Bunnies, chicks or eggs at CCM

Evening Everyone,
It is my turn to host the challenge over at CCM this time.
Our challenges last for a fortnight, so as this new one straddles Easter we have gone for a seasonal twist, and what could be more appropriate than Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs.

My card was made using one of the fabulous stamp sets from Woodware, designed by my friend Jane Gill.

I stamped and embossed the bunny onto white card stock and coloured it using a combination of distress oxide inks and Gelly Roll pens.

The background to the card was created by randomly stamping and embossing the bunny around the edges of a piece of kraft card.

The main image has been trimmed and then edged with faux stitching.

I love using the oxide inks on darker cardstock it gives such a lovely chalky finish.

Of course when I made the card I had to play with the images first, so here is a card that I created by stamping and embossing in gold on black card.

I hope that you will find the time to join us for our challenge, and that you will pop by and visit the rest of the team, who as always have come up with some stunning samples.

We also have some new teamies who would love a visit I am sure.

Happy Crafting and hugs.

Kimx

''Distress It' with Woodware and Crafty Cardmakers

Hi All
There is a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and More, where Lin is our host.
She is looking for you to 'Distress It' and not just with inks, plenty of distressed edges.
One of our sponsors for this challenge is Woodware and as I am still filling in for Siobhan again this week I have a good excuse for the lateness of my post, Tuesday is Siobhan's day to share.

Now I have to admit I don't do a great deal of 'Distressing' apart from with inks, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. But then isn't that the whole point of a challenge, to take you out of your comfort zone?

The alphabet background was handmade using my Creative Palette and a stencil.
I really must learn to write on the back to tell me what inks, or paints I used when I make these little pieces of Art. As it was taken from my stash of papers I have absolutely no idea what I used now.

I have paper pieced the poinsettia stamp using papers available from Woodware, having first 'distressed' them with some water and a little brute force lol.

The berries have been coloured using a White Gelly Roll Glaze pen,

and I added a few extra tiny dots with a black micron pen.

As you can see I even managed to distress the edges of the main panels, as requested by Lin.
Please don't forget to check out what the rest of my Teamies have come up with to inspire you, and also the Woodware blog where there is a new piece of inspiration every day this week.
Thanks for stopping by, any comments are always greatly appreciated.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Wonderful Woodland Elements

Evening Everyone,
June, has turned into a very birthday heavy month. Thank goodness I don't have to find pressies to go with all of the cards or it would be beans on toast for the month and definitely no crafty stash.

I have had a couple of birthday cards to make for the guys at work so I used this fabulous old Woodland Elements set from Woodware, some coloured card and a little bleach.

This card is made using the same stamp set and a couple of Gelly Roll Glaze pens as well as some bleach.

I love stamping with bleach as well, which can be seen on the red strip across the bottom of the card.
Hugs Kimx

It's Official, a messy desk leads to a Creative Mind

Well Girls, and Boys of course,
It is official. A messy work desk can make you more creative, according to a study done by the University of Minnesota US. (Well it must be true, I read it in the newspaper!!)
Of course that must be where I've been going wrong these last couple of weeks, my desk has obviously been far too tidy lol.
Thank goodness something has worked because I have finally managed to finish Ciaran's card. I can't say that I am 100% happy with it, but I'm not sure why so I guess that it is best to stop fiddling with it.

 Once again I have used a pre-coloured Lili of the Valley die cut image.

I'm really into circular cards at the moment, can't you tell lol.
I used some background papers from my stash and my Grand Nesties and an Embossalicious folder.

I couldn't really find any suitable embellishments other than the grass so I decided that I would add some Glossy Accents to the bike frame and Grey Gelly Roll glaze pen to the bike tyres.
It is definitely too late to give them their cards tonight, so I guess I had better buy some cake tomorrow so that we can have a little bit of a belated celebration.
I'm not tiding up my desk either, it might stop my creativity, I wonder if I can stamp successfully on a very uneven surface :O)
Hugs Kimx

Finally a card for the Woodware Sketch

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had a lovely weekend, despite the weather.
I have managed to finish several cards, including a couple for Kids party emergencies lol.
I even managed to make a card for the Woodware Sketch Challenge.
I feel that I have been woefully neglecting these challenges over the last couple of weeks, a situation that I intend to rectify.

I have been trying to use up some of the previously made pieces from my 'bits box'.

The main panel has been made from a piece of copy paper that I had in the bottom of my 'Spray Booth'. It is mostly covered in Glimmer Mists, but there is probably some dye based Adirondack sprays in there as well.
You see crafters never waste anything.
I painted the sky with undiluted bleach and added some Paper Pieced leaves.

The sentiment is from a Woodware clear set designed by Jane Gill and I have stamped the gingham background with an Artemio swirl stamp.

The buttons are also from Woodware, and I have added some tiny white dots with a Gelly Roll glaze pen.
The sketch challenge runs for the whole of May so you still have plenty of time to join in, and don't forget to drop by tomorrow to see what the new weekly challenge is.
Hugs Kimx

Happy Anniversary with Outlines

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had a good Bank Holiday.
It has been mentally busy at work today, queueing out the doors!! so I am absolutely shattered.
We did managed to have a lovely BBQ this evening, and sit outside in the garden to eat it, which is a first for this year.
I have a pile of cards ready to go in the post box tomorrow so I will share one of them.

A very simple card for me using some handmade background paper, an Outlines Rubber stamp and some Gelly Roll Glaze pens.

I cut the panel in half, so I managed to get two cards out of it.
Must get some sleep now. I feel positively stuffed after all of that food.
hugs Kimx

Just to Say.........

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have a good Monday.
I have managed to do a little more sorting and have finished some cards ready to send to friends.
I have been absolutely rubbish at sending cards to people while I have been away, which is silly really given that SirStampalot have a postal collection every day!!

This is one that is heading off to a friend whose birthday I am now far too late for.

The stamp is from Outlines and has been stamped and embossed onto a piece of handmade background paper. The colouring has been done using Gelly Roll glaze pens.
I hope she likes it.
hugs Kimx

Challenge 85 at Crafty Cardmakers - Blooming Images

Afternoon All
I hope that you have been having the same glorious sunshine that we have been experiencing here.
What a perfect day to launch a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, where  Marie (MI) has chosen the theme 'Blooming Images'. 
She would like flower images to be the main focus of the card. No people, no landscapes. Just flower images. A single rose, a poinsettia, a daisy... you get it. Can be flowers in a vase or just the flowers. Of course you can still decorate with flowers, butterflies or what you feel like, but the image is a flower of some kind, NOT a tree and NOT a person holding a flower' 
We are sponsored this time by CRAFTS AND ME with the choice of 3 digital stamps from their range, and also a fabulous die set from a mystery donor. (Check out HERE for more details)

 For my card I have been playing with one of Jane Gill's fantastic stamp sets JGCL572 Daisy Layers.

I did a spot of masking on the central circular panel along with some Faux Stitching.

 My colour scheme was taken from the Photo Inkspiration over at Inkspirational.

I stamped and embossed my flowers onto watercolour card and coloured them using Distress inks.

I added a little bit of sparkle by colouring over the top of the Distress ink with some Gelly Roll Sparkle pens.

 Unfortunately it doesn't show up terribly well in the photos.

I added some extra flowers and leaves attached using silicon, to add a little bit of dimension to the card.
The background papers are from my stash, as are the gems at the centre of the flowers.
I am entering this into the following challenges
Stamp and Create - Spring is coming
ABC Challenges - All Stitched Up
I hope that you have had a good day and that you will feel inspired to enter our challenge HERE.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT, they have made some fantastic cards.
hugs Kimx

A Card for a Queen at The Stampman

Evening Everyone,
Today saw the start of a new challenge over at The Stampman where Sue is looking for a Card Fit for a Queen.
Well I finally managed to get my card finished this morning just in time for the main challenge to go live, but this is the first opportunity I have had to pop it on my blog.

The main image on the card is Stampendous CRW059 Cling Love Crest which I have stamped using a versamark ink pad and then Gold embossed.
I then cut it out using a Grand Nestie before adding Distress Inks Seedless Preserves and  Gathered Twigs.

I'm afraid that for some reason the close up photos make it look a completely different colour.

I painted the leaves and flowers with bleach before colouring with more Seedless Preserve and Bundled Sage ink.

Once I had finished colouring I spritzed the entire panel with a little water to give a mottled effect.

The main card has been randomly stamped and gold embossed using Stampendous CRP136 Cling Blossom Spray and then sponged with Seedless Preserve distress ink. I also painted the images and added a hand stitched border with a fine black pen.
'Queen' has been added using die cut letters which Jill the lovely Stamplady gave me. I have covered them in Frantage Shabby White Embossing Enamel. 

I stamped and embossed the Crown on to a scrap of card and added it using silicon after I had cut it out. I also added plenty of tiny pearls.

I added some Stardust pen to the ribbon and Clear Gelly Roll glaze to the L.
I am really pleased with how it all worked out.
I hope that you will join us with your projects HERE and that you will check out what the rest of the Design Team have come up with.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend.
I am back to the Craft Room. My mind is buzzing with ideas but I am having trouble translating them into anything that even remotely resembles a card.
Perhaps I would be better having a break from it except that I will be teaching tomorrow afternoon at Davina's and then I have a family get together on Sunday so that is most of my weekend gone.
Oh well.
Hugs Kimx

Woodware Challenge - Colours of Spring

Good Morning Everyone,
I'm back again today with my latest card for the Woodware Challenge, where they are asking you for the 'Colours of Spring.
This should have gone live very early this morning, but the Internet crashed as I was writing it, and so now I have had to wait until everyone has resurfaced before I can get on any further.
I really must get a little more organised and then I could schedule it without panicking, still never mind, maybe one day lol.

This week they are asking for The Colours of Spring.
I have used FRS216 Field of Tulips.
It is a lovely big stamp which would work very well with paper piecing, but that's another card :)

I have stamped and embossed it onto a piece of Faux Mother of Pearl background and then coloured it with dye based inks.
I coloured the clouds, and also added some tiny dots with a white Gelly Roll Glaze pen.

Get Well Soon comes from another Woodware set FRCL198 Sail Away, but I think this card would work well for any occasion.

The background papers are all from the shelves at SirStampalot where I am staying for another week.
Of course there had to be some ribbon and Faux Card Candy.
I left the real thing at home so I improvised with a small circle punch and some of the background paper scraps.
I hope that this has inspired you and that you will join us this week with your take on The Colours of Spring.
Off to the shop now to get ready for my class.
Have a great Day.
Happy Stamping.
Kimx

Good Luck with the Woodware Challenge

Hi,
It's me again, back for the new challenge over at Woodware, where I am lucky enough to be the Guest Designer for the month of March.
The challenge this week is Good Luck, and I have found it to be a tricky one. For starters I hadn't realised just how few Good Luck stamps there seem to be available.
I asked several Crafty Friends what they thought of as being suitable for a Good Luck card and the list was fairly small - 4 leaf clover, Leprechauns and Black cats.
I did consider an Oriental card with a Good Luck symbol on it, but then finally decided on some black cats. It's amazing what you come across when you are actually looking for something else lol.

The main image on this card is an old Magenta stamp 23.293J Double Cat Squares. I stamped it out 3 times and have then done a little bit of decoupage. 

I also added a couple of metallic swirly clips and some stitching.

The square panels have been painted using Gelly Roll glaze pen. Scribble it onto your craft mat and then pick it up with a waterbrush and use it just like paint. Thank you Francoise for that little tip.
Each of the four small coloured squares have been cut out and embossed from the back on a foam mat using a large ball tool.

I stamped the cats onto black card and then cut them out. The squares have been added to the main panel using silicon glue to add a little depth. The black cats have been added on top of this, again using silicon.
Tip to self - make sure the silicon is dry from adding the squares, before trying to attach the cats :)

I have added some stitching and then mounted the square onto black glossy, and then blue card stock.
The green background panel has been made from a piece of paper from my stash which has been stamped and embossed using Good Luck from FRCL080 Mixed Greetings and the paw print from FRCL124 Groovy Cats. Both of these sets are made by Woodware.

This is not a very good picture of the items that I have used, but I thought it might make it easier for you to know what to look for.
I had so much fun making this that I got a little carried away and made a second card :)

This uses another old Magenta cat stamp 23.395K. I have created a background panel by stamping and embossing the image repeatedly onto white card stock. I added the same small Good Luck stamp that I used on the previous card into the gaps.

I have sponged Weathered Wood and Black Soot distress inks around the edges of this panel and then tapped a black versafine pad along the edge before embossing them with clear embossing powder. 

Once again I have painted the squares using Gelly Roll glaze pen.
Good Luck is from FRCL080 Mixed Greetings and I have used a small circle punch to add the cats heads to the panel.

I really should have got these made earlier this week as I needed one of them for my youngest daughter Becki. She took her 1st semester, 2nd Year Nursing exam on Friday.
Fortunately she passed so she didn't need any help from my black cats after all lol.
I do hope that you will join in HERE with the challenge this week, I look forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with.
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kimx