inspired to join us at Crafty Cardmakers this week.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges: My Time to Craft whose theme is 'Angelic',

Flutterby Wednesday which is open so long as it has an angel or fairy,

Allsorts whose theme is 'July Love',

Whimsical Ink Sorority which is looking for hearts.

Aud Sentiments which is looking for no sentiments (my preferred card!),

Gingersnap Creations which is looking for a fairy,

Stamp with Fun which is looking for fairies.

A Little of What you Fancy

Does you good. Apparently.

Apart from trying to keep cool, I spent some time yesterday trying to make a card for a DT challenge. I came up with something, but I'm not happy with it. I was pretty fed up with the colourscheme by then though, and needed to do something different - something that just appealed to me!

The image, of course, is by Ching Chou Kuik, and I think it's probably my favourite from my collection.She's coloured with Promarkers to match the papers which were designed by a friend. (May add details later but for now this is how she's asked me to credit them.)

The only additions are a couple of strips of gauzy material with silver pattern which I've matted on both black and white and a silver flower whose last place of residence was in my daughter's hair. (She had her formal year 11 ball a week ago and had her hair plaited and adorned by quite a few of those!)

I'm entering it for the following challenges: Crafts and Me which is calling for a pink, black and white colourscheme and Friday Sketchers.

I Got a Top Five!

I'm feeling really chuffed because the card I made for my son's birthday has won a Top 5 mention at Passion for Promarkers! I'm sitting here grinning at the moment!

And to add to my delight, the same card won the prize at I Love Promarkers! I'm expecting something in the post in the next day or two. And the silly thing is that I almost didn't put that card up at all, because it's a lot plainer than I normally do (and therefore more to my son's taste).

Geometrics and Patterns

I love cards which are more abstract, but I don't make them very often. Then I spotted a challenge over at Paper Sundaes which is sponsored this week by Fred she Said which calls for 'White plus One' colour. That combination struck me as ideal to do with one of Fred's paper pricking patterns, and this is the result.

I've added one of the 'geometric' patterns that I picked up from the weekly sampler from Dover Books, printed it and coloured it with Promarkers, then raised it on sticky pads above the pricked layer. The patterned card is some I've been hoarding for a few years, but it seemed perfect for this, and I finished the card with some Spellbinders die cuts from my In Spades pendant set and some Promarker-coloured sticky gems.

I love the lacy effect of that paper pricking!

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 20

My first week on the DT of One Stitch at a Time! We're sponsored this week by Sew Many Cards who supplied the images used by the team, and Hobby Habitat who supply a range of crafting goodies including the gorgeous die cuts you may have seen on the OSAAT blog. The prices for those die cuts are frankly amazing!

The theme of the challenge  at OSAAT this week is to use ribbon and lace.

Isn't that owl cute? I just love his expression - it could be sad or just very intense - so versatile. I added the wording and coloured him with Promarkers - using the blender pen to get the stippled effect on his chest. Then I added some paper I put together using the image colours and my Promarker colour chart, and finished it off with some ribbon, lace, and a felt butterfly. 

I hope you can join us at One Stitch at a Time this week.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges: Incy Wincy which requires 'Things with Wings',
Stamp with Fun which has a theme of birthdays,
A Spoonful of Sugar which as an 'Animal Crackers' theme,
Bunny Zoe Crafts which has a theme of 'nice and girly'. (I think lace makes it girly ...)
Shelly's Images which is 'Anything goes with a celebration' - I think a birthday qualifies - and
Rosie D's which has a Summer Birthday theme
Fashionista Friday which wants something with wings,
Craftilicious which is looking for 'cute',
Whimsical Ink which is looking for things with wings, and
Quirky Crafts which is looking for ribbon.

And, if you need an image or some paper, Stitchy Bear Stamps is having a sale!  Click on the link to get to the bargains!

21st Birthday Card

My eldest will have his 21st birthday next month, but what with upcoming holidays and so on, I thought I'd better get a card made now!

It's one of Mo's fantastic 'Terrible Two' images, and I put it together with the backgrounds and text and then printed it twice, layering 'Toby' to give some dimension. He's coloured with Promarkers and the papers are both from magazines. The one on the left, I've had for a looooooooong time too!

I'm entering it for the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers which has a 'think of a number' theme (21)
I Love Promarkers where they're looking for stripes,
and Crafts and Me who are looking for birthdays.