A Little Bit of Perfect Pearl!

I spent a happy morning earlier this week doing some stamping. I had a couple of new stamps which I hadn't inked up before, and now that my Christmas cards are done, I got them out.

Not the best photo - I might take another later. I was all set up to take a photo this morning when there was natural light, but my camera battery died, and by the time it had charged, it was dark!

The stamp is Damsel Fly by Clarity Stamp. For the main images, I stamped it in some Hobbycraft Metallic ink in both green and blue before embossing it with clear holographic embossing powder. (It's funny ink, that. I've yet to try it on a card where it will actually dry - it really needs to be embossed - but they colours are gorgeous and the pads seem especially 'juicy'. I coloured the images with Sakura Stardust pens in green and blue.

The background has the same image stamped onto black card using Versamark ink and then has Perfect Pearl powder in two shades added. I used some holographic card for the main layer, (and that's the main reason I need to take another photo in natural light!) The flowers were made using the same technique as the background, although the stamp used was the top part of the Wrought Iron Tree stamp from Clarity. It does give a lovely, swirly pattern. I cut the card using a Marianne Creatables dies set, and assembled with a brad.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Sparkles Forum where they want 'anything but a Christmas Card'.

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 93

This week at One Stitch at a Time, it's anything goes! So, if there're any last minute Christmas cards needed, get busy. Or, if you're desperate to do something other than Christmas crafting, that's fine too.

Our sponsor this week is Stitch Bear Digital Stamps

My image this week came from Digi Blessings and it's available here.

 

Isn't it cute? I changed the position of the sentiment, breaking it up so it would fit the shape I wanted, then printed it on my usual Ryman card.  I coloured the image with Promarkers, and cut it out using one of my nesties sets. I filled the holes in the border with sticky gem bubbles.

The backing paper is from Papermania, and the ribbon and flower are from my stash.

Hope you can join us this week.

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

Cupcake Craft where they want things that shine, glint or glitter. (Hope those gems qualify!)

Daisy Doodles where they want 'something sweet',

Everybody Art where they want blue and white

Ladybug Crafts where they've got a bingo game. (I've used a die cut (image), ribbon and a flower - middle vertical line.

The Paper Variety where anything goes,

Glitter Geeks where anything goes..

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 58

This challenge at Crafty Cardmakers has been set by Tracy, and she wants us to use the same stamp/image three different ways. It could be the background, main image and a tag to match for example. (ie Christmas Wrapping Paper, Greeting Card and Gift Tag). Using different colourways is another way, and that's what I chose to do.

 

 The flower stamp was a Craft Stamper freebie a while ago. I stamped it using a Big and Juicy pad in Mountain Meadow, using three different areas of the pad. I layered two of the flowers, and finished all three with sticky gems. I shaded the background with the same ink pad, applying the ink with an Ink Duster. Then, I kept things fairly simple - some matting, velour ribbon and a Martha Stewart border punch.

Our sponsor this time is Joanna Sheen who's offering a £10 voucher to the lucky winner.

Hope you can join us this time!

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

Paper Creations where they want us to 'bling it up',

Samuel Taylor's Challenge where anything goes,

Corrosive Challenges where they want anything but Christmas.

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 92

This week at One Stitch at a Time, we want you to use a digi! That's all - easy! Our sponsors this week are Stamping Boutique

My image this week is from Barbara Jensen Designs, and it's called, not too surprisingly, 'Parrot'. It's available at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps.

I coloured the image with Promarkers, and cut it and two matt layers with my petite oval Nesties. I had lots of fun with all those blues! The background papers come from two sources. The floral one I've had for a very long time! It was part of a Sizzix pad I bought years ago! (It was the first patterened paper I'd ever bought.) The plainer paper is left over from one of my sessions with various Mica sprays. I must've used most of the sheet, but there was enough left for this card. I seem to remember wrapping the card in cling film to get a subtle pattern from the various colours.

My embellishments were all cut using Marianne Creatables dies, and were cut from Craft Creations Sparkle Paper.  (That's very reduced at the moment, but I'll have to see if I can justify the postage cost before I buy anything ...)

Hope you can join us this week.

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

Ooh La La where they want sparkle,

Paper Creations where they want us to 'bling it up' (hope my shiny flowers with gem brads are bling-y enough!)

The Crazy Challenge where anything goes,

Papertake Weekly where anything goes,

Divas by Design where anything goes,

Dutch Dare where they want things with wings,

Crafty Catz where anything goes,

Hotshot Craft where they want us to use Promarkers,

Totally Papercrafts where they want anything but Christmas.

Sweet Stamping where they want things with wings.

A Secret Santa Gift

At work, we do a Secret Santa each year. This year, I bought a gift and added a home made edible, so I needed two matching boxes. Needless to say, the easiest way to find what I wanted was to make them!

The left hand box has the main gift in it, while the square one is filled with edibles! I stamped black card with Versamark before embossing with Silver Detail powder. The stamp is one I picked up on sale while I was on holiday during the spring - it's a big stamp, but incredibly useful for things like this. For the top panel of the smaller box, I triple embossed a piece of black card with ultra thick EP, then stamped the same image in silver ink while the embossing powder was still melted. I matted the panel on silver card, and that's it!

I tied the two boxes together with silver string and added a tag.

So, that's one item on my present list ticked off!

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

Challenge Up Your Life where they're looking for boxes/packaging,
Krafting Kimmie where they want embossing,
Pattie's Creations where they want anything Christmas with a stamped or digi image,
Stampin' with the Dragon where anything goes.

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 91

This week at One Stitch at a Time, we're challenging you to be square! We want to see square cards, gifts, tags ... whatever you want. And don't forget, our lucky winner will get a gift voucher for the Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps!

The image I chose this week is from Floppy Latte Designs and it's called Christmas Lamp. It's available here.

I had so much fun colouring that image! I used Promarkers, of course, although I added some sparkle to the flame with a Sakura Stardust pen. The background card is some gorgeous textured card I've had for ages (but didn't want to use!) I think it came from Payper Box when I was one of the Olympia shows a year or two ago. I've cut some red and green squares using my nesties and added them on top. (Well, the requirment of the challenge is to be square!) I've even made sure I cropped the image to a square too. The final addition is some sticky gems.

Hope you can join us this week.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Creative Craft Challenges where they're having a 'free for all',
AI Factory where they want 'something red',
Fab 'n' Funky where anything goes,
Paper Shelter where anything goes,
Joanna Sheen Challenge where the theme is Christmas Wishes,
Creatalicious whose theme is 'Christmas and make sure it sparkles',
Gingerloft where the theme is Christmas or Winter.