Pretty in Pink

Evening Everyone
How's your Monday been? Have you been busy?
I've been putting the finishing touches to another couple of commissions, the first of which I'm sharing tonight.

As you may have guessed it is about to wing its way across a continent to Pakistan. It had better go in the post quickly, the last one that was sent arrived but was very late!!
I have used another Lili of the Valley die cut which I have cut out using a circular nestie.

I have put the card together using the lovely sketch over at Sketch Saturday.

At Sweet Stampin challenges they are looking for Scallops, so that is what I have used to mount my image on to.
The chipboard numeral was free on a magazine and I have covered it with Frantage Embossing Enamel which I have stamped into using the same swirl stamp used on the vellum panel.

The flowers have been cut from background paper, and I have added Bakers twine and Card Candi.
I hope that I have correctly followed the colour challenge at CR84FN.

I'm really pleased with how this has turned out, so I hope that Haider likes it. He is sending it to his niece to celebrate her first birthday.
Late to bed again, I really must get the hang of scheduled posts, it might mean I could get a little more sleep. Still don't hold your breathe, you know what I'm like with computers lol.
hugs Kimx

Purple and Gold for the Woodware challenge

Good Morning,
At least I hope that this has appeared at the scheduled time.
Today I am once again filling in at the Woodware challenge for the lovely Siobhan who is enjoying a well deserves rest.
This week Dorothy has asked us to make something Purple and Gold. Now you know me, I got a bit carried away as usual and made two cards.

They both use the same stamps and papers, I just cut them out using a different shaped nestie.
I stamped a piece of white card using the Artemio Musical background stamp and a Gold Encore ink pad.
Having dried it with my heat gun I then stamped and embossed the Magenta flowers over the top using Versamark ink and clear embossing powder. This acts as a resist and the music shows through the image.

The purple colour has been achieved using a combination of Purple Memory Mist ink which was spritzed over the image and then Dusty Concord ink which was sponged over it
Having cut the image out using a nestie, I tapped around the edge with a versamark ink pad and embossed it with Aged Gold Embossing Enamel.
The background paper is from my stash and has been stamped using Dusty Concord ink.
The stamped greeting is a sneak peek of one of the fantastic new stamps that Jane let me play with.

This card has been made in exactly the same manner, I just stamped the musical background using Dusty Concord ink instead of the gold encore.
The ribbon, nailheads and card candy are all available through a Woodware stockist.

 The embossed background is a Cuttlebug Embossing folder.

Happy Birthday is also from the same lovely new stamp set that Jane loaned me. I added Aged Gold Embossing Enamel to the outer edge of of both cards.
I hope that you feel suitable inspired and that you will join us HERE with your Purple and Gold creations.
Have a wonderful day, lets hope that it is another sunny one.
Happy Crafting.
hugs Kimx

A new Sketch to challenge you at Woodware

Good Morning Everyone.

It is not often that I get to start a post by saying that, and I am currently relying on Blogger to play the game and schedule it correctly :)
This week sees the start of a new Sketch challenge over at Woodware, and I am thrilled to be Guest designer again.
I am actually filling in for the lovely Siobhan, so I hope that I don't let the side down.

I have rotated the sketch for my card and added my favourite Frantage Aged Silver Embossing Enamel to the edges.
The leafy panel on the left hand side of the card has been made using a combination of embossing and watercolour techniques. It is actually what I will be teaching the Girls at Davina's on Saturday.

I confess that the greeting is actually by Hobby Art but I didn't have one that was large enough to suit the card.
I cut it out using one of my trusty Nesties, sorry Dorothy lol.
I think that it would make a very suitable card for a man, just right for Father's Day.
I hope that you will feel suitable inspired to join us HERE this month using this lovely easy sketch.
I am also hoping that I am currently deep in sleep. Thanks for stopping by.
Have a great Friday.
Hugs Kimx

One for the Boys challenge at Crafty Cardmakers

Afternoon Everyone,
Today sees the start of a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.
Our host this time is Sally and she would like a male themed project.
This could be for a big boy, a little boy or a baby boy, so long as it's male themed.

We are sponsored for this challenge by ONE STOP CARD CRAFTS who are offering a £10 voucher for their store as a prize, and DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 Gift Certificate for the Store. 

My card has been made for one of the 'Boys' at work who is leaving us this week to join his wife in Canada to start a new life.
I hope that he will be following his dreams so the sentiment seemed highly appropriate.

I have followed the sketch over at Sketch Saturday using background papers from my stash.
I added some embossed leaves using a Clarity stamp and Frantage Aged Silver Embossing enamel. I also some Card Candy.

The image has been cut out using a Grand Nestie.

The stamp 'Lazy Afternoon' is from Lili of the Valley and I have coloured it using Aquamarkers and a waterbrush.
I hope that this is how Murali will spend at least some of his time once he reaches his destination.
Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team have come up with over at Crafty Cardmakers.
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kimx

Vellum Lace

Evening Everyone,
Well I failed to add any vellum to my card yesterday, so I have made up for it today.

Once again this card uses the lovely Woodware clear stamp set Grasses which I have stamped and embossed using versamark and white powder. Distress inks have been sponged over the embossed images which make them 'POP'
I used a combination of Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Ripe Persimmon.

I punched a narrow strip of yellow vellum from the pastel pack available HERE at The Stamp Man using a Martha Stewart border punch, and then creased it so that it would fit around an oval image cut with a nestie.

I also added punched strips of yellow and white vellum to the right hand side of the card.
The sentiment is from Hobby Art, and there is some stitching and card candy.
I would like to enter this into the challenge over at Just Keep on Creating.
This is a new challenge blog and they are encouraging you to 'Use it Up' in their Anything Goes challenge this month. Why not check it out, there are plenty of entries so far to inspire you.
Night night.
hugs Kimx

A Camper Van for Jason

Evening Everyone.

Just a quick post tonight to show you the card that I made for my Sin-in-law Jason's birthday.

Jason desperately wants to get an old camper van to restore, he's very good at that sort of thing having already done it to an old Beetle and BMW.

Unfortunately this is the nearest that I am ever going to be able to get for him.
I actually got this image as part of a kit that I bought from Create and Craft to use with the Grandchildren, but I couldn't resist using it to make a card for Jason.
I cut it out using an oval nestie and mounted it on to a card using background papers from my stash.

The greeting is a Molly Blooms design available from SirStampalot, and I have added card candy and some bakers twine.

The card has been made using Marie's sketch over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp.

We have ended the day with a lovely roast lamb dinner and Saskia has had us all in stitches with her entertainment, quite the budding actress lol.

I suppose everyone else will be back to normal tomorrow after the long weekend.

I hope that you have all had a nice break even if the weather here at least has been typical Bank Holiday weather.........rain. Well what else would you expect in England lol.

Hugs Kimx

Vellum Flowers for The Stamp Man

Evening Everyone
Hope that you have been having a good weekend.
As promised I have been working on some more cards using Vellum to go with the challenge that I have set this month over at The Stamp Man..
This card was actually made at the same time as the one that I posted at the time of the challenge going live.
I do try and use up all the bits when I have been playing, the trouble is that everything starts to look as if I only use one set of colours. Still never mind, I hope you like it anyway.

I used the same stamps, vellum and Decorating chalks as for the previous card to create the background and coloured vellum, so why not stop by my previous POST for more details on how this was acheived.

I tore the vellum panel and attached it to the card using Woodware Miracle Adhesive Film, and then added stiching using a fine black pen.

The flowers were cut from some of the remaing vellum and background card using a DooHickey Vintage Daisies.
I also added some punched leaves and card candy for the flower centres.

Why not stop back tomorrow and see what else I have made using vellum.
In the mean time I'm off to post a few more comments.
I'm playing catch up as usual I'm afraid :)
Happy Crafting.
hugs Kimx

Better late that never to the challenge at Crafty Cardmakers

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have all been having a wonderfully creative day.
I'm afraid that I am a week late with my card for the challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.
This time Susie is the host, and her challenge is a Sketch.

We are sponsored for this challenge by ONE STOP CARD CRAFTS who are offering a £10 voucher for their store as a prize, and also by DIGI DOODLE SHOP who are offering a $10 Gift Certificate for the store.

I do love using sketches to help me when creating a card so here is what I made using Susie's.

This is once again a card ordered by my friend Lorraine.
She is very specific with her list of requirement, which this time were a Thank You card to include flowers, pale blues, bling and a message inside.

I know that Lorraine has a fondness for the large 8x8 cards, but as I needed to add flowers which would then require a box, I had to stick to something smaller, so an easel card seemed the way to go.

The stamped panel has been created using various Hobby Art stamps and dye based inks.
I have used Barbara's trick with the circle cut from a post it note placed onto the card before you start sponging on the colour.

The flowers were cut out using a Magnolia DooHickey Vintage Daisies, and I also added a Doohickey border, some ribbon and ribbon slider. The centres to the flowers are a mixture of homemade and shop bought Card Candy.

The background papers are from my stash, and I have also added some of my favourite magnolia swirls with 2nd generation ink. The greetings are by Hobby Art.

The message inside the card was written on my computer and then cut out using a nestie. The small flowers are also made from a DooHickey, and the leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch.

I added some stamen, a pearl headed pin and of course the required bling.

I know that Lorraine loved it, and I hope that you do too.

Don't forget to join us over at Crafty Cardmakers, you still have another week till the challenge ends, so why not check out what the rest of the team have come up with.

Happy Crafting

hugs Kimx

A quick card

Evening Everyone
Just a really, really quick post tonight as I'm shattered, but please pop back tomorrow as I have some really fab news to share, I'm a tease aren't I lol.

This is a card that I made for Barbara's last TV show. It uses the fabulous Reeds stamp, some dye based inks, background paper and card candy.

I left it like this for the TV but I figure that this would make a pretty good card for a man and I can always add a greeting before I send it.
Bye for now.
Kimx

Christmas Cards All Year Round

I don't seem to have managed very much on the craft front over the last couple of days. Still I suppose that makes up for all the activity on the crafty front over the weekend.
I spent yesterday catching up with some blog posts, e-mails and commenting on the new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, it's amazing how quickly people have entered. I've just checked and I'm way behind again!!
I still have a couple of posts to do if I stand any chance of keeping you all up to date with the things that I've made and also entering the challenges that I have found, and made cards for before they close.

I told you I was determined to keep on top of all my Christmas cards, well over at Christmas Cards All Year Round, the challenge this month is 'Non Traditional Colours' with a bonus challenge of some embossing if possible. Not a problem, well the embossing at least lol.
In fact even the colour choice wasn't hard to follow. I have never been a strict follower of Traditional Christmas colours. Because I like to make my own backgrounds and love playing with inks I always seem to end up with masses of bits, especially after a demo or class. Not always your traditional Christmas colours but what the heck. What it's all about is fun, and who said Christmas has to be red and green anyway.

Being on my using up leftovers kick I made this card out of my Christmas Bits Box. It's amazing what you find. The only trouble is when you come to post sometimes you can't for the life of you remember how you made the particular background bit that you have used, or what Company the stamp comes from. Never mind you get the idea, and you can always adapt it to fit with what you have in your bits box lol.

On this particular occasion I do know that the tree stamp is by Magenta Sketch Christmas Tree and the greeting is from a Hobby Art clear stamp set Christmas Sentiments.
The paper that the Christmas tree has been stamped and embossed on to is made from Adirondack Colorwash inks and I remember using some bleach on it which is what caused the image to go yellow in places.
I added some Card Candy and swirls. The brown card is from my stash, and the black card from my Christmas bits box.
Definitely not traditional colours but I really like it. Why not have a go yourself.
Nite nite
Kimx

G is for Green at the ABC challenge

Evening Everyone,
Hope that you have had a good day.
I have been a very busy bunny, DT work, ironing and a marathon catch up session on the current series of Merlin that we had recorded on the Sky box. I think the grown ups were probably more engrossed than the kids but that just goes to show that we are all big kids at heart lol.

This is another of the numerous 'Thinking of You' cards that I have had to make just lately, and it fits perfectly into the ABC Challenge where G is for Green.
The little boy fishing is by Clarity as are the leaves that have been white embossed in one of the background papers. The leaves have also been stamped on the main card with versamark.

The other papers are from my stash and have been run through the cuttlebug using a couple of different embossing folders. The greeting is from Woodware.
I have used distress inks to add colour, some glimmer mist, stitching with a fine black pen and some card candy.
Off to bed now, all this activity has made me tired and I have to go to work tomorrow. And I have just noticed how late it is!
Love and hugs
Kimx

Wishing you Brighter days at Sunday Sketch and Stamp

Afternoon All
I hope that you are all having a good day. I have been having a bit of a tidy up as well as making a card for a friends Mum who is in hospital.

I made this card for him to give her using the lovely sketch over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp.

The floral stamp is one of my favourite Stampendous images Agapanthus Cluster which I have coloured using several different blue pigment inks, before stamping it out and embossing with clear powder. I have then restamped the image several times without adding any more ink which gives this slightly faded effect.
The technique is known as Embossed Resist and works particularly well with floral images.
The greeting is from Hobby Art Sentiments clear set.

The background papers are from my stash, and I added some card candy and a stitched border to the floral panel.

That's enough computer for now, back to crafting.

Have a good day.

Hugs Kimx

Another little Thankyou

Happy Christmas Everyone
We have managed to peel our way through the mountain of vegetables. There can't possible be any more sprouts left in England, they are all in my kitchen lol.
The turkey is still cooking, but I'm not sure the kids will have any room with all the sweets and other assorted goodies that they have been munching on despite the grown ups protests.
We all sound like my Grandma used to 'You won't have enough room for your dinner if you eat that!!' How some things never change he he.

This card was made to say thank you to Jenny and Chris at Hobby Art for my lovely Christmas gift.
Once again I used the lovely sketch over at Seems a Little Sketchy.
They are a very new challenge but I can see that I will be heading there again when I need a new sketch to work with.

The main image is a lovely Hobby Art stamp Dandelion Vase that I have had for quite a while.
I have stamped and embossed it and then added colour using a watercolour technique that I am quite partial to.

The background papers are from my stash and this time I used the lovely DooHickey Christmas Poinsettia.

The ribbon is from Woodware as is the Card Candy. I added some glossy accents to the vase, and a little glitter glue to the flowers.

Oh, looks like dinner is ready now and then we have presents to open. At some point I have to find room to put the ironing board up as I need my uniform for work tomorrow. I shall be thinking of all you lucky people having a lie in when I am at work at 6am tomorrow.

I hope that you have all had a lovely day, and have not over indulged too much.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of the Christmas break.

Happy Christmas

hugs

Kimx

Christmas cards ALL DONE !!!!!!!!

Evening Everyone,
Well I have finally finished all of my Christmas cards, and they are in the post!
That is some sort of miracle, even my friend at work remarked that it was early for me.
Cheeky, but how right she is :)

All I can say is Thank God for Lili of the Valley pre-coloured images when you suddenly find that you need another 10 cards lol.
I made all of these using a combination of  images cut out using my nesties,

some background papers from my stash,

a bit of card candy,

some wonderful Stampendous Shabby White Embossing Enamel,

a cuttlebug Christmas embossing folder, stamped swirls,

and some crystals and pearls.

I thought you might like to see them, unless you are completely fed up with Christmas cards that is.

Off to bed now, I need to lie down after all this activity.

Nite, nite.

Hugs

Kimx