Burnt Edge Fabric Flower

Just Us Girls is the most amazing Challenge blog... I have been challenged to try so many things, some of which I've never previously heard of. I think I vaguely recollect seeing something about this technique before, but have never actually tried it.
As we have recently cleared the loft in order to have it re-insulated, I came across boxes of fabric which had been in the loft probably since we moved here over 20 years ago. I thought that somewhere amongst it I might have something suitable for this technique, which requires a synthetic, silky fabric. The edges are melted above a candle flame. I set fire to the first piece, so you do have to take care.
I cut out 7 fabric circles using concentric Nesties as a guide for size, and snipped a little way into each one, making 5 petals in each, then I held them a few inches above the candle flame until they started to melt and curl.
The background stamping is from a Rollagraph , and the leaves are a mix of dies and punches.
The sentiment is from Stampin' Up.
I don't think it's too bad for a first attempt.

Clean & Simple Christmas

I'm still wondering what design to make for our personal Christmas Cards this year. It's going to have to be something not too thick, so as not to incur additional postal charges and something readily copyable. I like to send all the same design to all our friends and family each year, and as yet haven't come up with a winning formula, however, I think that this one may be a contender.
I won the image as part of my prize from Jane's Doodles in the Keep It Simple blog challenge and I really love its simplicity. I added the baubles after colouring some tiny white pearls with a Copic Marker. I'm very fond of manuscript as a background and this piece is perfect for this image.
The sentiment is from Stampin' Up and I love the clean lines of that too.
Digi Doodle - Anything Goes

This one uses a sketch from a Stamp TV sketch challenge and is simplicity itself. I used all Stampin' Up products apart from the ribbon, which I believe is one of those pieces from inside a jumper which is used to keep it from falling off the hanger. I always cut them out as they tend to creep out on show and I can't bear that!
I did add a little twinkle which is not incredibly obvious from this picture.
As the meercat would say... Simples!

Anything Goes...It's a Blog Hop... Plus Candy!

Whoo Hoo!

It's One Stop Cards and Crafts Challenge 2nd Blogoversary and we're celebrating in style. This is our very first Blog Hop!

Do join us for this special occasion with a super easy challenge... ANYTHING GOES! So just have fun.

We have lots of lovely Sponsors with heaps of fabulous prizes... and there just might be incidental candy on the way too, so what could be better?

Link your card on the challenge blog and then visit all the DT members, following the list.

My card uses a Penny Black cling stamp which I coloured with Whispers pens and is mounted on Nesties on a background embossed with a Papermania embossing folder. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up.

I also have this candy on offer for one lucky blogger!

1 x Papermania Elegance Designer Stickers

1 x Papermania Elegance 3D Stickers

2 x Papermania Elegance Die-Cut Accessories

1 x Papermania Elegance A5 Designer Paper Pack

1 x Pot Gold Glitter

1 x Glue tape runner

For the chance to win this candy... just leave a comment here and I will choose someone at random at the end of the week. If you would like to become a follower and pop back again from time to time, that would be even better.

Do check back to see if you were the lucky one.

Blog Hop Order

If you arrived here from Cat's Blog, then you're in the right place. 

The next place to head to is Francesca. 

If you should get lost on the way you can always check back at the Challenge blog to see the complete list of the DT members and get yourself back on track.

We'd love to see all your cards and projects, so do get creating and join us... and have fun!

Chrissie

Non Crafty?

This was a real challenge!!
To use a digi image, but to add something to the card which is not considered to be a crafty item.
I wandered around the house looking at this and that and finally fell upon this old sim card, so I punched a hole in it to make it into a tag and added it to this clean and simple card.
The image is a bit of clip art and I made the sentiment on the computer in a font similar to those on mobile phones.
The challenge is from Digital Tuesday and really was a challenge for me!
I'm off to Bath very soon to look after my granddaughter for a couple of days, so no card making for me 'til Friday.

Lateral thinking

A little lateral thought went into the making of this card.
I loved the sketch from CPS Card Sketches the first time I saw it, but to that I have added the challenge from  Allsorts which is Spots and Stripes.
If I was a visiting member of the Allsorts DT, I would probably wonder where they were... however, the stripes are the lines of the stave on the small image... and the spots are the notes! Maybe a bit contrived, but that's what they jumped out at me as this morning!
The background stamp is French Script from Stampin' Up and the small image from Penny Black.
Play date Cafe - Black, White and a splash of burgundy!
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes

Two into one!

Here's the card which was the WIP on my desk for this morning's WOYWW.
It combines the colour challenge from Cards and Things (River Rock, Basic Gray and Night of Navy)  and the sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches.
At first I thought that my card looked a little bottom heavy, but I've kinda got used to it. I did start off with a flourish in the top right hand corner, but I decided against that, so I turned the paper the other way up and stuck the blue panel over it.
The stamps are all from SU's Vintage Vogue set. Aren't they just the yummiest?
I guess that's it!

What's black and white and red all over?

Jennifer, hosting One Layer Wednesday at the moment, has done a fabulous card to start the challenge off this week. DO check out her blog and try this challenge yourself.
The definition of a one layer card is that it should simply be one piece of card, folded, with NO other layers. SO by definition that means that the image must be stamped directly onto the card. Embellishments may be added, but not overdone!!! In essence these cards are pure Clean and Simple in design.
This image is from Penny Black, as I believe is the sentiment, but this is a clear stamp and the packaging has long since departed! I'll try and check that out!
I've been having problems photographing my cards which have a lot of white space; there always seem to be lots of reflections. Today I spent a little while lining a cardboard box with white paper to use as a light box. I had bought a light tent, but didn't get on too well with that. I'll see how I get on with this.
Fab 'n' Funky - Clean and Simple

WOYWW & Cooking it Up with Katie

Bit messy today!
I've been trying to combine a couple of challenges and having a bit of a struggle, I'm not sure if it will come off or not.  This is how I left my desk last night when we went out to a fab restaurant for dinner.
As usual I've been working in about 6 square inches, with stuff pushed to either side and I daren't show you the floor.
The lego is there together with a piece of acetate packaging as my stamp positioner and it's invaluable in getting stamps just where I want them.
To see work desks across the world check out Julia's blog, the link is on my sidebar, she's the co-ordinator extraordinaire!

This is  my DT card for Cooking it Up with Katie, where the challenge is to include the recipe of  something girly, lilac and a bow. The sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish, so do pop over and see what you could win.
I thought that this embossing folder looked a bit like the piggies curly tails!

New to me

This card is an illustration of something I've managed to do for the first time... merge 2 digi images into one. I bought some imaging software some time ago, but have never managed to get my head around using it, I really need someone to show me step by step. However, somehow or other I managed to get these two images from Bugaboo, to stand one just behind the other. I really don't quite know how I managed it but here they are.
I certainly think it was brave of me, which is what the challenge at Crafty Cardmakers is asking. Do something with a digi image rather than just print and colour it! So there, I've done it, and I feel very pleased!

Bee Crafty Christmas

I'm still trying various designs to see which one I'll be mass producing to send as our personal Christmas cards this year. I've made more than ever before prior to the beginning of the holiday season, but I'm hoping to sell most of those for my choir funds, as I like to send all the same design to our friends.
I water-coloured this little chap, for as I mentioned in a previous post, the absorbency of my current supply of card, is too great to use Copics or Promarkers. The baubles have been coloured and twinkled with Glamour Dust, but as ever this doesn't show up too well in the picture.
The image is a digi from Bee Crafty and the sentiment a stamp from Hero Arts.
Bee Crafty - Christmas
Delightful Sketches It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Watercolour crocus

I recently bought a huge box of lovely white card from the Paper Mill Shop. It feels lovely, is a good weight, but is useless for colouring with Copics or Promarkers as it is so absorbent that the colours won't blend properly.
Hence the use of watercolour for this card. The image is from Fred She Said, who are sponsoring our challenge at the Creative Card Crew this week. It is part of a lovely spring flower set and I really like them.
The challenge this week, is to include punching on your card. Here I have used a border punch from Stampin' Up.
As the ribbon is so skinny, I decided to make a double bow. I have devised a method of using my Bow-maker so that I can actually tie it onto the ribbon which I have previously attached to the card. It makes it look as though the ribbon is actually joined by the bow. I could do a tutorial of how I do it should anyone be interested.
The pinstripe paper was a freebie set from Fred She Said and I find it really useful.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the posting on the CCC site will be a little late this week, but you can get your card ready for linking as soon as it appears.
A spoonful of sugar - Get Punchy

Flower Pot

Over at My Time to Craft the theme this week is Pick a Pocket or Two!
I decided to make a flower pot pocket card, with a  message which pops out like this!

It was great fun to make. The pot is decorated with some Pollycraft paper and edged with a Stampin' Up border punch.
The flowers are made from a Cuttlebug die and the leaves from a Marianne Creatables die. The latter actually has a bird on a branch but I let the birds fly away!
The sentiment is comprised of two Unity Stamps and the whole thing is held together with some Papermania spotty ribbon.
Paper Play Challenges - Blue, Orange, Olive Green
Two Sisters  - Anything Goes

Bonus prize!

I recently won the challenge over at Keep It Simple, where my prize was my choice of 4 digi images from Jane's doodles. Jane very kindly sent me an extra image, which is the character you see here, and I thought him so cute.
It's a fairly simple card... but that's what I prefer.
Cuddly Buddly Papers, computer generated sentiment.
Keep It Simple - Take a Bow (to rhyme with snow)
Creative Belli - Pumpkins
Creative Cottage - Halloween
Fab n Funky - Halloween
Crazy 4 Challenges - Halloween
Corrosive Challenges - Halloween
Cowgirls Challenge - Halloween
Ellephantastic - Halloween

CAS One Layer card

I often visit Stamp TV where I have picked up lots of stamping tips from time to time. At the moment they have a blog hop with the focus being on a Clean and Simple, One Layer card.
There seems to be much confusion amongst stampers as to just what a One Layer card is. My interpretation is that is should be 'exactly as it says on the tin' ...ie.1 layer!
To do this the image should be stamped directly onto the folded card, with no other layers. This in itself is a challenge, as so many mistakes in stamping can be rectified by careful cutting and mounting, however, with this technique you just get one shot at it... or the bin gets lots of contributions.
For this card, I embossed the oval onto the front of the card, then masked the rest of the card with paper and also using the die as a mask, I stamped the image into the space.
All that was left to do was to add a tiny glittered butterfly and a simple sentiment. The image is from Penny Black and the sentiment from Hero Arts.
I'm sorry I'm so pants at photographing mainly white cards, there always seems to be SO much reflection, that they seem to lose some definition. I'll have to keep trying!

The Birds and the Bees

I was delighted to see that Jennifer, of Styles Ink, who is hosting One Layer Wednesday for a few weeks, chose my card last week as her favourite. Thanks so much Jennifer!
Her challenge this week is The Birds and the the Bees (and the Flowers and the Trees). We have to choose two elements from this list for our one layer card, ie. a piece of card folded in two with NO extra layers and minimal embellishments.
I chose a few stamps from various Kits of the month from Unity Stamps, stamped in Chocolate chip ink from SU with just a dash of colour on the bee.
It seems a little scary stamping directly onto the front of the card, but I'm getting braver as the weeks progress.

Believe

A clean and simple card for the sketch from the  Clean & Simple Challenge.
I love this heart which was part of  a SU gift from my buddy Victoria for my birthday! Here I used it in shades of pink!
This will have to be brief as I'm off up to London for a couple of hours.
Stamp Insanity - Pink
Little Red wagon - Hearts

Black and White plus 1

This is a card for a friend of ours who is a musician, lecturer, opera arranger, composer and former choir conductor among other things. I found it a bit tricky to think of a suitable subject for his card. Last year I gave him one with a huge ice cream on the front as he's rather partial to those, but this year I've just gone with a few maestros taking a bow or generally playing silly kids on a stave.
I'm quite pleased with the sentiment, which I did on the computer, I like the combination of the two fonts. In fact a mutual friend is giving him a book on fonts, so he may be able to find out all about them.
Clean & Simple yet again. I think this is more me!
I decided I fancied a change on my blog background and tried about 3 others before I settled on this one, I'm not sure I'll keep it too long...we'll see.
Crafty Catz Challenge - Black, White + 1

Many, many thanks

We were treated to a fabulous meal last night in celebration of my friend's 50th birthday. Her husband insisted on paying for us all and it was superb! This is just to let him know how much we enjoyed ourselves and how pleased we were to share in the celebrations. The restaurant was one I'd never been to previously, but we will certainly be going there again.
This image was created with a clear stamp from Personal Impressions which I bought in Bury St Edmunds when I was staying with my son. I used Stamp 'n' Bond to add the gilding flakes and I love the variation of tone it gives. The Hero Arts sentiment was simply heat embossed in gold.
Simon Says Stamp - Give Thanks
No Time to Stamp - Count your Blessings.... Thankfulness

Another A.I. background

Here's another card made up from one of the papers I made using my new set of alcohol inks. Once more I dabbed (or 'pounced' as the American gals say) the applicator over the pearlised sheet of paper. I tried stamping with some blending solution, but that part was an unmitigated failure, so I then stamped with gold ink and some Stazon in blazing red, with some of my Darkroom door stamps, to mask the effects of the previous stamping. Using pearlised paper gives a lovely effect to the finished result, in fact I much prefer it to using glossy paper. The oval was stamped with my Rollagraph script wheel in gold before being overstamped with the blossom image once more in red and gold, whilst still in the die. I had to use a different red ink for this from the one I used on the background, as on white cardstock the Stazon red was very pink!
I was quite pleased with this one, for a first attempt.
There are more cards to come using my new Alcohol ink  backgrounds which I will gradually be adding, so if you'd care to give your opinion. I love to hear from you!
Sheila in Cyprus asked what gsm the paper is... sorry I don't really know, it was bought from the Paper Mill shop in a mixed box. It's probably about 100gsm, not much more I don't think.
Charisma Cardz - Vintage

Alcohol Ink Background

Here is one of my first cards using one of the backgrounds that I have been trying to make with my new supply of Alcohol Inks. You can see it on my desk in this week's WOYWW!
This particular one was inked onto a piece of pearlised paper and I was delighted with the result. The sheen of gold pervaded the inks and left a lovely shimmer effect, which actually doesn't show up too well on this picture. After pouncing the inks onto the paper I stamped it with a Stampin; Up flourish background stamp using Blending solution, then I overstamped it with the SU French Script background stamp using Stazon ink.
The butterflies were simply stamped onto pearlised paper with Stazon and mounted with Nesties.
The sketch is from Cards & Things which I have rotated through 90 degrees.
Flutterby Wednesday - Open Challenge

I've just returned home from a friend's surprise 50th birthday meal at a local restaurant. I made the place cards, which you can just see peeking from behind my main course. I added the menu choices on the back of each person's card, so that the serving staff could see who to give what food to, and it also acted as a reminder to the guests of what they had selected some time ago.
The food was wonderful and after seeing my placecards, the restaurateur was interested in  finding out about my wedding stationery for his daughter's upcoming nuptials!!
Happy Days!

Lilac Dragon

Anyone fancy this recipe?
Make mine a double, letters and glitter!
If you do, hop over to Cooking it up with Katie and show us how you put the ingredients together.
I used this gorgeous image from Stamping Dragon and coloured it with a mixture of Promarkers and Copics.
The papers are from Fred She Said and the embossing folder from Papermania.
My 'double' is  the gems; the wings and horns have been glittered and the sentiment is the required letters (from a Cuttlebug die).
I saw this sketch which is from Crafts for Eternity and thought I would combine the two challenges, forgetting that the other provisos for the sketch were that it had to be white and and have a Christmas theme. You can see the card I finally made for that challenge in a previous post.
Anyway, I love this cute dragon and I really hope that you will join in with our challenge!

WOYWW

Good morning all!
I have treated myself to a bunch of alcohol inks, which I won in an eBay auction and so am in the process of finding out what to do with them.
Here are a few of my endeavours. I have looked at a few YouTube  videos, but I am totally confused by the fact that on these videos the demonstrators choose a heap of random colours which they combine to make a wonderful effect and when I tried a few, they looked like sludge.

Anyway, here are a few pics of my trials. This one had rather too large a helping of blending solution on  the right hand side.

So I stamped in the space, using the same stamp with some Stazon ink.

This one started out as total sludge, but I stamped a couple of times with Stazon blazing red, then gold and it was resurrected somewhat.
Watch this space to see what appears with these bits of art!
Join us in our snoop around the world. Julia would be delighted if you did. The link is on my sidebar.

White Christmas

When I was teaching I was very conscious of the different learning styles of individual children and was diligent in ensuring that I covered most of them in each lesson. It's a pity I didn't learn from that myself. I personally prefer to learn by looking and doing, not reading or hearing, and consequently I make silly mistakes because I don't read the instructions (I just look at the pictures).
I saw this sketch from Crafts 4 Eternity this morning and thought that I would like to use it... I did, but I forgot that I'd also vaguely seen some reference to it being for a Christmas card... so I had to make another which complied with the rules! (You'll see the other card tomorrow!)
Here's the compliant one. The rules being, use the sketch, use the colour white  and  use a Christmas image or theme.
I used a mixture of plain white and pearlised papers, the latter of which I embossed with a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders. The central image of holly is triple embossed with Verdigris embossing powder using a Tim Holtz stamp.
The white papers look almost blue in this picture whereas in actual fact the overall effect is of a golden sheen.

Boy's Toys

Cupcake Challenges have the theme of Boy's and theirToys for their challenge this week and my thoughts immediately went to this image from Mo Manning. It's perfect for pre-teens upwards. The image is quite compelling and needs little accompaniment, so I simply added a some colour to the background and a sentiment.
Crafty Emma - Male Birthday Card
Digi Doodles - A Person or People
Just Inspirational - Digi or stamped image
Paper Cutz - Anything Goes
Lexi's Creations - Birthday

Boo!

I seem to have been glued to my craft chair for the past few days, trying to make all the cards for special requests. I think I'm just about getting there, but unless I write things down, I don't have a hope or remembering... and then of course I need to be able to find the paper where I've written the things I need to remember! What it is to be getting old!
I almost forgot this one... my DT card for My Time to Craft, where this week's theme is ghoulies, ghosties and long leggedy beasties.
The image I believe is one of Spyder's and isn't it cute! I got it for free, but now you can buy it for 99p. She has a freebie each Wednesday! I expect I'll be answering the door to a few characters like these in the not too distant future. The paper is Fred She Said and the border punch is Martha Stewart.
Craft Your Passion - Orange, purple and black.
Paper Playtime - Pumpkins or spider's webs (the little witchy is carrying a pumpkin bag!)
Ooh La La Creations - Scary Stuff
Karber Monthy Challenge - Fantasy
2 Sister's Challenge - Halloween
Bee Crafty - Halloween
Sweet Stampin' - Ribbon
Stampin' for the weekend - Halloween
Top Tip Tuesday- Anything Goes
OSAAT - Anything Goes Embellish it (ribbon)
Really Reasonable Ribbons - Halloween
Crafty Cardmakers - Use a Freebie (Spyder's image)
Pile it on - Kid themed Halloween

One Layer Wednesday

The One Layer Wednesday has moved location for a few weeks and can be found here, hosted  for a short time by Jennifer, thanks so much Jennifer!
Her challenge is to make a winter card, using any colour cardstock other than white, cream, red or green.
Here I've gone with navy blue and heat embossed the image in silver which I then coloured with Perfect Pearls, using a water brush.
Today I made a whole bunch of place cards for a dinner I'm attending on Wednesday. I put the menu choice for each person on the back, so that serving staff wouldn't spend forever trying to find out who had ordered what. (Because of the numbers involved all the food has been pre-ordered.)
Now I have a question for you!
Is there a way to invert text in Word 2007?
Obviously, if typed  normally, the bit of text which is to be on the back of the card would be upside down when the place card is folded. I couldn't work out how to invert text, so I had to do it on a separate piece of card and make a feature of it. I tried using a text box,  but the box rotated and the text stayed where it was. I tried with a call out but that was the same. I think I tried Word Art, but I can't remember what happened with that one.
A friend had some software which he said would do the trick, but he didn't have it handy!
Hey Ho!
PS I have now sorted my problem, I did it in Word Art and changed the shape to be straight and then popped the whole thing into a text box so I could put it where I wanted once I had inverted it!
I don't know why I couldn't do it this morning!

Autumn

A fabulous card came to my attention recently, which won the challenge at Card Patterns last week. This card is my take on that card by Fiona of Made in a Muddle. Do pop over to her blog and see what wonderful cards she makes.
Her card was monochromatic and what wonderful inspiration it was. Here is a simple version where I've used autumnal shades and stamped direct to paper.
All the images are from Stampin' Up and the inks used are a mix of Stampin' Up and Distress inks.
Crazy 4 Challenges - Autumn

Colour Challenge

I'm much more pleased with this card than I was with the previous one.
The colour challenge from Just Us Girls is black, cream and kraft and the sketch I used is from The Paper Players.
I stamped the Stampin' Up image while the kraft paper was still in the die, so that I kept a slight border, despite stamping off the page. The embossing across the middle section is from a Cuttlebug folder and the sentiment is also Stampin' Up, though from a different set.
Clean and Simple... nuff said!

New Pastels

I chose the sketch from Card Patterns this week to practise using my new Stampin' Up pastels. I really like the delicate effect, but it was extremely hard to get a decent picture. Whilst I'm being self-critical, I really don't think that I chose suitable images for this project, or at least , the choice of position isn't good. The sentiment looks totally out of place where it is, but you never know I may start a trend. However, I think I'll try this  sketch again getting things the right way round.
Alphabet Challenge - Yellow

Centenarian Ladies

I had loads of requests for cards this last week and this one gave me a bit if a headache. It's HUGE!
I had to go out and buy the card specially. It's made from a sheet of A3 card folded in half. For you ladies west of the pond, that equates to a finished size of approximately 8 1/4ins x 11 3/4ins. It was too big for my normal display stand and I had to get out this easel.... used fully extended!
I eventually decided on using a 2 step stamp set from Stampin' Up and a large Alphabet (Hippie Chick) from Cuttlebug. I needed something big to fill the enormous amount of space. The paper is from the Artylicious Essence of Nature CD and the butterflies are from Cuttlebug dies.

This one is smaller, half the size of the last one, but still a large card. For this I used Pink Petticoat papers and Cuttlebug letters and flowers. The leaves are from a Leonie Em punch. I  used a hollow font to print the numbers onto patterned paper and then cut them out and twinkled the edges.
Cards for two remarkable centenarian ladies!
Papertake - 3 of a Kind (3 numbers)... quite an achievement!
Tuesday Throwdown - 3 of Something (3 numbers)

This last one is for a mere youngster of 90!
The flowers were made with a Woodware embossing punch and the butterfly from  a Tonic punch. The leaves are made with another punch from Leonie Em.
Artful Inkables - Embossing & Flowers
Allsorts- Bingo - Pearls, flowers,  punch.

Cards for men

A friend requested a couple of cards for male colleagues and so here they are. She organises cards for staff members at her school and she asks me to provide them.
Clean & Simple - Sketch
Play Date Cafe - Colour challenge Beige, Pale blue, Mint green

Both cards use a Kodomo Inc stamp, a Stampin' Up sentiment and Cuddly Buddly paper.
Cards for Men - Birthday

Cards for my Choir

Last night was the celebratory dinner of my choir, The Portsmouth Choral Union.  One couple has just retired after singing with the group for 41 years. They were honoured at the dinner and given life membership of the group of 'Friends'. This is the card I made for them,  which choir members signed with their personal messages. This is a large card, but I still had to add an additional sheet inside for all the greetings. The backing paper is in fact gift-wrap which I bought in the parish church in Ludlow on my recent visit.

This one is for another chap, also a long serving member of the choir who is ill at the moment, I think he's just gone into hospital for more surgery and this is to wish him well and to let him know that he is missed.
It was quite fiddly to get the sentiment to echo the shape of the line of music at the bottom,  but I got fairly close in the end. These images are all digital, apart from the figure, which I snipped out of bits of paper. The bow tie was very fiddly... it's tiny!
It was a lovely occasion and the dinner was followed by an auction of promises, where over £2000 was raised for choir funds. If you look on my side bar you'll see our logo which is the link to my choir and from whence I got the inspiration for the cards.
Paper Pretties - Black , White and 1 other colour

Halloween Treats

At One Stop Card and Crafts the theme this week is Halloween, which is sponsored by Tiffany Doodles and from whence these cute images come.
My hubby has a real taste for Cadbury's chocolate éclairs, so I thought I'd make him a little surprise!
The colouring is a little strange for an owl, but is Halloweeny and does match the sweets.
 The box was made with a template for a milk carton (2inch cube), which I made from card which I had printed with FSS purple pinstripe digi paper. After I had cut out the shape, I then sliced it through the middle, and used my Fiskars Threading Water  border punch to add the fancy edges. I chose this one because the pattern just fitted the dimensions of the box. I then cut and scored some acetate to fit inside to make a window and to make the box taller.
I had a few probs trying to find an adhesive which didn't show through the acetate (my double sided tape looked dreadful). In the end, after throwing away a couple of pieces I just had an overlap and only stuck the acetate to the card and not to itself... if you see what I mean.
Any suggestions for an invisible adhesive for acetate?
Stamp Something - Halloween
Creative Cottage - Halloween
Stampin' Royalty - Halloween
Karber Challenge - Halloween
Fresh Brewed Designs - Purple & Black
2 Sisters Challenge - Halloween

Anniversary Greetings

On Tuesday, at my choir, I had 8 requests for bespoke cards including birthday cards for 90, 100 and 102 year old ladies. I've got to put my thinking cap on for those. I made my first card for the 102 year old when she was 99, so I've got to vary what I do somewhat. One of them has to be huge... A3 folded in half... apparently a lot of people want to sign it. I had to go out to buy card specially as I don't ever work with card that size. You'll have to watch this space to see what I come up with for those.

Two other requests were for anniversary cards and here they are for two very different couples, hence the very different styles. The first is clean and simple and for the challenge at Stars & Stamps, where the challenge is for an anniversary or love themed card with no glitter.

I used a stamp from Stampin' Up and made the sentiment on the computer.

The second, for a 15th anniversary, which I discovered is the crystal celebration, is mainly white with a hint of twinkle to represent the light refracting through fine crystal.

Here I used a Spellbinders Fleur de lis die for the  background mounting and altered the tag by adding the twiddly bits where the ribbons loops were. The sentiment was computer generated and the image is Stampin' Up.

One day left to complete clearing the loft before the men come to re-insulate. I think we may just do it... but what a lot of stuff there is in the garage to sort out, despite the many trips we have already made to the dump.

Cooking it Up yet again.

The ingredients for this week's recipe at Cooking it up with Katie are leaves, embossing and a sticker.
I decided to use one of the stickers from a sheet of toppers which I bought when I first walked into a craft shop and hadn't clue what to buy or where to start. I think that these pre-made things are brilliant for those who don't have lots of the gear to create them from scratch or who need to make a quick card.
I inked my Cuttlebug leaves embossing folder with gold ink before running it through the bug and so have used the card on the de-bossed side (as that is the easier side to ink).
The strip of ribbon and the SU sentiment completed the card. As the meercats would say 'Simples!'
Do come on over and join in with the challenge, we'd love to see your creations.
Little red wagon - Something old, something new (Old sticker, new stamp)
Thoughtful Thursdays - F- Flower

WOYWW

A quickie today!
This is evidence of my attempts at using SU pastels. I was lucky enough to win the challenge at Keep it Simple with one of my cards and this pack of pastels was my prize! How cool is that!! I hadn't really noticed them in the catalogue before and didn't really know much about them, but a few You Tube videos later, I have a little more idea. All I need  now is practice! I have discovered that you can get some lovely effects by blending them.
The stamps are a new acquisition from SU too...but I bought those!
Head on over to Julia's (link on my sidebar) and join in the WOYWWers around the world.

2 Sketches 4 You

Here is my Basic Grey Indian Summer paper once more, this time with a sketch from 2 Sketches for You and this month's freebie digi image from Designed 2 Delight. The colours look a little washed out in this picture, ut in fact they're beautifully rich and very gorgeous!
I used a Rollagraph wheel to take off the starkness from the yellow card  and to add a little interest too.
Baby Bud - Fall or Halloween
Stampin' for the weekend - Autumn Inspiration
The Stamp Man - Autumn