Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 78

This week's challenge at Crafty Cardmakers is hosted by Tracey who says, "As Christmas will be here before we know it, we would like to see a shaped card featuring a reindeer or two. No square or rectangle cards please."

We're sponsored by

and

So, easy, isn't it?

I kept things fairly simple, using a stamp from Whiff of Joy that I won a while ago. I coloured the image with Promarkers, and cut it using one of a set of oval Nestibilities. I cut the card base, and did all the matting using the same set of dies. The paper is from my collection, and the greeting was stamped using a 'no inkpad required' stamp I've had for several years.

I hope you can join us this time.

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

ABC Christmas where anything goes,

I Love Promarkers where they want Christmas,

Charizma where the theme is 'don't be square',
Willow Sketchie where the theme is Christmas,

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 137

This week at One Stitch at a Time, we want you to 'Make one for Christmas'.

We're sponsored this week by


This week, I worked with an image from Beary Dust called Dyanna.

Now, it's not a specifically Christmassy image but she does look ready for a night out! I teamed her with a freebie Christmas paper from Jak Heath which she offered last year? It's beautifully subtle, and she offered various different shades. I decided to go a little bit traditional, and go for the green. I combined the Beary Dust image with the background in Photoshop Elements and added a suitable sentiment. Now, that was particularly easy because these Beary Dust images give you the ideal (for me) png options. They're transparent in the background, but solid black or white within the image. So, no messing around, just place, size, and print. (I'm never sure why other digi artists don't offer this option. All transparent is almost as difficult to use as a jpg!)

So, once I'd done that, my work was almost done! Well, actually, I added some colour to Dyanna - giving her dress a hint of green (too subtle a hint to be obvious in the photo ...) and doing her flesh and hair tones. Then, since they were still on the table due to a different project, I used one of my irridescent Twinkling H2Os to give her earrings and eyeshadow a bit of shimmer. I matted onto some pearlescent card from the Papermania Capsule collection, and cut some snowflakes from the same card using a Cuttlebug die in my Wizard.

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

ABC Christmas where anything goes,
I Love Promarkers where they want Christmas,
Willow Sketchie where the theme is Christmas,

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 136

This week, at One Stitch at a Time, we're sponsored by

and

And our theme is ... Use a Digi! So, easy, isn't it?

This week, I got to work with an image by Stitchy herself called Ladybug. 

Isn't it a lovely image, with so many uses? Because of the ladybird, I decided to make red a predominant colour for the image, adding some orange, yellow and green. I coloured with Promarkers, then made some flowers using punched shapes and some beads. The paper is from a Serif pad that came with a magazine a while ago, and I finished with some ribbon from the 99p shop.

I hope you can join us this week.

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

Anything Goes where they want us to make our own embellishments,
Emerald Faeries where anything goes,
Bearly Mine where anything goes,
The Crazy Challenge where they want us to make our own flowers,
I Love Promarkers where anything goes,
Stamp 'n' Doodle where anything goes,
Pink Gem where they want flowers,
Colour Creative where they want a touch of red, and alcohol markers (I've got more than just a touch ...),
One Stop Craft where anything goes,
Poodle's Parlour where anything goes.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 77

This week at Crafty Cardmakers it was my turn to choose the challenge. So, I kept it fairly simple, but there's an extra twist if you want to go with it. I want Autumn-themed cards. So, autumn colours or scenes, or, better still, Autumn festivals (but not Hallowe'en!) There are loads of Autumn festivals - but only one seems to have challenges galore, so here's your chance to celebrate something different! And, if you choose a challenge that's not so well-known, I'd love it if you'd explain a little about it when you post.

We are sponsored by

Milk n' Coffee Digital Stamps
Cute digis for cute creations 
 

I've actually made two cards for this challenge. The first uses an image from our new sponsor. It's called 'Girl Collecting Chestnuts', and it's got a beautifully autumnal feel.

I took an element from the image, and used it to create a border in Photoshop Elements. For me, that's one of the advantages of using digital images - you can make papers and embellishments from the image itself really easily. I coloured with Promarkers, and matted using a Spellbinders die cut, and paper from the Papermania Capsule collection, finishing with some sticky gems.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafts and Me where anything goes,
Inky Impressions where they want Autumn colours,
Die Cutting Divas where they want Autumn colours,
Sarah Hurley where the theme is Autumn,
Two Sisters where anything goes,
Challenge Up Your Life where anything goes.

And, as an example of a 'Not a Hallowe'en Festival', I thought I'd do something on Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night. Having decided to do that, I trawled around trying to find some suitable images and failed. So, I was forced back onto my own devices. Now, I don't consider myself at all artistic - I can't draw to save my life. So, it was with some trepidation that I show you what I came up with!

I started with some black card, and onto it I painted some 'fireworks' using irridescent Twinkling H2Os. I roughly edged the card with the same colours, and mounted that onto some silver mirror board that I embossed in my Wizard using a Sizzix folder. Then, in Photoshop Elements, I put together a multi-coloured version of the traditional Bonfire Night rhyme, which was also matted onto silver board.

I must admit, I'm not entirely happy with the result, but I doubt I'll ever be happy with anything I've done 'freehand' like that, so it's here for all to see!

I hope you can join us this week, and I'm really looking forward to learning about some new Autumn festivals!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Whimsy where they want 'sparkly things',
Craftymess where anything goes,

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 135

This week at One Stitch at a Time, we're going musical. We want you to make something that's inspired by a song.

Our sponsors this week are:

and

Now, if you look through my CD collection, I've got more albums by Sarah McLachlan than anyone else. (Yes, I still use CDs. There's something transient about downloading music that I don't like.) And the song I decided to go with is Angel. For this, I chose a lovely image from Ike which is available at the Stitchy Bear shop.

I  coloured the image with Promarkers, and added some Glamour Dust to the wings. I edged the image with Distress Ink applied with an Ink Duster brush which gives a lovely subtle sky effect.

The papers are from the Papermania Capsule collection, and I've matted the image and the papers with card from the same collection in a contrasting shade. Once I'd assembled it, I decided it didn't need a lot else, so I finished with some clear sticky gems.

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

Victorine Originals where they want 'lots of layers' (hope six on the base card is enough.)
House of Gilli where anything goes,
Crafts and Me where anything goes,
Divas by Design where anything goes,
Craftymess where anything goes,
Two Sisters where anything goes,

A Mega-Card

I've never really been seriously tempted to make big cards before. I usually go for about 6 by 6, or if I want a rectangular format, 5 by 7. Occasionally, I'll do an A5, although I rarely make A6 any more as I just think they look a bit basic. But, a few weeks ago, I bought a CDRom which has had me re-thinking, and when I was at Alexandra Palace a few weeks ago, I bought a pack of 8 by 8 cards. I think I might have to keep stocked up with them, too.

The CDRom is from Joanna Sheen using beautiful artwork from Josephine Wall. There's just so much detail in the images, that it seems mean to print them very small. Having said that I love the images, I've got to say that I'm less impressed with the backing papers supplied. Some are lovely, but some seem a bit insipid compared to the images. The one suggested for this image is very pale and washed out in appearance, and I wasn't sure how well it would work with such a vibrantly coloured image. So, I took a couple of sections of the image, and created a couple of papers by tiling them. The darker paper uses  section of the fairy's wings, while the paler one uses a section of one of the bubbles.

I matted using card from my collection, and edged it with a Martha Stewart punch. The butterflies were made using one of my newer Spellbinders dies - can't remember what it's called, but I love the fact that you've got a lacy version and another that's solid. It's not obvious from the photo, but while the solid butterfly shapes were still in the die, I spritzed with Glimmer Mist in Pearl so they've got a bit of shimmer.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafts and Me where anything goes,
Divas by Design where anything goes,
Simon Says Stamp where they want die cuts or punches,
Creative Craft Challenges where the theme is 'fantasy',
Top Tip Tuesday where they want 'things with wings',
Craft Your Passion where it's 'hit to be square',
Incy Wincy where anything goes,

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 76

Our challenge today is called Indian Summer and is hosted by Mynnette 
Mynnette would like to see a created scene using any nature themed stamps you have, digis welcome. Examples of nature themed stamps are leaves, grasses, wildflowers, etc.  Anything nature and autumn! Plus use only oranges, yellows, and reds for colors (black/brown and white/cream are allowed as well).  Perhaps a sentiment of gratitude or autumn would also be appropriate!

Here is some inspiration for you~

  
We are sponsored by

DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS 

I've used an image from the recently closed Digi Doodle Shop. I was really sorry to see the shop close - they had a wonderful range of landscape images which I love (and bought!)

I coloured the image with Promarkers. The paper is from the Papermania Capsule Collection, and I finished with some glittery brown card, some ribbon, and some stamped leaves I made last year! I embossed in gold and painted them with Twinkling H2Os. I made more than I needed then, but they work perfectly with this image!

I hope you can join us this week.

I'd like to enter this card intot he following challenges:

Paper Pretties where they want something Autumn-inspired,

Can You Digi It? where the theme is 'Indian Summer',

Everybody Art where the theme is 'Autumn',

Passion for Promarkers where the theme is 'Autumn Leaves',

Crafty Creations where the theme is 'Autumn Leaves',

Digistamps 4 Joy where the theme is 'All the Leaves are Brown',

I Love Promarkers where they have a 'male theme' this week. (Hope you consider this card 'masculine' enough!

Deicious Doodles where the theme is 'Autumn',

Emergency Crafters where the theme is 'Autumn Leaves',

Pattie's Creations where anything goes.