One Stitch at a Time Challenge 98

It's time for a new Collaboration Giveaway at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps - spend just $10 and get a whole pack of images and papers chosen by the design team!

And what's more, the winner of this challenge will receive the whole set of images and papers free, as chosen by members of the design team!

My choice this time was the beautiful 'Iris' from Delicious Doodles. This is such a pretty image, and I don't think you can ever have too many flower images!

I coloured the image with a mix of Promarkers and Flexmarkers, but unusually, didn't print it on Ryman card. I bought a pack of Joanna Sheen's Elegance Satin card a while ago, but hadn't used it before. I went for the lighter weight option, and it definitely printed ok in my printer. In terms of colouring, I found what I've noticed before with both the Crafter's Companion Neenah card and some Stampin' Up card that someone gave me some rubber stamped images on. Compared to my usual Ryman card, the colours probably blend a bit better - there's less tendency to start to see the paper structure if you've applied a lot of colour. The downside is that it bleeds more than the Ryman. I suspect I can probably get used to the amount of bleed since it isn't excessive, but there is a learning curve involved. The only paper I've found that doesn't bleed is the Letraset paper, but I find colours pool on the surface and it's pretty much impossible to do any blending at all.

The background paper here is from my stash, and the flowers are a mix of Wild Orchid Crafts and the 99p shop! I cut the image with a Spellbinders die and matted it with a hand-cut piece using the same die. To finish the card, I added some sticky gems.

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

My Mum's Craft Shop where they want flowers,

Simon  Says where anything goes,
Whimsy Stamps where they want pearls or bling,
Stamping with the Dragon where anything goes,
The Lily Pad where they want patterned paper,
The Stamp Man where they want us to 'embellish it'
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle where they anything goes.

A Valentine Card

I always make a valentine card for my husband, but of course, traditionally, valentines must be anonymous, and so it's never signed! (I'm pretty sure he know who is 'secret admirer' is, though!)

This year, I decided to do a mainly stitched card.

The heart frame came from a book I bought recently called 101 Ideas for Embroidery on Paper by Erica Fortgens. I bought it from Amazon, and I was a little disappointed in it. The front cover of the book is full of various stitched borders and I thought it was exactly what I wanted. In fact, there are no actual borders inside. There are some frames, including some square and rectangular frames which I can adapt, but no actual borders. More irritating is the fact that some of the ideas rely on buying separate brass stencils with pricking patterns on them. Still, I decided there are enough ideas that I'll use, so I'll be keeping the book.

I had to increase the size of the heart circle, which I did by photocopying at 1.41 of the original size (equivalent to blowing A5 up to A4). I pricked some mirror card, and stitched it with some red thread that I think is intended for machine embroidery but which I think works perfectly on paper.

The plain border on the matting was done using the new (to me at least) Sew Easy from Making Memories. I bought the handle and a few pricking wheels from Hobbycraft, and was very disappointed with the result. Using a pricking mat I already owned or a foam mouse mat, I either got no pricking or the card got so mangled it wasn't usable. I decided to give the thing one more chance, and bought the pricking mat designed for the purpose, and had much better results. It will still work best on paper that's really too thin for stitching on, but it can be made to work with 'normal' card, providing you don't try to use one of the more complicated wheels. The straight line wheel that I used here, and one that does a blanket-stitch type effect worked well. The one that's supposed to put little circles of holes - I think it's called 'burst' or 'starburst' just won't work.

Here, I pricked some card, then matted it onto gold mirror board, and then I went round and pricked the holes right into the lower layer before back stitching using gold thread.

The sentiment was created in Photoshop Elements and cut with a scalopped circle nesitbility die.

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


Allsorts where they want one or more hearts
Di's Digis where they want valentines,
One Stop Crafts where they want stitching,
My Sheri Crafts where they want something new (new book and new Sew Easy)
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle where anything goes,
Mami Doodles where they want something for a loved one,
The Poodles Parlour where they want love/valentine projects,
Stamping with the Dragon where anything goes,
Wags n Whiskers where the theme is love/valentines,
Craft Us Crazy where the theme is 'full of love'

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 60 - Use Beads

This week on Crafty Cardmakers, we're challenging you to use beads. They can be added to to a card or anything else you choose to make, or you can be a tad literal like I was, and 'just' use beads (and some beading thread and a button.)

We are sponsored this time by

 

I hadn't used my bead loom for a while, so it was good to take it out. My daughter wanted a bracelet to go with a new dress, so we chose some beads and a simple pattern, and that was it! The beads are by Gutterman (via Hobbycraft) and the button is from my box of recycled buttons. I enjoyed this project, but I only know pretty basic use of a bead loom. I'm sure there must be some more complex things you can do with one, so I think I'll do a little research!

I hope you can join us this week.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:
Truly Madly Crafty where anything goes,
Crafty Sentiments where anything goes,
Tuesday Throwdown where they want neutral colours (various shades of black, white and grey)
Sir Stampalot where they want monochromatic projects (various shades of black, white and grey)
The Craft Garden where they want monochromatic projects,
Little Claire's where they want anything but a card.



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One Stitch at a Time Challenge 97

This week at One Stitch at a Time, our theme is Round and Round. We're sponsored by

 

and

This week I worked with an image from Gingerloft which is available at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps. It's called Swing on a Star, and I've got to warn you. If you're like me, you'll be singing the song for days!

Although there is a sentiment included with the image, due to the theme of the challenge, I made my own, adding it around the image in Photoshop Elements before printing. I coloured the image with Promarkers. Then, I set to, in Elements again, and designed a background paper to work with it. After that, I put together a sentiment, punched a star, and went rooting about in my embellishment box. Now, at the top of the card, there's a irridescent glass moon that I've had for a long time. I bought it when we were on holiday somewhere in the West Country, and I distinctlly remember that my daughter was in a buggy. (She'll be 18 in March!) So, that gives you an idea of just how long I've had it! I bought several shapes at the time, and while I've used a few, others have been broken while in storage. So, it's definitely high time it got used!

I hope you can join us this week!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Truly Madly Crafty where anything goes,
Crafty Sentiments where anything goes,
I Love Promarkers where anything goes,
Crafty Purple Frog where anything goes,
Shelley's Images where anything goes,
Stamping with the Dragon where anything goes,
Card Making Mamas where they want us to use something old. (That glass moon has been in my craft supplies for at least 15 years!).

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 96

This week at One Stitch at a Time we're sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps.

and by

This week I worked with a gorgeous digi from Stitchy herself. It's called Park Bench, and it's available here

I colured the image with Promarkers. the background paper is from a pad I've had for ages. The flowers were die cut using Marianne Creatables dies, as was the frond.

Hope you can join us this week.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
House of Gilli where anything goes,
Lexi's Creations where anything goes,
Bearly Mine where anything goes,
Top Tip Tuesday where anything goes,
Passion for Promarkers where they want something inspired by a song. And that image has got to be inspired by Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters ...
The Anything Goes Challenge where anything goes!
Meljen's Designs where anything goes.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 59 - Don't Use Flowers!

Here's a chance to make a male card, or a general card, or even something as girly as you like, all we're asking is that you don't add flowers! Of course, looking around blogland, that might prove to be quite a challenge.

Our sponsors this time are Digi Doodle's Shop and One Stop Card Crafts.

I decided to use a Digi Doodles image I won a while ago, and this one is probably my favourite. It's called 'Waterfall'.

I watercoloured the image - mainly with Aquamarkers, although the water uses Twinkling H2Os for that little bit of shimmer. The background paper is from Paper Cellar, and I edged it with turquoise ink. The swirls are Spellbinders die cuts. And that's it!

I hope you can join us this week.

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

Cupcake Craftroom where anything goes,
Emerald Faerie where they want swirls,
Stamp N Doodle wehre anything goes,
The Paper Shelter where anything goes,
Inky Impressions where anything goes,
Crafty Emma's where anything goes,
House of Gilli where anything goes,
Stamp and Create where anything goes,
Gingerloft where anything goes.

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 95

This week at One Stitch at a Time, we want you to use three embellishments! Any theme or colours you like, as long as we can count three embellishments.

Our Sponsor this week is

This week, I had an image from Reece's Scrap Pieces called Stroll in the Rain which is available from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and used nesties to cut and mat the result. The flowers are made from multiple layers of tissue paper cut with my Dahlia dies from Spellbinders, and the green fronds use a Marianne Creatables die. The paper used was the same both times, although I oriented the paper both ways in the die so I got mirror images of the final result. I think that slight difference in curvature of the die cut is the reason they look so different in the photo! The background was embossed in my Wizard using a dragonflies embossing folder.

Hope you can join us this week.

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

Incy Wincy where anything goes,
Paper Creations Ink where they want die cuts (die cut image and mat, flower layers and leaf swirls),
Stamps R Us where anything goes,
Truly Madly Crafty where anything goes,
Cupcake Craftroom where anything goes,
Stamp N Doodle where anything goes,

The Paper Shelter where anything goes,
Inky Impressions where anything goes,
One Stop Craft where they're playing bingo. (Flowers, die cuts and embossing).

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 94

Happy New Year!
This week at One Stitch at a Time, we're restarting the Collaboration from Stitchy Digital Stamps but with a difference! The images and papers have been chosen by the DT members, and they'll be packaged together as a free gift for you if you spend $10 in the shop. How's that for a good deal?

My choice for the package was one of Panda Bear Designs Fairy Garden paper packs which I've teamed below with Stitchy's gorgeous silhouette 'Reach'.

 

 I took one of the papers, and combined it with the png of the silhouette in Photoshop Elements, adding the bird and a frame to match. I printed the result onto glossy photo paper. I mounted that onto some holographic silver card, and then onto one of the other papers in the pack. I wrapped some pretty holographic silver thread around the result before putting the whole thing onto a plain white card. I don't know about you, but I'm like a child when it comes to shiny things. Holographic things just seem completely magical to me, and are therefore perfect for a card depicting a fairy!

Hope you can join us this week.

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

Deep Ocean where they want us to surprise them,

Top Tip Tuesday where anything goes,

Crafting for All Seasons where they want fairies,

Charisma Cardz where anything goes,

Digi Doodles Shop where anything goes,

Delicious Doodles where anything goes,

Hiding in my Craftroom where there's a freestyle challenge this time.